Four Groups

Nick McCormick very kindly sent me a copy of his ‘Lead Well and Prosper‘ book to read and review. Rather than provide a standard review, I thought it would be fun to run the book’s chapters through the leadership model we’ve been exploring recently, just to see if any interesting patterns or emerge.

A breakdown of the 15 chapters and their respective quadrants.

It is interesting from the table to see the heavy emphasis on self awarness, which to me makes complete sense when Nick said to me

As for the audience, my target is middle management. I believe it can benefit others too. I’ve heard many comment that it’s great for new and aspiring managers. Others have said that it’s good for upper management as well. I think the fact that it focuses on the fundamentals does give it broad appeal.

My questions for Nick on the back of this are;

1. Would you agree that self awareness (and arguably self acceptance) form the foundations of successful leadership - hence the focus on middle, new and aspiring managers and the fundamentals?
2. What do you make of the breakdown in the table? Does it seem right for the audience? Is it out of balance? Does it make sense to you?
3. Are you planning on writing a follow up and if so, in what direction will you take that book?

I’ve included extracts from each of the chapter summaries below to give you more of a flavour and to illustrate why I put each chapter into its respective quadrant.

Self Awareness

Listen

• Give your team members your undivided attention when they come to speak to you
• Encourage team members to provide ideas and feedback
• Keep meetings to four hours a day or less. You need time to listen to your team members and to get some work done

Treat People like Human Beings

• Put yourself in other’s shoes

Learn

• Take ownership of your career and commit to continual learning
• Take advantage of what your company has to offer and get whatever else you need on your own. Make the same recommendation to your team members

Embrace the Uncomfortable

• Make a commitment to venture outside your comfort zone
• Reward yourself when you do

Clean up Your Own House First

• Have a positive attitude
• Voice concerns constructively. Be prepared to offer solutions - and work them
• Vent occasionally to your boss but not with peers or team members

Persist

• Keep at it

Do What You Say You’ll Do

• Write promises and tasks down and schedule time to complete them
• Learn to say ‘No’
• Inform your team members of the importance of honoring commitments. Repeat this often

Relationships

Adopt a Serving Attitude

• Adopt a serving attitude towards the team

Teach

• Take the time to teach and develop your team members
• Hire those with potential

Provide Honest and Timely Feedback

• Make giving feedback a priority and do it frequently
• Couple positive feedback with personal rewards commensurate with the accomplishment

Share Information

• Share as much as you can, keeping in mind the sensitivity of certain information

Systems

Set Goals, Plan, and Execute

• Set the right example for your group by setting goals. Develop plans to achieve them, then execute them with a vengeance
• Make deadlines and stick to them

Always Follow Up

• Get organised
• Follow up

Plan Your Week

• Work on the most important things. Don’t forget that the team members in your organization are the ones who make you successful. They are important. Tend to them
• Use your electronic organiser
• Set aside time to prepare for meetings
• Limit interruptions. For instance, turning off the beep notification every time an email arrives is helpful

Culture

Do the Right Thing

• Do what’s best for the company, not just what’s best for the group
• Invoke common sense. When it makes sense to break the rules, do it
• Tell the truth

As the credit crisis takes a turn and people ask (not for the first time!) if we’ve seen the worst, I was contemplating who to write about for the next leadership post. Henry Paulson, Gordon Brown and Richard Branson all came to mind. Rather than take a shot in the dark and choose someone on a whim, I thought it would be interesting to see what Google’s blog search would suggest if I searched for ‘leader’[1]. The first result, rather intriguingly turned out to be John McCain, presidential candidate for the 44th President of the United States.

As always, we are taking the top 10 posts from Google blog search to research the post.

A breakdown of the 10 articles from Google blog search and their respective quadrants.

