Positive Leadership: Learning From Steve Jobs
Saturday, October 08, 2011
Friday, October 07, 2011
Positive Leadership: Some Thoughts on Leadership
- “It begins with people. Life is people.”
- “If we get the right ‘whos’ on the bus, we get the right outcomes.”“
- Try to change every ‘what’ to a ‘who’”
- “It is not about personality, it is about humility.”
- “Humility is burning ambition channelled to do good outside yourself.”
- “Hubris is outrageous arrogance that inflicts suffering on the innocent.”
- “Bad decisions with good intentions are still bad decisions.”
- “True innovation comes from empirical creativity.”
- “The only mistakes you learn from are ones you survive.”
- “The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.”
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Positive Leadership: Creating Harmony
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Positive Leadership: Sharing Accountability
Uncertainty necessitates the need for finding more wisdom
within our organisations. This can only be accomplished by creating a
leadership mindset throughout the entire organisation. It is shared
accountability. Any leader that thinks that they can do it alone is indulging
their own ego.
Do not assume that no one else on the premises can match our
own ambition, competence, and vision. We have to accept the fact that there are
many points of wisdom within our organisations and a wise leader will engage
them. Too many leaders are not accustomed to accepting input from junior
members no matter how valuable it is. This creates a lack of trust and
openness. The currency of leadership is relationships and a wise leader would
do well to encourage input from as many sources as possible and especially not
from the usual suspects.
The concept of distributed leadership will keep you in touch
with the environment. If you want to prepare people for this environment, you
have to get leadership further down the organisation. We generally tend to
drive managing down the organisation, but not leadership. However, in order to
maximise the opportunity for success, we have to prepare for acts of leadership
further down the organisation – even if it feels like an unnatural act to
people sitting at the top.
Leadership needs to be the expected norm at all levels.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Positive Leadership: Building a Positive Work Environment
16 ways to build positive work environments:
- Develop people.
- Know what they do best and leverage it.
- Clearly define expectations.
- Trust them to act.
- Support them when they fail.
- Always give credit and take blame. No one likes seeing a blamer.
- Believe in them – you’re on their team.
- See opportunities more than problems.
- Help find solutions.
- Keep out of the way.
- Encourage, enable, and inspire.
- Protect from bureaucracy.
- Value them as individuals.
- Don’t talk about yourself, too much. Let people know you, however.
- Don’t talk on and on ….
- Make people feel listened to by asking more than stating.
Bonus: Give others what you wish others would give you.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Positive Leadership: Would You Want to Report to Yourself?
This is an extract from a New York Times interview with
David Barger, president and chief executive of JetBlue.
Q. How do you talk about leadership within the company?
A. We teach principles of leadership on a regular basis, to
supervisors and above. The module I teach is, “Inspiring Greatness in Others,”
and we talk a lot about how we each have a silhouette that comes to life. And,
as the silhouette comes to life, it’s as much about what you’re doing, the body
language, as what you’re saying. There’s a lot of lessons to be learned by
watching others make a mistake. And I’ve certainly seen that, in the past. It
could be leaders coming in and the next thing you know they’re not visiting the
cockpit, they’re not saying hi in the galley, they’re not going to the baggage
service office, they’re not stopping by the ticket counter. It doesn’t take a
lot. People know you’re there. Go see them. Be present.
Q. What are some other takeaways from your session?
A. There are several,
but here’s a few more: Be mindful that there is incredible leadership all
around you. Go find it. Go tap it. Go mine it. And here’s a key question: would
you want to report to yourself? It’s little things, too. When you say hi to
somebody, do you mean it, or is it just a casual comment?
Q. Any leadership insights you’ve gained in the last couple
of years?
A. We have executive
coaches we’ve used over the last couple of years. The message was, enough consensus
building. When it’s time to make a decision and your team’s not making the
decision, make the decision. I don’t think I ever was reticent in terms of
making a decision. But, as I look back, there were plenty of examples where the
team was looking at an issue but not getting a final decision. I think it’s
probably the most formative feedback I’ve been given — that it’s fine to be the
consensus builder, and I know that’s where I lean in terms of my leadership
DNA, but now I am more comfortable saying, “This is what we’re going to do.
Next topic.”
