Leadership growth is personal growth. Because leadership growth is really the outward expression your growth.
Thanks for having followed along. We’ve covered a lot of ground in this nine-part email series. To recap, The Leadership Challenge is:
- Leaders tell on themselves.
- Leaders bring their whole self.
- Leaders make clear agreements.
- Leaders are willing to be uncomfortable.
- Leaders reap the benefits of feedback.
- Leaders are a work-in-progress.
- Leaders become advocates.
- Leaders energize soulful engagement.
- Leaders celebrate and have fun.
Leadership growth is a journey, not a sprint.
Not long ago a friend shared with me that he was up for a significant promotion into a senior leadership position, but he didn’t know if he’d get it. He was receiving feedback that he needed more “leadership presence.”
He wasn’t exactly sure what leadership presence meant or how to get it.
I had a pretty good idea – see our list of nine behaviors of authentic and courageous leaders. When I asked him how long he had before the decision would be made, he said four months. Not enough time to gain the experience and skills needed – four years, yes. Four months, no.
He went for some coaching and got the job. He hates it. My guess is because he lacks the leadership mastery needed to hold that position. Technically he’s brilliant. But this job requires an entirely different set of skills.
Here’s the path I described for developing authentic and courageous leadership through the ManKind Project.
- Initiate into the mature masculine on a New Warrior Training Adventure (NWTA).
- Join a weekly IGroup to integrate the insights you get on your weekend.
- Come back to staff the New Warrior Training Adventure again and again.
- Attend Staff Training to gain a deeper understanding of the NWTA.
- Continue your multicultural learning through the Isms and Issues workshop.
- Select a ManKind Project Co-leader mentor to guide and support you.
- After six to ten staffings, hot seat to become a Leader In Training.
- Explore the Container of Leadership in the Leader Trainer 1 workshop.
- See the Burdens and Blessing of your leadership in the Leader Trainer 2 workshop.
- Keep staffing the NWTAs to reap the benefit of feedback as a LIT.
- After staffing 15 to 20 NWTAs, it’s time bring it all together in Leader Training 3, Authentic Servant Leadership.
- When you and your mentor decide you are ready, hot seat to become a Co-leader Candidate.
- Develop your leadership work plan to guide your development from Co-leader Candidate to sitting for Co-leader.
This is a five to eight-year journey, not a four-month quick fix. And the best leaders I know are the men who have followed this path. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
Go Answer the Call
Matt
