What is a leader? - 13 views

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  #2 Sharon Green on 01 Sep 09

   

  Per Amit's request, I am writing a short summary of this lecture:
  
  The new buzzword in business is "leadership". Mr. Adizes has watched as the focus of those seeking to improve businesses has shifted from how to be a good "administrator," to "manager", to "executive", to "leader". As each buzzword focus failed to produce the expected results, it was relegated to middle management, with the true upper echelon needing lessons in management, executive skill, and finally leadership. But the aims remain the same.
  
  He proposes that these business paradigms or methods fail, simply because nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. What is really needed is cooperation between and among flawed individuals with complementary strengths and weaknesses, as partners in a successful marriage, or digits in a hand. The 5 fingers are all different and have differing functions, but work together as a unit. And the true leader in the hand is not the index finger, pointing to this and that, and commanding this and that action (except in situations of urgency), but the true leader is the thumb, which is able to oppose and to work with the other fingers and to cause them to work in harmony.
  
  So how do people who are imperfect and different work together in harmony? Through mutual trust and respect. Respect involves accepting the absolute right of each other to be different, and to disagree. If everyone thinks alike no one is thinking very hard. If 2 agree exactly, one of the 2 is unnecessary. And trust involves shared interest. One will not hurt the other because to do so would hurt the interest of the one. Whether in a family, a business, or a country, when these principles are applied successfully the corporate entity will succeed. When they are not, the results can be disastrous.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Per Amit's request, I am writing a short summary of this lecture: <br /> <br /> The new buzzword in business is "leadership". Mr. Adizes has watched as the focus of those seeking to improve businesses has shifted from how to be a good "administrator," to "manager", to "executive", to "leader". As each buzzword focus failed to produce the expected results, it was relegated to middle management, with the true upper echelon needing lessons in management, executive skill, and finally leadership. But the aims remain the same. <br /> <br /> He proposes that these business paradigms or methods fail, simply because nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. What is really needed is cooperation between and among flawed individuals with complementary strengths and weaknesses, as partners in a successful marriage, or digits in a hand. The 5 fingers are all different and have differing functions, but work together as a unit. And the true leader in the hand is not the index finger, pointing to this and that, and commanding this and that action (except in situations of urgency), but the true leader is the thumb, which is able to oppose and to work with the other fingers and to cause them to work in harmony. <br /> <br /> So how do people who are imperfect and different work together in harmony? Through mutual trust and respect. Respect involves accepting the absolute right of each other to be different, and to disagree. If everyone thinks alike no one is thinking very hard. If 2 agree exactly, one of the 2 is unnecessary. And trust involves shared interest. One will not hurt the other because to do so would hurt the interest of the one. Whether in a family, a business, or a country, when these principles are applied successfully the corporate entity will succeed. When they are not, the results can be disastrous.</div>

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