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A DISCUSSION OF K EY MANAGEMENT ISSUES
VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1
THE INTANGIBLES OF LEADERSHIP: DRIVERS
W
hy do certain CEOs relish taking on challenges that have literally ended the careers
of their predecessors? How do they accept a set of circumstances that have already
defeated others and turn them into a triumph? To thrive in conditions like these,
leaders must possess confidence, determination and a firm belief in their ability to do what they
set out to do.
For his new book, “The Intangibles of Leadership,” Dr. Richard
Self-discipline is another necessary muscle to build if you want to
Davis set out to uncover patterns in the attributes that truly distin-
generate will. This gets harder as the scope of your influence increas-
guish those who succeed at the top levels. What he found was that
es, but that’s when it becomes most important. Avoid distraction by
extraordinary leaders possess certain characteristics that fall between
devising a process that will keep you focused. Use one of these three
the lines of existing leadership models, yet are fundamental to execu-
systems:
tive success.
Understanding and developing “The Intangibles of Leadership” drivers can give you the capability to persevere and create success out of
situations that would quickly overwhelm others.
WILL Leaders in every space have a constant need to rally people
around them in pursuit of a common goal. Ever notice how some
1. IT systems (using Microsoft Outlook to schedule a weekly time to
work on a major project);
2. Human systems (hire a good executive assistant to keep you on
top of a project); or
3. Organizational systems (schedule monthly progress meetings with
your team).
people are perpetually able to get big things done? They are able to
Will also requires “stick-to-itiveness.” You can’t quit. When ob-
move mountains and drive real change. The ability to lead people
stacles keep getting in your way and it seems that you’ll never meet
toward new heights requires will.
your objectives, remember this: You are probably just a hair’s breadth
To create will, you must do the necessary homework. Samuel Gold-
away.
wyn said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Extraordinary leaders
FORTITUDE In one study on the development of world-class pianists,
do far more up-front preparation than you may realize, making it seem
neurologists, swimmers, chess players, mathematicians, and sculp-
effortless. They don’t sit around waiting for luck to favor them. They
tors, it was found that just a handful had been regarded as prodigies.
strive to put the building blocks in place for success, whatever degree
The most accomplished subjects had worked day after day, for a num-
of effort it might require.
ber of years, to achieve success. Many extraordinary executives have
RHR INTERNATIONAL
WE SEE WHAT OTHERS DON’T.
TH E I N TA NGI BLES OF LEA DERSH I P: DR I V ERS
PAGE 2
An extensive body of research has shown that visualizing — literally
picturing yourself achieving a certain goal — corresponds to higher
levels of success. Most Olympic athletes go through extensive training
endured difficult life challenges and came out ahead. The conclusions
are powerful: In almost any field, it isn’t just brains or innate talent
that propels people to the top. It’s strength of character and endurance. It is fortitude.
Most people already have more fortitude than they realize. Bring
it to the surface by writing down all the obstacles you’ve already
overcome. Include details of how you got through them and what you
learned. This exercise enables you to recognize your own ability to
endure, something that remains hidden to a lot of people until they
in this technique to enhance their self-efficacy. By visualizing success,
we are unconsciously forced to think about which of our abilities must
have been responsible. This has been shown to have a powerful effect.
Even those with strong self-efficacy have particular triggers that, on
occasion, disrupt their self-assurance and ability to succeed. What
situations cause you to question yourself? What scripts do you play
in your head that work against you? You must understand these selfdefeating patterns of behavior in order to re-record those scripts and
create a more positive picture of your capabilities.
actually take a look at it.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Do you shy away from sensitive or “big” issues? Don’t! Take them on.
To drive your success forward, remember:
See what you’re made of. The more you force yourself to invite such
challenges, the more confidence you’ll develop in your own ability to
conquer them.
Fortitude means doing things you’ve never done before. Whether it’s
running a marathon, traveling to a foreign country, or taking a role
in an unfamiliar area of the business, you need to reach outside your
• Be accountable for your own luck. Will success to occur.
• Your leadership destiny will be determined by the strength with
which you confront challenges.
• Believe you can do more than you have the ability to do, and
you will.
comfort zone. Push yourself and explode the boundaries. You will
build a level of fortitude you never knew was possible.
ABOUT RHR INTERNATIONAL
SELF-EFFICACY Beyond self-esteem, self-efficacy is the underlying
RHR International is a firm of management psychologists and consul-
belief in your ability to attain a set of objectives. Leaders lacking
tants who work closely with top management to accelerate individual,
this intangible tend to make safe decisions, adopting a CYA approach.
team and business performance. We focus on five key areas of client
Extraordinary leaders put risk in context with their abilities. They
need — CEO Succession, Executive Selection and Integration, Acceler-
know their boundaries of competence and masterfully exploit them.
ated Executive Effectiveness, Senior Team Effectiveness, and Manage-
By doing so, they accomplish more than anyone expects of them and
ment Due Diligence. We have been proven difference-makers for more
motivate others to do the same.
than 65 years, unique in our combination of top management focus,
Belief in your own task-specific competence can be enhanced by seek-
psychologists’ perspective and high-level business acumen.
ing the help of a mentor or role model. It doesn’t need to be part of
a formal process. The key is to spend time with someone you look up
to and to feed off of his or her excellence. Build confidence through
osmosis. Extraordinary leadership is contagious and you need to
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get the bug.
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