Colombia

For leaders

Transformational Leadership

Traditional leaders say - I'm the leader - you're the follower; I have something you need and you have something I need. So let's make an exchange.

Transformational leaders understand there is something bigger at stake. Transformational leaders not only challenge their organization to grow professionally, but also emotionally and intellectually.

Within this different paradigm, there are four human needs the transformational leader recognizes must be satisfied if he and the organization are to succeed:

First - the need to love and be loved. That sounds touchy-feely, but people who are not receiving and giving love - focused concern and action directed at another exclusively for that person's good - cannot be fully healthy, biologically and psychologically. We usually think of love as being irrelevant in today’s fast paced busy world, but the transformational leader vividly understands tough-minded caring is essential to leading and developing a powerful, fully expressed organization.

Second - the need to grow. The only alternative to growth is death and decay. The transformational leader recognizes balance or equilibrium is a myth that exists only in the human imagination. Nowhere in nature is there such a thing as stability. Even in a balanced ecosystem, there is either expanding, unfolding growth, or degeneration, decay and ultimately death. By creating a culture which allows our organization to grow, we are expanding our capacity both as leaders and members of that organization.

Third - the need to contribute. This need may be described as having two distinct poles. The negative pole reminds us - that which does not contribute is eliminated. We see this in nature and we all know - failing to contribute in a significant way creates anxiety of which we are usually only vaguely aware. The other pole, the positive one, answers this anxiety. When we are contributing in a significant way we have peace of mind. We know we belong. The simple principle at work is - life works when we forget about ourselves and contribute to others. To feel fulfilled and empowered, members of the organization must know they are contributing to the whole.

Fourth – the need for meaning. Humans are meaning-seeking creatures. If our lives lack a clear sense of meaning and if we are not engaged in some larger purpose, we will not be fully satisfied, regardless of whatever else we may have.

The transformational leader understands that satisfying all four of these needs is not easy, but when they are being met in the day-to-day affairs of an organization, something magnificent happens. People instinctively play a bigger game, and they show up in a more passionate, creative, engaged and effective way. The consequences are measurable, and in many instances, astonishing.

If people have the opportunity to affiliate, grow, contribute and have a sense of belonging, they will be motivated and engaged, even without a clear vision of the future.

So, as a leader, focus on these things today. Sit down for an hour and think, one by one, about each member of your team - including yourself.

As the leader ask:
- is this person working on something meaningful and challenging - something for which they have a good chance of succeeding?

- is this person relating to other people - people they like and to whom they feel close?

- is this person being recognized for the work they are doing? Can they influence decisions and outcomes?

If the answer is yes - great. That person will be motivated. If not, create the appropriate opportunities immediately.

Give people clear goals and the autonomy to achieve them. Make sure they are working on something they find challenging, interesting and meaningful.

Give them opportunities to collaborate and celebrate with others. This is especially important because in times of uncertainty, people become more political. They start to suspect their colleagues are trying to be noticed, or they are trying to take more credit, or work on better projects. But as people work on projects collaboratively, trust grows.

Also, give your team opportunities to offer their input on how things should be done. Reward their participation with public recognition.

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Become a More Effective Leader

What prevents us from making the changes we know will make us more effective leaders?

The answer has to do with a daydream which goes like this:

"I’m incredibly busy right now. I feel as busy as I have ever felt in my life. Sometimes my life feels a little out of control. But I’m dealing with some very unique and special challenges right now. I think the worst of this will be over in a few months. Then I’m going to take a couple of weeks to get organized, start my 'healthy life' program, and work on personal development."

Have you ever had a daydream that vaguely resembles the above? How long have you been having this same, repetitive dream?

Most leaders have been having it for years.

The “couple of weeks to get organized” that most fantasize about, are not going to happen. Furthermore, there is a good chance tomorrow is going to be even crazier than today!

If you want to make real change, ask yourself this tough question: What am I willing to change now? Not “in a few months”. Not “when I get caught up”, but - NOW.

So - take a deep breath. Forget your glorious plans. Accept the craziness of your life. Do what you can do now. Let go of everything else. And make peace with what is.

List the personal improvement activities that you have been planning to do - but have not quite got around to yet and challenge yourself on each activity.

Get started on the activity within two weeks - or take that activity off the list.

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Best Practice

Why does management behavior often diverge from best practice?

