So sticking with the goals problem and bearing in mind what I have said, what are the main reasons we fail in our mission and what are the common mistakes we have to watch out for in the goal aspect of our plan?

Problem one: Often we do not spend enough time working on our most focusing on audacious or difficult goal.  Why – easy more comfortable goals can seem more attractive as we get some form of payback in a much shorter timeframe with much less effort.

Problem two: No form of the “SMART” principle is used. SMART stands for “Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time-bound” If this formulae is not applied to both the activities supporting the attainment of the goal and the goal itself the plan will be nothing more than some wishful thinking or useless navel gazing.

Problem three: Not correctly defining our compelling reasons the goal and not gaining agreement of the implementers of the action plan that the goal is worthwhile for all stakeholders. The goal must clearly be understood and valued in terms of the accepted vision and mission. It is critical that the goal setter clearly defines the benefits so it inspires those take the actions to stay committed to their tasks. Of course not clearly defining the downside and consequence of not achieving the coal can be part of the problem. We must explain both sides of the coin.

Please come back for part two of  “Goal Setting is Just the Start of the Real Work”

From this incident I developed a number of ‘LESSONS’ that I posted on Google+

Lesson 1: Respect regardless of position cannot be demanded it must be earned!

Lesson 2: Transparency of the process, particularly during times of change, is paramount.

Lesson 3: If you are in command of an aircraft carrier don’t try to turn as if it were a fighter jet.

Lesson 4: Ensure that ALL key players required for the change are fully engaged in the process.

Lesson 5: Change will always create a level of animosity and fear due to a natural tendency in all of us to wonder… whats it going to mean to me.

A number of people commented and here is an edited selection.

JS – You have to adapt to the rhythm of the team first [ before implanting any changes] and then change their pace from within.

RB – Good point, JS I think it’s necessary to start making changes where you can in such a situation, meetings, small procedures and get people used to being a little surprised.

BB – Better to slow and involve everyone who matters along the way.

TSH – The core rules with any type of change management: understanding the current environment, listening to the cultural noise and getting the requisite feedback before making any decisions. The masses really do have the final word.

BY – What was his level of commitment, really, if he wasn’t willing to stick it out for more than three weeks (confrontation comes with the territory)? Did he present his concepts in a manner for phase by phase changes or, was it an aggressive strategy?

ZK – It’s best to bring change by taking everyone on board. Show them how the new processes would make their jobs easier and transparent.

My interest in the topic increased and during further research I found a great resource in an article by Andrew O’Keeffe of “The Boss” and “Hardwired Humans” fame.

The article:

“PEOPLE ARE OPEN TO CHANGE, AS LONG AS IT IS APPROACHED IN THE RIGHT WAY. UNDERSTANDING INSTINCTS IS A USEFUL STARTING POINT”

Some of the points he makes regarding change are:

“Organisational life is harder than it needs to be. We make it harder because, mostly, our leadership practices are contrary to human instincts. Change is a good example. There is a saying that people resist change. While this might be conventional wisdom, it just isn’t true. If people were hardwired to resist change, we’d still be living in caves.”

“People are fine with change, provided it meets one criterion: that it does not involve loss. Humans are hardwired for loss aversion. This is one of nine instincts we have.”

His article goes on to list the nine hardwired characteristic we have and here is a summary:

1. LOSS AVERSION
Humans are significantly more motivated by the avoidance of loss than the opportunity to gain.

2. EMOTION BEFORE REASON
This filtering for loss is performed instantly, emotionally and often subconsciously. This is because we screen information first based on emotion (how it makes me feel) and only later (sometimes delayed by only a millisecond) on logic.

3. FIRST IMPRESSIONS TO CLASSIFY
People make instant judgments about people and situations as a way to quickly classify their experiences. People readily classify information into categories such as “good or bad”, “harmful not harmful”, “like me or not like me” and “loss or gain”.

4. GOSSIP
If a leader leaves the first impression to chance, then you are probably leaving the communication to the grapevine. People are hardwired to gossip.

