Transformational Leadership Network

2006-11-10T13:40:00.000-05:00

Leadership is MOST Important

2004-08-24T04:09:00.000-05:00

Truthful leadership...

Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with the important matters. - Albert Einstein

2004-08-24T04:08:00.000-05:00

Doing what you think you cannot...

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do." --Eleanor Roosevelt

2004-08-23T03:04:00.000-05:00

Trust...a little story.

The Thief

Once a man found that his axe was missing, and suspected his neighbour's son of having taken it. Observing the youth walking around, the man was convinced that his was the walk of a thief. The youth looked like a thief and talked like a thief; everything he did pointed to his having stolen the axe.

Then one day the man happened to find his missing axe. After that, he noticed his neighbour's son wasn't behaving like a thief anymore.

--Lieh-tzu

2004-08-22T07:02:00.000-05:00

Leaders must watch what they become...

Watch your thoughts,
they become words.
Watch your words,
they become actions.
Watch your actions,
they become habits.
Watch your habits,
they become character,
Watch your character,
it becomes your destiny.

--Frank Outlaw

2004-08-21T08:39:00.000-05:00

"One chance is all you need."

--Jesse Owens

2004-08-21T08:36:00.000-05:00

"If you can't accept losing, you can't win,"

--Vince Lombardi

2004-08-20T08:34:00.000-05:00

" A leader is the wave pushed ahead by the ship."

--Tolstoy

2004-08-20T02:52:00.000-05:00

Lead today...

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
--Theodore Roosevelt

2004-08-20T02:50:00.000-05:00

Leaders are like eagles ... You find them one at a time.

Man’s desire to emulate the eagle was so great that when he created his flying machines they inherited many of the creature’s sensibilities. Dispassionate mastery over life and death, their incredible speed and strength, their keen eyesight and terrible efficiency suggests nobility, power, and freedom. This sense of their grace and authority is reflected in the heraldry of nations from the eagle of the Roman legion to the seal of the American Republic.

2004-08-19T01:52:00.000-05:00

Servant Leadership...

Servant leadership is an approach to leadership development, advanced by such authors as Robert Greenleaf and Peter Block, that emphasizes the leader's role as steward of the resources (human, financial and otherwise) provided by the organization.

I reading Greenleaf's new biography, which is terrific.

2004-08-19T01:42:00.000-05:00

Situational Leadership...

Situational leadership theories presume that different leadership styles are better in different situations, and that leaders must be flexible enough to adapt their style to the situation they are in.

Perhaps the most important example is Paul Hersey and Kenneth H. Blanchard's "life-cycle" theory, which posits that leadership style should depend on the "maturity" (i.e., self motivation and initiative) of subordinates.

Relatively "immature" subordinates require autocratic leadership; subordinates intermediate in maturity do best with a more democratic approach, and very "mature" subordinates do not need any explicit leadership at all.

2004-08-18T04:37:00.000-05:00

Leading just a step ahead...

"Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them."

--John Maxwell

2004-08-18T04:33:00.000-05:00

Leaders and Meaningful Work

"Good leaders make people feel that they're at the very heart of things, not at the periphery. Everyone feels that he or she makes a difference to the success of the organization. When that happens people feel centered and that gives their work meaning." --Warren Bennis

2004-08-18T04:31:00.000-05:00

On Leadership...

"Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men." --Lao Tzu

2004-08-17T01:29:00.000-05:00

Your Leadership Budget

"Control is not leadership; management is not leadership; leadership is leadership. If you seek to lead, invest at least 60% of your time in leading yourself—your own purpose, ethics, principles, motivation, conduct. Invest at least 25% leading those with authority over you and 15% leading your peers." -- Dee Hock, Founder and CEO Emeritus, Visa

2004-08-17T01:16:00.000-05:00

Leader as Facilitator: Getting the Mind Ready First

Facilitating a group is one of the highest forms of service one can provide. Preparing yourself to do this work before it happens however, can be overlooked in light of all that goes into preparing content and processes.