In reality, "best practice":

- isn't always "best." Best practices work for a particular organization in a particular market at a particular time, and what is best for one organization, or one situation, may not be best for others.
- often isn't feasible in terms of time, money, effort, and incentives. We can rarely afford the best because the end customer doesn't want to pay for the best product - they want to pay for a fairly good product. In addition, best practices are usually premised on getting consistently good results in the long-term whereas people are usually rewarded based on the results they got last quarter.
- is sometimes unachievable given common sense isn't all that common. People learn something in their early 20s and then apply what they have learned for the rest of their careers. And all too often they hammer it into what they know - or what they can sell - and after that much pounding, the result has lost all of its key elements.

So instead:

- adapt best practices intelligently and innovatively to a given organization's cultures and situations.
- define quality processes so you have the best likelihood to deliver quality products and services at the time and cost required.
- attract experienced people who understand the fundamentals and who know how to think critically, strategically, and with courage.

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Change

Change takes longer than we think and the process is difficult.

Acknowledging this can make your attempts more successful. But why do people give up on their goals?

There are five common reasons; understanding them will help increase the odds you won't fall into the same old traps.

Ownership: I wasn't sure this would work in the first place. I tried it - it didn't do that much good. As I guessed, this was kind of a waste of time.

The classic mistake made in leadership development and self-help books is the promise this will make you better! What is not emphasized is - only you will make you better. To have a real chance of success, you must take personal ownership and have the internal belief – “this will work if, and only if, I make it work. I am going to make this work”.

Time: I had no idea this process would take so long. I'm not sure it's worth it.

Goal setters have a chronic tendency to underestimate the time required to reach targets. In setting goals for behavioral change, it's important to be realistic about the time needed to produce positive, lasting results. Habits which have taken years to develop don't go away in a week. Set time expectations which are 50% to 100% longer than you think you’ll need to see results - then add a little more.

Difficulty: This is a lot harder than I thought it would be. It sounded so simple when we were starting out.

The optimism bias of goal setters applies to difficulty, as well as time. Not only does everything take longer than we think will, it also requires more hard work than we anticipate. In setting goals, it's important to accept real change requires real work. Acknowledging the price of success at the beginning of the change process will help prevent disappointment that can occur when challenges arise later.

Distractions: I would really like to work toward my goal, but I'm facing some unique challenges right now. It might be better if I just stopped and did this at a time when things weren't so crazy. Goal setters have a tendency to underestimate the distractions and competing goals which will invariably appear throughout the process. A piece of advice - some crisis will appear.

Plan for distractions in advance; assume crazy is the new normal.

Maintenance: I think I actually did try to change and get better, but I have let it slide since then. What am I supposed to do - work on this stuff the rest of my life? Once a goal setter has put in all the effort needed to achieve a goal, it can be tough to face the reality of what's needed to maintain the new status quo.

Real change requires real effort. The quick fix is seldom a meaningful one. Distractions and things which compete for your attention are going to come up - frequently. Changing any one type of behavior won't solve all life's problems.

Any meaningful change will probably require a lifetime of effort.

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Making Things Happen

Credibility is Golden: Credibility is a leader's most important asset; once lost, credibility may be impossible to regain, and so leaders must guard credibility and take care to never lose it.

Character matters: Character for a leader is action. Leaders are judged by what they do, not what they are. Little good can come from being good; you must do good things. You must be resolute in the face of crisis, the rock for your team to stand on when times are tough. And leaders should be in the shadow when success arrives.

Acknowledge shortcomings: Look for ways to overcome your weaknesses. Surround yourself with people who complement you in skills and personality. If you are the visionary type, get some practical people to carry out your ideas. If you are someone who is quick on the trigger, temper-wise, make sure you have calm and collected people beside you.

Live your values: Putting “value statements” on the wall may look good, but take time to read them. Better yet - act on them. Living values is easy when the going is good; the challenge arises when times are tough. When tough decisions need to be made, consider your values. Doing what is right may cause hardship but it’s better to give up what is expedient in favor of what is sustainable.

And, even the best intentioned of leaders and organizations make mistakes. When this happens, the leader or the organization must quickly accept responsibility.

So, if a mistake is made, admit it and seek to make amends immediately. Don’t wait until things blow over - they won’t - until you act. Doing so requires guts.

And when a procedure or policy may be violated if a certain decision is taken, take away the fear. Just ask:
- is it legal?
- is it good for the organization?
- is it good for stakeholders?

If the answer is yes to all three, go ahead, take the decision and stick with it - it’s unlikely you’ll be punished; the opposite may happen - you may be rewarded for taking the bull by the horns and making the best of the situation - making lemonade from lemons.

Credibility is essential to leadership - leadership means making things happen