August 2013
Published by Geoff Kelly, Kelly Strategic Influence
Wisdom to lead minds:
"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere."
Lee Iacocca, former Chairman, Chrysler Corporation
Who is following your ideas?
Have you ever wondered why there is no commonly accepted definition
of leadership? We all know it’s important, yet we can’t agree on
what it is.
Sure, we know leadership when we see it. And perhaps that is enough.
So a good practice for leaders and aspiring leaders is to play spot
the leader in the world around them, and reflect on why this person
or that one picks themselves out of the crowd.
Of course, the only sure test of leaders is that they have followers.
So you may have the title Chief Executive in a large corporation, or
Sergeant of an army combat patrol, but if people don’t follow then you
are not leading. You are just occupying a slot in the human resources
manager’s hierarchy chart.
Let’s do a brief self-test. Only you will see your answers, so be honest
with yourself. Leave self-delusion to your competitors:
- When you introduce a colleague guest speaker, do you simply read
their resume?
- When you present awards to staff members, do you parrot the same
trite rubbish you hear most others say?
- Did your last strategy presentation merely inform your audience,
or did they get excited enough to do something?
- *When asked to speak briefly, and on occasion to speak more fully,
do you normally regard it as a burden, or a chance to make an impact?
The answers to these questions define where you are on your leadership
path right now. They don’t bind your potential, they just show you
where you are on your journey.
The difference between managing and leading is the language
leaders use. Sure both managers and leaders communicate, but
only leaders use the language of leadership. And that language
is the product of good private thinking tempered with the
counsel of others.
As the great Roman Senator and orator Cato said, the secret is to:
“Find the message first and the words will follow.”
So your first step after reflecting on your leadership challenge
and seeking counsel is to write in a single sentence the idea you
want others to follow. Reflect on it, say it, edit it and test it
until you are happy. But keep it to one sentence, because that is
your best chance that others will take away what you want them
to take away.
Winston Churchill was one of history’s greatest masters of
leadership language, and he was one of its greatest leaders.
As you continue to develop your mastery of this crucial skill,
reflect on his simple but powerful formula:
- Begin with a zinger
- Stick to one theme
- Keep your words short and sweet
- Paint a picture
5. End with emotion
Re-read or listen to some of Churchill’s major speeches and
see how he brings his ideas to life, and consider how you can
adapt his approach to your own leadership challenges.
For example, what zinger did he use in his first speech to the
House of Commons as Prime Minister? It was “I have nothing to
offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Now you’d have been
riveted to see where he was going with that, wouldn’t you?
And the records show that the MPs were indeed captured
by his rhetoric.
There is nothing more important to a leader than looking
and talking like a leader, and who can get others to follow
their ideas. People with better skills and experience always
come second to those who form and express ideas that
others follow. Leaders can hire the other stuff because it
simply isn’t as important. That has been the case throughout
history, and is just as true today.
More soon...
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Geoff Kelly works with leaders who are frustrated that others don't fully support their ideas and strategies. He mainly works with corporate leaders around the world, but also leaders in Government and Not for Profit. He is also a popular speaker on this and related subjects. See www.kellystrategicinfluence.com.au, email [email protected] or call +613 9678 9218 for more information
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© 2009 - 2013 Geoff Kelly All rights reserved.
You are free to use material from the Leading Minds eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read: "By Geoff Kelly of Kelly Strategic Influence. Please visit Geoff's web site at www.kellystrategicinfluence.com.au for additional articles and resources on earning support for your ideas and strategies." (Make sure the link is live if placed in an eZine or in a web site.)
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