Leadership Role In Talent Development

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 When CEO Jamal Jackson reached out to me, he was facing an unexpected problem. A leading window and door manufacturer had just launched a new line of smart doors. Sales were booming—except in one region, which was 𝟮𝟬% 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁. Jackson suspected he had made a bad promotion decision. His regional manager, Evander Hoffman, had been a top-performing sales rep, but now his team was struggling. Hoffman blamed the bonus system. His team told a different story: "He tags along on every sales call and won’t let me get a word in." "He keeps hammering home every step of the process, like I don’t know how to do my job." 𝗛𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴. The Micromanagement Pattern (shown in the diagram) was at play: ▪️Hoffman took up the role of Micromanager—controlling everything. ▪️His team fell into the role of Disempowered Ones—watching instead of selling. ▪️ The hidden agreement? "The manager controls and micromanages the work." Under pressure, Hoffman tightened his grip, believing more control = better results. The opposite happened. When I walked Jackson through this pattern, the lightbulb went on. "So the team’s performance suffers because Evander is in the wrong role—pushing his people into the wrong roles." 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅? Rewire the pattern. Jackson helped Hoffman shift his role from Puppet Master to Coach—empowering his team instead of controlling them. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, the Southern team led the company in sales and customer satisfaction. Hoffman came out of micromanagement rehab a better—and happier—leader. Micromanagement isn’t just a bad habit. It’s a pattern. And patterns can be rewired. Have you seen the Micromanagement Pattern at play in your organisation? What happened? 📖 Learn more about hidden patterns in teams—and how to break them—in my book The Hive Mind at Work. (This case study is based on my work. Names and details have been changed for confidentiality.)

We've all heard the old saying "Jack of all trades, master of none." But have you heard the full quote? "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one." I've found that being a generalist with wide-ranging interests is a real asset and incredibly valuable, especially in our rapidly changing world. The greatest generalists were the Renaissance polymaths like Leonardo Da Vinci. They made groundbreaking contributions precisely because of their curiosity about multiple disciplines. Yet, the idea that being a "generalist" is somehow anti-specialization has taken root, especially in corporate settings. The reality is that our professional journeys are rarely linear. In machine learning, there's a concept of exploration vs. exploitation that's relevant here. Exploration means trying out new solutions, and gathering more information about something unknown. Exploitation means using the knowledge you've already gained to maximize your current rewards or performance. The most effective approach cycles between the two modes. This concept applies to why being multi-passionate and deliberately cultivating a generalist mindset can enhance leadership: * Adaptable: Diverse interests make you an adaptable, shape-shifting leader, deftly navigating challenges. * Innovative: Engaging in multiple disciplines fosters cross-pollination of ideas and sparks creativity. * Visionary: A wide range of experiences sharpens strategic perspectives & foresight, and improves decision-making. Take Ginni Rometty, former CEO of IBM, whose diverse career within IBM spanned engineering, sales, marketing, and strategy. This versatility allowed her to drive major transformation initiatives by combining technical expertise with insights from non-technical roles. Specializations have a shockingly short half-life these days, especially in technology and AI fields where knowledge can become obsolete within 1-2 years. Continuously expanding your cognitive toolkit through exploration becomes crucial for long-term relevance. To be clear, this is not about being a wandering generalist but integrating varied skills while building core competencies. This versatility is a powerful asset in leadership. Embrace your inner generalist, and say yes to exploration! This mindset fuels lifelong, multi-modal learning and innovative problem-solving. Oftentimes, you'll outshine the masters of one. #creativity #innovation #mindset #leadership #skills #culture

In my early days at Rubrik, I made a mistake: I sought out leaders who mirrored my own strengths and weaknesses. It seemed logical at the time since I knew I could better relate to people with the same qualities as me, but I quickly learned that true leadership requires a diverse portfolio of skills. Just like in finance, where a diverse asset portfolio reduces risk, your leadership team needs a mix of perspectives and strengths. If everyone thinks and acts the same way, you’re setting yourself up for a major downfall. Think about it: When you're confronted with a problem you’re not sure how to tackle, it's a learning experience. But if no one on your team is equipped to handle that challenge, your entire organization can crash. Diversity of skills in leadership encourages innovation and resilience. It compensates for individual weaknesses and amplifies our collective strengths. When you embrace different viewpoints, you create a more adaptable and robust team capable of navigating challenges. The right mix of strengths will keep us grounded, even when the storms of uncertainty hit.

