Leadership | BlogZynergy

This article explains the Charismatic leadership concept in a practical way. After reading you will understand the basics of this powerful leadership tool.

The Power of Charisma (Part 2) – What is charisma? | Nadine Dereza ...

What is Charismatic Leadership?

Charismatic leadership is about personal conviction and is based on the leader’s charm and conviction. German sociologist and founder of bureaucracy theory , Max Weber introduced the term charismatic leadership in his essay The Tree Types of Legitimate Rule in 1958. Charismatic leadership is based on the personal qualities of the leader and his recognition by his followers, whereby is about an affective bond between the two. Max Weber saw charisma as an attribute of the individual, and it seems as if he / she is in possession of supernatural and exceptional powers.

Persuasiveness

Charismatic leaders are driven by their beliefs and demonstrate exceptional dedication and expertise in their field. They have a clear vision and are able to inspire a large audience. Charismatic leadership stands or falls with the personality of the leader. In addition, they are powerful speakers and committed personalities. They can lift their employees to a higher level and encourage them to make positive changes. In addition, they are also able to communicate on an emotional and empathic level with their followers. In organizations where hierarchy plays a major role, employees will follow the rules and procedures established by their leader. That is possible in such a bureaucratic organizationaccomplished by a charismatic leader who motivates and stimulates them. In organizations where the mission and vision are central, the charismatic leader will focus more on building a strong emotional bond with the employees and inspiring and encouraging them.

Followers

Charismatic leaders do not necessarily have to be the best leaders. People tend to follow others they personally admire. A charismatic leader will gather followers through his personality and charm, rather than any form of power or authority. It actually goes without saying and it comes across naturally. In charismatic leadership, the personal vision of the leader has a lot of influence on his audience and appeals to their emotion. Originally, charismatic leadership is authoritarian, but today a charismatic leader has even more in store:

clear vision, which is conveyed well and clearly
interpersonal behavior; always in contact with others, empathetic and emotionally oriented
creating the sense of we
confident appearance

Attention and trust

The charismatic leader is able to give equal attention to each individual. He will scan his environment and take everything in well. He is sensitive to the mood and atmosphere at that moment and he will sharpen his actions and words and adapt them to the situation. Charismatic leaders also show great respect and trust to their supporters. They themselves are very convincing and they make effective use of both non-verbal communication (body language) and verbal communication (choice of words and language). For this they use story techniques, metaphors and symbolism. On an emotional level, they can focus attention on a group, give them confidence and make the group special.

The charismatic leader focuses on identifying the group. Charismatic leadership is often thought to correspond to transformational leadership . Charismatic leadership, however, does not aim to bring about a change, but focuses purely on enthusing and motivating employees.

Can you learn charismatic leadership?

Charismatic leadership is not a substitute for true leadership style. It is a good way of personal development, which can help a manager to be stronger in his shoes. Charismatic leadership is innate on the one hand, but with the necessary help from, for example, a personal coach, the basic skills can indeed be learned. Below is a step-by-step path to charismatic leadership:

1. Security

You must be sure that you want to become a charismatic leader. Not to tackle uncertainty, but to communicate your plans and focus within the organization to employees. Practice ‘management by speech’ and regularly go to the workplace to address employees, inspire them and inform them of information that is important to them.

2. Personal values

Think about your personal values and what motivates you. From this background it is easier to motivate and stimulate others. Stand behind your own views and those of the organization, so that you can communicate it well to others.

3. Appearance

Effective charismatic leaders are aware of their appearance and feel comfortable. Many characteristics of charisma are expressed physically. Be aware of your appearance and what effect this has on the environment.

4. Preparation

Good preparation is half the job. This certainly applies to presentations. Where it seems that a charismatic leader speaks loosely in front of a group of people, in many cases good preparation precedes. It comes down to correct choice of words, timing, taking a rest at the right moments, looking at a crowd and intonation and use of voice.

5. Exercise

The properties of charism contain both tangible (for example, public speaking) and intangible elements (for example, appearance). By practicing with a coach you can work on the correct intonation, choice of words and convey a powerful message.

the most charismatic leader: CHARISMATIC LEADER

Pitfalls

Pitfalls can be attached to charismatic leadership. For example, such leaders are often so convinced of themselves and their abilities that they believe they are infallible. This enables them to lead their followers to a possible abyss. Their self-confidence can also lead to narcissistic and bigoted behavior towards the environment.

