“They (leaders) ranged from extroverted to nearly reclusive, from easygoing to controlling, from generous to parsimonious.
What made them all effective is that they followed the same eight practices:
- They asked, “What needs to be done?”
- They askes, “What is right for the enterprise?”
- They developed action plans.
- They took responsibility for decisions.
- They took responsibility for communicating.
- They were focused on opportunities rather than problems.
- They ran productive meetings.
- They thought and said “we” rather than “I”.
The first two practices gave them the knowledge they needed. The next four helped them convert this knowledge into effective action. The last two ensured that the whole organization felt responsible and accountable.” (Drucker, 2011, p.24).
“But effective executives do not splinter themselves. They concentrate on one task if at all possible. If they are among those people – a sizable minority – who work best with a change of pace in their working day, they pick two tasks. I have never encountered an executive who remains effective while tackling more than two tasks at a time. Hence, after asking what needs to be done, the effective executive sets priorities and sticks to them” (Drucker, 2011, p.24).
“Asking “What is right for the enterprise?” does not guarantee the right decisions will be made. Even the most brilliant executive is human and thus prone to mistakes and prejudices. But failure to ask the question virtually guarantees the wrong decision.” (Drucker, 2011, p.28).
“Executives are doers; they execute. Knowledge is useless to executives until it has been translated into deeds. But before springing into action, the executive needs to plan his course.” (Drucker, 2011, p.28).
“The action plan is a statement of intentions rather than a commitment. It must not become a straitjacket. It should be revised often, because every success creates new opportunities.” (Drucker, 2011, p.28).
“Napoleon allegedly said that no successful battle ever followed its plan. Yet Napoleon also planned every one of his battles far more meticulously than any other general had done.” (Drucker, 2011, p.29).
People decisions: “If they find that a decision has not the desired results, they don’t conclude that the person has not performed. They conclude, instead, that they themselves made a mistake. In. well-managed enterprise, it is understood that people who fail in a new job,especially after a promotion, may not be the ones to blame.
Executives also owe it to the organization and to their fellow workers not to tolerate nonperforming individuals in important jobs. It may not be the employees’ fault that they are underperforming, but even so, they have to be removed.” (Drucker, 2011, p.230).
“Effective executives make sure that both their action plans and their information needs are understood.” (Drucker, 2011, p.31). “The best way around this problem is for each executives to identify the information he needs, ask for it, and keep pushing until he gets it.” (Drucker, 2011, p.32).
“But problem solving, however necessary, does not produce results. It prevents damage. Exploiting opportunities produces results.” (Drucker, 2011, p.32).“Effective executives put their best people on opportunities rather than problems.” (Drucker, 2011, p.32).
“It’s also necessary to terminate the meeting as soon as its specific purpose has been accomplished. Good executives don’t raise another matter for discussion. They sum up and adjourn.” (Drucker, 2011, p.32).
“Effective executive know that they have ultimate responsibility, which can neither be shared nor delegated. But they have authority only because they have the trust of the organization. This means that they think of the needs and the opportunities of the organization before they think of their own needs and opportunities.” (Drucker, 2011, p.35).
“Most U.S. corporations today are over-managed and under-led.” (Kotter, 2011, p.37). “Management is coping with complexity. (…) Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change.” (Kotter, 2011, p.38). “Management involves planning and budgeting. Leadership involves setting direction. Management involves organizing and staffing. Leadership involves aligning people. Management provides control and solves problems. Leadership provides motivation.” (Kotter, 2011, p.39).
“Just as we need more people to provide leadership in the complex organizations that dominate our world today, we also need more people to develop the cultures that will create that leadership. Institutionalizing leadership-centred culture is the ultimate act of leadership.” (Kotter, 2011, p.55).
“Second, adaptive change is distressing for the people going through it. (…) Rather than fulfilling the expectations that they will provide answers. Leaders have to ask tough questions. Rather than protecting people from outside threats, leaders should allow them to feel the pinch of reality in order to stimulate them to adapt. Instead of orienting people to their current roles, leaders must disorient them so that new relationships can develop.” (Heifetz and Laurie, 2011, p.58). “The work of the leader is to get conflict out into the open and use it as a source of creativity.” (Heifetz and Laurie, 2011, p.67).
“If executives try to communicate that they’re perfect at everything, there will be no need for anyone to help them with anything. They won’t need followers.” Goffee and Jones, 2011, p.81).
“Instead, they are seeking to engage in mutual mentoring with peers who are already part of their networks (such as board members, top managers, or leaders within a scientific discipline). The objective of this senior-peer mentoring is not, in conventional terms, to increase the chances of success but to create a sustainable community of people who can challenge the emergent leader’s assumptions.” (Rooke and Torbert, 2011, p.157).
“Discovering your authentic leadership requires a commitment to developing yourself. Like musicians and athletes, you must devote yourself to a lifetime of realizing your potential.” (George et al., 2011, p.165). “Integrating their lives is one of the greatest challenges leaders face. To lead a balanced life, you need to bring together all of its constitutent elements – work, family, community, and friends – so that you can be the same person in each environment.” (George et al., 2011, p.175).
“No individual achievement can equal the pleasure of leading a group of people to achieve a worthy goal.” (George et al., 2011, p.177). “It is replaced by a deep inner satisfaction that you have empowered others and thus made the world a better place.” (George et al., 2011, p.177).
