by admin on August 31, 2010
The 3rd and final part of the required attibutes of successful leadership:
40 Is strategic in thinking and outlook – but is also aware that successful implementation is what counts
41 Is a team player – not an autocrat, gives credit to others and seeks and values their opinions
42 Trusts others – but verifies what she or he is told
43 Is trusted by others – is honest in all dealings
44 Understands the ‘value proposition’ of the business
45 Is unwavering in the pursuit of his / her goals – but is aware of risks, monitors progress and is not afraid to change course when needed
46 Has clearly developed and articulated values
47 Is visionary – can see the big picture and read future trends
48 Walks the talk – always
49 Is consistent and even-handed in behaviours and decisions
50 Watches the details – while delegating and not getting bogged down him / herself; well understands that inattention to the detail can bring them undone
51 Is not afraid to admit mistakes – learns from them and moves on
52 Has a degree of luck, even though it is true that we can make our own. Sometimes, just being in the right place at the right time does help!
Good luck with your leadership endeavours! Rember – practice just one attribute a week.
by admin on August 23, 2010
Continuing the list of required attibutes from part 1 above:
18 Minimises the casualties from his / her decisions
19 Maintains focus on the strategic direction
20 Generates ‘buy-in’ from all parties
21 Is engaging – and genuinely interested in people and their well-being
22 Humility – keeps feet on the ground
23 Has high standards of integrity – and insists on the same from others
24 Intellect – has a high level of intelligence
25 Exercises sound judgement – particularly under pressure
26 Knows the business and its operating environment well
27 Knows the questions to ask
28 Is a good listener, emotionally as well
29 Is numerate – can read and understand financial statements
30 Doesn’t ‘play games’ or mess people around – ensures others do likewise
31 Is passionate – about life, the business, family, other interests
32 Has top grade people skills – encourages their input, values their opinions, develops their skills and is motivating, supportive, caring and constructively critical
33 Is perceptive – can read situations and other people well
34 Persists – when the going gets tough…
35 Is persuasive – without being bullying or dogmatic
36 Prioritises tasks – works on the important stuff
37 Is resilient – bounces back from setbacks
38 Is self-aware and self critical – knows his / her deficiencies and addresses them; can accept criticism from others
39 Has a healthy self-esteem – but does not believe he / she is infallible
…to be continued in Part 3 shortly…
by admin on August 17, 2010
Winston Churchill, the great British war-time leader, once observed, “Sometimes it is not sufficient to do one’s best – sometimes one has to do what is necessary”. And so it is with leading organisations.
The question of what makes someone a great leader has long exercised many minds, but still the debate rages. Whatever those qualities are, it is clear that we aren’t doing such a good job at producing great leaders – just look at the never-ending stream of management fads over the last 100 years, the countless books and articles, the myriad of university courses and the huge investment in leadership development programs and ask what we have got from it all. Surveys of staff attitudes to their leaders consistently and clearly indicate that the answer is ‘very little’.
From my own experiences, observations, discussions and readings spanning over 30 years, I have concluded that there are certain innate qualities which set good leaders apart. I have identified 52 of these attributes which are listed below.
For those aspiring to be CEOs, this list may seem somewhat daunting. But, to coin a phrase, these are not ‘rocket science’ – they are skills which are readily definable and learnable. In fact, with 52 in the list, why not focus and practice on just one per week and see the amazing difference after only a year?
This is a list to keep in your top drawer and refer to frequently – as a reminder of what is necessary and to help focus your efforts and behaviours. It is also a useful benchmark to assess the leaders you work with. The list is in no particular order.
- Adaptable to changing situations and circumstances
- Can handle ambiguity – is not ‘black and white’
- Is analytical – can get to the core issue quickly
- Astute people selection – does not seek clones but rather those who complement his / her skills and who won’t be afraid to challenge
- Balanced – has a life outside the office
- Challenges the status quo
- Clarity – can think and talk clearly, stays focussed
- Is a willing and available coach / mentor to others
- Shows commitment – to the business, the task in hand, the executive team and staff generally
- A good communicator- both in one-to-one and group situations, as well as in writing – in substance and not just style
- Competent in the role / level
- Confident of his / her ability but keenly sensitive to the dangers of hubris
- Has the courage of his / her convictions– particularly in troubled times, but is not foolhardy
- Delegates – doesn’t try to do everything him/herself, but expects accountability
- Is clear on his / her direction – knows where they are heading and why, and how to get there
- Has ‘emotional intelligence’ – can empathise and manage relationships with others
- Is energetic – but knows when to slow down / switch off……. (to be continued in part 2)
by admin on August 8, 2010
Leadership looks and sounds easy.
