How To Be A Successful Leader

1. How To Be A Successful Leader Laura L. Koppes, Ph.D. U.S. Fulbright Scholar Eastern Kentucky University

2. HELP WANTED • Individuals able to learn and keep learning; determined to listen, watch, and recognize what’s happening; committed to change wherever and whenever needed, opportunity seekers who know how to identify the best people and get the most out of them.(Management Notes, 1998)

3. Content • Successful Leadership: Why important? • Who is a successful leader? • Management and Leadership • The Leadership Challenge • Leadership Definition • How to Be a Successful Leader • Conclusion

4. Successful Leadership: Why important? • 21st Century: a period of unprecedented and transformative change • Global Economy and Workforce • Turbulence in world • “The old organizational pyramids of the nineteenth century are crumbling, being replaced by upside-down pyramids and circles and connections.” (Greenleaf Center, 1997) • Without leadership, organization’s falter in times of change and turmoil.

5. Successful Leadership:Why important? • Companies rated in the 20 percent of leadership skills and development outperform their industry’s average return to shareholders by 22 percentage points. (Lombardo & Eichinger, The Leadership Machine) • Companies with above-average leadership-team strength enjoyed above-average revenue growth, relative to their industries (Holden, 2003. Corporate Leadership Council) • Dr. John Kotter, Harvard leadership expert, maintains that successful organizational transformations are 70 to 90 percent attributable to leadership ability. (Holden, 2003)

6. Successful Leadership:Why important? • Lack of confidence in leaders • Conference Board Report 2002 (Holden, 2003) • In 1997, only about half of all employees in a survey rated their organization’s leadership as excellent or good. • By 2001, one out of three employees rated organization’s leadership as excellent or good. • Fall of companies (e.g., America’s Enron, Italy’s Parlamat, Switzerland’s The Erb Group).

7. Successful Leadership:Why important? • Leaders in the News • “Nepal: Thousands protest again King.” (New York Times, April 2) • “An Indian Champion: Vajpayee is stunningly popular and appears ready to lead his party to another election victory. But can one man’s charisma carry the weight of a nation?” (Newsweek, April 12)

8. Successful Leadership:Why important? • “President Jacques Chirac and his party just got creamed in elections. Now the real fun begins.” (Newsweek, April 12) • “Argentine President Nestor Kirchner has seen his approval ratings rocket to more than 70 percent…Kirchner’s tough stance on human rights, though, is generating increasing opposition.” (Newsweek, April 5)

9. Successful Leadership:Why important? • “Arab leaders Thursday condemned President George W. Bush’s Middle East policy shift as a dangerous move that could stir violence…(International Herald Tribune, April 16). • “President Václav Klaus’ April 9 veto of the country’s proposed new value-added tax (VAT) act could plunge the economy into chaos in the markets and spell trouble for European Union relations.” (The Prague Post, April 14-20)

10. Who is a Successful Leader? • Alexander the Great

11. Who is a Successful Leader? • Napoleon I • “A leader is a dealer in hope.”

12. Who is a Successful Leader? • John F. Kennedy • “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

13. Who is a Successful Leader? • M. Ghandi: “…we must be the change we wish to see in the world.” • W. Churchill: “The price of greatness is responsibility.” • Martin Luther King, Jr.: “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.”

14. Who is a Successful Leader? Are you? • Do I get results? • Do I provide direction and a sense of meaning to others by reminding them of what’s important? • Do I create authentic human relationships? • Do I generate and sustain trust? • (Management Notes, 1998)

15. Who is a Successful Leader? Are you? • Do I give people a sense that they are investing in the future? • Do I convey a feeling of hope? • Do I motivate others? • (Management Notes, 1998)

16. Management and Leadership • The manager has his/her eyes on the bottom line. • The leader has his/her eyes on the horizon. • The manager imitates. • The leader originates. • (Management Notes, 1998)

17. Management and Leadership • The manager is the classic good soldier. • The leader is his/her own person. • The manager does things right. • The leader does the right thing. • The manager asks how and when. • The leader asks what and why. (W. Bennis) • (Management Notes, 1998)

18. The Leadership Challenge • “Each of us contains the capacity to be a leader.” (Warren Bennis) • The challenge: to realize this capacity. • Leadership is a global issue: crosses all boundaries, cultures, religions, etc.

