LEADERSHIP
Everything in business begins and ends with leadership . And because it ’ s a complex topic , no one expert has a complete formula for what makes a better leader .
Therefore , here are five important bodies of knowledge for those who are trying to sharpen their leadership skills . All have been developed by true students and teachers of leadership . Master these lessons and you ’ ll be far more effective .
In a future column I ’ ll look at a similar set of skills and attributes of effective management . Though leadership and management are related , they are different sides of the same coin – and a person tends to be stronger in one than the other
TRUST AND TEAM HEALTH Pat Lencioni , author of the classic Five
Leadership
Five Critical Aspects
Dysfunctions of a Team and his latest , The Advantage , emphasizes the importance of team health . There are plenty of smart teams that have failed ; in turn , a healthy team free of politics and confusion will discern the right decisions and be able to align and execute on a common vision .
Lencioni outlines five dysfunctions that damage team health , each impacting the others in a cascade of challenges :
• Absence of Trust – unwilling to be vulnerable within the group .
• Fear of Conflict – seeking harmony over constructive and passionate debate .
• Lack of Commitment – feigning buyin for group decisions , resulting in no aligned direction .
• Avoidance of Accountability – failing to hold people ( and each other ) accountable to a high standard of performance .
• Inattention to Results – more interested in status than outcomes .
The key is identifying your primary leadership dysfunction and focusing on correcting it .
FIVE PRACTICES Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner , based on research involving more than 3 million employees and leaders , have identified five practices that are common among effective leaders as outlined in their bestseller The Leadership Challenge ( 5th Edition out this summer ). The specific practices :
• Model the Way : More is “ caught ” than taught , so know your values and live them through your actions .
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