The Four Factors of Effective Leadership

Welcome!

If this is your first visit, this post will give you a brief introduction.

In 2006, I wrote my first book, The Four Factors of Effective Leadership. It has sold fairly well and I still make presentations on the topic regularly. Many of the people that read my Freak Factor blog either have the book or seminar DVD.

The book is the result of my search for information on how to become an effective leader. The primary thesis of the book is that there are four common themes (Influence, Integrity, Inspiration, Improvement) that appear in the many books and articles dedicated to leadership development. In other words, you can't read anything on leadership without encountering one of the four factors. When I wrote the book, I included stories and examples that illustrated each factor. However, after finishing the book, I continued to find great supporting information that I wanted to share and I started this blog for that purpose.

If you haven't read the book, this will be a good introduction. If you've already read the book, these new posts will refresh your memory and add to what you've already learned.

Whether you are a parent, teacher, coach, manager or aspire to any of these roles, the four factors will help you to increase your effectiveness. I look forward to interacting with you in the pages below.

More Better

One other quote from Better seemed relevant. Dr. Gawande was concerned about the need for meaning, purpose and significance for those who work in America's health care system.

He explained that even an expert surgeon is "just one of 819,000 physicians, 2.4 million nurses, 388,000 medical assistants, 232,000 pharmacists, 294,000 lab technicians, 121,000 paramedics, 99,000 respiratory therapists, and 85,000 nutritionists. It can be hard to feel like one is not just a cog in a machine . . . none of us is irreplaceable . . . so, in this work one begins to wonder 'how do I really matter?'"

Effective leaders recognize that this is a fundamental question that every person is asking in one way or another. We all want to know that what we do matters, that we've made a difference, that we are not just wasting our time.

It is the leader's job to constantly find and communicate the importance of whatever work is being done. Leaders inspire by reminding people that they matter, that they are unique, and that the team, the organization and the community needs them and recognizes their value.

Better

I recently read Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, an excellent book on leadership, persuasion, human psychology and improving health care throughout the world, by Dr. Atul Gawande. I finished the book right before a leadership seminar to a group of health care professionals and included the following quotes in my presentation.

Dr. Gawande had just traveled to India and witnessed the tremendous problems and deficiencies in their hospitals. For example, patients have to leave the hospital to purchase the equipment and supplies that the doctors need to perform even lifesaving procedures. Although he was saddened by what he saw, he was also encouraged by the ingenuity of the doctors.

"Using just textbooks and advice from one another, the surgeons at this ordinary district hospital in India had developed an astounding range of expertise. What explains this? There was so much the surgeons had no control over . . . the overwhelming flow of patients, the poverty, the lack of supplies, but where they had control, their skills for example, these doctors sought betterment . . . They understood themselves to be part of a larger world of medical knowledge and accomplishment."

Effective leaders control what they can control. They take responsibility for their own thoughts and actions, for their own development. They act on the world, instead of being acted upon. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, they "do what they can, with what they have, where they are."

It is tempting to blame external circumstances for our inability to improve, create change or lead. But there is always something we can do and that is where we should focus. Leaders don't seek excuses or accept them from others, even when they are obvious, even when they seem overwhelming. There is always something that can be done.

Pursuing Perfection

Last month I did two days of training on The Four Factors of Effective Leadership for a great group of emergency service personnel (firefighters, paramedics, hospital staff, etc.) in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

One of the four factors is improvement, which emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, growth and development. Following the seminar, I had an interesting conversation with Sonny Robbins. During the day, he developed this quote and shared it with me. I thought it was very insightful and wanted to pass it along.

"Striving for perfection is good, but achieving perfection is impossible. Knowing where to draw the line is the difference between success and insanity. Strive for perfection and do your best to achieve your goals and you will be successful."

I think he's encouraging an important balance between a paralyzing desire for perfection and a careless attitude toward the work we do. Great reminder.

FOCUS! Organizing Your Time and Leading Your Life

Are you too busy? Do you feel overwhelmed? Are you constantly being pulled in too many different directions? Is it hard to find time for the things that really matter?

Time management is more than just checking items off a to-do list or squeezing a few more minutes out of each day by multi-tasking. In fact, these activities can often be counterproductive. In order to increase effectiveness and restore your peace of mind, it is essential to clarify purpose, develop plans, prioritize activities, and proactively execute those priorities each day.

This seminar will show you how to:
1. Develop a clear direction for your life
2. Set and achieve meaningful goals
3. Focus energy on high priority activities
4. Align daily tasks with long-term objectives
5. Handle interruptions and other disruptions to careful planning

You can watch a free preview here.

