Leadership Development from Peer to Peer
Leadership development programs get all the press. But we know that most learning happens on the job. Too many leadership development programs concentrate on formal classroom learning. But we know that leaders learn a lot from each other. Peer support can be the link between conscious development and informal, on-the-job learning.
In Strategy and Business, Sally Helgesen, makes the case for “Peer Coaching as a Tool for Culture Change.” She says:
“In essence, peer coaching works by giving people a forum, a process, and a means of support for addressing their own development challenges, as well as holding themselves accountable for needed change. Rather than working with a professional, each member of a peer coaching pair acts as a sounding board and resource for the other.”
Two Kinds of Peer to Peer Leadership Development
Peer coaching is only one kind of peer support. Peer support groups are the other.
Peer support groups, like the ones run by Vistage, have been around for a while. Vistage’s groups bring peers from different companies together for mutual learning and support. But peer support groups can exist inside a company. They can also be informal or ad hoc groups.
Peer to Peer Leadership Development Resources
Andrew Thorn, Marilyn McLeod, and Marshall Goldsmith have prepared an excellent PDF titled “Peer Coaching Overview.”
“This paper discusses the complex nature of transformational change required to achieve a learning culture. Peer mentoring will be discussed as an example of a learning process that is in harmony with the values-based transformational leadership and change process, the professional values of librarianship, and the democratic nature of a learning culture.”
From Globoforce: How Not To Kill Creativity And Other Benefits Of Peer-To-Peer Support
“Recently, we interviewed Teresa to learn more about findings from research she conducted for her book, The Progress Principle. Published in 2011 by Harvard Business Review Press, the book is co-authored with Dr. Steven Kramer, and based on their analysis of 12,000 daily diary entries from more than 200 professionals.”
From Fortune: When leaders are scarce, employees look to peers
“To attract the kind of people they need, large organizations like Microsoft and KPMG are flipping the idea of mentoring on its head.”
