Talent is so obvious, it hides in plain sight

by Dries Lombaard; Strategic Leadership Institute

talent

ˈtalənt/

noun

1. 1.

   natural aptitude or skill.

   "he possesses more talent than any other player"

   synonyms:

   flair, aptitude, facility, gift, knack, technique, touch, bent, ability,expertise, capacity, power, faculty; More
2. 2.

   a former weight and unit of currency, used especially by the ancient Romans and Greeks.

   "a mighty steed bought from a Thessalian merchant for thirteen talents"

There are different perspectives of the term "talent".  The most common association of the word will always be to link it to "skill".  And I suppose, within some contexts, this may be accurate.  Generally what we perceive and observe as performance, and then call "talent", is actually skill....(mostly fuelled by talent).

From my perspective, talent is not the same as skill at all.  It is actually very different. (For more on the difference, read this blogpost).

Let me drill through the clutter and make the term "talent" as understandable and practical as possible.  In my experience through coaching people in their natural talent, it can be condensed to two words:

Energy, and Need. 

• Sustainable Energy

However you may define natural talent, it will always be a source of energy to you.  This energy tend to manifest in one or more of three areas:  emotional energy, physical energy and / or intellectual energy. Actually, it is more than mere energy.  It is sustainable energy.  Energy that you cannot ignore, avoid or get away from.  Energy that truly defines you.  (Some people may define this energy with the word "passion", but for me, passion is a broader concept than talent. Passion is your yearning, your desire, your lasting interest.) 

This energy obviously manifest mostly through specific activities.  And it is in the actual doing of the activities that you express your skill (or sometimes, lack of it). 

The ability to define your sustainable energy is crucial, as it gives it identity and you thus get a grasp on it in order to celebrate it for the unique talent that it is.  The moment you give expression in language and understanding to the different talents, something happens.  It is as if you truly own it then, simply because you can accurately name it for what it is. 

This is where people experience the research from Gallup so useful in this field, and why the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment is such a fantastic tool - defining 34 themes of talent.  StrengthsFinder accurately assess your talent energy, and then gives it names, ranked in order of importance according to your unique response to the 178 questions asked in the assessment.  True, some of the words used to describe the talent theme may be a bit confusing at first, but once you understand the true meaning behind the chosen term in context, it is always an empowering and even liberating experience to have a language to express your combination of sustainable energy to yourself and to others.

(If you know StrengthsFinder, think about someone having "Arranger Energy", "Ideation Energy", "Empathy Energy" or "Significance Energy".  Simply connecting the CSF terms with the word "energy" opens up a new understanding - especially if you coach people using StrengthsFinder as a baseline tool.)

• Unrelenting Need

A talent is a need. An unrelenting, lasting need for specific expression and specific stimulation. My experience in this field taught me that understanding talent as a need, even more than an energy, leads to the most important paradigm shifts within peoples discovery of their own brilliance and uniqueness.  In the same way that talents are energy in thought, emotional or behavioural expression, the different energies (talents) are constantly yearning to be fed. Talents have needs. Specific needs, and generic needs. These needs they have in order to function…to survive…to contribute.  If the “needs” are not met, the Talent will go dormant or stagnate.

Talent contribution is directly linked towards specific talent needs, and it is these needs that need to be managed well in order for the energy to flow best - and the talent to become a strength. 

Some needs are generic to all talents themes, like the need for affirmation, for celebration, for permission or opportunities to play or for expression.

Then again, there are needs specific to certain talent themes, like the need for more time, the need for people interaction, the need to connect with individuals, the need for constant comparison, for emotional expression, for action or activity, for accuracy, for routine, and yes, even a need for chaos.

Understanding talent themes as needs are so important because it is the key that unlocks the true development, and releases your talents to thrive and contribute fully. It is also the practical element in managing your talents well. If you know what a talent need, then you can feed it!

