Leadership Lookout

In our last post we talked about the psychodynamics of stress and change based upon an article in the Chicago Tribune (2/15/09) entitled “Your Emotional Stimulus Plan.” We suggested that leaders might assess their own personal dynamics in order to mobilize themselves and prepare to lead others as quickly as possible.

This post speculates as to what would be in a leadership stimulus plan. The government’s stimulus plan contains (roughly) tax breaks, extended benefits, and expenditures on ten major areas. This plan is intended to stimulate the economy. Without overdoing the metaphor, but taking cues from the economic stimulus plan, what might you do to stimulate leadership in your area?

Here are a few ideas to act as thought provokers:

1. Clarity is Power. Communicate your top priorities again and again, to keep yourself and others focused on those things that will make the most difference.
2. Determine where in your area of influence you could have the most impact by “spending leadership capital,” e.g. spending precious time with others.
3. Delegate more responsibility to the good people already working for you, so that they make a step level advance in their leadership experiences.
4. Convene casual meetings where, by creating an informative and open environment, people are encouraged to work through their “emotional stimulus plans.”
5. Reduce “taxes” on people by eliminating meetings, reports, and record-keeping that doesn’t add high value.
6. Review your technology platforms to see:
• if people have the most current tools,
• if people are connecting to one another in easy-to-use, productive ways, and
• if you have reduced paper-based processes and files to a minimum.

What else can you think of?

Filed under: Discussion