LEADERSHIP: OF GENERATIONS X, Y AND Z

published: 2008-12-28

School teachers often teach - and, therefore, have to lead - students of a common age. But, most of us lead teams covering a range of ages. So, why the fixation with the leadership needs of Generation X or Y, or any other letter of the alphabet? An effective leader engages people of all ages - and types. And, I'll bet X and Y are as diverse as any group.

LEADERSHIP: ALL TOGETHER NOW

published: 2008-09-29

Which do you prefer: an afternoon at the football; or, an evening at the symphony?  Either way, you'll see teamwork in action.  And, perhaps that's the reason so many highly effective leaders have experience of team sports or other team activities. 

LEADERSHIP: THE HEROES ON THE FRONTLINE

published: 2008-06-23

Talk to any soldier and they'll tell you it's frontline troops, not generals, who fight the battles.  HQ may set direction and define key goals but it's platoon leaders and their troops, who go there.  They're the ones, who reconnoitre, take territory, dig in and fight.  Now, business isn't warfare.  But, the metaphor has its place. 

LEADERSHIP: WHAT'S IN A BRAND?

published: 2008-03-24

The article "Building a Leadership Brand" (HBR July/August 2007) is excellent. Assuming, that is, you’re a CEO or HR strategist in a major global corporation. In other words, a few hundred people. But, what about the rest of us: working in smaller organisations, or leading our own businesses? And, worrying daily about delivering products and services, dealing with staff and hoping to improve productivity and profits?

LEADERSHIP: WHAT THE HELL IS AUTHENTIC?

published: 2008-03-03

"Discovering Your Authentic Leadership" (Harvard Business Review, February 2007) is like a 20-minute, personal-growth workshop.  All the feel-good, righteous stuff is there.  You should be self-aware and authentic.  Don't try to be like anyone else.  Find your own life story and build on that.  Ensure you've got life balance.  Well, all that's fine so long as it finds you on parade and taking leadership actions others will esteem and follow.  And, in this regard, my experience (from three decades of consulting and leading) says there are other factors as well.  Like being passionate and driven, market savvy, technically proficient, tireless in the service of your team and, yes, at times even angry and unfair.  Generals Patton, Napoleon and Wellington weren't heavily into self-awareness.  Nor are many CEOs – including ones I've known and admired.  Nice is certainly valuable, but not sufficient.

LEADERSHIP: BEAT THE BUST

published: 2008-10-28

The Sage of Omaha, Warren Buffett, says the downturn is going to be both deep and long. Global central banks have caught the falling knife of financial collapse. But, there's blood (and shredded reputations) on the floor. And now, the real economy is in for a bad time. Customers are already delaying purchases; banks are loathe to lend - even to good businesses; and, no-one knows what the next fright will be.

LEADERSHIP: AND, THE OBAMA CABINET

published: 2008-11-30

As President-elect, three of Barack Obama's earliest appointments have been: Treasury secretary (Timothy Geithner); Director, National Economic Council (Lawrence Summers); and Director, Council of Economic Advisers (Christina Romer) .  Why these roles, and why so quickly?

LEADERSHIP: A QUICK COVER-UP

published: 2009-04-20

Warren Buffett famously quipped that it's not until the tide goes out you find who's been swimming naked.  He was referring to financial risk-takers.  But, he might as well be talking about leaders.  With the tide rising, we all look fine.  But with the lake sucked dry, we may be caught.  So, as you stand in front of your team today, do they see you clad - or threadbare?  Are there holes where it's better to be covered?

LEADERSHIP: THE LOWEST-HANGING FRUIT

published: 2009-09-07

To the question "Why aren't things going to plan?", a cynic commented "Because there ain't no plan."  And, from time to time, this afflicts all aspects of business.  The well-conceived launch is modified so often it ends up having no real plan.  The technical upgrade is derailed by a system failure and morphs into a series of ad-hoc adjustments.  The long-planned acquisition becomes overrun by legal and ego battles, and key conditions get forgotten.  The results: time and cost overruns; and, crashed performance.  But, for leadership, most people don't even start with a plan - of actions to ensure people will want to deliver a successful project.  And, that's why leadership is the lowest-hanging fruit of performance improvement.  And, it's also high-energy fruit, affecting all business functions.

