Sensible Leadership: Course #1 Leading in the Dark © Martha N. Johnson
Dec 25, 2015
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Martha JohnsonLeadership Speaker & WriterAuthor: On My Watch: Leadership, Innovation, and Resilience
Instructor
© Martha N. Johnson
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
© Martha N. Johnson
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
© Martha N. Johnson
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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
© Martha N. Johnson
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
© Martha N. Johnson
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
8© Martha N. Johnson
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.
© Martha N. Johnson
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
© Martha N. Johnson
What Strategies Would Help?
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FlexibilityMeasuresTransparency
Photo credit: Phillip(Photo has been altered) License
© Martha N. Johnson
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
© Martha N. Johnson
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
© Martha N. Johnson
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
© Martha N. Johnson
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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Photo credit: License
© Martha N. Johnson