Trustworthiness
by Rocky Noe

Some people see things and say, "why?" But I dream things that never were, and I say, "Why not?"  By George Bernard Shaw


 

     Brian Ward is the leader of the Rattle-The-Cage team. Working with the creator of the Rattle-The-Cage concept, Trevor Gay of the UK, Brian  came up with the idea of RTC and assembled a team of people from around the world and started the Rattle-The-Cage web site.

While the site is still very young, it is not short on accomplishments. Rattle-The-Cage has already seen a member publish his first book; members from Australia are working to bring an international team together to work to benefit less fortunate people in that country while also working on several business and consulting ventures and a member in the US is seeking to make profound and lasting changes within the juvenile justice system. Not bad for a couple months work.

I think that says enough right there as to why Brian Ward has been selected selected as The RTC TERRIFIC Person of The Month. However, all of that actually played a minor role in the selection.

In selecting a TERRIFIC person of the month I like to look at the values that the TERRIFIC model embodies.
 
Trustworthiness
Effort
Respect
Responsibility
Integrity
Forgiveness
Initiative
Caring

I like to pick one of the qualities and show how the person uses that quality to do some TERRIFIC  things.

When thinking of doing this for Brian I could have used any one of the character traits. He truly embodies them all. However, I decided to focus on Trustworthiness.

The reason for this is when I teach this model to the youth I work with, I tell them that Trustworthiness is the main component of this model. Everything else supports this one quality. If you are a trustworthy person then you will likely embody the rest. Brian has certainly been a trustworthy person for all of us at Rattle-The-Cage. He has helped us all transcend obstacles and become part of something truly special.

I have accomplished more in my career and personal life as a result of meeting Brian Ward and learning his views on leadership.

Brian teaches the 5 facets of leadership in his book "Lead People……, Manage Things"

The following is an article Brian wrote for the Rattle-The-Cage website. It explains his philosophy

Lead People...Manage Things
By Brian Ward 
Master The Five Key Facets of High Performance Leadership

Many people in leadership positions struggle with understanding what makes a great leader. While billions of dollars are spent annually on leadership development, quality leadership is still in short supply. 

Organizations have responded to the demand for high performance leadership with myriads of education and training programs and resources, which seem to be plentiful;,...Amazon.com has over 9,000 references on leadership. Yet most organized attempts at developing high performance leaders fail to achieve their aims.

So what does work?

In working with leaders we have isolated five key facets that successful leaders demonstrate. These work extremely well in all settings, be it governmental, non-profit or for-profit commercial. We believe that these five key facets of high performance leadership are universal.

You be the judge.

 
They are easy to remember using the acronym FACET. Here they are...

        Focus - Authenticity - Courage - Empathy - Timing

Focus
Effective leaders stay focused on the outcomes they wish to create, and don’t get too married to the methods used to achieve them. They provide this 'outcomes focus' for their organization by emphasizing the mission, vision, values and strategic goals of their organization and at the same time building the capacity of their organizations to achieve them. This capacity building emphasizes the need to be flexible, creative and innovative and avoid becoming fossilized through the adoption of bureaucratic structures, policies and processes. 

Authenticity
Leaders who are authentic attract followers, even leaders who are viewed as being highly driven and difficult to work for. Simply put, they are viewed as always being themselves…and therefore followers know what to expect from them and can rely on them, come thick or thin. Authenticity provides the leader with the currency to obtain 'buy-in' from key stakeholders, because it builds and maintains trust. Authenticity is the bedrock upon which the other facets are built. 

Courage
The challenges facing leaders today are immense, and require great courage to overcome. Leaders are constantly being challenged by others, be it their own team, customers, the public or other stakeholders. Standing firm in the face of criticism, yet having the courage to admit when they are wrong, are hallmarks of courageous leaders. For example, shifting an organization from being introspective to becoming customer focused requires courage when people pay lip service to the new direction...it means calling people on their bluff. 

Empathy
Effective leaders know how to listen empathetically…thus legitimising others’ input. By doing so, they promote consensus building, and build strong teams. They coach others to do the same, and so create a culture of inclusiveness. They tend to be great listeners who capitalize on the ideas of others, and provide recognition for these ideas, yet they don't get bogged down in overly complicated dialogue. While they create learning organizations that place a high value on dialogue and continuous feedback, they know when to take action, when to 'fish or cut bait', which brings us on to the final facet...

Timing
The one facet that can make or break a leader is in knowing when to make critical decisions and when not to. All of the other facets must be viewed as subservient to getting the timing of critical decisions right. There is a need to be focused, authentic, courageous and empathetic, but get the timing wrong on critical decisions and everything else stands to be nullified. Great leaders move with appropriate speed. They don't believe that everything must be done immediately...they know how to prioritise, and how to get their team to prioritise. As well, they engage in timely follow-through to ensure actions that are committed to happen in a well-coordinated and timely way. They use time as an ally.

Is that all it takes to be a great leader?

These key facets of high performance leadership are not exhaustive. Just as one would look at the facets of a diamond, upon closer observation other facets become observable. Any person can aspire to being a great leader by commencing with these facets. If you are in a leadership role, regardless of your position in your organization, start by asking yourself the following key questions:

Key Questions 

How focused am I? How much of my time do I spend communicating and inspiring people about our mission, vision, values and strategic goals? How much focus do I create in my organization? How married am I/my organization to methods that have outlived their usefulness? 

Am I viewed as authentic? Do people see and hear the real me? Do I wear a mask at work, and remove it when I leave each evening? 

How courageous am I when my values, vision and goals are challenged? Do I stand firm and only change my position when I know that I am wrong? Do I have my team identify what they need to STOP doing, what they need to START doing and what they need to CONTINUE doing to achieve our focus?

How empathetic am I? Too much/too little? Do I create enough opportunities for open and candid dialogue? Do I ever find myself and my team getting bogged down in consensus building, or achieving false consensus? Is there a feeling of inclusiveness amongst the members of my team and throughout our organization, and with other stakeholders, including customers? 

Do I make and execute decisions in a timely fashion? Do I know when to 'fish or cut bait?' - do I demand well-coordinated and timely execution of strategy from others? Do I use time as an ally?

What you can do to create a high performance leadership culture...

Asking these questions in a candid way will open up many possibilities for you, your organization or your clients...if you have the courage as a leader to do it. 

Building and sustaining a high performance leadership culture takes time, patience and a clear focus on the vital few characteristics that leaders can develop naturally and authentically. Listening to what people expect from you as a leader, and then responding empathically, in a timely fashion, will move you dramatically towards mastering these five key facets of high performance leadership. 

Above all, you need to TAKE ACTION.

A True and Great Leader

Brian Ward is truly a great leader. His unselfish devotion to others makes him a Truly TERRIFIC PERSON.

To find out more about Brian read his bio at  the Rattle-The-Cage website. I highly recommend buying his book. If you truly want to be a great leader, follow the example of Brian Ward and become a trustworthy person. Lift others and you will elevate yourself.

Rocky Noe is a founding member of rattle-the-cage.com