Apex Leadership » Uncommon Leadership http://www.apex-leadership.co.uk Ideas. Insight. Impact. Mon, 31 Mar 2014 01:18:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 5 Types of Leadership for Tough Times http://www.apex-leadership.co.uk/types-of-leadership/ http://www.apex-leadership.co.uk/types-of-leadership/#comments Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:21:54 +0000 apex http://www.apex-leadership.co.uk/?p=987

What types of leadership might be helpful during tough times? Are there particular types of leadership that can be helpful during a recession?

To answer the question “what types of leadership might be needed?” it’s helpful to first ask another question. What are some of the key issues and difficulties ...

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]]> What types of leadership might be helpful during tough times? Are there particular types of leadership that can be helpful during a recession?

To answer the question “what types of leadership might be needed?” it’s helpful to first ask another question. What are some of the key issues and difficulties that organisation face during a recession? Here we highlight five issues:

  • Difficult to know the way forward. Does the direction that the organisation chose in good times remain valid in a recession?
  • What needs to change? What things can turn around our fortunes in a recession?
  • How can we make good ideas to combat a recession become a part of what we do? How do we create opportunities in a recession?
  • When morale can dip and motivation waver, how do we maintain enthusiasm in a recession?
  • We need everybody to pull together to get out of this recession. How can we realise the potential of individuals within the organisation, when  it is most needed?

5 Types of Leadership for Tough Times

That is a tough list of issues and we think that 5 types of leadership are needed to respond to these pressures.

Pathfinder – leading with vision

Pathfinders find a way through difficult times. When vision can become blurred or obscured, pathfinder leaders find ways to clarify what needs to be done. It is very easy to become distracted in a recession with the immediate pressures. A pathfinder leader seeks out ways forward in difficult situations. That may involve pragmatism, the art of the possible because that is sometimes all that can be done. Alternatively it may involve a leap of faith, when carrying on as usual is not an option and a more radical way forward is required

Game changer – leading with action

Game changers are resourceful leaders. They craft creative solutions by thinking differently about the resources they do have, rather than wishing for more resources that they don’t. They see the potential when resources are re-purposed to achieve outcomes beyond what was thought possible. As the phrase suggests game changers change the rules or turn the “table on its head” to think differently about the services/products you deliver. Often this is done by seeing things from a customer’s perspective.

Rain maker – leading with purpose

Rain maker leaders create opportunities. They make great ideas and excellent service fruitful. They find opportunities with customers and connect to the products and services that fulfill the opportunity. When order might be drying up rain makers find opportunities and connect the innovations of the game changer to customers. One of the critical types of leadership needed in a recession is to creatively work with customers.

Bridge builder – leading with service

Bridge builder leaders are able to build trust and support amongst colleagues especially when insecurities mount amongst colleagues. Morale and motivation are often first in line to suffer when times are tough. Bridge builder leaders demonstrate a commitment to serve their colleagues and customers.

Play maker – leading with others

Play makers get the best out of others. They are adept at helping others to use their strengths to help bring the business out of a recession. To succeed in a recession all the talent in an organisation needs to be harnessed. Play maker leaders know that leadership needs to be spread more widely, and are great at giving responsibility and encouraging others to take a lead.

5 types of leadership for tough times can help businesses to gain clarity (vision) and act resourcefully (action), so that they are able to realise opportunity (purpose), by building momentum amongst colleagues (service) and unlocking their talent and potential (lead with others).

You can find more about the 5 types of leadership in our article: uncommon characteristics of a good leader.

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]]> http://www.apex-leadership.co.uk/types-of-leadership/feed/ 0 What is Leadership? An Uncommon Practice? http://www.apex-leadership.co.uk/what-is-leadership-an-uncommon-practice/ http://www.apex-leadership.co.uk/what-is-leadership-an-uncommon-practice/#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:40:06 +0000 apex http://www.apex-leadership.co.uk/?p=724

What is leadership? What if we take a different view of leadership and ask the question: what might be common to good leadership which is all to often uncommon in practice? How does uncommon leadership help to make a difference during times of austerity?

What is Leadership? Uncommon Leadership in ...

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]]> What is leadership? What if we take a different view of leadership and ask the question: what might be common to good leadership which is all to often uncommon in practice? How does uncommon leadership help to make a difference during times of austerity?

What is Leadership? Uncommon Leadership in the crucible of need

Uncommon Leadership is often best seen in the crucible of need – when compelling reasons clash with implacable constraints.  It is characterised by:

  • Sensemaking in difficult circumstances
  • A refusal to leave underlying assumptions untested
  • A willingness to think differently
  • A resourcefulness
  • Optimism tempered with realism
  • Galvanising the strengths and commitment of those around them

In difficult circumstances it becomes a struggle translating neat leadership theory into the messy world of the workplace.  In a difficult work environment with tough decisions to be made leaders are facing unpredictable circumstances. Those leaders are expected to show the way forward, often by thinking differently.

What is Leadership – holding tensions, releasing resources, unlocking potential

Uncommon Leadership answers the question “what is leadership?” differently. Here are 5 uncommon ways leaders can make an impact

What is leadership: holding the tension

Sometimes holding competing and often conflicting tensions can seem just too difficult.  Something has to give … or does it?  Holding tensions is crucial in difficult times, delaying the temptation to compromise. It is when leaders hold onto the challenge to find a third way that the possibility of seeing things differently emerges.  All to often innovations are missed because we default to compromise and don’t hold competing tensions to find a better way forward.

What is leadership: releasing resources

How can you stop jumping to predictable (though understandable) resource cuts, when budgets are under pressure?  In the face of fierce pressure on resources a bricolage approach is needed. Bricolage is a French word meaning: “to make creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are at hand (regardless of their original purpose).” Bricolage leadership means taking the lead in tough circumstances by crafting solutions out of what is available. Finding different uses for scarce resources and releasing trapped resources, or ineffective resources.  “Life is not a matter of having good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” Robert Louis Stevenson

What is leadership: resilience and optimism

Holding on to optimism is crucial in difficult circumstances, but this needs to be tempered with realism, otherwise a leaders optimism will not seem credible. Optimism encourages everyone to look for solutions to work out difficult situations. “The key requirements for leaders at this time is resilience and optimism – an ability to get people to think about what they can do with the resources we have at our disposal – rather than mourning the loss of the resources that have now gone”(Changing the shape of children’s services)

What is leadership: the common touch

When the pressure is on it is all too easy for leaders to be consumed by the problems at hand.  In doing so the power of noticing the small things can often be lost. Find the small things that can have big impact. Firstly leaders who demonstrate that they care and notice by paying attention to what might seem small things, can make a big impression on those around them. Secondly, look out for the small things that could have a big impact on the business. What small changes might improve you service/product in a way that makes a big impression on your customers?

What is leadership: unlocking other people’s strengths

Why did a US basketball team dare to discard all the conventional measures of success and buy an “average” player?  What did they know that others didn’t, and what is the powerful, often forgotten, leadership lesson it illustrates? In a nut shell they found an average player who whenever he was on the court the team played better. In difficult conditions leaders need to get others focused on using their strengths, and in particular be good at helping other to play to their strengths.

What is leadership? Perhaps it’s doing the uncommon things uncommonly well: Uncommon Leadership!

 

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