Leadership Development Begins with You

I came across an interesting post on Regina Miller’s blog – HR’s Brand New Experience.  The title of the post was “A Maniacal Focus on High Potentials”.  The post pointed us to a study on the top twenty companies for leaders.  As I read through Regina’s post and the study, it struck me that these companies don’t create leaders – they merely allow them to grow and develop.

I have often heard people talk about joining a company because they had a great leadership development program – or because it was a “breading ground for future stars”. 

My friends, I have some news for you:  If you want to be a leader you don’t have to work for a great company you simply need to choose to lead and then act upon that choice. That’s right – leadership development begins with you.

Here are three things you can do right now to start your own personal High Potential Program:

• Commit to personal continuous improvement.  For example: When you get home from work don’t turn on the television.  Pick up a book and read it.  Spend one hour each day reading a book that will have applicability in your work or your life.  After you finish, give the book to a friend.  When she finishes it, talk about the information you both read.  What did you agree with?  What didn’t make sense?  How is it applicable to each of you?  If you can discuss one or two books a month in this way, you will be surprised at how much you will grow in a short period of time.

• Think about all major decisions for at least forty-eight hours before you make them.  I know this is a tough one.  Sometimes you have all the evidence you need to make a decision right in front of you.  The choice is clear, why not make it and move on?  You will be amazed at how different a state of affairs appears after you remove yourself from it for a while. What does the time do?  It removes emotion from the situation.

Here is an example:  If someone has done something seriously wrong at work and termination is one of the potential consequences, you should never “pull a Trump” and fire them on the spot.  Send them home.  Look at all sides of the situation. Even pay them for the two days while you uncover as many facts as possible.  Then if the decision to discontinue their employment is warranted you will have removed the heat of the moment emotion and made your decision based upon the facts.

• Make someone’s day, everyday.  Pick at least one person and tell them that they did a great job.  Then take the time to seek out their boss and let them know how this person went above and beyond the call of duty.  You don’t have to write a long flowery letter as if you’re nominating them for a Nobel Prize – just make a quick phone call or send a quick e-mail.  This will be great for them, it will make you feel good and it will set a great example for everyone around you.

At the end of the day, leadership is about people stepping up to make a difference in work and in life. You don’t need a great company to bring that out in you.  Go out and do it yourself.  Explore your own emerging leadership.

Comments

[Adrian Savage]

Dave,

I am 100% with you on this. Most of what's written about "High Potentials" is garbage, designed to keep consultants and HR people in work.

Potential is possibility, nothing else. If folk follow your great advice above, they'll increase the range of possibilities available to them dramtaically. That means they'll increase their potential. It's that simple...provide you DO it and don't just talk (or consult) about it.

Adrian (The Coyote Within)

[regina]

Thanks for the link. I have a friend named Bev Kaye who talks about the POPOs - passed over and pissed off. I think your advice is good advice to all so that people don't fall into the victim headset and keep a maniacal focus on their own growth.