Courageous Leaders Blog

As I listened to participants in our recent leadership program sharing the results of their 6 week action learning projects, it reaffirmed for me the importance of the small things each individual leader commits to change.

As you listen to twenty leaders sharing the two or three small and personal things they have achieved to initiate change you recognize the "ripple effect". These small things add up and contribute greatly to organizational transformation.

The moral of the story - as a leader know that each small change you initiate is multiplied by the people you "touch" within the organization.

The ripple effect infects others to change.

And before you know it you have transformation - you have "big" change!

I had an interesting conversation recently exploring how long you can reasonably expect to work with people in a supplier/partnering relationship. It was stated that 5 years was certainly a long time and if it lasts that long you have done a brilliant job. This got me thinking - what is a reasonable expectation? I would value hearing from others on this topic.

When partnering with clients I truly believe in enduring and sustainable relationships where we grow and support each other. We build a wonderful platform of trust and continue to leverage from it and grow together. Why do we need to keep searching outside for something better - when we have a brilliant relationship that we can continue to leverage from?

The classic example is what happens in the marketing and the HR divisions of companies - new people come in and they get rid of the existing suppliers to make way for new; without enough recognition of the trust built by people in the business with the supplier. Why do we keep propelling this idea of out with the old and make room for the new? What are the benefits?

I find it fascinating that many people prefer to look at what makes a team dysfunctional than what makes it a high performing team. As a result I have decided to share with those that like to look at what’s wrong with the  purpose of enticing you to want to build a high performing team! I have been skimming a book written by Patrick Lencioni called “Overcoming the five dysfunctions of a Team” and here is what he states are the critical issues:

1.       Absence of TRUST

2.       Fear of CONFLICT

3.       Lack of COMMITMENT

4.       Avoidance of ACCOUNTABILITY

5.       Inattention to RESULTS.

The foundation of his pyramid is the absence of trust and of course when I talk about high performing teams I refer to the importance of openness and honesty to develop trust.

 

The next level is a fear of conflict – and of course I always talk about the importance of igniting, embracing and resolving conflict – because if there is no conflict then you do not have a team because people are hiding what they really think and feel.

 

We are different and have different views and therefore there will always be conflict in a high performing team! So whether you look at the dysfunction or the necessary ingredient it all comes out the same – we need these five things to be present to have a high performing team.

 

 

In this fortnightly series, Alison Glynn-Baker discusses some key concepts in Mandy Holloway’s book, ‘Inspiring Courageous Leaders’.  She also poses some provocative questions.  We invite you to provide your opinion and join the discussion.

 

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by [those] who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare… Impossible is nothing.”  - Muhammad Ali

 

Nine = Infinity

Mandy talks about the sustainability conundrum.  How can a business achieve sustainability in terms of people, financials and the brand?  For example, it is tempting to cut investment in people when the world threatens to go into economic meltdown.  Some would say it is imperative.  But is it?

Impossible is nothing.  And possible is everything.  The nine components of the Courageous Leaders Model are positioned around the Infinity symbol.  This represents infinite personal and professional possibilities.   The potential to do business differently.  The potential to evolve as a leader on a journey of life-long learning.

 

   

Nine=Infinity. The Nine Elements of the Courageous Leaders Model

The rest of this blog series will explore Nine = Infinity in more detail.  Here is a quick introduction:

As an emerging leader, how do you build the courage and conviction to lead differently? The first of the nine components is leadership mastery:  embracing your best self and reaching mastery in relationships, the business and technically.

You build confidence in your leadership mastery by spending time in reflection.  One tool you can use is Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats, which I will discuss later in the blog series.

Once you have confidence to make the right choices, how far will you go to put your leadership mastery into action?  Are you prepared to take full responsibility for the consequences? This is the concept of conviction.

As an emerging leader, once you have developed courage in your leadership mastery, you can overcome a fear of or indifference towards having necessary, challenging conversations with your existing leaders.

Both emerging leaders and existing leaders need the courage to connect and commit - to meet in the middle, on common ground.  As an emerging leader, you need to have the conviction to challenge the status quo.  Sometimes even challenging existing leaders.  And as an existing leader, you will need to unleash your courage to be challenged and to change.  What starts off as an intimidating wedge of fear for both parties becomes a ledge of learning, untapping that infinite potential we talked about earlier.

The next of the nine elements of the model is challenge and how we respond to it. It is critical to drop the defensive behaviours, manage our emotions and embrace conflict.

How we respond to change is critical for our life-long learning, and for the sustainability of a business.

The last of the nine elements of the Courageous Leaders model is a high-performance culture. In a high-performance culture, a united population of courageous leaders is engaged in constructive and supportive behaviours, and is running a business which is sustainable in the long-term.

Maybe by embracing all nine components in our journey towards becoming Courageous Leaders, we really can create infinite possibilities.  Is it impossible to make business about more than just the share price?  As a Courageous Leader, what else could be possible? This is your chance to have your say.

Don't have a copy of Inspiring Courageous Leaders? Buy it now


About Alison Glynn-Baker: Alison Glynn-Baker has 15 years’ experience in professional services marketing, business development and operations.  Through her own consultancy, she has combined her two passions - training and writing – to help clients improve performance both personally and in business.

 

 

I have had so many people tell me that leaders are born - they say you can see evidence of it when children play in the sand pit with their friends. People also blame their natural preferences on whether they were born to be a leader - I am just too quiet, I am introverted...................and all the other excuses we use to substantiate that we were not born to be a leader!

The more I have experienced, explored, read and researched the more I disagree with the claim that leaders are born. I strongly believe leaders are "made" - they work hard to develop the awareness and the capability to lead themselves; to lead others and to lead the business. Leaders bring a level of consciousness to their choices of behaviour, they bring awareness of how they can be at their best when working with others, they develop emotional resilience, they use tools to give and receive feedback. None of this is "natural" - it is not how you are
born.

