Now I have your attention, let me explain. A few years ago I was in conversation with a dear friend and colleague, Annabel Graham. I asked her what type of coach she was. I expected her to pick a style or approach to coaching, but she didn’t. Instead, she said, ‘Nick, I am a dirty coach’. Momentarily taken aback, I asked her what she meant. She said that she didn’t subscribe to any one approach or model to coaching, but she picked bits from all areas and brought them to her coaching sessions as the client might need. This has stuck with me ever since. And I often cite with others.
Recently reflecting it got me thinking about leadership and whether leaders in organisations actually need to become more ‘dirty leaders’ around their learning and growth to become better leaders.
Challenges around leaders and learning
I have a theory that there is a correlation between leadership learning and seniority in leadership. I am prepared to be shot down over this, hence it is an idea and not a fixed belief! It goes, as leaders become more senior in role their approach to learning either changes or reduces. This can be deliberate, accidental, circumstantial or organisationally cultural.
That with organisational busyness, responsibility, or the culture of the organisation, leaders can fall into a leadership growth rut around their people leadership roles. Some may even think they don’t need to learn anymore on their leadership subject, as they are now more of an ‘apex’ leader. Being ‘too busy’ to attend, take part or undertake any form of development speaks of a fixed rather than growth mindset being prevalent. Perceived or actual busyness hinders learning.
I have mentioned in an earlier blog, learning can be messy. Learning requires us to expose our inner selves and be vulnerable. Leaders can be reticent about doing this, especially in front of senior peers or reports. How often do I hear on my workshops ‘I wish my leader could go on this course…’. This may be one of the reasons why there are so few organisational personal development workshops where there is a mix of employees, managers and more senior leaders present.
Expectations around leadership development
In my experience it is pretty common for organisational leaders to expect that the primary source of their leadership development is formal development supplied by the organisation. Either internally or being sent externally. There often appears to be a distinct lack of both holistic thinking and individual ownership around personal leadership development.
People leadership not only comes with a title and increased salary it also comes with a distinct responsibility around the present and future of those you are privileged to lead.
In so many ways organisations expect their leaders, especially as they become more senior, to role model not just leadership, but learning as well. It might be unwritten, but it is expected. How do leaders not just develop themselves but also, spread the learning and a mindset around learning? Becoming learning advocates.
Good leaders are ‘dirty’ learning leaders
Yes they are! So, what are dirty learning leaders? They are leaders who take this holistic and owned approach to their development. Yes, they tap into formal development organisationally offered, however, dirty leadership is much more than that. Much more meaningful, personal and transformational.
Dirty leaders are those leaders who take leadership and people learning from all sources that surround their work, personal and social lives. Then they bring this learning into their daily roles, conversations. Learning for them is both accidental and deliberate in nature. Learning from exposure and immersion to a multitude of sources.
Sources of ‘dirty’ leadership
These sources are numerous but can include – articles, podcasts, books (esp. biographies), LinkedIn snippets, conversations, learning from others, inspirational messages, quotes, observations, listening. Another personal theory I run by is if I hear, feel, experience something, or have a gut feeling on something then I am for a reason, which I need to pay attention to. We need to listen and process this as part of our own growth. This theory can fully be applied around our leadership. Books can include travel, spiritual, fiction as well as fact. Historic as well as present day.
Conversations with family, friends, colleagues, even strangers can present nuggets of inspiration. Even conversations with children can be a source of great truth and rawness. Throw in some well-considered questions via your curiosity and these nuggets are magnified.
For me the idea of having a ‘primed mind’ is critical. If I choose to be more focused on these dirty leader learning opportunities, then it is surprising how often I will come across them. If I have no primed mind, then how will I know what might be useful? In this way the learning becomes both intentional and unintentional.
Our everyday lives and leadership learning
So much of our everyday lives are a fertile breeding ground for ideas central to leadership, people, relationships, communication, trust etc etc. Often though, we aren’t present enough to make the connection to transpose to our leadership. I listen to a whole range of podcasts and audiobooks all the time. Political, historical, philosophy, comedy, personal journeys, travel. It is amazing how often my thoughts are challenged, ideas emerge and opportunities to apply to my work present themselves. Even if they are just happening in the background, I still absorb.
These every day opportunities are real time, they present core practical learning. Often much of this can also be tied to people or leadership models or concepts. These opportunities are happening all the time, but without thinking about them, processing or deliberately reflecting, they remain of little or no value to us, or others.
Contemporary leadership learning
There is a need to become more dirty as organisations, business and technology worlds evolve. Leaning on just one or two approaches to leadership learning and growing won’t provide the broad leadership development enrichment contemporary leaders need.
The classic phrase, ‘what got us here won’t get us there’, is so true around learning. In an age where technology is in the driving seat, and the pace of change is exponential, we have to be inclusive, original and dirty in our approaches to leadership leaning.
So, go get down and dirty, in your learning and growth, not just for you, but for everyone one else you engage with every day. Be a sponge absorbing from all places and then squeezing it out, where most appropriate.
Nick Howell brings his passion for leadership and coaching, through conversation, facilitated sessions, coaching interventions and leadership development. His style is informative, challenging, person and behaviour centric and develops individual accountability. He challenges norms, assumptions and held leadership beliefs and culture. All to bring change and growth at all levels. He is also author of the successful leadership resource ‘Great Coaching Questions‘,
Contact Nick today to discuss your leadership and coaching needs for you, your team or your organisation.