Effective & Inspiring Leadership 2008

1. Effective & Inspiring Leadership2008 INSPIRING TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

2. Introduction Peter Drucker in his book titled The Leader of the Future (1996) observed that: • “There may be born leaders, but there surely are far too few to depend on them. Leadership must be learned and can be learned.” • My personal belief is that leadership is a set of learnable behaviours, which can be adopted and modelled by observing leaders who exhibit ethical behaviours and strong values.

3. Leadership vs Management • Leadership and management are two distinctive and complementary systems of action • Most companies are over-managed and under-led

4. Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us...And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.As we are liberated from our own fear, our presenceautomatically liberates others.Nelson MandelaInaugural speech 1994 Nelson Mandela

5. “Leadership isn’t easy. It’s often exhilarating, exciting, stimulating, but it can also be isolating, exhausting, daunting.” Quentin Bryce

6. “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

7. “There are many qualities that make a great leader. But having strong beliefs, being able to stick with them through popular and unpopular times, is the most important characteristics of a great leader.” Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani

8. Traits Which Lead to Failure • Insensitivity to co-workers • Aloofness and arrogance • Tendency to misuse information conveyed in confidence • Inability to control ambition • Inability to delegate assignments or promote teamwork • Inability to staff effectively • Inability to think strategically

9. Where Australian Leaders Fail In broad terms, Australian leaders fail in the following key areas: Managing poor performance in the workplace Giving regular, constructive feedback Being good listeners Lack of willingness to adapt current command and control leadership styles to being more inclusive and collaborative

10. Future Aspire Leadership Characteristics SOURCE: UWS ASPIRE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS • Setting a good example • Compassion and empathy • Sticking by what he/she believes in, no matter what • Seeks to serve their people • Listens and responds to their people • Willing to admit they can be wrong • Does not abuse their power • Respectful of others • Use their power, and resources to give something of benefit back to society • Allow others to participate

11. Future Aspire Leadership Characteristics SOURCE: UWS ASPIRE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS • Make all team members feel included in accomplishing goals • Determination, and therefore not quitting easily • Having a vision and being able to communicate that effectively • An ability to motivate and inspire others • Have good values and beliefs • Integrity • Passionate about what they do • Demonstrate humility • Does not seek to blame others, but takes responsibility for the group’s actions • Demonstrate courage

12. Leadership Revelations: Findings In the book “Leadership Revelations: An Australian Perspective”, highly effective leaders were found to have the following common characteristics: An appetite for learning & developing others Are change enablers Coach people Communicate through listening Are courageous Have integrity Inspire and motivate people Lead by example Value diversity

13. Characteristics of Effective, Inspiring Leaders • An Appetite for Learning & Developing Others. • Good leaders have an insatiable desire to learn new things that will enable more effective leadership “Leadership skills are often learned through the process of leading others, leadership is a process of ongoing personal development.” Peter Arthur

14. Characteristics of Effective, Inspiring Leaders 2. Change Enablers • This requires a high level of self awareness and being comfortable with change, personally first then professionally Alec Bashinsky refers to: “the toughest challenge is not organisational change, but mindsets.” Terry Lee

15. Characteristics of Effective, Inspiring Leaders • Coach People • Good leaders encourage, mentor, coach and develop their people, recognising this is one of the most notable contributions they can make to the organisation “Coaching is a process of transformation because we teach what we need to learn most.” Rhonda Jansz

16. Characteristics of Effective, Inspiring Leaders • Communication through listening • Good leaders “listen and hear”; they listen to their people, trusted advisors and their own inner voice “Good leaders listen and do what they say they will do.” Dr Karen Starr “Two ears and one mouth.” Granny Pearl

17. Characteristics of Effective, Inspiring Leaders • Courage • Good leaders have the courage to face their fears, they call it by name and then manage it. They do tough stuff, not the popular stuff “True courage is not physical courage, rather it is about moral courage which will be on display and under challenge every day.” General Peter Cosgrove

18. Characteristics of Effective, Inspiring Leaders • Integrity • Leaders “who do what they say they will do”. This is often defined as trust, honesty, credibility “Trust, integrity and ethical behaviours are intertwined, one building upon the other”. Lance’s experience was “people followed where integrity led”. Lance Blockley

19. Characteristics of Effective, Inspiring Leaders • Inspire and motivate people • Good leaders inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things, due to their belief and trust in their people “Leaders create energy within an organisation; they get people excited about what could be”. John McGrath

20. Characteristics of Effective, Inspiring Leaders • Lead by example • People want to work for leaders whom they trust and respect, and who trust and respect them in return “Leading by example is how leaders make vision and values tangible. It is how they provide evidence that they’re personally committed… evidence is what people look for”. father Chris Riley

21. Characteristics of Effective, Inspiring Leaders • Value diversity • Good leaders seek to hire people who are not carbon copies of themselves. They look for people who think differently and will challenge them, which leads to increased creativity and innovation “Leaders create organisations that celebrate diversity rather than uniformity”. Kathleen Townsend

22. Characteristics of Life Affirming Leaders • They act as hosts NOT heros • They know that people are naturally intelligent, creative and caring • They do not assume that other people are not as smart or good as they themselves are • They expect leadership everywhere, and in fact, they encourage it • A leader is anyone who is willing to help anywhere anytime

23. Characteristics of Life Affirming Leaders • They entrust appropriate resources to those who are doing the work • They listen PATIENTLY and are willing to be disturbed by others • They believe everyone is an expert in something • They follow the energy of YES, and never say NO to possibilities, even if they seem remote

24. Conclusion Do you pass the MIRROR TEST? “Would I want to be led by me?”

25. Food For Thought “Lead with a warm heart, cool head and open ear. Genuine leadership usually only occurs in fleeting moments. But those moments are precious – they are the glistenings of the diamond that exists within each and everyone of us. Leadership is open to all.” Jack Heath CEO, Inspire Foundation “Leadership Revelations: An Australian Perspective”

26. Acknowledgements • Avril Henry, 2005, Leadership Revelations: An Australian Perspective, CCH, Australia • The Drucker Foundation, 1996, The Leader of the Future, Jossey-Bass, New York • Glenn Van Ekeren,1994, Speaker’s Source Book II, Prentice Hall Press, New York • Speech by the Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC, Governor of Queensland, titled “Women to Leadership Mentoring Program”, on 25 February 2004 • http://www.brainyquote.com, accessed 27th April 2008 • http://www.quotationspage.com, accessed 27th April 2008

27. Avril Henry Managing Director Level 4, Suite 4.13 55 Miller Street Pyrmont NSW 2009 Phone: 02 9660 2400 Fax: 02 9660 2411 Email: enquiries@ahrevelations.com Web: www.avrilhenry.com.au