Inspire Your People - A Self-Assured Leader Does Not Manage, He Motivates His People To Be Like Him

“I HATE managing people!” was my client’s opening comment, before we greeted one another in our usual friendly manner. “Great. Time to stop trying,” was my reply. My client gave me an uncharacteristically blank look. “People cannot be managed,” I said. He gave me another blank look. After many years of observing and interacting with people, I reached the following conclusions: The problem with people is that they create their own problems People can only solve their own problems. You must let them! You can lead people, but not manage them.

Leadership is the art of inspiring people to bring everything they are to everything they do. In my view, management is the science of making this easy for people. Leadership is therefore about people and influence. Management is about systems and processes. People who bring everything they are to everything they do rarely have problems they cannot solve. On the surface, less than desired performance occurs through lack of skill, willpower, circumstances beyond your control, or a combination of all three. The underlying reason, however, for unsatisfactory performance is a lack of self-assurance. When you are self-assured, you have the will and can learn the skill. Self-assured people never bother about circumstances beyond their control.

Be self-assured

Having heard all of the above, my client said: “So my real role is to be self-assured and to inspire others to be the same.” “Exactly,” I said. “So what are the characteristics of self-assurance?” my client asked.

Here are the thoughts that I shared with him. Self-assured people:

• Demonstrate confidence that rarely spills over into arrogance


• Are committed to lifelong learning, and are willing to let go of favoured ways of doing things if new ones are more effective


• Live their values


• Make decisions that are often unpopular and follow these decisions through


• Turn information into insight


• Articulate insights with clarity and passion and inspire others


• Fulfil responsibilities and deliver on promises


• Accept responsibility for their own feelings, thoughts and actions


• Never blame or shame others; and


• Continually improve themselves.

Systems and processes

If you can’t manage people, then what is it that you manage? You manage systems and processes.

Systems

The most important systems are:

• Performance management (recruitment, induction, engagement, succession)


• Finance (cash flow) Delivering value (understanding what all stakeholders demand, desire and feel they deserve, and designing systems to deliver such value)


• Innovation (the journey from information to insight to inspiration to idea to implementation)


• Technology (the hardware and software that supports us in consistently performing our best)

Processes

The most important processes are:

• Decision-making (the processes you follow to arrive at decisions and how decisions are communicated)


• Appreciating people and holding them to account (the processes, techniques and tools you use to appreciate people when they do well and hold them to account when their performance is less than desired.)


• Operating procedures (the standard policies, procedures, and practices) you must follow to remain efficient and effective.

The art of leadership must be supported by the science of management. When that happens, everyone in the organisation will be pulling together in the same direction.

The self-assured leader says what he means and means what he says. And he inspires his people to do the same, and to accept that their primary quest is to be the best one-of-a-kind beings they can be.

When the workplace culture is one where everyone is on such a quest, organisations will be the remarkable places they should be. Stop trying to manage people. Lead people. Manage systems and processes. Execute it and you will find that your challenges and their underlying causes will disappear.

Article by Ian Berry, an international business speaker, workshop leader and author with Training Edge International.

E-mail: ian.berry@trainingedgeasia.com ,

Website: www.trainingedgeasia.com

Developing High Performance Leadership

Many organizations today are undergoing a rapid transition from the old rather authoritarian management style based on command and control to a newer more participative leadership style based on influence rather than use of authority. This, coupled with the fact that the reality of modern organizational life is about achieving more with less, has led to a demand for a new form of managerial leadership - high performance leadership. High performance leaders empower others to venture into unknown territories, inspiring colleagues and staff to make difficult decisions and are able to move their organizations forward in new ways to achieve better results.

The term managerial leadership recognises the subtle switch over the past decade from the role of manger to that of leader. This is not to decry the traditional management activities such as planning, organizing and controlling. Rather it is to acknowledge the transition from control to empowerment that has taken place. Managerial leadership is a way to encompass both sets of activities and high performance leadership is a way of recognizing the leadership attributes needed to achieve long-term organizational success.

One of the key distinguishing features of this type of leadership is the ability to initiate, drive and constantly encourage change. High performance leaders are pioneers – people who are willing to step out into the unknown in order to achieve innovation. These leaders search out opportunities, experiment and take risks. Leaders lead by their own example, being a role model for others to follow, acting in ways that are consistent with their beliefs. They model the way.

High performance leaders acknowledge the power of working collaboratively and concentrate their efforts in building peak performance teams. This involves developing vision and values, establishing direction, and persuading others to see, understand and believe in their vision through developing shared goals and plans of action. As the team develops and matures the leader must also change the leadership style to best suit the stage of development the team has reached – Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing- being able to diagnose and trouble shoot at every stage.

