“If not you, then who…If not now, then when?”

“If not you, then who? If now now, then when?” This quote rests at the bottom of all my emails. I heard it years ago but don’t actually know its true origins. It challenges me as I hope it does you, to not be a person who waits around for others to act…especially when it comes to your personal development as a leader.

In the case of your own personal growth, YOU must be the architect of your own development as a leader. If you are waiting for a program from HR, or for someone else to come along and sweep you into their circle, to become your mentor or to sponsor your development, you will be waiting a long time.

Besides, if you really are a leader, start by leading yourself.

Leaders feel the weight of leadership. Bearing that weight without commensurate development and support has consequences. This is highlighted in an excellent book, “Made in Canada Leadership”, by Amal Henien & Francoise Morissett; (2007; John Wiley & Sons). The book title caught my eye because I feel much of the leadership material we are exposed to does not adequately reflect the uniqueness of Canadian culture and its impact on leadership.

Based on interviews with 295 Canadian leaders spanning corporate and non-profit contexts, a major finding was that while leaders seem satisfied by the level of challenge provided by their leadership experience; they overwhelmingly say they lack support. The following emotions are often associated with the lack support in the leader’s life:

• Stressed
• Unable to share
• Isolated; lonely
• Burdened by responsibility
• Targeted by criticism; scrutinized
• Disliked & misunderstood
• Pressured to sacrifice their personal life
• Pulled in too many directions
• Unable to control their own schedules
• Guilt for the difficult decisions they have to make that often disappoint people or lead to errors and failure.

Do you see any of yourself in these descriptors?

All leaders experience these emotions to some degree. It’s a part of the price of leadership. The real price of leadership however is what you don’t see…the ongoing impact these emotions have when they are suppressed and unsupported. YOU NEED SUPPORT. Face this reality and become creative and intentional about filling the support void. Create a vibrant, abundant and adequate support mechanism to enable you to thrive and soar. Except for ‘maintaining an image/persona’, I do not know of one good excuse for accepting loneliness, trial or hardship as an ongoing and unchallenged reality.

Who cares for the Leader? First of all, YOU must care. Here are some steps for maximizing your personal development as a leader…

Going In

The business year is heating up as people return from holidays. Non-profits are getting ready for launching programs. Keeping with my theme of Nomadic Leadership, acknowledge you are headed into new territory this fall. Some things will be familiar but in many ways you must recognize that you have not been this way before. Things will crop up you never anticipated...and people will then look to you for guidance. How can you be ready?

Take time to strengthen the foundations of your leadership by clarifying your purpose. The ongoing flow of organizational demands & activity can carry us downstream for quite a while before we realize that we are not clear why we are even on this river, or where it is going! This ‘organizational flow’ gives the illusion of purpose, and can actually substitute (for a while) for an unclear vision. Your followers deserve a leader with a clearly defined purpose. This is a fundamental leadership act. Ponder questions like:

• At its’ core, what is this organization all about?
• What is my vision of effective leadership?
• What is the mission my business/agency/God has entrusted to me?
• What are my values?
• What legacy do I want to leave behind?

Reaching Beyond

Exercise your leadership. Leadership is not a topic like geography. It’s a process, like acting. You have to take action. Without action the best vision remains fantasy.

As a part of exercising leadership, choose to reach beyond your perceived capacity. The theory of immunization states that by injecting a little virus into our bodies, we learn to combat it and the result is a stronger immune system. Maybe you need to inject a little chaos or challenge into your life to stimulate endurance and perseverance! What’s ‘beyond’ you and would challenge your skills and your knowledge? Temporary destabilization will eventually lead to solid leadership balance & performance.

Make a deliberate, thoughtful plan for growth. Waiting for what life or the organization throws your way is not sufficient. That’s not self-leadership; it’s reactionary living.

Tips: Reaching beyond does not need to only be within your field. Try some cross-training principles from athletics to exercise your leadership muscle:

· A physical challenge

· Take a course

· Indulge in a hobby

· Learn a new language

· Be an ‘undercover boss’ in some aspect of your organization

· Train others; make a presentation; speak at a corporate or community event on what you have learned…

Stepping Back

Stepping back from leadership activity to reflect is as important as action. Weightlifters know this “oscillation principle”. Lifting weights actually tears the muscle fiber, so it is important not to keep lifting weights day after day, but to schedule rest and allow the torn fibers to heal. The healed fiber is now larger, resulting in a larger muscle. Leadership activity, if it is to create greater leadership capacity, means we need to regularly stop and reflect. Action builds leadership muscle. Reflection injects meaning.

Look at yourself from the outside and get abundant feedback – both formal (job evaluations) and informal (asking questions, seeking input, welcoming unsolicited feedback). Not all organizations give effective feedback so you may need to go outside to find what you need. This is where the services of a leadership coach can be useful. For more information on coaching or for a sample session to test out what coaching can do for you, contact me at: info@visiontracks.ca or read about coaching on my website: http://www.visiontracks.ca/whyhire.htm

A less formal but essential strategy for gaining feedback & exercising reflection is to be part of a community that supports you and helps you make sense of the leadership experience. I have been a part of a network of 3 peers for the past 7 years. We don’t just gather to ‘chew the fat’ or ‘whine & dine’. We made a commitment to get together about once every 4-6 weeks to discuss issues of concern, innovate, learn, support each other and network in a safe environment. Our work experiences range from non-profit to the business C-Suite and we find there are a lot of similar issues we each encounter. We don’t give each other unsolicited advice. Rather, we ask a ton of questions, challenging the other to think through their own issues. And we also act as a support system for each other in personal issues. (NEVER think that you can divorce personal life from its effect on your organizational leadership effectiveness. We are holistic creatures)

The support of a peer network acts as a growth-enabler. A group of dedicated peers can:

• Turn your potential into competence
• Give a pat on the back that makes a difference
• Provide coaching that re-frames a failure
• Allow you to stay on the leadership track
• Provide food for your soul

You are leading your organization into its future. Now, what about YOU?

“If not you, then who? If not now, then when?”

Harv Matchullis

Visiontracks Facilitation & Coaching

Visiontracks can provide you with personal coaching and resources to develop your leadership. For a free sample session or to discuss strategies for your ongoing growth, contact Harvey at info@visiontracks.ca and visit his website @ www.visiontracks.ca