Leadership is a choice! It is not a job or title, and your position in the organization is irrelevant. That’s management. Managers direct their staff to do the job; leaders motivate people to want to do the job. Leadership is about people, culture, context and courage. It’s about a desired future, commitment, and foreseeing possibilities. Management is a way of doing, while leadership is a way of being.
Leadership is essential when we’re forging new ground and encountering the unknown lions and tigers and bears. A leader helps us propel our way through the change curve. Leaders help us gain clarity on where we want to go and make that vision compelling. Leaders know that it takes all of us with our combined talents to produce meaningful change. Leaders mobilize the troops and understand that as we tire we become more vulnerable. Managers can demand “obedience” but obedience doesn’t have the legs to push through ever-growing obstacles. Leaders know this is not the time for a written disciplinary note…it’s time to share learnings and celebrate failures.
Leadership can be learned!
LEADERSHIP
Liberate the leader in everyone and extraordinary things happen
-- Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner
Case Study: Sitting Tall in the Saddle
A Managing Director of a saddle company and her 5 departmental leads earned their stripes through trial and error. During the pandemic the company invested in a 9-month virtual leadership training/coaching initiative as a tune-up to increase leadership self-confidence while managing remotely, manage projects, enhance employee morale, eliminate excuses and finger-pointing, increase accountability, lead frightened employees, offer tools to deal with diverse personalities, and work “on” the business rather than “in” the business.
The Solution
2-hr group Zoom training sessions cemented fundamentals on Leadership, Style and Managing Commitment. They were held at the start of training and periodically thereafter.
I met twice-monthly in 1:1 Zoom coaching sessions with each participant to address unique challenges. Each individual set personal and professional goals, and was promised at least 12 hours of individualized attention. They completed action assignments related to targets, and we discussed successes, failures and insights. Each received a report of Cheryl’s Observations and Coaching Comments following each session.