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6 On the following pages you will find brief overviews of some of the top leadership books I've ever read. Please take your time and read this information very carefully, give it some deep thought, make notes and underline key ideas. After you have completed the reading, you will be asked to create your own "personal leadership competency model" based on the information you learned from me in the video, this reading and your personal experience. So be very mindful as you go through the reading and look for information that you feel you might want to add to your personal leadership philosophy. I would also highly recommend that you consider purchasing some of the books that I've highlighted here to help you with your continued leadership development. LEADING PEOPLE Rosen & Brown Penguin Books This is compiled from more than a dozen studies, focusing on leading companies from the Forbes 500, Fortune 500, 700 privately-held firms and interviews at the 3,000 largest companies in America. Successes depend on people - and in order to achieve success, people depend on leaders. It is a simple idea, but one with sweeping consequences. It opens up tremendous opportunities, but also gaping pitfalls. In order to succeed, leaders will have to reinvent their organizations to get the most from their people. But to do that, leaders must take a deep look inside and discover the ways they influence their enterprise and their people. More importantly, they will need to reinvent themselves. A recent national survey of more than 10,000 workers found that current leadership is costing American companies more than half their human potential. To put that another way, improved leadership alone could double worker productivity. This translates directly to the bottom line. The single biggest influence on employee commitment and performance, according to another sweeping national study of more than 25,000 workers, is the leadership skills of their managers! To be effective and successful, leaders must build organizations that help employees strengthen their competence, creativity and commitment. Leaders must create healthy environments where people are excited about their work, take pride in their accomplishments and contribute to their colleagues doing the same. Their task, in short, is to foment ideas, skills and energy. This is leading people. Page 5

7 THE EIGHT PRINCIPLES OF LEADING PEOPLE ADVANCED VISION Leaders see the whole picture and articulate that broad perspective with others. By doing so, leaders create a common purpose that mobilizes people and coordinates their efforts into a single, coherent, agile enterprise. TRUST Without trust, vision becomes an empty slogan. Trust binds people together; creating a strong, resilient organization. To build trust, leaders are predictable and they share information and power. Their goal is a culture of candor. PARTICIPATION The energy of an organization is the participation and effort of its people. The leader s challenge is to unleash and focus this energy, inspiring people at every level of the enterprise to pitch in with their minds and hearts. LEARNING Leaders need a deep understanding of themselves. They must know their strengths and shortcomings, which require a lifelong process of discovery and they must be able to adapt to new circumstances. They must promote constant innovation and leaders must encourage their people to refresh their skills and renew their spirits. DIVERSITY Successful leaders know the power of diversity and the poison of prejudice. They understand their own biases and they actively cultivate an appreciation of the positive aspects of people s differences. In their organizations, they insist on a culture of mutual respect. CREATIVITY In a world where smart solutions outpace excessive work, creativity is crucial. Leaders pay close attention to people s talents, leaning on their strengths and managing around their weaknesses. They encourage independent, challenging thinking and they invest in technologies that facilitate the efforts of their people. INTEGRITY A leader must stand for something. As a public citizen and a private person, he/she knows what is important in life and acts by deep-seated principles. Every wise leader has a moral compass, a sense of right and wrong. Good leaders understand that good ethics is good business. Page 6

8 COMMUNITY Community is mutual commitment and it inspires the highest performance. It is human nature to go the extra mile for one s neighbors and fellow citizens and a mature leader stresses the organization s responsibility to the surrounding society. A leader also acts as a steward of the natural environment. THE CHALLENGE KOUZES & POSNER JOSSEY-BASS This book is based on an extensive research study that began in 1987 and has continued through More than 450,000 respondents on four continents were asked: What values (personal traits and characteristics) do you look for and admire in your leaders? They were also asked to select the seven qualities they most look for and admire in a leader someone whose direction they would willingly follow. The top four responses, by a very wide margin, were as follows: BEING HONEST Honesty was selected more often than any other leadership characteristic; it consistently emerged as the single most important ingredient in the leader-constituent relationship. That nearly 90% of the respondents want their leaders to be honest above all else is a message that all leaders must take to heart. Just how do constituents measure honesty? By observing the leader s behavior. In other words, regardless of what leaders say about their own integrity, people wait to be shown; they watch and observe carefully. Consistency between word and deed is how we judge someone to be honest. Honesty is also related to values and ethics. We appreciate people who take a stand on important principles. We resolutely refuse to follow those who lack confidence in their own beliefs. Confusion over where the leader stands creates stress; not knowing the leader s beliefs contributes to conflict, indecision and political rivalry. We simply don t trust people who won t tell us their values, ethics and standards. Even worse, though, is someone who tells us they hold a certain value then acts in complete disagreement with that value. Page 7

