Horizon Point Consulting

Category: Leadership Development

Beyond Leadership is Horizon Point’s line of resources for managers of people. Managing ourselves is a distinct set of behaviors from managers the work of others, and we are here to help. Read stories in this category if you are ready to take the next step in your own leadership development (or if you’re looking for resources for someone else).

  • What Kind of Intelligent Are You?

    What Kind of Intelligent Are You?

    Did you like school growing up? Were you one of the “smart” kids or did you just get by? Were you bored in the classroom or excited to be there?

    How about at work? Are you one of the “smart” ones? 

    When you are training or in a learning setting on the job, do you pick up on concepts quickly or do you find yourself being one of the “slow” ones?  Does the learning engage your attention or leave you questioning why you are doing what you are doing? 

    Whatever category you fall into, I’d challenge you-and maybe more importantly, those teaching and leading- to think about the source of the ease or difficulty.  This may have more to do with how things are being taught and whether they cater to specific types of intelligences rather than whether or not people are “smart”. 

    And in most formal learning environments, we tend to only cater to two of the nine intelligences postulated by Harvard Professor Howard Gardner- linguistic intelligence and logical-mathematical intelligence.  Gardner says of these intelligences, they are “particularly important for learning in the kinds of schools that we have today- ones that feature listening to lectures, reading, writing, and calculating- and they are crucial on those tests that purport to assess human intellect and cognitive potential.” 

    But Gardner says we get it all wrong if we stop here.  Other intelligences that Gardner suggests from his research are: 

    “Noncanonical” Intelligences: 

    • Musical Intelligence: “Facility in the perception and production of music.” 
    • Spatial Intelligence: “The capacity to form spatial representations or images in one’s mind, and to operate upon them variously.”
    • Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence: “The capacity to solve problems or create products using your whole body, or parts of your body like your hand or your mouth.” 
    • Naturalist Intelligence: “Entails the capacities to make consequential discriminations in the natural world.” 

    Personal Intelligences: “Knowing Human Beings”

    • Knowing Oneself: Self-Awareness
    • Knowing Others

    Existential Intelligence: “Religious” or “Spiritual” intelligence

    I’d venture to guess that as you read this list, there are one or more where you feel like you excel.  Is it recognized in your workplace?  Does learning content cater to your style? 

    If you are a leader or trainer/facilitator, I’d encourage you to examine your learning opportunities at work to see if you are reaching everyone in your audience with their particular intelligence so you can capitalize on all people’s “smarts”. 

    Some ideas for doing so: 

    • Incorporate games and puzzles 
    • Incorporate music 
    • Incorporate outdoor activity and/or break up content where breaks in learning require participants to move around and go outside if possible
    • Provide things to “fidget” with
    • Get people to draw in order to convey thoughts and learning- to visualize concepts
    • Have people interact with others regularly- through questions, role play, case studies, etc.
    • Provide questions for self-reflection and thought and the time to do this
    • Get people to teach what they have learned to others- creating and incorporating their own ideas for conveying concepts
    • Give tools for people to practice and apply learning on the job and record and report their findings in the format or mode they prefer

    When we begin to realize that all people are “smart”, we can then use that information to make sure we are incorporating a variety of ways to make sure our workplaces allow for the expression of each individual’s unique talents and contributions. 

    What kind of intelligent are you? 

  • FACD

    FACD

    Last week, HPC met with our contacts with the state department of education. The meeting centered around current training, plans for a focus group and specific grades that could potentially be our next area of focus. In reflection, we have worked in partnership with them for more than 10 years. What began as a grant funded training project grew into a wonderful partnership that has allowed us to provide professional development with educators across our state year after year. Currently, we are training 100+ educators on career development and providing state and program specific resources. 

    Here are the benefits I’ve seen from this partnership that continues to develop professionals who are literally preparing our future workforce.