Even more, if the unique needs of talents are understood, it bring an element into the understanding of others that seldom get the attention it deserves within partnerships, relationships or teams. If you can view someone else not from the perspective of what they should bring, but from what they naturally need in order to function with  maximum energy, the dynamics change forever. 

Imagine being a manager who knows the exact needs of each of your team members, and providing them with the right opportunities and environment to unleash their natural energy within their talents.

Imagine being a spouse who can read the signs of your partners thoughts, feelings and behaviours when it longs for talent energy to flow.

Imagine being a parent who can guide your teenager according to his or her exact needs when it comes to the abundance of talent energy that flows through them.

Imagine being a person with enough self respect to be attentive to your own needs of talent, managing it well, so that your energy that is so unique to you can play as strengths when it combines with the needed knowledge, skill and experience.

(Referring to the StrengthsFinder tool, think about someone having "Focus Needs", "Maximizer Needs", "Includer Needs" or "Learner Needs".  Unpacking this with people you coach takes them to a new stratosphere of understanding themselves and others.)

• A simplified perspective on Talent

Whenever you hear the term "talent" again, do not think "ability", "skill", "performance" or "contribution".  Think ENERGY and NEED.  Then look at the people around you with the lens that identifies the energy for the beauty that it is (even when misdirected or miss-managed), and see their specific needs that yearns for opportunities.

If you want to experience the impact of this simple yet powerful approach, contact me at dries@strengths.institute . It is my passion to help people and companies thrive within their natural energy, by understanding and meeting the specific needs.

Dries Lombaard is the co-owner of Strategic Leadership Institute and NeuWorx, and has more than 7000 hours of Strengths Coaching experience over the last decade.  He is leading a vibrant and growing network of Strengths Coaches in Southern Africa, and works with corporate and multinational leadership and management teams and C-level leaders as a Strengths Coach and training facilitator.   

Exponential Breakthrough Leadership - {Guest Article}

By Bjorn Martinoff

What is Exponential Breakthrough Leadership (EBL)?

Exponential Breakthrough Leaders inspire greater results and performance in their teams. And it is not because they have to but because they choose to, want to, and are inspired to. They empower followers to become leaders in their own right. In effect they are leaders leading leaders.

Imagine a team consistent of leaders. This is a team where everyone is engaged, empowered and driven to achieve their targets and beyond. It is an environment where people are having fun while consistently challenging each other to accomplish more and are getting more done then on 99.9% of all leadership teams. It takes more from the leader to lead leaders versus leading followers.

It is easy to spot and recognize an Exponential Breakthrough Leader. This leader is not merely transformational or transactional; he is a leader leading leaders, even strong leaders. A mechanistic culture where everyone feels like they are just a part of a big machine is highly discouraged or not even being tolerated. Everyone in their team is empowered to co-lead the team in the areas of their own responsibility, as well as co-create the team’s vision, purpose and core values, or even the entire leadership team in certain activities. These are basic marks of an EBL, which is a type of leadership style that does not just inspire positive changes in those who follow, but empowers to entirely new levels of performance while challenging and inspiring team members to continually grow and evolve.

As a baseline, EBL tends to be energetic, enthusiastic, focused, and passionate. Not only is this leader concerned and involved in the process; he leads by example, aligns the team and empowers each member-leader to succeed.

The History of Exponential Breakthrough Leadership

EBL begun with the concept of transformational leadership initially introduced by leadership expert and presidential biographer James MacGregor Burns. It has taken the game of leadership to new heights as shown by the results produced.

Historically speaking as well as in current corporate reality, so-called ‘leaders’ were in reality operating more like managers. But we are discussing leaders now. There are several levels of leaders – those who do not lead; those who lead followers; those who can lead peers, and those who lead leaders.

Having learned from my rich experiences with some of the world’s largest, most sophisticated and successful organizations in many countries and on several continents, Exponential Breakthrough Leadership can be seen when “leaders leading leaders assist each other to advance to an exponentially higher level of performance and top line results.”

