Wake Up! Leaders are Dreamers

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Dr. Bill Donahue

Leaders are Dreamers

Risky Dreams 

“The limitations you are willing to accept determine the boundaries of your existence.” ~ Erwin McManus, Wide Awake

As I reflect on what I learned a few years ago in Erwins’ book Wide Awake, I am challenged, prodded and provoked to live and think differently.

I wonder this:

  • “Am I living too safely?”
  • “Am I leading too plainly?”
  • “Am I willing to dream again—bigger, better, bolder?”

Remember: Great leaders are born out of great dreams.

I Have a Dream

Some of those “great dreams” emerge from a creative idea. Jeff Bezos, in 1992, was a SVP for the New York hedge fund D.E. Shaw when he dreamt of building a company that would sell books on the Internet. Ever heard of Amazon?

Others are stirred deeply by injustice. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Harriet Tubman dreamed of freedom, battling slavery and racial oppression. It cost MLK his life.

Some dreams do that.

MADD as Hell

Not infrequently dreams are birthed in the midst of great tragedies. On May 3, 1980, Candy Lightner’s 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a hit-and-run drunk driver in Fair Oaks, California.

Angered by the relatively light sentence the driver received for his recklessness, she launched Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) which raises awareness of the damage wrought when driving under the influence of alcohol.

McManus says “a dream needs a person to bring it to life.”

An isolated dream will only fester in the heart of one person and eventually die; and sometimes it takes the dreamer with it.

———————————————————————————————

L2L Reader Survey 2013

———————————————————————————————

“L2L Blog has been extremely helpful in my professional development & I am
grateful to the experts who take the time to share their wisdom & resources so freely!”

———————————————————————————————

Living the Dream

Dying dreams are as contagious as living ones. How many of us have buried dreams only to realize that we have placed a bit of ourselves in the ground? A dream must be shared, embodied and empowered for it to be life-giving.

Dreams are intensely communal.

McManus provocatively says:

How long you live does not reflect how well you live. The real question is, were you alive when you died?

I love that question! And I fear it.

  • What if my dream fails?
  • What if no one else is inspired by my burning desire to live the dream?
  • What if my dream is just an illusion, a momentary fit of grandiosity and self-indulgence?

Becoming a Dreamer

We need to focus our energy and rekindle the fires

McManus notes the word focus comes from the Latin word for “hearth” or “fireplace” and thus means “the burning center.” What is the burning center of my life? To find it I must carve away distractions, cut off the peripheral could-do for the more central must-do. But the “do” must be centered in the “be” – what I am becoming.

Before I have a dream am I becoming a dreamer?

That takes some time and effort. Focus seems like a luxury only a well-subsidized artist can afford—someone who’s paid to paint one portrait, not run around frantically splashing paint on every blank canvas, hoping for a quick a sale.

Can we make the changes needed to be real dreamers? Are we willing to make a focused effort?

Build the Core with Focus

McManus tells the story of therapy he received for a back injury – to work on his stomach. It seemed odd but he soon understood that “core training” was key to a healthy back. POW’s learned to do it so they’d remain strong enough for a potential escape, but not look so strong in the arms that they’d pose a threat.

We need to work on our “core” – core beliefs, practices and convictions; core mission, vision and strategy. FOCUS! But it is not easy or glamorous, so I settle for superficial solutions and neglect the core.

“I think a lot of us choose the opposite path,” McManus chides. “We do the tanning booth and the Botox and the collagen so we can look healthy on the outside, but we are really weak at the center.”

Admittedly, I am weaker at the center than I’d care to admit. And, as a result, my team is not as strong. Because core training is best when we do it together, like Navy Seals prepping for the mission of their lives.

So What’s a Leader to Do?

There are no quick steps. But here are some routines that will help leaders dream with focus and persistence.

1)     Shore up Relationships at Home (or friends)

My wife and daughter come first (my son’s out of the house now). Centered relationships will let you dream freely, knowing you are caring for the fires at home before you try to save the world.

2)     Spend Some Money

Dreaming has a cost. I suggest 1-2 conferences or gatherings and books. I am in the process of ordering about 30-40 leadership resources for the coming months. This is a mix of biography, provocative thinkers, life shapers and students of culture, and personal growth materials. I need to hear other voices as I recalibrate my own.

