4 Types of Leaders

·         Strategic Leaders  are those who “see the big picture and envision outcomes. . . .  They intuitively know what the results should be, even though they are not experts in getting there. ” (Whitesel, p. 32)  These leaders are usually the first to know when change is needed.  Dr. John Conley, a mentor of mine, repeatedly told me that leaders see steps 1 and 5 but usually don’t have the ability to see steps two three and four, or at least not very well.  In other words, they know how to rally support and resources, how to cast the vision and steer the ship, but don’t really know how to set the sails or provision the ship.  The strategic leader knows that change is inevitable and seeks to guide the process in an optimum direction.

·         Tactical Leaders are those who “can organize, plan, budget, recruit volunteers, and evaluate progress of change.” They can take the strategic vision and pull together the pieces to make it happen.  (Whitesel, p. 20)  “Tactical leaders know how to bring the long term projects down into easy, doable steps. (Whitesel, p. 36).  They are not primarily those who do the task, focusing more on delegation, but can do if necessary.  The tactical leader is the 2, 3 and 4 leader who upon receipt of a vision immediately begins thinking about how to make it happen.  This leader just needs the target and can figure out just what is needed to make it happen.  The tactical leader is comfortable with change and may even crave it.

·         Process Leaders are those who have the ability to refine the processes of an organization, making them more effective.  Their gift is to see the connections between what needs to be done and how it can be done better.  “Better” is their mantra.  Process leaders are most often effective maintenance leaders.  They may understand the necessity of change but prefer small incremental changes.  They work easily within the boundaries of the status quo.  Process leaders resist significant change although they are comfortable with the minor changes necessary to make the status quo "better."  

Note:  Tactical and Process Leaders have nearly the same skill set, except one embraces and even craves change, while the other resists and may even block change.  Both have their place.

·         Operational Leaders are highly relational.  “They foster teamwork, interdependence, improvisation, creativity, and unity toward a goal.” (Whatesel, p. 38)  They work best with the precise planning provided by the Tactical Leader.  “If the Operational Leader does not have the go-between of a tactical leader…the strategic leader’s vision may be too imprecise to motivate the operational leader.” (Whitesel, p. 39).  If an operational leader doesn’t have a plan pretty clearly laid out, they will either stumble forward with limited effectiveness or, more likely, come to a halt.  Without a tactical leader they can become frustrated with the strategic leader and vis-a-versa. As long as the Operational Leader has a competent Tactical Leader to work with, they can function well with change, if not the whole ship can grind to a halt.

It is important to keep in mind that while it is possible to change your leadership style, most people are unable to modify their leadership type.  The key point here is to be aware of who you are and to draw around you the other leadership types so that you can accomplish your goals.  Most leaders think they are Strategic Leaders, when in actuality they aren't.  There are relatively few true Strategic Leaders and even then their gifts go to waste if they don't find and join with a Tactical Leader.

Regardless of the leadership type, strategic planning cannot be the work of the leader alone.  For a strategic plan to have a chance of success, others from the congregation must be involved, and not just anyone, but especially those who are influencers.

Resource:   Change Reaction by Bob Whitesel, with personal additions

The storytelling imperative: Make them care! - reprint

Pixar Studios filmmaker Andrew Stanton gave a good TED talk about a year ago where he states that one of the key aims of any good
 story is that it must make the audience care. "Make me care," he says. If you research the advice of famous directors . . .  To read the rest of the article, click here 

Critical Thinking, the Goal of Education

Critical Thinking Rubric

The ability to mentally grasp the existence of circumstances or situations which do not conform with what would normally be expected (i.e. a problem), and then reason through, not only to the whys of how the circumstance came to be (including determining whether or not such whys are pertinent), but how to resolve the situation to as near a normal state as possible, is called critical thinking. Training students to think critically is the ultimate goal of higher education, and perhaps all education, regardless of the designated area of study. The individual who has acquired the skills necessary to think critically will find his or her life enriched and doors opened, both personally and professionally, which would not be accessible otherwise.