For more, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/business/early-access-as-a-fast-track-to-learning.html?_r=1
Friday, September 23, 2011
Positive Leadership: Encouraged vs Discouraged
Events do not cause what we feel, but what we tell ourselves
about these events does cause what we feel.
Many people may seem to be unmotivated but they are really
discouraged. Perhaps they have come to
believe that, no matter what they do, the results will not be there, so what is
the use? They should remember that
discouragement is more a result of what they are telling themselves as opposed
to being about the event itself.
Discouragement is a style of thinking which focuses on end results and a
self-counselling of our fears. Encouragement is a style of thinking that focuses more on the process and
on possibilities.
Try and avoid talking to yourself about results and fears
(again, never counsel your fears) as opposed to process and strengths. Develop a "go to script" for
pressure situations: "Trust," "Read and React," "No
judgment. With these phrases you are having audible, observable thoughts that
encourage yourself.
How do you talk to you?
Do you discourage you? Do you say
that this undertaking cannot be done? Do
you say, "I have to win?" Or
do you encourage yourself step by step?
Do you talk yourself through the process?
Here are two of the best encouragement phrases:
- ‘The bamboo encouragement principle’ - If you water bamboo one, two, three years, you get nothing. But then the fourth year, the bamboo grows nine feet in six weeks.
- 'Keep planting grass; don’t pull weeds' - Paying attention to the weeds is counselling your fears. Planting grass is encouraging your strengths.
Your greatest enemy when under pressure is mental fatigue
and discouragement. But if you can keep
from growing weary, in doing well in due season, you will reap if you faint
not. Keep on fighting weary until
finding renewed energy. Talk to you, out
loud if you have to, saying, "Keep planting grass; don’t pull
weeds." Or "Keep watering the
bamboo." Or maybe "I am just
too stubborn to give up, so weary I hear you knocking, but you can’t come
in." Whatever you do, just keep on
keeping on.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Positive Leadership: Achieving Greatness
What is the difference between mediocrity and greatness?
Possibly not as much as you think.
You know, it really takes very little to make a big
difference in our lives and in the world. In professional baseball in the USA for
example, most batters hit for an average of about .250, which means that they
get one hit for every four times at bat. Anyone who hits .300, three hits out
of ten, is considered a star. By the end of the season, there are only about a
dozen players out of hundreds in the leagues who have maintained a .300
average, and these are the ones who get the big contracts, the acclaim, and the
TV commercials.
In other words, the difference between the great players and
the ordinary players is only one hit out of twenty! This slim margin of
greatness in baseball symbolises the dynamics of greatness in life, because
when we use just a tiny bit more of our potential, we become outstanding human
beings.
Now, the purpose of being outstanding is not to win acclaim
or glory, but to be more of what we can be. If you accept the idea that most of
your present limitations are not based on any unchangeable reality but are
rather the result of beliefs you hold about your reality, then the next step is
to deliberately and systematically change those beliefs.
It’s called possibility thinking, and it’s a skill you can
learn quite easily.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Positive Leadership: What Makes A Leader
For more, see: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2011/09/15/daniel-goleman-on-leadership-and-the-power-of-emotional-intelligence/
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Positive Leadership: The Importance of 'You'!
A "Crash Course" on LEADERSHIP
The 10 most important
words:
“What can I do to help you be more successful?”
The 9 most important
words:
“I need you to do this, and here’s why…”
The 8 most important
words:
“That’s my mistake and I will fix it.”
The 7 most important
words:
“My door is always open to you.”
The 6 most important
words:
“Let’s focus on solving the problem.”
The 5 most important
words:
“You did a great job!”
The 4 most important
words:
“What do YOU think?”
The 3 most important
words:
“Follow my lead.”
The 2 most important
words:
“Thank You.”
The MOST important word:
“YOU”
Monday, September 12, 2011
Positive Leadership: Inspirational leadership secures #WalkerCup
If north-east Scotland had not been buffeted by strong winds
and rain squalls at the week-end, might the US have won the Walker Cup again?
The question is relevant following Great Britain and Ireland’s narrow victory
in a thrilling match at the stunning Royal Aberdeen golf club because winds
gusting up to 30mph and intense rain squalls were certainly less familiar to
the visitors than to the home team.
