Page 248 - The extraordinary leader

What Individuals Do to Become Great Leaders • 225

industry trends and where your organization fits into that. Stay abreast of
relevant technology facing your industry.
A key quality of effective leaders is the ability to see reality without blink-
ing. It is hard to lead an organization in the best strategic paths if you are
unwilling to face the reality of where you are now. Being brutally frank with
yourself, and encouraging total candor from others, is the best safeguard to
keeping in touch with your organization’s current reality.

14. Learn to think strategically
One of the frequent complaints heard from executives about their subordinates
is that they are completely tactical in their thinking. They simply do not think
in a strategic way. For many, strategic thinking seems a complete mystery, and
they see no obvious way to acquire this esoteric ability. In fact, there are good
books on strategic thinking that help people understand the basics of strategy.
They give a road map to understanding your own organization’s strategic
choices, to understanding why organizations choose various strategic paths,
and generally to becoming more comfortable in intense strategic discussions. 8

15. Communicate with stories
Learn to recount important messages with powerful stories that connect emo-
tionally with those about you. Stories help reduce complexity to manageable
simplicity. They are memorable. They connect with the hearer at a more
powerful level. The best insight into any organization’s culture comes from
the collected stories that circulate among the people in the organization. So
the beginning point is to collect important stories and examples that can be
used in your dialogue inside the organization. Then, practice the skill of
recounting stories as the best way to convey an important message. Illustrate
the major points you wish to make with appropriate examples and stories.

16. Infuse energy into every situation
One of the keys of leadership is to understand that leaders bring excitement,
enthusiasm, and energy to any endeavor. They ignite other people’s passions
to move forward. We all know people who are energy absorbers. When they
are around, it is as if a giant vacuum sucks the energy from a discussion.
Seldom is that person seen as a leader, because leaders need to do just the
opposite. They need to capture and amplify the enthusiasm of others. The best
way to get that started is to inject your own enthusiasm into any discussion or
activity. Watch a videotape of yourself. Listen to a recording of your participa-
tion. Are you depositing or withdrawing energy from the process or project?