Traditionally, critical thinking was a natural off-shoot of biblical study. Those who worked with the Bible with an eye to understanding the truths found therein, wrestled with the whys and hows of application of God’s truth to the real needs in their own and others lives. Unfortunately, the professionalization of the clergy has led to their interpretations becoming dogma with little challenge or critical thinking. A situation which parallels in many respects what had occurred with the Pharisees in Jesus’ day and the Catholic church in the Middle Ages. This blind acceptance of dogma has led to a laxity of mental application and critical thought. In other words, laziness and shallow thinking abound.

The true role of higher education in my mind is to renew an emphasis upon critical thinking which goes beyond the tepid waters of half-hearted faith to find the intersection of God’s light upon man’s path. True critical thinking will enable the individual to find and apply truth in scripture as well as from all of creation. The critical thinker can operate wherever placed because his/her ability to process information has the mental tools to solve problems and find solutions, whether interpreting scripture, solving relationship problems or managing a fortune 500 company.

The actual process of critical thinking can be acquired by most, if not all, who will apply themselves to the basic formula:
Observe/Identify
Interpret/Analyze
Apply/Recommend
These three components are described below.

Observe/Identify
Situationally, this means the ability to grasp the reality of a problem, or at least to recognize the existence of less than ideal circumstances, with an eye to rectifying the situation. This demands an awareness of context since everything whether written, spoken, or existent has a connection to something else. The connections themselves are often clues to the solution, but definitely add meaning to the problem. Basically this step identifies the problem as presented by the symptoms of dysfunction, but doesn't ignore the possibility of "referred" symptoms. Defining the real problem versus the seemingly obvious problem is often the most difficult part of the process.

Some of the questions which can be asked to determine these connections and their relevance to the situation are:

What is the issue? (can you articulate what you perceive the problem to be?)
Who is in charge? (who has the responsibility for the existence of the situation and who has the responsibility for correcting the situation?)
What will happen if the situation is not addressed? or if the person in charge does not act?
What is the history? (very little occurs without a history)
Who are the players? (relationships are the key to life and the connections between people can have a profound effect upon a situation)
What other assumptions need to be considered? (culture, politics, economics, etc.)
Who can I contact for more information/consultation?

Interpret/Analyze
Interpretation/Analysis requires the individual to discern the “real” from the “felt” and the interplay of factors which have bearing on the situation and the possible solutions. Practically, this means to understand how a problem came to be, determine options for the solution and propose ways to have a positive result should it happen again. Scripturally, it means to discover the meaning of a passage from the context, grammar, and historical background which contains truth specific for current reality.
The next step in the process of critical thinking is the ability to take the information which has been observed and interpret or analyze the information to determine:
The real problem
What could be the outcome/results ramifications of the problem upon the relational, institutional, economic, etc., affected parties (i.e. what is the best and worst case scenario if the problem is not resolved).
Whether or not a solution can be offered which will have a positive benefit
What solutions can be offered and what are their relative “cost” (cost is more than just financial, it includes time, energy, resources and relational stress).

Some questions which could be asked to facilitate the analysis include:
Why is this an issue?
What makes this different from before?/What has changed?
What outside forces are involved?
What facts do we have?
What additional information/facts can be deduced from analyzing the facts/data available.
What are the desired results?
What are the "real" issues?
What, if any, are the primary emotional needs NOT being met.

Apply/Recommend
This final step in the process takes all of the above information and determines which of the proposed solutions has the best chance of success in relationship to the cost of the decision. No decision which costs beyond what is willing to be paid, either in actual funds or relational stress, is an option, regardless of its ability to address the problem. A good rule of thumb here is that no solution should be considered unless the one proposing it is willing to share the cost personally in equal or greater measure than the other parties involved.
Once the solution has been settled upon, the implementation of the solution should be carefully considered as timing always plays a role. Solutions which do not culminate in implementation are basically useless. When dealing with scripture, this step is what separates the scholar from the holy man, i.e. head knowledge from heart knowledge. Scripture which is studied and understood, must be applied for God’s power to be unleashed in that individual . . . and the world. Practically, the willingness of an individual to invest in bringing solution is one of the truest signs of leadership. Thus, there is a direct connection between critical thinking skills and leadership.