Spending just a few minutes prior to going into a group to clarify your intent, motivations, and how you'll deal internally with what comes up can truly transform your experience in a positive way.

Practicing the process of awakening service in your facilitation may afford you the following benefits:

* Transforms your work into the opportunity for learning and awakening.
* Reduces negative emotions such as anxiety, worry, and depression.
* Increases satisfaction and happiness.
* Reduces burnout.
* Reduces power games.
* Reduces possibility of being manipulated. You can only be manipulated if you're attached. You can only be of as much help to people as you don't need anything from them.
* Increases flow and effectiveness.

More here.

2004-08-16T01:27:00.000-05:00

One to Bear in Mind

"If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall in the ditch."
-- Jesus Christ

2004-08-16T01:11:00.000-05:00

The Transformational Mind

Great minds have purposes; others have wishes.

--Washington Irving

2004-08-15T02:52:00.000-05:00

Next Gen Nonprofit Leadership

This is a hot topic across America. I run into this issue everywhere. How do you develop, keep, and attract young leaders. Click here for some great ideas on this important issue.

2004-08-14T02:59:00.000-05:00

Social Capital Leadership in Communities

This is a vital issue for any community. Are you giving adequate social capital leadership? Click here for some very useful ideas on how to tackle this issue using "appreciative inquiry."

2004-08-13T02:02:00.000-05:00

Characteristics of a High-Performance Leadership Team

Participative leadership - creating an interdependence by empowering, freeing up and serving others.
Shared responsibility - establishing an environment in which all team members feel responsibility as the manager for the performance team.
Aligned on purpose - having a sense of common purpose about why the team exists and the function it serves.
High communication - creating a climate of trust and open, honest communication.
Future focused - seeing change as an opportunity for growth.
Focused on task - keeping meetings and interactions focused on results.
Creative talents - applying individual talents and creativity.
Rapid response - identifying and acting on opportunities.

2004-08-12T02:47:00.000-05:00

Know When to Lead and When to Manage

Lead when the organization needs strategic direction and focus. Manage when tactical plans and action are appropriate.

2004-08-11T02:57:00.000-05:00

Recognize and Appreciate Different Styles of Problem Solving

Leadership team members should be able to feel, without judgment, that the styles of individual members allow each to contribute to the effectiveness of the team.

2004-08-10T02:50:00.000-05:00

Don't Let Passion for the Mission Die

Plan professional development, coaching, or revitalization activies when commitment to the cause begins to wane.

2004-08-09T01:59:00.000-05:00

Team Leadership Assessment

It is vital that leadership teams be able to assess their performance. Are they doing the job they set out to do? Click here to download a very useful guide on assessing team leadership.

2004-08-08T01:52:00.000-05:00

Leader as Translator

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality."
- Warren G. Bennis

2004-08-07T01:50:00.000-05:00

Vision

"The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet." - Theodore M. Hesburgh

2004-08-06T01:42:00.000-05:00

Regardless of What They Think

"If you are guided by opinion polls, you are not practicing leadership - you are practicing followship." - Margaret Thatcher

2004-08-05T01:40:00.000-05:00

Seeing It Coming

One of the true tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.

--Arnold H. Glasgow

2004-08-04T01:38:00.000-05:00

Leadership Training

"The only real training for leadership is leadership."
--Anthony Jay

2004-08-03T19:25:00.000-05:00

Living for a Higher Purpose

"This is the true joy in life...being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one...being a force of Nature instead of a feverish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making your happy....I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It's a sort of splendid torch which I've got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations. "-- George Bernard Shaw

2004-08-02T06:30:00.000-05:00

Leadership Assessment Tools

There are a host of leadership assessment tools available. Sorting out which one is best for you is not easy. I ran across a useful guide by the Center for Creative Leadership that helps. You can download it here.

2004-08-02T06:27:00.000-05:00

Learning Outside Work Matters

If you were to ask managers and executives where they get the most influential and effective developmental training, the answer you're likely to get is "on the job."