This ability to change leadership style, not only during the stages of team development, but when leading and managing staff at every level, is the hallmark of high performance leadership. By analyzing the “maturity” of the subordinate and the varying levels of support and direction needed in any given situation then the leadership style can be varied between direction, coaching, support or delegation matching the most appropriative style with the given circumstances.

Sharing vision and setting goals as mentioned above, lies at the heart of managing performance, which is the natural domain of a high performance leader. Involving others in creating smart goals and setting performance standards and expectations leads to a clear understanding of what is needed from the team. Being able to spot performance problems early and developing the ability to coach and council are now an integral part of the leadership role.

High performance leaders develop the key interpersonal skills to lead others. They understand their strengths and weaknesses as a leader, acknowledging their preferred behavioural style when dealing with other people, developing the ability to change style if appropriate. They understand the power of effective communication encouraging others to give constructive feedback and praise when appropriate. They have learnt to empower and delegate. Above all they are honest – in the majority of surveys asking about the most admired qualities of leaders the top four qualities identified in rank order are: honest, competent, forward-looking and inspiring.

To summarise, one can do no better than to refer to Warren Bennis’ now classic book, Leaders. He describes leadership as “heading into the wind with such knowledge of oneself and such collaborative energy as to move others to follow” His book offers four major strategies that seem to form the essence of high performance leadership. Attention Through Vision – “I have a dream” (Martin Luther King) The leader must set a vision for others to follow. Meaning Through Communication – “If you can dream it, you can do it” (Walt Disney) The leaders vision must be communicated to the people who can make it happen. Trust Through Positioning. The accumulation of trust is a measure of the legitimacy of leadership; trust is the emotional glue that binds followers and leaders together. The Deployment of Self Through Positive Self-Regard. Leaders must have persistence and self-knowledge, be willing to take risks and accept losses, make and honour commitments, be consistent and willing to learn constantly.

To paraphrase a quote from Collin Powell “High Performance leadership is about achieving more than the science of management says is possible.”

Article Contributed by Chris Fenney, Co-founder and Director of Training Edge International
Email : chris.fenney@trainingedgeasia.com
Website : www.trainingedgeasia.com

The Changing World of Work and Its Impact on Careers and Mobility

“The battle to remain employed has been lost – the new battle is to remain employable” Welcome to the brave new world of the 21st Century. All around us the old certainties are fast disappearing to be replaced by the new, the unknown and the uncertain. Consider some of the paradoxes. The economy is changing. The iron rice bowl is no more. Jobs for life have gone, unskilled, low value-added added jobs are fast disappearing, full-time jobs are being replaced by contract or part time working. We are rapidly transforming into a knowledge based economy driven by information technology, research and development and the provision of advanced services. Organisations are changing. They are flatter, leaner and more flexible having to respond to the changing environment, customers and clients faster. It means there are fewer people being employed and they have to work harder, faster, smarter, be multi skilled and creative with a new more open mindset. The market is changing. Consumers are older, greener and wiser demanding sophisticated added-value products and services. If you can’t deliver a better product or service at a cheaper price in a fast changing market place – your competitor will!

“There is no such thing as a career path any more – it’s crazy paving and you lay it yourself” The old employment paradigm has shifted forever. In the past organizations were paternalistic, offered job security, had defined career paths, practiced succession planning and had focused job descriptions and titles with narrow and specific responsibilities and clear reporting lines. The new organizational reality is very different. The company is no longer responsible for your job security. No employer anywhere, in any organization, can guarantee you a job. The old psychological employment contract has been replaced by a looser less structured working relationship. The emphasis is on employability not employment. Careers must be self-directed and highly flexible. You must be prepared for total mobility – upwards, downwards, sideways. People must take more responsibility for their own development building a portfolio of skills and talents, capable of switching roles rapidly and multi tasking with ease.

Career resilience is the new mantra of our times. You must be responsible for yourself adopting a “self-employed” mentality even if working for a large organization. Knowledge is the new currency of business and lifelong learning and unlearning is no longer an option – it has become mandatory for survival.
All employees must know the skills they have and how these skills can be marketed to other employers. They must continually update and upgrade their skill and be aware of new roles they may be required to fill. They must push to the outer limits and enjoy doing it, developing a radical mindset change to become not a career hunter but a career creator. Employees must develop skills aligned to the business needs, an attitude that is focused yet flexible, a dedication to continuous learning and personal excellence, and deliver a solid performance in support of the organisation’s goals

It is vital that you discover, or rediscover yourself through self-awareness. Understand your personality and work style, what drives you, what your preferences are in a work situation. Invest in yourself through developing an understanding of your work behavior. Complete a proven personality profiling tool such as DISC or Myers Briggs and reflect on the feedback.

