Created by Performance Support Systems

Wednesday, January 12, 2011




The Secret to Leadership Development…
Treat It Like a Fine Meal and Enjoy Every Course!




What could the link between a very fine meal enjoyed in a restaurant and leadership development possibly be?

Well, think about the fine meals you’ve enjoyed – each course was delicious, perfectly prepared, served with courtesy, and finally, enjoyed by all.

You walked away satisfied and pleased; you felt that you had been well-served and that you got at least as much as you expected – probably more!


So how does enjoying each course of a fine meal correlate to leadership development????

The Chef and Your Very Fine Meal

Any fine meal begins with a great chef who has the ability to prepare an exquisite meal – one that will suit your tastes and maybe introduce you to new flavors. You’re in a setting that suits your style and budget.

Leadership Development begins with having the right RESOURCES AVAILABLE – professional, well-developed, based on solid research and experience – in other words, great chefs have cooked it up!

Ultimately, you want to become your own chef, in charge of your own personal and professional growth.


The Appetizer in Your Very Fine Meal

Start at the beginning – with the APPETIZER. Its purpose is to whet your appetite – to stimulate your senses and prepare you for the greater tastes and new flavors to come.

In Leadership Development don’t you need the same stimulus to know where to begin with your leadership development? How does that happen?

You certainly need feedback of some kind to guide you in the right direction – that way your appetite is whetted – “WHAT DO I WANT AND NEED?” – “WHAT LEADERSHIP SKILL OR PERSONAL STRENGTH SHOULD I IMPROVE?” Discovering this should make you hungry and anxious for more.

With the feedback you’ll receive, you’ve identified a real NEED – a leadership skill or a personal strength you’ve recognized as worth developing.

This is similar to the hunger for a hearty entree following the shrimp cocktail, right? Can’t you just taste it?!?!?

Soup & Salad Course in Your Very Fine Meal

What follows the appetizer? A salad or soup course…

Yummy - these are the smaller portions of the full meal – starter dishes that complement and prepare you for what’s to come. You’re relishing the varied tastes, aren’t you?

The soup and salad are stimulating; they add to your satisfaction with the entire meal and set you up for the main course – the entrée.

In Leadership Development, these are the EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES that help you develop the skill or personal strength you are working to improve. There should be a wide selection of activities to be completed – just as there are so many soups and salads to choose from – but these EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES are all directed toward satisfying a goal – the skill or strength you’ve determined to improve or develop.

The Company of Friends at Your Very Fine Meal

We don’t overlook the value of dining with friends - some of our most memorable times are the shared meals we have with friends and family – there’s something about breaking bread together that makes the event special – we’ve connected with people we care about.

With Leadership Development, you can and should create an online COACHING NETWORK. It will be comprised of the people you choose to invite – co-workers, experienced managers and leaders, friends, even family – but this network is people whose opinions and judgments you respect and trust because they’re going to provide feedback to you on the exercises and activities you ask for comment about.

It’s all about making you stronger…with a little help from your friends!

The Entrée in Your Very Fine Meal

Now comes the ENTRÉE – whether you go for the steak, a salmon or a filling veggie creation, this is the “meat”.

This is what you really came for and what you plan to enjoy until your plate is cleared – you can expect to be well-nourished!

In Leadership Development, the meat is the APPLICATION of your new skill or strength – trying it out in the workplace, seeing if you can perform the skill effectively or if you can demonstrate the personal strength. Your appetizer, soup and salad courses, your coaching network assistance all prepared you for this ability to perform a skill or demonstrate a personal strength.

As the entrée is the largest course of the meal, this is also the most important part of your development. Why? Because you’re going to influence other people, maybe change the course they’re currently on through your behavior, your skills, your guidance and your ability to lead others.

The Sweet Course at the End of Your Very Fine Meal

And finally - finish it all off with DESSERT – add a cup of coffee or an after-dinner drink, then sit back and savor the delectable flavors.

In our delicious meal this satisfies the sweet tooth - it caps the yummy dishes we’ve just enjoyed.

In Leadership Development, the dessert is the REAPPLIED APPLICATION of the skill or strength you’ve worked on. You discover that now you can do it! You’ve practiced, you can do this repeatedly. Application of the skill or strength has positive outcomes and you’ve seen the effects on others – your ability now works to your benefit AND to the advantage of your employees, co-workers, and your organization.

Now that’s sweet!

So what’s the resource for developing leadership effectiveness and making the process as delicious as dining out and enjoying a very fine meal?

It’s ProStar Coach - this is new, it’s REVOLUTIONARY, it’s customized for YOU,
it’s suited to your learning style and it’s available every day, every hour, anytime you’re in the mood to work on
your own development

Learn more at this link…

ProStar Coach – This is a system designed to strengthen your leadership skills and the personal strengths of effective leaders – an online 24/7 developmental tool for you to use AS YOU NEED IT.

You are the primary chef! Prepare your meal as you prefer and create a very fine outcome! It's the same with Leadership Development - determine the skills and strengths you need to improve, then design your growth inside this amazing system.


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