Exploring new boundries

Author: kkg997

  • Virtuous Leadership

    Virtuous Leadership

    Management styles have been examined, analyzed, and defined extensively throughout the years.  Clearly, there is not one best management style, and leaders need to be able to adapt based on the situation.  It requires a different style when a company is in a crisis versus when a company is thriving.  However, the leaders I tend to stay in contact with throughout the years are not necessarily the ones who had the best vision, held the most authority, or had the most laissez-faire approach.  Instead, they were the most virtuous.  Our English word virtuous is derived from the Latin word virtus, meaning high character or strength.  These virtuous leaders held similar traits:

    1. Honest and trustworthy.
    2. Humble, they had no desire to be the smartest person in the room. Instead, they leaned in and learned from others.
    3. Supportive and protective of their teams.
    4. Genuine and held empathy for others.
    5. Willing to always say they were sorry and admit when they did not have all the answers.
    6. Positive and uplifting
    7. Lead by example
    8. Recognize that not every directive from upper management may be ideal. Be willing to disclose their concerns, but in the end, ask for your commitment. Realize we can’t spend all our energy and efforts focusing on things we can’t change. We can vent, but then we can all move toward the common goal.
    9.  A good listener.  As in a marriage, sometimes we simply want to be heard.
    10.  A commitment to help grow your people.  Often, leaders seem more interested in developing themselves rather than others around them.

    These types of true leaders exist not just when we work alongside them, but are the ones who tend to develop into lifelong friends. Character plays a significant role in life, but it is an area of leadership we should nurture in our organizations. Simply training managers or leaders in basic skill sets is not enough.  Strong character should not be left to chance. Instead, it should be a driving force within our organizations. 

  • If you can’t move up… maybe it is time to move on.

    If you can’t move up… maybe it is time to move on.

    Organizations constantly tout leadership development. Often I have seen employees jump through incredible hoops in order to move to the next leadership level or find their first leadership role. Participate in this leadership training or develop a mentor. Wait, neither of those was enough. Put together a large presentation. The list goes on. But each time, the feedback remains the same. You are a great candidate but you don’t have the experience we are seeking.

    If you are seemingly trapped in a role, perhaps it is time to recognize that 1). Maybe they just don’t honestly see you as a leader 2). They don’t want to lose you in your current role 3). The organization may be struggling, and leadership simply can’t afford to take a risk on someone new 4). They believe it is easier and faster (code for less work) for them to hire from the outside. I have seen too often where people become miserable in their current roles and just continue to try to move up within the company. Open up to the idea that while trying to move up within your own organization, change may allow you to get to your final destination faster.

  • Ships in a harbor

    Ships in a harbor

    I remember I was in church when I first heard the quote “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for”. The minister was reminding us all that simply sitting in church in week was not enough….we needed to take a risk and invite others to join us. I really loved the quote because it also reminds us to never be comfortable in our situations, but to take risks and embrace new challenges. One recent leader in my industry had risen to the top with little background in her current role. She was leading investor calls for a top organization. I asked how she learned to answer all the questions correctly, assuring not to say the wrong information. She said I sought the help of others and learned as I went along. Her advice? Always keep applying for new roles, both inside and outside of your organization. Even when you don’t meet all the qualifications, just apply. One day, someone might just give you a new opportunity and your ship may sail in an entirely new direction….