The Cranky Middle Manager Show #316 The Final Cranky Show and the Future of Work with John Blackwell
The Cranky Middle Manager Show 86- What Good Leadership Training Looks Like- Steve Farber
Posted on 09. Mar, 2007 by Wayne in Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #086
Before we get into the show, please don’t forget to take the First Ever CMM Listener Survey. We plan to keep doing this show until we get it right. What do you want to hear? What do you NOT want to hear? Now’s your chance to give us feedback- and we all know feedback is a gift.
I confess, I’m getting “leadershipped out”. I even wrote kind of a cranky article about it in Management Issues (read the article here). Steve Farber is the right guy, though
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show. Yup, another show on leadership with Steve Farber, of Extreme Leadership. We’re going to talk about what is wrong with the way most companies tackle the topic.
Today’s dedication is to Marcus Vispanius Agrippa of Rome… not only was he a heck of a soldier but took what he learned and used it to manage projects at home.
2:45 Our quote of the week is from Marcus Aurelius- you can follow leaders and still be a free agent. I also digress and turn into Captain Ahab… it’s been a long winter.
4:10 Welcome Steve Farber of Extreme Leadership. I ask him- what’s with all the talk about leadership? Why isn’t leadership training more effective? Steve nails down a definition for us.
9:35 Here’s a definition of leadership you don’t hear very often: DON’T BE A JERK. The inherent challenge with bringing in a program is- 2 days at the Ramada won’t change anyone’s life, especially if you’re sent.
11:56 At the end of the day, good training has to have content that’s applicable, they can see how it makes their work better and/or easier, but it also has to have heart. Oh yeah, upper management has to work on themselves, and be seen doing it.
13:57 What is it about the workplace that sucks the life out of us? Okay, I’m bringing my own bias into the discussion, but we’re talking generalities here. Leadership is a learned art, not a job title. You need to ask for feedback on a regular basis.
15:47 Are you actively seeking feedback? What do you do with it when you get it? How do you get the people beneath you to give you honest feedback and not fear you? It’s about building trust.
22:05 Leadership is part of you, at work, church, school… it’s a radical LEAP.
Love- does it come from the heart?
Energy- are you generating energy?
Audacity- do you encourage risk taking?
Proof – do you walk it like you talk it?
You can find this in his books, The Radical Leap and The Radical Edge
29:30 so where does Steve find resources?
You’ll be shocked to discover that Tom Peters Blog is a favorite. Also check out their newswire service.
Steve said one thing that I think needs refuting. He said, “You aren’t a leader just because you get promoted.”
But the fact is that you are. Just about the only thing that all of us leadership folks agree is common to leaders is that leaders have followers. And when you become responsible for the performance of a group you immediately have followers.
The people you’re in charge of will treat you like a leader. They will pay attention to what you say. They will modify their behavior based on what you say and do.
The question isn’t IF you’re a leader when you get promoted. It’s what kind of leader will you be.
Not so, Wally! A person in charge is in a position of authority, true. In other words, people will do what he/she says because they have to comply in order to keep their jobs, etc. That ain’t leadership, though. A leader will inspire people to WANT to do things. In other words, they inspire commitment and don’t rely only on their authority to demand compliance.
Following a person’s orders is not the same as following a person.
“I think needs refuting. He said, “You aren’t a leader
just because you get promoted”
i agree with this!