The Leadership Coaching Blog

Following on from my blog post last week discussing the article by Rob Goffe (Professor of Organisational Behaviour @ London Business school) and Gareth Jones (visiting professor @ INSEAD) I wanted to explore where they think they’re at odds with much of today’s leadership thinking.

They say that the majority think that effective leadership rests on full  self knowledge, but that their observations of leaders suggest that few develop full self knowledge.  That effective leaders have an overarching sense of purpose and sufficient self knowlwdge of their potential leadership assets.  ‘They don’t know it all, but they know enough!’

That being the case they believe that leaders need to recognise some fundamental truths in order to become more effective.  These are:

• That leadership is situational - what is required of leaders will always be influenced by their  situation. However, they do acknowledge that the situation the leader inherits is simply a starting point - that the actions of leaders help to alter their situation and that effective leaders go further, by using their personal leadership assets to reframe situations to the benefit of those they lead.
• That leadership is non hierarchical - just because you have reached the top of your organisation, or have an organisational ‘title’, this doesn’t automatuically make you a leader.  Great organisations have leaders at all levels.

That you cannot be a leader without followers - leadership is a relationship built actively by both parties.  ’Good leaders manage relationships by knowing when to be close to people and when to be distant - to keep people focused on goals and address poor performance.  Crucially, they are able to create this distance without pulling rank.’

According to Goffe and Jones, this management of social distance means that leaders are not easily stereotyped, because they both show emotions and withhold them; get close and stay apart; are like us but different.  This means that they’re often seen as enigmatic or ‘authentic chameleons.’

These leaders need to be skilled communicators who pay careful attention to how they are seen and heard, who build compelling stories about themselves and their contexts, and identify communication channels that work for them - whether that be platform presentations or intimate face to face meetings.

So, there are some fundamental principles of leadership that do apply across the board e.g leaders need to motivate followers to feel that their work is significant and part of something bigger.  But above all followers look for leaders who are authentic, and this authenticity froms the foundation of the relationship; without it there can’t be much trust on either side.

I heard recently that if you have a pet fish that’s sick you treat the water not the fish….

What’s that got to do with me and my environment you might ask?  Well, maybe a lot.

Your success depends to a significant degree on your environment, so in that respect you’re just like the fish!  Therefore it’s extremely important that you create a supportive environment for yourself.

You’ll notice I said that you “create” it for yourself, rather than it just automatically “being there.”  Because we might be doing a lot of the right things, but still not be succeeding, as a result of the environment we’re
operating in.

You need to pay attention to your environment now and check out whether it’s supporting you or hindering you.  By environment I mean your physical, emotional and your intellectual environment.

• Is your work place, your office or your home somewhere you love to be?  If not what can you do about
  it?
• Do you have supportive family, friends and work colleagues?  If not what do you need?  Start asking for it!
• Are you feeding your brain protein every day, or just sweets or candy?  Are you being stimulated or
  are you stuck in your comfort zone?  What can you learn, think about or plan today that will stimulate your brain?

Remember, you need to create an environment that supports you; an environment that supports you at the level you want to be, rather than at the level you are now!

I found this piece on a site while surfing - I think it’s from a Success magazine interview with Colin Powell at the end of 2005.  Powell’s 12 Leadership tips are taken from the article “Leadership – From the battlefields to the boardroom: Colin powell explains how to be a leader worth following.”  It makes interesting reading.

1. Never be afraid to make people mad -  Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group.  Some decisions you make may upset certain individuals; this is inevitable. Trying to be nice to everybody will only invite mediocrity and compromise your goals as leader.
2. The day the soldiers stop bringing their problems is the day you have stopped leading them - Make yourself accessible and available.  Too often, asking for help is seen as a sign of weakness, which leads to cover-ups and poor performance.  Show your concern for the people below you.
3. Don’t be buffaloed by experts and elites - Always question what the experts say if you don’t understand.  Don’t assume that they know more than you, and certainly don’t be cowed into accepting something that you don’t fully understand.
4. Don’t be afraid to challenge the pros, even in their own backyard - Learn from the pros; seek them out as mentors and partners.   But if you don’t agree with what they’re saying, let them know.  Reputations shouldn’t be a hindrance to progress.
5. Never neglect the details. When everyone’s mind is distracted, the leader must be doubly vigilant.   All the ideas and visions in the world are worthless if they can’t be implemented rapidly and efficiently.  Good leaders delegate and empower others liberally, but they pay attention to
   the details every day.
6. You don’t know what you can get away with until you try - Don’t wait for permission—just get things done.  If you ask too many people, one of them will say no. So don’t ask.
7. Keep looking below surface appearances - Don’t assume that today’s realities will continue tomorrow in a tidy, linear, and predictable fashion.  Take steps to solve problems as—or, if possible, before—they emerge.
8. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds - Surround yourself with the brightest and the best. It will make the difference between organization and  achievement.
9. Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it - Change is stifled by people who cling to their turf.  Effective leaders create a climate where people’s worth is determined by their willingness to learn new skills and new  responsibilities.
10. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier - Leaders who cast blame or whine engender those same behaviours among their staff.  Have an attitude that says, ‘We can change things here, we can achieve our goals, we can be the best.’
11. Have fun in your command. Take leave when you’ve earned it.  Spend time with your family - Finding the right balance is essential; a happy home life means greater productivity in the workplace.
12. Command is lonely - The buck stops here.  The essence of leadership is the willingness to make the tough decisions.  Prepare to be lonely.

