An Australian Soldier Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith received the highest military decoration today, the Victoria Cross. This is an incredible and inspiring story of true leadership under fire. What this soldier was confronted with was unimaginable, yet he demonstrated such courage, conviction, decisiveness and gallantry.

To give you some background, The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories. It takes precedence over all other orders, decorations and medals. It may be awarded to a person of any rank in any service and to civilians under military command. The Victoria Cross is awarded for the most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or pre-eminent act of valour or self-sacrifice, or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy.

Corporal Benjamin Roberts Smith received this medal for enormous courage and bravery during an incredibly tense, demanding and life threatening situation.  He single-handedly neutralised several enemy machine gun positions during the battle that left more than 60 enemies dead. He did this without regard for his safety but with the safety of his mates firmly in his mind. You can read the citations at the Herald Sun site for details http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/corporal-benjamin-roberts-smiths-citation/story-e6frf7l6-1225993174364. It is incredible reading.

Corporal Roberts-Smith was trained for these situations and has the reputations as being an expert.  As outlined in the Department of Defence Media Release “Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie remarked on the tremendous humility shown by Corporal Roberts-Smith.”

 “All Australian Soldiers should feel tremendously proud of the actions of Corporal Roberts-Smith, and the recognition that the award of the Victoria Cross represents.  The valour of his actions and those of the other members of his patrol, are exemplars of the very best in Australian soldiering,” Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie said.

“He is a soldier who embodies Army’s values of Courage, Initiative, and Teamwork and the ethos of the Special Air Service Regiment.  He is held in the highest esteem by his peers, subordinates and superiors alike for his personal attributes and his professionalism.”

Wow! To have those words said about you is quite the honour. This is Corporal Roberts-Smith legacy. It really got me thinking about pure leadership. In business, leaders can get so annoyed with relentless questions from staff, relentless demands from clients, and impatient with business demands. These leaders can shut the door; they can go outside and get some fresh air. They can put ‘do not disturb’ on their telephone and stare out the window. I know I have when it all gets too hard; I want things to be quiet so I can think. Corporal Robertson-Smith does not get to make that choice. When under fire, he must act or potentially lose his life and that of his team.

This story is the ultimate example of leadership. What Corporal Roberts-Smith did under enormous pressure is admirable and quite incredible. I can’t imagine the noise, the pressure, the danger and the potential confusion in a situation like he faced. And nor do I want to. He demonstrated decisiveness, teamwork, courage, confidence, split second thinking, and control in such a demanding situation. This is true leadership. Being a leader when you have to, not when you want to, but always.

As business leaders we can learn a lot from this story. Corporal Benjamin Roberts Smith not only do I salute you, I am in awe of you.

I’ve never really been interested in politics. But now I find it fascinating! It’s certainly not the policies. It’s the people! It’s not because they are dynamic either, it’s because they’re so….welll……bland!

Now I am only guessing here because as I said I wasn’t all that interested in politics in the past. I think together with a lot of Gen X’ers growing up, the household voted for a particular party and that was that. I remember Hawke, Keating, Fraser and Whitlam to name a few big names as I was growing up.  I use the word ‘big’ because they seemed to be larger than life. They seemed to have courage in their convictions and be confident in what they stood for and what they didn’t and would be bold/confident enough to present an opinion. They seemed to be able to communicate well. Perhaps that was why they either won or lost office convincingly. Unlike today where we have hung parliaments and negotiations with lower house representatives to win power.

Take Kevin Rudd. What a massive fall from fame he had. Dubbed Kevin07, he signaled the change that Australia was looking for. A change from the Howard government that was thought to be tired and old. He presented as a confident character, intelligent, communicated well, but most of all he won the hearts and minds of the majority of the Australian voters. With big promise, he took office and progressively lost his brand, lost his courage, lost his conviction. Known behind the scenes as an autocratic leader with a bad temper, the gloss of Kevin07 slowly faded and when we entered Twenty10, I for one was unsure of what Mr Rudd stood for. I was unsure of his message. And so it seems, so was he. He had reverted to fence sitting, and he got some terrible splinters when he fell! I remember my Uncle saying to me that in the latter stages, Mr Rudd was trying to be too intelligent. I think he was right!

Enter Julia Gillard who is certainly one to jump on opportunity! Mr Rudd’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Gillard was a highly respected member of the labour party. And respected by those in the opposition also. Tenacious, intelligent, grounded and incredibly tactical, she gained the support of her party and ousted Mr. Rudd to take the top job in Australia. Quite a coup for a female politician and indeed she is the first female Australian Prime Minister – non-elected.