5. CONFIDENCE BEFORE REALISM
Humans are hardwired to deny reality – to emphasise what is possible and to underestimate what is practical. This is the instinct that causes business leaders to plan optimistically and disregard implementation.

6. EMPATHY AND MIND READING
Humans are mind readers. We detect how others are thinking and feeling by what’s written on their face. The implication for leaders managing change is that staff will most likely accurately read your intentions.

7. CONTEST AND DISPLAY
Humans spend time, money and energy making ourselves look good. In times of change, we can fall into a primitive trap. The trap is that your actions might be, at an unconscious level, about looking good.

8. COMMUNITY
Humans are social animals. We are hardwired to connect strongest to our family-sized group of around seven people in our “village” of up to one hundred and fifty people.

9. HIERARCHY AND STATUS
Human groups function through hierarchy. When hierarchy and power are unclear, groups become dysfunctional.

If you would like to download a pdf of the full article it can be found at “hardwiredhumans” dot com in the articles-and-media section.

With the amount and pace of change that the world and of course organizations are being forced to deal with at the moment if you are serious about thriving (rather than just surviving) into the future, much of your attention as a leader will need to be focused on the issue of change and how to implement it.

Julian talks at (TED) about:

The importance to listening of patterns, differences, filters & intention.

How we are becoming desensitized and losing our ability to listen and the scary consequences of that fact.

5 listening practice methods

3 minutes of silence
Utilizing the mixer
Mundane sounds and the hidden choir
Listening Positions
A handy synonym – RASA

Listening has become such an important issue in our work and our personal lives that it is becoming an imperative for us to do some formal training on the subject. If you are having difficulty with a that this talk and other resources that can be found on the web may at least add some value and expertise.

Here they are:

“Excellence is an attitude.”

“No title or position in the world makes you right 100% of the time.”

“Success requires action. Where there is no action, there will be no success.”

“Some people see problems with every solution but successful people see solutions for every problem.”

“Authentic leaders apply the rules equally to everyone.”

“When you lose your credibility you lose your opportunity to lead along with it.”

“Long-term success requires continuous continuous improvement.”

“Life your life in such a way as to make certain ‘what if’ will never apply to you.”

“We don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.” (unknown)

“Your greatest power is your power to give.”

” Nothing will improve a person’s hearing more than sincere praise.”

“Authentic leaders are proud but not arrogant.”

“Always treat yourself with the utmost respect – if you don’t, why should anyone else.”

“If you’re not willing to fight for your core values then they probably aren’t really core values after all.”

“It takes much more than winning every time to be a true success.”

“Authentic leaders give as much or even more than they get.”

“Do something. It may be wrong, but I’d rather be wrong doing something than be wrong doing nothing.”

“Good leaders follow the rules. Great leaders change them.”

“It’s not what you are that holds you back, it’s what you think you are not.” Denis Waitley

“Much of our success will be determined by what we STOP doing in the next 12 months.”

“Successful people learn from their own mistakes, the most successful people learn from the mistakes of others.”

“A leader who develops others, adds; a leader who develops leaders, multiplies.”

“You’re making history today & it’s your own so be sure to make it a history you’ll be proud of.”

With business crying out for better managers and leaders perhaps these quotes from Steve will inspire you to become one of those sought after individuals.

Steve Keating tweets at @LeadToday and this blog post was not done without his prior knowledge and is not a pre-arranged plug for him. I jut like the stuff he tweets and thought you may find some value in this small list of his recent musings on leadership and success.

I also tweet and my Twitter handles are: rictownsend with selected tweets on career success at orglearn and on resumes at resume_form.

Although this is a relatively new state for some I can remember some time back while training some Indian colleagues commenting that they were, to put it kindly, “very verbose and that they would do anything to keep talking”. They smiled and said Richard… “here in our country there are many people and limited opportunities, we learn at a young age to stand up and have our say due to a need for us to compete to be noticed”. One participant even suggested, “if you don’t get noticed here, you just fall of the edge”.

