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Integrity The New Leadership Story |
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By Jeannette Galvanek and Ed Konczal, Vital Relationships LLC.
Executive Summary of the article "Integrity - the New Leadership Story." Used by permission.
"Never extraordinary high trust levels between employees and senior managers are failing." - Watson Wyatt
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Profile of the 21st Century Leader While leadership is always important to corporate performance, there is a growing realization that effective leaders with integrity are absolutely crucial to successfully navigating the New Economy of the 21st Century. In addition there is also a growing realization that the characteristics of the Leader of the 21st century are dramatically different than the leader of the past, even the recent past. Command and control is out, organizations are getting flatter, the competitive landscape is chaotic, people are looking for meaningful work, customers are in control, these and more demands are being placed on todays leaders. Transition to the New Economy are frequently compared to movement to the Industrial Economy, the Information Economy, but the breadth of developments and changes in the New Economy are so dramatic that there is little precedent. The real job of leaders is to inspire and create meaning and direction in the midst of drastic change and even chaos. In such a world of change and ambiguity, a new leadership style is needed. This involves the need to grasp the paradoxes inherent in the New Economy and to master the competencies required by the business environment now being created. This new leadership relies on the leader acting as an authentic and inspirational force developing effective relationships with people in the company, partners, customers, competitors and any other stakeholders We developed a Profile of the 21st Century Leader. Through our experience and research we defined the characteristics that will be needed to lead in an increasingly changing business landscape. This not to say that there is a definitive leadership model. Rather, we believe that leaders need to continuously adapt and change their approach as needs dictate. Leaders will need to apply these characteristics in an artful rather than a rigid scientific manner. Leadership Integrity Guidelines Integrity is a delicate jewel. Building integrity in leaders and their organizations takes time, continuous effort and cannot be feigned. You must feel it in your gut, in your core beliefs that being honest and trustworthy is the right business practice. If you feel that integrity is the route to financial success you are doomed to failure. Accountability is the foundation for authentic business relationships. At least it forces the process of identifying and resolving issues. Authentic people take full and complete ownership for their lives, their choices, thoughts, feelings and actions, without blame or faultfinding. Authentic people know their deepest values without hesitation and fulfill them in thought, word and deed. Integrity is their nature. They do not depend on their position for power. A leader with Integrity:
----------------------------------------------------------- About the Authors and Their Book Jeannette Galvanek and Ed Konczal are founders of Vital Relationships, LLC an innovative management consulting company. If you would like to purchase their book Simple Stories For Leadership Insights In The New Economy please send an e-mail to storiesbook@ix.netcom.com. |
