Leadership Trait to Ponder: Fun

August 7, 2014 by

Leadership-Trait-Fun-Todd-Nielsen-ManagementToday the leadership trait to ponder is Fun. As leaders we can’t be slave drivers of ourselves and those we lead. While I am all about execution, it is important to also have some fun at work, as well as away from work, to recharge and be able to better focus. The dictionary defines Fun as: enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure; amusing, entertaining, or enjoyable. Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate Fun. As you read these quotes, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself.

Quotes on Fun

I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let’s face it, friends make life a lot more fun.” ~Charles R. Swindoll

Fun is like life insurance; the older you get, the more it costs.” ~Kin Hubbard

It’s fun to have a partner who understands your life and lets you be you.” ~Kim Kardashian

Follow your dreams. Just make sure to have fun too.” ~Chris Brown

Work is much more fun than fun.” ~Noel Coward

When he worked, he really worked. But when he played, he really PLAYED.” ~Dr. Seuss

Life is more fun if you play games.” ~Roald Dahl

>You don’t have to make something that people call art. Living is an artistic activity, there is an art to getting through the day.” ~Viggo Mortensen

The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.” ~Benedict Cumbergatch

Sometimes, the simple things are more fun and meaningful than all the banquets in the world …” ~Liz Reinhardt

In terms of days and moments lived, you’ll never again be as young as you are right now, so spend this day, the youth of your future, in a way that deflects regret. Invest in yourself. Have some fun. Do something important. Love somebody extra. In one sense, you’re just a kid, but a kid with enough years on her to know that every day is priceless..” ~Victoria Moran

When you are joyful, when you say yes to life and have fun and project positivity all around you, you become a sun in the center of every constellation, and people want to be near you.” ~Shannon L. Alder

 

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What do you think about when you ponder Fun at work? Please share your thoughts int he comments section.

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Leadership Trait to Ponder: Punctuality

July 31, 2014 by

Punctuality-Leadership-Time-Management-Todd-NielsenToday the leadership trait to ponder is Punctuality. Punctuality is important to me since a leader’s time is almost always scarce. I have sat in many conference rooms with a number of other executives waiting for the leader or some other key member to arrive in order to begin a meeting.  I estimated in one meeting that the cost of waiting amounted to be in the thousands of dollars.

I have taught my 6 year old son the phrase, “Early is on time and on time is late.” It’s a motto that we could all benefit from. The dictionary defines Punctuality as: the condition of keeping to arranged times for appointments, meetings, etc. The condition of arriving or taking place at an arranged time; promptness.

Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate the importance of Punctuality. As you read these quotes, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself.

Quotes on Punctuality

I think the only way to properly face doom is to be on time.” ~Jennifer Dubois

Punctuality is the soul of business.” ~Thomas Chandler Haliburton

Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness, no delay, no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.” ~Lord Chesterfield

Punctuality is the politeness of kings.” ~Louis XVIII

Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.” ~Niccolo Machiavelli

Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” ~William Shakespeare

Promptitude is not only a duty, but is also a part of good manners; it is favorable to fortune, reputation, influence, and usefulness; a little attention and energy will form the habit, so as to make it easy and delightful.” ~Charles Simmons

People count the faults of those who keep them waiting.” ~Proverb

What do you think about when you ponder Punctuality? Do you have any other favorite quotes on the topic? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Leadership Trait to Ponder: Focus

July 24, 2014 by

Leadership-Trait-Focus-Todd-NielsenToday the leadership trait to ponder is Focus.  The dictionary defines Focus as: the center of interest or activity; the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition; to pay particular attention to. I believe the ability to focus is an important trait of a leader. Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate Focus. As you read these quotes, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself.

Quotes on Focus

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” ~Aristotle Onassis

You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” ~Mark Twain

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” ~Alexander Graham Bell

The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.” ~Brian Tracy

My focus is to forget the pain of life. Forget the pain, mock the pain, reduce it. And laugh.” ~Jim Carrey

I don’t focus on the critics. Everyone who is making any difference in any field has critics. As long as I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, then I don’t worry about it.” ~Joel Osteen

Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.” ~Matt Cameron

Your destiny is to fulfill those things upon which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting and joyful. Your life is always moving toward something.” ~Ralph Marston

When you focus on life, on enjoying and connecting with other people, that’s when work comes.” ~Alia Shawkat

The sun’s energy warms the world. But when you focus it through a magnifying glass it can start a fire. Focus is so powerful!” ~Alan Pariser

What do you think about when you ponder the leadership trait of Focus? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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64 Promises That Every Leader Should Make

July 22, 2014 by

Leadership-Promises-Todd-NielsenI have come to believe that as leaders we need to make promises to ourselves and to those we lead. Earlier this year as I was working on a project, I thought to myself, “What are the promises I make as a leader?” I have always had ideals and ways of doing things, but I had never written them out as promises and made them official. I thought about this for quite some time and after a while I came up with this list of 64 promises that leaders should make.

