Effective Leaders Don't Succeed by Themselves

Effective leaders understand that for their organization to be successful, they need the collective effort of a great team that is built by recruiting and empowering capable individuals.  Great leaders know that they are not a soloist; they are an orchestra conductor.  They coordinate and support others and allow them to do what they do best while providing the support that they need to be successful.  When the success happens, and it will, the best leaders will pass the credit on to the members of the team who made it happen.

I have referenced this before; far too often people who occupy positions of leadership are in it for all the wrong reasons.  Sadly, they do view it as a solo performance and the people around them are only there to provide background vocals.  In cases like this when there is success (which is often short lived), they are quick to take the spotlight and rarely, if ever, share the limelight with others.  This will inevitably lead to discouragement that will morph into dissatisfaction that will lead to mass attrition.  People will talk with their feet and leave.

The effective leader will not let that happen.  Every organization has turnover: people retire, they get promoted, they are presented with that irresistible opportunity, and a variety of other positive reasons.  In healthy organizations this is expected and encouraged; however, in a toxic environment with an egocentric leader, people leave because of the negative culture and not because of the positive reinforcement they have received.  The leader who passes the credit for success on to the people who made it happen will have a much easier time of retaining great people.

The best leaders shine the success light on others and not on themselves.  They pass the credit on which has the result of people feeling valued and appreciated.  It helps create a healthy work culture where people feel welcome and empowered.

 

Wise Leaders have Wise Counselors

 

I have made this point previously... mentoring matters.  Regardless of who you are, of how good you are, of what position you hold, of how successful you are, and of how many people you mentor yourself, YOU need a mentor.  If we subscribe to the concept that all leaders need to develop, regardless of what stage they are at in their career, then mentoring is a critical component of that development.  A couple of days ago I discussed leader self-development.  We discussed the need to read, listen, associate, and network.  Add mentoring that list.

There are countless examples highly successful people who have been mentored by others.  I previously shared that Rick Warren was mentored by Peter Drucker until Drucker's death in 2005.  Additionally, well known mentor/mentee relationships include Oprah Winfrey being mentored by Maya Angelou, Mark Zuckerberg being mentored by Steve Jobs, Bill Gates being mentored by Warren Buffett, Warren Buffett being mentored by Benjamin Graham, John Lewis being mentored by Martin Luther King, Jr., Henry Ford being mentored by Thomas Edison, Plato being mentored by Socrates, Aristotle being mentored by Plato, Alexander the Great being mentored by Aristotle, J.J. Abrams being mentored by Stephen Spielberg, and the list goes on.  Mentoring can also occur through the written word.  Nelson Mandela considered Mohandas Gandhi his mentor although the two never met.

Why is having a mentor (or mentors) so important?  I'm glad you asked!  I would offer that is all comes down to perspective... someone else's perspective of you, your situation, your actions, goals and dreams, and your leadership capacity and ability.  Do not confuse mentoring with extreme criticism.  Effective mentoring is a positive experience that benefits both parties!  An effective mentor will cause you to be reflective and to contemplate perspectives and viewpoints that you may not have otherwise considered.

For mentoring to be effective, there must be a match; that is, a mutual respect and an agreed upon covenant, whether it is formal or informal.  The mentee must implicitly agree to allow the mentor to speak truth into the relationship.  Without that mutual trust, it is doubtful that the relationship will ever rise above that of an advising session.  When people give me advise, I may take it of leave it: when my mentors offer their perspective, I take it to heart and thoroughly process what they have presented to me.  That is powerful and is needed by any leader that wants to take their game to the next level.

Effective mentoring is critical to the success of any leader.  Without it the leader is most likely not going to progress much past where they are currently; with it there is not limit to the heights that the leader can reach.  By doing so, they put themselves into a position to positively affect countless others, and that is what leadership is all about!

Effective Leaders Develop Other Leaders

Effective leaders understand the need to develop other leaders for the growth and health of the organization.  John C. Maxwell discusses this in his this Law of Explosive Growth: "When you recruit good, talented, capable followers to your team, you add to the team's ability.  That has great value.  But it doesn't compare to the impact of adding leaders to the team.  That's why I say to add growth, lead followers---to multiply, add leaders." (1)

The best leaders are talent scouts.  They are always looking out for that team member who has leadership potential.  Remember, effective leaders subscribe to the school of thought that leaders are made and not born.  They can be and are developed.  The astute leader is always looking to identify that next leader.

Another thing that frequently happens is that great leaders will see the potential in someone who will make an effective leader long before they see it in themselves.  This requires all the skills that we have previously discussed regarding building people up, establishing rapport and relationships, and investing in their personal and professional development.  Leadership is a learned skill and can and should be developed through a personal mentoring relationship.  

Leadership development doesn't just happen.  It needs to be a conscience deliberate act that is planned and becomes a part of the organizational culture.  The most effective organizations are led by leaders who develop other leaders as a regular part of doing business.  Without this critical component, organizations will decay and implode from a lack of leadership once the leader leaves.

