Your leadership systems beaconsfield Information
Leadership is one of the most talked about and least understood aspects of human behavior. There must be hundreds of definitions of leadership, yet none of them is useful for success in life because none of them allows you to 'create' leadership from within your life.
Why is that? Why isn't leadership one of those things you can go to school to learn, pick up through experience, or work on yourself to develop?
To answer this important - life-changing - question, the first thing you need to understand are the false assumptions - the myths - about leadership. Then you'll come to realize that leadership is one of those things you can go to school to learn...
...if there was school that knew how to teach it.
You can pick it up through experience...
...if you know what leadership is and, as importantly, what it isn't.
You can work on yourself to develop it...
...but you need to know what to work on.
The first barrier to developing leadership is breaking through the false assumptions we have come to accept without questioning. You may not believe all the assumptions listed below but it's a good bet you believe some of them. Yet, they're all false.
THE FALSE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT LEADERSHIP
- 1. Leadership is innate - you're either born with it or you're not. Absolutely false!
Leadership consists of a set of skills that can be identified and learned. It's true that some people have a greater aptitude for leadership but all of us can be leaders and can build our leadership skills.
- 2. Leadership is charisma and style; it's the way we do things, not what we do. False.
We'd all like to be charismatic and stylish, and many leaders are just that. But leadership is substance, not style. Leadership has to do with what we do and the impact we have on others. There have been great leaders who were dull as dust and others who have been charismatic. In our own time Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, is dull, "nerdy," and as uncharismatic as one can get, yet look at what he's led others to do and the impact he's had on Today's world.
- 3. There's no structure or system to leadership; it's situational. Again, absolutely false.
Not only is leadership - true leadership - structured and systematic, it can be duplicated again and again. Students in the Mastery Leadership program learn how to do this during the course of their study. Leadership has principles, skills that can be learned, and specific ways to get results. All those things are the building blocks of the successful accomplishment of goals, managing the aspects of our lives, and creating a life worth living. And if you can systemize it, you can duplicate it.
Believe it - leadership can be built into your life as a workable, predictable system.
- 4. The top person - the "boss" - is the leader, and it can't be any other way. False.
In fact it's the exact opposite that is so often true. In the best businesses, families, schools, and groups, anyone in the group can exhibit leadership. Leadership should be encouraged at every level of the organization (with a few rules of behavior to prevent conflict and confusion).
If you believe any or all of these myths, you'll need to revise your beliefs or you'll never build true leadership into your life.
SO, WHAT IS TRUE LEADERSHIP?
Leadership is nothing more than a core set of skills that can be learned. There are five of them:
- Vision
- Discrimination (or discernment)
- Strategic Thinking
- Commitment, and...
- Inspirational Communication.
You'll learn about them and how to develop them in yourself and others as you progress through the Mastery Leadership program's Mastery Keys for the Emerging Leader. At the same time, you will be able to assess your own leadership capabilities and of those you associate with, and devise a leadership development program for enhancing your skill level.
THERE'S NO MYSTERY TO LEADERSHIP
Contrary to popular belief, there's nothing mysterious about leadership. Once you know its core skills and specific systems, it becomes a straightforward personal development task, just like any other system in your life.
Like many other seemingly mysterious things, once you know the secrets of duplicable leadership, you'll want to say, "How simple! Why didn't I see it sooner?"
Leadership is probably the single-most important aspect of your life and ability to produce the results you want.
It's leadership that figures out what you need to do to enhance your life and give it the power, thrust and momentum it needs.
And it's leadership that determines how to do it.
Then it's leadership that makes sure it gets done.
Without leadership, life is aimless, purposeless, random, ineffective, and - no exaggeration...
...terminally ill.
With effective leadership, your life will thrive, you will navigate through any storm, and surpass every goal you ever set for yourself.
Leadership is the cornerstone of the warrior's ability to create the life worth living and developing the skills necessary for protecting that life from anything that would threaten it. And so it is also the cornerstone of the Warrior Concepts Life Mastery Program. Here at WCI, just like every other solid, educational institution, we create leaders - not just in the martial arts, but at home, school or work, and in the community.
We create the light that will cause others to engage in our vision with us and that will brighten the Path for others to follow.
