Author Archives: Kit Prendergast

What the Best Companies Are Doing for Future Leaders

It’s happening in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Colorado Springs Utilities company has been awarded the ATD (Association of Talent Development) BEST Award for the second time in recognition of their internal corporate university designed to develop their next generation of leaders

What can we learn from this innovative company?

First, it is critical that the senior executive team be not only committed to developing aspiring leaders but also actively involved in giving their time to mentor these individuals. The corporate university has several leadership tracks including an advanced 10-month track entitled the “Leader 2 Leader” program. The executive team takes ownership in a very positive way of the ultimate outcome of the leadership development process.

Second, the CSU company actively identifies individual employees who have high leadership potential regardless of their longevity with the company. The old belief of “you have to pay your dues” is gone in light of the reality of what will attract and retain top talent in the younger generations. And every employee, no matter where they are in the company, is provided learning developmental opportunities so they can provide increased value to the company.

Third, the vast majority of the leadership development is live except for a few online prerequisite courses. The emphasis is on building bridges between the experienced tenured managers/leadership and those emerging leaders who are so critically needed in this unique, rapidly moving and competitive industry. This is where the invaluable knowledge transfer occurs and the more important trust and relationship building occurs.

This story of the Colorado Springs Utilities company is included along with the other stories of the winners of ATD BEST awards in the November issue of ATD’s monthly magazine, TD. It is truly inspirational to read about these companies and what they are doing today – not tomorrow – to develop this next generation of leaders.

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Association of Talent Development (ATD) TD Magazine

I’ve been an active member of our local and national chapter of the Association of Talent Development (ATD) (formerly ASTD) for years. Professional trainers, HR professionals and executive leadership coaches have always known that ATD is a wealth of knowledge and resources for internal and external leaders working to recruit, retain and engage top talent in their organizations.

I particularly like ATD’s monthly magazine – now called TD – which I save and refer back to frequently. The articles are excellent and provide the latest research and insights from the industry’s thought leaders. The focus is squarely on talent management and how training supports those initiatives. I’ve even been a contributor to their website ATD.org community of best practices blogs. Check this association out – it’s well worth it!

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What 5 Qualities to Embrace as a Leader

How is leadership developed? Does it come about just naturally or is it a learned set of skills? Or maybe a combination? I love to work with emerging leaders as well as those who have served as leaders over time.

And this is what I have learned . . . great leaders have a wonderful capacity to visualize what “can be” rather than just focus on what “has been”. Great leaders have a gift of being able to inspire and engage others to commit themselves to meaningful work that makes a difference in people’s lives. Great leaders are committed to listening deeply to what is important to others, giving them a voice and a seat at the table to contribute their ideas, talents and strengths.

Have you ever worked with a great leader? We don’t often get that chance but when we do we don’t forget what that experience was like. It meant a lot at the time because we felt recognized, appreciated and honored for the unique value we could bring to the company, project or organization. We simply worked our heart and souls out for those great leaders.

These are five of those best qualities for you to integrate into your own leadership growth.

  1. Visualize the Bigger Mission & Purpose
  2. Inspire & Engage Others
  3. Listen & Communicate Effectively
  4. Recognize and Leverage Strengths
  5. Demonstrate an Authentic Commitment to Team/Consensus
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Leadership Resource: Harvard Business Review Magazine (HBR)

I admit it – I’m not much of a magazine reader because I love the touch and feel of a real book. And I buy books all the time with the result that I have a large professional library. But when a speaker at the recent ATD conference recommended subscribing to HBR, I decided to pick up a copy at the airport on a recent trip.

This recent edition focuses on Leadership and has a number of excellent articles. I found the one on what makes an outstanding CEO fascinating. It was not surprising to me that the top CEO rated world-wide is from Denmark – the Scandinavians have always gotten it exactly right when it comes to the power of people and talent management. So I decided to subscribe to HBR and will share with you the insights I gain each month.

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How to Begin Asking Powerful Questions

What is your favorite question to be asked? What question or questions can someone ask you that engage you right away in a meaningful conversation? And what signals do you pick up that tell you this individual is genuinely interested in you?

It’s a gift when someone is truly curious about us and interested in learning about what we think. And it’s even more unusual for someone to be willing to listen deeply to what we have to say without interrupting with their own agenda or opinions. When we feel “safe” in those conversations we can relax and be ourselves. And just as importantly, we can share our own wisdom freely.

As leaders in today’s rapidly changing world, we all need the very best of everyone at the table. We can’t afford to ignore or minimize the strengths of those we work with simply because we don’t know how to ask the right questions at the right time. But how do we know what to ask and when?

Here’s how to start . . .

First, know that people are naturally “resourceful and whole”. This is a core belief of coaching and challenges us as leaders to create safe conversations for others to bring their best ideas, energy and focus to mutually desired outcomes.

Second, step into your curiosity. Be quiet, mindful and simply curious. Start the conversation off with a “What” question or a “How” question. Avoid “Why” questions because they often have the unintended result of creating defensive feelings. Examples of questions are:

  • “What have you already been thinking of?”
  • “What would that look like?”
  • “How will you know you/we are successful?”
  • “What is the opportunity/challenge here?”
  • “What is your professional assessment/recommendation?”

Third, listen deeply without interrupting, especially if the other person is more introverted. These questions are some of my favorite.

  • “What else?”
  • “What is the part that isn’t yet clear?”
  • “What other resources/planning do you need?”
  • “What is getting in the way of your success/movement ahead?”

Finally, ask several questions directed to action steps and accountability. That’s the easy part for leaders who are strong problem solvers. Remember to stay curious and ask how they want to move forward. Listen for their wisdom – that’s why you hired them!

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