Your Ultimate Leadership Feedback Loop: Their Leadership

Life on our planet flourishes through feedback. If life forms don't develop feedback loops and get good information about how well they are interacting with their world, the world eventually kills them.

This holds true with leaders. Leaders must get feedback as to how they're doing -- otherwise they won't be leaders for long.

One kind of feedback is results. After all, leaders do nothing more important than get results. You should understand the kinds of results you're getting, if they are the right results, and if you are getting them in the right ways.

There is another kind of measurement that is as important, and sometimes more important, than results. It's a measurement most leaders overlook. That measurement has to do not with you but with the people you're leading.

To explain what that measurement is, I'll first describe a fundamental concept of how one goes about leading people to achieve results.

There's a crucial difference between doing a task and taking leadership of that task that makes a world of difference in the task's accomplishment.

For instance, if one is a floor sweeper, doesn't one best accomplish one's task not simply by doing floor sweeping but by taking leadership of floor sweeping?

Such leadership might entail:

-- taking the initiative to order and manage supplies,

-- evaluating the job results and raising those results to ever higher levels,

-- having floor sweeping be an integral part of the general cleaning policy,

-- hiring, training, developing other floor sweepers,

-- instilling a "floor sweeping esprit"that can be manifested in training, special uniforms and insignias , behavior, etc.

-- setting floor sweeping strategy and goals.

Otherwise, in a "doing" mode, one simply pushes a broom.

You may say, "Listen, Brent, a job is a job is a job. This leadership thing is making too much of not much!"

Could be. But my point is that applying leadership to a task changes the expectations of the task. It even changes the task itself. Think of it, when we ourselves are challenged to lead and not simply do, our world is, I submit, changed.

Whenever you need to lead people to accomplish a task, challenge them not to do that task but to take leadership of that task.

This gets back to the key measurement of your leadership. Your leadership should best be measured not by your leadership but by the leadership of the people you lead.

Now, in becoming leaders, they can't simply do what they want. They must come to an agreement with you as to what leadership actions they will take. You can veto any of their proposed actions. However, use the veto sparingly. Cultivate your confidence and their confidence in their leadership.

When you evaluate the effectiveness of your leadership by the feedback loop connected to their leadership, you are assessing your world as it should be, and great results will follow.

2005 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com

The author of 23 books, Brent Filson's recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. ? and for more than 20 years has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get a free white paper: "49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results," at http://www.actionleadership.com

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:45:55 GMT McCain Co-Chairman, Under Fire, Steps Aside - New York Times ABC News McCain Co-Chairman, Under Fire, Steps Aside New York Times - 9 hours ago Carolyn Kaster/AP At a town-hall-style meeting Friday on energy, John McCain found himself questioned instead on his wartime positions. McCain Takes on the 'Cable Monster' and an 'Extreme' Obama Washington Post Gramm Out as McCain Co-Chair; Obama Reacts FOXNews The Associated Press - Dallas Morning News - Reuters - Boston Globe all 947 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:45:59 GMT Aybar's triple caps Halos' rally over Sox - MLB.com Canoe.ca Aybar's triple caps Halos' rally over Sox MLB.com - 1 hour ago By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Pinch-hitter Erick Aybar hit a three-run triple in the seventh inning, Vladimir Guerrero blasted a solo home run and left-hander Joe Saunders pitched 6 2/3 strong innings to lift the Angels to a 4-2 win over the ... Aybar's three-run triple sends streaking Halos over BoSox Sports Network Aybar's bases-clearing triple sparks Angels The Associated Press Rotoworld.com - Press-Enterprise - Boston Globe - United Press International all 506 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:52:04 GMT US banks ask SEC to expand stock trade protection - Reuters Wall Street Journal US banks ask SEC to expand stock trade protection Reuters - 7 hours ago By John Poirier WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An emergency move by US securities regulators this week aimed at curbing manipulative short-selling in some major financial firms should be expanded to all publicly traded banks, or it could erode confidence in ... SEC Short-Sale Rule Gets Negative Reviews Wall Street Journal SEC Spares Market Makers From `Naked-Short' Sales Ban (Update1) Bloomberg Forbes - MarketWatch - Taipei Times - New York Times all 582 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:02:49 GMT Panel Finds Misconduct By Fusion Researcher - Washington Post Los Angeles Times Panel Finds Misconduct By Fusion Researcher Washington Post - 18 hours ago INDIANAPOLIS -- A Purdue University panel has found two instances of misconduct by a researcher who says he produced nuclear fusion in tabletop experiments. Purdue physicist found guilty of misconduct Los Angeles Times Details of what Purdue's investigation found Journal and Courier Chicago Tribune - RedOrbit - Newsweek all 157 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:47:31 GMT Venture Funding Drops for Youngest Companies As Older Ones Suck Up ... - New York Times Boston Globe Venture Funding Drops for Youngest Companies As Older Ones Suck Up ... New York Times - 1 hour ago By Abha Bhattarai In an ominous sign for Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial machine, venture capital firms are cutting back on their investments in companies at their earliest stage of development and being forced to provide extra funding for later-stage ... VC Deals In Charts (Q2 2008)?Exits? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Exits? Washington Post Venture investments in state total $77.6 million so far in '08 Detroit Free Press CNET News - The Associated Press - MarketWatch - RTT News all 195 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:54:52 GMT What's the best Oscar strategy for Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight'? - Los Angeles Times Times Online What's the best Oscar strategy for Heath Ledger in 'The Dark Knight'? Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago That's a tricky Oscar question. On one hand you might think Heath Ledger should go supporting because, technically speaking, "The Dark Knight" is a film about Batman. Heath is where the heart is The Observer 'Dark Knight' sets box office record with $66.4M The Associated Press YourHub.com - New York Daily News - Chicago Tribune - OpEdNews all 3,291 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:18:18 GMT Growth ahead for more diversified game industry - Reuters Telegraph.co.uk Growth ahead for more diversified game industry Reuters - Jul 18, 2008 By Kiyoshi Takenaka - Analysis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The video game industry looks set for at least another year or two of strong growth, driven by geographical expansion, a strong hardware lineup and growing pool of casual gamers, ... Nintendo Wii Tops for Console Sales in June DailyTech Sony's press conference at E3 was a dazzling hi-tech showcase BBC News Shacknews - X-bit Labs - New York Times - Wired News all 1,145 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:07:32 GMT Merchant Datafeeds Amazon Content

