WORKWEEK

Nothing can hold a team back like a leader who has already learned all they are going tol.

You’ve likely seen the leader who just keeps showing up, year after year, exactly the same. They bring the same tactics, make the same mistakes and do just enough to survive.

Their lack of commitment to their potential holds their entire team back. 

They are toxic.

If they knew better, they’d do better. 

Never let yourself fall into this trap.

As a leader, your development is a multiplier. By not investing in yourself, you are holding your entire team back. The more you invest in yourself as a leader, the more impactful you become in helping every person on your team thrive.

And when growth becomes your goal, you can’t lose.

• Feedback becomes a tool
• Every loss becomes a lesson
• Success starts to look effortless

As you commit to progress and improvement, you become the leader who reaches their big ambitious goals because you decided to focus on reaching your potential. 

But Development doesn’t happen by accident. You need a plan. 

Here are the 3 things you need to develop as a leader:

1. You need to get direct feedback
2. You need a plan to consistently feed your brain with knowledge
3. You need to find ways to work with more people who inspire you

Let’s look at how to do each well.

Getting Direct Feedback

In a perfect world, you’ll work with a boss who consistently gives you the feedback you need to grow. But this is rarely the case.

• 60% of employees reported wanting feedback on a daily or weekly basis
• But only 28% of employees receive meaningful feedback weekly

A lot of managers are cowards and don’t have the courage to provide the direct feedback people need to get better. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Please, don’t be this manager. 

Most managers don’t realize the negative impacts of avoiding direct feedback. 

If you work for a manager who is not providing you with the feedback you need to get better, you will need to be proactive in going out to get it.

• Ask your team
• Ask your peers
• Ask your mentors

🕶️ Leader’s Lesson: If you are working with a passive group, try to adjust your approach. This phrase has worked for me, “When you hear people are critical of me, what do they say? If it will help me get a little better, I’d love to hear it.”

Feed Your Brain

A consistent reading habit will make you a better leader. 

Thanks for reading Leader’s Lens, btw!

Here are 5 books every leader should read often. 

1. The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker

This is the best book about leadership. It is impactful for leaders at all levels. 

👉Read it again if you already have. 

👉Make it the next book you read if you haven’t already. 

What you’ll learn:

– How to think and prioritize like a master

– The right way to create a massive impact using your team’s strengths

2. Multipliers by Liz Wiseman

This book masters the art of explaining how small changes in how you respond to daily situations with your team will help them be at their best. 

What you’ll learn:

– How you might be accidentally holding your team back

– What you can do (Action items!) to help everyone on your team be at their best

3. Radical Candor by Kim Scott

This book completely changed my mindset stepping into feedback conversations. It helped me see that my team wanted feedback and I was doing it BECAUSE I cared about them. 

What you’ll learn:

– How to give feedback that creates change

– How to build better relationships in the workplace

4. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

When things on your team start falling apart. Use this book as your resource. It will help you see WHY your team is struggling coming together and what you can do to bring things back together. 

What you’ll learn:

– Why team culture starts with Trust

– How you can build a team invested in the results of the whole

5. The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

Leading remote teams means leaders need to understand how to lead effective coaching conversations. This means being able to ask questions that help your team understand how to solve their own problems. This book is the best resource available to help. 

What you’ll learn:

– How to keep your coaching conversations on track

– Questions you can ask to create impactful change

Work with people who inspire you

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”

It is true! And the internet is a powerful tool you should use to find and build a community. 

The problem is most people get online, but only follow and engage with people like Adam Grant and Brene Brown–both are legends! You’ll be better off spending this team building relationships with a new group of peers. Find people who are at your level, but equally as hungry and motivated.

You’ll be amazed how receptive people are when they can tell you are genuine, humble, and smart.

A few tips on building relationships online:

• Start conversations in the comments
• Send DM’s once rapport is established
• Be the person who builds bridges and connects others
• Start a monthly Zoom meeting once you have a few people interested 

Communities can be powerful when they are all aligned and focused on the same goal. 
With my Async Leadership Course building momentum, a Leader’s Lens community might be something for me to start thinking about…