Example of a real life situation/illustration:
Observe/Identify: I observed that my car was making a flapping noise and pulled strongly to the right as I started driving it. I stopped the car and identified that the right front tire was flat.
Interpret/Analyze: I examined the tire to determine if there were obvious cut marks. I then examined my options: change the tire (do I have a spare and a jack?), call a friend for help (do I remember the phone number and who is available?), call AAA (is my membership up to date?), flag down another driver for help (is this really safe?), leave the car where it is and go on with life (can I afford to do this and will I incur a fine of some kind?).
Apply/Recommend: After looking at my options I decide to change the tire myself. At this point I can sit back and let the decision work its magic (which means I will be waiting forever, or at least until the police come), or I can get to work changing the tire. I also decided it would be a good idea to periodically check the tires for wear and proper inflation.




1

Remember, It Was Once Someone’s Good Idea - reprint

Many, if not most good ideas are not good forever. Over time they lose the luster they once had. They become irrelevant and ineffective.

The universal danger we all face, is that we get so comfortable with what we do that never recognize that moment when it no longer serves the why. So it is good to periodically take a look at why we do what we do. But it is important to remember that they were once good ideas. Someone once fought to get the idea implemented that you are now trying to change.

When we want to change the status quo, we need to 

(to read the rest of the article click here)

Love Works - Review

 I just finished Love Works by Joel Manby.  I started it shortly after Christmas and have referenced it it an earlier post on this blog.  Manby's background as a GM executive and then CEO of Saab North America followed by becoming CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment, the largest family-owned theme park corporation in the U.S. definitely gives credibility to this book.  Not to mention his Havard Business School degree.

It is interesting that while the background in GM and the automobile industry obviously strengthened his management skills, it wasn't until he moved to Herschend Family Entertainment that the principles behind Love Works actually became central to his leadership style.  Inside the cover there are literally eight pages of recommendations by impressive people for Joel and this book.  Similarly, the back cover contains even more praise for Love Works.

The sub-title of the book is:  Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leaders.  Those principles are:

1. Patient: Have Self-Control in Difficult Situations
2. Kind: Show Encourageme3nt and Enthusiasm
3. Trusting: Place Confidence in Someone
4. Unselfish: Think of Yourself Less
5. Truthful: Define Reality Corporately and individually
6. Forgiving: Release the Grip of the Grudge
7. Dedicated: Stick to Your Values in All Circumstances.

The book is easy to read and certainly there is nothing to fault in these principles which are based solidly on Christian principles.  I found a few quotes which spoke to me personally and I'm sure that anyone reading this book would find the same.  Here are a few examples:

"Love isn't a feeling, but an action, an action by which leaders and entire organizations can experience almost unimaginable success and personal fulfillment." p. 22
"Making someone's day better is contagious and increases the energy, effectiveness, and productivity in any organization." p. 55
"Kindness is about intentionally creating and maintaining the right environment in your organization so that frontline employees can deliver an enthusiastic guest experience." p. 60
"I've come to believe that the definition of CEO needs to be expanded.  It also stands for 'chief encouragement officer.'" p. 66
"Trusting the people we work with is crucial to building a climate of positive morale and successful performance. . . . the bottom line is that successful leaders understand and activate trust on a daily basis." p.70
"We think we want efficient organizations, but what we really want is effective organizations." p. 81
"I believe that giving is critical as a leader, regardless of your personal beliefs." p. 93
"For leaders to thrive, they must define the truth of the organization's real role in the marketplace and identify its weaknesses and strengths." p. 112
"Most people don't leave because of poor performance; they leave because the don't feel valued." p.118
"Malacy McCourt quote: 'Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.'" p. 146
"Leading with love is a higher testament to one's leadership acumen than simply taking the well-trodden path toward fear-based, power-hungry management." p. 170
"Never lose an opportunity to bring sunshine into the life of another." p. 176

If you have a strong Christian background, you are probably already doing these things in your life and leadership, so this might serve as a reminder or an encourager.  If you are a nominal Christian, you should find solid support for moving these principles from the sideline in your life to center stage.  If you are not a Christian, particularly if you do not follow any faith creed, this is probably going to sound soft.  Thankfully Joel has included many examples of how these principles have positively impacted the company's bottom line which should help connect the dots.