So why is a skill in public speaking, as opposed to effectiveness in one on one conversations so important. Firstly learning to speak in public will force you to come to terms with the need to clearly and succinctly articulate a point of view. As you learn to speak in public you will be trained to build your ‘argument’ in a logical fashion and present your points so that one point builds on another. This training in thinking and speaking in a structured and logical manner is a great life skill to develop. If you persist and become proficient enough in your topic to allow for questions you will additionally improve your ability to “think on your feet”, obviously another essential skill for a fast moving environment. All these public speaking experiences of course should, in the normal course of events, enable you to increase your self-confidence, a major key to all success.

A few additional payoffs from learning to speak in public

If you speak regularly (and well) it will make you more comfortable when dealing with strangers, rather than just those that are close to you and particularly in taking the lead in what could be a relatively hostile environment.

Being comfortable and confident when speaking in public improves your employability, as it is a skill sought after in all managers by pretty much all organizations.

This skill will lead to you being better able to persuade people, as you practice and get feedback, which will allow you to improve your chances to appeal to them as human beings that have emotions, desires and thoughts that are often similar to your own. As another writer (source unknown) put it, “this is the difference between distinguishing between a simple [view of an audience as] bosses, employees or clients and transforming them in your mind into people with real problems, hopes, fears, dreams and desires”.

If you have ambitions to be a leader obviously you not only have to come up “big ideas” and a sound vision of the future you will need to express those ideas and your vision with passion and conviction to large groups of people from whom you will need to gain support and co-operation. Becoming a proficient public speaker will be essential if you are to reach a sizeable following.

So the conclusion must be that becoming an effective public speaker is a key life skill and will likely be the difference between success and failure in your life at home, at work and in the community in which you live.

Delegation Rule 2 Trust them first, train & test for competence before you delegate,

Delegation Rule 3 Clearly define the tasks that must be done and limits of authority attached.

Delegation Rule 4 Explain what’s in it for the one you are delegating to.

Delegation Rule 5 Inform the team of your reasons for delegating the task to a particular person.

Delegation Rule 6 Answer all questions from the nominee and others in the team.

Delegation Rule 7 Define clearly the importance of the task in terms of desired outcomes.

Delegation Rule 8 Mentor the person you have delegated to particularly in the early stages.

Delegation Rule 9 Maintain your responsibility for the task while handing over authority to act to the person delegated to.

Delegation Rule 10 Ensure the resources needed to the task are supplied to the individual undertaking the task.

Delegation Rule 11 Explain how the delegated task fits into the overall work flow, give the big picture.

Delegation Rule 12 Ensure that the person you delegate to is prepared to take ownership of the task.

Delegation Rule 13 Clearly explain the reason for the task and why it must be done.

Delegation Rule 14 Explain what measurements will be used to define successful completion of the task.

Delegation Rule 15 Get agreement on timeline and deadlines and include timing for status reports.

Delegation Rule 16 Don’t constantly ask for update or hound the person you have delegated to.

Delegation Rule 17 Confirm understanding by getting the person you have delegated to, to explain in their own words what you want them to do.

Delegating Rule 18 Ensure support is agreed from other team members and recipients of the work and other stakeholders.

Delegation Rule 19 Insist that all feedback on success or otherwise of the delegation comes to you directly.

Delegation Rule 20 If the delegation fails be sure you accept the responsibility and if it succeeds share the glory.

I found this five stage model some time ago however cannot find the original reference. If you read this article and know where the model comes from I would greatly appreciate a comment on this post. It is not my intention to go into a long drawn-out thesis on this topic rather to add a quick guide to the steps required to implement an empowerment program and some discussion of the pitfalls.

