the art of leading

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It’s nice to meet people who get the job done. You can rely on them for many things. But don’t count on ‘responsible’ people when you need true change. People who are merely ‘responsible’ strive to maintain the status quo.

Granted, they do it in the best way possible, and run the present state of affairs in a reasonably effective manner. But they won’t be too enthused about jumping out of that ever-comfortable box. When faced with opportunities to do so, they’ll resist change. Their maxim is Minimum Effort.

Leadership entails another layer above the responsibility level. That layer is proactivity. Yes, I know it may be an overly used word. But it involves qualities that are important for leadership and change.

Proactive people are the ones who see things based on their potential instead of their present state. When faced with a challenge, they will think about what step they could take to overcome it, instead of putting it off.

Most importantly, they won’t stop at “getting things done”. They’ll go above the threshold of minimum effort, since it’s obvious to them that change requires maximum effort and creative thinking. It requires initiative.

As a leader, make sure that you’re proactive and not just responsible. Develop the mindset that is necessary for change and improvement instead of the one that’s enough for comfort. Seek to attract people of that same mentality into your team. They’ll not only get things done, but contribute to the evolution and realization of your vision as a leader.

Categories : Proactivity, Responsibility // 2 Comments »

Brains, Guts, and the Capacity to Act

By Stephen H. Baum

author of What Made jack welch Jack Welch

What allows a leader to take the steps needed to solve a problem or master a
difficult situation? What keeps the desire to act from being impetuous and
uninformed, as in “ready, fire, aim” behavior? The answer is that the
capacity to act effectively and decisively is a complex mixture of brain and
gut, a combination I call threads in thinking. It includes these qualities:

* An ability to distill a situation to its simplest dynamics; to
understand the issues and the consequences of doing nothing; and to
formulate a specific plan.

* Being extro-spective: seeing the business in the larger context of
the industry and in the marketplace; seeing a situation from a high-altitude
view and making sense of it on the ground.

* For opportunities, an ability to see the true benefits and risks,
which are not always obvious.

* Possession of a mental library of truly relevant analogies and other
mental models that can be applied to characterize the situation in a way
helpful for making a choice.

* An ability to identify valuable sources of advice, experience, and
wisdom (inside the company and out); to elicit information and know when to
do so.

* An instinct for calibrating the value of and motive for facts and
information people are giving you, the subtext of real agendas.

* An ability to discern both financial and nonfinancial impacts and
include them in the calculus (company reputation, morale, future business
options), then weigh the risks.

* An ability to anticipate issues and define a point of view so you
don’t have to do it for the first time under crisis.

* Being able to think a couple of moves ahead, as in chess, or as
Steve Kaufman put it: “the ability to look around the corner and see what’s
coming.” This ability and most of the others can be tested and developed.

It’s a tall order, but remember that no one starts out with all of these
abilities. You develop these threads and judgment only with experience. This
is done mainly through on-the-job training. Just remember how many of the
leaders we’ve been discussing failed in school, how many were far from the
top of their class, how none were rocket scientists. Only by working through
major challenges in the first place do you develop and nurture these
abilities until they become part of you and part of your instinct.

In the Eye of the Storm

Deciding that you must act, and then acting, is not as straightforward as it
seems. Circumstances will often make your decision to take action in the
first place very challenging. Remember [Read more →]

Categories : Action, Communication, Confidence, General Leadership, Loyalty, Personal Development, Proactivity, Relationships, Responsibility // Add Comment »

Treatment that produces an emotional and psychological impact is said to have therapeutic effects. Therapists dedicate themselves to help patients reach states of positive emotions and psychological well-being. Leaders can exert those therapeutic effects through their leadership methods. I would call that therapeutic leadership.

Leadership is a social force with concrete consequences. When the level of influence of one person reaches respectable heights, whatever that person does may determine the feelings of an anonymous follower.

Leaders have the capacity to impact people in an emotional and psychological way. I don’t know if this has any scientific value, since I’m neither a psychologist nor a psychiatrist. But it seems to me that leaders may be able to exert a very specific emotional or mental impact on any one individual who happens to listen or follow them.

What’s the point, you ask? Well, I’d like for you as a leader to be accountable for what you say and do. You should be aware of the impact that you may have on your followers. I’m not implying that you should be paternalistic and that you should be everyone’s therapist.

At least be conscious of your actions. The shadow that those actions throw over your followers may be bigger than you thought. The first step toward practicing therapeutic leadership, then, is to simply be aware.

Categories : Change, Communication, Personal Development, Relationships, Responsibility // Add Comment »

It’s nice to meet people who get the job done. You can rely on them for many things. But don’t count on ‘responsible’ people when you need true change. People who are merely ‘responsible’ strive to maintain the status quo. Granted, they do it in the best way possible, and run the present state of affairs in a reasonably effective manner. But they will not be too enthused about jumping out of that ever-comfortable box. When faced with opportunities to do so, they will resist change. “Minimum effort” is their maxim. You might spot them because they’re usually the ones who say, “Change isn’t worth it, we’re O.K. as it is”.

Leadership entails another layer above the “responsibility” level. That layer is “proactivity”. Yes, I know it may be an overly used word. But it involves qualities that are important for leadership and change. Proactive people are the ones who will see things based on their potential instead of their present. When faced with a challenge, they will think about what step they might take to overcome it, instead of putting it off. Most importantly, they will not stop at “getting things done”. They will go above the threshold of minimum effort, since it’s obvious to them that change requires maximum effort and creative thinking. It requires initiative.

As a leader, make sure that you are proactive and not just a responsible guy or gal. Develop the mindset that is necessary for change and improvement instead of comfort. Also seek to attract people of that same mentality into your team. They will not only get things done, but contribute to the evolution and realization of your vision as a leader.

Categories : Change, Confidence, General Leadership, Goals, Proactivity, Relationships, Responsibility // Add Comment »