Another thing to consider is that as new leaders are identified and developed, they can begin assume more and more responsibility.  This is what Maxwell means when he states "to multiply, add leaders".  For any organization to experience exponential growth, they must develop new leaders, and eventually develop leaders who develop leaders.  This is a discussion that we will have at a future date.  For now, understand that leadership development is critical and needs deliberate attention.

Effective leaders identify and invest in others to develop them into effective leaders.

(1) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (25th Anniversary Edition) p.262

Leaders Seek to Improve Themselves

 

There is widespread agreement that effective leaders must invest in themselves and seek to develop and improve.  The best leaders understand that landing a position and/or status as a leader is not an end, but rather, just a beginning.  Effective leaders are constantly seeking to improve themselves.  While this may seem obvious on the surface, not everyone in a leadership position really realizes just how critical this is for their success and the success of their organization.  With that in mind, here are some fundamental best practices for leaders to develop themselves. (Yes, I have already covered bits and pieces of this in other postings, but here they are all together.)

1) READ

I have covered this in depth in my post of November 26, 2023. I recommend that you revisit that post for an in-depth discussion of the Reading Leader.  The bottom line is that effective leaders read to improve themselves.  It also seems that the more successful a leader is, the more she or he reads.  Reading provides new information, different perspectives, and greater insight that we might otherwise not discover.  Leaders read and they read differently!  Readers read daily!

2) LISTEN

In this age of mass multimedia options, this should not be all that challenging.  There is a plethora of audio options from podcasts to CDs to streaming programs to social media apps.  Whatever format works best for you, you will be wise to work it.  Listen on a regular basis (I recommend daily here as well).  As is true with reading, I also recommend that you listen to a variety of topics and speakers.  This broadens your mind and your perspective.  You will not agree with everything you hear... that's OK.  In fact, that is good.  The effective leader is able to understand and intelligently discuss both sides of any issue.  That's leadership.  That is how it is supposed to work.  In this polarized era of only listening (or viewing) to things that feeds our own belief system, we lose sight of a greater perspective.  Let's be honest here... none of us are ever 100% right all the time.  Listening to differing viewpoints makes the effective leader more informed and much more credible!

3) ASSOCIATE

Effective leaders associate with others who are on the same journey that they are on.  We have all heard it before: you are who you hang out with! (yes, I know... poor grammar).  There is power in associating with people who understand your situation and what you are experiencing.  I have discussed this before: Ben Franklin formed his own group for this very purpose.  I discussed this in detail in my November 25, 2023, post.  See it for details.  The bottom line here is that associating with like-minded people needs to be intentional and consistent.

4) NETWORK

There are some who would consider this part of associating, but I list is separate as I believe is needs special attention.  Effective Leaders need to network and have a network.  In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell discusses three types of people: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen.

The Connector has a very large network of people and can match someone whom they know who needs X with someone whom they know who does X.  They connect them.  Effective leaders need to be or need to know a Connector.

The Maven is a logical keeper of detailed knowledge.  They know stuff!  They are logical and analyze almost everything to discover whether it makes sense.  Effective leaders need to be or need to know a Maven.

The Salesman is that person who is incredibly persuasive.  They have that charisma and charm and can convince just about anybody of anything.  They are great promoters!  Effective leaders need to be or need to know a Salesman.

Not every leader will be all three.  The reality is that we all would be great if we were just one of these.  My point here is that the effective leader does not have to be all three.  In fact, the effective leader doesn't necessarily have to be even one of these, BUT they do need at least one of these types of people in their network.  Effective leaders will build a network that includes all three to increase their own growth and, as a result, the growth of their organization.

Effective leaders make a conscience concerted effort to create and implement a plan for self-improvement.  As I have pointed out before, leadership and leadership development is a process and not an event.  The effective leader understands this and makes self-improvement part of their daily routine!

Influence is Earned

John C. Maxwell states that "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." (1)  Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward offer that "Leadership in the influencing of others in a productive, vision-driven direction, and is done thorough the example, conviction, and character of the leader.". (2) Peter G. Northouse writes "Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal." (3).  There is near universal consensus that influence is essential to effective leadership.  If we accept this concept (which I do), then the question begs to be asked, how is this influence achieved?  Good question!  Let's unpack it!

I would offer that the following points are a good starting place for developing influence.  Most, if not all, of these concepts can be found in the wide body of literature that exists on leadership and leadership development.  I offer them here as a combined, condensed resource.

1) Earning influence requires trust which comes from character.

I have written at length on character as a factor of effective leadership.  If you missed it, go back and see my entries on character as I was discussing the Trilateral Leadership Ledger presented in Launching a Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward. 

People must trust you if you ever hope to have influence with them.  Remember, trust is that element that takes a very long time to establish and can be destroyed in seconds.

2) Earning influence comes from building strong, positive relationships.

Again, I have written extensively on this when discussing the LLR. 

Relationship building is a process that also takes time.  Relationships are built on trust, openness, and honesty.  The effective leader works hard at sincerely building strong, lasting relationships.

