LEADERSHIP: LIFTING MY GAME

Published: 2007-03-02   please add a comment below

How was your last leadership performance review?  And, feedback from colleagues?  Was the employee survey result less positive than you'd like?

You're not the first - nor the last.  We've all had them.  And, the lesson is simple: listen, learn and improve.  But, how?  Should I take a course?  Or, read a book or some articles?  Get a coach or mentor?

Well, all of these are fine.  But, with or without them, experience tells me the most powerful tool (as in anything) is to work out what you need to do and turn this into a plan.  This can then guide your leadership actions in coming months; and give you something to monitor.  You may also want to share your plan with colleagues, a mentor or others you trust – particularly perhaps, the people you need to lead.

Most of us learn best and fastest under pressure.  The classroom has its role but the workplace is the real test.  Athletes and musicians study theory and read books but they get out there and practice - on the track or at the piano.  But athletes and musicians have a great advantage over leaders.  The tracks laid out; the piece of music is already on the page.  Their job is to follow it and excel.

As a leader, if you want to improve your performance (and performance reviews!), you have to create your own plan.  But, we seldom do.  We write business plans - how we’re going to create products and services, attract customers, etc.  But we don’t define what we need to do as leaders so others in our organisations will want to follow us.  For example: what actions would your team say you need to take to improve goal alignment, strengthen organisational enthusiasm, establish constructive values, lift operating standards or build stronger teamwork?

There's a way to find out!

Dr. Timothy Pascoe AM
PhD (Cambridge), MBA (Harvard), BE & BEc (Adelaide)
Creator, V|E|C|T|O|R Leadership^®