The 7 Habits of Spectaculary Unsuccesful Executives

From Forbes

1) They see themselves and their companies dominating their environment (warning sign: a lack of respect)

2) They identify so completely with the company/corporation that there is no clear boundary between their personal interests and their corporation's interest (warning sign: questions of character)

3) They think they have all the answers (warning sign: no followers)

4) They ruthlessly eliminate anyone who is not completely behind them (warning sign: executive departures/churn)

5) They are consumate spokepersons, obsessed with the company image (warning sign: blatant attention seeking)

6) They under-estimate obstacles (warning sign: excessive hype)

7) They stubbornly rely on what worked for them in the past (warning sign: constantly referring to what worked in the past)

Seniority and greatness

Marshall Goldsmith spends one chapter in his bestselling book about executive coaching "What got you here won't get you there" on the importance of listening. He rightly remarks listening is not a passive activity; on the contrary, good listeners regard it as a highly active process, one that is absolutely essential to a great conversation. Hence listening requires an amount of effort, especially when one is engaged in selling a product, idea or service.

Click to read more ...

Great Leaders

Many people asked me how I would list the elements making a great leader:

(1) Personal humility fortified with professional will, which is much different from ego-drive, or the capacity for show-off combined with a large dose of personal PR. Humility leads managers to effortlessly take responsibility, but also naturally share success with their team.

(2) Integrity: walk the talk, and lead by example. These people do as they say. Such individuals always operate from within an aura of transparency and openness, as there is few or nothing they need to hide or shy away from.

(3) Passion, which I see as a combination of energy, creativity and focus. Passion allows leaders to develop vision, and the gives them the energy to implement it. It makes them mobilize their team to realize a shared mission.

(4) A genuine positive outlook on life and people, with a total absence of cynicism. Personal and organizational growth can only be sustained through optimism, or a deep positive belief that people and situations can change for the better. Its a main attractor for what one can define the good things in life: health and valuable friendships.

(5) Last but not least I would list intelligence, on both an intrinsic and emotional level. I once read an IQ test can account for one third of the success of an executive, and I do not completely disagree. Throw an equal measure of EQ and one will go a long way.

Great leaders develop a culture where the truth can be heard, and they do not devalue contrary views or idea's. On the contrary, like Jack Welsh, they will relish and promote candor in their organizations. As such they promote a culture where respect tends to be equally given as it will be received. Those leaders confront facts, ask the necessary questions, and will focus on what has the greatest impact;  they will be a major source for the job satisfaction of those working for them.