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As
I'm a sucker for movies with happy endings, I watched
the DVD version of the remake of "Flight of the Phoenix" this past
weekend. The willing suspension of disbelief is a necessity for viewing this film,
especially when it is set in 2005. The original version was set in an era before
GPS and other assorted electronic wizardry, when it was actually possible to be
lost. The original didn't take quite as much mental persuasion
to accept the story and setting. It
was easy for me to ignore the nagging problem of plot believability since the
story line centered on leadership and believing in a vision. It's a classic "feel good" movie. If I want
to feel bad, I just turn on the network news. The theme of developing leadership
is always a crowd pleaser. That's because most people
are all only aspiring leaders. Most are aspiring because they are
restrained by the F-word. Not that F-word. I mean the Fear word. In
an article in "Fast Company" magazine, Bill Breen wrote about observations
made by business author Marcus Buckingham. Buckingham thinks that attributes like
creativity, courage and integrity aren't the most important
things about leaders. He believes that a "A leader's job is to rally people toward a better
future." How
do you do that? He makes the following points:
- Fear is dangerous. Make the future crystal clear by being vivid in your description
of where the team is headed.
- Be clear about whom you
provide service to. As an example, he uses
Toyota's Lexus Group's clarity
in who its customer is. They intend to serve "those for whom time is their
most precious commodity." Everything Lexus does is based
on time.
- Be clear about why you
are going to win. Focus on why, do not point out the five core strengths of
the organization. Buckingham believes that a leader should make people more confident
about the future they are being led (dragged) into. Tell
people why they are going to win.
- Act. Leaders must act both
symbolically and systemically. Systemically is the harder of the two methods.
Systemic action encourages accountability and transparency. Two
great buzzwords meaning reporting on your progress for all to see. This
open disruption of routines puts the pot on boil from simmer. Boiling changes
behavior; simmer supports it.
Back to my feel good movie. The plot incorporated
all of Buckingham's ingredients for being a clear leader. The leader became effective
only when he became clear about what the mission was. There weren't
any tear-jerking speeches, heroic actions, or amazing feats of strength. The momentum
of the group changed when the leader became clear about the mission and rallied
the group about a better future. Are
you clear as a leader in your family, your community organizations and your business?
Being a good leader doesn't require you to be a revolutionary
thinker or a charismatic prophet. To
become a good leader: get clear and dispel fear, be precise about where you are
heading and how you are going to get there, and take action. I
help small business owners develop their leadership skills. Leading for success
is included as part of the eight key strategies for more profit in less time in
small business. Would you like to know more? Click here. | 
