What Is Leadership?

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dmitry_7
Discover the qualities that will make you stand out from the crowd.
Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are
people who do things right.– Professor Warren G. Bennis
The word "leadership" can bring to mind a variety of images. For example:

 A political leader, pursuing a passionate, personal cause.

 An explorer, cutting a path through the jungle for the rest of his group to
follow.
 An executive, developing her company's strategy to beat the
competition.
Leaders help themselves and others to do the right things. They set
direction, build an inspiring vision, and create something new. Leadership
is about mapping out where you need to go to "win" as a team or an
organization; and it is dynamic, exciting, and inspiring.

Yet, while leaders set the direction, they must also use management skills
to guide their people to the right destination, in a smooth and efficient way.

In this article, we'll focus on the process of leadership. In particular, we'll

discuss the "transformational leadership" model, first proposed by James
MacGregor Burns and then developed by Bernard Bass. This model
highlights visionary thinking and bringing about change, instead of
management processes that are designed to maintain and steadily improve
current performance.
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Note:
Leadership means different things to different people around the world,
and different things in different situations. For example, it could relate
to community leadership, religious leadership, political leadership, and
leadership of campaigning groups.

This article focuses on the Western model of individual leadership, and

discusses leadership in the workplace rather than in other areas.
Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do
something you want done because he wants to do it.– Dwight
D. Eisenhower

Leadership: a Definition
According to the idea of transformational leadership , PEST Analysis , Core
Competence Analysis to analyze their current situation. They think about
how their industry is likely to evolve, and how their competitors are likely to
behave. They look at how they can innovate successfully .
Therefore, leadership is proactive – problem solving, looking ahead, and
not being satisfied with things as they are.

Once they have developed their visions, leaders must make them
compelling and convincing. A compelling vision , and explain their visions in
ways that everyone can relate to.
Here, leadership combines the analytical side of vision creation with the
passion of shared values, creating something that's really meaningful to the
people being led.

2. Motivating and Inspiring People

A compelling vision provides the foundation for leadership. But it's leaders'
ability to motivate and inspire people that helps them deliver that vision.

For example, when you start a new project, you will probably have lots of
enthusiasm for it, so it's often easy to win support for it at the beginning.
However, it can be difficult to find ways to keep your vision inspiring after
the initial enthusiasm fades, especially if the team or organization needs to
make significant changes in the way that it does things. Leaders recognize
this, and they work hard throughout the project to connect their vision with
people's individual needs, goals and aspirations.

One of the key ways they do this is through Expectancy Theory . People
admire and believe in these leaders because they are expert in what they
do. They have credibility, and they've earned the right to ask people to
listen to them and follow them. This makes it much easier for these leaders
to motivate and inspire the people they lead.
Leaders can also motivate and influence people through their natural
charisma and appeal, and through other sources of power .
Leaders must ensure that the work needed to deliver the vision is properly
managed – either by themselves, or by a dedicated manager or team of
managers to whom the leader delegates this responsibility – and they need
to ensure that their vision is delivered successfully.

To do this, team members need performance goals that are linked to the
team's overall vision. Our article on Performance Management and
KPIs (MBWA) approach helps to ensure that what should happen, really
happens.
Leaders also need to make sure they manage change approach, and Bruce
Tuckman's Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing theory regularly,
and by training and coaching in others. By developing leadership skills
within your team, you create an environment where you can continue
success in the long term. And that's a true measure of great leadership.
Note:
The words "leader" and "leadership" are often used incorrectly to
describe people who are actually managing. These individuals may be
highly skilled, good at their jobs, and valuable to their organizations –
but that just makes them excellent managers, not leaders.

So, be careful how you use the terms, and don't assume that people with
"leader" in their job titles, people who describe themselves as "leaders,"
or even groups called "leadership teams" are actually creating and
delivering transformational change.

A particular danger in these situations is that people or organizations

that are being managed by such an individual or group think they're
being led; but they're not. There may actually be no leadership at all,
with no one setting a vision and no one being inspired. This can cause
serious problems in the long term.
Key Points
Leadership can be hard to define and it means different things to
different people.

In the transformational leadership model, leaders set direction and help

themselves and others to do the right thing to move forward. To do this
they create an inspiring vision, and then motivate and inspire others to
reach that vision. They also manage delivery of the vision, either
directly or indirectly, and build and coach their teams to make them ever
stronger.

Effective leadership is about all of this – and it's exciting to be part of

this journey!

How Good Are Your Leadership

Skills?
Who do you consider to be a good leader?
Maybe it's a politician, a famous businessperson, or a religious figure. Or
maybe it's someone you know personally – like your boss, a teacher, or a
friend. You can find people in leadership roles almost everywhere you look.

However, simply having the responsibilities of a leader doesn't necessarily

make a person an effective leader. This is a shame because, with a little
study, humility and hard work, all of us can learn to lead effectively.

So, how can you do this?

You can start by analyzing your performance in specific areas of

leadership. Watch our video, and then complete the quiz below to identify
where you already lead effectively, and to explore where your skills need
further development. In the analysis sections underneath, we'll direct you to
the resources you need to be an exceptional leader.

Volume 90%
Click here explains what you can do to understand yourself better
and build your self-confidence. From there, you'll begin to make the
most of your strengths and improve your weaknesses. Explore this
further with our Bite-Sized Training session on Personal SWOT
Analysis Rest, Relaxation and Sleep , and you can find out how to
become more optimistic in our Book Insight on Learned
Optimism (EQ) offers a more precise understanding of a specific
kind of human talent. EQ is the ability to recognize feelings - your
own and those of others - and manage those emotions to create
strong relationships.
Learning to develop Empathy , and to present this vision in a way that
inspires the people you lead.
The first part of being able to do this is to have a thorough knowledge of
the area you're operating in. See our Bite-Sized Training session
on Building Expert Power and appropriate decision-making
techniques , can help you open closed minds, so that people consider
your ideas fairly. Another great way of inspiring people is to use vivid
stories to explain your vision: find out more about this in our Expert
Interview with Annette Simmons, titled Whoever Tells the Best Story
Wins and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) , and explore our
articles on Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors and Sirota's
Three Factor Theory . They do what they say, and say what they do.
These types of leaders are trustworthy, and show integrity. They get
involved in daily work where needed, and they stay in touch with what's
happening throughout the organization. Great leaders don't just sit in
their offices and give orders - they demonstrate the actions and values
that they expect from the team.
As with building vision, above, a key part of being a good role model is
leading from the front by developing expert power offers some
excellent tips for turning a negative situation back to a positive one.
As you create rules, help your team members to understand why the
rules are there , and look for opportunities to match people with jobs
and responsibilities that will help them to grow and develop.
Use Heron's Six Categories of Intervention to determine what your
team needs to be successful.
Remember that emotional support is also important. The Blake-Mouton
Managerial Grid
The Leadership Motivation
Assessment
Discover How Motivated You Are to Lead

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sirawit99
Do you really want to be a stand-out leader?

The first and most basic prerequisite for

leadership is the desire to lead.
After all, it takes hard work to become an effective leader and, if you are
not prepared to put this work in or if, deep down, you're not sure whether
you really want to lead, you'll struggle to convince people that you are
worth following.

Leaders create the vision and set the direction for their organizations. But it
is their ability to motivate and inspire people that allows them to deliver that
vision. So, how much do you want to lead? This quiz will help you find out.

How to Use the Tool

Instructions
To use this tool, show the extent to which you agree with each of these
statements, on a scale running from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree.
For each question, click the button in the column that most applies. Then,
click the "Calculate My Total" button to add up your score. Next, check your
result using the "Score Interpretation" panel below. We then direct you to
resources that you can use to explore and develop your motivation to lead.
 Neither
Strongly Agree Strongly
14 Statements to Answer Disagree Agree
Disagree Nor Agree
Disagree

1I am energized when
people count on me for
ideas.

2As a practice, I ask

people challenging
questions when we are
working on projects
together.

3I take delight in
complimenting people I
work with when progress
is made.

4I find it easy to be the

cheerleader for others,
when times are good and
when times are bad.

5Team accomplishment is
more important to me than
my own personal
accomplishments.

6People often take my

ideas and run with them.

7When involved in group

projects, it is important to
me to help the team stick
together.

8When involved in group

projects, coaching others
is an activity that I
gravitate toward.

9I find pleasure in
recognizing and
 Neither
Strongly Agree Strongly
14 Statements to Answer Disagree Agree
Disagree Nor Agree
Disagree

celebrating the
accomplishments of
others.

10When involved in group

projects, my team
members' problems are
my problems.

11Resolving interpersonal
conflict is an activity that I
enjoy.

12When involved in group

projects, I frequently find
myself to be an "idea
generator."

13When involved in group

projects, I am inclined to
let my ideas be known.

14I find pleasure in being

a convincing person.

Total = 0

Score Interpretation

Score Comment

This implies a low motivation to lead.

14-27
 Score Comment

This implies some uncertainty about your motivation to lead.

28-55

This implies a strong motivation to lead.

56-70
Source: This set of questions was constructed for this self-assessment and for
illustrative purposes only. No prior validation work has been conducted that enables
us to address the construct validity of this assessment. This self-assessment was
patterned after that of A.J. DuBrin in Leadership: Research Findings, Practice and
Skills (2nd edition) (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998). P. 10-11.
Now that you have the results of this self-test, read on to decide how to
move forward.

Low Motivation to Lead

If you are considering taking on a leadership role, but your score indicates
that you have a low motivation to lead, there are a number of factors for
you to explore.

Perhaps you feel that you don't have the right skills to be a leader. If that's
the case, you can identify and develop leadership skills with our
article, What a Real Leader Knows .
If you've examined your motivation and desire, and decided that leadership
is not for you, our article on Finding Career Direction can help you do this.
And you'll find tips on building self-confidence in this video . That means
being a role model for your team and living up to the standards you expect
of others, motivating your people to buy into and deliver your vision, and
create a process where you and your team members raise one another to
the highest level.

Strong Motivation to Lead

If you've found that you are strongly motivated to lead, and you're already a
leader – great! If you're not already a leader, this is definitely an area you
should investigate as you plan your career.

Your score shows that you want to be a leader and that you've got the
confidence to do it. So, what are your next steps to realizing that ambition?
First, learn the foundations of leadership with our article, Core Leadership
Theories .
Key Points
Leadership is not something to be entered into half-heartedly. You have
to be highly motivated to do it effectively. Your people will soon pick
up on any hesitancy or doubts you may have about your desire to lead,
which will impact their confidence in you.

The rewards of leadership can be great, but so is the level of

responsibility and hard work that goes with it. And a leader needs to be
more than a hard worker – he or she must also be able to motivate and
inspire people to deliver a vision.

Leadership Motivation Tools

Increase Your Motivation to Lead

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Kameleon007
Boost your motivation!

In our Leadership Motivation

AssessmentDemotivation Demolisher," next we
look at the "Need-Effort Bridge" and finally we
look at "Passion Propulsion."

Demotivation Demolisher – Kill the Killjoy

The first step in building motivation is to identify what demotivates you and
then tackle the problem head on.
Here we're looking at demotivation on two levels. On one level, we're
looking at the fundamental motivation to lead, as we discussed in
our previous article
Now, let us go back to the demotivator lists that you drew up earlier. Let us
say that, after identifying the demotivators, you realize that you can't do
anything much about most of them. Then it is time to figure out why you are
putting up with these demotivators. Is it because you have established a
very strong, meaningful need for your effort, or is it inertia?

If you are not sure about the answer, try the following exercise.

Need-Effort Establishment Exercise

Take a piece of paper and divide it in two. Head up one half "Needs" and
the other "Effort."

List the needs you have – these could be anything from owning a new
BMW to finding spiritual balance. Material rewards, professional standards,
or personal targets are good thinking points to identify your needs.

Next, list the efforts you are making – on your job, in your community, or
whatever.

Then link the effort to the need it serves. For instance, the effort you are
making on the new job could link up to the need for buying the car.
Hopefully the extra effort will translate into a bonus, which would serve as
the down payment.

Just remember that the more meaningful the need you are seeking to
satisfy, the more motivated you will feel.

Hopefully, after conducting the exercise, you can find strong motivation to
justify your efforts. You may have to spend energy grappling with the
killjoys, but you know the effort is worth it.

However, if you cannot find this motivation, then maybe it is time you
contemplated channeling your efforts in a different direction. What should
this different direction be? Our next tool, Passion Propulsion, helps you
arrive at an answer to this question.

Passion Propulsion – Find Your passion.

Use It to Inspire and Enthuse.
"Nothing great is ever achieved without passion."– Ralph Waldo
Emerson
Passion is a great motivator. It is what gives the ultimate meaning to your
actions. Being fiercely passionate about goals and targets helps give you
an edge and helps you inch closer to your leadership position.

However, passion has to be handled with precision. You don't want to fritter
away the energy it gives you. A much better idea would be to identify it and
then use it with laser sharp focus to achieve your goals. This tool helps you
do this. It operates at two levels: firstly, it helps you identify goals that you
are passionate about; and secondly, it shows you how to direct your
passion energy.

Step 1 – Define Your passion

What "fires you up?" For some people the answer to this question is very
obvious. For others, it is a little more difficult.

If you are facing difficulty giving a definite answer, set aside 30 minutes to
answer three questions:

 What would I want my life to be like when I am 60?

 What do I want to have accomplished 5 years from now?
 What are the three things I would want to do if I only had 6 months to
live?
Each question will have several answers. Choose the top three answers for
each question.

Now, out of the nine goals you have identified, select the three that look
most important to you. You should naturally be passionate about achieving
them: if not, you may need to set goals that are on a grander or more
beneficial scale!

Step 2 – Harness Passion Energy

Once you have set inspirational goals, work out what you need to do to
achieve them.
Identify the key information and training you need to achieve them
effectively, and think through the tools you'll need, and the people you'll
need support from, on your way.

Make a professional, rational, well-thought-through plan. And then use it to

turn your goals into reality.

Ulrich's Leadership Capital Index

Putting a Value on Leadership

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Filograph
The Leadership Capital Index measures the market value of your
organization's leadership.

Your organization's market value depends on

many things, not least measurable and
attention-grabbing factors such as profitability,
assets and earnings.
But many investors are increasingly looking beyond your bottom line. They
are putting your leadership under the microscope, because they recognize
that effective leadership produces financial results. In other words, they are
trying to put a market value on leadership.

So, is it possible to put a tangible value on intangible elements such as

personal leadership qualities, organizational culture, and talent
management? The Leadership Capital Index is a new tool that aims to give
investors and organizations a rigorous framework for doing just that.

In this article, we look at the origins of the Leadership Capital Index, how it
can be used by investors and organizations, what leaders can do to boost
their Index rating, and how it can be useful to team managers.
What Is the Leadership Capital Index?
Dave Ulrich, a professor of business administration at the University of
Michigan's Ross School of Business, wanted to create a tool that he
said would "evaluate leadership through the eyes of investors to more fully
determine a firm's value."
His research led to his 2015 book, The Leadership Capital Index, in which
he details how leadership can be audited, in much the same way that
financial confidence is assessed in indices from ratings agencies such
as Moody's and Standard & Poor's.
The Index outlines a set of leadership skills, competencies and behaviors
that Ulrich's Leadership Capital Index Group (LCIG) assesses on behalf of
investors. These audits are designed to reduce the risk of investing in
companies, and to provide a more dependable way to measure the quality,
or financial value, of an organization's leadership.

And investors , key performance indicators results.

Note:
Organizations can sign up for a Leadership Capital Assessment, and the
audits are carried out with the permission of all the parties involved.
The Group also monitors business blogs and social media to see if a
leader's reputation and sleeping habits within the organization, and
whether they have created, and live up to, a shared culture and set of
values for the organization.
The Index rates organizational leadership across five areas, which you can
see in the table, below.

Table 2: Leadership Capital Index Organizational Leadership

Assessment Areas

Assessment Rating (1 low,

Description
Area 10 high)

How effectively are the

organization's values shared
throughout the organization's
leadership and management
Culture structure?
 Assessment Rating (1 low,
Description
Area 10 high)

Does the leadership team invest in

Managing the identifying and developing people
Flow of Talent with leadership potential?

Managing Has the leadership team established

Performance effective performance management
and systems, and does it motivate people
Accountability to meet their objectives?

Does the leadership team promote an

effective flow of information? Does
Managing the right information reach the right
Information people and places at the right time?

Has the leadership team created an

organization with effective working
practices that delivers goods or
services that meet its customers'
Managing needs? And is it able to react to
Work changing business conditions?

Total:

How to Use the Leadership Capital Index

Ulrich's framework gives potential investors a useful tool to help them to
make decisions, but what value does it have to an organization, and its
leaders, managers and people? The answer is that it gives them the power
to influence and boost their shareholders' confidence and their
organization's market value.

If you know what investors care about, and what leadership qualities they
are looking for, then you can aim to provide them. A comprehensive
Leadership Capital Index audit will pinpoint the strengths and failings of
individual and organizational leadership, but there are steps that you can
take right now to make your organization more appealing to investors by
improving the quality of its leadership. We explore six of them, below.
Tip:
These six steps can also be used or implemented by team managers. The
strategies and techniques below can help managers to be more effective,
and to develop their own leadership skills.

1. Develop Future Leaders

The Index favors leaders and organizations that create more good leaders.
Identify and nurture . Also, you need to ask whether your brand reflects
your customers' values to engage with your customers, and live up to the
values and behaviors that you promote online. The Index analyzes social
media to see if your messages and posts match the reputation that you
want to have.

3. Invest in Training
Give your people the tools and resources that they need to meet your
customers' needs and wants. That includes looking at your leadership
training programs, to ensure that they also cover how to deliver what you
promise to your customers. Our article, Training Needs Assessment . Share
the credit for successes with everyone involved.

5. Invite Investor Input

As we mentioned earlier, much of a company's market value comes from
"intangibles" such as the quality of leadership. At a senior level, leaders
should try to give intangible factors more definition. For example, the Index
itself takes an intangible – the value of leadership – and breaks it down into
the measurable elements in the two domains described above.

An organization can invite investors and other key stakeholders to co-

create, facilitate and participate in the leadership development process, so
they get the leadership that they want.

6. Run Positive Meetings

There are some well-established methods for running effective meetings

Core Leadership Theories

Learning the Foundations of Leadership

Why are some leaders successful, while others

fail?
The truth is that there is no "magic combination" of characteristics that
makes a leader successful, and different characteristics matter in different
circumstances.

This doesn't mean, however, that you can't learn to be an effective leader.
You just need to understand the various approaches to leadership, so that
you can use the right approach for your own situation.

One way of doing this is to learn about the core leadership theories that
provide the backbone of our current understanding of leadership. We
explore these in this article and in the video, below.

Volume 90%
Click here explores common leadership styles that have emerged
from these core theories. These include the "transformational
leadership" style, which is often the most effective approach to use
in business situations.

The Four Core Theory Groups

Let's look at each of the four core groups of theory, and explore some of
the tools and models that apply with each. (Keep in mind that there are
many other theories out there.)

1. Trait Theories – What Type of Person Makes a

Good Leader?
Trait theories argue that effective leaders share a number of common
personality characteristics, or "traits."

Early trait theories said that leadership is an innate, instinctive quality that
you do or don't have. Thankfully, we've moved on from this idea, and we're
learning more about what we can do to develop leadership qualities within
ourselves and others.
Trait theories help us identify traits and qualities (for example, integrity,
empathy, assertiveness, good decision-making skills, and likability) that are
helpful when leading others.

However, none of these traits, nor any specific combination of them, will
guarantee success as a leader.

Traits are external behaviors that emerge from the things going on within
our minds – and it's these internal beliefs and processes that are important
for effective leadership.

We explore some of the traits and skills that you need to be a good leader
in our articles What a Real Leader Knows , and What is Leadership? based
on a leader's behavior. He argued that there are three types of leaders:
1. Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their teams. This
style of leadership is considered appropriate when decisions need to be
made quickly, when there's no need for input, and when team
agreement isn't necessary for a successful outcome.
2. Democratic leaders allow the team to provide input before making a
decision, although the degree of input can vary from leader to leader.
This style is important when team agreement matters, but it can be
difficult to manage when there are lots of different perspectives and
ideas.
3. Laissez-faire leaders don't interfere; they allow people within the team to
make many of the decisions. This works well when the team is highly
capable, is motivated, and doesn't need close supervision. However, this
behavior can arise because the leader is lazy or distracted; and this is
where this style of leadership can fail.
Clearly, how leaders behave affects their performance. Researchers have
realized, though, that many of these leadership behaviors are appropriate
at different times. The best leaders are those who can use many different
behavioral styles, and choose the right style for each situation.

Our article "Laissez Faire" versus Micromanagement helps you decide how
to behave as a leader, depending on your concerns for people and for
production.

3. Contingency Theories – How Does the Situation

Influence Good Leadership?
The realization that there is no one correct type of leader led to theories
that the best leadership style depends on the situation. These theories try
to predict which style is best in which circumstance.
For instance, when you need to make quick decisions, which style is best?
When you need the full support of your team, is there a more effective way
to lead? Should a leader be more people-oriented or task-oriented? These
are all questions that contingency leadership theories try to address.

Popular contingency-based models include House's Path-Goal Theory .

You can also use the Leadership Process Model . This model highlights
three types of positional power – legitimate, reward, and coercive – and two
sources of personal power – expert and referent (your personal appeal and
charm). The model suggests that using personal power is the better
alternative, and that you should work on building expert power . This
approach assumes that people do things for reward and for no other
reason. Therefore, it focuses on designing tasks and reward structures.
While this may not be the most appealing leadership strategy in terms of
building relationships and developing a highly motivating work environment,
it often works, and leaders in most organizations use it on a daily basis to
get things done.
Similarly, leading by example is often the best leadership style to use in
business.
Transformational leaders show integrity, and they know how to develop a
robust and inspiring vision of the future. They motivate people to achieve
this vision, they manage its delivery, and they build ever stronger and more
successful teams.

However, you'll often need to adapt your style to fit a specific group or
situation, and this is why it's useful to gain a thorough understanding of
other styles. Our article on Leadership Styles

Ethical Leadership
Doing the Right Thing

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ChrisNolan
Can you lead your team through the moral maze?
We've seen some high profile ethical failures hit
the headlines in recent times – the Volkswagen
emissions scandal and the controversies
surrounding rideshare giant Uber spring to mind.
These, and other, examples show what can happen when people at the top
of an organization make poor ethical choices, and end up in the news or in
the courts.

There are, however, many other leaders who "raise the bar," and inspire
their teams to do the same.

These ethical leaders do the right thing, at the right time, for the right
reasons. They put their ethics before the bottom line – and research
shows that this makes it more likely their teams will be loyal, dedicated and
ethical, in return.
In this article, we'll explore how you, too, can raise the bar for yourself, your
team, and your organization.

What Causes Ethical Failures?

Before looking at how to be an ethical leader, it is useful to consider what
might lead you to an ethical failure.

Author and ethical leadership expert Linda Fisher Thornton points to a

number of connected factors that can lead to ethical failures by individual
leaders and by organizations.
Individual causes include ignoring boundaries such as organizational
values or industry codes, following the crowd ("everyone else is doing it, so
why not me?"), and lack of self-control.

Organizational causes include lack of positive role models, lack of codified

standards of behavior and training, and lack of accountability.

You can explore more reasons behind organizations' unethical behavior,

with our article, Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse , so that you can
embody them in your day-to-day business.
Machinery manufacturer Deere & Co., for example, was recognized in 2018
as one of most ethical companies in the world. Why? Because it is
committed to upholding the highest standards of honor and integrity, and
because everyone from the C-suite to the shop floor does business in
alignment with Deere's core values.
Hopefully, like Deere, your company has clear rules about the behavior it
expects of its people. These rules usually flow from the
organization's mission and vision statements , can help you with this.

2. Know Your Personal Values

Good leaders follow their personal values is the best way to do this. People
will model their behavior on yours and they will, in turn, set an example for
others to follow. The "ripple effect" can be wide reaching.
If, for example, your company values honesty above all else, then be sure
to demonstrate it by being transparent with everyone around you. And if
your company values free speech, make a point of allowing your team
members to openly communicate their ideas.

Next, be sure that your people know the consequences of behavior that
doesn't live up to your corporate values, or which breaks the rules on
ethical behavior. These consequences don't have to be punitive, but they
should remind people of the standards of behavior that you expect of them.

Positive consequences are important, too. Consider rewarding team

members who consistently act according to the company values. Even a
simple "thank you" note will likely be appreciated. And sharing examples of
team members who did the right thing in challenging situations can
reinforce and communicate values powerfully. You can find out how to
create such "positive narratives" in our article, here .

4. Recognize Ethical Dilemmas

Imagine this scenario: you're in a meeting with other top executives, and
one of your colleagues is grossly exaggerating his team's performance.
Instead of saying that its project will increase company earnings by 4
percent, as he told you, he's promising a 12 percent increase.

What would you do? He's a close colleague and a personal friend, but, on
the other hand, he's being dishonest. Should you support him, or tell the
truth to the other executives?

We're often faced with tough choices in the workplace, but most ethical
dilemmas aren't this obvious. So, how do you recognize them?

 Identify "trigger" situations. Certain situations, such as purchasing, hiring,

firing, promoting, and calculating bonuses, seem to attract ethical dilemmas, so
be wary when you're involved.
 And a threat to your image or income could skew your judgment. What if you
make a mistake, for example – will you admit to it or try to cover it up?

By recognizing when ethical dilemmas are most likely to occur, you can be
more attuned to the risk.

 Listen to your "inner voice." Your conscience likely tells you when
something isn't right, creating a feeling of uneasiness. If a situation
makes you uncomfortable, or goes against one of your core values or
beliefs, stop and think things through rationally before proceeding.

5. Deal With Ethical Dilemmas

Recognizing ethical dilemmas is one thing. But, often, deciding what to do
about them is quite another. And even when you know what you ought to
do, actually doing it can be very difficult.

There are several ways to respond to an ethical dilemma:

 Prepare in advance. Visualizing theoretical scenarios can help you to work

through your feelings and to decide what to do in reality. In a crisis, you may
only have seconds to reach a decision, so rehearsing can be a great help.

What would you do, for example, if you knew that a colleague was about to be
fired, but you weren't legally allowed to tell him? How would you choose to
act?
You can also conduct this exercise with your team members, to help them to
recognize and prepare for ethical dilemmas of their own.

 Weigh up the evidence. In the example of your colleague presenting different

information to executives than he gave to you, is there a chance that the figures
changed legitimately?
Wherever possible, take the time to investigate and assess whether
someone has behaved unethically, before taking action.
 Reevaluate your decision before you act. If you're in a difficult situation
and you're unsure what to do, try out making a decision .

6. Be Courageous
Sometimes, you'll act on a decision but wonder if you did the right thing.
And even when you're certain that you were right, there can still be
unpleasant consequences.
Consider, for example, the leader who informs an auditor about "irregular"
accounting in her firm. She knows that she's been honest and correct, but
the upsetting result may be that friends and colleagues lose their jobs.

So, you might be uncomfortable at times as an ethical leader, but these

situations can teach you to trust yourself and your instincts. If you calm
your anxiety and look logically at the situation, your instincts will often guide
you in the right direction.

Key Points
Ethical living – and leading – takes courage and conviction. It means
doing the right thing, even when it isn't popular or easy.

Start by identifying your company's core values as well as your own,

then set the right tone with your team and your organization. By training
yourself to spot ethical dilemmas, you can then decide how to deal with
them by fully assessing the situation, and asking for advice where
needed.

Your actions will always speak louder than your words, so set an
example by following your convictions and you'll inspire those around
you to do the same.

Dunham and Pierce's Leadership

Process Model
Setting Direction and Thinking Long Term

©GettyImages
WhiteLacePhotography
Think long term, and learn the effects of positive leadership.
Leadership is about setting direction, helping
your people to succeed – and so much more! As
a leader, every single action you take has real,
practical consequences for your team and its
performance.
Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model helps you to
understand how the different facets of leadership affect one another, and
why it's important to adopt a positive, long-term approach to leading your
people.

In this article, we explain how the model works, and examine how you can
apply its lessons to your own situation and working life.

What Is the Leadership Process Model?

The Leadership Process Model was developed by Randall B. Dunham and
Jon Pierce, and was published in their 1989 book, "Managing." You can
see our interpretation of the model in figure 1, below.
Figure 1. The Leadership Process
Model reproduced (with permission) from "Leaders and the Leadership Process" by
Jon Pierce and John Newstrom. © 2010 McGraw-Hill Education.
The model shows the relationship between four key factors that contribute
to leadership success or failure. They are:

1. The Leader: the person who takes charge, and sets the direction for the
group or team.
2. Followers: the people who follow the leader's directions on tasks and
projects.
3. The Context: the situation in which the work takes place. This could be a
regular workday, an emergency project, or a challenging, long-term
assignment, for example. Context can also include the physical
environment, the resources available, or events in the wider
organization.
4. Outcomes: the results of the process, such as reaching a particular goal,
developing a high-quality product, or resolving a customer service issue.
There can also be outcomes such as improved trust and respect
between the leader and the followers, or higher team morale.
The model shows the way in which the leader, the followers, and
the contextcombine to affect the outcomes. It also shows how outcomes
feed back to affect the other three factors.
Most importantly, the model demonstrates that leadership is a dynamic and
ongoing process. So, it's important to be flexible (bearing in mind the
context and the desired outcome), and to invest continually in your
relationship with your followers.

As the diagram shows, each factor impacts the others. Negative actions will
likely feed back into the process to adversely affect future performance,
while positive actions will likely improve future performance.

How to Apply the Model

Pierce and Newstrom highlight several ways to apply the insights from this
framework to your own development as a leader, and to the development
of your people:

1. Provide Regular Feedback

The Leadership Process Model underlines the need to give good
feedback at work and to keep a level head, as this will help your decision-
making process. It's also helpful for your team if you act as a good role
model that they can trust and look up to. Of course, your team members
may have to follow your instructions. But, if they trust you, they'll
also want to follow you, and they'll more likely be willing to "go the extra
mile."
So, try to be authentic , actively build trust , you can develop integrity, set
clear goals, communicate well with your team members, and inspire people
with a shared vision of the future.
However, it's helpful to be able to use other leadership styles for more
information on how to match tasks to particular situations, and to your
people's individual skills.

6. Focus on Relationship Development

Start by developing your emotional intelligence with your team members.
When your people see you as an empathic leader, they feel that you're on
their side, and that you can see things from their perspective. This deepens
the relationship that they have with you.
Lastly, reward your people
Authentic Leadership
Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow

© iStockphoto
stockstudioX
Do people want to follow you?

You may have heard of "authentic leadership."

Books, leadership courses, and even
businesses have been built around this idea.
But it's often easier to identify authentic leaders
than it is to define what makes them that way.
What do the words "authentic leader" actually mean? What truly makes
one, and why is it worth the effort to become one?

There are many different answers to these questions. In this article, we'll
discuss why it is so important, and we'll examine the different
characteristics that make someone authentic as a leader.

Why Authentic Leadership?

Leadership today is very different from leadership in our parents'
generation. The old "top-down" style of management just doesn't work
anymore. Workers generally want to be fully engaged, and committed to
what they're doing. They want to feel as if their work matters. And they
want to believe in the people who are in charge.

Because of these higher expectations, it's vital for leaders to know how to
inspire passion and confidence in the people they're leading. When people
work alongside a truly authentic leader, they'll often give their whole hearts
and minds to the cause. In these situations, a spirit of teamwork and loyalty
can spread throughout an organization, resulting in high morale and
producing extraordinary results.

Authentic leaders inspire trust in their teams. People are more willing to be
open about problems, which means that those problems are more likely to
get fixed, instead of being ignored.

What Is Authentic Leadership?

So, authentic leadership can inspire people to pull together, work hard, and
communicate. But how do you lead in an authentic way? What does this
involve?

There's no easy answer to these questions, because it means a lot of

different things and involves a diverse group of skills, actions, and
behaviors. At root, however, authentic leadership is all about behaving with
integrity, and being consistent.

For example, authentic leaders inspire those they lead because they stay
true to their own values. They know who they are, and they don't let
anyone keep them from making a decision that they know is right. They
have integrity and firm moral codes, and they manage to stay sensible and
stable even during the most difficult times.

How to Lead Authentically

The path to this type of leadership is not straight and well-defined. As we
said earlier, it involves many different skills, traits, and actions. By focusing
on some of the most common characteristics, you can start down your own
path towards this.

Let's look at some main themes – ethics, power, communication, and the
organization – and we'll examine how you could start developing these on
your own.

Ethics
Authentic leaders are ethical leaders. They've identified their ethical codes,
and they never compromise on what they believe to be right and wrong.
If you'd like some help identifying your own ethics and values, our
article Ethical Leadership by Jon Huntsman reviews a book that shows
why being ethical matters so very much.

Power
All leaders have power. But authentic leaders know how to use
the right kind of power – for the good of the group, and for the goal that
needs to be achieved.
There are several different kinds of power. One type is expert power. As a
leader with this, you're an expert at what you do, and your team looks up to
you because of that. Learn how to build and use this type of power with our
article on Expert Power article.
Authentic leaders don't simply know what type of power to use in a given
situation. They also understand power – where it comes from, and how to
use it to get things done. Our article on French and Raven's Five Forms of
Power will show you how to start telling great stories to your team.
Communication involves "give and take." Authentic leaders understand that
the world isn't just about them, and they listen actively and How to Handle
Criticism .
Authentic leaders also know what truly drives their companies and their
teams. Why is this important? Well, if you don't know the drivers that are
key to performance, then you'll probably never find out what's wrong when
your company or team isn't "working." The Congruence Model for a related
discussion of authentic leadership, based on emotional intelligence.
Key Points
Authentic leadership involves a lot of different things. And developing
the skills and characteristics needed should be an evolving journey, not
a final destination.

