9 C’s

9 C's of leadership

Lee Iacocca’s 9 C’s of Leadership from Where Have all the Leaders Gone.

1. A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the “Yes, sir” crowd in his inner circle. The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don’t care.

2. A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, and be willing to try something different. Leadership is all about managing change … Things change, and you get creative. You adapt.

3. A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I’m talking about facing reality and telling the truth.

4. A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing.

5. A leader must have COURAGE. I’m talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn’t courage. Tough talk isn’t courage. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk.

6. To be a leader you’ve got to have CONVICTION — a fire in your belly. You’ve got to really want to get something done.

7. A leader should have CHARISMA. People follow a leader because they trust him. That’s my definition of charisma.

8. A leader has to be COMPETENT. You’ve got to know what you’re doing. More important than that, you’ve got to surround yourself with people who know what they’re doing.

9. You can’t be a leader if you don’t have COMMON SENSE.

THE BIGGEST C IS CRISIS. Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis.

 

Respect

Don't Help

Imagine a five year old struggling to tie their shoe.

What’s your instinct?  You want to help, right?

The best way to help is not to help.

When parents jump in and help little Mary tie her shoes little Mary angrily says,  “I’ll do it myself!”

On the other hand, allowing little Mary to struggle and fail produces a desirable frustration.  Eventually, she’ll come to a nearby parent for help.  At that point, mommy is a genius and little Mary learns respect.  If she’s stubborn and doesn’t come for help or her frustration goes too far, parents can say, “Would you like some help?”

Leaders, parents, or managers gain respect from others by not helping too soon.

The real problem:  leaders frequently bear the burden of knowledge and feel compelled to solve problems.

Leaders may help others reach higher by not helping.

Leadership Freak,

Dan Rockwell

Frustration or Inspiration

Inspiration answers frustration

Leaders are leaders because they believe the present needs improvement.  They’re fanatics when it comes to their cause, political position, product, or objective.

It’s frustrating when others don’t share your passion.  Employees aren’t jazzed about cutting waste, sons and daughters blow off supporting family, and neighbors change the topic of conversation.  When this happens, you feel alone, angry, misunderstood and under-appreciated.  Life feels like you’re pushing a rope.

Arguing, debating, and pressuring seldom succeeds like inspiration. Inspiring others answers this frustration.

Leaders reach higher by inspiring a shared vision.

People who inspire others stop focusing on what they want and start focusing on what others want.  Leaders talk to them about them.  Promotions and terminations are not so subtle ways to refocus on them.

Here’s a strategy.  Inspire a shared vision by explaining your passion in their language and from their perspective.  Refocus the conversation from “you to them.”

Leaders reach higher by talking to them about them.

You can read more about inspiring a shared vision in The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes & Posner.

Leadership Freak,

Dan Rockwell

Busy?

More time?

There are three ways and only three to get more time.

Stop doing something.
Get someone else to do something.
Become more efficient.

Eliminate … Delegate … Accelerate

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Can you think of other ways to get more time?

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This post was revised and expanded with 10 time management tips:

10 time management tips here!

Positive talk

See the bad say the good

There is a school of leadership that believes you don’t thank people for what they are paid to do.  After all, they are being paid.  Here’s the problem with that approach.

It takes about 4 positive statements to balance 1 negative statement. Sentences beginning with, “You screwed up,” cling to us while sentences beginning with, “I appreciate,” slip away.

See the bad but say the good

Here’s a challenge.  For one day, withhold negative statements.  Limit yourself to positive feedback.  At the end of the day evaluate your attitude and the attitude of those around you.

Let’s take it one step further.  Take four days and only affirm the behaviors you appreciate. Let’s be clear, I’m not talking about simply withholding corrective feedback.  I’m talking about intentionally expressing positive feedback over the next four work days.  If the 4 to 1 ratio is true, leaders should limit negative feedback to one day in a five day work week.  It’s silly to apply the 4 to 1 rule so rigidly but I think you’re getting the point.

Limiting gratitude to exceptional behaviors creates a negative environment.

Leaders reach higher with positive talk.  I suggest trying this with your spouse, children, colleagues, co-workers, friends, neighbors, even the mailman.  Go home tonight and begin expressing appreciation for all the things you expect or take for granted.  Your spouse may think you’re overcoming guilt from having an affair.  At that point, show them this blog. 

Leadership Freak,

Dan Rockwell

Blind spots

There’s a blind spot in your car’s mirror.  It’s the spot where mean drivers hide so they can blare the horn and scare you to death when you crowd into their lane.  Like mirrors people have blind spots.

Personal blind spots are things that others easily see in us but we don’t or won’t see in ourselves.   Everyone has them.  People tell me one of my blind spots is an ability to bowl people over without trying.  But, I don’t see it. 

Blind spots spring from over estimating our positive traits and under estimating our “less” positive traits.  Additionally, confident people may tend to project legitimate confidence into illegitimate “omni-confidence.”   This happens in our house when I think I know how to cook!  And here’s a third potential source of blind spots.  We tend to take greater responsibility for successes than we do for failures.

Whatever the cause, we all have  blind spots that obstruct our highest success.

Remember this one, “You’re just like your mother?”  You can shine a light on blind spots by accepting what others say about you.

Leaders reach higher by listening to the ways they are described and believing there is some truth in the description.

Feel free to leave a comment.  What other ways can we shine a light on our blind spots?

Leadership Freak,

Dan Rockwell

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The window anger opens

Anger exposes you

Vein popping, face reddening, voice raising moments are potent opportunities for leaders.  I’m talking about that employee, son or daughter, neighbor, co-worker, boss, or spouse that just popped a cork and is sharing a piece of their mind they can’t afford to lose.

Angry people are transparent people.

I love to watch angry people.  Angry people are transparent people.  Angry people tell others how they really feel.  More importantly, angry people’s values and priorities are crystal clear to anyone who cares to observe.  I see the real you when you’re angry.  Churchill put it this way, “A man is about as big as the things that make him angry.”¹

On the good side, anger demonstrates noble virtues like fairness, truth, and compassion.  On the ignoble side, anger uncovers jealousy, envy, laziness, dishonesty, and so much more.

Behind passion is the real person

Even if they are overreacting, angry people open a window to their soul.  Behind passion is the real person.  Leaders, parents, and, spouses reach higher by peeking through the window that anger opens.

Leadership Freak,

Dan Rockwell

Cheerleaders

 

 

Leaders are cheerleaders

 

All of life’s great battles are within.    Among others, my battles include, selfishness, the need for the spot light, and the need to control things.  Put succinctly, I “prefer” that others don’t outshine me.  When I lose those battles I’m an insignificant leader with a title but  little positive influence.

Leaders are cheerleaders

The stereotypical cheerleader is cute and dumb.  (Cheerleaders, please forgive me!)  Influential leaders are smart cheerleaders.  Better to stop making inane suggestions that slightly tweak another’s work, behavior, or words and start giving out atah boy’s,  great job’s, and you are da bomb’s to others, especially those who outshine you.

Leader’s reach higher
by helping others reach higher.

Be a cheerleader to 10 people today.  Shine the light on something you see in another that outshines what you see in you.  Note:  don’t mention yourself while doing it.  For example, don’t say you are so much better at listening than I am.  Do say, I really admire your ability to _______ (fill in the blank).  Here is a list of potential candidates:  spouse, son or daughter, boss, co-worker, a service provider, client, parent, employee, public servant, check out clerk, or …

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How do you lift others?

Is there a danger of too much cheer leading?