Extraordinary Leadership

© 2019 Joseph K. Pheto. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   10/18/2019

ISBN: 978-1-5462-9830-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-9829-8 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1     Introduction

Chapter 2     Foundations Of Great Leadership

Chapter 3     Misconceptions About Leadership

Chapter 4     Personal Leadership

Chapter 5     Good Employment Is Key

Chapter 6     Create And Instil A Great Vision

Chapter 7     Good Governance And Accountability

Chapter 8     Relationship Management

Chapter 9     Exercise Good Human Resources Principles

Chapter 10   Develop Good Interpersonal Skills

Chapter 11   Drive For Results

Chapter 12   Effective Performance Management

Chapter 13   Effective Delegation

Chapter 14   Giving Effective Feedback

Chapter 15   Talent Management And Succession Planning

Chapter 16   Effectively Leading Teams

Chapter 17   Fostering Innovation

Chapter 18   Leave A Great Legacy

References

About The Author

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Leadership is a word that is often misused in operational and training circles. A lot of people misconstrue the word to mean worshipping those who have been placed in leadership positions. The reverse of this is when those in leadership positions expect to be worshipped because they are at the helm. This principle held true when the workforce was made up of employees who had lower levels of education, knowledge, and general awareness. There was also a religious component to consider when assessing leaders such as Jesus Christ and Moses.

Another misconception regarding the word leadership is that the majority of people believe that only a small portion of the population are born with leadership abilities. Leaders are born is a common expression. During my leadership training workshops, I am frequently asked, Are leaders born or developed? What is quite intriguing is that no one ever asks, Are managers born or developed? Why is it that management is viewed as a trainable skill set, while leadership is typically seen as an innate personality trait? It’s simple: People assume that management can be taught, and they are correct. Hundreds of business schools have been established, and each year they teach thousands of management courses. By assuming that people can develop the attitude and skills necessary to be a successful manager, schools and companies have improved the overall quality of management. They have contributed to the idea that good management skills are attainable. The same is true about leadership. It has been proven that everyone has the potential to become an effective leader. The only difference is in whether or not an individual receives an opportunity to demonstrate his or her leadership qualities.

Rather than viewing leadership as an innate character trait—which has become a self-fulfilling prophecy that dooms society to having only a few good leaders—it is far safer, healthier, and more productive to assume that it’s possible for anyone to learn how to be a leader. By assuming that leadership is teachable, we can discover how many good leaders go unrecognised. Somewhere, sometime, the leader within each of us may get the call to step forward—for our schools, for our congregations, for our communities, for our agencies, for our companies, for our unions, for our political parties, or for our countries. It is our responsibility to be prepared to receive that call. Ordinary people can become extraordinary leaders. Those who are most successful at bringing out the best in others are those who set achievable stretch goals. Effective leaders are constantly learning; they are constantly looking for ways to improve themselves and their organisations. By engaging in personal development activities, one demonstrates a disposition to lead. In order to become a good leader, one must believe in his or her abilities.

There is another myth that stands in the way of personal and organisational success. It’s the myth that leadership is associated with a person’s professional title. It is assumed that leadership starts with a capital L and that being on top automatically makes someone a leader. It’s part of a larger hero myth that inhibits us from seizing the initiative. It’s not my job, we say, waiting for someone to ride in and save us. Well, forget it. This premise is just a myth. Leadership is not limited to one person or one position. It is also not limited to genetics or to some secret code that is only available to a few individuals. The real truth is that leadership can be developed. It is a set of skills and abilities that can be taught and coached. Anybody can learn how to become a leader. In the same vein, leadership is a skill that can be strengthened, honed, and enhanced. One just needs the desire and the motivation to do so. One needs to practise the best principles and accept feedback to continually build one’s skill sets. One can also emulate a role model’s behaviour or look to a mentor for guidance.

Some people misinterpret leadership as a popularity contest, where the most popular individuals are expected to take up leadership roles. We see this misconception a lot in politics. It is easy to mistake charisma for leadership.

To avoid getting caught in this conundrum, we use adjectives like effective, outstanding, and extraordinary to describe the leadership qualities organisations and institutions look for in potential applicants. This is the kind of leadership that inspires subordinates to deliver positive results.

What Is Leadership?