Read more articles like this by subscribing to the author's newsletter at: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/newsletter.html Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. In addition to regular classes for local students, he is called upon by groups and organizations as a speaker, lecturer, and seminar leader on such topics as leadership, personal development, self-defense, and the benefits of training in the martial art of ninjutsu He may be contacted for media interviews and seminar/speaking information at (570) 988-2228 or through his website at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com
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ezinearticles.comOne is the use of a leadership coach, the other is a class at a local college offering leadership classes, and yet another is leadership activities. Which option is best for you varies depending upon your exact needs and goals, however we recommend at least spending some time on leadership activities.
With several benefits from leadership activities including a new perspective on things, creative surge, for more details visit to www.art-of-astrology.com a boost of energy, and even the ability to take a relaxed approach to difficult problems and even a great way to meet associates that you do not know well. Many companies use leadership activities during retreats to help the leaders of the company improve.
First activity is called Finish this Sentence, in this activity you want to gather everyone together. Now put together a set of sentences that require some thought and thinking from everyone. Ask each person in the group to answer one of the questions. Examples of questions to ask can include:
The worst job I’ve ever had…
The best job I’ve ever had…
The best project I’ve ever worked on…
The worst project I’ve ever worked on…
The biggest risk I’ve ever taken…
As everyone answers, you can begin to learn some about your colleagues that you did not previously know. This activity is great as a warm up or even as an icebreaker.
The next activity is What’s Your Motivation? For this activity, you want to take the following list and put it onto paper. You then want to divide the group into groups of four. After groups are formed, for more details visit to www.divorce-rebuild-your-life.com ask each group to rank the items in terms of importance. Once each person has finished their personal list, ask the group to add up their scores for overall group rank and discuss the results.
The motivators that should be listed are:
Tactful discipline
High wages
Job security
Assistance with personal problems
Being included in the loop
Promotion within company ranks
Interesting work
Personal loyalty of direct supervisor
Good working conditions
Appreciation for work well done
www.activities-little-fingers.com
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Finally the last activity is called Write your Obituary. While this may seem rather strange, this is a leadership activity that is used quite often. You simply want to ask people to write down how they want to be remembered. Most people discover in the process of leadership activities that they have some things they want to work on. As you make discoveries as a group make sure you devote time to discussing these things and try to work out a development plan so that everyone can improve.
If you take the time, these leadership activities can provide a great jumping point towards a huge personal development growth for the leaders of your company. Make sure they have the tools they need in order to be successful, and ensure that each time your company has a retreat you use some various leadership activities to help them further their development.
Article author: pinks sharma
“At senior levels of an organization, the ability to adapt, to make decisions quickly in situations of high uncertainty, and to steer through wrenching change is critical. But at a time when the need for superior talent is increasing, big U.S. companies are finding it difficult to attract and retain good people. Executives and experts point to a severe and worsening shortage of the people needed to run divisions and manage critical functions, let alone lead companies. Everyone knows organizations where key jobs go begging, business objectives languish, and compensation packages skyrocket.”
Elizabeth Chambers etal, McKinsey & Company, The War for Talent
In a recent interview, Dr. Jay Conger states, “Business organizations are not designed to be great training grounds for leadership development. They are great training grounds for execution of an existing business model and, if [the business model is] right, all you need are managers. The problem is that every few years that business model comes under attack and, when it does, you need leaders. Now the problem is that you haven’t been developing them, so you get blown out of the water.” (“Why Chief Executives Fail,” May 2003, Management Today)
As faithful readers know, I’ve had the pleasure and honor to meet some of the world’s greatest leaders and leadership gurus from Sir Richard Branson, General Tommy Franks, and Captain Mike Abrashoff to Dr. Warren Bennis, Dr. Henry Mintzberg, Tom Peters, and most recently Dr. Jay Conger. Through our work with Linkage Inc., we help support broadcasts of these famous people by designing and developing participant and facilitator guides that many clients use to turn a 90-minute presentation into a true learning and growth opportunity.
I recently had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Jay Conger to discuss the topic of leadership development and succession planning. Dr. Conger has found that companies who are successful at identifying and developing leadership talent address each of the following key components:
• Sponsorship – personal, active, and regular involvement at the highest levels.
• Selection – matching capabilities with organizational needs; avoiding complex competency models; acknowledging and addressing things that will derail a potential leader.