The Model

motivation
motivation, support
motivation, support, authority
motivation, support, authority, responsibility
motivation, support, authority, responsibility, competence

Motivation

I have said in many articles and blog posts that it is impossible for one person to motivate another as all people are motivated and depending on what is required by their leader they will constantly move either towards or away from a proposed courses of action. Motivation comes from within and is related to tension created by the need to satisfy a craving for an imagined future state or outcome that is seen as desirable to the motivated individual. What most refer to as motivating others is more correctly “inspiring others”. So what does this mean for empowerment programs? If the staff you want to empower can see no personal benefit in being empowered no empowerment can occur. I once saw a hotel chain try to implement an empowerment program in a resort located on a small island in Asia and it failed as the staff were not motivated to be empowered. Their cultural heritage  was one of “the chief tells me what and how to do things and I just follow the orders and all responsibility for the outcome is the boss’s”.

The first step in any empowerment process therefore needs to be to ask the workforce if they want to have more authority and responsibility regarding their work. This inquiry must be closely linked to what the likely effect will be on both the organization’s goals, mission and vision and on the perception of the staff as to the increased chances of success or failure of that individual in his or her role. At this point in the process it would perhaps be a good time to consider a range of motivational theories and if working across cultures of course Geert Hofstede’s cultural influence model. (see previous posts and orglearn site) Theories and models can’t give definitive answers as each individual is different however they can give a framework to start to explore the possible motivation issues that may arise.

Support

Assuming the motivation issue has been correctly addressed the next question becomes how much support does the empowering individual need to give. I think the best way to look at this issue is to use the Blanchard and Herschey Situational Leadership model where the leaders style changes with the relevant competences of the follower. For example if you are empowering someone to say, make decisions on an entire process, they are likely to have varying degrees of competence (skills and knowledge when applied to a particular problem) regarding various parts of the process. Obviously if the individual being empowered understands the technical aspects of the process little or no support in that area will be needed. If however an individual has little experience in say, the computer skills, associated paperwork, human relationship area or management requirements then you have a two pronged problem. If you give to this individual ‘too much’ technical support you will cause frustration and obviously too little support in the other relevant areas will also cause difficulty and the empowerment program to fail.

Authority

The process of handing authority over is where many attempts to empower have most difficulty. Even with simple delegation most managers are willing to share responsibility however they are reluctant to hand over their ‘legitimate’ authority. With authority comes power and all that goes with it. Regardless of what many will say those that are in a position to empower others are usually very protective of their own power base. When delegating authority we must work to each person’s strengths and avoid conflicts of interest. I will talk about the “strengths” issue further in competence. Regarding the conflicts of interest, suffice to say anyone who puts as an example a sales manager, who is paid commission, in charge of product costing is heading for disaster. I personally saw this “conflict of interests” situation destroy a small company that had operated successfully for eight years that was then destroyed in six months. Not only was the costing sloppy and inaccurate the sales manager didn’t care too much about the profit on each sale as it was easier for him to sell if he could cut the price. Short term thinking perhaps on the sales managers part however when the situation became difficult he just moved on to the next company. A similar conflict situation it appears has arisen in the worldwide banking and investment industry over more recent times.

There is also the question of how much authority to grant. A good basis to make this decision is that you should ensure that  enough authority is given to allow relevant persons to:

Get the work done in a timely and efficient manner
Allow the authorized employees to take initiative if improvements in effectiveness can be achieved and
To keep things operating at least in a normal manner particularly in your absence from the work unit

Responsibility

Remembering that empowerment is not to be confused with regular delegation it is important that those being empowered understand and accept that if they agree to being empowered they also accept responsibility for outcomes. This again is where I believe many empowerment programs fail. Staff will often seek authority however many are unwilling to take on the consequences of their decisions. Empowerment seems to me often to be seen by staff as the right to do things as they see fit, however if it all goes belly up then the stance is, it must be the company’s fault or the bosses fault or someone else’s fault. Typical responses to personal failures can be; the guidelines weren’t correct or another department didn’t do it right or a colleague let them down. If staff are to be empowered they have to understand that they have to make sure that the guidelines suit the tasks they are assigned, that they have to manage inter-department co-operation /operations and that they must through effective teamwork and communication enlist the support of their co-workers.

Competence

I have written a lot about competence over the years and have lead a competence modeling team for a major organization. If you would like to read some of the articles you will find them in past blogs and on the main website.

