You: An Owner's Guide
Publication Name: Successful Meetings
Published Date: 07/01/2006
Yes, you too can become a great leader -- someone who makes difficult, even improbable things, happen. How do you get there? Not by burying your nose in books about effective leadership. Nor by scoping out effective leaders and copying what they do. Just the opposite. Instead of looking outside of yourself, go inside and find your deepest values and instincts. Then use them as the basis of all your business activities.
This is what Robert Quinn calls your "Fundamental State of Leadership" (Harvard Business Review, July-August 2005). It's the place we all have inside of us but rarely use as the basis of our operations, except in moments of crisis. When you use it regularly in business, however, neat things begin to happen. Here are four mental shifts you have to make to get yourself into this powerful place. Stop being comfort-centered and start being results-centered. We really are creatures of habit. Most of the time we stay in our comfort zone. But leadership requires us to move beyond this habit of self-protection. You do this best by asking yourself: "Am I results-oriented?" Answer honestly, then create a vision of the results you want to accomplish, commit yourself to them, and figure out the strategies you need to make them happen.Stop being externally directed and start being internally directed. None of us likes conflict. In fact, we usually do a dance of avoidance to minimize it, especially at work.
To go beyond this, ask yourself: "Am I internally directed?" By answering honestly, you'll get in touch with your internal gyroscope and make it a key part of all your business activities. You'll become a force to be reckoned with, not by wielding the power of your position but by exerting the power of your convictions. Stop being self-focused and start focusing on others. Agendas are important, whether they are your own or the group's. Great leaders always have the organization's agenda uppermost in their minds. You may get people to help you realize your own private agenda, but not for long. Ask yourself: "Am I other-focused?" When you put the collective good first, everyone else will get on board and follow your lead. Stop paying attention to the past and start paying attention to what's unfolding now. There are two games in town.
You can either play the control game, which tries to keep the status quo, or you can become more open to the new and unexpected signals that call for you (and the organization) to change. Ask yourself: "Am I open to change?" As you become more receptive and adaptable, you'll see and hear much more. Others will become more open with you too, and the level of trust in your organization will skyrocket.If you make these four transitions in how you think and act, you will move into your Fundamental State of Leadership. Here's the kicker: When you operate from within this place, others pick up on your lead and elevate their levels of operation too. That's how to become a great leader!Dr. Tom McDonald, a Ph.D. in psychology, speaks on "People Skills" needed for "Business Results." Reach him in San Diego at (858) 523-0883 or tom@drtom mcdonald.com, or visit www.drtommcdonald.com. SIDEBAR Business leaders can gain untold benefits by learning to "manage up," says Quint Studer, author of "Hardwiring Excellence" (Fire Starter Publishing, 2004).
That means focusing on the positive -- which is trickier than it sounds. Here are three ways to do it: Manage up your boss. Bosses rarely hear good news, Studer says. Write him or her a thank-you note with specific praise, such as, "I appreciate that you always make time for me." Manage up your staff. Publicly thank an exemplary employee, again being specific: "Great job on that marketing report, Bob -- thanks for staying late to finish it." Manage up your organization. Always seek to unite rather than divide people, says Studer. Never talk disparagingly about other departments, even jokingly. And promote your brand to clients, family, and friends.
