Leadership … Continued Discussion 5/11/10

In this post I want to examine another quote from Ken Blanchard’s book The Heart of a Leader, which is absolutely filled with good guidance.  The quote in question is shared by Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale, and is taken from their coauthored book The Power of Ethical Management, another outstanding book.  Their words are as follows, “People with humility don’t think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less.”

Humility is a component of character that some might view as a weakness, especially those with overcharged ambition, but that I view as a strength. And this brings to mind a Hungarian proverb, “When ambition ends, happiness begins,” which in this instance I would alter to read, “when ambition is tempered with humility, all things are possible.” Doug Lennick and Fred Diel, in their article “Moral Intelligence for Successful Leadership,” in the spring 2006 issue of Leader to Leader, said something similar, “great leaders are both humble and ambitious.”

Although the buck stops at the corner office where the difficult decisions are made, no leader is omnipotent.  No leader has all the answers.  And, every leader makes mistakes.  The day the leader forgets that they are but one piece of the puzzle through which progress can be made, is the day that such leaders begin to lose their ability to lead effectively.  Humility is understanding that every piece of that puzzle is significant … no one piece more so than another.  If any one of those puzzle pieces is missing, there is no perfect ending … no best-possible resolution.  Effective leaders understand this and are fully willing to publicly embrace their vulnerability.  This is when a true sense of possibility becomes a common thread within a team, a staff, an organization … when there is a top-down and down-up philosophy that none of us is perfect and that it takes all of us to move forward to the extent possible.

George Arliss, an 1800s – 1900s English actor, author, playwright and film-maker who had great success in America, said it far better than can I, “Humility is the only true wisdom by which we prepare our minds for all the possible changes of life.” To lack humility or to have an insufficient ability to be humble is to go through life with blinders on … seeing only what our own eyes reveal.  Empowered and encouraged to participate by a leader’s humbleness, the vision of others can contribute a level of clarity that no single pair of eyes can envision.   Genuine humbleness, and it absolutely must be genuine, is one of the keys to opening the door to the realm of possibilities.

Humbleness, believing as much in others as in oneself and being fully in touch with ones own vulnerabilities, is a strength from which personal and collaborative excellence can emanate.  Humble leaders are those who set an example of accountability that, when replicated in others, can bread the kind of creative synergy that can overcome obstacles of any size.  But, it all starts with being honestly humble.

Author Cross-references:

George Arliss: None

Ken Blanchard: Also see posts 9/9/09, 4/19/10

Steven H. Davis: Also see post 9/26/09, 5/26/10

Fred Diel: Also see post 1/2/09

Doug Lennick: Also see post 1/2/09

Norman Vincent Peale: None

Key Word Cross-references:

Ambitious: Also see post 1/2/09

Humility/Humbleness: Also see post 1/2/09

Leadership … Continued Discussion 3/29/10

In this post I want to explore the larger side of leadership … the reality that every individual, regardless of rank or station in life, has the opportunity to lead the way.  And although there are many quotes I could gravitate to toward underscoring that reality, I want to quote Ken Blanchard, the author of The Heart of a Leader, who stated in his book that “Leadership isn’t just about having a powerful position.  Anytime you use your influence to affect the thoughts and actions of others, you are engaging in leadership.”

In making that statement, Blanchard succinctly defines leadership as having influence … a statement with which I fully agree.  Underscoring this, let me resurface a quote utilized in a long-ago post, one from John C. Maxwell and his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, “The true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.” And Richard Chait, in a June/July 2004 article in Board Source, also pointed to the significance of influence in saying that leadership is “the power to influence culture, values, and beliefs.  The ability to shape agendas and priorities.” To be sure there are many, many other qualities that help to comprise what we traditionally see in a leader, but when you boil it down, influence is the critical characteristic.  If you cannot influence others to follow your agenda or to get on the bus with you, you cannot lead.

