Becoming An Extra-0rdinary Leader

Becoming An Extraordinary Leader : Major(R)Khalid Nasr Leadership is a continual process of making to commitments… to oneself, to others, and to the organizations we lead and serve. Here are the commitments an Extraordinary Leader makes: 1.Continually pursue personal and professional growth 2.Treating everyone I come in contact with the dignity and respect they deserve 3.Finding the way for as many people as possible to benefit from my decisions and actions 4.Be willing to make and carry out hard decisions without regard to personal expediency 5.The highest level of personal and corporate integrity 6.Tell the truth and be honest, regardless of potential personal loss 7.Think “team” first 8.Finding a person who can mentor me 9.Finding at least one person I can personally mentor 10.Help others discover their strengths and function in them 11.Maintain my priorities and organize my life and work according to them 12.Live a life of balance between work, family, and leisure 13.Pursue balanced growth in body, soul and spirit – understanding that each area affects the others innately 14.Pursue what is best – for myself, my organization, and for others – and not settle for that which is simply “good enough” 15.Do work and live a life that leaves behind a lasting legacy of excellence 16.Build a team to surround me in order to enhance my strengths and make up for my weaknesses 17.Surround myself with people who will tell me the truth and not just what they think I want to hear 18.Become a great listener 19.Be an Extraordinary Follower of those who are my leaders 20.Help others develop their skills 21.Dream big dreams and encourage others to do the same 22.Stretch my followers enough to make them grow but not so much as to discourage them 23.Be driven by vision, mission and purpose, not by circumstances or expediency 24.View the world through optimistic eyes 25.Embrace the concept of change as a positive force for improvement 26.Be responsible in my actions as they relate to my commitments to myself and others 27.Be tenacious in my pursuits 28.Give more than I receive and to be characterized by generosity 29.Show courage in the face of challenge 30.Be an example of dedication and commitment 31.Share the privileges of leadership with those who follow me 32.Give power away to those who can share in it responsibly and help the organization 33.Use both my head and my heart when leading 34.Manage my time according to my priorities 35.Be the first to sacrifice when sacrifice is needed 36.Make all short-term decisions with the long-term goals in mind 37.Develop a successor 38.Develop excellent communication skills 39.Use a variety of means of influence 40.Be the primary strategy setter for the organization 41.Teach others 42.Inspire others 43.Keep my eye on the big picture 44.Making the complex simple 45.Motivate others 46.Consider others as important as myself 47.Identify future leaders 48.Train and develop future leaders 49.Regularly reward accomplishment 50.Allow followers to fail in their attempts at growth and innovation 51.Work leadership development into every level of the organization 52.Have a clear vision 53.Remain calm in difficult situations 54.Keep a sense of humor 55.Remove people from their position as soon as I know they need to go 56.Empathize with others

TEN MAJOR CAUSES OF FAILURE IN LEADERSHIP

10 Major Causes Of Failure In Leadership:Major(R)Khalid Nasr It is as essential to know WHAT NOT TO DO as it is to know what to do. 1. INABILITY TO ORGANIZE DETAILS Efficient leadership calls for ability to organize and to master details. No genuine leader is ever "too busy" to do anything which may be required of him in his capacity as leader. The successful leader must be the master of all details connected with his position. He must develop the habit of delegating routine tasks to capable subordinates. 2. UNWILLINGNESS TO RENDER HUMBLE SERVICE Truly great leaders are willing, when occasion demands, to perform any sort of labor which they would ask another to perform. "The greatest among you shall be the servant of all" is a truth which all able leaders observe and respect. 3. EXPECTATION OF PAY FOR WHAT THEY "KNOW" INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY DO WITH THAT WHICH THEY KNOW The world does not pay men for that which they "know." It pays them for what they DO, or induce others to do. 4. FEAR OF COMPETITION FROM FOLLOWERS The leader who fears that one of his followers may take his position is practically sure to realize that fear sooner or later. The able leader trains understudies to whom he may delegate, at will, any of the details of his position. 5. LACK OF IMAGINATION Without imagination, the leader is incapable of meeting emergencies, and of creating plans by which to guide his followers efficiently. 6. SELFISHNESS The leader who claims all the honour for the work of his followers, is sure to be met by resentment. The really great leader does not claim honour. He is happy to see the honors go to his followers. 7. INTEMPERANCE Followers do not respect an intemperate leader. Moreover, intemperance in any of its various forms, destroys the endurance and the vitality of all who indulge in it. 8. DISLOYALTY The leader who is not loyal to his associates, those above him, and those below him, cannot maintain his leadership.Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life. 9. EMPHASIS ON THE "AUTHORITY" The efficient leader leads by encouraging, and not by trying to instill fear in the hearts of his followers. The leader who tries to impress his followers with his "authority" comes within the category of leadership through FORCE. If a leader is a REAL LEADER, he will have no need to advertise that fact except by his conduct—his sympathy, understanding, fairness, and a demonstration that he knows his job. 10. EMPHASIS ON "OFFICIAL TITLE" The competent leader requires no "title" to give him the respect of his followers. The man who makes too much over his title generally has little else to emphasize. The doors to the office of the real leader are open to all who wish to enter. These are among the common causes of failure in leadership. Any one of these faults is sufficient to induce failure.

