Mind Tools - Leadership Skills PDF

Leadership Skills
Become an Exceptional Leader
The old-fashioned view of

leadership is that leaders are
marked out for leadership from
early on in their lives; and that
if you are not a born leader,
there's little you can do to
become one.
That's not the way we see it
now. The modern view is that
through patience, persistence
and hard work, you can be a
truly effective leader, just as With persistence, you can be an exceptional leader.
© iStockphoto
long as you make the effort
needed.
The 50+ articles in this section help you develop your leadership
skills, so that you can become an exceptional leader.
Start by taking our short quiz to test your leadership skills. Then
firm up on the leadership basics, explore the different
approaches to leadership that you can use, and find out why
emotional intelligence is so important in leadership.
The Browse by Category box will help you target specific leadership
skills, while you can look through the list below to find interesting
topics. Enjoy these articles!
Browse by Category
Understanding Power Becoming a Leader

Leadership Styles Young and Future Leaders
Emotional Intelligence Crisis and Contingency
Planning
Further Resources
Bite-Sized Training™ Book Insights

Learning Streams Expert Interviews
Introduction
How Good Are Your Leadership Skills?
What is Leadership?
General Leadership
Core Leadership Theories

Learning the Foundations of Leadership
Leadership Motivation Assessment

How Motivated Are You to Lead?
Leadership Motivation Tools

Increase Your Motivation to Lead
Authentic Leadership
Being a Leader People Want to Follow
Ethical Leadership
Doing the Right Thing
Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model
Taking an Intelligent, Long-Term Approach to

Leadership
Understanding Power
French and Raven's Five Forms of Power

Understanding Where Power Comes From in the
Workplace
Winning Expert Power

Lead From the Front
Leadership Styles
Leadership Styles
Choosing the Right Approach for the Situation
The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership®

Theory
Choosing the Right Leadership Style for the Right
People
Lewin's Leadership Styles Framework
Three Core Leadership Styles
The Seven Transformations of Leadership

Developing Your Leadership Style
The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Leadership

Continuum
Balancing Control with Your Team's Need for Freedom
Leadership Style Matrix

Choosing the Best Leadership Approach
"Laissez Faire" versus Micromanagement

Getting the Balance Right
The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid

Balancing Task- and People-Oriented Leadership
Action Centered Leadership™

Balancing Task, Team, and Individual Focus
Fiedler's Contingency Model

Matching Leadership Style to a Situation
Path-Goal Theory
Discovering the Best Leadership Style
Six Emotional Leadership Styles

Choosing the Right Style for the Situation
Transformational Leadership
Becoming an Inspiring Leader
Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Learning How to Be More Aware
Developing Self-Awareness
Learning "Mindfulness"
The Agile Leader

Adaptability
The Power of Trust

A Steel Cable
Optimism
The Hidden Asset
What's Empathy Got to Do with It?
Humility
The Most Beautiful Word in the English Language
The Talisman of Leadership

Authenticity
"I Swear by Apollo"

Being Accountable to Yourself in Leadership
Leading by Example
Making Sure You "Walk the Talk"
A Leader's Mood
The Dimmer Switch of Performance
A Bit of Perfume
Giving Praise
Degrees of Giving
Leading with Generosity
The Uncertainty Factor
The Green-Eyed Monster

Keeping Envy Out of the Workplace
Becoming a Leader
10 Common Leadership and Management

Mistakes
Avoiding Universal Pitfalls
Leading Equals
Motivating People Effectively, Without Authority
Now You're the Boss...

Learning How to Manage Former Peers
What a Real Leader Knows

Developing Fundamental Leadership Skills
Level 5 Leadership
Achieving "Greatness" as a Leader
The Four Factor Theory of Leadership

A Foundation of Good Leadership
Young and Future Leaders
Leadership by the New Generation

Bridging the Age Gap
Building Tomorrow's Leaders
Identifying and Developing Leaders
The Leadership Pipeline Model

Developing Your Organization's Future Leaders
Crisis and Contingency Planning
Crisis Planning
Preparing Your Best Response to the Unexpected
Contingency Planning
Developing a Good 'Plan B'
Leadership in Hard Times

Leading – and Succeeding – in a Downturn
Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse

Spotting Moral Downfalls
Bite-Sized Training™
Building Expert Power
Understanding Leadership Styles
Building Influence
Scenario Training
Learning Streams
Mindset for Success

Lead Now!
Book Insights
The 100-Mile Walk, by Sander and Jonathan Flaum
What Happy Companies Know, by Dan Baker, Cathy
Greenberg, and Collins Hemmingway
Revved! and Monday Morning Mentoring
Know-How, by Ram Charan
The Effective Executive, by Peter Drucker
If Harry Potter Ran General Electric, by Tom Morris
Think Big, Act Small, by Jason Jennings
Influencer, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield,
Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
Results That Last, by Quint Studer

Myself and Other More Important Matters, by Charles Handy
Judgement: How winning leaders make great calls, by Noel M

Tichy and Warren G Bennis
The Turnaround Kid, by Steve Miller
Energy Leadership, by Bruce D Schneider
Followership, by Barbara Kellerman
Leadership Therapy, by Anna Rowley
The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama
Leading With Kindness, by William F. Baker and Michael
O'Malley
Collaboration: How Leaders Avoid the Traps, Create Unity, and
Reap Big Rewards, by Morten T Hansen
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter, by
Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown
Talent Is Overrated, by Geoff Colvin
Emotionomics, by Dan Hill
The Snowball, by Alice Schroeder
Business Stripped Bare, by Richard Branson
Strengths Based Leadership, by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie
Winners Never Cheat, by Jon M Huntsman
Creating Magic, by Lee Cockerell
The Ethical Executive, by Robert Hoyk and Paul Hersey
Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty, by Ram
Charan
Hit the Ground Running: A Manual for New Leaders, by Jason
Jennings
Walk the Walk: The #1 Rule for Real Leaders, by Alan
Deutschman
The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders
at All Levels, by Michael Watkins
The Differentiated Workforce: Transforming Talent into
Strategic Impact, by Brian Becker, Mark Huselid and Richard
Beatty
Outstanding! 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional,
by John Miller
The Why of Work: How Great Leaders Build Abundant
Organizations That Win, by Dave and Wendy Ulrich
Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't, by Jeffrey
Pfeffer
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
Ultimate Leadership, by Russell E. Palmer
Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People
Demand It, by James Kouzes and Barry Posner
Ethical Intelligence: Five Principles for Untangling Your
Toughest Problems at Work and Beyond, by Bruce Weinstein
Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring out the Best in
Yourself and Everyone Around You, by Betsy Myers
Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos and Luck – Why Some
Thrive Despite Them All, by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen
People Follow You: The Real Secret to What Matters Most in

Leadership, by Jeb Blount
Taking People With You, by David Novak
Who's in the Room?, by Bob Frisch
The Leader's Climb: A Business Tale of Rising to the New
Leadership Challenge, by Bob Parsanko and Paul Heagen
The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper
Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line, by David Horsager
Leadership Conversations: Challenging High Potential
Managers to Become Great Leaders, by Alan S. Berson and
Richard G. Stieglitz
Expert Interviews
Leading People Through Disasters, with Kathy McKee
High Impact Non-Profit Organizations, with Heather McLeod
Grant
What Men Don't Tell Women About Business, with Chris Flett
The Leader as a Mensch, with Bruna Martinuzzi

Corporate Social Responsibility, with Andrew Crane
Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life, with Stew Friedman
Learning Business from McDonald's, with Paul Facella

Grown Up Digital, with Don Tapscott
The Leadership Code, with Kate Sweetman
The Introverted Leader, with Jennifer Kahnweiler
Fierce Leadership, with Susan Scott
Employees First, Customers Second, with Vineet Nayar
Open Leadership, with Charlene Li
Buy-In, with John Kotter
Strategic Leadership, with John Adair
The Power of Positive Deviance, with Richard Pascale
Better Under Pressure, with Justin Menkes
The Charisma Myth, with Olivia Fox Cabane
Leadership Isn't for Cowards, with Mike Staver
The Outsiders, with Will Thorndike
Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck, With Tony Tjan
The First 90 Days, With Michael Watkins
Where to go from here: Next article
Return to top of the page

Leadership Skills – Start Here!
"At the age of seven, a young

boy and his family were forced
out of their home. The boy had
to work to support his family. At
the age of nine, his mother
passed away. When he grew
up, the young man was keen to
go to law school, but had no
education.
At 22, he lost his job as a store

© iStockphoto/VisualField
clerk. At 23, he ran for state
legislature and lost. The same year, he went into business. It failed,
leaving him with a debt that took him 17 years to repay. At 27, he had
a nervous breakdown.
Two years later, he tried for the post of speaker in his state
legislature. He lost. At 31, he was defeated in his attempt to become
an elector. By 35, he had been defeated twice while running for
Congress. Finally, he did manage to secure a brief term in Congress,
but at 39 he lost his re-election bid.
At 41, his four-year-old son died. At 42, he was rejected as a

prospective land officer. At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. Two
years later, he lost the vice presidential nomination. At 49, he ran for
Senate and lost again.
At 51, he was elected the President of the United States of America.
The man in question: Abraham Lincoln."
– Author Unknown
Many of us are acquainted with this eloquent example of persistence

and determination in achieving victory. We read it, stop for a moment
and then sigh and say: "Wow! That's the stuff real leaders are made
of."
And in saying this, it's all too easy for us to think about leaders like
Lincoln almost as "mythological creatures", separate from the rest of
humanity and empowered by some mysterious quality that smoothes
their path towards inevitable success. This is the traditional view of
leadership: that leaders are marked out for leadership from early on
in their lives, and that if you're not a leader, there's little that you can
do to become one.
That's not the way we see it now. The modern view is that through
patience, persistence and hard work, you can be a highly effective
leader.
This section of Mind Tools helps you make a start in finding and
developing leadership qualities within yourself.
Our first tools help you assess your current leadership skills, and
explore your motivation to lead – without this, you'll struggle to
improve your skills or become an effective leader. However, if you
have to lead, even if you lack an intrinsic motivation to do so, our
Leadership Motivation Tools article gives you some useful techniques
you can use to build your motivation.
We move on to look at how you can harness ethical sources of
leadership power, and think about the many different ways in which
you can choose to lead. With these articles, you'll learn how to
identify useful leadership styles... and also spot approaches that are
likely to fail.
We round the articles out by looking at, among others, the popular
subject of emotional intelligence; and we'll see how developing it can
help you become an exceptionally successful leader.
To follow these articles in sequence, click the "Next Article" links
below each one. Enjoy this section of Mind Tools!
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10 Common Leadership and
Management Mistakes
Avoiding Universal Pitfalls
Experience is the name every

one gives to their mistakes.
– Oscar Wilde
It's often said that mistakes

provide great learning
opportunities.
However, it's much better not
to make mistakes in the first
place! Avoid common leadership and management
mistakes.
In this article, we're looking at © iStockphoto/Laflor
10 of the most common
leadership and management errors, and highlighting what you can do
to avoid them.
If you can learn about these here, rather than through experience,
you'll save yourself a lot of trouble!
1. Lack of Feedback
Sarah is a talented sales representative, but she has a habit of
answering the phone in an unprofessional manner. Her boss is aware
of this, but he's waiting for her performance review to tell her where
she's going wrong. Unfortunately, until she's been alerted to the
problem, she'll continue putting off potential customers.
According to 1,400 executives polled by The Ken Blanchard
Companies, failing to provide feedback is the most common mistake
that leaders make. When you don't provide prompt feedback to your
people, you're depriving them of the opportunity to improve their
performance.
To avoid this mistake, learn how to provide regular feedback to
your team. (You can use our Bite-Sized Training session on Giving
Feedback to gain an in-depth understanding of feedback, and to
learn how to provide it effectively.)
2. Not Making Time for Your Team

When you're a manager or leader, it's easy to get so wrapped up in
your own workload that you don't make yourself available to your
team.
Yes, you have projects that you need to deliver. But your people must
come first – without you being available when they need you, your
people won't know what to do, and they won't have the support and
guidance that they need to meet their objectives.
Avoid this mistake by blocking out time in your schedule
specifically for your people, and by learning how to listen actively
to your team. Develop your emotional intelligence so that you
can be more aware of your team and their needs, and have a regular
time when "your door is always open", so that your people know
when they can get your help. You can also use Management By
Walking Around , which is an effective way to stay in touch with
your team.
Once you're in a leadership or management role, your team should
always come first - this is, at heart, what good leadership is all about!
3. Being Too "Hands-Off"

One of your team has just completed an important project. The
problem is that he misunderstood the project's specification, and you
didn't stay in touch with him as he was working on it. Now, he's
completed the project in the wrong way, and you're faced with
explaining this to an angry client.
Many leaders want to avoid micromanagement . But going to the
opposite extreme (with a hand-offs management style) isn't a good
idea either – you need to get the balance right.
Our article, Laissez Faire versus Micromanagement will help
you find the right balance for your own situation.
4. Being Too Friendly

Most of us want to be seen as friendly and approachable to people in
our team. After all, people are happier working for a manager that
they get on with. However, you'll sometimes have to make tough
decisions regarding people in your team, and some people will be
tempted to take advantage of your relationship if you're too friendly
with them.
This doesn't mean that you can't socialize with your people. But, you
do need to get the balance right between being a friend and being
the boss.
Learn how to do avoid this mistake with our article, Now You're the
Boss . Also, make sure that you set clear boundaries , so that
team members aren't tempted to take advantage of you.
5. Failing to Define Goals

When your people don't have clear goals, they muddle through their
day. They can't be productive if they have no idea what they're
working for, or what their work means. They also can't prioritize their
workload effectively, meaning that projects and tasks get completed
in the wrong order.
Avoid this mistake by learning how to set SMART goals for your
team. Use a Team Charter to specify where your team is going,
and detail the resources it can draw upon. Also, use principles from
Management by Objectives to align your team's goals to the
mission of the organization.
6. Misunderstanding Motivation
Do you know what truly motivates your team? Here's a hint: chances
are, it's not just money!
Many leaders make the mistake of assuming that their team is only
working for monetary reward. However, it's unlikely that this will be
the only thing that motivates them.
For example, people seeking a greater work/life balance might be
motivated by telecommuting days or flexible working. Others will be
motivated by factors such as achievement, extra responsibility,
praise, or a sense of camaraderie.
To find out what truly drives your people, read our articles on
McClelland's Human Motivation Theory and Theory X and
Theory Y . Then, take our test "How Good Are Your Motivation
Skills?" to learn how to be a great motivator of people.
7. Hurrying Recruitment
When your team has a large workload, it's important to have enough
people "on board" to cope with it. But filling a vacant role too quickly
can be a disastrous mistake.
Hurrying recruitment can lead to recruiting the wrong people for your
team: people who are uncooperative, ineffective or unproductive.
They might also require additional training, and slow down others on
your team. With the wrong person, you'll have wasted valuable time
and resources if things don't work out and they leave. What's worse,
other team members will be stressed and frustrated by having to
"carry" the under-performer.
You can avoid this mistake by learning how to recruit effectively ,
and by being particularly picky about the people you bring into your
team.
8. Not "Walking the Walk"

If you make personal telephone calls during work time, or speak
negatively about your CEO, can you expect people on your team not
to do this too? Probably not!
As a leader, you need to be a role model for your team. This means
that if they need to stay late, you should also stay late to help them.
Or, if your organization has a rule that no one eats at their desk, then
set the example and head to the break room every day for lunch. The
same goes for your attitude – if you're negative some of the time, you
can't expect your people not to be negative.
So remember, your team is watching you all the time. If you want to
shape their behavior, start with your own. They'll follow suit.
9. Not Delegating
Some managers don't delegate, because they feel that no-one apart
from themselves can do key jobs properly. This can cause huge
problems as work bottlenecks around them, and as they become
stressed and burned out.
Delegation does take a lot of effort up-front, and it can be hard to
trust your team to do the work correctly. But unless you delegate
tasks, you're never going to have time to focus on the "broader-view"
that most leaders and managers are responsible for. What's more,
you'll fail to develop your people so that they can take the pressure
off you.
To find out if this is a problem for you, take our interactive quiz, How
Well Do You Delegate? If you need to improve your skills, you
can then learn key strategies with our articles, Successful
Delegation , and The Delegation Dilemma .
10. Misunderstanding Your Role

Once you become a leader or manager, your responsibilities are very
different from those you had before.
However, it's easy to forget that your job has changed, and that you
now have to use a different set of skills to be effective. This leads to
you not doing what you've been hired to do – leading and managing.
Our articles Now You're The Boss and From Technical Expert
to Manager provide more information on the additional skills that
you need to develop to be an effective manager. Make sure that you
learn these skills – you'll fail if you try to rely on technical skills alone,
however good they are!
Key Points
We all make mistakes, and there are some mistakes that leaders
and managers make in particular. These include not giving good
feedback, being too "hands-off," not delegating effectively, and
misunderstanding your role.
It's true that making a mistake can be a learning opportunity. But,
taking the time to learn how to recognize and avoid common
mistakes can help you become productive and successful, and
highly respected by your team.
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Ask questions, or share your experience
What members say...
Yolande wrote
Hi Zuni
Thanks for your posting and yes - this article really hits the nail on
the head. Apart from lack of feedback, I have personally seen too
many managers and leaders being too friendly - they don't know
how to set boundaries and they still want to be 'friends' with
everybody as well. The other mistake that also jumped out at me
was hurried recruitment - I think it is more common than we
imagine. I have personally dealth with sooooo many clients who
think they can just recruit and then they'll train afterwards. Facts
are, that the wrong person for the job is the wrong person for the
job and training can very seldom rectify that!
Thanks for sharing your insights - it's always great to read your
postings regarding leadership and management (which you
obviously have a passion for).
Kind regards
Yolandé
February 7, 2011
zuni wrote
Hi all,
This article is bang on. The issues that lead to poor leadership and
mediocre employee perfomance are rooted in the fundamentals.
Often managers are lured by the 'next big thing'. In truth, most of
the "latest and greatest' leadership practices put out by 'gurus'
are merely repackaging of basic concepts with an added twist to
modernize them.
For example, delivering frequent, timely and specific feedback is

the single most activity a manager can do to increase employee
productivity and develop their people. It builds a manager's
relationship with their employees, increases their credibility as a
leader and improves engagement. Study after study has shown
this to be true with one of the most recent coming from the
Corporate Leadership Council. The concept of giving feedback has
been around for a long time.
Futher, if you don't get the fundamentals right early on in your

career, it will catch up with you later. Many managers are derailed
from obtaining promotions because of their inability to master
these top 10 skill sets.
zuni
February 6, 2011

A Bit of Perfume
Giving Praise
"To see things in the seed, that

is genius", said Lao-tzu,
Chinese philosopher. This is
what we now refer to as
Appreciative Intelligence, a
term coined by Tojo
Thatchenkery to describe the
capacity by certain individuals
to see the positive inherent
potential of situations or people
– it is the ability to see a
breakthrough product, top © iStockphoto/DamirK
talent, or valuable solution of

the future that is not readily visible in the present situation. In short, it
is the ability to see the mighty oak in the acorn.
The term originated when the author began studying the explosive
entrepreneurial growth in Silicon Valley in the late 1990s. According to
the author, it is appreciative intelligence that allowed, partly, for so
many highly talented immigrants from different countries to assemble
in the area and flourish. As the author puts it, venture capitalists
looking to fund the right ideas were asking the question, "How can I
make this work?" as opposed to "What are the chances this idea will
fail?" They created an environment of high anticipation of positive
results which became a contagious fever of opportunity,
achievement, resilience and possibility recognition. (Appreciative
intelligence is not to be confused with appreciative inquiry, which is
an approach and methodology for analyzing organizations).
Appreciative intelligence is a mental ability of individuals who have a
knack for reframing situations (the glass half full/half empty) and a
keen eye for spotting what's valuable and positive in a situation or in
people. And these individuals go one step further: they are able to
envision how the positive aspects can be used to create a better
future. Combining the two in an organization, i.e. a leader with
appreciative intelligence using an appreciative inquiry approach,
constitutes a powerful force indeed for effecting positive change and
inspiring others to give the very best they have to offer. Imagine if all
leaders in an organization proactively and mindfully practiced
appreciative intelligence. Imagine the profound, healthy impact that
this would have on an organization's culture.
Such a culture would fuel employees' motivation. Surveys of what
employees want consistently rank "appreciation for work well done"
high up on the motivation index – well above "good wages". Ironically,
managers often place good wages above appreciation in their
responses of what employees want. Other surveys show that one of
the reasons employees leave companies is because of lack of praise
and recognition. Leaders often talk of the challenge of building trust
in their organization. Adele B. Lynn's study on trust in the workplace
shows that 54% of those polled would work for less remuneration if
the following trust building factors were present:
1. Importance: giving people a sense of importance about who
they are and about their role in the organization;
2. Touch: feeling that the leader genuinely cares about them,
feeling a connection with the leader;
3. Gratitude: being appreciated for their contributions and
sacrifices; receiving genuine gratitude;
4. Fairness: knowing that leaders ensure equal and fair distribution
of rewards.
Recognition and praise are indeed high octane fuel for the soul. When
we receive a genuine compliment, we experience an inner glow – it's
a warm, magical feeling that makes us break into a smile. It makes us
want to go the extra mile for the person who bestowed the sincere
compliment. If this were not important to us, we would not be
treasuring all of the mementos of awards, plaques, appreciative notes
and emails, and other tokens of appreciation that we receive over the
years.
But intuitively, we all know that genuine appreciation is a key factor in
our relationship with our constituents, and any basic management
course will touch on the value of praising employees for their
contributions. Yet many well-meaning and otherwise caring leaders
are reluctant to express their appreciation of others' talents and
contributions.
Many years ago, I worked for a great leader, one who genuinely cared
for his constituents, and who confided in me one day that he found
expressing praise a very difficult thing to do – publicly and even
harder, privately. I asked him why that is. He said, "I grew up in a
household where praising was not something we did." There is a
profound implication in this statement. Our families are our first
corporations – that's where we learned many of our behaviors, and it
is often difficult to break these ingrained patterns. Withholding praise,
however, is a pattern of behavior that we need to unlearn if we want
to bring the best out in people. We need to get over the
embarrassment that grips some of us when we have to praise an
individual.
Here are some pointers for practicing this important skill:
1. If you have difficulty praising others, analyze the root causes of
this. If it is a fear of embarrassing others, know that even the
most introverted individuals who shun public praise enjoy
reading an email to all staff about their contributions. If it is a
discomfort at not knowing how to do it, read the few simple rules
below and consider working with a coach for one or two sessions
on this most important aspect of a leader's communication
repertoire. Self-awareness precedes self-management.
2. Sometimes, withholding praise is simply due to a lack of time for
leaders who are required to handle an ever increasing number of
issues during the course of a harried day. If this is your challenge,
I encourage you to reframe how you view this particular issue.
Showing your people you care about them needs to move up on
the list of items in your "to do" list. It takes less than 10 seconds
to say, "I appreciate the time and thought you put into this
report. It is exceptional. Thank you."
3. Praise has a limited "best before" date. Don't delay its expression
or wait until performance review time – when you see something
that is worthy of praising, do so promptly after the event.
4. Make your genuine words memorable for your constituents by
being specific about the achievement. Not many of us remember
the perfunctory "job well done", but we all would remember
someone who tells us "This was pure genius," or "I would have
missed this if you hadn't picked it up." The praise does not have
to be elaborate. It just needs to be genuine.
5. When you drop by an employee's office or cubicle to deliver the
praise, don't follow that with a conversation about business
matters or other projects. Deliver the praise and leave. Come
back later for discussions on other matters. This gives the praise
its moment of honor and heightens its value in the eyes of the
recipient.
6. A primer for rewarding and recognizing others is Jim Kouzes' and
Barry Posner's Encouraging the Heart: A Leader's Guide to
Rewarding and Recognizing Others. The book provides 150 ways
to encourage the heart. Another useful book is Steven Kerr's
Ultimate Rewards: What Really Motivates People to Achieve
(Harvard Business Review Book Series). The book outlines many
different sources of motivation including accountability,
responsibility, organizational culture, coaching, teamwork,
incentives and goal setting.
7. Finally, how can you apply the dynamic concept of appreciative
intelligence on yourself? What are your talents? Practicing
appreciating our talents and gifts opens us up to appreciating
others' greatness.
Perhaps the ultimate appreciation is letting people know that their
work – no matter how far removed they are from the top of the
pyramid – is important to the organization. It's about making
everyone feel like an owner and helping them understand how their
work contributes to the overall purpose of the company. It's about
practicing seeing more people. Excellence involves everyone.
There is another lovely Chinese quote that says, "A bit of perfume
always clings to the hand that gives roses." As leaders, when we
make people feel great about themselves, paradoxically we elevate
ourselves to greatness as well.
Copyright © 2006-2013 Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.
This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s book: The Leader as
a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow.
Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and founder of Clarion
Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in emotional
intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation skills training.
Click here to contact her or visit her website at
www.increaseyoureq.com. Click here for other articles by Bruna.
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What members say...
mayc wrote
Excellent reminder to be appreciative of our employees. I

especially loved the tip about giving praise and leaving. In the
name of efficiency it's tempting to give a bit of praise at the front
of a conversation and then follow it up with a bunch more
directions or discussion about the current project.
Bruna so aptly reminds us that praise should be given in a manner

that lets the praise be the sole focus. Excellent, excellent words of
wisdom. How many times have I done just that, or had it done to
me - the praise loses most of its value when it's only the preface
to the "real" conversation.
May 24, 2007

Action Centered Leadership™
Balancing Task, Team, and Individual Focus
Imagine you've recently started

a new job as a team leader.
At first, you're completely
overwhelmed with all there is
to do.
You've got to get to grips with
the group's objectives, assign
tasks, keep everyone
motivated, and adhere to a
strict schedule.
Pay attention to all three elements.
And that feels like just the tip of © iStockphoto/peepo
the iceberg!
You also know that, under your predecessor, several of the team were
struggling, so you devote a lot of your time to coaching these
individuals.
This seems to be working well, with the team members concerned
growing in confidence as a result of your hard work. But after a few
weeks, your start to realize that things are going badly wrong in other
areas.
The group isn't working cohesively as a whole, and an unpleasant
blame culture has sprung up amongst several team members. And an
important deadline is missed. You've been so busy coaching people
that you didn't see these things till it was too late.
Managing a team is very much like juggling several balls at once.
Drop one ball, and it spoils the whole pattern.
Unfortunately, this is an easy mistake for managers to make, as they
spend too much time on one responsibility at the expense of others
that are just as important. This is where a management model like
Action Centered Leadership™ helps you monitor the balance between
the key areas for which you're responsible, helping you avoid
dropping any balls along the way.
In this article we'll look at what Action Centered Leadership is, and
we'll explore how you can use it with your team.
Action Centered Leadership

Action Centered Leadership (sometimes known as ACL) is a model
that was first published in 1973 by leadership expert, John Adair.
It's so-called because it highlights the key actions that leaders have
to take when managing their teams. And it's particularly helpful
because it groups these responsibilities together under three key
areas:
• Task: Achieving the team's goal.
• Team: Developing and building your team, so that it's ever more
effective.
• Individual: Helping individuals develop their full potential in the
workplace.
These areas are represented by the three interlocking circles, as
shown in Figure 1 below.
The model states that leaders must balance the actions they take
across all three key areas if they want their group to succeed. The
areas are interdependent; if a leader focuses too much on one area
and neglects the other two, then the group will experience problems.
Tip:
Although Figure 1 shows all of the circles as being the same size,
this doesn't mean that leaders should always divide up their effort
across these areas equally. Rather, the most appropriate balance
varies according to the situation, and over time.
The shaded areas in Figure 1 show where one element relies on one
or both of the others for success.
Here is an example that illustrates this interdependency:
Imagine your team is working well together, and everyone has the
skills to accomplish the final goal. However, there's one team
member who isn't carrying his share of the load. He's lacking
motivation, and missing deadlines. The entire group's morale starts to
suffer because this one member is dragging their productivity down,
and the team misses its deadline because he hasn't finished his work.
Here, issues with the individual are negatively affecting the task as
well as the team.
Alternatively, imagine what would happen if you didn't articulate your
team's goal properly. Everyone may have great individual skills, and
people may work really well together, but because no one is sure
what they should be trying to achieve, progress isn't being made
towards your goal.
In this example, both the individual and the team needs are being
met, but task needs are being ignored. Because the group isn't sure
how to accomplish their task, they're headed towards failure.
How to Use the Tool
Review the activities you're carrying out for each of the three key
leadership areas, and make sure that you're dividing your time
amongst all three appropriately.
Here's a list of common tasks for each of the three management
responsibilities. You can use these as a guideline; and tasks can be
added or eliminated based on your specific situation.
Task
• Identify the purpose of the team, and communicate that purpose
to all members.
• Clearly state the final goal of the team.
• Make sure everyone understands the resources, people, and
processes that they should be using.
• Establish deadlines for project tasks, and explain the quality
standards you're expecting.
• Create a detailed plan for how the team is going to reach their
final goal.
Group
• Identify the style the group will be working in (very formal,
relaxed, etc.)
• Make sure that everyone has the skills and training to accomplish
the final goal.
• If your team will be working in smaller groups, appoint a leader
for each group, and make sure that he or she is effective and
properly trained.
• Monitor team relationships, and resolve conflicts where
necessary.
• Work on keeping the group motivated, and morale high.
• Give regular feedback on the team's performance.
Individual
• Make sure that you spend some one on one time with each
member of your team for assessment: identify their strengths
and weaknesses, their needs, and any special skills they can
bring to the team.
• Make sure each group member has the skills to perform his or
her role successfully.
• Appropriately praise and reward individual team members for
their contribution.
• Help define each individual's role, and agree the tasks they're
responsible for.
• If any team members seem to be lagging behind, coach them
until they're back on track.
If you'd like to learn more about your leadership style and how you
can apply it to the Action Centered Leadership model, you can
purchase ACL tests from John Adair's website.
Key Points
Leaders have many responsibilities when it comes to managing
their teams. And, it's easy to get so focused on one area that the
others slip by the wayside, leading to an unbalanced, poorly-
functioning group.
Using a tool like Action Centered Leadership can help any leader
stay on top of the most important responsibilities, and keep the
group working efficiently, happily, and productively.
Action Centered Leadership™, the Three Circles and Three Rings are
all trademarks used by John Adair and Adair International Ltd.
ACL is a registered trademark belonging to John Adair, and the model
is re-produced here with the kind permission of John Adair and Adair
International Ltd.
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What members say...
bigk wrote
Hi
I want to add.
The manager needs to consider all objectives and motivations.
The manger could consider his or her development at this time

too if the time could be used for development.
This could be time to consider the motivations and interactions of

the team, but assess it for the situation if these are altered trying
out different methods.
Bigk
August 8, 2009
bigk wrote
Hi
The tool suggests that these three areas be developed

simultaneously and that the overlap could be separated to allow
the manager to develop the areas separately so he or she could
focus on when to change the balance of time or action in each
area.
This would allow the manager to view the areas as an item in their
own right and adjust any issue to fit the task to be delivered.
It needs balancing to succeed.
This requires using the action management to get an

understanding of time and effort commitments.
From here the manager can assess what needs developed as an
immediate action.
This could be an opportunity to develop the needs of the team

and also the manager. I see a potential issue for the manager
when he or she then has little time for their own development.
However if the results and the team are of immediate importance
then the manager could get refreshed skills after providing for the
team.
But they must remember not to overlook their own skills need.
Maybe this could be factored into the team needs.
Bigk
August 7, 2009

A Leader's Mood
The Dimmer Switch of Performance
In response to a discussion on
the effect of a leader's mood on
the performance of a team, a
participant in a recent
leadership workshop made this
heartfelt and realistic remark: "I
cannot see how I am expected
to be in a good mood for four
quarters in a row."
The point is well taken. But can
you afford, as a leader, to even © iStockphoto/creacart
entertain this thought?
All of the research on employee performance points to the contrary.
There is a concept in French which is called "Noblesse oblige". It
means, roughly, that wealth, power and prestige go hand-in-hand
with certain social responsibilities – in other words, with privilege
comes duty. It is a privilege when we have the opportunity to lead a
team of people, but with it comes many responsibilities, chief of
which, some leadership pundits would contend, is managing moods.
In a Harvard Business Review article called Leadership That Gets
Results, Daniel Goleman cites research which shows that up to 30% of
a company's financial results (as measured by key business
performance indicators such as revenue growth, return on sales,
efficiency and profitability) are determined by the climate of the
organization.
So what is the major factor that drives the climate of an organization?
It's the leader: in Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional
Intelligence, Goleman states that roughly 50-70% of how employees
perceive their organization's climate is attributable to the actions and
behaviors of their leader. A leader creates the environment that
determines people's moods at the office and their mood, in turn,
affects their productivity and level of engagement.
Afterglow or Aftermath?
Witness the number of times you may have driven home with an
internal glow, reliving a positive encounter with an upbeat and
supportive boss, perhaps savoring a "bon mot" about your
performance that he or she left with you on a Friday afternoon. How
great it made you feel, and how eager you were to get out of bed on
the following Monday morning, and get back to the office to give that
man or woman the very best that you had to offer. That's the
"afterglow" that lingers and gives you renewed energy to be more
productive, to bring your finest talents to work.
And think about the reverse of the afterglow – the aftermath, or bitter
aftertaste. This is what Susan Scott, in Fierce Conversations:
Achieving Success at Work and in Life, One Conversation at a Time,
brilliantly calls "The Emotional Wake." That's what lingers with you
after being the recipient of some acrid remarks from a leader in a
negative mood. How did that affect your determination to overcome
difficulties in a project, to keep your heart fully engaged in the
process, to want to continue to give that person your very best game?
Contagion and Consequences

Leadership literature is full of studies attesting to the consequences
of a leader's mood. One such study involved 62 CEOs and their top
management teams and it showed that the more upbeat, energetic
and enthusiastic the executive team was, the more co-operatively
they worked together, and the better the company's business results.
The study also showed that the longer a company was managed by
an executive team that didn't get along well, the poorer the
company's market returns.
Perhaps nowhere is a leader's mood more crucial than in the service
industry where employees in a bad mood can, without fail, adversely
affect business. In one of a multitude of such studies involving 53
sales managers in retail outlets who led groups ranging in size from
four to nine members, it was found that when managers themselves
were in an upbeat, positive mood, their moods spilled over to their
staff, positively affecting the staff's performance and increasing sales.
We can all take an inspiration from organizations such as Starbucks
who place great value on the importance of creating a positive
climate for employees which, in turn, ensures a pleasant customer
experience and repeat visits. "We are always focused on our people"
is an explicit statement to new recruits on the company's career site.
When we move the curtain a bit, we can see clearly that a leader's
bad mood is a source of infection – an emotional contagion that
eventually spreads across people to entire units. We can learn a thing
or two from leadership in the military. Imagine the effect on troop
morale and energy that an "overwhelmed", "anxious", "worried" or
"irate" leader would have? And how about a leader who is plagued by
uncertainty? "Indecision," as HA Hopf puts it, "is contagious. It
transmits itself to others." It can become debilitating and habit-
forming in an organization, as people take their cues from the leader's
state of mind.
Inconsistent Means Unpredictable

We could argue that the occasional bad mood, the occasional rant, on
a bad "corporate hair day", is excusable. Often, we refer to this type
of behavior with statements such as: "She can't control her temper
sometimes, but she is so brilliant". Or, "He has an amazing mind but
he has a tendency to shout at people when it's stressful." It is as
though brilliance is an excuse for bad behavior. And it may very well
have to be in some environments – but the message it sends to
constituents is one of inconsistency, which is an undesirable trait in
any leader. We want our leaders to be predictable because there is
comfort and safety in predictability. Predictability engenders trust and
an unpredictable leader elicits anxiety and, in some cases, even fear,
both of which negatively affect performance and productivity.
Of course, no leader steps out of the elevator in the morning with an
intention to spread a bad mood around but, as sure as there is
gravity, events occur during the course of some days that can derail
even the best among us. To be clear, we are not advocating that
leaders turn into a shrink wrapped version, complete with false smiles
and fake cheerfulness. Constituents spot a non-genuine smile anyway
and are very adept at noticing when a leader infantilizes them.
The Right Mood?

There are, of course, no easy solutions to managing emotions on an
hourly basis in the often difficult circumstances in which leaders must
operate and make decisions. However, we can draw some advice
from another Harvard Business Review article entitled Primal
Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance. First of all, it's
important to note that a leader's mood has the greatest impact on
performance when it is upbeat. But it must also be in tune with those
around him.
Goleman et al call this dynamic resonance. "Good moods galvanize
good performance, but it doesn't make sense for a leader to be as
chipper as a blue jay at dawn if sales are tanking or the business is
going under. The most effective executives display moods and
behaviors that match the situation at hand, with a healthy dose of
optimism mixed in. They respect how other people are feeling – even
if it is glum or defeated – but they also model what it looks like to
move forward with hope and humor." The operative threesome here is
"optimism", "hope" and "humor". As someone once put it, leaders are
dealers in hope.
Steps Towards Better Performance

So what are the specific recommendations? Your mood and behavior
affects performance. How do you work on attaining the consistent,
emotionally intelligent leadership behaviors that breed success in
yourself and others? Here are a few other suggestions to consider
that can improve your and your team's performance:
1. Model Meeting Behavior
Take a hard look at your behavior in meetings, which are often
"cauldrons of emotion." Do you model the way by setting a
positive tone right from the start? Or do you impose your own
"pace" based on how you feel at the moment? Aim for a calm,
relaxed mood, and a consistent, positive approach.
2. Look for Good in Others
Long before leadership books were in vogue, Andre Malraux,
French novelist and statesman, reminded us that one of the
central objectives of a leader is to make others aware of the
greatness that lies in them. Be known in your organization as
someone who is always on the lookout for what is right with
people. It engenders good will and is good for business.
3. Read the Climate
Do you have a good reading of the climate of your unit or
organization? Can you accurately sense what the emotional
atmosphere is? Is it upbeat? Is it energized? Is it down or
dejected? Do people seem slightly apprehensive and somewhat
cautious in your presence? Can you ask a trusted acolyte if the
atmosphere changes when you are away?
4. Be Pleasant and Cooperative
If you are an emergent leader, and working on having a pleasant
personality is not a priority for you, consider putting some effort
into cultivating this prized quality. It is almost impossible to have
executive presence without it. Be cooperative, for example
sharing ideas and shortcuts. This is another example of how
mood affects productivity.
5. Be Emotionally Attractive
Along that vein, focus on being emotionally attractive. This links
to the concept of resonant leadership. Resonant leaders are
individuals who have the ability to manage their own emotions
and those of others in a manner that drives the success of their
teams and organizations. In Resonant Leadership: Renewing
Yourself and Connecting with Others through Mindfulness, Hope
and Compassion, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee explain that
resonant leaders create a positive emotional tone in the
organization and engage and inspire people. As the title of their
book indicates, these leaders possess three core qualities which
are: mindfulness, hope, and compassion. Consider making these
a part of your arsenal as a leader.
6. Manage the Emotions of Change
Be particularly mindful of how you manage emotions if your
organization is undergoing change: how you handle emotions
during these crucial times can help or hinder the change process.
It's a known fact that if the resistance to change is emotional, it
is the hardest form of resistance to overcome. As the leader
handling a change initiative, don't avoid the emotions that
accompany the change process. Set the mood and manage the
emotions – or they will manage you.
If you cringe at the whole notion of emotions in the workplace,
including talk of empathy and compassion, intuition or discussions of
emotional intelligence, I encourage you to reconsider this mindset.
Hone your intuitive ability, and listen to those hunches that hint to
you that something in your behavior and actions on bad days is
causing a ripple effect on others. These are the whispers we try to
dismiss when we elect to focus only on "rationality". Intuition is a
precious tool worth including in our kit. Einstein put it best: "The
intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful
servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has
forgotten the gift."
As the leader, you have in your hand the switch that can control the
intensity of engagement of the people who do the work in your
organization. It's like being a director in a movie: "The first work of
the director is to set a mood so that the actor's work can take place"
(William Friedkin, American movie and television director/producer.) A
leader's upbeat mood metaphorically oxygenates the blood of
followers – it's a transfusion into the corporate arteries. It may be one
of the most potent contributions you can make as a leader.
Copyright © 2007-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights Reserved.
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What members say...
James wrote
Hi Adele
Just saying that I've posted a response to your help request at

http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1087. Let's
carry on discussing it there!
James
August 13, 2007
Adele wrote
Hi all -
I have to agree with the comments posted about the article - I
have managed/led a staff of 16 and a faculty of 60 students in my
previous job - waching others lead and learning from them plus
reading everything I could find about motivating people etc
helped me to come to understand how to get the best I could out
of my team.. Mindtools has been a fantastic resource and the
latest article just another example of the great material on the
site!...
I now work for quite a different organisation - a large regional

economic development agency and Mind Tools continues to be a
great asset - (my role is as a sector leader, so I have responsibilty
for working with industry representatives to shape strategy and
drive forward projects - I love the work)
BUT - all that aside -
HELP PLEASE...
Within the overarching management of the organisation there is

an individual trying to drive Four Quadrant Leadership (Wilf Jarvis'
model of leadership) across the entire organisation. While I have a
lot of respect for Wilf, and have attended his course on 4QL, I am
not convinced that this is the best leadership tool available for us
and I would love to hear from others who have experienced its use
in the field...
Please could you let me know if you have any experience of 4QL
and what your thoughts are??
(In the meantime I think I willl download the new Mind Tools e-
book on leadership and see if I can find anything in there - I have
found the other e-books extremely good so hopefully it will p
rovide some good research...)
Look forward to hearing your thoughts...
Adele
August 12, 2007
lulu wrote
I agree with you Shackledog! If only we could pick our bosses. I

have been a manager for about 13 years and I believe that I am a
very good boss - able to see different perspectives, keep calm and
consistent and give people responsibility and opportunities to
contribute at higher levels and to grow as individuals.
Now, in my new job, I am a trainer - not a manager. This is a

career step of choice. Everything is great, except my supervisor or
boss. She obviously has had very little experience or
understanding of a leadership role. We had a discussion in the
office (my colleague and I share and office with our supervisor -
not good) and the supervisor had criticised us for a decision we
had made, and yet the big boss had congratulated us for it. Our
supervisor likes micromanaging, only this doesn't work for my
colleague or for me! So we were trying to give that feedback, that
we needed clarity around roles and responsibilities and we needed
the opportunity to work with out clients without having to ask
permission!
Anyway, the meeting didn't really end on a high note as she got
very defensive. My colleague and I thought we would raise it with
the big boss, that we have difficulty in establishing clear roles and
responsibilities. But, what had happened was - our supervisor
went to the big boss and laid a formal complaint about my
colleague!! There were no grounds for that, I was there the whole
time! What sort of manager does that! Consequently we were
interviewed separately and I made it quite clear that I have never
encountered a manager who, rather than try and address any
conflict directly with the person, would lay a complaint against
one of their staff.
To be honest, I don't think I can work with someone who I can't

trust. She brought up things from the past that neither my
colleague or I had any idea she had any 'issue' with. So from now,
how comfortable would I be raising things with her, and not
knowing whether there would be a complaint laid against me in
the future.
I have told senior management this, and I am hoping that they

have taken it on board. Unfortunately there are a lot of managers
here who have little idea of good management practices, but I
think I have given them some tips. Especially around process for
formal complaints.
We shall see.
Lulu
August 12, 2007
MichaelP wrote
Great article, insightful and well presented.
What continues to amaze me is how often the 'leaders' don't

realize how significantly their behavior good or bad effects the
organization. The boss shouts so everyone keeps out of the way
and limits communication and then its all their fault for not
communicating....
All employees should choose their Boss and in my opinion the

organizations would be better for it. That's how we run countries!
August 10, 2007
Yolande wrote
What a brilliant article!

I once worked in an organisation where the MD had bad outbursts
from time to time, but on the whole he was a very likeable person.
Yet, the staff morale was slowly deteriorating - due to their fear
and their feeling that especially on "those" days, he would only
see everything they did wrong. It has not yet improved; I am sad
to say that it is not going well with that business. And
unfortunately, he has successfully managed to teach his
managers to be the same - not deliberately, but 'monkey see,
monkey do..."
August 10, 2007

Authentic Leadership
Becoming a Leader People Want to Follow
You may have heard of

"authentic leadership." Books,
leadership courses, and even
businesses have been built
around this idea. But it's often
easier to identify authentic
leaders than it is to define what
makes them that way.
What do the words "authentic
leader" actually mean? What
truly makes one, and why is it Live up to their trust.
worth the effort to become © iStockphoto/nataq
one?
There are many different answers to these questions. In this article,
we'll discuss why it is so important, and we'll examine the different
characteristics that make someone authentic as a leader.
Why Authentic Leadership?

Leadership today is very different from leadership in our parents'
generation. The old "top down" style of management just doesn't
work anymore. Workers generally want to be fully engaged, and
committed to what they're doing. They want to feel as if their work
matters. And they want to believe in the people who are in charge.
Because of these higher expectations, it's vital for leaders to know
how to inspire passion and confidence in the people they're leading.
When people work alongside a truly authentic leader, they'll often
give their whole hearts and minds to the cause. In these situations, a
spirit of teamwork and loyalty can spread throughout an organization,
resulting in high morale and producing extraordinary results.
Authentic leaders inspire trust in their teams. People are more willing
to be open about problems, which means that those problems are
more likely to get fixed, instead of being ignored.
What is Authentic Leadership?

So, authentic leadership can inspire people to pull together, work
hard, and communicate. But how do you lead in an authentic way?
What does this involve?
There's no easy answer for these questions, because it means a lot of
different things and involves a diverse group of skills, actions, and
behaviors. At root, however, authentic leadership is all about
behaving with integrity, and being consistent.
For example, authentic leaders inspire those they lead because they
stay true to their own values. They know who they are, and they don't
let anyone keep them from making a decision that they know is right.
They have integrity and firm moral codes, and they manage to stay
sensible and stable even during the most difficult times.
How to Lead Authentically

The path to this type of leadership is not straight and well-defined. As
we said earlier, it involves many different skills, traits, and actions. By
focusing on some of the most common characteristics, you can start
down your own path towards this.
Let's look at some main themes – ethics, power, communication, and
the organization – and we'll examine how you could start developing
these on your own.
Ethics
Authentic leaders are ethical leaders. They've identified their ethical
codes, and they never compromise on what they believe to be right
and wrong.
If you'd like some help identifying your own ethics and values, our
article Ethical Leadership is a great starting point; and our Book
Insight into "Winners Never Cheat" by Jon Huntsman reviews a
book that shows why being ethical matters so very much.
Power
All leaders have power. But authentic leaders know how to use the
right kind of power – for the good of the group, and for the goal that
needs to be achieved.
There are several different kinds of power. One type is expert power.
As a leader with this, you're an expert at what you do, and your team
looks up to you because of that. Learn how to build and use this type
of power with our article on Expert Power .
Authentic leaders use the power of example. When leaders do as they
say, they gain the respect and admiration of their teams. Learn more
about this in our Leading by Example article.
Authentic leaders don't simply know what type of power to use in a
given situation. They also understand power – where it comes from,
and how to use it to get things done. Our article on French and
Raven's Five Forms of Power can help you understand the many
different types of power in the workplace, and helps you use the good
forms and avoid the bad.
Communication
Authentic leaders are excellent communicators. And they use a
number of different communication strategies to pass along their
values, inspire their teams, and give clear commands.
They'll often use storytelling as an effective way of communicating an
important message. Stories may inspire a team to work harder – and,
when done right, stories can change an entire corporate culture by
creating "legends". Our article Business Storytelling will show
you how to start telling great stories to your team.
Communication involves "give and take." Authentic leaders
understand that the world isn't just about them, and they listen
actively to other people and accept good advice, no matter where
it comes from or who gives it.
Good communication also involves feedback. It can be incredibly
difficult for leaders to get the feedback they need to improve (after
all, no one wants to tell the CEO that his idea stinks!) But authentic
leaders work hard to create a culture of open communication. They
know they are not perfect, and they hire people who are willing to tell
them so.
Our articles Active Listening and How to Handle Criticism
can help you improve in these areas.
The Organization
We've probably all seen leaders who look out for themselves, instead
of the organization and the people they're leading. Authentic leaders,
however, never forget that they have an enormous responsibility.
They put their companies and their people first.
A leader's goals should be aligned with company goals. When these
two areas are not aligned, the focus becomes divided. Learn more
about aligning your goals with your organization's goals in our article
on Management By Objectives .
Authentic leaders also know what truly drives their companies and
their teams. Why is this important? Well, if you don't know the drivers
that are key to performance, then you'll probably never find out
what's wrong when your company or team isn't "working." The
Congruence Model will help you discover the four key
components of your organization, and it will teach you how to make
sure they're aligned for success.
Read Bruna Martinuzzi's article The Talisman of Leadership –

Authenticity for a related discussion of authentic leadership,
based on emotional intelligence.
Key Points
Authentic leadership involves a lot of different things. And
developing the skills and characteristics needed should be an
evolving journey, not a final destination.
These leaders are often easier to recognize than define, but they
all have a few traits in common. They know themselves well, and
they never allow someone else to cause them to break their
"moral codes." They put their companies and their teams first,
they're excellent communicators, and they know how to use the
right kind of power for the right situation.
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What members say...
Yolande wrote
Hi Shannon
Once again, thanks for sharing so honestly and telling us a bit

about your life.
I do agree with you - having a mentor or a role model is truly

priceless. Personally, I find it easier to attain goals if I have
someone I can look up to or someone who can really give me
good, solid guidance.
You really seem intent on learning more and more about

leadership - what a wonderful goal/mission!
Kind regards
Yolandé
January 26, 2011
careercpr wrote
I enjoyed this article because I want to be the type of leader that

people follow. Here are my thoughts on what it means to be an
authentic leader:
*allowing yourself to be vulnerable

*having a vision that you share with others - being on a mission
*operating from a set of core values
*allowing others to shine
In my workplace, I don't see anyone on the management team
being an authentic leader. I see them as having expert power -
they've been in the industry for years and have a tremendous
amount of knowledge. In my humble opinion, the challenge with
this is that the staff isn't fully engaged.
I love the point made about how a leader's goals should be

aligned with company goals. When the employees and the
management team are working for a common goal, I think the
workplace would have a stronger sense of teamwork, higher
productivity and increased job satisfaction. I'm looking forward to
reading the articles on Management by Objection and the
Congruence Model.
With my women's group, I feel that I demonstrate some of the

skills of an authentic leader. For example, at the beginning of the
month, I posted a mission statement and core values for the
group. It was amazing to hear the response from the women -
they really connected to what the group is all about and what we
are all about. I even had them share the aspects of the mission
that speak to them and where they are in their lives.
I've been blessed to know and work with some authentic leaders
that serve as my role models. I love how it feels to be in the
presence of their greatness. My intention is to have the same
impact on the women in my group.
Joyfully,
Shannon
January 26, 2011
bigk wrote
Hi
I did work on this recently from the articles and resources

available elsewhere, I have assessed this as a good skill to
practice and develop in other leadership qualities.
I have seen potential in my self development to continue
development and use it more than just recently.
Even without direct situations to use this in, I still find there are
situations where it can be used.
I am encouraged to do more in this area to utilise what I have

available so far and want to progress these and other skills
further.
Have a happy Christmas
Looking forward to another new year and opportunity.
Bigk
December 25, 2009

Dianna wrote
This message can't be repeated often enough!! It's essential to

monitor and develop our emotional intelligence - I'm convinced
it's a critical factor in moving from a good leader to a great one.
Dianna
December 15, 2009
winneyn wrote
A very timely article. So many managers think that capitulation is

a show of weakness. But a moments pause to determine if this is
a battle worth fighting, will show others that you are studied and
controlled in your responses. The workplace is no place for the
dramatic.
December 15, 2009

Building Expert Power
Lead From the Front, at Work
There are many different power

bases that a leader can use and
exploit.
These include problematic ones
such as the power of position,
the power to give rewards, the
power to punish and the power
to control information. While
these types of power do have
some strength, they put the
person being lead in an © iStockphoto
unhealthy position of
weakness, and can leave leaders using these power bases looking
autocratic and out of touch.
More than this, society has changed hugely over the last 50 years.
Citizens are individually more powerful, and employees are more able
to shift jobs. Few of us enjoy having power exerted over us, and many
will do what they can to undermine people who use these sorts of
power.
However there are three types of positive power that effective leaders
use: charismatic power, expert power and referent power .
This article teaches the technique of building expert power.
Using the Tool

Expert power is essential because as a leader, your team looks to you
for direction and guidance. Team members need to believe in your
ability to set a worthwhile direction, give sound guidance and co-
ordinate a good result.
If your team perceives you as a true expert, they will listen to you
when you try to persuade them or inspire them. And if your team sees
you as an expert, you will find it much easier to energize and
motivate them:
• If your team members respect your expertise, they'll know that
you can show them how to work effectively.
• If your team members trust your judgment, they'll trust you to
guide their good efforts and hard work in such a way that you'll
make the most of their hard work.
• If they can see your expertise, team members will believe that
you have the wisdom to direct their efforts towards a goal that is
genuinely worthwhile.
Taken together, if your team sees you as an expert, you will find it
much easier to motivate team members to perform at their best.
So how do you build expert power?
The first step is fairly obvious (if time consuming) – build expertise
. And, if you are already using tools like the information gathering
tool , chances are that you have already progressed well ahead in
this direction.
But just being an expert isn't enough, it is also necessary for your
team members to recognize your expertise and see you to be a
credible source of information and advice. Gary A. Yukl, in his book
"Leadership in Organizations," details some steps to build expert
power. These are:
• Promote an image of expertise: Since perceived expertise in
many occupations is associated with a person's education and
experience, a leader should (subtly) make sure that subordinates,
peers, and superiors are aware of his or her formal education,
relevant work experience, and significant accomplishments.
One common tactic to make this information known is to display
diplomas, licenses, awards, and other evidence of expertise in a
prominent location in one's office – after all, if you've worked
hard to gain knowledge, it's fair that you get credit for it. Another
tactic is to make subtle references to prior education or
experience (e.g., "When I was chief engineer at GE, we had a
problem similar to this one"). Beware, however, this tactic can
easily be overdone.
• Maintain credibility: Once established, one's image of
expertise should be carefully protected. The leader should avoid
making careless comments about subjects on which he or she is
poorly informed, and should avoid being associated with projects
with a low likelihood of success.
• Act confidently and decisively in a crisis: In a crisis or
emergency, subordinates prefer a "take charge" leader who
appears to know how to direct the group in coping with the
problem. In this kind of situation, subordinates tend to associate
confident, firm leadership with expert knowledge. Even if the
leader is not sure of the best way to deal with a crisis, to express
doubts or appear confused risks the loss of influence over
subordinates.
• Keep informed: Expert power is exercised through rational
persuasion and demonstration of expertise. Rational persuasion
depends on a firm grasp of up-to-date facts. It is therefore
essential for a leader to keep well-informed of developments
within the team, within the organization, and in the outside
world.
• Recognize subordinate concerns: Use of rational persuasion
should not be seen as a form of one-way communication from the
leader to subordinates. Effective leaders listen carefully to the
concerns and uncertainties of their team members, and make
sure that they address these.
• Avoid threatening the self-esteem of subordinates: Expert
power is based on a knowledge differential between leader and
team members. Unfortunately, the very existence of such a
differential can cause problems if the leader is not careful about
the way he exercises expert power.
Team members can dislike unfavorable status comparisons where
the gap is very large and obvious. They are likely to be upset by
a leader who acts in a superior way, and arrogantly flaunts his
greater expertise.
In the process of presenting rational arguments, some leaders
lecture their team members in a condescending manner and
convey the impression that the other team members are
"ignorant." Guard against this.
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Next Lead Now! Learning Stream article
What members say...
Midgie wrote
Hi Jo,
Interesting thought here the more we know the more we know we
don't know On a certain level, I agree with you. If I think back to
when I was 20, then 30, then 40 ... I used to think I knew it all! Yet,
with each passing decade, I realized that I didn't know anything
compared to what I previously thought I knew.
Yet, on another level, with time and experience we do become

recognized as 'experts' simply by the fact that we know more than
perhaps others around us. Or rather, we know more and are
speaking up and sharing it.
I know with my coaching business, I do have a certain level of
knowledge and expertise simply by the fact that I have worked in
a particular area for some time. Yet, I also know that there are
others out there who probably know more than I do ... so that
keeps me humble!
What do you think about the idea of an expert being 'arrogant'

versus 'humble'?
Midgie
February 28, 2013
brisbane_artist wrote
I never think of expert power this way. The idea of having a

subordinate just doesn't quite sit with me. Don't you think that the
more we know the more we know we don't know?
If we are truly expert what happens is that we become more
aware of how to release the expert in others.
Food for thought here!
Jo
February 24, 2013
Bree wrote
Thanks James for reminding me of a great article!
I particularly liked the point about maintaining credibitility by

avoiding careless comments. It's almost like maintaining
impecible behaviour as a leader. Acting like a leader would act,
and never saying negative things about other people or situations.
A leader ican be perceived as the example for the company ... so
almost faultless, while still being human.
Makes me stop and think about my behaviour and the things I say
- both to work colleagues and to friends.
Bree
August 13, 2008
Yolande wrote
This is an excellent article. Two things stood out for me:

Maintaining credibility and avoiding to threaten the self-esteem of
subordinates. The first - a leader without credibility is no leader....
Who likes to follow someone without credibility? Secondly, the
minute someone feels 'threatened' or gets a blow to their self-
esteem, they are less co-operative, less productive and often a
'wild card' with regards to the effect that they have on the rest of
the team.
Many thanks - much to 'take home' from this article!
Regards
Yolandé
August 12, 2008

Building Tomorrow's Leaders
Identifying and Developing Leaders
Organizations need leaders –

and not just in top executive
positions.
Leaders are people who have
the vision to see what needs to
be done, and to motivate and
energize people to perform
excellently.
With strong leadership skills in
place at all levels of your
organization, you'll find it much How to recognize leadership potential.
easier to build a strong, © iStockphoto
respected and prosperous

business.
However, spotting people with leadership potential is not always easy.
To ensure your business's continuing performance, you need to
identify these people and nurture their leadership potential – it's a
potential that's far too valuable to waste.
So, how do certain people show they have what it takes to lead
others?
The Right Kind of Potential

It's common to label high achievers as potential leaders.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple: If people perform well, that only
shows that they're well suited to their jobs.
Let's look at two examples:
• Carla, the R&D expert, whose research led to discovering a new
gene, is certainly a great scientist. Her co-workers admire the
work she does, and it's very likely she'll be promoted because of
her technical skills. But she doesn't share her knowledge, and
she doesn't help others understand her methods.
• Sue in marketing is a good employee whose work is above
average but not necessarily extraordinary. However, what does
stand out is that she has forged great relationships with people
from all parts of the company. Because of this, whenever
changes occur, managers count on her to see the benefits and
motivate her colleagues to accept them.
Who is the real leader?
Chances are that Sue is a more promising leader than Carla. You
won't know this, though, until you look deeply and observe her in
action. What's clear from the start is that job performance, by itself, is
not a reliable indicator.
To determine key leadership indicators it's important to recall some
popular theories of leadership.
Leadership Theories
There are many theories of leadership:
• The "great man" theory claims that leaders are born, not
made.
• By contrast, behavioral theory says that leadership skills can
be learned.
• Trait theory argues that leaders have a certain combination of
natural, instinctive characteristics or traits.
• Situational theories tell us that the different leadership
styles each have appropriate uses in different situations.
At Mind Tools, we believe that leadership skills can be developed and
learned, and we also believe that, in business, the right kind of
leadership is most often "transformational leadership". A
transformational leader is someone who can create an inspiring vision
of the future, motivate people to achieve it, manage the
implementation of that vision, and build a team capable of meeting
the next challenge even more effectively.
A lot of this goes on within a potential leader's mind, however, as
someone seeking to nurture leaders, you can learn to recognize the
traits shown by these people. By watching out for these traits, you
can see that the person you're watching is thinking in the right way.
So, while almost everyone can develop leadership qualities, some
may already be more advanced in their ability to do well in leadership
roles. The observable behaviors listed below show this high potential.
Look for these personal attributes in others. and develop them in
yourself.
Leadership Qualities and Attributes

• Leaders can see a better future – they don't accept the
status quo, and they don't just settle for things the way they are.
By combining their technical ability with their strong conceptual
skills, they are able to generate new ideas and build an inspiring
vision of how the future could be.
• Who always thinks of new and practical ideas and
suggestions?
• Who tries to understand what drives the business? Who
thinks strategically on a regular basis?
• Who stays aware of current issues and trends,
understands the impact these can have, and is quick to
define opportunities and threats?
• Who enjoys bouncing ideas around and thinking laterally?
• Who makes changes without prior approval?
• Who always looks for bigger assignments and for
opportunities to learn new skills?
• Leaders are passionate about leading – they have an
internal drive to spearhead projects and take on the leadership
role.
• Who sees the "big picture" and plans at least the first few
moves to get there?
• Who is the first person in a group to get the action
started?
• Who can inspire the people around them?
• Who commits to ideas and gets results?
• Who enjoys initiating new projects?
• Leaders know themselves – they have a high level of self-
awareness. This means that they know what they're good at,
they know what they're bad at, they exploit their strengths, and
they manage their weaknesses (for example, by working with
someone with complementary strengths).
• Who seeks ways to increase their understanding of
themselves – their skills, aptitudes, and competencies?
• Who is open to all types of feedback?
• Who asks for feedback and acts constructively to make
improvements?
• Who listens without trying to justify or getting defensive?
• Who senses the impact that their behavior has on others
and makes adjustments accordingly?
• Who proactively turns mistakes into learning
experiences?
• Who encourages others to become more self-aware?
• Leaders have high integrity – they are fair and trustworthy
and expect the same from others. People trust what they say and
have faith in what they do. Because of this, these leaders are
respected and they treat others with respect as well.
• Who communicates openly with everyone?
• Who does the "right thing" despite peer pressure?
• Who isn't afraid to be wrong or to have a different
opinion?
• Who shares mistakes and bad news openly and honestly?
• Who takes responsibly without seeking blame?
• Who provides valuable feedback to others?
• Who resists making quick judgments on instinct, and
prefers instead to observe what others do and the types
of decisions they make?
• Who consistently performs very well and delivers
outstanding results?
• Leaders respect other people – while leaders aren't always
people-people (being extroverted or charismatic helps, but isn't
essential), they are genuinely interested and concerned about
others welfare, and they work hard to help people in their teams
make the most of themselves.
• Who invests in relationships with people?
• Who sees value in others and wants everyone to be the
best they can be?
• Who is quick to ask for and give help, and models and
encourages collaborative work behavior?
• Who nurtures talent in others?
• Whose opinion do people seek?
• Leaders are inspirational – they have a positive and
motivational energy. They bring a contagious enthusiasm to the
workplace.
• Who would you describe as fun, positive, generous, and
"up beat"?
• Who is quick to give credit to others?
• Who openly celebrates success?
• Who willingly shares responsibility and sets others up for
success?
• Who is genuinely appreciative of the work others do?
• Who focuses on the positive, and tries to make the best
of a situation?
• Leaders are special – they have a certain "je ne sais quoi" that
is difficult to define and yet quite easy to recognize.
• They make solid decisions in highly uncertain situations.
• They are good at simplifying complex issues.
• They are mentally tough.
• They accept and encourage change.
• They are proactive.
• They are consistent.
• They believe in themselves.
• They are purposeful and get the job done.
So, how many of these paragons do you have in your organization?
The chances are that only a few will "tick all the boxes". However, if
you can recognize some of these skills, attitudes and characteristics
in the people around you, you can start to work with them to develop
the others. This is what leadership development is all about.
Tip:
Leadership development is closely related to Succession

Planning , which is about making sure that you can cope if key
individuals leave your organization. Click here to read our
article on this.
Key Points
Leaders are needed throughout a company, and it's wise to
identify those people who show promising leadership skills.
Leaders aren't necessarily the highest performers – they may not
sell the most widgets or demonstrate the greatest technical skill.
High-potential leaders are often the people who want more and do
more. They're the ones who embrace changes and try to help
others. They make the company better in terms of performance
and culture.
Proactively identify the people in your organization with the
potential to be good leaders, and nurture their skills to develop
candidates who can fill your company's leadership roles. This will
help you ensure that you meet business needs and exceed
performance standards, because true leaders will do what they
can to make the organization the best it can be.
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Contingency Planning
Developing a Good 'Plan B'
Fires, floods, tornadoes – these

are things that we often
connect with contingency
planning.
But what if your main supplier
suddenly goes bankrupt?
Or, your entire sales force gets
food poisoning at the annual
sales conference?
Or, your payroll clerk calls in Have a solid Plan B ready.
sick on payroll day? © iStockphoto/WendellFranks
These things can all cause confusion and disorder if you haven't
prepared for them properly. Contingency planning is a key part of this
preparation.
As you can see, contingency planning is not just about major
disasters. On a smaller scale, it's about preparing for events such as
the loss of data, people, customers, and suppliers, and other
disruptive unknowns. That's why it's important to make contingency
planning a normal part of the way your business works.
Risk Assessment
The need for contingency planning emerges from a thorough analysis
of the risks that your organization faces. It's also useful in thinking
about new and ongoing projects: what happens when 'Plan A' doesn't
go as expected? Sometimes Plan A simply means 'business as usual.'
Other times, with more sophisticated risk management plans, Plan A
is your first response to deal with an identified risk – and when Plan A
doesn't work, you use your contingency plan.
Use these principles in your risk assessment process:
• Address all business-critical operations – A good plan
identifies all critical business functions, and it outlines ways to
minimize losses.
• Identify risks – For each of these functions, conduct a Risk
Analysis to identify the various risks that your business may
face. What has the potential to significantly disrupt or harm your
business?
The end result of a risk analysis is usually a huge list of potential
threats: if you try to produce a contingency plan for each, you
may be overwhelmed. This is why you must prioritize.
• Prioritizing risks – One of the greatest challenges of
contingency planning is making sure you don't plan too much.
You need a careful balance between over-preparing for
something that may never happen, and adequate preparation, so
that you can respond quickly and effectively to a crisis situation
when it occurs.
Risk Impact/Probability Charts help you find this balance.
With these, you analyze the impact of each risk, and you
estimate a likelihood of it occurring. You can then see which risks
require the expense and effort of risk mitigation. Business
processes that are essential to long-term survival – like
maintaining cash flow, staff support, and market share – are
typically at the top of the list.
Note that contingency planning isn't the only action that emerges
as a result of risk analysis – you can manage risk by using
existing assets more effectively, or by investing in new resources
or services that help you manage it (such as insurance). Also, if a
risk is particularly unlikely to materialize, you may decide to do
nothing about it, and manage around it if the situation arises.
Contingency Planning Challenges
You should be aware of two common obstacles as you begin your

contingency planning process:
• People are often poorly motivated to develop a strong ‘Plan
B’, because they have so much of an emotional investment
in the ‘Plan A’ that they want to deliver. Stress that Plan B
needs to be properly thought-through.
• There’s often a low probability of a crisis occurring, so
people often don’t see contingency planning as an urgent
activity. Unfortunately, this can mean that it gets stuck at
the bottom of their To Do Lists as a task that never gets
done.
Developing the Plan

Remember these guidelines when it's time to prepare your
contingency plan:
• Your main goal is to maintain business operations – Look
closely at what you need to do to deliver a minimum level of
service and functionality.
• Define time periods – What must be done during the first hour
of the plan being implemented? The first day? The first week? If
you look at the plan in this way, you're less likely to leave out
important details.
• Identify the trigger – What, specifically, will cause you to
implement the contingency plan? Decide which actions you'll
take, and when. Determine who is in charge at each stage and
what type of reporting process they must follow.
• Keep the plan simple – You don't know who will read and
implement the plan when it's needed, so use clear, plain
language.
• Consider related resource restrictions – Will your
organization be able to function the same way if you have to
implement Plan B, or will Plan B necessarily reduce capabilities?
• Identify everyone's needs – Have people throughout the
company identify what they must have, at a minimum, to
continue operations.
• Define 'success' – What will you need to do to return to
'business as usual'?
• Include contingency plans in standard operating
procedures – Make sure you provide initial training on the plan,
and keep everyone up-to-date on changes.
• Manage your risks – Look for opportunities to reduce risk,
wherever possible. This may help you reduce, or even eliminate,
the need for full contingency plans in certain areas.
• Identify operational inefficiencies – Provide a standard to
document your planning process, and find opportunities for
performance improvement.
Disaster recovery specifics are beyond the scope of this article. For
more information on this topic, listen to our Expert Interview with
Kathy McKee, 'Leading People Through Disasters' .
Maintaining the Plan

After you prepare the contingency plan, you need to do several things
to keep it practical and relevant – don't just create a document and
file it away. As your business changes, you'll need to review and
update these plans accordingly.
Here are some key steps in the contingency plan maintenance
process:
• Communicate the plan to everyone in the organization.
• Inform people of their roles and responsibilities related to the
plan.
• Provide necessary training for people to fulfill these roles and
responsibilities.
• Conduct disaster drills where practical.
• Assess the results of training and drills, and make any necessary
changes.
• Review the plan on a regular basis, especially if there are
relevant technological, operational, and personnel changes.
• Distribute revised plans throughout the company, and make sure
that the old plan is discarded.
• Keep copies of the plan off-site, and in a place where they can be
accessed quickly when needed.
• Audit the plan periodically:
• Reassess the risks to the business.
• Analyze efforts to control risk by comparing actual
performance with the performance levels described in the
contingency plan.
• Recommend and make changes, if necessary.
Key Points
Contingency planning is ignored in many companies. Day-to-day
operations are demanding, and the probability of a significant
business disruption is small, so it's hard to make time to prepare a
good plan.
However, if you're proactive in the short term, you'll help ensure a
quicker and more effective recovery from an operational setback in
the long term, and you may save your organization from failure in
the event that risks materialize.
Contingency planning requires an investment of time and
resources, but if you fail to do it – or if you do it poorly – the costs
could be significant if a disaster happens.
Click to vote no
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What members say...
Rachel wrote
Hi All
Organizations that don't make contingency plans often do poorly

when operational setbacks occur.
Learn why contingency planning is critical to long-term success, in

this week's Featured Favorite resource.
Best wishes
Rachel
June 25, 2013
Midgie wrote
Hi Bigk,
It is indeed a good thing to meet often!
Meeting often does help the directions to focus on more than one
issue.
Whether that is in the office or with ourselves, it helps us to stay
clear on what we are doing and where we are going and ensures
we can make any adjustments so we can achieve our goals!
The meetings do not have to be lengthy ones, shorter meetings

on a more regular basis also works fine!
Midgie
November 9, 2009
bigk wrote
Hi
I know this is not a current discussion, but I do agree about

keeping current about direction and option in both these personal
and work issues.
Meeting often does help the directions to focus on more than one
issue.
Bigk
November 8, 2009
Yolande wrote
Hi Aeonima & Midgie
I'd love to type a long reply to what you have both said in the last
postings of this thread, but yolande.com needs to have an
urgent board meeting right now.
Thanks for that reminder - sometimes we can't see clearly simply

because we don't take time out to sit and sum up where we are,
plan what we NEED (not want!) to do next and what our strategy
will be. I am very guilty of just ploughing ahead at times, without
making sure that it is the best and most valuable action I can be
taking at the time.
Kind regards
Yolandé
May 20, 2009
Midgie wrote
Hi Aeonima,
Thanks for sharing that ... as it does indeed make a positive
difference to look at our lives as if it were like a business.
Some of us wouldn't dream about running a business with no

focus, no direction and just let the wind take us in whatever
direction it blew! So ... why put up with that in our personal lives.
Sometimes it is a good to have a regular board meeting with

ourselves ... to take stock, see where we are going, what needs to
change and what else we could do to make ourselves more
successful!
I'm just facing some personal changes at the moment so I think a

board meeting is in order! We have a long weekend coming up
this weekend ... so perfect timing!!
Midgie
May 19, 2009
aeonima wrote
Hi Midgie,
Time and again, I sit down and think about "aeonima.com",

analyzing the situation as if I were a company.
It helps me to overcome my passivity and the feeling of being
overwhelmed or victimized.
With a healthy sense of paranoia and a grain of salt, I feel much

better and more in control.
Cheers,
Aeonima
May 19, 2009
Midgie wrote
Interesting article on business contingency planning with some

great ideas and suggestions.
I've been thinking about how this can also related to us personally
and career wise. By having a plan of action and being prepared for
the 'what if' scenarios, you will be in a stronger position to move if
something does happen, like a redundancy or restructuring.
Food for thought to do some personal contingency planning for
your career, as well as for your business!
Midgie
May 18, 2009

Core Leadership Theories
Learning the Foundations of Leadership
Why are some leaders

successful, while others fail?
The truth is that there is no
"magic combination" of
characteristics that makes a
leader successful, and different
characteristics matter in
different circumstances.
This doesn't mean, however,
that you can't learn to be an
Understand core leadership theories.
effective leader.
© iStockphoto/DNY59
You just need to understand the
various approaches to leadership, so that you can use the right
approach for your own situation.
One way of doing this is to learn about the core leadership theories
that provide the backbone of our current understanding of leadership.
Since the early 20th century, four main groups of theories have
emerged. We look at these core leadership theories in this article.
Tip:
Our article on Leadership Styles explores common leadership

styles that have emerged from these core leadership theories.
These include the "transformational leadership" style, which is
often the most effective approach to use in business situations.
The Four Core Theory Groups

Let's look at each of the four core groups of theory, and explore some
of the tools and models that apply with each. (Keep in mind that there
are many other theories out there.)
1. Trait Theories – What Type of Person Makes a Good

Leader?
Trait theories argue that effective leaders share a number of common
personality characteristics, or "traits."
Early trait theories said that leadership is an innate, instinctive quality
that you do or don't have. Thankfully, we've moved on from this idea,
and we're learning more about what we can do to develop leadership
qualities within ourselves and others.
Trait theories help us identify traits and qualities (for example,
integrity, empathy, assertiveness, good decision-making skills, and
likability) that are helpful when leading others.
However, none of these traits, nor any specific combination of them,
will guarantee success as a leader.
Traits are external behaviors that emerge from the things going on
within our minds – and it's these internal beliefs and processes that
are important for effective leadership.
We explore some of the traits and skills that you need to be a good
leader in our articles What a Real Leader Knows , Level 5
Leadership , and What is Leadership?
2. Behavioral Theories – What Does a Good Leader Do?

Behavioral theories focus on how leaders behave. For instance, do
leaders dictate what needs to be done and expect cooperation? Or do
they involve their teams in decision-making to encourage acceptance
and support?
In the 1930s, Kurt Lewin developed a framework based on a leader's
behavior. He argued that there are three types of leaders:
1. Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their
teams. This style of leadership is considered appropriate when
decisions need to be made quickly, when there's no need for
input, and when team agreement isn't necessary for a successful
outcome.
2. Democratic leaders allow the team to provide input before
making a decision, although the degree of input can vary from
leader to leader. This style is important when team agreement
matters, but it can be difficult to manage when there are lots of
different perspectives and ideas.
3. Laissez-faire leaders don't interfere; they allow people within
the team to make many of the decisions. This works well when
the team is highly capable, is motivated, and doesn't need close
supervision. However, this behavior can arise because the leader
is lazy or distracted; and this is where this style of leadership can
fail.
Clearly, how leaders behave affects their performance. Researchers
have realized, though, that many of these leadership behaviors are
appropriate at different times. The best leaders are those who can
use many different behavioral styles, and choose the right style for
each situation.
Our article "Laissez Faire" versus Micromanagement looks at
how you can find the right balance between autocratic and laissez-
faire styles of leadership, while our article on the Blake-Mouton
Managerial Grid helps you decide how to behave as a leader,
depending on your concerns for people and for production.
3. Contingency Theories – How Does the Situation Influence

Good Leadership?
The realization that there is no one correct type of leader led to
theories that the best leadership style depends on the situation.
These theories try to predict which style is best in which
circumstance.
For instance, when you need to make quick decisions, which style is
best? When you need the full support of your team, is there a more
effective way to lead? Should a leader be more people-oriented or
task-oriented? These are all questions that contingency leadership
theories try to address.
The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory is a
popular contingency-based leadership framework, which links
leadership style with the maturity of individual members of the
leader's team. Other contingency-based models include House's
Path-Goal Theory and Fiedler's Contingency Model .
You can also use the Leadership Process Model to understand
how your situation affects other factors that are important for
effective leadership, and how, in turn, these affect your leadership.
4. Power and Influence Theories – What is the Source of the

Leader's Power?
Power and influence theories of leadership take an entirely different
approach – these are based on the different ways that leaders use
power and influence to get things done, and they look at the
leadership styles that emerge as a result.
Perhaps the best-known of these theories is French and Raven's
Five Forms of Power . This model highlights three types of
positional power – legitimate, reward, and coercive – and two sources
of personal power – expert and referent (your personal appeal and
charm). The model suggests that using personal power is the better
alternative, and that you should work on building expert power
(the power that comes with being a real expert in the job) because
this is the most legitimate source of personal power.
Another leadership style that uses power and influence is
transactional leadership . This approach assumes that people do
things for reward and for no other reason. Therefore, it focuses on
designing tasks and reward structures. While this may not be the
most appealing leadership strategy in terms of building relationships
and developing a highly motivating work environment, it often works,
and leaders in most organizations use it on a daily basis to get things
done.
Similarly, leading by example is another highly effective way of
influencing your team.
Effective Leadership Styles

As we mentioned above, transformational leadership is often
the best leadership style to use in business.
Transformational leaders show integrity, and they know how to
develop a robust and inspiring vision of the future. They motivate
people to achieve this vision, they manage its delivery, and they build
ever stronger and more successful teams.
However, you'll often need to adapt your style to fit a specific group
or situation, and this is why it's useful to gain a thorough
understanding of other styles. Our article on Leadership Styles
takes a deeper look at the different styles that you can use.
Key Points
Over time, several core theories about leadership have emerged.
These theories fall into four main categories:
1. Trait theories.
2. Behavioral theories.
3. Contingency theories.
4. Power and influence theories.
"Transformational leadership," is the most effective style to use in
most business situations. However, you can become a more
effective leader by learning about these core leadership theories,
and understanding the tools and models associated with each one.
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What members say...
Midgie wrote
Hi marksmolinski,
Welcome to the Club! Glad to hear you found the article useful,
and hope that you come back while doing your BSc CME as there
is loads of very useful, and practical, tools and information.
It is also great that you are here, at the start of your studies, to
help you start developing your knowledge and habits!
If there is anything I can help you with, just let me know.
Hope to see you around the Club with your own questions or
comments on others' discussions.
Midgie
August 27, 2013
marksmolinski wrote
I agree tis is an exceptional package that shows Theory of

Management..
I have this topic in the First Module of BSc.CME.
IT'S A GREAT TOOL.
August 27, 2013
Midgie wrote
This article provides a great overview for anyone interested in or

studying leadership theories. Plus with all the links to additional
resources, it's a great starting point helping to understand
leadership approaches.
While reading the article, I could identify with the different types
of leadership approaches of my past bosses ... interesting!
Midgie
May 15, 2012

Crisis Planning
Preparing Your Response to the Unexpected
Crises happen from time to

time in all organizations.
So when one happens "on your
watch" how will you react?
Will you resolve it in a way that
seems graceful and well-
considered?
Or will you stumble, and make
mistakes which seriously
damage your business? Crisis planning can help you weather a storm.
© iStockphoto/swilmor
This depends on the quality of
the crisis planning that you do.
Crisis planning requires foresight, insight and hindsight. When you
plan for a crisis you are, by definition, planning for something that has
not yet occurred but might do, and might have a serious impact on
your business.
No one wants a crisis to happen, but we must acknowledge the truth:
bad things do happen, and the results can be serious or even
disastrous.
The need for crisis planning is clear, but because the exact nature
and likelihood is unknown, many of us put it off. Don't make that
mistake! It's not defeatist or fatalistic, it's simply realistic. If a crisis
happens, you'll manage it much more successfully if you've prepared
properly in advance!
When we think of business crises, we often think of major disasters
such as terrorist attacks, hurricanes, or a pandemic of avian flu. While
terrorism and natural disasters definitely need to be anticipated, it's
worth remembering that there are many other types of less dramatic
business crisis that can cause damage to your organization. These
include:
• A computer virus or breach of IT security.
• Theft of money or fraud by a member of staff.
• Staff resignations.
• Labor disputes.
• Lawsuits from staff, former staff or customers.
• Burglary or vandalism.
• Fire.
• Power cuts.
• Transport disruption.
• Product recalls.
Many of these arise from within an organization. And it's worth noting
that sometimes the risk is predictable, and prevention may be in your
control. For example, a contented workforce is unlikely to go on strike;
or if you have retail premises, vandalism may be an expected cost of
doing business.
Remember, too, that impact of a crisis can go beyond the direct loss
of money, sales or long term customers: for example, if the crisis
means that your organization no longer meets its regulatory
requirements, you could lose your license to do business.
Whether yours is a business in the pursuit of profit, or a public service
organization such as a hospital, you have a duty to your stakeholders
to get back on track as soon as possible. A crucial part of crisis
planning is therefore to plan for business continuity after a crisis. This
part of crisis management is often referred to as business continuity
planning or business continuity management.
Planning to Manage Crises

There are many approaches to crisis planning and business continuity
planning. Most involve the following four stages, in one way or
another. These stages are described further below to provide a
generic framework for your crisis planning.
1. Preparation.
2. Crisis Analysis.
3. Response Planning.
4. Recovery Planning.
Stage 1: Preparation
There are two main areas of preparation to think about – information
gathering, and definition of roles and responsibilities.
Start by appointing the person who's going to be responsible for the
crisis plan. If your organization has several sites, it can be useful to
have someone responsible at each site, and also an overall
coordinator. If you're the person responsible for crisis planning, make
sure that you involve the right people in the process of creating the
crisis plan, and that you communicate effectively with those involved.
Stakeholder management is a great way to make sure you
involve the right people.
Before you start crisis planning, it's important to understand the risks
you face, and plan your response.
The risks that affect businesses vary enormously between individual
businesses, industry sectors and countries. But your company may
have many risks in common with other businesses in your industry or
locality, and that means you can learn much from other people's
experience. Business associations, local agencies, regulators and
governments often share such learning, by providing advice on crisis
management and prevention. So it's well worth finding out what's
available that's relevant to you before you start your crisis planning.
Assess any crisis plans that are already in place. If your company has
faced crises in the past, talk to people who were involved and find out
what they learned from them.
Seek advice from organizations and agencies which have an interest
in your successful management of crises. Your local or national police
may provide advice on physical security and other threats caused by
crime. Your insurance company may also be a good place to find help.
Stage 2: Crisis Analysis

Next you need to identify the potential crises that could occur, and
get a feel for their risk and potential impact.
Our article on Risk Analysis and Risk Management gives more
detail on how to assess risk and, by extension, identify potential
crises: crises are risks that have potentially high impact, so they are a
sub-set of all the risks your business faces. Even if the likelihood of
something happening is low, you should take it into account in crisis
planning if it could cause serious damage to your business.
This list of potential threats to your business, similar to the one used
in our risk analysis article, is a good check list to use in identifying
potential crises. It's also helpful to consider both internal and external
threats.
• Human – from individuals or organizations, illness, death, etc.
• Operational and material – from disruption to supplies, loss of
access to essential assets, burglary or vandalism etc.
• Reputational – from damage to reputation in the market.
• Procedural – from failures of accountability, from fraud etc.
• Customer, supplier and employee – threats from obligations
to and dependence on these parties.
• Financial – from business failure, stock market, interest rates
etc.
• Technical – from advances in technology, technical failure,
computer viruses etc.
• Natural – threats from weather, natural disaster, accident,
disease, etc.
• Political – from changes in tax regimes, public opinion,
government policy, etc.
Perhaps using this as a starting point, conduct a brainstorming
session with appropriate stakeholders to identify the risks you face.
Next, consider and write down the potential consequences of the
most serious threats.
Once you have a list of threats and their possible impacts, you can
narrow this down to a list of the most significant crises that you
should consider. This is best done with the senior stakeholders for
crisis management in your organization: by looking at the threats and
potential impacts, this group of people will be well placed to
determine and agree the scope of your crisis plan.
Stage 3: Response Planning
When you have determined the crises that need to be planned for,
and their potential impact, you are ready to consider how you will
respond to each. Having a well-thought-through crisis plan in place
can be the difference between reacting in a well-considered and
proportionate way, and reacting in a haphazard or rash way. With a
planned response, your reaction will be purposeful and efficient, the
outcome will be better, and there will be much less stress, frustration,
and confusion for all involved.
For each crisis, make sure you have gathered all the information you
can from relevant parties and organizations to help you plan your
response and, later, your recovery (revisit stage 1 above). Also
determine who the stakeholders are for this crisis – who will be
impacted? Who will be involved in the urgent response? Who holds
key data that will be required?
Now consider, for each crisis, the following questions (where
appropriate, do this in consultation with key stakeholders):
• How will you tell that this crisis is happening?
• What procedures need to be activated in the event of a crisis? Be
as detailed as you can. Keep asking "If this happens, what do we
do?" and develop a system of "If____, then ____"
recommendations to be followed in the event of the crisis.
• What equipment and resources will you need to implement your
crisis procedures? For example, if you need a recovery center,
which staff should move to it, and what will they need?
• Who communicates what, and to whom, during the crisis
situation? Create a system of communication to clarify people's
responsibility and how communication will flow. For example, if
the crisis puts your office or computer system out of action, how
will you communicate alternative arrangements to staff? How will
you handle customers and suppliers too? Our article on
Communicating in a Crisis helps further on this.
• What are the criteria for determining that the crisis is over, and
when it is time to move to the recovery stage?
Build up your crisis plan to detail the criteria, procedures, equipment
and resources, and communications that will be needed in the event
of each crisis. Once this has been completed and agreed with senior
stakeholders, make sure it's communicated to everyone involved.
Stage 4: Recovery Planning

The last stage of Crisis Planning is to determine how to set things
back to normal as quickly as possible. This helps you know what to
expect during the period immediately following a crisis. Without this
part of the plan it is easy to be unrealistic, and assume that "business
as usual" will be resumed quickly.
Here are some more questions to help with this part of the planning,
for each crisis in your plan:
• What will you need to do to recover from each of the impacts of
the crisis?
• How will you transition from any interim arrangements made
during the immediate crisis response?
• How will staff, customers and other stakeholder be debriefed?
• What other follow-up procedures may be required for staff and
other stakeholders? For example, in the event of a major
disaster, counseling may be required.
• How will you gather feedback about this crisis and incorporate
lessons learned into an updated crisis plan?
Key Points
Crisis planning can make the difference between surviving a crisis
situation and succumbing to it. As such, it is an important part of
proactive and effective management.
In many crisis situations, the stakes are high and the margin for
error low. If you don't already have a good crisis plan, consider
doing some crisis planning sooner rather than later.
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What members say...
Rachel wrote
Hi All
I’ve chosen this article on Crisis Planning because I believe it

always helps to be prepared. Your company may never have a
face a major a business crisis, but if it does, it helps to have a plan
in place.
Instead of panicking, and being beaten by a crisis, a business

continuity plan can help you and your organization respond calmly
and proactively to it – because you will have analyzed the risks
beforehand. And, a plan can help keep staff, customers, and
stakeholders on board during and after the crisis.
Best wishes
Rachel
February 17, 2009
Dianna wrote
From the Career Cafe, here is Ella's remark on crisis planning:

Thank Mind Tools! It was perfect timing for this article as I had a
huge crisis a few months back. Too bad I hadn't read this prior!
Twisted Evil (Only kidding)
Seriously though, you never know what is going to happen to

completely ruin your day. The corporate offices of my company
are located in Buffalo New York - yes BUFFALO! We thought we
were prepared for anything anticipating heavy snow storms and
bad weather - we thought we were prepared. What we weren't
prepared for, was the silly early Autumn storm that knocked down
thousands of trees and we lost electricity for 9 - yes - NINE days.
No internet, no heat, no traffic lights, no lights at all. What a mess
- really took a toll on my business.
I was wondering if anyone else here has had a tough crisis that we
can learn from.
By the way, what I learned in that crisis is to back up a lot of

important info on paper! Our staff works in over 40 states and we
did not have their contact info (it was in the computers)..............a
major oversite in our "disaster plan".
RozM's reply:
Hi Ella
Your experience is incentive enough to take this seriously. I am
out of the office much of the time, and so at least the phone
numbers thing will never happen to me as I have my phone list
etc. But d'you know, I probbaly wouldn't even have that if our
server or headoffice was struck by lightening (say!) or we had a
major computer virus struck. Where are my back ups? The
company takes care of them, so who know how we'd access them.
Lots of questions will be asked!!
Roz
Th original thread can be found here: http://www.mindtools.com/

forums/viewtopic.php?t=421
Anyone else have some horror stories to tell or survivor stories

about how you made it through a crisis?
January 19, 2007

Degrees of Giving
Leading With Generosity
The true meaning of life is to

plant trees, under whose shade
you do not expect to sit.
– Nelson Henderson
I am holding in my hand a
graceful, inspirational book
entitled Ramban's Ladder: A
Meditation on Generosity and
Why It is Necessary to Give by
Good leaders help others shine and grow.
Julie Salamon. The book is
© iStockphoto/Andy445
based on the teachings of
Ramban, a physician and philosopher who, more than a thousand
years ago, developed Ramban's Ladder, which outlines the various
forms of giving from the lowest – handing out money begrudgingly, as
one might to a panhandler – to the highest, helping someone become
self-reliant. I have long been meditating on the whole issue of
generosity as an important quality of leadership: observing leaders
who had it, and those who lacked it.
When we think of generosity, our thoughts automatically drift to gifts
of money or charity. In the context of leadership, there are other gifts
that don't have a monetary value, but whose value is beyond price.
These include giving someone a chance; giving someone the benefit
of the doubt; and giving others a reason to want to work for you. It
entails giving others latitude, permission to make mistakes, and all
the information that they need to do the job. It's giving them the
authority that goes with responsibility – it's giving them due credit for
their ideas. In a nutshell, all of this translates to generosity of spirit, a
quality we admire in leaders.
Generosity, a word which once meant 'of noble birth,' used to be
associated with members of the aristocracy who, by virtue of their
privileges, were expected to show generosity towards those in lesser
standing. A leader too, by virtue of her position, and the power and
privileges that she holds relative to those she leads, has the same
expectations and obligations. A prime obligation is to lead with a
generous heart, and to be guided by a nobility of mind. A leader's
generosity has a positive spreading effect – conversely, its absence
has a series of negative consequences that, if a leader paused to
reflect on them, may stop her in her tracks.
I am a firm believer that people need more than just 'a nice job close
to home.' Most people want to find meaning in their jobs – they want
to feel that they are a part of something bigger and something better.
They want to know that what they do matters. A leader with a
generous spirit understands this need, and connects the dots for
people – the dots that help them see how the work they perform, no
matter how small it may be in the scheme of things, has a bearing on
the ultimate vision of the company.
There is a well-known anecdote that is related by Tom Peters about a
hospital in the US that treats cancer. During a series of staff
interviews, an interviewer asked the housekeeper what her job
entailed. She responded, "I help to cure cancer." Somewhere in that
hospital, a leader connected the dots for this individual, and made her
feel that she was an integral part of the hospital's mission. Do you do
that for the people who do the work in your unit or organization?
There is a lot of talk these days about lack of engagement in the
workforce. Imagine how engaged people are when their leader makes
them feel that they are a fundamental part of the success of the
organization; that everyone, from the receptionist or mail clerk to the
Vice President of Product Development, constitutes a binding thread,
tightly interwoven into the company fabric – each equally doing its
part to give the fabric its strength.
A leader with a generous spirit delegates not just routine work, but
understands about delegating worthwhile work that becomes a gift of
development and growth for someone else. How we love those
leaders. These are the leaders that make us want to get out of bed in
the morning and go to work to give that person the very best that we
have to offer. These are the leaders who get our discretionary effort,
every day.
And what about gifts of information? In a survey on effective
motivation published by 1000 Ventures, one of the top items that
individuals want in the workplace is the ability to be 'in' on things.
This was rated 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.
Managers ranked this item as 1! This is a large chasm in
understanding. The quickest way to satisfy this need in constituents is
to share information. We have all come across some leaders who are
inclined to hoard crucial information as the currency of power.
Leaders with a generous spirit give employees a chance to get under
the hood and to be a part of the inner circle. Freely and generously
sharing know-how, expertise, and ideas is not only beneficial for
employees – it's a smart way of doing business.
Albert Camus said: "Real generosity toward the future consists in
giving all to what is present." How often, as leaders, we are so
focused on future achievements, on realizing the vision of the
organization, that in the process, we neglect the people who are
there. A leader of a successful software firm confessed to me once
that she woke up one day realizing how much she had disconnected
emotionally from the people who did the work in her organization,
while focusing on the strategic imperatives of the company. Today, we
have a tendency to be too self-absorbed. We become self-involved to
the point where, without intending it, we exclude others; and we often
only consciously notice that we have excluded them when they have
become disengaged. Self-absorption inherently prevents generosity.
Once in a while, it helps to stop and ask oneself: Am I giving enough
to the people around me?
There is an African village where the greeting words for 'good
morning' or 'hello' are: "I am here if you are here." Imagine the gift we
give others when we are fully present with them – when we truly see
them. Perhaps this is what Ralph Waldo Emerson meant when he said:
"The only gift is the gift of thyself." Bill Clinton recently ended a
speech to a 6,000-member audience with an exhortation to "see more
people." This preceded his reference to all the people who do the
clean-up work behind the scenes after the audience leaves. Do we
give a thought to the people who are unnoticed in our organizations,
those who quietly work in the background?
While generosity in its pure sense is altruistic, you do still get
something back from it: surprise dividends in the form of a recycling
of goodwill, a surplus of cooperation, and the sheer satisfaction of
seeing another benefit from our giving of ourselves, our time, our
attention, our knowledge, the very best that we have to offer those
who cross our paths at work or life. We will never know what
opportunities we may have missed in life by showing up tight-fisted. It
is hard to receive anything if we don't open our hands to give.
As a leader, giving people the gift of not just our appreciation for good
work, but our genuine admiration for their talents, is generosity of
spirit at its pinnacle. This is the difference between saying to
someone: "Great job" versus "This was pure genius;" or "I appreciated
your help" versus "I couldn't have done it without you." When it
comes to genuine praise, like the sun at high noon, give
resplendently. When you see good work, say it, and say it from the
heart, just as you thought it. Free up the thought, and let it breathe –
let it fly out there in the form of generous words, and watch what you
get back. Giving is ultimately sharing.
Here are some practical tips to enhance our generosity of spirit:
1. Give people a sense of importance
In Adele Lynn's book, In Search of Honor: Lessons from Workers
in How to Build Trust, we learn that 55% of workers value "giving
people a sense of importance" as the number one item for
building trust in the workplace. Consider what small actions you
could take intentionally today to make people feel that the work
they do is important, and that they themselves, as people, are
important to your team.
2. Give feedback, not criticism
If giving frequent criticism is your style of management, consider
some of these questions: Is your motivation genuine, or is it to
gain points? Are you picking the right moment? Are you stopping
to reflect how you might deliver the feedback while still honoring
the other person?
3. Give people visibility
Giving people visibility in your organization is a special gift we
bestow to help others shine and grow. I encourage you to think
how you might give people more access to senior executives,
and more access to your boss. Consider as well that people like
to know that their boss's boss knows the great contributions they
made to a project, or about their significant effort in writing a
report that does not bear their name. Knowing that our leader is
representing us well to upper management is a high-octane
motivator, and engenders fierce loyalty.
4. Give anonymously
Real generosity of spirit is doing something for someone without
their knowledge. Think of one or two deserving people in your
organization that you can help by planting a career-enhancing
seed on their behalf – perhaps saying something positive about
their work to someone in authority?
5. Know when to forgive
Martin Luther King said that "The old law of an eye for an eye
leaves everyone blind." Consider how harboring vindictive
thoughts, even though so compelling at times, is nothing but
violence to oneself. A characteristic of a generous person is a
total lack of resentment – it's in effect being too noble, too big for
that. Who do you need to forgive? What do you need to let go?
6. Give encouragement
Look around you and pick someone who needs encouragement,
and resolve to give them that. Consider that some people have
never received encouragement in their life – not from teachers,
not from bosses, not even from parents.
7. Give opportunity
One of the most valuable gifts we can give someone is giving
them a chance. Is there someone right now to whom you could
give a second chance to prove themselves? If so, what active
steps can you take to create the right circumstances for them to
succeed? What doors can you open for someone who is well
deserving, but not well positioned to be noticed?
8. Share your knowledge and experience
Resolve to become a philanthropist of know-how. What
knowledge, expertise, or best practices can you share with others
as a way to enrich them? For inspiration, read about other
leaders who practice teaching in their organization for everyone's
benefit – for example, Jack Welch, whose calendar was filled with
hundreds of hours spent teaching thousands of GE managers and
executives at the company's training center at Croton-on-
Hudson; or the ex-CEO of Intel, Andy Grove, who devoted
considerable amounts of time to teaching newly hired and senior
managers his philosophy on how to lead in an industry where
innovation goes stale very quickly.
9. Give moral support
Public speaking is known to be among the greatest fears
experienced by millions of people. The next time you attend a
presentation given by an apprehensive team member, practice
giving them moral support. The simplest of generous acts are
abstaining from checking your Blackberry, giving the odd nod in
agreement, and practicing looking with kind eyes. Finally, take
some inspiration from Walt Whitman's beautiful words: "The habit
of giving enhances the desire to give." Giving is like building a
muscle. It requires practice and persistence – once it becomes
habitual, you will emerge as a stronger leader.
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What members say...
Yolande wrote
Hi all!
Great article...did I enjoy this! Just this morning I read a quote by

Martin Luther King: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is:
"What are you doing for others?"
The small city where we live in South Africa isn't far from Lesotho -
the Sesotho language is thus the local ethnic language. When
asking how you are, they also use the words (if translated literally)
"Where are you?" and to reply that you are well, you would say "I
am here." I loved the reference in this article to another similar
African greeting, because although we are sometimes physically
present with someone, we are very absent mentally! And "being
present" is really all that people ask of us sometimes.
Regards
Yolandé
November 26, 2008

Developing Self-Awareness
Understanding Yourself
It is wisdom to know others; It

is enlightenment to know one's
self.
– Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher
Have you ever worked with

someone who was very self-
aware?
This person considered the
needs and feelings of others, Learn to develop self-awareness.
took responsibility for her © iStockphoto/lili41
mistakes, was humble about

her strengths, never said thoughtless things, and was aware of how
her words and actions affected others.
Put simply, this person was great to work with!
Self-awareness is one of the most important qualities that you can
have as a leader, and developing self-awareness is important in both
your personal and professional life.
In this article we'll look at self-awareness in more detail, and we'll
explore how you can develop yours.
What is Self-Awareness?
Researchers Shelley Duval and Robert Wicklund published the first
major theory of self-awareness in the early 1970s. They said that self-
awareness is the ability to look inward, think deeply about your
behavior, and consider how it aligns with your moral standards and
values.
They argued that when your behavior is out of alignment with your
standards, you feel uncomfortable, unhappy and negative. By
contrast, when your behavior and values are aligned, you feel positive
and self-confident. Self-awareness also gives you a deeper
understanding of your own attitudes, opinions, and knowledge.
Self-awareness is sometimes confused with self-consciousness, but
there's an important difference between these. Self-consciousness is
a hyper-sensitized state of self-awareness; it's the excessive
preoccupation with your own manners, behavior, or appearance, and
is often seen as negative. Self-awareness is focused on the impact
your behavior has on other people, and, as such, is much more
positive.
Self-awareness is one of the most important elements of emotional
intelligence . It gives you the ability to understand and control
your own emotions and actions, and it helps you understand how
these affect the emotions and actions of others.
Why Self-Awareness is Important
Self-awareness brings benefits in both your personal and professional
life.
First, research shows a strong link between self-awareness and high-
performance in managers. You're simply more effective in a
leadership role when you understand your internal state, as well as
your team members' emotions.
If you're aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, you have the
power to use your strengths intentionally, and to manage or eliminate
your weaknesses. When you can admit what you don't know – and
you have the humility to ask for help when you need it – you increase
your credibility with your team.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses also has positive, long-term
benefits for your career, as well as for your long-term health and
happiness. In one study, researchers found that leaders who were
aware of their strengths were more self-confident, were more highly
paid, and were happier at work.
On a personal level, having self-awareness allows you to approach
people and situations with confidence. In turn, this means that you
gain control of your own life, direction, and experiences.
How to Develop Self-Awareness

There are several ways to develop self-awareness. Keep in mind,
however, that this takes time and work.
1. Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

You can start building self-awareness by learning where you are
strongest and weakest. Conduct a Personal SWOT Analysis to
get a better understanding of this. You might also want take the
StrengthsFinder self-test, which helps you identify your five
greatest strengths.
When you understand how your personality compares with the
personalities of other people, you can discover what motivates you,
and how you relate to the world. Both of these are important aspects
of self-awareness.
This is where personality tests such as the Big Five Personality
Model and Myers-Briggs® can be valuable tools for self-
discovery.
2. Reflect on the Impact You Have

When you are self-aware, you understand how you instinctively think,
connect with other people, communicate, and make decisions.
A great way to understand these things is to keep a journal, where
you write about your day, the things that you did, the emotions you
experienced and expressed, and the consequences of these. This
helps you think about what does and doesn't work for you, and helps
you be more aware of your impact on other people.
Alternatively, take a break for five or 10 minutes a day and meditate
. Meditation helps broaden and strengthen your self-awareness, and
it can also lower stress.
Or take time in the evening to reflect quietly about your day, and
think about how effectively you worked with people. What did you do
really well? And what could you have done better?
3. Focus on Others
People who are self-aware are conscious of how their words and
actions influence others.
To become more aware of how you affect others, learn how to
manage your emotions . Take time to weigh what you say
carefully, and think about how it will affect the person that you're
speaking to.
If you find yourself taking your stress, anger, or frustrations out on
others, stop immediately. Instead, see if you can find something
positive about the situation. Take a few deep breaths, or even walk
away if you find that you can't control your emotions.
When you manage your own words or actions, it doesn't mean that
you're being false. Rather, it shows that you care about other people
enough not to say or do something that might affect them in a
negative way.
Showing humility is an important part of this. When you're
humble, you focus your attention and energy on others and not on
yourself.
4. Ask for Feedback

Getting feedback is important for developing self-awareness – after
all, this is often the only way that you can find out about issues that
you may not be able to face directly. (See our article on the Johari
Window for more on this.)
You can get feedback from your colleagues and team members, either
with direct questions or with 360° Feedback . When you ask for
feedback from the people around you, this gives you a chance to see
your behavior from their point of view. What's more, it can help you
identify weaknesses that you can't see, or that you'd prefer to ignore.
Key Points
By developing self-awareness, you get to know what does and
doesn't work for you, and you learn how to manage your impact on
other people.
People with high levels of self-awareness are more effective as
leaders, because they deal with people positively, and they inspire
trust and credibility in their team members.
As a result, these people also often have more satisfying careers
and higher incomes.
To develop self-awareness, learn about your strengths and
weaknesses. Take time to analyze the decisions that you make,
focus on managing your emotions, and be humble about your
accomplishments.
Apply This to Your Life

• Schedule some time to meditate. Find a quiet place where you
can sit down, and take a few minutes to meditate properly.
• Buy a journal. In the evening, set aside a few minutes to reflect
quietly about your day, and then write down your thoughts. If
you can, do this as soon as you get in, as the events of your day
will be fresh in your mind.
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What members say...
Midgie wrote
Hi jennpayne,
Welcome to the Club and glad to hear you find the resources of
interest, and hopefully helpful.
It can indeed be challenging to identify what direction to go, once

you have identified your strengths. Yet, I would also add that it is
important to look at interests and at lifestyle. The variations and
permutations are a great as there are individual people!
I know when I was searching for a new career direction, I did lots
of tests and exercises yet there was nothing that said ... do X. Yet,
what I did was let the ideas and thoughts settle and I kept on
playing a game of 'what if ...' and imagine myself doing different
jobs using the different skills, strengths and interests.
Finally, what started happening was that I became more and more
aware of things related to coaching. I saw articles in magazines
and newspapers, I heard more people talking about it and when I
looked into it further, I knew it was the perfect fit for me!
I would encourage you to do some self-reflection first, perhaps

look at the various articles and tests in our Career Skills section -
http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/main/
newMN_CDV.php - and then post some thoughts in the Coaching
or Goals area on the forums. I'd be happy to help you explore
things further in order to clarify a potential direction.
Just let me know how I can help or if you simply want to bounce
around a few ideas.
Midgie
p.s. I will pass on your suggestion to the editorial team about

doing some case studies.
September 12, 2013
jennpayne wrote
Hi and thank you for all of the wonderful information on this site. I
am fairly new to Mind Tools Club, and am eager to put some of
this information to use, but like the other comment, I am having
difficulty applying the results of the various tests to my life. I find
that I am continually searching for my strengths and how to build
my career from them. I find that I am good at lots of things, but
perhaps not really great at any one thing - how does one turn
good into great? Or how does one take varied and somewhat
conflicting interests and turn them into a rewarding career or work
experience? I agree that some case studies would be helpful.
Again, thank you so much for a very informative and interesting

website.
September 11, 2013
Midgie wrote
Hi anjalishree,
Thanks for the suggestion of using a case study to demonstrate
mindfulness.
I will pass your suggestion to our editorial team and see what they
can come up with.
How do you practice mindfulness in your life - be that at work or
elsewhere?
Midgie
September 26, 2012
anjalishree wrote
Thanks for psoting this . This is a good overview of self-awareness.

If possible, Can you also find an example case to discuss how a
person developed his self-awareness from zero and how it
improved his life and lives of the fellow beings.
Also, in terms of understanding one-s strength/weeknesses, it is
easier to take the strenghFinder tests..but finding it difficult to
interpret how the results may be used for ones life /career.
If you post articles towards this topic, it will be really useful for
many of us!!!!
September 25, 2012

Dunham and Pierce's Leadership
Process Model
Taking an Intelligent, Long-Term Approach to
Leadership
Leadership is about setting

direction and helping people do
the right things.
However, it can involve so
much more than this!
In particular, leadership is a
long-term process in which – in
a very real and practical way –
all actions have consequences,
and "what goes around comes
This model highlights the dynamic nature of
around." leadership.
© iStockphoto/H-Gall
Dunham and Pierce's
Leadership Process Model helps you think about this, and understand
why it's important to adopt a positive and long-term approach to
leadership.
We'll look at the model in this article, and we'll explore why it's so
important to understand it. We'll also look at how you can apply the
model's lessons to your own situation.
What is the Leadership Process Model?

The Leadership Process Model was developed by Randall B. Dunham
and Jon Pierce, and was published in their 1989 book "Managing." You
can see our interpretation of the model in figure 1, below. (We've
redrawn this for clarity.)
Figure 1 – The Leadership Process
The model shows the relationship between four key factors that
contribute to leadership success or failure. These are:
1. The Leader: This is the person who takes charge, and directs
the group's performance.
2. Followers: These are the people who follow the leader's
directions on tasks and projects.
3. The Context: This is the situation in which the work is
performed. For instance, it may be a regular workday, an
emergency project, or a challenging, long-term assignment.
Context can also cover the physical environment, resources
available, and events in the wider organization.
4. Outcomes: These are the results of the process. Outcomes could
be reaching a particular goal, developing a high-quality product,
or resolving a customer service issue. They can also include
things like improved trust and respect between the leader and
followers, or higher team morale.
The model shows the way in which the leader, the followers, and the
context combine to affect the outcomes. It also shows how outcomes
feed back to affect the leader, the followers, and the context.
Most importantly, the model highlights that leadership is a dynamic
and ongoing process. Therefore, it's important to be flexible
depending on the context and outcomes, and to invest continually in
your relationship with your followers.
Accordingly, the model can also help you understand:
• How your actions as a leader influence your followers, depending
on the context and the outcome.
• How your followers influence you.
• How the context and outcomes influence you and your followers.
Essentially, everything affects everything else. In a very real way,
negative actions feed back to negatively affect future performance,
and positive actions improve future performance.
Note:
Dunham and Pierce used a different format for the diagram

illustrating this model. You can see their version in Chapter 9 of the
book "Leaders and the Leadership Process," which was co-
authored by Jon Pierce.
How to Apply the Model

Pierce and John W. Newstrom highlighted several ways that you can
apply the insights from this framework to your own development as a
leader, and to the development of your people:
1. Provide Regular Feedback

Probably the most important thing that the Leadership Process Model
highlights is how important it is to give good feedback , so that
your team can grow and develop.
When you give feedback to your team, it influences the context and
helps to improve the outcome. This then cycles back to influence you
and your team in a positive way.
Regular feedback also helps you take your people in the right
direction, as outcomes and the context change.
2. Be Aware of Actions and Reactions

The model makes it clear that, no matter what you do, your decisions,
behavior, and actions directly affect your followers. Every action has a
reaction. You, your followers, the context, and the outcome are all tied
together in a dynamic relationship.
As a leader, it's essential that you keep this in mind at all times. There
will be consequences when you say something thoughtless or lash out
at a team member, even if you don't see these immediately. Those
consequences might include diminished performance, reduced
morale, increased absenteeism, and accelerated staff turnover.
This is why it's important to control your emotions at work, and
be a good role model .
3. Lead Honestly and Ethically

The model also illustrates the relationships between leader and
followers. If this relationship is built on mutual trust and respect, then
the context and outcomes will get better and better. However, if the
relationship is based on animosity, resentment, or even fear, the
effect on context and outcomes will be negative.
Your people need and deserve a leader who they can trust and look
up to, which is why it's important to be an ethical leader .
Of course, your people may have to follow your instructions.
However, if you're a leader who they trust to do the right thing, they'll
want to follow you, and they'll go above and beyond for you because
the relationship is deeper. This makes the difference between an
average team and a great team.
Also, be authentic in your actions and communication, lead with
integrity , and be humble. These qualities will inspire the trust of
your people and strengthen the relationship you have with them.
It's also important to build trust actively with your team members.
Do your best to support their needs, and always keep your word with
them.
4. Lead with the Right Style

In business, Transformational Leadership is often the best
leadership style to use. Transformational leaders have integrity, they
set clear goals, they communicate well with their team members, and
they inspire people with a shared vision of the future.
However, you'll occasionally need to adopt different leadership
approaches to fit a particular follower, outcome, or context. This is
why it helps to be able to use other leadership styles when
appropriate.
5. Consciously Assign Tasks

Do your people get to use their skills and strengths on a regular
basis? If you've been assigning tasks and projects in an ad-hoc way,
then this answer might be no.
We're all happiest when we can use our strongest skills on a regular
basis. Try to assign tasks that fit the unique skills of everyone on your
team. Our articles on the Four Dimensions of Relational Work
and Task Allocation have more on how to match tasks to your
people's particular skills and situation.
6. Focus on Relationship Development

As a leader, you often depend on your people more than they depend
on you. Your working relationships should therefore be built on trust,
respect, and transparency. The deeper your relationship with your
team, the better a leader you'll be.
Start by developing your emotional intelligence ; this
encompasses many of the traits that we've already mentioned. When
you have high emotional intelligence, you are self-aware, you manage
your emotions, and you act according to your ethics and values.
You also need to show empathy with members of your team. When
your people see you as an empathic leader, they feel that you're on
their side, and that you can see things from their perspective. This
deepens the relationship they have with you.
Lastly, reward your people for the good work that they do: even
a simple "thank you" will show your appreciation.
Key Points
The Leadership Process Model highlights the dynamic and long-
term nature of leadership. It shows how your actions and behaviors
influence your people, just as their actions and behaviors influence
you.
As well as having an awareness of the model, you can also apply
lessons from it by doing the following:
1. Providing regular feedback.
2. Being aware of actions and reactions.
3. Leading honestly and ethically.
4. Leading with the right style.
5. Assigning tasks consciously and intelligently.
6. Focusing on relationship development.
Overall, the Leadership Process Model helps you see the
interdependent nature of leadership and its effects on situations
and outcomes. Use this framework to be aware of your actions and
to deepen the relationship you have with your people.
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What members say...
Midgie wrote
Hi Francisco,
In addition to what Dianna has offered, I would like to add that
ultimately, we can not control how other people react, we can only
control ourselves.
By focusing on yourself and on being the best you can be, use the
reactions of others as feedback to learn and grow. Perhaps you
could do things differently or change your approach? Perhaps it is
entirely this 'issue' and does not accurately reflect on you as a
person and how you are. Sometimes by removing the reaction as
a personal attack or slight against you as an individual and see it
rather as a reaction to behavior can help deal with situations more
resourcefully.
By removing the 'personal' aspect of people reactions, how does

that shift things for you and shift things in your attitude and
approach?
Midgie
Midgie
December 26, 2013
Dianna wrote
I think that when you get a different reaction than you expect, as
a leader that's an opportunity to evaluate your expectations and
re-think how you interact with that person. Try to figure out what
is behind their bad attitude? Is there something you can do to
help make the situation better? You might not be able to change
their attitude but it's always worth investigating. In that way their
reaction is valuable because you never know what you may
discover.
What do you think?
Dianna
December 26, 2013
fxgg090 wrote
Actions and Reactions.
What happens when you expect some reaction and this does not
happen?
Let´s say you expect most of your followers to appreciate your

time, work and effort, your knowledge, and suddenly one reacts
different either he has some issues or many issues, or he has bad
intentions, bad attitude?
Is that one reaction more or less or equal valuable as the rest of

the members? is that reaction as valid as other´s, should we focus
on just that one member or let it go?
Great lectures, learning a lot - Please consider a Life time
Membership!
Francisco x González Garza.
December 26, 2013
Dianna wrote
Hi Lenka,
Are you referring to people within your organization who are
choosing not to take all four of these elements into consideration?
It certainly is frustrating to see "leaders" who could be much more
effective if they broadened their perspective and used this type of
process model. I think there are leaders out there who try to lead
from the front without looking back and checking in with the
people surrounding them. One of the best strategies for me has
always been to lead by example.
Do you have a particular situation you are dealing with? A few

more details might help us to provide better suggestions.
Talk soon!
Dianna
March 6, 2012
cleverlenka wrote
Hi, when I saw the picture I thought "a theory again!" The analysis
below is an interesting and exhaustive, in my opinion, contains
almost all aspects of leadership. But what about people who do
not want "beyond limits" to follow, which operates outside
influences?
Lenka
March 4, 2012

