Talent Management - January 2009 - (Page 14)

[learning connections] by Kevin Wilde Build Resources to Avoid the Bullet Winston Churchill once said, “Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without results.” I would add nothing provides better focus for serious personal development than witnessing a career-ending bullet shot at someone else. You’ve likely been a witness to career derailment, that curious phenomenon where very talented, driven leaders end up out the door rather than moving up the ranks. Recently, I had the chance to discuss derailment with an executive education class at Harvard. This group of 120 promising executives from around the world was very engaged. I started the presentation with typical headlines for an executive departure, such as “failure to produce results” or “didn’t use good judgment.” There usually is one or more of ﬁve factors underlying these headlines: • Lacked strategic thinking and held on to too much tactical work. • Had all the strategic thinking needed, but couldn’t execute well. • Didn’t inﬂuence and build relationships effectively across the matrix organization. • Failed to build and motivate a strong team. • Demonstrated an unrecoverable crack in personal integrity and character. These factors surface most during times of change. In other words, the leader was doing ﬁne and then experienced a transition, such as a new job, new boss or new circumstances, which made these dormant weaknesses critical job factors. was to draw two charts about navigating transitions. At the onset of a career, technical skills matter more than managerial or strategic leadership. The progression to executive shifts the order of importance. The ﬁrst chart reminds us that moving from manager to executive estimate the impact their emotional demeanor has on others throughout the organization. Leaders under stress facing unexpected personal or professional demands need to draw upon their emotional intelligence to manage their emotions, as well as authentically connect with others. Maintaining afﬁrming and renewing relationships is key. As with exercise, cutting back on time and personal engagement with important relationships can undermine a leader’s effectiveness. By “head” I mean the practices that build perspective. Derailing leaders often spend too much time on the runway of their work and don’t gain appropriate altitude to see the bigger picture. It’s a critical instinct to know when to jump from a daily tactical, project-oriented focus to a more strategic, vision-oriented view. Having routines and reminders can help. Getting coaching and tools to be effective at each level also is critical. By “whole” I mean always being grounded in purpose. The ultimate source of energy to grow and meet new demands is a heartfelt commitment to a personal calling or reason for being. Great leaders continually remind themselves why they go about their work. I shared with the class my centering purpose is to connect people with their full potential. I concluded the class by encouraging the students to ﬁnd new habits and actions to keep their learning going and their resources growing as they reach for their full potential. And I wish the same to all of you as talent leaders in this new year! Derailing leaders often spend too much time on the runway of their work and don’t gain appropriate altitude to see the bigger picture. requires new skills. Most new executive think they have “arrived” and no longer need to keep up a rigorous personal learning agenda. Further, they often become deaf to negative feedback. If that happens, sooner or later the derailment bullets start ﬂying. To continue learning as an executive, I drew a simple chart of resources vs. demands. As transitions happen, professional and personal demands increase. One must continually build new resources to keep up with the demand. Four Ways to Build Resources I have seen successful executives add resources in four main areas: hands, heart, head and whole. By “hands” I mean physical health. Strong leaders meet new demands well if they have a good physical base, especially exercise, eating and sleeping. Cutting corners here to meet our 24x7, always-on world will mean less endurance and energy to draw upon, and you may not be a lot of fun to be around. Further, recent brain research reminds us that exercise builds brainpower. By “heart” I mean emotions and relationships. Leaders often under- The Transition Challenge The executives I spoke to at Harvard found this material interesting, but pushed to understand how to avoid it in the ﬁrst place. My response About the Author Kevin Wilde is the vice president and chief learning ofﬁcer at General Mills. He can be reached at editor@talentmgt.com. 14 January 2009 talent management magazine www.talentmgt.com http://www.talentmgt.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talent Management - January 2009

Talent Management - January 2009 Editor’s Letter Contents Human Performance Leading Edge Learning Connections Integrate Web 2.0 Into the On-Boarding Experience Show ’Em the Money: Compensation Trends 2009 Transition at the Top How Hollywood Manages Talent and What You Can Learn Get the Most Bang With Limited Training Bucks Life After Layoffs Attract Specific Talent Groups Performance Management: Its Time Is Now Helping the Helpers Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Full Potential

Talent Management - January 2009

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