High Performance Leadership

High Performance

LEADERSHIP Leaders are what leaders do PAUL ROBINSON

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POSITIVE REVOLUTION First Published in India in 2009 by Positive Revolution Copyright c 2009 Paul Robinson The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All cartoons narrated in this work is by Randy Glasbergen Copyright c Randy Glasbergen All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any other means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and with out a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

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Acknowledgments NOTHING OF LARGE importance has ever been created without the collective support of like minded people. This book is an outcome of team work. First and foremost I want to thank the creative source from where everything flows and channeled through creativity. I would like to extend my gratitude to my collaborators at Positive Revolution.

I thank all the partici pants of my seminars and workshops,for your valuable suggestions and intriguing questions that has triggered many of the revelations in this work.

To all the members of Positive Revolution,it has been an amazing experience to enter in some intelligent discussion with you all. Every feed back I have received has helped me improve every time I speak and write.

Finally,To all my readers. As intended as it may seem, I believe you and I are kindred spirits,because I started my development reading hundreds of books in management and leadershi p and they have tremendously helped to be improve my perceptions of reality.

Together let us transform leadershi p together.

Paul Robinson Bangalore, 2012

“My vision as a professional motivational speaker is to enhance personal and organizational growth.

My purpose is to empower audiences to look at their challenges smaller than they are, make them focus on solutions by capitalizing on opportunities that are hidden in problems. It is for this reason that I craft each of my session specific to the challenges that my audience face. As a speaker my job is to educate the human mind, touch the emotions of people, and challenge their will to do more�

Invite PAUL ROBINSON to speak at your next conference Paul Robinson is a professional motivational speaker and keynote business conference speaker, seminar leader, and corporate retreat facilitator. He is the best selling author of several personal growth titles and management books on leadership, negotiation, change, innovation and sales . As a speaker he has addressed several CEOs, Presidents and VPs of several global firms in India and abroad. Over 100,000 people have listened to him speaking in keynotes, seminars and workshops hailing from various walks of life.

Within the field of professional business speakers, Robinson is highly regarded for his challenging, high content message, latest researched information as well as practical approach to the challenges and opportunities organizations face today in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

If you’re looking for a Motivational Speaker with a powerful message, who is absolutely inspirational and informational then book Paul Robinson as your Motivational Keynote Speaker in your next upcoming event. Call +91 9902815613 or write to vani@positiverevolutions.com

LEADERSHIP keynotes on

Leadership in the evolving landscapes High Performance Leadership Change leaders Lead in challenging times Strategic leadership How leaders communicate?

Communicating vision The secrets of visionary leaders

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Contents Preface 2 Chapter One High Performance Leadership 5 Chapter Two Deep into the Leadership Data 10 Chapter Three Leadership is no Moral Science 16 Chapter Four Action Based Leadership 19 Chapter Five People Based Leadership 44 Chapter Six System Based Leadership 55 Chapter Seven Creating Change in the Evolving Landscapes 65 Chapter Eight Leadership is Developed 76 Chapter Nine Ten Mantras to Lead in Challenging Times 81 After Words 90

Leadership Wikipedia's definition of leadership is: “The process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task".

“Leadership is the ability to see things as they are, to see things as better than they are and then to make them as you see it.”

"Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen."

"A leader is a dealer in hope"

- Napoleon Bonaparte The U.S. Army says a leader must "Be, Know, Do."

The New York Fire Department says a leader is "First in, last out."

Lee Iacocca says “A leader picks good people and sets the right priorities.”

Jesse Jackson says, "Leadership has a harder job to do than just choose sides.

It must bring sides together."

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

~ John Quincy Adams, Sixth President of the United States “Leaders are not what leaders are. Leaders are what leaders do”

- High Performance Leadership

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THERE ARE THOUSANDS of definitions about leadershi p and each year thousands of books and articles get published about leadershi p. Why another book?

PREFACE Leadershi p has been a curious subject for me for years. Amidst the bombardment of information it made me rethink on several grounds. First leadershi p was observed and studied on a common ground; later management gurus sliced leadershi p into several pieces and objectively proved differences and variations from each other. Today they are rejoining the pieces to reinterpret leadershi p on holistic grounds.

Leadershi p has evolved over times and our understanding on the subject is still evolving.

This book is not just another extension of leadershi p verbatim. I know that,there are thousands of books and articles published every year on the most sought after subject in management- leadershi p.

Thousands of jargons and terms are invented every year to elaborate an innovative style or variable style of leadershi p to complement the changing times.

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Terms like evolutionary leadership, transformational, change, innovative, collective leadership, strategic leadership, market leadership, team leadership ,de-personalising leadershi p and so on and many are getting tied to this holistic band wagon.

Not surprisingly,people who research on the subject of leadershi p come up with new jargons every time adding a word from the dictionary and prefixing it with leadershi p. What you get is a new point of view,a new perspective which is highly refutable in management circles. This happens because the subject we are talking is huge and everyone has a unique way of executing their leadershi p function; whether in the military, business or organizational or personal level.

One point is especially certain- A vast awareness of the subject on leadershi p can help you to evolve your own personal leadershi p style. There is no one style, personality profile, or interaction approach for an effective leadershi p. Leaders do come in ‘all shapes and sizes’. Few can deny the effectiveness of leaders such as Golda Meir, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Meg Whitman,Dr. Martin Luther King,Lee Iacocca,Oprah Winfrey, Jack Welch or Steve Jobs all of who differ significantly and yet they all were successful. Each of us has different role models which we follow.

Many people in the leadershi p positions struggle with understanding what makes a great leader. Quality leadershi p is still in short supply despite billions of dollars being spent annually on leadershi p development. This book is my attempt to light up clarity among confusion.

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We all know that nothing stays the same,but the rate of change in today's business world is unprecedented.

We've seen the advent of global competition, rapid technological development and widespread political change. The business world has moved from being relatively stable and simple to being increasingly dynamic and complex. Organizations now face new challenges and leaders must perform at superior levels in today's increasingly unpredictable situations.

This new world requires a new set of leadershi p skills to ensure high performance and faster delivered results.

The question is: can we identify leadershi p and team behaviours that underpin outstanding performance in dynamic,complex and competitive environments? And more than that, can people learn and develop these skills? The answer is Yes, It is possible. Leadershi p can be taught,coached and mentored to human perfection.

That is what High performance leadershi p is all about.

High Performance Leadershi p teaches you how to be an outstanding leader within your organization who is envied,loved and respected by others. The princi ples and practices you learn in this book is based upon observation and research from the foremost authorities and role models in the field of leadershi p.

Bottom line, High Performance Leadershi p is the new paradigm for result focused organizations to create outstanding leaders for today's changing and challenging times.

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Chapter One HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP IS A rich and meaningful word. It stirs up a sense of idealism , excitement , hope and courage. It is a word that inspires us to be our best; a word that we associate with those who have made the greatest difference in our lives. It is a title everyone respects, it is a person others follow, it is a function highly pivotal in the success of any organised human endeavour.

Leadershi p is an exciting subject over all, and I can assure you that High performance Leadershi p is even more productive and exciting when you study them.

Performance is a term usually used in automobile industry, like high performance cars like Ferrari or Lamborghini. When it comes to supreme human performance the term is –- peak performance,referred mostly in sports and athletics. To understand high performance leadershi p in detail , you must understand three words in this context i.e. 'high', 'performance' and 'leadership.'

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Let me first elaborate the term high. The Latin motto of Olympic games --- 'altius, citius, fortius' means higher, faster and stronger. It encompasses the whole rationale of Olympic Sports. This applies also to a performing skill like leadershi p. Altius or higher is the first motto of Olympics. Soaring above the ground defying gravity is a universally recognized challenge. In leadershi p to perform high means-- to set an audacious goal above your current functionality,which is higher than the current performance to achieve the perceived vision. This can be accomplished by developing attitudes and aptitudes that will achieve the measured progress. We live in a time where bottom line results are not only desired but are also very essential for survival.

The demands for high performance are so heavily placed in today's time that mediocrity and average performance is no longer engaged in a competitive environment. Today people and companies are not only keen on breaking records and raising their bar but also engaged in increasing their share value, customer's trust and employee base. Every organization wants a high performer who will give them the quantum leap of outstanding progress.

Secondly this book is about performance. It is about the behaviour and not about the personality of leadershi p that is highlighted in this work. Performance is the result of a particular behaviour. You judge performance as good or bad based on the measurable results that are produced from that behaviour. There is a huge difference between personality and behaviour. It is like the difference between 'what you can and what High Performance Leadership

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you do.' What ultimately produces result is the outcome of an action or behaviour, not what you are capable of.

Therefore,the so called virtue and qualities of leadershi p take a back seat when it comes to the result focused behavioural leadershi p. Behaviours are the actions you take and the decisions you make. You can control these things and they are manageable because they are also measurable.

On a broader sense leadershi p is about improving people's performance and performance is only judged by results. You can only manage what is measurable.

High performance leadershi p is measurable and manageable. And the best part is, it can be taught. High level performance results from doing the right thing by the right person who possess the right attitude and aptitude at the right time applied singularly or collectively. Good behavior produces good results.

Therefore the bottom line amounts to how much one is prepared to do and as much as how far he is willing to go.

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These days a lot of leaders suffer from the 'capability syndrome'. They think they are capable of delivering results but they refuse to take the plunge when time is ri pe. Capability does not equal results. You can be a person possessing all leadershi p skills and qualities and yet be the worst leader if you do not produce any high optimum results. Remember results come from action.

What you do is your behaviour and what you are is your personality. The world will not pay you for what you know or what you are capable of; it pays you for what you do and for the results your produce. No matter what your personality may be,the results always come from behaviour. Leadershi p is not about who you are. It is about what you do best.

Personality is the simple word for characteristics and traits and that alone will not make a high performance leader. In fact personality is a poor predictor of performance. We all do different things when we are faced with different situations, regardless of what our basic personality trait may be. However knowing a personality can predict a range of behaviour in a person.

Extensive researches into character traits of effective leaders have failed to find any correlation between one particular set of traits and success. But on a behavioural level, a set of actions a person may take can actually predict the level of performance.

According to behaviour kinetics there are both performance blocking behaviour as well as performance accelerating behaviours in a person that makes a high performer. Scott Keller and Colin Price in their book ‘Beyond Performance’ point out that organizational High Performance Leadership

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health is essential for its performance. According to them ‘health is the ability of an organization to align,execute and renew itself faster than the competition so that it can sustain exceptional performance over time.’ In a world of high performance, we can’t deny the importance of health as much as a champion takes care of his health, immunity and diet to perform better in athletics.

Thirdly high performance is about leadershi p.

Academics and success of many organizations teach us that one of the primary components of any organized success is great leadershi p. There are more than 500 definitions about leadershi p and more than 1000 theories to elaborate each of them. Indifference is the new style to defining leadershi p. It boils down to one single fact that there are no written rules about leadershi p, as conventional knowledge about leadershi p is getting defied and defined at this very moment as you read.