3)     Do a Dreamers Inventory

What inspired you before? What are the roadblocks now? What gets you up in the morning and keeps you up at night? What can you do that others cannot do? What must be done? I live in these questions.

4)     Get Around Other Dreamers

Hanging out with I’m-building-the-dream-right-now-and-it-is-a-wild-ride kinds of people will light your fire and keep it burning. You know the type – upstart business leaders, creative teachers, provocative activists, church planters, artists without boundaries. (ESPECIALLY if they are not in your field!!!). I am doing it this week.

5)     Pull the Trigger

At some point you simply must act. I was recalling in my journal all the things I started in the last few years, some large, some small. Many “failed” or fizzled, or took an unexpected turn. Yes, I was frustrated, angry, disappointed, lost momentum, and almost threw in the towel. Actually, I did– but I picked up some new towels. I am not where I want to be – but I am moving!

 The real question is, “Were you alive when you died?”

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————
Dr. Bill Donahue
Dr. Bill Donahue is President of LeaderSync Group, Inc
Bill is a professor at TIU and a Leadership Speaker and Consultant
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web

Image Sources: cdn.business2community.com

Related articles

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Coaching Corner, Leading & Developing Other Leaders | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Hey Leader: Whose Expectations Are You Trying to Meet?

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Carlann Fergusson

Expectations

Sometimes, a question can strike you with such clarity that it remains with you for life.

The following question was posed to me early in my management career and is one that has provided deep insight up until this day:

“Whose expectations are you trying to meet?”

The Super Syndrome

After another exhausting week, I attended a community seminar based on the Superwoman Syndrome by Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz. this seminar’s topic referred to women holding themselves to unrealistic expectations to simultaneously be the best career women, mothers, spouses, community members , etc.

Today it could easily be the Superman & Superwoman Syndrome as advertising and media routinely throws images of being the best parent, partner, leader, global conscious servant, etc. Just look at Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

If they can raise their kids, solve world issues, be block buster professionals and stand by each other why can’t we all?

Just forget that they are exhausted and have a few personal challenges.

Getting Really Real

Eventually Something Has to Give

At work everyone wants something from you: your boss, your peers, internal customers, external customers, the Board, the stockholders.

They all act as if “No” is not an option.

But in the real world, if you treat all their expectations as equal, then you will most certainly burn out and never meet many of your stated goals. The old adage “you can’t please everyone” is true.

If you try to meet everyone’s expectations at least one of those attempts will result in lower than anticipated quality and both of you won’t be feeling too great about the outcome.

If you can’t physically and mentally do it all, what is going to move to a lower priority? If you let your stakeholders define this for you, you will continue in the land of the tyranny of the urgent. Whatever is the next thing screaming for attention will get your time.

Gaining Real Focus

Stop the Spinning

If you are already spinning from the long list of things you supposedly “have to do,” then your response to my advice to take time to analyze your work is going to be “but I don’t have time.”

Which is more painful; making time to narrow your focus and be able to say “no” to some requests, or continuing to spin at the pace you are at?

In all likelihood if you continue without taking a more strategic view your pace of spinning will increase because the number of people asking you for support will increase. By always saying “yes” you have reinforced them and others that you will always be there to help regardless of the request.

You have essentially created your own problem.

Getting Real Results

Get Out the Pen and Paper

List all the activities you are doing and the ones you anticipate doing this year.

  • Which of these services, products, activities are essential to the company meeting it’s vision?
    • Which of these am I the sole source for (no one else in the company can provide this)?
  • Which activities, products, services are not related to the vision?
    • What drives me to provide each of these activities, products or services?
    • What could happen if I stopped providing these?
      • What would really happen if I stopped providing these (75%+ confidence that it would occur)?
    • What could I, my key stakeholders and my company gain if I stopped these activities?
      • Which of these gains are of higher value than the activity itself?  (this will serve as your compelling reason to stop offering this service or support)

Gaining Real Perspective

Letting Go

If you are still reluctant to take something off your plate that is not of high value, ask yourself these questions:

  • What personal need(s) does providing this service or activity fulfill?
  • What makes this need so compelling for me?
  • Is there another way to fulfill this need with the more critical activities, products or services?

