View publication - Chartered Institute of Housing

LEARNING…SO WHAT’S CHANGING?
that effective leaders are important at all levels in the business and that we also expect
Board Chairs and members to be leaders, we begin to appreciate there can be a
‘leadership deficit’ in many housing organisations.
Some housing organisations have addressed the ‘leadership deficit’ by articulating what
they expect from their leaders. They have captured their thoughts in leadership models
and leadership strategies to address this issue. By focusing on leadership in terms of
values, motivation, relationship style and problem solving capabilities, these
organisations have created the systems they need to identify leader talent, recruit and
select leaders, appraise and develop leaders and to remunerate leaders.
INSIGHT number five – Know who you are at source…and build your
future accordingly
‘Learning to change’ always sounds like a daunting proposition but it is one which has
driven thinking about learning and development in a range of different organisations for
some time. On the basis of my own professional experience there is another perspective
to consider: sometimes it is not worthwhile to force people to fulfil roles which, quite
frankly, are just not for them! Learning to know oneself, value oneself and be oneself
provides a more accessible platform for directing oneself and one’s career.
The author believes that individuals have within themselves vast resources for selfunderstanding
and for challenging self-limiting views. One of the keys to unlocking this
process of self-understanding is an acceptance and a recognition that we are all
individually different (and importantly) each one of us have unique gifts and talents.
People who direct their lives in alignment with their gifts and talents lead fulfilled lives
and are able to work productively and help others enthusiatically.
However, career journeys can sometimes drag people away from their unique gifts and
talents. Veering off course has to be the responsibility of the individual; but addressing
the reality of being on the ‘wrong course’ is addressed more effectively when employers
recognise their contribution to events and support actions to enable the person to get
on the ‘right course’. The costs of someone being on the ‘wrong course’ can be huge
and the opportunity costs also very significant.
Actualisation for all of us is directed by our gifts and talents and 21st Century learning
practices are better served by people and processes which enable people to articulate
who they are and take responsibility for using their unique gifts and talents to direct
themselves.
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