Tag Archives: Leadership Principles

Leadership

Leadership Principles of the Warrior – Series Ten Leadership Ascendency Part Two

Ascendency in leadership references the capacity to move beyond the simplistic. It is a dominance of character where goes beyond mere self and into visionary realms. While leaders carry out the fundamental philosophy of the organization, guide the goals and objectives for others to follow, and exemplify competence, the also evolve themselves in the process. In their differentiated capacity for being present in the moment, they instill an ascendant framework by which others find inspiring and illuminating.

A leader sets the course for an unfolding and consistent example at a certain juncture in time for others. After that point, the leader is gone; he or she has completed his or her tour of duty. Nothing lasts forever, and quickly it’s over, as someone else replaces him or her. In a three-dimensional world, where time is considered an essential element, each moment is precious, and presence is powerful.

Why sweat the small stuff and waste energies on inconsequential matters that, in the grand scheme of things, are largely irrelevant. Yet, many people squander the limited time they have. Pride, envy and anger are used in one’s arrogance to devolve a personality that doesn’t want to change. Instead, by petty jealousies and blaming games, many won’t move much further than high school glories, and grade school thinking. By contrast, the leader is above the mundane, the superficial and the hollow thinking.

A leader epitomizes exhibition of a profound expression of self-determination and transformation. With a particular psychological orientation, the leader gives the “organizational framework” a positive concept of authority and command presence. For the moment, it may be or at least perceived as well defined. However, the reality is such that the leader is transforming and changing in very dynamic ways. As such, to be “well-defined” could be viewed as complete, unchangeable or fixed in place.

On the contrary, leadership is an ongoing process, requiring many wise and mature factors. The effectiveness of leadership unfolds from the style of “management and supervision” that develops from a particular personality over time. By strenuous effort of managerial capacity in mental complexity, given one’s character traits, he or she promotes effectiveness and efficiency through appropriate actions.

This is an ongoing mission underscored by a proper vision of an action-oriented perspective. Such passionate energy is critical to the leader, the organization and the personnel within it. It is a process of that never ends. By good leadership, the organization is enhanced by competent strategies in recruiting, training, equipping, staffing and promotions. Preparing people for above average service within the organization is a vital task. Leadership reinforces those efforts at every opportunity, designed to foster productive operations so people get the job done.

Willfulness, intelligence building, skillset enhancement and well-tested techniques develop over time, and remain a lifelong learning process. Even though a hierarchy exists, with a chain of command, division of labor, subdivisions and so forth, effective executive insight focuses on the betterment of the people. That is because leaders encourage a high sense of camaraderie within a special kind of “family”.

One must persevere to live by the validity of the truth, by way of proven facts, experience and reliability, even though risks are part of the gambit. Essential to proper motivational aspects is the manner by which time is effectively managed within the organization and its various subunits. There is a high probability that in every organizational setting, you will discover unwise misuses of the time element.

Many of us constantly mismanage time by our own willful misguided choices. As a result, once understood, much of the day can be streamlined into those things that really matter. Unfortunately, we all too often allow ourselves to be arrogantly seduced by what we think is important, but essentially wastes the precious moments of a limited time frame. Lacking discipline and maturity, we are often interrupted and distracted.

And yet, a focused mind is vigilant to the passage of time, and the urgency of self-evolution toward an ascendant transformation. Patient, empathetic, gentle and wise, the leader is a mentor, a guide and one who is an example to others. As others cannot be taught a single thing, they can only learn given their willingness for paying attention. One is mindful of his or her presence for the time they have. Strength of character demands hard work and a mature framework in order to transcend the moment. Unflinching is the courage of one’s resolve to overcome selfishness in primal nature and prevail against the surrounding cowardice of herded conformity. Wolves often wear sheep’s clothing, as so-called experts close in to ensure their deceptions and disrupt the processes.

For bloated is the grotesque obsession of many for the consumptive satiation of devolving perceptions and regressive actions. Leadership is undaunted by the unholy fearfulness of the weak minded. Lazy, slothful and unimaginative purposes collaborate within the pretentiousness of “group-think”. For this, the leader is ever vigilant and creative, by being steps ahead of the rest. Courage is of high value.

Immaturity in oppositional forces contrives to prevent us for going forward with the mission we are called to pursue. Personally, we must rise above the foolishness and show that we are undaunted by obstacles. Professionally, we must endeavor to be visionary and inventive, concerned with productive progressions. The processes must be led in such a way, that interactions work effectively.

