Leading Well Requires Personal Growth
More now than ever, as Monique Valcour puts it, "leading well requires a continuous journey of personal development."
In other words, successful leaders choose a willingness to take the time to engage in regular self-reflection to increase self-awareness and emotional intelligence, and to deepen relational empathy (other-awareness). Prioritizing what I call "strategic stops" for the purpose of engaging in these vital personal development practices.
Leaders can no longer isolate themselves in the "corner office."
“Resisting the developmental journey of leadership is like flying to an exciting locale, but then spending your whole time there in the airport bar.” — Monique Valcour
As leaders we simply cannot delegate reflection, thinking, and relationships. We must “go out” and get to know ourselves and our people,
what motivates them,
what their strengths are,
what their personalities and temperaments are,
what their hopes and dreams are,
what their backgrounds are and how that shapes their present experience.
Success in today's world is determined more than ever before by how well a leader works with and interacts with self and others.
The true joys and impacts of leadership come when we "leave the airport bar" and embrace the wonders, diversity, and multi-dimensional world that we "flew to" when we said "yes" to being a leader.
