[My Wednesday blogpost series is connected to my 2020 4Q program in which I share my personal responses to the questions raised in the worksheets.]

In their book, “TouchPoints,” Doug Conant and Mette Norgaard have made several observations about the importance of having the head (“knowing”), heart (“being”), and hands (“doing”) correctly aligned in one’s leadership. If you only have the right beliefs about leadership and influence (“head/knowing”) and the correct methods and behaviors of a leader (“hands/doing”), your leadership will be INAUTHENTIC. All three need to be present. And if you only have the right intentions and motivations (“heart/being”) and the correct methods and behaviors of a leader (“hands/doing”), your leadership will be ILLOGICAL. Again, all three need to be present in your leadership. And finally, if you only have the right intentions and motivations (“heart/being”) and right beliefs about leadership and influence (“head/knowing”), your leadership will be INCOMPETENT. All three need to be present in one’s leadership. Having your heart or BEING aligned with your head or KNOWING and your hands or DOING is essential to serving leadership.

In what ways has your leadership been inauthentic? (You’ve had the right beliefs about influence as well as the correct methods but have come up short on motivations for leadership) 

I think this happens in my life especially when I am tired. I can tend to go through the motions of leadership without caring about the people with whom I am interacting. I simply want to get through with it as quickly as possible so I can go get rest. It’s hard for me to be authentic when I’m worn down and just want to get away from everyone. Sometimes my leadership is also inauthentic when I am not interested in the subject matter but need to fulfill a role at someone’s request or due to a necessary assignment. When my leadership is inauthentic it reflects on my being self-oriented rather than others-oriented.

In what ways has your leadership been illogical? (You’ve had the right motivations for leadership as well as the correct methods but have come up short on the right beliefs about influence) 

I tend to be illogical when I assume a leadership role too quickly. This may occur because I haven’t studied the ramifications of what I am getting into—I simply assume leadership because no one else is taking charge or the one who is in that role is doing it poorly. Due to not understanding all the particulars of the role, I can end up shooting from the hip and thus causing poorly executed outcomes. Sometimes, rather than assuming that role, I ought to ask key questions that either lead to the team forging ahead together or someone emerging from the team who is best qualified to run point on the issue at hand. 

In what ways has your leadership been incompetent? (You’ve had the right motivations for leadership as well as the right beliefs about influence but have come up short on the correct methods) 

I think my leadership has been incompetent at times because I haven’t given enough time to prepare for the role. I haven’t thought through all the contingencies. I haven’t considered all the things that may go wrong (I can tend to be overly optimistic). Perhaps I think my incompetence in leadership can be compensated by my charisma, compassion, or concern. However, at the end of the day, people are looking to me to lead with authenticity, logic, and competence.

Now it’s your turn. In what ways has your leadership been inauthentic, illogical, or incompetent? How might you better align your heart/being, head/knowing, and hands/doing? Go ahead, write something down…you are a serving leader!