Leadership: yes, but what about self-leadership?

published: 2011-10-17

The renown blogger, Seth Godin, hits home runs oftener than most. Here’s a recent one* that was short but sharp. “The job of the CEO isn't to check things off the agenda. Her job is to set the agenda, to figure out what's next. Now that more and more of us are supposed to be CEOs of our own lives and careers, it might be time to rethink who's setting your agenda.” Putting this another way … as leaders, we need to lead ourselves before we try to lead others. If you can’t do that, you can hardly be a credible or trustworthy model. So here are six aspects of your self-leadership to check – to see if you merit the licence to lead others. ... read more

Leadership: of followers not just bosses

published: 2011-09-05

Who’s more important for you: your boss or your team members? Not easy. We all have to balance the expectations of a range of people. However, as any sports captain knows, there’s no game without players. And, that means your direct reports, who do the work. So, let’s invert the mindset of an old HBR article entitled “Surviving your new boss”? To start your thinking, ask yourself this: what would my team suggest I do differently, so they’ll better survive my leadership? Below are some thoughts under the seven headings from the original article but with each refocused on the needs of your team rather than your boss. ... read more

Leadership: what the world most needs today

published: 2011-08-01

An American friend wrote to me last week that “The Tea Party is a bunch of crazies. But, they have put our intransigence on the table and deserve credit for refusing to just let things go until we are even more bankrupt. The country is crying out for leadership with a vision … a strategic vision for our future.” Regardless of nationality or political allegiance, people around the world are looking for leaders, who lead. What would your people say of you? Leading or a dithering? Deciding or avoiding? Doing or talking? Here are seven actions to consider. ... read more

Leadership: great skills, rotten attitude

published: 2011-04-04

Many of us start our careers using a professional skill – as an engineer, accountant, analyst, lawyer or designer. We land our first job based on the quality of our academic results. Early assignments let us show off these skills and hone them – possibly leading to promotion. It’s natural, therefore, to conclude that professional qualifications are our key attribute. Natural, but wrong. We may fail to notice that people don’t like being around us – or may avoid working with or for us. Have you ever faced that realisation? I have: it’s a shock. But, the question is how well you shift – realising technical proficiency is only half a tool kit. Below are two lists that allow you to check this out … and what to do about it. ... read more

Leadership: how healthy is your business?

published: 2011-02-28

If you’re feeling off-colour, a doctor checks your “vital signs” of temperature, blood (both pulse and pressure) plus breathing. A leader working in the healthcare industry asked me what might be comparable vital signs for a business. It’s probably foolhardy to draw parallels between people and businesses. People are singular but substantially similar bio-organisms. Companies, though, are hugely more diverse: in nature, scale and organisation. But, foolhardy I am! So below, I’ve listed three tests plus a fourth for good measure – my four “Cs”. As a leader, what does each tell you about your business today? More importantly, which is tracking least well? And, what leadership medicine are you administering? ... read more

LEADERSHIP: HOW’S YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND COURAGE?

published: 2010-08-30

What do lobsters, scorpions and bees have in common? Yes, a capacity to inflict a nasty bite. But they also all lack a spine. An exoskeleton (the lobster’s hard shell) is all that holds their bodies together. There’s no internal bone structure. Some leaders are like this. Outer toughness and a nasty bite: the cutting remark or petulant decision. But little inner structure or resolve that makes for true leadership that will deliver results and build respect. What would people say about you: outer show or inner strength? Here are some action options. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: THAT ONE KEY LESSON

published: 2010-07-07

How do you rate yourself on the following five actions? Showing self-awareness?. Demonstrating authenticity, integrity and compassion? Understanding and engaging people as individuals? Showing self-leadership and adaptability? Communicating, particularly listening well – and widely? These are my phrases but, taken together, they encapsulate nearly 80% of the responses to a recent online survey that asked “if you could teach one thing to a young leader, what would it be?” From my decades of working with leaders (and being one), I can’t fault any of these suggestions. Even though, at times and to my cost, I’ve ignored some! But, notwithstanding their importance, they’re less than the full picture. Let me explain why – and suggest what else might be needed. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: WHEN IN DOUBT, DISAGGREGATE

published: 2010-05-31

Seth Godin is part blogger, part public intellectual. Some days, he really nails a topic. Here’s an abbreviated introduction to a recent posting*.

“The typical American buys precisely one book a year … (but) when it comes to books, there is no typical American. There are a lot of Americans who buy zero books … and then there are people like me who buy 400. The average is irrelevant.”

It’s the old warning of the non-swimmer, who drowned in a river of one-metre average depth. So, what’s the equivalent for your leadership? Are you just taking “average” one-size-fits-all actions? Here’s a three-step alternative.

LEADERSHIP: ARE YOU CONVENIENCE OR QUALITY?

published: 2010-05-03

Kevin Maney has created a strategic-choice continuum. At one end, businesses position themselves to offer quality (or what he calls fidelity). High-priced stuff, which customers buy for its market-standing and their personal-image enhancement. A Louis Vuitton bag says I’ve got taste – and money. At the other end is convenience. Discount flights and meals cost little but do nothing for your self-belief or mystique. If you applied this thinking to your leadership, where on the Maney Continuum would you fall? Nearer to quality or convenience? Let’s check that out. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: BEWARE OF YOUR STRENGTHS

published: 2010-03-22

Twenty years ago, I was shocked to hear that some of the reasons my wife had originally been attracted to me were now driving us apart. My decisiveness and energy were leaving no decision-room for her. It's often the same in business. Our natural attributes, which are powerful and value-adding, can go to extreme and undermine effectiveness. If I asked your colleagues, which two of your strengths would they say are most causing them trouble? Here's a checklist that might help. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: AND, THE OBAMA CABINET

published: 2008-11-30

As President-elect, three of Barack Obama's earliest appointments have been: Treasury secretary (Timothy Geithner); Director, National Economic Council (Lawrence Summers); and Director, Council of Economic Advisers (Christina Romer) .  Why these roles, and why so quickly? ... read more

LEADERSHIP: BEAT THE BUST

published: 2008-10-28

The Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffett, says the downturn is going to be both deep and long. Global central banks have caught the falling knife of financial collapse. But, there's blood (and shredded reputations) on the floor. And now, the real economy is in for a bad time. Customers are already delaying purchases; banks are loathe to lend - even to good businesses; and, no-one knows what the next fright will be. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: THE MIDAS TOUCH

published: 2008-10-20

The legendary King Midas had a special gift.  Everything he touched turned to gold.  Sounds great, but it wasn’t good for his diet - and he died.  However today, having the "Midas touch" means the ability to make money.  And, many business leaders have this special skill.  They smell what's profitable and what's not.