Last year we started offering one-on-one phone coaching around The Extraordinary Leader 360 assessments and building strengths-based personal development plans. These typically involve 2, 3, and sometimes more sessions about a month or two apart. As leaders have reported back on their progress we’ve further developed and expanded their action plans.
Typically the first step in the leader’s personal development plan is meeting with his or her manager. In one such meeting the senior executive and his manager realized their rankings of the most important skills for that leader’s job were out of sync. Through discussion they realigned their views and agreed on the top skills needed for that position. This lead to a more focused and relevant personal development plan that leveraged the executive’s strengths, played to his passions, and addressed the most pressing organizational need for his role.
The leader also met with his direct reports and peers to review their feedback and get input to his personal development. Over the next few months of coaching sessions this executive’s energy for growth and development intensified as he saw major improvements in his leadership effectiveness and results.
Leaders today are crazy-busy. They also know that their leadership development is vital. But work often trumps personal development. Everyone runs fast and hard and personal development is put off as executives look for a break in their schedules.
This is a false dichotomy. In an insightful upcoming webinar, Jack Zenger shows why work and development shouldn’t be seen as competing activities. Doing one can accomplish the other. Leaders can develop their leadership skills and get the job done.
View this webinar now to learn 8 ways you can bring personal development and your job closer together. Discover how you can transform your daily job activities into a practical leadership classroom and laboratory.
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