Not only is the popular MasterChef program a ratings winner, it is also the source (no pun intended) of life’s most potent lesson in leadership. The lesson can be found in the show’s mystery box, and it is a lesson in executive responsibility.
For those who haven’t seen the show, the mystery box contains a predetermined list of ingredients. Contestants open the mystery box and must cook something extraordinary with whatever lay inside.
In a metaphorical sense, this is very similar to what leaders are asked to do each day.
Like the MasterChef contestants, your challenge is to produce extraordinary results. Furthermore, these results must be the ones that truly matter in your organisation. And, like the MasterChef ingredients, you must do this with a mostly predetermined list of ingredients: a predetermined budget, predetermined policies and a predetermined group of staff. While it is tempting for managers to focus on what we call the tyranny of the if onlys, (if only they would give me more money, if only I could get rid of Fred, etc.), leadership is about achieving something extraordinary with the people, policies and resources you have around you.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
—Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt’s words of wisdom are as pertinent for you as they are for the MasterChef contestants. Taking the words to heart requires a shift in mindset. If ever you find yourself playing a powerless victim in the tyranny of the if onlys:
- If only head office wasn’t full of idiots
- If only I had better staff
- If only they would give me a larger budget
- If only they would give me more authority to deal with properly
- If only I had more time
turn your thinking around by asking yourself, ‘What can I do with what I have?’
This simple shift in your habitual thinking will have a profound impact on your effectiveness as a leader.
Leadership is a profession. It has its own body of professional knowledge based on both hard research and the more subtle wisdom that only experience can bring. All of this information is useful, yet there are 3 things that are critical for leaders to know and know well. You must know:
- What results really matter in your organisation
- Your own strengths, weaknesses and tendencies
- What makes people tick
What Results Matter Most
In the words of Peter Drucker[1. Maciariello, J. A. (2005). Peter F. Drucker on a Functioning Society. Leader to Leader , 37, 26–34.], effective leadership is all about delivering results. But not just any results. You need to know which results really matter within your organisation. Why does your organisation exist? What does your boss really care about? What do they react to? What about your boss’s boss and your clients? From this broad-based perspective, narrow your list down to the handful of key results that matter most. Then, focus your leadership on achieving extraordinarily well in these areas.
Self
Research suggests that self awareness accounts for up 25% of your effectiveness as a leader[2. Bradberry, T. & Su, L. (2006), Ability-versus skill-based assessment of emotional intelligence, Psicothema, 18, p.p. 59–66.]. You need to know your strengths, weaknesses and tendencies as a leader. Your strengths matter because they are your path to a personal brand of excellence. The fastest road to success involves knowing what you are good at and then placing yourself into situations where it is your strengths that are in demand. However, in and of themselves, your strengths will never be enough. You also need to offset your weaknesses by drawing on the strengths of others whenever possible and developing your own abilities for those times when you’re on your own.
People
While leadership is all about results, leaders deliver these results through the impact that they have on the actions and attitudes of those they lead. It is therefore vital that you know a little bit about what makes people tick. Whether you call this interpersonal savvy, emotional intelligence or just plain people skills, I cannot overstate its importance. People are the work of leaders. And a lack of people skills is one of the most common causes of executive career derailment[3. Leslie, J. & Van Velsor, E. (1996), ‘A Look at Derailment Today’, CCL Press].
Notes
This simple shift in your habitual thinking will have a profound impact on your effectiveness as a leader.
