LEADERSHIP: IT'S ABOUT LEADING, NOT READING

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.

So, what do we need to do to inspire them to follow us and support the vision we’ve got for the business - or that new project? Just as we need a plan for the business or project, we need a plan for our leadership. The actions we’re going to take. And, these must reflect what our team members need.

Think of your team - and other colleagues, who must support what you’re trying to create. Which two of these “follower-questions” are most pressing in their minds? Vision: where are we going? Energy: can we do it? Culture: how should we behave? Task: what output is required? Organisation: who else is coming along? Or, Renewal: what if our world erupts? Write down your two choices!

And, having identified these priority questions: what actions are needed to answer them? These may be uplifting like working with colleagues to clarify goals; or, taking action to build teamwork; or, gritty and specific like demonstrating your own technical skill at resolving a particular business issue or problem.

No two situations are alike. Your team is your team, not General Patton’s. Your business is yours, not Rupert Murdoch’s. So, develop your Leadership Action Plan, don’t imitate theirs. Read books and articles for enjoyment and, yes, for inspiration. But, in the end, you’re on your own – and need your own plan.

And that’s what my online V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership® tool enables you to do. In 40 minutes you end up with a printable, thought-through plan, which responds to your colleagues needs, and will make you effective as their leader.

So be a leader, not a reader!

Categories for this Potshot:

Leadership myths, Great-leader Potshots, Understanding V|E|C|T|O|R, Create goal alignment, Lift organisational will, Establish constructive values, Set operating standards, Build teams and relationships, Foster learning and reinventing,

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