We like Erica Anderson (Why Leadership Training Doesn’t Work)

Below is a quote from Why Leadership Training Doesn’t Work by Ercia Anderson, Forbes.com contributor, published 6/21/13. Check it out.

Think about it this way: becoming a better leader (or manager, or pipefitter, or ballet dancer) requires wanting to learn, then acquiring new behaviors and putting them into practice.  We know intuitively that you can’t become a prima ballerina just by listening to somebody else talk about great ballerinas and how they danced, or by getting an inspirational talk about the glory of ballet.  You have to want to learn to dance, then you have to see the movements, try them, and try them again and again in ever more demanding and complex ways.

Teaching people to lead is no different.  Becoming aware there are more effective ways to think and behave as a leader is just the first step…

Her point about motivational talks is right on. We’re not looking to produce a shallow “high” that wears off quickly. We’re after deep, steady resolve.