Are effective leaders ‘proud’?

For decades, we have pursued the search for a simple, universal leadership template against which to measure ourselves, with little success. The ‘Great Man’ and ‘Trait’ theories of leadership, which prevailed in the first half of the 20th century, were followed by the production of business competence and capability frameworks. In many cases, these complex templates tried to define knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour in detail, failing to recognise that effective behaviour was context specific and that words and labels have varied meanings.

Take PRIDE – is it a vice or a virtue for business leaders?

The dictionary definition of ‘Haughty, with an overinflated sense of self importance’ supports the notion that to be PROUD is a vice.

The work of Jim Collins on Level 5 leadership and Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence both support the notion that really effective leaders combine passion with altruism/personal humility.

Yet many entrepreneurs subscribe to the notion that PRIDE is an essential characteristic of the successful business leader, seeking to survive and thrive in the complex and ambiguous 21st century operating environment.

Chartered Director, Kerry Davis suggests “Pride in what one does can also be a virtue. Not being content to say: “That’ll do for this client”, going the extra mile to surprise and delight – this has always stood me in good stead to retain clients and build a reputation as someone who understand the client’s needs and wants and tries his hardest to achieve them.

Successful businesses have highlighted the importance of PRIDE as a corporate value. Philip Williamson, when CEO of Nationwide Building Society, launched a comprehensive strategic change programme branded PRIDE, in which the change champions were called PRIDE PARTNERS.

For Boards and business leaders seeking to define their Corporate Values and evidence them in their own behaviour, the message is simple:

“Words matter – choose them carefully and make sure you all agree what they mean in your context.”

This becomes increaingly critical as we seek to lead multi-locational, multi-functional and multi-cultural teams and develop common purpose.

How to plan strategic change?

The turbulent business environment which most organizations inhabit, has impacted the degree to which it is possible to plan strategic change. The pattern of external factors impacting organisations, has become more complex. A more responsive and adaptive approach is required in order to identify these factors and take early advantage of the opportunites to innovate or mitigate threats.

Planning strategic change is most effective when it recognizes and builds on the operational pulse of the organization.

Creating strategic change is about getting fit for an uncertain future, while also ensuring operational stability. Most analysts agree that strategic change derails as a result of inappropriate timing and lack of engagement.

While there is no blueprint for success, there are some tried and tested guidelines for increasing the likelihood of achieving the desired results.

Deciding when to launch new initiatives relies on the ability of business leaders to think strategically:

– Scanning the wider world, their market places and their operating environment

– Identifying the pattern of external and internal factors driving their strategic change

– Assessing their stakeholders’ attitudes and expectations

High performing organizations are adopting a participative approach to strategic planning, which surfaces all existing and proposed change initiatives and allows them to be evaluated in the light of strategic imperatives.

Change overload and fatigue are common complaints from Directors. At the same time, new initiatives are championed and obsolete ones are seldom ‘killed.’

Mapping all change initiatives against the business planning cycle, highlights conflicts and interdependencies, while providing an holistic view of the agenda the organization is being asked to embrace. Pinch points become apparent and Director time can be focused on steering multiple initiatives concurrently.

A participative approach to planning, ensures that constructive challenge becomes part of an effective process to determine which initiatives are Mission critical and when they should be launched. A common agenda is created and Directors can begin the process of engaging their stakeholders in the journey.

Leaders create their organisational drum beat

Leaders are primarily responsible for creating the culture which they inhabit – The organisational drum beat.

While any organisation will have developed habits based on historical behaviour, it is the words and actions of the current leaders which is primarily responsible for promoting what is acceptable and non-acceptable behaviour.

Where leadership behaviour is concurrent with espoused principles and values and strategic decision making is guided by those same principles and values, trust and respect will grow and enhance business performance.

The author collaborates with Dr Laurence Lyons, editor of Coaching for Leadership, “The single best collection of first rate articles on executive coaching – Warren Bennnis.” Together they research Principled Leadership, a philosophy which explores how the leader creates their organisational drum beat. Principled Leadership is based on the following concepts:

Truth – Principled leaders are authentic and true to themselves, recognising personal purpose, ethics and appropriateness of response. Their reputation for authentic behaviour is earned, respected and valued.

Politics – Principled leaders enable others to lead. They recognise that this is the style of choice for the advanced organisation paradigm, given that power relationships have altered, career paths are mobile and personal branding is essential.

Dialogue – Principled leaders create dialogue, founded on mutual respect and shared expectation of behaviour and outcome. They recognise the importance of both the journey and the destination.

Collective Success – Principled leaders enable collective success by inspiring and being inspired. They engage with others, sharing ideas and building common purpose. Their decisions and actions are informed by their principles.

Audit Questions:

– What are your organisation’s principles and values?

– How is your community encouraged to live those espoused principles and values?

– Are those espoused principles and values promulgated?

– How does your strategic decision making link with those espoused principles and values?

– How is dialogue created and sustained?

– How is the baton of leadership shared beyond those at the apex of the organisation?

– What value is placed on being authentic?

– What inspires your community?

– What role do you play in inspiring those around you?

So, are you a principled leader?