Building Leadership: A Lifelong Pursuit

Goal: To encourage you to build your full leadership potential

• To recognize and learn from leaders

• To know leadership characteristics and build these ‘habits’

• To identify your strengths and sustain their development

Leaders vs. Managers

• Leaders visionaries, strategic thinkers, influential, decisive, goal directed, a sense of mission•Managers focus on the task at hand,

establishing clear, transparent finances, obtain the best possible outcomes with limited resources• You manage things; you lead people.• Some do both well; both are essential but

skills sets differ

Leadership development

• Social and psychological science- observational studies, surveys• Essential for corporate, organizational,

and government success• 91,000 books on leadership• Still many unknowns• Zenger, Rath, Covey, WHO my primary

sources

Leadership Roles• Patient care/public health• Research• Administration• Education• Family/home• Business• Government/politics• Community• Civil society/boards• Do leadership skills in the workplace work the same way at

home?

Great Leaders

• Are magnets for highly committed individuals ( >70% of employees positive about leader/boss, workplace)• Discover and grow the strengths of others• Are trust worthy• Stay and build-have a long term focus• Demonstrate gratitude and appreciation• Not risk averse • Are loyal • But not perfect

Seven Characteristics (Covey)

• Continually learning, training, asking questions, developing new skills• Daily putting on the ‘harness of service’• Radiate positive energy, upbeat, enthusiastic• Believe in others• Lead balanced lives• See life as an adventure• Change catalyst usually with synergistic solutions

The Focus on Strengths & Weaknesses

• Peter Drucker: Most individuals think they know what they are good at. They are usually wrong!• Since 1990 leadership gurus have agreed-

individuals don’t identify strengths well • Need others (bosses, friends, clients) to inform

us, possibly ‘strength finder assessment’• Organizations need to assist individuals to

identify and grow strengths• Stop addressing weaknesses (still common part

of many performance reviews)

Why focus on strengths?

•Most leadership strengths can be improved-from 50-70% to 90-95%•Weaknesses (usually at <30% efficacy)

usually are improved minimally and then return to baseline• Employee survey-42% provide no

feedback; 56% on weaknesses; 2% on strengths

34 Strengths (Competencies) www.strengthsfinder.com• Achiever• Activator• Adaptability• Analytical• Arranger• Belief• Command• Communications• Competition

• Connectedness• Consistency• Context• Deliberative• Developer• Discipline• Empathy• Focus• Futuristic

Continuing Themes/Ideas• Harmony• Ideation• Includer• Individualization• Input• Intellection• Learner• Maximizer

• Positivity• Realtor• Responsibility• Restorative• Self-assurance• Significance• Strategic• Woo

My Five ‘Strengths’

• Learner- energized by the process. A catalyst for change. Need to be on the cutting edge.• Analytical- theories must be sound. Prove it or I

won’t accept your observation.• Input-inquisitive, gathering ideas, fact repository• Arranger-’conductor’, enjoy complex challenges• Intellection-enjoy thinking, problem solving,

musing, reflecting

Fatal Flaws

• As many as 20% of leaders have a ‘fatal flaw’ that can hinder or destroy leadership • Needs to be identified and addressed and may

require professional help• Eg. uncontrollable anger; addictions; failing to

complete tasks

Conclusion

Develop your potential to become an exceptional leader and use your strengths for a career that fulfills your dreams to make a difference

The 360 Degree Assessment

• Our self perceptions are often/usually wrong• Need accurate feedback processes from

peers, boss, subordinates, customers, clients• Responses should take only 10-20 minutes

and be annual• Positive process –identifying strengths,

growing them, not harping on weaknesses

Can you become the leader you want to be ?

• Talents are inborn but need opportunity to be enhanced; leadership can be learned/acquired- a lifelong goal• Potential varies- usually not well developed• Leadership is the right use of powers and

principles• Power leadership- coercion. utility, or principles• Principled leadership-shared values, integrity,

trust, ethical behavior, honour, respect, humility

What about Weaknesses?

• Disregard them unless a ‘fatal flaw’ is present• Possibly weaknesses need to be

addressed in childhood to ensure adequate development across the knowledge spectrum• Organizations require a variety of leaders-

different strengths are essential

Sustaining Strengths

• Sustainability = motivation x clarity x support from others (workplace) x opportunities for practice x measurement of progress• Motivation lies within the individual- drive,

autonomy• Clarity-about the ‘strength’ and its application• Support-from the 360• Practice-with input on performance • Metrics-identify targets, time frame

Seven Deadly Leadership Sins-Ghandi

•Wealth without work• Pleasure without conscience• Knowledge without character• Commerce without morality• Science without humanity• Religion without sacrifice• Politics without principles

The Emergence of Servant Leadership

• Arrogance/prominence was a valued component of leadership in Roman, Greek, even Jewish culture• Christian culture began emphasizing

humility as a desired trait for success and effective leadership• Benjamin Israeli/Abe Lincoln- revered

politicians both sought to lead with humility

Quotes to quote (Forbes)

• The function of a leader is to create more leaders, not more followers• You don’t need a title to be a leader.• People buy into the leader before they will

buy the vision• Leadership is the art of getting someone

else to do something you want done, because he wants to do it• Earn your leadership every day