Given the impending election, much of the commentary is focused on the minutiae of the final few weeks campaigning, McCain’s manoeuvrings as a politician and commentary on day to day events. While the outcome of the vote is unknown,  the polls currently show Obama holding a steady and significant lead. Against this backdrop, the spread of coverage is similar to that of our piece on Sarah Palin, the only difference being Culture was 2 and Systems was 3.

While we would stick to our earlier thoughts that regardless of the outcome for McCain, the justifications and hindsight shown after the event will take on a very similar tone to those we mentioned when talking about Palin.

We’ve repeated that table below.

Over and above the similarities with Palin, it is interesting to explore the self awareness column, if only because it is where McCain scores highest. We’ve expanded on self awarness before[2] and how its fractal qualities overlap well with developmental approaches such as Maslow and Graves for example. Given that both theories suggest that higher self awareness and self realisation is something to aspire to, it is interesting to read the extracts from the blog posts;

McCain is afraid to stand up to the ugliness and hate that his own campaign is whipping up, terrified that he’ll alienate the only group still firmly in his Palin’s corner

[McCain] You’ve just been compelled to downplay your attempts to whip up hate and hysteria, either because they clearly aren’t working or because you are uncomfortable with the ugly stain on the body politic that will be your lasting legacy

Mark Salter, wrote [McCain's] memoir, Faith of My Fathers, and in the process hatched the superhero he has been pretending to be throughout his campaign for the presidency

Many are now looking to Senator McCain to see if he can provide strong leadership, sensible policies and commit to the accountability we are seeking. For those of you raising your voices up, it looks like John McCain heard you

Whatever the outcome of the US election, people’s perceptions and assessment of McCain’s self awareness and his personality raises as many questions as answers. We await the outcome and post election rationale with interest…

The remainder of the note details each of the 10 articles and relevant extracts.

Self Awareness

Daily Kos

John McCain continues with his cowardly refusal to stand up to hate… McCain is afraid to stand up to the ugliness and hate that his own campaign is whipping up, terrified that he’ll alienate the only group still firmly in his Palin’s corner. Which brings us to a poster that was proudly waved during his speech earlier today.

Jafapete’s Weblog

Time for a little reality check, Senator. After a week of desperate-looking mud slinging that made even your own people gag, your opponent is further ahead than at any point in the campaign. More reality… You’ve just been compelled to downplay your attempts to whip up hate and hysteria, either because they clearly aren’t working or because you are uncomfortable with the ugly stain on the body politic that will be your lasting legacy. Or both.

The Observer

David Kirkpatrick has a piece in The New York Times today about the impact John McCain’s five books have had on his self-image and political identity. The McCain we know today, Mr. Kirkpatrick writes, is one that came into existence around 1999, when he and his longtime speechwriter, Mark Salter, wrote his memoir, Faith of My Fathers, and in the process hatched the superhero he has been pretending to be throughout his campaign for the presidency.

No Quarter

We not only want solutions. We want retribution. And many are now looking to Senator McCain to see if he can provide strong leadership, sensible policies and commit to the accountability we are seeking. For those of you raising your voices up, it looks like John McCain heard you.

Relationships

Zap2it.com

Less than a month after abruptly canceling on the late night host, Republican Presidential nominee Sen. John McCain is ready to make nice with David Letterman. McCain will visit “Late Show with David Letterman” on Thursday, Oct. 16. He’ll be joined by musical guest Ne-Yo, who hasn’t been endorsed by either major political party. Expect plenty of apologies from the Arizona Senator, who has become a Letterman whipping boy since bailing on a Sept. 24 appearance.

Systems

The Moderate Voice

And so the ever impetuous McCain ignored the tsunami of polls showing that the biggest reason that he is trailing Obama so badly is that the negative campaigning of he and Palin have blown up in their faces. This, of course, is because voters are deeply worried about their own well being and don’t give a hoot about whether Obama knew a one-time radical 10 years ago or supported a controversial community organizing group that McCain himself has embraced.

