Handout - Self Leadership Workshop - 17May2011

8/6/2019 Handout - Self Leadership Workshop - 17May2011

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SELF LEADERSHIP

& Optimal Performance

WORKSHOP

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Hand Out & Exercises


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+61 407 316 052 I [email protected] I www.bergconsulting.com.au

Berg Consulting Group Pty Ltd I PO Box 1217 I Elwood VIC 3184

SELF LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP

TAKE HOME NOTES

THE DIAMOND MODEL OF LEADERSHIP

The Diamond Model of Leadership demonstrates the various elements of a leaders agenda. A level ofcompetence in required across each of these elements in order for one to lead effectively. Those elements areas follows:

Source: James C Clawson 2009


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DIAMOND MODEL OF LEADERSHIP cont

Leader

What you bring as a leader to the organisation. This refers to your skills, education, experience and keycompetencies that you bring to the role. It also includes your values and beliefs, you character and personality,

your strengths and weaknesses. All of these aspects will impact on your leadership and how others perceiveyou.

The leaders responsibilities to this element include ensuring she/he either has or develops the skills andcompetencies required for the role. It includes a leaders responsibility to develop her/his self leadership suchthat she/he is self-directed and self reliant.

Task

The task refers to what the organisation does and what it seeks to achieve. Within task lie the organisationsfocus, priorities and actions that must take place for the organisation to achieve its purpose. It includes itsfinancials, competitive issues and operations.

The leaders responsibility (as identified by the line between leader and task) is the organisations strategy. It isthe leadersrole to determine and take be accountable to the organisations vision, mission and strategies.

Organisation

This element refers to the structure, processes and systems in place to allow the organisation to achieve its task.The structure must always be congruent with what the organisation is seeking to achieve.

The leaders responsibility it to ensure that the organisation is correctly structured, resourced and managed soas it can fulfil on its task. As the tasks (vision/strategy) of the organisation changes so must its systems. This is

where a leader must determine and oversee what must change in order for the organisation to meet its tasks inthe most productive and efficient way.

Others

Others refers to both the individual and collective staff. It refers to the skills, values, beliefs and behaviours ofeach individual, each of the groups in the organisation and the organisation as a whole.

The leaders responsibilities are twofold. Firstly, the leader is responsible for creating an environment thatengages others with the task. Are the right people employed to meet the task? Does the organisationsstructure and systems help facilitate employees engagement in the project? Where employees have a systemand a culture that supports them in achieving their task both individually and as a group, there is engagement.

And engagement is what facilitates performance and productivity.


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The other key responsibility is represented by the leaders line to others. It is through this relationship betweenthe leader and others that a leader seeks to influence. How does the leader influence his team? Do employeesfollow the leader and engage in achieving the task voluntarily? Influence is not coercion. One can only influencewhere others chose voluntarily to follow.

INSIDE OUT / OUTSIDE IN

How much of your life do you live inside out versus outside in? When we live outside in, were allowing the

outside world to influence us. This is not a bad thing; after all its important to live by some of the expectationslaid out by our society. But how much of outside in is too much?

To what extent are you allowing outside influences to impact on your leadership, career and what you believeconstitutes success? In our role as leaders its important that we be just a little more inside out.


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INDEPENDENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY

One of the most important steps in developing self leadership is taking responsibility. Nothing externally is goingto change your life or ensure your leadership success: it must be driven by you.

To achieve self leadership you must make a genuine commitment. In the same way that a mountaineer will ntoreach the peak unless she commits to ever step, so it is with your leadership career. Furthermore, rememberthat nothing exists until you act on it. You cannot think in order to act differently; you must act to thinkdifferently.

Preparation is the key to developing your leadership practice. Someone doesnt decide their goal is to climb MtEverest and hitch the first flight, in their shorts and a backpack. All goals require the same level of preparationas climbing a mountain; only the terrain is different, not the effort required.

To prepare you need to ask yourself, in order to achieve success as a leader. What do you need to learn? Whodo you need to know? What are the tools of your trade and how to you hone them? How do you ensure youare prepared enough to meet the inevitable obstacles that will greet you along the way?

VALUES

Our values are the fundamental principles that guide us in terms of how we lead our lives. Many of our valuesare inherited from family or adopted from the society in which we live. Others we develop as we gainexperience.

Often we dont question our values; yet this is something we should do from time to time in order to grow andlearn.

When we find ourselves in conflict with others or with the organisation in which we work it will be because ourvalues are in conflict. Understanding that others have different values can help us better understand and resolveconflicts. Occasionally, where there is significant incongruence between values and the people we deal with ororganisations we work within, we may need to break the connection.

It is important that we develop an understanding of our values, particularly as leaders, as our values are onconstant display in the way that we operate and develop relationships within the organisation.

CHARTERS

Charters set out the vision, mission and strategies of a individual and an organisation. As a leader it is importantthat we understand both our own personal charter and that of our organisation. It is important that we ensurethat the vision and values between our organisation and ourselves is reasonably aligned.

