Leadership Lookout

Today I had the privilege of listening to Jim Kouzes, author of The Leadership Challenge, and #12 on the Wall Street Journal’s list of best executive educators in the US. The teleforum, “Enduring Truths About Leadership in Tough Times,” was sponsored and moderated by Executive Coach Patricia Wheeler, publisher of Leading News at leadingnews.org. There were over 1100 worldwide attendees on the call.

Jim stressed that the top 4 leadership characteristics–being honest, forward looking, inspiring, and competent–have been stable and consistent vote getters for over 25 years now. These traits don’t vary from nation to nation, though the percentages might differ somewhat. In the United States, “honest” beats “competent” by 20%.

Not surprisingly, Jim stated that “during difficult times values are more important than ever. What people really want,” he said, “is the answer to the questions ‘Who are you?’, ‘Where are we going?’, ‘What are things going to look like when we get there?’, and ‘Why should I follow you?’” People, he said, will be more committed when there is alignment between their values and your values, and, he said, your values as a leader are much more important than the stated company values!

To paraphrase how he responded to the question of what a leader should do now, in this most difficult period, he said;

• take a breath, a deep breath, and move away from the cliff;
• fully commit to what is important;
• be proactive–proactive people are better able to deal with stress–and
• stare down your current reality. He quoted Max DePree on this: “The first job of a leader is to define reality.”

What is the biggest mistake a leader can make? Jim Kouzes said emphatically that the biggest mistake a leader can make is hubris, or becoming impressed with one’s own importance. And he ended by saying that if you want to make sure people remain engaged . . . say “Thank you!”

Thank you for visiting our blog. We appreciate comments on this or any entry.

Filed under: Discussion, Passed On