Working with a group of "emerging leaders" a few years ago I recall one young woman telling me she was not leadership material - she did not believe that she fitted the mould, she was not born to be a great leader in her organisation. After working with her for one year as she participated in twelve one day modules learning HOW to be an effective and a courageous leader......this same young woman "believed" she could be a brilliant leader. She had developed the confidence and the conviction to be the kind of leader she really wanted to be. She was released from the limiting belief system she had developed that only a certain "kind" of person could be a leader in her organisation.

Leaders are made by supporting them to develop the confidence, conviction and courage to be the kind of leader they really want to be and the kind of leader the business needs them to be.

 

Got something to say about this topic? Please feel free to comment below, or join our similar discussion in the Courageous Leaders LinkedIn Group

Reading this quote from Margaret Mead reminded me also of a story shared by Anita Roddick - founder and CEO of The Body Shop - she shared how you can make a difference no matter how small! She asked her readers to think of one mosquito in a tent and the impact it has. This got me thinking.....is this because the mosquito is completely focused, unconcerned about needing my approval and wanting to achieve its goal of drawing my blood even when I don't agree?

So back to Margaret's quote:

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Participants of our Courageous Leaders development initiatives believe they CAN make a difference; they can inspire change......and when there is a population of emerging leaders ready to challenge the status quo.....watch out I say! So to all of our past and current participants keep unleashing your courage to inspire change! And remember size, number, hierarchical position is not nearly as important as you think it is!

I have recently finished reading a book called Chasing Daylight - written by Eugene O'Kelly just before he died in September 2005. At the age of 53 he was diagnosed with inoperable and incurable brain cancer and given 4 months to live.

When diagnosed he was in his prime - CEO of KPMG and father to two beautiful daughters and with a loving wife. The lessons he shares about living consciously are amazing  and he challenges each of us to consider putting energy in rather than giving up time.

He refers so eloquently to how he needed a new way of thinking about and looking at the world and at his own suddenly shockingly abbreviated stay in it. He refers to the challenges he was facing in the firm to change the culture and bring about a better work life balance. Sound familiar......many leaders within so many organizations and firms are still pursuing the same ambitions.

Eugene explains that commitment in the business world has come to be equated with time - it is measured by the hours you are prepared to work. By how much time you take away from your family. He claims that if you gave away huge amounts of your time then it follows that you have exhibited commitment. If you did not give so much time then it followed that your level of commitment was judged as inadequate and you might be labelled as lacking in loyalty and drive. His recent experience had brought about exploration around this concept and he claimed that commitment was not about time, not about reliability and not about predictability.  He concluded that commitment is about depth, it is about effort and especially about passion. Commitment is best measured not by the time one is willing to give up but more accurately by the energy you are prepared to put in - by how present you are prepared to be.

And my challenge to business people has always been why does it take something so bad to happen for change to be initiated? Why do we have to wait for such an imperative before we are prepared to be courageous and stop accepting the status quo?

Eugene acknowledged at the end of his book that had he chosen to role model better work life balance himself as opposed to bringing in a consultant to tell them what to do to change the culture then maybe he could have initiated far more change throughout the business. What a powerful insight for courageous leaders to learn from and leverage from.

At Courageous Leaders we often ask leaders to ask themselves some challenging questions. Recently Seth Godin provided a list of 7 (actually 8 including the bonus) challenging questions, that encourage leaders to approach issues differently, be flexible and open, be collaborative and relinquish the need to be right. Read his post here.

These questions interestingly link to the key aspects of the Courageous Leaders Model:

Seth G - Do you let the facts get in the way of a good story?
Connect and Commit - A courageous leader knows that both the facts AND the feelings, our intuitive sense of how to respond and our ability to share our stories are all equally important. By being open to facts, intuition and stories leaders enable connection and commitment throughout the organisation.

Seth G - What do you do with people who disagree with you... do you call them names in order to shut them down?
Courage - Rather than reacting, a courageous leader doesn’t react by trying to put others down, instead they courageously address the issue at hand.

 Seth G - [Bonus: Are you willing to walk away from a project or customer or employee who has values that don't match yours?]
Conviction - Courageous leaders truly own their values and question the behaviour of leaders, employees, customers and suppliers when it does not fit their values. When a partner or sales director brings in large amounts of business and behaves in a bullying or harassing manner to to others, what measures do you take if this is inconsistent to your values?

Seth G - Is it okay if someone else gets the credit?
Confidence – A courageous leaders has an inner confidence and is keen to share credit and recognition. Courageous leaders truly own their values and question the behaviour of leaders, employees, customers and suppliers when it does not fit their values.

Seth G – Are you open to multiple points of view or do you demand compliance and uniformity?
Seth G - How often are you able to change your position?S
Change – for any twenty-first century leader, change is simply part of every day life.  Courageous leaders relish the opportunity to take in new information and change their point of view and way ofdoing business.  Note - A courageous leader sees change as an opportunity to develop and hone their leadership skills

Seth G - Do you have a goal that can be reached in multiple ways?
Challenge – A courageous leader is open to being challenged by others and discovering new ways to address opportunities and solve problems.

Seth G - If someone else can get us there faster, are you willing to let them?
Empowering others – (an outcome with the CL model) A courageous leader is willing to let go, to move aside when someone else has more knowledge, experience or passion for a project, issue or opportunity. Being a facilitator for others to achieve their best is an integral part of courageous leadership.

At Courageous Leaders we link all these qualities to Leadership Mastery, a cornerstone of our Courageous Leaders programs and workshops.

By Mandy Holloway & Fiona Pearman