What Works in Leadership Development
Are good leaders born or developed? If the former, then we shouldn’t even bother with leadership development. We usually think of leaders as those who can inspire and motivate others to put out discretionary effort and effective managers as those who ensure that things get done consistently well. Of course, they are not mutually exclusive and when we talk about leadership development we are usually talking about both concepts.
There is plenty of research on what techniques work in this arena. But, because there are so many over-hyped programs out there, let’s start with what doesn’t work:
1. Job shadowing for senior managers
2. Outdoor activity-based programs
3. Paper-based self-study leadership modules
4. Executive MBAs and web-based self-study modules when implemented too late in the person’s
career
The second one is most interesting as those team-building weekends sound so attractive. But, they are a waste.
So, what does work?
1. Mentoring
2. In-house universities
3. Job rotations, executive MBA and web-based programs when started early
Future articles will discuss the details of the above and how to measure success. In the meantime, be a careful consumer of leadership development products and services.
For more information on what works in leadership development, contact Warren Bobrow.
4 Simple Reinvention Strategies
At a recent Chamber of Commerce workshop, I presented “4 Simple Strategies For Reinventing Yourself in Tough Economic Times.” Whether you’re looking to tweak your existing skills or starting over following a change of careers, business as usual just doesn’t exist in today’s marketplace .
Determine your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Once you’ve got a picture of where you are, decide where you want to be. Next, get MEAN by taking action in one or more of these four areas: Marketing, Education, Attitude, and Networking.
Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone. Try something new rather than doing the same old thing and getting the same old results. Click here and I’ll send you the “Nine Tips for Reinventing Yourself” handout designed for the workshop attendees.
If you’d like to learn more about having Kammy talk to your group or about re-inventing yourself or your business contact her by clicking here.