James_Dean
Pattern Altitude
I just ran across a document that I received some years ago that had a profound impact on my view of my work environment and my role in that environment. I share it for no other reason than I think it is outstanding.
James Dean
Thoughts on What Makes a Leader
-By Jim Doyle
James Dean
Thoughts on What Makes a Leader
-By Jim Doyle
- A willingness to take a close look at who you are without fear of what you may find. A willingness to seek honest feedback from others and make adjustments in how you behave. Warren Bennis in his book, On Becoming a Leader says, “real leadership probably has more to do with recognizing your own uniqueness than it does with identifying your similarities.” A leader develops a sense of serenity about who she is and surrounds herself with people who compensate for her deficits. Leaders hire people smarter than themselves. They never hire clones or YES persons.
- Through an insatiable need for continued learning coupled with a wealth of lifetime experiences, leaders see things as they might be (possibilities) and with enthusiasm continually articulate this vision to all within earshot.
- Leaders are risk takers and more importantly encourage risk taking in others. Machiavelli said, “fortune favors the bold”. Leaders never punish mistakes where thought and genuine effort are involved, for they know it is far better to “do something” than to always be right. “They’ve never erected a monument to a man who left well enough alone.”
- True leaders are “good finders”. They are secure in themselves and know that acknowledging positive contribution merely encourages more effort along the same lines.
- They listen and encourage opposing points of view. They are capable of holding and weighing two opposing scenarios in their mind. Their immediate thought when confronted with opposing views is not the defense of their own, but rather the merits in the opposition’s. A one time baseball player and philosopher, Satchel Paige, is supposed to have said, “it’s not what you don’t know that hurts you, it’s what you know that just ain’t so.”
- Leaders are where the action is. They are among the people they serve. They have a high visibility for they know this is the only way for a shared vision and total commitment to become reality.
- Leaders are self-disciplined. They keep their promises. They are ethical in all their actions and set an example others can emulate. With all this they remain as human with the weaknesses and shortcomings of the common man. They shy away from being placed on pedestals to collect dust.
- Leaders are real. They aren’t plastic people who always look and act the part of the stereotyped “boss”. They aren’t afraid to show emotion – to be caring, supportive, empathetic, and moved by their feelings.
- Leaders take responsibility for themselves. They don’t wait for someone to do it for them or to them. They make it happen by helping others to see it can happen.
- Leaders empower others knowing full well their job is to envision, nurture, and support. They are fully aware others around them are far more capable of the doing. Their job is one of environmental activities; an environment where teamwork, learning, support, reward, and feedback are manifested daily.
- Leaders prefer circles to pyramids. Their efforts include the chipping away of the time-honored hierarchy for the integrated team approach where each person contributes to the common goal and takes part on equal footing with his/her teammates. Leaders realize that perks having to do with status and ranking are better doled out to those earning them thought contribution rather than merely for rank in the hierarchy.
- Leaders are historians of their organizations and learn from past mistakes. They are on the forefront of change while maintaining the time-honored traditions of their organizations. They know and can tell the stories that give their organizations personality and vitality.
- Leaders always put people before task, knowing that without good people, no tasks will be completed.
- Leaders trust the good intentions of their people and in turn are trusted by them. They look for the good in others first and shy away from judgments.
- Leaders can laugh at themselves. They don’t take themselves or their position too seriously. They believe the work place should be fun. A place where people have a good time working with each other to accomplish a common goal, knowing people perform better if they are happy in their work.
