The Leadership List
The following is an excerpt from the next edition of Bill Roedy’s best selling book, What Makes Business Rock.
CHAPTER 9 A
The Leadership List
I can talk leadership all day. It’s easy to make a list of the principles. Anybody can figure out the list. The list is not the problem. But can I always lead? Not always. I’ve heard dozens of managers spout the list. At corporate retreats on luxurious Caribbean resorts, we all take out the list. It’s such an easy sport to play. Let’s play leadership today. In conference rooms, there are a thousand variations on the theme. But the ability to actually make people strive beyond their capabilities? That’s tough. To practice your core values in the face of possible imminent defeat? It requires stamina and courage. Not something you do on the putting green. It’s so easy to get lazy. Dedication and passion play well on a good day, when the share price is rising, and your press is aglow with promising new product. But when the graph is slumping and the numbers are flagging and the press is mocking, dedication and passion are called for even more. That’s the test.
Can you pivot on a dime? The leadership traits you chose should reflect the specific situation. For example, Churchill, used his skills of adaptability to shape not only his own powers, but to shape the resolve of his team, which made him the standout leader of the Second World War. Churchill also applied the leadership trait of perseverance because the situation appeared hopeless. As he said in his speech following the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk at the House of Commons on June 4th, 1940: “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight…in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…”
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
Well, since everybody has their Leadership list, I might as well give you mine:
Know you core values. Lead with integrity and honesty.
Show dedication, commitment and passion.
Exhibit confidence and optimism.
Articulate a clear vision and strategy.
Have the courage to act.
Be adaptable.
Communicate effectively.
Develop cultural competency and embrace diversity.
Think outside the box and be creative.
Never, never, never give up. Show stamina.
Keep morale up and emphasize team building.
Be a life-long learner.
Always stay curious.
Be a good Listener. Show emotional intelligence.
Be self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
Embrace change and question the status quo.
Set the example.
Keep a sense of humor and have fun.
Accept responsibility, be slow to take credit and quick to take blame.
Show empathy - put yourself in somebody else’s shoes every day.
Today, in the age of acceleration and technology, adaptability and being a life-long learner are key success factors. For example, everything that defined my career didn’t even exist when I entered the job market.
With disruption everywhere you can either disrupt or be disrupted.