3) Earning influence requires a leader to have vision, purpose, and know where they are going.

People will not buy in to a leader who does not have a vision and direction for the organization.  In order to earn influence from the members of an organization, the leader must have and communicate a clear understanding of where it is they are trying to take the organization, AND, the leader MUST inspire people to want to follow them and be a part of the end result.

Influence cannot be demanded.  Influence cannot be bestowed.  Influence must be earned.  It is earned through trust, relationships, and having and communicating a clear vision and direction.

(1) The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (1998 Edition) by John C. Maxwell p.17

(2) Launching a Leadership Revolution by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward p.7

(3) Introduction to Leadership (5th Edition) by Peter G. Northouse p.6

Leaders Offer Sincere Praise

Most likely we have worked for and/or with people in leadership positions who do this and those who don't.  If you reflect back, you will realize that there is a striking difference.  The leader who offers sincere praise (it has to be sincere and not fake... most people can spot fake praise a mile away) creates a wonderful work environment and makes members of the team feel good about themselves and about the organization.  The person in the leadership position who does not. or will not, praise is at a striking disadvantage.  There is compelling research that suggests that people value recognition more than money.

Sincere praise does several things, and the effective leader is wise to have the habit of using it:

1) Sincere praise motivates.  People truly appreciate being told when they are doing something right.  Far too often people in positions of leadership will only point out the deficiencies and mistakes.  This is discouraging and disheartening and leads to a lack of productivity.  Tell people that you appreciate them and thank them for a job well done.  It creates a much better working environment for everyone!

2) Sincere praise creates a positive culture.  When you have been around as long as I have, you will have worked in very positive cultures and very toxic cultures.  No one likes to be in a position where they dread going to work.  It creates stress and, in many cases, serious physical and psychological health issues.  A well-placed word of praise and acknowledgment of a job well done creates a sense of self-worth and motivates people to want to continue to do well, if not better.

3) Sincere praise produces results.  Tell someone that they are doing a great job and chances are very high that they will will work harder and produce more.  It is important to understand that I am not advocating using praise to get people to work harder.  Praise should be given because it is the right thing to do; however, it does get results!

Be the leader who offers sincere praise to their team because it is the right thing to do and the results will be well worth it, the primary being that people will feel good about themselves and the job they are doing.  In this case, everyone wins!

The Key to Successful Leadership is Influence

There is widespread consensus that influence is a, if not the, key component to successful leadership.  If leaders do not have influence, they cannot lead and, as John C. Maxwell so accurately states, the leader with no followers is merely going for a walk.  I have discussed this previously in a number of different posts.  I do not intend to repeat that conversation here and beat the proverbial dead horse.

The questions should be asked, though, if leadership requires and is influence, how does one gain that influence?  That is the essential question that I will unpack here.

To gain influence, the leader must achieve a number of things.  

First, they must build relationships.  I have discussed this in depth in my earlier discussions on Brady and Woodward's Trilateral Leadership Ledger.  Relationships are essential to effective leadership and leaders cannot have influence without a positive relationship with the people with whom they work.  Building relationships takes time and effort and can be a difficult process.  It is; however, worth it in the end as positive relationship create a healthy work environment where people want to be and want to contribute.

Second, they must build trust.  Stephen M.R. Covey wrote a whole book on this (Speed of Trust) in which he discusses at length the factor of trust.  Trust covers so many facets when discussing effective leadership.  I have discussed this too in relationship to character when discussing the TLL. It weighs in heavily when discussing relationship building, and it is a key component of loyalty, which is vital to influence.

Finally (for this conversation only... there is so much more) to gain influence you need to be nice.  That may seem a bit Pollyanna and too touchy-feely for some people, but think about it.  Think about the people whom you allow to have influence over you.  Are they mean or mean spirited?  Are they angry all the time?  Are they hot headed and unpredictable?  Probably not.  I know the people whom I allow to have influence over me (allowing influence is a choice... that is separate discussion) are none of the above.  They are nice people.  They are relatable and deeply care about others and will put the needs and successes of others ahead of their own.  They make you want to be around them!

Authority does none of the above.  While it can be argued that position power and authority yield a great deal of influence, I would argue that it is not, in fact, influence but rather manipulation.  People are manipulated by fear of the negative consequences and fear of retaliation from the authority figure if they do not comply with the wishes and demands of the person in the position.  At best, this only garners short term results that do not create a positive lasting effect.  This in not influence!

Successful leadership comes from influence which comes from relationships, trust, and just being nice to people.  As the old proverb states, you can catch more bees with honey than you do with vinegar!

Effective Leaders are NOT Ego Driven

 

Effective leaders check their ego at the door.  We all have an ego, it is only natural.  The key here is that effective leaders are focused on the vision, the culture, the health of the organization and, most importantly, the people before their own self interests.  Their ego takes a back door.

I have quoted this before, but it is so apropos here...in his best selling book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren opens with "It's not about you." (p 17), and it's not.  Too many people who have leadership positions are so ego driven that they cannot see the good of the organization past their own self-interests.  It is the antithesis of Warren's statement; it is all about them.  They see everything through a lens of self-serving cause and effect. 

