Leadership SkillsBecome an Exceptional Leader The old-fashioned view of leadership is that leaders are marked out for leadership from early on in their lives; and that if you are not a born leader, there's little you can do to become one. That's not the way we see it now. The modern view is that through patience, persistence and hard work, you can be a truly effective leader, just as long as you make the effort needed. With persistence, you can be an exceptional leader. © iStockphoto The 50+ articles in this section help you develop your leadership skills, so that you can become an exceptional leader. Start by taking our short quiz to test your leadership skills. Then firm up on the leadership basics, explore the different approaches to leadership that you can use, and find out why emotional intelligence is so important in leadership. The Browse by Category box will help you target specific leadership skills, while you can look through the list below to find interesting topics. Enjoy these articles! Browse by Category Understanding Power Becoming a Leader Leadership Styles Young and Future Leaders Emotional Intelligence Crisis and Contingency Planning Further Resources Bite-Sized Training™ Book Insights Learning Streams Expert Interviews Introduction How Good Are Your Leadership Skills? What is Leadership? General Leadership Core Leadership Theories Learning the Foundations of Leadership Leadership Motivation Assessment How Motivated Are You to Lead? Leadership Motivation Tools Increase Your Motivation to Lead Authentic Leadership Being a Leader People Want to Follow Ethical Leadership Doing the Right Thing Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model Taking an Intelligent, Long-Term Approach to Leadership Understanding Power French and Raven's Five Forms of Power Understanding Where Power Comes From in the Workplace Winning Expert Power Lead From the Front Leadership Styles Leadership Styles Choosing the Right Approach for the Situation The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory Choosing the Right Leadership Style for the Right People Lewin's Leadership Styles Framework Three Core Leadership Styles The Seven Transformations of Leadership Developing Your Leadership Style The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Leadership Continuum Balancing Control with Your Team's Need for Freedom Leadership Style Matrix Choosing the Best Leadership Approach "Laissez Faire" versus Micromanagement Getting the Balance Right The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid Balancing Task- and People-Oriented Leadership Action Centered Leadership™ Balancing Task, Team, and Individual Focus Fiedler's Contingency Model Matching Leadership Style to a Situation Path-Goal Theory Discovering the Best Leadership Style Six Emotional Leadership Styles Choosing the Right Style for the Situation Transformational Leadership Becoming an Inspiring Leader Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Learning How to Be More Aware Developing Self-Awareness Learning "Mindfulness" The Agile Leader Adaptability The Power of Trust A Steel Cable Optimism The Hidden Asset What's Empathy Got to Do with It? Humility The Most Beautiful Word in the English Language The Talisman of Leadership Authenticity "I Swear by Apollo" Being Accountable to Yourself in Leadership Leading by Example Making Sure You "Walk the Talk" A Leader's Mood The Dimmer Switch of Performance A Bit of Perfume Giving Praise Degrees of Giving Leading with Generosity The Uncertainty Factor The Green-Eyed Monster Keeping Envy Out of the Workplace Becoming a Leader 10 Common Leadership and Management Mistakes Avoiding Universal Pitfalls Leading Equals Motivating People Effectively, Without Authority Now You're the Boss... Learning How to Manage Former Peers What a Real Leader Knows Developing Fundamental Leadership Skills Level 5 Leadership Achieving "Greatness" as a Leader The Four Factor Theory of Leadership A Foundation of Good Leadership Young and Future Leaders Leadership by the New Generation Bridging the Age Gap Building Tomorrow's Leaders Identifying and Developing Leaders The Leadership Pipeline Model Developing Your Organization's Future Leaders Crisis and Contingency Planning Crisis Planning Preparing Your Best Response to the Unexpected Contingency Planning Developing a Good 'Plan B' Leadership in Hard Times Leading – and Succeeding – in a Downturn Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse Spotting Moral Downfalls Bite-Sized Training™ Building Expert Power Understanding Leadership Styles Building Influence Scenario Training Learning Streams Mindset for Success Lead Now! Book Insights The 100-Mile Walk, by Sander and Jonathan Flaum What Happy Companies Know, by Dan Baker, Cathy Greenberg, and Collins Hemmingway Revved! and Monday Morning Mentoring Know-How, by Ram Charan The Effective Executive, by Peter Drucker If Harry Potter Ran General Electric, by Tom Morris Think Big, Act Small, by Jason Jennings Influencer, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie Results That Last, by Quint Studer Myself and Other More Important Matters, by Charles Handy Judgement: How winning leaders make great calls, by Noel M Tichy and Warren G Bennis The Turnaround Kid, by Steve Miller Energy Leadership, by Bruce D Schneider Followership, by Barbara Kellerman Leadership Therapy, by Anna Rowley The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama Leading With Kindness, by William F. Baker and Michael O'Malley Collaboration: How Leaders Avoid the Traps, Create Unity, and Reap Big Rewards, by Morten T Hansen Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, by Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown Talent Is Overrated, by Geoff Colvin Emotionomics, by Dan Hill The Snowball, by Alice Schroeder Business Stripped Bare, by Richard Branson Strengths Based Leadership, by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie Winners Never Cheat, by Jon M Huntsman Creating Magic, by Lee Cockerell The Ethical Executive, by Robert Hoyk and Paul Hersey Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty, by Ram Charan Hit the Ground Running: A Manual for New Leaders, by Jason Jennings Walk the Walk: The #1 Rule for Real Leaders, by Alan Deutschman The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels, by Michael Watkins The Differentiated Workforce: Transforming Talent into Strategic Impact, by Brian Becker, Mark Huselid and Richard Beatty Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional, by John Miller The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win, by Dave and Wendy Ulrich Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't, by Jeffrey Pfeffer The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni Ultimate Leadership, by Russell E. Palmer Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It, by James Kouzes and Barry Posner Ethical Intelligence: Five Principles for Untangling Your Toughest Problems at Work and Beyond, by Bruce Weinstein Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You, by Betsy Myers Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen People Follow You: The Real Secret to What Matters Most in Leadership, by Jeb Blount Taking People With You, by David Novak Who's in the Room?, by Bob Frisch The Leader's Climb: A Business Tale of Rising to the New Leadership Challenge, by Bob Parsanko and Paul Heagen The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line, by David Horsager Leadership Conversations: Challenging High Potential Managers to Become Great Leaders, by Alan S. Berson and Richard G. Stieglitz Expert Interviews Leading People Through Disasters, with Kathy McKee High Impact Non-Profit Organizations, with Heather McLeod Grant What Men Don't Tell Women About Business, with Chris Flett The Leader as a Mensch, with Bruna Martinuzzi Corporate Social Responsibility, with Andrew Crane Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life, with Stew Friedman Learning Business from McDonald's, with Paul Facella Grown Up Digital, with Don Tapscott The Leadership Code, with Kate Sweetman The Introverted Leader, with Jennifer Kahnweiler Fierce Leadership, with Susan Scott Employees First, Customers Second, with Vineet Nayar Open Leadership, with Charlene Li Buy-In, with John Kotter Strategic Leadership, with John Adair The Power of Positive Deviance, with Richard Pascale Better Under Pressure, with Justin Menkes The Charisma Myth, with Olivia Fox Cabane Leadership Isn't for Cowards, with Mike Staver The Outsiders, with Will Thorndike Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck, With Tony Tjan The First 90 Days, With Michael Watkins Where to go from here: Return to top of the page Next article Leadership Skills – Start Here! "At the age of seven, a young boy and his family were forced out of their home. The boy had to work to support his family. At the age of nine, his mother passed away. When he grew up, the young man was keen to go to law school, but had no education. At 22, he lost his job as a store © iStockphoto/VisualField clerk. At 23, he ran for state legislature and lost. The same year, he went into business. It failed, leaving him with a debt that took him 17 years to repay. At 27, he had a nervous breakdown. Two years later, he tried for the post of speaker in his state legislature. He lost. At 31, he was defeated in his attempt to become an elector. By 35, he had been defeated twice while running for Congress. Finally, he did manage to secure a brief term in Congress, but at 39 he lost his re-election bid. At 41, his four-year-old son died. At 42, he was rejected as a prospective land officer. At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. Two years later, he lost the vice presidential nomination. At 49, he ran for Senate and lost again. At 51, he was elected the President of the United States of America. The man in question: Abraham Lincoln." – Author Unknown Many of us are acquainted with this eloquent example of persistence and determination in achieving victory. We read it, stop for a moment and then sigh and say: "Wow! That's the stuff real leaders are made of." And in saying this, it's all too easy for us to think about leaders like Lincoln almost as "mythological creatures", separate from the rest of humanity and empowered by some mysterious quality that smoothes their path towards inevitable success. This is the traditional view of leadership: that leaders are marked out for leadership from early on in their lives, and that if you're not a leader, there's little that you can do to become one. That's not the way we see it now. The modern view is that through patience, persistence and hard work, you can be a highly effective leader. This section of Mind Tools helps you make a start in finding and developing leadership qualities within yourself. Our first tools help you assess your current leadership skills, and explore your motivation to lead – without this, you'll struggle to improve your skills or become an effective leader. However, if you have to lead, even if you lack an intrinsic motivation to do so, our Leadership Motivation Tools article gives you some useful techniques you can use to build your motivation. We move on to look at how you can harness ethical sources of leadership power, and think about the many different ways in which you can choose to lead. With these articles, you'll learn how to identify useful leadership styles... and also spot approaches that are likely to fail. We round the articles out by looking at, among others, the popular subject of emotional intelligence; and we'll see how developing it can help you become an exceptionally successful leader. To follow these articles in sequence, click the "Next Article" links below each one. Enjoy this section of Mind Tools! Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Return to top of the page 10 Common Leadership and Management Mistakes Avoiding Universal Pitfalls Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. – Oscar Wilde It's often said that mistakes provide great learning opportunities. However, it's much better not to make mistakes in the first place! Avoid common leadership and management mistakes. © iStockphoto/Laflor In this article, we're looking at 10 of the most common leadership and management errors, and highlighting what you can do to avoid them. If you can learn about these here, rather than through experience, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble! 1. Lack of Feedback Sarah is a talented sales representative, but she has a habit of answering the phone in an unprofessional manner. Her boss is aware of this, but he's waiting for her performance review to tell her where she's going wrong. Unfortunately, until she's been alerted to the problem, she'll continue putting off potential customers. According to 1,400 executives polled by The Ken Blanchard Companies, failing to provide feedback is the most common mistake that leaders make. When you don't provide prompt feedback to your people, you're depriving them of the opportunity to improve their performance. To avoid this mistake, learn how to provide regular feedback to your team. (You can use our Bite-Sized Training session on Giving Feedback to gain an in-depth understanding of feedback, and to learn how to provide it effectively.) 2. Not Making Time for Your Team When you're a manager or leader, it's easy to get so wrapped up in your own workload that you don't make yourself available to your team. Yes, you have projects that you need to deliver. But your people must come first – without you being available when they need you, your people won't know what to do, and they won't have the support and guidance that they need to meet their objectives. Avoid this mistake by blocking out time in your schedule specifically for your people, and by learning how to listen actively to your team. Develop your emotional intelligence so that you can be more aware of your team and their needs, and have a regular time when "your door is always open", so that your people know when they can get your help. You can also use Management By Walking Around , which is an effective way to stay in touch with your team. Once you're in a leadership or management role, your team should always come first - this is, at heart, what good leadership is all about! 3. Being Too "Hands-Off" One of your team has just completed an important project. The problem is that he misunderstood the project's specification, and you didn't stay in touch with him as he was working on it. Now, he's completed the project in the wrong way, and you're faced with explaining this to an angry client. Many leaders want to avoid micromanagement . But going to the opposite extreme (with a hand-offs management style) isn't a good idea either – you need to get the balance right. Our article, Laissez Faire versus Micromanagement you find the right balance for your own situation. will help 4. Being Too Friendly Most of us want to be seen as friendly and approachable to people in our team. After all, people are happier working for a manager that they get on with. However, you'll sometimes have to make tough decisions regarding people in your team, and some people will be tempted to take advantage of your relationship if you're too friendly with them. This doesn't mean that you can't socialize with your people. But, you do need to get the balance right between being a friend and being the boss. Learn how to do avoid this mistake with our article, Now You're the Boss . Also, make sure that you set clear boundaries , so that team members aren't tempted to take advantage of you. 5. Failing to Define Goals When your people don't have clear goals, they muddle through their day. They can't be productive if they have no idea what they're working for, or what their work means. They also can't prioritize their workload effectively, meaning that projects and tasks get completed in the wrong order. Avoid this mistake by learning how to set SMART goals for your team. Use a Team Charter to specify where your team is going, and detail the resources it can draw upon. Also, use principles from Management by Objectives to align your team's goals to the mission of the organization. 6. Misunderstanding Motivation Do you know what truly motivates your team? Here's a hint: chances are, it's not just money! Many leaders make the mistake of assuming that their team is only working for monetary reward. However, it's unlikely that this will be the only thing that motivates them. For example, people seeking a greater work/life balance might be motivated by telecommuting days or flexible working. Others will be motivated by factors such as achievement, extra responsibility, praise, or a sense of camaraderie. To find out what truly drives your people, read our articles on McClelland's Human Motivation Theory and Theory X and Theory Y . Then, take our test "How Good Are Your Motivation Skills?" to learn how to be a great motivator of people. 7. Hurrying Recruitment When your team has a large workload, it's important to have enough people "on board" to cope with it. But filling a vacant role too quickly can be a disastrous mistake. Hurrying recruitment can lead to recruiting the wrong people for your team: people who are uncooperative, ineffective or unproductive. They might also require additional training, and slow down others on your team. With the wrong person, you'll have wasted valuable time and resources if things don't work out and they leave. What's worse, other team members will be stressed and frustrated by having to "carry" the under-performer. You can avoid this mistake by learning how to recruit effectively , and by being particularly picky about the people you bring into your team. 8. Not "Walking the Walk" If you make personal telephone calls during work time, or speak negatively about your CEO, can you expect people on your team not to do this too? Probably not! As a leader, you need to be a role model for your team. This means that if they need to stay late, you should also stay late to help them. Or, if your organization has a rule that no one eats at their desk, then set the example and head to the break room every day for lunch. The same goes for your attitude – if you're negative some of the time, you can't expect your people not to be negative. So remember, your team is watching you all the time. If you want to shape their behavior, start with your own. They'll follow suit. 9. Not Delegating Some managers don't delegate, because they feel that no-one apart from themselves can do key jobs properly. This can cause huge problems as work bottlenecks around them, and as they become stressed and burned out. Delegation does take a lot of effort up-front, and it can be hard to trust your team to do the work correctly. But unless you delegate tasks, you're never going to have time to focus on the "broader-view" that most leaders and managers are responsible for. What's more, you'll fail to develop your people so that they can take the pressure off you. To find out if this is a problem for you, take our interactive quiz, How Well Do You Delegate? If you need to improve your skills, you can then learn key strategies with our articles, Successful Delegation , and The Delegation Dilemma . 10. Misunderstanding Your Role Once you become a leader or manager, your responsibilities are very different from those you had before. However, it's easy to forget that your job has changed, and that you now have to use a different set of skills to be effective. This leads to you not doing what you've been hired to do – leading and managing. Our articles Now You're The Boss and From Technical Expert to Manager provide more information on the additional skills that you need to develop to be an effective manager. Make sure that you learn these skills – you'll fail if you try to rely on technical skills alone, however good they are! Key Points We all make mistakes, and there are some mistakes that leaders and managers make in particular. These include not giving good feedback, being too "hands-off," not delegating effectively, and misunderstanding your role. It's true that making a mistake can be a learning opportunity. But, taking the time to learn how to recognize and avoid common mistakes can help you become productive and successful, and highly respected by your team. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Hi Zuni Thanks for your posting and yes - this article really hits the nail on the head. Apart from lack of feedback, I have personally seen too many managers and leaders being too friendly - they don't know how to set boundaries and they still want to be 'friends' with everybody as well. The other mistake that also jumped out at me was hurried recruitment - I think it is more common than we imagine. I have personally dealth with sooooo many clients who think they can just recruit and then they'll train afterwards. Facts are, that the wrong person for the job is the wrong person for the job and training can very seldom rectify that! Thanks for sharing your insights - it's always great to read your postings regarding leadership and management (which you obviously have a passion for). Kind regards Yolandé February 7, 2011 zuni wrote Hi all, This article is bang on. The issues that lead to poor leadership and mediocre employee perfomance are rooted in the fundamentals. Often managers are lured by the 'next big thing'. In truth, most of the "latest and greatest' leadership practices put out by 'gurus' are merely repackaging of basic concepts with an added twist to modernize them. For example, delivering frequent, timely and specific feedback is the single most activity a manager can do to increase employee productivity and develop their people. It builds a manager's relationship with their employees, increases their credibility as a leader and improves engagement. Study after study has shown this to be true with one of the most recent coming from the Corporate Leadership Council. The concept of giving feedback has been around for a long time. Futher, if you don't get the fundamentals right early on in your career, it will catch up with you later. Many managers are derailed from obtaining promotions because of their inability to master these top 10 skill sets. zuni February 6, 2011 Return to top of the page A Bit of Perfume Giving Praise "To see things in the seed, that is genius", said Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher. This is what we now refer to as Appreciative Intelligence, a term coined by Tojo Thatchenkery to describe the capacity by certain individuals to see the positive inherent potential of situations or people – it is the ability to see a © iStockphoto/DamirK breakthrough product, top talent, or valuable solution of the future that is not readily visible in the present situation. In short, it is the ability to see the mighty oak in the acorn. The term originated when the author began studying the explosive entrepreneurial growth in Silicon Valley in the late 1990s. According to the author, it is appreciative intelligence that allowed, partly, for so many highly talented immigrants from different countries to assemble in the area and flourish. As the author puts it, venture capitalists looking to fund the right ideas were asking the question, "How can I make this work?" as opposed to "What are the chances this idea will fail?" They created an environment of high anticipation of positive results which became a contagious fever of opportunity, achievement, resilience and possibility recognition. (Appreciative intelligence is not to be confused with appreciative inquiry, which is an approach and methodology for analyzing organizations). Appreciative intelligence is a mental ability of individuals who have a knack for reframing situations (the glass half full/half empty) and a keen eye for spotting what's valuable and positive in a situation or in people. And these individuals go one step further: they are able to envision how the positive aspects can be used to create a better future. Combining the two in an organization, i.e. a leader with appreciative intelligence using an appreciative inquiry approach, constitutes a powerful force indeed for effecting positive change and inspiring others to give the very best they have to offer. Imagine if all leaders in an organization proactively and mindfully practiced appreciative intelligence. Imagine the profound, healthy impact that this would have on an organization's culture. Such a culture would fuel employees' motivation. Surveys of what employees want consistently rank "appreciation for work well done" high up on the motivation index – well above "good wages". Ironically, managers often place good wages above appreciation in their responses of what employees want. Other surveys show that one of the reasons employees leave companies is because of lack of praise and recognition. Leaders often talk of the challenge of building trust in their organization. Adele B. Lynn's study on trust in the workplace shows that 54% of those polled would work for less remuneration if the following trust building factors were present: 1. Importance: giving people a sense of importance about who they are and about their role in the organization; 2. Touch: feeling that the leader genuinely cares about them, feeling a connection with the leader; 3. Gratitude: being appreciated for their contributions and sacrifices; receiving genuine gratitude; 4. Fairness: knowing that leaders ensure equal and fair distribution of rewards. Recognition and praise are indeed high octane fuel for the soul. When we receive a genuine compliment, we experience an inner glow – it's a warm, magical feeling that makes us break into a smile. It makes us want to go the extra mile for the person who bestowed the sincere compliment. If this were not important to us, we would not be treasuring all of the mementos of awards, plaques, appreciative notes and emails, and other tokens of appreciation that we receive over the years. But intuitively, we all know that genuine appreciation is a key factor in our relationship with our constituents, and any basic management course will touch on the value of praising employees for their contributions. Yet many well-meaning and otherwise caring leaders are reluctant to express their appreciation of others' talents and contributions. Many years ago, I worked for a great leader, one who genuinely cared for his constituents, and who confided in me one day that he found expressing praise a very difficult thing to do – publicly and even harder, privately. I asked him why that is. He said, "I grew up in a household where praising was not something we did." There is a profound implication in this statement. Our families are our first corporations – that's where we learned many of our behaviors, and it is often difficult to break these ingrained patterns. Withholding praise, however, is a pattern of behavior that we need to unlearn if we want to bring the best out in people. We need to get over the embarrassment that grips some of us when we have to praise an individual. Here are some pointers for practicing this important skill: 1. If you have difficulty praising others, analyze the root causes of this. If it is a fear of embarrassing others, know that even the most introverted individuals who shun public praise enjoy reading an email to all staff about their contributions. If it is a discomfort at not knowing how to do it, read the few simple rules below and consider working with a coach for one or two sessions on this most important aspect of a leader's communication repertoire. Self-awareness precedes self-management. 2. Sometimes, withholding praise is simply due to a lack of time for leaders who are required to handle an ever increasing number of issues during the course of a harried day. If this is your challenge, I encourage you to reframe how you view this particular issue. Showing your people you care about them needs to move up on the list of items in your "to do" list. It takes less than 10 seconds to say, "I appreciate the time and thought you put into this report. It is exceptional. Thank you." 3. Praise has a limited "best before" date. Don't delay its expression or wait until performance review time – when you see something that is worthy of praising, do so promptly after the event. 4. Make your genuine words memorable for your constituents by being specific about the achievement. Not many of us remember the perfunctory "job well done", but we all would remember someone who tells us "This was pure genius," or "I would have missed this if you hadn't picked it up." The praise does not have to be elaborate. It just needs to be genuine. 5. When you drop by an employee's office or cubicle to deliver the praise, don't follow that with a conversation about business matters or other projects. Deliver the praise and leave. Come back later for discussions on other matters. This gives the praise its moment of honor and heightens its value in the eyes of the recipient. 6. A primer for rewarding and recognizing others is Jim Kouzes' and Barry Posner's Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others. The book provides 150 ways to encourage the heart. Another useful book is Steven Kerr's Ultimate Rewards: What Really Motivates People to Achieve (Harvard Business Review Book Series). The book outlines many different sources of motivation including accountability, responsibility, organizational culture, coaching, teamwork, incentives and goal setting. 7. Finally, how can you apply the dynamic concept of appreciative intelligence on yourself? What are your talents? Practicing appreciating our talents and gifts opens us up to appreciating others' greatness. Perhaps the ultimate appreciation is letting people know that their work – no matter how far removed they are from the top of the pyramid – is important to the organization. It's about making everyone feel like an owner and helping them understand how their work contributes to the overall purpose of the company. It's about practicing seeing more people. Excellence involves everyone. There is another lovely Chinese quote that says, "A bit of perfume always clings to the hand that gives roses." As leaders, when we make people feel great about themselves, paradoxically we elevate ourselves to greatness as well. Copyright © 2006-2013 Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Did you find this article helpful? Click to vote no No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... mayc wrote Excellent reminder to be appreciative of our employees. I especially loved the tip about giving praise and leaving. In the name of efficiency it's tempting to give a bit of praise at the front of a conversation and then follow it up with a bunch more directions or discussion about the current project. Bruna so aptly reminds us that praise should be given in a manner that lets the praise be the sole focus. Excellent, excellent words of wisdom. How many times have I done just that, or had it done to me - the praise loses most of its value when it's only the preface to the "real" conversation. May 24, 2007 Return to top of the page Action Centered Leadership™ Balancing Task, Team, and Individual Focus Imagine you've recently started a new job as a team leader. At first, you're completely overwhelmed with all there is to do. You've got to get to grips with the group's objectives, assign tasks, keep everyone motivated, and adhere to a strict schedule. And that feels like just the tip of the iceberg! Pay attention to all three elements. © iStockphoto/peepo You also know that, under your predecessor, several of the team were struggling, so you devote a lot of your time to coaching these individuals. This seems to be working well, with the team members concerned growing in confidence as a result of your hard work. But after a few weeks, your start to realize that things are going badly wrong in other areas. The group isn't working cohesively as a whole, and an unpleasant blame culture has sprung up amongst several team members. And an important deadline is missed. You've been so busy coaching people that you didn't see these things till it was too late. Managing a team is very much like juggling several balls at once. Drop one ball, and it spoils the whole pattern. Unfortunately, this is an easy mistake for managers to make, as they spend too much time on one responsibility at the expense of others that are just as important. This is where a management model like Action Centered Leadership™ helps you monitor the balance between the key areas for which you're responsible, helping you avoid dropping any balls along the way. In this article we'll look at what Action Centered Leadership is, and we'll explore how you can use it with your team. Action Centered Leadership Action Centered Leadership (sometimes known as ACL) is a model that was first published in 1973 by leadership expert, John Adair. It's so-called because it highlights the key actions that leaders have to take when managing their teams. And it's particularly helpful because it groups these responsibilities together under three key areas: • Task: Achieving the team's goal. • Team: Developing and building your team, so that it's ever more effective. • Individual: Helping individuals develop their full potential in the workplace. These areas are represented by the three interlocking circles, as shown in Figure 1 below. The model states that leaders must balance the actions they take across all three key areas if they want their group to succeed. The areas are interdependent; if a leader focuses too much on one area and neglects the other two, then the group will experience problems. Tip: Although Figure 1 shows all of the circles as being the same size, this doesn't mean that leaders should always divide up their effort across these areas equally. Rather, the most appropriate balance varies according to the situation, and over time. The shaded areas in Figure 1 show where one element relies on one or both of the others for success. Here is an example that illustrates this interdependency: Imagine your team is working well together, and everyone has the skills to accomplish the final goal. However, there's one team member who isn't carrying his share of the load. He's lacking motivation, and missing deadlines. The entire group's morale starts to suffer because this one member is dragging their productivity down, and the team misses its deadline because he hasn't finished his work. Here, issues with the individual are negatively affecting the task as well as the team. Alternatively, imagine what would happen if you didn't articulate your team's goal properly. Everyone may have great individual skills, and people may work really well together, but because no one is sure what they should be trying to achieve, progress isn't being made towards your goal. In this example, both the individual and the team needs are being met, but task needs are being ignored. Because the group isn't sure how to accomplish their task, they're headed towards failure. How to Use the Tool Review the activities you're carrying out for each of the three key leadership areas, and make sure that you're dividing your time amongst all three appropriately. Here's a list of common tasks for each of the three management responsibilities. You can use these as a guideline; and tasks can be added or eliminated based on your specific situation. Task • Identify the purpose of the team, and communicate that purpose to all members. • Clearly state the final goal of the team. • Make sure everyone understands the resources, people, and processes that they should be using. • Establish deadlines for project tasks, and explain the quality standards you're expecting. • Create a detailed plan for how the team is going to reach their final goal. Group • Identify the style the group will be working in (very formal, relaxed, etc.) • Make sure that everyone has the skills and training to accomplish the final goal. • If your team will be working in smaller groups, appoint a leader for each group, and make sure that he or she is effective and properly trained. • Monitor team relationships, and resolve conflicts where necessary. • Work on keeping the group motivated, and morale high. • Give regular feedback on the team's performance. Individual • Make sure that you spend some one on one time with each member of your team for assessment: identify their strengths and weaknesses, their needs, and any special skills they can bring to the team. • Make sure each group member has the skills to perform his or her role successfully. • Appropriately praise and reward individual team members for their contribution. • Help define each individual's role, and agree the tasks they're responsible for. • If any team members seem to be lagging behind, coach them until they're back on track. If you'd like to learn more about your leadership style and how you can apply it to the Action Centered Leadership model, you can purchase ACL tests from John Adair's website. Key Points Leaders have many responsibilities when it comes to managing their teams. And, it's easy to get so focused on one area that the others slip by the wayside, leading to an unbalanced, poorlyfunctioning group. Using a tool like Action Centered Leadership can help any leader stay on top of the most important responsibilities, and keep the group working efficiently, happily, and productively. Action Centered Leadership™, the Three Circles and Three Rings are all trademarks used by John Adair and Adair International Ltd. ACL is a registered trademark belonging to John Adair, and the model is re-produced here with the kind permission of John Adair and Adair International Ltd. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... bigk wrote Hi I want to add. The manager needs to consider all objectives and motivations. The manger could consider his or her development at this time too if the time could be used for development. This could be time to consider the motivations and interactions of the team, but assess it for the situation if these are altered trying out different methods. Bigk August 8, 2009 bigk wrote Hi The tool suggests that these three areas be developed simultaneously and that the overlap could be separated to allow the manager to develop the areas separately so he or she could focus on when to change the balance of time or action in each area. This would allow the manager to view the areas as an item in their own right and adjust any issue to fit the task to be delivered. It needs balancing to succeed. This requires using the action management to get an understanding of time and effort commitments. From here the manager can assess what needs developed as an immediate action. This could be an opportunity to develop the needs of the team and also the manager. I see a potential issue for the manager when he or she then has little time for their own development. However if the results and the team are of immediate importance then the manager could get refreshed skills after providing for the team. But they must remember not to overlook their own skills need. Maybe this could be factored into the team needs. Bigk August 7, 2009 Return to top of the page A Leader's Mood The Dimmer Switch of Performance In response to a discussion on the effect of a leader's mood on the performance of a team, a participant in a recent leadership workshop made this heartfelt and realistic remark: "I cannot see how I am expected to be in a good mood for four quarters in a row." The point is well taken. But can you afford, as a leader, to even entertain this thought? © iStockphoto/creacart All of the research on employee performance points to the contrary. There is a concept in French which is called "Noblesse oblige". It means, roughly, that wealth, power and prestige go hand-in-hand with certain social responsibilities – in other words, with privilege comes duty. It is a privilege when we have the opportunity to lead a team of people, but with it comes many responsibilities, chief of which, some leadership pundits would contend, is managing moods. In a Harvard Business Review article called Leadership That Gets Results, Daniel Goleman cites research which shows that up to 30% of a company's financial results (as measured by key business performance indicators such as revenue growth, return on sales, efficiency and profitability) are determined by the climate of the organization. So what is the major factor that drives the climate of an organization? It's the leader: in Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence, Goleman states that roughly 50-70% of how employees perceive their organization's climate is attributable to the actions and behaviors of their leader. A leader creates the environment that determines people's moods at the office and their mood, in turn, affects their productivity and level of engagement. Afterglow or Aftermath? Witness the number of times you may have driven home with an internal glow, reliving a positive encounter with an upbeat and supportive boss, perhaps savoring a "bon mot" about your performance that he or she left with you on a Friday afternoon. How great it made you feel, and how eager you were to get out of bed on the following Monday morning, and get back to the office to give that man or woman the very best that you had to offer. That's the "afterglow" that lingers and gives you renewed energy to be more productive, to bring your finest talents to work. And think about the reverse of the afterglow – the aftermath, or bitter aftertaste. This is what Susan Scott, in Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time, brilliantly calls "The Emotional Wake." That's what lingers with you after being the recipient of some acrid remarks from a leader in a negative mood. How did that affect your determination to overcome difficulties in a project, to keep your heart fully engaged in the process, to want to continue to give that person your very best game? Contagion and Consequences Leadership literature is full of studies attesting to the consequences of a leader's mood. One such study involved 62 CEOs and their top management teams and it showed that the more upbeat, energetic and enthusiastic the executive team was, the more co-operatively they worked together, and the better the company's business results. The study also showed that the longer a company was managed by an executive team that didn't get along well, the poorer the company's market returns. Perhaps nowhere is a leader's mood more crucial than in the service industry where employees in a bad mood can, without fail, adversely affect business. In one of a multitude of such studies involving 53 sales managers in retail outlets who led groups ranging in size from four to nine members, it was found that when managers themselves were in an upbeat, positive mood, their moods spilled over to their staff, positively affecting the staff's performance and increasing sales. We can all take an inspiration from organizations such as Starbucks who place great value on the importance of creating a positive climate for employees which, in turn, ensures a pleasant customer experience and repeat visits. "We are always focused on our people" is an explicit statement to new recruits on the company's career site. When we move the curtain a bit, we can see clearly that a leader's bad mood is a source of infection – an emotional contagion that eventually spreads across people to entire units. We can learn a thing or two from leadership in the military. Imagine the effect on troop morale and energy that an "overwhelmed", "anxious", "worried" or "irate" leader would have? And how about a leader who is plagued by uncertainty? "Indecision," as HA Hopf puts it, "is contagious. It transmits itself to others." It can become debilitating and habitforming in an organization, as people take their cues from the leader's state of mind. Inconsistent Means Unpredictable We could argue that the occasional bad mood, the occasional rant, on a bad "corporate hair day", is excusable. Often, we refer to this type of behavior with statements such as: "She can't control her temper sometimes, but she is so brilliant". Or, "He has an amazing mind but he has a tendency to shout at people when it's stressful." It is as though brilliance is an excuse for bad behavior. And it may very well have to be in some environments – but the message it sends to constituents is one of inconsistency, which is an undesirable trait in any leader. We want our leaders to be predictable because there is comfort and safety in predictability. Predictability engenders trust and an unpredictable leader elicits anxiety and, in some cases, even fear, both of which negatively affect performance and productivity. Of course, no leader steps out of the elevator in the morning with an intention to spread a bad mood around but, as sure as there is gravity, events occur during the course of some days that can derail even the best among us. To be clear, we are not advocating that leaders turn into a shrink wrapped version, complete with false smiles and fake cheerfulness. Constituents spot a non-genuine smile anyway and are very adept at noticing when a leader infantilizes them. The Right Mood? There are, of course, no easy solutions to managing emotions on an hourly basis in the often difficult circumstances in which leaders must operate and make decisions. However, we can draw some advice from another Harvard Business Review article entitled Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance. First of all, it's important to note that a leader's mood has the greatest impact on performance when it is upbeat. But it must also be in tune with those around him. Goleman et al call this dynamic resonance. "Good moods galvanize good performance, but it doesn't make sense for a leader to be as chipper as a blue jay at dawn if sales are tanking or the business is going under. The most effective executives display moods and behaviors that match the situation at hand, with a healthy dose of optimism mixed in. They respect how other people are feeling – even if it is glum or defeated – but they also model what it looks like to move forward with hope and humor." The operative threesome here is "optimism", "hope" and "humor". As someone once put it, leaders are dealers in hope. Steps Towards Better Performance So what are the specific recommendations? Your mood and behavior affects performance. How do you work on attaining the consistent, emotionally intelligent leadership behaviors that breed success in yourself and others? Here are a few other suggestions to consider that can improve your and your team's performance: 1. Model Meeting Behavior Take a hard look at your behavior in meetings, which are often "cauldrons of emotion." Do you model the way by setting a positive tone right from the start? Or do you impose your own "pace" based on how you feel at the moment? Aim for a calm, relaxed mood, and a consistent, positive approach. 2. Look for Good in Others Long before leadership books were in vogue, Andre Malraux, French novelist and statesman, reminded us that one of the central objectives of a leader is to make others aware of the greatness that lies in them. Be known in your organization as someone who is always on the lookout for what is right with people. It engenders good will and is good for business. 3. Read the Climate Do you have a good reading of the climate of your unit or organization? Can you accurately sense what the emotional atmosphere is? Is it upbeat? Is it energized? Is it down or dejected? Do people seem slightly apprehensive and somewhat cautious in your presence? Can you ask a trusted acolyte if the atmosphere changes when you are away? 4. Be Pleasant and Cooperative If you are an emergent leader, and working on having a pleasant personality is not a priority for you, consider putting some effort into cultivating this prized quality. It is almost impossible to have executive presence without it. Be cooperative, for example sharing ideas and shortcuts. This is another example of how mood affects productivity. 5. Be Emotionally Attractive Along that vein, focus on being emotionally attractive. This links to the concept of resonant leadership. Resonant leaders are individuals who have the ability to manage their own emotions and those of others in a manner that drives the success of their teams and organizations. In Resonant Leadership: Renewing Yourself and Connecting with Others through Mindfulness, Hope and Compassion, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee explain that resonant leaders create a positive emotional tone in the organization and engage and inspire people. As the title of their book indicates, these leaders possess three core qualities which are: mindfulness, hope, and compassion. Consider making these a part of your arsenal as a leader. 6. Manage the Emotions of Change Be particularly mindful of how you manage emotions if your organization is undergoing change: how you handle emotions during these crucial times can help or hinder the change process. It's a known fact that if the resistance to change is emotional, it is the hardest form of resistance to overcome. As the leader handling a change initiative, don't avoid the emotions that accompany the change process. Set the mood and manage the emotions – or they will manage you. If you cringe at the whole notion of emotions in the workplace, including talk of empathy and compassion, intuition or discussions of emotional intelligence, I encourage you to reconsider this mindset. Hone your intuitive ability, and listen to those hunches that hint to you that something in your behavior and actions on bad days is causing a ripple effect on others. These are the whispers we try to dismiss when we elect to focus only on "rationality". Intuition is a precious tool worth including in our kit. Einstein put it best: "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." As the leader, you have in your hand the switch that can control the intensity of engagement of the people who do the work in your organization. It's like being a director in a movie: "The first work of the director is to set a mood so that the actor's work can take place" (William Friedkin, American movie and television director/producer.) A leader's upbeat mood metaphorically oxygenates the blood of followers – it's a transfusion into the corporate arteries. It may be one of the most potent contributions you can make as a leader. Copyright © 2007-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... James wrote Hi Adele Just saying that I've posted a response to your help request at http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1087. Let's carry on discussing it there! James August 13, 2007 Adele wrote Hi all I have to agree with the comments posted about the article - I have managed/led a staff of 16 and a faculty of 60 students in my previous job - waching others lead and learning from them plus reading everything I could find about motivating people etc helped me to come to understand how to get the best I could out of my team.. Mindtools has been a fantastic resource and the latest article just another example of the great material on the site!... I now work for quite a different organisation - a large regional economic development agency and Mind Tools continues to be a great asset - (my role is as a sector leader, so I have responsibilty for working with industry representatives to shape strategy and drive forward projects - I love the work) BUT - all that aside HELP PLEASE... Within the overarching management of the organisation there is an individual trying to drive Four Quadrant Leadership (Wilf Jarvis' model of leadership) across the entire organisation. While I have a lot of respect for Wilf, and have attended his course on 4QL, I am not convinced that this is the best leadership tool available for us and I would love to hear from others who have experienced its use in the field... Please could you let me know if you have any experience of 4QL and what your thoughts are?? (In the meantime I think I willl download the new Mind Tools ebook on leadership and see if I can find anything in there - I have found the other e-books extremely good so hopefully it will p rovide some good research...) Look forward to hearing your thoughts... Adele August 12, 2007 lulu wrote I agree with you Shackledog! If only we could pick our bosses. I have been a manager for about 13 years and I believe that I am a very good boss - able to see different perspectives, keep calm and consistent and give people responsibility and opportunities to contribute at higher levels and to grow as individuals. Now, in my new job, I am a trainer - not a manager. This is a career step of choice. Everything is great, except my supervisor or boss. She obviously has had very little experience or understanding of a leadership role. We had a discussion in the office (my colleague and I share and office with our supervisor not good) and the supervisor had criticised us for a decision we had made, and yet the big boss had congratulated us for it. Our supervisor likes micromanaging, only this doesn't work for my colleague or for me! So we were trying to give that feedback, that we needed clarity around roles and responsibilities and we needed the opportunity to work with out clients without having to ask permission! Anyway, the meeting didn't really end on a high note as she got very defensive. My colleague and I thought we would raise it with the big boss, that we have difficulty in establishing clear roles and responsibilities. But, what had happened was - our supervisor went to the big boss and laid a formal complaint about my colleague!! There were no grounds for that, I was there the whole time! What sort of manager does that! Consequently we were interviewed separately and I made it quite clear that I have never encountered a manager who, rather than try and address any conflict directly with the person, would lay a complaint against one of their staff. To be honest, I don't think I can work with someone who I can't trust. She brought up things from the past that neither my colleague or I had any idea she had any 'issue' with. So from now, how comfortable would I be raising things with her, and not knowing whether there would be a complaint laid against me in the future. I have told senior management this, and I am hoping that they have taken it on board. Unfortunately there are a lot of managers here who have little idea of good management practices, but I think I have given them some tips. Especially around process for formal complaints. We shall see. Lulu August 12, 2007 MichaelP wrote Great article, insightful and well presented. What continues to amaze me is how often the 'leaders' don't realize how significantly their behavior good or bad effects the organization. The boss shouts so everyone keeps out of the way and limits communication and then its all their fault for not communicating.... All employees should choose their Boss and in my opinion the organizations would be better for it. That's how we run countries! August 10, 2007 Yolande wrote What a brilliant article! I once worked in an organisation where the MD had bad outbursts from time to time, but on the whole he was a very likeable person. Yet, the staff morale was slowly deteriorating - due to their fear and their feeling that especially on "those" days, he would only see everything they did wrong. It has not yet improved; I am sad to say that it is not going well with that business. And unfortunately, he has successfully managed to teach his managers to be the same - not deliberately, but 'monkey see, monkey do..." August 10, 2007 Return to top of the page Authentic Leadership Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow You may have heard of "authentic leadership." Books, leadership courses, and even businesses have been built around this idea. But it's often easier to identify authentic leaders than it is to define what makes them that way. What do the words "authentic leader" actually mean? What truly makes one, and why is it worth the effort to become one? Live up to their trust. © iStockphoto/nataq There are many different answers to these questions. In this article, we'll discuss why it is so important, and we'll examine the different characteristics that make someone authentic as a leader. Why Authentic Leadership? Leadership today is very different from leadership in our parents' generation. The old "top down" style of management just doesn't work anymore. Workers generally want to be fully engaged, and committed to what they're doing. They want to feel as if their work matters. And they want to believe in the people who are in charge. Because of these higher expectations, it's vital for leaders to know how to inspire passion and confidence in the people they're leading. When people work alongside a truly authentic leader, they'll often give their whole hearts and minds to the cause. In these situations, a spirit of teamwork and loyalty can spread throughout an organization, resulting in high morale and producing extraordinary results. Authentic leaders inspire trust in their teams. People are more willing to be open about problems, which means that those problems are more likely to get fixed, instead of being ignored. What is Authentic Leadership? So, authentic leadership can inspire people to pull together, work hard, and communicate. But how do you lead in an authentic way? What does this involve? There's no easy answer for these questions, because it means a lot of different things and involves a diverse group of skills, actions, and behaviors. At root, however, authentic leadership is all about behaving with integrity, and being consistent. For example, authentic leaders inspire those they lead because they stay true to their own values. They know who they are, and they don't let anyone keep them from making a decision that they know is right. They have integrity and firm moral codes, and they manage to stay sensible and stable even during the most difficult times. How to Lead Authentically The path to this type of leadership is not straight and well-defined. As we said earlier, it involves many different skills, traits, and actions. By focusing on some of the most common characteristics, you can start down your own path towards this. Let's look at some main themes – ethics, power, communication, and the organization – and we'll examine how you could start developing these on your own. Ethics Authentic leaders are ethical leaders. They've identified their ethical codes, and they never compromise on what they believe to be right and wrong. If you'd like some help identifying your own ethics and values, our article Ethical Leadership is a great starting point; and our Book Insight into "Winners Never Cheat" by Jon Huntsman reviews a book that shows why being ethical matters so very much. Power All leaders have power. But authentic leaders know how to use the right kind of power – for the good of the group, and for the goal that needs to be achieved. There are several different kinds of power. One type is expert power. As a leader with this, you're an expert at what you do, and your team looks up to you because of that. Learn how to build and use this type of power with our article on Expert Power . Authentic leaders use the power of example. When leaders do as they say, they gain the respect and admiration of their teams. Learn more about this in our Leading by Example article. Authentic leaders don't simply know what type of power to use in a given situation. They also understand power – where it comes from, and how to use it to get things done. Our article on French and Raven's Five Forms of Power can help you understand the many different types of power in the workplace, and helps you use the good forms and avoid the bad. Communication Authentic leaders are excellent communicators. And they use a number of different communication strategies to pass along their values, inspire their teams, and give clear commands. They'll often use storytelling as an effective way of communicating an important message. Stories may inspire a team to work harder – and, when done right, stories can change an entire corporate culture by creating "legends". Our article Business Storytelling will show you how to start telling great stories to your team. Communication involves "give and take." Authentic leaders understand that the world isn't just about them, and they listen actively to other people and accept good advice, no matter where it comes from or who gives it. Good communication also involves feedback. It can be incredibly difficult for leaders to get the feedback they need to improve (after all, no one wants to tell the CEO that his idea stinks!) But authentic leaders work hard to create a culture of open communication. They know they are not perfect, and they hire people who are willing to tell them so. Our articles Active Listening and How to Handle Criticism can help you improve in these areas. The Organization We've probably all seen leaders who look out for themselves, instead of the organization and the people they're leading. Authentic leaders, however, never forget that they have an enormous responsibility. They put their companies and their people first. A leader's goals should be aligned with company goals. When these two areas are not aligned, the focus becomes divided. Learn more about aligning your goals with your organization's goals in our article on Management By Objectives . Authentic leaders also know what truly drives their companies and their teams. Why is this important? Well, if you don't know the drivers that are key to performance, then you'll probably never find out what's wrong when your company or team isn't "working." The Congruence Model will help you discover the four key components of your organization, and it will teach you how to make sure they're aligned for success. Read Bruna Martinuzzi's article The Talisman of Leadership – Authenticity for a related discussion of authentic leadership, based on emotional intelligence. Key Points Authentic leadership involves a lot of different things. And developing the skills and characteristics needed should be an evolving journey, not a final destination. These leaders are often easier to recognize than define, but they all have a few traits in common. They know themselves well, and they never allow someone else to cause them to break their "moral codes." They put their companies and their teams first, they're excellent communicators, and they know how to use the right kind of power for the right situation. Did you find this article helpful? Click to vote no No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Hi Shannon Once again, thanks for sharing so honestly and telling us a bit about your life. I do agree with you - having a mentor or a role model is truly priceless. Personally, I find it easier to attain goals if I have someone I can look up to or someone who can really give me good, solid guidance. You really seem intent on learning more and more about leadership - what a wonderful goal/mission! Kind regards Yolandé January 26, 2011 careercpr wrote I enjoyed this article because I want to be the type of leader that people follow. Here are my thoughts on what it means to be an authentic leader: *allowing yourself to be vulnerable *having a vision that you share with others - being on a mission *operating from a set of core values *allowing others to shine In my workplace, I don't see anyone on the management team being an authentic leader. I see them as having expert power they've been in the industry for years and have a tremendous amount of knowledge. In my humble opinion, the challenge with this is that the staff isn't fully engaged. I love the point made about how a leader's goals should be aligned with company goals. When the employees and the management team are working for a common goal, I think the workplace would have a stronger sense of teamwork, higher productivity and increased job satisfaction. I'm looking forward to reading the articles on Management by Objection and the Congruence Model. With my women's group, I feel that I demonstrate some of the skills of an authentic leader. For example, at the beginning of the month, I posted a mission statement and core values for the group. It was amazing to hear the response from the women they really connected to what the group is all about and what we are all about. I even had them share the aspects of the mission that speak to them and where they are in their lives. I've been blessed to know and work with some authentic leaders that serve as my role models. I love how it feels to be in the presence of their greatness. My intention is to have the same impact on the women in my group. Joyfully, Shannon January 26, 2011 bigk wrote Hi I did work on this recently from the articles and resources available elsewhere, I have assessed this as a good skill to practice and develop in other leadership qualities. I have seen potential in my self development to continue development and use it more than just recently. Even without direct situations to use this in, I still find there are situations where it can be used. I am encouraged to do more in this area to utilise what I have available so far and want to progress these and other skills further. Have a happy Christmas Looking forward to another new year and opportunity. Bigk December 25, 2009 Dianna wrote This message can't be repeated often enough!! It's essential to monitor and develop our emotional intelligence - I'm convinced it's a critical factor in moving from a good leader to a great one. Dianna December 15, 2009 winneyn wrote A very timely article. So many managers think that capitulation is a show of weakness. But a moments pause to determine if this is a battle worth fighting, will show others that you are studied and controlled in your responses. The workplace is no place for the dramatic. December 15, 2009 Return to top of the page Building Expert Power Lead From the Front, at Work There are many different power bases that a leader can use and exploit. These include problematic ones such as the power of position, the power to give rewards, the power to punish and the power to control information. While these types of power do have some strength, they put the person being lead in an © iStockphoto unhealthy position of weakness, and can leave leaders using these power bases looking autocratic and out of touch. More than this, society has changed hugely over the last 50 years. Citizens are individually more powerful, and employees are more able to shift jobs. Few of us enjoy having power exerted over us, and many will do what they can to undermine people who use these sorts of power. However there are three types of positive power that effective leaders use: charismatic power, expert power and referent power . This article teaches the technique of building expert power. Using the Tool Expert power is essential because as a leader, your team looks to you for direction and guidance. Team members need to believe in your ability to set a worthwhile direction, give sound guidance and coordinate a good result. If your team perceives you as a true expert, they will listen to you when you try to persuade them or inspire them. And if your team sees you as an expert, you will find it much easier to energize and motivate them: • If your team members respect your expertise, they'll know that you can show them how to work effectively. • If your team members trust your judgment, they'll trust you to guide their good efforts and hard work in such a way that you'll make the most of their hard work. • If they can see your expertise, team members will believe that you have the wisdom to direct their efforts towards a goal that is genuinely worthwhile. Taken together, if your team sees you as an expert, you will find it much easier to motivate team members to perform at their best. So how do you build expert power? The first step is fairly obvious (if time consuming) – build expertise . And, if you are already using tools like the information gathering tool , chances are that you have already progressed well ahead in this direction. But just being an expert isn't enough, it is also necessary for your team members to recognize your expertise and see you to be a credible source of information and advice. Gary A. Yukl, in his book "Leadership in Organizations," details some steps to build expert power. These are: • Promote an image of expertise: Since perceived expertise in many occupations is associated with a person's education and experience, a leader should (subtly) make sure that subordinates, peers, and superiors are aware of his or her formal education, relevant work experience, and significant accomplishments. One common tactic to make this information known is to display diplomas, licenses, awards, and other evidence of expertise in a prominent location in one's office – after all, if you've worked hard to gain knowledge, it's fair that you get credit for it. Another tactic is to make subtle references to prior education or experience (e.g., "When I was chief engineer at GE, we had a problem similar to this one"). Beware, however, this tactic can easily be overdone. • Maintain credibility: Once established, one's image of expertise should be carefully protected. The leader should avoid making careless comments about subjects on which he or she is poorly informed, and should avoid being associated with projects with a low likelihood of success. • Act confidently and decisively in a crisis: In a crisis or emergency, subordinates prefer a "take charge" leader who appears to know how to direct the group in coping with the problem. In this kind of situation, subordinates tend to associate confident, firm leadership with expert knowledge. Even if the leader is not sure of the best way to deal with a crisis, to express doubts or appear confused risks the loss of influence over subordinates. • Keep informed: Expert power is exercised through rational persuasion and demonstration of expertise. Rational persuasion depends on a firm grasp of up-to-date facts. It is therefore essential for a leader to keep well-informed of developments within the team, within the organization, and in the outside world. • Recognize subordinate concerns: Use of rational persuasion should not be seen as a form of one-way communication from the leader to subordinates. Effective leaders listen carefully to the concerns and uncertainties of their team members, and make sure that they address these. • Avoid threatening the self-esteem of subordinates: Expert power is based on a knowledge differential between leader and team members. Unfortunately, the very existence of such a differential can cause problems if the leader is not careful about the way he exercises expert power. Team members can dislike unfavorable status comparisons where the gap is very large and obvious. They are likely to be upset by a leader who acts in a superior way, and arrogantly flaunts his greater expertise. In the process of presenting rational arguments, some leaders lecture their team members in a condescending manner and convey the impression that the other team members are "ignorant." Guard against this. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article Next Lead Now! Learning Stream article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Midgie wrote Hi Jo, Interesting thought here the more we know the more we know we don't know On a certain level, I agree with you. If I think back to when I was 20, then 30, then 40 ... I used to think I knew it all! Yet, with each passing decade, I realized that I didn't know anything compared to what I previously thought I knew. Yet, on another level, with time and experience we do become recognized as 'experts' simply by the fact that we know more than perhaps others around us. Or rather, we know more and are speaking up and sharing it. I know with my coaching business, I do have a certain level of knowledge and expertise simply by the fact that I have worked in a particular area for some time. Yet, I also know that there are others out there who probably know more than I do ... so that keeps me humble! What do you think about the idea of an expert being 'arrogant' versus 'humble'? Midgie February 28, 2013 brisbane_artist wrote I never think of expert power this way. The idea of having a subordinate just doesn't quite sit with me. Don't you think that the more we know the more we know we don't know? If we are truly expert what happens is that we become more aware of how to release the expert in others. Food for thought here! Jo February 24, 2013 Bree wrote Thanks James for reminding me of a great article! I particularly liked the point about maintaining credibitility by avoiding careless comments. It's almost like maintaining impecible behaviour as a leader. Acting like a leader would act, and never saying negative things about other people or situations. A leader ican be perceived as the example for the company ... so almost faultless, while still being human. Makes me stop and think about my behaviour and the things I say - both to work colleagues and to friends. Bree August 13, 2008 Yolande wrote This is an excellent article. Two things stood out for me: Maintaining credibility and avoiding to threaten the self-esteem of subordinates. The first - a leader without credibility is no leader.... Who likes to follow someone without credibility? Secondly, the minute someone feels 'threatened' or gets a blow to their selfesteem, they are less co-operative, less productive and often a 'wild card' with regards to the effect that they have on the rest of the team. Many thanks - much to 'take home' from this article! Regards Yolandé August 12, 2008 Return to top of the page Building Tomorrow's Leaders Identifying and Developing Leaders Organizations need leaders – and not just in top executive positions. Leaders are people who have the vision to see what needs to be done, and to motivate and energize people to perform excellently. With strong leadership skills in place at all levels of your organization, you'll find it much easier to build a strong, respected and prosperous business. How to recognize leadership potential. © iStockphoto However, spotting people with leadership potential is not always easy. To ensure your business's continuing performance, you need to identify these people and nurture their leadership potential – it's a potential that's far too valuable to waste. So, how do certain people show they have what it takes to lead others? The Right Kind of Potential It's common to label high achievers as potential leaders. Unfortunately, it's not that simple: If people perform well, that only shows that they're well suited to their jobs. Let's look at two examples: • Carla, the R&D expert, whose research led to discovering a new gene, is certainly a great scientist. Her co-workers admire the work she does, and it's very likely she'll be promoted because of her technical skills. But she doesn't share her knowledge, and she doesn't help others understand her methods. • Sue in marketing is a good employee whose work is above average but not necessarily extraordinary. However, what does stand out is that she has forged great relationships with people from all parts of the company. Because of this, whenever changes occur, managers count on her to see the benefits and motivate her colleagues to accept them. Who is the real leader? Chances are that Sue is a more promising leader than Carla. You won't know this, though, until you look deeply and observe her in action. What's clear from the start is that job performance, by itself, is not a reliable indicator. To determine key leadership indicators it's important to recall some popular theories of leadership. Leadership Theories There are many theories of leadership: • The "great man" theory claims that leaders are born, not made. • By contrast, behavioral theory says that leadership skills can be learned. • Trait theory argues that leaders have a certain combination of natural, instinctive characteristics or traits. • Situational theories tell us that the different leadership styles each have appropriate uses in different situations. At Mind Tools, we believe that leadership skills can be developed and learned, and we also believe that, in business, the right kind of leadership is most often "transformational leadership". A transformational leader is someone who can create an inspiring vision of the future, motivate people to achieve it, manage the implementation of that vision, and build a team capable of meeting the next challenge even more effectively. A lot of this goes on within a potential leader's mind, however, as someone seeking to nurture leaders, you can learn to recognize the traits shown by these people. By watching out for these traits, you can see that the person you're watching is thinking in the right way. So, while almost everyone can develop leadership qualities, some may already be more advanced in their ability to do well in leadership roles. The observable behaviors listed below show this high potential. Look for these personal attributes in others. and develop them in yourself. Leadership Qualities and Attributes • Leaders can see a better future – they don't accept the status quo, and they don't just settle for things the way they are. By combining their technical ability with their strong conceptual skills, they are able to generate new ideas and build an inspiring vision of how the future could be. • Who always thinks of new and practical ideas and suggestions? • Who tries to understand what drives the business? Who thinks strategically on a regular basis? • Who stays aware of current issues and trends, understands the impact these can have, and is quick to define opportunities and threats? • Who enjoys bouncing ideas around and thinking laterally? • Who makes changes without prior approval? • Who always looks for bigger assignments and for opportunities to learn new skills? • Leaders are passionate about leading – they have an internal drive to spearhead projects and take on the leadership role. • Who sees the "big picture" and plans at least the first few moves to get there? • Who is the first person in a group to get the action started? • Who can inspire the people around them? • Who commits to ideas and gets results? • Who enjoys initiating new projects? • Leaders know themselves – they have a high level of selfawareness. This means that they know what they're good at, they know what they're bad at, they exploit their strengths, and they manage their weaknesses (for example, by working with someone with complementary strengths). • Who seeks ways to increase their understanding of themselves – their skills, aptitudes, and competencies? • Who is open to all types of feedback? • Who asks for feedback and acts constructively to make improvements? • Who listens without trying to justify or getting defensive? • Who senses the impact that their behavior has on others and makes adjustments accordingly? • Who proactively turns mistakes into learning experiences? • Who encourages others to become more self-aware? • Leaders have high integrity – they are fair and trustworthy and expect the same from others. People trust what they say and have faith in what they do. Because of this, these leaders are respected and they treat others with respect as well. • Who communicates openly with everyone? • Who does the "right thing" despite peer pressure? • Who isn't afraid to be wrong or to have a different opinion? • Who shares mistakes and bad news openly and honestly? • Who takes responsibly without seeking blame? • Who provides valuable feedback to others? • Who resists making quick judgments on instinct, and prefers instead to observe what others do and the types of decisions they make? • Who consistently performs very well and delivers outstanding results? • Leaders respect other people – while leaders aren't always people-people (being extroverted or charismatic helps, but isn't essential), they are genuinely interested and concerned about others welfare, and they work hard to help people in their teams make the most of themselves. • Who invests in relationships with people? • Who sees value in others and wants everyone to be the best they can be? • Who is quick to ask for and give help, and models and encourages collaborative work behavior? • Who nurtures talent in others? • Whose opinion do people seek? • Leaders are inspirational – they have a positive and motivational energy. They bring a contagious enthusiasm to the workplace. • Who would you describe as fun, positive, generous, and "up beat"? • Who is quick to give credit to others? • Who openly celebrates success? • Who willingly shares responsibility and sets others up for success? • Who is genuinely appreciative of the work others do? • Who focuses on the positive, and tries to make the best of a situation? • Leaders are special – they have a certain "je ne sais quoi" that is difficult to define and yet quite easy to recognize. • They make solid decisions in highly uncertain situations. • They are good at simplifying complex issues. • They are mentally tough. • They accept and encourage change. • They are proactive. • They are consistent. • They believe in themselves. • They are purposeful and get the job done. So, how many of these paragons do you have in your organization? The chances are that only a few will "tick all the boxes". However, if you can recognize some of these skills, attitudes and characteristics in the people around you, you can start to work with them to develop the others. This is what leadership development is all about. Tip: Leadership development is closely related to Succession Planning , which is about making sure that you can cope if key individuals leave your organization. Click here to read our article on this. Key Points Leaders are needed throughout a company, and it's wise to identify those people who show promising leadership skills. Leaders aren't necessarily the highest performers – they may not sell the most widgets or demonstrate the greatest technical skill. High-potential leaders are often the people who want more and do more. They're the ones who embrace changes and try to help others. They make the company better in terms of performance and culture. Proactively identify the people in your organization with the potential to be good leaders, and nurture their skills to develop candidates who can fill your company's leadership roles. This will help you ensure that you meet business needs and exceed performance standards, because true leaders will do what they can to make the organization the best it can be. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience Return to top of the page Contingency Planning Developing a Good 'Plan B' Fires, floods, tornadoes – these are things that we often connect with contingency planning. But what if your main supplier suddenly goes bankrupt? Or, your entire sales force gets food poisoning at the annual sales conference? Or, your payroll clerk calls in sick on payroll day? Have a solid Plan B ready. © iStockphoto/WendellFranks These things can all cause confusion and disorder if you haven't prepared for them properly. Contingency planning is a key part of this preparation. As you can see, contingency planning is not just about major disasters. On a smaller scale, it's about preparing for events such as the loss of data, people, customers, and suppliers, and other disruptive unknowns. That's why it's important to make contingency planning a normal part of the way your business works. Risk Assessment The need for contingency planning emerges from a thorough analysis of the risks that your organization faces. It's also useful in thinking about new and ongoing projects: what happens when 'Plan A' doesn't go as expected? Sometimes Plan A simply means 'business as usual.' Other times, with more sophisticated risk management plans, Plan A is your first response to deal with an identified risk – and when Plan A doesn't work, you use your contingency plan. Use these principles in your risk assessment process: • Address all business-critical operations – A good plan identifies all critical business functions, and it outlines ways to minimize losses. • Identify risks – For each of these functions, conduct a Risk Analysis to identify the various risks that your business may face. What has the potential to significantly disrupt or harm your business? The end result of a risk analysis is usually a huge list of potential threats: if you try to produce a contingency plan for each, you may be overwhelmed. This is why you must prioritize. • Prioritizing risks – One of the greatest challenges of contingency planning is making sure you don't plan too much. You need a careful balance between over-preparing for something that may never happen, and adequate preparation, so that you can respond quickly and effectively to a crisis situation when it occurs. Risk Impact/Probability Charts help you find this balance. With these, you analyze the impact of each risk, and you estimate a likelihood of it occurring. You can then see which risks require the expense and effort of risk mitigation. Business processes that are essential to long-term survival – like maintaining cash flow, staff support, and market share – are typically at the top of the list. Note that contingency planning isn't the only action that emerges as a result of risk analysis – you can manage risk by using existing assets more effectively, or by investing in new resources or services that help you manage it (such as insurance). Also, if a risk is particularly unlikely to materialize, you may decide to do nothing about it, and manage around it if the situation arises. Contingency Planning Challenges You should be aware of two common obstacles as you begin your contingency planning process: • People are often poorly motivated to develop a strong ‘Plan B’, because they have so much of an emotional investment in the ‘Plan A’ that they want to deliver. Stress that Plan B needs to be properly thought-through. • There’s often a low probability of a crisis occurring, so people often don’t see contingency planning as an urgent activity. Unfortunately, this can mean that it gets stuck at the bottom of their To Do Lists as a task that never gets done. Developing the Plan Remember these guidelines when it's time to prepare your contingency plan: • Your main goal is to maintain business operations – Look closely at what you need to do to deliver a minimum level of service and functionality. • Define time periods – What must be done during the first hour of the plan being implemented? The first day? The first week? If you look at the plan in this way, you're less likely to leave out important details. • Identify the trigger – What, specifically, will cause you to implement the contingency plan? Decide which actions you'll take, and when. Determine who is in charge at each stage and what type of reporting process they must follow. • Keep the plan simple – You don't know who will read and implement the plan when it's needed, so use clear, plain language. • Consider related resource restrictions – Will your organization be able to function the same way if you have to implement Plan B, or will Plan B necessarily reduce capabilities? • Identify everyone's needs – Have people throughout the company identify what they must have, at a minimum, to continue operations. • Define 'success' – What will you need to do to return to 'business as usual'? • Include contingency plans in standard operating procedures – Make sure you provide initial training on the plan, and keep everyone up-to-date on changes. • Manage your risks – Look for opportunities to reduce risk, wherever possible. This may help you reduce, or even eliminate, the need for full contingency plans in certain areas. • Identify operational inefficiencies – Provide a standard to document your planning process, and find opportunities for performance improvement. Disaster recovery specifics are beyond the scope of this article. For more information on this topic, listen to our Expert Interview with Kathy McKee, 'Leading People Through Disasters' . Maintaining the Plan After you prepare the contingency plan, you need to do several things to keep it practical and relevant – don't just create a document and file it away. As your business changes, you'll need to review and update these plans accordingly. Here are some key steps in the contingency plan maintenance process: • Communicate the plan to everyone in the organization. • Inform people of their roles and responsibilities related to the plan. • Provide necessary training for people to fulfill these roles and responsibilities. • Conduct disaster drills where practical. • Assess the results of training and drills, and make any necessary changes. • Review the plan on a regular basis, especially if there are relevant technological, operational, and personnel changes. • Distribute revised plans throughout the company, and make sure that the old plan is discarded. • Keep copies of the plan off-site, and in a place where they can be accessed quickly when needed. • Audit the plan periodically: • Reassess the risks to the business. • Analyze efforts to control risk by comparing actual performance with the performance levels described in the contingency plan. • Recommend and make changes, if necessary. Key Points Contingency planning is ignored in many companies. Day-to-day operations are demanding, and the probability of a significant business disruption is small, so it's hard to make time to prepare a good plan. However, if you're proactive in the short term, you'll help ensure a quicker and more effective recovery from an operational setback in the long term, and you may save your organization from failure in the event that risks materialize. Contingency planning requires an investment of time and resources, but if you fail to do it – or if you do it poorly – the costs could be significant if a disaster happens. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Rachel wrote Hi All Organizations that don't make contingency plans often do poorly when operational setbacks occur. Learn why contingency planning is critical to long-term success, in this week's Featured Favorite resource. Best wishes Rachel June 25, 2013 Midgie wrote Hi Bigk, It is indeed a good thing to meet often! Meeting often does help the directions to focus on more than one issue. Whether that is in the office or with ourselves, it helps us to stay clear on what we are doing and where we are going and ensures we can make any adjustments so we can achieve our goals! The meetings do not have to be lengthy ones, shorter meetings on a more regular basis also works fine! Midgie November 9, 2009 bigk wrote Hi I know this is not a current discussion, but I do agree about keeping current about direction and option in both these personal and work issues. Meeting often does help the directions to focus on more than one issue. Bigk November 8, 2009 Yolande wrote Hi Aeonima & Midgie I'd love to type a long reply to what you have both said in the last postings of this thread, but yolande.com needs to have an urgent board meeting right now. Thanks for that reminder - sometimes we can't see clearly simply because we don't take time out to sit and sum up where we are, plan what we NEED (not want!) to do next and what our strategy will be. I am very guilty of just ploughing ahead at times, without making sure that it is the best and most valuable action I can be taking at the time. Kind regards Yolandé May 20, 2009 Midgie wrote Hi Aeonima, Thanks for sharing that ... as it does indeed make a positive difference to look at our lives as if it were like a business. Some of us wouldn't dream about running a business with no focus, no direction and just let the wind take us in whatever direction it blew! So ... why put up with that in our personal lives. Sometimes it is a good to have a regular board meeting with ourselves ... to take stock, see where we are going, what needs to change and what else we could do to make ourselves more successful! I'm just facing some personal changes at the moment so I think a board meeting is in order! We have a long weekend coming up this weekend ... so perfect timing!! Midgie May 19, 2009 aeonima wrote Hi Midgie, Time and again, I sit down and think about "aeonima.com", analyzing the situation as if I were a company. It helps me to overcome my passivity and the feeling of being overwhelmed or victimized. With a healthy sense of paranoia and a grain of salt, I feel much better and more in control. Cheers, Aeonima May 19, 2009 Midgie wrote Interesting article on business contingency planning with some great ideas and suggestions. I've been thinking about how this can also related to us personally and career wise. By having a plan of action and being prepared for the 'what if' scenarios, you will be in a stronger position to move if something does happen, like a redundancy or restructuring. Food for thought to do some personal contingency planning for your career, as well as for your business! Midgie May 18, 2009 Return to top of the page Core Leadership Theories Learning the Foundations of Leadership Why are some leaders successful, while others fail? The truth is that there is no "magic combination" of characteristics that makes a leader successful, and different characteristics matter in different circumstances. This doesn't mean, however, that you can't learn to be an effective leader. Understand core leadership theories. © iStockphoto/DNY59 You just need to understand the various approaches to leadership, so that you can use the right approach for your own situation. One way of doing this is to learn about the core leadership theories that provide the backbone of our current understanding of leadership. Since the early 20th century, four main groups of theories have emerged. We look at these core leadership theories in this article. Tip: Our article on Leadership Styles explores common leadership styles that have emerged from these core leadership theories. These include the "transformational leadership" style, which is often the most effective approach to use in business situations. The Four Core Theory Groups Let's look at each of the four core groups of theory, and explore some of the tools and models that apply with each. (Keep in mind that there are many other theories out there.) 1. Trait Theories – What Type of Person Makes a Good Leader? Trait theories argue that effective leaders share a number of common personality characteristics, or "traits." Early trait theories said that leadership is an innate, instinctive quality that you do or don't have. Thankfully, we've moved on from this idea, and we're learning more about what we can do to develop leadership qualities within ourselves and others. Trait theories help us identify traits and qualities (for example, integrity, empathy, assertiveness, good decision-making skills, and likability) that are helpful when leading others. However, none of these traits, nor any specific combination of them, will guarantee success as a leader. Traits are external behaviors that emerge from the things going on within our minds – and it's these internal beliefs and processes that are important for effective leadership. We explore some of the traits and skills that you need to be a good leader in our articles What a Real Leader Knows , Level 5 Leadership , and What is Leadership? 2. Behavioral Theories – What Does a Good Leader Do? Behavioral theories focus on how leaders behave. For instance, do leaders dictate what needs to be done and expect cooperation? Or do they involve their teams in decision-making to encourage acceptance and support? In the 1930s, Kurt Lewin developed a framework based on a leader's behavior. He argued that there are three types of leaders: 1. Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their teams. This style of leadership is considered appropriate when decisions need to be made quickly, when there's no need for input, and when team agreement isn't necessary for a successful outcome. 2. Democratic leaders allow the team to provide input before making a decision, although the degree of input can vary from leader to leader. This style is important when team agreement matters, but it can be difficult to manage when there are lots of different perspectives and ideas. 3. Laissez-faire leaders don't interfere; they allow people within the team to make many of the decisions. This works well when the team is highly capable, is motivated, and doesn't need close supervision. However, this behavior can arise because the leader is lazy or distracted; and this is where this style of leadership can fail. Clearly, how leaders behave affects their performance. Researchers have realized, though, that many of these leadership behaviors are appropriate at different times. The best leaders are those who can use many different behavioral styles, and choose the right style for each situation. Our article "Laissez Faire" versus Micromanagement looks at how you can find the right balance between autocratic and laissezfaire styles of leadership, while our article on the Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid helps you decide how to behave as a leader, depending on your concerns for people and for production. 3. Contingency Theories – How Does the Situation Influence Good Leadership? The realization that there is no one correct type of leader led to theories that the best leadership style depends on the situation. These theories try to predict which style is best in which circumstance. For instance, when you need to make quick decisions, which style is best? When you need the full support of your team, is there a more effective way to lead? Should a leader be more people-oriented or task-oriented? These are all questions that contingency leadership theories try to address. The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory is a popular contingency-based leadership framework, which links leadership style with the maturity of individual members of the leader's team. Other contingency-based models include House's Path-Goal Theory and Fiedler's Contingency Model . You can also use the Leadership Process Model to understand how your situation affects other factors that are important for effective leadership, and how, in turn, these affect your leadership. 4. Power and Influence Theories – What is the Source of the Leader's Power? Power and influence theories of leadership take an entirely different approach – these are based on the different ways that leaders use power and influence to get things done, and they look at the leadership styles that emerge as a result. Perhaps the best-known of these theories is French and Raven's Five Forms of Power . This model highlights three types of positional power – legitimate, reward, and coercive – and two sources of personal power – expert and referent (your personal appeal and charm). The model suggests that using personal power is the better alternative, and that you should work on building expert power (the power that comes with being a real expert in the job) because this is the most legitimate source of personal power. Another leadership style that uses power and influence is transactional leadership . This approach assumes that people do things for reward and for no other reason. Therefore, it focuses on designing tasks and reward structures. While this may not be the most appealing leadership strategy in terms of building relationships and developing a highly motivating work environment, it often works, and leaders in most organizations use it on a daily basis to get things done. Similarly, leading by example influencing your team. is another highly effective way of Effective Leadership Styles As we mentioned above, transformational leadership the best leadership style to use in business. is often Transformational leaders show integrity, and they know how to develop a robust and inspiring vision of the future. They motivate people to achieve this vision, they manage its delivery, and they build ever stronger and more successful teams. However, you'll often need to adapt your style to fit a specific group or situation, and this is why it's useful to gain a thorough understanding of other styles. Our article on Leadership Styles takes a deeper look at the different styles that you can use. Key Points Over time, several core theories about leadership have emerged. These theories fall into four main categories: 1. Trait theories. 2. Behavioral theories. 3. Contingency theories. 4. Power and influence theories. "Transformational leadership," is the most effective style to use in most business situations. However, you can become a more effective leader by learning about these core leadership theories, and understanding the tools and models associated with each one. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Midgie wrote Hi marksmolinski, Welcome to the Club! Glad to hear you found the article useful, and hope that you come back while doing your BSc CME as there is loads of very useful, and practical, tools and information. It is also great that you are here, at the start of your studies, to help you start developing your knowledge and habits! If there is anything I can help you with, just let me know. Hope to see you around the Club with your own questions or comments on others' discussions. Midgie August 27, 2013 marksmolinski wrote I agree tis is an exceptional package that shows Theory of Management.. I have this topic in the First Module of BSc.CME. IT'S A GREAT TOOL. August 27, 2013 Midgie wrote This article provides a great overview for anyone interested in or studying leadership theories. Plus with all the links to additional resources, it's a great starting point helping to understand leadership approaches. While reading the article, I could identify with the different types of leadership approaches of my past bosses ... interesting! Midgie May 15, 2012 Return to top of the page Crisis Planning Preparing Your Response to the Unexpected Crises happen from time to time in all organizations. So when one happens "on your watch" how will you react? Will you resolve it in a way that seems graceful and wellconsidered? Or will you stumble, and make mistakes which seriously damage your business? Crisis planning can help you weather a storm. This depends on the quality of the crisis planning that you do. © iStockphoto/swilmor Crisis planning requires foresight, insight and hindsight. When you plan for a crisis you are, by definition, planning for something that has not yet occurred but might do, and might have a serious impact on your business. No one wants a crisis to happen, but we must acknowledge the truth: bad things do happen, and the results can be serious or even disastrous. The need for crisis planning is clear, but because the exact nature and likelihood is unknown, many of us put it off. Don't make that mistake! It's not defeatist or fatalistic, it's simply realistic. If a crisis happens, you'll manage it much more successfully if you've prepared properly in advance! When we think of business crises, we often think of major disasters such as terrorist attacks, hurricanes, or a pandemic of avian flu. While terrorism and natural disasters definitely need to be anticipated, it's worth remembering that there are many other types of less dramatic business crisis that can cause damage to your organization. These include: • A computer virus or breach of IT security. • Theft of money or fraud by a member of staff. • Staff resignations. • Labor disputes. • Lawsuits from staff, former staff or customers. • Burglary or vandalism. • Fire. • Power cuts. • Transport disruption. • Product recalls. Many of these arise from within an organization. And it's worth noting that sometimes the risk is predictable, and prevention may be in your control. For example, a contented workforce is unlikely to go on strike; or if you have retail premises, vandalism may be an expected cost of doing business. Remember, too, that impact of a crisis can go beyond the direct loss of money, sales or long term customers: for example, if the crisis means that your organization no longer meets its regulatory requirements, you could lose your license to do business. Whether yours is a business in the pursuit of profit, or a public service organization such as a hospital, you have a duty to your stakeholders to get back on track as soon as possible. A crucial part of crisis planning is therefore to plan for business continuity after a crisis. This part of crisis management is often referred to as business continuity planning or business continuity management. Planning to Manage Crises There are many approaches to crisis planning and business continuity planning. Most involve the following four stages, in one way or another. These stages are described further below to provide a generic framework for your crisis planning. 1. Preparation. 2. Crisis Analysis. 3. Response Planning. 4. Recovery Planning. Stage 1: Preparation There are two main areas of preparation to think about – information gathering, and definition of roles and responsibilities. Start by appointing the person who's going to be responsible for the crisis plan. If your organization has several sites, it can be useful to have someone responsible at each site, and also an overall coordinator. If you're the person responsible for crisis planning, make sure that you involve the right people in the process of creating the crisis plan, and that you communicate effectively with those involved. Stakeholder management is a great way to make sure you involve the right people. Before you start crisis planning, it's important to understand the risks you face, and plan your response. The risks that affect businesses vary enormously between individual businesses, industry sectors and countries. But your company may have many risks in common with other businesses in your industry or locality, and that means you can learn much from other people's experience. Business associations, local agencies, regulators and governments often share such learning, by providing advice on crisis management and prevention. So it's well worth finding out what's available that's relevant to you before you start your crisis planning. Assess any crisis plans that are already in place. If your company has faced crises in the past, talk to people who were involved and find out what they learned from them. Seek advice from organizations and agencies which have an interest in your successful management of crises. Your local or national police may provide advice on physical security and other threats caused by crime. Your insurance company may also be a good place to find help. Stage 2: Crisis Analysis Next you need to identify the potential crises that could occur, and get a feel for their risk and potential impact. Our article on Risk Analysis and Risk Management gives more detail on how to assess risk and, by extension, identify potential crises: crises are risks that have potentially high impact, so they are a sub-set of all the risks your business faces. Even if the likelihood of something happening is low, you should take it into account in crisis planning if it could cause serious damage to your business. This list of potential threats to your business, similar to the one used in our risk analysis article, is a good check list to use in identifying potential crises. It's also helpful to consider both internal and external threats. • Human – from individuals or organizations, illness, death, etc. • Operational and material – from disruption to supplies, loss of access to essential assets, burglary or vandalism etc. • Reputational – from damage to reputation in the market. • Procedural – from failures of accountability, from fraud etc. • Customer, supplier and employee – threats from obligations to and dependence on these parties. • Financial – from business failure, stock market, interest rates etc. • Technical – from advances in technology, technical failure, computer viruses etc. • Natural – threats from weather, natural disaster, accident, disease, etc. • Political – from changes in tax regimes, public opinion, government policy, etc. Perhaps using this as a starting point, conduct a brainstorming session with appropriate stakeholders to identify the risks you face. Next, consider and write down the potential consequences of the most serious threats. Once you have a list of threats and their possible impacts, you can narrow this down to a list of the most significant crises that you should consider. This is best done with the senior stakeholders for crisis management in your organization: by looking at the threats and potential impacts, this group of people will be well placed to determine and agree the scope of your crisis plan. Stage 3: Response Planning When you have determined the crises that need to be planned for, and their potential impact, you are ready to consider how you will respond to each. Having a well-thought-through crisis plan in place can be the difference between reacting in a well-considered and proportionate way, and reacting in a haphazard or rash way. With a planned response, your reaction will be purposeful and efficient, the outcome will be better, and there will be much less stress, frustration, and confusion for all involved. For each crisis, make sure you have gathered all the information you can from relevant parties and organizations to help you plan your response and, later, your recovery (revisit stage 1 above). Also determine who the stakeholders are for this crisis – who will be impacted? Who will be involved in the urgent response? Who holds key data that will be required? Now consider, for each crisis, the following questions (where appropriate, do this in consultation with key stakeholders): • How will you tell that this crisis is happening? • What procedures need to be activated in the event of a crisis? Be as detailed as you can. Keep asking "If this happens, what do we do?" and develop a system of "If____, then ____" recommendations to be followed in the event of the crisis. • What equipment and resources will you need to implement your crisis procedures? For example, if you need a recovery center, which staff should move to it, and what will they need? • Who communicates what, and to whom, during the crisis situation? Create a system of communication to clarify people's responsibility and how communication will flow. For example, if the crisis puts your office or computer system out of action, how will you communicate alternative arrangements to staff? How will you handle customers and suppliers too? Our article on Communicating in a Crisis helps further on this. • What are the criteria for determining that the crisis is over, and when it is time to move to the recovery stage? Build up your crisis plan to detail the criteria, procedures, equipment and resources, and communications that will be needed in the event of each crisis. Once this has been completed and agreed with senior stakeholders, make sure it's communicated to everyone involved. Stage 4: Recovery Planning The last stage of Crisis Planning is to determine how to set things back to normal as quickly as possible. This helps you know what to expect during the period immediately following a crisis. Without this part of the plan it is easy to be unrealistic, and assume that "business as usual" will be resumed quickly. Here are some more questions to help with this part of the planning, for each crisis in your plan: • What will you need to do to recover from each of the impacts of the crisis? • How will you transition from any interim arrangements made during the immediate crisis response? • How will staff, customers and other stakeholder be debriefed? • What other follow-up procedures may be required for staff and other stakeholders? For example, in the event of a major disaster, counseling may be required. • How will you gather feedback about this crisis and incorporate lessons learned into an updated crisis plan? Key Points Crisis planning can make the difference between surviving a crisis situation and succumbing to it. As such, it is an important part of proactive and effective management. In many crisis situations, the stakes are high and the margin for error low. If you don't already have a good crisis plan, consider doing some crisis planning sooner rather than later. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Rachel wrote Hi All I’ve chosen this article on Crisis Planning because I believe it always helps to be prepared. Your company may never have a face a major a business crisis, but if it does, it helps to have a plan in place. Instead of panicking, and being beaten by a crisis, a business continuity plan can help you and your organization respond calmly and proactively to it – because you will have analyzed the risks beforehand. And, a plan can help keep staff, customers, and stakeholders on board during and after the crisis. Best wishes Rachel February 17, 2009 Dianna wrote From the Career Cafe, here is Ella's remark on crisis planning: Thank Mind Tools! It was perfect timing for this article as I had a huge crisis a few months back. Too bad I hadn't read this prior! Twisted Evil (Only kidding) Seriously though, you never know what is going to happen to completely ruin your day. The corporate offices of my company are located in Buffalo New York - yes BUFFALO! We thought we were prepared for anything anticipating heavy snow storms and bad weather - we thought we were prepared. What we weren't prepared for, was the silly early Autumn storm that knocked down thousands of trees and we lost electricity for 9 - yes - NINE days. No internet, no heat, no traffic lights, no lights at all. What a mess - really took a toll on my business. I was wondering if anyone else here has had a tough crisis that we can learn from. By the way, what I learned in that crisis is to back up a lot of important info on paper! Our staff works in over 40 states and we did not have their contact info (it was in the computers)..............a major oversite in our "disaster plan". RozM's reply: Hi Ella Your experience is incentive enough to take this seriously. I am out of the office much of the time, and so at least the phone numbers thing will never happen to me as I have my phone list etc. But d'you know, I probbaly wouldn't even have that if our server or headoffice was struck by lightening (say!) or we had a major computer virus struck. Where are my back ups? The company takes care of them, so who know how we'd access them. Lots of questions will be asked!! Roz Th original thread can be found here: http://www.mindtools.com/ forums/viewtopic.php?t=421 Anyone else have some horror stories to tell or survivor stories about how you made it through a crisis? January 19, 2007 Return to top of the page Degrees of Giving Leading With Generosity The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. – Nelson Henderson I am holding in my hand a graceful, inspirational book entitled Ramban's Ladder: A Meditation on Generosity and Why It is Necessary to Give by Good leaders help others shine and grow. Julie Salamon. The book is © iStockphoto/Andy445 based on the teachings of Ramban, a physician and philosopher who, more than a thousand years ago, developed Ramban's Ladder, which outlines the various forms of giving from the lowest – handing out money begrudgingly, as one might to a panhandler – to the highest, helping someone become self-reliant. I have long been meditating on the whole issue of generosity as an important quality of leadership: observing leaders who had it, and those who lacked it. When we think of generosity, our thoughts automatically drift to gifts of money or charity. In the context of leadership, there are other gifts that don't have a monetary value, but whose value is beyond price. These include giving someone a chance; giving someone the benefit of the doubt; and giving others a reason to want to work for you. It entails giving others latitude, permission to make mistakes, and all the information that they need to do the job. It's giving them the authority that goes with responsibility – it's giving them due credit for their ideas. In a nutshell, all of this translates to generosity of spirit, a quality we admire in leaders. Generosity, a word which once meant 'of noble birth,' used to be associated with members of the aristocracy who, by virtue of their privileges, were expected to show generosity towards those in lesser standing. A leader too, by virtue of her position, and the power and privileges that she holds relative to those she leads, has the same expectations and obligations. A prime obligation is to lead with a generous heart, and to be guided by a nobility of mind. A leader's generosity has a positive spreading effect – conversely, its absence has a series of negative consequences that, if a leader paused to reflect on them, may stop her in her tracks. I am a firm believer that people need more than just 'a nice job close to home.' Most people want to find meaning in their jobs – they want to feel that they are a part of something bigger and something better. They want to know that what they do matters. A leader with a generous spirit understands this need, and connects the dots for people – the dots that help them see how the work they perform, no matter how small it may be in the scheme of things, has a bearing on the ultimate vision of the company. There is a well-known anecdote that is related by Tom Peters about a hospital in the US that treats cancer. During a series of staff interviews, an interviewer asked the housekeeper what her job entailed. She responded, "I help to cure cancer." Somewhere in that hospital, a leader connected the dots for this individual, and made her feel that she was an integral part of the hospital's mission. Do you do that for the people who do the work in your unit or organization? There is a lot of talk these days about lack of engagement in the workforce. Imagine how engaged people are when their leader makes them feel that they are a fundamental part of the success of the organization; that everyone, from the receptionist or mail clerk to the Vice President of Product Development, constitutes a binding thread, tightly interwoven into the company fabric – each equally doing its part to give the fabric its strength. A leader with a generous spirit delegates not just routine work, but understands about delegating worthwhile work that becomes a gift of development and growth for someone else. How we love those leaders. These are the leaders that make us want to get out of bed in the morning and go to work to give that person the very best that we have to offer. These are the leaders who get our discretionary effort, every day. And what about gifts of information? In a survey on effective motivation published by 1000 Ventures, one of the top items that individuals want in the workplace is the ability to be 'in' on things. This was rated 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Managers ranked this item as 1! This is a large chasm in understanding. The quickest way to satisfy this need in constituents is to share information. We have all come across some leaders who are inclined to hoard crucial information as the currency of power. Leaders with a generous spirit give employees a chance to get under the hood and to be a part of the inner circle. Freely and generously sharing know-how, expertise, and ideas is not only beneficial for employees – it's a smart way of doing business. Albert Camus said: "Real generosity toward the future consists in giving all to what is present." How often, as leaders, we are so focused on future achievements, on realizing the vision of the organization, that in the process, we neglect the people who are there. A leader of a successful software firm confessed to me once that she woke up one day realizing how much she had disconnected emotionally from the people who did the work in her organization, while focusing on the strategic imperatives of the company. Today, we have a tendency to be too self-absorbed. We become self-involved to the point where, without intending it, we exclude others; and we often only consciously notice that we have excluded them when they have become disengaged. Self-absorption inherently prevents generosity. Once in a while, it helps to stop and ask oneself: Am I giving enough to the people around me? There is an African village where the greeting words for 'good morning' or 'hello' are: "I am here if you are here." Imagine the gift we give others when we are fully present with them – when we truly see them. Perhaps this is what Ralph Waldo Emerson meant when he said: "The only gift is the gift of thyself." Bill Clinton recently ended a speech to a 6,000-member audience with an exhortation to "see more people." This preceded his reference to all the people who do the clean-up work behind the scenes after the audience leaves. Do we give a thought to the people who are unnoticed in our organizations, those who quietly work in the background? While generosity in its pure sense is altruistic, you do still get something back from it: surprise dividends in the form of a recycling of goodwill, a surplus of cooperation, and the sheer satisfaction of seeing another benefit from our giving of ourselves, our time, our attention, our knowledge, the very best that we have to offer those who cross our paths at work or life. We will never know what opportunities we may have missed in life by showing up tight-fisted. It is hard to receive anything if we don't open our hands to give. As a leader, giving people the gift of not just our appreciation for good work, but our genuine admiration for their talents, is generosity of spirit at its pinnacle. This is the difference between saying to someone: "Great job" versus "This was pure genius;" or "I appreciated your help" versus "I couldn't have done it without you." When it comes to genuine praise, like the sun at high noon, give resplendently. When you see good work, say it, and say it from the heart, just as you thought it. Free up the thought, and let it breathe – let it fly out there in the form of generous words, and watch what you get back. Giving is ultimately sharing. Here are some practical tips to enhance our generosity of spirit: 1. Give people a sense of importance In Adele Lynn's book, In Search of Honor: Lessons from Workers in How to Build Trust, we learn that 55% of workers value "giving people a sense of importance" as the number one item for building trust in the workplace. Consider what small actions you could take intentionally today to make people feel that the work they do is important, and that they themselves, as people, are important to your team. 2. Give feedback, not criticism If giving frequent criticism is your style of management, consider some of these questions: Is your motivation genuine, or is it to gain points? Are you picking the right moment? Are you stopping to reflect how you might deliver the feedback while still honoring the other person? 3. Give people visibility Giving people visibility in your organization is a special gift we bestow to help others shine and grow. I encourage you to think how you might give people more access to senior executives, and more access to your boss. Consider as well that people like to know that their boss's boss knows the great contributions they made to a project, or about their significant effort in writing a report that does not bear their name. Knowing that our leader is representing us well to upper management is a high-octane motivator, and engenders fierce loyalty. 4. Give anonymously Real generosity of spirit is doing something for someone without their knowledge. Think of one or two deserving people in your organization that you can help by planting a career-enhancing seed on their behalf – perhaps saying something positive about their work to someone in authority? 5. Know when to forgive Martin Luther King said that "The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind." Consider how harboring vindictive thoughts, even though so compelling at times, is nothing but violence to oneself. A characteristic of a generous person is a total lack of resentment – it's in effect being too noble, too big for that. Who do you need to forgive? What do you need to let go? 6. Give encouragement Look around you and pick someone who needs encouragement, and resolve to give them that. Consider that some people have never received encouragement in their life – not from teachers, not from bosses, not even from parents. 7. Give opportunity One of the most valuable gifts we can give someone is giving them a chance. Is there someone right now to whom you could give a second chance to prove themselves? If so, what active steps can you take to create the right circumstances for them to succeed? What doors can you open for someone who is well deserving, but not well positioned to be noticed? 8. Share your knowledge and experience Resolve to become a philanthropist of know-how. What knowledge, expertise, or best practices can you share with others as a way to enrich them? For inspiration, read about other leaders who practice teaching in their organization for everyone's benefit – for example, Jack Welch, whose calendar was filled with hundreds of hours spent teaching thousands of GE managers and executives at the company's training center at Croton-onHudson; or the ex-CEO of Intel, Andy Grove, who devoted considerable amounts of time to teaching newly hired and senior managers his philosophy on how to lead in an industry where innovation goes stale very quickly. 9. Give moral support Public speaking is known to be among the greatest fears experienced by millions of people. The next time you attend a presentation given by an apprehensive team member, practice giving them moral support. The simplest of generous acts are abstaining from checking your Blackberry, giving the odd nod in agreement, and practicing looking with kind eyes. Finally, take some inspiration from Walt Whitman's beautiful words: "The habit of giving enhances the desire to give." Giving is like building a muscle. It requires practice and persistence – once it becomes habitual, you will emerge as a stronger leader. Copyright © 2008-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Did you find this article helpful? Click to vote no No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Hi all! Great article...did I enjoy this! Just this morning I read a quote by Martin Luther King: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: "What are you doing for others?" The small city where we live in South Africa isn't far from Lesotho the Sesotho language is thus the local ethnic language. When asking how you are, they also use the words (if translated literally) "Where are you?" and to reply that you are well, you would say "I am here." I loved the reference in this article to another similar African greeting, because although we are sometimes physically present with someone, we are very absent mentally! And "being present" is really all that people ask of us sometimes. Regards Yolandé November 26, 2008 Return to top of the page Developing Self-Awareness Understanding Yourself It is wisdom to know others; It is enlightenment to know one's self. – Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher Have you ever worked with someone who was very selfaware? This person considered the Learn to develop self-awareness. needs and feelings of others, © iStockphoto/lili41 took responsibility for her mistakes, was humble about her strengths, never said thoughtless things, and was aware of how her words and actions affected others. Put simply, this person was great to work with! Self-awareness is one of the most important qualities that you can have as a leader, and developing self-awareness is important in both your personal and professional life. In this article we'll look at self-awareness in more detail, and we'll explore how you can develop yours. What is Self-Awareness? Researchers Shelley Duval and Robert Wicklund published the first major theory of self-awareness in the early 1970s. They said that selfawareness is the ability to look inward, think deeply about your behavior, and consider how it aligns with your moral standards and values. They argued that when your behavior is out of alignment with your standards, you feel uncomfortable, unhappy and negative. By contrast, when your behavior and values are aligned, you feel positive and self-confident. Self-awareness also gives you a deeper understanding of your own attitudes, opinions, and knowledge. Self-awareness is sometimes confused with self-consciousness, but there's an important difference between these. Self-consciousness is a hyper-sensitized state of self-awareness; it's the excessive preoccupation with your own manners, behavior, or appearance, and is often seen as negative. Self-awareness is focused on the impact your behavior has on other people, and, as such, is much more positive. Self-awareness is one of the most important elements of emotional intelligence . It gives you the ability to understand and control your own emotions and actions, and it helps you understand how these affect the emotions and actions of others. Why Self-Awareness is Important Self-awareness brings benefits in both your personal and professional life. First, research shows a strong link between self-awareness and highperformance in managers. You're simply more effective in a leadership role when you understand your internal state, as well as your team members' emotions. If you're aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, you have the power to use your strengths intentionally, and to manage or eliminate your weaknesses. When you can admit what you don't know – and you have the humility to ask for help when you need it – you increase your credibility with your team. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses also has positive, long-term benefits for your career, as well as for your long-term health and happiness. In one study, researchers found that leaders who were aware of their strengths were more self-confident, were more highly paid, and were happier at work. On a personal level, having self-awareness allows you to approach people and situations with confidence. In turn, this means that you gain control of your own life, direction, and experiences. How to Develop Self-Awareness There are several ways to develop self-awareness. Keep in mind, however, that this takes time and work. 1. Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses You can start building self-awareness by learning where you are strongest and weakest. Conduct a Personal SWOT Analysis to get a better understanding of this. You might also want take the StrengthsFinder self-test, which helps you identify your five greatest strengths. When you understand how your personality compares with the personalities of other people, you can discover what motivates you, and how you relate to the world. Both of these are important aspects of self-awareness. This is where personality tests such as the Big Five Personality Model and Myers-Briggs® can be valuable tools for selfdiscovery. 2. Reflect on the Impact You Have When you are self-aware, you understand how you instinctively think, connect with other people, communicate, and make decisions. A great way to understand these things is to keep a journal, where you write about your day, the things that you did, the emotions you experienced and expressed, and the consequences of these. This helps you think about what does and doesn't work for you, and helps you be more aware of your impact on other people. Alternatively, take a break for five or 10 minutes a day and meditate . Meditation helps broaden and strengthen your self-awareness, and it can also lower stress. Or take time in the evening to reflect quietly about your day, and think about how effectively you worked with people. What did you do really well? And what could you have done better? 3. Focus on Others People who are self-aware are conscious of how their words and actions influence others. To become more aware of how you affect others, learn how to manage your emotions . Take time to weigh what you say carefully, and think about how it will affect the person that you're speaking to. If you find yourself taking your stress, anger, or frustrations out on others, stop immediately. Instead, see if you can find something positive about the situation. Take a few deep breaths, or even walk away if you find that you can't control your emotions. When you manage your own words or actions, it doesn't mean that you're being false. Rather, it shows that you care about other people enough not to say or do something that might affect them in a negative way. Showing humility is an important part of this. When you're humble, you focus your attention and energy on others and not on yourself. 4. Ask for Feedback Getting feedback is important for developing self-awareness – after all, this is often the only way that you can find out about issues that you may not be able to face directly. (See our article on the Johari Window for more on this.) You can get feedback from your colleagues and team members, either with direct questions or with 360° Feedback . When you ask for feedback from the people around you, this gives you a chance to see your behavior from their point of view. What's more, it can help you identify weaknesses that you can't see, or that you'd prefer to ignore. Key Points By developing self-awareness, you get to know what does and doesn't work for you, and you learn how to manage your impact on other people. People with high levels of self-awareness are more effective as leaders, because they deal with people positively, and they inspire trust and credibility in their team members. As a result, these people also often have more satisfying careers and higher incomes. To develop self-awareness, learn about your strengths and weaknesses. Take time to analyze the decisions that you make, focus on managing your emotions, and be humble about your accomplishments. Apply This to Your Life • Schedule some time to meditate. Find a quiet place where you can sit down, and take a few minutes to meditate properly. • Buy a journal. In the evening, set aside a few minutes to reflect quietly about your day, and then write down your thoughts. If you can, do this as soon as you get in, as the events of your day will be fresh in your mind. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Midgie wrote Hi jennpayne, Welcome to the Club and glad to hear you find the resources of interest, and hopefully helpful. It can indeed be challenging to identify what direction to go, once you have identified your strengths. Yet, I would also add that it is important to look at interests and at lifestyle. The variations and permutations are a great as there are individual people! I know when I was searching for a new career direction, I did lots of tests and exercises yet there was nothing that said ... do X. Yet, what I did was let the ideas and thoughts settle and I kept on playing a game of 'what if ...' and imagine myself doing different jobs using the different skills, strengths and interests. Finally, what started happening was that I became more and more aware of things related to coaching. I saw articles in magazines and newspapers, I heard more people talking about it and when I looked into it further, I knew it was the perfect fit for me! I would encourage you to do some self-reflection first, perhaps look at the various articles and tests in our Career Skills section http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/main/ newMN_CDV.php - and then post some thoughts in the Coaching or Goals area on the forums. I'd be happy to help you explore things further in order to clarify a potential direction. Just let me know how I can help or if you simply want to bounce around a few ideas. Midgie p.s. I will pass on your suggestion to the editorial team about doing some case studies. September 12, 2013 jennpayne wrote Hi and thank you for all of the wonderful information on this site. I am fairly new to Mind Tools Club, and am eager to put some of this information to use, but like the other comment, I am having difficulty applying the results of the various tests to my life. I find that I am continually searching for my strengths and how to build my career from them. I find that I am good at lots of things, but perhaps not really great at any one thing - how does one turn good into great? Or how does one take varied and somewhat conflicting interests and turn them into a rewarding career or work experience? I agree that some case studies would be helpful. Again, thank you so much for a very informative and interesting website. September 11, 2013 Midgie wrote Hi anjalishree, Thanks for the suggestion of using a case study to demonstrate mindfulness. I will pass your suggestion to our editorial team and see what they can come up with. How do you practice mindfulness in your life - be that at work or elsewhere? Midgie September 26, 2012 anjalishree wrote Thanks for psoting this . This is a good overview of self-awareness. If possible, Can you also find an example case to discuss how a person developed his self-awareness from zero and how it improved his life and lives of the fellow beings. Also, in terms of understanding one-s strength/weeknesses, it is easier to take the strenghFinder tests..but finding it difficult to interpret how the results may be used for ones life /career. If you post articles towards this topic, it will be really useful for many of us!!!! September 25, 2012 Return to top of the page Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model Taking an Intelligent, Long-Term Approach to Leadership Leadership is about setting direction and helping people do the right things. However, it can involve so much more than this! In particular, leadership is a long-term process in which – in a very real and practical way – all actions have consequences, and "what goes around comes around." This model highlights the dynamic nature of leadership. © iStockphoto/H-Gall Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model helps you think about this, and understand why it's important to adopt a positive and long-term approach to leadership. We'll look at the model in this article, and we'll explore why it's so important to understand it. We'll also look at how you can apply the model's lessons to your own situation. What is the Leadership Process Model? The Leadership Process Model was developed by Randall B. Dunham and Jon Pierce, and was published in their 1989 book "Managing." You can see our interpretation of the model in figure 1, below. (We've redrawn this for clarity.) Figure 1 – The Leadership Process The model shows the relationship between four key factors that contribute to leadership success or failure. These are: 1. The Leader: This is the person who takes charge, and directs the group's performance. 2. Followers: These are the people who follow the leader's directions on tasks and projects. 3. The Context: This is the situation in which the work is performed. For instance, it may be a regular workday, an emergency project, or a challenging, long-term assignment. Context can also cover the physical environment, resources available, and events in the wider organization. 4. Outcomes: These are the results of the process. Outcomes could be reaching a particular goal, developing a high-quality product, or resolving a customer service issue. They can also include things like improved trust and respect between the leader and followers, or higher team morale. The model shows the way in which the leader, the followers, and the context combine to affect the outcomes. It also shows how outcomes feed back to affect the leader, the followers, and the context. Most importantly, the model highlights that leadership is a dynamic and ongoing process. Therefore, it's important to be flexible depending on the context and outcomes, and to invest continually in your relationship with your followers. Accordingly, the model can also help you understand: • How your actions as a leader influence your followers, depending on the context and the outcome. • How your followers influence you. • How the context and outcomes influence you and your followers. Essentially, everything affects everything else. In a very real way, negative actions feed back to negatively affect future performance, and positive actions improve future performance. Note: Dunham and Pierce used a different format for the diagram illustrating this model. You can see their version in Chapter 9 of the book "Leaders and the Leadership Process," which was coauthored by Jon Pierce. How to Apply the Model Pierce and John W. Newstrom highlighted several ways that you can apply the insights from this framework to your own development as a leader, and to the development of your people: 1. Provide Regular Feedback Probably the most important thing that the Leadership Process Model highlights is how important it is to give good feedback , so that your team can grow and develop. When you give feedback to your team, it influences the context and helps to improve the outcome. This then cycles back to influence you and your team in a positive way. Regular feedback also helps you take your people in the right direction, as outcomes and the context change. 2. Be Aware of Actions and Reactions The model makes it clear that, no matter what you do, your decisions, behavior, and actions directly affect your followers. Every action has a reaction. You, your followers, the context, and the outcome are all tied together in a dynamic relationship. As a leader, it's essential that you keep this in mind at all times. There will be consequences when you say something thoughtless or lash out at a team member, even if you don't see these immediately. Those consequences might include diminished performance, reduced morale, increased absenteeism, and accelerated staff turnover. This is why it's important to control your emotions be a good role model . at work, and 3. Lead Honestly and Ethically The model also illustrates the relationships between leader and followers. If this relationship is built on mutual trust and respect, then the context and outcomes will get better and better. However, if the relationship is based on animosity, resentment, or even fear, the effect on context and outcomes will be negative. Your people need and deserve a leader who they can trust and look up to, which is why it's important to be an ethical leader . Of course, your people may have to follow your instructions. However, if you're a leader who they trust to do the right thing, they'll want to follow you, and they'll go above and beyond for you because the relationship is deeper. This makes the difference between an average team and a great team. Also, be authentic in your actions and communication, lead with integrity , and be humble. These qualities will inspire the trust of your people and strengthen the relationship you have with them. It's also important to build trust actively with your team members. Do your best to support their needs, and always keep your word with them. 4. Lead with the Right Style In business, Transformational Leadership is often the best leadership style to use. Transformational leaders have integrity, they set clear goals, they communicate well with their team members, and they inspire people with a shared vision of the future. However, you'll occasionally need to adopt different leadership approaches to fit a particular follower, outcome, or context. This is why it helps to be able to use other leadership styles when appropriate. 5. Consciously Assign Tasks Do your people get to use their skills and strengths on a regular basis? If you've been assigning tasks and projects in an ad-hoc way, then this answer might be no. We're all happiest when we can use our strongest skills on a regular basis. Try to assign tasks that fit the unique skills of everyone on your team. Our articles on the Four Dimensions of Relational Work and Task Allocation have more on how to match tasks to your people's particular skills and situation. 6. Focus on Relationship Development As a leader, you often depend on your people more than they depend on you. Your working relationships should therefore be built on trust, respect, and transparency. The deeper your relationship with your team, the better a leader you'll be. Start by developing your emotional intelligence ; this encompasses many of the traits that we've already mentioned. When you have high emotional intelligence, you are self-aware, you manage your emotions, and you act according to your ethics and values. You also need to show empathy with members of your team. When your people see you as an empathic leader, they feel that you're on their side, and that you can see things from their perspective. This deepens the relationship they have with you. Lastly, reward your people for the good work that they do: even a simple "thank you" will show your appreciation. Key Points The Leadership Process Model highlights the dynamic and longterm nature of leadership. It shows how your actions and behaviors influence your people, just as their actions and behaviors influence you. As well as having an awareness of the model, you can also apply lessons from it by doing the following: 1. Providing regular feedback. 2. Being aware of actions and reactions. 3. Leading honestly and ethically. 4. Leading with the right style. 5. Assigning tasks consciously and intelligently. 6. Focusing on relationship development. Overall, the Leadership Process Model helps you see the interdependent nature of leadership and its effects on situations and outcomes. Use this framework to be aware of your actions and to deepen the relationship you have with your people. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Midgie wrote Hi Francisco, In addition to what Dianna has offered, I would like to add that ultimately, we can not control how other people react, we can only control ourselves. By focusing on yourself and on being the best you can be, use the reactions of others as feedback to learn and grow. Perhaps you could do things differently or change your approach? Perhaps it is entirely this 'issue' and does not accurately reflect on you as a person and how you are. Sometimes by removing the reaction as a personal attack or slight against you as an individual and see it rather as a reaction to behavior can help deal with situations more resourcefully. By removing the 'personal' aspect of people reactions, how does that shift things for you and shift things in your attitude and approach? Midgie Midgie December 26, 2013 Dianna wrote I think that when you get a different reaction than you expect, as a leader that's an opportunity to evaluate your expectations and re-think how you interact with that person. Try to figure out what is behind their bad attitude? Is there something you can do to help make the situation better? You might not be able to change their attitude but it's always worth investigating. In that way their reaction is valuable because you never know what you may discover. What do you think? Dianna December 26, 2013 fxgg090 wrote Actions and Reactions. What happens when you expect some reaction and this does not happen? Let´s say you expect most of your followers to appreciate your time, work and effort, your knowledge, and suddenly one reacts different either he has some issues or many issues, or he has bad intentions, bad attitude? Is that one reaction more or less or equal valuable as the rest of the members? is that reaction as valid as other´s, should we focus on just that one member or let it go? Great lectures, learning a lot - Please consider a Life time Membership! Francisco x González Garza. December 26, 2013 Dianna wrote Hi Lenka, Are you referring to people within your organization who are choosing not to take all four of these elements into consideration? It certainly is frustrating to see "leaders" who could be much more effective if they broadened their perspective and used this type of process model. I think there are leaders out there who try to lead from the front without looking back and checking in with the people surrounding them. One of the best strategies for me has always been to lead by example. Do you have a particular situation you are dealing with? A few more details might help us to provide better suggestions. Talk soon! Dianna March 6, 2012 cleverlenka wrote Hi, when I saw the picture I thought "a theory again!" The analysis below is an interesting and exhaustive, in my opinion, contains almost all aspects of leadership. But what about people who do not want "beyond limits" to follow, which operates outside influences? Lenka March 4, 2012 Return to top of the page Emotional Intelligence in Leadership Learning How to Be More Aware When you think of a "perfect leader," what comes to mind? You might picture someone who never lets Flash his temper get out of control, no matter what problems he's facing. Or you might think of someone who has the complete trust of her Develop your emotional intelligence with James Manktelow staff, listens to her team, and Amy Carlson. is easy to talk to, and always makes careful, informed decisions. These are qualities of someone with a high degree of emotional intelligence . In this article, we'll look at why emotional intelligence is so important for leaders – and how you, as a leader, can improve yours. What Is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and those of the people around you. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence know what they're feeling, what their emotions mean, and how these emotions can affect other people. For leaders, having emotional intelligence is essential for success. After all, who is more likely to succeed – a leader who shouts at his team when he's under stress, or a leader who stay in control, and calmly assesses the situation? According to Daniel Goleman , an American psychologist who helped to popularize EI, there are five main elements of emotional intelligence: 1. Self-awareness. 2. Self-regulation. 3. Motivation. 4. Empathy. 5. Social skills. The more that you, as a leader, manage each of these areas, the higher your emotional intelligence. So, let's look at each element in more detail and examine how you can grow as a leader. Emotional Intelligence in Leadership 1. Self-awareness If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know how your emotions and your actions can affect the people around you. Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses , and it means behaving with humility . So, what can you do to improve your self-awareness? • Keep a journal – Journals help you improve your self-awareness. If you spend just a few minutes each day writing down your thoughts, this can move you to a higher degree of selfawareness. • Slow down – When you experience anger or other strong emotions, slow down to examine why. Remember, no matter what the situation, you can always choose how you react to it. (Our article on Managing Your Emotions at Work will help you understand what your emotions are telling you.) 2. Self-regulation Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in control. This element of emotional intelligence, according to Goleman, also covers a leader's flexibility and commitment to personal accountability . So, how can you improve your ability to self-regulate? • Know your values – Do you have a clear idea of where you absolutely will not compromise? Do you know what values are most important to you? Spend some time examining your "code of ethics." If you know what's most important to you, then you probably won't have to think twice when you face a moral or ethical decision – you'll make the right choice. • Hold yourself accountable – If you tend to blame others when something goes wrong, stop. Make a commitment to admit to your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever they are. You'll probably sleep better at night, and you'll quickly earn the respect of those around you. • Practice being calm – The next time you're in a challenging situation, be very aware of how you act. Do you relieve your stress by shouting at someone else? Practice deep-breathing exercises to calm yourself. Also, try to write down all of the negative things you want to say, and then rip it up and throw it away. Expressing these emotions on paper (and not showing them to anyone!) is better than speaking them aloud to your team. What's more, this helps you challenge your reactions to ensure that they're fair! 3. Motivation Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they have extremely high standards for the quality of their work. How can you improve your motivation? • Re-examine why you're doing your job – It's easy to forget what you really love about your career. So, take some time to remember why you wanted this job. If you're unhappy in your role and you're struggling to remember why you wanted it, try the Five Whys technique to find the root of the problem. Starting at the root often helps you look at your situation in a new way. And make sure that your goal statements are fresh and energizing. For more on this, see our article on Goal Setting . • Know where you stand – Determine how motivated you are to lead. Our Leadership Motivation Assessment can help you see clearly how motivated you are in your leadership role. If you need to increase your motivation to lead, it directs you to resources that can help. • Be hopeful and find something good – Motivated leaders are usually optimistic , no matter what problems they face. Adopting this mindset might take practice, but it's well worth the effort. Every time you face a challenge, or even a failure, try to find at least one good thing about the situation. It might be something small, like a new contact, or something with long-term effects, like an important lesson learned. But there's almost always something positive, if you look for it. 4. Empathy For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put themselves in someone else's situation. They help develop the people on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it. If you want to earn the respect and loyalty of your team, then show them you care by being empathic. How can you improve your empathy? • Put yourself in someone else's position – It's easy to support your own point of view. After all, it's yours! But take the time to look at situations from other people's perspectives. See our article on Perceptual Positions for a useful technique for doing this. • Pay attention to body language – Perhaps when you listen to someone, you cross your arms, move your feet back and forth, or bite your lip. This body language tells others how you really feel about a situation, and the message you're giving isn't positive! Learning to read body language can be a real asset in a leadership role, because you'll be better able to determine how someone truly feels. This gives you the opportunity to respond appropriately. • Respond to feelings – You ask your assistant to work late – again. And although he agrees, you can hear the disappointment in his voice. So, respond by addressing his feelings. Tell him you appreciate how willing he is to work extra hours, and that you're just as frustrated about working late. If possible, figure out a way for future late nights to be less of an issue (for example, give him Monday mornings off). 5. Social skills Leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional intelligence are great communicators. They're just as open to hearing bad news as good news, and they're expert at getting their team to support them and be excited about a new mission or project. Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing change and resolving conflicts diplomatically. They're rarely satisfied with leaving things as they are, but they don't sit back and make everyone else do the work: They set an example with their own behavior. So, how can you build social skills? • Learn conflict resolution – Leaders must know how to resolve conflicts between their team members, customers, or vendors. Learning conflict resolution skills is vital if you want to succeed. • Improve your communication skills – How well do you communicate? Our communication quiz will help you answer this question, and it will give useful feedback on what you can do to improve. • Learn how to praise others – As a leader, you can inspire the loyalty of your team simply by giving praise when it's earned. Learning how to praise others is a fine art, but well worth the effort. Key Points To be effective, leaders must have a solid understanding of how their emotions and actions affect the people around them. The better a leader relates to and works with others, the more successful he or she will be. Take the time to work on self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. Working on these areas will help you excel in the future! For more on emotional intelligence in leadership, see the series of articles by Bruna Martinuzzi elsewhere on MindTools.com. Click here to find them. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Hi Shannon Once again, thanks for sharing so honestly and telling us a bit about your life. I do agree with you - having a mentor or a role model is truly priceless. Personally, I find it easier to attain goals if I have someone I can look up to or someone who can really give me good, solid guidance. You really seem intent on learning more and more about leadership - what a wonderful goal/mission! Kind regards Yolandé January 26, 2011 careercpr wrote I enjoyed this article because I want to be the type of leader that people follow. Here are my thoughts on what it means to be an authentic leader: *allowing yourself to be vulnerable *having a vision that you share with others - being on a mission *operating from a set of core values *allowing others to shine In my workplace, I don't see anyone on the management team being an authentic leader. I see them as having expert power they've been in the industry for years and have a tremendous amount of knowledge. In my humble opinion, the challenge with this is that the staff isn't fully engaged. I love the point made about how a leader's goals should be aligned with company goals. When the employees and the management team are working for a common goal, I think the workplace would have a stronger sense of teamwork, higher productivity and increased job satisfaction. I'm looking forward to reading the articles on Management by Objection and the Congruence Model. With my women's group, I feel that I demonstrate some of the skills of an authentic leader. For example, at the beginning of the month, I posted a mission statement and core values for the group. It was amazing to hear the response from the women they really connected to what the group is all about and what we are all about. I even had them share the aspects of the mission that speak to them and where they are in their lives. I've been blessed to know and work with some authentic leaders that serve as my role models. I love how it feels to be in the presence of their greatness. My intention is to have the same impact on the women in my group. Joyfully, Shannon January 26, 2011 bigk wrote Hi I did work on this recently from the articles and resources available elsewhere, I have assessed this as a good skill to practice and develop in other leadership qualities. I have seen potential in my self development to continue development and use it more than just recently. Even without direct situations to use this in, I still find there are situations where it can be used. I am encouraged to do more in this area to utilise what I have available so far and want to progress these and other skills further. Have a happy Christmas Looking forward to another new year and opportunity. Bigk December 25, 2009 Dianna wrote This message can't be repeated often enough!! It's essential to monitor and develop our emotional intelligence - I'm convinced it's a critical factor in moving from a good leader to a great one. Dianna December 15, 2009 winneyn wrote A very timely article. So many managers think that capitulation is a show of weakness. But a moments pause to determine if this is a battle worth fighting, will show others that you are studied and controlled in your responses. The workplace is no place for the dramatic. December 15, 2009 Return to top of the page Ethical Leadership Doing the Right Thing We've seen some high profile ethical failures in the press in recent years. It will be hard to forget the devastation caused by accounting fraud at the investment company run by Bernard Madoff, or the earlier frauds at Enron and Worldcom. People have also raised ethical questions over the welfare of some organizations' staff and suppliers. Know in advance what you'd do. © iStockphoto This highlights the extent to which it can be difficult for leaders to determine what's right and wrong. Some make the wrong choices – and end up in the news or in the courts. What we rarely see, however, are stories about the numerous companies that are managed by ethical leaders. While standards seem to keep falling in some corporations, other leaders "raise the bar" and inspire their teams to do the same. These leaders do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons. They put their ethics before the bottom line – and, as a result, they have dedicated teams that would do almost anything for them. So how do they do this? And how can you do it as well? We'll show you how to define your own ethical standards – and start putting those standards into practice. Define Your Organization's Values To lead your team with character and integrity, you must set an example. You're the leader, remember? Your team looks to you. To begin, you must know your own values as well as your organization's values. For example, the global technology giant 3M is well known for its company values. Why? Because the entire team – from top executives all the way down to the mailroom – live and breathe the principles of honesty and integrity every day. 3M communicates clearly that it wants its staff to do things like keep promises, have personal accountability, and respect others in the workforce. Every leader in the company knows this, so they work by these rules. And as a result, everyone else follows. Hopefully, your company has clear rules about how it wants team members to act. As a leader, it's up to you to know these rules and codes of conduct – and to make sure you enforce them. (Our in-depth article Why the Rules Are There can help you with this.) Your personal values are also important. If the company's written rules don't say that you must be fair to everyone, but this value is important to you – then, of course, you're going to be fair. Good leaders follow their personal values as well as organizational values . Ask yourself these questions: • What standards of behavior are really important to my company? • What specific values do I admire in certain leaders? Do I identify with those values? • Would I still live by those values, even if they put me at a competitive disadvantage? Set the Tone Now that you know your company's core values, you can begin to set the tone and create the right environment for your team and your organization. Again, leading by example is the best way to do this. It's what you do, not what you say, that demonstrates to your team what you care about. So, if your company values honesty above all else, then make sure you demonstrate that by being honest with everyone around you. If your company values free speech, then make sure you allow your team to communicate their ideas openly. Next, establish consequences for team members who don't follow corporate values. If you allow someone to come in late continuously without making up the hours, that won't set a good example for the rest of the team. You need good consequences as well. Set up some kind of reward system for team members who consistently act according to the company values. Storytelling is a great way to reinforce and communicate these values. If you know of team members – or even clients – who acted ethically in difficult situations, then tell their stories. This shows your staff that they can do it as well. To learn more, see our article on the art of business storytelling . By getting your team interested in ethical conduct, you communicate how important these values are to both you and your organization. Recognize Ethical Dilemmas Here's the scenario: You're in a meeting with other top executives, and you realize that one of your colleagues has changed the numbers in his report. As you listen, you realize that he's exaggerating how well his team is doing on a major project. Instead of saying that his team will finish in eight weeks, which he previously told you, he's promising to be done in only five weeks. And instead of saying that the project will help increase company earnings by 4%, which he also told you earlier, he's promising a 12% increase. What do you do? He's a close colleague and a personal friend. On the other hand, he's overstating how well his team is doing. Do you support him, or do you tell the truth to the other executives? We're often faced with tough choices like this in the workplace. Most of the time, however, ethical dilemmas aren't this obvious, and they can be hidden in ways that are hard to uncover. So, how do you recognize these dilemmas? • Identify "trigger" situations – Certain situations seem to attract ethical dilemmas. Some of these are areas like purchasing, hiring, firing, promoting, and calculating bonuses. There can also be other unexpected situations. You could make a mistake – will you admit it to your boss, or try to cover it up? Or you could discover that a colleague is acting unethically – do you protect the person or tell someone? By recognizing when these situations might occur, you can make the right decisions when and if something actually happens. • Prepare in advance – Imagine yourself in the situations we just mentioned. What would you do if you knew one of your colleagues was about to be fired, but you weren't legally allowed to tell her? Putting yourself in these imaginary situations can help you work through your feelings and decide what you would do if the situation occurred. In real life, you may have only seconds to reach a decision. Of course, you won't be able to imagine every possible ethical dilemma you might face, but this exercise WILL help you get to know your values, and it can prepare you for the decisions you may have to make. • Listen to your "inner voice" – Your conscience often tells you that something isn't right, even if this is just a feeling of uneasiness with something. If you face a situation that makes you uncomfortable, or goes against one of your core values or beliefs, then make sure that you stop and think things through rationally. • Reevaluate your decision before you act – If you're in a difficult situation and you aren't sure what to do, make a decision. But, before you act on that decision, ask yourself how you would feel if your actions were in the company newsletter or on the evening news for everyone to see. Would you be proud of what you did? If not, then reconsider your decision. When in Doubt... At times, you'll make a decision but still wonder if you did the right thing. You may be uncomfortable, but these situations can teach you to trust yourself and your instincts. If you calm your anxiety and look logically at the situation, your instincts will often guide you in the right direction. Key Points Ethical living – and leading – takes courage and conviction. It means doing the right thing, even when the right thing isn't popular or easy. But when you make decisions based on your core values, then you tell the world that you can't be bought – and you lead your team by example. Once you identify your company's core values as well as your own, you can start to set the tone with your team and your organization. Actions always speak louder than words, so make sure you do as you would wish others to do. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Rachel wrote Hi All How do you make the right choices as a leader, time after time? Doing the "right thing" can be a challenge - find out how to clarify your values and spot possible ethical dilemmas, with this week's Featured Favorite article. Click below to learn more. http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/ newLDR_58.php Best wishes Rachel January 10, 2012 Bree wrote Thanks, yet again, for a great article. I was just last week facing a work situation which presented a bit of a dilemma, and one which needed to be sorted today! As I was scanning the forums, I came onto this article which helped me make a decision because even though I had anticipated this scenario, I hadn't really prepared a response. However, now, I've listened to that 'inner voice' and I re-evaluated my decision. Feel much better now and I'm off to address and resolve the situation! Thanks. Bree July 7, 2008 Return to top of the page Fiedler's Contingency Model Matching Leadership Style to a Situation What is your natural leadership style? Do you focus on completing tasks or on building relationships with your team? And have you considered that this natural style of leadership might be more suited to some situations than it is to others? Do some leadership styles work better in certain In this article, we'll explore situations? Fiedler's Contingency Model, © iStockphoto/sodafish and we'll look at how it can highlight the most effective leadership style to use in different situations. Note: With this theory, we are not using the word "contingency" in the sense of contingency planning . Here, a contingency is a situation or event that's dependent – or contingent – on someone or something else. Understanding the Model The Fiedler Contingency Model was created in the mid-1960s by Fred Fiedler, a scientist who studied the personality and characteristics of leaders. The model states that there is no one best style of leadership. Instead, a leader's effectiveness is based on the situation. This is the result of two factors – "leadership style" and "situational favorableness" (later called "situational control"). Leadership Style Identifying leadership style is the first step in using the model. Fiedler believed that leadership style is fixed, and it can be measured using a scale he developed called Least-Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) Scale (see Figure 1). The scale asks you to think about the person who you've least enjoyed working with. This can be a person who you've worked with in your job, or in education or training. You then rate how you feel about this person for each factor, and add up your scores. If your total score is high, you're likely to be a relationship-orientated leader. If your total score is low, you're more likely to be task-orientated leader. Figure 1: Least-Preferred Co-Worker Scale Unfriendly 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Friendly Unpleasant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pleasant Rejecting 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Accepting Tense 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Relaxed Cold 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Warm Boring 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Interesting Backbiting 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Loyal Uncooperative 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cooperative Hostile 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Supportive Guarded 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Open Insincere 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sincere Unkind 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kind Inconsiderate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Considerate Untrustworthy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Trustworthy Gloomy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cheerful Quarrelsome 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Harmonious The model says that task-oriented leaders usually view their LPCs more negatively, resulting in a lower score. Fiedler called these low LPC-leaders. He said that low LPCs are very effective at completing tasks. They're quick to organize a group to get tasks and projects done. Relationship-building is a low priority. However, relationship-oriented leaders usually view their LPCs more positively, giving them a higher score. These are high-LPC leaders. High LPCs focus more on personal connections, and they're good at avoiding and managing conflict. They're better able to make complex decisions. Situational Favorableness Next, you determine the "situational favorableness" of your particular situation. This depends on three distinct factors: • Leader-Member Relations – This is the level of trust and confidence that your team has in you. A leader who is more trusted and has more influence with the group is in a more favorable situation than a leader who is not trusted. • Task Structure – This refers to the type of task you're doing: clear and structured, or vague and unstructured. Unstructured tasks, or tasks where the team and leader have little knowledge of how to achieve them, are viewed unfavorably. • Leader's Position Power – This is the amount of power you have to direct the group, and provide reward or punishment. The more power you have, the more favorable your situation. Fiedler identifies power as being either strong or weak. Applying the Fiedler Contingency Model Step 1: Identify your leadership style Think about the person who you've least enjoyed working with, either now or in the past. Rate your experience with this person using the scale in Figure 1, above. According to this model, a higher score means that you're naturally relationship-focused, and a lower score means that you're naturally task-focused. Step 2: Identify your situation Answer the questions: • Are leader-member relations good or poor? • Is the task you're doing structured, or is it more unstructured, or do you have little experience of solving similar problems? • Do you have strong or weak power over your team? Step 3: Determine the most effective leadership style Figure 2 shows a breakdown of all of the factors we've covered: Leader-Member Relations, Task Structure, and Leader's Position Power. The final column identifies the type of leader that Fiedler believed would be most effective in each situation. Figure 2: Breakdown of Most Effective Leader Style LeaderMember Relations Task Structure Leader's Position Power Most Effective Leader Good Structured Strong Low LPC Good Structured Weak Low LPC Good Unstructured Strong Low LPC LeaderMember Relations Task Structure Leader's Position Power Most Effective Leader Good Unstructured Weak High LPC Poor Structured Strong High LPC Poor Structured Weak High LPC Poor Unstructured Strong High LPC Poor Unstructured Weak Low LPC For instance, imagine that you've just started working at a new company, replacing a much-loved leader who recently retired. You're leading a team who views you with distrust (so your Leader-Member Relations are poor). The task you're all doing together is well defined (structured), and your position of power is high because you're the boss, and you're able to offer reward or punishment to the group. The most effective leader in this situation would be high LPC – that is, a leader who can focus on building relationships first. Or, imagine that you're leading a team who likes and respects you (so your Leader-Member relations are good). The project you're working on together is highly creative (unstructured) and your position of power is high since, again, you're in a management position of strength. In this situation a task-focused leadership style would be most effective. Criticisms of the Model There are some criticisms of the Fiedler Contingency Model. One of the biggest is lack of flexibility. Fiedler believed that because our natural leadership style is fixed, the most effective way to handle situations is to change the leader. He didn't allow for flexibility in leaders. For instance, if a low-LPC leader is in charge of a group with good relations and doing unstructured tasks, and she has a weak position (the fourth situation), then, according to the model, the best solution is to replace her with a high-LPC leader – instead of asking her to use a different leadership style. There is also an issue with the Least-Preferred Co-Worker Scale – if you fall near the middle of the scoring range, then it could be unclear which style of leader you are. There have also been several published criticisms of the Fiedler Contingency Model. One of the most cited is "The Contingency Model: Criticisms and Suggestions," published in the Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 13, No. 3. The authors say that, even under the best circumstances, the LPC scale only has about a 50 percent reliable variance. This means that, according to their criticism, the LPC scale may not be a reliable measure of leadership capability. It's also perfectly possible that your least preferred co-worker is a genuinely confused, unpleasant or evil person (they do exist) - if you are unfortunate enough to have encountered such a person just once in your career, then you might always be categorized as a low-LPC leader, however people-oriented you actually are. Note: At Mind Tools, we believe that transformational leadership is the best leadership style in most situations, however, we believe that other leadership styles are sometimes necessary. In our opinion, the Fiedler Contingency Model is unhelpful in many 21st Century workplaces. It may occasionally be a useful tool for analyzing a situation and determining whether or not to focus on tasks or relationships, but be cautious about applying any style simply because the model says you should. Use your own judgment when analyzing situations. Key Points The Fiedler Contingency Model asks you to think about your natural leadership style, and the situations in which it will be most effective. The model says that leaders are either task-focused, or relationship-focused. Once you understand your style, it says that you can match it to situations in which that style is most effective. However, the model has some disadvantages. It doesn't allow for leadership flexibility, and the LPC score might give an inaccurate picture of your leadership style. As with all models and theories, use your best judgment when applying the Fiedler Contingency Model to your own situation. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly version Ask questions, or share your experience Return to top of the page French and Raven's Five Forms of Power Understanding Where Power Comes From in the Workplace Leadership and power are closely linked. People tend to follow those who are powerful. And because others follow, the person with power leads. But leaders have power for different reasons. Some are powerful because they alone have the ability to give you a bonus or a raise. Others are powerful because they can fire Lead at full power! you, or assign you tasks you © iStockphoto don't like. Yet, while leaders of this type have formal, official power, their teams are unlikely to be enthusiastic about their approach to leadership, if this is all they rely on. On the more positive side, leaders may have power because they're experts in their fields, or because their team members admire them. People with these types of power don't necessarily have formal leadership roles, but they influence others effectively because of their skills and personal qualities. And when a leadership position opens up, they'll probably be the first to be considered for promotion. Do you recognize these types of power in those around you – or in yourself? And how does power influence the way you work and live your life? Understanding Power One of the most notable studies on power was conducted by social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven, in 1959. They identified five bases of power: 1. Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the formal right to make demands, and to expect compliance and obedience from others. 2. Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance. 3. Expert – This is based on a person's superior skill and knowledge. 4. Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others. 5. Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance. If you're aware of these sources of power, you can… • Better understand why you're influenced by someone, and decide whether you want to accept the base of power being used. • Recognize your own sources of power. • Build your leadership skills by using and developing your own sources of power, appropriately, and for best effect. The most effective leaders use mainly referent and expert power. To develop your leadership abilities, learn how to build these types of power, so that you can have a positive influence on your colleagues, your team, and your organization. The Five Bases of Power Let's explore French and Raven's bases of power according to these sources. Positional Power Sources Legitimate Power A president, prime minister, or monarch has legitimate power. So does a CEO, a minister, or a fire chief. Electoral mandates, social hierarchies, cultural norms, and organizational structure all provide the basis for legitimate power. This type of power, however, can be unpredictable and unstable. If you lose the title or position, legitimate power can instantly disappear – since others were influenced by the position, not by you. Also, your scope of power is limited to situations that others believe you have a right to control. If the fire chief tells people to stay away from a burning building, they'll probably listen. But if he tries to make people stay away from a street fight, people may well ignore him. Therefore, relying on legitimate power as your only way to influence others isn't enough. To be a leader, you need more than this – in fact, you may not need legitimate power at all. Reward Power People in power are often able to give out rewards. Raises, promotions, desirable assignments, training opportunities, and even simple compliments – these are all examples of rewards controlled by people "in power." If others expect that you'll reward them for doing what you want, there's a high probability that they'll do it. The problem with this power base is that you may not have as much control over rewards as you need. Supervisors probably don't have complete control over salary increases, and managers often can't control promotions, all by themselves. And even a CEO needs permission from the board of directors for some actions. So, when you use up available rewards, or when the rewards don't have enough perceived value to others, your power weakens. (One of the frustrations of using rewards is that they often need to be bigger each time if they're to have the same motivational impact. Even then, if rewards are given frequently, people can become satiated by the reward, so that it loses its effectiveness.) Coercive Power This source of power is also problematic, and can be subject to abuse. What's more, it can cause unhealthy behavior and dissatisfaction in the workplace. Threats and punishment are common tools of coercion. Implying or threatening that someone will be fired, demoted, denied privileges, or given undesirable assignments – these are examples of using coercive power. While your position may give you the capability to coerce others, it doesn't automatically mean that you have the will or the justification to do so. As a last resort, you may sometimes need to punish people. However, extensive use of coercive power is rarely appropriate in an organizational setting. Clearly, relying on these forms of power alone will result in a very cold, technocratic, impoverished style of leadership. To be a true leader, you need a more robust source of power than can be supplied by a title, an ability to reward, or an ability to punish. Personal Power Sources Expert Power When you have knowledge and skills that enable you to understand a situation, suggest solutions, use solid judgment, and generally outperform others, people will probably listen to you. When you demonstrate expertise, people tend to trust you and respect what you say. As a subject matter expert, your ideas will have more value, and others will look to you for leadership in that area. What's more, you can take your confidence, decisiveness, and reputation for rational thinking – and expand them to other subjects and issues. This is a good way to build and maintain expert power. It doesn't require positional power, so you can use it to go beyond that. This is one of the best ways to improve your leadership skills. Click here to read more about building expert power using it as an effective foundation for leadership. , and Referent Power This is sometimes thought of as charisma, charm, admiration, or appeal. Referent power comes from one person liking and respecting another, and strongly identifying with that person in some way. Celebrities have referent power, which is why they can influence everything from what people buy to whom they elect to office. In a workplace, a person with charm often makes everyone feel good, so he or she tends to have a lot of influence. Referent power can be a big responsibility, because you don't necessarily have to do anything to earn it. Therefore, it can be abused quite easily. Someone who is likable, but lacks integrity and honesty, may rise to power – and use that power to hurt and alienate people as well as gain personal advantage. Relying on referent power alone is not a good strategy for a leader who wants longevity and respect. When combined with expert power, however, it can help you to be very successful. Key Points Anyone is capable of holding power and influencing others: you don't need to have an important job title or a big office. But if you recognize the different forms of power, you can avoid being influenced by those who use the less effective types of power – and you can focus on developing expert and referent power for yourself. This will help you become an influential and positive leader. Apply This to Your Life 1. Go through each of the power bases, and write down when and how you've used that source of power in the past. 2. Ask yourself if you used the power appropriately, consider the expected and unexpected consequences of it, and decide what you'll do differently next time. 3. Think about the people who have power and influence over you. What sources of power do they use? Do they use their power appropriately? Where necessary, develop a strategy to reduce someone else's use of illegitimate power over you. 4. When you feel powerless or overly influenced, stop and think about what you can do to regain your own power and control. After all: you're never without power. Make an effort to be more aware of the power you have, and use it to get what you need, confidently and effectively. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Hi Francisco, It's great to see you back! What do you mean by "conflict"? Certainly some forms help your leadership and some don't. If you rely on coercive power for instance, that would definitely undermine your strength as a leader. People need to trust you and coercive power isn't built on trust. Legitimate power and expert power are both good bases to build from and you can use those to create a strong foundation of trust and relationship building. People will respect your decisions because they know you have their best interests in mind. Reward can be effective too but you don't want that to be your only source of power. Are these the sorts of conflicts you had in mind? Dianna Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the formal right to make demands, and to expect compliance and obedience from others. Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance. Expert – This is based on a person's superior skill and knowledge. Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others. Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance. February 3, 2014 fxgg092 wrote Can the styles of leadership conflict each other?? francisco-February 2, 2014 Dianna wrote Hi Austin! I couldn't agree more! Have you read our article on expert power? http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/ newLDR_04.php it goes into more detail on how to build and leverage expert power in the workplace. We'd lve to get your feedback on it. It's great to see you around the forum. Best! Dianna August 8, 2013 BMCL wrote Hello All, I consider expert power as the most influential and this form of power should be what any leader occupying leadership position should develop. When a leader/subordinate possess expert power, he/she commend respect and over time people follow him even after he/she has left the organization/position. Best regards Austin August 8, 2013 Rachel wrote Hi All People tend to follow people with power. But are some types of power more effective than others? Find out in this week's Featured Favorite on French and Raven's Five Forms of Power. http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/ newLDR_56.php Best wishes Rachel March 6, 2012 lulu wrote I would also seriously think about development of a workplace policy around abusive behaviours in the workplace - and define that in the policy. Then staff have something concrete that they can refer to if they want to stand up to that type of destructive behaviour and managers also have something to constantly remind all staff of. Create an office culture where that type of behaviour is not tolerated, and that all staff work towards a happy, cooperative and respectful environment that is regularly rewarded - through acknowledgements and benefits (doesn't have to be $ either). Lulu June 30, 2010 Yolande wrote Hi Sabriyyah Whispering campaigns and rumours can cause so much damage... Maybe you would find the following article of some interest: Rumors in the workplace: Managing & preventing them http://mindtools.com/community/pages/ar ... TMM_25.php It is never acceptable for people to get away with this kind of (bad) behaviour, even though it doesn't always look like bad behaviour on the surface. The longer they get away with it, the longer they will continue to repeat that behaviour. You may also want to have a look at our recent thread about "The nice bully" where various kinds of comments and advice came to the fore. The link is: http://mindtools.com/forums/ viewtopic.php?t=4204 Please keep us posted and let us know if there is anything else we can assist you with. Kind regards Yolandé June 29, 2010 sabriyyah wrote I find that most of the HR issues in my company come from the abuse of referent power by peers to each other. A person of charisma will start a whispering campaign and bring colleagues on board resulting in a bullied colleague or a disrespected manager. How can we neutralise that person's referent power and restore a balance in the work place? June 29, 2010 James wrote Hi Lulu It's fascinating, isn't it! The word "power" can have such negative connotations, and it's so important to recognize that it can have positive aspects as well. James November 19, 2008 Return to top of the page How Good Are Your Leadership Skills? Who do you consider to be a good leader? Maybe it's a politician, a famous businessperson, or a religious figure. Or maybe it's someone you know personally – like your boss, a teacher, or a friend. You can find people in leadership roles almost everywhere you look. What's your key area for improvement? © iStockphoto/hidesy However, simply having the responsibilities of a leader doesn't necessarily make a person an effective leader. This is a shame because, with a little study, humility and hard work, all of us can learn to lead effectively. So, how can you do this? You can start by analyzing your performance in specific areas of leadership. Complete the quiz below to identify where you already lead effectively, and to explore where your skills need further development. In the analysis sections underneath, we'll direct you to the resources you need to be an exceptional leader. How Good Are Your Leadership Skills? Instructions: For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes you. Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how you think you should be), and don't worry if some questions seem to score 'in the wrong direction'. When you are finished, please click the 'Calculate My Total' button at the bottom of the test. 18 Statements to Answer 1 When assigning tasks, I consider people’s skills and interests. 2 I doubt myself and my ability to succeed. Not Some Rarely at All times Often Very Often 18 Statements to Answer Not Some Rarely at All times 3 I expect nothing less than topnotch results from people. 4 I expect my people to work harder than I do. 5 When someone is upset, I try to understand how he or she is feeling. 6 When circumstances change, I can struggle to know what to do. 7 I think that personal feelings shouldn't be allowed to get in the way of performance and productivity. 8 I am highly motivated because I know I have what it takes to be successful. 9 Time spent worrying about team morale is time that’s wasted. 10 I get upset and worried quite often in the workplace. 11 My actions show people what I want from them. 12 When working with a team, I encourage everyone to work toward the same overall objectives. 13 I make exceptions to my rules and expectations – it’s easier than being the enforcer all the time! 14 I enjoy planning for the future. 15 I feel threatened when someone criticizes me. 16 I make time to learn what people need from me, so that they can be successful. Often Very Often 18 Statements to Answer Not Some Rarely at All times Often Very Often 17 I’m optimistic about life, and I can see beyond temporary setbacks and problems. 18 I think that teams perform best when individuals keep doing the same tasks and perfecting them, instead of learning new skills and challenging themselves. Total = 0 Score Interpretation Score Comment 18-34 You need to work hard on your leadership skills. The good news is that if you use more of these skills at work, at home, and in the community, you'll be a real asset to the people around you. You can do it – and now is a great time to start! (Read below to start.) 35-52 You're doing OK as a leader, but you have the potential to do much better. While you've built the foundation of effective leadership, this is your opportunity to improve your skills, and become the best you can be. Examine the areas where you lost points, and determine what you can do to develop skills in these areas. (Read below to start.) 53-90 Excellent! You're well on your way to becoming a good leader. However, you can never be too good at leadership or too experienced – so look at the areas where you didn't score maximum points, and figure out what you can do to improve your performance. (Read below to start.) There are many leadership skills and competencies that, when combined and applied, go toward making you an effective leader. You have the ability to develop each of these skills within yourself. Read on for specific ideas on how you can improve your leadership skills! Personal Characteristics Successful leaders tend to have certain traits. Two keys areas of personal growth and development are fundamental to leadership success: self-confidence, and a positive attitude. Self-confident people are usually inspiring, and people like to be around individuals who believe in themselves and in what they're doing. Likewise, if you're a positive and optimistic person who tries to make the best of any situation, you'll find it much easier to motivate people to do their best. Self-Confidence (Questions 2, 8) Self-confidence is built by mastering significant skills and situations, and by knowing that you can add real value by the work you do. One of the best ways to improve your confidence is to become aware of all of the things you've already achieved. Our article on Building Self-Confidence explains what you can do to understand yourself better and build your self-confidence. From there, you'll begin to make the most of your strengths and improve your weaknesses. Explore this further with our Bite-Sized Training session on Personal SWOT Analysis . Positive Attitude and Outlook (Questions 10, 17) A positive mindset is also associated with strong leadership. However, being positive is much more than presenting a happy face to the world: you need to develop a strong sense of balance, and recognize that setbacks and problems happen – it's how you deal with those problems that makes the difference. Positive people approach situations realistically, prepared to make the changes necessary to overcome a problem. Negative people, on the other hand, often give in to the stress and pressure of the situation. This can lead to fear, worry, distress, anger and failure. Stress management techniques , including getting enough Rest, Relaxation and Sleep as well as physical exercise, are great ways of getting rid of negative thoughts and feelings. Understanding your thinking patterns, and learning to identify and eliminate negative thinking are key. You can learn how to do this in our article on Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking and Positive Thinking , and you can find out how to become more optimistic in our Book Insight on Learned Optimism . Emotional Intelligence (Questions 5, 15) The concept of emotional intelligence used to be referred to as "soft skills," "character", or even "communication skills". The more recent idea of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) offers a more precise understanding of a specific kind of human talent. EQ is the ability to recognize feelings – your own and those of others – and manage those emotions to create strong relationships. Learning to develop Empathy is essential for emotional intelligence, as is communicating effectively, and practicing Empathic Listening . These all help you really understand the other person's perspective. The Leadership menu has a section on emotional intelligence in leadership. Transformational Leadership Transformational leadership is a leadership style where leaders create an inspiring vision of the future, motivate their followers to achieve it, manage implementation successfully, and develop the members of their teams to be even more effective in the future. We explore these dimensions below. Providing a Compelling Vision of the Future (Questions 6, 14) This is your ability to create a robust and compelling vision of the future , and to present this vision in a way that inspires the people you lead. The first part of being able to do this is to have a thorough knowledge of the area you're operating in. See our Bite-Sized Training session on Building Expert Power to find out how to develop this. From there, good use of strategic analysis techniques can help you gain the key insights you need into the environment you're operating in, and into the needs of your clients. See our Strategy Menu for more than 50 powerful techniques that give you these insights. With these tools, you can explore the challenges you face and identify the options available to you. You can identify the best of these with good use of prioritization skills and appropriate decisionmaking techniques . Finally, to sell your vision, you need to be able to craft a compelling and interesting story. Our article, "Powers of Persuasion ," can help you open closed minds, so that people consider your ideas fairly. Another great way of inspiring people is to use vivid stories to explain your vision: find out more about this in our Expert Interview with Annette Simmons, titled Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins . Motivating People to Deliver the Vision (Questions 9, 12) This is closely related to creating and selling a vision. You must be able to convince others to accept the objectives you've set. Emphasize teamwork, and recognize that when people work together, they can achieve great things. To provide effective leadership by linking performance and team goals, use Management by Objectives (MBO) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Ultimately, you need to motivate people to deliver your vision. To better understand your ability to motivate, complete our quiz How Good Are Your Motivation Skills? , and explore our articles on Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors and Sirota's Three Factor Theory . Being a Good Role Model (Questions 4, 11) Good leaders lead by example . They do what they say, and say what they do. These types of leaders are trustworthy, and show integrity. They get involved in daily work where needed, and they stay in touch with what's happening throughout the organization. Great leaders don't just sit in their offices and give orders; they demonstrate the actions and values that they expect from the team. As with building vision, above, a key part of being a good role model is leading from the front by developing expert power . A leader can't rely on position alone: by keeping current, and staying relevant within the organization, you'll inspire people because you're worthy of your power and authority, not just because you're the boss. Managing Performance Effectively (Questions 3, 13) Effective leaders manage performance by setting their expectations clearly and concisely. When everyone knows what's expected, it's much easier to get high performance. There's little uncertainty, therefore you can deal with performance issues quickly. And if things have already started to slide, our article on Re-Engaging Team Members offers some excellent tips for turning a negative situation back to a positive one. As you create rules, help the team understand why the rules are there . Involve them in the rule-making process, and make sure that your expectations align with the resources and support available. Apply rules fairly and consistently. Providing Support and Stimulation (Questions 1, 7, 16, 18) to be highly motivated at work, people need more than a list of tasks to be completed each day. They need challenges and interesting work. They need to develop their skills, and to feel supported in their efforts to do a good job. Think about your approach to Task Allocation , and look for opportunities to match people with jobs and responsibilities that will help them grow and develop. Use Heron's Six Categories of Intervention to decide when and how to help team members to shine. Perform Training Needs Assessments on a regular basis to determine what your team needs to be successful. Remember that emotional support is also important. The BlakeMouton Managerial Grid is a great tool for thinking about the right balance between concern for people, and productivity. Key Points To be successful in your career, regardless of your title or position, focus on developing your leadership skills. Effective leaders can add value simply by being present on teams. They are inspirational and motivating. They know the right things to say to people to help them understand what's needed, and they can convince people to support a cause. When you have talented and effective leaders in your organization, you're well on your way to success. Develop these leadership skills in yourself and in your team members – and you'll see the performance and productivity of your entire team improve. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article More Self-tests View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Hi, Glad you received a good score on the leadership quiz. You've got a great foundation to build on!! Two resources on managing the change process and helping people ease through it are: Bite Sized Training - Change Management: http://www.mindtools.com/community/Bite-SizedTraining/ ManagingChange.php This is a workbook based tool that will help you apply some of the key principles. Coaching Through Change: http://www.mindtools.com/community/ pages/article/newTMM_19.php Outlines a coaching technique you can use to help people cope with, and potentially embrace, change. Take a look at them and come back with follow up questions. Dianna October 15, 2013 khalid3hr wrote I was a bit surprised to get a good score . It really helped to look onto the low score and know the articles associated with it . Specially , with the building self confidence and improve positive image . I have made my personal learning plan and look forward to move ahead in my journey with Mindtools. Is there any article , to motivate people to manage change and make them realize that change is inevitable October 12, 2013 Midgie wrote Hi Gautam, Welcome to the Club and very pleased to hear that you liked the assessment and feedback about your leadership skills. If you want to expand on the areas that might benefit from some focused attention, why not try our Test Your Skills quiz http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/getstarted.php This quiz provides a good overview of many different areas you might consider focusing on. Plus, you can then create your own Personal Learning Plan to help you keep focused on developing yourself. Hope to see you around. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with. Midgie October 2, 2013 gautam_chaks wrote Good revelation, it reinforces certain points and more important helps me to understand where to improve. I liked the detailed explanation of my score. Impressed and I look fwd to a fruitful journey with Mind Tools. Regards, Gautam October 2, 2013 Dianna wrote Wow! That's fantastic feedback. Thanks for sharing. We look forward to sharing this career journey with you. Let us know what you are looking for, what your specific needs are, etc... and we will do our very best to help. Enjoy!!! I look forward to seeing you around. Dianna September 27, 2013 Manishpoddar wrote Hi it my first day the tools are impressive its a great experience. September 26, 2013 Dianna wrote Hi career_path, For questions about using the tool for training purposes, you can contact member services at
[email protected] They will be able to advise you. If you have any difficulties, let me know. You can reach me directly at
[email protected] Glad you enjoyed the tool and would like to share it! Dianna February 28, 2012 career_path wrote I really like the quiz and was wondering if there is a way to have access to it as a tool for use during a leadership training session? February 28, 2012 Yolande wrote Hi Kandil d Welcome to the Club and also to the forums. Glad to hear that ou enjoyed the quiz etc. I gather thatt you are interested in tips and articles about leadership...do have a look at our Learning Stream called ' Lead Now'. The link is: http://www.mindtools.com/ community/LearningStreams/LeadNow.php We hope to see you on the forums often; the input from all of our members are extremely valuable. Kandil d, if you need any help around here, please dont hesitate to let me know. Kind regards Yolande January 11, 2012 Return to top of the page Humility The Most Beautiful Word in the English Language Many years ago, one of my university professors mentioned that "windowsill" was voted the most beautiful word in the English language. Being an armchair linguist, this factoid naturally stayed with me. Words have enormous power. They can make us erupt into laughter or bring tears to our © iStockphoto/OGphoto eyes. They can influence, inspire, manipulate and shock. They can build and destroy. Some words have different effects on different people. One such word is humility. It is one of those words that are seldom in neutral gear. Some, like me, love the word and all it stands for. Some almost fear it and interpret it synonymously with lack of self-confidence or timidity. The dictionary defines humility as modesty, lacking pretence, not believing that you are superior to others. An ancillary definition includes: "Having a lowly opinion of oneself, meekness". The word "humility" first struck me in the context of leadership when Jim Collins mentioned it in his seminal work Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't. In this book, Collins examined companies that went from good to great by sustaining 15-year cumulative stock returns at or below the general stock market, and after a transition point, cumulative returns at least three times the market over the next 15 years. Among the many characteristics that distinguished these companies from others is that they all had a Level 5 leader . Level 5 leaders direct their ego away from themselves to the larger goal of leading their company to greatness. These leaders are a complex, paradoxical mix of intense professional will and extreme personal humility. They will create superb results but shun public adulation, and are never boastful. They are described as modest. An example of such a leader who epitomized humility is David Packard, the co-founder of HewlettPackard, who, in Jim Collins' words, defined himself as a HP man first and a CEO second. He was a man of the people, practicing management by walking around. Shunning all manner of publicity, Packard is quoted as saying: "You shouldn't gloat about anything you've done; you ought to keep going and find something better to do." Another great leader is Patrick Daniel, CEO of North American energy and pipeline company Enbridge, who espouses two leadership attributes: determination to create results and humility, shifting the focus away from himself and continually recognizing the contributions of others. "I have learned through the lives of great leaders," he said, "that greatness comes from humility and being at times, selfeffacing." Clearly these leaders, and many others like them, don't espouse the meaning of humility as "meek". On the contrary, it is a source of their strength. But the notion of being self-effacing is one that we struggle with in our competitive culture, prescribing that we take every opportunity to toot our own horn, and that we don't dare leave the house without our dynamic elevator speech all rehearsed. We often confuse humility with timidity. Humility is not clothing ourselves in an attitude of self-abasement or self-denigration. Humility is all about maintaining our pride about who we are, about our achievements, about our worth – but without arrogance – it is the antithesis of hubris, that excessive, arrogant pride which often leads to the derailment of some corporate heroes, as it does with the downfall of the tragic hero in Greek drama. It's about a quiet confidence without the need for a meretricious selling of our wares. It's about being content to let others discover the layers of our talents without having to boast about them. It's a lack of arrogance, not a lack of aggressiveness in the pursuit of achievement. An interesting dichotomy is that, often, the higher people rise, the more they have accomplished, the higher the humility index. Those who achieve the most brag the least, and the more secure they are in themselves, the more humble they are. "True merit, like a river, the deeper it is, the less noise it makes". (Edward Frederick Halifax). We have all come across people like that and feel admiration for them. There is also an understated humility of every day people we work with who have the ability to get the job done without drawing attention to themselves. Witness the employee who is working at his computer into the late hours, purely motivated by a keen sense of duty, the executive assistant who stays after 5:30pm on a Friday night in an empty office to await a courier, or the manager who quietly cancels an important personal event to fly out of town to attend to the company's business. This is akin to the philanthropist who gives an anonymous donation. Humility is also a meta-virtue. It crosses into an array of principles. For example, we can safely declare that there cannot be authenticity without humility. Why? Because, there is always a time in a leader's journey when one will be in a situation of not having all the answers. Admitting this and seeking others' input requires some humility. Another mark of a leader who practices humility is his or her treatment of others. Such leaders treat everyone with respect regardless of position. Years ago, I came across this reference: the sign of a gentleman is how he treats those who can be of absolutely no use to him. Something interesting happens, too, when we approach situations from a perspective of humility: it opens us up to possibilities, as we choose open-mindedness and curiosity over protecting our point of view. We spend more time in that wonderful space of the beginner's mind, willing to learn from what others have to offer. We move away from pushing into allowing, from insecure to secure, from seeking approval to seeking enlightenment. We forget about being perfect and we enjoy being in the moment. Here are a few suggestions on practicing humility: 1. There are times when swallowing one's pride is particularly difficult and any intentions of humility fly out the window, as we get engaged in a contest of perfection, each side seeking to look good. If you find yourself in such no-win situations, consider developing some strategies to ensure that the circumstances don't lead you to lose your grace. Try this sometimes: just stop talking and allow the other person to be in the limelight. There is something very liberating in this strategy. 2. Here are three magical words that will produce more peace of mind than a week at an expensive retreat: "You are right." 3. Catch yourself if you benignly slip into over preaching or coaching without permission – is zeal to impose your point of view overtaking discretion? Is your correction of others reflective of your own needs? 4. Seek others' input on how you are showing up in your leadership path. Ask: "How am I doing?" It takes humility to ask such a question. And even more humility to consider the answer. 5. Encourage the practice of humility in your company through your own example: every time you share credit for successes with others, you reinforce the ethos for your constituents. Consider mentoring or coaching emerging leaders on this key attribute of leadership. There are many benefits to practicing humility, to being in a state of non-pretence: it improves relationships across all levels, it reduces anxiety, it encourages more openness and paradoxically, it enhances one's self-confidence. It opens a window to a higher self. For me, it replaces "windowsill" as the most beautiful word in the English language. Copyright © 2006-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Hi Ciaran, welcome to the forums. It never ceases to amaze me the power that humility has. We need it ourselves and we need to see it in our leaders. The ramifications of not being humble can be very damaging - shelley's decision to leave a company is case in point. You have to wonder how many other people choose to leave an organization for this very same reason. As you read this ask yourself what point you are at on a "humility meter". Think about times when humility posed a stumbling block for you. And then think about why it was so hard to be humble. It's not an easy discussion to have with yourself but a very valuable one and one that stands to have a great impact. Thanks for the great reminders and for bringing this article back to the forefront. Dianna February 7, 2010 transome wrote I am an avid supporter of the 'Emotional Intelligence' school of personal development and the ethos of 'Humility' I teach Management at a local college part time and in my class hand outs an article by Collins on Humility( taken from Harvard Business Review) but its origins in his book is always included, it is just so critical to the study and appreciation of 'World Class' Leadership that no class or business/community leader should not have a copy that is read, reread and fully understood! Ciaran Dublin Feb 2010 February 7, 2010 shelley wrote What a great article which hit a soft spot for 2 reasons : Lack of humility is one of the many reasons I had for recently deciding to leave the company I built and still own 1/3 because of the total lack of humility in one of my fellow shareholders. The perpetual use of Me, Myself and I, by him in front of teams and in front of clients helped give me that final push I needed to explore other professional paths. What's more, I'm in the middle of reading "Good to Great". Definitely a super read February 6, 2007 Meena wrote While on the subject of humility, I'd like to make just a fine distinction between plain humility and allowing onself to be trod upon. We do come across people holding top positions in large companies having the quality of humility notwithstanding their many achievements. At the other end of the scale, we also come across those who are arrogant while not having anything much to show as being good enough reason for it. In a way, humility can be powerful facet of human nature, because it allows you to seek help without feeling emarassed, ask people about things you don't know, so you can gain from the knowledge of others in a positive way. Being arrogant, will of course preclude that possibility, because the arrogance will come in the way of 'exposing your ignorance' as it were. It's the willingness to learn from others that makes a person grow, learning from his own as well as others' experiences and rise above all that is narrow and petty. It doesn't make sense, however, to take everything lying down, in the hope that things will eventually sort themselves out, when there are underhand dealings at play. Although it might take courage to do it, there are occasions when you'll need to confront the person and the issues. My guess is that others around you will respect you for it even though there may not be a win or gain for you in the the immediate future. It will help boost your confidence and make you better able to handle the situation the next time around. Cheers! February 6, 2007 paula wrote That was a good article. Some people enojy bragging so much about thier accomplishments that they do not look at what they have done to get them. I know someone who will go out of his way to help a person but then he has to tell everyone what he has done. To me he is just shouting "Look at what a wonderful person I am". I help people but do not brag about it. Dazzle, you are most likely not the only person who has been backstabbed by that woman. She might be getting ahead in her career but do people enjoy working with her? I would suggest that you do your job the best you can and share your ideas when you have them and be a person people enjoy working with. I believe that people who treat others wrongly will eventually get it in return. You never know, she may appear successful but she may be miserable. Hope this helps. Paula January 30, 2007 PamelaA wrote I agree with everything that's been said - it is a great article and a fantastic reminder of some real truths. If you've not read "Good to Great" by Jim Collins, order it now - it's a really good book and an easy read. Over the past few years I've had my trust and faith in human nature battered many times by the kind of arrogant people mentioned. My strategy now is to be true to myself, behave with professionalism and integrity, and - above all - go home each night with my pride and self-belief intact. Yes, you can climb the greasy pole by trampling over everyone, hurting people, taking credit where it's NOT due, etc. ...... and you will probably be successful ..... but will you be able to sleep at night? January 30, 2007 dazzle359 wrote Thank you for the link Jara, it was very helpful to read all the posts on this subject. I suppose at first, I thought I would just carry on, with no thought of moving ahead, I felt my drive and motivation slipping. Just do your job, and don't try to be outstanding, or driven to be the best or greatest. I think I just need to be more observant, and keep my mouth shut, and wait for a more appropriate time to share my ideas. Those ideas can always be used within a team atmosphere, so that hopefully credit will go where credit is due. Thanks again. January 28, 2007 Jara wrote Hi dazzle, I'm really sorry that this person has trod on your toes like this, and then gotten such great rewards for being the antithesis of a team player and, it seems, decent human being. I had a small taste of this type of behavior myself a few months back. I posted a topic in the Career Cafe that you might like to read - I called it "Help I'm Being Sabotaged" this is the link: http://mindtools.com/forums/ viewtopic.php?t=188 (hope I can put his here - I've seen other links get moderated out but the MindTools one appear to be ok) While my situation is not far as grave as yours, the responses might help you see the situation in a different light. As far as I can tell, the only thing you can do for yourself is to keep working hard and believe in the truism that "what comes around, goes around" The lesson - not all people are nice and there are a lot things that are not fair or right in this world. The only person's fate that you have any real control over is your own. Work hard and revel in the self satisfaction that comes from that. I know it's a hard pill to swallow - I'd personally like to do somehting really awful to people like this - but I don't think I could survive a night in jail let alone the sentence I'd get . Don't stop believing in yourself or the other people in the field you can admire. Snakes are slippery, they can get into the most unseemly of places, but they can't hide forever.... January 27, 2007 dazzle359 wrote I could not believe that I read this article just when I needed it. I must, however ask for help with a particular situation that I am having a problem with. How do you handle a situation when someone who is the furtherest thing from humble continues to be rewarded for awful behavior? Just when I thought I was over it, and did not care any more about politics. This person actually undermined and stepped on everyone in the department to get ahead, hurting many people, including myself. This person continues to gain power, and grow and prosper. I decided to just "erase" it from my mind, and just worry about me, and just do the best job I could do, under any circumstance. The original back stabbing situation occurred in 2002. I moved away from this person, even left the institution for a time,and continued to work hard, and stay away from the negative. Just yesterday, as I was looking at a magazine, there was her picture. Voted one in 20 of the top persons in her field, in the state! My field, and my state! What a way to totally ruin your day. Just let it go, and pray. . . which I am trying to do. So far that is not working. As I try, and try, and try to let it go, I just keep seeing her face, on the cover. What do you do? What lesson am I suppose to be learning? What am I missing, here? How do you stop looking at the leaders in your field, and wondering how they got there? Dazzle359 January 27, 2007 Return to top of the page "I Swear by Apollo" Being Accountable to Yourself in Leadership "I swear by Apollo"... so starts the Oath of Hippocrates, an oath of ethical, professional behavior sworn by all new physicians – a promise to practice good medicine to the best of their ability, for the good of their patients. It essentially boils down to a commitment to "do no harm". Wouldn't it be great to have such an oath for leaders – an © iStockphoto oath of personal accountability, not just for business outcomes and for leading others, but for leading oneself. I am reminded of the proverb "Physician, heal thyself", suggesting that one should take care of one's own faults first before correcting the faults of others – so I add to the above: Leader, lead thyself. Any nuts-and-bolts leadership primer will explain that one of the key leadership competencies is holding others accountable. This entails, among other things, setting clear expectations and guidelines, clearly communicating goals and objectives, following up to ensure fulfillment of responsibilities, providing feedback on performance, coaching those whose performance is not up to par and, finally, taking any necessary corrective action. But a leader cannot expect to hold others accountable successfully if they are not holding themselves accountable first. While this is an important dimension of leadership, it is easy to slip, when it comes to accountability for our own behavior. This can happen even to leaders who do a great job at holding themselves accountable for the big ticket items such as driving for results, whether in sales, operations, marketing or financing, identifying root causes for business problems, developing a vision and strategy and managing resources effectively. Let's clarify something before we proceed: no leader worth his salt wakes up in the morning deciding that he or she is not going to be accountable today. No one wants to do a bad job. But things happen during the course of the day that can divert the best of us from our good intentions and more often than not, it is unintentional, personal "slips". It is about these seemingly innocuous personal slips that I want to talk. They take many, subtle forms. Let's explore a few of the garden-variety ones: • You have a chronic problem employee but you don't make the tough decision to let the individual go, because you want to be a nice person. Instead, after much deliberation and agony, you decide to transfer the person to another department – essentially moving the problem to another part of the company and hoping it goes away. Deep down, your intuition is whispering to you that the problem has not been solved but, in your elation at having found the solution to a nagging problem, you hush your intuition. You come to the office the next day, with a spring in your step and a song in your heart – relieved at having shed a burden. • A senior member of your team has a habit of treating less influential ones very poorly in meetings, interrupting them, discounting their contributions and generally exhibiting posterlike bad behavior. It mortifies the recipients, embarrasses other team members and even bothers you. Again, though, because you value harmony and hate confrontation of any kind, you choose to ignore the offending behavior and hope that it will stop on its own. The fact that the perpetuator is an aggressive, high achiever, successfully delivering results, makes it even harder for you to step up and do something. • You have just announced the company's drastic cost cutting measures and asked for everyone in your department to cooperate by eliminating all discretionary spending. You delivered a genuinely inspiring speech to your team and everyone is on board to make this work. Two days later, employees see a $1,000 chair delivered to your office – an earlier purchase you had genuinely forgotten to cancel. Others, of course, don't judge us by our intentions – they only have the appearance of events to judge you by. • A mistake was made, the ownership of which falls on several shoulders including yours. Driven by the anxiety and chaos that ensues, you minimize your role in the fracas, and even unwittingly suffer from temporary corporate amnesia, forgetting that you were fully briefed in advance. You set out to find a scapegoat, genuinely convincing yourself that it is surely their fault. This can easily happen in times of stress because, as a leader, you handle dozens of issues on a daily basis. However, others involved only handle a few issues and remember the course of events with laser-like precision. Well, the list can go on. Some slips are due to personality preferences, others just from the sheer amount of work and stress that leaders often experience. The reasons are multiple and really not important. It's the behaviors that are important. They are all examples of behaviors you would not condone in others when you set out to hold them accountable. And as we all know, when there is a disparity between what you tell others to do and what you do yourself, people will believe your actions and not your words. The fallout of this scenario is an erosion of trust, one of the high prices we pay for lack of self-accountability. Let's also not neglect to mention that, as a leader, you sometimes have to take unpopular decisions and this can, by itself, elicit criticism. You are always in a fishbowl. So what strategies can you adopt to be more careful, to be selfaccountable – essentially to report to yourself? 