Leadership … Continued Discussion 1/28/09

In this post I would like to surface an additional quote from the previously quoted Scott Geller, who is a professor at Virginia Tech. In this quote Mr. Geller states that, “authentic leaders are … always open to corrective feedback, and they demonstrate self-discipline to continuously improve.”

Although I have known people in leadership ranks who truly feel they have all of the answers and do not need to either grow or seek the counsel of others, these have been few and far between for me. And every person I would call leader has been an exact opposite of the person just described. Natural leaders seem to understand that they may make ultimate decisions, but that it takes the input of others to evolve best decisions. They also understand that they can and will at some time utilize poor judgment and make mistakes, for which reason they need to continuously expand their knowledge, capabilities and resources … including input-providers. And, that they need to be receptive to corrective feedback.

This last point is especially difficult for most of us, myself included, but it is essential that those who follow a leader feel comfortable providing that level of guidance and constructive feedback, and that the leader be able to embrace the guidance given.

My sense of this is that leaders have to set the example when it comes to corrective feedback. Leaders need to demonstrate that despite their title they need the input of others in order to excel at what they do … even if that input supports a different view or even points to errors made. A leader needs to create a workplace/decision-making environment in which everyone feels completely at ease in putting their thinking into the mix, no matter how different. It is only when that environment of openness is the norm that a leader truly has the opportunity to excel as a leader.

Author Cross-references:

Scott Geller: Also see posts 12/12/08, 2/18/09

Key Word Cross-references:

Authentic/Believable/Genuine: Also see posts 1/2/09, 2/18/08, 2/25/09, 3/16/09, 10/26/09, 12/5/09, 1/4/10, 2/24/10, 5/26/10

Growth: Also see post 9/15/09

Workplace Environment: Also see posts 12/12/08, 2/6/09, 2/19/09, 7/7/09, 8/3/09, 9/9/09, 1/6/10, 4/19/10

Leadership … Continued Discussion 1/16/09

Leadership … Continued Discussion 1/16/09

The quote I would like to discuss in this post is from Oprah Winfrey, and it is a quote that resonates right through me. “Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate and to connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.”

I love this quote. And, it absolutely speaks to what I feel are critical aspects of leadership. To get people on the bus with you and then to get their total commitment to the tasks at hand, you need to understand them. You need to be able to get inside their heads. You need to be part psychologist.

We are all different, with different needs, wants and aspirations. And, until we know what makes someone’s clock tick it is hard to know just where the excitement button lies, or any other button for that matter.

This doesn’t mean that you have to treat everyone differently. What it means is that if you really know and understand others you know what tweaks to your approach you need to make to get certain folks fully charged and engaged.

But, knowledge of others is not all that this quote speaks to. Empathy goes beyond knowledge … as do relating and connecting to others. To achieve these things, you have to be “real” in the eyes of the would-be follower. Your connection with them has to be legitimate. They have to know that you care.

I have known complete-toolbox executives fail miserably because their overarching focus was on grabbing the brass ring … or achieving that next step on the ladder. Sooner or later this other side of them surfaces … which is when their followers begin looking for others to follow … legitimate leaders.

Author Cross-references:

Oprah Winfrey: None

Key Word Cross-references:

Benevolent/Caring/Compassionate/Empathetic: Also see blogs 12/16/08, 2/18/09, 11/11/09, 12/5/09, 1/4/10

Empowerment: Also see blogs 12/12/08, 2/18/09, 5/17/09, 9/9/09

Inspiration/Motivation: Also see blogs 2/3/09, 2/18/09, 2/25/09, 5/17/09, 6/5/09, 6/26/09, 9/9/09, 2/18/10, 2/24/10, 4/19/10

Psychology: Also see blogs 2/18/09, 2/25/09

Leadership … Continued Discussion – 1/14/09

Leadership … Continued Discussion – 1/14/09

The quote that I would like to discuss in this post comes from Mike Molino, who is the president of the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association. The quote appeared in the “CEO to CEO” column in the December 2008 issue of Associations Now, which is the publication of the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership. The column in question was devoted to the subject of “What is the most effective leadership style?” In his comments Mr. Molino succinctly stated that “Great leaders adapt their styles.” He went on to point out that “no leader can be effective if they adapt their principles.”

I think his comments are right on. There are times when a leader has to come down hard; there are times when it is much more important to soft-peddle through a situation; on occasion a leader has to be a cheer leader and morale builder; and, there are yet other times when a leader needs to be inspirational in challenging his or her followers to boldly go where no one else has gone. Leaders have to be able to adapt their approach and affect.

And that brings up a related quote from Warren G. Bennis, “Leaders create shared meaning, have a distinctive voice, have the capacity to adapt, and have integrity,” which appeared in his book On Becoming a Leader. Here, Bennis points to adaptability in general as an important quality in leadership.

And that surfaces yet another quote from Mr. Bennis, from his Harvard Business Review article “The Seven Ages of the Leader,” in which he stated that “The ruling quality of leaders, adaptive capacity, is what allows true leaders to make the nimble decisions that bring success.”

