It Takes 2: Who Is Helping You Lead? (eBook)

Ramone Harper (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2018 | 1. Auflage
200 Seiten
Heritage Publishing (Verlag)
978-1-7320722-1-3 (ISBN)

Infos

'It takes 2 to make a thing go right! It takes 2 to make it out of sight!'1 Those lyrics are from a 1988 Top 40 platinum-selling song by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, who initially made the song with samples from another song written in 1972 by James Brown and performed by Lyn Collins called 'Think (About It).' These lyrics succinctly sum up my convictions as an executive leader. Over the last 20 years, I have served in various executive leadership positions from the federal government to the nonprofit sector to the corporate world, and I felt the need to share experiences--mine and those of others--that have contributed to the success of those organizations. If the greatest basketball player of all times is Michael Jordan, then I would say he never won a ring until Scottie Pippen matured as his sidekick. It may take one to lead a great organization, but it takes two to make it out of sight. It Takes 2: Who is Helping You Lead? is designed to help senior leaders understand the need for having quality executive support leaders on their team and how to find them. Also, the book is designed to inspire and encourage those who serve in executive leadership support roles (affectionately referred to as the 2man or woman) to embrace their uniqueness in helping lead their organizations from the second, third, or fourth chair. These objectives are what sets this book apart from other titles on the same subject because it is written to both leaders and their supporters.

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"e;It takes 2 to make a thing go right! It takes 2 to make it out of sight!"e;1Those lyrics are from a 1988 Top 40 platinum-selling song by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, who initially made the song with samples from another song written in 1972 by James Brown and performed by Lyn Collins called "e;Think (About It)."e; These lyrics succinctly sum up my convictions as an executive leader. Over the last 20 years, I have served in various executive leadership positions from the federal government to the nonprofit sector to the corporate world, and I felt the need to share experiences--mine and those of others--that have contributed to the success of those organizations. If the greatest basketball player of all times is Michael Jordan, then I would say he never won a ring until Scottie Pippen matured as his sidekick. It may take one to lead a great organization, but it takes two to make it out of sight. It Takes 2: Who is Helping You Lead? is designed to help senior leaders understand the need for having quality executive support leaders on their team and how to find them. Also, the book is designed to inspire and encourage those who serve in executive leadership support roles (affectionately referred to as the 2man or woman) to embrace their uniqueness in helping lead their organizations from the second, third, or fourth chair. These objectives are what sets this book apart from other titles on the same subject because it is written to both leaders and their supporters. In 2006, I talked with Odell Dickerson and Derrick Noble about the need for developing resources to help train and encourage people who serve in roles similar to theirs because there wasn't much material out there. We also noticed how many secondary leaders lacked the training, support, and resources to help them be successful in their unique position. Most conferences and books are targeted to senior leaders but not to the executive support leadership staff. Along the journey, I saw great executive support leaders help lead the companies that they worked for, experience the best that life has to offer and make major impact without having to be impressive. They were some of the greatest leaders, creative minds, innovators, and game-changers that I had met. The world has felt their impact but just may not have known their names. But when I went back to learn from these leaders and to be enamored by their work, in most cases, I discovered that they were no longer serving in those positions. Instead, they had transitioned to what they perceived as a promotion or an elevation of sorts. Yes, you guessed it. They had left the #2 seat in order to become a #1; and, sadly, in more than 90 percent of those cases, they have never been heard of again. I am a firm believer that it does take two (and three and four and more) to make things go right in an organization. Whether in the corporate world, the religious sector, nonprofit organizations, government, sports, and entertainment, no one man or woman can build a winning tradition without help. My objective in writing this book is a dual one. I want to help senior leaders (whom I refer to as 1s) understand the need for having quality executive support leaders on their team and how to find them. And I want to inspire and encourage those who serve in executive leadership support roles (whom I affectionately refer to as 2Men, or 2s) to embrace their uniqueness in helping lead their organizations from the second, third, or fourth chair. I am motivated because I am tired of seeing great 2s leave their posts to become ordinary 1s.

