Hear More Podcasts...Click Here!
JLC Services
Latest Podcast
 |
Ray Jorgensen, Ph. D. "Aspiration:A Leadership Capability" 1:28:08 minutes |
 |
Login
Newsletter
| The Unexpected Twist | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Written by Mike Hargis |
|
When first offered the chance to work with JLC in a Conversational Leadership study group of my peers, I have to admit that I was very skeptical. I have been with State Farm 30 years and I felt that it would be very difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. I thought my chance to develop additional leadership skills had passed long ago. I am glad that a long time friend and mentor twisted my arm to give the study group a try. I could not have been more wrong about these assumptions. I now look forward to these leadership development sessions and I learn something at each meeting that helps me be a better leader when I return home. Conversational Leadership led by Ray Jorgensen has really improved my leadership practice as a Vice President with State Farm Insurance Companies in Texas. I have learned a lot of exciting new concepts and meeting design techniques that help me work more effectively with my boss, my peers and my direct reports. As I recently learned in Dee Hock’s book "One From Many", the best leaders manage self first, boss second, peers third and direct reports last. Conversational Leadership helps you trust your team to accomplish great things by listening to their ideas and providing support to their inquiry. The first JLC lesson that resonated with me was that all leadership decisions are based on faulty data. If we suspend the certainty of our current mental models and stay in inquiry mode as a leader, we will learn more about our problems and potential solutions. I had the tendency to move into advocacy of a position very quickly because I am a very passionate person. I may not always be right, but I am seldom in doubt. That approach was choking off the leadership conversations that I needed to hear prior to making a decision. Ray and my peers taught me to slow down the inquiry and respect contributions made all participants. I am more successful today in meetings by asking more questions, listening for understanding and staying in inquiry mode. Respecting all points of view helps any leader make balanced decisions. Our leadership development group has progressed a great deal over the last two years. We started by learning JLC concepts and how they could help us improve meetings and leadership conversations. As Ray often preaches, conversations are the relationship, so allow time for leadership conversations to take place if you want to improve your relationships. Ray teaches meeting design basics to help everyone create an agenda that agenda items constructed using the Context, Purpose and Outcome approach. This CPO approach leads to more focus, better preparation and builds common understanding as each item is discussed. Our study group has moved from basic concepts to application by studying interesting Leadership Books prior to our sessions and using them as a basis for our conversations. We are able to apply lessons learned in each book to our current leadership challenges and we explore different points of view as we talk. This approach exposes each participant to new leadership concepts and allows us to have conversations on how we could apply these lessons back home in our practice. These conversations are scrimmages that help each of us break down old mental models and open our minds to new leadership possibilities. Asking the right questions is very important and listening to others share their insights builds the story that we need to tell when we face similar challenges back home. I have known most of our study group participants for many years. I thought I knew them very well prior to joining the group. I have been surprised by how my respect for them has grown due to the Leadership Conversations we have conducted over the last 24 months. I hope that I have made half as many contributions as the lessons and insights I have gained during our dialogues. I am a better listener thanks to this group. I have suspended my certainty thanks to this group. I have learned to be a better leader thanks to the patience of Ray Jorgensen and the participants in my conversational Leadership group. I hope you can experience the power of JLC Conversational Leadership program. Michael J. Hargis, CLU, ChFC Agency Vice President State Farm Insurance Companies |
What Our Clients are Saying...
(View more)
Connect With Us!
Shopping Cart
Your Cart is currently empty.
Recent Updates
Office Tyrants and the JLC Learning Conversations By Keith Riemer
A recent article I read in the Wall Street Journal about...
Client Comments
What Our Clients are Saying...
| “You go into JLC’s Executive Leadership program on Day One just being downright appreciative for jumping off the treadmill briefly and being in a conducive environment to |
| Read more... |
| “I have the privilege of serving in Florida state government as the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), an agency I’ve been a part of for 17 |
| Read more... |
| “I really enjoyed myself in this seminar, and feel it was the best use of my time to commit to learning more about conversational leadership. Ray Jorgensen's forty years of experience |
| Read more... |
| “This has truly allowed me to be a better person; to become the learner and a better facilitator. I feel that we can help open the human spirit.” Brian, FL |