WEEK 7TH & 8TH
DISCUSSION
Search for Opportunities
Seize the Initiative
The best leaders are proactive. They don’t wait for someone else to
tell them what to do. They take the initiative to find and solve
problems and to meet and create challenges. The same is true in
learning.
The best leaders don’t wait to be told by a manager or by someone
in human resources that they need to change their behavior.
Instead, they take charge of their own learning. Because they’re
self-aware and they seek feedback, they know their strengths and
areas for improvement and they know what needs to be done. They
seek the developmental opportunities they need. If the resources
aren’t available from the organization, they find a way to gain the
experience, example, or education some other way.
Search for Opportunities
Exercise Outsight
Leaders must be ahead of the game; innovations,
process, services, products. Ideas come from
customers, supplies, lead users, business partners.
Leaders must listen to the constituents and perceive
external things. Innovation requires listening and
communication
Search for Opportunities
Exercise Outsight
You must continually scan the external realities.
When you keep the doors to the outside world
open, ideas and information can flow freely into
the organization.
Exemplary leaders are not caught by surprise, they
are prepared for shift and search for opportunities.
When opportunity knocks are you prepared to
open the door?
Enlist Others
James Kousez and Barry Posner have researched highly
effective leaders in various roles, and have identified a
common thread. The most effective leaders are passionate
about their vision and know how to create that same
passion in others. According to Kousez and Posner, leaders
who effectively communicate their vision, whether it’s to
one person or a thousand, generate higher levels of
“satisfaction, motivation, commitment, loyalty, team spirit,
productivity, and profitability.” Learning to engage others
in your goals can pay off big!
Kousez and Posner found that leaders excel in two primary
Enlist Others
Appeal to Common Ideals.
Visions add a sense of meaning and purpose to our lives, connecting us to something greater than ourselves. Here’s how to make your vision inspiring to others:
1) Connect to what’s meaningful to others. It’s not enough to
force your own vision onto another person. You have to identify what matters to them and show them how that intersects with your ideals. People need to know that the work they do matters, but it has to matter in a way that has significance to them personally, not just to the organization.
2) Take pride in being unique. Doing the same thing as
Enlist Others
3) Align your dream with the
people’s dream.
Finding common
Enlist Others
Animate the Vision
Once a link has been created between your vision and the personal
and communal visions of the individuals you are trying to lead, the next step is to bring that vision to life. According to Kouzes and Posner, most people see themselves as uninspiring. However, everyone is enthusiastic and expressive about something, and these are the exact characteristics needed to make a vision seem real to others. Here are some other ways to do that:
1) Use symbolic language. Symbolic language captivates
people’s imaginations and makes them feel special. It helps portray the meaning behind the vision in a way that people can really connect with and understand.
2) Paint images of the future. This capitalizes on the hopes and
Enlist Others
3) Practice positive communication. Foster optimism and an ability to look on the bright side. When things become discouraging, it is the leader’s job to keep the hope that motivates others alive.
4) Express your emotions. Research has proven that people who are more animated are seen as more charismatic, and that information delivered with emotion is more memorable. Technology can be leveraged here, such as music chosen for YouTube presentations. Entertainment value counts.
5) Speak from the heart. If you don’t really believe in what you are selling, no one else will either. Nothing else matters if you aren’t sincere.