So what does Ms Gillard stand for? Unions, education, opposed to gay marriage are some things we know for certain. But what is it that she stands for as a leader? What are her opinions, beliefs, and strategies about how she believes our country should be run? I have no idea and I think all evidence points to the majority of the Australian voters having no idea given the outcome of the last election where Ms Gillard retained the top job through better negotiation with the independents. Her opposition, Tony ‘Speedo” Abbott, what does he stand for? No idea either.

I have no idea who is leading our country. Do you? We have an untested leader and we are entering challenging times. It makes me a little nervous to be honest.  How is she going to respond under pressure? Do they have the courage to make the hard decision and risk popularity? I hope it’s not a problem but it may well be.

We have just experienced the same situation in Victoria where the Liberal Party won the election from the Labour Party. Just! What does our new leader stand for? Unclear. What were his policies? I’ll put in a fix for all the wrong the previous party did! Really? How? How are you going to improve our roads, health system, reduce crime, reduce violence in our streets and improve our public transport system?? I haven’t heard anything about the how! Untested once again, we’ll wait and see how he performs.

Why is it now that our top leaders are basically refusing to stand for something other than being the face of a political party? What has changed? Why are they choosing to sit on the fence? What is the legacy they are creating? Close your mouth, provide politically correct responses and hope people like what you wear? Pffft! Boring. Someone stand up…please!

It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, you will be aware of the devastating floods in Queensland Australia. The devastation caused by this act of Mother Nature is of biblical proportions and for the people involved, it is not only enduring the actual floods, it’s the recovery and the aftermath that will be with them for a long time yet.

Disasters can define a leader and you only have to look towards the then New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his actions during September 11 as a glowing example.

During periods of crisis and panic people look for direction, help, assistance. Anything that will help them to get through the shock, despair, loss and fear of a disaster and potential loss of life. They need to know what to do, where they should go, how and when. They need the communication, courage, conviction and decisiveness of true and strong leadership.

The leadership demonstrated by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh in this time of hardship for her people has been outstanding. So what has she been doing well? All the critical things that effective and strong leaders should be:

•  She is communicating with clarity and compassion, consistently and constantly, to her people.
•  People need a sense of calm and control in a time like this and through Ms Bligh’s communication style I believe they are receiving this from the highest level.
•  Ms Bligh is ensuring, as best she can, that critical information is reaching people and where possible, effective planning is occurring. She is proving a sense of control. This is what her people need right now. This is what the relatives and friends and the general public need right now. We need to know what is happening. Technology and the extent of media coverage are on her side for sure, however she is driving this.
•  She is leading a huge team in rescue, recovery and logistics of this disaster
•  She is present, constantly, getting first hand information
•  Ms Bligh is being decisive
•  Anna Bligh is being real.

By all accounts, her popularity bank account was running low with her people prior to this disaster. There seems to be a noticeable swing as social media sites Twitter and Facebook are showing very favourable comments about the Queensland leader. Perhaps her efforts during this time will build her balance back up, who knows. People can be fickle and there is a long hard road ahead of her yet.

When the tides subside, the real toll on human life, animal life and property will be revealed, not to mention human emotions, Anna Bligh will need to continue to stand strong and lead her state back to normality once again. She is only at the start of her most critical leadership role. And if what she has demonstrated so far is anything to go by, she has the skills and the conviction to do this. She must.

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Julie Hyde     
Email: Julie@distinctiveleadership.com.au

2011 – THE YEAR OF THE LEADERSHIP CRISIS
Leadership expert explains how rapid economic change, unseasonable weather, the absence of client service and untested leadership present significant challenges to business leaders this year.

Twenty10 saw business leaders under enormous leadership pressure. Relentless business demands and constant change tested our leaders in ways they have not been tested before and placed huge expectation on them. Some are equipped with the skills to handle this pressure and rapid change. Most are not. This places enormous risk on their business.

Change will be constant moving into 2011, this is something you can rely on. A majority of the change is something that business leaders can not control. Take for example the Australian Dollar being on parity with the US. The threat of interest rates increasing further. The pressure that ‘traditional’ retail sales is currently facing. Mother Nature’s lashing of our great land creating strain on people and the economy. It has been reported that even the Coca Cola companies are looking at reduced earnings of as much as 40% as a casualty of the cooler temperatures and floods in Australia. That is only one example of how a company is affected by the weather. A very high profile and well known business leader in Australia has recently lead a campaign to try and get people back to ‘traditional’ retail businesses. While the GST issue may be a factor, the absence of old style client service is another huge factor as to why people are avoiding retail outlets. How are these factors affect your business and importantly your clients and how they do business with you?

