2011 | Developing Leaders

05Jul

Your Most Important Leadership Attribute

I love my LinkedIn discussion groups. Groups of like-minded individuals from around the world discussing (often far more articulately than I can!) topics that interest them; for me that topic is most often leadership.

One of the members of the Center for Creative Leadership group, Sarandeep Singh asked:

‘What is one KEY attribute, that you would look up to in a “Leader”… and why?’

I love this discussion because it highlights to me how difficult it is to be a leader for many – we all want so many different things! Some very compelling arguments for attributes such as integrity, creativity, vision and authenticity. All of these attributes were worthy of my one key attribute – but the discussion forced me to think about the leaders that I have worked for and consider what was the difference between the good and the truly inspirational.

My No. 1 – The drive and the desire to make something / someone better.

I can’t disagree with integrity, creativity, passion or vision (particularly when they are written about so articulately – some truly inspiring words. If interested in leadership I can’t recommend this group highly enough) – and perhaps what I am talking about incorporates some of each of those points.

I have worked for many managers, but only a small few have the magnetism, the ‘pull’ to make you want to get on board with their cause / idea and do all you can to help them achieve it. I have seen the drive of one person start a small movement and turn it into a wildfire of like-minded followers. The drive and passion to do something better, create something better, be part of something you can be proud of at the end – that is what drives me and what I look for in a leader.

The drive to make something better requires a selfless passion that I find compelling. I have written ‘to make something’ and particularly ‘to make someone better’ because, aren’t we all looking for a leader that can guide us to a better place (physically, emotionally, spiritually) than we are now?

Is the one key attribute you would look up to in a leader the one thing that we truly want to possess / demonstrate ourselves?

What is the one key attribute that you would look up to in a leader?

04Jul

5 Ways to Ascertain ‘High Potential’

Michael PeinigerLeadership

A recent Linkedin group discussion asked: ‘Given that most of us can master any skill we choose to, with the right support and experience, what makes us attribute ‘high potential’ to some people and not to others?’

I think this is a great question and pertinent to all businesses. I have rated someone as ‘high potential’ when they:

1. Show drive to do what others won’t do. I sat in on a seminar by Frank Furness about 2 years ago on social media, and he showed the audience so many wonderful things. Someone asked ‘Aren’t you worried that someone will take everything that you do and copy it, stealing your IP?’ I loved his reply, (paraphrasing): ‘I know just how hard it is to do what I have been doing, and 98% of people won’t try or will find it too hard to copy day after day, so I am not afraid to give away IP.’ High potential people see that something is hard and go for it anyway.

2. Ask questions to genuinely learn more. You can tell when someone is keen and has drive – they listen intently, ask insightful questions and are actively learning all the time.

3. Have demonstrated an ability to deal with adversity / stress/ difficult workloads and they have shouldered the burden for not only themselves, but others as well.

4. Don’t whinge, blame others or make excuses when things get difficult. High potential people have the ability to ‘get over it’ quickly and move on to the next task. They don’t dismiss the difficult things, they learn from them.

5. Get back up again after falling down or making a mistake.

These areas show qualities of strength, determination, drive and desire – essential qualities (rather than skills) of a good leader that can’t be taught – they are either innate qualities of a person or have been forced through circumstance.

How do you rate high potential? What makes high potential people stand out for you?

03Jul

10 Steps to Being a Great Manager

Michael PeinigerLeadership

In the June 16 issue of BRW (brw.com.au), Leo D’Angelo Fisher listed the following 10 steps to being a great manager:

1. Managers are leaders and leaders are managers – don’t get caught up by artificial dichotomy.

2. Leadership can be shared.

3. Leadership requires high-level personal attributes.

4. Leaders are part of a team.

5. Managers / leaders know their team.

6. Create a sense of purpose.

7. Performance manage to strengths.

8. Set principles, boundaries and strategy.

9. Manage diversity.

10. Manage globalisation, complexity and chaos.

What do you think of the list?