Leadership is the ability to influence others in order to achieve organisational goals. In his book, The Leader Who Had No Title, author Robin Sharma once said, Growing and developing leadership talent of every single person throughout the organisation faster than the competition is the only way to avoid getting eaten alive. Leadership experts and researchers around the world have agreed that investing in leadership development is crucial to the success of any business. This becomes an ongoing process, as leadership development takes time and patience.

In today’s workplace, leaders at all levels face enormous challenges to achieve and sustain breakthrough results. Globalisation, economic change, stringent regulations, and government interference make realising shareholder value increasingly difficult.

Leadership is defined as top executives who have displayed high levels of persistence, overcome significant obstacles, attracted dedicated people, influenced groups of people towards the achievement of a common goal, and played key roles in guiding their companies through crucial moments.

John Mattone asserts that outstanding leadership has a strong inner core—that is, character, values, positive beliefs, positive emotions, and self-concept. This inner core will be demonstrated by

• a powerful sense of vision;

• strong belief and faith in that vision;

• optimism and enthusiasm;

• a strong ability to handle complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity;

• a strong ability to view temporary failures as opportunities for greater effort or innovation;

• character traits of honesty, modesty, humility, diligence, focus, and courage;

• the ability to empower others;

• an individual’s passion, drive, and incredible zeal; and

• a strong sense of accountability.

CHAPTER 2

FOUNDATIONS OF GREAT LEADERSHIP

The foundation of great leadership is derived from leadership that aims to establish sustained superior performance over a long period of time. This kind of performance must be nurtured by a winning culture of unleashed people. It is achieved by great leaders who know how to unlock the potential in the majority of their constituents. This is the kind of culture where people are excited to serve the organisation and deliver high-quality products and services. This kind of performance and culture results in customers who not only are loyal but also are partners and promoters of the organisation.

Great leadership starts by being aware and being able to differentiate between leadership, management, and supervision. This differentiation ensures a streamlined approach to a company’s management structure. I meet a lot of people who think leadership and management are one and the same. Leadership is different from management, but not for the reasons most people think. From a modern human perspective, good leadership has nothing to do with popularity, charisma, or fear. It is an attainable skill that anyone can acquire through ambition and discipline. Leadership is not reserved for the chosen few. It is not in any way better than management. It does not replace management. Both traits coexist and complement each other. Institutions require competent leadership, competent management, and competent supervision. If a manager displays incompetence in any of these areas, there will be chaos in the institution. Leadership is the ability to influence others in order to achieve organisational or institutional goals. Good leaders do this by motivating and inspiring their constituents. The use of fear and coercion is not in their formula. On the other hand, management is the ability to control and maintain plans, budgets, resources, processes, systems, and procedures. Managers are in a leadership position. Supervision is the ability to control the workplace. Supervisors play a lesser leadership role.

Most corporations are overmanaged and underled. This means that they have too much management and very little leadership. Corporations facing this challenge need to develop the capacity to exercise leadership. Successful corporations don’t wait for leaders to come along. They take proactive measures to develop leadership at various levels of the organisation. They actively seek out people with leadership potential and expose them to career experiences designed to develop that potential. With careful selection, nurturing, and encouragement, dozens of people can play important leadership roles in any situation.

Companies should remember that strong leadership with weak management is no better—it is actually worse than the reverse. The real challenge is in combining strong leadership with strong management. It is crucial to maintain this balance. Of course, not everyone can be a good manager and a good leader. Some people have the capacity to be excellent managers but not strong leaders. Smart companies value both kinds of employees, and they work hard to build a balanced team.

When it comes to preparing people for executive roles, recent studies suggest that people who cannot manage and lead should be ignored. Once companies understand the fundamental difference between management and leadership, they can begin to groom their top people to display both qualities.

Extraordinary leaders need to have grit. They need to be inordinately persistent and wildly courageous. They need to take far more risks than any ordinary person. That is not as hard as it might sound. Everyone has a well of courage just begging to be tapped. We all want to be superheroes in some form or another, and we have the capacity of character to keep going when everyone around us is ready to give up.

