The Leadership Challenge

Transcription

1 The Leadership Challenge Change is the province of leaders. It s the work of leaders to inspire people to do things differently, to struggle against uncertain odds, & to persevere toward a misty image of a better future. When leaders do their best, they: o Model the Way o Inspire a Shared Vision o Challenge the Process o Enable Others to Act o Encourage the Heart Leadership is in everyone s grasp; it can be taught. o 1 st place to look is within yourself o Is an affair of the heart o Everyone, regardless of title, should be encouraged to act like a leader Credibility is the foundation of the relationship between leaders & their constituents. The best leaders are simply the best learners, & life is their laboratory. Workplace engagement & commitment explained by how a leader behaves Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead & those who choose to follow. Top characteristics of admired leaders 1) Honest 2) Forward-looking 3) Competent 4) Inspiring Constituents want to be confident that leaders know where they are going.

2 Clarify Values Set the Example Model the Way Clarify Values Find your voice Explore your inner territory Look inward to clarify personal values Discover your personal values & beliefs; what defines you & makes you you. Clarified values guide us in difficult & uncertain times & provide signposts to help us gauge where we are Clearly know who you are & what your core values are Let your values guide you Values vs. vision: Leadership requires both. Values- refer to here-&-now. Serve as guides to action. o Influence every aspect of your life: moral judgments, responses to others, commitments to personal & organizational goals. o Highest levels of commitment found where personal values are the clearest Vision- refers to long term ends that leaders & constituents aspire to attain. Say it in your own words Once you know what your values are, express your voice in ways that are uniquely your own, so people know you & your expectations Find commitment through clarifying values Personal values make a significant difference in behavior at work. Establishes baseline for future performance Measuring block on which to base accountability

3 Affirm shared values Shared Values are an organization s promises Understand values of others & build alignment around values everyone shares Uncover, reinforce & hold one another accountable to what we share Give people reasons to care Recognition of shared values provides team with a common language, generating tremendous energy when in synch Helps everyone know what is expected Forge unity, don t force it A common understanding of values, emerges from a process, not a pronouncement Constituents must engage in dialogue about values Leadership is a dialogue; not a monologue What leaders say must be consistent with the aspirations of constituents Congruence between individual values & organizational values create stronger organizations Set the Example Live the Shared Values Spend your time & attention wisely Consistency between words & actions builds credibility What you do speaks louder than what you say Ask others to do only what you are willing to do yourself Watch your language Words are powerful; whether + or Language builds the frame around people s views of the world

4 Ask purposeful questions Questions develop people; ask purposeful questions If genuinely interested in what people have to say, ask their opinion before giving your own Seek feedback Feedback is the only way to know how we are doing as someone s leader Self-reflection, willingness to seek feedback & ability to engage in new behaviors following feedback models for others Teach Others to Model the Values Confront critical incidents Offer learning moments for teachers & leaders Teaches important lessons about appropriate norms of behavior Tell stories Help leaders pass on lessons about shared values & get others working together Reinforce the behavior you want repeated through systems & processes Leaders & constituents need feedback to reinforce what they re doing right & helps correct what they re doing wrong

5 Envision the Future Enlist Others Inspire a Shared Vision Envision the Future Imagine the possibilities Reflect on your past Looking backward can enable you to see further ahead The past serves as a prologue to the future Helps understand central, recurring things in your life Attend to the present Pay attention to details all around, recognizing patterns that point to the future To envision the future, you must realize what s already going on Prospect the future Be forward looking, on the look-out for emerging developments Anticipate what may be coming around the corner Keep people focused on the future, so they are eager to meet daily challenges & work through conflicts, & persevere to the end Feel your passion What you envision for the future is really about expressing your passion The dream, or vision, is the force that creates the future Find a Common Purpose Listen deeply to others Hear what is important to others, getting a sense of what people want, value & dream about By knowing, listening to & taking others advice, leaders can give voice to feelings Use this information to reflect back to team what they say they most desire

6 Determine what s meaningful to others Find out what gives work its meaning to others. Most people stay with an organization because it is meaningful, challenging & purposeful Make it a cause for commitment People commit to causes, not plans Be forward-looking in times of rapid change To become a leader, you must be able to envision the future You re better able to move fast when the vision is clear Enlist Others Appeal to Common Ideals Connect to what s meaningful to others What pulls people forward is the possibility that what they are doing can make a profound difference to the future People want to know what they do matters Take pride in being unique Communicate what makes the project unequaled, setting it apart from what others are doing Help people understand how we re truly distinctive Align your dream with the people s dream Learn how to appeal to people s ideals to move their souls & uplift their spirits To get others excited about your dream, you need to speak about meaning & purpose; showing them how their dreams will be realized. Animate the Vision Use symbolic language Make full use of symbolic language through stories, metaphors, quotations, etc.

