Being A Leader
The Seduction of Becoming “a Leader”
We all want to be “a leader” to stand out, to advance our cause.
“The Higher up the Organization You Sit, the Harder it is to Exercise Leadership”
The very things that created the “power of being in charge” are now impeding their willingness and ability to lead the changes required.
Martyrdom – An Unimpressive Skill
Leading change requires risk-taking. Calculating how much risk will drive the desired change – but moderating that amount to avoid being “taken out” is one of the central challenges of leadership.
Lead The Way You Want To Lead
One piece of feedback she got from her team was “Lead the way you want to lead.” What struck her was how liberating that felt to her.
The Problem with Millennials
The Wall Street Journal ran a piece recently about how Wall Street firms, particularly Investment Banks, were trying to increase appeal of their employment opportunities for Millennials. Their efforts included giving their candidates a year off to work at a charity of their choice, more flexible compensation, less onerous work load expectations in the early years, even more aggressive college loan payoffs. They all sounded like good ideas. There were two big problems:
“If we wait until we are ready – we’ll wait for the rest of our lives.” Lemony Snickets
If we don’t act now, what does it mean we really value and support?
Choosing Between Being Right and Being Effective
Among the greatest challenges faced by people trying to lead, choosing between being right and being effective is among the most vexing.
When watching a non-performer – try this assumption:
We are often asked about how to engage, or ultimately deal with non-performers.
Partnering with Authority
Power comes from a “contract for services” we call Authority, we form with other people in our sphere.
Leadership is mobilizing people to narrow the gap..
In these challenging times, many people are asking “where is the leadership we need?”
“The people with the Problem are the problem ….and the solution”
In today’s reflection we contemplate the importance of engaging people in the identification of what’s not working as well as what to do about it. In many change efforts, the people in charge select the problem and the solution.