Extreme Leadership is not a solo act; it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You’re not going to change the world by yourself. (More on that in an upcoming post). It’s your job to recruit, cultivate, and develop the up and coming Extreme Leaders in your midst. This is nothing new. You’ve heard it before: develop people. True, true, and true again.
However…
The most overlooked way to develop Extreme Leadership in others is to let them participate in your development. You be the living, breathing example of a work-in-progress.
That’s what we all are anyway, right? Say to them, Watch me try. Give others the benefits of your OS!Ms.
That’s right. Pursue your OS!Ms in full, public view. Show others that you’re learning, you’re trying, and that you’re botching it up from time to time. Then let them in on what you’ve learned.
Guess what will happen?
They’ll try, too. You’ve proven to others that you’re proving it to yourself. They’ll want to prove it to themselves, too. But don’t leave it there.
Invite them to share in your development–directly–by asking these questions:
What do I need to do to improve as an Extreme Leader?
Where am I screwing up?
Where am I doing well, and how can I get better?
And don’t stop asking until you get their answers–until you’ve proven that you mean it.
I totaly agree! I tell this every time to my coachees, but it’s hard to them to do it at firt time! I’ll get it!
I totaly agree! I tell this every time to my coachees, but it’s hard to them to do it at firt time! I’ll get it!
Great post, Steve. Creating a space in which team members, peers, direct reports know that their feedback is welcome is a critical part of humility in leadership. When sharing development opportunities – and acting on them – is a two-way street, real trust is created.
Great post, Steve. Creating a space in which team members, peers, direct reports know that their feedback is welcome is a critical part of humility in leadership. When sharing development opportunities – and acting on them – is a two-way street, real trust is created.
This is a great post. Many times leaders become so concerned with their employees’ progress that they forget that their employees also should be giving feedback about their progress as a leader. Feedback from employees is as important as feedback from their leaders because it allows employees to “develop” their employers to fit their own needs. This can only be healthy for a growing company.
This is a great post. Many times leaders become so concerned with their employees’ progress that they forget that their employees also should be giving feedback about their progress as a leader. Feedback from employees is as important as feedback from their leaders because it allows employees to “develop” their employers to fit their own needs. This can only be healthy for a growing company.