These leaders are often easier to recognize than define, but they all have
a few traits in common. They know themselves well, and they never
allow someone else to cause them to break their "moral codes." They
put their companies and their teams first, they're excellent
communicators, and they know how to use the right kind of power for
the right situation.
Annotate

French and Raven's Five Forms

of Power
Understanding Where Power Comes From in the
Workplace

© iStockphoto
JoshuaMcDonough
Do you know the source of your power?

Think of a leader you've known who relied on

his or her ability to discipline or reward people to
get things done. Then, remind yourself of a
leader who was a renowned expert in his field,
or who you really admired for his integrity.
How did it feel to work for these leaders, and which one got the best from
you? The way a leader behaves toward you and how effectively you work
as a result can both depend on the source of her power. And her power
need not come from her official status or title.

Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven studied this

phenomenon more than half a century ago. Despite its age, their research
can still help us to understand why some leaders influence us, how
prepared we are to accept their power, and – if you are a leader – how you
can develop new power bases to get the best from your people.

Understanding Power
In 1959, French and Raven described five bases of power:
1. Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the formal
right to make demands, and to expect others to be compliant and
obedient.
2. Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate another
for compliance.
3. Expert – This is based on a person's high levels of skill and knowledge.
4. Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness,
worthiness and right to others' respect.
5. Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish others
for noncompliance.
Six years later, Raven added an extra power base:

6. Informational – This results from a person's ability to control the

information that others need to accomplish something.
By understanding these different forms of power, you can learn to use the
positive ones to full effect, while avoiding the negative power bases that
managers can instinctively rely on.

The Bases of Power

Let's explore French and Raven's bases of power in two groups –
positional and personal.

Positional Power Sources

Legitimate Power
A president, prime minister or monarch has legitimate power. So does a
CEO, a religious minister, or a fire chief. Electoral mandates, social
hierarchies, cultural norms, and organizational structure all provide the
basis for legitimate power.

This type of power, however, can be unpredictable and unstable. If you

lose the title or position, your legitimate power can instantly disappear,
because people were influenced by the position you held rather than by
you.

Also, the scope of your power is limited to situations that others believe you
have a right to control. If a fire chief tells people to stay away from a
burning building, for example, they'll likely listen. But if he tries to make two
people act more courteously toward one another, they'll likely ignore the
instruction.

Reward Power
People in power are often able to give out rewards for some actions. Also,
when you use up rewards, or when the rewards don't have enough
perceived value, your power weakens.
Tip:
The exceptions to this are praise . We love to receive them and, best of
all, they're free to give!
Coercive Power
This source of power is also problematic, and can be abused. What's more,
it can cause dissatisfaction or resentment among the people it's applied to.

Threats and punishment are common coercive tools. You use coercive
power when you imply or threaten that someone will be fired, demoted or
denied privileges. While your position may allow you to do this, though, it
doesn't mean that you have the will or the justification to do so. You may
sometimes need to punish people that others need or want puts you in a
powerful position. Having access to confidential financial reports, being
aware of who's due to be laid off, and knowing where your team is going for
its annual “away day” are all examples of informational power.
In the modern economy, information is a particularly potent form of power.
The power derives not from the information itself but from having access to
it, and from being in a position to share, withhold, manipulate, distort, or
conceal it. With this type of power, you can use information to help others,
or as a weapon or a bargaining tool against them.

Personal Power Sources

Relying on these positional forms of power alone can result in a cold,
technocratic, impoverished style of leadership. To be a true leader, you
need a more robust source of power than a title, an ability to reward or
punish, or access to information.

Expert Power
When you have knowledge and skills that enable you to understand a
situation, suggest solutions, use solid judgment, and generally outperform
others, people will listen to you, trust you, and respect what you say. As a
subject matter expert , decisiveness into other subjects and issues. This is a
good way to build and maintain expert power, and to improve your
leadership skills.
You can read more about building expert power, and using it as an
effective foundation for leadership, here and honesty, may rise to power –
and use that power to hurt and alienate people as well as to gain personal
advantage.
Relying on referent power alone is not a good strategy for a leader who
wants longevity and respect. When it is combined with expert power,
however, it can help you to be very successful.

Infographic
You can see our infographic of French and Raven's theory here:
Key Points
In 1959, social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven identified
five bases of power:

1. Legitimate.
2. Reward.
3. Expert.
4. Referent.
5. Coercive.
And, six years later, added an extra power base:

6. Informational.
Anyone is capable of holding power and influencing others: you don't
need to have an important job title or a big office. But if you recognize
the different forms of power, you can avoid being influenced by those
who use the less positive ones – and you can focus on developing expert
and referent power for yourself. This will help you to become an
influential and effective leader.
Apply This to Your Life
1. Go through each power base and write down when and how you've
used it.
2. Ask yourself if you used the power appropriately. Consider the expected
and unexpected consequences, and decide what you'll do differently
next time.
3. Think about the people who have power and influence over you. What
sources of power do they use? Do they use their power appropriately?
Where necessary, develop a strategy to reduce someone else's
illegitimate use of power over you.
4. When you feel powerless or overly influenced, think about how you
could regain your own power and control. After all, you're never without
power. Aim to be more aware of the power you have, and use it to get
what you need – humanely.
Annotate
French and Raven's Five Forms
of Power Infographic
Building Expert Power
Earn Respect by Developing Expertise
If you're already a leader, do your people follow
you through fear or respect? And if you're
aspiring to lead, how will you get the most out of
your team?
The power of position, the power to punish, and the power to control
information can be risky to wield. They push your team members into a
position of weakness and can leave you looking autocratic and out of
touch. Your team members will likely not enjoy being lorded over, and may
even attempt to undermine you if you use your power simply as a show of
strength.

Fortunately, there are three types of power that are much more
positive: charismatic power , and expert power. Of these, expert power has
to be earned and requires a great deal of energy and focus to maintain. But
it tends to be longer lasting than other forms of power and more rewarding
as a result.
Volume 90%
Expert power is as much about maintaining your expertise as it is
about showing it off.
This article explores the steps that you can take to build your own expert
power.

Defining Expert Power

You gain expert power when you show a high level of knowledge or a great
level of skill that people around you see, need and want. They will likely
come to you for advice and want to follow your lead.

Unlike power that depends on your formal position, expertise is personal to

you. Anyone can possess it, no matter what their level or grade within their
organization. You might be the sole member of a team who understands a
particular software program, for instance, or the go-to person for industry
knowledge.

Why Expert Power Matters

Expert power is a great asset to have.

It provides leaders with a robust power base from which they can manage
people confidently. According to management professor Gary A. Yukl,
expert power is more important than reward-based or coercive power in
leading people effectively. If you have expert power, your team is likely to
be more open to your efforts to guide them, and you'll find it easier
to motivate them , which allows you to craft a higher-profile role. It can help
you to build up your own personal brand and reputation . In fact,
maintaining expert power is a lifelong commitment to solidify your role as
an expert. This involves the collection of both background information, such
as trends and facts, and specific task-related information, such as a risk
assessment or a quality standard.
However, remember that it's not enough just to build expertise. People
have to recognize your skills and to acknowledge that they need what you
have. You can achieve this by following these six key steps:

1. Promote an Image of Expertise

Perceived expertise is often associated with education and experience, so
make sure that colleagues know about your formal education, work
experience, and accomplishments.

You could display diplomas, licenses and awards in your office, or refer
subtly to your prior education or experience at an appropriate moment. For
example, "We had a similar problem when I was chief engineer at GE, and
we found... " Be careful, however, not to overplay this tactic, as it could
backfire if people think that you are bragging.

Demonstrating your expertise can often be more effective than talking

about it. Offer to mentor , so avoid making careless comments about
subjects that you're poorly informed on, and take care to distance yourself
from projects that have a low likelihood of success.

3. Act Confidently and Decisively in a Crisis

People like a leader who knows how to direct them when there's a problem.
They'll likely associate confident, firm leadership with expert knowledge.
So, even if you're unsure of the best way forward, try not to express doubts
or appear confused. But best of all, be prepared for a crisis rather than
collecting a large number of passing contacts. Take the time to read
relevant books, articles, journals, and blog posts, and attend conferences
and events. Do whatever it takes to keep your "finger on the pulse."
5. Recognize People's Concerns and Contributions
Being an expert means that people look to you for information and
direction, but this doesn't mean that your engagement with others is one-
sided. Listen carefully , and take care to guard against arrogance.
Use Eldred's Power Strategies .
Key Points
You gain expert power when people perceive that you have a superior
level of knowledge or a specialized skill that they need. It's a crucial
element of effective management, but it's not limited to leaders – anyone
can have expert power.

You can build up your expertise by taking the time to expand your skills
and knowledge. Promote your position as an expert by developing the
right image, maintaining your credibility, and acting confidently in
crisis situations.

Keep up-to-date with new developments in your expert subject, but

avoid threatening your colleagues' self-esteem. Instead, share your
knowledge tactfully but generously, helping others to develop their own
careers while continuing to learn yourself.
Apply This to Your Life
Think about a time when you had unique, specialist or rare knowledge or
skills. Recall how you used your expert power. Were you sensitive about
other people's feelings? Did you maintain your power or feel it ebbing
away? Consider what you might do differently next time.

Now, look at what opportunities you have to develop expertise in your

current role. For example, are there any conferences, blogs or forums you
could access or contribute to? Are there any new projects in the pipeline
that you could take the lead on? Could you become your team's resident
expert on developments in your industry, or do you have a practical skill
you could teach your colleagues?

What's Your Leadership Style?

Learn About the Strengths and Weaknesses of the
Way You Like to Lead
© iStockphoto
Jacob_Ammentorp_Lund
Do you like to be at the controls, or do you trust your crew?

When we lead for the first time, we might adopt

a style of leadership that we've experienced
from someone else, or that we've heard or read
about. If it seems to work, we'll likely stick with it
– in effect, it becomes "our" style.
But there are many approaches available to us, and a good leader is able
to adapt their style according to the situation and the people involved.

This quiz will help you to identify the style that you naturally lean toward,
and introduce you to alternative approaches that you might find it helpful to
develop, and the occasions when they may be appropriate.

We've based our questions on psychologist Kurt Lewin's Leadership Styles

Framework and leadership experts David Rooke and William Torbert who
miss deadlines, in departments where conflict is an issue, or in teams that
rely on quick decisions being made.
But you need to be aware that relying on control and punishment to
maintain standards will likely drive people away. Similarly, if you always
demand that your team works at top speed, you can end up exhausting
everyone.

Instead, you can show respect for team members by providing the rationale
for your decisions. And they will more likely comply with your expectations
if you take the trouble to explain Why the Rules Are There , Thinking on
Your Feet . But be sure to balance these skills with an awareness of their
potential negative impact on creativity, ideas gathering, motivation, and
trust within the team.
Being too autocratic can also mean that you'll find it hard to stand back
from the detail and take a wider, more strategic view.
Tip:
Did you achieve your leadership role thanks to your technical expertise?
If so, you'll likely be used to getting things right, adding value, and
having people's respect. But your soft skills . As a result, you'll likely
gain creative input and fresh ideas that you wouldn't have come up with
if you were working alone.
You might wonder how to manage differing opinions in the team,
once you've invited participation in this way. Your goal is to build
a culture in which people can have healthy debates with one
another. So:

 Set an example by being open and flexible yourself.

 Make managing mutual acceptance skills.
 Read our article on Managing Emotion in Your Team whether
you need to adopt a more autocratic approach, even if it's only
briefly.

The Delegating, "Laissez Faire"

Leader
"Laissez faire" is a French phrase adopted into English
that means, "Let (people) do (as they choose)." It
describes a policy of leaving situations to run their own
course, without interfering.
By adopting this style of leadership, you empower your
team to make decisions and to organize its own
processes, with little or no guidance. The danger of this
approach is that situations can collapse into chaos if
your people have low motivation or poor skills.
It can work, however, if they are experienced,
knowledgeable, confident, creative, and driven, or if
deadlines are flexible and processes are simple.
Be in no doubt, though, that as the leader you will still
be held accountable for the outcome! So you might
want to organize team decision making the right task to
the right person, as a mismatch could mean that the
whole team fails.
Avoid becoming too remote, even with a high-
performing, highly autonomous team. Change can occur
at any time in business, so your organization's
requirements for your team might shift after your initial
brief. If this happens, stay in touch with your people,
and communicate clearly and promptly. Remember, you
can offer your support without becoming a
micromanager . These leaders have high expectations
for, and set a fine example to, their people. And they
inspire them to reach for the seemingly impossible.
Further Reading:
We have numerous resources on leadership styles and approaches
in our Leadership Skills toolkit. You might find the following
articles helpful:
 Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle's Leadership Style
Matrix .
 Robert House's Path-Goal Theory .
 Tannenbaum and Schmidt's Leadership Continuum .
 Greenleaf's Servant Leadership .

Key Points
We all tend toward one leadership style more than another, due to
our personal preferences, abilities, role models, and more.

But one approach doesn't fit all scenarios: some situations and
people call for a fast, firm, top-down approach, while others
flourish with shared responsibilities and the freedom to plan,
decide and act.

You and your team will likely perform better if you develop a wide
set of styles to apply as appropriate.
 Kurt Lewin's model expresses this range of styles in relatively
simple terms, from Authoritarian or Autocratic, through
Democratic or Participative, to Delegating or "Laissez Faire."

Transformational leadership is the best approach for most

situations.

Leadership Styles
Choosing the Right Approach for the Situation

Types of Leadership Styles

There are as many approaches to leadership as there are leaders,
from Lewin’s Leadership Styles framework of the 1930s to the
more recent ideas about transformational leadership. There are
also many general styles, including servant and transactional
leadership. Building awareness of frameworks and styles can
help you to develop your approach and to be a more effective
leader.
From Winston Churchill and Angela Merkel, to
Queen Elizabeth I and Martin Luther King, there
can be as many ways to lead people as there
are leaders.
Fortunately, businesspeople and psychologists have developed useful
frameworks that describe the main ways that people lead. When you
understand these frameworks, you can develop your own approach to
leadership, and become a more effective leader as a result.

In this article and video, we'll highlight some of the common approaches to
leadership that you can use. We'll also look at some specific styles of
leadership, and we'll explore the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Volume 90%
Click here .
Useful Leadership Style Frameworks
So, let's look at some useful approaches – shown mainly in the order they
appeared – that you can use to become a more effective leader. Your own,
personal approach is likely to be a blend of these, depending on your own
preferences, your people's needs, and the situation you're in.

Lewin's Leadership Styles

Psychologist Kurt Lewin developed his framework in the 1930s, and it
provided the foundation of many of the approaches that followed
afterwards. He argued that there are three major styles of leadership:

1. Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their team

members, even if their input would be useful. This can be appropriate
when you need to make decisions quickly, when there's no need for
team input, and when team agreement isn't necessary for a successful
outcome. However, this style can be demoralizing, and it can lead to
high levels of absenteeism and staff turnover.
2. Democratic leaders make the final decisions, but they include team
members in the decision-making process. They encourage creativity,
and people are often highly engaged in projects and decisions. As a
result, team members tend to have high job satisfaction and high
productivity. This is not always an effective style to use, though, when
you need to make a quick decision.
3. Laissez-faire with resources and advice if needed, but otherwise they
don't get involved. This autonomy can lead to high job satisfaction, but it
can be damaging if team members don't manage their time well, or if
they don't have the knowledge, skills, or self motivation to do their work
effectively. (Laissez-faire leadership can also occur when managers
don't have control over their work and their people.)
Lewin's framework is popular and useful, because it encourages managers
to be less autocratic than they might instinctively be.

The Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid

The Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid – published in 1971 – is useful.
For example, highly-capable people, who are assigned to a complex task,
will need a different leadership approach from people with low ability, who
are assigned to an ambiguous task. (The former will want a participative
approach, while the latter need to be told what to do.)
With Path-Goal Theory, you can identify the best leadership approach to
use, based on your people's needs, the task that they're doing, and the
environment that they're working in.

Six Emotional Leadership Styles

Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee detailed their Six
Emotional Leadership StylesPrimal Leadership."
The theory highlights the strengths and weaknesses of six common styles
– Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting, and
Commanding. It also shows how each style can affect the emotions of your
team members.

Flamholtz and Randle's Leadership Style Matrix

First published in 2007, Flamholtz and Randle's Leadership Style
Matrixtransformational leadership
Transformational leaders have integrity . They motivate people with a
shared vision of the future, and they communicate well. They're also
typically self-aware , empathetic .
Transformational leaders inspire their team members because they expect
the best from everyone, and they hold themselves accountable . This leads
to high productivity and engagement.
However, leadership is not a "one size fits all" thing; often, you must adapt
your approach to fit the situation. This is why it's useful to develop a
thorough understanding of other leadership frameworks and styles; after
all, the more approaches you're familiar with, the more flexible you can be.

Specific Leadership Styles

As well as understanding the frameworks that you can use to be a more
effective leader, and knowing what it takes to be a transformational leader,
it's also useful to learn about more general styles, and the advantages and
disadvantages of each one.

Let's take a look at some other styles of leadership that are interesting, but
don't fit with any of the frameworks above.

Note:
Remember, not all of these styles of leadership will have a positive
effect on your team members, either in the short or long term. (See our
article on Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Modelservant leader
These people often lead by example. They have high integrity .
Their approach can create a positive corporate culture, and it can
lead to high morale among team members.
Supporters of the servant leadership model suggest that it's a
good way to move ahead in a world where values are
increasingly important, and where servant leaders can achieve
power because of their values, ideals, and ethics

Lewin's Leadership Styles

Framework
Three Core Leadership Styles

© iStockphoto
GP232
How is your natural leadership style affecting your team?

Chances are, you've worked for a wide variety

of leaders during your career. Some might have
been excellent, while others may not have been
effective at all. You might even have
experienced a boss who was great in some
situations and bad in others, because he or she
used the same leadership style each time.
It's important to understand your own natural leadership style, so that you
can adapt your approach to fit your situation. It's also helpful to know which
leadership behaviors to avoid.

One way to do this is to use Lewin's Leadership Styles Framework. In this

article, we'll look at the three core leadership styles that Lewin identified,
and we'll see how you can use his model to be a more effective leader.

About the Model

In 1939, psychologist Kurt Lewin led a study that identified three core styles
of leadership, and outlined the effect that each style had on team members.
His research also showed that leaders get different results when they lead
their teams in different ways.
Although Lewin conducted this study many decades ago, his findings have
influenced many of today's leadership theories , including transformational
leadership and Wibbeke's Geoleadership Model , but it's harmful in many
modern working environments.

Participative (Democratic) Leadership

With participative leadership, you have the final say on decisions, but you
involve team members in the decision-making process. This builds trust ,
and team members feel empowered and engaged with their work.
The downside of participative leadership is that it can slow the decision-
making process, which can lead to missed opportunities. This can be
particularly damaging in emergencies or crises.

Delegative (Laissez-Faire) Leadership

Delegative or laissez-faire or consultants to think about the best leadership
style for your circumstances.
Key Points
Social psychologist Kurt Lewin identified three primary leadership
styles in 1939. These were:

 Authoritarian (autocratic) leadership.

 Participative (democratic) leadership.
 Delegative (laissez-faire) leadership.
Lewin's research forms the foundation of many of today's leadership
models and frameworks.

Its most important conclusion is that people tend to resent authoritarian

leadership, and that they can become aggressive, demoralized or
demotivated when subjected to it. By contrast, you need to use
participative or delegative approaches to leadership to get the best from
people.

It's helpful to understand each of these three styles so that you know
when and how to use them, and so that you know what behaviors to
avoid if you want to get the best from your team.
Annotate

Fiedler's Contingency Model

Matching Leadership Style to a Situation

What is your natural leadership style?

Do you focus on completing tasks or on building relationships with your
team?

And have you considered that this natural style of leadership might be more
suited to some situations than it is to others?

In this article, we'll explore Fiedler's Contingency Model, and we'll look at
how it can highlight the most effective leadership style to use in different
situations.

© iStockphoto
thecraft
Make sure your leadership style is a perfect match to your situation.
Note:
With this theory, we are not using the word "contingency" in the sense
of contingency planningA Theory of Leadership Effectiveness" by
Professor F.E. Fiedler. © 1967. Reproduced with permission from
Professor F.E. Fiedler.
The model says that task-oriented leaders usually view their
LPCs more negatively, resulting in a lower score. Fiedler called
these low LPC-leaders. He said that low LPCs are very effective
at completing tasks. They're quick to organize a group to get
tasks and projects done. Relationship-building is a low priority.

However, relationship-oriented leaders usually view their LPCs

more positively, giving them a higher score. These are high-LPC
leaders. High LPCs focus more on personal connections, and
they're good at avoiding and managing conflict. They're better
able to make complex decisions.

Situational Favorableness
Next, you determine the "situational favorableness" of your
particular situation. This depends on three distinct factors:

 Leader-Member Relations – This is the level of trust and

confidence that your team has in you. A leader who is more
trusted and has more influence within the group is in a more
favorable situation than a leader who is not trusted.
 Task Structure – This refers to the type of task you're doing:
clear and structured, or vague and unstructured. Unstructured
tasks, or tasks where the team and leader have little
knowledge of how to achieve them, are viewed unfavorably.
 Leader's Position Power – This is the amount of power you
have to direct the group, and provide reward or punishment.
The more power you have, the more favorable your situation.
Fiedler identifies power as being either strong or weak.

Applying the Fiedler Contingency Model

Step 1: Identify your leadership style

Think about the person who you've least enjoyed working with,
either now or in the past.

Rate your experience with this person using the scale in figure 1,
above. According to this model, a higher score means that you're
naturally relationship-focused, and a lower score means that
you're naturally task-focused.

Step 2: Identify your situation

Answer the questions:

 Are leader-member relations good or poor?

 Is the task you're doing structured, or is it more unstructured, or
do you have little experience of solving similar problems?
 Do you have strong or weak power over your team?

Step 3: Determine the most effective

leadership style
Figure 2 shows a breakdown of all of the factors we've covered:
Leader-Member Relations, Task Structure, and Leader's Position
Power. The final column identifies the type of leader that Fiedler
believed would be most effective in each situation.

Figure 2: Breakdown of Most Effective Leader Style

Leader-
Leader's Most Effective
Member Task Structure
Position Power Leader
Relations

Good Structured Strong Low LPC

Good Structured Weak Low LPC

Good Unstructured Strong Low LPC

 Leader-
Leader's Most Effective
Member Task Structure
Position Power Leader
Relations

Good Unstructured Weak High LPC

Poor Structured Strong High LPC

Poor Structured Weak High LPC

Poor Unstructured Strong High LPC

Poor Unstructured Weak Low LPC

For instance, imagine that you've just started working at a new
company, replacing a much-loved leader who recently retired.
You're leading a team who views you with distrust (so your
Leader-Member Relations are poor). The task you're all doing
together is well defined (structured), and your position of power is
high because you're the boss, and you're able to offer reward or
punishment to the group.

The most effective leader in this situation would be high LPC –

that is, a leader who can focus on building relationships first.

Or, imagine that you're leading a team who likes and respects
you (so your Leader-Member relations are good). The project
you're working on together is highly creative (unstructured) and
your position of power is high since, again, you're in a
management position of strength. In this situation, a task-focused
leadership style would be most effective.

Criticisms of the Model

There are some criticisms of the Fiedler Contingency Model. One
of the biggest is lack of flexibility. Fiedler believed that because
our natural leadership style is fixed, the most effective way to
handle situations is to change the leader. He didn't allow for
flexibility in leaders.
For instance, if a low-LPC leader is in charge of a group with
good relations and doing unstructured tasks, and she has a weak
position (the fourth situation), then, according to the model, the
best solution is to replace her with a high-LPC leader – instead of
asking her to use a different leadership style.

There is also an issue with the Least-Preferred Co-Worker Scale

– if you fall near the middle of the scoring range, then it could be
unclear which style of leader you are.

There have also been several published criticisms of the Fiedler

Contingency Model. One of the most cited is "The Contingency
Model: Criticisms and Suggestions," published in the Academy of
Management Journal, Vol. 13, No. 3. The authors say that, even
under the best circumstances, the LPC scale only has about a 50
percent reliable variance. This means that, according to their
criticism, the LPC scale may not be a reliable measure of
leadership capability.

It's also perfectly possible that your least preferred co-worker is a

genuinely confused, unpleasant or evil person (they do exist) - if
you are unfortunate enough to have encountered such a person
just once in your career, then you might always be categorized as
a low-LPC leader, however people-oriented you actually are.

Note:
At Mind Tools, we believe that transformational leadership are
sometimes necessary.
In our opinion, the Fiedler Contingency Model is unhelpful in many
21st Century workplaces. It may occasionally be a useful tool for
analyzing a situation and determining whether or not to focus on tasks
or relationships, but be cautious about applying any style simply
because the model says you should. Use your own judgment when
analyzing situations.
Key Points
The Fiedler Contingency Model asks you to think about your natural
leadership style, and the situations in which it will be most effective.
The model says that leaders are either task-focused, or relationship-
focused. Once you understand your style, it says that you can match it to
situations in which that style is most effective.

However, the model has some disadvantages. It doesn't allow for

leadership flexibility, and the LPC score might give an inaccurate
picture of your leadership style.

As with all models and theories, use your best judgment when applying
the Fiedler Contingency Model to your own situation.

The Tannenbaum-Schmidt
Leadership Continuum
Balancing Control With Your Team's Need for
Freedom
Leaders use a variety of different approaches.
Some are autocratic and prefer to tell their teams exactly what to do.
Others use a much more participative style. Still others may use a style
somewhere between these two extremes.

These differences suggest a continuum of leadership behavior – with

leaders being able to choose the style they use.

So, how do you choose the leadership style that's right for you?

One popular approach to leadership, the "contingency" approach, argues

that your choice should be based on the situation, and not on your personal
preferences (here, "contingency" means that your approach is dependent
on, or contingent upon, the situation).

Volume 90%
Click hereHow to Choose a Leadership Pattern" by Robert
Tannenbaum and Warren H. Schmidt, May 1973. Copyright ©
1973 by the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all
rights reserved.
The model highlights seven leadership styles that occur across the
continuum:

1. Tells – The leader makes decisions and expects the team to follow, and
the team has very little involvement in decision-making. This type of
 style is sometimes used early in a team's existence, before trust is
established, or with very inexperienced team members. Continued use
of this style can be very frustrating for team members and can break
down trust, so leaders must be careful to use this style only when
absolutely necessary.
2. Sells – The leader makes the decision, but provides a rationale. Team
buy-in is important. Although the decision won't be changed, the team is
allowed to ask questions and feel that its needs are being considered.
3. Suggests – The leader outlines the decision, includes a rationale, and
asks if there are any questions. While the decision is already made, this
style helps the team understand why, so team members don't feel so
much that the decision is forced on them. According to Tannenbaum and
Schmidt, because people have the opportunity to discuss the decision,
they feel that they have participated in it, and they accept it more readily.
This helps build trust, and it's a good strategy to use when you're trying
to figure out what the team is capable of on its own.
4. Consults – The leader proposes a decision and then invites input and
discussion to ensure that the decision is the right one. The team has the
ability to influence the final outcome, and to make changes to the
decision. By using this style, the leader acknowledges that the team has
valuable insight into the problem. This shows that he or she trusts the
team members and wants them to participate actively in problem-solving
and decision making. This leadership style can build cohesiveness, and
provide much-needed motivation to a team.
5. Joins – The leader presents the problem and then asks the team for
suggestions and options to consider. Through the discussion that
follows, the team helps the leader decide. So, while the leader ultimately
makes the decision, decision making is a very collaborative process, and
the team feels valued and trusted. This style is often used when the
team has specific knowledge and expertise that the leader needs to
make the best decision.
6. Delegates – The leader outlines the problem; provides decision
parameters, and allows the team to find solutions and make a final
decision. The leader remains accountable for the outcome, and he
controls risks by setting limits and defining criteria that the final decision
must meet. To delegate this much authority, the leader needs to trust the
team and ensure that it has the support and resources necessary to
make a solid decision.
7. Abdicates – The leader asks the team to define the problem, develop
options, and make a decision. The team is free to do what's necessary
to solve a problem while still working under reasonable limits, given
organizational needs and objectives. Although the level of freedom is
very high, the leader is still accountable for the decision and therefore
 must make sure that the team is ready for this level of responsibility and
self-control.

Using the Continuum

The continuum's seven leadership styles broadly correspond to a team's
level of development. As trust and competency grow within a team, so does
the amount of freedom that team members want and that leaders can feel
comfortable providing. Tannenbaum and Schmidt felt that there were three
key elements to consider when deciding on the style that's most
appropriate for a particular situation:

1. The team members – How independent and experienced are they? Do

they have the necessary level of competence for the level of freedom
you're considering? Do they understand the goals of the team and the
organization sufficiently to make good decisions?
2. The situation – Do you have enough time to allow the team to become
involved in the decision-making process? Does the team operate well
enough together to make an effective decision in a reasonable amount
of time? Does the team have the knowledge and experience necessary
to make a good decision? Are the consequences of getting the decision
wrong significant? And does the culture of the organization support team
decision-making?
3. The leader – Do you believe in your team's ability to deliver? Are you
willing and able to accept accountability for your team's decision? And
are you able to delegate tasks and decisions effectively?
In 1973, Tannenbaum and Schmidt published an update to their theory, in
which they recommended that managers consider the interrelationships
between the above three factors – along with factors outside the team and
the organization. For example:

 If a manager trusts team members to make decisions, and the manager

considers any mistakes made to be "learning experiences," then the
team members' ability to make good decisions will improve.
 If an organization has a strong culture of respect for its people, then
using a "tell" or "sell" style may be less acceptable than it would be in
another organization, even with an inexperienced team.
 Consumers may boycott a company where managers are excessively
authoritarian toward their people.
To find out more about leadership styles and leadership models, see our
article on Leadership Styles approach, which is often the most effective
leadership style in business situations.
Annotate

Leadership Style Matrix

Choosing the Best Leadership Approach

© iStockphoto
sweetym
When you're new to managing people, it can be hard to choose
which path to take.

When you start to manage new people, how do

you know which leadership style you should
use?
There are a number of things that determine this. For example, does the
work have scope for creativity, or does it need to be completed in a specific
way? Would close management be best, or should you encourage your
people to work independently and deliver a finished product?

Different people and different types of projects need different leadership

styles. But how do you know which approach is best for each project,
person, or situation?

In this article, we'll look at the Leadership Style Matrix, a model that helps
you decide.

Overview
Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle developed the Leadership Style Matrix
and published it in their 2007 book, "Growing Pains." The matrix, shown in
figure 1, helps you choose the most appropriate leadership style . Don't
forget that your team members depend on the feedback , so that members
of your team understand the reasons behind them. When they understand
why certain rules or procedures are in place, they're more likely to follow
them.
As your team is working, practice management by wandering around in
your team. When trust is present, your team members will feel comfortable
offering their opinions and reacting honestly to issues.
Be open to the ideas and suggestions that your team members provide – if
you criticize or dismiss your team members' suggestions, they'll quickly
stop speaking up, especially if they suspect that you've already made up
your mind. Keep an open mind, and be willing to change your opinion if
someone presents a better idea.

Participative – The participative leadership style is similar to the

consultative style, where you still have the final say in a decision. However,
the participative style goes a step further – you depend on your group to
develop ideas, not just offer opinions on an idea. The participative style is
more about group problem solving and brainstorming will help you develop
team decision-making strategies.)
Keep in mind that while you're depending on your team members for their
input, you still need to guide the discussion, you need to communicate
goals, and you need to make the final decision. Make sure that everyone
on your team understands your role in this process.

Quadrant 3: Low Programmability/Low Job

Autonomy
Here, you're leading a highly creative project, with a person or with team
members who don't want autonomy. Instead, they need direction, input,
and interaction. The two leadership styles that best fit this situation are
Consultative and Participative.

These are the same leadership styles that fit best in Quadrant 2: High
Programmability/High Job Autonomy.

Quadrant 4: Low Programmability/High Job

Autonomy
You fall into this quadrant when you're assigning a creative – or "loose" –
project to a person who wants freedom and independence to work. This
means that you need to take a nondirective leadership approach.
There are two styles that you can use here:

Consensus – One option is to use a consensual leadership style.

Essentially, this means that you're going to give your team member a great
deal of authority in the decision-making process. Instead of being the
"boss," it's almost as if you become part of the team.
Ensure that your team member understands his or her responsibilities
when you use this style.

Laissez-faire – Laissez-faire the right tasks to the right people. A mismatch

between the task and the individual will likely mean that the team member
needs additional help from you, and that they may not thrive.
Tip:
This is a useful framework for deciding which leadership style to use for
your situation, but there are several other tools that can give equally
valuable perspectives.
For example, Path Goal Theory

"Laissez Faire" versus

Micromanagement
Getting the Balance Right

© iStockphoto
hohl
Can you walk the tightrope between too much and too little
management?

Imagine this scenario: your boss has just

handed you a big project. You're excited to get
started, but she's left you with no direction as to
how she expects you to go about it. She's
specified the deadline and the deliverable, and
has left you to find your own way.
Your last boss was the complete opposite. He'd hand you a piece of work
and then spend the next few weeks hovering over your shoulder,
questioning your decisions and offering "helpful advice" at every turn.

These two scenarios illustrate opposite ends of a management style

spectrum.

The first boss has a "laissez faire" management style, and the second is
the classic micromanager – more politely known as a "very-hands-on"
manager.

