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Leadership: the new frontier

published: 2012-02-06

Most of us love the latest thing. Foodies rush to the new restaurant. Techos buy the smarter gizmo. Culture vultures book the must-see show. Leadership groupies chase the latest guru – or tool. Always, the new frontier. But why – and what good does it do you? ... read more

Leadership: are you more like New York or Hicksville?

published: 2011-11-07

Why do tourists visit New York? For Seth Godin, the bottom line is simple: it’s different. Not in the narrow sense of each card in a pack being different. But in giving you the full pack. Whatever your interests, NY offers them. Having lived there many years ago and revisited often, I get what he means. Unlike most places, it ticks all the boxes. So, if I asked your team, would each member say you tick theirs? Below are ten points from Seth’s list – each adjusted to leadership. Check how you rate. ... read more

Leadership: yes, but what about self-leadership?

published: 2011-10-17

The renown blogger, Seth Godin, hits home runs oftener than most. Here’s a recent one* that was short but sharp. “The job of the CEO isn't to check things off the agenda. Her job is to set the agenda, to figure out what's next. Now that more and more of us are supposed to be CEOs of our own lives and careers, it might be time to rethink who's setting your agenda.” Putting this another way … as leaders, we need to lead ourselves before we try to lead others. If you can’t do that, you can hardly be a credible or trustworthy model. So here are six aspects of your self-leadership to check – to see if you merit the licence to lead others. ... read more

Leadership: of followers not just bosses

published: 2011-09-05

Who’s more important for you: your boss or your team members? Not easy. We all have to balance the expectations of a range of people. However, as any sports captain knows, there’s no game without players. And, that means your direct reports, who do the work. So, let’s invert the mindset of an old HBR article entitled “Surviving your new boss”? To start your thinking, ask yourself this: what would my team suggest I do differently, so they’ll better survive my leadership? Below are some thoughts under the seven headings from the original article but with each refocused on the needs of your team rather than your boss. ... read more

Leadership: a warning for control freaks

published: 2011-08-08

What did you learn from the “unexpected” GFC? Or, should you learn from the equally “unexpected” North African Spring? Nassim Taleb (the “Black Swan” guy) and Mark Blyth have answered with clarity and insight*. “What the world has been witnessing in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya is … what happens when highly constrained systems explode. Seeking to restrict variability seems to be good policy.” But as Greenspan (and the rest of us!) found out “suppression of volatility in the name of stability … makes complex (financial) systems … extremely fragile.” Prone to explode “unexpectedly”. So, here are seven things you can do to avoid civil unrest in your organisation – and being unceremoniously thrown out of office. ... read more

Leadership: how innovative are you?

published: 2011-05-23

According to The Economist magazine “Business writers have always worshipped at the altar of success” ... and ... “This success-fetish makes the latest management fashion all the more remarkable. The April issue of the Harvard Business Review is devoted to failure.” Well, what does that mean for you and me as leaders? Are you noted for fostering new ways - and risking failure? Do you innovate personally – including in how you lead? Here are 10 action suggestions, I’ve put together from reading The Economist report. ... read more

Leadership: great skills, rotten attitude

published: 2011-04-04

Many of us start our careers using a professional skill – as an engineer, accountant, analyst, lawyer or designer. We land our first job based on the quality of our academic results. Early assignments let us show off these skills and hone them – possibly leading to promotion. It’s natural, therefore, to conclude that professional qualifications are our key attribute. Natural, but wrong. We may fail to notice that people don’t like being around us – or may avoid working with or for us. Have you ever faced that realisation? I have: it’s a shock. But, the question is how well you shift – realising technical proficiency is only half a tool kit. Below are two lists that allow you to check this out … and what to do about it. ... read more

Leadership: avoiding nuclear disasters

published: 2011-03-28

The toll from Japan’s Fukushima disaster has lessons for us all. People are criticising the plant design, regulation, oversight and post-disaster response. For some, nuclear itself is the culprit. However, Japan has good scientists, competent engineers, meticulous planners and courageous workers. It has honest, industrious citizens – and our hearts go out to them at this appalling time. But, what (as leaders) do we need to learn? Here are seven suggestions. ... read more

Leadership: beware the god complex

published: 2011-03-14

The Roman Emperor Caligula was self-deluding and probably insane. His behaviour was cruel, capricious and depraved. He killed people for amusement; he dressed as a god and expected to be worshipped as one; he bankrupted the state; and, indulged in vile personal habits. Few modern leaders enjoy his freedom of action. However, each of us needs to check for tell-tale signs, which could lead to our under-performance or downfall. Here are four things to avoid. Caligula set a high bar but would colleagues say you exhibit even slight traces of these faults? ... read more

Leadership: do you have sufficient fibre?

published: 2011-03-07

A friend of mine compares Mozart adversely with Beethoven. He claims that much of Mozart’s music is like fast food: too much sugar, too little fibre. Right or wrong, this calls to mind a recent complaint I heard from a young executive. Her boss is wonderfully supportive and encouraging but avoids tougher discussions. In terms of your leadership, are you a Mozart or a Beethoven? A dispenser of sugar or fibre? Or what mixture? Check your balance below. ... read more

Leadership: have you tested yours lately?

published: 2011-02-21

Phil Rozenzweig, a professor at IMD in Switzerland, swims against the current. When asked “What’s the next new thing in strategy”, he replied “That’s the wrong question. There’s always new stuff … and most of it’s not very good.” His advice … “Seek what’s true, not new!” This quote leads an article in a recent McKinsey Quarterly that offers ten tests for your company’s strategy. My list below is identical except I’ve inserted “leadership” instead of “strategy” in each test. Check them out and see how you rate. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: WHAT PRICE ARE YOU PAYING FOR SILENCE?

