Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont — three of the most famous horse races in the world constitute theTtriple Crown of horse racing. Over the last 150 years, only 13 horses have taken the crown. These thoroughbreds represent the outstanding performers in horse racing. They are meticulously bred, trained, and conditioned to race under variable conditions.
We can think of grooming business leaders in a similar way.
What Makes a Thoroughbred Leader?
Here’s what we know about thoroughbred leaders:
They possess a unique combination of intellectual horsepower (no pun intended), emotional intelligence, and the agility to switch between the two in response to changing circumstances. Part of their capability is innate; part learned. Like thoroughbred horses, they need to be carefully selected and intentionally developed.
Thoroughbred leaders have their own triple crown:
- Critical thinking — the aptitude to quickly grasp an issue, test its logic, assess the inferences, and engage in complex thought.
- Agility — the awareness of own beliefs and blind spots and the ability to consciously shift styles to obtain new perspective.
- Relatability — Retaining emotional objectivity and holding others accountable to do the same; being willing to be exposed and vulnerable, without appearing weak; redirecting conversations from subjective feelings to outcomes and responsibilities; coaching others to become emotionally differentiated.
Grooming Your Thoroughbred Leaders
The Psynet Group can help your organization assess and groom your potential leaders by:
- Selecting those with the required level of critical thinking and agility (thinking style);
- Mapping a development plan for building resilience and relatability; and
- Accelerating their development through our leadership and coaching programs.
We have worked with thousands of leaders worldwide, turning high potentials into high actuals. Our programs build intellectual and emotional agility, resilience, and relationship management competencies on top of the foundation of critical thinking.
And finally, back to horse racing. The best known Triple Crown winner was Secretariat who both won the Belmont Stakes by a record 31 lengths in 1973 and remains the fastest horse in recorded history. The secret of his success? Genetics and training. Upon his death in 1989 at age 19, a necropsy revealed his heart was 2.5 times larger than a normal horse. It provided him with the endurance to maintain and even increase speed over distance. And his training only enhanced it.
The Point
Curious as to how your leaders can achieve the leadership triple crown? We’ve helped a wide range of clients. I suspect we can help you. Reach out and we can schedule a 15 minute conversation. You have everything to win.