Both styles can be effective in the right circumstances, but not, usually,
when they're taken to extremes. As usual, the best approach lies
somewhere between the extremes.

In this article we'll look at each management style, and see how to find the
best style for each person and situation.

Laissez Faire Management

The term "laissez faire" is French for "leave it be". This is a very fitting
description for this style of management!

Laissez faire managers are delegation are the opposite of laissez faire
managers. They resist delegating, and when they do delegate, they spend
a great deal of time checking up on their teams. Micromanagers focus on
every tiny detail, and often discourage their team members from making
decisions if they're not around.
Clearly this can be frustrating and upsetting for team members, it slows
work down, and it constrains the creativity that people can show. On the
positive side, it does help to ensure that work is done accurately and on
time.

Finding the Balance

So, how do you find the right balance between laissez faire management
and micromanagement/hands-on management?
It's worth pointing out here that managers should rarely take either of these
management styles to the extreme. However, it can be tricky to know when
to give more freedom and when to give more supervision, and there are a
number of factors that you need to take into consideration when you're
thinking about this.

Know Your Team

The people you're leading have a lot to do with the management style you
need to adopt.

For instance, imagine you're leading a team full of senior colleagues who
have a proven track record. They know what they have to do, and they've
worked together countless times in the past. This is a classic example of
when a more laissez faire management approach is likely to be
appropriate. You still need to be there to direct the group, but they don't
want or need constant supervision.

A micromanagement approach would certainly do more harm than good

here!

On the other hand, imagine you're leading a team of inexperienced

colleagues. They're not sure of their direction, or of what the company
expects from them. This situation would call for a lot of management
direction on your part.

Understanding the people you're leading is, therefore, the first step in
finding the balance between less management and more management.
What's more, you may need to use different approaches with different
members of your team – for example, you'll need to manage a new
graduate in a totally different way from an experienced colleague.

When thinking about the individuals within your team, you can use these
guidelines to decide which style to lean towards:

A laissez faire approach is likely to be best with:

 Senior, experienced, and highly educated workers.

 Teams with drive, assertiveness and self-confidence.
 Creative groups.
A Hands-On approach is likely to work best with:
 Young, inexperienced workers.
 Workers who consistently miss deadlines if left to their own devices.
 Departments where conflict is an issue.
 Teams that rely on quick decisions.

Tip 1:
Culture can have an impact here, too. People in individualistic cultures
such as the U.S. can profoundly dislike micromanagement. In other
cultures, a hands-on approach may be expected, and deadlines may be
missed if too much of a laissez faire approach is used. Be sensitive to
the culture in which you operate.
Tip 2:
You can find out more about the differences between specific cultures
around the world in our article on Hofstede's Cultural
Dimensions gives tips on how to do this appropriately.)
 Every leader has their own "comfort zone". You might find yourself
naturally drawn to a more laissez faire style, and extremely uncomfortable
with the thought of hands-on management. But leaning towards different
styles in different situations is the mark of a good leader: you're giving your
team members what they need, not what you want to give.
Tip 1:
If you know that you tend to micromanage people too much, you can
find out how to deal with this in our article on Avoiding
Micromanagement .
Tip 2:
You can also use tools such as the Leadership Style Matrix

Strengths-Based Leadership
Understanding Strengths and Weaknesses
© iStockphoto
PaulMaguire
Focus on developing people's strengths.

Jeff joined your team 18 months ago, and he's

proved himself to be a talented and successful
salesman. He seals the biggest deals, brings in
serious revenue, and builds great relationships
with clients. So, when your sales team leader
transferred to another department, you were
confident that promoting Jeff was the answer.
However, a few weeks later, you're starting to regret your decision. Jeff's
existing skills have not translated to team management: he's an impatient,
highly critical perfectionist, and he fails to explain what he wants people to
do.

You now realize that you focused on Jeff's successes when you promoted
him, and ignored his weaknesses. You should have used a "strengths-
based leadership" approach and concentrated on building his existing
strengths, and promoted someone with more effective management skills
to the team leader position.

In this article, we'll explore what strengths-based leadership is, and we'll
see how you can use it to develop yourself and your team members. We'll
also examine the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and look
at how you can identify your own strengths, so you can become a more
effective leader.

What Is Strengths-Based Leadership?

Strengths-based leadership is about focusing on your strengths, and
delegating tasks that you're not as good at to others who are more skilled
or experienced. You can also use this approach to identify your team
members' strengths, and encourage them to use these in a way that
benefits everyone.

Leaders are sometimes expected to excel at everything, and to have very

few weaknesses. In reality, though, you'll likely be an expert in a specific
area only, despite your range of qualifications and experience, and this
doesn't guarantee that you'll succeed elsewhere.

When you attempt to become an expert in all areas, you risk spreading
yourself too thin and becoming ineffective. So, it's important to recognize
your strengths and weaknesses, and delegate tasks that others could do
better.

Benefits of Strengths-Based Leadership

Let's look at the benefits of using a strengths-based leadership approach.
For example:

 Improving consensus and delegation. Working with experts in areas where

you are less experienced is a sign of strength, not weakness. You're
admitting where you need help, accepting others' expertise, developing
a more consensual leadership style, focusing on what you do best, and
promoting effective delegation .
 Encouraging creativity. Using this approach means that you will likely be
more confident in delegating and passing on responsibility to your team
members, and less focused on making people "fit," which can reduce
creativity and innovation.

Drawbacks of Strengths-Based Leadership

Despite its benefits, there are potential weaknesses in the strengths-based
leadership approach. These include:

 Typecasting. This approach can increase the risk of "pigeonholing"

someone. For example, if you encourage people to focus on their
strengths only, they might become bored, frustrated and resentful that
others are moving up and developing new areas of expertise, while they
aren't.
 Too much consensus. If everyone focuses on their strengths and "leads"
in their own areas, you might struggle to determine the group's overall
direction and make final decisions.
 Ignoring weaknesses. This approach focuses on building talents and
strengths but, in some areas, you also need to address performance
weaknesses and knowledge or skills gaps. Otherwise, you and your
team members are less likely to improve or develop, and your work
could be undermined by a weakness that no-one has covered.

How to Use Strengths-Based Leadership

In their 2009 book, "Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and
Why People Follow," workplace consultants Tom Rath and Barry Conchie
argue that the most successful teams possess a wide range of strengths.
They identify four broad groupings:
1. Executing – This is the ability to get things done. A good executor is
skilled at arranging and controlling tasks, events and people, is
consistent and focused, and is prepared to take responsibility for jobs.
2. Influencing – This is the strength to "sell," influence or persuade others
to support ideas, projects, tasks, attitudes, or organizational approaches.
3. Relationship building – This is the ability to encourage people to work
together toward a common goal or ambition.
4. Strategic thinking – A strategic thinker is skilled at analyzing information,
seeing links and connections, and thinking both inside and outside the
box.
Reprinted by permission of Gallup, Inc. From "Strengths Based Leadership: Great
Leaders, Teams and Why People Follow" by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie. Copyright
© 2009 by Gallup, Inc.
You don't need to excel in all four areas to be successful, but you should
ensure that your team has at least one member with strengths in each
area, so that your people and their skills complement each other.

Let's look at how to identify where your strengths lie in these four areas:

1. Executing
Executors often manage their time extremely effectively, are highly
productive, and like to "get things done." So, start by taking our "How Good
is Your Time Management?" and "How Good Are your Project
Management Skills?"? Or do you struggle to concentrate "executing" tasks
to someone who is stronger in this area.
2. Influencing
People who are strong in this area are able to influence others to gain
support for their ideas or projects. Take our "How Good Are Your
Motivation Skills?" quiz to find out how well you interact and communicate
with your team members.
Do you have the courage and self-confidence , and like working as part of a
team. So, take our "How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?" quizzes to find
out how well you work with others and build effective relationships.
If you demonstrate empathy , and understand people's needs quiz to identify
whether your skills lie in this area.
Tip:
Carry out a Reflected Best Self™ exercise to identify where your
strengths lie, across a range of disciplines. This encourages you to seek
feedback, so that you can identify and understand your unique strengths
and talents.
And, use the StrengthsFinder

Blue Ocean Leadership

How Do Your Team Members Experience Your
Leadership?

© iStockphoto
ancell77
Are you ready to lead your team into fresh blue oceans of
possibility?

Imagine that you lead a team of people who

perform consistently, and produce steady
results. Although their output is regular and
reliable, they're no longer trying out new
approaches or reaching new goals.
You'd like your team to keep developing, to advance, and to win further
success for the organization. You want to provide it with the motivation and
support it needs to do this, but your time and budget are limited. Is there a
way that you can encourage your team to improve its performance without
spending money or wasting time?

This is where Blue Ocean Leadership could help. A well known British
retail groupapplied it to re-engage its team members and to lead them to
do what they needed to succeed. Its staff turnover dropped from about 40
percent to 11 percent, and its recruitment costs reduced by 50 percent.
In this article, we'll look at Blue Ocean Leadership – an approach you can
use to motivate your team and raise its performance, without spending
much money or wasting valuable time.

What Is Blue Ocean Leadership?

Blue Ocean Leadership was created by W. Chan Kim and Renée
Mauborgne, and is based on their theory of Blue Ocean Strategy
Tip:
Best practice when it's needed, instead of saving your comments for
performance reviews, can help your staff member to make
improvements to the way she works, sooner.
Lots of leadership strategies center on changing the manager's behavior
and encouraging people to develop skills like empathy . Blue Ocean
Leadership addresses a team member's actions directly and allows him to
make positive changes to the way he carries out his tasks.

Step Two: Connect Leadership to Market Realities

by Engaging People
This step's about setting goals for your team member that are realistic and
achievable. She's more likely to reach them if she feels engaged with them.

For example, if you tell her that she must respond to customer requests for
refunds quickly, but you do nothing about the inefficient process your
organization uses for making refunds, she's going to be frustrated and
uninspired.
Blue Ocean Leadership encourages you to discuss with her the obstacles
that prevent her from doing her job effectively. Ask her how your actions
can affect her productivity and whether there is anything you can do to
help. Make sure she has everything she needs to succeed.

When a team member can help to shape the activities that will affect her
performance, she feels like her opinion counts and she's likely to be much
more motivated and The Leadership Pipeline Model

Action Centered Leadership™

The Three Circles Model: Balancing Task, Team and
Individual Focus

© GettyImages
milos-kreckovic
Stay focused on what's most important.

As a team leader, you likely tackle many

competing demands. Sometimes, though, the
task, problem or person that "shouts loudest"
grabs your attention, while other important areas
are sidelined or ignored.
It can be hard to step back and think about your full range of
responsibilties, and to consider the specific actions that you need to take to
achieve your goals.

The Action Centered Leadership™ model can make this difficult juggling
act a little easier. It identifies three key areas that leaders need to focus on,
and offers a framework for keeping them in balance. And it may even help
you to avoid dropping any balls along the way!
In this article, we look at Action Centered Leadership in more detail, and
explore how you can apply it to your own situation.

What Is Action Centered Leadership?

Action Centered Leadership (or the "Three Circles Model") is a popular and
influential tool that was first published in 1973 by leadership expert, John
Adair.
It highlights the core actions that you must take to lead your team
effectively, rather than the leadership style .
Operational leaders need to influence and inform their teams, interpret
goals and results, and initiate plans and projects. They must have the skills
necessary to implement decisions, to network, and to plan successions .
This means that they understand – and articulate – the
organization's mission . Your team usually gets the job done, but not always
to the standard you'd like.
In this example, your circles might look like those in figure 2, below.

Figure 2 – Real-Life Example of an Action Centered

Leadership Diagram.
The Three Circles model is a trademark of John Adair and Adair International Ltd.
Reproduced with permission.

You can then work toward dividing your time more equally between each
area of responsibility.

There are a number of ways to fulfill each area of responsibility. Use the
following lists as a guide, and add or remove tasks based on your own
circumstances.

Achieve the Task

As a leader, your role is to direct a team toward achieving its goal.
Here are some of the actions you can take to do this:
  Identify and define your team's tasks, priorities and purpose,
and communicate .
 Facilitate and encourage effective communication.
 Motivate and support.
 Give regular, constructive feedback . Or, you might have a crucial
deadline that gives you no choice but to focus solely on the task.
When all three areas of responsibility compete for your attention,
you'll have to prioritize

Path-Goal Theory
Discovering the Best Leadership Style

© iStockphoto
DNY59
What direction will you take?

Imagine that your boss has just assigned a

major project to your new team. There are some
very talented people within the team, but you've
worked with them in the past, and it wasn't a
pleasant experience...
You've always felt that the best way to manage a fast-paced, expert team
is to set objectives, and then let team members work out how they'll deliver
for themselves. You don't want to interfere with what they're doing, so you
rarely have meetings with individuals or with the group.

The problem is that the team hasn't responded well to this approach. So
what else should you do? Would daily meetings waste your people's time?
And would they be annoyed if you involved yourself more in decision-
making, or gave them more guidance on the project?
When thinking about the best way to lead a team, we have to consider
several different factors, and it's easy to choose the wrong approach. When
this happens, morale, effectiveness, and productivity can suffer.

Path-Goal Theory helps you identify an effective approach to leadership,

based on what your people want and your current situation. In this article,
we'll look at Path-Goal Theory, and we'll explore how you can apply it to
your own situation.

About Path-Goal Theory

Psychologist, Robert House, developed Path-Goal Theory in 1971, and
then redefined and updated it in a 1996 article in The Leadership Quarterly.
Let's look at some of the elements of the theory.

Leadership Responsibilities
According to it, if you want your people to achieve their goals, you need to
help, support, and motivate them. You can do this in three ways:

1. Helping them identify and achieve their goals.

2. Clearing away obstacles, thereby improving performance.
3. Offering appropriate rewards along the way.
To do this, you can use four different types of leadership:

 Supportive leadership – Here, you focus on relationships. You show

sensitivity to individual team members' needs, and you consider your
team members' best interests. This leadership style is best when tasks
are repetitive or stressful.
 Directive leadership – With this, you communicate goals and
expectations, and you assign clear tasks. This style works best when
tasks or projects are unstructured, or when tasks are complex and team
members are inexperienced.
 Participative leadership – With participative leadership, you focus on
mutual participation. You consult with your group, and you consider their
ideas and expertise before making a decision. This approach works best
when your team members are experienced, when the task is complex
and challenging, and when your team members want to give you their
input.
 Achievement-oriented leadership – Here, you set challenging goals for
your team. You have confidence in your team's abilities, so you expect
your team to perform well, and you maintain high standards for
everyone. This style works best when team members are unmotivated or
unchallenged in their work.
The best style to use is then dependent on the situational factors explained
below.

Situational Factors
Path-Goal Theory defines two distinct situational factors – the nature of
your subordinates, and the nature of your environment. These factors
directly influence the best style of leadership to use with team members.

 Subordinates – Understanding your people's needs is key to choosing

the best approach for leading them.
 How well do your team members respond to direct authority? How do
they react when you tell them how to do a particular task?
 How experienced are your people? How much do they know about the
task or assignment?
How motivatedlocus of control"

Six Emotional Leadership Styles

Choosing the Right Style for the Situation

© Veer
Magdalena
Ignite team members' passion by matching your leadership style to
their emotions.
Think for a moment about the best boss that
you've ever had. What was it that made working
with him or her so rewarding?
Maybe your manager was happy and excited about his work, and that
made you feel happy and excited, too. He never got angry when problems
came up, but instead focused on finding workable solutions. He was
confident, but always ready to hear other people's opinions. As a result,
you enjoyed your job and consistently performed well.

Now think about the worst boss you ever had: the one who was ill-
tempered, made unrealistic demands without telling you why, and was
always "pulling rank." Sure, you worked hard, but only because you were
afraid not to. He got results in the short term, but his team members soon
burned out and staff churn was high.

The contrast between the two examples of managers is stark. It is also

significant. Scientific research shows that a leader's emotional state can
impact everyone in an organization. The leader's mood , Emotional
Intelligence in Leadership , and our infographic, Five Ways to Show
Emotional Intelligence.
To assess your own EI, try our quiz How Emotionally Intelligent Are
You? and body language to solve a problem or to meet a target. Empathy .
However, it's less likely to be effective when you're working with a team that's
more experienced than you are. In these cases, democratic leadership is more likely
to be effective.
Visionary leadership can create the most positive results of all the six
leadership styles, but it may also be overbearing if you use it too much.

How to Develop It
To develop a Visionary leadership style focus on increasing your
expertise, vision , and empathy. Get excited about change, and let your
team see your enthusiasm – remember, it's infectious!
You also need to convince others of your vision, so focus on improving
your communication skills.

2. The Coaching Leader

The Coaching leader's approach is, "Try this."
The Coaching leadership style connects a team member's personal
goals with the organization's goals. This style is empathic and encouraging,
and you can use it when you want to focus on developing people for future
success.
This style centers on having in-depth conversations that may have little to
do with people's current work, instead focusing on long-term life plans and
how these connect with the organization's mission.

This style has a positive impact. It establishes rapport , and

increases motivation and mentoring to keep in touch with their needs.

3. The Affiliative Leader

The Affiliative leader believes that, "People come first."

The Affiliative leadership style promotes harmony within the team, and
emphasizes emotional connections. It connects people by encouraging
inclusion and resolving conflict. To use this style you need to value others'
emotions and have a strong awareness of their emotional needs.

When to Use It
Use this style whenever there is team tension or conflict,
when trust and how to be optimistic will also help.

4. The Democratic Leader

The Democratic Leader asks, "What do you think?"

The Democratic leadership style focuses on collaboration. Leaders using

this leadership style actively seek input from their teams, and they rely
more on listening than directing.

When to Use It
This style is best used when you need to get your team on board with an
idea or build consensus. It's also effective when you need your team's
input.

The Democratic leadership style shouldn't be used with people who are
inexperienced, lack competence, or aren't well informed about a situation.
It's best to ask for input from team members who are motivated,
knowledgeable and capable.

How to Develop It
To develop a Democratic leadership style, involve your team in problem
solving and decision making, and teach them the skills that they need to do
this. Also try to improve your active listening and Kaizen to help them to
become as effective as possible.
You may also want to work on your motivation skills , think on your feet .
Terms reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review. From 'Primal
Leadership' by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee. Copyright ©
2013 by the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all rights reserved.
Tip:
The Six Emotional Leadership Styles provide just one approach to
thinking about your leadership style. You can find out about many other
approaches in our Leadership Styles , excitement and sincerity, they
get excited, too. You've communicated your vision and motivation by
explaining how it can benefit everyone. Your team members know it's
up to them to use the new system to make things happen and they're
willing to put in the extra work needed to learn new skills.

2. The Coaching Leader: "Try This"

Jim, a new hire on your team, is having trouble adapting to his
new role. He's been with the organization for only a month, but
you can tell that he's dissatisfied , which he did at his old job. You
also get the feeling that he'd like a position with more
responsibility.
You meet with Jim and you help him see that being in the office
five days a week does have distinct advantages over working
from home. For instance, showing up every day allows him to
bond with the team and network with colleagues who could turn
into strategic allies in the future. You also encourage him to use
your organization's training library, which he can visit in his lunch
break to learn the skills he needs for a promotion.

To inspire and motivate Jim you assign him projects that will
stretch his skills and knowledge base. Instead of being
overwhelmed, he expresses excitement and enthusiasm about
the opportunity.

After your talk Jim takes your advice and starts making the most
of his time in the office. He works on his projects with dedication,
impressing both you and your boss.

3. The Affiliative Leader: "People Come First"

After a difficult year, Karen's boss has been asked to leave.
Although he was proficient at his job, his management style was
dictatorial. It didn't matter what he had to do or whose feelings he
hurt – meeting department goals was his top priority.

Karen has been asked to take over his position and, although
she's excited about the opportunity, she's now in charge of a
team that is emotionally battered and untrusting. She decides to
focus on her team's emotional needs about the future, too.
There's lots of talent, experience and ability in your team, and you
decide that a collaborative .
Your team members talk through their options and you reach a
consensus on what to do next.

5. The Pacesetting Leader: "Do as I Do, Now"

Although the holidays are coming up, your boss is pressing you
to improve your team's numbers by the end of the quarter, which
is only a few weeks away. Your team members are motivated
and capable, but they're also tired. They're not looking forward to
a last-minute push right before their break.

You decide to move forward anyway. You know they can handle
the pressure and, if they meet their performance goals, they'll be
rewarded with a great end-of-year bonus. So, you get them fired
up one more time, asking everyone to work extra hours to ensure
success. You also work extra hours yourself and you help anyone
who falls behind.
You know it’s a "big ask," and that it may have a negative effect
on your team in the short term, but you decide it's in everyone’s
best interests to comply with the boss’s wishes on this occasion.
You know your team's limits and you'll be in a good position to
push back if it happens again, or if the boss's demands keep
increasing.

6. The Commanding Leader: "Do What I Tell

You"
Eric has just learned that his CEO is stepping down, as of today.

As the executive vice-president, he's next in line for the position.

But right now, the board is in turmoil. Everyone is trying to decide
what to do before the financial markets open and the shares
plummet.
He tries to collaborate with some of his allies, but everyone has
their own ideas about what needs to happen. The team is arguing
constantly and Eric realizes that nothing is going to get done
unless he takes the lead and self-control

The Blake Mouton Managerial

Grid
Leading People and Producing Results

When you recruit a new team member, what's

your priority? Is it to focus on tasks by
explaining the first year's objectives to him or
her? Or, do you spend time understanding his
strengths and interests so you can give him
tasks that he'll enjoy?
No one leadership style is best for all situations, but it's useful to
understand what your natural approach is, so you can develop skills that
you may be missing. It's unwise to neglect either tasks or people. But,
equally, a compromise between the two approaches will likely result in only
average team performance, because you neither meet people's needs nor
inspire excellent performance.

In this article, we look at the Blake Mouton Managerial Grid, a popular

framework for thinking about a leader's "task versus person" orientation.

Volume 90%
Click here , his results are inevitably disorganization, dissatisfaction
and disharmony.

Produce-or-Perish Management – High

Results/Low People
Also known as "authoritarian" or "authority-compliance"
managers, people in this category believe that their team
members are simply a means to an end. The team's needs are
always secondary to its productivity.

This type of manager is autocratic, has strict work rules, policies

and procedures, and can view punishment as an effective way of
motivating team members. This approach can drive impressive
production results at first, but low team morale and motivation will
ultimately affect people's performance, and this type of leader will
struggle to retain high performers.

She probably adheres to the Theory X approach to motivation,

which assumes that employees are naturally unmotivated and
dislike working. A manager who believes people are self-
motivated and happy to work is said to follow Theory Y. You can
learn more about these theories in our article, Theory X and
Theory Y and secure, they will work hard.
What tends to be the result is a work environment that is very
relaxed and fun, but where productivity suffers because there is a
lack of direction and control.

Team Management – High Production/High

People
According to the Blake Mouton model, Team management is the
most effective leadership style. It reflects a leader who is
passionate about his work and who does the best he can for the
people he works with.

Team or "sound" managers commit to their organization's goals

and mission, motivate the people who report to them, and work
hard to get people to stretch themselves to deliver great results.
But, at the same time, they're inspiring figures who look after their
teams. Someone led by a Team manager feels respected and
empowered, and is committed to achieving her goals.

Team managers prioritize both the organization's production

needs and their people's needs. They do this by making sure that
their team members understand the organization's purpose to
help you spot your traits.

Step Two: Identify Areas Where You Can

Improve and Develop Your Leadership Skills
 Look at your current approach. Are you settling for "Middle-of-
the-Road" because it's easier than reaching for more? Think
about whether your style suits the situation you are in.
 If you feel that you are too task-oriented, then you can try to
involve your team members in creative problem solving . Or, if
you tend to focus too much on people, it may mean becoming
clearer about scheduling , or improving your decision making .

Step Three: Put the Grid in Context

The Team management style is often the most effective
approach, but there are situations that call for more attention to
one area than the other. For example, if your company is in the
middle of a merger or some other significant change, then it can
be acceptable to place a higher emphasis on people than on
production, to guide them and reassure them through a
potentially difficult time. Likewise, when faced with an emergency,
an economic hardship, or a physical risk, concerns about people
may be put to one side, for the short term at least, to achieve
good results and efficiency.

Note:
Theories of leadership have moved on a certain amount since Blake and
Mouton proposed their model half a century ago. In particular, the
context in which leadership occurs is seen as an important driver
of leadership style So use the Managerial Grid as a helpful model for
identifying your basic leadership style, but don't treat it as an "eternal
truth."
Key Points
The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid helps you to think about your
leadership style and its effects on your team's productivity and
motivation.

By plotting "concern for results" against "concern for people," the grid
highlights how placing too much emphasis on one area at the expense of
the other leads to poor results. It also discourages a vague Middle-of-
the-Road compromise.

The model proposes that, when concern for both people and results are
high, employee engagement and productivity will likely be excellent.

While the grid does not entirely address the complexity of "which
leadership style is best?," it certainly provides an excellent starting point
for thinking about your own performance and for improving your
general leadership skills.
Annotate

Adaptive Leadership
Evolving to Thrive in Complex Environments
© iStockphoto
VictorGrow
Adapt to your environment during turbulent times, or you’ll get left
behind.

In 2003, competition in the U.S. consumer

electronics market was particularly fierce, with
Wal-Mart®, Target® and Costco® threatening to
take market share from perennial leaders, Best
Buy® and Circuit City®.
A Best Buy vice president, Julie Gilbert, recognized that her organization
had missed an important opportunity to increase sales. Historically, it had
focused on young, male customers, and it had ignored the significant
influence that women had in the market.

Following this insight, Best Buy made its stores more appealing to female
customers. It widened the aisles for baby strollers, softened the harsh
lighting, and lowered the volume of the background music. Four years on, it
had achieved a $4.4 billion increase in revenue from female customers –
an 11 percent rise in its total revenue – much of which was credited to
Gilbert's change in strategy.

Like Best Buy, all businesses must adapt to different environments,

whether these come from changes in technology, customer expectations,
laws and regulations, or employees' expectations. Leaders must find ways
to adapt and take advantage of the opportunities that these changes bring.

So what's the best way to do this? One useful strategy is to take an

adaptive leadership approach. In this article we'll explore what adaptive
leadership is, and we'll think about how you can use it to manage
unexpected challenges in your business environment.
What Is Adaptive Leadership?
In his 1994 book, "Leadership Without Easy Answers," Ron Heifetz, a
Harvard University professor, described adaptive leadership as a set of
strategies and practices you can use to overcome obstacles, accomplish
meaningful change, and adapt to challenging and complex environments.
Heifetz based his theory on evolutionary biology, and the observation that
plants and animals adapt to changing conditions over time. They keep what
is essential for their survival, while things that aren't necessary tend to fall
away as the species evolves.

Similarly, adaptive leaders take the most useful knowledge, skills and
values from past situations, and use them to benefit future ones.

According to Heifetz, the adaptive leadership process has three stages:

 Observing events and patterns.

 Interpreting and developing hypotheses.
 Designing interventions.
Terms reproduced from “Leadership Without Easy Answers” by Ronald A. Heifetz. ©
1994 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. Reproduced with permission
of Cambridge Mass:The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

These steps are iterative, so once you've completed them all, you repeat
the process and refine your observations, interpretations and interventions
until you're satisfied with the solution.

The Advantages
Organizations that adjust to changing circumstances do better financially
than ones that don't, according to this study. It claims that agile, flexible
businesses continually demonstrate strong, sustainable performances and
outperform their peers during volatile periods.
Similarly, leaders who adopt an adaptive approach alongside
a transformational to innovate scenarios.
 Remain objective. Heifetz used the concept of "getting on the balcony" as opposed to
"being on the dance floor" to refer to the perspective you need. This means spotting trends
and patterns rather than focusing on the minutiae of day-to-day activity.

2. Leading With Empathy

Adaptive leaders create a shared sense of purpose, and manage through
influence rather than command and control. To succeed in this dimension,
you should:

 See the world from others' perspectives. The Four Frame Approach can
teach you to manage challenging situations by viewing them from
different perspectives.
 Develop rapport with your team. Before you can influence others, you
need to make a personal connection with them. To do so, you'll need to
understand their beliefs, values and concerns. You can strengthen your
bond with your team members by improving your emotional
intelligence of your organization and its mission. These should align with
your team members' values to their work.
 Reward accomplishment. Recognize team members' accomplishments.
Rewards needn't be financial; for example, you might give people
interesting projects, or additional responsibility, depending on what
motivates them. By rewarding them, you build their loyalty and
commitment to the organization and to your goals.

3. Learning Through Self-Correction

Adaptive leaders encourage – indeed, insist on – experimentation. Of
course, sometimes ideas fail, but that's how organizations learn. To
succeed in this dimension, you should:

 Build trust. For team members to share their ideas, they need to feel
comfortable. Our article, Building Trust Inside Your Team to speak up
and engage in a healthy debate.
 Encourage creativity. The more ideas your people generate, the more
likely it is that you'll arrive at an effective solution. To jump-start your
team's creativity, encourage them to brainstorm or Crawford's Slip-
Writing Method is an acceptable – and expected – part of solving a
problem.
 Experiment and test ideas. Business experiments , offers strategies you
can use to reassure team members that unpredictable situations
represent opportunities for development.

4. Creating Win-Win Solutions

Adaptive leaders focus on achieving success for both the organization and
its external network of stakeholders. To succeed in this dimension, you
should:
 Build acceptance. The faster your people adjust to change, the less
disruption there will be. Our Change Management effectively. Test
your skills initiatives.Leaders must focus on more than the bottom line to
succeed in the marketplace. By connecting with its community, an
organization can help others while improving customer loyalty and its
reputation as an employer of choice.
Note:
The idea of adaptive leadership is a stepping stone to current ideas of
how to manage in fast-changing, highly-dynamic environments. For
more on leading and experimenting in these markets see, "The Lean
Startup," by Eric Ries.
Key Points
Professor Ron Heifetz outlined the concept of adaptive leadership in his
1994 book, "Leadership Without Easy Answers." Adaptive leaders
develop ways to succeed in challenging environments. They take what
they've learned from the past and use these skills to benefit future
initiatives.

The cycle of adaptive leadership has three phases:

1. Observing events and patterns.

2. Interpreting and developing hypotheses.
3. Designing interventions.
Unlike top-down forms of leadership, adaptive leaders share the
ownership of ideas and seek solutions from team members, rather than
imposing their will. They respect diverse opinions and recognize that
collective knowledge can benefit the organization.

To become an adaptive leader, you must:

1. Navigate the business environment.

2. Lead with empathy.
3. Learn through self-correction.
4. Create win-win solutions.
Adaptive leadership is best suited for periods of change, and can address
problems when answers are not readily apparent. However, it is less
effective in more stable environments, or during times of crisis.
Apply This to Your Life
Adaptive leadership skills can be useful outside the work context. For
example:

In an interpersonal conflict, you can show humility

Servant Leadership
Putting Your Team First, and Yourself Second

© iStockphoto
MarkLinnard
Find out how meeting others’ needs can make you a more effective
leader.
A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing
poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do
even better.– Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur.
Everyone on Samit's team knows that he's
"there for them." He checks in with them often to
see how they are, and he helps them develop
the skills they need to advance their careers,
even if this means that they may move on.
Samit also makes an effort to see situations from others' perspectives. He
makes decisions with the team's best interests in mind, and ensures that
everyone has the resources and knowledge they need to meet their
objectives.
As a result of this, his team is one of the most successful in the
department, with low staff turnover and high engagement.

Samit is an example of a "servant leader." In this article, we'll explore what

servant leadership is, and the advantages it can bring you as a leader.
We'll also look at situations where it isn't appropriate.

What Is Servant Leadership?

Robert K. Greenleaf first coined the phrase "servant leadership" in his 1970
essay, "The Servant as a Leader." However, it's an approach that people
have used for centuries.
As a servant leader, you're a "servant first" – you focus on the needs of
others, especially team members, before you consider your own. You
acknowledge other people's perspectives, give them the support they need
to meet their work and personal goals, involve them in decisions where
appropriate, and build a sense of community within your team. This leads
to higher engagement, more trust, and stronger relationships with team
members and other stakeholders. It can also lead to increased innovation.
Servant leadership is not a leadership style or technique as such. Rather
it's a way of behaving that you adopt over the longer term. It
complements democratic – which is often the most effective style to use in
business situations – and Level 5 Leadership , give people your full
attention, take notice of their body language, avoid interrupting them before
they've finished speaking, and give feedback on what they say.

2. Empathy
Servant leaders strive to understand other people's intentions and
perspectives. You can be more empathetic they need to do their jobs
effectively, and that they have a healthy workplace in their roles.
You could also use a tool such as the Triple Bottom Line .
You can become more self-aware by knowing your strengths and
weaknesses , so that you consider how your actions and behavior might
affect others.

5. Persuasion
Servant leaders use persuasion – rather than their authority – to encourage
people to take action. They also aim to build consensus in groups – when
people perceive you as an expert, they are more likely to listen to you when
you want to persuade or inspire them.
6. Conceptualization
This characteristic relates to your ability to "dream great dreams," so that
you look beyond day-to-day realities to the bigger picture.

If you're a senior leader in your company, work through and develop a

robust organizational strategy for your team, and make it clear how
people's roles tie in with your team's and organization's long-term
objectives. Also, develop long-term focus and PEST Analysis helps you
understand how the future could play out. Use the ORAPAPA checklist by
demonstrating the values and behaviors that you want to see in others, and
have the confidence to stand up to people when they act in a way that isn't
aligned with them.

9. Commitment to the Growth of People

Servant leaders are committed to the personal and professional
development of everyone on their teams.