I believe it is fairly encompassing; although probably not a complete list, nor is it in order of importance, per se. You might ask where “64” came from, that’s just where I ended.  This list may not be perfectly suited to you, if not start your own list, and see where you end up.

I hope you enjoy this and it gives you a lot to think about. Here it goes:

  1. I promise to serve others.
  2. I promise to manage issues head-on.
  3. I promise to be a great teacher.
  4. I promise to hold effective meetings.
  5. I promise to find and create efficiencies.
  6. I promise to have and help others have an innovation mindset.
  7. I promise to be crystal clear about expectations.
  8. I promise to provide consistent coaching and feedback.
  9. I promise to never stop asking questions.
  10. I promise to build teamwork and leadership acumen among everyone under my stewardship.
  11. I promise to never stop learning.
  12. I promise to commit myself to excellence.
  13. I promise to be ethical and honest.
  14. I promise to inspire others.
  15. I promise to listen.
  16. I promise to acknowledge and celebrate successes.
  17. I promise to create some fun.
  18. I promise to be transparent and self-aware.
  19. I promise to own-up to my responsibilities and failures.
  20. I promise that I will make mistakes; but I will own up to them, and learn from them.
  21. I promise to lead by example.
  22. I promise to learn what really motivates the individuals under my stewardship.
  23. I promise to make culture, a priority.
  24. I promise to not offload responsibility
  25. I promise to delegate effectively.
  26. I promise to build trust.
  27. I promise to be authentic and vulnerable.
  28. I promise to plan for success.
  29. I promise to manage my time effectively and teach that skill to others.
  30. I promise to tell good stories to illustrate and inspire.
  31. I promise to really care for the people under my stewardship.
  32. I promise to defend the company’s values.
  33. I promise to always speak well of company leadership.
  34. I promise to anticipate problems and find solutions.
  35. I promise to find efficiency through better processes development.
  36. I promise to be organized.
  37. I promise to be detail oriented.
  38. I promise to communicate the company vision, goals, and key messages.
  39. I promise to be realistic about deliverables.
  40. I promise to support and push those under my stewardship to achieve more.
  41. I promise to manage the consequences of poor performance.
  42. I promise to be humble.
  43. I promise to not only lead, but also to follow.
  44. I promise to give credit to those that have done good things.
  45. I promise to simplify the complicated.
  46. I promise to be personable and approachable.
  47. I promise to say no when appropriate in order to not create burdens.
  48. I promise to say yes most of the time and then empower and lead my teams to create success.
  49. I promise to grow others.
  50. I promise to build cohesiveness among cross-functional teams.
  51. I promise to communicate, communicate, and communicate some more.
  52. I promise to be a change agent to displace inefficiencies.
  53. I promise to encourage creativity.
  54. I promise to be passionate about what we are doing.
  55. I promise to have a positive attitude.
  56. I promise to take everything in stride.
  57. I promise to try new things.
  58. I promise to reward results.
  59. I promise to create “structures” that create confidence.
  60. I promise to create career paths and opportunities for those under my stewardship.
  61. I promise to “take one for the team” if that is what it takes.
  62. I promise to get my hands dirty.
  63. I promise to be goal oriented.
  64. I promise to keep my promises.

Well there it is. What do you think? Is there anything that you would add? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Leadership Trait to Ponder: Adaptability

July 17, 2014 by

adaptability-leadership-traitToday the leadership trait to ponder is Adaptability.  The dictionary defines Adaptability as: the ability to change (or be changed) to fit changed circumstances; the ability to change your ideas or behavior so that they are suitable for different conditions, a new environment, or in order to deal with a new situation successfully. Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate Adaptability. As you read these quotes on Adaptability, think about how you can exemplify this leadership trait in yourself.

Quotes on Adaptability

All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.” ~Yann Martel

It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.” ~Charles Darwin

Set patterns, incapable of adaptability, of pliability, only offer a better cage. Truth is outside of all patterns.” ~Bruce Lee

If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.” ~Jeff Bezos

All failure is failure to adapt, all success is successful adaptation.” ~Max McKeown

Adaptability is about the powerful difference between adapting to cope and adapting to win.” ~Max McKeown

Tactics, fitness, stroke ability, adaptability, experience, and sportsmanship are all necessary for winning.” ~Fred Perry

The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” ~Kakuzo Okakaura

Adaptability is not imitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

What do you think about when you ponder Adaptability? Please share your thoughts in the comments section!

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Won’t the real YOU please stand up? – Authentic Leadership

June 13, 2014 by

Authentic-LeaderAll any of us want deep down is to be ourselves and to know that those with whom we have a working relationship are the real deal, what to expect from them and that we can trust them.

The Corporate Metamorphosis – It’s 6:00am Monday morning and you’re washing away the last thoughts of the weekend when you were a mother, a father, a partner, the laugh of the party, the bookworm, the sports coach for the local kids’ team. You set your hair in stone, select your corporate power suit, and then in the time between waltzing out your front gate and marching through the revolving glass door, the transition’s complete; you’ve morphed into the corporate you, your corporate avatar. Subconsciously, you manage your avatar, carefully removing unfortunate traces of personality that conflict with the corporate image you wish to project – the image you believe is expected of you and most guaranteed for success.

News Flash – this image is a waste of valuable time and energy. It’s the real you they want, and it’s the real you that is the best manager you can be.

Authentic Leadership

Authentic Leadership is not disguising yourself to suit a role, it’s using your strengths and weaknesses to connect openly. A centuries-old awareness, the ancient Greeks knew the importance and value of Authentic Leadership: Socrates words, “Know thyself”[i], implored us more than 2000 years ago to learn/discover all we could about ourselves on the path to our ultimate destination.

Leadership success is derived from, open and honest relationships, genuine appreciation and valuation of the input of followers, and commitment to ethical management. Authentic leaders build trust and engender employee engagement through the relationships they build with their team.

“Authentic leaders are self-aware and genuine. Authentic leaders are self-actualized individuals who are aware of their strengths, their limitations, and their emotions. They also show their real selves to their followers. They do not act one way in private and another in public; they don’t hide their mistakes or weaknesses out of fear of looking weak. They also realize that being self-actualized is an endless journey, never complete.”[ii]

Great leaders transition from weekend to weekday seamlessly, not fearing vulnerability, failure or even success.

What Characterises an Authentic Leader?

Authentic leaders lead to their fullest potential, maximising the value in relationships and looking forward to a future with shared success. Authenticity is no simple achievement, and carries no guarantee of great leadership, but is well worth the effort. You need first to understand yourself before you can play to your strengths.

Authentic leaders:

  • put team goals ahead of their own personal aspirations. The team’s success is their success. When the group wins, the leader stands on the podium alongside team mates.
  • act with their heart and intuition. They are comfortable with and not afraid or ashamed to display their emotions.
  • tell it like it is, but with empathy. They’re willing to give you the real, sometimes tough message, but leave you knowing where you stand.
  • focus both on present and future goals, weathering the storm now with the vision to look to the calm seas and potential ahead.
  • have strong self-awareness, critically considering the impact of their behaviour on others.

“He was always impatient and quick to anger. When people brought bad news, he would attack the messanger.so people stopped telling him things. He had no idea he frightened people.

She videotaped him in action and then replayed the tape for him, pointing out the effect his habitual forbidding facial expression had on people. It was a revelation: “when he realised how he was coming across, he got tears in his eyes, ”…[iii]

Recently I undertook the Life Styles Inventory (LSI), a review of my leadership behavioural and thinking styles. The LSI revealed my opinion/perception of my leadership behaviours/thinking patterns was very close to that of my reports, peers and managers, telling me my behaviour is authentic, the real me. It doesn’t automatically make me a great manager. I could behave like a complete prat, know it and have my team know it. That would be authentic. And I wasn’t free of opportunities for improvement by any means, but I am aware of them and have ideas/actions for improving my patterns of behaviour and thought.

Sorry – There’s No Leadership Blueprint

When developing personal relationships with other people, as a friend or a partner, we take the time to get to know the real them. We develop rapport, mutual trust, and identify and align our values. We team with them. The most effective personal and working relationships are formed on this basis.

