Posts Tagged ‘Leadership’

Leadership Versus Management: You Need A New Set Of Questions!

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

For most new managers, the transition into a new role can be like a safari into the unknown territory. Today, I want to make you think about leadership and management.

My aim is to

Help you reflect upon your understanding of this subject and motivate you to take charge of your learning.

However, before we move any further, it is a good idea to give you a quick primer on leadership and management.

Leadership versus Management

1.      Leadership and Management are two disparate skill sets.

2.      You manage things; you lead people.

3.      As a manager you have a job title and a position of authority. As leader,  you may not have a  specific job title or a position.

4.      As a leader, you focus on developing your ability to influence and inspire.

5.      A good manager is also a leader.

Now that your memory is refreshed with the basic differences between Leadership and Management, try to answer the following questions in your head. There are no right or wrong answers. Nevertheless, these questions will act as triggers to create new neural pathways in your mind.

Set 1

1.      Do you think leadership can be learned?

2.      Identify some ways that you would like to inspire people.

3.      What kinds of influence do you have?

Set 2

1.      Why do you think it is important for you to develop leadership skills to complement your management skills?

2.      How do you feel your leadership skills will enhance your effectiveness as a manager?

Set 3

1.      Have you ever worked for a manager who was not a leader?

2.      Describe how your manager’s lack of leadership skills affected your work and job satisfaction.

Succeeding in your new role often involves carefully answering a few key questions. When you answer honestly, you will identify the gaps in your skill sets. Learn to take charge of your learning because “the buck stops here.”

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This Fair Exchange is the Key to Your Leadership. Do You Know About It?

Sunday, March 13th, 2011

Can you be a leader without having group members?

I don’t think so…

If that is the case, then what should be the strategy, so that group members accept your directions and influence?

It sounds simple

but you must learn exactly what your group members need. The members of the group will only accept your direction if you help them to fulfill their needs.

This fair exchange is the key to your leadership

They can then decide what to do to satisfy those needs in exchange for performing certain duties for you.

Therefore, as a leader, you have a wide range of incentives to offer to the group

You must satisfy more than simply the financial needs of your people. You earn your position of leadership by doing things that give them hope – that their needs will be satisfied.

The understanding of the implications of these needs should be of great importance to you

I urge you to investigate the works of the psychologist, Abraham Maslow who created a five-tiered pyramid that represents the relative importance of five different levels of human needs. Combine your investigation with Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor motivation theory, and it will provide you with a greater insight into the needs of group members.

Next Step: Sign up for the First Level Leadership E-zine and get access to good information without any fluff right into your mail box. When You Subscribe to our audio e-zine, you’ll receive a FREE Audio Learning Program: “Seeds of Leadership.” Get your copy now.

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What is Your Leadership Style?

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

Do you have a role model?

As a student of Leadership Styles, you must have a role model that is worth imitating. If you don’t, then please look for one.

You have to be very discerning about what you learn

In the luxury of retrospect, I can say that as a new manager or first level leader, you will be tempted to copy your role model. Without realizing, you may adopt the principle of parallelism – to be a replica of the leader you look up to…

I am of the view that:

1.      You must have a role model.

2.      You should be able to learn a lot from his leadership style.

However, there is a caveat–

1.      The role model should be worth imitating but should not be imitated.

2.      If you try to develop a style by imitating your manager, it might look flattering to him initially, but soon you will graduate into a constant irritant with no identity.

If you are trying to be a clone,

You will always be an inferior quality of clone. Interestingly, and at every level of hierarchy, the quality of the clones will deteriorate.

Don’t graduate from the School of Parallelism

I know there is another school of thought that promotes parallelism. However, I am of the opinion that it is not a good strategy. Your role model may have a force of personality that makes him successful in spite of the flaws in the personality. What has worked for him may not be sufficient for you.

You are unique,

Therefore, discover your own leadership style. When developing a unique leadership style, imitation is NOT the best strategy.

Finally,

Your actions should reflect your deep-rooted values and attitudes and not of someone else.

Next Step: Sign up for the First Level Leadership E-zine and get access to good information without any fluff right into your mail box. When You Subscribe to our audio e-zine, you’ll receive a FREE Audio Learning Program: “Seeds of Leadership.” Get your copy now.

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Before moving into your new leadership role, know this…

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

If you’re a first level leader, then you are in this position because you must have been an excellent individual contributor… right!

The technical expertise remains a critical competency but no longer defines your role

Now you have to play a larger role than before. Therefore, the qualities that got you here will help you very little in this new role.

What should you do?

Devote some time in planning to develop new skill sets required for the new leadership role. This will put you on the fast track!

Don’t get me wrong by thinking that planning is merely deciding what to do in the future.

Let me clarify – planning is deciding what you have to do now in order to have a future.

How you manage your time now becomes a key to your managerial future

Therefore, investment theory comes into action. If you do not invest time now in planning to develop your leadership and managerial skills, you will soon struggle.

