Stop Developing Your Leadership

“Developing your leadership” sounds grand. It’s useless.

You can’t practice “leadership.” You can practice specific skills.

Develop Skills, Not Leadership

Suppose you’re an impatient listener. Don’t set a goal to “become a better listener.”

Choose a specific behavior. For example: Ask one follow-up question before giving your opinion.

Practice it in every one-on-one this week. Notice when you forget. Seek feedback. Try again.

Developing Your Leadership – Shrink the Target

Instead of developing communication, practice specific communication skills.

• Explain a decision in two minutes.
• Give corrective feedback without softening the message.
• End meetings with clear commitments.
• Pause three seconds after asking a question.
• Recognize one useful contribution every day.

You can’t practice a generality.

Practice What Feels Awkward

Improvement happens at the edge of ability.

Don’t repeatedly do what feels natural. Practicing comfortable conversations won’t make you better at difficult conversations.

If you dominate meetings, practice inviting others to talk.

If you avoid decisions, set a decision deadline.

• Choose one behavior.
• Practice deliberately.
• Get feedback.
• Adjust.
• Repeat.
• Choose another skill.

Stop developing your leadership. Start developing leadership skills.

What specific leadership skill could you practice this week?

7 Ways to Master the Most Important Leadership Skill – Leadership Freak

This post was inspired by Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise, by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool.