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Being a great leader in today's competitive global workplace requires more than relevant content knowledge and industry experience. To be truly effective, a leader must be interpersonally proficient. He or she must know how to work well with others, and be willing and able to facilitate the productive interactions of those he or she leads.
In some organizations, only bottom-line results are recognized and rewarded. In these environments, leaders are able to get away with ignoring the psychic needs of employees and other colleagues as long as they are meeting their objective financial and related organizational goals. The problem with this approach is that eventually good employees will revolt and simply stop producing the kinds of results the organization has come to expect.
In the long run, organizations cannot sustain stellar results without the support and power granted by employees in the organization. When evaluating the performance of leaders, organizations must look beyond the actual results produced to how leaders actually produce those results. In doing so, the organization communicates its interest in measuring the "how" along with the "what". |
Avoiding Career Dead-Ends
One of the most common reasons I hear from employees on their way out of organizations is they don't see opportunities for growth. While certainly dependent upon where one happens to be in his or her career, most employees are interested in growing their income, their responsibilities and/or their impact. When these employees no longer see growth in their future, they often begin to question whether the timing is right to look elsewhere.
I have found that in many of these situations the lack of growth opportunities is based more upon perception than upon reality. Often, there are multiple opportunities for any given individual within an organization. Unfortunately, these potential career paths are not always clear or communicated. As a result, many good people leave organizations prematurely because they see leaving as the only way to realize their professional objectives.
Leaders can help their employees "see" growth ladders by engaging them in regular career discussions. Only by understanding where an employee's professional interests lie can a leader help guide the employee to ways of achieving their career goals. Some organizations have documented and illustrated both traditional and non-traditional career paths for their employees on company intranets so employees can more easily play with alternate scenarios.
Leaders can help avoid employee attrition due to perceived "career dead-ends" by participating in the development of career plans with their employees. Effective professional development is an ongoing process requiring the engagement of leaders. While ownership of professional development planning ultimately must rest with the employee, leaders can do much to enable and encourage this planning process.
By talking regularly with employees about their career aspirations, leaders can identify books, articles and training opportunities consistent with employee development goals. With this knowledge, leaders also can be looking for rotational or promotional opportunities within the organization that will further develop their employees. |
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One More Thing
When I have lost my temper, I have lost my reason too.
I'm never proud of anything that angrily I do.
When I have talked in anger and my cheeks are flaming red,
I've always uttered something that I wish I hadn't said.
In anger I have never done a kindly deed or wise,
But many things for which I felt I should apologize.
In looking back across my life and all I've lost or made.
I can't recall a single time when fury ever paid.
So I struggle to be patient, for I've reached a wiser age;
I do not want to do a thing or speak a word in rage.
I've learned by sad experience that, when my temper flies,
I never do a decent thing, a decent deed or wise.
-- Ann Anderson
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Winning Support and Getting Results
Each month, we review a book selected to both engage and challenge leaders as they seek to make a difference in their organizations.
Our pick this month is Get Them on Your Side by Samuel Bacharach.
Named one of the "Best Business Books of 2005" by Fast Company, this manifesto walks the would-be "politically competent leader" through the steps required to understand the agendas of others, identify allies and resistors, create coalitions and get the buy-in necessary to put ideas into place.
Bacharach teaches us how to win support, convert skeptics and get results by getting as many people as possible on our side.
He reminds us that having great ideas is not enough to ensure our success, and that our ability to coalesce allies and fight off resistors is what really makes the difference between success and failure.
This book guides leaders in overcoming obstacles, and presents a step-by-step process for successfully implementing new programs and ideas. If you are interested in learning about the politics of getting things done in organizations, this book is for you.
Next month, we will review: Fit to Succeed: Make Health and Wellness Your Competitive Advantage by Steve Heussner.
For our current reading list, please click here. |
Achieving Greater Clarity, Confidence, Effectiveness and Vitality
Our Institute for Leadership Fitness™, a twelve-month program for leaders seeking the clarity, confidence, effectiveness and vitality necessary for achieving their highest levels of professional effectiveness and leadership fitness™ has successfully launched in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Enrollment is now underway for our Grand Rapids, Michigan and Phoenix, Arizona cohorts. For enrollment and program information, please visit www.theleadershipfit.com/institute/.
If your organization is interested in having us bring this program to your site, please contact us at info@theleadershipfit.com. |
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