Personal & Professional Development in a Leadership Context

 

 

The Leadership Series

 

 

NOTE: This article is part 3 of a series on Leadership here at The Wealthy Ironworker

1. Foundational Leadership Truths
2. Leadership and The Three Areas of Your Life
3. Personal & Professional Development in a Leadership Context
4. Leadership, Management, and The Skilled Trades
5. The 4 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader
6. Leadership and The Task-Oriented Trades
7. Situational Leadership and the Skilled Trades
8. Leadership and The Art of Intentionality
   1. Skills Developed From The Art of Intentionality
9. Leadership and Emotional Intelligence
   1. Skills Developed From Emotional Intelligence
10. Leadership and Humility
    1. Skills Developed From Humility
11. Leadership and Listening to Understand and Not to Respond
    1. Skills Developed From Listening to Understand and Not to Respond
12. Skills Developed Overall in the Leadership Process
13. Mentored & Mentoring in Leadership
14. Influence Vs. Inspiration
15. Inspiration – Going Beyond Influence

 

***The above is subject to change as this series expands***

 

 

Introduction

 

If you are on LinkedIn, paying attention to current trends, or even remotely aware in the workplace, you will notice the emphasis on professional development. The white-collar space is full of seminars, trainings, books, and classes you can take. Furthermore, many professionals are required to accumulate CEUs (Continuing Education Units) annually, depending on their profession and credentials.

The landscape looks a lot different for those in the trades: A barren one.

I’m not the only one to point this out, either. Mark Breslin, in his stellar book The Five Minute Foreman, notes,

 

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“More than 95% of foremen report that they received ZERO professional leadership or management training.

So let me see if I understand this: As a contractor, first I’m going to take a great guy out of the field and off his tools. Then I’m going to give him zero leadership and management training. Then I’m going to turn over anywhere from $20 Million to $200 million worth of work to him and make him figure it all out for himself. Is this correct? Is this your story?

WHO WOULD BE CRAZY ENOUGH TO RUN A BUSINESS LIKE THAT?

Only the entire construction industry.”

 

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Mark Breslin hits the nail on the head, here. After 24 years, I can say anecdotally that this is true. For most of the industry, leadership and management training (two very different things, by the way) are unheard of. What’s more, for those who entertain it, the focus is on those in the construction office – the salesmen, project managers, and so on. What about those in the field?

 

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Related: Read The Five Minute Foreman – Book Review

 

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Unless you are a self-starter, willing to take matters into your own hands and develop yourself, you’re simply out of luck.

You might be tempted to ask how I know this. I understand; people are often skeptical of those on the fringe who challenge the status quo. But it needs to be challenged; in fact, it needs a complete overhaul.

I KNOW the above is true because I have seen it with my own eyes. I’ve witnessed how those in the office receive training, and it’s marketed as if it’s for “the construction industry” when it’s really packaged for a white-collar environment, completely ignoring who REALLY gets the physical work done: The journeymen on the job, the foremen, general foremen, the superintendents, etc. – the boots on the ground every day.

 

For a long time now, I’ve had the idea that leadership models primarily used in the white-collar environment do not and will not work for those in the trades. What’s more, the lack of professional training for those in the field is proof that it doesn’t work; if it did, I suspect we’d see a lot more of it. There are several reasons for this, but it’s being discussed here merely to highlight the deficiency and point out what this leadership model aims to do: work with blue-collar people.

 

Leadership & Professional Development

 

We start with leadership and professional development, not because it is the most important, but because most people believe it is – and that simply isn’t true. Let me explain what I mean.

LinkedIn is rife with rhetoric that emphasizes the importance of professional development, which is often considered essential for building and advancing your career. At first glance, this appears to be a logical conclusion.

Dig deeper, though. Do some research.

You know what you’ll find?

Dissenters. People who disagree with this.

People like John C. Maxwell.

In his book The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, the first quality listed is character – and for good reason. He writes:

 

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“Your character determines who you are. Who you are determines what you see. What you see determines what you do. That’s why you can never separate a leader’s character from his actions.”

