There are right ways to ensure that your learning translates into capability, behavior change, and confidence in doing new things.
Even the best in their industry never stop learning. Here are 6 ways to maximize your development this year.
Modern Mentor is hosted by Rachel Cooke. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
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Hey, it’s Rachel Cooke, your Modern Mentor. I’m the founder of Lead Above Noise—a firm specializing in retaining, engaging, and developing talent. And that “developing” piece is so important. Now more than ever.
You know, I’m pretty good at what I do. I’m guessing you are too. But if you step back and think about what being “good” at your job meant only a couple of years ago, really notice how much has changed. In 2019, for example, I don’t think I’d ever heard of Zoom. Certainly I’d never used it. Today, in 2023, probably 75% of my programs are built for and delivered via Zoom. I’ve learned a TON in the past few years.
My point is, even the best in any field or industry never graduates from learning and developing. The landscape is always changing and so then are the skills and capabilities we indeed to be successful.
And this applies doubly to leadership. If you’re a new or aspiring leader—or even a seasoned leader with an appetite to better yourself—I hope you build time in your days to invest in your own development. Whether through formal programs, LinkedIn Learning, podcasts, TED talks, having coffee with experts in your field—there’s no right way to consume.
But there are right ways to ensure that your learning translates into capability, behavior change, and confidence in doing new things. And today I’m gonna share 6 of my favorite strategies for maximizing your return on investment. So a little bit of learning delivers big impact.
These are all concepts I use in my SIMPLE coaching program for new leaders. So if leadership is something new to you, something you aspire to take on, or something you’ve been doing for a while but you’re open to a bit of a refresh, then away we go.
The great Marshall Goldsmith said it best. “What got you here won’t get you there.”
Most organizations build their leadership pipelines by plucking top performers out of “doing” jobs (you know—coding, marketing, selling…) and branding them leaders.
But being a doer, and being a leader of doers, is a wholly different ballgame.
It’s a huge mindset shift that a lot of companies kind of lose sight of.
So I always counsel new leaders in any field to spend some time reflecting on what success will look like in this new role. And to determine how they might translate this into behavior.
If your marketing creative genius was what got you promoted—great. We can use that! But now your job is to unleash the creativity in your teams. So what questions will you pose, what conversations will you facilitate, what parts of your own creative process will you share so they can meet you where you are?
Your glory comes from their achievements now—not just yours.
Because it is—yours and theirs.
First-time leaders come out of the gate hot! They want to do it all.
But new leadership and burnout tend to hang out at the same parties.
New leaders have to pay real attention to pace and priorities. They need to balance doing and spending and exerting with resting and resetting and consuming.
Knowing what recharges your battery (A walk? A quick video? A call to a friend?), and having the discipline to use those strategies when overwhelm starts knocking will move you further, faster than burning out your team and yourself!
Likely you’ve heard me bang on about self-awareness. It’s just so important to know yourself and recognize how you’re being received by those around you.
Invest in understanding how your team and peers experience you—both in moments of calm and of storm. And then find moments when you might try a different approach.
Me? I get really directive under stress. It’s how I find control. But knowing this allows me to be intentional when the pressure is on. When I feel the urge to tell, I take a deep breath and ask a question. It slows me down every time. And it’s really upped my game.
The most successful new leaders really embrace the power of building trust. Getting to know each team member and inviting them to know you in return will move you leaps and bounds ahead.
It takes time, the willingness to ask and listen and share. It takes the discipline to step out of execution mode for small bits of each day. And it pays off.
When we begin with connection, we earn the right to do the harder things—like coach, give feedback, manage performance… but also the privilege of witnessing collaboration, hearing amazing ideas, the unspoken risks we almost missed, the “dumb” questions that highlight new approaches.
We learn how to do leadership—the steps, the tools—in classes and books. But we truly become leaders through practice and fails and pain.
The power of a network of peers—people in a similar career stage—can’t be underestimated. As a new leader, having a safe space in which to share experiences, to practice hard conversations, test out messaging, debrief on emotional moments… it’s priceless. It’s such a valuable way to grow skill and confidence, to refine approaches and get new ideas.
Peer coaching networks are the way to go.
Often new leaders get excited to change or try—and then realize there’s a big giant wall in their way. Be it a system they can’t access, a corporate policy they can’t change… companies can be frustrating.
But an obstable should never be an ending. It should, instead, signal a different question.
If you can’t wholly change or remove the thing in your way, then what can you do that’s within your locus of control?
Don’t have the budget to send team members to a big conference? Google some of the speakers. Buy their books, find their talks online, and host your own “mini conference” with your team.
Executive leadership not aligning on priorities and it’s causing friction between teams? Call a meeting with your peers—leaders a little further down the org chart—and so some aligning on your own to drive collaboration and share resources.
There are always actions we can take—momentum that’s ours to own.
We empower this belief. And it will move your leaders forward every time.
Join me next week for another great episode. Until then, visit my website at leadabovenoise.com if your organization is looking to dial up its Employee Experience or deliver some leadership development that activates change. You can follow Modern Mentor on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Find and follow me on LinkedIn. Thanks so much for listening and have a successful week.