The effectiveness of the board depends on the quality of the reports and papers the executive team prepares against which the board discussed are based. Yet, many leaders lack the skill to summarize lots of information into easy to read formats for a business executive. In the end, board members receive lots of information that is not easy to read thereby making the role more cumbersome and less interesting. As I have written in the past, the role of the Board Chairman is to manage the board to provide effective support to the executive team through the Chief Executive. The…
What is your mind drift? Here is what makes great leaders
A study was done to test the subtle qualities of great leadership. A conference room was filled with many people from all walks of life. The audience was informed that two groups of three different people were to address them. But they were not told about the profiles of the people and the message they were to deliver. “Just follow instructions”, they were told. The experimenter identified two groups of people – group A was composed of the most successful business leaders and entrepreneurs, and group B was made up of seasoned managers and frontline staff. These were told to…
The leader’s toolbox: Tool 1 – speak to influence not merely to inform
That long-awaited promotion or C-level career job has finally landed, what next? When you get promoted to a senior management role, it is possible to get lost. You need leadership tools to help you navigate the unpredictable challenges of the position’s responsibilities. Great leaders have excellent communication skills. They communicate to influence not just to inform. The ability to wow the audience and give them fresh perspectives to win. To tell them what they want to hear and leave them yearning for more. To share a message of reconciliation, healing, hope, and then offer practical solutions to win. To make…
What is your passion?
Even one will tell you to find your person and try to monetize it. However, when you ask people to tell you about their passion, they say statements like: a) Transforming the education system b) Mentoring people to live a good life c) Helping people become rich d) Pond fish farming and running a restaurant that sells only fish Take a few minutes to re-read the above statements. Which one sounds more genuine and believable? I guess you chose d) Fish farming and opening a restaurant that sells only fish, because it is specific, more believable, and clearer. From the…
Your values shape your behavior and conduct
Your values determine your behavior. If you are valueless, you are likely to behave badly and or do very bad things. For some of you who attended religious schools – Christian or Moslem, or any, you are taught certain values based on the religion. Some of the values we were taught in primary include the Catholic Church social values- Respect for Life and Dignity of the Human Person; Call to Family, Community, and Participation; Rights and Responsibilities to do the right things; Preferential Option for the Poor; The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; Solidarity; Care for God’s…
The art of leadership
While delivering a client cultural audit report, senior staff at the client asked: at what point do the staff know they have to stop being managers and become leaders? Leadership is not inherited or natural. Leadership is learned. All you need is to understand the current challenges, communicate them so that people know. Create a compelling vision or ambition or aspiration that everyone can relate to. And have the conviction to rally people behind you to deliver that. Our football coach in the primary had an easy way of identifying leaders. He would get a group of 15 to 20…