So, how does one raise their influence quotient?  Although there are many roads that lead to evolving one’s ability to influence others, I can speak best to my own road traveled.    For me, the single most important step in that journey was gaining belief in myself and growing confidence in the process.  It is very lonely sitting out on the end of an idea branch … for all to see and potentially throw rocks at, but influencing others, and therefore  experiencing leadership, is about taking such risks.   Goethe described the alternative well in saying that “The dangers of life are infinite and safety is among them.” Once you become a willing idea contributor, you have the opportunity to shape discussions and influence the decisions-made.  And this can come at any level on the food chain.  You don’t have to be sitting at the head of the table or have all of the answers, you just need to be willing to contribute to the process.  Indeed, in my many years in nonprofit management, the bulk of the really good ideas that made it to the table were from middle managers and below … those people most in the trenches.

That said, the next logical question to surface is how does one embrace risk-taking … how does one learn how to take those leaps of faith?  Although there is a natural weave of this through most of us, clearly some are much more risk-aligned than others.  However, when mentored down this road, even the risk adverse have the opportunity to take such leaps.  And this surfaces a critical function of all leaders … to grow those around them.  And when it comes to growing risk-taking in others, perhaps the most available opportunity for any leader is to encourage absolutely everyone to be a part of the process.  Isabel Briggs Myers, the late American psychological theorist and co-creator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, provides us with a clear enough process … “If you don’t know what an extrovert is thinking, you haven’t been listening.  If you don’t know what an introvert is thinking, you haven’t asked.” Simple enough, ask and listen … but mean it when you ask for an opinion and listen intently.  Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, had an interesting twist on this, “Listen long enough and the person will generally come up with an adequate solution.” Asking, encouraging and listening are the three legs of this mentoring stool.

So, to the leader I would say … invest in others and grow their belief in themselves.  Help them to contribute … help them to grow their confidence and therefore their leadership skills.  And to the would-be leader I would say … believe in yourself.  Know that you can make a difference.  And share your good thinking whenever the opportunity arises.

Author Cross-references:

Mary Kay Ash: None

Ken Blanchard: Also see post 9/10/09, 5/11/10

Richard Chait: None

John C. Maxwell: Also see posts 12/8/08, 6/5/09, 6/26/09, 11/20/09

Isabel Briggs Myers: None

Key Word Cross-references:

Chance Taking: Also see posts 12/12/08, 3/25/09, 7/7/09, 11/1/09, 3/12/10

Confidence: Also see post 2/19/09

Encouragement: Also see posts 1/13/09, 9/9/09

Influence: Also see posts 12/8/08, 2/25/09, 2/18/10

Listening: Also see posts 8/3/09, 9/9/09, 10/26/09, 1/29/10

Mentoring/Nurturing/Developing: Also see posts 12/8/08, 12/12/08, 1/13/09, 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

Leadership … Continued Discussions 3/12/10

In this post I want to consider a passage from Steward D. Friedman’s book, Total Leadership.  In a discussion on being real and acting with authenticity, Friedman points to the importance of having a vision in saying that “effective leaders articulate a vision – a compelling image of an achievable future – that inspires them and the people around them.” Being able to see things that are not there, to shape a sense of how things need to be in a chaotic world in which change is fast-paced and constant, and to rally those around you to follow your lead is perhaps the essence of leadership.  But how does one evolve into such a visionary?  This is what I would like to ponder in this particular post.

One is not born a visionary … this is something that I feel a person needs to grow into.  And perhaps the beginning point for that journey is to open one’s mind to accepting change.  Oscar Wilde, the Irish poet and author of the late 1800s and early 1900s, had an interesting take on this, “Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.” So, perhaps an even earlier starting point is to open one’s imagination to what is possible.  Anatole France, the French novelist of the late 1800s and early 1900s, spoke to this in saying that “to accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act.” And, John F. Kennedy touched on this also when he shared that “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities.  We need men who can dream of things that never were.” And his brother Robert gave us similar guidance when he said that “There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why.  I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.”

Taking that a step further, allowing one’s imagination to run free serves very much as a portal to the world of possibilities that exists outside of our current realities.  And once untethered from what is real today, there is the opportunity to envision the alternatives that will pave the way to tomorrow’s strategies.  But this journey always finds its beginning with imagination.  Charles F. Kettering, the prolific American inventor, succinctly put it this way, “Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future.” To see  through the clutter, we need to free ourselves of what is, embrace change as an opportunity, and look for the roads less traveled.  And this is where I would quote yet another French novelist of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Marcel Proust, “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” This is vision.  This is how one sees what is yet to be.  This is how a visionary creates the path forward … through an unimpaired sense of what might be.

