Seasoned Leaders: Keep It Fresh!

When’s the last time you attended a workshop or a conference?  Did you experience what I call the “Knew That/Do That” Phenomenon?  Meaning—that at some point during the event, you experienced the reaction of “I already knew that” or “I already do that”.  For those of us who are (ahem) “seasoned” professionals, this is a familiar feeling. Yet, my experience also has shown me that the most energized, productive, well-seasoned professionals are the ones who routinely show up for conferences, take a front row seat and actively participate.  Sure, they’ve probably heard it all before, but still, they manage to glean some new nugget, some interesting twist of information to consider. They acknowledge the Knew That/Do That sensation and then move on.

People of character don’t whine about having “seen it all”. They don’t gripe about how boring the presentation is, or that “we’ve already tried that before”. They’re intellectually curious. They’re positive in their mindset. They’re constantly seeking to “sharpen the saw” as Stephen Covey calls it (from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).

Knowing that many of the members of the Lead Change group are practicing leaders in organizations, I’d love to hear from you:

• How do you stay “fresh” with your leadership approach?
• How do you avoid the doldrums and strive for continuous improvement?
• How do you foster this approach in your contributors?