My favorite college professor taught geology, with a true passion for taking ancient rock formations and bringing them to life. Obsessively scrawling notes and diagrams on the blackboard, he practically consumed chalkâcovering his clothes, hands, face, and mouth. And every time he said the words âmetamorphic rockâ or âtectonic shifts,â a sea of white dust showered the first row of students. He erased the board over and over to put down more notes. No matter how much he enthusiastically wiped the surface, though, his old writing still showed through. The eraser simply couldnât keep up with the chalk and all the remnants left in its wake. Leaders continually face this same challenge: how to erase whatâs holding us back and embrace what moves us ahead. Itâs particularly timely as fall whispers in a season of change. I can remember those feelings when I was a kid, growing up in the Midwest. Cooler temperatures and falling leaves triggered a whole set of routines, as if awakening to a new day. Replacing screen [section1img] My favorite college professor taught geology, with a true passion for taking ancient rock formations and bringing them to life. Obsessively scrawling notes and diagrams on the blackboard, he practically consumed chalkâcovering his clothes, hands, face, and mouth. And every time he said the words âmetamorphic rockâ or âtectonic shifts,â a sea of white dust showered the first row of students.
He erased the board over and over to put down more notes. No matter how much he enthusiastically wiped the surface, though, his old writing still showed through. The eraser simply couldnât keep up with the chalk and all the remnants left in its wake. Leaders continually face this same challenge: how to erase whatâs holding us back and embrace what moves us ahead. Itâs particularly timely as fall whispers in a season of change. I can remember those feelings when I was a kid, growing up in the Midwest. Cooler temperatures and falling leaves triggered a whole set of routines, as if awakening to a new day. Replacing screen doors with storm doors. Switching from summer tires to winter tires. All that preparation had a purpose. So too, in this season of changeâwe reflect on our rites of leadership passage.
To explore how and where, our Korn Ferry Institute recently took a comprehensive look at how leadership has evolved over the past two years, based on assessments of tens of thousands of senior executives at hundreds of companies. The study reveals some significant shifts in leadership traits and competencies needed to navigate the next yearâat the forefront, dealing with ambiguity and that underrated behavior known as curiosity. Absorbing those insights, we see how leadership, like life, is cyclical. Here are some thoughts: Curiosity. When thinking about what makes a great leader today, probably the first thing on most peopleâs minds would be growth, strategy, and vision. But curiosity? And yet our firmâs pandemic leadership study spotlights how curiosity was the biggest mover of all leadership traits. Today, itâs all about looking at the world with an open mind amid nonstop ambiguity. Leaders must constantly be on the lookout for mega trends as they emerge, so we can align our organizations to the opportunities (and risks) they present. Curiosity is learningâand learning is the No. 1 predictor of success. Context. Context is best friends with curiosity. Itâs not just a matter of will and skill. Itâs a decision and a discipline. We take what weâve observed and learned and use it to reframe reality and visualize our future. Tapping Google Earth unveils the bigger picture. We focus on being focusedânot on what we cannot control, but on what we can. Others. Itâs one of the most consistent questions I get these days: âHow can I connect with my team?â Start with recognitionâreally looking at people and seeing the whole person. Or, as Ken Blanchard, with whom Iâve had fond discussions about leadership, likes to say, âItâs catching people doing things right.â Where thereâs recognition, thereâs trustâand it runs in both directions. Self-awareness. The world is changingâare we? All of us are born with certain traits. Optimistic or pessimistic. Curious or cautious. Outgoing or shy. With time and experience, we can adjust and compensate. But when the going gets tough, do we revert to our blind spots or accentuate our strengths? The answer is humility and self-awareness, which precede the definitive steps toward personal and professional growth. You cannot improve an organization unless you improve yourself. A different cycle, a different climate. A period to remember what endures and erase what is no longer relevant. A time to look in the mirror. Indeed, that is the whisper of fall. [Image]() Weâre pleased to launch a new book from Korn Ferry, [Take Control]() â and itâs all about getting ahead and advancing careers. This latest book follows [The Five Graces of Life and Leadership](), offering imagery, emotions, and insights that capture the human side of leadership. Both books are now available. Regards, [Left Image] Gary Burnison
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