I’m a firm believer that as a leader you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. Surround yourself with great people (who are a good fit to your culture and environment) and you are on the road to success. Yet, I regularly see leaders who want to be the center of it all. They feel like they need to be the smartest ones in the room. Instead of sharing information, they withhold it thinking it gives them power. They let their egos and/or insecurities get in the way. They fail to invest in their team because they are afraid that that if their team members look too good, they will look bad (e.g., stupid, not knowledgeable, less skilled). As it turns out, they end up “looking bad” because the team isn’t as successful as it could be. And they only have themselves to blame.
Who Surrounds You?
Author: Diane Hamilton, Date: 8/18/2011
3 Areas for Development
Author: Paul Dillenburg, Date: 6/28/2011As individuals grow in their roles and responsibilities their developmental skill set should expand from technical competence, to managing self and others, to leadership expertise.
- Technical competence may include professional certifications, continuing education, or professional skills training (e.g., software training, writing skills, presentation skills).
- Managerial competence could include performance management, giving feedback, delegation, team building, managing conflict, communication skills and developing others.
- While enhancing managerial skills is a key development need that may continue throughout a career, top talent with potential for future senior-level roles need to develop additional leadership skills. These skills may focus on industry knowledge and exposure, organizational strategies, managing relationships through internal and external networks, influence without direct authority, resilience, and executive presence.
