Make leadership development a priority

The reason my work is all based around developing leaders is not because I’m so awesome that I think everyone should be like me. In fact, it was that kind of thinking that caused me to fail as a leader early on in my career.

My work with leaders is to help them develop and refine their skills because there’s a fine line between doing it well and doing it terribly. Let me explain.

Without exception, every leader that I’ve worked with has acted with good intention. They mean well; they want what’s best for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with why they are doing things in a particular way.

The problem is more about these two things:

• Their self-talk?- e.g., self-doubt, high expectations, low confidence, limiting beliefs, etc.
• How they go about fulfilling their ‘why’?- e.g., what they say, what they hear, what they do, etc.

So this is what I focus on when working with leaders. These two things were at the centre of my own epic fail story, which I share with leaders to give some perspective around how easy it is to get it wrong and how important it is to stay open to learning and growing, regardless of how awesome you think you are.

I was such a great individual contributor. I had enormous confidence and an unwavering belief in my ability to succeed—to my detriment. My awareness was terrible, both in myself and in others. My ability to empathise with my staff was mediocre at best. I had spent my whole life locking up my emotions (think of a solid 44-gallon drum with a lid welded shut kind of locking up). I wasn’t just emotionally rigid with my staff; I was that way with myself.

My lack of awareness combined with my tough exterior and the need to always look strong, composed, and in control delivered me a written warning (for bullying and intimidation) even though my ultimate intention, my why, was for everyone to succeed and grow (using a tough love approach).

This epic fail ended up being my greatest lesson in leadership?and taught me the value of self-awareness, vulnerability, adaptable communication, holding people accountable while still holding a strong relationship—and all the things I now work with leaders to overcome.

I do what I do because my own failure nearly broke me completely. It’s only because of the support I received that I came out the other end stronger. I am grateful to all the people who helped me through it. I do what I do now to pay it forward.

When I share that leadership development matters, I’m not just saying it because I want to generate new clients (which is also important); I’m sharing it because without development, you risk drowning, fading away, breaking, or worse—not reaching your full potential—and that would be a shame.

Don’t wait for someone to develop you. Invest in your development, own your career, step into your true potential, and make a difference in the world!

Shelley Flett is a transformational leadership trainer and executive coach who believes the journey to dynamic leadership is lifelong, it's exciting and challenging - and the most fulfilling adventure one can embark on in their career. It's a journey to take with others - to learn, to grow, to fail, to love and experience all the joy that comes with being imperfectly human - together!

https://www.shelleyflett.com