The other day I was having a conversation with a good friend and I realized that almost every time we talk, we end up talking about some professional development topic, usually leadership.
I made a quick mental comparison with the other colleagues I have worked with over the years and came to the conclusion that my friend is a superbly talented leader, which brought an obvious insight into focus:
Great leaders regularly talk about leadership.
Leadership, for them, is at the very least a dedicated hobby but more often, it is a passion.
Photo Credit: Sgt. Christopher M. Gaylord
Thinking back to the leaders and mentors I’d had, I found the principle to be true. The exceptional leaders continually engaged with others about leadership, making it a part of their daily purpose. It was as if they used discussion to develop, test, refine, and teach their own leadership style.
Incorporating leadership topics into routine conversations has a number of effects:
- It reminds you that you are a leader.
- It forces you to formalize your beliefs as a leader.
- Discussion associates disconnected thoughts into new ideas and insights.
- It shows others that you are dedicated to your role as a leader.
- It inspires others to think about leadership.
- Talking about leadership communicates your intent to your colleagues and subordinates.
There is plenty of writing to support the assertion that the quality of your conversations significantly affects your thinking, your attitude, and ultimately the talents you can provide to subordinates. If you care about growing as a leader, pay close attention that you do so several times throughout each day, particularly in your conversations with other leaders.
Questions for Leaders:
- Are your conversations of the quality that people will learn from them?
- Do you draw the best out of others when you engage with them?
- What other daily qualities do great leaders exhibit?
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