There is no perfect leader or leadership blueprint. There are, however, many great leaders, with many and varied characteristics that reflect their individual personalities.

“During the past 50 years, leadership scholars have conducted more than 1,000 studies in an attempt to determine the definitive styles, characteristics, or personality traits of great leaders. None of these studies has produced a clear profile of the ideal leader. Thank goodness. If scholars had produced a cookie-cutter leadership style, individuals would be forever trying to imitate it. They would make themselves into personae, not people, and others would see through them immediately.”[iv]

You know what? It’s more than ok just to be you. Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

 

[i] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_thyself

[ii] http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/05/12/what-is-authentic-leadership/#./?&_suid=139864930292908536648577576342

[iii] Goleman, D 1999, Working with Emotional Intelligence, Bloomsbury Publishing, London

[iv] http://hbr.org/2007/02/discovering-your-authentic-leadership/ar/1

 

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Leaders – Be Sure, Not Right!

June 12, 2014 by

Leaders-Be-Sure-Not-RightWe live in a society that values being right above everything else. Starting at a young age, we teach our youth that it is better to have the right answer than it is to question, experiment and take risks. This has created an environment where people are scared to be wrong and terrified to fail! Is this why so many leaders are scared to death of being wrong? Business owners and leaders are called upon to make a monstrous number of decisions every day. Throughout my time consulting with businesses, I’ve witnessed leader after leader buckle under the immense pressure of always trying to make the right decision but, is it as important as we think to be right?

Steve Jobs was one of the most respected leaders in business of all time. It was said of Jobs that his strength was not that he was always right but that he was always sure. Leaders can learn a lesson here from Jobs. Sometimes it is more important to be sure then to be right! You are not going to have all of the answers and none of us have a crystal ball. As a leader, you have to collect the information you have available to you (know that it will rarely be as much as you’d like) and make the best decision you can based on what you see in front of you. The key is, be sure in your decision! No one wants to follow a leader who questions their own decisions or worse, can’t make one! If you repeatedly spin your tires when it comes to making a decision and can’t commit out of fear of getting it wrong, you better believe your staff will look for someone else with confidence and posture to lead.

Please understand that I am not telling anyone to be reckless with their decision making power. You still need to do your due diligence. Blindly ignoring your ignorance and moving forward with uneducated decisions is irresponsible and will surely lead to failure. What I do want leaders to realize is that you don’t have to be right all of the time. Actually, I guarantee that you won’t be right all of the time. Seth Godin (author and speaker) said during an interview, “If I fail more times than you, I win!” Seth Godin understands that it is okay to fail. As long as you learn from your mistakes and improve, your business will be better for it. So remember if you are a leader at work, home or in your community, you better get comfortable making decisions and once you have the information needed make a confident decision, be sure and don’t be afraid of getting it wrong.

What can leaders do to make sure they stay sure?

1. Have a crystal clear vision of what you are looking to achieve. Often leaders are unsure in their decisions because they have no clue where they are going.

2. Collect all of the information you need. The difficulty here is that you will rarely be able to have as much information as you would like and everyone around you will have their own opinion on what you should do. Remember, you won’t be able to make everyone happy. The best advice I was given on this topic was that the advisors you use don’t necessarily have to be the most brilliant business minds but they should understand you and your organization’s philosophies and principles better than anyone.

3. Make the decision! Always show posture and confidence when making your decision. Your team needs to feel that you are sure and that there is a reason to follow you. Once the decision has been made the hard part is over.

4. Move forward with humbleness and humility. Those who are reading this I am sure are very intelligent people so don’t take this the wrong way. You will be wrong someday! There is nothing worse than a leader who cannot be humble and practice humility after making a decision that was clearly wrong. When the day comes that you are wrong, admit it, recognize the faults and move forward in the best direction possible.

Good luck to the leaders out there and your future decisions. Remember be humble, confident and most of all be sure! Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Timeless Contents of a Leader’s Toolkit

June 10, 2014 by

leadership-management-toolkitLeadership is the ability to make things happen. Given the increasing complexity of the world in which we live in, and the enormous demands placed on leaders, I believe these seven tools will help you maximize your leaderability.

 Vision

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” – Proverbs 29: 18

Vision as a picture of the future a leader has in mind which inspires him and he shares it with others for them to feature in bringing it to pass. Being a leader requires you to have a clear vision of the future and being able to communicate it passionately and clearly to others.

