Living the "Golden Rule"

 

 

Living the 'Golden Rule' is the final quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Golden Rule as: a rule of ethical conduct referring to Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31: do to others as you would have them do to you; a guiding principle.

Every major religion and philosophy has some version of what we have come to know as the "Golden Rule".  In essence, the 'rule' is to treat other people as you would want to be treated.  There are far too many people in leadership positions who see this as a one way street.  They expect to be treated with respect and courtesy but end up completely disrespecting  and being rude to others.  

 Effective leaders understand that this is just NOT a way to lead.  We have already discussed that people want to be accepted, approved, and appreciated.  They also want to be treated with respect.  They want to be valued.  They want to be treated fairly and they want to feel like they have been heard.  In the course of my 40+ year career, I have worked with 'leaders' who I felt let what I had to say go in one ear and out the other.  This is disheartening, at best!  I have also worked for and with some outstanding leaders who I felt always listened to what I had to say.  Things did not always go the way I had wanted them to go, but I always felt heard!  This makes a tremendous difference!

 

In his final motion picture, legendary actor John Wayne portrayed an aging gun fighter, John Bernard Books, who discovers he is dying of cancer (John Wayne was battling cancer in real life at the time) in 1976's The Shootist.  During the opening credits, the narrator (Ron Howard, who also stars in the film) introduces The Shootist's credo recited by The J.B. Books character: "I won't be wronged.  I won't be insulted.  I won't be laid a hand on.  I don't do these things to other people and I require the same from them."   Although a bit in reverse, another good example to the Golden Rule, treating people the way you want to be treated.

The idea of treating people the way you want to be treated is universal and effective leaders not only understand this, they practice it as a way of life!

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

 

Helping People Accomplish Tasks

 

Helping people accomplish tasks is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines help as: to do something that makes it easier for someone to do a job.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines accomplish as: to succeed in doing.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines task as:

a : a usually assigned piece of work often to be finished within a certain time

b : something hard or unpleasant that has to be done

c : duty, function

Effective leaders are invested in seeing everyone on their team succeed.  As such, they are willing to help their people achieve that success.  They will do whatever they can to set people up to succeed.  When the individual team member is successful, the team is successful, and, ultimately, the leader is successful.  True leadership success is measured by the success of the members of the team.

Effective leaders will go the extra mile to help their team members succeed.  When one person wins, everyone wins!

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

 

Seeking Win-Win Arrangements

Seeking Win-Win Arrangements is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines win-win as: advantageous or satisfactory to all parties involved.

In his classic leadership book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey lists Think Win-Win as habit #4.   Covey states "Win-Win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions.  Win-Win means that agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial, mutually satisfying.".  Effective leaders embrace this concept and rejects the sentiment 'Well, somebody has to lose'.

Orrin Woodward is famous for saying "Win-Win or no deal!".  The effective leader consciously works to achieve solutions and arrangements that benefit everyone involved.  Far too often people in a leadership position will adopt one of two mentalities.  Either they buy into the idea that someone has to lose for someone to win (just not so) or they feel that everyone must hate the solution (i.e. everyone loses) for it to be right (again, just not so).  The effective leader rejects both of these constructs and embraces the idea that solutions can and ought to benefit everyone involved.  Everyone can and should walk away feeling like they won!

As Covey points out, it is a mindset.  Effective leaders know this and put it into practice.  Once people realize that you are serious about this and will not compromise and throw someone under the bus for expediency sake, they will trust you and the relationship will grow to a point where the rough waters ahead can be navigated successfully.

Think Win-Win.  It works!!

Stephen R. Covey. "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". Simon & Schuster. New York. p.204-234

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

 

Putting Others First

Putting Others First is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Collins Online Dictionary defines putting others first as: If you put someone or something first, you treat or consider them as more important than anything else.

"...you treat them ... as more important than anything else." is the epitome of the effective leader having others as his/her priority.  A plethora of leaders and organizations advocate 'people first' but sadly, when it comes right down to it, it is only rhetoric.  The actions do not match the words.

