It’s happened. You’ve just encountered the dreaded bad leader. Now what? When that time comes, it can be hard to face the fact that we're in less-than-capable hands. Here are five questions Barbara Kellerman of the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education suggests asking yourself to spot signs of poor leadership. 1️⃣ What has the leader done in the past? How they’ve acted before will determine how they act in the future. 2️⃣ What does the leader say online and offline? Their words matter, deeply. 3️⃣ Does the leader’s vision smack of personal, professional, or political grandiosity — or even fantasy? 4️⃣ Who is on the leader’s team? Specifically, who are their closest aides and associates? and what do they suggest? 5️⃣ What are the leader’s strong preferences? Strong preferences suggest probable priorities — what the leader cares about most will likely determine their actions. What are your leadership red flags? Comment below 🚩
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The except below is from Barbara Kellerman ,A Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. Her latest book, “Leadership from Bad to Worse: What Happens When Bad Festers,” is both a cautionary tale and a call to action. In the excerpt below, she details the early indicators of poor leadership There is no science to which we can turn, no expert to help us make the distinction. Still, there are some telltale signs, some indicators that signal the leader’s intentions and directions. 1.Past is prologue. What the leader did in the past suggests what the leader will do in the future. 2.Words matter. Listen to what the leader says and take seriously what is said. 3. Get real. Is the leader anchored in reality? Or does the leader’s utopian vision smack of grandiosity—personal grandiosity, professional grandiosity, and, or political grandiosity—and even fantasy? 4. Teams are important. Who is on the leader’s team? Specifically, who are the leader’s closest aides and associates, and what do they suggest? 5.Strong preferences suggest probable priorities. What the leader most cares about likely will determine what the leader does. We are not, in sum, devoid of information, even at the start. We do have some signposts—some indicators of whether leaders are bad and likely to get worse.
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“You never know who you touch. You never know how or when you’ll have an impact or how important your example can be to someone else.” You never know, the best idea is to presume everything you say has the power to sway. That is the power of leadership. It was Denzel Washington who reminded us of this in the above quote. The right feedback at the right time can change the arc of a life. As teachers can attest, it is common to learn many years later that a spontaneous remark, criticism or encouragement was the catalyst for significant change in a student’s life. We never know when our suggestions or advice will take hold and move people to act boldly in the future. As leaders, we have the power to alter the trajectory of others with just a few words. It is a superpower that surprises us because it is impossible to know when a remark will ring a bell and change everything. Leaders are wise to remember their words carry weight, especially to the impressionable, the inexperienced and the uncertain.
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Keynote Speaker | I BUILD PEOPLE; PEOPLE BUILD BUSINESS Making sense out of life | Leaving an impact
LEADERS Webster defines a Leader as “One who Leads”. Profound isn’t it ? What we discover is a leader is not necessarily one with a position but one with a process of performance in solving problems. All to often we find people in a position of leadership who really aren’t leaders; they just follow directions in accordance with their boss. On the other hand we all know people who don’t have a leadership position but are leaders wherever they are. There are many practical definitions of a “Leader”. The one I use most is from Bobb Biehl. He says a leader: 1. Knows what to do next. 2. Knows why it is important. 3. Knows how to take current resources to solve the problems at hand If a plane loaded with highly educated senior executives crashes in the middle of a jungle, and fortunately survive, are found by a native raised in the jungle; who’s the leader of the pack? Those who have risen to be leaders seem to have 4 characteristics. 1. One who knows where they're going 2. Takes responsibility to equip a people to reach their goals 3. Able to persuade others to go with him (Much coming without words) 4. Deeply committed or infected with a cause or concept A. Interested in IDEAS – Goal oriented B. Interested in INDIVIDUALS – People oriented
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Should Character Come First in Leadership? We've all seen the news headlines - leaders at the top brought down by lapses in judgment and ethics. In turn we have created a trustless society where the leaders we once believed in are questioned for every action they take. But what if those lapses could have been prevented by focusing on character and integrity from the start? Here are two reasons why character should be the moral compass for any leader: 💪 It Builds Trust: Employees want to believe their leaders are people of honesty and principles. No amount of charisma can substitute for authenticity. 💪 It Inspires Others. When leaders walk the talk, they motivate people to live up to higher standards and make a real difference. Before promoting leaders to a platform, we need to examine not just skills but the very fabric of who they are. What's at their core? Do they have the conscience to do what's right, even when it's difficult? That's the kind of character that creates lasting positive change. What do you think? How can we put character first in leadership? I welcome your insights on this critical topic.