Below are three more pitfalls of charismatic leadership:

Leaders can develop tunnel vision or arrogance and nullify their past good deeds.
Organizations can become too dependent on their charismatic leaders and can no longer develop their own vision; when the leader leaves, the company is nowhere and out of control.
Charismatic leaders tend to believe they are above the law and engage in certain behaviors that are not permitted by law or ethics.

Charismatic leaders examples

Several well-known charismatic leaders in history can already be identified on religious, political and business levels . Think for example of Martin Luther King , Barak Obama , Richard Brandson, Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs.

All have the same in common; they are phenomenal public speakers, full of power behind the message they convey and responding to the feelings of their followers. Furthermore, they radiate inner peace, patience, empathy and compassion and they are able to motivate others. The world needs charismatic leaders because they fight for the quality of life and a better world. Charismatic leaders have the courage and conviction towards others and are willing to stand up to groups of people, organizations, society and the established order. In this way they can contribute to a common goal.

Charisma: The Gift of Grace - Martina Gleissenebner-Teskey

Now it’s your turn

What do you think? To what extent can Charismatic leadership be applied in today’s modern management environments? Do you recognize the above or do you have additions? What do you think are other success factors that can contribute to good charismatic leadership?

Share your knowledge and experience via the comment field at the bottom of this article.

If you found the article useful or practical for your own knowledge, please share it with your network to friends and business associates.

Lessons for Dynamic Leaders during the Corona Crisis

Due to the corona crisis, many young leaders are struggling with a sense of unrest. In this blog I like to share with you some very important point you can apply in your daily routine to the current challenges.

With a good mindset this will surely help you to travel more working miles.

The following points are very handy for young leaders but also for everyone who is leading and is in the plan to start leading.
Remember that we are all from diverse ideas and sectors. We are all in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world which is changing rapidly.
After all, we are not alone in this struggle, and with this information you will get a strong sense of freedom of choice in your life, whatever the situation you are facing.

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1: Make a distinction between what you do or do not control

At any time of the day, there are an infinite number of things that are out of your control, at the same time there are things that you do have control over. How well can you make a distinction here? How often do you ask yourself this question? And where do you invest all your attention, life force and energy in? Nowadays it is too easy to get distracted by all the things you have no control over, while you could have used the 24 hours of the day for anything you could have made a positive difference: for yourself, your family, teams , community and everything else that is dear to you.

2: Invest in, and be careful with your buffer of positivity

How easy or difficult do you make it for yourself to build up a buffer of positivity to better deal with the inevitable setbacks in life? How well do you know what gives you a positive kick in life, not because it was talked about by others, but because you really feel it yourself? When you hear a negative message, how do you prevent it from seeming unnecessarily worse than it actually is? How critically do you assess your initial interpretation of the topic (personal or impersonal), the magnitude of the problem (large or small), and the temporality (long or short)? And when everything seems to go wrong, how well do you manage to build up your buffer with a feeling of gratitude for moments from the past?

3: Focus on talents that energize you

There are some skills you are not good at, and there are skills that you are better at. There are skills that do not energize you, and there are skills that do energize you. How well do you know yourself in this regard? How can you use your talented people more often per week, and make your environment aware so that you don’t question skills that cost you energy? Which hidden talents that give you energy would you like to develop further at work and beyond?

4: Care about yourself and others

How do others know that you are there for them, especially in difficult times? When someone shares a problem, do you only address the words the other person is saying, or do you also pay attention to the underlying emotional message (s)? How well can you place these feelings in the context of the other person’s life? How do you ensure that you keep your attention with the other person and not let the conversation be hijacked by yourself or others who have had a similar experience? How do you let yourself experience that you are not alone and that there are others who care about you?