Forbes

Senator McCain was unremarkable not only in his lack of expertise on the subject of small business, but in the complete dearth of new ideas he presented. At one point in the roundtable, the chief of a precision machine shop said he was having trouble finding qualified machinists. McCain threw out a tired line: government subsidies for students to attend trade school. When the shop owner respectfully pointed out the systemic nature of the problem—that nobody in this country wants to go to trade school anymore—McCain paused for a moment, then simply reiterated his first suggestion before moving on to the next question.

Culture

The Atlantic

Here he is, on Feb. 20, 2006, telling immigration rights activists at a rally in Miami  that they “are what makes America special.” ACORN co-sponsored the rally, and its volunteers surround McCain, and while there’s no evidence that McCain ever formally teamed with the group, the video serves as a reminder that he did not mind being associated with them when the politics of the moment were different.

MOMcrats

John McCain was the keynote speaker at a pro-immigration reform rally sponsored by ACORN in 2006. Oh yes, he was. Now, why would a fine, upstanding Senator like John McCain involve himself with a group of, ahem, community organizers like ACORN?

Wiz Bang Blue

Both John McCain and Sarah Palin have clear ties to the far right John Birch Society organization. McCain used to attend John Birch Society meetings in the Phoenix, Arizona area and is well known to local John Birch Society members in that area’s chapter… With their common connections to the John Birch Society, both John McCain and Sarah Palin are exactly the same extremist mindset of this organization which has a history of making up such misleading conspiracy attacks on many moderate political figures ever since it was started by political extremist founder Robert Welch in the 1950’s at the height of “Red” scare paranoia.

Footnotes

[1] I suspect the longevity of Google’s search results leaves a lot to be desired. Given the huge number of servers google run and the nature of the internet, I suspect results will change from day to day or even more frequently. While this isn’t a surprise, it does illustrate the fluid and ever changing nature of the internet.

[2] See a New Model of Leadership and in particular the appendix for more information.

Tarique Ghaffur CBE is a high ranking police officer who has previously been tipped for further promotion. He has been in the headlines recently for his difficult professional relationship with Sir Ian Blair and the fact that he claims to have suffered from racism while serving in the Metropolitain Police Service (MPS). While the MPS have had many problems dealing with race, most famously being found guilty institutional racism, it should be noted that having started to write this piece in late September, it has since transpired that on the 2nd October, Sir Ian resigned his role as Commissioner of the Met.

While Sir Ian’s own career is an interesting subject for a future post, let’s stay focussed on Tarique Ghaffur.

As always, we are taking the top 10 posts from Google blog search to construct this post.

A breakdown of the 10 articles from Google blog search and their respective quadrants.

Given the table above, two thoughts come to mind. The first being the emphasis on culture with half of the entries. Considering that Tarique Ghaffur is Asian and the historic role of race within the MPS, this is of no surprise. The second and a little more surprising is that there is nothing in the relationships box. While Tarique’s relationship with Ian has been a subtext for recent events, it is telling that none of the posts speak directly to this.

The lack of commentary on relationships is interesting for two reasons. The first and most obvious is the private nature of the interactions between Tarique and his colleagues. Given they have generally taken place inside the MPS, a genuine appreciation of what has transpired is not only difficult, but likely to be a key component of any forthcoming legal action. The second reason and perhaps less apparent is the relative simplicity with which the subtext of the interaction is being discussed. While the interactions have been private, it is interesting to see difficulties cloaked in their claims of racism or a lack of professionalism.

In situations such as this, it is often the unreported and apparently intangible elements of the relationships and people’s interactions that lies at the root cause of the difficulties, as opposed to circumstances that appear to be more tangible and objective such as racism, professionalism or appropriate consultations between officers.

What value knowing in advance of any potential challenges in the relationship between Tarique and Ian and being able to adjust accordingly?

We will watch developments with interest, particularly if more information on the type and nature of the interactions becomes apparent.