A charter assists us with preparing our professional future as well as developing a strategic story for theworkgroup and organisations that we lead.


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MANAGE YOUR ENERGY

It is said that Leadership is about managing energy; first in ourselves and then others. And achieving success isless about time management and more about energy management. A combination of commitment and energy.What are you willing to work for? What are you prepared to do to ensure you have the energy to achieve yourdreams?

In order to manage our energy we need to tune into how we are feeling and understandour energy and how its

affected by the many aspects of our lives. Getting to know what increases our energy and what drains it is animportant step to building the energy resources required to achieve our dreams.

When thinking about what increases and diminishes your energy think about your whole life.

Become aware of how your energy is affected by:

Food Exercise Sleep Your leisure activities Your relationships

FLOW & OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE

Flow is closely connected with optimal experience and performance a. Flow was first studied and coined byMihalyi Czikszentmihalyi, former chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago. Thegenesis of his theory took place when, as a teenager, he spent time in a Nazi concentration camp and observedthat while some people became despondent and died quickly, others seemed to find purpose even in these mostbleak of circumstances. This experience lead to his lifes work, an enquiry into this phenomenon which he calledflow and a research project spanning several decades.

Flow has been observed as the key difference that separates the worlds highest performers from their peers.

Which is to say, high performers mention being in flow states more often than the rest of us. Numerous bodiesof research into peak performance have found the ability to experience flow as the defining characteristic ofhigh performers.

But thats not to say we cant all achieve it; flow is something weve all experience at some time or another. Andits an experience that, once we understand how to create it, we can develop in order to optimise our ownperformance and potential.

So what is flow?

Flow is also termed resonance, being in the zone, being engaged, or simply being in a state of exceptionalenjoyment.


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Flow typically takes place when we are working on something that gives us a great sense of energy. Keycharacteristics include:

A sense of intense concentration and focus on the task at hand A loss of self-consciousness, coupled with a greater sense of our ability to achieve our task A sense of effortless whilst a the same time sensing we are working at the very peak of our

capability (ie. in a state of optimal performance)

A sense of timeliness, which often feels like time has flown, but in some cases can feel like time hasslowed down (rock climbers in particular have described the sensation of time slowing whilstnavigating the cliff face where every step is critical)

Its intensely satisfying After the experience we often have a heightened sense of ourselves and our abilities

When does flow happen?

Czikszentmihalyi s research and that of many others studying world class performers and excellence have foundthat flow takes place when the following factors are in place:

1. Were undertaking an activity that challenges us and our abilities2. Theres clarity about what we want to achieve (ie. a goal) 3. We belief that the task/goal that can be fulfilled/completed and in our ability to achieve it4. An opportunity exists to concentrate deeply on what we are doing5. We can receive immediate feedbackie: steps achieved along the way6. We are in an environment where we are learning (nb. learning is a key producer of flow)

Why it doesnt it happen on weekends?

How often have you felt like youve struggled through a whole week just hanging for the weekend? I was talkingrecently with a former colleague who lamented that while he spent all week waiting for the weekend to rollaround, by Saturday afternoon he was so frustrated he was ready to pick a fight with his wife (and sometimesdid).

What is it with that?This is where we get a true understanding of the concept of flow and its importance to enjoyment. Ifenjoyment is about having a challenging yet attainable goal, tasks that require intense concentration and facilitatelearning it makes sense that many of us feel disillusioned and disgruntled with our weekends. Because while wethink our reward for a hard weeks work is doing nothing, the truth is nothing is just that, its delivers nothing.And so its unsatisfying.

And so for us to enjoy our weekends we need to find activities that generate an environment that facilitates

flow.


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So how can we achieve flow?

To learn how to bring more flow into our lives, its best to first think through when youve achieved flow in thepast. You will generally find that many or all of the above factors were in place when you felt flow. If you canbuild a profile of the times you have felt it you will be able to get a sense of what helps you achieve flow. Andyou can then start to find ways to bring those factors into your work and life more often.

This may involve simply making the commitment to spend more time at your work, with the email off and other

distractions removed so as you can give yourself an environment that facilitates flow. Or you may need to lookat how you can change your working circumstances, be it a new role, a new organisation or a whole new careerdirection.

In terms of leisure time look at hobbies that offer challenges and allow you to achieve (most do). They mayinclude anything from learning a language, to rebuilding a car engine or cooking. So many leisure tasks offer theopportunity for flowwe simply need to commit the time to do them.

Overcoming Obstacles

There isnt a goal achieved that hasnt overcome obstacles. So from the very beginning ofplanning yourleadership practice its worth accepting that the obstacles will be coming your way, no matter how well you

prepare.

So how can we overcome obstacles?

Firstly, make sure your path to your dream is wide enough and flexible enough to manoeuver around theobstacles along the way. Obstacles may be anything from delays in time, market crashes, realising you need moretraining/skills, or even something that permanently ends your first idea of your life purpose.

