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Much of current leadership is designed around
a control/authority model. In light of the psychological reality
that people only do what they want to do, the current approach
means that people follow the work only as hard as is necessary
to avoid the consequences of disobedience. Leadership that
creates need-goal alignment opens the way for people to go
far beyond the demands of authority.
Finally, a leader must develop the behavioral
agility necessary to translate all of this mental maneuvering
into action. We've all heard the phrase "walk the talk"
and willingly embrace it as long as it doesn't rock the boat.
Leadership that sees and meets the needs of the follower requires
a leader who responds to those needs with appropriate action.
It's one thing to understand the follower's needs and quite
another thing to consciously adapt your behavior to take them
into account.
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"The critical question
for a true leader: What behavior on my part will cause my
followers to motivate themselves?"
Leadership can be learned and improved. However, it requires
dissatisfaction with the status quo, a belief that it could
be better and the desire to change. Learning leadership means
facing the inevitable discomfort of hearing negative feedback,
the discipline of trying new approaches and the awkwardness
of new behaviors. Yet the rewards far outweigh the costs. Releasing
the energy and motivation of your followers opens new opportunities
to transcend the petty mini-battles of internal conflicts and
to form a team of aligned followers that are prepared to fight
the big battles.
Source: James N. Farr Ph.D. and John R.
Grinnel Ed.D., Farr Associates, Inc.
Published with permission of the Business
Leader magazine. http://www.businessleader.com
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