The technical issues of competence modeling and competence development aside, this final step in the empowerment process is often overlooked. To my way of thinking a mismatch between competence levels and level of empowerment to be granted is a road to disaster. Before you can empower anyone you must closely look at the desired outcomes for the empowerment program you are implementing, analyze the skills and knowledge required and then asses the level of those skills and knowledge in the individuals you are to place your trust in. Detailed instruction and training must then be undertaken to overcome any shortfalls in competence levels before any empowerment can be implemented. The definition I use for competence is “knowledge and skill applied to a particular problem”. It is always a mistake to assume that a person is fully competent. For example if you wanted to empower staff to approve payment terms/loans for your customers you may find that a staff member has a great understanding for wholesalers however little competence in approving terms for small retailers. You would therefore need to give different levels of authority for each market segment. It would also be wise to set up a cross checking system with perhaps another staff member also having to sign off on the retail accounts.

Conclusion: The benefits of empowering staff are well documented and highly desirable. The implementation of empowerment programs however is often fraught with pain and frustration so hopefully the few words above will at least give some readers a skeleton to work with.

Ingrained “meeting rituals” have existed in every organization I have ever worked for. Many meetings through habit or even plain bad practice become nothing more than “disguised working” or even ritualized “social events”.

Often, if we think clearly about it, desired work outcomes from both a time and effort perspective can be achieved through a simple face to face discussion between two individuals, a telephone call or even an email exchange. One good meeting value test is to think about how long has it been since anyone asked “why do we have this meeting”. Because of the obvious politics of organizations this querying regarding value should be instigated by the individual who calls the meeting. To maintain the value of meetings it is wise to periodically go through your meeting schedule and review their effectiveness or whether they are really necessary at all. One indicator that a regularly scheduled meeting has lost its value is that decision makers are no longer attending attending and or if substitutes are regularly sitting in. If this type of behavior is occurring we need to seriously question the validity of the meeting.

Second major meeting issue – is the meeting adding value or just sucking energy?

Before we do anything else we must set a concrete objective for the meeting. If the objective is valid we must review our meetings by asking… is there an agenda and are minutes distributed? Do we make decisions and has anything happen as a result of the last meeting? If there is a negative response to any of these issues the likelihood is that our meetings are merely ineffective energy suckers.

Point: Without an agenda a meeting is nothing more than a “talk-fest”. When the agenda is prepared it must to include a description of the meeting objectives, a list of the topics to be covered, notification as to who will address each topic and strict timing set for each discussion or presentation. It almost goes without saying that the agenda must be strictly followed during the meeting. Make sure as part of the agenda there is time allocated to assess what took place in the meeting and a plan to improve the next meeting.

Third major meeting issue – conducting the meeting.

Quick checklist: Be sure that all input required is actually delivered and do not finish any discussion without deciding how to act on decisions made. Ensure that minutes are kept and are accurate. Ensure your meeting has a timekeeper to keep things flowing and a gatekeeper to deter intruders. If the meeting decides on actions to be taken make sure that there is an agreed measurement of success for each action and a deadline set for completion.

Other meeting issues – danger signs, ask these questions

Is one person often late? One latecomer that keeps six other highly paid executives waiting ten minutes loses one hour of productive and expensive time. Insist on punctuality, start and end on time.

Are arguments usually won by the loudest and most persistent participant rather than the individual with the most logical points to offer?

Are decisions are usually taken based on the perceived status or power, or on suggestions made by the highest ranking position in the room?

Are meetings are often highjacked by those with a secret or personal agenda? This practice must be squashed as soon as it appears.

Is it common for individuals to answer mobile phones or send text messages during meetings?

Has the meeting become a forum for show-offs and corporate politicians?

If any of the above is occurring best remember  Douglas McGregor’s ‘rules’ for effective meetings

Effective Meetings only occur if they have…no tension, no boredom, everyone counts and contributes, no undue deference nor domination by the leader, understanding the goal with commitment by all, relevance is maintained, disagreements are aired without ill feeling, criticism is constructive and freely given, consensus is sought, feelings are expressed as well as ideas and clear assignments are made.

