Stalled or Growing in Personal and Professional Development?

Many leaders find themselves stalled when it comes to personal and professional development. Of course they don't realize it ... because they are stuck. Here's a refreshing account of a recently elected official of whom it is being said that he continues moving forward personally and professionally.


This was taken from the Toronto Star, May 15, 2011 in an article by Columnist, Vinay Menon.

Jack and Stephen: Kings of the Hill

... “Governing is different than campaigning and I think each man understands that,” said Robin Sears, a former national director of the NDP and senior partner at the public affairs firm Navigator. “And I think there will be a number of issues — health care and pensions, perhaps most obviously — where they will be trying to find ways of achieving change that each can claim credit for and that requires respectful, professional discussion.”

Sears has known Layton, who is 60, for three decades.

“Jack is one of the few people I know in life, let alone political life, who at our advanced age — we’re almost exactly the same age — continues to grow,” he said. “Most of us got stalled in our 30s somewhere in terms of personal and professional development.

“Jack was a far better MP than he was a councillor, a far better leader than he was MP and in this campaign I thought he was more successful than in any previous one. So I have watched that progression with bemusement and some envy.”

Notice that "continues to grow" piece? The question we need to ask ourselves is, "Am I stalled?" or "Am I continuing to grow?" Worthy of thought at any age.

Why Most Leadership Development Programs Don't Work

I'm going to suggest three reasons why most leadership development programs don't work.

1. Organizations aren't really committed.


2. Individuals aren't really committed.


3. Personal coaching isn't a key component.

Organizations Aren't Really Committed: In business, dedicating people and resources to seeing someone grow isn't as easily traced to bottom line dollars earned. This is extremely short-sighted thinking. Build your people and you will build your business. Certainly our executive coaching firm frequently uses Return On Investment tracking that makes a strong case for bottom line results from front line human resource investments.

In addition, investment in people takes work. You don't just subscribe them to a magazine, give them a book allowance and send them off to a conference or two and think you have done the leadership development thing. Most of those in supervisory positions just don't have the time or inclination to work consistently with their leaders. And even if they are keen, they often don't really know how to proceed or to follow up on the individual.

It isn't much different in nonprofit settings. Just because they aren't engaged in profit making enterprise doesn't mean they don't want results. But many nonprofits are so strapped and busy that those who should or could be developing others just don't have the time. Immediate needs take precedence.

Individuals Aren't Really Committed: Individual leaders are often hungry to do better and achieve more. But they haven't got a clue of how to go about it. Busyness dictates that they don't get much time to think about personal and professional development beyond trying to keep up with the bottom line latest information they need to know for the next day.

Leadership development takes time. And months stretch into years. It's easy to let something slide. The tyranny of the urgent dictates attention and action. Unless the individual abruptly interrupts their well established patterns and plans for a different approach, things will pretty much stay the same.

People are far more often thrust into leadership than prepared for it. They learn by the seat of their pants. Now that's not all bad, but it is far from great for them or the company. And sometimes the results can be downright disastrous.

Personal Coaching Isn't a Key Component: Without one-to-one, intentional back and forth that is focused on the individual and what they are attempting to achieve, there is no focused 'system' or approach to fostering real growth. Intentional growth takes conversation. It takes probing and the revealing of potential blind spots. It takes questioning entrenched habits and exploration of as yet unknown possibilities in behavior and performance.

The Coach can take the time to walk alongside the individual with one purpose in mind ... helping them think about, plan for and act upon those things which would move them forward in learning, experience, skills and attitude.

Consistent coaching over an extended period of time may be the key missing link in most leadership development programs. With it, the individual can go further faster. In the same way that iron sharpens iron, the coach can sharpen the leader, assisting them to go farther than they might have otherwise thought possible. When that happens the results will show back in the organization.

Bottom Line. If you are going to be serious about a leadership development program, work with an executive coaching firm such as ours. We have a track record. We know what we are doing. We know how to help an individual grow in ways the benefit them and the company or organization. Your investment will be highly targeted and ROI will be real.

Additionally a seasoned professional coach can help you implement a 'coach approach' to working with your people. You will have a three-way partnership that is focused both on personal and professional growth and company results.

If you run leadership development programs

• Be committed. Make it part of who you are as an organization.


• Work with committed individual leaders.


• Make coaching a long-term key component of your effort