The answer to the question though is that Great Britain and
Ireland confounded all known form, including the current world amateur golf
rankings not to mention almost all the pre-match predictions and were so ably
led by Nigel Edwards that they won this biennial contest for only the eighth
time. They probably would have won under calmer conditions. But it is also true
that luck favoured Edwards. Had the wind dropped on Sunday morning so that the
second day could have been played in a calm, when the Americans improved, then
matters might have been different. In fact, perhaps it was Edwards’s performance that tipped it
for Britain and Ireland. The third Welshman to captain Great Britain and
Ireland, Edwards, 43, became the second to win, after Clive Brown’s victorious
captaincy at Royal Porthcawl in 1995.
Edwards stands comparison with Colin Montgomerie in last
year’s Ryder Cup in the way he coaxed and cajoled his men to victory. Just as
Montgomerie looked into every detail, even the smallest and least significant,
so Edwards did much of the same. His self assurance, his eye for detail, his
elaborate preparation and his knowledge of the competition as well as his
passion for it, simply overwhelmed Jim Holtgrieve, the eminent American golfer. Holtgrieve is a sturdy man from the mid West, a superb and
successful amateur and a less successful professional who returned to the
amateur ranks. But he is 63 and his rather casual style of captaincy and the
age gap between him and the rest of his team made him look out of touch at
times. His captaincy also highlighted an obvious question: why is the United
States Golf Association in the business of giving captaincy of this competition
to former players as a reward?
The 43rd Walker Cup was rather like an old Ryder Cup. Holtgrieve
gave the impression of leaving much of it to his players, believing he had the
best amateurs in the world who were sufficiently experienced to be able to look
after themselves. Edwards, by contrast, could not do enough for his men, from
taking them twice to Aberdeen for practice week-ends, to showing motivational
films and continually making sure that he was in the right place when he needed
to be. Most of all, he was able to speak from the experience of winning and
losing in Walker Cups because he had played in two winning teams as well as two
that narrowly lost. In this he was rather reminiscent of Bernhard Langer at
Oakland Hills in the 2004 Ryder Cup. While Hal Sutton progressed around while
wearing a cowboy hat that, frankly, made him look rather silly, Langer
concentrated on popping up on the tee of every short hole, always ready to give
advice and pass on information.
Edwards looked as though he knew precisely what he was doing
at all time; Holtgrieve didn’t. Edwards looked on top of his job; Holtgrieve
didn’t. Edwards is certain to be asked to captain GB and I at the National Golf
Links on Long Island, New York in two years. Holtgrieve probably will be asked
because the convention among American teams is that captains are given a home
and an away match, but he may not actually deserve it.
You make your own luck. “Prepare properly and you get your
just rewards” Edwards said. He did and he and his team won. Holtgrieve didn’t
and so he and his team lost.
Posted by John Hopkins
Positive Leadership: Crisis Leadership
One figure who stood tall as an example of effective
leadership during the crisis is former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani.
Regardless of your political leanings, Guiliani's leadership
during the 9/11 tragedy is something leaders from all walks of life can learn
from.
In his book titled Leadership, Giuliani writes, "It is
in times of crisis that good leaders emerge."
Giuliani demonstrated that during times of crisis, leaders
must do four critical things: be highly visible, composed, vocal, and resilient.
1. BE VISIBLE
Giuliani writes, "While mayor, I made it my policy to
see with my own eyes the scene of every crisis so I could evaluate it
firsthand."
During a crisis, leaders must be out front rather than
running or hiding from the ordeal. They must go to the scene of disaster and
stand front and centre - to accurately assess the situation as well as show
their concern, while also demonstrating confidence that the group will
persevere.
Business author Tom Peters writes of Guiliani's courage to
be visible: "Rudy 'showed up' - when it really mattered, on 9/11. As one
wag put it, he went from being a lameduck, philandering husband to being Time
magazine's 'Man of the Year' in 111 days. How? Not through any 'strategy,'
well-thought-out or otherwise. But by showing his face. By standing as the
embodiment of Manhattan's Indomitable Spirit."
As a leader, be sure you don't retreat when faced with a
crisis. Rather than hide from the chaos and confusion, be sure to step in to
sort things out and find a solution.
Again, political preferences aside, the importance of being
visible during a crisis can also be learned from George W. Bush's presidency.
Like Giuliani, Americans rallied around President Bush when he went to Ground
Zero and grabbed a bullhorn amid the rubble to reassure the nation.