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Chapter Two DEEP INTO THE LEADERSHIP DATA LEADERSHIP IS AN interesting subject and a curious one too. After the Second World War,the US govt. sponsored a massive piece of research into leadershi p. Prior to the war they believed that leaders are born and not made but the results taught them to disbelieve in the theory. The researchers had spent roughly half a million dollars examining the behaviour of a large number of officers, they concluded that the leadershi p was comprised of two types of behaviour: one was based on the tasks performed like taking action, getting the job done and getting results and the other was based on the behaviour of a person who builds interpersonal relations with others like showing concern, aiding them for their development and being sensitive and attentive to other’s needs. There were two strong distinctions made in the behavioural aspects of leadershi p, one the 'task master- skilled person' who gets the job done and the other 'interpersonally skilled person' who High Performance Leadership

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had people skills. Later, the third element was found- the leadershi p function and behaviour of integration and coordination.

Now there are three approaches to leadershi p. One is 'action based' that talks about initiating activities, driving for results and getting things done. The second is 'people based' that is showing concern to the people, and aid them in their development. Thirdly the 'system based' leadershi p which is more like strategy oriented, integrating ideas and action, innovation and thinking.

This is more like a functional aspect of leadershi p. All three types are suited for different situations. All these possess a set of attitudes and behaviours. The good news is that you can develop a personal style best suited for your unique situation by combining three primary leadershi p approaches which I will be delving in detail through the following chapters.

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Bottom line you can demonstrate a set of attitudes and behaviours to reach the high performance that you want.

What is interesting about these three types of leadershi p style is that it has its core origin in human personality.

Core of personality is the cause set in motion and behaviour is the effect.

Famous psychologist Sigmund Freud recognized that there are an infinite variety of personalities, he identified three main types: erotic,obsessive,and narcissistic. Most of us have elements of all three. We are all, for example, somewhat narcissistic. If that were not so,we would not be able to survive or assert our needs. Over time Freud's definitions of personality types differed.

When talking about the erotic personality type, however, Freud generally did not mean a sexual personality but rather 'one for whom loving and above all being loved is most important’. This type of individual is dependent on other people to meet their needs for significance. They are driven by the human need for connection and love. Their identity is an extension of the larger network of people they are

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connected to. As personalities they are 'outer directed people', caring and supportive of other’s needs. These people develop a 'people oriented' leadershi p style and they want to be loved by their followers.

Obsessive's, in contrast, are 'inner-directed individuals'.They are self-reliant and conscientious.

They create and maintain order and make the most effective operational managers. They look constantly for ways to help people listen better, resolve conflict,and find win-win opportunities. Obsessive's are also ruled by a strict conscience—they like to focus on continuous improvement at work because it fits in with their sense of moral improvement.

As entrepreneurs, obsessives start businesses that express their values, but they lack the vision, daring, and the charisma it takes to turn a good idea into a great one.

The best Obsessives set high standards and communicate very effectively. They make sure that instructions are followed and costs are kept within budget. Obsessives use the system-based functional leadershi p style.

Narcissistic types are 'self directed' people. They are independent and not impressed easily. They are driven by the need for significance and in business they gain power and glory. There are productive and unproductive narcissistic leaders. The difference is between Bill Gates (productive) and Bin Laden (unproductive). Productive narcissists are experts in their industries. Their expertise and knowledge give them the power to redefine their boundaries and constantly push beyond their boundaries.

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They possess a sense of competitiveness to almost anything. They also pose the critical questions and they are willing to learn everything about everything that affects the company and its products.

Unlike erotics, they want to be admired, not loved.

And unlike Obsessives, they are not troubled by a punishing superego, so they are able to aggressively pursue their goals. They are the task masters. They get every job done. And above all they are driven by results.

Achievement and results are their preferences over people and system. They will change the system,bend the rules even mani pulate their followers to get the work done. They are highly action oriented and they make up the 'action based leadership' style. In the High Performance Leadershi p,behavioural leadershi p is an outcome of certain personality or the combination of the three core personalities. High performance leadershi p can deliver manageable results through action based or people based or system based leadershi p. All leaders have a part of their behaviour triggered either by action based or people based or system based leadershi p style from time to time.

Leaders may adapt different styles as circumstances and times change. All leaders dominate any one of the behaviour and their style of leadershi p changes drastically and thus their performance and results change eventually.

Action oriented leadershi p is driven by the need for significance and their need is met by creating change in their surroundings. People based leadershi p is driven by human values and the need for connection and love.

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System based leadershi p is driven by princi ples and the need for certainty and they create an environment for best practices that are highly successful in driving proactive human behaviour.

In action based leadershi p every outcome is controlled whereas in people based leadershi p outcome is allowed. In system based leadershi p an outcome is generated. Action based leaders will say 'do it� (action & result) to their teams,while people based leader will say 'let us do it'(work or play together) and system based leaders create an environment for proactive actions from everyone in the organization (job is duty).

Even though there are several variations in each of these leadershi p styles, all of them deliver results.

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Chapter Three LEADERSHIP IS NO MORAL SCIENCE SCHOLARS SHOULD REMIND us that leadershi p is not a moral concept. Leaders are like the rest of us: trustworthy and deceitful, cowardly and brave, greedy and generous. To assume that all good leaders are good people is to be wilfully blind to the reality of the human condition. This severely limits our scope for becoming more effective at leadershi p. Worse, it may cause the leaders among us to delude himself into thinking that, because they are leaders, they must be trustworthy, brave, and generous and that they are never deceitful,cowardly, or greedy.

There is no infallibility with leaders. They are humans. Every human intention is variable. As it can be self orientation or other people orientation or even company orientation. No one can put a moral princi ple to any of these orientations.

This is just the way it is. You can't expect all the leaders to be respectful towards their followers or do all their administrative responsibilities.

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For some leaders their primary function is to create more followers but for other leaders it must be the task of making more leaders.

There is no good leadershi p versus the bad one; there is only effective leadershi p against the ineffective leadershi p. Some leaders are effective at certain time and ineffective later. This is a function determined by a situation and as situation varies the style of leadershi p and leaders change according to circumstances. Sir Winston Churchill was a great leader for Britain under Second World War,but he never got re-elected for a peaceful Britain after the war re-election. Some leaders are effective for turbulent times to keep the homeostasis together and some are effective in peaceful times for growth. Some leaders make the best for crisis times and some for crucial changing times and others for maintaining the status-quo.

Only thing that matters is results. Leaders are there for a reason and the purpose of leadershi p in any context is to deliver results. If there is a problem,the leader must deliver solution. When there is chaos,the leader must deliver order.

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When there is confusion, a leader must bring clarity.

Similarly, when there is indecision, a leader must take the decision even if there is no evident answer. That is decision making. Leaders make the decisions today and they get their decisions managed by others for tomorrow. Each leaders lead differently. Leaders don't just lead from the front, they lead from all angles. They push,they pull,and they tug from the sides. Leaders just do whatever it takes to get results.

Leadershi p is not only about having power but it is also about giving power. When a leader empower his people he is giving them power. Some leaders give life to his people while some suck the life out of his people.

How a leader will perform under pressure and how they use power ultimately determines what they are made of.

But most of the behaviours can be changed. The most important thing to remember is that leaders are not always born. Leaders are also made. In today's times leaders are emerged. They emerge because something outstanding in a person can not be hidden for long.

They are also made by mani pulations. They are voted or elected. Leaders spring up everyday. The effective ones are the ones who are idolised. The ineffectives are tolerated or violently opposed or forgotten in the sands of time. The one that deliver results are admired by everyone. The one that touches the soul of the masses are immortalised. Nobody can put down a productive leader who delivers results. That is just the way it is. I believe that high performance is in, because high performance delivers optimum result---the only result everyone is after.

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Chapter Four ACTION BASED LEADERSHIP LEADERS ARE MADE of action.

In an organisation, individuals at all levels exert their influence over the behaviours of others whether it is customers or colleagues. They are influencing the action part of the leadershi p where the job has to be well done, where the task has to be completed on time and where the complexities have to be well managed and simplified.

Action based leaders are powered by their narcissistic personality. They are skilled orators and creative strategists who want to influence a group by attracting followers. These leaders also possess high linguistic intelligence that gives them a command over language and people.

They are driven by the need for significance. They make their stamp of significance by making large contributions to the world. One major key to achieving significance is to do the most daring thing in any situation.

Creating lasting change is a significant task. Therefore Change leaders (as often called as) are action based High Performance Leadership

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leaders. They turn around and re-engineer organizations. They also become founders of new organisations. Companies they lead or manage become their self extension of character and charisma. They love to transform their environment. They want their impact felt in every division of society. There is so much of productive narcissism that drives their behaviours. The only major reflection of their narcissism is in creating the change they want to see. They want their brands to last longer and their leadershi p style to become a legacy.

They are ambitious and even reach the celebrity status.

Sigmund Freud dubbed narcissistic- “People of this type impress others as being 'personalities”; he wrote, describing one of the psychological types that clearly fall within the range of normality: “They are especially suited to act as a support for others, to take on the role of leaders, and to give a fresh stimulus to cultural development or damage the established state of affairs.”

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Throughout history, narcissists have always emerged to inspire people and to shape the future. When military, religious,and political arenas dominated society, it was figures such as NapolĂŠon Bonaparte, Mahatma Gandhi, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt who determined the social agenda. But from time to time, when business became the engine of social change, it too generated its share of narcissistic leaders.

Freud also recognized that there is a dark side to narcissism. Narcissists,he pointed out,are emotionally isolated and highly distrustful. Perceived threats can trigger rage in them. They may not be loved by their immediate circle but they will be loved by millions for their contributions. In this context Late Steve Jobs profile will certainly fill the space for a productive narcissist.

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Achievements can feed feelings of grandiosity. That's why Freud thought narcissists were the hardest personality types to analyse. This is how an executive at Oracle describes his narcissistic CEO Larry Ellison: “The difference between God and Larry is that God does not believe he is Larry.� That observation is amusing,but it is also troubling. Not surprisingly,most people think of narcissists in primarily a negative way.

After all, Freud named the type after the mythical figure Narcissus, who died because of his pathological preoccupation with himself. Yet narcissism can be extraordinarily useful—even necessary. Freud shifted his views about narcissism over time and recognized that we are all somewhat narcissistic.

There is productive and unproductive narcissism.

Leaders such as Jack Welch, Steve Jobs and George Soros are examples of productive narcissists. They are gifted and creative strategists who see the big picture and find meaning in the risky challenge of changing the world and leaving behind a legacy. Indeed, one reason we look to productive narcissists in times of great transition is that they have the audacity to push through the massive transformations that society periodically undertakes. Their command over people can reduce the resistence to change.