19. Leadership Definition • Leadership: an elusive concept. • Numerous research studies. • Many theories and explanations. • Traits: The GREAT Man theory • Styles/Behaviors • Situational/Contingency • Charisma/Transformational

20. Leadership Definition • Leadership: A process of influence among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their mutual purposes. (Appleton, 1999)

21. How to Be a Successful Leader: Essential Elements • Successful leaders must have the ability to develop a vision of the possible. • Leaders guide the skills of others by the sheer weight of their visions. • (Appleton, 1999)

22. How to Be a Successful Leader: Essential Elements • Successful leaders have a clear understanding of: • themselves; • the expectations, experiences, needs, and interaction patterns of others in the group or organization; • and, appreciate the specifics of the environment and the tasks to be accomplished. • (Appleton, 1999)

23. How to Be a Successful Leader: Essential Elements • Successful leaders depend as much on personal influence and competency power as on the elements of legitimate power. • The successful leader will be a transformational leader. • (Appleton, 1999)

24. Transformational Leader • Develop a vision that is both clear and highly appealing to followers. • Articulate a strategy for bringing that vision to life. • State your vision clearly and promote it to others. • Show confidence and optimism about your vision. • Express confidence in followers’ capacity to carry out the strategy.

25. Transformational Leader • Build confidence by recognizing small accomplishments toward the goal. • Celebrate accomplishments and successes. • Take dramatic action to symbolize key organizational values. • Set an example. • Coach and mentor.

26. How to Be a Successful Leader: Essential Elements • A successful leader will not only ask questions and wrestle with their individual and organizational interests, but will also ask the question: • “Leadership for what purpose and what public good?” • (Appleton, 1999)

27. Make your expectations clearly known. Share your goals, visions, motivations, and reasons. Give feedback about contributions. Listen Build team players. Reward cooperation and hard work. Maintain good relations with boss. Accept diversity. Admit your mistakes. When you promise-deliver. Periodically, disengage from daily pressures. Don’t take yourself too seriously. How to Be a Successful Leader: Strategies(Technical Management Services, Inc., 2004)

28. How to Be a Successful Leader: Characteristics • Drive • Honesty and integrity • Leadership motivation • Self-confidence • Cognitive ability/intelligence • Knowledge of the business • Emotional intelligence • Flexibility

29. Culture Contingent Leadership? • GLOBE Research Project • 60 countries • 12 years • Universally accepted leadership attributes • Culture –specific characteristics

30. Universally Accepted Leadership Attributes (GLOBE) • Integrity-trustworthy, just, honest • Charismatic, visionary, inspirational-encouraging, positive, motivational, confidence builder, dynamic • Team oriented-team building, communicating, coordinating • Excellence-oriented, decisive, intelligent, win-win problem solver • (Landy & Conte, 2004)

31. Culture-Specific CharacteristicsCzech Republic • The following characteristics were found to facilitate outstanding leadership: • Integrity • Performance • Administrative • Inspirational • Nonautocratic • Visionary • Participative • Self-sacrificial • Team integrator • Diplomatic

32. Conclusion As citizens of this turbulent dynamic world, we each have a responsibility to be a successful leader. • Citizen Leader: influencing others to create a better and peaceful world.

33. ConclusionCitizen Leader • To create an environment where people can thrive, grow, and live in peace with one another. • To promote harmony with nature and thereby provide sustainability for future generations. • To create communities of reciprocal care and shared responsibility. (Allen, et. al, 1998)

34. Conclusion • “Leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women. It is a process ordinary people use when they are bringing forth the best from themselves and others.” (author unknown)

35. Děkuji !!

36. Bibliography • Allen, K.E., et al (1998). Leadership in the 21st century. Rethinking Leadership Working Papers, Academy of Leadership Press. • Appleton, J. (1999). Successful leadership: An elusive concept at best.www.redlandsfortnightly.org • Holden, B. (2003). A 3-D View of Leadership. Dynamic Women in Business Conference, Harvard University. • Landy, F. & Conte, J. (2004). Work in the 21st Century. McGraw Hill.

37. Bibliography • Lombardo & Eichinger, The Leadership Machine • Management Notes (1998). www.markelinc.com • Technical Management Services, Inc. (2004). 19 strategies for successful leadership. www.spectra-soft.com