I recently read a Forbes article, “Remembering Warren Bennis: The Father of Leadership Development”, written after the passing of scholar and author Warren Bennis, and it got me thinking about the entire concept of leadership development and why it so often fails.
Considered the father of leadership, Bennis was a huge advocate for continuous learning, daring leaders to continue to try and be all that they can be. And we wholeheartedly agree with this. Surrounding yourself with those who thrive on your leadership is one thing – but letting that sustain you is no way to grow. You need to constantly be improving.
One of the biggest mistakes CEOs make in business today continues to be holding yourselves up as the only real leaders. Not only does this put too much pressure on yourself, it does not lend itself well to encouraging innovative ideas. You need to surround yourself with other forward thinkers, both inside your own organization and outside it.
CEOs that have taken the risks that you want to take long before you’re ready to take them are exactly the type of person you need to surround yourself with. They are where they are for a reason, so why not learn from them.
CEO leadership groups exist all over the place. In fact, I believe that there are over twenty such organizations in the Toronto area alone. Most of them are trying to teach you to be leaders, relying on the concept of leadership development as the be-all-and-end-all. But since most of you are already leaders, is leadership development training really where you want to go?
Instead, you need to find a CEO peer group with a different focus, one that will help you think outside the box. This is exactly what Bennis was talking about. Even leaders need to continue to improve and learn – but being told “how” to be a leader isn’t always the best route to take. Look for one that has taken its collective knowledge and assembled it along with the concepts of innovation thought leaders and advanced these ideas into a single process that will actually help!
Ultimately you will become a better leader because you have a strategic innovation plan that works. Just keep in mind that you always need to keep looking ahead and learning; you need to keep exploring new ideas and thoughts and not rehashing the old ones.
If you are into fresh thinking and want to learn how to get your ideas and your business to soar then a group like Innovators Alliance will be beneficial. Call us today to talk about a leadership development plan that caters to actual leaders. 905-332-0340.
Check out the Forbes article here: http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevincashman/2014/08/05/350/
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