Chief’s Post

“You never know who you touch. You never know how or when you’ll have an impact or how important your example can be to someone else.” You never know, the best idea is to presume everything you say has the power to sway. That is the power of leadership. It was Denzel Washington who reminded us of this in the above quote. The right feedback at the right time can change the arc of a life. As teachers can attest, it is common to learn many years later that a spontaneous remark, criticism or encouragement was the catalyst for significant change in a student’s life. We never know when our suggestions or advice will take hold and move people to act boldly in the future. As leaders, we have the power to alter the trajectory of others with just a few words. It is a superpower that surprises us because it is impossible to know when a remark will ring a bell and change everything. Leaders are wise to remember their words carry weight, especially to the impressionable, the inexperienced and the uncertain.

LEADERS Webster defines a Leader as “One who Leads”. Profound isn’t it ? What we discover is a leader is not necessarily one with a position but one with a process of performance in solving problems. All to often we find people in a position of leadership who really aren’t leaders; they just follow directions in accordance with their boss. On the other hand we all know people who don’t have a leadership position but are leaders wherever they are. There are many practical definitions of a “Leader”. The one I use most is from Bobb Biehl. He says a leader: 1. Knows what to do next. 2. Knows why it is important. 3. Knows how to take current resources to solve the problems at hand If a plane loaded with highly educated senior executives crashes in the middle of a jungle, and fortunately survive, are found by a native raised in the jungle; who’s the leader of the pack? Those who have risen to be leaders seem to have 4 characteristics. 1. One who knows where they're going 2. Takes responsibility to equip a people to reach their goals 3. Able to persuade others to go with him (Much coming without words) 4. Deeply committed or infected with a cause or concept            A. Interested in IDEAS – Goal oriented            B. Interested in INDIVIDUALS – People oriented

This is a good article. I've seen so many leaders overcorrect one way or the other. Either they refrain from tough conversations so their team can like them or they overcorrect and purposely act as a contrarian. The reality is that you need your team to respect you and you have to be inclusive with how you engage with them. However, as many have said, leadership is lonely and you need to be confident in making tough decisions that will not be well-liked but necessary. Integrity, honesty, consistency and transparency are great tools to help ensure that your team respects you (even if they don't like your decisions). Although many times all of the context on a decision cannot be shared and your team will not appreciate the reasons why you made the choice you made, even if it is the best decision overall. The best leaders balance all of these elements - confidence, validation, strategy, etc. Take a read as it's good to think about this, regardless of where you see yourself on the validation spectrum. Now if you can take a moment to like this post, that will make me feel validated for sharing...

What if I told you that you're not as competent as you think you are? Sounds provocative, right? But that's what the Dunning-Kruger effect is all about - overestimating our own abilities while underestimating those of others. This cognitive bias can blind us to our limitations, skew decision-making processes, and make us less receptive to feedback. As leaders, it's imperative to recognize and mitigate this bias. We'll discuss examples demonstrating how Dunning-Kruger effects leadership and explore the importance of self-awareness in counteracting it. https://lnkd.in/gjRY_Mw5

The except below is from Barbara Kellerman ,A Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. Her latest book, “Leadership from Bad to Worse: What Happens When Bad Festers,” is both a cautionary tale and a call to action. In the excerpt below, she details the early indicators of poor leadership There is no science to which we can turn, no expert to help us make the distinction. Still, there are some telltale signs, some indicators that signal the leader’s intentions and directions. 1.Past is prologue. What the leader did in the past suggests what the leader will do in the future. 2.Words matter. Listen to what the leader says and take seriously what is said. 3. Get real. Is the leader anchored in reality? Or does the leader’s utopian vision smack of grandiosity—personal grandiosity, professional grandiosity, and, or political grandiosity—and even fantasy? 4. Teams are important. Who is on the leader’s team? Specifically, who are the leader’s closest aides and associates, and what do they suggest? 5.Strong preferences suggest probable priorities. What the leader most cares about likely will determine what the leader does. We are not, in sum, devoid of information, even at the start. We do have some signposts—some indicators of whether leaders are bad and likely to get worse.

Hey everyone! 👋 I've been thinking a lot lately about what truly makes a leader shine. It's not just about the big speeches or fancy titles—it's about the qualities that make them someone you want to follow. Here are a few things that stand out to me: ❤️ Caring: A great leader cares about the people they work with. They listen, understand, and support their team through thick and thin. 💪 Strength: Life throws curveballs, but a strong leader stays standing. They bounce back from tough times and help their team do the same. 🗣️ Communication: Good leaders don't just talk—they listen and share their ideas in a way that makes sense to everyone. 🌈 Vision: They see the big picture and inspire others to join them on the journey towards something amazing. These qualities aren't just nice-to-haves; they're the heart of leadership. So let's all take a moment to think about the leaders who've made a difference in our lives, and how we can bring a little bit of that magic into our own leadership journeys.

What if I told you that you're not as competent as you think you are? Sounds provocative, right? But that's what the Dunning-Kruger effect is all about - overestimating our own abilities while underestimating those of others. This cognitive bias can blind us to our limitations, skew decision-making processes, and make us less receptive to feedback. As leaders, it's imperative to recognize and mitigate this bias. We'll discuss examples demonstrating how Dunning-Kruger effects leadership and explore the importance of self-awareness in counteracting it. https://lnkd.in/gv5kYHN4

I've been working with some leaders on the illusion of ubiquity (we looked it up). Or the ability to be seemingly everywhere, effortlessly. The knack of always being at the right place at the right time, or at the right events (not all the events, for the entire time), or the innate ability to have schedule flex to stay around after a meeting to solve or advance ideas rather than hustle off to the next thing, or being around the globe, the nation, or the regions. Like naturally gifted athletes, some people make this look easy. Like naturally gifted athletes, the gift is usually accompanied lots of grit, hard work and planning. So we started to look at planning "leadership presence" with questions like, where would you like to show up more? Concentrated doses of presence. We figured that being ubiquitous, while perhaps an illusion, is important. So we noticed with planning leaders showing up more often, with genuine spirit of human connection. Planning led to more.

Where Do You Stand? "Do as I say and not as I do" is what I grew up hearing a lot from some of those who were "designated" as leaders in my life. I used the word "designated" because I didn't choose them as my leader. They were chosen for me. Granted, that is true of most of the leaders we have or have had, in our lives. What would happen if we had the opportunity to choose our leaders? Most of the leaders that I was "forced" to follow, lacked one of the most important aspects of leadership - emotelligence. Leaders who are emotelligent are more skilled in decision making, relationship management, and job performance. As a result, those that are following them do so because of what they SEE in them. These leaders exemplify qualities like patience, kindness, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, just to name a few. Who would not want to follow a leader like this? The challenge is, becoming this kind of leader. WIP. Better than yesterday.

"Connect, Then Lead" by Amy J.C., Matthew Kohut, and John Neffinger delves into the dynamics of leadership, exploring the balance between strength and warmth in influencing others. Fundamentally, leadership is the art of influencing others to achieve a common objective. The article examines whether it is more effective for leaders to lead with strength, showcasing their competence, or to prioritize warmth, emphasizing communion and trustworthiness. Drawing on Niccolo Machiavelli's question of whether it's better to be loved or feared, it explores the outcomes when leaders prioritize different aspects of their personality in influencing their followers. During my military service, I found myself admiring leaders who initially showed warmth yet subsequently exhibited strength and determination. They instilled confidence in maintaining high standards and didn't hesitate to address behaviors that deviated from them. I'm curious to see what others think of the article.