Leaders: What You Should Know About Your Followers

The one reason why successful leaders need to have a full range of leadership styles is to be able to properly lead the people who are their followers.

Followers do not all have the same needs from their leaders. Depending on a variety of factors, such as age, skills, experience, confidence, and, above all, personality, followers will look to their leaders to relate to them in ways that are quite different from others in the team.

Generally-speaking, followers fall into 3 categories:

1. Individualists. Individualists are those who don't want their leader to be breathing down their necks all the time. They like to do their own thing.

They may be people who by nature like to dominate those around them, or who are conscientious and intelligent enough to motivate themselves, or people who go at their own pace and get work done in their own time and in their own way.

Individualists need various degrees of laissez-faire management. At one end of the spectrum, you may need to agree with them just how much freedom they're allowed. At the other end, you may tell them that you trust them entirely.

Laissez-faire styles of leadership do not, of course, mean that you should leave this type of follower alone. Individualists still want to know that what they are doing is OK and still need the same sorts of recognition from you that you would give to anyone else. It's just that they want you to treat them like grown-ups.

2. Dependents. Dependent followers are quite different from individualists.

By nature, they have no desire to work on their own. For them, the leader is the focal point of all they do, if you like, the touchstone against which they judge how they are doing.

Dependents may be people who need a high level of security and authority in their work, the reassurance that, as long as the boss OK's it, then it's OK. They may also be people who like to keep busy all the time and are happiest when they have a steady stream of tasks coming from the boss. They may also be people who like a lot of clarity in their work, who need to know what's going on at all times, and who can only get this information from a knowledgeable boss.

Leaders will find they need to build one-to-one relationships with the dependents in their team. At all times, they will use different levels of directive styles of management, in contrast to the hands-off style they use with individualists. This can range from spelling out clearly what they have to do at one extreme to having regular get-togethers to check on progress at the other. Dependents have a child-like relationship with their leaders in which they expect to be looked after.

3. Co-operatives. The third group of followers are co-operatives.

Co-operatives are people who need to be in relationships with others, particularly their team leaders. They may be people who like to be needed, like to be admired, or who like to feel special.

Those who like to be needed will rely on the boss emotionally to feel they are valuable members of the team. They love nothing more than being called on to help out in an emergency. People who want to be admired crave recognition. Much of their work is designed to impress others, especially the boss. Those who like to feel special want to be recognized for their special gifts and special contribution. This recognition is especially valued when it comes from the leader, even if they don't go looking for it.

Leaders need to be aware that co-operatives relate to their leaders in emotional ways. They need regular strokes of recognition, feedback, and approval. But in all other respects they want to be treated as adults. As such, the relationship between leaders and co-operatives is similar to the relationship between adults and teenagers.

We are all different and have different needs. The key to successful team leadership is not just having a variety of styles of leading that we can apply when we want to, but in applying them successfully to meet the individual needs of our team members.

© 2005, Eric Garner, ManageTrainLearn.com

For instant solutions to all your management training needs, visit http://www.managetrainlearn.com and download amazing FREE training software. And while you’re there, make sure you try out our prize quiz, get your surprise bonus gift, and subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter. Go and get the ManageTrainLearn experience now!

Business Tips Alexander Pepper says that leaders can be made

In this business tv show, Alexander Pepper, Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers tells us that leadership can be taught, and in doing so, many leaders are made: "I'm sure that honing you leadership skills can have an impact on your business. I also believe very passionately that there's a lot of leadership skills can be taught so some leaders are born but an awful lot of leaders are made and have helped to make themselves by learning the tools of leadership. I think that's very clear, that's common ground. I think what's much more difficult is to decide what good leadership is and there are as many opinions about that as there are people available to offer opinions. There's this concept a situation or leadership which is that what good leadership in one context is is bad leadership in another context and that's probably right. I mean I can think of a story about a guy who leads a professional services firm, a successful organisation that was taken into a merger. The merger was difficult as mergers often are; he would be adjudged to have made a number of mistakes along the way and was eventually, you know he was kind of forced to leave. Went on to a different organisation, a company that had done a lot of acquisitions but hadn't really assimilated the stuff that had been done, needed to get back to its core business, needed a tough leader who was prepared to make some difficult decisions and do a lot of cost cutting. Same man did a fantastic job and is now hero in that ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjMwtWrsmK4&hl=en

How Do You Know if a Leadership Style is Effective?