The effective leader puts action behind the sentiment and truly puts others first. There is an alignment between what they are saying and what they actually do.  The old adage "actions speck louder than words" definitely applies here!  People will watch to see if you truly mean what you say.  If you don't, then you have lost all credibility and trust and you have a very long road ahead of you.  If, however, your actions do match your words, you are on your way to building very strong relationships that will last and will give you the ability to lead, achieve goals, and really support the team and its members.

Effective leaders know that putting others first is the right thing to do and when they do, the results will be staggering! 

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Caring For and About People

Caring for and About People is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines caring as: feeling or showing concern for or kindness to others.

If you have detected a theme over the past few posts, it is intentional.  Effective leaders take their eyes off themselves and cast them on others.  The effective leader sincerely wants others to rise and succeed.  The effective leader will advocate for the members of their team.  The effective leader will do everything in their power to help advance the careers of others.  The effective leader cares for and about people.

Building meaningful and lasting relationships has to start with the effective leader truly caring about the other person.  They are more concerned about what they can do for the other person rather than what the other person can do for them.  In a lasting relationship, both parties must give 100%.  The effective leader will give the 100% with no expectation of reciprocation.  They will give and care because it is the right thing to do, not for what they think they should get in return.

While there are some people who are just caring by nature, the rest of us can learn to care for and about people.  CAUTION: There is no check list that can be followed to achieve "caring".  It must be sincere, but that sincerity can be learned and acquired over time.  There are a number of great books that can start someone on the journey.  I would recommend the following:

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

2. Skill with People by Les Giblin

3. How to Have Power and Confidence When Dealing with People by Les Giblin

4. The DNA of Relationships by Gary Smalley

These four books will get you started on the path if you are new to caring for and about people or they will help you refine your own psyche if you are not new to trying to build relationships.

At the end of the day, effective leaders are able to build strong and lasting relationships because they sincerely care for and about people.

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Seeing the Good in People

Seeing the Good in People is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines good as: praiseworthy character.

When it comes to people and relationships, effective leaders are optimists.  I don't mean a Pollyanna optimism that is blind to challenges and difficulties.  I mean an optimism that begins with looking for the good and positive in people and then building a relationship on the foundation.

Abraham Lincoln is credited with having stated, "I don't like that man, I must get to know him better.".  The sentiment is sound.  You can find good in everyone if you take the time to look.

Chris Brady relates a story from early in his career as a factory manager for General Motors.  He had one veteran worker that just drove him up the wall.  They were like oil and water and were at odds with each other over what seemed like everything.  One day Brady had had enough and determined to get to know this man better.  He casually walked by his work station and struck up a personal conversation with no work related agenda.  To his amazement, Brady learned that this gentleman was not only a veteran, but bordered on being a war hero.  He also discovered that they had much more in common than either one of them knew.  From that day on, the relationship changed for the better.  The point is that Brady took the time to look for the good, and he found it!

Effective leaders are successful at establishing lasting positive relationships by finding and building on the good in people.

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Appreciating People

Appreciating People is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines appreciate as:  to understand the worth or importance of (something or someone) : to admire and value (something or someone).

Accepting people, approving of people, and appreciating people is really the trifecta of human relationships when it comes to effective leadership.  We have previously discussed the need for acceptance and approval.  These are critical; however, I would argue that without appreciation, the other two are incomplete.  Plain and simple, people want to be sincerely appreciated.  When they are, there is no end to what they will do to further the vision, mission, and goals of the team.

The effective leader understands that goals are not achieved in a vacuum: the leader does not do it alone.  It is also important to note that once the team and its members contribute their time, skills, talents, and expertise, they want to feel appreciated for their efforts.  The astute leader not only recognizes this, they truly are appreciative of all that others contribute.  AND... the expression of appreciation  must be sincere and from the heart.  The old adage "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care" is so very true.  People can spot insincere praise a mile away and it will destroy credibility and rapport.

Effective leaders sincerely appreciate the members of their team and offer heart felt praise liberally!