    1. Teachers, counselors, administrators, and career coaches learn from one another, sharing resources that are most helpful in their area(s).
    2. Training content is being soaked up and is finding its way into lesson plans, field trips, and career days.
    3. Collaboration flourishes as participants have the opportunity to create a group within their cohort to work on an assignment about an in-demand career. The assignment ultimately becomes a resource library of presentations that anyone in the training can access.
    4. Completers of the course seek credentials and have the opportunity to receive continued education on topics most relevant for them and the students they serve.

    Do you have a need for training or professional development in your school or organization? If so, let us know and I’m sure we can help or point you in the right direction!

  • 3 Steps for Leading through Pressure & Change

    3 Steps for Leading through Pressure & Change

    Coal can’t be transformed into a diamond and a pearl can’t become a pearl without pressure and change.  We know that beauty is created through times of pressure and change. For leaders, it is often where the most growth and learning takes place. However, more often than not, it is less than enjoyable.  It is stressful. It is hard.  And this can keep us from learning and growing amidst the difficulty if we don’t know how to effectively handle it. 

    And if we are honest, in the world of leading and living today, when is there ever time that is not seeped with some level of pressure and change? So how do we navigate it?  How do we see beauty in both the process and the outcomes and navigate the stress and difficulty with a sense of purpose and energy? 

    A book and a podcast I’ve engaged with recently, have helped provide some key insights into this: 

    1. Know your default.  If you’ve heard us say at once at Horizon Point, you’ve heard it a million times: strong leadership is always built with a strong foundation of self-awareness.  When it comes to pressure and changing situations, is it your default to turn inward or outward? Do you tend to focus on what you need and keep it in, or do you focus on whatever everyone else needs trying to please people to respond? Knowing your natural inclination will be the first step in helping you better navigate the pressure and change. 

    2. Question yourself and the situation. In the Making It Work Podcast Episode 59- Staying Composed Under Pressure, Dr. Rob McKenna encourages asking these (among other) questions of yourself:  

    • Why are you leading this situation? Another way to ask this is, “Why are you here for these people?” According to the research by Dr. McKenna, a sense of purpose was the number one indicator of ability to successfully lead under pressure.  If you know your purpose, you are able to appreciate the stakes that make a difference.  
    • If this goes well, what is the positive potential that will open up? The second best indicator of leading well under pressure was the leader’s ability to focus on the potential.  It’s not optimism or pessimism, it’s “I have a half full glass full of water, what could I do with that?” It causes centering for the leader. The research showed that it helped moderate success especially in leaders who tend to take things personally. And their research showed that most leaders do take things personally. 

    What is your PURPOSE and what is the POTENTIAL? You will most likely have to return to these questions and the answers to them often, especially in extreme times of pressure and change. 

    3. Share the story.  In Changing Minds by Howard Gardner, a theme around changing minds- especially in what the author defines as a heterogeneous group- is the leader’s ability to 1) be who they say they are or “practice what they preach” and 2) narrate, or put into story form, purpose and potential. This then translates to purpose and potential for others.  And purpose and potential combined lead to action.  

    When we know ourselves, ground ourselves in purpose and potential and then share this through authentic stories, we are better able to lead ourselves and others through challenging times of pressure and change. 

    What helps you to lead well in pressure and change? 

  • Top 10 List on Space & Abundance

    Top 10 List on Space & Abundance

    My first thought of space and I think of stars and galaxies, but what does it mean as it relates to Leadership, Career, Productivity and Purpose? Space is defined as a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied. It is also defined as the distance from other people or things that a person needs to remain comfortable. Some words used to describe space are boundless, vast and infinite. What does it mean to take up space or to hold space for others? Our 2023 theme is an abundance of space. Here are our top 10 quotes related to the two.

    10. “We can’t be creative if we refuse to be confused. Change always starts with confusion; cherished interpretations must dissolve to make way for what’s new. Great ideas and inventions miraculously appear in the space of not knowing.”-Margaret J Wheatley

    9. “When we are at ease, our bodies work efficiently, our minds settle, and space opens up for us to connect to our intuition, creativity, and sense of connectedness.”-Tara Stiles

    8. “Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘you’re not alone.’”-Brene Brown

    7.  “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”-Viktor Frankl

    6. “Hobbies make space. They remind us of something beautiful and that good can come from nothing.”-Annie Downs

    5. “Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” -Lao Tzu

    4. “Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.” -Wayne Dyer

    3. “There is no passion to be found in playing small — in settling for a life that is less than you are capable of living.”-Nelson Mandela

    2. “An abundance mentality springs from internal security, not from external rankings, comparisons, opinion, possessions, or associations.”-Stephen Covey

    1. “When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” -Tony Robbins

    To read more about our theme for 2023, read here. 

     

  • 4 Lessons in Personality from Hamilton

    4 Lessons in Personality from Hamilton

    Because we like to give experiences instead of stuff at our house, our daughter’s Christmas present was a trip to see Hamilton.  She loves the music and was so excited about her first big girl trip to the theater. 

    The first time I saw Hamilton was on Broadway, a week before the whole world shut down because of the pandemic.  I was not familiar with the storyline or the music then, so I was in overdrive trying to process all that I saw and heard.  I’m still in overdrive trying to process all I’ve seen and heard since then and learn from it. 

    Three years and a pandemic later, my second experience was seeped with thoughts and learning I, personally, gained throughout the pandemic as well as what the first show had taught me to be prepared to take away. 

    What I found most striking this time around was the contrast between Hamilton and Burr and the build up to the ultimate duel and death of Hamilton. It is a classic study in personality science. 

    Here’s what I took away: 

    1. “He has nothing to prove, he has nothing to lose.” vs “a legacy to protect”.  These lyrics help us understand that when it comes to personality, our forefathers and their situations actually shape how we behave.  In fact, the situations may actually affect the genes that are passed down as seen in some new genomic science you can read about in Super Genes.  Hamilton and Burr were both orphans, but in very different contexts.  Burr came from a good family, Hamilton came from nothing.  This impacted how they saw the world and what behaviors they exhibited.

    How has your background, in which you had no choice in the matter about, shaped your personality?

    2. “You never back down, you never learn to take your time” vs “wait for it”.  The main way you see the contrast between Hamilton and Burr- that is at least in part due to the situations they were born into- is in the contrast between two personality poles- fast paced and outspoken versus cautious and reflective. 

    The DiSC Model illustrates these poles.  The model emphasizes how our natural inclinations towards one of the extremes can create a variety of conflict between individuals if they are seen as opposing approaches that become right or wrong.  This view can lead to villainization as opposed to the view that opposites attract and complement one another.  When people also retreat to the extremes, instead of being able to self-monitor on what behaviors are best served given the situation and the people, major conflict erupts. In Hamilton and Burr’s case, it festered for years, and then it led to death.   

    Do you allow people’s differences to polarize or complement? 

    3. “It’s Quiet Uptown.” The common consensus in personality science is that personality is usually solidified around the age of 25.  Your nature and your nurture pretty much combine and by 25 and your personality becomes more of a set rather than fluid state.  

    However, key life events, usually in the form of major changes and tragedy, can shift our personality.  This is no better seen in the song “It’s Quiet Uptown”. This song illustrates how, following Hamilton’s infidelity and the death of his son, he moved his family uptown and found solitude in what was quite contrary to his “you never back down, you never learn to take your time” personality into a slower paced, quiet life.  The key events altered his personality, or at least for a time, the way his personality manifested itself in the form of his behaviors. 

    Have you experienced life altering events that have altered your personality and behavior? 

    4. “The world is wide enough.”  After Burr shoots Hamilton,  his monologue makes such a climactic point.  He realizes the world was wide enough for both he and Hamilton to exist, thrive in fact, but it’s too late.  What would the world have been if Burr and Hamilton had worked together, seeing their opposing personalities and  perspectives as an asset instead of a liability? 

    What would the world look like if you joined forces with your “foe” and used his or her differences to help shape a partnership of impact? 

    What would things look like if we could see the future instead of reflect on it?  No one knows “who lives, who dies, who tells your story,” but if we can learn about how our situations, experiences, and personalities shape us and those around us, maybe we can at least “stay alive” to write a better history where people work together instead of tearing each other apart.