Leadership Challenge

Take It Outside: An Outdoor Leadership Challenge Experience

 

"An experience I will have for the rest of my life.  The workshop took me to places mentally and physically that I never thought I could reach, but they never broke me…just made be stronger."

 

"You will do things you never did before with people you never met.  But it’s an experience you will never forget."

 

"It was the best training that I have ever been to.  It will challenge you and you will grow."

 

"I have been trying to get to this training for the past two years.  I wish that I would have made it here earlier.  This training will make you look deep into your past, present, and future.  It will challenge you.  It will give you the wings to soar with the eagles.  Come and bring everyone you know.  Be prepared to grow."

 

"This seminar helped me to focus on the most important part of my leadership equation – me.  To realize my values and to begin establishing a way to create my own leadership style based on my passions, and communicate them to those I am surrounded by."

Certified facilitators of The Leadership Challenge have likely received comments such as these from participants in their workshops. What makes these comments different is that these participants literally climbed, swung, stepped, and leaped beyond their comfort zone. And so did I. 

As part of my certified master facilitator development plan, I chose to challenge myself in the same way we ask participants to challenge themselves – mentally, emotionally, and physically. A co-facilitator with my Certified Master Mentor Steve Houchin of International Leadership Associates, I spent four days at Camp Joy Outdoor Education Center in Ohio co-facilitating The Leadership Challenge Workshop for leaders from Kroger Manufacturing – four days I will never forget. 

I was going to push myself to the “edge of my comfort zone,” as Steve put it. I had finished six marathons so how big of a deal could the physical challenges be… a mistaken assumption on my part. 

My first “incident report” came from an unexpected body slam during the “Nitro Crossing” while I was photographing the experience -- no harm done. I wasn’t deterred from my ultimate goals – the high ropes course and the pamper pole. I had something to prove to myself, and nothing was going to keep me from those experiences. We’ve all seen our share of obstacles, and these activities were tangible proof that we are stronger than the limitations in our minds. 

On to the high ropes course. Steve helped me determine which ones would be appropriate, given the fact that I was having a lower back procedure in two weeks. I completed three elements on the course, among my greatest achievements. My second “incident report”:  I experienced “cable burn” with an abrasion and bone bruise ... battle scars I'm proud to say stay with me today. I hold the dubious honor of being the only facilitator to “earn” two incident reports during the same stay – my claim to fame at Camp Joy.

The culmination of our four days together is the Pamper Pole. A telephone pole that one can climb to the height of their choosing, and decide how to make the leap of faith. Prior to the Pamper Pole, participants make a commitment statement that answers the questions: What fear or doubt will they leave behind? What strength will replace that fear or doubt? How can the rest of the group support us in our climb to the top of the Pamper Pole?

This activity reminded me of one of my favorite quotes: “Come to the edge, he said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said. They came. He pushed them and they flew.” - Guillaume Apollinaire

Each of us shared what held us back, what will move us forward, and what support we needed. As leaders, many of us (myself included) are reluctant to tap into our personal support systems, for various reasons. I made my commitment statement, climbed to the top of the pole, sat on the edge, and “flew.” I held back my tears, at least until no one was around to see them.

The comments from the participants sum up the experience better than I can. No matter what the environment of The Leadership Challenge Workshop – inside or outside – the outcomes speak for themselves. The Leadership Challenge is not just a “flavor of the month” training that one takes and puts on the shelf, never to be reviewed again. The experience changes lives for the better -- for facilitators and participants. 

- Angie Chaplin, The Leadership Challenge certified master facilitator candidate

Building Tomorrow's Leaders Today

 

“If you don't know where you're going…you might not get there.” – Yogi Berra

The start of a new school year: an exciting time to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, start classes, compete in fall sports and perform in fine arts. This renewed beginning and wave of excitement brings opportunities for student leaders to step up for success.  

Student organizations are a critical and beneficial complement to academics. From school administrators to college student personnel to advisors, the ability to make a difference requires more than just showing up. 

Leaders at all levels have many responsibilities and obligations to their peers and teams. Conversations and meetings should be as much strategic as they are operational with a balanced focus on the future and the present. Without a clear vision, organizational members may lack clarity on the group’s purpose. Chances are good that most group members have their own ideas of the purpose, as well as thoughts about what they want to get out of the group and how participation can make a difference. Unless they're asked, they may be reluctant to openly share their opinions. 