1. Just as companies are rightfully concerned about how they are viewed by customers or shareholders, consider taking time to reflect on how your actions are viewed by all stakeholders: your direct reports, your peers, your clients. Go through a formal 360° Leadership Assessment process or simply get hold of a leadership assessment form and use it to reflect on how others in your team would rate you on each dimension. For example: Puts the interests of the team before own interests; Shares credit for successes; Readily shares relevant information; Asks how am I doing; Treats others with respect regardless of their position; Fosters teamwork across all departments; Stands behind decisions made by the team; Provides honest feedback in a timely basis. Would others respond in this way about you? 2. At the end of each day, when you clear your desk before you head home, take a few short minutes to mentally go over your day. Think about significant conversations you held, meetings you attended, emails you sent and other actions you undertook. Are you proud? Could you have done better? This will inspire you to plan your next day around your highest purpose. Getting into this habit of introspection will pay dividends in the long run. 3. Decide to hold yourself accountable for developing other leaders. By mentoring a protégé to enhance their personal and professional growth, you strengthen your own leadership skills and reinforce your determination to be self-accountable as you become the model. 4. When something goes wrong, look inwardly for solutions. It is especially in difficult times that our self-accountability is challenged. Martin Luther King said it poignantly: "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." 5. When a mistake is made, do you ask: "Whose fault is it?" or do you say: "What can we learn from this?" or "What can I do to improve this situation?" To that end, consider reading John G. Miller's book: QBQ! The Question behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability in Work and in Life. Reading the book inspires one to move away from the blame game we have all been tempted to play at one time or other and take ownership of issues. 6. Think about promises you make to new hires during the interviewing courtship period. In our zeal to want to attract the brightest and most talented, we can easily over promise. Keep a record of your interview notes and what you promised to candidates. If subsequent events make it impossible to keep the promises, at least you can address them with the individual. This is better than forgetting about them altogether. 7. What about promises you made to yourself? Write out your personal and professional goals with clear targets. Read them once a week. Are your day-to-day action aligned with your values, your standards, your philosophy of leading? What are your boundaries? Do you take measures to protect them? If your answers to these questions are negative, what is causing this? What insights does this give you? Use this information as a means to spur you to action rather than guilt. 8. Moliere, 17th century French dramatist, said: "It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable." Is there anything that you are avoiding doing that needs to be done? For example, are you putting off a difficult conversation? Are you delaying any important decisions? Are you delegating away responsibilities that should stay in your court? Self-accountability, then, is staying true to ourselves despite difficult circumstances. It's doing the right thing even when we are tempted to bend a few rules for expediency's sake. Perhaps Deborah Lee put it best: "Self-accountability is who you are when no one is looking". It's also the best antidote to feeling victimized by circumstances and in so doing, frees up precious creative energy for us to accomplish what matters to us. Above all, it entails owning up to the consequences of our decisions and choices, because there is no choice without accountability. Copyright © 2006-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Hi Bree our policy on resource sharing is that it's okay for members to share articles on an adhoc and occasional basis meaning you could print out 2-3 copies of an article, but not do this more than once a month. If you want to use materials to train other people or on a more regular basis, get in touch with the helpdesk to ask about multilicensing and permissions. Hope this clarifies things. Dianna February 11, 2008 Bree wrote WOW ... really great article! I particularly liked the idea of taking a few moments at the end of the day to reflect on yoru day and what went well as well as the point of holding yourself accountable to develop other leaders! This could be used on many a management / leadership course to remind people to hold themselves accountable, as well as their employees! Can I use in in my next training ... with of course the acknowledgement of it's source - Mind Tools? Bree February 11, 2008 Return to top of the page Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse Spotting Moral Downfalls Has anyone in your organization ever made a decision that you felt was ethically wrong? Chances are that you answered "yes." Organizations often start out making good, ethical decisions, but the line separating right from wrong can be easy to cross, particularly when people are under pressure to achieve results. Look out for the Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse. © iStockphoto/stuartbur When this happens, unethical behavior and decision-making can become widespread. This can lead to the downfall of everyone involved, or can threaten the organization itself. So, if you're a senior leader in your organization, how do you know if there are ethical problems lurking within it? In this article, we'll look at Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse, a tool that you can use to identify ethical weaknesses in your organization. We'll then review what you can do to address each sign. About the Tool Marianne M. Jennings, a business ethics professor at Arizona State University, published the model in her 2006 book, "The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse." Her seven signs are: 1. Pressure to maintain numbers. 2. Fear and silence. 3. Young ‘uns, and a bigger-than-life CEO. 4. A weak board. 5. Conflicts (of interest). 6. Innovation like no other. 7. Goodness in some areas atoning for evil in others. From "The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse" © 2005 by Marianne M. Jennings. Reprinted by permission of St Martin's Press. All rights reserved. Once you know how to recognize these signs, you can spot potential weaknesses in your organization, and determine whether it might be at risk of "ethical collapse." If you believe that your organization is at risk, you can then take action to turn the culture around before some catastrophic failure occurs. Caution: Organizations may show some of the seven signs for honest, straightforward business reasons, and this doesn't necessarily mean that they're at risk. Use these signs as a guide, and employ your best judgment when assessing your organization. Let's look at these signs in more detail, and discuss what you can do if you spot them in your organization. The Seven Signs 1. Pressure to Maintain Numbers Every organization wants to maintain a certain performance level, but, when it becomes obsessed with meeting quantitative goals, it may push aside good judgment and ethics in order to achieve them. These goals are often financial, but they can revolve around any measure of performance. For example, a university can push its professors to publish a certain number of papers each year, or a nonprofit organization can pressure its staff to sign up a certain number of donors each week. While every organization should pay attention to key metrics, healthy organizations have checks and balances in place to prevent fraud and manipulation. Action First, confirm that your team members know the organization's core values , and check that none of the goals that you've set, or the processes for achieving them, cause people to violate these values. Meet with your team members and explain the lines that they shouldn't cross, and the consequences if they do so. If team members violate these ethical boundaries, meet with them one-on-one to discuss their behavior and discipline them appropriately. If your team members spot processes or behaviors that they believe could motivate poor behavior, encourage them to speak out. Last, practice ethical leadership by always trying to do the right thing, and by setting a good example for your team. 2. Fear and Silence A culture of fear and silence can easily mask ethical problems. For example, if people spot discrepancies or failures, key decisionmakers may be unsympathetic towards their concerns. Other people might be afraid to speak up about their worries, because they fear that they'll be demoted or fired. Still others may feel helpless, and may think that they can do nothing about the situation. If top leaders rule with fear, it can often signal that an organization is at ethical risk. Action First, create a culture where people feel comfortable communicating with one another. Encourage feedback from your people, and make sure that everyone understands that open criticism won't be frowned upon or punished. If you suspect that your people's concerns aren't being heard, or that they're too afraid to speak up, provide anonymous channels for them to voice their opinions. You could provide a simple suggestion box, a hotline, or a message board where employees can post comments and questions without fear of being identified. Coach your team members on what they should do if they spot something that needs reporting. Our article on whistleblowing will help you understand the issues and risks of speaking up, so that you know how to minimize risks for whistleblowers. Next, clarify what they should report. Encourage your team to report anything that they're concerned about, from violations of the company's core values, to ethics, or to illegal actions. Once people speak up, it's important for them to know that you've heard their concerns. Where channels aren't anonymous, you should aim to respond to all reports. If you make a change in response to an anonymous suggestion, be open and explain what you're doing, so that people know that you're taking action. When a team is silent, it could mean that people are afraid of conflict. Conflict can be healthy if it's managed appropriately, so, work on your conflict resolution skills and manage healthy conflict within your team, so that you set a good example for others. Lastly, reward team members who speak up, even if it's with a simple "thank you." Showing your gratitude will encourage others to express themselves in the future. 3. Young ‘Uns and a Bigger-Than-Life CEO Just because an organization has ambitious, young executives, it certainly doesn't mean that an ethical collapse is inevitable. However, it is possible that inexperienced managers might have trouble challenging the decisions of a larger-than-life CEO, whether out of fear, or out of a lack of confidence in their own analysis. CEOs can also get away with immoral decisions because the management team doesn't want to challenge them, or may presume that the CEO knows more than they do about a situation. Groupthink can also lead these teams to make unethical decisions, especially if a dynamic, enthusiastic CEO is leading them. Action It can be challenging to change a workplace culture where people are under the spell of a powerful CEO. Jennings advises that this sign will likely be the most difficult to address. If you're in a position to affect the hiring of executives, think twice before hiring a "big name." This holds true with professionals at lower levels as well. Thoroughly question candidates with a record of hitting goals that seem too good to be true. Make sure that bonuses and other benefits aren't being awarded unfairly in your organization. Practice strategic compensation and make sure that no one is compensated inappropriately. , 4. A Weak Board An organization's board can be weak for several reasons: its members might be inexperienced, they could be distracted by infighting, they may have conflicts of interest, or they might miss meetings or key votes because they're not engaged. The board's structure might also contribute to weakness. For instance, the board might discuss major proposals over the phone or online, without giving key members the chance to review issues thoroughly. Weak boards can often indicate an organization's ethical collapse, simply because they don't have the strength or cohesiveness needed to challenge an unethical CEO or senior management team. Action One way to strengthen your organization's board is to keep communication lines open, and ensure that board members can talk with employees, and vice versa. This will prevent managers from filtering information, omitting bad news, or exaggerating good news. In order to create a two-way communication channel, you could set up a hotline, or simply compile a directory of phone numbers and email addresses, so that people can get in touch with one another. Next, look at the perks that your board receives. Many companies that have collapsed because of poor ethical decisions offered extravagant packages to board members and some employees – perks that similar organizations couldn't afford. Look at the compensation that the people in your organization are receiving. Is it similar to that of your competition? If not, this could be a warning sign that your organization might not be able to afford its compensation policies. Last, pay careful attention to who's on the board, as you need people who are strong enough to stand up for what's ethically right. 5. Conflicts (of Interest) Some organizations are at risk from conflicts of interest. For example, one high-ranking executive might contract work out to a family member or friend; directors might be voted onto the board because the CEO wants their business; or someone in finance might inflate earnings because he, and several of his friends, are major stockholders. When decision-makers have conflicts of interest, they play two roles: they lead the organization, and they look out for their own interests. It's quite possible for these roles to conflict, and this can lead to unethical decision-making. Action First, think about whether key decision-makers may have conflicts of interest. Pay close attention to auditors, analysts, board members and executives. If you're in a position to do so, set up policies to deal with these conflicts. These policies should address a wide range of conflicts, from working with relatives to accepting workplace gifts . Often, accepting workplace gifts can create a conflict of interest in itself. When team members become comfortable with accepting gifts, it can be tempting to allow gifts to influence a work relationship, which can start to lead an organization towards ethical problems. 6. Innovation Like No Other Organizations that pride themselves on innovation can start to feel that they're above the law. Of course, innovation itself is a very good thing, but trouble can ensue when an organization innovates without regard to ethics or the law. The faster an organization pursues innovation (or grows), the quicker even one poor decision can throw it off track. Action Examine your organization's current success and its pursuit of innovation. Do you worry that you're moving forwards too quickly? That is, do you believe that the excitement for your organization's products or culture has been blown out of proportion, and that you might be overlooking problems? In the frenzy of upward growth, it's easy for people to overlook rules, laws, and ethics. If you suspect that this is the case in your organization, communicate your concerns. Next, learn to make good decisions. Tools such as Hurson's Productive Thinking Model and The Four Step Innovation Process will help you ensure that your innovation and progress match your organization's values and goals – this will make it less likely that you'll run into problems in the future. 7. Goodness in Some Areas Atones for Evil in Others In the past, some organizations that suffered from ethical collapse gave generous donations to social causes, community events, and charities, perhaps as a way of appeasing managers' consciences following poor behavior. Organizations that commit to helping good causes can still be at risk; they can use this philanthropic behavior to justify other unethical actions. Action First, investigate your organization's attitude towards social responsibility , and look at how much it gives to charities and other social causes. What are the organization's motivations and guidelines for giving to social causes? Are there connections between your organization's executives and board members, and the causes that they support? Also look at the decision makers in these nonprofits; are they related, or close, to anyone in your organization? Also, if your organization is part of an industry that receives criticism for being "unethical," for example, the tobacco industry, it's important to remember that honest leaders might feel the need to compensate by doing "good deeds." Sometimes, organizations might do good to compensate – consciously or subconsciously – for unethical behavior elsewhere. Philanthropy is important, but unethical behavior needs to be dealt with at root. Key Points Marianne Jennings, a business ethics professor, identified seven signs of ethical collapse in organizations, and published them in her 2006 book on the subject. The seven signs are: 1. Pressure to maintain numbers. 2. Fear and silence. 3. Young ‘uns and a bigger-than-life CEO. 4. A weak board. 5. Conflicts (of interest). 6. Innovation like no other. 7. Goodness in some areas atoning for evil in others. You can use this tool as a guide to spot unethical trends in your organization, and take appropriate action if you feel that your company is going off course. Keep in mind that the presence of these signs doesn't necessarily mean that an organization is in ethical trouble. This is where you always need to use your best judgment. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Unethical practices can be likened to erosion that eats away at something slowly, but surely. If erosion continues for long enough, it changes the shape of the landscape. If unethical behaviour in a company is tolerated, it may also change the image or 'shape' of the company. Even if everybody does the wrong thing, it is still wrong. And even if no-one does the right thing, it remains the right thing. Yolandé September 4, 2012 Return to top of the page "Laissez Faire" versus Micromanagement Getting the Balance Right Imagine this scenario: Your boss has just handed you a big project. You're excited to get started, but she's left you with no direction as to how she expects you to go about it. She's specified the deadline and the deliverable, and has left you to find your own way. Your last boss was the complete opposite. Use an appropriate style. © iStockphoto/Acerebel He'd hand you a piece of work and then spend the next few weeks hovering over your shoulder, questioning your decisions and offering "helpful advice" at every turn. These two scenarios illustrate opposite ends of a management style spectrum. The first boss has a "laissez faire" management style, and the second is the classic micromanager – more politely known as a "very-handson" manager. Both styles can be effective in the right circumstances, but not, usually, when they're taken to extremes. As usual, the best approach lies somewhere between the extremes. In this article we'll look at each management style, and see how to find the best style for each person and situation. Laissez Faire Management The term "laissez faire" is French for "leave it be". This is a very fitting description for this style of management! Laissez faire managers are delegation masters. They leave it up to their teams to find their way through projects and tasks, and give a minimum amount of supervision. Employees often have a lot of power to make decisions with a laissez faire approach. In fact, at the extreme end of laissez faire, the manager can seem to be completely absent! Micromanagement Micromanagers are the opposite of laissez faire managers. They resist delegating, and when they do delegate, they spend a great deal of time checking up on their teams. Micromanagers focus on every tiny detail, and often discourage their team members from making decisions if they're not around. Clearly this can be frustrating and upsetting for team members, it slows work down, and it constrains the creativity that people can show. On the positive side, it does help to ensure that work is done accurately and on time. Finding the Balance So, how do you find the right balance between laissez faire management and micromanagement/hands-on management? It's worth pointing out here that managers should rarely take either of these management styles to the extreme. However, it can be tricky to know when to give more freedom and when to give more supervision, and there are a number of factors that you need to take into consideration when you're thinking about this. Know Your Team The people you're leading have a lot to do with the management style you need to adopt. For instance, imagine you're leading a team full of senior colleagues who have a proven track record. They know what they have to do, and they've worked together countless times in the past. This is a classic example of when a more laissez faire management approach is likely to be appropriate. You still need to be there to direct the group, but they don't want or need constant supervision. A micromanagement approach would certainly do more harm than good here! On the other hand, imagine you're leading a team of inexperienced colleagues. They're not sure of their direction, or of what the company expects from them. This situation would call for a lot of management direction on your part. Understanding the people you're leading is therefore the first step in finding the balance between less management and more management. What's more, you may need to use different approaches with different members of your team – for example, you'll need to manage a new graduate in a totally different way from an experienced colleague. When thinking about the individuals within your team, you can use these guidelines to decide which style to lean towards: A laissez faire approach is likely to be best with: • Senior, experienced, and highly educated workers. • Teams with drive, assertiveness and self-confidence. • Creative groups. A Hands-On approach is likely to work best with: • Young, inexperienced workers. • Workers who consistently miss deadlines if left to their own devices. • Departments where conflict is an issue. • Teams that rely on quick decisions. Tip 1: Culture can have an impact here, too. People in individualistic cultures such as the U.S. or U.K. can profoundly dislike micromanagement. In other cultures, a hands-on approach may be expected, and deadlines may be missed if too much of a laissez faire approach is used. Be sensitive to the culture in which you operate. Tip 2: You can find out more about the differences between specific cultures around the world in our article on Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions , and by exploring our Managing Around the World section. Understanding Your Situation When it comes to your situation, there are a number of factors that come into play when choosing where on the spectrum your management style needs to be. For instance, there are some jobs or projects where there is no room for error. Think about airplane construction, the safety of a team building a high-rise skyscraper, or the preparation of documents for a multimillion-dollar acquisition deal. A hands-on approach is often necessary for situations like these, and is likely to be accepted by members of your team, who should understand why you're so involved. On the opposite end of the spectrum, imagine you're in charge of a department that depends on free thinking and creativity to accomplish goals. In this situation, a more laissez faire approach is likely to work well, because your team members can't take creative risks with you hovering over their shoulders. When thinking about the situation you're in, you can use these guidelines to find the right balance: A laissez faire approach is likely to be best when: • You're leading a creative department. • You're a new leader and you need to build rapport with your team. • Your department or project has flexible deadlines and self-defined goals. • Your people have proven themselves to deliver reliably, and on time. A hands-on approach is likely to be best when: • The project or task calls for very specific instructions that might easily confuse your team. • The situation is one where there is no room for error. • Mistakes by your team will be costly for the company, or will risk people's safety. • You're in charge of a product or task where delivering high quality outputs – or meeting tight deadlines – is the highest priority. Analyzing Wants Versus Needs In the midst of this balancing act you'll also need to look at individuals' wants and needs. For example, one of your team members may want you to lay off and let him do his own thing. But if he can't get his work done and keeps missing deadlines, then he may need hands-on management. It's up to you to decide what a team member needs, perhaps at the expense of what they want. Tips: • When working in a hands-on style, it's easy to be perceived as cold and impersonal. However, you can show your team that you're approachable by sharing stories when assigning roles, praising a job well done, or giving your team tips from some of your past experiences. • Adopting a more laissez faire approach with your team doesn't mean that they're doing all the work, of course. You still need to monitor their progress, and make sure you're available to them if they have questions. If you step too far back, there's a very real chance your team will feel lost. (Our article on delegation gives tips on how to do this appropriately.) • Every leader has their own "comfort zone". You might find yourself naturally drawn to a more laissez faire style, and extremely uncomfortable with the thought of hands-on management. But leaning towards different styles in different situations is the mark of a good leader: you're giving your team members what they need, not what you want to give. Tip 1: If you know that you tend to micromanage people too much, you can find out how to deal with this in our article on Avoiding Micromanagement . And you can find out more about laissez faire and other types of leadership in our article on Leadership Styles . Tip 2: You can also use tools such as the Leadership Style Matrix and the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory to choose the right leadership style to use for your own situation. Key Points Laissez faire management and micromanagement are at opposite ends of the style spectrum. And while no one should take either style to extremes, it's definitely helpful to lean one way or another at different times. Look carefully at the members of your team, and think about the kind of situation you're working in. Then select the approach that's likely to work best. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Just think of what YOU can accomplish in this type of environment. It's always good to remember that laissez faire doesn't mean complacent. Keep communicating and adjusting priorities - it's challenging to have all this autonomy so use it responsibly! And please let us know how things go... What do you like about this new way of leadership and what you don't... Exciting times ahead! Dianna October 5, 2012 forestfilly wrote I have recently joined a team who operate on a "laissez faire " approach compared to that of an autocratic leadership style. its taken me WEEKS to get my head around this and operate in a way that means I can manage and not have to be spoon fed. Its hard but NEWGUY will get there i'm sure. October 4, 2012 wolf wrote Hi Saskia, I must say that I really have some question marks regarding the capabilities of your manager. I mean, if you say that she is unpredictable, can give meaningless tasks and focuses on time sheets rather than on your work, I really wonder if she managed to fall upwards somehow. I realise that this is a rather negative scenario compared to the one that Yann floated, but there is usually more than one side to a story... Time sheets hardly ever say anything about someone's work and handing out meaningless tasks often results in turning your team against you. Topping that with unpredictability and you get a potion that could blow up in this woman's face. Just a couple of thoughts not knowing the exact situation... Still, I agree with some of the others, a conversation may clear up some of the question marks and hopefully gives you insight in when you can expect sunshine and when there's a thunderstorm in the air. Best of luck! Wolf. September 16, 2009 Midgie wrote Hi Saskia, One thought when I read your post is wondered whether there is some middle ground between the laisse-faire approach and the micromanagement approach? That sounds like an all or nothing approach, from one extreme to another. Could you put some sort of measures in place so that when a team member is starting to go 'off track', there are mechanisms in place to help them refocus and get back on track ... rather than waiting until a firm hand with specific detailed instructions are required? In regards to your manager, I'd also encourage having a discussion with them and see about finding your 'middle ground' with them! Good luck! Midgie September 16, 2009 yann wrote I smiled at Saskia's comment about her manager never questioning her work but checking her timesheets. An obvious reason that comes to most people's mind is probably "the manager is incompetent and tries to keep busy doing something". Let me just float another possible scenario: "the manager knows that timesheets and other such items are not exciting for anyone, yet she also knows that she will be pilloried and the organisation's reputation will suffer if there are compliance issues with basic processes, especially those involving remuneration. Hence she feels compelled to keep a tight control on those items. As for work, she knows that her team is both motivated and competent, so she does not feel the need to be hands on". Obviously, I do not know what scenario is the most plausible. Just thought it would be good to highlight that there may be a "positive" one. Yann September 16, 2009 bigk wrote Hi The question of if there is another reason to what is being measured or assessed seems as James suggested possible an unclear communication in what is being asked and what is expected. I would seek to find better understanding in what is expected from the task being done and what perception of what is expected in results in the time spent. If the if the If the more task has difficulties these need highlighted. task has an unrealistic expectation this needs highlighted. issue is other tasks are consuming time or the task needs time or less time then the issues could be numerous. Example Is this more training that is needed? Is this more priority of tasks that is needed? Is this scheduled task time a useful time and is there a better time to have the task done due to other tasks or a conflict of some kind? Is this to get detail on if the time or task has been allocated correctly or the issues encountered in the task are not getting communicated back to the manager? The meeting should give a better communication between manager and yourself so that both can highlight what is happening during the task. If the manager expects not to need to be involved during this task then the task demands need identified and communicated. If there are demands in the task that need issues resolved then some method of tackling these and providing results is likely to be expected from the manager but at first you need to identify if these are what is being asked. It could be possible that both of you are not getting good productive communication and the task in question needs some further communication about what else this is impacting. Being flexible and also understanding what can be available time or effort would also allow more productive use of time or effort. No one side is to blame. Stress these points in communication and get to some kind of progress if possible and it should become clearer what is expected. A few possible options. Can you confirm this is similar to what you feel is happening? Or is this something different? Bigk September 15, 2009 ladyb wrote I agree it's a conversation you need to have with your manager. Inconsistency like that is frustrating and when you never know why she switches to micromanagement you don't have a chance to make the changes or improvements that she's looking for. Also, I'm thinking this is probably affecting your team negatively so you really do need to be proactive about finding a solution. If you're not prepared to have this discussion quite yet, you might want to chart her managerial behavior to figure out if there are trends that might reveal what is going on. Maybe it's a particular type of work or work that is done for a particular project that sparks her need to "take people to task". It might be worth doing a little bit of investigation like this before you approach her - that way you'll be a bit more prepared for the answers and feedback you receive. Whatever you do, do something. It won't get better unless you take control of the situation. Hope this helps some! Brynn September 15, 2009 James wrote Hi Saskia Picking up on Wolf's point, you'll often need to adopt different approaches for different team members, and that's what you're doing with your current approach. From the way you're describing the situation, though, it seems that you don't understand the basis your manager is using to decide how to manage. I wonder if she is applying criteria that you're not aware of, or is seeking to deliver results in a particular area? Perhaps a way forward is to have a discussion with her to learn what results she wants to achieve, and what standards she wants to apply? What do others think? James September 15, 2009 saskia wrote I enjoyed this article and found it reassuring. I lead a small team of 9 staff in a community development setting. Our outcomes are self set with few deadlines and complex relationships with funders and clients. My style is laissez faire most of the time although I resort to micromanagement if someone seems off track. The difficulty I have is with my own manager who swings from one extreme to the other seemingly on a whim. This means that I get little in the way of clear direction but she will happily take one of my team to task for something and nothing. Never questions my work but examines my time sheets. Any advice? September 15, 2009 Return to top of the page Leadership by the New Generation Bridging the Age Gap Picture this scenario: the leader of your long-established team has retired, and his replacement is a young manager, straight out of business school. She's anxious to get going in the organization, and you hope that she'll bring some new life and energy into the company. Different generations, different approaches? As the weeks go by, however, © iStockphoto you begin to see growing discomfort and conflict between the older staff and this new team member. Your older colleagues think "the new kid" is overconfident, pushy, and too anxious to leave at precisely 5:00 p.m. The newcomer finds it hard to get support from her older colleagues. She's concerned that they can't (or won't) multitask, they're less confident with technology, and they're unwilling to share their hard-earned knowledge. As a result, cooperation is suffering. How can you bridge this generation gap? And why is this important? There's little doubt that the U.S. workforce is at a unique point in history (other countries face similar situations). As "Baby Boomers" – people born between 1946 and 1964 – begin to retire, a new generation is stepping into their shoes. Generation X, or Gen X (born between 1965 and 1976), and Generation Y, or Gen Y (also called "Millennials," born between 1977 and 1998), have values and work styles that are completely different from the baby boomers. Finding ways to bridge the gaps within this new multigenerational workforce takes great skill – and it all starts with understanding how new generation leaders think, and what's important to them. In the U.S., the drop in birth rate in the post baby boom years means that, by 2010, the number of people in the 35-44 middle management age group had dropped by nearly 20 percent. Many other major economies worldwide are facing similar demographic changes. One practical consequence of these statistics is that organizations have to work much harder to attract and retain good people. New generation leaders are a scarce commodity, and should be nurtured as such. Generations X and Y: What They Care About The new generations of leaders often have a completely different way of working from their older counterparts. (Keep in mind that not everyone in these generations fits the characteristics we'll talk about: we're going to make some huge generalizations here, however, hopefully these generalizations will be useful!) For example, while boomers usually view long hours as evidence of loyalty and hard work, Gen X and Y tend to try to have more work/life balance. They've seen their parents' lack of quality of life, and the lack of loyalty companies showed to these hard-working parents in the 1990s, and they're not impressed. They want flexible hours, more vacation time, continuous training, and telecommuting options. They expect to leverage technology to work efficiently, instead of staying late in the office to get everything done. Boomers have traditionally felt that you have to "pay your dues" to your company – and if you hate your job, that's just part of life. Generations X and Y typically don't accept this; they want rewarding, intellectually stimulating work – and they don't want someone watching them too closely to check on their progress. These new groups are independent, creative, and forward thinking. They celebrate cultural diversity, technology, and feedback, and they prefer more of a "lattice" or individualized approach to management (as opposed to the traditional "corporate ladder"). The new generations also tend to like teamwork. Studies have shown that colleague relationships rank very high on Gen X and Y's list of priorities. Things like salary and prestige can often rank lower than boomers might expect, or might want for themselves. Note: Some people argue that differences between generations aren't as strong as are suggested here, and that people's life stage is often more significant (see our article on the Life/Career Rainbow for more on this.) Our opinion is that people are complex, and are affected by a range of different factors; and that life stage is, of course, important in the way that people think and behave. However, we also think that there are differences in attitude between generations, and these can lead to sometimes-profound misunderstandings. Attracting and Retaining the New Generations Many have talked about how Gen X and Y seem always ready to leave one company and move onto something better, as soon as there's an opportunity. While it's true that they usually won't stay with a job if they're unhappy – as boomers often did – this doesn't mean they aren't serious or loyal. It simply means that if you want to keep the best and brightest leaders in your organization, you need to offer them an environment that's geared to their values. Quite a few Fortune 500 companies have changed the way they work to meet the wants and values of these new generations. Here are some examples: • A major U.S. chemical company has eliminated its "corporate ladder" approach to management. There are no bosses, and there's no top and bottom in the chain of command. Instead, authority is passed around through team leaders, so everyone in the company has a sense of equality and involvement. • A large U.S. accounting firm gives four weeks of vacation to every new hire (most U.S. companies offer only two weeks). This firm also offers new parents classes on how to reduce their working hours to spend more time with their families. • A software company in Silicon Valley has no set office hours. Staff come in and work when they choose. Everyone gets paid time off every month to do volunteer work, and they get a six-week sabbatical every four years. If you think these dramatic policies would never work and would be too costly, then remember – these are all profitable, highly productive companies with low staff turnover. They've made new rules, and they're successful. Leadership Styles So, what does all this say about the new generation's leadership styles? Well, it's easy to see that Gen X and Y are unlikely to lead in the same way the boomers did. The new leaders value teamwork and open communication. They'll encourage collaboration, and they won't give direction and expect to be followed just because they're in charge. They want to understand their peers and other people's perspectives. They'll spend more time building relationships with their teams than their predecessors did. Because they value their family time, they'll also give their staff enough time for personal lives. As a result, corporate culture might become less rigid than it is now, bringing more flexibility and a sense of fun. As a result, if you're a member of a team whose leadership is being passed from an older generation leader to a new generation leader, you'll probably need to adjust to having more autonomy delegated to you, and you may find that the boss is not around as much to check on things. This new generation values action, so they'll work more efficiently and productively to earn time off. They'll expect their team to work hard too, but they'll also know when it's time to leave the office and go play. One of the ways in which they gain this efficiency is by using technology. Although they themselves will usually get to grips with this easily, you may need to remind new generation leaders that other members of their team need more training and support than they do themselves, if they're to get up to the same speed with new applications. But they'll also follow a leader who has heart. So if you have new generation managers in your team, then you'll probably have to prove your worth before they'll fully support you. But once you show them that worth, they'll follow you all the way. Tips: Here are some things you can do in your company to ensure that your new generation of leaders wants to stay. • Offer ongoing training, especially in skills like organization, time management, leadership, and communication. People in Gen X and Y usually love to learn new things, so opportunities to grow are high on their list of priorities. • Increase non-monetary benefits. Gen X and Y tend to value time as much as, if not more than, money. They have lives outside of work, and spending time with family and having fun are very important to them. Increase your vacation benefits and offer flexible working hours. These people are often busy parents who appreciate when a company understands that the traditional 9-to-5 day isn't always practical. • Give them freedom. Gen X and Y are often self-reliant and don't always look to a leader for direction. Their goal is to complete tasks in the most efficient way possible, while still doing them well. So don't force them to work under a management style that boomers often preferred, with the boss giving orders. Give them the freedom to make their own decisions. • Earn their loyalty and respect. Gen X and Y may not automatically be loyal to leaders, just because those leaders are in charge. Younger staff want open communication and leaders who are supportive and worthy of being followed. • Treat women and men as equals. Gen X and Y grew up with mothers who were often focused on their careers as well as their families. They're used to viewing women and men equally, so be sure you compensate both genders equally. If women feel they're the target of discrimination, you'll quickly lose them. • Be "green." The new generations have grown up with Earth Day and the threat of global warming. They want to make less of an impact on the environment. Studies have shown that people who work for companies with green initiatives have higher job satisfaction, and turnover is usually much lower. Key Points There's no doubt that the new generation of leaders has priorities that are often quite different from those of previous generations of leaders. So if you want to hire and keep the best and brightest people, the ones who will lead your company into the future, then you must create a work environment that's tailored to their values and priorities. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Hi meddins - welcome to the forum; it's wonderful to hear from you! Feeling micromanaged is frustrating for the best of us. Given the outlook and experience of people your age, it's probably much worse. Have you had a look at our article on Avoiding Micromanagement? ( http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=698 ) There are some useful tips for the "micromanaged" near the end a some links to team building as well as Working With Powerful People; another great resource for you to check out. ( http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtop ... ful+people ) I think much of your progress will come from opening up an honest dialogue with your boss regarding this issue. If you express it in terms of team performance and motivation that makes the conversation less personal and more about finding the best way to get the work done. That's often a good strategy when dealing with anything that is critical. The article also talks about tackling one thing at a time so don't expect enormous changes overnight instead look for small steps and keep encouraging your team along the way. You might have to work double time to keep them engaged while you work things out with the boss. I wish you well. Please do post feedback on your progress and what works and what hasn't. Micromanagement is an issue that we can all relate to!! Talk soon, Dianna June 20, 2008 meddins wrote As a Gen Y Supervisor, I found the article to be extremely accurate in terms of the needs and values of our generation. At this point in my career, I recently changed from one middle management job to another. At the same time, my old manager, (a Gen X'er,) had given me all the support and space that I needed to do a good job which is why I was given another opportunity I was not expecting. I am now two weeks into this new position, with a group made up of mainly Gen Y's with so much potential. However, I now have a new manager who is from the old school. A micro manager who is eager to put the fear of god into my new team, and over the past couple of months has more or less demoralized them. Knowing from past experiences with this person, confronting her about her approach to my team would only lead to serious conflict and resentment on both sides. What can I do to help explain how my generation works and tell her to stop micro managing me, while trying to lessen the conflict and resentment that will spawn from the conversation? June 20, 2008 Yolande wrote I also loved this article and it made clear why I EXPECTED an employer to be technologically "up there".... Ironically though, the last employer I had before going on my own... I worked with the MD very closely and he often brought his cellphone to me and asked me to add a new contact or send an SMS... it was SO funny ...this millionaire guy who couldn't add contacts to his phone! Eventually we sat down one day and I taught him how to do it and let him practise until he got it right because I was afraid of the day I would leave and someone else wouldn't necessarily see the funny side of it all, but get frustrated with him. (The MD was a GREAT guy and I learnt a LOT from him - I still write his presentations and proposals and we often have coffee!) I also value my time and I love being able to be in charge of my own time - if I want to work in the middle of night (which I love) and go to gym at 11h00 in the morning (which I also love doing...) then I am free to do so... Incidentally, I have learnt a lot from a number of boomers that I have worked with and been employed by, but I also love working with Gen Y's because they teach me new things and new ways of "operating" and keep me up to date with what's hip and happening right now... We really all need one another, don't we? Regards Yolfsie June 17, 2008 James wrote Hi Gosh I'm very glad that you liked it! Like you, I can certainly reflect on times where I've run up against this sort of generational difference in approach as, I'm sure, can many other members. Understanding where the mismatch in styles is coming from is useful, because it helps you transform an unhappy, conflicting situation into one where people can make allowances for oneanother's preferred approaches. And great to hear that you're now in a situation that really suits you! James June 17, 2008 gosh72 wrote cazz66: it seems this article was appreciated by cat lovers mostly Dianna: don't you consider changing your avatar? June 17, 2008 gosh72 wrote Hi there, this article is simple marvellous! I have just left my workplace and I often asked myself what was the real reason. And look what! Yes, 90% it was this generation problem. As a Gen X I could not work in a corporate culture that highly supported this "old style" type of management. Yes, I really need more "independence", "space" and free time. Of course I was loyal to the company first (I wanted to spend here 30-40 years). However later I sadly realized I just do not fit here, so I have quitted and started a new life. Now I work from home, in a team with talented youngsters and I have really flexible work-time. Telling you the truth I really enjoy working but sometimes I am like a poet - I need inspiration - and work very late or early. Previously I had to sit in the office for 8 loooong hours even if I had absolutely nothing to do This article really explained me the roots of my (and even many others') problem stemming from working together with staff having different age. It seems this problem is really universal - I live in Hungary, worked for a US company and had an Italian boss. My boss was like a mother and baby boomer. She wanted to control everything. Although as a person she was fantastic and nice I and my colleagues were not able to work together with her. We were all Gen Xs (maybe with some GenYs) Cheers: Gosh June 17, 2008 Dianna wrote That's a great point to keep in mind when designing any training program or communication. I know lots of training sessions are designed to fill a particular slot of time. Hence you get a lot of "filler"! High value does not have to equal high time commitment. So keeping up with technology and committing to finding the best and most efficient means possible to present your information is really important. Offering alternatives is a good idea too. The Book Club and Expert Interview sections of our Club are prime examples - some people like to download the MP3 versions and others prefer the transcript. Being able to meet a variety of preferences is always a great idea and usually worth the extra time or effort you have to put in. Dianna June 13, 2008 caz66 wrote Hey Mind Tools, thanks for highlighting this! As a youngster, generational differences are something I've definitely experienced at work. It doesn't mean peole are hostile, but sometimes they older generation just don't understand how I like to do things. Don't get me wrong here, I love having their experience and calm wisdom to draw on, but I think they are still rooted in the pretechnology era they started work in sometimes. The other week we all had to go on a training session, which took all day, but honestly, the content could have been covered in an hour. We had to do lots of interactive exercises in groups - all quite fun, but SUCH a waste of time - if there had been a podcast of the main points, with a few voxpops thrown in, I would have learned the same stuff from my iPod while I was walking to work in the morning! Happy Friday everyone. Caro June 13, 2008 Return to top of the page Leadership In Hard Times Leading – and Succeeding – in a Downturn The truth is that no one factor makes a company admirable. But if you were forced to pick the one that makes the most difference, you'd pick leadership. – Warren Bennis, Organizational Consultant and Author Leadership is especially critical when organizations have to adapt to difficult business environments. Don't leave your team stranded. © iStockphoto/JLFCapture When times are good, leading a company or a team is exciting. Resources are plentiful, customers are satisfied, and opportunity is everywhere. However, when the economic conditions are challenging, this excitement and positive energy can weaken. People feel the pressures of work, and they fear for their jobs. These worries and fears present a major challenge for leaders who need to keep their teams productive and on target. One of the keys to protecting yourself and your business in an economic downturn is to develop a culture that builds, and sustains, effective leadership practices. Good leadership is good leadership, regardless of the economic climate. However, during difficult times, top-notch leadership skills become even more important. Second-rate leaders might be able to keep a company going in a strong economy. However, you need highperforming leaders if you're going to succeed in tough times. Of course, you need leaders who can control costs and conserve cash. However you also need leaders who see opportunity – and who will strive to seize that opportunity – despite all the negativity. You need leaders who remain committed to their people. And you need leaders who can transfer their positive outlook to the people around them. Create New Opportunities In an economic downturn, you need to conserve your resources so that you can survive. However, you also need to position yourself to benefit as competitors falter, and to be ready when the economy recovers. An economy in decline is often an opportunity to regroup, rethink, and renew. To take advantage of new opportunities, consider doing the following: • Review your strategy – Figure out which objectives you're meeting, which ones need more emphasis, and which ones you should reconsider or drop as the environment around you changes. • Lead by example – Now, more than ever, you have to lead 'from the front' by setting an example. Take personal responsibility for customer care and contact. Actively help pursue new business. Show that you're willing to make extra effort to commit to the organization's success. • Add value – One of the ways that leaders can gain greater market share and improve operations is by really listening to their customers. Look for innovative ways to add value without adding costs, and win customers who aren't being well served by your competitors. • Use market conditions to create a stronger business model for the future – If you're a senior manager, consider looking for bargains, in terms of mergers and acquisitions, which will improve your company's future competitive position. Whatever level you're at, negotiate more favorable rates with suppliers, which you can continue to enjoy as the economy recovers. • Take the opportunity to trim costs – Encourage costconsciousness within your team or organization. Now is a great time to do this: everyone knows that times are tough, and people will be more willing than ever to cut unnecessary costs. • Implement a continuous improvement plan – Look at your systems and processes to find efficiency opportunities. Lead the way in building a culture of continuous improvement . You can use these savings to pursue opportunities created by the downturn. Commit to Your People Negative messages are all too common during economic downturns. People are losing their jobs, unemployment rates are going up, and personal and corporate bankruptcies are increasing. This can weaken morale, both in the workplace and in society as a whole, and it can tip people into panic, severely damaging their productivity. Don't abandon your people. Use this time to reinforce how important they are, and build the skills they need to help the company survive. • Invest time in leadership skills training – Leadership is key to success. The more effective leaders you have, the better it is for you, your team, and the organization. OK, you may not want to spend a lot of cash on leadership training. However, when times are slow, you may be able to invest much more time than before in management and leadership development. • Retain your best people – Part of good leadership is keeping costs under control. However, profits are made by people. Don't cut back on attracting quality people, and make every effort to retain your best team members by treating them with dignity and respect. • Be creative with recruitment and retention – Salary increases may not be possible, but you can do lots of other things to create attractive work conditions. See our article on Managing During a Downturn for specific ideas. • Get rid of poor performers – Poor performers use up your time and energy. They frustrate co-workers, and damage overall productivity. Now is the time to get rid of these people, because you simply can't afford to keep them. Some of your other team members may be relieved not to have to 'carry' poor performers any longer. And when your staff see that you use budget cutbacks to benefit the team, they may be less upset than you might expect. • Build a motivating workplace – It's easy to focus intensely on specific tasks and the bottom line, especially when performance expectations have such significant consequences. However, as a leader, you can't let that stop you finding ways to motivate your workforce. Sirota's Three-Factor Theory suggests the following: • Treat people fairly – When you can't avoid layoffs, give people as much warning as you sensibly can. Talk honestly about what's happening, and how cutbacks will affect them. And if you're cutting people, try to cut the volume and scope of the work that you do, so that you don't overload those who are left. • Provide useful work for which people are recognized – Be careful about reassigning the workloads of people who have been laid off. Take time to determine who is best suited for which tasks, and remember to give lots of informal praise. Match people's skills and interests with the work you need done. • Foster good relationships at work – If you have to stop the Friday company-sponsored lunch at a restaurant, replace it with a low-cost potluck event. Try to avoid cutting it entirely. For more ideas on improving individual motivation and performance, see our article on Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors . Project Positive Energy Good leaders provide hope and vision. These two qualities can keep a workplace going, even during tough times. People need someone they can trust – and someone who is inspiring and knows how to get things done. As a leader, make it a priority to do the following: • Expect great things from your people – The more you demand, the more opportunity you give people to perform, which can be highly motivating. However, don't push too hard, and remember to communicate your expectations. • Keep in touch with your people – Use the MBWA (Management By Wandering Around) technique to find out what's going well, and what needs your attention. Remember to recognize and praise success. In tough economic times, you need your staff to perform especially well: the more they know you care, the more likely they are to respond to your call for action. • Be visionary – Leaders with vision, passion, energy, enthusiasm, and real engagement with their staff... these people are the key drivers of economic growth. Stay focused on the big picture, and manage to the best of your abilities. • Take care of yourself – Respect your own feelings and emotions during difficult times. Where appropriate, share your concerns with people you trust, and build a network of people you can talk to. On the other hand, if you're constantly worried, others may sense this. Get enough rest to keep yourself fresh, and manage your emotions to keep your creativity and selfconfidence high. Key Points Leadership during good economic times has its challenges. But those challenges increase when the economy is tough, and when staff are worried about keeping their jobs and paying their bills. In these conditions, leaders and managers must keep a sharp eye on their environment, prepare for recovery, support their people, and project enthusiasm and energy. By remaining positive, supporting your people, and looking for new business opportunities, you can help your company survive – and succeed – through the difficult times. Leadership performance is critical to organizational success, so use all of the assets available to you. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Fantastic observation n1knaks - there are always things we can do to take stock of our assets and prepare ourselves for the opportunities that lie ahead. It can be tough to see through the current "stuff" and acknowledge that there are opportunities abound - we just have to look a lot harder for them sometimes! I think too that if we get into the habit of looking for opportunity and continually assessing our strengths and thinking about career direction and satisfaction, it will be less daunting if/when the tough times do surface. Preparedness is more than half the battle so when upsets do happen, if you are already used to forwardthinking I believe you can recover that much quicker. It's great to hear from you! Don't be a stranger Dianna July 22, 2013 n1knaks wrote @ James I really enjoyed reading your shared quote from Cheng Seng Law's article and realised there is a solid logic in his thought process. Whilst I am generally an optimistic person - believing the 1/2 glass of water is actually full (1/2 water, 1/2 air = full), I do like to occasionally play 'Devil's Advocate'. Cheng Seng Law's advice is brilliant for organisations as a whole, it is a little less joyful for individual workers who may face redundancy during the downturn and little prospect of finding similar work elsewhere due to general economic malaise. My innate optimism forces me to recognise, however, that those individuals can still act on this advice by getting their own personal career lives in order - fixing, expanding, etc. skills so that should the worst come to worst they are in the best possible position to weather the storm. July 21, 2013 Midgie wrote Hi Colin, Great to hear that you are doing an activity log and then grading things according to your (and your boss') perceived value! What a great way to rationalize and justify what you do. I think that it is brilliant to involve your boss and that you will compare notes to ensure you are both on the 'same page' as to what is important for you to be doing and focusing on! Where this gets interesting is that I have involved my boss in the gradings of value, to see whether his idea and my idea of value to the business are similar or different. Perhaps this exercise will reveal activities that you might be able to delegate or stop all together. Or that it will reveal what is truly important for the organization to get done and ensure that more energy and attention is placed onto it! Well done to you and good luck! Midgie May 13, 2009 colinscowen wrote I am doing a similar thing. We recently went from 5 day week to 4 day week. But, we still have 5 days of work to do. So, I started activity logs, and trying to get as much value from my time as I can, so that when we do go back to 5 day weeks, I will not just be faced with a backlog of things to do that were put off as 'not important enopugh to do on a four day week', but instead have almost an extra day to apply to interesting projects, without the guilt of 'well, I should really be doing something else rather than this fun stuff'. Don't try to read that sentence out loud, you will turn blue from lack of oxygen So far, it seems to be working, I have done 2 weeks worth of activity logging, and am now sitting down and giving them scores for value and Action/Priority. Where this gets interesting is that I have involved my boss in the gradings of value, to see whether his idea and my idea of value to the business are similar or different. I have also added a rating for personal value, those tasks that add value to my reputation etc. Regards, May 11, 2009 James wrote Here's a great comment on this article from Cheng Seng Law. I thought that other members might enjoy it as much as I did! In Malaysia, our fishermen depend not only on the sea to provide, but also on the weather to give the opportunity to harvest from the sea. During the "landas" season, when the skies are overcast and the seas are heaving and churning, the fishermen stay put on land. This situation is similar to the economic storm we are presently facing. What the fishermen do is repair their boats, service their engines and mend their nets. When the storm season is over, they are then in a very strong position to make a good catch. Likewise, organisations should not despair - it is just a matter of time until this storm blows out. Like the fishermen, we should get ourselves in a better shape to reap a great harvest. Yes, in the meantime, we go on a belt tightening and with a spartan lifestyle. Anyway would it not be good to slim down the excessive weight, and be healthy? Have a Great Day! May 11, 2009 Return to top of the page Leadership Motivation Tools Increase Your Motivation to Lead In our Leadership Motivation Assessment we gave you a tool for assessing your motivation to lead. So, what if you want to become more of a leader, but you're finding it difficult to motivate yourself? The tools in this article will help. First we look at the Boost your motivation! "Demotivation Demolisher", © iStockphoto/BondMatia next we look at the "NeedEffort Bridge" and finally we look at "Passion Propulsion". Demotivator Demolisher – Kill the Killjoy The first step in building motivation is to identify what demotivates you and then tackle the problem head on. Here we're looking at demotivation on two levels: On one level we're looking at the fundamental motivation to lead, as we discussed in our previous article. At a second level, we look at the day-to-day irritations that frustrate you and distract you from doing a good job. First, we look at motivation to lead. When we asked you to complete the Leadership Motivation Assessment, we were asking you whether, deep down, you want the responsibility as well as the rewards of leadership. Some of the benefits of leadership are obvious. But what if you find that something is holding you back? What if you find that, when you look within yourself, you're not that sure that you want to lead a team? Marcus Jackson wasn't happy. He had just been promoted to lead a product development team in a different department of the engineering company at which he worked. He felt that he had been promoted because of his expertise and the quality of his work. And he was proud that he'd been chosen. However, he felt profoundly uncomfortable in his new role: He was confused about what was expected from him, he had had little experience of leadership before, and he felt out of his depth in dealing with the people issues he was now expected to handle. What was worse was that he instinctively felt that the team was expecting things of him that he didn't know how to give. All in all, he was questioning whether he'd made the right move, and whether he should return to his previous job. Fortunately, Marcus had enough insight to recognize the importance of these issues, and identify the detailed issues he was experiencing. And when he listed the points out, it all became clear: What he needed was training in basic supervisory skills, and help in applying these. He approached his boss and put a persuasive case for a particular training course. And he also made sure that he got regular coaching on the issues he faced, which helped put the theory he learned into practice. The second level of demotivation comes from the day-to-day irritations that distract you from doing a good job. Consider the case of Susan Mitchell, outlined below: Susan, a marketing executive, had just joined a new firm. She had set a target for herself – within a year she would take over as the team leader. She knew she had the capability and was prepared to work hard enough. Our girl would be the first to volunteer for a new assignment and the initial weeks saw her excitedly working late hours. But a couple of months later, she started losing steam. She was distracted, would tire easily and somehow just couldn't come up with great ideas. Susan knew she would fail in her ambition if things went on this way. She made a conscious decision to tackle the problem. First she acknowledged that she had lost motivation. Then she tried to analyze, why. She came up with three reasons – uncooperative team members; boredom; and her office being positioned bang next to the pantry. Susan figured she could tackle at least one problem immediately – the office placement. She asked the boss for a move to another office space and got it. The other two issues she is still grappling with. But at least she knows they exist and is consciously trying to fix them. If you too suffer from either of these issues of motivation, take a leaf out of Marcus' and Susan's book. First set aside 15 minutes to note down the things that steal your motivation, whether these are things that undermine your motivation to lead, or are general irritants that are undermining your selfmotivation. List them under the column, De-motivators, in the table below. De-Motivator Circumstantial or Habitual Solution De-Motivator Circumstantial or Habitual Solution Done with the list? Now you are ready to take on the challenge of tackling the killjoys. Start by considering whether the 'demotivation attacks' are occasional, circumstantial things, triggered by circumstantial factors (the visit of a difficult client; or being under the weather), or are they habitual, typifying your working style (leaving tasks unfinished; or saying yes to everything irrespective of whether you can do it). Mark the cause, circumstantial or habitual, in your table. Next comes the solution column. If circumstantial factors bother you, then get a grip on exactly what is it that "switches you off" and try to neutralize the cause. For Susan, it was being next to the kitchen. She "just didn't feel like working" and was distracted by who was having how many cups of coffee. Once the de-motivator was identified, she pushed her boss to allot her another workspace. Her work improved. You may not be able to run out and fix the problem immediately, but at least list the solution. However, if the de-motivator is a recurring habit, you have to acknowledge it as a serious handicap, which may undermine all the good work you want to accomplish. You need to make concerted effort to bring motivation and passion to the activity. Our next tools will show you how to achieve this. Zero in on the correct tools and list them in your solutions column. Background: One of the key figures in the development of the theory of motivation was Frederick Herzberg, who closely studied the sources of employee motivation in the 1950s and 1960s. What he discovered was that the things that demotivate people are different from the things that motivate them. Herzberg’s “Hygiene Factors” (the things that made people unhappy and demotivated) were obstructive company policy, unhelpful administration, intrusive supervision, bad working relationships, poor conditions, uncompetitive salaries, low status and job insecurity. And just as these things demotivated the people who Herzberg studied, they may be the things that demotivate you. Take them seriously! The Need-Effort Bridge – Link action to motive Establishing a clear motive for the actions you undertake is one of the best ways to create motivation. Remember the old 'What's In It For Me' principle? You can apply it to yourself to create motivation. Once you have figured out that the effort you make fulfils a need that you have, the effort will automatically become much more worthwhile. The need-effort bridge can work at several levels. At one level, the very basic level, you make an effort at your job because it fetches you money and helps you fulfill your material needs. At another level, you make an effort at your job because you feel that by performing it well, you are helping your company achieve a better goal and this makes you feel good about yourself. Background: Remember Frederick Herzberg above? The things that he discovered motivated people were quite different from the things he found demotivated people. Herzberg's motivators were achievement; recognition for that achievement; an enjoyable job; responsibility; growth; and advancement. Now, Herzberg didn't particularly believe in the power of money as a motivator. Whether you do or not depends on the way you think (and may be cultural) – pick the motivators that most motivate you! Now, let us go back to the demotivator lists that you drew up earlier. Let us say that after identifying the demotivators, you realize that you cannot do anything much about the majority of them. Then it is time to figure out why you are putting up with these demotivators. Is it because you have established a very strong, meaningful need for your effort, or is it inertia? If you are not sure about the answer, try and conduct the need-effort establishment exercise: Need-Effort Establishment Exercise Take a piece of paper and divide it in two halves. Head up one section 'Needs' and the other 'Effort.' List the needs you have – these could be anything from owning the new BMW to finding spiritual balance. Material rewards, professional standards, or personal targets are good thinking points to identify your needs. Next, list the efforts you are making – on your job, in your community, or whatever. Then link the effort to the need it serves. For instance, the effort you are making on the new job could link up to the need for buying the new BMW: Hopefully the extra effort will translate into a bonus, which would serve as the down payment on the BMW. Just remember that the more meaningful the need you are seeking to satisfy, the more motivated you will feel. Hopefully, after conducting the exercise, you can find strong motivation to justify your efforts. You may have to spend energy grappling with the killjoys, but you know the effort is worth it. However, if you cannot find this motivation, then maybe it is time you contemplated channeling your efforts in a different direction. What should this different direction be? Our next tool, Passion Propulsion, helps you arrive at an answer to this question. Passion Propulsion – Find your passion. Use it to inspire and enthuse. Nothing great is ever achieved without passion. – Ralph Waldo Emerson Passion is a great motivator. It is what gives the ultimate meaning to your actions. Being fiercely passionate about goals and targets helps give you an edge and helps you inch closer to your leadership position. However, passion has to be handled with precision. You don't want to fritter away the energy it gives you. A much better idea would be to identify it and then use it with laser sharp focus to achieve your goals. This tool helps you do this. It operates at two levels: Firstly, it helps you identify goals that you are passionate about; and secondly, it shows you how to direct your passion energy. Step 1 – Define your passion What "fires you up"? For some people the answer to this question is very obvious. For others, it is a little more difficult. If you are facing difficulty giving a definite answer set aside 30 minutes to answer three questions: • What would I want my life to be like when I am 60? • What do I want to have accomplished 5 years from now? • What are the three things I would want to do if I only had 6 months to live? Each question will have several answers. Choose the top three answers for each question. Now out of the nine goals you have identified, cull out the three that look most important to you. Obviously, these three goals are things that are very important to you. You should naturally be passionate about achieving them: If not, you may need to set goals that are on a grander or more beneficial scale! Step 2 – Harness Passion Energy Once you have set inspirational goals, work out what you need to do to achieve them. Identify the key information and training you need to achieve them effectively, and think through the tools you'll need and the people you'll need support from on your way. Make a professional, rational, well thought-through plan. And then use this plan to turn your goals into reality. Tip: For more information on goal setting, go to our goal setting page. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... dp7622 wrote This is just the inspiring message I needed just about now. I've got a few killjoys going on and with these exercises I think I'll be able to get past them. New and interesting techniques like these I find motivating in and of themselves. Anything that breaks the routine and gets the mind working in new ways is welcome. Don June 4, 2010 Return to top of the page Leadership Style Matrix Choosing the Best Leadership Approach When you start to manage new people, how do you know which leadership style you should use? There are a number of things that determine this. For example, does the work have scope for creativity, or does it need to be completed in a specific way? Choose the best leadership style for the people and the project that you're leading. Would close management be © iStockphoto/Warchi best, or should you encourage your people to work independently and deliver a finished product? Different people and different types of projects need different leadership styles. But how do you know which approach is best for each project, person, or situation? In this article, we'll look at the Leadership Style Matrix, a model that helps you decide. Overview Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle developed the Leadership Style Matrix and published it in their 2007 book, "Growing Pains." The matrix, shown in Figure 1, helps you choose the most appropriate leadership style , based on the type of task you're involved with and the people you're leading. Figure 1 – The Leadership Style Matrix From "Growing Pains: Transitioning From an Entrepreneurship to a Professionally Managed Firm" by Eric G. Flamholtz and and Yvonne Randle. Fourth Edition. © 2007. Reproduced with permission of John Wiley and Sons, Inc. The Leadership Style Matrix is divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant lists two leadership styles that are best suited for a specific situation and person (or group). The Y-axis defines the "programmability" of the task. A programmable task has specific steps or instructions to complete. A nonprogrammable task is more creative; it's up to the individual to decide how best to accomplish it. The X-axis describes the individual's capability and preference for autonomy. Several factors influence this, including education, skill, motivation, and their desire for feedback, interaction, or independence. For instance, a person with a high level of education, skill, motivation and independence is likely to want autonomy. Someone with low motivation and skill will need – and may want – more feedback and interaction, so that he or she can complete the task successfully. Using the Model To use the model, first look at the Y-axis. If the task must be done in a specific way, or if it has specific steps, then move lower down the axis. If the task is more creative, or if the procedure will change depending on individual input, move higher up the axis. Next, look at the X-axis. If the people you're leading prefer to work alone, move right on the axis. If they need more instruction and interaction from you, move to the left. The quadrant that you fall into lists the two leadership styles that are most likely to be appropriate for your situation. Applying the Model Let's look at each quadrant, and the corresponding leadership styles, in detail. Quadrant 1: High Programmability/Low Job Autonomy Sometimes you'll be in charge of a task that must be done in a specific way; or that needs to be completed by a team that needs a great deal of motivation, guidance, feedback, or interaction. In these cases, a directive leadership approach is most effective. There are two styles you can use here: Autocratic – The autocratic style is sometimes criticized because it seems outdated. This leadership style is authoritative: you issue instructions without explanation, and you expect team members to follow them without question. Although it might seem repressive, this style can be effective in some situations, especially when your team depends on your leadership and feedback, and when the work must be done in a specific way. It's also effective in a crisis or emergency situation; or when you're dealing with very significant risks. It's important to strike a healthy balance when using this leadership style. You need to lead with strength and assertiveness, but it's also important to lead with kindness . Don't forget that your team members depend on the feedback that you give them. Praise their good work regularly, and give them constructive criticism on how they can improve. Benevolent Autocratic – The benevolent autocratic style is similar to the autocratic style. However, this approach is more participative. For example, instead of just issuing instructions, you also explain the reasons behind the instructions. To use this style successfully, communicate the reasons why your team must follow your instructions. For instance, explain rules , so that members of your team understand the reasons behind them. When they understand why certain rules or procedures are in place, they're more likely to follow them. As your team is working, practice management by wandering around , so that you're available to answer questions and provide feedback. This visibility and support will help you keep your project on track and show your team members that you're there when they need you. Quadrant 2: High Programmability/High Job Autonomy When the task that you're delegating must be completed in a specific way, and the person that you're delegating to wants to have autonomy in his or her work, you can use either a consultative or a participative style of leadership. Consultative – You use a consultative leadership style when you ask your team members for their input and opinion, but you still have the final say. You consult with the group, yet you're responsible for choosing the best course of action. To use the consultative leadership style successfully, build trust in your team. When trust is present, your team members will feel comfortable offering their opinions and reacting honestly to issues. Be open to the ideas and suggestions that your team members provide – if you criticize or dismiss your team members' suggestions, they'll quickly stop speaking up, especially if they suspect that you've already made up your mind. Keep an open mind, and be willing to change your opinion if someone presents a better idea. Participative – The participative leadership style is similar to the consultative style, where you still have the final say in a decision. However, the participative style goes a step further – you depend on your group to develop ideas, not just offer opinions on an idea. The participative style is more about group problem solving and brainstorming . To use the participative style successfully, use group decision-making and group problem-solving tools to ensure that each person's voice is heard equally. (Our article on organizing team decision-making will help you develop team decision-making strategies.) Keep in mind that while you're depending on your team members for their input, you still need to guide the discussion, you need to communicate goals, and you need to make the final decision. Make sure that everyone on your team understands your role in this process. Quadrant 3: Low Programmability/Low Job Autonomy Here, you're leading a highly creative project, with a person or with team members who don't want autonomy. Instead, they need direction, input, and interaction. The two leadership styles that best fit this situation are Consultative and Participative. These are the same leadership styles that fit best in Quadrant 2: High Programmability/High Job Autonomy. Quadrant 4: Low Programmability/High Job Autonomy You fall into this quadrant when you're assigning a creative – or "loose" – project to a person who wants freedom and independence to work. This means that you need to take a nondirective leadership approach. There are two styles that you can use here: Consensus – One option is to use a consensual leadership style. Essentially, this means that you're going to give your team member a great deal of authority in the decision-making process. Instead of being the "boss," it's almost as if you become part of the team. Ensure that your team member understands his or her responsibilities when you use this style. Laissez-faire – Laissez-faire is a hands-off leadership style that you should use carefully. You give team members freedom over how and when they're going to do their work, but you're there if they need resources or help. You should only use laissez-faire leadership in the right situations, and you should avoid taking this style to the extreme. However, when you're working with someone who is highly skilled, motivated, and intelligent, using this leadership style can be very effective. To use laissez-faire successfully, make sure that you delegate the right tasks to the right people. A mismatch between the task and the individual will likely mean that the team member needs additional help from you, and that they may not thrive. Tip: This is a useful framework for deciding which leadership style to use for your situation, but there are several other tools that can give equally valuable perspectives. For example, the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory suggests different leadership styles for individuals with different levels of maturity; and Path Goal Theory looks at leadership styles that are appropriate for different individuals and different situations. Explore all of these before you settle on your preferred leadership style. Key Points Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle developed the Leadership Style Matrix and published it in their 2007 book, "Growing Pains." The Leadership Style Matrix is a simple and useful model that helps you choose the most effective leadership style for your situation. To use the model, first look at the task or project. If there are specific, programmable steps to follow, move down the Y-axis, but if the project or task is more creative, move up this axis. Next, look at the people that you're leading. If they want autonomy, move right on the X-axis. If they need instruction, interaction, or feedback from you, move left on the X-axis. Once you have determined the quadrant you fall into, you can choose from the two leadership styles that are most appropriate for your situation. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote What a great tool this is to help you figure out how to adapt your leadership style to the situation at hand or a specific group of people. The leadership style of a manager can make a huge difference to the productivity of individuals and departments. It can also make a big difference in how happy employees perceive themselves to be at work. Yolandé December 6, 2012 Return to top of the page Leadership Styles Choosing the Right Approach for the Situation Situational Leadership® is a registered trademark of the Center for Leadership Studies. From Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill, to Martin Luther King and Steve Jobs, there can be as many ways to lead people as there are leaders. Fortunately, businesspeople and psychologists have developed useful frameworks that describe the main ways that people lead. Flash Find out what makes a great leader, with James Manktelow & Amy Carlson. When you understand these frameworks, you can develop your own approach to leadership, and become a more effective leader as a result. In this article, we'll highlight some of the common approaches to leadership that you can use. We'll also look at some specific leadership styles, and we'll explore the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Note: These leadership styles and frameworks are based on several different approaches to leadership. You can read more about these approaches in our article on Core Leadership Theories . Useful Leadership Style Frameworks So, let's look at some useful approaches – shown mainly in the order they appeared – that you can use to become a more effective leader. Your own, personal approach is likely to be a blend of these, depending on your own preferences, your people's needs, and the situation you're in. Lewin's Leadership Styles Psychologist Kurt Lewin developed his leadership styles framework in the 1930s, and it provided the foundation of many of the approaches that followed afterwards. He argued that there are three major leadership styles: 1. Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their team members, even if their input would be useful. This can be appropriate when you need to make decisions quickly, when there's no need for team input, and when team agreement isn't necessary for a successful outcome. However, this style can be demoralizing, and it can lead to high levels of absenteeism and staff turnover. 2. Democratic leaders make the final decisions, but they include team members in the decision-making process. They encourage creativity, and people are often highly engaged in projects and decisions. As a result, team members tend to have high job satisfaction and high productivity. This is not always an effective style to use, though, when you need to make a quick decision. 3. Laissez-faire leaders give their team members a lot of freedom in how they do their work, and how they set their deadlines. They provide support with resources and advice if needed, but otherwise they don't get involved. This autonomy can lead to high job satisfaction, but it can be damaging if team members don't manage their time well, or if they don't have the knowledge, skills, or self motivation to do their work effectively. (Laissez-faire leadership can also occur when managers don't have control over their work and their people.) Lewin's framework is popular and useful, because it encourages managers to be less autocratic than they might instinctively be. The Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid The Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid was published in 1964, and it highlights the best leadership style to use, based on your concern for your people and your concern for production/tasks. With a people-oriented leadership style, you focus on organizing, supporting, and developing your team members. This participatory style encourages good teamwork and creative collaboration. With task-oriented leadership, you focus on getting the job done. You define the work and the roles required, put structures in place, and plan, organize, and monitor work. According to this model, the best leadership style to use is one that has both a high concern for people and a high concern for the task – it argues that you should aim for both, rather than trying to offset one against the other. Clearly, this is an important idea! The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory First published in 1969, the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory argues that you need to use different leadership styles depending on the maturity of your team members. The model argues that with relatively immature individuals, you need a more directing approach, while with higher maturity people, you need a more participative or delegating leadership style. You can use this model in most business situations, regardless of whether you want to build a new team or develop an existing one. Path-Goal Theory You may also have to think about what your team members want and need. This is where Path-Goal Theory – published in 1971 – is useful. For example, highly-capable people, who are assigned to a complex task, will need a different leadership approach from people with low ability, who are assigned to an ambiguous task. (The former will want a participative approach, while the latter need to be told what to do.) With Path-Goal Theory, you can identify the best leadership approach to use, based on your people's needs, the task that they're doing, and the environment that they're working in. Six Emotional Leadership Styles Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee detailed their Six Emotional Leadership Styles theory in their 2002 book, "Primal Leadership." The theory highlights the strengths and weaknesses of six leadership styles that you can use – Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting, and Commanding. It also shows how each style can affect the emotions of your team members. Flamholtz and Randle's Leadership Style Matrix First published in 2007, Flamholtz and Randle's Leadership Style Matrix shows you the best leadership style to use, based on how capable people are of working autonomously, and how creative or "programmable" the task is. The matrix is divided into four quadrants – each quadrant identifies two possible leadership styles that will be effective for a given situation, ranging from "autocratic/benevolent autocratic" to "consensus/laissez-faire." Transformational Leadership These leadership style frameworks are all useful in different situations, however, in business, "transformational leadership is often the most effective leadership style to use. (This was first published in 1978, and was then further developed in 1985.) " Transformational leaders have integrity and high emotional intelligence . They motivate people with a shared vision of the future, and they communicate well. They're also typically self-aware , authentic , empathetic , and humble . Transformational leaders inspire their team members because they expect the best from everyone, and they hold themselves accountable for their actions. They set clear goals, and they have good conflict-resolution skills . This leads to high productivity and engagement. However, leadership is not a "one size fits all" thing; often, you must adapt your approach to fit the situation. This is why it's useful to develop a thorough understanding of other leadership frameworks and styles; after all, the more approaches you're familiar with, the more flexible you can be. Specific Leadership Styles As well as understanding the frameworks that you can use to be a more effective leader, and knowing what it takes to be a transformational leader, it's also useful to learn about more general leadership styles, and the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Let's take a look at some other leadership styles that are interesting, but don't fit with any of the frameworks above. Note: Remember, not all of these styles will have a positive effect on your team members, either in the short or long term. (See our article on Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Model for more on how your actions as a leader will affect your team.) Bureaucratic Leadership Bureaucratic leaders follow rules rigorously, and ensure that their people follow procedures precisely. This leadership style is appropriate for work involving serious safety risks (such as working with machinery, with toxic substances, or at dangerous heights), or with large sums of money. Bureaucratic leadership is also useful for managing employees who perform routine tasks. This style is much less effective in teams and organizations that rely on flexibility, creativity, or innovation. Charismatic Leadership A charismatic leadership style resembles transformational leadership: both types of leaders inspire and motivate their team members. The difference lies in their intent. Transformational leaders want to transform their teams and organizations, while leaders who rely on charisma often focus on themselves and their own ambitions, and they may not want to change anything. Charismatic leaders might believe that they can do no wrong, even when others warn them about the path that they're on. This feeling of invincibility can severely damage a team or an organization, as was shown in the 2008 financial crisis. Servant Leadership A "servant leader" is someone, regardless of level, who leads simply by meeting the needs of the team. The term sometimes describes a person without formal recognition as a leader. These people often lead by example. They have high integrity lead with generosity . Their approach can create a positive corporate culture, and it can lead to high morale among team members. and Supporters of the servant leadership model suggest that it's a good way to move ahead in a world where values are increasingly important, and where servant leaders can achieve power because of their values, ideals, and ethics . However, others believe that people who practice servant leadership can find themselves "left behind" by other leaders, particularly in competitive situations. This leadership style also takes time to apply correctly: it's ill-suited to situations where you have to make quick decisions or meet tight deadlines. Transactional Leadership This leadership style starts with the idea that team members agree to obey their leader when they accept a job. The "transaction" usually involves the organization paying team members in return for their effort and compliance on a short-term task. The leader has a right to "punish" team members if their work doesn't meet an appropriate standard. Transactional leadership is present in many business leadership situations, and it does offer some benefits. For example, it clarifies everyone's roles and responsibilities. And, because transactional leadership judges team members on performance, people who are ambitious or who are motivated by external rewards – including compensation – often thrive. The downside of this style is that, on its own, it can be chilling and amoral, and it can lead to high staff turnover. It also has serious limitations for knowledge-based or creative work. As a result, team members can often do little to improve their job satisfaction. Key Points In business, transformational leadership is often the best leadership style to use. However, no one style of leadership fits all situations, so it's useful to understand different leadership frameworks and leadership styles. You can then adapt your approach to fit your situation. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... James wrote Hi Everyone We’ve given this popular article a review, and the updated version is now at http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/ newLDR_84.php Discuss the article by replying to this post! Thanks James December 27, 2013 Midgie wrote HI Bulisa, Welcome to the Club. Glad to hear that the article has been helpful! We can all benefit from learning new things, or being reminded of things that we know yet have forgotten! There are many tools and resources available on this site which you can build your range of abilities and approaches, so just ask if you are looking for something specific. Some members take time on a regular basis to focus on one particular skill area while others dip in and out on topics that are relevant on the day. However you approach your learning, we're here to help. Please let me know if I can help with anything. Midgie May 1, 2012 Bulisa wrote I must admit that this article has been helpful. By and large I operated as a Task-oriented leader; getting things done and slavedriving my team members wherever I have been. Results orientation is still important to me - however, during the past year or so, I have learned that influence is also important and am building a range of abilities and approaches I can draw from to influence people to follow willingly. So, thank you:!: April 30, 2012 Fidget wrote All of the situational/contingency approaches make the mostsense to me - how you lead has really got to depend on the nature of the people you're leading and what it is you're doing, surely? I've definitely made the mistake in leading squads at the rowing club of giving some of the less experienced people the same autonomy as the top people - it didn't work. They didn't turn up half the time. But if you told them to turn up, and row in a fixed crew or they woudln't get to race, they did exactly what they were told and got a lot out of it as a result. They didn't either want or need to provide their own motivation, and were quite happy bieng externally motivated. Fiona January 28, 2010 Return to top of the page Leading by Example Making Sure You "Walk the Talk" There's the boss who tells everyone to stay late, and then leaves promptly at 5:00pm to go golfing. There's the supervisor who criticizes everyone for spending time on the Internet, but is discovered buying groceries online in the middle of the afternoon. And the CFO who recommends layoffs to stop "unnecessary spending," but then buys herself brand-new luxury office furniture. Do you lead by example? © iStockphoto Do you know any of these people? There's hardly anything worse for company morale than leaders who practice the "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy. When this happens, you can almost see the loss of enthusiasm and goodwill among the staff. It's like watching the air go out of a balloon – and cynicism and disappointment usually take its place. No matter what the situation is, double standards – witnessing people say one thing, and then doing another – always feel like betrayals. They can be very destructive. If this ever happened to you, you can probably remember that sense of disappointment and letdown. If you're in a leadership position, then you know that you have a responsibility to your team. They look to you for guidance and strength; that's part of what being a leader is. And a big part of your responsibility is to lead them with your own actions. So, why is it so important to lead by example; and what happens when you don't? Why It Matters There's an old saying about the difference between a manager and a leader: "Managers do things right. Leaders do the right things." (It's best to be both a manager and a leader – they're just different processes.) As a leader, part of your job is to inspire the people around you to push themselves – and, in turn, the company – to greatness. To do this, you must show them the way by doing it yourself. Stop and think about the inspiring people who have changed the world with their examples. Consider what Mahatma Gandhi accomplished through his actions: He spent most of his adult life living what he preached to others. He was committed to nonviolent resistance to protest injustice, and people followed in his footsteps. He led them, and India, to independence – because his life proved, by example, that it could be done. Although Gandhi's situation is very different from yours, the principle is the same. When you lead by example, you create a picture of what's possible. People can look at you and say, "Well, if he can do it, I can do it." When you lead by example, you make it easy for others to follow you. Look at legendary businessman, Jack Welch of General Electric. Welch knew that to push GE to new heights, he had to turn everything upside down. So that's just what he did. He developed the whole idea of a "boundaryless organization." This means that everyone is free to brainstorm and think of ideas – instead of waiting for someone "higher up" in the bureaucracy to think of them first. He wanted his team turned loose, and he promised to listen to ideas from anyone in the company. And he did. Everyone from the lowest line workers to senior managers got his attention – if they had something to say or a new idea that might make the company better. It wasn't just talk, and it didn't take his team long to figure that out. Welch stayed true to his passions and what he knew was right. As a result, GE became an incredibly successful company under his management. His team was always willing to follow his lead, because the people within it knew that he always kept his word. What does this mean for you? If you give yourself to your team and show them the way, then, most likely, they'll follow you anywhere. When You Don't Lead by Example We've seen just how powerful it can be to lead by example. But what happens when you don't follow this rule? How does your team feel when you tell them to do one thing, and then you do the exact opposite? As we said earlier, if this ever happened to you, then it shouldn't be hard to remember how angry and disappointed you were. When leaders don't "practice what they preach," it can be almost impossible for a team to work together successfully. How can anyone trust a leader who talks about one thing, but does another? Consider what might have happened if Gandhi had, even one time, been in a physical fight with his opposition. His important message of nonviolent protest would probably have been much harder to believe after that. His followers would have looked at him with suspicion and distrust. The chances of them getting into physical arguments or committing acts of violence probably would have increased dramatically. Do you think that Alexander the Great's soldiers would have fought so hard for him if he had sat on top of a hill, safe from the battle? Probably not. He would have been just another average general in our history books, instead of the example of a successful leader that we know today. And so it is with your team. If you say one thing and do another, they likely won't follow you enthusiastically. Why should they? Everything you tell them after that may meet with suspicion and doubt. They may not trust that you're doing the right thing, or that you know what you're talking about. They may no longer believe in you. Good leaders push their people forward with excitement, inspiration, trust, and vision. If you lead a team that doesn't trust you, productivity will drop. Enthusiasm may disappear. The vision you're trying so hard to make happen may lose its appeal, all because your team doesn't trust you anymore. Key Points Good leadership takes strength of character and a firm commitment to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. This means doing what you say, when you say it. If your team can't trust you, you'll probably never lead them to greatness. Leading – and living – by example isn't as hard as it might sound. It's really the easiest path. If your team knows that you'll also do whatever you expect from them, they'll likely work hard to help you achieve your goal. Mahatma Gandhi and Alexander the Great helped change the world because they lived by example – and, as a result, they accomplished great things. Apply This to Your Life • If you ask a co-worker to do something, make sure you'd be willing to do it yourself. • If you implement new rules for the office, then follow those rules just as closely as you expect everyone else to follow them. For example, if the new rule is "no personal calls at work," then don't talk to your spouse at work. You'll be seen as dishonest, and your staff may become angry and start disobeying you. • Look closely at your own behavior. If you criticize people for interrupting, but you constantly do it yourself, you need to fix this. Yes, you want people to pay attention to one another and listen to all viewpoints, so demonstrate this yourself. • If, in the spirit of goodwill, you make a rule for everyone to leave the office at 5:00 p.m., then you need to do it too. If you stay late to get more work done, your team may feel guilty and start staying late too, which can destroy the whole purpose of the rule. The same is true for something like a lunch break – if you want your team to take a full hour to rest and relax, then you need to do it too. Did you find this article helpful? Click to vote no No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article Next Lead Now! Learning Stream article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Midgie wrote Hi everyone, Colin, you can take your exercise of listing all the things you DON'T want one step further and make it even more powerful! It's a great starting piont to list the things you do not want. Now, turn them around to things you DO want. What behaviours would you want to demonstrate or do instead? The unconscious mind negates the 'negative' word (don't, can't etc) and picks up the rest. So, when you say you 'I don't want to talk over people', the mind picks up 'talk over people'. If you tell a young child to 'not walk in the puddles', their brain hears 'walk in the puddles'. If the whole leadership team tried this, wonder what a difference it would make to the team! Good luck. Midgie June 2, 2008 colinscowen wrote Janani, try turning the situation around in your head. Ask yourself what people have had to do in the past to win your trust. Ask yourself what people have done in the past that has made you stop trusting them. Write both of these lists down. Try to do the first list, try not to do the second. Another thing that I have found helps is to ask someone you trust to keep a critical eye on you. This works very well if they have a copy of, and indeed have maybe added a couple of points to, your two lists. You must be prepared to accept what they say though, remember, you asked them for help. Also, be prepared for the fact that what you are doing may well become more common knowledge that you think. People watch, people talk. You have to assume this, and you have to carry on regardless, remember the reason why you are doing this in the first place. Well, that's my two pennies in the pot. June 1, 2008 Dianna wrote Hi Janani, welcome to the forums! It's fabulous to hear from you, and your question is one that many of us relate to. Sometimes we have to try and fix things with our team and the fact that you recognize things need improving is the number one motivation for change. In our article Building the Trust of Your New Team http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1226 we have lots of great ideas for building (or rebuilding) the foundation for a great relationship. Being really honest and accountable, as well appreciating people’s work and being humble are great places to start. Our article on Humility is also a good motivator when you recognize the need to make changes in yourself. You can read it here: http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=446 I wish you well on your journey to better team relationships. Let us know how things go and keep posting questions – it’s one of the best ways to learn and the people here at the club have so many fabulous ideas! Take care and let me know if there is anything I can help you with as you get started in the club. Dianna June 1, 2008 janani wrote Its a great article, after I read the article I am able to co-relate things why my team lost interest and the productivity is down. What is the efficient way to regain the trust, moving forward I will follow the "walk the talk", but how to rebuild the lost trust? Any pointers will help. FYI: This is my first post and today is my first day in mind tools. Thanks, Janani May 31, 2008 colinscowen wrote Jara, you will find, should you be interested in reading around the subject a bit (Peter Northouse wrote probably the best primer on leadership that I have ever read, Maxwells 21 irrefutable laws is also a good starter), that influencing others is one of the definitions of leadership, so, although you may not be leading the meeting, you may well find that you are leading people in the meeting. A way to try and see that is, next time you are in a meeting, or situation, where someone is suggesting a change of some form, have a look around at the others in the meeting, and see who they look to. Whose opinion do they wait to hear. You may not see this in every case, and you may not see it at work, maybe among a group of friends, but, if you do see it, what you have seen is a real leader. Because, that person has followers. They might be the most experienced person there. If everyone argues and talks at the same time, then, probably there is no leader there. May 30, 2008 Jara wrote Thanks for the article and for the do's and don'ts that Colin posted. I never thought about thinking in terms of NOT doing what I've really disliked others doing to me. It's a great perspective to take. One of my biggest don'ts is "Don't make assumptions about a person's capabilities or value to the team based on their age or experience." It's so awful to always feel inferior so I go out of my way to ask for feedback from the newest employees and those who I can tell are a bit unsure offering opinions. Even in meetings, although I'm often one of the ones being judged, I have learned (through Mindtools!!) to be more assertive and stick up for myself so I make a point of making sure everyone is included. Even though I'm not the "leader" I hope I can influence others with my behavior just the same. Jara May 30, 2008 colinscowen wrote Leading by example is one of those things that any team member can do. I have seen this where one person has felt strongly enough about something to just stand up and do it. Others see this, see that it is possible, see that management don't squash this sort of freelance creative improvement, and start to think that maybe they can do this themselves. Leading by example is, in this respect, a viral thing. One thing I recently did was this, it is from something that the founder of Visa said, when talking about leadership.'Make a list of things that have been done to you that you hated, then never do them to anyone else'. I know I have not quoted that exactly by the way. I actually did that exercise, I came up with the following things. I did it slightly differently, I spent a week watching how others behaved, both towards me, and towards each other, and then wrote myself a list of things not to do. I also then handed this list to some of our leader group (a group of my peers, nonmanagement, who share an interest in improving our leadership skills) and asked them to do the same thing, adding any additions on the bottom of my list. (These are in no particular order at the moment, but two possible orders spring to mind. I could order them by importance, or by whether I catch myself doing them) Do not talk over other people Do not interrupt when it is not vitally important Do not change the subject until the subject is finished Do not vent at someone when they are not involved Do not keep or hoard information, do not block that information, do not assume that someone else will forward that information Don't not update people on your work in progress Don't say one thing, and then do another thing. Don't try to answer a question you did not listen to Don't assume that just because you said something, or emailed someone, that that everyone heard you and was listening to you. Don't move the goal posts without warning Don't treat others the way they treat you, treat them the way they want to be treated Part of the follow up to this will be, if doing that exercise has helped them to stop doing some of the things that they have listed. This is viral leadership by example. I have shown that I am willing to do it, and have in fact done it, then I have asked them to do it, and, I know, because I have asked them, that some of them have done it. I have also noticed that this has helped me to stop doing some of the things I have listed above. May 30, 2008 Return to top of the page Leading Equals Motivating People Effectively, Without Authority Does this sound like a job you'd want? You'll be managing a diverse group of people from a variety of departments. They each have different areas of expertise and different ways of getting work done. The people don't report to you, and you'll have little or no authority to direct their performance. The only difference between you and your colleagues is that you're in charge. However, you'll be held © iStockphoto/ravelin3d accountable for the team's output. To accomplish the team's goals, you'll be expected, among other things, to motivate, facilitate, encourage, communicate effectively, build trust, and resolve conflict. This doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it? When leading a team of your peers, these are typical challenges. Leadership is a complex subject. There are visionary leaders, empowering leaders, charismatic leaders, and values-based leaders. For each of these styles, there are situations where that style is and is not effective. However, the one thing that traditional leaders can usually rely on, regardless of their style or situation, is legitimate power. When things get tough, a traditional leader has the status and position to demand how work is done. But when you're in charge of a team of your peers, your level of authority is often nonexistent. You might have as little status as the person to whom the work has been given – but is that enough to lead what is essentially a horizontal collaboration? To lead a multifunctional peer group, you must have all the characteristics of great leaders – and then some. Here are the key skills you'll need to succeed. Master the Group Process Learn to lead discussions and proactively manage different personalities. You never know what past experiences – good and bad – team members have had with one another. Whatever the history, your role as leader starts with setting a positive foundation for the team's interactions: • Establish a relaxed environment, where everyone is encouraged to share opinions and ideas. • Ask for input from everyone, and encourage quieter members to speak up. • Use active listening skills, like paraphrasing and asking questions for clarification. • Insist on respect for one another and, for tasks taking a lot of time and effort, consider developing a team charter to define your team's goals and how the team will work. • Use participative decision making tools, and try to ensure active involvement and commitment from the team. Empower Team Members Leaders who give power to others can be very influential and motivating. When leaders use their power to help others accomplish great things, people often want to work very hard for them. When you empower someone, you're essentially saying that you trust that person. When people feel trusted, they may naturally want to take on more responsibility for the outcome, because they'll share in the spotlight when success is achieved. Empowerment, then, is a great motivator, and it can be used to recognize the efforts of team members. When leading your peers, be creative with reward and recognition – sometimes assigning a task or granting a level of authority can serve as a very effective reward. Beyond this, work hard to motivate the people you're working with and, in particular, give praise wherever it's due. Be Flexible Rules, regulations and a heavy-handed approach can cause resentment and non-compliance in a team of peers. Use discretion, and learn to adapt to the changing environment – this can be critical. You won't always be the expert, and you won't always know what to do. With a flexible leadership style, you can often deal with changing circumstances without compromising your leadership role. If you rely on a rigid structure and style, you may find yourself challenged often, and you may waste your energy fighting interpersonal battles instead of accomplishing goals. Essentially, you need to help your team adjust to changes in direction, circumstance, and priority. Whenever you get a crosssection of people working together, there can be times of ambiguity and uncertainty. When you're open to change, your team will see that, and they'll be more likely to also accept change. Set Goals Few teams would get very far without goals. Certainly you need goals to point you in the right direction and to evaluate performance. When you bring together a diverse set of people, having a clear direction is even more essential. All team members will likely have their own perspectives. These could lead your team down very different paths – if there's no central direction to follow. Different paths can also cause conflict around resources and priorities. You can avoid many of these difficulties with clear goal setting , based on agreed and valuable objectives. It's much easier to keep people working together effectively if objectives are clear, if it's obvious how the team's output will help its customer, and if disputes are resolved by referring to the team's goals. From then on, it's important that you develop an implementation plan and remain focused on your targets. Support and Protect Your Team Each team member usually has his or her own regular job to do in addition to the team's specific tasks. This means that commitment to your team may be weakened from many directions. As the leader, and the one who is ultimately accountable, concentrate on getting the support and resources your team needs to do the job well. Focus on these three key areas: 1. Obtain resources – Your team may quickly lose momentum if it encounters resource shortages. If you get your team what it needs – when the team needs it – your status, influence, and ability to motivate can increase significantly. 2. Manage stakeholders – Many people outside your team may strongly influence the team's success. First, you may encounter outside resistance from various sources. For example, John's manager may not allow him to work more than one hour each week on team projects, or the finance director may refuse to "spend one more dollar on that project." There may also be key team champions. As a leader, your challenge is to figure out how to use the champions' influence to persuade "resisters" to change their opinions. A great way to gain the respect of your team is to protect it from negative outside influences, so that team members can produce great work. 3. Obtain management feedback – Your team needs to know they're supported. Make sure you receive regular communication from managers and executives. You're the liaison – the link – to ensure that management knows what's going on, and that your team knows what management thinks. This can be a delicate balancing act, because you don't want to run back and forth with too much information. Figure out what each side needs to know to remain satisfied, and then provide it. Key Points Leading a team of your peers is a definite challenge, and it can put all of your leadership skills to the test. From setting goals to involving team members in decision making to creating a climate of openness and honesty, you need to have it all – and more. If you remember to put your team's needs first, and if you work very hard to protect their interests, you'll prove to them that you're committed to and passionate about their success. When you demonstrate that you believe in the value of their work, and when you're willing to work through any obstacles you encounter, your team will respect your integrity – and they'll want to work hard with you, and for you, to achieve results. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... cobberas wrote leading a group of your peers and you don't have much authority Has someone in Mind Tools been reading my position description??? No - it ain't much fun at all, as you say! I am REALLY looking forward to reading this article in great detail and putting its recommendations into practice - thanks heaps for putting it together; I'll let you know how it works out. cos January 2, 2008 Return to top of the page Level 5 Leadership Achieving "Greatness" as a Leader What makes leaders great? Is it their courage? Their business acumen? Their expert knowledge? Their ability to organize? Truly great leaders have a specific blend of skills. But they also possess something else; certain characteristics which are harder to define. What does it take to step up to the next level? © iStockphoto/dmitryphotos If you're in a leadership role, then you've likely wondered how you can move to that "next level," going from good to great leadership. In this article, we'll examine "Level 5 Leadership" – a key idea that helps you do this. We'll explore what it takes to achieve greatness as a leader, and we'll discuss strategies that you can use to move up to this top level of leadership. Introducing Level 5 Leadership The concept of Level 5 Leadership was created by business consultant, Jim Collins. He wrote about it in a well-respected 2001 Harvard Business Review article, and published his research in his popular book, "From Good to Great." The concept came about during a study that began in 1996, when Collins began researching what makes a great company. He started by looking at 1,435 companies, and ended up choosing 11 truly great ones. These 11 companies were all headed by what Collins called "Level 5 Leaders." He found that these leaders have humility, and they don't seek success for their own glory; rather, success is necessary so that the team and organization can thrive. They share credit for success, and they're the first to accept blame for mistakes. Collins also says that they're often shy, but fearless when it comes to making decisions, especially ones that most other people consider risky. Level 5 Leaders also possess qualities found in four other levels of leadership that Collins identified. Although you don't have to pass sequentially through each individual level before you become a Level 5 Leader, you must have the skills and capabilities found in each level of the hierarchy. Let's look at each of the five levels in more detail: Level 1: Highly Capable Individual At this level, you make high quality contributions with your work. You possess useful levels of knowledge; and you have the talent and skills needed to do a good job. Level 2: Contributing Team Member At Level 2, you use your knowledge and skills to help your team succeed. You work effectively, productively and successfully with other people in your group. Level 3: Competent Manager Here, you're able to organize a group effectively to achieve specific goals and objectives. Level 4: Effective Leader Level 4 is the category that most top leaders fall into. Here, you're able to galvanize a department or organization to meet performance objectives and achieve a vision. Level 5: Great Leader At Level 5, you have all of the abilities needed for the other four levels, plus you have the unique blend of humility and will that's required for true greatness. How to Become a Level 5 Leader It takes time and effort to become a Level 5 Leader. But the good news is that it can be done, especially if you have the passion to try. Again, it's important to realize that you don't have to progress through each level in turn in order to get to Level 5. But you do need the capabilities found in each level in order to achieve Level 5 status. Here are some strategies that will help you grow emotionally and professionally, so that you can develop the qualities of a Level 5 Leader: Develop Humility Level 5 Leaders are humble people. So, learn why humility is important, and make sure that you understand – at a deep, emotional level – why arrogance is so destructive. Then ensure that you behave in a humble way – for example, whenever your team has success, make sure that credit goes to them for their hard work. Conversely, as a leader, you need to take responsibility for your team's efforts, even when things go wrong. Tip: The 2007-2008 financial crisis showed many examples of how arrogant, self-glorifying, self-obsessed leaders led their organizations to ruin. Much of this chaos could have been averted if appointment committees had recruited Level 5 leaders. Humility matters, including when it comes to recruitment. Ask for Help Level 5 Leaders are sometimes mistakenly thought of as "weak," because they ask for help when they need it. However, learning how to ask for help is a genuine strength, because it lets you call upon the expertise of someone stronger in an area than you are. The result? The entire team or organization wins; not just you. Remember the Guy Kawasaki quote that "A players recruit A+ players, while B players recruit C players". If you're recruiting A+ players, why wouldn't you take full advantage of their skills? (The truth is that if you can recruit A+ people successfully and get the best from them, then you've become an A+ manager.) Take Responsibility A top attribute of Level 5 Leaders is that they take responsibility for their team's mistakes or failings. So make sure that you take responsibility for your (and your team's) actions. Our Book Insight into No Excuses! The Power of Self Discipline has more on this. Develop Discipline Level 5 Leaders are incredibly disciplined in their work. When they commit to a course of action, no matter how difficult it is, they stick to their resolve. If you know in your heart that you're right, then don't let naysayers dissuade you from a course of action. It's always important to listen to differing opinions, of course, but don't let fear be your driving motivator when you make, or change, a decision. Find the Right People Level 5 Leaders depend on the people around them. They spend time finding the right people , and helping them reach their full potential. If you're a leader or manager already, then you probably know without thinking who your best people are. However, you sometimes have to challenge these assumptions – our article on The LeaderMember Exchange Theory shows you how to do this, so that you can get the best from everyone on your team. Lead with Passion Level 5 Leaders are passionate about what they do, and they're not afraid to show it. When you demonstrate to your team members that you love and believe in what you're doing, they will too. If you're having a hard time finding passion in your work, then you need to search for the human benefit in what you're doing. See our article on Working with Purpose to explore how to find meaning in what you're doing. It's also important to create an inspiring vision for your people – our article on Transformational Leadership shows you how to do this. Tip: Use common sense in the way that you apply this idea. In some environments – that is, in high-trust, properly-managed workplaces – Level 5 Leadership is something to aspire to, demonstrate and apply. In low-trust or dysfunctional environments, however, you may need to use Level 5 Leadership more cautiously. Definitely apply the approach, but make sure that you're alert to the "corporate politics" going on around you. Key Points Level 5 Leadership is a concept developed by Jim Collins. After several years of research, Collins discovered that all of the great organizations that he studied were headed by what he called "Level 5 Leaders." These Leaders have a unique combination of fierce resolve and humility. They were the first to own up to mistakes, and the last to take credit for success. You can work on developing the following skills and characteristics to become a Level 5 Leader: • Develop humility. • Ask for help. • Take responsibility. • Develop discipline. • Find the right people. • Lead with passion. Did you find this article helpful? Click to vote no No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Rachel wrote Hi All, How can you move from being just a ""good"" leader to a ""great"" one? Find out, with this week's Featured Favorite article on Level 5 Leadership. best wishes Rachel February 4, 2014 MichaelP wrote Alex, it indeed sounds like you are on the way up and focusing on the right things. Please keep us posted on your progress and let us know how we can help. cheers Michael September 29, 2011 alexgeorge1956 wrote Hi all Great this sounds I am on right track and ask my n Manager if I do have most of these qualities I like the Humilty aspect being tenacious and resilient in my work is giving me great respect in the senior management team If my team succeeds I do so the path is clear for me to move up and I have a succusor to take over Alex September 29, 2011 Midgie wrote I do believe that many ambitious people want to be great, not just good! It is not just talent that defines a great leader and there are indeed qualities and characteristics that you can develop. For me, these qualities and characteristics are along the lines of emotional intelligence, which can also be developed. What do you think ... are great leaders great simply because they are who they are, or do you think it can be developed? Midgie September 27, 2011 Yolande wrote It will always amaze me how people 'light up' when you ask them for help. If they feel useful, they just don't mind giving 100%. I can't agree more with the point about humility. There is something extremely beautiful and strong about humility and it also seems to attract people like a magnet. I was on a course once with a great business leader; I didn't know until a few days into the course what his position was - he just never told anyone. Yet he was always ready to serve and help others and not knowing how high-powered he actually was, I just thought that he was such a nice person. It was a great 'lesson in action' in humility. Regards Yolandé September 24, 2011 Return to top of the page Lewin's Leadership Styles Framework Three Core Leadership Styles Chances are, you've worked for a wide variety of leaders during your career. Some might have been excellent, while others may not have been effective at all. You might even have experienced a boss who was great in some situations and bad in others, because he or she used the same leadership style each time. Which leadership style is most effective for you? © iStockphoto/GP232 It's important to understand your own natural leadership style, so that you can adapt your approach to fit your situation. It's also helpful to know which leadership behaviors to avoid. One way to do this is to use Lewin's Leadership Styles Framework. In this article, we'll look at the three core leadership styles that Lewin identified, and we'll see how you can use his model to be a more effective leader. About the Model In 1939, psychologist Kurt Lewin led a study that identified three core styles of leadership, and outlined the effect that each style had on team members. His research also showed that leaders get different results when they lead their teams in different ways. Although Lewin conducted this study many decades ago, his findings have influenced many of today's leadership theories and approaches , including transformational leadership (which, we believe, is often the most effective leadership style to use in business). The three core leadership styles he identified were: • Authoritarian (autocratic) leadership. • Participative (democratic) leadership. • Delegative (laissez-faire) leadership. It's important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of each style, so that you can recognize your own natural leadership style, and adapt your approach to fit your situation. When you understand each style, you will also know what behaviors to avoid if you want to get the best from your people. Note: Lewin's research took place in the U.S. It's important to remember that people in other cultures may respond differently to these leadership styles. Our articles on Cross-Cultural Leadership and Wibbeke's Geoleadership Model have more information on how to lead a diverse, cross-cultural team. The Three Leadership Styles Let's examine each of Lewin's three leadership styles in detail, and look at how and when to apply each one with your team. As you read through the descriptions, bear in mind that you can use elements of all three approaches in different situations. Authoritarian (Autocratic) Leadership You lead in an authoritarian way when you make decisions without consulting your team members. You tell people what to do, and how to do it. The benefit of authoritarian leadership is that it's very efficient: you can make quick decisions, and people don't have any say on what they do. The downside is that an authoritarian work environment is often demoralizing and demotivating for people. You may also miss out on getting input from skilled, knowledgeable team members if you use this approach, which can severely limit innovation and performance in your team. What's more, in many cultures, people quite understandably resent and resist authoritarian leadership. It can cause disengagement and unhappiness in your team, and even cause people to be aggressive or hostile; and it can lead to high absenteeism and increased staff turnover. Authoritarian leadership is often appropriate when you need to make quick decisions during crises , but it's harmful in many modern working environments. Participative (Democratic) Leadership With participative leadership, you have the final say on decisions, but you involve team members in the decision-making process. This builds trust and good working relationships , and team members feel empowered and engaged with their work. The downside of participative leadership is that it can slow the decision-making process, which can lead to missed opportunities. This can be particularly damaging in emergencies or crises. Delegative (Laissez-Faire) Leadership Delegative or laissez-faire leadership is very hands-off. When you use this style, you allow team members to set their own goals and deadlines, and you let them determine how to do their work. Delegative leadership is most effective when team members are highly motivated and highly skilled, and when you can provide frequent feedback on performance and progress. It's also effective when you work with freelancers or consultants . The downside of delegative leadership is that it can lead to poor performance in teams where people have low skill levels, little motivation, or poor knowledge. Tip: It can be challenging to know which leadership styles to use in a given situation or with a specific team. Use tools like the HerseyBlanchard Situational Leadership® Theory , Path-Goal Theory , Fiedler's Contingency Model , and the Leadership Style Matrix to think about the best leadership style for your circumstances. Key Points Social psychologist Kurt Lewin identified three primary leadership styles in 1939. These were: • Authoritarian (autocratic) leadership. • Participative (democratic) leadership. • Delegative (laissez-faire) leadership. Lewin's research forms the foundation of many of today's leadership models and frameworks. Its most important conclusion is that people tend to resent authoritarian leadership, and that they can become aggressive, demoralized or demotivated when subjected to it. By contrast, you need to use participative or delegative approaches to leadership to get the best from people. It's helpful to understand each of these three styles so that you know when and how to use them, and so that you know what behaviors to avoid if you want to get the best from your team. Situational Leadership® is a registered trademark of the Center for Leadership Studies. Did you find this article helpful? Click to vote no No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience Return to top of the page Now You're the Boss... Learning How to Manage Former Peers Becoming "the boss" can change almost everything – and it can change nothing. Sure, you have more power. And you can influence your former peers in completely new ways. But you're still the same person. Managing former peers. Suddenly, though, the things © iStockphoto you say have more importance, and your former teammates look to you for answers, not just ideas. What do you do with this newly found power? It may be tempting to make the changes that you always wanted, order people to do what you want to be done, and feel good about your new promotion. However, this type of behavior may not win you much respect or cooperation. But you probably don't want to use the opposite approach either. A new boss who tries to remain "one of the guys" can end up frustrating everyone. When you're more concerned about friendships than results, poor decisions are usually inevitable. If you're afraid of being called "bossy," you may not hold people accountable, or you may avoid making unpopular decisions. So, how do you manage the difficult learning curve of becoming a boss, and the delicate balance of leading former peers? There's no immediate or easy solution, and you won't be perfect. However, by understanding the challenges and by keeping an open mind, you can develop new ways to relate to your team that are effective and produce results. The Changes and Challenges As a newly-promoted boss, many or all of the following may apply to you: • You know how people on your team operate. This can sound like an advantage – until you realize that instead of just accepting people's behavior, you're now responsible for making sure that their behavior aligns with your team's goals. In the past, you were part of the way your team worked, good or bad. Now, you have to make sure that things are done right. Before, you may have been able to avoid the people you don't like. But now, you have to help them develop – or you may need to get rid of them altogether. • You used to compete with these people. There's often a bit of rivalry among peers for things like recognition, authority, and status. As the new boss, some will see you as the winner of this competition. This may increase previous tensions and bring out feelings of resentment. You may have had difficulty with past peers whom you now need to support and praise. • You used to communicate freely. As a boss, you have to be selective about the information you share. You probably can't tell people everything as you used to. This works both ways: your team members may stop telling you everything as well. This often means that your team tells you only those things they think you want to hear, which may lead to distorted information and bad decisions. • Your opinion used to hold equal weight. Now that you're the boss, what you say probably has much more influence. As a result, your team may not argue with you as much, and you may not have the benefit of hearing what they really think. This can limit the effectiveness of your decisions. • You used to have close personal relationships with members of your team. As the boss, you have to maintain a little distance from the people who report to you. You need to treat everyone equally, and you can't allow yourself to be influenced by certain people more than others. You also can't let personal feelings get in the way of honest feedback and discipline. When you understand that your relationships with people on your team are now different, you can find ways to move forward. It's when you try to keep things the same that you'll have problems. Strategies for a Successful Transition When moving from peer to boss, the most important thing is to give up the comfort of being liked. In the past, you've said many things about your bosses to your colleagues, family, and friends. Similar things will now probably be said about you. That's OK – as long as you continue to earn respect. You'll likely achieve this by treating people honestly and by trusting them. Here are some strategies that you can try: • Be humble. Accept that you'll probably make mistakes, and be willing to admit your mistakes. It's also important that you don't boast about your new position or success. People can brag or show off in subtle ways, so be careful. Every leader or prospective leader should read Bruna Martinuzzi's wonderful article on humility . An unfortunate reality is that some people may choose to focus on, and enjoy, your mistakes. You may even encounter outright resistance or sabotage. Watch out for these behaviors, and deal with them immediately and proactively. As much as we'd like to believe that professionals don't behave this way, experience tells us otherwise. • Talk. Communicate with your team right from the start. As far as you can, share your concerns about the transition, and invite them to comment. Our article on Building the Trust of Your New Team has more great tips on setting up this new relationship. You may also have to address the hurt feelings of those who also wanted your new position. This can take a great deal of diplomacy, sensitivity, and understanding. • Communicate your expectations. Your new team isn't used to working with you as a boss. Figure out your routine, and let them know what to expect. • Will you have regular team meetings? • Will you have an "open door" policy? • What are your priorities? • How will you communicate? • What are your objectives? • How will they be evaluated? Clarify and regularly update your expectations. The sooner you start a pattern of open communication, the better. • Establish boundaries. You know that you can't be everyone's friend the way that you were before. Think about what this means and how your relationship with others will change. • Give everyone equal attention – avoid spending time with just one group of people. • Attend team social functions, but leave early so the team can talk freely among themselves. • Build a social network with your new peers (your former bosses). • Dress differently – this can be a subtle indication that your position is now different. Because you know your former peers, you should be able to find ways to have conversations. Not everyone responds to openness in the same way, so remember to be sensitive to these differences, and adjust your style accordingly. • Be careful about what you say. Unfortunately, you probably can't be as free with your opinions as you used to be. When you express dissatisfaction with something, you may influence your team. If you say that you don't like someone, you may affect your team's attitude toward that person. As a boss, you have to watch what you say and understand that your words have the power to influence the opinions and behavior of your team members. • Delegate. As a new leader of former peers, your job has changed from "getting things done" to "managing people to get things done", so it's extremely important that you delegate effectively. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can do it all because you're the boss. You still have the same skills and abilities as yesterday (when you were one of the team). However, by not delegating, you may unintentionally communicate, "I don't trust you to do as good a job as I do." Delegating is empowering. It's motivating, and it builds trust. The quicker you can establish trust, the stronger your new team will likely be. Our article on Leading Equals discusses empowerment and provides some other ideas for easing into this new relationship. Tip: There's another reason that you must learn to delegate: If you don't, you'll quickly get overloaded and stressed, which probably means that you'll be ineffective. • Ask for training. All too often, new bosses are left to sink or swim on their own, with no guidance – on-the-job training is not the best teacher, here. Ask for formal training, if available (and remember that you'll find a huge amount of help here, at Mind Tools). Look for someone to mentor you. Be proactive in your own development, and look for opportunities to improve your leadership and management skills. Key Points It can be difficult for team members to deal with a former peer becoming their boss – and it can be difficult for you, as the new boss. You need to accept that you may not always be liked, and you have to be careful of what you say. Some people may resent your promotion, and changes in expectations can cause confusion. To manage the transition, be aware of the obvious and subtle ways that your relationships with team members have changed. If you find ways to communicate openly and honestly about expectations, this will help you be successful. Being respected is more important than being liked – and understanding this is the first and most important step in beginning to lead your former teammates. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Hi gpqconi - I too believe the two points you make are really important. The social aspect of work is hard to balance and I've always preferred to be friendly with my coworkers but not really friends. I've seen these friendships become very messy when promotions are involved and a lot of office politics tends to follow these tight relationships. Thanks for the great input - we look forward to hearing your thoughts on the other resources here as well as any of the discussions going on in other parts of the forum. Talk soon! Dianna February 7, 2011 gpqconl wrote This article hits it on the nail. Moving from peer to boss is a slippery slope. If not done right, new problems are created and impact the dynamics of the team even more. A couple of pieces that stuck out for me, were the decision to socialize with the team. Attending allows your time to get to know each member and leaving early gives them time to discuss what they found out about you. You are human. The other point is being friendly and not a friend. Being able to be your authentic self and also remaining in charge works to the benefit of the team. No one person is singled out as the favorite. February 5, 2011 lulu wrote I have twice had to take on a new job, where people I now manage, were also candidates for the position. Both times we talked about this early on, I engaged well with them and included them in lots of decision making - however both turned sour about 18 months to 2 years later. I think it was ongoing resentment that they never dealt with and although everything appeared ok on the surface, clearly it was not. There will always be resentment - it is human nature. If the new manager trips up just once, they are then an easy target. It takes good management skills to manage effectively in an open and transparent way but fair and consistent. Lulu March 29, 2010 samsam wrote I wonder how to best manage the situation when a few of the team members were also candidates for the job. Do you have any suggestions on that? Thanks, Sam March 29, 2010 Return to top of the page Optimism The Hidden Asset Among the topics that young people study before they enter the workforce is calculus, the mathematics of change and motion. While training in calculus is undoubtedly valuable, I believe that training in optimism is also important. Just as it is good discipline to solve problems like the velocity of a car at a certain moment in © iStockphoto/hidesy time, it is also crucial to figure out what drives people to give us the very best that they have to offer. Ironically, Leibniz, one of the inventors of calculus, is also known for his philosophy of optimism. He was considered to be an inveterate optimist, asserting that we live "in the best of all possible worlds". Optimism is an emotional competence that can help boost productivity, enhance employee morale, overcome conflict and have a positive impact on the bottom line. In writing about optimism, you face the danger of being seen as advocating a "Pollyanna" or quixotic approach. The truth is, however, optimism has been proven to be a powerful tool that will pay dividends for your personal life and give you a competitive advantage professionally in your career. There is a lot to be gained, indeed, in cultivating an optimistic outlook. Take leadership, for example. Nowhere is optimism more important than in leading organizations. Highly effective leaders have a transforming effect on their constituents: they have the gift of being able to convince others that they have the ability to achieve levels of performance beyond those they thought possible. They are able to paint an optimistic and attainable view of the future for their followers: They move others from being stuck with "how things are done around here" and help them see "how things could be done better". In The Leadership Advantage, an essay from the Drucker Foundation's Leader to Leader Guide, Warren Bennis tells us that optimism is one of the key things people need from their leaders in order to achieve positive results. Every "exemplary leader that I have met," writes Bennis, "has what seems to be an unwarranted degree of optimism – and that helps generate the energy and commitment necessary to achieve results." Consider, as well, the reverse: the effect that pessimistic individuals can have on an organization's creativity and innovation. To be innovative, you need to be open to new ideas, wide open to seeing possibilities, willing to take risks and encourage others to take risks – willing to challenge the process in order to create new solutions or products or improve processes. In short, you need to have a sense of adventure and an expectation of success. Those who have a pessimistic outlook typically approach changes to the status quo with the familiar: "We tried this before", "It won't work", or "It will never fly". Such individuals often label themselves as "devil's advocate". How can someone who has a pessimistic outlook embrace change over the safety of the known? There are other areas which are impacted positively by optimism. Take sales, for example: A study shows that new sales personnel at Metropolitan Life who scored high on a test on optimism sold 37 percent more life insurance in their first two years than pessimists (Seligman, 1990). In another study involving debt collectors in a large collection agency, the most successful collectors had significantly higher scores in the area of self-actualization, independence and optimism. (Bachman et al, 2000, cited by Cary Cherniss.) Perhaps more significant are the countless studies that have shown that people with an optimistic outlook have healthier relationships, enjoy better mental and physical health and live longer. In The Wisdom of the Ego, Dr George E Vaillant, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, writes about individuals who have "both the capacity to be bent without breaking and the capacity, once bent, to spring back". Vaillant mentions that, in addition to external sources of resilience (such as good health or social supports), these individuals have important internal sources which include a healthy self-esteem and optimism. These coping mechanisms are fully explored in Dr Valliant's subsequent book: Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life, a truly fascinating study that will be particularly interesting to fellow boomers. This is a compendium of three studies involving over 800 individuals, men and women, rich and poor, who were followed for more than 50 years, from adolescence to old age. In it, we discover that one of the most powerful predictors of successful aging is habitually using mature coping mechanisms or defenses, what Vaillant calls the ability to "make lemonade out of life's lemons." Vaillant's study discovered five of these coping mechanisms: Altruism (doing for others what they need, not what we want to do for them); Sublimation (diverting energy to more constructive pursuits such as creativity, art, sports); Suppression (postponement of stressors, not repression); Humor and Anticipation. Anticipation is realistic, hopeful planning for the future. This means not operating in a pessimistic crisis mode but preparing and adapting for whatever life brings. So how do you recognize an optimist? Alan Loy McGinnis, author of The Power of Optimism, studied the biographies of over 1000 famous people, and isolated 12 characteristics of the optimistic personality. Among these is: "Optimists look for partial solutions", that is, freed from the tyranny of perfectionism and from paralysis by analysis, they are open to taking small steps towards achieving success. Another characteristic of those who have an optimistic nature is: "Optimists use their imagination to rehearse success", in other words, they play positive mental videos of preferred outcomes, much like sports figures do. Michael Jordan, for example, once stated that he never plays a game that he hasn't first visualized. Another trait is that "Optimists think that they have great capacity for stretching" – they believe that their personal best is yet to come. Dr Martin E Seligman, the modern scholar most often associated with studying the traits of optimists, and former president of the American Psychological Association and Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, has devoted decades to studying optimistic people and reports three traits that they have in common: They view adversity in their lives as temporary, specific and external, that is, not entirely their fault, as opposed to pessimists who view adversity as unchangeable, pervasive, and more personal. In the face of setbacks, challenges or difficult jobs, pessimist are more likely to do worse than predicted and even give up, while optimists will persevere. Optimism, therefore, is also an important component of achievement, and is especially important in times of chaos, change and turbulence. Those who have an optimistic outlook will roll with the punches, will be more proactive and persistent and will not abandon hope. So, where does optimism come from? Is it something we are born with or is it learned? For some lucky individuals, being optimistic comes naturally. The good news is that, for those who don't have it naturally, optimism is an attitude that can be learned and practiced. Here are some strategies you can consider in your journey to becoming more optimistic or in helping someone else who suffers from pessimism: 1. Avoid negative environments. If this is not realistic, make every effort to seek the company of positive individuals in your organization. Sometimes this may mean fraternizing with peers in other departments. Stay away from the professional complainer. 2. Celebrate your strengths. The key to high achievement and happiness is to play out your strengths, not correct your weaknesses. Focus on what you do well. (If you are not sure what your signature strengths are, consider reading Now Discover Your Strengths, which includes a web-based questionnaire that helps you discover your own top-five inborn talents.) 3. Take care of your spiritual and emotional well being by reading inspirational material on a daily basis. This may be different for each person. Some may be inspired by daily quotations, others by reading biographies of successful people in their field and yet others may derive inspiration from reading about all the innovations that we are graced with. A useful website for this is the World Future Society, which keeps up with new inventions. 4. Manage or ignore what you cannot change. When faced with setbacks, identify what you can change and proactively try to find ways to do something about it. We have often heard this advice – it bears repeating. Be inspired by Benjamin Franklin's words: "While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us." 5. Learn to reframe. This involved deliberately shifting perspective and looking for the hidden positive in a negative situation: the proverbial silver lining. Look for the gift in the adversity. If you are serious about developing greater optimism, there is no better book than Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Dr Martin E Seligman. Learn Dr Seligman's ABCDE model for disputing pessimistic thoughts. This is a very useful and powerful tool to help you change the way you explain events that trouble you from optimistic to pessimistic. Click here for our Book Insight on Learned Optimism . 6. Adapt your language and outlook. Consider how a simple shift in the language you use can make a difference in your outlook: Do you frequently say: "yes, but...." in response to your constituents' suggestions? The "but" automatically negates anything you have said in the beginning part of the sentence. A simple shift to "yes, and..." might make a positive difference. Check the emails you have sent recently. Count the proportion of negative to positive words. It could be enlightening. Become aware of your stance in business meetings. Are you known as the "devil's advocate", the one who is quick to shoot down others' ideas? Jumping in too quickly to negate an idea can derail the creative process. Often valuable ideas are the result of an initial "crazy" thought. At meetings, even when we don't have the floor, we are under a magnifying glass. Practice being more upbeat, practice speaking last, and see what happens. 7. Focus outside yourself, on important people in your life, on pursuits and projects that fire you up. Bertrand Russell once said that the quickest way to make ourselves miserable is to continually focus on ourselves. It was his love of mathematics that kept him going. 8. Nurture a culture of optimism when you are in charge of other people at work. Expect people to succeed. Even when they occasionally fail to achieve what they set out to do, encourage them so that they can tackle the next challenge. A simple: "I know you'll do better the next time" can have very positive effects. 9. Cultivate spontaneity. Consider putting aside all your plans once in a while to take a walk with your kids, play a game or catch a show. Getting out of your comfort zone by being spontaneous helps to develop your optimistic muscle, as spontaneity essentially involves an expectation of having a pleasurable experience. 10. Consider the health benefits. If you need an extra motivation for practicing optimism, consider the statistics linking optimism to greater health. As Dr Seligman explains, there is evidence to believe that immune systems among optimistic people are stronger than among pessimists. This paper would not be balanced if we did not address the benefits of pessimism. Pessimists, as Seligman explains, may be more realistic and accurate about dangers and risks. At times, when there is a risk of serious negative consequences, a cautious, risk-avoiding evaluation is appropriate and desirable. But the positive effects of being optimistic – fighting depression, aiding in professional, academic and sports achievement, and boosting mental and physical health – outweigh the benefits of being a career pessimist. The answer then is, as Seligman explains, "flexible optimism", i.e. having the wisdom to assess situations and identify those that require a pessimistic inquisition, and those that call for optimism, for having a "can do" attitude" and taking a chance. Winston Churchill had a reason for saying: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Practice seeing the opportunity. Copyright © 2006-2013 Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... fxgg090 wrote Thank´s Yolandé. I guess one of the most important things to remain optimistic is self-confidence, self trust, and to know the real limitations and capacities one has in the face of adversity, that we can´t solve all issues but we can help some details and make major changes. Also, let other´s appreciate who they are and what they have, to recognize what they have and how easy is to lose something (including reputation in business), how hard is sometimes to keep confident when things seem contrary, but being involved with positive people helps, people with high realistic expectations. Happy New Year! Francisco X. December 31, 2013 Yolande wrote Hi Francisco Thanks for sharing a bit about your personal beliefs and also about your culture with us - I found it very interesting. I can't help but agree with you that it's sometimes difficult to be optimistic when living in a country where many people are living in abject poverty like you and I do (even though we are on different continents). However, by remaining optimistic that we can and will make a difference, we are helping ourselves to help others. I'm curious to know how you perhaps help others to remain optimistic in the face of many challenges? Kind regards Yolandé December 31, 2013 fxgg090 wrote I think in most areas of life, more in health care to be optimistic and give positive attitudes in almost a negative - depressive environment. There are some research related to mental attitude, in one research almost 40% of patients that were waiting for a transplant got better or felt better when their idea, their expectation of recovering went up. In the negative Area there was a book by Goethe related to Werther a man who suicide, in the XVIII century this book was very succesful but people started to suicide, in some countries forbade. This makes me think how positive actions are so important, negative ones can be contagious too -like the Book-, positive ideas help the self relief, be in contact with the reality.- I think all fields could be related to optimism, (except Banks -), where people have a tendency to see things in a different way. Religion is also an excellent way or method to be positive: Expect love, peace, wisdom, positive attitudes to other´s, through rituals, rites, beliefs -even if those beliefs may be false the idea or feeling becomes true-, and I think we need more leaders with religion -not more religious leaders-, but normal people in business who do pray for other´s, who are optimistic meditating, who encourage other´s to follow their ideas and feelings, Religion for me and for us in México is very powerful, in fact our first flag in México was a religious icon -the Lady of Guadalupe-, so I think religion has many positive things if we know how to handle and not abuse it, because the contrary can happens to -fanatism and negativism, etc. I think one field we can´t be really positive and I think is hard is in War, I still don´t understand how soldiers and generals can be optimistic and positive after watching so many deaths, I think is almost impossible but we have cases of people who did raise and became leaders like Dr Frankl who was in the Holocaust and did finish his career, and wrote books and gave lectures. But in general I find it hard to see optimist in Wars, I seen many documentaries on the Holocaust, on Wars, and you can see peoples faces, attitude, starving for love and food, impossible to be positive and who leads them to that? Negative leaders, leaders whose ideals is just money, power and destruction, so being a leader is a serious matter in politics and around the Globe if we don´t know how to handle we may end more ambicious than Stanlin, Franco in Spain or Hitler in Germany...and I wonder if they were positive people by the way. Today we are surrounded by Economy, Politics, Ambicious, Suicides, lack of Values in some individuals, moral starvation, lack of empathy to other´s, indiference in business, huge egos in teenagers and some children or most children, solitude, etc. It is the time we must be aware of being positive without losing ground without living in a fantasy World, being realistic and try to give a smile and learn from other´s, but also learn from mistakes and from that Human Misery that surround people, but that is also a chance a huge chance to grow, to raise, to be better. It´s hard to be optimistic in México were almost 60.000,000 people have no food or are consider poors, and more than 5,000,000 without jobs, and kids spending time on the internet most of the day, without producing hope for this Society, but we try, all societies had faults, mistakes, bad-good leaders, ambicious people, good people, I try to focus on the good, positive but not denying the reality that exists and hurts many. Thanks for the Reply!! Francisco X González G. December 26, 2013 Midgie wrote Hi Francisco, Indeed how we are within ourselves has ripple effects on others. So, by being optimistic we may help others feel somewhat more optimistic and hopeful. It is also healthier for us - in body and mind - to be optimistic, to see the positives and to remain hopeful of the good. Yes, we may still have moments when we are negative, yet overall, by being positive and optimistic helps us get through the day. In what areas of your life do you think this kind of attitude would make a positive difference? Midgie December 26, 2013 fxgg090 wrote [color=#00BF00:33vwhmfh] I never thought being Optimistic had such a big important impact in the Organization and the life of other´s, great references and tips! fxgg December 26, 2013 kurt_gielen wrote Let's start with a big smiling smiley to stay in the mood. anybody who wants to look into a more religious approach of this subject, dive into the wonderfull world of Buddhism, especially the parts where it talks about controlling the mind. By this is meant recognise negative thoughts as soon as possible and train your brain to think happy thoughts. Amazing what this attitude can do to your personal & professional life. Good luck to all of you optimistist or want-to-be optimists out there. Enjoy, Kurt October 25, 2006 Rachel wrote Hi there This is a great article - there's also a discussion running about "Who's feeling optimistic?" in the career cafe! http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=172 Have a great day! Rachel October 24, 2006 Return to top of the page Path-Goal Theory Discovering the Best Leadership Style Imagine that your boss has just assigned a major project to your new team. There are some very talented people within the team, but you've worked with them in the past, and it wasn't a pleasant experience... You've always felt that the best way to manage a fast-paced, Lead your team to their objectives effectively. expert team is to set © iStockphoto/ssstep objectives, and then let team members work out how they'll deliver for themselves. You don't want to interfere with what they're doing, so you rarely have meetings with individuals or with the group. The problem is that the team hasn't responded well to this approach. So what else should you do? Would daily meetings waste your people's time? And would they be annoyed if you involved yourself more in decision-making, or gave them more guidance on the project? When thinking about the best way to lead a team, we have to consider several different factors, and it's easy choose the wrong approach. When this happens, morale, effectiveness, and productivity can suffer. Path-Goal Theory helps you identify an effective approach to leadership, based on what your people want and your current situation. In this article, we'll look at Path-Goal Theory, and we'll explore how you can apply it to your own situation. About Path-Goal Theory Psychologist, Robert House, developed Path-Goal Theory in 1971, and then redefined and updated it in a 1996 article in The Leadership Quarterly. Let's look at some of the elements of the theory. Leadership Responsibilities According to it, if you want your people to achieve their goals, you need to help, support, and motivate them. You can do this in three ways: 1. Helping them identify and achieve their goals. 2. Clearing away obstacles, thereby improving performance. 3. Offering appropriate rewards along the way. To do this, you can use four different types of leadership: • Supportive leadership – Here, you focus on relationships. You show sensitivity to individual team members' needs, and you consider your team members' best interests. This leadership style is best when tasks are repetitive or stressful. • Directive leadership – With this, you communicate goals and expectations, and you assign clear tasks. This style works best when tasks or projects are unstructured, or when tasks are complex and team members are inexperienced. • Participative leadership – With participative leadership, you focus on mutual participation. You consult with your group, and you consider their ideas and expertise before making a decision. This approach works best when your team members are experienced, when the task is complex and challenging, and when your team members want to give you their input. • Achievement-oriented leadership – Here, you set challenging goals for your team. You have confidence in your team's abilities, so you expect your team to perform well, and you maintain high standards for everyone. This style works best when team members are unmotivated or unchallenged in their work. The best style to use is then dependent on the situational factors explained below. Situational Factors Path-Goal Theory defines two distinct situational factors – the nature of your subordinates, and the nature of your environment. These factors directly influence the best style of leadership to use with team members. • Subordinates – Understanding your people's needs is key to choosing the best approach for leading them. • How well do your team members respond to direct authority? How do they react when you tell them how to do a particular task? • How experienced are your people? How much do they know about the task or assignment? • How motivated are they? • Characteristics of the environment – You must also examine the current situation. • How complex or repetitive is your team's task or project? • How structured or unstructured is the task? • How strong is your authority over the team? • How well do people work together? (This looks at factors that are out of the control of individual people in the team – for example, are team dynamics healthy, and how good are relationships between team members?) Using Path-Goal Theory Applying Path-Goal Theory with your team is fairly straightforward. Figure 1, below, shows how to match your team members' needs with the environment, so that you can choose the best leadership style for each situation. Note: Figure 1 mentions "locus of control" in the Subordinates column. This is a person's belief that he or she can influence events in a positive way. People with a high internal locus of control believe that they have a reasonable level of control over events. People in this category have great control over their behavior and try to influence others. People with a high external locus of control believe that outside forces affect the outcome of any given situation. They believe in luck, fate or destiny. These people often put less effort into work and projects, and can be less successful than those with a high internal locus of control. Figure 1: Path-Goal Theory Leadership Styles/Situational Factors Subordinates Environment • Want Authoritative Leadership • Complex or Ambiguous Task • External Locus of Control • Strong Formal Authority • Low Ability Leadership Style to Adopt Directive • Good Work Group • Don't Want Authoritative Leadership • Simple or Structured Task • Internal Locus of Control • Weak Formal Authority • High Ability • Not Good Work Group • Want to be Involved • Complex or Ambiguous Task • Internal Locus on Control • High Ability • Strong or Weak Formal Authority Supportive Participative Subordinates Environment Leadership Style to Adopt • Good or Not Good Work Group • Want Authoritative Leadership • Simple or Structured Task • External Locus of Control • Strong Formal Authority • High Ability AchievementOriented • Good or Not Good Work Group As you can see from Figure 1, you can match up the needs of subordinate and environmental factors to determine the best leadership style to use. (Where subordinate and environmental combinations fall between these four groups, use an appropriate mix of styles.) As an example, imagine that you're in charge of a team in human resources. You've put together this special team to help reduce some of your core team's workload. Because this new group is from a different department, they're not very knowledgeable about HR processes and practices, and they're not confident in their ability to achieve their goal (pointing towards an external locus of control). They need clear instructions, they have low ability for the task, and their work is fairly simple. However, everyone in the team has a good relationship, so they are capable of supporting one another in their work. Using Path-Goal Theory, you determine that most people in your new team need a directive leadership style. Or, imagine that you're a manager in IT. The marketing department needs a simple program to help them keep track of client requests. Your expert team is more than capable of completing this project, so they need to be set challenging goals. Also, you have clear authority over them and high confidence in their abilities. So the best leadership style to use in this instance is the Achievement-Oriented style. (In this this case, it doesn't matter that the team is not a good work group.) Note 1: Remember to treat people in your team as individuals – different people may need different styles of leadership. Be flexible in your approach. Note 2: The main problem with Path-Goal Theory is that it can be difficult to assess situational factors. If you don't assess these accurately, you may choose the wrong leadership style. Key Points Path-Goal Theory helps leaders determine an appropriate leadership style, depending on the situation and the people they're leading. It's based on four leadership styles: supportive, directive, participative, and achievement-oriented. Consider your team and your current situation, then use the model to determine the best approach. This will help your team be more productive and motivated about their work. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Rachel wrote Hi All When identifying the best leadership style to use, we have to consider several different factors, and it's easy choose the wrong approach. One theory that help us avoid this is Path-Goal Theory - find out how to use it in this week's Featured Favorite tool. http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/path-goaltheory.php Best wishes Rachel May 15, 2012 Dianna wrote That's a fantastic development Zuni! Myers Briggs and other profile type tests are great for starting conversations and better appreciating our differences. If she is willing to engage your team in these discussions then I think you'll have great results. Keep looking for opportunities like this to team build and share perspectives. Let us know how things go. Dianna November 9, 2010 zuni wrote Hi Dianna, Thank you for the excellent suggestions. We definitely haven't given up on her or the situation. Our team is not one that will sit back and stew. We have already taken steps to turn the situation around. A recent team activity has provided us with an opportunity to provide her with feedback in a way that will not be threatening to her. The team recently had our Myers Briggs profiles completed. Our manager is a very strong "J" and admits to being a perfectionist. By leveraging the characteristics of a her profile, we have been able to discuss the impact her high 'J" tendencies has on her leadership style. Zuni November 8, 2010 Dianna wrote Hi Zuni - interesting example. It is so easy to become entrenched in one leadership style and not see that it isn't as appropriate in certain situations. The question here is, how do you cope with a manager who uses a directive style? You say feedback has been ignored thusfar, I'm wondering if could approach her again and provide a solution or two like suggesting a way for her to stay informed of what is happening without feeling the need to dictate to you. Maybe there is something you and your colleagues could do to "prove" you don't need to be directed so much as you need to be led. Can you offer to spearhead a project or produce some deliverable with little input from her? I think it's worth trying to make the relationship work. Over time she might change and in the meantime at least you can feel like you are doing "something" rather than just sitting back and getting more and more frustrated. What do you think? Dianna November 8, 2010 zuni wrote Hi all, Path-goal theory is a logical approach to leading others. As a former team lead myself and observing others who lead, I often find that leaders become so caught up in achieving objectives and expediting work that they do not pause to reflect on the needs of individual team members or analyze the context. Or, they have become comfortable in a specific style of leadership and do not adjust when the composition of their teams change. For example, my manager cut her teeth as a team lead by leading junior managers. Now she leads a group of senior professionals and she still leads with a directive style. It should come as no surprise that, several of the team are disgruntled and grow tired of being told what to do. Despite feedback her style has not changed. Zuni November 7, 2010 Yolande wrote The Path-Goal theory is a very logical approach for leaders to get the best from the people around them. If you are willing to help people get what they want and what they are striving for, the team is the winner in the end! Kind regards Yolandé November 4, 2010 Return to top of the page Six Emotional Leadership Styles Choosing the Right Style for the Situation Imagine that you work with a positive, charismatic leader. She's excited about the future of the organization, and she shares this excitement with her team. She makes sure that people understand how their efforts contribute to this future, and this inclusion sparks loyalty and intense effort in the team. Find out how emotional leadership styles can affect your team's happiness. © iStockphoto/Kuklev Generally, morale and job satisfaction are high, because team members feel that they're making a difference. However, some people in her team don't respond well to this style of leadership. And when there's a crisis, she struggles to get some of them to focus on short-term objectives. She could be more effective by varying her approach to leadership, depending on the situation; and she could do this by using "six emotional leadership styles", each of which is useful in different circumstances. In this article, we'll look at these six emotional leadership styles. We'll explore each style, and we'll look at the situations where each is most useful. We'll also explore how you can develop the skills needed to use each style effectively. The Six Emotional Leadership Styles Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee described six distinct emotional leadership styles in their 2002 book, "Primal Leadership." Each of these styles has a different effect on people's emotions, and each has strengths and weaknesses in different situations. Four of these styles (Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, and Democratic) promote harmony and positive outcomes, while two styles (Commanding and Pacesetting) can create tension, and should only be used in specific situations. Goleman and his co-authors say that no one style should be used all of the time. Instead, the six styles should be used interchangeably, depending on the specific needs of the situation and the people that you're dealing with. Note: You'll be able to choose the best style to use if you know how to "read" others and the situation you're in. This is where it's useful to improve your listening skills , learn how to understand body language , and improve your emotional intelligence . We'll now examine each style in more detail. 1. The Visionary Leader People using the Visionary leadership style are inspiring, and they move people toward a common goal. Visionary leaders tell their teams where they're all going, but not how they're going to get there – they leave it up to team members to find their way to the common goal. Empathy is the most important aspect of Visionary leadership. When to Use It Visionary leadership is most effective when the organization needs a new vision or a dramatic new direction, such as during a corporate turnaround. However, it's less likely to be effective when you're working with a team more experienced than you are – here, democratic leadership is more likely to be effective. This leadership style can also be overbearing if you use it too often. How to Develop It To develop a Visionary style, focus on increasing your expertise, vision, self-confidence and empathy . Get excited about change, and let your team see your enthusiasm. You also need to convince others of your vision, so focus on improving your presentation skills . Example Imagine that, in order to reach some aggressive sales goals, you've decided to overhaul the way that your department connects with new clients. The techniques and processes you've developed are radically different from the ones that your people are used to. As you tell your team about the new process, you can't help but be excited. You believe that these changes will make a real difference to your results, and you want your people to succeed. Your team immediately picks up on your excitement and sincerity, and they get excited too. They know it's up to them to use the new system to make things happen, and they're willing to put in the extra work needed to learn new skills. 2. The Coaching Leader The Coaching leadership style connects people's personal goals with the organization's goals. A leader using this style is empathic and encouraging, and focuses on developing others for future success. This style centers on having in-depth conversations with employees that may have little to do with current work, instead focusing on longterm life goals and how these connect with the organization's mission. This style has a positive impact on your people, because it's motivating, and it establishes rapport and trust. When to Use It The Coaching style should be used whenever you have a team member who needs help building long-term skills, or if you feel that he or she is "adrift" in your organization and could benefit from a coaching or mentoring relationship. However, coaching can fail when it's used with an employee who is not making an effort, or who needs a lot of direction and feedback – here, pacesetting or commanding leadership may be more appropriate. How to Develop It To develop a Coaching style, learn how to engage in informal coaching and mentoring . It's also important to get to know the people on your team. When you know your people, you're better able to see when they need guidance or advice. Use Management by Walking Around to keep in touch with their needs. Example Jim, a new hire on your team, is having trouble fitting in to his new role. He's only been with the organization a month, but you can tell he's dissatisfied. Your organization requires "face time" at the office, and Jim misses the freedom of telecommuting, as he did at his old job. You also get the feeling that he'd like a position with more responsibility. You meet with Jim, and you help him see that being in the office five days a week does have distinct advantages over telecommuting. For instance, showing up every day allows him to bond with the team and network with colleagues who could turn into strategic allies in the future. You also encourage him to use your organization's immense training library, which he can visit in his lunch break to learn the skills he needs for a promotion. To inspire and motivate Jim, you assign him projects that will stretch his skills and knowledge base. Instead of being overwhelmed, he expresses excitement about the opportunity. After your talk, Jim takes your advice and starts making the most of his time in the office. He works on his projects with dedication, impressing both you and your boss. 3. The Affiliative Leader The Affiliative leadership style promotes harmony within the team. This style connects people together, encouraging inclusion and resolving conflict. To use this style, you must value the emotions of others, and put a high value on their emotional needs. When to Use It Use this style whenever there is team tension or conflict, when trust has been broken, or if the team needs to be motivated through a stressful time. How to Develop It Leaders who use the Affiliative style are highly focused on emotion. So, learn how to resolve conflict and how to be optimistic . Our article on managing emotion in your team will also help. Example After a difficult year, Sarah's boss has finally been asked to leave her department. Although she was proficient at her job, her management style was dictatorial. It didn't matter what she had to do or whose feelings she hurt – meeting department goals was her top priority. Sarah's been asked to take over her position, and, although she's excited about the opportunity, she's now in charge of a team that is emotionally battered and untrusting. Sarah decides to focus on her team's emotional needs before doing any work on department goals and future projects. Her first few meetings are just spent talking. She allows everyone to open up about how their old boss made them feel. Every person on the team is allowed time to vent. The group quickly realizes that although they went through their own tough times, they all experienced similar things. After two meetings, the atmosphere in the team is better and more open to new relationships. Because their emotional needs were met first, the group is now ready to focus on new projects and goals. 4. The Democratic Leader The Democratic leadership style focuses on collaboration. Leaders using this leadership style actively seek input from their teams, and they rely more on listening than directing. When to Use It This style is best used when you need to get your team on board with an idea, or build consensus. It's also effective when you need your team's input. The Democratic leadership style shouldn't be used with people who are inexperienced, lack competence, or aren't well informed about a situation. It's best to ask for input from team members who are motivated, knowledgeable and capable. How to Develop It To develop a Democratic leadership style, involve your team in problem solving and decision making, and teach them the skills they need to do this. You should learn active listening and facilitation skills. Example Your department has lost money over the past two quarters, and you're anxious to reverse this – you know that if you can't figure out how to make your department profitable soon, something radical (and unpleasant) will have to be done to stem the losses. You call a meeting with your team and explain the situation. You ask them if they have any ideas that could turn the department around. Then, you give them the floor: For the rest of the meeting, all you do is listen. Your team members talk through their options, and you reach a consensus on what to do next. 5. The Pacesetting Leader The Pacesetting leadership style focuses on performance and meeting goals. Leaders using this leadership style expect excellence from their teams, and often the leader will jump in him or herself to make sure that goals are met. The Pacesetting style doesn't coddle poor performers – everyone is held to a high standard. While this can be a successful style, it can have a negative effect on the team, leading to burnout, exhaustion and high staff turnover. When to Use It The Pacesetting leadership style is best used when you need to get high quality results from a motivated team, quickly. How to Develop It Because the Pacesetting style focuses on high performance, learn how to improve the quality of your team's work using techniques like Six Sigma and Kaizen . Train your people properly, and engage in high-performance coaching as possible. to help them become as effective You may also want to work on your motivation skills can get the best from your people. , so that you Example Although the holidays are coming up, your boss is pressuring you to improve your team's numbers by the end of the quarter, which is only a few weeks away. Your team is motivated, but they're also tired. They're not looking forward to a last minute push right before their break. You decide to move forward anyway. They can handle the pressure, and if they can meet their performance goals they'll be rewarded with a great end-of-year bonus. So you get them fired up one last time, asking everyone to work extra hours to ensure success. You also work extra hours yourself, and you help anyone who falls behind. 6. The Commanding Leader Commanding leaders use an autocratic approach to leadership. This style often depends on orders, the (often unspoken) threat of punishment, and tight control. People in modern, democratic countries are used to having a level of control over their lives and their work, and this approach deprives them of this. What's more, because this leadership style is so often misused, it can have a profoundly negative effect on a team. When to Use It The Commanding leadership style is best used in crisis situations, to jump start fast-paced change, and with problem employees. How to Develop It Be cautious when setting out to develop a Commanding leadership style. Remember, this style is very easily misused, and should only be used when necessary. To work effectively in these high-pressure situations, learn how to manage crises , think on your feet , and make good decisions under pressure . Example Vijay has just learned that his CEO is stepping down, as of today. As the Executive Vice President, he's naturally next in line for the position. But right now, the board is in turmoil. Everyone is trying to decide what to do before the financial markets open and shares plummet on the news. He tries to collaborate with some of his allies, but everyone has their own idea of what needs to happen. The team is arguing constantly, and Vijay realizes that nothing is going to get done unless someone takes charge. He starts issuing orders to those closest to him, almost without thinking. His tone is firm and authoritative, and there's no room for debate. Quickly, the room quiets down and he outlines what needs to happen within the next few hours. He ends up quieting the fears of everyone in the room, and things get done quickly. Having passed the crisis, he switches to a more democratic leadership style, respecting the experience and expertise of his executive team. Tip: Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee's Six Emotional Leadership Styles provide just one approach for thinking about leadership styles. You can find out about many other leadership styles and leadership style schemes in our leadership styles article. Key Points According to Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee, there are six emotional leadership styles – Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting, and Commanding. Each style has a different affect on the emotions of the people that you're leading. Each style works best in different situations, resonating differently with your team, and producing different results. Anyone can learn how to use these leadership styles. But it's important to remember that these styles are meant to be used interchangeably, depending on the needs of your team, and the situation. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly version Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... MJ08 wrote Thanks Dianna February 5, 2013 Dianna wrote Hi MJ, I'll pass this feedback along to our editorial team for consideration. They have lots of new things in the pipeline and there is capacity for updates and improvements as well. Now that you have posted to this thread you will be advised when other people comment on the article as well as when an update is made. Cheers! Dianna January 30, 2013 MJ08 wrote This is a great article. Is it available as a visual at all? e.g. as a table with the different styles of leadership with the summary of "When to Use it" and "How to develop it". Its good to read the detail of the article and then to have something visual as a reminder would be really helpful, thanks January 30, 2013 James wrote Hi Muyis Our pleasure - I'm very pleased that you've found the resources useful! James March 19, 2011 muyis wrote Hi,:D I find your emotional intelligence and Leadership resources absolutely valuable and must commend the author(s) for a wonderful job. I do on a personal note apply these to myself or to scenarios that presents itself in the resources i have come across as a new member. Welldone. Regards March 18, 2011 Dianna wrote Interesting situation. My personal approach would be to be as open and honest as possible about your reasons for keeping this person in loop. With the affiliative leadership style you can rely on open communication to keep emotions in check and encourage people to talk about what is bothering them instead of building resentments that can become huge obstacles as the project progresses. We'd love to hear how things turn out and what methods you decide to use. Keep us posted! Dianna March 15, 2011 go_nomad wrote Abolutely agreed, Yolanda - I'm using the information in this article to help me in my role as a Project Manager. Here's a "live" example, I need this right now for a (what should be small) issue that's occurring right now: agreement from project team on who should/should not be invited to project planning work sessions! I'd like to include someone who, while not needed in the [u:36w3vtha]immediate[/u:36w3vtha] planning at-hand, will be a "recipient" down the road. I want to include that person now to give them full understanding of what will be happening so when his piece comes to life, yadda yadda yadda. But I'm getting resistance. I have to handle this properly or team relations could be jeopardized... Wish me luck! Thanks. March 15, 2011 Yolande wrote Hi all What a great article! Having knowledge about the different emotional leadership styles, may help you make a conscious decision to move between them as the need arises. Not only is this helpful in the office situation, but also at home and even when managing personal relationships. There is a natural rhythm of ebb and flow in most things in life: times when things at the office seem to go smooth and times that call for harder measures; times when relationships are blooming and times when it's more difficult to keep peace and harmony; times when business and income flows well and leaner times. Each situation calls for a connected leader who knows how to handle the situation emotionally. It will be great to hear about experiences from some of our members. Kind regards Yolandé March 2, 2011 Return to top of the page The Agile Leader: Adaptability By Bruna Martinuzzi There is a well-known Chinese proverb that says that the wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher. Perhaps at no other time in recent history has adaptability been more important than it is now. Adaptability – the ability to change (or be changed) to fit new circumstances – is a crucial skill for leaders, and an important competency in emotional intelligence. Do you "fit" your circumstances? © iStockphoto/IJzendoorn A 2008 study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, entitled Growing Global Executive Talent, showed that the top three leadership qualities that will be important over the years ahead include: the ability to motivate staff (35 percent); the ability to work well across cultures (34 percent); and the ability to facilitate change (32 percent). The least important were technical expertise (11 percent) and "bringing in the numbers" (10 percent). As a leader, it is therefore crucial to make a concerted effort to understand people of different cultures, and cultural adaptability has become a leadership imperative. As an example, a leader I am currently working with has 22 different cultures represented in his team! An example of a leader who epitomizes this prized quality is Robert McDonald, chief operating officer of the Procter & Gamble Company, who has spent much of the past two decades in various overseas postings. In a recent interview, he said: "I did not expect to live outside the United States for 15 years; the world has changed, so I have had to change, too. When you look at my bio, foreign languages are not my best subjects. But, when you move out of your culture, you have to learn foreign languages." This willingness to get out of one’s comfort zone, and learn continuously as a way of adapting to changed surroundings, marks a key difference between successful and unsuccessful leaders. I have just finished reading "Everyday Survival: Why Smart People do Stupid Things" by Laurence Gonzales, a lecturer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. In the book, Gonzales talks about the dumb mistakes we make when we work from a mental script that does not match the requirements of real-world situations. He explains that one of the reasons this happens has to do with the way that the brain processes new information. It creates what he calls "behavioral scripts," or mental models that automate almost every action that we take. For example, growing up, we build a behavioral script for the physical motions required in tying our shoes. Through practice, this script is eventually entrenched and it ends up making the action so easy and automatic that we never give it another thought. Another example of a behavioral script that we learn is ducking when something is thrown at us. Behavioral scripts simplify our world, make us more efficient and help us move around faster and with less effort. They influence not only our actions but also what we perceive and believe. Gonzales says that "We tend not to notice things that are inconsistent with the models, and we tend not to try what the scripts tells us is bad or impossible." The efficiency of these scripts carry with them a downside: they can divert our attention from important information coming to us from our environment. In other words, the models or scripts push us to disregard the reality of a situation, and dismiss signals because the message we get from our scripts is that we already know about it. So we make decisions about a situation that, as Gonzales puts it "aren’t really decisions in the real sense of the word. They’re simply automated behaviors." Mental scripts may also result in stubbornly clinging to the notion that "this is how we have always done it", refusing to understand and accept the realities of a new situation. Gonzales quotes Henry Plotkin, a psychologist at University College in London, who states that we tend to "generalize into the future what worked in the past." So, whatever worked in the past, do it; whatever didn’t work, avoid it. This is, of course, the anti-thesis of the quality of being adaptable, of being flexible under the influence of rapidly changing external conditions. It can make us rigid, unresponsive to change, and unwilling to learn and adopt new ways, all of which can have an impact on our ability to survive and succeed in the long run. People who score high on the adaptability competency are able to deal more positively with change, and they are able to do what it takes to adapt their approach and shift their priorities. Here are a few tips for developing adaptability. • When you catch yourself shooting an idea down, take a moment to consider what mental scripts are influencing your behavior. Mental scripts are so automatic that you have to decide intentionally that you want to challenge them, if you want to improve your leadership. • Help your people distinguish between observation and inference, between fact and conjecture. Inference and conjecture can be influenced by mental scripts which don’t have a bearing on reality. Be the voice in the room that calls others’ attention to this possibility, and help everyone pause so that they can analyze inferences and conjectures that may or may not be valid. • Do you habitually insist on going "by the book"? Is this necessary for every issue? Might you enhance your team’s productivity if you paid more attention to the effect that this might have on the people involved? What would happen if you applied standard procedures more flexibly? • Consider that when we push the envelope, and when we intentionally put ourselves in situations that are outside our comfort zone, we grow. Are you trading on old knowledge? Do you need to update your skills? Are you relying too much on your title as the sign of authority? In today’s working environment, surrounded by highly intelligent and specialized knowledge workers, this no longer works. We need to adapt by continually evolving and reinventing ourselves. In "Rethinking the Future", Warren Bennis talks about the importance for leaders to recompose their leadership style and to continue to adapt: "It’s like snakes. What do snakes do? They molt, they shed their outside skins. But it’s not just that. It’s a matter of continuing to grow and transform, and it means that executives have to have extraordinary adaptability." This applies to every level in the organization: change or perish. • When we are in a position for a length of time, we may tend to become accustomed to the status quo and fail to challenge the process in order to continue to grow and improve. If you left tomorrow, what would your successor do to improve things? Consider making these changes yourself. • In today's environment of complex challenges and rapid change, the ability to solve problems becomes even more crucial. The Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI) measures the way people solve problems and make decisions. Adapters prefer a more adaptable, methodical and organized approach to problemsolving, and are more likely to seek a solution to a problem by working within current framework rather than developing a completely new one. Innovators, on the other hand, prefer a less orderly, more unconventional and ingenious approach to problem-solving and are likely to seek solutions by thinking outside the box. One looks to do things better, the other looks to do things differently. Consider that a team that is composed of extreme adapters or extreme innovators is less successful than a team that is balanced. If you want to know where your team is in this dimension, check out the KAI. • If you want a test to assess your level of adaptability, consider the StrengthsFinder or Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI). The latter tests adaptability on four scales: 1. Openness to new ideas. 2. Adaptation to situations. 3. Handling of unexpected demands. 4. Adapting or changing strategy. • To understand what changes you need to make to continue to be successful, read: What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldsmith. (We have published a Book Insight covering this great title.) Adaptability is not just a "nice to have competency." It is a competitive advantage for you, as a leader and for your organization. So, where does your company stand in terms of adaptability? What do you need to do to keep up with the pace of change, with the increasing complexity of today’s workplace? Long ago, Benjamin Franklin said: "Wide will wear, but narrow will tear." What can you do today to widen your perspective, to stretch the limits imposed, to extend the scope and meaning of what you do as a leader? Copyright © 2009-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Hi all I loved this article because it confronts the reader with a number of key issues regarding leadership and adaptability. I especially like the following: If you left tomorrow, what would your successor do to improve things? Consider making these changes yourself. I've seen so many people in leadership positions kicking against making such changes because they feel threatened; by going ahead and making these changes yourself you not only prove your adaptability, you also strengthen your self-worth by not allowing yourself to feel threatened by other people and their ideas. In stead you use it to your advantage (in a positive way) and to the advantage of the team. Kind regards Yolandé June 10, 2009 Midgie wrote This is an interesting article which highlights the need and benefits of being 'adaptable'. We are not being 'adaptable' when we are entrenched in our 'mental scrips' that all of have going on all the time. The key is taking the time to stop and question why were are responding or saying things in a certain way. The article concludes with some excellent strategies to help you become more adaptable. So, well worth considering and adopting! Midgie June 9, 2009 Return to top of the page The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid Balancing Task- and People-Oriented Leadership When your boss puts you in charge of organizing the company Christmas party, what do you do first? Do you develop a time line and start assigning tasks, or do you think about who would prefer to do what, and try to schedule around their needs? When the planning starts to fall © iStockphoto/LajosRepasi behind schedule, what is your first reaction? Do you chase everyone to get back on track, or do you ease off a bit, recognizing that everyone is busy just doing his/her job, let alone the extra tasks you’ve assigned? Your answers to these types of questions can reveal a great deal about your personal leadership style. Some leaders are very taskoriented; they simply want to get things done. Others are very people-oriented; they want people to be happy. And others are a combination of the two. If you prefer to lead by setting and enforcing tight schedules, you tend to be more production-oriented (or taskoriented). If you make people your priority and try to accommodate their needs, then you’re more people-oriented. Neither preference is right or wrong, just as no one type of leadership style is best for all situations. However, it's useful to understand what your natural leadership tendencies are, so that you can then begin working on developing skills that you may be missing. A popular framework for thinking about a leader’s ‘task versus person’ orientation was developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton in the early 1960s. Called the Managerial Grid, or Leadership Grid, it plots the degree of task-centeredness versus person-centeredness and identifies five combinations as distinct leadership styles. Understanding the Model The Managerial Grid is based on two behavioral dimensions: • Concern for People – This is the degree to which a leader considers the needs of team members, their interests, and areas of personal development when deciding how best to accomplish a task. • Concern for Production – This is the degree to which a leader emphasizes concrete objectives, organizational efficiency and high productivity when deciding how best to accomplish a task. Using the axis to plot leadership ‘concerns for production’ versus ‘concerns for people’, Blake and Mouton defined the following five leadership styles: Impoverished Leadership – Low Production/Low People This leader is mostly ineffective. He/she has neither a high regard for creating systems for getting the job done, nor for creating a work environment that is satisfying and motivating. The result is disorganization, dissatisfaction and disharmony. Country Club Leadership – High People/Low Production This style of leader is most concerned about the needs and feelings of members of his/her team. These people operate under the assumption that as long as team members are happy and secure then they will work hard. What tends to result is a work environment that is very relaxed and fun but where production suffers due to lack of direction and control. Produce or Perish Leadership – High Production/Low People Also known as Authoritarian or Compliance Leaders, people in this category believe that employees are simply a means to an end. Employee needs are always secondary to the need for efficient and productive workplaces. This type of leader is very autocratic, has strict work rules, policies, and procedures, and views punishment as the most effective means to motivate employees. (See also our article on Theory X/Theory Y .) Middle-of-the-Road Leadership – Medium Production/Medium People This style seems to be a balance of the two competing concerns, and it may at first appear to be an ideal compromise. Therein lies the problem, though: When you compromise, you necessarily give away a bit of each concern, so that neither production nor people needs are fully met. Leaders who use this style settle for average performance and often believe that this is the most anyone can expect. Team Leadership – High Production/High People According to the Blake Mouton model, this is the best managerial style. These leaders stress production needs and the needs of the people equally highly. The premise here is that employees understand the organizations purpose and are involved in determining production needs. When employees are committed to, and have a stake in the organization’s success, their needs and production needs coincide. This creates a team environment based on trust and respect, which leads to high satisfaction and motivation and, as a result, high production. (See also our article on Theory Y .) Applying the Blake Mouton Managerial Grid Being aware of the various approaches is the first step in understanding and improving how well you perform as a manager. It is important to understand how you currently operate, so that you can then identify ways of becoming effective in both areas. Step One: Identify your leadership style • Think of some recent situations where you were the leader. • For each of these situations, place yourself on the grid according to where you believe you fit. Step Two: Identify areas of improvement and develop your leadership skills • Look at your current leadership approach, and think about whether it suits the context. • Look at ways that you could improve. Are you settling for ‘middle of the road’ because it is easier than reaching for more? • Identify ways to get the skills you need to reach the Team Leadership position. These may include involving others in problem solving or improving how you communicate with them, if you feel you are too task-oriented. Or it may mean becoming clearer about scheduling or monitoring project progress if you tend to focus too much on people. • Continually monitor your performance and watch for situations where you slip back into bad old habits. Step Three: Put the Grid in Context It is important to recognize that the Team Leadership style isn’t always the most effective approach in every situation. While the benefits of democratic and participative management are widely accepted, there are times that call for more attention in one area than another. If your company is in the midst of a merger or some other significant change, it can be acceptable to place a higher emphasis on people than on production. Likewise, when faced with an economic hardship or physical risk, people concerns may be placed on the back burner, for the short-term at least, to achieve high productivity and efficiency. Note: Theories of leadership have moved on a certain amount since the Blake Mouton Grid was originally proposed. In particular, the context in which leadership occurs is now seen as an important driver of the leadership style used. And in many situations, the "Team Leader" as an ideal has moved to the ideal of the "Transformational Leader": Someone who, according to leadership researcher Bernard Bass: • Is a model of integrity and fairness. • Sets clear goals. • Has high expectations. • Encourages. • Provides support and recognition. • Stirs people's emotions. • Gets people to look beyond their self-interest. • Inspires people to reach for the improbable. So use Blake Mouton as a helpful model, but don't treat it as an "eternal truth". Key Points The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid is a practical and useful framework that helps you think about your leadership style. By plotting ‘concern for production’ against ‘concern for people’, the grid highlights how placing too much emphasis in one area at the expense of the other leads to low overall productivity. The model proposes that when both people and production concerns are high, employee engagement and productivity increases accordingly. This is often true, and it follows the ideas of Theories X and Y, and other participative management theories. While the grid does not entirely address the complexity of “Which leadership style is best?”, it certainly provides an excellent starting point for thinking about your own performance and improving your general leadership skills. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article Next Lead Now! Learning Stream article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Glad you enjoyed the learning stream smita shukla! They are really helpful for understanding a specific develop topic and they provide lots of resources to draw information from. And I love the confidence that comes through your post! Yes, you can be a great leader - you have so much to offer based on your experience alone. Add to that great people skills and you have a recipe for success. Keep us posted on your career and progress. We'd love to hear how the training helps you. Cheers! Dianna September 12, 2010 sshukla wrote I really enjoy learning Leadership Skills, it so true about leadership style best to suit every situation in our business industry, I never had managerial position, always behind the door, to I have learn I can become Team Leader, all quality and talent I have all these years 20 years experiences and expertise will help me to move my next career. Learning Class is really useful and informative to learn new skills, thank you every so much for suggest me to follow. smita shukla September 11, 2010 Rachel wrote Also see more members' comments at http://www.mindtools.com/ forums/viewtopic.php?t=193 November 5, 2006 James wrote Just a note to say how important this Blake Mouton Grid idea is. In my first managerial job, my approach was so far into the "Produce or Perish" quadrant it wasn't true. There was nothing malicious about this, it was just that I got the job by being very results-focused (as very many do) and I continued with this previously successful approach after the promotion... I hope that this article helps people in that position avoid a long and painful learning process! What have other people experienced in making this transition? October 27, 2006 Return to top of the page The Four Factor Theory of Leadership A Foundation of Good Leadership Leadership is getting players to believe in you. If you tell a teammate you're ready to play as tough as you're able to, you'd better go out there and do it. Players will see right through a phony. And they can tell when you're not giving it all you've got. – Larry Bird, Basketball player Learn about the four foundations of good leadership. If someone asked you to say what the basics of good leadership are, what would you tell them? © iStockphoto/Veni Perhaps you'd use phrases like "having integrity," "inspiring people," "leading from the front," and a whole range of other phrases besides. Good leadership involves many different attributes, but there are common factors that link many of them. In this article we'll look at the Four Factor Theory of Leadership, a classic model that defines four basic dimensions of effective leadership. We'll then think about how you can use these dimensions with your team. About the Theory Researchers David Bowers and Stanley Seashore developed the Four Factor Theory of Leadership in the mid-1960s, and published it in 1966. The pair reviewed the findings of several other leading researchers, who were exploring what it takes to be an effective leader. They noticed that there were four dimensions that consistently emerged in these studies. The four factors were: 1. Providing Personal Support – Helping people value themselves and their work, so that they can develop a sense of self-worth. 2. Encouraging Teamwork ("Interaction Facilitation") – Encouraging people to establish close, collaborative, successful working relationships with one another. 3. Focusing on Goals ("Goal Emphasis") – Inspiring people to feel enthusiastic about and committed to shared goals, and motivating them to want to perform well. 4. Helping People Work Effectively ("Work Facilitation") – Helping people meet goals by supporting them, and by providing resources, materials, or knowledge. Bowers and Seashore concluded that leaders need to do all of these things to lead their teams effectively. Applying the Theory Although the more recent idea of Transformational Leadership is often the best leadership approach to use in business leadership situations, it can be helpful to keep Bowers and Seashore's factors in mind as you work with your team. After all, it helps to know about a variety of different leadership styles , so that you can use the best approach for a given situation. So, how can you apply the four dimensions? Providing Personal Support With this dimension, leaders support members of their team on an emotional level by developing people's feelings of self-worth, and by helping them feel appreciated and valued. As a leader, this means showing your people that you value the work they do. Reward your team by saying "thank you" when people have done a job well, or have gone beyond the call of duty. (If you're working on a slim budget, don't think you have to reward your team's efforts with cash; there are plenty of ways to motivate your team without bonuses .) You can also support your people emotionally by building their selfconfidence , and by showing empathy . Remember, most people on your team just want to know that their work has value. Take time to recognize the work they do, and show your appreciation. Encouraging Teamwork ("Interaction Facilitation") Leaders work on this dimension when they encourage members of their team to establish close, collaborative relationships with oneanother. Teams are most effective when people trust one another and communicate well. As a leader, you need to help this trust and communication develop. Build the trust of your team by being honest with your people. Admit when you've made a mistake, and acknowledge that team members might know more than you do in certain areas. This willingness to be humble will go a long way in establishing trust. Your team looks to you for clues on how to act; if you display trust and communicate openly, people are likely to behave that way with each other as well. So "walk the walk" as an authentic leader , and be a good role model . Good communication is essential for successful teams. People who know how to express themselves clearly, even when they're talking about difficult situations, are more effective and successful than people whose communication tends to break down under pressure. So, coach your people on basic communication skills such as Active Listening , Assertiveness , and Conflict Resolution . You can also use the Johari Window to help them understand one-another better. Focusing on Goals ("Goal Emphasis") Leaders use this dimension when they communicate shared goals, and work to motivate people to achieve these. Start by practicing Management by Objectives , by helping people understand how their objectives align with those of the organization. When these are in sync, people will be happier and more productive. You also need to help your people to become enthusiastic about the organization's mission. Inspire them with business storytelling , and by helping them understand how the work they're doing contributes to the greater good. Then, make sure that your team has SMART goals in place. If your team is unsure of its goals, or if its goals are constantly changing, productivity and morale will fall. You can also communicate your team's goals effectively with a Team Charter . This further clarifies objectives, and explains what people can and can't do to achieve the team's mission. Helping People Work ("Work Facilitation") Leaders work on this dimension when they provide the tools and resources that people need to meet their work goals. It's your responsibility to keep your team safe and healthy, so start by making sure that they have a healthy workplace to work in. After all, people will struggle to focus and excel in an unhealthy or uncomfortable environment! Next, make sure that your team has all of the resources it needs to do its work effectively and meet its objectives. (Don't forget that resources also include assets such as time, knowledge, and help from other people.) And train and develop your people effectively; and make sure that people know their priorities, so that they can manage their time and resources properly. Tip: These four factors get you started with leadership, but you can develop your skills much further. If you want to build skills in all areas of leadership, take our How Good Are Your Leadership Skills? self-test, and find out where else you can improve. Key Points David Bowers and Stanley Seashore created the Four Factor Theory of Leadership in the mid-60s. The four dimensions are: 1. Providing support. 2. Encouraging teamwork. 3. Focusing on goals. 4. Helping people work effectively. You can use the four factors as a solid base when building your leadership skills. Bear in mind, however, that you'll need to learn much more than this if you want to be an effective leader. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience Return to top of the page The Green-Eyed Monster Keeping Envy Out of the Workplace A CEO to whom I reported, a few years ago, entered my office one day, slumped into the chair across from me and said, clearly bewildered: "I have done everything I can to make the staff happy – we pay good wages, we have a rich benefit plan, we allow people flexibility in their hours, and yet, still there is animosity and bickering. I don't understand what drives these people to behave the way they do." Envy – a powerful and disruptive emotion. © iStockphoto The answer was at once simple and complex. It had to do with employee emotions – and, in particular, one emotion: Envy. Emotions are a powerful instigator of behavior, and envy, the unmentionable emotion, is perhaps one of the most pervasive and powerful of all the disruptive emotions that affect our corporate environments. We are not used to talking about envy in polite society or in our workplaces. Yet it is there, woven within the fabric of our organizations and it affects employee moods, organizational morale and culture and, ultimately, it is one of the causes of employee disengagement and productivity loss. There are many reasons for envy to manifest itself in the daily theatre of the workplace: Competing for scarce resources or limited budgets, and vying for important assignments, are commonplace situations that can trigger predictable envy; Coveting attributes and qualities a colleague has that another might lack is another understandable possibility in the frailty of human nature; Losing a promotion to someone better qualified can also be a trigger for envy. Many of these situations are normal occurrences and cannot be avoided. They are a part of our workplace scenarios and many human resources practitioners have, at one time or other, witnessed a manifestation of these situations. But there is an overlooked trigger for envy that may very well be an insidious cause of much discontent and disruption in the workplace. It is the leader's unwitting behavior towards select people in the organization. Let's take one case in point: It is safe to say that many organizations have an individual who has a great deal of personal power that is often not associated with any position function or high level title – it comes from what is often referred to as "having the boss's ear". All employees, except perhaps the hapless newcomer, sense that anything that is said within earshot of that individual will automatically be relayed to the boss – worse still is the fear that it will be relayed with personal filtering and self-serving interpretations. This naturally causes others to envy the person's power and closeness to the boss and results in a climate of apprehension and distrust of the individual, and by extension, the leader. Another common scenario is associated with the hiring of new "top guns". Here is what happens: A leader joining an organization inherits a number of long-term employees. In due course, the leader hires additional employees who are often perceived to be more liked by the leader because they were hand-picked by him or her and are viewed as more in line with the leader's ethos and style. It's not uncommon to hear the leader himself privately refer to this as "assembling my own team". The existing employees are still well treated but there are subtle nuances in the leader's behavior towards the newcomers that signal that the newcomers are viewed as more valuable to the team: The leader is seen spending more time with them and is generally more complimentary and supportive of anything they do or say. In meetings, for example, he or she will more readily support ideas and suggestions by the newcomers, will represent them more favorably to upper management and give them more visibility in the company. While it is impossible for a leader to eradicate envy from the workplace, there is much a leader can do to create an environment that minimizes its occurrence. The scholar who has done the most research on the issue of envy in the workplace is Dr Robert P Vecchio. In "Managing Envy and Jealousy in the Workplace", one of many articles he has authored on the topic, Dr Vecchio talks about envy and jealousy as "commonplace in work settings in part because of the inherent competitiveness of organizational life". He recommends five initiatives to counteract these pervasive reactions: 1. Evaluating the emotional maturity of candidates at the time of hire. 2. Incorporating elements of team culture. 