While EBLs harness the strength of both their vision and personality, they do not stop there. They are able to inspire followers to align on mutually chosen goals and directions as well as align on ways of working. Together with their teams, EBLs align on a purpose that has them inspired to the point where team members are fired up and cannot wait to get out of bed in the morning. They truly enjoy each other’s company and experience having more fun at work than at play. They also increase each other’s expectations; change paradigms and perceptions; and super-charge motivations to work towards shared goals.

Exponential Breakthrough Leadership can be defined based on the impact that it has on the team. We do not call them followers. Exponential Breakthrough Leaders garner trust, respect and admiration from their teams.

The Components of Exponential Breakthrough Leadership

There are different components to Exponential Breakthrough Leadership:

1. Continuous Personal Transformation – Transformational leaders not only challenge themselves but their entire team to continuously grow, shift their paradigms and expand. They know this cannot be done in a DOING-HAVING world alone; and they are keenly aware of the multiplying effect of their state of BEING on their and their team’s accomplishments and results. They also encourage creativity among teams as being ‘outside of the box’ is their everyday way of life.

2. Authentic Communication – The myth about communication is the illusion that it takes place. EBL leaders create a platform and basis for authentic communication where all feedback, information and even emotions are welcomed and can be shared without judgment; introspection and observation yes, but not judgment.

It also involves offering support, development and encouragement to individuals. In contrast to regular teams much focus is being placed on BEING in addition to DOING. In order to foster mutually supportive relationships, EBL leaders keep lines of communication open through authentic communication so that followers feel free to share ideas and so that leaders can offer direct feedback and recognition of the unique contributions of each leader. Without authenticity lips might be moving, sounds might be observed, words might be spoken but nothing is being said much less being heard.

3. Inspiration and Motivation – Transformational leaders have a clear shared vision that they develop with their teams. Vision, Purpose and Values are developed together. A Mission is often avoided due to its likelihood of being kept in the box. A powerful Purpose replaces any need for a mission. EBL leaders are keen in driving their teams to experience an extraordinary level of passion and inspiration. Motivation therefor is internal and intrinsic rather than external or forced upon.

4. Intrinsic Influence – The EBL leader serves as a role model for their teams and organizations. Because EBL leaders build alignment, trust and respect through common, Vision, Purpose and Values. They don’t need to work hard on driving people as their people are ignited and driven from within.

5. Integrity – Integrity is no small matter on such a team and instead it is treated as a matter of great importance where no one will take it lightly. Integrity goes beyond the common understanding and is defined as ‘Doing what I said I would do’. The most powerful definition of Integrity evolved from the founder of EST Werner Erhard. Doing it as well as anyone could expect it to be done. Doing it on time and communicating breakdowns as soon as they are apparent including committing to a new delivery time when things are off-track. Surely this is not an easy undertaking and instead is a constant striving for improvements.

6. Future-based Language – While EBL stands with both feet in reality, a main component of EBL is what we call Future-based Language. It focuses on the future and on what we want to accomplish. It directs its energy and feedback away from complaining and blaming but towards the type of leadership behaviour that empowers and produces results.

While EBL Team members may hold different titles and positions, each can take the lead at any moment. It could be viewed as a model of shared leadership where any one member of the team can lead a discussion, an activity, a project, or the entire team. Leaders who lead leaders need to be mature enough to permit this to happen. In a way they need to have so much power that they can give it away and share that power with their team without being lessened, threatened, lowered or diminished by that sharing of power.

7. Alignment – Alignment issues can produce a flurry of activities and energies that can pull a leadership team apart or in different directions exhausting energy and inspiration with rapidly diminishing results.

True alignment to the goal and vision can double and often triple the energy and momentum of a leadership team, their results as well as the speed with which those results are accomplished. Aligning a leadership team is a science and an art, which only few experts and consultants have mastered. The benefits are tremendous and it is an exercise no EBL leader would ever miss out on. At F1C International we are regularly called upon to perform this exact task.

