You Gotta Get’em To Wanna: 6 Roles the Modern Leader Plays
You Gotta Get’em To Wanna: 6 Roles the Modern Leader Plays
Free Download - What if We Brought in a Facilitator? By Ian Cook
So much is changing in our economic and business environment these years, is it any wonder that the nature of leadership is changing too? We’re not talking a new fad, here, folks. Fads come and they go. Leadership–as it is progressively practiced today–is here to stay! If you manage, supervise, direct or formally influence other people, you lead them! So, just for the record, what does this new style of leadership comprise?
I have always liked this distinction: “management” is getting things done through others; “leadership” is getting others to want to get things done. Howard Gardner, chronicalling some great 20th century leaders in his fascinating book, Leading Minds, calls a leader “an individual who, by words and/or personal example, significantly influences the thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors of...human beings.” Leadership now is really the practice of influencing.
But why is influencing becoming the preferred way? What is wrong with just telling them, from your own experience and authority base, what to do? Allow me to offer two good reasons.
First of all, the processes to provide most products and services have become complex. No one person alone has the answer any more. People are increasingly called upon to communicate and make decisions laterally with others, rather than vertically through the boss. In my own consulting practice I am seeing more cross-functional teams, greater sharing of vital information, and more involvement in the ranks. I am frequently being asked to assist in initiatives to break down walls between those darn “silos.”
Secondly, today’s more complex work demands high levels of skill and knowledge. Employees, the so-called “knowledge workers,” who possess these assets are in great demand. They seek the challenge of contributing their ideas and using their heads in their work. This is
what they are being paid for. These people do not tend to hang around when you become overly directive with them.
So, what is a well-meaning manager or supervisor supposed to do? How does he or she operate as a leader in today’s emerging high performance organizations? My advice is to concentrate on six roles that, together, earn you the right to call yourself a “modern leader.”
Servant Leader.
Robert Greenleaf coined the term. The idea is that the best leaders see themselves as servants first. Decide whom–not what–you serve in your leadership capacity. Help them succeed in contributing to the organization, help them learn and grow, and see them as your “customer” (for your leadership services).
Direction Setter.
Communicate the overall goals of the company so that they are understood. Engage your people in crafting individual and team objectives that support these wider goals. If you are a unit leader, your job is to ensure that the energy and priorities of your group are aligned with the organization’s strategic direction.
Steward for high standards and results.
No matter how much you share decision-making power and involve your people, you are still ultimately responsible for the results being achieved and the objectives being met. Insist on high standards, for yourself, of course, and for those you lead. This means dealing with those who choose to underperform. As W. Somerset Maugham once said, “It’s a funny thing about life. If you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”
Motivator/Coach.
Yes, you do have a role in–but by no means 100% responsibility for–moti-vating your people. That direction you articulated in (2) above...add your passion about it. Enthusiasm is contagious. It is also motivating. Help them identify what they truly desire (the WIIFM, if you are in sales) from their work and career. Do what you can to help them achieve this.
Changemaster.
You will never stop being called upon to lead, or at least support, change initiatives. All humans, are forced on a psychological journey when faced with change. The journey takes one from “endings” through a “neutral zone” and finally into a period of “new beginnings.” William Bridges” excellent book, Managing Transitions, lays out clearly how to manage people at each of these critical stages.
Role Model.
Leadership manifests itself, above all, in how you behave. On what to you focus your attention? your time? your questions? Do you act consistently with your values? For example, if you espouse an open, trusting work culture, do your people find it “safe” to speak their mind to you?
Make no mistake about it! These six roles are at the core of leadership in the coming years. Give them a central place in your set of attitudes and skills and you will be better, do better and feel a whole lot better as you serve others...from out in front.
Kalena Jordan
Kalena Jordan is the search industry’s first agony aunt, here to answer your tricky questions about search engines.
Kalena is Co-Founder and Director of Studies at Search Engine College, an online training institution offering instructor-led short courses and downloadable self-study courses in Search Engine Optimization and other Search Engine Marketing subjects.
She’s been marketing websites online since 1996 and blogging about search since 2002. For her full bio, view Kalena’s Linked In Profile.
When not working, Kalena likes to go geocaching, hiking or fishing. She also plays a mean darabuka. - Visit Kalena Jordan's Website
Dave Kurlan
Dave Kurlan is a best-selling author, top-rated speaker and thought leader on sales development. He is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development.
Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit.
He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine.
He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball.
He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website
Linda Richardson
Linda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.”
Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine.
Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com
web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.
Ian helps managers become the "best
bosses" their employees ever
had.
Through his keynote presentations,
highly interactive training
workshops, team building
facilitation and individual
coaching, he helps his clients
develop strong leaders at all
levels of their
organization.
Ian works primarily with managers,
mid-level to executive. His
programs introduce cutting-edge
skills and concepts
around
- transforming managers into
leaders
- fostering superior team
performance.
Ian began his training and
consulting firm, Fulcrum
Associates Inc., in 1988,
following seventeen years of
corporate experience in both the
high-tech manufacturing and
transportation industries. He has
a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill
and a Masters degree in the field
of Human Resources Management from
Cornell University. Ian holds the
Certified Speaking Professional
(CSP) designation and is a
presenter to Vistage International
groups.
Ian Cook is a Platinum author on EvanCarmichael.com
Build Best Bosses - Musings about Leadership from Ian Cook.
Ian Cook's
Complete
List Of
Leadership Articles
If you enjoyed this article, get Ian Cook's Complete List of Leadership Articles For FREE!
Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details.
Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company!
Video produced by Phanta Media
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
Kalena Jordan
Dave Kurlan
Linda Richardson
Subscribe to Ian's articles
The Leader’s Edge