Contrast that with President Bush's lack of a timely
response to Hurricane Katrina. Bush was noticeably absent during the first few
days of the crisis and his poll numbers took a big hit.
Bottom Line: Step up during a crisis to survey the scene and
be there for your people.
2. BE COMPOSED
Guiliani writes: "Leaders have to control their
emotions under pressure. Much of your ability to get people to do what they
have to do is going to depend on what they perceive when they look at you and
listen to you. They need to see someone who is stronger than they are, but
human, too."
No matter how difficult things may seem, you must maintain
your poise under pressure. People will look at your face as well as tune into
the tone of your voice to determine whether they should panic or remain calm;
to give in or maintain hope.
As Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski reminds us in his book Leading with the Heart, "A leader must show the face his team needs to
see."
Bottom Line: Be sure to show your team that you are calm and
in control, even though you may not exactly feel that way at the time. Your
calm demeanour will go a long way toward helping your team think clearly and
react appropriately during the crisis.
3. BE VOCAL
Giuliani writes, "I had to communicate with the public,
to do whatever I could to calm people down and contribute to a orderly and safe
evacuation [of lower Manhattan.]"
In addition to being visible and composed, leaders must step
up in an effort to calm people down and communicate with them.
Bottom Line: You must speak up and take charge of what
people are thinking and feeling at the time. You must reassure them and give
them a simple yet specific plan that will get people through the crisis.
Outline important action steps that they can take immediately to help
themselves and the team.
4. BE RESILIENT
As difficult as the crisis can seem, remind people that
there is hope.
Giuliani writes: "I am an optimist by nature. I think
things will get better, that the good people of America and New York City will
overcome any challenge thrown our way. So in the face of this overwhelming
disaster, standing amid sixteen acres of smouldering ruins, I felt a mixture of
disbelief and confidence... that Americans would rise to this challenge."
While your athletic challenges pale in comparison to 9/11,
they can still discourage, distract, and debilitate those on your team.
Bottom Line: Give your team a sense of hope. Let them know
that they have the ability to make it through the crisis.
9/11 was undoubtedly a horrendous day in the USA’s history.
Yet, in the course of this tragedy, countless leaders emerged to help the
nation through.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Positive Leadership: Talent is Not Everything
Do you know people who talk about children who can learn and
ones who can’t? Or, children who can be helped and ones who can’t? Well, they
are wrong, and we will tell you why.
Some 30-odd years ago, the great Japanese teacher, Dr.
Suzuki, who taught over 20,000 children to understand and play the violin like
virtuosi, had some words of wisdom to share with us. He said, “People today are
like gardeners who look sadly at ruined saplings and shake their heads, saying
the seeds must have been bad to start with – not realising that the seed was
all right, and that it was their method of cultivation that was wrong. They go
on their mistaken way, ruining plant after plant. It is imperative that the
human race escape from this vicious circle.” These words have value even today.
You see, Dr. Suzuki did not believe that some children were
gifted while others were not. He believed that every child could be superior,
and that every child could be educated. Talent, he believed, was no accident of
birth, but a purposeful effort, a powerful creation.
Let’s teach our children to understand that when they see
someone of ability, they see a person who has been carefully taught, and who
has worked hard to realise their unlimited potential. Let’s teach them that
they have the same unlimited potential. And let’s teach them to believe in
sustained effort, self-discipline and self-determination.
We have the opportunity and the ability to raise an entire
generation of superstars every day. Why would we settle for less?
Monday, September 05, 2011
Positive Leadership: Helping Your Employees Find Their Voice
There is a difference between employees not speaking up at
work because they don’t have anything to say about a specific issue and not
speaking up because they fear the consequences of expressing their ideas.
Managerial behaviour can signal employees that it is unwise to speak up. But
even when managers hold positive beliefs about the value of employee voice that
manifest in encouraging behaviour towards employees, some employees will still
be reticent to share information they believe is risky.
The Academy of Management Journal recently published an
extremely well done study by James Detert and Amy Edmondson (full citation
below) that examined employee taken-for-granted beliefs about when and why
speaking up at work is risky or inappropriate.
The authors found that “sometimes unwillingness to speak up is not
experienced as intense, discrete fear but rather as a sense of
inappropriateness; voice seems risky because it seems wrong or out of place.”
(p. 481).