Some more basic ground rules for effective meetings

Ground rules should establish:

An insistence that all participate in a business like manner and be willing to offer opinions or suggestions.

What issues to focus on and that “red-herrings” and or wandering off into side issues will not be tolerated.

That momentum must be maintained and that getting bogged down in issues that can be decided on, or reseached outside the meeting, are not allowed to soak up valuable time.

Decisions must be taken and topics closed when neccessary.

Confidentiality of topics being decided must be respected and meeting activities should not be discussed outside the meeting with others not involved in the process.

At the end of a meeting always review actions and assignments and set the time for the next meeting.

Not a full list however if you can overcome the common shortcoming mentioned and implement the practices suggested you will have meetings of far greater value. Lets face it, most managers will tell you that many of the meetings they attend are just a waste of time.

Wasting your career in useless meetings? Time to meet a new challenge? This resume example may help you to meet a better future.

If you are controlling your work group, rarely leave your department, constantly micro manage all processes to check what the staff are up to, constantly defining what a ‘good’ job looks like, stipulating standards, insisting on a rigorous regime of task methodology or requirements and allocating authority based on tiles and seniority then you are managing.

If however you are freely encouraging a culture of finding ways to develop and implement new ideas, fostering creativity and initiative by letting ‘followers’ participate in a flexible situation where authority is shared and allowing some percentage mistakes for the sake of overall improvement then you are leading.

If you are overseeing the survival of your organization by merely dealing with short-term operational needs and processes whilst strictly controlling costs and watching a budget set by others you are managing.

If you are on the other hand constantly looking for growth through identifying new and possibly risky ventures that could be the basis for future income or if not turning out as you would wish possibly losses you are leading.

Management is about… instructing, allocating, delegating, following up, organizing, overseeing activities, processes & individual tasks, control & supervision and directing whereas leadership is about… inspiring, helping, encouraging teamwork, coaching, supporting,  aligning with your workforce, planning, seeking process improvement, implementing change, agreeing goals and empowering followers.

The concepts of leading versus managing are really quite different however in most organizations managers are expected to play both roles at once. This challenge of almost needing a dual personality is one, that if you wish to gain greater authority in your organization, you will need to deal with for your entire career.

Now if you cannot see the chance for advancement in your current organization that your desire perhaps its time to move on to another. Here is a resume example that may assist in your quest to find a challenging role as a leader manager. resume example

Remember by taking on a management role you will need to accept that with authority comes responsibility. The responsibly you will need to live with is not just to see that the organization’s rules and procedures are followed, you must be able to take responsibility for outcomes, both now and in the future. Bearing responsibility of course is where the real money can be earnt.

Some pertinent quotes from article one:

“We are really focusing on leadership attributes and finding the people with these qualities [talent] and then training them [in the technical aspects of our operation] as required. We look for people who connect well with others and are able to build relationships and effectively communicate.”

“People who are involved in their communities often have the opportunity to demonstrate leadership skills.”

‘We need people who have strong interpersonal skills and who work well in a team environment, because we want people who can build trusting relationships which are critical to gain customer loyalty, [hence] strong interpersonal skills are an absolute must.’

The article goes on to state a 2005 study for Leadership IQ found that it’s not a lack of technical skills, rather poor interpersonal skills that are the primary reason some new hires fail in all industries. It found that about one-quarter fail because they can’t accept feedback, about one-quarter fail because they’re unable to manage and understand emotions and about one in five fail because they lack the necessary motivation to excel.

The edited quotes above come from Maureen Galway, vice-president of human resources at ATB Financial. The article is: Financial sector focused on leadership skills by Shannon Sutherland, The Calgary Herald and it can be found : http://bit.ly/feJGSi

Another article from Australia states:  “The Australian finance and accounting skills shortage isn’t going away and actually appears to be worsening” and they aren’t talking about technical skills.