We all readily recognise a good leader or boss. They are visionary, intelligent, decisive and fair. They delegate, lead balanced lives, communicate well, are team players, cope well under pressure and embrace technology and change.
We also instinctively recognise a bad leader or bad boss. Bad bosses are autocratic, hierarchical, inconsistent and non-intuitive. The sort who kick heads and ask questions later. They surround themselves with clones who are scared to offer diverging opinions and enjoy playing power games, such as intimidating staff or withholding information.
So, what defines good and bad leadership?
A leader:
- Has a creative vision for the organisation
- Is emotionally mature
- Has a firm grasp of technology and its implications for society
- Is a team player who is able to delegate and enable other team members to excel
- Thinks strategically and politically
- Is disciplined and fair
- Has achieved a work/life balance
- Welcomes divergent views but is tough and decisive when necessary
- Copes well during times of extreme change, pressure and uncertainty
- Tells the truth
A manager, on the other hand, is someone who:
- Feels most comfortable dealing with the internal complexity of an organisation
- Lacks strategic vision
- Is intent on improving the status quo
- Enjoys putting someone else’s vision into practice
While a bad boss:
- Is dictatorial, bullying and inconsistent
- Feels threatened by divergent opinions and will surround himself/herself with people of similar views
- Withholds information and uses his or her power to effect change
- Enjoys intimidating staff and is often autocratic
- Is one-dimensional
- Quells conflict rather than drawing differences out
- Is a workaholic with few if any close relationships
It all souds pretty easy, doesn’t it? What’s stopping you?
by admin on July 28, 2010
With the Australian national elections well underway, we are seeing a regular flow of opinion polls which show the low regard in which politicians are held by the community. PR ‘spin’, outright lies, mindless repetition of slogans, changing of positions when challenged, saying one thing then doing another and blaming others are often cited as reasons for these low ratings.
Let’s not forget that politicians are not alone in the ‘low regard’ stakes.
Survey after survey comes up withe same sorts of depressing results for our CEO’s. Overwhelmingly, their staff do not trust them. Saying one thing and doing another is a particularly strong criticism. You know the drill: “People are our most important resource, blah, blah…” the annual reports and posters claim. Yet the way staff are then treated in reality is often the exact opposite.
It’s no wonder that so many change programs fail. Why will staff follow the leader on another ‘crusade’ when they don’t trust that person?
I have written more on this important issue of leadership credibility. You can read it here. PEOPLE ARE OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESOURCE
by admin on July 22, 2010
It is surpising how many senior exectuives and professionals I come across who while outwardly happy with their successful career and high-paying job, are inwardly deeply unhappy. They feel stuck in their success or unable to make a change because of perceived financial or reputational reasons.
Others simply can’t make sense of all the options they have. They know they want to do something they really like, but just can’t make a decision from all the options they have available to them.
For others, often at the end of their careers or in semi or permanent retirement, the issue becomes one of creating a new ‘identity’ for themselves to replace the huge one that they have moved on from. They want to remain active, a contributor, to learn new things and maybe continue to earn an income of sorts.
In all these situations, a good mentor or coach can be invaluable and save a lot of time and anguish.
While you consider such a step, you will also find it useful to read up on the subject.
A great place to start is A Life At Work by Thomas Moore.
by admin on July 22, 2010
Many leaders in many organisations are rightly heavily focussed right now on creating value.
Unfortunately, much of their effort is directed to the, usually futile, attempted creation of a ‘killer’ new product or product line.
Often, there is far greater value to be harvested from re-engineering existing processes. Not just ‘tweeking’ sytems but looking for opportunities to make real paradignm shifts in the way business is done.
One good example of this is the US car insurance company which decided, after crunching the numbers, to do away with checking claims. It just pays them – and fast.
How’s that for a paradigm shift!
What opportunities does your organisation present?
