Positive Leadership has also been recognised as a Top 50 Leadership Expert to Follow on Twitter.

Follow us on Twitter @posleadership


LEADERSHIP IS A PROCESS OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE, WHICH MAXIMISES THE EFFORTS OF OTHERS TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A SHARED GOAL.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Character – The Key to Sustaining Leadership Momentum

John C. Maxwell is an internationally respected leadership expert, speaker, and author. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP, a non-profit organisation that has trained more than 5 million leaders in 126 countries worldwide. Here are his observations on the lessons to be learned from the troubles surrounding Tiger Woods at present.

'Tiger Woods exploded onto the national stage in 1997, when, as a 21-year old, he won golf's most prestigious event, the Masters. Not only did Tiger win the tournament, he shattered records along the way, making the world's best golfers look like amateurs. Within a year of becoming a professional golfer, Tiger had attained the sport's number one ranking.
 
Consistent Winning Produces Momentum

Early in 2001, Tiger captured his second Masters title to complete an unprecedented feat: winning all four of golf's major championships consecutively. Golf's popularity soared as its youthful star dominated event after event. People who had never before been interested in golf tuned in to see Tiger. Inspired by him, kids dragged their parents to the local golf course so that they could learn the game. Recreational golfers around the world patterned their swing after Tiger's while practicing on the driving range.

Advertisers flocked to Tiger's side to take advantage of his gathering momentum. He inked multi-million dollar deals to wear the Nike logo, hit Titlelist golf balls, and endorse everything from General Motors to American Express. Forbes described Tiger as "a marketer's dream." Virtually every product he pitched seemed to turn into gold. Thanks to his sizeable sponsorship deals, in September 2009, Fortune estimated that Tiger had become sports' first billionaire athlete.

Character Defects Halt Momentum

Tiger-mania came crashing to a halt in December 2009 after Woods had a bizarre traffic accident in his driveway. The incident initiated a cascade of rumours about Tiger's marital infidelity, which he later admitted. As news coverage intensified, more incriminating tidbits surfaced, and the scandal gained steam.

As this article is being written, a shamed Tiger remains in seclusion. By all accounts his marriage is in difficulty. Accenture and AT&T have already cut ties with him, while other advertisers such as Gillette and Tag Heuer have distanced themselves from Tiger by pulling his ads. As for golf, Woods has taken an indefinite leave of absence, and it remains to be seen if he will recover his on-the-course greatness.

Lessons Learned from Tiger's Tumble

1) Momentum can be a leader's best friend or a leader's worst enemy.

In his early days as a professional, Tiger Woods' hard work and talent earned him a flood of victories. As the wins mounted, Tiger's momentum took off. His confidence intimidated opponents, his personality attracted business deals, and every move he made seemed to draw the praise of an enraptured media.

Revelations of Tiger's behaviour have generated a mountain of negative momentum, which will be difficult for him to overcome. The tide of public opinion is now squarely against him. Whereas people used to cheer Tiger on to success, many will now root for him to fail. The influence he once had has been dealt a serious blow, and it will be an uphill struggle for him to regain it.

2) Momentum can reverse direction in an instant.

Momentum can be a fickle friend, changing sides at any moment. One day Tiger was being crowned as the athlete of the decade by the Associated Press. Then, seemingly overnight, his name was being dragged through the mud on every conceivable news outlet.

3) Winning generates momentum, but character sustains it.

Tiger's story is a cautionary tale about character. All of the momentum you build through decades of hard work and dedication can be erased if you do not craft the character to support it. Character is forged daily through the decisions we make. It comes from within and cannot be purchased. Be diligent about working on your character so that you become a person worth following and someone worthy of harnessing the momentum of success.
Share/Save/Bookmark

Leadership Vision

"There's nothing more demoralising than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing." --James Kouzes and Barry Posner

Most businesses are started because the founder had a vision about what he or she could create. Sharing that vision with others in a way that compels them to act is the secret to a successful leadership vision.

These are the fundamentals necessary for a vision that excites and motivates people to follow the leader. The vision must:
  • Clearly set organisational direction and purpose;
  • Inspire loyalty and caring through the involvement of all employees;
  • Display and reflect the unique strengths, culture, values, beliefs and direction of the organisation;
  • Inspire enthusiasm, belief, commitment and excitement in company members;
  • Help employees believe that they are part of something bigger than themselves and their daily work;
  • Be regularly communicated and shared;
  • Challenge people to outdo themselves, to stretch and reach.

Share/Save/Bookmark