The Who, Not What Principle: A Conversation with Tim Spiker on Effective Leadership. In this episode Judith Germain speaks to Tim Spiker about his “Who Not What” principle and leadership development. Tim shares how a chance encounter with a multi-level marketing organisation sparked his lifelong passion for studying and teaching leadership. He was struck by the negative views on being led by others, which motivated him to learn more about effective leadership.
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Key Takeaways
- 77% of leadership effectiveness comes from who you are as a person, not what you do as a leader (the “Who Not What” principle)
- Being “inwardly sound” (grounded, stable) and “others-focused” are key to being an effective leader
- Effective leadership development requires depth (going beyond just behaviours), community (peer learning groups), and time (consistent effort over time)
Topics
The “Who Not What” Principle
- Based on research showing 77% of leadership effectiveness variability was driven by 2 out of 8 measured areas – these 2 areas were about who the leader is as a person, not what they do
- The truth is that leadership effectiveness comes more from who you are than what you do as a leader
- Highlights the importance of focusing on the “who” of leaders in development, not just skills/behaviours
Inwardly Sound and Others-Focused Leaders
- Effective leaders combine being “inwardly sound” (grounded, stable, can be counted on) and “others-focused” (primary focus is on others, not self)
- This powerful combination of qualities is what produces leadership people want to follow
- Organisations need leaders at all levels who truly value and develop people, not just use them as “widgets”
Leveraging the “Who” in Leadership Development
- Requires depth to go beyond just surface behaviours and explore perspectives, motives, worldviews
- Benefits from a community/peer group for accountability, learning from each other’s stories
- Takes consistent time and effort, as inner growth and development happens gradually over time
In this conversation Tim emphasises the importance of leaders being both inwardly sound and others-focused.
Tim and Judith discuss the importance of investing in leadership development not just for senior executives, but also for frontline managers and supervisors who have a disproportionate impact on the organisation. They caution against neglecting leadership at lower levels.
Tim Spiker’s book, The only leaders worth following, reveals the data-driven, accidentally-discovered, and rarely leveraged truth within leadership known as the Who not what principle.
Tim Spiker can be found on LinkedIn here. His website can be found here.
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