5: Find meaning in everyday moments

From building something important for society to preventing something unwanted from private, how well can you see every moment of the day you are contributing? “Those who have a why have can (almost) any how endure “has the same physical act another inner experience entail depend on the meaning can you give it Unlike simple times have difficult moments often extra chances meaning to find.: courage, patience, wisdom, compassion, and other personal qualities can only grow stronger when tested

6: Celebrate successes with every step

In uncertain times, the finish line is not always in sight, and there is a lack of prospect of improvement in the short term. Plans change, and a lot of (knowledge) work is not immediately visible or tangible. In addition, if the elements of the previous lessons are missing, it can be easy to lose the motivation to continue. That is why it is extra important to clarify and celebrate every step forward. This can be done with others or alone. This can be planned or spontaneous. This can be big or small. Looking back at the week, it is quite clear what went wrong, but how often do you also think about what did work? What went easier than expected? And how do you set the bar for success at the right height, so that it is high enough to mean something, but also accessible enough to experience?

Become the leader you want to be at Lead the Way: Dynamic ...

Are you bored in this COVID-19 PERIOD? Use it to your advantage

One is too busy to get bored, while the other slowly but surely no longer knows what to do with himself. Do you recognize yourself in the latter? Then this is the time to look at the deeper layer that lies beneath your boredom. If you get bored you can easily use that to your advantage, you just have to know how.

Researchers around the world are trying to figure out exactly what causes boredom, what we can do about it and whether there is a link between boredom and depression. Lead researcher and psychology professor James Danckert describes boredom as follows: “We define boredom as an uncomfortable desire to be busy with something, but fail to fulfill that desire.” So this definition may well explain why you might get bored during this corona crisis, since your routine is upset and your sense of freedom is limited. You are not alone in it, me too and more people around the globe.

Emotions

Before we can get deeper into boredom, ask yourself if you are really bored. You can also confuse boredom with emotions such as fear or fatigue. Try to identify what you feel to find out.

Change it

In essence, boredom tries to tell you that you don’t spend your time the way you actually want it to. It is an important signal that you want to change the situation. Whenever you get bored, remember that you probably need and can change something about the situation. What counts is the action you take after this awareness, which can keep you busy and make you a more creative and successful person.

BOREDOM – AN EXCELLENT TIME FOR INTROSPECTION.

And we don’t like that very much, because who knows what deep-seated problems will emerge as soon as we take the time to get bored.

We don’t like boredom for three reasons:

First of all, boredom gives us a sense of concern – “something is missing”. We are so used to being amused by a constant stream of external stimuli that when they are missing we experience the feeling that something is not right.

In addition, boredom triggers our ‘fear response’ . We find it scary to be alone with our thoughts, fearing that they would be confrontational. To keep out the mirror that keeps boredom out, you stay busy – whether it is really productive or fun .

Finally, boredom forces you to step out of your comfort zone , which feels unnatural. As soon as you realize that you may have to do a number of things differently , in order to feel lively – for example, even after starting to read/write that book – it is safer to maybe watch some good series after all.

To shake off these feelings above, you should therefore quickly turn to external stimuli such as Netflix, your smartphone or another distractor to avoid feeling this boredom

So a luxury problem, boredom. We have so many options to choose what we want to spend our attention and time on that we get overwhelmed when we don’t use it – we get bored .

That’s why you take every opportunity to stay busy. You do not notice the boredom (and dissatisfaction) and therefore do not have to be alone with any confrontational thoughts.

So in order to reap the benefits of boredom – an opportunity for introspection – you should not look for more stimuli and novelty, but as little as possible.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED IN YOUR BOREDOM

So you are not going to build a vegetable garden. What is it? Absolutely nothing except a good put to reorganize your thoughts in order.

Meditate regularly – make room for confrontational thoughts.

Meditation would have been the last thing on your mind if you wanted to tackle boredom.

Now that you know that boredom is a mental state , it may make sense that meditation helps you see boredom differently. It helps you to understand that boredom is not a threatening thing, and it helps you place those negative and confrontational thoughts.

Meditating gives you the opportunity to look at the underlying causes why you avoid rest and are always busy.

And that doesn’t have to be lengthy sessions – 5 minutes a day is enough to use the unrest that boredom creates as a moment of introspection.

Get creative with your thoughts – let them run wild.

Instead of looking for external stimulus, use your boredom to feed your brain with creativity. After all, as soon as you are bored, your thoughts get the chance to roam freely – allow it.

So stop entertaining yourself with your smartphone and see where your thoughts are stranded. Write them down, articulate them using ‘free writing’ or capture them in color – in a mind map for example!

