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Thriving in the Crucible of
Leadership
TruePoint understands the challenge of
leadership and transitions. We call it “The
Leadership Crucible” — the lava-like
center of performance expectations that
swirls, 24/7. TruePoint recognizes that,
while each situation is unique, there are
several constants that go with the top job:
- First, and most inescapable: total responsibility
for business performance, regardless of
circumstances. Harry Truman had it right:
“The Buck Stops Here.”
- Second are the incessant demands of
a host of stakeholders — board,
shareholders, customers, employees, government,
suppliers, analysts, senior team — often highly disparate, or zero-sum in
their logic. This is not to mention a
private life — the needs of family,
friends, self.
- Third is the lofty expectation that
the leader should have the solution to
all problems, even when they are highly
technical and no one else has yet solved
them.
- Finally, there is the unspoken assumption
that the leader must have unbridled self-confidence,
strong emotional intelligence, and no
obvious personal needs.
In the face of such expectations, it is
no wonder that many fail to make the cut.
Yet, many also succeed, against all odds.
Not only that, they thrive. We asked the
question: What differentiates those who
thrive in The Leadership Crucible from those
who burn out, resign, or are forced out?
TruePoint has built a leadership practice
on the answer to this question. We found
a surprising consistency between theory
and practice: Adaptive Mindset, Enrolling
Energy, Distinctive Conviction, and
Integrity. Less formally put, we find
a profile of a practical visionary with
impeccable character, zest for the job at
hand, and the credibility to inspire, listen
to, and empower others to make their shared
visions a reality.
We help leaders thrive in the crucible
by transferring a set of practices consistent
with these attributes, and congruent with
the leader’s core values. We call
this “Threshold Leadership,”
the level a leader must reach on these dimensions
to thrive in the crucible. There can be
no leadership without “followership,”
so we focus on that relationship — not just the on the individual, but how
individuals practice leadership. How they
set direction and create a shared vision.
How they communicate intention and purpose.
How they recognize achievement and reward
competence. How they dignify the work and
do the right thing. All of this begins with
a detailed self-assessment and a customized
program geared to taking the leader’s
practice to the next level.
TruePoint helps leaders do this by partnering
to design and facilitate what we call a
“Field of Meaning.” It is the
art of designing a work culture that brings
out the best in others while not placing
oneself, as leader, at the center. It is
the art of being the catalyst, the architect,
the facilitator, the motivator — subordinating
self to the larger mission.
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