Gazdasági Ismeretek | Vezetés-szervezés » Randy Richards - Seven Blunders of Leadership, Fresh and Timely Answers for How to Grow Leadership

Source: http://www.doksinet Seven Blunders of Leadership Fresh and Timely Answers for How to Grow Leadership By: Randy Richards www.cflexorg Why do so few church and para-church organizations plateau and not achieve continued growth to the next level? Why do so many have trouble successfully establishing an effective leadership culture that enrolls people for visionary progress? To learn the answers to these questions, over the past several years, Randy Richards (Center for Leadership Excellence – cflex.org) has studied numerous organizations and how they have approached the subject of leadership It is fascinating to recognize that while most organizations fundamentally want to improve, many fall prey to one or more of the “seven blunders of leadership.” Becoming aware of what these blunders are and how they can undermine health and growth is a fundamental step in the process of making real progress in the leadership environment. Blunder 1: Patriarchal Thinking Organizations

that struggle to progress to the next level have often employed a patriarchal approach to leadership and governance. In this case the volunteers and staff primarily do only what the senior leader(s) direct them to do This approach provides the leaders with a false sense of security while concurrently creating a zone of comfort for the extended staff in which they perceive little or no responsibility for the success or failure of the decisions being made. While this approach may have been necessary and positive for early growth, it is now hard to break the mo ld and move on to more advanced and useful forms of leadership. The organization has been trained to follow the given mandates and to always seek approvals - even for comparatively small proposals for change. This leadership blunder creates an addiction to the linear perceived intent of authorities and an abdication of personal responsibility. This culture of “passive followership” always yields much less progress than is

otherwise possible in an organization. Solution: Develop a true team-based leadership culture empowering people for progress and expecting success. Blunder 2: No Clear Vision Organizations whose senior leadership is struggling to come to grips with its evolving role in a dynamic leadership environment typically lack clarity about what they are striving to achieve. For that matter, the leadership typically uses the terms “mission” and “vision” interchangeably and has never come to grips with the modern leadership vernacular. Without a clear vision they, in effect, assume that traditions and what “seems” right will prevail for the good. This is a backward-oriented and more negative-focused approach that gives only limited information for how people should behave and what they should do. Without a shared vision, it depresses human motivation True leadership conveys a forward-looking vision that excites people and elicits their full commitment and energy. Solution: Learn the

vernacular, apply “intentional strategic thinking” and begin crafting the “shared vision” Blunder 3: A “Silo” Approach to Leadership Issues In all organizations there are always a host of different functions to be performed. When people simply see their leadership responsibilities as yet another special duty and don’t understand how their role and functions impact other teams and operations, then integration of effort cannot occur and progress is limited. Because individual areas cannot identify the ways in which other functions, processes, or products are affected, the status quo is perpetuated. When this confusion exists, progress will inherently be limited. Solution: Expand communications across the organization to orient people toward a common future Blunder 4: Confusion over Cause and Effect Prevailing traditional mental models lead people to focus on the symptoms, not the true sources of problems. Organizations spend far too many resources trying to fix the

symptoms, never recognizing that these are the results, not the causes, of their problems. Activity-oriented tasks often temporarily mask the real problems and keep people focused on managing effects rather than on designing-out root causes. Solution: Adopt policy governance to instantly change the internal actions from activity-oriented to ENDs-focused. Blunder 5: Lack of Information People need clear and easily understood information to comprehend the downsides of the linear leadership paradigm and the benefits of the interactive team-based approach. Lack of this information propagates traditional thinking from the past. Because of this, most organizations fail to communicate effectively about the need for purpose, strategic thinking, vision and values. Scattered training sessions, some signage, and a few special events are insufficient to Source: http://www.doksinet convey a real commitment to intentional leadership that stresses why and how all volunteers and staff can

excitingly participate as leaders. Solution: Tirelessly Communicate the Vision and Values to achieve clarity and consistency in all decision-making. Blunder 6: Insufficient Mechanisms for Learning and Taking Action When people are given limited opportunities to test new ideas, and receive few positive rewards for actually doing so, not much learning occurs. Struggling organizations rarely institute mechanisms that allow people to test new ideas, expand their knowledge base, and discover ways overcome barriers for positive change. Without clear direction (vision), well-defined limits (boundaries for empowerment), and encouragement (clear roles and positive communications), people will not be inclined for progress. Solution: Grow a modern leadership culture with known vision, values, roles, and boundaries for empowerment of the people for exciting growth and improvement progress. Blunder 7: Failure to Institutionalize the Leadership Culture The ultimate success of change-initiatives

occurs when new leadership thinking, perspectives, and behaviors are embedded into everyday operating procedures, policies, and culture. Too few organizations even know and understand values-based leadership much less have incorporated true strategic thinking and policy governance into their core policies, procedures, and culture. Until they do, the organization typically remains restricted and people will remain unconvinced of a true commitment to this crucial subject of leadership. Solution: Implement “Strategic Thinking” and “policy governance”! Blunder Solution Patriarchal Thinking Change the Mindset by Implementing Team-Based Leadership No Clear Vision Change the Goals by applying Intentional Strategic Thinking and Crafting a Shared Vision? A “Silo” Approach to Leadership Issues Expand Communications by Sharing the Vision Confusion Over Cause and Effect Restructure the Rules of Engagement by Adopting an ENDs-Focused Governance Culture Lack of Information

Shift Information Flow by Tirelessly Communicating the Vision and Values that are at the root of all decision-making Insufficient Mechanisms for Learning and Taking Action Correct Feedback Loops by Empowe ring People for Progress Failure to Institutionalize the Leadership Culture Adjust the Parameters by Implementing Strategic Thinking and policy governance principles Organizations that apply these solutions and make the transition to strategic thinking with policy governance principles are certain to be the big winners in the future. Unless apathy prevails, pressure will only increase from stakeholders to improve effectiveness. Leaders who are slow to implement intentional leadership cultures will find that less progress is being made than they could have otherwise could have enjoyed. If you have leadership culture growth interest or related questions, feel free to contact Gary York, Randy Richards, or John Martin at www.cflexorg for how to develop your intentional leadership

culture. See what can happen!