BASIC STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP SKILLS

1. BASIC STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP SKILLS • Who is a leader? • A person who has the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence • Leadership is very key to organizational growth and development • What magic do leaders use to influence others. This training will focus on communication and team building as key to strategic leadership

2. What makes people want to follow a leader? • Leaders are effective because of who they are on the inside – in the qualities that make them up as people. • If you can become the leader you OUGHT to be on the INSIDE, you will be able to become the leader you WANT to be on the OUTSIDE.

3. By the end of this lesson, the participant should be able to: • Appreciate and explain the basic effective leadership skills. • Make a commitment to be effective leaders in their constituencies. Objectives

4. CHARACTER • Character defined • All the qualities and features that make a person, groups of people and places different from others. • The way that something is, or a particular quality or feature that a thing or an event or a place has. • Strong personal qualities such as the ability to deal with difficult or dangerous situations.

5. Character Cont…. • How a leader deals with the circumstances of life tells volumes about his character. • Crisis doesn’t necessarily make character but it certainly reveals it. • Adversity is a crossroad that makes a person choose one of two paths: Character or compromise, Choose character, become stronger Choose compromise, become weaker

6. Character cont • Character is more than talk • Character is a choice • Character brings lasting success with people. • Leaders cannot rise above the limitations of their character.

7. Character Cont… • Highly talented leaders often fall apart when they achieve a certain level of success. • People who achieve great heights but lack the bedrock character to sustain them through the stress are headed for trouble.

8. Character Cont… • They are destined for one or more of four A’s: • Arrogance • Aloneness • Adventure – seeking (destructive) • Adultery

9. CHARISMA • Charisma is the ability to draw people to you. • To attract others: • Love Life • See good in people. • Give people hope. • Share yourself

10. Charisma Cont… • Road Blocks to Charisma • Pride • Insecurity • Moodiness • Perfectionism • Cynicism

11. Charisma Cont… Improving your Charisma • Change your focus • Play the first impression game • Share yourself

12. COMMUNICATION • Developing excellent communication skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. • Without effective communication, you travel alone. • “Educators take something simple and make it simple. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple”- John C. Maxwell.

13. COMMUNICATION Cont… • 4S’s of Communication • Simplify the message • See the person. • Show the truth. • Seek response.

14. COURAGE • Definition: Courage is fear that has said its prayers - Karl Barth, Swiss Theologian • As you approach the tough decisions that challenge you, recognize these truths about courage:

15. COURAGE Cont… 1.Courage Begins with an Inward Battle 2. Courage Is Making Things Right, Not Just Smoothing Them Over. 3.Courage in a Leader Inspires Commitment from Followers. • 4. Your Life Expands in Proportion to your Courage.

16. COURAGE Cont… • To improve your courage, do the following: • Face the music. • Talk to that person. • Take a giant step.

17. FOCUS • Focus is giving attention and effort etc to one particular subject or situation or person rather than another. • The keys are to being a truly effective leader are priorities and concentration. • A leader who knows his priorities but lacks concentration knows what to do but never gets it done.

18. FOCUS Cont… • How should you focus your time and energy? • Focus 70 Percent on Strengths • Focus 25 Percent on New Things • Focus 5 Percent on areas of Weakness

19. FOCUS Cont… • To get back on track with your focus, do these things: • Work on yourself. • Work at your priorities. • Work in you strength. • Work with you contemporaries

20. FOCUS Cont… • To improve you focus, do the following: • Shift to strengths. • Staff your weaknesses. • Create an edge.

21. INITIATIVE • Initiative is the: • Ability to decide and act on your own without waiting for somebody to tell you what to do. • Power or opportunity to act or gain an advantage before other people do. • Four qualities that enable leaders make things happen • 1. They Know What They Want • 2. They Push Themselves to Act • 3. They Take More Risks • 4. They Make More Mistakes

22. LISTENING • A good leader encourages follower to tell him what he needs to know, not what he want to hear – John C. Maxwell • Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. • They learn what is in the heart through listening • A lot of voices are clamoring out there for your attention.

23. LISTENING Cont… • Remember there are two purposes of listening: • To connect with people • To learn. • Keep your ear open to the following people: • Your Followers • Your Customers. • Your Competitors • Your mentors

24. LISTENING Cont… • To improve your listening, do the following: • Change your schedule • Meet people on their turf. • Listen between the lines

25. POSITIVE ATTITUDE A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him. To be an effective leader, having a positive attitude is essential.