Simply stated, a leadership style is effective when it fits most of the requirements of the situation. For example if the business circumstance is a desperate turn-around situation, the leader's style has to be decisive, single minded, tough, confident, fair, bold, motivating, inspiring, and patient. To remain successful, this style would eventually have to change as the improved desired state is reached. Why? Because the situation is changing and so to must the leadership style move from a command-and-control/crisis approach to a more cooperative, team building approach characterized by longer range vision and competitive strategies.

I was given three opportunities at turn-around leadership roles in my career and found that the effective style that helped me successfully turn-around a poor performing operation was not the style that would nurture the level performing operation after the turnaround. Once the excitement and pace of the turnaround was over, I had to re-energize myself, my staff, and employees. I had to create a long-range vision, mission, set of strategic initiatives, and enthusiastically communicate that vision to give my employees another reason for coming to work besides saving our own jobs.

In his research on business situations and leadership, Victor Vroom created a working definition for leadership based upon a process orientation versus a set of properties belonging to the leader. Vroom indicates that a more process-oriented definition of leadership involves the following:

1. The process involves a particular form of influence called motivating.

2. The nature of the incentives, extrinsic or intrinsic, is not part of the definition.

3. The consequence of the influence is collaboration in pursuit of a common goal.

4. The "great things" are in the minds of both leader and followers and are not necessarily viewed as desirable by all other parties.

Vroom also sites the Leadership Contingency Model by Fred Fiedler as representative of a shift in thinking about leadership as a function influenced by the leader, the followers, and the situation. Fiedler suggests the most successful leadership outcome is a result of matching the leader to the situation. As an executive, the concept may be as intuitive to your way of thinking as it is to mine. However, I would take the concept a step further to propose that the most valuable leadership stock in your organization is those leaders who have proven they are able to adapt and lead successfully in a variety of situations.

If as a leader, you have the capacity to size up a leadership situation quickly, and the versatility to modify your leadership style, you can handle a variety of assignments and be effective. This is so very important for business leaders to understand and master since over the course of an entire career, you will be faced with a variety of complex leadership situations. The approaches and style you successfully used before may lead to only marginal results or worse.

Hoppe, M. W., (September 1970), Leadership Style and Effectiveness Of department Chairmen In Business Administration, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 13, Issue 3

Fiedler, F. E., (September 1977), Job engineering for effective leadership: A new approach, Management Review, Vol. 66 Issue 9

Khan, O., (Fall 2005), The challenge of adaptive leadership, Leader to Leader, Vol. 2005 Issue 38

Vroom, V. H.; Jago, A. G., (January 2007), The Role of the Situation in Leadership, American Psychologist,Vol. 62, Issue 1

Mr. McCarty has a proven record of accomplishment in strategic leadership roles for fortune 500 companies. He is an award winning performer in the areas of large-scale operations leadership, strategic planning, senior project management, and significant contributions to the bottom line. Michael has successfully leveraged his leadership skills to provide keen insight, vision, direction, and executive support to financial services firms, information technology firms, and the automotive, credit, and insurance industries. He has been particularly effective in start-up and turnaround situations.

Insisting on integrity, self-reliance, resourcefulness, and ingenuity, Mr. McCarty is an action and solution oriented leader capable of making strong financial contributions to the bottom line. Operational leadership in the areas of process improvements, cost analysis, and innovative revenue generation characterize soundly this veteran executive's distinguished career. For more on Mr. McCarty, please refer to http://www.leadershippinnacle.com

Effective And Adaptive Leadership

ProjectShrink.com The topic of this episode of The Project Shrink Podcast is "Adaptive Leadership". I am talking with Milton Friesen, author of Ingenuity Arts. Effective leadership is critical for the success of today's organizations. His book aims to help you learn how adaptive leaders think. Ingenuity Arts argues that current research into complex adaptive systems can be a significant asset in designing and leading adaptive organizations that will thrive amid a pace of change that continues to increase.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bOXDCpq3mM&hl=en

