LeaderPoint’s Mike Ladden helped Electronic Arts with our leadership development efforts and just published a great post on some interesting cognitive research that leaders should consider as they recruit and develop their teams, and develop their own skills as managers.
Think intelligence is the best predictor of success? Nope. It’s actually people’s ability and attitude around learning. The highest performers practice a ton to get better and then actively reflect about those successes and failures to shape their approach going forward. Carol Dweck has centered much of her research on why some people seem to embrace learning while others don’t (growth versus fixed mindsets). There are several attributes to good learners:
- They don’t let failures label them; instead failures are accepted as a great way to learn.
- They don’t blame others or the situation for mistakes or failure. Fairly early in his tenure, Jack Welch was quick to accept blame for the failed acquisition of Kidder Peabody.
- They seek constructive criticism rather than demand positive feedback.
- They surround themselves with capable people that can be even better than they are.
- They use “we” rather than “I;” the latter insinuates that the leader believes in a “genius with a thousand helpers” model.
These individual approaches are much more effective if the organization has a healthy approach to continuous learning and experimentation. Wouldn’t you rather work in a culture where managers encourage thoughtful experiments and celebrate people’s “ah-ha” moments, even if they’re different than the original assumption or are shy of performance targets?
So take a moment and reflect how you’re approaching your development as a leader, and how you’re developing your teams and organization. What would your employees say about your approach personally and how would they assess your organization’s culture and commitment to development? If you’re not happy with the results, I would be happy to help you lead this change with your team.
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Adaptive Talent is a talent consultancy designed to help organizations achieve amazing results and ongoing adaptability. Founded in 2008 and based in Vancouver, Canada we offer retained search, assessments, total rewards consulting, training, leadership coaching and development programs, and culture & organizational development consulting.