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Approving of People

Approving of People is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines approve as: to have or express a favorable opinion of

Not only do people want to be accepted (see yesterday's post), they want your approval.  There are a variety of writers who caution about seeking approval, needing approval for your own self image, needing approval to validate your existence, etc.  And while I would generally agree that there is wisdom in this sentiment, the reality is that people crave acceptance AND approval.

The effective leader will hone in on this and offer approval to his/her people.  I am not advocating that the leader must approve of every single detail about the individual, BUT, I am echoing Giblin's statement that you can always find something about the person that can garner your approval.  Everybody had something positive that can identified and used as the foundation of building a relationship.

It is also essential that there is sincerity in the offering of the approval.  If you are trying to fake it and offer insincere and/or non-truthful praise, not only will it be found out for the false statement that it is, it will damage and probably destroy and chance of relationship building.

Effective leaders offer sincere approval to everyone for the things that are truly a positive attribute and/or quality the is possessed by each individual.  This is a key to building successful relationships.

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Les Giblin: How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing With People."  Prentice Hall Press. New York. p.66.

Accepting People

 

Accepting People is the first quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Relationships.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Accepting as: 

1. able or willing to accept something or someone : inclined to regard something or someone with acceptance rather than with hostility or fear

2.  tending to regard different types of people and ways of life with tolerance and acceptance

 

The Cambridge Online Dictionary defines accept as: to consider something or someone as satisfactory.

 

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines acceptance as: the act of accepting something or someone

 

 

In order for effective leaders to build lasting relationships, they have to be willing to accept people for who they are and where they are.  That does not mean that they have to blindly accept anything and everything that a person says or does, but it does mean that they have to accept that it as a starting point from which to build a relationship.  People want to be heard and they want to feel like they matter.  As Dr. Hana-Meksom so eloquently pointed out, "People do not want to be tolerated but they want to be accepted.".

 

Far too often in this age of tolerance and inclusion, people and leaders talk the talk but do not walk the walk.  I have seen too many cases where tolerance was preached but only if you agreed with and thought like the people in positions of authority (I won't call them leaders because this violates so many tenants of leadership I don't have the time or space here to go into it).  People need to be accepted at face value and differences need to be able to be discussed in a civil and productive manner.  Too many times this just does not happen.

 

If people do not feel that you accept them, they simply will not follow you!

 

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

 

 

 

 

Relationships: The Ability to Get Along with People

 

The third and final factor in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger that measures a leader's effectiveness is Relationships.  According to Brady and Woodward, "The category of relationships measures the ability to get along with and form lasting bonds with people.  No leader can experience success alone."

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines to lead as: to guide someone or something along a way.

By its nature, leading and leadership requires other people.  John Maxwell has famously stated that “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.”  Effective Leadership requires building rapport with others.  Stephen M. R. Covey calls it the Speed of Trust.  People must trust the leader or they will not follow.

Further, the relationships need to be nurtured and deepened over time.

Recently Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim passed away at the age of 91.  Sondheim had a stellar career as a composer and lyricist.  He dominated musical theater for decades having won 8 Tony Awards, 8 Grammy Awards, and one Academy Award. What is striking about Sondheim is the relationships he developed over time.  If you watch his Tony acceptance speeches, you will see him repeatedly thanking his orchestrator and his conductor.  Over the years they were the same people.  For people to have that kind of longevity only comes from building a deep relationship over time.  Sondheim was definitely an amazing artist, but also was a very effective leader in his field!

Going forward I will explore the qualities that Brady and Woodward present as needing to be present to build effective and lasting relationships. 

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

John C. Maxwell: "Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know".  Thomas Nelson Inc.  Nashville, TN. p. 69.

Execution

Execution is the final quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Tasks.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Execution as: the act or process of executing.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Execute as: to do.

And it is that simple... effective leadership requires action, you have to do it! You can have the best plan in the world but if you don't execute it, you have nothing!

Effective leaders will develop an implementation plan and then execute it. That is, they will do it!

Even with the other qualities of the TASK factor (acceptance of responsibility, work ethic, availability, willingness to invest time, tenacity, and perseverance), a lack of execution means nothing gets done and a leader's effectiveness is zero.

