Why would anyone want to be led by you?A member of my staff, affectionately af·fec·tion·ateadj. 1. Having or showing fond feelings or affection; loving and tender. 2. Obsolete Inclined or disposed. af·fec known as "The Professor," handed me a Harvard Business Review Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership and article recently entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: "Why Should Anyone Be Led By You?" I read it and agreed with the points made about exposing vulnerability, relying on intuition intuition, in philosophy, way of knowing directly; immediate apprehension. The Greeks understood intuition to be the grasp of universal principles by the intelligence (nous), as distinguished from the fleeting impressions of the senses. to gauge timing, and managing with tough empathy empathy Ability to imagine oneself in another's place and understand the other's feelings, desires, ideas, and actions. The empathic actor or singer is one who genuinely feels the part he or she is performing. . I have lived each point--doing it right and doing it not-so-right. Reflecting on the question I posed in the title of this article, 35 years in this business has convinced me that what is important is not that everything goes right but that what you are doing is right. I doubt whether a leader is alive today who is not known by the scars obtained from fighting for a purpose or cause burning within him or her. When you expound ex·pound v. ex·pound·ed, ex·pound·ing, ex·pounds v.tr. 1. To give a detailed statement of; set forth: expounded the intricacies of the new tax law. 2. the purpose, you expose the problems. No true leadership is possible without facing problems. The role of leadership in declaring problems that are obvious to everyone is clearly not to bring new insight but to establish the credibility to lead. If part of leadership is painting a compelling picture of the future and inspiring people to that new vision, how will anyone have confidence in your ability to lead or create that "new world" if you cannot even engage the present reality effectively? CREATING PROBLEMS TO SOLVE THEM Leaders create problems by changing expectations and by creating a greater sense of urgency. If people perceive that they have all the time in the world even for lofty and noble goals, they may not feel any sense of crisis or problem. When leaders increase the urgency, they accelerate the need for immediate response. This urgency may now be a tremendous source of crisis. What once may have been an area of great calm may become the center point for problem solving problem solving Process involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error. . I guarantee that the only problems you will solve are those you engage; the only problems that you engage are the ones you perceive. If the situation is calm, you are probably in the eye of a hurricane! As tightly as a leader must grasp purpose and vision, he or she must equally relinquish the grip on the creation of a plan to accomplish the mission. Too frequently we confuse the mantle of leadership with a monopoly on the creative process. With creative implementation often comes the attitude that the "how" always must come from us. We should be stewards of a group of dreamers; our most important role is to identify a great idea when we hear it. EXAMPLE OF CHANGE Leadership in the change process is less about being the primary advocate of change and more about being the primary example of change. A strong faith in yourself is vital, or you will spend your life seeking the approval of others. Nobody is going to follow someone who is not confident in who he or she is or where the individual is going. Nobody! If you want me to follow you, do what is right. Do not shy away from Verb 1. shy away from - avoid having to deal with some unpleasant task; "I shy away from this task" avoid - stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something; "Her former friends now avoid her" dealing with problems that might arise. Let others share in the creative process knowing that you are not perfect either. Set the example by doing the absolute best you can and treating people as you would like to be treated along the way. If you do that, I will follow you. Remember that we fight the greatest battles of life in the silent, private chambers of our own souls. When you win battles there, you feel an inward peace and confidence. Outward victories will surely follow. When you look behind you, I will be there! EDITOR'S NOTE Editor's Note (foaled in 1993 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Champion 2 YO Colt Forty Niner, who in turn was a son of Champion sire Mr. Prospector and out of the mare, Beware Of The Cat. Trained by D. This is the final article in a series on key management issues by Willis Potts. The four other articles in the series appeared in Solutions! earlier this year. To locate these articles online, go to www.tappi.org and type "Potts" in the search engine. Choose "All Journals." The articles will be listed on "Search Results." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ABOUT THE AUTHOR Willis Potts is vice president and general manager, Inland Paperboard paperboard, material similiar in shape and composition to paper, but generally thicker, stronger, and more rigid. Paper machines, e.g., Fourdrinier machines, are used to make sheets of paperboard. and Packaging, Rome, Georgia Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Rome is the largest city in and the county seat of Floyd County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Rome, Georgia Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Floyd County. , USA. He is also a member of the Solutions! Editorial Board and is an active leader within PIMA and TAPPI. Prior to joining Inland, Potts served for many years with Union Camp Corp. Contact him by email at: wpotts@iccnet.com |
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