Many years ago I worked with the manager of a national sports team. “People say that I must be mad to take this job,” he said, “but it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I love the adrenalin of performing at the highest level and getting to work with the best players in the country. Certainly the press coverage gets rough, but it comes with the territory. Few people get this chance, so I would have been mad not to take the role.” Let’s explore this idea of accepting the whole leadership package.

1) You can clarify the pluses & minuses involved in the leadership package.

Imagine you have been asked to turnaround a troubled but potentially successful company. Looking at the challenge ahead, you believe there is at least a 7/10 of achieving success, but it will require making some tough decisions. Do you want to accept the job? Let’s look at the pluses and minuses that make up the leadership package.

The pluses of being a leader are:

· Getting the chance to run a potentially successful company.

· Having the power to make things happen.

· Inheriting some good employees.

· Doing something exciting.

· Being well paid.

The potential minuses of being a leader are:

· Having to make tough decisions - though you may enjoy taking such decisions.

· Inheriting many employees who should have moved on.

· Working 16 hours a day for the next year.

· Being lonely.

Continue until you have completed the balance sheet, then move on to the next step.

2) You can clarify how to build on the pluses & minimise the minuses.

Taking each point in turn, explore how you can maximise the pluses. How can you increase the chances of success? How can you use your authority to make things happen? How can you encourage the positive employees in the business? How can you communicate an exciting vision? How can you get some quick successes?

Moving onto the next stage, explore how you can minimise the minuses. How can you make the tough decisions? How can you, as far as possible, find ‘win-wins’ for the company, the customers and the colleagues? How can you manage your energy? How can find some kindred spirits who will help you to run the company? Try completing the following exercise.

The Leadership Package

Pluses. The pluses of being a leader are:

*

*

*

Minuses. The potential minuses of being a leader are:

*

*

*

The things I can do to build on the pluses are:

*

*

*

The things I can do to manage the minuses are:

*

*

*

3) You can decide whether or not you want to accept the leadership package.

Looking at the pluses and minuses, decide whether you want to throw yourself into turning around the company. If so, do everything possible to increase the chances of success. “Every leader has 100 days to make their mark,” we were told, but this is no longer true. Judgements are made from day one. Begin by setting the right tone, getting an early success and implementing the tough decisions. Do whatever is necessary to guide the company to success. Certainly it may get lonely, but that is part of the leadership package.

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