Leadership Learning
Mark Katsouros
October 17, 2023
As I reflect on my second MOR Leaders Program (my first
one having been completed in 2008), I cannot help but be surprised by just how
much more I realize I can learn. The
simple truth is that leaders are never truly "done" learning because
the leadership landscape is dynamic and multifaceted. Successful leaders recognize the importance of
continuous self-improvement and adaptability in their leadership journey. They embrace learning as a lifelong commitment
that enables them to remain effective and relevant in their roles.
The lessons of MOR are numerous, from “First Impressions” to “Getting on the Balcony” to “Leading, Managing, Doing” to “The Four I’s of Relationships.” But perhaps the most important thing I learned (and continue to learn) from MOR is that we never stop learning. Yeah, there are deliberate learning endeavors like the MOR Advanced Leaders Program (ALP). And there are less deliberate, but equally important, learning opportunities as well. These are three of my, perhaps less than intuitively obvious, favorites:
(1) Learning by Counterexample
People often talk about “leading by example” and, thus,
learning by example. The concept is
simple enough: Mimic the traits of those
leaders who you find most effective, inspirational, and, well,
leaderly—accountable, authentic, courageous, decisive, empathetic, honest,
humble, innovative, self-aware, and strategic.
We observe them, learn from them, and imitate them. But what about poor leaders? Who hasn’t had a bad, or even horrific,
boss? Sure, you could run far and fast,
but why not take the opportunity to learn from them as well? Learning by counterexample is not only an
amazingly intuitive way to learn; it is also amazingly empowering and
liberating to know that we can take control and derive something positive and powerful
out of something seemingly negative.
(2) Learning From (Other People’s) Failures
It has been said, and shown, that we learn far more from
failure than we do from success. Success
is easy to take for granted. But failure
is painfully memorable. And pain has its
value. “No pain, no gain.” Thus, failure is not the end, but a stepping
stone towards growth and success. It is
through learning from failure that one can become more resilient, capable, and
better prepared for future challenges and opportunities. However, the real sweet spot is being
attentive and deliberate enough to learn from other people’s failures—to
turn their pain into our gain. This is
what good mentors do, by the way; they share their failures in a way that helps
others appreciate, and learn from, them.
(3) Learning to Serve
Classic business wisdom proclaims that there are leaders and
followers. But that was when leading was
about giving orders. Now leading is
about collaborating. It’s about serving. So, while a follower is someone who supports
and follows the lead of a leader, a servant empowers others to achieve their
best. In essence, the followers, or
servants, have become the real leaders.
They’ve become the influencers and the ones genuinely concerned with
creating higher employee morale, engagement, and organizational success. They lead by serving others, and ultimately
developing others into leaders, who in turn do the same. I love this because it reminds me of Duquesne
University’s stated mission: To serve
students, so they can, in turn, serve others.
Learning to become a servant leader involves a combination of
self-awareness, education, practice, and ongoing reflection. It's a journey that requires ongoing
commitment to others and plenty of practice, but, when done well, it is the
path to the strongest team imaginable.
I hope that sharing these learning opportunities will somehow supplement the incredibly empowering lessons being conveyed by the MOR ALP. May we all continue to learn by counterexample, by each other’s’ failures, and by helping each other!