Learning How to Be More Aware
When you think of a

"perfect leader," what
comes to mind?
You might picture
someone who never lets
Flash
his temper get out of
control, no matter what
problems he's facing. Or
you might think of
someone who has the
complete trust of her
Develop your emotional intelligence with James Manktelow
staff, listens to her team, and Amy Carlson.
is easy to talk to, and
always makes careful, informed decisions.
These are qualities of someone with a high degree of emotional
intelligence .
In this article, we'll look at why emotional intelligence is so important
for leaders – and how you, as a leader, can improve yours.
What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to understand and manage
your own emotions, and those of the people around you. People with
a high degree of emotional intelligence know what they're feeling,
what their emotions mean, and how these emotions can affect other
people.
For leaders, having emotional intelligence is essential for success.
After all, who is more likely to succeed – a leader who shouts at his
team when he's under stress, or a leader who stay in control, and
calmly assesses the situation?
According to Daniel Goleman , an American psychologist who
helped to popularize EI, there are five main elements of emotional
intelligence:
1. Self-awareness.
2. Self-regulation.
3. Motivation.
4. Empathy.
5. Social skills.
The more that you, as a leader, manage each of these areas, the
higher your emotional intelligence. So, let's look at each element in
more detail and examine how you can grow as a leader.
1. Self-awareness
If you're self-aware, you always know how you feel, and you know
how your emotions and your actions can affect the people around
you. Being self-aware when you're in a leadership position also means
having a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses , and it
means behaving with humility .
So, what can you do to improve your self-awareness?
• Keep a journal – Journals help you improve your self-awareness.
If you spend just a few minutes each day writing down your
thoughts, this can move you to a higher degree of self-
awareness.
• Slow down – When you experience anger or other strong
emotions, slow down to examine why. Remember, no matter
what the situation, you can always choose how you react to it.
(Our article on Managing Your Emotions at Work will help
you understand what your emotions are telling you.)
2. Self-regulation
Leaders who regulate themselves effectively rarely verbally attack
others, make rushed or emotional decisions, stereotype people, or
compromise their values. Self-regulation is all about staying in
control.
This element of emotional intelligence, according to Goleman, also
covers a leader's flexibility and commitment to personal
accountability .
So, how can you improve your ability to self-regulate?
• Know your values – Do you have a clear idea of where you
absolutely will not compromise? Do you know what values are
most important to you? Spend some time examining your "code
of ethics." If you know what's most important to you, then you
probably won't have to think twice when you face a moral or
ethical decision – you'll make the right choice.
• Hold yourself accountable – If you tend to blame others when
something goes wrong, stop. Make a commitment to admit to
your mistakes and to face the consequences, whatever they are.
You'll probably sleep better at night, and you'll quickly earn the
respect of those around you.
• Practice being calm – The next time you're in a challenging
situation, be very aware of how you act. Do you relieve your
stress by shouting at someone else? Practice deep-breathing
exercises to calm yourself. Also, try to write down all of the
negative things you want to say, and then rip it up and throw it
away. Expressing these emotions on paper (and not showing
them to anyone!) is better than speaking them aloud to your
team. What's more, this helps you challenge your reactions to
ensure that they're fair!
3. Motivation
Self-motivated leaders work consistently toward their goals, and they
have extremely high standards for the quality of their work.
How can you improve your motivation?
• Re-examine why you're doing your job – It's easy to forget
what you really love about your career. So, take some time to
remember why you wanted this job. If you're unhappy in your
role and you're struggling to remember why you wanted it, try
the Five Whys technique to find the root of the problem.
Starting at the root often helps you look at your situation in a
new way.
And make sure that your goal statements are fresh and
energizing. For more on this, see our article on Goal Setting .
• Know where you stand – Determine how motivated you are to
lead. Our Leadership Motivation Assessment can help you
see clearly how motivated you are in your leadership role. If you
need to increase your motivation to lead, it directs you to
resources that can help.
• Be hopeful and find something good – Motivated leaders are
usually optimistic , no matter what problems they face.
Adopting this mindset might take practice, but it's well worth the
effort.
Every time you face a challenge, or even a failure, try to find at
least one good thing about the situation. It might be something
small, like a new contact, or something with long-term effects,
like an important lesson learned. But there's almost always
something positive, if you look for it.
4. Empathy
For leaders, having empathy is critical to managing a successful team
or organization. Leaders with empathy have the ability to put
themselves in someone else's situation. They help develop the people
on their team, challenge others who are acting unfairly, give
constructive feedback, and listen to those who need it.
If you want to earn the respect and loyalty of your team, then show
them you care by being empathic.
How can you improve your empathy?
• Put yourself in someone else's position – It's easy to support
your own point of view. After all, it's yours! But take the time to
look at situations from other people's perspectives. See our
article on Perceptual Positions for a useful technique for
doing this.
• Pay attention to body language – Perhaps when you listen to
someone, you cross your arms, move your feet back and forth, or
bite your lip. This body language tells others how you really
feel about a situation, and the message you're giving isn't
positive! Learning to read body language can be a real asset in a
leadership role, because you'll be better able to determine how
someone truly feels. This gives you the opportunity to respond
appropriately.
• Respond to feelings – You ask your assistant to work late –
again. And although he agrees, you can hear the disappointment
in his voice. So, respond by addressing his feelings. Tell him you
appreciate how willing he is to work extra hours, and that you're
just as frustrated about working late. If possible, figure out a way
for future late nights to be less of an issue (for example, give him
Monday mornings off).
5. Social skills
Leaders who do well in the social skills element of emotional
intelligence are great communicators. They're just as open to hearing
bad news as good news, and they're expert at getting their team to
support them and be excited about a new mission or project.
Leaders who have good social skills are also good at managing
change and resolving conflicts diplomatically. They're rarely satisfied
with leaving things as they are, but they don't sit back and make
everyone else do the work: They set an example with their own
behavior.
So, how can you build social skills?
• Learn conflict resolution – Leaders must know how to resolve
conflicts between their team members, customers, or vendors.
Learning conflict resolution skills is vital if you want to
succeed.
• Improve your communication skills – How well do you
communicate? Our communication quiz will help you answer
this question, and it will give useful feedback on what you can do
to improve.
• Learn how to praise others – As a leader, you can inspire the
loyalty of your team simply by giving praise when it's earned.
Learning how to praise others is a fine art, but well worth the
effort.
Key Points
To be effective, leaders must have a solid understanding of how
their emotions and actions affect the people around them. The
better a leader relates to and works with others, the more
successful he or she will be.
Take the time to work on self-awareness, self-regulation,
motivation, empathy, and social skills. Working on these areas will
help you excel in the future!
For more on emotional intelligence in leadership, see the series of

articles by Bruna Martinuzzi elsewhere on MindTools.com. Click here
to find them.
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What members say...
Yolande wrote
Hi Shannon
Once again, thanks for sharing so honestly and telling us a bit

about your life.
I do agree with you - having a mentor or a role model is truly

priceless. Personally, I find it easier to attain goals if I have
someone I can look up to or someone who can really give me
good, solid guidance.
You really seem intent on learning more and more about

leadership - what a wonderful goal/mission!
Kind regards
Yolandé
January 26, 2011
careercpr wrote
I enjoyed this article because I want to be the type of leader that

people follow. Here are my thoughts on what it means to be an
authentic leader:
*allowing yourself to be vulnerable

*having a vision that you share with others - being on a mission
*operating from a set of core values
*allowing others to shine
In my workplace, I don't see anyone on the management team

being an authentic leader. I see them as having expert power -
they've been in the industry for years and have a tremendous
amount of knowledge. In my humble opinion, the challenge with
this is that the staff isn't fully engaged.
I love the point made about how a leader's goals should be

aligned with company goals. When the employees and the
management team are working for a common goal, I think the
workplace would have a stronger sense of teamwork, higher
productivity and increased job satisfaction. I'm looking forward to
reading the articles on Management by Objection and the
Congruence Model.
With my women's group, I feel that I demonstrate some of the

skills of an authentic leader. For example, at the beginning of the
month, I posted a mission statement and core values for the
group. It was amazing to hear the response from the women -
they really connected to what the group is all about and what we
are all about. I even had them share the aspects of the mission
that speak to them and where they are in their lives.
I've been blessed to know and work with some authentic leaders
that serve as my role models. I love how it feels to be in the
presence of their greatness. My intention is to have the same
impact on the women in my group.
Joyfully,
Shannon
January 26, 2011
bigk wrote
Hi
I did work on this recently from the articles and resources

available elsewhere, I have assessed this as a good skill to
practice and develop in other leadership qualities.
I have seen potential in my self development to continue
development and use it more than just recently.
Even without direct situations to use this in, I still find there are
situations where it can be used.
I am encouraged to do more in this area to utilise what I have

available so far and want to progress these and other skills
further.
Have a happy Christmas
Looking forward to another new year and opportunity.
Bigk
December 25, 2009
Dianna wrote
This message can't be repeated often enough!! It's essential to

monitor and develop our emotional intelligence - I'm convinced
it's a critical factor in moving from a good leader to a great one.
Dianna
December 15, 2009
winneyn wrote
A very timely article. So many managers think that capitulation is

a show of weakness. But a moments pause to determine if this is
a battle worth fighting, will show others that you are studied and
controlled in your responses. The workplace is no place for the
dramatic.
December 15, 2009

Ethical Leadership
Doing the Right Thing
We've seen some high profile

ethical failures in the press in
recent years. It will be hard to
forget the devastation caused
by accounting fraud at the
investment company run by
Bernard Madoff, or the earlier
frauds at Enron and Worldcom.
People have also raised ethical
questions over the welfare of
some organizations' staff and
suppliers. Know in advance what you'd do.
© iStockphoto
This highlights the extent to
which it can be difficult for leaders to determine what's right and
wrong. Some make the wrong choices – and end up in the news or in
the courts.
What we rarely see, however, are stories about the numerous
companies that are managed by ethical leaders. While standards
seem to keep falling in some corporations, other leaders "raise the
bar" and inspire their teams to do the same. These leaders do the
right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons. They put their
ethics before the bottom line – and, as a result, they have dedicated
teams that would do almost anything for them.
So how do they do this? And how can you do it as well? We'll show
you how to define your own ethical standards – and start putting
those standards into practice.
Define Your Organization's Values

To lead your team with character and integrity, you must set an
example. You're the leader, remember? Your team looks to you. To
begin, you must know your own values as well as your organization's
values.
For example, the global technology giant 3M is well known for its
company values. Why? Because the entire team – from top executives
all the way down to the mailroom – live and breathe the principles of
honesty and integrity every day. 3M communicates clearly that it
wants its staff to do things like keep promises, have personal
accountability, and respect others in the workforce. Every leader in
the company knows this, so they work by these rules. And as a result,
everyone else follows.
Hopefully, your company has clear rules about how it wants team
members to act. As a leader, it's up to you to know these rules and
codes of conduct – and to make sure you enforce them. (Our in-depth
article Why the Rules Are There can help you with this.)
Your personal values are also important. If the company's written
rules don't say that you must be fair to everyone, but this value is
important to you – then, of course, you're going to be fair.
Good leaders follow their personal values as well as organizational
values .
Ask yourself these questions:
• What standards of behavior are really important to my company?
• What specific values do I admire in certain leaders? Do I identify
with those values?
• Would I still live by those values, even if they put me at a
competitive disadvantage?
Set the Tone

Now that you know your company's core values, you can begin to set
the tone and create the right environment for your team and your
organization. Again, leading by example is the best way to do this.
It's what you do, not what you say, that demonstrates to your team
what you care about. So, if your company values honesty above all
else, then make sure you demonstrate that by being honest with
everyone around you. If your company values free speech, then make
sure you allow your team to communicate their ideas openly.
Next, establish consequences for team members who don't follow
corporate values. If you allow someone to come in late continuously
without making up the hours, that won't set a good example for the
rest of the team.
You need good consequences as well. Set up some kind of reward
system for team members who consistently act according to the
company values.
Storytelling is a great way to reinforce and communicate these
values. If you know of team members – or even clients – who acted
ethically in difficult situations, then tell their stories. This shows your
staff that they can do it as well. To learn more, see our article on the
art of business storytelling .
By getting your team interested in ethical conduct, you communicate
how important these values are to both you and your organization.
Recognize Ethical Dilemmas

Here's the scenario: You're in a meeting with other top executives,
and you realize that one of your colleagues has changed the numbers
in his report.
As you listen, you realize that he's exaggerating how well his team is
doing on a major project. Instead of saying that his team will finish in
eight weeks, which he previously told you, he's promising to be done
in only five weeks. And instead of saying that the project will help
increase company earnings by 4%, which he also told you earlier, he's
promising a 12% increase.
What do you do? He's a close colleague and a personal friend. On the
other hand, he's overstating how well his team is doing. Do you
support him, or do you tell the truth to the other executives?
We're often faced with tough choices like this in the workplace. Most
of the time, however, ethical dilemmas aren't this obvious, and they
can be hidden in ways that are hard to uncover.
So, how do you recognize these dilemmas?
• Identify "trigger" situations – Certain situations seem to
attract ethical dilemmas. Some of these are areas like
purchasing, hiring, firing, promoting, and calculating bonuses.
There can also be other unexpected situations. You could make a
mistake – will you admit it to your boss, or try to cover it up? Or
you could discover that a colleague is acting unethically – do you
protect the person or tell someone?
By recognizing when these situations might occur, you can make
the right decisions when and if something actually happens.
• Prepare in advance – Imagine yourself in the situations we just
mentioned. What would you do if you knew one of your
colleagues was about to be fired, but you weren't legally allowed
to tell her?
Putting yourself in these imaginary situations can help you work
through your feelings and decide what you would do if the
situation occurred. In real life, you may have only seconds to
reach a decision. Of course, you won't be able to imagine every
possible ethical dilemma you might face, but this exercise WILL
help you get to know your values, and it can prepare you for the
decisions you may have to make.
• Listen to your "inner voice" – Your conscience often tells you
that something isn't right, even if this is just a feeling of
uneasiness with something. If you face a situation that makes
you uncomfortable, or goes against one of your core values or
beliefs, then make sure that you stop and think things through
rationally.
• Reevaluate your decision before you act – If you're in a
difficult situation and you aren't sure what to do, make a
decision. But, before you act on that decision, ask yourself how
you would feel if your actions were in the company newsletter or
on the evening news for everyone to see. Would you be proud of
what you did? If not, then reconsider your decision.
When in Doubt...
At times, you'll make a decision but still wonder if you did the right
thing. You may be uncomfortable, but these situations can teach you
to trust yourself and your instincts. If you calm your anxiety and look
logically at the situation, your instincts will often guide you in the
right direction.
Key Points
Ethical living – and leading – takes courage and conviction. It
means doing the right thing, even when the right thing isn't
popular or easy. But when you make decisions based on your core
values, then you tell the world that you can't be bought – and you
lead your team by example.
Once you identify your company's core values as well as your own,
you can start to set the tone with your team and your organization.
Actions always speak louder than words, so make sure you do as
you would wish others to do.
Click to vote no
No
Click to vote yes
Yes
What members say...
Rachel wrote
Hi All
How do you make the right choices as a leader, time after time?
Doing the "right thing" can be a challenge - find out how to clarify
your values and spot possible ethical dilemmas, with this week's
Featured Favorite article.
Click below to learn more.

http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/
newLDR_58.php
Best wishes
Rachel
January 10, 2012
Bree wrote
Thanks, yet again, for a great article.
I was just last week facing a work situation which presented a bit
of a dilemma, and one which needed to be sorted today! As I was
scanning the forums, I came onto this article which helped me
make a decision because even though I had anticipated this
scenario, I hadn't really prepared a response. However, now, I've
listened to that 'inner voice' and I re-evaluated my decision.
Feel much better now and I'm off to address and resolve the
situation!
Thanks.
Bree
July 7, 2008

Fiedler's Contingency Model
Matching Leadership Style to a Situation
What is your natural leadership

style?
Do you focus on completing
tasks or on building
relationships with your team?
And have you considered that
this natural style of leadership
might be more suited to some
situations than it is to others?
In this article, we'll explore Do some leadership styles work better in certain
situations?
Fiedler's Contingency Model,
© iStockphoto/sodafish
and we'll look at how it can
highlight the most effective leadership style to use in different
situations.
Note:
With this theory, we are not using the word "contingency" in the
sense of contingency planning . Here, a contingency is a
situation or event that's dependent – or contingent – on someone
or something else.
Understanding the Model

The Fiedler Contingency Model was created in the mid-1960s by Fred
Fiedler, a scientist who studied the personality and characteristics of
leaders.
The model states that there is no one best style of leadership.
Instead, a leader's effectiveness is based on the situation. This is the
result of two factors – "leadership style" and "situational
favorableness" (later called "situational control").
Leadership Style
Identifying leadership style is the first step in using the model. Fiedler
believed that leadership style is fixed, and it can be measured using a
scale he developed called Least-Preferred Co-Worker (LPC) Scale (see
Figure 1).
The scale asks you to think about the person who you've least
enjoyed working with. This can be a person who you've worked with in
your job, or in education or training.
You then rate how you feel about this person for each factor, and add
up your scores. If your total score is high, you're likely to be a
relationship-orientated leader. If your total score is low, you're more
likely to be task-orientated leader.
Figure 1: Least-Preferred Co-Worker Scale
Unfriendly 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Friendly
Unpleasant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pleasant
Rejecting 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Accepting
Tense 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Relaxed
Cold 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Warm
Boring 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Interesting
Backbiting 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Loyal
Uncooperative 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cooperative
Hostile 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Supportive
Guarded 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Open
Insincere 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sincere
Unkind 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kind
Inconsiderate 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Considerate
Untrustworthy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Trustworthy
Gloomy 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cheerful
Quarrelsome 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Harmonious
The model says that task-oriented leaders usually view their LPCs
more negatively, resulting in a lower score. Fiedler called these low
LPC-leaders. He said that low LPCs are very effective at completing
tasks. They're quick to organize a group to get tasks and projects
done. Relationship-building is a low priority.
However, relationship-oriented leaders usually view their LPCs more
positively, giving them a higher score. These are high-LPC leaders.
High LPCs focus more on personal connections, and they're good at
avoiding and managing conflict. They're better able to make complex
decisions.
Situational Favorableness
Next, you determine the "situational favorableness" of your particular
situation. This depends on three distinct factors:
• Leader-Member Relations – This is the level of trust and
confidence that your team has in you. A leader who is more
trusted and has more influence with the group is in a more
favorable situation than a leader who is not trusted.
• Task Structure – This refers to the type of task you're doing:
clear and structured, or vague and unstructured. Unstructured
tasks, or tasks where the team and leader have little knowledge
of how to achieve them, are viewed unfavorably.
• Leader's Position Power – This is the amount of power you
have to direct the group, and provide reward or punishment. The
more power you have, the more favorable your situation. Fiedler
identifies power as being either strong or weak.
Applying the Fiedler Contingency Model
Step 1: Identify your leadership style

Think about the person who you've least enjoyed working with, either
now or in the past.
Rate your experience with this person using the scale in Figure 1,
above. According to this model, a higher score means that you're
naturally relationship-focused, and a lower score means that you're
naturally task-focused.
Step 2: Identify your situation

Answer the questions:
• Are leader-member relations good or poor?
• Is the task you're doing structured, or is it more unstructured, or
do you have little experience of solving similar problems?
• Do you have strong or weak power over your team?
Step 3: Determine the most effective leadership style

Figure 2 shows a breakdown of all of the factors we've covered:
Leader-Member Relations, Task Structure, and Leader's Position Power.
The final column identifies the type of leader that Fiedler believed
would be most effective in each situation.
Figure 2: Breakdown of Most Effective Leader Style
Leader- Task Leader's Most

Member Structure Position Effective
Relations Power Leader
Good Structured Strong Low LPC
Good Structured Weak Low LPC
Good Unstructured Strong Low LPC

Leader- Task Leader's Most
Member Structure Position Effective
Relations Power Leader
Good Unstructured Weak High LPC
Poor Structured Strong High LPC
Poor Structured Weak High LPC
Poor Unstructured Strong High LPC
Poor Unstructured Weak Low LPC
For instance, imagine that you've just started working at a new

company, replacing a much-loved leader who recently retired. You're
leading a team who views you with distrust (so your Leader-Member
Relations are poor). The task you're all doing together is well defined
(structured), and your position of power is high because you're the
boss, and you're able to offer reward or punishment to the group.
The most effective leader in this situation would be high LPC – that is,
a leader who can focus on building relationships first.
Or, imagine that you're leading a team who likes and respects you (so
your Leader-Member relations are good). The project you're working
on together is highly creative (unstructured) and your position of
power is high since, again, you're in a management position of
strength. In this situation a task-focused leadership style would be
most effective.
Criticisms of the Model

There are some criticisms of the Fiedler Contingency Model. One of
the biggest is lack of flexibility. Fiedler believed that because our
natural leadership style is fixed, the most effective way to handle
situations is to change the leader. He didn't allow for flexibility in
leaders.
For instance, if a low-LPC leader is in charge of a group with good
relations and doing unstructured tasks, and she has a weak position
(the fourth situation), then, according to the model, the best solution
is to replace her with a high-LPC leader – instead of asking her to use
a different leadership style.
There is also an issue with the Least-Preferred Co-Worker Scale – if
you fall near the middle of the scoring range, then it could be unclear
which style of leader you are.
There have also been several published criticisms of the Fiedler
Contingency Model. One of the most cited is "The Contingency Model:
Criticisms and Suggestions," published in the Academy of
Management Journal, Vol. 13, No. 3. The authors say that, even under
the best circumstances, the LPC scale only has about a 50 percent
reliable variance. This means that, according to their criticism, the
LPC scale may not be a reliable measure of leadership capability.
It's also perfectly possible that your least preferred co-worker is a
genuinely confused, unpleasant or evil person (they do exist) - if you
are unfortunate enough to have encountered such a person just once
in your career, then you might always be categorized as a low-LPC
leader, however people-oriented you actually are.
Note:
At Mind Tools, we believe that transformational leadership is

the best leadership style in most situations, however, we believe
that other leadership styles are sometimes necessary.
In our opinion, the Fiedler Contingency Model is unhelpful in many
21st Century workplaces. It may occasionally be a useful tool for
analyzing a situation and determining whether or not to focus on
tasks or relationships, but be cautious about applying any style
simply because the model says you should. Use your own
judgment when analyzing situations.
Key Points
The Fiedler Contingency Model asks you to think about your
natural leadership style, and the situations in which it will be most
effective. The model says that leaders are either task-focused, or
relationship-focused. Once you understand your style, it says that
you can match it to situations in which that style is most effective.
However, the model has some disadvantages. It doesn't allow for
leadership flexibility, and the LPC score might give an inaccurate
picture of your leadership style.
As with all models and theories, use your best judgment when
applying the Fiedler Contingency Model to your own situation.
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French and Raven's Five Forms of
Power
Understanding Where Power Comes From in the
Workplace
Leadership and power are

closely linked. People tend to
follow those who are powerful.
And because others follow, the
person with power leads.
But leaders have power for
different reasons. Some are
powerful because they alone
have the ability to give you a
bonus or a raise. Others are
powerful because they can fire Lead at full power!
you, or assign you tasks you
© iStockphoto
don't like. Yet, while leaders of
this type have formal, official power, their teams are unlikely to be
enthusiastic about their approach to leadership, if this is all they rely
on.
On the more positive side, leaders may have power because they're
experts in their fields, or because their team members admire them.
People with these types of power don't necessarily have formal
leadership roles, but they influence others effectively because of their
skills and personal qualities. And when a leadership position opens
up, they'll probably be the first to be considered for promotion.
Do you recognize these types of power in those around you – or in
yourself? And how does power influence the way you work and live
your life?
Understanding Power
One of the most notable studies on power was conducted by social
psychologists John French and Bertram Raven, in 1959. They
identified five bases of power:
1. Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the
formal right to make demands, and to expect compliance and
obedience from others.
2. Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate
another for compliance.
3. Expert – This is based on a person's superior skill and
knowledge.
4. Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived
attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others.
5. Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish
others for noncompliance.
If you're aware of these sources of power, you can…
• Better understand why you're influenced by someone, and
decide whether you want to accept the base of power being
used.
• Recognize your own sources of power.
• Build your leadership skills by using and developing your own
sources of power, appropriately, and for best effect.
The most effective leaders use mainly referent and expert power.
To develop your leadership abilities, learn how to build these types
of power, so that you can have a positive influence on your
colleagues, your team, and your organization.
The Five Bases of Power

Let's explore French and Raven's bases of power according to these
sources.
Positional Power Sources

Legitimate Power
A president, prime minister, or monarch has legitimate power. So

does a CEO, a minister, or a fire chief. Electoral mandates, social
hierarchies, cultural norms, and organizational structure all provide
the basis for legitimate power.
This type of power, however, can be unpredictable and unstable. If
you lose the title or position, legitimate power can instantly disappear
– since others were influenced by the position, not by you. Also, your
scope of power is limited to situations that others believe you have a
right to control. If the fire chief tells people to stay away from a
burning building, they'll probably listen. But if he tries to make people
stay away from a street fight, people may well ignore him.
Therefore, relying on legitimate power as your only way to influence
others isn't enough. To be a leader, you need more than this – in fact,
you may not need legitimate power at all.
Reward Power
People in power are often able to give out rewards. Raises,

promotions, desirable assignments, training opportunities, and even
simple compliments – these are all examples of rewards controlled by
people "in power." If others expect that you'll reward them for doing
what you want, there's a high probability that they'll do it.
The problem with this power base is that you may not have as much
control over rewards as you need. Supervisors probably don't have
complete control over salary increases, and managers often can't
control promotions, all by themselves. And even a CEO needs
permission from the board of directors for some actions.
So, when you use up available rewards, or when the rewards don't
have enough perceived value to others, your power weakens. (One of
the frustrations of using rewards is that they often need to be bigger
each time if they're to have the same motivational impact. Even then,
if rewards are given frequently, people can become satiated by the
reward, so that it loses its effectiveness.)
Coercive Power
This source of power is also problematic, and can be subject to abuse.

What's more, it can cause unhealthy behavior and dissatisfaction in
the workplace.
Threats and punishment are common tools of coercion. Implying or
threatening that someone will be fired, demoted, denied privileges, or
given undesirable assignments – these are examples of using
coercive power. While your position may give you the capability to
coerce others, it doesn't automatically mean that you have the will or
the justification to do so. As a last resort, you may sometimes need to
punish people. However, extensive use of coercive power is rarely
appropriate in an organizational setting.
Clearly, relying on these forms of power alone will result in a very
cold, technocratic, impoverished style of leadership. To be a true
leader, you need a more robust source of power than can be supplied
by a title, an ability to reward, or an ability to punish.
Personal Power Sources

Expert Power
When you have knowledge and skills that enable you to understand a
situation, suggest solutions, use solid judgment, and generally
outperform others, people will probably listen to you. When you
demonstrate expertise, people tend to trust you and respect what you
say. As a subject matter expert, your ideas will have more value, and
others will look to you for leadership in that area.
What's more, you can take your confidence, decisiveness, and
reputation for rational thinking – and expand them to other subjects
and issues. This is a good way to build and maintain expert power. It
doesn't require positional power, so you can use it to go beyond that.
This is one of the best ways to improve your leadership skills.
Click here to read more about building expert power , and
using it as an effective foundation for leadership.
Referent Power
This is sometimes thought of as charisma, charm, admiration, or

appeal. Referent power comes from one person liking and respecting
another, and strongly identifying with that person in some way.
Celebrities have referent power, which is why they can influence
everything from what people buy to whom they elect to office. In a
workplace, a person with charm often makes everyone feel good, so
he or she tends to have a lot of influence.
Referent power can be a big responsibility, because you don't
necessarily have to do anything to earn it. Therefore, it can be abused
quite easily. Someone who is likable, but lacks integrity and honesty,
may rise to power – and use that power to hurt and alienate people as
well as gain personal advantage.
Relying on referent power alone is not a good strategy for a leader
who wants longevity and respect. When combined with expert power,
however, it can help you to be very successful.
Key Points
Anyone is capable of holding power and influencing others: you
don't need to have an important job title or a big office. But if you
recognize the different forms of power, you can avoid being
influenced by those who use the less effective types of power –
and you can focus on developing expert and referent power for
yourself. This will help you become an influential and positive
leader.

1. Go through each of the power bases, and write down when and
how you've used that source of power in the past.
2. Ask yourself if you used the power appropriately, consider the
expected and unexpected consequences of it, and decide what
you'll do differently next time.
3. Think about the people who have power and influence over you.
What sources of power do they use? Do they use their power
appropriately? Where necessary, develop a strategy to reduce
someone else's use of illegitimate power over you.
4. When you feel powerless or overly influenced, stop and think
about what you can do to regain your own power and control.
After all: you're never without power. Make an effort to be more
aware of the power you have, and use it to get what you need,
confidently and effectively.
Click to vote no
No
Click to vote yes
Yes

What members say...
Dianna wrote
Hi Francisco,
It's great to see you back!
What do you mean by "conflict"? Certainly some forms help your

leadership and some don't. If you rely on coercive power for
instance, that would definitely undermine your strength as a
leader. People need to trust you and coercive power isn't built on
trust.
Legitimate power and expert power are both good bases to build
from and you can use those to create a strong foundation of trust
and relationship building. People will respect your decisions
because they know you have their best interests in mind. Reward
can be effective too but you don't want that to be your only
source of power.
Are these the sorts of conflicts you had in mind?
Dianna
Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the
formal right to make demands, and to expect compliance and
obedience from others.
Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate
another for compliance.
Expert – This is based on a person's superior skill and knowledge.
Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived
attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others.
Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish
others for noncompliance.
February 3, 2014
fxgg092 wrote
Can the styles of leadership conflict each other??
francisco--
February 2, 2014
Dianna wrote
Hi Austin!
I couldn't agree more! Have you read our article on expert power?
newLDR_04.php it goes into more detail on how to build and
leverage expert power in the workplace. We'd lve to get your
feedback on it.
It's great to see you around the forum.
Best!
Dianna
August 8, 2013
BMCL wrote
Hello All,
I consider expert power as the most influential and this form of

power should be what any leader occupying leadership position
should develop. When a leader/subordinate possess expert power,
he/she commend respect and over time people follow him even
after he/she has left the organization/position.
Best regards
Austin
August 8, 2013
Rachel wrote
Hi All
People tend to follow people with power. But are some types of
power more effective than others?
Find out in this week's Featured Favorite on French and Raven's

Five Forms of Power.
newLDR_56.php
Best wishes
Rachel
March 6, 2012
lulu wrote
I would also seriously think about development of a workplace

policy around abusive behaviours in the workplace - and define
that in the policy. Then staff have something concrete that they
can refer to if they want to stand up to that type of destructive
behaviour and managers also have something to constantly
remind all staff of.
Create an office culture where that type of behaviour is not

tolerated, and that all staff work towards a happy, cooperative
and respectful environment that is regularly rewarded - through
acknowledgements and benefits (doesn't have to be $ either).
Lulu
June 30, 2010
Yolande wrote
Hi Sabriyyah
Whispering campaigns and rumours can cause so much damage...

Maybe you would find the following article of some interest:
Rumors in the workplace: Managing & preventing them
http://mindtools.com/community/pages/ar ... TMM_25.php
It is never acceptable for people to get away with this kind of
(bad) behaviour, even though it doesn't always look like bad
behaviour on the surface. The longer they get away with it, the
longer they will continue to repeat that behaviour.
You may also want to have a look at our recent thread about "The
nice bully" where various kinds of comments and advice came to
the fore. The link is: http://mindtools.com/forums/
viewtopic.php?t=4204
Please keep us posted and let us know if there is anything else we

can assist you with.
Kind regards
Yolandé
June 29, 2010
sabriyyah wrote
I find that most of the HR issues in my company come from the

abuse of referent power by peers to each other. A person of
charisma will start a whispering campaign and bring colleagues on
board resulting in a bullied colleague or a disrespected manager.
How can we neutralise that person's referent power and restore a
balance in the work place?
June 29, 2010
James wrote
Hi Lulu
It's fascinating, isn't it!
The word "power" can have such negative connotations, and it's
so important to recognize that it can have positive aspects as
well.
James
November 19, 2008

How Good Are Your Leadership
Skills?
Who do you consider to be a
good leader?
Maybe it's a politician, a
famous businessperson, or a
religious figure.
Or maybe it's someone you
know personally – like your
boss, a teacher, or a friend.
You can find people in
leadership roles almost What's your key area for improvement?
everywhere you look. © iStockphoto/hidesy
However, simply having the responsibilities of a leader doesn't

necessarily make a person an effective leader. This is a shame
because, with a little study, humility and hard work, all of us can learn
to lead effectively.
So, how can you do this?
You can start by analyzing your performance in specific areas of
leadership. Complete the quiz below to identify where you already
lead effectively, and to explore where your skills need further
development. In the analysis sections underneath, we'll direct you to
the resources you need to be an exceptional leader.
How Good Are Your Leadership Skills?

Instructions:
For each statement, click the button in the column that best describes
you. Please answer questions as you actually are (rather than how
you think you should be), and don't worry if some questions seem to
score 'in the wrong direction'. When you are finished, please click the
'Calculate My Total' button at the bottom of the test.
18 Statements to Not
Rarely
Some
Often
Very
at All times Often
Answer
1 When assigning tasks, I consider

people’s skills and interests.
2 I doubt myself and my ability to

succeed.
Rarely
Some
Often
Very
at All times Often
Answer
3 I expect nothing less than top-

notch results from people.
4 I expect my people to work harder

than I do.
5 When someone is upset, I try to

understand how he or she is
feeling.
6 When circumstances change, I
can struggle to know what to do.
7 I think that personal feelings

shouldn't be allowed to get in the
way of performance and
productivity.
8 I am highly motivated because I
know I have what it takes to be
successful.
9 Time spent worrying about team
morale is time that’s wasted.
10 I get upset and worried quite

often in the workplace.
11 My actions show people what I

want from them.
12 When working with a team, I

encourage everyone to work
toward the same overall
objectives.
13 I make exceptions to my rules and
expectations – it’s easier than
being the enforcer all the time!
14 I enjoy planning for the future.
15 I feel threatened when someone

criticizes me.
16 I make time to learn what people

need from me, so that they can be
successful.
Rarely
Some
Often
Very
at All times Often
Answer
17 I’m optimistic about life, and I can

see beyond temporary setbacks
and problems.
18 I think that teams perform best
when individuals keep doing the
same tasks and perfecting them,
instead of learning new skills and
challenging themselves.
Total = 0
Score Interpretation
Score Comment
18-34 You need to work hard on your leadership skills. The

good news is that if you use more of these skills at work,
at home, and in the community, you'll be a real asset to
the people around you. You can do it – and now is a great
time to start! (Read below to start.)
35-52 You're doing OK as a leader, but you have the potential

to do much better. While you've built the foundation of
effective leadership, this is your opportunity to improve
your skills, and become the best you can be. Examine
the areas where you lost points, and determine what you
can do to develop skills in these areas. (Read below to
start.)
53-90 Excellent! You're well on your way to becoming a good

leader. However, you can never be too good at
leadership or too experienced – so look at the areas
where you didn't score maximum points, and figure out
what you can do to improve your performance. (Read
below to start.)
There are many leadership skills and competencies that, when

combined and applied, go toward making you an effective leader. You
have the ability to develop each of these skills within yourself. Read
on for specific ideas on how you can improve your leadership skills!
Personal Characteristics
Successful leaders tend to have certain traits. Two keys areas of
personal growth and development are fundamental to leadership
success: self-confidence, and a positive attitude.
Self-confident people are usually inspiring, and people like to be
around individuals who believe in themselves and in what they're
doing. Likewise, if you're a positive and optimistic person who tries to
make the best of any situation, you'll find it much easier to motivate
people to do their best.
Self-Confidence
(Questions 2, 8)
Self-confidence is built by mastering significant skills and situations,
and by knowing that you can add real value by the work you do. One
of the best ways to improve your confidence is to become aware of all
of the things you've already achieved.
Our article on Building Self-Confidence explains what you can do
to understand yourself better and build your self-confidence. From
there, you'll begin to make the most of your strengths and improve
your weaknesses. Explore this further with our Bite-Sized Training
session on Personal SWOT Analysis .
Positive Attitude and Outlook

(Questions 10, 17)
A positive mindset is also associated with strong leadership. However,
being positive is much more than presenting a happy face to the
world: you need to develop a strong sense of balance, and recognize
that setbacks and problems happen – it's how you deal with those
problems that makes the difference.
Positive people approach situations realistically, prepared to make the
changes necessary to overcome a problem. Negative people, on the
other hand, often give in to the stress and pressure of the situation.
This can lead to fear, worry, distress, anger and failure.
Stress management techniques , including getting enough
Rest, Relaxation and Sleep as well as physical exercise, are
great ways of getting rid of negative thoughts and feelings.
Understanding your thinking patterns, and learning to identify and
eliminate negative thinking are key. You can learn how to do this in
our article on Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking and
Positive Thinking , and you can find out how to become more
optimistic in our Book Insight on Learned Optimism .
Emotional Intelligence
(Questions 5, 15)
The concept of emotional intelligence used to be referred to as "soft
skills," "character", or even "communication skills". The more recent
idea of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) offers a more precise
understanding of a specific kind of human talent. EQ is the ability to
recognize feelings – your own and those of others – and manage
those emotions to create strong relationships.
Learning to develop Empathy is essential for emotional
intelligence, as is communicating effectively, and practicing
Empathic Listening . These all help you really understand the
other person's perspective.
The Leadership menu has a section on emotional intelligence in

leadership.
Transformational leadership is a leadership style where leaders create
an inspiring vision of the future, motivate their followers to achieve it,
manage implementation successfully, and develop the members of
their teams to be even more effective in the future. We explore these
dimensions below.
Providing a Compelling Vision of the Future

(Questions 6, 14)
This is your ability to create a robust and compelling vision of the
future , and to present this vision in a way that inspires the people
you lead.
The first part of being able to do this is to have a thorough knowledge
of the area you're operating in. See our Bite-Sized Training session on
Building Expert Power to find out how to develop this.
From there, good use of strategic analysis techniques can help you
gain the key insights you need into the environment you're operating
in, and into the needs of your clients. See our Strategy Menu for
more than 50 powerful techniques that give you these insights.
With these tools, you can explore the challenges you face and identify
the options available to you. You can identify the best of these with
good use of prioritization skills and appropriate decision-
making techniques .
Finally, to sell your vision, you need to be able to craft a compelling
and interesting story. Our article, "Powers of Persuasion ," can
help you open closed minds, so that people consider your ideas fairly.
Another great way of inspiring people is to use vivid stories to explain
your vision: find out more about this in our Expert Interview with
Annette Simmons, titled Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins .
Motivating People to Deliver the Vision

(Questions 9, 12)
This is closely related to creating and selling a vision. You must be
able to convince others to accept the objectives you've set.
Emphasize teamwork, and recognize that when people work together,
they can achieve great things. To provide effective leadership by
linking performance and team goals, use Management by
Objectives (MBO) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Ultimately, you need to motivate people to deliver your vision. To
better understand your ability to motivate, complete our quiz How
Good Are Your Motivation Skills? , and explore our articles on
Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors and Sirota's
Three Factor Theory .
Being a Good Role Model

(Questions 4, 11)
Good leaders lead by example . They do what they say, and say
what they do. These types of leaders are trustworthy, and show
integrity. They get involved in daily work where needed, and they stay
in touch with what's happening throughout the organization. Great
leaders don't just sit in their offices and give orders; they
demonstrate the actions and values that they expect from the team.
As with building vision, above, a key part of being a good role model
is leading from the front by developing expert power . A leader
can't rely on position alone: by keeping current, and staying relevant
within the organization, you'll inspire people because you're worthy of
your power and authority, not just because you're the boss.
Managing Performance Effectively

(Questions 3, 13)
Effective leaders manage performance by setting their expectations
clearly and concisely. When everyone knows what's expected, it's
much easier to get high performance. There's little uncertainty,
therefore you can deal with performance issues quickly. And if things
have already started to slide, our article on Re-Engaging Team
Members offers some excellent tips for turning a negative
situation back to a positive one.
As you create rules, help the team understand why the rules are
there . Involve them in the rule-making process, and make sure
that your expectations align with the resources and support available.
Apply rules fairly and consistently.
Providing Support and Stimulation

(Questions 1, 7, 16, 18)
to be highly motivated at work, people need more than a list of tasks
to be completed each day. They need challenges and interesting
work. They need to develop their skills, and to feel supported in their
efforts to do a good job.
Think about your approach to Task Allocation , and look for
opportunities to match people with jobs and responsibilities that will
help them grow and develop. Use Heron's Six Categories of
Intervention to decide when and how to help team members to
shine. Perform Training Needs Assessments on a regular basis
to determine what your team needs to be successful.
Remember that emotional support is also important. The Blake-
Mouton Managerial Grid is a great tool for thinking about the
right balance between concern for people, and productivity.
Key Points
To be successful in your career, regardless of your title or position,
focus on developing your leadership skills.
Effective leaders can add value simply by being present on teams.
They are inspirational and motivating. They know the right things
to say to people to help them understand what's needed, and they
can convince people to support a cause.
When you have talented and effective leaders in your organization,
you're well on your way to success. Develop these leadership skills
in yourself and in your team members – and you'll see the
performance and productivity of your entire team improve.
Click to vote no
No
Click to vote yes
Yes
More Self-tests

What members say...
Dianna wrote
Hi, Glad you received a good score on the leadership quiz. You've
got a great foundation to build on!!
Two resources on managing the change process and helping

people ease through it are:
Bite Sized Training - Change Management:
http://www.mindtools.com/community/Bite-SizedTraining/
ManagingChange.php This is a workbook based tool that will help
you apply some of the key principles.
Coaching Through Change: http://www.mindtools.com/community/

pages/article/newTMM_19.php Outlines a coaching technique you
can use to help people cope with, and potentially embrace,
change.
Take a look at them and come back with follow up questions.
Dianna
October 15, 2013
khalid3hr wrote
I was a bit surprised to get a good score . It really helped to look

onto the low score and know the articles associated with it .
Specially , with the building self confidence and improve positive
image . I have made my personal learning plan and look forward
to move ahead in my journey with Mindtools.
Is there any article , to motivate people to manage change and

make them realize that change is inevitable
October 12, 2013
Midgie wrote
Hi Gautam,
Welcome to the Club and very pleased to hear that you liked the
assessment and feedback about your leadership skills.
If you want to expand on the areas that might benefit from some
focused attention, why not try our Test Your Skills quiz -
http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/get-
started.php
This quiz provides a good overview of many different areas you

might consider focusing on. Plus, you can then create your own
Personal Learning Plan to help you keep focused on developing
yourself.
Hope to see you around. Please let me know if there is anything I
can help you with.
Midgie
October 2, 2013
gautam_chaks wrote
Good revelation, it reinforces certain points and more important

helps me to understand where to improve. I liked the detailed
explanation of my score. Impressed and I look fwd to a fruitful
journey with Mind Tools.
Regards,
Gautam
October 2, 2013
Dianna wrote
Wow! That's fantastic feedback. Thanks for sharing. We look

forward to sharing this career journey with you. Let us know what
you are looking for, what your specific needs are, etc... and we will
do our very best to help.
Enjoy!!! I look forward to seeing you around.
Dianna
September 27, 2013
Manishpoddar wrote
Hi it my first day the tools are impressive its a great experience.
September 26, 2013
Dianna wrote
Hi career_path,
For questions about using the tool for training purposes, you can
contact member services at members.helpdesk@mindtools.com
They will be able to advise you.
If you have any difficulties, let me know. You can reach me directly
at dianna.podmoroff@mindtools.com
Glad you enjoyed the tool and would like to share it!
Dianna
February 28, 2012

career_path wrote
I really like the quiz and was wondering if there is a way to have
access to it as a tool for use during a leadership training session?
February 28, 2012
Yolande wrote
Hi Kandil d
Welcome to the Club and also to the forums. Glad to hear that ou
enjoyed the quiz etc. I gather thatt you are interested in tips and
articles about leadership...do have a look at our Learning Stream
called ' Lead Now'. The link is: http://www.mindtools.com/
community/LearningStreams/LeadNow.php
We hope to see you on the forums often; the input from all of our
members are extremely valuable.
Kandil d, if you need any help around here, please dont hesitate to
let me know.
Kind regards
Yolande
January 11, 2012

Humility
The Most Beautiful Word in the English Language
Many years ago, one of my

university professors
mentioned that "windowsill"
was voted the most beautiful
word in the English language.
Being an armchair linguist, this
factoid naturally stayed with
me.
Words have enormous power.
They can make us erupt into
laughter or bring tears to our © iStockphoto/OGphoto
eyes. They can influence,
inspire, manipulate and shock. They can build and destroy.
Some words have different effects on different people. One such word
is humility. It is one of those words that are seldom in neutral gear.
Some, like me, love the word and all it stands for. Some almost fear it
and interpret it synonymously with lack of self-confidence or timidity.
The dictionary defines humility as modesty, lacking pretence, not
believing that you are superior to others. An ancillary definition
includes: "Having a lowly opinion of oneself, meekness". The word
"humility" first struck me in the context of leadership when Jim Collins
mentioned it in his seminal work Good to Great: Why Some
Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't. In this book,
Collins examined companies that went from good to great by
sustaining 15-year cumulative stock returns at or below the general
stock market, and after a transition point, cumulative returns at least
three times the market over the next 15 years.
Among the many characteristics that distinguished these companies
from others is that they all had a Level 5 leader . Level 5 leaders
direct their ego away from themselves to the larger goal of leading
their company to greatness. These leaders are a complex, paradoxical
mix of intense professional will and extreme personal humility. They
will create superb results but shun public adulation, and are never
boastful. They are described as modest. An example of such a leader
who epitomized humility is David Packard, the co-founder of Hewlett-
Packard, who, in Jim Collins' words, defined himself as a HP man first
and a CEO second. He was a man of the people, practicing
management by walking around. Shunning all manner of publicity,
Packard is quoted as saying: "You shouldn't gloat about anything
you've done; you ought to keep going and find something better to
do."
Another great leader is Patrick Daniel, CEO of North American energy
and pipeline company Enbridge, who espouses two leadership
attributes: determination to create results and humility, shifting the
focus away from himself and continually recognizing the contributions
of others. "I have learned through the lives of great leaders," he said,
"that greatness comes from humility and being at times, self-
effacing."
Clearly these leaders, and many others like them, don't espouse the
meaning of humility as "meek". On the contrary, it is a source of their
strength. But the notion of being self-effacing is one that we struggle
with in our competitive culture, prescribing that we take every
opportunity to toot our own horn, and that we don't dare leave the
house without our dynamic elevator speech all rehearsed.
We often confuse humility with timidity. Humility is not clothing
ourselves in an attitude of self-abasement or self-denigration.
Humility is all about maintaining our pride about who we are, about
our achievements, about our worth – but without arrogance – it is the
antithesis of hubris, that excessive, arrogant pride which often leads
to the derailment of some corporate heroes, as it does with the
downfall of the tragic hero in Greek drama. It's about a quiet
confidence without the need for a meretricious selling of our wares.
It's about being content to let others discover the layers of our talents
without having to boast about them. It's a lack of arrogance, not a
lack of aggressiveness in the pursuit of achievement.
An interesting dichotomy is that, often, the higher people rise, the
more they have accomplished, the higher the humility index. Those
who achieve the most brag the least, and the more secure they are in
themselves, the more humble they are. "True merit, like a river, the
deeper it is, the less noise it makes". (Edward Frederick Halifax). We
have all come across people like that and feel admiration for them.
There is also an understated humility of every day people we work
with who have the ability to get the job done without drawing
attention to themselves. Witness the employee who is working at his
computer into the late hours, purely motivated by a keen sense of
duty, the executive assistant who stays after 5:30pm on a Friday
night in an empty office to await a courier, or the manager who
quietly cancels an important personal event to fly out of town to
attend to the company's business. This is akin to the philanthropist
who gives an anonymous donation.
Humility is also a meta-virtue. It crosses into an array of principles.
For example, we can safely declare that there cannot be authenticity
without humility. Why? Because, there is always a time in a leader's
journey when one will be in a situation of not having all the answers.
Admitting this and seeking others' input requires some humility.
Another mark of a leader who practices humility is his or her
treatment of others. Such leaders treat everyone with respect
regardless of position. Years ago, I came across this reference: the
sign of a gentleman is how he treats those who can be of absolutely
no use to him.
Something interesting happens, too, when we approach situations
from a perspective of humility: it opens us up to possibilities, as we
choose open-mindedness and curiosity over protecting our point of
view. We spend more time in that wonderful space of the beginner's
mind, willing to learn from what others have to offer. We move away
from pushing into allowing, from insecure to secure, from seeking
approval to seeking enlightenment. We forget about being perfect
and we enjoy being in the moment.
Here are a few suggestions on practicing humility:
1. There are times when swallowing one's pride is particularly
difficult and any intentions of humility fly out the window, as we
get engaged in a contest of perfection, each side seeking to look
good. If you find yourself in such no-win situations, consider
developing some strategies to ensure that the circumstances
don't lead you to lose your grace. Try this sometimes: just stop
talking and allow the other person to be in the limelight. There is
something very liberating in this strategy.
2. Here are three magical words that will produce more peace of
mind than a week at an expensive retreat: "You are right."
3. Catch yourself if you benignly slip into over preaching or
coaching without permission – is zeal to impose your point of
view overtaking discretion? Is your correction of others reflective
of your own needs?
4. Seek others' input on how you are showing up in your leadership
path. Ask: "How am I doing?" It takes humility to ask such a
question. And even more humility to consider the answer.
5. Encourage the practice of humility in your company through your
own example: every time you share credit for successes with
others, you reinforce the ethos for your constituents. Consider
mentoring or coaching emerging leaders on this key attribute of
leadership.
There are many benefits to practicing humility, to being in a state of
non-pretence: it improves relationships across all levels, it reduces
anxiety, it encourages more openness and paradoxically, it enhances
one's self-confidence. It opens a window to a higher self. For me, it
replaces "windowsill" as the most beautiful word in the English
language.
Click to vote no
No
Click to vote yes
Yes
What members say...
Dianna wrote
Hi Ciaran, welcome to the forums. It never ceases to amaze me

the power that humility has. We need it ourselves and we need to
see it in our leaders. The ramifications of not being humble can be
very damaging - shelley's decision to leave a company is case in
point. You have to wonder how many other people choose to leave
an organization for this very same reason.
As you read this ask yourself what point you are at on a "humility
meter". Think about times when humility posed a stumbling block
for you. And then think about why it was so hard to be humble. It's
not an easy discussion to have with yourself but a very valuable
one and one that stands to have a great impact.
Thanks for the great reminders and for bringing this article back
to the forefront.
Dianna
February 7, 2010
transome wrote
I am an avid supporter of the 'Emotional Intelligence' school of

personal development and the ethos of 'Humility'
I teach Management at a local college part time and in my class

hand outs an article by Collins on Humility( taken from Harvard
Business Review) but its origins in his book is always included, it is
just so critical to the study and appreciation of 'World Class'
Leadership that no class or business/community leader should not
have a copy that is read, reread and fully understood!
Ciaran
Dublin Feb 2010
February 7, 2010
shelley wrote
What a great article which hit a soft spot for 2 reasons :
Lack of humility is one of the many reasons I had for recently

deciding to leave the company I built and still own 1/3 because of
the total lack of humility in one of my fellow shareholders. The
perpetual use of Me, Myself and I, by him in front of teams and in
front of clients helped give me that final push I needed to explore
other professional paths.
What's more, I'm in the middle of reading "Good to Great".