7 Make images of the future Draw on the process of mental imagery, expressing them in concrete terms to constituents Find ways to give collective hope for the future by giving expression to the vision Practice positive communication Leaders must look at the bright side to strengthen the belief that struggles will produce a more promising future. This faith results from an intimate & supportive relationship based on mutual participation in the process of renewal Express your emotions As a leader, you are responsible for the authentic energy level in your organization Leaders must communicate verbally & non-verbally Charisma has to do with how people behave Emotionally significant events create stronger, longer-lasting memories People have to feel something if they are to become willing to change Speak genuinely from the heart Expressive communication will mean nothing if it is not genuine You must believe in what you are saying The 1 st place to look before talking to others about the future s vision is in your heart

8 Challenge the Process Search for Opportunities Experiment & Take Risks Search for Opportunities Seize the Initiative Change requires leadership Leadership demands altering the business-as-usual environment Ask probing questions & challenge the way things are done Treat every day as if it were the first day of your life Empower everyone to look for better ways of doing things & to step forward and take initiative Make something happen Leaders are fundamentally restless wanting to make something happen Encourage initiative in others Leaders seize initiative & encourage it in others Encourage others to be straightforward about constructive criticism Create conditions so constituents will be prepared to seize opportunities in tumultuous & tranquil times Provide opportunities for people to gain mastery on a task one step at a time Training is crucial in building confidence so people can effectively respond to & improve difficult situations that are faced Challenge the purpose Challenge for meaning s sake, with a passion living life on purpose As long as you believe what you re doing is meaningful, you can cut through fear & exhaustion

9 Exercise Outsight Look outside your experience In order to see things differently & hence creatively, you have to bombard your brain with things it has never encountered Promote external & internal communication Demand for change will come from both in & outside the organization Actively encourage external communication Tap into the rich field of ideas outside of your own borders Let ideas flow freely from the outside in Innovation requires both insight the ability to apprehend the inner nature of things, and outsight become knowledgeable about what goes on around you Outsight is the sibling of insight Innovation comes from listening Challenges often find you Put yourself in new situations, adopting an inquisitive attitude toward others opinions & insights Remain receptive & expose yourself to broader views Treat every job as an adventure Oftentimes people are inspired to select what becomes a personal best project by their immediate manager Experiment & Take Risks Generate Small Wins Progress step-by-step Break down big problems into small, doable actions Breaking down milestones moves people forward

10 Try a lot of little things Trying lots of little things will generate small wins Experiment with lots of ideas Small wins produce results Minor changes along the way lead to greater results Learn from Experience Create a climate for learning Create a climate of inquiry, openness, patience & encouragement Build in a tolerance for error & forgiveness Accept the trade-off between proficiency & learning Leaders are active learners Approach new & unfamiliar experiences with a willingness to learn Appreciate importance of learning Recognize learning means making mistakes Assists in becoming psychologically hardy & resilient View change as challenge People who experience a high degree of stress & yet are able to cope with it in a positive manner are said to have psychological hardiness This quality can be learned & supported Foster hardiness People need to believe they can overcome adversity if they re to accept the challenge of change Leaders create conditions that make hardiness possible

11 Foster Collaboration Strengthen Others Enable Others to Act Foster Collaboration Create a Climate of Trust Trusting others pays off Trust is most significant predictor of individuals satisfaction with their organizations Trusting climates remove controls & allow people to be free to innovate & contribute Leaders ante up first in the game of trust, learning from others & sharing resources & information Be the first to trust Leaders must be the first to trust Trust is a process which begins when one party is willing to risk being the first to open up, show vulnerability & give up control Demonstrate trust in others before asking trust from them Put others interests ahead of your own Encourage others to solve problems on their own There are some elements of friendship in successful leadership relationships Be open to influence Consider alternative viewpoints Make use of others expertise & abilities Let others exercise influence over the group

