#659 champion

I was in a meeting this week where we were talking about a project that needs a champion, and it soon became clear that taking an idea from concept to implementation requires a special skill set that not everyone has.

We identified several people who would be great behind the scenes, but did not possess the vision to develop something different and noteworthy.  Several others were mentioned who had potential, but not the stature or credibility to make change happen.  Others were seen as too confrontational or too meek to pull off the task.  

When we got to the short list of potential leaders, we realized that they were already busy with several other new projects that they had either initiated or they had been given.  We were preparing to ask them again, just as they had been asked several times before.

As we think of professional development programs for people or individual skill building for ourselves, we should add "how to champion a project" to the list.  It requires the ability to straddle vision with pragmatism so that the idea actually materializes.  It necessitates excellent human relation skills -- both to empower those who are open to the idea and to manage those who oppose it.  A champion has to be an articulate cheerleader who can share context and rationale with facts as well as emotion, and provide enough structure to make a lofty idea become doable.  They need political savvy, street cred and the ability to look past the naysayers to see the possible.

If you know someone with those skills, pay close attention to what they do and how they do it.  It is a talent that will have great value if you can add it to your repertoire.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com