This week I had the
opportunity to present to the Southeast Florida Apartment Association with my
friend and teaching partner, business coach Frank Lind. SEFAA is comprised of
property managers and associated vendors that work in the incredibly
competitive south Florida apartment and home rental market. We had a great time
and the focus of my presentation was on helping attendees discover their
personal leadership style. This required them to turning off their normal
leadership “autopilot” and introduce helpful information into the awareness of
these usually very busy professionals. This got me thinking out loud that as
leaders, we increase our effectiveness when we become “Warrior Monks”!
Let me explain further.
Warrior Monks are special individuals throughout history and cultures that
combine the discipline of martial skills with intellectual and spiritual study.
Examples include Shaolin priests from China, European Knights Templar, and the
Sohei who are Japanese Buddhist monks. If you need a very modern example, think
of the Jedi from the Star Wars franchise!
In terms of the practice of
leadership, it is my belief that the most effective leaders combine the
attributes of continual study and growth of their skills with decisive action
and focus. Specifically, leader warrior monks practice the following:
Deep
Reflection – much like the warrior monks of old that would spend as
many hours in meditation and contemplation as they would in physical training,
effective leaders take the time to reflect upon their actions AND words to
determine what worked well and what could be done better. They also study and
consider the words of other thought leaders in leadership to see what concepts
can be integrated into their practice and personal style. Ken Posner, co-author of The Leadership
Challenge, in a
recent webinar suggested the following 4 areas to consider:
- Lessons – others have learned from you
- Ideals – your personal values that are apparent to everyone you meet
- Feelings – that you leave people with
- Evidence – that what you are doing is making a contribution to others and the enterprise
True
Devotion – warrior monks are incredibly devoted to both their own
development as well as those around them. One monk is certainly a formidable
opponent but when they combine their efforts with other like-minded officiants,
they multiply their effectiveness! Warrior monks were also known for their acts
of charity to strangers they would encounter in their journeys.
Intentional
Replication – just like warrior monks, effective leaders replicate
themselves. They INTENTIONALLY seek out candidates that they believe have the
ability and willingness to grow as leaders and mentor them. Just like Obi Wan
did for Luke Skywalker, effective leaders do not hold back information for fear
they will be replaced or bested, they pour into their young apprentices
teaching all that they know.
Decisive
Action – the result of all this study, self-discipline and
commitment is a leader who has equipped themselves to be ready when the time
and situation calls for action. They have reflected on past experiences to
inform new situations. They have devoted themselves to being prepared and have
built a network of individuals who can assist them. They have made themselves better
by helping others become so.
So, what would you add to my
list? It probably depends on who you are and what you do but the point is this.
To maintain our effectiveness in the day in and day out grind of making
decisions, sharing recommendations, and guiding others, we need to be filling
our own tank. As leadership expert John Maxwell shares, “you can’t give what
you don’t have.” We need to turn off the auto-pilot and add to our awareness of
who we are, what we are doing, and how we are impacting others through both our
words and actions.
As always if I can help you and the
people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would
invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training
or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! In fact, I am launching
a new SPEAK FOR IMPACT training
program that will help both novice and experienced leaders find their platform and increase their communication skills!
Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will
send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your
organization! Such an initiative would be critical to add value to your
organization!
Yours in Leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant –
Out Loud Strategies
Independent Coach,
Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email = bill@outloudinc.com
For more information on
the John Maxwell Team, please visit
No comments:
Post a Comment