Where have all the Leaders gone?

The 9 Cs of Leadership
Written by: Lee Iacocca

Group Concept Report

Morgan Baruth Heidi Fenton Melisa Gingold Ingyou Kim Bryan Paluck

MAN 3240 Karla Doreen MacAulay Due Date

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................3 COMMON SENSE ..........................................................................................................................3
DIAGRAM OF COMMON SENSE PRACTICES ......................................................................... 4

COURAGE ......................................................................................................................................5 CURIOSITY ....................................................................................................................................5 CREATIVITY..................................................................................................................................6 COMMUNICATION .......................................................................................................................7

DIAGRAM OF COMMUNICATION PROCESS .......................................................................... 8

CHARACTER ................................................................................................................................9 CONVICTION .................................................................................................................................9

DIAGRAM OF CONVICTION AND KNOWLEDGE .................................................................. 9

CHARISMA ..................................................................................................................................10 COMPETENT................................................................................................................................11 CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................12 REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................................13

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Leadership is defined as the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or a set of goals. (Robbins) This ability does not solely reside in an individual who holds a formal title or position. Rather, any individual that takes the role of establishing a direction related to the vision is a leader. There is something within that person that urges them to step-up in a group. In the book Where Have All The Leaders Gone? Lee Iacocca sums up qualities most leaders possess. There are nine qualities a leader may possess that can aid the company in achieving organizational success. A good leader alone cannot bring organizational success. However, if a leader can foster a productive and positive work atmosphere, the team will have a good foundation for success.

COMMON SENSE
A key component to common sense is your ability to reason. Lee shared an impressionable quote from an old boss, Chalrie Beacham. Charlie said, Remember, Lee, the only thing youve got going for you as human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you dont know a dip of horse poo from a dip of vanilla ice cream, youll never make it. Within Charlies comical explanation lies an important value. Common sense means to use sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts. (MerriamWebster) A leader must be able to assess the facts and apply the best logic. Leadership is not complicated. First we need to work smart, and then we can go on to working hard. Joe Scarlett (retired CEO and chairman of Tractor Supply Co.) A senseless leader might act too soon before fully understanding the situation. This could jeopardize the companys finances, structure, clientele, reputation, and more. Like Joe Scarlett said, its about working smart. In an online article, Joe notes some basic practices common sense

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leaders use. These practices can help not only the leader work smarter but the entire team as well. Common Sense Practices by Joe Scarlett

Set a Direction Support Engage Coach Reward

Everyone wants to know where the ship is headed, so dont keep it a secret. Explain as much as you can and more often than you think necessary. Repetition is important

Your leadership role includes ensuring the right tools are close at hand and knocking down any obstacles that might get in way of productivity

When team members participate in the planning process they will more clearly understand direction, plus they will be well positioned to make suggestions that could have a positive impact on the level of accomplishment

The time you spend coaching and teaching pays off by multiplying productivity and reducing big, costly errors

It only takes a few seconds to acknowledge someone, so if you want more productive people, recognize those who achieve

Set an Example

Model the behavior you expect from your teammates

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COURAGE
So what is courage? It is simply acting on what we should do, regardless of any fear we may have. It is the choice to disregard worry. It is the choice to do right, to pursue our dreams, to be successful people, to lead the way for others. Chris Widener (author and motivational speaker) Courage can come in many different forms. In the case for leaders, it typically requires them to make big and small decisions for the company. Those who succeed and become strong leaders are those who can reach deep down inside and consistently act on the hard but right decision. (Widener) Taking risks is a large part of being a courageous leader. For some, taking risks for the company forces them to step out of their comfort zone. It is important to remain caustious when taking risks but not apprehensive. Apprehension can cause the team to feel unsure of what theyre doing and the focus can be lost. The greatest thing about being a team leader is: youre not in this alone. Courage in the twenty-first century does not mean posturing and bravado. Courage is the commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk. (Iacocca) Talk with your teammates. In fact, courageous leaders actively solicit feedback from their teammates and create a climate of trust in which their teammates know they can speak freely. (Ogilvie) Also, sometimes leaders need help. It is a bold and respectable move to ask for help when you need it.