Unfortunately, these individuals are so caught up in feeding their own ego that they are blinded to the successes that occur which they did not initiate or orchestrate.  Success, to them, is only measured by how an event or activity serves and promotes their individual agenda and advancement.  They can't, or won't, recognize and celebrate the successes initiated by someone else.  If they were not responsible for it, it is of no consequence to them.  Sad!!

The effective leader celebrates successes regardless of their source.  In fact, they are thrilled when success results from the ideas and efforts of someone else because it has a positive effect on the organization and it is a sign of growth and development of a colleague and team member.  They get sincere satisfaction from the successes of others.

Effective leaders make a conscience effort to NOT place their ego at the forefront of everything and to NOT view everything in relationship to their own ego.  The effective leader will inevitably have a bruised ego from time to time, but they are willing to sacrifice their ego for the advancement and celebration of others!

To be an effective leader, you need to check your ego at the door!

Leadership is an Action

 

I have repeatedly posited that just because one has a title or position, that does not make them a leader.  A title or position is a job; leadership is an action.  There are several memes that compare the difference between a boss (someone with a position) and a leader.  This one was recently posted by a colleague of mine for whom I have the utmost respect.  It does a great job of clarifying the distinction:

When I cross paths with someone who is a 'boss' and not a leader my emotions run from indignant frustration to sincere sympathy.  I become frustrated with their anti-leadership actions that are unproductive and destructive.  I then morph into sadness when I consider what could be if a capable leader were at the helm.  Finally, I reach a point of sympathy for the person as it becomes obvious that they either can't or won't recognize how their behavior and actions are destroying any chance that they have for success.  Further, the loss of potential for the team and the organization creates an almost morose attitude.  When sharp capable team members are constantly marginalized and put down, they either withdraw into an unhealthy mode of avoidance or they leave.  In either case, the organization suffers from the blatant lack of leadership.

There is not an arena today that does not need strong, enlightened, capable, caring leaders.  There is a huge need.  What is needed is for true leaders to step up and commit to changing a crippled broken organization.

Bosses destroy.  Leaders build.  Be a leader!

Leaders Know When to Apologize

 

 

Effective leaders know when to apologize.  I think the vast majority, if not all, of us would agree that none of us are perfect and we all make mistakes at one point or another.  And yet, we have all encountered that individual who either can't, or won't, bring themselves to admit that they were wrong and then say the simple words "I'm sorry".

This is a fatal flaw for a leader.  The leader who can't, or won't, apologize when they are wrong loses credibility, and loses it very quickly.  People don't trust them because they give off the aura that they are never wrong. That just does not provide the foundation for building a strong, positive relationship.  Effective leaders will apologize when they are wrong.  I will take that a step further and say, and many may disagree with this, that effective leaders will be in a position where they need to apologize even when they are not wrong.

Randy Pausch, of "The Last Lecture" fame, laid out a very simple and effective road map for leaders to follow in his three steps to an apology:

1) Admit that 'What I did was wrong'. 

This flies in the face of the narcissistic 'leader' who is only focused on themselves and sees the world through an 'I am always right' lens.

2) Sincerely share that 'I'm sorry that I hurt you".

This is an important step.  We have all dealt with people who even when they admit they were wrong, are not sorry about it.  Their attitude is 'suck it up cup cake!',

3) Ask 'How do I make it better?'  

Or in other words, 'What can I do to fix this?'.  Many times just the act of asking goes a long way.

The key to all of this is sincerity.  In most cases, an insincere apology is worse than no apology at all.  

Effective leaders understand these key principles: When you are wrong and when you make that inevitable mistake, admit it, regret it, and fix it!

Leaders Grow Others

 

We've all been there.  We work with and/or for that 'leader' who is only concerned with their own advancement and their own agenda.  They have little to no concern for the growth of others.  In most cases, they will give it lip service, but when it comes right down to it, they are in it for themselves.  At best this is discouraging; at worst it is infuriating.

Highly effective leaders are just the opposite.  They truly care about the growth, advancement, and success of others; and... their actions show it.  When needed, they will always put the needs of others before their own needs.  John. C. Maxwell calls this the Law of Sacrifice: The heart of good leadership is sacrifice. (1)  The effective leader will sacrifice their own agenda and self interest for the good of others.

And yet, too many people who ascend to positions of leadership see their subordinates as merely tools to use to them where it is they aspire to be.  They will sacrifice others to get where they want to be and will not hesitate to throw others under the bus to save themselves and advance their own agenda!  They have no regard for the consequences of their actions nor the negative impact that it may have on others.  They are self absorbed and do not, even if they verbalize otherwise. care about the people with whom they work.

True leaders are others focused! Their whole agenda is to see how they can best support others and help them advance and be successful.  The idea of holding them back or treating them unfairly or poorly is foreign to them to the point that they will do everything in their power to advocate for their team members.  They will sacrifice themselves and their agenda for the sake and well being of others.

