"People are an organization's greatest asset", all of us have been told. Not many seem to realize that good people are an organization's greatest asset, not just people. Are there people in your organization that you'd be happy to show the door? On the other hand, do you know of someone in your organization that you cannot imagine doing without? We all know that good people are essential to any organization's success, yet not many are willing to do what it takes to attract, grow and retain good people.

So - are your people your biggest headache? Would you like a cure for your headache? I assume so, since I have yet to meet anyone who enjoys having headaches. Harvey MacKay said that it isn't the people you fire who give you the heartaches, and, by extrapolation, the headaches - it's the people you don't! Yet, how many of us have the will to actually dismiss someone, both for the sake of the organization, and, when you think about it, for that person's own sake as well? Very few, I trow. Well, this is one of the things you'd need to commit to if you want to get rid of your headache. Is this being negative? "No!" I say, it is part of the process of growing great organizations. Just as the body needs to rid itself of toxins in order to stay healthy, so toxic persons ought to be removed from the organization. Just as the body keeps on growing, so people in an organization need to grow also. Those who choose not to grow must be removed, or the whole organization will suffer. Think about that the next time you face a firing decision.

On the flip side to firing people, we need to also ensure that, as leaders in the organization, regardless of level, we continue to grow ourselves, both in character qualities and competencies as well as in leadership skills. "Everything rises or falls on leadership" is an old cliche, but it still holds true nonetheless. The sad thing is that people would rather trust to systems like, say, "Talent Management" than on developing good leaders. Not that "Talent Management" isn't important, do not get me wrong there, I am simply highlighting the fact that we all tend to look to structures instead of people. We fear that, even if good leaders can be found, they have feet of clay, too, and can lead organizations down the path of destruction just like a bad leader. So, we tend to cling to systems which we think are "neutral", "non-biased" and so on. We seem to collectively think that it would be the lesser of two evils. We would even tolerate prima donnas in our organizations because we think that we have a way of "managing" them, thanks to our systems. Well, I beg to differ! Leadership is so important that we need to ensure a continuing culture of leadership development in our organizations, regardless of the level you're at right now. We cannot overstate this, and we need to emphasize this again and again and again! Great organizations deliberately emphasize leadership, and go to great lengths to ensure continuous leadership development via training workshops, coaching and mentoring. It starts with you, wherever you are. The framework you use doesn't really matter - the determination to raise and grow good leaders is more important, starting with ourselves. We all need to commit to long-term growth instead of settling for short-term gains. When we are characterized by our commitment to long-term growth, we will reap the rewards, and not just financially.

What are you doing about your own personal leadership effectiveness? Develop your own personal leadership effectiveness, and your headaches will start to fade away. Drop me a note or call me if you'd like someone to walk that journey with you!

Go well!