Most people realize that growing as a leader takes effort. But the path forward is not always obvious, says Sanjay Khosla, senior fellow and adjunct professor of marketing at the Kellogg School and trained executive coach.
“Becoming more efficient and working harder is sometimes a complete waste of time,” he warns. “All you’re trying to do is become better on the same treadmill, often mindlessly responding to emails and completing tasks.”
Khosla, former president of Kraft Foods International (now Mondelez International), says that anyone looking to bolster their leadership skills should think strategically about how to prepare themselves for new opportunities without burning themselves out.
He has developed a five-step coaching model that helps leaders do just this. Here, he walks us through it.