Get creative with your thoughts – let them run wild.

Instead of looking for external stimulus, use your boredom to feed your brain with creativity. After all, as soon as you are bored, your thoughts get the chance to roam freely – allow it.

Who knows what brilliant ideas you come up with during the CORONA LOCKDOWN!

Let me know in the comments how you solve your boredom things.

Best Case Scenario Climate 2050

Two founders of the Paris Climate Agreement and chief UN negotiators, Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac, released the book The Future We Choose on 25 February 2020. In it they outline, among other things, a scenario of a future world that they believe we should create. The translation of the book appeared on February 27: We determine the future. Team Blogzynergy shares some passages from this ‘best case scenario’ for the climate in 2050.

The world we have to create

It is 2050. We have managed to halve emissions every decade since 2020. We are on our way to a world that will be no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer in 2100.

In most places in the world the air is humid and fresh, even in cities. It looks like you are walking in a forest and you probably do that too. The air is cleaner than it has been since the industrial revolution. For that you have to thank the trees. They are everywhere.

Afforestation was not the only solution, but the trees gave us the time we needed to overcome carbon emissions. Donations from companies and individuals provided funding for the largest tree planting campaign ever. When we started, it was purely practical, a tactic to combat climate change by moving the carbon: the trees removed the carbon dioxide from the air, separated oxygen and returned the carbon where it belongs: into the ground. Of course this helps to reduce climate change, but there were more benefits. At every sensory level, the feeling of living on what has again become a green planet has changed completely, especially in cities. Cities have never been so good to live in. With more trees and much fewer cars, it has proved possible to make entire streets suitable for urban agriculture and playgrounds for children. Every empty spot and every dark, dead-end alley has been given a new purpose and is now planted with a shady grove. A vegetable or flower garden has been installed on every roof. Blind walls that were once filled with graffiti are now covered with green climbing plants.

For the developed countries, the general change that required a shift to renewable energy was sometimes an uncomfortable transition, as old infrastructure often had to be adjusted and old things had to be done in new ways. But for the developing countries it marked the beginning of a new era. The majority of the infrastructure needed for economic growth and poverty reduction was built according to the new standards: low carbon emissions and a high capacity for recovery. In remote areas, the billion people who did not have electricity at the start of the 21st century now get energy from the solar collectors on their own roof or from jointly managed wind turbines. This new access opened the door for so much more. Large population groups have made a leap towards improved sanitation, education and health care. People who only had trouble getting clean water can now provide the entire family with it. Children can also learn in the evening. Hospitals can now also work efficiently in remote areas.

Construction works all over the world make more of what they need than just electricity. All buildings collect rainwater and manage their own water use. With sustainable electricity sources, local desalination became possible, which means that clean drinking water can now be produced wherever needed in the world. We also use this water for hydroponics (growing plants on water to which nutrients have been added), flushing the toilet and for the shower. We have successfully rebuilt, organized and structured our lives to live more locally. Although energy prices have fallen enormously, we still opt for life and work close to home rather than commuting. Thanks to the better connections, many people now also work at home,

We make communities stronger. As a child you may have seen the neighbors only fleetingly. But to make things cheaper, cleaner and more sustainable, every part of your life is now more locally designed. Things that you did alone are now being carried out jointly – growing vegetables, collecting rainwater, composting. Resources and responsibilities are now shared. At first you resisted this solidarity – you were used to doing things yourself and within the privacy of your own home. But soon the camaraderie and the unexpected new support network started to feel good, something to hold high. For most people, the new way of life has proven to be a better recipe for happiness.

International air traffic has changed completely. Biofuels have replaced kerosene. Communication technology is now so advanced that we can participate in meetings anywhere in the world without having to travel. Civil air traffic still exists, but is used much less and is extremely expensive. Thanks to the fact that a lot of work is becoming more and more decentralized and can be carried out almost anywhere, people save for their ‘big vacation’: international journeys of weeks or months instead of trips of a few days. If you live in Europe and want to visit the United States, you can even plan to stay a few months or longer and view the entire continent using local public transportation with zero emissions.

