Leadership is something that affects all of us whether we are the President, an at-home mom, a 12-year old school kid or a manager on a company’s mobile escalator.
Leadership is about how we conduct ourselves in the world – towards ourselves, our families, in our communities and as a citizen.
Event specialists lead both the tasks as well as the process. They lead themselves, the teams that support the event, their clients and stakeholders and the attendees. A lack of effective leadership becomes particularly evident as timelines get tighter, budgets need to be respected and stress levels rise. A solid, calm and experienced leader can think on her / his feet, treat people with kindness, compassion and grace while asserting, respectfully, what needs to be accomplished in the given time frame.
There are many leadership models and many of them have valid and valuable insights that, when adopted, can change the outcomes of events or any project management.
One of my go-to models is Kouzen & Posner’s “Five Practices for Exemplary Leadership” (The Leadership Challenge). The practices are simple, but require vigilance, self-reflection, awareness and a willingness to change our leadership styles in favour of a model that engages, inspires and heeds positive results.
In brief, The Five Practices are:
Model the Way, in which the leader sets the example by behaving in the way that reflect our shared values and celebrates small wins to create confidence, commitment, and consistent progress
Inspire a Shared Vision, in which the leader enlists the team by appealing to their values, interests, hopes and dreams. The team needs to be able to speak to this vision and refine it as their own.
Challenge the Process, in which the leader seeks continuous learning and improvement; challenges assumptions; experiments and takes risks.
Enabling Others to Act, in which the leader delegates power, believes in others, and fosters training and education. She or he builds a climate of trust and collaboration, shows vulnerability and offers genuine support.
Encourage the Heart, in which the leader acknowledges everyone’s contribution, and recognizes and celebrates their success and accomplishments.
There is a lot more to this model, but the essence is a caring, kind, compassionate and human approach to leadership where there is an understanding that the project would not succeed if you acted alone. A team is a gift that should be led and nurtured to execute the project-event at hand. This is done not only because it works, but also because it is the right thing to do.