December 21, 2008
Leadership News BRIEF! Twog style
America's Best Leaders 2008 - Do you agree? http://bit.ly/HS83
What's this? I'm keeping future entries short, with just the newsy nuggets and references to good resources out there. I'm switching to twitter style leadership development nuggets. Twitter + Blog = Twog?
Source: U.S.News & World Report & the Center for Public Leadership - Harvard Univ. just published.
Full url:
http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2008/12/americas-best-leaders-2008.html
Twitter? What's that? 140 character short snippets of discussion sent out to your community of followers http://twitter.com/ (Click on video by Common Craft.)
Twitter's value is also described here on 10 reasons why twitter rocks: http://havemacwillblog.com/2008/05/20/ten-reasons-why-twitter-rocks/
My twitter name if you want to follow me to try it out yourself: dnrevel
Posted by dnrevel at 11:36 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Leadership, A Choice or a Position, or both?
There’s a vibe out there in the blogosphere when discussing leadership experience. LinkedIn, a major, professional social media/networking site features a large Q & A section on the topic. A recently posted item asked about leadership as a position or a choice. The question featured the story of a young woman, who, upon finding she had not been chosen for a position in the limelight, considered her the logic of her lesser role as well as her feelings about it, and concluded she had actually ended up with a better situation, considering her other responsibilities and longer term needs for how she would best use her talent.
The common responses of those who also answered the posed leadership position-or-choice question was choice, of course. Yet a few posted more nuanced answers They discussed the sequence of choice and position, the learning facing the young woman in future roles, and the challenge of choice being a regular decision point in a leader's development.
There is also the question of role and types of power.
Maybe, like me in consulting assignments, you've experienced leaders who grow into choice power above the influence of their position. I've also experienced leaders who hide a bit too much in position role and power, and, unfortunately infrequently exhibit leadership as choice. Have you? My opinion: Choice is, in the longer term, the more secure type of power and role though paradoxically it may seem riskier to favor choice/influence power over position power. Position power is more susceptible, in my observation, to position related stress, possible derailment, hierarchy "shift happens" (a senior protector leaves), or simply retiring on the job. Of course power and roles blend, but by which is the leader most known?
When I think about the leaders I have worked with, I am most hopeful for the long term success of the ones who:
• learn the choice lesson solidly, early (choice over position) high school, college, maybe even middle school
• relearn it frequently, with new “reminding� experiences beyond position based on receiving good feedback early and fostering open communication
• rarely -- if ever -- play the "boss" card, finding influence and personal leadership and coaching more powerful
• have found the strength that exists in vulnerability
• like the old Smith-Barney ad, are leaders in a new-fashioned way, they eaaarrrrn it - the respect of their peers and direct reports, as well as those in senior positions
• manage to sort through many, good leadership lessons and find the gold: e.g.
--What does authentic, Level 5, empowered, leadership mean?
--What can I learn and apply from authors like Drucker, Bennis, Zander, Goldsmith, Dee Hock (chaordic), Peter Block, etc.?
There are those leaders who take the road, so far in my experience, less traveled. For them and our shared circles and communities of practice, that may make all the difference. (R. Frost) That difference may well be more communicative, productive, resilient, flexible, even vibrant organizations. Feel free to comment if that has been your experience as well.
Posted by dnrevel at 11:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack