Leaders must protect the most important asset generated by healthy organizational cultures: Trust.
It is through the process of good culture that leaders earn trust of their subordinates.
Leaders who ignore that lesson destroy corporate value.
Organization Development
Leaders and managers, the important difference
There is a huge difference between leaders and managers.
Never sell managers short, they are the stewards of resources.
Their problems will cost you money
Leaders are the stewards of culture.
If the organizational culture is toxic, it is the fault of the leaders.
Their problems will cost you your whole organization.
Endgameleadership.com
Ken Wrede
Kenneth W. Wrede
Suncoast Business Leaders Leadership Panel
This is just a quick note to thank Laurie MacDonald from MacDonaldConsultants for hosting a wonderful leadership panel on 18 May at the Centre Club Tampa sponsored by The Suncoast Business Leaders organization.
How to Screw-up Leadership Development
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CEOs
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Are you out there? Anybody?
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COOs?
CFOs?
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Is this thing on?
I really want to be that motivator guy. You know, the guy that runs around and pumps everyone up. I want to throw those pithy motivational quotes that seem deep and meaningful, but also contradict each other. I’d sound really wise and clever. I wouldn’t give actionable advice, but that’s OK since I couldn’t be held accountable.
<sigh>
I can’t be that guy, at least not this time. Stick with the evidence because the numbers don’t lie.
I hate to do it, but I have to throw statistics at you…
- In 2012 US companies spent $14 billion on leadership development.
- In a 2014 benchmark study from Development Dimensions International, corporate leaders and HR professionals were asked to judge the overall quality of their organization’s leadership.
- 40% of leaders judged the quality as high.
- 25% of HR judged the quality as high.
If you accept the judgement of the people responsible, then between 60% and 70% of $14 billion is wasted.
In my opinion… you C-suite people are the problem. Continue reading
I was Interview by Jonathan Pritchard (ALWD)
I had a podcast interview with Jonathan Pritchard over at A Life Well Designed. Jonathan uses design principles to analyze challenges in life and business, then applies design techniques to find elegant, effective solutions.
(For some reason I had a tough time enunciating, but I hope the messages were clear.)
I enjoyed the interview immensely, thanks Jonathan!
EOM,
(http://www.alifewelldesigned.com/podcast/alwd-008-leadership-with-ken-wrede/)
Why are We Assessing Leadership Roles and Styles?
What is the point of all of it?
Millions of dollars are spent each year on personality assessment tests. But, nobody can express a clear reason why.
“Two and a half million Americans a year take the Myers-Briggs. Eighty-nine companies out of the US Fortune 100 make use of it, for recruitment and selection or to help employees understand themselves or their co-workers.”[1]
Almost 90% of Fortune 100 companies perform these tests. This is amazing to me.
I have taken these assessments. After receiving my results, my first thought always is: interesting, but so what?
I see a lot of commentary and articles on how to assess leadership styles and roles.
- Are you a democratic leader, authoritarian, or somewhere in between (here)?
- What is your personality type (FIRO-B, MBTI)?
- What is your role as a team member (Belbin)?
Are these useful tools? Can we use them to predict behaviors or successes? Continue reading
Power in Two Words: “Not Leadership”
If you couldn’t tell, I’m a huge advocate of leadership.
It creates value.
It is a force multiplier.
It improves cohesion.
But, contrary to popular misconception…
Power is not leadership.
Leadership, I mean “good” leadership, includes a component of ethics where power is more often a tool wielded to change behavior at whatever cost.
Let’s take an opportunity to examine the relationship of leadership with power and the often post hoc, self-serving narrative people use to justify the misuse of power and to suggest how good leadership, though harder, is a better behavior in the long run. Continue reading
K.W. Wrede 