8 conerstones of Leadership
Introduction
Permit me to start with this statement
Being a leader can be incredibly rewarding.
It can also be tough and bewildering
If you sometimes feel a little overwhelmed and greatly stressed up with the ever increasing demands of leadership, or you're confused about what great leadership looks like or how to cultivate it, i want to assure you that you're not alone.
One of the reasons for this is because many of the leadership theories and practices that was developed in the last 5 decades are now outdated. They're no longer applicable to our present world today in which we lead.
Technology, especially social media, has really increased global connectedness,the growing volatility and complexity that organisations and individuals are experiencing - not to mention the sheer pace of change - shows that leadership is now more challenging than ever before.
But, the good news is that the effective leadership has the power to have more of positive impact,on more people around the world, than ever before now in the history of humanity.
This series is going to provide you with simple but yet effective pratical tips and tools you can start implementing to improve your leadership.
The number one that we are going to start with today is
1. Self Awareness
The talent show contestant who think they can sing,
but can't hold a tune to save themselves.
The skinny friend who thinks she's fat
And the extreme?Hitler,who saw himself as a prophet and Messsiah
These may be radical cases of lowself-awareness,but for many of us today, how we view ourselves is often distorted.either we're too harsh or we overestimate our current performance and consequently, inflate our self- perception. This is a very big problem in leadership today.
One poll found 90 percent of leaders believe that they are in top 10 percent performers(church 1997).
The Nemeses of believing that you're a good leader is that it leads to Blind spot, when you actually think better of yourself than you're which may eventually lead to an unwilligness to seek after knowledge,feedback from others and your lack of knowledge about your impact on others.
The remedy to this problem is self awareless. it's a crucial factor to be considered if you want to operate in the level of high performer leaders. it's also a very good indicator for long- term leadership success.
you need to create time to know yourself better.
let me end this by quoting one of the Socrates statement, simply ''Know Thyself'''
Ways to know yourself better
- Regularly conduct face to face interviews with those you lead,those above you and also your peers,who'll honestly give you their feedback on your strengths- and your areas of development.
what do you want me to keep doing?
stop doing?
Do more?
Do less?
Start doing?
Thank them don't be defensive. Act on the feedback in a positive way by choosing one or two areas you want to see positive change .Enlist a coach,mentor or trusted peer to help you make those changes.
2. At least twice a year, ask your direct reports:
- What can i do in order for me to lead you better?
- What am i currently doing that enebles you to perform better in your role?
- What can i change to support you more?
Act on the feedback. unlike company engagement survey that never go anywhere, the worst thing you can do is to ask your direct reports these question and .....then do nothing about it.
3. Get a coach
Skilled coaches hold a mirror up to you and give you feedback on your patterns of behaviour, which are both helpful and limiting. They hold you accountable as you travel the often difficult journey of positive change they are an objective sounding board.
4. Reflect
Make space in your diary daily for reflective thinking. meditation or mindfulness,journaling and excercising in solitude are always to help you tune in into yourself and your world more effectively.
Even if it's 15 minutes at the begining or end of your work day where you can ask yourself such questions like ''what's the most importatnt thing for me to focus on today?'' or ''what did i learn today?'' helps to improve self-awareness.
We'll continue in the next episode of 8 conerstones of leadership. Remember the key point in today's lesson is self -awareless.
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