Although we have successfully reduced carbon dioxide emissions, we are still confronted with the effects of record levels in the atmosphere of the past. The poorly degrading greenhouse gases can go nowhere else than to our already highly polluted atmosphere and they cause increasing extreme weather conditions – albeit less than if we had continued to burn fossil fuels. Glaciers and polar ice are still melting and the sea level keeps rising. Severe droughts and desertification are taking place in areas such as the western United States, the Mediterranean and parts of China. The constant extreme weather and the decline of resources continue to reinforce existing differences in income, health, food security and water availability. But now governments have acknowledged the factors of climate change as the amplifiers of the threat they are. Thanks to that awareness, we are now able to predict problems and to fight them before they end up with humanitarian disasters. So while many people are still in danger every day, the situation is not as dramatic or chaotic as it could have been. The economies in developing countries are strong and surprising global coalitions have formed with a new sense of confidence. If a population needs help right now, there is political will and money available to give that help. Thanks to that awareness, we are now able to predict problems and to fight them before they end up with humanitarian disasters. So while many people are still in danger every day, the situation is not as dramatic or chaotic as it could have been. The economies in developing countries are strong and surprising global coalitions have formed with a new sense of confidence. If a population needs help right now, there is political will and money available to give that help. Thanks to that awareness, we are now able to predict problems and to fight them before they end up with humanitarian disasters. So while many people are still in danger every day, the situation is not as dramatic or chaotic as it could have been. The economies in developing countries are strong and surprising global coalitions have formed with a new sense of confidence. If a population needs help right now, there is political will and money available to give that help.

The refugee situation that has lasted for decades is still a source of disagreement and conflict. But fifteen years ago we stopped calling it a crisis. Countries agreed on guidelines for controlling the influx of refugees – on how to assimilate populations without problems, on how to distribute aid and money, and on how tasks should be distributed within a certain region. The agreements are adhered to most of the time, but occasionally problems arise when a country tends to fascism after a few elections.

The spirit of the times has also changed enormously. How we think about the world is now very different. And unexpectedly how we think about the other person.

When the alarm bells started to ring in 2020, mainly thanks to the youth, we realized that we had gone too far with our consumption, competition and greedy self-interest. Our dedication to those values and our pursuit of profit and status had led us to deal with our environment like a steamroller. As a species, we continued uncontrollably, resulting in the near-demise of our world. We can no longer close our eyes to what is happening on a tangible, geophysical level, if you despise recovery, cooperation and a sense of community: imminent destruction.

To withdraw ourselves from this self-destruction would have been impossible if we had not shifted our mindset and priorities, if we had not realized that doing what is good for humanity goes hand in hand with doing what is good for the earth. The most fundamental change was that we, collectively, as governments, citizens and companies, started to adopt a new adage: “Is it good for humanity?”

#Agile Teams Need Agile Leaders…

It is actually your job.

But you hardly get it:
• Set out the main lines.
• Anticipate the future.
• Brainstorming, sparring, coaching, leadership.
Unfortunately.
It is simply too busy.
...
And not so crazy, too.
Once you have team members, the questions come.
And before you know it, you help your customers, your colleagues, team members - you actually help everyone!
And so you run for the rest of your life here on earth, from one fire to the next.
You are being lived. I can already see you laughing because you can find yourself in this.
...
Not only during working time, by the way.
They always know where to find you.
- Bad for your mood.
- Bad for your energy.
And so bad for the business.
Can't it be otherwise?
Fortunately.
Try to jump out of the hamster wheel for yourself, just like others who have preceded you in professional leadership.
And now it's your turn!
Are you going to try to focus on daily reality and how you can maintain a certain pattern.
So that you are going to make big hits.
And once again you experience satisfaction from all your hard work.
I don't work in the evening.
Not on the weekend either.
And I start planning a ridiculously many holiday weeks every year.
...
Once it was very different.
When I just started working, I was doing as much work as possible.
And if, like me, you like variety, then your agenda and to do list are packed in no time.
Until I noticed that I hardly spent any time on my real work.
Think that and stuff.
That is where I actually add the most value.
...
From that moment on I started to study productivity.
In fact: I have started to delve more into how working could be done differently
And now I spend the majority of my working time thinking, writing, coaching and coming up with nice new things etc.
...
"I never succeed," you think.
"Because with me the phone rings all day."
And you have to meet.
And write reports.
And adapt to everything that your customers / colleagues and organization ask of you.
Look.
… Go on a journey of discovery
You discover exactly:
• why you are so busy
• how you still make time available for strategy and innovation
• how you set priorities
• and then your goals really hail
• how you maintain that focus
...
Eventually you will come to a complete master plan.
Feasible steps and concrete techniques.
There is enough to get to work with much more pleasure and to grow old healthily.
Let me know what you still do and will do to make your work more enjoyable.

