Leadership development may be the most important thing any company does. That’s why, every week, I review blogs and other publications that cover leadership development to find the very best leadership development posts. This week, you’ll find pointers to posts about reflection, developing emotionally intelligent leaders, succession, developing leaders instead of buying them.
From Chris Cebollero: It’s The Season For Self-Reflection
“In my experience, effective leadership has to begin with self-awareness and, more importantly, self-reflection. Life is a long series of experiences, decisions, successes and lessons learned. One of the keys to ultimate success is the ability to make sense of, appreciate and grow from those experiences. As you get ready to hustle in 2019, take time to reflect and determine what worked for you, where you had challenges or made mistakes and where you experienced failures over the past year.”
My reflections on this article are in the post, “Leadership development and the Art of Getting Better.”
From Rita Balian Allen: Five Practices to Build Emotionally Intelligent Leaders
“Building emotional intelligence in leaders can result in higher return on investments and profitability in organizations.”
From Robert Sharrock: The CEO’s Psychology: Driving Success And Impeding Succession
“When asked about the legacy they wish to leave behind, most CEOs refer to a successful, sustainable business. To this end, they strive, at least overtly, for an internal successor, but an orderly transition rarely occurs. The most common scenario is to rush through an openly competitive horse race once the CEO’s intentions are clear, and the unsuccessful candidates suffer a consequent loss of face. Internal candidates are often overlooked in favor of an external recruit, and research tells us that their success is variable. In one study, for example, external CEOs were more than six times more likely to be dismissed within three years.”
From H. V. MacArthur: How To Develop Talent Vs. Relying On ‘Buying It’
“Let’s face it–many of us were promoted into leadership positions because we were good at the function of our job. Maybe we were a badass accountant or the most skilled construction worker or the fastest technician. People liked what they saw and thought, why not put that person in charge of others so they can make them as good as they are at what they do. But there’s a flaw in that thinking. Being a skilled people manager draws on a whole different set of skills than being a good accountant, technician, lawyer, etc. Most companies do very little to train their managers to actually coach and develop others. They assume it will just happen naturally. But it rarely does, and a lot of time, money and goodwill are wasted thanks to this hands-off approach.”
