Last week’s holiday celebrated Independence Day. Although it’s more familiarly known as “The Fourth of July,” its origins are based on a signal event in our country’s history. Considering this led me to think about the concept of independence and how it relates to leadership, and then another leadership paradox appeared. Most of the strong leaders I know have a great capacity for independence. They are comfortable seeing things differently, having a minority opinion, and taking action when others might hesitate. The paradox is that too much independence can lead to isolation and marginalization, thus becoming ineffective as a leader.

Food for Thought ~

Leaders need not only the capacity for independent thinking, but the capacity to relate and interact with their constituents and find ways to achieve group consensus, which is even more powerful than individual brilliance. Independent-thinking leaders make a significant contribution. They raise the discourse to a higher level and are able to step, or even leap forward when the situation requires boldness. They also understand and appreciate the greater truth of interdependence.

Question of the day ~

How do you express your independence as a leader? Have you found an optimal integration of leadership independence with dynamic group process?

This is the last call for a direct link to my recently-published article on leadership self-awareness.

Celebrating independence and interdependence,

An ancestor of mine, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Maryland, was one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Having a personal connection to that momentous act of leadership certainly makes history come alive. The representatives of the thirteen colonies at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia boldly set forth their vision for a new, independent nation, and the Revolutionary War ensued. Most of us today do not realize the personal price that many of those signers paid ~ some were imprisoned, some lost their health, property, wealth, loved ones, and/or their livelihoods. Those were serious times and those individuals were courageous as well as idealistic. (For additional historical details, here’s a good website.)

Food for Thought ~

Most of my leadership work and that of my clients and colleagues involves the effective management of groups, organizations and businesses. But sometimes leaders are called to go beyond their day-to-day responsibilities and step into greater leadership roles. Great leaders stand up for what they believe and are prepared to make sacrifices if needed. The names Churchill, Mandela, King and Gandhi come to mind, just to name a very few. There are innumerable issues in the world and in our own communities today that need leadership. Let us honor those who hear and heed that call.

Question of the day ~

Have you felt called to take your leadership skills above and beyond your own organization?

I recently went camping with a group of 90 friends. Credit for the fact that it was very enjoyable goes to a small cohort of voluntary leaders. Based on lessons learned from less successful previous trips, the leaders started well in advance to plan and organize the event. Lists, sign-up sheets, and extensive preparations all contributed to a smooth camping experience, including meals and clean-up, camp setup and takedown.

Food for Thought ~

Three fundamental leadership skills were evident: planning, organizing, and communicating. With peers, asserting one’s authority is not an option. I call it “leadership with a light touch.” You have to inspire and influence people with your attitude and example. If you want to learn how to be a leader or become a better one, there’s no better training than leading a group of volunteers.

Question of the day ~

Have you had experience leading a group of peers, colleagues or friends? What have you learned from that experience?

On behalf of my guest columnist for last week’s edition, Karen Vyverberg, thanks very much for your positive response to this young leader and writer. Also, if you haven’t yet had a chance to read my current article on the importance of self-awareness as a leader, here’s the link.

Karen, my 19 year old niece and one of my loyal readers, is visiting me this week. She is a junior at the University of Florida, majoring in geology, with a minor in English. I was delighted when she accepted my invitation to contribute to today’s Minute! I gave her carte blanche to write on anything having to do with leadership, and here is her essay, unedited.

Food for Thought ~

The Everyday Leader by Karen Vyverberg

In my – admittedly brief – 19 plus years I have come to decide that there are two main types of leader: the Official Leader and the Everyday Leader. I like to believe I can speak personally on both.

An Official Leader is just that – a person whose job it is to lead, like a foreman or a shift supervisor. The job of an Official Leader is not easy. The group has certain goals to meet, and the Official Leader is saddled with the responsibility of meeting them.

An Everyday Leader is a more subtle position; that person in a group of friends or peers that the others instinctively look to for communal decisions. He or she might be the person who drives the most often, or even just the person who starts the brainstorming of dinner ideas. Perhaps “the party doesn’t start” until he or she arrives.

I believe it is often more difficult to be an Everyday Leader. We are faced with countless responsibilities everyday, and it is nice when some simple choices – like where to eat out – are made for us. The tricky role of the Everyday Leader is to make these extra choices without enforcing them like an Official Leader. An Everyday Leader must first be a group member, but perhaps with just enough foresight to take the responsibilities no one else wants.

Question of the day ~

Where do you fit in this description? Do you inhabit both Official and Everyday Leader roles? Where are you most effective or comfortable?

I hope you enjoyed this special edition with a different, yet related, perspective. Thanks, Karen!

Here’s my new article on leadership in the NorthBay Business Journal ~

SELF-AWARENESS ESSENTIAL FOR LEADERS

A business owner recently told me about a proverbial wake up call he had received: a key employee had resigned, citing difficulties with the owner as one of the reasons. As the exit interviews unfolded over a period of days, the owner learned that the employee had accepted an attractive job offer with a competitor. Ouch. The good news is that the business owner is using this opportunity to take stock of his management and leadership style. He wants to see what he can learn from the situation.

