Ltb Class 1

Leadership: Do you really want to be out front?

Opening Questions • Why would anyone want to be led by you? • Do you have, or can you get, what it takes?

What is leadership? • Leadership is a complex process by which a person influences others to accomplish a mission, task, or objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent.

Leaders are… “People who leave their footprints in the areas of their passion”

In other words… • Good leaders make people WANT to achieve high goals and objectives; bosses TELL people to accomplish a task or objective. • It is the followers, not the leader, who determine if a leader is successful.

Myths of leadership • Leaders are charismatic. • Leaders are born, not made. • Leaders exist only at the top of an organization. • Leaders control, direct, manipulate, and prod. • Leadership is a rare skill.

A Leader: • • • • • • • • •

Challenges processes Clarifies group vision, goals, and direction Encourages idea sharing Models the way Encourages through verbal and physical cues Recognizes and utilizes the talents of the group Asks for and administers feedback Has high integrity Takes responsibility for all actions taken

Four competencies of leadership •

Management of attention – A set of intentions or vision – A sense of outcome, goal or direction

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Management of trust – Reliable, constant, focused, authentic

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Management of meaning – Communicate your vision – Integrate facts, concepts, and anecdotes into meaning and focus – Get people to understand and support goals in a variety of ways

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Management of self – – – –

Know your own skills and deploy them Know your strengths and nurture them Accept risk View failures as steps toward success

To work well, teams need • Direction (key result areas, goals, measurements) • Knowledge (skills, training, information, goals) • Resources (tools, materials, facilities, money) • Support (approval, coaching, feedback, encouragement)

Common Leadership Responsibilities (1 of 2) • A good operational leader will: – ENSURE safe work practices. – TAKE COMMAND of assigned resources. – MOTIVATE with a “can do safely” attitude. – DEMONSTRATE INITIATIVE by taking action.

Common Leadership Responsibilities (2 of 2) • A good operational leader will: – COMMUNICATE by giving specific instructions and asking for feedback. – SUPERVISE the scene of action. – EVALUATE the effectiveness of the plan. – UNDERSTAND and ACCEPT the need to modify plans or instructions.

Essential Leadership Skill Set • • • • • • •

Collaborative leadership Systems thinking Creativity Emotional intelligence Risk communication Influence and negotiation Conflict management

Caring • Sincere interest and genuine concern for others • Treat with respect, dignity, approval, appreciation, attention, significance, value and trust • Presence; leading by example

Emotional Intelligence • An ability and capacity to recognize your personal feelings and the feelings and emotional reactions of others. (Goleman, 1998a) • Leaders must also be able to manage their emotions and feelings in their relationships with others. (Rowitz, 2006) • Emotional intelligence requires a balance between heart and head

Competence No amount of personality, political skills, can disguise or overcome a deficit in basic technical and managerial competence. And almost nothing can multiply employee anxieties and reduce confidence more during crisis than a leader who is perceived to be marginally competent. Crisis Leadership, by Gene Klann, The Center for Creative

Decisiveness • Even a wrong decision that promotes action is better than doing nothing. Influential decision making means gathering information and getting input as soon as possible; knowing that all the information needed to make the decision isn’t available; accepting that there are risks involved; getting recommendations from others; listening to gut feelings; making the decisions that need to be

Courage • To tell the truth under difficult circumstances, to make hard decisions, to answer tough questions, to face the unhappy crowd, and to accept responsibility. • Start with a clear code of personal values, ethics and standards • Calculated risk-taking

Twelve tips for leaders 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Know what is going on. Set the direction. Help them stay on course. Offer guidance. Open doors if you can. Assess their progress. Be smart.

Twelve tips (continued) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Help team maintain self-esteem. Offer an empathetic ear. Use their ideas, results, etc. Give them credit and thanks. Never take credit for their work.

Exercise: What Makes a Leader? Purpose: To understand the traits of a successful leader Key Concepts: Leadership, emotional Take Home Points & Discussion intelligence Procedures: 5.Write down 10 traits of a successful leader. 6.How many of these 10 traits do you have? 7.How many of these traits relate to emotional intelligence? 8.What do you have to do to demonstrate more of these traits?