INDEX
4 Fitness Principles
about, x–xi
Principle 1 (taking the first step), 11–12
Principle 2 (putting in the work), 12–15
Principle 3 (learning from adversity), 15–18
Principle 4 (consumption influences output), 18–20
360-degree (multirater) assessments, 35–36, 49–51
A
action learning, 97–99, 107–108
Action Learning in Action (Marquardt), 98
adversity, learning from, 15–18
Anna and Ed (mixed messages) case study, 61–63
Arneson, Steve, 6
assessment(s)
360-degree (multirater), 35–36, 49–51
choosing an assessment type, 38, 42–43
cost-impact matrix, 52–54, 132
costs of, 47, 49, 50, 52–54
frequency, 37
“Give Yourself a Grade” activity, 51–52
importance of, 35–38
performance reviews, 44–48
self-assessments, 43–44
simulations, 48–49
tools, 36–37
athletes
building a strong core, 59–60
building endurance, 112–113
importance of practice, 84
requirements in addition to talent, 15–16
understanding your current state of performance, 36
B
bad habits, 5, 119–124
Barbara (responding to bad habits) case study, 122–123
barriers to leadership fitness, xiv
Best Practices Are Stupid: 40 Ways to Out-Innovate the Competition (Shapiro), 61
Bezos, Jeff, 66
Brad (team collaboration to raise the bar) case study, 13–15
business acumen, 72–73
C
capability, components of, 25
case studies
Anna and Ed (mixed messages), 61–63
Barbara (responding to bad habits), 122–123
Brad (team collaboration to raise the bar), 13–15
Chuck (endurance), 121–122
Clark and Kevin (learning new leadership techniques), 113–116
Dave and Brenda (transformational leadership development), 6–9, 12
Jen and Ava (leadership mindset), 29–31
Jeremy (poor personal skills), 70–71
Jim, Nicole, and Barbara (approaches to feedback), 39–40
leaders-as-teachers apprenticeship program, 94–95
Nancy and Oscar (poor interpersonal skills), 68
Neal (learning from a crisis), 16–17
Ray (poor interpersonal skills), 67
restaurant servers (job shadowing), 101
Sandra (taking on new responsibilities), 82–83
Scott (leadership mindset), 24–25
Stan (informal learning opportunities), 85
Sue (improving old sales tactics), 18–19
Vivian (poor communication skills), 69
challenges facing today’s leaders
choosing the most worthwhile development activities, 4–5
lack of time to work on development, 4
Chuck (endurance) case study, 121–122
Clark and Kevin (learning new leadership techniques) case study, 113–116
coaching, 92–93, 107–108
collaborative learning, 87–88
communication skills, 69
communities of practice (CoPs), 96–97
community service, 99–100, 108
complex process skills, 72–73
conforming to office culture, 70–71
core
building a strong, 59–60
strengthening activities, 73–79
cost-benefit matrix of leadership development activities, 78–79
cost-impact matrix of assessments, 52–54, 132
cost-impact matrix of development opportunities, xvi–xvii, 132
cost-impact matrix of maintaining flexibility, 107–109, 132
D
data as a means of evaluating performance and goal progress, 12
Dave and Brenda (transformational leadership development) case study, 6–9, 12
“deliberate practice,” 22
development
inattention to, xiv, 5
instinctive pursuit of, 119
lack of time to work on, 4
of a leadership mindset, 22–23
development activities
action learning, 97–99, 107–108
choosing the most worthwhile, 4–5, 18–20, 61, 73, 109–110
coaching, 92–93, 107–108
collaborative learning, 87–88
communities of practice (CoPs), 96–97
community service, 99–100, 108
cost-benefit matrix, 78–79
e-learning, 75–76
informal, 86–87
instructor-led courses, 73–75
mentor circles, 91–92
mentoring, 88–91, 136–137
microlearning, 77
most impactful development experiences, 81, 100–101
opportunities to practice what was learned, 75, 83–85
teaching others, 93–96
webinars, 76–77
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (Pink), 64–65
Dweck, Carol, 21–22
E
Eblin, Scott, 31–32
effort, 64–65, 112–113, 128
endurance, leadership
balancing stability and agility, 124–125
as the exchange of action, feedback, and reflection, 111–112
fitness tips for building, 125
pausing and reflecting, 118–119
seeking feedback, 117
taking action, 112–117
engagement, 5–6
Ericsson, Anders, 22
expertise, 60–61
F
failure, tolerance for, 26–27, 128
feedback, 38–42, 45–46, 117
The Fifth Discipline (Senge), 99
finance, understanding, 65–66
fitness
activity variety, 56
“bonking” (losing energy), 18
cost-impact matrix, 132
importance of assessing, 35–38
and leadership, xi–xiii
reasons for maintaining, ix–x
Sample Fitness Plan, 134
tips summary, 140–141
flexibility
cost-impact matrix of maintaining, 107–109, 132
fitness tips for maintaining, 109–110
