I am not sure when the American election actually starts, as millions of people seem to have voted already, but the thoughts around this began to merge with the threads of my previous post on independent thinking and that of July 29th.
I have copied that one in here so you don't have to try and find it.
I had the strange experience of being very reassured by a small piece in the Sunday Telegraph this weekend.
It was a report on a part of the conversation between David Cameron and Barack Obama in which they were discussing diary management (don't we all). We all think our diaries are out of control but imagine what it is like for these guys. Everyone wants a piece of them and their diaries are filled up in 15 minute increments. David Cameron referred to it as the 'dentist's waiting room'.
What was so refreshing was that they both agreed that the most important thing to do was 'to have big chunks of time during the day when all you're doing is thinking' in order to keep a sense of the big picture and not lose your 'feeling' or the judgement you need to use to make decisions.
It is easy to think that what we need from our leaders is the ability to make snap decisions, under pressure all the time. True, we do need some of that, but we also are in desperate need of them having time to think.
Last week's post was about the impact on short-term, conformist thinking within organisations and the knock on effect on the economy. But this cannot be untangled from the same type of thinking at a governmental level. Worldwide it would seem.
Let's have the suggestion of a change in thinking style, rather than just policy and personality, be our reason to be hopeful for today.
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
You what?!
This post might appear to run counter to my last one, but I think the principle is the same.
A new report from leadership consultancy PDI suggests that the key areas that a coach should focus on with an aspiring CEO are macromanagement (big surprise there, hey?) and their ability to express discontent and disagreement openly and directly.
The reason that I believe this is in line with the previous post is that what will make the difference to how your expressions of discontent are received will be how you are treating the people you are discontent with. Whether you are treating them as people with ambitions and desires just as important as your own, or treating them as inferior objects in need of correction and exact direction from the superior being that is you.
This also chimes with TA concepts - a disagreement with someone you treat as an equal adult will be conducted differently from one with someone you regard as a child.
So, you must be dissatisfied about something right now - how are you going to express that?
A new report from leadership consultancy PDI suggests that the key areas that a coach should focus on with an aspiring CEO are macromanagement (big surprise there, hey?) and their ability to express discontent and disagreement openly and directly.
The reason that I believe this is in line with the previous post is that what will make the difference to how your expressions of discontent are received will be how you are treating the people you are discontent with. Whether you are treating them as people with ambitions and desires just as important as your own, or treating them as inferior objects in need of correction and exact direction from the superior being that is you.
This also chimes with TA concepts - a disagreement with someone you treat as an equal adult will be conducted differently from one with someone you regard as a child.
So, you must be dissatisfied about something right now - how are you going to express that?
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Think Big
Reinforcing Dave and Bar's (as I call them) view that a leader needs to have time to do nothing but think (what a luxury that sounds) in order to keep the big picture in mind, is a recent report by Personnel Decision International.
The Pulse on Leaders was a study of senior executives and CEOs and found a knack for avoiding micro-managing, as well as a lack of passive-aggressive tendencies, distinguished future CEOs from other leaders.
Future CEOs can be recognised by their high energy levels, a desire to be in charge, and the ability to cut through complexity.
So, they have got to really want to do it, be able to identify what is truly important from the mass of information thrown at them and not need regular holidays.
It is easier to survive without a traditional break if your mind is given chance to do what it does best - think. The opportunity to think clearly and without interruption can be as refreshing and invigorating as a holiday.
Are your senior executives driven by the need to be seen to be busy, busy, busy? How do you give your them chance to think and deliver the value they are truly capable of?
The Pulse on Leaders was a study of senior executives and CEOs and found a knack for avoiding micro-managing, as well as a lack of passive-aggressive tendencies, distinguished future CEOs from other leaders.
Future CEOs can be recognised by their high energy levels, a desire to be in charge, and the ability to cut through complexity.
So, they have got to really want to do it, be able to identify what is truly important from the mass of information thrown at them and not need regular holidays.
