I often come across leaders who have been highly successful for the first six or seven years of their careers and then seem to hit a wall. They start being skipped over for promotions and performance reviews no longer match the ambition or drive of the individuals. They typically have a clear vision for their future, are superbly motivated to succeed, work hard and have a great track record to prove it. What is going on here?
Daniel Goleman and his colleagues show that personal drive can only take an individual as far as middle management. After that, a strong drive to achieve has the opposite effect on leadership success.
Goleman’s research shows that becoming more outwardly focused is critical for higher-level leadership success. He cites emotional and social competencies of relationship building, empathy, conflict management, being an inspiration and understanding and contributing to teamwork as essentials for achieving the next steps in leadership growth.
How would you rate yourself on a 5-point scale on the following?
- I have good relationships of mutual trust with all my associates
- I understand what motivates each of my employees
- I know what conditions promote stress in the workplace
- I know how to resolve conflicts quickly
- I know how to inspire my employees
- My teams work like well-oiled machines, relying and supporting each member
If you want to know what to do to raise your score to 30 contact me today!