Tag Archives: Leadership By Example

When In Trouble Focus On Getting The Basics Right

July 13, 2009 8:36 pm \

When I encounter organisations that are in regulatory trouble or under some kind of governance supervision I am often struck by the lack of concern for and focus on getting the basics right.

You’re an organisation, company or body that does something.  Why are you in regulatory trouble?  Because you (the organisation) haven’t been doing what you are supposed to.  Perhaps the management eye has gone off the ball, the leadership has failed or the bod at the top may claim to have vision but lacks the sense and ability to remain focused on the basics.  Whatever the reason, there’s a supervisory body watching intently.

It isn’t rocket science.  Really.  It doesn’t take an MBA, Dip. Ed, MSc, PhD, MCSE or any other qualification to see this.  All it takes is common sense.

You’re in the mire, being watched from above by people with the hatchet and the power to swing it.  You are the leader, the one on the front line expected to turn things around or help turn them off.  What do you do?

Your first answer should be “Get everyone working together on a common goal”

How do you do this?

Your first answer should be “Provide clarity of purpose.  This is where we are, this is where we want to go and this is how we’re going to get there.”

Your second answer should be “Keep things clear, keep things simple, focus on the basics.”

Your third answer should be “Providing leadership by example”

Remember, it isn’t rocket science.

Clear leadership does not involve taking ideas from anyone who might know a thing or two about your sector and dropping them on colleagues as fait accomplis.

Clear leadership does not involve bringing so many people in and giving them titles so the chain of command (who does what and who is accountable for what) becomes distorted.

Clear leadership does not involve trying new ideas just because you read them in the dentist’s waiting room or heard about them at the pub.

Clear leadership does not involve refusing to admit when a new idea was fouled up and putting another idea on top of it rather than going back to the original.

It really isn’t rocket science.

Clear leadership is about providing clarity.  Who does what, who has what authority, who is accountable for what and how the final goal is to be achieved.

Clear leadership is about clear thinking, clear structures, clear responsibilities, clear requirements and a clear way forward.

Clear leadership achieves a workforce committed to achieving the final goal.

If you don’t concentrate on your basics then you won’t have a clear structure for improvement.  You won’t get out of whatever supervisory regime you are in.  You will fail.

Just for the record, I have been there.  I have been part of pulling an organisation out of the mire.  Damned hard work.  We got there through clear leadership which provided focus and clarity.

It’s not rocket science but it seems to be beyond so many leaders.

Posted in: bad management, business, Management \ Tagged: , , , ,

Excellent Leaders Don’t Jump Ship

March 18, 2009 7:32 pm \

I have written previously about a head teacher who lacked vision, skills in man management, education, psychology and discipline, to name but a few areas.

This person jumped ship before his failings could be identified.  Someone else now carries the can for his failings.

Excellent leaders DO NOT jump ship and let someone else face the consequences of their failures.

Posted in: education \ Tagged: , , , ,

Leadership – How Not To Do It

January 23, 2009 1:07 pm \

While tidying up some papers and books recently there was one particular piece of paper which caught my eye.  The phrase “one man cannot bring about major change” had caught my eye so I decided to make a cup of tea and read the piece of paper in its entirety.

With a cup of excellent Assam tea to hand I read through the contents of the piece of paper.  It was the text of a farewell speech made by a head teacher .  Someone who is supposed to be a leader, skilled in man management, education, psychology and discipline, to name but a few areas.  To me the text of the speech did not show any of these skills, nor did it suggest levels of knowledge beyond the text itself.  In short it was a cop-out.

“One man cannot bring about major change” kept screaming at me from the paper.  What utter utter utter utter utter garbage that is.  The leaders with whom I have had the pleasure of working have done just that, and continue doing so to this day.  How do they do it when this experienced leader says it can’t be done?

Let me tell you.  It’s not rocket science.

One organisation I worked with was in trouble when my involvement with them started.  The Chief Executive was determined to resolve the issues, eliminate bad practice and performance and get back to a stable platform.  He did just that.

  • He did it by accepting the situation rather than hiding from it and deluding himself that everything was ok
  • He did it by encouraging his staff to make hard decisions, the authority to do so and offering full support for them
  • He did it by asking his staff for feedback and accepting it, whether it was critical or positive
  • He did it by acting upon that feedback
  • He did it by making clear what standards of behaviour and performance were expected
  • He did it by making clear what would happen if those standards were not met
  • He did it by being the example he wanted from everyone else

Can you see the difference?  No saying  “one man cannot bring about major change”.  No saying “Well, if you look at it this way things aren’t that bad, we’re doing ok” and doing nothing.  When change is needed, insisting the status quo (remember the rock band are referred to in this blog as Da Quo to avoid confusion) is acceptable and not being the catalyst for change is not acceptable.

Another Managing Director with whom I had the great pleasure of working wanted to bring about a change based on his vision of excellent service.

  • He did it by announcing that doing nothing, accepting the status quo, was unacceptable
  • He did it by encouraging the staff to look for ways they could improve processes
  • He did it by constantly comparing the organisation against others to see where they were on the journey
  • He did it by making clear what standards of behaviour and performance were expected
  • He did it by making clear what would happen if those standards were not met
  • He did it by being the example he wanted from everyone else

In both examples the change was successfully achieved, service and morale vastly improved.

Improving morale within an organisation is crucial to achieving good productivity and the excellent working environment to provide excellent products and services.  If a leader cannot see that staff morale in their organisation is at rock bottom then they are not fit to be in that position of leadership.  If a leader cannot see that improvement should continually be sought then they are not fit to be in that position of leadership.

It may be that this head teacher ‘s vision (if he has one) is simply a product of a bygone age, one which he is viewing through the proverbial rose tinted spectacles and which has little relevance to today.  If that is the case then are such people fit to be in positions of leadership in the ever-changing world we now inhabit?

One man may not be able to bring about major change by himself but he can influence others by his words, thoughts and his example.  The leaders to whom I refer in this piece I will remember by their example, the way they conducted themselves and were the example for others to follow.

I wonder if the same can be said of those who will remember this head teacher ?

Posted in: business, Management \ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Terminal 5 Cock Up

March 30, 2008 5:23 pm \

On Friday night I listened to a radio discussion about the foul up that is Heathrow Terminal 5′s opening. One chap was repeatedly harping on about computers. It’s a cop out to blame “the system”. There are people behind systems: People who designed them, implemented them, tested them, trained on them, monitor them and use them. There are also people who sign the systems off as correctly specified and fit for purpose and correctly implemented.

I’ve orchestrated two complete office relocations. Each one took much careful planning and I was very visible to all sections of the companies concerned. If there were any foul ups, it was my backside that was going to get kicked. It was my professional reputation that was going to take a beating. Both moves happened successfully. Zero downtime and no interruptions to customer service.

I’ll say that again because I’m rather proud of it: Zero downtime and no interruptions to customer service.

The businesses performed seamlessly. No problems at all. Phones, computers, alarm systems, everything worked as it should.

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Posted in: business \ Tagged: , , , , , , , ,