Diversity Executive - November 2008 - (Page 14)

GUEST EDITORIAL | Stedman Graham Leaders, Not Labels 21st-century pressures demand a vision for the future unclouded by the past We cannot touch and feel leadership, but we can see and often hear the results when it is effective or ineffective, of good character or based on poor ethics. There are literally hundreds of leadership programs available for executives, mid-level and new leaders. Many of these address how best to develop leaders’ abilities in various areas. But there is far more to leadership development than academic or technical skills. Leaders need to learn how to identify their strengths and combine them with their passions in ways that empower them to establish and achieve a vision for their lives. They need to learn how to systematically reassess their progress to achieve goals that empower them to realize their full potential. The best solution to our countries’ problems lies in helping people — especially our current and future leaders — learn how to live reﬂective, purposeful lives. Equipping leaders with the tools they need to seize control of their futures is a powerful step toward securing the future of nations as a whole. tial. These are essential ingredients for any person to be successful personally, socially, academically and, ultimately, professionally. Self-awareness is where true success begins because it’s difﬁcult to understand the world and how one will respond to certain stimuli without it. Helping leaders learn and understand who they are is important. Their triumphs and trials provide processes and tools to help them draw on inner strength and act with discipline. These internal tools make it easier to cope with pressure and change, and address the issues and opportunities of globalization and consolidation; evolving go-to-market strategies; an explosion of available information; and increasingly sophisticated, knowledgeable clients and customers. And for leaders just trying to survive each day, they must have this inner strength and understanding to persevere beyond their circumstances. As the world becomes more global and technology brings us closer together, our environment naturally has become more diverse. The 21st century demands that diversity executives — and all leaders — have a vision of the future unclouded by the past. The pathway to freedom is cleared when leaders realize progress begins at home. To successfully compete and advance, and bring value to their organizations, today’s leaders must learn to continually break out of any box that prevents them from growing to their full potential. Leaders must move away from historical baggage toward a future fueled by imagination and possibilities. When we focus on performance and strive toward excellence in our lives, we shed the relevance of external labels based on race, gender, age, ethnicity, lifestyle or physical ability, and we free ourselves to live proactively, not reactively. We can start by taking more control of our lives and becoming more accountable to ourselves. When we attain this level of self-mastery, we can help others accomplish the same. That is an achievement a leader can always savor. « Stedman Graham is chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates, a management and marketing consulting firm. He is the author of 10 books, including Diversity: Leaders Not Labels. He can be reached at editor@diversity-executive.com. Leaders need to learn how to identify their strengths and combine them with their passions in ways that empower them to establish and achieve a vision for their lives. Leaders must clearly understand who they are. This identity and understanding provides a foundation on which they can create a vision for their lives. Doing this can show leaders how to achieve their life visions free of the labeling, negative programming and peer pressures that may have falsely deﬁned them earlier in their lives and careers. It is a process that allows people to create a personal brand and realize that the power to think without these external and subjective constraints equals the power to be free. Further, the process bridges all generations and is equally effective for all types of leaders. Leaders can begin creating their road maps by answering the following questions: • Do you know who you are? • Do you know where you’ve been? • Do you know where you’re going? • Do you know how you’re going to get there? The resulting self-knowledge enables individuals to be more accountable for their lives. They are better able to position themselves to capitalize on new opportunities and relationships because they have the tools to maximize their poten14 Diversity Executive | www.diversity-executive.com | November/December 2008 http://www.diversity-executive.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity Executive - November 2008

Diversity Executive - November 2008 Editor’s Letter Contents Leadership Connections Guest Editorial Diversity Executive Online Middle Management Roadblock ‘Hidden Winds’ Hinder Progress The Domino Effect Supplier Partnerships Unlock Economic Opportunities Measuring Diversity Special Section: Who’s Who in Diversity and Inclusion Dimensions of Difference Overcoming Language Diff erences Business Intelligence: Combating Subtle Discrimination Case Study: Shifting Diversity Into Overdrive Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Strategies

Diversity Executive - November 2008

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