26. What it means to be positive • Your Attitude Is a Choice • 2. Your Attitude Determines Your Actions • 3. Your People Are a Mirror of Your Attitude • 4. Maintaining a Good Attitude Is Easier Than Regaining One

27. To improve your attitude, do the following: • Feed yourself the right “food” • Achieve a goal every day. • Begin setting achievable daily goals for yourself. • Write it on your wall. • As incentive, people put up award they’re won, inspirational posters, or letters they have received.

28. RELATIONSHIPS • The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people - Theodore Roosevelt, American President • People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much your care - • John C. Maxwell

29. RELATIONSHIPS • The ability to work with people and develop relationships is absolutely indispensable to effective leadership

30. RELATIONSHIPS • How to manage and cultivate good relationships as a leader • 1. Have a Leader’s Head – Understand People. • 2. Have a leader’s Heart – Love People • 3. Extend a Leader’s Hand – Help People

31. RELATIONSHIPS • To improve your relationships, do the following: • Improve your mind. • Strengthen your heart. • Repair a hurting relationship.

32. SECURITY • You can’t lead people if you need people. • Insecure leaders are dangerous – to themselves, their followers, and the organization they lead – because a leadership position amplifies personal flaws. • Insecure leaders have several common traits:

33. SELF – DISCIPLINE • “The first and best victory is to conquer self” - Plato, Philosopher • If you want to become a leader for whom self-discipline is an asset, follow these action points:

34. SELF – DISCIPLINE • Develop and follow your priorities. • Make a discipline lifestyle your goal. • Challenge your excuses • Remove rewards until the job is done. • Stay focused on results.

35. VISION: • The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious. • To get a handle on vision and how it comes to be a part of a good leader’s life, understand these things:

36. VISION: • Vision Starts Within. • Vision Draws on Your History • Vision Meets Others’ Needs • Vision Helps Gather Resources

37. END OF PRESENTATION……..

38. What is Communication? • Communication is about sending and receiving information. • Effective communication will only happen if information is sent, received and then understood. • Communication is not complete without feedback from the receiver that they have understood the message.

39. Why Communicate? • To change behavior. • To inform. • To rectify / correct understanding and to enhance a reputation. • As an incentive.

40. Qualities of a good message • Short and Simple. • Clear / unambiguous. • Clear target. • Spells out expectations. • Consistent.

41. Types of Communication • Formal • Written communication Examples • Letter: Mainly used for external communication. • Memorandum: Used for internal communication and sent internally. • Reports, forms, notice-boards, magazines, newspapers.

42. Advantages of written communication • It serves as an evidence of a message sent. • It can act as a contract or an agreement. • It helps in storage of information e.g. In files for future reference. • Complex information which can not be easily articulated can be written down for clarity. • Avoids face to face contact with the recipient. • Fast- In cases of email/fax.

43. Cont’ of Communication Disadvantages of written communication • It is time consuming to produce or compile information which would have otherwise been spoken. • It doesn’t show the emotional state on the sender • It is relatively expensive in terms of tools, e.g. printers, pens, and other writing materials.

44. PRINCIPLES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION 1.There must be clarity of purpose. • No ambiguity. • Be clear - inform, motivate or guide, etc. 2.The information should be legible. 3.Logical structure: • A clear and understandable order. • Sections should relate to each other in a logical order without contradiction. • Good flow of ideas and data relationships.

45. Cont’ of Communication • Oral communication – Team briefings Advantages: • Allows new ideas to be generated • On the spot feedback • Information spreads quickly among people • The telephone and public address system are other methods of oral communication.

46. Cont’ of types of communication • Informal communication occurs when and as appropriate without the need to follow procedures. e.g. grapevine. • Effective communication requires both formal & informal channels

47. Channels of Communication • Internal - to people within the organization • External – to those outside the organization. • Vertical – Top-Down & Upwards – from subordinates • Horizontal – Between departments, people at the same level in the organization

48. Activity • Which of these channels is best used to communicate plans and results?

49. Communication Networks • The Circle – E.g. communication between middle managers, personal assistants, deputy…in the same level. • The Chain – One person passes information to others, who then pass it on. Used mainly within a hierarchy e.g. police or civil service. • The Wheel – A person, group or department occupies a central position. • Connected or “all channel” network – May be used in small group workings – participatory - This encourages feedback e.g. when department needs to brainstorm.

50. Barriers to Effective Communication • Skills of sender and receiver: How is it explained and/or understood. • Jargon – Limits the people who understand. • Choice of medium or channel of communication. • Perceptions and Attitudes. • Form of the message: (a) Is it too loaded? (b) Poorly written? (c) Comprehensible (d) Conveying the intended message? • Stereotypes – Who wrote i.e. the source may determine how it is understood. • Length of chain of command or distance. • Wrong target for the message. • Breakdown of chosen channel. • Cultural orientation of sender and recipient may differ.