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LEADERSHIP: BURN THOSE CENTREFOLDS

published: 2008-05-19

Jack Welch, Carly Fiorina, Warren Buffett!  These are the centrefold players, big-ticket stars, the leadership fashion models.  We read their names in leadership articles.  Why?  Big names sell subscriptions.  But, the Fortune 500 companies employ just 500 chief executives.  So, what about the rest of us, with names like yours and mine, that most people never hear? 

LEADERSHIP: SIX KEY WORDS

published: 2008-05-12

To understand Italian opera, you only need five words - or, so they say.  Here's the list: morte (death), amore (love), maledizione (curse), adio (farewell) and andiamo (let's go).  Supposedly, these will guide you through any romantic tale. 

LEADERSHIP: LIFTING MY GAME

published: 2008-05-05

How was your last leadership performance review?  And, feedback from colleagues?  Was the employee survey result less positive than you'd like?

LEADERSHIP: GETTING THAT JOB

published: 2008-04-28

What's the secret to being chosen?  Sadly, there's no one answer.  But there are sensible pointers.  The right experience and qualification; presenting well; and, writing a good resumé.  But years of experience (as both an executive and consultant) tell me the acid test is record of consistently delivering results. 

LEADERSHIP: THE SEEDS OF FAILURE

published: 2008-04-21

Think of big corporate disasters you've known or read about.  What was the cause?  Bad strategy, wrong business model, inefficiency, bad luck?  Not in my experience.  Most often, the core issue is flawed human beings - and, at the top. 

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. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: A STEP UP FROM MANAGEMENT

published: 2008-04-14

Are you a leader or a manager?  And, what's the difference?  For me, the distinction is one of degree not kind.  Most managers spend time leading; and, leaders also manage. 

LEADERSHIP: IT MAY BE O.K. TO BE A WORKAHOLIC

published: 2008-04-07

There are times when we stretch ourselves to breaking point. On top of our regular commitments, a parent gets ill, a child’s in trouble, a project goes pear-shaped. For short periods, it’s possible. We push to extreme; then, re-balance.
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LEADERSHIP: IT'S ABOUT LEADING, NOT READING

published: 2008-03-31

Throw out all those books on leadership, and the pile of articles on your desk! Reading what other leaders do (or recommend) is like going to the movies or watching TV. It’s entertainment. Sometimes inspiring but mostly irrelevant - and soon forgotten. Most of us don’t need to be General Patton or Rupert Murdoch. We just need to lead that team we see, talk and do things with every day at work. ... read more

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?
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LEADERSHIP: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

published: 2008-03-17

The article, "The Making of an Expert" (HBR July-August 2007), is worth reading if only for one line: experts are always made, not born. And, as the authors stress, this is as true for business leaders as sportspeople, scientists and artists. But how? Years of "practicing intensively"; focusing on "tasks beyond your current level of competence and comfort"; and, having a coach not only to guide you but "help you learn how to coach yourself." ... read more

LEADERSHIP: THINKING IS OFTEN THE LEAST OF IT

published: 2008-03-10

"How Successful Leaders Think" is a classic HBR article: big-name leaders (yes, Jack Welch is there), a handful of anecdotes (passing for evidence), a strong metaphor (we can all understand) and a simple diagram.  A revolutionary idea and leadership made easy.  Except that the core "opposable" thinking (thesis/antithesis/synthesis) is as old as time, as is also the CEO’s unique integrative role across conflicting needs of individual business units, functions and market groups.  But, above all, leadership is about much more than thinking. ... read more

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. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: FOUR PRINCIPLES OF ENDURING SUCCESS

published: 2008-02-25

People love lists of dos and don’ts. And, why not? They often contain useful hints. And, a good example is Stadler’s article “The Four Principles of Enduring Success” (HBR July/August 2007). He follows in the footsteps of others like Jim Collins (of Built to Last and Good to Great), who analyse the performance of lots of companies and draw simple conclusions to explain why some excel and others fall behind. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: ADAPT OR DIE

published: 2008-02-18

At university, a friend decided to compete in the Modern Pentathlon. He was a good athlete and swimmer. But, knew nothing of pistol shooting, fencing or show jumping. I was no sportsman, but had grown up with horses and done some fencing. So, he asked for tips. And, asked another friend about shooting. From these slim pointers, he worked with the team coach and became quite accomplished - and very quickly. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: WHAT’S YOUR INNOVATION INDEX

published: 2008-02-18

The authors of an article in the December issue of Harvard Business Review assert that “five ‘discovery skills’ separate true innovators from the rest of us.” They list the usual suspects: Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Ratan Tata. And, as usual, it’s more about after-the-event generalisations than scientific deduction. But, that doesn’t stop us asking: what must I do to be more creative? Here are their five thoughts – and one I’ve added. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: CARVING UP THE BUDGET

published: 2008-02-11

Frugality is admired. And, necessity (as they say) is the mother of invention. But often, too much is made of scarcity. The extreme being the romantic notion of the starving artist slaving in a garret and producing works of enduring social value.

LEADERSHIP: BEING GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO

published: 2008-02-11

Richard Rumelt’s CV includes conquering both mountains and new territory in business thinking. In the latter, from an analytical base, he’s disproved many old assumptions. One of his most notable findings is as follows: being in the right industry does matter, but being good at what you do matters a lot more – regardless of your industry. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: LET A THOUSAND FOLLOWERS FLOWER

published: 2008-02-11

“Increasingly, followers think of themselves as free agents, not as dependent underlings. … A confluence of changes – cultural and technological ones in particular – have influenced what subordinates want and how they behave, especially in relation to their ostensible bosses.” I like that expression: ostensible bosses. Are we ever much more than that? Each day and in each situation, we have to win our followers to the cause or journey, for which we’re responsible. So, how are we to do that? ... read more

LEADERSHIP: MOBILISES TALENT AND KNOWLEDGE

published: 2008-02-04

“The formal structures of companies, as manifested in their organisational charts, don’t explain how most of their real day-to-day work gets done.” That’s what the authors of a recent article claim; and, many would agree. But, being consultants, they have a solution. Establish “formal networks” – and more about these below. But, let’s keep it simple. Why not appoint more appropriate leaders to run the company as it’s already structured? ... read more