• Leaders: Spot ‘Multiplier’ potential everywhere!

    Date: 2012.02.10 | Category: Leadership Testimonial | Tags:

    My last post focussed on inspiration from a young writer/director who demonstrated his gift or genius as he retold and continued to make sense of the experience of producing his first film. His gift, instantly apparent to the listeners, was how to bring out the genius in others and how to create the right kind of environment for brilliance to be nurtured.

    Today I find myself reflecting on a very different example of this Multiplier role , a much older role model but no less passionate and resilient in the face of adversity. His team members and advocates talk about how he creates:-

    “the environment for us to play well in”  and about how “he builds up ….confidence, telling you everyday you can be a world beater. Eventually you start to believe it. He is an honest fella. If you’re crap, he’ll tell you. If you’re playing well, he’ll tell you. Everything is clear and simple….”.  You read how he delegates at training but “his one to one cajoling is key”.  He is viewed as a manager who can squeeze that little bit extra even from those whose careers have stalled, of a man who can pinpoint talent and exploit it.”

    His particular obsession and passion is football and yes I am talking about Harry Rednapp,  and the above comments come from an article in Thursday’s Guardian – Flash Harry or a Very Modern Manager?

    So here is another “Multiplier ” who is passionate about what he does, passionate about his players and spotting and putting their talent to work, passionate about providing good footballing entertainment for the fans ( I realise I might be on dangerous ground here!).  In addition his resilience over the last few months has been publicly tested and outwardly been maintained without any apparent loss of focus or ability to be there for his players and other team members.

    How passionate are we about the work we do? How do we live that passion on a day by day basis? In the midst of all the distractions, tangents and frustrations which can bombard us on a daily basis how clear are we about what our leadership is in service of and how do we make this visible to others?

    What signals do we give our teams? Do we give people on a daily basis the sense that they can be “world beaters” or whatever the equivalent is for our team? Do we follow this through with the feedback, the cajoling, the coaching, the training the resilience building to release this potential.

    Perceptions about what is possible matters to “Multipliers”. If people were to rise to the level of our perceptions of what is possible, where would that take our organisations? How would that serve our joint purposes?

    This is my last blog in the series for International Coaching Week. Many thanks to all of you who have commented, emailed and called with ideas, thoughts, suggestions and feedback. It has been much appreciated. I didn’t think I would end the week doing a piece on Harry Rednapp as a ‘Multiplier” example! It’s been great fun!