As leaders we have a responsibility to ensure that our area is managed effectively and that we are driving the organization to achieve its stated objectives. We also have a responsibility to grow the next generation of leaders to ensure that the great work we've done continues on after we've moved on.　 Keep some of these nuggets in mind as you ponder making the next generation of leaders great:　

Excerpted from The Truth about Getting Your Point Across…and Nothing But the Truth

Unless you excused yourself for whatever reason you were there for at least fifteen minutes listening to his philosophy.  The problem was that Moe was friends with the person managing our contract so we had to put up with him. 

A number of years back I was in a meeting with two HR representatives at my company.They were explaining to me how the HR organization wanted to be more “strategic” with its clients and how they wanted to help us with annual resource planning.   At the time, our biggest problem was filling open positions with qualified candidates; a number of key positions had been open for months with no qualified candidates in the hiring pipeline. When I asked the HR reps about how they were going to help with this problem, they both told me that they didn’t have time to address the hiring issues because they were tasked with being more “strategic”.  Needless to say, the meeting went downhill in a hurry because the HR reps were more interested in fulfilling the HR organization’s “be strategic” mandate than they were in helping me with my real-life problem. 

Brad was an incredibly bright young executive with a very promising future.  Ever since graduating college, he seemed to take on increased responsibilities in his company like a duck to water.  He married his college sweetheart, Nancy, right after graduation and has two small children.   Brad's talent didn't go unnoticed in the industry, with several competitors approaching Brad about his willingness to join another firm.  He steadfastly resisted, that is until the offer of all offers came his way.

Cantata Group, a larger and more prominent competitor to his current company, wined and dined Brad and ultimately offered him a VP position with a higher salary and better benefits.  The offer was too good to pass up so Brad talked with Nancy about the job and they both became enamored with how this was going to advance Brad's career and what they would be able to do with the extra money.  Brad joyfully accepted Cantata's offer, gave his current company two weeks' notice, and started in his new VP role.  

Within a year of joining Cantata, he noticed some unexpected side effects of his new position.  He was required to be in weekly global executive virtual meetings which could happen at any time of the day or night.  He was routinely working 60+ hours a week, missing dinner with Nancy and the kids.  He traveled at least once a week, many times to put out fires at clients. His eating habits were horrendous and he wasn't exercising due to his schedule.  He began putting on weight.  Nancy was frustrated with him not being around and his kids missed their daddy.  The stress was unbearable and led to Brad one day grabbing his chest and collapsing during a customer meeting.