I am so very grateful for the emerging leaders who have been a part of our customized on-site universities and our public Emerging Leaders Program. I am also grateful for those senior leaders who have identified middle managers who demonstrate excellence and have provided them with an opportunity to grow, change, and lead. During our leadership programs with middle managers, I have heard an overarching theme emerge from the most curious of learners. The theme is really in the format of a question, followed up with a statement that is spoken and unspoken:
Do you have a program for senior leaders?
The spoken and unspoken statement is: I think my boss would benefit from a similar program.
I believe that statement doesn’t necessarily come from a cynical place, but rather it comes from a heart with a desire to have a shared experience with senior leaders as well as a dialogue where senior leaders are sharing their leadership point of view with middle managers; where they are sharing their experiences through business stories that teach, and where they are sharing their values, their successes and their failures.
Some of the most effective senior leaders that I have had the privilege of working with are clear about their leadership point of view; they do have clarity around their personal values and they do have many inspiring stories to share. They also have a keen awareness that there is still much to learn…they have a teachable spirit.
Certainly, all senior leaders have a leadership point of view, yet perhaps they have not taken the time away from the business of the business to clarify it. All senior leaders have values they live by, yet many, due to tight schedules and full plates, have not prioritized time to reflect on what their values truly are and what they mean for them as a leader, and for those they have been entrusted to lead. Many senior leaders have stories that teach and connect, yet little have taken the time to think about them in order to share them with those they lead.
If you are a senior leader, you too, deserve to take time out and focus on you. Being a leader of leaders is a high calling that requires energy, discipline and commitment. I encourage you to sustain that commitment by focusing on your own personal and professional development. Fortis Group excels in helping senior leaders continue their leadership development journey.
I look forward to walking alongside you as you continue to grow, change, and lead.