Those of you who are new to “The Practice of Leadership” this Manifesto briefly describes the key leadership ideas talked about in this blog. This manifesto is a work in progress which is updated once in a while. This is the second version of the manifesto.

The focus of this manifesto is on the practices of effective leaders, rather than focusing on leadership qualities of creativity, systems thinking, charisma, etc. These are some of the practices that leaders leverage to produce the outcomes of leadership:

1. Leaders have vision. Leaders have a strong sense of direction and a clear point of view. Unless the leader knows where he is going, people will be hesitant to follow. Leaders are always looking towards the future, plotting the course to new land, leaders are modern explorers, always seeking new lands and striving for distant shores.
2. Leaders create change. Leaders bring change and leaders challenge the status quo. Leaders initiate change, before there is an urgent need for change. If there is no need for change, there is no need for leadership! Leaders bring about change, they initiate, they innovate, they make things happen, they disturb the status quo!
3. Leaders face reality. Leaders have the courage to face reality as it is, not as they imagine it to be. Leaders who fail to face reality as it is, delude themselves, they make change impossible and are doomed to fail. Leaders who face reality adapt their strategy and tactics to reflect reality. Leaders embrace reality and use it as a catalyst to accelerate change.
4. Leaders are unique. Leaders are unique and original, they are not clones. They do not have a specific personality type, they do not all exhibit a specific leadership style and they do not all exhibit the same set of leadership traits or competencies. They are all different, they have their own peculiarities and they all have their own unique personality and style.
5. Leaders set high standards. They set high standards for themselves and for those they lead. They set stretch goals that go beyond what is expected. They push the boundaries. they pioneer, they blaze new paths. They stretch our abilities, they stretch our thinking and they stretch our capabilities. Leaders we’re responsible to set the example and the example they set should inspire others to a higher standard.
6. Leadership is a choice. Leadership does not just happen. Leadership is a choice we make to live our a vision and purpose every day. When we don’t intentionally chose to lead, we ultimately choose to follow. Leaders are not passive, they make proactive and intentional choices.
7. Leaders are made and not born. Leaders know who they are, understand their unique purpose, strengths and skills. Leaders are made, that is they learn, grow and develop into great leaders through the books they read, the people they associate with and from their experiences. They use who they are to bring their vision into the present.
8. Leaders set the example. Leading by example is the most powerful form of leadership. Leaders are constantly seeking to become the change that they want to see in the world. They set the example and show the way.
9. Leaders incite conversation. Leaders are the custodians of an organisations conversation. The quality of the conversation can be directly correlated with the quality of the organisation’s leadership. Leaders make sure that the ideas that get talked about are the ones worth talking about, the ones that will make a difference.
10. Leaders understand character matters. Character sets the foundation for leadership. Character establishes the necessary environment for trust. Without trust you cannot lead. Ability may get you there, but it is character that keeps you there! You cannot rise above the limits of your character. Behaviour is the expression of the leaders character.
11. Leaders communicate continually. Communication is critical to effective leadership, however it’s often something we take for granted and not given the attention it deserves. Without effective communication you cannot lead… you end up talking a walk on your own. No communication, no leadership!
12. Leaders take responsibility. Leaders don’t wait for permission or authority, before they take responsibility and act to make a difference. When a situation needs to be improved, leaders make the choice to take responsibility. The accept responsibility to face reality, to create vision, to be the example, to develop their character, to inspire, to develop others and for the results they achieve.
13. Leaders invest in themselves. Leaders take care of their spiritual, emotional, mental and physical needs.
14. Leaders are results focused. Leaders initiate and make things happen. Leaders are judged by their results. Failing to achieve positive results undermines a leaders influence and erodes trust. Leader focus on results and outcomes.
15. Leaders inspire others. Leaders cannot achieve their visions alone. They inspire others to come alongside and participate in the journey. They lead in ways the inspire others to volunteer their talents and energy towards the achievement of the shared vision.
16. Leaders leave a legacy. Success is what we do for ourselves whilst legacy is what we do for other. A leaders legacy is what they do for other and how they have invested in and developed others.
17. Leaders build influence. Leaders achieve their vision through others, this requires influence. Leaders consciously build the influence required to execute on the vision.