But what is the next step, once one is open to the realm of possibilities?  This is when intelligence comes into play, but not of the IQ sort.  None of us, no matter how imaginative and embracing of change, can see the full range of issues, impacts and opportunities that comprise the future.  We need to supplement our own view of things with that of others.  Each of us resides in our own, self-made trench that is filled with our own realities and perceptions.  To garner a sense of the future, we need to climb out of our trenches, which is the “opening our minds to the possibilities” part of the process, but then we need to actively solicit the input of other stakeholders if we are to see beyond our own sense of things.  The clearest vision of the future is comprised of the individual views of all who have a role in painting that future.  It is through an inclusive process of this sort that the mist lifts … to reveal the necessary road ahead.

Author Cross-references:

Anatole France: None

Stewart D. Friedman: None

John F. Kennedy: None

Robert Kennedy: None

Charles F. Kettering: None

Marcel Proust: None

Oscar Wilde: None

Key Word Cross-references:

Adaptability/Change: Also see posts 1/14/09, 4/20/09, 1/6/10

Chance Taking: Also see posts 12/12/08, 3/25/09, 7/7/09, 11/1/09, 3/29/10

Creativity/Innovation: Also see posts 5/17/09, 7/7/09, 1/4/10, 1/6/10

Vision: Also see posts 5/17/09, 12/5/09, 2/18/10

Leadership … Continued Discussion 2/24/10

I want to devote this post to something I feel very passionate about … leading with passion!  Warren Bennis, who I have quoted several times in different posts, points to passion as a basic ingredient of leadership … and describes this as “the underlying passion for the promises of life, combined with a very particular passion for a vocation, a profession, a course of action.” He goes on to say that “The leader who communicates passion gives hope and inspiration to other people.” My sense of passion is that it is something inside of us that drives our actions … that makes us throw caution to the wind and put all of our energies into embracing our convictions.  Passion is without equal in its ability to push us beyond our limitations to achieve what will otherwise always be just out of reach.  And truthful, compelling passion is something that kindles the fires in others … that causes the abandonment of fear in others … and that generates a level of belief that can overcome all odds.

Dale Carnegie put it this way, “Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.” William James, a noted psychologist and philosopher, similarly wrote that “It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” Arthur James Balfour, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905 and very much a philosopher, stated this even more succinctly in saying that “Enthusiasm moves the world.” I could not agree more, but it is so important that this be legitimate enthusiasm … that which is derived from real passion.

Getting back to the Warren Bennis quotes above, I truly feel that if one is to be fully successful at what they do they must have a keen passion for the pursuit … be it their profession of choice, their personal mission in life, the strength of their relationships, or their actions of the moment.  And re one’s profession, I have been a nonprofit executive for an entire career … and I cannot imagine doing anything else in my professional life.  Working with volunteers and other members to achieve an organizational/professional mission is exhilarating and rewarding.  Making a difference in the process is the label of my passion.  It is what drives me.  And, I feel, is what has enabled me to overcome a lifetime of odds to achieve at what I do.  I am not the smartest, the most gifted, the most charismatic, or among the best at so many other aspects of what I do, but I know how to bring people together, to “synergize” a following, and to realize success.  And this is because I am honestly, openly and believably passionate about what I do.

I have seen cohorts so much more talented than I am lead unfulfilled professional lives, in my mind predominantly because they are in the game because of the title or the power that accompanies it.  They are not passionate about what they do … they are passionate about what they, as individuals, achieve.  And this is the critical difference.  Author Clarence Day underscored this in saying that “You can’t sweep other people off their feet if you can’t be swept off your own.” For passion to be anything other than real, is to lose one’s following over time.  Believe in what you do, care about what you do, be passionate about what you do … and others will follow, with success not far behind.