Through a series of four separate studies, they identified
the following five beliefs employees can hold about authority figures that can
cause them to exhibit self-protective silence:
1. Negative career
consequences of voice: e.g. if you want advancement opportunities in today’s
world, you have to be careful about pointing out needs for improvement to those
in charge.
2. Don’t embarrass
the boss in public: e.g. you should always pass your ideas for improvement by
the boss in private first, before you speak up publicly at work.
3. Don’t bypass
the boss upward: e.g. loyalty to your boss means you don’t speak up about
problems in front of his or her boss.
4. Need solid data
or solutions (to speak up): e.g. unless you have clear solutions, you shouldn’t
speak up about problems.
5. Presumed target
identification: e.g. it is not good to question the way things are done because
those who have developed the routines are likely to take it personally.
This research is important because it shows that the boss is
not always to blame for organisational silence. Individuals arrive at work with
a set of implicit theories about work and authority figures that they learned
via past direct and vicarious experiences. The authors conclude “managers
appear saddled not only by their own actual behaviours inhibiting voice but
also by subordinate beliefs about managers.” (p. 484).
If you want employee voice to become an operational
priority, you are going to have to make changes to your selection, training,
evaluation, reward, and promotion systems. Our advice is to make employee voice
an expected, measured, and rewarded behaviour. Hire employees that can demonstrate
a proven record of coming forward with specific suggestions and solutions at
their previous jobs. Never promote to a position of management an employee that
in addition to mastering the performance expectations of their assigned job did
not also attempt to partner with managers to improve that job.
If you discover you have a manager that stifles employee
voice, help them with training but don’t promote them again until they
demonstrate that they understand how to encourage employee voice. If you
discover you’ve hired an employee with strong self-protective beliefs about the
safety of silence, help them engage in behaviour at work that directly and
specifically challenges those beliefs; otherwise, “it is unlikely that they
will revise, set aside, or develop new implicit theories related to speaking
up.” (p. 465).
Full citation: Detert,
J.R. & Edmondson, A.C. (2011). Implicit Voice Theories: Taken-For-Granted
Rules of Self-Censorship at Work. Academy of Management Journal, 54 (3):
461-488.
Sunday, September 04, 2011
Positive Leadership: Making the Call
This New York Times interview with Enrique Salem, president
and C.E.O. of Symantec, the computer security company is worth reading in full.
‘Q. What were some important leadership lessons for you?
A. I played high school football — I was a linebacker — and
then I played at Dartmouth. When you play football, you really understand it is
a team effort. When you play organizesd sports, especially team sports, it’s
not about individuals. I think organised sports are a way to learn a lot about
things that will be helpful in business.
Q. Other lessons you learned playing sports?
A. I was captain of the varsity football team my senior year
of high school. We called the plays the coach would signal in to us from the
sideline. I used to be very much a student of the game. I would watch the game
films myself and get ideas of what we should do, what we should think about.
One time the coach called a defensive play and I changed it,
and after having some success with that I said, “Oh, this isn’t so hard.” But
then another player runs on the field and replaces me, and I run to the bench
and the coach says, “When you want to call what I’m calling, you can go back in
the game.” So I sat on the bench for a play or two and then went over and said:
“O.K., Coach. I got it. I’m sorry.” And he put me back in the game. I really
learned this notion that whoever’s making the calls, you’ve got to listen to
that person. And he pulled me aside after the game and we talked about
it, and he said: “I know you love the game. I know you study the game. But
you’ve got to realise that when I make calls, I’m setting something up. I’m
looking at something that’s happening, and you can’t be out there
second-guessing me on this.” I still remember that story. In business, somebody has to make the call. I learned that pretty early
on.
Q. And do you find yourself ever having to explain to
somebody the point that the coach made to you?
A. Absolutely. You run into situations where there’s a
bigger picture sometimes that an individual who’s working on a project may not
be able to see, and can’t understand all the implications of any decision you
make.’
For more, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/business/symantecs-enrique-salem-on-leadership-advice.html?_r=1
Friday, September 02, 2011
Positive Leadership: What is Your Leadership Mindset?
Everyone gets stuck in a rut. We might have days, weeks, or
even months, where we feel like we’ve lost our focus, take longer than
necessary to achieve goals, or simply become disconnected from our work.
