The 12 Dragons all Leaders Face
The dragons you face are inside you. Stop blaming. Your shortfalls belong to you.
Face the dragon. You are the dragon.
The 12 dragons all leaders face:
- Humility during success.
- Confidence during setbacks.
- Stepping back so others can step up. Control freaks can’t lead because leadership demands trust.
- Putting plans into action – Follow through. Experience shows plans struggle to escape the pull of inertia.
- Leading change. Leaders don’t just do things. They change things.
- Admitting mistakes. Self-awareness, honesty, and courage are essential to saying, “I was wrong.”
- Listening with the goal of learning. “Real listening is willingness to let others change you.” Alan Alda
- Encouraging constructive dissent.
- Learning from criticism. Defensiveness shackles insecure leaders regardless of their skills and drive.
- Seeking feedback.
- Maintaining focus on the future. Problems are magnetic.
- Building the team.
Building the team:
Lead yourself to build the team. Your success depends on their success.
You must attract, develop, and retain top talent. Leadership success is all about the people around you.
How to spot top talent –
Top talent wants to:
- Know where you’re going so they can find alignment. Tell them the goal.
- Develop plans with you. Once they align with the goal, don’t give them the plan. Develop it with them. Top talent wants a hand in making plans.
- Make meaningful contribution. They ask, “Where do I fit in?” They need meaningful contribution. Drifting isn’t enough for top talent.
- Work with others. Lone Rangers have a place, but never on great teams.
Top talent loves rising to challenges.
Essential: Determine the nonnegotiable qualities you expect from team members. Go with their strengths; compensate for their weaknesses.
Which of the 12 dragons is most dangerous to you right now?
What suggestions do you have for defeating dragons?
Still curious:
Succeeding with Three Challenges that Derail Leaders
The ABCs of Giving and Seeking Feedback that Really Works
The ABC’s of Effective Feedback (pepperdine.edu)
Simple, insightful, points to corrrective action.
A great post. Thanks!
Thank you sir. Here’s to a great Friday.
Both my husband and I are managers in completely different environments (I’m federal gov and he’s large retail), both with different workplace cultures, so I’m hoping the principles can be used in both places. He just transferred to another location with deep-rooted & mismanaged cultural issues as well, so hopefully this will assist with this transition.
Sounds like you’re both of you have challenging rolls.
12 year’s experience indicates solutions usually begin with the way leaders see themselves and the way they interact with others.
I wish you well.
This may be simply a style issue. In statement #5 “Leading change. Leaders don’t just do things. They change things.” To be clear to the people I work with I would say, “They improve things.” IMHO there are too many changes made just for change sake. A responsible leader is going to lead improvements. Dan, been reading leadershipfreak since soon after you started writing it. Have recommended it to clients, colleagues and friends. You have managed to collect and disseminate much wisdom.
Your suggestion makes sense to me. Thank you, Alan.
As a teacher, I can relate to many of these. I tend to struggle the most with #2!: Confidence during setbacks. I can feel defeated when a lesson did not go as planned or a student themselves seems defeated in class. I may start to question myself or my capabilities in these moments. In times like these, I keep reminding myself that tomorrow is a new day, we can start over and try again. Everyone has lessons that don’t go as planned, but as long as you’re willing to improvise, adapt, and keep trying, you can find ways to improve. Don’t be afraid to try a new technique. Apply #6 and admit your mistakes if you made any! Others often respond positively. Allow your class to apply #9, student criticisms are often meant in a positive way. Hearing a students’ perspective can absolutely help you improve.