Breaking through the pacesetting leadership style stereotype

Early in my career I was in highly analytical roles.  I felt if I ever wanted to be taken seriously as a leader with organisational impact I needed to get out of my comfort zone and transition to an executional role. It was a compelling mind shift change that impacted my approach to so many things.

What I learnt was being action orientated is a skill, and it sometimes intimidates others. I can understand this having spent the early days of my career watching in 'awe' and even avoiding those that seemed to push me faster than I wanted to move.

Pacesetters can be viewed as self serving workaholics, who are uncaring. I have experienced some of this demanding dominant style of pacesetting leadership which is demoralising - to the point of being bullying. 

Most of us pacesetters are not like this. We are just trying to get things done and help others do the same along the way. Yet our motives can be viewed as suspicious and others fail to see our good intent.

The pacesetters that I admire and have role modelled myself on,  expect more of themselves than others. This is not because they think others are incompetent, but because they are self motivated and will pick up tasks to keep things moving along . They need to do, share, direct, discover, solve and create. To turn ideas on paper or in thought into reality.

This is what can be misunderstood about effective pacesetters. They navigate the way for others as much as themselves. They take responsibility for ensuring the right people collaborate or connect the dots to get to the next step. 

Pacesetters have an eye on the time. They intuitively know when things are looking like they are going to miss a deadline. It takes courage to remind others about this. Pacesetters will find the courage to say the things that others won't. It can be a lonely and thankless task keeping an eye on timelines and end goals, especially if you don't own the actions to get things moving.

Effective Pacesetters do care! Probably to their own detriment at times. They care about the integrity of their work, they care about the efficiency of processes, they care about follow through, and mostly they care about getting to an outcome. They don't walk away from actions or take a responsibility lightly. This often makes it easy for others to take advantage of them. They can be relied on. When a pacesetter drops off even half a beat it is noticed.

Effective Pacesetters are outcome focused. They will find a way to get things done and put in extra effort to gather stakeholders views. They try to identify and over come road blocks. This may make them appear highly political when in fact they are trying to positively influence and lobby.

Pacesetters can sometimes move so fast it can seem difficult to keep up with them. They action things immediately and follow up promptly. They state their opinions and move on. They tend not to dwell on things too long. 

Great pacesetters want their teams and projects to succeed.They tend not to give up and feel that people are happiest at work when they have a sense of achievement.

Finally, knowing what goes into developing pacesetting skills I know how vulnerable a style it truly is. Think about a pacesetter you admire. They may be a little annoying always driving the agenda, chasing up on things, and seemingly being overjoyed at ticking off their 'to do' list

Without dynamic pacesetters in an organisation there would be ideas without action, great conceptual thinking without structure, and lots of information exchange without a way forward. 

At some point someone has to be brave and make the move to get things started. Pacesetters do this, even when others resist creating some traction for momentum. 

This is the great irony for pacesetters who truly do care and put ourselves in this state of vulnerability. Being  outcome focussed is the way we show we care. We are looking out for rather than controlling others. After all, business success is about what gets done, and one of the main causes of frustration in organisations is activity that goes nowhere.

That's the different between effective and non-effective pacesetters - those that  are outcome focused vs those that are activity focused. There is a distinct difference.

So here's to all you pacesetters who enjoy the chemical rush of getting things done so everyone feels a sense of achievement,  who make yourself vulnerable everyday, and care enough to know that nothing happens without the tenacity make it happen!

Social Media Knowledge The Missing Link for Decision Makers

Social media channels provide an opportunity to convey thought leadership and show an authentic inside into a company. Doing this well requires a continuous commitment to dialogue supported by engaging content.

In formulating the strategy consideration is given to providing rationale which is supported by process. Such as:

1) A business case outlining resourcing requirements
2) New competencies needed 
3) Communications tone and content generation process
4) Measurement and continuous improvement agreement

OK that's all logical. Here's the thing. Usually the decision makers and influencers are aware of the 'hype' around social media however are not active users. They can feel alienated by, naive about and even afraid of how social media works. Why? Because we fear what we don't know and understand.

While a lot of senior execs have FOMO is this area, the risks seem large and it's not good business acumen to apply a YOLO attitude (LOL...couldn't help myself).

A lot of companies spend time educating employees about social media policies and the consequences of online behaviours. This heightens the perception that it is dangerous territory as 'bad examples' are cited widely....great ones rarely when it comes to professional online branding.

Training and educating senior leaders about social media channels is a worthwhile investment of time and resource. It is often over looked and most definitely appreciated as the generation gap for knowledge in this area grows wider. 

I would argue it should be a critical step in any social media strategy development process. Contemporary  communications require up-skilling in this area for employee and external audience engagement. 1:1 sessions are the most effective, supported by larger group training sessions.

It is the missing link in effective corporate social media communications. Senior involvement lifts the conversation from tactical to strategic. Providing the business structure to support effective implementation.

While some may have the view that social channel communication is for a younger generation to manage, the reality is that 'thought leadership' comes from seasoned professionals. There is a significant difference between utilising the channels for promotional purposes and long term corporate positioning.

Knowledge is the missing link. Who really wants to say in a group of peers that they have no idea or are just plain afraid.

So make social media education a priority to drive informed decision making, build thought leadership communications, and lift the conversation from tactical engagement to strategic positioning. 

Knowledge is power or better still knowledge is empowerment!

Great Leaders Believe ALWAYS

Belief...this is what stands out to me about the leaders that I have most admired in my career. They are clear about the philosophy and outcomes they want to see and stick by this - no matter what. 

They appear unconcerned that others may not believe their vision is  achievable. They understand that there will be resistance, cynicism and rejection even. Yet their conviction remains strong and over time their belief system becomes contagious throughout the organisation.

They remain strong on strategic intent and empower teams to set their own paths. Brave, resolute and tenacious they stay true to their vision, while enabling others to be the solution 'heroes.'

When you are exposed to a leader that operates this way you truly understand the difference between management and leadership. Before you know it you believe and you're on the same journey.