Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2019 - 15

BUILDING LEADERS
SAM SHRIVER & MARSHALL GOLDSMITH

LEADERSHIP,
LOVE AND EMERGING
TECHNOLOGIES

How long does it take to become a
leader? At face value and from a training
professional's perspective this is a
ridiculous question, right? At the same
time, it is a question we are asked with
surprising frequency, in one form or
another, by well-meaning stakeholders.
The challenge with providing an accurate
and genuine response is that you run
the risk of coming across as clueless
and arrogant: "Absolutely no idea." Or as
professorial and distant: "There are so
many complex organizational variables
that can serve to prolong the transfer of
soft skills training it is difficult to predict.
For instance, the environment itself. Is
the learner reintegrating into a set of
circumstances that are conducive for blah,
blah and blah..."
Our advice for these conversations is
to turn the dynamic of the discussion
from an inquiry into an exploration that
highlights how emerging technologies
can accelerate the fundamental process
of building leaders, driving behavior
change and producing results. This
exploration may resemble something
like the following:
How long does it take to become a
leader?
"That's a tough question that deserves a
candid and thoughtful answer. The first
thing that comes to mind is that most of

the people you and I would readily identify
as leaders view leadership as a journey,
that truly never ends, as opposed to a
destination that you can calculate. This
is probably not the first time you've heard
that, but I honestly doubt there will ever
be a reliable way to accurately predict
the exact moment in time that leadership
learning translates into measurable
leadership behavior. But I can tell you this
with the highest degree of confidence,
there has never been a better time to be in
the business of leadership development."
Really? And why exactly is that?
"The tools we currently have at our
disposal to accelerate that journey
boggle the mind! For example, we have
long known that you don't become a
leader by attending a workshop. We can
certainly assess and measure an increase
in knowledge from a training program,
but understanding the principles of
leadership is just one component of being
an effective leader. Effectively executing a
leadership strategy in a real-world setting
is something altogether different!
"Technology now provides us with the
ability to extend the workshop experience
and provide personalized opportunities for
practice, feedback and skill enhancement.
For example, we can now systematically
stream time-efficient content reminders
and application activities to learners on
a recurring basis to keep knowledge fresh.
We can virtually coach learners taking

their first steps toward implementing
what they learned in ways we could have
only dreamed about a short time ago."

TURN THE DYNAMIC OF
THE DISCUSSION FROM
AN INQUIRY INTO AN
EXPLORATION.
According to Simon Sinek, a leadership
thought leader, becoming a leader
is a lot like falling in love and staying
there. You can probably look back
and credit a high-profile event or
two that contributed to the bonds
you've formed or the relationships
you've built. The reality associated
with either pursuit is that they are the
product of simple strategies effectively
executed on a consistent basis over an
extended period.
Today, there is an ever-increasing
spectrum of emerging technologies that
can be leveraged to extend the learning
experience and keep leadership alive.
These are very exciting times to be in the
business of learning.
Marshall Goldsmith is the world authority
in helping successful leaders get even better.
Sam Shriver is the senior vice president
of commercial operations and product
development at The Center for Leadership
Studies. Email Marshall and Sam.

T RAIN IN G I N DU STR Y M AGAZ INE - TRAINING IN ANOTHER DIMENSION 20 1 9 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

| 15

https://www.situational.com/ https://www.situational.com/ https://www.trainingindustry.com/magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2019