Clean leaders aren’t good leaders. i’m not talking about issues related to character, i’m talking about the nuts and bolts of leading.
leadership has a lot to do with popping the hood when things aren’t working. it has to do with getting hands dirty to identify things affecting performance of their terms or organizations.
related: Making Teams Fit For Performance
popping the hood isn’t just for the times things aren’t working but for the times everything is fine. high performance formula one teams are constantly tinkering with what’s under the hood to go a few more seconds faster.
sometimes those few seconds are the differences between wins and losses.
change is often the result of two scenarios:
imposed
some leaders only look into their systems and performance only when things are going wrong. that is bad leadership.
the danger of change that is imposed is that you have little or no control over it. this means having less say about outcomes
initiated
this is change on purpose. it is leaders constantly looking for that little extra. that “je ne sais quoi” or “x factor”.
initiated change anticipates the need for change before it is really needed. this change is led by leaders who get their hands dirty.
leaders at front of this change are the innovators. they’re not on the cutting edge, they define the cutting edge; its epitome.
point
effective leadership rests on examining processes, systems, team cohesion and making changes where necessary.
it means leaders are on the ground and are not afraid to make changes even when the environment doesn’t dictate it as they pursue getting a little better.
leaders who stand aloof and indifferent to “tinkering” often fall at the helm of irrelevant, declining organizations [Click to Tweet]
you choose. Be bold. Be /ˈherətik/.