To develop your people to understand their developmental needs to explore

popular leadership approaches and the advantages and disadvantages of
each one.
And see this Expert Interview

Transformational Leadership
Becoming an Inspirational Leader

Everyone respects Molly. Her team members

are fiercely loyal, and they're highly successful –
as individuals, and as a team.
By contrast, other leaders in the organization report that their people seem
disengaged. They experience high staff turnover, and their results are often
disappointing.

So, what does Molly do that other leaders don't? Molly is a transformational
leaderand, in this article and video, we'll look at how you can be one, too.
Volume 90%
Click hereLeadership." He defined transformational leadership as a
process where "leaders and their followers raise one another to
higher levels of morality and motivation."
Bernard M. Bass later developed the concept of transformational
leadership further. According his 1985 book, "Leadership and
Performance Beyond Expectations," this kind of leader:
 Is a model of integrity and fairness.

 Sets clear goals.

 Has high expectations.
 Encourages others.
 Provides support and recognition.
 Stirs the emotions of people.
 Gets people to look beyond their self-interest.
 Inspires people to reach for the improbable.
More than 25 years after Bass' book, transformational leadership
is often argued to be one of the most important ideas in business
leadership.

Note:
See our article on leadership styles – why you all get up in the
morning to do what you do. You develop this partly by understanding
the values and resources to analyze your environment. Then, use tools
such as Lafley and Martin's Five-Step Strategy Model , and
summarized in a mission statement , you need to appeal to your
people's values as part of your call to action: this will help people
appreciate the positive impact of your vision on the people you're trying
to help. (Hint: if the only person you're trying to help is yourself, you
won't inspire anyone.)
Then, talk about your vision often. Link it to people's goals and
tasks to give it context, and help people see how they can
contribute to it.

Transformational leaders also know that nothing significant

happens unless they encourage their people. So, make sure that
you know about the different kinds of motivation, and use these
to inspire your people to deliver their best.

Step 3: Manage Delivery of the Vision

A vision is no use on its own: it needs to become reality.
However, many leaders make the mistake of developing a vision,
but of not putting in the hard and often mundane work of
delivering it.

To manage the delivery of your vision, you'll need to combine

effective project management with sensitive change
management goals for everyone, including some short-term goals
that will help people achieve quick wins and stay motivated.
Use management by objectives and stamina, so that you don't let
yourself down. And, set a good example to your people –
especially if they're affected by delays or difficulties – by being a
model of hard work and persistence.
Also, stay visible by practicing management by walking around ,
so that your people know what you want.

Step 4: Build Ever-Stronger, Trust-Based

Relationships With Your People
As a transformational leader, you need to focus your attention on
your people, and work hard to help them achieve their goals and
dreams.

Use Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model , and help

them to meet their career goals. What do they want to achieve in
their role? Where do they see themselves five years from now?
How can you help them reach this goal?
You can build trust to disclose safe personal information your
people. When you help them find their own solutions, you not
only create a skilled team, but you also strengthen their self-
confidence and their trust in you.
Infographic
Click on the image below to see our infographic on
Transformational Leadership

Key Points
Transformational leaders inspire great loyalty and trust in their
followers. They have high expectations, and they inspire their people to
reach their goals.

You can become a transformational leader by following these steps:

1. Create an inspiring vision of the future.

2. Motivate people to buy into and deliver the vision.
3. Manage delivery of the vision.
4. Build ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with your people.
Keep in mind that, to succeed as a transformational leader, you'll need to
work on your own skills, and set aside time and space for personal
development.
The Seven Transformations of
Leadership
Developing Your Leadership Style

© Veer
wanchai yoosumran
Transform yourself as a leader.

Successful leaders know that they need to

develop their leadership skills on an ongoing
basis – this helps them handle increasingly
challenging situations. However, many leaders
stop learning at a particular skill level, meaning
that their career progression falters.
How can you avoid this, and, so, realize your full potential?

Researchers David Rooke and William Torbert argue that there are seven
stages that the most successful leaders go through, and that, by learning
new skills, you can move from one stage to the next.

In this article, we'll look at these seven leadership transformations, and

we'll discuss how you can move through each stage.

The Seven Transformations

Rooke and Torbert published their Seven Transformations of Leadership in
the April 2005 Harvard Business Review, following 25 years of survey-
based consultancy.
In their surveys, Rooke and Torbert asked executives to complete 36
sentences related to leadership.

They then evaluated the responses from the survey, and, based on the
results, they created seven categories that describe how leaders approach
the world around them. Essentially, they defined a series of categories, or
"action logics," that describe the ways that leaders think.

Rooke and Torbert argued that each action logic has its benefits, but that
some are more effective than others. Certain action logics are successful in
a greater number of leadership situations, and this leads to higher overall
performance.

Leaders who can understand their current action logic can make changes
to move toward one that's more effective. By transforming to a more
effective action logic, they can improve their leadership abilities.

The list below ranks Rooke and Torbert's seven types of action logic. The
further you get down the list, the more sophisticated and effective your
approach to leadership is likely to be.

1. Opportunist.
2. Diplomat.
3. Expert.
4. Achiever.
5. "Individualist."
6. Strategist.
7. Alchemist.
Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review. From "Seven Transformations of
Leadership" by David Rooke and William R. Torbert, April 2005. Copyright © 2005 by
the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all rights reserved.
Let's look at the categories in detail, and discover how you can evolve
through them to develop your leadership capabilities.

1. Opportunist
Opportunists focus on personal success rather than on the success of their
team or organization. They take advantage of others, engineer situations
for their own benefit, and manipulate their colleagues to get what they
want.
Being an opportunist leader is likely to damage your reputation and working
relationships, although opportunism can sometimes be useful, for example,
in sales situations.
Opportunist leaders will need to transform to the next action logic quickly,
otherwise they're likely to find that their success is limited.

Moving on From Opportunism

If you've adopted the opportunist action logic, then take steps to focus on
other people's success, as well as your own.

Do something daily to help another person on your team. Even a small act
of kindness can begin to turn around your reputation, and show that you
care.

Also, start developing your emotional intelligence by appreciating your

team's hard work, and remember that a sincere "thank you

2. Diplomat
Diplomats avoid conflict whenever possible. They want to belong to the
group and please others, especially higher-ranking colleagues. They also
seek to avoid upsetting other team members with feedback that could be
seen as negative.

As you might imagine, diplomats aren't good at implementing change,

because of the inevitable conflicts this causes.

The diplomat's strengths are in resolving conflicts and holding a team

together, especially at lower levels of management. However, diplomats
tend to be poor long-term leaders as they may be passive, or avoid making
difficult or controversial decisions.

Moving on From Being a Diplomat

Conflict can be healthy and productive, as long as everyone involved is
respectful and honest. You can use conflict positively by developing
your conflict resolution skills . Your wants and needs are just as important
as everyone else's, and taking a back seat just to achieve consensus can
damage your self-worth and reputation.
Communicate openly to let others know your thoughts and feelings, and
learn to say "no" more often.
Diplomats often find it difficult to give feedback. Try using role-
playing means that people tend to follow them willingly. Experts depend on
their knowledge and skills to lead, and they often focus on logic and fact
when making decisions. They're very efficient, and they work consistently
to improve products, processes and skills in the workplace.
Experts can add a lot of value to an organization because they value
precision and quality. However, they sometimes don't make good leaders,
because they can adopt a "my way or the highway" approach, and they
resist collaboration. They can also tend to dismiss the opinions of others
who aren't as knowledgeable.

Moving on From Being an Expert

If you're an expert, then you have plenty to offer, but you may need to work
on your "soft skills."

Seek out others' opinions before you make a decision. Even if you don't
agree with an opinion, ask questions to find out what led to this way of
thinking. This helps you develop empathy .
Experts are often micromanagers instead. This will free up some of your
time to focus on strategic thinking, and it will raise your team's morale.

4. Achiever
Achievers are goal-oriented. They set effective goals for their team and
themselves. More importantly, they have a higher emotional intelligence
than people with the three previous action logics.

They have a greater understanding of people and conflict, and they have
the sensitivity and intelligence to respond appropriately to different
situations. This means that they can make great leaders, because they
care about creating a positive team environment.

The weakness of achievers is that they often find it hard to think

innovatively. Many leaders plateau at this stage.

Moving on From Being an Achiever

It's easy to see the achiever action logic as the end-all of management.
After all, you're successful, people respect your drive and commitment, and
you have a productive team. However, think deeply about the goals that
you're setting and why they're meaningful. This will help you improve future
goals.

Because you're so goal-focused, it's easy to get wrapped up in the details

of achieving those goals, instead of stepping back to focus on strategic
thinking and the big picture. You'll be a better leader if you can learn to
solve problems creatively.

The next time you work through a problem, use a creative problem-solving
technique such as Hurson's Productive Thinking Model to generate some
unique solutions. Use creative brainstorming techniques who will challenge
your working style and assumptions. A good mentor can help you to
continue accomplishing your goals in your own way, but step on fewer toes
in the process. She can also be a useful guide on ethical matters.

6. Strategist
Strategists have the gift of seeing organizational roadblocks as potential
opportunities. They're good at managing conflict. They're also often highly
ethical, and they seek to promote those ethics beyond the organization, in
order to do good on a wider scale.

This action logic is similar to that of the individualist, in that both are adept
at communicating with people using other action logics. However, they
differ in that strategists have the ability to build a shared vision with other
leaders. This brings people together to achieve important goals, and,
ultimately, leads to personal and organizational transformation. As a result,
strategists are usually excellent at implementing change.

Moving on From Strategist

It takes a subtle shift to move from strategist to Rooke and Torbert's next
stage – "the alchemist."

As a strategist, you've mastered the communication skills needed for

excellent leadership, and you excel at creating a shared vision across
different groups. A great mentor can still help you learn and grow, perhaps
by further developing your ethical and spiritual principles.

You might also want to consider mutual or peer-to-peer mentoring –

mentoring with a colleague or board member – to develop further.
The most important area to work on is your ability to collaborate with
others, especially with people who might think in a different way from you.
The best leaders create teams and networks based on collaborative
inquiry.

To move on, you need to develop a network or group of allies who will
challenge your way of thinking, and not just agree with you all of the time.
Not only does this help you push boundaries, but it also means that you'll
avoid groupthink . This has more tips and strategies that can help you
expand your skills and become an effective leader.
Key Points
David Rooke and William Torbert published their Seven
Transformations of Leadership model in the April 2005 "Harvard
Business Review."

According to Rooke and Torbert, the following seven "action logics"

represent stages which leaders need to evolve through in order to
develop their leadership skills:

1. Opportunist.
2. Diplomat.
3. Expert.
4. Achiever.
5. "Individualist."
6. Strategist.
7. Alchemist.
Many leaders progress to the expert or achiever stage, and then stop.
However, the most effective leaders continue to push themselves until
they reach the final two stages: strategist, and alchemist.

Emotional Intelligence in
Leadership
Learning How to Be More Aware
© iStockphoto
Cisquete
Does your emotional intelligence lift your team to new heights?

When you think of a "perfect leader," what

comes to mind?
You might picture someone who never lets his temper get out of control, no
matter what problems he's facing. Or you might think of someone who has
the complete trust of her staff, listens to her team, is easy to talk to, and
always makes careful, informed decisions.

These are qualities of someone with a high degree of emotional

intelligence , an American psychologist who helped to popularize emotional
intelligence, there are five key elements to it:
1. Self-awareness.
2. Self-regulation.
3. Motivation.
4. Empathy.
5. Social skills.
The more that you, as a leader, manage each of these areas, the higher
your emotional intelligence. So, let's look at each element in more detail
and examine how you can grow as a leader.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

1. Self-awareness
If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how
your emotions and your actions can affect the people around you. Being
self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means having a clear
picture of your strengths and weaknesses .
So, what can you do to improve your self-awareness?

 Keep a journal – Journals help you improve your self-awareness. If you

spend just a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can
move you to a higher degree of self-awareness.
 Slow down – When you experience anger or other strong emotions, slow
down to examine why. Remember, no matter what the situation, you can
always choose how you react to it. (Our article on Managing Your
Emotions at Work .
So, how can you improve your ability to self-regulate?

 Know your values – Do you have a clear idea of where you

absolutely will not compromise? Do you know
what values technique to find the root of the problem.
Starting at the root often helps you look at your situation in a
new way.
And make sure that your goal statements are fresh and energizing.
For more on this, see our article on Goal Setting can help you see
clearly how motivated you are in your leadership role. If you need
to increase your motivation to lead, it directs you to resources that
can help.
 Be hopeful and find something good – Motivated leaders are
usually optimistic for a useful technique for doing this.
 Pay attention to body language – Perhaps when you listen to
someone, you cross your arms, move your feet back and
forth, or bite your lip. This body language skills is vital if you
want to succeed.
 Improve your communication skills – How well do you
communicate? Our communication quiz when it's earned.
Learning how to praise others is a fine art, but well worth the
effort.
Key Points
To be effective, leaders must have a solid understanding of how their
emotions and actions affect the people around them. The better a
leader relates to and works with others, the more successful he or she
will be.
 Take the time to work on self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation,
empathy, and social skills. Working on these areas will help you
excel in the future!

Developing Self-Awareness
Understanding Yourself

© iStockphoto
MistikaS
When actions and values are aligned, you feel positive and self-
confident.
"It is wisdom to know others; it is enlightenment to know one's
self."– Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher
Have you ever worked with someone who was
very self-aware?
This person considered the needs and feelings of others, took responsibility
for her mistakes, was humble about her strengths, never said thoughtless
things, and was aware of how her words and actions affected others.

Put simply, this person was great to work with!

Self-awareness is one of the most important qualities that you can have as
a leader, and developing self-awareness is important in both your personal
and professional life.

In this article, we'll look at self-awareness in more detail, and we'll explore
how you can develop yours.

What Is Self-Awareness?
Researchers Shelley Duval and Robert Wicklund published the first major
theory of self-awareness in the early 1970s. They said that self-awareness
is the ability to look inward, think deeply about your behavior, and consider
how it aligns with your moral standards and values.

They argued that when your behavior is out of alignment with your
standards, you feel uncomfortable, unhappy and negative. By contrast,
when your behavior and values are aligned, you feel positive and self-
confident. Self-awareness also gives you a deeper understanding of your
own attitudes, opinions, and knowledge.

Self-awareness is sometimes confused with self-consciousness, but there's

an important difference between these. Self-consciousness is a hyper-
sensitized state of self-awareness; it's the excessive preoccupation with
your own manners, behavior, or appearance, and is often seen as
negative. Self-awareness is focused on the impact your behavior has on
other people, and, as such, is much more positive.

Self-awareness is one of the most important elements of emotional

intelligence to get a better understanding of this. You might also want to
take the StrengthsFinder and Myers-Briggs® Meditation helps broaden
and strengthen your self-awareness, and it can also lower stress.
Or take time in the evening to reflect quietly about your day, and think
about how effectively you worked with people. What did you do really well?
And what could you have done better?

3. Focus on Others
People who are self-aware are conscious of how their words and actions
influence others.

To become more aware of how you affect others, learn how to manage your
emotions is an important part of this. When you're humble, you focus your
attention and energy on others and not on yourself.

4. Ask for Feedback

Getting feedback is important for developing self-awareness – after all, this
is often the only way that you can find out about issues that you may not be
able to face directly. (See our article on the Johari Window . When you ask
for feedback from the people around you, this gives you a chance to see
your behavior from their point of view. What's more, it can help you identify
weaknesses that you can't see, or that you'd prefer to ignore.
Key Points
By developing self-awareness, you get to know what does and doesn't
work for you, and you learn how to manage your impact on other
people.

People with high levels of self-awareness are more effective as leaders,

because they deal with people positively, and they inspire trust and
credibility in their team members.

As a result, these people also often have more satisfying careers and
higher incomes.

To develop self-awareness, learn about your strengths and weaknesses.

Take time to analyze the decisions that you make, focus on managing
your emotions, and be humble about your accomplishments.
Apply This to Your Life
 Schedule some time to meditate. Find a quiet place where you can sit
down, and take a few minutes to meditate properly.
 Buy a journal. In the evening, set aside a few minutes to reflect quietly
about your day, and then write down your thoughts. If you can, do this as
soon as you get in, as the events of your day will be fresh in your mind.

Developing Executive Presence

Building Belief in Your Leadership

© iStockphoto
spxChrome
Do you possess the elusive quality of executive presence?

The first time Michael saw his CEO speak at a

conference, he was amazed by how "together"
she was. There must have been more than 100
people in the room, yet she appeared calm,
confident and in control.
But there was something else that kept everyone on the edge of their
seats. Michael couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew it was an essential
quality in a leader. Whatever it was, it earned her a standing ovation – and
his respect.

It was her "executive presence" that so impressed Michael and the other
members of the audience.

While it can appear that successful people are born with a magic touch,
executive presence is something that anyone can learn. In this article, we'll
look at how you can develop it yourself, and boost people's belief in your
leadership.

What Is Executive Presence?

According to Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of "Executive Presence: The Missing
Link Between Merit and Success," executive presence has three elements:
1. Gravitas – how you act.
2. Communication – how you speak.
3. Appearance – how you look.
We'll examine these elements in more detail a little later in this article.

Hewlett believes that the way you act demonstrates your confidence and
your ability to communicate your thoughts and ideas, especially when
you're under stress. She says that, nowadays, we value leaders who
appear calm, confident and steady, rather than those who use toughness
or charisma (being focused on the moment) while remaining aware of the
concerns and issues affecting the people around you. Researchers at the
Roffey Park leadership institute in the U.K. found that being present also
helps you to connect with your own sense of personal power, that is, being
comfortable in your own skin so that you can work "with," rather than
"over," others.
When all these things are in sync, you can create a strong sense of
authority and make decisions in a way that builds trust.
Advantages of Executive Presence
Developing executive presence is more than just a question of winning
popularity or power. One of its main benefits is that it helps you
reduce stress .
 More energy and passion.
 Calm when dealing with change.
 More openness to new opportunities.
 Confidence in their own views.

How to Improve Your Executive Presence

As we mentioned earlier, executive presence has three elements –
gravitas, communication and appearance. Here, we explore each of them
and suggest ways that you can develop them:

1. Gravitas
There are several key behaviors in gravitas, including showing grace under
fire, being decisive, speaking your truth, using emotional intelligence, and
being authentic.

Showing Grace Under Fire. Hewlett says that you demonstrate gravitas in
how you handle adversity. Chances are, you will encounter problems and
make mistakes, but you will show executive presence if you are poised and
controlled in a crisis, and admit your errors. You can adapt and bounce
back after a setback if you have the right mindset and attitude. Our
article, Developing Resilience , and you can manage stress levels with the
help of effective relaxation techniques and contingency planning or
even aggressive can be a daunting process for both a manager and team
member, but it is an important skill to master and, when done carefully, it
can really improve individual performance.
Using Emotional Intelligence. Understanding how your emotions can affect
people around you, and being considerate of other people's needs and
feelings, form part of your emotional intelligence with others, and they do
this by being themselves. We all want to be seen "in a good light," but it's
important that people get to know the "real" you. You can learn more about
being true to your own personality and values in our articles
on authenticity .
Engage in honest conversations with people and share your ideas about
issues that matter to you. Admit when you've made a mistake, ask for help
if you need it, and give credit to others for their achievements.
2. Communication
Effective communication more persuasive than what you're speaking
about. People are drawn to passion and presence. Here are some of the
elements of good communication that contribute to executive presence:
Speaking Skills. Your tone, grammar, accent, and clarity all convey a
message to your listeners. If your voice is raspy or if you mumble, people
will focus more on the way you speak than on what you're saying. Try to
keep an even tone when you speak. For example, your voice tends to rise
when you become stressed, and listeners will pick up on that.
Take voice lessons to make your accent easier to understand and try
drinking hot lemon and honey before delivering a speech, so you don't
sound raspy. Avoid saying "um", "er" and "you know," because these time
fillers make you sound unsure of yourself. Our article, Better Public
Speaking !
You want to present yourself as a real person who others can relate to,
trust and want to follow, while maintaining your position of authority. Use
anecdotes, rather than bombarding people with information, and engage in
small talk to break the ice. A little bit of humor also helps to draw people to
you.

Assertiveness. Balance is key when it comes to leading others. You need to

be clear and forthright about your needs, while still considering the needs
of other people. When you act assertively you act fairly and with empathy .
Body Language. The way we sit, walk, smile, and enter a room are all ways
of communicating, and most people pick up on these cues before you say a
word. Your confidence is quickly revealed in the firmness of a handshake
and whether you make eye contact. Your body language when it comes to
clothing.
 Even when jeans and t-shirts are appropriate, you still want to look professional. Women
should avoid dangly earrings and clanging bracelets, which can be distracting.
 Fidgeting and pulling at ill-fitting clothes is a distraction. You will also feel more self-
conscious, which might make you lose confidence. If a piece of clothing doesn't feel
comfortable, don't wear it.
 Not everyone is a style guru so, if you're unsure, hire an image consultant or a personal
shopper.
Key Points
Executive presence is a seemingly elusive quality of successful leaders,
but it's something that anyone can learn.

By developing the three main aspects of gravitas, communication and

appearance, you can acquire the skills you need to polish your look,
build your confidence, and connect with people in a way that will
increase their respect for you and your leadership abilities.

Your body language and tone of voice communicate a message to

others. Walk into a room with your head up and a smile on your face.

Try talking about subjects you are interested in, but don't dominate the
conversation. Ask others for their opinions and use your sense of humor
to inject a little lightheartedness into a situation.
Annotate

The Agile Leader

Adaptability

© iStockphoto
MarkBeckwith
Don't get left behind.

There is a well-known Chinese proverb that

says that the wise adapt themselves to
circumstances, as water molds itself to the
pitcher. Perhaps at no other time in recent
history has adaptability been more important
than it is now. Adaptability – the ability to
change (or be changed) to fit new
circumstances – is a crucial skill for leaders, and
an important competency in emotional
intelligence.
A 2008 study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, entitled
Growing Global Executive Talent, showed that the top three leadership
qualities that will be important over the years ahead include: the ability to
motivate staff (35 percent); the ability to work well across cultures (34
percent); and the ability to facilitate change (32 percent). The least
important were technical expertise (11 percent) and "bringing in the
numbers" (10 percent).

As a leader, it is therefore crucial to make a concerted effort to understand

people of different cultures, and cultural adaptability has become a
leadership imperative. As an example, a leader I am currently working with
has 22 different cultures represented in his team!

An example of a leader who epitomizes this prized quality is Robert

McDonald, chief operating officer of the Procter & Gamble Company, who
has spent much of the past two decades in various overseas postings. In a
recent interview, he said: "I did not expect to live outside the United States
for 15 years; the world has changed, so I have had to change, too. When
you look at my bio, foreign languages are not my best subjects. But, when
you move out of your culture, you have to learn foreign languages."

This willingness to get out of one’s comfort zone, and learn continuously as
a way of adapting to changed surroundings, marks a key difference
between successful and unsuccessful leaders.

I have just finished reading "Everyday Survival: Why Smart People do

Stupid Things" by Laurence Gonzales, a lecturer at Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratories. In the book, Gonzales talks about the dumb
mistakes we make when we work from a mental script that does not match
the requirements of real-world situations.

He explains that one of the reasons this happens has to do with the way
that the brain processes new information. It creates what he calls
"behavioral scripts," or mental models that automate almost every action
that we take. For example, growing up, we build a behavioral script for the
physical motions required in tying our shoes. Through practice, this script is
eventually entrenched and it ends up making the action so easy and
automatic that we never give it another thought. Another example of a
behavioral script that we learn is ducking when something is thrown at us.
Behavioral scripts simplify our world, make us more efficient and help us
move around faster and with less effort. They influence not only our actions
but also what we perceive and believe. Gonzales says that "We tend not to
notice things that are inconsistent with the models, and we tend not to try
what the scripts tells us is bad or impossible."
The efficiency of these scripts carry with them a downside: they can divert
our attention from important information coming to us from our
environment. In other words, the models or scripts push us to disregard the
reality of a situation, and dismiss signals because the message we get from
our scripts is that we already know about it. So we make decisions about a
situation that, as Gonzales puts it "aren’t really decisions in the real sense
of the word. They’re simply automated behaviors."

Mental scripts may also result in stubbornly clinging to the notion that "this
is how we have always done it", refusing to understand and accept the
realities of a new situation. Gonzales quotes Henry Plotkin, a psychologist
at University College in London, who states that we tend to "generalize into
the future what worked in the past." So, whatever worked in the past, do it;
whatever didn’t work, avoid it.

This is, of course, the anti-thesis of the quality of being adaptable, of being
flexible under the influence of rapidly changing external conditions. It can
make us rigid, unresponsive to change, and unwilling to learn and adopt
new ways, all of which can have an impact on our ability to survive and
succeed in the long run. People who score high on the adaptability
competency are able to deal more positively with change, and they are able
to do what it takes to adapt their approach and shift their priorities.

Here are a few tips for developing adaptability.

 When you catch yourself shooting an idea down, take a moment to

consider what mental scripts are influencing your behavior. Mental
scripts are so automatic that you have to decide intentionally that you
want to challenge them, if you want to improve your leadership.
 Help your people distinguish between observation and inference, between
fact and conjecture. Inference and conjecture can be influenced by
mental scripts which don’t have a bearing on reality. Be the voice in the
room that calls others’ attention to this possibility, and help everyone
pause so that they can analyze inferences and conjectures that may or
may not be valid.
 Do you habitually insist on going "by the book"? Is this necessary for
every issue? Might you enhance your team’s productivity if you paid
more attention to the effect that this might have on the people involved?
What would happen if you applied standard procedures more flexibly?
 Consider that when we push the envelope, and when we intentionally put
ourselves in situations that are outside our comfort zone, we grow. Are
you trading on old knowledge? Do you need to update your skills? Are
you relying too much on your title as the sign of authority? In today’s
working environment, surrounded by highly intelligent and specialized
 knowledge workers, this no longer works. We need to adapt by
continually evolving and reinventing ourselves. In "Rethinking the
Future", Warren Bennis talks about the importance for leaders to
recompose their leadership style and to continue to adapt: "It’s like
snakes. What do snakes do? They molt, they shed their outside skins.
But it’s not just that. It’s a matter of continuing to grow and transform,
and it means that executives have to have extraordinary adaptability."
This applies to every level in the organization: change or perish.
 When we are in a position for a length of time, we may tend to become
accustomed to the status quo and fail to challenge the process in order
to continue to grow and improve. If you left tomorrow, what would your
successor do to improve things? Consider making these changes yourself.
 In today's environment of complex challenges and rapid change, the
ability to solve problems becomes even more crucial. The Kirton
Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI) measures the way people solve
problems and make decisions. Adapters prefer a more adaptable,
methodical and organized approach to problem-solving, and are more
likely to seek a solution to a problem by working within current
framework rather than developing a completely new one. Innovators, on
the other hand, prefer a less orderly, more unconventional and ingenious
approach to problem-solving and are likely to seek solutions by thinking
outside the box. One looks to do things better, the other looks to do
things differently. Consider that a team that is composed of extreme
adapters or extreme innovators is less successful than a team that is
balanced. If you want to know where your team is in this dimension,
check out the commercial tool, Kirton Adaptation-Innovation Inventory
(KAI).
 If you want a test to assess your level of adaptability, consider
the StrengthsFinder or Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) ($). The
latter tests adaptability on four scales:
1. Openness to new ideas.
2. Adaptation to situations.
3. Handling of unexpected demands.
4. Adapting or changing strategy.
 To understand what changes you need to make to continue to be
successful, read: What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How
Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith.
(We have published a Book InsightThe Leader as a Mensch: Become the
Kind of Person Others Want to Follow Bruna is an educator, author and
speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and
presentation skills training. Visit her website at www.clarionenterprises.com.
Optimism
The Hidden Asset

© iStockphoto
edelmar
Unlock the secret of a sunny outlook.

Among the topics that young people study

before they enter the workforce is calculus, the
mathematics of change and motion. While
training in calculus is undoubtedly valuable, I
believe that training in optimism is also
important.
Just as it is good discipline to solve problems like the velocity of a car at a
certain moment in time, it is also crucial to figure out what drives people to
give us the very best that they have to offer. Ironically, Leibniz, one of the
inventors of calculus, is also known for his philosophy of optimism. He was
considered to be an inveterate optimist, asserting that we live "in the best of
all possible worlds." Optimism is an emotional competence that can help
boost productivity, enhance employee morale, overcome conflict and have
a positive impact on the bottom line.

In writing about optimism, you face the danger of being seen as advocating
a "Pollyanna" or quixotic approach. The truth is, however, optimism has
been proven to be a powerful tool that will pay dividends for your personal
life and give you a competitive advantage professionally in your career.
There is a lot to be gained,indeed, in cultivating an optimistic outlook.

Take leadership, for example. Nowhere is optimism more important than in

leading organizations. Highly effective leaders have a transforming effect
on their constituents: they have the gift of being able to convince others
that they have the ability to achieve levels of performance beyond those
they thought possible. They are able to paint an optimistic and attainable
view of the future for their followers: they move others from being stuck with
"how things are done around here" and help them see "how things could be
done better."

In The Leadership Advantage, an essay from the Drucker Foundation's Leader

to Leader Guide, Warren Bennis tells us that optimism is one of the key
things people need from their leaders in order to achieve positive results.
Every "exemplary leader that I have met," writes Bennis, "has what seems
to be an unwarranted degree of optimism – and that helps generate the
energy and commitment necessary to achieve results."
Consider, as well, the reverse: the effect that pessimistic individuals can
have on an organization's creativity and innovation. To be innovative, you
need to be open to new ideas, wide open to seeing possibilities, willing to
take risks and encourage others to take risks – willing to challenge the
process in order to create new solutions or products or improve processes.
In short, you need to have a sense of adventure and an expectation of
success. Those who have a pessimistic outlook typically approach changes
to the status quo with the familiar: "We tried this before", "It won't work", or
"It will never fly." Such individuals often label themselves as "devil's
advocate." How can someone who has a pessimistic outlook embrace
change over the safety of the known?

There are other areas which are impacted positively by optimism. Take
sales, for example: a study shows that new sales personnel at Metropolitan
Life who scored high on a test on optimism sold 37 percent more life
insurance in their first two years than pessimists (Seligman, 1990). In
another study involving debt collectors in a large collection agency, the
most successful collectors had significantly higher scores in the area of
self-actualization, independence and optimism. (Bachman et al, 2000, cited
by Cary Cherniss.)

Perhaps more significant are the countless studies that have shown that
people with an optimistic outlook have healthier relationships, enjoy better
mental and physical health and live longer. In The Wisdom of the Ego, Dr
George E Vaillant, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School,
writes about individuals who have "both the capacity to be bent without
breaking and the capacity, once bent, to spring back." Vaillant mentions
that, in addition to external sources of resilience (such as good health or
social supports), these individuals have important internal sources which
include a healthy self-esteem and optimism.
These coping mechanisms are fully explored in Dr Valliant's subsequent
book: Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life, a truly fascinating
study that will be particularly interesting to fellow boomers. This is a
compendium of three studies involving over 800 individuals, men and
women, rich and poor, who were followed for more than 50 years, from
adolescence to old age. In it, we discover that one of the most powerful
predictors of successful aging is habitually using mature coping
mechanisms or defenses, what Vaillant calls the ability to "make lemonade
out of life's lemons." Vaillant's study discovered five of these coping
mechanisms: altruism (doing for others what they need, not what we want
to do for them); Sublimation (diverting energy to more constructive pursuits
such as creativity, art, sports); Suppression (postponement of stressors,
not repression); Humor and Anticipation. Anticipation is realistic, hopeful
planning for the future. This means not operating in a pessimistic crisis
mode but preparing and adapting for whatever life brings.
So how do you recognize an optimist? Alan Loy McGinnis, author of The
Power of Optimism, studied the biographies of over 1000 famous people,
and isolated 12 characteristics of the optimistic personality. Among these
is: "Optimists look for partial solutions," that is, freed from the tyranny of
perfectionism and from paralysis by analysis, they are open to taking small
steps towards achieving success.
Another characteristic of those who have an optimistic nature is: "Optimists
use their imagination to rehearse success," in other words, they play
positive mental videos of preferred outcomes, much like sports figures do.
Michael Jordan, for example, once stated that he never plays a game that
he hasn't first visualized. Another trait is that "Optimists think that they have
great capacity for stretching" – they believe that their personal best is yet to
come.

Dr Martin E. Seligman, the modern scholar most often associated with

studying the traits of optimists, and former president of the American
Psychological Association and Professor of Psychology at the University of
Pennsylvania, has devoted decades to studying optimistic people and
reports three traits that they have in common: They view adversity in their
lives as temporary, specific and external, that is, not entirely their fault, as
opposed to pessimists who view adversity as unchangeable, pervasive,
and more personal. In the face of setbacks, challenges or difficult jobs,
pessimist are more likely to do worse than predicted and even give up,
while optimists will persevere.

Optimism, therefore, is also an important component of achievement, and

is especially important in times of chaos, change and turbulence. Those
who have an optimistic outlook will roll with the punches, will be more
proactive and persistent and will not abandon hope.

