http://www.leaders.com.sg

Spotting Leaders At All Levels

Rob Peters
Jul 21, 2017 · 8 min read

Between the implementation of technology interconnection and social media communication, the world has transformed at such a speed, that we have yet to truly adapt to the new reality. We have gone from connected to interconnected to morally-interdependent. Leadership is much more about earning relationship capital and influence with peers than wielding autocratic power. We need to rethink what it means for leadership today.

If you check Wikipedia for leadership style, you will find there are 10 styles listed and those are made up of the following:

  • Autocratic Leadership
  • Bureaucratic Leadership
  • Charismatic Leadership
  • Democratic/Participative Leadership
  • Laissez-Faire Leadership
  • People Orientated/Relationship Orientated Leadership
  • Servant Leadership
  • Task Oriented Leadership
  • Transactional Oriented Leadership
  • Transformational Leadership

We are not going into an exhaustive examination of each of these styles, but we are going to point out that if Authentic Leadership characteristics are at the core of each of these leadership styles it tends to make them more effective.

“Relationships of trust depend on our willingness to look not only to our own interests, but also the interests of others.”-Peter Farquharson

Many theorists and writers throughout the years have examined authenticity but many times, we can’t agree on a common knowledge base. However, since Bill George’s original 2003 book on authentic leadership, “True North”, there has been some level of comfort and acceptance of his description of authentic leadership in the workplace.

Authentic Leadership

Drawing on George’s leading and our own experience, there are four primary elements that most everyone agrees to within the term authentic leadership:

1. Authentic leaders are self-aware and genuine

They have taken time to understand their strengths, their limitations and their emotions. They are also the same at work, home and in social settings. They do not act one way at work and differently outside of work. They don’t hide their mistakes or weaknesses or live in fear of being seen as weak. They also realize that being self-aware and genuine is not a destination but rather they see it as a journey, one that can take a lifetime and have many rewards.

2. Authentic leaders are mission driven and focused on results

Generally, authentic leaders are able to put the mission and the goals of the organization ahead of their own self-interest. They look to provide results for the enterprise, not for their own power, money or ego but rather for the success of the company. They understand how to interact with staff, vendors and clients to invoke the best performance and delivery of the best results with the tools at hand.

3. Authentic leaders lead with compassion and mental power

They are not afraid to show their emotions, their vulnerability and to connect with their employees. So often outsiders look at this approach and suggest that authentic leaders are soft, which is untrue. When communicating in a direct manner is critical to successful outcomes, it is best done with empathy. Directness without empathy can be disastrous.

“The people when rightly and fully trusted will return the trust.” -Abraham Lincoln

4. Authentic leaders focus on long-term results

One of the things that we find most intriguing about authentic
leaders is that they are concerned about delivering results for all stakeholders in the end. They may regard short-term or quarterly estimates as being just that, estimates. They are open to understanding the dynamics of changing markets, clients and financial needs of the company. They will have a strategic approach to vision, mission and performance. They do not feel that their mission or vision is static but rather dynamic and truly, a function of human interaction that works.

Being authentic is one of core attributes of any leadership style. It is through these attributes that we can recognize things like honesty, integrity, vulnerability, trust, and health of an organization. An organization does not have a physical body, mind or soul however; individuals who do have bodies, minds and souls make up the organization, so in this way they are organic. To look at an organization as truly mechanical will result in poor employee engagement, client relationships and vendor relationships. It is important to remember that as an organization grows the leadership team must remain fresh, focused, alive and trustworthy.

If a leader is truly interested in earning and sustaining relationship capital for the betterment of his firm, it is critical that he or she understand the nature of being authentic transparent and vulnerable. While certain styles of leadership meant for times when specific drivers are required such as a poor economy, influence from outside, competition, or other types of incredible external pressures, they still must have at their core these four points of authenticity. On the other hand, where the leadership is more people focused or relationship focused the core of the leadership style must also have at their core the same four points of authenticity.

Example of Authentic Leadership -GM’s Ed Whitacre

If you recall, General Motors was bailed out by President Obama. When General Motors emerged from bankruptcy, hat a difference a year has made. GM is now firmly in the black. Growing its top-line once again, re-engineered its offerings of automobiles, and ensuring that the U.S. government not only received its taxpayer dollars back, but also a handsome profit.

