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 lessons_for_leaders.rst
 
Acknowledgements
----------------
 
Don Stuart, Manager, Radar Alaska - Who taught me that the work isn't done
**Don Stuart**, Manager, Radar Alaska - Who taught me that the work isn't done
until you're proud of it.
 
Zvie Liberman, President, Talk-A-Phone - Who taught me the centrality of
**Zvie Liberman**, President, Talk-A-Phone - Who taught me the centrality of
work discipline.
 
Richard Brander, Director Of Research, Beltone - Who taught me to focus
**Richard Brander**, Director Of Research, Beltone - Who taught me to focus
on very hard problems for long periods of time.
 
David Cornwall, Sr. Architect, United Airlines - Who taught me to integrate
**David Cornwall**, Sr. Architect, United Airlines - Who taught me to integrate
technology and business and then lead upward.
 
Mark Teflian, CTO Nets Inc., President Time0 - Who taught me to be a
**Mark Teflian**, CTO Nets Inc., President Time0 - Who taught me to be a
relentless advocate for my people.
 
Jim Manzi, President Net Inc. - Who taught me that doing well includes
**Jim Manzi**, President Net Inc. - Who taught me that doing well includes
doing good.
 
H. Ross Perot, EDS and Perot Systems - Who taught me that leaders
**H. Ross Perot**, EDS and Perot Systems - Who taught me that leaders
begin and end with unimpeachable integrity.
 
 
Who Is A Leader?
Management - even when done at the highest levels - is essentially
glorified bookkeeping. Yes, it's necessary bookkeeping, but that's
all it is. It has been my misfortune to see more than a few "great"
managers who were fundamentally lousy leaders. This ends up being
destructive to the organizaton and bad for that manager's professional
destructive to the organization and bad for that manager's professional
development.
 
Secondly, title and pecking order do not correlate directly with
leadership. It is certainly true that the higher up you move in an
upon their ideas.* You may have the greatest strategic vision since
Eisenhower invaded Normandy, but if it's not getting traction, it's
time to let Reality modify your vision and direction.
 
You see this all the time in politics. People get elected by clinging
to some party or ideological definition. They get into office and
just cling to that ideology even when it's not remotely working. It's
a kind of leadership arrogance to believe that your ideas are more
powerful than Reality.
You see this all the time in politics. People get elected by
identifying with some party or ideological stance. They get into
office and just cling to that ideology even when it's not remotely
working. It's a kind of leadership arrogance to believe that your
ideas are more powerful than Reality.
 
I have watched more than one organization fail because it's leaders
clung to their vision, refused to change direction, and lost entire
markets and new opportunities. Ask any good investor and they'll
sharing these confidences with their inner circle to try and relieve
the stress of it all. When they do this, that reservoir of trust
starts to drain pretty quickly. If the CEO shares some personal
matter about one of your peers with you, what confidence do you have
that he won't share your details with someone else?
that he won't share *your* details with someone else?
 
Great leaders are often lost. I once had my boss tell me, "I feel so
lost most of the time. All these people depend on me and I often
haven't got a clue." That's perfect! It's exactly where you're
supposed to be. Remember that strategic mind? By the very definition
ought to be. Remember that strategic mind? By the very definition
of leading to new places, leaders *are* lost. They're supposed to be.
Great leaders embrace the fact that they're lost in the woods. In
fact, they'll tell you they are not remotely lost. They're just
exploring.
the hands of the leadership.
 
Great leaders encourage vigorous, constructive confrontation at all
levels of the organization. They see themselves as referees ensuring
that these are fair and productive. They intervene when the conflict
becomes personal or otherwise unprofessional. This is not to say that
everyone gets a vote. But confrontation with integrity creates a much
larger marketplace of ideas from which to draw.
that the prcoess is fair and productive. They intervene when the
conflict becomes personal or otherwise unprofessional. This is not to
say that everyone gets a vote. But confrontation with integrity
creates a much larger marketplace of ideas from which to draw.
 
This has another huge benefit. When you watch people in a conflict
of ideas *the next generation of leaders emerges*. Great leaders
of ideas, *the next generation of leaders is showing up*. Great leaders
are passionate. "Put me in coach. Give me the ball." When you
foster responsible organizational conflict, these people appear
naturally because smart, driven people want to be part of the
discussion.
effortlessly. They move both across and up- and down the org chart.
They are every command and control manager's worst nightmare. A good
part of the time, you have no idea what they're actually doing.
Like mortar in a wall, there are far fewer of these than bricks and
can be much higher maintenance.
they can be much higher maintenance.
 
Great leaders can identify these kinds of people instinctively. They
groom the bricks for more and more execution responsibility. They
cling to the mortar as the next generation of leadership. Great
Great Leaders Share Success But Take The Blame
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
Leadership is fundamentally about getting people to follow you as your
make decisions over incomplete data. You're asking the organization
to take risk with you. Since great leaders have that reservoir of
trust, they get to ask for this and they usually get it.
make decisions over incomplete information. You're asking the
organization to take risk with you. Since great leaders have that
reservoir of trust, they get to ask for this and they usually get it.
 
When the risk pays off, *great leaders shine the light on their
people, not themselves.*. "We took a risk, and YOU people made it pay
off." One of the signs of a great leader is their language. They use
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$Id: lessons_for_leaders.rst,v 1.105 2015/03/06 23:10:34 tundra Exp $
$Id: lessons_for_leaders.rst,v 1.106 2015/03/06 23:28:35 tundra Exp $
 
You can find the latest version of this program at:
 
http://www.tundraware.com/Software/lessons_for_leaders