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SESSION 608 Thursday, April 14, 2:45pm - 3:45pm
Track: Industry Insights
Success Strategies for Leaders
George D’Iorio President, Ascending Thought, LLC [email protected]
Session Description Are you a new leader, or moving into a leadership role in your organization? Or do you simply want to be a more effective leader? Extremely helpful to less experienced leaders, this session will explore strategies for leadership success by assessing situations and selecting sound approaches. You’ll cover the four most common scenarios a leader faces and the most appropriate approaches for each scenario. Exercises, simple templates, and group discussions will provide insight into how to select the best strategies depending on the circumstances. Speaker Background George D’Iorio has been a leader in the IT industry for more than twenty-five years, with extensive experience in systems engineering, software development, and service management. He has delivered award-winning presentations at national conferences, and is considered to be an expert on leadership, teambuilding, and several professional development topics. George is a long-time member of the National Speakers Association and is passionate about helping people achieve their goals.
Success Strategies for Leaders
George Dioriowww.georgediorio.com
Session 608
Agenda
• The challenge of leadership
• Situations and diagnosis
• Resources and strategies
• Leadership styles
• Q & A / Summary
Who are the ‘leaders’?
• ‘People’ managers
• Project managers
• Senior technical people and those with significant experience and/or expertise
Contrast: Manager vs. Leader
Objectives/tasks
Plans details
Existing roads
Subordinates
Position power
Manager Leader
Vision/’big picture’
Sets direction
New Roads
Followers
Personal power
Traits of a ‘good leader’
• Creates a shared vision *
• Sets direction & models the way
• Develops a strong ‘followership’
• Is accountable, has integrity
• Enables and encourages
* A vision for the team or area you lead
Leadership and strategy
Creating a vision and setting direction requires the ability to think strategically
Developing a ‘followership’ and achieving results requires competence and the ability to translate strategy into action
Look before you leap
Assess your leadership assignment
1. Consider the landscape
2. Factor in history & limitations
3. What are the expectations?
4. Understand change tolerance
5. Prepare for diagnosis
Diagnosing the ‘situation’
4 potential situations (STARS):
Startup
Turnaround
Realignment
Sustaining Success
Source: ‘The First 90 Days’, Michael Watkins
Start-up: In a start-up you are charged with assembling the
capabilities (people, funding, technology) to get a new enterprise
off the ground. Starting from ‘scratch’ can be a major challenge.
Turnaround: You must take a unit that is recognized to be in
trouble and work to get it back to performing successfully.
Realignment: The assignment is to revitalize a unit, product, or
process that is drifting into trouble, or has become misaligned.
Sustaining Success: Your goal here is to preserve the vitality
of a successful organization and take it to the next level.
The 4 potential situations
Source: ‘The First 90 Days’, Michael Watkins
The STARS Model
Sustaining
Success
Recovery cycle
Crisis cycle
Realignment
Shutdown/
Divestiture
Turnaround
Fail
Fail
SucceedSucceed
Growth cycle
Succeed
Succeed
Fail
Fail
Start-up
Source: ‘The First 90 Days’, Michael Watkins
Challenges * & opportunities +
StartupBuilding from scratch * / +
Welding a cohesive team *
Limited resources *
Energy around possibilities +
No rigidity in thinking +
RealignmentDealing with cultural norms *
Making the case for change *
Restructuring / refocusing *
Leveraging strengths +
People want to succeed +
TurnaroundEngage demoralized people *
Time pressures *
Deep cuts, tough decisions *
Need for change is known +
Little successes go a long way +
Sustaining SuccessAvoid disturbing strengths *
Shadow of a revered leader *
Taking it to the next level *
Strong team already in place +
Foundations of success exists + Source: ‘The First 90 Days’, Michael Watkins
Realignment
Start-up
Sustaining Success
Turnaround
• Diagnose: place dots in quadrants where you have activity
Mo
re d
oin
g M
ore
le
arn
ing
More offense More defense
Source: ‘The First 90 Days’, Michael Watkins
What situation(s) are you facing (startup, turnaround,
realignment, sustaining success)?
