The Leadership Question

By Bob Hogarth & Paul Francis

Whether you are new to leadership or are a highly experienced and accomplished leader, in this book you will fnd a broad spectrum of ideas, thoughts, exercises and examples gleaned from the experience of two award winning leaders.

If you are looking for an academic treatise. This is not for you! But if you want practical and honest examples to build your skills, then The Leadership Question will have real value for you.

Bob Hogarth and Paul Francis write their thoughts on leadership in a straightforward (and sometime humorous) style that will appeal to anyone who truly wants to become a better leader.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inspiring Publishers / ASPG
• Release date: Mar 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781922327406

Book preview

PREFACE - (Bob)

I guess many people have thought about writing a book at some point. Over the years I have been encouraged by people close to me and also some that have heard me speak at various conferences to write about the things that I have learned and shared in my own leadership journey.

I have been fascinated with the whole notion of leadership and what works and what doesn’t. I have always had a strong interest in the stories of great leaders throughout history and I have also observed and been influenced by leaders in my own life and career.

I have experienced firsthand the impact of both good and poor leadership and have often been puzzled by the lack of conscious thought and effort that many do not put into improving themselves as leaders. It seemed natural then that I should look to write about the topic that interests me and that also I believe might have some relevance for others.

This book has come about as a collaboration between Paul Francis and myself. While Paul and I are very different people and leaders in many respects, we have very similar views and approaches when it comes to leadership. I have learned much from Paul and I would hope that he too has learned from me. We also share a strong view that leadership is important, but also that enjoying what you do and having a sense of humour is an important attribute in life and in any form of endeavour.

So when the notion of writing a book on leadership started to form and really seem like something that would be a good idea, I approached Paul to see how he would feel about writing something together.

The conversations via text went something like this:

Some dialogue then occurred about chapter headings and so on. Then came some difficulties, the main one was to find a title for the book. Coming up with appropriate titles that make some sense is not as easy as it first might appear. I made some, what I thought were brilliant suggestions before we agreed on The Leadership Question.

This is how the suggestions went:

As you can see Paul totally missed the point here.

Eventually we arrived at the Leadership Question as the title of the book and the book started to take shape.

Paul and I are now arguing about who will play each of us in the movie.

PREFACE - (Paul)

By now you will have read Bob’s preface…...a true work of fiction …. just kidding!

It is true that Bob did come to me and suggest that he had a great idea. You can imagine my surprise!

I settled into my seat to await what I was sure was either a genius idea or another crazy thought that had run out of control. In fact neither was true.

You see I have known Bob for well over twenty years and have worked closely with him for that period, I know him very well. You do not get to work with someone this long without many experiences where we have had to collaborate, help, and at times drive each other a little crazy.

There were several times where I had to start a conversation with Bob that went like this.

Bob, I have made a decision, and now you need to agree. Not always well received. But more often than not it was for counsel, assistance, or just an alternate view. I am sure he would say the same.

But, back to the idea. Bob suggested we co-author a book on Leadership which no doubt would have the world trembling with excitement, or something like that. At first, I thought how would this work, two authors writing chapters on different aspects of leadership, would it sync well together, would we be able to work together on a project like this?

Bob has covered off on how the conversation went but suffice to say I was interested.

I guess the reason I agreed that is because whilst Bob and I are different in some ways, and no doubt similar in others, the one thing we share for certain is a passion for helping and developing people and an obsession for great leadership that is real, authentic, consistent, and undertaken with absolute integrity.

So after the idea started to grow on me I thought what could we offer in a leadership book that had not already been covered in a sea of books, some outstanding, and some not so much, that are already available. What would make ours different?

We agreed that it wouldn’t be written as an academic exercise, or the ten steps to be a better leader type of approach, as these had all been done before!

We thought it might be helpful to look at leadership broadly and use our experiences, and experience and share the many and diverse areas of leadership with some stories, tips, and suggestions that have helped us, and I am sure will help those that read this book.

We both hope you enjoy this book, have some ah ha moments, pick up some useful ideas and tips, and gain some benefit from the stories and anecdotes.

Not sure about Bob’s comments about who will play us in the movie adaption, but if all else fails and not too many people proudly own a copy of our work it will make great autographed copies as presents for our family and friends!!!

However, since you have got this far, read on I am sure it will be well worth your time.

INTRODUCTION - Bob

Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. In my journey so far as a senior executive, board director, keynote speaker and consultant I have come across leaders ranging in skills and approach from those who are inspirational to those that seemingly could suck the lifeblood out of anything they come across.

I have seen leaders who have built fantastic teams and encouraged and fostered the development and potential of others, and I have seen micromanagers who make everything about them. I have seen leaders who have been able to inspire entire organisations to achieve strategies that are worthwhile and that achieve amazing things and I have seen leaders so self-absorbed and focussed on what they can get that they make decisions that are to the detriment of others and the organisations that they lead. I have seen CEOs and leaders that are humble and caring and I have seen CEOs and leaders that believe that they are infallible and that only they know the answers.

The world needs good leaders in every sphere of life. Whether it is in families, organisations, teams, projects, politics; you name it, leaders have a profound impact on society and on the health and success of teams and individuals.

Good leaders galvanise us towards the possibilities of a better future, they provide inspiration and energy to achieve something greater, they bring about systems, thoughts, processes and approaches that can help others achieve beyond what they believed was possible. Good leaders provide an example for others to emulate.

