(Prefatory comment: After a summer break from ‘blogs’ for a bit of vacation and a lot of client consulting work, I am glad to return to the regular schedule of blog entries that you can expect approximately every two weeks. I hope all of you, too, have had some time to re-energize…and now enjoy this latest blog!)
Over the decades working with owners, leaders, and managers/supervisors at all levels across industries ranging from small to mega-corporations I continue to be astonished that far too many do NOT know, let alone consistently perform by, fundamental critical principles that shape their personal, team, and organization’s effectiveness resulting in sustained success. Here are three of these most essential principles which, when consistently put into effective practice, can pay dramatic dividends for them and their organizations.
Principle #1: Success at one level of leadership/management is NOT a strong predictor of success at th
e other levels. This is a version of the age-old "Peter Principle" in some respects. What we know from both research of high performance job predictors and our experience is that the attributes that predict success as a front-line supervisor are often quite different than those of a middle or senior manager. And, even at the executive level, success in one functional area (well beyond job-specific knowledge, skills, and experience) can require dramatically different strengths than in another. This is true even for the internally-focused requirements of a higher performing General Manager versus those of the more externally-focused CEO/President.
Principle #2: Effective leadership/management across situations and over time requires the development and effective execution of both directive and supportive practices. Once again our research and experience has clearly proven beyond a doubt that people are naturally wired and likely to be stronger, let alone overuse, one of these two types of practices and less so for the other. And, yet, in coaching others as they encounter situations where they are in doubt about how to handle a situation, my advice that has proven successful for hundreds upon hundreds who embraced it (and the inverse for those who didn’t) is to begin with both directive and supportive practices. Thereafter, this coaching also teaches to shift to being more supportive if the situation/performance becomes more favorable and, by contrast, being more directive if it becomes less favorable. And, this works in any situation—tactical or strategic, whether task or people-focused.
Principle #3: Focus on assuring stability before (not instead of) "growth." The essence of this timeless leadership/management principle is this—"we have to first succeed at what is" typically—before we focus on "what can be." Recall that this is a guiding principle, and as such not to be taken literally. For example, the most important part of learning to "succeed at stability" is the process by which he have achieved it and are able to replicate it again and again across a variety of differing situations that require stability. Once we have mastered this ‘known’ phenomenon, we are then prepared to apply those aspects of our successful practices that also can contribute to successful "growth" as well as which practices to modify or add for this to be attained. And, as I was reminded on a new client call just this morning, "growth" can mean a lot of different things to people. In that instance, this company’s top manager had mistakenly thought it meant "getting bigger" and had thus dismissed it since it is not part of their strategy as a privately-held company. I had to point out that, instead, the essence and relevancy for all leaders/managers and companies regardless of their strategy is to "continuously get better" in ways that assure their viability! Based on their continuing financial success and this person’s individual success, it is clearly a principle that both they and their company have plenty of upside opportunity to strengthen and capitalize on!
The question now is which principle(s) represent your own and your organization’s key opportunities for further success by learning to put it into action RIGHT NOW?
Dr. Michael O’Connor is a recognized thought leader, executive coach and founder of Life Associates & The Center For Managing By Values. Michael is co-author of ‘The Leader Within’ and ‘Managing By Values,’ and more. He offers executive consulting services to assist in implementing the Strategic Development Process, Managing By Values, and other processes geared toward fulfilling the highest potential of individuals, workgroups, teams and organizations. For additional information visit www.lifeassociatesinc.com.
