Page iii The 108 Skills of Natural Born Leaders Warren Blank Page iv This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered It is sold with the under-standing that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Blank, Warren The 108 skills of natural born leaders / Warren Blank p cm Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 0-8144-0646-7 Leadership—Case studies I Title: One hundred eight skills of natural born leaders II Title HD57.7 B567 2001 658.4'092— dc21 00-065046 © 2001 Warren Blank All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of AMACOM, a division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019 Printing number 10 Page v CONTENTS Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 The Natural Born Leader Phenomenon Self-Assessment: The 108 Skills of Natural Born Leaders 23 Part I Foundational Skills Expand Self-Awareness 33 Build Rapport 60 Clarify Expectations 80 Part II Leadership Direction Skills Map the Territory: Identify the Need for Leadership Direction 99 Page vi Chart a Course of Leadership Action 123 Develop Others as Leaders 146 Part III Leadership Influence Skills Build the Base to Gain Commitment 173 10 Influence Others to Willingly Follow 189 11 Create a Motivating Environment 221 12 Freedom Is Fulfilling 242 Appendix: The 108 Natural Born Leader Skills 249 Bibliography 255 Index 259 Page vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many people helped me formulate the ideas in this book I am particularly grateful to all the thousands of participants in my leadership training courses who have shown me positive models of leadership excellence and helped me clarify the skills of natural born leaders Adrienne Hickey, AMACOM executive editor, provided positive support throughout the project Christina McLaughlin and the rest of the AMACOM staff made important contributions to improve the manuscript Joe Mangino, Bill Hinkle, and Beverly Hanger offered several useful suggestions on early drafts I owe an extra special thanks to Aaron Brown for the many insights he generously offered My mother, Helen Blank, served as a model of dedication to always the best in life My teacher and friend, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, helped remind me that the real source of leadership lies within And, more than anyone else, my wife, Mary Ann, clarified my thinking and expanded my heart during every stage of this project Page INTRODUCTION It is never too late to become what you want to be This book is about becoming a more skillful leader It's designed to provide you with the tools to be what people label a "natural born leader." The need for leaders has always been important, and it has never been more urgent The constant, accelerating, unpredictable change in today's competitive environment demands more and better leadership People at all organizational levels and in all sectors want to be inspired They want direction through the chaos created by uncertainty People want to commit to important results that serve themselves and others These needs define the locus of leadership Those perceived to be "born leaders" fulfill these needs Such natural born leaders offer courses of action through uncertain waters and create commitment toward destinations that make a difference The traditional view holds that natural born leaders are rare commodities I call this the "right stuff" myth It implies that only a few people own the abilities and have the necessary ingredients, the elusive "right stuff," to be leaders If this is true, then we might as well pack it in and stop wasting all the time, money, and effort spent to improve leadership We should simply acknowledge that most people just not have these special ingredients We should direct people to keep their heads down, hope that a few "real leaders" will come along, and muddle our way through Page I propose an alternate view: Anyone can be a leader My experience working with hundreds of organizations and with thousands of executives, managers, supervisors, and employee groups indicates that a set of specific skills define what people commonly label as a natural born leader This book identifies these skills The book provides an individual assessment for people to measure their current level of competence The book suggests ways to practice skill development To the extent that individuals achieve greater mastery, they will be more effective leaders and earn the designation "natural born leaders." My perspective changes the landscape for leadership development It overcomes the limiting and, I believe, inaccurate mind-set that only a few have the right stuff to be leaders Those who choose to step up to the leader role can take responsibility to develop their leadership ability This book provides a leader success template It offers a basis for meaningful leader action and a way to continually enhance leadership effectiveness The skill development choices provided in this book offer organizations a more potent method to develop leadership capacity Many organizations suffer from what I call the "faulty plumbing and wiring leadership limit." That is, their organizational culture restricts leaders and leadership development The deep fabric of organizational life, its internal plumbing and wiring, fails to provide sufficient rewards for leadership initiative or, worse, outright punishes those who take the risk of leader initiative in either formal or informal ways Warren Bennis, the well-known leadership and organizational expert, first articulated this notion by suggesting an "unconscious conspiracy" in which organizations create hidden obstacles that make it extremely difficult to lead This book provides organizations with a performance development process that can be institutionalized to enhance leadership development and effectiveness The formalization of this process results in rewiring and refitting the hidden forces that now limit leadership The formalization process gives everyone a chance to fulfill their natural ability to lead, make a difference, and contribute to organizational success Page The Journey Helen Keller once said, "There is no royal road to the summit, each person must zigzag their own way." The journey toward developing your natural born leader skills begins by understanding the natural born leader phenomenon Chapter describes this phenomenon and outlines the skills associated with being a natural born leader Three broad natural born leader skill categories are described: foundational leadership skills, leadership direction skills, and leadership influence skills Chapter takes you on the next step along the leadership development journey It provides a natural born leader skill assessment The assessment provides feedback on how you match up to the portrait of a natural born leader It measures your strengths and areas that need improvement The next stage of the journey involves selecting the skills you want to work on in each broad category and then committing to skill development The goal is to try to improve each day in measurable ways and perform a little better tomorrow than you did today The next three chapters describe the foundational natural born leader skills These skills form the footing upon which you stand to be seen as a natural born leader These skills are prerequisites for leadership effectiveness Three pillars make up the foundational skills Chapter describes the self-awareness skills that define who you are as a leader Chapter defines the skills that leaders use to build rapport Chapter explains how leaders clarify expectations Chapters 6, 7, and describe the natural born leader direction skills Leaders identify issues, concerns, and opportunities that require leadership action Chapter specifically defines the skills leaders use to "map the territory" to recognize those needs Leaders translate their mapping results into a course of action Chapter outlines the skills that leaders apply to chart a course of leadership direction Leaders multiply themselves by cultivating leadership in others Chapter describes the skills leaders deploy to develop others as leaders Page Leaders gain willing followers, which requires their application of influence skills Leaders establish their capacity to influence by building a base to gain commitment Chapter details the skills leaders use to build their base so that others will support them when they offer a leadership direction Leaders use specific skills to influence people Chapter 10 tells you how leaders apply these skills to gain willing followers Chapter 11 describes the skills leaders use to establish an environment that fosters a willingness to follow Leaders live within a larger organizational context They create a motivating environment to support their leadership efforts Beginning Your Journey You not have to master every skill or develop them all at once Many people who are labeled as "natural born leaders" have mastered only some of the skills Perhaps no single person who achieves "natural born leader" status gains complete mastery of all the skills Select a starting place that works for you after you take the assessment in Chapter You will be attributed natural born leader status when you demonstrate your ability in even a subset of the skills As you work on your skills, you will enlarge and enrich your leadership capacity, become more confident, and gain more consistent recognition as a "natural born leader." "There are no secrets to success," commented General Colin L Powell "It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure." The 108 skills of natural born leaders are not secrets, either Leaders throughout history have demonstrated their ability to apply these skills, though some of the skills are newer Deeper insights into how people, groups, and organizational dynamics operate have transformed our understanding of how leaders direct people, guide organizations, and influence followers Whether the skills are ancient or current, you can increase your success as one called a "natural born leader" by knowing ... The 108 skills of natural born leaders are grouped into three categories Each category is made up of three sets of skills The Skills of Natural Born Leaders Category Skill Sets Foundational skills. .. results that serve themselves and others These needs define the locus of leadership Those perceived to be "born leaders" fulfill these needs Such natural born leaders offer courses of action through... resemble the portrait we attribute to natural born leaders and you become a more effective leader The Portrait of a Natural Born Leader One hundred and eight skills paint the portrait of a natural born