Productive narcissists are not only risk takers willing to get the job done but also charmers who can convert the masses with their rhetoric speeches. They are persuaders and their perseverance and commitment can make anybody change their minds..The danger is that narcissism can turn unproductive when, lacking selfHigh Performance Leadership

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knowledge and restraining anchors,narcissists become unrealistic dreamers like Hitler or Mussolini.

Productive narcissism is an outcome of self awareness rather than self preoccupation. Productive narcissists are great visionaries and they understand the vision thing particularly well, because by nature they are people who see the big picture. They are not analysers who can break up big questions into manageable problems; they aren't number crunchers either (these are usually the Obsessive's). Nor do they try to understand the future (like system based leaders)—they attempt to create it. To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, ‘some people see things as they are and ask why; narcissists see things that never were and ask why not’.

Narcissists have vision. Only people with vision can create or induce change. To create change one must know where they are and also must know where they are headed. Vision gives you the ideal of a great picture.

Narcissist leaders are visionaries—but that's not enough, even people in mental asylums also have visions.

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The simplest definition of a leader is someone whom other people want to follow. Indeed, narcissists are especially gifted in attracting followers, and more often than not, they do so through language and emphatic speeches. Narcissists believe that words can move mountains and that inspiring speeches can change people's beliefs and attitudes. Narcissistic leaders are often skillful orators,and this is one of the talents that make them so charismatic and charming with crowds.

Indeed, anyone who has seen narcissists perform can attest to their personal magnetism and their ability to stir enthusiasm among audiences. Yet this charismatic gift is more of a two-way affair than most people think.

Although it is not always obvious, narcissistic leaders are quite dependent on their followers—they need affirmation, and preferably adulation.

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That's because charisma is a double-edged sword—it fosters both closeness and isolation. As he becomes increasingly self-assured, the narcissist becomes more spontaneous. He feels free of constraints.

Ideas flow. He thinks he's invincible. This energy and confidence further inspire his followers. But the very adulation that the narcissist demands can have a corrosive effect. As he expands,he listens even less to words of caution and advice. As Bill Gates once said “Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people(naricists) into thinking they can't lose”.

The significant behaviour of narcissistic leaders is their action orientation. Action oriented leadershi p is performance driven. Albert Schweitzer once said “Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing” This is the lead dog action in example in a dogsled team. The lead dog is at the front of the team.

It sets the pace. It provides the leadershi p and inspiration to other dogs. In fact people will tend to do things if their bosses are doing the same thing. As the dictum goes 'actions speak louder than words'. Action based leaders behave like the 'lead dogs.' The difference between action based with other styles of leadershi p is that,people based leaders behave like a 'gardener' and system based leader behave like a 'shepherd' to their followers. Action oriented behaviour is also very competitive in nature. In the high performance level they strive to be the best,to deliver products and services faster, to gain market share, go higher to beat the competition, and capture more consumers and markets and hold them etc. The lists of successful behaviours of action oriented leaders are: High Performance Leadership

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1.Pro action - or taking initiative and driving for results by getting things done. They are the advocators of action. They make their followers to take action on ideas that are observed risky. They push the limit by challenging people.

2. Setting an example. Being a pace setter, action oriented leader's favourite dictum is 'if I can do it,you can do it too'. They walk the talk and they expect their followers to break their respective records.

3. Inspiring people with big vision. They make people not only see the big picture but also make them believe that they can achieve them too.

4. Setting clear performance targets and monitoring each person's performance against their targets.

5. Challenging people to raise the bar. They make people do things that once believed as impossible. This boosts the confidence of their followers.

6. Focusing on actions on areas where there is a clear impact. They make priorities and action list for every one to follow. Instructions are followed strictly. Rules and standards are set for others to follow.

7. Paying attention to details,(evaluation and managerial). They get into the tiniest details of impact.

They never leave any stone unturned.

8. Time bound delivery of results. They are on a race against time. Pressure is increased at every level to create the sense of urgency and an increase in productivity.

9. Clear cut quick decisions. They are fast decision makers because they know that the buck stops with them.

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10.Spontaneous action. They encourage spontaneity.

They expect others to do a good job.

There is no delay in their work. They expect results on every deadline they set. Their dominant attitude is to win at any cost. They do not care for other’s feelings. 'I don't care, just get it done' is their method of approaching a task even if it is perceived impossible.

Moreover failure is not encouraged by action oriented people. This kind of behaviour exposes the negative side of a narccistic leader.

Performance blocking behaviour of action oriented leadershi p is many. Since they are task masters they discourage team work. They can create a stressful over worked environment literally keeping people on their toes. They demand more from their followers. They can be savagely witty in their remarks and often intimidating in their approach.

Despite the warm feelings their charisma can evoke, action oriented narcissists are typically uncomfortable with their own emotions. They are selective listeners who listen only for the kind of information they seek to understand.

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They neither learn easily from others nor do they like to teach preferring to indoctrinate and make speeches.

They dominate meetings with subordinates. The result for the organization is greater internal competitiveness at a time when everyone is already under as much pressure as they can possibly stand. Perhaps the main problem is that the narcissist's faults tend to become even more pronounced as he becomes more successful.

Action based leaders believe in their actions and results that they develop a sense of predicament to their overall approach. They are highly sensitive to criticism and because of which (’don't tell me what to do,just do what I say’ approach), narcissistic leaders shun emotions as a whole. Indeed, perhaps one of the greatest paradoxes in this age of teamwork and partnering is that the best corporate leader in the contemporary world is the type of person who is emotionally isolated.

Narcissistic leaders typically keep others at arm's length.

They can put up a thick wall of defence and given their difficulty of knowing or acknowledging their own feelings, they are uncomfortable with other people expressing theirs—especially their negative feelings.

Narcissists—even powerful CEOs—bruise easily. This is one explanation why narcissistic leaders do not want to know what people think of them unless it is causing them a real problem. They cannot tolerate dissent. In fact, they can be extremely abrasive with employees who doubt them or with subordinates who are tough enough to fight back. Action oriented leaders are not empathetic towards their followers. Best-selling business writers of today have repeatedly promulgated the slogan of “emotional intelligence and competencies”—the belief High Performance Leadership

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that successful leadershi p requires a strongly developed sense of empathy. But although they crave empathy from others, productive narcissists are not noted for being particularly empathetic themselves. Of course, leaders do need to communicate persuasively. But a lack of empathy did not prevent some of history's greatest narcissistic leaders (Churchill, de Gaulle, Stalin,Mao Tse-tung) from knowing how to communicate—and inspire. And yet they inspired people because of their passion and their conviction at a time when people longed for certainty. In fact, in times of radical change, lack of empathy can actually be a strong point. A narcissist finds it easier than other personality types to buy and sell companies, to close and move facilities, and to lay off employees—decisions that inevitably make many people angry and sad. They have the least sentimental attachments to their followers when it comes to the priority of making profits. But narcissistic leaders typically have few regrets. For them the end justifies the means.

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As one CEO says, “If I listened to my employee's needs and demands, they would eat me alive.” Given this lack of empathy,it's hardly surprising that narcissistic leaders don't score particularly high on evaluations of their interpersonal style. What's more, neither 360degree evaluations of their management style nor workshops in listening will make them more empathic.

Narcissists don't want to change themselves but they want to change everything around them—and as long as they are successful, they don't think they have to. They may see the need for operational managers to get touchy-feely training, but that's not for them. There is a kind of emotional intelligence associated with narcissists, but it is more street smart than empathy. They have a world view of ‘them against the world’. They use their might to conquer their adversities and their resilience gives them the feeling of invincibility.

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Narcissistic leaders are acutely aware of whether or not people are with them wholeheartedly. They know whom they can use. They can be brutally exploitative.

That's why,even though narcissists undoubtedly have “star quality,� they are often disliked. They easily stir up people against them, (in Steve Jobs case Macintosh Team Versus the rest of Apple which caused his expel from Apple) and it is only in tumultuous times,when their gifts are desperately needed(Steve Jobs return to Apple in 1997),that people are willing to tolerate these narcissists as leaders. When it comes to teamwork action oriented leaders want followers who listen to their commands. Narcissistic leaders often say that they want teamwork. What that means in practice is that they want a group of yes-men.

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Another demerit of action based leaders is their lack of interest in mentoring others. Lack of empathy and extreme independence make it difficult for narcissists to mentor and be mentored. Generally speaking, narcissistic leaders set very little store by mentoring.

They seldom mentor others, and when they do they typically want their protégés to be pale reflections of themselves.

Most narcissists prefer “mentors” they can control.

They do not follow advices they only listen to opinions and they make their own decisions with their gut feeling above all rationale. Narcissistic leaders are relentless and ruthless in their pursuit of victory. Games are not games but tests of their survival skills. As Donald Trump puts it 'hire and keep the best people but never trust them'. Of course, all successful managers want to win, but narcissists are not restrained by conscience. Therefore organizations led by narcissistic leaders are generally characterized by intense internal competition.

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Their passion to win is marked by both the promise of glory and the primitive danger of extinction. It is a potent brew that energizes companies, creating a sense of urgency, but it can also be dangerous. These leaders see everything as a threat. As Andy Grove puts it, brilliantly articulating the narcissist's fear, distrust, and aggression,“Only the paranoid survive.�

There is very little business literature that tells narcissistic leaders how to avoid the pitfalls. There are two reasons for this. First, relatively few narcissistic leaders are interested in looking inward. I have identified three basic ways in which productive narcissists can avoid the traps of their own personality.

1) Find a trusted sidekick. Get a #2 just the way Dr. Evil has it in the Austin Powers's movie. You can also get a' mini me' for a likeable or cuter version of you.

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Many narcissists can develop a close relationshi p with one person, a sidekick who acts as an anchor, keeping the narcissistic partner grounded. However, given that narcissistic leaders trust only their own insights and view of reality, the sidekick has to understand the narcissistic leader and what he is trying to achieve. The narcissist must feel that this person,or in some cases persons,is practically an extension of himself.

The sidekick must also be sensitive enough to manage the relationshi p. Don Quixote is a classic example of a narcissist who was out of touch with reality but who was constantly saved from disaster by his squire Sancho Panza. Not surprisingly, many narcissistic leaders rely heavily on their spouses, the people they are closest to.

But dependence on spouses can be risky, because they may further isolate the narcissistic leader from his company by supporting his grandiosity and feeding his paranoia.

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2) Cultivate a greater sense of Self-awareness. Self awareness can uphold action oriented leadershi p to perform at the highest level. Since narcissistic leaders lack empathy, a strong understanding of one's emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs, and drives are essential.

People with strong self-awareness are neither overly critical nor unrealistically hopeful. Rather, they are honest—with themselves and with others. People who have a high degree of self-awareness recognize how their feelings affect them, other people, and their job performance. Self-awareness extends to a person's understanding of his or her values and goals. The decisions of self-aware people mesh with their values; consequently,they often find work to be energizing.But the real question is---How can one recognize selfawareness?