Add a further dimension into the mix, we are entering a period of untested leadership in Australia with our new Prime Minister Julia Gillard facing into the same challenges and many more political issues at a national and global level. We have no evidence of how she will perform, let alone what she actually stands for as a leader. In Victoria, we have a newly elected Premier, how will he perform? He is also an untested and unproven leader at this level. How will this affect business in our country, particularly small to medium business? We don’t know and again, this is something Business Leaders can not control.

Leaders have been reactive in Twenty10 while being under pressure to keep up with and communicate change. It has tested their communication skills, their courage as a leader, their vision and importantly their ability to inspire a team in a time of rapid change while maintaining connection with their clients. 2011 calls for leaders to be proactive, to be creative and innovative and position their business for growth. The constant call by people in business is that they are looking for leaders, they need leaders and they want leaders. True leaders. A recent article in The Age newspaper on reform agenda supports this "We want leaders who have the courage to strengthen our economy and ensure that it benefits all Australians." If that is the case, leaders need to change how they are doing things, have clear vision and implement a success structure to ensure they can inspire a team towards a common goal and ensure they are delivering outstanding client service. They need to stay close to their clients and keep their ear to the ground, ensuring they are seen as a trusted advisor to all in their sphere to have any chance of growing their business.

Distinctive Leadership supports Small to Medium Business owners to improve their profits through leadership by providing simple success structures to grow the key areas of business that they can control. These being the leader, team, clients and sales giving back time, profits and power to business leaders.

If you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Julie Hyde, please contact Distinctive Leadership on 0419 33 22 58 (+61) or email leadership@distinctiveleadership.com.au

Leadership in Sports is interesting to watch and incredibly volatile. If your team is doing well, people love the captain and believe he/she must be doing a great job. In contrast when your team is losing, people are looking to blame and the blame generally falls fair and square on the leaders shoulders! But is this fair?  Well, it’s not really a question of fair but you’ve got to take the good with the bad when you’re in the spotlight. It all comes with the responsibility of leadership.

Let’s use the example of The Australian Cricket Team at this point in time. Ricky Ponting has been the leader for many years and is a celebrated cricketer. He was part of the ‘Super Team’. The Australian team in the past, have been super successful and have had many very talented individuals within the team. The Waugh Brothers, Gilchrest, Warne, McGrath, Lee and the list goes on. It’s a totally different story now!

Poor Ricky is leading the team in totally different circumstances. The majority of the ‘super talent’ has retired from cricket. Particularly in this Ashes Series against England, Australia are the easy beats. Being beaten is not easy, it’s tough and it hurts. It damages morale of a team and the supporters can turn rather feral. The media are harsh in their criticism and there is no escape for the high profile sportsman. So my question is, is the demise of the team because of lack of leadership?

I’m not sure we will ever get a consensus on the question. Does Ricky Ponting demonstrate good leadership skills? I think in the majority yes. I mean if you have a look at his win/loss ratio, he is well ahead. So is he a good leader in good times with strong talent behind him? Does he struggle to inspire and motivate a team that do not include superstars? One thing he does have on his side is he has the runs on the board (pardon the pun), he is a respected cricketer and has the respect of the majority of the public. People like to follow someone who is successful. That is a fact. Noone wants to follow a dud now do they?

Enter Michael Clarke into the mix. He’s been waiting in the wings for a chance to lead and now with Ricky injured, he’s got it. A pretty boy, a model who gets his biceps and six pack out at any opportunity who lives a celebrity life style. Has he got what it takes to be a leader? Jury is out for me. As I said, people like to be lead by someone who is successful and inspiring and who can find just that little bit more in themselves and others. Does Clarke have the credibility that the previous captains have had? No! We certainly know about his love life, who he models for, where he lives and what car he drives but what does the guy stand for? Does he have the courage and conviction to lead a team of people to success? Can he win over the Australian public? This depends on a couple of factors:

1. That he concentrate on his profession as a priority
2.  He improves his performance
3.  He decides what he stands for and what he doesn’t and has the conviction to stand behind that
4.  He demonstrates to those watching and interested, through his actions, that he has what it takes to lead a team back to success and that he is a suitable successor for the captaincy role
5.  He proves over and over again that he is a leader in the true sense of the word. Not just when he’s in the spotlight.