Reality trumps frivolity that wastes time, allows abuses and squanders precious resources. Each aspect ought to be critically analyzed for every probable instance of innovation, inspirational creativity and cooperative persistence, within the organizational structure. Excessive, misguided, and gossipy time-wasting conversations, foolish juvenile antics, aimless chitchat, and insincere interactivity distracts from the higher calling. Like useless meetings to have meetings, such insecure obsessions should be altered immediately. Leaders seize the moment and are alert to the many deceptions.

For the brevity of flash in time, overuse of every aspect of telecommunications in any form, not productive to the mission and goals, individually and professionally, for the advancement of enlightened collectivity, should be carefully evaluated. People use excuses of all kinds to escape responsibility and accountability. Alleged pretenses to “transparency” ought to encourage the frankness of straightforward commentary. To be open is to be blunt, honest and truthful, regardless of the offense that might be taken. Grownups use discourse conducive to wise and purposeful advancement.

Immature people use whining, sniveling and malcontented self-centeredness to promote their dysfunctions. A sense of maturity in one’s “warrior mindset” is one in which the individual travels a lifelong learning passage of self-evolving enlightenment. The warrior is one engaged in the “warfare” of life and death, whereby one embraces the pains and pleasures of personal existence. Psycho-physiological ascendency stimulates the warrior to stay in the personal struggle of transformation. Vigorous courage in the face of many obstacles is required to remain committed to the engagement.

A non-anxious, confident and differentiated perspective, as one encounters the daily contrivances of human nature, remains essential to perfecting leadership capacity. Distractions pull the senses in various directions, deflecting from the critical matters at hand. The most important is self-evolving maturation. Nothing really matters but the matter that transcends the mundane anxiety of selfishness. To this, are the myriad mazes of foolish time wasters within any organizational structure.

The list, the chronology and the accumulation of time wasters is exhaustive. Immaturity, self-validation, fragmented selfness, juvenile obsessions with bygone eras of high school frivolities, boyish carnalities, and failures to self-transcend one’s experiences, dogmatically pursue wasteful regressions. Leadership utilizes timeliness in profound and properly managed frames of reference, to enhance self-mastery.

One strives to be calm, controlled and properly allocated by sensory awareness within the scope of many points of interactivity. A lot of a person’s squandering of timeliness relates to poor discipline in planning, and the failure to establish the right priorities. Time leadership is essential to accomplishing the goals and objectives of the organization, the group and the individual. This also applies to the subunits within the organization, as well as the larger social culture and subcultures within it.

Even with the vast possibilities of techno-savvy innovations, most people squander the little time they have in this finite realm of life. Effectively managing the wonderful opportunities of time, assists the assurance of quality productiveness. As such, leaders must continually be on guard for time bandits. Attentive, aware and action oriented, leaders remain watchful for those who think they can cunningly deceive the rest. Leadership is about using skills to make time-space relationships work for the betterment of those involved. Leading is not “ruling”, it is inspirational.

Direction, power and control equalize with consistency the distribution of wise, prudent and judicious actions that guide personnel and resources. In the direction of higher thinking and actualization of thought into action, the leader cultivates dedication and discipline designed for successes. His or her principles and precepts must be the foundation of a totality of efforts, as well as sincere focus of attentiveness. By impartiality of mature actions, leaders reward the worthy and instill confidence for others to rise above themselves and forsake their selfishness in personal liberation.

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Leadership

Leadership Principles of the Warrior – Series Nine Leadership Ascendency (Part 1)

The persistent, mature and enlightened leader is the one who assumes command and understands what that means. By certain authority, some have become mangers, and mange for better or for mediocre acceptance of the mundane. Boring is their legacy, and uncreative is their heritage. Others have aspired to be reasonable supervisors. Yet, their journey has not seen the infinite vision of a leadership summit. The pinnacle of the vista remains allusive to those who cannot self-evolve and set free their differentiation.

Herded, huddled and homogenized by the hordes, the operational consistency suffers the defeat of confused tactical necessities and vital strategic urgencies. By wishful thinking, clever subjective validation, and well-defended posturing, they have invented themselves into realms they are not equipped to visit. On the outside, they appear competent in their specific domain, and yet, their credentials are subject of suspicious. Leaders understand this spectrum in the paradox of human nature.