Textauszug

CHAPTER TWO

TYPES OF 2S

The first step to being an effective 2man is knowing and understanding your #1, the person as well as his or her vision. Is your #1 a lion like Michael Jordan; or is he an all-around player like Lebron James, looking to get every-one involved, or a distributor, like Jason Kidd? Is your #1 a Moses, diplomatic in style; or is he a Joshua, warrior-like? Is she more like the apostle Paul, straightforward and driven; or is she wishy-washy like Peter? Is he insecure like King Saul or purpose-driven like King David?

Knowing the answers to these questions is important for you to determine what type of leader you’re following, because as a 2, your ultimate goal is to complement the 1s, providing help in the areas where they may be weak or covering areas they don’t want to cover. If you aren’t sure who your leader is and what role he or she will play, or if your leader isn’t sure, then you might not be the 2. If you’re clear on the direction and your so-called leader isn’t, then that may be a sign that you should be driving.

Second, in your role as a 2, 3, 4, or whatever your role may be, you need to know who you are. William Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true.” You will need to find out who you are and what God called and purposed you to do before you can successfully work in your role as a supportive leader. By understanding your unique gift mixes and personality traits, you can better understand how God made you. If you’re still trying to explore who you are, complete a spiritual gifts assessment and personality test to help give you better insight.

When I was called to serve my first pastor in 1999, I asked God to help me understand the role I was being called to and to discover what biblical character most related to my role. God took me on a journey that led me to read about Joseph. Once I saw his life—not just when he was the prime minister of Egypt, but his entire life journey—then it resonated with me. He was a dreamer that God turned into an interpreter. I saw character traits, gift mixes, and personalities in him that matched my own. Then I saw his ability to interpret others’ dreams and to help make their lives easier.

The name Joseph means “to add” or “to bring increase,” so I thought I had it. But then God said, “No, study all the Josephs in the Bible.” I read about Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father. Another Joseph, Joseph of Arimathea, was a rich man who loaned the tomb that Jesus was buried in. The last Joseph in the Bible is Barnabas, the “son of encouragement.” He was a generous man who sold his property and laid it at the church leaders’ feet so that the mission could continue.

God showed me that there was a common thread running through all of the biblical Josephs. They were willing to come alongside others and give up their gifts and talents to help increase someone else’s. They didn’t need the spotlight. They were comfortable playing the background and riding in the second chariot. They led from their spot and made a major impact for the kingdom of God.

That was my journey. You may find people in your field who can serve as a compass for your path, but I encourage all Christian leaders to read Scripture and consider the biblical characters to whom they can relate. There are many executive support people in the Bible, including Eve, Joseph (Jacob’s son), Aaron, Hur, Joshua, Jonathan, Joab, Nathan, Deborah, Daniel, John the Baptist, Peter, Barnabas, Timothy, and Priscilla and Aquila, just to name a few.

As I was preparing to write this book, I searched the Bible and identified key 2s and executive support staff persons, the qualities that made them special, their spiritual gifts, their personality traits, and the type of 2men they were. The profile of key 2s developed from my research is available for free at www.2mansupport.com, but I encourage you to take time to study these persons and discover which characters you most closely relate to. Understanding these biblical characters has helped me to relate to them and have some form of identity in how God wanted to use me to help my #1.

In his book Consiglieri: Leading From the Shadows, Dr. Richard Hytner says there are various roles that a 2man (or a “C,” as he calls it) plays: Lodestones, Educators, Anchors, and Deliverers. I conceptually agree with these categories and the outcomes that these roles define. Hytner also says, “There are four feelings that we should make our leader feel: liberated (Lodestones), enlightened (Educators), authentic (Anchors), and decisive (Deliverers).”1

For the sake of this book, I am going to use a similar concept but change the names of these roles to Armor-Bearer, Consultant, Friend, and Executioner. I am also going to add the roles of Interpreter, Partner, and Successor. As a 2, you may find that you cross over into more than one of these roles as the need arises. But for the most part, 2men bend in one of these directions as a default to their gift mix or dependent on the type of 1s they work with and what the circumstances were at the time they assumed the role.

