Whether you are a corporate executive, manager, church leader, chamber director or teacher, leadership is the highest skill you can bring to the table, especially in these challenging times. Although we hear the term "born leader" often, more often than not leadership skills are developed rather than discovered. Here are a few ideas for developing your leadership skills.
1. Have a vision.
One reason leaders influence people and organizations is that they have a clear picture of what they want for their business, church, chamber or project. People who leave no doubt where it is they are going attract followers.
2. Be aware.
A leader knows his own strengths and motivations, but also his limitations and challenges. A leader is aware of others' feelings, reactions, strengths and motivations. She is aware of what is "going on" around her.
3. Respond, don't react.
Reactions are emotion driven and often lead to inappropriate words or actions. Strong leaders choose instead to be thoughtful and measured in responding to challenges and crises.
4. Know your values.
Leadership requires self-discipline. Before one can discipline oneself she must know what she stands for in the first place. When you are clear on your values and your standards, and live by them, you become character driven rather than emotion driven.
5. Maintain a positive attitude.
One reason Dr. Norman Vincent Peale's book, "The Power of Positive Thinking," is still one of the best read books in the world is that we all want to be inspired to think positively and know the power of positive thinking. The leader knows how to generate it within himself and to broadcast it.
6. Be enthusiastic.
Along with positive thinking, enthusiasm draws people to you and your cause. Napoleon Hill says that enthusiasm is the steam that drives the engine. The great John Wooden said, "without enthusiasm you can't work up to your fullest ability." Enthusiasm can't be taught, but it can be caught. Catch fire and let others catch yours!
7. Speak well.
Tom Peters, in his book "Power," writes that "being able to speak effectively is real power" and recommends Toastmasters. There's a reason why this international organization of over 8000 clubs calls its training "Leadership and Communications. " Leadership and effective communications go hand-in-hand. Join Toastmasters!
8. Listen well.
One of the most attractive skills we can develop is one of truly listening to others, because it says we care. Yet, experts tell us we hear only 70% of what others are saying. Learn to listen not just with your ears, but with your eyes and your heart.
9. Don't try to fix people.
Help people excel at what they are already good at. So advise Buckingham and Coffman in their book "First, Break All the Rules." The reality is that we don't all have the same potential and we can't all be everything we want to be. The leader recognizes the strengths of others and helps them develop those strengths rather than trying to make them something they are not.
10. Get your needs met.
What must you have in your life in order to be complete? We're talking needs, not wants, which are usually substitutes for our needs. We are told that most of our decisions in life are, at the root, needs driven. When you are not coming from a place of need, your integrity is intact and you are a more effective leader.
Jumat, 16 November 2007
Minggu, 11 November 2007
Characteristics of a Leading Edge Organization
As Tom Peters and Bob Waterman discovered after writing their best-selling, "In Search of Excellence," labeling any organization as "excellent" can be chancy at best. A fair number of those fair-haired stars were not glowing so brightly a couple of years later. Still, what's an entrepreneur to do? There has to be some way to identify the factors that lead to long term success. Here are ten characteristics that any CEO who plans to be around for long might consider.
1. A fluid vision.
Vision, the kind that results in great ideas and organizations, stems from the heart more than the mind. And, as any teenager can tell you, the heart can appear fickle, fragile, and frequently changing. Visions that really work, for individuals and organizations as well, are those that ARE from the heart, and that's their strength. They proceed from feelings, which are the advance antennae of the intellect. So, the rule here is: don't over-logic your vision; let it appear, develop and unfold. Let it be fluid!
2. Chameleon-like adaptiveness.
How quickly and easily can the policies, practices, programs, systems, structures AND plans in your organization be changed? If the answer is, "Not very," then you may want to think again. The leopard or organization that cannot change its spots can be in deep trouble when caught in the cross hairs of a hunter/competitor' s rifle-like attack. Being fully adaptive means that there is virtually nothing in your organization that you would not, or could not change -- except for ...
3. An unwavering set of values.
Values, quite simply, are what you believe, what you live by, and what's really important to you. For individuals, they're the bedrock of self-esteem. For organizations, they're rules to live by that come way before, and long after, the bottom line. They include some of the items on this list as well as things like integrity, honesty, and commitment.
4. An obsession with innovation.
If this had been written only five years ago, the word 'obsession,' would not have been applicable. Some milder term, such as penchant, posture, or proclivity would have suited just fine. Today, those words don't cut it. You must be obsessed with the need to change, innovate, re-create. Nothing less offers even a hope of long term viability.
5. Quality as a relative and an absolute value.
One reason why so many TQM programs haven't worked too well is the failure to recognize that quality is a two-sided coin. Quality is, first, a function of use and price. If you designed a rubber band to last as long as a diamond ring, they would probably end up costing about the same. You design a product in terms of the uses to which it is to be put, and the price you can reasonably expect to get. Within these parameters, however, the secret is to design, produce, and deliver the highest quality product you can for the price.
6. A commitment to value.
Value is a result of correctly defining quality. It's also an extension of the quality philosophy, for having a commitment to value means that, when you recognize you're not delivering full value to the customer, you CHANGE. You may have to change your product, your price, your distribution system, or even your people, but you change, and you do it quickly. The price we pay for high tech and real-time information is that there is increasingly little room for the slow moving company or individual.
7. Service as an absolute value.
Here's one area where there is (or should be) no compromise, and the reason is simple. Customers react to service, or the lack of it, in emotional terms. They aren't rational and they shouldn't be! As any real pro in sales can tell you, attract your customers with total unconditional service, and you've got 'em. That's not to say that you don't have to be price-conscious, only that price is a short-term and highly volatile determination, whereas service is a long-term commitment with equally long-term results.
