Recently, I read two interesting
articles which I believe are of considerable value. The first article,
Managing Oneself by Peter Drucker, focuses on the premise that to do things
well, you must “cultivate a deep understanding of yourself” (2005). You can only perform well from the position
of your strengths. In the second
article, Discovering Your Authentic Leadership, the authors presume that
“superior results over a sustained period of time are the ultimate mark of an
authentic leader” (George, et all, 2007). Authentic leaders are marked by a
deep understand of themselves which echoes the Drucker article. Additionally, both articles stress the
importance of developing yourself, not waiting for the company to take action
for you.
I believe leaders can leverage these
articles to improve both individual and team performance. improving moral, and increasing motivation. By
engaging and empowering employees and pushing ourselves to grow, we can
provide an example for other teams within our organizations.
First, I think leaders must complete a voyage of self-exploration. As an example, I learn through reading, thus
I always want peers to send me an email in advance of our discussions. Solidifying your needs in a brief summary should help in understanding your our own
personal drivers (strengths, weaknesses, learning styles, relationship needs
and values) and thus you can insure you are working in areas where you contribute the greatest, baring in mind that we can only achieve superior
results from a position of strength.
Christine (Reed) Barnhart
References
Drucker, P. F. (January 01, 2005).
Managing Oneself. Harvard Business Review, 83, 1.
George, B.,
Sims, P., McLean, A. N., & Mayer, D. (January 01, 2007). Discovering your
authentic leadership. Harvard Business Review, 85, 2, 129-30.