Success Stories

• Transformation of Samsung from a producer of everyday household appliances to a cutting edge producer of stylish high-end electronics;

• Exponential Growth of a Country Team of one of the world’s largest food companies from consistent decline to rapid breakthrough growth in nine months. The team won the Global CEO award for their performance;

• Exponential Growth in Sales and Customer service in business processing company serving a top three US Telecom by exponentially growing leaders and their results from 6th place in network to 2nd place in their network in just seven weeks; and

• Many more!

Bjorn Martinoff is a Global CEO Coach and Executive Coach focusing on the world’s largest and most sophisticated organizations. He is the author of the book “Develop Exponential Power”; and focuses his time developing Exponential Breakthrough Leadership with his clients in Asia, North America and other parts of the world. He is currently writing his second book titled on the subject bringing Exponential Breakthrough Leadership and its application to leaders around the world. Bjorn serves clients in over 40 countries and lives in Manila, Philippines with his wife Victoria Penaflor Martinoff and their four children.

Ten phrases good managers always say {Guest Article}

By Rick Conlow - CEO, WCW Partners

Good managers are different from other bosses. If you have had one lately you probably noticed they have high standards, are upbeat, knowledgeable and straight talkers. You will get the feedback you need to succeed. If you are lucky enough to have one you will want to excel, because you believe in yourself a little more when you are around them.

A key attribute about good managers is that they talk differently than their colleagues, and that adds to our sense of empowerment. I have listed ten statements I have heard many of them say regularly, and that would help any manager.

1. “I am glad you are on our team.”
Yes, some leaders actually say that once in a while instead of something like “What have you done for me lately?” I had one that used to say, “How much money have you made me today?” All employees want to be part of something bigger or grander than the every day grind, and it’s nice to know work can be that something. Leadership is influence, and it’s either positive or negative. There is no neutral.

2. “My vision is…”
It seems this is a novel concept, to communicate the overall goal of the work team, department, or company. It gives the big picture to everyone’s job and the why. Good managers do this concisely but with passion, not matter what the work is. It is also important for on-going updates, telling everyone on the team “Here is how we are doing.” With mediocre bosses every day is “same old, same old.”

3. “My expectations for you are…”

Few managers are good at providing clear goals and expectations. Our research shows that 80% of performance problems are because of a lack of clear expectations and goals. The best managers also say, “Let’s talk about your progress,” and not “Let me give you some feedback.” This means LOOK OUT! The excellent managers adhere to this quote by Pat Riley, President of the Miami Heat:“A coach must keep everyone on the team in touch with present-moment realities- -knowing where they stand, knowing where they’re falling short of their potential, and knowing it openly and fairly.”

4. “You can do it, I believe in you.”
We all need someone to believe in us. Good managers give encouragement, and they challenge you to do the better. I had one that would say, “You can do it, let’s keep hustling.” I had another one that used to sing the song, “Sixteen Candles” down the hallway. Then he’d come over and praise me about some goal and head back down the hall singing. It set a light tone to our brief meeting. Poorer managers always seem to be about bad news.

5. “Thank you!”

People want to be appreciated. A simple thank-you often is enough. ‘Great job on…’,’keep up the good work..’ are also others ways they recognize but they do it regularly and sincerely. It’s hard to get a compliment from other managers. It’s documented that genuine praise works, plus it’s the right thing to do.

6. “How’s it going?
They are willing to talk to you. Mr. Jim Low was a master at this. When I first met him his legend preceded him. For over a decade he led his market in profit, sales and employee retention. I asked why he was so good. He replied by laughingly saying, “I didn’t go to college.” He added that every day he’d come to work and first go talk to as many employees as he could by asking, “How’s it going?” He might relate this to something he knew about the person. The employees mostly talked about their lives. He discussed business only if they brought it up. Then, when he had a problem, he would go to employees and get the straight info, no BS, because he already had a positive relationship with them.