LEADERSHIP TECHNIQUES

Leadership Techniques :Major(R)Khaid Nasr Here are five leadership and success secrets 1.Create Passion Let your passion show. Let people know that you are excited about their accomplishments, and the passion will multiple. 2. Expect the Best Excellence Will Take Care of the Rest. Expect the best out of people, and they will rise to your standards. 3. Understand So That You Are Understood Try to understand your employees. Take the time to understand their goals, wants, needs, hobbies, etc. The more you take time to understand them, the more your employees will want to help you succeed. 4. Give of Yourself Always give his time, energy, and passion without “keeping score.” Take the time to go the extra mile to see how you can help your employees, your team, and/or your organization without “keeping score.” Your employees will feel that you care, and then they will go to a new level of caring. 5. Share the Knowledge Don’t hoard your knowledge, share it. By sharing your knowledge, you multiply yourself and become known as a developer of people. Your knowledge, once you share it, will live on after you are gone. Apply these five leadership techniques and create success in your life.

AN INSIGHT ON SUCCESS

An Insight On Success : Major(R)Khalid Nasr The first step to achieve success is to be clear what success is. The best definition I have come across is: "Success is the completion of anything intended." In other words success is finishing what you planned to do. The above definition of success shines a light on failure and success. Make a plan and follow it and you will have succeeded. Make a plan and do not follow it and you will have failed. This gives a yard stick for judging every day of our lives. We can say at the end of the day "I have failed" or "I have succeeded." This may seem very obvious but it is amazing that only about 85% of the human race end up doing what they intended. Brian Tracy agrees with the connection between success and goals. He has said "Success is goals, and all else is commentary." Tracy believes that people with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them. Stuart Goldsmith in "The Midas Method" has an important section on how to set goals so that they are achieved using the full power of the subconscious mind. Maria Nemeth gives this definition of success: "Doing what you said you would do, with ease". "Doing what you said you would do" is currently not achieved by the majority of the human race especially politicians! Doing it with ease is achieved by even fewer and requires making the most of the subconscious mind. Jim Rohn argues that success is just a few simple disciplines practised daily. The power of daily discipline is HUGE. Because the discipline is practised daily the effect is cumulative. The good practice is carried out 365 times a year with, perhaps, a few lapses. It cannot fail to have tremendous influence. Once the discipline becomes a daily habit, it can be forgotten about until the rewards start coming in. The practice of daily disciplines alone can change our lives totally. Another benefit of daily disciplines is that they quickly create habits and habits create character. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. "Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." Albert Einstein The next quote says more or less the same thing: "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." Henry David Thoreau Many would argue that success is not about making money but about developing oneself into a person who is valuable to others. However, this quite often will lead to making money because people will pay for value. Success is the result of steadily taking action on our most important goals. When we consistently focus our energies and our efforts upon what matters most, we can't help but be successful. What are the causes of failure and success? William James, the great American psychologist, puts failure down to lack of faith in one's self: "There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man's lack of faith in his true self." Faith in one self is a huge part of success. Stuart Goldsmith in "The Midas Method" talks about two kinds of belief that are necessary for success. You must believe that you deserve to succeed and you must believe that you have the ability to succeed. Another big cause of success is discipline. "The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term is the indispensable prerequisite for success." Brian Tracy Another cause is the willingness to try to succeed even if the possiblity of success is remote. Age does not matter just grab hold of your dream. Actually visualize your hand holding on to that dream. Too many people are worn down by life and give up their dreams. Every dream is personal but the principle is the same. You are an idiot if you let go. You have to have a reason for living. Set yourself a goal and never let go until you die. The basic principle is that you have to do what is required. Some things require certain actions to achieve them and you have to do them whether you like doing them or not. Many successful people stress the importance of action in achieving success. Action is the key to success, and failure to act is the reason most people will never achieve the kind of success they dream about. Another approach to achieving success is to stay cool about it. Just get on with doing what you think is important and what you love to do. "Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally." Sir David Frost "Success has a simple formula: 'Do your best and people may like it'". Any success involves some kind of cost; usually some boring work is involved as suggested in the following quote. The word 'drudgery' sums this kind of work up exactly. Almost any kind of business involves marketing and marketing is the last thing many businessmen enjoy doing. "Success is the child of drudgery and perseverance. It cannot be coaxed or bribed; pay the price and it is yours". Mike Litman comes up with golden statements frequently. Here is just one of them: "The biggest secret of success in life is: You don't have to get it right; you just have to get it going. Perfectionism can kill success. We never get going because we are always waiting to get everything just right. Instead, let's get going." "Success breeds success"

