Leading for Ultimate Performance
Leadership excellence is the second most powerful human force in the world, the most powerful being love. Leadership excellence has shaped the world since the earliest days of mankind. Leadership is arguably the greatest single business performance and success factor; it impacts every area of an organisation. What is interesting about leadership is that it means different things to different people.
Some Current Thoughts on Leadership
Leadership is widely considered to be directly linked to business performance and a recent Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development survey explored this further:
- 91% believe there is a link between leadership training and organisational performance.
- 85% of the organisations were involved in some form of leadership development.
However,
- 8% believed that their leadership development activities were very effective.
- 31% felt their leadership activities were not very effective.
Surprised ?
Research suggests that whilst the majority agree there is a direct link between training and performance, yet many have had an experience that has not satisfied their expectations and many still believe there is a shortage of highly effective leaders.
To Lead of Follow
Having spent over two decades in positions of formal leadership as an Officer in the Royal Marines, and as a Polar Explorer and management consultant I am aware of the importance and value of leadership to any team, and any organisation. It is critical to success. However, it is the implementation and how an individual delivers leadership that is important. In terms of peak performance teams, leadership becomes and even more critical element of team dynamics and can make the difference between an average team and one that really does deliver extraordinary results time and time again.
I call this style of leadership within a peak performance context – Leadershift©. In order to embrace the philosophy of Leadershift it is important to have a brief overview of some of the fundamentals of management. This understanding will put Leadershift© into context and enable you to embrace the art much more effectively.
What is Management?
There are many definitions of management, but put simply. It is the direction, coordination and control of business assets. It has a legal status codified in Companies Act (and other legislation) with the exercise of management including the process by which a manager makes decisions and impresses his will on, and transmits his intentions to his staff.
The Elements of Management
1. Authority
Authority involves the legal right to enforce disciplinary action. Although a manager may delegate specific authority, he retains overall responsibility.
2. Responsibility
Responsibility involves liability and obligation to answer to senior management/board members for the proper use of delegated responsibility, authority and resources; it includes the duty to act
3. Accountability
Therefore the manager who delegates responsibility should grant sufficient authority to enable the individual to fulfill the role, meanwhile the individual remains accountable to his immediate report for his actions.
The Roles of Management
If we look at the roles of managers we can identify three key areas of responsibility:
1. Control
Managers must have continuing oversight, direction and coordination of the organisations resources, although the detailed activity is often a subordinate aspect and a province of junior staff. Most activities within this area of responsibility should be delegated; however the reality is that many managers spend more time than they should undertaking Control functions.
2. Decision-Making
For the effective manager the art of effective and timely decision-making is a key role, particularly with regard to major decisions that impact on organisational strategy. Minor decision-making should be delegated to the lowest level possible in line with requisite experience, capability and capacity of the junior manager.
3. LeadershipManagement is also about leadership and the art of motivating and directing personnel into action to accomplish outputs is a fundamental requirement of any successful manager.
Leadership takes many forms and much has been written about the subject, but it still remains one of the least understood and misused skill within the manager’s toolbox.
Explore More
Leadership is widely considered to be directly linked to business performance and a recent Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development survey explored this further:
- 91% believe there is a link between leadership training and organisational performance.
- 85% of the organisations were involved in some form of leadership development.
However,
- 8% believed that their leadership development activities were very effective.
- 31% felt their leadership activities were not very effective.
Surprised ?
Research suggests that whilst the majority agree there is a direct link between training and performance, yet many have had an experience that has not satisfied their expectations and many still believe there is a shortage of highly effective leaders.
To Lead of Follow
Having spent over two decades in positions of formal leadership as an Officer in the Royal Marines, and as a Polar Explorer and management consultant I am aware of the importance and value of leadership to any team, and any organisation. It is critical to success. However, it is the implementation and how an individual delivers leadership that is important. In terms of peak performance teams, leadership becomes and even more critical element of team dynamics and can make the difference between an average team and one that really does deliver extraordinary results time and time again.
I call this style of leadership within a peak performance context – Leadershift©. In order to embrace the philosophy of Leadershift it is important to have a brief overview of some of the fundamentals of management. This understanding will put Leadershift© into context and enable you to embrace the art much more effectively.
What is Management?
There are many definitions of management, but put simply. It is the direction, coordination and control of business assets. It has a legal status codified in Companies Act (and other legislation) with the exercise of management including the process by which a manager makes decisions and impresses his will on, and transmits his intentions to his staff.
The Elements of Management
1. Authority
Authority involves the legal right to enforce disciplinary action. Although a manager may delegate specific authority, he retains overall responsibility.
2. Responsibility
Responsibility involves liability and obligation to answer to senior management/board members for the proper use of delegated responsibility, authority and resources; it includes the duty to act
3. Accountability
Therefore the manager who delegates responsibility should grant sufficient authority to enable the individual to fulfill the role, meanwhile the individual remains accountable to his immediate report for his actions.
The Roles of Management
If we look at the roles of managers we can identify three key areas of responsibility:
1. Control
Managers must have continuing oversight, direction and coordination of the organisations resources, although the detailed activity is often a subordinate aspect and a province of junior staff. Most activities within this area of responsibility should be delegated; however the reality is that many managers spend more time than they should undertaking Control functions.
2. Decision-Making
For the effective manager the art of effective and timely decision-making is a key role, particularly with regard to major decisions that impact on organisational strategy. Minor decision-making should be delegated to the lowest level possible in line with requisite experience, capability and capacity of the junior manager.
3. LeadershipManagement is also about leadership and the art of motivating and directing personnel into action to accomplish outputs is a fundamental requirement of any successful manager.
Leadership takes many forms and much has been written about the subject, but it still remains one of the least understood and misused skill within the manager’s toolbox.
Explore More
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