Definitely a super read
February 6, 2007
Meena wrote
While on the subject of humility, I'd like to make just a fine

distinction between plain humility and allowing onself to be trod
upon. We do come across people holding top positions in large
companies having the quality of humility notwithstanding their
many achievements. At the other end of the scale, we also come
across those who are arrogant while not having anything much to
show as being good enough reason for it. In a way, humility can
be powerful facet of human nature, because it allows you to seek
help without feeling emarassed, ask people about things you don't
know, so you can gain from the knowledge of others in a positive
way. Being arrogant, will of course preclude that possibility,
because the arrogance will come in the way of 'exposing your
ignorance' as it were. It's the willingness to learn from others that
makes a person grow, learning from his own as well as others'
experiences and rise above all that is narrow and petty.
It doesn't make sense, however, to take everything lying down, in

the hope that things will eventually sort themselves out, when
there are underhand dealings at play. Although it might take
courage to do it, there are occasions when you'll need to confront
the person and the issues. My guess is that others around you will
respect you for it even though there may not be a win or gain for
you in the the immediate future. It will help boost your confidence
and make you better able to handle the situation the next time
around. Cheers!
February 6, 2007
paula wrote
That was a good article. Some people enojy bragging so much

about thier accomplishments that they do not look at what they
have done to get them. I know someone who will go out of his way
to help a person but then he has to tell everyone what he has
done. To me he is just shouting "Look at what a wonderful person I
am". I help people but do not brag about it.
Dazzle, you are most likely not the only person who has been
backstabbed by that woman. She might be getting ahead in her
career but do people enjoy working with her? I would suggest that
you do your job the best you can and share your ideas when you
have them and be a person people enjoy working with. I believe
that people who treat others wrongly will eventually get it in
return. You never know, she may appear successful but she may
be miserable.
Hope this helps.
Paula
January 30, 2007
PamelaA wrote
I agree with everything that's been said - it is a great article and a

fantastic reminder of some real truths. If you've not read "Good to
Great" by Jim Collins, order it now - it's a really good book and an
easy read.
Over the past few years I've had my trust and faith in human
nature battered many times by the kind of arrogant people
mentioned. My strategy now is to be true to myself, behave with
professionalism and integrity, and - above all - go home each
night with my pride and self-belief intact. Yes, you can climb the
greasy pole by trampling over everyone, hurting people, taking
credit where it's NOT due, etc. ...... and you will probably be
successful ..... but will you be able to sleep at night?
January 30, 2007
dazzle359 wrote
Thank you for the link Jara, it was very helpful to read all the posts
on this subject. I suppose at first, I thought I would just carry on,
with no thought of moving ahead, I felt my drive and motivation
slipping. Just do your job, and don't try to be outstanding, or
driven to be the best or greatest. I think I just need to be more
observant, and keep my mouth shut, and wait for a more
appropriate time to share my ideas. Those ideas can always be
used within a team atmosphere, so that hopefully credit will go
where credit is due.
Thanks again.
January 28, 2007
Jara wrote
Hi dazzle,
I'm really sorry that this person has trod on your toes like this, and
then gotten such great rewards for being the antithesis of a team
player and, it seems, decent human being. I had a small taste of
this type of behavior myself a few months back. I posted a topic in
the Career Cafe that you might like to read - I called it "Help I'm
Being Sabotaged" this is the link: http://mindtools.com/forums/
viewtopic.php?t=188 (hope I can put his here - I've seen other
links get moderated out but the MindTools one appear to be ok)
While my situation is not far as grave as yours, the responses

might help you see the situation in a different light.
As far as I can tell, the only thing you can do for yourself is to
keep working hard and believe in the truism that "what comes
around, goes around"
The lesson - not all people are nice and there are a lot things that
are not fair or right in this world. The only person's fate that you
have any real control over is your own. Work hard and revel in the
self satisfaction that comes from that. I know it's a hard pill to
swallow - I'd personally like to do somehting really awful to people
like this - but I don't think I could survive a night in jail let alone
the sentence I'd get .
Don't stop believing in yourself or the other people in the field you
can admire. Snakes are slippery, they can get into the most
unseemly of places, but they can't hide forever....
January 27, 2007
dazzle359 wrote
I could not believe that I read this article just when I needed it. I
must, however ask for help with a particular situation that I am
having a problem with. How do you handle a situation when
someone who is the furtherest thing from humble continues to be
rewarded for awful behavior? Just when I thought I was over it,
and did not care any more about politics. This person actually
undermined and stepped on everyone in the department to get
ahead, hurting many people, including myself. This person
continues to gain power, and grow and prosper. I decided to just
"erase" it from my mind, and just worry about me, and just do the
best job I could do, under any circumstance. The original back
stabbing situation occurred in 2002. I moved away from this
person, even left the institution for a time,and continued to work
hard, and stay away from the negative. Just yesterday, as I was
looking at a magazine, there was her picture. Voted one in 20 of
the top persons in her field, in the state! My field, and my state!
What a way to totally ruin your day. Just let it go, and pray. . .
which I am trying to do. So far that is not working. As I try, and
try, and try to let it go, I just keep seeing her face, on the cover.
What do you do? What lesson am I suppose to be learning? What
am I missing, here? How do you stop looking at the leaders in your
field, and wondering how they got there?
Dazzle359
January 27, 2007

"I Swear by Apollo"
Being Accountable to Yourself in Leadership
"I swear by Apollo"... so starts

the Oath of Hippocrates, an
oath of ethical, professional
behavior sworn by all new
physicians – a promise to
practice good medicine to the
best of their ability, for the
good of their patients. It
essentially boils down to a
commitment to "do no harm".
Wouldn't it be great to have
such an oath for leaders – an © iStockphoto
oath of personal accountability,
not just for business outcomes and for leading others, but for leading
oneself. I am reminded of the proverb "Physician, heal thyself",
suggesting that one should take care of one's own faults first before
correcting the faults of others – so I add to the above: Leader, lead
thyself.
Any nuts-and-bolts leadership primer will explain that one of the key
leadership competencies is holding others accountable. This entails,
among other things, setting clear expectations and guidelines, clearly
communicating goals and objectives, following up to ensure
fulfillment of responsibilities, providing feedback on performance,
coaching those whose performance is not up to par and, finally,
taking any necessary corrective action. But a leader cannot expect to
hold others accountable successfully if they are not holding
themselves accountable first.
While this is an important dimension of leadership, it is easy to slip,
when it comes to accountability for our own behavior. This can
happen even to leaders who do a great job at holding themselves
accountable for the big ticket items such as driving for results,
whether in sales, operations, marketing or financing, identifying root
causes for business problems, developing a vision and strategy and
managing resources effectively.
Let's clarify something before we proceed: no leader worth his salt
wakes up in the morning deciding that he or she is not going to be
accountable today. No one wants to do a bad job. But things happen
during the course of the day that can divert the best of us from our
good intentions and more often than not, it is unintentional, personal
"slips". It is about these seemingly innocuous personal slips that I
want to talk. They take many, subtle forms. Let's explore a few of the
garden-variety ones:
• You have a chronic problem employee but you don't make the
tough decision to let the individual go, because you want to be a
nice person. Instead, after much deliberation and agony, you
decide to transfer the person to another department – essentially
moving the problem to another part of the company and hoping
it goes away. Deep down, your intuition is whispering to you that
the problem has not been solved but, in your elation at having
found the solution to a nagging problem, you hush your intuition.
You come to the office the next day, with a spring in your step
and a song in your heart – relieved at having shed a burden.
• A senior member of your team has a habit of treating less
influential ones very poorly in meetings, interrupting them,
discounting their contributions and generally exhibiting poster-
like bad behavior. It mortifies the recipients, embarrasses other
team members and even bothers you. Again, though, because
you value harmony and hate confrontation of any kind, you
choose to ignore the offending behavior and hope that it will stop
on its own. The fact that the perpetuator is an aggressive, high
achiever, successfully delivering results, makes it even harder for
you to step up and do something.
• You have just announced the company's drastic cost cutting
measures and asked for everyone in your department to
cooperate by eliminating all discretionary spending. You
delivered a genuinely inspiring speech to your team and
everyone is on board to make this work. Two days later,
employees see a $1,000 chair delivered to your office – an earlier
purchase you had genuinely forgotten to cancel. Others, of
course, don't judge us by our intentions – they only have the
appearance of events to judge you by.
• A mistake was made, the ownership of which falls on several
shoulders including yours. Driven by the anxiety and chaos that
ensues, you minimize your role in the fracas, and even
unwittingly suffer from temporary corporate amnesia, forgetting
that you were fully briefed in advance. You set out to find a
scapegoat, genuinely convincing yourself that it is surely their
fault. This can easily happen in times of stress because, as a
leader, you handle dozens of issues on a daily basis. However,
others involved only handle a few issues and remember the
course of events with laser-like precision.
Well, the list can go on. Some slips are due to personality preferences,
others just from the sheer amount of work and stress that leaders
often experience. The reasons are multiple and really not important.
It's the behaviors that are important.
They are all examples of behaviors you would not condone in others
when you set out to hold them accountable. And as we all know,
when there is a disparity between what you tell others to do and what
you do yourself, people will believe your actions and not your words.
The fallout of this scenario is an erosion of trust, one of the high
prices we pay for lack of self-accountability.
Let's also not neglect to mention that, as a leader, you sometimes
have to take unpopular decisions and this can, by itself, elicit
criticism. You are always in a fishbowl.
So what strategies can you adopt to be more careful, to be self-
accountable – essentially to report to yourself?
1. Just as companies are rightfully concerned about how they are
viewed by customers or shareholders, consider taking time to
reflect on how your actions are viewed by all stakeholders: your
direct reports, your peers, your clients. Go through a formal 360°
Leadership Assessment process or simply get hold of a
leadership assessment form and use it to reflect on how others in
your team would rate you on each dimension.
For example: Puts the interests of the team before own interests;
Shares credit for successes; Readily shares relevant information;
Asks how am I doing; Treats others with respect regardless of
their position; Fosters teamwork across all departments; Stands
behind decisions made by the team; Provides honest feedback in
a timely basis. Would others respond in this way about you?
2. At the end of each day, when you clear your desk before you
head home, take a few short minutes to mentally go over your
day. Think about significant conversations you held, meetings
you attended, emails you sent and other actions you undertook.
Are you proud? Could you have done better? This will inspire you
to plan your next day around your highest purpose. Getting into
this habit of introspection will pay dividends in the long run.
3. Decide to hold yourself accountable for developing other leaders.
By mentoring a protégé to enhance their personal and
professional growth, you strengthen your own leadership skills
and reinforce your determination to be self-accountable as you
become the model.
4. When something goes wrong, look inwardly for solutions. It is
especially in difficult times that our self-accountability is
challenged. Martin Luther King said it poignantly: "The ultimate
measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort
and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and
controversy."
5. When a mistake is made, do you ask: "Whose fault is it?" or do
you say: "What can we learn from this?" or "What can I do to
improve this situation?"
To that end, consider reading John G. Miller's book: QBQ! The
Question behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability
in Work and in Life. Reading the book inspires one to move away
from the blame game we have all been tempted to play at one
time or other and take ownership of issues.
6. Think about promises you make to new hires during the
interviewing courtship period. In our zeal to want to attract the
brightest and most talented, we can easily over promise. Keep a
record of your interview notes and what you promised to
candidates. If subsequent events make it impossible to keep the
promises, at least you can address them with the individual. This
is better than forgetting about them altogether.
7. What about promises you made to yourself? Write out your
personal and professional goals with clear targets. Read them
once a week. Are your day-to-day action aligned with your
values, your standards, your philosophy of leading? What are
your boundaries? Do you take measures to protect them? If your
answers to these questions are negative, what is causing this?
What insights does this give you? Use this information as a
means to spur you to action rather than guilt.
8. Moliere, 17th century French dramatist, said: "It is not only what
we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are
accountable." Is there anything that you are avoiding doing that
needs to be done? For example, are you putting off a difficult
conversation? Are you delaying any important decisions? Are you
delegating away responsibilities that should stay in your court?
Self-accountability, then, is staying true to ourselves despite difficult
circumstances. It's doing the right thing even when we are tempted to
bend a few rules for expediency's sake. Perhaps Deborah Lee put it
best: "Self-accountability is who you are when no one is looking". It's
also the best antidote to feeling victimized by circumstances and in
so doing, frees up precious creative energy for us to accomplish what
matters to us. Above all, it entails owning up to the consequences of
our decisions and choices, because there is no choice without
accountability.
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What members say...
Dianna wrote
Hi Bree our policy on resource sharing is that it's okay for

members to share articles on an adhoc and occasional basis -
meaning you could print out 2-3 copies of an article, but not do
this more than once a month.
If you want to use materials to train other people or on a more

regular basis, get in touch with the helpdesk to ask about multi-
licensing and permissions.
Hope this clarifies things.
Dianna
February 11, 2008
Bree wrote
WOW ... really great article! I particularly liked the idea of taking a
few moments at the end of the day to reflect on yoru day and
what went well as well as the point of holding yourself
accountable to develop other leaders!
This could be used on many a management / leadership course to

remind people to hold themselves accountable, as well as their
employees!
Can I use in in my next training ... with of course the

acknowledgement of it's source - Mind Tools?
Bree
February 11, 2008

Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical
Collapse
Spotting Moral Downfalls
Has anyone in your

organization ever made a
decision that you felt was
ethically wrong?
Chances are that you answered
"yes."
Organizations often start out
making good, ethical decisions,
but the line separating right
from wrong can be easy to
Look out for the Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse.
cross, particularly when people
© iStockphoto/stuartbur
are under pressure to achieve
results.
When this happens, unethical behavior and decision-making can
become widespread.
This can lead to the downfall of everyone involved, or can threaten
the organization itself.
So, if you're a senior leader in your organization, how do you know if
there are ethical problems lurking within it?
In this article, we'll look at Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse, a
tool that you can use to identify ethical weaknesses in your
organization. We'll then review what you can do to address each sign.
About the Tool

Marianne M. Jennings, a business ethics professor at Arizona State
University, published the model in her 2006 book, "The Seven Signs
of Ethical Collapse."
Her seven signs are:
1. Pressure to maintain numbers.
2. Fear and silence.
3. Young ‘uns, and a bigger-than-life CEO.
4. A weak board.
5. Conflicts (of interest).
6. Innovation like no other.
7. Goodness in some areas atoning for evil in others.
From "The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse" © 2005 by Marianne M. Jennings. Reprinted by
permission of St Martin's Press. All rights reserved.
Once you know how to recognize these signs, you can spot potential
weaknesses in your organization, and determine whether it might be
at risk of "ethical collapse." If you believe that your organization is at
risk, you can then take action to turn the culture around before some
catastrophic failure occurs.
Caution:
Organizations may show some of the seven signs for honest,

straightforward business reasons, and this doesn't necessarily
mean that they're at risk. Use these signs as a guide, and employ
your best judgment when assessing your organization.
Let's look at these signs in more detail, and discuss what you can do if
you spot them in your organization.
The Seven Signs
1. Pressure to Maintain Numbers

Every organization wants to maintain a certain performance level,
but, when it becomes obsessed with meeting quantitative goals, it
may push aside good judgment and ethics in order to achieve them.
These goals are often financial, but they can revolve around any
measure of performance. For example, a university can push its
professors to publish a certain number of papers each year, or a
nonprofit organization can pressure its staff to sign up a certain
number of donors each week.
While every organization should pay attention to key metrics, healthy
organizations have checks and balances in place to prevent fraud and
manipulation.
Action
First, confirm that your team members know the organization's core
values , and check that none of the goals that you've set, or the
processes for achieving them, cause people to violate these values.
Meet with your team members and explain the lines that they
shouldn't cross, and the consequences if they do so. If team members
violate these ethical boundaries, meet with them one-on-one to
discuss their behavior and discipline them appropriately.
If your team members spot processes or behaviors that they believe
could motivate poor behavior, encourage them to speak out.
Last, practice ethical leadership by always trying to do the right
thing, and by setting a good example for your team.
2. Fear and Silence

A culture of fear and silence can easily mask ethical problems.
For example, if people spot discrepancies or failures, key decision-
makers may be unsympathetic towards their concerns. Other people
might be afraid to speak up about their worries, because they fear
that they'll be demoted or fired. Still others may feel helpless, and
may think that they can do nothing about the situation.
If top leaders rule with fear, it can often signal that an organization is
at ethical risk.
Action
First, create a culture where people feel comfortable communicating

with one another. Encourage feedback from your people, and
make sure that everyone understands that open criticism won't be
frowned upon or punished.
If you suspect that your people's concerns aren't being heard, or that
they're too afraid to speak up, provide anonymous channels for them
to voice their opinions. You could provide a simple suggestion box, a
hotline, or a message board where employees can post comments
and questions without fear of being identified.
Coach your team members on what they should do if they spot
something that needs reporting. Our article on whistleblowing will
help you understand the issues and risks of speaking up, so that you
know how to minimize risks for whistleblowers.
Next, clarify what they should report. Encourage your team to report
anything that they're concerned about, from violations of the
company's core values, to ethics, or to illegal actions.
Once people speak up, it's important for them to know that you've
heard their concerns.
Where channels aren't anonymous, you should aim to respond to all
reports. If you make a change in response to an anonymous
suggestion, be open and explain what you're doing, so that people
know that you're taking action.
When a team is silent, it could mean that people are afraid of conflict.
Conflict can be healthy if it's managed appropriately, so, work on your
conflict resolution skills and manage healthy conflict within your
team, so that you set a good example for others.
Lastly, reward team members who speak up, even if it's with a
simple "thank you." Showing your gratitude will encourage others to
express themselves in the future.
3. Young ‘Uns and a Bigger-Than-Life CEO

Just because an organization has ambitious, young executives, it
certainly doesn't mean that an ethical collapse is inevitable. However,
it is possible that inexperienced managers might have trouble
challenging the decisions of a larger-than-life CEO, whether out of
fear, or out of a lack of confidence in their own analysis.
CEOs can also get away with immoral decisions because the
management team doesn't want to challenge them, or may presume
that the CEO knows more than they do about a situation. Groupthink
can also lead these teams to make unethical decisions, especially if
a dynamic, enthusiastic CEO is leading them.
Action
It can be challenging to change a workplace culture where people are

under the spell of a powerful CEO. Jennings advises that this sign will
likely be the most difficult to address.
If you're in a position to affect the hiring of executives, think twice
before hiring a "big name." This holds true with professionals at lower
levels as well. Thoroughly question candidates with a record of hitting
goals that seem too good to be true.
Make sure that bonuses and other benefits aren't being awarded
unfairly in your organization. Practice strategic compensation ,
and make sure that no one is compensated inappropriately.
4. A Weak Board
An organization's board can be weak for several reasons: its members
might be inexperienced, they could be distracted by infighting, they
may have conflicts of interest, or they might miss meetings or key
votes because they're not engaged.
The board's structure might also contribute to weakness. For
instance, the board might discuss major proposals over the phone or
online, without giving key members the chance to review issues
thoroughly.
Weak boards can often indicate an organization's ethical collapse,
simply because they don't have the strength or cohesiveness needed
to challenge an unethical CEO or senior management team.
Action
One way to strengthen your organization's board is to keep

communication lines open, and ensure that board members can talk
with employees, and vice versa. This will prevent managers from
filtering information, omitting bad news, or exaggerating good news.
In order to create a two-way communication channel, you could set
up a hotline, or simply compile a directory of phone numbers and
email addresses, so that people can get in touch with one another.
Next, look at the perks that your board receives. Many companies
that have collapsed because of poor ethical decisions offered
extravagant packages to board members and some employees –
perks that similar organizations couldn't afford. Look at the
compensation that the people in your organization are receiving. Is it
similar to that of your competition? If not, this could be a warning sign
that your organization might not be able to afford its compensation
policies.
Last, pay careful attention to who's on the board, as you need people
who are strong enough to stand up for what's ethically right.
5. Conflicts (of Interest)

Some organizations are at risk from conflicts of interest. For example,
one high-ranking executive might contract work out to a family
member or friend; directors might be voted onto the board because
the CEO wants their business; or someone in finance might inflate
earnings because he, and several of his friends, are major
stockholders.
When decision-makers have conflicts of interest, they play two roles:
they lead the organization, and they look out for their own interests.
It's quite possible for these roles to conflict, and this can lead to
unethical decision-making.
Action
First, think about whether key decision-makers may have conflicts of

interest. Pay close attention to auditors, analysts, board members and
executives.
If you're in a position to do so, set up policies to deal with these

conflicts. These policies should address a wide range of conflicts, from
working with relatives to accepting workplace gifts .
Often, accepting workplace gifts can create a conflict of interest in
itself. When team members become comfortable with accepting gifts,
it can be tempting to allow gifts to influence a work relationship,
which can start to lead an organization towards ethical problems.
6. Innovation Like No Other

Organizations that pride themselves on innovation can start to feel
that they're above the law.
Of course, innovation itself is a very good thing, but trouble can ensue
when an organization innovates without regard to ethics or the law.
The faster an organization pursues innovation (or grows), the quicker
even one poor decision can throw it off track.
Action
Examine your organization's current success and its pursuit of

innovation. Do you worry that you're moving forwards too quickly?
That is, do you believe that the excitement for your organization's
products or culture has been blown out of proportion, and that you
might be overlooking problems?
In the frenzy of upward growth, it's easy for people to overlook rules,
laws, and ethics. If you suspect that this is the case in your
organization, communicate your concerns.
Next, learn to make good decisions. Tools such as Hurson's
Productive Thinking Model and The Four Step Innovation
Process will help you ensure that your innovation and progress
match your organization's values and goals – this will make it less
likely that you'll run into problems in the future.
7. Goodness in Some Areas Atones for Evil in Others

In the past, some organizations that suffered from ethical collapse
gave generous donations to social causes, community events, and
charities, perhaps as a way of appeasing managers' consciences
following poor behavior.
Organizations that commit to helping good causes can still be at risk;
they can use this philanthropic behavior to justify other unethical
actions.
Action
First, investigate your organization's attitude towards social

responsibility , and look at how much it gives to charities and
other social causes. What are the organization's motivations and
guidelines for giving to social causes?
Are there connections between your organization's executives and
board members, and the causes that they support? Also look at the
decision makers in these nonprofits; are they related, or close, to
anyone in your organization?
Also, if your organization is part of an industry that receives criticism
for being "unethical," for example, the tobacco industry, it's important
to remember that honest leaders might feel the need to compensate
by doing "good deeds."
Sometimes, organizations might do good to compensate – consciously
or subconsciously – for unethical behavior elsewhere. Philanthropy is
important, but unethical behavior needs to be dealt with at root.
Key Points
Marianne Jennings, a business ethics professor, identified seven
signs of ethical collapse in organizations, and published them in
her 2006 book on the subject.
The seven signs are:
1. Pressure to maintain numbers.
2. Fear and silence.
3. Young ‘uns and a bigger-than-life CEO.
4. A weak board.
5. Conflicts (of interest).
6. Innovation like no other.
7. Goodness in some areas atoning for evil in others.
You can use this tool as a guide to spot unethical trends in your
organization, and take appropriate action if you feel that your
company is going off course. Keep in mind that the presence of
these signs doesn't necessarily mean that an organization is in
ethical trouble. This is where you always need to use your best
judgment.
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What members say...
Yolande wrote
Unethical practices can be likened to erosion that eats away at

something slowly, but surely. If erosion continues for long enough,
it changes the shape of the landscape. If unethical behaviour in a
company is tolerated, it may also change the image or 'shape' of
the company. Even if everybody does the wrong thing, it is still
wrong. And even if no-one does the right thing, it remains the
right thing.
Yolandé
September 4, 2012

"Laissez Faire" versus
Micromanagement
Getting the Balance Right
Imagine this scenario: Your

boss has just handed you a big
project.
You're excited to get started,
but she's left you with no
direction as to how she expects
you to go about it.
She's specified the deadline
and the deliverable, and has
left you to find your own way.
Use an appropriate style.
Your last boss was the © iStockphoto/Acerebel
complete opposite.
He'd hand you a piece of work and then spend the next few weeks
hovering over your shoulder, questioning your decisions and offering
"helpful advice" at every turn.
These two scenarios illustrate opposite ends of a management style
spectrum.
The first boss has a "laissez faire" management style, and the second
is the classic micromanager – more politely known as a "very-hands-
on" manager. Both styles can be effective in the right circumstances,
but not, usually, when they're taken to extremes. As usual, the best
approach lies somewhere between the extremes.
In this article we'll look at each management style, and see how to
find the best style for each person and situation.
Laissez Faire Management

The term "laissez faire" is French for "leave it be". This is a very fitting
description for this style of management!
Laissez faire managers are delegation masters. They leave it up to
their teams to find their way through projects and tasks, and give a
minimum amount of supervision. Employees often have a lot of power
to make decisions with a laissez faire approach. In fact, at the
extreme end of laissez faire, the manager can seem to be completely
absent!
Micromanagement
Micromanagers are the opposite of laissez faire managers. They
resist delegating, and when they do delegate, they spend a great deal
of time checking up on their teams. Micromanagers focus on every
tiny detail, and often discourage their team members from making
decisions if they're not around.
Clearly this can be frustrating and upsetting for team members, it
slows work down, and it constrains the creativity that people can
show. On the positive side, it does help to ensure that work is done
accurately and on time.
Finding the Balance

So, how do you find the right balance between laissez faire
management and micromanagement/hands-on management?
It's worth pointing out here that managers should rarely take either of
these management styles to the extreme. However, it can be tricky to
know when to give more freedom and when to give more supervision,
and there are a number of factors that you need to take into
consideration when you're thinking about this.
Know Your Team

The people you're leading have a lot to do with the management style
you need to adopt.
For instance, imagine you're leading a team full of senior colleagues
who have a proven track record. They know what they have to do,
and they've worked together countless times in the past. This is a
classic example of when a more laissez faire management approach
is likely to be appropriate. You still need to be there to direct the
group, but they don't want or need constant supervision.
A micromanagement approach would certainly do more harm than
good here!
On the other hand, imagine you're leading a team of inexperienced
colleagues. They're not sure of their direction, or of what the company
expects from them. This situation would call for a lot of management
direction on your part.
Understanding the people you're leading is therefore the first step in
finding the balance between less management and more
management. What's more, you may need to use different
approaches with different members of your team – for example, you'll
need to manage a new graduate in a totally different way from an
experienced colleague.
When thinking about the individuals within your team, you can use
these guidelines to decide which style to lean towards:
A laissez faire approach is likely to be best with:
• Senior, experienced, and highly educated workers.
• Teams with drive, assertiveness and self-confidence.
• Creative groups.
A Hands-On approach is likely to work best with:
• Young, inexperienced workers.
• Workers who consistently miss deadlines if left to their own
devices.
• Departments where conflict is an issue.
• Teams that rely on quick decisions.
Tip 1:
Culture can have an impact here, too. People in individualistic

cultures such as the U.S. or U.K. can profoundly dislike
micromanagement. In other cultures, a hands-on approach may be
expected, and deadlines may be missed if too much of a laissez
faire approach is used. Be sensitive to the culture in which you
operate.
Tip 2:
You can find out more about the differences between specific
cultures around the world in our article on Hofstede's Cultural
Dimensions , and by exploring our Managing Around the
World section.
Understanding Your Situation

When it comes to your situation, there are a number of factors that
come into play when choosing where on the spectrum your
management style needs to be.
For instance, there are some jobs or projects where there is no room
for error. Think about airplane construction, the safety of a team
building a high-rise skyscraper, or the preparation of documents for a
multimillion-dollar acquisition deal. A hands-on approach is often
necessary for situations like these, and is likely to be accepted by
members of your team, who should understand why you're so
involved.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, imagine you're in charge of a
department that depends on free thinking and creativity to
accomplish goals. In this situation, a more laissez faire approach is
likely to work well, because your team members can't take creative
risks with you hovering over their shoulders.
When thinking about the situation you're in, you can use these
guidelines to find the right balance:
A laissez faire approach is likely to be best when:
• You're leading a creative department.
• You're a new leader and you need to build rapport with your
team.
• Your department or project has flexible deadlines and self-defined
goals.
• Your people have proven themselves to deliver reliably, and on
time.
A hands-on approach is likely to be best when:
• The project or task calls for very specific instructions that might
easily confuse your team.
• The situation is one where there is no room for error.
• Mistakes by your team will be costly for the company, or will risk
people's safety.
• You're in charge of a product or task where delivering high quality
outputs – or meeting tight deadlines – is the highest priority.
Analyzing Wants Versus Needs

In the midst of this balancing act you'll also need to look at
individuals' wants and needs.
For example, one of your team members may want you to lay off and
let him do his own thing. But if he can't get his work done and keeps
missing deadlines, then he may need hands-on management. It's up
to you to decide what a team member needs, perhaps at the expense
of what they want.
Tips:
• When working in a hands-on style, it's easy to be perceived as
cold and impersonal. However, you can show your team that
you're approachable by sharing stories when assigning roles,
praising a job well done, or giving your team tips from some of
your past experiences.
• Adopting a more laissez faire approach with your team doesn't
mean that they're doing all the work, of course. You still need to
monitor their progress, and make sure you're available to them if
they have questions. If you step too far back, there's a very real
chance your team will feel lost. (Our article on delegation
gives tips on how to do this appropriately.)
• Every leader has their own "comfort zone". You might find
yourself naturally drawn to a more laissez faire style, and
extremely uncomfortable with the thought of hands-on
management. But leaning towards different styles in different
situations is the mark of a good leader: you're giving your team
members what they need, not what you want to give.
Tip 1:
If you know that you tend to micromanage people too much, you
can find out how to deal with this in our article on Avoiding
Micromanagement . And you can find out more about laissez
faire and other types of leadership in our article on Leadership
Styles .
Tip 2:
You can also use tools such as the Leadership Style Matrix
and the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory
to choose the right leadership style to use for your own situation.
Key Points
Laissez faire management and micromanagement are at opposite
ends of the style spectrum. And while no one should take either
style to extremes, it's definitely helpful to lean one way or another
at different times.
Look carefully at the members of your team, and think about the
kind of situation you're working in. Then select the approach that's
likely to work best.
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What members say...
Dianna wrote
Just think of what YOU can accomplish in this type of environment.

It's always good to remember that laissez faire doesn't mean
complacent. Keep communicating and adjusting priorities - it's
challenging to have all this autonomy so use it responsibly! And
please let us know how things go... What do you like about this
new way of leadership and what you don't...
Exciting times ahead!

Dianna
October 5, 2012
forestfilly wrote
I have recently joined a team who operate on a "laissez faire "
approach compared to that of an autocratic leadership style. its
taken me WEEKS to get my head around this and operate in a way
that means I can manage and not have to be spoon fed. Its hard
but NEWGUY will get there i'm sure.
October 4, 2012
wolf wrote
Hi Saskia,
I must say that I really have some question marks regarding the
capabilities of your manager. I mean, if you say that she is
unpredictable, can give meaningless tasks and focuses on time
sheets rather than on your work, I really wonder if she managed
to fall upwards somehow.
I realise that this is a rather negative scenario compared to the

one that Yann floated, but there is usually more than one side to a
story... Time sheets hardly ever say anything about someone's
work and handing out meaningless tasks often results in turning
your team against you. Topping that with unpredictability and you
get a potion that could blow up in this woman's face.
Just a couple of thoughts not knowing the exact situation... Still, I

agree with some of the others, a conversation may clear up some
of the question marks and hopefully gives you insight in when you
can expect sunshine and when there's a thunderstorm in the air.
Best of luck!
Wolf.
September 16, 2009
Midgie wrote
Hi Saskia,
One thought when I read your post is wondered whether there is
some middle ground between the laisse-faire approach and the
micromanagement approach? That sounds like an all or nothing
approach, from one extreme to another. Could you put some sort
of measures in place so that when a team member is starting to
go 'off track', there are mechanisms in place to help them refocus
and get back on track ... rather than waiting until a firm hand with
specific detailed instructions are required?
In regards to your manager, I'd also encourage having a

discussion with them and see about finding your 'middle ground'
with them!
Good luck!
Midgie
September 16, 2009

yann wrote
I smiled at Saskia's comment about her manager never

questioning her work but checking her timesheets. An obvious
reason that comes to most people's mind is probably "the
manager is incompetent and tries to keep busy doing something".
Let me just float another possible scenario: "the manager knows

that timesheets and other such items are not exciting for anyone,
yet she also knows that she will be pilloried and the organisation's
reputation will suffer if there are compliance issues with basic
processes, especially those involving remuneration. Hence she
feels compelled to keep a tight control on those items. As for
work, she knows that her team is both motivated and competent,
so she does not feel the need to be hands on".
Obviously, I do not know what scenario is the most plausible. Just

thought it would be good to highlight that there may be a
"positive" one.
Yann
September 16, 2009
bigk wrote
Hi
The question of if there is another reason to what is being

measured or assessed seems as James suggested possible an
unclear communication in what is being asked and what is
expected.
I would seek to find better understanding in what is expected from

the task being done and what perception of what is expected in
results in the time spent.
If the task has difficulties these need highlighted.

if the task has an unrealistic expectation this needs highlighted.
If the issue is other tasks are consuming time or the task needs
more time or less time then the issues could be numerous.
Example
Is this more training that is needed?
Is this more priority of tasks that is needed?
Is this scheduled task time a useful time and is there a better time
to have the task done due to other tasks or a conflict of some
kind?
Is this to get detail on if the time or task has been allocated
correctly or the issues encountered in the task are not getting
communicated back to the manager?
The meeting should give a better communication between

manager and yourself so that both can highlight what is
happening during the task.
If the manager expects not to need to be involved during this task
then the task demands need identified and communicated.
If there are demands in the task that need issues resolved then
some method of tackling these and providing results is likely to be
expected from the manager but at first you need to identify if
these are what is being asked.
It could be possible that both of you are not getting good

productive communication and the task in question needs some
further communication about what else this is impacting.
Being flexible and also understanding what can be available time

or effort would also allow more productive use of time or effort.
No one side is to blame.

Stress these points in communication and get to some kind of
progress if possible and it should become clearer what is
expected.
A few possible options.

Can you confirm this is similar to what you feel is happening?
Or is this something different?
Bigk
September 15, 2009
ladyb wrote
I agree it's a conversation you need to have with your manager.

Inconsistency like that is frustrating and when you never know
why she switches to micromanagement you don't have a chance
to make the changes or improvements that she's looking for.
Also, I'm thinking this is probably affecting your team negatively

so you really do need to be proactive about finding a solution.
If you're not prepared to have this discussion quite yet, you might
want to chart her managerial behavior to figure out if there are
trends that might reveal what is going on. Maybe it's a particular
type of work or work that is done for a particular project that
sparks her need to "take people to task". It might be worth doing
a little bit of investigation like this before you approach her - that
way you'll be a bit more prepared for the answers and feedback
you receive.
Whatever you do, do something. It won't get better unless you

take control of the situation. Hope this helps some!
Brynn
September 15, 2009
James wrote
Hi Saskia
Picking up on Wolf's point, you'll often need to adopt different
approaches for different team members, and that's what you're
doing with your current approach.
From the way you're describing the situation, though, it seems

that you don't understand the basis your manager is using to
decide how to manage. I wonder if she is applying criteria that
you're not aware of, or is seeking to deliver results in a particular
area?
Perhaps a way forward is to have a discussion with her to learn

what results she wants to achieve, and what standards she wants
to apply?
What do others think?
James
September 15, 2009
saskia wrote
I enjoyed this article and found it reassuring.
I lead a small team of 9 staff in a community development setting.

Our outcomes are self set with few deadlines and complex
relationships with funders and clients. My style is laissez faire
most of the time although I resort to micromanagement if
someone seems off track.
The difficulty I have is with my own manager who swings from one
extreme to the other seemingly on a whim. This means that I get
little in the way of clear direction but she will happily take one of
my team to task for something and nothing. Never questions my
work but examines my time sheets.
Any advice?
September 15, 2009

Leadership by the New Generation
Bridging the Age Gap
Picture this scenario: the leader

of your long-established team
has retired, and his
replacement is a young
manager, straight out of
business school.
She's anxious to get going in
the organization, and you hope
that she'll bring some new life
and energy into the company.
As the weeks go by, however, Different generations, different approaches?
you begin to see growing © iStockphoto
discomfort and conflict

between the older staff and this new team member.
Your older colleagues think "the new kid" is overconfident, pushy, and
too anxious to leave at precisely 5:00 p.m. The newcomer finds it
hard to get support from her older colleagues. She's concerned that
they can't (or won't) multitask, they're less confident with technology,
and they're unwilling to share their hard-earned knowledge. As a
result, cooperation is suffering.
How can you bridge this generation gap? And why is this important?
There's little doubt that the U.S. workforce is at a unique point in
history (other countries face similar situations). As "Baby Boomers" –
people born between 1946 and 1964 – begin to retire, a new
generation is stepping into their shoes.
Generation X, or Gen X (born between 1965 and 1976), and
Generation Y, or Gen Y (also called "Millennials," born between 1977
and 1998), have values and work styles that are completely different
from the baby boomers. Finding ways to bridge the gaps within this
new multigenerational workforce takes great skill – and it all starts
with understanding how new generation leaders think, and what's
important to them.
In the U.S., the drop in birth rate in the post baby boom years means
that, by 2010, the number of people in the 35-44 middle
management age group had dropped by nearly 20 percent. Many
other major economies worldwide are facing similar demographic
changes. One practical consequence of these statistics is that
organizations have to work much harder to attract and retain good
people.
New generation leaders are a scarce commodity, and should be
nurtured as such.
Generations X and Y: What They Care About
The new generations of leaders often have a completely different
way of working from their older counterparts. (Keep in mind that not
everyone in these generations fits the characteristics we'll talk about:
we're going to make some huge generalizations here, however,
hopefully these generalizations will be useful!)
For example, while boomers usually view long hours as evidence of
loyalty and hard work, Gen X and Y tend to try to have more work/life
balance. They've seen their parents' lack of quality of life, and the
lack of loyalty companies showed to these hard-working parents in
the 1990s, and they're not impressed.
They want flexible hours, more vacation time, continuous training,
and telecommuting options. They expect to leverage technology to
work efficiently, instead of staying late in the office to get everything
done.
Boomers have traditionally felt that you have to "pay your dues" to
your company – and if you hate your job, that's just part of life.
Generations X and Y typically don't accept this; they want rewarding,
intellectually stimulating work – and they don't want someone
watching them too closely to check on their progress. These new
groups are independent, creative, and forward thinking. They
celebrate cultural diversity, technology, and feedback, and they
prefer more of a "lattice" or individualized approach to management
(as opposed to the traditional "corporate ladder").
The new generations also tend to like teamwork. Studies have shown
that colleague relationships rank very high on Gen X and Y's list of
priorities. Things like salary and prestige can often rank lower than
boomers might expect, or might want for themselves.
Note:
Some people argue that differences between generations aren't as

strong as are suggested here, and that people's life stage is often
more significant (see our article on the Life/Career Rainbow
for more on this.)
Our opinion is that people are complex, and are affected by a
range of different factors; and that life stage is, of course,
important in the way that people think and behave. However, we
also think that there are differences in attitude between
generations, and these can lead to sometimes-profound
misunderstandings.
Attracting and Retaining the New Generations

Many have talked about how Gen X and Y seem always ready to leave
one company and move onto something better, as soon as there's an
opportunity. While it's true that they usually won't stay with a job if
they're unhappy – as boomers often did – this doesn't mean they
aren't serious or loyal.
It simply means that if you want to keep the best and brightest
leaders in your organization, you need to offer them an environment
that's geared to their values.
Quite a few Fortune 500 companies have changed the way they work
to meet the wants and values of these new generations. Here are
some examples:
• A major U.S. chemical company has eliminated its "corporate
ladder" approach to management. There are no bosses, and
there's no top and bottom in the chain of command. Instead,
authority is passed around through team leaders, so everyone in
the company has a sense of equality and involvement.
• A large U.S. accounting firm gives four weeks of vacation to
every new hire (most U.S. companies offer only two weeks). This
firm also offers new parents classes on how to reduce their
working hours to spend more time with their families.
• A software company in Silicon Valley has no set office hours. Staff
come in and work when they choose. Everyone gets paid time off
every month to do volunteer work, and they get a six-week
sabbatical every four years.
If you think these dramatic policies would never work and would be
too costly, then remember – these are all profitable, highly productive
companies with low staff turnover. They've made new rules, and
they're successful.
Leadership Styles
So, what does all this say about the new generation's leadership
styles? Well, it's easy to see that Gen X and Y are unlikely to lead in
the same way the boomers did.
The new leaders value teamwork and open communication. They'll
encourage collaboration, and they won't give direction and expect to
be followed just because they're in charge. They want to understand
their peers and other people's perspectives.
They'll spend more time building relationships with their teams than
their predecessors did. Because they value their family time, they'll
also give their staff enough time for personal lives. As a result,
corporate culture might become less rigid than it is now, bringing
more flexibility and a sense of fun.
As a result, if you're a member of a team whose leadership is being
passed from an older generation leader to a new generation leader,
you'll probably need to adjust to having more autonomy delegated to
you, and you may find that the boss is not around as much to check
on things.
This new generation values action, so they'll work more efficiently and
productively to earn time off. They'll expect their team to work hard
too, but they'll also know when it's time to leave the office and go
play. One of the ways in which they gain this efficiency is by using
technology. Although they themselves will usually get to grips with
this easily, you may need to remind new generation leaders that
other members of their team need more training and support than
they do themselves, if they're to get up to the same speed with new
applications.
But they'll also follow a leader who has heart. So if you have new
generation managers in your team, then you'll probably have to prove
your worth before they'll fully support you. But once you show them
that worth, they'll follow you all the way.
Tips:
Here are some things you can do in your company to ensure that
your new generation of leaders wants to stay.
• Offer ongoing training, especially in skills like organization,
time management, leadership, and communication. People
in Gen X and Y usually love to learn new things, so
opportunities to grow are high on their list of priorities.
• Increase non-monetary benefits. Gen X and Y tend to value
time as much as, if not more than, money. They have lives
outside of work, and spending time with family and having
fun are very important to them. Increase your vacation
benefits and offer flexible working hours. These people are
often busy parents who appreciate when a company
understands that the traditional 9-to-5 day isn't always
practical.
• Give them freedom. Gen X and Y are often self-reliant and
don't always look to a leader for direction. Their goal is to
complete tasks in the most efficient way possible, while
still doing them well. So don't force them to work under a
management style that boomers often preferred, with the
boss giving orders. Give them the freedom to make their
own decisions.
• Earn their loyalty and respect. Gen X and Y may not
automatically be loyal to leaders, just because those
leaders are in charge. Younger staff want open
communication and leaders who are supportive and worthy
of being followed.
• Treat women and men as equals. Gen X and Y grew up with
mothers who were often focused on their careers as well as
their families. They're used to viewing women and men
equally, so be sure you compensate both genders equally.
If women feel they're the target of discrimination, you'll
quickly lose them.
• Be "green." The new generations have grown up with Earth
Day and the threat of global warming. They want to make
less of an impact on the environment. Studies have shown
that people who work for companies with green initiatives
have higher job satisfaction, and turnover is usually much
lower.
Key Points
There's no doubt that the new generation of leaders has priorities
that are often quite different from those of previous generations of
leaders.
So if you want to hire and keep the best and brightest people, the
ones who will lead your company into the future, then you must
create a work environment that's tailored to their values and
priorities.
Click to vote no
No
Click to vote yes
Yes
What members say...
Dianna wrote
Hi meddins - welcome to the forum; it's wonderful to hear from

you!
Feeling micromanaged is frustrating for the best of us. Given the

outlook and experience of people your age, it's probably much
worse.
Have you had a look at our article on Avoiding Micromanagement?

( http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=698 ) There
are some useful tips for the "micromanaged" near the end a some
links to team building as well as Working With Powerful People;
another great resource for you to check out. (
http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtop ... ful+people )
I think much of your progress will come from opening up an

honest dialogue with your boss regarding this issue. If you express
it in terms of team performance and motivation that makes the
conversation less personal and more about finding the best way to
get the work done. That's often a good strategy when dealing with
anything that is critical. The article also talks about tackling one
thing at a time so don't expect enormous changes overnight -
instead look for small steps and keep encouraging your team
along the way. You might have to work double time to keep them
engaged while you work things out with the boss. I wish you well.
Please do post feedback on your progress and what works and
what hasn't. Micromanagement is an issue that we can all relate
to!!
Talk soon,
Dianna
June 20, 2008
meddins wrote
As a Gen Y Supervisor, I found the article to be extremely

accurate in terms of the needs and values of our generation.
At this point in my career, I recently changed from one middle

management job to another. At the same time, my old manager,
(a Gen X'er,) had given me all the support and space that I
needed to do a good job which is why I was given another
opportunity I was not expecting.
I am now two weeks into this new position, with a group made up
of mainly Gen Y's with so much potential. However, I now have a
new manager who is from the old school. A micro manager who is
eager to put the fear of god into my new team, and over the past
couple of months has more or less demoralized them. Knowing
from past experiences with this person, confronting her about her
approach to my team would only lead to serious conflict and
resentment on both sides.
What can I do to help explain how my generation works and tell

her to stop micro managing me, while trying to lessen the conflict
and resentment that will spawn from the conversation?
June 20, 2008
Yolande wrote
I also loved this article and it made clear why I EXPECTED an

employer to be technologically "up there".... Ironically though, the
last employer I had before going on my own... I worked with the
MD very closely and he often brought his cellphone to me and
asked me to add a new contact or send an SMS... it was SO funny
...this millionaire guy who couldn't add contacts to his phone!
Eventually we sat down one day and I taught him how to do it and
let him practise until he got it right because I was afraid of the day
I would leave and someone else wouldn't necessarily see the
funny side of it all, but get frustrated with him. (The MD was a
GREAT guy and I learnt a LOT from him - I still write his
presentations and proposals and we often have coffee!)
I also value my time and I love being able to be in charge of my
own time - if I want to work in the middle of night (which I love)
and go to gym at 11h00 in the morning (which I also love doing...)
then I am free to do so...
Incidentally, I have learnt a lot from a number of boomers that I
have worked with and been employed by, but I also love working
with Gen Y's because they teach me new things and new ways of
"operating" and keep me up to date with what's hip and
happening right now... We really all need one another, don't we?
Regards
Yolfsie
June 17, 2008
James wrote
Hi Gosh
I'm very glad that you liked it!
Like you, I can certainly reflect on times where I've run up against
this sort of generational difference in approach as, I'm sure, can
many other members.
Understanding where the mismatch in styles is coming from is

useful, because it helps you transform an unhappy, conflicting
situation into one where people can make allowances for one-
another's preferred approaches.
And great to hear that you're now in a situation that really suits
you!
James
June 17, 2008
gosh72 wrote
cazz66: it seems this article was appreciated by cat lovers mostly
Dianna: don't you consider changing your avatar?
June 17, 2008
gosh72 wrote
Hi there,
this article is simple marvellous! I have just left my workplace and

I often asked myself what was the real reason. And look what!
Yes, 90% it was this generation problem. As a Gen X I could not

work in a corporate culture that highly supported this "old style"
type of management.
Yes, I really need more "independence", "space" and free time. Of
course I was loyal to the company first (I wanted to spend here
30-40 years). However later I sadly realized I just do not fit here,
so I have quitted and started a new life.
Now I work from home, in a team with talented youngsters and I

have really flexible work-time. Telling you the truth I really enjoy
working but sometimes I am like a poet - I need inspiration - and
work very late or early. Previously I had to sit in the office for 8
loooong hours even if I had absolutely nothing to do
This article really explained me the roots of my (and even many

others') problem stemming from working together with staff
having different age.
It seems this problem is really universal - I live in Hungary, worked

for a US company and had an Italian boss. My boss was like a
mother and baby boomer. She wanted to control everything.
Although as a person she was fantastic and nice I and my
colleagues were not able to work together with her. We were all
Gen Xs (maybe with some GenYs)
Cheers:
Gosh
June 17, 2008
Dianna wrote
That's a great point to keep in mind when designing any training

program or communication. I know lots of training sessions are
designed to fill a particular slot of time. Hence you get a lot of
"filler"! High value does not have to equal high time commitment.
So keeping up with technology and committing to finding the best
and most efficient means possible to present your information is
really important.
Offering alternatives is a good idea too. The Book Club and Expert
Interview sections of our Club are prime examples - some people
like to download the MP3 versions and others prefer the
transcript. Being able to meet a variety of preferences is always a
great idea and usually worth the extra time or effort you have to
put in.
Dianna
June 13, 2008
caz66 wrote
Hey Mind Tools, thanks for highlighting this! As a youngster,

generational differences are something I've definitely experienced
at work. It doesn't mean peole are hostile, but sometimes they
older generation just don't understand how I like to do things.
Don't get me wrong here, I love having their experience and calm
wisdom to draw on, but I think they are still rooted in the pre-
technology era they started work in sometimes. The other week
we all had to go on a training session, which took all day, but
honestly, the content could have been covered in an hour. We had
to do lots of interactive exercises in groups - all quite fun, but
SUCH a waste of time - if there had been a podcast of the main
points, with a few voxpops thrown in, I would have learned the
same stuff from my iPod while I was walking to work in the
morning!
Happy Friday everyone.
Caro
June 13, 2008

Leadership In Hard Times
Leading – and Succeeding – in a Downturn
The truth is that no one factor

makes a company admirable.
But if you were forced to pick
the one that makes the most
difference, you'd pick
leadership.
– Warren Bennis, Organizational

Consultant and Author
Leadership is especially critical Don't leave your team stranded.

when organizations have to © iStockphoto/JLFCapture
adapt to difficult business
environments.
When times are good, leading a company or a team is exciting.
Resources are plentiful, customers are satisfied, and opportunity is
everywhere.
However, when the economic conditions are challenging, this
excitement and positive energy can weaken. People feel the
pressures of work, and they fear for their jobs.
These worries and fears present a major challenge for leaders who
need to keep their teams productive and on target.
One of the keys to protecting yourself and your business in an
economic downturn is to develop a culture that builds, and sustains,
effective leadership practices.
Good leadership is good leadership, regardless of the economic
climate.
However, during difficult times, top-notch leadership skills become
even more important. Second-rate leaders might be able to keep a
company going in a strong economy. However, you need high-
performing leaders if you're going to succeed in tough times.
Of course, you need leaders who can control costs and conserve cash.
However you also need leaders who see opportunity – and who will
strive to seize that opportunity – despite all the negativity. You need
leaders who remain committed to their people. And you need leaders
who can transfer their positive outlook to the people around them.
Create New Opportunities

In an economic downturn, you need to conserve your resources so
that you can survive. However, you also need to position yourself to
benefit as competitors falter, and to be ready when the economy
recovers. An economy in decline is often an opportunity to regroup,
rethink, and renew. To take advantage of new opportunities, consider
doing the following:
• Review your strategy – Figure out which objectives you're
meeting, which ones need more emphasis, and which ones you
should reconsider or drop as the environment around you
changes.
• Lead by example – Now, more than ever, you have to lead
'from the front' by setting an example. Take personal
responsibility for customer care and contact. Actively help pursue
new business. Show that you're willing to make extra effort to
commit to the organization's success.
• Add value – One of the ways that leaders can gain greater
market share and improve operations is by really listening to
their customers. Look for innovative ways to add value without
adding costs, and win customers who aren't being well served by
your competitors.
• Use market conditions to create a stronger business
model for the future – If you're a senior manager, consider
looking for bargains, in terms of mergers and acquisitions, which
will improve your company's future competitive position.
Whatever level you're at, negotiate more favorable rates with
suppliers, which you can continue to enjoy as the economy
recovers.
• Take the opportunity to trim costs – Encourage cost-
consciousness within your team or organization. Now is a great
time to do this: everyone knows that times are tough, and people
will be more willing than ever to cut unnecessary costs.
• Implement a continuous improvement plan – Look at your
systems and processes to find efficiency opportunities. Lead the
way in building a culture of continuous improvement . You
can use these savings to pursue opportunities created by the
downturn.
Commit to Your People

Negative messages are all too common during economic downturns.
People are losing their jobs, unemployment rates are going up, and
personal and corporate bankruptcies are increasing. This can weaken
morale, both in the workplace and in society as a whole, and it can tip
people into panic, severely damaging their productivity.
Don't abandon your people. Use this time to reinforce how important
they are, and build the skills they need to help the company survive.
• Invest time in leadership skills training – Leadership is key
to success. The more effective leaders you have, the better it is
for you, your team, and the organization. OK, you may not want
to spend a lot of cash on leadership training. However, when
times are slow, you may be able to invest much more time than
before in management and leadership development.
• Retain your best people – Part of good leadership is keeping
costs under control. However, profits are made by people. Don't
cut back on attracting quality people, and make every effort to
retain your best team members by treating them with dignity
and respect.
• Be creative with recruitment and retention – Salary
increases may not be possible, but you can do lots of other
things to create attractive work conditions. See our article on
Managing During a Downturn for specific ideas.
• Get rid of poor performers – Poor performers use up your time
and energy. They frustrate co-workers, and damage overall
productivity. Now is the time to get rid of these people, because
you simply can't afford to keep them. Some of your other team
members may be relieved not to have to 'carry' poor performers
any longer. And when your staff see that you use budget
cutbacks to benefit the team, they may be less upset than you
might expect.
• Build a motivating workplace – It's easy to focus intensely on
specific tasks and the bottom line, especially when performance
expectations have such significant consequences. However, as a
leader, you can't let that stop you finding ways to motivate your
workforce. Sirota's Three-Factor Theory suggests the
following:
• Treat people fairly – When you can't avoid layoffs, give
people as much warning as you sensibly can. Talk
honestly about what's happening, and how cutbacks will
affect them. And if you're cutting people, try to cut the
volume and scope of the work that you do, so that you
don't overload those who are left.
• Provide useful work for which people are
recognized – Be careful about reassigning the workloads
of people who have been laid off. Take time to determine
who is best suited for which tasks, and remember to give
lots of informal praise. Match people's skills and interests
with the work you need done.
• Foster good relationships at work – If you have to
stop the Friday company-sponsored lunch at a restaurant,
replace it with a low-cost potluck event. Try to avoid
cutting it entirely.
For more ideas on improving individual motivation and

performance, see our article on Herzberg's Motivators
and Hygiene Factors .
Project Positive Energy

Good leaders provide hope and vision. These two qualities can keep a
workplace going, even during tough times. People need someone
they can trust – and someone who is inspiring and knows how to get
things done. As a leader, make it a priority to do the following:
• Expect great things from your people – The more you
demand, the more opportunity you give people to perform, which
can be highly motivating. However, don't push too hard, and
remember to communicate your expectations.
• Keep in touch with your people – Use the MBWA
(Management By Wandering Around) technique to find out what's
going well, and what needs your attention. Remember to
recognize and praise success. In tough economic times, you need
your staff to perform especially well: the more they know you
care, the more likely they are to respond to your call for action.
• Be visionary – Leaders with vision, passion, energy, enthusiasm,
and real engagement with their staff... these people are the key
drivers of economic growth. Stay focused on the big picture, and
manage to the best of your abilities.
• Take care of yourself – Respect your own feelings and
emotions during difficult times. Where appropriate, share your
concerns with people you trust, and build a network of people
you can talk to. On the other hand, if you're constantly worried,
others may sense this. Get enough rest to keep yourself fresh,
and manage your emotions to keep your creativity and self-
confidence high.
Key Points
Leadership during good economic times has its challenges. But
those challenges increase when the economy is tough, and when
staff are worried about keeping their jobs and paying their bills.
In these conditions, leaders and managers must keep a sharp eye
on their environment, prepare for recovery, support their people,
and project enthusiasm and energy.
By remaining positive, supporting your people, and looking for new
business opportunities, you can help your company survive – and
succeed – through the difficult times. Leadership performance is
critical to organizational success, so use all of the assets available
to you.
Click to vote no
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What members say...
Dianna wrote
Fantastic observation n1knaks - there are always things we can do

to take stock of our assets and prepare ourselves for the
opportunities that lie ahead. It can be tough to see through the
current "stuff" and acknowledge that there are opportunities
abound - we just have to look a lot harder for them sometimes! I
think too that if we get into the habit of looking for opportunity
and continually assessing our strengths and thinking about career
direction and satisfaction, it will be less daunting if/when the
tough times do surface. Preparedness is more than half the battle
so when upsets do happen, if you are already used to forward-
thinking I believe you can recover that much quicker.
It's great to hear from you! Don't be a stranger

Dianna
July 22, 2013
n1knaks wrote
@ James
I really enjoyed reading your shared quote from Cheng Seng Law's
article and realised there is a solid logic in his thought process.
Whilst I am generally an optimistic person - believing the 1/2 glass
of water is actually full (1/2 water, 1/2 air = full), I do like to
occasionally play 'Devil's Advocate'.
Cheng Seng Law's advice is brilliant for organisations as a whole,
it is a little less joyful for individual workers who may face
redundancy during the downturn and little prospect of finding
similar work elsewhere due to general economic malaise.
My innate optimism forces me to recognise, however, that those
individuals can still act on this advice by getting their own
personal career lives in order - fixing, expanding, etc. skills so that
should the worst come to worst they are in the best possible
position to weather the storm.
July 21, 2013
Midgie wrote
Hi Colin,
Great to hear that you are doing an activity log and then grading
things according to your (and your boss') perceived value! What a
great way to rationalize and justify what you do.
I think that it is brilliant to involve your boss and that you will
compare notes to ensure you are both on the 'same page' as to
what is important for you to be doing and focusing on!
Where this gets interesting is that I have involved my boss in the
gradings of value, to see whether his idea and my idea of value to
the business are similar or different.
Perhaps this exercise will reveal activities that you might be able
to delegate or stop all together. Or that it will reveal what is truly
important for the organization to get done and ensure that more
energy and attention is placed onto it!
Well done to you and good luck!

Midgie
May 13, 2009
colinscowen wrote
I am doing a similar thing. We recently went from 5 day week to 4

day week. But, we still have 5 days of work to do.
So, I started activity logs, and trying to get as much value from
my time as I can, so that when we do go back to 5 day weeks, I
will not just be faced with a backlog of things to do that were put
off as 'not important enopugh to do on a four day week', but
instead have almost an extra day to apply to interesting projects,
without the guilt of 'well, I should really be doing something else
rather than this fun stuff'. Don't try to read that sentence out loud,
you will turn blue from lack of oxygen
So far, it seems to be working, I have done 2 weeks worth of

activity logging, and am now sitting down and giving them scores
for value and Action/Priority.
Where this gets interesting is that I have involved my boss in the
gradings of value, to see whether his idea and my idea of value to
the business are similar or different.
I have also added a rating for personal value, those tasks that add
value to my reputation etc.
Regards,
May 11, 2009
James wrote
Here's a great comment on this article from Cheng Seng Law. I

thought that other members might enjoy it as much as I did!
In Malaysia, our fishermen depend not only on the sea to provide,

but also on the weather to give the opportunity to harvest from
the sea. During the "landas" season, when the skies are overcast
and the seas are heaving and churning, the fishermen stay put on
land. This situation is similar to the economic storm we are
presently facing.
What the fishermen do is repair their boats, service their engines

and mend their nets. When the storm season is over, they are
then in a very strong position to make a good catch.
Likewise, organisations should not despair - it is just a matter of
time until this storm blows out. Like the fishermen, we should get
ourselves in a better shape to reap a great harvest. Yes, in the
meantime, we go on a belt tightening and with a spartan lifestyle.
Anyway would it not be good to slim down the excessive weight,
and be healthy?
Have a Great Day!
May 11, 2009

Leadership Motivation Tools
Increase Your Motivation to Lead
In our Leadership Motivation

Assessment we gave you a
tool for assessing your
motivation to lead.
So, what if you want to
become more of a leader, but
you're finding it difficult to
motivate yourself?
The tools in this article will
help. First we look at the
Boost your motivation!
"Demotivation Demolisher",
© iStockphoto/BondMatia
next we look at the "Need-
Effort Bridge" and finally we look at "Passion Propulsion".
Demotivator Demolisher – Kill the Killjoy

The first step in building motivation is to identify what demotivates
you and then tackle the problem head on.
Here we're looking at demotivation on two levels: On one level we're
looking at the fundamental motivation to lead, as we discussed in our
previous article. At a second level, we look at the day-to-day
irritations that frustrate you and distract you from doing a good job.
First, we look at motivation to lead.
When we asked you to complete the Leadership Motivation
Assessment, we were asking you whether, deep down, you want the
responsibility as well as the rewards of leadership.
Some of the benefits of leadership are obvious. But what if you find
that something is holding you back? What if you find that, when you
look within yourself, you're not that sure that you want to lead a
team?
Marcus Jackson wasn't happy. He had just been promoted to lead a
product development team in a different department of the
engineering company at which he worked.
He felt that he had been promoted because of his expertise and the
quality of his work. And he was proud that he'd been chosen.
However, he felt profoundly uncomfortable in his new role: He was
confused about what was expected from him, he had had little
experience of leadership before, and he felt out of his depth in
dealing with the people issues he was now expected to handle. What
was worse was that he instinctively felt that the team was expecting
things of him that he didn't know how to give. All in all, he was
questioning whether he'd made the right move, and whether he
should return to his previous job.
Fortunately, Marcus had enough insight to recognize the importance
of these issues, and identify the detailed issues he was experiencing.
And when he listed the points out, it all became clear: What he
needed was training in basic supervisory skills, and help in applying
these.
He approached his boss and put a persuasive case for a particular
training course. And he also made sure that he got regular coaching
on the issues he faced, which helped put the theory he learned into
practice.
The second level of demotivation comes from the day-to-day
irritations that distract you from doing a good job. Consider the case
of Susan Mitchell, outlined below:
Susan, a marketing executive, had just joined a new firm. She had set
a target for herself – within a year she would take over as the team
leader. She knew she had the capability and was prepared to work
hard enough.
Our girl would be the first to volunteer for a new assignment and the
initial weeks saw her excitedly working late hours. But a couple of
months later, she started losing steam. She was distracted, would tire
easily and somehow just couldn't come up with great ideas.
Susan knew she would fail in her ambition if things went on this way.
She made a conscious decision to tackle the problem. First she
acknowledged that she had lost motivation. Then she tried to analyze,
why. She came up with three reasons – uncooperative team
members; boredom; and her office being positioned bang next to the
pantry.
Susan figured she could tackle at least one problem immediately –
the office placement. She asked the boss for a move to another office
space and got it. The other two issues she is still grappling with. But
at least she knows they exist and is consciously trying to fix them.
If you too suffer from either of these issues of motivation, take a leaf
out of Marcus' and Susan's book.
First set aside 15 minutes to note down the things that steal your
motivation, whether these are things that undermine your motivation
to lead, or are general irritants that are undermining your self-
motivation. List them under the column, De-motivators, in the table
below.
De-Motivator Circumstantial or Habitual Solution

De-Motivator Circumstantial or Habitual Solution
Done with the list? Now you are ready to take on the challenge of
tackling the killjoys.
Start by considering whether the 'demotivation attacks' are
occasional, circumstantial things, triggered by circumstantial factors
(the visit of a difficult client; or being under the weather), or are they
habitual, typifying your working style (leaving tasks unfinished; or
saying yes to everything irrespective of whether you can do it). Mark
the cause, circumstantial or habitual, in your table.
Next comes the solution column. If circumstantial factors bother you,
then get a grip on exactly what is it that "switches you off" and try to
neutralize the cause. For Susan, it was being next to the kitchen. She
"just didn't feel like working" and was distracted by who was having
how many cups of coffee. Once the de-motivator was identified, she
pushed her boss to allot her another workspace. Her work improved.
You may not be able to run out and fix the problem immediately, but
at least list the solution.
However, if the de-motivator is a recurring habit, you have to
acknowledge it as a serious handicap, which may undermine all the
good work you want to accomplish. You need to make concerted effort
to bring motivation and passion to the activity. Our next tools will
show you how to achieve this. Zero in on the correct tools and list
them in your solutions column.
Background:
One of the key figures in the development of the theory of

motivation was Frederick Herzberg, who closely studied the
sources of employee motivation in the 1950s and 1960s. What he
discovered was that the things that demotivate people are
different from the things that motivate them.
Herzberg’s “Hygiene Factors” (the things that made people
unhappy and demotivated) were obstructive company policy,
unhelpful administration, intrusive supervision, bad working
relationships, poor conditions, uncompetitive salaries, low status
and job insecurity.
And just as these things demotivated the people who Herzberg
studied, they may be the things that demotivate you. Take them
seriously!
The Need-Effort Bridge – Link action to motive
Establishing a clear motive for the actions you undertake is one of the
best ways to create motivation. Remember the old 'What's In It For
Me' principle? You can apply it to yourself to create motivation.
Once you have figured out that the effort you make fulfils a need that
you have, the effort will automatically become much more
worthwhile.
The need-effort bridge can work at several levels.
At one level, the very basic level, you make an effort at your job
because it fetches you money and helps you fulfill your material
needs. At another level, you make an effort at your job because you
feel that by performing it well, you are helping your company achieve
a better goal and this makes you feel good about yourself.
Background:
Remember Frederick Herzberg above? The things that he

discovered motivated people were quite different from the things
he found demotivated people. Herzberg's motivators were
achievement; recognition for that achievement; an enjoyable job;
responsibility; growth; and advancement.
Now, Herzberg didn't particularly believe in the power of money as
a motivator. Whether you do or not depends on the way you think
(and may be cultural) – pick the motivators that most motivate
you!
Now, let us go back to the demotivator lists that you drew up earlier.
Let us say that after identifying the demotivators, you realize that you
cannot do anything much about the majority of them. Then it is time
to figure out why you are putting up with these demotivators. Is it
because you have established a very strong, meaningful need for
your effort, or is it inertia?
If you are not sure about the answer, try and conduct the need-effort
establishment exercise:
Need-Effort Establishment Exercise

Take a piece of paper and divide it in two halves. Head up one section
'Needs' and the other 'Effort.' List the needs you have – these could
be anything from owning the new BMW to finding spiritual balance.
Material rewards, professional standards, or personal targets are good
thinking points to identify your needs. Next, list the efforts you are
making – on your job, in your community, or whatever.
Then link the effort to the need it serves. For instance, the effort you
are making on the new job could link up to the need for buying the
new BMW: Hopefully the extra effort will translate into a bonus, which
would serve as the down payment on the BMW.
Just remember that the more meaningful the need you are seeking to
satisfy, the more motivated you will feel.
Hopefully, after conducting the exercise, you can find strong
motivation to justify your efforts. You may have to spend energy
grappling with the killjoys, but you know the effort is worth it.
However, if you cannot find this motivation, then maybe it is time you
contemplated channeling your efforts in a different direction. What
should this different direction be? Our next tool, Passion Propulsion,
helps you arrive at an answer to this question.
Passion Propulsion – Find your passion. Use it to

inspire and enthuse.
Nothing great is ever achieved without passion.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Passion is a great motivator. It is what gives the ultimate meaning to

your actions. Being fiercely passionate about goals and targets helps
give you an edge and helps you inch closer to your leadership
position.
However, passion has to be handled with precision. You don't want to
fritter away the energy it gives you. A much better idea would be to
identify it and then use it with laser sharp focus to achieve your goals.
This tool helps you do this. It operates at two levels: Firstly, it helps
you identify goals that you are passionate about; and secondly, it
shows you how to direct your passion energy.
Step 1 – Define your passion

