You wouldn’t normally put the actor Robert Redford at the top of your pile of management advisors, but he has a surprising literacy when it comes to identifying system improvements and corporate power politics.

Harvard Business Review commented that ‘Redford’s multi-faceted approach to change includes developing grass-roots initiatives, earning credibility and success leverage, practicing the art of persuasion in order to get projects completed, gathering support along the way and demonstrating persistence’.

Redford is quoted as saying, ‘A better way to change a system is to work through it bottom-up, quietly chipping away at standard procedures, creating small opportunities to do what you really want to do, until you achieve real success. Then you can break out your agenda in a larger way.’

‘ I learned that the corporate powers that be aren’t going to be interested in the fruits of your labour and passion unless you are able to understand their agenda and speak their language. You can’t be forceful, loud or confrontational. You have to sell what you have on their terms. Once you have earned credibility and are in a position to get what you want, you need to strike a series of bargains. I concluded that if you want to crack the system, you have to work behind the scenes.’

Interesting words from someone who has seen a lot of the world. Can we identify what that means for us in the business world?

Well, as he says, others are not going to be interested in you, your labours and passions if they don’t see it working to their agendas. Everyone is going to have their own ideas of how things should work and that isn’t going to change unless you speak their language and identify what’s in it for them.

Hollywood might be a strange place to gain management ideas, but sometimes golden nuggets leap out and impress you. You can’t deny the value of Redford’s words. Good on you, Sundance!

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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I was asked an interesting question via email this week that made me stop and think. The question was, What leadership qualities are most needed in today’s time of great change?

I believe leaders play a vital role in each and every business today, and no business can afford to carry passengers. So, I believe the top characteristics that a leader must have are: the ability to recognise and develop employees’ talents, the know-how to make teams work and the ability to communicate at every level within the organisation.

Phew, quite a lot for the leader to do, then! Here are my ideas for a great leader

1. Good communication is the key for developing good business relationships. If he can’t establish a good business working relationship, he is not going to be that leader, that team player. He will not be able to communicate how the teams can add long-term value to the company. The modern leaders must therefore be equipped with good communication skill and use new ways to effectively communicate

2. Honesty The most valuable asset of a leader is honesty. He must be honest with his employees, suppliers, customers and stakeholders. If not, the integrity that leaders need will be undermined.

3. Vision
Leadership qualities are different for different positions. For a Chief Executive , stabilising and running the business today is vital, but so is looking to the future .He has to be able to look beyond where we are today, know where the business is going, and be able to use that vision to move the company forward. We pay a lot for those skills.

4. Action speaks louder than words
What a manager and leader does will speak louder than what they say. If the words and actions don’t match, the people will believe the actions. It’s vital that all the team understand the value of the leader’s example.

5. Ability to motivate people around
A good leader must always keep motivating his team mates for good work and should maintain a healthy environment. That environment must be seen by others as motivational and accurately reflect the direction they all need to go.

6. Consistency
Without consistency, people will not know where they stand. Have integrity and variety in what you do, but have the values that are driven by positivity. People will look to you as an example, and your consistent approach will do wonders to get people on your side.

You may or may not agree with those ideas, and I’d like to hear your views. I’m sure we could between us write a book on leaders’ qualities, but one thing is sure…the way we lead businesses today is vastly different to how we lead 10 or more years ago.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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On our Management Open Courses, we often find the most interesting discussions revolve around the section on Leadership styles, because many people have heard about them but haven’t really learned enough about them to build their knowledge and awareness of how to change styles when necessary.

On the programme, we discuss that there are many styles you can choose from but it’s generally the situation itself that will dictate which style you should adopt. Here’s a resume of what we discuss:

1) Get to know the various strengths, weaknesses, development areas, wants and needs of each staff member who works for you. This will allow you to have a good personal business relationship with each one.

2) Don’t allow any past negative situations to control how you lead your people. Your attitude will become clear immediately if you bring baggage forward from any past experiences or management positions you may have held.

3) Each team member is an individual and should be treated as such. Provide closer supervision with those who need to improve their performance. Give greater freedom and responsibility to those who have shown ability and perform in a professional way.

4) Communicate your vision and goals and objectives to all in the team. If you play your cards close to your chest, you run the risk of alienating the team and they will become suspicious of your motives.

5) Practice good communication skills and respect for the team no matter what type of day you are having. Consistency is one of the key attributes of any leader, and if you show yourself to be moody or up-and-down in your demeanour, you are less likely to encourage others to approach you with honesty and openness.

By choosing the correct style of leadership with your team, you create the best opportunity to get them behind you and firing on all cylinders in their work.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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I was having a chat with one of my team recently and we got onto the subject of best bosses we have ever worked for. Naturally, he said I was one of them (!!), but who else was on his list of excellent bosses?

Well, after we discussed who they were, we jotted down what set them apart as such inspirational leaders, and I offer this list from my scribbled notes:

1) The vision they have for their and the company’s future is inspiring and absorbing. This means their co-workers choose to follow the direction the leader is taking them, rather than feel they have to because they have no choice.

2) They are able to communicate that vision in a way that inspires. It’s one thing to have an inspiring vision; it’s another thing entirely to be able to communicate it in such a way that people follow regardless of your position.

3) They devote themselves to continuous improvement. They may have left school, but they have never left education. Whether it’s in the car, the plane or in their spare time, they are constantly either learning new things or putting those new things into practice.

4) They create a working environment that people look forward to coming to. The environment is the culture they develop every day within the workplace. A leader knows that fun and enjoyment at work are the results of the culture they encourage.

5) They create learning and growing opportunities for all staff, because they recognise that everyone is inspired by developing themselves in a way that makes them feel important and different.

No doubt you can add to this list, and I’d love to hear from you on this subject. Maybe you have found ways to set yourself apart as an inspirational leader and have reaped many rewards. If so, you set yourself apart from the masses and are a great model for others to follow.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

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I came across this quote from Colin Powell, the ex-Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, in America some time ago:

“The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”

How would you measure up in your business against this benchmark set by General Powell? There are two facets of leadership this brings into question.

Firstly, how do you as manager or director encourage your people to communicate with you? Are your communication lines so difficult to get through that people have long given up trying to discuss everyday problems and challenges with you? Or do you welcome opportunities to deal with challenges in such a way that your team is motivated to approach you in times of pressure?

Secondly, many businesses see the act of asking for help as a weakness, and so do not welcome challenges being aired. This corporate culture can severely weaken the company, as people cover up the gaps that might exist. If you want to encourage your people to see you as a leader, make yourself accessible and available.

Powell talked about creating an environment in your department where problem analysis and decision-making replaced the blame culture that exists in many businesses. This isn’t easy, but, when done sufficiently well, will motivate staff to see you as an effective leader and encourage them to approach you rather than backing off. Prove to your people that they can trust you, and that you do care; then you’ll see the whole culture of your department thrive.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

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