Be the Leader your Company Needs

Confused by all the rhetoric about leadership?

Here's a way to cut through the noise and find the essence:

Be the leader your organization needs.

Today and Tomorrow.

Today
So much is written about leadership! Qualities of leaders. Traits of leaders. It's all interesting, to be sure. But, at the end of the day, you may be thinking: If you want to be a leader, what should you do?

Step One is look in the mirror. What do you see? Is that a leader looking back at you?
There are three things to look for in your self-assessment.

Leaders ask for input - Leaders know that power is not in position. Rather, power is in posture. And the most powerful posture is humility. An open and receptive posture that invites and welcomes many voices and perspectives. "What are your thoughts?" is a positive power play with real potential. So, leaders actively seek the ideas of their team members. "What do you think we should do?" is not a sign of weakness on the part of the leader. Quite the contrary. It's brilliance. Leaders ask for help. Leaders listen. And, in so doing, they engage and empower others.

Leaders seek wisdom before they take action - Leaders take action based on what they believe is wise, that is, the right course for the right reasons. Where do they find this wisdom? While leaders often have good ideas, even the smartest know that they don't have all the ideas. There may be even better ideas out there among their constituents. The leader that seeks the wisdom of the people in the system is indeed a wise one.

Leaders seek feedback - Leaders are agents of change. And all change starts with the man or woman in the mirror. Wise leaders take a long and honest look in the mirror. They seek feedback and consider it carefully. And resolve to make the necessary changes.

Step Two is look around you. What needs to be done?

Leadership is not about level. It's about leading. And leading is execution. It's making things happen. It is the courageous choice to identify a problem or a challenge and say "I will take a stand. I will take action. I will lead others by my example."

When Superstorm Sandy hit this region, teams of clean-up volunteers sprang into action, pitching in and helping fellow residents in towns at the New Jersey shore that were devastated. This is leadership in action. And it's going on all the time. Everywhere. Ordinary leaders in communities and organizations the world over. Men and women who may not make big salaries or garner big headlines.

Nevertheless they are leaders: people who see a crying need and they step up to it. They are making a difference.

Leadership is not a position. It's a choice.

Tomorrow

Step Three is look ahead. Where are you going? Where is your organization going?

As Warren Bennis said so well, Leadership is the capacity to turn vision into reality.

But first there has to be a Vision.

It's incredibly hard to predict the future with any degree of certainty. But I am convinced that you can create the future you desire.

What we need in changing organizations is a vista on the future.

The word vista means a pleasing view or prospect, a vision of the future (from the Latin videre "to see")

V = Vision of the desired state

I = Improvement-based culture

S = Situation assessment of the current state

T = Targets identified for the improvements

A = Actions aligned to the aims

With a positive vista on the future you desire, you can create the energy to make it happen in your organization.

That's real leadership.

Terrence Seamon is passionate about teams, leadership, organizations, and change. Follow him on twitter @tseamon, and join his alliance on facebook, Facilitation Solutions.

Note:  If you liked this post, be sure to read my next post:  Leaders, Do Not Mis-Lead Your Teams