Great Leaders Are Predictable
Doyle Slayton | Nov 02, 2008 | Comments 20
I had a great mentor once tell me, “The best thing you can do as a leader is… be predictable.” That statement has shaped so much of my thinking when it comes to leadership. My decisions and behaviors are based on a very consistent set of guiding principles. I want to create expectations that are so clear… people already know what my response is going to be before asking a question or posing a scenario. It creates an environment of stability… people know right where they stand… they take on an attitude of, “I know exactly what is expected… let’s go get it done!”
What lessons have you learned that have shaped your leadership thinking?
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Yep, Obama is a great leader and predictable. Vote Obama.
I would like to agree in general and also disagree in order to offer you an additional perspective you may find useful.
One thing is to provide stability with a common clearly defined set of operating parameters that line up with the vision and goal.
* We will excel in our service to our customers.
* We will work together as a team and share ideas and resources.
* We will set clear goals and achieve them.
* We will define improvement policies with clear objectives and we will set metrics to measure this.
* We will work to improve existing procedures and develop a policy of continual improvement.
These should be givens and you should be predictable in supporting and implementing the clearly set vision and goal you have defined.
If you have created a good team who understand how you have set these goals and how they are to be achieved then this is good management and your team will expect you to develop, adhere to and measure the progress against these goals whilst helping to resolve issues which arise in the execution of your defined vision.
A leader however must be creative, innovative, adaptive, strategic, forward thinking and visionary and in this respect you should not be at all predictable; other than inasmuch as you will change the direction, speed, emphasis or adapt to opportunities when it is necessary to do so to exploit new opportunities, adapt to competitor moves, adapt to a dynamic regulatory or market situation, implement innovative strategy or roll out innovative initiatives. This may mean re-writing that which was previously considered “the way we do things around here”.
I have often asked the question when re-structuring organisations why do we do it this way? The answer has almost invariably been “That’s the way we have always done it”. This is not a valid answer to this question. The only valid answer must be “Because this is the best or optimum way to do it within the given situation and resources”, which answer incidentally I have never received yet, and even if I did I would challenge it until this was proven correct. There is always a better way to do anything.
The only thing certain in this world is change. Every circumstance is dynamic, and if a leader is entirely predictable they have ceased to be a leader. A leader innovates. A leader drives positive change. A leader anticipates change and develops strategy to react to it. A leader creates new opportunities. A leader drives progress.
One thing is to provide a stable environment in order to innovate within it. Another is to create and environment in which “the way we do things around here” becomes an accepted modus operandi.
A really good team should expect change, be hungry for it and be ready to adapt to it as a new challenge to overcome working together. A really good leader should always stretch and challenge the capabilities of their team. For this; you can not afford to be predictable.
Hi Doyle,
Real leaders aren’t always predictable, but they do need to get real and be real.
Real leaders follow the advice of the One Minute Manager and inspire people to do more by “catching someone doing something right” (rather than what many so-called managers do, and that’s publicly criticise what they see as ‘wrong’ behaviour).
Real leaders roll up their sleeves and pitch in. They don’t suck the air of success out out of your lungs and start breathing a more rarified atmosphere by climbing on your back and standing on your shoulders.
I worked for a manager like this once — every failure was his team’s fault and every success was his alone.
But some of the lessons I learnt on my own. Such as, it’s easier to sell quality because quality sells itself. For me, that meant ensuring that the products I was in charge of creating were of consistently higher and more appealing quality. And giving credit where credit was due, because you can’t do all that alone.
In my experience, letting people complete their thoughts when speaking is critical. When they know that you know what they are thinking, they are more open to direction, debate and suggestion.
Melvin Ram
Volcanic Marketing Software
http://www.volcanicmarketing.com
Steve Jobs is predictable.
Steve Ballmer is less predictable, except for the loudness of his expressions.
Read Good to Great which really describes what leadership means. The subject of Leadership is a very difficult one to discern. There is a huge difference between management and leadership, which most people do not relate too. Don’t mistaken great leadership with a compelling dominating personality like Jack Welch or Lee Iacocca. I have a plaque on my wall from Fortune Magazine, which has 7 rules of leadership.
1. TRUST YOUR SUBORDINATES – You can’t expect them to go all out for you if they think you don’t believe in them.
2. DEVELOP A VISION – Some executives’ suspicions to the contrary, planning for the long term pays off. And people want to follow someone who knows where he or she is going.