CURIOSITY
Curiosity is another important C because it allows you to look beyond what is the norm and jump out of your comfort zone. It is key for a leader to look outside the standard of opinions

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or perspectives on an issue so all angles are covered when attempting to produce a solution. Iacocca proves that unless you are willing to think outside the box, as a leader, you will become two-dimensional in the aspects of critical thinking and analyzing situations in need of solutions. It is apparent that curiosity, pertaining to a leadership quality, is based off the fact that a leader must not be a comfortable person. One must be able to take risks in order to gain ideas and suggestions from outside the comfort area, even if it is from a person of a less significant role in society or an organization. This is important simply because that less significant person could have an innovative idea and you would not know unless you are curious enough to take the risk and listen to another inquisitive mind. If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows staleThe inability to listen is a form of arrogance(p.6). In order to be a great leader in the form of curiosity one must be able to listen, take risks, listen to opinions of anyone and everyone of either relevance or irrelevance, and think outside the box for your own benefit. A leader should have a voice that makes everyone feel heard and significant in future outcomes.

CREATIVITY
A leader has to be creative, go out on a limb, and be willing to try something different(p.6). Creativity will get you far in this world because as a leader you must continuously be adapting to change locally and globally. Lee Iacocca loves to talk down on our previous president, George W. Bush. He stated that Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him was spinning out of control, he did not hold the quality of creativity. As a

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leader you have to realize that in order to survive and prosper the key to success is adapting to the change. If an organization or countrys leader is set on a standard way of leading, it is again a two-dimensional way of perceiving outcomes. The only way to obtain successful solutions or possible answers is to be creative with the opportunities to solve a predicament. Many alternatives to a solution should be presented to broaden your point-of-view on an issue at hand. The more creative you are with compiling possible solutions, the easier it will be to make decisions with the peoples best interest in mind. Being a creative leader allows one to broaden the possibilities for success and expansion. One must be willing to try different things outside their comfort ability and learn to use this to their advantage. Most leaders in this world may contain many qualities of a leadership role but may also not understand the importance of stepping outside the custom and adapting to change. This is the area where both qualities of curiosity and creativity are interchangeable. They both relate to the fact that leaders must think outside the box and learn to take risks when it comes to hearing the voice of the others. For example, a person could have an idea that might be worthwhile and that suggestion or opinion may lead to creativity that the leader may not have been capable of coming up with on their own. Moreover, the ideal to understand as a leader is that change is all around and consistently occurring. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt(p.7). This is one of the ways to succeed and strive in the world around us.

COMMUNICATION
Another important attribute to possess as a leader is effective communication skills. To get to the point one, the leader, must already understand the process of communication. Not only will employees pick up on verbal communication, they will also pick up on nonverbal

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communication ques. They will also get their information from other sources, possibly other team members or other persons of management. The leaders must keep the goals of the group in mind at all times and direct the group in its methods of achieving those goals. (Gary, Communication and Leadership, pg. 10)

The leader needs to be able to effectively communicate the message so that it doesnt get misinterpreted. How do we know if someone did not understand our message? The answer is through feedback. As a society, feedback can happen in a number of ways; a person could just come right out and tell you they didnt understand but sometimes they might not, which can make things more complicated. A way to make sure everyone is on the same page comes back to the leader. The leader should be able to understand that not everyone is going to comprehend your message clearly the first time around. The leader should be able to create an environment where the team member does not feel uncomfortable asking any questions. One way a leader can be sure that the team member understands is to not only ask the team member if they have any questions, but also have the team member repeat back what needs to be done. By using this technique, you can ensure that there was no misunderstanding.

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CHARACTER
Knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. (pg. 8) To be an effective leader we also have to focus on how your character is perceived. It boils down to your values and morals. These are established through past experiences and even how you are raised. But that doesnt mean that people cant change. If you have to work on your character than you need to start with your mindset and how you see the world around you. A lot of people believe in karma. It might be taking it back to elementary school, but the golden rule is do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. If you treat other people right, they are going to want to follow you. People follow those they trust and if you have always been fair to people then you dont really give them a reason not to trust you. People look to their managers, not just to assign them a task, but to define for them a purpose. And managers must organize workers, not just to maximize efficiency, but to nurture skills, develop talent and inspire results (Murray, What is the Difference Between Management and Leadership?)

