4 posts tagged “leadership”

One of the key qualities that employers look for in applicants is soft skills.  What are these nebulous skills that are so important?  Soft skills include attitude, communication skills, leadership abilities, character, business acumen, flexibility -- and on and on.  For a longer list, check out "On the Up" at http://blog.ontheup.org/2008/03/31/identifying-soft-skills-for-the-social-innovation-camp/.  Soft skills are the skills, characteristics, and personal attributes that are hard to define and even harder to teach.  Employers can teach you the basics of their business and help you develop your technical expertise in the area of interest; however, they have less ability and even less time to teach you the nuances of interpersonal communication, coping skills, and the other intangibles that will make you a valued employee.

Let's start with goals!  You have some.  Everyone does.  Question is . . . do you know what they are?  Maybe you can't quite rattle off your 5-year plan, but you probably know full well the difference between what you want to do and what you don't want to do.  Preference?  Yes, partially.  But, embedded within, you probably have some goals that need to be brought to light. 

How do you do this?

Goal setting is actually a process of constant refinement as new experiences and information are processed, not a matter of writing goals down and saying, "Well, there, I'm good now for the long haul."  So, if you haven't revisited your goals lately, it's time to do that.  You're saying, "But, I don't know what I want ... yet.  I don't know what my goals are!"  Then I'll bet one of your goals is self-exploration and discovery of your path; at least, that's a good place to start.

Setting Goals
Setting goals can seem intimidating, like writing on a blank page or painting on a fresh canvas.  Here are some tips:
* Brainstorm -- make a list of possibilities that occur, that come from your heart; don't rule any out yet -- winnow later
* Aggregate -- can you group possibilities into categories? do you see patterns or directions?
* Separate -- consider short-term versus long-term goals, realistic goals given resources at hand, and reasonable/viable action plans for a core set of goals that will be your primary focus
* Implement -- write down your action plan for the core goals (and find a goal partner, if possible) including what you want to accomplish, timeline, details, and outcomes
* Clarify -- take a holistic look to see that your core goals will keep you on track and fit in with your lifestyle, your values, and your personal dreams
* Change -- revisit, refine, and revise your goal plan as necessary to align your goals with your dreams and to maintain a balance between head and heart and happy living

This BASICC approach makes it sound so simple, right?  It isn't; I know that.  If it were that simple, I'd be done with my PhD and doing my own research.  Goal-setting is a complex process because we are complex creatures, so I am still working at my studies and trying to set my own goals for when I finish my degree. 

For another template or approach to goal-setting, take a look at Success From the Nest.  It can also help to work backwards from dreams to goals.  Look at the big picture (the dreams) and try to figure out how you get there (the goals).  Think of your goals as your car and map your route to your destination.  We'll talk more about this topic next time!  For now, start thinking about your goals and how they will help you reach your dreams.

Last night, I presented a workshop on "Managing Online Personas" to college students, and I cautioned them that until the Millennials have more currency among the leadership of the world, they need to respect the communication preferences of the older generations -- primarily phone, some email.  Today, I gave a brief presentation at a campus meeting of career professionals from across campus and encouraged them to make use of social networking sites as a means of staying connected and relevant to students. 

As someone who falls right on the borderline of the Millennials and the GenXers, I feel the tension between the generations.  Many of my thirtysomething friends, indeed, are minimalists when it comes to email -- and they find current technologies such as social networking sites, text messaging, PDAs, and other "conveniences" or "necessities" virtually non-essential, if not downright disturbing.  At the other end of the spectrum, my late teen and twentysomething friends are nearly surgically attached to their Blackberrys and iPods, tapped into not just Facebook but a whole host of social networking sites (for various purposes), linked in with their contacts wherever they go, communicating more by texts, chat, and wall posts than email (a seemingly "obsolete" technology for many Millennials).

Why, then, do so many of us on the bridge between the generations -- or even slightly across the bridge -- have such a hard time reaching back and adapting to the changing world?  Changes are imminent.  They're not going to go away.  The sooner we accept that social networking sites are important to the younger generation, a part of our culture, and learn to use them effectively as the versatile communication tools they're designed to be -- the better leaders we'll be for the Millennials. 

The Millennials aren't quite ready yet for planetary domination -- although they show signs of great potential as they enter the workplace with creative visions and strong ideals.  They're looking to GenXers and Baby Boomers to provide mentoring and facilitate the leader-shift.  The best of all possible worlds is for the generations to meet each other halfway to make the transition smooth.  Millennials can respect the knowledge and experience of the veterans in the workforce and GenXers and Baby Boomers can look to the changes the Millennials bring with new eyes and an openness, willingness to learn.

Do you remember playing "Follow the Leader" when you were a child?  Were you the person who always wanted to be the leader and think up unusual, exciting, strange routes to take?  Were you the person right behind the leader, gamely trying to keep up with all the twists and turns, setting a good example for everyone behind?  Or were you the caboose, slogging along at the end of the line, possibly unenthusiastically, wondering where in the world you were going?

Who are you today -- in terms of leadership?  Who do you want to be?

I'm inspired by leaders who lead from beside -- and I'm privileged to hang out with several model leaders, each exemplifying different qualities of leadership.  One of my models is the quintessential cheerleader: vivacious, actively seeking knowledge in new areas, sharing learning with others and bringing them into the leadership fold.  She's not afraid to try new things -- and fail.  She teaches that we learn from our mistakes.  She asks questions about how she can improve -- with a sincere desire to know the answer.  Another leader I highly esteem is warm and caring, truly relational.  She reaches out as a way of building partnerships, empowering others, and fostering a sense of community.  She leads through unwavering encouragement and dedication to the mission.  My third model is a wise leader, a mentor who teaches, guides, and corrects when necessary.  He is the creative genius who inspires and provides the tools for those around him to architect their own imaginariums of possibility.

I've learned that to be a leader is messy, dangerous, dirty work -- but ultimately rewarding if you enjoy changing lives (especially your own).  You need to be willing to roll up your sleeves alongside those you lead -- if you don't know what goes on at the bottom, it's hard to make decisions at the top.  You need to be willing to take risks, take a tumble, pick yourself up and get back in the game when your plans don't work out. 

Leaders don't sit in fancy leather chairs behind a gorgeous mahogany desk sipping martinis and having daily chair massages while administrative assistants hold their calls.  Leaders are on the front lines, in the thick of the action, looping the group through the monkey bars, up the slide, and on their bellies underneath a climbing structure -- and through it all, they have a plan in mind, crystal clear. 

What's your plan?  Who are you leading?