Thursday, April 21, 2011

Which Leader Doesn't Belong and Why?

Visualize Three Leaders 
Which one doesn't belong in your organization anymore?


#1 - New Leader.  This individual is motivated, enthusiastic, and wonderfully naive.  They still believe they can change the world (and they just might).  Their lack of experience creates problems from time-to-time as they move past the mindset of being a "manager" and begin to embrace the complexities of being a "leader."  They have lots of potential, but might require extra effort on your part to "get them where they need to be."


#2 - Experienced Leader.  This person has the powerful combination of years of experience with your organization and a passion for staying current.  They don't live in the world of "we've always done it that way."  In fact, they often are seen as pushing a bit too hard on new ideas, strategies, and technologies in an unending attempt to keep the organization moving forward.  This approach sometimes gets them into trouble with the "status-quo-is-the-way-to-go crowd", but their ability to see the big picture ultimately helps them maintain good relationships even with the nay-sayers.

#3 - Self-Proclaimed Expert Leader.  This person is often in a position of authority, and believes that the constructs of policy and "how things should be" supersede the realities of managing the complex variables organizations face today. This leader is often very bright, loyal, and passionate about their specific role; but too often feel threatened when changes occur.  They simply do not appreciate the fact that embracing change and being a leader organizationally gives them greater influence, not less.


Which One Are You
Did you find yourself on this list?  If so, what are you going to do about it?  Simply because you fall into a particular category (ahem...#3 for example), doesn't mean you're permanently stuck there.  But it is up to you to do something about it.  So what's your plan?      

I'd love to hear from you.


No Excuses.






pics courtesy of Alex S Brown and First Hagerstown

5 comments:

  1. Nice! #2 for me; hope I never turn into a #3... ;)

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  2. If I'm being honest, I'm #1...I'll admit I am a little green sometimes. I want the shiny happy ending. I have no problem with conflict management, and sometimes, I may gather too much intell and research before making a decision. I like to think of myself as Scottie Pippen, from 1996, when he took the Jordan-less Bulls to the 55 wins and the Eastern Conference Finals. He clearly showed he could lead effectively.

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