So, as the old Nike slogan advised, Just Do It!

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.96 

Perseverance

Perseverance is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Tasks.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Perseverance as: the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult.

Effective leaders keep trying and working until the job is done.  The word 'quit' is not in their vocabulary.  History is full of great leaders who persevered through very difficulty circumstances.

-- George Washington lost battle after battle after battle.  There were far more losses than victories until Yorktown and the surrender of Cornwallis: The war was won.

-- Abraham Lincoln lost numerous elections and failed at business before he was elected President of the United States and led the country through the Civil War and is one of the top ranked Presidents in history by Presidential scholars.

-- Harriet Tubman fled to freedom but was not satisfied with just her freedom. "I had crossed the line. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land; and my home after all, was down in Maryland; because my father, my mother, my brothers, and sisters, and friends were there. But I was free, and they should be free."  She went on to be the most celebrated conductor in the Underground Railroad.  "I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can’t say — I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger."

-- Steve Jobs was fired from the company that he had founded and successfully built.  He then failed at other ventures only to return to his original company, which was floundering, and led it to new heights.  Subsequently, Apple grew into a multi-trillion dollar company.

There are countless more examples.  The point is that these leaders kept going and they didn't quit.

Effective leaders will continue with the task until the job is done.  They have perseverance!

 

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97 

Tenacity

 

Tenacity is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Tasks.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Tenacity as: the quality or state of being tenacious

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Tenacious as: 

1 : not easily stopped or pulled apart : firm or strong

2 : continuing for a long time

3 : very determined to do something

 

Effective leaders are determined and passionate about getting the job done.  They will do whatever needs to be done.  Setbacks won't stop them.  Unfounded criticism won't stop them.  Risk of failure won't stop them.  Threats won't stop them.  They are committed to doing the right thing and will pursue it with a vengeance.  They won't stop until the task is successfully completed.  They will get the job done.

There is a great little book entitled The Go-Getter: A Story That Tells You How to Be One.  In it the main character is given a difficult task and faces what many would consider insurmountable obstacles. If you have not read it, I strongly recommend it.  It will give you a first hand look at the value of tenacity.

 

Leadership tenacity is critical because it sets and example for others who are watching.  The leaders commitment, passion, and drive are contagious.  Others will follow and together the task will get done!

 

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97  

Willigness to Invest Time

Willingness to Invest Time is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Tasks.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Willing as:

1 : inclined or favorably disposed in mind

2 : prompt to act or respond

3 : done, borne, or accepted by choice or without reluctance

4 : of or relating to the will or power of choosing

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Invest as: to make use of for future benefits or advantages

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Time as: the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues

 

So, combining these definitions, The Willingness to Invest Time is:  inclined to make use of for future benefits or advantages the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues.  In other words, effective leaders are inclined to use their measured periods for future benefits or advantages.

 

Leaders invest their time in order to succeed! 

 

Now, the question begs to be asked, to what should the aspiring effective leader invest their time?

 

The answer to this question should not surprise you.  Effective leaders invest their time in people, in themselves and their own growth, and in the future of the organization for which they are working.

 

To invest in other people, the effective leader truly cares about their people and actively looks for ways to support them and to assist in their professional growth and development.  Basically, the effective leader has their back!

 

To invest in themselves, the effective leader is constantly growing.  Leaders are readers and are always expanding their knowledge base and their mental horizons.  They are constantly learning.  It was the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo who stated "I am still learning." after all he had accomplished.

 

To invest in the future of the organization, the effective leader takes a proactive approach to planning and implementation of the vision, mission, and goals of the organization.  They are constantly asking, "How can we better implement our vision and how can we best get to where we need to be?".

 

Time is the one resource that is non-renewable.  When it is gone, it is gone.  The effective leader is willing to invest the time that they have on the things that matter!

 

Time wasted is time lost forever!

 

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97 

Availability

Availability is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Tasks.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Availability as: an available person or thing

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Available as: present and able or willing to talk to someone

More and more availability is being recognized as an essential leadership practice.  This goes beyond the traditional 'open door policy'!  What good is an open door if no one is there?  Effective leaders MUST be available to their teams and individual members.  If they are not, it can breed dissent, confusion, insecurity, apathy, and the list goes on.  

