Leadership in Action: Putting Some Life into Your Leadership

Putting Some Life into Your Leadership

Marian N. Ruderman and Patricia J. Ohlott

If you were to ask executives and managers where they get the most influential and effective developmental training, the likely answer would be “on the job.” It's widely accepted in organizations that experience gained from job assignments and formal training helps managers develop their skills in areas such as implementing agendas, working through relationships, creating change, and increasing personal awareness.

Often, however, managers discount what can be learned from experiences outside of work. The popular media often portray the intersection of work life and family life as fraught with career peril. Phrases like mommy track define how some women's careers ...