Dr. Karyn Gordon discusses her book 'The Three Chairs' on leadership, focusing on generational dynamics, developing leadership skills through models like CARDS, and offering career advice on finding your dream career through self-awareness.
Identify your dominant chair (insecure, arrogant, confident/humble) for improved decision-making.
Leadership in the middle chair (confident yet humble) fosters effective communication and organizational alignment.
Core competencies for leaders in the CARDS model include communication, accountability, relationship building, goal setting, decision-making, time management, and stress management.
Deep dives
Dr. Karen Gordon's Professional Journey and Expertise
Dr. Karen Gordon, a practicing therapist and leadership coach, shares insights from her experience working with teenagers, millennials, and families over the past 25 years. Her transition into coaching senior leaders and managers stemmed from understanding the needs of millennials entering the workforce, leading to the success of her recent book, The Three Chairs, emphasizing effective communication and engagement.
The Three Chairs Concept and Leadership Development
Dr. Gordon introduces the concept of The Three Chairs, characterizing leadership attitudes as insecure, arrogant, or confident but humble. She highlights the importance of individuals identifying their dominant chair to improve decision-making and communication. The middle chair, representing a blend of confidence and humility, is deemed crucial for effective leadership and organizational alignment.
Core Skills of Middle Chair Leaders: CARDS Model
Dr. Gordon outlines the core competencies for leaders in the middle chair using the CARDS model. Communication skills, accountability, relationship building, goal setting, decision-making, time management, and stress management are key elements fostering effective leadership and emotional intelligence across personal and professional domains.
Application of Three Chairs Model in Various Settings
The applicability of The Three Chairs model in diverse settings becomes evident as Dr. Gordon discusses its impact on marriages, parenting, and business leadership. By promoting a shared language and fundamental skills, the model offers a practical approach to enhancing communication, collaboration, and self-awareness, driving personal and professional success.
Career Advice: Discovering Your Dream Career
Dr. Gordon's elevator pitch focuses on self-discovery for finding a fulfilling career path. Emphasizing the importance of understanding one's values, interests, and passions, she recommends taking courses like 'Find Your Dream Career' to navigate the abundance of career options and align personal aspirations with professional growth.
In this episode, I talk with Dr. Karyn Gordon. She spent the first ten years of her career working with Millennials and families. She still works as a practicing therapist on top of her leadership coaching. We talked about her new book, The Three Chairs: How Great Leaders Drive Communication.
Learn more about Dr. Gordon's work on her website: https://dkleadership.org/
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