If you have any ideas or principles that you would like to add please feel free to leave a comment below.

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Forbes.com released their 2009 “The Most Influential business Thinkers”  results. The consulting firm CrainerDearlove compiled this list of today’s top thinkers, by surveyed 3,500 people and a panel of experts to determine the 2009 edition of the Thinkers 50, the fifth edition of a biennial list of the most influential living management thinkers. This years results are listed below.

Source: CrainerDearlove, www.crainerdearlove.com.

All in all a pretty impressive list. I have read many of the books an article by many of the top 50 and I have been impressed by their thinking and insights. All leaders in their respective fields.

Related posts:

1. Forbes Magazine’s List of the 20 Most Influential Business Books
2. Who is the most influential living management thinker?
3. Jim Collins Discusses How to Thrive in 2009

Recently Christina Laun compiled a list of the top 100 leadership blogs. I was excited to see that “The Practice of Leadership” made the list. The list is categorised as follows leadership development, youth and student leadership, community leadership, managing others, female leadership, religious leadership, workplace leadership, and team leadership making it easy to use.

Check out all the leadership blogs that made the top 100 list here.

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The 800-CEO-READ blog has published their list of the best leadership books for 2008 which are as follows:

• Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, by Seth Godin (Portfolio, October 2008) “This may be Seth Godin’s most important book yet. It’s human nature to want to be part of a group that shares a connection, passion and a common leader: a tribe. Technologies today have changed the make-up and creation of tribes, enabling them to communicate and grow in ways not possible in the past. In the future, tribes will lead revolutions and usher in change. All they need is the right leader. Will that be you?”
• The Age of Heretics: A History of Radical Thinkers Who Reinvented Corporate Management, 2nd edition, by Art Kleiner (Jossey-Bass, July 2008) “Our present is built on the ideas of our past. Consider this book a history lesson in the major business ideas from the last sixty years. What is now considered commonplace–business is personal, people can be trusted, that corporations might work to bring about change–was once considered heresy. We are living in The Age of Heretics. Art Kleiner, editor-in-chief of strategy+business magazine, is our tour guide to this fascinating era. The first edition of The Age of Heretics was published in 1996.”
• A Sense of Urgency, by John Kotter (Harvard Business Press, September 2008) “John Kotter is often considered the disciple of change. Complacency, he believes, is dangerous. He asked himself, What is the one reason most change initiatives fail? His answer: a lack of urgency. People regularly confuse urgency with busyness. They’re not the same. Urgency moves people to action. Here’s how to instill a sense of urgency in the people you lead.”
• Transparency: How Leaders Create a Culture of Candor, by Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman & James O’Toole with Patricia Ward Biederman (Jossey-Bass, May 2008) “Trust and transparency are intertwined. Without one, the other cannot be. Without both, an organization cannot be successful. In three essays, Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman and James O’Toole each look at different aspects of transparency and suggest constructive ways to build a culture of openness.”

These are four great books. Why not purchase two for your holiday leadership reading?

Related posts:

1. How to Read a Business Book
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The Leading blog has published their selection of the Best Leadership Books of 2007. I’ve looked through various lists of top business and leadership book for 2007 and this was one of the best lists I could find.

“Learning for the successful person, is a lifelong journey. No book or conference is an end in itself. They should encourage you to dig deeper and more often….. These titles do not necessarily represent popularity in terms of numbers of books sold. In a few cases they did not get the recognition they deserved. But all of the titles selected will contain ideas relevant and compelling to leaders at all levels and contexts….. The authors all addressed the question, “How can I create the environment and perform in a way that leads to consistently successful outcomes?” But more than that, they deal with the real success of a leader: the creating of a leadership economy if you will—a place where leaders are developed at all levels and in all areas of life. These books will help you on your journey.”

Their choice of the best leadership books of 2007 are:

I would add the following two books to the above list ….

Related posts:

1. The Leadership Development Focus for 2007
2. A List of Books to Make You a Better Leader
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