Seven Key Questions for the Ambitious Aspiring Leader

The Seven Key Questions for the Ambitious Aspiring Leader are powerful conversation starters to support a manager's leadership development activities. They are not intended to be delivered in machine-gun style, but rather to be used in concert with an approach to helping individuals discover and explore the profession of leadership. Not everyone should lead, yet someone motivated by advancement might believe that leadership is the best or only way to achieve this goal. An effective mutual discovery process is the leader's best friend in helping identify leadership talent and in helping individuals come to their own conclusion on whether leading is a good choice for their own careers.

Our future leaders are at your kitchen table.

We all probably remember our teachers telling us at some point early in grade school that we are the future leaders of our country. I remember hearing those words and thinking of what it would be like to hold national office or serve as a judge on a high court. What I didn't realize at the time was that the teachers held a broad view of leadership, knowing full well that most of their students may never hold national office, but that they will almost all have a leadership role to play in their communities, churches, charitable organizations, and of course with their families. Great leadership habits are formed in youth through observation and participation. The next time you sit down to dinner with your family, take the time to offer encouragement to your future leaders. You might just have a prospective President or Supreme Court Justice asking you to pass the mashed potatoes.

Leading the Generations-An Example of What Not to Do!

I attended the family holiday party this weekend and while munching on too many cheesy ryes and catching up on the lives of the out-of-town relatives, I was stopped in my tracks by the story of the job change that my Gen X second cousin described. It was a stark description of the gross mismanagement of the generations at a unique time in history when we have four very distinct generations in the work force.

Leadership in Marketing Communications-In Search of the Relentless Promoter

There are many good B2B Marketing Communications professionals and teams, but a few individuals and teams stand-apart from the crowd as great. The truly great communications professionals are what I describe as Relentless Promoters. These rare and gifted professionals are the lifeblood a strong marketing communications team, and are visible by their singular focus on developing and refining programs and strategies that drive action or create visibility with their target audience. Here are a few suggestions for marketing leaders on finding and developing these valuable professionals.

Leader, are you the problem with your team’s performance?

As a leader looking for ways to improve the performance of your team, it is important to spend some time examining the impact that you have on the working environment and productivity of your associates. Effective self-examination might just help identify some opportunities for your own development that will spur the performance of those around you.

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