Will Sr. Managers Change? LO7341

William J. Hobler, Jr. (bhobler@cpcug.org)
Thu, 09 May 1996 14:59:16 -0400

Replying to LO7271 --

Joan Promo wrote

>None of these are true and leadership is actually easy to understand and
>easy to execute through specific actions backed up by specific reasons why
>they are correct and others are incorrect.

These specific actions and specific reason are pretty much rote aspects of
leadership. Information about them is available in any of the good books
and seminars about leadership. Old stuff. The issue is that good
leadership, the kind that takes whole groups to higher ground is practiced
by highly competent people. Developing this level of competency is hard.

>These leaderhip actions cover
>every aspect of human interaction between a manager/executive and his/her
>people.

Agreed, but as stated above the actions are of people supremely confident
in themselves. These people have inculcated the actions and reasons into
their normal behavior. They can accept contrary opinions and still be
caring people -- naturally.

These leaders are also supremely confident in their capability in the
context of the particular leadership situation. A recent post concerning
a mountain climb situation is a perfect example of this confidence.

This confidence in self and in capability plus the behavior of naturally
caring for people instills confidence in people that allows them, no
encourages them, to perform beyond their own expectations. It is a tall
order to transform a person into a leader, and it is the individual's
work, you have to do it yourself. Yes, one can read books or go to
seminars, these are good things. But the hard work is changing yourself.

Where to start? I don't know of a better place than the Fifth Discipline
Fieldbook personal mastery

As a post script. One of the most interesting behaviors I observe is
leader's ability to assume a follower role when they know that their
capabilities require it and instantly switch to leadership as the
sutuation changes. The flexibility of real leaders is, to me, amazing.

-- 

A leader is best when people barely know he exists. Of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, "We did this ourselves."

Bill Hobler bhobler@cpcug.org

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>