The Versatile Leader

Reichman, W. E. & Conn, D. K. - American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry – December 2010

The Peculiar Characteristics that Distinguish Leaders from Everyone Else. Leadership is a complex matter today,much more than it was 25 years back. Present day leaders will have to make the effort to combine several often paradoxical characteristics; they need to be both resilient and tender. I call them "velvet coated bricks." This information will enable you to assess yourself in light of the attributes which separate leaders from everyone else. It was inspired by Fast Company magazine, and represents dozens of interviews with CEOs, ministers and university deans who are big-picture thinkers and activists. Listed below is part of the conclusions.

THE UNIQUE BLEND

1. Leaders tend to be confident and unpretentious. Sure, you need a strong self confidence to lead, however you also need to be tough enough to check it at the door. Being a leader is not about making oneself more powerful. It is really about making the people around you more powerful. People follow leaders who have a healthy sense of self worth, but who see beyond themselves and are also humbled by his or her accountability.

Evaluation: Do I check my pride at the door? Do i see further than my own ideas?

(Ego driven) 1.....2......3......4… ...5......6......7......8......9… ..10..(Ego controlled)

2. Leaders are authentic and so they direct from standards. You earn the trust and respect of those you work with when you're conscious of your identiity,and you walk the talk. Who trusts in leaders who don't have confidence in themselves? People need to observe that you are genuine and human. At the same time, you will need to direct through principles that are bigger than you are. Character, not emotions are what control your behavior and judgements. It is a principle-driven identity. "Truly authentic leaders are open both to their gifts and also to their developing qualities. Those who recognize who they are tend to have a more effective voice and to make a more profound donation to an organization. Get in the habit of asking yourself two crucial questions: 'Why do I engage in the effort and the life which i do?' and 'What do I act like within the most fulfilling times of my life?'" Kevin Cashman (Founder and Chief executive officer of Leadersource)

Evaluation: Do I lead through a genuine dedication to my core principles and standards?

(Contrived)..1.........2..........3...........4......5.........6..........7..........8..........9 ….....10 (Authentic)

3. Leaders are listeners so they convey passion. Superb attentiveness is fueled by interest. It is hard to be a wonderful listener if you are not really inquisitive regarding other people. What is the adversary of curiosity? Grandiosity,the belief that you have all the answers. Concurrently, our listening must create an opportunity to communicate in a relevant method. Once we understand our organization along with our clients,we are more likely to communicate vision to them on their wave-length. Leaders are able to hear from their team, then synthesise the smartest plan determined by what is best for the unit. "In the majority of organizations today, strategies still come from the top. Soon after arriving at this command, I realized that the younger people on this ship are smart and talented. And I discovered that my job was to concentrate sharply,to grab every one of the ideas that they possessed for improving how we function. The most important thing that a captain can accomplish would be to see the ship from the eyes of the crew." D. Michael Abrashoff, U.S. Navy

Evaluation: Do I listen well? Does my listening deliver relevant communication? (Poor listener)1..........2........3......4… … .5.........6.........7.......8.......9 … ...10

(Extraordinary listener to original strategies) Poor listeners often miss remarkable ideas...

4. Leaders are good at offering support, and they're hardly ever satisfied. Leaders are always raising the stakes of the game for themselves and for everyone. This means they are always testing and establishing both daring and stamina throughout the organization. This is a rare combination. We often feel that an innovator is either a good encourager or a discontented person. Not true. Successful leaders become an expert in the skill of encouraging their own people and affirming their efforts. Truly competent leaders call out still bigger performances from their people because they so believe in the abilities of those people. Oftentimes the most concrete determination comes from a fervent leader who positively expresses his or her discontent in the corporation's status, thinking that everyone there could take it to another level.

Evaluation: Have I perfected the art of being a disgruntled encourager?

(I are capable of doing either.1....2.....3… … 4.....5.....6......7......8… ..9....10 (I'm able to do both just as well)

I can accomplish one, or I can do each, equally well

5. Leaders are trailblazers and they make unexpected contacts. They organize and guide conversations involving those who don't normally communicate with one another, and they also understand the kinds of behaviours which permit small improvements and breakthrough strategies. Even though they are out ahead of most everybody, they never fail to notice an association with a key individual that can add value towards the group. In reality, the reason why they are able to connect individuals who typically don't communicate is because of their own influence. They can get individuals together that would not have chosen to spend time partnering. "No leader can possibly have every one of the answers& The specific choices about how best to meet the challenges of the situation have to be made by the people closest to the action& The leader has to discover the way to empower these frontline people, to encourage them, to provide them with the resources they need, and then to hold them responsible. As they wrestle with& this particular problem, the leader becomes their coach, teacher, and facilitator. Alter how you define leadership, and you change the way you run a business." Steve Miller (Group Managing Director, Royal Dutch/Shell)

Evaluation: Do I identify and connect to important people as I conquer new paths? (Miss opportunities)

1.....2.....3 ....4......5.....6.....7......8 … .9.....10 (capitalize on opportunities)

I miss opportunities: I capitalize on opportunities

6. Leaders are understanding of the tendencies of culture and they provide guidance. Change takes place so quickly within our culture that a leader would be unwise to fail to keep their ear on the ground. At the same time, they aren't hesitant to provide guidance when it's time. This is different than providing solutions. No single leader is wise enough to understand everything concerning exactly where markets are heading, how modern technology is evolving, and what competitors are planning. But smart leaders do know how to pose revealing questions. This particular character requires the leader to walk a fine line between becoming a paranoiac "survey taker" and a self-sufficient know-it-all. Crucial reminder: You're not on top of things, and you are really not in charge,but you are connected, and you are out in front.

Evaluation: Do I read my culture effectively? Can I sum up things i discover and establish a path based on things i see?

(difficult to remain on the cutting edge) 1.....2.....3.......4.....5.....6.....7......8 … .9.......10. (I read through and then I lead)

7. Leaders protect their people from danger and they expose them to truth. The dirty little secret of life in organizations: the majority of people want leaders to protect them from change, rather than rally them to face it. This is why leadership is indeed dangerous. Individuals long to have a leader which will take all the heat, and protect their people and their department once the going gets rough. Superior leaders have the ability to both shield them from danger that would keep them from reaching their desired goals, yet while doing so expose them to strong amounts of actuality so every person has a perception of the big picture and the stakes which are involved in every risk.

Evaluation: Do I both protect my people and expose my people to reality?

(Over protect/under expose).1.....2 … ..3........4......5......6......7.......8 … ..9......10...

(Protect and expose in a balanced way)