It’s a simple question – what is the difference between leading and managing? While many of us can explain the difference between the two, the fact remains that many of us go about our daily behaviour simply ‘managing’, without making the attempt to lead others. But today’s employees will not settle for “managing” behaviour. They are demanding more, and if they don’t receive what they consider to be “leadership” behaviour, they will go somewhere else to find it.
There are three leadership capacities that stand out above others:
1. self-examination
2. sincerity, and
3. response to extraordinary challenges
Self-Examination
Simply stated, self-examination is the fastest route to being self-aware. Yet, a great many leaders do not take a look inside, maybe because they’ve just never learned how to do it.
Leaders are not perfect beings. We all have a blind spot that inhibits us seeing clearly in every situation. This truth is reason enough to signal a need for self-examination. Add to this the variety of interpersonal conflicts or behavioural clashes that leaders face on a daily basis and we have all the ingredients for substandard performance, or perhaps better stated, opportunities for growth. Behaviour is the tangible evidence of our personal mindset. Behaviour is a matter of choice. Self-examination is the key to making the right behaviour choice.
Sincerity
The second leadership capacity for exceptional performance is sincerity. Sincerity is synonymous with genuineness, honesty, and authenticity. The key is to realize you cannot fake it to make it when it comes to behaviour. Sooner or later the real you will become evident.
So challenge yourself with a reflective question: How whole, honest and genuine are you as a leader, and how do you behave when your job becomes most difficult? Or you might ask this question to the members of your team. There is no secret when it comes to your behaviour.
Extraordinary Challenges
The third leadership capacity for exceptional performance is the ability to take on extraordinary challenges. Exceptional leadership is sometimes not so much talent, as it is the willingness to take on extraordinary challenges in order to create an environment of mutual, beneficial and meaningful purpose. Making such a choice requires a special kind of thinking and behaving – the kind of thought and behaviour that develops with the skill of Positive Presence™.
The skill of Positive Presence is an innovative thought model connecting workplace behaviour to human energy and an open mindset, and provides a systematic, programmatic methodology for equipping leaders with the knowledge and understanding necessary to cultivate exceptional leadership performance.
Catherine is the President and CEO of CORPORATE HARMONY, providing virtual solutions for leadership development and organizational culture change. Her leadership and coaching experience as a Project Manager in an ever-changing, fast moving technological organization with unrelenting demands drove her to the realization that a positive mindset and strength-building behaviors are essential for today’s complex and chaotic organizational systems. CORPORATE HARMONY’s virtual platform of programs, coaching and performance measurement, is an innovative online technology of tested proprietary content. The world-class content of CORPORATE HARMONY’s Positive Presence Program develops the skill of ‘Positive Presence’ and the necessary ‘Positive Presence Behaviour Competencies’ for maintaining a positive and energized mindset and increased performance in today’s complex work environment, and leading to a culture of collaboration and connection. Catherine’s vision for Corporate Harmony is to bring the skill of “Positive Presence” to the corporate world as it becomes more complex, ambiguous and chaotic. Catherine is uniquely positioned to impact organizations’ productivity and long term success, with her powerful vision of eliminating bad stress from every workplace around the globe, bringing purpose into the people equation to promote healthy, productive and meaningful work cultures and turn the tide on the neglect of mental health on a global scale. Catherine is author of the book: “CORPORATE HARMONY – The Performance Link for Today’s Modern Organization” Catherine can be reached at: Catherine.Osborne@corporateharmony.ca or go to ‘contact us’ on our website www.corporateharmony.ca. Catherine is available for consultation, and can be reached by 519-695-3407.