All three quotes taken together, leaders need to be able to adapt to their surroundings, both in regard to what they do and how they do it. Adaptability, especially while being singed by the flames of controversy or an issue, is an essential ingredient in the recipe for success. Great leaders re-evaluate their roadmaps during the journey, changing or modifying these as they go. They spend less time fixated on the immovable objects in the road and instead work with the given environment to accomplish the journey. They maintain their focus on the desired end result and find ways in which to achieve their goals.

Author Cross-references:

Mike Molino: None

Warren G. Bennis: Also see blog 2/6/09, 5/1/09, 8/17/09, 11/11/09, 12/5/09, 2/18/10, 2/24/10

Key Word Cross-reference:

Adaptability/Change: Also see blog 4/20/09, 1/6/10

Ethical/Principled: Also see blog 6/5/09

Leadership … Continued Discussion – 1/13/09

The leadership quote I would like to examine in this posting is from Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey (U.S. Navy, retired), a famed World War II submarine commander, “Put more into life than you expect to get out of it. Drive yourself and lead others. Make others feel good about themselves. They will outperform your expectations, and you will never lack for friends.”

This quote contains several pieces of guidance that speak importantly to me. First, put your energies into what you do. I believe that strongly. I push myself hard, but I get results and I feel that I set a very good example in the process. One can take this too far for sure, but I feel that if something is worth pursuing it is worth doing right. And to get things done right, one has to thoroughly invest oneself in the pursuit.

Second, take the time to acknowledge others. Most leaders I have known are good at this, but most seem to focus solely on the achievers, forgetting those who perhaps need to be mentored and encouraged into achieving. We not only need to congratulate the home run hitter but also provide encouragement to the strikeout victim. It has been my experience that it is often that apparent underachiever who ultimately exceeds expectations to the greatest degree.

Third, a leader can have friends among those he/she leads. I have seen leaders do this well and I have seen them do this poorly. I think a leader can have genuine friendships at any level within the ranks without jeopardizing authority or perception, but this has to be walked carefully. If the perception of favoritism enters the picture everything goes downhill from there. My approach is to treat everyone the same … I treat everyone with respect and I genuinely care about the people with whom I work. And, I have friendly relationships with many on staff, which I do not feel jeopardizes my ability to lead the whole. If anything, I think these relationships underscore for everyone involved that there is a total team at play.

Author Cross-references:

Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey: None

Key Word Cross-references:

Encouragement: Also see post 9/9/09, 3/29/10

Mentoring/Nurturing/Developing: Also see posts 12/8/08, 12/12/08, 2/6/09, 2/28/09, 6/5/09, 7/7/09, 9/9/09, 9/15/09, 10/26/09, 12/5/09, 1/6/10, 3/29/10

Setting the Example: Also see posts 12/12/08, 3/16/09, 5/1/09, 5/17/09, 6/5/09, 7/7/09, 8/17/09, 2/24/10

Team: Also see posts 2/18/09, 4/20/09, 8/3/09, 1/6/10, 4/19/10, 5/26/10

Leadership … Continued Discusion – 1/2/09

By Stevendavis1

Overview: This is an ongoing discussion about leadership, built on quotes that I have assembled through the years.  My intent with this blog is to grow my understanding, and yours, of this thing we call leadership.

The quote I want to explore in this post is by Doug Lennick and Fred Diel from their article “Moral Intelligence for Successful Leadership,” which appeared in the spring 2006 issue of Leader to Leader.  The quote is, “… great leaders are both humble and ambitious.”

The “humble” side of this makes very good sense to me.  Even great leaders fail, just as people in the trenches accomplish great things.  No one of us is better than anyone else. Each of us has our own abilities and contributes in our own ways.  And to harbor for even a brief moment the thought that we are better than anyone else is to lose sight of the reality that it takes all of us working effectively together to accomplish all that we might.  To be humble is to acknowledge that each of us is part of the answer … not “the” answer.

I truly feel this is a critical part of the leadership recipe.   In my mind, to be able to acquire a following and therefore to be able to lead requires a level of genuineness that only a humble person can achieve.

The other part of this quote, the “ambitious” part, is one that I wrestle with a bit.  If ambition is defined as an “eager desire to achieve something,” as it is defined in Webster’s II, I think that ambition truly is a key part of what makes a leader tick. However, it that trait is overly focused on self-advancement, then I think we are talking about a false leader. If someone is more focused on themselves than on the people he or she leads, they belittle the title … and in time they will lose their following as a consequence. Leaders do not put themselves first … ever.

Author Cross-references:

Doug Lennick: Also see post 5/11/10

Fred Diel: Also see post 5/11/10

Key Word Cross-references:

Ambitious: Also see post 5/11/10

Authentic/Believable/Genuine: Also see posts 1/28/09,  2/18/09, 2/25/09, 3/16/09, 10/26/09, 12/5/09, 1/4/10, 2/24/10, 5/26/10

Humility/Humbleness: Also see post 5/11/10