Too often, those same managers and executives discount what can be learned from experiences outside of work. Leadership research demonstrates that activities that take place outside of the regular workday contribute to a leader's effectiveness as a manager.

Learn more about how to increase your learning from everyday life.

2004-08-02T06:14:00.000-05:00

Institute for Healthcare Leadership

Transformational leaders use their emotional intelligence to bring about meaningful change in people and organizations. Healthcare is one the fastest growing industries across the country. Transformational leaders are needed in this strategic industry.

Do you know about the Institite for Healthcare Leadership? Interesting group.

The Institute for Healthcare Leadership provides training programs to improve the healthcare workplace climate and bottom-line performance. The institute focuses on building the emotional intelligence of people working in health-related organizations.

Emotional Intelligence Services include:

Introductory Presentation on "The Healthcare Business Case for EQ."

One-Day Workshop on EQ Leadership (key concepts for managing the "human side" of superior performance).
Two-Day Workshop EQ Leadership Intensive (proven tools for exceptional leadership).

"Lights, Camera, Action," an Online Survey to Measure Organizational Climate (a powerful tool for building shared awareness).

Five-Day EQ Certification for internal advocates (managers and trainers learn how to maintain the program).

2004-08-01T04:12:00.000-05:00

The Death of Competition: Leadership & Strategy in the Age of Business Ecosystems
By Moore, James F.
Harper Business 1996

Partial Review by Change Management Monitor:

The idea that businesses and organisations are better compared to organisms than to mechanisms and that they inhabit something analogous to an ecosystem has been gaining currency for some time now. There is also a growing literature accessible to non-scientists that explores the parallels (for example Waldrop's Complexity and, on a quite different plane of sophistication, Capra's The Web of Life).

Moore has written a wonderfully rich and sustained exploration of business strategy round the analogy of ecosystems. It is notable both for power of the comparison and for the author's use of systems (or systemic or holistic) thinking and language to drive home his message. To underpin his ideas, he suggests two key terms:

1. Business ecosystem: 'The term circumscribes the microeconomies of intense coevolution coalescing around innovative ideas. Business ecosystems span a variety of industries. The companies within them coevolve capabilities around the innovation and work cooperatively and competitively to support new products, satisfy customer needs, and incorporate the next round of innovation.'

2. Opportunity environment: 'a space of business possibility characterised by unmet customer needs, unharnessed technologies, potential regulatory openings, prominent investors, and many other untapped resources.'

Waldrop points out that it is a property of complex adaptive systems to seek out, evolve into and exploit new and emerging niches in their environment, and that it is another property of this process that the future of the system is, in consequence, unpredictable.

Moore takes up these points, applies them to an analysis of business ecosystems and draws out the consequences, while pointing out the crucial difference of consciousness; in a biological ecosystem, the organisms are not conscious of the whole system, whereas in a business ecosystem it is possible for a business to guide its own evolution - at least within limits.

2004-08-01T04:02:00.000-05:00

The CEO and the Monk: One Company's Journey to Profit and Purpose
By Robert B. Catell, Kenny Moore, Glenn Rifkin
ISBN: 0-471-45011-1
Hardcover256 pages
January 2004
US $27.95

In a nutshell:

"This is a wonderful story of commitment, integrity, and the power of relationships. It offers the possibility that executives who care about community and people bring both honor and economic success to their business. Inspiring and practical, The CEO and the Monk threatens to restore our faith in those who lead us. I tip my hat to Bob and Kenny for telling the story of how human values can be brought into the marketplace. This book is unique and much needed."
--Peter Block, consultant, speaker, and author of many bestselling books

2004-08-01T03:55:00.000-05:00

The Transformational Leader: The Key to Global Competitiveness
By Noel M. Tichy, Mary Anne Devanna
ISBN: 0-471-12726-4
Paperback, 336 pages
September 1997

In a nutshell:

"Lee Iacocca is one. So is GE's Jack Welch. And Unisys's Michael Blumenthal. They're "transformational" leaders—a special breed capable of managing the kind of massive turnaround most U.S. companies will have to undergo in the next decade to stay competitive. But what makes them able to steer their huge organizations down new paths? The Transformational Leader gives senior executives and managers the answers, not by profiling personalities, but by dissecting the process of transformational leadership and giving managers specific ideas for transforming their own companies."