So many areas to discuss, but I want to get to pt. 3. Followers do not follow a leader who has personal attributes less than those they possess themselves. We all want a leader that we can look up to, and who has values that are congruent with ours or extend us to be better. Of those high level personal attributes alluded to, I believe leaders need to;

1. Be open and consistent about what they want – they need to know what they approve and don’t approve on in the workplace and inform others,

2. Have drive and be determined to achieve.

3. Be positive through adversity.

4. Demonstrate care for the people they work with.

5. Know when to fight for what you believe / fight for your team, and know when to be humble and accept decisions / outcomes.

There are many more personal attributes that make up a leader – what do you think? What would you add / take out of the 10 steps? What are the personal attributes of the great leaders you have followed?

02Jul

Persistance, Motivation and the UFC

Michael PeinigerUncategorised

I have been Foxtel free until very recently, and am now only just discovering the plethora of shows available to an avid television watch such as myself (a bit like providing a problem gambler with a gambling outlet right in their living room)

Of all the shows, I have become taken with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). (A little sad I hear you say, and you would be right) For those not familiar, it is a mixed martial arts competition in which competitors can use any fighting style to beat their opponent. It is violent, graphic and intense – yet I find it gripping television.

Aside from the memories of many years of both karate and judo as a child / teenager, I have been impressed with the level of dedication, focus and drive the fighters have to attain their goal.

This has led me to think: how focussed have I been on my goal?

UFC fighters prepare by being very skilled (black belts) in at least 1 or 2 disciplines of martial arts (judo, karate, wrestling, ju jitsu etc). This is not dissimilar to managers attaining their role by being good accountants, logisticians, customer service experts etc. It is also similar to facilitators being skilled at facilitating one or two topics.

To be great in the UFC, the athletes (and I will call them athletes because of the intense discipline and training required) have to explore outside their discipline/s and become very skilled at the whole range of fighting techniques.

As an excellent manager / leader, we are expected to explore outside our chosen disciplines to become skilled in the whole range of management techniques if we are to be thought of as great (and what manager / leader doesn’t want to be thought of as great by their peers / co-workers?)

To achieve competence across many disciplines, experts in one field of martial arts often have to start at the bottom of another art to gain the required skills and competence. For many, not having their previous competence recognised in the new discipline is too difficult to deal with, and they choose to opt out, limiting their overall skill set. The athletes that truly have the desire to grow learn to be humble, and place the distant goal of multi-discipline mastery ahead of short term setbacks.

What have you done to extend yourself in pursuit of your long-term goal?

When I truly reflected on this question, I was a little disappointed with the answer. In truth, I have stayed within the disciplines in which I am very comfortable; that is training & facilitation of leadership and team issues. But what of marketing? Social media? Succession planning and product growth? Business growth in non-traditional markets? These are all areas that I have been aware of and dabbled in, but have not truly explored. I have stayed within my skill set and been unwilling to start at the ground up on areas that are not my traditional skill set. The plan for this month is to plan out a strategy for developing these skills as part of my overall business / personal plan. It will involve research and outside sources to work out the key areas of development that will enhance my business growth. What is your plan?

Watching the UFC also highlighted to me the strength of purpose these fighters have to achieve their goals. Dealing with pain, discomfort and physical injury are obvious areas that these athletes need to prepare for. The dedication to training and practise, long hours toiling to achieve perfection of minor details and the sacrifice of personal rewards are often forgotten as essential requirements to achieving a long-term goal (which could be why the achievement of difficult long-term goals is so rare). I realised that I hadn’t been putting in the required time and effort to improve the areas of my development; a sobering realisation for someone who works in the area of personal leadership development.

So the question is: how have you extended yourself beyond your skill set to develop your long-term goal? Will you place yourself in a position of non-expert / learner to develop an essential skill for long-term development? Will you be prepared to deal with short term losses for the long-term gains?

So while I was initially struggling to come to terms with my new UFC obsession, it has in fact re-energised my long term business goals and reminded me of the persistence and effort required to get there.

27Jun

What makes a rock star trainer?

Michael PeinigerLeadership

A recent post on LinkedIn by Tania Tytherleigh asked a simple question: ‘What are the qualities of a rock star trainer?’ Tania highlighted that passion, commitment and integrity were essential qualities for a rock star trainer. I really liked the premise of trainers / facilitators as rock stars, so here are the 16 qualities that I think make a ‘rock star’ trainer:

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