Leadership Information


Stand Out as a Leader, Do 5 Things Better! Number One: Improve the Quality of Your Decision Making!


The manager administers, the leader improves;
the manager maintains, the leader develops;
the manager relies on systems, the leader relies on people;
the manager counts on controls, the leader counts on trust;
the manager does things right, the leader does the right thing.
-Fortune Magazine

The intentions of our decisions are our brand of fertilizer that enables our results to flourish and amplify with time or, fade and wither! You got the record crop (number/result) this year. Can you do it again next year? At what cost? Is that acceptable?

What legacy did you sow to enable it to happen again? Did you strip the resources and need to start from scratch and build up the soil again? Or did you harvest sustainably so you can let it rest for a season, come back and crop it hard again?

The intention of our decision-making is the quality of the fertilizer we prepare to apply to our next crop!

Decisions made in fair times can be duly considered, socialized and delivered. They can readily add great fertilizer to a great team with outstanding results!

However, few of us work in these environments. Most of us have too many decisions to make in too little time, with out due consideration or thought. Most of us need to select what we think are the 'big ones' and focus on delivering these well. The quality of our selection gives critical feedback on our assumptions and therefore leadership style.

What "big ones' do you select? Why? What are you seeking to create in these attributes, something positive or avoid something negative?

Most leaders rate themselves poorly, they have little objectivity in their assessment of the impact of their performance. Their boss is generally more objective and their direct reports most objective!

What would your direct reports say about you? Do you know? Have you collected any information? Well corporate life is about to!

IBM have an impressive management development tool that gives direct reports an opportunity to rate managers biannually. Managers that have a poor report are counseled to address the issues. Those that have two bad reports are usually removed, certainly three strikes and they are out! This is a very powerful message about leadership: that it is best assessed by those that are led!

In an effort to give leaders realistic feedback about their performance many corporations have offering 360 degree feedback. Often clients take the management feedback as more important, and pragmatically this can be true in the short term, than subordinate feedback. Is management going to continue to find this acceptable?

Staffing is most companies biggest expense. Leadership development, given 2 to 3 are developed for every one retained and placed, is therefore its greatest investment in this expense. The literature suggests 30-50% of external appointments fail. Now we are stuck between a rock and a hard place!

Corporate life is keen to assess a leaders talents and develop these, however if it can identify self limiting behavior - such as career de railers, maybe it will decide to be more cautious in the development of these individuals.

Hogan and Hogan, the most sought after leadership analysts in the USA's Fortune 100 companies, indicate they are the inability to form a team, and a lack of understanding of your leadership style! (1)

Leadership-style is one of the most searched topics in leadership on the Internet. Now we know why! Leaders are being told to appreciate their leadership style so that they can consistently develop and apply it, thus avoiding the traps of leadership de railers!

However, leadership is intimately tied to personality, with sincerity of style being one of the most critical factors in allegiance being given! If it is personality based, how can the results of generic tools give us appropriate clarity and sense of contribution compared to what we know inside ourselves?

The answer lies in crafting our action-based leadership values into a foundation of our behavior for the 'tough' times. That we become the beacon of integrity we intended to be in these circumstances by doing "the right thing."

It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.Roy Disney

(1) Hogan and Hogan, International Journal of Selection and Assessment, Vol 9, No 1/2, Mar/Jun 2001.)

This article may be reproduced in printed or web format, provided the resource box below is included.

Rosemary Johnston is a professional corporate and personal coach. Working with executives from some of Australia's largest and most successful companies for over 15 years.Rosemary's new book, "How To Develop Your Leadership Style and Skills to Take Charge of Your Career and Life" is now available to download at her web site. Read about how you can share some of the success Rosemary has had coaching leaders in Australian blue chip companies. http://www.leadershipfirst.com.au


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

Ford's leadership pushes deeper into era of stability
The Detroit News
The next generation of leadership at Ford Motor Co. is quietly stepping up, a refreshing change from the frequent executive drama before CEO Alan Mulally arrived more than five years ago. In a sweeping move Thursday, the automaker said that Chief ...
2 Executives at Ford to Retire; Inside Successors NamedNew York Times
Ford CFO Lewis Booth and Global Product Chief Derrick Kuzak to Retire; Veteran ...MarketWatch (press release)
Ford announces retirements of Kuzak and Booth, adds Huntsman to boardAutoblog (blog)

all 429 news articles »


ABC News

Crime-fighting hero's detention shakes up Chinese leadership
Vancouver Sun
The drive for a top post in China's coming leadership shuffle by Bo Xilai, the flamboyant and publicity-hungry Communist party boss of Chongqing, has hit a patch of black ice with the detention of his deputy and longtime political sidekick.
Sidelined police chief sparks China leadership intrigueChannel News Asia
China's Forthcoming Political TransitionCenter For American Progress
Live Tweeting China's Power StruggleWall Street Journal (blog)
Business Insider -Washington Post -Daily Beast
all 675 news articles »


Leadership Oklahoma to honor four
NewsOK.com
Melvin Moran, Bill W. Burgess Jr., Pioneer Telephone Cooperative Inc. and BancFirst will be honored at Leadership Oklahoma's annual Excellence in Leadership gala Feb. 11. Leadership Oklahoma will honor four state leaders Feb.

and more »


Chicago Tribune

Ford's Theatre Center for Education and Leadership opens to study Abraham ...
Art Daily
A pair of shoes with Abraham Lincoln's face printed on them are among the items on exhibit in the Ford's Theatre Center for Education and Leadership in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012. The new museum, located across from Ford's Theatre and next ...
Lincoln Museum, Act II, the Morning After His Death and BeyondNew York Times
Ford's Theatre opens center to study Lincoln in DCAtlanta Journal Constitution

all 252 news articles »


Myjoyonline.com

Let's end the leadership paralysis under Mills
The Statesman Online
The Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has stated that the leadership paralysis being presided over by the Mills-Mahama National Democratic Congress administration must not exist a minute longer than the ...
Leadership paralysis, EIU analysis, & the Anas principle against corruptionMyjoyonline.com
Ghana is in a state of leadership paralysis – Nana Akufo-AddoVibe Ghana

all 21 news articles »


Community leader reflects on post-Katrina efforts, encourages service
K-State Collegian
On Thursday, Minh Nguyen spoke to students about leadership and the foundation he helped create after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to help a Vietnamese community. The presentation took place at the Leadership Studies Building at 4 pm Students, ...

and more »


FdL Association of Commerce leaders look to future
Fond du Lac Reporter
He said the AC provides a voice for the business community, amplifying its issues and stances to government leaders and relevant organizations. Over the years, the organization has been dedicated to initiatives that stand to benefit the community.

and more »


Highway Bill Tests Boehner's Leadership
Wall Street Journal
The measure's failure would be a blow to Mr. Boehner's leadership, and he is scrambling to win support. The bill contains no earmarks, which adheres to Republican campaign themes, but the debate surrounding the measure shows how that promise, ...

and more »


Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals Announces Leadership Transition
Sacramento Bee
"Throughout my tenure, the hard work, dedication and devotion of our physicians and employees have helped Jefferson become a leader in healthcare enabling it to increase its ability to treat the most complex healthcare needs as well as treat many of ...

and more »


Comcast SportsNet Bay Area

Dellavedova relishing leadership role
Comcast SportsNet Bay Area
With the departure of Omar Samhan two years ago, and Mickey McConnell last season, the Australian guard is sort of the big man on campus these days, and so far, he's embracing his leadership opportunity. "He's as good a leader as we've ever had," ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2007