Are You Hungry? Creating a Menu for Leadership Success

Starved for attention. Hungry for change. Thirsty for knowledge. We often speak about desire as we talk about dinner. We want something delicious. We want to be fed. And we definitely want second-helpings of all the good stuff. To be successful in leadership, you have to recognize and feed your hunger.

A powerful leader is driven to fulfill the desires they feel to create change, make improvements, and share knowledge for the greater good. But as with anything, a path to success starts with the basics. First, let’s recognize: what is on your menu for leadership success?

To succeed in leadership, follow the Cohen C’s:

connect  •  challenge  •  create

CONNECT with your starters. Where do you begin any meal — or meeting, planning session, strategy summit? A small taste of this or that. A sampling of the things you think interest you. In your organization, take time to brainstorm and connect with the most resonant and important needs of your group. Allow everyone to have a voice in this discussion. Your menu for success begins with many voices — your employees’ tapas.

CHALLENGE yourself to avoid the obvious entrees and use ingredients that are unexpected. Consider the incredible number of choices available to you. Only pick what’s relevant, fresh, delicious, and satisfies you. Combine ingredients and deliver unexpected combinations. In other words, put together those two ingredients (aka team members) who might seem an unlikely combination. Don’t lead with what you think you should do. You need to lead with what’s new and see where it goes. Don’t play it safe.

CREATE a menu that is able to handle change. Sometimes you’ll need to add new ingredients. You don’t want to waste time hanging onto old ideas just because they worked before. To everything there is a season, including items on your menu.