A recurring theme from this year’s Leadership Challenge Forum is the need to invest in student leaders as early in their academic careers as appropriate. The Student Leadership Challenge is an excellent resource for administrators, advisors and faculty who work in student affairs, leadership courses, orientation experiences, residential life, student government, and youth leadership programs. Based on the international best-selling book and program by Jim Kouzes & Barry Posner, The Leadership Challenge, The Student Leadership Challenge is geared to student and youth audiences. 

Certified facilitator training for The Student Leadership Challenge takes place this fall through a blended curriculum of online courses and a capstone in-person workshop. Online sessions are Nov. 1, 3, 8, 10, 15 and 17 with the in-person workshop on Dec. 1-2 in Boston, MA. For more information on this excellent opportunity, visit the registration page. Early bird discounts end October 1.

We look forward to sharing more about “liberating the leader in every student” through The Student Leadership Challenge with you in coming weeks. Meanwhile, check us out on Facebook and our website.

- Beth High & Gary Morgan, certified facilitators in The Student Leadership Challenge  

 

Head, Heart and Soul: Lessons from The Leadership Challenge Forum

It's been nearly 30 days since The Leadership Challenge Forum held in Chicago. By this point, we hope attendees have applied what they learned in addition to strengthening connections with others in their communities. 

It's difficult to describe the power of an experience such as The Leadership Challenge Forum. Year after year, its impact increases; not only for participants, but also for us. The Leadership Challenge and Student Leadership Challenge families continue to expand and we invite you to join us.

Remarkable lessons were shared from participants, keynote speakers and session leaders. Slides from keynotes and presenters are posted here. This year's Forum was designed to be learner-centered. Attendees contributed to our shared learning as much as the speakers. It's amazing to witness and be part of the outcomes when leaders come together to share, learn, and grow.

Our research over the past year regarding the Characteristics of Admired Leaders indicate what we've known from previous years: the number one characteristic people seek in leaders they would willingly follow is Honesty, which leads to our first law of leadership: If you don't believe the messenger, you won't believe the message. 

Do What You Say You Will Do (DWYSYWD) has evolved to DWWSWWD - Do What We Say We Will Do. Leadership is not about you - it's about us. Making leadership about us is dependent upon our credibility. Are we worthy of being followed?

To sustain credibility, a leader must follow six fundamentals: 

• Discover Yourself
• Appreciate Constituents
• Affirm Shared Values
• Develop Capacity
• Serve a Purpose
• Sustain Hope

Steve Dellaporta from the United States Department of Defense, Manpower Data Center, shared with us: "Without knowing who you are, you cannot lead with integrity." Do you know WHO you are? Can you articulate your personal values?

Who contributes to the organization's success? Appreciation is not just about successes, but also failures that become learning events. When you and your team can extract lessons learned from a failure, then it can lead to your next success. 

If you don't know your own values, how can your team develop shared values? Our research shows that shared values make a difference. When constituents align their values with shared values, they are more personally successful, more committed to organization and stakeholders, more willing to work harder and longer, and more clear about the alignment among their values and the organization's values. 

HOPE. One of our nation's greatest needs. What gives you hope? Our upcoming generations of leaders give us hope, which is why we've developed The Student Leadership Challenge. Today's students are tomorrow's leaders, and if we don't invest in them today, we won't have prepared them to lead us into the future. Many colleges and universities realize the importance of building the leadership needs of the next generation. 

Each of these fundamentals are explored in greater depth in our newly released second edition of Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It. 

We leave you with the same powerful message we shared at the conclusion of the Forum:

Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.

Be careful of your words, for your words become your deeds.

Be careful of your deeds, for your deeds become your habits.

Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character.

Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny.

Be careful of your leadership,  for your leadership becomes your legacy. 

    

Credibility: It Still Matters

"You cannot follow someone who isn't credible, who doesn't truly believe in what they're doing -- and how they're doing it." - Gayle Hamilton, chief of staff for the senior vice president at Pacific Gas & Electric

Indulge us as we go back to one of our fundamental beliefs about leadership: leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. As we took a deeper dive into the research we've conducted over the past 30 
years, we found the same crucial attributes year after year that people seek in leaders whom they would willingly follow: honest, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent. And these results hold true around the world. 

As we examine these characteristics one by one, each is a realistic attribute for a leader to possess. When viewed through a broader lens, the four descriptors combine to create a richer meaning as the foundation for leadership. 