First and foremost, it shows itself as candour and an ability to assess oneself realistically. People with high self-awareness are able to speak accurately and openly—although not necessarily effusive — about their emotions and the impact they have on their work. Self awareness is not a trait you are born with but a capacity you develop throughout your lifetime. It's your understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, your purpose in life, your values and motivations, and how and why you respond to situations in a particular way. It requires a great deal of introspection and the ability to internalize feedback from others.

No one is born a leader; we have to consciously develop into the leader we want to become. Leadershi p is an evolutionary process of moving towards the ideal.

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One of the hallmarks of self-awareness is a selfdeprecating sense of humour. Self-awareness can also be identified during performance reviews. Self-aware people are aware of and are comfortable talking about their limitations and strengths, and they often demonstrate a thirst for constructive criticism. By contrast, people with low self awareness interpret the message that they need to improve as a threat or a sign of failure. Self-aware people can also be recognized by their self-confidence. They have a firm grasp of their capabilities and are less likely to set themselves up to fail by, for example, over-stretching on assignments. They know, too, when to ask for help. And the risks they take on the job are calculated. They won't ask for a challenge that they know they can't handle alone. They'll play to their full strengths. Furthermore,leaders are constantly required to make judgment calls that require a candid assessment of capabilities—their own and those of others.

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So the questions they must often ask themselves are: Do we have the management expertise to acquire a competitor? Can we launch a new product within six months?

People who assess themselves honestly—that is,selfaware people—are well suited to do the same for the organizations they run.

3. Self-Regulation. Biological impulses drive our emotions. We cannot do away with them—but we can do much to manage them. First of all self-regulation, which is like an ongoing inner conversation, is the component of emotional intelligence that frees us from being prisoners of our feelings. People engaged in a conversation such as this feel bad moods and emotional impulses just as everyone else does, but they find ways to control them and even to channel them in useful ways.

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Secondly, self-regulation is important for competitive reasons. Everyone knows that business today is rife with ambiguity and change. Companies merge and break apart regularly. Technology transforms work at a dizzying pace. People who have mastered their emotions are able to roll with the changes. When a new program is announced,they don't panic; instead,they are able to suspend judgment, seek out information, and listen to the executives as they explain the new program.

As the initiative moves forward, these people are able to move with it. Sometimes they even lead the way.

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ACTION BASED LEADERSHIP FOR CHANGE Whatever may be the flows of action oriented leaders, they are famous for creating change anywhere they are. People with narcissistic ideals often seem restless with the status quo. They are persistent with their questions about why things are done in one way rather than another; they are eager to explore new approaches to their work.

Bringing change to any human condition is a majour challenge. This is the challenge action leadershi p is capable of handling better than everyone else. Change instills fear and resistence among followers. Therefore the process of creating change is vital. There is an educative process before change happens. Since action based leadershi p boast of oratory skills, this makes it easier for narcissist to inspire change among their followers.

Today’s times action oriented leadershi p has taken a new definition with regard to productive narcissism as change leaders.Change leaders follow ‘Transformational Leadershi p style’. Transformational leadershi p theories are based on the idea of some form of collaborative greater good. There are skills and qualities that are needed in change management. The effect of these qualities on people undergoing significant organizational change can be summarized as: (1) Building an awareness of the value and importance of tasks.

(2) Focusing their minds on group objectives rather than just personal interests.

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(3) Appealing to and activating their aspirational needs.

Transformation happens only when people are disturbed. Comfort levels keeps people be complacent zone trying to keep up with their status quo. If change has to happen, the strong advocacy of need must be triggered among people.

Transformational Leadershi p is particularly relevant to successful change management---especially in situations of major change. Transformational leadershi p is about raising consciousness. In practical terms this is all about encouraging people to become conscious and aware of what they feel, to feel it strongly and to do so in a context where their values have been defined in such a way that they can be motivated and encouraged to take constructive action.

It takes tenacity to tame cynicism, mass ignorance and fear. Narcissists thrive in chaotic times. They love danger and uncertainty because they are also adventurous people by nature.

Action oriented leaders can motivate their followers.

Interestingly, people with high motivation remain optimistic even when the score is against them. In such

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cases constant motivation to overcome the frustration and depression act as a catalyst to see changes in the positive light.

It’s not difficult to understand how and why a motivation to achieve translates into strong leadershi p.

If you set the performance bar high for yourself, you will do the same for the organization when you are in a position to do so. Likewise, a drive to surpass goals and an interest in keeping score can be contagious. Leaders with these traits can often build a team of managers around them with the same traits. And of course, optimism and organizational commitment are fundamental to leadershi p—just try to imagine running a company without them.

Very often leadershi p is mostly familiar with activities like moving forward, creating change,vision and constantly improving up on results. But there is another dimension to leadershi p which is similar to the functionality of a humble servant ---stewardshi p.

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The stewardshi p function is where most actions are carried out; it is the sustenance factor for any organization. A steward focus on sustaining performance making sure that everything runs more than ok. The performance at this level will greatly affect the entire functionality of leadershi p. These are the arms that carry out the leadershi p in to action and in to measurable results. Most often we only know about the top leaders in organization, only their names will be heard often,but there are hundreds and thousands of leaders in their organization whose names are not heard of, the people who really run things, who really steer various operations in the business. Every one is a leader whose actions affect the larger body of an organization.

Leadershi p is a body of collective action to fulfill a collective goal.

Leadershi p is accelerated by action. Changes, improvements, winning work culture, increased returns all take place as a result of several actions. On one side of the leadershi p engine, the performance is accelerated to create changes with a set of successful behaviors and on the other end the performance is sustained by the successful momentum of action. In a successful organization acceleration and sustenance go hand in hand through constant and never ending improvements. Japanese called it the kaizen. You can apply a consistent improvement strategy in several areas. Constant improvements leads to better performance and results. Sustaining quality and delivering the promises are essential for consistency but constant improvements can build a momentum upward.

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Bottom line, High Performance leadershi p delivers results through action.

Productive narcissists are gutsy and fearless. What separate them from the rest is their commitment to action and the mantra of ‘do whatever it takes’ Major decisions of action based leaders are carried out by support teams that follow either a system based or people based leadershi p style.

Action based leadershi p is often exercised by founders of small and large organizations. Their identity becomes bigger than their organizations. It won’t be surprising to hear when an employee in Virgin says,‘I work for Sir Richard Branson’s company rather than saying he or she actually work for Virgin.

The persona of narcists go further than their organization. All narcists are revolutionary by nature.

They create change wherever they are. They want people to remember them. They don’t form policies from their subordinate’s suggestions. They impose their decisions on people because they believe it is right for them.

Gandhi is a true productive narcissistic leader. He never asked his followers what strategy they must use to get Britishers out of India. He formed his own policies of non-violence and non-cooperation, movement and he told the people to just follow them.

Action oriented leaders are not only made of action, they also have a personal philosophy that drives their behavior. When the right philosophy is in coherence with vision and action, action based leaders deliver amazing results.

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Chapter Five PEOPLE BASED LEADERSHIP ACTION BASED LEADERSHIP is ‘self oriented narcissistic leadershi p’ but people based leadershi p is ‘others oriented’ driven by the human need to connect,love and contribute to other fellow humans. This is an enlightened level of leadershi p and a rare one at it.

It is not so easy to find people these days who are ‘others’ oriented. This also reveals the higher purpose of leadershi p more refined in its true function of serving people.

Prentice defined leadershi p as ‘the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human assistants.’

The man who successfully marshals his human collaborators to achieve particular ends is a leader. A great leader is one who can do so day after day, and year after year, in a wide variety of circumstances. He may not possess or display power; force or the threat of harm may never enter into his dealings. He may not be popular; his followers may never do what he wishes out of love or admiration for him. He may not ever be a colorful person; he may never use memorable devices to High Performance Leadership

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dramatize the purposes of his group or to focus attention on his leadershi p. As for the important matter of setting goals, he may actually be a man of little influence,or even of little skill; as a leader he may merely carry out the plans of others.

People based leaders unique achievement is a human and social one which stems from his understanding of his fellow workers and the relationshi p of their individual goals to the group goal that he must carry out. The effectiveness of Dale Carnegie’s famous prescri ptions in his ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ is a good example. Its major princi ple is a variation of the Golden Rule: “treat others as you would like to be treated.” While limited and oversimplified, such a rule is a great improvement over the primitive coercive approaches or the straight reward-for-desiredbehavior approach.

It is the---to understand and to be understood approach that give clarity,power and direction to the completion of a desired outcome in people based leadershi p.

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People based (or oriented) leadershi p is successful in any model where delegation of responsibility and accountability is needed to achieve a collaborative effort. Great teams are managed with people based leadershi p. These leaders treat their organization as an extended family. Everyone is respected and loved.

There is job security and comfort created to every employee within the organization. People based leaders encourages risk taking and personal development in the organization. They create high performance teams and dedicate quality time in empowering their team members with skills to take on their work related or personal challenges. People based leaders connect and engage with people and they are committed to people development. Other behaviors also include: 1. Giving people credits for their achievement.

2. Asking others to perform and won’t use the ‘tell them’ approach.

3. Creating a learning environment and learning from failures.

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People based leadershi p focus on human development.

They invest on their followers for further Training and Development.

4. Focus on Employee retention and employee welfare.

5. Soliciting ideas and suggestions from others as well as rewarding them.

What makes people based leaders effective at work is their ability to connect with people. For them any human achievement is a collective work done towards the attainment of a common goal. They have remarkable social skill for interpersonal effectiveness.

Socially skilled people tend to have a wide circle of acquaintances, and they have a knack for finding common ground with people of all kinds—a knack for building rapport.

That doesn’t mean they socialize continually; it means they work according to the assumption that nothing important gets done alone. Such people have a network in place when the time for action comes. Social skill along with empathetic skills is the culmination of the dimensions of emotional intelligence. Behavioral scientists have pointed out that on of the major key significant factors behind the success of many leaders and managers are their emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence is a bigger factor than IQ when it comes to dealing with people and succeeding in any human environment.

After studying several star performers with average ones in senior leadershi p positions, nearly 90% of the difference in their profiles was attributable to emotional intelligence factors rather than cognitive abilities.

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Few researchers have confirmed that emotional intelligence not only distinguishes outstanding leaders but can also be linked to strong team performance.

From a scientific (rather than a popular) standpoint, emotional intelligence is the ability to accurately perceive your own and others’ emotions; to understand the signals that emotions send about relationshi ps; and to manage your own and others’ emotions. It doesn’t necessarily include the qualities (like optimism,initiative, and self-confidence) that some popular definitions ascribe to it. Of course,emotional intelligence isn’t the only way to attain success as a leader: A brilliant strategist who can maximize profits may be able to hire and keep talented employees even if he or she doesn’t have strong personal connections with them. Work place efficiency and productivity has proved time and again that a decrease in ego can increase in the emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is about caring for other people. It is not ‘me me me me’ it is ‘us us us us’. That is the primary shift. Empathy, sympathy, consideration,humility are all by products of this shift in thinking and behavior.