7. “What do you think?”
Considering the pressures of our jobs and the need for innovation and improvement, why wouldn’t a manager ask this question of his or her team members often? Here are two reasons to do it. First, you don’t want people bringing all of their problems or concerns to you. There isn’t enough time. You have to train them to problem-solve and become solution focused. Second, they will become more proactive while improving their performance. Most employees are astounded when their managers ask this question and reply, “What????” Sadly, less effective managers are fearful of the answers or don’t care. Famed basketball coach from UCLA John Wooden said, “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

8. “How do you think we can improve?”

This is the next logical question to ask a team. When you do, you begin to get their buy-in and commitment grows. They want to achieve their goals for their reasons too, not just yours. Each employee has untapped potential for great ideas. Why not ask? The best do this and their employee engagement and productivity soars.

9. “I made a mistake.”
Nobody’s perfect. Good bosses admit it when they screw up and even apologize. Obviously, they aren’t making so many mistakes that they are apologizing all of time. I put this in here because it is so out character by leaders to do this at all.

I was at a conference a few weeks ago where a manager talked to his team about a marketing campaign that failed. The manager owned the failure, and said he was sorry to his team because he really pushed for it. Because he had trust with his employees, they got through it. By learning from this situation and collaborating they created a better plan-that worked. When was the last time you heard a manager say, “I made a mistake”?

10. “My success comes from my team.”
I have heard managers say this to their teams, but something more self-glorifying to their boss or colleagues. That gets around, and their credibility is destroyed. The managers that highlight their teams’ efforts and give credit to them for any victories are golden leaders. A leader’s success is all about the team. In the movie “The Mighty Ducks”, Coach Bombay tells his team,

“A team isn’t a bunch of kids out to win. A team is something you belong to, something you feel, something you have to earn.” With low employee morale and engagement in many companies, this is a valuable lesson that most managers have yet to learn.

Napoleon Hill declared, “Think twice before you speak, because words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.”Hopefully these ten phrases give you a lift, and helps you build your team up, not down like so many other managers do. Let’s not forget another quote filled with wisdom, by Emerson:“What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”

This article was originally published on LinkedIn on 10 March 2015

Why Mandela Won {Guest Article}

By Robin Sharma

#1 bestselling author of The Leader Who Had No Title

My fascination is with Icons. Titans. Heroes. And Legends…

…the great souls who accept the call to greatness we each have on our lives and rise up to their best.

On a visit to Johannesburg to deliver a leadership presentation a while ago, I had the privilege to have a private conversation with someone in Nelson Mandela’s inner circle.

I learned more of his visionary nature, his rare-air discipline and his longing to be a force for good in an increasingly chaotic world.

What has stayed with me most is that I heard Mr. Mandela only became Nelson Mandela during his years in prison. In other words, it was the solitude, degradation, devastation and inhumanity of that time in confinement that made him who he became.

Here’s my real point…

…it was the time away from the world that allowed him to lead in the world.

While he was on Robben Island, he read the books of the iconic leaders. He studied the habits of the great souls. He reflected on the key moral virtues. He transmuted hostility into opportunity. He transformed his anger into forgiveness.

And as the gorgeous result of his inner work, when he was made president of South Africa, his jailers were invited to the ceremony. When asked why, he replied that if they were not there, he’d still be in prison (because his mind would still be in chains).

And so, I ask you with true respect…are you longing to work and live at wow in the world but walking through your days with a mind shackled by chains?

Nothing is more important than building your inner architecture of undefeatability and greatness.

Nothing is more important than strengthening your character, elevating your thinking and releasing your fearful beliefs.

Nothing is more important than cleansing your heart of resentment and forgiving those who have wronged you.

Nothing is more important than shifting from selfish to selfless–and donating the rest of your life to a mission that is bigger than yourself.

I guess the idea I’m really inviting you to play with over the next few days is that your outer world is a beautiful (or messy) reflection of your inner world.

