9Cs of Leadership

My simple task today is to briefly examine the nine (9) tools (some call them the secret weapons) of the purposeful leader, the CEO who gets things done by harnessing the collective intelligence of the workforce.

His go-to style is to regularly achieve success by faithfully utilising the dynamics of the 9Cs. Every voice in his organisation matters. Creativity thrives. He cultivates ownership and decision-making harmony with the team.

He blends conviction with consensus. The team understands his vision, which is clearly articulated with confidence. Bold moves and innovation are hallmarks of his smart organisation.

He does not play the ostrich, that charismatic bird that cannot fly. The ostrich buries his head in the sand instead of acknowledging and solving problems and challenges.

The 9Cs and smart tools of purposeful leadership are: Consensus, Connectedness, Conviction, Cooperation, Collaboration, Competition, Constructive Conflict Resolution, Communication and Co-CEOs (Scaling CEOs).

Alignment within a workplace is a key indicator of determined drive for success. Achieving the big picture starts with the CEO, but it is not about him; it is about the organisation. Definitely, he does not have all the answers. He must draw on salient levers, the pool of contextual wisdom and intelligence. To advance organisational goals, he must regularly ask for help.

Harmony and consensus are the pillars of “teaming” for effective and adaptable change. The CEO must keep his colleagues aligned through purpose and intelligent eyes on organisational goals. He encourages the leadership of others.

Encouraging the free flow of collaborative thoughts is a fundamental skill of the CEO. His processes are guided by creative teaming for innovation and prosperity. The lone ranger or “Mr. Know-All” syndrome by a CEO is a debilitating trap.

The CEO must co-create the future with his colleagues. No team member stands alone. The leader must always think connectedness in the context of continuous teaming and learning. You generate non-stop positive impact through the threads and the links. The leader must fully understand and utilise these connection points. No team member must be allowed to stand alone.

Connectedness links thoughts, ideas and strategies. It gives clarity to the CEO’s communication and talking points. Connectedness is tangible. The CEO must constantly “touch and taste” it. It must be intentionally and strategically mapped to nurture and advance employees’ hope, stability, compassion and trust.

No one stands alone. “We are all in it together” should be the clarion call.

The CEO with connectedness makes each team member see the impact he is making. He knows there is a purpose for his role. Customers are better served because of his dedication and commitment.

Consensus forged around the leader’s forward-looking connections, generates great benefits and delivers collective actions. The result is creative abrasion of values forged from diversity of innovative thoughts and ideas.

The CEO must never checkmate contrary views or dismiss disagreements. He must leverage and harness ideas and work through differences. He can, through this, excellently build an agile organisation that is always ready to adapt.

There must be no “business as usual.” Can you imagine empowering your colleagues to such degrees that each team member becomes a quadrant of combinatorial abilities and values? Team members must imbibe shared purpose, have shared outcomes and shared objectives.

Collective leadership and consensus-building bring team members together to faithfully pursue the goals of the organisation. Comradery, or comradeship, is forged and fostered. Team members work collaboratively. They engage each other. Tension is defused. Conflicts are easily resolved through compromise, active listening, empathy and assertive communication. Also, psychological benefits such as stress reduction and enhanced team morale.

To lead with impact, the CEO must communicate and do it regularly. Communication is a smart choice and a critical essential towards building successful workplace partnerships and alliances.

The CEO must never operate under the illusion that he is communicating enough. Effective communication is a critical success factor and the cornerstone as well as bedrock of value-delivering relationships.

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Communication is the essence of daily fruitful operations. Technology and other working tools can never fill-in for it. The CEO must make his communication real and personal. He must always seek confirmation that he is well understood and promptly act on responses.

He must be “close” to his colleagues and intentionally invest in these relationships. Build trust and credibility through communication. Team members are human beings with human interests.

Pillars of communication include active listening, clarity of messages and robust feedback mechanisms.

Competition and cooperation are two intricate dynamics of human interaction. Conflict is inevitable, but when it is managed effectively, it leads to stronger relationships, improved teaming and teamwork, and innovative solutions. The CEO must foster open communication and promptly address misunderstanding.

Adherence to the principles of consensus leadership will also handle conflicts effectively. The workplace must be inclusive, participatory, collaborative, agreement-seeking and cooperative.

The CEO must shun the narrative that because of competition, team members’ responses to “power” may become individualistic and selfish. It is inimical to the health of organisations to concentrate the power “up there”. Open communication and always seeking common ground will take care of the above.

The CEO must pursue effective networking within the workplace and use influence to amplify impact. Always get out of your own way whenever this is needed. Push back without making enemies and leverage connectedness over loyalty. Use relationships with the entire team to regularly move the needle.

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