Accelerated Development Programme
Grow towards a bigger management role and leave a lasting impact. Learn to inspire and engage others as you gain the confidence to take the step up and strategically lead your business.
ADPHow to go from good to great
What turns a manager into a leader? Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Randall Peterson, suggests some answers
1. Be self-aware
People would like to be able to say, “I’m going to be great at everything I do,” but for most of us this is highly unlikely to be the case. In class, I often get students to sign their name as they would on any official document. Then I ask them to put the pen in their other hand and sign again. Naturally they find the process much more difficult – even awkward, or weird. And how does it look? Not very good.
It’s the same in business. People tend to have a natural style or a particular area of expertise. When you try a different approach in a different sphere, can you do it? Yes, like your wrong-handed signature there is something there. You can function. But you have to really think about it and it’s still not great. Of course you can keep practising with that “other hand” over and over. You’d get better but would it ever be 100%? Would it ever be amazing? Probably not.
I conduct a great many 360-degree surveys and personality tests in order to identify what people are good at. The message that I always make sure they walk away with is: the best job is the best fit. You do it well because it comes naturally to you, given your style and personality. It is important to find your own voice, and then leverage that in a way that makes you a great leader.
