Alyceum

Igniting Leaders, Inspiring Revolutions

Archives for August 2017

Stretch your leadership thinking

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Any great leader worth their salt has a life long desire to be stretched. We do this with our technical expertise all the time – books, training or conferences and if we are committed, we do this with our leadership capacity too.

What informs your understanding of leadership?

When I look at most leadership books and conferences these days, my eyes glaze over. Why? It seems like the same ‘voices’ get promoted time and time again. The same leadership messages arise and build the basis of our leadership understanding.

What if you are not challenging ourselves enough?

Is it time to break free from those ‘voices’ and listen to a new tune?

Do you challenge your leadership thinking or stay where it’s comfortable?

When was the last time you read a leadership book by a female, an author that’s not American or from non-Caucasian background?

Time to break out

I am constantly mindful of what sources I read and recommend to ensure I’m getting a variety of leadership perspectives. I’m interested in broadening my sources so I’m not always reading leadership from the perspective of a white American male which can easily be the case. I have plenty of those books on my bookshelf already and learned a lot, but…

No one gender, generation or geography has the monopoly on great leadership

So I would love to hear your favourite books on leadership from a variety of authors – I want to stretch and challenge my knowledge and understanding of leadership.

Here are some of my recommendations:

  • Who Do We Choose to Be? Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity by Margaret Wheatley
  • Leading from the Emerging Future: From Ego-System to Eco-System Economies by Otto Scharmer and Dr. Katrin Kaufer
  • Reinventing Organisations: A Guide to Creating Organisations Inspired by the Next State of Human Consciousness by Frederic Laloux
  • Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation by Linda Hill, Greg Brandeau, Emily Truelove and Kent Lineback
  • Act Like a Leader, Think like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra
  • Presence: Bring your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy
  • Radical Candor: How to be a Great Boss without Losing your Humanity by Kim Scott
  • Open Leadership: How Social Technology can Transform the Way you Lead by Charlene Li
  • Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
  • Business as Unusual by Anita Roddick
  • Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism by Muhammad Yunus

Let’s bring a variety of voices to the table. In fact, let’s give them a loud speaker too.

 

What’s the biggest barrier holding you back from boards?

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Having coached many young professionals seeking board positions, I can tell you the biggest barrier holding many people back….and no it’s not their skills, their networks, their experience or their education.

What is it?

It’s their own personal belief that they have no value to give.

I can’t tell you how many people tell me they are worried they might not bring enough value to the boardroom.

I admire their humility and it is often the most amazing leaders who show this humility too!

How common is this?

In the Board Ignition online course, I have interviewed some super experienced directors from around Australia.  I wasn’t surprised to hear that Dr Sue van Leeuwen had also experienced this hesitation by prospective board directors.  By the way, Dr Sue van Leeuwen is an inspiring business and community leader with 25 years experience on a range for boards.

Listen to her articulate the problem and what she suggests to aspiring board directors.

So as Sue says, say yes!  Be aware, connected and interested.

Ask questions, do your homework AND get ready to learn and work hard!

Board directorships can be the BEST leadership learning experiences”

So how do you overcome feelings of self doubt?

1. Clarify what you bring to the table

In the Board Ignition online course, we have a process to understand your board value proposition.  This includes your professional skills, networks, education, passions and strengths.  We do a lot of thinking about the value you bring, so it’s clarified in your own mind, it’s easy to communicate this to a prospective board and once you get onto a board, you can begin being a proactive board director from day one!

2. Surround yourself with the right people

Ask experienced board directors or mentors for feedback on your skills and what you can do to become highly valued in the board room.  Most of the time, it’s easier for other people to see the value that we can offer so having a mentor highlight this for you is priceless!

3. Do the work

Yes you may have value to offer but you might need a little work to connect all the dots!! Learn more about the Not for Profit sector, board governance and board leadership.  Develop your network and build your own self awareness about how you are perceived in teams.

Don’t let a lack of confidence get in the way of your board journey.

 

Are you ready for your first Board appointment?

Check out our Board Ignition online course – a 8-module self paced online course designed to fast track your journey to your first board appointment.

Enrol now to get instant access to the course.

Still got questions? Read the course information page here.