So, where does optimism come from? Is it something we are born with or is
it learned? For some lucky individuals, being optimistic comes naturally.
The good news is that, for those who don't have it naturally, optimism is an
attitude that can be learned and practiced. Here are some strategies you
can consider in your journey to becoming more optimistic or in helping
someone else who suffers from pessimism:

1. Avoid negative environments. If this is not realistic, make every effort to

seek the company of positive individuals in your organization.
Sometimes this may mean fraternizing with peers in other departments.
Stay away from the professional complainer.
2. Celebrate your strengths. The key to high achievement and happiness is
to play out your strengths, not correct your weaknesses. Focus on what
you do well. (If you are not sure what your signature strengths are,
consider reading Now Discover Your Strengths, which includes a web-
based questionnaire that helps you discover your own top-five inborn
talents.)
3. Take care of your spiritual and emotional well being by reading
inspirational material on a daily basis. This may be different for each
person. Some may be inspired by daily quotations, others by reading
biographies of successful people in their field and yet others may derive
inspiration from reading about all the innovations that we are graced
with. A useful website for this is the World Future Society, which keeps
up with new inventions.
4. Manage or ignore what you cannot change. When faced with setbacks,
identify what you can change and proactively try to find ways to do
something about it. We have often heard this advice – it bears repeating.
Be inspired by Benjamin Franklin's words: "While we may not be able to
control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us."
5. Learn to reframe. This involved deliberately shifting perspective and looking
for the hidden positive in a negative situation: the proverbial silver lining. Look
for the gift in the adversity.
If you are serious about developing greater optimism, there is no better book
than Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Dr
Martin E Seligman. Learn Dr Seligman's ABCDE model for disputing
pessimistic thoughts. This is a very useful and powerful tool to help you change
the way you explain events that trouble you from optimistic to pessimistic.
Click here .
6. Adapt your language and outlook. Consider how a simple shift in the
language you use can make a difference in your outlook: do you frequently say:
"yes, but...." in response to your constituents' suggestions? The "but"
automatically negates anything you have said in the beginning part of the
sentence. A simple shift to "yes, and..." might make a positive difference.
Check the emails you have sent recently. Count the proportion of negative to
positive words. It could be enlightening.
Become aware of your stance in business meetings. Are you known as the
"devil's advocate", the one who is quick to shoot down others' ideas? Jumping
in too quickly to negate an idea can derail the creative process. Often valuable
 ideas are the result of an initial "crazy" thought. At meetings, even when we
don't have the floor, we are under a magnifying glass. Practice being more
upbeat, practice speaking last, and see what happens.

7. Focus outside yourself, on important people in your life, on pursuits and

projects that fire you up. Bertrand Russell once said that the quickest
way to make ourselves miserable is to continually focus on ourselves. It
was his love of mathematics that kept him going.
8. Nurture a culture of optimism when you are in charge of other people at
work. Expect people to succeed. Even when they occasionally fail to
achieve what they set out to do, encourage them so that they can tackle
the next challenge. A simple: "I know you'll do better the next time" can
have very positive effects.
9. Cultivate spontaneity. Consider putting aside all your plans once in a
while to take a walk with your kids, play a game or catch a show. Getting
out of your comfort zone by being spontaneous helps to develop your
optimistic muscle, as spontaneity essentially involves an expectation of
having a pleasurable experience.
10. Consider the health benefits. If you need an extra motivation for
practicing optimism, consider the statistics linking optimism to greater
health. As Dr Seligman explains, there is evidence to suggest that
immune systems among optimistic people are stronger than among
pessimists.
This paper would not be balanced if we did not address the benefits of
pessimism. Pessimists, as Seligman explains, may be more realistic and
accurate about dangers and risks. At times, when there is a risk of serious
negative consequences, a cautious, risk-avoiding evaluation is appropriate
and desirable. But the positive effects of being optimistic – fighting
depression, aiding in professional, academic and sports achievement, and
boosting mental and physical health – outweigh the benefits of being a
career pessimist. The answer then is, as Seligman explains, "flexible
optimism," i.e. having the wisdom to assess situations and identify those
that require a pessimistic inquisition, and those that call for optimism, for
having a "can do" attitude" and taking a chance. Winston Churchill had a
reason for saying: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an
optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Practice seeing the
opportunity.

Copyright © 2009-2019 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.

This article is an excerpt from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: "The Leader as a
Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow Bruna is an
educator, author and speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership,
Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Visit her website
at www.clarionenterprises.com.
Annotate
What's Empathy Got to Do With
It?
How to Exercise Your Thinking and Feeling Muscles

© iStockphoto
DaydreamsGirl
Learn how to walk in other people's shoes.

A few weeks ago, I came across a bumper

sticker that said: "I am not good at empathy. Will
you settle for sarcasm?" The humor in the
bumper sticker led me to think of the slight
unease or self-conscious discomfort that many
people feel when a term such as "empathy" is
introduced in a business environment. Notions
of "touchy-feely," spring to mind.
While empathy is a right brain activity, it is far from being a touchy-feely
topic. At its core, empathy is the oil that keeps relationships running
smoothly. The fact that empathy is an important component of effective
relationships has been proven: in studies by Dr Antonio Damasio (outlined
in his book: "Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain"),
medical patients who had damage to part of the brain associated with
empathy showed significant deficits in relationship skills, even though their
reasoning and learning abilities remained intact.

Indeed, empathy is valued currency. It allows us to create bonds of trust, it

gives us insights into what others may be feeling or thinking; it helps us
understand how or why others are reacting to situations, it sharpens
our "people acumen" and it informs our decisions.
A formal definition of Empathy is the ability to identify and understand
another's situation, feelings and motives. It's our capacity to recognize the
concerns other people have. Empathy means: "putting yourself in the other
person's shoes" or "seeing things through someone else's eyes."

There are numerous studies that link empathy to business results. They
include studies that correlate empathy with increased sales, with the
performance of the best managers of product development teams and with
enhanced performance in an increasingly diverse workforce. A few of these
studies can be viewed on the site of The Consortium for Research on
Emotional Intelligence in Organizations.
Yes, increasingly, the topic of empathy is encroaching on the business
world. We are now even seeing terms such as "empathy marketing" and
"empathy selling." Not long ago, I came across the term "user empathy,"
referring to user interface.

Along those lines, in his book, A Whole New Mind: Moving from the
Information Age to the Conceptual Age, Daniel Pink predicts that power will
reside with those who have strong right-brain (interpersonal) qualities. He
cites three forces that are causing this change: Abundance, Asia, and
Automation. "Abundance" refers to our increasing demand for products or
services that are aesthetically pleasing; "Asia" refers to the growing trend of
outsourcing; "Automation" is self-explanatory. In order to compete in the
new economy market, Pink suggests six areas that are vital to our success.
One of which is Empathy; the ability to imagine yourself in someone else's
position, to imagine what they are feeling, to understand what makes
people tick, to create relationships and to be caring of others: all of which is
very difficult to outsource or automate, and yet is increasingly important to
business.
Empathy is also particularly critical to leadership development in this age of
young, independent, highly marketable and mobile workers. In a popular
Harvard Business Review article entitled "What Makes a Leader?", Dr
Daniel Goleman isolates three reasons why empathy is so important: the
increasing use of teams, (which he refers to as "cauldrons of bubbling
emotions"), the rapid pace of globalization (with cross cultural
communication easily leading to misunderstandings) and the growing need
to retain talent. "Leaders with empathy," states Goleman, "do more than
sympathize with people around them: they use their knowledge to improve
their companies in subtle, but important ways." This doesn't mean that they
agree with everyone's view or try to please everybody. Rather, they
"thoughtfully consider employees' feelings – along with other factors – in
the process of making intelligent decisions."
Empathy, then, is an ability that is well worth cultivating. It's a soft,
sometimes abstract tool in a leader's toolkit that can lead to hard, tangible
results. But where does empathy come from? Is it a process of thinking or
of emotion? From my perspective, I believe that it is both: we need to use
our reasoning ability to understand another person's thoughts, feelings,
reactions, concerns, motives. This means truly making an effort to stop and
think for a moment about the other person's perspective in order to begin to
understand where they are coming from. And then we need the emotional
capacity to care for that person's concern. Caring does not mean that we
would always agree with the person, that we would change our position,
but it does mean that we would be in tune with what that person is going
through, so that we can respond in a manner that acknowledges their
thoughts, feelings or concerns.

So this leads me to a question that I am sometimes asked, "Can you teach

someone to be empathetic?" We all know some people who are naturally
and consistently empathetic – these are the people who can easily forge
positive connections with others. They are people who use empathy to
engender trust and build bonds; they are catalysts who are able to create
positive communities for the greater good. But even if empathy does not
come naturally to some of us, I firmly believe that we can develop this
capacity.

Here are a few practical tips you might consider to help you do this:

1. Listen – truly listen to people. Listen with your ears, eyes and heart. Pay
attention to others' body language, to their tone of voice, to the hidden
emotions behind what they are saying to you, and to the context.
2. Don't interrupt people. Don't dismiss their concerns offhand. Don't rush
to give advice. Don't change the subject. Allow people their moment.
3. Tune in to non-verbal communication. This is the way that people often
communicate what they think or feel, even when their verbal
communication says something quite different.
4. Practice the "93 percent rule". We know from a famous study by
Professor Emeritus, Albert Mehrabian of UCLA, when communicating
about feelings and attitudes, words – the things we say – account for
only 7 percent of the total message that people receive. The other 93
percent of the message that we communicate when we speak is
contained in our tone of voice and body language. It's important, then, to
spend some time to understand how we come across when we
communicate with others about our feelings and attitudes.
5. Use people's name. Also, remember the names of people's spouse and
children so that you can refer to them by name.
6. Be fully present when you are with people. Don't check your email, look
at your watch or take phone calls when a direct report drops into your
office to talk to you. Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if
your boss did that to you?
7. Smile at people.
8. Encourage people, particularly the quiet ones, when they speak up in
meetings. A simple thing like an attentive nod can boost people's
confidence.
9. Give genuine recognition and praise. Pay attention to what people are
doing and catch them doing the right things. When you give praise,
spend a little effort to make your genuine words memorable: "You are an
asset to this team because..."; "This was pure genius"; "I would have
missed this if you hadn't picked it up."
10. Take a personal interest in people. Show people that you care, and
genuine curiosity about their lives. Ask them questions about their
hobbies, their challenges, their families, their aspirations.
Empathy is an emotional and thinking muscle that becomes stronger the
more we use it. Try some of these suggestions and watch the reactions of
those you work with. I believe you will notice some positive results.

Years ago, I had come across a saying that went something like this: the
measure of a man [or woman], is how they treat someone who is of
absolutely no use to them. Empathy should not be selective: it should be a
daily habit. If I were to create a bumper sticker, I would say, "Empathy:
Don't Leave Home Without It!"

Copyright © 2009-2019 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.

This article is an excerpt from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: "The Leader as a
Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow Bruna is an
educator, author and speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership,
Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Visit her website
at www.clarionenterprises.com.

Humility
The Most Beautiful Word in the English Language
© iStockphoto
AtWaG
There are none so lovely as the humble.

Many years ago, one of my university

professors mentioned that "windowsill" was
voted the most beautiful word in the English
language. Being an armchair linguist, this
factoid naturally stayed with me.
Words have enormous power. They can make us erupt into laughter or
bring tears to our eyes. They can influence, inspire, manipulate and shock.
They can build and destroy.

Some words have different effects on different people. One such word is
humility. It is one of those words that are seldom in neutral gear. Some, like
me, love the word and all it stands for. Some almost fear it and interpret it
synonymously with lack of self-confidence or timidity.

The dictionary defines humility as modesty, lacking pretence, not believing

that you are superior to others. An ancillary definition includes: "Having a
lowly opinion of oneself, meekness". The word "humility" first struck me in
the context of leadership when Jim Collins mentioned it in his seminal work
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't.
In this book, Collins examined companies that went from good to great by
sustaining 15-year cumulative stock returns at or below the general stock
market, and after a transition point, cumulative returns at least three times
the market over the next 15 years.

Among the many characteristics that distinguished these companies from

others isthat they all had a Level 5 leaderThe Leader as a Mensch: Become
the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow Bruna is an educator, author and
speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and
presentation skills training.
The Talisman of Leadership
Authenticity

© iStockphoto
AZemdega
Use the leaves of authenticity to stay true to yourself in the
workplace.
"I have come to realize that, for me at least, the quest for
'authenticity' is really a new spin on an age-old quest to find
meaning and do the right thing. It's a journey not a
destination; a process not an answer."– Hugh Mason
Some time ago, I heard a young woman say, "I
am enough." I was struck and intrigued by the
expression, and so I set out to research it. It
originated with Carl Rogers, the
psychotherapist, who was asked how he did
what he did so successfully. His response was,
"Before a session with a client, I let myself know
that 'I am enough.' Not perfect – because
perfect wouldn't be enough. But I am human,
and there is nothing that this client can say or do
or feel that I cannot feel in myself. I can be with
them. I am enough."
This echoes the serenity of mind, the calm spirit that characterizes a
"Mensch" – in other words, a person of integrity, a quality that is defined in
the dictionary as "a state of being complete or undivided." Leaders such as
these are the epitome of authenticity. They come from the standpoint of
being enough, of seeing themselves as complete human beings, providing
a unique contribution to the world by giving their own brand of wisdom,
ingenuity, perceptiveness, fairness, and fierce loyalty to their organizations,
and to those they lead.

Authentic leaders are also promise-keepers. This applies to even the

smallest of promises. Years ago, I met the CEO of a Fortune 500
organization. I noticed something about him. He carried with him a small,
black notebook into which he noted down any promise he made. No matter
how junior the person was to whom he spoke, he made the same effort to
note down his promises to that person, so that he could follow through. We
can rely on the word of such a person.

Transparent communication is a by-product of authentic leaders' lucid

thinking and uncompromising ethics. Such leaders say a great deal with a
few words, and there is no communication gap between their internal vision
of the world and its outward expression. There is directness in their
language. This transparency in communication is the holy grail of
leadership, especially today – with a reported four million blogs in the
blogosphere – where a lack of transparency can be particularly detrimental
to an organization.

Conformity smoothes our day's journey at work. Blind conformity, however,

has its downsides. It saps creativity, for one. It removes all sense of
individuality. If you are a leader who demands conformity, I encourage you
to think how this might erode your constituents' authenticity as they are
pressured to conform. I once worked for a leader in a technology company,
who adopted, as part of the company values, the notion of "intelligent
disobedience." The concept comes from Seeing Eye dogs. While dogs
must learn to obey the commands of the blind person, they must also know
when they need to disobey commands that can put the owner in harm's
way, such as when a car is approaching. Intelligent disobedience is not
about being difficult and disobeying for disobedience sake. Rather, it is
about being given the authority to use your judgment – for example, when a
decision no longer applies, or when a rule interferes with the wellbeing of
the customer.

Much has been written about "CEO disease" – a term that describes the
isolation that surrounds a leader when constituents are reluctant to bring
bad news or worst-case scenarios to them, for fear that such disclosure
might trigger a shoot-the-messenger reaction. Establish a culture that
values openness – a literal, not only figurative, open-door policy. Make it
safe for staff to stick their neck out. Consider instituting "Giraffe Awards" to
encourage people to stick their necks out for the overall good of the
company and its stakeholders.

A fallout of working for, or being associated with, an inauthentic leader is

that this person robs us of our own authenticity as we tread carefully
around them. We focus on what keeps us safe in our jobs. In the process
they don't get the best out of us – they get our labor, but not our full
engagement – that X factor that divides high performance from minimum
acceptable standards. We all know too well that high engagement is one of
the keys to building a high-performance, sustainable organization in today's
competitive environment. There are many ways to foster that engagement
in organizations – one of them is to take a close look at the quality of the
leader. Do people feel that the leader is who he or she says they are? Are
people convinced that the leader has no hidden agenda, and that the
person genuinely cares for them? All of these factors affect engagement
and the bottom line. Lack of authenticity in a leader carries a hefty price
tag.

A test of our veracity as leaders is the annual or semi-annual performance

reviews. More animosity and erosion of trust has been unnecessarily
generated through the dreaded performance reviews than through any
other HR process. Before you write the first word, sit back and see that
person as a real human being. It is very difficult to capture the sum totality
of an individual in a form. A few decades ago, a leader to whom I reported,
and for whom I had great respect, reviewed my performance and wrote
"rarely, if ever late" as the rating for my attendance. When I pointed out
that, in fact, I was never late, he said that he couldn't write that, as this
might be perceived by head office as the "halo effect" because "no one is
never late," and that this would cast doubt on the veracity of all the other
comments in the performance reviews. If you are unsure how to rate
someone because you have not had a chance to observe them in a certain
behavior, level with them, and ask their help in rating that particular aspect
of their performance instead of guessing. Watch the level of trust soar with
that individual.

Leadership is difficult work, and it can be easy to stray from who we are at
the core in order to satisfy business imperatives. Being totally authentic
may present particular challenges in today's highly competitive
environments where, for example, proprietary knowledge needs to be
closely guarded, or where news of impending layoffs needs to be managed
in order to avoid losing key staff. We can be unwittingly mired in politics.
We sometimes find ourselves in situations where we need to look over our
shoulders continuously to protect ourselves. We cannot always trust that
others are genuine with us. Even when we strive to do our very best, others
will sometimes betray us. Much happens in the course of our careers as we
climb the achievement ladder. We can sometimes, slowly and
imperceptibly, wander off from our authentic selves. Despite all of this, we
need to make every effort to stay true to who we are. As Howard Thurman
eloquently said, "Find the grain in your own wood."

Here are what I call the "leaves" of authenticity:

1. Living your values as a leader every day is an important key component

of authentic leadership. However, you need to examine these values
periodically to consider their validity in today's environment. Work-life
balance, for example, is no longer a perk – it may be an essential
requirement for attracting the best minds to your organization.
2. Are you in the habit of making hasty promises that you know from past
experience you are unable to keep? Think back on what promises you
made, to whom, and see if you can fulfill some of these.
3. There is a real freedom when we shed all affectation. Are there times in
your life when you see yourself being forced to put on a show to make
an impression on others? Resolve to stop that, once and for all. Watch
yourself soar when you are unencumbered by the weight of pretense.
Tell yourself, "I am enough" – and mean it.
4. Straight talk, self-confidence, and simplicity – these are the building
blocks of substance; the triumph over image. Think about how you can
make these a daily habit.
5. Are there areas in your life where you might lack consistency without
intending to? For example, are you kind to some people, but not to
others? Are you completely truthful in some circumstances, but not in
others? What does this insight tell you?
6. Start collecting personal stories that you can use to illustrate important
aspects of your leadership style, such as, what motivates you to lead;
what your philosophy of leading is; and who you are as a person.
Personal stories are the most effective form of storytelling for leaders.
7. Adversity reveals our true character. Consider your conduct when things
go wrong. Remind yourself that, as a leader, you are continuously under
a looking glass. People want to be inspired by you.
8. When you are given a script you didn't write for a presentation that you
have to deliver, spend extra time to make the words your own. Purge
your presentations of inadvertently inflated language, which often ends
with others questioning your authenticity as a speaker. For example,
replace the words "eating establishments" with "restaurants," "learning
 environments" with "schools" or "universities," "expeditious" with
"efficient." Take inspiration from Winston Churchill, who said, "Speak in
short, homely words of common usage."
9. Are you forced to live in disharmony between who you are and what you
do? Have you turned a deaf ear to the whispers of your heart? Resolve
today to take action to start the journey back to finding yourself, to
reconnecting with your passions and values. If this is not possible for
you because of restrictions in your current circumstance, think about
small compromises that you can start making right now to be more in a
state of harmony.
10. If you are an emergent leader, comfortable with seeking approval
before making any decisions, develop a plan to start practicing self-
reliance. Start with smaller-scale decisions, and progressively move on
to more significant ones. Only when you free yourself from the need to
have others' approval can you truly start to evolve into the authentic
leader you were meant to be.
Copyright © 2009-2019 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.
This article is an excerpt from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: "The Leader as a
Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow Bruna is an
educator, author and speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership,
Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training.

The Power of Trust: a Steel

Cable
How Open, Honest and Reliable Are You?

© iStockphoto
Leonsbox
How strong is your employees' trust in you?

There's a widely-known psychological study,

conducted by Walter Mischel in the 1960s,
which explored delayed gratification in four-year
olds. One at a time, children were seated in
front of a marshmallow and the researcher told
them that they could eat the marshmallow right
then, but if they waited for the researcher to
return from a brief errand, they would receive a
second marshmallow.
Some kids ate the marshmallow within seconds, but others waited up to 20
minutes for the researcher to return. 14 years later, the researchers found
that the children who had delayed gratification were more trustworthy, more
dependable, more self-reliant and more confident than the children who
had not controlled their impulses.

When I recounted this study in a workshop on emotional intelligence, a

participant remarked that he wanted to try this experiment with his own
child. I cautioned him, however, that there is a very important variable to
take into account and that is, does the child trust that there will be a second
marshmallow? If previous promises made to the child were broken, the
child may not trust that, this time, the adult will keep a promise. Trust is
largely an emotional act, based on an anticipation of reliance. It is fragile,
and like an egg shell, one slip can shatter it.

Trust pervades nearly every aspect of our daily lives. It is fundamentally

important in the healthy functioning of all of our relationships with others. It
is even tied to our wealth: in a Scientific American article, Dr. Paul J Zak, a
neuroeconomist at Claremont Graduate University, discovered that trust is
among the strongest known predictors of a country's wealth – nations with
low levels tend to be poor. According to Dr. Zak, societies with low levels of
trust are poor because the inhabitants undertake too few of the long-term
investments that create jobs and raise incomes. Such investments depend
on people trusting others to fulfill their contractual obligations.
In seeking to understand what was physically going on in the human brain
that instilled trust, he discovered that oxytocin, a hormone and
neurotransmitter, increases our propensity to trust others in the absence of
threatening signals. We are indeed wired to trust each other, but, as Dr.
Zak points out, our life experiences may "retune" the oxytocin to a different
"set point", and thus to different levels of trust throughout the course of life.
When we are brought up in a safe, nurturing and caring environment, our
brains release more oxytocin when someone trusts us – resulting in our
reciprocating that trust. By contrast, early experiences of stress, uncertainty
and isolation interfere with the development of a trusting disposition and
decrease oxytocin levels.

In today's uncertain climate, it is not surprising that study after study shows
a decline in the trust that individuals have in business and political leaders,
and in institutions. The Edelman Trust Barometer for 2009 found that nearly
two out of every three adults surveyed in 20 countries trust corporations
less now than they did a year ago. And a 2004 study by Towers Perrin,
shows that only 44% of junior employees (those earning less than $50,000
per year) trust their employers to tell them the truth. This is an alarming
statistic, especially given how much time, effort and concern are expended
in crafting leadership communications to employees.
Even though we are faced with a crisis in trust, and have ample examples
of leaders who have eroded their employees', customers' and shareholders'
trust, I am a firm believer that the majority of leaders walk the path of
trustworthiness. In fact, it can be harrowing for many leaders if they receive
feedback that others don't find them trustworthy. But being trustworthy, in
someone's eyes, is based on their own perceptions, and may be strongly
influenced by the fracture of trust in the world around them. Indeed, people
don't automatically trust leaders these days. Trust needs to be earned
through diligence, fidelity and applied effort.

If lack of trust is an issue which causes you concern, what can you do to
manage perceptions of trust? Here are a few quick tips:

 Monitor your use of "I" in your communications. Do an audit of your

emails, for example, and see how frequently you use "I" as opposed to
"we". Peter Drucker said: "The leaders who work most effectively, it
seems to me, never say 'I.' And that's not because they have trained
themselves not to say 'I.' They don't think 'I.' They think 'we‘; they think
'team.' They understand their job to be to make the team function. They
accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we‘ gets the credit. This is
what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done."
 View promises you make as an unpaid debt.
 Keep talking about what matters. 60% of respondents in the Edelman
Barometer of Trust said they need to hear a company message three to
five times before they believe it. Lewis Carol knew this when he said:
"What I tell you three times is true."
 Your reputation is like a brand. Manage your brand, what you want to be
known for, as diligently as Nike or Volvo manage theirs. Brand is trust.
 Be known as a truth teller in your organization. A leader I coached
recently mentioned to me that, before an impending merger, he was
troubled by employees asking for information that he couldn't disclose at
that time. What do you do in such a situation to preserve the trust you
 have with your people, while honoring the confidentiality of sensitive
information? An honest compromise would be to share what you can
(there is usually something we can share) and to add: "This is all I can
share right now." This preserves trust, as your people know that you did
not lie, and, they understand that even though you have more
information, strategic imperatives prevent you from sharing it just then.
 Earn the trust of your customers by insisting that everyone observes the
"five pillars of trust":
1. Keep your promises.
2. Be willing to help.
3. Treat customers as individuals.
4. Make it easy for customers to do business with you.
5. Ensure that all physical aspects of your product or service give a favorable
impression. (Source: Winning Customers, by 1000 Ventures.)
 As much as this is hard to do, don't try to lead through email. Get out from
beneath your desk periodically, and have "face time" with people. The
more time you spend with people, the more the level of trust increases. If
you are leading virtual teams, pick up the phone more often.
 Do you manage your moods or do people experience you as agreeable
one day and confrontational the next? Predictability engenders trust.
 Are the corporate stories you tell consistent or do they vary depending on
who you are speaking to? It's so easy to get caught up in the moment and
exaggerate claims. Even though your intentions may be harmless, these
little slips chip away at trust, because people don't judge us by our
intentions.
 Do you make people feel safe? Fear and trust are mutually exclusive. Most
leaders would be shocked to find out that, in many cases, people fear them. As a
leader, you have a lot of power: the power to hire, fire, promote and demote; the
power to assign or withdraw choice assignments and perks; and the power to
give or withhold recognition.
Against the current backdrop of unemployment and a failing economy, people's
fears can be magnified. An empathetic leader senses this and devotes effort and
time to make people feel safe. Empathy involves understanding others' anxiety
and making a genuine effort to reduce it.

Organizations typically spend considerable energy and effort in team

building initiatives, including workshops, retreats, and adventure type
experiences. While all of these have their place, if organizations want to
increase collaboration and enhance teamwork, they need to start with trust.
It's the benchmark of healthy team relationships, it's a very simple
process. It's all about individual behaviors. Do individuals behave in a
trustworthy manner or not? There is only a pass or fail here.
And what are these behaviors? We all instinctively know them, but
sometimes we need to remind ourselves of what they are. Ask yourself:

 Do I share information that I know is helpful to others, or do I withhold it?

 Do I treat everyone with kindness and compassion?
 Do I try to do good in my dealings with others?
 Do I follow through on my commitments, even if it is at considerable
personal expense?
 Do I seize opportunities to encourage others?
 Am I just as happy about others' achievements as I am of my own?
 Do I consistently strive to deliver great work?
 Is "candid" a quality people would readily attribute to me?
Trust is power. It's the power to inspire and influence. It's the glue that
bonds us to each other, that strengthens relationships and turns threads of
connections into steel cables. Like four-year olds trusting that there will be
a second marshmallow, can your people trust that your word is your bond?

Leadership is difficult work. As George Washington said, "I can promise

nothing but purity of intentions, and, in carrying these into effect, fidelity and
diligence."

Copyright © 2009-2019 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.

This article is an excerpt from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: "The Leader as a
Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow Bruna is an
educator, author and speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership
and presentation skills training.

"I Swear by Apollo"

Being Accountable to Yourself in Leadership
© iStockphoto
Leontura
Who are you when no one is looking?

"I swear by Apollo"... so starts the Oath of

Hippocrates, an oath of ethical, professional
behavior sworn by all new physicians – a
promise to practice good medicine to the best of
their ability, for the good of their patients. It
essentially boils down to a commitment to "do
no harm". Wouldn't it be great to have such an
oath for leaders – an oath of personal
accountability, not just for business outcomes
and for leading others, but for leading oneself. I
am reminded of the proverb "Physician, heal
thyself", suggesting that one should take care of
one's own faults first before correcting the faults
of others – so I add to the above: Leader, lead
thyself.
Any nuts-and-bolts leadership primer will explain that one of the key
leadership competencies is holding others accountable. This entails,
among other things, setting clear expectations and guidelines, clearly
communicating goals and objectives, following up to ensure fulfillment of
responsibilities, providing feedback on performance, coaching those whose
performance is not up to par and, finally, taking any necessary corrective
action. But a leader cannot expect to hold others accountable successfully
if they are not holding themselves accountable first.
While this is an important dimension of leadership, it is easy to slip, when it
comes to accountability for our own behavior. This can happen even to
leaders who do a great job at holding themselves accountable for the big
ticket items such as driving for results, whether in sales, operations,
marketing or financing, identifying root causes for business problems,
developing a vision and strategy and managing resources effectively.

Let's clarify something before we proceed: no leader worth his salt wakes
up in the morning deciding that he or she is not going to be accountable
today. No one wants to do a bad job. But things happen during the course
of the day that can divert the best of us from our good intentions and more
often than not, it is unintentional, personal "slips". It is about these
seemingly innocuous personal slips that I want to talk. They take many,
subtle forms. Let's explore a few of the garden-variety ones:

 You have a chronic problem employee but you don't make the tough
decision to let the individual go, because you want to be a nice person.
Instead, after much deliberation and agony, you decide to transfer the
person to another department – essentially moving the problem to
another part of the company and hoping it goes away. Deep down, your
intuition is whispering to you that the problem has not been solved but,
in your elation at having found the solution to a nagging problem, you
hush your intuition. You come to the office the next day, with a spring in
your step and a song in your heart – relieved at having shed a burden.
 A senior member of your team has a habit of treating less influential
ones very poorly in meetings, interrupting them, discounting their
contributions and generally exhibiting poster-like bad behavior. It
mortifies the recipients, embarrasses other team members and even
bothers you. Again, though, because you value harmony and hate
confrontation of any kind, you choose to ignore the offending behavior
and hope that it will stop on its own. The fact that the perpetuator is an
aggressive, high achiever, successfully delivering results, makes it even
harder for you to step up and do something.
 You have just announced the company's drastic cost cutting measures
and asked for everyone in your department to cooperate by eliminating
all discretionary spending. You delivered a genuinely inspiring speech to
your team and everyone is on board to make this work. Two days later,
employees see a $1,000 chair delivered to your office – an earlier
purchase you had genuinely forgotten to cancel. Others, of course, don't
judge us by our intentions – they only have the appearance of events to
judge you by.
 A mistake was made, the ownership of which falls on several shoulders
including yours. Driven by the anxiety and chaos that ensues, you
 minimize your role in the fracas, and even unwittingly suffer from
temporary corporate amnesia, forgetting that you were fully briefed in
advance. You set out to find a scapegoat, genuinely convincing yourself
that it is surely their fault. This can easily happen in times of stress
because, as a leader, you handle dozens of issues on a daily basis.
However, others involved only handle a few issues and remember the
course of events with laser-like precision.
Well, the list can go on. Some slips are due to personality preferences,
others just from the sheer amount of work and stress that leaders often
experience. The reasons are multiple and really not important. It's the
behaviors that are important.

They are all examples of behaviors you would not condone in others when
you set out to hold them accountable. And as we all know, when there is a
disparity between what you tell others to do and what you do yourself,
people will believe your actions and not your words. The fallout of this
scenario is an erosion of trust, one of the high prices we pay for lack of self-
accountability.

Let's also not neglect to mention that, as a leader, you sometimes have to
take unpopular decisions and this can, by itself, elicit criticism. You are
always in a fishbowl.

So what strategies can you adopt to be more careful, to be self-

accountable – essentially to report to yourself?

1. Just as companies are rightfully concerned about how they are viewed by
customers or shareholders, consider taking time to reflect on how your actions
are viewed by all stakeholders: your direct reports, your peers, your clients. Go
through a formal 360° Leadership Assessment process or simply get hold of a
leadership assessment form and use it to reflect on how others in your team
would rate you on each dimension.

For example: Puts the interests of the team before own interests; Shares credit
for successes; Readily shares relevant information; Asks how am I doing;
Treats others with respect regardless of their position; Fosters teamwork across
all departments; Stands behind decisions made by the team; Provides honest
feedback in a timely basis. Would others respond in this way about you?
2. At the end of each day, when you clear your desk before you head home, take a
few short minutes to mentally go over your day. Think about significant
conversations you held, meetings you attended, emails you sent and other
actions you undertook.
 Are you proud? Could you have done better? This will inspire you to plan your
next day around your highest purpose. Getting into this habit of introspection
will pay dividends in the long run.

3. Decide to hold yourself accountable for developing other leaders. By

mentoring a protégé to enhance their personal and professional growth,
you strengthen your own leadership skills and reinforce your
determination to be self-accountable as you become the model.
4. When something goes wrong, look inwardly for solutions. It is especially
in difficult times that our self-accountability is challenged. Martin Luther
King said it poignantly: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he
stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at
times of challenge and controversy."
5. When a mistake is made, do you ask: "Whose fault is it?" or do you say: "What
can we learn from this?" or "What can I do to improve this situation?"

To that end, consider reading John G. Miller's book: QBQ! The Question behind
the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability in Work and in Life. Reading
the book inspires one to move away from the blame game we have all been
tempted to play at one time or other and take ownership of issues.
6. Think about promises you make to new hires during the interviewing
courtship period. In our zeal to want to attract the brightest and most
talented, we can easily over promise. Keep a record of your interview
notes and what you promised to candidates. If subsequent events make
it impossible to keep the promises, at least you can address them with
the individual. This is better than forgetting about them altogether.
7. What about promises you made to yourself? Write out your personal and
professional goals with clear targets. Read them once a week. Are your
day-to-day actions aligned with your values, your standards, your
philosophy of leading? What are your boundaries? Do you take
measures to protect them? If your answers to these questions are
negative, what is causing this? What insights does this give you? Use
this information as a means to spur you to action rather than guilt.
8. Moliere, 17th century French dramatist, said: "It is not only what we do,
but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable." Is there
anything that you are avoiding doing that needs to be done? For
example, are you putting off a difficult conversation? Are you delaying
any important decisions? Are you delegating away responsibilities that
should stay in your court?
Self-accountability, then, is staying true to ourselves despite difficult
circumstances. It's doing the right thing even when we are tempted to bend
a few rules for expediency's sake. Perhaps Deborah Lee put it best: "Self-
accountability is who you are when no one is looking". It's also the best
antidote to feeling victimized by circumstances and in so doing, frees up
precious creative energy for us to accomplish what matters to us. Above
all, it entails owning up to the consequences of our decisions and choices,
because there is no choice without accountability.

