Leadership development is NOT like The Matrix…
You know how Neo could upload a file to his brain and then do perfect kung fu?
Being a good leader doesn’t happen this way. It takes time.
I had a senior leader recently who wanted us to ‘expedite the coaching and training’ of two of his leaders in order to ‘change them right way’.
These two leaders were responsible for over 300 employees. I completely understand the sense of urgency and the need for these leaders to grow and develop so they can lead more effectively.
When hundreds of employees hang in the balance, you want the improvement to happen ASAP.
But the reality is, these leaders can’t unlearn a couple of decades of leadership “programming” in one or two workshops or sessions. Nor can they learn to manage their own natural wiring and triggers overnight!
They have years of natural wiring, values, beliefs, conditioning, that cause them to be who they are today—for better or worse.
And those things cannot be changed and learned overnight. Not with one workshop or even a couple. It wouldn’t be sustainable. There’s no microwave solution. No quick fix.
And if the ENVIRONMENT and CULTURE isn’t transforming along with the leaders who are in a development process, their improvement as a leader won’t be sustainable. Their leadership will either SURPASS the culture and they’ll leave or they’ll REVERT back to what the environment supports.
But there IS A SOLUTION. If leaders commit to the process, a system of development, that includes the deeper work around the WHO of leadership AS WELL AS the skill development of being a great leader, I promise you WILL see results.
It might take longer than it took Neo…but it is possible and it can be sustainable.
Remember, transforming leaders is a marathon, not a sprint.