Apostle Matthew Stevenson (Part 8) Cultivating World Changers

Apostle Matthew Stevenson concludes his message to cultivate World Changers. In the conclusion, He talks about different leadership styles that bring the most results in the Body of Christ. All ministry leadership will benefit to this teaching. We can impact the earth more effectively if we have integrity in leadership.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaqIbjJHb68&hl=en

The Paschall Brothers perform "God Said He Would Move/On the Right Road Now"

The Tidewater style of a cappella gospel is one of several regional styles that took root in the American South and eastern states after the Civil War. These groups have always been called quartets even though they could have six or more members: The word quartet refers to the fact that the groups sing in four-part harmony. Formed in 1981 under the leadership of Frank Paschall Sr., the Paschall Brothers perform classic Tidewater repertoire along with original compositions. The Paschalls add their own flair to these pieces, expanding harmonic structure and creating distinct arrangements that maintain the integrity of the original while creating a passionate sound that is uniquely theirs. Thecontent and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy (www.si.edu/copyright/). Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_NrcUu8Fns&hl=en

Hanuman - The Apostle of Servant Leadership

We know many styles of leadership like autocratic, situational, participative and many more. Among these, a new leadership style is emerging in the corporate world, which is inevitable in the business scenario of post globalization, and highly competitive with increasing expectations. The life and living style of Hanuman, most prominent character in the epic Ramayana, who is selfless, symbol of sacrifice and zero arrogance.

Hanuman, who has surrendered himself to his 'Boss' Lord Rama is always at the reach of His Master to obey his orders with all humility and commitment, from the moment he was introduced to Him. Hanuman was never competitive and always maintained low profile. But, when time comes, He was the first to jump into action, which is the quality of a result oriented action leadership. He helped his 'Boss' to find out his wife Sita, who was abducted by Ravan, the demon king. He was one of the most 'courageous followers' whose qualities were mentioned by Ira Chaleff in his award winning book 'The Courageous Follower: Standing Up To and For Our Leaders'. Hanuman is an ideal and courageous subordinate, who always ready to guide even his Boss when in need.

Corporate leaders are trying to emulate the qualities of servant leadership which are most prominently seen in successful Indian corporate leaders of post globalization such as Ratan Tata, N.R.Narayan Murthy, Azim Premji, Nandan Nilekani, whose expertise in running giant business houses compelled the government to use their services on different occasions, whenever there is a need of their services to serve the general public.

The eight habits of Servant Leaders
1. Patience - show self-control
2. Kindness - is an act of love
3. Humility - displaying an absence of pride
4. Respect - treating people like they are important
5. Selflessness - meeting the needs of others
6. Forgiveness - letting go
7. Honesty - being free from deception
8. Commitment - sticking to your choice

Legitimate leadership, influence, is built upon serving, sacrificing, and seeking the greatest good of those being led. Influence does not come because of a title or an army. Influence must be earned. There are no shortcuts.

Anytime we extend our-selves, sacrifice, and serve others, we build authority and thereby influence. If you get your people what they need, they will get you everything you need. Then leadership will be defined not by what we accomplish but by what we get accomplished through others. The servant-leader must constantly ask: How can I use myself to serve best?

Leadership requires selflessness. The will to serve and sacrifice for others, the willingness to set aside our wants and needs in seeking the greatest good for others - this is what it means to be selfless. This is what it means to be a leader. The road to servant leadership lies not in trying to fix or change others but in working on changing and improving ourselves. 'Everyone wants to change the world, but no one wants to change himself.'

Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them. Servant leaders ask, 'how can I help you to do your job better.'

To conclude, if you wish to become a successful as a corporate leader, emulate the qualities of Hanuman with a perspective of global Indian corporate leaders.

The author is a Senior HR Professional, HR Consultant, Career Management Consultant, Soft Skills Trainer and Founder CEO of aimkaam consultrainers, Hyderabad. You may reach him at cramaphani@yahoo.com.

