It’s easy to think of professional development as fixing a problem. But forward-thinking leaders recognize that it’s often about fulfilling a successful trend. In today’s post, Pete shares a conversation with a leader that recognizes the need for their team to improve in order to be who they – and their burgeoning audiences – expect them to be.
For more thoughts about your team manifesting itself more fully, check out our BE-it program here.
I was talking to a senior leader at an architectural firm today, and our conversation reminded me of a fantastic reason why firms should be developing the skills of their teams right now. This particular firm is led by a few very forward-looking leaders. They’re recognizing that they are growing—fast. They’re stepping into larger venues, speaking to bigger and more powerful audiences, and leadership is realizing something important:
“We need to be up to the task of speaking to the audiences we’re heading into.”
They see that they need to grow into who their future audiences will expect them to be. That’s a big mindset shift—and it’s one I want to encourage in you as a professional, and in your firm as a whole.
Whether you’re thinking about your individual career or the organization you’re responsible for developing, you want to look at the momentum you already have. Look at the direction you’re heading. Then ask:
Because the truth is this: the future audience arrives faster than you think. And the expectations—internally and externally—rise right along with your growth.
So I want to encourage all of you—leaders, professionals, firms—to think intentionally about your development. Think not just about who you are today, but about who you need to be in the very near future. Build the skills now that will allow you to meet those expectations with confidence, clarity, and presence.
Your future audiences are coming. Make sure you’re ready for them.
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