I've always been a little obsessed with Leadership. If you've been there and had to lead people it can become an obsession - working out that magic formula that will guarantee results (to get it done), and improve your ability to lead those people effectively time after time.
The first challenge is defining it - my own personal favourite is:
'The ability to inspire followship'
I feel that succinctly says it all...
You will see on the blog a few other posts on the characteristics too (see my obsession!). One that has been well put, from a favourite book of mine called Good To Great by Jim Collins (http://amzn.to/1ej5Osw), is the concept of a Level 5 Leader. There are two characteristics that define those leaders who make it to the top of their companies, and what is more, lead their companies to success - Humility and Fierce Resolve.
Level 4 - Effective Leader
'Catalyzes
commitment to and vigorous pursuit of a clear and compelling vision;
stimulates the group to high performance standards'.
But a Level 5 - (Chief) Executive
'Builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical combination of personal humility plus professional will'.
The book is well worth a read, some very US based examples but the concepts and messages are very clear and something all leaders and potentially great leaders can learn from. Take a look here for more on this. http://hbr.org/2005/07/level-5-leadership-the-triumph-of-humility-and-fierce-resolve/ar/1
So a question for you - What are you doing to move from Level 4 to 5?
Innovation and Wild Ideas
And talking of innovation.....well, it's right at the heart of any business isn't it? Needing to come up with new ways of pleasing your customers, new ways of providing your services, and even, obviously, new products.
When you're the boss it's a hell of a pressure to be the one who always thinks of the new stuff - spotting the problems and then finding the solutions, listening hard to customers to get those essential insights that will keep you one step ahead. You often feel you're the only one who's doing it! Solution - you need to leverage the people and teams in your organisation to do the spotting for you - set up some way of capturing 'ideas from the front line' - and do reward the spotting, even if you don't (or can't) do something with the information. The key is to get more eyes and ears out there and to encourage it as the culture of your business. Ideas are good. Make it a theme for the month...
Another way is to seek out and cultivate the 'wild ideas' people - there's always one somewhere in your organisation. You know - the one who (when finally asked) says 'I've been thinking we ought to try.....' And sometimes it really is wild, but for every five or six crazy ones there is usually one that has some legs and can be modified, or used as is, to take the business forward. Seek them out and have a talk, you never know...Ideas are good.
And if you want an example of a wild ideas guy take a look here. http://www.scottsbarlow.com/100-awesome-business-ideas-for-2014/
Scott really does have some wild ones...... let me know which ones you think are goers!
#innovation #wildideas #ideasaregood
When you're the boss it's a hell of a pressure to be the one who always thinks of the new stuff - spotting the problems and then finding the solutions, listening hard to customers to get those essential insights that will keep you one step ahead. You often feel you're the only one who's doing it! Solution - you need to leverage the people and teams in your organisation to do the spotting for you - set up some way of capturing 'ideas from the front line' - and do reward the spotting, even if you don't (or can't) do something with the information. The key is to get more eyes and ears out there and to encourage it as the culture of your business. Ideas are good. Make it a theme for the month...
Another way is to seek out and cultivate the 'wild ideas' people - there's always one somewhere in your organisation. You know - the one who (when finally asked) says 'I've been thinking we ought to try.....' And sometimes it really is wild, but for every five or six crazy ones there is usually one that has some legs and can be modified, or used as is, to take the business forward. Seek them out and have a talk, you never know...Ideas are good.
And if you want an example of a wild ideas guy take a look here. http://www.scottsbarlow.com/100-awesome-business-ideas-for-2014/
Scott really does have some wild ones...... let me know which ones you think are goers!
#innovation #wildideas #ideasaregood
Doing Less, Leading More - the type of leadership that get things done
Here's a great article on a key theme - doing and leading. I think it asks some really valuable questions about something that is quite close to my heart, and in actual fact at the top of the page right here on the blog. Take a look: http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/12/doing-less-leading-more/
The key distinction and insight I believe is that to do less and lead more you have to be able to get things done through and with, people. There is no point in being a good leader, in fact you are not being a good leader if things are not being achieved, getting done.... The question is how.
Are you getting it done by doing it yourself, or by doing through other people, by leading them? An interesting and perennial problem we've all grappled with. The instinct to roll up ones sleeves and crack on and do it yourself and be the pacesetter, is very strong, but ultimately that is not leadership.
As the article says.........'the softer skill sets, the real leadership, the ability to work with others and through others, to execute, that is still in very scarce supply.” Learning how to do this and to embed it into the culture of the organisation is the challenge.
The key distinction and insight I believe is that to do less and lead more you have to be able to get things done through and with, people. There is no point in being a good leader, in fact you are not being a good leader if things are not being achieved, getting done.... The question is how.
Are you getting it done by doing it yourself, or by doing through other people, by leading them? An interesting and perennial problem we've all grappled with. The instinct to roll up ones sleeves and crack on and do it yourself and be the pacesetter, is very strong, but ultimately that is not leadership.
As the article says.........'the softer skill sets, the real leadership, the ability to work with others and through others, to execute, that is still in very scarce supply.” Learning how to do this and to embed it into the culture of the organisation is the challenge.
Leadership and The Art of Persuasion
Rhetoric
Most people only know about rhetoric when it is 'empty' - could you, hand on heart, say what it actually was? Until I read a book just recently I didn't quite understand how important the mastery of this could be for leaders and managers too (and I don't mean the mastery of empty rhetoric!). The book, 'You Talkin' to Me - Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama' by Sam Leith, is a fantastically good read http://amzn.to/vE1jMg . It helps you to understand the basics and more importantly what you can do to get better.
