The Thoughtful Leaders Blog
Posted by Robyn McLeod on May 17, 2012
As a firm believer in the presence of leadership at all levels in an organization, I particularly enjoyed a recent Harvard Business Review post, Find the Reverse Leaders in your Midst, by Scott Edinger. Edinger describes it as reverse leadership – “when someone not in a formal leadership role demonstrates great leadership ability.”
I have seen this numerous times throughout my career with people I had the fortune to manage. There was Georgia, a clerk in Brooklyn, who could run the office singlehandedly because of her ability to influence others, rally people behind a project, and do it all with an infectious sense of humor and wit. Or Robert, a sales representative, who had a true focus on his customers, possessed unflagging integrity, and was a role model for his sales colleagues, many of whom were much older and more experienced than he. And Amanda, a consultant who led a major Human Resources initiative, shaping the strategy, recommending key decisions, and successfully guiding a cross-functional project team through implementation.
Unfortunately many organizations fail to recognize such talent within their ranks and thus are unable to truly leverage these leaders and the skills they bring throughout the organization. Often the individuals are not developed and the skills they possess are not nurtured and fostered in any way.
Edinger cites five characteristics to look for when identifying the “reverse leaders” in your organization:
- Strong interpersonal skills born of self-awareness
- A focus on results more so than process
- High degrees of integrity
- Deep professional expertise in at least one discipline vital to the organization
- Unswerving customer focus
By identifying and recognizing this often-hidden talent, Edinger says, you can then cultivate these employees, learn from their examples, help them further develop and progress as they desire, and gain a true competitive advantage.
Who are the hidden leaders in your organization? How have you successfully identified and developed them?
I invite you to also share your ideas on LinkedIn here: How does your organization identify this hidden talent and foster a culture of leading at all levels?
For help on identifying and developing the hidden leaders in your organization, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on April 23, 2012
“There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the ways we start many of our client engagements is with an OEA – our Organizational Effectiveness Assessment. This allows us to gather anonymous input from our clients’ employees as to what’s working at the organization, and what isn’t.
One of the workplace issues that often arise is the taking of credit and the placement of blame. It seems that way too many managers and leaders, at least in eyes of those that report to them, are too eager to take credit and too willing to place blame.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on March 19, 2012
“Listen a hundred times. Ponder a thousand times. Speak once.” Anonymous
I was taking a client through a 360º feedback assessment the other day and listening (or the lack thereof) was a major theme. He felt very strongly that he paid particular attention to listening to others and being open to their ideas, suggestions, and feedback, but the data in the assessment report showed differently. While he may have been trying to be more open to what others were saying, the feedback from his colleagues and direct reports showed that they did not feel that he really listened to them.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on February 27, 2012
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller
What is there to say to expand on this quote? Not a whole lot. It kind of speaks for itself. And yet, it bears expanding upon because it is worth repeating and remembering – and it can be so easy to forget.
Recently I was sick, really sick. In my desperation to have something simple in the house that I could eat, in light of my inability to make it to the store, I accepted my daughter’s offer to walk to the store and get what we needed. And then I asked her to take her little brother with her, so that I could have some peace in the house and he could get out. Later that day, as she was about to go out to run her own errands, I asked even more of her – to finish up some of my holiday shopping and again take her brother with her.
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Posted by Robyn McLeod on February 23, 2012
 Years ago a very nervous nurse walked into the examination room to administer my son’s vaccines. “Please hold your son in your lap,” she said anxiously. “Wrap your legs around his, hold his wrist, and keep his arm very still.” Jason was always pretty brave about getting shots but, based on what she said to us, both he and I were starting to feel very edgy. “You’re scaring him,” I said. “He will sit on my lap calmly without my holding him down.” Later the nurse explained that she had had several bad experiences with children kicking, screaming, and pulling their arms away, so that is why she handled vaccinations this way. She did not see that she was using her experience as an excuse and that her approach was in fact making each encounter worse.
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Posted by Lisa Kohn on February 16, 2012
 I grew up singing this lyric, as nearly everyone from New York or New Jersey did…and yet only very recently has it stuck in my mind as a useful concept for leadership – in life and in business.
There are so many things we face, so many challenges that come our way, and so many times we feel overwhelmed and beaten down. We are surrounded by change, and get stuck in the midst of everything that is happening around us. We can’t see the forest through the trees; can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel; can’t see the way out of the craziness that surrounds and envelops us. Things change, and change, and change again, and we’re expected to flow with it and still excel. And as a leader, we’re also expected to help others through the change and the challenges.
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Posted by Robyn McLeod on February 9, 2012
 There’s nothing I love more in sports than an exciting Super Bowl game. And, of course, it always helps when my favorite team wins! Getting to the Super Bowl is a crowning achievement for an NFL team and one that brings with it tons of attention, pressure, and expectation. As I watched all of the coverage leading up to the game and listened to interviews of past Super Bowl coaches, quarterbacks, and players, I heard great lessons and themes about what it takes to lead, manage, and participate on a team that is in the spotlight. These are thoughts and principles that can benefit anyone leading, managing, or participating in a team initiative in your organization:
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 24, 2012
For many of our clients, this is not only the start of a new calendar year but also the start of a new budget year. And while some organizations are rebuilding their investment in people development, others have budget line items that are still woefully lean for the kind of professional and leadership development necessary to increase employee engagement and retention.
In response to the need to find ways to stretch Training & Development budget dollars and creatively offer development opportunities for employees, we published the attached article – Professional Development on a Shoestring – which offers ideas for professional development experiences that you can implement on your own or with minimal resources.
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Posted by Lisa Kohn on January 19, 2012
 Someone forwarded me another TED video – they always make me think, and I always want to share them.
Barry Schwartz speaks about our loss of wisdom. He argues that our society, businesses, and lives are becoming increasingly stuck on rules and incentives, and that what we need in order to thrive is instead practical, everyday wisdom that will guide us to do the “right” thing.
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Posted by Robyn McLeod on January 12, 2012
 This is the time of year when many of us are in performance appraisal mode – writing our self-appraisal, preparing documentation for giving appraisals to others, reflecting on what went well in 2011, and remembering what did not get accomplished that we expected to achieve. While it is certainly important to look back and assess whether accomplishments were made, goals were achieved, and skills were developed, it is just as important – really, more important – to devote equal time to looking ahead and planning ahead for what you want to achieve in 2012.
Many people fail to truly think about and plan for the coming year in preparing for performance appraisal conversations, focusing instead on how to position past accomplishments and compile back-up data for last year’s goals and projects. So, before you head off to your annual performance review session, set yourself up for a more effective and forward-looking discussion by answering and asking the questions below.
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Lisa, your “Critical Success Factors to Managing Change” is so relevant to what’s happening in my company right now. Altho a bit late, it’s going on my bosses desk today. Thanks! – Brian
Glad it is relevant and hope it helps! Thanks for the comment.