October 29th Carnival of HR (and much more)
Filed under: Leadership, Leadership Carnivals, Leadership Skills
Readers interested in some divergent thinking and great ideas should take a look at the menu of authors and content at the latest Carnival of HR. And don't let the HR headline trick you. This Halloween collection of articles covers diverse topics in leadership, communication, execution, talent development and priceless career advice. Oh, and of course, Dan McCarthy, the host, was nice enough to include my recent attempt to place a quantifiable value on leadership development activities. Check it out, it's definitely a treat.
Three Simple, Low Cost Ideas to Help Jump-Start Leadership Development
One of the most frequent questions that I get at seminars or workshops goes something like this:
"Art, I’ve read your leadership book, I’ve listened to you in the workshop and I understand how important it is for me to put time into the development of leaders on my team. Where should I start?"
It’s actually a great question, and one which some creative and conscientious leaders have offered me some great, low-cost, easy to implement ideas that I am happy to share with you.
Teammate Yesterday, Manager Today
Undoubtedly, one of the most difficult and awkward professional transitions is the jump from team member to team manager. The people that you’ve worked with side by side, joked with and shared lunch with are no longer your peers, they are your employees, and for good or bad, your relationship with them will never be the same. If you are truly interested in developing as a leader, this awkward situation is an outstanding rite of passage, complete with some hardcore lessons on what it takes for you to build credibility, motivate, direct, support and lead others.
Leader: Are Your Meetings Straight Out of A Dilbert Comic Strip?
Consider the last team meeting that you attended or led:
-Was the agenda well organized?
-Did problems and polite (or not so polite) bickering dominate the airtime?
-Did people show up with an agenda of their own?
-Were the same topics that were debated in the last meeting still being debated in this meeting?
-Was much time spent on discussing ideas to create value for the firm and stakeholders? Was there substantive progress or even agreement on problems and priorities?
-How good was the action plan that came from that meeting?
-Was it clear who owned what follow-up and in what time frame?
-Did people leave feeling like their questions were answered and their priority clear?
-Were meeting notes promptly distributed?
Management by Jane: Leading Effectively from the Middle
One of the most inspiring leaders I’ve come across in awhile is a mid-level manager that refuses to read the memo that says you cannot make a difference unless you have a big title and corresponding office.
I ran across "Jane" recently in a workshop, and after listening to some of her answers to questions and examples, I made it a point to talk with her during a break. I was fascinated to find such a thoughtful, practical and committed leader and asked if I could pass along my observations in my blog. She seemed surprised that anyone would find her leadership style interesting, but was agreeable to me sharing her approaches as long as I kept her name confidential. Here are the highlights:
My Book
The desktop reference to leadership success whether you are starting out or starting over.
Art Petty
Welcome to Management Excellence where the focus is on building better leaders and creating high performance organizations.Building Better Leaders
Art Petty's Building Better Leaders programs in Leadership, Management and Developing as a Senior Contributor offer powerful and practical guidance for motivated professionals.
All programs available on-site in group format and select programs available in a distance learning PLUS personalized mentoring format.
Visit Building Better Leaders to find a program to help you or your team move forward. And don't forget to subscribe to the Building Better Leaders Leadership Tip of the Day.
Management Excellence Tools
Download the Management Excellence Guide to Effective Trade Show Marketing. What's Your Strategy & Execution (STREX) Quotient? Download and use the survey to help you gauge your organization's Strategy & Execution effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.e-book-Leadership and the Project Manager - Developing the Skills that Fuel High Performance Download the pdf or go to the e-book pages on this site and contribute to the conversation
Blog Subscriptions
Connect With Me On
E-Newsletter Mailing List
Join my e-newsletter mailing list and receive the latest in best-practices content for leadership, sales & marketing and strategy.