Victims blame everything on everyone. But to really LEAD your life, you and I absolutely must own that all that’s in our lives right now is the result of our own actions. Every movement we’ve made has created a consequence. Every cause has had an effect…

…and as we make the rise to excellence of thought, performance and being, all we do rises with us.

Anyway, hope this relatively quick piece I’ve just tapped out in a burst of inspiration and desire to serve is helpful. And that it reminds you of your truest nature…as well as the potential within you asking to be expressed.

Make today epic. This IS your time. And I’m here with you on this ride.

From www.robinsharma.com 

3 Reasons Why Young Leaders Neglect Relationship

"How do I get more influence?"

I hear this question a lot. Every time I sit down with a young leader, in fact. I hear it at the end of the day, too, ringing in my ears. Because it's something I often ask myself.

For most of my life, I've wanted to be popular. Isn't this what we're plagued with for most of our young lives -- the seductive temptation to be "cool"?

In grade school, I used to watch the other kids play outside while I remained indoors, lamenting to my mom that no one wanted to play with me.

"Why don't you just go join them?" my mother would ask, sighing. I never did.

In high school, in between being bullied by upperclassmen, I would watch movies, drink too much soda, and complain that I never had anything to do.

"Why don't you call someone, Jeff?! Be the initiator." She had memorized the script by now.

Eventually, I did. But it took an inciting incident as powerful as a friend collapsing dead on the gymnasium floor before I would get off the couch. Sometimes, it takes a tragedy for us to realize what's important. For me, it was the realization that relationships matter, but that they take intentionality to build.

We all want influence, but very few of us are willing to do the work earn it. Influence begins (and ends) with relationship. A lot of young leaders overlook this. Here are three reasons why.

1. Pride
I think I'm hot stuff. So do other young leaders. We all want to be self-made men and women. We've got a degree, a great skill set, and ambition. Isn't that enough? No. No it's not.

Excellent leaders recognize that they need the help of others to succeed. They count on it. They build teams of people who are strong in the areas that they're weak. And they're humble enough to admit what those areas are.

2. Laziness
Relationship takes work. A lot more work than just sitting in a corner with all your great ideas and vision, waiting for someone to notice you.

Relationships are "squishy." They require a certain amount of intuition. For a task-oriented person like me, they're easier just to skip. But if you do that, you forego the opportunity to influence. You end up with no one to lead and no real work to do.

3. Fear
Relationships are risky, especially new ones.

We may say that we're "not touchy feely" or "Type A," but let's call it what it is: fear. We're afraid to risk rejection or failure, so we avoid the messiness of relationship.

Fear holds us back from being our true selves. Fear is a liar. Fear will raise irrational doubts and fears in you that you never would have thought on your own.

Fear is the enemy to success. And you must slay it today if you're going to lead tomorrow.

What do you do?

There is no magic bullet or formula for working through each of these obstacles. We must simply choose to make relationships matter.

The most successful leaders in the world are not successful merely because of their abilities or their accomplishments. They're successful, because they've learned how to build and harness important relationships.

In fact, successfully building influential relationships may be the hardest skill of all.

So how do you become a person of influence? You do the opposite of the above:

1. Serve
You humble yourself. Join someone else's dream before trying to launch your own. Come alongside someone else's dream before trying to launch your own.

2. Hustle
Notice that I didn't say "stalk." Work hard to deepen existing relationships and build new ones. Go the extra mile. Show up early. Leave late. Show the person that you're trying to build a relationship with that you value their time. Say "thank you."

3. Risk
Saying "be brave" (as a solution to the obstacle of fear) would ring hollow and untrue. It doesn't work like that.

Courage is not just facing fear, but working through it.

Take risks. Make bold asks. Practice being brave, and pretty soon you actually will be.

Jeff Goins is a writer, idea guy, and all-around cool dude. He works with Adventures in Missions, lives in Nashville with his wife Ashley and dog Lyric. You can follow Jeff's blog at goinswriter.com or connect with him on twitter @jeffgoins. Jeff is passionate about words and the difference they can make in the world.