LEADERSHIP VISION

Leadership Vision : MAJOR(R)Khalid Nasr The very essence of leadership is---vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. Leaders have vision. They share a dream and direction that other people want to share and follow. The leadership vision goes beyond your written organizational mission statement and your vision statement. The vision of leadership permeates the workplace and is manifested in the actions, beliefs, values and goals of your organization’s leaders. Leadership Vision Fundamentals Leaders can inspire with their own vision. In fact, most businesses were started because the founder had a vision about what he or she could create. Sharing that vision with others in a way that compels them to act is the secret to a successful leadership vision. These are the fundamentals necessary for a vision that excites and motivates people to follow the leader. The vision must: 1.Clearly set organizational direction and purpose; 2.Inspire loyalty and caring through the involvement of all employees; 3.Display and reflect the unique strengths, culture, values, beliefs and direction of the organization; 4.Inspire enthusiasm, belief, commitment and excitement in company members; 5.Help employees believe that they are part of something bigger than themselves and their daily work; 6.Be regularly communicated and shared; 7.Challenge people to outdo themselves, to stretch and reach. Characteristics of a Successful Leadership Style 1.Be the person others choose to follow. 2.Provide vision for the future. 3.Provide inspiration. 4.Make other people feel important and appreciated. 5.Live your values. Behave ethically. 6.Set the pace through your expectations and example. 7.Establish an environment of continuous improvement. 8.Provide opportunities for people to grow, both personally and professionally. 9.Care and act with compassion.