Rhetoric - the art of persuasion: the attempt by one human being to influence another in words. Simple isn't it. And isn't that something that every single day we have to do, in almost every part of what we do as leaders or managers of teams? We don't work in businesses where people simply follow orders. We have instructions and requests, and things that we want to have happen to get things done, but almost all of the time our conversations with people involve some sort of persuasion.
Would you mind....? How about if....? I know how you might be feeling about this as I've been there, but..;What you need to do is not only talk the talk, but walk the talk.... We all have our styles and methods, some good, some (very) bad! The book is great in describing what exactly is going on when we use these words and phrases, with the terms and names, if you want to learn them (- I didn't), and by doing so can teach you loads.
Example: 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears...' - an appeal to Ethos - 'I am like you, we (friends), are together and you should really listen to me.....' If you only learn about Ethos, Logos and Pathos you will be well on your way!
With famous speeches from Churchill, Obama and many others, as well as lesser known examples, Sam Leith takes you through the whole thing. I highly recommend it as almost essential reading for leaders and managers who need to persuade people, and those like me who, from time to time have to get up and speak to bigger groups or teams......Isn't that all of us though?
(P.S. Have I persuaded you?!)
Most people only know about rhetoric when it is 'empty' - could you, hand on heart, say what it actually was? Until I read a book just recently I didn't quite understand how important the mastery of this could be for leaders and managers too (and I don't mean the mastery of empty rhetoric!). The book, 'You Talkin' to Me - Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama' by Sam Leith, is a fantastically good read http://amzn.to/vE1jMg . It helps you to understand the basics and more importantly what you can do to get better.
Rhetoric - the art of persuasion: the attempt by one human being to influence another in words. Simple isn't it. And isn't that something that every single day we have to do, in almost every part of what we do as leaders or managers of teams? We don't work in businesses where people simply follow orders. We have instructions and requests, and things that we want to have happen to get things done, but almost all of the time our conversations with people involve some sort of persuasion.
Would you mind....? How about if....? I know how you might be feeling about this as I've been there, but..;What you need to do is not only talk the talk, but walk the talk.... We all have our styles and methods, some good, some (very) bad! The book is great in describing what exactly is going on when we use these words and phrases, with the terms and names, if you want to learn them (- I didn't), and by doing so can teach you loads.
Example: 'Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears...' - an appeal to Ethos - 'I am like you, we (friends), are together and you should really listen to me.....' If you only learn about Ethos, Logos and Pathos you will be well on your way!
With famous speeches from Churchill, Obama and many others, as well as lesser known examples, Sam Leith takes you through the whole thing. I highly recommend it as almost essential reading for leaders and managers who need to persuade people, and those like me who, from time to time have to get up and speak to bigger groups or teams......Isn't that all of us though?
(P.S. Have I persuaded you?!)
Leadership: 'the ability to inspire followship' #6
To be a Leader... (more 'Shoulds' rather than Musts...) One SHOULD:
Understand and Know How to Deploy Technology
Understand and Know How to Deploy Technology
- Search for breakthrough technologies and practices
- Make critical links between technology and the market place
- Follow rigorously an innovation process
- Be open to new ideas
- Strive to continuously shorten the innovation cycle
- Aim for lowest cost in innovative ways
- Satisfy customer's expectations proactively
- Try to obsolete the existing and be impatient for change
- Think BIG
- Be comfortable with 'grey' situations
- Understand that compromise and 'muddling through' are acceptable as long as basic values and goals are not compromised
- Manage 'dotted line' relationships as effectively as 'solid line'
- Deal constructively with conflict and disagreement
- Build good working relationships with people beyond one's sphere of control
- Separate the important from the unimportant
- Take care of one's physical condition
- Get enough time away from the job
- Create balance between work and non-work activities
- Use other interests for new perspectives
Leadership: 'the ability to inspire followship' #5
To be a Leader... (now for the 'Shoulds' rather than the 'Musts'...) One SHOULD:
Have Had Different Work Experiences
Have Had Different Work Experiences
- Have experience in both line and staff positions
- Be exposed to different disciplines like Marketing, Manufacturing & Finance
- Use your experience to be sensitive to different view points
- Take the opportunity to live or travel extensively outside ones own country
- Build understanding of different cultures
- Be comfortable and effective in working and travelling in the 'global village'
- Speak a foreign language if possible
- Use international experience in business dealings
- Practice diversity as a real competitive advantage
- Understand and be comfortable with P&L and Balance Sheet Management
- Have good analytical skills
- Be able to grasp detail
- Be comfortable using basic financial tools
- Comprehend and use economic data and trends to advantage
- Understand financial markets
Leadership: 'the ability to inspire followship' #4
To be a leader one MUST:
Develop Good Strong Subordinates for Succession
Develop Good Strong Subordinates for Succession
- Look constantly for people smarter than oneself
- Spot future leaders and mentor them
- Set high standards in people selection
- Take chances, especially with young people
- Get 'uncommon' results from 'common' people
- Promote based on Values, Vision and Performance
- Make career development a top priority
- Laugh constantly about life's quirks and especially oneself
- Display enthusiasm and infect others with it
- Kid other people in a non malicious way
- Always be an optimist, especially in the darkest hour
- Have a persistent, can-do attitude
- Develop accurate self-assessments, and change accordingly
- Appreciate luck
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