10 WAYS TO BE A LEADER PEOPLE CHOOSE TO FOLLOW

Authority, position and title will not make you a leader!

Don’t worry about being a leader. Worry about being a person worthy of being followed.

10 leaders people choose not to follow:

1. Leaders who live in fear.
2. Leaders who don't challenge the status quo
3. Finger-pointing leaders who never take responsibility.
4. Face-saving leaders who protect their image at the expense of others.
5. Butt-kissing leaders who change their behavior when top brass is around.
6. Truth-shading leaders who bend the facts for personal advantage.
7. Dark-cloud leaders who only see problems.
8. Big-boss leaders who love telling people what to do.
9. Glory-hound leaders who love praise and steal credit.
10. Big mouth leaders who love the sound of their own voice.

10 ways to be a leader people choose to follow:

1. A leader who sees in me what I didn't see in myself. 
2. A leader who cares about people 
3. A leader I can trust and was confident had my back.
4. A leader who lead by example and possessed competencies I aspired to gain.
5. A leader who was always pressing forward.
6. A leader who gave me the opportunity to talk and feedback
7. A leader who displayed humility.  
8. A leader who was productive 
9. A leader who was passionate to learn.
10. A leader of good character. 

If you want to inspire others, try the following:

1. Focus on adding value, not gaining followers.
2. Become the person you would choose to follow. Would you follow you?
3. Share your best intentions. Authenticity is more compelling than talent, skill, or competence.
4. Honour people. People choose leaders who make them feel they matter.

HOW TO STOP SOLVING PROBLEMS AND START SOLVING PATTERNS

Another excellent post by Dan Rockwell

Recognize and solve negative patterns or you’ll end up solving the same problems over and over.

The third time you have the same conversation, with the same person, about the same disappointing performance, you have a pattern, not a problem.

Pattern solving

#1. Point out the pattern.

Watch for a deja vu feeling. It may not be the exact same conversation. It just feels familiar. Point it out. “It feels like we’ve been here before.”

#2. Listen for fairy-tale thinking:

1. “I just need to try harder.”
2. “I’ll get it done next time.”
3. “I need to be more disciplined.”

#3. Say hard truths.

When you hear, “I just need to try harder,” say, “I’m surprised you aren’t already bringing your best.”

When you hear, “I’ll get it done next time,” say, “What specifically will be different next time?”

10 considerations when solving people patterns

1. Desire.
2. Ability.
3. Capacity.
4. Commitment.
5. Distraction.
6. Purpose. Does the behavior or result matter?
7. Expectations. How are expectations clear? Foggy?
8. Clarity. How are goals clear? Foggy?
9. Team composition. Are the wrong people on the bus?
10. Management incompetence or confusion. When good people don’t succeed, consider the possibility that management is the issue.

Temporary measures

Breaking negative patterns requires leaders to institute temporary measures.

1. Frequent reporting.
2. Uncomfortable accountability.
3. Consequences.

Affirmation

People need hope. Celebrate imperfect successes, even as you expect continued improvement. Hope energizes progress.