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Showing posts with label courageous leaders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label courageous leaders. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Seth Godin – 7 Questions for (Courageous) Leaders
At Courageous Leaders we often ask leaders to ask themselves some challenging questions. Recently Seth Godin provided a list of 7 (actually 8 including the bonus) challenging questions, that encourage leaders to approach issues differently, be flexible and open, be collaborative and relinquish the need to be right. Read his post here.
These questions interestingly link to the key aspects of the Courageous Leaders Model:
Seth G - Do you let the facts get in the way of a good story?
Connect and Commit - A courageous leader knows that both the facts AND the feelings, our intuitive sense of how to respond and our ability to share our stories are all equally important. By being open to facts, intuition and stories leaders enable connection and commitment throughout the organisation.
Seth G - What do you do with people who disagree with you... do you call them names in order to shut them down?
Courage - Rather than reacting, a courageous leader doesn’t react by trying to put others down, instead they courageously address the issue at hand.
Seth G - [Bonus: Are you willing to walk away from a project or customer or employee who has values that don't match yours?]
Conviction - Courageous leaders truly own their values and question the behaviour of leaders, employees, customers and suppliers when it does not fit their values. When a partner or sales director brings in large amounts of business and behaves in a bullying or harassing manner to to others, what measures do you take if this is inconsistent to your values?
Seth G - Is it okay if someone else gets the credit?
Confidence – A courageous leaders has an inner confidence and is keen to share credit and recognition. Courageous leaders truly own their values and question the behaviour of leaders, employees, customers and suppliers when it does not fit their values.
Seth G – Are you open to multiple points of view or do you demand compliance and uniformity?
Seth G - How often are you able to change your position?
Change – for any twenty-first century leader, change is simply part of every day life. Courageous leaders relish the opportunity to take in new information and change their point of view and way ofdoing business. Note - A courageous leader sees change as an opportunity to develop and hone their leadership skills
Seth G - Do you have a goal that can be reached in multiple ways?
Challenge – A courageous leader is open to being challenged by others and discovering new ways to address opportunities and solve problems.
Seth G - If someone else can get us there faster, are you willing to let them?
Empowering others – (an outcome with the CL model) A courageous leader is willing to let go, to move aside when someone else has more knowledge, experience or passion for a project, issue or opportunity. Being a facilitator for others to achieve their best is an integral part of courageous leadership.
At Courageous Leaders we link all these qualities to Leadership Mastery, a cornerstone of our Courageous Leaders programs and workshops.
These questions interestingly link to the key aspects of the Courageous Leaders Model:
Seth G - Do you let the facts get in the way of a good story?
Connect and Commit - A courageous leader knows that both the facts AND the feelings, our intuitive sense of how to respond and our ability to share our stories are all equally important. By being open to facts, intuition and stories leaders enable connection and commitment throughout the organisation.
Seth G - What do you do with people who disagree with you... do you call them names in order to shut them down?
Courage - Rather than reacting, a courageous leader doesn’t react by trying to put others down, instead they courageously address the issue at hand.
Seth G - [Bonus: Are you willing to walk away from a project or customer or employee who has values that don't match yours?]
Conviction - Courageous leaders truly own their values and question the behaviour of leaders, employees, customers and suppliers when it does not fit their values. When a partner or sales director brings in large amounts of business and behaves in a bullying or harassing manner to to others, what measures do you take if this is inconsistent to your values?
Seth G - Is it okay if someone else gets the credit?
Confidence – A courageous leaders has an inner confidence and is keen to share credit and recognition. Courageous leaders truly own their values and question the behaviour of leaders, employees, customers and suppliers when it does not fit their values.
Seth G – Are you open to multiple points of view or do you demand compliance and uniformity?
Seth G - How often are you able to change your position?
Change – for any twenty-first century leader, change is simply part of every day life. Courageous leaders relish the opportunity to take in new information and change their point of view and way ofdoing business. Note - A courageous leader sees change as an opportunity to develop and hone their leadership skills
Seth G - Do you have a goal that can be reached in multiple ways?
Challenge – A courageous leader is open to being challenged by others and discovering new ways to address opportunities and solve problems.
Seth G - If someone else can get us there faster, are you willing to let them?
Empowering others – (an outcome with the CL model) A courageous leader is willing to let go, to move aside when someone else has more knowledge, experience or passion for a project, issue or opportunity. Being a facilitator for others to achieve their best is an integral part of courageous leadership.
At Courageous Leaders we link all these qualities to Leadership Mastery, a cornerstone of our Courageous Leaders programs and workshops.
By Mandy Holloway & Fiona Pearman
Monday, June 6, 2011
Just how challenging can we be?
I facilitated a session recently on engaging in challenging conversations constructively and it was inspiring to hear everyone walk away willing to adopt the mantle of courageous leader and actively unleash the courage to have more of these conversations.
We explored the importance of these conversations to innovation, collaboration, engagement and high performance. All made logical sense.
Then we explored what holds us back then if the benefits are so great.
Fear of consequences holds people back - they do not want to make themselves vulnerable - as vulnerability is still seen by many people as weak.
I felt myself feeling disillusioned because challenging is still not embraced constructively - when emerging leaders unleash their courage to initiate a challenging conversation they are still being met far too often with a response that comes from positional power! So their vulnerability is rewarded with power - more opposing tensions at play - the other is that of fear and courage. These emerging leaders fear for their continued employment in the business - what a way to feel when you are about to engage in a challenging conversation.
We explored the importance of these conversations to innovation, collaboration, engagement and high performance. All made logical sense.
Then we explored what holds us back then if the benefits are so great.
Fear of consequences holds people back - they do not want to make themselves vulnerable - as vulnerability is still seen by many people as weak.
I felt myself feeling disillusioned because challenging is still not embraced constructively - when emerging leaders unleash their courage to initiate a challenging conversation they are still being met far too often with a response that comes from positional power! So their vulnerability is rewarded with power - more opposing tensions at play - the other is that of fear and courage. These emerging leaders fear for their continued employment in the business - what a way to feel when you are about to engage in a challenging conversation.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Inspiring Courageous Leaders Book - First copies published and distributed - now come feelings of vulnerability!
Well here is another BLOG on my experience of writing a book and publishing it. We have started to distribute our first 100 copies of the book with another 5,000 copies arriving at the end of May and the feelings of vulnerability are pretty intense:
* what if no one wants to buy the book
* will it help to create the business impetus we had envisaged
* how will people react to the stories and experiences I share
* how will people react to the personal transparency I create
* what if book stores decide they don't what the book on their shelves.
Interesting how overpowering these feelings can become and then how exhilarating they can become when you release yourself from judgement - your own and that of others! What an incredible experience this has been and will continue to be.
Look out for the next BLOG when the books arrive at the end of May.
* what if no one wants to buy the book
* will it help to create the business impetus we had envisaged
* how will people react to the stories and experiences I share
* how will people react to the personal transparency I create
* what if book stores decide they don't what the book on their shelves.
Interesting how overpowering these feelings can become and then how exhilarating they can become when you release yourself from judgement - your own and that of others! What an incredible experience this has been and will continue to be.
Look out for the next BLOG when the books arrive at the end of May.
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