The Golden Rule of Effective Leadership and Management
The Golden Rule of Leadership and Management
Is there one rule, one thing that makes the biggest difference, to your abilities as a leader and manager: Is there a Golden rule of effective leadership and management?
Yes, there is. It is this: "Act always in accordance with the principles of reason".
Or to put it more simply: Be reasonable.
Be reasonable: Now that does not seem too hard. But acting reasonably means many things, and "act reasonably" also implies the following injunction: "Never act unreasonably!"
"Never act unreasonably!" implies the following.
Don't act on impulse. Don't act in anger. Don't act out of spite. Don't act out of revenge. Don't act out of unfounded fears.
And act always according to the principles of reason implies: Out of laziness, don't fail to act. Out of procrastination, don't fail to act. Don't fail to make a decision out of fear of making a wrong one.
And act always according to the principles of reason implies: Don't guess. Don't follow the majority opinion, just because it is the majority opinion. Instead, think it through step by step.
Think it through rationally
Remember that the ability to reason is what makes the difference between you and a chimpanzee.
Remember that the ability to reason is what gives human beings their uniqueness. We are the only animal on the planet that specialise in reasoning. Reasoning is what makes us uniquely human.
It is our ability to reason; to think things through logically, to infer abstract conclusions from the evidence of the senses that makes us human. The ability to reason has led to the development of Philosophy, Mathematics, Economics, Politics, Ethics, Psychology and Science.
Without the ability to reason, you would be incapable of functioning beyond the level of a chimpanzee. And the greater your powers to reason, and your willingness to reason, the greater will be your effectiveness in all realms. And especially in the realm of leadership and management.
A commitment to Reason, a commitment to logic and a commitment to think things through systematically and objectively, is the one thing that would make the biggest difference. Especially when combined with a commitment to avoid the non-rational elements listed above; (not acting emotionally, or not acting irrationally, or not acting at all).
Leadership Training - The Effective Leader Manager
As the team leader or manager, you know that, on the technical level, you are very good. In your role as an effective and inspirational leader-manager, you recognise that there may be some gaps. Now you are searching for a method to help you to improve your skills as a team-leader and manager - click here to find out more!
What does it mean to act rationally?
Reason has many aspects. Reason has many facets.
There are many applications of reason: here are some of the main ones.
Reason means: For everything you do and say, always have a reason.
1. Always have a reason:
This means always act for a specific purpose. Make every action consistent with a named goal, or purpose. Before you agree to take any action, make sure that you or the person asking you to do something, can answer the question: What for?
Never act in an arbitrary, random manner. Have a purpose, a reason, for everything you do.
Never accept arbitrary action. Ask the others "For what purpose are you doing that?"
2. Always have a reason:
This means always act in response to named causes.
As noted above, some actions are intended to achieve a purpose. In addition, to purposeful action there are some actions that are in response to causes. Causes are events that have happened in the past, and require a response.
So notice that reason contains two subsets.
- Reasoned action: Action to achieve a future goal. Purposeful action. (In answer to the question, What for?)
- Reasoned action: Action in response to a past event. Caused action. (In answer to the question, Why?)
3. Reasoning means the ability to think logically
This again contains two subsets:
- Reasoning deductively
- Reasoning inductively
Reasoning inductively means piecing together the facts properly, in order to arrive at a valid conclusion. Reasoning inductively, means to think like a detective and to put the evidence together to discover the identity of the murderer. Reasoning inductively means to think like Miss Marple or Sherlock Holmes.
Reasoning deductively means applying existing knowledge to particular instances. For example you might say, "All risky activities require a risk assessment. Climbing onto the roof is a risky activity. Therefore; Climbing onto the roof requires a risk assessment.
4. Reasoning means: to distinguish between a reason and an excuse, for not doing something
Is there a difference between a reason for not doing something, and an excuse for not doing something? Yes.
What is that difference? What are the characteristics of those stories that are reasonable, and how do they differ from those excuses, that are invalid and which you would not accept as justifiable?
It is a question that you need to be able to answer if you are a leader or a manager. Yet many people struggle to answer this question.
What is the difference between a reason and an excuse?
So you can see that reason is a key concept.
If you want to know more about a rational approach to leadership and management, please attend our two day leadership and management programme.
About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years’ experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
Blogs by Email
Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!
Further Reading in Leadership and Management
-
Great Leaders
Many people believe that great leaders are born, not made. However, no-one is born with the leadership gene. Leaders can be made with a series of learned behaviours, starting today!
Read Article > -
Leadership Styles
Leadership styles There are many styles of leadership. But the important thing to recognise is that the concept of "leadership", itself, has its own distinctiveness and that "leadership styles" are minor variations on the major theme. It would be an error to focus too hard on the differing variations before you...
Read Article > -
Management leadership and personal development training
Management leadership and personal development training What are the universal principles of personal achievement and personal development? Universal principles are true statements that apply at all times, in all places. As such, they are very handy to know because, in any situation, they offer a base of knowledge and a...
Read Article > -
What are the Henry Mintzberg managerial roles?
The managerial roles identified by Mintzberg helps managers understand the different aspects of their job, as well as helping with development and recruitment.
Read Article > -
The Power of Perception and Deduction in Leadership
In today's information-saturated world, finding truth is tough. Most of what we know comes from others, but they can be misled. Leaders must tackle info chaos by relying on their own perceptions and logical deductions.
Read Article >
Looking for Leadership and Management Training?
Looking for some inspirational leadership training? Then, you may find this Leadership and Management Training Course beneficial:
Open Training Course Pricing and Availability
Next Open Course Starts in 3 days, Online - Teams, places available