Think back.  Most of us can cite an example in our past where the 'leader' was fiercely guarded by the battle axe administrative assistant (who in most cases turned out to be a very nice person) and access requires as appointment, often weeks in advance.  That just does not work.  The effective leader is out and about getting a sense for what is happening and chatting with people on a regular basis.  If people are used to seeing you and are used to talking to you, it becomes less awkward to problem solve when issues are small.  A lack of availability can make a very small issue turn into a huge problem.

Business has been using this successfully for decades.

The management by wandering around (MBWA), also management by walking around, refers to a style of business management [leadership] which involves managers [leaders] wandering around, in an unstructured manner, through the workplace(s), at random, to check with employees, equipment, or on the status of ongoing work. The emphasis is on the word wandering as an unplanned movement within a workplace, rather than a plan where employees expect a visit from managers at more systematic, pre-approved or scheduled times.

The expected benefit is that a manager, by random sampling of events or employee discussions, is more likely to facilitate improvements to the morale, sense of organizational purpose, productivity and total quality management of the organization, as compared to remaining in a specific office area and waiting for employees, or the delivery of status reports, to arrive there, as events warrant in the workplace.

[Copied from Wikipedia] 

Much of this ties into building relationships, which I will discuss in future posts.

Effective leaders must make a conscious effort to be available.  People have to know that you are there, you are available, you care, and you will make the time for each and every one of them!

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Work Ethic

Work Ethic is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Tasks.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines Work Ethic as: a belief in work as a moral good : a set of values centered on the importance of doing work and reflected especially in a desire or determination to work hard.

Far too often people in a leadership position adopt the mindset, either consciously or unconsciously, 'do as I say and not as I do'.  This just does not work.  One of the most successful keys to leadership is leading my example.  There is an old leadership adage that the leader should be the first one in and the last one out.  While this may need not always be the case, the sentiment is sound.  The effective leader works, works hard, and works consistently.  Additionally, the leader should have the attitude that they won't ask of their team anything that they themselves are not willing to do.  That does not mean that the leader has to do everything.  It simply means, as I previously pointed out, there are no tasks that are beneath them (think sweeping the gym floor).  Remember, people are watching and will tend to duplicate the actions of the leader.  Caution: just putting in time does not necessarily indicate a strong work ethic.  It is easy to be physically present but get nothing done.  Inherent on a strong work ethic is being productive.  Your hard work needs to net some results!

It is also important to that you are not working hard just for the sake of working hard.  You can work hard and not be productive.  Included in the work ethic is a commitment to the work and to the vision and mission.  Effective leaders have a strong work ethic that is vision and mission centered and has a purpose and direction.

As Mike Rowe has said, work ethic is a choice.  You can choose to have a strong work ethic or not, but if you don't, your effectiveness as a leader will be greatly diminished!

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Acceptance of Responsibility

Acceptance of Responsibility is the first quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Tasks.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines acceptance as: the act of accepting something or someone : the fact of being accepted : acceptance of responsibility.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines responsibility as: 

1: the quality or state of being responsible: such as

a : moral, legal, or mental accountability

b : reliability, trustworthiness

2 : something for which one is responsible

 

President Harry S. Truman was famous for, among other things, having a sign on his desk in the Oval Office that stated 'The Buck Stops Here'.  It was his mantra and it served him well!

 

While in some ways this saying has become a bit of a cliché, it is a critical component for the effective leader.  Leaders are, in fact, responsible for the vision, culture, and success or failure of any organization.  Additional, leaders are responsible for the welfare of their teams and their individual members.  This cannot be successfully abdicated.  Many have tried and have ended up failing miserably.  Sometimes it takes a short amount of time for the failure to set in and sometimes it takes longer, but one way or the other the leader who does not take responsibility will fail.  Once a leader refuses to accept responsibility and starts to make excuses, they lose credibility and their leadership moral high ground.  When this happens, the culture becomes toxic and people spend more time looking over their shoulders and avoiding rather than being productive and getting the job done.

