IT Security Blog. Mitigating Risks. Enabling Business Strategies. W. Mark Brooks

Leadership Principle #3 - Coin Catch Phrases, Say Them Over & Over

This is one principle in a series.  Please see The Lighter Side of Leadership.

This leadership principle applies to a broad range of roles in industry.   Both strong leaders and weak leaders can effectively employ this principle.  However, consultants are especially adept at effectively using the principle.   Just a few examples:

    "How's that working for you?"

    "Global Integrated Framework"*

    "Opportunity has never been greater"

    "What are you trying to teach the organization?" *

    "Operate as Owners"

    "Don't be a spectator"

    "Work smarter. Not Harder"

WORD OF CAUTION:  "Always be prepared" (another catch phrase) for someone to ask you what you actually mean be your catch phrase.  Leaders can take this principle to the next level by merely putting the question back on the person who asked it.   Simply say "That's what you're here for" or "That's something we all have to answer for ourselves", or "If it was that easy to answer, we wouldn't be here".  Though really the best answer is the no answer "That's an excellent question!", then just move on to another topic.

By the way, I marked "*" on the ones that I plea guilty for using at least once...

Leadership Principle #2 White Board at All Cost

This is one principle in a series.  Please see The Lighter Side of Leadership.

Whether you need to or not, jumping up to a white board during a meeting and diagramming demonstrates that you are a high level conceptual thinker. 

WORD OF CAUTION:  Keep in mind that once you apply this principle at your place of work others are likely to catch on.  Once they do, there will be stiff competition at meetings on who can get to the whiteboard first.  If by chance someone else does get up before you, simply ask that they allow the discussion to unfold a bit more before diagramming anything.  Once they sit down, silently count to 10 then jump up to the white board yourself.  NEXT Level White Boarding:  If it is ever necessary to diagram the concepts being proposed by others, diminish their value by illustrating their concepts with little ducks, Disney characters, or Homer Simpson.

Leadership Principle #1 Always Run Late to Meetings.

This is one principle in a series. Please see The Lighter Side of Leadership.

This demonstrates that you are more important than others because you’ve been working on other more important issues.  This is also really an easy one for the novice leader to employ.  In fact, if you are simply unorganized or can't manage your schedule, you can apply this principle.  Once you are able to consistently apply this principle, consider taking it to the next level.  When you arrive at a meeting late, simply ask the meeting participants to "bring you up to speed" on what's been discussed.  This does a couple of things: 1) It ensures that your peers end up wasting time, thus making you more productive than they are, and 2) It helps you be more efficient with your own time, because they end up summarizing the first 10 to 15 minutes of meeting in just a few minutes!

Take-Away:  In the hustle and bustle of today's business world it can be easy to get caught up in focusing solely own your own agendas.  However, strong leaders demonstrate a care and concern for other people's time and problems.  This is not to say, it isn't important to drive and stay focused on what you think is important.  In fact, being focused is essential for business success.  However, you can better mobilize and drive others to achieve your own objectives, if you demonstrate you value and appreciate your co-workers time, energies, and objectives.  Another way of thinking about this is: Strong leaders tend to care about other peoples problems, not just their own.

Mark Brooks

My Blog Homepage Click Here - Trends and challenges in IT Controls and IT Security.

Background on My Popular Leadership Principles

I have led a number of leadership development efforts and programs.   As a part of these programs, I developed a set of Leadership Principles to help have some fun and help engage participants, but also to point out poor leadership behaviors that one should avoid.  As I added more and more principles to my list, I began to have many people tell me that they saw many of these poor behaviors in practice and that people were actually rewarded for them.

So I guess you can use these principles one of two ways.  If you truly want to improve your leadership, understand these and avoid them, and hopefully have a good laugh!   If you want to leverage these techniques to get ahead, then take careful notes and apply in the work place.  Just know that others might not only be laughing with you, but...

These are a first in series.  If you enjoy these, please come back for more.  My click Leadership Principles.