Rising Stars

by Donna Karlin

"Second star to the left and straight on 'til morning."
- Peter Pan telling Wendy how to get to Neverland


Where are the rising stars and are leaders taking notice? Or are they “lost boys and girls” in limbo?

As executive committees sit around boardroom tables discussing how to train future leaders and worrying about lack of succession plans, I’m amazed at how often they just don’t get it. Leadership isn’t just a topic for discussion; it is to be lived – demonstrated in deed in every aspect of a leader’s being and behaviour.

In Peter Pan’s Neverland, time stands still and people don’t grow old. That isn’t real life, and yet some leaders haven’t been paying attention to the changes going on around them. When reality finally dawns, they scramble to do something about it. Retreats are held and meetings with HR professionals unfold, where leadership and succession plans are discussed as tasks rather than behavioural changes. What worked twenty years ago no longer applies. Life is faster paced, more intense. Yet plans get shelved in order to deal with the challenges of the day. Change and paradigm shifts need to take place in real time, not in a meeting.

For some executives there’s no time to deal with the issue. Others have trouble sharing their power with those a level or two beneath them. Rather than developing their staff to a level of excellence, they are tasking them to death.

As a coach, I want my clients to be as successful as possible, regardless of what else is going on. To sustain performance it is paramount to have strong support systems that will enable them to hold up even in the most chaotic times, to be responsive, not reactive. To do this, they must help evolve new rising stars.

Some leaders can inspire and motivate, but if that vision isn’t translated in a way that facilitates action or growth, a rift forms, and the talented people will leave and search for a leader who will help them grow into their level of excellence. Another challenge plaguing leadership in organizations these days is staff loyalty. You need more than pension as an incentive to keep rising stars from leaving and going on to what they view as greener pastures. The first step is to identify who these future stars are. That’s not the role of HR departments; it’s the obligation of organizational leaders.

A leader communicates his/her vision in such a way as to encompass and harness the individuality of those he/she works with. A plan of action is created and those who implement it are responsible to make that vision a reality. A leader learns, collaborating with colleagues and staff.

I can’t tell you how many leaders I’ve observed who are brilliant, passionate and energetic, yet have no skills at translating those passions well enough to engage their talented resources. They are scattered, unfocused, thinking about and creating the next brilliant idea (and yes, they are brilliant), but because they don’t communicate ideas well or do much with them, deliverables are few and far between.

There is more to leading than throwing ideas around a table. A leader with no one following is not much of a leader, nor will there be talented people to lead and move upwards in the organization.

Who have you identified as a rising star and what are you doing about it, sooner than later? Are you effectively accelerating the growth of those rising stars?

Many clients are sophisticated, bright leaders who know what they want and expect from coaches and coaching – freedom of space and thought, ways of inventing creative solutions, strategies and concepts to solve problems or make the most of an opportunity. Leaders want to become free of the chaos of their hectic days in order to make informed, effective decisions. If you knew all the possible ways to solve the issues of loyalty and succession you wouldn’t have these problems in the first place. You know what you know. What are you doing to figure out what you don’t know to achieve your level of excellence as a leader?


Donna Karlin is a certified executive coach (www.abetterperspective.com) who practices Shadow Coaching™ in the public and private sectors.


SIDEBAR
Good managers want to become better managers, and if you aren’t coaching or being coached, you might feel out of the loop. Tiger Woods has a golf coach. Jack Welch when he led General Electric had a coach. As more and more of our readers are becoming involved in coaching, we have added a coaching column.

We have invited various coaches and coached executives to share their views and experiences. We also invite readers to send their questions – on coaching or on issues they would like to have a coach answer. We will have our coaches respond. Send your questions and comments to editor@networkedgovernment.ca.