What "fires you up"? For some people the answer to this question is
very obvious. For others, it is a little more difficult.
If you are facing difficulty giving a definite answer set aside 30
minutes to answer three questions:
• What would I want my life to be like when I am 60?
• What do I want to have accomplished 5 years from now?
• What are the three things I would want to do if I only had 6
months to live?
Each question will have several answers. Choose the top three
answers for each question.
Now out of the nine goals you have identified, cull out the three that
look most important to you. Obviously, these three goals are things
that are very important to you. You should naturally be passionate
about achieving them: If not, you may need to set goals that are on a
grander or more beneficial scale!
Step 2 – Harness Passion Energy

Once you have set inspirational goals, work out what you need to do
to achieve them.
Identify the key information and training you need to achieve them
effectively, and think through the tools you'll need and the people
you'll need support from on your way.
Make a professional, rational, well thought-through plan. And then use
this plan to turn your goals into reality.
Tip:
For more information on goal setting, go to our goal setting

page.
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What members say...
dp7622 wrote
This is just the inspiring message I needed just about now. I've got
a few killjoys going on and with these exercises I think I'll be able
to get past them. New and interesting techniques like these I find
motivating in and of themselves. Anything that breaks the routine
and gets the mind working in new ways is welcome.
Don
June 4, 2010
Leadership Style Matrix
Choosing the Best Leadership Approach
When you start to manage new

people, how do you know which
leadership style you should
use?
There are a number of things
that determine this.
For example, does the work
have scope for creativity, or
does it need to be completed in
a specific way?
Choose the best leadership style for the people and
the project that you're leading.
Would close management be
© iStockphoto/Warchi
best, or should you encourage
your people to work independently and deliver a finished product?
Different people and different types of projects need different
leadership styles. But how do you know which approach is best for
each project, person, or situation?
In this article, we'll look at the Leadership Style Matrix, a model that
helps you decide.
Overview
Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle developed the Leadership Style
Matrix and published it in their 2007 book, "Growing Pains." The
matrix, shown in Figure 1, helps you choose the most appropriate
leadership style , based on the type of task you're involved with
and the people you're leading.
Figure 1 – The Leadership Style Matrix
From "Growing Pains: Transitioning From an Entrepreneurship to a Professionally Managed Firm" by

Eric G. Flamholtz and and Yvonne Randle. Fourth Edition. © 2007. Reproduced with permission of
John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
The Leadership Style Matrix is divided into four quadrants. Each

quadrant lists two leadership styles that are best suited for a specific
situation and person (or group).
The Y-axis defines the "programmability" of the task. A programmable
task has specific steps or instructions to complete. A non-
programmable task is more creative; it's up to the individual to decide
how best to accomplish it.
The X-axis describes the individual's capability and preference for
autonomy. Several factors influence this, including education, skill,
motivation, and their desire for feedback, interaction, or
independence.
For instance, a person with a high level of education, skill, motivation
and independence is likely to want autonomy. Someone with low
motivation and skill will need – and may want – more feedback and
interaction, so that he or she can complete the task successfully.
Using the Model

To use the model, first look at the Y-axis. If the task must be done in a
specific way, or if it has specific steps, then move lower down the
axis. If the task is more creative, or if the procedure will change
depending on individual input, move higher up the axis.
Next, look at the X-axis. If the people you're leading prefer to work
alone, move right on the axis. If they need more instruction and
interaction from you, move to the left.
The quadrant that you fall into lists the two leadership styles that are
most likely to be appropriate for your situation.
Applying the Model

Let's look at each quadrant, and the corresponding leadership styles,
in detail.
Quadrant 1: High Programmability/Low Job Autonomy

Sometimes you'll be in charge of a task that must be done in a
specific way; or that needs to be completed by a team that needs a
great deal of motivation, guidance, feedback, or interaction. In these
cases, a directive leadership approach is most effective.
There are two styles you can use here:
Autocratic – The autocratic style is sometimes criticized because it
seems outdated. This leadership style is authoritative: you issue
instructions without explanation, and you expect team members to
follow them without question.
Although it might seem repressive, this style can be effective in some
situations, especially when your team depends on your leadership
and feedback, and when the work must be done in a specific way. It's
also effective in a crisis or emergency situation; or when you're
dealing with very significant risks.
It's important to strike a healthy balance when using this leadership
style. You need to lead with strength and assertiveness, but it's also
important to lead with kindness . Don't forget that your team
members depend on the feedback that you give them. Praise their
good work regularly, and give them constructive criticism on how
they can improve.
Benevolent Autocratic – The benevolent autocratic style is similar
to the autocratic style. However, this approach is more participative.
For example, instead of just issuing instructions, you also explain the
reasons behind the instructions.
To use this style successfully, communicate the reasons why your
team must follow your instructions. For instance, explain rules , so
that members of your team understand the reasons behind them.
When they understand why certain rules or procedures are in place,
they're more likely to follow them.
As your team is working, practice management by wandering
around , so that you're available to answer questions and provide
feedback. This visibility and support will help you keep your project on
track and show your team members that you're there when they need
you.
Quadrant 2: High Programmability/High Job Autonomy
When the task that you're delegating must be completed in a specific
way, and the person that you're delegating to wants to have
autonomy in his or her work, you can use either a consultative or a
participative style of leadership.
Consultative – You use a consultative leadership style when you ask
your team members for their input and opinion, but you still have the
final say. You consult with the group, yet you're responsible for
choosing the best course of action.
To use the consultative leadership style successfully, build trust in
your team. When trust is present, your team members will feel
comfortable offering their opinions and reacting honestly to issues.
Be open to the ideas and suggestions that your team members
provide – if you criticize or dismiss your team members' suggestions,
they'll quickly stop speaking up, especially if they suspect that you've
already made up your mind. Keep an open mind, and be willing to
change your opinion if someone presents a better idea.
Participative – The participative leadership style is similar to the
consultative style, where you still have the final say in a decision.
However, the participative style goes a step further – you depend on
your group to develop ideas, not just offer opinions on an idea. The
participative style is more about group problem solving and
brainstorming .
To use the participative style successfully, use group decision-making
and group problem-solving tools to ensure that each person's voice is
heard equally. (Our article on organizing team decision-making
will help you develop team decision-making strategies.)
Keep in mind that while you're depending on your team members for
their input, you still need to guide the discussion, you need to
communicate goals, and you need to make the final decision. Make
sure that everyone on your team understands your role in this
process.
Quadrant 3: Low Programmability/Low Job Autonomy

Here, you're leading a highly creative project, with a person or with
team members who don't want autonomy. Instead, they need
direction, input, and interaction. The two leadership styles that best
fit this situation are Consultative and Participative.
These are the same leadership styles that fit best in Quadrant 2: High
Programmability/High Job Autonomy.
Quadrant 4: Low Programmability/High Job Autonomy

You fall into this quadrant when you're assigning a creative – or
"loose" – project to a person who wants freedom and independence to
work. This means that you need to take a nondirective leadership
approach.
There are two styles that you can use here:
Consensus – One option is to use a consensual leadership style.
Essentially, this means that you're going to give your team member a
great deal of authority in the decision-making process. Instead of
being the "boss," it's almost as if you become part of the team.
Ensure that your team member understands his or her responsibilities
when you use this style.
Laissez-faire – Laissez-faire is a hands-off leadership style that
you should use carefully. You give team members freedom over how
and when they're going to do their work, but you're there if they need
resources or help.
You should only use laissez-faire leadership in the right situations, and
you should avoid taking this style to the extreme. However, when
you're working with someone who is highly skilled, motivated, and
intelligent, using this leadership style can be very effective.
To use laissez-faire successfully, make sure that you delegate the
right tasks to the right people. A mismatch between the task and the
individual will likely mean that the team member needs additional
help from you, and that they may not thrive.
Tip:
This is a useful framework for deciding which leadership style to

use for your situation, but there are several other tools that can
give equally valuable perspectives.
For example, the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership®
Theory suggests different leadership styles for individuals with
different levels of maturity; and Path Goal Theory looks at
leadership styles that are appropriate for different individuals and
different situations.
Explore all of these before you settle on your preferred leadership
style.
Key Points
Eric Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle developed the Leadership Style
Matrix and published it in their 2007 book, "Growing Pains." The
Leadership Style Matrix is a simple and useful model that helps
you choose the most effective leadership style for your situation.
To use the model, first look at the task or project. If there are
specific, programmable steps to follow, move down the Y-axis, but
if the project or task is more creative, move up this axis.
Next, look at the people that you're leading. If they want
autonomy, move right on the X-axis. If they need instruction,
interaction, or feedback from you, move left on the X-axis.
Once you have determined the quadrant you fall into, you can
choose from the two leadership styles that are most appropriate
for your situation.
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What members say...
Yolande wrote
What a great tool this is to help you figure out how to adapt your
leadership style to the situation at hand or a specific group of
people. The leadership style of a manager can make a huge
difference to the productivity of individuals and departments. It
can also make a big difference in how happy employees perceive
themselves to be at work.
Yolandé
December 6, 2012

Leadership Styles
Choosing the Right Approach for the Situation
Situational Leadership® is a registered trademark of the Center for
Leadership Studies.
From Mahatma Gandhi

and Winston Churchill, to
Martin Luther King and
Steve Jobs, there can be
as many ways to lead
people as there are Flash
leaders.
Fortunately,
businesspeople and
psychologists have
developed useful
Find out what makes a great leader,
frameworks that describe with James Manktelow & Amy Carlson.
the main ways that
people lead.
When you understand these frameworks, you can develop your own
approach to leadership, and become a more effective leader as a
result.
In this article, we'll highlight some of the common approaches to
leadership that you can use. We'll also look at some specific
leadership styles, and we'll explore the advantages and
disadvantages of each type.
Note:
These leadership styles and frameworks are based on several

different approaches to leadership. You can read more about these
approaches in our article on Core Leadership Theories .
Useful Leadership Style Frameworks

So, let's look at some useful approaches – shown mainly in the order
they appeared – that you can use to become a more effective leader.
Your own, personal approach is likely to be a blend of these,
depending on your own preferences, your people's needs, and the
situation you're in.
Lewin's Leadership Styles

Psychologist Kurt Lewin developed his leadership styles framework in
the 1930s, and it provided the foundation of many of the approaches
that followed afterwards. He argued that there are three major
leadership styles:
1. Autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting their
team members, even if their input would be useful. This can be
appropriate when you need to make decisions quickly, when
there's no need for team input, and when team agreement isn't
necessary for a successful outcome. However, this style can be
demoralizing, and it can lead to high levels of absenteeism and
staff turnover.
2. Democratic leaders make the final decisions, but they include
team members in the decision-making process. They encourage
creativity, and people are often highly engaged in projects and
decisions. As a result, team members tend to have high job
satisfaction and high productivity. This is not always an effective
style to use, though, when you need to make a quick decision.
3. Laissez-faire leaders give their team members a lot of
freedom in how they do their work, and how they set their
deadlines. They provide support with resources and advice if
needed, but otherwise they don't get involved. This autonomy
can lead to high job satisfaction, but it can be damaging if team
members don't manage their time well, or if they don't have the
knowledge, skills, or self motivation to do their work effectively.
(Laissez-faire leadership can also occur when managers don't
have control over their work and their people.)
Lewin's framework is popular and useful, because it encourages
managers to be less autocratic than they might instinctively be.
The Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid

The Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid was published in 1964, and
it highlights the best leadership style to use, based on your concern
for your people and your concern for production/tasks.
With a people-oriented leadership style, you focus on organizing,
supporting, and developing your team members. This participatory
style encourages good teamwork and creative collaboration.
With task-oriented leadership, you focus on getting the job done. You
define the work and the roles required, put structures in place, and
plan, organize, and monitor work.
According to this model, the best leadership style to use is one that
has both a high concern for people and a high concern for the task – it
argues that you should aim for both, rather than trying to offset one
against the other. Clearly, this is an important idea!
The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory

First published in 1969, the Hersey-Blanchard Situational
Leadership Theory argues that you need to use different
leadership styles depending on the maturity of your team members.
The model argues that with relatively immature individuals, you need
a more directing approach, while with higher maturity people, you
need a more participative or delegating leadership style.
You can use this model in most business situations, regardless of
whether you want to build a new team or develop an existing one.
Path-Goal Theory
You may also have to think about what your team members want and
need. This is where Path-Goal Theory – published in 1971 – is
useful.
For example, highly-capable people, who are assigned to a complex
task, will need a different leadership approach from people with low
ability, who are assigned to an ambiguous task. (The former will want
a participative approach, while the latter need to be told what to do.)
With Path-Goal Theory, you can identify the best leadership approach
to use, based on your people's needs, the task that they're doing, and
the environment that they're working in.

Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee detailed their Six
Emotional Leadership Styles theory in their 2002 book, "Primal
Leadership."
The theory highlights the strengths and weaknesses of six leadership
styles that you can use – Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic,
Pacesetting, and Commanding. It also shows how each style can
affect the emotions of your team members.
Flamholtz and Randle's Leadership Style Matrix

First published in 2007, Flamholtz and Randle's Leadership Style
Matrix shows you the best leadership style to use, based on how
capable people are of working autonomously, and how creative or
"programmable" the task is.
The matrix is divided into four quadrants – each quadrant identifies
two possible leadership styles that will be effective for a given
situation, ranging from "autocratic/benevolent autocratic" to
"consensus/laissez-faire."
These leadership style frameworks are all useful in different
situations, however, in business, "transformational leadership "
is often the most effective leadership style to use. (This was first
published in 1978, and was then further developed in 1985.)
Transformational leaders have integrity and high emotional
intelligence . They motivate people with a shared vision of the
future, and they communicate well. They're also typically self-aware
, authentic , empathetic , and humble .
Transformational leaders inspire their team members because they
expect the best from everyone, and they hold themselves
accountable for their actions. They set clear goals, and they have
good conflict-resolution skills . This leads to high productivity
and engagement.
However, leadership is not a "one size fits all" thing; often, you must
adapt your approach to fit the situation. This is why it's useful to
develop a thorough understanding of other leadership frameworks
and styles; after all, the more approaches you're familiar with, the
more flexible you can be.
Specific Leadership Styles

As well as understanding the frameworks that you can use to be a
more effective leader, and knowing what it takes to be a
transformational leader, it's also useful to learn about more general
leadership styles, and the advantages and disadvantages of each
one.
Let's take a look at some other leadership styles that are interesting,
but don't fit with any of the frameworks above.
Note:
Remember, not all of these styles will have a positive effect on

your team members, either in the short or long term. (See our
article on Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Model for more
on how your actions as a leader will affect your team.)
Bureaucratic Leadership
Bureaucratic leaders follow rules rigorously, and ensure that their
people follow procedures precisely.
This leadership style is appropriate for work involving serious safety
risks (such as working with machinery, with toxic substances, or at
dangerous heights), or with large sums of money. Bureaucratic
leadership is also useful for managing employees who perform
routine tasks.
This style is much less effective in teams and organizations that rely
on flexibility, creativity, or innovation.
Charismatic Leadership
A charismatic leadership style resembles transformational leadership:
both types of leaders inspire and motivate their team members.
The difference lies in their intent. Transformational leaders want to
transform their teams and organizations, while leaders who rely on
charisma often focus on themselves and their own ambitions, and
they may not want to change anything.
Charismatic leaders might believe that they can do no wrong, even
when others warn them about the path that they're on. This feeling of
invincibility can severely damage a team or an organization, as was
shown in the 2008 financial crisis.
Servant Leadership
A "servant leader" is someone, regardless of level, who leads simply
by meeting the needs of the team. The term sometimes describes a
person without formal recognition as a leader.
These people often lead by example. They have high integrity and
lead with generosity . Their approach can create a positive
corporate culture, and it can lead to high morale among team
members.
Supporters of the servant leadership model suggest that it's a good
way to move ahead in a world where values are increasingly
important, and where servant leaders can achieve power because of
their values, ideals, and ethics .
However, others believe that people who practice servant leadership
can find themselves "left behind" by other leaders, particularly in
competitive situations.
This leadership style also takes time to apply correctly: it's ill-suited to
situations where you have to make quick decisions or meet tight
deadlines.
Transactional Leadership
This leadership style starts with the idea that team members agree to
obey their leader when they accept a job. The "transaction" usually
involves the organization paying team members in return for their
effort and compliance on a short-term task. The leader has a right to
"punish" team members if their work doesn't meet an appropriate
standard.
Transactional leadership is present in many business leadership
situations, and it does offer some benefits. For example, it clarifies
everyone's roles and responsibilities. And, because transactional
leadership judges team members on performance, people who are
ambitious or who are motivated by external rewards – including
compensation – often thrive.
The downside of this style is that, on its own, it can be chilling and
amoral, and it can lead to high staff turnover. It also has serious
limitations for knowledge-based or creative work.
As a result, team members can often do little to improve their job
satisfaction.
Key Points
In business, transformational leadership is often the best
leadership style to use.
However, no one style of leadership fits all situations, so it's useful
to understand different leadership frameworks and leadership
styles. You can then adapt your approach to fit your situation.
Click to vote no
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What members say...
James wrote
Hi Everyone
We’ve given this popular article a review, and the updated version
is now at
newLDR_84.php
Discuss the article by replying to this post!
Thanks
James
December 27, 2013
Midgie wrote
HI Bulisa,
Welcome to the Club. Glad to hear that the article has been
helpful! We can all benefit from learning new things, or being
reminded of things that we know yet have forgotten!
There are many tools and resources available on this site which
you can build your range of abilities and approaches, so just ask if
you are looking for something specific.
Some members take time on a regular basis to focus on one

particular skill area while others dip in and out on topics that are
relevant on the day. However you approach your learning, we're
here to help.
Please let me know if I can help with anything.
Midgie
May 1, 2012
Bulisa wrote
I must admit that this article has been helpful. By and large I
operated as a Task-oriented leader; getting things done and slave-
driving my team members wherever I have been. Results
orientation is still important to me - however, during the past year
or so, I have learned that influence is also important and am
building a range of abilities and approaches I can draw from to
influence people to follow willingly. So, thank you:!:
April 30, 2012
Fidget wrote
All of the situational/contingency approaches make the mostsense

to me - how you lead has really got to depend on the nature of the
people you're leading and what it is you're doing, surely?
I've definitely made the mistake in leading squads at the rowing

club of giving some of the less experienced people the same
autonomy as the top people - it didn't work. They didn't turn up
half the time. But if you told them to turn up, and row in a fixed
crew or they woudln't get to race, they did exactly what they were
told and got a lot out of it as a result. They didn't either want or
need to provide their own motivation, and were quite happy bieng
externally motivated.
Fiona
January 28, 2010

Leading by Example
Making Sure You "Walk the Talk"
There's the boss who tells

everyone to stay late, and then
leaves promptly at 5:00pm to
go golfing.
There's the supervisor who
criticizes everyone for spending
time on the Internet, but is
discovered buying groceries
online in the middle of the
afternoon.
And the CFO who recommends Do you lead by example?
layoffs to stop "unnecessary © iStockphoto
spending," but then buys

herself brand-new luxury office furniture.
Do you know any of these people?
There's hardly anything worse for company morale than leaders who
practice the "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy. When this happens,
you can almost see the loss of enthusiasm and goodwill among the
staff. It's like watching the air go out of a balloon – and cynicism and
disappointment usually take its place.
No matter what the situation is, double standards – witnessing people
say one thing, and then doing another – always feel like betrayals.
They can be very destructive. If this ever happened to you, you can
probably remember that sense of disappointment and letdown.
If you're in a leadership position, then you know that you have a
responsibility to your team. They look to you for guidance and
strength; that's part of what being a leader is. And a big part of your
responsibility is to lead them with your own actions.
So, why is it so important to lead by example; and what happens
when you don't?
Why It Matters
There's an old saying about the difference between a manager and a
leader: "Managers do things right. Leaders do the right things." (It's
best to be both a manager and a leader – they're just different
processes.)
As a leader, part of your job is to inspire the people around you to
push themselves – and, in turn, the company – to greatness. To do
this, you must show them the way by doing it yourself.
Stop and think about the inspiring people who have changed the
world with their examples. Consider what Mahatma Gandhi
accomplished through his actions: He spent most of his adult life
living what he preached to others. He was committed to nonviolent
resistance to protest injustice, and people followed in his footsteps.
He led them, and India, to independence – because his life proved, by
example, that it could be done.
Although Gandhi's situation is very different from yours, the principle
is the same. When you lead by example, you create a picture of
what's possible. People can look at you and say, "Well, if he can do it,
I can do it." When you lead by example, you make it easy for others
to follow you.
Look at legendary businessman, Jack Welch of General Electric. Welch
knew that to push GE to new heights, he had to turn everything
upside down. So that's just what he did.
He developed the whole idea of a "boundaryless organization." This
means that everyone is free to brainstorm and think of ideas – instead
of waiting for someone "higher up" in the bureaucracy to think of
them first. He wanted his team turned loose, and he promised to
listen to ideas from anyone in the company. And he did. Everyone
from the lowest line workers to senior managers got his attention – if
they had something to say or a new idea that might make the
company better. It wasn't just talk, and it didn't take his team long to
figure that out.
Welch stayed true to his passions and what he knew was right. As a
result, GE became an incredibly successful company under his
management. His team was always willing to follow his lead, because
the people within it knew that he always kept his word.
What does this mean for you? If you give yourself to your team and
show them the way, then, most likely, they'll follow you anywhere.
When You Don't Lead by Example

We've seen just how powerful it can be to lead by example. But what
happens when you don't follow this rule? How does your team feel
when you tell them to do one thing, and then you do the exact
opposite?
As we said earlier, if this ever happened to you, then it shouldn't be
hard to remember how angry and disappointed you were.
When leaders don't "practice what they preach," it can be almost
impossible for a team to work together successfully. How can anyone
trust a leader who talks about one thing, but does another?
Consider what might have happened if Gandhi had, even one time,
been in a physical fight with his opposition. His important message of
nonviolent protest would probably have been much harder to believe
after that. His followers would have looked at him with suspicion and
distrust. The chances of them getting into physical arguments or
committing acts of violence probably would have increased
dramatically.
Do you think that Alexander the Great's soldiers would have fought so
hard for him if he had sat on top of a hill, safe from the battle?
Probably not. He would have been just another average general in our
history books, instead of the example of a successful leader that we
know today.
And so it is with your team. If you say one thing and do another, they
likely won't follow you enthusiastically. Why should they? Everything
you tell them after that may meet with suspicion and doubt. They
may not trust that you're doing the right thing, or that you know what
you're talking about. They may no longer believe in you.
Good leaders push their people forward with excitement, inspiration,
trust, and vision. If you lead a team that doesn't trust you,
productivity will drop. Enthusiasm may disappear. The vision you're
trying so hard to make happen may lose its appeal, all because your
team doesn't trust you anymore.
Key Points
Good leadership takes strength of character and a firm
commitment to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right
reason. This means doing what you say, when you say it. If your
team can't trust you, you'll probably never lead them to greatness.
Leading – and living – by example isn't as hard as it might sound.
It's really the easiest path. If your team knows that you'll also do
whatever you expect from them, they'll likely work hard to help
you achieve your goal.
Mahatma Gandhi and Alexander the Great helped change the
world because they lived by example – and, as a result, they
accomplished great things.

• If you ask a co-worker to do something, make sure you'd be
willing to do it yourself.
• If you implement new rules for the office, then follow those rules
just as closely as you expect everyone else to follow them. For
example, if the new rule is "no personal calls at work," then don't
talk to your spouse at work. You'll be seen as dishonest, and your
staff may become angry and start disobeying you.
• Look closely at your own behavior. If you criticize people for
interrupting, but you constantly do it yourself, you need to fix
this. Yes, you want people to pay attention to one another and
listen to all viewpoints, so demonstrate this yourself.
• If, in the spirit of goodwill, you make a rule for everyone to leave
the office at 5:00 p.m., then you need to do it too. If you stay late
to get more work done, your team may feel guilty and start
staying late too, which can destroy the whole purpose of the rule.
The same is true for something like a lunch break – if you want
your team to take a full hour to rest and relax, then you need to
do it too.
Click to vote no
No
Click to vote yes
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What members say...
Midgie wrote
Hi everyone,
Colin, you can take your exercise of listing all the things you
DON'T want one step further and make it even more powerful! It's
a great starting piont to list the things you do not want. Now, turn
them around to things you DO want. What behaviours would you
want to demonstrate or do instead?
The unconscious mind negates the 'negative' word (don't, can't

etc) and picks up the rest. So, when you say you 'I don't want to
talk over people', the mind picks up 'talk over people'. If you tell a
young child to 'not walk in the puddles', their brain hears 'walk in
the puddles'.
If the whole leadership team tried this, wonder what a difference it

would make to the team!
Good luck.
Midgie
June 2, 2008
colinscowen wrote
Janani,
try turning the situation around in your head. Ask yourself what
people have had to do in the past to win your trust. Ask yourself
what people have done in the past that has made you stop
trusting them. Write both of these lists down. Try to do the first
list, try not to do the second.
Another thing that I have found helps is to ask someone you trust
to keep a critical eye on you. This works very well if they have a
copy of, and indeed have maybe added a couple of points to, your
two lists. You must be prepared to accept what they say though,
remember, you asked them for help.
Also, be prepared for the fact that what you are doing may well
become more common knowledge that you think. People watch,
people talk. You have to assume this, and you have to carry on
regardless, remember the reason why you are doing this in the
first place.
Well, that's my two pennies in the pot.
June 1, 2008
Dianna wrote
Hi Janani, welcome to the forums! It's fabulous to hear from you,

and your question is one that many of us relate to. Sometimes we
have to try and fix things with our team and the fact that you
recognize things need improving is the number one motivation for
change.
In our article Building the Trust of Your New Team

http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1226 we have
lots of great ideas for building (or rebuilding) the foundation for a
great relationship. Being really honest and accountable, as well
appreciating people’s work and being humble are great places to
start. Our article on Humility is also a good motivator when you
recognize the need to make changes in yourself. You can read it
here: http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=446
I wish you well on your journey to better team relationships. Let us

know how things go and keep posting questions – it’s one of the
best ways to learn and the people here at the club have so many
fabulous ideas!
Take care and let me know if there is anything I can help you with
as you get started in the club.
Dianna
June 1, 2008
janani wrote
Its a great article, after I read the article I am able to co-relate

things why my team lost interest and the productivity is down.
What is the efficient way to regain the trust, moving forward I will
follow the "walk the talk", but how to rebuild the lost trust?
Any pointers will help.
FYI: This is my first post and today is my first day in mind tools.
Thanks,
Janani
May 31, 2008
colinscowen wrote
Jara,
you will find, should you be interested in reading around the
subject a bit (Peter Northouse wrote probably the best primer on
leadership that I have ever read, Maxwells 21 irrefutable laws is
also a good starter), that influencing others is one of the
definitions of leadership, so, although you may not be leading the
meeting, you may well find that you are leading people in the
meeting.
A way to try and see that is, next time you are in a meeting, or
situation, where someone is suggesting a change of some form,
have a look around at the others in the meeting, and see who
they look to. Whose opinion do they wait to hear.
You may not see this in every case, and you may not see it at
work, maybe among a group of friends, but, if you do see it, what
you have seen is a real leader. Because, that person has followers.
They might be the most experienced person there.
If everyone argues and talks at the same time, then, probably

there is no leader there.
May 30, 2008
Jara wrote
Thanks for the article and for the do's and don'ts that Colin
posted. I never thought about thinking in terms of NOT doing what
I've really disliked others doing to me. It's a great perspective to
take.
One of my biggest don'ts is "Don't make assumptions about a
person's capabilities or value to the team based on their age or
experience."
It's so awful to always feel inferior so I go out of my way to ask for

feedback from the newest employees and those who I can tell are
a bit unsure offering opinions. Even in meetings, although I'm
often one of the ones being judged, I have learned (through
Mindtools!!) to be more assertive and stick up for myself so I
make a point of making sure everyone is included. Even though
I'm not the "leader" I hope I can influence others with my behavior
just the same.
Jara
May 30, 2008
colinscowen wrote
Leading by example is one of those things that any team member

can do. I have seen this where one person has felt strongly
enough about something to just stand up and do it. Others see
this, see that it is possible, see that management don't squash
this sort of freelance creative improvement, and start to think that
maybe they can do this themselves.
Leading by example is, in this respect, a viral thing. One thing I

recently did was this, it is from something that the founder of Visa
said, when talking about leadership.'Make a list of things that
have been done to you that you hated, then never do them to
anyone else'. I know I have not quoted that exactly by the way.
I actually did that exercise, I came up with the following things. I

did it slightly differently, I spent a week watching how others
behaved, both towards me, and towards each other, and then
wrote myself a list of things not to do. I also then handed this list
to some of our leader group (a group of my peers, non-
management, who share an interest in improving our leadership
skills) and asked them to do the same thing, adding any additions
on the bottom of my list. (These are in no particular order at the
moment, but two possible orders spring to mind. I could order
them by importance, or by whether I catch myself doing them)
Do not talk over other people
Do not interrupt when it is not vitally important
Do not change the subject until the subject is finished
Do not vent at someone when they are not involved
Do not keep or hoard information, do not block that information,

do not assume that someone else will forward that information
Don't not update people on your work in progress
Don't say one thing, and then do another thing.
Don't try to answer a question you did not listen to
Don't assume that just because you said something, or emailed

someone, that that everyone heard you and was listening to you.
Don't move the goal posts without warning
Don't treat others the way they treat you, treat them the way they
want to be treated
Part of the follow up to this will be, if doing that exercise has
helped them to stop doing some of the things that they have
listed. This is viral leadership by example. I have shown that I am
willing to do it, and have in fact done it, then I have asked them to
do it, and, I know, because I have asked them, that some of them
have done it. I have also noticed that this has helped me to stop
doing some of the things I have listed above.
May 30, 2008

Leading Equals
Motivating People Effectively, Without Authority
Does this sound like a job you'd

want?
You'll be managing a diverse
group of people from a variety
of departments. They each
have different areas of
expertise and different ways of
getting work done. The people
don't report to you, and you'll
have little or no authority to
direct their performance. The only difference between you and your
However, you'll be held colleagues is that you're in charge.
accountable for the team's © iStockphoto/ravelin3d
output. To accomplish the
team's goals, you'll be expected, among other things, to motivate,
facilitate, encourage, communicate effectively, build trust, and
resolve conflict.
This doesn't sound like a lot of fun, does it?
When leading a team of your peers, these are typical challenges.
Leadership is a complex subject. There are visionary leaders,
empowering leaders, charismatic leaders, and values-based leaders.
For each of these styles, there are situations where that style is and is
not effective. However, the one thing that traditional leaders can
usually rely on, regardless of their style or situation, is legitimate
power. When things get tough, a traditional leader has the status and
position to demand how work is done.
But when you're in charge of a team of your peers, your level of
authority is often nonexistent. You might have as little status as the
person to whom the work has been given – but is that enough to lead
what is essentially a horizontal collaboration?
To lead a multifunctional peer group, you must have all the
characteristics of great leaders – and then some. Here are the key
skills you'll need to succeed.
Master the Group Process

Learn to lead discussions and proactively manage different
personalities. You never know what past experiences – good and bad
– team members have had with one another.
Whatever the history, your role as leader starts with setting a positive
foundation for the team's interactions:
• Establish a relaxed environment, where everyone is encouraged
to share opinions and ideas.
• Ask for input from everyone, and encourage quieter members to
speak up.
• Use active listening skills, like paraphrasing and asking
questions for clarification.
• Insist on respect for one another and, for tasks taking a lot of
time and effort, consider developing a team charter to define
your team's goals and how the team will work.
• Use participative decision making tools, and try to ensure active
involvement and commitment from the team.
Empower Team Members

Leaders who give power to others can be very influential and
motivating. When leaders use their power to help others accomplish
great things, people often want to work very hard for them.
When you empower someone, you're essentially saying that you trust
that person. When people feel trusted, they may naturally want to
take on more responsibility for the outcome, because they'll share in
the spotlight when success is achieved.
Empowerment, then, is a great motivator, and it can be used to
recognize the efforts of team members. When leading your peers, be
creative with reward and recognition – sometimes assigning a task or
granting a level of authority can serve as a very effective reward.
Beyond this, work hard to motivate the people you're working with
and, in particular, give praise wherever it's due.
Be Flexible
Rules, regulations and a heavy-handed approach can cause
resentment and non-compliance in a team of peers. Use discretion,
and learn to adapt to the changing environment – this can be critical.
You won't always be the expert, and you won't always know what to
do. With a flexible leadership style, you can often deal with changing
circumstances without compromising your leadership role. If you rely
on a rigid structure and style, you may find yourself challenged often,
and you may waste your energy fighting interpersonal battles instead
of accomplishing goals.
Essentially, you need to help your team adjust to changes in
direction, circumstance, and priority. Whenever you get a cross-
section of people working together, there can be times of ambiguity
and uncertainty. When you're open to change, your team will see that,
and they'll be more likely to also accept change.
Set Goals
Few teams would get very far without goals. Certainly you need goals
to point you in the right direction and to evaluate performance. When
you bring together a diverse set of people, having a clear direction is
even more essential.
All team members will likely have their own perspectives. These could
lead your team down very different paths – if there's no central
direction to follow. Different paths can also cause conflict around
resources and priorities.
You can avoid many of these difficulties with clear goal setting ,
based on agreed and valuable objectives. It's much easier to keep
people working together effectively if objectives are clear, if it's
obvious how the team's output will help its customer, and if disputes
are resolved by referring to the team's goals.
From then on, it's important that you develop an implementation plan
and remain focused on your targets.
Support and Protect Your Team

Each team member usually has his or her own regular job to do in
addition to the team's specific tasks. This means that commitment to
your team may be weakened from many directions. As the leader,
and the one who is ultimately accountable, concentrate on getting
the support and resources your team needs to do the job well.
Focus on these three key areas:
1. Obtain resources – Your team may quickly lose momentum if it
encounters resource shortages. If you get your team what it
needs – when the team needs it – your status, influence, and
ability to motivate can increase significantly.
2. Manage stakeholders – Many people outside your team may
strongly influence the team's success. First, you may encounter
outside resistance from various sources. For example, John's
manager may not allow him to work more than one hour each
week on team projects, or the finance director may refuse to
"spend one more dollar on that project."
There may also be key team champions. As a leader, your
challenge is to figure out how to use the champions' influence to
persuade "resisters" to change their opinions. A great way to
gain the respect of your team is to protect it from negative
outside influences, so that team members can produce great
work.
3. Obtain management feedback – Your team needs to know
they're supported. Make sure you receive regular communication
from managers and executives. You're the liaison – the link – to
ensure that management knows what's going on, and that your
team knows what management thinks.
This can be a delicate balancing act, because you don't want to
run back and forth with too much information. Figure out what
each side needs to know to remain satisfied, and then provide it.
Key Points
Leading a team of your peers is a definite challenge, and it can put
all of your leadership skills to the test. From setting goals to
involving team members in decision making to creating a climate
of openness and honesty, you need to have it all – and more.
If you remember to put your team's needs first, and if you work
very hard to protect their interests, you'll prove to them that
you're committed to and passionate about their success. When
you demonstrate that you believe in the value of their work, and
when you're willing to work through any obstacles you encounter,
your team will respect your integrity – and they'll want to work
hard with you, and for you, to achieve results.
Click to vote no
No
Click to vote yes
Yes
What members say...
cobberas wrote
leading a group of your peers and you don't have much authority
Has someone in Mind Tools been reading my position
description??? No - it ain't much fun at all, as you say!
I am REALLY looking forward to reading this article in great detail
and putting its recommendations into practice - thanks heaps for
putting it together; I'll let you know how it works out.
cos
January 2, 2008
Level 5 Leadership
Achieving "Greatness" as a Leader
What makes leaders great?

Is it their courage? Their
business acumen? Their expert
knowledge? Their ability to
organize?
Truly great leaders have a
specific blend of skills. But they
also possess something else;
certain characteristics which
are harder to define.
What does it take to step up to the next level?
If you're in a leadership role, © iStockphoto/dmitryphotos
then you've likely wondered
how you can move to that "next level," going from good to great
leadership.
In this article, we'll examine "Level 5 Leadership" – a key idea that
helps you do this. We'll explore what it takes to achieve greatness as
a leader, and we'll discuss strategies that you can use to move up to
this top level of leadership.
Introducing Level 5 Leadership

The concept of Level 5 Leadership was created by business
consultant, Jim Collins. He wrote about it in a well-respected 2001
Harvard Business Review article, and published his research in his
popular book, "From Good to Great."
The concept came about during a study that began in 1996, when
Collins began researching what makes a great company. He started
by looking at 1,435 companies, and ended up choosing 11 truly great
ones. These 11 companies were all headed by what Collins called
"Level 5 Leaders."
He found that these leaders have humility, and they don't seek
success for their own glory; rather, success is necessary so that the
team and organization can thrive. They share credit for success, and
they're the first to accept blame for mistakes. Collins also says that
they're often shy, but fearless when it comes to making decisions,
especially ones that most other people consider risky.
Level 5 Leaders also possess qualities found in four other levels of
leadership that Collins identified. Although you don't have to pass
sequentially through each individual level before you become a Level
5 Leader, you must have the skills and capabilities found in each level
of the hierarchy.
Let's look at each of the five levels in more detail:
Level 1: Highly Capable Individual
At this level, you make high quality contributions with your work. You
possess useful levels of knowledge; and you have the talent and skills
needed to do a good job.
Level 2: Contributing Team Member

At Level 2, you use your knowledge and skills to help your team
succeed. You work effectively, productively and successfully with
other people in your group.
Level 3: Competent Manager

Here, you're able to organize a group effectively to achieve specific
goals and objectives.
Level 4: Effective Leader

Level 4 is the category that most top leaders fall into. Here, you're
able to galvanize a department or organization to meet performance
objectives and achieve a vision.
Level 5: Great Leader

At Level 5, you have all of the abilities needed for the other four
levels, plus you have the unique blend of humility and will that's
required for true greatness.
How to Become a Level 5 Leader

It takes time and effort to become a Level 5 Leader. But the good
news is that it can be done, especially if you have the passion to try.
Again, it's important to realize that you don't have to progress
through each level in turn in order to get to Level 5. But you do need
the capabilities found in each level in order to achieve Level 5 status.
Here are some strategies that will help you grow emotionally and
professionally, so that you can develop the qualities of a Level 5
Leader:
Develop Humility
Level 5 Leaders are humble people. So, learn why humility is
important, and make sure that you understand – at a deep, emotional
level – why arrogance is so destructive. Then ensure that you behave
in a humble way – for example, whenever your team has success,
make sure that credit goes to them for their hard work.
Conversely, as a leader, you need to take responsibility for your
team's efforts, even when things go wrong.
Tip:
The 2007-2008 financial crisis showed many examples of how

arrogant, self-glorifying, self-obsessed leaders led their
organizations to ruin. Much of this chaos could have been averted
if appointment committees had recruited Level 5 leaders. Humility
matters, including when it comes to recruitment.
Ask for Help

Level 5 Leaders are sometimes mistakenly thought of as "weak,"
because they ask for help when they need it.
However, learning how to ask for help is a genuine strength,
because it lets you call upon the expertise of someone stronger in an
area than you are. The result? The entire team or organization wins;
not just you.
Remember the Guy Kawasaki quote that "A players recruit A+
players, while B players recruit C players". If you're recruiting A+
players, why wouldn't you take full advantage of their skills? (The
truth is that if you can recruit A+ people successfully and get the best
from them, then you've become an A+ manager.)
Take Responsibility
A top attribute of Level 5 Leaders is that they take responsibility
for their team's mistakes or failings.
So make sure that you take responsibility for your (and your team's)
actions. Our Book Insight into No Excuses! The Power of Self
Discipline has more on this.
Develop Discipline
Level 5 Leaders are incredibly disciplined in their work. When they
commit to a course of action, no matter how difficult it is, they stick to
their resolve.
If you know in your heart that you're right, then don't let naysayers
dissuade you from a course of action. It's always important to listen to
differing opinions, of course, but don't let fear be your driving
motivator when you make, or change, a decision.
Find the Right People

Level 5 Leaders depend on the people around them. They spend time
finding the right people , and helping them reach their full
potential.
If you're a leader or manager already, then you probably know
without thinking who your best people are. However, you sometimes
have to challenge these assumptions – our article on The Leader-
Member Exchange Theory shows you how to do this, so that you
can get the best from everyone on your team.
Lead with Passion
Level 5 Leaders are passionate about what they do, and they're not
afraid to show it.
When you demonstrate to your team members that you love and
believe in what you're doing, they will too. If you're having a hard
time finding passion in your work, then you need to search for the
human benefit in what you're doing.
See our article on Working with Purpose to explore how to find
meaning in what you're doing. It's also important to create an
inspiring vision for your people – our article on Transformational
Leadership shows you how to do this.
Tip:
Use common sense in the way that you apply this idea.
In some environments – that is, in high-trust, properly-managed
workplaces – Level 5 Leadership is something to aspire to,
demonstrate and apply.
In low-trust or dysfunctional environments, however, you may
need to use Level 5 Leadership more cautiously. Definitely apply
the approach, but make sure that you're alert to the "corporate
politics" going on around you.
Key Points
Level 5 Leadership is a concept developed by Jim Collins. After
several years of research, Collins discovered that all of the great
organizations that he studied were headed by what he called
"Level 5 Leaders."
These Leaders have a unique combination of fierce resolve and
humility. They were the first to own up to mistakes, and the last to
take credit for success.
You can work on developing the following skills and characteristics
to become a Level 5 Leader:
• Develop humility.
• Ask for help.
• Take responsibility.
• Develop discipline.
• Find the right people.
• Lead with passion.
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What members say...
Rachel wrote
Hi All,
How can you move from being just a ""good"" leader to a

""great"" one?
Find out, with this week's Featured Favorite article on Level 5

Leadership.
best wishes
Rachel
February 4, 2014
MichaelP wrote
Alex, it indeed sounds like you are on the way up and focusing on
the right things. Please keep us posted on your progress and let
us know how we can help.
cheers Michael
September 29, 2011
alexgeorge1956 wrote
Hi all
Great this sounds I am on right track and ask my n
Manager if I do have most of these qualities
I like the Humilty aspect being tenacious and resilient in my work
is giving me great respect in the senior management team
If my team succeeds I do so the path is clear for me to move up
and I have a succusor to take over
Alex
September 29, 2011
Midgie wrote
I do believe that many ambitious people want to be great, not just

good! It is not just talent that defines a great leader and there are
indeed qualities and characteristics that you can develop. For me,
these qualities and characteristics are along the lines of emotional
intelligence, which can also be developed.
What do you think ... are great leaders great simply because they
are who they are, or do you think it can be developed?
Midgie
September 27, 2011
Yolande wrote
It will always amaze me how people 'light up' when you ask them
for help. If they feel useful, they just don't mind giving 100%.
I can't agree more with the point about humility. There is

something extremely beautiful and strong about humility and it
also seems to attract people like a magnet. I was on a course once
with a great business leader; I didn't know until a few days into
the course what his position was - he just never told anyone. Yet
he was always ready to serve and help others and not knowing
how high-powered he actually was, I just thought that he was such
a nice person. It was a great 'lesson in action' in humility.
Regards
Yolandé
September 24, 2011

Lewin's Leadership Styles
Framework
Three Core Leadership Styles
Chances are, you've worked for

a wide variety of leaders during
your career. Some might have
been excellent, while others
may not have been effective at
all.
You might even have
experienced a boss who was
great in some situations and
bad in others, because he or
she used the same leadership Which leadership style is most effective for you?
style each time. © iStockphoto/GP232
It's important to understand your own natural leadership style, so that

you can adapt your approach to fit your situation. It's also helpful to
know which leadership behaviors to avoid.
One way to do this is to use Lewin's Leadership Styles Framework. In
this article, we'll look at the three core leadership styles that Lewin
identified, and we'll see how you can use his model to be a more
effective leader.
About the Model

In 1939, psychologist Kurt Lewin led a study that identified three core
styles of leadership, and outlined the effect that each style had on
team members. His research also showed that leaders get different
results when they lead their teams in different ways.
Although Lewin conducted this study many decades ago, his findings
have influenced many of today's leadership theories and
approaches , including transformational leadership (which,
we believe, is often the most effective leadership style to use in
business).
The three core leadership styles he identified were:
• Authoritarian (autocratic) leadership.
• Participative (democratic) leadership.
• Delegative (laissez-faire) leadership.
It's important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of
each style, so that you can recognize your own natural leadership
style, and adapt your approach to fit your situation.
When you understand each style, you will also know what behaviors
to avoid if you want to get the best from your people.
Note:
Lewin's research took place in the U.S. It's important to remember

that people in other cultures may respond differently to these
leadership styles.
Our articles on Cross-Cultural Leadership and Wibbeke's
Geoleadership Model have more information on how to lead a
diverse, cross-cultural team.
The Three Leadership Styles

Let's examine each of Lewin's three leadership styles in detail, and
look at how and when to apply each one with your team.
As you read through the descriptions, bear in mind that you can use
elements of all three approaches in different situations.
Authoritarian (Autocratic) Leadership

You lead in an authoritarian way when you make decisions without
consulting your team members. You tell people what to do, and how
to do it.
The benefit of authoritarian leadership is that it's very efficient: you
can make quick decisions, and people don't have any say on what
they do.
The downside is that an authoritarian work environment is often
demoralizing and demotivating for people. You may also miss out on
getting input from skilled, knowledgeable team members if you use
this approach, which can severely limit innovation and performance in
your team.
What's more, in many cultures, people quite understandably resent
and resist authoritarian leadership. It can cause disengagement and
unhappiness in your team, and even cause people to be aggressive or
hostile; and it can lead to high absenteeism and increased staff
turnover.
Authoritarian leadership is often appropriate when you need to make
quick decisions during crises , but it's harmful in many modern
working environments.
Participative (Democratic) Leadership

With participative leadership, you have the final say on decisions, but
you involve team members in the decision-making process. This
builds trust and good working relationships , and team
members feel empowered and engaged with their work.
The downside of participative leadership is that it can slow the
decision-making process, which can lead to missed opportunities. This
can be particularly damaging in emergencies or crises.
Delegative (Laissez-Faire) Leadership
Delegative or laissez-faire leadership is very hands-off. When you
use this style, you allow team members to set their own goals and
deadlines, and you let them determine how to do their work.
Delegative leadership is most effective when team members are
highly motivated and highly skilled, and when you can provide
frequent feedback on performance and progress. It's also effective
when you work with freelancers or consultants .
The downside of delegative leadership is that it can lead to poor
performance in teams where people have low skill levels, little
motivation, or poor knowledge.
Tip:
It can be challenging to know which leadership styles to use in a

given situation or with a specific team. Use tools like the Hersey-
Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory , Path-Goal
Theory , Fiedler's Contingency Model , and the
Leadership Style Matrix to think about the best leadership
style for your circumstances.
Key Points
Social psychologist Kurt Lewin identified three primary leadership
styles in 1939. These were:
• Authoritarian (autocratic) leadership.
• Participative (democratic) leadership.
• Delegative (laissez-faire) leadership.
Lewin's research forms the foundation of many of today's
leadership models and frameworks.
Its most important conclusion is that people tend to resent
authoritarian leadership, and that they can become aggressive,
demoralized or demotivated when subjected to it. By contrast, you
need to use participative or delegative approaches to leadership to
get the best from people.
It's helpful to understand each of these three styles so that you
know when and how to use them, and so that you know what
behaviors to avoid if you want to get the best from your team.

Leadership Studies.
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Now You're the Boss...
Learning How to Manage Former Peers
Becoming "the boss" can

change almost everything –
and it can change nothing.
Sure, you have more power.
And you can influence your
former peers in completely new
ways.
But you're still the same
person.
Managing former peers.
Suddenly, though, the things
© iStockphoto
you say have more importance,
and your former teammates look to you for answers, not just ideas.
What do you do with this newly found power? It may be tempting to
make the changes that you always wanted, order people to do what
you want to be done, and feel good about your new promotion.
However, this type of behavior may not win you much respect or
cooperation.
But you probably don't want to use the opposite approach either. A
new boss who tries to remain "one of the guys" can end up frustrating
everyone. When you're more concerned about friendships than
results, poor decisions are usually inevitable. If you're afraid of being
called "bossy," you may not hold people accountable, or you may
avoid making unpopular decisions.
So, how do you manage the difficult learning curve of becoming a
boss, and the delicate balance of leading former peers? There's no
immediate or easy solution, and you won't be perfect. However, by
understanding the challenges and by keeping an open mind, you can
develop new ways to relate to your team that are effective and
produce results.
The Changes and Challenges

As a newly-promoted boss, many or all of the following may apply to
you:
• You know how people on your team operate. This can sound
like an advantage – until you realize that instead of just accepting
people's behavior, you're now responsible for making sure that
their behavior aligns with your team's goals. In the past, you
were part of the way your team worked, good or bad. Now, you
have to make sure that things are done right. Before, you may
have been able to avoid the people you don't like. But now, you
have to help them develop – or you may need to get rid of them
altogether.
• You used to compete with these people. There's often a bit
of rivalry among peers for things like recognition, authority, and
status. As the new boss, some will see you as the winner of this
competition. This may increase previous tensions and bring out
feelings of resentment. You may have had difficulty with past
peers whom you now need to support and praise.
• You used to communicate freely. As a boss, you have to be
selective about the information you share. You probably can't tell
people everything as you used to. This works both ways: your
team members may stop telling you everything as well. This
often means that your team tells you only those things they think
you want to hear, which may lead to distorted information and
bad decisions.
• Your opinion used to hold equal weight. Now that you're the
boss, what you say probably has much more influence. As a
result, your team may not argue with you as much, and you may
not have the benefit of hearing what they really think. This can
limit the effectiveness of your decisions.
• You used to have close personal relationships with
members of your team. As the boss, you have to maintain a
little distance from the people who report to you. You need to
treat everyone equally, and you can't allow yourself to be
influenced by certain people more than others. You also can't let
personal feelings get in the way of honest feedback and
discipline.
When you understand that your relationships with people on your
team are now different, you can find ways to move forward. It's when
you try to keep things the same that you'll have problems.
Strategies for a Successful Transition

When moving from peer to boss, the most important thing is to give
up the comfort of being liked. In the past, you've said many things
about your bosses to your colleagues, family, and friends. Similar
things will now probably be said about you. That's OK – as long as you
continue to earn respect. You'll likely achieve this by treating people
honestly and by trusting them.
Here are some strategies that you can try:
• Be humble. Accept that you'll probably make mistakes, and be
willing to admit your mistakes. It's also important that you don't
boast about your new position or success. People can brag or
show off in subtle ways, so be careful. Every leader or
prospective leader should read Bruna Martinuzzi's wonderful
article on humility .
An unfortunate reality is that some people may choose to

focus on, and enjoy, your mistakes. You may even encounter
outright resistance or sabotage. Watch out for these
behaviors, and deal with them immediately and proactively.
As much as we'd like to believe that professionals don't
behave this way, experience tells us otherwise.
• Talk. Communicate with your team right from the start. As far as
you can, share your concerns about the transition, and invite
them to comment. Our article on Building the Trust of Your
New Team has more great tips on setting up this new
relationship.
You may also have to address the hurt feelings of those who also
wanted your new position. This can take a great deal of
diplomacy, sensitivity, and understanding.
• Communicate your expectations. Your new team isn't used to
working with you as a boss. Figure out your routine, and let them
know what to expect.
• Will you have regular team meetings?
• Will you have an "open door" policy?
• What are your priorities?
• How will you communicate?
• What are your objectives?
• How will they be evaluated?
Clarify and regularly update your expectations. The sooner you
start a pattern of open communication, the better.
• Establish boundaries. You know that you can't be everyone's
friend the way that you were before. Think about what this
means and how your relationship with others will change.
• Give everyone equal attention – avoid spending time with
just one group of people.
• Attend team social functions, but leave early so the team
can talk freely among themselves.
• Build a social network with your new peers (your former
bosses).
• Dress differently – this can be a subtle indication that
your position is now different.
Because you know your former peers, you should be able to

find ways to have conversations. Not everyone responds to
openness in the same way, so remember to be sensitive to
these differences, and adjust your style accordingly.
• Be careful about what you say. Unfortunately, you probably

can't be as free with your opinions as you used to be. When you
express dissatisfaction with something, you may influence your
team. If you say that you don't like someone, you may affect
your team's attitude toward that person. As a boss, you have to
watch what you say and understand that your words have the
power to influence the opinions and behavior of your team
members.
• Delegate. As a new leader of former peers, your job has
changed from "getting things done" to "managing people to get
things done", so it's extremely important that you delegate
effectively. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can do it
all because you're the boss. You still have the same skills and
abilities as yesterday (when you were one of the team). However,
by not delegating, you may unintentionally communicate, "I don't
trust you to do as good a job as I do."
Delegating is empowering. It's motivating, and it builds trust. The
quicker you can establish trust, the stronger your new team will
likely be. Our article on Leading Equals discusses
empowerment and provides some other ideas for easing into this
new relationship.
Tip:
There's another reason that you must learn to delegate: If

you don't, you'll quickly get overloaded and stressed, which
probably means that you'll be ineffective.
• Ask for training. All too often, new bosses are left to sink or
swim on their own, with no guidance – on-the-job training is not
the best teacher, here. Ask for formal training, if available (and
remember that you'll find a huge amount of help here, at Mind
Tools). Look for someone to mentor you. Be proactive in your own
development, and look for opportunities to improve your
leadership and management skills.
Key Points
It can be difficult for team members to deal with a former peer
becoming their boss – and it can be difficult for you, as the new
boss.
You need to accept that you may not always be liked, and you
have to be careful of what you say. Some people may resent your
promotion, and changes in expectations can cause confusion.
To manage the transition, be aware of the obvious and subtle ways
that your relationships with team members have changed. If you
find ways to communicate openly and honestly about
expectations, this will help you be successful. Being respected is
more important than being liked – and understanding this is the
first and most important step in beginning to lead your former
teammates.
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What members say...
Dianna wrote
Hi gpqconi - I too believe the two points you make are really
important. The social aspect of work is hard to balance and I've
always preferred to be friendly with my coworkers but not really
friends. I've seen these friendships become very messy when
promotions are involved and a lot of office politics tends to follow
these tight relationships.
Thanks for the great input - we look forward to hearing your

thoughts on the other resources here as well as any of the
discussions going on in other parts of the forum.
Talk soon!
Dianna
February 7, 2011
gpqconl wrote
This article hits it on the nail. Moving from peer to boss is a

slippery slope. If not done right, new problems are created and
impact the dynamics of the team even more.
A couple of pieces that stuck out for me, were the decision to
socialize with the team. Attending allows your time to get to know
each member and leaving early gives them time to discuss what
they found out about you. You are human.
The other point is being friendly and not a friend. Being able to be
your authentic self and also remaining in charge works to the
benefit of the team. No one person is singled out as the favorite.
February 5, 2011
lulu wrote
I have twice had to take on a new job, where people I now

manage, were also candidates for the position.
Both times we talked about this early on, I engaged well with
them and included them in lots of decision making - however both
turned sour about 18 months to 2 years later. I think it was
ongoing resentment that they never dealt with and although
everything appeared ok on the surface, clearly it was not.
There will always be resentment - it is human nature. If the new

manager trips up just once, they are then an easy target. It takes
good management skills to manage effectively in an open and
transparent way but fair and consistent.
Lulu
March 29, 2010
samsam wrote
I wonder how to best manage the situation when a few of the

team members were also candidates for the job. Do you have any
suggestions on that?
Thanks,
Sam
March 29, 2010

