L. Eric Culverson - www.TheCompetenceMyth.com
This discussion series is an excerpt of my book: The Competence Myth - Why your technical skills are no longer enough and what you can do about it (based on Chapter 3: Becoming a Leader)
The first of the 7 tenets of effective leadership is communication, as I mention earlier.
Every meaningful human interaction involves some level of communication. As a leader, you don’t need to have the official job title of Manager or Supervisor. Your communication skills can make you a valued part of any organization. The type of communication I’m referring to is active, not passive. It’s an outgoing approach, and that means continually engaging others rather than simply responding.
That’s not to say you should always project your thoughts and opinions upon others. That’s the negative and annoying version of communication. Instead, you should seek to create dialogue where others feel their input has merit. Within the process, you can always offer your own ideas. But now the conversation is inclusive, and more likely to produce new insights.
The next tenet in effective leadership is Vision
This implies that you get more involved and probably ask more questions. In short, even as a team member, you need to be more personally invested in the organization. Leaders recognize that every decision and action have implications. The biggest challenge is to envision the end result, and then plan all the necessary steps that will lead to the desired outcome.
This is not easy. Most of us find ourselves consumed and often overwhelmed, just trying to keep pace with what’s directly in front of us. It’s difficult to meaningfully contemplate the future in any great detail. In this way, a little sense of vision helps you see both the big picture and all the smaller steps that are necessary to make it a reality.
Most important, your vision allows you to measure your effort and focus against the desired outcome. You can auto-correct if you find yourself spending too much time in an area that may not be as critical to that desired outcome. As a leader, you may find that you can occasionally help those around you maintain focus. Your positive attitude contributes to the productivity and collective spirit of the team. See you next time.
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