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

Adsense websites

Teen View of Leadership From Around the World

It has been stated that the world of tomorrow will... Read More

To be, or Not to be (Average)?

When is hate OK? When it's the feeling you have... Read More

A Good Leader Knows The Teams Colours

Leadership can be a very challenging task. As leaders we... Read More

Leader is Not a Title

There is a steady flow of information in the form... Read More

Listening Like a Leader

Our studies of the most effective people in corporate America... Read More

Develop a We Focus And Not a Me Focus

____________________________________________"There's only one thing more contagious than a good attitude... Read More

Abe Lincoln: An Extraordinary Leader

Perhaps noted as one of the greatest United States presidents... Read More

A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George Washington Saved The Revolution

A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George... Read More

Being Other Focused

In the Wall Street Journal, Franklin Lavin, U.S. Ambassabor to... Read More

None of Us Arrived with an Owners Manual: A Fresh Perspective on the Drive to Lead (part 2)

Why didn't I get an Owner's ManualAfter a little while... Read More

Leading In The Face Of Disaster

The date was Saturday, April 11, 1970, the time 13:13... Read More

Boy Scouts of America and Leadership Coaching

The Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness talks with Dennis... Read More

Mentor? Who Needs A Mentor?

Who needs a mentor. . .everyone who is truly serious... Read More

Leadership - Connect to Engage!

It's been said many times that true leadership is measured... Read More

Leadership: Wisdom of the Ages

If you gather 100 experienced leaders together to share with... Read More

5 Tips to Help You Win Big & Become a Village Hero

A few years ago, I returned to my impoverished village... Read More

Weakness, Struggle, Fear, Knowledge, Growth, Courage, Leader

Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most remarkable men in... Read More

Ask Yourself Whats In It For WE?

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working... Read More

Is Your Life Ready For Groundhog Day?

In the hit comedic movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray's character,... Read More

Leadership A Perspective From Tao

Tao Te Ching said to be written by Lao Tzu... Read More

Creating Unlimited Belief for Success!

What's holding your team back from experiencing "breakout performance"?It may... Read More

8 Questions to Ask if You Want to be a Better Leader

Those that have successfully made the transition from manager to... Read More

All You Really Want Is Feeling Good

If I asked you what your goal in life is,... Read More

You Make The Difference

What do you think makes your company successful? Your newest... Read More

Leadership Skills: Four Ways of Overcoming Perfectionism

We pay a high price for perfectionism. "What perfectionism?" we... Read More