The following leadership quotes are by Peter Drucker:

“Leadership is not magnetic personality — that can just as well be a glib tongue.  It is not “making friends and influencing people” — that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal  limitations.”

“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. ”

“No institution can possibly survive if it needs geniuses or supermen to manage it.   It must be organized in such a way as to be able to get along under a leadership composed of average human beings.”

“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.”

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

I agree that leaders need to take time out to shape their own and their team or company vision; that they need to inspire others with their own vision and show how it fits with the company vision.  They need to develop trusting relationships in order to get others to perform to their potential and achieve the company vision and goals.  In addition, they need to know what to focus their attention on, and be able to get the best from themselves.

Being a “people” person is a prerequisite to being an exceptional leader.

Leaders who “like” people, are genuinely interested in individuals and teams, and find it easy to build relationships with people at all levels and in all situations, will always shine.

They are the ones people are drawn to, that they will talk to; the ones they will follow because they feel
respected as individuals and enthusiastic about where you’re leading them.

How you feel about and around people shows, in your conversations and in your actions; people pick up on this and respond accordingly.

If your belief and self esteem are high, then you’re likely to have a greater belief in the potential of everyone, which can be a great motivator for teams and individuals.

I believe the best leaders all have an inner passion and desire to be the best they can be in whatever they do.  They know that they can learn from everyone and every situation if their minds are open to the possibility.

They continue to grow as people and as leaders, and they are true advocates of personal and professional development.

They know that those who actively seek out new experiences and those who take action and learn
from their mistakes, are more likely to be successful than those who prefer to stay within their comfort zone, and protect what they have and where they’ve got to!

They value their journey as much as or more than their ultimate destination.

How do you stop your inner critic - the voice in your head that seems to highlight negative, limiting thoughts?

I’ve been working at home and struggling with mine all morning! 

• “If I was more organised and focused I’d have had this done by now”
• “How can I be thinking about work when my daughter’s poorly”
• “The house is a mess and I need some shopping - I’m never going to get all this done today!”

The crazy thing is I’m aware of the voice and I know that actually, in its own way, it’s trying to help, but it’s just making me feel worse.  I coach and train this stuff but I’ve not been doing anything about it; I’ve been listening to it and believing it!

The first step to doing something about it is becoming aware of when its happening, the second step is to acknowledge the thought and challenge it - choose to ask questions about whether this is helping or hurting you, and the third is to replace the thoughts with more positive and affirming ones - the process of changing your inner critic into your ’success thinking’ inner coach!

So here goes, time to practise what I preach……………

I’m acutely aware of my inner critic at present so the next stage is to acknowledge and challenge it:

Thanks for caring, but what are you afraid of?  “I’m afraid you’re going to make yourself ill with trying to do too much today.” 

So what do you want me to do?  “I want you to check on your daughter, then think about and write down some realistic goals for today.” 

How will this help me?  “It will stop you putting too much pressure on yourself and remind you that you are only human and you’re doing the best you can.  It will also allow you to actually get some things done!”

Well I feel better already - I’m relieved that I can let myself off the hook a little as regards work and the house, and concentrate on looking after my daughter and completing some essential tasks.  I’m off to check on her and write my list.

• Are you aware of your inner critic?
• What is it trying to tell you?
• How can you turn it into your inner coach?

If you go through the process of acknowledgement, then ask questions about the fear, what it wants you to do and how this will serve you - you’ll be transforming that critic into your own personal coach. 

If you’re willing to share, I’d love to hear what your inner critic says to you on a regular basis.  Alternatively, you could try the exercise above and let me know how you got on……

I have a passion for dance and music and have done Irish Dancing most of my life.

What I hadn’t done however was learn other forms of dance - something I’d often talked about but just never got around to - actually that’s not altogether true but it’s something I wanted to do with my husband and he never seemed too keen on the idea.

Well that all changed last month when I informed him I’d made a decision to learn ball room dancing and would he like to come with me?  He surprised me by saying yes!

We’ve been to 2 lessons now and so far it’s living up to expectations.  I love the music and just love to dance; it’s fun, we laugh a lot, and it’s wonderful dancing so close to the one you love!

What can you do to have fun and reignite a passion?  When you’re having fun and loving life, you bring that energy with you to work, and energy and passion are contagious - in a very good way!!

If you’re like the majority of people, then you probably don’t like making mistakes. But, unless you’re prepared to make them, and make them more often, then you probably won’t succeed; at least not in the way
you really want to!

Most of us need to change the way we think about mistakes. It’s our dislike of them, our embarrassment of making them, feeling like we’re letting ourselves and others down, that’s what makes us scared of making them, and scared of failing.

We need to accept that nobody succeeds at everything immediately; that sometimes we win and sometimes we
fail; that failing’s okay if we learn from it for next time. That actually trying and failing at something new or different might very well be the best way for us to learn. It will certainly be better than not having tried in the first place, because it takes us somewhere new.

So if, like the greatest inventors and most successful business people of our time, we can view making mistakes as a process of ‘trial, error and learning,’ then we’re much more likely to take huge strides forward
and really accept that “the more we fail, the more we succeed!”  Understanding and accepting this as a leader or manager can be truly liberating!

Obviously there will be times when the potential risks of failing will be too big to try; however, there’ll be plenty of other times when the potential benefits will be well worth the risk - even the benefits of learning from your mistakes!

Once you become more accustomed to viewing mistakes differently, then you can help your staff do the same and engender an action oriented culture that values learning.  “Fail fast, learn and move on” can be your new motto!