Each of the 10 posts and relevant extracts follow…

Self Awareness

The Wilted Rose

I am absolutely appalled by the way Tarique Ghaffur has been (allegedly) treated by the Metropolitan Police and by “Sir” Ian Blair (yes, he of Jean-Charles De Menezes; insensitive comments about Holly and Jessica; etc). He should be replaced, not by the usual public school & Oxbridge educated, white, middle-class copper but by someone who knows the patch and commands respect: as well as adding some diversity to the most senior leadership of this country’s police. Who would be the ideal successor to ‘Sir’ Ian Blair? None other than Tarique Ghaffur - he would make a fine, and well deserved, head of the Met.

The Indepdent

In a shock announcement yesterday Sir Ian Blair said that the Ugandan-born Assistant Police Commissioner, who is in the middle of taking the Met and Blair to a tribunal over alleged race discrimination, is to take an “authorised leave of absence”. Blair was keen to emphasise yesterday that the reason for the gardening leave was not linked to the discrimination claim but rather it was “the way [Ghaffur] has chosen to conduct himself. For example by the manner in which statements were made in his press conference, in conducting a media campaign, both personally and through the advisors and organisations supporting him.”

Doctor Bulldog

This is more than a simple ex-wife slandering her ex story. Her comments were very reserved and carefully thought out they are also blunt. As the UK’s highest-ranking muslim officer (one btw, who likes to toss out the race card) he should expect close scrutiny. You can bet we will be watching. Is Tarique what he seems; a fast tracking, seemingly competent and loyal officer or a scoundrel?

Business and Social Systems

MPACUK

The country’s most senior Asian police officer has lodged a £1.2m claim of racial discrimination against his own force, BBC News understands. Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur lodged the claim against the Metropolitan Police with an employment tribunal on Friday. He claims he was discriminated against on grounds of race, religion and age.

Inner Temple Library

Tarique Ghaffur ‘relieved of duties’ at Scotland Yard - Daily Telegraph. “Tarique Ghaffur, Britain’s most senior Asian police officer, has been relieved of his duty by the Metropolitan Police, the Daily Telegraph can disclose.”

Culture

The Impudent Observer

Tarique Ghaffur, who held the number three position in Scotland Yard was suspended for claiming there was discrimination in the police force.

Boatang and Demetriou

Today we have the latest BME person in the Met police of massive seniority getting all upset because he thinks he is being discriminated against on a grounds of race, and on a personal basis by Sir ian Blair. Tarique Ghaffur, the person in question, is the Met’s third most senior officer. I find the whole concept of accusing the organisation you work for of racism quite fascinating. I checked out the Equality and Human Rights Commission website and they have a section which explains all about race discrimination, what it is and how it becomes manifest.

The Adam Smith Institute

Ian Johnston, head of the Police Superintendent’s Association, has been making headlines over the past few days with his admission that the quality of service provided by the police is negligible. Indeed, public confidence in the police is extremely low – not helped by the perception that crime is getting worse or the unnecessary sideshow provided by Sir Ian Blair and Tarique Ghaffur. It is heartening then to see some kind of consensus emerging over the need to modernize, decentralize and make the police force more accountable to the people that they serve.

Pickled Politics

Given the appalling treatment of Tarique Ghaffur over the past few weeks, and I’ve not known anyone more loyal to the Met Police, I think this (The National Black Police Association is threatening to run a public campaign urging ethnic minorities to boycott the Metropolitan police) is a good move.

Race and Culture

An inquiry into allegations of racism in the Metropolitan Police has been ordered by Boris Johnson. Mr Johnson’s decision comes after the Met’s Black Police Association (Met BPA) announced it would launch an advertising campaign “actively discouraging” young black and Asian people from joining the force. It said that the suspensions of Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur - Britain’s most senior Muslim officer - and Commander Ali Dizaei were proof that ethnic minorities are treated unfairly.