12 Share information & resources Trust among team members increases when knowledge & information is shared performance increases. Stay focused on the needs of the team Seek diverse input Know how others feel about issues, enabling incorporation of relevant viewpoints which allows people to feel heard & included Facilitate Relationships Develop cooperative goals & rules Shared goals provide a specific reason for being together A focus on collective purpose binds people in cooperative efforts Support norms of reciprocity Establish norms of reciprocity for effective long-term relationships Structure projects to promote joint effort All parties should understand each other s interests & how each can gain more from working together Payoffs with interdependent efforts will be greater than those associated with working independently Support face-to-face interactions Promoting joint efforts Strengthen Others Enhance Self-Determination Provide Choices Allow others to make choices, & in doing so, they will make a difference Enable teammates to make decisions

13 Develop jobs to offer latitude Be proactive in designing work that allows people discretion & choice = latitude Team members need to feel in control of their own work lives, exercising their own judgment & making decisions without checking with someone else Foster accountability Working collaboratively increases personal accountability Develop Competence & Confidence Educate, educate, educate Increase expenditures on training & development to allow others to use their knowledge without fear of punishment for making mistakes Organize work to build competence & ownership Confront organizational issues encouraging people to do their best Organize assignments so people feel their work is relevant to the pressing concerns of the business Enrich responsibilities so they experience variety & have opportunities to make meaningful decisions about how work gets accomplished Foster self-confidence Even if people know how to do what needs to get done, a lack of confidence may prevent them from doing it People have an internal need to influence others, gives a sense of order & stability Having confidence to adequately cope with events, situations & people puts others in a position to exercise leadership Leaders coach Leaders seek out ways to increase choice, providing greater decision-making authority & responsibility for constituents Leaders develop capabilities of team & foster self-confidence through the faith they demonstrate in letting other people lead Give your power away & foster personal power and ownership in others enabling them to feel stronger & more capable; thereby exceeding their own expectations.

14 Encourage the Heart Recognize Contributions Celebrate Values & Victories Recognize Contributions Expect the Best High expectations lead to high performance Belief in another person s abilities provides the framework into which people fit their own realities Shapes how you behave toward others & how they behave on a task Believe constituents are already winners & behave in ways that communicate to them as such Offer positive reinforcement, share lots of information, listen deeply, provide resources for the job & provide increasingly challenging assignments. Lend them your support & assistance. Feedback & goals keep people engaged Goals give people a direction Feedback on progress helps motivate & improve productivity on a task when given challenging goals Detailed feedback allows people to become self-correcting with ability to better understand their place in the big picture Helps people determine what help they need from others & who might be able to benefit from their assistance. Create conditions for success When leaders expect the best of others, they get the best performance from them; the converse is true

15 Personalize Recognition Get close to people You have to get close to people if you re to understand what motivates them, what they like & don t like & the kind of recognition that is most appreciated To make recognitions personally meaningful, you have to get to know your constituents Leaders can be friends with people at work; people are more willing to follow someone with whom they have a relationship Be creative about incentives Don t rely just on the organization s formal rewards system People respond to all kinds of recognition & rewards Genuine recognition does not have to include anything tangible; i.e. praise & coaching Just say thank you A greater volume of thanks is reported in highly innovative companies than in low innovation ones Increasing + to interactions by 3:1 promotes significantly more productive teams Personal congratulations rank at the top of the most powerful nonfinancial motivators identified by employees Be thoughtful Personal recognition comes down to being thoughtful Knowing enough about another person helps create a memorable experience in recognition

16 Celebrate Values Create a spirit of community Connect celebration, community & commitment Every gathering is a chance to renew commitment Celebrate accomplishments in public Adds significant contributions to the welfare of individuals & the organization When the spotlight shines on individual people, they become role models to others People serve as a point of reference for others If (Jane) can do this, so can you! Public celebrations serve as a reminder of why people are there Make celebrations part of organizational life Creates a sense of community Allows people to see themselves as part of the big picture, having a shared destiny Provide social support Celebrations build healthier groups, enabling others to know & care about each other Supportive relationships at work are critical in maintaining personal & organizational vitality Have fun together Fun isn t a luxury, even at work! Without the enjoyment & pleasure experienced with team members, people feel unable to sustain intensity & hard work to accomplish tasks People feel better about work when they enjoy the people they are working with

17 Be Personally Involved Show you care Be amongst your constituents Being visible makes you more real, approachable & more human Tell stories about successes you observe Perpetuate the stories It puts human faces on success Catch people doing things right These are opportunities to tell others how teammates set examples & put into practice living shared values & aspirations Make celebrations part of organizational life Put celebrations on your calendar. Giving them a date, time and place announces that these things are important to you & creates a sense of anticipation. Recognize contributions by showing appreciations for individual excellence. Celebrate the values & victories by creating a spirit of community.