Credit and credibility come from the same root word: credo, meaning "I trust or believe." In whom do you trust or believe? Who has earned credibility in your perspective, and why?

Credibility is not universally inherent; it must be earned over time. Some leaders earn it sooner than others based upon the quality of their relationships. Others must prove their worthiness to be deemed credible, perhaps based on previously broken promises or a lack of honesty, inspiration, or competence. Ultimately, credibility is determined by those who surround a leader. A leader who lacks the aforementioned crucial ingredients is one people are less likely to follow.

Credible leaders possess the ability to leave a long-lasting, postive impact on people's lives. Consider your answers to the questions above. Did the person who came to mind as a credible leader make an imprint on you? Have you made an imprint on others?

We cannot address credibility without referring to what we heard from Irwin Federman, venture capitalist and former CFO and CEO, when speaking to students at Santa Clara University:

"You don't love someone because of who they are, you love them because of the way they make you feel. This axiom applies equally to a company setting. It may seem inappropriate to use words such as love and affection in relation to business. Conventional wisdom has it that management is not a popularity contest... I contend, however, that all things being equal, we will work harder and more effectively for people we like. And we will like them in direct proportion to how they make us feel."

And just how do credible leaders make people feel? Our research of over a thousand case studies shows 10 descriptors used most often:

• Valued
• Motivated
• Enthusiastic
• Challenged
• Inspired
• Capable
• Supported
• Powerful
• Respected
• Proud

We leave you with this final thought: put yourself in the shoes of those you lead. How many of them would use these descriptors when sharing how you make them feel? What can you do to increase the frequency of leaving people feeling this way as a result of your leadership?

We'll have more to share about Credibility at The Leadership Challenge Forum, July 28-29 in Chicago. Hope to see you there. 

Until then, love 'em and lead 'em. 

The Heart of the Matter

It's a time of year with many reasons to celebrate and numerous opportunities to Encourage the Heart of special people in your life. Graduates and students are continuing their lifelong leadership and learning journeys - journeys filled with lessons that extend beyond classroom walls. Today's graduates are positioned to lead us into the next chapter, the next stop on our neverending quest for exemplary leadership.

The practice of Encouraging the Heart is aligned with two commitments:

• recognizing contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence
• celebrating the values and victories by creating a spirit of community

Sounds easy, doesn't it? Yet why don't we do it more often?

Of all The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, Encourage the Heart is a practice important enough to warrant its own book, workshop and training materials, and part of our The Challenge Continues collection. And for good reasons.

First is practicality. There are many resources and publications on motivating and recognizing others, but we couldn't find enough resources on Encouraging the Heart to share with our students and practicing managers attending our classes and workshops.

The second reason is principle. Some bosses might say simply paying their employees is enough. Managers may wonder why they need to go beyond routine pats on the back. Even using the word "heart" could turn off some supervisors who may think business is not about the warm-and-fuzzy stuff. Our research, and that of many others, shows that if you're after profits, you'd better pay attention to encouraging the hearts of your people.

Third, we were curious.  Have you ever heard someone say, "You know, you really could stop motivating me so much." Zig Ziglar once said, "Motivation is like bathing. That's why it's recommended daily." Encouraging the heart is a leadership practice and behavior with multiple benefits that ripple beyond a single act of kindness.

Encouraging the Heart matters. People matter. Our research and work with leaders around the globe shows that of all The Five Practices - Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act and Encourage the Heart - Encourage the Heart has more variability in application than most of the other practices. For some leaders, Encouraging the Heart comes naturally. For others, the behaviors related to this practice are harder to execute.

Our research on the importance of encouraging the heart is backed up by other researchers who say that about one-third of North American workers say they never are recognized for a job well done. Slightly more (44 percent) report they receive little recognition for a job well done. Only 50 percent of managers say they give recognition for high performance.

Encourage the Heart is a core leadership skill. When striving to get extraordinary things done -- raise quality, recover from disaster, start up a new business, or make dramatic change of any kind -- leaders must make sure that people experience in their hearts that what they do matters.

For the next week, conduct a self-audit of your leadership actions related to Encouraging the Heart. Let's learn from each other: Share comments with a few ways you've seen, heard, or experienced the practice of Encourage the Heart. 