taking on new responsibilities, 81–83
formal learning, 78–79
Four Fitness Principles
about, x–xi
Principle 1 (taking the first step), 11–12
Principle 2 (putting in the work), 12–15
Principle 3 (learning from adversity), 15–18
Principle 4 (consumption influences output), 18–20
G
George, Bill, 66
“Give Yourself a Grade” activity, 51–52
giving back, 129
Gladwell, Malcolm, 60
goals
personal leadership development, 54–57
setting ambitious, 11–12
stretch, 55–56
Goldsmith, Marshall, 119
good habits, 60–61, 119–124
Grove, Andy, 66–67
H
habits
bad, 5, 119–124
good, 60–61, 119–124
I
informal learning, 84–87
interpersonal skills, 66–68
J
James, LeBron, 15–16
Jen and Ava (leadership mindset) case study, 29–31
Jeremy (poor personal skills) case study, 70–71
Jim, Nicole, and Barbara (approaches to feedback) case study, 39–40
job rotation, 103–104
Jobs, Steve, 66
job shadowing, 101–103, 138–139
Jordan, Michael, 15–16
K
knowledge retention, 83–84
L
leaders-as-teachers apprenticeship program case study, 94–95
leadership
core, 59–60
employees’ perceptions of, xii–xiii
and fitness, xi–xiii
mixed messages about, 61–63
tracking your performance, 9–10, 19–20, 31–32, 57–58, 79–80, 109–110, 124–125
leadership mindset
complexity of a, 23
defined, 21–23
developing your, 22–23, 28–32
importance of a, 25–28
Jen and Ava case study, 29–31
Scott case study, 24–25
taking risks, 26
leadership skill zones
overview, 64–65, 135
Zone 1 (technical skills), 65–66
Zone 2 (interpersonal skills), 66–68
Zone 3 (personal skills), 69–71
Zone 4 (complex process skills), 72–73
learning
action learning, 97–99, 107–108
active vs. passive, 83
coaching, 92–93, 107–108
collaborative, 87–88
communities of practice (CoPs), 96–97
community service, 99–100, 108
cost-benefit matrix, 78–79
e-learning, 75–76
formal, 78–79
informal, 84–87
instructor-led courses, 73–75
knowledge retention, 83–84
mentor circles, 91–92
mentoring, 88–91, 136–137
microlearning, 77
opportunities to practice what was learned, 75, 83–85
resource-based, 106–107, 108
teaching others, 93–96
webinars, 76–77
Lewin, Kurt, 20
M
Marquardt, Michael, 98
Medtronic, 66
mentor circles, 91–92
mentoring, 88–91, 136–137
mindset. See leadership mindset
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Dweck), 21–22
mixed messages, 61–63
motivation, 9, 29, 119
Musk, Elon, 66
N
Nancy and Oscar (poor interpersonal skills) case study, 68
National Training Laboratories learning pyramid, 83–84
Neal (learning from a crisis) case study, 16–17
The Next Level: What Insiders Know About Executive Success (Eblin), 31–32
O
on-the-job activities
job shadowing, 101–103, 138–139
rotational assignments, 103–104
stretch assignments, 104–105
task forces, 105–106
value of, 100–101
Outliers: The Story of Success (Gladwell), 60
P
Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise (Ericsson and Pool), 22
peak leadership fitness
defined, 3–4
as a lifestyle, 127–129
Plan Template, 54–57, 133
requirements for, 4
Sample Fitness Plan, 134
“The Performance Management Revolution” (article), 45
performance reviews, 44–48
personal skills, 69–71
Pink, Daniel, 64–65
Pool, Robert, 22
practicing by doing, 75, 84–85
preparation
effect on others, xi–xii
importance of, vii–x, 28
before job rotation, 104
R
Ray (poor interpersonal skills) case study, 67
recovery, 56, 111
reflection, 20, 28, 118–119, 129
resource-based learning, 106–107, 108
resources
leadership research, xiv
long-form, 107
short-form, 106
restaurant servers (job shadowing) case study, 101
Revans, Reg, 97
risks, taking, 26
Rock, David, 119
rotational assignments, 103–104
S
Sandra (taking on new responsibilities) case study, 82–83
Schwartz, Tony, 66
Scott (leadership mindset) case study, 24–25
self-assessments, 43–44
self-awareness, xiii, 27, 36–37, 124, 127–129
Senge, Peter, 99
Shapiro, Stephen, 61
simulations, 48–49
skills. See leadership skill zones
sports as a metaphor for leadership
author’s golf example of the importance of practice, 84
building endurance, 111–125
importance of preparation, vii–x
Stan (informal learning opportunities) case study, 85
stretch assignments, 104–105
stretch goals, 55–56
Sue (improving old sales tactics) case study, 18–19
support, seeking, 12
T
task forces, 105–106
teaching others, 93–96
technical skills, 65–66
Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts, Becoming the Person You Want to Be (Goldsmith), 119
V
Vivian (poor communication skills) case study, 69
Vygotsky, Lev, 86
Y
Your Brain at Work (Rock), 119
Your Leadership Story (Tobin), 51
Z
“Zone of Proximal Development,” 86