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Sep 01 2017 Becoming an Extraordinary Leader |
| In The Handbook for Leaders, 24 Lessons for Extraordinary
Leadership, John Zenger, and Joseph Folkman argue, "Great leaders are
not defined by the absence of weakness, but rather by the presence of clear
strengths. The key to developing great leadership is to build strengths." Exceptional
leaders do not get where they are by being perfect; they get there by doing a
small number of things exceptionally well. So, where do great leaders come from? Warren G. Bennis once said that "The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born - that there is a genetic factor to leadership. Myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That's nonsense. In fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born." It begins with the belief that ordinary managers can become extraordinary because that belief can make a big difference in an individual becoming a successful leader. It is true that some people are born with more self-confidence, intellect, and charisma than other people, but that does not guarantee that they will be an exceptional leader. It certainly gives them more of an advantage, but leadership can also be developed. With a lot of practice and a little bit of effort, each one of us can improve the skills that we are born with so that we can become an outstanding leader. An extraordinary leader's influence can be
extremely powerful on any organization. We have all had "good" leaders, but how
many times can you think of a truly "great" leader? John H. Zenger and Joseph
Folkman assert that "Extraordinary leaders...consistently achieve results that far
exceed those of the good leaders." So, what does it take to become a great
leader? I think that we often fall into the trap of feeling as if being good is
good enough. That we are not capable of achieving even more. There is a saying
by an unknown author that says, "If better is possible, good is not enough." To
achieve greatness, we constantly need to push for improvement. Great leaders
will continue to build on their skill even after they have already reached an
acceptable level of performance. In The Handbook for Leaders,
Zenger and Folkman talk about the leadership "tent." They compare the poles of the
tent to the strengths of the individual leader. These five tent poles make a
huge difference between being a good leader and being a great leader. They are:
It is critical for a leader to become
competent in all five of these leadership areas. The main, or center pole, is
character. Character is the heart of leadership. Dave Ulrich said, "Everything
about great leadership radiates from character." Great leaders follow through on
commitments and always keep their word. They also make decisions with the good
of the whole organization in mind rather than a personal agenda.
The next pole is personal capabilities.
These skills must be in place for an individual to become a strong leader. Some
examples of these capabilities can include:
The third pole of the tent is a focus on
results. The best managers can translate ideas into action. They can establish
stretch goals for their people, and set lofty targets for them to achieve. They
operate with speed and intensity to hasten the pace of the group. They have the
ability to initiate new programs and projects, as well as balance long-term and
short-term objectives.
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