9 BEING FORWARD-LOOKING We expect our leaders to have a sense of direction and a concern for the future of the organization. Leaders must know where they are going if they expect others to willingly join them on the journey. In a separate study of 300 senior executives, a leadership style of honesty and integrity and a longterm vision and direction for the company were ranked as the number one and two most important characteristics in a successful leader. In a joint study with Columbia University, 98% of the respondents (8,500) ranked the ability to convey a strong vision of the future as a very important quality for effective leaders. We want to know what the organization will look like, feel like and be like when it arrives at its goal in six months or six years. We want to have it described to us in rich detail so that we ll know when we ve arrived and so that we can select the proper route for getting there. BEING INSPIRING We also expect our leaders to be enthusiastic, energetic and positive about the future. It s not enough for a leader to have a dream about the future. A leader must be able to communicate the vision in ways that encourage us to sign on for the duration. Some react with discomfort to the idea that being inspiring is an essential leadership quality. In the final analysis, though, leaders must inspire our confidence in the validity of the goal. Enthusiasm and excitement are essential and signal the leader s personal commitment to pursuing that goal. If a leader displays no passion for a cause, why should anyone else? BEING COMPETENT To enlist in another s cause, we must believe that the person is competent to guide us where we are headed. We must see the leader as capable and effective. Leadership competency doesn t necessarily refer to the leader s abilities in the core technology of the operation. In fact, the type of competence demanded is value-added competence. Functional competence may be necessary, but it s insufficient; the leader must bring some added value to the position. Expertise in leadership skills themselves is another dimension of competence. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER What we found in our investigation of admired leadership qualities is that, more than anything, we want leaders who are credible. We must believe that their word can be trusted, that they ll do what they say, that they re personally excited and enthusiastic about the direction in which we re headed and that they have the knowledge and skill to lead. Page 8

10 THE FIVE FUNDAMENTAL PRACTICES OF EXEMPLARY As we looked deeper into the dynamic process of leadership, through case analysis and survey questionnaires, we uncovered five fundamental practices that enable leaders to get extraordinary things done. The best leaders in the world are able to: Challenge the process Inspire a shared vision Enable others to act Model the way Encourage the heart CHALLENGE THE PROCESS Those who lead others to greatness seek and accept challenge. They are pioneers people willing to step out into the unknown. They are willing to take risks, to innovate and experiment in order to find new ways of doing things. But leaders need not always be the creators or originators of new products, services or processes. In fact, it s just as likely that they re not. Product and service innovations tend to come from customers, clients, vendors, people in the labs and people on the front lines, while process innovations tend to come from the people doing the work. The leader s primary contribution is in the recognition of good ideas, the support of those ideas and the willingness to challenge the system in order to get new products, processes, services and systems adopted. INSPIRE A SHARED VISION Leaders have a desire to make something happen, to change the way things are, to create something that no one else has created before. In some ways, leaders live their lives backward. They see pictures in their mind s eye of what the results will look like even before they have started the project. Their clear image of the future pulls them and their people, forward. People must believe that leaders understand and have their best interests at heart. Only through intimate knowledge of their dreams, their hopes, their aspirations, their visions and their values is the leader able to enlist support. Leadership is a dialogue not a monologue. Page 9

11 ENABLE OTHERS TO ACT Leadership is a team effort. After reviewing more than 2,500 personal-best cases, we developed a simple test to detect whether someone is on the road to becoming a leader. That test is the frequency of the use of the word We. Leaders enable others to act. They know that no one does his or her best when feeling weak, incompetent or alienated; they know that those who are expected to produce the results must feel a sense of ownership. Leaders involve, in some way, all those who must live with the results and they make it possible for others to do well. Leadership is a relationship built on trust and confidence. Without trust and confidence, people don t take risks. Without risks, there s no change. Without change, organizations die. MODEL THE WAY Leaders go first. They set an example and build commitment through simple, daily acts that create progress and momentum. Leaders model the way through personal example and dedicated execution. Leaders need operational plans. They must steer projects along a predetermined course and take corrective action. Yet the personal-best cases we examined included very little about grand strategic plans and massive organizational changes; they sounded more like action-adventure stories. They were about the power of little things piled one on top of the other until they added up to something really big. Concentrating on small wins, leaders build confidence that even the biggest challenges can be successfully met. ENCOURAGE THE HEART The climb to the top is arduous and long. People become exhausted, frustrated and disenchanted. They are often tempted to give up. Leaders encourage the heart to carry on. It is part of the leader s job to show people that they can win. Encouragement is curiously serious business. It s how leaders visibly and behaviorally link rewards with performance. When striving to raise quality, recover from disaster, start up a new service, or make a dramatic change of any kind, leaders make sure people benefit when behavior is aligned with cherished values. Page 10