Author Cross-references:

Arthur James Belfour: None

Warren G. Bennis: Also see posts 1/14/09, 2/6/09, 5/1/09, 8/17/09, 11/11/09, 12/5/09, 2/18/10

Dale Carnegie: None

Clarence Day: None

William James: None

Key Word Cross-references:

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

Communication/Effective Speaking: Also see posts 12/12/08, 3/4/09, 5/17/09, 6/26/09, 7/7/09, 9/9/09, 11/20/09, 12/5/09, 1/4/10, 1/29/10

Enthusiasm: Also see post 3/16/09

Inclusive/Open/Honest/Transparent: Also see posts 12/12/08, 4/20/09, 5/1/09, 7/7/09, 8/3/09, 10/26/09, 11/11/09, 1/29/10, 5/26/10

Inspiration/Motivation: Also see posts 1/16/09, 2/3/09, 2/18/09, 2/25/09, 5/17/09, 6/5/09, 6/26/09, 9/9/09, 2/18/10, 4/19/10

Making a Difference: Also see post 9/26/09

Optimist/Positive Attitude: Also see posts 2/19/09, 3/16/09, 3/25/09, 7/7/09, 12/5/09

Passion: Also see posts 6/26/09, 9/26/09, 12/5/09

Setting the Example: Also see posts 12/12/08, 1/13/09, 3/16/09, 5/1/09, 5/17/09, 6/5/09, 7/7/09, 8/17/09

Synergy: Also see posts 2/19/09, 11/20/09

Leadership … Continued discussion 2/18/10

In this post, I want to contrast management and leadership, which are very different and yet often confused.  Sharon D’Orsie, an assistant professor of environmental safety and health at the University of Southern Maine, in a August 2004 article in Professional Safety, provides clarification.  She describes management as a function that “deals with the complexity of an organization and its ability to successfully function with order and consistency,” and includes among its typical actions: “planning, budgeting, staffing and controlling.” Re leadership, she states that “leadership involves setting a direction and implementing change,” and includes among its primary functions: “aligning, motivating and inspiring people.” She goes on to say that “Leadership means setting a direction, then aligning and motivating people to make the vision a reality.” Author Warren Bennis couches the distinction similarly, “Management is getting people to do what needs to be done.  Leadership is getting people to want to do what needs to be done.  Managers push.  Leaders pull.  Managers command.  Leaders communicate.” And, author Tom Peters puts it this way, “management is about arranging and telling.  Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing.” And Frances Hesselbein further narrows the distinction in saying that “Leadership is a matter of how to be, not how to do.

Taken together, these quotes shape management and leadership as distinctly different but compatible and intertwining pursuits.  And this is where the confusion lies.  It is so very easy for managers to stray into leadership and for leaders to manage.  But, is it wrong for managers to demonstrate leadership qualities and for leaders to likewise manage as well as lead?  Although I think leaders should be thoroughly focused on leading, there are times when leaders must manage as well … especially if leading a small organization/company and certainly if that leader has direct reports.  And re managers, learning leadership while doing is a critically important part of their growth, so I submit that managers should be given the opportunity to utilize their leadership skills.  However, there are drawbacks with both.

There needs to be a clear distinction between management and leadership, or confusion will command the day.  A staff needs to know who their leader is … who is setting direction and to whom they are ultimately accountable.  And leaders who are so in the trench that they feel they must manage as well as lead often muddy things both for their managers and for the people those managers oversee.  A true leader hires the right managers, supports them maximally, provides them with direction and resources, and turns them loose to accomplish good works.  For leaders to be effective, they need to inspire confidence, belief, loyalty and trust in those whom they lead.  This is not easily achieved if the leader is not willing or able to demonstrate similar qualities in the way in which they work with and treat their managers and other staff.  To be effective, leaders need to be out of the management trenches … standing atop those trenches, where their vision and influence can grow.  Getting bogged down with the trivia that is the daily life of the manager is an absolute killer … it robs the leader of both time, which is always fleeting, and effectiveness.

Leaders need to lead and managers need to manage.  This is when both are most effective.  This is when progress is most achievable.

