ITLP Tuesday Readings

In early October, Jack and Suzy Welch focused their BusinessWeek column on answering the question "What Change Agents Are Made Of" and tell us that chagents are leaders who have:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_42/b4104096917161.htm

Vision, seeing a future not seen by others.

Bravery, willing to take bold action and accept the consequences.

Support, with a core group of emotionally engaged individuals moving the change forward.

The Welchs think that only one in ten leaders are change agents. Are you that one? If not, what might you do to prepare to be an effective change agent?

Posted by Jim Hall at 3:01 PM | Permalink

Today's reading is "The Success Delusion -- Why It Can Be So Hard for Successful Leaders to Change" from the Marshall Goldsmith Library. Goldsmith's thesis is straightforward: The more successful we become, the more positive reinforcement we get, the more difficult it will be for us to make the changes we need to make to continue to be successful.

http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/cim/articles_display.php?aid=321

He has three recommendations for continuing to achieve positive change:

1. Get in the habit of asking the key people in your life how you can improve. He says "Recruit them in helping you get from where you are (which can be a pretty great place) to where you want to be (which can be even better)."

2. Face the reality that you are only going to change what you choose to change -- and that the motivation and commitment to change has to come from inside you.

3. Watch out for over-commitment. Keep the change process positive, simple, focused, and fast. Goldsmith suggests that leaders, on a continuing basis, focus on one key behavior that they want to change and work at getting better at that.

Though that paper is long, it is worth taking the time and is an easy read on a very important subject.

Have a great week. . . . . jim

Posted by Jim Hall at 3:01 PM | Permalink

This week we turn our attention to Generation Y, those individuals with ages 21-31, the youngest members of our staff. The reading is “Leadership Lessons We Can Learn from Generation Y” which appeared in the July 9, 2008 issue of Fast Company.

http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/bea-fields/leading-generation-y/leadership-lessons-we-can-learn-generation-y

Bea Fields, author of this piece and Executive Coach, Speaker and Author as well as President of Bea Fields Companies, Inc., has some particularly good insight into what we can learn from GenYers. In this article she suggests five things:

1. Life is not all about work. Life is about being happy, giving back to others, and having fun. GenYers have watched the way their parents worked and want no part of that. Using technology and their networks, they get 60 hours/week done in about half that time.

2. Keeping up with current trends and technology is a must for success. If you want to lead, you must use the most current tools and use them to your advantage.

3. Diversity is king. Accept people for who they are -- get beyond race, ethnicity, color, and creed.

4. Getting and giving feedback are critical for development. GenYers want to know they are on the right path and how to do their work better.

5. Building relationships is key to a leader’s success. It takes a lot of time but is really worth it.

A related piece which may interest you is “Leadership by the New Generation” http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_59.htm focuses on the coming generation of leaders and how their leadership style will be different from that of today’s leaders.

Have a great week. . . . . jim

Posted by Jim Hall at 3:02 PM | Permalink

Early in every Leadership Program group, we spend some time talking about delegation. Today’s Tuesday Reading, “How Well Do You Delegate?” from the Mind Tools website, brings us all back to this topic.

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_60.htm

In the piece, you’ll find an opportunity to test how well you currently delegate as well as find some suggestions as to what and when to delegate, to whom to delegate, and how to delegate. I think that you’ll find this to be a good tune up.

Posted by Jim Hall at 3:03 PM | Permalink