Leadership Intimacy: Give the Man a Fish Already!

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Leadership Intimacy: Give the Man a Fish Already!

Rather than apply one kind of solution to all employees in need of help, Leadership Intimacy requires you to address the individual needs of each. To use an old proverb, rather than deliver leadership training that treats all executives as if they were all expert anglers or clumsy line-tanglers, Leadership Intimacy requires you to offer them solutions such as our CoachQuest or Team Alignement programs that work on exactly what each leader needs.

fishing man and boyI was reminded of this when recently I read a post titled “Do NOT Teach a Starving Man to Fish.” In it, a fellow named Bruce Kasanoff makes a bold statement.

When a person is starving, that’s not the time to fill their head with knowledge. The right thing to do is to first give the person a fish — banishing their hunger — and only then teach them to fish.

When applied to leadership, the operating principle here applies perfectly to Leadership Intimacy, which requires you as a leader to understand just what each of your employees needs — fish or fishing lessons.

Who Needs a Fish?

Do they know what a fish is?
Assess the level of leadership education each of your leaders has attained, the training they’ve already received, and the leadership books they’ve already read.

Have they ever fished before?
Consider the leadership experience each of your leaders has behind them and how well it aligns with the goals of your organization.

Do they know how to cut bait?
Evaluate each of your leaders to determine which leadership skills they have learned, mastered, and need to develop.

Who Needs Fishing Lessons?

Do they know where the fish are feeding?
Determine the degree to which your leadership teams are delivering organizationally aligned performance.

Are they pulling in the right kind of fish?
Examine performance results with objective and accurate assessments.

Are they using the proper bait?
Great leaders need great tools. Supply your leaders with the tools they need to improve in sustainable ways.


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Helanie Scott
Helanie Scott
Helanie (pronounced yeh-LAH-nee) Scott, CEO and founder of Align4Profit in Dallas, Texas, has driven stunning leadership and cultural transformations for an impressive list of organizations. She has mastered the ability to connect with her audiences in the boardroom, classroom, on stage, or in one-on-one coaching sessions. Helanie’s Align4Profit clients rave at the way her engaging programs freshen outdated mindsets and deliver results-oriented, aligned action.