It is easier to survive without a traditional break if your mind is given chance to do what it does best - think. The opportunity to think clearly and without interruption can be as refreshing and invigorating as a holiday.
Are your senior executives driven by the need to be seen to be busy, busy, busy? How do you give your them chance to think and deliver the value they are truly capable of?
Just think
I had the strange experience of being very reassured by a small piece in the Sunday Telegraph this weekend.
It was a report on a part of the conversation between David Cameron and Barack Obama in which they were discussing diary management (don't we all!). We all think our diaries are out of control but imagine what it is like for these guys. Everyone wants a piece of them and their diaries are filled up in 15 minute increments. David Cameron referred to it as the 'dentist's waiting room'.
What was so refreshing was that they both agreed that the most important thing to do was 'to have big chunks of time during the day when all you're doing is thinking' in order to keep a sense of the big picture and not lose your 'feeling' or the judgement you need to use to make decisions.
It is easy to think that what we need from our leaders is the ability to make snap decisions, under pressure all the time. True, we do need some of that, but we also are in desperate need of them having time to think.
It was a report on a part of the conversation between David Cameron and Barack Obama in which they were discussing diary management (don't we all!). We all think our diaries are out of control but imagine what it is like for these guys. Everyone wants a piece of them and their diaries are filled up in 15 minute increments. David Cameron referred to it as the 'dentist's waiting room'.
What was so refreshing was that they both agreed that the most important thing to do was 'to have big chunks of time during the day when all you're doing is thinking' in order to keep a sense of the big picture and not lose your 'feeling' or the judgement you need to use to make decisions.
It is easy to think that what we need from our leaders is the ability to make snap decisions, under pressure all the time. True, we do need some of that, but we also are in desperate need of them having time to think.
Wednesday, 23 July 2008
They are already here
In my last post I spoke about Level 5 leaders, as defined by Jim Collins - a combination of professional will and personal humility - who guided their respective companies to sustained market beating performances.
What was fascinating about them was that they were the opposite of the larger-than-life, egocentric leader that boards often feel they need to bring in to make their company great. Of course, that kind of appointment is high profile, usually applauded and helps to make the board feel that they are 'doing something'.
Ten out of eleven of the good-to-great CEOs, however, came from inside the company. WOW!
What this means is that it is possible that the potentially great leaders for your company are already with you. They are just not as easy to spot as the ego-driving, shouting loudest celebrity leader.
What can you do to identity them?
What was fascinating about them was that they were the opposite of the larger-than-life, egocentric leader that boards often feel they need to bring in to make their company great. Of course, that kind of appointment is high profile, usually applauded and helps to make the board feel that they are 'doing something'.
Ten out of eleven of the good-to-great CEOs, however, came from inside the company. WOW!
What this means is that it is possible that the potentially great leaders for your company are already with you. They are just not as easy to spot as the ego-driving, shouting loudest celebrity leader.
What can you do to identity them?
Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Who's in charge here?
It seems that everyone is looking to build\improve\introduce leadership into their senior management teams. But how many of us have actually define what we mean by that; how it differs from management, how to spot it, who is doing it already in our company, what we need to be doing differently.
If you ask most people what are the characteristics of a great leader, whether it be in business, politics or other, you will get the usual replies - dynamism, hard driving, ego-centric, larger than life. Nowadays we would see them as your classic celebrity leader.
Jim Collins, in his wonderful book Good To Great, identified a style of leadership in successful companies as pretty much the opposite of this. He called them Level 5 Leaders:
'Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company....they are incredibly ambitious - but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.'
Who are the Level 5 leaders in your organisation?
If you ask most people what are the characteristics of a great leader, whether it be in business, politics or other, you will get the usual replies - dynamism, hard driving, ego-centric, larger than life. Nowadays we would see them as your classic celebrity leader.
Jim Collins, in his wonderful book Good To Great, identified a style of leadership in successful companies as pretty much the opposite of this. He called them Level 5 Leaders:
'Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company....they are incredibly ambitious - but their ambition is first and foremost for the institution, not themselves.'
Who are the Level 5 leaders in your organisation?
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