Memorandum

TO:

FROM:

DATE:

REF:

Leadership matters – 7 attributes of very successful leaders

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The need for:
 Grit
 Determination

 What is Not being said!!?

Reference the Everest story when one survivor recalled the leaders talking about knowing
people were going to die that day before attempting the climb!!!

That’s not leadership

 Wrong motivation is disastrous

Two aspects of leadership:

1. Inspiration of leadership
2. Perspiration of leadership

Way too much focus on number 1, rather than number 2

Perspiration of leadership is where things happen

1- Integrity
Integrity is not about being perfect.

Leader of “substance”

How do you demonstrate:

Show vulnerability

 Openness - Show humility

Allow all opinions to be aired however controversial

Transparency
 Accountability -
Doing what you promise

2- Emotional intelligence

 Open diary
 Transparent KPI’s
 Be honest
 Be sincere
 Reaffirm your beliefs
 Define integrity for employees – and live it
 Consequences – follow through

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  Right systems and safeguards
 Reliable
 Shows respect
 Keep self-interest to a minimum
 Be credible

DIPI – dangerous, important, pleasurable and interesting

Good leader behaves so that the people believe and hence are motivated

IQ – only one standard deviation above average is required is usually required for the
leader – NOT the smartest person in the room

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Trust Respect Focus

If you don’t influence you will fail to lead

Coalescing of:
 Authority – the assigned right to
say YES and NO
 Power – over resources expected
and needed
 Influence – ability to use
knowledge and expertise to affect
outcome without authority and
power

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 3- Authenticity
Know thyself for everything else you can google

Seek one change in every year!!!

Organisations are a reflection of the individuals that make them up

Authenticity is a servant to the leadership growth

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 4- Ability to inspire
Ability to inspire depends on being able to be inspired by others

Consider:

 Personal reflection on growth

 Unintentional inspiration

Skills:

 Hard skills
facets of leadership – soft stuff is the hard stuff
and keeps getting neglected
 Soft skills

 Sell the benefits of the vision rather than the vision itself

 Inspiration is very circumstantial

Hermann brain dominance model

5- Self-awareness
 Cultivate imperfections
o How to deal with it
 Drive innovation
 Incremental is monumental

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 Work & life balance is intrinsic – in leadership role this comes under stress
 Needs a Value Base change paradigm

 Stop catering for the lowest denominator

 Communicate intelligently and often

 Trust is the currency of CHANGE

o Transparency is essential

 Creativity is the elephant in the room

6- Respect
 Respect Vs Liked
The weight is always on Respect

7- Decisiveness

35,000 decisions/day

1. Have a framework for making decisions

2. Avoid paralysis by analysis
3. Be comfortable if you get it wrong
4. Encourage decisiveness rather than evasiveness
5. Reduce consequences and increase rewards

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