Armor-Bearer

The Armor-Bearer is one who brings relief and lightens the load for his or her #1. Terry Nance’s book God’s Armor Bearer: Serving God’s Leaders is the best resource ever written on this role. I would do this role an injustice in trying to describe it when he has done such a marvelous job, so I recommend that you stop reading now and order his book.

When most people hear the term armor-bearer, they think of the person at church carrying their pastor’s Bible and driving him around. Or they think of a personal assistant in the corporate world who serves as an administrative assistant but who doubles as a nanny or a house-sitter as well. Because the focus of this book is on 2men executives, I am not referring to those roles, even though a 2man may do all of that at times. Instead, my focus on the role of Armor-Bearer is on how he or she brings relief or lightens the load for a 1.

An Armor-Bearer looks at the projects the 1 has and asks to handle some of them so the leader can focus on the things that only leaders can do. Armor-Bearers say, “I can handle that meeting for you. I will make that call. Let me deal with that unproductive staff member or disrespectful client.”

Consultant

The Consultant is one who advises a leader on decisions. Discussion of this role is the essence of Richard Hytner’s book Consiglieri: Leading From the Shadows. When most people think of the term consigliere (singular), they think of the term made popular in the movie trilogy The Godfather. In the mafia, the consigliere, or “counselor,” is the man who advises the mob boss, sits in on meetings, and negotiates deals on the boss’s behalf. The consigliere is not considered a threat to the boss’s position because he serves to gain his boss’s best interests through his role as chancellor or counselor.

In the same way, a Consultant is not a yes-man but is often the only person who is able to challenge a leader’s decisions and play devil’s advocate to make sure the best decisions are made for the organization. This role can be seen in the biblical personalities of Priscilla and Aquila. They brought pastors into their home and served as consultants to advise them on how to properly handle the Word of God. The Christian preacher Apollos and the apostle Paul were a few of those who benefited from their work.

Friend

The Friend is the 2man who serves as a trusted confidant and friend. One of the clearest illustrations of a Friend can be found in the relationship between the biblical Jonathan and David. Jonathan was the son of King Saul and heir apparent to the throne by birth. Although he was next in line to become a 1, he befriended a young man named David, who at the time served as an armor-bearer to the king.

We see a few qualities in Jonathan’s relationship with David that may apply to the role of a 2. First, Jonathan looked out for his #1 despite the odds. He was willing to spare his own job security in order to secure David’s well-being. Second, David could confide in his #2 about anything and trust that his secrets would go to the grave. Third, Jonathan loved David as if he were his own flesh and blood. Finally, Jonathan made his friend’s success his top priority, even at the risk of not being as successful himself.

Executioner

Of all the roles I’m listing in this book, I identify most closely with that of Executioner, and I think that all the leaders under whom I have served would agree. I learned my role from trial and error and much practice, and I honestly believe God anointed me for it.

An Executioner’s job is to execute strategies developed by the 1, and he or she typically takes responsibility for delivering results on a day-to-day basis. As an Executioner, I like to describe my role in two ways: I execute the vision of my leader, and I execute all resistance to that vision. Like Hytner’s “Deliverer,” I know when to set the ambiance in the room so my leader can feed off my energy and thrive. I know when to be a fixer who is not concerned about how others feel but who is there to lay the hatchet down and remove the bodies that stand in resistance.

On many occasions, I am the one...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 15.6.2018
• Vorwort: Dr. Dharius Daniels
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Unternehmensführung / Management
• ISBN-10: 1-7320722-1-3 / 1732072213
• ISBN-13: 978-1-7320722-1-3 / 9781732072213