Last week, I attended a week long leadership training symposium, hosted by the Executive Leadership Council.
The program consisted of 5 straight days of intensive training, coaching and role playing. Our class consisted of over 40 senior level leaders from well known organizations such as Cisco, Amex, Siemens, Conoco, British Petroleum, Eli Lily, Medtronic, Booz Allen Hamilton, PepsiCo and Target.
One of my “aha moments”, came during our discussion about soliciting and accepting feedback from others. As leaders, we’re all very opinionated. We want to take charge of situations and are often a little resistant to the ideas of others.
The idea of soliciting feedback from peers, direct reports and even managers – is just not something we’re comfortable doing. Often we feel that the feedback is tainted by that persons questionable goals or warped ideas about how we should lead, manage or resolve conflicts.
Personally, I think I’m the best thing since sliced bread – anyone who can’t get along with me, must have serious problems. After all, I’m easy to get along with, I always consider everyone’s opinion and I’m open to different points of view. it’s just that, most times – I’m right and everyone else is wrong.
Strong leaders often dread the idea of soliciting feedback almost as much as they hate reading it.
If you’re like me – here are a few things to consider, next time you’re working through your professional development plan and reviewing your 360 degree results.
First – it’s only feedback. Take note of the key messages which your colleagues and reports are sharing with you. Take note of the differences between your perceptions of yourself and those of others around you. Sometimes, as a Leader – your job is about managing others perceptions about your leadership style and behavioural tendencies
Ultimately, feedback is always a gift. It helps you identify recurring themes which may highlight blind spots. Sure, some of the information you receive may by biased – however, it’s still useful.
I wasn’t happy about everything that my peers and reports said about me – but perception is often reality. I paid particular attention to the insights from my Manager and his peers – because managing up is such a key part of any leaders work life.
If you haven’t solicited feedback from your co-workers over the past year, I encourage you to do so. Continuous learning is key to your development as a leader – and a key part of the at learning is getting to know yourself through others.
Servant Leader …..
