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Much has been written about the leadership (or lack of leadership) crisis in America today. No
business is immune to this crisis, and some are even more susceptible to it than others. Real
leaders today are few and far between. We have great technicians and great managers, but few
great leaders.
To truly succeed as a leader today, we cannot simply "go through the motions." We must charge
ahead at full speed. In this hyper-competitive world, it's not enough just to show up and look good.
Leadership is a full-contact, sometimes risky position with no "hazardous duty" pay.
The term "full-contact" generally brings to mind the image of physical contact. But it presents itself
in other ways as well.
First, as leaders, we must be fully in contact with ourselves. This is not the natural state of things
for many of us, and it's far easier to be out of touch with our thoughts, moods, and biases.
As leaders, we must also be in full contact with our own purpose. Our purpose is our vision of the
future, our values and mission. The importance of purpose cannot be overstated. Our role as
leaders is to change the status quo. We must always keep one eye trained on that future that we
want to create. And we must have a fundamental sense of the actions needed to arrive at that
future--to achieve that vision.
Next, we leaders must be in full contact with others in our organization. This includes peers,
subordinates, and senior management. Leadership is about change but it is also about behaviors.
Leadership involves a great deal of soft skills and interaction with people. These interactions
cannot be casual if the leader is to be respected and to make an impact.
The leader must be in full contact with the values of the organization. Ultimately, the rest of the
organization will live up to, or down to, the level set by the leader. In the absence of corporate
values, that level is open for discussion and can vary. With firm corporate values, the people in the
organization have sound principles by which to guide their behavior. Enron had values written on
paper, but the leadership of the organization lost contact with those values....
Today, it is also essential to be in full contact with customers. They are demanding and have high
expectations. Ultimately, they pay our salary. Yet, far too often, businesses operate in a vacuum
and are blind to the customers' needs. This data is borne out in many image surveys that indicate
businesses are, in a word, unresponsive. The leader who is in full contact with his or her
customers actively seeks them out and engages them in conversation--real talk about more than
just the product at hand.
Finally, full-contact leaders are aware that the being in a position of leadership involves some risk.
Like athletes engaged in full-contact sports, these leaders know they may take some hits (and give
some out, too), but they don't shy away from the impact. They recognize it as an integral part of a
full-contact position.
Full-contact leaders must merge all these contact points into a single, unified effort. They set
direction, articulate the vision, and know just where they want to bring the organization. They can
visualize it in their mind, smell it, taste it, feel it. They are able to balance multiple perspectives
because of their grounded perspective.
© 2006 FireStarter Speaking and Consulting
Wally Adamchik is President of FireStarter Speaking and Consulting. His new book is NO
YELLING: The Nine Secrets of Marine Corps Leadership You MUST Know TO WIN In Business.
Visit him online at http://www.beafirestarter.com. He can be reached at 919-673-9499 or
wally@beafirestarter.com.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wally_Adamchik
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