CHARTER OF SUCCESS

Charter of Success :Major (R)Khalid Nasr A major part of the process of achieving success and living the kind of life that you dream of is to give. Many people think that to get what you want you have to take it. There is a universal truth though that the true path to get what you want is to give. When you give, you get. What you sow, you shall reap. If this is true, then what is it we must give? I'll show you the way...Give Others Your Honesty. The world we live in has a simple rule that most follow: Lie when you have to. Unfortunately, this may make some people wealthy but it makes us humans poor. To achieve success is to become wealthy not only in money, but in character. To be successful, truly successful, is to be able to attain your goals and keep your character at the same time.Honesty is the most single most important factor having a direct bearing on the final success of an individual, corporation, or product.The problem with little lies is they become big ones. You get caught in one lie and you lie to get out of it etc.In all things and at all times, give others your honesty. 1.Give Others Your Respect. Most of the time we give people respect based on what they have done or what they have accomplished. We gauge whether or not they are "worthy" of it based on what we know of what they have achieved or who they know or are related to.But I believe we should have a higher standard: We respect people not for what they have done or for who they are related to or for what they can do for us. Instead, we respect people for simply being.What would happen in our world, in our company, and yes, even in our families if we started with respect for everyone else rather than making them earn it? I think we would see that most people would live up to the respect that we give them! 2.Give Others Your Care. Too many people are running around this old earth not caring about others. Let's bring about a new day when we can care about others AND succeed!Take the time to show people you care. Listen to them. Empathize with them. Love them. Now, I don't mean that you have to go around hugging everyone - that probably wouldn't fly in corporate America anyway - but we can take some time to step back from business and be human! 3.Give Others Your Passion. There is nothing this world needs more than passionate people. And people need passionate people. Living in this day and age can be tiring. The hustle and bustle of it all can wear you down and tire you out. Give your passion to others and fire them up. Don't just be humdrum - be excited. Give people all the energy you can muster up. And you will find that energy reciprocal. They will get energized and passionate. This in turn will fire you up more when you are already charged and get you going altogether when you don't feel like moving at all! 4.Give Others Your Experience. We all have areas that we excel in and they are usually areas that we have experience in. One of the things we can do to make our lives more meaningful and be of utmost help to others is to show them the way through the experiences we have.Sometimes it will be what they should do: Shortcuts to take, people to meet, etc. Sometimes it will be what they should not do: Shortcuts not to take and people to stay away from! Whatever it is, we can be of service to others by giving them our experience and ultimately it will make us all better! 5.Give Others Your Help. We must help others. we must give all the help others want from us, we will in turn get what we want." If we want to be successful, we should consider ourselves servants of other people. What can we do to help them and make them better?

RESPONSIBLE LEADERS

Responsible Leaders :Major (R)Khalid Nasr Taking responsibility for one's actions is a key component of success as an individual. And taking responsibilty for what your team does is a key component of leadership. When one doesn't do that, failure is just around the corner. Avoiding responsibility in one's personal life carries over into one's professional life, and vice versa. Excuses for failure and the choices you make at workplace fuel dysfunctional thinking and, subsequently, undesirable behaviour and actions. This is why taking responsibility is so powerfully important and is the essence of what can make or break a leader. Take responsibility at workplace Taking responsibility is the underlying factor behind success at work. If someone in your team makes a mistake, you must be able to admit it, take the necessary action and then proceed. This is something that many do not understand. No leader can be successful without being accountable for his/her own actions. Being responsible ensures that even when events outside your control go awry, you can at least determine how you will react to the situation. You can make the situation a disaster or you can use it as an opportunity to learn and to grow. Why people don't admit their mistakes Mistakes bring about a feeling of tension and anxiety within the individual. At such times, the mind seeks rational ways of escaping the situation. A range of defence mechanisms can be triggered. These defence mechanisms are subconsciously employed to protect the ego and they tend to distort, transform, or otherwise falsify reality. One uses these 'deceptions' to avoid facing issues of guilt, failure, fear, emotional pain, or embarrassment. In distorting reality, there is a change in perception which helps to lessen anxiety. There are many defence mechanisms. Some examples are: Denial: Claiming/believing what is true to be false Projection: Attributing uncomfortable feelings to others Displacement: Redirecting emotions to a substitute target Rationalisation: Creating false but credible justifications Reaction formation: Overeacting in an opposite way to the fear Intellectualisation: Taking an objective viewpoint in order to ignore the emotional aspect Regression: Going back to acting like a child Repression: Pushing uncomfortable thoughts into the subconscious Sublimation: Redirecting 'wrong' urges into socially acceptable actions Some defence mechanisms are healthy. However, we sometimes either use them at the wrong time or overuse them, which can be destructive. For example, a leader whose team keeps failing, may misuse defence mechanisms such as rationalisation, projection, or denial, often. Common defensive expressions used at the workplace "It was not my fault." (blaming others without accepting personal responsibility) "It wasn't all that important." (belittling the act) "It happened a long time ago." (implying it doesn't matter anymore) "They made me do it." (blaming others for a personal wrong act) "There was no other way out." (justification of wrong) "It only happened once." (rationalisation) "Everyone does it." (rationalisation) "I am only human." (indirectly blaming god) "Well, no one is perfect." (general comparison to shift the guilt) "The contract we lost was not a good one anyway." (a case of 'sour grapes' -- another defense mechanism) How to take responsibility as a leader Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind: 1.Acknowledge that your work is your responsibility 2.Demonstrate accountability. 3.Make no excuses 4.Listen to the little voice inside your head. The next time you catch yourself making an excuse, whether for a missed deadline or an unmet goal, gently remind yourself -- no excuses. Excuses fuel failure. 5.Listen to yourself when you speak 6.Take feedback seriously If someone gives you feedback that you make excuses and blame others for your troubles-----------------control your defensive action, explore examples and deepen your understanding of the situation. Thus, when events at the workplace exert pressure on you, you can respond positively or negatively. Those who respond positively and take responsibility rather than blame others or be indifferent are the ones who grow as leaders. Consequently, they develop the foundation for great positive responses, great achievement, and great success in leadership.