The Best Leaders are the Best Learners

Leadership is not a one-time event, it's an ongoing process of growing, evolving and developing. One of the fundamental truths in The Truth About Leadership: "The Best Leaders are the Best Learners." We believe that we (and others) can learn to lead, and that we can become better leaders tomorrow, than we are today.

This statement seems fairly straightforward; and may be easier said than done. Many leadership development facilitators and coaches focus on developing and strengthening the leadership behaviors of others; it can be easy to lose sight of focusing on ourselves and our ongoing leadership learning.

In their Harvard Business Review article, "The Making of an Expert," K. Anders Ericsson, Michael J. Prietula and Edward T. Cokely say it takes 2.7 hours of practice per day to improve at a skill - whether playing tennis, honing your golf swing or learning keys on the piano. And not just routine practice - the article says "...you will need to invest that time wisely, by engaging in deliberate practice."

We found in our research that those leaders who engage more in learning are more effective as leaders. That is, their constituents see them as more effective. What does this look like?

• They spend more time in learning activities. Literally, they engage in learning by reading, talking with others, experimenting with new ways of doing things or reflecting on their own leadership behaviors.
• They ask more questions.
• They don't assume they know everything.
• They aren't afraid to admit mistakes.
• They ask for feedback, and when they get it they say "thank you" and accept it as a gift by taking it seriously, whether the feedback is positive or negative.
• They encourage others to experiment, take risks and accept failure by asking "What can we learn?"

How do you fit 2.7 hours of deliberate practice on your leadership skills every day? It's likely we do many of these learning activities already, yet we don't transfer learning from the activity into deliberate practice on leadership.

We invite and encourage you to invest in your leadership learning. Join us at The Leadership Challenge Forum, July 28-29 in Chicago, where we will explore "The Anatomy of a Leader."

Joining us as speakers will be Steven J. Stein on emotional intelligence, Ann Herrmann-Nehdi on the whole brain advantage, and The Chicago Comedy Company on creativity. In addition to learning from the line-up of speakers, you will learn by engaging in experiential activities with fellow members in The Leadership Challenge community. Take advantage of early-bird registration rates through April 30.

In what ways are you learning to lead? What activities do you do regularly to deliberately practice and improve your leadership skills?

 

The Leadership Challenge Coaching Workshop?

We are currently hard at work with Elaine Biech on book entitled The Coach's Guide to Developing Exemplary Leaders, due to release in Summer 2010. In conjunction with the release of the book, we are considering a TLC Coaching Workshop. Please let us know your thoughts on this exciting idea!

Seven Steps to Becoming a Shovel Ready Leader

We've heard quite a bit lately about "shovel ready" projects usually framed as "construction projects ready-to-go" but just in need of a bit of "stimulus."

Well, in these difficult times, with perhaps more to come, the hour has arrived for our leaders to become shovel ready. It's time for you to get shovel ready. It's time for all of us to become a part of the stimulus.

To me, the term shovel ready means that some advanced thought and effort has precipitated the ability to be ready.

With that in mind, I have devised Seven Steps to becoming a Shovel Ready Leader^TM.

1. Passion: Even amid all of the chaos swirling around you, your family or your organization, you must find a few moments to reflect on what you really are passionate about. Ask yourself why you care about this? Without knowing this key ingredient, you might dig in the wrong direction. Write your responses down. Reflect on them often, especially during moments of hesitation.

2. Presence: This does not mean propping yourself up with your shovel as others do the work or plopping behind your desk in your favorite pinstripes. Leadership is a moment-to-moment choice. To be a Shovel Ready Leader^TM you must be authentically present to those around you at all times. You need to completely close the gap between your beliefs and behaviors. To do this you must be aware of what you stand for and why. Your core values are key to your success. Dig too far away from your core and a bottomless pit of dismal outcomes awaits you. Please not, presence includes listening, not just hearing. Shovel Ready Leaders^TM are active listeners.  They use questions as teaching tools. When you listen deeply, you create a credibility path so others not only want to join with you, but lobby for the honor.

3. Voice: This is not about raising your voice over the din. It's about discovering your true voice and helping others find theirs. Storytelling is the key. Shovel Ready Leaders^TM find elements from past stories about overcoming adversity that help him or her make sense of what is ahead and how to frame the future Vision Story. Moreover, your Vision Story must offer a terrain map of a positive future and everyone's role in it. Speaking from your heart will attract others who will join you in this new quest moving them away from chaos and towards commitment. However, in your workplace, where change may be greeted with anything but open arms, people my need to be personally and warmly invited. Just because they work in the same organization doesn't mean they feel a part of what's next. Invite them personally and share the benefits of picking up a shovel with you.