The good news is that emotional intelligence can be learned. The process is not easy. It takes time and, most of all, commitment. But the benefits that come from having a well-developed emotional intelligence,both for the individual and for the organization, make it worth all the effort.

There are many dynamics to the emotional intelligence. Of all the dimensions of emotional intelligence,empathy is the most easily recognized. We High Performance Leadership

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have all felt the empathy of a sensitive teacher or friend; we have all been struck by its absence in an unfeeling coach or boss. But when it comes to business,we rarely hear people praised, let alone rewarded, for their empathy. The very word seems un-businesslike,out of place amid the tough realities of the marketplace.

But empathy doesn’t mean a kind of “I’m OK,you’re OK” mushiness. Rather, empathy means thoughtfully considering employees’ feelings—along with other factors—in the process of making intelligent decisions.

Empathy is particularly important today as a component of leadershi p for at least three reasons: the increasing use of teams; the rapid pace of globalization; and the growing need to retain talent.

Empathy plays a key role in the retention of talent, particularly in today’s information economy. Leaders have always needed empathy to develop and keep good people, but today the stakes are higher. When good people leave,they take the company’s knowledge with them. That’s where coaching and mentoring come in.

It has repeatedly been shown that coaching and mentoring pay off not just in better performance but also in increased job satisfaction and increased turnover. But what makes coaching and mentoring work best is the nature of the relationshi p. Outstanding coaches and mentors get inside the heads of the people they are helping. To influence people, first you must know what is already influencing them. People based leaders are highly emotionally intelligent and they sense how to give effective feedback. They know when to push for better performance and when to hold back. In this way they High Performance Leadership

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motivate their protégés, they demonstrate empathy in action.

In what is probably sounding like a refrain,let me repeat that empathy doesn’t get much respect in business. People wonder how leaders can make hard decisions if they are “feeling” for all the people who will be affected. But leaders with empathy do more than sympathize with people around them: They use their knowledge to improve their companies in subtle but important ways.

So what makes the people based leadershi p? Is it leading by feeling? People based leaders have greater sense of self awareness which the action based leaders lack predominantly. They are driven by human values of respect,empathy,motivation,love and collaboration People tend to be very effective at managing relationshi ps when they can understand and control their own emotions and can empathize with the feelings of others. A deep feeling of empathy with the urge to connect oneself to a large spectrum of human network upbeats a leader’s social skill. Socially skilled people, for instance, are adept at managing teams—that’s their empathy at work. Likewise , they are expert persuaders—a manifestation of self-awareness, selfregulation,and empathy combined. Given those skills, good persuaders know when to make an emotional plea, for instance,and when an appeal to reason will work better. And motivation,when publicly visible,makes such people excellent collaborators; their passion for the work spreads to others, and they are driven to find solutions. But some-times social skill shows itself in ways the other emotional intelligence components do not.

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Bottom-line People based leadershi p is about managing relationshi ps effectively. No leader is an island. After all, the leader’s task is to get work done through other people, and social skill makes that task possible. A leader who cannot express her empathy may as well not have it at all.

In people based leadershi p style dominant performance roles are: 1)Developmental roles. Functions include building teams and developing People. They create a positive climate by providing coaching , training and developmental resources to improve performance of followers. These behaviors are relevant to flat,flexible, team-based structures which have to integrate with other teams. They build the ownershi p, involvement and commitment of people and nurture their contribution.

They improve the performance of people through development of their skills and creation of an atmosphere of learning.

When these behaviors are not well developed,an organization can become fragmented and less than the sum of its parts. For an organization which relies on the quality of its people,under-development of this cluster represents an absolute limit to its growth.

Leaders train others to become leaders. They believe in and trust the people who follow them. They share, delegate,give and share credit to others for their ideas and contributions.

2. Inspirational role. People based leader are others oriented and they work on their followers through coaching and mentoring.

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People based leaders step into the roles of a coach and mentor to his people. Their job is not to merely act as advisors; but to listen to their people actively and prescribe them various options. A great mentor shares experience and foresight to explore various options for the mentee. Discovering multi ple options become a solution seeking method when a mentee feels road blocks. Questioning and listening are the mentor’s major modus operandi when it comes to offering their expertise. “Have you considered…?” and ” What do you think about this…” are typical ways of introducing mentoring methods.

Mentoring is done on confidential grounds in an open and mutually trusting environment. Good mentoring develops the mentee’s skills. Mentoring is a stretching process for a mentee. Stretching happens when a mentee is willing to expand one’s own horizon and ready to act own one’s own potential. A good mentor helps the mentee to break away from their comfort zones. People development is achieved through helping people to come out of their comfort zone to embrace their growth zone.

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Mentoring is also about building relationshi ps in the workplace. It is also an effective way of transferring knowledge and skills. Companies employ mentoring as a solution for ‘personalised training’, ‘skill building’, improvement of ‘workplace productivity’, ‘building morale’, fostering of ‘team work’ and ‘leadershi p and management development’.

As a mentor a people based leader can transform an average employee into an exceptional leader. A mentor can even improve the production levels of lowperformers. Bottom line mentors can guide decisions about workplace issues, personal goals and ongoing professional development.

3) People based leaders take the role of a servant more than the master.

This is a biggie. Leaders actually serve. They care about others. They come alongside people and get their hand and feet muddy. They don't sit in their office just giving orders for someone else to do it. They are willing to show people how to do it and how to get it done.

This develops loyalty in an organization. The objective of this leadershi p style is to create an atmosphere where self actualization and proactive behaviors kick in as a driving force for many people in the organization. People do not want to be told as what to do. They like to be asked and needed. This increases their self confidence and moreover in people based leadershi p glory of achievement is shared among people.

People based leadershi p has its own flows as well.

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leadershi p behavior. Leaders develop impractical approaches to people expecting that others will do the job even if it is not monitored. They become too dependable on others and this allows others to make unmonitored mistakes (and at times costly ones are made). Few employees will take undue advantage of a situation as people based leadershi p is observed as naĂŻve leaders.

There are many great leaders,and many different ways to lead. One way to lead people is leading by focusing on people. As a leader your people are your most valuable asset and knowing this is a big step to being a great leader.

A true leader find ways to help others to become more. Leaders do not lead businesses they don’t even lead people but they inspire them. People will work for organizations where they are cared and appreciated and they will stick with you when they feel you help them to be more than they thought they could be.

Bottom line people oriented leadershi p style can create an environment for every one in the organization to perform at their highest potential.

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Chapter Six SYSTEM BASED LEADERSHIP SYSTEM BASED LEADERSHIP is a princi ple centered leadershi p. It is functional and it is based primarily on the system and strategy. System based leaders are excellent planners and administrators who get the job done by a collective effort of various departments. The whole functions of performance is expected from every individual and they are systematized in this leadershi p style. There is a unified and harmonic operation between departments. Leadershi p is exercised through a cordial coordination of activities of individuals and groups. This leadershi p style can be compared to the orchestra conductor who skillfully conducts his orchestra in co-ordination and harmony.

System based leaders are great planners with long term vision. They set priorities and assign the job to various departments in an organization to achieve goals that are collectively formed.

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Strategy orientation is the key behavioral skill of a system based leadershi p. They look at business from a strategic point of view and they define targets according to timely executed plan. They make constant analysis of past and current behavior and they devise new strategies for winning customers,markets,products and services.

They have a visionary planning method of looking at a future scenario. They make decisions based on the issues that are likely to arise in the future and they get their decisions managed by their followers. This type of leadershi p may not take the quantum leap of change like the action based leaders, but they do re-engineer their organization from time to time. Change is slow in this environment due to high administrative entanglements. There will be approval procedures from different department before they make a decision.

System based leadershi p seeks approval and collective leadershi p is the result of this outcome.

System based leaders are great innovators. They make their recommendations from time to time. They analyze, mull over the details before any decision is made. There is also a time delay in decision making compared to action based leaders due to the system in place.

System leaders can manage tasks that are huge.

Collective and synchronized action is the key to a system based leader’s performance. There will be procedures to follow and everyone abides to certain rules and protocols. They insist on disci plines and they are good at the design of SOPs. This kind of leadershi p style is ideal for operations where large departments are to be coherently administered.

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System based leadershi p has a major responsibility in being the head and does all the thinking part for organizational growth and stability. The process of thinking is done primarily in three ways: 1) Information Search, 2) Concept formation and 3) Conceptual Flexibility.

The three behaviours in this cluster are crucial to strategy formation,planning and the ability to see the '‘bigger picture’. Whilst they make the highest contribution to performance they are often the least developed and least valued in most organizations.

Information Search means gathering many different kinds of information by using a wide variety of sources to build a rich informational environment in preparation for decision-making in the organization.

Concept Formation is building frameworks or models, forming concepts, hypotheses or ideas on the basis of information. System leadershi p is acutely aware of patterns, trends and cause / effect relations by linking information from various departments.

Conceptual Flexibility means Identifying feasible alternatives or multi ple options in planning and decision-making while holding options in focus simultaneously and evaluating their pros and cons.

Once all the thinking is done,they evaluate the pros and cons and decide up on the maximum upsides versus many downsides of options they have at hand. In this scenario followers from various divisions and departments can make valid suggestions based on the feedback they receive from customers,employees and shareholders.

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The successful behaviors of system based leadershi p are: 1) Setting SMART performance goals.

Leadershi p is simply the ability to turn a dream or a vision of a desired future state into a reality with and through the cooperation of other people. To throw your life into something worthwhile, your dream must be worth pursuing. It all starts with a great vision, something beyond your capabilities to keep you challenged and motivated. The driving force of any leadershi p course is an inspiring vision. A vision gives you a sense of direction, gives you the ability to look beyond what is to what should be and serves as a goal motivation to bring about exciting results.

Forming vision is having a great emphasis on future directions and moving people towards shared dreams. It is very effective in giving cohesion to groups of people by providing clear directions and objectives. It is group centered behavior and requires better than average communication skills. Having a vision is not everything, translating a vision into a bundle of goals and action list and getting the results means realistic vision.

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"Leadershi p is the capacity to translate vision into reality" advises Warren Bennis, a world renowned authority on leadershi p.

Once the vision is formed, vision is translated into several outcomes or results. Then a list of goals is formed along with several strategies to achieve that outcome.

Smart performance goals are set for others to achieve. It is called SMART goals because these goals are Specified, Manageable, Attainable, Result focuses and Time bound.

The system based leader will employ the strategy of chunking big goals into smaller objectives and he then share the responsibility of carrying the smaller outcome to respective teams. As a master conductor, he will then observe the flow of inputs and outputs and measure the progress of achieving the big goals. Through coordination and chunking,they are capable of taking up bigger tasks and this gives them the courage and audacity to pursue further goals.