Author Cross-references:

Warren G. Bennis: Also see posts 1/14/09, 2/6/09, 5/1/09, 8/17/09, 11/11/09, 12/5/09, 2/24/10

Sharon D’Orsie: None

Frances Hasselbein: None

Tom Peters: None

Key Word Cross-references:

Influence: Also see posts 12/8/08, 2/25/09, 3/29/10

Inspiration/Motivation: Also see posts 1/16/09,  2/3/09, 2/18/09, 2/25/09, 5/17/09, 6/5/09, 6/26/09, 9/9/09, 2/24/10, 4/19/10

Management – Leadership Contrast: None

Trust: Also see posts 12/12/08, 12/16/08, 12/5/09, 5/26/10

Vision: Also see posts 5/17/09, 12/5/09, 3/12/10

Leadership … Continued discussion 1/29/10

In this post I want to reflect on a very simple piece of guidance that I feel is a critical part of growing as a leader.  The guidance comes from Peter Drucker, the renowned writer and management consultant,  and is as follows, “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.” The world is full of people who don’t want to rock the boat, or who don’t want to risk putting themselves in a negative light, or who simply do not like to be even slightly confrontational.  And although I suspect that the vast majority of such individuals do not intend to do harm, by not speaking their mind and by not challenging the thought on the table … they serve as accomplices in decision making that might be less than it might be or even downright in error.

Leaders, especially seasoned leaders who have experienced the impact of either not receiving adequate input from others or of assuming that they have all the answers and therefore do not need outside counsel, generally learn this reality the hard way and realize that they absolutely must listen to others and consider their contributed thinking.  As well, they know that they must consider the source in the input-evaluation process.  And, they must become learned in reading between the lines.

Regardless, the critical first step is actively seeking input.  The second critical step is truly listening to and evaluating that input.  And the third critical step is utilizing that input, when appropriate, to modify one’s own position … even if doing so points to the error in one’s own original thinking.  This may sound like a straight forward and very logical progression, but I have been amazed through the years at just how many people cannot or will not put themselves in supposed jeopardy by listening to and utilizing the thinking of others.  True leaders do not embrace such concerns … their journey is to the right reaction, the perfect plan, the best possible resolution, which can only be achieved through collective thinking.  And for those who do fear falling out of grace in response to the superior thinking of others, I would share the related philosophy of Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor from 161 to 180, “Remember that to change your mind and follow him who sets you right is to be none the less free than you were before.”

This brings to mind the recent quote in The Washington Post (1/25/2010) from an interview with Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser, who described President Obama’s response to input as follows, “He likes the rigor of having a conversation with someone who’s going to push him.  There’s really no point in him wasting time with people who simply agree with him all the time, because it’s not going to refine his position.  It’s not going to enlighten his position.” Amen!  To progress a thought, a position or even an organization forward … we all, no matter what our station, need to contribute our true thinking and consider all of the thinking contributed by others.  In this sort of debate, there is no right answer or wrong answer, there are only contributing parts to a more complete end result.

Aristotle put it this way, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” To make a worthy decision, one must hear and consider what is being said.  None of us has all of the answers, but every one of us has the power to contribute.  And the leader who is wise has a refined power to listen … and to hear.

And there is yet another benefit of listening well … the impact it has on the person sharing their thoughts and thinking.  Dr. Joyce Brothers described this as follows, “Listening, not imitation, may be the sincerest form of flattery.” In sharing the thinking process with others, we lift them in spirit, we grow their confidence, and we entice their continued contributions.  This is leadership.

Author Cross-references:

Aristotle: None

Marcus Aurelius: None

Dr. Joyce Brothers: None

Peter Drucker: Also see post 5/1/09

Valarie Jarrett: None

Key Word Cross-references:

Communication/Effective Speaking: Also see posts 12/12/08, 3/4/09, 5/17/09, 6/26/09, 7/7/09, 9/9/09, 11/20/09, 12/5/09, 1/4/10, 2/24/10

Inclusive/Open/Honest/Transparent: Also see posts 12/12/08, 4/20/09, 5/1/09, 7/7/09, 8/3/09, 10/26/09, 11/11/09, 2/24/10, 5/26/10

Listening: Also see posts 8/3/09, 9/9/09, 10/26/09, 3/29/10

Leadership … Continued discussion 1/6/10

In this post, I want to surface a quote from James Kouzes and Barry Posner, from  their book The Leadership Challenge.  The quote is, “The most significant contributions leaders make are not to today’s bottom line; they are to the long-term development of people and institutions who adapt, prosper, and grow.”

