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dkl Accelerating Performance
The Old Barrel Store
Draymans Lane
Marlow
Buckinghamshire
SL7 2FF
Tel: 01628 674040
Email
View map
The Old Barrel Store
Draymans Lane
Marlow
Buckinghamshire
SL7 2FF
Tel: 01628 674040
View map
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What is the secret of leadership in tough times?
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A major new study released in Jan 2010 "Exceeding Expectation: the principles of outstanding leadership" produced by The Work Foundation, comes firmly down in favour of a full engagement with people. The "do as I say when I say because I say" approach will just not get the job done. There were differences that set outstanding leaders apart, for example: Outstanding leaders speak about the role of vision as being to emotionally align people to the organisation and to face them towards where the organisation is heading whereas good leaders are more likely to see vision as aligning people through a cascade of objectives. Outstanding leaders seek to place control and power within the team whereas good leaders tend to see themselves as ultimately responsible. Outstanding leaders see mistakes as an inevitable part of performance and seek to maximise the learning from them for individuals and to retain engagement and confidence whereas good leaders see mistakes as something that can be learnt from and avoided in the future. Looking across all these identified differences a number of key themes emerge. Outstanding leaders: 1. Think systemically and act long term Outstanding leaders achieve through a combination of systemic thinking and acting for the longterm benefit of their organisation. They recognise the interconnected nature of the organisation and therefore act carefully. 2. Bring meaning to life Outstanding leadership enables a strong and shared sense of purpose across the organisation. They emphasise emotional connection for people with a focus on passion and on ethical purpose. 3. Apply the spirit not the letter of the law Outstanding leadership focuses on the few key systems and processes which help provide clarity, give structure, enable feedback, give time for discussion and enable the development of vision. They use them to achieve outcomes rather than focus on the process and put flexibility and humanity first. 4. Grow people through performance Outstanding leaders passionately and constantly invest in their people and use the challenges presented every single day to encourage growth, learning and engagement. 5. Are self-aware and authentic to leadership first, their own needs second Outstanding leaders unite a deep understanding of others, high levels of self-awareness and a systemic appreciation of their symbolic position to become a role model for others. 6. Understand that talk is work Outstanding leadership depends on trusting and positive relationships that are built over time for the long-term benefit of the people and their organisation. They spend huge amounts of time talking with people to understand what motivates and how they can support and enthuse others. 7. Give time and space to others Outstanding leaders both give significantly more time to people than non-outstanding leaders and allow their people considerably more freedom and influence over the work they do and how they do it. 8. Put we before me Outstanding leaders work hard on issues such as team spirit, shared decision making, collaborative working and a strong bond within and between teams. Sustainable performance comes from collective wisdom and intent, encouraging people to get involved, and giving them voice and autonomy. 9. Take deeper breaths and hold them longer Outstanding leaders actively build trust by delivering on promises and acting with consistency, which in turn, leads to a sense of security and greater freedom of expression. They understand the power of trust to speed up interactions, enable people to take risks, diminish arguments and disputes and underpin innovation. You can download the full report from the The Work Foundation by clicking here If you want your organisation to embody this spirit of leadership. Call us on 01628 400 665, or email dkl@dk-l.com  
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