Winning Big Presentation - Arjun Sen, ZenMango

Arjun Sen, president of ZenMango and Restaurant Marketing Group gives a presentation on how to leverage the power of current customers in this trying economy. Why Now? Consumer spending, investor confidence, and available cash are all down, and business strategy must adapt or sink. Arjun Sen andthe ZenMango™ team have developed a method to win big in a down economy without spending cash. This method outlines which strategiesto throw out and which to implement now to build great corporate habits for a bright future in a hurting economy. LEARN HOW TO CALCULATE THE VALUE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS Arjun Sen will take you through the simplicity of the power of ones quantitative analysis; the impact will leave you astounded. DETERMINE HOW TO WOW 1 MORE™ Wow 1 More™ is Arjun Senstime tested, unique approach to customer loyalty. In this section, Arjun Sen will show you the need for Wow 1 More™, how to wow a customer, and common challenges brands face. MOVE CUSTOMERS UP THE LOYALTY LADDER Move customers into more profitable brand usage categories using solutions unique to your brand. Arjun will help you identify the simple mantra that will be your key to success as you try to refocus all your initiatives around customer needs. LEARN WHY CUSTOMERS ARE NOT COMING BACK Understand how to pin down specific reasons customers are not returning to your brand using Leaky Bucket® research. The Leaky Bucket® process gives your brand a set of mutually exclusive and comprehensively exhaustive reasons ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2x1Rcp25N4&hl=en

Does A Best Leadership Style Exist?

So much is said [and written] about leadership. All questions are answered, it seems. How should you lead? What are the requirements to be a successful leader? How should a leader handle his/her followers? What are the better leadership styles? Everyone knows how to delegate, discipline, and develop your followers. We are also taught how to determine and use vision, mission, motivation and the like. In general, we live in times where the science of leadership, in all aspects has been thoroughly covered. Or has it?

I have often queried the fact that leadership gurus feel so secure in their statement that a 'one best leadership style' does not exist. How can they make such a statement when they have not properly researched the leadership style of the most important leader of all times? In my thesis and subsequent series of books on True Shepherd Leadership, I provide much evidence that a best leadership style does in fact exist, and that Christians are in fact instructed to apply the same leadership style. It is not as if we received a hint, pointing to the fact that if all else failed, we could perhaps consider this as a last resort, or handy alternative. We are admonished to go and do as Jesus did. We were supposed to lead according to the style that Jesus described and exhibited. We are supposed to be True Shepherd Leaders according to the example of Jesus.

Questions that need to be answered are: [a] How did Jesus lead, and [b] how do we know that it is the best leadership style?

Let us start with the second question, which to my mind is the easiest to answer. How can we say that the True Shepherd Leadership style, [the leadership style of Jesus Christ] is the best of all leadership styles? My suggestion to the doubtful ones is always to answer the following two easy questions: [i] Was Jesus in fact the most important leader ever on this earth, and [ii] would Jesus [being the Son of God] use an inferior leadership style, considering that He had all knowledge from eternal past to eternal future at His avail?

Beginning with the first question, all you need do is go to your local newspaper to prove that in fact Jesus is the most important leader ever. How does the newspaper prove this? Look at the date. It declares that today, [whatever the date], came up a certain number of years, months and days after the birth of Jesus. Wonderful is it not? Your calendar, diary, newspaper and magazines all witness to the existence of Jesus. Now, how many newspapers have you seen dated from the birth of Hitler, Kennedy, or Napoleon? If somebody had been printing such dates on papers, I have not seen any. I will not spend any more space to prove that Jesus is the world's most important leader ever, but if you disagree, do some research yourself on who had the greatest influence on the human race ever, and I am confident you will also come to the same conclusion.

Secondly, how do we prove that Jesus applied the best ever leadership style? Answer this: Why would the Son of God, who had foreknowledge of everything from the beginning of the earth, NOT utilize the best leadership style available? In all honesty, I have not heard any worthwhile argument against Jesus exercising the best leadership style.

But, for the sake of the doubtful ones, let us think this over. The eternal all-knowing God provided mankind with a complete and perfect redemption plan. This plan was not only perfectly planned, but also perfectly timed. Making a study of God's redemption plan, you cannot but stand in awe. Everything was so perfectly planned, and nothing was left to coincidence. You can look at many examples, such as for instance crucifixion as mode of capital punishment, or the total eclipse of the sun after Jesus' death. Jesus' crucifixion was foretold by prophets hundreds of years before. The words that Jesus uttered on the cross are recorded in the book of Psalms. There are so many facts making up the totality of the redemption plan, that it is unthinkable that God would have left anything to chance.

Why then, would He not have specifically designed and planned the leadership style of Jesus in the same meticulous manner? Jesus' leadership style would have been perfectly planned as everything else, and therefore I cannot be convinced that He made use of a leadership style which was anything but the best.

Returning to the first part, namely what was the leadership style of Jesus really like, let us consider a few facts. Jesus [again without coincidence] came to earth in a time when farming [and especially sheep farming] was well-known and widely practiced. If a person came to any local school today and started talking about the behaviour of mountain sheep, chances are that no child in the school would have any knowledge about it. Not so in Jesus' time however. Sheep, sheep farming, and the behaviour of sheep were well known. Sheep farming were part of the community.

Hence, unlike today, when Jesus declared I am the Good Shepherd, His audience knew exactly what He was referring to. They knew sheep, and they knew shepherds. They knew what good shepherds would be doing well and what poor shepherds would be doing wrong. They knew about wolves, lions, and other dangers that threatened sheep. They also knew that there were people out there that pretended to be real shepherds, but who were actually only doing the job of a shepherd for the money they could make out of it. However, as soon as any danger threatened, their loyalty to their own bank accounts showed, as did their disloyalty to the sheep.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the Perfect Shepherd. He is The Shepherd of all shepherds. Jesus knows about the needs of sheep as well as the needs of shepherds. He is the only person to have lived both in heaven and on earth, and having experienced the personal presence of God as well as the physical hardships of mankind. Jesus is the only person worthy of being given the title of Good Shepherd.

And when Jesus spoke to His disciples on this subject, and wanted to teach them how they should behave towards their followers when they take over the flock after He went back to His Father, He began by describing it in two well-known sentences, namely: I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (John 10:11 KJV)

Is there such a thing as a best leadership style? I believe there is. It is the leadership style of Jesus Christ, which I call True Shepherd Leadership.

Dr Gerrit van Vuuren [Ph.D.] is Principal of the Shepherd Leadership Institute. http://www.shepherdleader.co.za At the age of 30 he accepted Jesus as Saviour, resulting in a radical conversion, a radical calling, and a radical ministry. Dr Gerrit wrote a research doctoral thesis on the 'leadership style of Jesus Christ', and has a calling to teach the body of Christ to understand and apply Jesus' leadership style, which he calls True Shepherd Leadership © For more information, e-mail him at gerrit@shepherdleader.co.za

Leadership Training - Braveheart Voice Over

Just a funny voice over we did for our leadership training at PSBC



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy9y5P0tD3o&hl=en

Work Styles - Mix And Match For The Most Effective Style

Jane and Bob have their team, and they are very happy with them. They understand each team member's work style, and now they can eliminate and minimize any negative impact caused by putting together people whose work styles are not complementary. In addition, Jane and Bob can actually use their understanding of work styles to create a more cohesive team.

Let's find out what Jane and Bob already know.

When Jane and Bob talk about work styles, they're referring to each team member's work style, how he or she gets work done, as well as leadership work styles, how leaders lead.

Leadership work styles include

• 
  authoritative/decisive - This leader is a take charge type, confident, and decisive. She delegates details and responsibilities well, and has a great demand for perfection. Think "take charge!"
  


• 
  persuasive - This leader type gets things done through influence. He influences convincingly and with determination. He believes in people, and is devastated when someone lets him down. This person is an effective and enthusiastic team builder. He is all about people.
  


• 
  caretaker/persistent - She is usually promoted from within, and employees respect her. She has a stabilizing effect and keeps things running harmoniously; however, she prefers the pace to be set by another, external source. She can then take action and adjust as needed. She makes the best of what comes along and persistently presses towards the goal. She's the diplomat.
  


• 
  procedural/traditional - He follows the systems that have already been established. He is an effective leader through factors of rules, regulations, and proven methods. Accuracy, quality, and a high regard for uncompromising interest in correct results define this leader.
  

Whatever the leadership style, each can get the job done, the action items checked off, and the goal met. However, it doesn't just stop with knowing what the leader's work style is. The leadership work style must work and play well with others, meaning the work styles of the team members.

Matching the leadership work style with the team's needs and work styles will be more effective than not paying attention to it at all. For example, if Jane and Bob have members on their team that do not respond well to decisions being made without their input, then an authoritative/decisive leadership style is not going to work well.

Members' work styles include

• 
  dominance - She automatically knows if it works or not, and her primary concern is getting things done. She's action-oriented, fast, and decisive, but she can be impatient with implementation, for example, if it takes too long.
  


• 
  extroversion - He tends to say, "That will work, but it would be even better if..." He works well with others, is creative, and wants to include/encourage others. He can also be diverse, but he loathes the detail, except in presentations. He can get carried away with too many ideas, so a good leader must limit his focus.
  


• 
  pace/patience - She needs time to think about it, although once she gets going, she's dependable, works methodically, and gets routine jobs done with little resistance. She can only take on one new task at a time, and she is paced to the deadline. She can often get lost in the importance of completing the task, and can't always foresee what else is needed to complete the task
  


• 
  conformity - He will compare the way you're doing it now to how it has been done in the past, and point out all the reasons it can't be done this way. He's very organized, has deliberate actions, and is thorough and punctual. His work will be accurate and complete.
  

So what?

Jane and Bob, knowing what the various work styles of their staff are as well as their own leadership styles, can mix and match accordingly. They know that someone with a conformity work style is best led by someone with a procedural/traditional leadership style But what if there's no choice? If Jane and Bob are both persuasive, not procedural/traditional, they need to understand that a high conformist team member likes rules, procedures, and details. The more specific they can be with their conformist team members, then the more productive and happy (which means even more productive) the team members will be.

Jane and Bob also know the following

• 
  Often team conflict arises due to differences in work style between the leader and the team. It could be a work style difference, or may even be a cultural or gender issue
  


• 
  Team conflict can arise when you have the wrong people (from a work style perspective) placed in the wrong role or position on the team
  


• 
  Matching the work styles with the roles and tasks and with other team members will produce a more effective team with less conflict
  


• 
  If they can't match (which is more likely), then knowing the work style characteristics of their own leadership style as well as those of the team members will make the project run more smoothly, keep it on track, and keep everyone happy - which all translates into a successful project.
  

Jane and Bob are off to mix and match to get the best, most effective team for their project!

Find out more about how Jane and Bob manage teams and create a more efficient work environment. Sign up for "How to Lead Them to Water AND Get Them to Drink" at http://www.incedogroup.com

Situational Leadership

This is a learning object on situational leadership. It was designed to assess student engagement. Dilbert cartoon from www.youtube.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRIIT7QW5vc&hl=en

Innovative Leadership - Substance versus Style!

This may come as a surprise but when it comes to
innovative leadership, substance wins out over style every
time.

Most organizations focus their time, attention and money on
training or recruiting operational, activity-based leaders -
however, very few companies devote any investment in the
development of innovative leadership competences.

Unlike traditional leadership, style isn't as important as
the substance of an innovative leader.

Leadership styles usually involve strategic solutions to
tactical challenges - leaders employ styles to influence,
govern or relate to people.

Innovative leadership depends on the substance of one's
innovation strategy, the model for innovating in use, the
principles and fundamentals of the technologies involved in
the innovation, and the organizational elements needed to
make the innovation successful.

What follows are some criteria you can use to identify,
recruit, develop and improve the capabilities of qualified
candidates for your innovative leadership ranks.