3. Implementing incentives that support cooperation. 4. Encouraging open communication. 5. Placing high performers [who often give rise to envy] in mentor roles. To this, one can add a note of advice to leaders regarding their personal behavior: As leaders, we are continuously being observed by employees who notice our every move and micro expressions – they know which employees are allowed in the inner circle from which they feel excluded. Leaders should pay particular attention that they don't innocently build these chosen few up while neglecting the others. As my CEO was made aware that afternoon when he dropped into my office, frequent public praise of only a select few, heightens employees' feelings of insecurity about their own performance and causes resentment which in turns affects productivity. A leader who becomes aware of this stress-related reaction that his or her behavior causes on employees will be better able to manage negative emotions, such as envy, in the workplace and create a more relaxed and happier work environment for everyone. In turn, this will help avoid the loss of productivity that accompanies the green-eyed monster. Copyright © 2007-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. All Rights Reserved.This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote What a great example kaliedoscope! One can never be too sure what someone else has and whether it is indeed worth having for yourself. It's so much more effective to use a personal yardstick to measure your successes and judge what makes you feel happy and fulfilled. It's not an easy lesson to practice. especially when there are people around who appear to 'have it all' or have something you think you want, but nothing worthwhile in life comes easy and battling envy is anything but easy! Thanks again for a great reminder! It's great to see you on the forums. I look forward to chatting more! Dianna January 30, 2012 kaliedoscope wrote Lulu; It happens to some extent any every aspect of life -- events around us are observed as unfair or unequal, by either another individual or group of individuals. Envy or lack of fairness is often hard to judge as it is all down to specific situations. And in my opinion the best a leader can do is try to limit the envious, trying to act in the most fair aspect. In you examples, why is the staff member allowed to work from home? You may not get the true answer because there is not a need to know. At my job we had a similar event, many were upset that they did not have laptops or ability to work from home. After two years we found out the employee working from home had been battling cancer. They worked from home on chemo days because of the exagerated illness. Of course after the fact and discovery that opened a whole new bag of worms. January 28, 2012 Fidget wrote What an interesting article! while I was reading, I actually checked up the dictionary difference between envy and jealousy, and although they are often used interchangeably, there is a subtle difference - envy is more admiration of what someone else has that you don't, while jealousy is the same thing but with an added layer os unhappiness or a feeling of unfairness that goes with it. Fiona December 10, 2007 lulu wrote Interesting topic. I have seen what I believe to be unfairness or inequality in the office, but is it also envy?? For example, we have had certain staff member's children, appear at work to do some filing or other tasks and get paid. This has not been offered to other people's children, nor made public that there is work to be done, so it has created as sense of inequality. What do we have to do, to be in 'that circle' of staff where your kids can earn pocket money. Another scenario - one staff member has been given a laptop to work out of the office and from home. This is essential also for the training team, but has not been met with the same level of enthusiasm (although we are making progress). I see it as inequality or unfairness when the training team are mobile all over the country (compared to this person who just works in the city). Is this envy or management just not treating staff equally?? Curious.... Lulu December 9, 2007 Return to top of the page The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory Choosing the Right Leadership Style for the Right People You've just finished training the newest member of your team. Now that he's ready to start working, you give him the data he needs to enter into the company's database, and you hurry off to a meeting. When you return later that afternoon, you find that he hasn't done anything. He didn't What type of leadership do your people need? know what to do, and he didn't © iStockphoto/oversnap have the confidence to ask for help. As a result, hours have been lost, and you have to rush to enter the data on time. Although you may want to blame the worker, the truth is that you're as much to blame as he is. How can you avoid situations like this? Management experts Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard argue that these things happen because leaders don't match their style of leadership to the maturity of the people they're leading. When style and maturity aren't matched, failure is the result. In this article, we'll review the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory, and we'll explain how it's used in different leadership situations. Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory was created by Dr Paul Hersey, a professor and author of "The Situational Leader," and Ken Blanchard, author of the best selling "One-Minute Manager," among others. The theory states that instead of using just one style, successful leaders should change their leadership styles based on the maturity of the people they're leading and the details of the task. Using this theory, leaders should be able to place more or less emphasis on the task, and more or less emphasis on the relationships with the people they're leading, depending on what's needed to get the job done successfully. Leadership Styles According to Hersey and Blanchard, there are four main leadership styles: • Telling (S1) – Leaders tell their people what to do and how to do it. • Selling (S2) – Leaders provide information and direction, but there's more communication with followers. Leaders "sell" their message to get people on board. • Participating (S3) – Leaders focus more on the relationship and less on direction. The leader works with the team, and shares decision-making responsibilities. • Delegating (S4) – Leaders pass most of the responsibility onto the follower or group. The leaders still monitor progress, but they're less involved in decisions. As you can see, styles S1 and S2 are focused on getting the task done. Styles S3 and S4 are more concerned with developing team members' abilities to work independently. Maturity Levels According to Hersey and Blanchard, knowing when to use each style is largely dependent on the maturity of the person or group you're leading. They break maturity down into four different levels: • M1 – People at this level of maturity are at the bottom level of the scale. They lack the knowledge, skills, or confidence to work on their own, and they often need to be pushed to take the task on. • M2 – at this level, followers might be willing to work on the task, but they still don't have the skills to complete it successfully. • M3 – Here, followers are ready and willing to help with the task. They have more skills than the M2 group, but they're still not confident in their abilities. • M4 – These followers are able to work on their own. They have high confidence and strong skills, and they're committed to the task. The Hersey-Blanchard model maps each leadership style to each maturity level, as shown below. Maturity Level Most Appropriate Leadership Style M1: Low maturity S1: Telling/directing M2: Medium maturity, limited skills S2: Selling/coaching M3: Medium maturity, higher skills but lacking confidence S3: Participating/supporting M4: High maturity S4: Delegating To use this model, reflect on the maturity of individuals within your team. The table above shows which leadership style Hersey and Blanchard recommend for people with that level of maturity. Leadership Style Examples 1. You're about to leave for an extended holiday, and your tasks will be handled by an experienced colleague. He's very familiar with your responsibilities, and he's excited to do the job. Instead of trusting his knowledge and skills to do the work, you spend hours creating a detailed list of tasks for which he'll be responsible, and give full instructions on how to do them. The result? Your work gets done, but you've damaged the relationship with your colleague by your lack of trust. He was an M4 in maturity, and yet you used an S1 leadership style instead of an S4, which would have been more appropriate. 2. You've just been put in charge of leading a new team. It's your first time working with these people. As far as you can tell, they have some of the necessary skills to reach the department's goals, but not all of them. The good news is that they're excited and willing to do the work. You estimate they're at an M3 maturity level, so you use the matching S3 leadership style. You coach them through the project's goals, pushing and teaching where necessary, but largely leaving them to make their own decisions. As a result, their relationship with you is strengthened, and the team is successful. At Mind Tools, we recognize the truth within this model, however we believe that a different leadership style, "transformational leadership", is often the most effective style of leadership in business. If you'd like to learn more about different styles, including transformational leadership, see our article on Leadership Styles . Key Points All teams, and all team members, aren't created equal. Hersey and Blanchard argue that leaders are more effective when they use a leadership style based on the individuals or groups they're leading. Start by identifying whom you're leading. Are your followers knowledgeable about the task? Are they willing and excited to do the work? Rate them on the M1 - M4 maturity scale, and then use the leadership style that's appropriate for that rating. Situational Leadership® is a registered trademark of the Center for Leadership Studies. Did you find this article helpful? Click to vote no No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... rashidm wrote Very simple and effective leadership style. Very interesting! January 30, 2010 Return to top of the page The Leadership Motivation Assessment How Motivated Are You To Lead? The first and most basic prerequisite for leadership is the desire to lead. After all, it takes hard work to become an effective leader; and if you are not prepared to put this work in, or if, deep down, you're not sure whether you want to lead or not, you'll struggle to lead people effectively. © iStockphoto/Andresr So, how much do you want to lead? This assessment helps you find the answer. How to Use the Tool To use this tool, show the extent to which you agree with each of these statements, on a scale running from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). For each question, click the button in the column that most applies. Click the 'Calculate My Total' button to add up your score and check your result using the scoring table underneath. 14 Statements to Answer 1. Strongly Disagree 1 I am energized when people count on me for ideas. 2 As a practice, I ask people challenging questions when we are working on projects together. 3 I take delight in complimenting people I work with when progress is made. 4 I find it easy to be the cheerleader for others, when times are good and when times are bad. 2. 3. 4. 5. Strongly Agree 14 Statements to Answer 1. Strongly Disagree 2. 3. 4. 5. Strongly Agree 5 Team accomplishment is more important to me than my own personal accomplishments. 6 People often take my ideas and run with them. 7 When involved in group projects, it is important to me to help the team stick together. 8 When involved in group projects, coaching others is an activity that I gravitate toward. 9 I find pleasure in recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of others. 10 When involved in group projects, my team members’ problems are my problems. 11 Resolving interpersonal conflict is an activity that I enjoy. 12 When involved in group projects, I frequently find myself to be an “idea generator.” 13 When involved in group projects, I am inclined to let my ideas be known. 14 I find pleasure in being a convincing person. Total = 0 Score Interpretation Score 14 – 27 Comment This implies a low motivation to lead. Score Comment 28 – 55 This implies some uncertainty over your motivation to lead. 56 – 70 This implies a strong motivation to lead. Source: This set of questions was constructed for this self-assessment and for illustrative purposes only. No prior validation work has been conducted that enables us to address the construct validity of this assessment. This self-assessment was patterned after that of A. J. DuBrin in Leadership: Research Findings, Practice and Skills (2nd edition) (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998). Pp. 10-11. Armed with the results from this self-test, your next step depends on your situation. If you have found that you're strongly motivated to lead, and you're already a leader - great! And if you're not already a leader, this is definitely an area you should investigate as you plan your career development. On the other hand, if your score indicates that you don't have a strong motivation to lead, and you're considering moving into this area, you may want to look at other career options before you make a decision. Our article on Finding Career Direction will help you identify the type of work that does motivate you. But if you're already a leader and you're just going through a low patch in the role, explore our leadership motivation tools , and see if you can regain your enthusiasm for the job! Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article More Self-tests View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Hi Serena I just did the quiz and it worked...did the calculation at the end. Won't you perhaps try again and let us know whether you were able to complete it? Kind regards Yolandé May 29, 2012 serena76 wrote Hi there, can you please let me know if the quiz is working as after filling the questionnaire I clicked on the calculation button but nothing happened...I would be really interested in assessing my leadership skills as I have just applied for a team leader position ans I really hope this is the right career choice for me right now... thanks serena May 28, 2012 James wrote Hi Ravend There are two main groups of test that we offer. As you quite rightly identify, with the first group of tests we're trying to help people explore a broad skill-set, identify where their strengths and weaknesses lie within it, and then direct them to resources that help them develop their skills appropriately. The second group is of tests that are more closely aligned with formal work psychology research, and the leadership motivation test is an example of one of these. By their nature, these tend to focus on one area rather than multiple areas, and you're right to point out that this one is quite short and elementary. (That's not a bad thing, incidentally! ) What this test does is help you work out for yourself how much of a "buzz" you get from leadership and management. This is really important, because the most fundamental thing that marks out an effective leader from an ineffective one is that the effective leader really, passionately, wants to lead. As Bree and Dianna say, if you don't get a buzz from leadership, then it really pays to reflect on whether you can build that passion within yourself, or whether, in fact, you should develop your career in a different way. For some, this can be a career-changing insight. Hope this helps! James June 22, 2010 Bree wrote Hi everyone, I just wanted to say that I really like these self-assessment quizzes as they usually give me insight, and often confirmation, into myself. I've done various psychometric tests before as well as quizzes (like the one here) and I would say the difference is for what purposes are you using them. For me, gaining more insight into myself is always interesting so these quizzes are perfect. However, if I was an employer looking to promote from within, I'd go for psychometric testing and profiling of employees. As Dianna said, There is an unwritten expectation that to move forward in one's career that means moving upward. yet often times the greatest of technicians do not make the greatest of managers/leaders. Therefore, knowing that in advance can save alot of problems in the long run! Using this type of quiz to do an initial assessment could be the first step in shortlisting people before doing more in-depth assessments. Keep up the good work Mind Tools with providing good information, resources and tools! I love the 'bite-sized' format of your resources which are easy to digest and use. And, if I'm really keen to delve deeper, I can also go investigate further elsewhere! Bree June 22, 2010 ravend wrote Dianna, The other resources along this stream do seem interesting and may prove quite fruitful in what gems they deliver. The comment from myself earlier was/are aimed however at your 'short quiz' format starting point, and realistically at the comments both James and yourself (as part of the Mind Tools Team) place on it. (It is tempting to make reference here of being over enthusiastic about your own product although I feel I might be too cynical in my 'old before my time' age) Certainly you / I would expect some measure of excitement or enthusiasm towards tools like this, but the follow up post to James's stressing the value of quiz really, IMHO, plays down on what the quiz is for - leading you towards more information on subject matters. Therein lies the rub that stressing the short quiz could divert people away from following the more mature material behind this (because of getting low scores). I'll avoid making a joke about the linking of space based propulsion systems to passion as I am sure there are a full range of puns that could come from doing so, and partially as I do view the rest to be worth a read by others and would hate to distract from what the text is leading towards. Ending nicely (having already been told today to play nice by a fellow colleague) , I hope the day brings excitement and a grin. June 22, 2010 Dianna wrote Hi ravend - I hope that you have found the further resources on leadership motivation, from the links at the bottom of the quiz. The self quizzes are designed to be illustrative and guide people to further resources to continue their self exploration. Check out the links at the article. By way of background, this particular quiz draws on A. J. DuBrin's, Leadership: Research Findings, Practice and Skills (2nd edition) (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998). You might also be interested in checking this out. As for the Mind Tools article, the article titled Leadership Motivation Tools ( http://mindtools.com/community/pages/ar ... LDR_02.php ) presents three specific tools that you might also find interesting and helpful. Thanks for your comments. I hope the rest of the tools you read are insightful and provide you the learning and development opportunities you seek. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll help you find the resources to meet your needs. Best wishes Dianna June 21, 2010 ravend wrote Oh please, come on - this is a fairly simple 10 question style quiz. It doesn't reflect any depth of questions towards Leadership motivation beyond asking rather bland questions. You might as well as 'Do you like the colour green?' As far as being an integral tool, how about something that looks more in depth behind motivations and causes towards what drives people towards 'effective and good Leadership'. June 21, 2010 Dianna wrote This is such an integral tool to use - not everyone truly wants the responsibility of being a leader. And there is nothing wrong with that. What's most important is finding the right type of work for you. There is an unwritten expectation that to move forward in one's career that means moving upward. I don't believe that is true at all. I've seen more than a few really fabulous people crash and burn because their skills and preferences just didn't fit with the demands of management. The coveted promotion is not always all it is cracked up to be. I think people are far better off to carve out the right type of work regardless of its position on the organizational chart. Dianna March 19, 2010 Return to top of the page The Leadership Pipeline Model Developing Your Organization's Future Leaders Imagine that several mid-level managers in your organization are planning to retire in the next few months, and, as a result, you're facing a serious staffing problem. Do you start searching outside your organization, or should you focus on finding people from within the company, so that you can quickly train them for these positions? Develop a "pipeline" of future leaders for your organization. © iStockphoto/ssuaphoto Many organizations spend a lot of time searching for good people for their leadership teams. It's often most efficient to promote from within, as internal people are "known quantities," and are already familiar with how the company works. However, many organizations don't have a process in place for "growing their own leaders," so they need to search for outside talent to bring in. In this article, we'll look at the Leadership Pipeline Model, a tool that helps you plan for internal leadership development. We'll then look at how you can apply this model to your organization. About the Model Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter, and James Noel developed the Leadership Pipeline Model, based on 30 years of consulting work with Fortune 500 companies. They published the model in their 2000 book, "The Leadership Pipeline," which they revised in 2011. The model helps organizations grow leaders internally at every level, from entry level team leaders to senior managers. It provides a framework that you can use to identify future leaders, assess their competence, plan their development, and measure results. Put simply, you can use the model to think about how you'll train your people to take the next step up the leadership ladder. According to the model's developers, leaders progress through six key transitions, or "passages," in order to succeed. These six leadership transitions are shown in Figure 1, below. Figure 1 – The Leadership Pipeline Model Each leadership stage needs different skill-sets and values, and, at each transition, leaders have to develop these in order to lead successfully. According to the model, senior leaders in the organization should mentor more junior managers through each leadership transition, to ensure that they're using the appropriate skills for their current level. Staying "stuck" without the right skills, even if the manager progresses upward, can cause leaders to stagnate, become ineffective, and, ultimately, fail. Uses of the Model There are several benefits of using the Leadership Pipeline Model. First, promoting leaders from within is better than searching for outside talent. These outside leadership stars often flit from one organization to the next, looking for the best opportunities, and leaving the organizations they have finished with to fill the gaps. The model's "pipeline" ensures that organizations have a steady stream of internal candidates qualified for open leadership roles. The Leadership Pipeline encourages leaders to develop new skills and mind-sets for leading at the next level, rather than reverting to those used at the previous level, and this increases their flexibility and effectiveness. If an organization's culture focuses on developing existing employees, this can raise the morale of the entire workforce. When people see opportunities to advance, staff turnover goes down and productivity and engagement go up. Furthermore, the investment in development pays off, because professionals stay with the organization longer. As well as being useful for organizations that want to develop the next generation of leaders internally, this model is also helpful for planning your own career trajectory. Because you can identify the skills and approaches that you'll need for each transition, you can start to prepare yourself for your next promotion. Applying the Model Let's look at the six transitions in the Leadership Pipeline Model, and discuss how you can prepare people to make these transitions successfully. 1. From Managing Self to Managing Others When someone is transitioning from working independently to managing others, a significant change in attitude and skill set must take place. The new leader is now responsible for getting work done through others – a drastically different style of working. To manage others successfully, these leaders must share information, offer autonomy, be aware of people's needs, and provide direction. Navigating This Transition Organizations need to make sure that first-time managers understand what's required of them. New leaders need to focus on their communications skills, and communicate effectively with their teams. Partly, this involves communicating clearly in writing, but it can also be as simple as making time for subordinates to discuss their concerns. They need to know how to plan short- and long-term goals, define work objectives, and manage conflicting priorities . New managers must also focus on their team members' needs. Coach new managers to practice Management by Wandering Around , which helps them stay in touch with their people. Encourage them to provide feedback , so that everyone on the team can improve. It's important for new managers to know how to delegate effectively . At this level they're responsible for other people, and, if they can't delegate, they'll be harried, overworked, and stressed. This will also harm your organization's ability to get work done quickly. Last, if you're coaching new managers through this transition, make sure that you monitor their progress to help them navigate the process successfully. Sit in on their interactions with direct reports, consider using 360° feedback to see how others view their abilities as a manager, and help them address any issues that arise. 2. From Managing Others to Managing Managers This transition often presents a dramatic jump in the number of hands-on professionals that the manager is responsible for, which means that a number of new skills and working values are needed. Navigating This Transition First, new managers at this level need to know how to hold level one managers accountable. This might include becoming a coach or mentor to help them develop, and providing appropriate training. Managers in level two are also responsible for training the managers in level one, so make sure that they're aware of available training resources, and ensure that they know how to develop effective training sessions . At level one, new managers might know how to get people to work together to accomplish a goal. But, at level two, managers must have the knowledge and skills needed to build an effective team . Finally, these managers need to know how to allocate resources to the people and teams below them. These resources could be money, technology, time, or support staff, and they need to know how to budget effectively . They must know how to identify teams or units that are wasting resources, as well as knowing where to apply additional resources to improve performance. 3. From Managing Managers to Functional Manager Functional managers often report to the business's general manager, and they are responsible for entire departments, such as manufacturing or IT. Making a transition to this level requires a great deal of maturity, and the ability to build connections with other departments. Navigating This Transition Functional managers must learn how to think strategically manage with the entire department, or function, in mind. and Leaders at this level must know how to think over the long-term, as they'll need to plan for the medium-term future. They must also understand the organization's long-term goals, so that their functional strategy aligns with these aims. Coach new functional managers to stay up-to-date on industry trends , so that they can take advantage of new advances: managers who are aware of technology and trends can adjust their strategy to better contribute to the organization's competitive advantage. Although all managers need to be good listeners, this skill is particularly important at functional manager level. Teach your functional managers how to use active listening skills. They also need to be skilled at reading body language , so that they can avoid misinterpretation and spot untruths. 4. From Functional Manager to Business Manager This transition may be the most challenging of the six leadership passages, because these professionals have to change the way that they think. When you're managing a business, complexity is high, the position is very visible, and many business managers receive little guidance from senior leaders. Business managers oversee all of the functions of a business, not just one, and this requires a shift in values and perception. Navigating This Transition New business managers have to adjust their thinking to focus on future growth in all areas of the organization. They need to understand each function of the organization and know how these functions interrelate. Without this understanding, business managers will likely only focus on one or two functions, which could damage the organization's growth. Encourage new business managers to get to know their functional managers well – for example, by talking with them and taking them on important trips; this will allow them to get to know the decision makers in each function and help them understand each function's value to the organization. This group needs to know about the organization's core business processes, and understand where the profit lies within these processes. Without this knowledge, business managers can make costly strategic mistakes. Last, and this isn't as trivial as it may seem, business managers need excellent time management skills. Managers who lack these skills won't spend enough time on key projects or with key people, so make sure that this group knows how to focus on important, not just urgent, tasks. 5. From Business Manager to Group Manager To be a successful group manager, another subtle shift in skills must take place. At this level, managers are responsible for individual businesses which are often dispersed around the world. They must have the ability to get these businesses working together to accomplish the broader organization's long-term goals and objectives. Navigating This Transition Group managers need the ability to value others' success, and they must be humble enough to help others succeed. They need to learn how to critique the business managers' strategy-formulation, and provide effective feedback. Group managers should know how to create the right mix of investments in their businesses to help the organization succeed. Resource allocation, market prediction and segmentation, and global business etiquette are all important skills here. They also need to stay on top of all of their businesses to ensure that they're obeying the law, sticking to corporate policy, acting in a way that's consistent with corporate strategy, enhancing the global brand, and making a robust profit. The businesses in their group that show the most promise in all these areas are the ones that will be fully funded. So, group managers must know how to maintain good relationships with businesses, even if they aren't getting the funding they want. They also need analytical skills in order to balance what's good for their businesses, versus what's good for the organization. 6. From Group Manager to Enterprise Manager The enterprise manager, or CEO, is on the final rung of the career ladder for managers. This is the most visible position in the company; after all, if the CEO fails, it influences how people perceive the organization. Navigating This Transition Future CEOs need to understand that once they ascend to this level, they're responsible for a number of different stakeholder groups and organizations, such as the board, financial analysts, investors, partners, the workforce, direct reports, and local communities. Failing any of these groups means a loss of credibility. By the time that managers reach this stage, they should already have developed many of the leadership skills mentioned in this article. However, there are several ways in which they can develop further. Our article on Level 5 Leadership teaches good leaders how to become great leaders by developing humility. Often, CEOs, because of their number of responsibilities, have to make good decisions under an incredible amount of pressure. Make sure that potential leaders are familiar with a wide range of decisionmaking techniques, and know how to think on their feet . Last, risk taking is a given at this level, but future CEOs need the courage to take calculated risks, even when they face opposition from others. This requires character , integrity, decisiveness, and inner strength. Key Points Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter, and James Noel developed the Leadership Pipeline Model and published it in their book, "The Leadership Pipeline." The model highlights six progressions that managers can go through as they develop their careers. These progressions are from: 1. Managing self to managing others. 2. Managing others to managing managers. 3. Managing managers to functional manager. 4. Functional manager to business manager. 5. Business manager to group manager. 6. Group manager to enterprise manager. While organizations can use these progressions to help develop their people, individuals can also use them to grow personally, increasing their knowledge and skills so that they're ready for their next promotion. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... MichaelP wrote This model is very helpful for any business as it indicates the relevant relationships needed at both the different levels in and organization as well as its different stages of growth/size. Managing self to managing others. Managing others to managing managers. Managing managers to functional manager. Functional manager to business manager. Business manager to group manager. Group manager to enterprise manager. My view is level1 1 is for size 0-10, level 2-6 for size 50-500, level 7 1000+ September 23, 2012 zuni wrote I use this model in my company. What I particularly like about this version (this is the original version and there have been several others released since then), is that it is relativity simple to map your company's structure to the model. Using the leadership pipeline levels I have created customized workbooks for use in leadership development. I mapped our challenges and competencies to the model at each stage and I integrated Watkin's 30-60-90 onboarding concept into the workbook to create a comprehensive transition guide for new leaders at each level. The combination of the leadership stage and 30-60-90 onboarding action plan has worked very well for us. Zuni September 23, 2012 Return to top of the page The Power of Trust: A Steel Cable By Bruna Martinuzzi There's a widely-known psychological study, conducted by Walter Mischel in the 1960s, which explored delayed gratification in four-year olds. One at a time, children were seated in front of a marshmallow and the researcher told them that they could eat the marshmallow right then, but if they waited for the researcher to return from a brief errand, they would receive a second marshmallow. A strong tie. © iStockphoto/Skyak Some kids ate the marshmallow within seconds, but others waited up to 20 minutes for the researcher to return. 14 years later, the researchers found that the children who had delayed gratification were more trustworthy, more dependable, more self-reliant and more confident than the children who had not controlled their impulses. When I recounted this study in a workshop on emotional intelligence, a participant remarked that he wanted to try this experiment with his own child. I cautioned him, however, that there is a very important variable to take into account and that is, does the child trust that there will be a second marshmallow? If previous promises made to the child were broken, the child may not trust that, this time, the adult will keep a promise. Trust is largely an emotional act, based on an anticipation of reliance. It is fragile, and like an egg shell, one slip can shatter it. Trust pervades nearly every aspect of our daily lives. It is fundamentally important in the healthy functioning of all of our relationships with others. It is even tied to our wealth: in a Scientific American article, Dr. Paul J Zak, a neuroeconomist at Claremont Graduate University, discovered that trust is among the strongest known predictors of a country's wealth – nations with low levels tend to be poor. According to Dr. Zak, societies with low levels of trust are poor because the inhabitants undertake too few of the long-term investments that create jobs and raise incomes. Such investments depend on people trusting others to fulfill their contractual obligations. In seeking to understand what was physically going on in the human brain that instilled trust, he discovered that oxytocin, a hormone and neurotransmitter, increases our propensity to trust others in the absence of threatening signals. We are indeed wired to trust each other, but, as Dr. Zak points out, our life experiences may "retune" the oxytocin to a different "set point", and thus to different levels of trust throughout the course of life. When we are brought up in a safe, nurturing and caring environment, our brains release more oxytocin when someone trusts us – resulting in our reciprocating that trust. By contrast, early experiences of stress, uncertainty and isolation interfere with the development of a trusting disposition and decrease oxytocin levels. In today's uncertain climate, it is not surprising that study after study shows a decline in the trust that individuals have in business and political leaders, and in institutions. The Edelman Trust Barometer for 2009 found that nearly two out of every three adults surveyed in 20 countries trust corporations less now than they did a year ago. And a 2004 study by Towers Perrin, shows that only 44% of junior employees (those earning less than $50,000 per year) trust their employers to tell them the truth. This is an alarming statistic, especially given how much time, effort and concern are expended in crafting leadership communications to employees. Even though we are faced with a crisis in trust, and have ample examples of leaders who have eroded their employees', customers' and shareholders' trust, I am a firm believer that the majority of leaders walk the path of trustworthiness. In fact, it can be harrowing for many leaders if they receive feedback that others don't find them trustworthy. But being trustworthy, in someone's eyes, is based on their own perceptions, and may be strongly influenced by the fracture of trust in the world around them. Indeed, people don't automatically trust leaders these days. Trust needs to be earned through diligence, fidelity and applied effort. If lack of trust is an issue which causes you concern, what can you do to manage perceptions of trust? Here are a few quick tips: • Monitor your use of "I" in your communications. Do an audit of your emails, for example, and see how frequently you use "I" as opposed to "we". Peter Drucker said: "The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say 'I.' And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say 'I.' They don't think 'I.' They think 'we‘; they think 'team.' They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we‘ gets the credit. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done." • View promises you make as an unpaid debt. • Keep talking about what matters. 60% of respondents in the Edelman Barometer of Trust said they need to hear a company message three to five times before they believe it. Lewis Carol knew this when he said: "What I tell you three times is true." • Your reputation is like a brand. Manage your brand, what you want to be known for, as diligently as Nike or Volvo manage theirs. Brand is trust. • Be known as a truth teller in your organization. A leader I coached recently mentioned to me that, before an impending merger, he was troubled by employees asking for information that he couldn't disclose at that time. What do you do in such a situation to preserve the trust you have with your people, while honoring the confidentiality of sensitive information? An honest compromise would be to share what you can (there is usually something we can share) and to add: "This is all I can share right now." This preserves trust, as your people know that you did not lie, and, they understand that even though you have more information, strategic imperatives prevent you from sharing it just then. • Earn the trust of your customers by insisting that everyone observes the "five pillars of trust": 1. Keep your promises. 2. Be willing to help. 3. Treat customers as individuals. 4. Make it easy for customers to do business with you. 5. Ensure that all physical aspects of your product or service give a favorable impression. (Source: Winning Customers, by 1000 Ventures.) • As much as this is hard to do, don't try to lead through email. Get out from beneath your desk periodically, and have "face time" with people. The more time you spend with people, the more the level of trust increases. If you are leading virtual teams, pick up the phone more often. • Do you manage your moods or do people experience you as agreeable one day and confrontational the next? Predictability engenders trust. • Are the corporate stories you tell consistent or do they vary depending on who you are speaking to? It's so easy to get caught up in the moment and exaggerate claims. Even though your intentions may be harmless, these little slips chip away at trust, because people don't judge us by our intentions. • Do you make people feel safe? Fear and trust are mutually exclusive. Most leaders would be shocked to find out that, in many cases, people fear them. As a leader, you have a lot of power: the power to hire, fire, promote and demote; the power to assign or withdraw choice assignments and perks; and the power to give or withhold recognition. Against the current backdrop of unemployment and a failing economy, people's fears can be magnified. An empathetic leader senses this and devotes effort and time to make people feel safe. Empathy involves understanding others' anxiety and making a genuine effort to reduce it. Organizations typically spend considerable energy and effort in team building initiatives, including workshops, retreats, and adventure type experiences. While all of these have their place, if organizations want to increase collaboration and enhance teamwork, they need to start with trust. It's the benchmark of healthy team relationships, it's a very simple process. It's all about individual behaviors. Do individuals behave in a trustworthy manner or not? There is only a pass or fail here. And what are these behaviors? We all instinctively know them, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves of what they are. Ask yourself: • Do I share information that I know is helpful to others, or do I withhold it? • Do I treat everyone with kindness and compassion? • Do I try to do good in my dealings with others? • Do I follow through on my commitments, even if it is at considerable personal expense? • Do I seize opportunities to encourage others? • Am I just as happy about others' achievements as I am of my own? • Do I consistently strive to deliver great work? • Is "candid" a quality people would readily attribute to me? Trust is power. It's the power to inspire and influence. It's the glue that bonds us to each other, that strengthens relationships and turns threads of connections into steel cables. Like four-year olds trusting that there will be a second marshmallow, can your people trust that your word is your bond? Leadership is difficult work. As George Washington said, "I can promise nothing but purity of intentions, and, in carrying these into effect, fidelity and diligence." Copyright © 2009-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.Based in British Columbia, Bruna is the President and Founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership and presentation skills training. Bruna is also the author of The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Click here to contact her. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Hi all I also found this an exceptional read - probably because trusting others was something that I had to learn and I found it extremely difficult to do when I was young. Viewing someone's trust as unpaid debt is such an interesting thought...but that is exactly what it is like. Just yesterday I was reading something about trust and the person said that if a someone really really trusts you, it is almost impossible to break that trust. It is a lot easier to break trust if you know they don't really trust you. Serious food for thought at the beginning of a new year... Kind regards Yolandé January 6, 2010 Midgie wrote Hi fireheart60, Sounds like you are involved in an exciting project about employee engagement, and yes indeed, trust plays a critical part! Teamwork, collaboration and communication are also critical! Glad you found some ideas which you can use. Also, have you seen our article on Re-Engaging Team Members http://mindtools.com/community/pages/ar ... TMM_83.php - as there might be a few ideas you could use as well. Good luck and let us know how you get on, or whether there is anything we can help you with. Midgie January 6, 2010 fireheart60 wrote I am in the midst of an employee engagement process at my company and one of our key areas of focus in about teamwork and collaboration. I am going to weave into some of the work we do within our Division the ideas within this article. We also have an area of clarity and communication where trust enters in heavily. Awesome article for both the personal and professional-January 5, 2010 Midgie wrote This is an interesting read - from a professional as well as personal perspective! Trust in indeed like a steel cable. Relationships can weather all kinds of difficulties, as long as there is trust there. Even when some of the fibers are frayed, the strength of that connection can still hold things together. However, once the cable has snapped, it takes alot of time, effort and energy to repair things! Midgie December 22, 2009 Return to top of the page The Seven Transformations of Leadership Developing Your Leadership Style Successful leaders know that they need to develop their leadership skills on an ongoing basis – this helps them handle increasingly challenging situations. However, many leaders stop learning at a particular skill level, meaning that their career progression falters. So, how can you avoid this, and, so, realize your full potential? Seven Transformations of Leadership. © iStockphoto/Devonyu Researchers David Rooke and William Torbert argue that there are seven stages that the most successful leaders go through, and that, by learning new skills, you can move from one stage to the next. In this article, we'll look at these seven leadership transformations, and we'll discuss how you can move through each stage. The Seven Transformations Rooke and Torbert published their Seven Transformations of Leadership in the April 2005 Harvard Business Review, following 25 years of survey-based consultancy. In their surveys, Rooke and Torbert asked executives to complete 36 sentences related to leadership. They then evaluated the responses from the survey, and, based on the results, they created seven categories that describe how leaders approach the world around them. Essentially, they defined a series of categories, or "action logics," that describe the ways that leaders think. Rooke and Torbert argued that each action logic has its benefits, but that some are more effective than others. Certain action logics are successful in a greater number of leadership situations, and this leads to higher overall performance. Leaders who can understand their current action logic can make changes to move towards one that's more effective. By transforming to a more effective action logic, they can improve their leadership abilities. The list below ranks Rooke and Torbert's seven types of action logic. The further you get down the list, the more sophisticated and effective your approach to leadership is likely to be. 1. Opportunist. 2. Diplomat. 3. Expert. 4. Achiever. 5. "Individualist." 6. Strategist. 7. Alchemist. From "Seven Transformations of Leadership" by David Rooke and William R. Torbert. Harvard Business Review, April 2005. Let's look at the categories in detail, and discover how you can evolve through them to develop your leadership capabilities. 1. Opportunist Opportunists focus on personal success rather than on the success of their team or organization. They take advantage of others, engineer situations for their own benefit, and manipulate their colleagues to get what they want. Being an opportunist leader is likely to damage your reputation and working relationships, although opportunism can sometimes be useful, for example, in sales situations. Opportunist leaders will need to transform to the next action logic quickly, otherwise they're likely to find that their success is limited. Moving On From Opportunism If you've adopted the opportunist action logic, then take steps to focus on other people's success, as well as your own. Do something daily to help another person on your team. Even a small act of kindness can begin to turn around your reputation, and show that you care. Also, start developing your emotional intelligence – this is a quality valued in leaders. Build good working relationships by appreciating your team's hard work, and remember that a sincere "thank you " can go a long way! 2. Diplomat Diplomats avoid conflict whenever possible. They want to belong to the group and please others, especially higher-ranking colleagues. They also seek to avoid upsetting other team members with feedback that could be seen as negative. As you might imagine, diplomats aren't good at implementing change, because of the inevitable conflicts this causes. The diplomat's strengths are in resolving conflicts and holding a team together, especially at lower levels of management. However, diplomats tend to be poor long-term leaders as they may be passive, or avoid making difficult or controversial decisions. Moving On From Being a Diplomat Conflict can be healthy and productive, as long as everyone involved is respectful and honest. You can use conflict positively by developing your conflict resolution skills , so that you can become more comfortable in situations where people hold differing views. Diplomats often have trouble standing up for themselves, because they're afraid of the conflict this might cause. If this describes you, work on developing your assertiveness . Your wants and needs are just as important as everyone else's, and taking a back seat just to achieve consensus can damage your self-worth and reputation. Communicate openly to let others know your thoughts and feelings, and learn to say "no" more often. Diplomats often find it difficult to give feedback. Try using roleplaying to prepare for these difficult conversations. Remember, the best feedback is usually constructive, even when critical. Feedback helps people learn and grow, so don't keep your thoughts to yourself. 3. Expert The majority of leaders are categorized as experts, and their expert power means that people tend to follow them willingly. Experts depend on their knowledge and skills to lead, and they often focus on logic and fact when making decisions. They're very efficient, and they work consistently to improve products, processes and skills in the workplace. Experts can add a lot of value to an organization because they value precision and quality. However, they sometimes don't make good leaders, because they can adopt a "my way or the highway" approach, and they resist collaboration. They can also tend to dismiss the opinions of others who aren't as knowledgeable. Moving On From Being an Expert If you're an expert, then you have plenty to offer, but you may need to work on your "soft skills." Seek out others' opinions before you make a decision. Even if you don't agree with an opinion, ask questions to find out what led to this way of thinking. This helps you develop empathy and emotional intelligence . Experts are often micromanagers . If you suspect that you micromanage others, learn how to delegate instead. This will free up some of your time to focus on strategic thinking, and it will raise your team's morale. 4. Achiever Achievers are goal-oriented. They set effective goals for their team and themselves. More importantly, they have a higher emotional intelligence than people with the three previous action logics. They have a greater understanding of people and conflict, and they have the sensitivity and intelligence to respond appropriately to different situations. This means that they can make great leaders, because they care about creating a positive team environment. The weakness of achievers is that they often find it hard to think innovatively. Many leaders plateau at this stage. Moving On From Being an Achiever It's easy to see the achiever action logic as the end-all of management. After all, you're successful, people respect your drive and commitment, and you have a productive team. However, think deeply about the goals that you're setting and why they're meaningful. This will help you improve future goals. Because you're so goal-focused, it's easy to get wrapped up in the details of achieving those goals, instead of stepping back to focus on strategic thinking and the big picture. You'll be a better leader if you can learn to solve problems creatively. The next time you work through a problem, use a creative problemsolving technique such as Hurson's Productive Thinking Model or The Simplex Process to generate some unique solutions. Use creative brainstorming techniques to get more out of these sessions. 5. "Individualist" "Individualists" understand that each individual has his or her own different world view, and that these influence the way that he or she behaves. As such, these leaders seek to understand how each individual views the world, and they adapt their approach according to this. Individualists reflect upon the differences between the goals that they are trying to achieve and the current ways that they, or their organization, are behaving. Where there's a difference, they seek to bring these into alignment. As such, they do their best make themselves and their organizations true to the values and mission that they say they stand for. Because of the individualist's insight into other people's world views, they are able to communicate well with others and build great working relationships. Despite being excellent performers, individualists can often disregard established processes – to the annoyance of their colleagues – if they don't see the reason for them. Moving On From Being an Individualist At this point, you've mastered the personal skills of working with others within your team or organizational unit. It's now time to look at the larger picture. This is where you need to learn how to work collaboratively with people inside and outside your organization to achieve your goals. A core part of this is developing an awareness of what other people want to achieve. Individualists are usually known for wanting to do their work their own way, no matter what rules are in place! To make this transition, find a mentor who will challenge your working style and assumptions. A good mentor can help you to continue accomplishing your goals in your own way, but step on fewer toes in the process. He or she can also be a useful guide on ethical matters. 6. Strategist Strategists have the gift of seeing organizational roadblocks as potential opportunities. They're good at managing conflict. They're also often highly ethical, and they seek to promote those ethics beyond the organization, in order to do good on a wider scale. This action logic is similar to that of the individualist, in that both are adept at communicating with people using other action logics. However, they differ in that strategists have the ability to build a shared vision with other leaders. This brings people together to achieve important goals, and, ultimately, leads to personal and organizational transformation. As a result, strategists are usually excellent at implementing change. Moving On From Strategist It takes a subtle shift to move from strategist to Rooke and Torbert's next stage – "the alchemist." As a strategist, you've mastered the communication skills needed for excellent leadership, and you excel at creating a shared vision across different groups. A great mentor can still help you learn and grow, perhaps by further developing your ethical and spiritual principles. You might also want to consider mutual or peer-to-peer mentoring – mentoring with a colleague or board member – to develop further. The most important area to work on is your ability to collaborate with others, especially with people who might think in a different way from you. The best leaders create teams and networks based on collaborative inquiry. To move on, you need to develop a network or group of allies who will challenge your way of thinking, and not just agree with you all of the time. Not only does this help you push boundaries, but it also means that you'll avoid groupthink . 7. Alchemist Alchemists are different from strategists because they have the strength and ability to reinvent themselves when they need to. Alchemists also excel at dealing with short-term projects and tasks, while keeping long-term goals in mind. They also have great rapport with people in their organization, whether this is the executive team or the ground-floor crew. This is because they always tell the truth, even when it might be hard to hear. They also use business storytelling to capture the imagination and emotions of the people they work with, and this creates a positive and engaged corporate culture. Alchemists tend to be extremely busy, yet they find the time to take care of all their responsibilities. This includes finding time to speak to people personally, and at all levels of the organization. Growing as an Alchemist By the time you get to this last stage, you've likely mastered both the art of getting things done and the art of managing your team. No matter how busy you get, make sure that you devote enough time to building good relationships. This is especially important with people lower in your organization's hierarchy. If you take the time to talk to these people and address their concerns, it shows that you care, and this develops loyalty. Note: For more on leadership development, see also our article on Level 5 Leadership . This has more tips and strategies that can help you expand your skills and become an effective leader. Key Points David Rooke and William Torbert published their Seven Transformations of Leadership model in the April 2005 "Harvard Business Review." According to Rooke and Torbert, the following seven "action logics" represent stages which leaders needs to evolve through in order to develop their leadership skills: 1. Opportunist. 2. Diplomat. 3. Expert. 4. Achiever. 5. "Individualist." 6. Strategist. 7. Alchemist. Many leaders progress to the expert or achiever stage, and then stop. However, the most effective leaders continue to push themselves until they reach the final two stages: strategist, and alchemist. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote Thanks for your reply Jo. And what an interesting concept you've developed by merging creative arts and leadership. There is great value in acting out, and believing in, a different way of being. We are what we believe we can be! Sounds like your work is very rewarding and allows you to give back by using your leadership talents to help others develop leadership qualities. That's a great gift you can give your students and colleagues. I so appreciate discussions like this! They allow us to open our eyes to different ideas and perspectives and think about how we can apply them in our own lives. Thanks!! Dianna February 22, 2013 brisbane_artist wrote Hi Dianna, I am thinking this through as I write .......... I am a Creative Arts educator. For many years I have worked in prisons and rehabs. My intention is to lead by example. And this is in the style of Kolbe ...patron saint of addicts and prisoners. The Corrective Services (Qld AU) Have published a charter that specifically requires that we must be the change we want to see in the prisoners. I also work in colleges such as TAFE and as a Uni lecturer. By "lead by example" I mean. If there is hard curriculum that needs to be developed, (such as a blended learning course, new digital text) I will develop it so that there is an exemplar to follow. I study Positive Psych and Empowerment and design courses that help students (and prisoner students) face their demons. So by lead by example I mean [list:3h9d0tvx]create examples put scaffolds and structures in place (negotiated) listen and remove blocks encourage reward review[/list:u:3h9d0tvx] But there does come a time when it is apparent that a student or another teacher can't face up to challenges without something more insistent. Usually they don't believe they can fulfil the request - I have to be the belief that they can achieve this task that seems impossible - for them - until they can believe in themselves. ... If everything stalls, I would move to conflict resolution. This might involve listening,clarifying and then negotiation of contract. It would require insistence of adherence to the contract, and description of milestones with consequences. (I could go on as you can imagine a million scenarios.) In rehabs and prisons you can't get rid of a problem, the same way you can sack and employee who won't comply. You may have the same student for years and years. Sometimes especially in rehabs and prisons behavioural problems spiral downwards, and everyone's safety can be jeopardised. So you can see that the leadership style would have to change, and the student might be very reactive. So in trying to answer your specific question.Do you find yourself switching leadership styles often or do you find you only pull out different styles when absolutely necessary? And what type of style do you typically pull out in these situations? All leadership of the kind set down by the charter requires that we model the behaviour we expect to see in the student. There has to be very strict boundaries. For example; never ever bribe a student and never ever let them bribe you. Never drop your guard because things are going well, because this might be setting an expectation of complicity, which could lead a student to think you might let them get away with things later on. I believe that their is a new style of leadership emerging, which will be called Creative Arts Leadership or Leadership through the Creative Arts. This is a style of leadership that uses the arts, such as drama and dance, to invite students to trial new behaviours in a make believe way. For example; a. a student might act as though they were confident b.the little role play can be filmed and then shown to the student to show them what they are capable of c. this allows them to see themselves differently and to dream differently with encouragement and support d. they can be refilmed in 6 months and success reinforced in the emotional memory So to answer your question 1. I wish to remain absolutely stable and respectful never changing in a basic attitude of love and support (if I do become angry apologise) 2. Never allow fuzzy boundaries to develop (let things slide / let myself or others get away with things) 3. Always explain what is happening if moving from freestyle, to contract to consequences 4. Help the student learn how to apologise, forgive and return to normal (by modelling if possible) 5. Help people who are around and witnessing this activity to process what they see so that they are learning too This is a very interesting question that you have asked Dianna because as I think it through - I realise that leadership through the creative arts is a responsive dynamic way of leading. It is like a core of bedrock stability in a dynamic environment that can be responsive, reflective and reflexive for everyone involved. I think there is a caution though - at base the idea is "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." So when working with people who have been very damaged by life, this can be a situation where the way they are used to being treated can be dreadful. But they think it is normal, as they know no different. If this is the case, they will treat people the same way as they have always been treated and think nothing of it. So when treated well, respected,trusted - Cognitive Dissonance may kick in to further complicate matters, and this complication is often called "change back behaviours". I see creative leadership as a kind of long term reflexion, where there is sufficient structure for both integral consistency and flexible response, which in turn allows, encourages and provides opportunities and support for experimentation with behaviours. (through drama, story writing, dance, visualisation) So to answer your question, I hope that [color=#FF0000:3h9d0tvx]over a period [color=#FF0000:3h9d0tvx]of time students and teachers I work with will be able to reliably predict how I would respond in and given scenario, and that they realise that with negotiation they may even be able to influence that response. Thanks, it has been worthwhile thinking this through, Jo February 21, 2013 Dianna wrote Hi Jo, I think you've very eloquently described the challenge and necessity of being a transformational leader. ...At this stage of this particular project things seem to have gone off course and I believe I now need to change my strategy.... Perfectly said and it helps people resolve that you are still leading, just in a way that they may not expect. The point you've brought up is very important and one that leaders do need to take into consideration. And I guess it comes down to respecting and genuinely caring for people because if you do, then you will communicate with them openly and honestly and let them know that you've had to change approaches out of necessity. Constant discussion and feedback are also key to this whole process and allowing yourself the freedom to lead the way you see best for the situation. Do you find yourself switching leadership styles often or do you find you only pull out different styles when absolutely necessary? And what type of style do you typically pull out in these situations? Dianna February 20, 2013 brisbane_artist wrote I have read many leadership books and spent some time here reading today. There is a tricky aspect of leadership that stands out for me. What I am realising after reading many of these articles is that leaders have the choice to be responsive by sometimes adapting between styles. Once having attained the Alchemy stage a leader has the ability to assess the situation and respond authentically. I would think that if a leader was going to suddenly change a style of relating and leading, he or she might have to preface many interactions with very clear and succinct explanation and expression of intent. eg.... "Jan, I value our working relationship and usually we meet eye to eye, and things run smoothly. However at this stage of this particular project things seem to have gone off course and I believe I now need to change my strategy and be very firm in the way I take the lead. Is that how you see the way things are?" Over the years I have watched leaders who suddenly become aggressive when things go wrong and the sudden change of tack can be very off putting. I think a leader needs to be predictable. People like to know where they stand. I have also watched others who remain in the one leadership style out of habit and stuckness, when clearly the situation calls for a different way of handling things. I see this happen a lot. As I peruse these articles [color=#FF0040:1z09g59k]as a set - I realise that I can feel validated about the way I try to change my own leadership style when the situation I find myself in changes. I have enjoyed reading through some of the articles in your leadership series thank you, Jo February 20, 2013 april123 wrote One thing that stands out to me, is that it is implied in this article that the leader always has to watch out for his ego standing in the way of his own growth. When being touted as the 'expert', is does stroke the ego because everybody asks the 'expert' how to do something and what his opinion is. The achiever's ego is boosted by reaching goals...becoming the best. Is it the best for team though? Or the best for himself? The individualist will probably get an ego boost because he thinks 'out of the box' (oh my...terrible cliche) and he comes up with new ideas all the time... If ego is in the way, growth can't take place or only limited growth will happen. April August 21, 2012 Return to top of the page The Talisman of Leadership: Authenticity By Bruna Martinuzzi I have come to realize that, for me at least, the quest for 'authenticity' is really a new spin on an age-old quest to find meaning and do the right thing. It's a journey not a destination; a process not an answer. – Hugh Mason Some time ago, I heard a Transparent communication is the hallmark of an young woman say, "I am authentic leader. enough." I was struck and © iStockphoto/Zemdega intrigued by the expression, and so I set out to research it. It originated with Carl Rogers, the psychotherapist, who was asked how he did what he did so successfully. His response was, "Before a session with a client, I let myself know that 'I am enough.' Not perfect – because perfect wouldn't be enough. But I am human, and there is nothing that this client can say or do or feel that I cannot feel in myself. I can be with them. I am enough." This echoes the serenity of mind, the calm spirit that characterizes a 'Mensch' – in other words, a person of integrity, a quality that is defined in the dictionary as 'a state of being complete or undivided.' Leaders such as these are the epitome of authenticity. They come from the standpoint of being enough, of seeing themselves as complete human beings, providing a unique contribution to the world by giving their own brand of wisdom, ingenuity, perceptiveness, fairness, and fierce loyalty to their organizations, and to those they lead. Authentic leaders are also promise-keepers. This applies to even the smallest of promises. Years ago, I met the CEO of a Fortune 500 organization. I noticed something about him. He carried with him a small, black notebook into which he noted down any promise he made. No matter how junior the person was to whom he spoke, he made the same effort to note down his promises to that person, so that he could follow through. We can rely on the word of such a person. Transparent communication is a by-product of authentic leaders' lucid thinking and uncompromising ethic. Such leaders say a great deal with a few words, and there is no communication gap between their internal vision of the world and its outward expression. There is directness in their language. This transparency in communication is the holy grail of leadership, especially today – with a reported four million blogs in the blogosphere – where a lack of transparency can be particularly detrimental to an organization. Conformity smoothes our day's journey at work. Blind conformity, however, has its downsides. It saps creativity, for one. It removes all sense of individuality. If you are a leader who demands conformity, I encourage you to think how this might erode your constituents' authenticity as they are pressured to conform. I once worked for a leader in a technology company, who adopted, as part of the company values, the notion of 'intelligent disobedience.' The concept comes from Seeing Eye dogs. While dogs must learn to obey the commands of the blind person, they must also know when they need to disobey commands that can put the owner in harm's way, such as when a car is approaching. Intelligent disobedience is not about being difficult and disobeying for disobedience sake. Rather, it is about being given the authority to use your judgment – for example, when a decision no longer applies, or when a rule interferes with the wellbeing of the customer. Much has been written about 'CEO disease' – a term that describes the isolation that surrounds a leader when constituents are reluctant to bring bad news or worst-case scenarios to them, for fear that such disclosure might trigger a shoot-the-messenger reaction. Establish a culture that values openness – a literal, not only figurative, open-door policy. Make it safe for staff to stick their neck out. Consider instituting 'Giraffe Awards' to encourage people to stick their necks out for the overall good of the company and its stakeholders. A fallout of working for, or being associated with, an inauthentic leader is that this person robs us of our own authenticity as we tread carefully around them. We focus on what keeps us safe in our jobs. In the process they don't get the best out of us – they get our labor, but not our full engagement – that X factor that divides high performance from minimum acceptable standards. We all know too well that high engagement is one of the keys to building a high-performance, sustainable organization in today's competitive environment. There are many ways to foster that engagement in organizations – one of them is to take a close look at the quality of the leader. Do people feel that the leader is who he or she says they are? Are people convinced that the leader has no hidden agenda, and that the person genuinely cares for them? All of these factors affect engagement and the bottom line. Lack of authenticity in a leader carries a hefty price tag. A test of our veracity as leaders is the annual or semi-annual performance reviews. More animosity and erosion of trust has been unnecessarily generated through the dreaded performance reviews than through any other HR process. Before you write the first word, sit back and see that person as a real human being. It is very difficult to capture the sum totality of an individual in a form. A few decades ago, a leader to whom I reported, and for whom I had great respect, reviewed my performance and wrote 'rarely, if ever late' as the rating for my attendance. When I pointed out that, in fact, I was never late, he said that he couldn't write that, as this might be perceived by head office as the 'halo effect' because 'no one is never late,' and that this would cast doubt on the veracity of all the other comments in the performance reviews. If you are unsure how to rate someone because you have not had a chance to observe them in a certain behavior, level with them, and ask their help in rating that particular aspect of their performance instead of guessing. Watch the level of trust soar with that individual. Leadership is difficult work, and it can be easy to stray from who we are at the core in order to satisfy business imperatives. Being totally authentic may present particular challenges in today's highly competitive environments where, for example, proprietary knowledge needs to be closely guarded, or where news of impending layoffs needs to be managed in order to avoid losing key staff. We can be unwittingly mired in politics. We sometimes find ourselves in situations where we need to look over our shoulders continuously to protect ourselves. We cannot always trust that others are genuine with us. Even when we strive to do our very best, others will sometimes betray us. Much happens in the course of our careers as we climb the achievement ladder. We can sometimes, slowly and imperceptibly, wander off from our authentic selves. Despite all of this, we need to make every effort to stay true to who we are. As Howard Thurman eloquently said, "Find the grain in your own wood." Here are what I call the 'leaves' of authenticity: 1. Living your values as a leader every day is an important key component of authentic leadership. However, you need to examine these values periodically to consider their validity in today's environment. Work-life balance, for example, is no longer a perk – it may be an essential requirement for attracting the best minds to your organization. 