Optimism
The Hidden Asset
Among the topics that young

people study before they enter
the workforce is calculus, the
mathematics of change and
motion. While training in
calculus is undoubtedly
valuable, I believe that training
in optimism is also important.
Just as it is good discipline to
solve problems like the velocity
of a car at a certain moment in © iStockphoto/hidesy
time, it is also crucial to figure
out what drives people to give us the very best that they have to
offer. Ironically, Leibniz, one of the inventors of calculus, is also known
for his philosophy of optimism. He was considered to be an inveterate
optimist, asserting that we live "in the best of all possible worlds".
Optimism is an emotional competence that can help boost
productivity, enhance employee morale, overcome conflict and have
a positive impact on the bottom line.
In writing about optimism, you face the danger of being seen as
advocating a "Pollyanna" or quixotic approach. The truth is, however,
optimism has been proven to be a powerful tool that will pay
dividends for your personal life and give you a competitive advantage
professionally in your career. There is a lot to be gained, indeed, in
cultivating an optimistic outlook.
Take leadership, for example. Nowhere is optimism more important
than in leading organizations. Highly effective leaders have a
transforming effect on their constituents: they have the gift of being
able to convince others that they have the ability to achieve levels of
performance beyond those they thought possible. They are able to
paint an optimistic and attainable view of the future for their
followers: They move others from being stuck with "how things are
done around here" and help them see "how things could be done
better".
In The Leadership Advantage, an essay from the Drucker Foundation's
Leader to Leader Guide, Warren Bennis tells us that optimism is one
of the key things people need from their leaders in order to achieve
positive results. Every "exemplary leader that I have met," writes
Bennis, "has what seems to be an unwarranted degree of optimism –
and that helps generate the energy and commitment necessary to
achieve results."
Consider, as well, the reverse: the effect that pessimistic individuals
can have on an organization's creativity and innovation. To be
innovative, you need to be open to new ideas, wide open to seeing
possibilities, willing to take risks and encourage others to take risks –
willing to challenge the process in order to create new solutions or
products or improve processes. In short, you need to have a sense of
adventure and an expectation of success. Those who have a
pessimistic outlook typically approach changes to the status quo with
the familiar: "We tried this before", "It won't work", or "It will never
fly". Such individuals often label themselves as "devil's advocate".
How can someone who has a pessimistic outlook embrace change
over the safety of the known?
There are other areas which are impacted positively by optimism.
Take sales, for example: A study shows that new sales personnel at
Metropolitan Life who scored high on a test on optimism sold 37
percent more life insurance in their first two years than pessimists
(Seligman, 1990). In another study involving debt collectors in a large
collection agency, the most successful collectors had significantly
higher scores in the area of self-actualization, independence and
optimism. (Bachman et al, 2000, cited by Cary Cherniss.)
Perhaps more significant are the countless studies that have shown
that people with an optimistic outlook have healthier relationships,
enjoy better mental and physical health and live longer. In The
Wisdom of the Ego, Dr George E Vaillant, Professor of Psychiatry at
Harvard Medical School, writes about individuals who have "both the
capacity to be bent without breaking and the capacity, once bent, to
spring back". Vaillant mentions that, in addition to external sources of
resilience (such as good health or social supports), these individuals
have important internal sources which include a healthy self-esteem
and optimism.
These coping mechanisms are fully explored in Dr Valliant's
subsequent book: Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life,
a truly fascinating study that will be particularly interesting to fellow
boomers. This is a compendium of three studies involving over 800
individuals, men and women, rich and poor, who were followed for
more than 50 years, from adolescence to old age. In it, we discover
that one of the most powerful predictors of successful aging is
habitually using mature coping mechanisms or defenses, what
Vaillant calls the ability to "make lemonade out of life's lemons."
Vaillant's study discovered five of these coping mechanisms: Altruism
(doing for others what they need, not what we want to do for them);
Sublimation (diverting energy to more constructive pursuits such as
creativity, art, sports); Suppression (postponement of stressors, not
repression); Humor and Anticipation. Anticipation is realistic, hopeful
planning for the future. This means not operating in a pessimistic
crisis mode but preparing and adapting for whatever life brings.
So how do you recognize an optimist? Alan Loy McGinnis, author of
The Power of Optimism, studied the biographies of over 1000 famous
people, and isolated 12 characteristics of the optimistic personality.
Among these is: "Optimists look for partial solutions", that is, freed
from the tyranny of perfectionism and from paralysis by analysis, they
are open to taking small steps towards achieving success.
Another characteristic of those who have an optimistic nature is:
"Optimists use their imagination to rehearse success", in other words,
they play positive mental videos of preferred outcomes, much like
sports figures do. Michael Jordan, for example, once stated that he
never plays a game that he hasn't first visualized. Another trait is that
"Optimists think that they have great capacity for stretching" – they
believe that their personal best is yet to come.
Dr Martin E Seligman, the modern scholar most often associated with
studying the traits of optimists, and former president of the American
Psychological Association and Professor of Psychology at the
University of Pennsylvania, has devoted decades to studying
optimistic people and reports three traits that they have in common:
They view adversity in their lives as temporary, specific and external,
that is, not entirely their fault, as opposed to pessimists who view
adversity as unchangeable, pervasive, and more personal. In the face
of setbacks, challenges or difficult jobs, pessimist are more likely to
do worse than predicted and even give up, while optimists will
persevere.
Optimism, therefore, is also an important component of achievement,
and is especially important in times of chaos, change and turbulence.
Those who have an optimistic outlook will roll with the punches, will
be more proactive and persistent and will not abandon hope.
So, where does optimism come from? Is it something we are born with
or is it learned? For some lucky individuals, being optimistic comes
naturally. The good news is that, for those who don't have it naturally,
optimism is an attitude that can be learned and practiced. Here are
some strategies you can consider in your journey to becoming more
optimistic or in helping someone else who suffers from pessimism:
1. Avoid negative environments. If this is not realistic, make
every effort to seek the company of positive individuals in your
organization. Sometimes this may mean fraternizing with peers
in other departments. Stay away from the professional
complainer.
2. Celebrate your strengths. The key to high achievement and
happiness is to play out your strengths, not correct your
weaknesses. Focus on what you do well. (If you are not sure what
your signature strengths are, consider reading Now Discover
Your Strengths, which includes a web-based questionnaire that
helps you discover your own top-five inborn talents.)
3. Take care of your spiritual and emotional well being by
reading inspirational material on a daily basis. This may be
different for each person. Some may be inspired by daily
quotations, others by reading biographies of successful people in
their field and yet others may derive inspiration from reading
about all the innovations that we are graced with. A useful
website for this is the World Future Society, which keeps up with
new inventions.
4. Manage or ignore what you cannot change. When faced
with setbacks, identify what you can change and proactively try
to find ways to do something about it. We have often heard this
advice – it bears repeating. Be inspired by Benjamin Franklin's
words: "While we may not be able to control all that happens to
us, we can control what happens inside us."
5. Learn to reframe. This involved deliberately shifting
perspective and looking for the hidden positive in a negative
situation: the proverbial silver lining. Look for the gift in the
adversity.
If you are serious about developing greater optimism, there is no
better book than Learned Optimism: How to Change Your
Mind and Your Life by Dr Martin E Seligman. Learn Dr
Seligman's ABCDE model for disputing pessimistic thoughts. This
is a very useful and powerful tool to help you change the way
you explain events that trouble you from optimistic to
pessimistic. Click here for our Book Insight on Learned
Optimism .
6. Adapt your language and outlook. Consider how a simple
shift in the language you use can make a difference in your
outlook: Do you frequently say: "yes, but...." in response to your
constituents' suggestions? The "but" automatically negates
anything you have said in the beginning part of the sentence. A
simple shift to "yes, and..." might make a positive difference.
Check the emails you have sent recently. Count the proportion of
negative to positive words. It could be enlightening.
Become aware of your stance in business meetings. Are you
known as the "devil's advocate", the one who is quick to shoot
down others' ideas? Jumping in too quickly to negate an idea can
derail the creative process. Often valuable ideas are the result of
an initial "crazy" thought. At meetings, even when we don't have
the floor, we are under a magnifying glass. Practice being more
upbeat, practice speaking last, and see what happens.
7. Focus outside yourself, on important people in your life, on
pursuits and projects that fire you up. Bertrand Russell once said
that the quickest way to make ourselves miserable is to
continually focus on ourselves. It was his love of mathematics
that kept him going.
8. Nurture a culture of optimism when you are in charge of
other people at work. Expect people to succeed. Even when they
occasionally fail to achieve what they set out to do, encourage
them so that they can tackle the next challenge. A simple: "I
know you'll do better the next time" can have very positive
effects.
9. Cultivate spontaneity. Consider putting aside all your plans
once in a while to take a walk with your kids, play a game or
catch a show. Getting out of your comfort zone by being
spontaneous helps to develop your optimistic muscle, as
spontaneity essentially involves an expectation of having a
pleasurable experience.
10. Consider the health benefits. If you need an extra motivation
for practicing optimism, consider the statistics linking optimism
to greater health. As Dr Seligman explains, there is evidence to
believe that immune systems among optimistic people are
stronger than among pessimists.
This paper would not be balanced if we did not address the benefits of
pessimism. Pessimists, as Seligman explains, may be more realistic
and accurate about dangers and risks. At times, when there is a risk
of serious negative consequences, a cautious, risk-avoiding
evaluation is appropriate and desirable. But the positive effects of
being optimistic – fighting depression, aiding in professional,
academic and sports achievement, and boosting mental and physical
health – outweigh the benefits of being a career pessimist. The
answer then is, as Seligman explains, "flexible optimism", i.e. having
the wisdom to assess situations and identify those that require a
pessimistic inquisition, and those that call for optimism, for having a
"can do" attitude" and taking a chance. Winston Churchill had a
reason for saying: "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every
opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
Practice seeing the opportunity.
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What members say...
fxgg090 wrote
Thank´s Yolandé.
I guess one of the most important things to remain optimistic is

self-confidence, self trust, and to know the real limitations and
capacities one has in the face of adversity, that we can´t solve all
issues but we can help some details and make major changes.
Also, let other´s appreciate who they are and what they have, to
recognize what they have and how easy is to lose something
(including reputation in business), how hard is sometimes to keep
confident when things seem contrary, but being involved with
positive people helps, people with high realistic expectations.
Happy New Year!
Francisco X.
December 31, 2013
Yolande wrote
Hi Francisco
Thanks for sharing a bit about your personal beliefs and also
about your culture with us - I found it very interesting.
I can't help but agree with you that it's sometimes difficult to be
optimistic when living in a country where many people are living
in abject poverty like you and I do (even though we are on
different continents). However, by remaining optimistic that we
can and will make a difference, we are helping ourselves to help
others.
I'm curious to know how you perhaps help others to remain

optimistic in the face of many challenges?
Kind regards
Yolandé
December 31, 2013
fxgg090 wrote
I think in most areas of life, more in health care to be optimistic

and give positive attitudes in almost a negative - depressive
environment.
There are some research related to mental attitude, in one

research almost 40% of patients that were waiting for a transplant
got better or felt better when their idea, their expectation of
recovering went up. In the negative Area there was a book by
Goethe related to Werther a man who suicide, in the XVIII century
this book was very succesful but people started to suicide, in
some countries forbade.
This makes me think how positive actions are so important,

negative ones can be contagious too -like the Book-, positive
ideas help the self relief, be in contact with the reality.- I think all
fields could be related to optimism, (except Banks -), where
people have a tendency to see things in a different way.
Religion is also an excellent way or method to be positive: Expect

love, peace, wisdom, positive attitudes to other´s, through rituals,
rites, beliefs -even if those beliefs may be false the idea or feeling
becomes true-, and I think we need more leaders with religion -not
more religious leaders-, but normal people in business who do
pray for other´s, who are optimistic meditating, who encourage
other´s to follow their ideas and feelings, Religion for me and for
us in México is very powerful, in fact our first flag in México was a
religious icon -the Lady of Guadalupe-, so I think religion has many
positive things if we know how to handle and not abuse it,
because the contrary can happens to -fanatism and negativism,
etc.
I think one field we can´t be really positive and I think is hard is in

War, I still don´t understand how soldiers and generals can be
optimistic and positive after watching so many deaths, I think is
almost impossible but we have cases of people who did raise and
became leaders like Dr Frankl who was in the Holocaust and did
finish his career, and wrote books and gave lectures. But in
general I find it hard to see optimist in Wars, I seen many
documentaries on the Holocaust, on Wars, and you can see
peoples faces, attitude, starving for love and food, impossible to
be positive and who leads them to that? Negative leaders, leaders
whose ideals is just money, power and destruction, so being a
leader is a serious matter in politics and around the Globe if we
don´t know how to handle we may end more ambicious than
Stanlin, Franco in Spain or Hitler in Germany...and I wonder if they
were positive people by the way.
Today we are surrounded by Economy, Politics, Ambicious,

Suicides, lack of Values in some individuals, moral starvation, lack
of empathy to other´s, indiference in business, huge egos in
teenagers and some children or most children, solitude, etc. It is
the time we must be aware of being positive without losing
ground without living in a fantasy World, being realistic and try to
give a smile and learn from other´s, but also learn from mistakes
and from that Human Misery that surround people, but that is also
a chance a huge chance to grow, to raise, to be better.
It´s hard to be optimistic in México were almost 60.000,000

people have no food or are consider poors, and more than
5,000,000 without jobs, and kids spending time on the internet
most of the day, without producing hope for this Society, but we
try, all societies had faults, mistakes, bad-good leaders, ambicious
people, good people, I try to focus on the good, positive but not
denying the reality that exists and hurts many.
Thanks for the Reply!!

Francisco X González G.
December 26, 2013
Midgie wrote
Hi Francisco,
Indeed how we are within ourselves has ripple effects on others.
So, by being optimistic we may help others feel somewhat more
optimistic and hopeful.
It is also healthier for us - in body and mind - to be optimistic, to

see the positives and to remain hopeful of the good. Yes, we may
still have moments when we are negative, yet overall, by being
positive and optimistic helps us get through the day.
In what areas of your life do you think this kind of attitude would
make a positive difference?
Midgie
December 26, 2013
fxgg090 wrote
[color=#00BF00:33vwhmfh] I never thought being Optimistic had

such a big important impact in the Organization and the life of
other´s, great references and tips!
fxgg
December 26, 2013
kurt_gielen wrote
Let's start with a big smiling smiley to stay in the mood.
anybody who wants to look into a more religious approach of this

subject, dive into the wonderfull world of Buddhism, especially the
parts where it talks about controlling the mind. By this is meant
recognise negative thoughts as soon as possible and train your
brain to think happy thoughts.
Amazing what this attitude can do to your personal & professional
life.
Good luck to all of you optimistist or want-to-be optimists out

there.
Enjoy,
Kurt
October 25, 2006
Rachel wrote
Hi there
This is a great article - there's also a discussion running about

"Who's feeling optimistic?" in the career cafe!
http://www.mindtools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=172
Have a great day!
Rachel
October 24, 2006

Path-Goal Theory
Discovering the Best Leadership Style
Imagine that your boss has just

assigned a major project to
your new team.
There are some very talented
people within the team, but
you've worked with them in the
past, and it wasn't a pleasant
experience...
You've always felt that the best
way to manage a fast-paced,
Lead your team to their objectives effectively.
expert team is to set
© iStockphoto/ssstep
objectives, and then let team
members work out how they'll deliver for themselves.
You don't want to interfere with what they're doing, so you rarely have
meetings with individuals or with the group.
The problem is that the team hasn't responded well to this approach.
So what else should you do? Would daily meetings waste your
people's time? And would they be annoyed if you involved yourself
more in decision-making, or gave them more guidance on the project?
When thinking about the best way to lead a team, we have to
consider several different factors, and it's easy choose the wrong
approach. When this happens, morale, effectiveness, and productivity
can suffer.
Path-Goal Theory helps you identify an effective approach to
leadership, based on what your people want and your current
situation. In this article, we'll look at Path-Goal Theory, and we'll
explore how you can apply it to your own situation.
About Path-Goal Theory

Psychologist, Robert House, developed Path-Goal Theory in 1971, and
then redefined and updated it in a 1996 article in The Leadership
Quarterly. Let's look at some of the elements of the theory.
Leadership Responsibilities
According to it, if you want your people to achieve their goals, you
need to help, support, and motivate them. You can do this in three
ways:
1. Helping them identify and achieve their goals.
2. Clearing away obstacles, thereby improving performance.
3. Offering appropriate rewards along the way.
To do this, you can use four different types of leadership:
• Supportive leadership – Here, you focus on relationships. You
show sensitivity to individual team members' needs, and you
consider your team members' best interests. This leadership
style is best when tasks are repetitive or stressful.
• Directive leadership – With this, you communicate goals and
expectations, and you assign clear tasks. This style works best
when tasks or projects are unstructured, or when tasks are
complex and team members are inexperienced.
• Participative leadership – With participative leadership, you
focus on mutual participation. You consult with your group, and
you consider their ideas and expertise before making a decision.
This approach works best when your team members are
experienced, when the task is complex and challenging, and
when your team members want to give you their input.
• Achievement-oriented leadership – Here, you set challenging
goals for your team. You have confidence in your team's abilities,
so you expect your team to perform well, and you maintain high
standards for everyone. This style works best when team
members are unmotivated or unchallenged in their work.
The best style to use is then dependent on the situational factors
explained below.
Situational Factors
Path-Goal Theory defines two distinct situational factors – the nature
of your subordinates, and the nature of your environment. These
factors directly influence the best style of leadership to use with team
members.
• Subordinates – Understanding your people's needs is key to
choosing the best approach for leading them.
• How well do your team members respond to direct
authority? How do they react when you tell them how to
do a particular task?
• How experienced are your people? How much do they
know about the task or assignment?
• How motivated are they?
• Characteristics of the environment – You must also examine
the current situation.
• How complex or repetitive is your team's task or project?
• How structured or unstructured is the task?
• How strong is your authority over the team?
• How well do people work together? (This looks at factors
that are out of the control of individual people in the team
– for example, are team dynamics healthy, and how good
are relationships between team members?)
Using Path-Goal Theory

Applying Path-Goal Theory with your team is fairly straightforward.
Figure 1, below, shows how to match your team members' needs with
the environment, so that you can choose the best leadership style for
each situation.
Note:
Figure 1 mentions "locus of control" in the Subordinates

column. This is a person's belief that he or she can influence
events in a positive way.
People with a high internal locus of control believe that they have
a reasonable level of control over events. People in this category
have great control over their behavior and try to influence others.
People with a high external locus of control believe that outside
forces affect the outcome of any given situation. They believe in
luck, fate or destiny. These people often put less effort into work
and projects, and can be less successful than those with a high
internal locus of control.
Figure 1: Path-Goal Theory Leadership Styles/Situational Factors
Subordinates Environment Leadership

Style to
Adopt
• Want • Complex or Directive

Authoritative Ambiguous
Leadership Task
• External Locus • Strong
of Control Formal
• Low Ability Authority
• Good Work
Group
• Don't Want • Simple or Supportive

Authoritative Structured
Leadership Task
• Internal Locus • Weak Formal
of Control Authority
• High Ability • Not Good
Work Group
• Want to be • Complex or Participative

Involved Ambiguous
• Internal Locus Task
on Control • Strong or
• High Ability Weak Formal
Authority
Subordinates Environment Leadership
Style to
Adopt
• Good or Not
Good Work
Group
• Want • Simple or Achievement-

Authoritative Structured Oriented
Leadership Task
• External Locus • Strong
of Control Formal
• High Ability Authority
• Good or Not
Good Work
Group
As you can see from Figure 1, you can match up the needs of
subordinate and environmental factors to determine the best
leadership style to use. (Where subordinate and environmental
combinations fall between these four groups, use an appropriate mix
of styles.)
As an example, imagine that you're in charge of a team in human
resources. You've put together this special team to help reduce some
of your core team's workload. Because this new group is from a
different department, they're not very knowledgeable about HR
processes and practices, and they're not confident in their ability to
achieve their goal (pointing towards an external locus of control).
They need clear instructions, they have low ability for the task, and
their work is fairly simple. However, everyone in the team has a good
relationship, so they are capable of supporting one another in their
work. Using Path-Goal Theory, you determine that most people in
your new team need a directive leadership style.
Or, imagine that you're a manager in IT. The marketing department
needs a simple program to help them keep track of client requests.
Your expert team is more than capable of completing this project, so
they need to be set challenging goals. Also, you have clear authority
over them and high confidence in their abilities. So the best
leadership style to use in this instance is the Achievement-Oriented
style. (In this this case, it doesn't matter that the team is not a good
work group.)
Note 1:
Remember to treat people in your team as individuals – different

people may need different styles of leadership. Be flexible in your
approach.
Note 2:
The main problem with Path-Goal Theory is that it can be difficult

to assess situational factors. If you don't assess these accurately,
you may choose the wrong leadership style.
Key Points
Path-Goal Theory helps leaders determine an appropriate
leadership style, depending on the situation and the people they're
leading. It's based on four leadership styles: supportive, directive,
participative, and achievement-oriented.
Consider your team and your current situation, then use the model
to determine the best approach. This will help your team be more
productive and motivated about their work.
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What members say...
Rachel wrote
Hi All
When identifying the best leadership style to use, we have to

consider several different factors, and it's easy choose the wrong
approach.
One theory that help us avoid this is Path-Goal Theory - find out
how to use it in this week's Featured Favorite tool.
http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/article/path-goal-
theory.php
Best wishes
Rachel
May 15, 2012
Dianna wrote
That's a fantastic development Zuni! Myers Briggs and other

profile type tests are great for starting conversations and better
appreciating our differences. If she is willing to engage your team
in these discussions then I think you'll have great results. Keep
looking for opportunities like this to team build and share
perspectives.
Let us know how things go.
Dianna
November 9, 2010
zuni wrote
Hi Dianna,
Thank you for the excellent suggestions. We definitely haven't

given up on her or the situation. Our team is not one that will sit
back and stew. We have already taken steps to turn the situation
around.
A recent team activity has provided us with an opportunity to

provide her with feedback in a way that will not be threatening to
her. The team recently had our Myers Briggs profiles completed.
Our manager is a very strong "J" and admits to being a
perfectionist. By leveraging the characteristics of a her profile, we
have been able to discuss the impact her high 'J" tendencies has
on her leadership style.
Zuni
November 8, 2010
Dianna wrote
Hi Zuni - interesting example. It is so easy to become entrenched

in one leadership style and not see that it isn't as appropriate in
certain situations. The question here is, how do you cope with a
manager who uses a directive style? You say feedback has been
ignored thusfar, I'm wondering if could approach her again and
provide a solution or two like suggesting a way for her to stay
informed of what is happening without feeling the need to dictate
to you. Maybe there is something you and your colleagues could
do to "prove" you don't need to be directed so much as you need
to be led. Can you offer to spearhead a project or produce some
deliverable with little input from her?
I think it's worth trying to make the relationship work. Over time
she might change and in the meantime at least you can feel like
you are doing "something" rather than just sitting back and
getting more and more frustrated.
What do you think?
Dianna
November 8, 2010
zuni wrote
Hi all,
Path-goal theory is a logical approach to leading others. As a

former team lead myself and observing others who lead, I often
find that leaders become so caught up in achieving objectives and
expediting work that they do not pause to reflect on the needs of
individual team members or analyze the context. Or, they have
become comfortable in a specific style of leadership and do not
adjust when the composition of their teams change.
For example, my manager cut her teeth as a team lead by leading

junior managers. Now she leads a group of senior professionals
and she still leads with a directive style. It should come as no
surprise that, several of the team are disgruntled and grow tired
of being told what to do. Despite feedback her style has not
changed.
Zuni
November 7, 2010
Yolande wrote
The Path-Goal theory is a very logical approach for leaders to get

the best from the people around them. If you are willing to help
people get what they want and what they are striving for, the
team is the winner in the end!
Kind regards
Yolandé
November 4, 2010

Choosing the Right Style for the Situation
Imagine that you work with a

positive, charismatic leader.
She's excited about the future
of the organization, and she
shares this excitement with her
team.
She makes sure that people
understand how their efforts
contribute to this future, and
this inclusion sparks loyalty and
Find out how emotional leadership styles can affect
intense effort in the team. your team's happiness.
© iStockphoto/Kuklev
Generally, morale and job
satisfaction are high, because team members feel that they're making
a difference.
However, some people in her team don't respond well to this style of
leadership. And when there's a crisis, she struggles to get some of
them to focus on short-term objectives.
She could be more effective by varying her approach to leadership,
depending on the situation; and she could do this by using "six
emotional leadership styles", each of which is useful in different
circumstances.
In this article, we'll look at these six emotional leadership styles. We'll
explore each style, and we'll look at the situations where each is most
useful. We'll also explore how you can develop the skills needed to
use each style effectively.
The Six Emotional Leadership Styles

Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee described six
distinct emotional leadership styles in their 2002 book, "Primal
Leadership." Each of these styles has a different effect on people's
emotions, and each has strengths and weaknesses in different
situations.
Four of these styles (Visionary, Coaching, Affiliative, and Democratic)
promote harmony and positive outcomes, while two styles
(Commanding and Pacesetting) can create tension, and should only
be used in specific situations.
Goleman and his co-authors say that no one style should be used all
of the time. Instead, the six styles should be used interchangeably,
depending on the specific needs of the situation and the people that
you're dealing with.
Note:
You'll be able to choose the best style to use if you know how to
"read" others and the situation you're in. This is where it's useful to
improve your listening skills , learn how to understand body
language , and improve your emotional intelligence .
We'll now examine each style in more detail.
1. The Visionary Leader

People using the Visionary leadership style are inspiring, and they
move people toward a common goal. Visionary leaders tell their
teams where they're all going, but not how they're going to get there
– they leave it up to team members to find their way to the common
goal. Empathy is the most important aspect of Visionary
leadership.
When to Use It
Visionary leadership is most effective when the organization needs a
new vision or a dramatic new direction, such as during a corporate
turnaround. However, it's less likely to be effective when you're
working with a team more experienced than you are – here,
democratic leadership is more likely to be effective.
This leadership style can also be overbearing if you use it too often.
How to Develop It
To develop a Visionary style, focus on increasing your expertise,
vision, self-confidence and empathy . Get excited about
change, and let your team see your enthusiasm.
You also need to convince others of your vision, so focus on
improving your presentation skills .
Example
Imagine that, in order to reach some aggressive sales goals, you've
decided to overhaul the way that your department connects with new
clients. The techniques and processes you've developed are radically
different from the ones that your people are used to.
As you tell your team about the new process, you can't help but be
excited. You believe that these changes will make a real difference to
your results, and you want your people to succeed.
Your team immediately picks up on your excitement and sincerity,
and they get excited too. They know it's up to them to use the new
system to make things happen, and they're willing to put in the extra
work needed to learn new skills.
2. The Coaching Leader
The Coaching leadership style connects people's personal goals with
the organization's goals. A leader using this style is empathic and
encouraging, and focuses on developing others for future success.
This style centers on having in-depth conversations with employees
that may have little to do with current work, instead focusing on long-
term life goals and how these connect with the organization's mission.
This style has a positive impact on your people, because it's
motivating, and it establishes rapport and trust.
When to Use It
The Coaching style should be used whenever you have a team
member who needs help building long-term skills, or if you feel that
he or she is "adrift" in your organization and could benefit from a
coaching or mentoring relationship.
However, coaching can fail when it's used with an employee who is
not making an effort, or who needs a lot of direction and feedback –
here, pacesetting or commanding leadership may be more
appropriate.
How to Develop It
To develop a Coaching style, learn how to engage in informal
coaching and mentoring .
It's also important to get to know the people on your team. When you
know your people, you're better able to see when they need guidance
or advice. Use Management by Walking Around to keep in
touch with their needs.
Example
Jim, a new hire on your team, is having trouble fitting in to his new
role. He's only been with the organization a month, but you can tell
he's dissatisfied. Your organization requires "face time" at the office,
and Jim misses the freedom of telecommuting, as he did at his old
job. You also get the feeling that he'd like a position with more
responsibility.
You meet with Jim, and you help him see that being in the office five
days a week does have distinct advantages over telecommuting. For
instance, showing up every day allows him to bond with the team and
network with colleagues who could turn into strategic allies in the
future. You also encourage him to use your organization's immense
training library, which he can visit in his lunch break to learn the skills
he needs for a promotion.
To inspire and motivate Jim, you assign him projects that will stretch
his skills and knowledge base. Instead of being overwhelmed, he
expresses excitement about the opportunity.
After your talk, Jim takes your advice and starts making the most of
his time in the office. He works on his projects with dedication,
impressing both you and your boss.
3. The Affiliative Leader

The Affiliative leadership style promotes harmony within the team.
This style connects people together, encouraging inclusion and
resolving conflict. To use this style, you must value the emotions of
others, and put a high value on their emotional needs.
When to Use It
Use this style whenever there is team tension or conflict, when trust
has been broken, or if the team needs to be motivated through a
stressful time.
How to Develop It
Leaders who use the Affiliative style are highly focused on emotion.
So, learn how to resolve conflict and how to be optimistic .
Our article on managing emotion in your team will also help.
Example
After a difficult year, Sarah's boss has finally been asked to leave her
department. Although she was proficient at her job, her management
style was dictatorial. It didn't matter what she had to do or whose
feelings she hurt – meeting department goals was her top priority.
Sarah's been asked to take over her position, and, although she's
excited about the opportunity, she's now in charge of a team that is
emotionally battered and untrusting.
Sarah decides to focus on her team's emotional needs before doing
any work on department goals and future projects.
Her first few meetings are just spent talking. She allows everyone to
open up about how their old boss made them feel. Every person on
the team is allowed time to vent. The group quickly realizes that
although they went through their own tough times, they all
experienced similar things.
After two meetings, the atmosphere in the team is better and more
open to new relationships. Because their emotional needs were met
first, the group is now ready to focus on new projects and goals.
4. The Democratic Leader

The Democratic leadership style focuses on collaboration. Leaders
using this leadership style actively seek input from their teams, and
they rely more on listening than directing.
When to Use It
This style is best used when you need to get your team on board with
an idea, or build consensus. It's also effective when you need your
team's input.
The Democratic leadership style shouldn't be used with people who
are inexperienced, lack competence, or aren't well informed about a
situation. It's best to ask for input from team members who are
motivated, knowledgeable and capable.
How to Develop It
To develop a Democratic leadership style, involve your team in
problem solving and decision making, and teach them the skills
they need to do this. You should learn active listening and
facilitation skills.
Example
Your department has lost money over the past two quarters, and
you're anxious to reverse this – you know that if you can't figure out
how to make your department profitable soon, something radical (and
unpleasant) will have to be done to stem the losses.
You call a meeting with your team and explain the situation. You ask
them if they have any ideas that could turn the department around.
Then, you give them the floor: For the rest of the meeting, all you do
is listen.
Your team members talk through their options, and you reach a
consensus on what to do next.
5. The Pacesetting Leader

The Pacesetting leadership style focuses on performance and meeting
goals. Leaders using this leadership style expect excellence from their
teams, and often the leader will jump in him or herself to make sure
that goals are met.
The Pacesetting style doesn't coddle poor performers – everyone is
held to a high standard.
While this can be a successful style, it can have a negative effect on
the team, leading to burnout, exhaustion and high staff turnover.
When to Use It
The Pacesetting leadership style is best used when you need to get
high quality results from a motivated team, quickly.
How to Develop It
Because the Pacesetting style focuses on high performance, learn
how to improve the quality of your team's work using techniques like
Six Sigma and Kaizen . Train your people properly, and engage
in high-performance coaching to help them become as effective
as possible.
You may also want to work on your motivation skills , so that you
can get the best from your people.
Example
Although the holidays are coming up, your boss is pressuring you to
improve your team's numbers by the end of the quarter, which is only
a few weeks away. Your team is motivated, but they're also tired.
They're not looking forward to a last minute push right before their
break.
You decide to move forward anyway. They can handle the pressure,
and if they can meet their performance goals they'll be rewarded with
a great end-of-year bonus. So you get them fired up one last time,
asking everyone to work extra hours to ensure success. You also work
extra hours yourself, and you help anyone who falls behind.
6. The Commanding Leader

Commanding leaders use an autocratic approach to leadership. This
style often depends on orders, the (often unspoken) threat of
punishment, and tight control.
People in modern, democratic countries are used to having a level of
control over their lives and their work, and this approach deprives
them of this. What's more, because this leadership style is so often
misused, it can have a profoundly negative effect on a team.
When to Use It
The Commanding leadership style is best used in crisis situations, to
jump start fast-paced change, and with problem employees.
How to Develop It
Be cautious when setting out to develop a Commanding leadership
style. Remember, this style is very easily misused, and should only be
used when necessary.
To work effectively in these high-pressure situations, learn how to
manage
crises , think on your feet , and make good decisions under
pressure .
Example
Vijay has just learned that his CEO is stepping down, as of today.
As the Executive Vice President, he's naturally next in line for the
position. But right now, the board is in turmoil. Everyone is trying to
decide what to do before the financial markets open and shares
plummet on the news.
He tries to collaborate with some of his allies, but everyone has their
own idea of what needs to happen. The team is arguing constantly,
and Vijay realizes that nothing is going to get done unless someone
takes charge.
He starts issuing orders to those closest to him, almost without
thinking. His tone is firm and authoritative, and there's no room for
debate. Quickly, the room quiets down and he outlines what needs to
happen within the next few hours. He ends up quieting the fears of
everyone in the room, and things get done quickly.
Having passed the crisis, he switches to a more democratic
leadership style, respecting the experience and expertise of his
executive team.
Tip:
Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee's Six Emotional Leadership Styles

provide just one approach for thinking about leadership styles. You
can find out about many other leadership styles and leadership
style schemes in our leadership styles article.
Key Points
According to Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee,
there are six emotional leadership styles – Visionary, Coaching,
Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting, and Commanding. Each style
has a different affect on the emotions of the people that you're
leading.
Each style works best in different situations, resonating differently
with your team, and producing different results.
Anyone can learn how to use these leadership styles. But it's
important to remember that these styles are meant to be used
interchangeably, depending on the needs of your team, and the
situation.
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What members say...
MJ08 wrote
Thanks Dianna
February 5, 2013
Dianna wrote
Hi MJ,
I'll pass this feedback along to our editorial team for
consideration. They have lots of new things in the pipeline and
there is capacity for updates and improvements as well. Now that
you have posted to this thread you will be advised when other
people comment on the article as well as when an update is
made.
Cheers!
Dianna
January 30, 2013
MJ08 wrote
This is a great article. Is it available as a visual at all? e.g. as a

table with the different styles of leadership with the summary of
"When to Use it" and "How to develop it". Its good to read the
detail of the article and then to have something visual as a
reminder would be really helpful, thanks
January 30, 2013
James wrote
Hi Muyis
Our pleasure - I'm very pleased that you've found the resources
useful!
James
March 19, 2011
muyis wrote
Hi,:D
I find your emotional intelligence and Leadership resources
absolutely valuable and must commend the author(s) for a
wonderful job. I do on a personal note apply these to myself or to
scenarios that presents itself in the resources i have come across
as a new member. Welldone.
Regards
March 18, 2011
Dianna wrote
Interesting situation. My personal approach would be to be as

open and honest as possible about your reasons for keeping this
person in loop. With the affiliative leadership style you can rely on
open communication to keep emotions in check and encourage
people to talk about what is bothering them instead of building
resentments that can become huge obstacles as the project
progresses.
We'd love to hear how things turn out and what methods you
decide to use. Keep us posted!
Dianna
March 15, 2011
go_nomad wrote
Abolutely agreed, Yolanda - I'm using the information in this article

to help me in my role as a Project Manager. Here's a "live"
example, I need this right now for a (what should be small) issue
that's occurring right now: agreement from project team on who
should/should not be invited to project planning work sessions! I'd
like to include someone who, while not needed in the
[u:36w3vtha]immediate[/u:36w3vtha] planning at-hand, will be a
"recipient" down the road. I want to include that person now to
give them full understanding of what will be happening so when
his piece comes to life, yadda yadda yadda. But I'm getting
resistance. I have to handle this properly or team relations could
be jeopardized... Wish me luck! Thanks.
March 15, 2011
Yolande wrote
Hi all
What a great article! Having knowledge about the different

emotional leadership styles, may help you make a conscious
decision to move between them as the need arises. Not only is
this helpful in the office situation, but also at home and even
when managing personal relationships. There is a natural rhythm
of ebb and flow in most things in life: times when things at the
office seem to go smooth and times that call for harder measures;
times when relationships are blooming and times when it's more
difficult to keep peace and harmony; times when business and
income flows well and leaner times. Each situation calls for a
connected leader who knows how to handle the situation
emotionally.
It will be great to hear about experiences from some of our

members.
Kind regards
Yolandé
March 2, 2011

The Agile Leader: Adaptability
By Bruna Martinuzzi
There is a well-known Chinese

proverb that says that the wise
adapt themselves to
circumstances, as water molds
itself to the pitcher. Perhaps at
no other time in recent history
has adaptability been more
important than it is now.
Adaptability – the ability to
change (or be changed) to fit
new circumstances – is a
crucial skill for leaders, and an Do you "fit" your circumstances?
important competency in © iStockphoto/IJzendoorn
emotional intelligence.
A 2008 study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, entitled
Growing Global Executive Talent, showed that the top three leadership
qualities that will be important over the years ahead include: the
ability to motivate staff (35 percent); the ability to work well across
cultures (34 percent); and the ability to facilitate change (32 percent).
The least important were technical expertise (11 percent) and
"bringing in the numbers" (10 percent).
As a leader, it is therefore crucial to make a concerted effort to
understand people of different cultures, and cultural adaptability has
become a leadership imperative. As an example, a leader I am
currently working with has 22 different cultures represented in his
team!
An example of a leader who epitomizes this prized quality is Robert
McDonald, chief operating officer of the Procter & Gamble Company,
who has spent much of the past two decades in various overseas
postings. In a recent interview, he said: "I did not expect to live
outside the United States for 15 years; the world has changed, so I
have had to change, too. When you look at my bio, foreign languages
are not my best subjects. But, when you move out of your culture,
you have to learn foreign languages."
This willingness to get out of one’s comfort zone, and learn
continuously as a way of adapting to changed surroundings, marks a
key difference between successful and unsuccessful leaders.
I have just finished reading "Everyday Survival: Why Smart People do
Stupid Things" by Laurence Gonzales, a lecturer at Lawrence
Livermore National Laboratories. In the book, Gonzales talks about
the dumb mistakes we make when we work from a mental script that
does not match the requirements of real-world situations.
He explains that one of the reasons this happens has to do with the
way that the brain processes new information. It creates what he calls
"behavioral scripts," or mental models that automate almost every
action that we take. For example, growing up, we build a behavioral
script for the physical motions required in tying our shoes. Through
practice, this script is eventually entrenched and it ends up making
the action so easy and automatic that we never give it another
thought. Another example of a behavioral script that we learn is
ducking when something is thrown at us. Behavioral scripts simplify
our world, make us more efficient and help us move around faster and
with less effort. They influence not only our actions but also what we
perceive and believe. Gonzales says that "We tend not to notice
things that are inconsistent with the models, and we tend not to try
what the scripts tells us is bad or impossible."
The efficiency of these scripts carry with them a downside: they can
divert our attention from important information coming to us from our
environment. In other words, the models or scripts push us to
disregard the reality of a situation, and dismiss signals because the
message we get from our scripts is that we already know about it. So
we make decisions about a situation that, as Gonzales puts it "aren’t
really decisions in the real sense of the word. They’re simply
automated behaviors."
Mental scripts may also result in stubbornly clinging to the notion that
"this is how we have always done it", refusing to understand and
accept the realities of a new situation. Gonzales quotes Henry Plotkin,
a psychologist at University College in London, who states that we
tend to "generalize into the future what worked in the past." So,
whatever worked in the past, do it; whatever didn’t work, avoid it.
This is, of course, the anti-thesis of the quality of being adaptable, of
being flexible under the influence of rapidly changing external
conditions. It can make us rigid, unresponsive to change, and
unwilling to learn and adopt new ways, all of which can have an
impact on our ability to survive and succeed in the long run. People
who score high on the adaptability competency are able to deal more
positively with change, and they are able to do what it takes to adapt
their approach and shift their priorities.
Here are a few tips for developing adaptability.
• When you catch yourself shooting an idea down, take a moment
to consider what mental scripts are influencing your behavior.
Mental scripts are so automatic that you have to decide
intentionally that you want to challenge them, if you want to
improve your leadership.
• Help your people distinguish between observation and
inference, between fact and conjecture. Inference and
conjecture can be influenced by mental scripts which don’t have
a bearing on reality. Be the voice in the room that calls others’
attention to this possibility, and help everyone pause so that they
can analyze inferences and conjectures that may or may not be
valid.
• Do you habitually insist on going "by the book"? Is this
necessary for every issue? Might you enhance your team’s
productivity if you paid more attention to the effect that this
might have on the people involved? What would happen if you
applied standard procedures more flexibly?
• Consider that when we push the envelope, and when we
intentionally put ourselves in situations that are outside our
comfort zone, we grow. Are you trading on old knowledge? Do
you need to update your skills? Are you relying too much on your
title as the sign of authority? In today’s working environment,
surrounded by highly intelligent and specialized knowledge
workers, this no longer works. We need to adapt by continually
evolving and reinventing ourselves. In "Rethinking the Future",
Warren Bennis talks about the importance for leaders to
recompose their leadership style and to continue to adapt: "It’s
like snakes. What do snakes do? They molt, they shed their
outside skins. But it’s not just that. It’s a matter of continuing to
grow and transform, and it means that executives have to have
extraordinary adaptability." This applies to every level in the
organization: change or perish.
• When we are in a position for a length of time, we may tend to
become accustomed to the status quo and fail to challenge the
process in order to continue to grow and improve. If you left
tomorrow, what would your successor do to improve
things? Consider making these changes yourself.
• In today's environment of complex challenges and rapid change,
the ability to solve problems becomes even more crucial. The
Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory (KAI) measures the way
people solve problems and make decisions. Adapters prefer a
more adaptable, methodical and organized approach to problem-
solving, and are more likely to seek a solution to a problem by
working within current framework rather than developing a
completely new one. Innovators, on the other hand, prefer a
less orderly, more unconventional and ingenious approach to
problem-solving and are likely to seek solutions by thinking
outside the box. One looks to do things better, the other looks to
do things differently. Consider that a team that is composed of
extreme adapters or extreme innovators is less successful
than a team that is balanced. If you want to know where your
team is in this dimension, check out the KAI.
• If you want a test to assess your level of adaptability,
consider the StrengthsFinder or Emotional Competence
Inventory (ECI). The latter tests adaptability on four scales:
1. Openness to new ideas.
2. Adaptation to situations.
3. Handling of unexpected demands.
4. Adapting or changing strategy.
• To understand what changes you need to make to continue to be
successful, read: What Got You Here Won't Get You There:
How Successful People Become Even More Successful by
Marshall Goldsmith. (We have published a Book Insight
covering this great title.)
Adaptability is not just a "nice to have competency." It is a
competitive advantage for you, as a leader and for your organization.
So, where does your company stand in terms of adaptability? What do
you need to do to keep up with the pace of change, with the
increasing complexity of today’s workplace? Long ago, Benjamin
Franklin said: "Wide will wear, but narrow will tear." What can you do
today to widen your perspective, to stretch the limits imposed, to
extend the scope and meaning of what you do as a leader?
www.increaseyoureq.com.
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What members say...
Yolande wrote
Hi all
I loved this article because it confronts the reader with a number

of key issues regarding leadership and adaptability. I especially
like the following: If you left tomorrow, what would your successor
do to improve things? Consider making these changes yourself.
I've seen so many people in leadership positions kicking against
making such changes because they feel threatened; by going
ahead and making these changes yourself you not only prove
your adaptability, you also strengthen your self-worth by not
allowing yourself to feel threatened by other people and their
ideas. In stead you use it to your advantage (in a positive way)
and to the advantage of the team.
Kind regards
Yolandé
June 10, 2009
Midgie wrote
This is an interesting article which highlights the need and

benefits of being 'adaptable'. We are not being 'adaptable' when
we are entrenched in our 'mental scrips' that all of have going on
all the time. The key is taking the time to stop and question why
were are responding or saying things in a certain way.
The article concludes with some excellent strategies to help you

become more adaptable. So, well worth considering and adopting!
Midgie
June 9, 2009

The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid
Balancing Task- and People-Oriented Leadership
When your boss puts you in

charge of organizing the
company Christmas party, what
do you do first?
Do you develop a time line and
start assigning tasks, or do you
think about who would prefer to
do what, and try to schedule
around their needs?
When the planning starts to fall
© iStockphoto/LajosRepasi
behind schedule, what is your
first reaction? Do you chase everyone to get back on track, or do you
ease off a bit, recognizing that everyone is busy just doing his/her job,
let alone the extra tasks you’ve assigned?
Your answers to these types of questions can reveal a great deal
about your personal leadership style. Some leaders are very task-
oriented; they simply want to get things done. Others are very
people-oriented; they want people to be happy. And others are a
combination of the two. If you prefer to lead by setting and enforcing
tight schedules, you tend to be more production-oriented (or task-
oriented). If you make people your priority and try to accommodate
their needs, then you’re more people-oriented.
Neither preference is right or wrong, just as no one type of leadership
style is best for all situations. However, it's useful to understand what
your natural leadership tendencies are, so that you can then begin
working on developing skills that you may be missing.
A popular framework for thinking about a leader’s ‘task versus
person’ orientation was developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton
in the early 1960s. Called the Managerial Grid, or Leadership Grid, it
plots the degree of task-centeredness versus person-centeredness
and identifies five combinations as distinct leadership styles.
Understanding the Model

The Managerial Grid is based on two behavioral dimensions:
• Concern for People – This is the degree to which a leader
considers the needs of team members, their interests, and areas
of personal development when deciding how best to accomplish
a task.
• Concern for Production – This is the degree to which a leader
emphasizes concrete objectives, organizational efficiency and
high productivity when deciding how best to accomplish a task.
Using the axis to plot leadership ‘concerns for production’ versus
‘concerns for people’, Blake and Mouton defined the following five
leadership styles:
Impoverished Leadership – Low Production/Low People
This leader is mostly ineffective. He/she has neither a high regard for
creating systems for getting the job done, nor for creating a work
environment that is satisfying and motivating. The result is
disorganization, dissatisfaction and disharmony.
Country Club Leadership – High People/Low Production

This style of leader is most concerned about the needs and feelings of
members of his/her team. These people operate under the
assumption that as long as team members are happy and secure then
they will work hard. What tends to result is a work environment that is
very relaxed and fun but where production suffers due to lack of
direction and control.
Produce or Perish Leadership – High Production/Low People

Also known as Authoritarian or Compliance Leaders, people in this
category believe that employees are simply a means to an end.
Employee needs are always secondary to the need for efficient and
productive workplaces. This type of leader is very autocratic, has
strict work rules, policies, and procedures, and views punishment as
the most effective means to motivate employees. (See also our article
on Theory X/Theory Y .)
Middle-of-the-Road Leadership – Medium Production/Medium

People
This style seems to be a balance of the two competing concerns, and
it may at first appear to be an ideal compromise. Therein lies the
problem, though: When you compromise, you necessarily give away a
bit of each concern, so that neither production nor people needs are
fully met. Leaders who use this style settle for average performance
and often believe that this is the most anyone can expect.
Team Leadership – High Production/High People

According to the Blake Mouton model, this is the best managerial
style. These leaders stress production needs and the needs of the
people equally highly.
The premise here is that employees understand the organizations
purpose and are involved in determining production needs. When
employees are committed to, and have a stake in the organization’s
success, their needs and production needs coincide. This creates a
team environment based on trust and respect, which leads to high
satisfaction and motivation and, as a result, high production. (See
also our article on Theory Y .)
Applying the Blake Mouton Managerial Grid

Being aware of the various approaches is the first step in
understanding and improving how well you perform as a manager. It
is important to understand how you currently operate, so that you can
then identify ways of becoming effective in both areas.
Step One: Identify your leadership style

• Think of some recent situations where you were the leader.
• For each of these situations, place yourself on the grid according
to where you believe you fit.
Step Two: Identify areas of improvement and develop your

leadership skills
• Look at your current leadership approach, and think about
whether it suits the context.
• Look at ways that you could improve. Are you settling for ‘middle
of the road’ because it is easier than reaching for more?
• Identify ways to get the skills you need to reach the Team
Leadership position. These may include involving others in
problem solving or improving how you communicate with
them, if you feel you are too task-oriented. Or it may mean
becoming clearer about scheduling or monitoring project
progress if you tend to focus too much on people.
• Continually monitor your performance and watch for situations
where you slip back into bad old habits.
Step Three: Put the Grid in Context

It is important to recognize that the Team Leadership style isn’t
always the most effective approach in every situation. While the
benefits of democratic and participative management are widely
accepted, there are times that call for more attention in one area than
another.
If your company is in the midst of a merger or some other significant
change, it can be acceptable to place a higher emphasis on people
than on production. Likewise, when faced with an economic hardship
or physical risk, people concerns may be placed on the back burner,
for the short-term at least, to achieve high productivity and efficiency.
Note:
Theories of leadership have moved on a certain amount since the

Blake Mouton Grid was originally proposed. In particular, the
context in which leadership occurs is now seen as an important
driver of the leadership style used.
And in many situations, the "Team Leader" as an ideal has moved
to the ideal of the "Transformational Leader": Someone who,
according to leadership researcher Bernard Bass:
• Is a model of integrity and fairness.
• Sets clear goals.
• Has high expectations.
• Encourages.
• Provides support and recognition.
• Stirs people's emotions.
• Gets people to look beyond their self-interest.
• Inspires people to reach for the improbable.
So use Blake Mouton as a helpful model, but don't treat it as an
"eternal truth".
Key Points
The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid is a practical and useful
framework that helps you think about your leadership style. By
plotting ‘concern for production’ against ‘concern for people’, the
grid highlights how placing too much emphasis in one area at the
expense of the other leads to low overall productivity.
The model proposes that when both people and production
concerns are high, employee engagement and productivity
increases accordingly. This is often true, and it follows the ideas of
Theories X and Y, and other participative management theories.
While the grid does not entirely address the complexity of “Which
leadership style is best?”, it certainly provides an excellent starting
point for thinking about your own performance and improving your
general leadership skills.
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What members say...
Dianna wrote
Glad you enjoyed the learning stream smita shukla! They are
really helpful for understanding a specific develop topic and they
provide lots of resources to draw information from. And I love the
confidence that comes through your post! Yes, you can be a great
leader - you have so much to offer based on your experience
alone. Add to that great people skills and you have a recipe for
success.
Keep us posted on your career and progress. We'd love to hear

how the training helps you.
Cheers!
Dianna
September 12, 2010
sshukla wrote
I really enjoy learning Leadership Skills, it so true about leadership

style best to suit every situation in our business industry, I never
had managerial position, always behind the door, to I have learn I
can become Team Leader, all quality and talent I have all these
years 20 years experiences and expertise will help me to move
my next career. Learning Class is really useful and informative to
learn new skills, thank you every so much for suggest me to
follow. smita shukla
September 11, 2010
Rachel wrote
Also see more members' comments at http://www.mindtools.com/

forums/viewtopic.php?t=193
November 5, 2006
James wrote
Just a note to say how important this Blake Mouton Grid idea is.
In my first managerial job, my approach was so far into the

"Produce or Perish" quadrant it wasn't true. There was nothing
malicious about this, it was just that I got the job by being very
results-focused (as very many do) and I continued with this
previously successful approach after the promotion...
I hope that this article helps people in that position avoid a long
and painful learning process!
What have other people experienced in making this transition?
October 27, 2006

The Four Factor Theory of
Leadership
A Foundation of Good Leadership
Leadership is getting players to

believe in you. If you tell a
teammate you're ready to play
as tough as you're able to,
you'd better go out there and
do it. Players will see right
through a phony. And they can
tell when you're not giving it all
you've got.
– Larry Bird, Basketball player

Learn about the four foundations of good
leadership.
If someone asked you to say © iStockphoto/Veni
what the basics of good
leadership are, what would you tell them?
Perhaps you'd use phrases like "having integrity," "inspiring people,"
"leading from the front," and a whole range of other phrases besides.
Good leadership involves many different attributes, but there are
common factors that link many of them.
In this article we'll look at the Four Factor Theory of Leadership, a
classic model that defines four basic dimensions of effective
leadership. We'll then think about how you can use these dimensions
with your team.
About the Theory

Researchers David Bowers and Stanley Seashore developed the Four
Factor Theory of Leadership in the mid-1960s, and published it in
1966.
The pair reviewed the findings of several other leading researchers,
who were exploring what it takes to be an effective leader. They
noticed that there were four dimensions that consistently emerged in
these studies.
The four factors were:
1. Providing Personal Support – Helping people value
themselves and their work, so that they can develop a sense of
self-worth.
2. Encouraging Teamwork ("Interaction Facilitation") –
Encouraging people to establish close, collaborative, successful
working relationships with one another.
3. Focusing on Goals ("Goal Emphasis") – Inspiring people to
feel enthusiastic about and committed to shared goals, and
motivating them to want to perform well.
4. Helping People Work Effectively ("Work Facilitation") –
Helping people meet goals by supporting them, and by providing
resources, materials, or knowledge.
Bowers and Seashore concluded that leaders need to do all of these
things to lead their teams effectively.
Applying the Theory

Although the more recent idea of Transformational Leadership
is often the best leadership approach to use in business leadership
situations, it can be helpful to keep Bowers and Seashore's factors in
mind as you work with your team. After all, it helps to know about a
variety of different leadership styles , so that you can use the best
approach for a given situation.
So, how can you apply the four dimensions?
Providing Personal Support

With this dimension, leaders support members of their team on an
emotional level by developing people's feelings of self-worth, and by
helping them feel appreciated and valued.
As a leader, this means showing your people that you value the work
they do. Reward your team by saying "thank you" when people
have done a job well, or have gone beyond the call of duty. (If you're
working on a slim budget, don't think you have to reward your team's
efforts with cash; there are plenty of ways to motivate your team
without bonuses .)
You can also support your people emotionally by building their self-
confidence , and by showing empathy .
Remember, most people on your team just want to know that their
work has value. Take time to recognize the work they do, and show
your appreciation.
Encouraging Teamwork ("Interaction Facilitation")

Leaders work on this dimension when they encourage members of
their team to establish close, collaborative relationships with one-
another. Teams are most effective when people trust one another and
communicate well. As a leader, you need to help this trust and
communication develop.
Build the trust of your team by being honest with your people.
Admit when you've made a mistake, and acknowledge that team
members might know more than you do in certain areas. This
willingness to be humble will go a long way in establishing trust.
Your team looks to you for clues on how to act; if you display trust and
communicate openly, people are likely to behave that way with each
other as well. So "walk the walk" as an authentic leader , and be a
good role model .
Good communication is essential for successful teams. People who
know how to express themselves clearly, even when they're talking
about difficult situations, are more effective and successful than
people whose communication tends to break down under pressure.
So, coach your people on basic communication skills such as Active
Listening , Assertiveness , and Conflict Resolution . You can
also use the Johari Window to help them understand one-another
better.
Focusing on Goals ("Goal Emphasis")

Leaders use this dimension when they communicate shared goals,
and work to motivate people to achieve these.
Start by practicing Management by Objectives , by helping
people understand how their objectives align with those of the
organization. When these are in sync, people will be happier and
more productive.
You also need to help your people to become enthusiastic about the
organization's mission. Inspire them with business storytelling ,
and by helping them understand how the work they're doing
contributes to the greater good.
Then, make sure that your team has SMART goals in place. If your
team is unsure of its goals, or if its goals are constantly changing,
productivity and morale will fall.
You can also communicate your team's goals effectively with a Team
Charter . This further clarifies objectives, and explains what people
can and can't do to achieve the team's mission.
Helping People Work ("Work Facilitation")

Leaders work on this dimension when they provide the tools and
resources that people need to meet their work goals.
It's your responsibility to keep your team safe and healthy, so start by
making sure that they have a healthy workplace to work in. After
all, people will struggle to focus and excel in an unhealthy or
uncomfortable environment!
Next, make sure that your team has all of the resources it needs to do
its work effectively and meet its objectives. (Don't forget that
resources also include assets such as time, knowledge, and help from
other people.)
And train and develop your people effectively; and make sure
that people know their priorities, so that they can manage their time
and resources properly.
Tip:
These four factors get you started with leadership, but you can
develop your skills much further. If you want to build skills in all
areas of leadership, take our How Good Are Your Leadership
Skills? self-test, and find out where else you can improve.
Key Points
David Bowers and Stanley Seashore created the Four Factor
Theory of Leadership in the mid-60s.
The four dimensions are:
1. Providing support.
2. Encouraging teamwork.
3. Focusing on goals.
4. Helping people work effectively.
You can use the four factors as a solid base when building your
leadership skills. Bear in mind, however, that you'll need to learn
much more than this if you want to be an effective leader.
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The Green-Eyed Monster
Keeping Envy Out of the Workplace
A CEO to whom I reported, a

few years ago, entered my
office one day, slumped into
the chair across from me and
said, clearly bewildered: "I have
done everything I can to make
the staff happy – we pay good
wages, we have a rich benefit
plan, we allow people flexibility
in their hours, and yet, still
there is animosity and
bickering. I don't understand Envy – a powerful and disruptive emotion.
what drives these people to © iStockphoto
behave the way they do."
The answer was at once simple and complex. It had to do with
employee emotions – and, in particular, one emotion: Envy. Emotions
are a powerful instigator of behavior, and envy, the unmentionable
emotion, is perhaps one of the most pervasive and powerful of all the
disruptive emotions that affect our corporate environments. We are
not used to talking about envy in polite society or in our workplaces.
Yet it is there, woven within the fabric of our organizations and it
affects employee moods, organizational morale and culture and,
ultimately, it is one of the causes of employee disengagement and
productivity loss.
There are many reasons for envy to manifest itself in the daily theatre
of the workplace: Competing for scarce resources or limited budgets,
and vying for important assignments, are commonplace situations
that can trigger predictable envy; Coveting attributes and qualities a
colleague has that another might lack is another understandable
possibility in the frailty of human nature; Losing a promotion to
someone better qualified can also be a trigger for envy. Many of these
situations are normal occurrences and cannot be avoided. They are a
part of our workplace scenarios and many human resources
practitioners have, at one time or other, witnessed a manifestation of
these situations.
But there is an overlooked trigger for envy that may very well be an
insidious cause of much discontent and disruption in the workplace. It
is the leader's unwitting behavior towards select people in the
organization.
Let's take one case in point: It is safe to say that many organizations
have an individual who has a great deal of personal power that is
often not associated with any position function or high level title – it
comes from what is often referred to as "having the boss's ear". All
employees, except perhaps the hapless newcomer, sense that
anything that is said within earshot of that individual will
automatically be relayed to the boss – worse still is the fear that it will
be relayed with personal filtering and self-serving interpretations. This
naturally causes others to envy the person's power and closeness to
the boss and results in a climate of apprehension and distrust of the
individual, and by extension, the leader.
Another common scenario is associated with the hiring of new "top
guns". Here is what happens: A leader joining an organization inherits
a number of long-term employees. In due course, the leader hires
additional employees who are often perceived to be more liked by the
leader because they were hand-picked by him or her and are viewed
as more in line with the leader's ethos and style. It's not uncommon
to hear the leader himself privately refer to this as "assembling my
own team". The existing employees are still well treated but there are
subtle nuances in the leader's behavior towards the newcomers that
signal that the newcomers are viewed as more valuable to the team:
The leader is seen spending more time with them and is generally
more complimentary and supportive of anything they do or say. In
meetings, for example, he or she will more readily support ideas and
suggestions by the newcomers, will represent them more favorably to
upper management and give them more visibility in the company.
While it is impossible for a leader to eradicate envy from the
workplace, there is much a leader can do to create an environment
that minimizes its occurrence. The scholar who has done the most
research on the issue of envy in the workplace is Dr Robert P Vecchio.
In "Managing Envy and Jealousy in the Workplace", one of many
articles he has authored on the topic, Dr Vecchio talks about envy and
jealousy as "commonplace in work settings in part because of the
inherent competitiveness of organizational life". He recommends five
initiatives to counteract these pervasive reactions:
1. Evaluating the emotional maturity of candidates at the time of
hire.
2. Incorporating elements of team culture.
3. Implementing incentives that support cooperation.
4. Encouraging open communication.
5. Placing high performers [who often give rise to envy] in mentor
roles.
To this, one can add a note of advice to leaders regarding their
personal behavior: As leaders, we are continuously being observed by
employees who notice our every move and micro expressions – they
know which employees are allowed in the inner circle from which they
feel excluded. Leaders should pay particular attention that they don't
innocently build these chosen few up while neglecting the others. As
my CEO was made aware that afternoon when he dropped into my
office, frequent public praise of only a select few, heightens
employees' feelings of insecurity about their own performance and
causes resentment which in turns affects productivity. A leader who
becomes aware of this stress-related reaction that his or her behavior
causes on employees will be better able to manage negative
emotions, such as envy, in the workplace and create a more relaxed
and happier work environment for everyone. In turn, this will help
avoid the loss of productivity that accompanies the green-eyed
monster.
All Rights Reserved.This article is adapted from Bruna Martinuzzi’s
book: The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person
Others Want to Follow. Bruna is an educator, author, speaker and
founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in
emotional intelligence, leadership, Myers-Briggs and presentation
skills training. Click here to contact her or visit her website at
Click to vote no
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What members say...
Dianna wrote
What a great example kaliedoscope! One can never be too sure

what someone else has and whether it is indeed worth having for
yourself. It's so much more effective to use a personal yardstick to
measure your successes and judge what makes you feel happy
and fulfilled. It's not an easy lesson to practice. especially when
there are people around who appear to 'have it all' or have
something you think you want, but nothing worthwhile in life
comes easy and battling envy is anything but easy!
Thanks again for a great reminder! It's great to see you on the
forums. I look forward to chatting more!
Dianna
January 30, 2012
kaliedoscope wrote
Lulu;
It happens to some extent any every aspect of life -- events

around us are observed as unfair or unequal, by either another
individual or group of individuals. Envy or lack of fairness is often
hard to judge as it is all down to specific situations. And in my
opinion the best a leader can do is try to limit the envious, trying
to act in the most fair aspect.
In you examples, why is the staff member allowed to work from

home? You may not get the true answer because there is not a
need to know. At my job we had a similar event, many were upset
that they did not have laptops or ability to work from home. After
two years we found out the employee working from home had
been battling cancer. They worked from home on chemo days
because of the exagerated illness.
Of course after the fact and discovery that opened a whole new
bag of worms.
January 28, 2012
Fidget wrote
What an interesting article! while I was reading, I actually checked

up the dictionary difference between envy and jealousy, and
although they are often used interchangeably, there is a subtle
difference - envy is more admiration of what someone else has
that you don't, while jealousy is the same thing but with an added
layer os unhappiness or a feeling of unfairness that goes with it.
Fiona
December 10, 2007
lulu wrote
Interesting topic. I have seen what I believe to be unfairness or

inequality in the office, but is it also envy??
For example, we have had certain staff member's children, appear

at work to do some filing or other tasks and get paid. This has not
been offered to other people's children, nor made public that
there is work to be done, so it has created as sense of inequality.
What do we have to do, to be in 'that circle' of staff where your
kids can earn pocket money.
Another scenario - one staff member has been given a laptop to

work out of the office and from home. This is essential also for the
training team, but has not been met with the same level of
enthusiasm (although we are making progress). I see it as
inequality or unfairness when the training team are mobile all
over the country (compared to this person who just works in the
city). Is this envy or management just not treating staff equally??
Curious....
Lulu
December 9, 2007

The Hersey-Blanchard Situational
Leadership® Theory
Choosing the Right Leadership Style for the Right
People
You've just finished training the

newest member of your team.
Now that he's ready to start
working, you give him the data
he needs to enter into the
company's database, and you
hurry off to a meeting.
When you return later that
afternoon, you find that he
hasn't done anything. He didn't
What type of leadership do your people need?
know what to do, and he didn't
© iStockphoto/oversnap
have the confidence to ask for
help. As a result, hours have been lost, and you have to rush to enter
the data on time. Although you may want to blame the worker, the
truth is that you're as much to blame as he is.
How can you avoid situations like this?
Management experts Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard argue that these
things happen because leaders don't match their style of leadership
to the maturity of the people they're leading. When style and maturity
aren't matched, failure is the result.
In this article, we'll review the Hersey-Blanchard Situational
Leadership® Theory, and we'll explain how it's used in different
leadership situations.
Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory

The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory was created by
Dr Paul Hersey, a professor and author of "The Situational Leader,"
and Ken Blanchard, author of the best selling "One-Minute Manager,"
among others.
The theory states that instead of using just one style, successful
leaders should change their leadership styles based on the maturity
of the people they're leading and the details of the task. Using this
theory, leaders should be able to place more or less emphasis on the
task, and more or less emphasis on the relationships with the people
they're leading, depending on what's needed to get the job done
successfully.
Leadership Styles
According to Hersey and Blanchard, there are four main leadership
styles:
• Telling (S1) – Leaders tell their people what to do and how to do
it.
• Selling (S2) – Leaders provide information and direction, but
there's more communication with followers. Leaders "sell" their
message to get people on board.
• Participating (S3) – Leaders focus more on the relationship and
less on direction. The leader works with the team, and shares
decision-making responsibilities.
• Delegating (S4) – Leaders pass most of the responsibility onto
the follower or group. The leaders still monitor progress, but
they're less involved in decisions.
As you can see, styles S1 and S2 are focused on getting the task
done. Styles S3 and S4 are more concerned with developing team
members' abilities to work independently.
Maturity Levels
According to Hersey and Blanchard, knowing when to use each style
is largely dependent on the maturity of the person or group you're
leading. They break maturity down into four different levels:
• M1 – People at this level of maturity are at the bottom level of
the scale. They lack the knowledge, skills, or confidence to work
on their own, and they often need to be pushed to take the task
on.
• M2 – at this level, followers might be willing to work on the task,
but they still don't have the skills to complete it successfully.
• M3 – Here, followers are ready and willing to help with the task.
They have more skills than the M2 group, but they're still not
confident in their abilities.
• M4 – These followers are able to work on their own. They have
high confidence and strong skills, and they're committed to the
task.
The Hersey-Blanchard model maps each leadership style to each
maturity level, as shown below.
Maturity Level Most Appropriate

Leadership Style
M1: Low maturity S1: Telling/directing
M2: Medium maturity, limited S2: Selling/coaching

skills
M3: Medium maturity, higher S3: Participating/supporting

skills but lacking confidence
M4: High maturity S4: Delegating

To use this model, reflect on the maturity of individuals within your
team. The table above shows which leadership style Hersey and
Blanchard recommend for people with that level of maturity.
Leadership Style Examples

1. You're about to leave for an extended holiday, and your tasks will
be handled by an experienced colleague. He's very familiar with
your responsibilities, and he's excited to do the job.
Instead of trusting his knowledge and skills to do the work, you
spend hours creating a detailed list of tasks for which he'll be
responsible, and give full instructions on how to do them.
The result? Your work gets done, but you've damaged the
relationship with your colleague by your lack of trust. He was an
M4 in maturity, and yet you used an S1 leadership style instead
of an S4, which would have been more appropriate.
2. You've just been put in charge of leading a new team. It's your
first time working with these people. As far as you can tell, they
have some of the necessary skills to reach the department's
goals, but not all of them. The good news is that they're excited
and willing to do the work.
You estimate they're at an M3 maturity level, so you use the
matching S3 leadership style. You coach them through the
project's goals, pushing and teaching where necessary, but
largely leaving them to make their own decisions. As a result,
their relationship with you is strengthened, and the team is
successful.
At Mind Tools, we recognize the truth within this model, however

we believe that a different leadership style, "transformational
leadership", is often the most effective style of leadership in
business. If you'd like to learn more about different styles,
including transformational leadership, see our article on
Leadership Styles .
Key Points
All teams, and all team members, aren't created equal. Hersey and
Blanchard argue that leaders are more effective when they use a
leadership style based on the individuals or groups they're leading.
Start by identifying whom you're leading. Are your followers
knowledgeable about the task? Are they willing and excited to do
the work? Rate them on the M1 - M4 maturity scale, and then use
the leadership style that's appropriate for that rating.

