Leadership Development CarnivalThe Leadership Development Carnival is going to be heading its way to Elephants at Work on October 2, 2011. I am excited to be a guest host for Dan McCarthy, a former Rochester resident that now resides in New Hampshire making a career move to Director of Executive Development Programs at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics (WSBE).

I met Dan about a year ago. While researching the internet on Leadership Development and blogs, I found my way to Great Leadership. I wrote him (along with a number of other Leadership Development and HR bloggers) to introduce myself and suggested we connect, especially since we are in Rochester, NY.

Initially schedules became barriers and finally we met over coffee. Here’s what Dan shared with me. He almost did not accept the meeting! I know it can get crazy when you are the public eye – little did I realize how well Great Leadership was doing and how well connected he was until we shared some performance data.

It would have been easy for me to give up when I failed at my first attempt to schedule a discussion. Instead, I persevered and did not give up. Sometimes it is hard not to take it personally but the fact was Dan did not know who I was or if I had a hidden agenda.

A lot of good things came from our meeting. We shared information about our background, careers and interests. I know that if either of want to consult each other on a project, topic or idea that the door is open.

Dan introduced me to the world of blog carnivals and how to build relationships within the HR blogging community. I joined the Leadership Development Carnival and subsequently also found the Carnival of HR hosted by Shauna Moerke and contribute to both regularly.

One of my favorite coaching quotes I share with my clients is about not being afraid to open doors. You never know what is behind it until you take a look. If you don’t like it you can always walk away. And sometimes you might just be pleasantly surprised at what you find! I glad I looked behind this door.

How to Participate in the Leadership Development Carnival

The Leadership Development Carnival is open to all bloggers who write on the following topics:

  • Coaching
  • Executive Development
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Succession Planning

Only current articles are included in the Leadership Development Carnival – your posting must be within 2 weeks of the Leadership Development Carnival date.

Use this form to submit your post today: Carnival Submission Form.