Strategic Serendipity

Most organizations have a standard list of competencies that they expect leaders to have.  Every book on leadership will list the competencies that the author feels are critical to success.  Yet every successful leader has had their own strengths and weaknesses.  So how do you develop yourself for leadership success? Divide your list of competencies up into three categories: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Career Derailers . We know that you want to maximize and develop your strengths and fix any career derailers.  But what about the weaknesses? If they are completely unrelated to the job you have now or want to have next, you can pass on focusing on them, for now.  But when you are ready to round out your portfolio, I suggest you start with cultivating and developing (and listening to) those who have strengths in the areas you are weak.  Yes, you could spend hours learning a new skill.  And if it is important to future success, you probably should have...

You know my opinion that when it comes to professional development , you get out of a program what you put into it.  So now you get my opinion on the single most important element of personal/professional development. 
SELF AWARENESS 
 What is it?  Self awareness is knowing your strengths and how to maximize them, knowing your weaknesses and how to buffer them, knowing that you have blind spots and being open to feedback about them, and being willing to do the necessary reflection and work to constantly improve yourself. I have observed so many people in leadership development programs (1 hour to 18 month) listen to an amazing instructor describe an action, reaction, or career derailer and immediately speak up and identify someone else who has that quality.  You would not believe how often, that person has the same quality.  However, they often even follow up with because of my experience working with that person I make a point to not do this.  Awkward....

"Purpose and passion are the internal drivers that determine employees' performance and their commitment to the organization, factors that ultimately have a very real impact on business results. ... Without [individual purpose, an employee's] journey meanders, their actions lack meaning, and their passion is left unexpressed in their work - a combination likely to leave them disengaged, dispirited, restless, ... or worse."  The Purpose Linked Organization:  How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results by Alaina Love and Marc Cugnon. We all know people who don't seem to have their heart in their work.  And it shows.  Some may not actively try to let everyone know how unhappy they are, but it doesn't work.  No matter where you work, when you are passionate about what you do...it shows.  And if you aren't...that shows too.  How you got there doesn't matter, but it is how you are going to get out that is the key.  The most i...

Have you ever seen someone actually light up when they discuss something?  You probably notice it most often when you ask someone about their child.  Their eyes sparkle and you are engaged whether you've met the child or not.  It is because the person is speaking about their passion and they are more persuasive and engaging because of it. I attended a program last night with Robin Gerber, author of Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way, and I was struck at once by two separate instances of how following one's passion can guide your work. The first example was in the story of how Eleanor found her passion working to improve the lot of others.  The second was in how Robin found her passion writing about Eleanor. I learned to respect Eleanor Roosevelt's life and work, because she was an amazing woman with every opportunity and excuse to live it up without regard to consequences.  And yet, through it all, she found a way to contribute to the world and to give h...