Toughness, guts, and courage come from consistent development and positive experience. It does not naturally come to an individual, but it is built over time. Well-developed leaders see opportunities others don’t see. Where others see challenges, they see opportunities. They are also able to see around corners. These kinds of leaders create great visions, and they passionately fall in love with their visions. Nobody can divert them from their goal. They believe in the secret inner power that all great leaders share. Their wisdom gives them guts, which in turn develops into courage. When incompetent leaders are at the helm, employees will notice their resolve weaken when the going gets tough. They make everyone panic or lose trust in their leadership. That is why I advise organisations to hire or promote leaders who display a good balance of intellect and leadership.

A lot of people who were led by great leaders always claim that those leaders engaged them. They say that their leaders respected them. This also indicates that these leaders trusted their subordinates, so their subordinates trusted them as well. The great leaders are also said to care about and pay attention to their subordinates. These are the kinds of leaders who believe in their subordinates. They make their subordinates feel like they contribute to the results of the organisation. These kinds of leaders also value diversity. They make their employees feel like they are important. They solicit ideas, and they empower everybody. These kinds of leaders put the company first and practise professional will. They practise humility and have an unwavering resolve to deliver results for the organisation. They give credit for good results. They focus on both long-term and short-term goals. These kinds of leaders also place a lot of value on self-development.

Moral Authority Is Key

Wisdom is the effective and beneficial use of information, knowledge, talents, skills, and experience for the achievement of a greater good. Wisdom is living life with principles and with a higher purpose to serve humanity. It is about respecting or seeing value or potential in each individual. Wisdom is also about celebrating diversity and the differences in people. It is in the knowing that each different opinion has a chance of adding value to the institution. Wisdom is about the discipline to serve the institution as opposed to serving oneself. Wisdom is always guided by one’s moral compass. This then brings with it the value of moral authority, which is largely based on ethics and accountability. Leaders with moral authority are highly respectable and leave a lasting positive legacy. If you do not agree with me, just start comparing a Nelson Mandela with an Adolf Hitler. You will notice the difference.

Moral authority might sound like a contradiction in terms. The word authority may make one think of things like command, control, power, sway, rule, supremacy, domination, dominion, strength, and might. The word moral adds all sorts of things like righteousness, nobility, justice, fairness, and truthfulness. But the antonym is civility, servitude, weakness, and followership. Moral authority can therefore be explained as the kind of leadership that endeavours to follow principles. It views the role of leadership as one of servanthood, service, and contribution. The power of moral authority comes from the notion of the leader subordinating himself or herself to the people as opposed to being served. Servant leaders command respect even from those people who oppose them. When you think of people like Nelson Mandela, you will notice this kind of moral authority we are talking about where the leader regards himself as a servant of the people.

In his book Good to Great, author Jim Collins puts it this way: The most powerfully transformative executives possess a paradoxical mixture of personal humility and professional will. They are timid and ferocious. Shy and fearless. They are rare—and unstoppable … good to great transformations don’t happen without level five leaders at the helm, they just don’t. These kinds of leaders know how to create a balance between moral authority and formal authority.

Leadership success lies at the intersection of excellence and honour. Nowadays, people in business like to cut corners. And they think only of themselves. But one thing to know is that even one breach of our ethics will pollute everything we touch. Nothing is more precious in work than staying consistent with your values and protecting your good name. In so many ways, your reputation is all you have.

Shortcomings of Leadership

After going through a staggering amount of research (in Stephen R. Covey’s The 8th Habit) that was done by Harris Interactive, I wondered, Just what has gone wrong? Following are the results of this research:

• Only 37 per cent of the workforce understands what their organisation exists for or envisions to achieve.

• Only 20 per cent of the workforce are committed to and enthusiastic about achieving their team’s and organisation’s goals.

• Only 20 per cent of the workforce have absolute clarity about their team’s and organisation’s goals and how their daily tasks contribute to those goals.

• Only 50 per cent of the workforce have satisfaction in their work and their normal weekly accomplishments.

• Only 15 per cent of the workforce feel that their organisation allows them to use their intelligence to execute key organisational goals.

• Only 15 per cent of the workforce feel there is a high level of trust in their organisation.

• Only 17 per cent of the workforce feel their organisation practises open communication and collaboration and that diversity and differences in opinion are valued.

• Only 10 per cent of the workforce feel that their organisation equally holds all individual employees accountable for results.

• Only 20 per cent of the workforce fully trust the organisation they work for.

• Only 13 per cent of the workforce feel that their organisation exhibits silo thinking and that there are no high-trust or