Here is a great example:

Jack is in a support function. He spends 2 hours each week in one of his key stakeholders staff meetings. He started attending to learn more about the stakeholder’s business and to be present in case some need related to his function was raised. Rarely does this need show up. He already has learned about his stakeholder’s business but he keeps attending for reasons of visibility, status and perceived customer service.

After doing the exercise he realizes that spending the 2 hours each week on the projects directly tied to the vision, will bring him greater visibility. He talks to the senior leader about his rationale for no longer attending and offers to sets up a 15-minute monthly check in meeting to ensure their needs are met.

Three months later, Jack’s increased quality and creativity on the strategic project is gaining him visibility at the executive level and meeting his personal desire for greater status.

Gaining Real Satisfaction

Expectations vs. Vision

Shifting from trying to meet everyone’s expectations to meeting the company’s vision and your personal vision will keep you a valued asset to the business and yourself.

Whenever someone asks you to do something, instead of immediately answering yes, respond that you need time to assess priority.

So how has this process, or something similar, or something different helped you to manage your time and energy? Have you changed to become more realistic in setting appropriate expectations? What can you do in the future to better examine your personal set of expectations and use that model to better understand and help others? I would love to hear your thoughts!

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today. 
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————–
Carlann Fergusson

Carlann Fergusson is owner at Propel Forward LLC
She provides seminars and consulting on Strategic Leadership Challenges
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Web | Skype: carlann.fergusson

Image Sources: nathanjmorton.files.wordpress.com

Related articles

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Leadership Lessons Learned, Life Balance, Practical Steps to Influence | Tagged: , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Middle School Leadership Lesson: I TOLD YOU SO!

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Brian Dawson, M. Ed.

Wisdom

Wisdom not heeded is wasted. Often times we seek advice or “wisdom” from others, but we don’t take that advice when it is given.

Our reaction is often: “WHAT?  You want me to do what? HA!”  

On Wisdom and Advice

This is especially true when we consider our interactions with children.  Whether it be your own kids or the students we interact with in the halls of their school.  So often, children seek the insight and advice of the adults around them. However, they are also seeking the “advice” from their peers.

And the “advice” coming from their peers around them is not “wisdom-driven.”

We want to listen to the advice of our peer set, but where is their advice coming from? Often times, the very people we are seeking our advice from, should very well be seeking that same advice.

And to top that, often times we forget to even consider that the people we are seeking advice from, might have ulterior motives of their own and their own advice is not even coming from wisdom, but selfish motivations.

Proverbs 16:22 (NIV) states:

“Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it, but folly brings punishment to fools.”  Whether you are coming from a faith base, or not; this is great advice to all.

Listening to Fools

What happens when we take the advice of the unwise?  Or, when we choose to not even seek wise counsel?  We fall victim to whatever may come.

However, when we seek and take the advice of the authentically wise, we are seeking guidance from those who have already been through what we are seeking advice about.

Plato wrote: 

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when adults are afraid of the light.”

Giving Advice

How does this transfer to the “real world” or the business world?  I firmly believe it is the same in the work place.  Have you ever been in the office and someone has sought out your advice? It can go one of three ways:

  1. The advice you give could be coming from your personal experience and benefit them
  2. You tell them you don’t have the experience to really help them
  3. You could give advice without the wisdom needed to truly be an authentic guide and hurt them

Which one are you?  How are you helping the person that is seeking advice or wisdom?

Seeking Advice

You could be the one in the office who really needs help and you know who to ask to get the right answer, but you let pride stand in your way, therefore you do not ask at all.  You know that you need the right answer, but you are afraid to approach the person who has the right answers; they might see you as weak or inept.

What should you do?  Is asking for help really wrong?

Is seeking advice from a wise counsel really a bad thing?  Often, it IS seen as a “bad” thing to not know the answer(s).  WHY? I often tell students that, “…smart people ask for help or guidance.“  I firmly believe it is the same in the work place.

I would rather guide an employee correctly through the process, than to have to spend unnecessary or unavailable time undoing what the person has spent time doing incorrectly because that person didn’t seek help from someone wise.

Finding the Answer

When I interview prospective candidates to join my team, one of the questions I ask every time is this: :

 ”When you need help, or you might not know the right thing to do,  how do you handle this dilemma?”

In asking this question, what I am looking for is if you can either answer my question or find someone who knows the answer.