Copyright © 2009-2019 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.

This article is an excerpt from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: "The Leader as a
Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow Bruna is an
educator, author and speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership,
Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training.

Leading by Example
How to Lead a Team Honestly and Authentically

© Veer
Greg Epperson
Be sure to walk the talk.

There's the boss who tells everyone to stay late,

and then leaves promptly at 5:00pm to go
golfing.
There's the supervisor who criticizes everyone for spending time on the
internet, but is discovered buying groceries online in the middle of the
afternoon.

And the CFO who recommends layoffs to stop "unnecessary spending," but
then buys herself brand-new luxury office furniture.

Do you know any of these people?

There's hardly anything worse for company morale than leaders who
practice the "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy. When this happens, you
can almost see the loss of enthusiasm and goodwill among the staff. It's
like watching the air go out of a balloon – and cynicism and disappointment
usually take its place.

No matter what the situation is, double standards – witnessing people say
one thing, and then doing another – always feel like a betrayal. They can
be very destructive. If this ever happened to you, you can probably
remember that sense of disappointment and letdown.

If you're in a leadership position, then you know that you have a

responsibility to your team. They look to you for guidance and strength;
that's part of what being a leader is. And a big part of your responsibility is
to lead them with your own actions.

So, why is it so important to lead by example; and what happens when you
don't?

Making Sure You "Walk the Walk"

There's an old saying about the difference between a manager and a
leader, "Managers do things right. Leaders do the right things." (It's best to
be both a manager and a leader – they're just different processes.)

As a leader, part of your job is to inspire the people around you to push
themselves – and, in turn, the company – to greatness. To do this, you
must show them the way by doing it yourself.

Stop and think about the inspiring people who have changed the world with
their examples. Consider what Mahatma Gandhi accomplished through his
actions: he spent most of his adult life living what he preached to others.
He was committed to nonviolent resistance to protest injustice, and people
followed in his footsteps. He led them, and India, to independence –
because his life proved, by example, that it could be done.

Although Gandhi's situation is very different from yours, the principle is the
same. When you lead by example, you create a picture of what's possible.
People can look at you and say, "Well, if he can do it, I can do it." When
you lead by example, you make it easy for others to follow you.

Look at legendary businessman, Jack Welch of General Electric. Welch

knew that to push GE to new heights, he had to turn everything upside
down. So that's just what he did.

He developed the whole idea of a "boundaryless organization." This means

that everyone is free to brainstorm and think of ideas – instead of waiting
for someone "higher up" in the bureaucracy to think of them first. He
wanted his team turned loose, and he promised to listen to ideas from
anyone in the company. And he did. Everyone from the lowest line workers
to senior managers got his attention – if they had something to say or a
new idea that might make the company better. It wasn't just talk, and it
didn't take his team long to figure that out.

Welch stayed true to his passions and what he knew was right. As a result,
GE became an incredibly successful company under his management. His
team was always willing to follow his lead, because the people within it
knew that he always kept his word.

What does this mean for you? If you give yourself to your team and show
them the way, then, most likely, they'll follow you anywhere.

When You Don't Lead by Example

We've seen just how powerful it can be to lead by example. But what
happens when you don't follow this rule? How does your team feel when
you tell them to do one thing, and then you do the exact opposite?

As we said earlier, if this ever happened to you, then it shouldn't be hard to

remember how angry and disappointed you were.

When leaders don't "practice what they preach," it can be almost

impossible for a team to work together successfully. How can anyone trust
a leader who talks about one thing, but does another?

Consider what might have happened if Gandhi had, even one time, been in
a physical fight with his opposition. His important message of nonviolent
protest would probably have been much harder to believe after that. His
followers would have looked at him with suspicion and distrust. The
chances of them getting into physical arguments or committing acts of
violence probably would have increased dramatically.

Do you think that Alexander the Great's soldiers would have fought so hard
for him if he had sat on top of a hill, safe from the battle? Probably not. He
would have been just another average general in our history books, instead
of the example of a successful leader that we know today.

And so it is with your team. If you say one thing and do another, they likely
won't follow you enthusiastically. Why should they? Everything you tell
them after that may meet with suspicion and doubt. They may not trust that
you're doing the right thing, or that you know what you're talking about.
They may no longer believe in you.

Good leaders push their people forward with excitement, inspiration, trust,
and vision. If you lead a team that doesn't trust you, productivity will drop.
Enthusiasm may disappear. The vision you're trying so hard to make
happen may lose its appeal, all because your team doesn't trust you
anymore.

Key Points
Good leadership takes strength of character and a firm commitment to
do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. This means
doing what you say, when you say it. If your team can't trust you, you'll
probably never lead them to greatness.

Leading – and living – by example isn't as hard as it might sound. It's

really the easiest path. If your team knows that you'll also do whatever
you expect from them, they'll likely work hard to help you achieve your
goal.

Mahatma Gandhi and Alexander the Great helped change the world
because they lived by example – and, as a result, they accomplished
great things.
Apply This to Your Life
 If you ask a co-worker to do something, make sure you'd be willing to do
it yourself.
 If you implement new rules for the office, then follow those rules just as
closely as you expect everyone else to follow them. For example, if the
new rule is "no personal calls at work," then don't talk to your spouse at
work. You'll be seen as dishonest, and your staff may become angry and
start disobeying you.
 Look closely at your own behavior. If you criticize people for interrupting,
but you constantly do it yourself, you need to fix this. Yes, you want
people to pay attention to one another and listen to all viewpoints, so
demonstrate this yourself.
 If, in the spirit of goodwill, you make a rule for everyone to leave the
office at 5:00 p.m., then you need to do it too. If you stay late to get more
work done, your team may feel guilty and start staying late too, which
can destroy the whole purpose of the rule. The same is true for
 something like a lunch break – if you want your team to take a full hour
to rest and relax, then you need to do it too.

A Leader's Mood
The Dimmer Switch of Performance

© iStockphoto
storkalex
Control the climate in your organization by managing your moods.

In response to a discussion on the effect of a

leader's mood on the performance of a team, a
participant in a recent leadership workshop
made this heartfelt and realistic remark: "I
cannot see how I am expected to be in a good
mood for four quarters in a row."
The point is well taken. But can you afford, as a leader, to even entertain
this thought?

All of the research on employee performance points to the contrary.

There is a concept in French which is called "Noblesse oblige". It means,

roughly, that wealth, power and prestige go hand-in-hand with certain
social responsibilities – in other words, with privilege comes duty. It is a
privilege when we have the opportunity to lead a team of people, but with it
comes many responsibilities, chief of which, some leadership pundits would
contend, is managing moods.

In a Harvard Business Review article called Leadership That Gets Results,

Daniel Goleman cites research which shows that up to 30% of a company's
financial results (as measured by key business performance indicators
such as revenue growth, return on sales, efficiency and profitability) are
determined by the climate of the organization.
So what is the major factor that drives the climate of an organization? It's
the leader: in Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence,
Goleman states that roughly 50-70% of how employees perceive their
organization's climate is attributable to the actions and behaviors of their
leader. A leader creates the environment that determines people's moods
at the office and their mood, in turn, affects their productivity and level of
engagement.

Afterglow Or Aftermath?
Witness the number of times you may have driven home with an internal
glow, reliving a positive encounter with an upbeat and supportive boss,
perhaps savoring a "bon mot" about your performance that he or she left
with you on a Friday afternoon. How great it made you feel, and how eager
you were to get out of bed on the following Monday morning, and get back
to the office to give that man or woman the very best that you had to offer.
That's the "afterglow" that lingers and gives you renewed energy to be
more productive, to bring your finest talents to work.

And think about the reverse of the afterglow – the aftermath, or bitter
aftertaste. This is what Susan Scott, in Fierce Conversations: Achieving
Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time, brilliantly calls "The
Emotional Wake." That's what lingers with you after being the recipient of
some acrid remarks from a leader in a negative mood. How did that affect
your determination to overcome difficulties in a project, to keep your heart
fully engaged in the process, to want to continue to give that person your
very best game?

Contagion and Consequences

Leadership literature is full of studies attesting to the consequences of a
leader's mood. One such study involved 62 CEOs and their top
management teams and it showed that the more upbeat, energetic and
enthusiastic the executive team was, the more co-operatively they worked
together, and the better the company's business results. The study also
showed that the longer a company was managed by an executive team
that didn't get along well, the poorer the company's market returns.

Perhaps nowhere is a leader's mood more crucial than in the service

industry where employees in a bad mood can, without fail, adversely affect
business. In one of a multitude of such studies involving 53 sales managers
in retail outlets who led groups ranging in size from four to nine members, it
was found that when managers themselves were in an upbeat, positive
mood, their moods spilled over to their staff, positively affecting the staff's
performance and increasing sales. We can all take an inspiration from
organizations such as Starbucks who place great value on the importance
of creating a positive climate for employees which, in turn, ensures a
pleasant customer experience and repeat visits. "We are always focused
on our people" is an explicit statement to new recruits on the company's
career site.

When we move the curtain a bit, we can see clearly that a leader's bad
mood is a source of infection – an emotional contagion that eventually
spreads across people to entire units. We can learn a thing or two from
leadership in the military. Imagine the effect on troop morale and energy
that an "overwhelmed", "anxious", "worried" or "irate" leader would have?
And how about a leader who is plagued by uncertainty? "Indecision," as HA
Hopf puts it, "is contagious. It transmits itself to others." It can become
debilitating and habit-forming in an organization, as people take their cues
from the leader's state of mind.

Inconsistent Means Unpredictable

We could argue that the occasional bad mood, the occasional rant, on a
bad "corporate hair day", is excusable. Often, we refer to this type of
behavior with statements such as: "She can't control her temper
sometimes, but she is so brilliant". Or, "He has an amazing mind but he has
a tendency to shout at people when it's stressful." It is as though brilliance
is an excuse for bad behavior. And it may very well have to be in some
environments – but the message it sends to constituents is one of
inconsistency, which is an undesirable trait in any leader. We want our
leaders to be predictable because there is comfort and safety in
predictability. Predictability engenders trust and an unpredictable leader
elicits anxiety and, in some cases, even fear, both of which negatively
affect performance and productivity.

Of course, no leader steps out of the elevator in the morning with an

intention to spread a bad mood around but, as sure as there is gravity,
events occur during the course of some days that can derail even the best
among us. To be clear, we are not advocating that leaders turn into a
shrink wrapped version, complete with false smiles and fake cheerfulness.
Constituents spot a non-genuine smile anyway and are very adept at
noticing when a leader infantilizes them.
The Right Mood?
There are, of course, no easy solutions to managing emotions on an hourly
basis in the often difficult circumstances in which leaders must operate and
make decisions. However, we can draw some advice from another Harvard
Business Review article entitled Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of
Great Performance. First of all, it's important to note that a leader's mood has
the greatest impact on performance when it is upbeat. But it must also be in
tune with those around him.
Goleman et al call this dynamic resonance. "Good moods galvanize good
performance, but it doesn't make sense for a leader to be as chipper as a
blue jay at dawn if sales are tanking or the business is going under. The
most effective executives display moods and behaviors that match the
situation at hand, with a healthy dose of optimism mixed in. They respect
how other people are feeling – even if it is glum or defeated – but they also
model what it looks like to move forward with hope and humor." The
operative threesome here is "optimism", "hope" and "humor". As someone
once put it, leaders are dealers in hope.

Steps Towards Better Performance

So what are the specific recommendations? Your mood and behavior
affects performance. How do you work on attaining the consistent,
emotionally intelligent leadership behaviors that breed success in yourself
and others? Here are a few other suggestions to consider that can improve
your and your team's performance:

1. Model Meeting Behavior

Take a hard look at your behavior in meetings, which are often
"cauldrons of emotion." Do you model the way by setting a positive tone
right from the start? Or do you impose your own "pace" based on how
you feel at the moment? Aim for a calm, relaxed mood, and a consistent,
positive approach.
2. Look for Good in Others
Long before leadership books were in vogue, Andre Malraux, French
novelist and statesman, reminded us that one of the central objectives of
a leader is to make others aware of the greatness that lies in them. Be
known in your organization as someone who is always on the lookout for
what is right with people. It engenders good will and is good for
business.
3. Read the Climate
Do you have a good reading of the climate of your unit or organization?
 Can you accurately sense what the emotional atmosphere is? Is it
upbeat? Is it energized? Is it down or dejected? Do people seem slightly
apprehensive and somewhat cautious in your presence? Can you ask a
trusted acolyte if the atmosphere changes when you are away?
4. Be Pleasant and Cooperative
If you are an emergent leader, and working on having a pleasant
personality is not a priority for you, consider putting some effort into
cultivating this prized quality. It is almost impossible to have executive
presence without it. Be cooperative, for example sharing ideas and
shortcuts. This is another example of how mood affects productivity.
5. Be Emotionally Attractive
Along that vein, focus on being emotionally attractive. This links to the
concept of resonant leadership. Resonant leaders are individuals who
have the ability to manage their own emotions and those of others in a
manner that drives the success of their teams and organizations.
In Resonant Leadership: Renewing Yourself and Connecting with Others
through Mindfulness, Hope and Compassion, Richard Boyatzis and Annie
McKee explain that resonant leaders create a positive emotional tone in
the organization and engage and inspire people. As the title of their book
indicates, these leaders possess three core qualities which are:
mindfulness, hope, and compassion. Consider making these a part of
your arsenal as a leader.
6. Manage the Emotions of Change
Be particularly mindful of how you manage emotions if your organization
is undergoing change: how you handle emotions during these crucial
times can help or hinder the change process. It's a known fact that if the
resistance to change is emotional, it is the hardest form of resistance to
overcome. As the leader handling a change initiative, don't avoid the
emotions that accompany the change process. Set the mood and
manage the emotions – or they will manage you.
If you cringe at the whole notion of emotions in the workplace, including talk
of empathy and compassion, intuition or discussions of emotional
intelligence, I encourage you to reconsider this mindset. Hone your intuitive
ability, and listen to those hunches that hint to you that something in your
behavior and actions on bad days is causing a ripple effect on others.
These are the whispers we try to dismiss when we elect to focus only on
"rationality". Intuition is a precious tool worth including in our kit. Einstein
put it best: "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a
faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has
forgotten the gift."

As the leader, you have in your hand the switch that can control the
intensity of engagement of the people who do the work in your
organization. It's like being a director in a movie: "The first work of the
director is to set a mood so that the actor's work can take place" (William
Friedkin, American movie and television director/producer.) A leader's
upbeat mood metaphorically oxygenates the blood of followers – it's a
transfusion into the corporate arteries. It may be one of the most potent
contributions you can make as a leader.

A Bit of Perfume
Giving Praise

© Veer
saddakos
Change the atmosphere in your workplace.

"To see things in the seed, that is genius", said

Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher. This is what we
now refer to as Appreciative Intelligence, a term
coined by Tojo Thatchenkery to describe the
capacity by certain individuals to see the
positive inherent potential of situations or people
– it is the ability to see a breakthrough product,
top talent, or valuable solution of the future that
is not readily visible in the present situation. In
short, it is the ability to see the mighty oak in the
acorn.
The term originated when the author began studying the explosive
entrepreneurial growth in Silicon Valley in the late 1990s. According to the
author, it is appreciative intelligence that allowed, partly, for so many highly
talented immigrants from different countries to assemble in the area and
flourish. As the author puts it, venture capitalists looking to fund the right
ideas were asking the question, "How can I make this work?" as opposed
to "What are the chances this idea will fail?" They created an environment
of high anticipation of positive results which became a contagious fever of
opportunity, achievement, resilience and possibility recognition.
(Appreciative intelligence is not to be confused with appreciative inquiry,
which is an approach and methodology for analyzing organizations).

Appreciative intelligence is a mental ability of individuals who have a knack

for reframing situations (the glass half full/half empty) and a keen eye for
spotting what's valuable and positive in a situation or in people. And these
individuals go one step further: they are able to envision how the positive
aspects can be used to create a better future. Combining the two in an
organization, i.e. a leader with appreciative intelligence using an
appreciative inquiry approach, constitutes a powerful force indeed for
effecting positive change and inspiring others to give the very best they
have to offer. Imagine if all leaders in an organization proactively and
mindfully practiced appreciative intelligence. Imagine the profound, healthy
impact that this would have on an organization's culture.

Such a culture would fuel employees' motivation. Surveys of what

employees want consistently rank "appreciation for work well done" high up
on the motivation index – well above "good wages". Ironically, managers
often place good wages above appreciation in their responses of what
employees want. Other surveys show that one of the reasons employees
leave companies is because of lack of praise and recognition. Leaders
often talk of the challenge of building trust in their organization. Adele B.
Lynn, of the Lynn Leadership Group LLC, carried out a study on trust in the
workplace, called In Search of Honor, which shows that 54% of those
polled would work for less remuneration if the following trust building
factors were present:
1. Importance: giving people a sense of importance about who they are
and about their role in the organization;
2. Touch: feeling that the leader genuinely cares about them, feeling a
connection with the leader;
3. Gratitude: being appreciated for their contributions and sacrifices;
receiving genuine gratitude;
4. Fairness: knowing that leaders ensure equal and fair distribution of
rewards.
Recognition and praise are indeed high octane fuel for the soul. When we
receive a genuine compliment, we experience an inner glow – it's a warm,
magical feeling that makes us break into a smile. It makes us want to go
the extra mile for the person who bestowed the sincere compliment. If this
were not important to us, we would not be treasuring all of the mementos of
awards, plaques, appreciative notes and emails, and other tokens of
appreciation that we receive over the years.
But intuitively, we all know that genuine appreciation is a key factor in our
relationship with our constituents, and any basic management course will
touch on the value of praising employees for their contributions. Yet many
well-meaning and otherwise caring leaders are reluctant to express their
appreciation of others' talents and contributions.

Many years ago, I worked for a great leader, one who genuinely cared for
his constituents, and who confided in me one day that he found expressing
praise a very difficult thing to do – publicly and even harder, privately. I
asked him why that is. He said, "I grew up in a household where praising
was not something we did." There is a profound implication in this
statement. Our families are our first corporations – that's where we learned
many of our behaviors, and it is often difficult to break these ingrained
patterns. Withholding praise, however, is a pattern of behavior that we
need to unlearn if we want to bring the best out in people. We need to get
over the embarrassment that grips some of us when we have to praise an
individual.

Here are some pointers for practicing this important skill:

1. If you have difficulty praising others, analyze the root causes of this. If it
is a fear of embarrassing others, know that even the most introverted
individuals who shun public praise enjoy reading an email to all staff
about their contributions. If it is a discomfort at not knowing how to do it,
read the few simple rules below and consider working with a coach for
one or two sessions on this most important aspect of a leader's
communication repertoire. Self-awareness precedes self-management.
2. Sometimes, withholding praise is simply due to a lack of time for leaders
who are required to handle an ever increasing number of issues during
the course of a harried day. If this is your challenge, I encourage you to
reframe how you view this particular issue. Showing your people you
care about them needs to move up on the list of items in your "to do" list.
It takes less than 10 seconds to say, "I appreciate the time and thought
you put into this report. It is exceptional. Thank you."
3. Praise has a limited "best before" date. Don't delay its expression or wait
until performance review time – when you see something that is worthy
of praising, do so promptly after the event.
4. Make your genuine words memorable for your constituents by being
specific about the achievement. Not many of us remember the
perfunctory "job well done", but we all would remember someone who
tells us "This was pure genius," or "I would have missed this if you hadn't
 picked it up." The praise does not have to be elaborate. It just needs to
be genuine.
5. When you drop by an employee's office or cubicle to deliver the praise,
don't follow that with a conversation about business matters or other
projects. Deliver the praise and leave. Come back later for discussions
on other matters. This gives the praise its moment of honor and
heightens its value in the eyes of the recipient.
6. A primer for rewarding and recognizing others is Jim Kouzes' and Barry
Posner's Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to Rewarding and
Recognizing Others. The book provides 150 ways to encourage the heart.
Another useful book is Steven Kerr's Ultimate Rewards: What Really
Motivates People to Achieve(Harvard Business Review Book Series). The book
outlines many different sources of motivation including accountability,
responsibility, organizational culture, coaching, teamwork, incentives
and goal setting.
7. Finally, how can you apply the dynamic concept of appreciative
intelligence on yourself? What are your talents? Practicing appreciating
our talents and gifts opens us up to appreciating others' greatness.
Perhaps the ultimate appreciation is letting people know that their work –
no matter how far removed they are from the top of the pyramid – is
important to the organization. It's about making everyone feel like an owner
and helping them understand how their work contributes to the overall
purpose of the company. It's about practicing seeing more people.
Excellence involves everyone.

There is another lovely Chinese quote that says, "A bit of perfume always
clings to the hand that gives roses." As leaders, when we make people feel
great about themselves, paradoxically we elevate ourselves to greatness
as well.

Why Being a Generous Leader

Can Make You a Great Leader
Show People Why They Matter
© iStockphoto
small_frog
Sow the seeds of growth with generous leadership.
"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade
you do not expect to sit."– Nelson Henderson
I am holding in my hand a graceful, inspirational
book entitled "Ramban's Ladder: A Meditation on
Generosity and Why It is Necessary to Give" by
Julie Salamon. The book is based on the
teachings of Ramban, a physician and
philosopher who, more than a thousand years
ago, developed Ramban's Ladder, which
outlines the various forms of giving from the
lowest – handing out money begrudgingly, as
one might to a panhandler – to the highest,
helping someone become self-reliant. I have
long been meditating on the whole issue of
generosity as an important quality of leadership:
observing leaders who had it, and those who
lacked it.
When we think of generosity, our thoughts automatically drift to gifts of
money or charity. In the context of leadership, there are other gifts that
don't have a monetary value, but whose value is beyond price. These
include giving someone a chance; giving someone the benefit of the doubt;
and giving others a reason to want to work for you. It entails giving others
latitude, permission to make mistakes, and all the information that they
need to do the job. It's giving them the authority that goes with
responsibility – it's giving them due credit for their ideas. In a nutshell, all of
this translates to generosity of spirit, a quality we admire in leaders.

Generosity, a word which once meant "of noble birth," used to be

associated with members of the aristocracy who, by virtue of their
privileges, were expected to show generosity towards those in lesser
standing. A leader too, by virtue of her position, and the power and
privileges that she holds relative to those she leads, has the same
expectations and obligations. A prime obligation is to lead with a generous
heart, and to be guided by a nobility of mind. A leader's generosity has a
positive spreading effect – conversely, its absence has a series of negative
consequences that, if a leader paused to reflect on them, may stop her in
her tracks.

I am a firm believer that people need more than just "a nice job close to
home." Most people want to find meaning in their jobs – they want to feel
that they are a part of something bigger and something better. They want to
know that what they do matters. A leader with a generous spirit
understands this need, and connects the dots for people – the dots that
help them see how the work they perform, no matter how small it may be in
the scheme of things, has a bearing on the ultimate vision of the company.

There is a well-known anecdote that is related by Tom Peters about a

hospital in the US that treats cancer. During a series of staff interviews, an
interviewer asked the housekeeper what her job entailed. She responded,
"I help to cure cancer." Somewhere in that hospital, a leader connected the
dots for this individual, and made her feel that she was an integral part of
the hospital's mission. Do you do that for the people who do the work in
your unit or organization?

There is a lot of talk these days about lack of engagement in the workforce.
Imagine how engaged people are when their leader makes them feel that
they are a fundamental part of the success of the organization; that
everyone, from the receptionist or mail clerk to the Vice President of
Product Development, constitutes a binding thread, tightly interwoven into
the company fabric – each equally doing its part to give the fabric its
strength.

A leader with a generous spirit delegates not just routine work, but
understands about delegating worthwhile work that becomes a gift of
development and growth for someone else. How we love those leaders.
These are the leaders that make us want to get out of bed in the morning
and go to work to give that person the very best that we have to offer.
These are the leaders who get our discretionary effort, every day.
And what about gifts of information? In a survey on effective motivation
published by 1000 Ventures, one of the top items that individuals want in
the workplace is the ability to be "in" on things. This was rated 9 on a scale
of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Managers ranked this item as 1! This
is a large chasm in understanding. The quickest way to satisfy this need in
constituents is to share information. We have all come across some
leaders who are inclined to hoard crucial information as the currency of
power. Leaders with a generous spirit give employees a chance to get
under the hood and to be a part of the inner circle. Freely and generously
sharing know-how, expertise, and ideas is not only beneficial for employees
– it's a smart way of doing business.

Albert Camus said, "Real generosity toward the future consists in giving all
to what is present." How often, as leaders, we are so focused on future
achievements, on realizing the vision of the organization, that in the
process, we neglect the people who are there. A leader of a successful
software firm confessed to me once that she woke up one day realizing
how much she had disconnected emotionally from the people who did the
work in her organization, while focusing on the strategic imperatives of the
company. Today, we have a tendency to be too self-absorbed. We become
self-involved to the point where, without intending it, we exclude others;
and we often only consciously notice that we have excluded them when
they have become disengaged. Self-absorption inherently prevents
generosity. Once in a while, it helps to stop and ask oneself, "Am I giving
enough to the people around me?"

There is an African village where the greeting words for "good morning" or
"hello" are, "I am here if you are here." Imagine the gift we give others
when we are fully present with them – when we truly see them. Perhaps
this is what Ralph Waldo Emerson meant when he said, "The only gift is
the gift of thyself." Bill Clinton recently ended a speech to a 6,000-member
audience with an exhortation to "see more people." This preceded his
reference to all the people who do the clean-up work behind the scenes
after the audience leaves. Do we give a thought to the people who are
unnoticed in our organizations, those who quietly work in the background?

While generosity in its pure sense is altruistic, you do still get something
back from it: surprise dividends in the form of a recycling of goodwill, a
surplus of cooperation, and the sheer satisfaction of seeing another benefit
from our giving of ourselves, our time, our attention, our knowledge, the
very best that we have to offer those who cross our paths at work or life.
We will never know what opportunities we may have missed in life by
showing up tight-fisted. It is hard to receive anything if we don't open our
hands to give.
As a leader, giving people the gift of not just our appreciation for good
work, but our genuine admiration for their talents, is generosity of spirit at
its pinnacle. This is the difference between saying to someone, "Great job"
versus "This was pure genius;" or "I appreciated your help" versus "I
couldn't have done it without you." When it comes to genuine praise, like
the sun at high noon, give resplendently. When you see good work, say it,
and say it from the heart, just as you thought it. Free up the thought, and let
it breathe – let it fly out there in the form of generous words, and watch
what you get back. Giving is ultimately sharing.

Here are some practical tips to enhance our generosity of spirit:

1. Give people a sense of importance

In Adele Lynn's book, "In Search of Honor: Lessons from Workers in How to
Build Trust," we learn that 55 percent of workers value "giving people a
sense of importance" as the number one item for building trust in the
workplace. Consider what small actions you could take intentionally
today to make people feel that the work they do is important, and that
they themselves, as people, are important to your team.
2. Give feedback, not criticism
If giving frequent criticism is your style of management, consider some
of these questions: is your motivation genuine, or is it to gain points? Are
you picking the right moment? Are you stopping to reflect how you
might deliver the feedback while still honoring the other person?
3. Give people visibility
Giving people visibility in your organization is a special gift we bestow to
help others shine and grow. I encourage you to think how you might give
people more access to senior executives, and more access to your
boss. Consider as well that people like to know that their boss's boss
knows the great contributions they made to a project, or about their
significant effort in writing a report that does not bear their name.
Knowing that our leader is representing us well to upper management is
a high-octane motivator, and engenders fierce loyalty.
4. Give anonymously
Real generosity of spirit is doing something for someone without their
knowledge. Think of one or two deserving people in your organization
that you can help by planting a career-enhancing seed on their behalf –
perhaps saying something positive about their work to someone in
authority?
5. Know when to forgive
Martin Luther King said that, "The old law of an eye for an eye leaves
everyone blind." Consider how harboring vindictive thoughts, even
though so compelling at times, is nothing but violence to oneself. A
characteristic of a generous person is a total lack of resentment – it's in
 effect being too noble, too big for that. Who do you need to forgive?
What do you need to let go?
6. Give encouragement
Look around you and pick someone who needs encouragement, and
resolve to give them that. Consider that some people have never
received encouragement in their life – not from teachers, not from
bosses, not even from parents.
7. Give opportunity
One of the most valuable gifts we can give someone is giving them a
chance. Is there someone right now to whom you could give a second
chance to prove themselves? If so, what active steps can you take to
create the right circumstances for them to succeed? What doors can you
open for someone who is well deserving, but not well positioned to be
noticed?
8. Share your knowledge and experience
Resolve to become a philanthropist of know-how. What knowledge,
expertise, or best practices can you share with others as a way to enrich
them? For inspiration, read about other leaders who practice teaching in
their organization for everyone's benefit – for example, Jack Welch,
whose calendar was filled with hundreds of hours spent teaching
thousands of GE managers and executives at the company's training
center at Croton-on-Hudson; or the ex-CEO of Intel, Andy Grove, who
devoted considerable amounts of time to teaching newly hired and
senior managers his philosophy on how to lead in an industry where
innovation goes stale very quickly.
9. Give moral support
Public speaking is known to be among the greatest fears experienced by
millions of people. The next time you attend a presentation given by an
apprehensive team member, practice giving them moral support. The
simplest of generous acts are abstaining from checking your Blackberry,
giving the odd nod in agreement, and practicing looking with kind eyes.
Finally, take some inspiration from Walt Whitman's beautiful words, "The
habit of giving enhances the desire to give." Giving is like building a
muscle. It requires practice and persistence – once it becomes habitual,
you will emerge as a stronger leader.

The Uncertainty Factor

Being Resilient and Adaptable
© iStockphoto
diephosi
How ready are you to change?

Last week, as I was rushing to select a birthday

card for a friend before heading to a meeting,
one card in particular caught my eye. It showed
a sepia photograph of an old wharf leading to a
peaceful lake. The wharf had clearly seen better
days: some of its floor boards were broken and
some were missing. Some of the handrail posts
were also gone. As I find beauty in things that
are asymmetrical, I decided to purchase the
card.
But it wasn't until that evening when I sat down to address the card that I
noticed the back of it. It said: "Rely on your dreams". I found the
juxtaposition of the old unstable wharf with the implication of "reliability" an
interesting dichotomy – a subtle message from the artist on the power of
our dreams and aspirations in times of instability and uncertainty.

As the late John Finley, English historian and mathematician tells us:
"Maturity of mind is the capacity to endure uncertainty". This capacity to not
get derailed or immobilized by the uncertainties and rapid, often chaotic
changes we all face in our personal and professional lives, is a personal
asset that is remarkable and rare amongst individuals.

In a study conducted by The Centre for Creative Leadership, inability to

handle change emerged as one of the primary causes for executive
derailment (followed by inability to work well in a team and a deficit in
interpersonal skills). Time and time again, I have seen highly competent
and successful leaders, individuals with high IQ and strong knowledge in
their area of expertise, get on the wrong path because they stubbornly
refused to adapt to the changing demands of the moment.
And it is often during times of uncertainty and chaotic change that our
behavior speaks louder about who we really are as a person. Having been
personally involved in numerous management changes, mergers and
acquisitions, rapid growth periods, and drastic "right sizing" and
downsizing, I have seen two types of individuals who surface in these
unsettling and uncertain conditions: those who manifest their shadow, their
dark side, and those who help themselves and others around them to ride
out the storm. The latter inevitably shine brighter and emerge as leaders,
rising above the crowd.

As all project managers know, the uncertainty of major ventures or projects

which go awry can have nefarious consequences that filter down to the rest
of the organization, affecting everyone, from the mail clerk to the CEO – a
careless acquisition, not paying attention to the rampant overhead of
certain pet projects and not foreseeing changing trends, to name just a few.
Developing competence in managing uncertainties is crucial. A short but
insightful article published by MIT Sloan Management Review,
entitled Managing Project Uncertainty: From Variation to Chaos, outlines four
major types of uncertainties:
 Variation: despite detailed and well conceived project plans, the project
schedules and budgets end up at odds with actual costs and timescales.
 Foreseen Uncertainty: the team isolates identifiable and predictable
influences that may or may not occur.
 Unforeseen Uncertainty: some major factors cannot be predicted.
 Chaos: where even the basic structure of the project plan is uncertain.
The authors state that companies that spend some time at the outset of a
project to create an "uncertainty profile", that is, ascertain what kind of
uncertainty is likely to dominate their project, will be better able to quickly
adapt to it and choose the right management strategy. The article reveals
numerous tools and techniques for managing each type of uncertainty such
as using decision-tree techniques and sharing risk lists with all
stakeholders.

Along the same vein, an insightful article is The Quest for Resilience,
Harvard Business Review (September 2003). In turbulent, uncertain times,
the only sure advantage is the capacity for reinventing your business model
before it's too late.
Among the many wisdom nuggets in this article, what struck me is the
notion that, as the leader, you need to "filter out the filterers", that is you
need to find those individuals in the organization who are plugged tightly in
to the future and understand well the implications for your company's
business model – and allow these people to give voice to their opinions,
without being censored by the watchdogs of the status quo who isolate you
from potential distasteful news. As the author aptly puts it: "You should be
wary of anyone who has a vested interest in your continued ignorance..."

