LEADERSHIP X COACHING …providing 4X4 leadership

Haven’t we put the cart before the horse? We tend to say “these are the things I need to become a good leader. When I get them right, I will be a good leader.”

Why not put the horse in front of the cart by rather saying: “What kind of leader do I want to be?” – and then be that leader. Think about it. Don’t you already know deep down what that means, even if you haven’t verbalised it? Let’s make it easier for you. Do you want to be an inspiring or uninspiring leader? A leader who bases their decisions on values and principles or one who responds opportunistically to events as they arise? An effective leader or a popular person?

I am sure you have a whole list of attributes to add to these. Maybe it helps to list the attributes, especially if you are more left-brained. You don’t have to, though, because I bet when I asked the question, you knew exactly in your gut what the answer is.

So, when you have decided what kind of leader you want to be, be that leader. How? By turning up everyday and being that person. Speaking of which, it goes wider than public leadership, doesn’t it – it is about personal leadership too. In essence, in deciding what kind of leader you want to be, you are also deciding what kind of person you want to be.

When you look at your challenges today, just be the person or leader you want to be and you will know exactly what and how you need to turn up. I dare you, tell me I am wrong!

I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts – select this link to start or join the conversation:

If you are interested in any of the books above please click here.

(From next month, I will be featuring a synopsis of a series of talks I have developed on Leaders are dealers. If you are interested in hearing more about this series and how it would work for you and your management team, please feel free to contact me or look on my website at www.leaders-in-progress.com from 15 January 2012.)

I would like to take this opportunity of wishing all my clients and readers and successful and prosperous 2012 - may all our expectations be comfortably exceeded.

Critical Coaching Conversations …Observations from the Fly on the Office Wall

At the end of each year, I notice more and more people in organisations falling over. It’s like the Comrades or other marathons where the runners run more than 90 kilometres and then, as they see the finish line 50 metres ahead of them on the last straight, they fall over. Last year, in the workplace, was particularly bad.

How does, what I call, the Comrades Effect play out in the workplace? Well, from the second half of November into the early part of December, our focus seems to shift from our purpose to the date we will be taking leave, our own finish line. Granted, we normally have an all-too-long list of all the things we want to do before we cross that finish line – and this, in itself, puts us under greater pressure. On top of this, the people who have been interrupting us all year long, or our managers who have been loading us with tasks throughout the year, for some strange (to us, anyway) reason continue to do these things. Don’t they know we are trying to reach the finish line?

And so we crack! We become overwhelmed by the tasks left to complete (even those we have known about for several months!), by what we interpret as the inconsideration of the people around us, by our lack of energy and concentration. As if this is not enough pressure, our “50 metre speech” to ourselves that it will be over soon, has increasingly less influence on us. So, we explode – if we are the apologising type, we seem to make more apologies in the half month of December than the rest of the year put together.

When all is said and done, though, the marathon runners don’t need to sprint the last 50 metres to finish. They can walk it, if they need to. But they need to keep their focus on the purpose of their being there – to finish the race – and not be distracted by the crowds, their tiredness, the emotions they are experiencing in finishing, etc. And so, too, in the workplace, we need to focus on our goals and doggedly, single-mindedly keep moving, no matter how slowly, towards achieving them. Nothing else matters. Until we get there!

I’d love to hear your comments and thoughts – select this link to start or join the conversation:

Wishing you all a marvellous start to the year – may 2012 bring you all the success and happiness you wish for, and may you not suffer from the Comrades Effect at the end of the year!

Best wishes
Lauron