Add Value—Improve the Status Quo
I’m delighted to host a guest post by a respected contributor on Leadership Freak, Paul Thornton. Leave a comment on today’s post to become eligible for one of 20 complimentary electronic copies of his new book, Add Value—Improve the Status Quo.
Deadline for eligibility is 11/17/2024.
All leaders add value and improve the status quo. Here are six approaches they use to achieve their goals.
6 Ways Leaders Add Value:
#1. Thought Leaders
Thought leaders introduce new ideas that shift how we view problems and opportunities. Some ideas are transformative, while others focus on gradual improvement. Big or small, every change begins with an idea.
#2. Courageous Leader
Courageous leaders are the first to speak up and take action, a role that demands both confidence and bravery. My 13-year-old grandson, Anthony, embodies this spirit: “Sometimes in class, when students are talking instead of listening, I’ll say, ‘Hey, let’s give our teacher some respect.’”
#3. Coaching Leaders
Coaching leaders dedicate themselves to guiding and mentoring others to bring out their best. Steve Jobs once said, “My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to make them better.” These leaders identify obstacles holding people back and provide insights to help them excel.
#4. Inspirational Leaders
Inspirational leaders ignite passion and enthusiasm through uplifting messages. They lift us beyond present problems to future possibilities, bringing optimism to each encounter. Their encouragement broadens our sense of who we are and what we can achieve.
#5. Positive Leaders
Positive leaders focus on what is working well and expand that throughout the organization. Focusing on what’s right is more effective than dwelling on what is wrong. By emphasizing the positive, leaders help unlock potential and drive growth.
#6. Servant Leaders
Kent Keith, CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, explained, “Servant leaders focus on meeting the needs of others rather than seeking power, wealth, or fame for themselves.” These leaders prioritize others, fostering a culture of support and respect.
Blending Approaches
Most leaders draw from multiple approaches to maximize their impact and improve the status quo.
Question: What type of leader are you? What have you found to be the best way to add value and make things better?
Paul B. Thornton is an author and speaker. His current book, Add Value—Improve the Status Quo is available on Amazon.
I appreciate the various types of leadership and the validation that we may have our preferred method of leadership but certain dynamics within our teams will be better served by adjusting our style to one more appropriate for the intended outcome.
Having been in a role of leadership for many years, I think my style has changed with my experience. I think the most important lesson I’ve learned is to involve others in the decision making and the work, and then the celebration of success. As a leader, I always want to impact positively the experience of someone else and hope they share the joy of the work.
As leadership experts, how do you explain people electing our current president who does not seem to reflect what you advocate?
Hi Jann, Leadership Freak isn’t a political blog. Both Democrats and Republics need servant leadership principles.
I lean towards inspirational leadership.
Focusing on being present, listening, and asking questions when I think I know the answer add value.
Thank you, Paul and Dan.
I have become a better leader by becoming a better listener. Conducting monthly one on ones with my staff allow me to know them on a more personal level and start to understand how they would like to be led.
I definitely lean towards coaching – helping others find their best. Sometimes that means guiding them to another line of work.
Saying what you see out loud, giving recognition, translating their actions into their value and impact on others and the organisation. Combination of positive and servant I guess. Thanks for always sharing thought provoking information.
Thank you for the great overview of the 6 approaches to leadership. We often find ourselves in need to flex and adapt to the moment. In an era of constant change having leadership agility is key to serve the needs of our respective organizations, businesses and teams.
One of the best compliments I have ever received was from a teacher that said I was a servant leader. I hope to blend all of these leadership styles to become the most effective leader I can be!
This is a great reminder of how our leadership styles continuously evolve. Since entering the workforce in the early 90s, I’ve learned invaluable lessons from a range of leaders. Some showed me what not to do – doing the best they could with the information available at the time – while others demonstrated what it means to lead effectively. By observing and taking pieces of each approach, I’ve been able to shape my own style, striving to bring the best of what I have learned to those I lead.
I have read many responses from Paul Thornton on this site. Now that I’ve “googled” him, I can see why he has been such a great contributor. Thank you for your work.
This is a fantastic overview. My style has changed over time, and my scenario. Every team, or individual may need a leader to provide a different style of leadership. The best leaders may be a blend of all of these, and know when to lean into one style vs another.
