NGC Experience: Anthony Conn
First-Time Leader Expects a Textbook Leadership Program, Instead Discovers Himself in the Process.
Antony Conn, Senior Product & Reinsurance Referral Manager at Builders Mutual,
Anthony Conn, Senior Product & Reinsurance Referral Manager at Builders Mutual, a leading writer of commercial insurance products specialized to the construction industry, shares his Foundation for Effective Leadership Program experience.
What was the catalyst for leadership training?
Anthony: I took a leadership role about nine months ago. I had no prior experience before that. My company does a great job at preparing folks. So as a requirement for any new leader, we go through the NextGen Center Foundation for Effective Leadership program. I didn’t know what I was signing up for, but it turned out to be great.
Leadership is a loaded term. Were you skeptical? Were you thinking, “Oh great, I have to take this now?”
Anthony: It’s so funny. That was part of my capstone assignment. And part of the write-up that I did for my cohort.
Verbatim, I wrote, “I thought this would be a textbook class demonstrating theories and strategies and memorizing how we can all use those quote-unquote tricks to become a better leader.”
I went on to say that what I got from this course was the opposite. This course unearthed who I am deep down and allowed me to look in the mirror and find the inner workings to shine in a leadership role.
On paper, I thought, oh, here we go. This program is going to be someone telling us about the books they read and how we're supposed to lead—we’ve all been through those types of courses, right? But I’m glad it was nothing close to what I expected.
What made you anxious about leadership? Where did you need to do some work? What were some of your strengths? Did you have a clearer sense of that after the course?
Anthony: I didn’t know what I didn’t know. The course exposed my strengths and weaknesses and shed light on where I could improve—things I was very oblivious to.
Did you find it helpful to get feedback from a third party and not from a manager or peer? Did you find the feedback more palatable and less judgemental?
Anthony: When folks within your organization give you feedback, they can have preconceived notions of what you’ve done in the past or who you are now. So I appreciated the feedback from a third party with zero preconceived biases about who each of us is.
You talked about the personal benefits, but how has the leadership program changed how you interact with people?
Anthony: Asking more questions. I didn’t think twice about answering a question before the program. For example, if a direct report asked me a question, I would answer it for them and move on. I thought that was what I was supposed to be doing, but honestly, that wasn’t helping them or me.
If I give them the answer, they will keep coming back with more questions. So after the program, I ask a question back if someone asks me a question. I would never have done that before.
Have you found that asking those questions has made the other person more innovative, creative, or a better problem solver?
Anthony: Absolutely. I don’t know if I can speak from any specific experiences off the top of my head here in the last few weeks between ending this course. I have realized that the individual tends to get to where I was going to go, but they now feel like it was their idea.
They made the decisions, and I steered them in the right direction by asking them questions that helped them think through a problem.
Have you changed your approach to goal setting?
Anthony: Absolutely. I was mind blown by the Grow Model—this was the first I had heard of it before the program. And it was just absolutely shocking to me how easy it is to pull that into my daily practice.
You can read the exact questions on the Grow Model sheet. It’s not like you have to make up something. It helps you eyeball where you want to go and walks you through the steps. I would say that the biggest impact for me is the Grow Model—something I will implement further into 2023.
What was the most impactful question you were asked during the leadership program?
Anthony: “Who are you?”
It took me a little by surprise. On the surface, it seems like such an easy question. However, the exercises we did on the inner/outer circles, where you identify your strengths and values and the hindrances that get in the way of getting yourself to a “happy place,” was mind-opening.
Is there anything you’d like to say to people considering The Foundation for Effective Leadership program?
Anthony: It’s not just another leadership course. I think it’s deeper. My biggest takeaway was learning how to dig deeper into my inner workings. Leadership starts with you and then trickles down. The program focuses on self-growth and shows you how to become a better leader by focusing on your strengths and weaknesses.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.