September 23 - The Leadership Advantage

According to Warren Bennis*, organizations require the leadership capability to create a social architecture that will generate and realize the full potential of intellectual capital . This Social Architecture will involve providing a culture and leadership environment that attracts and retains exceptional knowledge workers. It will require leadership that has an ability to enable invididual capacity to adapt and innovate, and an ability to effectively manage the knowledge gained. (Bennis, 1999)

Since the knowledge to succeed in the organization is contained within the knowledge workers themselves, it is imperitive for leadership to meet the needs of those workers. They need meaning and direction, trust, hope and optimism, and results. To enable these production capability (Covey, 2004) requisites leadership must provide a real purpose, generate and sustain trust with the workers, and foster hope.

Providing Purpose involves bringing passion and vision to the organization, giving perspective (context) to the effort being levied, associate meaning to their work and show the difference their efforts makes. It involves showing how their efforst relate and drive positive and successful outcomes.

Generating and sustaining trust has to do with creating an atmosphere where trust is valued and expected; an atmosphere where trust is fostered with effort and clear communication. Trust has to do with authenticity of intent and acceptance. Trust results from a culture of candor where people are free to express their concerns and needs, where it is rewarded instead of punished. Trust results from informing people and giving them opportunity to have buy in which generates commitment.

Fostering hope has to do with showing an unwarranted degree of optimism which helps generate energy and commitment. Fostering hope also has to do with an ability to be determined and have victory, which again encourages the positive expectation that efforts lead to success.

Getting results is about setting up a climate where people take their best shots, and where the organization tolerates missed shots. It's about establishing a culture of learning, zeal, resourcefulness, risk tolerance, and discipline.

Good leadership can bring these attitudes together to not only whether the storms of change, but also be sucessful in the midst of them . The qualities that will enable this kind of leadership are technical competence, conceptual skill, a good track record, taste, judgement, and character. Of all these qualities it is character that is key. The word "character" comes from the Greek meaning "engraved" or "inscribed." It describes what we are and is framed by drive, competence, and moral compass. (Bennis, 1999)

Citations:

Bennis, W. (1999). The Leadership Advantage. In F. Hesselbein & R. Johnston (Eds), On Mission and Leadership (pp. 7-17). New York: Jossey-Bass

Covey, S. (2004). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York: Free Press. (Original work published 1989)