LEADERSHIP: POWER AND PURPOSE

published: 2010-01-28

US decline and China's inexorable rise are much talked of.  But, in a recent article, Josef Joffe* concludes his rebuttal thus.  "Gainsayers will still dramatise China's growth rates as a harbinger of a grand power shift.  But as the 21st century unfolds, the US will be younger and more dynamic than its competitors."  Whether right or wrong, it's an important issue.  And, his arguments have resonance for the durability of leaders, as well as nations.  He stresses the requirement for "requisite power and purpose."  If asked, would your colleagues say you still have these?

LEADERSHIP: WHERE AND HOW DO WE ALL FIT IN?

published: 2008-02-04

The golden rule of property is position, position, position. And, leadership is similar. But, in this case it’s people, people, people. And the bottom line is simple: you’re not a leader if you don’t have followers. How would your team rate their commitment to you and your plans: high, medium or low?

LEADERSHIP: BEING OUT THERE

published: 2008-04-19

Nature abhors a vacuum. Particularly, an information blackout. And, if you let one arise, it may quickly fill with “good stories” put about by competitors and enemies.

LEADERSHIP: PHYSICIAN HEAL THYSELF

published: 2010-05-10

The author of this article opens with an unbeatable leadership confession. He states that “The problem with health care is people like me.” He’s a doctor but the article equally applies if “doctor” is replaced by engineer (my training), actuary, lawyer or any other profession. By definition, leaders start with some specialisation – technical, social or commercial. And the better we perform, the more likely someone will appoint us to lead others – first in the same area and later across others. And the rot starts there – unless, like Thomas Lee, we recognise that changing roles requires changing priorities. Leadership is another profession. But we often fail to see that or we come to it after starting to lose our flexibility of thinking and behaviour. How well would your people say you’ve transitioned? High, medium or low?

LEADERSHIP: WHEN IN DOUBT, DISAGGREGATE

published: 2010-05-31

Seth Godin is part blogger, part public intellectual. Some days, he really nails a topic. Here’s an abbreviated introduction to a recent posting*.

“The typical American buys precisely one book a year … (but) when it comes to books, there is no typical American. There are a lot of Americans who buy zero books … and then there are people like me who buy 400. The average is irrelevant.”

It’s the old warning of the non-swimmer, who drowned in a river of one-metre average depth. So, what’s the equivalent for your leadership? Are you just taking “average” one-size-fits-all actions? Here’s a three-step alternative.

LEADERSHIP: GOING BACK TO GO FORWARD

published: 2010-06-07

Australia’s Prime Minister, Treasurer and hapless Government have locked themselves in a citadel of denial. They’re defending a resources super-profits tax, that’s been ill-conceived and badly introduced. The local media are full of it – as are key overseas financial reports. In Australia, not only mining people but also ex Labor Ministers, retired public servants, industry analysts and “friends” of Labor are trying to make the Government see sense. The tax, as proposed, is a national risk. Other countries are welcoming it as reducing Australia’s competitiveness in both attracting investment and exporting minerals. This same week, I’ve had a client CEO attempt a similar denial. Here are some thoughts on getting free.

LEADERSHIP: WHAT’S YOUR SOVEREIGN RISK RATING?

published: 2010-06-15

Daily papers and serious journals are currently full of articles about sovereign risk. The possibility Greece or other European countries (particularly those fringing the Mediterranean) will default or reschedule their debt. This could undermine the standing and even the survival of the euro. Wikipedia defines it thus: the risk of a government becoming unwilling or unable to meet its loan obligations, or reneging on loans it guarantees. What is the leadership equivalent – and how do people rate you as a risk? Let’s explore some ways to reduce that.

LEADERSHIP: ARE YOU DRIVEN BY VISION OR VENGEANCE?

published: 2010-06-28

Kevin Rudd resigned his Prime Ministership rather than face being voted out by his own party colleagues. What transformed a resounding electoral win in December 2007 into this current humiliation? More importantly, as leaders, how can you or I avoid such outcomes? And, what are the warning signs? Here are half a dozen.

LEADERSHIP: 12 FACETS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

published: 2010-08-23

A valuable gemstone has many facets, each finely polished. To be a valuable leader, you similarly need a range of carefully honed capabilities. For some people, these attributes fall broadly into two categories. First, the technical (or IQ-driven) ones: for example, professional expertise, market knowledge, financial acumen or analytical skills. Second, interpersonal (or EQ) ones: such as showing empathy, listening well, being self-aware, developing successors and creating teams. With regard to the latter, below is a list of 12 EQ actions. Why not re-order them into a list that starts with the one you do best, through to the one you do least well! And, perhaps plan what you’re going to do to improve the bottom couple. After that, I’ll tell you where the list comes from.