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Tuning Up Your Leadership
Volume II, Issue 7
Some years ago, when your car backfired a few times, reached the cruising level slowly or the engine wouldn't fire to start at all, you pulled into a garage to have your spark plugs changed or cleaned. Cleaned or replaced, your spark plugs restored the efficiency of your car.
Sometimes, leaders need a tune-up. In this case, the leader misfires with their followers because (1) they are predictable in what is expressed, (2) accountability has become a stranger to them, (3) the word "we" is not recognizable because too much focus is on "I", (4) messaging is offensive, lacking inspiration, built on outdated information and delivery modes, humorless and more.
How do you know when these negative conditions of leadership are present or are emerging? Sometimes individuals are clueless or ignore the clues that their leadership has reached a dysfunctional or ineffective state until they are ousted, demoted or placed on extended leave.
Below are several steps that I suggest leaders embrace to keep their leadership tuned-up:
1. Line up your leadership qualities and evaluate how they stack up against the qualities of other leaders whom you respect or leaders identified by others whom you respect. I have mentioned in prior issues of M4 about the value of performing a SWOT analysis of your qualities.
2. Take a look at the quality of your messaging. For example, are you continuing to address a topic that is not relevant? Are you shifting attention away from your own weaknesses to those of others? Can you reach diverse audiences?
3. Ask your followers what they think about your leadership? This is always a challenge and perhaps a little frightening but how can you improve if you only know what you know.
4. Scan your network of supporters and determine if there is need to "clean house" or simply make some adjustments to help in developing a leadership improvement plan. This network can be invaluable and can keep the leader in you on track. The leadership journey can be rugged and the landscape can be explosive, even when you know where the land mines are.
5. Lace your leadership improvement plan with a vision, goals, strategies and best practices.
If you are interested in keeping your leadership or that of your team tuned up and road ready, Connect with Marilyn West today - consulting@mhwest.com.
