COLUMN - Spotlight On Change
is cut in the most efficient and visually-appealing way, self-leadership is in action.
Reflection: What could be introduced in your workplace to spotlight selfless yet efficient suggestions and actions, reinforcing changing behaviours and responsibilities?
b. Leadership is a relationship.
Leaders can never stand alone. It is impossible to succeed by going it alone – this will never work as positive influence is the key. To influence there needs to be a foundation of trust, built upon credibility. You’re never a leader until others believe you are!
Reflection: Is your dream worthy of the involvement of others? How do your priorities serve others around you? How likely is your dream likely to contribute to others?
c. The best leaders are the best learners.
For people to want to change, they will need new mindsets, skills, knowledge and perspectives. They will naturally be curious and humble, will always seek out improvement and easily identify where opportunity abounds. They will collaborate and explore, ask and encourage, with all of this akin to learning. When building the future, as we’ve never been there before, so many leaders will learn as they go!
Reflection: How does your work environment provide learning opportunities beyond the formal classroom curriculum?
d. Do the right thing.
Doing things right will only maintain the current and known, whereas ensuring the right thing is done will encourage change at all times. This provides ongoing opportunity to link all business actions with desired outcomes. By having the whole team in touch with the vision which the business intends to build and contribute to, will allow individuals to define if their own actions are indeed the right thing to do, even when the leader is not around.
Reflection: What’s the degree of corporate alignment of actions and vision?
A leader’s job is done when they grow more leaders, to serve more change, to serve a better future. How could your workplace benefit from that philosophy, and ensure a balance between the maintenance function of management with the development function of leadership?
Debbie Nicol, the managing director of Dubai-based business consultancy and learning organization ‘business en motion’, working with strategic change, leadership and organizational development, assisting businesses and leaders to move ahead.
http://www.businessenmotion.com