4 Most Common Behaviors Of Ineffective Leaders

For a servant leader this INC article is good reading to do a checkup and refinement. For an ineffective leader who masquerades, as an effective leader, this should be a wake-up call.

Authentic servant leaders will take a moment to think through these behaviors while the ineffective leader probably isn't reading the article in the first place.

In this article by Les McKeown, his experience with ineffective CEOs reveals these behaviors:

1. The weaker the leader, the more they know.
2. The busier the leader, they don't spend quality time thinking strategically.
3. Their general perception of others is negative.
4. The weak leader is either in the room and dominating the conversation or they aren't in the room.

What I enjoy about articles like this is it appears in a publication that has many readers who are not in the leadership role. For them, it gives them a way to measure whether they are working with an ineffective or effective leader. 

That is important for continually learning servant leaders because it confirms that not only are you being watched, followers are learning how to measure your leadership.

Think about it.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

Purpose-Driven vs Results-Driven Leadership

I have just launched a new Google+ Community on the topic of Servant Leadership. Please check it out. All are invited. This blog provides some background for the Community as to the tag line for the community 'Purpose-Driven Leadership'.

The xy graph below, which is called a ZMap, is an infographic that presents how two primary concepts, when viewed with a 'Both/And' thinking perspective will reveal and release new possibilities and untapped potential. The two concepts in the ZMap below are 'Leadership Competencies' and 'Servant-Focus'. This shows how a Purpose-Driven leader should strive to maintain both Leadership Competencies and Servant-Focus thoughts, at the same time. The ZMap can act like a 'one page book' for helping a leader think though all the various situations and challenges they face in their leadership role.

I have found when a ZMap is presented to someone, it provides a framework for a more engaging and synergistic conversation. Two or more people can quickly get on the same page and begin to create new alternatives. Likewise, for an individual, they will find themselves thinking through different scenarios and situations much differently than if they considered the two concepts to be separated from the other. 

Thinking things are separated is called 'Either/Or' thinking. This is when the individual says a leader can either be a results-driven leader or a purpose-driven leader. They cannot be both at the same time. The 'Either/Or' thinker severely limits new possibilities for personal and professional growth. Who do you know who thinks like this? Often their comments may sound like "it is either black or white. There is no gray or in between." 'Either/Or' statements and thinking can kill any chance for an innovative process to create new possibilities.

Take a moment to notice your thoughts. Which thinking style are you using? Also, notice in your next conversation with someone. Are they making 'Either/Or' or 'Both/And' comments?

Purpose-Driven versus Results-Driven Leadership

'Both/And' thinking is an essential skill for a purpose-driven leader. Yet, a leader without clarity as to their purpose is like a ship without a rudder and the ship is full of people for which the leader is responsible. Because the leader has no clear direction or purpose, they are prone to 'Either/Or' thinking. This is obviously not in the best interests of the people on the ship. The leader is likely to toss the person, who knows how to build a rudder, off the ship due to some emotional whim by the leader. 

A results-driven leader in most organizations can get by without a clear purpose based upon their performance, as long as things are going well. The moment things start to go wrong, which at some point something goes wrong, a leader without a purpose is only operating with half the ZMap, below. They have only their leadership skills and capabilities and they have limited capacity for dealing with change and uncertainty.

A leader without a clear purpose depends upon performance. You could say they are 'results-driven' instead of 'purpose-driven'. Without a purpose, this leader sits on a two-legged stool. It requires much more work by the leader to keep everything in balance. Thus, when something gets too heavy on one side, the leader and all topple over. You know this type of leader. As long as things are working well, it appears as if the leader can do it all. They amaze everyone with their skills of balancing on the two-legged stool and juggling a dozen balls. When this leader starts to topple, the ship sinks fast.

The purpose-driven leader can also be results-driven because they operate with the whole ZMap. They sit upon a four-legged chair. They have much more stability, flexibility and capacity to deal with all the uncertainty when things go wrong. They have the time to assess the situation and adapt by making appropriate changes in people and resources to deal with the challenges. The purpose-driven leader has both capabilities and the capacity. 

Over the past three years, during the economic crisis, we have seen many of each type of leader. I'll assert the leaders left standing had clarity about their purpose or they figured it out very quickly. And, the results-driven leaders are in recovery and hopefully they are figuring out how to become a purpose-driven leader.

Are You a Results-Driven or Purpose-Driven Leader?

