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Top tier leaders develop their leadership; bottom tier leaders don’t. Lousy leaders don’t develop their leadership.
Those who need it most – want it least.
Those who need it least – want it most.
Simple test:
Ask yourself, “What am I doing to develop my leadership?” Lousy leaders don’t have an answer.
Number one:
I talked with Marshall Goldsmith, yesterday. Harvard Business Review named him the number one leadership thinker in the world. Marshall said the best always strive to be better.
Surprising path to number one:
Marshall said I always learn more from the people I coach than they learn from me. He’s not minimizing his value. It helps that he only works with top leaders of top organizations in the world.
Grow your leadership by growing others.
Help yourself by helping others. Teachers learn more than students.
The surprising path to the top is helping others to the top.
Unselfishly develop yourself by unselfishly developing others.
Tip:
Know less. Even if you think you know, listen and learn.
In and out:
People ask me how I come up with a leadership post six or seven times a week. I always answer the same way. I’m putting more in my cup than I’m taking out. A conversation with Marshall Goldsmith is one example.
Keep filling and pouring out of your cup.
Writing Leadership Freak is part of my leadership development. You think I do it for others and that’s true. I also do it for me. What I take in, I give out.
Tool:
Here’s a tool to help you develop others and yourself: “Managers as Mentors,” by Chip Bell and Marshall Goldsmith.
How are you developing your leadership?