This is a fairly easy read and I recommend it, especially if you're serious about creating a culture which recognizes the value of employee and customer in a way that produces remarkable returns.

Why We Find it Hard to Change Our Behavior

We know every behavior begins with a thought. So if we want to have lasting change, the beginning point has to be our thinking.

Behavioral change is only surface change if we don’t first change the thinking behind those behaviors. And it won’t stick. It will keep coming out in so many ways we won’t be able to keep up with it because we haven’t changed the thinking behind it.

When we look at our behavior we have to understand that there is a thought going on in our heads that is tripping us up. And we have to change that first. Or we’re working on the wrong thing.

The question becomes, “What thoughts do I need to change to make my behavior change?” New behavior will automatically follow a change in thinking. One right thought can correct a lot of bad behavior. . . . click here to read the rest of the article

Knee-jerk, or just Jerk??

Joel Manby in Love Works writes: "Recently, Google commissioned their internal human resources team to identify and rate the attributes of their best leaders.  They were surprised to find that technical knowledge ranked dead last.  Instead, attributes like listening well and letting employees make relevant decisions attracted and kept the best people." (p. 106)  A little later he adds, "Most people don't leave because of poor performance; they leave because they don't feel valued." (p. 118)

For a company which prides itself on its technical expertise like Google to discover that the attributes of  their most effective leaders, which correlated with keeping and attracting the best people, had nothing to do with their technical knowledge, must have come as quite a surprise.  "Instead, attributes like listening well and letting employees make relevant decisions attracted and kept the best people." 

While I don't believe Manby's statement in the second quote above has been validated by research, it "feels" right.  Feeling like a trusted part of the team goes a long way in enhancing my willingness to stay . . . and to stay fully engaged.  I certainly don't want to remove that feeling of trust from a fellow employee.

Yet, I have to confess that I struggle sometimes with balance.  My nature is inclined to search for patterns, and data points which interrupt the pattern.  Sometimes those data points are positive and will hopefully are indicative of a trend in improved performance.  In other cases the data points are evidence of poor performance with the potential effect of worsening.  I have in the past been accused of being negative and I think I can trace that back to this recognition of a pattern which is going the wrong way and projecting it to a worse case scenario, and then reacting, perhaps too vigorously, to avoid the, as I see it, looming disaster. 

Here's where my struggle with balance comes in.  I need to listen better, trust more, and let those responsible make the relevant decisions.  But I want to focus on the problematic data points, I want to push for immediate action.  So, take a deep breath, and try to balance trust with the right amount of judicious concern, NOT knee-jerk reaction.

Picking Your Fights

One of the big mistakes I see new, and unfortunately some older, leaders fall into is in making an issue out of everything.  I think this is affected by one's personality to some degree, and I'm pretty sure perfectionists struggle with this more than most. I also think an awareness of the politics surrounding the situation, as well as the ethical and moral factors are also significant.  For instance if an issue is violating ethical or moral standards, then to not pick that fight would be wrong.  On the other hand, if there is no ethical or moral component to the issue, then the choice whether or not to press the issue, i.e. fight, must be weighed by other factors. 

Some will choose to make the issue because of pride, e.g. it was their idea and they will fight for it to the death, even if wrong.  Some will chose to press the issue because they feel it will position them for favor or advancement, or they will chose NOT to fight for the same reasons.  I mentioned politics earlier and by that I mean the relationship between individuals which enhances or reduces the ability to collaborate AND the other connections which bring value to the individual which may be impacted, positively or negatively, by that relationship and/or collaboration.  It goes back to some of my earlier posts about the Greatest Management Principle: If there is intrinsic or extrinsic value for the other person, or someone they care about, then they will be inclined to collaborate,  The opposite is also true, no value: no collaboration, or at least a reduced likelihood of collaboration.

Now, here is the thing, not everything is worth a fight, and more often than not, even those things perceived to be ethical or moral issues are personal opinion with no real ethical or moral value.  So here are some steps to take when faced with the decision whether or not to make an issue out of something with your coworker, boss, spouse or friend:.

