Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader

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He's never led people before, but at 35 years of age, he's ready to tackle hearts and minds, in addition to cells and spreadsheets.

In defining the role of general counsel as leader, there is a clear issue at play in being able to engage with all the stakeholders both within and without of the company.You really have to understand not just the legal implications, but whether it’s a strategic play, a defensive play; all those things are really important and have a huge impact on the bottom line of the corporation.

I really enjoyed the practical take Ibarra took when discussing leadership and developing into a leadership role. You know you have to carve out time from your day job to build your leadership skills, but it’s easy to let immediate problems and old mind-sets get in the way. She chaired the Harvard Business School Visiting Committee, which reports to the university’s board of overseers, from 2012 to 2016, having been a member since 2009, and served on the INSEAD board of directors. To illustrate this, he told a story about his recently deceased father and his love of Stetson cowboy hats, despite not coming from Texas. Herminia Ibarra—an expert on professional leadership and development and a renowned professor at INSEAD, a leading international business school—shows how managers and executives at all levels can step up to leadership by making small but crucial changes in their jobs, their networks, and themselves.The move from individual contributor to first-time 'leader of people' is one of the most daunting career moves for many employees. She reframes the leader’s quest as a process of looking outward, rather than inward, for direction, development, and opportunity.