WHAT IS LEADERSHIP Copyright Capacity Building Solutions Inc
WHAT IS LEADERSHIP? Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
“He/She is the best leader who most fully understands the 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 the most feasible means to accomplish his/her ends; and who has the energy and enthusiasm to carry his/her plans persistently toward fruition. ” --- Arthur E. Morgan Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
THE LEADERSHIP WHEEL Balanced & Happy Thoughtful & Empowering YOUR LIFE YOUR ROLE YOUR WORDS Fact Based & Inclusive To Lead & Facilitate LEADERSHIP YOUR DECISIONS Aligned & Committed YOUR ACTIONS YOUR TEAM YOUR KNOWLEDGE “Green & Growing” Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007 Consistent & Effective
YOUR LIFE • • • • Build your life around what is important to you (and the people you care about) Always strive to have a passion(s) – not just work-related Happiness should be your reality not just a goal Being healthy shouldn’t be optional Don’t just be a “taker” – “giving” is more important in the long run Keep score on the things that matter – don’t get bogged down in the unimportant Balance is not just for wimps Would you want to be your spouse or child? 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 There are very few real crisis's in life, 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! Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
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 Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
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 in the field 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 Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
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 Always think in terms of scenarios/contingencies 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 Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
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 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 Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
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 Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
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… Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
“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 Copyright: Capacity Building Solutions Inc, 2007
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