The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan: How to Take Charge, Build Your Team, and Get Immediate Results, 3rd Edition

APPENDIX I

Deploy Six Basic Elements of Leadership

In the Introduction, we quote Lao-tzu on the subtle art of great leadership:

The great leader speaks little. He never speaks carelessly. He works without self-interest and leaves no trace. When all is finished, the people say, “We did it ourselves.”¹

In Chapter 1, inspired by Lao-tzu and the idea of the leader who speaks little and with great care, we break down the components of communicating leadership into a set of six basic elements that you should deploy deliberately and consistently to further develop your own leadership potential.

1. Listen and observe first.
2. Talk in order to listen and connect better.
3. Imagine the leaders’ or key stakeholders’ perspective.
4. Identify potential areas for leadership.
5. Lead through actions that communicate.
6. Carpe Diem.

In this appendix we return to those six basic elements to develop them further.

1. Listen and observe first.

   Good leaders are good connectors. To establish strong connections, they listen and read situations effectively. Many new leaders land their new role on the strength of other more narrowly defined skills or accomplishments and may have had neither the natural tendency nor the opportunity to develop effective connecting skills.

   Our position on this is adamant: you must cultivate listening skills and behavior, no matter where on the spectrum you fall naturally. As with most skills, you first recognize it as something you need to develop long term, and then you begin to practice ...