1.  Clearly define exactly what you perceive to be the problem.
2.  Clearly identify exactly what you would wish the outcome to be and why you feel it should be addressed (here is where the ethical/moral factors would be considered, along with how, and if, it has a personal benefit which may be clouding your judgment).
3.  Will the change make any real difference?  In what way? 
4.  How will it affect your working/living relationship with the other individual(s)
5.  Weigh the proposed change against question 3 and 4 above and consider whether it is worth the fight.

If you have come to the conclusion it is not worth the fight, then accept the reality and move on.  If you are still convinced the issue has to be addressed, now comes the importance of EQ.  Knowing how to bring the issue to a head in such a way that all those involved feel heard and respected is far preferable to the "bull in the china shop" method.  The individual who refuses to take the time to consider the impact of their choice of words and their effect upon others will quickly alienate the very ones they need to persuade, making for embittered relationships and possible job change or divorce.

The one thing that is NOT acceptable is to just conclude you can't win the fight and grumble and complain.  No one wants to be around a grumbler, and honestly grumblers and complainers are like the proverbial bad apple which needs to be ejected from the barrel. 

You don't always need to fight (not everything is worth what it might cost in relationships, etc.) and even if you do fight you will not always win.  Here again, you will have to choose to accept the reality or if that is not possible, chose to go a different direction, but don't become bitter or wallow in self-pity, grumbling about your situation.

Reading Love Works, by Joel Manby (thank you Richard for the Christmas gift).

Although I'm not far into the book yet I've run across an interesting story told by the author of a time when he was in high school, attending a sports banquet.  While going into the event and walking with his mother he passed some freshmen who greeted him with some admiration as he was a senior and would be receiving awards for his accomplishments.  He passed off their comments and practically ignored them as he walked and talked with his mother.  After they were gone, according to Manby, his mother stopped him and spoke to him sharply:  "'You listen to me, young man,' she said, 'Every time you walk past someone you have an opportunity to make their day better or make their day worse.  And I don't think you made their day better!  Those boys clearly look up to you, and because of who you are in this school, you have an opportunity - no, an obligation - to try to make their day better, and certainly not to make it worse.'" (p. 53-54)

As I read that I felt the truth of this resonate within me.  No matter who we are or where we are, we have an opportunity to make someone's day better or worse.  It might take a smile or a word, but it is an obligation we must not shirk.  This is my goal: to make sure I make someone's life better - EVERY DAY!  It is an opportunity I welcome and an obligation I choose to embrace.  It is not all about me . . . but about Him shining through me. I encourage you to join me. 

Pondering the Mysteries of Life

Here we are at the end of another year.  Older and arguably wiser, although some might contest that assumption. 

At this time I always begin to reflect over the events of the past year from a forest/trees perspective.  That is, I try to step back and see how the events of the year have fit into the whole of my life.  Like the tapestry analogy which we have all heard, what have the events of my year contributed to the "picture" being formed by my living. 

• Did I make good choices?  
• Have I done anything which benefits others: eg my family, my friends, my co-workers, my fellow church goers, humanity in general?  
• Have I remained true to my values?  If not where am I slipping . . . and why?  
• What challenges did I face, and did I do so with God's grace and courage, or did I flee and hide.  
• Have I hurt someone.
• Would anyone say that their life has been blessed because of something I have done or said?
• Did I reach the goals I set for myself, and if not, why not?
• What new goals should be part of this new year . . . and what is my plan to realize those goals?

I hope you ask yourself these questions, too.  That is really one of the major things which continues to define us as being made in His image, i.e. that we care about how we have and are connecting with each other.  After all, if you can't lead yourself, you will eventually fail in your attempts to lead others.

I digress . . . p2

Are television and movies a reflection of life, or an initiator of behavior . . . or both?  When I see a rise in shows that portray atrocities and in life we experience atrocities such as the elementary school shooting a couple of weeks ago my mind automatically looks for patterns, and then alternative solutions.  Here's one solution.

Anytime an individual AND his/her accomplices are convicted of premeditated action which results in the death OR addition to a controlled substance involving two or more children under the age of 12 there is a mandated death sentence.  That this be a federal law similar to that established for taking hostages.  Also, should an individual AND his/her accomplices be convicted of attempting premeditated murder or distribution of a controlled substance involving two or more children under the age of 12, there is a mandated life sentence without parole.