The Era of the Right Brain Thinker

Creativity and innovation will guide tomorrow’s leaders.

Tomorrow’s leaders can’t know for sure what the world will look like when their time to lead arises. No one can. But as we all strive to manage the economic, technological, and social shifts revolutionizing every facet of business, we must take tangible steps to prepare the new crop of leaders for the reality that awaits them.

Where do we start? We must first identify the challenges they will face, starting with the magnification of a burden today’s leaders know too well: increasing complexity. There are more forces affecting every decision than ever before, and infinitely more decisions to make—from social media strategy to the implications of new global power centers. According to IBM’s 2010 Global CEO Study, not only do today’s CEOs expect this complexity to continue to grow, but they feel ill-equipped to handle it.

Another tough issue will be attracting and retaining talent. Workers know they can’t depend on a company for lifelong salary and stability. The best talent wants more than that, anyway—they want to be fulfilled and inspired by their work. It’s no longer enough to say, “I work at a big-name company.” Smart, driven professionals want to say, “I’m working on this incredibly interesting project, and it’s going to change the world.”

It becomes evident that creativity and innovation are critical capabilities for leaders in a future characterized by constant change, created and sustained by employees who seek inspiration and meaning. In fact, IBM’s study found that today’s CEOs are already identifying creativity as the most important leadership characteristic.

To those of us who practice and teach the art of innovation, this makes perfect sense. Creative leaders are more agile, open to change, and highly adaptable. They are better at finding new ways to approach and solve problems. Creative leaders depend less on “the way things were,” and instead are excited to imagine entirely new realities.

These findings dovetail nicely with the case Daniel Pink made in his book, A Whole New Mind. He suggests that the era of the “left-brain” thinker is over. Logical, linear thinking—while still necessary—is no longer a differentiator. “Right-brain” skills such as synthesis, the ability to tell a story, and big-picture thinking will be the hallmarks of success in what Pink calls the new “Conceptual Age.” These capabilities retain value in an era where technological and economic factors can quickly commoditize even the best rule-based thought processes.

To harness and develop right-brain skills in the workforce, tomorrow’s creative leaders will need to be visionaries. The idea of visionary leadership is not new, but a heightened emphasis is necessary to invoke the passion and dedication of future workers. A captivating leader who embodies the best aspects of an organization’s purpose is a uniquely attractive motivator. The new generation of professionals wants this kind of leadership, as they seek inspiration and fulfillment from work in ways that earlier generations did not always demand.

Power “Steering”

Tomorrow’s leaders will be responsible for “steering” more than anything. Whether it’s steering organizations through the never-ending swirl of complexity, or steering employees toward inspirational work that adds value to the company and their own lives, the leaders of tomorrow must leverage creativity and innovation to move forward.

By Lisa Bodell - CEO of futurethink (futurethink.com), an innovation research and training firm.

Transformational & Transactional Leadership

Leadership is a very important part of running a successful organisation. Leadership is strongly linked to various employee attitudes and behaviours. Leadership also influences employee engagement in an organisation. Two dimensions of leadership include transactional and transformational leadership. Transactional leaders believe that employees are motivated to perform based on reward or punishment. Clear expectations are given and when those expectations are met, there are rewards.

Transactional Leadership

This dimension of leadership focus on clarifying employees' role and task requirements. It provides followers with positive and negative rewards based on their performance. Transactional leadership implements the fundamental managerial activities such as setting goals, monitoring progress towards the goal achievement and rewarding people according to their performance towards the goal achievement. This kind of leadership uses extrinsic motivation to increase productivity.

Transformational Leadership

Transformational leaders cultivate trust, develop leadership qualities in others, are servant leaders who sacrifice and serve as moral agents. These leaders focus themselves and their employees on objectives that transcend the immediate needs of the work group. Whereas transactional leaders use extrinsic motivation to increase productivity, transformational leaders use intrinsic motivation, trust, commitment and loyalty to move employees to greater productivity. This does not mean that there is no place for transactional leaders. The best leaders learn how to display both dimensions to various degrees. It is important for employees to understand what they should do and what performance looks like. Transformational leadership increase performance beyond expectations.