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2)Principle orientation In order to disci pline and build a system,the system based leaders are strong advocates of princi ples and best practices. Princi ples are stressed on delivering high performance and it is the princi ples and values that binds all divisions and departments of the organization to collectively strive for a common outcome.

High performance leadershi p applies continuous performance improvement as a core value of the organization. Most of the high performance behavior is motivated by core values of an individual, as the individual strive to become the ideal. When you apply continuous performance improvement you will be doing things differently to achieve the result you want.

But the irony is that in any work environment people refuse to do things differently. As every one is creatures of habits we all learn certain way of functioning and exercising responsibilities. Therefore, next time when you don’t get the performance you want ask yourself a question ‘What can I do now differently to improve my performance?

Princi ple orientation is value binding orientation with an outcome in mind. Most of the outcomes they reach are value enhancing for customers, employees and shareholders. When princi ples are in place certain benchmark of performance is already predetermined by everyone and accepted as best practices. This usually upgrade the homeostasis of the organization rather than challenging them or changing them.

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on the cutting edge in business. Conducting and evaluating research is an important way of planning and being prepared for the future. Excellent leadershi p is always pro-active rather than reactive. Responsive behavior is encouraged in system based leadershi p.

Employees and followers are asked to evaluate and asked to give suggestions and recommendations to do things better.

4) Consideration: It is the extent to which a leader is approachable and shows personal concern for subordinates.

5) Reward Behavior: The extent to which a leader provides his subordinates with compliments, tangible benefits and desired specific treatment.

6) Punishment Behavior: The leader's use of reprimands or unfavorable tasks assignments and active with holding of rewards.

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7)Monitor Employee Performance. Employee performance needs to be monitored in mutually accepted ways. Policies and procedures need to be clear.

Conferencing should be on a regular basis and not just when there is a problem. Assessments and evaluations should not be merely all formality or viewed a necessary paperwork to be done and filed away. Individual and group conferencing should be undertaken not only to monitor performance, but with the expectation of on going professional development and support. There should be frequent encouragement and clear criteria for on going goals both for the group and individual.

8) Creativity. When vision drives action oriented leaders it is creativity that drives system based leaders.

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Creativity is a main hub in the ability of organizations to maintain a competitive advantage. It looks at the degree to which inhibitors such as organizational designs as well as leadershi p style may positively or negatively affect creativity in organizations.

For organizations to be empowered to survive leaders and followers should seek after "creativity." This is an individual's ability to conceive of or conjure new ideas, which can benefit society. It is the center of innovativeness, the momentum behind organizational success. Failure to encourage and embrace creativity within contemporary organizations may be viewed as creating conditions that are conducive to organizational failures.

9) Feedback. Leaders should be willing to evaluate and implement employees' ideas; employees will very likely feel valued,their self-esteem will soar and self-confidence will grow.

10) Brainstorm. Leaders should be willing to create brainstorm workshops and seminars where employees are free to verbalize and visualize their creative endeavors. While it is important for leaders to be able to find solutions to problems, they should also provide employees the opportunity to problem-solve. Roosevelt said it best,“a good leaders picks good men to do the job he wants done and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it�. It is also important that leaders recognize employees' accomplishments,because as the old adage goes "success breeds success.".Success is celebrated together and blame is shouldered as accountability singularly to the leader.

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System based leadershi p is ideal for a large organization which has several departments and divisions. This is system developed by collective owned enterprises where a board of directors has stronger power over the CEO. This system is effective in managing change rather that creating change.This is highly suitable for managing operations. It is also ideal where integration is important in an organization. Complex tasks are managed through a systemized approach of chunking tasks. In a factory environment where,design,production, distribution, sales and management are involved a systemized leadershi p is brought in to simplify operations.

The downside of this style is also several. On a due course of time this system becomes static in performance. Even though innovation is advocated in this model,the actual realization of change takes time due to delayed execution. There are approval seeking behaviors and leaders often have to sacrifice their staunch believes and decisions against compromises.

This is a shared authority situation,where the system has more authority than the leader,since this leadershi p style has a democratic tone to it. Taken to the extreme system based leadershi p can become a highly bureaucratic enterprise where you hardly see the leader’s fingerprint anywhere.

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Chapter Seven CREATING CHANGE IN THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPES CHANGE IS OFTEN viewed as a dreaded word,as it means moving out of a comfort zone, going into the unknown, encountering challenges and finding appropriate measures of dealing with the challenges. A better word to describe change today is to substitute change with the word ‘transition’, since everything is evolving, losing the old form and embracing the new form.

There are two types of belief systems and people act on either of them. One is a law of permanence.

This states that nothing is going to change and everything stays the same forever. The other is the law of change which means that everything is subjected to change and change is constant. The latter law is very true and individuals who act up on this law succeed in any environment. What about the law of permanence? Well, there is no law of permanence. It has been fabricated by me, but sadly majority of people blindly follow this.

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Everything is subjected to change. What we experience is a subjective experience of a reality that is shifting every time we observe it. Transition is a natural process. In a changing environment leaders must have the mind set to revise new information and adapt to new behaviours. Flexibility and adaptation has kept human beings on top of the food chain in the evolutionary process through out several millenniums.

Organizations that constantly change, adapt, revise, reframe and re-engineer their ways of conducting business will eventually evolve and sustain their market leadershi p. The one that is resisting change and being caught up in the indecision model of red tapes will suffer and go extinct for their reluctance to adhere nature's ruling princi ple of change.

Change is a challenge. but transition is an opportunity. All of us humans resist and fear change.

Change is a threatening proposition to any comfortable way of doing things. Our comfort zones are not easy to break. The pattern has a strong foot on our neurosystem. We are all creatures of habits and any change is unwelcome by human nature. Nature has devised this behavioural formation in order to protect us from potential dangers. Anything that is unknown is observed with fear and opposed strongly. The very reason that change often happens in slow motion in a rapidly changing world is because of the fact that changes go through three stages before it is actualized. First anything that denotes change is violently opposed, secondly they are ridiculed by everyone and finally they are accepted by everyone else.

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In the Middle Ages changes were slow. Change picked up pace after the Renaissance period. After the Industrial revolution,the speed of change increased its tempo. After the Information Revolution a faster pace is set that many fail catch up to the changes and act according to the times. Today change is more shocking and faster than a man's ability to comprehend and understand it. But today what is driving higher performance is taking advantage of the change itself.

Change is everywhere. People are changing the way they communicate and the way they do business.

Constant innovation has become the key to outperform competitions. Successful change begins with leaders.

They should model the change they wish to see by being visionary,persuasive and innovative. Once leaders are change-ready, employees are likely to follow, the end result -change becomes a team effort. Leaders can tailor their styles by first modeling the change they wish to see.

How? Simple! Provide opportunities for employees to become a part of the decision-making process.

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Change will continue to be a permanent fixture presently and futuristically. Creativity and innovation will continue to be the key driving forces behind products and services, as organizations continue to meet the demands of a novelty seeking populace. The onus now resides with leaders; they should identify obstacles to the organizational success and make serious inroads to remove these barriers.

Leaders are agents of change. Today everyone talks a great deal about creating change and the challenge still remains on how an effective change can be brought in.

Creating successful business transitions involve various processes. The major steps as follows:

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Step one: Find out the reasons for change. There has to be a major why behind changing anything. People need reasons to change and if the reasons are not compelling enough people are not willing to change.

People are willing to change when they feel they are threatened. It is only major pain that can change people in comparison to the pain of changing itself. Most people are willing to change at the last minute,often during the crisis when they hit an emotional threshold.

As a leader the challenge of leadershi p is to make others realize the crisis ahead of times,if they are not willing to change now. Create enough reasons why change is imminent and very important. Once you get this step clear and ready move to the next step Step two: Paint a better scenario of the future.

Create a scenario or a situation that, through change everyone will embark on a better favourable scenario or situation. The proposition of the vision or the painted scenario must be better than the current scenario you are trying to change. Everyone loves growth,improvement and profits. The scenario you propose must be better than the current statuesquo. This is attaching pleasure to an outcome. People are willing to give up what is painful to embrace anything that is pleasurable. That is human nature. It is a human tendency to perceive progress,but humans do tend to make the analysis of how much they need to pay for the price of progress.

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Step three: Tell them how. People will believe in any option or plans as long as you have the best laid plans and strategies are convincingly presented to support them. People get rational and question about an abstract vision.Strategy and action plan must be presented in cogent manner for people to accept that the proposition you offer for change is achievable. Vision without plan of action is mere hallucination. Once people believe in your ability to create the transition, take the support of your followers to the next step Step Four: Decisions and making the transition happen. Once you decide to create the change you desire, you can begin to manage your decisions by others. Remember people need enough reasons to change their behaviours and once you propose a new set of behaviours, they are willing to substitute the old with the new set of behaviours. Once people experience results their conviction is reinforced and they will move as force to create the change together.

Step five: Change requires constant revisions and adjustments. They need to be managed. It is important to reinforce the behaviour and conditioned patterns in people. There is always a possibility to snap back to an old pattern of thinking, feeling and doing. When you manage change you focus on constant reinforcement of change in every area of management. Change can not persist if it only takes place on peri pheral levels. It must get deeper and function at all levels. Every change commands a new belief system, a new set of behaviours or practices that deliver results better and faster than ever before.

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One of the finest ways to implement change is reengineering the conditioned believes and practices in work environment. People have been conditioned to do certain things over several years and certain practices over centuries altogether.

An interesting finding in human psychology in context to performance is that- people usually behave in accordance to their belief system. We all do everything to prove that we are right according to our belief system.

Any major change in transformational leadershi p is the change in beliefs. Every belief we have is supported by facts. We have acquired these facts whether they are true or false over the time of upbringing. We think, feel and act in certain way in consistency with our beliefs whether it is true or not.

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Our beliefs have already created a pre-set point for our performance. We behave and perform in a manner that is predictable by these pre-set points. All of us have a pre-set point. This point is like a thermostat for an air conditioner. A thermostat has a pre-set temperature setting and any changes in temperature are reinstated by the thermostat. Thermostat works in consistency with the pre-set temperature point. Any changes in temperature in a room is consistently readjusted by its thermostat.

Human behaviours are more or less the same, always getting readjusted when change is encountered.We have certain pre-set points to everything we believe. Including how much we can eat, how much we can earn, how much tasks we can accomplish everyday or what we are capable of and what is possible by us. Since these predicaments and self concepts are pre-set, the challenge of any change in leadershi p is pushing the bar of performance or changing the pre-set points of performance.

