WHAT MAKES A GREAT LEADER? THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL PROFICIENCY.

FC Member Blog

BY Arnold BeekesTue Jul 21, 2009 at 5:27 AM

This blog is written by a member of our blogging community and expresses that member's views alone.

It's a question that has been tackled by thousands. In fact, there are literally tens of thousands of leadership studies, theories, frameworks, models, and recommended best practices. But where are the clear, simple answers we need for our daily work lives? Are there any?

Dave Ulrich, Norm Smallwood, and Kate Sweetman set out to answer these questions to crack the code of leadership. Drawing on decades of research experience, the authors conducted extensive interviews with a variety of respected CEOs,academics, experienced executives, and seasoned consultants and heard the same five essentials repeated again and again. These five rules became
The Leadership Code.

These five rules the book argues can be effectively used by all leaders, regardless of their context or organization. The five rules/leadership code are:

*
Strategist - shape the future.

*
Executor - make things happen.

* Talent manager - engage todays talent.

* Human
capital developer - build the next generation.

*
Personal proficiency - invest in yourself.

This gives you a platform/guidance for developing your leadership capability.

The authors say by following this code and 60% to 70% of the leadership challenge will be met. They accept that the remaining 30% of leadership effectiveness, will depend on how you deal with specific issues that will vary from organization to organization.

I do think that the first four are not
really shocking. There are hundreds of books and resources, which describe
these rules. The most interesting one is personal proficiency.

Personal proficiency has five sets of resources: physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spirituality.

This personal proficiency is the basis upon
which the rest can be developed. If there is a lack, or not enough attention to
any of these aspects, the other four rules will suffer. For sure!

Physical

The role of a leader puts great demands on
the physical condition and stamina of the leader. Most hours are spend sitting
down behind a desk, in the car, in meeting rooms. This is not healthy for the
body. So, it is crucial to plan at least three times a week time for physical
exercises, preferably outdoors. That activity has two benefits. During the
physical exercises you can clear and clean your head, your thinking. When you
are done, you will have a new and refreshing perspective on the challenges at
hand. And you will be less tired from all the meetings and conversations,
because you have a good physical state.

Social

It is crucial to have a view and
understanding of the world around you. If the leader is only focussed on the
business, he or she misses a lot about what is happening in the world. This can
be in his own family and community, but also in the wider perspective. One of
the most fulfilling activities is to be a volunteer. This is beneficial for
yourself and for the organization as well.

Emotional

For your own physical and mental health, it
is crucial to be aware of your own emotions. Are you often angry, impatient or
disappointed? Any other emotion? If you hide those emotions for yourself, it
will take a while to burst out of its cocoon, but then you are in trouble. So,
it is better to be aware and to accept those emotions. Then you can examine what
the cause is and address that cause. Even better is to have a personal coach
who will be your confidential sparring partner and trustee.

Intellectual

Here we are talking about learning agility.
The world moves so fast, that you can no longer rely on your previous
experience or know-how. You have to keep up to date with the latest trends and
developments. Not only in your area of expertise, but also in general. This can
be done through reading, attending seminars, and listening to podcasts. A great
way to learn is to meet regularly with people with different backgrounds. They
will offer you new insights and perspectives. Everything in the world is so
connected to each other that you need to learn to develop a holistic way of
seeing. Only then you can see the problems and challenges, as well as the
solutions and opportunities.

Spiritual

To keep your own flame burning, you need to
make sure that you regularly add some fuel. This can be done through
meditation, going to church, reading, or whatever suits you. You have to
provide meaning to your own, personal life as well. Your values and beliefs
have to be sustained continuously.

Most leaders do not give priority to this
personal proficiency. The result is that they really exhaust themselves (and
their teams). The current challenges require that you be energetic and
enthusiastic and not deplete your own resources. So you have to make sure that
you fuel them regularly and continuously!

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RADICAL SERVICE INNOVATION

www.theproperway.com

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Topics:

Innovation, Technology, Leadership, Management, Careers, Ethonomics, attitudes, change, culture, Employee Engagement, ethics, personal development, personal growth, Service, service innovation, thinking, Dave Ulrich, Kate Sweetman, Norm Smallwood, Twitter Inc.

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Recent Comments | 7 Total

July 21, 2009 at 2:39pm by Sylvia Lafair

I agree that personal proficiency is at the core of great leadership. I would like to take the discussion one step deeper. It is more than the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual realms that need to be considered. It is also the intergenerataional legacy aspects of a person's life that, if factored in, make a world of difference.

It is up to each of us to observe, understand, and transform aspects of past relationship patterns so that we do not become trapped in an unconscious attempt to right past wrongs or seek revenge in some manner. This is subtle personal work and is often neglected. If we do not learn from history we are so often doomed to repeat it.What forms us is family, culture, and crises and knowing how these areas have impacted the present can be vital in making present day leadership decisions.