Transformational leadership: doing your greatest work

Every transformational leader wants to do compelling, meaningful great work, and they see their leadership purpose as the starting point for doing this. Yet, they can grind to a halt at a barrier.

Leaders who are successful and satisfied have learned how to address the four most common barriers that inhibit them from accomplishing their purpose. By understanding these leadership barriers, leaders are better prepared to overcome the barriers and lead purposefully rather than accidentally - doing their greatest work.


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TED talk: the power of Purpose - Ashley M Grice

https://www.ted.com/talks/ashley_m_grice_the_power_of_purpose_in_business?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello again everyone. Last week we were exploring the difference
between the tortoise and the hair. This week, I'd like
to explore with you the barriers for doing your best
work and steps to overcome it. Every transformational leader wants

(00:27):
to do compelling and men evil work, and they see
their leadership purpose as a starting point for doing that.
With every starting point comes a slowing point that can,
if left unattended, can lead to a stopping point. Leaders
who are successful are satisfied and learned how to address

(00:51):
the four most common barriers inhibit them from achieving their purpose.
By understanding these leadership barriers, leaders are better prepared to
overcome them and lead purposely rather than accidentally. First is inertia.

(01:14):
Inertia is seductive. It's it's so easy to get lulled
into doing your work and leading the work of others
in the same ways you've always done. It's the classic
you always do, get what you always get. Every person

(01:34):
knows that change is certain and growth is optional. Yea.
The appeal to remaining the same is appealing because it
doesn't require change, and obviously the company discomfort of learning
something new. Inertia affects us, infects us with a virus

(01:56):
that multiplies the acceptance of locating the past, even in
the phase of knowingly doing uninspired work. Ask ten leaders
if their work's inspired, creative, and transformational, and ask the
same ten leaders of the Honestly, we've described the work

(02:17):
as lacking creativity in producing safe and predictable routes, and
you'll probably hear about six or eight people saying that,
how can this be possible? It's quite simply, as we
discussed in the promises principle, when leaders have multiple priorities

(02:38):
and feel overwhelmed, over worked, and over burdened, the likelihood
of them devoting more energy, time and resources to reinvention
work is always nonexistent. What is astounding is that when
leaders find the one hope, dream or idea that's grabbed

(02:58):
hold of them, and we see their way to cull
the held of their priorities, when they stop trying to
correct their weaknesses instead plying to their strengths, it's Kirsten's time.
That's it down and out for inertia. It doesn't mean
that life becomes butterflies, ice creams, and unicorns, but it

(03:23):
does mean the mindset of the leaders transformed and sow
their beliefs as to what is possible. Second thing is ignorance.
You could be smart and ignorance simultaneously. For example, a
leader can be technically brilliant, well educated, have a brilliant,
compelling work history, and remains ignorant a but a workers

(03:48):
or customers hopes, dreams, and aspiration. I believe that's safety
soon to view. All those as listening to the podcast
are well intentioned, smart and talented leaders. I don't think
you're broken or do I see you as a bit slothful.

(04:11):
What I see in every boardroom cubical corner officer leaders
who are either not informed or or informed about the
power of purpose, who have become addicted to using hard
facts and data to lead themselves and their organization. I've
seen leaders who've forgotten that their behaviors are impacting the

(04:32):
performance and capturing the hearts and mindsets of workers. That
is their number one. That is it is capturing the
hearts and minds of their workers. They're smart, then you
get the wrong but they're smart about all things other
than what's required to create the organization transformation. They're really

(04:57):
shouting out for Wow, They're ignorant about the people in
the relationships sign of leadership. The podcast that I've been
talking about transformative leadership, I've introduced you to some winning
strategies to back your hat and mind as well the

(05:20):
hats and minds of others or the people that you're leading.
In one sense, you're no longer ignorant about the app
and science of leadership, but ignorant about the barrier. What
the barrier is that's holding you back? Is it truly
that you don't know or have been ensnared by inertia
and haven't found the exit door? Before you answer what's

(05:44):
sinsared you, let's talk about the next barrier in experience
number three. An experience and a transformational leadership context is
not a severe an indictment as it sounds. It doesn't

(06:05):
pertain to a long term ability of the leader, but
instead it's an observation about the short term talents and
skills needed to do transformational work. In experience applies to
new or more singior leaders who are fully capable of
learning how to perform meaningful work, but who lack the specific,

(06:30):
targeted and current skill set to become a transformational leader.
In experience points more to the opportunity for skill development
both for leaders as well as their direct reports. Yeah,
it might be easy be to say, yes, my team
is in experience. I want to develop a more innovative, passionate,

