self leadership and the one minute manager - notes on the book
America is full of thrift stores - and most of them have books. The book “Self Leadership and The One Minute Manager” is one of those books that I picked up not knowing what is what. I was in for a treat! In the end I was watching Ken Blanchard talking about Leading like Jesus.
Plot
The book follows the protagonist Steve around. He did a bad presentation, messed up the leadership of his team and is now contemplating to get fired or to hand in his resignation. He ends up in this coffee shop writing his letter of resignation, only to be coached by the Cayla… Cayla keeps showing up at the right time in the right place. She must have done this coaching stuff many times before :-) In the Steve does not resign, stops making excuses and becomes a successful manager, and a coach himself helping others to become self leaders. Isn’t this nice.
Self Leaders:
-------------
Challenge Assumed Constraints,
Celebrate Their Points of Power,
And Collaborate For Success.
Situational Leadership Model 2
The SL2 model combines 4 leadership styles with development model of proficiency of 4 stages. In the book it helps Steve to identify why he was failed by his own boss due to his inexperience and inadequate support. It also helps him to work with his clients and personal life training to run with his spouse by identifying what leadership style is appropriate.
The author presents the following maturity development: a person starts as a motivated learner (think college graduate first job), becomes disillusioned after a while, picks up the competence and finally becomes a self-reliant achiver.
Based on this development model, a leader must adjust her leadership style to support the person to achieve the respective goal, acquire the wanted skill, etc…
There are four leadership styles:
- Directing - Help a motivated person to gain competence by a high level of directive behaviour
- Coaching - You coach the person by showing high level of directive and supportive behaviour
- Supporting - Keep supporting the person but stop being directive
- Delegating - The person is competent and committed - low supporting as well as directive behaviour
adjust your style of leadership to on the motivation / commitment and competence of the follower
Cayla’s take home messages
During the coaching phase, Cayla asks Steve to solve little riddles and seemingly odd jobs.
people are not mind readers
Go around your office and let other people rank their motivation regarding the work they do. Make up your mind beforehand what their respective ranking will be. You will be surprised by the result.
You can’t read another person’s mind; your boss is not able to ready your mind. You are responsible for getting what you need to succeed.
elephant thinking
Cayla tells Steve how circus elephants get trained. Over their lifetime they gain so much power that they could easily break free from the chain around their foot. But they don’t. Because they remember that they were not able to do that when they were younger and stopped trying.
Don’t limit yourself by past experiences - challenge assumed constraints.
cycle of powers
On a motorbike trip Steve’s bike breaks down - and truth be told, Cayla shows up. She takes him to a legendary bike shop and introduces him to each person and the individual power he or she possesses.
- positional power - you own the bike shop
- task power - you organize and manage office stuff
- knowledge power - you can fix bikes
- relationship power - you keep in touch with customers
- personal power - you can assure people that the bike is in good hands
Create a situation where you do not need to rely on your positional power. Have people work with you - not for you diagnose yourself
diagnose yourself
Steve learns about the SL2 (see above) and starts to diagnose himself. He realizes that he is not a one man show but needs direction and support from his superior.
| get Direction from someone who will | get Support from someone who will |
|---|---|
| set clear goal | listen to you |
| provide action plan | praises and encourages you |
| show how to do goal | facilitates your problem solving |
| clarify roles | asks you for input |
| provides timelines | provides rational |
| establishes priorities | shares experience relevant to goal |
| monitors and evaluates work and gives feedback | shares infos about organization relevant to goal |
When your competence is low, you need direction; when your commitment is low you need support
collaborate for success
Based on the self diagnosis and working with the SL2 Model Steve helps his spouse to train for a run and joins in order to support her. While running Steve believes to have seen Cayle in the crowd. After the run, the parking ticket has been paid for. The receipt reads:
collaborate for Success
no excuses
Cayla tells Steve an uncomfortable truth: “As a self leader, it is your responsibility to get the feedback, direction and support you need”. Instead of asking dumb questions, you should use the need expression.
Dumb questions are:
- when the answer is obvious
- when you are not willing to hear a certain response
- when you already know the answer
A leader is anyone who can give the support and direction you need to achieve your goal