Ever thought about how practices in one part of your life might apply to another? I found myself doing that on a long drive home this past weekend from a music and dance festival. No “hands free” calls while driving, just time to think (see Joshua Ehrlich’s blog on the value of Unload Your Brain). OK, you’re with me on that one, but you’re probably wondering what music and dance have to do with developing leadership effectiveness?
In the world of learning we trainers love mnemonic devices (something familiar that makes it easier to remember something new). Here are a few tips about being a leader (that I first learned in dancing) that also apply to leadership in the workplace:
Tip #1 If you’ve danced (swing, tango, blues, any partner dancing) you know that nothing happens unless the leader takes initiative. In life as well, people look to leaders for initiative on direction and vision. That’s not to say that an interplay with followers on these is unimportant, however that interplay and dialog need to be invited by the leader. What do you do as a leader in your organization to initiate this interplay with talent?
Tip #2 I took an assessment once that confirmed I functioned well in chaos because I had “order in my head”; the assessment also pointed out that just because a leader knows where they’re going, to not assume the rest of the team does. When a leader intentionally creates a picture visible to others that shows a clear direction, it makes it possible for others to choose to follow. In dancing, once a leader takes initiative, he needs to make intentions really clear- no mixed signals. In the workplace, clarity around intention and the desired outcomes are critical to engage followers. Combined with the interplay described above, it’s that very process of communicating clearly and consistently that builds shared vision, attracts the best talent, and engages discretionary effort.
Tip #3 In dancing, the leader makes decisions beyond executing the basic steps, and often decisions are made to spontaneously take advantage of insight, inspiration, and opportunity (such as a space on the dance floor where no one else is dancing). Leaders in business have a big view of business opportunities, and communicating their decisions provides milestone guideposts for followers to stay in step with their aligned goals.
Tip #4 On the dance floor, if anything goes wrong, the leader acknowledges mistakes as the leader’s fault--that means the leader has not taken initiative quickly enough when the music changes, or does not communicate intentions and decisions clearly enough for the follower to react. In dancing, even when the follower doesn’t have a competency mastered to follow through on a direction, the leader still takes responsibility. In life, if a company or team member falls short of achieving a goal, when the leader takes responsibility for the outcome and their part in the root cause (such as getting buy-in, choosing the right metric, offering coaching), it can engage the follower’s extra effort in a course correction.
Whether you’re a shareholder, a stakeholder, or aspiring leader, experiencing leadership effectiveness on some of the above practices is heard as music to employees’ ears.
More tips: I also love Dan McCarthy’s and Marshall Goldsmith’s “One Thing” tip on improving leadership effectiveness. And before I take it off my short read list for the day, this article on Ten Tips on Improving Employee Motivation
I hope you’ll comment and add your tips for leadership effectiveness. And check out the related leadership webcasts coming up Feb 17 Leaders Transform Business: Top 25 Companies for Leaders about a study conducted by Hewitt Associates w,ith Fortune Magazine and the RBL Group of worldwide leadership practices in over 500 companies; the study affirms the link between financial success and leadership practices and identifies differentiators for leadership development and effectiveness. This webcast highlights key findings... the what, and how the top 25 organizations have built leadership capability, despite tighter budgets, short-term pressures and fewer resources.
On Mar 4, in the webcast Ethics as a Business Advantage Alexander F. Brigham, Executive Director of the Ethisphere Institute, the world's most recognized authority in research and rating of corporate and institutional ethics, will discuss what leadership practices have to do with the world’s 200 most ethical companies.
Photo courtesy of davebluedevil
