Learning From Those We lead

There were times when I thought I knew it all: fresh out of college with a diploma that said I was educated, reporting for my first assignment with a shiny 2nd Lieutenant gold bar that said I was in charge, or stepping into an HR Director role with years of experience already under my belt.

I thought I knew more than everyone around me.

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Thankfully, I was smart enough to know better.

Leaders wake up every day and step into a leadership learning lab yet far too many miss the opportunity to learn from others. My leadership training came in different modalities: on-the-job as an officer in the U.S. Army and in the form of classes, seminars, and certifications courses. By far, the most valuable leadership training came from my interactions with those I lead.

Do leaders lead while learning or learn while leading?

Read more at the Lessonly blog.

Taking the Gloves Off: Leaders and HR

Human resources can be complex, confusing and exasperating. Communications between leaders and their human resources department don't have to be.

Unfortunately, they are.  

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It's time to step out of the ring and start working together.

When human resources professionals live and breathe human resources everyday, they forget what it's like outside the bubble. It's easy for them to judge non-HR leaders harshly. "Don't."  Instead, help them help you. 

• Proactively anticipate needs, develop training resources, analyze data and ask leader what you can do for them.
• Serve as strategic advisers to leaders. Lead effectively, help leaders with workforce planning and creatively work within business constraints to improve how they do business.
• Give leaders a chance, you will be pleased with the results.  

When leaders stay as far away from the human resources bubble as they can, it's easy for some to abdicate their leadership responsibility and to judge human resources staff harshly. "Don't."  Instead, help them to help you.

• Proactively identify needs, ask for the HR training and resources you need.
• Listen to the options, advice and consequences. It is your responsibility to ensure your decisions are informed ones. Ask the tough questions and expect researched responses.
• Give HR a chance, you will be pleased with the results

Ensuring people come to work under the best conditions and are able to perform job they were hired to do is a joint venture between leadership and human resources. Respect goes  a long way to helping each other find ways to get the results the organization needs.

This is not personal. It's business and you each have a job to do.

If you are a leader or human resource professional uncomfortable or bothered by this, no worries, your discomfort or unease will be short-lived. Organizations staffed with leader and human resources staff unwilling or unable to do this will find ones who can.

Now go out there and make me proud.

Taking the Gloves Off: Leaders and HR first appeared on lisarosendahl.com.