Click here to read the rest of the article

Food for Thought ~

Leaders must be ever willing to learn and grow personally and professionally. We must be strong enough and confident enough to be a student, to continuously hone our skills toward mastering the art of leadership.
Self-awareness is an essential foundation in that process.

Question of the day ~

What resources do you utilize for developing your self-awareness and your skills as a leader: reading, classes, coaching, counseling, personality testing, trusted friends/advisors? And from another perspective, what’s the cost of insufficient self-awareness?

Robert Louis Stevenson said: “You cannot run away from a weakness; you must sometimes fight it out or perish. And if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?”

We’re going to switch perspectives today, and look at leadership from the followers point of view. The Gallup organization has been studying leadership for decades. In 2005 – 2006, they conducted a study of 10,000 US adults, asking them to think of and then describe a leader who has a positive influence in their daily life. The results were dramatic. Four themes emerged as the words that best described the everyday leaders in their lives.

Food for Thought ~

The four themes (and most frequently used other words) were:

• TRUST (honesty, integrity, respect)
• COMPASSION (caring, friendship, happiness, love)
• STABILITY (security, strength, support, peace)
• HOPE (direction, faith, guidance)

Question of the day ~

As a leader, which of these words do you think your followers would use to describe you?

Memorial Day is an opportune time to reflect on what we want from all the leaders in our lives.

Today is National Teacher Day. Although no doubt intended to honor teachers in our school systems, I want to expand that to honor leaders who are teachers, ergo my made-up word, “teachership.” It is my conviction that good leaders are also teachers. They share information, support learning, encourage their students, and see to it that the business/organization itself grows and develops. We frequently hear people say “It’s easier to do it myself.” Although it’s often true that it’s easier, that doesn’t mean it’s smarter.

Food for Thought ~

Leaders need to include the time and effort that teaching requires into their time managment and planning. Consider it one of the important hats a good leader wears in the course of a day. And there’s a benefit to the teacher as well ~ learning to be patient, thoughtful and articulate. Recently, one of my clients told me about how fortunate she has been to have a boss who has also been a teacher and mentor to her.

Question of the day ~

Do you make time for teaching part of your duties as a leader?

I received a suggestion last week from an esteemed reader who recommended that I take questions on leadership issues and respond to them in my Minutes. What a great idea! It was serendipitous, as I was just musing on the very question of how to engage more interaction with my readers. I do not always have time to respond to every email message personally, but I do very much appreciate the feedback I receive.

Food for Thought ~

This provides a good opportunity for me to address something I surely believe ~ that through collaboration we are able to create much better solutions, plans, and outcomes than we can individually. Collective wisdom is far better than most individual efforts, with geniuses perhaps the exception to the rule. I have seen time and again the amazing improvement in the quality of a group’s effort over that of an individual, even a very smart and talented one. Yes, it takes longer and requires more management and leadership skills, but the superior results are well worth the effort.

Question of the day ~

Are you good at seeking input and collaboration? Do you reach out to appropriate and interested others to help craft and improve the best possible ideas and solutions?

One of my thoughtful readers replied to last week’s Minute with the keen observation that leaders need to be humble enough to be a learner and yet confident enough to be a decision-maker. Leaders need to be able to hear what employees (and others) honestly think and feel while contemporaneously maintaining their overall responsibility for the company. It’s a great insight into another one of the seemingly paradoxical aspects of being a leader.

Food for Thought ~

This underscores the point from last week that leaders need to have exceptional EQ (Emotional Intelligence.) It takes a lot of maturity and poise to balance the multiple facets of a leadership position, and this is one of the most challenging. Kudos to those of you who have mastered this aspect of leadership. And kudos as well to those who are working on it!

Question of the day ~

How are your skills at being humble enough to be a listener and learner while at the same time maintaining an appropriate perspective on your responsibility as a leader, as well as managing your own emotional response?

One of the implications of the servant leader concept is that the old model of “command and control” leadership is largely passe, except for special situations. Today’s leaders are not the same breed that dominated well into the 20th century. Current and future leaders must primarily be learners, teachers and coaches.

Food for Thought ~

The skills needed to be a learner, teacher and coach are commonly called “people skills” or Emotional Intelligence (EQ) as popularized by Daniel Goleman. As leaders, we first need to effectively manage ourselves, and secondarily, our relationships. Technical knowledge and abilities are often the entry fee, but it’s personal awareness and people skills that fuel the leadership trajectory.

Question of the day ~

How would you rate your skills as a teacher and coach? A perhaps more subtle assessment is required regarding our capacities for personal and interpersonal learning. How do you fare on that scale? (If we find that we are defensive when we receive criticism, we may be limiting our learning.)