2004-07-31T08:50:00.000-05:00

Leadership Voices

Here we stand just over three months from the Presidential election. The American People will select their next leader. Maybe this is a good time to revisit what leadership means to us and what type of leader we need most.

This earlier Time Magazine issue provides an overview of the leaders that many people believe shaped the direction of the last century the most. It's worth a bit of your time to review.

Will our next President go down as one of the current century's top leaders? Can either man running for President attain this title? This is a case where looking back might help us a bit in looking forward. Will our next President be a transformational leader or simply another bureaucractic caretaker living in the White House for four years?

2004-07-31T08:48:00.000-05:00

How Leadership Styles Have Changed

"Yesterday, natural resources defined power. Today, knowledge is power. Yesterday, leaders commanded and controlled. Today, leaders empower and coach. Yesterday, leaders were warriors. Today, they are facilitators. Yesterday, managers directed. Today, managers delegate. Yesterday, supervisors flourished. Today, supervisors vanish." -- Denis Waitley

2004-07-30T07:08:00.000-05:00

Different Leader Styles

According to Elizabeth Lolly, there are five distinct styles of leadership:

Chain of Command: Level one, an unempowered environment, positions the leader above and separate from the work group.
Leader is Central: At level two, the leader moves from above the workers to the center of the unit, but a clear distinction still exists between what the leader does and what people in the work unit do. The leader is central to most communication within the group and channels communication from upper management to the group.
Transition: At level three, the leader begins to shift decision-making authority for basic tasks to members of the group or the work group as a whole. Some members might begin to take on responsibilities belonging traditionally to the leader. The leader also encourages communication, cooperation, and teamwork among group members whenever possible. However. the leader still is central to the group, especially as the initiator of the transition to empowerment.
Partnership: No longer central to decision making, the leader becomes a partner to group members in level four. The links between group members might become even stronger. They might depend on each other as much as on the leader for information, help on decisions, and support. Their scope of empowerment has widened. Not only do group members make decisions about how they do theirjobs, but they also assume many of the responsibilities and decisions formerly held by the leader.
Highly Empowered: At level five, group members are self-directed.. The leader's primary role is to coach, counsel, and support them. Group members take responsibility for and make decisions about tasks and jobs, including most responsibilities that had been their leader's. The leader still provides direction and acts as a resource, often tackling issues outside the group.

2004-07-30T06:56:00.000-05:00

Society for Organizational Learning

This is a resource you might want to know about if your interested in transformational leadership. Click here to access SoL's website.

Here are the SoL's guiding principles:

Drive to Learn - All human beings are born with an innate, lifelong desire and ability to learn, which should be enhanced by all organizations.

Learning is Social - People learn best from and with one another, and participation in learning communities is vital to their effectiveness, well-being and happiness in any work setting.

Learning Communities - The capacities and accomplishments of organizations are inseparable from, and dependent on, the capacities of the learning communities which they foster.

Aligning with Nature - It is essential that organizations evolve to be in greater harmony with human nature and with the natural world.

Core Learning Capabilities - Organizations must develop individual and collective capabilities to understand complex, interdependent issues; engage in reflective, generative conversation; and nurture personal and shared aspirations.

Cross-Organizational Collaboration - Learning communities that connect multiple organizations can significantly enhance the capacity for profound individual and organizational change.