2. Are you in the habit of making hasty promises that you know from past experience you are unable to keep? Think back on what promises you made, to whom, and see if you can fulfill some of these. 3. There is a real freedom when we shed all affectation. Are there times in your life when you see yourself being forced to put on a show to make an impression on others? Resolve to stop that, once and for all. Watch yourself soar when you are unencumbered by the weight of pretense. Tell yourself, "I am enough" – and mean it. 4. Straight talk, self-confidence, and simplicity – these are the building blocks of substance; the triumph over image. Think about how you can make these a daily habit. 5. Are there areas in your life where you might lack consistency without intending to? For example, are you kind to some people, but not to others? Are you completely truthful in some circumstances, but not in others? What does this insight tell you? 6. Start collecting personal stories that you can use to illustrate important aspects of your leadership style, such as, what motivates you to lead; what your philosophy of leading is; and who you are as a person. Personal stories are the most effective form of storytelling for leaders. 7. Adversity reveals our true character. Consider your conduct when things go wrong. Remind yourself that, as a leader, you are continuously under a looking glass. People want to be inspired by you. 8. When you are given a script you didn't write for a presentation that you have to deliver, spend extra time to make the words your own. Purge your presentations of inadvertently inflated language, which often ends with others questioning your authenticity as a speaker. For example, replace the words 'eating establishments' with 'restaurants', 'learning environments' with 'schools' or 'universities', 'expeditious' with 'efficient.' Take inspiration from Winston Churchill, who said, "Speak in short, homely words of common usage." 9. Are you forced to live in disharmony between who you are and what you do? Have you turned a deaf ear to the whispers of your heart? Resolve today to take action to start the journey back to finding yourself, to reconnecting with your passions and values. If this is not possible for you because of restrictions in your current circumstance, think about small compromises that you can start making right now to be more in a state of harmony. 10. If you are an emergent leader, comfortable with seeking approval before making any decisions, develop a plan to start practicing self-reliance. Start with smaller-scale decisions, and progressively move on to more significant ones. Only when you free yourself from the need to have others' approval can you truly start to evolve into the authentic leader you were meant to be. Copyright © 2009-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote To me, a person is authentic if I know that they will never do something with hidden motives. Is that a tall order? Cheers Yolandé October 27, 2012 Midgie wrote Hi peteriddle, Welcome to the Club. The concept of 'authenticity' is fundamental, in my opinion, to not only leaders but to us all! Becoming 'real' and more aligned with who we truly are takes a certain level of courage to stand up to who we truly are. Reading articles like this one can remind us to stand up and be truly authentic if we've strayed a bit! How do you view authenticity? It might be interesting to start a discussion on how everyone defines it! Hope to see you around and if I can help you with anything, just let me know. Midgie October 15, 2012 peteriddle wrote Excellent article, I found my myself thinking that the idea of 'authenticity' in leadership; not a particularly new or challengning copncept, is particularly relevant in the current business environment. October 12, 2012 Bruna wrote That's great, Bree! Let's hope this posting starts a positive movement! Bruna March 19, 2009 Bree wrote Hi Bruna, Very interesting article and certainly makes me want to go out and buy your book ... I hope we'll see more of these 'summary articles' on this site! I particularly like the 'I am enough' concept ... one that I do not do consciously yet could benefit from. So, today, I'll start my day knowing, believing and trusting that 'I am enough'! Thanks! Bree March 19, 2009 Bruna wrote I am glad that the book has opened up another dimension for you. Being aware when we fail to think "I am enough" is a powerful introspection. Self-awareness creates self-management. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, H. March 19, 2009 wolf wrote Some more and very interesting food for thought, Bruna! I particularly like the "I am enough" way of thinking. I've spent a long time trying to fit into the skin I thought people around me wanted me to wear, which made me feel very uncomfortable. Last year, I slowly started to get back into my own skin, much thanks to coaching. I'm not there yet, but certainly hope that I too can say that I am enough soon (and mean it!)! Makes me very curious about the book you've written, by the way! Sounds like a good meal for the brain compared to the light snacks TV tends to serve... //H. March 18, 2009 Return to top of the page The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Leadership Continuum Balancing Control With Your Team's Need for Freedom Leaders use a variety of different approaches. Some are autocratic and prefer to tell their teams exactly what to do. Others use a much more participative style. Still others may use a style somewhere between these two extremes. These differences suggest a continuum of leadership behavior – with leaders being able to choose the style they use. Free to act, or closely controlled? © iStockphoto/catnap72 So, how do you choose the leadership style that's right for you? One popular approach to leadership, the "contingency" approach, argues that your choice should be based on the situation, and not on your personal preferences (here, "contingency" means that your approach is dependent on, or contingent upon, the situation). In 1958, contingency theorists Robert Tannenbaum and Warren Schmidt identified a continuum of seven distinct leadership styles, which they published in the Harvard Business Review. By understanding this continuum, you can see some of the options available to you, and these help you think about which leadership style is most appropriate in a given situation. Understanding the Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum shows where a manager's approach lies on a continuum, running from the manager exerting rigid authority at one extreme, through to the team having full freedom to act at the other. This is shown in Figure 1, below. The model highlights seven leadership styles that occur across the continuum: 1. Tells – The leader makes decisions and expects the team to follow; and the team has very little involvement in decisionmaking. This type of style is sometimes used early in a team's existence, before trust is established, or with very inexperienced team members. Continued use of this style can be very frustrating for team members and can break down trust, so leaders must be careful to use this style only when absolutely necessary. 2. Sells – The leader makes the decision, but provides a rationale. Team buy-in is important. Although the decision won't be changed, the team is allowed to ask questions and feel that its needs are being considered. 3. Suggests – The leader outlines the decision, includes a rationale, and asks if there are any questions. While the decision is already made, this style helps the team understand why, so team members don't feel so much that the decision is forced on them. According to Tannenbaum and Schmidt, because people have the opportunity to discuss the decision, they feel that they have participated in it, and they accept it more readily. This helps build trust, and it's a good strategy to use when you're trying to figure out what the team is capable of on its own. 4. Consults – The leader proposes a decision and then invites input and discussion to ensure that the decision is the right one. The team has the ability to influence the final outcome, and to make changes to the decision. By using this style, the leader acknowledges that the team has valuable insight into the problem. This shows that he or she trusts the team members and wants them to participate actively in problem solving and decision making. This leadership style can build cohesiveness, and provide much-needed motivation to a team. 5. Joins – The leader presents the problem and then asks the team for suggestions and options to consider. Through the discussion that follows, the team helps the leader decide. So, while the leader ultimately makes the decision, decision making is a very collaborative process, and the team feels valued and trusted. This style is often used when the team has specific knowledge and expertise that the leader needs to make the best decision. 6. Delegates – The leader outlines the problem; provides decision parameters; and allows the team to find solutions and make a final decision. The leader remains accountable for the outcome, and he or she controls risks by setting limits and defining criteria that the final decision must meet. To delegate this much authority, the leader needs to trust the team and ensure that it has the support and resources necessary to make a solid decision. 7. Abdicates – The leader asks the team to define the problem, develop options, and make a decision. The team is free to do what's necessary to solve a problem while still working under reasonable limits, given organizational needs and objectives. Although the level of freedom is very high, the leader is still accountable for the decision and therefore must make sure the team is ready for this level of responsibility and self-control. Note: Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory is another, popular contingency theory that uses similar style definitions. It proposes that there are four leadership styles to consider in every situation: Telling, Selling, Participating, and Delegating. You can learn more about it by clicking here . Using the Continuum The continuum's seven leadership styles broadly correspond to a team's level of development. As trust and competency grow within a team, so does the amount of freedom that team members want and that leaders can feel comfortable providing. Tannenbaum and Schmidt felt that there were three key elements to consider when deciding on the style that's most appropriate for a particular situation: 1. The team members – How independent and experienced are they? Do they have the necessary level of competence for the level of freedom you're considering? Do they understand the goals of the team and the organization sufficiently to make good decisions? 2. The situation – Do you have enough time to allow the team to become involved in the decision-making process? Does the team operate well enough together to make an effective decision in a reasonable amount of time? Does the team have the knowledge and experience necessary to make a good decision? Are the consequences of getting the decision wrong significant? And does the culture of the organization support team decisionmaking? 3. The leader – Do you believe in your team's ability to deliver? Are you willing and able to accept accountability for your team's decision? And are you able to delegate tasks and decisions effectively? In 1973, Tannenbaum and Schmidt published an update to their theory, in which they recommended that managers consider the interrelationships between the above three factors – along with factors outside the team and the organization. For example: • If a manager trusts team members to make decisions, and the manager considers any mistakes made to be "learning experiences," then the team members' ability to make good decisions will improve. • If an organization has a strong culture of respect for its people, then using a "tell" or "sell" style may be less acceptable than it would be in another organization, even with an inexperienced team. • Consumers may boycott a company where managers are excessively authoritarian toward their people. To find out more about leadership styles and leadership models, see our article on Leadership Styles . These include the Transformational Leadership approach, which is often the most effective leadership style in business situations. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Dianna wrote This is such a strong, visual tool that helps us understand the different types of leadership and when and why the different types are appropriate. It's not always "bad" to make a decision without consultation and it's not always "good" to use lots of participation to make a decision. There are other factors to consider. This continuum helps you to be an adaptive leader. Dianna May 4, 2010 Return to top of the page The Uncertainty Factor Last week, as I was rushing to select a birthday card for a friend before heading to a meeting, one card in particular caught my eye. It showed a sepia photograph of an old wharf leading to a peaceful lake. The wharf had clearly seen better days: some of its floor boards were broken and some were missing. Some of © iStockphoto/Hulldude30 the handrail posts were also gone. As I find beauty in things that are asymmetrical, I decided to purchase the card. But it wasn't until that evening when I sat down to address the card that I noticed the back of it. It said: "Rely on your dreams". I found the juxtaposition of the old unstable wharf with the implication of "reliability" an interesting dichotomy – a subtle message from the artist on the power of our dreams and aspirations in times of instability and uncertainty. As the late John Finley, English historian and mathematician tells us: "Maturity of mind is the capacity to endure uncertainty". This capacity to not get derailed or immobilized by the uncertainties and rapid, often chaotic changes we all face in our personal and professional lives, is a personal asset that is remarkable and rare amongst individuals. In a study conducted by The Centre for Creative Leadership, inability to handle change emerged as one of the primary causes for executive derailment (followed by inability to work well in a team and a deficit in interpersonal skills). Time and time again, I have seen highly competent and successful leaders, individuals with high IQ and strong knowledge in their area of expertise, get on the wrong path because they stubbornly refused to adapt to the changing demands of the moment. And it is often during times of uncertainty and chaotic change that our behavior speaks louder about who we really are as a person. Having been personally involved in numerous management changes, mergers and acquisitions, rapid growth periods, and drastic "right sizing" and downsizing, I have seen two types of individuals who surface in these unsettling and uncertain conditions: those who manifest their shadow, their dark side, and those who help themselves and others around them to ride out the storm. The latter inevitably shine brighter and emerge as leaders, rising above the crowd. As all project managers know, the uncertainty of major ventures or projects which go awry can have nefarious consequences that filter down to the rest of the organization, affecting everyone, from the mail clerk to the CEO – a careless acquisition, not paying attention to the rampant overhead of certain pet projects and not foreseeing changing trends, to name just a few. Developing competence in managing uncertainties is crucial. A short but insightful article published by MIT Sloan Management Review, entitled Managing Project Uncertainty: From Variation to Chaos, outlines four major types of uncertainties: • Variation: despite detailed and well conceived project plans, the project schedules and budgets end up at odds with actual costs and timescales. • Foreseen Uncertainty: the team isolates identifiable and predictable influences that may or may not occur. • Unforeseen Uncertainty: some major factors cannot be predicted. • Chaos: where even the basic structure of the project plan is uncertain. The authors state that companies that spend some time at the outset of a project to create an "uncertainty profile", that is, ascertain what kind of uncertainty is likely to dominate their project, will be better able to quickly adapt to it and choose the right management strategy. The article reveals numerous tools and techniques for managing each type of uncertainty such as using decision-tree techniques and sharing risk lists with all stakeholders. Along the same vein, an insightful article is The Quest for Resilience, Harvard Business Review (September 2003). In turbulent, uncertain times, the only sure advantage is the capacity for reinventing your business model before it's too late. Among the many wisdom nuggets in this article, what struck me is the notion that, as the leader, you need to "filter out the filterers", that is you need to find those individuals in the organization who are plugged tightly in to the future and understand well the implications for your company's business model – and allow these people to give voice to their opinions, without being censored by the watchdogs of the status quo who isolate you from potential distasteful news. As the author aptly puts it: "You should be wary of anyone who has a vested interest in your continued ignorance..." Corporate uncertainty is not going away. Successful individuals within those companies are those that are agile and can adapt. So what are some strategies that you can use to make yourself change-proof and to cope with organizational uncertainty and the personal upheaval that it causes? Here are some suggestions for leaders and constituents: 1. If you are in charge of leading others, watch for signs of a lethargic culture of complacency which can easily happen when times are good. Do your best to turn things around now so that you have a high performance culture instead. You will have done your team a favor. Some strategies to consider include reinforcing the strategic imperatives and priorities; engaging your constituents and making a true effort to know their strengths and work preferences; managing the talent in your organization well; communicating frequently and with heart. See Creating a High Performance Culture (Ivy Business Journal – March/April 2005). 2. As the leader, practice empathy by allowing individuals to express their doubts and misgivings without being defensive. People need an outlet. Make it safe for them to speak. 3. Draw up a plan to make yourself incredibly valuable to your organization. If the company is unable to allocate dollars for your training, raise your worth by personally investing in your own training. Find an area in your department or organization where there is a gap in skill, talent or knowledge and work to acquire what you need to fill that gap. Increasing your value to the company is a sound strategy even when there are no fears of impending change. It's just a smart thing to do. 4. Raise your visibility by volunteering to work on committees, give presentations, or start a worthwhile project that will attract positive attention by everyone. We often hear this but we don't do it because we are too busy already with our own jobs or lack the motivation. (A few years ago, a client in a technology company volunteered to create a one person "future research" committee. He spent some of his leisure time reading everything there was to read about future trends affecting his company's products and technology, and shared these insights with everyone in the company. This initiative created a buzz around him and insulated him from a restructuring phase that later occurred at his company.) 5. Be aware of your comportment during times of stressful company announcements. Do you walk out of the meeting immediately sharing your interpretations of all the possible negative aspects of the situation? Or do you give the company leaders the benefit of the doubt – adopting a positive wait and see approach? 6. No matter how unsettling the uncertainty is, don't abandon your commitment to your job – don't quit before you have quit. There is something detrimental to our psyche when we lose our sense of purpose and meaning in what we do and just coast along waiting for the sword of Damocles to fall. Do whatever it takes to recreate your commitment. It will be a source of strength and dignity. 7. Be aware that one of the key emotional intelligence competencies today is being able to manage change. At the first level this means having the ability to define the general need for change within the scope of your responsibility; the second level is to act in supporting the change; the third level is personally leading change and the fourth level, is championing change and being a change catalyst. Consider taking an emotional competence test to determine your level in this competency. With some effort, training and/or coaching and the right mindset, we can all be change savvy. 8. Above all, don't let uncertainty and job frustrations drain your energy away from the personal goals and aspirations that you had planned for yourself. Channel the precious mental energy that you would disperse in being frustrated or disappointed into becoming the best of who you are. This is not mere rhetoric. You just need to catch yourself in the act when you are giving in to feelings of dejection and discouragement and remind yourself that there are better things to do with your time. I ended up keeping the birthday card that was destined for my friend. It is on my desk as a beautiful reminder of the strength that comes from relying on our dreams, on our purpose, on our passion, no matter how uncertain our current situation may be. These are the things that energize us, inspire us, propel us forward – the things that put a fire in our belly just thinking about them. "What every man needs, regardless of his job or the kind of work he is doing, is a vision of what his place is and may be. He needs an objective and a purpose. He needs a feeling and a belief that he has some worthwhile thing to do. What this is no one can tell him. It must be his own creation." (Joseph M. Dodge, Sitterson Professor, Florida State University.) Joy and hope are an inside job. Abandon the tendency to think that what is now will continue into the future. Focus on what you want for your future, rather than on what you don't want. Something remarkable happens when we successfully make that shift. Copyright © 2006-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... ella wrote I thought that this was an excellent article. I LOVED the following passages the best: "What every man needs, regardless of his job or the kind of work he is doing, is a vision of what his place is and may be. He needs an objective and a purpose. He needs a feeling and a belief that he has some worthwhile thing to do. What this is no one can tell him. It must be his own creation." (Joseph M. Dodge, Sitterson Professor, Florida State University.) "Joy and hope are an inside job. Abandon the tendency to think that what is now will continue into the future. Focus on what you want for your future, rather than on what you don’t want. Something remarkable happens when we successfully make that shift." If you hold strong to remaining constant and do not bend with the wind, you are going to fail at some point. Change is inevitable and the more you embrace it, and learn about it, the more successful you will be. Sailors learned this from the beginning - they embraced the wind and earned how to control it to get where they wanted to be. We can do the same with our careers. To spend time worrying about what is or might be going to happen, is precious time lost. Just my thoughts................Ella December 1, 2006 Return to top of the page Transformational Leadership Becoming an Inspirational Leader Molly is someone everyone respects. Her team members are fiercely loyal, and they're highly successful – as individuals, and as a team. In contrast, other leaders in the organization report that their people seem disengaged. They experience high staff turnover, and their results are often disappointing. Transformational leaders inspire and support their people. © iStockphoto/aydinmutlu So, what does Molly do that other leaders don't? To begin with, she regularly reminds her team members of the purpose of their work. And she knows that she's a role model for her team, so she demonstrates integrity in all of her working relationships. Molly is a transformational leader. She sets high expectations, but "walks the walk" to demonstrate the standards that she expects. In this article, we'll explore what transformational leadership is, and we'll outline how you can become a transformational leader. What is Transformational Leadership? Leadership expert James McGregor Burns introduced the concept of transformational leadership in his 1978 book, "Leadership." He defined transformational leadership as a process where "leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation." Bernard M. Bass later developed the concept of transformational leadership further. According his 1985 book, "Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectations," this kind of leader: • Is a model of integrity and fairness. • Sets clear goals. • Has high expectations. • Encourages others. • Provides support and recognition. • Stirs the emotions of people. • Gets people to look beyond their self-interest. • Inspires people to reach for the improbable. More than 25 years after Bass' book, transformational leadership is often argued to be the most important ideas in business leadership. Note: See our article on leadership styles to explore other ways to lead, and to select the one that's right for your situation. How to Become a Transformational Leader In our How to Lead workbook, we distill Bass' ideas into a process that you can use to become a transformational leader. To do this, you need to: 1. Create an inspiring vision of the future. 2. Motivate people to buy into and deliver the vision. 3. Manage delivery of the vision. 4. Build ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with your people. Note: As you can see, our process doesn't map directly onto Bass' list. However, it does translate the traits that he set out into clear and actionable steps. Use these steps, along with the tools we outline below, to develop your transformational leadership skills. Step 1: Create an Inspiring Vision People need a compelling reason to follow your lead, and this is why you need to create and communicate an inspiring vision of the future. Your vision sets out your team or organization's purpose – why you all get up in the morning to do what you do. You develop this partly by understanding the values of the people you lead, partly by understanding the capabilities and resources of your organization, and partly by conducting an intelligent analysis of your environment, and selecting the best way forward within it. This is the subject of business unit strategy, and developing a coherent strategy takes a lot of hard work and careful thought. If you're developing a vision for your organization, use Mullins' Seven Domains Model to analyze your environment. Then, use tools such as Lafley and Martin's Five-Step Strategy Model to develop your strategy. This is usually then expressed in a business plan , and summarized in a mission statement . If you're developing a vision for your team, start with the company's mission and vision, and explore the ways in which your team can contribute directly to it. Step 2: Motivate People to Buy Into and Deliver the Vision Now, starting with your mission statement , you need to appeal to your people's values , and inspire them with where you're going to lead them, and why. Use business storytelling as part of your call to action: this will help people appreciate the positive impact of your vision on the people you're trying to help. (Hint: if the only person you're trying to help is yourself, you won't inspire anyone.) Then, talk about your vision often. Link it to people's goals and tasks to give it context, and help people see how they can contribute to it. Transformational leaders also know that nothing significant happens unless they encourage their people. So, make sure that you know about the different kinds of motivation , and use these to inspire your people to deliver their best. Step 3: Manage Delivery of the Vision A vision is no use on its own: it needs to become reality. However, many leaders make the mistake of developing a vision, but of not putting in the hard and often mundane work of delivering it. To manage the delivery of your vision, you'll need to combine effective project management with sensitive change management. This will help you deliver the changes you need with the full support of your people. Communicate each person's roles and responsibilities clearly, and connect these to your plans. Everyone should fully understand what they're responsible for, and know how you will measure their success. Next, set clear, SMART goals for everyone, including some shortterm goals that will help people achieve quick wins and stay motivated. Use management by objectives to link short-term achievement to your longer-term goals. You may need to build your self-discipline and stamina, so that you don't let yourself down. And, set a good example to your people – especially if they're affected by delays or difficulties – by being a model of hard work and persistence. Also, stay visible by practicing management by walking around This is an ideal technique for transformational leaders, because it helps you stay connected with daily activities, and allows you to answer questions as they arise. Tip: Clear communication is essential to transformational leadership. Take time to make sure that your communications are heard and understood, and give clear, regular feedback , so that your people know what you want. . Step 4: Build Ever-Stronger, Trust-Based Relationships With Your People As a transformational leader, you need to focus your attention on your people, and work hard to help them achieve their goals and dreams. Use Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model as your starting point. This tool outlines how important your people are to your success as a leader. It also underlines the fact that leadership is a long-term process, and that, as a leader, you need to work constantly to build relationships, earn trust, and help your people grow as individuals. Meet your people individually to understand their developmental needs , and help them to meet their career goals. What do they want to achieve in their role? Where do they see themselves five years from now? How can you help them reach this goal? You can build trust with your people by being open and honest in your interactions. Use the Johari Window to disclose safe personal information about yourself, and to get a better understanding of "what makes your people tick." Lastly, set aside time to coach your people. When you help them find their own solutions, you not only create a skilled team, but you also strengthen their self-confidence and their trust in you. Key Points Transformational leaders inspire great loyalty and trust in their followers. They have high expectations, and they inspire their people to reach their goals. You can become a transformational leader by following these steps: 1. Create an inspiring vision of the future. 2. Motivate people to buy into and deliver the vision. 3. Manage delivery of the vision. 4. Build ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with your people. Keep in mind that, to succeed as a transformational leader, you'll need to work on your own skills, and set aside time and space for personal development. Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience Return to top of the page What a Real Leader Knows Developing Fundamental Leadership Skills What distinguishes effective leaders from mediocre ones? Is it their ability to make good decisions, their charismatic persuasiveness, or the clarity of their vision? And do the best leaders have these qualities naturally, or were they acquired at college? The good news is that you can learn to be a leader, just as long as you take time to learn fundamental leadership skills. Decision making is a key leadership skill. © iStockphoto/kutaytanir However, your effectiveness depends on how you apply these skills. So, what do you have to learn if you want to be a better leader? And do you need to go business school to learn these things, or can you learn them on the job? J. Sterling Livingston, a professor at Harvard Business School, attempted to answer these questions by studying the connection between formal education and successful leadership. In 1971, he published "The Myth of the Well-Educated Manager" in the Harvard Business Review. One of Livingston's conclusions was that a formal business education, such as an MBA, was not a good predictor of long-term leadership success. This finding is much less surprising today than it was back in the early 1970s. However, his other main observation is as relevant today as it was back then – namely, that four key skills define successful leadership: 1. Good decision making. 2. Successful problem finding. 3. Effective opportunity finding. 4. Leadership style. By developing your skills in these fundamental areas, he argued that you can lead people, and inspire them to change. You can also be dynamic and effective in how you tackle the challenges you face every day. Let's look at these four skill areas in more detail. Decision Making Leaders need to be able to solve problems effectively and make good decisions. But decision making and problem solving skills are commonly taught – so, with all those problem solvers out there, why can good leaders be so hard to find? According to Livingston, the difference often lies in your approach to finding solutions. If you deal with a problem believing that you have to find the 'right answer', this can actually lead to failure. After all, you can analyze a problem forever, and still not be 100% sure that your solution is the best. The only way to assess your decision is by looking back, after the fact. Even then, there are sometimes too many variables to determine whether or not you definitely chose the right course of action. Effective leaders use practical and responsive approaches to decision making. They know that you can't wait to make a perfect decision: when you're in the middle of a situation, you have to be confident enough to do what needs to be done right now. This means you must quickly evaluate the situation, and take an action that has a high probability of success. The decisions that these leaders make under pressure may not be perfect, but they're consistent with the desired outcome. Good leaders also know that problem solving and decision making aren't entirely rational processes. We all have emotions, so completely objective decisions don't really exist. Successful leaders therefore use critical thinking – a technique that questions every step of their thinking processes – to manage the subjective side of decision making. Ultimately, what sets apart effective leaders is that they know HOW to decide. They know when to take the time to use analytical and thorough decision-making processes. They know when to engage the whole team, and when to make decisions on their own. This knowledge doesn't come from a book, but from practical experience. As a developing leader, look for opportunities to make decisions in a wide variety of situations, so that you can gain that experience. See the Mind Tools decision-making skills section to learn a wide range of specific decision-making techniques. Problem Finding Leaders don't simply solve problems that people bring to them – they look for problems that may be hidden. In other words, they often recognize potential issues before they become significant. The quicker you discover a problem, the more time you have to find a solution, and the easier it is to tackle the problem before it becomes serious. Skillful leaders are proactive, and they continuously ask questions. The 5 Whys problem-solving technique – a tool that helps you get to the root of a problem quickly – is something that good leaders often do instinctively when they first find a problem. Also, look for potential problems that may be caused by a proposed solution – before that solution is implemented. When they can, leaders use approaches like Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to spot these problems before they take action. Sometimes this happens intuitively and informally, but the objective is the same – to find problems before they develop into much larger, potentially damaging, issues. See our problem-solving skills section for a wide variety of tools that help you find problems – including Flow Charts , Swim Lane Diagrams , Systems Diagrams , and Appreciative Inquiry . Opportunity Finding When you solve problems, you make sure the organization can continue on its defined path toward its goals. When you find opportunities, however, you focus on redefining – and hopefully improving – the company's overall direction. As management expert Peter Drucker famously said, "The pertinent question is not how to do things right, but how to find the right things to do, and to concentrate resources and efforts on them." Successful leaders find opportunities and use them effectively. In practical terms, they understand leverage , and they constantly look for ways to achieve more with the same amount of effort. Simplex is a sophisticated tool for finding problems and opportunities – and for taking action. Our strategy tools section has many useful tools that help leaders assess strategic opportunities. Some of the most popular are PEST Analysis , SWOT Analysis , the Boston Matrix and Porter's Five Forces . Natural Leadership Style Finally, good leaders use effective styles of leadership . You may find all kinds of problems and opportunities, and you may make great decisions to move the organization forward – but if you can't inspire people to take action, there's little chance of success. Livingston argued that there's no single, correct leadership style that everyone can use in all situations. He said that strong leaders recognize this, and adapt their approach as necessary. But they always use authentic styles that fit naturally with their personalities. It's also important to be inspirational – to lead by your example , your words, and your vision. Good leaders motivate, inspire trust, have a clear vision, are trustworthy, and are committed both to their people and to making the organization better. A large part of being an effective leader is the willingness to accept responsibility and accountability . This strengthens the integrity and trustworthiness of your actions, decisions, and motives. By committing to an open and honest relationship with your superiors, peers, and staff, you can become a leader who motivates others to work with you to achieve a common goal. Note: At Mind Tools, we agree with some of these points, and we disagree with others. First of all, MBAs are useful as a way of learning skills in all of these areas, and many others, in a quick, condensed way. A good MBA will package all of the learning from many years' practical experience, plus business theory, into a one- or two-year course. Secondly, while there is no one leadership style that suits all business situations, the 'transformational leadership' style does suit very many of them. This is a style of leadership by which a leader creates an inspiring vision of the future, motivates his or her team to achieve that vision, manages implementation of the vision effectively, and coaches and develops his or her team so that individual team members are even more effective when the next team task comes up. Mind Tools Club members can learn how to become transformational leaders by downloading 'How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You,' the Mind Tools leadership course. This is free from the club download center. Key Points Leaders aren't created overnight: leadership is something that you need to work on every day. It's more than learning how to solve problems and make decisions – you must focus on making your organization better through everything you do. This means that you need to understand how and when to make a decision, recognize problems before they appear, constantly look for opportunities to improve, and be aware of your leadership style. When people believe in you, they'll likely trust your decisions and actions – and that's the mark of a true leader. Apply This to Your Life 1. Challenge yourself to learn and use one new decision-making tool each week. 2. Think about the last key decision you made. • Did you use critical thinking as part of your process? How did that impact the result? • Did you feel pressure to make the 'right' decision? If so, how did that affect the timeliness of your decision? 3. What problems can you see right now that your company should address? How can you help influence a solution – and will you do so? 4. What opportunities can you see right now that your organization should pursue? Start creating a plan to evaluate your idea. 5. Describe your natural leadership style. Think of a time when you acted as a leader, but you weren't true to who you are – and perhaps used a style that didn't naturally fit your personality. How did you feel, and how did it impact the effectiveness of your leadership? Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Hi Shannon I'm glad that you found some upliftment there...the support and help we all get from one another is but one of the things that makes these forums so great! Chat soon Yolandé January 27, 2011 careercpr wrote Thanks for your feedback Yolande! I'll check out the article you recommended. Tools to help me make decisions confidently and timely are very helpful for me. Your words have helped me own my 'leadership' position at work! When I find myself getting frustrated at work, I must remind myself of my commitment to show up as a leader. I've noticed that when I get frustrated, it drains my energy, making me less productive towards the pursuit of my business goals. Perhaps if I consciously transform my frustration into my passion for leadership, energy will flow my way and I will accomplish more because I'm acting in accordance with who I am - wow! I'm feeling pretty empowered right now. Joyfully, Shannon January 26, 2011 Yolande wrote Hi Shannon I really enjoyed reading your posting - your honesty about your own areas of growth is refreshing - and also half the battle won. If we don't know what to change...how do we change? I was wondering if you've seen our article titled "The VroomYetton-Jago Decision Making Model - Deciding how to decide"? It is something you may find interesting and the link is: http://www.mindtools.com/community/page ... TED_91.php You say that you aren't in a leadership position at work, but that doesn't make you less of a leader. Your whole attitude about problems, opportunities, using the DISC model etc. shouts out that you are a leader and that you aren't afraid of learning and using new skills. I really loved your differentiation between defining problems and opportunities! Sometimes just the example that we set makes us leaders because other people look up to us (and sometimes we don't even realize it!). Thanks for sharing with us - please keep on doing so, that is how we all help and learn from one another. Kind regards Yolandé January 25, 2011 careercpr wrote I thoroughly enjoyed this article. I appreciate the focus on the 4 key skills of a successful leader. I'll share my comments based on the 4 skills: [u:2avmwyof]Decision Making[/u:2avmwyof] I find that I sometimes wait to make the 'perfect' decision. As a result, I don't always take swift action and then I get frustrated that I'm not achieving my career / business goals. For example, I have found myself not making a decision on who my target market is in my business. I also see how I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that I don't "know enough" in order to make certain decisions. This indecision costs me time, money and selfesteem. I have gotten better over the past few months. For example, I wanted to send a survey to my women's group, so I decided to write the questions and send it out to the group. I let go of trying to write the 'perfect' questions and simply wrote from my heart. The article makes me realize that I must be confident enough to make the decision so I can move forward. My husband is a good role model for me in terms of decision making. [u:2avmwyof]Problem Defining[/u:2avmwyof] I truly believe that problems are opportunities. Once a problem is identified, I have an opportunity to put a system in place so the problem doesn't resurface. This is my work philosophy. I often ask co-workers, "What can I do to make your job easier?" Upon further discovery, I've come to realize that defining problems allows me to set people up for success - this is very important to me and ties into my core value of developing people. I get frustrated at work because I don't see this as a core value of the company. [u:2avmwyof]Opportunity Finding[/u:2avmwyof] At first, I didn't see the distinction between problem defining and opportunity finding. Here's what I came up with, problem defining asks the question, "what's not working" and opportunity finding asks the question, "what's possible?" In terms of opportunity finding, I think my company can get buy-in from its employees by involving the employees in a discussion of what they see as opportunities for growth. I also believe that the leadership team at my place of employment is so busy with dayto-day operations that no one is looking for ways to take the company to the next level. This is tough for me because I'm a visionary and love brainstorming ways to make things better. [u:2avmwyof]Natural Leadership Style[/u:2avmwyof] I agree that there is no one correct leadership style. I like using tools, like the DISC, because it gives a common language for talking about different preferences of people and gives me ways to flex my style based on who I'm talking with. In conclusion, I don't have a leadership position at work, yet my commitment is to show up as a leader in my life and for my women's group. I will definitely read the book How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You so I continue to enhance my skills and step into the role of Transformational Leader! Joyfully, Shannon January 25, 2011 Dianna wrote Hi alqwairi - welcome to the forums. It's great to hear from you. I agree leadership is something that we all have to work on and try to practice on a regular basis. Even if you aren't in a leadership position right now you can still use the qualities of a leader to achieve your team and professional goals. Let us know how we can help support you as you work to implement leadership skills. If there are specific tools you'd like to read more about you can search for them or I can help you find them. Please do let me know. In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy the tools and resources we have here at the Club. Cheers! Dianna September 24, 2010 alqwairi wrote real this good points ,but need more works to implement September 23, 2010 Rachel wrote Hi All What skills differentiate average leaders from great ones? And how can we apply these skills to be better leaders? In this week's Featured Favorite, we highlight the key skill areas that are essential for successful leadership. Click below to find out what they are, and how you can apply them to your own situation, so that you can be an even better leader. Best wishes Rachel September 21, 2010 mayc wrote This has got to be one of my favorite articles on Mind Tools. Leadership is tough and this brings it back down to practical things I can do everyday to be a better leader and example for my team. We've really embraced "problem finding" in our team. And it's changed out whole outlook. Instead of going through the gears I find my team is thinking about why we do what we do, and they are questioning lots of process and systems that were just taken for granted before. My boss has already noticed our "motivation and morale" have improved which is fantastic feedback for me. May January 19, 2010 Midgie wrote Thank you for that feedback Bigk. By the way, I do not set out with a specific, exact, idea of what I will do 'to make a difference' each day ... I just sent the intention that I can do something. And you know what ... something happens during the day that upon reflection, I was able to 'make a difference'. In regards to re-reading some of the resources on this site, I often find that I pick up something useful when I review things again. I attribute this to simply that my 'filters' of what is important change all the time. So, at one point, I might pick up a particular detail and brush over others whereas when I re-read it, I'll pick up on those other points. Whether it's leaderships skills, communication skill, time management skills or presentation skills, re-reading certain articles is like a reminder to myself to do certain things! Always helpful! Midgie January 19, 2010 Return to top of the page What is Leadership? Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right. – Professor Warren G. Bennis Flash Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. – Dwight D. Eisenhower Find out what makes a great leader, with James Manktelow & Amy Carlson. The word "leadership" can bring to mind a variety of images. For example: • An army officer, leading an assault on an enemy position. • An explorer, cutting a path through the jungle for the rest of his party to follow. • An executive, developing her company's strategy to beat the competition. Leaders help themselves and others to do the right things. They set direction, build an inspiring vision, and create something new. Leadership is about mapping out where you need to go to "win" as a team or an organization; and it is dynamic, exciting, and inspiring. Yet, while leaders set the direction, they must also use management skills to guide their people to the right destination, in a smooth and efficient way. In this article, we'll focus on the process of leadership. In particular, we'll discuss the "transformational leadership" model, first proposed by James MacGregor Burns and then developed by Bernard Bass. This model highlights visionary thinking and bringing about change, instead of management processes that are designed to maintain and steadily improve current performance. Note: Leadership means different things to different people around the world, and different things in different situations. For example, it could relate to community leadership, religious leadership, political leadership, and leadership of campaigning groups. This article focuses on the Western model of individual leadership, and discusses leadership in the workplace rather than in other areas. Leadership: A Definition According to the idea of transformational leadership, an effective leader is a person who does the following: 1. Creates an inspiring vision of the future. 2. Motivates and inspires people to engage with that vision. 3. Manages delivery of the vision. 4. Coaches and builds a team, so that it is more effective at achieving the vision. Leadership brings together the skills needed to do these things. We'll look at each element in more detail. 1. Creating an Inspiring Vision of the Future In business, a vision is a realistic, convincing and attractive depiction of where you want to be in the future. Vision provides direction, sets priorities, and provides a marker, so that you can tell that you've achieved what you wanted to achieve. To create a vision, leaders focus on an organization's strengths by using tools such as Porter's Five Forces , PEST Analysis , USP Analysis , Core Competence Analysis and SWOT Analysis to analyze their current situation. They think about how their industry is likely to evolve, and how their competitors are likely to behave. They look at how they can innovate successfully , and shape their businesses and their strategies to succeed in future marketplaces. And they test their visions with appropriate market research, and by assessing key risks using techniques such as Scenario Analysis . Therefore, leadership is proactive - problem solving, looking ahead, and not being satisfied with things as they are. Once they have developed their visions, leaders must make them compelling and convincing. A compelling vision is one that people can see, feel, understand, and embrace. Effective leaders provide a rich picture of what the future will look like when their visions have been realized. They tell inspiring stories , and explain their visions in ways that everyone can relate to. Here, leadership combines the analytical side of vision creation with the passion of shared values, creating something really meaningful to the people being led. 2. Motivating and Inspiring People A compelling vision provides the foundation for leadership. But it's leaders' ability to motivate and inspire people that helps them deliver that vision. For example, when you start a new project, you will probably have lots of enthusiasm for it, so it's often easy to win support for the project at the beginning. However, it can be difficult to find ways to keep your vision inspiring after the initial enthusiasm fades, especially if the team or organization needs to make significant changes in the way that they do things. Leaders recognize this, and they work hard throughout the project to connect their vision with people's individual needs, goals, and aspirations. One of the key ways they do this is through Expectancy Theory Effective leaders link together two different expectations: . 1. The expectation that hard work leads to good results. 2. The expectation that good results lead to attractive rewards or incentives. This motivates people to work hard to achieve success, because they expect to enjoy rewards – both intrinsic and extrinsic – as a result. Other approaches include restating the vision in terms of the benefits it will bring to the team's customers, and taking frequent opportunities to communicate the vision in an attractive and engaging way. What's particularly helpful here is where leaders have expert power . People admire and believe in these leaders because they are expert in what they do. They have credibility, and they've earned the right to ask people to listen to them and follow them. This makes it much easier for these leaders to motivate and inspire the people they lead. Leaders can also motivate and influence people through their natural charisma and appeal, and through other sources of power , such as the power to pay bonuses or assign tasks to people. However, good leaders don't rely too much on these types of power to motivate and inspire others. 3. Managing Delivery of the Vision This is the area of leadership that relates to management . According to the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model , there is a time to tell, a time to sell, a time to participate, and a time to delegate. Knowing which approach you need to use, and when you need it, is key to effective leadership. Leaders must ensure that the work needed to deliver the vision is properly managed – either by themselves, or by a dedicated manager or team of managers to whom the leader delegates this responsibility – and they need to ensure that their vision is delivered successfully. To do this, team members need performance goals that are linked to the team's overall vision. Our article on Performance Management and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) explains one way of doing this, and our Project Management section explains another. And, for day-to-day management of delivering the vision, the Management By Wandering Around (MBWA) approach helps to ensure that what should happen, really happens. Leaders also need to make sure they manage change effectively. This helps to ensure that the changes needed to deliver the vision are implemented smoothly and thoroughly, with the support and backing of the people affected. 4. Coaching and Building a Team to Achieve the Vision Individual and team development are important activities carried out by transformational leaders. To develop a team, leaders must first understand team dynamics. Several well-established and popular models describe this, such as Belbin's Team Roles approach, and Bruce Tuckman's Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing theory . A leader will then ensure that team members have the necessary skills and abilities to do their job and achieve the vision. They do this by giving and receiving feedback regularly, and by training and coaching people to improve individual and team performance. Leadership also includes looking for leadership potential in others. By developing leadership skills within your team, you create an environment where you can continue success in the long term. And that's a true measure of great leadership. Note: The words "leader" and "leadership" are often used incorrectly to describe people who are actually managing. These individuals may be highly skilled, good at their jobs, and valuable to their organizations – but that just makes them excellent managers, not leaders. So, be careful how you use the terms, and don't assume that people with "leader" in their job titles, people who describe themselves as "leaders," or even groups called "leadership teams," are actually creating and delivering transformational change. A particular danger in these situations is that people or organizations that are being managed by such an individual or group think they're being led; but they're not. There may actually be no leadership at all, with no one setting a vision and no one being inspired. This can cause serious problems in the long term. Key Points Leadership can be hard to define and it means different things to different people. In the transformational leadership model, leaders set direction and help themselves and others to do the right thing to move forward. To do this they create an inspiring vision, and then motivate and inspire others to reach that vision. They also manage delivery of the vision, either directly or indirectly, and build and coach their teams to make them ever stronger. Effective leadership is about all of this – and it's exciting to be part of this journey! Click to vote no Did you find this article helpful? No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... Yolande wrote Hi Tort Welcome to the MindTools Club and to the forums as well - it's great to 'hear' your voice so soon! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on leadership and management with us. I think your definitions of both management and leadership are spot on. I loved what you said about leadership: If you are a one trick pony, authentic leadership will not be sustainable and acknowledging where your strengths lie and recognizing the strengths of your team allows you to be a leader and a follower.It is indeed so that a 'one trick pony' will not be able to sustain authentic leadership since leadership implies flexibility and being able to act according to the here and now. I hope you will share more of your insights with us; do have a look at the other forums too such as Career Cafe Central. The forums are where we all help and learn from one another (and sometimes we can just let off steam there too!). Tort, if you need any help around the forums please let me know I'd be only too glad to help where I can. Kind regards Yolandé January 12, 2013 Tort wrote The ablity to balance leadership and management is a skill to be admired. Would it be wrong to say that management is 'managing' or the effective use of resources - physical, financial, human resources and time? Leadership is the relationship used to influcence people to achieve something. That relationship may be context or circumstance based - Military style command and control or emergency services (police, fire) in a life or death situation to inspiring, coaching, mentoring and influencing in a more relaxed setting such as nonprofit, political, social, community or sports. The position of your leadership style depends on how you need to apply it. Standing out in front directing (police) or inspiring Walking alongside or standing on the sidelines (coach) Or standing back and encouraging (cheerleader) Great leaders adapt to their situation to be able to apply the most relevant style to the situation and sometimes that is following too. If you are a one trick pony, authentic leadership will not be sustainable and acknowledging where your strenghts lie and recognizing the strengths of your team allows you to be a be a leader and a follower. January 11, 2013 Yolande wrote Hi Abishek Welcome to the Club and also to the forums - it's great 'hearing' your voice over here. Yes, I agree with you - it is indeed a combination of the things mentioned in the article that makes a great leader. I am interested to hear your opinion: which of these things do you think is the most important for a leader to do, or do you see them all as equal? Kind regards Yolandé May 1, 2012 abhik_shar wrote Yes , For good leadership skills , one need good chemistry between above mentioned concepts. Abhishek Sharma April 28, 2012 James wrote Hi everyone This is to let you know that we’ve published a video for this topic. Click here to watch the video: http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/main/ videos.php#leadership James July 14, 2011 James wrote Hi Tarek Someone who's an inspiring leader but a poor manager can leave a team or organization in chaos. Someone who's a poor leader but a good manager can create an efficiently functioning machine that's completely overtaken by events. Leadership and management are different but overlapping skill sets, and we either need to develop both sets of skills if we're going to be truly effective in the workplace; or we need to work with others who provide skills that we lack. James June 7, 2010 stasiaandtarek wrote thank you Dianna June 6, 2010 Dianna wrote Hi Tarek - interesting way to look the role of manager and leader. From a practical standpoint I think it's very difficult to separate the two concepts. They are so interrelated and I agree that the best teams will emerge when the person who leads them is a great manager as well as leader. That's why I think it's so important that people work on their leadership skills regardless of the position they are in. Then when a management position opens up, you have many of the skills already covered. Try to be inspirational and lead by example in all things you do. That way when the official management responsibilities fall to you, you will be ready to lead your team to great results. Dianna June 6, 2010 stasiaandtarek wrote HELLO I just want an answer and help about what me i could do thru this article and if it is right my point of view, for me to get more understanding , and also because cause i am a little manager (NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE) Manager + (NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE) Leader = ?? Team so what i me trust is : [b] (NEGATIVE) Manager + (POSITIVE) Leader = (0 =<) Team (NEGATIVE) more than (POSITIVE) (POSITIVE) Manager + (NEGATIVE) Leader = (0 =>) Team (NEGATIVE) (NEGATIVE) Manager + (NEGATIVE) Leader = (0) Team (NEGATIVE) (POSITIVE) Manager + (POSITIVE) Leader = (0 <=) Team (POSITIVE) so does it should be understood in this way ? Regards Tarek June 5, 2010 Return to top of the page What's Empathy Got to Do With It? A few weeks ago, I came across a bumper sticker that said: "I am not good at empathy. Will you settle for sarcasm?" The humor in the bumper sticker led me to think of the slight unease or self-conscious discomfort that many people feel when a term such as "empathy" is introduced in a business environment. Notions of "touchy-feely," spring to mind. © iStockphoto/EasyBuy4u While empathy is a right brain activity, it is far from being a touchyfeely topic. At its core, empathy is the oil that keeps relationships running smoothly. The fact that empathy is an important component of effective relationships has been proven: In studies by Dr Antonio Damasio (outlined in his book: "Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain"), medical patients who had damage to part of the brain associated with empathy showed significant deficits in relationship skills, even though their reasoning and learning abilities remained intact. Indeed, empathy is valued currency. It allows us to create bonds of trust, it gives us insights into what others may be feeling or thinking; it helps us understand how or why others are reacting to situations, it sharpens our "people acumen" and it informs our decisions. A formal definition of Empathy is the ability to identify and understand another's situation, feelings and motives. It's our capacity to recognize the concerns other people have. Empathy means: "putting yourself in the other person's shoes" or "seeing things through someone else's eyes." There are numerous studies that link empathy to business results. They include studies that correlate empathy with increased sales, with the performance of the best managers of product development teams and with enhanced performance in an increasingly diverse workforce. A few of these studies can be viewed on the site of The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations. Yes, increasingly, the topic of empathy is encroaching on the business world. We are now even seeing terms such as "empathy marketing" and "empathy selling." Not long ago, I came across the term "user empathy," referring to user interface. Along those lines, in his book, A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age, Daniel Pink predicts that power will reside with those who have strong right-brain (interpersonal) qualities. He cites three forces that are causing this change: Abundance, Asia, and Automation. "Abundance" refers to our increasing demand for products or services that are aesthetically pleasing; "Asia" refers to the growing trend of outsourcing; "Automation" is self-explanatory. In order to compete in the new economy market, Pink suggests six areas that are vital to our success. One of which is Empathy; the ability to imagine yourself in someone else's position, to imagine what they are feeling, to understand what makes people tick, to create relationships and to be caring of others: All of which is very difficult to outsource or automate, and yet is increasingly important to business. Empathy is also particularly critical to leadership development in this age of young, independent, highly marketable and mobile workers. In a popular Harvard Business Review article entitled "What Makes a Leader?", Dr Daniel Goleman isolates three reasons why empathy is so important: the increasing use of teams, (which he refers to as "cauldrons of bubbling emotions"), the rapid pace of globalization (with cross cultural communication easily leading to misunderstandings) and the growing need to retain talent. "Leaders with empathy," states Goleman, "do more than sympathize with people around them: they use their knowledge to improve their companies in subtle, but important ways." This doesn't mean that they agree with everyone's view or try to please everybody. Rather, they "thoughtfully consider employees' feelings – along with other factors – in the process of making intelligent decisions." Empathy, then, is an ability that is well-worth cultivating. It's a soft, sometimes abstract tool in a leader's toolkit that can lead to hard, tangible results. But where does empathy come from? Is it a process of thinking or of emotion? From my perspective, I believe that it is both: We need to use our reasoning ability to understand another person's thoughts, feelings, reactions, concerns, motives. This means truly making an effort to stop and think for a moment about the other person's perspective in order to begin to understand where they are coming from: And then we need the emotional capacity to care for that person's concern; Caring does not mean that we would always agree with the person, that we would change our position, but it does mean that we would be in tune with what that person is going through, so that we can respond in a manner that acknowledges their thoughts, feelings or concerns. So this leads me to a question that I am sometimes asked: "Can you teach someone to be empathetic?" We all know some people who are naturally and consistently empathetic – these are the people who can easily forge positive connections with others. They are people who use empathy to engender trust and build bonds; they are catalysts who are able to create positive communities for the greater good. But even if empathy does not come naturally to some of us, I firmly believe that we can develop this capacity. Here are a few practical tips you might consider to help you do this: 1. Listen – truly listen to people. Listen with your ears, eyes and heart. Pay attention to others' body language, to their tone of voice, to the hidden emotions behind what they are saying to you, and to the context. 2. Don't interrupt people. Don't dismiss their concerns offhand. Don't rush to give advice. Don't change the subject. Allow people their moment. 3. Tune in to non-verbal communication. This is the way that people often communicate what they think or feel, even when their verbal communication says something quite different. 4. Practice the "93 percent rule". We know from a famous study by Professor Emeritus, Albert Mehrabian of UCLA, when communicating about feelings and attitudes, words – the things we say – account for only 7 percent of the total message that people receive. The other 93 percent of the message that we communicate when we speak is contained in our tone of voice and body language. It's important, then, to spend some time to understand how we come across when we communicate with others about our feelings and attitudes. 5. Use people's name. Also remember the names of people's spouse and children so that you can refer to them by name. 6. Be fully present when you are with people. Don't check your email, look at your watch or take phone calls when a direct report drops into your office to talk to you. Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if your boss did that to you? 7. Smile at people. 8. Encourage people, particularly the quiet ones, when they speak up in meetings. A simple thing like an attentive nod can boost people's confidence. 9. Give genuine recognition and praise. Pay attention to what people are doing and catch them doing the right things. When you give praise, spend a little effort to make your genuine words memorable: "You are an asset to this team because..."; "This was pure genius"; "I would have missed this if you hadn't picked it up." 10. Take a personal interest in people. Show people that you care, and genuine curiosity about their lives. Ask them questions about their hobbies, their challenges, their families, their aspirations. Empathy is an emotional and thinking muscle that becomes stronger the more we use it. Try some of these suggestions and watch the reactions of those you work with. I believe you will notice some positive results. Years ago, I had come across a saying that went something like this: the measure of a man [or woman], is how they treat someone who is of absolutely no use to them. Empathy should not be selective: It should be a daily habit. If I were to create a bumper sticker, I would say: "Empathy: Don't Leave Home Without It!" Copyright © 2006-2013 Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved. This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna. Did you find this article helpful? Click to vote no No Click to vote yes Yes Where to go from here: Next article View print friendly versio Ask questions, or share your experience What members say... bigk wrote Hi Now I have had another look, it seems helping people communicate better together with each other is not yet good enough, unless we share success with each other to understand how we try to develop ourselves and others... Have we been here already or are we now somewhere new? Have we just arrived in time to leave or have we arrived to leave for a temporary destination and not arrived in time to lead us in a circular direction that will eventually lead us to the same place where we....? (are our different objectives in fact the same?) If we can develop while we move or stay in this position, it will help us develop how we can help each other to help those that ask our help. Bigk September 16, 2010 bigk wrote Hi In the balance of caring for the people, the business, the performance and the future and forward direction of the business, there is another aspect that helps develop the people and the business which also allows you to develop the people while still providing forward progress of people and business. This still allows the people to change and allows the business to change. Yet this still needs you to get the new or current people to progress yourself, them self and the business itself. Often this requires a new way to be more emphatic but perhaps it just needs to acknowledge when the business needs to be more supportive in the business objectives and the trust given to the people to develop the business and themselves. This needs to adjust to when the business changes when the people want to move on or when new people need to fill the new position vacated without the business adapting to this change. Bigk September 16, 2010 Yolande wrote Hi all Very much a case of 'people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care'. Even though we are running businesses, without people those businesses wouldn't be able to operate. So, caring about those who help make our businesses successful almost seems only logical to do... Regards Yolandé September 16, 2010 zuni wrote Hi all, I work in a telecommunications company which is dominated by left brained people. I can attest to the author's comment that empathy, and anything associated with emotional intelligence, is considered wishy washy. Our lack of attention to the "soft" side of leadership is now becoming our achilles heel. Our employee engagement scores are dropping in a time when we need every employee to be fully engaged and doing whatever it takes to serve our customers and achieve our objectives. We are now educating leaders about the importance of knowing their employees (career aspirations, desires) and caring about them by listening to them and hearing what they are saying and acting on issues that cause distrust. In the final analysis, we all want to be respected and acknowledged. Empathy is the behaviour that helps us cultivate compassion and caring for others. Zuni September 16, 2010 Midgie wrote This is a great article that outlines why empathy is so useful in the business world. Plus, with all the practical tips on how to use/ develop empathy, it's an easy tool to use for reminding ourselves! For me, developing empathy with others not only is good for business, yet also from a human perspective of connect, relating and understanding others. Midgie September 16, 2010 Return to top of the page