(06:52):
and gross focused mindset. It might be easy to clarify
the skills required to handle an upset customer or retain
the customer who called to close their accrown. But the
transformational leaders is continually asking themselves what new experiences and

(07:13):
education if they need to lead the transformation that they envision.
Do you need more experience leading based on purpose? Do
you need more experience about crafting your leadership promises and priorities?
How about persuading others or leading strategic projects? If you

(07:33):
answer is that there are no new experiencers or education
you need, kind of remind you to re listen the
ignorance and inertia part of our talk again. If not,
you want to listen for the roar of a heavy
boulders rolling down the hill toward you and the fourth

(07:58):
final one there in difference now of ten times. In
difference comes from not having a clear and compelling leadership
or organizational purpose. For some leaders, achieving financial results as
a purpose. This purpose does little to win hearts and

(08:20):
minds of workers or customers. Yet achieving financial results is
essential to remaining relevant, but financial metrics as a purpose
is contertuitive, ensures low performance. What the transformational leaders recognize

(08:43):
is that making a meaningful difference in a person's life
jettisons in difference and brings forth greater creativity, energy, and
a willingness to change and grow. I've seen in difference
come in many different forms. There's a difference that comes

(09:06):
from inep senior leaders, unrelenting budget cuts, continues, contract negotiations,
disgristenle customers, sales marketing and operations, misalignments, product quality, misalignments,
and a personal life has out of all control. Have

(09:30):
seen it rooted in simple things. Simple things such as
poor health, poor sleep, poor nutrition, the times in which
indifference comes from someone who truly just doesn't give them
one iota about the product customer performs, reputational wellbeing of

(09:51):
your colleagues, and difference needs to be rooted out and
treated like a cancer. If it's left to its own devices,
it will kill you or your organization. This is where
transformation leaders step up. They'll not allow the airsha and
experience or ignorance to deter them, there'll be a mission

(10:13):
to remove indifference the moment it raises its head. Every
principle you've learned about so far is needed to overcome
these four barriers to doing your best work and for
creating a culture which others come to do their best work.
Although there are times that removing the cancer of indifference

(10:37):
may require an immediate and radical procedure, most often what's
required is perseverance. Perseverance in the face of adversity. Now
we'll learn about how to leave is both the tortoise
and hair ways of approaching work and create transfer informational results.

(11:02):
Execution Trump's strategy in the vocabulary of the perseverance principle.
Execution Trump's strategy for three primary reasons each that's rooted
and outdated and incorrect perceptions about strategy. These perceptions, when

(11:23):
seen as a whole, point to the importance of thinking
strategically about your leadership, your business, your workers, your results,
and of course, your sense of personal satisfaction and success.
They also point to the game changing reality that strategic

(11:46):
to thinking, if not married to ruthless execution, is destined
to fill up yet another shelves have highly thought of
but rarely use binders of strategic plans. Look at your bookshelf,
look at your database, look at your computer, and ask

(12:10):
yourself one question. If I was to grade me, my team,
my organization on the ability to convert strategic ideas into actual, profitable,
rewarding results, what score would I give in a one
to ten? One is the lower low side bad? No,
very good? Ten exemplary I'm going to talk about now.

(12:34):
The most important and relevant misperceptions about strategy and execution
outdut perception one strategy is a respite from a busy day.
This first incorrect perception most people hold is that strategy

(12:56):
sessions are away to tune out the exigencies of the
day and engage in intellectually stimulating, sometimes fun and energy
and conversations. Although you may get energized by strategy, the
best perception to hold a strategy is that it is
a rigorous process of self examination about your prior results,

(13:21):
what didn't work? What demands are facing you and your organizations?
What are we Strategy sessions sessions are simply a launching
part for doing your best work that will improve your
business position. It is essential that you ask questions such

(13:42):
as where will we be as an organization in two
or three years, how will we make a meaningful difference
to our customers' lives? Or what do we want our
workers to experience and achieve in two to three years.
These are really engaging in important questions and for many

(14:07):
people enjoyable because they're transported away from the hash reality
of today's priorities. Strategy sessions allow them to imagine a
future full of new possibilities, new possibilities that may very
well be more enticing than the current state of affairs.