Leadership success begins with vision. Walt Disney envisioned a place people can come and have fun, Todd Nielsen thought of a place where people can come together to learn and share their leadership views, and Martin Luther King, jr., dreamed of a world where everyone is equal.

You must endeavor to create a compelling vision, clarify it and market it properly for people to buy-in. The success of your leadership is tied to the actualization of your vision.

Passion

Passion is essential for effective leadership. I have observed great leaders in corporate, religious, academic, political and social organizations, one thing they have in common is that they are very passionate with what they believe in.

Ralph Waldo Emerson rightly said, “Passion is one of the most powerful engines of success. Nothing great was ever achieved without passion.” Leadership is a marathon and passion is the energy you need to finish fine.

Your passion is your passport to progress; make it right.

Confidence

Firm belief in yourself is a key to being a successful leader anytime. It helps you go the way and show the way. Douglas McArthur painted a good picture of it when he said, “A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.”

Confidence is a fundamental basis of leadership. It helps you to stand your ground during challenging times. Self-confidence is not magic; it can be developed.

Communication

To share your vision, inspire others, and sell your products and services, you need good communication skills. To excel in leadership, you must master the art of effective communication. Great leaders are great communicators.

Don’t just communicate; connect!

Communication styles differ from leader to leader. Your body language and words should be topnotch. As a leader, your communication must be clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete and courteous because your ability to communicate and connect effectively raises the bar on your leadership.

Compassion

Compassion is one of the silent but principal qualities of a leader. One grave mistakes people make in life is asking for hands while they have not touched a heart. A leader should be compassionate.

Compassion is the people-centric mindset of a leader that inspires him to aspire and perspire to help others become better. This is not weakness but, strength.

A compassionate leader loves his people and this motivates them to give their best to make his leadership a success. To be a great leader you must shift from “I” to “We” mentality because this helps you show kindness, care, fairness, genuineness and gain trust, respect, loyalty and followership.

Focus

In a world that is constantly accelerating, many people find it difficult to stay focused, we spend energy worrying about yesterday or tomorrow. Leaders are humans and at times they encounter overwhelming situations which can make them go off-course but, focus helps them comeback on track and win in the race. Focus helps you stay true to your leadership goals and discriminate yourself from things that will militate against your success.

FOCUS = Follow On Course Until Successful

Honesty

The quality or fact of being honest gives life to your leadership. Honesty is a veritable tool in building trust between leaders and
followers.  Honesty is one of the great characteristics of effective leaders. This is one quality that is lacking in Nigeria politics and
leadership.

Without honesty one cannot lead with integrity. One place some leaders miss opportunity to display honesty is in handling mistakes. Being honest doesn’t mean you are weak but, it shows you are morally strong. Honesty is a virtue and a mark of
higher-life. It’s a key to becoming a leader of repute.

Leadership is not title but, result. The tools in this toolkit are the arsenal you need to move yourself from a common to an uncommon leader.

Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Leadership & The Power of Curious

May 28, 2014 by

Curious-Curiosity-LeadershipYou never know where a conversation could lead you.  It can start out with a simple, “hello” and lead to a short chat that ends quickly, or could turn into hours of discussion; but only if you let listening and curiosity take over.

The power of curious is really about not setting an agenda; about not being so set on an end result that you avoid or overlook or completely ignore the interesting, engaging, and authentic people that are sitting right in front of you.  They might have so much to offer, if you simply listen with a curious ear.

Try this in your next one-on-one or relationship-building meeting:  Focus on asking good questions that lead from one to another through curiosity.  Remove the need to reach a conclusive objective.  I experimented with this exercise in a coffee-chat debrief with a client.  The purpose of the coffee-chat was to get feedback on a session I had just facilitated for his team.  (I am always interested in feedback as it helps me become a better coach and facilitator). After receiving the feedback, I asked a number of questions that while, relevant to the feedback, also helped me better understand his team, their processes, their work and their clients.  At the end of our time together (30 minutes led to 60 minutes), he was impressed by my interview skills and asked me to facilitate another session for his group.

I was amazed at the power that this type of conversation holds.  Not only did I allow myself to be open to what could happen, I also was able to create a safe environment that allowed my coffee-companion to be open as well. Less pressure, more honesty, more connection, leading to a better relationship – all thanks to curiosity.

Think about this as a leader – How can the power of being curious impact my team?