3. KEEP YOUR COOL – The best leaders show their mettle under fire.
4. ENCOURAGE RISK – Nothing demoralizes the troops like knowing that the slightest failure could jeopardize their entire career.
5. BE AN EXPERT – From boardroom to mail room, everyone had better understand that you know what you are talking about.
6. INVITE DISSENT – Your people aren’t giving you their best or learning how to lead if they are afraid to speak up.
7. SIMPLIFY – You need to see the big picture in order to set a course, communicate it, and maintain it. Keep the details at bay.
Here is my list of characteristics for a great leader.
Leads by example – a great leader follows up their words with action.
Evolves with market changes – a great leader foresees changes in the market and does not hold on to the past.
Gives credit to others when the group is successful – a great leader knows people want recognition.
Speaks the language of their audience – a great leader talk a language everyone in the audience can understand.
Doyle,
You know me. You know my strengths and my weakneses and as my youngest mentor you know where I am coming from. I agree and to a point disagree with your comments. As a very successful sales manager and salesman, I found it important to the troops to be very stable as to my values and expectations but they also knew that I would listen and reconsider a decision made. All of my people knew that I had both their interests and the companies to consider. I don’t think that any person that ever worked for me questioned my integrity or devotion on either side. I never let them get to the point that they could totaly know what my every reaction would be. I believe that I had total respect as a manager and those that I have not seen in 25 years, I recently have contacted. To a person, I was complimented on the way I ran the operation and there was not one glint of anything that was an error on my part. After all those years, they still treated me with warmth and respect. Many of them have grown to equal or far exceed my accomplishments. The main thing that I received from those meetings was how well they liked my management style and the true affection exhibited. It all comes down to fair management style and equal treatment for all. It should be the same today.
I resent your comment! This is not a political forum, it is a professional forum and I am surprised that your comment was allowed to remain on this site. I have been reprimanded by Mr. Slayton because of my comments and I am surprised your comments were not removed. There is a time and place for everything, and this is neither.
This is my second attempt to reply to your immature comment. You need to be on another site as this is for professional salespeople as a forum for business discussions. I am not sure where you are getting your information, but it does not belong here. You should be permanently barred from membership in this professional organization.
Who was the mentor?
My top 3 are:
1. never ask someone else to do something you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself.
2. when change happens (and it will), remember to trust your team and explain.
3. sometimes you have to reach out your hand for people to believe they are walking forward with you.
Unpredictability breeds fear and mistrust.
Predictability breeds trust and comfort.
Like we learned in public speaking courses – tell ‘em what you’re going to say, say it, then tell ‘em what you said.
The above comments are great, but I believe many confuse managing and leading. To me there is a huge difference. A manager gets things done and yes, the really good ones are predictable, trust their team, etc.
But, when I look back at my 30-yr career and ask who were the great leaders I find the answer to that is that great leaders are the ones who changed my life. They made me a better person first, and a better manager second.
Leadership is less about what you accomplish or have, and more about you as a human being.
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, introverts, extroverts, controllers, charasmatics, etc.
For more on this, I refer you to http://www.archofleadership.com and the book “The Life of Leading Greatly” by Michael Shenkman.
Bob
PS, what do you call a leader without any follower? A guy out for a walk!
One of the most ardous tasks facing any true leader, at some point in his her life…one of the most difficult if not hardest challenges, irrespective of dedication and committment, is…
to learn to lead yourself!
…enough said.
Xavier
I think it depends on what sense of ‘greatiness’ we are talking about. If they are great because of the coverage ofspreading their political powers – yes, they have to be predictable ones, but if it’s conserning the leader’s quality, his unattainability in methods and actions, we should wait a little with conclusion.
What is the leadership if it isn’t a traditional characteristics’ set that is always expected by the public to be the same. At least Levi-Strauss suggests it to us to be the truth at first instance. Or it’s the leader who should be in the saddle and bearing the bag? Good Lord, I don’t know!
It’s seems to be a big disappointment when all the expectations are smashed to smithereens with the real state of affairs. So the end is always the same. So I say yes, they are predictable, even when we don’t have a presentiment or an anticipatory fear.
You know that I have analyzed this statement and I have had a conclusion that I follow it every time. But I can’t say that I am a good example of leadership, I’m a teacher, but you know my student know that I wait for and I am really so expected. This quality helps me very much.
So I see here a bunch of opinions. Will it be enough for your poll or should I add my personal idea for this very topic? Well, I guess I am agree with the last four comments, maybe there exists some karmic model of their action that’s why the end is quite known. Or maybe it’s just some piece of another creepy philosophy…