Why Personal Development is a must for today’s
CEO
By George W. Watts & Jamie Millar
Late one Sunday night, Ron sat in his study
ruminating on the upcoming week. The board was meeting on Wednesday, and Ron
knew that some directors’ private questions about his leadership were getting
louder. Soon the company was to announce a third straight quarter of stagnant
earnings. Ron was starting to wonder if he had the right team—and the right
strategy—to compete in an intensely competitive industry. Maybe the Peter
Principle was real. Had he finally reached his level of incompetence?
To relax, Ron put on his headphones and set his
iPhone to shuffle. As he sat back, the gentle opening guitar riff from Stairway
to Heaven started to play. This song always brought him back to his
youth, when life seemed simpler. Suddenly, Ron’s reminiscing was interrupted by
Robert Plant: Yes, there are two paths you can go by/But in the long
run/There’s still time to change the road you’re on.
As Ron reflected over his career, he noted that
leaders usually achieved the best outcomes when they were temperamentally
suited for their role, had earned their colleagues’ and customers’ trust, and
worked in an organization—and industry—where their skills were most valued. He
pulled out his notebook and began to jot down the themes into a process flow
diagram.
Ron drew some boxes. Each position he had held valued certain personality traits over others. At times in his career, Ron had felt like he was painting with his left foot. But what if he had molded his role to match his innate personality and assigned out tasks he did not enjoy? What if he had more effectively partnered with colleagues holding different strengths; would that have changed his outlook and the outcome? Ron realized that his personal effectiveness was the product of role-personality alignment and perceived trustworthiness. He thought back to the simple trustworthiness equation one of his mentors had taught him many years ago. Trustworthiness = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy)/Self-Orientation. Did he come across as too self-oriented? Perhaps. Did others feel they really knew him? Perhaps not enough.
Ron liked how the model was shaping up:
personal effectiveness applied against the right platform would lead to both
“hard” and “soft” outcomes. Those include financial results, Ron’s top
priority, as well as team cohesion, strategic advantage, and enhanced
reputation.
In the flow diagram, Ron sketched a box called
“Personal Development,” which drew from both internal and external sources.
External sources included colleagues, customers, and high-quality training
programs. Ron also valued the nuanced insights he took away from a peer network
he attended every quarter. As a voracious reader, Ron regularly sought out
provocative ideas that would help him to understand his industry, his role, and
himself better. Ron had not worked with an executive coach in the past but
wondered if a coach might help him step back and make sense of these disparate
data points. It might be worth a try.
As Ron drew some arrows, he noticed a feedback
loop in the diagram. Time spent on personal development had dual benefits,
which complemented each other to enhance outcomes. On the one hand, he could
use personal development to change his opportunity space. Why were marketing
and product development not working well together? Why did the sales team miss
the competitive threats in Asia? What might the shift from a pipeline business
model to a platform model look like? As CEO, he had the authority to re-shape
the organization, something Bill Gates was famous for.
On the other hand, Ron could also draw on
personal development to change himself. Was he taking on specific
responsibilities just because his predecessor had? They were very different
people with different strengths and interests. Why did Ron feel that he had to
keep the confines of the position? What might he delegate, and where could he better
apply the talents that helped him reach the CEO position?
Ron challenged himself through self-reflection,
an internal source of personal development. Did he sometimes dodge a tough
question because he didn’t feel comfortable answering it? Did this erode
others’ trust in him? Did they perceive his actions as a lack of competence?
Perhaps some wondered if he had a hidden agenda. He knew that millennial
employees craved authenticity; but then again, he suspected most others did,
too.
There was much to consider. As Ron’s schedule
became increasingly intense, he had spent more time working on the company and
less time working on himself. He switched off the light in his study and headed
up to bed, knowing that this had to change. Personal development was not a
luxury. It was a necessity. It would make the company better. It would make him
better. And that sounded like a winning formula.
Fuente: Chief Executive
Links a los Contenidos de nuestros
TALLERES DE CAPACITACIÓN IN COMPANY,
"A MEDIDA" de las necesidades de su Organización:
"A MEDIDA" de las necesidades de su Organización:
- Curso Taller ¿Cómo incorporar y aplicar Modelos de PENSAMIENTO ESTRATÉGICO en la Organización? 2018:
- http://medinacasabella.blogspot.com.ar/2016/04/PENSAMIENTO-ESTRATEGICO-2017.html
- Curso Taller de PLANEAMIENTO ESTRATÉGICO - Recetas Eficientes para Escenarios Turbulentos 2018:
- http://medinacasabella.blogspot.com.ar/2016/04/PLANEAMIENTO-ESTRATEGICO-2017.html
- Curso Taller ¿Cómo Gerenciar Eficientemente a partir del MANAGEMENT ESTRATÉGICO? 2018:
- http://medinacasabella.blogspot.com.ar/2016/04/MANAGEMENT-ESTRATEGICO-2017.html
- Curso Taller ¿Cómo GERENCIAR PROCESOS DE CAMBIO y no sufrir en el intento? 2018:
- http://medinacasabella.blogspot.com.ar/2016/04/GESTION-DEL-CAMBIO-2017.html
- Curso Taller de LIDERAZGO TRANSFORMACIONAL para la Toma de Decisiones 2018:
- http://medinacasabella.blogspot.com.ar/2016/04/LIDERAZGO-TRANSFORMACIONAL-2017.html
Consultas al email: msg.latam@gmail.com
.·. Dr. Miguel Ángel MEDINA CASABELLA, MSM, MBA, MHSA .·.
Especialista Multicultural Global en Management Estratégico, Conducta Organizacional, Gestión del Cambio e Inversiones, graduado en University of California at Berkeley y The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania)
Asesor en Ministerio de Cultura y Educación de la Provincia de Buenos Aires
Miembro del Comité EEUU del Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales
Representante de The George Washington University para LatAm (2017-1996)
Ex Director Académico y Profesor de Gestión del Cambio del HSML Program para LatAm en
The George Washington University (Washington DC)
The George Washington University (Washington DC)
CEO, MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS GROUP LatAm
Skype: medinacasabella
Twitter: https://twitter.com/medinacasabella
MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS GROUP LatAm ©
es una Consultora Interdisciplinaria cuya Misión es proveer
soluciones integrales, eficientes y operativas en todas las áreas vinculadas a:
Estrategias Multiculturales y Transculturales, Organizacionales y Competitivas,
Management Estratégico,
Gestión del Cambio,
Marketing Estratégico,
Proyectos de Inversión,
Gestión Educativa,
Capacitación
de Latino América (LatAm), para los Sectores:
a) Industria y Servicios,
b) Universidades y Centros de Capacitación,
c) ONGs y Gobiernos.