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What if I told you that you're not as competent as you think you are? Sounds provocative, right? But that's what the Dunning-Kruger effect is all about - overestimating our own abilities while underestimating those of others. This cognitive bias can blind us to our limitations, skew decision-making processes, and make us less receptive to feedback. As leaders, it's imperative to recognize and mitigate this bias. We'll discuss examples demonstrating how Dunning-Kruger effects leadership and explore the importance of self-awareness in counteracting it. https://lnkd.in/gv5kYHN4
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Today, I'm wrapping up my spring quarter at CSU College of Business | MBA Programs and putting the finishing touches on my final project for my leadership class, which is to synthesize our learnings and develop a "sticky" way to remember them. Here's what I'm taking away. 🔹 The most powerful traits of a leader are expertise, conscientiousness, and charisma. These can be developed; they are not innate. 🔹 Leadership is malleable; it moves and flows and should. Inflexible leadership is breakable. 🔹 A leader is a convener who brings people together. With humility, curiosity, and EQ, leaders can build strong, diverse, high performing teams. 🔹 All growth (personal, interpersonal, systemic) requires struggle. 🔹 A leader creates – and the ability to bring that creation to life rests in compelling storytelling. 🔹 Listen, adapt, innovate: Ask questions. Be curious. Run experiments. Seek feedback. 🔹 The right ethical decision is not always clear. Acting authentically creates transparency and trust. Enjoy my "Sticky" Soundtrack that reinforces these ideas! ▪️ https://lnkd.in/gVg79jSS ▪️ https://lnkd.in/gbaKNa6M ▪️ https://lnkd.in/gZjWgf4m ▪️ https://lnkd.in/gNXTR9rp ▪️ https://lnkd.in/g7Ajmg7F ▪️ https://lnkd.in/gBMJyNkq ▪️ https://lnkd.in/g5EZcxjC
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What if I told you that you're not as competent as you think you are? Sounds provocative, right? But that's what the Dunning-Kruger effect is all about - overestimating our own abilities while underestimating those of others. This cognitive bias can blind us to our limitations, skew decision-making processes, and make us less receptive to feedback. As leaders, it's imperative to recognize and mitigate this bias. We'll discuss examples demonstrating how Dunning-Kruger effects leadership and explore the importance of self-awareness in counteracting it. https://lnkd.in/gjRY_Mw5
#127: Overcoming the Dunning-Kruger Effect: Enhancing Leadership through Self-Awareness and Embracing Feedback
intentionaleaders.com
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This is a good article. I've seen so many leaders overcorrect one way or the other. Either they refrain from tough conversations so their team can like them or they overcorrect and purposely act as a contrarian. The reality is that you need your team to respect you and you have to be inclusive with how you engage with them. However, as many have said, leadership is lonely and you need to be confident in making tough decisions that will not be well-liked but necessary. Integrity, honesty, consistency and transparency are great tools to help ensure that your team respects you (even if they don't like your decisions). Although many times all of the context on a decision cannot be shared and your team will not appreciate the reasons why you made the choice you made, even if it is the best decision overall. The best leaders balance all of these elements - confidence, validation, strategy, etc. Take a read as it's good to think about this, regardless of where you see yourself on the validation spectrum. Now if you can take a moment to like this post, that will make me feel validated for sharing...
Overcoming Your Need for Constant Validation at Work
hbr.org
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Helping professionals navigate the uncertainty that comes from being on your own path | Executive & Organizational Performance Coach | member of American College of Healthcare Executives | Institute of Coaching Fellow
What makes a leader? I can answer that in one word: followers. Skip all the books and videos about famous leaders in history and how you can emulate them. It's snake oil. If you want to develop into a leader, it requires development in emotional intelligence, psychological safety, active listening, effective communication, trust, etc. If it was as simple as following steps 1-10, we'd all be leaders by now. It takes vulnerability, introspection, and curiosity to become an effective leader. And there are a lot of myths out there about leadership which muddy the waters and promote ***holes. Because, at the end of the day, IT IS THE FOLLOWERS WHO MAKE A LEADER, not the other way around. If you can connect with your team and make them feel safe, you're a leader. You don't need a "chief" in your title. You can be in any level of an organization! I can write about this all day, but I won't. If you want to talk about leadership more, reach out to me and let's chat. What are your thoughts on leadership? www.Emerick-Brown.com https://lnkd.in/eSBCBVRk
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Conviction. Courage. Compassion. Curiosity; The tenets of great leadership. I'm leaving this here so I can revisit it a year from now and see if it still holds true. I'm an ardent student of leadership, and here's what I have found out so far; Great leaders covenant themselves to something far bigger than themselves, one they possibly can't achieve in one lifetime, but as a result end up inspiring others to do great things in pursuit of that ideal. Great leaders lead from the front lines. They are unafraid to put their necks on the line. Though they feel fear like any mortal man, they do what needs doing anyway, often at great personal cost. Great leaders care the most. They see people, not resources. They have mastered the great art of balancing empathy and wisdom. They earn great loyalty from their followers through their compassion. Lastly, great leaders are ever learning. They soak in information like a sponge. They will learn from a 2 year old just as much as they will from a Harvard professor. They have this God given filter that allows them to extract practical, applicable insights from hoards of information. A two line email from a great leader could shift the direction of an enterprise and deliver unprecedented success. Natural leaders might be born, but i'm convinced that Great leaders are made. See you in 365 days.
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