 

Related: Read The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader – Book Review

 

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In a 1991 Time Magazine interview, Steven Berglas, talking about successful people, writes:

 

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“Individuals who suffer from success have what I call the four A’s — arrogance, a sense of aloneness, the need to seek adventure and adultery. These are the core attributes of people who achieve stellar successes without the psychological bedrock to prevent disorder.”

 

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It seems bizarre to talk about suffering from success – and this was back in 1991! There have been so many additional examples since, firmly cementing John C. Maxwell’s point: “Leaders Cannot Rise Above the Limitations of Their Character.”

I agree. Moreover, what this ultimately means is that while professional development has a place, it is not at the top – that spot is reserved for personal development.

 

Leadership & Personal Development

It’s a monumental task – like sliding these 1400-ton cranes – but leadership and personal development are worth it

 

The moral failings of so many since Berglas’s interview and his book, The Success Syndrome, indicate a decline in traits like character and integrity, coupled with increased opportunity to succeed, all while suffering from it. It’s a strange phenomenon, to be sure.

What it also indicates, though, is a need to prioritize personal development. If I could distill this article down to a snippet, it would be this:

 

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Just because you become a better ironworker, pipefitter, electrician, (fill in your chosen occupation here), does NOT mean you will be a better man. However, IF you become a better man, you WILL be a better ironworker, pipefitter, electrician, (fill in your chosen occupation here).

 

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And just like that, we see personal development elevated above professional development – as it should be.

You may be tempted to ask, “If this is true, why do LinkedIn and/or companies spend so much time talking about professional development?”

 

Now you’re starting to ask the right questions.

 

You see, LinkedIn and companies operate in the business realm, and as such, they often fall prey to the notion that business is their sole focus and that professional development matters most. Moreover, professional development falls within their direct influence, whereas personal development does not. While the first is (believed to be) easily achieved through various management processes, the latter sees success through leadership. Since HR departments are little more than company preservation mechanisms that seek to reduce risk by managing everything through dehumanization, leadership focus has dwindled. And when leadership focus dwindles, personal development dwindles right along with it – at the workplace, that is.

Of course, what this ultimately means is that personal development is up to the individual, hence the personal. Nevertheless, there is still a role for personal development in the professional realm. What does that look like? For our purposes, we will stay within the framework this model deals with; namely, that any approach to reach those in the trades is not merely a repackaged white-collar methodology.

 

***NOTE: I feel a clarification is warranted. When white-collar leadership models and methodologies are brought up, it is not to denigrate them or their “success;” they are mentioned because they are incompatible with a blue-collar setting. Far too often, we look for the easy way out, the shortcuts, or the instant gratification complex, when we need to acknowledge the significant differences between the two work environments – and those individuals who work in each.

Far too often, this acknowledgment is perceived as an attack – but nothing could be further from the truth. I merely wish to cut to the chase and focus on what works, which means highlighting what doesn’t. For my part, if we want to move the needle on leadership in a blue-collar environment, we must start by understanding problems, and attempting to apply what works in the white-collar world is, in my estimation, a serious mistake.***

 

Increasing Your Leadership Capacity

The sky is bright – and also the limit

 

If you’ve made it this far, you are ahead of many peers in the trades. There are numerous people who simply want to go to work, do their job, and go home. They aren’t interested in growing their leadership capabilities, their personal development, or taking the personal into the professional.

But you are, which is why you’re here. To that end, here are some of the things I’d personally recommend you do (in no particular order):

• Read good books in a wide variety of topics (autobiographies, leadership, personal development, etc.)
• Listen to quality podcasts (Ones that stretch your thinking and challenge you)
• Take time to think and reflect
• Self-evaluate your development
• Ask others to evaluate you – and welcome their feedback especially when it’s critical
• Keep a log of your personal growth
• Set goals to continue moving forward
• Seek out a mentor
• Mentor someone else

 

If something is not included you believe should be, please let me know – I’m all about growth, after all 😏

 

Taking Personal Development to the Professional

This is where you can achieve real success

 

Having come full circle, companies should now target harnessing the personal development of their greatest asset: human beings – in the professional realm.