4. Action: Grab your shovel, dig a deep trench and shove those "never been helpful" limiting thoughts deep into the ditch and bury them for good. Your mind is your most valuable ally. Yet, it can be your most ardent adversary. When you take charge of your mind, you begin to take charge of your life. Shovel Ready Leaders^TMunderstand leading is about doing not just talking. Question everything, especially those redundant systems and those deep potholes potentially masked as your policies and procedures. When you do that, you will help others see obstacles as opportunities.

5. Service: Being of service is a way of life. Choose it. Being a Shovel Ready Leader^TMmeans not looking at those around you as tools in your "Tim the Tool Man" belt. You don't call them "my people." You are note the "boss" of them; you are their servant leader. You honor them as individuals and refuse to use them as a "most pit" of automatons. You purposely create a diversified cast of talented fellow leaders. Many of them should be smarter than you and preparing to succeed you if you're lucky. When you recognize and reward, you think about it in advance. You don't just toss thank you bouquets to the masses as you mosey down the hallway. You acknowledge them meaningfully, and not with an "Attaperson" print out from the copy machine either. Learn about the people who have rolled up their sleeves with you and acknowledge them personally. Your goals should include focusing on helping them create their masterpiece.

6. Evolve: Incremental or giant leaps. You choose. The Shovel Ready Leader^TMis a rabid learner. SRL's never plateau. They are always stretching themselves and others. Read voraciously and encourage others to do the same. Seek out other learners as well. Create a Book Club at work and use all types of books (like The Offsite) to ignite a leadership conversation with your team. Always be ready to try new things. "It's the way we've always done things" is not the battle cry of Shovel Ready Leaders^TM.

7. Demonstrate: Exhibit the above behaviors every moment by using my simple but effective The Four Commitment Questions^TM "What Can I Do More Of? What Can I Do Less Of? What Can I Start Doing? What Can I Stop Doing?" Commit to this new way of living. Without commitment, nothing changes. Not you. Not them. Nothing.

Well, there you have it, The Seven Steps to becoming a Shovel Ready Leader^TM. I'm sure there are more. Let me know if you come up with an eighth, ninth or tenth. I'd be glad to post them. Send to [email protected]

Robert H. Thompson is the author of The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable. You can reach him and subscribe to his Leadership Path newsletter at www.leaderinsideout.com.

New Year's Resolution: Get Into Better Shape

Happy New Year, everyone! This is the week we start acting on all those resolutions we made on New Year's Eve, right?  You know, the one's about getting into better shape. Make sure that you include on that list getting into better shape as a leader.

And that means practice, practice, and more practice. I've written about practice five times in the last three months, and I can't resist beginning the new year with yet another reminder about its importance. 

I'm delighted that this topic is finally getting some attention. Two new books that address the subject—ones I have recommended previously—Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, are both on the Wall Street Journal's bestsellers list.  Bill Taylor, cofounder of Fast Company, wrote a blog about it for Harvard Business Online calling deliberate practice "The Secret to Success in a Failing Economy." 

I also want to thank readers of LeaderTalk for engaging me in conversation about the issue. I've received more comments about deliberate practice than about any other topic. In response to a couple of our readers I attempted to clarify how we can build deliberate practice into our daily schedule.

Deliberate practice is not the same thing as daily execution. It's not about what we do routinely during the 8, 10 or 12 hours we're at work. Deliberate practice, as the phrase implies, is about intentionally engaging in an activity that will improve how we execute and how we lead.  (See my November 12 blog for more on the elements of deliberate practice.)

Let's say you get feedback that you're not listening attentively to others and that you'd be much more effective if you'd do a better job at really paying attention to what people are saying. How, then, can you "deliberately practice" listening without having to add another 2 to 3 hours onto your already full and busy workday? What can you do to intentionally improve your listening skills using a designed learning activity while you are at work?

It might look something like this.

1. Set a purposeful stretch goal. The goal of any practice is to improve performance. It's about learning something new or fine-tuning an existing skill. And, it should push you to the next level, not just be something that repeats over and over what you do well. For example, you might set a goal to always clarify your understanding of what others are saying before you respond to them.
   