This quote focuses on several key points.  First, the bottom line, although necessary to sustaining an organization and preserving its mission, is not everything … and indeed should not be the critical focus of a leader.  Second, the primary focus should be the growing of a staff, its leadership, and the organization itself to succeed in this fast-paced world in which change is the only constant.  Organizations exist to meet their missions.  Successful organizations continuously put themselves in position to do so regardless of the challenges at hand.

I have long felt that the first key to growing an organization to the point wherein it consistently achieves its potential is assembling the right staff, growing them to next levels, providing them with the resources they need to succeed, and then supporting them additionally in every way possible.  But the key here is hiring the right people.  In doing so, I try hard to look beyond skill sets.  More importantly, I look for team players with character, integrity, initiative, drive, creativity and a host of other qualities that comprise what I view as the essence of an outstanding staff person.  Interview questions abound that help to surface these qualities in individuals.   Skill sets can be taught in most instances … the qualities listed above come with the person.

With the right people in place, the next critical step is creating a workplace environment that supports change … one in which it is alright to make a mistake as long as one learns from that mistake.  And this brings up a quote from Plutarch, “To make no mistake is not in the power of man; but from their errors and mistakes the wise and good learn wisdom for the future,” and another from James Joyce, “Mistakes are the portals of discovery,” and yet another from Edwin Land, “A mistake is an event the full benefit of which you have not yet turned to your advantage.” And, one quote from Samuel Beckett that provides good direction to us all, “Ever tried.  Ever failed.  No matter.  Try again.  Fail again.  Fail better.” Once the members of a staff understand that although they will be held accountable for their actions it is understood by the leadership of an organization that mistakes will be made and that they will pave the way to success, creativity tends to flourish.  And with creativity comes the evolution of the strategies that will bridge every break in the road to success.

Successful leaders put their energies into growing those around them and positioning these individuals to succeed regardless of the difficulties of the time.

Author Cross-references:

Samuel Beckett: None

James Joyce: None

James Kouzes: None

Edwin Land: Also see post 5/1/09

Plutarch: None

Barry Posner: None

Key Word Cross-references:

Accountable: Also see posts 12/12/08, 2/19/09

Adaptability/Change: Also see posts 1/14/09, 4/20/09, 3/12/10

Creativity/Innovation: Also see posts 5/17/09, 7/7/09, 1/4/10, 3/12/10

Mentoring/Nurturing/Developing: Also see posts 12/8/08, 12/12/08, 1/13/09, 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

Team: Also see posts 1/13/09, 2/18/09, 4/20/09, 8/3/09, 4/19/10, 5/26/10

Workplace Environment: Also see posts 12/12/08, 1/28/09, 2/6/09, 2/19/09, 7/7/09, 8/3/09, 9/9/09, 4/19/10

Leadership … Continued Discussion 1/4/10

In this post, I want to go back to Kevin Eikenberry and his book Remarkable Leadership.  Specifically, I want to focus on one brief statement that I feel represents a key element of effective leadership, “Remarkable leaders communicate with others in the way that is best for the other person.”

When speaking to groups or audiences we all have to craft the message that will impact the majority, but when speaking to individuals the effectiveness of our communication leans heavily on our ability to customize that message to impact the individual.  We are all different, with different needs, wants, aspirations and triggers.  Understanding the nuances of the individual enables us to focus our messages … to make them more meaningful and therefore more readily responded to.

Steve Coppola, in the The Banff Centre’s summer 2006 Leadership Compass, in an article titled “The Art of Communication: Channeling Your Inner Artist,” puts this in the following way, “Like artists who draw on their capacity for self-awareness, creative expression, imagining, and empathy, leaders can also access these innate but often dormant competencies to create meaningful connections …” Truly, effective communication is all about making “meaningful connections,” about touching someone with your words in such a way that they are inspired to believe.

As well, and as Coppola shares with us, communication is a form of art and much more than just words to be spoken or written.  And as art, communication deserves time and attention in its formation.  I’m not speaking of creating masterpieces with every communication, but putting the time and energy into every communication that will make it maximally effective.  That said, I never hit the send button immediately upon crafting a message … I reread and edit almost every communication before pushing it out.  And I look for much more than spelling and punctuation; I try to read it as the recipient will read it, and then massage it as needed to have the desired impact.