8. Qualitatively- based leadership.
There's been so much written on leadership the past ten years or so, that it makes you wonder if there were any good leaders before 1985! The fact is, effective, enlightened, or just darn good leaders possess five key qualities. They are highly inner directed, dynamically balanced, incredibly flexible, internally empowered, and personally committed. You may think that's a tall order, but as the saying goes: "Only the best ..."
9. An infinite capacity for renewal.
We need to design organizations and leaders the way the body is designed. According to Dr. Deepak Chopra, noted author and ayurvedic specialist, every cell in the body is renewed annually. Just think how different our organizations would be if we applied the same principles as the Big Fellow did!
10. A deep abiding sense of community.
Two of the greatest contributions of modern physics are the notions of infinite connectedness and holographic reality. (Look that up in your Funk & Wagnalls.) That we are all connected with interests and futures intertwined, is still only slowly dawning upon much of corporate America. And that we, in our selves and our organizations, are each "representations of the whole," is an idea that has yet to be aired in most board rooms.
1. A fluid vision.
Vision, the kind that results in great ideas and organizations, stems from the heart more than the mind. And, as any teenager can tell you, the heart can appear fickle, fragile, and frequently changing. Visions that really work, for individuals and organizations as well, are those that ARE from the heart, and that's their strength. They proceed from feelings, which are the advance antennae of the intellect. So, the rule here is: don't over-logic your vision; let it appear, develop and unfold. Let it be fluid!
2. Chameleon-like adaptiveness.
How quickly and easily can the policies, practices, programs, systems, structures AND plans in your organization be changed? If the answer is, "Not very," then you may want to think again. The leopard or organization that cannot change its spots can be in deep trouble when caught in the cross hairs of a hunter/competitor' s rifle-like attack. Being fully adaptive means that there is virtually nothing in your organization that you would not, or could not change -- except for ...
3. An unwavering set of values.
Values, quite simply, are what you believe, what you live by, and what's really important to you. For individuals, they're the bedrock of self-esteem. For organizations, they're rules to live by that come way before, and long after, the bottom line. They include some of the items on this list as well as things like integrity, honesty, and commitment.
4. An obsession with innovation.
If this had been written only five years ago, the word 'obsession,' would not have been applicable. Some milder term, such as penchant, posture, or proclivity would have suited just fine. Today, those words don't cut it. You must be obsessed with the need to change, innovate, re-create. Nothing less offers even a hope of long term viability.
5. Quality as a relative and an absolute value.
One reason why so many TQM programs haven't worked too well is the failure to recognize that quality is a two-sided coin. Quality is, first, a function of use and price. If you designed a rubber band to last as long as a diamond ring, they would probably end up costing about the same. You design a product in terms of the uses to which it is to be put, and the price you can reasonably expect to get. Within these parameters, however, the secret is to design, produce, and deliver the highest quality product you can for the price.
6. A commitment to value.
Value is a result of correctly defining quality. It's also an extension of the quality philosophy, for having a commitment to value means that, when you recognize you're not delivering full value to the customer, you CHANGE. You may have to change your product, your price, your distribution system, or even your people, but you change, and you do it quickly. The price we pay for high tech and real-time information is that there is increasingly little room for the slow moving company or individual.
7. Service as an absolute value.
Here's one area where there is (or should be) no compromise, and the reason is simple. Customers react to service, or the lack of it, in emotional terms. They aren't rational and they shouldn't be! As any real pro in sales can tell you, attract your customers with total unconditional service, and you've got 'em. That's not to say that you don't have to be price-conscious, only that price is a short-term and highly volatile determination, whereas service is a long-term commitment with equally long-term results.
8. Qualitatively- based leadership.
There's been so much written on leadership the past ten years or so, that it makes you wonder if there were any good leaders before 1985! The fact is, effective, enlightened, or just darn good leaders possess five key qualities. They are highly inner directed, dynamically balanced, incredibly flexible, internally empowered, and personally committed. You may think that's a tall order, but as the saying goes: "Only the best ..."
9. An infinite capacity for renewal.
We need to design organizations and leaders the way the body is designed. According to Dr. Deepak Chopra, noted author and ayurvedic specialist, every cell in the body is renewed annually. Just think how different our organizations would be if we applied the same principles as the Big Fellow did!
10. A deep abiding sense of community.
Two of the greatest contributions of modern physics are the notions of infinite connectedness and holographic reality. (Look that up in your Funk & Wagnalls.) That we are all connected with interests and futures intertwined, is still only slowly dawning upon much of corporate America. And that we, in our selves and our organizations, are each "representations of the whole," is an idea that has yet to be aired in most board rooms.
Jumat, 31 Agustus 2007
Are You a Perfect 10?
According to an opinion survey of 5,000 workers, employees look for the following characteristics in an effective leader:
1. Has the ability to give clear direction.
2. Practices candid, honest, and open communication; encourages two-way communication and creates a climate of trust.
3. Is willing to coach and support people.
4. Relates rewards to performance.
5. Gives feedback on important actions.
6. Selects the right people for the organization.
7. Understands the financial implications of decisions.
8. Encourages new ideas.
9. Gives employees a voice in decisions.
10. Displays consistent high integrity.
Remember, employees want to work for leaders they can respect.
1. Has the ability to give clear direction.
2. Practices candid, honest, and open communication; encourages two-way communication and creates a climate of trust.
3. Is willing to coach and support people.
4. Relates rewards to performance.
5. Gives feedback on important actions.
6. Selects the right people for the organization.
7. Understands the financial implications of decisions.
8. Encourages new ideas.
9. Gives employees a voice in decisions.
10. Displays consistent high integrity.
Remember, employees want to work for leaders they can respect.
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