How Experienced Leaders Become Stagnant and Mediocre
Repetition isn’t the path to improvement, unless you persistently work to improve.
The only way to improve is to focus on improvement.
Experience turns to mediocrity when:
- You can’t explain what you’re learning. Anyone who can’t explain what they’re learning moves toward stagnation.
- You repeat the same behaviors over and over.
- You’re always the right.
- You never fall short.
- You don’t seek feedback.
No time to practice:
The challenge of leadership is you’re always in game mode. There’s not time to practice.
I’m told the secret to golf is consistency. Hold the club the same way. Stand the same way. Swing the same way. Don’t practice while you play.
Successful athletes develop skills before and after the game. But it’s always game time for leaders.
Practice before you play:
Leaders might not be able to practice like golfers or swimmers, but they can visualize performance. Take meetings for example.
- Visualize how you show up at the meeting.
- Imagine running the meeting. What do you see yourself doing?
- Picture how you end the meeting.
Practice at the next level:
Before visualizing performance, focus and clarify goals.
- How do I want people to feel in the meeting?
- How do I want people to feel about themselves? About others? About me?
- How do I want to show up?
Drill down:
Perhaps you’re working to connect with the team before meetings. You’ve been distracted in the past. What new behaviors will you adopt to connect? When? How?
Visualize…
- Greeting people as they arrive.
- Putting your phone away.
- Smiling.
- Asking questions about the weekend. (Family, hobbies, or sports teams.)
Seek feedback privately after the meeting:
- Explain your goal to connect before the meeting.
- What worked?
- What could be better?
- What suggestions might they offer?
What small aspects of leadership might leaders work to improve? How?
Resource for this post:
Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise, by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool
Wrong “they’re/their” in the meme – correct in the blog text.
Thanks Sean!
Love the graphic, but please fix “their” to “they’re”!
Done!
did your graphic mean, “what they’re learning” vs” what their learning?”
On Thu, Aug 31, 2017 at 9:29 AM, Leadership Freak wrote:
> Dan Rockwell posted: “Repetition isn’t the path to improvement, unless you > persistently work to improve. The only way to improve is to focus on > improvement. Experience turns to mediocrity when: You can’t explain what > you’re learning. Anyone who can’t explain what th” >
Thanks Peggy. I appreciate it when readers help me correct grammar/spelling errors. I write hard and fast every morning. You’re help and the help of others means a lot to me.
Should be “your” help and the help…..not You’re.
Learning to become better listeners applies to everyone including leaders. Pay attention and focus during conversations or meetings. “Turn the Phone off”!
Thanks Tim. Improving listening is a perpetual opportunity for most of us. 🙂 Would it be great if leaders were experts at listening?
Many are interested in becoming subject area experts. If that’s the case, listening should be on our list. Cheers
Yes Dan, seems like there is considerable air flow between the ears! Or perhaps there is convenient hearing?
Peak by Anderrs Ericsson is one of my favourite books. Deliberate practise can apply to anything in our lives if we make it.