Coppola goes on to say that “Artists create from deep internal motives.  Likewise, individuals in organizations bring intrinsic motivation to their work as well.  Rather than trying to manufacture motivation, an artful leader inspires exceptional work by calling upon others’ innate desire to make a difference.  This inspiration inevitably fires people’s imaginations which in turn triggers innovation.” General George S. Patton put this a slightly different way, “Never tell people how to do things.  Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

Leadership is not about command and control, it is about inspiring participation.  And to be able to inspire participation one must be able to communicate convincingly … with clarity, believability, and with passion.  And to do this effectively, one must speak to their audience … be it a room full of people or a single individual.

Author Cross-references:

Steve Coppola: None

Kevin Eikenberry: Also see posts 9/15/09, 11/20/09

General George S. Patton: None

Key Word Cross-references:

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

Benevolent/Caring/Compassionate/Empathetic: Also see posts 12/16/09, 1/16/09, 2/18/09, 11/11/09, 12/5/09

Communication/Effective Speaking: Also see posts 12/12/08, 3/4/09, 5/17/09, 6/26/09, 7/7/09, 9/9/09, 11/20/09, 12/5/09, 1/29/10, 2/24/10

Creativity/Innovation: Also see posts 5/17/09, 7/7/09, 1/6/10, 3/12/10

Relating: Also see post 2/18/09

Leadership … continued discussion 12/5/09

In this post I want to go back to one of my favorite authors on the subject of leadership, Warren Bennis, and specifically to a quote in his book On Becoming A Leader.  The quote is, “In order to lead a Great Group, a leader need not possess all the individual skills of the group members.  What he or she must have are vision, the ability to rally the others, and integrity.  Such leaders also need superb curatorial and coaching skills – an eye for talent, the ability to recognize correct choices, contagious optimism, a gift for bringing out the best in others, the ability to facilitate communication and mediate conflict, a sense of fairness, and, as always, the kind of authenticity and integrity that creates trust.” In this quote, Bennis surfaces a number of leadership qualities that are individually significant and collectively paint a very complete picture of what constitutes effective leadership.

For me, his opening sentence is perhaps the most important … leaders do not need to be all things.  I cannot imagine any mortal human possessing to the fullest extent possible all of the individual strengths that encapsulate a perfect leader.  Instead, each of us has our own strengths that we can routinely tap and the strengths of others that we can add to the mix.   The most effective leaders that I have known or witnessed understand this and actively engage others in the process … toward evolving best strategies and making the most effective decisions.

Having vision is one of the critical qualities that Bennis points to.  Not all of us can see past the moment … to sense what is coming around the bend in the road, but the most innovative and inventive of those within the leadership ranks seem to be able to do this with regularity.  Rather than a psychic quality, I have found this to be much more a product of continuous research … primarily of talking with stakeholders.  No one has all of the answers, but taking all of the answers and blending them together will often paint a clear vision of what is to be.

Bennis also mentions the importance of having “an eye for talent.”  This is critically important.  And talent should not be defined by the degrees one has been awarded or the skill sets they have acquired, it is such things as heart, drive, integrity, character, compassion, commitment, and a host of other qualities that comprise the sort of individual who will fully invest himself/herself in organizational visions and the tasks of the moment … and therefore who will make the greatest difference.  Skill sets can be learned … the qualities mentioned above come from within … they come with the person.  Focusing on these components of “talent” and then investing fully in growing these individuals to new levels represents the foundation of leadership success.  The end results can be spectacular.  A reminder of this comes in a related quote from Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Another of the individual mentions in Bennis’ quote is specific to “rallying others.”  You can have the perfect team, but if you cannot light their fire, especially in difficult times, intentions will not be achieved … at least not to the extent they might.  And people will not rally around a leader unless other qualities mentioned by Bennis are thoroughly evident … most importantly integrity and authenticity.  People follow those individuals who they trust and therefore in whom they believe.

