Can you get better by reading a book, listening to pod casts or going to seminars? This question makes for a vibrant debate for many who think they can, or claim they can; however, people improve because they do something about it.
We’ve all heard variations on the definition of insanity: doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. Leadership development is much the same. A training day here, a workshop there and presto leaders are developed. Well – it’s just not so. And leadership development should prepare you for the day-to-day realities of being a leader.
And why would it be? Let’s think about it for a moment. As a business owner the last thing you are is the same as every other business owner. Your market is different, your opportunities are different, your culture is different, your team’s skills and interactions are different. Some of you are in a business formation stage, others are transitioning your business model or business focus to capitalize on the new realities of business (post the Great Recession). Some of you are building teams; some of you have well-established teams. Some of you, unfortunately, believe that nothing has really changed and we are slowly getting back to business as usual. One size does not fit all; one approach is not relevant to all businesses.
A study on the effectiveness of leadership development initially done and published by Marshall Goldsmith and Howard Morgan (Business + Strategy, Fall 2004), which involved 86,000 respondents, has been updated to include more than 250,000 respondents. Their conclusion: “very few people achieve positive, lasting change, without ongoing follow-up.” And the follow-up the authors are referring to is with colleagues and coaching support. We reference this as learning integration or learning transference. If you are not sure this makes sense, honestly answer the following question: Can you improve your physical fitness and health by reading a book? We can’t, and our guess is that you can’t either. We need to not only know what to do, we need to do it and we need the support, encouragement and lessons from those around us to continue doing it. Leadership development is no different.
Leadership development is a process, not an event. It’s the difference between getting the training and using the training to improve. Getting the training is an event (with a very short retention half-life by the way). Using the training is a process that involves daily application, working with and getting feedback from your colleagues, and coaching support. Furthermore, it’s a customized process that reflects the learning style of those involved.
In Thursday’s Quick Tips, we will outline the essential components of a successful customized leadership development process.
Copyright 2010 Kubica and LaForest
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