Summary: Leadership at Full Strength podcast answers today’s hottest questions on leadership issues. Jack Zenger answers the following questions in this episode: I find that many leaders are not really focused on leadership but more on management. How do you move their focus effectively from management to leadership? Recently leaders, particularly in financial services, have come under scrutiny and condemnation for unethical behavior. Has the widespread distrust of leadership increased the importance of inspiring leadership? In a 360 assessment, is it feasible to develop targeted questions for the behaviors that should be developed, or are there specific questions related to the 360 assessment you have done? What is your best advice for a newer leader? Should one attend classes or just keep learning by reading, trying and learning? If classes are a good option, what topics are essential/ where are good places for classes? If you have a fatal flaw, but make strides in correcting it, what can you do to help your subordinates realize and understand that you have changed? (People tend to hold to their first impressions) One of the challenges I've faced as an executive is balancing my execution between the strategic and the tactical. If I could somehow measure the effectiveness of my tactical activities with respect to whether they are reinforcing/advancing the company's strategic goals, that would seem a good place to start. What do you think? How come a leader can be effective in one organization, move to another, and seem to fail miserably? What do you think can prevent this? Can you be a good manager, but not particularly a good leader? What are the differences between a good manager and a good leader? Do leaders need to be well-liked to be successful/inspirational? Why or why not? I have read that charisma is not essential to be an effective leader, and can even be detrimental to an organization. For example, there have been many charismatic leaders who lack other leadership characteristics and skills (e.g. integrity) and lead their followers into situations that turn out horribly -- think political leaders such as Stalin, Hitler, and even business leaders (Enron). However, Zenger Folkman states that charisma is the key to extraordinary leadership. Why? Is there any differentiation between genders of who are the best/most inspiring leaders? Are there any trends in men or women toward certain emotional connection styles? Though our country is coming out of the recession, the downturn is still affecting my business. As a result, my employees have not had as much work to do and thus many have become less satisfied with their jobs and less productive. However, emplacement opportunities are low, so they do not want to leave and find they cannot get a job. What can I do to motivate them to perform and increase their engagement? You can get more updates from Jack, Joe and the rest of the ZF team by visiting our blog or registering for our Leadership Resource Center! Enjoy the podcast, and be sure to join us for the next podcast episode, updating the end of July!
