Jutarnji list web edition (05.02.2013) showed us a photomontage of a Croatian top manager with a 'Modern Leadership Style’. The headline was remarkable: ‘AN ECCENTRIC PRESENTATION by the Head of Croatian TV: RAD-MAN saves public TV from disaster by guts and cloak’.

Why would this be eccentric?

Working in the field of organisation change and management coaching, I wondered what possible motives this serious newspaper could have with this negative headline. A serious newsletter should, in my opinion, SERVE their readers in forming their own opinions, especially in a situation where a big change is necessary. I understand that management is not core business for a newspaper and yes, the paper wrote a bit about the vision and content of the important changes Radman introduced in his presentation, which actually they should do because HTV is a public Croatian TV, intended to SERVE its citizens. Unfortunately, this content was overshadowed by the negative headline as (till 16.02.13) the 9 comments of their readers show: they are all negative but, no one responded to the content. This is a common psychological effect that every newspaper journalist should know.

I have a few observations

To be clear, I have a lack of concise information and because of that no opinion about the content of the strategy; I do have experience and knowledge about organisational change and management, this is from where I reflect. So what do I see?

• I see a leader (Radman) who creates a strategy for the future of his organisation, focused on a better performing organisation.
• He wants his people to engage in, and cooperate on, a necessary change in their organisation to make it ready for the future. Then, what are the most important characteristics in his leadership style bringing that message?
• First of all, he is innovative and he makes himself vulnerable; something we do not often see from a top manager. It requires courage, especially given this specific culture. • He is open and honest, he tries to engage, involve and commit his people to change; how many leaders take this approach?
• He is also very clear in his vision, he is tough on the goals he wants to realize, but open for constructive suggestions of his staff. Again: how many leaders take this approach? Actually, these are all basic qualifications for a successful top leader!

What makes the difference between bad and good performing companies?

Do the practical benchmark and you will find that the key difference always is the quality of management and leadership. The best leaders take their responsibility, they think forward and try to find new ways to mobilise and engage their people. They want to make them aware of the necessity to change in a constructive and challenging way. This is why the best leaders understand that they cannot win the ’market battle’ alone; they need a high-performing team of motivated and pro-active people who come up with ideas for today and for tomorrow!

As Einstein once said: "The specific problems we face today cannot be solved by using the same patterns of thought that were used to create them". As we know, these days have just one single certainty: ‘the only constancy is constant change’. Looking around for context, I see a world that still struggles with the aftermath of a financial and economic crisis; all sectors and markets are shifting and changing faster than ever. Competition is increasing heavily, consumers are demanding higher quality and better service for less money, the need for creating a pro-active culture in companies is growing, as a general need for innovation, and so on. What do organisations do? Some fight to survive, others just cut costs, some choose an innovative marketing strategy. In the mean time we tend to forget that actually many companies are still (very) successful.

So, why is this modern Leader considered to be eccentric?

I still do not understand this, which brought me to re-read a great book. You might remember this story of a classic business fable. ‘Debbie, a struggling leader finds herself about to lose her job due to her poor performance. In a desperate attempt to save her career, she enrolls in a new coaching program offered by her company. Much to her surprise, Debbie finds her coach is Jeff, the president of the company. Debbie decides that all she needs is the answer to one question, 'What is the secret of great leaders?' Over the next 18 months Jeff explains to Debbie that the key is rooted in ‘attitude’. He tells her that she must be willing to become a serving leader rather than a self-serving leader. The key is that all great leaders Serve. The story unfolds as Debbie learns and applies each of these imperatives with her team. As a result, Debbie's team goes from worst to first. They become the highest performing team within the company. In the end, Debbie understood that all the changes and improvements were the result of the choices she made as a leader. She realized that To Serve is a choice. Debbie decided once and for all, she would no longer be a self-serving leader, she would be a serving leader!’ (What Great Leaders Know - And Do’, Ken Blanchard & Mark Miller)

Blanchard & Miller capture the key of leadership in five letters: SERVE

Serve: See the future: Envision and communicate a compelling picture of your preferred future. 1. What do I want to become true in the future? 2. Why should anyone care? 3. How will progress be measured?

sErve: Engage and develop others: Recruit and align people for the right job. Create environments where people bring vision to life. 1. What invited my engagement in the past? 2. Which of these factors are missing in the people I lead? 3. How can I help teams and individuals grow?

seRve: Reinvent continuously: Continuously focus on improvement. 1. How do I, as the manager, need to change? 2. Where do I want different outcomes? 3. What organizational changes will accelerate progress?

serVe: Value results and relationships: Generate measurable results and cultivate great relationships. 1. Which is my personal bias as a leader – results or relationships? 2. How can I compensate for the area that’s not my personal strength? 3. What happens if I don’t broaden my definition of success?

servE: Embody values: Live fully aligned with stated values. 1. What values do I want to drive behaviors in my organization? 2. How can I communicate these values? 3. What are my actions communicating?

In the end, the ultimate question for every effective leader is: “Am I a serving leader or a self-serving leader?” But then, another intriguing question is: “How and What do I need to change?” Because it is always so easy to see and react to others where they need to improve. If you reflect on your personal Leadership style, what is the most important question you would like to ask yourself? And how would you apply your answer into your own practice?

We can help you with this in a very practical way! Thursday 7 March we offer a highly interactive workshop ‘Appreciative Inquiry’ in cooperation with our Academic partner VERN’ University for Top and Middle Managers, professionals in Human Resources, Organization Development, Finance, Marketing etc. If you want to improve aspects in your daily work like your team performance, your problem solving approach, your coaching skills, your motivation skills or you have similar questions, THEN you should join us. If you are a Professional in your field, you may not miss this opportunity to learn and understand a new, strengths based approach for change and development, that will improve your personal and company’s development. More information about the program and registration you can find at: www.huai.hr 

John Lodder MA, MSc. Balance Consultancy Ltd.
www.balance-consultancy.com