General Motors slide into bankruptcy can be characterized as stable decline over a 50 year period. When the hammer came down on the company in early 2009, President Obama courageously financed the company to bring it out of bankruptcy. He appointed a highly competent and successful chairman of the board; Ed Whitacre, who in only four months became CEO. Mr. Whitacre was a highly effective telecommunications executive, CEO, and chairman of SBC who prevented ATT from its collapse.

Ed Whitacre’s exceptional leadership quickly turned around GM. His one-year incumbency noted a historic change in operations of this business giant. Mr. Whitacre quickly ended the unnecessary bureaucratic redundancies and disconnected innovation. He removed General Motor’s stagnant committee system that safeguarded executives from accountability for results, and articulately communicated decisive decisions while inspiring people to accelerate their speed of transformation.

Whitacre even appeared in GM commercials, proclaiming the new GM and challenging customers to give GM cars with a money-back guarantee if not satisfied. Toyota’s quality problems gave him and General Motors a great marketing and sales opportunity that he took advantage of my ramping up production. Whitacre has received undeserved criticism for stepping down. But this was his design all along.. He stated, “It was my plan — to help return this company to greatness — and not stay a day beyond that.” Mr. Whitacre is an example of a “Relationship Capital Leader”, as he delivered on every promise and commitment he made.

My work is about the establishment of trust. For someone to share their authenticity with me is a soul-to-soul thing. It’s not a lens-to-soul thing. -Lisa Kristine

Creating Value with Relationship Capital (RC) Leadership Coaching

Professional coaching is a teaching, training or development process in which an individual gets support while learning to achieve a specific personal or professional result or goal. The individual receiving coaching may be referred to as the client or coachee, or they may be in an intern or apprenticeship relationship with the person coaching them.

There are many outcomes reported from the practice of coaching. However, we believe that the most important outcome is rarely mentioned in literature or by practitioners — that most important outcome is authenticity. Authenticity must exist for any program to be fruitful and enduring. This is correct whether the program is intended for outcomes that are personal, professional or organizational.

An individual can be uncomfortable, perplexed, uncertain, or even irate in regard to themselves, their jobs or other people and still be quite authentic. In fact, courageously expressing that uneasiness, misunderstanding, anger and strong doubt are often great places to begin for long-lasting development!

Considering the complicated challenges in life and work, it can be very difficult to stay authentic, to stay real. Quickly spread coaching and coaching skills across functional silos can be an important tactic to implementing Relationship Capital (RC) across the organization.

Some examples of important questions (from Maureen Moriarty, Executive Coach, Pathways to Change):

  • Do you consistently do what you say? — Be mindful of the commitments you make. Others will hold you accountable.
  • Do you recognize others contributions? — Success comes from others supporting and assisting you. Their recognition shows respect for their contributions.
  • Do you listen well? — Telling is a tactic for building trust. Asking good questions and listening will create valuable knowledge and shows respect for the other person.
  • Are you an authentic leader? — Hiding your intent or feelings will reduce your trust. People can detect others who are not being genuine with them.
  • Do you communicate clearly & concisely? — In all you communication, face-to-face, audio, video, or email, clearly communicate to get your message understood and supported.
  • Are you impeccable with your word? — I agree with Don Ruiz: “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom.”

Conclusion

In our hyperconnected, transparent, and morally interdependent world, how we behave is as important as our competencies. By leveraging the open standard principles and reward of Relationship Capital (RC), we provide leaders more understanding of how to utilize their culture to meet and exceed expectations with all stakeholders that are good for business and their overall community. The benefits of principled leadership and the emphasis on organizational culture are compelling. Coming this November, We have launched the PE-ER platform which allows users to earn RC with their P2P relationships. Building trust by being trustworthy and credible has never been more important to sustaining success. We need to principled leaders at all levels of the organization today. It’s an imperative.

www.StandardofTrust.com

Sources:

http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Trust-Leadership-Transforming-Relationship-ebook/dp/B00IK1T6Z6

Share Leadership In An Interdependent World

Originally Published on May 25th, 2015 on Linkedin Pulse

)

Rob Peters

Written by

Relationship Capital | Gamification | Co-Creator of Peer SaaS Platform | HR Tech and Workplace Culture Strategist | CEO| Author of Standard of Trust Leadership

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade