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Jeni Nichols, Editor
President, Sonoma Leadership Systems
As I sit here looking at the rain-washed vineyard, smelling the fresh, earthiness of wet leaves, I am reminded of how much I enjoy the different weather conditions we have here in the wine country of Sonoma. Only a few days before all this rain, a brassy sun had been delivering its goods, sending us scurrying to the shelter of shade.
I like climate diversity and believe it plays a fairly significant role in my daily routine. Do I drive or bike? Do I lunch at my desk or on the front porch? Do I wear those serious boots or those silly sandals? Do I have my fun indoors or outdoors? The answers, all of them, determined by weather or whether or not it does one thing or the other in the Great Outdoors. Having lived in climes of many changes—the Midwest; in climes of few changes—Southern California; and now in a clime of subtle-yet-distinct changes—Northern California, I have to say I love the shifts, love the range of feelings that each newborn season sparks. In this issue of The Leader’s Almanac we look at workplace diversity and how we as leaders can enrich our lives and the people we lead by allowing diversity to play a significant role in our own daily rounds and routines.
In our lead article, best-selling author and researcher Lynne Lancaster serves up valuable "snidbits" on how to be an exemplary leader in this diverse, often complex and confusing, multi-generational world of ours. Lynne is crystal clear on how to get started in winning the war for talent and connecting with each generation in the workplace. Don’t miss her practical, straight-forward advice
Drawing lessons from the November election, Pat Schally points out that it is the diversity of our beliefs about our leaders and wanna-be’s, along with what we want from them, that makes for much spirited dialogue in our politically-charged country. Having this dialogue, she notes, may even move us to a monologue, an internal discussion in which we ask ourselves if we’re actually living up to the same standards that we hold for our leaders. Interesting, intriguing, isn’t it?
Also in this issue, Ron Crossland points out that even though a buzzword, diversity, at least from the motivational perspective, can provide us with invaluable insights. It’s time for leaders to realize, he maintains, that their shared vision may not strike universal motivational chords. Vision is also in Beth High’s sights. Beth gives us the pertinent metaphor of photography, challenging leaders to see their world through close-up, as well as wide-angle, lenses. It is our opportunity and our responsibility as leaders, Beth opines, to use these different lenses to make our vision exciting, compelling and unique.
I can’t resist; I have to add my own opine, my own two cents. When I brought up this topic of diversity at a recent training conference I attended, boy did I get an ear-full. Seems I hit the nail on the knowledge head. For the key challenge among learning professionals today seems to lie in adapting training to diverse learning styles. Terry Satterfield from the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission (MPCTC) shared with me an effective way to get people to understand their own particular styles and, in turn, enable them to get more out of any learning experience. Applying adult-learning theory, Satterfield has devised a fun approach to making people in her workshops savvy to how it is they actually learn.
Satterfield uses the almost-universal situation of buying a car. Apparently, your approach to buying a car determines the type of learner you are. Are you concerned about safety, about research, for example. Are you jumping at the chance to take a test drive? Or are you a bottomless-pit of questions? As Satterfield suggests, taking the time to give people insights into how they learn can pay off in big dividends and enhance the individual learning experience.
I hope this issue of The Leader’s Almanac provokes in you some new way of thinking about diversity, this batted-around, beleaguered buzzword. Maybe when you hear this D-word in the future, instead of summoning up differences that divide, the word can connote enrichment to you. In other words, it may prompt you to wonder about how can you, as a leader, enrich the lives of the diverse people around you that you have the great fortune to lead.
Enrichment? Enlist me. I’ll go right along with that, just as I go along with this rain. This pouring down stuff that’s sogging up everything, it can only enrich my day, not ruin it, right?
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