Rock steady leadership pt. 1

LEADERSHIP! Has always been dear and near to my heart.

A leadership shortage is one of the biggest barriers to growth in most companies around the world.  In fact, the development of new leaders is the No. 1 talent challenge facing organizations worldwide.  One study showed that 86% of companies rated leadership development as “urgent” or “important.” 

That's fine and dandy, but how do you develop leaders from within the organization?

Answer: By investing in your current talent pool.

58% of companies cited "significant talent gaps for critical leadership roles".  So, what should we do?  

Ralph Cordiner, the former Chairman and CEO of General Electric, said something during a leadership conference that was so powerful, I have applied it to my own life. He said "We need from every person who aspires to leadership, a determination to undertake a personal program of self-development, nobody is going to order a person to develop. Whether a person lags behind or moves ahead in their specialty, is a matter of their own personal application. This is something that takes time, work and sacrifice, nobody can do it for you".

Another of my favorite quotes said by Cynthia Lewis is "Nobody can pedal the bike for you" (A stone tablet I picked up a few years ago).

Now, what Cordiner said was self-development, but there are as many ways to do that as there are leaders to lead. What I will be doing, is laying out the plan of self-development that has served me well over the years, and a professional development plan that was provided by some outstanding leaders, mentors and professionals that have made a huge impact in my life.

One thing you need to know upfront... LEADERS ARE MADE, and everyone has the capacity to become a great leader. History has shown us that time and time again!

Never, never, never give up on YOU!