Zig Zigler said it best when he stated:

 

Effective leaders understand this and invest in others to help them get what they want!

(1) Maxwell, John C., The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You, 25th Anniversary Edition. p. 237

Becoming a Leader: Becoming Yourself

 

The more I read and analyze this statement, the more the deeper meaning starts to reveal itself to me.  I can't tell you how many times I have advised people over the years who have asked what they should do going into an interview for a leadership position or have just landed their first leadership position.  "Just be yourself."  At the time that seemed to be sound advice.  My rationale was that they did not want to present themselves to be someone whom they were not, nor put on a phony display.  They wanted to find an environment that would be healthy and one where they could develop, be productive, and be happy and satisfied.  They needed to find a good match.  This is critical!

I still think this is sound advise, but I am beginning to believe that I gave the wrong advice for the right reasons.

Read this quote again. 

Now read it again.

It does NOT say "Becoming a leader is synonymous with being yourself."  It says "Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself."  Hmmm... big difference in meaning there!  Being is present tense; Becoming is future tense.  Being yourself equals 'this is who I am'; whereas, Becoming yourself equals "this is who I will become'.  If you unpack this quote and dissect it, you begin to see the deeper meaning.  At least I did!

Both becoming a leader and becoming your self is a process.  The simple part is that leadership development is tied to self development.  The more you develop yourself, the more you become who you want and need to be.  The difficult part is that self development, or becoming, is indeed a process that takes focused effort over time, and that is hard!

I am a big one for going to the source if you want the most accurate and useful information.  In his classic leadership book On Becoming a Leader, Warren Bennis goes into detail on how to 'become yourself'.  In the chapter Knowing Yourself (pp. 49-66), he unpacks the steps in what he calls the four lessons of self-knowledge.

1) You are your own best teacher

As we have discussed before, leaders are learner and leaders are readers.  Bennis takes it a step further (backed by academic research) to say that leaders' learning has to become an intrinsic quality and once that happens, leaders will direct their own education and development.

2) Accept responsibility.  Blame no one.

Effective leaders accept the responsibility for their own development.  It is up to them and if it does not happen it is not anyone else's fault.

3) You can learn anything you want to learn.

In my humble opinion, one of the sharpest and brightest CEO's in America today is best selling author Chris Brady.  Brady was (is) a successful entrepreneur and business man and a best selling author.  Literally, almost overnight through a series of events, he became the CEO of a fledgling company that he helped found.  He had no aspirations to be CEO and, by his own admission, was ill prepared for such a Herculean task.  So what did he do?  He chose to learn.  He read everything he could get his hands on about successful CEOs and the tasks required of them.  He put himself on an aggressive personal develop plan and became Chris Brady the successful CEO, and not just Chris Brady the entrepreneur and best selling author.  He made a choice and it paid off.  Today, the company is a multi-million dollar debt free company well on its way to being a multi-billion dollar company.  He wanted to learn!

4) True understanding comes from reflecting on your experience.

Self reflection is a critical habit of effective leaders.  We will all mistakes, but the key is what we do with those mistakes.  Effective leaders will self reflect and ask themselves what the lesson was that needed to be learned.  This is a powerful tool that far too many leaders neglect!

So, my new advise to those just starting their leadership journey will change slightly, but with a huge difference in meaning.  Instead of 'Just be yourself', my advise will be 'Make sure this is a place where you can become yourself'!  It's that simple, and that difficult!

Leaders Serve

Servant Leadership is a growing field of academic study with entire leadership conferences and organizations dedicated to its development and understanding.  It has become very 'in' and stylish, almost to the point of being chic.  Don't get me wrong, servant leadership is a powerful concept and I truly believe that the most effective leaders are servants first in that their responsibility is to serve their team and its members.  I am; however, very concerned that it has become almost blasé to the point where it is not really understood what it truly means to be a servant leader and to serve other as their leader.

I would posit that true servant leadership starts as an attitude.  It is a mindset, it is a world view, it is a set of lenses from which to view the world.  In a sense, it is a calling.  Servant leaders operate from a standpoint that their purpose is to serve people one person at a time.  History has a plethora of leaders whom we would call servants: Jesus of Nazareth, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and the list goes on.  They were either leaders who served or servants who led; or both!  Serving was in their DNA!

That then begs the question, "Are servant leaders just born?".  I would argue NO.  While the above list would seem to support the proposition that servant leaders are born, one only has to read Louis Fletcher's The Life of Mahatma Gandhi to understand the transformation that Gandhi underwent to become the icon that is almost revered today.  The same can be said for almost anyone else on this list.  Today there is overwhelming consensus that leaders are and can be made.  The Great Man theory of leadership has been all but debunked over time.

Serving is an essential component of leading.  It is not complicated.  It can be developed through deliberate actions with the right heart and attitude.

I have shared this story before but revisit it here as it is pertinent to the point I am making.