2004-07-30T06:42:00.000-05:00

More on Transformational Leadership Qualities

Here is what an Australian Air Force Colonel has to say about transformational leadership:

- Leaders have high moral and ethical values.
- Leaders express genuine interest in followers.
- Leaders have an inspirational vision.
- Genuine trust exists between leaders and led.
- Followers share leader’s values and vision.
- Leaders and followers perform beyond self-interest.
- Participatory decision-making is the rule.
- Innovative thinking and action is expected.
- Motivation is to do the right thing.
- Leaders mentor.

2004-07-29T08:30:00.000-05:00

Watch for the Pitfalls!

The ancient Greeks used to speak of hubris (pride), a characteristic which afflicted the autocrat of many early city-states. Today's CEO's, as the feudal lords of business, would be wise to understand how they can end up losing everything they spent years trying to achieve.

Good Reading: Why CEOs Fail: The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb to the Top and How to Manage Them, by David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo.

2004-07-29T08:20:00.000-05:00

Know Thyself

Two simple words by Socrates a very long time ago. This is the starting point for leadership development of any type, but especially for those leaders who aim to transform the world. They must first understand themselves, and then must fully embody this knowledge in how they go about their life work.

2004-07-29T08:17:00.000-05:00

Transforming Organizations Through Leadership

"The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develop them." Source: John C Maxwell, The 17th Irrefutable Laws of Teamwork.

2004-07-28T07:23:00.000-05:00

Integrity as the Cornerstone of Transformational Leadership

In his article “A New Day for American Leadership,” Howard Adamsky wrote: “…leadership is part vision, part art, part science, part experience, part faith and part know-how, all bound together in an ironclad package called integrity.”

Read Adamsky's article here.

2004-07-28T07:09:00.000-05:00

What is the Goal of Transformational Leadership?

Steven Covey once wrote, "The goal of transformational leadership is to “transform” people and organizations in a literal sense – to change them in mind and heart; enlarge vision, insight, and understanding; clarify purposes; make behavior congruent with beliefs, principles, or values; and bring about changes that are permanent, self-perpetuating, and momentum building."

2004-07-28T06:54:00.000-05:00

Transformational Leadership Qualities

Transformational leaders concentrate on:

Instilling a vision of the future.
Using stories and symbols to communicate.
Conveying a strong sense of purpose.
Talking optimistically and enthusiastically.
Building trust by doing the right things and not just doing things right.
Talking often about values and beliefs.
Thinking from different perspectives.
Spending time coaching and teaching others.
Approaching life and their work in a compassionate and appreciative way

Download the source article from the Sheffield University Institute of Work Psychology.

2004-07-28T02:34:00.000-05:00

On the Shoulders of Giants

"If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulder of giants." Source: Issac Newton

2004-07-28T02:32:00.000-05:00

A Ship in the Storm

"The only safe ship in a storm is leadership." Source: Faye Wattleton

2004-07-28T02:28:00.000-05:00

Leaders Attach Themselves to a Vision

"Leadership can be thought of as a capacity to define oneself to others in a way that clarifies and expands a vision of the future." Source: Edwin H. Friedman

2004-07-27T05:34:00.000-05:00

Leadership as Art

"Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition
of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs
of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its
practice." Source: Max DePree

2004-07-27T05:28:00.000-05:00

On the Leadership Mind

"Authentic leaders have absorbed the fundamental
fact of existence -- that you can't get around life's
inherent contradictions. The leadership mind is spacious.
It has ample room for the ambiguities of the world, for
conflicting feelings, and for contradictory ideas. I believe
that the central leadership attribute is the ability to manage
polarity." Source: Peter Koestenbaum

2004-07-26T07:24:00.000-05:00

Our Views on Transformational Leadership

The concept of transformational leadership has been around for some time. This is an important fact to realize. It is not something new that is unproven and unfamiliar to us.

According to our research, the formal concept of transformational leadership applied to modern organizations was first developed by James McGregor Burns in 1978. Burns did not study academic schools of thought, but rather based his ideas on his work with actual political leaders, Army officers, and business executives. We share Burns' pragmatic "hands on" approach to transformational leadership.

