Do as I do, Not as I Say!Principled Leadership by ExampleDr. Steve Guendert, Brocade Communications

Abstract

• Leading by example is a lost principle in our society today.  Far too many people in management roles in IT organizations practice "Do as I say, not as I Do" and it causes far too many problems, the least of which is a lack of job satisfaction in employees.  We'll discuss what it means to be a leader (its not just being a manager), and then we'll focus on how you can learn to become someone who leads by example.  The presenter is a former US Navy Officer.

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Agenda

• Why do we care about leadership?• Leadership definition• Manager vs. leader• Principles and traits• Lead by example

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Why does leadership matter?

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Leadership definition

• Many definitions for leadership exist• Leadership is stated as the "process of social influence in

which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.”

• Nice book definition but let’s not be academics

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My favorite definition

• Leadership: • “ The art of getting someone else to do something you

want done because he wants to do it.”

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Examples

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Leadership (leader) vs. Management (manager)

• “Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”~Stephen R. Covey

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Steve’s ideas

• Managers stew, leaders do• Managers require, leaders inspire• Managers preach, leaders teach• Managers follow rules, leaders make them• Managers do things right, leaders do right things• Managers focus on action, leaders focus on vision• Managers haze, leaders praise• Leaders realize their people doing well is a reflection on

them, it is not a threat to them.

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GUENDERT’S RULESPrinciples

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Integrity

• Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code• Moral soundness• Honesty• Freedom from corrupting influence or motive

• Rule #1: Never compromise your integrity. Never!

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Know your people

• True leaders sincerely care about their people• True leaders show an interest in their people• True leaders know their people• Example: Bob Mahoney, IBM

• Rule #2: Know your people.

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Expectations

• Don’t ask your people to do what you would not expect of yourself.

• Are you willing to do yourself what you are asking of others?

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Expectations

• Rule #3: Be willing and able to do yourself what you ask of others.

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Your best effort

• Sloth is one of the deadly sins.• Always give your best effort-demand no less or no more

of others than what you demand of yourself. Anything else is hypocrisy.

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Your best effort

• Rule #4: Always, always give your best effort.

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Chain of command

• If you whine or complain in front of your people, you have lost their confidence and you lose them.

• Morale is more contagious than the Plague

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Chain of command

• Rule #5: No whining

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Confidence

• Always exude confidence no matter the odds• “Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools”-Napoleon• “The difficult we do at once, the impossible just takes a little longer”-US Navy Seabees,

World War II

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Confidence

• Rule #6: If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.

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“Micromanagement”

• "The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”—Theodore Roosevelt, American President

• "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”— General George S. Patton

• Rule #7: Trust your people

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Diversity

• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

• Do unto others…..

• Rule #8: Treat everyone as you would want to be treated

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Decisiveness

• Before you can lead, you need to know how to follow.• Indecision only results in bad things.• Initiative is there to be seized.• Its better to ask forgiveness than ask permission-we learn from failures.

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Decisiveness

• Rule #9: Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

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Power

• Rule #10: Always do the right thing

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Conclusion

• Lead by example-inspire your people.• Blaze the path.• Integrity is everything.• Never quit.• Never compromise your principles.• Have a vision.

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THANK YOU

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