Please Stop Half-Assing Leadership Development
Within the past several months we’ve witnessed multiple “leadership experts” misquote and misname some of the leading thinkers in our business, pass off clever memes as profound advice, and, most recently, suggest the notion of a “change gene” (whatever that is) when building teams. Just how does one identify a “change gene” anyway?
Regrettably, LinkedIn is a common host for these “leader-tainers” and it’s getting in the way of legitimate, studied, thinking, researching individuals and organizations working to help business leaders navigate the current portfolio people-focused challenges at work.
If you intend to be in the leadership consulting business, know that you’re paid to share what you think, and what you think should be based on study/observation and reflection rather than whatever you decide to broadcast in the spur of the moment when you turn your camera on to push out your latest “while I’m driving to work podcast.”
We can all do better, and if you want to join those professionals who make leadership development their life’s work, make it yours (or go away – please). Minimally, we should ALL take “expert” out of our LinkedIn profiles.
As Simon Sinek posted as recently as yesterday (not Sinsek for the person who pretended to be a millennial leadership expert), leadership is a life-long journey where no one (and that includes you) ever arrives. Sure, you can learn and “know” stuff, but expertise is simply impossible.
So, for those of you that insist on continuing to push out half-baked notions, just know that if we see them, we intend to respectfully challenge those posts, where appropriate. The work is too important not to give it our best shot. We will. Come along for the ride if you’re game.