Time equals money

We have all heard the statement a zillion times. It is a resource with unique properties. You can only use it at a constant rate and it gets eroded at a constant rate-60 minutes an hour… the irony is that we don’t know how much time we have.

Are you willing to sacrifice…

Some of your present time, energy and instant gratification in order to invest for the future?

If yes,

Please take a stock of things you don’t know and get on with it before it’s too late.

Make a plan to update your knowledge and then try to put it into action. Nothing happens until something moves. Make mistakes quickly (fast-forward your failures) so that you can  succeed quickly.

And don’t forget – the qualities that got you here will help you very little in this new role.

I am tempted to share a quotation by Dwight D. Eisenhower:

“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”

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How To Display a True Mark of Leadership?

Sunday, February 13th, 2011

Do you work in an environment which is highly confrontational and competitive?

If you are in an environment where conversation turns into a battle, then you might add a new dimension to your behavior – you may find yourself becoming argumentative, which may be completely against your grain.

I know sometimes arguments are unavoidable…

But they usually make you look angry, hostile and competitive. They also make you look like you don’t care if don’t get along well with others.

What matters most to these individuals who are always in a combative mood?

To them winning an argument is all that matters regardless of the damage they do for their reputation. When you’re interacting with such individuals remember they’re usually insecure, aggressive, or both.

So what should you do if you work with such characters?

DISCUSS  BUT  NEVER  ARGUE! As a leader you cannot look bad.

What are the benefits of discussing?

  1. You sound and look mature.
  2. Your focus remains on solving problems through deliberations and consideration.
  3. Your opinion will be more respected.

Arguments tend to focus on self-justification rather than on conflict resolution.

So the next time

When someone turns a conversation into a conversational battle, please don’t be like him. Don’t argue, just discuss.

Such people actually give you an opportunity to shine

Don’t lose that opportunity. Develop this leadership trait; it will take you further ahead in life. To keep your civility in such times is a true mark of leadership.

Next Step: Sign up for the First Level Leadership E-zine and get access to good information without any fluff right into your mail box. When You Subscribe to our audio e-zine, you’ll receive a FREE Audio Learning Program: “Seeds of Leadership.” Get your copy now.

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Random Thoughts on First Level Leadership – Octopus on Skates

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Yesterday, I was reading about adaptive leadership. While cross referencing a piece, I came across a thought, which is worth sharing.

New York Times best-selling author Dr. John C. Maxwell in his book, “Talent is not Enough” says, that focus should be your friend.

Talent without focus is like an octopus on roller skates. There will be a lot of movement, but you will hardly reach any where. Talent with focus will take you far ahead.

Ladder of Success

Psychologist James Dobson said, “What is the use of climbing the ladder of success only to find that it is leaning against the wrong wall?”


Next Step: Sign up for the First Level Leadership E-zine and get access to good information without any fluff right into your mail box. When You Subscribe to our audio e-zine, you’ll receive a FREE Audio Learning Program: “Seeds of Leadership.” Get your copy now.

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5 Facts of Leadership Development

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

In this post I will give you five facts of Leadership Development, which you must know:

1.    You can make the difference between success and failure in your department. Yes you can…

2.    Leaders become successful through the help of others, therefore, you have to learn how to seek help from your peers and followers. And you can only get this help through the practice of leadership.

3.    You don’t have to be a manager in order to be a leader. In other words, you can be a leader immediately in which ever position you may be. You do not have to be promoted to be a leader.

4.    According to me, the essence of first level leadership is very simple. It is to motivate people to perform their best.

5.    Yes, leaders are born, but leaders can be made through leadership development. If you want to be a leader, you can learn how to be a leader like any other skill. Good leadership does not depend on cushy environment. Your ability to motivate people under any circumstances is independent of any limiting factors.

Tap your powers by adhering to these simple facts of leadership development. After all, awareness is the beginning of all learning.

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Leadership, Leadership Development, Motivation, Team Work – All sounds too Mumbo Jumbo? (Part 1)

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Leadership is a combination of organizing and motivating. The confidence which is given by the manager to his team can be developed by giving value to:

  1. Their job
  2. Them as individuals
  3. Them as a team

The Job – As a manager it is important for you to maintain the motivation within the department. To do this, three aspects of the job need to be taken into consideration:

Context: All too often people are told to get on with daily tasks in their jobs without being given a reason for completing them. The end result is “telling” rather than ‘selling’ atmosphere generated by the manager. You must be able to carry people along by allowing them to understand the context of the job and where it fits into the organization. This will stimulate interest and initiative from the individual.

Example: ‘Leading by example’ is an everyday cliché, but it has merit. Team members will view you as an example to emulate and therefore, you must set a positive example and approach to all aspects of work.

Importance: A good leader will let people know how important their work is, and recognize the importance of that work. Regardless of how ‘low profile’ or ‘high profile’ the job is, emphasis of importance must be offered to the owners of the job, if they are to remain motivated.

In the subsequent posts, we shall dilate on the other two categories mentioned above.

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