Leadership Studies.
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What members say...
rashidm wrote
Very simple and effective leadership style. Very interesting!
January 30, 2010

The Leadership Motivation
Assessment
How Motivated Are You To Lead?
The first and most basic

prerequisite for leadership is
the desire to lead.
After all, it takes hard work to
become an effective leader;
and if you are not prepared to
put this work in, or if, deep
down, you're not sure whether
you want to lead or not, you'll
struggle to lead people
effectively. © iStockphoto/Andresr
So, how much do you want to lead?

This assessment helps you find the answer.
How to Use the Tool

To use this tool, show the extent to which you agree with each of
these statements, on a scale running from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5
(Strongly Agree).
For each question, click the button in the column that most applies.
Click the 'Calculate My Total' button to add up your score and check
your result using the scoring table underneath.
14 Statements to 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Answer Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree
1 I am energized when people count

on me for ideas.
2 As a practice, I ask people

challenging questions when we are
working on projects together.
3 I take delight in complimenting
people I work with when progress is
made.
4 I find it easy to be the cheerleader
for others, when times are good
and when times are bad.
14 Statements to 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Answer Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree
5 Team accomplishment is more

important to me than my own
personal accomplishments.
6 People often take my ideas and run
with them.
7 When involved in group projects, it

is important to me to help the team
stick together.
8 When involved in group projects,
coaching others is an activity that I
gravitate toward.
9 I find pleasure in recognizing and
celebrating the accomplishments of
others.
10 When involved in group projects,
my team members’ problems are
my problems.
11 Resolving interpersonal conflict is
an activity that I enjoy.
12 When involved in group projects, I

frequently find myself to be an
“idea generator.”
13 When involved in group projects, I
am inclined to let my ideas be
known.
14 I find pleasure in being a
convincing person.
Total = 0
Score Interpretation
Score Comment
14 – This implies a low motivation to lead.

27
Score Comment
28 – This implies some uncertainty over your motivation to

55 lead.
56 – This implies a strong motivation to lead.

70
Source: This set of questions was constructed for this self-assessment

and for illustrative purposes only. No prior validation work has been
conducted that enables us to address the construct validity of this
assessment. This self-assessment was patterned after that of A. J.
DuBrin in Leadership: Research Findings, Practice and Skills (2nd
edition) (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998). Pp. 10-11.
Armed with the results from this self-test, your next step depends on
your situation.
If you have found that you're strongly motivated to lead, and
you're already a leader - great! And if you're not already a leader, this
is definitely an area you should investigate as you plan your career
development.
On the other hand, if your score indicates that you don't have a
strong motivation to lead, and you're considering moving into this
area, you may want to look at other career options before you make a
decision. Our article on Finding Career
Direction will help you identify the type of work that does motivate
you.
But if you're already a leader and you're just going through a low
patch in the role, explore our leadership motivation tools , and
see if you can regain your enthusiasm for the job!
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More Self-tests
What members say...
Yolande wrote
Hi Serena
I just did the quiz and it worked...did the calculation at the end.
Won't you perhaps try again and let us know whether you were
able to complete it?
Kind regards
Yolandé
May 29, 2012
serena76 wrote
Hi there,
can you please let me know if the quiz is working as after filling
the questionnaire I clicked on the calculation button but nothing
happened...I would be really interested in assessing my leadership
skills as I have just applied for a team leader position ans I really
hope this is the right career choice for me right now...
thanks
serena
May 28, 2012
James wrote
Hi Ravend
There are two main groups of test that we offer.
As you quite rightly identify, with the first group of tests we're
trying to help people explore a broad skill-set, identify where their
strengths and weaknesses lie within it, and then direct them to
resources that help them develop their skills appropriately.
The second group is of tests that are more closely aligned with
formal work psychology research, and the leadership motivation
test is an example of one of these. By their nature, these tend to
focus on one area rather than multiple areas, and you're right to
point out that this one is quite short and elementary. (That's not a
bad thing, incidentally! )
What this test does is help you work out for yourself how much of
a "buzz" you get from leadership and management. This is really
important, because the most fundamental thing that marks out an
effective leader from an ineffective one is that the effective leader
really, passionately, wants to lead.
As Bree and Dianna say, if you don't get a buzz from leadership,
then it really pays to reflect on whether you can build that passion
within yourself, or whether, in fact, you should develop your
career in a different way. For some, this can be a career-changing
insight.
Hope this helps!
James
June 22, 2010
Bree wrote
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to say that I really like these self-assessment quizzes
as they usually give me insight, and often confirmation, into
myself. I've done various psychometric tests before as well as
quizzes (like the one here) and I would say the difference is for
what purposes are you using them.
For me, gaining more insight into myself is always interesting so

these quizzes are perfect. However, if I was an employer looking
to promote from within, I'd go for psychometric testing and
profiling of employees.
As Dianna said, There is an unwritten expectation that to move

forward in one's career that means moving upward. yet often
times the greatest of technicians do not make the greatest of
managers/leaders. Therefore, knowing that in advance can save
alot of problems in the long run! Using this type of quiz to do an
initial assessment could be the first step in shortlisting people
before doing more in-depth assessments.
Keep up the good work Mind Tools with providing good

information, resources and tools! I love the 'bite-sized' format of
your resources which are easy to digest and use. And, if I'm really
keen to delve deeper, I can also go investigate further elsewhere!
Bree
June 22, 2010

ravend wrote
Dianna,
The other resources along this stream do seem interesting and

may prove quite fruitful in what gems they deliver.
The comment from myself earlier was/are aimed however at your

'short quiz' format starting point, and realistically at the
comments both James and yourself (as part of the Mind Tools
Team) place on it. (It is tempting to make reference here of being
over enthusiastic about your own product although I feel I might
be too cynical in my 'old before my time' age)
Certainly you / I would expect some measure of excitement or

enthusiasm towards tools like this, but the follow up post to
James's stressing the value of quiz really, IMHO, plays down on
what the quiz is for - leading you towards more information on
subject matters.
Therein lies the rub that stressing the short quiz could divert
people away from following the more mature material behind this
(because of getting low scores).
I'll avoid making a joke about the linking of space based

propulsion systems to passion as I am sure there are a full range
of puns that could come from doing so, and partially as I do view
the rest to be worth a read by others and would hate to distract
from what the text is leading towards.
Ending nicely (having already been told today to play nice by a

fellow colleague) , I hope the day brings excitement and a grin.
June 22, 2010
Dianna wrote
Hi ravend - I hope that you have found the further resources on

leadership motivation, from the links at the bottom of the quiz.
The self quizzes are designed to be illustrative and guide people
to further resources to continue their self exploration. Check out
the links at the article.
By way of background, this particular quiz draws on A. J. DuBrin's,

Leadership: Research Findings, Practice and Skills (2nd edition)
(Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1998). You might also be interested
in checking this out.
As for the Mind Tools article, the article titled Leadership

Motivation Tools ( http://mindtools.com/community/pages/ar ...
LDR_02.php ) presents three specific tools that you might also find
interesting and helpful.
Thanks for your comments. I hope the rest of the tools you read
are insightful and provide you the learning and development
opportunities you seek.
Let me know if you have any questions and I'll help you find the
resources to meet your needs.
Best wishes
Dianna
June 21, 2010
ravend wrote
Oh please, come on - this is a fairly simple 10 question style quiz.

It doesn't reflect any depth of questions towards Leadership
motivation beyond asking rather bland questions. You might as
well as 'Do you like the colour green?' As far as being an integral
tool, how about something that looks more in depth behind
motivations and causes towards what drives people towards
'effective and good Leadership'.
June 21, 2010
Dianna wrote
This is such an integral tool to use - not everyone truly wants the
responsibility of being a leader. And there is nothing wrong with
that. What's most important is finding the right type of work for
you. There is an unwritten expectation that to move forward in
one's career that means moving upward. I don't believe that is
true at all. I've seen more than a few really fabulous people crash
and burn because their skills and preferences just didn't fit with
the demands of management. The coveted promotion is not
always all it is cracked up to be. I think people are far better off to
carve out the right type of work regardless of its position on the
organizational chart.
Dianna
March 19, 2010

The Leadership Pipeline Model
Developing Your Organization's Future Leaders
Imagine that several mid-level

managers in your organization
are planning to retire in the
next few months, and, as a
result, you're facing a serious
staffing problem.
Do you start searching outside
your organization, or should
you focus on finding people
from within the company, so
that you can quickly train them Develop a "pipeline" of future leaders for your
for these positions? organization.
© iStockphoto/ssuaphoto
Many organizations spend a lot
of time searching for good people for their leadership teams. It's often
most efficient to promote from within, as internal people are "known
quantities," and are already familiar with how the company works.
However, many organizations don't have a process in place for
"growing their own leaders," so they need to search for outside talent
to bring in.
In this article, we'll look at the Leadership Pipeline Model, a tool that
helps you plan for internal leadership development. We'll then look at
how you can apply this model to your organization.
About the Model

Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter, and James Noel developed the
Leadership Pipeline Model, based on 30 years of consulting work with
Fortune 500 companies. They published the model in their 2000 book,
"The Leadership Pipeline," which they revised in 2011.
The model helps organizations grow leaders internally at every level,
from entry level team leaders to senior managers. It provides a
framework that you can use to identify future leaders, assess their
competence, plan their development, and measure results. Put
simply, you can use the model to think about how you'll train your
people to take the next step up the leadership ladder.
According to the model's developers, leaders progress through six key
transitions, or "passages," in order to succeed. These six leadership
transitions are shown in Figure 1, below.
Figure 1 – The Leadership Pipeline Model
Each leadership stage needs different skill-sets and values, and, at

each transition, leaders have to develop these in order to lead
successfully.
According to the model, senior leaders in the organization should
mentor more junior managers through each leadership transition, to
ensure that they're using the appropriate skills for their current level.
Staying "stuck" without the right skills, even if the manager
progresses upward, can cause leaders to stagnate, become
ineffective, and, ultimately, fail.
Uses of the Model

There are several benefits of using the Leadership Pipeline Model.
First, promoting leaders from within is better than searching for
outside talent. These outside leadership stars often flit from one
organization to the next, looking for the best opportunities, and
leaving the organizations they have finished with to fill the gaps. The
model's "pipeline" ensures that organizations have a steady stream of
internal candidates qualified for open leadership roles.
The Leadership Pipeline encourages leaders to develop new skills and
mind-sets for leading at the next level, rather than reverting to those
used at the previous level, and this increases their flexibility and
effectiveness.
If an organization's culture focuses on developing existing employees,
this can raise the morale of the entire workforce. When people see
opportunities to advance, staff turnover goes down and productivity
and engagement go up. Furthermore, the investment in development
pays off, because professionals stay with the organization longer.
As well as being useful for organizations that want to develop the
next generation of leaders internally, this model is also helpful for
planning your own career trajectory. Because you can identify the
skills and approaches that you'll need for each transition, you can
start to prepare yourself for your next promotion.
Applying the Model

Let's look at the six transitions in the Leadership Pipeline Model, and
discuss how you can prepare people to make these transitions
successfully.
1. From Managing Self to Managing Others

When someone is transitioning from working independently to
managing others, a significant change in attitude and skill set must
take place. The new leader is now responsible for getting work done
through others – a drastically different style of working.
To manage others successfully, these leaders must share information,
offer autonomy, be aware of people's needs, and provide direction.
Navigating This Transition
Organizations need to make sure that first-time managers understand

what's required of them.
New leaders need to focus on their communications skills, and
communicate effectively with their teams. Partly, this involves
communicating clearly in writing, but it can also be as simple as
making time for subordinates to discuss their concerns. They need to
know how to plan short- and long-term goals, define work objectives,
and manage conflicting priorities .
New managers must also focus on their team members' needs. Coach
new managers to practice Management by Wandering Around ,
which helps them stay in touch with their people. Encourage them to
provide feedback , so that everyone on the team can improve.
It's important for new managers to know how to delegate
effectively . At this level they're responsible for other people, and,
if they can't delegate, they'll be harried, overworked, and stressed.
This will also harm your organization's ability to get work done
quickly.
Last, if you're coaching new managers through this transition, make
sure that you monitor their progress to help them navigate the
process successfully. Sit in on their interactions with direct reports,
consider using 360° feedback to see how others view their
abilities as a manager, and help them address any issues that arise.
2. From Managing Others to Managing Managers

This transition often presents a dramatic jump in the number of
hands-on professionals that the manager is responsible for, which
means that a number of new skills and working values are needed.
First, new managers at this level need to know how to hold level one
managers accountable. This might include becoming a coach or
mentor to help them develop, and providing appropriate training.
Managers in level two are also responsible for training the managers
in level one, so make sure that they're aware of available training
resources, and ensure that they know how to develop effective
training sessions .
At level one, new managers might know how to get people to work
together to accomplish a goal. But, at level two, managers must have
the knowledge and skills needed to build an effective team .
Finally, these managers need to know how to allocate resources to
the people and teams below them. These resources could be money,
technology, time, or support staff, and they need to know how to
budget effectively . They must know how to identify teams or
units that are wasting resources, as well as knowing where to apply
additional resources to improve performance.
3. From Managing Managers to Functional Manager

Functional managers often report to the business's general manager,
and they are responsible for entire departments, such as
manufacturing or IT. Making a transition to this level requires a great
deal of maturity, and the ability to build connections with other
departments.
Functional managers must learn how to think strategically and

manage with the entire department, or function, in mind.
Leaders at this level must know how to think over the long-term, as
they'll need to plan for the medium-term future. They must also
understand the organization's long-term goals, so that their functional
strategy aligns with these aims.
Coach new functional managers to stay up-to-date on industry
trends , so that they can take advantage of new advances:
managers who are aware of technology and trends can adjust their
strategy to better contribute to the organization's competitive
advantage.
Although all managers need to be good listeners, this skill is
particularly important at functional manager level. Teach your
functional managers how to use active listening skills. They also
need to be skilled at reading body language , so that they can
avoid misinterpretation and spot untruths.
4. From Functional Manager to Business Manager

This transition may be the most challenging of the six leadership
passages, because these professionals have to change the way that
they think. When you're managing a business, complexity is high, the
position is very visible, and many business managers receive little
guidance from senior leaders.
Business managers oversee all of the functions of a business, not just
one, and this requires a shift in values and perception.
New business managers have to adjust their thinking to focus on

future growth in all areas of the organization. They need to
understand each function of the organization and know how these
functions interrelate. Without this understanding, business managers
will likely only focus on one or two functions, which could damage the
organization's growth.
Encourage new business managers to get to know their functional
managers well – for example, by talking with them and taking them
on important trips; this will allow them to get to know the decision
makers in each function and help them understand each function's
value to the organization.
This group needs to know about the organization's core business
processes, and understand where the profit lies within these
processes. Without this knowledge, business managers can make
costly strategic mistakes.
Last, and this isn't as trivial as it may seem, business managers need
excellent time management skills. Managers who lack these skills
won't spend enough time on key projects or with key people, so make
sure that this group knows how to focus on important, not just urgent,
tasks.
5. From Business Manager to Group Manager

To be a successful group manager, another subtle shift in skills must
take place. At this level, managers are responsible for individual
businesses which are often dispersed around the world. They must
have the ability to get these businesses working together to
accomplish the broader organization's long-term goals and objectives.
Group managers need the ability to value others' success, and they
must be humble enough to help others succeed. They need to learn
how to critique the business managers' strategy-formulation, and
provide effective feedback.
Group managers should know how to create the right mix of
investments in their businesses to help the organization succeed.
Resource allocation, market prediction and segmentation, and global
business etiquette are all important skills here.
They also need to stay on top of all of their businesses to ensure that
they're obeying the law, sticking to corporate policy, acting in a way
that's consistent with corporate strategy, enhancing the global brand,
and making a robust profit.
The businesses in their group that show the most promise in all these
areas are the ones that will be fully funded. So, group managers must
know how to maintain good relationships with businesses, even if
they aren't getting the funding they want. They also need analytical
skills in order to balance what's good for their businesses, versus
what's good for the organization.
6. From Group Manager to Enterprise Manager

The enterprise manager, or CEO, is on the final rung of the career
ladder for managers. This is the most visible position in the company;
after all, if the CEO fails, it influences how people perceive the
organization.
Future CEOs need to understand that once they ascend to this level,
they're responsible for a number of different stakeholder groups
and organizations, such as the board, financial analysts, investors,
partners, the workforce, direct reports, and local communities. Failing
any of these groups means a loss of credibility.
By the time that managers reach this stage, they should already have
developed many of the leadership skills mentioned in this article.
However, there are several ways in which they can develop further.
Our article on Level 5 Leadership teaches good leaders how to
become great leaders by developing humility.
Often, CEOs, because of their number of responsibilities, have to
make good decisions under an incredible amount of pressure. Make
sure that potential leaders are familiar with a wide range of decision-
making techniques, and know how to think on their feet .
Last, risk taking is a given at this level, but future CEOs need the
courage to take calculated risks, even when they face opposition from
others. This requires character , integrity, decisiveness, and inner
strength.
Key Points
Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter, and James Noel developed the
Leadership Pipeline Model and published it in their book, "The
Leadership Pipeline." The model highlights six progressions that
managers can go through as they develop their careers.
These progressions are from:
1. Managing self to managing others.
2. Managing others to managing managers.
3. Managing managers to functional manager.
4. Functional manager to business manager.
5. Business manager to group manager.
6. Group manager to enterprise manager.
While organizations can use these progressions to help develop
their people, individuals can also use them to grow personally,
increasing their knowledge and skills so that they're ready for their
next promotion.
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What members say...
MichaelP wrote
This model is very helpful for any business as it indicates the

relevant relationships needed at both the different levels in and
organization as well as its different stages of growth/size.
Managing self to managing others.

Managing others to managing managers.
Managing managers to functional manager.
Functional manager to business manager.
Business manager to group manager.
Group manager to enterprise manager.
My view is level1 1 is for size 0-10, level 2-6 for size 50-500, level
7 1000+
September 23, 2012
zuni wrote
I use this model in my company. What I particularly like about this

version (this is the original version and there have been several
others released since then), is that it is relativity simple to map
your company's structure to the model.
Using the leadership pipeline levels I have created customized

workbooks for use in leadership development. I mapped our
challenges and competencies to the model at each stage and I
integrated Watkin's 30-60-90 onboarding concept into the
workbook to create a comprehensive transition guide for new
leaders at each level.
The combination of the leadership stage and 30-60-90 onboarding

action plan has worked very well for us.
Zuni
September 23, 2012

The Power of Trust: A Steel Cable
By Bruna Martinuzzi
There's a widely-known
psychological study, conducted
by Walter Mischel in the 1960s,
which explored delayed
gratification in four-year olds.
One at a time, children were
seated in front of a
marshmallow and the
researcher told them that they
could eat the marshmallow
right then, but if they waited
for the researcher to return A strong tie.
from a brief errand, they would © iStockphoto/Skyak
receive a second marshmallow.

Some kids ate the marshmallow within seconds, but others waited up
to 20 minutes for the researcher to return. 14 years later, the
researchers found that the children who had delayed gratification
were more trustworthy, more dependable, more self-reliant and more
confident than the children who had not controlled their impulses.
When I recounted this study in a workshop on emotional intelligence,
a participant remarked that he wanted to try this experiment with his
own child. I cautioned him, however, that there is a very important
variable to take into account and that is, does the child trust that
there will be a second marshmallow? If previous promises made to
the child were broken, the child may not trust that, this time, the
adult will keep a promise. Trust is largely an emotional act, based on
an anticipation of reliance. It is fragile, and like an egg shell, one slip
can shatter it.
Trust pervades nearly every aspect of our daily lives. It is
fundamentally important in the healthy functioning of all of our
relationships with others. It is even tied to our wealth: in a Scientific
American article, Dr. Paul J Zak, a neuroeconomist at Claremont
Graduate University, discovered that trust is among the strongest
known predictors of a country's wealth – nations with low levels tend
to be poor. According to Dr. Zak, societies with low levels of trust are
poor because the inhabitants undertake too few of the long-term
investments that create jobs and raise incomes. Such investments
depend on people trusting others to fulfill their contractual
obligations.
In seeking to understand what was physically going on in the human
brain that instilled trust, he discovered that oxytocin, a hormone and
neurotransmitter, increases our propensity to trust others in the
absence of threatening signals. We are indeed wired to trust each
other, but, as Dr. Zak points out, our life experiences may "retune"
the oxytocin to a different "set point", and thus to different levels of
trust throughout the course of life. When we are brought up in a safe,
nurturing and caring environment, our brains release more oxytocin
when someone trusts us – resulting in our reciprocating that trust. By
contrast, early experiences of stress, uncertainty and isolation
interfere with the development of a trusting disposition and decrease
oxytocin levels.
In today's uncertain climate, it is not surprising that study after study
shows a decline in the trust that individuals have in business and
political leaders, and in institutions. The Edelman Trust Barometer
for 2009 found that nearly two out of every three adults surveyed in
20 countries trust corporations less now than they did a year ago. And
a 2004 study by Towers Perrin, shows that only 44% of junior
employees (those earning less than $50,000 per year) trust their
employers to tell them the truth. This is an alarming statistic,
especially given how much time, effort and concern are expended in
crafting leadership communications to employees.
Even though we are faced with a crisis in trust, and have ample
examples of leaders who have eroded their employees', customers'
and shareholders' trust, I am a firm believer that the majority of
leaders walk the path of trustworthiness. In fact, it can be harrowing
for many leaders if they receive feedback that others don't find them
trustworthy. But being trustworthy, in someone's eyes, is based on
their own perceptions, and may be strongly influenced by the fracture
of trust in the world around them. Indeed, people don't automatically
trust leaders these days. Trust needs to be earned through diligence,
fidelity and applied effort.
If lack of trust is an issue which causes you concern, what can you do
to manage perceptions of trust? Here are a few quick tips:
• Monitor your use of "I" in your communications. Do an
audit of your emails, for example, and see how frequently you
use "I" as opposed to "we". Peter Drucker said: "The leaders who
work most effectively, it seems to me, never say 'I.' And that's
not because they have trained themselves not to say 'I.' They
don't think 'I.' They think 'we‘; they think 'team.' They
understand their job to be to make the team function. They
accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we‘ gets the
credit. This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the
task done."
• View promises you make as an unpaid debt.
• Keep talking about what matters. 60% of respondents in the
Edelman Barometer of Trust said they need to hear a company
message three to five times before they believe it. Lewis Carol
knew this when he said: "What I tell you three times is true."
• Your reputation is like a brand. Manage your brand, what you
want to be known for, as diligently as Nike or Volvo manage
theirs. Brand is trust.
• Be known as a truth teller in your organization. A leader I
coached recently mentioned to me that, before an impending
merger, he was troubled by employees asking for information
that he couldn't disclose at that time. What do you do in such a
situation to preserve the trust you have with your people, while
honoring the confidentiality of sensitive information? An honest
compromise would be to share what you can (there is usually
something we can share) and to add: "This is all I can share right
now." This preserves trust, as your people know that you did not
lie, and, they understand that even though you have more
information, strategic imperatives prevent you from sharing it
just then.
• Earn the trust of your customers by insisting that everyone
observes the "five pillars of trust":
1. Keep your promises.
2. Be willing to help.
3. Treat customers as individuals.
4. Make it easy for customers to do business with you.
5. Ensure that all physical aspects of your product or service
give a favorable impression. (Source: Winning Customers,
by 1000 Ventures.)
• As much as this is hard to do, don't try to lead through
email. Get out from beneath your desk periodically, and have
"face time" with people. The more time you spend with people,
the more the level of trust increases. If you are leading virtual
teams, pick up the phone more often.
• Do you manage your moods or do people experience you as
agreeable one day and confrontational the next? Predictability
engenders trust.
• Are the corporate stories you tell consistent or do they
vary depending on who you are speaking to? It's so easy to
get caught up in the moment and exaggerate claims. Even
though your intentions may be harmless, these little slips chip
away at trust, because people don't judge us by our intentions.
• Do you make people feel safe? Fear and trust are mutually
exclusive. Most leaders would be shocked to find out that, in
many cases, people fear them. As a leader, you have a lot of
power: the power to hire, fire, promote and demote; the power to
assign or withdraw choice assignments and perks; and the power
to give or withhold recognition.
Against the current backdrop of unemployment and a failing
economy, people's fears can be magnified. An empathetic leader
senses this and devotes effort and time to make people feel safe.
Empathy involves understanding others' anxiety and making a
genuine effort to reduce it.
Organizations typically spend considerable energy and effort in team
building initiatives, including workshops, retreats, and adventure type
experiences. While all of these have their place, if organizations want
to increase collaboration and enhance teamwork, they need to start
with trust. It's the benchmark of healthy team relationships, it's a very
simple process. It's all about individual behaviors. Do individuals
behave in a trustworthy manner or not? There is only a pass or fail
here.
And what are these behaviors? We all instinctively know them, but
sometimes we need to remind ourselves of what they are. Ask
yourself:
• Do I share information that I know is helpful to others, or do I
withhold it?
• Do I treat everyone with kindness and compassion?
• Do I try to do good in my dealings with others?
• Do I follow through on my commitments, even if it is at
considerable personal expense?
• Do I seize opportunities to encourage others?
• Am I just as happy about others' achievements as I am of my
own?
• Do I consistently strive to deliver great work?
• Is "candid" a quality people would readily attribute to me?
Trust is power. It's the power to inspire and influence. It's the glue that
bonds us to each other, that strengthens relationships and turns
threads of connections into steel cables. Like four-year olds trusting
that there will be a second marshmallow, can your people trust that
your word is your bond?
Leadership is difficult work. As George Washington said, "I can
promise nothing but purity of intentions, and, in carrying these into
effect, fidelity and diligence."
Copyright © 2009-2013 by Bruna Martinuzzi. All Rights
Reserved.Based in British Columbia, Bruna is the President and
Founder of Clarion Enterprises Ltd, a company which specializes in
emotional intelligence, leadership and presentation skills training.
Bruna is also the author of The Leader as a Mensch: Become the
Kind of Person Others Want to Follow. Click here to contact her.
Click here for other articles by Bruna.
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What members say...
Yolande wrote
Hi all
I also found this an exceptional read - probably because trusting

others was something that I had to learn and I found it extremely
difficult to do when I was young. Viewing someone's trust as
unpaid debt is such an interesting thought...but that is exactly
what it is like. Just yesterday I was reading something about trust
and the person said that if a someone really really trusts you, it is
almost impossible to break that trust. It is a lot easier to break
trust if you know they don't really trust you.
Serious food for thought at the beginning of a new year...
Kind regards
Yolandé
January 6, 2010
Midgie wrote
Hi fireheart60,
Sounds like you are involved in an exciting project about
employee engagement, and yes indeed, trust plays a critical part!
Teamwork, collaboration and communication are also critical! Glad
you found some ideas which you can use.
Also, have you seen our article on Re-Engaging Team Members -

http://mindtools.com/community/pages/ar ... TMM_83.php - as
there might be a few ideas you could use as well.
Good luck and let us know how you get on, or whether there is
anything we can help you with.
Midgie
January 6, 2010
fireheart60 wrote
I am in the midst of an employee engagement process at my

company and one of our key areas of focus in about teamwork
and collaboration. I am going to weave into some of the work we
do within our Division the ideas within this article. We also have
an area of clarity and communication where trust enters in
heavily. Awesome article for both the personal and professional--
January 5, 2010
Midgie wrote
This is an interesting read - from a professional as well as personal
perspective!
Trust in indeed like a steel cable. Relationships can weather all

kinds of difficulties, as long as there is trust there. Even when
some of the fibers are frayed, the strength of that connection can
still hold things together.
However, once the cable has snapped, it takes alot of time, effort
and energy to repair things!
Midgie
December 22, 2009

The Seven Transformations of
Leadership
Developing Your Leadership Style
Successful leaders know that

they need to develop their
leadership skills on an ongoing
basis – this helps them handle
increasingly challenging
situations.
However, many leaders stop
learning at a particular skill
level, meaning that their career
progression falters.
Seven Transformations of Leadership.
So, how can you avoid this,
© iStockphoto/Devonyu
and, so, realize your full
potential?
Researchers David Rooke and William Torbert argue that there are
seven stages that the most successful leaders go through, and that,
by learning new skills, you can move from one stage to the next.
In this article, we'll look at these seven leadership transformations,
and we'll discuss how you can move through each stage.
The Seven Transformations

Rooke and Torbert published their Seven Transformations of
Leadership in the April 2005 Harvard Business Review, following 25
years of survey-based consultancy.
In their surveys, Rooke and Torbert asked executives to complete 36
sentences related to leadership.
They then evaluated the responses from the survey, and, based on
the results, they created seven categories that describe how leaders
approach the world around them. Essentially, they defined a series of
categories, or "action logics," that describe the ways that leaders
think.
Rooke and Torbert argued that each action logic has its benefits, but
that some are more effective than others. Certain action logics are
successful in a greater number of leadership situations, and this leads
to higher overall performance.
Leaders who can understand their current action logic can make
changes to move towards one that's more effective. By transforming
to a more effective action logic, they can improve their leadership
abilities.
The list below ranks Rooke and Torbert's seven types of action logic.
The further you get down the list, the more sophisticated and
effective your approach to leadership is likely to be.
1. Opportunist.
2. Diplomat.
3. Expert.
4. Achiever.
5. "Individualist."
6. Strategist.
7. Alchemist.
From "Seven Transformations of Leadership" by David Rooke and William R. Torbert. Harvard
Business Review, April 2005.
Let's look at the categories in detail, and discover how you can evolve
through them to develop your leadership capabilities.
1. Opportunist
Opportunists focus on personal success rather than on the success of
their team or organization. They take advantage of others, engineer
situations for their own benefit, and manipulate their colleagues to
get what they want.
Being an opportunist leader is likely to damage your reputation and
working relationships, although opportunism can sometimes be
useful, for example, in sales situations.
Opportunist leaders will need to transform to the next action logic
quickly, otherwise they're likely to find that their success is limited.
Moving On From Opportunism

If you've adopted the opportunist action logic, then take steps to
focus on other people's success, as well as your own.
Do something daily to help another person on your team. Even a
small act of kindness can begin to turn around your reputation, and
show that you care.
Also, start developing your emotional intelligence – this is a
quality valued in leaders. Build good working relationships by
appreciating your team's hard work, and remember that a sincere
"thank you " can go a long way!
2. Diplomat
Diplomats avoid conflict whenever possible. They want to belong to
the group and please others, especially higher-ranking colleagues.
They also seek to avoid upsetting other team members with feedback
that could be seen as negative.
As you might imagine, diplomats aren't good at implementing
change, because of the inevitable conflicts this causes.
The diplomat's strengths are in resolving conflicts and holding a team
together, especially at lower levels of management. However,
diplomats tend to be poor long-term leaders as they may be passive,
or avoid making difficult or controversial decisions.
Moving On From Being a Diplomat
Conflict can be healthy and productive, as long as everyone involved
is respectful and honest. You can use conflict positively by developing
your conflict resolution skills , so that you can become more
comfortable in situations where people hold differing views.
Diplomats often have trouble standing up for themselves, because
they're afraid of the conflict this might cause.
If this describes you, work on developing your assertiveness . Your
wants and needs are just as important as everyone else's, and taking
a back seat just to achieve consensus can damage your self-worth
and reputation.
Communicate openly to let others know your thoughts and feelings,
and learn to say "no" more often.
Diplomats often find it difficult to give feedback. Try using role-
playing to prepare for these difficult conversations. Remember, the
best feedback is usually constructive, even when critical. Feedback
helps people learn and grow, so don't keep your thoughts to yourself.
3. Expert
The majority of leaders are categorized as experts, and their expert
power means that people tend to follow them willingly. Experts
depend on their knowledge and skills to lead, and they often focus on
logic and fact when making decisions. They're very efficient, and they
work consistently to improve products, processes and skills in the
workplace.
Experts can add a lot of value to an organization because they value
precision and quality. However, they sometimes don't make good
leaders, because they can adopt a "my way or the highway"
approach, and they resist collaboration. They can also tend to dismiss
the opinions of others who aren't as knowledgeable.
Moving On From Being an Expert

If you're an expert, then you have plenty to offer, but you may need
to work on your "soft skills."
Seek out others' opinions before you make a decision. Even if you
don't agree with an opinion, ask questions to find out what led to this
way of thinking. This helps you develop empathy and emotional
intelligence .
Experts are often micromanagers . If you suspect that you
micromanage others, learn how to delegate instead. This will free
up some of your time to focus on strategic thinking, and it will raise
your team's morale.
4. Achiever
Achievers are goal-oriented. They set effective goals for their team
and themselves. More importantly, they have a higher emotional
intelligence than people with the three previous action logics.
They have a greater understanding of people and conflict, and they
have the sensitivity and intelligence to respond appropriately to
different situations. This means that they can make great leaders,
because they care about creating a positive team environment.
The weakness of achievers is that they often find it hard to think
innovatively. Many leaders plateau at this stage.
Moving On From Being an Achiever

It's easy to see the achiever action logic as the end-all of
management. After all, you're successful, people respect your drive
and commitment, and you have a productive team. However, think
deeply about the goals that you're setting and why they're
meaningful. This will help you improve future goals.
Because you're so goal-focused, it's easy to get wrapped up in the
details of achieving those goals, instead of stepping back to focus on
strategic thinking and the big picture. You'll be a better leader if you
can learn to solve problems creatively.
The next time you work through a problem, use a creative problem-
solving technique such as Hurson's Productive Thinking Model
or The Simplex Process to generate some unique solutions. Use
creative brainstorming techniques to get more out of these
sessions.
5. "Individualist"
"Individualists" understand that each individual has his or her own
different world view, and that these influence the way that he or she
behaves. As such, these leaders seek to understand how each
individual views the world, and they adapt their approach according
to this.
Individualists reflect upon the differences between the goals that they
are trying to achieve and the current ways that they, or their
organization, are behaving. Where there's a difference, they seek to
bring these into alignment. As such, they do their best make
themselves and their organizations true to the values and mission
that they say they stand for.
Because of the individualist's insight into other people's world views,
they are able to communicate well with others and build great
working relationships.
Despite being excellent performers, individualists can often disregard
established processes – to the annoyance of their colleagues – if they
don't see the reason for them.
Moving On From Being an Individualist

At this point, you've mastered the personal skills of working with
others within your team or organizational unit. It's now time to look at
the larger picture.
This is where you need to learn how to work collaboratively with
people inside and outside your organization to achieve your goals.
A core part of this is developing an awareness of what other people
want to achieve. Individualists are usually known for wanting to do
their work their own way, no matter what rules are in place!
To make this transition, find a mentor who will challenge your
working style and assumptions. A good mentor can help you to
continue accomplishing your goals in your own way, but step on
fewer toes in the process. He or she can also be a useful guide on
ethical matters.
6. Strategist
Strategists have the gift of seeing organizational roadblocks as
potential opportunities. They're good at managing conflict. They're
also often highly ethical, and they seek to promote those ethics
beyond the organization, in order to do good on a wider scale.
This action logic is similar to that of the individualist, in that both are
adept at communicating with people using other action logics.
However, they differ in that strategists have the ability to build a
shared vision with other leaders. This brings people together to
achieve important goals, and, ultimately, leads to personal and
organizational transformation. As a result, strategists are usually
excellent at implementing change.
Moving On From Strategist

It takes a subtle shift to move from strategist to Rooke and Torbert's
next stage – "the alchemist."
As a strategist, you've mastered the communication skills needed for
excellent leadership, and you excel at creating a shared vision across
different groups. A great mentor can still help you learn and grow,
perhaps by further developing your ethical and spiritual principles.
You might also want to consider mutual or peer-to-peer mentoring –
mentoring with a colleague or board member – to develop further.
The most important area to work on is your ability to collaborate with
others, especially with people who might think in a different way from
you. The best leaders create teams and networks based on
collaborative inquiry.
To move on, you need to develop a network or group of allies who will
challenge your way of thinking, and not just agree with you all of the
time. Not only does this help you push boundaries, but it also means
that you'll avoid groupthink .
7. Alchemist
Alchemists are different from strategists because they have the
strength and ability to reinvent themselves when they need to.
Alchemists also excel at dealing with short-term projects and tasks,
while keeping long-term goals in mind.
They also have great rapport with people in their organization,
whether this is the executive team or the ground-floor crew. This is
because they always tell the truth, even when it might be hard to
hear. They also use business storytelling to capture the imagination
and emotions of the people they work with, and this creates a positive
and engaged corporate culture.
Alchemists tend to be extremely busy, yet they find the time to take
care of all their responsibilities. This includes finding time to speak to
people personally, and at all levels of the organization.
Growing as an Alchemist
By the time you get to this last stage, you've likely mastered both the
art of getting things done and the art of managing your team.
No matter how busy you get, make sure that you devote enough time
to building good relationships. This is especially important with people
lower in your organization's hierarchy. If you take the time to talk to
these people and address their concerns, it shows that you care, and
this develops loyalty.
Note:
For more on leadership development, see also our article on Level

5 Leadership . This has more tips and strategies that can help
you expand your skills and become an effective leader.
Key Points
David Rooke and William Torbert published their Seven
Transformations of Leadership model in the April 2005 "Harvard
Business Review."
According to Rooke and Torbert, the following seven "action logics"
represent stages which leaders needs to evolve through in order to
develop their leadership skills:
1. Opportunist.
2. Diplomat.
3. Expert.
4. Achiever.
5. "Individualist."
6. Strategist.
7. Alchemist.
Many leaders progress to the expert or achiever stage, and then
stop. However, the most effective leaders continue to push
themselves until they reach the final two stages: strategist, and
alchemist.
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What members say...
Dianna wrote
Thanks for your reply Jo. And what an interesting concept you've
developed by merging creative arts and leadership. There is great
value in acting out, and believing in, a different way of being. We
are what we believe we can be!
Sounds like your work is very rewarding and allows you to give
back by using your leadership talents to help others develop
leadership qualities. That's a great gift you can give your students
and colleagues.
I so appreciate discussions like this! They allow us to open our

eyes to different ideas and perspectives and think about how we
can apply them in our own lives.
Thanks!!
Dianna
February 22, 2013
Hi Dianna,
I am thinking this through as I write ..........
I am a Creative Arts educator. For many years I have worked in
prisons and rehabs. My intention is to lead by example. And this is
in the style of Kolbe ...patron saint of addicts and prisoners. The
Corrective Services (Qld AU) Have published a charter that
specifically requires that we must be the change we want to see
in the prisoners.
I also work in colleges such as TAFE and as a Uni lecturer.
By "lead by example" I mean. If there is hard curriculum that
needs to be developed, (such as a blended learning course, new
digital text) I will develop it so that there is an exemplar to follow. I
study Positive Psych and Empowerment and design courses that
help students (and prisoner students) face their demons.
So by lead by example I mean
[list:3h9d0tvx]create examples
put scaffolds and structures in place (negotiated)
listen and remove blocks
encourage
reward
review[/list:u:3h9d0tvx]
But there does come a time when it is apparent that a student or
another teacher can't face up to challenges without something
more insistent. Usually they don't believe they can fulfil the
request - I have to be the belief that they can achieve this task
that seems impossible - for them - until they can believe in
themselves.
...
If everything stalls, I would move to conflict resolution. This might
involve listening,clarifying and then negotiation of contract. It
would require insistence of adherence to the contract, and
description of milestones with consequences.
(I could go on as you can imagine a million scenarios.)
In rehabs and prisons you can't get rid of a problem, the same
way you can sack and employee who won't comply. You may have
the same student for years and years. Sometimes especially in
rehabs and prisons behavioural problems spiral downwards, and
everyone's safety can be jeopardised. So you can see that the
leadership style would have to change, and the student might be
very reactive.
So in trying to answer your specific question.Do you find yourself
switching leadership styles often or do you find you only pull out
different styles when absolutely necessary? And what type of
style do you typically pull out in these situations?
All leadership of the kind set down by the charter requires that we
model the behaviour we expect to see in the student. There has to
be very strict boundaries. For example; never ever bribe a student
and never ever let them bribe you. Never drop your guard
because things are going well, because this might be setting an
expectation of complicity, which could lead a student to think you
might let them get away with things later on.
I believe that their is a new style of leadership emerging, which
will be called Creative Arts Leadership or Leadership through the
Creative Arts. This is a style of leadership that uses the arts, such
as drama and dance, to invite students to trial new behaviours in
a make believe way. For example;
a. a student might act as though they were confident
b.the little role play can be filmed and then shown to the student
to show them what they are capable of
c. this allows them to see themselves differently and to dream
differently with encouragement and support
d. they can be refilmed in 6 months and success reinforced in the
emotional memory
So to answer your question
1. I wish to remain absolutely stable and respectful never
changing in a basic attitude of love and support (if I do become
angry apologise)
2. Never allow fuzzy boundaries to develop (let things slide / let
myself or others get away with things)
3. Always explain what is happening if moving from freestyle, to
contract to consequences
4. Help the student learn how to apologise, forgive and return to
normal (by modelling if possible)
5. Help people who are around and witnessing this activity to
process what they see so that they are learning too
This is a very interesting question that you have asked Dianna -

because as I think it through - I realise that leadership through the
creative arts is a responsive dynamic way of leading. It is like a
core of bedrock stability in a dynamic environment that can be
responsive, reflective and reflexive for everyone involved.
I think there is a caution though - at base the idea is "Do unto

others as you would have them do unto you." So when working
with people who have been very damaged by life, this can be a
situation where the way they are used to being treated can be
dreadful. But they think it is normal, as they know no different. If
this is the case, they will treat people the same way as they have
always been treated and think nothing of it. So when treated well,
respected,trusted - Cognitive Dissonance may kick in to further
complicate matters, and this complication is often called "change
back behaviours". I see creative leadership as a kind of long term
reflexion, where there is sufficient structure for both integral
consistency and flexible response, which in turn allows,
encourages and provides opportunities and support for
experimentation with behaviours. (through drama, story writing,
dance, visualisation)
So to answer your question, I hope that

[color=#FF0000:3h9d0tvx]over a period
[color=#FF0000:3h9d0tvx]of time students and teachers I
work with will be able to reliably predict how I would respond in
and given scenario, and that they realise that with negotiation
they may even be able to influence that response. Thanks, it has
been worthwhile thinking this through, Jo
February 21, 2013
Dianna wrote
Hi Jo,
I think you've very eloquently described the challenge and
necessity of being a transformational leader.
...At this stage of this particular project things seem to have gone
off course and I believe I now need to change my strategy....
Perfectly said and it helps people resolve that you are still leading,
just in a way that they may not expect. The point you've brought
up is very important and one that leaders do need to take into
consideration. And I guess it comes down to respecting and
genuinely caring for people because if you do, then you will
communicate with them openly and honestly and let them know
that you've had to change approaches out of necessity. Constant
discussion and feedback are also key to this whole process and
allowing yourself the freedom to lead the way you see best for the
situation.
Do you find yourself switching leadership styles often or do you

find you only pull out different styles when absolutely necessary?
And what type of style do you typically pull out in these
situations?
Dianna
February 20, 2013
I have read many leadership books and spent some time here
reading today.
There is a tricky aspect of leadership that stands out for me.
What I am realising after reading many of these articles is that
leaders have the choice to be responsive by sometimes adapting
between styles.
Once having attained the Alchemy stage a leader has the ability
to assess the situation and respond authentically. I would think
that if a leader was going to suddenly change a style of relating
and leading, he or she might have to preface many interactions
with very clear and succinct explanation and expression of intent.
eg....
"Jan, I value our working relationship and usually we meet eye to
eye, and things run smoothly. However at this stage of this
particular project things seem to have gone off course and I
believe I now need to change my strategy and be very firm in the
way I take the lead.
Is that how you see the way things are?"
Over the years I have watched leaders who suddenly become
aggressive when things go wrong and the sudden change of tack
can be very off putting. I think a leader needs to be predictable.
People like to know where they stand.
I have also watched others who remain in the one leadership style
out of habit and stuckness, when clearly the situation calls for a
different way of handling things. I see this happen a lot.
As I peruse these articles [color=#FF0040:1z09g59k]as a set - I
realise that I can feel validated about the way I try to change my
own leadership style when the situation I find myself in changes.
I have enjoyed reading through some of the articles in your
leadership series thank you, Jo
February 20, 2013
april123 wrote
One thing that stands out to me, is that it is implied in this article
that the leader always has to watch out for his ego standing in the
way of his own growth. When being touted as the 'expert', is does
stroke the ego because everybody asks the 'expert' how to do
something and what his opinion is. The achiever's ego is boosted
by reaching goals...becoming the best. Is it the best for team
though? Or the best for himself? The individualist will probably get
an ego boost because he thinks 'out of the box' (oh my...terrible
cliche) and he comes up with new ideas all the time...
If ego is in the way, growth can't take place or only limited growth
will happen.
April
August 21, 2012

The Talisman of Leadership:
Authenticity
By Bruna Martinuzzi
I have come to realize that, for

me at least, the quest for
'authenticity' is really a new
spin on an age-old quest to find
meaning and do the right thing.
It's a journey not a destination;
a process not an answer.
– Hugh Mason
Some time ago, I heard a Transparent communication is the hallmark of an

young woman say, "I am authentic leader.
enough." I was struck and © iStockphoto/Zemdega
intrigued by the expression,
and so I set out to research it. It originated with Carl Rogers, the
psychotherapist, who was asked how he did what he did so
successfully. His response was, "Before a session with a client, I let
myself know that 'I am enough.' Not perfect – because perfect
wouldn't be enough. But I am human, and there is nothing that this
client can say or do or feel that I cannot feel in myself. I can be with
them. I am enough."
This echoes the serenity of mind, the calm spirit that characterizes a
'Mensch' – in other words, a person of integrity, a quality that is
defined in the dictionary as 'a state of being complete or undivided.'
Leaders such as these are the epitome of authenticity. They come
from the standpoint of being enough, of seeing themselves as
complete human beings, providing a unique contribution to the world
by giving their own brand of wisdom, ingenuity, perceptiveness,
fairness, and fierce loyalty to their organizations, and to those they
lead.
Authentic leaders are also promise-keepers. This applies to even the
smallest of promises. Years ago, I met the CEO of a Fortune 500
organization. I noticed something about him. He carried with him a
small, black notebook into which he noted down any promise he
made. No matter how junior the person was to whom he spoke, he
made the same effort to note down his promises to that person, so
that he could follow through. We can rely on the word of such a
person.
Transparent communication is a by-product of authentic leaders' lucid
thinking and uncompromising ethic. Such leaders say a great deal
with a few words, and there is no communication gap between their
internal vision of the world and its outward expression. There is
directness in their language. This transparency in communication is
the holy grail of leadership, especially today – with a reported four
million blogs in the blogosphere – where a lack of transparency can be
particularly detrimental to an organization.
Conformity smoothes our day's journey at work. Blind conformity,
however, has its downsides. It saps creativity, for one. It removes all
sense of individuality. If you are a leader who demands conformity, I
encourage you to think how this might erode your constituents'
authenticity as they are pressured to conform. I once worked for a
leader in a technology company, who adopted, as part of the
company values, the notion of 'intelligent disobedience.' The concept
comes from Seeing Eye dogs. While dogs must learn to obey the
commands of the blind person, they must also know when they need
to disobey commands that can put the owner in harm's way, such as
when a car is approaching. Intelligent disobedience is not about being
difficult and disobeying for disobedience sake. Rather, it is about
being given the authority to use your judgment – for example, when a
decision no longer applies, or when a rule interferes with the
wellbeing of the customer.
Much has been written about 'CEO disease' – a term that describes
the isolation that surrounds a leader when constituents are reluctant
to bring bad news or worst-case scenarios to them, for fear that such
disclosure might trigger a shoot-the-messenger reaction. Establish a
culture that values openness – a literal, not only figurative, open-door
policy. Make it safe for staff to stick their neck out. Consider
instituting 'Giraffe Awards' to encourage people to stick their necks
out for the overall good of the company and its stakeholders.
A fallout of working for, or being associated with, an inauthentic
leader is that this person robs us of our own authenticity as we tread
carefully around them. We focus on what keeps us safe in our jobs. In
the process they don't get the best out of us – they get our labor, but
not our full engagement – that X factor that divides high performance
from minimum acceptable standards. We all know too well that high
engagement is one of the keys to building a high-performance,
sustainable organization in today's competitive environment. There
are many ways to foster that engagement in organizations – one of
them is to take a close look at the quality of the leader. Do people feel
that the leader is who he or she says they are? Are people convinced
that the leader has no hidden agenda, and that the person genuinely
cares for them? All of these factors affect engagement and the
bottom line. Lack of authenticity in a leader carries a hefty price tag.
A test of our veracity as leaders is the annual or semi-annual
performance reviews. More animosity and erosion of trust has been
unnecessarily generated through the dreaded performance reviews
than through any other HR process. Before you write the first word, sit
back and see that person as a real human being. It is very difficult to
capture the sum totality of an individual in a form. A few decades ago,
a leader to whom I reported, and for whom I had great respect,
reviewed my performance and wrote 'rarely, if ever late' as the rating
for my attendance. When I pointed out that, in fact, I was never late,
he said that he couldn't write that, as this might be perceived by head
office as the 'halo effect' because 'no one is never late,' and that this
would cast doubt on the veracity of all the other comments in the
performance reviews. If you are unsure how to rate someone because
you have not had a chance to observe them in a certain behavior,
level with them, and ask their help in rating that particular aspect of
their performance instead of guessing. Watch the level of trust soar
with that individual.
Leadership is difficult work, and it can be easy to stray from who we
are at the core in order to satisfy business imperatives. Being totally
authentic may present particular challenges in today's highly
competitive environments where, for example, proprietary knowledge
needs to be closely guarded, or where news of impending layoffs
needs to be managed in order to avoid losing key staff. We can be
unwittingly mired in politics. We sometimes find ourselves in
situations where we need to look over our shoulders continuously to
protect ourselves. We cannot always trust that others are genuine
with us. Even when we strive to do our very best, others will
sometimes betray us. Much happens in the course of our careers as
we climb the achievement ladder. We can sometimes, slowly and
imperceptibly, wander off from our authentic selves. Despite all of
this, we need to make every effort to stay true to who we are. As
Howard Thurman eloquently said, "Find the grain in your own wood."
Here are what I call the 'leaves' of authenticity:
1. Living your values as a leader every day is an important key
component of authentic leadership. However, you need to
examine these values periodically to consider their validity in
today's environment. Work-life balance, for example, is no longer
a perk – it may be an essential requirement for attracting the
best minds to your organization.
2. Are you in the habit of making hasty promises that you know
from past experience you are unable to keep? Think back on
what promises you made, to whom, and see if you can fulfill
some of these.
3. There is a real freedom when we shed all affectation. Are there
times in your life when you see yourself being forced to put on a
show to make an impression on others? Resolve to stop that,
once and for all. Watch yourself soar when you are
unencumbered by the weight of pretense. Tell yourself, "I am
enough" – and mean it.
4. Straight talk, self-confidence, and simplicity – these are the
building blocks of substance; the triumph over image. Think
about how you can make these a daily habit.
5. Are there areas in your life where you might lack consistency
without intending to? For example, are you kind to some people,
but not to others? Are you completely truthful in some
circumstances, but not in others? What does this insight tell you?
6. Start collecting personal stories that you can use to illustrate
important aspects of your leadership style, such as, what
motivates you to lead; what your philosophy of leading is; and
who you are as a person. Personal stories are the most effective
form of storytelling for leaders.
7. Adversity reveals our true character. Consider your conduct when
things go wrong. Remind yourself that, as a leader, you are
continuously under a looking glass. People want to be inspired by
you.
8. When you are given a script you didn't write for a presentation
that you have to deliver, spend extra time to make the words
your own. Purge your presentations of inadvertently inflated
language, which often ends with others questioning your
authenticity as a speaker. For example, replace the words 'eating
establishments' with 'restaurants', 'learning environments' with
'schools' or 'universities', 'expeditious' with 'efficient.' Take
inspiration from Winston Churchill, who said, "Speak in short,
homely words of common usage."
9. Are you forced to live in disharmony between who you are and
what you do? Have you turned a deaf ear to the whispers of your
heart? Resolve today to take action to start the journey back to
finding yourself, to reconnecting with your passions and values. If
this is not possible for you because of restrictions in your current
circumstance, think about small compromises that you can start
making right now to be more in a state of harmony.
10. If you are an emergent leader, comfortable with seeking approval
before making any decisions, develop a plan to start practicing
self-reliance. Start with smaller-scale decisions, and progressively
move on to more significant ones. Only when you free yourself
from the need to have others' approval can you truly start to
evolve into the authentic leader you were meant to be.
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What members say...
Yolande wrote
To me, a person is authentic if I know that they will never do

something with hidden motives. Is that a tall order?
Cheers
Yolandé
October 27, 2012
Midgie wrote
Hi peteriddle,
Welcome to the Club.
The concept of 'authenticity' is fundamental, in my opinion, to not

only leaders but to us all! Becoming 'real' and more aligned with
who we truly are takes a certain level of courage to stand up to
who we truly are. Reading articles like this one can remind us to
stand up and be truly authentic if we've strayed a bit!
How do you view authenticity? It might be interesting to start a

discussion on how everyone defines it!
Hope to see you around and if I can help you with anything, just
let me know.
Midgie
October 15, 2012
peteriddle wrote
Excellent article, I found my myself thinking that the idea of