At these times its worth remembering to ask yourself How do I want to feel?. And remember flow. How canyou extend, move, or widen your view to see things differently and slightly (or significantly) change your idea ofwhat the path should be. Quite often its through widening our path to overcome an obstacle that we get evencloser to our life purpose.

Dont allow yourself to get in the trap of feeling obligated. Feelings ofobligation drain you of energy anddisconnect you from flow and connection with optimal performance. When obligation sets in, take a step back,ask how you want to feel. Ensure you create an environment so as you can enjoy the moment, not just attainingthe goal.

Take a look at your self-talk. Whose opinion of you do you listen to? If youre struggling with negative self talkthats impacting on you performance, dont just try and change your self-talk. Think back to the belief that itstems from and see if you can reframe that belief. That way its not just the self talk, but the belief that feeds itthat youve managed.


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Take time to visualise. What does it feel like when you succeed? What are the sounds, sights, smells? But mostimportant what are the emotions. Lie back, relax and enjoy... this stuff is fun, and it has been proven to work atreat when combined with responsibility, commitment and preparation.


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Known To Us Not Known To Us

NotKnownToOthers

Know

nToOthers

THE JOHARI MODEL - OURSELVES

Open

The conscious part of ourselves. What we knowof ourselves and freely share with others aboutour attitudes, behaviours, motivations, values andway of life.

Blind

Those things about ourselves which we do notknow but others can see more clearly. Or whatwe believe ourselves to be but others dont see.We find out about our blind spots through askingothers for feedback.

Hidden

The part of ourselves that others dont seeunless we disclose it. This may be the part ofourselves we dont often disclose out of fear.Sharing some aspects of our hidden selves canpath the way for others to trust us.

Unknown

We are more complex than either we or othersknow. This is the part of us that is often neverrevealed to us or others. Sometimescircumstances may reveal the unknown self suchas heroism in face of danger; something notknown unless a situation presents itself.


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Known To Us Not Known To Us

NotKnownToOthers

Known

ToOthers

THE JOHARI MODELTHE LEADERSHIP GROUPS PERSPECTIVE

Open

The known part of our organisation, what it istrying to achieve. Its values, objectives, strategiesand behaviours. What each of us know about ourrole in the organisation

Blind

Those things that leaders do not know about theirorganisation, that is known to either individuals staffmember or departments. Ensuring staff across theorganisation are able to contribute to strategy andoperational plans can ensure that leaders are awareof and can respond to their blind spots about theorganisation. This can minimize risk, ensure properappropriate of resources and ensure staff isengaged.

Hidden

The part of the organisation often only known tothe leadership team. This may include long termvision, strategy, organisational change andperformance issues. When leadership chooses toshare aspects of the organisation- its vision, changeand performance issues it can engender trustleading to staff engagement and commitment to theorganisation.

Unknown

That unknown to both leadership and theorganisation.


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B C lti G Pt Ltd I PO B 1217 I El d VIC 3184

SUGGESTED READING

The following books are recommended reading as part of building your leadership practice.

Emotional Capitalists, the New Leaders Martyn Newman

An Australian author makes this a very relevant read about emotional intelligence, how we can develop it inourselves and bring it into the way we lead others. An excellent read.

Working with Emotional Intelligence Daniel Goleman

Goleman is the world authority on emotional intelligence. This book is a little dense but has great insights intohow emotional intelligence builds performance and productivity. It makes an compelling business case fororganisations to develop the emotional intelligence in the leaders

Level Three Leadership James C Clawson

This is the bible of leadership. An excellent resource for any manager, which fully explains all elements ofleadership including: developing a leadership viewpoint, creating strategic frames, ethics, self leadership,resonance and performance, leading teams, overseeing organisational design and managing change. An excellentmanual that will be read and re-read.

Powered by Feel

James C Clawson & Doug NewburgA ground breaking book about what creates world-class performers. Through significant research Clawson andNewburg discovered excellence is not driven so much by goals and actions as emotional congruity. This lifetransforming book illuminates the road to personal and organisational excellence. Its central tenet lies indeveloping our emotional perspicuity and bringing feel into our work. In other words finding love in our work.

Flow Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, observations of certain survivors in a Nazi Concentration Camp was tolead to his lifes work, an enquiry into a phenomenon he named flow. Flow is also often described asresonance, engagement or being in the zone. Its closely connected to happiness, creativity and peakperformance. Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates how through taking control of how we choose to be involved withour lives, and through becoming actively engaged in what we do (ie. concentrating), we can each enter intoprolonged and more frequent experiences of flow. This in turn leads to happiness and optimal performance.

The Story Factor Annette Simmons

Annette Simmons demonstrates the importance of story in each of our lives and how it can transformrelationships. She illustrates how storytelling can be used to persuade, motivate and inspire others in a way thatfacts never can. An illuminating book that can transform the way we lead.

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Handout - Self Leadership Workshop - 17May2011

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