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“Seven C’s” of Productive Leadership
September 14th, 2007 by StephenPosted in GTD, Management |
Welcome back! It's good to see you again. Please note that I am now publishing all new material at my hub site: StephenPSmith.com
In any sort of group, whether it is a team for your work, or a social organization, there is always someone who exibits a set of characteristics that bring the members of the group together. These qualities can make or break a team effort, turning the potential productivity into successful achievement.
Develop the “Seven C’s” in order to best utilize your personal influence:
- Character - There is an old cliche that “Character is what you do in the dark“, none the less it is true. In this day of transparency and Google, people will always find out what you are doing when you think no one is looking. A productive leader will always do the right thing.
- Clarity - Does everyone on your team know what you mean in your communications? A productive leader will clearly describe the goal so that everyone understands the direction that the team is headed, as well as the steps needed to get there.
- Credibility - Cultivate trust by keeping your promises. Setting an example by your own behavior builds trust. A productive leader will “walk the walk”, and not just “talk the talk”.
- Commitment - Putting in the extra effort is a strong motivator for a group’s success. A productive leader must believe in the organization and dedicate their energies to supporting the team.
- Courage - There will be times that obstacles will interfere with the group’s progress. A productive leader has the mental toughness to press on, or (this is sometimes even harder) to re-evaluate the situation and change direction.
- Caring - It is important that team members build relationships with each other, between themselves and with their leader. Fairness and trust are the new currency of the information economy. A productive leader is sincerely interested in the people on the team, and publicly acknowleges their contributions to the project.
- Confidence - People will follow a leader who is prepared to lead, and does so with gusto. A productive leader is not an overthinker, rather, they will lead without hesitation or second-guessing.
The “Seven C’s” of Productive Leadership are not just for the team leader. Everyone involved can benefit from developing these qualities. Do you know a leader who has trouble with one or more of these? How can you help them improve?
If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/5nuz2s. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen
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September 15th, 2007 at 11:20 am
[…] “Seven C’s” of Productive Leadership (tags: leadership) […]
September 15th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
I would deffinatly say that if a leader has atleast 3-4 of these 7 then whoever is under his wing will flourish. Thats just my opinion, but just by judging from previous leaders I have known that was the case.
September 15th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Your opinion is well-founded. I, too, would be mildly surprised at finding someone who had mastered all seven. That person would be someone to work for though!
September 15th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
I would agree. As Im sure that the opinion of which “C’s” would be the most important to have, I truly believe that a true leader would want to bring in those under him who had any of the “C” Characteristics that he may lack.
September 18th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Love the 7 c’s. Leaders need to have this list I will be copying this and placing it on my computer as a reminder of what we should be doing on a daily basis. Not just once in a while but consistantly following the 7 c’s. Great job!