'authenticity' in leadership; not a particularly new or challengning
copncept, is particularly relevant in the current business
environment.
October 12, 2012
Bruna wrote
That's great, Bree! Let's hope this posting starts a positive

movement!
Bruna
March 19, 2009
Bree wrote
Hi Bruna,
Very interesting article and certainly makes me want to go out
and buy your book ... I hope we'll see more of these 'summary
articles' on this site!
I particularly like the 'I am enough' concept ... one that I do not do
consciously yet could benefit from.
So, today, I'll start my day knowing, believing and trusting that 'I
am enough'!
Thanks!
Bree
March 19, 2009
Bruna wrote
I am glad that the book has opened up another dimension for you.
Being aware when we fail to think "I am enough" is a powerful
introspection. Self-awareness creates self-management. Thank
you for sharing your thoughts, H.
March 19, 2009
wolf wrote
Some more and very interesting food for thought, Bruna! I

particularly like the "I am enough" way of thinking. I've spent a
long time trying to fit into the skin I thought people around me
wanted me to wear, which made me feel very uncomfortable. Last
year, I slowly started to get back into my own skin, much thanks
to coaching. I'm not there yet, but certainly hope that I too can
say that I am enough soon (and mean it!)!
Makes me very curious about the book you've written, by the way!
Sounds like a good meal for the brain compared to the light
snacks TV tends to serve...
//H.
March 18, 2009

The Tannenbaum-Schmidt
Leadership Continuum
Balancing Control With Your Team's Need for Freedom
Leaders use a variety of

different approaches.
Some are autocratic and prefer
to tell their teams exactly what
to do.
Others use a much more
participative style. Still others
may use a style somewhere
between these two extremes.
These differences suggest a Free to act, or closely controlled?
continuum of leadership © iStockphoto/catnap72
behavior – with leaders being
able to choose the style they use.
So, how do you choose the leadership style that's right for you?
One popular approach to leadership, the "contingency" approach,
argues that your choice should be based on the situation, and not on
your personal preferences (here, "contingency" means that your
approach is dependent on, or contingent upon, the situation).
In 1958, contingency theorists Robert Tannenbaum and Warren
Schmidt identified a continuum of seven distinct leadership styles,
which they published in the Harvard Business Review. By
understanding this continuum, you can see some of the options
available to you, and these help you think about which leadership
style is most appropriate in a given situation.
Understanding the Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum

The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Continuum shows where a manager's
approach lies on a continuum, running from the manager exerting
rigid authority at one extreme, through to the team having full
freedom to act at the other. This is shown in Figure 1, below.
The model highlights seven leadership styles that occur across the
continuum:
1. Tells – The leader makes decisions and expects the team to
follow; and the team has very little involvement in decision-
making. This type of style is sometimes used early in a team's
existence, before trust is established, or with very inexperienced
team members. Continued use of this style can be very
frustrating for team members and can break down trust, so
leaders must be careful to use this style only when absolutely
necessary.
2. Sells – The leader makes the decision, but provides a rationale.
Team buy-in is important. Although the decision won't be
changed, the team is allowed to ask questions and feel that its
needs are being considered.
3. Suggests – The leader outlines the decision, includes a
rationale, and asks if there are any questions. While the decision
is already made, this style helps the team understand why, so
team members don't feel so much that the decision is forced on
them. According to Tannenbaum and Schmidt, because people
have the opportunity to discuss the decision, they feel that they
have participated in it, and they accept it more readily. This helps
build trust, and it's a good strategy to use when you're trying to
figure out what the team is capable of on its own.
4. Consults – The leader proposes a decision and then invites input
and discussion to ensure that the decision is the right one. The
team has the ability to influence the final outcome, and to make
changes to the decision. By using this style, the leader
acknowledges that the team has valuable insight into the
problem. This shows that he or she trusts the team members and
wants them to participate actively in problem solving and
decision making. This leadership style can build cohesiveness,
and provide much-needed motivation to a team.
5. Joins – The leader presents the problem and then asks the team
for suggestions and options to consider. Through the discussion
that follows, the team helps the leader decide. So, while the
leader ultimately makes the decision, decision making is a very
collaborative process, and the team feels valued and trusted.
This style is often used when the team has specific knowledge
and expertise that the leader needs to make the best decision.
6. Delegates – The leader outlines the problem; provides decision
parameters; and allows the team to find solutions and make a
final decision. The leader remains accountable for the outcome,
and he or she controls risks by setting limits and defining criteria
that the final decision must meet. To delegate this much
authority, the leader needs to trust the team and ensure that it
has the support and resources necessary to make a solid
decision.
7. Abdicates – The leader asks the team to define the problem,
develop options, and make a decision. The team is free to do
what's necessary to solve a problem while still working under
reasonable limits, given organizational needs and objectives.
Although the level of freedom is very high, the leader is still
accountable for the decision and therefore must make sure the
team is ready for this level of responsibility and self-control.
Note:
Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory is

another, popular contingency theory that uses similar style
definitions. It proposes that there are four leadership styles to
consider in every situation: Telling, Selling, Participating, and
Delegating. You can learn more about it by clicking here .
Using the Continuum

The continuum's seven leadership styles broadly correspond to a
team's level of development. As trust and competency grow within a
team, so does the amount of freedom that team members want and
that leaders can feel comfortable providing. Tannenbaum and Schmidt
felt that there were three key elements to consider when deciding on
the style that's most appropriate for a particular situation:
1. The team members – How independent and experienced are
they? Do they have the necessary level of competence for the
level of freedom you're considering? Do they understand the
goals of the team and the organization sufficiently to make good
decisions?
2. The situation – Do you have enough time to allow the team to
become involved in the decision-making process? Does the team
operate well enough together to make an effective decision in a
reasonable amount of time? Does the team have the knowledge
and experience necessary to make a good decision? Are the
consequences of getting the decision wrong significant? And
does the culture of the organization support team decision-
making?
3. The leader – Do you believe in your team's ability to deliver?
Are you willing and able to accept accountability for your team's
decision? And are you able to delegate tasks and decisions
effectively?
In 1973, Tannenbaum and Schmidt published an update to their
theory, in which they recommended that managers consider the
interrelationships between the above three factors – along with
factors outside the team and the organization. For example:
• If a manager trusts team members to make decisions, and the
manager considers any mistakes made to be "learning
experiences," then the team members' ability to make good
decisions will improve.
• If an organization has a strong culture of respect for its people,
then using a "tell" or "sell" style may be less acceptable than it
would be in another organization, even with an inexperienced
team.
• Consumers may boycott a company where managers are
excessively authoritarian toward their people.
To find out more about leadership styles and leadership models,
see our article on Leadership Styles . These include the
Transformational Leadership approach, which is often the most
effective leadership style in business situations.
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What members say...
Dianna wrote
This is such a strong, visual tool that helps us understand the

different types of leadership and when and why the different types
are appropriate. It's not always "bad" to make a decision without
consultation and it's not always "good" to use lots of participation
to make a decision. There are other factors to consider. This
continuum helps you to be an adaptive leader.
Dianna
May 4, 2010

The Uncertainty Factor
Last week, as I was rushing to
select a birthday card for a
friend before heading to a
meeting, one card in particular
caught my eye. It showed a
sepia photograph of an old
wharf leading to a peaceful
lake. The wharf had clearly
seen better days: some of its
floor boards were broken and
some were missing. Some of
the handrail posts were also © iStockphoto/Hulldude30
gone. As I find beauty in things

that are asymmetrical, I decided to purchase the card.
But it wasn't until that evening when I sat down to address the card
that I noticed the back of it. It said: "Rely on your dreams". I found the
juxtaposition of the old unstable wharf with the implication of
"reliability" an interesting dichotomy – a subtle message from the
artist on the power of our dreams and aspirations in times of
instability and uncertainty.
As the late John Finley, English historian and mathematician tells us:
"Maturity of mind is the capacity to endure uncertainty". This capacity
to not get derailed or immobilized by the uncertainties and rapid,
often chaotic changes we all face in our personal and professional
lives, is a personal asset that is remarkable and rare amongst
individuals.
In a study conducted by The Centre for Creative Leadership,
inability to handle change emerged as one of the primary causes for
executive derailment (followed by inability to work well in a team and
a deficit in interpersonal skills). Time and time again, I have seen
highly competent and successful leaders, individuals with high IQ and
strong knowledge in their area of expertise, get on the wrong path
because they stubbornly refused to adapt to the changing demands
of the moment.
And it is often during times of uncertainty and chaotic change that
our behavior speaks louder about who we really are as a person.
Having been personally involved in numerous management changes,
mergers and acquisitions, rapid growth periods, and drastic "right
sizing" and downsizing, I have seen two types of individuals who
surface in these unsettling and uncertain conditions: those who
manifest their shadow, their dark side, and those who help
themselves and others around them to ride out the storm. The latter
inevitably shine brighter and emerge as leaders, rising above the
crowd.
As all project managers know, the uncertainty of major ventures or
projects which go awry can have nefarious consequences that filter
down to the rest of the organization, affecting everyone, from the
mail clerk to the CEO – a careless acquisition, not paying attention to
the rampant overhead of certain pet projects and not foreseeing
changing trends, to name just a few. Developing competence in
managing uncertainties is crucial. A short but insightful article
published by MIT Sloan Management Review, entitled Managing
Project Uncertainty: From Variation to Chaos, outlines four major
types of uncertainties:
• Variation: despite detailed and well conceived project plans, the
project schedules and budgets end up at odds with actual costs
and timescales.
• Foreseen Uncertainty: the team isolates identifiable and
predictable influences that may or may not occur.
• Unforeseen Uncertainty: some major factors cannot be
predicted.
• Chaos: where even the basic structure of the project plan is
uncertain.
The authors state that companies that spend some time at the outset
of a project to create an "uncertainty profile", that is, ascertain what
kind of uncertainty is likely to dominate their project, will be better
able to quickly adapt to it and choose the right management strategy.
The article reveals numerous tools and techniques for managing each
type of uncertainty such as using decision-tree techniques and
sharing risk lists with all stakeholders.
Along the same vein, an insightful article is The Quest for Resilience,
Harvard Business Review (September 2003). In turbulent, uncertain
times, the only sure advantage is the capacity for reinventing your
business model before it's too late.
Among the many wisdom nuggets in this article, what struck me is
the notion that, as the leader, you need to "filter out the filterers",
that is you need to find those individuals in the organization who are
plugged tightly in to the future and understand well the implications
for your company's business model – and allow these people to give
voice to their opinions, without being censored by the watchdogs of
the status quo who isolate you from potential distasteful news. As the
author aptly puts it: "You should be wary of anyone who has a vested
interest in your continued ignorance..."
Corporate uncertainty is not going away. Successful individuals within
those companies are those that are agile and can adapt. So what are
some strategies that you can use to make yourself change-proof and
to cope with organizational uncertainty and the personal upheaval
that it causes? Here are some suggestions for leaders and
constituents:
1. If you are in charge of leading others, watch for signs of a
lethargic culture of complacency which can easily happen when
times are good. Do your best to turn things around now so that
you have a high performance culture instead. You will have done
your team a favor. Some strategies to consider include
reinforcing the strategic imperatives and priorities; engaging
your constituents and making a true effort to know their
strengths and work preferences; managing the talent in your
organization well; communicating frequently and with heart. See
Creating a High Performance Culture (Ivy Business Journal –
March/April 2005).
2. As the leader, practice empathy by allowing individuals to
express their doubts and misgivings without being defensive.
People need an outlet. Make it safe for them to speak.
3. Draw up a plan to make yourself incredibly valuable to your
organization. If the company is unable to allocate dollars for your
training, raise your worth by personally investing in your own
training. Find an area in your department or organization where
there is a gap in skill, talent or knowledge and work to acquire
what you need to fill that gap. Increasing your value to the
company is a sound strategy even when there are no fears of
impending change. It's just a smart thing to do.
4. Raise your visibility by volunteering to work on committees, give
presentations, or start a worthwhile project that will attract
positive attention by everyone. We often hear this but we don't
do it because we are too busy already with our own jobs or lack
the motivation. (A few years ago, a client in a technology
company volunteered to create a one person "future research"
committee. He spent some of his leisure time reading everything
there was to read about future trends affecting his company's
products and technology, and shared these insights with
everyone in the company. This initiative created a buzz around
him and insulated him from a restructuring phase that later
occurred at his company.)
5. Be aware of your comportment during times of stressful company
announcements. Do you walk out of the meeting immediately
sharing your interpretations of all the possible negative aspects
of the situation? Or do you give the company leaders the benefit
of the doubt – adopting a positive wait and see approach?
6. No matter how unsettling the uncertainty is, don't abandon your
commitment to your job – don't quit before you have quit. There
is something detrimental to our psyche when we lose our sense
of purpose and meaning in what we do and just coast along
waiting for the sword of Damocles to fall. Do whatever it takes to
recreate your commitment. It will be a source of strength and
dignity.
7. Be aware that one of the key emotional intelligence
competencies today is being able to manage change. At the first
level this means having the ability to define the general need for
change within the scope of your responsibility; the second level is
to act in supporting the change; the third level is personally
leading change and the fourth level, is championing change and
being a change catalyst. Consider taking an emotional
competence test to determine your level in this competency.
With some effort, training and/or coaching and the right mind-
set, we can all be change savvy.
8. Above all, don't let uncertainty and job frustrations drain your
energy away from the personal goals and aspirations that you
had planned for yourself. Channel the precious mental energy
that you would disperse in being frustrated or disappointed into
becoming the best of who you are. This is not mere rhetoric. You
just need to catch yourself in the act when you are giving in to
feelings of dejection and discouragement and remind yourself
that there are better things to do with your time.
I ended up keeping the birthday card that was destined for my friend.
It is on my desk as a beautiful reminder of the strength that comes
from relying on our dreams, on our purpose, on our passion, no
matter how uncertain our current situation may be. These are the
things that energize us, inspire us, propel us forward – the things that
put a fire in our belly just thinking about them.
"What every man needs, regardless of his job or the kind of work he is
doing, is a vision of what his place is and may be. He needs an
objective and a purpose. He needs a feeling and a belief that he has
some worthwhile thing to do. What this is no one can tell him. It must
be his own creation." (Joseph M. Dodge, Sitterson Professor, Florida
State University.)
Joy and hope are an inside job. Abandon the tendency to think that
what is now will continue into the future. Focus on what you want for
your future, rather than on what you don't want. Something
remarkable happens when we successfully make that shift.
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What members say...
ella wrote
I thought that this was an excellent article. I LOVED the following

passages the best:
"What every man needs, regardless of his job or the kind of work
he is doing, is a vision of what his place is and may be. He needs
an objective and a purpose. He needs a feeling and a belief that
he has some worthwhile thing to do. What this is no one can tell
him. It must be his own creation." (Joseph M. Dodge, Sitterson
Professor, Florida State University.)
"Joy and hope are an inside job. Abandon the tendency to think
that what is now will continue into the future. Focus on what you
want for your future, rather than on what you don’t want.
Something remarkable happens when we successfully make that
shift."
If you hold strong to remaining constant and do not bend with the
wind, you are going to fail at some point. Change is inevitable and
the more you embrace it, and learn about it, the more successful
you will be. Sailors learned this from the beginning - they
embraced the wind and earned how to control it to get where they
wanted to be. We can do the same with our careers.
To spend time worrying about what is or might be going to

happen, is precious time lost.
Just my thoughts................Ella
December 1, 2006

Becoming an Inspirational Leader
Molly is someone everyone

respects.
Her team members are fiercely
loyal, and they're highly
successful – as individuals, and
as a team.
In contrast, other leaders in the
organization report that their
people seem disengaged. They
experience high staff turnover,
Transformational leaders inspire and support their
and their results are often people.
disappointing. © iStockphoto/aydinmutlu
So, what does Molly do that other leaders don't?

To begin with, she regularly reminds her team members of the
purpose of their work. And she knows that she's a role model for her
team, so she demonstrates integrity in all of her working
relationships.
Molly is a transformational leader. She sets high expectations, but
"walks the walk" to demonstrate the standards that she expects.
In this article, we'll explore what transformational leadership is, and
we'll outline how you can become a transformational leader.
What is Transformational Leadership?

Leadership expert James McGregor Burns introduced the concept of
transformational leadership in his 1978 book, "Leadership." He
defined transformational leadership as a process where "leaders and
their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and
motivation."
Bernard M. Bass later developed the concept of transformational
leadership further. According his 1985 book, "Leadership and
Performance Beyond Expectations," this kind of leader:
• Is a model of integrity and fairness.
• Sets clear goals.
• Has high expectations.
• Encourages others.
• Provides support and recognition.
• Stirs the emotions of people.
• Gets people to look beyond their self-interest.
• Inspires people to reach for the improbable.
More than 25 years after Bass' book, transformational leadership is
often argued to be the most important ideas in business leadership.
Note:
See our article on leadership styles to explore other ways to

lead, and to select the one that's right for your situation.
How to Become a Transformational Leader

In our How to Lead workbook, we distill Bass' ideas into a process
that you can use to become a transformational leader.
To do this, you need to:
1. Create an inspiring vision of the future.
2. Motivate people to buy into and deliver the vision.
3. Manage delivery of the vision.
4. Build ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with your people.
Note:
As you can see, our process doesn't map directly onto Bass' list.
However, it does translate the traits that he set out into clear and
actionable steps.
Use these steps, along with the tools we outline below, to develop
your transformational leadership skills.
Step 1: Create an Inspiring Vision

People need a compelling reason to follow your lead, and this is why
you need to create and communicate an inspiring vision of the future.
Your vision sets out your team or organization's purpose – why you
all get up in the morning to do what you do. You develop this partly by
understanding the values of the people you lead, partly by
understanding the capabilities and resources of your
organization, and partly by conducting an intelligent analysis of your
environment, and selecting the best way forward within it.
This is the subject of business unit strategy, and developing a
coherent strategy takes a lot of hard work and careful thought.
If you're developing a vision for your organization, use Mullins'
Seven Domains Model to analyze your environment. Then, use
tools such as Lafley and Martin's Five-Step Strategy Model to
develop your strategy. This is usually then expressed in a business
plan , and summarized in a mission statement .
If you're developing a vision for your team, start with the company's
mission and vision, and explore the ways in which your team can
contribute directly to it.
Step 2: Motivate People to Buy Into and Deliver the Vision
Now, starting with your mission statement , you need to appeal to
your people's values , and inspire them with where you're going to
lead them, and why.
Use business storytelling as part of your call to action: this will
help people appreciate the positive impact of your vision on the
people you're trying to help. (Hint: if the only person you're trying to
help is yourself, you won't inspire anyone.)
Then, talk about your vision often. Link it to people's goals and tasks
to give it context, and help people see how they can contribute to it.
Transformational leaders also know that nothing significant happens
unless they encourage their people. So, make sure that you know
about the different kinds of motivation , and use these to inspire
your people to deliver their best.
Step 3: Manage Delivery of the Vision

A vision is no use on its own: it needs to become reality. However,
many leaders make the mistake of developing a vision, but of not
putting in the hard and often mundane work of delivering it.
To manage the delivery of your vision, you'll need to combine
effective project management with sensitive change
management. This will help you deliver the changes you need with
the full support of your people.
Communicate each person's roles and responsibilities clearly, and
connect these to your plans. Everyone should fully understand what
they're responsible for, and know how you will measure their success.
Next, set clear, SMART goals for everyone, including some short-
term goals that will help people achieve quick wins and stay
motivated. Use management by objectives to link short-term
achievement to your longer-term goals.
You may need to build your self-discipline and stamina, so that
you don't let yourself down. And, set a good example to your people –
especially if they're affected by delays or difficulties – by being a
model of hard work and persistence.
Also, stay visible by practicing management by walking around .
This is an ideal technique for transformational leaders, because it
helps you stay connected with daily activities, and allows you to
answer questions as they arise.
Tip:
Clear communication is essential to transformational leadership.

Take time to make sure that your communications are heard and
understood, and give clear, regular feedback , so that your
people know what you want.
Step 4: Build Ever-Stronger, Trust-Based Relationships With
Your People
As a transformational leader, you need to focus your attention on
your people, and work hard to help them achieve their goals and
dreams.
Use Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model as your
starting point. This tool outlines how important your people are to
your success as a leader.
It also underlines the fact that leadership is a long-term process, and
that, as a leader, you need to work constantly to build relationships,
earn trust, and help your people grow as individuals.
Meet your people individually to understand their developmental
needs , and help them to meet their career goals. What do they
want to achieve in their role? Where do they see themselves five
years from now? How can you help them reach this goal?
You can build trust with your people by being open and honest in
your interactions. Use the Johari Window to disclose safe
personal information about yourself, and to get a better
understanding of "what makes your people tick."
Lastly, set aside time to coach your people. When you help them
find their own solutions, you not only create a skilled team, but you
also strengthen their self-confidence and their trust in you.
Key Points
Transformational leaders inspire great loyalty and trust in their
followers. They have high expectations, and they inspire their
people to reach their goals.
You can become a transformational leader by following these
steps:
1. Create an inspiring vision of the future.
2. Motivate people to buy into and deliver the vision.
3. Manage delivery of the vision.
4. Build ever-stronger, trust-based relationships with your
people.
Keep in mind that, to succeed as a transformational leader, you'll
need to work on your own skills, and set aside time and space for
personal development.
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What a Real Leader Knows
Developing Fundamental Leadership Skills
What distinguishes effective

leaders from mediocre ones?
Is it their ability to make good
decisions, their charismatic
persuasiveness, or the clarity of
their vision?
And do the best leaders have
these qualities naturally, or
were they acquired at college?
The good news is that you can Decision making is a key leadership skill.
learn to be a leader, just as © iStockphoto/kutaytanir
long as you take time to learn
fundamental leadership skills.
However, your effectiveness depends on how you apply these skills.
So, what do you have to learn if you want to be a better leader? And
do you need to go business school to learn these things, or can you
learn them on the job?
J. Sterling Livingston, a professor at Harvard Business School,
attempted to answer these questions by studying the connection
between formal education and successful leadership. In 1971, he
published "The Myth of the Well-Educated Manager" in the Harvard
Business Review.
One of Livingston's conclusions was that a formal business education,
such as an MBA, was not a good predictor of long-term leadership
success. This finding is much less surprising today than it was back in
the early 1970s. However, his other main observation is as relevant
today as it was back then – namely, that four key skills define
successful leadership:
1. Good decision making.
2. Successful problem finding.
3. Effective opportunity finding.
4. Leadership style.
By developing your skills in these fundamental areas, he argued that
you can lead people, and inspire them to change. You can also be
dynamic and effective in how you tackle the challenges you face
every day.
Let's look at these four skill areas in more detail.
Decision Making
Leaders need to be able to solve problems effectively and make good
decisions. But decision making and problem solving skills are
commonly taught – so, with all those problem solvers out there, why
can good leaders be so hard to find?
According to Livingston, the difference often lies in your approach to
finding solutions. If you deal with a problem believing that you have
to find the 'right answer', this can actually lead to failure. After all,
you can analyze a problem forever, and still not be 100% sure that
your solution is the best. The only way to assess your decision is by
looking back, after the fact. Even then, there are sometimes too many
variables to determine whether or not you definitely chose the right
course of action.
Effective leaders use practical and responsive approaches to decision
making. They know that you can't wait to make a perfect decision:
when you're in the middle of a situation, you have to be confident
enough to do what needs to be done right now. This means you must
quickly evaluate the situation, and take an action that has a high
probability of success. The decisions that these leaders make under
pressure may not be perfect, but they're consistent with the
desired outcome.
Good leaders also know that problem solving and decision making
aren't entirely rational processes. We all have emotions, so
completely objective decisions don't really exist. Successful leaders
therefore use critical thinking – a technique that questions every
step of their thinking processes – to manage the subjective side of
decision making.
Ultimately, what sets apart effective leaders is that they know HOW
to decide. They know when to take the time to use analytical and
thorough decision-making processes. They know when to engage the
whole team, and when to make decisions on their own. This
knowledge doesn't come from a book, but from practical experience.
As a developing leader, look for opportunities to make decisions in a
wide variety of situations, so that you can gain that experience.
See the Mind Tools decision-making skills section to learn a wide

range of specific decision-making techniques.
Problem Finding
Leaders don't simply solve problems that people bring to them – they
look for problems that may be hidden. In other words, they often
recognize potential issues before they become significant.
The quicker you discover a problem, the more time you have to find a
solution, and the easier it is to tackle the problem before it becomes
serious. Skillful leaders are proactive, and they continuously ask
questions. The 5 Whys problem-solving technique – a tool that
helps you get to the root of a problem quickly – is something that
good leaders often do instinctively when they first find a problem.
Also, look for potential problems that may be caused by a proposed
solution – before that solution is implemented. When they can,
leaders use approaches like Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
(FMEA) to spot these problems before they take action. Sometimes
this happens intuitively and informally, but the objective is the same –
to find problems before they develop into much larger, potentially
damaging, issues.
See our problem-solving skills section for a wide variety of tools

that help you find problems – including Flow Charts , Swim
Lane Diagrams , Systems Diagrams , and Appreciative
Inquiry .
Opportunity Finding
When you solve problems, you make sure the organization can
continue on its defined path toward its goals. When you find
opportunities, however, you focus on redefining – and hopefully
improving – the company's overall direction.
As management expert Peter Drucker famously said, "The pertinent
question is not how to do things right, but how to find the right things
to do, and to concentrate resources and efforts on them."
Successful leaders find opportunities and use them effectively. In
practical terms, they understand leverage , and they constantly
look for ways to achieve more with the same amount of effort.
Simplex is a sophisticated tool for finding problems and
opportunities – and for taking action.
Our strategy tools section has many useful tools that help
leaders assess strategic opportunities. Some of the most popular
are PEST Analysis , SWOT Analysis , the Boston Matrix
and Porter's Five Forces .
Natural Leadership Style

Finally, good leaders use effective styles of leadership . You may
find all kinds of problems and opportunities, and you may make great
decisions to move the organization forward – but if you can't inspire
people to take action, there's little chance of success.
Livingston argued that there's no single, correct leadership style that
everyone can use in all situations. He said that strong leaders
recognize this, and adapt their approach as necessary. But they
always use authentic styles that fit naturally with their personalities.
It's also important to be inspirational – to lead by your example ,
your words, and your vision. Good leaders motivate, inspire trust,
have a clear vision, are trustworthy, and are committed both to their
people and to making the organization better.
A large part of being an effective leader is the willingness to accept
responsibility and accountability . This strengthens the integrity
and trustworthiness of your actions, decisions, and motives. By
committing to an open and honest relationship with your superiors,
peers, and staff, you can become a leader who motivates others to
work with you to achieve a common goal.
Note:
At Mind Tools, we agree with some of these points, and we

disagree with others.
First of all, MBAs are useful as a way of learning skills in all of these
areas, and many others, in a quick, condensed way. A good MBA
will package all of the learning from many years' practical
experience, plus business theory, into a one- or two-year course.
Secondly, while there is no one leadership style that suits all
business situations, the 'transformational leadership' style does
suit very many of them. This is a style of leadership by which a
leader creates an inspiring vision of the future, motivates his or
her team to achieve that vision, manages implementation of the
vision effectively, and coaches and develops his or her team so
that individual team members are even more effective when the
next team task comes up.
Mind Tools Club members can learn how to become
transformational leaders by downloading 'How to Lead: Discover
the Leader Within You,' the Mind Tools leadership course. This is
free from the club download center.
Key Points
Leaders aren't created overnight: leadership is something that you
need to work on every day. It's more than learning how to solve
problems and make decisions – you must focus on making your
organization better through everything you do.
This means that you need to understand how and when to make a
decision, recognize problems before they appear, constantly look
for opportunities to improve, and be aware of your leadership
style. When people believe in you, they'll likely trust your decisions
and actions – and that's the mark of a true leader.

1. Challenge yourself to learn and use one new decision-making
tool each week.
2. Think about the last key decision you made.
• Did you use critical thinking as part of your process? How
did that impact the result?
• Did you feel pressure to make the 'right' decision? If so,
how did that affect the timeliness of your decision?
3. What problems can you see right now that your company should
address? How can you help influence a solution – and will you do
so?
4. What opportunities can you see right now that your organization
should pursue? Start creating a plan to evaluate your idea.
5. Describe your natural leadership style. Think of a time when you
acted as a leader, but you weren't true to who you are – and
perhaps used a style that didn't naturally fit your personality.
How did you feel, and how did it impact the effectiveness of your
leadership?
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What members say...
Yolande wrote
Hi Shannon
I'm glad that you found some upliftment there...the support and
help we all get from one another is but one of the things that
makes these forums so great!
Chat soon
Yolandé
January 27, 2011
careercpr wrote
Thanks for your feedback Yolande! I'll check out the article you
recommended. Tools to help me make decisions confidently and
timely are very helpful for me.
Your words have helped me own my 'leadership' position at work!

When I find myself getting frustrated at work, I must remind
myself of my commitment to show up as a leader. I've noticed
that when I get frustrated, it drains my energy, making me less
productive towards the pursuit of my business goals. Perhaps if I
consciously transform my frustration into my passion for
leadership, energy will flow my way and I will accomplish more
because I'm acting in accordance with who I am - wow! I'm feeling
pretty empowered right now.
Joyfully,
Shannon
January 26, 2011
Yolande wrote
Hi Shannon
I really enjoyed reading your posting - your honesty about your

own areas of growth is refreshing - and also half the battle won. If
we don't know what to change...how do we change?
I was wondering if you've seen our article titled "The Vroom-
Yetton-Jago Decision Making Model - Deciding how to decide"? It is
something you may find interesting and the link is:
http://www.mindtools.com/community/page ... TED_91.php
You say that you aren't in a leadership position at work, but that
doesn't make you less of a leader. Your whole attitude about
problems, opportunities, using the DISC model etc. shouts out that
you are a leader and that you aren't afraid of learning and using
new skills. I really loved your differentiation between defining
problems and opportunities! Sometimes just the example that we
set makes us leaders because other people look up to us (and
sometimes we don't even realize it!).
Thanks for sharing with us - please keep on doing so, that is how
we all help and learn from one another.
Kind regards
Yolandé
January 25, 2011
careercpr wrote
I thoroughly enjoyed this article. I appreciate the focus on the 4

key skills of a successful leader. I'll share my comments based on
the 4 skills:
[u:2avmwyof]Decision Making[/u:2avmwyof]
I find that I sometimes wait to make the 'perfect' decision. As a
result, I don't always take swift action and then I get frustrated
that I'm not achieving my career / business goals. For example, I
have found myself not making a decision on who my target
market is in my business. I also see how I sometimes fall into the
trap of thinking that I don't "know enough" in order to make
certain decisions. This indecision costs me time, money and self-
esteem.
I have gotten better over the past few months. For example, I
wanted to send a survey to my women's group, so I decided to
write the questions and send it out to the group. I let go of trying
to write the 'perfect' questions and simply wrote from my heart.
The article makes me realize that I must be confident enough to

make the decision so I can move forward. My husband is a good
role model for me in terms of decision making.
[u:2avmwyof]Problem Defining[/u:2avmwyof]
I truly believe that problems are opportunities. Once a problem is
identified, I have an opportunity to put a system in place so the
problem doesn't resurface. This is my work philosophy. I often ask
co-workers, "What can I do to make your job easier?" Upon further
discovery, I've come to realize that defining problems allows me
to set people up for success - this is very important to me and ties
into my core value of developing people. I get frustrated at work
because I don't see this as a core value of the company.
[u:2avmwyof]Opportunity Finding[/u:2avmwyof]
At first, I didn't see the distinction between problem defining and
opportunity finding. Here's what I came up with, problem defining
asks the question, "what's not working" and opportunity finding
asks the question, "what's possible?"
In terms of opportunity finding, I think my company can get buy-in

from its employees by involving the employees in a discussion of
what they see as opportunities for growth. I also believe that the
leadership team at my place of employment is so busy with day-
to-day operations that no one is looking for ways to take the
company to the next level. This is tough for me because I'm a
visionary and love brainstorming ways to make things better.
[u:2avmwyof]Natural Leadership Style[/u:2avmwyof]

I agree that there is no one correct leadership style. I like using
tools, like the DISC, because it gives a common language for
talking about different preferences of people and gives me ways
to flex my style based on who I'm talking with.
In conclusion, I don't have a leadership position at work, yet my

commitment is to show up as a leader in my life and for my
women's group. I will definitely read the book How to Lead:
Discover the Leader Within You so I continue to enhance my skills
and step into the role of Transformational Leader!
Joyfully,
Shannon
January 25, 2011
Dianna wrote
Hi alqwairi - welcome to the forums. It's great to hear from you.
I agree leadership is something that we all have to work on and

try to practice on a regular basis. Even if you aren't in a leadership
position right now you can still use the qualities of a leader to
achieve your team and professional goals.
Let us know how we can help support you as you work to

implement leadership skills. If there are specific tools you'd like to
read more about you can search for them or I can help you find
them. Please do let me know. In the meantime, I hope you
continue to enjoy the tools and resources we have here at the
Club.
Cheers!
Dianna
September 24, 2010
alqwairi wrote
real this good points ,but need more works to implement
September 23, 2010
Rachel wrote
Hi All
What skills differentiate average leaders from great ones? And

how can we apply these skills to be better leaders?
In this week's Featured Favorite, we highlight the key skill areas

that are essential for successful leadership.
Click below to find out what they are, and how you can apply
them to your own situation, so that you can be an even better
leader.
Best wishes
Rachel
September 21, 2010
mayc wrote
This has got to be one of my favorite articles on Mind Tools.

Leadership is tough and this brings it back down to practical
things I can do everyday to be a better leader and example for my
team. We've really embraced "problem finding" in our team. And
it's changed out whole outlook. Instead of going through the gears
I find my team is thinking about why we do what we do, and they
are questioning lots of process and systems that were just taken
for granted before. My boss has already noticed our "motivation
and morale" have improved which is fantastic feedback for me.
May
January 19, 2010
Midgie wrote
Thank you for that feedback Bigk. By the way, I do not set out
with a specific, exact, idea of what I will do 'to make a difference'
each day ... I just sent the intention that I can do something. And
you know what ... something happens during the day that upon
reflection, I was able to 'make a difference'.
In regards to re-reading some of the resources on this site, I often

find that I pick up something useful when I review things again. I
attribute this to simply that my 'filters' of what is important
change all the time. So, at one point, I might pick up a particular
detail and brush over others whereas when I re-read it, I'll pick up
on those other points.
Whether it's leaderships skills, communication skill, time

management skills or presentation skills, re-reading certain
articles is like a reminder to myself to do certain things! Always
helpful!
Midgie
January 19, 2010

What is Leadership?
Leaders are people who

do the right thing;
managers are people who
do things right.
– Professor Warren G.
Bennis Flash
Leadership is the art of

getting someone else to
do something you want
done because he wants
to do it.
Find out what makes a great leader, with
– Dwight D. Eisenhower James Manktelow & Amy Carlson.
The word "leadership" can bring to mind a variety of images. For

example:
• An army officer, leading an assault on an enemy position.
• An explorer, cutting a path through the jungle for the rest of his
party to follow.
• An executive, developing her company's strategy to beat the
competition.
Leaders help themselves and others to do the right things. They set
direction, build an inspiring vision, and create something new.
Leadership is about mapping out where you need to go to "win" as a
team or an organization; and it is dynamic, exciting, and inspiring.
Yet, while leaders set the direction, they must also use management
skills to guide their people to the right destination, in a smooth and
efficient way.
In this article, we'll focus on the process of leadership. In particular,
we'll discuss the "transformational leadership" model, first proposed
by James MacGregor Burns and then developed by Bernard Bass. This
model highlights visionary thinking and bringing about change,
instead of management processes that are designed to maintain and
steadily improve current performance.
Note:
Leadership means different things to different people around the

world, and different things in different situations. For example, it
could relate to community leadership, religious leadership, political
leadership, and leadership of campaigning groups.
This article focuses on the Western model of individual leadership,
and discusses leadership in the workplace rather than in other
areas.
Leadership: A Definition
According to the idea of transformational leadership, an effective
leader is a person who does the following:
1. Creates an inspiring vision of the future.
2. Motivates and inspires people to engage with that vision.
3. Manages delivery of the vision.
4. Coaches and builds a team, so that it is more effective at
achieving the vision.
Leadership brings together the skills needed to do these things. We'll
look at each element in more detail.
1. Creating an Inspiring Vision of the Future

In business, a vision is a realistic, convincing and attractive depiction
of where you want to be in the future. Vision provides direction, sets
priorities, and provides a marker, so that you can tell that you've
achieved what you wanted to achieve.
To create a vision, leaders focus on an organization's strengths by
using tools such as Porter's Five Forces , PEST Analysis , USP
Analysis , Core Competence Analysis and SWOT Analysis
to analyze their current situation. They think about how their industry
is likely to evolve, and how their competitors are likely to behave.
They look at how they can innovate successfully , and shape their
businesses and their strategies to succeed in future marketplaces.
And they test their visions with appropriate market research, and by
assessing key risks using techniques such as Scenario Analysis .
Therefore, leadership is proactive - problem solving, looking ahead,
and not being satisfied with things as they are.
Once they have developed their visions, leaders must make them
compelling and convincing. A compelling vision is one that
people can see, feel, understand, and embrace. Effective leaders
provide a rich picture of what the future will look like when their
visions have been realized. They tell inspiring stories , and
explain their visions in ways that everyone can relate to.
Here, leadership combines the analytical side of vision creation with
the passion of shared values, creating something really meaningful to
the people being led.
2. Motivating and Inspiring People

A compelling vision provides the foundation for leadership. But it's
leaders' ability to motivate and inspire people that helps them deliver
that vision.
For example, when you start a new project, you will probably have
lots of enthusiasm for it, so it's often easy to win support for the
project at the beginning. However, it can be difficult to find ways to
keep your vision inspiring after the initial enthusiasm fades, especially
if the team or organization needs to make significant changes in the
way that they do things. Leaders recognize this, and they work hard
throughout the project to connect their vision with people's individual
needs, goals, and aspirations.
One of the key ways they do this is through Expectancy Theory .
Effective leaders link together two different expectations:
1. The expectation that hard work leads to good results.
2. The expectation that good results lead to attractive rewards or
incentives.
This motivates people to work hard to achieve success, because they
expect to enjoy rewards – both intrinsic and extrinsic – as a result.
Other approaches include restating the vision in terms of the benefits
it will bring to the team's customers, and taking frequent
opportunities to communicate the vision in an attractive and
engaging way.
What's particularly helpful here is where leaders have expert power
. People admire and believe in these leaders because they are
expert in what they do. They have credibility, and they've earned the
right to ask people to listen to them and follow them. This makes it
much easier for these leaders to motivate and inspire the people they
lead.
Leaders can also motivate and influence people through their natural
charisma and appeal, and through other sources of power , such
as the power to pay bonuses or assign tasks to people. However,
good leaders don't rely too much on these types of power to motivate
and inspire others.
3. Managing Delivery of the Vision

This is the area of leadership that relates to management .
According to the Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership
Model , there is a time to tell, a time to sell, a time to participate,
and a time to delegate. Knowing which approach you need to use,
and when you need it, is key to effective leadership.
Leaders must ensure that the work needed to deliver the vision is
properly managed – either by themselves, or by a dedicated manager
or team of managers to whom the leader delegates this responsibility
– and they need to ensure that their vision is delivered successfully.
To do this, team members need performance goals that are linked to
the team's overall vision. Our article on Performance Management
and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) explains one way of doing
this, and our Project Management section explains another. And,
for day-to-day management of delivering the vision, the
Management By Wandering Around (MBWA) approach helps to
ensure that what should happen, really happens.
Leaders also need to make sure they manage change effectively.
This helps to ensure that the changes needed to deliver the vision are
implemented smoothly and thoroughly, with the support and backing
of the people affected.
4. Coaching and Building a Team to Achieve the Vision
Individual and team development are important activities carried out
by transformational leaders. To develop a team, leaders must first
understand team dynamics. Several well-established and popular
models describe this, such as Belbin's Team Roles approach, and
Bruce Tuckman's Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing
theory .
A leader will then ensure that team members have the necessary
skills and abilities to do their job and achieve the vision. They do this
by giving and receiving
feedback regularly, and by training and coaching people to
improve individual and team performance.
Leadership also includes looking for leadership potential in
others. By developing leadership skills within your team, you create
an environment where you can continue success in the long term.
And that's a true measure of great leadership.
Note:
The words "leader" and "leadership" are often used incorrectly to

describe people who are actually managing. These individuals may
be highly skilled, good at their jobs, and valuable to their
organizations – but that just makes them excellent managers, not
leaders.
So, be careful how you use the terms, and don't assume that
people with "leader" in their job titles, people who describe
themselves as "leaders," or even groups called "leadership teams,"
are actually creating and delivering transformational change.
A particular danger in these situations is that people or
organizations that are being managed by such an individual or
group think they're being led; but they're not. There may actually
be no leadership at all, with no one setting a vision and no one
being inspired. This can cause serious problems in the long term.
Key Points
Leadership can be hard to define and it means different things to
different people.
In the transformational leadership model, leaders set direction and
help themselves and others to do the right thing to move forward.
To do this they create an inspiring vision, and then motivate and
inspire others to reach that vision. They also manage delivery of
the vision, either directly or indirectly, and build and coach their
teams to make them ever stronger.
Effective leadership is about all of this – and it's exciting to be part
of this journey!
Click to vote no
No
Click to vote yes
Yes
What members say...
Yolande wrote
Hi Tort
Welcome to the MindTools Club and to the forums as well - it's

great to 'hear' your voice so soon!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on leadership and management

with us. I think your definitions of both management and
leadership are spot on. I loved what you said about leadership: If
you are a one trick pony, authentic leadership will not be
sustainable and acknowledging where your strengths lie and
recognizing the strengths of your team allows you to be a leader
and a follower.It is indeed so that a 'one trick pony' will not be
able to sustain authentic leadership since leadership implies
flexibility and being able to act according to the here and now.
I hope you will share more of your insights with us; do have a look
at the other forums too such as Career Cafe Central. The forums
are where we all help and learn from one another (and sometimes
we can just let off steam there too!).
Tort, if you need any help around the forums please let me know -
I'd be only too glad to help where I can.
Kind regards
Yolandé
January 12, 2013
Tort wrote
The ablity to balance leadership and management is a skill to be

admired. Would it be wrong to say that management is
'managing' or the effective use of resources - physical, financial,
human resources and time?
Leadership is the relationship used to influcence people to achieve
something. That relationship may be context or circumstance
based - Military style command and control or emergency services
(police, fire) in a life or death situation to inspiring, coaching,
mentoring and influencing in a more relaxed setting such as non-
profit, political, social, community or sports.
The position of your leadership style depends on how you need to

apply it. Standing out in front directing (police) or inspiring
Walking alongside or standing on the sidelines (coach)
Or standing back and encouraging (cheerleader)
Great leaders adapt to their situation to be able to apply the most
relevant style to the situation and sometimes that is following too.
If you are a one trick pony, authentic leadership will not be

sustainable and acknowledging where your strenghts lie and
recognizing the strengths of your team allows you to be a be a
leader and a follower.
January 11, 2013
Yolande wrote
Hi Abishek
Welcome to the Club and also to the forums - it's great 'hearing'
your voice over here. Yes, I agree with you - it is indeed a
combination of the things mentioned in the article that makes a
great leader. I am interested to hear your opinion: which of these
things do you think is the most important for a leader to do, or do
you see them all as equal?
Kind regards
Yolandé
May 1, 2012
abhik_shar wrote
Yes ,
For good leadership skills , one need good chemistry between
above mentioned concepts.
Abhishek Sharma
April 28, 2012

James wrote
Hi everyone
This is to let you know that we’ve published a video for this topic.
Click here to watch the video:

http://www.mindtools.com/community/pages/main/
videos.php#leadership
James
July 14, 2011
James wrote
Hi Tarek
Someone who's an inspiring leader but a poor manager can leave

a team or organization in chaos. Someone who's a poor leader but
a good manager can create an efficiently functioning machine
that's completely overtaken by events.
Leadership and management are different but overlapping skill

sets, and we either need to develop both sets of skills if we're
going to be truly effective in the workplace; or we need to work
with others who provide skills that we lack.
James
June 7, 2010
stasiaandtarek wrote
thank you Dianna
June 6, 2010
Dianna wrote
Hi Tarek - interesting way to look the role of manager and leader.

From a practical standpoint I think it's very difficult to separate the
two concepts. They are so interrelated and I agree that the best
teams will emerge when the person who leads them is a great
manager as well as leader. That's why I think it's so important that
people work on their leadership skills regardless of the position
they are in. Then when a management position opens up, you
have many of the skills already covered. Try to be inspirational
and lead by example in all things you do. That way when the
official management responsibilities fall to you, you will be ready
to lead your team to great results.
Dianna
June 6, 2010
stasiaandtarek wrote
HELLO
I just want an answer and help about what me i could do thru this
article
and if it is right my point of view, for me to get more
understanding , and also because cause i am a little manager
(NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE) Manager + (NEGATIVE OR POSITIVE)

Leader = ?? Team
so what i me trust is :
[b] (NEGATIVE) Manager + (POSITIVE) Leader = (0 =<) Team

(NEGATIVE) more than (POSITIVE)
(POSITIVE) Manager + (NEGATIVE) Leader = (0 =>) Team

(NEGATIVE)
(NEGATIVE) Manager + (NEGATIVE) Leader = (0) Team (NEGATIVE)
(POSITIVE) Manager + (POSITIVE) Leader = (0 <=) Team

(POSITIVE)
so does it should be understood in this way ?
Regards
Tarek
June 5, 2010

What's Empathy Got to Do With It?
A few weeks ago, I came across
a bumper sticker that said: "I
am not good at empathy. Will
you settle for sarcasm?" The
humor in the bumper sticker
led me to think of the slight
unease or self-conscious
discomfort that many people
feel when a term such as
"empathy" is introduced in a
business environment. Notions
of "touchy-feely," spring to © iStockphoto/EasyBuy4u
mind.
While empathy is a right brain activity, it is far from being a touchy-
feely topic. At its core, empathy is the oil that keeps relationships
running smoothly. The fact that empathy is an important component
of effective relationships has been proven: In studies by Dr Antonio
Damasio (outlined in his book: "Descartes' Error: Emotion,
Reason, and the Human Brain"), medical patients who had
damage to part of the brain associated with empathy showed
significant deficits in relationship skills, even though their reasoning
and learning abilities remained intact.
Indeed, empathy is valued currency. It allows us to create bonds of
trust, it gives us insights into what others may be feeling or thinking;
it helps us understand how or why others are reacting to situations, it
sharpens our "people acumen" and it informs our decisions.
A formal definition of Empathy is the ability to identify and
understand another's situation, feelings and motives. It's our capacity
to recognize the concerns other people have. Empathy means:
"putting yourself in the other person's shoes" or "seeing things
through someone else's eyes."
There are numerous studies that link empathy to business results.
They include studies that correlate empathy with increased sales,
with the performance of the best managers of product development
teams and with enhanced performance in an increasingly diverse
workforce. A few of these studies can be viewed on the site of The
Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in
Organizations.
Yes, increasingly, the topic of empathy is encroaching on the business
world. We are now even seeing terms such as "empathy marketing"
and "empathy selling." Not long ago, I came across the term "user
empathy," referring to user interface.
Along those lines, in his book, A Whole New Mind: Moving from
the Information Age to the Conceptual Age, Daniel Pink predicts
that power will reside with those who have strong right-brain
(interpersonal) qualities. He cites three forces that are causing this
change: Abundance, Asia, and Automation. "Abundance" refers to our
increasing demand for products or services that are aesthetically
pleasing; "Asia" refers to the growing trend of outsourcing;
"Automation" is self-explanatory. In order to compete in the new
economy market, Pink suggests six areas that are vital to our success.
One of which is Empathy; the ability to imagine yourself in someone
else's position, to imagine what they are feeling, to understand what
makes people tick, to create relationships and to be caring of others:
All of which is very difficult to outsource or automate, and yet is
increasingly important to business.
Empathy is also particularly critical to leadership development in this
age of young, independent, highly marketable and mobile workers. In
a popular Harvard Business Review article entitled "What Makes a
Leader?", Dr Daniel Goleman isolates three reasons why empathy is
so important: the increasing use of teams, (which he refers to as
"cauldrons of bubbling emotions"), the rapid pace of globalization
(with cross cultural communication easily leading to
misunderstandings) and the growing need to retain talent. "Leaders
with empathy," states Goleman, "do more than sympathize with
people around them: they use their knowledge to improve their
companies in subtle, but important ways." This doesn't mean that
they agree with everyone's view or try to please everybody. Rather,
they "thoughtfully consider employees' feelings – along with other
factors – in the process of making intelligent decisions."
Empathy, then, is an ability that is well-worth cultivating. It's a soft,
sometimes abstract tool in a leader's toolkit that can lead to hard,
tangible results. But where does empathy come from? Is it a process
of thinking or of emotion? From my perspective, I believe that it is
both: We need to use our reasoning ability to understand another
person's thoughts, feelings, reactions, concerns, motives. This means
truly making an effort to stop and think for a moment about the other
person's perspective in order to begin to understand where they are
coming from: And then we need the emotional capacity to care for
that person's concern; Caring does not mean that we would always
agree with the person, that we would change our position, but it does
mean that we would be in tune with what that person is going
through, so that we can respond in a manner that acknowledges their
thoughts, feelings or concerns.
So this leads me to a question that I am sometimes asked: "Can you
teach someone to be empathetic?" We all know some people who are
naturally and consistently empathetic – these are the people who can
easily forge positive connections with others. They are people who
use empathy to engender trust and build bonds; they are catalysts
who are able to create positive communities for the greater good. But
even if empathy does not come naturally to some of us, I firmly
believe that we can develop this capacity.
Here are a few practical tips you might consider to help you do this:
1. Listen – truly listen to people. Listen with your ears, eyes and
heart. Pay attention to others' body language, to their tone of
voice, to the hidden emotions behind what they are saying to
you, and to the context.
2. Don't interrupt people. Don't dismiss their concerns offhand.
Don't rush to give advice. Don't change the subject. Allow people
their moment.
3. Tune in to non-verbal communication. This is the way that people
often communicate what they think or feel, even when their
verbal communication says something quite different.
4. Practice the "93 percent rule". We know from a famous study by
Professor Emeritus, Albert Mehrabian of UCLA, when
communicating about feelings and attitudes, words – the things
we say – account for only 7 percent of the total message that
people receive. The other 93 percent of the message that we
communicate when we speak is contained in our tone of voice
and body language. It's important, then, to spend some time to
understand how we come across when we communicate with
others about our feelings and attitudes.
5. Use people's name. Also remember the names of people's
spouse and children so that you can refer to them by name.
6. Be fully present when you are with people. Don't check your
email, look at your watch or take phone calls when a direct report
drops into your office to talk to you. Put yourself in their shoes.
How would you feel if your boss did that to you?
7. Smile at people.
8. Encourage people, particularly the quiet ones, when they speak
up in meetings. A simple thing like an attentive nod can boost
people's confidence.
9. Give genuine recognition and praise. Pay attention to what
people are doing and catch them doing the right things. When
you give praise, spend a little effort to make your genuine words
memorable: "You are an asset to this team because..."; "This was
pure genius"; "I would have missed this if you hadn't picked it
up."
10. Take a personal interest in people. Show people that you care,
and genuine curiosity about their lives. Ask them questions about
their hobbies, their challenges, their families, their aspirations.
Empathy is an emotional and thinking muscle that becomes stronger
the more we use it. Try some of these suggestions and watch the
reactions of those you work with. I believe you will notice some
positive results.
Years ago, I had come across a saying that went something like this:
the measure of a man [or woman], is how they treat someone who is
of absolutely no use to them. Empathy should not be selective: It
should be a daily habit. If I were to create a bumper sticker, I would
say: "Empathy: Don't Leave Home Without It!"
Click to vote no
No
Click to vote yes
Yes
What members say...
bigk wrote
Hi
Now I have had another look, it seems helping people

communicate better together with each other is not yet good
enough, unless we share success with each other to understand
how we try to develop ourselves and others...
Have we been here already or are we now somewhere new?
Have we just arrived in time to leave or have we arrived to leave

for a temporary destination and not arrived in time to lead us in a
circular direction that will eventually lead us to the same place
where we....? (are our different objectives in fact the same?)
If we can develop while we move or stay in this position, it will

help us develop how we can help each other to help those that
ask our help.
Bigk
September 16, 2010
bigk wrote
Hi
In the balance of caring for the people, the business, the

performance and the future and forward direction of the business,
there is another aspect that helps develop the people and the
business which also allows you to develop the people while still
providing forward progress of people and business.
This still allows the people to change and allows the business to
change.
Yet this still needs you to get the new or current people to
progress yourself, them self and the business itself.
Often this requires a new way to be more emphatic but perhaps it
just needs to acknowledge when the business needs to be more
supportive in the business objectives and the trust given to the
people to develop the business and themselves.
This needs to adjust to when the business changes when the

people want to move on or when new people need to fill the new
position vacated without the business adapting to this change.
Bigk
September 16, 2010
Yolande wrote
Hi all
Very much a case of 'people don't care how much you know until
they know how much you care'. Even though we are running
businesses, without people those businesses wouldn't be able to
operate. So, caring about those who help make our businesses
successful almost seems only logical to do...
Regards
Yolandé
September 16, 2010
zuni wrote
Hi all,
I work in a telecommunications company which is dominated by

left brained people. I can attest to the author's comment that
empathy, and anything associated with emotional intelligence, is
considered wishy washy.
Our lack of attention to the "soft" side of leadership is now

becoming our achilles heel. Our employee engagement scores are
dropping in a time when we need every employee to be fully
engaged and doing whatever it takes to serve our customers and
achieve our objectives. We are now educating leaders about the
importance of knowing their employees (career aspirations,
desires) and caring about them by listening to them and hearing
what they are saying and acting on issues that cause distrust.
In the final analysis, we all want to be respected and

acknowledged. Empathy is the behaviour that helps us cultivate
compassion and caring for others.
Zuni
September 16, 2010
Midgie wrote
This is a great article that outlines why empathy is so useful in the

business world. Plus, with all the practical tips on how to use/
develop empathy, it's an easy tool to use for reminding ourselves!
For me, developing empathy with others not only is good for
business, yet also from a human perspective of connect, relating
and understanding others.
Midgie
September 16, 2010

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Leadership Skills

Become an Exceptional Leader

The old-fashioned view of

Understanding Power Becoming a Leader

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Core Leadership Theories

Leadership Motivation Assessment

Leadership Motivation Tools

Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model

Taking an Intelligent, Long-Term Approach to

French and Raven's Five Forms of Power

Winning Expert Power

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The Seven Transformations of Leadership

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Leadership Style Matrix

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Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

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10 Common Leadership and Management

Now You're the Boss...

What a Real Leader Knows

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Young and Future Leaders

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Leadership in Hard Times

Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse

Building Expert Power

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Mindset for Success

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At 22, he lost his job as a store

At 41, his four-year-old son died. At 42, he was rejected as a

At 51, he was elected the President of the United States of America.

The man in question: Abraham Lincoln."

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Experience is the name every

It's often said that mistakes

2. Not Making Time for Your Team