Our children must be protected.

Just a thought - yours??

Session 5 - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

7 Habits - Book Study Session 5

Maggie Flemming led the discussion on Habit 7 as we concluded our study of this book.

Habit 7 is Sharpen the Saw: Principles of Balanced Self-Renewal.  Using the four words suggested by Covey, Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Social/Emotional, Maggie challenged those attending to think about how to re-phrase these 4 areas in a way that was personally meaningful.  This led to the conversation about each of the areas and our own personal understanding of the area and, of course, how much balance we are experiencing among the four areas.

Probably the area receiving the most attention was the Physical Dimension.  Focused on Exercise, Nutrition, & Stress Management, I think we all agreed this is an area where there is room for improvement.  We learned that some literally hate exercise and that finding balance in this area has been a challenge.  Still, from Covey’s explanation I think we all came to see that if we ignore this area it adversely affects us in other areas and makes it difficult for us to be truly effective.  Eating nutritiously is a big part of this, but, unfortunately so is exercise.  Like in all things finding the right balance so that it compliments the whole rather than becomes an obsession probably will require more effort than any of the other areas.

The Mental Dimension encourages us to do the right things to keep our minds active.  I like to play sudoku and other puzzle games help.  I have also found it useful to keep four books going at any one time:  one that focuses on leadership, one that is professional related to my work, one that is spiritual/devotional, and a novel.  I have found this keeps my mind active and opens up new thoughts and ideas.  Whatever we do, it won’t happen accidently so, again, this will require us to exercise that habit of proactivity.

Spiritual Dimension.  Maggie encouraged us to think about this in different ways depending on your understanding of “spiritual.”  She suggested values or conscience as another way of thinking about this dimension.  We didn’t discuss this much but I certainly believe that we are created with a spiritual dimension and that to ignore this is to basically eliminate a major portion of our self.  Since we are doing this around Christmas: think Scrouge and you’ll get the picture.

The final dimension was the Social/Emotional.  Here Maggie equated this with relationships and I heartily agree with her.  The importance of balanced attention to our relationships cannot be overstated.  The impact of how we script others through our actions/words as well as how we ourselves are scripted was discussed.  Understanding ourselves and our own values helps us to avoid the negative scripting of others; it also helps us to avoid negatively scripting others.

If you have a story or thought to share about any of the four area, please comment in reply to this post.

All in all this was an excellent study and Gordon even recommended that all new hires be required to participate in a study of this book within their first year of employment.

The next study will be announced soon.

Book Review: The Facts of Business Life

What is needed in order to be a good leader? I think it begins with two macro concepts. First, a leader has to have the ability to visualize what success looks like; meaning that . . .

Read the rest of this article which is based on the book:  The Facts of Business Life.  Definitely interesting.

I Digress . . .

You may not be aware of it, but in ancient Egypt, if a Pharoah was usurped it was often the case that the new Pharoah would have any references to the deposed Pharoah removed, be it in scrolls or even when carved into stone.  It would all have to go and the memory of that individual was eliminated from the history of the nation.

Today we have some conservative religious groups who practice "shunning" for any members of their sect who break with the tennants of their faith and their community.  The one shunned is treated as if they don't exist for the rest of the community.

Let me preface the next paragraph by saying I am definitely in favor of treating every person in my life as a person of value.  You may know one of my principles of life is that "Everything can be reduced to relationships."  You may not know that I equate "being made in the image of God" with the importance of interpersonal relationships.  If we treated each other with love and respect (or at least respect) that would remove a lot of the excuses for some of the heinous acts we hear about.

So, here's what I'm thinking.  When tradgedies occur like what happened in the school shooting last week, let's commit ourselves as a society to eliminate ANY media attention to the perpetrator of the atrocity.  Let's eliminate that individual from the collective memory and pay attention instead to the value and beauty of life.  I don't want to hear the name or whatever rationale has been cooked up by distraught (don't get me started on parenting) parents or psychologists looking to make a name for themeselves by tying their wagon to the pain of others.  Whoever it is, and for whatever reason it was done, should be noted as a NON-Person.  Sure study the causes and hopefully find something beneficial, but eliminate the name and the memory of the individual.  Does that sound harsh?  Ask the parents of the slain children and see what they think.

