8 Awesome Things Leaders Should Know

Professional Development. It’s growing and becoming more and more important. Our favorite saying, ‘school’s not out‘.

Constant learning and growing on a personal and professional level is essential to success, if not, we’ll be left behind. Boise Young Professionals and the Idaho Statesman partnered to bring the Professional Development Day to young professionals in the Treasure Valley. A day where they could hear, learn and speak to some influential people of Boise. Among them, our very own Ronda Conger, along with Greg Lowe of Syringa Networks, Keynote – Heather Cox of ESPN, Vincent Kituku, and Jessica Flynn of Red Sky.

We loved the day so much, we had to share our two favorite speakers that we learned from and loved:

• First off, Greg Lowe crushed it! He may claim that he might make people cry on the occasion – but he brings the ideas that you’ll never know everything, the world is always changing, and find what you like to do and DO IT. Here are our favorite take-a-ways from him:
  • Every conversation is an interview. Why do you need annual reviews? Each meeting you should be interviewing, questioning, and helping someone be better. If someone is surprised that they’re doing something wrong, then it’s the manager’s issue. Not the employees.
  • Servant leaders sleep better at night. As a leader, it’s never about you. It’s something much bigger than us. Servitude is giving and what you get in return is measurement. If you’re not putting on the table more than you cost – what’s that equal? Take yourself out of the equation. Serving is giving and servant leaders sleep better. 
  • Never own success but always own failure. Success is what your team did, not you. Your team makes you successful and your team never fails. You fail. Never become self-absorbed in success, you owe it all to your team.
  • Develop your strengths not your weaknesses. People don’t follow leaders because they’re well rounded, they follow them because they’re PASSIONATE. Good leaders are pointed and don’t focus on their deficiencies. What got you to the leadership position? Focus on that and make it better.
• Heather Cox, ESPN broadcaster captivated the crowd with her traits that successful sports people have with real life stories from players, coaches and even the NFL Commissioner:
  • Leaders foster a sense of teamwork. Coach Urban Meyer believed in small unit cohesion. His players won’t sacrifice for Ohio State as a whole but they’ll sacrifice for each one of their smaller 9 units. People will fight for the love of a unit or family – do you foster that?
  • Treat everyone equally and with respect. Coach Chris Peterson will tell you, every person whether starter or 3rd string has a role on the team, and they know it. If they’re going to win, the whole team was winning.
  • Lead by example. AKA be the toughest person in the room. NBA Coach George Karl had throat cancer, was going through chemo treatments, and never missed a game or practice. The players new they had to step up and give it their all because nothing could be as bad as the pain he was in.
  • Leaders are great decision makers. Leaders make the right decisions and quickly. Peyton Manning is one of the all time decision makers, he’s not afraid to be on the line and have the ball in his hands at crunch time. Can you take the responsibilities of the decisions you make?

What will you do to grow your Professional Development?