November 2008 Leadership Lessons ezine by Mark Sanborn
Communicate Like a Leader
( The following first appeared in my blog. )
Life in general and politics in particular can be very instructive for how leaders communicate. Both are full of examples, positive and negative.
It isn’t constructive to focus on the problem alone if you can’t offer a solution. Anybody can spot a problem; leaders help solve them.
Attacking your opponent is a weak strategy; focus on the substance of your disagreement, not the personality behind it.
Spotlighting only what’s right is as credibility-killing as spotlighting only what’s wrong. Realistic leaders address the good and the bad.
Taking credit is never as just nor effective as sharing credit.
Accepting complete responsibility, even when others are involved, is the price of leadership. Leaders use the word “we” to talk about victory and the work “I” to talk about failure. Life isn’t always fair and neither is leadership.
Generalities are less helpful than specifics. When a leader’s message is vague, that is always an indicator that the leader him- or herself is vague.
Leaders disagree by engaging and discussing, not attacking and name-calling.
The low road is easy and heavily traveled; the high road these days is rarely crowded.
Field Test Ideas
As a speaker and writer, I share ideas that I’ve personally used or observed in my work with clients. I am primarily interested in the applicable, not the abstract. Recently I met with an impressive young leader who had worked in a very difficult environment. It was gratifying to learn how my work had impacted his efforts. After our meeting he emailed me the following (emphasis added):
“There was one piece of my story about my former company that I did not finish and wanted to share with you due to the relevance toThe Fred Factor. In the midst of the rather violent undercurrent that existed in that facility, my team and I embarked on a very active campaign to change the culture within the immediate group of employees that we were responsible for. The practice that I modeled every day and coached m team on was nothing more complex than genuinely caring about the wellbeing of our folks, both inside and outside of work. In Fred you mention that your postman cared more about your mail than you did…and I truly believe that the incredible success that we had in our group was due to the fact that we (Leadership team) started caring about our team members more than they cared about themselves (at first), and helped them learn to care for themselves and one another more. Powerful stuff, and the kind of experience that changed my outlook on how to lead.”
Good ideas well applied are powerful. What are the simple truths that have most benefited your leadership efforts?
Best always,
Mark Sanborn
President
Sanborn & Associates, Inc.
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