Quote… “As well as overseeing and delegating work, managers have a significant effect on job satisfaction and employee morale. Robert Half’s survey of 345 Australian finance, accounting and human resources professionals found that 52 per cent of employees would leave if they had a conflict with their manager, and 42 per cent would leave if they thought another company had a better management structure.

The survey survey found that “many employees feel their managers’ skills are not up to scratch, with 40 per cent describing the management skills of the person they report to as average or below” and that “a perception gap between how managers rate their own skills and how their employees rate them, with most employees disagreeing with the results of their manager’s self-evaluation”. It goes on  to discuss various attributes mangers think they display and how that employees disagree with the mangers self perception:

38 per cent of managers say they consistently lead by example, only 20 per cent of employees agree.

41 per cent of managers believe they consistently show interest in staff’s problems, only 23 per cent of employees agree

33 per cent of managers believe they set realistic goals, only 17 per cent of employees agree

22 per cent of managers think they inspire their team, however 82 per cent of employees think otherwise

‘To become a better leader, managers should think of the traits they want to see in their employees and demonstrate such traits themselves’. “Managers should also work to build strong, personal relationships with their staff”. Successful managers need to engage in “open communication [as it is an] “imperative to boost staff morale” and can I suggest to know what is really going on in their area of responsibility.

“Good managers are those who involve employees in the goal-setting process and discuss whether the goals are realistic and achievable.”

‘Good managers are those that encourage their employees to provide ideas and offer input. Managers should also take the time to learn what employees’ interests and skills are, and how they can best be used in the company. They should also take the time to recognise an employee’s contribution to the team.

‘Strong and effective management skills are therefore key to employee satisfaction and retention, as well as the continued success of an organisation.’

Quotes from Andrew Brushfield is director of Robert Half International at http://bit.ly/fTfWPK

Article three is titled – On Leadership, Teams, Success & Happiness

The telling quote for me in this article is: “I want somebody who can inspire you to produce great products but not know your trade better than you do.  I’m looking for somebody who can sell, but not better than our head of sales.  I’m looking for somebody who is good at planning but doesn’t try to do the work of the VP Finance. I want somebody that sets a stretch plan we can achieve, gets consensus amongst the team to shoot for certain goals and the path to achieve success.  I want somebody that can deal with partners, interest future investors and keep everybody calm in moments of set-backs.  If they’re from the industry – that’s a nice to have. But I want to be sure they’re not stuck with legacy thinking.”

Read more: http://read.bi/e6jxjh

The final article is: Edge Of Now, Leadership In The New Paradigm (see ref. below)

Here are some starting principles that leaders need to adopt now:

1. ‘Deeper recognition leaders in thought, word and deed of the changed nature of authority in all its forms’

2. “More humility and caution” when dealing with their constituents or for that matter staff

3. “More focus on the real and underlying engines of prosperity and social harmony and on the conditions” that exist in the current reality

4. “Wholesale revision of views about the processes of economic (read business) and social development (read corporate culture)”

5. ‘Less faith in [inflexible, slow to adapt] big is good culture and more understanding of the need for smaller more flexible and innovative’ organizations and structures

6. “Above all, stronger moral leadership” is being sought by all levels of business and society. The authors conclusion is that: Leaders in the new paradigm will be expected to illuminate, to see a little further beyond the edge of now, to have confidence in their own assessments and to be bold enough to respect the virtues, qualities, truths and values which it is their duty to maintain.

Can I add that they need to develop a more spherical view of reality rather than just sticking to their own narrow ‘truths’ based on past traditions is a must.

Reference & Read more at: http://read.bi/i31bmP

Although the topic of leadership is long and complicated I believe these four articles give some sound insights into what is required for modern business leadership. In fact these principles and stated personal or individual characteristics are just as valid for national or international leadership. For young people looking to establish themselves in a management leadership role much can be cleaned from reading these articles in there entirety.

No chance to lead where you currently work, here’s a resume example that may come in handy if you a looking to move on.