331 | Developing Leaders with Seth Godin
My guest today needs no introduction. Seth Godin is an 18-best selling author and writes one of the most read blogs in the universe. Seth talks today about developing leaders. We talk about the problem in today’s talent development. We also dive into the revolutionary program he has created with his team called altMBA. It is not an MBA. It also has no teachers, no grades and no lectures — this is no problem for the program to get amazing results in the journey of developing leaders.
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Seth Godin
Target Audience: Seth is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker. He is the author of 18 best-selling books, including The Dip, Linchpin, Purple Cow, Tribes, and What To Do When It’s Your Turn (And It’s Always Your Turn). He is also the founder of Squidoo and Yoyodyne. Through writing and speaking, he motivates and inspires countless people around the world.
The Future of Work
Work is a big question. We are all familiar with physical labor- although most of us don’t do it (anymore) because it has shifted long before we were born. Today, work means the task of being part of an organization of people who coordinate action.
As we become more sophisticated, more of us have jobs where we don’t really see what we are actually producing. Instead, we go to a lot of meetings. Technology is upending all of that and with the evolution of AI, many roles are being replaced or becoming obsolete.
“Ultimately, it’s about going beyond responsibility and taking full ownership” ~Seth Godin”
Seth says, people who have jobs where they wait for instructions are stressed out of their minds- because they fear they will be out of a job.
The future of work is: solve interesting problems and learning how to leave. Seth says, if you do those 2 things, there isn’t going to be a computer to replace you. And you will like your job even better.
Why the Struggle?
Why are companies struggling so much to develop the employees into the leaders that they need them to be? This requires trust: trusting them to see opportunities within your organization- trusting them to make better decisions- trusting them to care. A lot of organizations are not built around that.
“Teaching leadership involves helping people seek out responsibility” ~Seth Godin
The MBA Workshop
The MBA Workshop intensive that Seth gives is centered around emotion. It involves 12-15 projects and peer support. People say they can’t remember the last time they worked so hard. Yet they had enough time to get it done because they made it a priority. They teach themselves that they have been making a lot of excuses about what they are capable of.
The experience helps people see ALL they can be. It blows the lid off of the level you thought you were and helps you see you can do more than you ever thought possible. It is a permanent transformation. Something inside of you switches and that’s where real change happens.
Coaches Instead of Teachers
If you think about the places where your life changed, – you’ll notice that real change happens when you are the coach- the leader. The attitude that you bring to it is what matters. There are no grades in this program.
“All of us are smarter than any of us” ~Seth Godin
Seth’s Mission
Seth believes lectures should be free. What is difficult is the engagement piece. If I set up a question and an environment for them to find that answer- change will happen. What we do is create a setting, a place, a foundation. A cohort of people – a group of people who trust each other. All of us are smarter than any of us!
Ultimately, this is about going beyond responsibility and taking full ownership. Seth wants to help individuals LOVE Monday through this mental shift.
Taking Responsibility
There’s an unlimited amount of responsibility up for grabs. Leadership is voluntary. Teaching leadership involves helping people seek out responsibility. If you are eager to make changes, you’ll love Mondays. But if you’re hiding away from leaders who have authority over you, you won’t.
In this episode we’ll cover:
- What the future of the workplace looks like
- Why companies struggle
- Teaching people to be eager ownership
- How to LOVE Mondays
- Seth’s MBA Workshop
“The future of work is to solve interesting problems” ~Seth Godin
Resources
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