With that in mind, the lesser ones, the so-called “experts” in this or that, continue aspiring to ensure a legend, a claim to all manner of accolades, from specialists to cultists. Each according to his or her own deception seeks to inspire the superficiality of their conjecture. All is folly, such is foolishness and much is vanity, as nothing is new but that which is rediscovered in a different time, form a divergent perspective. Fear is a good starting point in the revelation of the individual trek.

From there, the hard work is to rise up, challenge oneself and build a better version of the original design from within. One does not do this by the cowardly excuses of external deterministic forces, for some contrive cultic dogma. Nor, does one ascend by simple-minded adherence to unquestioned mythic doctrine, or political expediency. It is by the free willed force of mindful independence, a strong body and amative passions. Vigilance and valor, embracing the energy of life, a leader must self-evolve.

In brief, one must become exactly that, an individual, well differentiated from the rest.

A leader is one who leads the pack, breaks rules as needed, risks derision from others, and blazes pathways. Sparingly in the use of words, their actions whisper much louder the determination to ascend higher peaks of knowledge and understanding. At the end of the day, at the setting of the sun, what is it that you need?

Leaders realize this juncture of insight, and exert the passion to know the nature of such possibilities. To know, do and believe, are constant reminders of the role for which one has been called. And, even though the culture devolves, the society regresses and empires collapse, a leader perseveres to lead. He or she embraces an honorable acceptance of finality. All things must end eventually. When you walk away and face the encroaching shade of the shadows, you sense an irrevocable conclusion.

Not looking back, you can grasp the essence that collective memories are of brief duration. Many will forget, a few might remember, but things fade. No monument, statue or street name to your credit, or otherwise, stops the history clock from ticking. Good or bad, whatever the pretended legacy, the crowds thin out, the adherents find another, and all are replaced in shear moments of cosmic transitions. Serious is the responsibility of leadership in the present with your profound ascended presence.

Quiet, yet courageous, is the spirit of such a mindset. From its potency, the vision of greater self-determination unfolds. On a less complex level, the baser passionate range of salacious stirrings urges a focused imaginative carnality to transmute one’s present reality. From a broader spectrum, each moment, awake or in a dream state, invites the disciplined discovery of individual transformation. A calling to leadership requires us to be capable of managing our perfection from life-long learning processes. While engaging the assigned tasks we have chosen, public and private, we can inspire others.

But, the others must freely choose their devolution or evolution. We can do nothing to change them, control their journey, alter their mindset, or control their desires, needs or wants. If we complain, show anger, or impatiently grovel in negativity, then we regress by or own choosing. Only they must decide the level to which they want to ascend. We have the wonderful opportunity to be an example to others, and provide a glimpse into this enlightened sphere of self-transition beyond mortal materiality.

A closer relationship with the sincerity of rational belief in fundamental principles of reason, and the passion for a selfless transforming personality, builds upon the viability of our trek to higher levels. Leaders offer the insightful guidance and instruction to encourage others to rebuild themselves. We strive to avoid the placement of barriers and stumbling blocks in the way of those around us. Competent leadership is a reflection of growth and maturity by experience, practice and ceaseless learning.

In a devolving culture, where most do not desire to change, the leader remains challenged by the negativity to surrounds him or her. Regardless of the ineptness, incompetence and treachery, a leader understands that his or her ascendency means a profound transformation. The renovation of positive and productive thinking within his or her leadership continues to evolve. Among these few, there is the need to grow a style of leadership that is conducive to the mission, both individually and collectively. There is no perfect typology. Developing a particular style is an individual characteristic.

As the leader evolves, he or she studies others and gains insight into the leadership qualities of effective role models. Nevertheless, it is he or she, the individual, who develops a personal perspective on what that means. No one else can do that for the leader, because this is a personal quest. It is a journey of purposeful differentiation over a lifetime of experiences, trials and errors, successes and failures, as well as experience and education. This requires focused effort by virtue of disciplined devotion.

From an historical perspective in brief, there have been three basic styles of leadership, or as some might allude erroneously, a conception of management. Again, there are three very different perspectives within an organization as suggested in here. There is management, supervision and leadership. A leader has to be effective within the scope of all three concepts. Many are good at management. Some are even better at supervision. But, only a select few are exceptional at leadership.

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Leadership

Future of Leadership

According to Abraham Maslow, Peter Drucker’s management principles accurately apply to the leaders who have evolved and are at the top of human development. These leaders have met all of their requirements in life and their needs are fulfilled. The strategies purported by Peter Drucker neatly fit the lifestyle of the prototypical leader.

