The Leader s First Enemy

By Dave Osh

Two weeks ago our management team participated in a 3-day NLP leadership training course delivered by external consultants. NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It is a model of interpersonal communication related to successful behaviors and experiences.

The expected outcome of the training was a program which the participating managers would coach executives who work in other business units or departments. The expectation for participants was defined as transformation from a management mindset to a leadership mindset. The exciting part of the workshop was practicing the leadership skills needed for this transformation. It’s not easy. For some of us, the expectation of becoming a leader is beyond our personal perceptions of ourselves. We are stuck in old perceptions which, for years, involved executing technical management tasks. Adjusting could prove to be a big obstacle.

The leader’s First Enemy is…himself or herself.

Here is a 3-step process that will accelerate our leadership transformation.

First, we decide to be leaders. If we have leadership traits but we have not decided to lead, no matter how we attempt to scale the corporate pinnacle, we won’t reach the top. It is a decision based on desire. It is a life mission, not a job description.

Second, we believe we are leaders. If we do not believe in our capability to lead, we will continue to act as mangers. Imagine you are managing a department of 50 employees. You are addressing them to summarize the ending year and state your expectations for the next. You can stand there as a manager drowning in a list of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of employees; or speak to the dreams, wishes and personal expectations of the people listening to you. It makes a big difference.

Third, we change from management behavior to leadership behavior. An important milestone for change is when your thoughts and actions about your supporters take more time than your thoughts and actions about yourself. A leader’s mind is busy with his supporter’s lives. A manager’s mind is busy with his own performance.

Have you noticed that leaders are dealing with supporters and not subordinates, employees or staff? Leadership is 360°. We manage employees who report to us but we lead supporters who are colleagues, managers, customers, distributors, business partners and even the Board. There is a saying that says: “As much as the Board manages the CEO, it is the CEO that manages the Board”.

The lesson is that we must see leadership beyond our reporting relationships. The 360° leader continuously inspires, motivates and influences listeners, no matter where he or she is in the corporate hierarchy.

The first thought that often comes to mind when considering change is “what will people say?”, “how will I look?”, “won’t they disapprove of my new behavior?” They most probably will not. However, approval or disapproval does not matter as long as our behavior is congruent with our values.

Let’s wake up to a new reality. Decide, Believe and Change. Influence the people we touch.

Article Source: http://interpret.zar.vg

About The Author
Original article by Dave Osh who is a forward thinking leader who has steered his way to the corporate pinnacle. His Thought Leadership blog is a wealth of stories, ideas, experiences, values, traits and skills which every manager who seeks a breakthrough towards international enterprise leadership needs.