There was a time when we held our leaders to a higher standard. Where we expected them to model ethical and moral compasses that set the bar for the organisations that they lead, whether it is in the context of politics, organisational or economic leadership. Leaders should demonstrate not only the capacity to lead and inspire, but also to be someone to aspire to.

Leadership is not only about the skills of being a leader, it is also about the behaviours and values of those that lead.

I am hopeful that as part of your desire to grow as a leader that you are and will be a great role model for others as you seek to improve and make a mark as the best leader you can be.

Leadership is not only about the skills of being a leader, it is also about the behaviours and values of those that lead.

In the movie City Slickers Billy Crystal plays Mitch Robbin, a radio advertisement executive who at 39 is struggling with a mid-life crisis. In order to find his mojo, he and two friends, who are struggling themselves in areas of their lives, embark on a two week cattle drive from New Mexico to Colorado.

During the cattle drive they encounter a crusty trail boss named Curly (played by Jack Palance) who tells Mitch about the The One Thing in life which is most important, and which will solve all the problems of his life. When Mitch asks what the One Thing is, Curly basically says that this is what you have to find.

Unfortunately, many leaders believe that there is One Thing or one approach to leadership that will always work and will be appropriate. Or perhaps more accurately, many leaders only use one approach with their teams and individuals regardless of the circumstances.

If the was one thing that was the answer to the Leadership Question, this book would be rather short! There would be no leadership courses or qualifications, each of us could simply roll out the one secret to good leadership and pack up and go home.

I have met managers who believe because they are in a management role, that their position is all the leadership effort from them that is required.

We have attempted in this book to provide a range of thoughts, approaches, exercises and stories to help in your thinking about leadership.

I am a fan of Situational Leadership II by Ken Blanchard, because it addresses the need for leaders to recognise not only is a different leadership style required (in terms of providing the right balance of direction and support) depending on the level of competence and commitment of the person, in each situation. A great leader understands this concept and adjusts their approach depending on the circumstances. Too often we assume that one of our team who is highly competent and confident will remain so and will need little input from the leader, or conversely too often leaders micromanage teams that are more than capable of performing effectively.

In this book we have attempted to provide a wide range of thoughts and examples that we hope you will fund useful, interesting and challenging.

PART ONE: (Bob)

BECOMING A BETTER LEADER

If you are reading this book, you are either a relative of the author (hi Denise!) or have been given this book as a present or you want to improve as a leader.

However, regardless of why you have this book, I hope that you continue reading and find it helpful and interesting and that it helps you to continue improving as a leader and developer of people.

Becoming the best leader you can be is a really worthwhile pursuit and throughout this book we have provided suggestions, case studies and stories designed to give you a range of strategies that could help you in that pursuit. I encourage you to take whatever you think will work for you from the Leadership Question and adapt them to your own circumstances and context.

One of the greatest thrills in a career can be to help others realise their potential and to discover your own gifts and achieve beyond what you thought you were capable of. To some degree, this is what leadership is all about, the discovery of potential in yourself and others. It is about achieving and setting direction, about purpose and looking for better ways. Being a leader can be one of the most challenging roles that you can have but also one of the most rewarding.

The intention of this book is to share some of the insights that I have gained from the things that have worked for me, and also because of the mistakes I have made. Those that have worked with and for me in my different roles and career would be able to share examples of both where I have made mistakes and where I have done well as a leader.

One consistent aspect of my career was and is the desire to do better, to consciously seek to build leadership skills and to help others do better. This book is an attempt to provide some suggestions and approaches that hopefully will help others as they too seek to build leadership skills.

Regardless of where you are in your leadership journey, some self-reflection and putting in place initiatives to develop your skills as a leader makes sense doesn’t it? If you look at any field of endeavour, from sport, hobbies, building your career, professional skills, or even in your family life, if you want to improve in any area, then to a large degree that takes intentional effort.

As an example, sports people train, practice, set goals, measure performance, seek coaches, read books and constantly look for ways of getting better. As leaders we can learn much from this approach. If you want to get better, the chances are vastly improved if you are intentional about getting better and put steps in place to set goals, measure performance, seek coaches, read leadership books and learn, learn, learn. Then of course, it is about putting in place the things that you have learned, see what works for you with your personality, background, experience, skills and context.

I want to encourage you on your leadership journey. While being a leader is sometimes very difficult, it is also highly rewarding and can provide you with opportunity to make a real difference.

This is not an academic book. There are plenty of academic studies and research papers available to read if that is what you are looking for. In this book you will find a combination of thoughts, ideas, suggestions and practical examples as well as some real-life case studies to illustrate different elements of leadership.

We have tried to cover some of the key elements of successful leadership. Leadership is a very big topic, but like most things there are some essential components. While I mention some famous leaders as examples in some parts, I make no attempt to analyse their styles rather just to highlight that leaders throughout history are all different, just as you and your journey will be different.

However, there is one thing in common that all leaders have, and that is, to be a leader, you need to lead people. Sounds obvious, and in a sense it is. What is not obvious though is how to do it well. I recognise that what works for some will not work for others, but I am confident that in this book you will find ideas and suggestions that will help you to be a better leader.

a. THE LEADER AS A ROLE MODEL

What has been your experience in going to the doctor’s? I had a doctor’s appointment recently and it started me thinking. My doctor is very skilled, compassionate and approachable. I have been going to him for years and certainly trust him and his advice. There have been times however, when he has been unavailable because he was on leave or because I needed to see someone urgently to have an injection for an overseas trip and I have been given an appointment with another doctor. This has happened a few times and I have been impacted by what I have seen.

My usual doctor is a healthy and fit looking person. The other