I was going through my old email account one day and happened upon this gem of advice from my late mentor, Dr. Jim Cashman: Date: February 28, 2006 at 6:04:09 PM CST Mary Ila: Remember the last meeting of MGT 300. I went over the test and then played a segment of the Wizard of Oz, stressing the importance of leaving the university with a brain (scarecrow), the courage to present and defend your ideas (lion), and to be loved by getting involved in your community (tin man/it is not how much you love, but how much you are loved by others). Finally, you

Leaders make more leaders. You aren’t a leader if you don’t. But how do you go about making more leaders? By acting as a career agent, you can successfully combat disengagement and serve the role that a leader is meant to serve- growing others. But how do you play the role of career agent? Here are three easy steps:   1. ASK & ASSESS: Asking simply involves deploying the question, “What do you want out of your career?” in individual meetings with your subordinates. You may want to break this down into what they want 1 year, 3 years, 5

Are you currently thriving in a position and considering transitioning into a leadership role? If you’re not sure, consider the following: Are you praised for displaying company values and known for always delivering? Are you a good communicator? Do others come to you with problems or to get your advice? Do you enjoy the role of leading/encouraging your co-workers? If you answered “yes” to the above question, you should definitely consider a role in leadership. So how do you transition from being a “doer” to a “leader”? Tips to Ensure a Smooth Transition into a Leadership Role suggests the following:

Leaders take control of their personal and professional development in order to continuously grow and maximize their contribution. As a leader do you have a professional development game plan? If you do, here are some good ideas to consider, and if not, here are some ideas to get you started:         1. Read- Commit to reading a sampling of the following: A book about leadership a month. For recommendations on books to start with, see our Top 10 Leadership book recommendations. Downloading the app Good Reads and selecting the “Business” category can help you select some good titles. Once you begin rating