Ever wonder why some people, some leaders seem to be the “chosen ones” - the ones tapped for choice assignments and for promotions. What is it about those folks that sets them apart from others who have equal skills and experience? What makes them the stars? Is it a perfect storm metaphor of the right fit, right place and the right time for opportunities? Maybe. But I think it is more than that and is more about them having a personal vision, a path they are on that keeps them focused on a goal – on keeping the end in mind and most important on knowing themselves well.
Project Runway, the TV reality show, positions equally talented contestants against each other to win the prize of a designer contract. What separates the winners from all the rest? They can all design fashions. But the finalists seem to have had a plan that supported their desire and passion to further their career and they seem to have a confidence in themselves, knowing their strengths and what they may not be good at. The Roman philosopher Seneca said that “If a man knows not what harbor he seeks, any wind is the right wind.” Or as Lewis Carroll said: “If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.”
What is your leadership path? Have you thought about the type of leader you want to be and worked towards that picture? Or have you just let whatever happens – happen? Of course there are those success stories where someone just gets lucky. I have known many good leaders who may have surprised some with their success as they did not necessarily fit the leadership mold at the time. I understand now that they were very self -aware. They knew their strengths and where they fell short, held tight to their values, ethics and beliefs, and defined their path to reach their leadership destination. There may be ruts in the road but at least you are on the right road.
Having a strong self awareness is possibly the most valuable of leadership competencies. Self awareness is being conscious of your strengths and of those areas you need to work on or have yet to learn and admitting both publicly. The picture of the strong John Wayne type leader would never admit to mistakes or weaknesses yet it doesn’t matter because the people around them see them anyway. Admitting to both your strengths and areas of improvement builds trust in those around you through your transparency.
So can you build self awareness? My answer is yes. How do you build self awareness? The answer is by seeing yourself as others see you and being open to their feedback. Life experience helps build self awareness as well if you are again open to the learning and the feedback.
Self awareness is the cornerstone emotional intelligence competencies. I believe it is the basis for being real – authentic, credible and transparent – the behaviors of outstanding leaders. Your thoughts? As always, Let’s Keep the Conversation Going…
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Leadership Game
If you play golf you understand that the right club is needed for a specific situation – a driver for off the tee, a wedge for getting out of the trap or onto the green and a putter for sinking the ball. Each stroke requires some consideration about what is happening and what needs to be achieved. I see leadership the same way. Each situation, each contact, each decision is a sort of a quandary that requires consideration about what is the best approach, the best leadership style to use to be most effective. I know some people feel that there are only certain effective leadership styles – the participative style, the collaborative style, etc., and that styles like the directive style are too negative and unnecessary. The quagmire – can you engage and empower people as a leader and still be able to be directive and make tough decisions and not be seen as authoritative or autocratic? I think that if the ship is sinking – the leader must take control and does not have time to solicit for opinions. As our major corporations struggle or are failing – should those leaders be gathering input from everyone or taking authoritative steps to turn things around?
Guest blogger, Dr. Stu Tubbs, respected Eastern Michigan University faculty and popular leadership consultant shares his thoughts on situational leadership.
I look forward to your comments and thoughts. And as always… let’s keep the conversation going!
Sandi
The Right Leadership Approach for the Right Situation
Dr. Stu Tubbs PhD.
The leadership quagmire…mmm. I am not sure I care for the term as it sounds negative. Although it is true that leadership is a demanding and sometimes frustrating role, it can also be one of the most interesting, challenging and rewarding roles of your life.
In a recent class, I had six Saudi Arabian MBA students, all architects, all in their early thirties, all men, all Muslim. What I learned from this experience is that you can't stereotype people. Leaders must treat each person as individuals in order to effectively lead. These six men were as different from one another as any six male American students that I have ever taught. This experience is a metaphor for what I teach in a Situational Leadership program.