RULES OF LEADERSHIP

Eight Rules for Managers to become Leaders : Major(R)Khalid Nasr 1.Relentlessly upgrade your team, using every encounter as an opportunity to evaluate, coach and build self-confidence.Leaders are people-oriented. 2.Make sure people not only see the vision, they live and breathe it.Without vision it is no good a leader. 3.Get into everyone’s skin, exuding positive energy and optimism. 4.Establish trust with candour, transparency and credit. 5.Have the courage to take unpopular decisions and gut calls. 6.Probe and push with curiosity that borders on skepticism, making sure that action follows orders. 7.Inspire risk taking and learning by setting examples. 8.Celebrate …… it creates an atmosphere of recognition and positive energy.

THREE MISTAKES BY LEADERS

Three Mistakes By Leaders:Major(R)Khalid Nasr The Three Mistakes Most Leaders Make 1. Managing instead of leading:Managing has more to do with directing day-to-day tasks, whereas leading has more to do with casting a vision, goal setting, and motivation. When a leader spends more time managing than leading, morale suffers among the troops. Most people would prefer a goal to shoot for and some freedom to figure out how to reach that goal. 2. Mistaking individual loyalty for team building:We shouldn't neglect the individual relationships with those who work closely with us. We also can't miss the important steps necessary to putting those people together in team situations where they learn what it means to work together. 3. Failing to apply what motivates us:A leader may know what motivates him, but he forgets that the same things motivate those who work for him. We want our people to be competent so that everything always runs smoothly. But when we lock people into the routine of sameness, we wind up killing their motivation. When we stretch people into new areas of challenges, we know they are going to make mistakes. But when we keep them "safe," we take the motivational wind out of their sails.

