Gosh where do I even begin sharing all the insights I gathered from my conversation with Shayne Weideman this month? Shayne is so knowledgeable when it comes to leadership in complex and changing environments.
We started off by acknowledging just how much change organizations and leaders are facing right now. Political, economic, technological – it feels like everything is in flux. Shayne made a great point about how even though change is happening so rapidly, leaders can’t be expected to have all the answers. The most important thing is being willing to keep learning.
He talked about how the leadership mindset has shifted from “knowing everything” to being “learning everything.” Now more than ever, leaders need to remain curious and expand their horizons. It’s not enough to rely on what you already know – you have to keep challenging yourself and seeking out new perspectives.
Belonging and creating a sense of community were other big topics Shayne brought up. He explained how crucial it is for leaders to make people feel like they belong. When team members feel connected to one another and invested in the bigger purpose, they’ll give more of themselves.
Shayne also had some practical advice about things leaders can implement every day. Things like taking the time for reflection, asking open-ended questions, and celebrating wins big and small. It’s the little moments that can really make a difference in someone’s development. Formal training is great, but relationship building is what leads to real change.
The discussion we had about diversity of thought was so eye-opening too. Shayne shared this study about how a group of random guesses averaged together was able to accurately predict something. It really drives home how valuable different perspectives are. As leaders, we need to make space for everyone to contribute.
All in all, I found the conversation to be hugely inspiring. Shayne gave me so many things to think about and apply both personally as a leader, but also how I can better support the leaders I work with. It was practical, insightful and got me really excited about continual learning and growth. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom with us Shayne!
You can watch the full conversation here: https://bit.ly/CultivatingLeadershipSkillsinachangingworldwithShayneWeideman
