We have heard it many times. Half of what you need to succeed in business is “people's skills.” For example, this is what executive coach Marshall Goldsmith had to say:
“Your people skills often influence how high you go. Who would you prefer as a financial director? Moderately good accountant who great with people ... or a brilliant accountant who failed [people] ... A candidate with excellent people skills will win every time, largely because he (sic) will be able to ... lead. "
But such wisdom regarding leadership is based on research and models introduced in the 1970s. It was then that almost all American corporate leaders were men, and when the mindset was either / or worldview. For example, managers either focused on tasks or focused on relationships. The conclusion is always that if you can handle both, you will go up. Thus, the formula that has emerged since the 70s was 50 percent of people's skills + 50 percent of professional competence = 100 percent of career success.
Before we consider this formula, it is important to know that a comparison of the performance evaluations of men and women in similar positions, with the same tenure and in similar companies, indicating that women are superior to men in the area of interpersonal skills. In fact, Business week drew attention to these finds with a cover entitled " As leaders, the rule of women ".
If women succeed in interpersonal skills, and if they consistently outperform men in this arena, then why women do not occupy more places in the upper part of organizations? The answer to the trick: because people's skills and professional competence are not two halves of the whole. Together they make up only 66 percent of the story.
Lack of 33% (tm) - business acumen. This is what men are constantly rated by bosses as superior women. And this means that most leadership development programs are ignored.
So how do you improve your business acumen?
- First get a copy of Rama Charana, What does the CEO want you to know This is a primer for business acumen in less than 150 pages. And look into my No ceiling, no walls. too.
- After you book a book (s) into memory, sit down and find out how the work you are doing or exceed the contributions (or can contribute more) in cash creation, profitable growth, maintenance and / or intention and return of profit ( profit x). Work on it until you can draw a clear line of view from the work of your employees to the key business opportunities of your organization.
- Then find out the difference between actions, results and results - and give the results.
- Finally, learn to talk with your boss, colleges, direct reports and strangers who may want to hire you, about how your leadership contribution to your business.
Once you add Missing 33% to the leadership success equation, you’ll have a winning formula.