One of the confusing things about leadership is that we are constantly told that we must be consistent. Yes, that is true. We must have consistent policies and procedures, in other words a structure that is consistent. But, at the same time, we must work within the structure with each individual in ways that are unique to each person. A really good training ground for all of us is parenting. Each of our children is different. Over time, we learn in a natural way, how to best approach each situation with each of our children. Leadership on the job has some distinct similarities. It's not rocket science!
What we learn in the Situational Leadership program is a framework that gives us a structure for how to figure out in a simple, yet powerful way, what each person needs from us in the way of leadership. Think of it as a medical model. It requires that we first accurately diagnose the needs of the person we are trying to lead. If the diagnosis is skipped, or if it is wrong, or if we just apply the solution that worked best last time, all else is doomed to failure. I think it is important that we understand that different leadership approaches, types or styles are all valuable in the right situation. In my program a simulation is used to teach participants how to improve their diagnostic skills through practice and to correctly diagnose leadership situations to decide what needs to be done and what leadership style is appropriate. It is also a fun and energizing way to learn something that is imperative for effective leadership and to help avoid the “quagmire”.
If you play golf you understand that the right club is needed for a specific situation – a driver for off the tee, a wedge for getting out of the trap or onto the green and a putter for sinking the ball. Each stroke requires some consideration about what is happening and what needs to be achieved. I see leadership the same way. Each situation, each contact, each decision is a sort of a quandary that requires consideration about what is the best approach, the best leadership style to use to be most effective. I know some people feel that there are only certain effective leadership styles – the participative style, the collaborative style, etc., and that styles like the directive style are too negative and unnecessary. The quagmire – can you engage and empower people as a leader and still be able to be directive and make tough decisions and not be seen as authoritative or autocratic? I think that if the ship is sinking – the leader must take control and does not have time to solicit for opinions. As our major corporations struggle or are failing – should those leaders be gathering input from everyone or taking authoritative steps to turn things around?
Guest blogger, Dr. Stu Tubbs, respected Eastern Michigan University faculty and popular leadership consultant shares his thoughts on situational leadership.
I look forward to your comments and thoughts. And as always… let’s keep the conversation going!
Sandi
The Right Leadership Approach for the Right Situation
Dr. Stu Tubbs PhD.
The leadership quagmire…mmm. I am not sure I care for the term as it sounds negative. Although it is true that leadership is a demanding and sometimes frustrating role, it can also be one of the most interesting, challenging and rewarding roles of your life.
In a recent class, I had six Saudi Arabian MBA students, all architects, all in their early thirties, all men, all Muslim. What I learned from this experience is that you can't stereotype people. Leaders must treat each person as individuals in order to effectively lead. These six men were as different from one another as any six male American students that I have ever taught. This experience is a metaphor for what I teach in a Situational Leadership program.
One of the confusing things about leadership is that we are constantly told that we must be consistent. Yes, that is true. We must have consistent policies and procedures, in other words a structure that is consistent. But, at the same time, we must work within the structure with each individual in ways that are unique to each person. A really good training ground for all of us is parenting. Each of our children is different. Over time, we learn in a natural way, how to best approach each situation with each of our children. Leadership on the job has some distinct similarities. It's not rocket science!
What we learn in the Situational Leadership program is a framework that gives us a structure for how to figure out in a simple, yet powerful way, what each person needs from us in the way of leadership. Think of it as a medical model. It requires that we first accurately diagnose the needs of the person we are trying to lead. If the diagnosis is skipped, or if it is wrong, or if we just apply the solution that worked best last time, all else is doomed to failure. I think it is important that we understand that different leadership approaches, types or styles are all valuable in the right situation. In my program a simulation is used to teach participants how to improve their diagnostic skills through practice and to correctly diagnose leadership situations to decide what needs to be done and what leadership style is appropriate. It is also a fun and energizing way to learn something that is imperative for effective leadership and to help avoid the “quagmire”.
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