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In high performance leadershi p, the first challenge lies in assessing the current behaviours and measuring results and outcome it produces. Secondly to achieve a desired outcome, one must change the thermostat of every individual performance including one's own to a level of achievable goal and vision. Before evolution takes place in external circumstances, involution must be imposed within the frame of references. Change occurs first in the human mind and then it happens in reality. Making that shift in the mind is a challenge, but it is possible if you know where your performance thermostat is currently set. Change in any nature is an expansion of mind. There are limiting set points for performance and achievements. Once those limitations are substituted with new set of beliefs, people are driven to achieve more.

Ultimately high performance is a shift of believes.

New set of believes override the limiting ones and new behaviours are installed to deliver results. Today's evolutionary leadershi p looks for major shifts and outcomes. It is not about doing better than others in a competitive environment. It is doing it better than the way it was done earlier. The only challenge is constant improvement i.e., competing with one own earlier preset performance.

Imagine if we could improve 1% everyday in what we do, that is 365% performance growth in a year. The real analysis is in one's own productive behaviours more than analysing the competition. When you tend to do better than your competition,you may win at the first innings but later they will also out beat you by doing it better.

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When you out beat your performance to a new quantum level,you not only set a standard but also a bench mark,hard to be imitated by your competition.

Supremacy is built through out performance, by raising your level of performance in a consistent manner. In this case you not only become the agent of change, you also become the change itself.

Change results are manifested in the future but the process of change is in the present. People tend to do crazy things under pressure. Their behaviour becomes irrational under pressure. A chaotic time will demand change but people tend to make wrong decisions under pressure. The best way to avoid that is to perceive future chaos and take a preparatory step by arming your organization with right strategies and decisions before the unfortunate event takes place. Today companies must perceive change well in advance even before they appear. That is scenario planning.

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Time and again leaders experience their major opposition to change from their managers. This is due to the core managerial function. Managers preserve the status-quo that leaders are changing. Change is an emotional event. When you talk about change everyone in the organization tend to go panic at first. If you make a statement like 'there is going to be some changes around here!', what is immediately understood by others could be lay offs. Every time when leaders apply a new vision in their organization they are creating a change. Vision is the picture of the future. Change is the medium to take that picture into a reality.

Bottom line High Performance Leadershi p is also about creating the positive transitions to increase performance standards of individuals and organizations.

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Chapter Eight LEADERSHIP IS DEVELOPED ‘To be a leader is to be a beginner’ -DENNIS WAITELEY World’s foremost authority in human potential development.

TO BECOME A leader, you have to be able to work with others, able to influence others, have an effective communication line with others so that you can achieve all of your vision and goals.

Although this may sound easy, it actually isn't. I do not say that it is impossible! Anyone can become an effective leader. That is what leadershi p development is about. We are a bundle of limitless potential,when harnessed and channeled for anything, we become a possibility. We can be anything we want to be. That is the privilege of being human. A tree can become nothing but a tree,a bear can become nothing but a grown up bear, but a man can become anything. That is the privilege the nature has designed for us. Then why not use it?; develop it and implement it for the growth of individuals, families and communities?

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In order to evolve into something, the first step is to have a deep understanding of oneself. Becoming aware of your strong and weak areas are key points in leadershi p development. By knowing your weak points, you can start working on them so that you could either get rid of them or turn them into positive characteristics.

If you have difficulty working on your weak points then you must seek out partnershi p with someone who can complement you on areas that you are weak and work with them as a team. This also goes the same for your strengths. You can complement your expertise where it is wanted.

Today leadershi p is not about singularity of objectives and goals. It is more about collective action through partnershi p and synergy to accomplish a common objective. Leadershi p is about working together, and the major challenge is in relating various kinds of people with diverse interests and culture. As a leader you need to influence other people, directing their efforts to the attainment of the shared vision.

To influence others first you must know what is already influencing them. To understand what is already influencing them, you must relate with them and connect with them. Having a great rapport with other people gives you a peek into their world and the values they have grown up with and the princi ples they are holding on to. Once you understand and appreciate their world, you will eventually learn to use the leverage of changing their behaviours. Leaders tend to have an effect on other people and at the same time they are affected by others. It is a two way street. There is so much of giving and taking.

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There are transactions and deals made. Relationshi ps are built by mutual respect and faith. Most of the decisions are emotionally driven as people choose to trust in a leader's ability and vision.

The whole impact of leadershi p is controlled by several emotional states of mind. What distinguishes an effective leader from the rest of the pack is their right psychology of mind- energy. Leaders are high energy people. Followers are attracted to high energy.

Enthusiasm is the nature of High Performance Leaders.

Charisma is often attributed to their dialect of influencing others with their words. Emotional intelligence gives them an edge over everyone to truly connect with people form different backgrounds and differences.

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An outstanding communication skill is often the common attribute to great leadershi p. Having good communication with your team mates is the key to get through each other and achieve optimum project results at a faster rate. With this kind of attribute, you, as a leader,will be able to avoid and resolve issues before they even occur.

Sometimes, in order to achieve good leadershi p development, you have to hear professional opinions about how you lead or work with other people.

Feedbacks are essential. Feedbacks tell you where you are currently performing as a leader. If you know where you are- you will surely navigate your way to where you want to be. Of course, you can't just be a leader in an instant. You have to find it in your heart the urge to be one.

People who are being looked up by others should consider this as an opportunity and honour to step into the shoes of a leader. There are also leadershi p development programs,; go and attend seminars and workshops about leadershi p and sharpen your axes.

Read as much as you can. Great leaders are great readers. Leadershi p is about quality communication.

To improve your communication, you must improve the content of your communication. Great contents are delivered from great minds. Learn and grow. Education is a never ending process. Leaders need to be revised and updated on time. Decision making is done through the maximum analysis of data available and after plunging into information, leaders decide.

Decide to be a high performance leader.

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Today,management is defined as, "the process of getting things done though others"; whereas leadershi p is defined as "the process of getting things done willingly through others". The difference between the two definitions is the word is willingness and the degree of willingness aroused determines the effectiveness of the leader. Often in the corporate ladder, managers are given with a title and very often the basics of leadershi p may start with a title. Leadershi p by the title is managerial. In a positional leadershi p, where title is given to you,people follow you because they have to.

People are willing to follow you when you make a transition from position to people. You grow as a leader by moving from your managerial title to building relationshi ps,,creating results, and when you focus on people development. The ultimate peak state of leadershi p development is when a leader is driven by a purpose. In the peak state you achieve the personhood of leadershi p and people want to be led by you for who you are and what you represent. As a leader you gain the commitment and strong partici pation from your followers. When you achieve that, you would have developed more leaders.

Positive and powerful leaders have an extraordinary ability to arouse such degrees of willingness & motivation in people that the impossible seems to become possible. The willingness aroused by a leader in organizational situations translates team efforts into outstanding achievements.

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Chapter Nine TEN MANTRAS TO 'LEAD IN CHALLENGING TIMES' “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.”

—Charles Darwin HARD MOMENTS AND tough are inevitable in any business.

Different economic environments bring different challenges that companies and business have to grapple with. When external factors contribute to an organizations' decline, what often happens is that the external reasons become the internal reality for many businesses.

Business strategies change; processes change; markets change; technology changes; consumer preference change but the fundamental elements of leadershi p don't change, that is to lead in challenging times. It is easy to lead in good times,but the real leadershi p act is tested in the hardshi p of an High Performance Leadership

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economy and uncertain circumstances.

Here I present to you 'Ten leadershi p mantras' to lead in challenging times.

1.Breakthrough your frustrations.

Frustrations can kill your dreams and lack of results can disappoint teams,people,management and almost everyone involved in creating results. When times get tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot at each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside,they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. As a result people get frustrated and become fearful and overly cautious and temperamental.

When times are tough,it is the leader's responsibility to keep the flock together and reinforce them with purpose and motivate the team to keep up the spirit of enterprise and good governance.

The secret to success is in breaking through frustrations rather than being succumbed by it.

Remember that a moment of frustration is more productive and useful to business than the warmth of comfort. Comfort is the enemy of achievement. Know that challenging times can lead to exciting directions.

What really matters is how you perceive and understand challenging times.

A motivated leader sees the 'fli p side' of a situation and take advantage on any adversity they encounter.

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and within the organisation, keeping them motivated and aligned to the vision becomes part of the solution.

You need to constantly remind your people about the ultimate outcome they are after. If everyone's eyes are on the 'prize', they will not be distracted. If your goals are big enough, smaller frustrations and short term setbacks can't derail you from the plan. When goals are small, people are not excited in a team and they tend to give up easily.

2. Learn to manage work pressure.

When times are tough,work pressure increases. We work harder to achieve the quota and often we may be disappointed by lesser outcome compared to the massive efforts we put in. Then, there are more demands from customers , colleagues , share holders and management and these can lead to internal chaos and tensed atmosphere. As a result we tend to treat ourselves and others harshly.

During challenging times leaders must keep an emotional balance not to let things go out of the handle.

Being nice to people is the key. Putting up a positive atmosphere can save the day. When you focus on solutions, solutions are achieved. When you focus on problems, problems are multi plied. A leader's responsibility to keep his people focused on goals and solutions rather than being overwhelmed by problems and challenges. When you stay positive, people can work collectively and take on the challenges with lesser ease and comfort. Being calm under pressure enables them to take better decisions - for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.

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3. Have a sense of destiny.

A strong belief and a sense of destiny means 'we will succeed no matter what the obstacles are'. This mindset can help leaders navigate through the toughest times and dealing in hope to their followers.

A sense of destiny gives you the strong faith that you will prevail no matter how the adverse situations may exist. This feeling gives them the endurance and the ability to persevere their goals.

A leader must instill faith in his people. In tough times, people naturally feel low and pessimistic. They are perplexed as how everything is all going to work out. A Leader must be aware of the feeling environment within the organization and must collectively change the vibrations of the work atmosphere. Leaders must stay focused on optimistic outcomes and act like the motivator of the group. One of the key emotions that a leader must handle is the fear of uncertainty. They must reinforce certainty,where there is uncertainty by instilling faith in people that 'no matter what,we will eventually overcome all these obstacles and succeed.'

4.Polish your skills Antony Robbins once said; “in good time people will party and in bad times they will ponder� Tough times are the best times to take a pause and reflect on what is working and what is not working. It is also the best time to polish the skills and take a better perspective at solving current problems. In business we can never wish for lesser problems. Problems and challenges will always surface, but we can acquire new skills to overcome our problems. It is our skills and confidence that can High Performance Leadership

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neutralise any problem.

Leaders prepare their people to equip themselves to handle challenges. Preparation is the key here. As the saying goes,'if you have six hours to chop down a tree, then spend five hours in sharpening your axe', preparation becomes an inevitable part. Tough times are ideal time for learning and development. Because people are more open to new ideas and fresh perspectives,because their current plans are not really working and they are willing to give a try to something new. In bad times people tend to be flexible and open up their mind to new suggestions and ideas.

Invest time in planning and strategising. Take action on ideas when the idea is hot and ready.