But they don’t. And we know they don’t.

Peter Drucker, “the father of modern management,” wrote in Managing In The Next Society:

 

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They [employers] no longer chant the old mantra, ‘People are our greatest asset.’ They now say instead, ‘People are our greatest liability.'”

 

Related: Read Managing In The Next Society – Book Review

 

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Moreover, this was back in 2002.

However, your leadership journey has enlightened you. You’ve navigated through this strange dynamic and hopefully understand the value of personal development, bringing that growth into the professional realm.

Make no mistake, you who are the ironworker, pipefitter, electrician, etc. ARE a professional. Just because the term “professional” was co-opted by the white-collar space doesn’t mean they own it.

What’s more, the trades are one of the few places I know where someone can go from being the low man just getting in (apprentice) to the business owner and hold every single position in between.

Lastly, I’d like to lay the foundation for this by correcting some assumptions people make, assumptions that, when challenged, often make them upset.

 

ASSUMPTION NUMBER ONE IS THIS: The skills a tradesman builds are the most important. Not true: the physical skills you’ve increased through the years on the job are only the beginning, not the end. This point cannot be emphasized enough. Too often, tradesmen think their skill set is the end goal when it’s really the foundation.

ASSUMPTION NUMBER TWO IS SIMILAR: Hard skills (like the physical skills you’ve learned throughout the years) matter the most. The reality, however, is that your soft skills (how you communicate, deal with other people, etc.) are far more important. If all you want to do is your job and go home every night, you still cannot ignore soft skills, because they help you be even more productive on the job. If you want to take your personal development to the next level and be the most effective leader you can be, though, then recognize the value of soft skills.

ASSUMPTION NUMBER THREE: The company, industry, or someone else will take the lead on this. Nope, not going to happen. Even if the industry could be convinced of the superiority of personal development, it still wouldn’t for several reasons. Moreover, the industry hasn’t done so in the past, and I see even less reason for it to do so now. If you want to be a leader (a good leader, not just a positional one), it’s up to you to take the initiative.

ASSUMPTION NUMBER FOUR: The same process of developing my skill set will be the same way I personally develop. Not even close. It will be different, if for no other reason than that you are now dealing with people more, and people are messy. People are difficult, which is a good segue into the next assumption…

ASSUMPTION NUMBER FIVE: It will be easy. Doubtful, for reasons already outlined. The people side of this industry is, by far, the most challenging aspect you’ll ever face.

 

In the end, recognize the value in personal development, why it is superior to professional development, understand that the industry is tunnel-focused on the latter, and that in this leadership journey you’ve started, it will be up to you to prioritize what matters most.

Personal and Professional Development in a Leadership Context is worth every ounce of energy you can give it – provided you have your priorities in order. The industry needs you. Others depend on your mentoring. And culturally, the blue-collar space desperately requires new thought leaders. Strive to be one.

And allow me to be the first to welcome you. You’re needed more than you know.

 

NOTE: This article is part 3 of a series on Leadership here at The Wealthy Ironworker

1. Foundational Leadership Truths
2. Leadership and The Three Areas of Your Life
3. Personal & Professional Development in a Leadership Context
4. Leadership, Management, and The Skilled Trades
5. The 4 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader
6. Leadership and The Task-Oriented Trades
7. Situational Leadership and the Skilled Trades
8. Leadership and The Art of Intentionality
   1. Skills Developed From The Art of Intentionality
9. Leadership and Emotional Intelligence
   1. Skills Developed From Emotional Intelligence
10. Leadership and Humility
    1. Skills Developed From Humility
11. Leadership and Listening to Understand and Not to Respond
    1. Skills Developed From Listening to Understand and Not to Respond
12. Skills Developed Overall in the Leadership Process
13. Mentored & Mentoring in Leadership
14. Influence Vs. Inspiration
15. Inspiration – Going Beyond Influence

 

***The above is subject to change as this series expands***