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Hello Everyone
Its hard to believe that the first month
of the New Year is almost over! But what a month it
has been. In our last newsletter we wrote about the
crisis in leadership and weve seen more than a few
examples of that in the first weeks of 2010. Today we
will create a context for the 16 points for good
leadership listed in our previous newsletter and then
focus on 2 of the points.
Steve
Who Do We Look To?
As I thought about how to prepare for
this edition of the newsletter, it occurred to me that
before I could introduce the sixteen things leaders will
need in the twenty-first century, it would be necessary
to look at some intangibles that precede the skills and
attributes conversation. Upon further reflection, I
thought of people that I admire and why I admire them.
I thought of people that not only do things right, but
they do the right things. In some cases they exceed
the expectations of others in their craft or position.
Then I asked myself what happens
when those we admire let us down weve had a
rash of those lately. Mark McGuire, former major
league baseball player who set a new record for most
home runs hit in a season recently admitted to steroid
use; Tiger Woods, one of the most successful golfers
of all times has been accused of multiple sexual
indiscretions; John Edwards, former presidential
candidate has recently admitted to the paternity of his
mistress child. While McGuire and Woods do not
have organizational leadership roles, they are very
much in the public eye and as such are leaders in
their industry. In the corporate arena leaders and
managers are also in the public eye so fit the criteria
for people we might look up to.
So the conversation on the table
regarding these three men, and leaders in general, is
two-fold: abilities vs. ethics. For Woods and Edwards
their improprieties did not necessarily affect their
abilities or skills, although their integrity and our ability
to trust them have been compromised. In McGuires
case the performance enhancing drugs may have
given him an advantage which helped catapult him
into the record books. Although he doesnt believe
this to be true, the question remains whether he
deserves a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
I find peoples reaction to being found
out interesting. The apology seems to be epidemic
Im deeply sorry for this indiscretion and truly
regret... Then in the same breath they are ready
to move on often not taking responsibility for the
impact of their behavior. While Im a firm believer in
forgiveness and second chances, I also believe in
consequences for our actions. Mark McGuire may not
be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he
should be able to be the hitting coach with the St
Louis Cardinals, for example.
John Wooden, former UCLA mens
basketball coach once said, Be more concerned with
your character than your reputation, because your
character is what you really are, while your reputation
is merely what others think you are. It is the little
intangibles, what we really are, that make up the
leader almost more than any of the sixteen things we
will be discussing. For what is true is that these
sixteen things are not gospel, someone could take
issue with any one of them, or add or delete from this
list. What cannot be erased, though, is our integrity,
our morals and ethics. If we are going to truly change
the role of the twenty-first century leader, it will be
necessary to address some of these intangibles.
As noted in the previous newsletter
leadership credibility is at an all time low. We dont
trust bankers, politicians, sports stars, etc. The
disease of poor ethics is running rampant in this
country. In an attempt to bring order to the leadership
conversation, we not only want to introduce sixteen
things for leaders to do but we also want to reignite a
different conversation of how to rebuild, revive and
transform our places of work by instilling in all of us a
new sense of integrity and sensibility.
.
The Changing Role of the Twenty-first Century Leader
One of the assumptions I am working
from is that the leader has a vision, mission, values
and direction for the organization or team he/she is
working with. If these things are already in place then
it will help expedite the process of achieving these
sixteen attributes. Lets begin with two of them.
The leader must be able to set
boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not
acceptable for each individual member of the team.
Before we go any further it may be important to explain
our distinction between boundaries and expectations.
An expectation has to do with the skills and ability of
the individual to do the job, such as completion of an
assignment within a given timeline. There may be
inherent in those expectations some human and
personal attributes. For example, treat everyone with
respect and listen without judgment. A boundary on
the other hand has to do with attributes that may have
moral, ethical or legal implications that could damage
the reputation of the individual and in some cases the
organization at large.
The leader must be able to
interview and select the right people for the job.
Willingness to be a team player is every bit as
important as skill and knowledge. The real superstar
is not only the one who scores the most points, but
also the individual who is able to use his/her abilities
to help others on the team improve and look good. I
believe there is an art form in selecting good people.
Its about knowing what you want from the individual,
the ability to read the unknowns when talking with a
candidate and making certain that biases are held in
check.
Reflections
As I watch the reports on Haiti over
the last few weeks, I am reminded that no matter how
sophisticated we become, no matter how great our
technology, there is nothing as profound as a drink of
clean water. Something we take for granted is so far
out of reach for many in our world. A good leader is
often like a drink of clean water to those we serve.
So until next time stay the course and
continue to be a difference maker
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Steve Hanamura
With over 30 years of experience, Steve Hanamura is
a nationally known speaker, consultant and trainer. He
is widely sought after in the areas of leadership
development, building effective teams, leading
diversity initiatives and managing generational
differences. With a national client list spanning
Fortune 500 companies to regional not-for-profit
institutions, Steve is highly regarded for his unique
perspectives and distinct training techniques.
As president of Hanamura Consulting, Inc. he is
committed to making a difference in the lives of
individuals and organizations. His goal is to assist
organizations to work together to build constructive
relationships by understanding how we must draw
from the past and work in the present so we can plan
and build for the future.
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