Leaders Recognize that they are Accountable
Effective organizations have a different view of the leader. Leaders are open, real, approachable and accountable to others. They are not higher than others due to their position, in fact, the position speaks to responsibility, not hierarchy. As leaders work with people within organizations, they will serve them by displaying the qualities of authenticity. Leaders must resist the tendency to protect themselves at all cost when they make mistakes, they admit them. Leaders recognize that they are accountable to others and not just those who are over them. Relationship, authenticity, teachable moments, open communications, consistency all foster the environment that is free from fear through trust. Effective organizations refuse to cut corners on the truth. When they make a promise, they do everything possible to fulfill it. People learn that they can trust what is said and that in the organization the actions fit the words.
Effective organizations provide leadership for the good of those being led. Leadership enables others through encouraging, equipping, enabling, empowering and engaging. Leaders do not neglect to take appropriate action, in fact, they have a bias for action. This proactiveness comes not from being driven to personal ambition but by being called to serve the needs of others. Performing at a high level of effectiveness is always a choice, and leaders expect people to follow through when they are given an assignment. People expect that and a whole lot more from their leaders.
Leaders must:
- Lead both organization and individuals with a purpose
- Value others through serving, attention, affirmation, appreciation, equipping, empowering and engaging them
- Transform mindsets within the organization to system-wide, critical, value-creating thinking
- Be responsible stewards who are accountable for and optimizes each resource to deliver exceptional outcomes
Effective leadership practices must be shared across the organization for adaption in a cohesive and consistent manner. Leadership development activities must change the context within which leading takes place as teachable moments that break old mindsets and shape individual leaders. While capable individuals are the foundation for success, organizations require coordinated action to improve overall effectiveness. One aspect for effective organizations is the creation of structured leader standard behaviors, standard in that:
- the behaviors are defined
- the behaviors are set as expected and desired
- all leaders are expected to conduct their daily activities founded in the standard behaviors
- for each leader, a development model is designed (unique to them) and maturity in desired behaviors tracked
- each leader is coached through the cycle of leader behavior maturity
Organizations with a well-defined culture based in desired and matured behaviors have a competitive advantage in the marketplace and have proven to deliver high performance that resides in shared behaviors, principles, beliefs and is most commonly matured through experience. Hence, leaders must understand there exist a leadership culture within the organization, which is defined by the collective actions of formal and informal leaders acting together to influence organizational effectiveness. Leadership in this community is both the leaders themselves and the relationships among them; the collective leadership. Leaders must realize, that the current behavior is delivering the current performance results and most importantly, the understanding that this current behavior will NOT nor ever be able to deliver expected performance results. The expected new performance results can ONLY be delivered with the establishment of a new cultural environment.