Flow Charts - how important are they?

I heard someone talking the other day about being raised on a farm and mentioning the various animals that were a part of the growing up experience.  Then they made an interesting statement, "When you hear about there being a 'pecking-order' among chickens, its really true."  

Something else is true: there is also a 'pecking-order' in authority and influence in every gathering of human beings, from the informal to the highly focused.  You may not want this to be the case, you might even insist that in your organization, at least, it is not the case, BUT IT IS ALWAYS THE CASE.  There is always structure. 

In some cases the structure is informal where everyone pretends that there isn't a structure and everyone has an equal say (even though most will look to one individual or another before actually weighing in on a decision to get their opinion)  and in other cases there is a clearly outlined structure with a defined flow-chart (which may or may not reflect the actual flow of authority and influence).

The benefit of the flow chart is that it presents a visible/tangible explanation of how authority is supposed to flow within the organization.  With careful work, rigorous conversations, and constant attention, the flow chart can be of great value in directing the energies of the organization to be more effective.  If, however, the flow chart is simply an exercise to accomplish, it is likely that it doesn't accurately reflect the authority structures of the organization, and is, thus, useless for all intents and purposes.  I suspect that if you are dubious of the value of a flow chart it is because your experience is more with the latter method described above than the former.

Influence is an entirely different animal and I'm not sure I've ever seen a flow chart build from the perspective of influence.  Most flowcharts are build on the basis of position, but if it were built on the basis of influence it would revolve around individuals.  My experience has been that influence doesn't necessarily follow the same paths as authority so this would be an interesting project.

Bottom line - spending time building and maintaining an accurate flowchart that everyone agrees to and follows is a worthwhile investment.

Character Based Leadership

"The greatest threat to any leader comes not from without, but from within. It is who we are, more than anything else, that will derail us. The traits we so value in great leaders is a matter of character. And it is through this character that our leadership is manifested. It creates the space in which we lead.

Good leadership rests upon good character. "

To read the full article click here 

This is a book review from another leadership blog which reinforces many of the other posts I have made here, i.e. Character makes a difference in leadership.

7 Habits - Session 4 - Guest post by Nicole M. Wilson

Habit 5 – Seek First to Understand, Then be Understood

As I looked through the book chapters, one chapter in particular stood out – Empathic Communication.  I’ve always thought of myself as an effective communicator, but this chapter challenged me to change my perspective regarding communication.  Generally speaking, people listen with the intent to reply; in doing so, we often “misdiagnosis” the real problem.  Covey suggests that to improve our effectiveness as leaders, we must listen with the intent to understand.  Don’t just understand the words, understand the true emotion behind the words.  Communication is 60% non-verbal, 30% tone of voice and 10% words.   

Empathic communication recognizes that, to get the full picture, you need to listen to what isn’t being said. Listen with your ears, your eyes and your heart.   Covey goes on to suggest that once we truly understand the other person (where they’re coming from and why), we have built a foundation of trust and established our credibility.  It goes back to the old saying “Nobody cares what you know until they know how much you care”.  Once understanding is established, people are more responsive to our need to be understood.  When we really, deeply understand each other, we open the door to creative solutions and third alternatives. Our differences are no longer stumbling blocks to communication and progress. Instead, they become the stepping stones to synergy (pp. 259).

Habit 6 – Synergize

Synergy is everywhere. It can be positive synergy or negative synergy.  In habit 6, Covey defines synergy as “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”.  Anyone who has been a part of a championship team, or a successful project implementation can relate to the power of synergy.  It seems when a team is on a roll – they’re unstoppable, but when they’re having a losing streak, they can’t seem to break it.  Things continue in the direction that synergy pushes them. Covey notes that once people have experienced true synergy, they are never quite the same again. 

As we discussed the concept of synergy during the book study, we shared our personal experiences.  It isn’t surprising that all of our experiences had a common factor – trust.  Trust is the foundation of a relationship and is a necessary foothold if we are going to be effective leaders.  When trust is established, people feel safe to share new ideas or concepts and brainstorming is maximized.  High levels of trust combined with high levels of cooperation allow for win/win situations to be created.