Leadership Development Means Business

Leadership development when valued in the organizational culture can mean more business, more employee engagement, and more fulfillment at work. Another word for leadership development is “personal development.” Leadership development done “on purpose” can lead to teams that have a sense of purpose. This is the heart of ownership and alignment: humanity’s search for meaning. Many people are now looking for their own personal purpose and how to apply it at the office. They desire more autonomy and self-mastery. They want to be seen as more than a cog on a wheel that increases shareholder value. Organizations that wake up and realize that people can make or break shareholder value and are the real assets of the company have a much greater chance to thrive now and in the future. “In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” ~ Eric Hoffer When leaders realize that leadership development is really personal and professional development at work, the purpose of work itself can evolve. The workplace is the perfect place to grow and develop our unique gifts and talents. Growth is typically challenging. When we grow inside we bring meaning to work instead of trying to extract meaning from work, all the while ignoring our need to evolve on a personal level. Haven’t you noticed that it is at the office where we spend the most productive hours of our life? We are surrounded by a variety of cultural perspectives and personalities that can reflect to us our blind spots that we need to deal with in order to empower our self. We have motivation on our jobs to hone our skill sets with discipline if we are to continue to maintain self-sufficiency (receive a salary). Until now, personal growth and development were considered “soft” skills, a term of disdain. Yet, the way we manage our thoughts, feelings, and emotions will determine our confidence levels, our ability to apply what we know, and our ability to lead and influence others – or not. It is the root of one’s emotional intelligence level. As organizations stop denying the obvious and recognize that it is not business as usual, maybe leadership development that begins with the brain in mind can be taken seriously. The leader has to be a leader and lead the way to a new paradigm. Brain research when used in a “non-sciencey” way that is in everyday language can be powerfully transformative in a short period of time. It is the key to navigating the winds of change deftly instead of being like a dinosaur that moves so slowly it soon finds itself extinct. Integrating leadership development and team member personal growth into training that develops mindset and skill set — values, purpose, mission clarity, and business strategy/technology — is a whole-mind approach that optimally accesses the “Inner Technology” of our brain. It also shows that the culture of the organization cares about its most important asset: its people. Organizational health — and survival — depends on it. What do you think about “hard skill” and “soft skill” integration?