How leaders can unleash creativity and build loyalty by using the authentic identity of their organizations to create meaning.

1. Excellence
L E A D E R S H I P
THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY
DECEMBER 2009
Lead
Yourself
Leadership
Insights
Revolutionary
Thinking
Sheila Murray Bethel
Leadership Consultant
New Breed
“Leadership Excellence is an exceptional
way to learn and then apply the best and
latest ideas in the field of leadership.”
of Leader
—WARREN BENNIS, AUTHOR AND
USC PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT
w w w . L e a d e r E x c e l . c o m

2. Excellence
L E A D E R S H I P
THE MAGAZINE OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, MANAGERIAL EFFECTIVENESS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY
VOL. 26 NO. 12 DECEMBER 2009
Fox Guarding the Henhouse
Alas, in the legend and lore of so-called leadership
we commonly hear of foxes (folks in positions of
responsibility) allegedly guarding the henhouses
they intend to bilk, raid, pillage and plunder.
Hence, we again plea for authentic leaders.
SHEILA MURRAY BETHEL SUZANNE BATES TOM SCHULTE MICHAEL E. ECHOLS
New Breed of Leader Ignite Energy Culture of Leadership Designed Development
They have eight Apply eight principles People can‘t be managed; Design your learning and
enduring qualities . . . . . . 3 of motivation. . . . . . . . . . .8 they must be led . . . . . . .13 development around the
skills you need. . . . . . . . .17
TONY TIERNAN DAVID GREENBERG RAM CHARAN
Authentic Leadership Inspirational Leadership Confronting Reality CARTER MCNAMARA
This is now the new Assess your leadership Do what matters most Leaders Coaching
leadership challenge. . . . .4 performance against six to get things right. . . . . . 14 Leaders
core principles . . . . . . . . . 9 Use action learning and
DAVE ULRICH AND MARY ANN BOPP peer coaching groups to
NORM SMALLWOOD PETER SENGE, BRYAN Career Discussions bring out authenticity. . .18
Leadership Insights SMITH, AND NINA Let’s make them much
We have contributed KRUSCHWITZ more meaningful. . . . . . .14 DAVID PARKS
five salient ideas. . . . . . . . 5 Revolutionary Thinking Leading Recovery
To burst the bubble, EILEEN MCDARGH The role of leadership
TOM PETERS leaders need to create Welcome Home development is to make
Lead Yourself basic innovation . . . . . . . 10 Feelings of being home recovery happen. . . . . . .19
And then develop boost loyalty. . . . . . . . . . .15
other leaders . . . . . . . . . . .6 GEOFFREY BELLMAN MILES KIERSON
AND KATHLEEN RYAN NOBLE COKER Awakening Leaders
WARREN BENNIS Extraordinary E-Groups Service Excellence Be aware, gain alignment
New Transparency They meet member needs Beyond great content, and then create the
Leaders must be open. . . .7 and provide experience. .12 you need local context. . 16 desired future. . . . . . . . .20
Reprinted with permission of Leadership Excellence: 1-877-250-1983

3. LEADERSHIP AUTHENTICITY value it delivers). By uncovering that
unique value-creating identity, helping
your people to find themselves in it,
Authentic Leadership and showing them (by storytelling and
It’s the new leadership challenge. example) how to use it to make deci-
sions and guide behavior, you help
them connect their individual stories
with the organizational narrative. You
by Tony Tiernan
make meaning. And that makes authen-
tic the story that you tell to the world.
C RISES GIVE LEADERS A
mandate to drop the
distractions and irrele-
Why does identity matter? A strong
sense of identity and purpose enables
focus. For many leaders, particularly
vancies, and re-focus on the core task: those in professional services compa-
to make meaning. That is a great gift. nies where the “product” is the peo-
Meaning is value. Often we define ple—and the brand is communicated
value only in financial terms or, even through their interactions in the mar-
more narrowly, in terms of the return ketplace—identity serves as the guid-
we deliver to shareholders. That nar- ing compass that keeps the company
row definition drives two key distor- on track, its talent on board, and its
tions in our behavior as leaders. First, clients bound to the organization.
it can cause us to violate the value-cre- Companies that struggle most dur-
ating identity of our organizations as ing a recession are those with blurred
we scramble to maximize short-term identities—or unclear expertise. If you
returns, or modify business strategy use the recession to demonstrate what
with each swing of the stock market. your company stands for, you’ll find
Second, it can lead us to think in that, when recovery comes, you’ve built
terms of “human capital” instead of a magnet that attracts the right clients
human beings. We can deploy the for- and right employees. Identity—built,
mer, but we have to lead the latter. communicated, and sustained through
Organizations are cru- AL—is key to creating
cibles in which we forge long-term results.
and find meaning. People When evaluating the
experience meaning—and authenticity of your leader-
are moved to action—as ship, ask four questions:
social beings, not as cogs in Do you really know your
a system of inputs and outputs. business? Beyond knowing
Given meaning, people the goods or services, you
can—and often do—work must know the difference
magic. So if we want our you want to make, the
people to be extraordinary, meaning you stand for, the
to transform our organiza- values and beliefs that guide
tions, to redouble their efforts and you, and stories you want told about you.
increase their commitment in tough Is your identity entrenched in your
times, we need to give them meaning. core business processes? Knowing your
You do that by uncovering and identity is not enough. You must oper-
operationalizing your unique value- ationalize your identity to guide how
creating identity. And it requires a new you develop customers, talent and ideas.
kind of leader—the authentic leader. Does your culture support your iden-
What is authentic leadership? AL is tity? Identity goes beyond providing a
about your ability to build and effective- strategic focus—it is what keeps your
ly communicate organizational identity policies and ways of treating people
—a shared understanding of who you unwavering, even in tough times.
are, the difference you’re trying to make, Do you clearly communicate your
and the unique value you create. If you identity? You must effectively deliver
lose your sense of self, you lose the meaning to the marketplace, or the
power to create meaning—the force meaning is lost. Your identity should
that attracts and binds the right people be evident in behavior, and translated
(and right customers) to you. into compelling benefits-based messages.
What is identity? Identity is the sum Leadership is about creating mean-
of what the organization does (problems it ing—a strong identity that keeps an
solves and needs it addresses) and the organization focused, its expertise cur-
way it operates (meaning and purpose rent, and its offering relevant. LE
that drive the business, the difference Tony Tiernan is president of Authentic Identity. Call 978-282-
it seeks to make, its relationships with 8211 or email Tony.Tiernan@AuthenticIdentity.com.
customers and employees, and the ACTION: Create meaning and identity.
L e a d e r s h i p E x c e l l e n c e
Reprinted with permission of Leadership Excellence: 1-877-250-1983