Sharpening Your Leadership Skills

Any chef knows that you have to sharpen your knives often to be proficient in the kitchen. A google search will reveal that most chefs hone their knives every one to four uses. But how often should you hone your leadership tools? My advice, the more the better. But it's not enough to just put the steel to the whetstone. You have to take the time and put in the effort to make it worthwhile. One of the benefits of being a military officer, is that you're required to periodically participate in Officer Professional Development (OPD) programs. These programs consist of meetings or classes anywhere from one hour per month to one hour per week. Now, these programs aren't usually conducted during business hours, so they are frequently complained about by senior and junior officers alike. And because participation is generally compelled, individuals show up, but naturally tune the training out. However, just like knives that are rarely sharpened, leadership skills dull over time. Leaders that don't study and practice their craft are more likely to have a hard time building and leading their teams. But through my recent military experience, I've found that designating and taking the time for professional development has enabled me to learn new leadership techniques, honed my existing leadership skills and made my team sharper.