Leading to Greatness – Jim Reid
“Leading to Greatness” is a book written by Jim Reid, published in March 2022. It is a hands-on leadership development program designed to guide leaders toward self-improvement and organizational excellence.
The book combines the best research on high performance with over 30 years of Jim’s experience as a seasoned strategist and human resources professional.
Jim Reid was recognized in 2021 as one of the 50 Best Executives in Canada by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine, adding more credibility to his expertise on the topic of leadership.
Self-insight drives purpose
The paradox of change can provide an architecture for growth in sustainable high performance in any individual, team, or organization. The best research completed on this topic is found in Built to Last, coauthored by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras.
The paradox of change is framed in two key questions:
- What should not be changed? The answer almost always relates to an individual’s or company’s core values and purpose.
- What should be changed? People and companies need to adapt to the changing world around them.
Inner Discipline
Great leaders possess a disciplined drive for results. Inner discipline enables leaders to outperform on a sustainable basis, while a disciplined culture becomes the execution engine of any successful team or company.
- The best leaders create immense followership by setting a tone within their team, a tone that comes to life through five hallmark behaviors.
- Culture is the company’s execution engine. A disciplined culture not only drives high performance, but it also helps sustain performance over the long term.
- The stronger the culture, the stronger the results. Culture is the only real source of sustainable competitive advantage we have.
Driving successful change
The world is moving too fast for leaders or organizations to think that the status quo is good enough. You either move forward and adapt or run the risk of being left behind. Virtually every leader will confront the prospect of wrenching change over their business lives, and how they manage it will largely define their careers.
Communication is always critical. But in times of change, it is even more critical to success. Think of increasing the pace and volume of communication by a factor of ten because this will help stabilize those impacted by the change and keep them focused on what is most important.
Coaching culture
To create a coaching culture, organizations must prioritize learning and psychological safety. According to the Association for Talent Development, a coaching culture includes criteria like valuing coaching, having a dedicated budget for it, and offering it to all employees.
Coaching should be structured, systematic, and based on a framework. The goal is to ask questions that promote ownership of outcomes in the coachee rather than simply providing answers.
Achieve full engagement
To achieve full engagement, balance stress and recovery, and leaders should lead the way by setting a good example. Burnout can occur from too much energy expenditure without sufficient recovery.
Full engagement requires physical energy, emotional connection, mental focus, and alignment with a higher purpose. Leaders should focus on team practices that deliver desired results.
Coaching individual transformation
Many employees leave their jobs due to their boss. Leaders must help their team members find more rewarding work and productive collaborations. Coaching for career advancement is the missing tool to improve engagement.
The best leaders excel at building strong teams and developing a teachable culture that delivers consistent results. To advance your career, find a mentor and sponsor early on to ensure support when a new role aligns with your plan.
The team: Building blocks of an organization
The team is the building block of an organization. It is the performance unit. Its energy and enthusiasm can infect an entire organization, tweaking the culture while remaining true to the values and ethics that are the organization’s permanent and foundational principles.
A culture of discipline separates the great companies from their lesser-performing peers.
Building a Winning Team
Building high-performance teams requires people to develop a level of commitment to their fellow team members that rivals the level of commitment they have in their strongest relationships in life—wwith their partners, best friends, and families.
Putting together a high-performing team depends on two factors: finding the right people and creating the right environment where people feel valued and respected. When leaders are clear about what they believe, where they are going, and why, finding the right people is much easier.
Play to your strengths — live with passion
One of the most powerful concepts that came out of Jim Collins’s Good to Great research is the “three circles of the hedgehog concept.”
The personal hedgehog concept is about clarity and focus. Research proves that the most significant impact comes from leaders and organizations that operate at the intersection of the three circles.
A personal hedgehog concept is not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best, an intention to be the best, or a plan to be the best. It is about developing a deep understanding of what you are best at. The top leaders operate this way every day.
Playing to your strengths and passions is the path to your greatest success.
Finding the right people and building a strong team
The three disciplines are
- If in doubt, do not hire. (And when you do hire, hire for the right fit.)
- Put your best people on your biggest opportunities, not your biggest problems.
- When you know you need to make a person change, act!
Crisis Leadership
In crisis leadership, confront the brutal facts while maintaining unwavering faith in overcoming constraints. Don’t hesitate to ask for help in personal or workplace crises.
To gain trust and lead effectively during a crisis, show that you have the best interests of your team in mind and have a crisis checklist prepared.
However, be prepared to adapt and be creative, as no checklist can cover every scenario. Educate yourself and your team to build an adaptable and innovative mindset.
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