One of my greatest frustrations while working for various organizations, was the existence of the Management Mill. You know the Management Mill. It’s based on the concept that if you do your current job really well, you get to move into people management. For example, the remarkable salesperson who is great at working independently and imbuing a “take no prisoners” attitude. Or the extraordinary analyst who can find elegant patterns hidden in numbers and data. Because of their ability to do their current job so well, the theory goes, they will be fine managers of people. Okay, I’m going to state this emphatically—that theory is seriously flawed. It’s the kind of business practice that could benefit from an honest re-examination and refresh. The role of people management in many companies is simply a way station on the road to C Suite. Whether a person is right for the job matters less than the next opportunity down the pike. This is, in my humble opinion, a mistake of echoing and expanding proportion. Don’t get me wrong, aspiring to move into the C Suite is valiant and a fine ambition. My concern is in using the profoundly important role of people management primarily as a stepping-stone or instrument for personal ladder climbing. In many ways, that (not so) covert objective is almost anathema to the role of a good manager. When used primarily for personal gain it diminishes one’s ability to focus in and attend to “other.” It is simply too self-oriented. That type of mindset mostly compromises a person’s effectiveness as a manager of other people. Being a good manager of people requires skill in working co-creatively with others and building relationships. It also requires an “other” orientation—a desire to see other’s succeed and move into excellence. The management role can serve as both a profoundly important asset to the company and its people as well as a forward heading career move. Both are possible simultaneously. The mistake is in allowing the “career step” function to be its primary raison d’être. The success of the people being managed is its primary function. Period. Managing people is part art, part science—part gift, part skill. Not everyone is naturally good at it and only a few are naturally great at it. But, like any skill, it can be learned and honed. Training people to develop the important EQ skills necessary for the work is imperative. In addition, placing people in the role for a minimum of four to five years allows for greater dedication to the work and role effectiveness. People’s performance is hinged in large part to the performance of their managers. Elevate one manager and you elevate everyone they...

  It fascinates me that ‘leadership development’ is really code for developing as a whole human being. For years, I considered the idea of a leader and leadership to be in its own category, in many ways distinct from being human. I was inclined to perceive that particular designation as less human, and more heroic and superhuman. I incorrectly assumed that extraordinary leaders possessed traits that were not likely bestowed to mere mortals and that they behaved in ways that seemed almost removed from the confusion and messiness of the rest of us. What a surprise when I came to learn that I’d believed a conditioned falsehood all these years. Instead of recognizing the immense humanity of true leadership I was focusing on some false non-humanity. Placing the idea of leadership beyond the attainment of most people. And through that conceptualized understanding, vastly reducing the opportunity of leadership being possible for anyone. True leadership does not require vast numbers of people to lead. Instead, it is the ability to lead yourself first. To move through the quagmire of personal unconsciousness and reflexive behavior. It begins with leading yourself into a greater freedom of being. Learning to rely on your own deep internal guidance and acting from that place. Developing compassion and care, recognizing your inner resource and connecting with your own true north. It’s an inside job. The big obstacle to this inner work is, in large part, the outer world. Our 24/7 “on call” experience of living with buzzers, timers and alerts along with all of the busy-ness we pile into our daily lives, can handily prevent us from developing practices where qualities of leadership can expand and be strengthened. Of course, events can prompt upward movement and do, but nothing can replace the experience of deeply understanding who you are and what you are becoming. That requires something quite outside of the pace and energy of the day to day. The impetus to move beyond any aspect of victimization into the realm of personal leadership is, I believe, core to us all. The noise and confusion of life, the pain and suffering of past experience, can obstruct the impulse. But, if you look closely you can recognize and sense the impulse, the eternal invitation. As a world, we require true leaders, not mythical heroes. Each of us has the capacity to engage in the profound experience of self-leadership. Not waiting to be told how to be, how to act, what to do. But, instead, cultivating the deep resources and wisdom that can direct a life with care, compassion and integrity. In essence, the truest leadership. Are you ready to Be the Leader? Download these 5 Easy Tips...

For me, one of the things I liked best about being a corporate field salesperson was that it gave me the opportunity to run a business, without many of the issues associated with being a business owner. I adopted a business owner’s mindset–I was resourceful, took intelligent action, invested wisely, generated opportunities and secured sales. But unlike an actual business owner, I wasn’t bogged down with the million and one other things that have to be considered. I only had to run my part of the business. There was great freedom and opportunity in that proposition for me. It allowed me to be creative and innovative while still enjoying the benefits of sophisticated support systems. Systems out of reach for most independent business owners. Additionally, I was able to approach new prospects with something substantial and recognizable. Again, running my own business with the credibility of size and substance on my side. Perfect. When it came to business planning, I owned it. This was my baby and I had big plans for its growth. That mindset helped me energetically invest in my work in a powerful way. Intellectually, I wasn’t delusional. I knew that I was an employee in a sales department. But, I didn’t go to business with that thinking in place. Instead, I organized my intention around owning the plan, the work and the outcome. Today, I am a business owner and have the million and one other things to consider. The experience I gleaned from my years working for other companies has served me well. The opportunity to observe the good, the bad and the ugly has provided me insight and wisdom I handily use today—both within my own company and those I serve. Like with my earlier employment days, the concept of “owning it” is even more critical. Because, financially, I do. But, “owning it” is more than a financial reality, it’s an energy and mindset. Owning what I do, how I show up, the choices I make, the obstacles that get in my way, my successes, my failures…that’s the bigger ownership. Interestingly enough, that’s the real inner growth and ownership that makes the other possible....