🔹 𝗔 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 In a world driven by specialization, I discovered something surprising: real growth often comes from stepping outside your lane. Working in R&D taught me precision and problem-solving. But it was my interactions with neurodiverse individuals that revealed the magic of empathy and clarity. While leading projects across different industries, I learned to embrace change and humility. Each role, each challenge, was a new lens to view the world. Here’s what I found: The most profound lessons often come from unexpected places. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 drilled discipline into my work ethic. 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 taught me the power of clear communication. 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 pushed me to adapt and keep my ego in check. Mix these elements, and you get innovation that truly shines. I’ve realized that patience in tech leads to better innovation, and direct communication clears up leadership fuzziness. Systems thrive when treated like people. The takeaway? Your side projects and unique experiences aren’t distractions. They're power-ups. So, leverage every tool you have. Your varied experiences are the secret ingredients to building stronger teams and creating a more human future. 👉 𝗜’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗼𝘂: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘃𝗲? #LeadershipWithPurpose #Neurodiversity #ElectronicsIndustry #InnovationMindset #CrossIndustryLearning #HumanCenteredLeadership

I was working with a newly promoted leader who was drowning. Despite working longer hours than ever, they felt constantly overwhelmed while their team grew increasingly frustrated. When we looked at how they spent their time, the issue became obvious. They were spending 75% doing the same tasks that had earned them the promotion. They hadn’t made the mental shift from individual contributor to leader. When I shared this observation, they became emotional: "I haven't wanted to give up the control." That vulnerability, that admission about control, opened the door to change. This pattern is common. People get promoted because they excel at doing, then struggle because leadership requires fundamentally different time allocation. They cling to their comfort zone, the technical work they know well, rather than stepping into the discomfort of true leadership. Unsure if this is you? Try this: Draw a circle and divide it to show how you spend your time across doing, managing, and leading. The visual is often shocking. One leader who did this exercise realized they'd never truly stepped up to lead their team. They transformed themselves and their team into top national performers just by tweaking where they and their managers spent their time. At one company, we needed an innovation lab without additional budget. Instead of hiring, we asked existing team members to dedicate 30% of their capacity to experimental projects. We called them experiment architects running innovative test and learns.. The results exceeded expectations because people were excited to step up beyond their standard responsibilities. When leaders step up from doing to leading, they create space for their teams to grow. That cascade multiplies organizational capacity without adding a single person. The question isn’t whether you need more resources. It’s whether you’re spending your time in the right places. By consciously choosing where you spend your time and having the courage to let go of comfortable but outdated patterns, you create the capacity for real transformation.

Transforming How We Think About Collaboration: The 'Collaborative Innovation' Approach 🪄 🎯 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 Instead of seeking lowest-common-denominator agreement, start with a powerful vision that attracts committed changemakers. 👥 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Rather than "open door" meetings, carefully select participants to ensure the whole system is in the room — from grassroots to grasstops. 🔄 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼-𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Move away from "develop-then-present" to working together in real-time, leveraging collective intelligence. ⚡️ 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 Stop pushing for false harmony and start using differences as catalysts for innovation. ✨ 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗼𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 Build the strategy through action rather than endless planning sessions. What's powerful about this approach is how it transforms resistance and diversity into sources of innovation. It's not about getting everyone to agree — it's about weaving different perspectives into transformative interventions. Insights from Russ Gaskin, CoCreative and Ashoka's Leading Multi-stakeholder Collaborations course💡 🤔 How do you navigate the tension between inclusion and focused action in your collaborative work? #SystemicChange #Collaboration #Innovation #Leadership #CollectiveImpact

4 things to keep in mind when creating career paths in your organization 👌 Let me get this straight, first: your people are your organization’s greatest asset. In a time where employee mobility is at its peak, fueled by “the great resignation” and other social phenomena, you do need to invest in your employees’ career paths. But simply introducing a “robotic” process without involving your employees will not work. And it may cause more damage than having no system at all. 🤷♂️ In my year-long experience with clients (leaders & organizations), I’ve seen systems and tools fail. Big time. Why? Because they were designed solely for the organization and not for its people. Many leaders I talk to don’t know how to contribute to the career path plans for their teams. 🫤 And whole departments or organizations walk in the dark, simply clueless about what works and what does not work. Needless to say that regarding the new generations, we can't just assume that a career path is simply aiming to be “a director of something”. They look for meaning in the professional life. And that might not be the ladder career approach that we (40+ years old professionals) have in mind. Let me share with you 4 things you need to keep in mind when creating those processes ✅ Technology & tools (like skills platforms and talent marketplaces) are an interesting help, but people first need to understand how to use them to find their next opportunity within the organization. People, not systems, come first. ✅ Avoid creating career paths only for a few highly-valued roles. Do it for everyone in the organization. Be inclusive. If you want to make it work, make equality a top priority. ✅ Balance your employees’ aspirations and expectations with flexibility. Change happens at an unprecedented pace. People need & ask for flexibility. What seems like a fair career path today may be obsolete one year from now. Be flexible & transparent. ✅ Career paths should be indicative, not prescriptive. Otherwise, your people may feel trapped and the end result may be the opposite of what you planned for. These are only the top-level tips for creating a career path system that works best for both the employees and the organization. There is so much more to it (I can talk for hours...) 🙌 If you struggle (as a leader or organization) to make things work with the career path tools & processes for your employees, I can be of help. Reach out if you need a “not from the shelves”, non-ready-made solution to the HR and talent management issues that limit your professional or organizational growth 📈 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲? 🌐 Get the full picture here ➡️ https://buff.ly/3Ko3l8Y 📧 DM me for more details - no strings attached ______________________ #HR #leadership #talentmanagement #humanresources #careercoach

