diff --git a/lessons_for_leaders.rst b/lessons_for_leaders.rst index 51415cc..33b3507 100644 --- a/lessons_for_leaders.rst +++ b/lessons_for_leaders.rst @@ -1,70 +1,188 @@ -NAME ----- +Lessons For Leaders +=================== -**lessons_for_leaders** - Lessons For Leaders +In the course of a multi-decade career, it has been my privilege to +work with- and for some terrific leaders. These people demonstrated +the essential behaviors that make leaders great. They were generous +with their time, but more importantly, they taught by example. + +Leadership roles are now transitioning to the next generation. I see +so many younger people thrust into these roles without having had the +benefit of this kind of mentoring that was once so common. So, I +decided to write this to try and distill the core principles that have +served me so well over the years. + +I claim none of this as my own. I'm just a scribbler that took +time to format the great notes given to me ... -SYNOPSIS --------- +Acknowledgements +---------------- -lessons_for_leaders.rst [-hv] +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 +work discipline. + +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 +technology and business and then lead upward. + +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 +doing good. + +H. Ross Perot, EDS and Perot Systems - Who taught me that leaders +begin and end with unimpeachable integrity. -DESCRIPTION +Who Is A Leader? +---------------- + +We've come to think of leaders as people who are *CEOs* or *Senior +Vice President Of Nothing Important* or some other lofty title. +Implicit in every young person's first promotion to *Manager 1st +Class* is the message, "NOW, you are a leader." + +This is nonsense. In fact, it's a corrosive idea. First of all, you +manage *things*, but you lead *people, ideas, and strategies*. +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 +development. + +Secondly, title and pecking order do not correlate directly with +leadership. It is certainly true that the higher up you move in an +organization, the more "leadership" responsibility accrues to you. +But it does not follow that your new title magically makes you a +leader, let alone a good one. + +The truth is that leaders are people that ... exhibit leadership +behaviors. And here's the great thing, *they exist at every level of +the organization*. There are leaders to be found among administrative +assistants, bookkeepers, engineers, teachers, soccer moms, and retail +clerks. + +The point is that your title doesn't make you a leader. *Your title +sets the expectation that you will exhibit the behaviors of a leader*. + + +The Lessons ----------- -Long description +Great Leaders Have Permission ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Whatever your title, past accomplishments or educational pedigree, +your people have to give you their permission to be led. This is a +matter of trust. The Board Of Directors may have just annointed you +CEO and Chairman, but if your people do not find you worthy of their +trust, you will fail. + +Trust is not built all at once, but great leaders exhibit daily +behaviors that - over time - create a deep reservoir of trust. This +is incredibly important when times are bad. People will hang in there +with you if you've proven yourself to be trustworthy. They'll do this +even if their jobs are horrible at the moment, or the raises are +lousy, or there have been RIFs and so on. + +The inverse is really terrible. When people do not trust their +leaders, they don't necessarily quit. More usually, they just take +their foot off the gas, or in the most pathological cases, they will +practice what I call "Malicious Obedience". They will do *exactly* +what they are told, even though it's the wrong thing. The feedback +paths every leader needs to succeed will dry up and the wheels will +come off the organization. I've seen more than one putative leader - +even some fairly good ones - watch their organizaton implode because +their behaviors did not instill trust. -OPTIONS -------- - - -h Print help information - -v Print detailed program version information and exit +Great Leaders Have Unimpeachable Integrity +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ -OTHER ------ +Trust begins with one thing: Integrity. -You must have a reasonably current version of ``Restructured Text`` installed. +Great Leaders Are Stewards And Servants ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Think Strategy First +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Take Cues From Reality +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Are Often Lost And Lonely ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Maintain Perspective +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Foster Constructive Argument +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Take Risks +++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Can Identify Bricks And Mortar +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Are In Sales +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Share Success But Take The Blame +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Celebrate In Public And Remediate In Private +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Insipire People Beyond Their Boundaries ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + +Great Leaders Are Whole People +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ -BUGS AND MISFEATURES --------------------- -None known as of this release. - - -COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING +Copyright And Licensing ----------------------- -**lessons_for_leaders** is Copyright (c) 2015 TundraWare Inc., Des Plaines, IL 60018 USA +**Lessons For Leaders** is Copyright (c) 2015 TundraWare Inc., Des Plaines, IL 60018 USA -For terms of use, see the ``lessons_for_leaders-license.txt`` file in the -program distribution. +Permission for unlimited distribution and use of this document is +hereby given so long as this document is reproduced in full. This +article may also be quoted in any part so long as original attribution +is provided with the quoted material. -If you install **lessons_for_leaders** on a FreeBSD system using the 'ports' -mechanism, you will also find this file in:: - - /usr/local/share/doc/lessons_for_leaders - -AUTHOR +Author ------ :: Tim Daneliuk - lessons_for_leaders@tundraware.com + tundra@tundraware.com -DOCUMENT REVISION INFORMATION +Document Revision Information ----------------------------- :: - $Id: lessons_for_leaders.rst,v 1.100 2015/03/06 19:58:59 tundra Exp $ + $Id: lessons_for_leaders.rst,v 1.101 2015/03/06 21:26:48 tundra Exp $ You can find the latest version of this program at: http://www.tundraware.com/Software/lessons_for_leaders +A PDF version of the document may also be downloaded from: + + http://www.tundraware.com/Software/lessons_for_leaders.pdf + +This document was produced using ``Restuctured Text`` and ``TeX Live``.