Corporate uncertainty is not going away. Successful individuals within

those companies are those that are agile and can adapt. So what are some
strategies that you can use to make yourself change-proof and to cope with
organizational uncertainty and the personal upheaval that it causes? Here
are some suggestions for leaders and constituents:
1. If you are in charge of leading others, watch for signs of a lethargic
culture of complacency which can easily happen when times are good.
Do your best to turn things around now so that you have a high
performance culture instead. You will have done your team a favor.
Some strategies to consider include reinforcing the strategic imperatives
and priorities; engaging your constituents and making a true effort to
know their strengths and work preferences; managing the talent in your
organization well; communicating frequently and with heart. See Creating
a High Performance Culture (Ivy Business Journal – March/April 2005).
2. As the leader, practice empathy by allowing individuals to express their
doubts and misgivings without being defensive. People need an outlet.
Make it safe for them to speak.
3. Draw up a plan to make yourself incredibly valuable to your organization.
If the company is unable to allocate dollars for your training, raise your
worth by personally investing in your own training. Find an area in your
department or organization where there is a gap in skill, talent or
knowledge and work to acquire what you need to fill that gap. Increasing
your value to the company is a sound strategy even when there are no
fears of impending change. It's just a smart thing to do.
4. Raise your visibility by volunteering to work on committees, give
presentations, or start a worthwhile project that will attract positive
attention by everyone. We often hear this but we don't do it because we
are too busy already with our own jobs or lack the motivation. (A few
years ago, a client in a technology company volunteered to create a one
person "future research" committee. He spent some of his leisure time
reading everything there was to read about future trends affecting his
company's products and technology, and shared these insights with
everyone in the company. This initiative created a buzz around him and
insulated him from a restructuring phase that later occurred at his
company.)
5. Be aware of your comportment during times of stressful company
announcements. Do you walk out of the meeting immediately sharing
your interpretations of all the possible negative aspects of the situation?
 Or do you give the company leaders the benefit of the doubt – adopting
a positive wait and see approach?
6. No matter how unsettling the uncertainty is, don't abandon your
commitment to your job – don't quit before you have quit. There is
something detrimental to our psyche when we lose our sense of purpose
and meaning in what we do and just coast along waiting for the sword of
Damocles to fall. Do whatever it takes to recreate your commitment. It
will be a source of strength and dignity.
7. Be aware that one of the key emotional intelligence competencies today
is being able to manage change. At the first level this means having the
ability to define the general need for change within the scope of your
responsibility; the second level is to act in supporting the change; the
third level is personally leading change and the fourth level, is
championing change and being a change catalyst. Consider taking
an emotional competence test to determine your level in this competency.
With some effort, training and/or coaching and the right mind-set, we can
all be change savvy.
8. Above all, don't let uncertainty and job frustrations drain your energy
away from the personal goals and aspirations that you had planned for
yourself. Channel the precious mental energy that you would disperse in
being frustrated or disappointed into becoming the best of who you are.
This is not mere rhetoric. You just need to catch yourself in the act when
you are giving in to feelings of dejection and discouragement and remind
yourself that there are better things to do with your time.
I ended up keeping the birthday card that was destined for my friend. It is
on my desk as a beautiful reminder of the strength that comes from relying
on our dreams, on our purpose, on our passion, no matter how uncertain
our current situation may be. These are the things that energize us, inspire
us, propel us forward – the things that put a fire in our belly just thinking
about them.

"What every man needs, regardless of his job or the kind of work he is
doing, is a vision of what his place is and may be. He needs an objective
and a purpose. He needs a feeling and a belief that he has some
worthwhile thing to do. What this is no one can tell him. It must be his own
creation." (Joseph M. Dodge, Sitterson Professor, Florida State University.)

Joy and hope are an inside job. Abandon the tendency to think that what is
now will continue into the future. Focus on what you want for your future,
rather than on what you don't want. Something remarkable happens when
we successfully make that shift.
The Green-Eyed Monster
Keeping Envy Out of the Workplace

© iStockphoto
photographereddie
Be fair to all your team members, giving them equal access and
support.

A CEO to whom I reported, a few years ago,

entered my office one day, slumped into the
chair across from me and said, clearly
bewildered, "I have done everything I can to
make the staff happy – we pay good wages, we
have a rich benefit plan, we allow people
flexibility in their hours, and yet, still there is
animosity and bickering. I don't understand what
drives these people to behave the way they do."
The answer was at once simple and complex. It had to do with employee
emotions – and, in particular, one emotion: envy. Emotions are a powerful
instigator of behavior, and envy, the unmentionable emotion, is perhaps
one of the most pervasive and powerful of all the disruptive emotions that
affect our corporate environments. We are not used to talking about envy in
polite society or in our workplaces. Yet it isthere, woven within the fabric of
our organizations and it affects employee moods, organizational morale
and culture and, ultimately, it is one of the causes of employee
disengagement and productivity loss.

There are many reasons for envy to manifest itself in the daily theatre of
the workplace: competing for scarce resources or limited budgets, and
vying for important assignments, are commonplace situations that can
trigger predictable envy; coveting attributes and qualities a colleague has
that another might lack is another understandable possibility in the frailty of
human nature; losing a promotion to someone better qualified can also be
a trigger for envy. Many of these situations are normal occurrences and
cannot be avoided. They are a part of our workplace scenarios and many
human resources practitioners have, at one time or other, witnessed a
manifestation of these situations.

But there is an overlooked trigger for envy that may very well be an
insidious cause of much discontent and disruption in the workplace. It is the
leader's unwitting behavior towards select people in the organization.

Let's take one case in point: it is safe to say that many organizations have
an individual who has a great deal of personal power that is often not
associated with any position function or high level title – it comes from what
is often referred to as "having the boss's ear." All employees, except
perhaps the hapless newcomer, sense that anything that is said within
earshot of that individual will automatically be relayed to the boss – worse
still is the fear that it will be relayed with personal filtering and self-serving
interpretations. This naturally causes others to envy the person's power
and closeness to the boss and results in a climate of apprehension and
distrust of the individual, and by extension, the leader.

Another common scenario is associated with the hiring of new "top

guns." Here is what happens: a leader joining an organization inherits a
number of long-term employees. In due course, the leader hires additional
employees who are often perceived to be more liked by the leader because
they were hand-picked by him or her and are viewed as more in line with
the leader's ethos and style. It's not uncommon to hear the leader himself
privately refer to this as "assembling my own team." The existing
employees are still well treated but there are subtle nuances in the leader's
behavior towards the newcomers that signal that the newcomers are
viewed as more valuable to the team: the leader is seen spending more
time with them and is generally more complimentary and supportive of
anything they do or say. In meetings, for example, he or she will more
readily support ideas and suggestions by the newcomers, will represent
them more favorably to upper management and give them more visibility in
the company.

While it is impossible for a leader to eradicate envy from the workplace,

there is much a leader can do to create an environment that minimizes its
occurrence. The scholar who has done the most research on the issue of
envy in the workplace is Dr Robert P. Vecchio. In "Managing Envy and
Jealousy in the Workplace", one of many articles he has authored on the
topic, Dr Vecchio talks about envy and jealousy as "commonplace in work
settings in part because of the inherent competitiveness of organizational
life." He recommends five initiatives to counteract these pervasive
reactions:
1. Evaluating the emotional maturity of candidates at the time of hire.
2. Incorporating elements of team culture.
3. Implementing incentives that support cooperation.
4. Encouraging open communication.
5. Placing high performers [who often give rise to envy] in mentor roles.
To this, one can add a note of advice to leaders regarding their personal
behavior: as leaders, we are continuously being observed by employees
who notice our every move and micro expressions – they know which
employees are allowed in the inner circle from which they feel excluded.
Leaders should pay particular attention that they don't innocently build
these chosen few up while neglecting the others. As my CEO was made
aware that afternoon when he dropped into my office, frequent public
praise of only a select few, heightens employees' feelings of insecurity
about their own performance and causes resentment which in turns affects
productivity. A leader who becomes aware of this stress-related reaction
that his or her behavior causes on employees will be better able to manage
negative emotions, such as envy, in the workplace and create a more
relaxed and happier work environment for everyone. In turn, this will help
avoid the loss of productivity that accompanies the green-eyed monster.

Copyright © 2009-2019 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.

This article is an excerpt from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: "The Leader as a
Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow Bruna is an
educator, author and speaker specializing in emotional intelligence, leadership,
Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Visit her website
at www.clarionenterprises.com.
Extract from the "Managing Envy and Jealousy in the Workplace" paper by R.
Vecchio and K. Dogan used with kind permission of Sage publishing

10 Common Leadership and

Management Mistakes
Avoiding Universal Pitfalls
© iStockphoto
Freder
There'll be no need to be embarrassed if you watch out for these
popular mistakes.
Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.–
Oscar Wilde

In this article, we're looking at 10 of the most

common leadership and management errors,
and highlighting what you can do to avoid
them. If you can learn about these here, rather
than through experience, you'll save yourself a
lot of trouble!

1. Not Providing Feedback

Sarah is a talented sales representative, but she has a habit of answering
the phone in an unprofessional manner. Her boss is aware of this, but he's
waiting for her performance review to tell her where she's going wrong.
Unfortunately, until she's been alerted to the problem, she'll continue
putting off potential customers.

According to 1,400 executives polled by The Ken Blanchard Companies,

failing to provide feedback is the most common mistake that leaders make.
When you don't provide prompt feedback to your people, you're depriving
them of the opportunity to improve their performance.

To avoid this mistake, learn how to provide regular feedback to gain an in-
depth understanding of feedback, and to learn how to provide it effectively.)
2. Not Making Time for Your Team
When you're a manager or leader, it's easy to get so wrapped up in your
own workload that you don't make yourself available to your team.

Yes, you have projects that you need to deliver. But your people must
come first – without you being available when they need you, your people
won't know what to do, and they won't have the support and guidance that
they need to meet their objectives.

Avoid this mistake by blocking out time in your schedule to your team.
Develop your emotional intelligence , which is an effective way to stay in
touch with your team.
Once you're in a leadership or management role, your team should always
come first - this is, at heart, what good leadership is all about!

3. Being Too "Hands-Off"

One of your team has just completed an important project. The problem is
that he misunderstood the project's specification, and you didn't stay in
touch with him as he was working on it. Now, he's completed the project in
the wrong way, and you're faced with explaining this to an angry client.

Many leaders want to avoid micromanagement will help you find the right
balance for your own situation.

4. Being Too Friendly

Most of us want to be seen as friendly and approachable to people in our
team. After all, people are happier working for a manager that they get on
with. However, you'll sometimes have to make tough decisions regarding
people in your team, and some people will be tempted to take advantage of
your relationship if you're too friendly with them.

This doesn't mean that you can't socialize with your people. But, you do
need to get the balance right between being a friend and being the boss.

Learn how to avoid this mistake with our article, Now You're the Boss , so
that team members aren't tempted to take advantage of you.

5. Failing to Define Goals

When your people don't have clear goals, they muddle through their day.
They can't be productive if they have no idea what they're working for, or
what their work means. They also can't prioritize their workload effectively,
meaning that projects and tasks get completed in the wrong order.

Avoid this mistake by learning how to set SMART goals to specify where
your team is going, and detail the resources it can draw upon. Also, use
principles from Management by Objectives might be motivated by
telecommuting days or flexible working. Others will be motivated by factors
such as achievement, extra responsibility, praise, or a sense of
camaraderie.
To find out what truly drives your people, read our articles on McClelland's
Human Motivation Theory . Then, take our test "How Good Are Your
Motivation Skills?" , and by being particularly picky about the people you
bring into your team.

8. Not "Walking the Walk"

If you make personal telephone calls during work time, or speak negatively
about your CEO, can you expect people on your team not to do this too?
Probably not!

As a leader, you need to be a role model for your team. This means that if
they need to stay late, you should also stay late to help them. Or, if your
organization has a rule that no one eats at their desk, then set the example
and head to the break room every day for lunch. The same goes for your
attitude – if you're negative some of the time, you can't expect your people
not to be negative.

So remember, your team is watching you all the time. If you want to shape
their behavior, start with your own. They'll follow suit.

9. Not Delegating
Some managers don't delegate, because they feel that no-one apart from
themselves can do key jobs properly. This can cause huge problems as
work bottlenecks around them, and as they become stressed and burned
out.

Delegation does take a lot of effort up-front, and it can be hard to trust your
team to do the work correctly. But unless you delegate tasks, you're never
going to have time to focus on the "broader-view" that most leaders and
managers are responsible for. What's more, you'll fail to develop your
people so that they can take the pressure off you.

To find out if this is a problem for you, take our interactive quiz, How Well
Do You Delegate? , and The Delegation Dilemma and From Technical
Expert to Manager

Leading Equals
Motivating People Effectively, Without Authority

© iStockphoto
Ahmadmahmood
The only difference between you and your colleagues is that you're
in charge.

Does this sound like a job you'd want?

You'll be managing a diverse group of people from a variety of departments. They
each have different areas of expertise and different ways of getting work done. The
people don't report to you, and you'll have little or no authority to direct their
performance. However, you'll be held accountable for the team's output. To
accomplish the team's goals, you'll be expected, among other things, to motivate,
facilitate, encourage, communicate effectively, build trust, and resolve conflict.
This doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it?

When leading a team of your peers, these are typical challenges.

Leadership is a complex subject. There are visionary leaders, empowering

leaders, charismatic leaders, and values-based leaders. For each of these
styles, there are situations where that style is and is not effective. However,
the one thing that traditional leaders can usually rely on, regardless of their
style or situation, is legitimate power. When things get tough, a traditional
leader has the status and position to demand how work is done.

But when you're in charge of a team of your peers, your level of authority is
often nonexistent. You might have as little status as the person to whom
the work has been given – but is that enough to lead what is essentially a
horizontal collaboration?

To lead a multifunctional peer group, you must have all the characteristics
of great leaders – and then some. Here are the key skills you'll need to
succeed.

Master the Group Process

Learn to lead discussions and proactively manage different personalities.
You never know what past experiences – good and bad – team members
have had with one another.

Whatever the history, your role as leader starts with setting a positive
foundation for the team's interactions:

 Establish a relaxed environment, where everyone is encouraged to

share opinions and ideas.
 Ask for input from everyone, and encourage quieter members to speak
up.
 Use active listening to define your team's goals and how the team will
work.
 Use participative decision making tools, and try to ensure active
involvement and commitment from the team.

Empower Team Members

Leaders who give power to others can be very influential and motivating.
When leaders use their power to help others accomplish great things,
people often want to work very hard for them.

When you empower someone, you're essentially saying that you trust that
person. When people feel trusted, they may naturally want to take on more
responsibility for the outcome, because they'll share in the spotlight when
success is achieved.

Empowerment, then, is a great motivator, and it can be used to recognize

the efforts of team members. When leading your peers, be creative with
reward and recognition – sometimes assigning a task or granting a level of
authority can serve as a very effective reward.

Beyond this, work hard to motivate wherever it's due.

Be Flexible
Rules, regulations and a heavy-handed approach can cause resentment
and non-compliance in a team of peers. Use discretion, and learn to adapt
to the changing environment – this can be critical.

You won't always be the expert, and you won't always know what to do.
With a flexible leadership style, you can often deal with changing
circumstances without compromising your leadership role. If you rely on a
rigid structure and style, you may find yourself challenged often, and you
may waste your energy fighting interpersonal battles instead of
accomplishing goals.

Essentially, you need to help your team adjust to changes in direction,

circumstance, and priority. Whenever you get a cross-section of people
working together, there can be times of ambiguity and uncertainty. When
you're open to change, your team will see that, and they'll be more likely to
also accept change.

Set Goals
Few teams would get very far without goals. Certainly you need goals to
point you in the right direction and to evaluate performance. When you
bring together a diverse set of people, having a clear direction is even more
essential.

All team members will likely have their own perspectives. These could lead
your team down very different paths – if there's no central direction to
follow. Different paths can also cause conflict around resources and
priorities.

You can avoid many of these difficulties with clear goal setting – Many
people outside your team may strongly influence the team's success. First,
you may encounter outside resistance from various sources. For example,
John's manager may not allow him to work more than one hour each week
on team projects, or the finance director may refuse to "spend one more
dollar on that project."
There may also be key team champions. As a leader, your challenge is to figure out how to
use the champions' influence to persuade "resisters" to change their opinions. A great way to
gain the respect of your team is to protect it from negative outside influences, so that team
members can produce great work.

 Obtain management feedback – Your team needs to know they're supported. Make sure
you receive regular communication from managers and executives. You're the liaison – the
link – to ensure that management knows what's going on, and that your team knows what
management thinks.
This can be a delicate balancing act, because you don't want to run back and forth with too
much information. Figure out what each side needs to know to remain satisfied, and then
provide it.

Key Points
Leading a team of your peers is a definite challenge, and it can put all of
your leadership skills to the test. From setting goals to involving team
members in decision making to creating a climate of openness and
honesty, you need to have it all – and more.

If you remember to put your team's needs first, and if you work very
hard to protect their interests, you'll prove to them that you're committed
to and passionate about their success. When you demonstrate that you
believe in the value of their work, and when you're willing to work
through any obstacles you encounter, your team will respect your
integrity – and they'll want to work hard with you, and for you, to
achieve results.

Now You're the Boss...

Learning How to Manage Former Peers

© Veer
manfredxy
Successfully make the jump from team member to team leader

Becoming "the boss" can change almost

everything – and it can change nothing.
Sure, you have more power. And you can influence your former peers in
completely new ways. But you're still the same person.
Suddenly, though, the things you say have more importance, and your
former teammates look to you for answers, not just ideas.

What do you do with this newly found power? It may be tempting to make
the changes that you always wanted, order people to do what you want to
be done, and feel good about your new promotion. However, this type of
behavior may not win you much respect or cooperation.

But you probably don't want to use the opposite approach either. A new
boss who tries to remain "one of the guys" can end up frustrating everyone.
When you're more concerned about friendships than results, poor
decisions are usually inevitable. If you're afraid of being called "bossy," you
may not hold people accountable, or you may avoid making unpopular
decisions.

So, how do you manage the difficult learning curve of becoming a boss,
and the delicate balance of leading former peers? There's no immediate or
easy solution, and you won't be perfect. However, by understanding the
challenges and by keeping an open mind, you can develop new ways to
relate to your team that are effective and produce results.

The Changes and Challenges

As a newly-promoted boss, many or all of the following may apply to you:

 You know how people on your team operate. This can sound like an
advantage – until you realize that instead of just accepting people's
behavior, you're now responsible for making sure that their behavior
aligns with your team's goals. In the past, you were part of the way your
team worked, good or bad. Now, you have to make sure that things are
done right. Before, you may have been able to avoid the people you
don't like. But now, you have to help them develop – or you may need to
get rid of them altogether.
 You used to compete with these people. There's often a bit of rivalry
among peers for things like recognition, authority, and status. As the
new boss, some will see you as the winner of this competition. This may
increase previous tensions and bring out feelings of resentment. You
may have had difficulty with past peers whom you now need to support
and praise.
 You used to communicate freely. As a boss, you have to be selective
about the information you share. You probably can't tell people
everything as you used to. This works both ways: your team members
may stop telling you everything as well. This often means that your team
 tells you only those things they think you want to hear, which may lead
to distorted information and bad decisions.
 Your opinion used to hold equal weight. Now that you're the boss, what
you say probably has much more influence. As a result, your team may
not argue with you as much, and you may not have the benefit of
hearing what they really think. This can limit the effectiveness of your
decisions.
 You used to have close personal relationships with members of your
team. As the boss, you have to maintain a little distance from the people
who report to you. You need to treat everyone equally, and you can't
allow yourself to be influenced by certain people more than others. You
also can't let personal feelings get in the way of honest feedback and
discipline.
When you understand that your relationships with people on your team are
now different, you can find ways to move forward. It's when you try to keep
things the same that you'll have problems.

Strategies for a Successful Transition

When moving from peer to boss, the most important thing is to give up the
comfort of being liked. In the past, you've said many things about your
bosses to your colleagues, family, and friends. Similar things will now
probably be said about you. That's OK – as long as you continue to earn
respect. You'll likely achieve this by treating people honestly and by trusting
them.

Here are some strategies that you can try:

 Be humble. Accept that you'll probably make mistakes, and be willing to

admit your mistakes. It's also important that you don't boast about your
new position or success. People can brag or show off in subtle ways, so
be careful. Every leader or prospective leader should read Bruna
Martinuzzi's wonderful article on humility has more great tips on setting
up this new relationship.
You may also have to address the hurt feelings of those who also wanted your
new position. This can take a great deal of diplomacy, sensitivity, and
understanding.

 Communicate your expectations. Your new team isn't used to working

with you as a boss. Figure out your routine, and let them know what to
expect.
 Will you have regular team meetings?
  Will you have an "open door" policy?
 What are your priorities?
 How will you communicate?
 What are your objectives?
 How will they be evaluated?
Clarify and regularly update your expectations. The sooner you start a
pattern of open communication, the better.
 Establish boundaries. You know that you can't be everyone's friend the
way that you were before. Think about what this means and how your
relationship with others will change.
 Give everyone equal attention – avoid spending time with just one group
of people.
 Attend team social functions, but leave early so the team can talk freely
among themselves.
 Build a social network with your new peers (your former bosses).
 Dress differently – this can be a subtle indication that your position is now
different.
Because you know your former peers, you should be able to find ways to have
conversations. Not everyone responds to openness in the same way, so
remember to be sensitive to these differences, and adjust your style accordingly.
 Be careful about what you say. Unfortunately, you probably can't be as
free with your opinions as you used to be. When you express
dissatisfaction with something, you may influence your team. If you say
that you don't like someone, you may affect your team's attitude toward
that person. As a boss, you have to watch what you say and understand
that your words have the power to influence the opinions and behavior of
your team members.
Delegate. As a new leader of former peers, your job has changed from "getting
things done" to "managing people to get things done", so it's extremely important
that you delegate Leading Equals

What a Real Leader Knows

Developing Fundamental Leadership Skills
© iStockphoto
gehringj
Fit all the pieces together to become an effective leader.

What distinguishes effective leaders from

mediocre ones?
Is it their ability to make good decisions, their charismatic persuasiveness,
or the clarity of their vision? And do the best leaders have these qualities
naturally, or were they acquired at college?

The good news is that you can learn to be a leader, just as long as you
take time to learn fundamental leadership skills. However, your
effectiveness depends on how you apply these skills.

So, what do you have to learn if you want to be a better leader? And do you
need to go business school to learn these things, or can you learn them on
the job?

J. Sterling Livingston, a professor at Harvard Business School, attempted

to answer these questions by studying the connection between formal
education and successful leadership. In 1971, he published "The Myth of
the Well-Educated Manager" in the Harvard Business Review.

One of Livingston's conclusions was that a formal business education, such

as an MBA, was not a good predictor of long-term leadership success. This
finding is much less surprising today than it was back in the early 1970s.
However, his other main observation is as relevant today as it was back
then – namely, that four key skills define successful leadership.

By developing your skills in these fundamental areas, he argued that you

can lead people, and inspire them to change. You can also be dynamic and
effective in how you tackle the challenges you face every day.

Let's look at these four skill areas in more detail.

Decision Making
Leaders need to be able to solve problems effectively and make good
decisions. But decision making and problem solving skills are commonly
taught – so, with all those problem solvers out there, why can good leaders
be so hard to find?

According to Livingston, the difference often lies in your approach to finding

solutions. If you deal with a problem believing that you have to find the
"right answer," this can actually lead to failure. After all, you can analyze a
problem forever, and still not be 100 percent sure that your solution is the
best. The only way to assess your decision is by looking back, after the
fact. Even then, there are sometimes too many variables to determine
whether or not you definitely chose the right course of action.

Effective leaders use practical and responsive approaches to decision

making. They know that you can't wait to make a perfect decision: when
you're in the middle of a situation, you have to be confident enough to do
what needs to be done right now. This means you must quickly evaluate
the situation, and take an action that has a high probability of success. The
decisions that these leaders make under pressure – a technique that
questions every step of their thinking processes – to manage the subjective
side of decision making.
Ultimately, what sets apart effective leaders is that they know how to
decide. They know when to take the time to use analytical and thorough
decision-making processes. They know when to engage the whole team,
and when to make decisions on their own. This knowledge doesn't come
from a book, but from practical experience. As a developing leader, look for
opportunities to make decisions in a wide variety of situations, so that you
can gain that experience.
See the Mind Tools decision-making skills section to learn a wide
range of specific decision-making techniques.

Problem Finding
Leaders don't simply solve problems that people bring to them – they look
for problems that may be hidden. In other words, they often recognize
potential issues before they become significant.

The quicker you discover a problem, the more time you have to find a
solution, and the easier it is to tackle the problem before it becomes
serious. Skillful leaders are proactive, and they continuously ask questions.
The 5 Whys (FMEA) to spot these problems before they take action.
Sometimes this happens intuitively and informally, but the objective is the
same – to find problems before they develop into much larger, potentially
damaging, issues.
See our problem-solving skills section for a wide variety of tools that
help you find problems – including Flow Charts , Systems Diagrams .

Opportunity Finding
When you solve problems, you make sure the organization can continue on
its defined path toward its goals. When you find opportunities, however,
you focus on redefining – and hopefully improving – the company's overall
direction.

As management expert Peter Drucker famously said, "The pertinent

question is not how to do things right, but how to find the right things to do,
and to concentrate resources and efforts on them."

Successful leaders find opportunities and use them effectively. In practical

terms, they understand leverage is a sophisticated tool for finding problems
and opportunities – and for taking action.
Our strategy tools section has many useful tools that help leaders assess
strategic opportunities. Some of the most popular are PEST Analysis ,
the Boston Matrix .

Natural Leadership Style

Finally, good leaders use effective styles of leadership , your words, and
your vision. Good leaders motivate, inspire trust, have a clear vision, are
trustworthy, and are committed both to their people and to making the
organization better.
A large part of being an effective leader is the willingness to accept
responsibility and accountability

Level 5 Leadership
Achieving "Greatness" as a Leader
© Veer
Xiaojiao
To become a great leader, you must build your skills.

What makes leaders great? Is it their courage?

Their business acumen? Their expert
knowledge? Their ability to organize?
Truly great leaders have a specific blend of skills. But they also possess
something else; certain characteristics which are harder to define.

If you're in a leadership role, then you've likely wondered how you can
move to that "next level," going from good to great leadership.

In this article, we'll examine "Level 5 Leadership" – a key idea that helps
you do this. We'll explore what it takes to achieve greatness as a leader,
and we'll discuss strategies that you can use to move up to this top level of
leadership.

Introducing Level 5 Leadership

The concept of Level 5 Leadership was created by business consultant,
Jim Collins. He wrote about it in a well-respected 2001 Harvard Business
Review article, and published his research in his popular book, "Good to
Great."
The concept came about during a study that began in 1996, when Collins
began researching what makes a great company. He started by looking at
1,435 companies, and ended up choosing 11 truly great ones. These 11
companies were all headed by what Collins called "Level 5 Leaders."

He found that these leaders have humility, and they don't seek success for
their own glory; rather, success is necessary so that the team and
organization can thrive. They share credit for success, and they're the first
to accept blame for mistakes. Collins also says that they're often shy, but
fearless when it comes to making decisions, especially ones that most
other people consider risky.

Level 5 Leaders also possess qualities found in four other levels of

leadership that Collins identified. Although you don't have to pass
sequentially through each individual level before you become a Level 5
Leader, you must have the skills and capabilities found in each level of the
hierarchy.

Let's look at each of the five levels in more detail:

Level 1: Highly Capable Individual

At this level, you make high quality contributions with your work. You
possess useful levels of knowledge; and you have the talent and skills
needed to do a good job.

Level 2: Contributing Team Member

At Level 2, you use your knowledge and skills to help your team succeed.
You work effectively, productively and successfully with other people in
your group.

Level 3: Competent Manager

Here, you're able to organize a group effectively to achieve specific goals
and objectives.

Level 4: Effective Leader

Level 4 is the category that most top leaders fall into. Here, you're able to
galvanize a department or organization to meet performance objectives
and achieve a vision.

Level 5: Great Leader

At Level 5, you have all of the abilities needed for the other four levels, plus
you have the unique blend of humility and will that's required for true
greatness.
Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review. From "Level 5 Leadership: The
Triumph of Humility and Fierce Resolve" by Jim Collins, January 2001. Copyright ©
2001 by the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all rights reserved.

How to Become a Level 5 Leader

It takes time and effort to become a Level 5 Leader. But the good news is
that it can be done, especially if you have the passion to try.

Again, it's important to realize that you don't have to progress through each
level in turn in order to get to Level 5. But you do need the capabilities
found in each level in order to achieve Level 5 status.

Here are some strategies that will help you grow emotionally and
professionally, so that you can develop the qualities of a Level 5 Leader:

Develop Humility
Level 5 Leaders are humble people. So, learn why humility is a genuine
strength, because it lets you call upon the expertise of someone stronger in
an area than you are. The result? The entire team or organization wins; not
just you.
Remember the Guy Kawasaki quote that "A players recruit A+ players,
while B players recruit C players." If you're recruiting A+ players, why
wouldn't you take full advantage of their skills? (The truth is that if you can
recruit A+ people successfully and get the best from them, then you've
become an A+ manager.)

Take Responsibility
A top attribute of Level 5 Leaders is that they take responsibilityNo Excuses!
The Power of Self Discipline

Develop Discipline
Level 5 Leaders are incredibly disciplined , and helping them reach their full
potential.
If you're a leader or manager already, then you probably know without
thinking who your best people are. However, you sometimes have to
challenge these assumptions – our article on The Leader-Member
Exchange Theory to explore how to find meaning in what you're doing. It's
also important to create an inspiring vision for your people – our article
on Transformational Leadership

The Four Factor Theory of

Leadership
A Foundation of Good Leadership

© iStockphoto
haoliang
A strong foundation is vital when building on your leadership skills.
Leadership is getting players to believe in you. If you tell a
teammate you're ready to play as tough as you're able to,
you'd better go out there and do it. Players will see right
through a phony. And they can tell when you're not giving it
all you've got.– Larry Bird, Basketball player
If someone asked you to say what the basics of
good leadership are, what would you tell them?
Perhaps you'd use phrases like "having integrity," "inspiring people,"
"leading from the front," and a whole range of other phrases besides.

Good leadership involves many different attributes, but there are common
factors that link many of them.

In this article we'll look at the Four Factor Theory of Leadership, a classic
model that defines four basic dimensions of effective leadership. We'll then
think about how you can use these dimensions with your team.

About the Theory

Researchers David Bowers and Stanley Seashore developed the Four
Factor Theory of Leadership in the mid-1960s, and published it in 1966.
The pair reviewed the findings of several other leading researchers, who
were exploring what it takes to be an effective leader. They noticed that
there were four dimensions that consistently emerged in these studies.

The four factors were:

1. Providing Personal Support – Helping people value themselves and their

work, so that they can develop a sense of self-worth.
2. Encouraging Teamwork ("Interaction Facilitation") – Encouraging
people to establish close, collaborative, successful working relationships
with one another.
3. Focusing on Goals ("Goal Emphasis") – Inspiring people to feel
enthusiastic about and committed to shared goals, and motivating them
to want to perform well.
4. Helping People Work Effectively ("Work Facilitation") – Helping people
meet goals by supporting them, and by providing resources, materials,
or knowledge.
Bowers and Seashore concluded that leaders need to do all of these things
to lead their teams effectively.

Applying the Theory

Although the more recent idea of Transformational Leadership , so that you
can use the best approach for a given situation.
So, how can you apply the four dimensions?

Providing Personal Support

With this dimension, leaders support members of their team on an
emotional level by developing people's feelings of self-worth, and by
helping them feel appreciated and valued.

As a leader, this means showing your people that you value the work they
do. Reward your team .)
You can also support your people emotionally by building their self-
confidence .
Remember, most people on your team just want to know that their work
has value. Take time to recognize the work they do, and show your
appreciation.
Encouraging Teamwork ("Interaction Facilitation")
Leaders work on this dimension when they encourage members of their
team to establish close, collaborative relationships with one-another.
Teams are most effective when people trust one another and communicate
well. As a leader, you need to help this trust and communication develop.

Build the trust of your team , and be a good role model , Assertiveness . You
can also use the Johari Window , by helping people understand how their
objectives align with those of the organization. When these are in sync,
people will be happier and more productive.
You also need to help your people to become enthusiastic about the
organization's mission. Inspire them with business storytelling in place. If
your team is unsure of its goals, or if its goals are constantly changing,
productivity and morale will fall.
You can also communicate your team's goals effectively with a Team
Charter to work in. After all, people will struggle to focus and excel in an
unhealthy or uncomfortable environment!
Next, make sure that your team has all of the resources it needs to do its
work effectively and meet its objectives. (Don't forget that resources also
include assets such as time, knowledge, and help from other people.)

And train and develop self-test, and find out where else you can improve.
Key Points
David Bowers and Stanley Seashore created the Four Factor Theory of
Leadership in the mid-60s.

The four dimensions are:

1. Providing support.
2. Encouraging teamwork.
3. Focusing on goals.
4. Helping people work effectively.
You can use the four factors as a solid base when building your
leadership skills. Bear in mind, however, that you'll need to learn much
more than this if you want to be an effective leader.
Annotate
Taking Responsibility in a New
Leadership Role
Taking Control of Your Accountabilities

© iStockphoto
RobertoGennaro
Learn how to bear the weight of responsibility that comes with
being a leader.