Career progression : Yes, but without the manage people part There is a growing group of young professionals who do not aspire to be a people manager. There are good reasons for this with for instance research from McKinsey indicating that 53% of middle managers say they’re overwhelmed in work, and 51% say it’s impossible to give all of their direct reports the one-on-one time they need. Suzie Coen published an interesting article in The Hill on how companies are creating dual career paths to respond to the growing trend of people that dont aspire to be people managers. 1. Shopify split its career ladder into two tracks, “crafter” for individual contributors and “manager” for aspiring leaders. This allows individuals to advance in their areas of expertise and passion, rather than forcing them into roles that may not suit their skills or interests. Under Shopify’s dual-track framework, individual contributors or crafters can ascend in their careers without the implicit necessity to manage people, but they’re regarded as leaders and are compensated accordingly. Offering a distinct managerial track has helped to empower individuals who have a genuine interest and skill in leadership and people management to pursue those roles. 2. Walmart Global Tech launched a Fellow program which fosters growth in individual expertise, without mandating a shift to managerial roles. 3. Google’s engineering teams have created an “individual contributor” career path that is more prestigious than the manager path, and sidesteps management entirely. 4.Mastercard, employees can either progress as consultants (functional) or leaders (managerial). The company already has these defined paths in project management and sales, and plans to implement them in product development, marketing and communications. 5. BP has triple tracks: functional specialists, functional leaders and business leaders 6. Rolls Royce also has three tracks for promotion in the form of specialist roles, technical manager and project manager. Not all completely new but an interesting approach to enable a different career progression path for single contributors who just dont like the people manager part of the next level jobs. Source: https://lnkd.in/eGrr-Ud3

I recently coached a new CEO whose transition into the new role is incredibly challenging. Why? His predecessor was a Marathon CEO: Someone who led for decades, deeply embedding their ways into the organization. Their decisions shaped the culture. Their leadership style became the norm. Their influence lingered in every meeting, every habit, every unspoken rule. It’s really tough: 🌘 The company wasn’t just adjusting to a new leader - it was grieving the old one. 🌘 Employees clung to ‘the way things have always been done.’ 🌘 Decisions felt pre-programmed, leaving even the most capable new CEO battling a ghost. Compounding the challenge: a lack of succession planning made it harder. But through coaching, we didn’t just adapt; we rewrote the script: ➤ He harnessed his unique strengths to break free from the past, not just stepping out of the shadow but gradually transforming it. ➤ We sharpened a leadership style that didn’t just rival the old norm - it redefined it, igniting fresh momentum and ownership. This makes me realize a critical question: Organizations often underestimate succession planning, especially when replacing a long-standing CEO. The longer the tenure, the more vital it is to invest in: 1️⃣. Early & Strategic Succession Planning ↳ Had it started earlier, my client might not have felt like he was “racing against a shadow CEO” (his own words). ↳ Thankfully, through coaching, he solidified his style and rose to the challenge. 2️⃣. Clear Internal Communication ↳ Employees need reassurance and alignment during leadership shifts. ↳ A unified message could’ve steadied the team as they adjusted. 3️⃣. Support for the New CEO ↳ Transitions demand more than a handover - structured onboarding and cultural integration are key. ↳ For my client, a stronger support system might’ve eased the weight of such a legacy. A Marathon CEO’s influence doesn’t end when they step down - it lingers. The real test of their tenure isn’t longevity; it’s whether the organization thrives after they leave. So 2 Key Takeaways: 1) Organizations must prioritize early effective succession planning to replace a Marathon CEO. 2) A compelling leader can build their own legacy - with the right support. Catherine Catherine Li-Yunxia (Transforming leaders, Moving the world)

This week, I facilitated a manager workshop on how to grow and develop people and teams. One question sparked a great conversation: “How do you develop your people outside of formal programs?” It’s a great question. IMO, one of the highest leverage actions a leader can take is making small, but consistent actions to develop their people. While formal learning experiences absolutely a role, there are far more opportunities for growth outside of structured settings from an hours in the day perspective. Helping leaders recognize and embrace this is a major opportunity. I introduced the idea of Practices of Development (PODs) aka small, intentional activities integrated into everyday work that help employees build skills, flex new muscles, and increase their impact. Here are a few examples we discussed: 🌟 Paired Programming: Borrowed from software engineering, this involves pairing an employee with a peer to take on a new task—helping them ramp up quickly, cross-train, or learn by doing. 🌟 Learning Logs: Have team members track what they’re working on, learning, and questioning to encourage reflection. 🌟 Bullpen Sessions: Bring similar roles together for feedback, idea sharing, and collaborative problem-solving, where everyone both A) shares a deliverable they are working on, and B) gets feedback and suggestions for improvement 🌟 Each 1 Teach 1:  Give everyone a chance to teach one work-related skill or insight to the team. 🌟 I Do, We Do, You Do:Adapted from education, this scaffolding approach lets you model a task, then do it together, then hand it off. A simple and effective way to build confidence and skill. 🌟 Back Pocket Ideas:  During strategy/scoping work sessions, ask employees to submit ideas for initiatives tied to a customer problem or personal interest. Select the strongest ones and incorporate them into their role. These are a few examples that have worked well. If you’ve found creative ways to build development opportunities into your employees day to day work, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you!