Close the Leadership Gap with this Odd, Simple Framework – Behind the Scenes
Each of us has two versions that we have to get to known. The easy one is how you see yourself. The hard one is how everyone else sees you. The difference between the two is a gap. You have to close the leadership gap if you want to be a great leader. This is not an easy task. When you close the leadership gap, you increase your self-awareness and improve how others relate to you. Go behind the scenes with me to close the leadership gap that gets in the way you are the leader your team deserves.
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Behind the Scenes: The Transcript
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Disclaimer: This transcript was created using YouTube’s translator tool and that may mean that some of the words, grammar, and typos come from a misinterpretation of the video.
I’m always looking for ways to explain different things that will help you be the best leader you can be. And I just got off an interview with Mike Zani and he wrote the book, “The Science of Dream Teams” and he was talking about inside the book. One of his friends, James Allen, is a strategic and prestigious consulting company from Bain and Company. Had this concept that I want to share with you.
[00:00:22] It’s called the “Front of the Shirt, Back of the Shirt”. It goes like this. We all wear a t-shirt and on the front of the shirt, it has everything that we’ve done. That we’re proud of. All of our past accomplishments, all of the things you recognize of yourself, maybe it’s that you’re smart or courageous, or the fact that you have 20 years experience in a certain business or industry, or you’ve innovated in certain ways. The front of the shirt is very clear to you because you can look down and you can see what’s on the front of your shirt and you can wear it proudly with your shoulders back.
[00:00:59] And that is who you are. But there’s more. On the back of the shirt. It’s actually how others perceive you. Now, some of this may be good, but some of it is, could be bad. They could say, not the best listener or they could say, in love with his ideas, or doesn’t trust us enough. Doesn’t empower us. Micromanages doesn’t really communicate as effectively as he could.
[00:01:27] Now, what’s on the front of your shorts, you’re really clear about. And what’s on the back of your shirt and what’s written there. Others are clear about it. And there’s usually a gap, a chasm, and Mike shared some of the stories behind this, in his own world. But I want you to think about your journey as a leader.
[00:01:47] You know what’s on the front of your shirt. You know how you’re perceived through you with maybe what’s written on your LinkedIn account and maybe how you put yourself out there with a bio, you know, what you’ve accomplished, but are you really aware of what’s on the back of your shirt? Do you have a complete understanding of what other people see you as? And how do they really relate to you?
[00:02:13] Because the story goes on that Jim said, You know, five years into being a bank consultant, you have the front of the shirt taken care of. You have experience, you have a tremendous amount, but the only way you make a partner is by having a solid understanding of what’s on the back of the shirt. And that back of the shirt stuff, can’t be so big that it holds you back. Because those are the things that people really engage you with.
[00:02:40] When you think about your journey as a leader, you want to know what’s on the front of their shirt for sure. But you also want to know what’s on the back of your shirt. You want to have a leadership 360. You want to have, this is something I’ve offered for others, and I can do it for you if you’re interested, but you don’t have to go through me.
[00:02:56] You can do this yourself. You can hire another company. It doesn’t matter, but who does it? But what matters is that you have enough courage to go and look at what’s really on the back of your shirt. What are you carrying around with you? What’s the gap? What’s the chasm? And you get to understand those things so that you can be aware of them and close them.
[00:03:17] A lot of these are blind spots. Many leaders I talked to struggle with listening. And so they think that they’re a pretty good listener, but when it comes down to it and the way others perceive them, they’re not. And there’s some connection loss, there’s trust lost, and people don’t share their best ideas when they don’t really listen.
[00:03:38] I share the “Front of the Shirt, Back of the Shirt” with you. I didn’t create it. James Allen at Bain and Company shared this with Mike Zani in his book, but I wanted to share it with you because I thought it was an easy way to understand how to close the gap between the way the world perceives you the way you perceive yourself.
[00:03:58] It really is important. When you think of leadership and you think of growth. Think of Growth Think Tank. As always, lead with courage. We’ll see you next time.
Disclaimer: This transcript was created using YouTube’s translator tool and that may mean that some of the words, grammar, and typos come from a misinterpretation of the video.
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