WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?


“He/She is the best leader who most fully understandsthe nature of things, so that his/her plans are not

doomed to ultimate failure; who possesses an active,far-ranging imagination which can see many possibilities;

who has a sense of values, so that among possibilities he/she is able to choose the most excellent;

who has a sense of order, to give form, design and program to the values and purposes he/she selects; who

has practical sense and judgment, and so uses themost feasible means to accomplish his/her ends; andwho has the energy and enthusiasm to carry his/her

plans persistently toward fruition.”

--- Arthur E. Morgan


THE LEADERSHIP WHEEL

YOUR WORDS

YOUR DECISIONS

YOUR TEAMYOUR

KNOWLEDGE

YOUR ACTIONS

YOUR ROLE

YOUR LIFE

LEADERSHIP

Balanced & Happy

To Lead & Facilitate

Consistent & Effective

“Green & Growing”

Thoughtful & Empowering

Fact Based & Inclusive

Aligned & Committed


YOUR LIFE• Build your life around what is important to you (and the people you care about)• Always strive to have a passion for something. However make sure your efforts in this

regard are constructive for you and those around you and it makes you a happier person.• Happiness should be your reality not just a goal• Being healthy shouldn’t be optional• It’s important not just to be a “taker” in life. Being a “giver” is more important in the long run.

It's also been proven that “giving” ultimately leads to higher levels of personal satisfaction and happiness.

• Keep score on the things that matter – don’t get bogged down in the unimportant• Balance is not just for wimps• It's important to ask yourself the following question every once in awhile, " Would you want to

be your child, spouse (significant other), sibling or close friend?" These are the relationships that truly matter in life.

• Spend the most time with people who make you feel good about yourself and life in general• Important relationships operate best as a well cultivated garden, unless you tend to them on

a regular basis, weeds will grow• Build friendships outside of work• Always make non-work time for yourself even if its in bits and pieces• Very few things in life constitute a real crisis, strive to keep a balanced and proper

perspective• Living life as an emotional rollercoaster can be exhausting for you and those around you• What is the legacy you want to leave – Live It!


YOUR ROLE • Always strive to operate at your “highest and best use” to the organization• If the problem can be solved by someone else, let them do it• Delegate decision making whenever possible – your focus should be on

the truly important issues• Think like an orchestra conductor – get all the different pieces working

together in harmony• You must be consistently clear on what success looks like and how to get

there, otherwise confusion will emerge• You are the Chief Accountability Officer• Work “on” not just “in” the organization• Your are an ambassador for your organization to the rest of the world –

never forget this• Understand that as long as there is someone else in the office, you have

an audience• Effectively navigate the present, while actively planning for the future• Minimize office politics every chance you get• You set the tone, remain positive and keep crises to a minimum• Your role is what you make of it – there are no excuses when you are in

charge


YOUR ACTIONS• Walk the Talk; Lead by example – what they see is what you get• You are the Chief Priority Officer – stay focused or else…• Address your biggest challenges/opportunities today; Don’t procrastinate• Don’t get sucked into the vortex of hyper-activity• Focus on outcomes not activities; Begin with the “end in mind”• Create a “burning platform” when major change is needed• When it comes to the outside world, share the credit and shoulder the

blame• Be a coach/mentor to your direct reports – seek out a coach/mentor• How you treat people, sets the standard for your organization (and

children)• Micromanaging always does more harm than good in the long run; Hire

the right people, give them clear direction, and then “trust” them• Be wary of becoming too distant from the front lines and

customer/market perceptions; Get out of the office and • It’s okay to play favorites, as long as you pick the right ones• Avoid emotional extremes, they exhaust those around you and weaken

your credibility• Always remember to take the time to debrief failures and celebrate

successes


YOUR KNOWLEDGE • Continually Invest in your own brainpower; without constant exercise, knowledge

atrophies like a muscle• Stick to a regular reading schedule (not just non-fiction and including the classics)• There is no acceptable excuse for being ignorant about important $ issues• Push yourself to interact with people who make you (and each other) smarter• Hire subject matter experts, strive to be a generalist• Embrace, don’t shy away from the tough questions/answers• If you don’t know the answer be honest about it and seek out help• Failure has no value whatsoever unless you learn from it• Ask more questions, talk less• Encourage others to challenge your thinking; don’t ever think you “know it all”

because you don’t• Always think in terms of scenarios/contingencies; things rarely turn out exactly as

planned• Know when to play chess and when to play checkers• Allow time for daily planning and reflection• Understand that experience should be leveraged but is no substitute for specific

knowledge• Learn something new every day; your brain will atrophy like a muscle if it isn't used

on a daily basis


YOUR TEAM • Pick your team carefully, correct people mistakes quickly• Spend the time to build a well-honed team dynamic/culture• Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are and then let them prove

it• Don’ be threatened by other’s who have strong opinions – this is what you pay them

for• Always make sure the team understands it decision making/activity parameters;

eliminate any confusion around “scope creep”• A chain is only as strong as its weakest link• Team conflict is good as long as it is issue not personality driven• Spend the majority of your time with your top performers• Have someone who fits well with the organization’s values is much more important in

the long run than recruiting a superstar talent who is a values disconnect• Nothing good ever comes from a turf battle; become an anti-silo zealot• Spend the group’s time wisely; know what’s a group issue and what’s not• Take full responsibility for making your meetings effective and well worth the

expenditure of resources, time and effort• Your own ego can be your biggest obstacle to success in a group context• Don’t defer your leadership responsibilities to the team – it confuses them and

weakens you


YOUR DECISIONS • Be DECISIVE!!!• Make sure you are in touch with your risk profile; push yourself and your

organization but don’t try and be someone you’re not • Do your homework, but don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis• Strive to make educated rather than “seat of the pants” decisions; FACTS

matter• Very few decisions should be made in isolation; consult the affected parties• Never second guess yourself or your team once a decision is made• The most important decisions you make are always PEOPLE decisions• Don’t declare victory too soon or get mired in defeat too long• Once a course of action is set, implementation should be non-negotiable• Once you go public with an organizational deadline, rarely miss it• When you are wrong, admit it, knowingly jumping off a cliff is rarely

courageous, but always dangerous…• Learn from your failures, otherwise they come back to haunt you• Build a network of advisors you can consult on all major decisions – no leader

is an island• Encourage contrary opinions up until the point that the decision is made• Know the difference between group decisions and leadership initiative• Your primary motivation should always be what’s in the best interest of the

organization, not any one individual including yourself


YOUR WORDS • Your words carry more weight than you think…• Take the time to think before you talk, especially on important matters• Practice before speaking to large audiences• Style points do matter, set the stage properly• People always listen best to those they perceive to be good listeners• Never forget that words can have different meanings to different people• Watch your body language, it controls the mood and performance in the room• Strive to be clear rather than impressive with your rhetoric• On all important matters, message repetition is key• Never underestimate the capacity of your audience to jump to conclusions, if you don’t

provide them• Speak at the level that makes your audience most comfortable receiving the info• Match the communication strategy to the specific situation• Use humor and story telling strategically (but not in a contrived fashion)• When confronted with a contrary opinion, don’t be defensive, instead hear the other person

out and stay focused on the issue not the person• Leverage your emotional capacity to make critical points as needed – sometimes emotion IS

called for…


“All men (and women) seek one goal: success or happiness. The only way to achieve true success is to express yourself completely in service to society. First,

have a definite, clear, practical ideal – a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to

achieve your ends – wisdom, money, materials and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.

- Aristotle

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

Documents

Transcript of WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?