I just kicked-off an 8-month leadership development program with a client in Denver, and one of our topics was about the "shifts" people need to make when they step into leadership roles. Reflect on the items below:
The hype around Lance Armstrong's confession of using banned substances brings up two leadership issues for me.
Leadership Issue #1: Winning at All Costs
I recently read an article in the Harvard Business Review, Leadership is a Conversation, by Boris Groysberg and Michael Slind. As of June 2012 Boris and Michael had spoken to over 150 people in 100 companies where research participants consistently mentioned their efforts of "having a conversation" or "advancing the conversation" in their organizations.
I agree that Leadership, in part, really is a conversation. And I have also found that leaders who struggle most fail to engage people through conversation. Often times they:
Do you consider Emotional Intelligence -- self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills -- when interviewing new candidates in your organization?
How about in the process of identifying future leaders?
I recently read an article in PR Newswire titled Study Shows the Current State of Women in Leadership. The article cited a study by The Women's College of the University of Denver and The White House Project that presented some interesting findings comparing women to their male counterparts:
I was having a discussion recently with a group of participants in a 5.12 Solutions' Executive Coaching and Leadership Development Program here in Denver. We were making the distinction between caring (about someone) and showing interest. One results-oriented participant asked, "Can you care about someone without being interested?"
Here's my challenge to all leaders in 2013:
WHO will you be?
It's a great time of the year for all of us to reflect on where we've been and where we want to go. The trap that most leaders fall into is that they often reflect on the WHAT and the HOW without considering WHO they are as leaders. For example, they ask - WHAT do I want to accomplish this year? WHAT are my goals? And, HOW will I achieve those goals?
I received the following email from a participant in a recent leadership development program.
If I only had one tip or piece of advice to share about leadership, I would say, "Let people know that their contributions matter."
Thanksgiving is an opportunity to be grateful for what you have and to recognize others for the contributions they have made to you, your team and organization.
One of the challenges that senior leaders often have is that they are rewarded and recognized based on the success of their functional area. But, often times, senior leaders are asked to be an engaged member of a leadership team. This requires a shift in an individual leader's attitudes, skills, and perspectives that is difficult for many leaders to make. Which ones apply to you?