Get 25% off the CD or DVD at Createspace with coupon code UUHEHPLU

If you'd like, you can also pay full price for the CD or DVD at Amazon.com

For easy reference, links to all my resources are on the left side of my blog.

THE FREAK FACTOR: Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness

Let me ask you a question. What's your problem? I'm serious. What do you wish you could change about yourself? What is the complaint that you hear the most from those closest to you, your friends, co-workers, and family members? Are you too loud or too quiet, too hyperactive or too sedentary, too organized or too messy? You get the idea.

So, what should you do? Most people think that they should find and fix their weaknesses. Unfortunately, this just leads to frustration and failure. Your weaknesses are actually the best clue to your strengths. Furthermore, building your strengths, not fixing your weaknesses, is your best strategy for success.

This seminar is designed to encourage you to become more of who you are, not to turn you into someone else. It's about becoming more different and more unique, not more average and more mediocre. You will learn how to:

1. Discover your distinctive strengths and weaknesses
2. Frame your unique characteristics in a positive way
3. Find situations that highlight your positive qualities
4. Maximize your self-control
5. Implement permanent procrastination
6. Flaunt your weaknesses

You can watch a free preview of the new Freak Factor seminar here.

Get 25% off the CD or DVD at Createspace with coupon code UUHEHPLU

If you'd like, you can also pay full price for the CD or DVD at Amazon.com

For easy reference, links to all my resources are on the left side of my blog.

Lifelong learning leads to a long life

A recent Men's Health article discussed why wealthy people are often healthier than their financially challenged counterparts. It includes a number of suggestions for achieving health, even if you don't have the wealth.

#7. Go Back to School

"The most important predictor of health is your education."

In a recent study, "each and every step up the educational ladder conferred added longevity."

"More education gives you more control over your life. And more control means less stress. So stop watching Law & Order reruns and start thinking about going to night school and earning your law degree."

Apparently, lifelong learning doesn't just help you lead better, it also helps you to live and lead longer. 

RECHARGE! Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout

Are you burned out? Do you feel overwhelmed by personal and professional stress?

If you want to recharge yourself and reclaim control of your physical, emotional and mental well-being, this seminar can help. We will explore the causes and symptoms of burnout, as well as six proven stress management strategies. You will learn how to:

1. Take control of your responses to stress
2. Focus on what is really important
3. Use passion to overcome pain
4. Develop a new perspective on stress
5. Build relationships to prevent burnout
6. Balance activity and renewal

You can watch a free preview here.

Get 25% off the CD or DVD at Createspace with coupon code UUHEHPLU

If you'd like, you can also pay full price for the CD or DVD at Amazon.com

For easy reference, links to all my resources are on the left side of my blog.

SlideStetter

My friend, Mike Lowstetter, is a presentation wizard. He's been presenting the four factors of effective leadership around the country for the last few years.

The slides from his most recent presentation were just featured on slideshare.net and have been viewed more than 2500 times in the last couple weeks. If you want to see what a great slide presentation looks like or you want to see a short overview of the four factors, check out Mike's slides.

If you like what you see, make sure to give Mike your vote for best presentation of the year.

Four Factors of Effective Leadership

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: theory management)

Leadership Ed

Ed Brenegar is the author of Leading Questions, a very insightful and thought-provoking leadership blog. He is also one of my fellow fellows at the Morris Institute for Human Values.

He just published a great ebook, 31 Questions, which explores the primary question, "How is leadership developed throughout an organization?"

Here is a sample of some of the assumptions and questions that relate to the four factors of effective leadership.

Assumption 3. Leadership is a matter of influence and impact.

Assumption 4. Leadership occurs in the context of human relationships.

Assumption 6. Leadership is everyone's responsibility.

Question 11. How do leaders build trust with those whom they lead?

Question 13. How do leaders pass leadership down through the organization?

Question 19. How do leaders mentor other leaders?

Question 28. What does visionary leadership mean?

If you are looking for some good leadership ed(ucation), stop by the Leading Questions blog.

You can also download a short PDF with a list of his 10 Assumptions and 31 Questions.   

How to Enroll in Automobile University

The Fourth Factor of effective leadership is Improvement. Leaders must be learning and growing as individuals and developing those around them.

One great way to keep learning is to enroll in Automobile University. I first heard this term while listening, appropriately, to an audiobook by Zig Ziglar. It is simple to register for Auto U, just get an audiobook from your local library or bookstore or Itunes or Audible.com (my favorite source).

I recently listened to Microtrends, by Mark Penn. One of the trends he describes is extreme commuters, those that drive more than 375 miles to work and back each day. If you are one of these people, you should definitely register for classes today.

If you are looking for good business books available on audio, check out The Audio Advantage by Roy over at 800-CEO-Read. He lists popular business and leadership books that are available in audio format.