How do you define ProActive leadership?

Why should a proactive leader be a follower?

What character traits motivate staff to trust and follow leaders?

How does a team determine leadership roles?

How do leaders ensure that staff members are committed?

What skills does a proactive leader possess that help him lead more easily?

Do you have other questions? Please e-mail them to us!

How do you define ProActive leadership?

ProActive Leadership is a function, not a position. It is a composite of all of the skills a person applies that influence and inspire others to think, say and do the right things to achieve the worthwhile vision, governing operating values, mission and vital goals of the organization.

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Why should a proactive leader be a follower?

Leaders need to model what it looks like to be an effective follower if they want staff members to follow them accordingly. They need to be keenly aware of opportunities to learn from, and follow others as the situation dictates.

The ten hallmarks of effective followers from the book Intentional Integrity are:

1. They manage themselves well.
2. They are committed and loyal to the organization that employs them.
3. They respect the legitimate authority of others.
4. They seek specific directions.
5. They accept significant assignments.
6. They develop their competencies and are credible.
7. They focus their efforts for maximum impact.
8. They value honest appraisals and feedback.
9. They exhibit exemplary integrity and honesty.
10. They are courageous and confront wrong behavior.

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What character traits motivate staff to trust and follow leaders?

The informal surveys we have taken during our workshops and coaching sessions over a three-decade period say that these are the top ten character traits. High integrity, compassion, loyalty, straightforwardness, fairness, politeness, hopeful, perseverance, calmness and prudence.

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How does a team determine leadership roles?

1. Determine and write down the specific character traits, leadership tasks and functions and indicators of commitment needed to achieve the right results most quickly and easily.
2. Call forward those persons appearing to possess the character, competence and commitment to make the right things happen as quickly and easily as possible.
3. Have willing candidates assess their relative strengths related to character, competence and commitment.
4. Have candidates share their perspectives with all stakeholders who will directly interface with them and be following them.
5. Have the team enter into an open and honest dialogue and advocacy session regarding who is best fitted to lead relative to given situations.
6. Reach genuine consensus.
7. Pass leadership to the person selected by consensus as the best person for the situation and follow him.
8. Give him equal authority and responsibility.
9. Help him be accountable and to achieve the desired ends.

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How do leaders ensure that staff members are committed?

Conducting ProActive Commitment Checks is a powerful means for surfacing people's real motivation. The process is simple, straightforward and promotes open, honest, truth telling and trust between leaders and staff members.

Make a list of commitments that are important for your staff members to have. Let’s use a critical element to illustrate the process - your organization’s vision. A commitment check should always address your organization’s vision, governing operating values, mission, and vital goals. Add other things as you see fit - timeliness, frugality, open communication, customer satisfaction, etc.

1. Design open-ended commitment check questions that stimulate conversation.
• To what degree, 1 being low to 10 being high, are you helping our team make the vision of our organization come true!
• What will your commitment look like in action?
• What can I or your team members do that would cause you to increase your commitment?
2. Put the commitment check questions on a simple form.
3. Share with your stakeholders your intent and guidelines for scheduling commitment checks.
4. Share with your stakeholders the questions to be discussed.
5. Share with them the process you’ll use for facilitating the one-on-one discussion.
6. Schedule and conduct commitment check meetings with each staff member.
7. Affirm the staff member for whatever commitments they make.
8. Assign people to functions and tasks that command their highest levels of commitment. Encourage them to grow in commitment toward achieving other functions and tasks as appropriate.

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What skills does a proactive leader possess that help him lead more easily?

Observations tell us the top ten skills are following, visioning, listening, communicating, persuading, facilitating, clarifying, aligning, encouraging, consensus-building and decision-making.

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