“The key to a leader’s impact is sincerity. Before he can inspire with emotion he must be swayed by it himself. Before he can move their tears his own must flow. To convince them he must himself believe.”
– Winston Churchill
Month: February 2009 Page 3 of 9
There are a lot of things that can cause a leader to fail. None of them are as deadly as what they do to themselves! The following is a list of saboteurs that apply equally to leaders and followers:
- fear, doubt & disbelief
- criticism (and the inner-critic)
- anger (under-expressed & over-expressed)
- invalidating behavior & communication (most of us are so used to this, we don’t even notice it)
- triggers, reactions & moods (we all know people who react to small things and are moody)
- greed & jealousy (yikes)
- black holes, denial and the emotional roller coaster (no matter how much you give, it is never enough)
Who wants to follow a leader who is afraid, doubts the task at hand is possible and disbelieves the team’s ability to get the job done? On the other hand, who wants to lead people like that? The truth is no one in their right mind would “want to.” However, the reality is that as a leader, we end up having to lead people exactly like that!
The key is to learn how to succeed as a leader regardless of the quality or state of the people we are leading.
In future posts we will discuss in more detail how to handle difficult people…
“You gotta have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, then how you gonna have your dream come true?”
– Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, “Happy Talk,” South Pacific, 1958.
There are eight primary motivations for leading:
- By default (no one else wants to lead)
- The desire to make a difference
- A belief that they are the best suited for the role
- Other’s belief that they are the best suited for the role
- The desire to control and have power over others
- Ego, status, power and prestige
- Greed
- Not wanting to follow others
You can see from this list that the best leader is a person who desires to make a difference and is the best suited for the role. Best suited for the role means they have the right combination of experience, skills, attitudes, and abilities.
What happens when a person is motivated by the desire to control, enhance their ego, status, and power, etc.?
Their decisions, actions, and thought processes will be based on their own ego and what’s in it for them and not necessarily what is right for their stakeholders.
Who wants to follow a leader who is motivated primarily by self-interest?
The best leaders know when to lead and when to follow.
If the leader is motivated by not wanting to follow, then they will insist on leading – even when they are clearly not the best suited for the situation. The end result is an outcome that is less than what would be possible with the right person leading.
Next time you are choosing a leader, consider these eight motivations and don’t listen to what they say. Consider their past actions as good indicators of future actions.
Many of today’s leaders are operating from an old leadership model that could be described as “leadership through domination.” This style stifles creativity and inhibits innovation.
It is impossible to think of new ideas that defy old ways of doing things if we are afraid of making mistakes and are constantly worried about the real or perceived threat from a leader whose style is based on autocracy, coercion and punishment.
Creative and innovative people require creative and innovative workplaces that are fluid, flexible, fun, nurturing, supportive and enjoyable. No longer is economic success dependent on natural resources, manufacturing excellence, and scientific or technological prowess. Today, the terms of success revolve around an organization’s ability to mobilize, attract and retain creative human talent. Every competitive dimension depends on creativity and ingenuity of the people that make up the organization.
Leading a team of creative talent is very different from leading a factory line of workers who do similar tasks repetitively. It simply does not work to command creativity! Can you imagine Mozart or Picasso being told to produce or else, “You are out!” Leadership in the creative economy requires vastly different skills.
Today’s new model of leadership involves partnership, cooperation and team.
One of the biggest blocks to most people stepping into personal leadership and responsibility is that they are so afraid of making mistakes that they won’t take the risk of being responsible and accountable at the same time. Most people inaccurately see responsibility as another way of laying “blame” – or finding who is “at fault” when things go wrong. Combine this with the fear of losing face, and you have people who won’t speak up – even though they know the solution!
Encouraging people to speak up requires building trust and safety. Before people will take the risk of speaking up, they need to know that they won’t be punished for expressing themselves and stating their opinions.
Statistics show that at least 50% of men and 33% of woman cheat at least once. Jealousy is the leading cause of battery and violence in relationships…
Depression is one of the most common challenges facing individuals and businesses today. More than the blues, the overall feeling of doom can trigger some people to act irrationally. Recent studies indicate that low levels of serotonin (a brain chemical) can in part lead to an overall insensitivity to future consequences, setting off impulsive and aggressive behaviors…
Recent studies have indicated that as many as a third of heart disease patients are depressed. Upon visiting their primary care doctor or cardiologist, they receive treatment for their heart disease, however the depression often remains untreated. In fact, many doctors are beginning to suspect the drugs used to treat high blood pressure may worsen depression and trigger mood swings in patients.
Honesty is the best policy: platitude or truism? How many times are we faced with the decision to be honest or to tell a “little white lie?” No one else may know or find out; however, you know and how do you feel about yourself?
There are many ways to tell the truth without the discomfort that most people avoid. It just takes a little effort to escape the black/white way of thinking.