Applying Peter Drucker’s principles to leadership is an effective way to operate with efficiency and success. However, these tactics are only effective for a small minority of leaders.

Today, leadership is not based on old-school principles of preformatted industry giants with similar executive knowhow who replace each other with symmetry. Rather, the leadership role has embraced different styles and types of individuals that compliment the change in society at large. Tomorrow’s leadership will continue to diversify and change in lockstep with the ever adapting economy. The knowledge economy has shifted responsibilities of leadership to a new breed of self-starters and entrepreneurs who do not possess the skills required from a leader who fits into Peter Drucker’s leadership principles.

Employees are more informed, consumers are more informed, the media keeps leaders honest, and the distance between yesterday and today is vast. Differentiated leaders will be the norm, and differentiation will be the requirement for continued economic success. The leadership dynamics have changed in some places, and will change in most places in the near future.

Leadership is not an isolated position as it once was, but rather, an all-inclusive “lead from the center” task that requires more interpersonal sophistication and greater self-awareness than ever before.

The landscape of leadership is not a “one size fits all” equation and all the gimmicks such as the top five qualities list will not suffice for enhanced effective leadership. Rather, leadership is simpler than it may appear. Leadership is at times scripted because people are still sensitive, but the old playbook has evolved into a more advanced scheme.

The power distance has decreased which has exposed the leadership position to increased scrutiny. The generational gap once highly guarded at the leadership position has been removed and the unassuming are taking the leadership reins. These young guns are not the prototypical leader of the past. They have to fill the leadership role with effectiveness in order for success because the leadership position is a critical component to the operations of the business.

The younger leader has to meet the leadership demand with attentiveness and ingenuity that requires a set of prior needs to be met that comes with experience. The time has not been amassed to produce the life satisfaction needed to bring desired competence to the leadership position. Regardless, the leadership task needs to be met and alternative methods need to be addressed to compensate for the lack of life experience. These are weaknesses that need to be developed into competence and designed strengths need to be maximized and leveraged to achieve leadership success.

Implementing techniques to facilitate the learning sequence using a shortcut method is the ideal approach for today’s young leader. A bold prediction follows: The leaders of today will surpass the leaders of yesterday because there are more weapons available for development, there is more openness for accepting failure, and the leadership role has expanded to include those from any race, creed, or color. The talent that is allowed to develop today is far and wide. The internal competition will fuel results and the inclusion will empower the once excluded into our super leaders of the future.

Keith Lawrence Miller, President and Certified Executive Coach specializes in Executive Leadership Coaching & Consulting, Behavioral Change – Career Coaching and is an Assessment Specialist (360 Multi-Rater Feedback, EQ-I, ESCI, Strengths-Based, DISC, and much more)

His education is at the graduate level from Columbia University with strengths in Leadership, Coaching, Change, & Consultation – He is Certified in Emotional Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, & Social Intelligence from Columbia University and is an ICF Certified and Associate Credentialed Professional Coach.

The Million Dollar Coaching Company provides Certified Professional Solutions-focused Executive Leadership Coaching – Career Coaching & Consultation to Maximize Opportunity through Behavioral Change, Innovative Communication, Career Transition & S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting.

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Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Keith_Lawrence_Miller/1161715

 

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Leadership Principles for Project Success

We all need and thrive for successful projects. But what exactly does project success mean? Is project success the successful and timely delivery within budget? Or is it the path to glory? Do results always matter the most? What else does project success mean? And what does it take to achieve project success? Does success fall from heaven? Is it limited to a lucky few who happen to be in the right place at the right time? Is it coincidence? Or can we actually plan success?

There is no doubt that good project management is a critical factor of project success. That is, a project cannot be run without project management, be it formal or informal. You need to have something that holds things together. Underlying is the assumption that we need some form of order to organize and run a project. Someone has to do something. In this sense, project management helps set a frame, providing structure and order to potential chaos. Without this structure a project leads to nowhere; it will most likely fail, if it ever takes off.

If you want to generate results out of seemingly chaos you have to build structure that enables creativity, innovation, and results. Project management provides excellent tools to build this structure. They are important and necessary for project success. But are they sufficient? I don’t think so. As a matter of fact, I claim that unless you gear them into the right direction, they remain ineffective. If you really want to secure project success you have to understand what it takes to set the right direction. Project management alone will not do the trick. What it takes is leadership – your leadership.