Action Centered Leadership

One of the great challenges when it comes to proper leadership is balancing the various interests of those who you are required to lead. Not everyone is going to have the same goals and aspirations, even within the same business or organization. Therefore, it is the job of a good leader to reconcile all of those various interests and bring them together in a way that keeps the team working in the right direction. With good leadership, it is possible to bring everyone together in a common pursuit even if they have divergent goals among themselves.

As you are surely aware, there are a number of different leadership models available to help guide managers as they try to get the most from their teams. The model we are discussing in this article, Action Centered Leadership, is notable because it can help to deal with the problem that was outlined above – that is, how to reconcile the various goals and desires of individuals while still accomplishing the specific goals set out for the team and the project as a whole.

Action Centered Leadership

Action Centered Leadership is a model that was presented by John Adair back in 1973. At its simplest form, the model can be described by the three areas that it divides leadership into – Task, Team, and Individual. Each of these three elements plays an important role in the leadership picture, and only when all three are balanced properly will the leader be achieving success. Without even diving in any further, it is pretty easy to understand how each of these three aspects is important. Harmony among the three might not always be the easiest goal to reach, but it is the job of the leader to make it happen.

To grasp a better picture of the Action Centered Leadership model, let’s take some time to look individually at each of the three elements.

It All Starts with a Task
Without a task, there is no reason to have a team made up of individuals, and no reason to lead them in the first place. Every leadership role is developed because there is a goal in mind, and someone needs to be in charge of directing the team toward that goal. Such a goal can be rather general, such as simply running a profitable business, while other goals will be very specific – like developing a new product to launch to market by the end of the year. No matter what the goal is, that task is what will guide the leadership that has to be provided to the team.

Action Centered Leadership Task

Speaking of the variety of tasks that are possible for a leader to work toward, one of the most important jobs of the leader is to actually define and identify the task at hand. Sometimes this will be quite easy, but other times it can actually be a serious challenge. Teams work together better when they are clear on the task at hand, so providing that definition in no uncertain terms is a major part of the equation.

Leadership style for action centered leadership

Among the other important parts of the task including identifying milestones along the way that need to be met, establishing who is responsible for which part of the task, and what will be defined as success in the end. Monitoring progress and making sure that the group is getting closer and closer to accomplishing the task falls on the leader, and is an important part of the Action Centered Leadership model.

Teamwork is Essential
Leading the team is what most people think of traditionally as being ‘leadership’. Any given team is made up of individuals with various skills and experiences, so it is up to the leader to extract the best possible performance from each of them. The way the team works together should be defined by the leader, such as communication standards and methods for resolving conflict. Whenever two or more people are working together on a task there is bound to be conflict along the way – the best leaders are able to moderate those conflicts and resolve them quickly.

Encouragement is another important part of the Action Centered Leadership plan, especially for long projects. The members of the team need to remain focused on the ‘prize’ at the end of the task so they can remain motivated and determined to reach a successful conclusion to the project. Making sure that the team as a whole feels invested in the success of the group is something that a good leader will be able to accomplish.

Don’t Forget About the Individuals
Forgetting about individuals within the team is probably the most common leadership mistake that is made by managers in all areas of business. It is tempting to just treat each individual as a robot who is programmed to only do what is best for the organization – but real life is just not that simple. Individual people have varying desires, fears, experiences, motivations, etc. Extracting the best from each person on the team means treating them as the individual that they are. Offering rewards or praise for a strong contribution to the team is a common tact for getting the best possible performance from members of the team. Only when the leader is able to place each person in the role that is best suited for their skills and interests will the team be able to function as successfully as possible.

Action Centered Leadership is a popular leadership model to follow in large part because of the simplicity that it offers. Just by understanding the basics of the three areas of leadership provided in this model – Task, Team, and Individual – a leader will be well on the way to a successful project. Each of these three areas is vitally important, and it will be difficult to succeed in one area without support from the other. Bringing all three together properly isn’t always going to be easy, but it is a goal that each leader in an organization should strive to achieve.