I definitely believe that I have a blended approach to leadership. I have always considered myself a servant leader, but I have an affinity for coaching, and I see now that I tend to lead with the idea that everyone should leave a little better after an interaction with me. I do not say that boastfully, but as a leader, if you are not adding value or showing someone a strength they have or can build, what are you doing? Thank you for defining these clearly. I will be reading back through and reflecting more on my style.
I love this, especially the part about being fascinated about people. I love my crew.
I have been a leader for many companies and teams for a better part of my career.
During this time I have always leaned toward the Servant Leader mode, but have pulled in the other concepts as they have been needed.
My approach has also has varied by the resources I was leading i.e. junior resources initially need more focused coaching.
It also varied by the Sr. Management of the companies for which I worked where being a Thought and/or Courageous Leader turned out to be career limiting.
To be a real leader you need to be agile and authentic, fluidly interweaving these six ways as they are needed.
Congratulations to Paul on the book! Looking forward to reading it.
I always enjoy the comments made regarding each LF article and Paul contributes a LOT! I love it! My leadership path has been made easier by learning from Dan, Paul, and all who contribute to the leadership articles. Thank you!
Point 5 of building on the positives and not dwelling on the negatives is such a great point. Learn the lessons from the mistakes and move on!
I have been following you for great tips. Books only add to it!
Thank you for sharing your ideas and great points. I share these with my leaders and they are growing and learning as a result. Invaluable!!!
My team runs a 3 day seminar on strengths and core values. Some of what we talk about is positivity and being a courageous leader. I think this book could help us update the messaging of the seminar to include other types of leadership add. I’m additionally interested in the note about what the best actions for different situations that are highlighted in the book.
In my Scouting days, these were called “leadership styles.” I have learned throughout my career to employ these as the situation dictates. There are times to lead by coaching and times for setting a specific goal and expectations, for example. Emulating the desirable qualities of leaders around you is another means of leading beyond the status quo.
Innovative leadership is a wonderful goal as long as the vision is authentic and clearly stated. Otherwise, it is difficult for teams to engage, maintain enthusiasm and can create missteps, misunderstanding and rework.
Another thing that resonates with me through this post is the parallel between the servant leader and their team and coach and client as they require the same focus on service.
Thanks for another thought-provoking post.
I enjoy leadership freak. I try to always be the best leader I can be. Listening to understand is one of the most important lessons I have learned as a leader.
I have learned a lot from Leadership Freak.
Each type of leader in this post is needed for any society, organization and group. Each of them will impact on others with their own style of leadership. I definitely apply blending approach in my organization. A person can’t be a leader if he/she is not inspirational, servant, thoughtful, positive, coaching and courageous, and of course more.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us.
Positive Leadership makes the learning environment better and better, it contributes towards better and better relationship, flows happy and friendly environment; unlikely to have any negative flaws or conflicts.
FROM THE GUEST POST: Quoting Kent Keith: “Servant leaders focus on meeting the needs of others rather than seeking power, wealth, or fame for themselves.” I would suggest (and have suggested in previous writing) that EVERYONE must be a (personal) servant leader regardless of whether they are officially leading others or not. Consistent with the Kent Keith quote, rather than ‘seeking power, wealth, or fame’, a personal servant leader leads herself/himself in efforts to address the needs of others.
@John Bennett, I resonate with your comment about being a personal servant leader. I think leading by example is an important part of leadership.
Love it Dan !
As a Team Coach, i like blend my coaching with inspirational wisdom, to stimulate thinking out side the box & nothing is imposssible.
This provides an inspiring look at six distinct leadership styles, each offering unique ways to add value and elevate the status quo. The examples and quotes, from Steve Jobs to Kent Keith, effectively highlight the power of thought, courage, coaching, inspiration, positivity, and service in leadership. By illustrating how leaders can combine these approaches, you’ve offered valuable insights for anyone looking to make a meaningful impact. Thank you for another insightful post!
I’m thinking now about the balance of leadership traits and how this article could be used for self-assessment and a template for identifying gaps. When you know what you’ve got, it’s more clear what you are looking for in the skillsets of people around you.
Thank for sharing your insights and experience on the Leadership styles. It has been my experience that each style or combination of styles is situation dependent. They serve as tools thay enable leaders to lead other. If no one is following you a leader, than you are on a solo walk. The most basic building block- a positive attitude is a starting point for all the others styles.
Interesting