Leadership, The Mentorship Way - Preview

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Transforming Lives through Training & Development.

Since 1991.

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Introduction: “LEADERSHIP THE MENTORING WAY – 7 EASY STEPS”

Leadership skill can be acquired through training and effort even if background, modesty, lack of confidence or inexperience creates selfdoubt. The process often begins when individuals discover that they have qualities and strengths usually associated with leadership. They then surprise themselves with their own inner resources. When this kind of inner strength is revealed, its existence is not easily forgotten. Regular exercise of new-found strength produces further achievement and a sense of self-fulfillment so that growth leads to growth.

Potential leaders also need to recognize that along with the role comes responsibility. Taking charge is never easy and effective leadership requires considerable effort. This means pressure, stress and challenge, but also immense satisfaction when a task is successfully achieved.

Seven areas are essential for successful leadership. The purpose is to improve leadership performance in both major and minor roles recognizing what needs to change and practicing the necessary skills.

Seven steps to successful leadership: Chapter wise.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Developing Awareness.

Understanding People.

Power and Authority.

Communication.

Decision-Making.

Creating a Vision.

7. Taking Charge.

Chapter 7: TAKING CHARGE: Synopsis of the contents of the book chapter wise.

The final stage of successful leadership draws upon the skills, knowledge and experience gained through this program. Each step of the process is focused on successful leadership. These include personal development and awareness, how to relate to colleagues and understanding motivation, the right use of power, communication, skills, decisionmaking and the development of vision.

Improved performance means that leaders need to take charge of their thinking about each of these topics as well as take charge of changing their behavior.

Review: Chapter 1. Developing Awareness.

Leaders need to know their strengths and limitations. This is the basis for their learning how to stretch their ability with new skills, knowledge and experience. ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾

Consider your overall performance as a leader during the week.

It helps to remember how you began work each day.

What qualities did you express consistently throughout the week?

What attention did you give to creating positive relationship with your colleagues?

List three strengths in the way you made contact with your colleague.

How can you build upon these strengths?

List three weaknesses in your behavior towards your colleague.

What quality or qualities do you need to develop in order to improve upon these weaknesses?

Review: Chapter 2. Understanding People

Successful leaders know how to speak directly to people’s need, hopes and dreams. Recognizing and respecting these creates bonds of loyalty and trust between leaders and their supporters. It is also important to

recognize what motivates people and that different people feel rewarded in varying ways. ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾

Consider how able you were to identify with your colleagues during the week.

It helps to focus on their reactions to you when you asked them to do something.

Do any of your colleagues merge together as part of an indistinct group?

How can you learn more about each person so that their individual strengths and weaknesses become clear?

List three strengths for the way you go about understanding other people.

How can you build upon these strengths?

List three weaknesses for the way you go about understanding other people.

What pattern of behavior do you need to change in order to improve upon these weaknesses?

Review: Chapter 3. Power & Authority.

Leaders have power, authority and responsibility. They need to exercise these and also empower their colleagues to take initiative and responsibility as well. It requires confidence for leaders to invite challenge, questions and comments from their colleagues. It is also a sign of strong leadership. ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾

Consider the way in which you exercised power during the week.

It helps to remember those activities for which you have responsibility.

Were you able to distinguish the kind of power best suited to each situation?

List three strengths about the way you exercised power or took responsibility.

How can you build upon these strengths?

List three weaknesses in your style of leadership.

What do you need to do in order to feel safe about trying a different style?

Review: Chapter 4. Communication.

Communication skills benefit all areas of life, not just leadership development. Although they are often taken for granted, these skills are highly complex. Even casual information exchange creates the potential for complete misunderstanding. ¾ ¾

¾ ¾ ¾

Consider your overall communication performance during the week.

It helps to focus on exchanges with people you know less well.

These rely more on your skills for successful information exchange.

What areas of social skill need further attention and what steps can you take to develop these social skills?

List three strengths for your ability to listen and three strengths for your ability to present information through speaking.

How can you build upon all of these strengths?

Review: Chapter 5. Decision Making.

Decisiveness is an essential quality for leadership and decision-making skills are required for effective performance. It takes discrimination and judgment to prioritize information and set goals in preparation for decision-making. ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾

Consider your decision-making activity during the week.

It helps to focus on a decision which caused you some stress.

Did you use a systematic approach, that is, consider information in a rational way or consider priorities and set clear goals.

Did any decision ‘just get made’ because circumstances took over and made the decision for you?

List three strengths in the way that you make decisions.

How can you build upon these strengths?

List three weaknesses in the way that you make decisions.

What action can you take to improve upon these weaknesses?

Review: Chapter 6.Creating Vision.

This development area is most difficult to master and yet yields the greatest reward. The ability to imagine new possibilities and create new solutions is highly valued. It is suggested that with determined practice, anyone can learn to work creatively with vision. ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾

Consider your performance as a manager or administrator during the week.

How frequently did you invite new ideas or comments from colleagues by asking them ‘why not’?

Did you focus all of your management time on solving current problems and dealing with routine business?

How can you give yourself more time to create vision in both your personal and professional life?

How can you actively work to achieve more of your potential?

List three strengths for the way you are able to see the larger context of a single activity.

How can you build upon these?

List three weaknesses for the way in which you review new solutions and ideas.

How can you challenge yourself to be more creative?