Leadership Styles and What We Need For the Future:

By definition a leaders leads a team to take action in favor of the vision.

The most well know methods for assessing leadership styles, such as DISC, have outlived their usefulness!

· Are leadership styles really captured in a neat questionnaire like DISC that measures Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Conscientiousness?

· Can we predict the leaders from the profile that DISC generates?

· Can we test great leaders and say people with the same profile will have similar success?

It seems the answer is less obvious.

We certainly need specific characteristics to be successful: we need a level of business acumen to deliver the results; we need a level of appreciation of others, to know who to surround ourselves with, to ensure our collective success; and, we need to be magnetic to attract others to the vision.

· For most of us the company will provide ample opportunity to gain business acumen, our key is to take advantage of it. Ask questions, seek mentoring by an experienced manager or leader you admire, change this person on a regular basis so you learn the many aspects of style and appreciation, to communicate the message widely.

· Many of us will have the opportunity to hire and fire. We can employ people we think will be good, work with them, develop them and begin to appreciate who will be successful, and more importantly, who will add to the success of the team.

· Rarely will the company offer the opportunity to learn how to be magnetic, what it means and how to command it. We need to develop this for ourselves. It needs to be our passionate commitment on every occasion, as the pearls of wisdom are hidden in strange places. To unlock our self-limiting unconscious patterning requires a ruthless honesty we must nurture, for it causes the pain of loss to release some things we have over identified with.

Leadership style is our characteristic expression of success. It's not analyzing DISC styles and trying to emulate them: it is much more involved. It is marrying your own action-based values with the passion to deliver the vision.

The literature is full of individuals who have achieved success and the characteristics of their styles. Often this is extremely insightful about these people and the decisions they made.

However, it rarely enables us to move forward to what leadership style is current for now. Every window of opportunity requires a slightly different mix of characteristics.

If our style fits the current expectations of success, so much the better, if it doesn't we will need more perseverance than others to join the ranks of leaders.

The characteristic style of leadership required for now is not something any one has ever been able to predict. Our discussions are always retrospective.

As such there is no template for success. The style of expression of some values correlate better with top leadership, some do not. However there is, in theory, a right time and place for everything and everyone.

Sustainable leadership is founded on a base of sincerity. Unless we can be sincere in our power, acceptance and wisdom we can't attract others to share our vision. Without these allegiances, not much gets done that is original; we only get endorsed to continue the status quo.

For most leaders this is not what they thought they would be employed for!

To develop sincerity in both our conscious and unconscious patterning requires much discipline and time. Music is like this: to play an instrument well we must perfect our timing, fingering and technique until we are very, very good.

Then, and only then, we can allow our personal expression of the piece to shine, it is like we are getting our minds out of the way to manage the details, so that our spirit can shine forth. Others recognize this and are drawn to it and us.

Leadership is the same; it is our passionate commitment to the vision, despite the insoluble moments, that commands attention in others. When we demonstrate this, they seek to emulate us, join our team and align with us. If we are in our ego this can be flattering, however the leader is often so passionate about their ideas that they recognize us for our contribution to the vision.

Examples of commitment to the vision are best understood by context and analogy. We can use physical structures most easily. One of my favorite programs that shows commitment to the vision and success, is the engineering marvels program on pay TV.

Massive engineering feats are approached with enormous daring because some of the technologies required to deliver the product have not been created yet! They haven't been tested, tried or costed and yet are essential ingredients!

Imagine having a vision of an aircraft and knowing it can be built, we just don't know how yet. Physics tells us that as an aircraft doubles in seating capacity it quadruples in weight. In other words its fuel costs are double the current aircraft per passenger ratio.

We need to create new technologies to enable the aircraft to be lighter, more robust and provide improvements in fuel economy. Otherwise it won't sell!

Imagine it is the major of Boston who backed building a tunnel under the city to link key arterial roads. The work began with 'conditioning the soil to be tunneled'. This required three years of concrete being pumped into the earth to make it hard enough to tunnel through!

They also froze a section of ground temporarily to enable an existing underground train station to be reinforced above the roadway.

Summary: Leadership then is: having the ability to communicate a vision that you are passionate about, to such a level that others join you.

Rosemary's book describes how to identify your skills, which you can use to communicate the vision passionately, and with sincerity.

This article may be reproduced in printed or web format, provided the resource box below is included.

Rosemary Johnston is a professional corporate and personal coach. Working with executives from some of Australia's largest and most successful companies for over 15 years.

Rosemary's new book, "How To Develop Your Leadership Style and Skills" is now available to download at her web site. Read about some of the success Rosemary has had coaching leaders in Australian blue chip companies. http://www.leadershipfirst.com.au

In The News:


Google News
Updated : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:50:04 GMT

World markets mixed amid ongoing bank jitters - Forbes


AFP
World markets mixed amid ongoing bank jitters
Forbes - 4 hours ago
By PAN PYLAS 10.07.08, 5:55 PM ET World stock markets were mixed on Tuesday as banking stocks on both sides of the Atlantic took another pounding despite the US Federal Reserve's announcement that it will buy huge amounts of short-term debt in an ...
TOPWRAP 15-Fed steps in but US stocks dive; UK to rescue banks guardian.co.uk
Patrice Hill THE WASHINGTON TIMES Washington Times
New York Times - AFP - Wall Street Journal - MarketWatch
all 624 news articles

Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:03:58 GMT

Obama, McCain stretch facts in debate - The Associated Press


Voice of America
Obama, McCain stretch facts in debate
The Associated Press - 48 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain stretched facts, sometimes past the breaking point, as they addressed the financial crisis and more during their second presidential debate.
McCain, Obama Laud Buffett When Asked About Treasury Candidates Bloomberg
Obama-McCain debate Question 2: How will Kansas City Star
MSNBC - USA Today - Detroit Free Press - New York Times Blogs
all 344 news articles

Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:01:16 GMT

Fed's new tool: Business loan bailout - CNNMoney.com


Christian Science Monitor
Fed's new tool: Business loan bailout
CNNMoney.com - 1 hour ago
By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Federal Reserve announced a new program to help the battered market for short-term business loans - taking its closest step yet to lending directly to businesses.
Fed's Credit Tactic Has Small Effect Forbes
Fed, in emergency move, will lend to companies The Associated Press
Bloomberg - MarketWatch - BusinessWeek - The Miami Herald
all 1,833 news articles

Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:33:46 GMT

Judge Orders 17 Guantánamo Detainees Freed - New York Times


ABC News
Judge Orders 17 Guantánamo Detainees Freed
New York Times - 1 hour ago
By WILLIAM GLABERSON WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Bush administration to release 17 detainees at Guantánamo by the end of the week, the first such ruling in nearly seven years of legal disputes over the administration’s detention ...
White House "Deeply Concerned" With Guantanamo Ruling Voice of America
US judge orders Guantanamo Uighurs freed AFP
Bloomberg - Financial Times - ABC News - Aljazeera.net
all 692 news articles

Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:49:29 GMT

Ayers and Obama later worked on Chicago charitable boards together - CNN


BBC News
Ayers and Obama later worked on Chicago charitable boards together
CNN - 1 hour ago
By Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- More than 30 years ago, William Ayers was a fugitive leader of the Weather Underground, an antiwar terrorist group known for its bombings of police stations, the Pentagon and the US ...
Connelly: My tea with a 'terrorist' Seattle Post Intelligencer
What’s The Obama-Ayers Connection? KPHO Phoenix
Town Hall - Chicago Reader - New York Times - Los Angeles Times
all 134 news articles

Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:55:44 GMT

Obama And McCain On Small Business - CBS News


CBS News
Obama And McCain On Small Business
CBS News - 3 hours ago
The fifth installment of the series examines where each candidate stands on helping small businesses. Supported the government bailout aimed at easing the credit crunch.
Obama-McCain debate Question 5: What sacrifices Kansas City Star
Ad Wars: McCain Dishonorable and Obama Untrustworthy Huffington Post
Atlantic Online - UM Maneater - Politico - The Plank on TNR.com
all 441 news articles

Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:28:47 GMT

Bloomberg’s Gift to the People: Moi - New York Times


Telegraph.co.uk
Bloomberg’s Gift to the People: Moi
New York Times - 1 hour ago
By CLYDE HABERMAN An e-mail pen pal of mine in Alaska (no, not her, someone else) wrote the other day mentioning Marshal Philippe Pétain.
UPDATE 1-NYC lawmakers to weigh bill raising term limits Reuters
Bill to end term limits introduced in City Council New York Daily News
The Associated Press - People's Daily Online - NY1 - WNYC
all 434 news articles

Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:08:24 GMT

Clickbank Content
Make Money From Home


PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Leadership Skills and Ability

What is true Leadership.Is leadership something we are born with... Read More

The Personality of Leadership

Have you ever wondered what type of person or personality... Read More

Fighting the Gravitational Pull of Positional Leadership

A little on leadership?Many people enter the leadership world through... Read More

Leadership Activity: How Leadership Agenda, Strategy, and Behaviors Shape Your Success!

"Forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether... Read More

Hidden Self Confidence

Peer independence is arguably the least understood aspect of self... Read More

Ten Steps To Effective Leadership

Many people end up in a supervisory position or SOHO... Read More

Building Future Leaders

As a whole we spend a lot of time filling... Read More

Reinventing Failure: Designing Success

I am fascinated by problems. I like to think of... Read More

Dont be Afraid to Lead!

In most aspects of human activity, the pendulum of fashion... Read More

3 Cs Leaders Must Communicate!

"Of every noble work the silent part is best, Of... Read More

Are You a Good Manager or a Great Leader?

Your word is your truth - Know that when you... Read More

The Best Ways To Multiply The Extraordinary Leadership in Your Organization

Extraordinary Leaders are those who understand that in order for... Read More

Leadership, Self-Development, and the Committment to Growth

There is a common phrase that says: "You can't teach... Read More

To Be An Effective Leader, Do A Check-up From The Neck Up

Before we can effectively lead anyone, we must take an... Read More

How to Become a Great Leader & Improve Your Leadership Skills

A great leader is able to inspire his/her workers to... Read More

Why You Should Ignore This Advice

Doesn't make too much sense does it? Am I really... Read More

Are You The Most Powerful Leader You Can Be?

As someone who teaches, manages, parents or influences you'll probably... Read More

Leadership Skill Training

Quality leadership is a positive asset that is needed in... Read More

The Tao of Leadership

There can be no doubt that the ancient author of... Read More

Leaders ARE; Are you?

Identity CrisisIt's not only the knowledge you carry around in... Read More

Leadership ? Push vs. Pull?

At your next staff meeting consider leading your team through... Read More

Ten Ways Women Can Visualize Themselves As Leaders

Women should not be afraid of or feel guilty about... Read More

Ten Qualities Of A Great Leader - Plus 1

Great Leaders are optimists first and foremost. Their tendency is... Read More

Why Not Lead With Emotions?

Studies have shown that companies that have acquired competencies to... Read More

In Leadership, Good Enough Is Pretty Bad

The first time I meet a leader to decide if... Read More