  • As a leader or “boss,” do you create this culture/environment in your office?
  • Do your employees fear “not knowing the right answer“
  • Or do your employees know that it is better to ask when they need help than to make potentially irreparable mistakes?

By embracing this concept that asking questions is “okay”, then you naturally create a collaborative and corporate approach to systemic success.  It is no longer about personal success, but rather you turn your focus to a global focus on your group, team, or business / organization success.

Professional Challenge

I challenge you to evaluate your climate and culture in your office, business, school, or group of colleagues.

  • How do you make sure it is not only “ok” to ask questions from the wise, but critical to the success of the organization you are serving?
  • How can you encourage and model that asking questions from the wise is tantamount to the growth of your employees, your stakeholders, and the company or organization you are serving?

Aristotle stated, “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know.”

What does that have to do with leadership and success? Wisdom not heeded is wasted…what does that mean to you?

**********
Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————–

Brian Dawson

Brian Dawson, M. Ed. is a Middle School Principal and Independent Consultant
He serves with Educational Restructure, Transformation, and Systems Specialist
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web

Image Sources: restorepurity.com

Related articles

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Leadership Lessons Learned, Leadership vs. Management, Organizational Health, Practical Steps to Influence, Professional Development, Team Building Leadership | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

8 Steps to Help Teams Master the Waves of Change

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Melissa Lanier

Crashing Waves

Helping your team thrive during change takes a plan that is certain and reliable. After all, change is difficult enough, so the best way to lead your people through times that seem turbulent is to provide them with a clear and steady road map.

Otherwise, they will feel tossed around in a sea of confusion.

A Sea of Change

I grew up on the beach (almost literally) in a small town in North Florida.  I remember being in the ocean with my sisters when we were children.  Sometimes it was choppy,  and the waves came down on us one after the next. They were so powerful – knocking me down and sometime stealing my breath.  But I would pop back up to face the next wave.

In this “post great-recession” world, change can pound us like the ocean pounds away at the beach.  We feel the erosion and we understand the risks.

We can’t keep up with the pace of change, let alone get ahead of it. At the same time, the stakes—financial, social, environmental, political—are rising. – Accelerate ~ John Kotter

Change is the Only Constant

Leaders know that change is a permanent part of the business landscape. In fact, if you work in a large organization, you may be dealing with several significant change issues simultaneously. You are experiencing the waves, every day, with no end in sight.  You are also charged with helping a team of people navigate this ocean of constant change.

One of the best things a leader can do is help understand and develop the skills that will be required to be successful as the organization changes. After all, nothing kills the desire to try something new faster than the fear (or certain knowledge) that you will face the waves and drown.

People can’t do what they don’t know how to do.   – The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner

Mastering Change

Help your people build the skills they need master the crashing waves of change.  Here are some tips to get you started:

1) Identify skill gaps on the team

As a leader it is important that you know where your people have the skills to succeed and where they need development.

2) Ask people on your team what you can do to help them

People will share their thoughts on how they could best master new skills.  Start the conversation.

3) Be specific about the skills that are required

In a situation where people are facing something completely new, they may not know where to start.  Managers should be specific  about the new skills that are required for team success.

4) Shape roles and assignments to develop skills on your team

Powerful development happens on the job so maximize the opportunity for your team.  Provide support to help build skills in a stretch assignment.

5) Help people find resources to grow

Books, training and mentors are just a few options.  You may also consider local professional groups, higher education programs and cross training.

6) Commit the development plan to paper and hold each other accountable to work the plan

There are a number of good models for creating development goals.  It is a safe bet to focus on goals, actions and measures.  If you define these, you are off to a great start.

7) Provide feedback as people try new skills

Tailor feedback to meet individual needs.  Don’t forget to take advantage of “coachable moments”.

8) Maintain your own enthusiasm

Change is hard and your people rely on your to bring positive energy every day.  You must believe the team can be successful.  They will share your optimism.

Change Starts Within

Don’t forget to be committed to your own development. Leaders at all levels have an opportunity to be a true model of personal development. Talk with your team about your development plan and invite their feedback.

If you are working with a coach, let people know that you have one.  Finally, be open about both your success and your failures and make sure you address the important lessons that can be learned from both.

What are you doing to help your time thrive during times of change?  Are you working on developing any specific new skills?  Do you have a personal development plan? I would love to hear your thoughts!