It’s not a bad thing to admit you’re in a rut. However, it
can become detrimental to your career if you don’t take action to dig yourself
out of it, and make some sort of change.
So, how do you go about making such a change? First off – strive to change your leadership
mindset. Specifically, aim to adjust your mindset from a ‘fixed’ to ‘growth’
mindset, as presented by Stanford professor Carol Dweck in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
In the book, she discusses how those with a fixed theory of
intelligence believe they are born with a certain set of skills and their
success is based on innate abilities. Plainly speaking, those people believe
they either have a particular talent or they don’t. In essence, if someone has a fixed mindset, they are not
open to self-improvement. Instead of finding ways to keep learning and evolving
as a leader, they simply remain the same. Anything new is avoided because it
may show weakness, and they are apprehensive to failure because it will mean a
negative statement on their abilities. As a result, these individuals don’t
reach their full potential. When they get stuck in a rut, good luck to them because they
will be there for a long time.
Now on the opposite end of the spectrum, those with a growth
mindset view success as being based on hard work and learning. These
individuals believe they can always get better at what they do and have
untapped potential. They are willing to stretch their comfort zone, and look at
criticism and failure as opportunities to grow.
Dweck actually argues a growth mindset allows one to live a
more successful life. And for those with a fixed mindset you’re in luck because
one’s mindset, of course, can be altered.
One definition of mindset is a set of beliefs or a way of
thinking that determines one’s behaviour, outlook, and mental attitude.
Recognising that we can choose whether or not to engage in
certain behaviours is the first step toward changing your leadership mindset.
The key to getting
out of a rut is committing to a change in mindset.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Positive Leadership: What is 'True Leadership'?
Rajeev Peshawaria is the CEO of the ICLIF Leadership &
Governance Centre and the author of 'Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders'. He has
previously served as chief learning officer at Morgan Stanley and Coca-Cola and
is one of the founding members of the Pine Street Group leadership development
programme at Goldman Sachs. In this article, he talks about why there is a lack
of strong leadership and what can be done about it.
‘There is a ton of
leadership advice out there, yet, as you point out in the book, on average
people say they have worked for between zero and two good leaders. Why aren’t
traditional techniques working?
First, we spend a huge amount of time and money trying to
teach something that cannot be taught. True leadership is about having the lasting
energy to create a better future — that’s not something you can learn in a
classroom or training module.
Further, not only are we trying to teach the unteachable, we
are also using methods that don’t work. Let’s walk through a few of the most
widely used techniques. First, most leadership training is based on competency
models. These capture what made someone successful in the past, and argue that
if one repeats those same behaviours, one will be successful in the future. But
today, when the world is changing faster than ever before, past behaviour is no
predictor of future success.
Another popular tool to teach leadership is psychometric
testing — this is meant to determine if someone has a personality suited for
leadership. But a quick look at
successful leadership through the ages will reveal that good leadership comes
in all personality types and styles, and that here is no correlation whatsoever
between a certain personality and effective leadership.
The third popular technique is one used by every business
school — the case method. But if we could become great leaders by discussing
cases with strangers in a classroom, we would all be leaders by now.
Then we have copycat role plays based on the notion of “best
practice.” Leadership experts tell stories of great leaders (like Jack Welch)
and translate their greatness into three-step formulas. The truth is that there
is no such thing as a three-step formula to good leadership. And last I checked the dictionary, copying
someone else’s behaviour was an act of followership, not leadership.
Leadership is not
about competency models, two-by-two matrices or best practice role plays. Leadership is about finding and maintaining
the energy to create a better future. To
become a leader, one must feel deeply about the inadequacies of current reality
AND decide to do something about it — and these things come from within.
What does a good
leader actually spend his or her time on?
The first step for
any leader is to discover their personal source of energy. In order to do this,
she must develop laser sharp clarity about two things — her purpose (the
results she wants to create) and her values (the principles that will guide her
when tested). Clarity of purpose and values are the only sources of
long-lasting leadership energy.
After a leader has
uncovered her own energy by clarifying her purpose and values, she must spend
most of her time aligning the energy of others towards shared purpose. There are three pillars that a leader must
proactively shape to make this happen, particularly in large organisations: the
brains, bones and nerves of the organisation.