   This is what I would say to any wanting to be leader. And last but certainly not least, he needs courage. The courage to lead in testing times and be true to yourself rather than giving into frustration and worry is a true test of a leader. Courage is leadership. Leadership is courage.

Not sure about you but I think this year went really fast. Though it did lag a little for me during one of the coldest and longest winters that Melbourne has experienced for a number of years. Changes came thick and fast throughout the year from the change in Government in Australia to the change in Industrial Relations legislation to changes in Tax laws to changes in the Australian Football League and to our extreme weather conditions experienced across the world! Phew!

There is one thing for sure; we need to be very effective at managing change moving into 2011 because our world is done with standing still. The way we did business a year ago is not how we need to do business moving forward to ensure the growth of our business and also of us professionally.

Business moving forward is going to be more about humanising business again. Word of mouth will dominate in our age of technology and social media. We will look even more within our own, now expansive network of associates for advice rather than searching the web looking for service solutions. It is believed that 78% of people now trust word of mouth compared to 14% of those who trust advertising.

Over the Christmas break it is common for us to reflect on what we did well for the year, what we did not so well and what we need to do to ensure we reach our goals for the next year. Will you be telling your friends that you achieved you goals at this year’s Christmas party? What would you like to be telling your friends at a Christmas party at the end of 2011? What was Twenty10 for you? How would you describe the evolvement of ‘Brand You’, the face of your business, the face of you professionally and personally? Are you proud of your Twenty10 Brand?

For us, at Distinctive Leadership, it was a period of growth including successes, some mistakes and great learning’s.  We travelled a lot, met wonderful new people, made a difference to our clients and lived our purpose. Can it get better than that? Yes! Are we grateful for what was achieved? Yes! It is a great foundation for 2011? Yes! Why? Because knowledge is power.

From all of us at Distinctive Leadership, we would like to wish you and your family a safe and very happy holiday season and every success in the New Year. We would also like to thank you for your support and readership. We look forward to sharing even more with you next year and being part of your growth and success in TwentyEleven. Let’s make it a standout year.

Enjoy your break and the time of connection.

There is nothing more frustrating in business when people are just not pulling their weight. After you have clearly defined what they need to do, believe they know how to do it and they just don't! And then come the excuses as to why things have not been done as they should. It's always someone or something else's fault. It can really make your blood boil. After all, you do the things you need to do right? You're the leader, you can not sit back and blame others for things not happening. If you did, your business would go bust!

Then a funny thing happens. You are a little resistant to having the conversation with "Fred". After all, you know what the response will be which will frustrate you even more. So you end up doing the task yourself, or you ask someone else to do it. It's easier and it keeps the peace. Fred get's away with it ….again! And here lies your problem. You have accepted Fred's poor behaviour and Fred will do it again because he can. You have let him. 

Interestingly, Fred may not be aware of his shortfall. How can he not be I hear you say? Well, some people are just not aware they are not meeting expectations. They simply do not have that level of awareness. Or it could be a conscious choice. Either way, unless it is brought to their attention, they do not have the opportunity to change it. As a strong leadership "brand" this is your role. You need to "inspect what you expect" – consistently. Regardless of whether you believe they are aware of it or not, you need to provide your team member an opportunity to change and reinforce your expectations of them. This needs to be done in a formal manner. By doing this, you are then giving Fred the choice whether he meets the expectations or not. His choice will generate reward or consequence and your role is to simply observe his behaviour and articulate your observations. Now, when you look at the situation like that it appears pretty simple!

Let me give you some tips to help. And hey, this approach can work in any situation, even with kids!

·       Raise the issue you have observed. Observed is the key word here. After arranging a formal meeting with Fred, you will bring to his attention the "issue" that you have observed him not completing according to his expectations. By stating you have observed the behaviour, normally a non-action, you are not accusing and the meeting can be less threatening to Fred. It also removes the opportunity for a third party to be brought into the conversation. For example "Who said that – it was Nancy wasn't it?" For you as the leader, this can remove some emotion also, as you are simply letting your team member know what you have observed in their behaviours/actions.

·       The Prevention. A great open question to ask Fred is "What prevented you from completing this task/s?". Do not start the question with "why". When why is used it evoked a defensive response and will lead Fred to blame, justify and delve into problem. You are wanting to work to a solution and identify if there is a skill gap or clarity gap with Fred. After asking Fred what prevented him from doing the task, remain silent and wait for the answer. Do not try and rescue Fred if he is not coming up with anything, wait for the response. You need to ensure Fred responds.