Sarah has just been appointed CEO of her

organization, and she's feeling excited but
anxious.
The realities of her new job have hit home. She is no longer simply in
charge of making plans and reaching targets. She is now responsible for
making sure that her organization is doing what it's meant to do, and for
ensuring that the people within it are doing the right things, in the right way.

That's a lot to be accountable for. So, how can she make sure that
everything is OK?

In this article, we'll look how you can be truly responsible for your
organization's work, right from the start.

Note:
We focus on new organizational leaders in this article. However, you
can also follow some of these steps if you're new to a departmental or
team leader role.

What Is Responsibility?
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines being responsible as being "liable
to be called to account."

As a leader, you're responsible for everything that happens in your

organization, and you'll quite rightly be held accountable for everything that
happens, good or bad.

You need to question the decisions and processes that hold your
organization together, and the consequences of not doing this can be
severe. It's no excuse to say that you didn't know what was going on, or
that you weren't personally involved – the buck stops with you.

New leaders are especially vulnerable to being caught out by difficult

situations. They may inherit dysfunctional structures and procedures, or
simply be too overwhelmed by the pressures of a new role to know what to
question. This is particularly true of new leaders who are promoted from
within: they may make assumptions about their organization based on their
previous roles, they may feel loyal to previous leaders' decisions, and they
may fail to see the "bigger picture" that a leader needs.

Full responsibility is an enormous challenge to take on, and it can feel

overwhelming. However, leaders who plan for this responsibility right from
the start (that is, when they accept the job) have a far greater chance of
success than those who take a more "laissez-faire
Note:
Within this article, we'll focus on moving into a new role. However,
taking responsibility is an ongoing process, and you should think about
these steps as often as you feel necessary.

How to Take Responsibility

To fulfill your obligations as a leader and to be fully responsible for your
organization's actions, you need to build an accurate understanding of the
organization, and of what's going on within it.

Follow the steps below to build and maintain this.

1. Understand and Confirm Your Organization's

Mission
Your first step is to re-examine what your organization aims to do. Of
course, it will have a mission statement and other documents that outline
its remit, and you should look at these as your first step.

However, it pays to reflect on this mission statement, and to consider how

faithfully it represents the purpose of the organization. Is it still correct? And
is it likely to motivate people to behave in the right way? If you have doubts,
then you need to clarify these, one way or another.

2. Analyze Risks
Once you understand what you're trying to achieve, you need to think
about what could go wrong. How could your organization let people down,
and what would the consequences be?

Conduct a risk analysis to identify the people whose views matter most, so
that you can find out "what makes them tick."
Do your best to forge meaningful connections with these people, early on. If
you can, call or meet them before your first day and ask for an open
conversation. What is their experience with your organization, and what
issues are they most concerned about?

In particular, talk to key internal and external clients. What problems are
they facing? What's working well? These early conversations will help you
identify problems that you may need to address quickly.

4. Understand Processes, Values, Culture, and

Management Structure
Next, conduct a thorough review of your organization. This is likely to be a
substantial project, and you may need to assign members of your team to
help you with it. Your aim is to get a full picture of how your organization's
processes, people, culture, values, and management structure help or
hinder its ability to deliver what your customers expect.

Then explore the key functions of your organization in detail. Look at roles
and responsibilities, work flows, information and budget management
processes, and ongoing projects. Look for evidence that procedures are
being followed – and that they're working.

Culture and values also play a huge part in how your organization serves
its customers. Look at how these affect processes, and at how they may
need to change to make your organization more successful.
Tip:
The McKinsey 7S Framework and staying informed about people,
events, and trends.
Also, it's likely that you'll have additional representational
responsibilities, now that you're in a leadership role – for
example, you may have event organizers clamoring for your time.
So, prioritize calmly.
And remember the idea of management by wandering around

Planning for a Crisis

Your Response to the Unexpected

In 1982, seven people died after taking Tylenol®

pain relief capsules that had been maliciously
contaminated with cyanide.
The manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson®, recalled and destroyed 31 million
capsules, at a cost of $100 million. It quickly informed consumers and
introduced new tamper-resistant packaging, and sales of Tylenol soon
returned to their pre-crisis levels.

The company's swift reaction to the crisis was widely praised, and it was
credited with reducing the number of potential deaths.

Such successful crisis management was due to Johnson & Johnson having
a robust plan in place. It's not defeatist or fatalistic to plan for a crisis; it's
realistic and wise. A 2014 survey by crisis management
consultant Steelhenge showed that, while most of the companies that
responded had a documented crisis management plan, in almost a third of
cases it was drawn up after the organization had been through a crisis.
Volume 90%
Click here .
Bear in mind, too, that the impact of a crisis can go beyond the
direct loss of money, sales or long-term customers. For example,
if the crisis means that your organization no longer meets its
regulatory requirements, you could lose your license to do
business.
As well as the crises we mention above, here are some other
business traumas that could damage your organization:

1. Technological emergencies, such as industrial accidents or

software failures.
2. Angry customers or protesters could boycott your products, or
picket or blockade your premises.
3. Malicious individuals could tamper with your products or
attempt industrial espionage.
4. Your organization may be involved in misdeeds. For example,
car giant Volkswagen admitted recently that it had cheated on
emissions testing.
5. Disgruntled people could spread maliciously false information
about your organization to damage its reputation.
6. Transport disruption could play havoc with your ability to
deliver your products to customers, or delay the arrival of your
supplies and raw materials.
Crisis communication experts Matthew Seeger, Timothy Sellnow
and Robert Ulmer suggest that all crises share three elements:
they are a threat to your business, they take you by surprise, and
they give you only a short time to react.

Planning to Manage Crises

There are many approaches to crisis and business continuity
planning. Most involve establishing a crisis team, identifying the
key risks, developing the plan for dealing with the crisis, and
planning for full recovery.

Stage 1: Establishing a Crisis Team

Your crisis team needs to be in place well before any crisis
actually happens. Its role is to come up with an effective plan for
dealing with an emergency, create training and testing schedules,
and work out how to get the resources that the plan will need if
it's ever put into practice.

Start by appointing the person who's going to be responsible for

the crisis plan. If your organization has more than one site, you
may want to appoint someone for each location and an overall
coordinator. If you're the person responsible for crisis planning,
make sure that you involve the right people in the process, and
that you communicate effectively with them. Stakeholder
management and reflects the organization's values, as it's easy to
cut corners in the midst of a crisis. In his 1997 book, Defining
Moments, Joseph L. Badaracco, a professor of business ethics at
Harvard Business School, says that it's an organization's
response to a crisis that reveals whether its actions are aligned
with its beliefs and values.

Stage 2: Identifying the Key Risks

Next, think about everyday situations that could develop into a
crisis. In addition to the potential crises we identified above, there
are other threats to consider. These could include illness or death
of key staff members; threats from obligations to, and
dependence on, customers or suppliers; and threats from political
developments, such as changes to tax laws or government
policy.

Once you have a list of threats, you can narrow them down to the
most significant, and plan for those. How likely is each potential
crisis to happen and what would its impact be? Use "What If"
Analysis , and a Risk Impact/Probability Chart gives you more
information on how to assess risk and, by extension, identify
potential crises.
Do other people in your industry have experience of real-life crises that you
could learn from? Has your own company faced crises in the past? If so,
talk to people who were involved, so you can really understand what
happened. Some organizations and agencies will have a direct interest in
your successful management of crises, such as your insurance company
and the local or national police, and so will be happy to help. Business
associations, local agencies, regulators, and government departments
often share advice, too.

Stage 3: Developing the Plan

Now it's time to consider how you will respond to each key crisis. Having a
detailed plan in place can mean the difference between acting effectively
and reacting rashly. There will be much less stress , can help with this.
 What are the criteria for determining that the crisis is over, and when it is time to move to
the recovery stage?
When you write the plan, include the criteria, procedures, equipment,
names and contact details, resources, and communications that will be
needed in the event of each crisis. Once this has been done and agreed
with senior stakeholders, make sure it's communicated to everyone
involved. Our article on Project Initiation Documents to help you to make
good decisions in high-pressure situations. And be sure to regularly review
and revise your program.
Finally, test the plan. Taking part in a full simulation is the only way that
participants will experience the pressure of a crisis, and you will discover
any shortcomings in your procedures.

Stage 4: Plan for Full Recovery

The last stage of crisis planning is to determine how to get back to
"business as usual" as quickly as possible.

As part of your recovery plan, consider finding external suppliers

Contingency Planning
Developing a Good "Plan B"

© GettyImages
fcafotodigital
Take precautions to keep your business safe.
Fires, floods, tornadoes – these are the type of
events that we often associate with contingency
planning.
But what if your main supplier suddenly goes bankrupt, your entire sales
force comes down with food poisoning, or your website is held to ransom
by hackers?

Contingency planning isn't just about major crises , covers this process in
more detail.)
Chances are, you'll end up with a long list of potential threats. It may be
unrealistic to attempt contingency planning for all of them, so you need to
prioritize.

Risk Impact/Probability Charts , explores how to plan and deliver effective

communication in difficult situations.
Also, make sure that you are aware of your legal obligations, and that
incidents are reported to the relevant authorities where necessary.

Key Responsibilities
Define who's responsible for each element of the plan, who will be in
charge at each stage, and what you expect them to accomplish.
The Responsibility Assignment Matrix are useful tools here.

Timeline
State what needs to be done within the first hour, day and week of the plan
being implemented.

This could be as simple as, "Inform employees of the situation

immediately." But you may need far more detailed timelines for certain
situations, such as data breaches or slideshow. Choose a style that suits
your needs and which captures all of the necessary information.

Developing Your Contingency Plan

When you develop your contingency plan, remember that your primary aim
is to maintain or restore critical business operations, so look closely at how
these might be affected by each scenario.
Be aware of knock-on effects. Will your organization be able to function at
full capacity when you implement your "Plan B," or will it reduce your
productivity? If so, for how long?

Involve Your People

To answer questions like these, it's useful to consult people from across
your organization.

Managers from different departments can advise you on the impact of

disruptive events on services, staff, resources, and business functions. And
"frontline" employees are often best placed to tell you about the minimum
tools and support they require to maintain essential operations.

Take the time to share your plan across your organization, so that people
can offer feedback and ask questions. Use this process to make your plan
even more robust.

And, if possible, conduct drills to assess the efficacy of your plan. This can
highlight areas for improvement, and reveal skills gaps or training needs ,
by completing any contingency plan-related tasks of your own. And, if it's
within your power to do so, set people deadlines for submitting their
contribution, or make it a performance review objective.

Keep It Simple
When you write your contingency plan, be sure to use simple, plain
language and gossip. Read our article, How to Keep Calm in a Crisis .
Key Points
Contingency plans are an essential part of risk management. They help
to ensure that you've always got a backup option when things go wrong,
or when the unexpected happens.

To develop a contingency plan, first conduct a risk assessment: identify

your business-critical operations, identify the threats to those operations,
and analyze the potential impact of each threat.

Then, include the following points for each threat:

 Scenarios.
 Triggers.
 Response overview.
 People to inform.
 Key responsibilities.
 Timeline.
To create the most robust plan, consult widely within your organization,
conduct trial runs, update the plan regularly, and store it securely.

Leadership in Hard Times

Leading – and Succeeding – in a Downturn

© iStockphoto
zennie
Your positive energy will help your team get through hard times.
"The truth is that no one factor makes a company admirable.
But if you were forced to pick the one that makes the most
difference, you'd pick leadership."– Warren Bennis, Organizational
Consultant and Author

Leadership is especially critical when

organizations have to adapt to difficult business
environments.
When times are good, leading a company or a team is exciting. Resources
are plentiful, customers are satisfied, and opportunity is everywhere.
However, when the economic conditions are challenging, this excitement
and positive energy can weaken. People feel the pressures of work, and
they fear for their jobs.

These worries and fears present a major challenge for leaders who need to
keep their teams productive and on target.
One of the keys to protecting yourself and your business in an economic
downturn is to develop a culture that builds, and sustains effective
leadership practices. After all, good leadership is good leadership,
regardless of the economic climate.

However, during difficult times, top-notch leadership skills become even

more important. Second-rate leaders might be able to keep a company
going in a strong economy. However, you need high-performing leaders if
you're going to succeed in tough times.

Of course, you need leaders who can control costs and conserve cash.
However, you also need leaders who see opportunity – and who will strive
to seize that opportunity – despite all the negativity. You need leaders who
remain committed to their people. And you need leaders who can transfer
their positive outlook to the people around them.

Create New Opportunities

In an economic downturn, you need to conserve your resources so that you
can survive. However, you also need to position yourself to benefit as
competitors falter, and to be ready when the economy recovers. An
economy in decline is often an opportunity to regroup, rethink, and renew.
To take advantage of new opportunities, consider doing the following:

 Review your strategy – Figure out which objectives you're meeting, which
ones need more emphasis, and which ones you should reconsider or
drop as the environment around you changes.
 Lead by example – Now, more than ever, you have to lead "from the
front" by setting an example. Take personal responsibility for customer
care and contact. Actively help pursue new business. Show that you're
willing to make extra effort to commit to the organization's success.
 Add value – One of the ways that leaders can gain greater market share
and improve operations is by really listening to their customers. Look for
innovative ways to add value without adding costs, and win customers
who aren't being well served by your competitors.
 Use market conditions to create a stronger business model for the future –
If you're a senior manager, consider looking for bargains, in terms of
mergers and acquisitions, which will improve your company's future
competitive position. Whatever level you're at, negotiate more favorable
rates with suppliers, which you can continue to enjoy as the economy
recovers.
 Take the opportunity to trim costs – Encourage cost-consciousness
within your team or organization. Now is a great time to do this:
 everyone knows that times are tough, and people will be more willing
than ever to cut unnecessary costs.
 Implement a continuous improvement plan – Look at your systems and
processes to find efficiency opportunities. Lead the way in building a
culture of continuous improvement for specific ideas.
 Get rid of poor performers – Poor performers use up your time and
energy. They frustrate co-workers, and damage overall productivity. Now
is the time to get rid of these people, because you simply can't afford to
keep them. Some of your other team members may be relieved not to
have to "carry" poor performers any longer. And when your staff sees
that you use budget cutbacks to benefit the team, they may be less
upset than you might expect.
 Build a motivating workplace – It's easy to focus intensely on specific
tasks and the bottom line, especially when performance expectations
have such significant consequences. However, as a leader, you can't let
that stop you finding ways to motivate your workforce. Sirota's Three-
Factor Theory (Management By Wandering Around) technique to find
out what's going well, and what needs your attention. Remember to
recognize and praise success. In tough economic times, you need your
staff to perform especially well: the more they know you care, the more
likely they are to respond to your call for action.
 Be visionary – Leaders with vision, passion, energy, enthusiasm, and
real engagement with their staff... these people are the key drivers of
economic growth. Stay focused on the big picture, and manage to the
best of your abilities.
 Take care of yourself – Respect your own feelings and emotions during
difficult times. Where appropriate, share your concerns with people you
trust, and build a network of people you can talk to. On the other hand, if
you're constantly worried, others may sense this. Get enough rest to
keep yourself fresh, and manage your emotions to keep your creativity
and self-confidence high.
Key Points
Leadership during good economic times has its challenges. But those
challenges increase when the economy is tough, and when staff are
worried about keeping their jobs and paying their bills.

In these conditions, leaders and managers must keep a sharp eye on their
environment, prepare for recovery, support their people, and project
enthusiasm and energy.

By remaining positive, supporting your people, and looking for new

business opportunities, you can help your company survive – and
succeed – through the difficult times. Leadership performance is critical
to organizational success, so use all of the assets available to you.

How to Lead in Hard Times

Infographic

Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical

Collapse
Spotting Moral Downfalls

© Veer
kwest
Watch out for signs that your organization is undergoing an ethical
collapse.
Has anyone in your organization ever made a
decision that you felt was ethically wrong?
Chances are that you answered "yes."
Organizations often start out making good, ethical decisions, but the line
separating right from wrong can be easy to cross, particularly when people
are under pressure to achieve results.

When this happens, unethical behavior and decision-making can become

widespread. This can lead to the downfall of everyone involved, or can
threaten the organization itself.

So, if you're a senior leader in your organization, how do you know if there
are ethical problems lurking within it? In this article, we'll look at Jennings'
Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse, a tool that you can use to identify ethical
weaknesses in your organization. We'll then review what you can do to
address each sign.

About the Tool

Marianne M. Jennings, a business ethics professor at Arizona State
University, published the model in her 2006 book, "The Seven Signs of
Ethical Collapse."
Her seven signs are:

1. Pressure to maintain numbers.

2. Fear and silence.
3. Young ‘uns, and a bigger-than-life CEO.
4. A weak board.
5. Conflicts (of interest).
6. Innovation like no other.
7. Goodness in some areas atoning for evil in others.
From "The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse" © 2005 by Marianne M. Jennings.
Reprinted by permission of St Martin's Press. All rights reserved.

Once you know how to recognize these signs, you can spot potential
weaknesses in your organization, and determine whether it might be at risk
of "ethical collapse." If you believe that your organization is at risk, you can
then take action to turn the culture around before some catastrophic failure
occurs.

Caution:
Organizations may show some of the seven signs for honest,
straightforward business reasons, and this doesn't necessarily mean that
they're at risk. Use these signs as a guide, and employ your best
judgment when assessing your organization.
Let's look at these signs in more detail, and discuss what you can do if you
spot them in your organization.

The Seven Signs

1. Pressure to Maintain Numbers

Every organization wants to maintain a certain performance level, but,
when it becomes obsessed with meeting quantitative goals, it may push
aside good judgment and ethics in order to achieve them.

These goals are often financial, but they can revolve around any measure
of performance. For example, a university can push its professors to
publish a certain number of papers each year, or a nonprofit organization
can pressure its staff to sign up a certain number of donors each week.

While every organization should pay attention to key metrics, healthy

organizations have checks and balances in place to prevent fraud and
manipulation.

Action
First, confirm that your team members know the organization's core
values by always trying to do the right thing, and by setting a good example
for your team.

2. Fear and Silence

A culture of fear and silence can easily mask ethical problems.

For example, if people spot discrepancies or failures, key decision-makers

may be unsympathetic towards their concerns. Other people might be
afraid to speak up about their worries, because they fear that they'll be
demoted or fired. Still others may feel helpless, and may think that they can
do nothing about the situation.

If top leaders rule with fear, it can often signal that an organization is at
ethical risk.

Action
First, create a culture where people feel comfortable communicating with
one another. Encourage feedback will help you understand the issues and
risks of speaking up, so that you know how to minimize risks for
whistleblowers.
Next, clarify what they should report. Encourage your team to report
anything that they're concerned about, from violations of the company's
core values, to ethics, or to illegal actions.

Once people speak up, it's important for them to know that you've heard
their concerns.

Where channels aren't anonymous, you should aim to respond to all

reports. If you make a change in response to an anonymous suggestion, be
open and explain what you're doing, so that people know that you're taking
action.

When a team is silent, it could mean that people are afraid of conflict.
Conflict can be healthy if it's managed appropriately, so, work on
your conflict resolution skills team members who speak up, even if it's with
a simple "thank you." Showing your gratitude will encourage others to
express themselves in the future.

3. Young ‘Uns and a Bigger-Than-Life CEO

Just because an organization has ambitious, young executives, it certainly
doesn't mean that an ethical collapse is inevitable. However, it is possible
that inexperienced managers might have trouble challenging the decisions
of a larger-than-life CEO, whether out of fear, or out of a lack of confidence
in their own analysis.

CEOs can also get away with immoral decisions because the management
team doesn't want to challenge them, or may presume that the CEO knows
more than they do about a situation. Groupthink , and make sure that no
one is compensated inappropriately.
4. A Weak Board
An organization's board can be weak for several reasons: its members
might be inexperienced, they could be distracted by infighting, they may
have conflicts of interest, or they might miss meetings or key votes
because they're not engaged.

The board's structure might also contribute to weakness. For instance, the
board might discuss major proposals over the phone or online, without
giving key members the chance to review issues thoroughly.

Weak boards can often indicate an organization's ethical collapse, simply

because they don't have the strength or cohesiveness needed to challenge
an unethical CEO or senior management team.

Action
One way to strengthen your organization's board is to keep communication
lines open, and ensure that board members can talk with employees, and
vice versa. This will prevent managers from filtering information, omitting
bad news, or exaggerating good news.

In order to create a two-way communication channel, you could set up a

hotline, or simply compile a directory of phone numbers and email
addresses, so that people can get in touch with one another.

Next, look at the perks that your board receives. Many companies that
have collapsed because of poor ethical decisions offered extravagant
packages to board members and some employees – perks that similar
organizations couldn't afford. Look at the compensation that the people in
your organization are receiving. Is it similar to that of your competition? If
not, this could be a warning sign that your organization might not be able to
afford its compensation policies.

Last, pay careful attention to who's on the board, as you need people who
are strong enough to stand up for what's ethically right.

5. Conflicts (of Interest)

Some organizations are at risk from conflicts of interest. For example, one
high-ranking executive might contract work out to a family member or
friend; directors might be voted onto the board because the CEO wants
their business; or someone in finance might inflate earnings because he,
and several of his friends, are major stockholders.
When decision-makers have conflicts of interest, they play two roles: they
lead the organization, and they look out for their own interests. It's quite
possible for these roles to conflict, and this can lead to unethical decision-
making.

Action
First, think about whether key decision-makers may have conflicts of
interest. Pay close attention to auditors, analysts, board members and
executives.

If you're in a position to do so, set up policies to deal with these conflicts.

These policies should address a wide range of conflicts, from working with
relatives to accepting workplace gifts and The Four Step Innovation
Process , and look at how much it gives to charities and other social causes.
What are the organization's motivations and guidelines for giving to social
causes?
Are there connections between your organization's executives and board
members, and the causes that they support? Also look at the decision
makers in these nonprofits; are they related, or close, to anyone in your
organization?

Also, if your organization is part of an industry that receives criticism for

being "unethical," for example, the tobacco industry, it's important to
remember that honest leaders might feel the need to compensate by doing
"good deeds."

Sometimes, organizations might do good to compensate – consciously or

subconsciously – for unethical behavior elsewhere. Philanthropy is
important, but unethical behavior needs to be dealt with at root.

Key Points
Marianne Jennings, a business ethics professor, identified seven signs of
ethical collapse in organizations, and published them in her 2006 book
on the subject.

The seven signs are:

1. Pressure to maintain numbers.

2. Fear and silence.
3. Young ‘uns and a bigger-than-life CEO.
4. A weak board.
5. Conflicts (of interest).
6. Innovation like no other.
7. Goodness in some areas atoning for evil in others.
You can use this tool as a guide to spot unethical trends in your
organization, and take appropriate action if you feel that your company
is going off course. Keep in mind that the presence of these signs
doesn't necessarily mean that an organization is in ethical trouble. This
is where you always need to use your best judgment.
Annotate

Zenger and Folkman's 10 Fatal

Leadership Flaws
Avoiding Common Mistakes in Leadership

© iStockphoto
secablue
Are you prepared to recognize your own weaknesses?

Have you ever worked for a leader who didn't

learn from his mistakes, who made key
decisions without involving his team, or who
resisted new ideas?
These are all common mistakes made by ineffective leaders. They can
demoralize and disengage a team, limit progress, and even derail an
organization.

As a leader, it's important to be aware of common leadership mistakes, so

that you can avoid them. In this article, we'll look at the 10 most common
flaws, and we'll discuss what you can do to avoid each one.
About the Tool
Leadership consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman used two studies
to identify their 10 fatal leadership flaws.

In the first study, they collected 360-Degree FeedbackTen Fatal Flaws That
Derail Leaders."
Their 10 flaws are:

1. Lacking energy and enthusiasm.

2. Settling for mediocre performance.
3. Lacking clear vision.
4. Using poor judgment.
5. Being unwilling to collaborate.
6. Not "walking the talk."
7. Resisting new ideas.
8. Not learning from mistakes.
9. Lacking interpersonal skills.
10. Failing to develop others.
Reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review. From "Ten Fatal Flaws That
Derail Leaders" by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, June 2009. Copyright © 2009
by the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all rights reserved.

Overcoming the 10 Fatal Flaws

Let's now look at each of Zenger and Folkman's 10 flaws, and discuss what
you can do to overcome each one.

1. Lacking Energy and Enthusiasm

Successful leaders are full of enthusiasm, and their energy is contagious.
They throw themselves into everything that they do, and this energetic
approach engages the people around them.
Leaders who lack energy and enthusiasm rarely support new initiatives.
This can be because they fear the additional workload, or because they
simply don't have the energy to inspire their teams to change.

To overcome this fatal flaw, identify why your energy and enthusiasm levels
are low. Possible causes include feeling burned out, lacking purpose in
your work, being overwhelmed by your role, or being physically unfit.

Take our self-test by taking some time off.

Maybe you need to find meaning and purpose , and by making an effort to
help someone every day. You can also use the 5 Whys , work
to understand what customers want to deliver this. Remember to give plenty
of feedback for your team's next project, or for your entire organization.
Ask yourself what you ultimately want to achieve. This depends on knowing
your organization's strategy – our articles on Lafley and Martin’s Five-Step
Strategy Model can help you to think this through.
Next, conduct a VMOST Analysis exists. Do you have a personal interest
in this decision? Will you, or someone that you know, receive any unearned
benefits from it?
If so, declare this openly, and suggest someone else who's better suited to
make the decision. In the long run, being transparent will strengthen
your reputation .
To make good decisions, use effective problem solving , and use
techniques such as Scenario Analysis to develop the commercial
awareness by first understanding how you can help other people, and how
they can help you. Keep the promises you make, be active and involved,
and communicate with your team. Support your people by praising their
hard work . For instance, if you ask your team to come in early to work on
a project, make sure that you arrive first. Demonstrate the behaviors and
characteristics that you want to see in others through your own actions.
Your people will soon follow your lead.

7. Resisting New Ideas

Effective leaders understand that change is an inevitable part of growth and
success, so they're willing to embrace the unknown and try new things.
They know that evolution can't happen in an organization that resists
change.

Leaders who resist new ideas limit innovation, slow growth, lower morale,
and cause their organization to stagnate. These "naysayers" typically fear
change, or they are unwilling to put in the work that goes along with making
improvements and being innovative.
To overcome this leadership flaw, encourage your team members to come
to you with new ideas. Instead of instantly judging or dismissing a
suggestion, take a few minutes to look at the possibilities. Cope with
change and Impact Analysis explains this process, and it offers strategies
that you can use to cope.

8. Not Learning From Mistakes

Most of us work hard to avoid making mistakes. However, errors can teach
us valuable lessons if we study each situation and understand where we
went wrong. This willingness and curiosity help us grow and become wiser.

Leaders who don't learn from their mistakes are destined to make the same
errors again and again. Sometimes they blame other people instead of
taking responsibility, which can damage their relationships, affect their
career opportunities and even create a blame culture in their organization.

To overcome this leadership flaw, look back at some mistakes that you've
made, either in your work or in a relationship with a friend or colleague.
What happened? What can you learn from these situations, so that you
don't make these mistakes again? Ask yourself: if you faced the same
choices now, what would you do differently? (You can do this
systematically by keeping a journal when they see that you've made a
mistake. This approach allows people to give you focused advice on what
you did, so that you see how you can improve.

9. Lacking Interpersonal Skills

Leaders who have strong interpersonal skills communicate honestly and
openly with others. They're aware of how their words and actions affect
people, and they work hard to control their emotions when they feel
stressed or upset.

Leaders who lack interpersonal skills, or "soft skills" , and work on

developing your Emotional Intelligence , building trust , and
developing personal accountability , to get specific advice on how you can
improve your team development skills.
Next, sit down with your team members individually and get to know
their developmental needs to discover where they need to improve. Make a
commitment to spend time each week helping someone in your team reach
his or her goals.
Key Points
Leadership consultants Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman used two
studies to identify 10 common flaws in poor leaders. They published
their findings in the June 2009 Harvard Business Review article, "Ten
Fatal Flaws That Derail Leaders."

These 10 flaws are as follows:

1. Lacking energy and enthusiasm.

2. Settling for mediocre performance.
3. Lacking clear vision.
4. Using poor judgment.
5. Being unwilling to collaborate.
6. Not "walking the talk."
7. Resisting new ideas.
8. Not learning from mistakes.
9. Lacking interpersonal skills.
10. Failing to develop others.
As a leader, it's important to know how to identify each of these flaws,
so that you can overcome them. If you make one of these common
mistakes, there is plenty that you can do to avoid it in the future and
become a better leader.

Dealing With Conflicts of Interest

Identifying and Avoiding Unethical Behavior

© iStockphoto
suemack
Are conflicts of interest affecting your employees' trust in you?

Konrad's boss has asked him to manage the

bidding process for an upcoming IT
infrastructure upgrade. His partner works for an
IT vendor, so he asks her to submit a bid for the
contract.
This is a clear example of a conflict of interest. After all, how can Konrad
now make an objective recommendation when it comes to choosing the
supplier?

Conflicts of interest can be as obvious as this one, but they can also be
quite subtle; and if you fail to recognize a conflict of interest, you could
easily find yourself in a situation that damages your credibility, integrity, or
reputation.

You also need to recognize the close connection between conflicts of

interest and breaches of confidentiality. Often it is the use or disclosure of
confidential information that gives rise to a conflict of interest.

In this article, we'll look at why it's so important to identify conflicts of

interest, and we'll explore what you should do when you find yourself in a
situation that involves one.

What Is a Conflict of Interest?

In this 2009 report, editors Bernard Lo and Marilyn Field defined a conflict
of interest as, "a set of circumstances that creates a risk that professional
judgment or actions regarding a primary interest will be unduly influenced
by a secondary interest."*
Put simply, conflicts of interest occur when competing loyalties affect your
judgment or objectivity, and they are particularly important when you are
making decisions on behalf of other people. These are examples of
situations where a conflict of interest has occurred:

 Guy, a medical doctor, receives a research grant from a pharmaceutical

company. He then feels obliged to prescribe drugs from that
organization, even though there are better alternatives available.
 Gillian coaches her nephew to help him get a role in the company she
works for. She talks positively to the hiring manager about his abilities
and character, without disclosing her family relationship.
 Sita's boss has asked her to select a supplier for their department. She
chooses an organization in which she has a stock holding.
 Juan awards record bonuses to himself and his executive team in the
same year that he cancels the company's dividend to shareholders.
In many cases, conflicts of interest aren't illegal, unless you work with, or
are involved with, a city, state, or federal government; you work in a
regulated profession such as law or accountancy; or you
contravene bribery laws , integrity , which is why it's important to know how
to recognize and handle these situations effectively.

How to Recognize and Declare a Conflict of

Interest
It can sometimes be difficult to identify situations where your professional
interests, obligations, or responsibilities might conflict with your personal
interests. Whenever you are involved in a business or financial decision –
and particularly when you are representing other people's interests – think
carefully about the situation.

Step 1: Evaluate the Situation

Consider these questions:

 Will you, or someone you know, receive any unearned benefits or gain
competitive advantage from this situation or relationship?
 Does your own personal interest in this situation compete or conflict with
the interests of any people or organizations you are representing?
 Could your actions or decisions go against the best interests of your
organization or client?
 Will you be taking advantage of your organization's or a client's
proprietary or confidential information for your own benefit?
 Could a gift or benefit that others – for example, your boss, clients,
colleagues, or the public – have in you?
It's also important to pay attention to your instincts in situations like these. If
you feel uncomfortable in a situation, take time to evaluate why you feel
this way. You could also ask a trusted friend, colleague, or ethics advisor
for their objective view.

Step 2: Declare Any Conflict of Interest

If you suspect that a conflict of interest exists, you need to disclose the
situation appropriately.

Before you take any further steps, check whether your organization has
policies in place for recognizing and dealing with conflicts of interest, and
follow these procedures carefully.

Depending on the situation, you may need to declare your interest publicly,
or you may need to talk with your boss, client, or customer. Explain the
situation honestly, and be clear about how your private interest might
muddle your judgment or decisions. Depending on the circumstances, you
might need to remove yourself entirely from the situation or from the
decision-making process.

In some cases, you might not need to alert others, and it might be fine
simply to avoid the situation. Use your best judgment in these cases –
often, it's safer to assume that a conflict of interest exists and to declare it
openly, rather than keeping it quiet. Being open about the situation will
build trust with others, and it'll ensure that no one suspects that you'll try to
benefit from the situation.

Step 3: Avoid Potential Conflicts of Interest in the

Future
Sometimes, the best way to handle a conflict of interest is to avoid it
entirely. Conflicts of interest can appear at almost any time in any role, but
they are more common in situations where you are involved in decisions on
behalf of someone else (such as taxpayers or shareholders), or when you
are selecting suppliers or contractors.

Keep in mind that it takes skill, awareness, and good judgment to recognize
that you have a conflict of interest. Pay particular attention in situations that
involve a friend, family member, or associate. When you learn to recognize
these situations objectively, you can identify competing priorities.
And look after your people as well – train them on how to identify and
assess potential conflicts of interest, so that they don't accidentally fall foul
of them.

Disclaimer:
This article is for general guidance only. You should consult your
company's policies and appropriate managers in relation to any specific
circumstances where you feel that there may be an actual or potential
conflict of interest.
Key Points
Conflicts of interest arise when competing loyalties or interests affect
your judgment or objectivity.

Particularly when you are making a decision on behalf of other people,

evaluate your situation carefully. Will you receive any unearned benefits
or any other compensation from this relationship, decision, or situation?
If others were to know about this, would it damage the trust that they
have in you?

If you determine that a conflict of interest does exist, disclose the

situation appropriately. In many cases, the best course of action will be
to remove yourself from the decision-making process.