Written by Magriet Mouton

7 Deadly Sins of Leadership Communication

by Linda Hurley, as published on www.mbanetwork.co.za

Organizational communication can involve convoluted and elaborate protocols. It is always a challenge for leaders to find the best ways to get their message to employees and to access employees' ideas and feedback.

Making mistakes in individual communications or the channels that are used can create fear and disillusionment and ultimately negatively impact productivity. This happens and can be managed but there are seven deadly sins of organizational leadership communication that should be avoided.

1. Invisibility

Organizational leaders need to be visible. A figurehead is just that, an inanimate object that cannot engender loyalty or inspire motivation. If all you are is the name at the top of an organizational chart no one will care what you say or what you think.

If you want people to follow you, you have to let them see the person behind the position. This means getting out from behind the desk in the large corner office and interacting with staff at all levels including those located remotely.

2. Need to know

Sometimes information is commercially sensitive and needs to be protected however often the “need to know” principle is used as a default. Restricting the dissemination of information limits the ability of staff to progress objectives and solve problems.

Targeting communication to the audience is important, but targeting is not equivalent to restricting. If staff believe they are being excluded from information channels without good reason they will cease to care and you will lose the benefit of their intellectual capacity being applied to further business growth and performance.

3. Cascading important messages

Key messages need to be direct. Cascading important messages through the organizational hierarchy dilutes the message. Each person who receives the message will apply their personal frame of reference to the communication and decide what the message means to them.

Their interpretation will be passed on to the next level of organization who will then apply their own frame of reference until the final recipient receives a communication that may have little or no similarity to the original message.

Using intermediaries to pass on communications also runs the risk of any of those intermediaries deciding the message does not need to be cascaded any further and as a result the communication fails to reach its final destination.

4. One way communication

Leadership communication is not only about passing on information or directives. Understanding what is happening within the organization is essential to business success. A sole owner of a small business may be able to keep in touch with everything happening day to day but larger businesses require communication channels to feed information from the front line back to the leadership.

5. Selling the message

The amount of information that people need to deal with daily can become overwhelming. Being part of the organization's leadership will usually mean that your communications are given at least cursory attention but it will not ensure the entire message is received.

People are motivated by self-interest. If you do not include “what’s in it for me” in your communications they will soon be consigned to the recycle bin as generally irrelevant. Identifying the impact on individuals also minimizes the risk of misunderstanding creating disruption to productivity as individuals try to determine what the message means specifically for them.

6. Using a single channel

There are many ways to communicate and using the one you are most comfortable with all the time will mean some people never get the message. An all staff email will not reach some staff on the front line. Delivery drivers for example may not have access to email.

Using an intranet bulletin board will only reach those who have time to search and read. Even road trips to interact with staff face to face will miss some people who are not on site at the particular time or day.

Staff who have to learn about communication from the leadership of an organization through informal channels assume they are considered unimportant. Many of these staff are the face of the company for customers and can have an impact on the company's reputation.

To ensure you have great ambassadors on the front line you need to think creatively about the best methods to communicate with staff and use multiple communication channels to convey messages and receive feedback.

7. Ignoring informal channels

Information flows most quickly through the informal channels in a business. The water cooler, the tea room and other places staff meet informally are the place to find out what is really happening in the business on a day-to-day basis.

Ignoring these channels of communication because they are impossible to control is risky at best. Organizational leaders need to find ways to tap into the wealth of information and knowledge these informal networks contain and use them to increase the likelihood that leadership communications are heard and understood.

The larger a business becomes the more difficult it is to keep the entire workforce focused on the vision and goals of the organization. It is essential to establish and maintain open communication channels that foster two way interactions between organizational leaders and business staff. Avoiding the seven deadly sins of organizational leadership is a great place to start.

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