Steel Construction Vol 40 No 4 - Metal Cladding and Light Steel Frame | Page 36

SAISC leadership and management Survival Kit for 21st Century Leadership By Deshun Deysel In light of recent events in the United Kingdom around the Brexit Referendum; the world of leadership has been tilted sideways ever so slightly. Okay, almost cataclysmically! It’s not just that we are suddenly aware of how campaigning can so easily and (possibly) misguidedly sway the collective thinking of the masses. It’s also that todays’ leaders are in a double-bind about how to allow the masses to decide, while they’re cringing secretly about the aftermath and management of said decisions. Where does one begin to understand how to lead in times like these? Deshun holds an International Certificate in Business Coaching from the IDM School of Coaching. She has spent many years researching the link between thinking and doing. This research In a recent (pre-Brexit) conversation with my good friend and thought leader, Pete Laburn, we discussed the critical issues affecting leaders today. Basically our thoughts can be distilled into the following points. included embarking on high altitude Leaders must: mountaineering expeditions on the Know what to do, when you don’t know what to do highest peaks of 5 continents – including two expedition to Mt. Everest and 3 to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Having put cognitive/behavioral theory to work in her own life, Deshun created a unique tool to assist others in making the connectio n between effective thinking and effective doing. The Peak Performance Toolkit™ provides a platform for Self-Reflection and actionable tasks in 5 Areas of Effectiveness© for personal and career success. Contact Details: Tel: [phone] Cell: 071 588 4949 Email: [email protected] 34 Steel Construction Vol. 40 No. 4 2016 to go back to the drawing board within themselves first. Who am I? What do I stand for? Do I trust myself? Can I expect others to trust me? What values and principles govern my performance? These are questions that those in leadership positions must ask if they are to develop their discernment muscles to deal with the issues this century will be throwing at us. You cannot lead anything you’re not connected to If the current election campaign in the USA, the student/service delivery protest upheaval in South Africa and the Brexit shockwave has taught us anything, then it is this:Too many of those in leadership positions have absolutely no clue what is happening in the minds of their constituents. They spew forth empty rhetoric and regurgitate stale promises. On the other hand; those in positions of followership have new tools with which to inform themselves or, indeed, create their own belief systems. The landscape has shifted and the world’s so-called leaders are missing the boat! To put it simply, the world has never before faced the enormous range of instability and uncertainty it faces today. Here we’re talking about the current refugee crisis, religious fundamentalism, the relativity of morals and values – all with the simultaneous rise of nationalism and right wing extremism and the very real possibility of global economic instability – again! Today’s leaders must have a welldeveloped instinct or ‘gut-feel’ when it comes to responding to the complexities of the world in the 21st Century. How to survive leadership in the 21st century Lead from WHO you are 2. Followers play an important role in leadership outcomes. They’re smarter than you think. The problem today is that leaders don’t know who they are. They have become constructs of what they think the organization wants. The billion dollar ‘Leadership Industry’ has created formula after formula on how to lead, but quite frankly, most of it applied to 30 ago, when the world was in a different space. Technological advances are playing a huge role in how those who are being lead, process information. For a 21st Century leader, the most important challenge is Not surprisingly, many great organizations are recognizing that engagement and transparency leads to collaboration and innovation. Thanks to the Internet, there already exists a massive free-flow of information. Why not adapt to this? I highly recommend that you become friends with the followers. 1. Be transparent. Those you lead (followers) will find out soon enough anyway. 3. Not all followers are created equally. 4. Followers can be equipped to underpin the efforts of leadership. Therefore, leaders can no longer ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ with an outdated approach. The times and circumstances we’re in require more. We must then, require more of ourselves, and those we lead, to confidently step into the mandate for effective 21st Century leadership.