Leadership

What it is

The ability to inspire and motivate people to change and follow a cause.

Why it's important and why you need it

• Creates alignment around your vision and strategy
• Creates momentum and more efficient progress toward the vision

How to get it

• Be an expert in your craft. It is difficult to lead (and for others to follow you) if you don't have a firm grasp on, deep experience in, and proven results through your discipline.
• Get out of your boxes. Don't waste time blaming others or circumstances, focus on what you can truly change: yourself. Humility is the key to developing character and winning the hearts of those you serve.
• "Dress the part". This means that you present yourself in a way that instills confidence and trust. Those around you should feel comfortable calling you their leader, and whether you like it or not, how you look, communicate, your calm assertiveness, your confidence and every other way you convey yourself creates a presence and charisma. A leader must be able to command the respect of others by how they are perceived. Think George Washington.
• Get a compelling vision. "Where there is no vision, the people [are leaderless]." Those you lead need to be converted to a purpose. It is your job to ignite their passion through a dream that truly resonates.
• Recruit, create, and delegate genius by multiplying others. You cannot do it alone, and if you try, the results will be somewhere between lackluster and disastrous. Take a leap of faith and trust those around you by challenging them and adding their strengths to the movement. This is how you get a flywheel moving.

Examples

• Joan of Arc
• George Washington
• Mother Teresa
• Ernest Shackleton
• Indra Devi
• Florence Nightingale
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Gandhi
• The Level 5 leaders in Good to Great

Resources

• Linchpin (becoming the expert)
• Leadership and Self Deception (emotional intelligence)
• Multipliers (creating genius in others)
• Leaders Eat Last (building others first)
• Good to Great (Level 5 leadership)

The competency

You are able to take chaos and create organization through your own efforts and (more importantly) by inspiring, motivating, and empowering others to make change. You are able to bring alignment and focus to disparate groups and people.

Outputs and deliverables

Collective movement toward and alignment with the product vision.

• Relationship building
• Communication of product direction
• Tactics for multiplying others

Outcomes

• Trust, from the team and stakeholders
• Clarity and organization around specific goals
• An army of converted leaders who (along with you) are delivering ROI toward the product