Tip-1 - Has Acquired a Broad, Insightful Knowledge of the
Humanities, Technologies or your Industry

This candidate has extensively read or written about and
possesses in-depth experiential knowledge of one or more of
the following areas:

1. Understands the challenges of the human condition
   [perhaps worked as a missionary, been a volunteer, or lived
   and participated in the affairs of a foreign community],
   
   


2. Knows one or more of the technologies critical to your
   organization's success or
   
   


3. Worked in the exact or a related industry or has
   experience working with a similar business model as yours

The more of these experiences and knowledges a candidate has
acquired, the more likely she is to have the potential for
becoming a superior innovative leader.

An ideal profile might look like this:

"Candidate-A is a former relief aid worker who lived and
worked in 2 or more other countries, who studied technology
while in school and who worked for 3 years as a part-time
associate at a competitor company."

Tip-2 Appreciates Why the Engineering of Systems, Cycles,
Processes and Graphic Representations Are Primary Causes for
Organizational Success

Your search for and promotion of qualified candidates for
innovative leadership positions must include those persons
who are able to eloquently express or demonstrate the
requirements for and importance of systems, cyclical
principles, processes and graphical depictions of key
business elements.

Those candidates who have this level of appreciation for
core organizational components will have performed
prodigious amounts of work on them or spent significant
amounts of time trying to refine, improve or radically
change the systems, cyclical or process-oriented natures, or
graphical representations of their work environments or
operational model.

You're likely to find these types of employees working
within your midst, or they may have recently joined your
organization from other companies.

Tip-3 - Embraces, Leads or Has Experienced and Is Now
Prepared for Radical Change

While most people either avoid making changes or prefer not
to undergo change, innovative leadership demands an
emotional and psychological acceptance of or a positive
mental attitude for the constant realities of change.

In keeping with the themes of Tips one and two, you will
discover these people have experienced serious changes in
their living conditions or locations, work environments or
situations and in their job descriptions or knowledge
bases.

You may want to groom these people by helping them
strengthen their relationship-building, communications,
collaboration and cooperation and coaching skills. Your
investments of time and money would be well rewarded.

------------------------------------------------------------

The famous innovator, entrepreneur and industrialist, Howard
Hughes, purportedly said, "Never judge a man by his
appearnace, always judge him by his experience!" His
sentitment is the dominant theme of this article.

You can not evaluate a person based on what you see, you
must use conversations to determine their worth to your
organization instead. A scripted interview or your everyday
homogenuous scoring sheet system is not likely to identify
truly innovative leadership candidates.

Who would have hired Bill Gates as a software developer,
Warren Buffet as stock broker, Sir Richard Branson as an
entrepreneurial leader or Steve Jobs as a CEO using ordianry
hiring criteria and methods?

"Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read
at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to
conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi."

- Oprah Winfrey, Entertainment and Social Entrepreneur

Nearly every innovator has been a serious student of life,
technology or business - the majority of innovative leaders
are readers or experimenters or doers in their subject
matter of choice and interest.

You will discover what the true secret of innovative
leadership is: innovators have a passion, commitment and
loyalty for pursuing and being excellence. In a word,
innovative leaders will put substance above style everytime.

Copyright © 2006, Mustard Seed Investments Inc.
All rights reserved.

About the Author: Bill Thomas energizes your innovative leadership & innovations via Imagination Age methods - his books, software & training programs empower business skills & processes, improve strategic advantages, produce tangible value & deliver powerful results! See how his Executive Briefings, Management Handbooks, Professional Guides & Innovation Workshops:
"Super-Seed & Sustain Your Innovative Leadership Power!" http://www.leadership-toolkit.com/innovativeleadership.php

Thomas D. Hinton - Universal Laws, Concepts and Styles for Sound Decision-Making

Thomas D. Hinton - Universal Laws, Concepts and Styles for Sound Decision-Making- This is Module 2 of the instructional program "Managing as a Leader: Decision-Making with Mind and Heart" created/copyrighted by Miguel A. Cardenas as part of the ITC Annual Series entitled "Strategies for Competitive Performance". itc_050803_E_hp2.wmv



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