CONVICTION
Every organization has areas of opportunity when it comes to leadership. Those areas can be the difference between a good leader and a great leader. Another C of leadership that Iacocca emphasizes is conviction. Conviction is a firmly held belief or opinion on anything. It is like a fire in the belly that fans out into flames, and may even be contagious. (dont get this analogy)

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Diagram shows that the most conviction comes when having lesser knowledge. A great leader influences but how can one influence when he/she doesnt genuinely believe what he/she is saying? An example of a person with great conviction goes by the name of Dick Cheney. Dick Cheney has earned the respect of many throughout his life with his political influence, and most of all from his bold convictions. He has been recognized as someone who tells you exactly what he thinks, and always elaborates extensively on why he believes what he believes. Whether it is in congruence to others opinions or is in total opposition to it, someones conviction stands strong and demonstrates knowledge of why they feel the way they feel. The most profound part of having genuine conviction is to neutralize the affect of other peoples opinion, approval, acceptance has unto you. Leaders can be great leaders in organizations with great conviction.

CHARISMA
When a leader has conviction, you can easily tell by their facial expression and body language. The change in the tone of their voice is just as evident. Leaders with conviction usually move in confidence and speak with authority. This leads to the next C of leadership which is

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charisma. Iacocca defined charisma as the quality that makes people want to follow you. Its the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. (pg. 9) Charisma in leadership isnt talking about being flashy; its about having a relationship and connection with the group of people you are leading. It can come in many different shapes and forms. One of which is from the fact that the leader is trustworthy and has a great reputation of keeping his/her word. Charisma could also come from the way a leader presents themselves through fashion, the way they speak, and even the way they lead other people in the organization. Charisma has always been a characteristic of a leader that really draws people to follow him/her. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most charismatic leaders of all time.

COMPETENT
The final and one of the most critical Cs of the whole leadership picture is competence; a leader must have the ability to do something in order to succeed. Seems simple enough, but one must know what they are doing and who they surround themselves with to effective. Being competent doesnt mean that a leader knows exactly how to do everything, but rather they know what to do and how to get it done, they are a problem solver. A respectable leader will know where their strengths and weaknesses lie and thus know what kind of expertise they will need to
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be surrounded by; they pick the people who know what theyre doing. Having a strong foundation of communication skills, teamwork skills, creative-problem solving, interpersonal skills, self-direction, flexibility, and professionalism are essential for a person to become a competent leader. A key trait in being a competent leader is having all the tools for whatever the occasion may be and knowing when to use what tool. It is utilizing the skills you possess and being able to apply them at the right time. A competent leader should overlook any path of resistance and do what is best for everyone involved regardless of the potential personal risk because the leader will believe in his or her skills. Its vital for a leader to have the self-confidence to admit any mistakes and grow from those errors, publicly and openly. Competent leaders have the ability to see the full view of any situation and with great dominance deliver the right outcome at just the right time. So where have all the leaders gone? They are out there, but whether they are implementing theses traits and characteristics is the secret to improving their collective performance. Lee Iacoccas 9 Cs of leadership is a powerful scorecard that demonstrates the certain qualities and skills it takes to be a good leader. The 9 Cs render the simplicity of leadership. They are not fancy nor complicated, but more clear and obvious qualities that every true leader should have. From common sense to competence, it is the understanding of how to utilize character traits and apply them to teams in order to make it successful. Great leaders can put the Cs forward in the workplace and the worth place and make anything possible.

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References

"Common Sense." Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. Iacocca, Lee A. "Chp. 1." Where Have All the Leaders Gone? New York: Scribner, 2007. N. pag. Print. Ogilvie, Dt. "What's Courageous Leadership? It Is the Courage to Be Fearless." Rochester Business Journal. N.p., 14 Sept. 2012. Web. <http://www.rbj.net/article.asp?aID=192482>. Robbins, Stephen P., and Timothy A. Judge. "Chp. 12." Essentials of Organizational Behavior. 12th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. N. pag. Print. Scarlett, Joe. "Common Sense and Effective Leadership Go Hand in Hand." Nashville Business Journal. N.p., 28 June 2013. Web. <http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/printedition/2013/06/28/common-sense-and-effective-leadership.html?page=all>. Widener, Chris. "Courageous Leadership." Success. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.success.com/article/courageous-leadership>.

http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED097701.pdf http://guides.wsj.com/management/developing-a-leadership-style/what-is-the-differencebetween-management-and-leadership/?mod=WSJBlog http://www.bernardgoldberg.com/dick-cheney-interview-a-reminder-ofleadership-with-conviction/ http://samipaju.com/knowledge-conviction/ http://people.howstuffworks.com/10-charismatic-leaders.htm

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