We can create ourselves, we do create ourselves, and the choice is ours at each moment and at every moment to learn the lessons of leadership.
Anna Quindlen
Certainly, there have been “accidental” leaders who facilitated huge changes in all sectors of society. But most were purposeful — leaders who had vision, intention, values and commitment to achieve meaningful results, with a talent for inspiring others to action.
REFLECT:
Why do you want to lead?
Who do you want to lead?
What kind of leader do you want to be?
What do you want to accomplish?
Warren Bennis, a pioneer in leader development, identifies six clear and powerful leader competencies.
1. Knowing Yourself
Valuing self knowledge and continuous improvement
REFLECT:
Think of a time you tried to learn something new to improve.
How did your self image change in the process?
2. Creating a Vision
Living the vision and mobilizing others to join in
REFLECT:
Do you have an image / picture of your vision that brings it to life?
3. Communicating for Collaborative Action
Engaging in inquiry, advocacy, and dialog effectively
REFLECT:
Have you achieved mastery in these skills?
4. Mastering the context
Understanding the big picture, the impact of external events on their vision, and the forces that may be beyond their control.
REFLECT:
Do you have techniques / strategies to expand your perspectives?
5. Building Trust
Living their values consistently through action
REFLECT:
Are you clear and consistent on your values?
6. Achieving Results
Combining dreaming with concrete results that realize the vision / intentions
REFLECT:
What kind of “track record” do you have for achieving results?
There will be blogs on all these areas, from profiles of leaders living their values to how-to’s on visioning, communicating, leading for results, etc.
APPLY
To begin mastering the first competency — knowing yourself and why you want to lead —
Project into the future, pretending you are 100 years old. You have lived a fruitful life as a successful leader.
Write an imagined summary of your life as a leader. Be audacious and optimistic about your successes. Discuss your
* Motivations / drivers for wanting to lead
* Dreams and visions
* Place in the big picture
* Leadership style / engagement with stakeholders
* Proudest moments / accomplishments
Store this away for at least 1 year.
Then retrieve it, read it and revise it.
Store it away again for at least 5 years. Then retrieve it, read it and revise it. Repeat every 5 years.
This makes a good New Year ritual, or birthday exercise, or vacation reflection…
I did something similar as a goal setting / obituary exercise decades ago. (What better way to set long term goals than to write your obit?)
In my original paper, I “imagined” I wrote at least 5 books, though I was not a writer or writing at the time. I have over-achieved on this and nearly every other benchmark I wrote.
Now, I often have clients do it. It is highly effective for clarification, direction, and stretching. A current client is intent on turning her financial life around, so I had her write a Financial Obituary, balancing lifestyle desires with financial desires. Before writing it, she was focused on building her real estate business. After writing it, she decided to change careers, spend 1/2 the
year in Mexico and 1/2 the year in her current location, and return to teaching yoga classes. LIFE-CHANGING!
So I urge you to try it – this week or at a future time.
Be sure you receive all the life-changing information and exercises for Conscious Leadership
Subscribe Now
Learning to Lead, a Workook on Becoming a LEADER, Warren Bennis & Joan Goldsmith, Basic Books, 2010.