(14:30):
Let's give you a new perception. Strategy sessions really are
a staging gear of an accelerated performance full stop. Yes,
have a clear picture of your future as essential, and yes,
being passionate about your futures required, But the stage needs
to be set that in order to persevere in achieving

(14:53):
your future, your future state, the persistent and consistent execution
required is what needs to be clearly in mind moving forward.
What is it we're doing? What is it we're here
to do in this world? In two to three years.
Artificial intelligence is ramping so rapidly. What was valid at

(15:16):
the beginning of this podcast may not be at the
end of it. Things are moving so rapidly. It's keeping
a breast with it. If you don't keep a breast,
it'll overtake you. Oh, gobble you up. Outdated perception. Two.
Successful execution eliminates failure. In the world of work, many

(15:43):
people have come to the conclusion they have to be
successful in every endeavor they undertake. Success therefore requires illuminating failure.
This failures not tolerated many organizations. The stakes are high,
too high at times, investment too large in the customer

(16:05):
too finny. Yes, winning in the wire the war's require,
But just think for a moment. The war can be
won without losing a battle or two along the way.
It's fill hardly. The most negative and misplaced perception I
and my colleagues have encountered is the one that states,
if you fail, you be relegated to the district office,

(16:27):
wherever that may be. Your career path will be significantly limited.
This type of thinking means that many leaders come to
we tentative steps, WE tiny baby step. They're hesitant to
execute because if they execute incorrectly, they'll be seen in
a less favorable light. M New perception infuse your leadership.

(16:55):
The belief in f three failing forward fast I say again,
infuse your leadership with the belief in f three. Failing forward, faster,
persevering in the face of adversity is assisted in Examples
of leaders and individuals who have achieved tremendous results are

(17:21):
front and center the thing that shines through with him.
Examples are Dyson, Oprah, Wimprey, JK. Rowling, Edison, Abraham Lincoln.
And calculate into your meetings and leadership that if you're
not failing, you're not trying anything new. Get it into

(17:45):
the meeting, get this message there, Let's go for it.
Let's try failures. Okay, there was a company that I'd
done work with and the name is W. L. Gore.
You've probably heard that gortex. The expression there is have
a go. But if it's below the water line and

(18:09):
there's a a potential, you could sick the sink the ship.
You're out there sinking the ship. Speak to someone, speak
to a technical authority, to another person, bounce it off them.
But keep on going. Get all the innovations and ideas
out there. Outdated perception three speed is dangerous. In the

(18:36):
world of car racing, speed is the name of the game.
The person ground to track the fastest and crosses the
line first ahead of their competitors. The winner. Race car
drivers in turn go the fastest they can, being right
at the edge of speed and safety. They're not afraid
of going fast. As a matter of fact, they're continue

(18:58):
looking for ways to go faster, not in the foolish
or reckless waste ways that are right on the edge,
just keeping them to the right edge of safety. Spectators
find many many motorsports exhilarating to watch, but when giving
the opportunity to experience the speed of racing up close

(19:22):
and personal, spectator squeals what a five year old who
juice in a mers Ander menroom. And yet speed is
a new currency in the world of work. You can
transfer ten million pounds, can be transferred from one institution
to another click of a mouse or a tap on

(19:45):
a screen. Customers perceptions can change in an instant. If
a worker's reaction time to problem a issue is too slow,
customer will walk away too. Many workers fierce speed because
they see speeders reckless and perfect undesirable to feel this

(20:10):
way because they're metaphorically driving in the racetrack of work,
not informally one racing care but in the family minivan.
You too would feel out of control in a wee minivan.
Let's give you a new perception. Redefine speed is dangerous
only the vehicle and racetrack you're driving or mismatched. Discuss

(20:36):
what new skill set, mindset, equipment processing systems are required
to decrease time to market for new products or increased
the response time for key customers. Have a bias for
consistent and persistent action. Redefine what the costs are for
slower speed and what the payoffs are for faster Perseverance

(21:01):
and execution trumps strategy because strategy is fine and good
and that it sets direction for you, your team, and organization.
But the reality is that achieving your strategy requires a
perseverance that is best described as ruthless and unrelenting. Wow.

(21:24):
In the last couple of podcasts, you've likely found one
or two areas that point directly to the barriers holding
you bank from the most from your most important strategic initiatives.
The tough love part of transformational leaders is all about
this until you fall in love with your purpose and

(21:46):
wanted in such a ferocity. The perseverance described or we've
talked about is just words that you're hearing words in
your ears when your person grabs hold of you and
you won't let go. The words that you're hearing are
no longer intellectual constructs floating about buzzing about your head,

(22:12):
but ideas that compel you to lease up your running
shoes move your feet. Next week, i'll be talking about
converting everything you've heard into a final plan for being
a catalyst for transformational results. Aye, go dreaming there and

(22:33):
dazzle your world. Goodbye now,