TIPS ON LEADERSHIP

Ten Tips for Leaders Major(R)Khalid Nasr 1. Know yourself Every experience contains insights for you about yourself and your leadership. Who are you? What are your gifts and talents? What makes you tick? What are you needs, what are your values, what are your insecurities? How do people press your buttons? What do you need to manage that?When you engage with people what do they experience? What sort of leader do you want to be? 2. Know the purpose of your leadership Are you pursuing a passion to achieve something that meets a need, something that matters deeply to you and the others on your team? Is it virtuous? Will it serve many positively? If you are doing it for the prestige, the power, the significance it brings you, think of the saying "If you are not enough without it, you wont be enough with it". 3. Know your domain holistically Have you stayed curious and asked lots of questions without pre-judgement? Have you actively been searching for reality, or a version that pleases you? Have you made it genuinely safe for people to tell you what they really think and feel? Everyone's perception is true and valid for them. Have you got a 360° degree perspective on the situation? Have you gone beyond the boundaries in seeking understanding of all the forces at play? 4. Create clarity & focus Have you distilled what you have discovered into a relatively simple concept that a 5 year old could understand? Have you developed models and metaphors to enable people to understand the concept without the complexity? Are they emotionally enrolled? Are you certain they understand from their point of view? Are you reframing any misconceptions they express when they express them? Do you communicate it over and over and over to keep it clear and top of mind but in different ways so they stay inspired? 5. Ensure capability When you look at others what do you see? Do you see them clearly or through your filters? Have you faced the truth about the talents and abilities of the people you require? Have you faced the truth about the resources you require? If you don't have them, have you developed a strategy to get them or modified your expectations to fit what you have? You can use this for growth and development of people's capability which engenders commitment, loyalty and synergy. When mistakes are made do you use them as discovery learning? 6. Be fully present Are you 100% present with people when they are with you? Do you listen to what they say and what they mean? Do you let them know when you are preoccupied so they understand your responses. 7. Ensure alignment Do you notice the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours in the people you lead? They are the evidence of people's subconscious drivers. Do you know what the needs are of the people you are leading? Do you meet those needs so they are free to give their best. Are you an embodiment of the values in everything that you do and the things you say? Do people embody the values in the things they say and they way they do them? Do you encourage dialogue which explores why do people think & feel what they think & feel about xyz. Do you embrace conflict as a healthy source of energy? Do you focus on your objectives and develop it into creativity and innovation? 8. Establish and maintain the standards Finding a balance between freedom and responsibility is important. Do people know what the standards are? Do you uphold them? Are you fair and consistent in the way you deal with these issues? Are you respected for your standards? It is important that the standards make sense and are consistent with what you are trying to achieve. Having something to live up to builds self esteem. We respond well to challenge as long as it stretches us and we have a sense it is potentially within our reach. It's the leader's role to maintain the creative tension that leads to results. 9. Build bridges Have you stopped and thought about what the different talents and contributions are between you and the people you are leading? Do you respect and honour that difference. Mostly you are in a leadership position because you have more advanced expertise, more detailed understanding, greater experience or a bigger perspective than the people you are leading. Remember that, your role is to build bridges of understanding so they can succeed in areas you already know and they can give you the insights they have that you need. 10. Face reality & deal with what you find Do you realise that whatever results you are getting is evidence of your leadership? It's natural to defend yourself and blame others when something doesn't work out. Leaders take full responsibility for the results. Honour your intentions. Ask yourself why that happened? What did you do that contributed to the issues? What could you do differently next time to get a better outcome? Generally people don't set out to cause problems, they do the best they know how in most situations. Leadership is about enabling people to deliver their best and in the process you discover your best.

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

Leadership in Action Author MAJOR(R)KHALID NASR Leadership is the ability of developing and communicating a vision to a group of people that will make that vision true. Leader is a person who has a vision, can communicate it and make it happen.One of the key concepts behind leadership is ACTION. A leader has to develop a vision, has to communicate it and has to achieve it. Action is in the very essence of the leader's existence. In order to achieve the vision (or goal) the leader has to master five practices, as Barry Posner and Jim Kouzes state in "The Leadership Challenge, 3rd Edition". The practices are:1. Challenge the Process. 2. Inspire a Shared Vision. 3. Enable others to act . 4. Model the Way .5. Encourage the Heart. In every single practice ,there are commitments that the leader has to work on. To Challenge the Process----the leader has to search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow and improve. He has to experiment and take risks constantly.To Inspire a Shared Vision-----the leader has to evision the future imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities. He also has to enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations. To Enable others to Act------the leader has to foster collaboration promoting cooperative goals and building trust. The leader has to strengthen others by sharing power and discretion.To Model the Way------ the leader has to clarify his personal values and set the example aligning actions and shared values.To Encourage the Heart--- the leader has to recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence. The leader has to celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community. People want leaders who are credible. If there's no credibility there's no leadership. There are four characteristics that a leader must have to be credible: honest, forward-looking, competent, and inspiring. _________________WISHING YOU HEALTH & HAPPINESS. MAJOR (R) KHALID NASR

SENIOR ADVISOR

It is my pleasure to introduce Mr Jamil Zaidi as senior advisor on this blog.

WELCOME TO LEADERSIP SYNDICATE

I welcome my friends to this syndicate to discuss issues of common interest.The role of leader is very important in nation building. Unfortunately there is a leadership crise in Pakistan. The present lot of our political leaders is without any vision or agenda. Let us make it a starting point to open our discussion .We must develop leadership through readership.