Brandon W. Jones

Each blogger out there has their own niche.  In the leadership world there are many very successful bloggers that blog on a daily or weekly basis.  They have developed a prominence in their particular area of expertise.  I write my own blog about leadership, in addition to following blogs from others about leadership.  Since I review leadership blogs on a weekly basis, I decided to highlight five leadership blog posts that discuss relevant leadership topics. Each of the bloggers is an independent blogger that doesn’t represent a company or other organization.

The Difference Between Management And Leadership by Bret L. Simmons
In the new chapter to the paperback edition of his book, Good Boss, Bad Boss, Bob Sutton asserts that there is a difference between management and leadership, but focusing on it is dangerous (p, 263). He concurs as I do with Warren Bennis that “managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing.” Bob thinks this distinction is accurate; however, focusing on it is dangerous.

Brandon’s Thoughts
This is a great blog that explains some of the differences between managers and leaders.  Leaders need to look at the big picture of the organization and identify the direction they want the organization to go, while at the same time maintaining humility and the ability to do the important core roles and responsibilities of the company in their day to day roles.  Leaders must also pursue education through all facets of their career no matter what their current responsibilities are.

5 Ways Leaders Can Teach Instead Of Tell by Terry Starbucker
“Just get it done”
I was 16, and working in a gas station. A customer had come in to get his flat tire fixed. It was a busy day, and my boss was busy handling other customers, so he told me to fix the tire.

The trouble was, I had very little experience doing that, and I especially feared the machine that took the tire off the rim – I had merely one chance to watch someone do it a week or two before.

Brandon’s Thoughts
This post talks about the five ways a leader can teach instead of tell as the title mentions.  The five ways are: (1) Repetition, (2) Consistency, (3) Plain English, (4) Common Sense, and (5) “Hands On” Is Better.  The main point of this blog is that leaders should lead by example and not just by telling their employees to get the job done without giving direction.  Leaders that do this will be much more well liked.

5 Ways For Leaders To Listen Harder by Craig Jarrow
At a recent conference I attended, I heard someone say that the higher leaders advance in an organization, the less truth they receive.  In the conversation that ensued, it was discussed how executives receive less feedback from their teams and organizations. This was attributed to positional authority, employee job security fears, and other organizational factors.

Leaders may receive less direct feedback, but they do receive feedback. In fact, workers will often tell them more because they think (and hope) their leader can impact the issues that they bring. The good leader may need to listen harder.

Brandon’s Thoughts
This post talked about things leaders must do to listen to their employees and understand the needs and challenges of their organization.  As leaders move up in their organization, they are less likely to get straight answers from those they work with because of their title and position.  The five things leaders should do are: (1) Walk the Workplace, (2) Listen, Don’t Solve, (3) Corroborate Multiple Sources, (4) Don’t Assume You Are Right, and (5) Ask Questions (Lots of Them). By doing the five things mentioned, leaders will stay informed and be able to lead their organization with understanding and confidence.

Strategic Supervisors by Wally Bock
In the late 1990s, Marine General Charles Krulak took a look at how the world and warfare were changing. He saw a world where the operating environment was increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA). He decided that what the Marine Corps would need to operate successfully was what he called “strategic corporals.”

Strategic corporals are front line leaders willing and able to take initiative and make important decisions. That’s exactly what we need in business today, except I’d call those people “strategic supervisors.”

Brandon’s Thoughts
This post talked about the importance of giving strategic supervisors the ability to make decisions and act.  He explained that when you hired that person to be the supervisor, you saw something special in them.  If you really believe that they are special, you will let them act and be who they are to help the organization succeed.

When Leadership Fails by Jeremy Statton
Rainy days. Flat tires. The worst case scenario. As the saying goes, it happens. And so does poor.

Leadership failures are often the result of:

• Poor planning
• Inexperience
• Stubbornness
• Lack of vision
• Pride

It happens more often than we would like to admit, especially when it is our fault.

When we are the victims, though, we notice it all the time. We see ourselves as being stuck in our circumstances. We complain. We gossip. We throw our hands up in the air and ask, “What if?”

Brandon’s Thoughts
Although this blog pointed out some factors that lead to leadership failure, it focused on what leaders can learn from a failure.  Jeremy suggested five qualities leaders should have after a failure.  They were patience, diligence, experience, honesty, and the ability to move on.  As leaders demonstrate these qualities, they will be able to learn more quickly from their failures and they will move on quickly.  They will benefit as well as those they lead.

Summary
Each of these blogs addresses a different aspect of leadership that will help you to be a better leader! I hope that you enjoy these posts as much as I did.  What are your thoughts on these posts? Please share your thoughts and comments in the comments section below!