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I have been in leadership roles for about 30 years. It hasn't been easy but perhaps it is increasingly more difficult in the era of shared leadership and the flattening of organizations. Leadership is still required but the path forward is less clear and frequently changing. So too are the tools used to forge the trail. Some leaders are having difficulties leaving their old behaviours behind while others bend over backwards to abolish them and end up not leading at all out of fear. They become just one of the gang in attempting not to exhibit any measure of control. However, they are still held accountable for the team they lead and certainly the team expects them to earn their larger pay.

... courage to face the constant changes in the new workplace ahead...

So do we push them from the safety of the rear or do we lead the troops into battle? Certainly the latter seems more dangerous but if the leader does not have the courage to face the constant changes in the new workplace ahead of his/her troops, then why do we need him/her? Through leadership training and reading, I know the competencies that are recommended for leaders but these are sometimes contradictory and not always possible. Luckily, I have had some good role models and have learned from my own experiences (good and bad).

Here are some techniques that I have found to work:

• Positive expectancy. This is something I learned in teaching - a person will live up or down to your expectations. I never read the student's cumulative record card until the end of the year. It became not surprising for me to see that some of my high performers had been assessed as "slow" or "lazy" or labeled with other derogatory terms in the past. Believing the students were capable and willing to learn, I treated them as such and they never failed my expectations. If you believe in your team, they will believe in themselves. People who believe in themselves are empowered to perform. Isn't that better than the opposite?

• Mapping clear goals and objectives. Again something I applied in the classroom that I found works with any age. If you know where you are going, then it is only a matter of determining how to get there and embarking on the journey. In the wisdom of the Cheshire Cat, if you don't know where you are going, then any road will take you there. My thoughts are if you don't know where you are going, then no road will get you anywhere. Mapping out clear goals and objectives and frequently assessing how well you are progressing will pave the path to high performance.

  Once when I was a teacher I slept in and arrived for work late. As I passed the principal's office and apologized, he expressed surprise that my junior high class was not in an uproar with no teacher. He accompanied me to the classroom to find they were working in a self-directed manner. With the class, I had worked out the objectives of the next day's lesson the day before and put them on the board with notes on what exercises would help them fulfill the objectives. They knew where they were heading and how to get there, so no one had to hold their hands or guide them step-by-step. The leader's role is to help determine where the team is going and the tools needed to reach their destination. Then the leader must have the courage to step out of the way and let the team carry on.

• Failure is a necessary part of learning. How many times have we heard that and are still punished for taking risks? There is no greater damper to success than to try to eliminate failure. How many times did Edison fail before he invented the light bulb? Nothing great is an overnight success.

  Leaders must be brave enough to allow for risks and risks often result in flops. However, if failures are constantly repeated and no progress is apparent, an analysis of the reasons in an open unbiased atmosphere will help the team get unstuck. Nevertheless, the lessons learned along the way from failed attempts are often more important than immediate success. Through failures the team becomes more knowledgeable and resilient when facing difficult situations. Eventually such a team will succeed again and again. Nothing can keep a good team down for long.

• Carrots are more important at the end than during the process. Success is its own reward. Reaching the goal is the ultimate carrot. Artificial bribes along the way do not work. However, recognition that the team reached its goal is paramount and a flag planting celebration can highlight reaching the top. Further, a leader must have the fortitude to never take credit away from anyone. If the leader is effective, it is as a catalyst - a part of the process - not as the active agent. Recognize the individual accomplishments of each team member and the team as a whole. In an atmosphere of open and honest recognition, the team will also acknowledge your role.

Xenia Stanford
Change Leader
Knowledge Resource Network
NOVA Corporation