12 TEN COMMITMENTS OF 1. Search out challenging opportunities to change, grow, innovate and improve. 2. Experiment, take risks and learn from the accompanying mistakes. 3. Envision an uplifting and ennobling future. 4. Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to their values, interests, hopes and dreams. 5. Foster collaboration by promoting cooperative goals and building trust. 6. Strengthen people by giving power away, providing choice, developing competence, assigning critical tasks and offering visible support. 7. Set the example by behaving in ways that are consistent with shared values. 8. Achieve small wins that promote consistent progress and build commitment. 9. Recognize individual contributions to the success of every project. 10. Celebrate team accomplishments regularly. HOW A LEADER SETS DIRECTION Create a strong vision Articulate a clear course Bias the organization toward action Lift up the organization Practice excellent personal communications Earn conviction Sustain the vision Create unity of purpose Leverage the strength of the culture Support positive rituals Harmonize vision and culture Train people to focus A BRIEFING FOR LEADERS DILENSCHNEIDER HARPER BUSINESS Page 11

13 THE SEVEN LESSONS 1. Leaders Don t Wait They are proactive they want to produce victories. Waiting for permission to begin is not characteristic of leaders. A sense of urgency combined with disciplined execution is. 2. Character Counts We call it the first law of leadership: if you don t believe the messenger you will not believe the message! People expect leaders to stand for something and to have the courage of their convictions. Therefore, the first milestone on the journey to leadership is clarity of personal values. 3. Leaders Have Their Head in the Clouds and Their Feet on the Ground Not only do we demand that leaders be credible; we also demand that they have a clear and compelling vision of the future. 4. Shared Values Make a Difference As important as it is for leaders to have a clear vision and values, what they say must be consistent with the aspirations of their followers. Followers have needs and interests, dreams and beliefs of their own. Leaders must be able to gain consensus on a common cause and a common set of principles. They must be able to build a community of shared values. 5. You Can t Do it Alone Leadership is not a solo act. Winning strategies are always based on a we, not an I, philosophy. 6. The Legacy You Leave is the Life You Lead Followers are moved by deeds. They expect leaders to show up, to pay attention and to participate directly in the process of getting extraordinary things done. Leaders take every opportunity to show others by their own example that they are deeply committed to the aspirations that they espouse. Leading by example is how leaders make vision and values tangible. It is how they provide evidence that they are personally committed. 7. Leadership is Everyone s Business There is a myth that assumes that when you are on top you are automatically a leader this simply is not true. Leadership is earned not bestowed. It is not a title it is a responsibility. Page 12

14 THE 10 ELEMENTS OF SERVANT Wikipedia ADVANCED 1. Listening: A servant leader puts the emphasis upon listening effectively to others. 2. Empathy: A servant leader needs to understand others' feelings and perspectives. 3. Healing: A servant leader helps foster each person's emotional and spiritual health and wholeness. 4. Awareness: A servant leader understands his or her own values and feelings, strengths and weaknesses. 5. Persuasion: A servant leader influences others through their persuasiveness. 6. Conceptualization: A servant leader needs to integrate present realities and future possibilities. 7. Foresight: A servant leader needs to have a well-developed sense of intuition about how the past, present, and future are connected. 8. Stewardship: A servant leader is a steward who holds an organization's resources in trust for the greater good. 9. Commitment to the growth of people: A servant leader is responsible for serving the need of others. 10. Building community: A servant leader is to help create a sense of community among people. Page 13

15 PERSONAL COMPETENCY MODEL Based on the presentation and all of the materials you have read, please create a detailed outline of your own Personal Leadership Competency Model. What are the specific skills, abilities and attitudes you feel you must have in order to become the sort of leader you aspire to be? Please be as precise as possible, listing measurable and observable behaviors whenever possible. I am not looking for just a few bullet points here, I want you to give this some VERY serious thought and describe in clear detail what your personal leadership philosophy is built upon. What are the most essential things you need to do every day to be a living example of an excellent leader? Page 14

16 IDEAS TO ACTIONS WORKSHOP This is an extremely important workshop, so please take it very seriously. Keeping the Ideal Leader model you have just created for yourself; think about what you must do to live that every day, to truly be that kind of a leader. What actions do you need to take to move closer to being a living example if your personal leadership competency model? Please write FOUR very specific and clear action steps that you can take in the next 90 days that will have a dramatic positive impact on your leadership effectiveness. Remember: What gets measured gets done; so every action item must be clear, specific, measurable and realistic. Page 15

17 SMALL GROUP WORKSHOP In your teams, let everyone share the personal leadership competency model they just created. Give them time to describe their model in detail and ask them questions about why these things are so important them. Be supportive, but still challenge each other. Act as a consultant and coach to each other. Once everyone has shared their personal model, have a discussion about what all of you believe are the FIVE most important characteristics of an ideal leader. Based on what all of you have written, what does the group agrees are the five most important characteristics of a highly effective leader. Please have someone on the team act as a scribe to write down your list, and you will need to choose a person, or a few people, to present your list to the entire group. Again, take this very seriously and push each other hard to develop the best list you possibly can. Page 16

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