I know . . . I have been AWOL from posting for more than a month now!  I wasn’t playing or on vacation.  In fact, I had the good fortune of spending the last month facilitating leadership development programs in Paris, Houston, and DC.  It was a terrific month for two reasons.  For me, facilitating is both about sharing information and about helping participants learn from themselves and from each other.   In the past month I had the good fortune to personally spend time with and learn from dozens of leaders at all levels.

Here are some highlights:

A group of Plant Managers I was working with had an open and lively discussion about whether they needed to be “leaders” in addition to being “managers.”  The group’s ultimate conclusion was that when times are good, management may be sufficient.  But in times of change and in difficult times organizations need people at all levels who can inspire, engage, and motivate.  Given the fact that these plants face tough times ahead, participants realized that their own ability to lead is more important than ever.

In another program we were working with mid-level managers, supervisors, and team leaders from around the globe.  The design of the program involved numerous fast-paced, competitive activities.  Participants had the opportunity to practice and receive feedback on their ability to quickly achieve results through people.  In the reflecting circle at the end of the course, the most prevalent takeaway for this group of leaders was a profound awareness of how the leaders actions impacted the the “ambiance” of the team.  Many participants commented that the course helped them to see that a willing and enthusiastic team can accomplish great things.  Several people commented that they recognized that by allowing “spirit-suckers” and “non-performers” to slide, they were unintentionally draining the energy from their own teams.

This summer’s biggest lesson for me was a reminder that, in leadership development, the most powerful and memorable points come from the participants – not the instructor’s PowerPoint!