| Being a "good" organization is nothing special any more. To flourish
in a rapidly changing world it is essential that the organization be able
to break through the "good" bracket, which is now nothing more
than mediocrity. Foremost amongst the tools required to become sustainedly magnificent, is Magnificent Leadership. Magnificent Leadership stands at the top of a leadership scale that looks like this: - Dynamic Leadership Competent Leadership & Management Worthy and Committed Team Member Capable Self-Leadership The bulk of history's famed leaders like Napoleon, Julius Caesar, and General George Patton were of the second order. Why? Because a key characteristic of magnificent leadership is humility and non-ego centred steadfast focus. That doesn't mean they don't have an ego, but that their ego is satisfied by focus on achieving the organization's vision above all else. Examples of magnificent leaders are Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi. Sometimes magnificent leaders can fall from grace. Alexander the Great, a magnificent leader who would ride up and down columns of his followers all day, helping and encouraging them to march on, was murdered after he decided to become a living god and ignore the needs of his followers! Magnificent leaders ensure they groom a similarly focused successor, before they leave. The second order leader more often leaves a leadership vacuum. Magnificent leaders are resolute in pursuing the organization's vision with humility and perseverance. Consequently the organization receives the most attention, not the leader, and the magnificent leader prefers that. Consistent with their humility, when things go wrong, magnificent leaders seek the cause, take responsibility and ask themselves what they can do to ensure the matter is rectified. When things work out, they seek people other than themselves to give the credit to. Magnificent leaders do not need or seek accolades or attention for themselves, but seek to earn the loyalty and respect of their team, by dogged focus on achieving the shared vision. Magnificent leaders are always learning, able to adapt, yet remaining true to their values and purpose. Magnificent Leaders acquire the following competencies: - • Attitudinal Competence - the ability to select, generate, sustain and adapt the most appropriate attitude right here, right now. • Self Acceptance - the ability to accept themselves fully and the wisdom to improve themselves in line with their values and abilities. • Ego Management - the ability to be aware of the present state of their ego and adapt it so that their best leadership values are in operation, not just their ego. • Empowerment Competence - the ability to share values, vision and information, and ask questions that encourage effective thinking, problem solving and ownership of the outcomes. • Practical Leadership Competencies - the ability to choose timely and effective balance and distinctions between : - • Demands one's own answers to be accepted vs. Accepts answers
from others is barely known to those he leads. He acts without unnecessary speech, so that the people say, 'It happened of its own accord'". ©2002 David Deane-Spread (Inspired by the writings of Jim Collins, Ed Oakley, Doug Krug and so many others) |