Leadership Conversations: Challenging High Potential Managers to Become Great Leaders

CHAPTER 3

Have You Had Leadership Conversations Today?

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.

—GEORGE BERNARD SHAW

You speak with bosses, peers, direct reports, and other stakeholders nearly every business day, but are they effective conversations that blend the leadership and management mindsets appropriately? Conversations in the leadership mindset build respect and trust, encourage bidirectional feedback, create learning experiences, and elicit the best from everyone, including you. Those in the management mindset involve processing information, evaluating alternatives, completing tasks, and meeting deadlines. Together, the conversations create alignment, inspire innovation, mobilize change, and produce ...