Bennis also mentions “contagious optimism.”  It is hard to get excited in the presence of a half-glass-empty person or someone who continuously ducks perceived shadows.  Henry David Thoreau summed it up well, “None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.” And this resurfaces for me yet another quote … a Marsha Evans quote shared in a past post, “Leaders don’t have the luxury of not being optimists.” To get others excited, one must genuinely display excitement.  To get others rallied around the flagpole, one must have genuine passion around the issue of the moment.  To get others to believe that anything is possible, one must genuinely believe that any obstacle can be overcome.  This cannot be faked; it has to be real.  And for true leaders … the passion runs deep, is most evident, and truly is “contagious.”

Summing this up, although leaders do not need to be all things there are certain qualities that are weaved in varying degrees through all leaders … perhaps none more important than “vision, the ability to rally the others, and integrity.”

Author Cross-references:

Warren G. Bennis: Also see posts 1/14/09, 2/6/09, 5/1/09, 8/17/09, 11/11/09, 2/18/10, 2/24/10

Margaret Mead: None

Henry David Thoreau: Also see post 10/26/09

Marsha Evans: Also see post 2/19/09

Key Word Cross-references:

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

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

Character/Integrity: Also see posts 2/3/09, 2/6/09, 3/16/09, 5/1/09, 6/5/09, 8/17/09, 11/1/09

Communication/Effective Speaking: Also see posts 12/12/08, 3/4/09, 5/17/09, 6/26/09, 7/7/09, 9/9/09, 11/20/09, 1/4/10, 1/29/10, 2/24/10

Mentoring/Nurturing/Developing: Also see posts 12/8/08, 12/12/08, 1/13/09, 2/6/09, 2/28/09, 6/5/09, 7/7/09, 9/9/09, 9/15/09, 10/26/09, 1/6/10, 3/29/10

Optimist/Positive Attitude: Also see posts 2/19/09, 3/16/09, 3/25/09, 7/7/09, 2/24/10

Passion: Also see posts 6/26/09, 9/26/09, 2/24/10

Trust: Also see posts 12/12/08, 12/16/08, 2/18/10, 5/26/10

Vision: Also see post 5/17/09, 2/18/10, 3/12/10

Leadership … Continued Discussions 11/11/09

In this post I want to quote Warren Bennis, a distinguished professor of business administration at the University of Southern California and a prolific author on the subject of leadership.  The quote I want to share is, “One reason that leaders are able to promulgate their vision is because they are exquisitely attuned to their followers and feel their pain, their wants, their needs.  Leaders , in every field, are richly endowed with empathy,” which was taken from his book On Becoming A Leader.  This quote fits hand-in-glove with an Oprah Winfrey quote that I shared in a previous post, “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.” Taken together, they underscore the critical importance of caring about those whom you lead to realizing success as a leader.

No single person can know all things, do all things, be all things … it takes more than an individual to achieve the greatest results.  Successful leaders know this and build on this reality.  They invest in others so that together they can move things forward.  And those who would follow a leader do so because they believe in that person’s ability to guide them down right roads, through the issues of the day, and to the desired outcomes.  And this relationship, between a leader and a follower, is built on mutual trust.  And this level of trust is built on a foundation of truly caring about one another.  Open and honest empathy between leaders and followers is the cornerstone of a successful staff.

Successful leaders consistently achieve intended results in part because of who they are … their character, commitment, drive, initiative and a host of other trademarks.  But more importantly, they succeed because of their ability to synergize a following toward accomplishing the task of the moment, or the mission of the year, or the vision of the decade.  They assemble a following that is willing to self sacrifice to ensure that the bigger picture is embraced.  And those individuals self sacrifice because they believe in the leader who believes in them … who understands them, and who truly cares about them.

Author Cross-reference:

Warren Bennis: Also see posts 1/14/09, 2/6/09, 5/1/09, 8/17/09, 12/5/09, 2/18/10, 2/24/10

Oprah Winfrey: Also see posts 1/16/09, 2/18/09

Key Word Cross-reference:

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

Inclusive/Open/Honest/Transparent: Also see posts 12/12/08, 4/20/09, 5/1/09, 7/7/09, 8/3/09, 10/26/09, 1/29/10, 2/24/10, 5/26/10