If you want to be an effective leader,
then you must exercise great personal leadership skills first.
Since I use photography to more effectively communicate
concepts in my leadership skills training speaking programs, let me give you a photography
analogy...
If you asked me what accessory I value beyond all others,
what do you think I would say?
It's not going to be a flashgun, a certain type of film, or
spare batteries. While these things are necessary, without the foundation of a well-made,
lightweight tripod, you will not be able to consistently shoot great photographs. And,
without the proper foundation, you will NOT be able to lead your team effectively.
The 3 Legs to Effective Personal & Organizational
Leadership with Focus
Powerful Leadership Skill Training Leg #1: Creativity
Great personal leadership or leading with focus starts with
building your creativity. Here's why...
How can leaders come up with new ideas if they are not
'seeing' or practicing creativity?
Without new products, new services or new procedures, an
organization can't be competitive. Creativity is beyond taking a new way home from work or
trying to be creative for the next 30 minutes. It delves into how you exercise your
'creativity muscle' on a regular basis.
You need a consistent source of new ideas that do not come
from your normal surroundings. One way I practice my creativity is by automatically adding
a half-day minimum to every business trip. I get out and 'see' my world. Practiced on a
regular basis, this creativity outlet will add more character to each location and will
also be the source of new ideas.
Employers can add creativity routines by establishing
programs that cross-trains employees. For example, train your accountants to understand
what it means to sell products or services.
Another way you can stimulate creativity is to provide paid
time off for community work or have a local 'pet' project that gets a lot of attention.
One of my customers, Lockheed Martin invests in the quality of life in the communities
where their employees work and live. This strengthens community connections, involves
learning new skills and allows for creativity to emerge
Powerful Leadership Skills Training Leg #2: Communication
Once you get a great idea, it's not good enough just to
write it down. You need to be able to communicate it effectively.
How can you communicate your messages more effectively?
Here's how...
Recently, I worked with the US Army Evaluation Command. I
helped them improve the quality of their presentations given by senior leadership. They
wanted new hires to understand key concepts and take positive action on them soon
afterward. So I reminded them that powerful communications is divided into three parts:
Step 1: You need to refine your content by doing great
research. Step 2: Involve the audience by understanding them better. Step 3: Rehearse your
delivery, so your communications are congruent with your content. Make sure your ideas are
simple. They have the most power. More employees and customers will resonate with simple
ideas. When you have resonance, you set the stage for positive action.
Powerful Leadership Skills Training Leg #3: Life Balance
A tripod wouldn't be able to support itself or the weight
on top without a third or stabilizing leg. The stabilizing leg is the life balance leg.
It would be a real shame if you came up with a great idea,
communicated it in a powerful way, but weren't around to see your idea to fruition. The
stabilizing leg of your leading with focus tripod allows you to see and monitor the
implementation of your idea.
Life balance also reinforces a self-perpetuating cycle. The
more you practice work life balance by spending time with your family, taking charge of
your health, and getting in touch with a higher purpose, the more space you give
creativity to emerge. And the process of leading with focus is able to repeat itself again
and again.
What It Means to Lead With Focus
Remember, leading with focus is about 'seeing' the world
with new eyes to get that next idea. It's about getting your ideas to resonate with as
many people as possible. Leading with focus is also enjoying the journey that is your life
along the way.
Isn't it time you started practicing leading with focus in
your organization? Start practicing great leadership skills by enhancing your personal
leaderships skills first. |
