February, 2017 - Nicole Monturo | Coaching & Development

With the internet being the wealth of information that it is, it can sometimes be hard to even know where to start looking for things. If you simply search for “leadership advice,” you’re going to be greeted with a barrage of ‘how-tos’ and advice from people ranging from well-seasoned professional executives to high school students. So how do you know where to find timely, knowledgeable resources that will give you the answers that you need? Well, many people use Twitter.

Since I’m also a huge foodie on top of my day job, I regularly tweet about primarily recipes I’ve tried or foods that look particularly yummy. However, as much as I turn to Twitter for food inspiration, I also use it as my source of daily inspiration and resource for all things leadership. While I follow a lot of accounts, there are a few leadership Twitter accounts that I’ve found to be particularly helpful and insightful. Here are my favorite leadership accounts to follow.

@ForbesLeaders

If you’re looking for prime leadership advice from all the top experts in the field, the Forbes Leadership Twitter account is one for you. Their bio boasts “Insights on leadership in every aspect of business and life for executives, aspiring leaders, and everyone else from Forbes,” and they live up to their words. Their most recent tweets include tips on dressing like a leader, the importance of connecting as a team, and how to navigate company culture, all important things to consider and be aware of as a leader.

@RosabethKanter

Rosabeth Moss Kanter is a Harvard Business School professor, so it’s not surprising that she re-tweets the Harvard Business Review regularly, but her curated tweets are a wealth of information on being a leader and inspiring change in others. She’s also the author of the book MOVE: Putting America’s Infrastructure Back in the Lead.

@Bill_George

Bill George tweets often on the importance of collaboration and teamwork in business. He is a Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School and previously served as the CEO of Medtronic, so he’s got many years of leadership under his belt. George is also a bestselling leadership author; his book, the wildly popular “True North,” features interviews with over 100 other leaders on the merits of “authentic leadership” and has earned a place on the Warren Bennis Books Series.

@CoryBooker

U.S. Senator Cory Booker from the great state of New Jersey tweets a lot about politics – obviously – but it’s his leadership insights and words on finding the best in one another that really make his account worth following. He’s a proponent for the underdog and advocates for equality and positive change.

Becoming a leader of any form takes practice, patience, skill, insight, and time. It’s not something that happens overnight. While it does take a lot of specialization to become an effectual leader, a lot of the fundamental ideals and principles taught are not new concepts; many of us have been receiving little lessons in leadership from the time we were old enough to go to school. Although we were not being told explicitly that what we were learning were leadership based, these more or less ‘common sense’ lessons we’re taught at a young age lay the groundwork for some important leadership ideologies. While we may not have become experts at the time, here are a few of the leadership lessons that you learn as early as kindergarten.

When you mess up, you say sorry.

When a child makes a mess or breaks something that belongs to someone else, they’re taught to own up to their failure and say that they’re sorry. When it comes to being a leader, by this point you’ve likely realized that human beings, yourself included, aren’t perfect. Unfortunately, there’s no leadership tip that tells you how to be perfect, so the best that you can do is take ownership of your errors and apologize for any resulting problems.

Sharing is caring

One thing that effective leaders know is the importance of helping others, and this simple human kindness is one we’re taught as children. Leaders must demonstrate sharing in several different ways. First, most leaders are looked to as sources of knowledge or information. To effectively lead those looking to you for guidance, you need to share the wisdom and lessons you’ve learned with them. The second type of sharing is more external: as a leader when someone on your team does a particularly good job or finally overcomes a hurdle, it’s your job to share in their excitement, share their good news with the rest of the team, and have them share particular insights about what made them successful. Your job as a leader is to call forth the best in your team and help them actualize their potential. This includes encouraging them during moments when they excell.

Slow and steady

Much like the classic fable taught to children about the tortoise and the hare, in life most things cannot be rushed. Children are taught the importance of hard, consistent work over rushing through tasks, and this lesson carries importance through life. Good things take time, and if you try to rush them, your work at the end won’t be your best. When planning a project that will require input and assistance from multiple people, take the time to make sure that everyone fully understands his or her responsibilities. While some people will be chomping at the bit to get started, it’s more important to make sure everyone is up to speed than to get a speedy start.

Nicole Monturo is an accomplished executive and leadership expert.

Month: February 2017

Leadership Lessons You Learned in Kindergarten

Month: February 2017

Leadership Twitter Accounts to Follow

Leadership Lessons You Learned in Kindergarten