Crimes We Commit Against Our Careers!
By Dave Jensen
Everyone cheered when Randy was promoted to lead the new business unit. Senior executives applauded his strategic, innovative and collaborative skills. His boss was pleased with his performance in the new position, until…
Sales slipped and tough decisions needed to be made. That’s when troubling signs of Randy’s “lopsided leadership” surfaced. He was slow to cut expenses and hold team members accountable for service issues. Senior executives now rolled their eyes at his overly optimistic vision for new products.
Randy’s performance nose-dived because he believed that the same leadership style that got him results in the past would work during challenging times. He was wrong and he was fired.
Randy’s crime, like many leaders who falter, was “lopsided leadership” – the tendency to overuse a strength (i.e., to be strong to a fault), especially under stress. Leaders who over-focus on their strongest style(s) are like muscle-bound bodybuilders who don’t stretch. You’ve seen them, right? They’re inflexible, rigid, and unable to adapt to the stress of change. How often does this happen to you when you’re under pressure?
Research tells us (based on my review of hundreds of studies that included more than 171, 000 leaders) that we can avoid the perils of overdoing a strength by developing four fundamental leadership styles. A little later, I’m going to tell you what these four styles are, why they’re mandatory, and how to use them to conquer your challenges. But for right now, let’s identify your challenges…
Do These Challenges Look Familiar?
Listed below are the top 10 issues confronting leaders according to the American Management Association. How many of these are you being asked to deal with?
- Control costs
- Grow the business
- Motivate employees
- Hold employees accountable for results
- Meet short-term objectives
- Innovate for long-term growth
- Get more done with less
- Take time to coach/mentor direct reports
- Achieve individual/unit performance goals
- Increase teamwork/collaboration
Did you notice that these challenges actually pull in opposite directions? If you read the list again with the word and at the end of each odd-numbered statement, you’ll spot this overall leadership challenge.
“The problem, of course, is that…management is complicated and confusing. Be global and be local. Collaborate and compete. Change perpetually and maintain order. Make the numbers while nurturing your people. How is anyone supposed to reconcile all this?”
Professor Henry Mintzberg
Conquer Your Challenges with THE EXPANSIVE LEADERSHIP MODEL™
Leadership scholar Henry Mintzberg, the top ten challenges, and even Randy’s true story, teach us that leaders at all levels are often stretched by issues that pull them in opposite directions (i.e., “paradoxical tensions”). The most successful leaders manage these paradoxical tensions using what I call “eXpansive leadership.”
leadership is “the process of unleashing the energy of your team toward a worthy goal using four leadership styles.” Being strong in one style (like Randy) or two styles (as I was when I was an executive at UCLA) is not enough. What I have learned from my extensive research, experience as an executive, and decades of coaching/teaching leaders is this: If you want to consistently conquer your challenges and achieve your goals, you must…
eXpand Your Leadership Effectiveness Using THE EXPANSIVE LEADERSHIP MODEL™
Listed below are the four fundamental leadership styles of THE EXPANSIVE LEADERSHIP MODEL™. Research says you need to demolish your challenges and turbo-charge your overall leadership effectiveness by accessing…
I. Rational – Manage daily operations by focusing on execution, efficiency, controlling expenses and meeting short-term objectives.
II. Visionary – Create an inspiring future by exploring innovative strategies, new revenue streams and long-term growth.
III. Empowering – Foster a culture of caring and collaboration by coaching, motivating and engaging team members.
IV. Commanding – Take charge by confronting difficult issues, holding employees accountable, and getting more done with less.
Catapult Your Career with These ‘Great Eight’ Leadership Skills
Over the years, as I taught leaders all four of these powerful leadership styles, they began improving other leadership skills that elevated their careers. (Two of my “students” became CEOs of huge organizations in less than a year!)
This really piqued my interest. So, I dove deeper into the scientific studies on career success. It turns out that leaders at all levels who achieve their goals over the long haul, score high in eight vital leadership skills. These “Great Eight” enable leaders tosurvive turbulent times and keep their careers on course.
These eight critical leadership skills and how they can help you are:
- eXpansive Agility – improves your flexibility and ability to respond to rapidly changing conditions.
- Emotional Intelligence – helps you manage your emotions and improve your decision-making under pressure.
- Engage Others – boosts motivation, morale, and productivity by helping others do their best every day.
- High Performing Learner – focuses on the few key competencies and agility needed to advance your career.
- Alignment Ability – communicates how the big picture and key initiatives connect to daily activities.
- Systems Thinking – knocks down silos and improves strategic, cross-functional collaboration.
- Leading Values – identifies those values that lead to individual and organizational success.
- Global Leadership – develops the essential skills necessary to thrive in cross-cultural environments.
A Research-proven, Personalized Profile in Less Than 20 Minutes
Let me summarize our discussion of effective leadership with three simple and powerful steps you can take to avoid committing crimes against your career and achieve your leadership goals:
- Understand the four fundamental leadership styles and great eight skills to eXpand your effectiveness.
- Assess your strengths and development opportunities in these leadership styles and skills.
- Create a personalized action plan that focuses on a few, critical areas that will help you lead with your strengths and manage your weaknesses. This laser beam approach will deliver the biggest bang for your buck (AND time)!
To help you take these three essential steps, we created the web-based THE EXPANSIVE LEADERSHIP MODEL™ (XLM) Assessment. Within minutes of completing your assessment (which takes less than 20 minutes to fill out), you can download your highly personalized Profile – a comprehensive, 21 + page report and customized action plan in PDF format.
Your Personal Profile provides the insights required to leverage your strengths and minimize your weaknesses in the four leadership styles and great eight skills. By concentrating your energy on these few actions, you’ll develop the leadership flexibility you need to navigate today’s whitewater environment and tomorrow’s foggy future. CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE ASSESSMENT
Isn’t it Time to Invest in YOUR Leadership Effectiveness?
Many research-based, 360 leadership assessments cost between $49.00 and $107.00. HOWEVER, because my publisher demands that I create and analyze a large database of anonymous leadership profiles for my forthcoming book, we are offering the XLM Assessment at the discounted, introductory price of ONLY $29.95!
Oh yes, I almost forgot… The XLM Assessment also allows, but does NOT require, you to invite others (direct reports, peers, boss…) to assess your leadership styles. So, you can gain a true 360 perspective… at the same, low price of $29.95!
So come on, CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE ASSESSMENT. Within minutes of downloading your Profile, you’ll be applying the most advanced, research-based leadership tools, tips, and techniques to conquer your challenges and catapult your career.
Order now for the introductory price of only $29.95! CLICK HERE
Sincerely,
Dave
Dave Jensen, Author
XLM Assessment and Profile
For questions call or email:
310-397-6686
DJ@DaveJensenOnLeadership.com
MY PERSONAL GUARANTEE
I personally guarantee that you will be delighted with your new Personal Profile. In fact, I’ll give you a 30-day “review” of this blockbuster material. Take 30 days to examine your Personal Profile. If you feel that I fell short in any way on delivering everything I promised in this letter, just let me know and I’ll be happy to give you a full refund.
If during the 30 days, you are not entirely convinced that this awesome information has real value… if for any reason it does not live up to your expectations or deliver what I say it will, simply contact me… and I will gladly refund your full investment. NO QUESTIONS ASKED!
You even get to keep your Personal Profile. I can’t make it any better than that!
Have a question? Just contact me at DJ@DaveJensenOnLeadership.com and I will respond personally and in timely fashion.
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