By Mike Ososki, PMP
It’s a gigantic topic, pervasive and powerful throughout the millenia: leadership. So Dr. Abhay Trivedi and CEO Andrew Russell wrote a book about it, sourcing from the specific perspective that leadership is to bring out the best in others. And to achieve this, you must be selfless, have integrity, and maybe most important of all, “raise your inner self.”
Most organizations want to do well, to serve stakeholders, be lean, innovative, and efficient. To serve community, create smart products and services, and deliver value for customers. To be high quality, serve employees well, and of course, be successful.
But the reality for many organizations is not so pretty: too many changes in top management, rigid corporate policies, short-term perspective, and money focus vs. human value all contribute instead to commoditization and mediocrity.
Leaders are responsible for vision, strategy, change management, talent acquisition, perception, integrity, and principles—so much! In Dr. Trivedi’s opinion, “leaders need to create a culture of complete transparency.” This includes openness, with everyone feeling free to share and collaborate, discuss any ideas with peers and supervisors, openly offer construction criticism. And no criticizing behind people’s backs.
Abhay is all about innovation and fresh thinking, always encouraging positive disruptors and discouraging groupthink. He asserts that good solutions can come from anywhere/anyone, and that “smart” people are not always right. Leaders should strive to build a culture of innovation, which does not necessarily require lots of money or resources. And of course, risk is part of achieving success.
Being challenged can help leaders lead well. Nick Saban says, “Mediocre people don’t like high achievers, and high achievers don’t like mediocre people.” To excel, we must be challenged: set goals, get mentored, understand long-term risk/reward, have discipline and focus, and learn from experience and failures.
Change management is essential. To change from current to needed states, proactive leaders know how to morph individual and organizational resistance into buy-in. They’re familiar with the Kubler-Ross model of stages, moving from denial, anger, and resistance to exploration and negotiation, and finally to acceptance and commitment.
The power of human vision is especially apparant in technical realms. Science fiction becomes more real every day. Transformational leadership makes this happen, the kind that challenges status quo to dream the formerly impossible. Another type is servant leadership, where top management prioritizes employee needs. Finally, there is the traditional transactional type of leadership, ensuring equal give and take fo expectations and effort.
Want to do all or some of this? Back to “raise your inner self.” Analyze your knowledge, beliefs, experience, values, and surroundings. Strive to convert barriers and obstacles into opportunities and achievements. Focus on value. Live in the present. Be relevant and empower your resources.