published: 2011-01-31

Who said the following? “We are forecasting a $17 billion loss and no one has any problems!” Alan Mulally, after the first meeting with his senior team on arriving to turn around Ford in 2006. For the Mafia, omerta or “the code of silence” hides crimes. At Ford, as in many other companies, silence is the crime – destroying value and eventually viability. Do facts and faults get talked through in your business; or is bad news stifled? What would your people say? Here are some actions Mulally took and others I’ve picked up over the years. ... read more

Leadership: overcoming those primitive instincts

published: 2010-11-22

As a leader, how would you feel about your next promotion being decided not by the CEO but by the people you’d be appointed to lead. A recent book and related New Scientist article tell us that ancient tribes chose their leaders on the basis of known capability. And, “other species, from fish to birds to chimpanzees” still do something similar, but simpler. However, from my experience, today’s corporate world is really much the same. Not in terms of employees appointing their leaders, but whether people commit (or not), then follow and give of their best. In short, it may have once been overt “democracy”; but today it’s covert. So, here are four things you can do (tapping into subconscious tribalism) so people will commit – and make you successful. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK FOR YOU?

published: 2010-09-13

Professor Sutton says bosses matter. Why? Because “95% of all workers have bosses, are bosses, or both … and … for more than 75%, dealing with their boss is the most stressful part of their job.” So, what would your people say of you? And, what can you do to improve? Here are seven pointers from Professor Sutton. They’re a bit cynical but have the tang of real-world experience. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: BEWARE OF YOUR STRENGTHS

published: 2010-03-22

Twenty years ago, I was shocked to hear that some of the reasons my wife had originally been attracted to me were now driving us apart. My decisiveness and energy were leaving no decision-room for her. It's often the same in business. Our natural attributes, which are powerful and value-adding, can go to extreme and undermine effectiveness. If I asked your colleagues, which two of your strengths would they say are most causing them trouble? Here's a checklist that might help. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: TRUST ME, TRUST ME NOT

published: 2010-02-15

In his first year as Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd enjoyed unusually high poll ratings. He represented a change of both priorities and approach that many voters welcomed. That was 2007. But now in 2010, a survey of five capital-city talk-back hosts* gives us the following quotes. He "talks about taking tough decisions, but I don't think our audience necessarily buys that he's made any tough decisions." "They see his language as contrived, his personality as plastic and they don't think he's got a sense of humour." They "can't understand what he's on about." Assuming you're past the honeymoon phase of your current leadership role, what are people saying about you? What do they want you to do differently? Here are six actions I've read that journalists or other commentators have suggested for Kevin Rudd in recent months. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY INEFFECTIVE MANAGERS

published: 2009-10-26

I'm no techo, nor a digital native. But Langdon, V|E|C|T|O|R's technology manager, tries to educate me. And, recently forwarded an article by Nari Kannan from www.it.toolbox.com* - and, I've borrowed its title for this Potshot. It's a play on a famous book title and the seven negative habits he lists are all too common - and, not just in IT. So, why not check below and rate yourself - and see what options you have to overcome such habits! ... read more

Leadership: twilight of the gods

published: 2009-03-09

Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle ends with Valhalla, the lofty abode of the gods, collapsing in flames into the rising tide of the River Rhine below. And the stolen gold, whose theft triggered the gods' downfall, sinks beneath the flood back into the hands of its rightful owners, the Rhine Maidens. It takes 15 hours (and four operas) to tell this story. And, it's all rather reminiscent of the recent boom and bust of the global financial system. Pride, dishonesty and rejection of basic good sense. So, how in our new and darker world of business leadership should we all behave? ... read more

LEADERSHIP: BUT, I LIKE PEOPLE LIKE ME

published: 2009-01-12

If you were putting together a football team, would you select only people, who play the same position? Probably not. But, that’s what we often do with business teams. No, let's not ask Jenny, she's rather different, and she's not an engineer; and, Fred, he’s only interested in sales. We don’t want anyone who rocks the boat – in other words, with different or confronting views.

LEADERSHIP: OF GENERATIONS X, Y AND Z

published: 2008-12-28

School teachers often teach - and, therefore, have to lead - students of a common age. But, most of us lead teams covering a range of ages. So, why the fixation with the leadership needs of Generation X or Y, or any other letter of the alphabet? An effective leader engages people of all ages - and types. And, I'll bet X and Y are as diverse as any group. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: LEARNING FROM NET GENERS

published: 2008-12-14

In 1997, Don Tapscott published "Growing up digital" - and coined the name "net generation" for the natives of the online world. Now 11 years on, and after a two-year survey of 8,000 people (born 1978 to 1994) from across 12 countries, he's published "Grown up digital". He concludes that on average Net Geners are smarter, quicker and more tolerant of diversity than the decrepit oldies like the Baby Boomers, let alone the dodos like me, familiarly known as Veterans. ... read more

LEADERSHIP: ALL TOGETHER NOW

published: 2008-09-29

Which do you prefer: an afternoon at the football; or, an evening at the symphony? Either way, you'll see teamwork in action. And, perhaps that's the reason so many highly effective leaders have experience of team sports or other team activities.

LEADERSHIP: WHAT’S YOUR INNOVATION INDEX

published: 2008-02-18

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

LEADERSHIP: INVESTING AND RESOURCING WISELY

published: 2008-01-21

“Most of business is about placing bets – allocating resources – and making them pay off.” So begins the McKinsey report of its 2007 global survey on resource allocation. But, the good news is balanced by bad. Taking account of sound financial criteria, proven business performance and potential for value creation are reported as leading to good investment outcomes. However, excessive optimism, risk aversion and behind-the-scenes lobbying can darken the picture. Real life is truly real – and at times grubby. ... read more