·       Reinforce the expectation. Confirm with Fred what your expectations are of him, both in results and behaviours and ensure that Fred understands. To ensure he understands, ask Fred to repeat back to you what you have outlined in his own words. This reinforces the expectation into Fred's conscious awareness. Ensure Fred understands he plays an integral role within the team and if he doesn't perform it affects the business and the rest of the team morale.

·       Plan of attack. What does Fred now need to do differently to ensure that he meets the expectation? What does he need to start doing, stop doing, change, continue? Fred needs to articulate this and this needs to be recorded in written form so it can be referred back to. The leader should ensure Fred writes this down.

·       Confirm action. Confirm action with Fred and ensure a timeline is established for completion. Ensure a follow up meeting is arranged with Fred to review his performance. Again, ensure Fred is crystal clear about what is expected of him, the actions he needs to take from here and if there is a consequence to any further similar behaviour. And of course the reward for performing to expectation.

Now, by bringing the situation to Fred's attention, you have given him the choice whether he meets the expectation or not. You have also provided a safe, private forum for him to raise any skill, confidence or clarity gaps to enable you to work through these together. Fred now has the power to perform or not. It will be a very conscious choice if he doesn't this time! 

Your role now is to observe Fred's behaviour. That's it. Simply observe. Fred has the power to perform now and it's up to him. The responsibility is on his shoulders not yours. You will reward if he meets the expectations on a consistent basis and deliver consequence if not. The end result is up to Fred. You have done all you can by highlighting the issue and providing Fred with the opportunity to change.

 As a leader, that is your responsibility. 

The final leadership style we’ll be exploring is the free-reign leadership style,  also known as the “hands-off¨ style. It is one in which the leader provides little or no direction and gives employees as much freedom as possible, even though the leader is responsible for the final outcome. All authority or power is given to the employees and they determine goals, make decisions, and resolve problems on their own. I have seen this work incredible well in business or fall in a massive burning heap of smoldering ash! Below we’ll look at where this style of leadership is beneficial and when it’s not. Considering a leader has the responsibility for business outcomes, they need to be incredibly confident in adopting this style of leadership.

The situation I have seen this style fail is where there has been a particularly ‘weak’ person in the leadership role, incapable of making a decision. All responsibility was left to the team. The problem was, the leader did not recognize the efforts of the team, publicly or individually and claimed the glory for the business performance, which they did not lead or contribute to. There were power struggles with team members and the culture was confused and confronting for some. It was not a good place to work.

Free Reign Leadership is an effective style to use when:

·       The leader is a good role model for decision making and provides high level vision

·       Employees are highly skilled, experienced, and educated.

·       Employees have pride in their work and the drive to do it successfully autonomously.

·       Outside experts, such as executive coaches or consultants are being used

·       Employees are trustworthy and confident

·       The team is a high performing group of capable and driven people

This style should not be used when:

·       The leader is not confident in their ability or can not make a decision

·       The leader will not provide regular feedback to let employees know how they are performing

·       Leaders will not or are unable to thank employees for their good work.

·       The leader doesn’t understand his or her responsibilities and is hoping the employees can cover for him or her.

This completes our focus on leadership styles. You can decide now based on your work environment, your demands and/or those working for you, which style of leadership works best for you and your team.

The democratic leadership style is also called the participative style as it encourages employees to be a part of the decision making. However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority.

This style of leadership is more accepted and certainly encouraged in today’s work environment. People today are much more savvy and don’t take kindly to being told what to do and being part of a constrictive environment. However, they certainly are looking for direction and vision from leaders today.

Democratic leadership contributes to a culture of empowerment, innovation and growth. It can produce high quality and high quantity work for long periods of time. Many employees like the trust they receive and respond with cooperation, team spirit, and high morale. Typically the democratic leader:

·       Provides constructive feedback based on clear and measurable performance expectations

·       Allows employees to establish individual goals, complimenting business goals

·       Encourages employees to grow on the job and be promoted

·       Recognizes and rewards staff

·       Provides a high level vision and direction for the business, engaging the team in developing the ‘how to get there’

·       Invites discussion and ideas for business improvement and development

·       Encourages innovation and creativity and two way feedback

Like the other styles, the democratic style is not always appropriate. It is most successful when used with highly skilled or experienced employees or when implementing operational changes or resolving individual or group problems. Democratic leadership should not be used when:

·       There is not enough time to get everyone’s input.

·       It’s more cost-effective for the leader to make the decision.

·       The business can’t afford mistakes.

·       The workforce is unskilled

·       Employee safety is a critical concern.

This style of leadership is, I believe, true and effective leadership.