It can lead to:

  • Innovation
  • Confidence-building
  • Problem-solving
  • Elimination of personal agendas
  • Removal of silos
  • Better understanding of priorities and mission
  • Ability to visualize success
  • Opportunity to learn from mistakes in a judgment-free zone

As you approach your next relationship-building opportunities & meetings, try the following to prepare for the power of curious to kick in:

  • Allow the person you are meeting to set the agenda, if any at all
  • Put your phone, tablet and/or pen away, and be present with undivided attention
  • Ask for clarification and further details or examples as often as possible
  • Concentrate on what is being said, not what you will say next

The power of curious comes from listening, being truly present.  Your curiosity will model the way for others to be curious.  It allows creativity to brew and build, relationships to strengthen and grow, bridges between groups to build, and foster momentum that can change the future.

How do you practice curiosity in your leadership? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Leaders, Are You Creating Gangs in Your Org?

May 20, 2014 by

Leadership-Gangs-GraffitiIt was just after eight in the morning. I had been on an overnight flight across three time zones. My mind was fuzzy with fatigue and eyes drowsily droopy. But shut they would not.

I grabbed my bags and headed for the train station. A few minutes after rolling out of the station, my sight was assaulted by vivid color. For the next mile, the earth-retaining walls and the back walls of buildings next to the railway tracks were covered with graffiti. And I wondered, if graffiti was this elaborate here, why was there none in the airport arrival lounge?

At every train stop, the same scenario repeated itself about a mile into the station and another out of it. An hour later, we rolled into my destined station. It was the same as all the others. As soon as I stepped out onto the street, I quickly surveyed all the surrounding building for any signs of graffiti. None, zilch, nada… I wondered, “Why?”

There was clearly a lot of artistic acumen in the canvas of graffiti that was laid out on those walls. I could see the intricate thought. However, I also had a deep sense of the violent despair in the soul of the graffitist, emptiness.

The words and images were a depiction of a lost hope. It was like those behind the graffiti had ganged up to send a silent challenge and a plea to be pointed in the right direction. What if their talent was harnessed to improve the aesthetics of public places?

Back home, two separate incidents helped me understand why ganging up emerges when true leadership fails. When a leadership vacuum occurs, gangs slowly start to form and thrive.

Stop, Police!

I had a conversation with a senior police officer as he sat in the passenger seat of my car. Where I come from, it isn’t uncommon for a police officer to flag you down for a lift. They sometimes don’t have sufficient resources at their disposal. It was then that I spotted the driver of a commuter bus commit a traffic offence.

When I asked the police officer why this was so rampant, his response left me gutted. “You see,” he sighed in resignation, “If I arrest this guy, I’ll waste a good part of my day. The paperwork is time-consuming. When he goes to court, he’ll only have to pay a small fine and is back on the road a few hours later. So why bother? No one has been injured anyway.”

This special breed of gangs have emerged because of a lack of leadership in the judicial system and weak enforcement of laws. The traffic-law-breaking gangs have grown to endemic levels; just because a leader abdicated their role to put in place the right policies and protocols.

Checked Out

The second was a series of events at one of my former workplaces. Discord was evident everywhere. The quality of work had deteriorated. By the time I left, about half the work force was coming to the office an average of thirty minutes past the official reporting time. Some would saunter in as much as an hour late and act like nothing unusual had occurred.

About half the workforce was showing up but was checked out. They had formed an alliance; a gang of employees who did the bare minimum work that reflected the quality of the leadership.

Something unfortunate began to happen. A few hard-working valuable employees were unsettled by this mediocre gangs that had formed. They were frustrated as delivery of their results depended in part to their colleagues who had already “checked out.”

Finally, some of these valuable people started to check out too. They did not join the gangs of mediocrity; they left the organization for good!

Three ‘must-dos’ for Leaders

First, people have a deep desire to be led in an authentic way. You can’t expect goodness from people if you don’t extend it to them first. “If we have a good heart and concern for others, our actions will be positive.” ~Dalai Lama

Secondly, start small before things snowball on you. Assess your habits as a leader. If you show up late for work late, your followers will follow suit. It doesn’t matter whether you are a morning person or not. “Leadership is an action, not a position.” ~Donald McGannon

Third, listen to the pulse of workers who churn out quality work effortlessly. Protect and influence them to create gangs of excellence that grow the organization’s vision. “Leading an organization is like frying a small fish. You spoil it with too much poking.” ~from the Tao the Ching

Which gangs would you rather lead? I’d love to read your comments!

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