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————–
Melissa Lanier

Melissa Lanier leads Global Talent Management for an S&P SmallCap 600 Firm
She is driven to build High Performing Cultures Aligned to Strategy
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Web

Image Sources: farm4.staticflickr.com

Related articles

Filed under: Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Leadership Lessons Learned, Leading Change | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

On Leadership, Ambition and Your Comfort Zone

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Quentin Millington

Fear of Public Speaking

As a leader, are you guilty of camping out in your personal comfort zone? Have you grown fat and happy in your daily routine? Have you decided to remain stuck in neutral?

If so, I ask you this:

“Do you really want to bury your ambitions and accept a mediocre version of yourself?”

The Silent Graveyard

Despite the innocuous name, our comfort zone is a treacherous place where we squander time, waste chances, and neglect potential.

Here in this silent graveyard we unknowingly bury our ambitions to the death-knell of our own achievements.

The Oxford English Dictionary offers insight into the danger: a comfort zone is ‘the range of temperatures within which an organism needs to expend no energy on thermoregulation’.

By analogy, in our comfort zone at work we operate in what British management theorist Alasdair White calls an “anxiety-neutral condition.” We repeat familiar patterns of behaviour, avoid challenges and difficulties, and demonstrate reluctance to change.

In a rapidly evolving world this means limiting ourselves to mediocre, noncompetitive performance.

Coming Alive

What can you do to escape the stagnation and decay of your comfort zone? A clue may be found in the ‘dancing mice’ of American psychologists Yerkes and Dodson (1908).

In the experiment, the mice were encouraged to choose and enter either a black or a white box. Attempts to enter the black box were greeted with a disagreeable electric shock. The researchers found that the greater the induced current, the faster the mice acquired the habit of entering the white box. Up to a point, that is: the habit was learned most quickly at a medium-level current (reassuringly, before the shock injured the mice).  With a high current, performance declined.

Interpretations of the Yerkes-Dodson Law have been diverse and sometimes cavalier. Still, one useful inference is that the anxiety (a form of arousal analogous to the electric shock) associated with unfamiliar activities can lead to skills development and performance increase.

In other words, much good can emerge from, for example, the dry throat, churning stomach, and trembling hands that undoubtedly will accompany your first presentation in a televised auditorium or having to speak in public.

Understanding Performance

When confronted with novel, anxiety-inducing situations, it is common first to deny the need to change and become defensive. It’s as if we are saying “What I was doing yesterday worked just fine; why change?”

Performance may slip temporarily until we discard out-dated behaviours in favour of those suited to present needs.  However, as we use new skills we become more competent in them and performance improves.  Eventually, our comfort zone is enlarged: we operate at this, now normal, higher performance level without the intense anxiety that accompanied our first steps up the podium.

Still, such learning can be harrowing, in large part because it involves unlearning skills that were historically useful.  Naturally, we hesitate to subject ourselves to the electric-shock experience of a laboratory mouse.  How, then, can you overcome the anxiety that may keep you languishing in your comfort zone?

4 Tactics to Success

My work with senior managers at global organisations suggests that four tactics may be useful.

1) Get a grip on reality

A meaningful, often less anxious perspective can be achieved by assessing what the task really entails, what worst- and best-case outcomes are, and how you might reduce any risk.  Your live audience may not be half as scary as the one in your mind.

2) Publicise your commitments

Telling respected colleagues and friends what you aim to achieve can reinforce your accountability, and provide external motivation through difficult times, such as the eve of your maiden speaking engagement.  Other people are also a source of valuable encouragement and support.

3) Start today, and confront your challenge regularly

Anxiety subsides as you learn new skills and develop confidence in your ability to perform at higher levels.  Who ever became a great public speaker (or anything else) by saying “I’ll start tomorrow”?  A clear goal and rigorous discipline can help if motivation wanes.

4) Monitor your anxiety

We each have our own thresholds for what is bearable.  Whereas moderate anxiety is motivational, excessive levels can cause physiological and psychological damage as well as performance degradation.  Remember: the mice were stimulated, not electrocuted.

What is stopping you from signing up for that first speaking engagement (or doing whatever might benefit your performance)?  How much potential have you wasted by shying away from new challenges?  Stir from the graveyard of your comfort zone and revive your ambitions. It will help you as a leader and will help to strengthen your team.

