Monthly Archives: February 2013

#54 The Laws of Imperfection

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No one comes to work with the intent of failing. Or with the intent make others fail. I have heard many people say this to themselves, and say this to others. The tone has been less of wisdom, but more of desperation. It was said with an attempt to keep themselves together, and from falling apart.

In an interdependent world (I not sure if an alternative world exists), every action has a reaction, it also has a chain reaction. This leads to the following “laws of imperfection:”

  • You and your co-worker will “mess up” because you are unaware that you are creating a problem. I.e., out of sheer ignorance.
  • You and your co-worker will do things to “set things right” or to “get even” or to “right a wrong.” I.e., out of sheer lack of self control (of emotions and actions).
  • No matter how hard you try to improve yourself, educate and train yourself, and do things right, you will make mistakes. As will your co-workers.
  • When you finally find the “right way” after a lot of hard work, your co-worker will find some way to break your solution, or find a way to irritate or annoy you. As will you to your co-worker’s efforts.

How you deal with these realities is the story of your life. We call your efforts “leadership” to make it sound important and special. In other words, “leadership” is what you display in the workplace, it is up to you whether you display it well or display it badly.

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#53 Leader as organization architect

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One possible definition of leadership: it is a set of behaviors that are effective in influencing followers, to get them to do things they would otherwise not do. Most definitions are variations and highlight different nuances, depending on the author’s viewpoint. Regardless of the definition you subscribe to, leadership behaviors are a means to an end. Meaning, you will never display leadership behaviors for its own sake.

For example, at an interpersonal level, the expectation is that with leadership behaviors, conflicts are either not created, or they are easier to manage. You will generally be happier, more effective, more productive, and more satisfied at work. At an enterprise level, organizations encourage leadership behaviors to gain superior performance and a competitive advantage.

Leadership seems to be a set of soft skills. There is one “hard” skill that separates successful leaders from the pack. The ability to be an “organization architect.” Simply stated, this is the ability to see the various interrelated parts of the whole, describe its end state using a lofty and inspiring vision statements, and rally coalitions to execute on initiatives, programs, and projects to make that vision a reality. Being skilled at “whac-a-mole” is helpful. The ability to discover and connect the dots, being open to learn about new dots, empowering others to connect them are some of the daily blocking and tackling that needs to be done for success in leadership roles.

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