Great Leaders Overcome Obstacles
Nearly every leader of every type of organization, whether the most or least qualified or talented, can sometimes appear great when everything is going great, and there are no conflicts, and no financial issues or crises.
Unfortunately, the reality is that while there hopefully will predominantly be good and easy times, inevitably issues arise that end up measuring the quality of effectiveness of a leader.
Grover Cleveland wrote, "In calm water every ship has a good captain.
" How can a leader be prepared for the inevitable needed decision or reaction to a controversy (or a potential one, or attempting to avoid one effectively)? 1.
Far too few organizations emphasize leadership training, and even of the few that do, even fewer use a training program that goes over in enough detail the truly needed skills and behaviors of an effective leader.
Organizations that continuously change the format of their program, only "go through the motions," or 'rush' the process by spending too little time (for example, trying to cram a program into a few short hours on one day, once) generally end up with ill- prepared leadership.
2.
Leaders must plan not only for good times, but for contingencies.
This means having creative and thorough, answerable (with specific responsibilities and a time line) Action Plan.
3.
True leaders avoid the tendency to procrastinate, realizing that the failure to properly, efficiently and effectively take timely action, generally is unproductive at best, and disastrous at worst.
If a leader properly sets up committees to assist him, and surrounds himself with trusted advisers who will tell him when they disagree (and why), the process is generally far more seamless.
4.
A central part of the planning must be fiscal responsibility.
In my over three decades of working with organizations and their leaders, I have observed that the vast majority of organizations use the budget process merely as "something they are forced to do," or "some sort of exercise," rather than a guide that can help steer the organization to more good times (and the ability to survive and flourish even in "bad" times).
This requires discipline, and the use of zero- based budgeting, which mandates that an organization take a close and revealing look at all aspects of its operations on a regular basis, and to examine how and where monies are being spent, as well as assisting in prioritizing and identifying true needs, and hopefully helping an organization open its eyes to alternative approaches.
How well a leader will do, in the long run, is generally related to that leader's attitude, integrity, training and adaptability, as well as his self- confidence.
Those organizations that stay true to a Leadership Training model almost invariably have leaders that best weather those "not so good" times.
That is often the difference between a leader becoming a "Captain" or simply remaining an obedient "mate.
"
Unfortunately, the reality is that while there hopefully will predominantly be good and easy times, inevitably issues arise that end up measuring the quality of effectiveness of a leader.
Grover Cleveland wrote, "In calm water every ship has a good captain.
" How can a leader be prepared for the inevitable needed decision or reaction to a controversy (or a potential one, or attempting to avoid one effectively)? 1.
Far too few organizations emphasize leadership training, and even of the few that do, even fewer use a training program that goes over in enough detail the truly needed skills and behaviors of an effective leader.
Organizations that continuously change the format of their program, only "go through the motions," or 'rush' the process by spending too little time (for example, trying to cram a program into a few short hours on one day, once) generally end up with ill- prepared leadership.
2.
Leaders must plan not only for good times, but for contingencies.
This means having creative and thorough, answerable (with specific responsibilities and a time line) Action Plan.
3.
True leaders avoid the tendency to procrastinate, realizing that the failure to properly, efficiently and effectively take timely action, generally is unproductive at best, and disastrous at worst.
If a leader properly sets up committees to assist him, and surrounds himself with trusted advisers who will tell him when they disagree (and why), the process is generally far more seamless.
4.
A central part of the planning must be fiscal responsibility.
In my over three decades of working with organizations and their leaders, I have observed that the vast majority of organizations use the budget process merely as "something they are forced to do," or "some sort of exercise," rather than a guide that can help steer the organization to more good times (and the ability to survive and flourish even in "bad" times).
This requires discipline, and the use of zero- based budgeting, which mandates that an organization take a close and revealing look at all aspects of its operations on a regular basis, and to examine how and where monies are being spent, as well as assisting in prioritizing and identifying true needs, and hopefully helping an organization open its eyes to alternative approaches.
How well a leader will do, in the long run, is generally related to that leader's attitude, integrity, training and adaptability, as well as his self- confidence.
Those organizations that stay true to a Leadership Training model almost invariably have leaders that best weather those "not so good" times.
That is often the difference between a leader becoming a "Captain" or simply remaining an obedient "mate.
"
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