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here!
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

——————–
Quentin Millington
Quentin Millington runs Noble Stamp Ltd
He helps Multinationals Harness their Global Cultural Peformance
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Web | Book

Image Sources: the4thmarketeer.com

Related articles

Filed under: Coaching Corner, Practical Steps to Influence, Professional Development | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Spiritual Leadership: Do No Harm

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Leonard Doohan

Do No Harm

Do no harm as a leader.

We have seen many positive components of leadership and spiritual leadership in blogs posted on this L2L blog.

But there is more to leadership than just the positive we can do and grow in as leaders. There is also the darker side that needs to be understood and minimized. It is something to NOT do: Harm.

Removing the Problem

Before all efforts at growth and development in leadership, dedicated leaders ought to consider removing any harm they might be inflicting on organizations. We have all met pseudo-leaders and have thought that the best thing they could do for their organization would be to leave it.

After witnessing the failures and mess of “leaders” in the last decade, it is more important than ever that good leaders aspire to do no harm.

Beginnings of Leadership—Do No Harm

Do No HarmWe all know that physicians take an oath to do no harm, and this precedes all their efforts to bring healing to their patients. As we have seen the recent disastrous harm done by people in leadership positions, we can only wish that leaders, too, would take the oath to do no harm.

Unfortunately, we have seen so many bad leadership decisions that it has been common to consider that many people in leadership positions in our generation have done more harm than good. Only people with the vision and dedication of spiritual leaders can reverse this trend and stop this decay.

As a spiritual leader, it is a critical component of call that you DO NOT:

  • Cause Harm
  • Let others responsible to you do harm
  • Allow your organization do harm
  • Allow your products and services do no harm

Leadership is an attitude of service, and it begins by pledging to do no harm.

Remove Personal Defects that Harm Others

On a personal level, a spiritual leader must remove from his or her life all negative influences, the slow erosion of values, and the corrupting influence of power that do harm to others.

He or she must remove arrogance, deceit, and any harmful trait.

A leader avoids hiding in creative ignorance, checks his or her addictions, and makes conscious those areas of personal life that need healing. All these personal defects can harm others.

Healing Relationships with Others

Great leaders have system skills, the ability to see how every person fits into an organization and has an important role to play. They can provide healing relationships with others.

So, a spiritual leader never belittles others and their contributions, ends destructive and confrontational positions, as well as neglect of workers, turf wars, coercion of followers, harassment, and using people.

He or she stops the harmful effects of a whole list of leadership parasites like:

  • Disharmony
  • Confusing Expectations
  • Excessive Internal Competition
  • Infighting
  • Unhealthy Comparisons
  • Petty Jealousies
  • Mutual Blame
  • Compromising Integrity
  • Unethical Practices
  • Lack of Mutual Love

He or she makes sure there is no stunting of others’ development and no one is enslaved to any aspect of organizational life. When a leader removes harm from other people’s lives he or she achieves a lot.

Removing Harm Done by Organizations

A spiritual leader checks any controlling and harmful influences within the organization. He or she removes the dysfunctional aspects of the organization like:

  • Restricting Communication
  • Misusing Power
  • Unjust Salary Scales
  • Careerism

A spiritual leader will be on the lookout for those controlling influences in organizations, large or small, that do harm whether one wants it or not. Often memories harm when individuals remember how they were badly treated.

These unhealed hurts delete a sense of hope among workers.

Sometimes a spiritual leader sees harm and cannot respond when it comes from others. However, in such cases a spiritual leader will not participate so as not to encourage such behavior.

Removing Harm Proactively

Doing no harm is a first step for a leader who must remove harm while appreciating potential harm is best dealt with proactively by creating a healthy atmosphere between leaders and workers—listening, maintaining high values, respect, admiration, total acceptance of others with their strengths and weaknesses.

Many challenges lie ahead for you as a spiritual leader but quality leadership begins with a serious dedication to do no harm.

As we look back over the last few years we do not immediately think of great leadership. Rather, we just wish many of our so-called leaders had not done so much harm.