A strategic plan should be conceived of multi ple options and ways to achieve the goals. The more options you have in your arsenal,the more free you are equi pped to experiment and succeed eventually.

5. Handle the truth There is no use pretending that the problems do not exist. A leader must face the reality. They must know when the music stops. They must have an acute awareness of what's going on in their industry and relative fields in their business. Scenario forecasting can help you arm yourself with counter measure when things do not go as they are expected.

Look out for the changes that are taking place. Instead of being a follower who is compelled to adapt to change, become the pioneer in leading change.

Transparency within the members of the organisation foster trust and it will uphold the integrity of leaders. Do High Performance Leadership

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not give air for rumors to spread, instead address the specific issues and take strategic decisions to plan and execute a progressive plan to face the market reality.

Leaders must develop the foresight to understand what is coming based on the current market scenario. In this case, you can hope for the best but you must be prepared for the worst.

6. Foster team work and attack problems together.

A team is a perfect example for a support system.

Nothing beats the force of unity. When people are united they can support each other and reinforce their beliefs to overcome any adverse situations and misconceptions.

When leaders have teams, they can fall back on in tough moments then perseverance becomes a shared responsibility. Team will encourage each other and lighten up the moods of people who feel low.

Leaders must focus on building strong teams united by organisational values and princi ples. The mood of the team must be to think about possibilities rather than contemplating on obstacles and limitations.

When diversity of opinions (cognitive diversity) can actually be harnessed, a team can come up with unconventional ideas and 'outside the box' thinking.

When everybody thinks alike, nobody is really thinking.

Tough times pave way to conceptual challenges where the team experience lack of effective ideas and execution plan. Instead of engaging in a departmental 'blame game'; it is a leader's responsibility to remind his team to attack the problem together and not to attack each other. It is not about who is right that matters but what is right. Diversity is power and great leaders know how to align them and foster team work.

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7. Observe emerging opportunities Tough times may show declines of existing business and business models. On one side,tough times can wi pe out businesses but on the other hand it give birth new ideas, processes and businesses.

A leader must be a keen observant of emerging opportunities in the market. Creativity and innovation is the key here. A leader must put aside conventional thinking and must encourage new assumptions. Old assumptions and preconceived notions can only give the current results. If the results have to be changed a new thinking paradigm must be applied and solutions must be sought differently.

New answers can be found only through different questioning. Allow free thinking and challenge existing assumptions. Build an organization that will question everything to think differently.

Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google said in an interview with Time magazine that “We run the company by questions,not by answers�. P&G changed the game by asking smart questions that defined the psychographics of their customers. Engage in smart questioning processes and identify new market segments,redesign your offers,innovate new products and services,apply process innovation to bring down the cost and breakthrough marketing challenges with better value propositions, offers and services.

8. Protect your core business and your core customers In tough times all competitors want to woo your customers to increase their bottom line. Customer High Performance Leadership

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loyalty is mostly tested in tough times. Here you must be very vigilant to keep your important customers and protect the core of your business.

Business people get into an experimental mode and try to diversify when their core businesses are not growing. Some people will get totally impatient and they move away with something else. In tough times your core business must adapt to the changing times. You must also focus on diversifying and enlarging the pool, when an opportunity emerges. Apple changed the game when Steve Jobs returned to Apple and he observed that the price of micro processors fell drastically over time and he put a better use to it by innovating Ipod. Thus Apple reinvented itself as an entertainment company rather than a computer company.

9. Know when to lead from front or from behind.

Nelson Mandela said: “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadershi p�.

A leader must make gutsy decisions in order to lead from the front. Ask smarter questions and make faster decisions. Agility plays a pivotal role here. Tough times are the times of the quick or the dead. Leaders must cut through confusion to get clarity on their agendas. Action plans must be executed on time. A company that is not swift enough to respond to situations quicker will soon be extinct. It is easy to pay a blind eye to situations or problems while they are still small. Every situation requires the management or leadershi p to respond High Performance Leadership

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rather swiftly than wait for an utmost catastrophe. Speed and alacrity are a great necessity in ensuring that the company does not have to wait to deal with giants when they can thwart the problem at its inception. The key is to kill a demon when it is a baby. Do not wait till it becomes a monster.

10.Take educated risks.

Tough times present risks and risk taking is prime quality and functional responsibility of every leader. If one can't take risks; then the company will not only stagnate but recede in the face of hardshi ps. Taking risks is going against the grain sometimes. It is jumping in, while others are opting out. It is an act of bravery and predicament. But taking blind risks is like playing Russian roulette. Take educated risk. Sink deep in to the data of information. Take informed decisions while study both sides of the data,the adverse effect as well as the brighter outcomes. Take counter measure for all the down sides. If something can go wrong at any level,be armed with counter measures. Gather as much information as you can but information must not scare you and lead you to an analysis paralysis; instead information must help you remove the fear of moving forward.

When there is certainty in an outcome, there is no risk involved. A leader must take calculated risk when things are uncertain.

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AFTER WORDS

‘Pay any price to stay in the presence of extraordinary people’ -MIKE MURDOCK Author of The Leadership Secrets of Jesus

JUST AS EVERY shi p needs a captain, every organization needs a leader. Every captain needs a support network of officers and every leader needs a senior team; leadershi p is an extended function. Organizations seldom choose a leader. All leaders are emerged, though some are selected and recommended. Leaders do not emerge overnight. Part of the reason is that allegiance is based on experience and reputation; at least among serious people. Leaders are people who get things done; not people who order others to get things done. The latter is merely a supervisor. It takes a lot of experience, aptitude and attitude to develop certainty which is essential for followers.

Leaders are chosen with the times and challenges in mind. The old days of a static definition of leadershi p are High Performance Leadership

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past. Companies, particularly middle market ones, need to have the right CEO at the right time.

In times of transition every organization needs a leader who can be trusted with their vision. In a transformational approach to leadershi p followers are transformed and uplifted along with their leader.

Another major function of transformational leadershi p is to supply an infusion of inspiration, information & positive energy to followers.

Leadershi p development is a process. Leadershi p development is a preparation for the future by developing the skills and abilities of the present. Often time's executives in large organization tell me that they have no part in the roles of leadershi p. They detach themselves from the dimensions of leadershi p saying that they are just managing,they are not leaders. They have no power to influence the decisions of leaders they work for. This is where leadershi p is vastly misunderstood. Anyone who can influence a decision is carrying out the roles of leadershi p. Every executive junior or senior has that power.

Today leadershi p is about influencing the person above you. If your CEO is the head,executives are the neck that supports the head. A neck can move the way it desires and can simultaneously change the direction of the head. In a bottom up leadershi p environment especially, the people and system oriented high performance leadershi p, anyone can influence their leader. People at every level has the power to voice out differences. It is the differences that give the team the cognitive power of diversity in thinking. People must speak up their minds.

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Observing silence will be termed as approval. It takes spontaneity and courage to explain a new perspective. Any one who can show a fresh perspective is also acting as a thought leader. We all have the perspective power. All it takes is the courage to tell everyone about what you deeply feel and communicate in a convincing manner.

Bottom line High performance Leadershi p is attitude and aptitude applied by action and surrounded by powerful associations. You can build a great attitude, develop all kinds of aptitudes and skills and you can put them into action. When you do that you are becoming a High Performance Leader. Sooner the world will recognize you and you will emerge as a great leader.

Remember greatness can not escape social responsibility. As T.S Elliot has powerfully phrased it “Only those who are willing to risk going too far can find out how far they can go” The question is how far are you willing to go?

Knowing is not everything, doing is. One common word from many people I have interacted with and as a response majority of them will say I KNOW THAT. Then I ask them, ‘How do you really know that you know something?’ This keeps them baffled for a while, and then I continue,'you know something only when you do it'.

Repetition is the mother of skill. To master anything you must know the basics thoroughly well. Mastery is achieved when you put your knowledge in to action.

This book is about action, performance, creating change, and daring, having a clear big picture and painting them with your team and making it all happen.

High Performance Leadership

92 Paul Robinson

I also urge you to spread leadershi p in your groups.

The greatest gift you can give anyone is the gift of empowerment. So many people are currently living in a state of resignation and despair. It is time to turn that around. We all have the power to lead ourselves into action and also lead others through our words and actions. The greatest contribution you can make to the world is to grow in self awareness, self realization, and the power to manifest your own heartfelt dreams and desires. The next greatest thing you can do is to help others do the same. What a wonderful society, government and organizations it would be if we were to do all that. It is my honest intention that if I can trigger a little spark in someone,there will be Change Leaders who will order a better society for all of us.

I don't think of it as the end but the beginning, because this is a calling for a journey together. Soon you and I will meet in a seminar, workshop or a keynote speech,and it will be my honour to meet the leader in you. Do remember to act up on your idea. Remember results come from actions. Be Your Higher Self.

High Performance Leadership

93 Paul Robinson

About the author Paul Robinson is a bestselling author, a celebrated thought leader, business strategist, and a transformation expert in the field of human potential growth.

He has studied, researched, written and spoken for the last 15 years in the fields of leadership, negotiations, sales, marketing, change management, innovation, customer service, personal growth and peak performance. He has authored over 14 audio, video learning programs in personal and professional growth. His home study course for personal growth titled THE INNER GAME OF SUCCESS is the fastest selling audio coaching program in the Asian region.

Paul Robinson revolutionized the motivation industry in India when he launched India's first motivational audio learning program “The Law of Attraction', in the year 2008. It became an instant hit by selling over 100,000 copies across the world.

Paul Robinson started off as a young entrepreneur and by the time he turned 23, sixteen years ago, he had built a successful company with 21 branches and a business turnover exceeding 5 crores per annum. His practical wisdom brings in over eighteen years of experience as an entrepreneur in the fields of media, marketing, internet and education. He is also one of the few people in the speaking industry who addresses CEOs, VPs on over 50 topics in business strategy, management and organizational growth. He has trained several business leaders hailing from the fields of hedge funds, banking, telecom, pharmaceuticals, research, hospitality, IT, MLM and internet technologies.

Paul Robinson is also the co-founder of Positive Revolution, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations. Positive Revolution is also India's first and the largest motivational audio company that publishes the works of international authors and speakers.

Contact Paul Robinson for Keynotes, Seminars, CEO Coaching, Consulting and Mentoring @ +91 9902815613. Email paul@positiverevolutions.com Paul Robinson’s Blog www.robinsonpaul.info

Paul Robinson’s popular Keynotes: RAISING THE BAR HIGH PERFORMANCE LEADERSHIP SELL LIKE A PRO HOW TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ?

CREATING LASTING CHANGE THE PSYCHOLOGY OF A WINNER

This book matters a lot to those who are after results.

Because every outcome is churned from the whirlpool of performance. Now make high performance as a quintessential quality in all that you do.

positive revolution

published by Positive Revolution Bangalore India