The brain of an
organisation is its vision and strategy. The bones are the organisational
architecture, which means having the right people, processes and
structure. Finally, the nerves refer to
the organisation’s culture. We have found that those leaders who proactively
and regularly pay attention to these three pillars drive sustainable success.
You define a company’s
culture as “what your people do when no one is looking.” What makes for a
positive culture, and what is a leader’s role in bringing it about?
A leader must first
define what the culture stands for in terms of clearly recognisable behaviours. Unless there is a clear definition of
expected behaviour, there is no common culture.
Once defined, the leader must
socialies the culture by communicating expected behaviours regularly. While verbal and written communication is
good, the most powerful communication is walking the talk — a leader’s actions
speak much louder than her words.
Finally, the leader
must reinforce the culture by aligning reward and recognition systems to the
desired cultural behaviours. When I was at American Express many years ago,
50% of my bonus depended on my leadership behaviours. I had no doubt in my mind
that they were important.
Your book talks about
the importance of communicating company goals and strategy. What can leaders,
especially those who oversee large numbers of employees, do to make sure their
communication efforts are successful?
The key is to make
the communication both simple and powerful at the same time. I have seen many brilliant minds fail because
they could not communicate brilliant ideas simply enough. And while making things simple, one must not
make them simplistic. Vision and
strategy must be communicated in a way that is simple to understand but
powerful enough to motivate people to action. If leaders can ensure everyone in their
organisation has a common understanding of the vision and strategy, and are
inspired by it, they will unleash the energy of a large number of people
towards shared purpose. This is easier
said than done, and the only way to become good at it is to consciously try.’
Monday, August 29, 2011
Positive Leadership: What is Your Purpose?
How is your energy level? Do you sometimes wish you had more
get-up-and-go? Today let’s look at how high-energy people get that way.
Why is it that some people seem to have a never-ending
supply of energy? They get up feeling eager to get started and they radiate
good spirits and high energy all day long. Did you ever stop by the vitamin
counter at the chemist, wondering what you could take to get that kind of
energy?
This is what we think. Assuming you are in good
health, your strength and energy will come from having meaningful and clear
lifetime goals. In other words, a purpose in life. You see, high-energy people
know what they want and have an unshakable belief that what they want is
possible. They have a purpose that they have chosen freely, and they set goals
and develop action plans to help them achieve it.
What is your purpose? When it comes to energy, it doesn’t
matter so much what you want, as long as you want something. You’d be surprised
how energised you can become once you know the answer to this question. When
you have chosen your purpose, and you have a clear idea fixed firmly in your
mind of what it is you want to be and do, you will be surprised at how your
energy level will grow to help you find ways to get there.
You will become very resourceful and creative, and you will
discover that having a purpose is the best vitamin in the world! Again we ask
you, what is your purpose in life?
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Positive Leadership: Culture v Strategy
Building great corporate culture is more than just
metaphors; it's what motivates a winning team. Most people at corporations in
the US are unhappy, says Silicon Valley Bank CEO Ken Wilcox. But the
organisation can craft a pleasant and productive environment by hiring diverse
and intelligent people and keeping them on-board. Knowing how to work together
under an organisation's guiding principles is critical. Past experience in
commercial banking is not.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Positive Leadership: Behaviour v Self-Worth
Whether you are raising children or trying to improve your own
self-esteem, the relationship between who you are and what you do is important.
Whether you are a parent, grandparent, or simply trying to build your own
self-esteem, it is important to realise that we need to separate our sense of
self-worth from our behaviour.
Imagine this scene: A three-year-old asks repeatedly, “Mummy,
do you love me?” Each time, Mum answers, “Of course I do.” Then the child takes
her hand and leads her to a broken flowerpot or shattered toy and looks at her
questioningly.
Here is a little child, on this earth only three short
years, already asking one of the most profound psychological questions any of
us can ask: “Is my ability to be loved tied to what I do? Am I the same as my
behaviour?” The answer for all of us, no matter how old we are, should be the
same, “No, indeed!”
The importance of this point can’t be overemphasised. To
increase self-worth, it is vital that we respond to behaviour while remaining
friendly and respectful toward the person. This means that when a child
misbehaves, we don’t call him a “bad boy.” And when a child does what we want
her to, we don’t say, “What a good girl!” Instead, we praise the behaviour and
hug the child.
The same goes for how we treat ourselves. Remember that you
are not simply what you do any more than you are what you wear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)