2. Design or select a method for improvement. You need a process for improving— steps that you will repeat in order make sure that you do something correctly. You could, for instance, devote 30 minutes of a regular daily meeting to practicing my listening skills. You could use the technique of "active listening" during the meeting. (Active Listening is a structured way of responding that requires you to briefly restate the key points the speaker makes and to check with the speaker to ensure that you are hearing her/him accurately.)
   
3. Get immediate feedback. You need to get feedback on how well you execute on the method and how close you get to your goal. In a meeting that feedback can come from the other attendees in the meeting—you can ask them, "Am I hearing you correctly?"—you can get it from a coach or someone else you've asked to observe you, or you can video tape the meeting and watch it afterwards.
   
4. Focus. To benefit from practice, you have to pay attention to what you are doing. You should not be on autopilot during practice. You need to concentrate. Stay focused and use this technique for the entire 30 minutes. While it might feel a little awkward, the point is to stick with the routine until it becomes second nature. As a practice aide, for example, you could have a card in front of you as a reminder of the correct steps in the process.
   
5. Get support. Studies of top performers strongly suggest that a supportive environment is critical to developing expertise. Engage a coach from HR, OD, or even another line manager who is accomplished in this skill and ask her/him to observe you in the meeting. After the meeting, s/he can give you feedback and tips on listening. Also, let other people in the meeting know what you are doing. They can help you stay focused, give you feedback, and offer their encouragement. Generally, people like to help others improve, so enlist their support.
   

This is just one example of how we can take a routine activity— a meeting — and turn it into a "practice field" for leadership. There are many, many other ways you can bring "deliberate practice" into the workplace. Case studies, for instance, are a terrific way to safely practice how to respond to critical incidents. Role plays are another methodology that can be more effectively utilized at work.

The best leaders are the best learners.  They are curious about what is going on around them, always seeking to better understand how things work, how they are leading, and how they can improve their own behavior and the functioning of the organizations. A learning mindset is critical to becoming the best in any field.

I'd love to hear more from you about ways in which leaders can deliberately practice during the available hours at work. Please share with your practice routines with us.

I wish you all a year of continuous leadership improvement.

Posted by Jim Kouzes

Are You Practicing Like Lang Lang?

A couple nights ago in Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco my wife, Tae, and I had the gloriously uplifting experience of listening to a solo recital of Lang Lang, the 26-year-old Chinese pianist and music world phenomenon. It was an awe-inspiring performance by an incredibly skilled artist whose technical ability is unsurpassed and whose dramatic flair and showmanship generates an electric charge in the audience. 

After the performance, we had the opportunity to attend a reception for Lang Lang, and I couldn't resist asking him a few questions about my current obsession, the role of practice in talent development. Part of the conversation went like this:

Jim: When did you start playing the piano?
Lang: At 2 ½ years old.
Jim: How many hours a day did you practice?
Lang: For the first 15 years, 8 hours a day.
Jim: And now?
Lang: 3 hours a day.
Jim: Every day?
Lang: Yes.

Lang's response confirms what I've reported in prior blogs. Research by K. Anders Ericsson and colleagues concludes that it's deliberate practice that produces great performers, not simply their raw talent.

Recently two popular writers have published books that discuss Ericsson's research.  One is by Geoff Colvin — Talent Is Overrated — and the other — Outliers — is from bestselling author, Malcolm Gladwell. Colvin's is the more practical of the two, but Gladwell tells a great story, and he adds some intriguing research on the importance of context. What we learn from them both is that many longstanding assumptions about giftedness and talent are substantially incomplete and can even be unnecessarily limiting.  I urge you to read both books.

A recent blog by Michael McKinney on LeadingBlog also discusses these books, and you'll appreciate his summary of what you can do to apply lessons from the research on expertise to talent development in your organization.  Check it out.

Back to Lang Lang for a moment. His statement that he practiced 8 hours a day for the first 15 years, and now practices 3 hours per day, makes me to curious to know how many hours a day organizational leaders practice their craft.  Whenever I've asked audiences this question in my more recent speeches, the answers I've gotten have been roughly....."Zero."  That is not exactly the route to a great performance, is it?

If leaders don't practice 3 hours per day, can we expect the kind of virtuosity we experience from Lang Lang? Of course not. By his standards, most leaders are amateurs. While it may not be realistic to expect the majority of our leaders to practice as Lang Lang does, I'm convinced we should expect more than zero. What do you think?

Posted by Jim Kouzes