Be aware of the key characteristics of employability. What is it that employers value in the people they hire and promote. There is a new emphasis on effective communication and interpersonal skill with a growing awareness of the need for EQ as well as IQ. Good teamwork is required from people with positive and flexible attitudes. There is a growing demand for creative and innovative thinking and problem solving with an increased willingness to take risks. Continuous learning is a necessity together with a commitment to personal excellence
Employees developing a managerial career must be aware of the new managerial realities. Managers need to become coaches, to nurture and develop the skills and abilities of their own staff. They must learn to delegate and empower, to manage transition and change and to develop managerial leadership based on influence not power.

Article Contributed by Chris Fenney, Co-founder and Director of Training Edge International
Email : chris.fenney@trainingedgeasia.com
Website : www.trainingedgeasia.com

Get what you want - nicely

ARE Singaporeans assertive? To the many I posed this question to, it appears there is no clear answer.


Most agreed that employers reward employees for being assertive in various scenarios at the workplace. There were, however, many definitions of assertiveness — from being demanding to being polite but firm about the outcome one wanted to achieve.

Assertiveness is defined as the ability to communicate our thoughts, feelings and ideas, both positive and negative, in an open and honest way that does not abuse our rights or the rights of others.

Benefits

What are some of the benefits of being assertive? First, you can expect fewer conflicts in your dealings with your peers.

Being skilful at honest and open communication will help you achieve your business goals without hindering others from meeting their needs as well.

Indirectly, this will result in less stress in your work life. You will enjoy stronger, more supportive business relationships and lead a healthier lifestyle. If assertiveness is such a good thing, why are so many of us afraid of being assertive? From a casual survey of my colleagues and business associates, the number one reason is the fear of displeasing others or not being liked.

One of our basic human instincts is the need to be wanted.

As such, we try very hard not to jeopardise our likeability. Other reasons for not being assertive would include avoiding immediate confrontation and unpleasantness.

Interestingly, many also attributed not being assertive to low self-esteem and/or a lack of confidence.

Consequences

So what happens when you are unable to or prohibited from communicating your thoughts openly in the workplace? Informal surveys indicate that the common consequences are depression, resentment and frustration. Studies have also shown that an oppressive environment can lead to violence, anxiety and poor work relationships.

Psychologists even go so far as to attribute severe inhibition to open communication as the likely cause of physical illness and parenting problems.

How to be Assertive

Among the various ways to boost assertiveness, one of the most effective yet often overlooked methods is to exhibit non-verbal assertive behaviour in the workplace. Here are some typical examples:

Look directly at the person you are talking to, eye to eye;

Sit or stand up tall with a straight back. Speak clearly, audibly and firmly;

Emphasise your most important points with gestures and facial expressions;

Avoid mumbling, whispering or sounding as if you are asking a question when you are not; and

Do not whine or use an apologetic tone of voice.

Effective non-verbal behaviour communicates up to 70 per cent of the speaker’s intended message.

You can assert yourself without offending others. Here are some simple pointers:

Always ask questions to find out other people’s opinions and requirements;

Offers suggestions and ideas, not advice;

Never blame others;

Speak with a steady voice in a clear, well-pitched, warm and sincere tone;

Use “I” statements. For example, “I prefer”, “I’d like”;

Speak in clear, concise statements that are to the point;

Focus on what can be done, not what can’t be done;

Offer problem-solving statements; and

Give and receive feedback,

both developmental and motivational.

Keep it cool

Do you find it a challenge to be assertive while maintaining a cool head? Here are some “cool” tips:

Tell the person you will discuss the subject at another time, and leave;

If you decide to stick it out, remain calm and steer the conversation back to the original point;

Try to understand the other person's point of view;

Appreciate there may be other issues motivating the behaviour of the other person;

Don't take heat-of-the-moment criticisms to heart; and

Learn from the experience and try to think up better ways to negotiate in a similar scenario.

Assertive skills can be learned and acquired. Use these tips to master the art of effective communication and become an excellent manager.

Article by Alvin Yapp, associate director of Training Edge International. He has designed and delivered programmes on assertiveness, team-building, emotional intelligence, problem solving and decision-making. E-mail: Alvin.Yapp@trainingedgeasia.com  Website: www.trainingedgeasia.com