Key Points

Action center d leadership involves balancing task, team and individual focus.
Each of these three elements plays an important role in the leadership picture, and only when all three are balanced properly will the leader be achieving success.
No matter what the goal is, that task is what will guide the leadership that has to be provided to the team.
Making sure that the team as a whole feels invested in the success of the group is something that a good leader will be able to accomplish.
Only when the leader is able to place each person in the role that is best suited for their skills and interests will the team be able to function as successfully as possible.

CHANGE…..

Get Pioneers Included when Conveying Authoritative Change to Workers

Every organization, including yours, experiences change. Even if you aren’t currently undergoing a layoff, reorganization, merger, acquisition, outsourcing or big shift in benefits, you probably will be in the near future.

When that time comes, will your senior leaders be on the front line of change? Or will they delegate communicating the change to you?

The answer to those two questions can make or break a change project. Your change efforts are more likely to be successful if leaders—from the CEO to VP’s—are actively involved.

But how can you prepare your leaders to embrace their critical role in supporting change? Try these five tips to build your change communication strategy.

1. Make sure Senior Leaders Know their Roles

Your CEO probably understands his role, but the leaders who report to him—and the VP’s on the next level—may not see themselves as key change communicators. You need to set those expectations by bringing together these senior leaders to not only provide an overview of an upcoming change, but to emphasize how important it is that they meet with employees to explain the change. Then provide a leader communication guide that further explains their role, and give them essential tools to fulfill that role, including key messages and frequently asked questions.

2. Ensure that Leaders Truly Understand the Change

Often VP’s and unit leaders know what’s changing, but don’t get the full extent of the organization-wide implications. Make sure leaders have an opportunity to learn what’s changing, where and when; this is best done through a face-to-face session with senior management.

3. Show Leaders how People Experience Change Communication

When key decisions have not yet been finalized and leaders don’t know what they should be communicating, they’ll often stop.

Consider organizing an interactive session for the company’s top 100 leaders to help them understand why employees need contact, even if definitive information isn’t available. Have your CEO explain the change, then break the audience out into teams and have them brainstorm questions they think employees may have. If you have enough time, you might also want to have senior leaders answer some of the key questions generated. This exercise gives participants a way to express their questions and concerns by channeling employees.

Just as important, give leaders help with questions they won’t be able to answer. In some cases, the answer is not yet known; in others, it can’t be shared. Regardless, coach leaders on sample responses to all questions, including what to say about rumors or when someone expresses anxiety.

4. Provide Leaders with Easy-to-use Tools

During times of change, leaders have less time than ever. So they need a toolkit that contains key messages and facts, a presentation deck and answers to FAQs. Consider creating a mobile-compatible change communication micro site for leaders.That way they can access all the tools right from their tablets or smartphones.

5. Use Clear Language when Communicating Change

Don’t use clichés or slogans—employees can spot “corporate speak.” Be open, be honest, and most importantly, be respectful. Employees will remember how change is communicated to those most impacted and will see it as a sign of how your company values all its staff.

Leading change is never easy, but by equipping leaders with the help they need, they—and the organization—will be set up for success.

Change Communication tips for Leaders

Don’t:

Do:

Think only about the information you need to share.

Focus on the employee perspective.

Use specific examples of what employees need to do differently to help the company succeed.

Deliver a message once, then expect everyone to “get it.”

Consistency and repetition are key. By the time you’re ready to tell employees about a change, you’ve probably been working with the issue for months. But employees are hearing it for the first time, so they need to hear the message multiple times to truly get it.

Do all the talking.

Listen. Letting people give voice to their anxieties has been proven by researchers to release tension.

Get irritated when hearing a question you’ve answered many times before.

Be patient even if you don’t feel that way. How well leaders answer questions can mean the difference between encouraging employees to speak freely and shutting people down. And remember, just because you’ve heard a question before doesn’t mean the employee asking has.

Become defensive when someone asks a tough question.

Answer difficult questions openly and honestly. If you don’t know all the details, it’s OK to say, “I don’t know,” but make sure to tell employees you’ll give them the rest of the information as soon as possible.