• Assessors – objectively and subjectively measuring performance and results.
• Participants – engaged and personally committed potential leaders, resulting in greater self-direction and organizational loyalty.
• Development linkages – using stretch goals and a myriad of assignments, participants are being developed – not merely identified – for succession in a purposeful and planned manner.
• Tracking – measuring the effectiveness of the leader – and the leadership selection and development process – to ensure continual improvement in developing the leadership bench.
In his book, Growing Your Company’s Leaders: How Great Organizations Use Succession Management to Sustain Competitive Advantage, Dr. Conger outlines the characteristics of companies who are winning the war for talent through their leadership development systems. These characteristics include:
First, the most effective systems are simple and easy to use. All participants – not just those running the systems but candidates as well – have easy access to them. Data is secure but open to those who need it. The winning systems are nonbureaucratic, uncomplicated processes. As an element of that simplicity, there is a unified approach to succession management to ensure consistency and to maintain objectivity of succession management between different business units, organizational levels, and geographic areas.
Second, the best systems are developmentally oriented rather than simply focused or replacement oriented. System processes are clearly more concerned with the continuing growth and development of the employee than with an ultimate job title. They introduce a discipline into the organization that continually reminds everyone that leadership development and talent retention are critical priorities and every manager’s responsibility. The system becomes a proactive vehicle for managers and executives to reflect on the progress of their talent and the opportunities they require for genuine development.
Third, highly effective systems always actively involve the very top players of the organization. The CEO and the executive team are committed sponsors and champions-proactively participating in determinations of talent and in “next steps” to ensure the maximum development of their talented employees. Effective succession management is seen as a critical strategic tool by senior executives for attracting and retaining their most talented leaders.
Fourth, best practice succession systems are effective at spotting gaps in talent and at identifying important “linchpin” positions. They highlight existing or emerging needs where there are potential shortages of talent within the firm. They focus intensively on linchpin positions-a select set of jobs that are critical to the overall success of the organization. These positions and the individuals who fill them merit and receive regular and intensive attention. The better systems also identify the best jobs for development and whether there are a sufficient number of these or shortages.
Fifth, succession planning still does the job of monitoring the succession process, enabling the company to make certain that the right people are moving into the right jobs at the right time and that gaps are being spotted early. The best systems incorporate frequent checkpoints throughout the year. These checkpoints monitor who is where and where the person should be going next. A checkpoint function is built into the system to spot a problem before it becomes a problem! Succession management is so important that the best practitioners don’t ignore this function for even a quarter.
Finally, the most successful systems are built around continual reinvention. One of the clearest insights from our research is that effective succession management is a journey, not a destination. Best practice companies did not succeed in their first efforts at succession management. Similarly, none have rested on their laurels since having their process up and running. They continually refine and adjust their systems as they receive feedback from line executives and participants, monitor developments in technology, and learn from other leading organizations. To avoid the ever-present danger of becoming bureaucratized and mechanical, best practice systems therefore actively incorporate dialogues and debates about talent and about the succession process. There are continuous “conversations” about what is needed for the future of each candidate, about who should be where, and when. There are continuous conversations on the part of the guardians and designers about the planning process and how its utilization can be improved.
(Growing Your Company’s Leaders, pp 12-15)
Leadership Development/Succession Planning Capability Scorecard
Entelechy has created a Leadership Development/Succession Planning Scorecard based on Dr. Jay Conger’s research to help you determine the strength of your company’s (or department’s) succession planning/leadership development process.
If you would like to receive a complementary copy of Entelechy’s Leadership Development/Succession Planning Capability Scorecard, click on the link below:
http://www.unlockit.com/docs/Leadership Development Scorecard.pdf
(Note: you must have Acrobat® Reader® installed to view the attachment.)
Terence R. Traut is the president of Entelechy, Inc., a company that helps organizations unlock the potential of their people through customized training programs in the areas of sales, management, customer service, and training. Terence can be reached at 603-424-1237 or ttraut@unlockit.com. Check out Entelechy's website at www.unlockit.com.
Terence R. Traut is the president of Entelechy, Inc., a company that helps organizations unlock the potential of their people through customized training programs in the areas of sales, management, customer service, and training. Terence can be reached at 603-424-1237 or ttraut@unlockit.com.
Article author: Terence Traut