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

——————–
Dr. Leonard Doohand

Dr. Leonard Doohan  is an author and workshop presenter
He focuses on issues of spiritual leadership
Email | LinkedIn | Web | Blog

Image Sources: image.spreadshirt.com, ttuhsc.edu

Related articles

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Coaching Corner, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Leadership Lessons Learned, Organizational Health, Servant Leadership | Tagged: , , , | 5 Comments »

Leadership and the PERSON Model

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Marie Maher

Whole Person

Yes, as we all know, a leader in any organization or industry, is not a spiritual entity from above or a superhero that can transcend the speed of light.

Rather a leader is a PERSON, a human being who has emotions, can make mistakes and has to take the initiative to make things happen, whether the result is positive or negative.

What is PERSON?

In terms of leadership, PERSON may stand for six characteristics which a leader must possess in order to be effective and successful.  They are:

P (passion)
E (empowerment)
R (responsibility)
S (strength)
O (objectivity)
N (noteworthiness)

You can dub this a leadership model, along with the thousands of others which currently exist and people practice. Or you may just consider utilizing this acronym to ponder on what you believe are qualities of an exemplar leader.

Passion

A leader must be passionate about not only the work and achieving the end results of his/her core business.

But a leader must also be passionate about the organization’s mission statement.  Passion for both is paramount to not only his/her personal success, but the success of the overarching organization as well.  A good leader should act in such a manner that employees want to embrace positivity, dedication, and that same degree of passion for success.

Empowerment

No matter how difficult it may be, an exemplar leader empowers employees.

This leader empowers some to take over projects or tasks which he/she may have owned.

While it is never easy to relinquish control, a good leader will pass the torch to the most qualified employees and entrust them with greater responsibility.

A time of empowerment is especially critical when an organization undergoes any major changes, whether it is new ownership, new executive leadership, reorganization, etc.  The greatest test for any leader is when major organizational changes occur.  It is the ultimate litmus test of a leader’s strength.

Responsibility

In today’s business world and economy, leaders in any industry take risks on a regular basis.

The scope of risk varies by industry.  Obviously, a risk in trading on the stock market and one in a nonprofit organization are somewhat different in nature.  Sometimes things pan out and a risk taken has a positive impact on an organization.  However, sometimes a risk taken may have negative consequences.

Whether a negative end result is caused by external or internal factors, it is a leader’s job to take responsibility for the end result.  Playing the blame game and blaming others for failure is unprofessional conduct for a leader.  If a leader does not want to take responsibility for a project/initiative going wrong, then that person should not be a leader.

When something fails, an exemplar leader will accept responsibility and take the appropriate measures to determine the root cause and lessons learned, not blame others as an easy way out.

Strength

An ideal leader does not have to possess physical strength, like Hercules.

Rather, a leader should be strong mentally and emotionally.

A strong leader must possess the fortitude to stand up for what he/she believes in, not matter what popular/public opinion may think/say.

A strong leader must be able to hang in there when the going gets tough, whether it is due to a demanding client, ethical situation, downward spiral of a project, negative economic conditions, etc.

A person in a leadership position has to wear many hats and has to please many people, i.e. Board of Directors, employees, clients, etc. and pleasing everyone is sometimes impossible.  A strong leader has to sometimes make decisions which will not please everyone all of the time.

Objectivity

An ideal leader must remain objective.

Objectivity not only applies to a leader’s behavior toward fellow employees and underlings.  It also refers to objectivity in decision making.  Whether the decision to be made is a major or minor one, a good leader must examine the facts or data and make a decision based on that information which he/she believes is most beneficial to stakeholders, customers and the organization.

Noteworthiness

A noteworthy leader produces positive results both inside and outside the organization.

This person is extremely accomplished and is highly respected by his/her colleagues, both internal and external.  He/she has a strong work ethic, great communication skills and lights up a room when entering.  A noteworthy leader is unforgettable and is a person who belongs on any organization’s wall of fame.

Taking the PERSON model, what six characteristics do you think a leader should possess? Do you know anyone who fits the PERSON model? What do you feel your greatest strength is as a leader? I would love to hear your thoughts!

**********

Never miss an issue of Linked 2 Leadership, subscribe today here.
Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————–
Marie Maher
Marie Maher is Director of Operations Analysis at The College Board
She manages projects and new operational initiatives for testing programs
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web | Skype: Marm69

Image Source: wholeperson.com

Related articles

Filed under: Leadership Lessons Learned, Leading & Developing Other Leaders, Practical Steps to Influence, Servant Leadership | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 37,791 other followers

%d bloggers like this: