No Community – No Future

I’ve been pushing myself to learn lately. The new tools that are redefining how executives transform their brands, their teams, and their organizations are exploding all around us. I know that if I do not stay current I will fail. We no longer have the cop-out options of having too many projects, too many meetings, or not enough time to keep up.

When have effective leaders ever had “enough time?” For God’s sake, stop saying that.

Your Community
For most healthcare human resources leaders that I meet their definition of community is the team they work with at their current employer, plus the people they’ve worked with in the past. If you throw in a few people they’ve met at conferences over the years and add that all up you get…their teeny, tiny community.

That approach worked well while Gerald Ford was President, but means absolutely nothing in today’s world.

Let me ask a couple of questions:
– Do you need high quality talent on your team?
– Does your organization need high quality talent?
– Does your employer brand dominate your market both regionally and nationally?
– Are you completely satisfied with the morale in your organization?
– Do you have the ability to reach out to people you’ve never met in person…and get the support you need?

Leaders Take Action
Never before has it been so easy to start connecting. Never before has it been so easy to learn from people far beyond the comfort zone of our “industry.” Are we still so narrowly focused on how “special” our industries are that we are afraid to learn from another sector of the economy?

And God forbid we learn from someone younger than we are! 


How About You
The role your communities play in your professional life have never been more critical to your success. In my next post I’ll focus on how to build, engage, and grow your communities across some of the tools I’m using personally and professionally.

Are you willing to lead differently; or, are you simply too busy preparing your next PowerPoint loaded with excuses as to why the talent shortages are not your fault?

I’d love to hear from you.

No Excuses.