Without project leadership there is no direction in project management. Leadership is the decisive factor for improving the chances for projects to succeed. Consequently, effective project management needs to have a solid foundation based in project leadership. Without leadership, chances are that a project will be “just another project.”

Based on my own experience in project management and the review of literature on leadership, project management, business, systems, and complexity theory I have identified five simple yet powerful leadership principles which, if applied systematically, can help you pave the path to project success. The five leadership principles for project success are as follows:

 

  1. Build vision
  2. Nurture collaboration
  3. Promote performance
  4. Cultivate learning
  5. Ensure results

 

Let’s have a look at each principle one at a time.

Principle 1: Build Vision

Sharing a common vision and goals and having the same understanding about tracking the progress towards this vision is one of the key factors in the success of a project and team.

A project vision sets the overall picture of your project. Project objectives qualify this vision, make it specific. Both project vision and project objectives are crucial for project success. Together they set the direction and tone of your project journey. They complement each other. The vision inspires your journey. It defines the purpose of your project.

The key to building vision is that people need to be able to relate to the vision in their daily activities. Give them the chance to identify themselves with the vision. Involve them in building this vision and participate in making it real. This helps build rapport and the necessary buy-in from those people to realize the project. Make them fans of the vision. Let it constitute their motivation and passion. Let them rave about it.

The story of a visitor who was curious about construction site illustrates the power of a common project vision. This visitor approached a group of workers to find out more about the construction. The first worker replied that he was a brick layer. The second worker told him that he was building a wall. Then he asked a third worker. This one explained that he and the other people in his team were building a cathedral. The interesting thing was that each worker was actually doing the same activity. Yet the motivations and their attitude differed a great deal. The third worker knew what he was devoting his time and effort to something big. His project may have been to build a wall. But it was the project vision of building a cathedral which enticed him.

A project vision without project objectives may give you an idea of the direction, but you may never get close enough to the destination to produce tangible results at a certain time. On the other hand, project objectives without a vision may describe the desired end result and time frame, but they cannot inspire the necessary enthusiasm in your team to drive the project to success. They do not form an underlying meaning for the work.

As a project leader you must make sure that both project vision and project objectives are in place. Project leaders do not start a project without a project vision and objectives. If you want to be or become a project leader, you either build vision and project objectives or make sure that both are in place, are crystal clear, and are mutually understood by every single person actively involved in the project. This is the meaning of the first leadership principle. Start with a unified vision and know where you stand before and during your project. Know your environment, know your potential, and identify your limits and overcome them. Build and involve your team and nurture effective collaboration across the board. This brings us to the second leadership principle: nurture collaboration.

Principle 2: Nurture Collaboration

A performing team yields synergy effects; the impossible becomes possible. This is why active team collaboration is crucial.

Project success is not about individual accomplishments. The project team delivers the project. As such, the team is the heart and soul of the project. Corollary, project success is, or at least should always be, the success of the team. Effective project leaders understand the value and huge potential of teamwork. This is why they actively nurture collaboration. They serve as role models and are part of the team. They thus actively participate and contribute to teamwork.

Collaboration is necessary for the team to achieve the vision and project objectives. By the same token, the project vision must include the concept of collaboration; it needs to be part of the vision as well as the project objectives. Collaboration is a means to achieve the objectives and thus to come closer to achieving the vision. It is a central element of every project. This is why vision and collaboration go hand in hand. You cannot move achieve project results without collaboration. On the other hand, collaboration without a common cause leads nowhere.

Collaboration is the juice of teamwork; it is what makes teamwork possible in the first place. It encompasses communication, individual and joint execution, as well as the delivery of results on both the individual and team level.

If you want to nurture collaboration you need to start with yourself. Be a role model to others: Share information openly. Give and accept open and constructive feedback. Be a good team player and work with your team.

Understand that the project is about the team. Project leadership becomes team leadership. It implies that if you want to be an effective project leader you have to be a good team player, too.

Nurturing collaboration can be hard at times. It takes a lot of effort and can be quite time consuming. The payoffs, however, are worth every minute invested. Having mutually understood and supported rules of engagement, characterized by open communication and effective collaboration, makes project life much easier. Once you have helped create an atmosphere of trust, team spirit, and fun, team synergy effects emerge. Magical things can happen, productivity increases, and the quality of the team’s deliverables is higher. Nurturing collaboration prepares the ground for performance on the individual and team level. As a project leader you want to cultivate this soil of performance. This leads us to the third leadership principle: promoting performance.

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