Look at the ZMap and think about which quadrant best describes who you are and where you are in your leadership role. Think of this ZMap like a roadmap and this quick self-assessment helps you plot where you are. When you know where you are on a roadmap, it becomes much easier to start planning your journey to get to where you want to be.

You can use a ranking from 1 to 6, where '1' is you have just started developing and '6' is you are highly experienced and have mastered the quadrant. Rank yourself for each quadrant.

1. Practices and Disciplines: How consistent is your attitude,emotions and behaviors? Do these establish solid and highly productive habits for you?
2. People and Principles: How would you rank your ability to maintain a focus on the needs of others? Include in this rank your clarity for your personal core values and how consistent you model your values and principles in all your relationships. How often do your principles act as a guide or compass for your leadership decisions?
3. Process and Performance: Rank the consistency of the organization's processes and the sustainability of performance. Are processes clearly identified and defined such that they produce consistent, predictable results?
4. Purpose-Driven Leader: Rank the level of positive impact and influence you have on the growth and development of others and making a difference. Are people, the community and world better off because of your leadership? How well defined is your purpose or calling? How consistent do you model and express your purpose in your daily life and leadership practices?

Score:

• 4-8      Practices and Disciplines
• 9-12    People and Principles
• 13-20  Process and Performance
• 21-24  Purpose-Driven Leader

It makes no difference which quadrant you find yourself. Remember, it is like a roadmap. Knowing where you are makes it easy to set the course for the next part of your journey. The important thing is to be honest with yourself and be determined to make the changes to make yourself a better Purpose-Driven leader.

More information will be coming in future blogs and any feedback or comments are always welcomed.

The Purpose-Driven Leader ZMap:

This is just one of the ZMaps we have developed. We have hundreds of these, all tailored to specific roles, situations, companies, markets and industries. There are currently three books focused on professionals in Product Sales, Financial Advisory and Insurance sales. Other books are in development that use a similar ZMap process and methodology. You can click here to learn more about the books.

This blog is part of an upcoming book The Servant Leader Framework, which will be available March/April 2013.

Thank you for taking some of your valuable time to read and consider this blog.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

Entrepreneurial Leaders Do What Matters

"Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can." ~ John Wesley

These are times of rapid change, uncertainty and opportunity that call forth leaders with a deep desire to make a difference and leave a lasting legacy in business, community, church and government. People want to be part of something that matters. Yet, the challenges of getting others willing to confront the issues at hand and execute workable solutions require leaders who have the adaptive capacity to get others on the same page and moving in the same direction, at the same time. Leaders must have a deep understanding of what it takes to be highly effective and influential leaders. 

Leadership is no longer about declaring the vision or direction and then looking to see who is following and then focus on those who follow. This is a time for leaders to embrace the heart of a servant and spirit of the warrior. Authentic servant leaders observe all that exists around them and apply what they learn to develop a deep understanding of the art and science of leadership. Each must put forth the required time and effort to make themselves authentic servant leaders with a clear focus on others and set the course for things to come. Great leaders throughout history maintain a sense of providence as to who they are, where they are and what they are called to do. The opportunity, like no other time in history, is the possibility to create a world great leaders throughout history have desired to make reality.

Those who choose to pursue this leadership opportunity quickly realize the process to become an authentic servant leader involves reconciling immense personal and professional challenges. Change becomes a way of life. Leadership is a self-development process that requires daily attention as society requires leaders to have a servant-focus, be of solid character and maintain high standards in leadership practices and principles. Leaders are expected to continually learn and with a trusted mentor become a highly capable leader who knows themselves, cares about people and has a deep understanding of the business or organization they steward. 

For those leaders who answer this call into servant leadership, the Servant Leader Framework serves as a highly effective methodology for thinking and processing through all the situations, possibilities, challenges, changes and complexities of leadership.

This xy graph or ZMap becomes a ‘one page book’ for those who desire to know and understand who they are as an entrepreneur and servant leader. This simple xy graph provides clarity and focus on what to do to get to where you want to be. The challenge for entrepreneurs is reconciling their desires for success with doing good to make a difference. For those entrepreneurs who can stay focused on both success and doing good at the same time will know what it means to go from success to significance. It is possible to have it all. Just look at all the entrepreneurial leaders who have proven this is true. This is one of the ZMaps in my upcoming book The Servant Leader Framework.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

The World According To Our Children - Future Servant Leaders

This poem was originally written in 1996. My sons were 6 and 3. I had been on the internet for over a year. By 1996, the potential for the internet was being discussed and envisioned. While the realities of today are so very different than 1996, the essence of the hopes and dreams of many early internet users, I believe is just beginning to be realized.