In order to be effective, leaders must be willing to accept responsibility not only to maintain the trust of the members of the organization but also because it is the right thing to do!

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Tasks: The Ability to Get Things Done

The second factor in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger that measures a leader's effectiveness is Tasks.  According to Brady and Woodward, "The task category simply represents the ability to get things done. ... No leader can succeed without the ability to execute tasks."

Effective leaders lead by example.  On several occasions I have referenced the great coaching legend John Wooden.  Even in the midst of his 10 National Championships run, it was not uncommon to find him sweeping the gym floor.  Leaders do what needs to be done.  There are no menial tasks, just tasks that need to get done!  Wooden understood this and led by example.

Additionally, leaders are able to inspire others to accomplish the tasks that need to get done.  The task factor is not a call for the leader to become a workaholic or a control freak communicating the attitude that they are the only one that can get things done and done correctly.  Effective leaders learn to delegate tasks and build mutual trust so they know that the tasks will get done.

Over the next few days I will unpack the tasks category and go into more detail on the individual components of this factor.

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.97

Self-Mastery

Self-mastery is the final quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Character.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines self-mastery as: the ability to control one's own desires or impulses : self-control; self-discipline.

There is an old anonymous leadership adage: "If you can't lead yourself, how can you expect to led others?".

How we handle ourselves is critically important.  Yes, effective leaders focus on serving others, BUT, to do so they must have their own internal house in order.

There is a plethora of academic research linking self-mastery to effective leadership.  It matters!

Effective leaders master:

• Their emotions

• Their thoughts

• Their actions

• Their tongues 

• Their interactions with others

Mohandas Gandhi said:

Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny. 

The effective leader MUST learn and practice self-mastery.  If they don't, they simply will lose the ability to effectively lead!

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.96  

Discipline

 

Discipline is the next quality that Brady and Woodward include in the Trilateral Leadership Ledger's factor of Character.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines discipline as: to train or develop by instruction and exercise especially in self-control.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines self-discipline as: correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement

 

President Harry S. Truman is credited with having said, In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves... self-discipline with all of them came first.

 

So what does self-discipline involve for the effective leader?  Here is a partial list that I would present from years of observation and experience:

 

1. Effective leaders maintain self-discipline over their emotions.  It is not that they have no emotions but rather they control their emotions instead of letting their emotions control them.

 

2. Effective leaders maintain self-discipline over their tongue.  In the Proverbs, King Solomon states Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble. Prov 21:3 (NLT)  Far too often people in a leadership position miss the important point of listening and not immediately reacting.  "Let me get back to you on that" can be one of the best tools that an effective leader has.  BUT... if you say it, you have to do it or you will lose all credibility!

 

3. Effective leaders maintain self-discipline over their schedule.  Before you react (see the point above), let me explain.  I am fully aware that people in a leadership position, and, yes, effective leaders, have chaotic schedules that they frequently cannot control.  But, there are things you can control.  Do you set aside time every day to read (leaders are readers, that is a conversation for another day)?  Do you set aside time to exercise and take care of your health?  Do you make time for your family?  Do you schedule rest and downtime?  All of these are critical and supported by the leadership research.

4. Effective leaders maintain self-discipline over their thoughts.  The old adage that you are who you are when you are alone applies here.  What consumes your thought processes?  Where do you let your mind go?  Again from the Proverbs (paraphrased from Prov 23:7 KJV) As a man thinketh, so is he.

This is not a comprehensive list but rather starting points for an internal conversation.

For an excellent discussion on this, Read John Maxwell's Developing the Leader Within You, especially chapter Chapter Nine: The Price Tag of Leadership: Self-Discipline.

 

Effective leaders start with themselves.  None of us are perfect and all of us need to attend to our own self improvement and self-discipline.  People are watching and they will know!

 

Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward: "Launching a Leadership Revolution."  Business Plus. New York. p.96  

 

John C. Maxwell: "Developing the Leader Within You". Thomas Nelson. Nashville, TN.