_______________________________________________________________
What challenges and opportunities are you facing?
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Should your focus right now be on offense or defense? Should you put more emphasis on learning or doing? Why?
_______________________________________________________________
Resources
What resources can you leverage
to help execute the strategy ?
1. People *
2. Financial
3. Support
4. Alignment
* Most valuable resources
Devising your strategy
1. Identify your situation
2. Recognize challenges & opportunities
3. Determine focus points & resources
4. Plan ‘early wins’ and execute
5. Establish goals* and methods
* Write them down!
What resources can you leverage? Are there people you can align with to help you succeed?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
What are your most pressing issues? What actions will you take?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Situational Leadership
Paul Hersey & Ken Blanchard (1977)
Proposed that the use of four styles could offer a more effective leadership approach when applied appropriately depending on the situation
Coaching Supporting
Delegating Directing
Situational Leadership Model
Source: Situational Leadership II,
Dr. Ken Blanchard, 1985
Situational Leadership
Before selecting a style you must determine ‘where the individual is’ by assessing two key aspects of development:
Competence – demonstrated knowledge and skills for the task
Commitment – willingness to perform the task, enthusiasm
Two critical elements:
Diagnosing their development level
Flexibility in use of style
Situational Leadership
Doing Learning Can perform goal or task Cannot perform goal or task
without direction without direction
D4 D2D3 D1
D4 D3 D2 D1
Commitment / Attitude
++ - -
Quick Diagnosis Chart
Style 1: DirectingIdentifies problems
Sets goals /defines rolesDevelops action plans
Makes decisionsInitiates problem solving
Prescribes solutions Provides specific direction
Style 2: CoachingIdentifies problems
Sets goalsRecognizes and praises
Makes final decisions after soliciting ideas
Explains decisionsDirects work
Style 4: DelegatingJointly defines problems
Collaborates on goalsLets follower plan actions and make decisions about
how and when the problems will be solved
Lets follower take credit
Style 3: SupportingInvolves follower in
identifying problems and in setting goals
Lets follower take leadShares responsibilityListens and facilitates
Follower shares decisions
Situational Leadership
Scenario 1
Walter is the senior member of the Service Desk with
over 15 years of experience. He has deep technical
knowledge but he has developed a negative attitude
after being passed over for promotion to supervisor.
• What style would you use with Walter? Why?
Situational Leadership
Scenario 2
Sharon is an experienced Service Desk Manager. She
has implemented excellent processes and built a high
performing team. Bob is her new boss. He wants her to
pass everything related to the Service Desk by him for
his approval, including staff schedules and assignments.
Sharon thinks this is unreasonable and will impede her
ability to lead her team.
• What style is Bob using? Is it appropriate?
Situational Leadership
Scenario 3
Jerry is very new to the IT department and is excited
about his new role. He is just beginning to learn the
processes and procedures. Jerry’s manager sees
Jerry as a fast learner and believes he can perform
the role without much help. He assigns work
without giving any direction, trusting Jerry will
figure out how to get the work done.
What style is Jerry’s boss using? Is it appropriate?
Situational Leadership
Scenario 4
Ellen is a Desktop Support Specialist who has just
been given more responsibility because a key person
recently left the company. She is enthusiastic, is a
fast learner, and has solid skills, but lacks confidence
when faced with new challenges.
• What style would benefit Ellen the most? Why?
• ‘Micro’ Management
• Management by ignoring
• Seagull Management
• Mgmt by Reorganization
• Mgmt by airline magazine
Fatal mistakes to avoid
George’s 3 Rules
Rule #1: If you see that progress is being made, try to stay out of the way
Rule #2: All organizational issues are the responsibility of leadership.
Leaders must own and address issues.
Rule #3: Leaders should listen to the cynics, because:
“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it”.
- George Bernard Shaw
Recommended reading
The First 90 Days Michael Watkins
Leadership and the One Minute Manager
Kenneth Blanchard
Management of Organizational Behavior
Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard
Questions?
If you have follow up questions, email [email protected]