Arguably the greatest coach of all time in any sport, and most certainly college basketball, was the late John Wooden.  Coach Wooden is famous for his 10 NCAA National Championships, 88 victories in a row, and his iconic Pyramid of Success.  Coach Wooden was THE MAN!!!  And yet, he was a very humble servant who believed that he did not coach basketball as much as he developed young men of character who played basketball.  It would not have been surprising if he had become somewhat inflated with his own success and self importance, and yet he didn't.  Coach Wooden instilled in his players that if they did their best and gave 100 % consistently throughout practice and games, the winning would take care of itself.

Coach Wooden's UCLA teams won 10 NCAA National Basketball championships in 12 years between 1963 and 1975 including 7 in a row between 1967 and 1973,  In that span, the Bruins won an astounding 88 games in a row.  Impressive.  Wooden was a natural!  Not so fast...  Coach Wooden's first season at UCLA was the 1948-49 season.  From 1948 to 1963 UCLA was competitive, but not dominant.  Coach Wooden was molding a program.  He was teaching and modeling success that would and did pay off in the end.  So why did I give you that extensive back ground on this great coach?  During his time at UCLA, especially in the early years, it was not uncommon to find Coach Wooden sweeping the gym floor!  Why??  According to him, "because it needed to be done.".  Let that sink in... the greatest coach of all time was frequently found sweeping the gym floor because it needed to be done.  It was not beneath him.  He served and did what needed to be done.  That is servant leadership!

So my challenge is this: ask yourself how can you serve?  What needs to be done that you can do?  How can you help and support your team and its individual members.  Be sincere... WANT to help and serve and you will be amazed at the results.  

Servant leadership is effective leadership!

Leaders Create a Healthy Environment

If you have been around long enough, you will have experienced a variety of work cultures and environments: some good, some not so good!  The good ones are fairly easy to identify.  People want to be there and work there and they feel good about the place and the people with whom they work.  The not so good ones breed complaining, apathy, anxiety, stress, tension, and/or a variety of other negative feelings and emotions.  They cause people to really not want to be there.

There is a general consensus among leadership pundits that the leader is, at least in part, responsible for the culture and work environment.  Effective leaders strive to create a work place where people feel valued, important, and productive.  This is a win-win.  On the one hand, people who feel positive about their work environment will be more productive, will work harder, and will strive to do their best and go the extra mile to get things done.  The other side of this is that the leader and the organization benefit by having higher productivity and a stellar reputation.  It becomes a place where the best and the brightest want to go to work and be part of a winning team.

As a leader it is your responsibility to create a positive environment.  This does not mean that everybody always gets their way.  I once worked for a supervisor whom I greatly respected because of the environment that was created.  I did not agree with every decision that was made by them, but, I ALWAYS felt that I was heard.  That's leadership.  That's creating a positive environment.  That is what it is all about!

Leaders are Helpful

In recent years there have been countless volumes of books and articles written on leadership.  Even the noted management guru Peter Drucker who, in his early writings downplayed the importance of leadership in favor of strong management, came to posit that strong leadership had a much more important role than he had previously indicated.  The field is now rich with leadership practitioners such as John C. Maxwell, Simon Sinek, Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady, and Jack Welch, to name a few, and leadership academics such as Warren Bennis, Carol S. Dweck, Angela Duckworth, Paul Hersey, James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner and many others all contributing to the body of knowledge on leadership and/or some component of leadership development.

Yet, effective leadership alludes too many individuals and organizations.  Many individuals continue to ascend to leadership positions for all the wrong reasons.  They may be ego driven, seeking greater financial gain, craving a sense of increasing power, or been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had a position 'dumped' on them that was unwanted and for which they were not ready.

As we continue to unpack our understanding of effective leadership, I will continue to deal with leadership components and issues one by one.  In some cases there will be patterns and a clear connected path; in other cases it may seem that I am just pulling items at random.  Both will be true.

Today, a friend and colleague sent the above meme to me with the note "Here's one for u to post".  The more I looked at this simple message, the more the deeper meaning of the message hit me. The graphic below does a good job of introducing the concept of recognizing the difference between a boss and a leader.

I want to concentrate on the top graphic.  We have all had bosses who made it very clear that we worked FOR them and not WITH them.  They dictated tasks, rarely gave credit, hardly ever said thank you, and created a tense, if not toxic, work environment.  To be the BOSS they had to be tough!  Contrast that with the leaders with whom it has been our privilege to work.  They always ask for things to be done, quickly give credit and take blame, frequently offer sincere thanks, and always seek to create a caring and nurturing work environment.  They are there to help and support.  To be the LEADER they were by nature helpful!

Effective leaders build relationships, gain trust, and create a healthy work culture and environment where people feel valued and appreciated.  They are all about we and not me.

Aim to be that leader!

 

Reading Like a Leader

 

Previously I made the point that reading as a leader is different.  Leaders read to grow and develop, not just to be informed.  This requires reading through a different lens, so to speak, that is, reading through a leader's lens.

 

 

The best book I have ever read on reading as a leader is Turn the Page: How to Read Like a Top Leader.  If you have not read it, I highly recommend that you do.  Here is a link where you can purchase it.

 

While I will not outline the entire book here, I will offer these highlights that made a tremendous difference to me.

1. Leaders read differently.

Leaders are less concerned with the mere knowledge of a million facts than they are with the internalization and application of real principles and solutions.  Leaders read to learn what they need to know, do, or feel, regardless of the author's intent or words.  As they read, they search for answers to questions, great examples of leadership, and whatever else they may need in their leadership journey and mentorial relationships.... Leaders see past the words and read with the specific intent of finding truth and applying it directly in their own lives. (1)

 

2. Write in your books.

 

This was a hard one for me as I have always revered books and treated them as items of very high value.  Writing in them seemed wrong as I felt that I was somehow desecrating the book.  I was wrong.  Reading is NOT a one way static activity: I read the book; I get information.  Rather, leaders know that reading is, in fact, an interactive process of receiving and giving.  Top leaders read, underline, highlight, and make notes in the margins.  I came to understand that this was not desecration but rather an essential practice for leadership development.

3. Argue with the author

Too many people read books and take the content as gospel.  Leaders read to learn and broaden their minds, but that does not mean that they always have to agree with everything they read.  It is possible to read something, ponder and consider it, and conclude that the author is wrong!  The important key here is the 'ponder and consider' step.  Leaders know and accept that there are differing views; they also know that they do not have to agree with them all.  I have read countless books where I disagreed with some of all of the author's content.  I grew, as it caused me to think through my belief system and strengthened the logic of my position.

4. Reading provides mentors

If you read enough, you start to develop a list or authors who literally speak to you.  These authors become mentors.  There are times when I read something from one of my favorite authors that I just know that they were writing it to and for me: well not really, but it does seem like it because the impact is so powerful and poignant.  My favorite authors include John C. Maxwell, Orrin Woodward, Chris Brady, Simon Sinek, David McCullough, and Theodore Sizer.  Personally, I love reading biographies.  I find the lessons from history are legion.  Recently I have been reading works by Peter Drucker.  Drucker was brilliant but, to me, an acquired taste.  I don't think I was ready for him earlier in my life and career, but now am at a point where I can appreciate the utter genius of his thoughts and writings.  You should and will have the same experiences, but only if you read, and read regularly!

I could go on and on with nuggets from this book.  It is a short book (142 pages) and can be easily read in an afternoon, but you shouldn't!  Don't just read it, study it, reread it, digest it, reread it, internalize it, and then reread it!  If you implement the principles found in this this book, it WILL make you a better leader!

(1) Turn the Page: How to Read Like a Top Leader pg.15

Leaders are Readers

In my previous post I submitted that effective leaders are constantly learning.  I stated that leaders are readers and that I would cover that in detail in this post, so here we go!

The relationship between reading and success is well documented.

 

-- When asked for the key to his success, Warren Buffet is quoted as saying "I just sit in my office and read all day."

 

-- Teddy Roosevelt's reading habits are, if not a bit exaggerated, legendary.  It is reported that he read at least a book or two a day.  Whether or not this is true, the fact remains he was an avid reader and credited much of his success to reading.

-- When asked how he learned to build a rocket, entrepreneur and SpaceX founder Elon Musk is reported to have replied "I read books.".

-- Abraham Lincoln had only one year of formal education, yet, taught himself through reading.

 

Pulitzer Prize winning author David Herbert Donald in his biography of Lincoln relates:

Even more important was the ability to read.  Once he got the hang of it, he could never get enough.  "Abe was getting hungry for book[s]," Dennis Hanks recalled. "reading every thing he could lay his hands on."  He would carry a book with him when he went out to work, and read when he rested.  John Hanks remembered that when Abraham returned to the house from work, "he would go to the cupboard, snatch a piece of corn bread, take down a book, sit down in a chair, cock his legs up as high ad his head, and read." (1)

 

Donald goes on to describes in detail the importance of reading to Lincoln's eventual success. 

The list of successful people who attribute their success, at least in part, to reading goes on and on!

 

So, if leaders are readers, the question begs to be asked, what should leaders be reading to grow and improve?  What may seem obvious, really is not.  Intuitively, one may think that reading technical materials on one's profession is what it is all about.  Not entirely.  While it is important to stay current on your given field (most professions require continuing education), there is so much more.

 

 

New York Times best selling author and CEO Chris Brady shares that he has multiple books that he is reading at any given time.  He reads a variety of genres: leadership, history, economics, business, classic fiction (he shares that he read all of Tolstoy's War and Peace on his phone), personal development, etc.  Leaders do not limit themselves to one area of reading.  Effective leaders want and need to broaden their horizons by what they read.  As they improve, so will their team and their organization.

Reading is essential to the continuing development of any effective leader.  Leaders read to learn, they read to grow, and they real to lead!

 Next, we will delve into how a leader should read.  Reading as leader is different.  Stay tuned!

(1) Donald, D.H. (1995). Lincoln p. 30

Leaders are Learners

 

 

Leaders are learners... seems logical and intuitive, yet, there are too many people in positions of leadership who really do not set learning as a specific goal or objective.  They will tell you that 'of course' they are always learning, and yet, they more or less just let learning happen without any specific intent.

