Sensible Leadership: Course #1

Leading in the Dark

© Martha N. Johnson

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Martha JohnsonLeadership Speaker & WriterAuthor: On My Watch: Leadership, Innovation, and Resilience

Instructor

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Learn More

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Part 1: Leading in the Dark

Part 2: Leading Under Oath

Part 3: Leading a Pyramid or a

Network?

Part 4: Strategies for Change –

Interrupting and Disrupting

Part 5: Leadership Risk

Part 6: Leadership Resilience

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I am a …a. Practitioner (Individual Contributor)b. Team Leaderc. Supervisord. Managere. Executive

Audience Poll

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Leaders are in the dark

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• It’s a fact

• They don’t like it.

• They don’t want to be in

the dark.

• They work their hearts

out not to be in the dark. Photo credit: Zev License

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What’s So Hard About the Dark?

• Leaders feel/look dumb

• Leaders have to trust (many) people

• Decision-making is tough enough

• Success requires intuition – not just brains

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There’s Dark and There’s DARK

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• Leaders have information -- but not analysis or understanding.

• Leaders make choices and take risks – but there are risks they don’t know about.

Photo credit: Cloudtail License

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You run the finance division; your colleague runs the audit division. A poll of the two organizations reveals an issue of harassment.

Do you two report this to your Boss? 1. No, we quickly handle it together

2. No, we get HR involved and leave it to them

3. Yes, it could turn into a PR problem

4. Yes, it could be a cross-organization problem

5. I'm not sure

Audience Poll

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Darkness Can Make a Leader Edgy

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Photo credit: Erik HerbertLicense

• It’s about power and control.

• A leader might respond by asserting more control.

• BUT, power asserted can become power resented, power contested, and power denied.

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What Chokes Information?

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• Structure: Regulations for personnel, procurement, privacy

• Culture: Closed, formal, hierarchical

• IT: Data not collected or sifted usefully

• What else? What examples can you think of?

Photo credit: Stephen Depolo License

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What Strategies Would Help?

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FlexibilityMeasuresTransparency

Photo credit: Phillip(Photo has been altered) License

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Transparency

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Photo credit: Dennis Skley License

It’s a Value• It’s the new normal• It’s a useful business strategy• Transparency must come

from the top

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How Transparent is Your Organization?

Poll

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A.B.C.D.E.

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Flexibility

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It’s a Skill • Capability to scan, find, and adopt

new channels• Ability to handle new forms• Practice builds flexibility of the mind

Photo credit: Webtreats*Photo has been altered License

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Measurements

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It’s an Attitude• Are measures

flashlights or

interrogation lights?• Do we fit into a

larger mission?

Photo credit: Lulu Lovering License

In Summary: A Leadership Choice

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A leader can focus on being in the dark or taking an organization into the light.

Photo credit: Chris/AC License

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Learn More

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Next Course: Part Two

“Leading Under Oath”With Martha Johnson

Feb 25, 2014 Noon-1 pm ET Register at TMGovU.org

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© Martha N. Johnson