You have probably seen a similar version to this, eg there are three kinds of people. Those that make things happen, those that watch things happen and there are those that say “what the #$@! happened”.
I’m talking about the five kinds of people in your organisation when it comes to leadership. They are …
1. Highly Effective Leaders
2. Leaders
3. Managers
4. Followers
5. Saboteurs.
Saboteurs don’t care whether your organisation wins or loses. These guys are actively disengaged. They may even be working to cause problems. They gossip, are dishonest and back stab. There is no place in your organisation for people who act in this way.
Followers are neutral. They are neither engaged or disengaged. Sometimes they care, sometimes they don’t. They go with the flow, which is not all bad, but we want them to care more. Rather than just follow we want them to show initiative and be more positive.
Managers are the ones working to maintain the status quo and keep the wheels turning. They follow correct policy and procedure. They care about the organisation and its people. They take responsibility for the goals and targets they have been given. They are actively engaged and really important. (NB – you don’t have to actually have ‘Manager’ in your title to be in this group).
Leaders challenge what they see in front of them and want better. They steer the organisation in new directions. They produce results. They inspire others around them to strive to do better. They take ultimate responsibility for the performance of the organisation. They are highly engaged.
Highly Effective Leaders do all that leaders do and more. The most important responsibility they take on is to grow others into effective leaders. Their mission is to leave a legacy, to make the organisation and its people better than when they found it.
Some interesting questions – which one are you? What is the proportion of each in your organisation? What can you do about it?
The answer is create a culture of leadership in your organisation so that everyone moves towards becoming a highly effective leader (except the saboteurs – they move out).