Daily, I am reminded how the human condition remains much the same as it did before the proliferation of the internet across the planet. Human behaviors, desires and motivations are the same. The question to be asked is how will the internet continue to be leveraged for improving the impoverished human condition across the planet and in your own local community? Seeds of this potential are being revealed and witnessed today. What are you doing to release this potential to make a difference and leave your lasting legacy?

Will our children value and revere our leadership as we value and revere those leaders who have gone before us?

Are you an inspiration and encouragement for modeling servant leadership and motivating our children to be authentic servant leaders to achieve and exceed the dreams and visions of all humanity?

Just a few thoughts to add to your day.

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing

The World According To Our Children

© Alan W. Goldsberry (1996)

Through our children’s journey

     of their birth,
We witness the awesome power of life.

Through our children's voice,
     we hear the world's
Melodic, angelic symphony.

Through our children's touch
     we feel the
Miracle and magic of life.

Through our children's eyes,
     the world's illusions are
Unveiled - the reality difficult to ignore.

Through our children's senses,
     the sights, sounds and fragrance of
Nature's wonders halt the chaos.

Through our children's questions,
     our answers, filtered by their innocence,
Unmask our charades.

Through our children's minds,
     life's simple things
Are filled with awe and wonder.

Through our children's struggle
     to understand,
We desire the world to be a better place.

Through our children's accomplishments,
     we anticipate
Their contribution to humanity.

Through our children's laughter,
     we rejoice and bless
All that makes them unique.

Through our children's heart,
     love and peace for all humankind
Becomes a possibility.

Through our children's soul,
     the Spirit of God provides a
Glimpse of the way life is meant to be.

God, give me the wisdom and strength to
     respect and revere the children that exist around me
And, always remember the child within.

The Servant Leader Framework Series (A Lasting Legacy)

Several previous blogs have been about building your legacy. This next series of blogs focus on what I believe to be the most rewarding ways to build a sustainable legacy that makes a difference.

Based upon my experience and the numerous leaders I know and have coached, those who truly decide to be authentic servant leaders experience all the best of life and success. Not to say there aren't challenges, setbacks and failures. Bad things do happen to good people. Yet, that's life and if you are truly committed to building a sustainable legacy, becoming a servant-minded leader, in my opinion, is the only way to make it happen.

I've recently begun polishing off a book project I began in 2008, which for a variety of reasons got delayed. Priorities changed pretty quickly when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Today, she is incredibly healthy and a three plus year survivor. As we got back into more normal life, in late 2011, I got busy with a couple of authors (one of which is my wife) to publish the first three books of the ZFactor series of books, which we wrote and published in ten months. Now, my five year old book project is calling loudly to be completed.

"The Servant Leader Framework" is actually the foundation for the ZFactor Coaching Methodology used in all ZFactor books. Each book focuses on a specific market niche and each author is an acclaimed industry expert. The premise is simple in the books:

1. Successful people think and act differently.
2. You are what you think. (Thought + Action = Result) Change your mindset, change your life.
3. Thinking is a skill that takes practice and coaching to reveal and release your full potential.
4. When you know who you are, where you are and what to do - you make it happen. (the books reveal a series of defining characteristics of success).
5. A xy graph is utilized as the power tool to accelerate getting focused and staying focused on the right things at the right time with the right people to achieve goals and objectives. 

ZFactor has proven to accelerate performance improvement because people quickly know what thoughts and actions to change to get the results and success they desire. This is based upon several years experience using the ZFactor Coaching Methodology with a variety of professionals, executives, managers and leaders in a various industries and roles.

The Servant Leader Framework is for those individuals in leadership roles and emerging leaders who know they are being called to make a difference and build a lasting legacy. 

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing parts of the upcoming book and I am always open to any and all comments.

To get the greatest benefit for the time you spend with these blogs, take a look at the xy graph below and ask yourself: Which quadrant best represents who you are as a servant leader?

Then ask yourself these questions:

• What is the defining characteristic, trait or behavior that best defines why you selected the quadrant you did?
• What is one change you can make that will move you from that quadrant to another quadrant?
• When will you make that change?

More to come...

Thanks for reading my various blogs and have a great day!

~ Alan Goldsberry, Author and CEO of ZFactor Group Publishing