Great Leadership

What It Is and What It Takes in a Complex World
By Antony Bell - 2006

The Importance of a leadership framework:

Leaders stand or fall not so much by their talent or lack of it as by their understanding or misunderstanding of what great leadership is. If you build you leadership from an integrated framework, the quality of leadership within your organization will be immeasurably enhanced.

History of leadership – evolution from simple to more complex

In the industrial age, 1950’s to 1970’s, management became the cornerstone of American Business. Business thinking became solidly cemented in an operational mindset.
    o Emphasis on character in leadership began to weaken
    o Focus on developing the right kind of skills and techniques


In the 1980’s two broad trends appeared as a reaction to an over-focus on management:
    o Organizational leadership – focus on a compelling vision and inspiration
    o People leadership – focus on bringing out the best in people working for you

Consequences:
    o Management became the ugly stepsister
    o Focus on empowerment made middle management redundant – led to downsizing trend
    o Empowerment led to frustration because of no real sense of what it meant to be empowered


Additional evolution, the 1990’s:

    * Systems thinking
        o Brought innovations and sophistication to work process
        o Viewed organizations more holistically

    * Built to Last - Collins
        o Research on deeper drives and motivations of an organization
        o Power of a core ideology, compelling vision, and overarching big goal

    * First Break all the Rules – Gallup
        o Underscored the importance of people leadership
        o Character re-entered the debate on great leadership


                                           Integrated framework for a well-led organization

How leadership works in practice:
    o The practice of organizational leadership
    o The practice of operational leadership
    o The practice of people leadership


The anatomy of leadership
Must combine development of character and competence

Character: Heart, mind, and soul

Competence: Knowledge, skills, and talents

In great leaders, character and competence are symbiotic. Character breeds courage and courage strengthens competence. Competence breeds confidence and confidence strengthens character.



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