Twelve Leadership Failures That Will Sink An Organization--December 31, 2010

Over the past four years I have spent a lot of time reading about organizational health as I have worked on my doctoral dissertation. Be it the market place or the non-profit arena, the success or failure of the organization rests primarily upon the quality of its leadership. Though it is not a comprehensive list, I believe there are at least twelve leadership failures that will sink an organization. If you are in a leadership role in your organization, I would invite you to think through this leadership assessment and, along with your leadership team, make any necessary changes that will allow your organization to be healthy in 2011. I would invite your comments as a leader.

Leading with quality in mind,

Denny


Twelve Leadership Failures That Will Sink An Organization

1. A Failure To Lead By Example

Are the leaders willing to do what they are asking others to do?
Are the leaders willing to show others how to succeed?

2. A Failure To Create A Safe Place For Discussion

Are the leaders willing to be approachable and listen?
Are the leaders willing to accept constructive criticism from others?

3. A Failure To Plan For The Future

Are the leaders willing to be forward thinking when met with a challenge or problem, rather than taking the attitude “we’ve always done it this way before?”
Are the leaders willing to set strategic, measurable goals for the organization’s health?

4. A Failure To Learn From The Past

Are the leaders willing to express humility when things have not gone as planned?
Are the leaders willing to make the necessary changes so that history will not repeat itself?

5. A Failure To Invest In Future Leaders

Are the leaders willing to become mentors to the next generation of leadership?
Are the leaders willing to pass the baton of leadership and not grip power until the bitter end?

6. A Failure To Appreciate And Praise Others In The Organization’s Successes

Are the leaders willing to share the glory when things are going well?
Are the leaders willing to promote the contributions of those who serve behind the scenes?

7. A Failure To Distinguish The Difference Between Managing Programs And Leading People

Are leaders willing to care more about building a relationship with people rather than simply trying to manage them?
Are leaders willing to make people feel important?

8. A Failure To Empower Members To Reach Their Full Potential

Are leaders willing to make a concerted effort to lead others towards growth?
Are leaders willing to be replaced by those they have empowered to grow?

9. A Failure To Communicate In A Clear And Convincing Way

Are leaders willing to make sure that communication is clear and consistent?
Are leaders willing to listen and learn from others?

10. A Failure To Capture The Moment And Build Upon Energy And Momentum

Are leaders willing to lead on the cutting edge of change?
Are leaders willing to spend the necessary resources to ensure momentum does not fade away?

11. A Failure To Build A Team That Has Great Chemistry

Are leaders willing to make the necessary investment of time to make sure “the right people are on the bus?”
Are leaders willing to do what is necessary in order to build a team building culture in the organization?

12. A Failure To Make Strategic Adjustments During An Historic Challenge

Are leaders willing to think outside the box in order to compensate for a change in culture or circumstances?
Are leaders willing to admit incorrect assumptions and adjust to a new strategy that may demand structural changes in how the organization operates?

Ambition: How Will You Use It?

Ambition: "It's the instinctual motivation to aspire to things, to make something happen, to have an impact, to count for something in life." (Dave Harvey) How will your ambition make an eternal difference in 2011?

Year End Leadership Thoughts--December 29, 2010

It's a good discipline for every leader to read what other leaders are writing. Here are a few notable quotes that struck a chord in me:

The Impact A Leader Can Have Upon Many People:

“When you influence a child, you influence a life. When you influence a parent, you influence a family. When you influence a president, you influence a corporation. When you influence a pastor, you influence a church. When you influence a leader, you influence all who look to him or her for leadership.” Pg.171

Biehl, Bobb. 1996. Mentoring: confidence in finding a mentor and becoming one. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman Publishers.

The Importance Of A Leader's Impact Upon The Organization:

“The greatness of an organization will be directly proportional to the greatness of its leader. It is rare for organizations to rise above their leaders. Giant organizations do not emerge under pygmy leaders; therefore, the key to growing an organization is to grow its leaders.” Pg. 31

Blackaby, Henry and Richard. 2001. Spiritual leadership: moving people to God’s agenda. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

The Great Need For A Leader's Personal Growth:

“One of the issues regarding spiritual leadership is whether spiritual leaders can take people to places they themselves have never been. That depends on one’s definition of spiritual leadership. If spiritual leadership is understood as taking people to a location or completing a task, then leaders can lead people to places they have never been. But if the goal of leadership is a relationship, then leaders will never move their people beyond where they have gone themselves. Leaders can lead people to relocate their organization or to build a building or to grow in size without prior experience in these areas. But leaders cannot take their people into a relationship with Christ that goes any deeper than they have gone themselves. Followers may grow deeper spiritually in spite of their spiritually immature leaders, but they will not grow deeper because of such people. Thus, spiritual leaders must continually be growing themselves if they are to lead their people into a mature, intimate relationship with Christ. Leaders will not lead their people to higher levels of prayer unless they have already ascended to those heights themselves. Leaders will not lead others to deeper levels of trust in God unless they have a mature faith themselves.” Pg. 128

Blackaby, Henry and Richard. 2001. Spiritual leadership: moving people to God’s agenda. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Keep on leading with quality in mind,

Denny Bates