The first post that I read was dated August 28th of this 2011. The title of the post was, "Build Leadership Like Infrastructure...Cuz It IS Infrastructure." He told of how he was at a dinner where one of the top executives had said that he believed that leadership development should just be allowed to happen, and that it doesn't need to be planned or devised; however, he disagreed. He felt that instead of just hoping that a person would become connected to someone who potentially could help him strengthen his leadership potential, that one who exhibits potential leadership abilities should be strategically placed in positions where they can be challenged and trained by those who are already in those positions. His point wasn't that it should just be left to sheer luck; instead, it should be systematically thought through. He gave four points that would help with building the leadership infrastructure:
- Don’t rely on anyone else to do this for you! - Basically, he said that as managers, we shouldn't wait for other people or the HR department in your company to put leadership training at our disposal. We should go about the business of seeking out leadership training because we are ultimately responsible for our teams.
- Conduct a recurring talent assessment: His idea here was that a couple times a year, a manager should look at his/her direct reports to see what type of leadership skills they have. As a manager, it is your responsibility to groom your staff, not to hold them back in the position that they are currently in. A good manager is someone who can see talent/skill in their employee and isn't afraid of having their job compromised.
- Codify your own leadership processes, methods, & competencies. His thought here was that everything should be in writing, so your subordinates know exactly what to expect.
- Develop your top leaders: This goes along with #2. After seeking them out, they must be trained and groomed for a management position, if they exhibit those skills.
Overall, this article reminded me a lot of my current manager. I feel she does a great job with this. She saw that I had skills & talents that would be useful in my particular field. She never tried to make herself look better or put down my skills; instead, she was thankful that I could add something to the environment that she was unable to do. She has never tried to hold me back or make me feel insignificant. She always tries to empower me by giving me more and more responsibility that gets me seen in a positive light throughout other divisions of the company. She is constantly on the lookout for new opportunities that would promote me to different positions, even though that would mean potentially losing me. She would rather suck it up and find someone else to do my current job than have me stay and be stuck in my current job. As a woman who enjoys in excelling in my work, I really appreciate this attribute of my manager.
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