Effective leaders set an agenda for themselves to learn.  Leaders are readers (we'll cover this in detail in the next posting).  Leaders are always looking for ways to learn.  Association is a key component of learning.  

 

Every American at one point or another, has been introduced to Benjamin Franklin.  The accomplishments of Franklin's life are well know: writer, businessman, entrepreneur, diplomat, scientist, patriot, founding father, and philosophical sage.  The thing that has always impressed me the most about Franklin's in his life long quest for learning and self improvement.  

 

During his printer era, Benjamin Franklin formed a 'club' of like minded fellow tradesmen that was commonly called the Leather Apron Club, also known as the Junto.  In his bestselling biography of Franklin, Walter Isaacson puts it this way:

Franklin's small club was composed of enterprising tradesmen and artisans, rather than the social elite who had their own fancier gentlemen's clubs.  At first, the members went to a local tavern for their Friday evening meetings, but soon they were able to rent a house of their own.  There they discussed issues of the day, debated philosophical topics, devised schemes for self-improvement, and formed a network for the furtherance of their own careers. (1)

 

In his autobiography, Franklin himself writes:

... I had form'd most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvement which we called the JUNTO; we met on Friday evenings.  The rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should produce one of more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, of Natural Philosophy, to be discuss'e by the company; and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased.  Our debates were to be under the directions of a president, and to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness for dispute, or desire for victory... (2)

 

Franklin's quest for learning and self improvement were unending.  Franklin went on to develop his 13 Virtues, which he would work on throughout his life.  Franklin was a leader who understood that leaders are always learning and that learning is a lifelong endeavor. 

 

 

To be truly effective, leaders MUST continue to learn.  The great leaders have a learning plan that is a designed part of their regular routine.

 

(1) Isaacson, W. 2003. Benjamin Franklin: An American Life p. 55 

(2) Franklin, B. 1996/1868 The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin p. 45 (Dover.Thrift.Editions)

Trust

 

Trust.  Trust is that critical component of character that takes a very long time to establish, can be instantly destroyed and lost, and, frequently, can never be recovered!

If a leader is going to be effective, building trust is essential!  

Stephen M.R. Covey puts it this way:

There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organization, nation, economy, and civilization throughout the world-- one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love.

On the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life.  Yet, it is the least understood, most neglected, and most underestimated possibility of our time.

That one thing is trust. (1)

Covey goes on to break down trust into various arenas, what he calls waves, and offers a series of behaviors that are essential to building trust.  If you have not read his book, you should!  Every leader should have this tome in his or her library and read it, and reread, it regularly!

The reality is that trust, or lack thereof, can and will make or break a leader.  In order to lead, I mean really lead, one must establish and have the trust of their team.  

 

 

Trust is one of those things that cannot be demanded of people, it must be earned... and earning it takes time and patience.  The effective leader will work, and work hard, to establish trust.  Trust is a result of the leader's actions, and those actions must be a sincere and deliberate effort to build effective relationships, do the right things to the best of your ability, and to put others first by serving and supporting them.

A leader can only say "Trust me" and have people actually trust them if they have built and earned that trust over time with positive and effective actions.  The leader who neglects to establish trust from their team is finished before they even start.

(1)  Covey, Stephen M.R., The Speed of Trust:The One Thing That Changes Everything  p.1

Admit Your Mistakes

 

None of us are perfect.  

We all make mistakes.

In my entire leadership journey, I have yet to meet someone who would verbally argue with these two statements.  Everyone would agree, these statements are true.  None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes!

And yet, how many of us have worked with people in positions of leadership who either did not have the capacity, or just flat out refused to admit their mistakes?  Indeed, we have all been there, and it is incredibly frustrating.  While these so called leaders will give lip service to being an imperfect human, they just will not admit when they are wrong or when they have made a mistake.  Why is that?

I would argue that, in their minds, there may be a couple of reasons:

1) Admitting mistakes is a sign of weakness and undermines their position of authority.

The faulty thinking here should be obvious.  The inability and/or unwillingness to admit mistakes and take responsibilities for errors is what will ultimately undermine a person's standing as a leader.  Frankly, it is a character issue.  If you cannot be honest with your team, and with yourself, about your mistakes, than you cannot be an effective leader.

2) Deep seeded self doubt that is over compensated for by a sense of superiority and perfection.  Far too many people in positions of leadership either consciously or unconsciously suffer from what in known as the 'imposter syndrome'.  These people feel inadequate and inferior to their peers and others in positions of leadership and feel like they really don't belong in the position that they hold so they MUST prove themselves by always being right.  The sad reality is that most members of a team will be much more forgiving and compassionate to someone who is upfront and honest over someone who is obstinate about never being wrong.

Effective leaders have the ability to say, "You know what?  I was wrong."  or "Hey, I blew that one."  People will give a lot of grace and support to the leader who is transparent and 'real' with them and will admit their mistakes.