Whether you have been CEO for 30 years or just began your startup last month, every leader needs to embrace the concept of life-long learning. Just as employees experience boosts in productivity and performance from training courses, leaders can benefit from building stronger skills. While attending night or weekend classes to obtain an MBA or certification can certainly provide a strong foundation for growth, not every leader has the opportunity or resources to go to a formal training program. How can leaders stay sharp while effectively managing time and controlling costs?
Create a Reading List
Every year, publishers come out with dazzling new books that capitalize on novel approaches to leadership. Some of these books will be rock stars and others will be a waste of time. However, there are some classic books on leadership that have stood the test of time and allow you to narrow your focus to only the most essential material. Create a “must read” list for the year consisting of 2-5 books that directly target the areas you would like to focus on. Classics include Dale Carnegies’ How to Win Friends and Influence People and Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. For more suggestions, Harvard Business Review offers a list of its top picks, which includes Clayton Christensen’s The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail and the ultimate leader’s guide, Marcus Aurelius’s The Emperor’s Handbook. (Another positive aspect of classic leadership guides is that many are available for free at your local library.)
Volunteer
Many managers and CEOs are pressed for time, but spending a few hours as a volunteer can have a number of positive effects. From a physiological point of view, volunteers experience greater happiness and positive feelings than non-volunteers. From a leadership point of view, volunteering offers a free opportunity to experience team building, conflict resolution, and problem solving while achieving important goals. The importance and benefits of volunteering were highlighted in an article on Forbes, where writer Karl Moore noted that the environment at a volunteer organization requires that an individual leads only through the permission of the other volunteers instead of through an assumed title.
Take 10 (or sometimes 20)
Busy leaders rarely have time to watch TV, but making time for short educational videos may enhance key skills. Reading classic books can highlight what has worked in every generation, and videos can help you translate those ideas into the modern workplace. TED brings all of the latest and greatest ideas in innovation and leadership to busy execs in under 20 minutes. Browsing the site can yield gems in all areas of leadership, but there are also collections of TED talks that target a specific subject. TED has playlists on How to Be a Great Leader (which includes Sheryl Sandberg), What Makes Businesses Work, and the Power of Collaboration.
Turn the World into Your Classroom
Life experience is of great value—but only if you pay attention and think carefully about that experience. Journaling about your work experience and leadership skills can help you ruminate on your progress and identify key growth areas. Write in your journal daily, even if this only involves a simple run-down of your busy schedule. Not sure where to start? S. Bronfman Chair in Management at McGill University’s Nancy Adler shares tips on how to start the journaling process.
Being a leader takes strength, courage, and drive. Taking some time to improve yourself does not need to break the bank. Leaders who take the time to develop their own skills will find that they can better assist those around them and achieve their goals with greater strength and purpose.