We have studied the field of leadership to understand where and how transformational leadership fits into the overall leadership spectrum. We would like to share just a little of what we have learned.

"Lead" is the root word for leadership. In its early Anglo-Saxon form, lead is rooted in "loadan" (lithan), which means "to travel." Later, the word evolved to mean "to help travel in a direction." The addition of the ending "ship" indicates that leaders are recognized by others as possessing certain abilities to lead. Leaders are seen as possessing a certain mastery in their ability to lead others.

Centuries ago we believed that leadership was a divine right bestowed upon only a few. Today, we believe it is every human being's right to be a transformational leader. Moreover, transformational leadership can be learned by anyone with the will to transform herself/himself through learning and collaboration with others.

We are concerned about helping leaders lead in the right direction. Part of that process is determining what that direction should be. Toward that end, we have evolved a new model of strategic planning that supports the transformational leadership process in organizations. We call this "Transformational Leadership Development."

Where does the "transformational" piece fit in? Management guru Peter Drucker said some time ago that: "Every few hundred years in Western history there occurs a sharp transformation. Within a few short decades, society – its world view, its basic values, its social and political structures, its arts, its key institutions – rearranges itself …. We are currently living through such a time."

Professor Drucker has hit the nail on the head. That is why we have dedicated ourselves to advancing transformational leadership at this particular time. This new age is marked by accelerated global economic and social integration, revolutionary-scale technological innovation, heightened spiritual awareness in all walks of life, greater appreciation for the total person in organizations, and the increasing application of ideas from evolutionary biology and ecology as new organizing concepts for business, government, education, the arts and culture, religion, and other institutions. We are indeed amidst a major transformational period in our human and natural evolution.

Today, many strands of transformational leadership exist. The strain we are most concerned about has to do with "giving leadership to things (issues, priorities, activities) that matter most." This embodies the concept of "doing well by doing good," and forwards on all levels the notion that future solutions to our world's problems must give greater recognition to the interdependence of humans everywhere and our inseparable relationship with Nature.

We are especially interested in the notion that transformational leaders are "authentic" in how they lead. The last consideration for the truly transformational leader is simply to accumulate more personal power and control other human beings. The transformational leader is most concerned about liberating, empowering, and advancing people through learning, creativity, collaboration, connectivity, and spiritual rootedness.

Learning organization theorist Peter Senge was an early advocate of the concept of "servant leadership," which says that leaders exist for one purpose: to serve others. Senge credits his discovery of this notion of leadership to the 1977 book, Servant Leadership, by Robert K. Greenleaf. Transformational leaders are servant leaders in the highest sense of the word. This too is a part of our concept of what transformational leadership is all about.

We will be adding to these ideas on a daily basis. Please stay tuned.

2004-07-26T03:24:00.000-05:00

Some Starting Definitions

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."
--Peter F. Drucker

"Transforming leadership is engaged in the framework to create and
sustain a context that maximizes human capacity, organizational
capabilities and contributions to societal well-being."
--Gill Robinson Hickman

2004-07-25T03:25:00.000-05:00

Introducing Transformational Leadership

Transform: to change the nature, condition, or function of. A qualitative change in a person, organization, or activity.

Welcome to Transformational Leadership, a new weblog about transforming people and organizations through the discovery (rediscovery) of personal, social, and spiritual meaning and purpose.

Management and managing were chief obsessions of the last century. Leadership and leading have steadily moved into the forefront in this new century, as executives, entrepreneurs, scientists, athletes, monks and ministers, parents, and teachers alike have all come to realize there is something beyond controlling people and organizations. That something is leadership, especially a new brand of leadership that welcomes and embodies the heart and spirit. That is what we call transformational leadership.

We hope you will find Transformational Leadership to be a source of ideas, information, insights, and inspiration about how to organize our world in the future.

We invite you to share your thoughts with us.

Thank you for joining us on this exciting journey.

Don Iannone
Founder, Donald T. Iannone Associates
Cleveland, Ohio