Introduction: Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager
Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager is a short book written as a fable that’s very easy to read. I tend not to like business fables because they’re often not very believable. Now the ability to lead yourself is an important skill, and the book presents some important points. Whether you like fables, you’ll learn something from this book like I did.
One thing that stood out for me is that people are not mind readers, so you have to ask for what you need. This is a message that I needed to hear. The book also shows you how you can set priorities, take the initiative and solve problems. It focuses on personal accountability, which is a critical component of success.
If there’s a key message to keep front and center, it is that it’s in your own interest to make sure you get what you need to succeed.
Have you read?
Self Leadership: The Art of Becoming a Leader by Ryan Reed, Summary
Summary of Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager
What are the characteristics of self-leaders?
- Set priorities.
- Take the initiative.
- Solve problems independently.
When individual contributors and managers align around self-leadership, both become more engaged and are more productive. Great organizations have a culture of self-leadership. Self-leadership can be learned and taught. Accept responsibility for your own success. Take the lead to get what you need. People are not mind readers, so you have to tell them what you need from them. People have different motivations for doing what they do. Therefore, it's important to take the initiative to create a professional environment that works for you.
Elephant Thinking
You limit yourself based on your experiences. You limit yourself by assumed constraints. To challenge an assumed constraint, ask for help.
“An assumed constraint is a belief that limits your experience…Not realizing your own power could be your greatest assumed constraint.”
Five Points of Power
- Knowledge Power: The expert – being the person who knows things that others don’t.
- Personal Power: The ability to assure people and gain their confidence.
- Relationship Power: Cultivate relationships. It’s not what you know, but who you know.
- Task Power: The ability to do something other people can’t.
- Position Power: This is the most obvious power. It’s the power that you have based on your position in the organization. It’s the power your boss and senior leaders have.
“Position power is great as an owner, but the best leadership position is where you have position power but never have to use it.”
It doesn’t matter what position you hold. Each person, including you, has at least one of those powers that you can activate to lead yourself. You need power to make an impact. Your personal power enhances your knowledge power. Each point of power contributes to your success.
“Self-leaders challenge assumed constraints, activate their points of power, and are proactive about getting what they need to succeed.”
Acknowledge the kind of power you have. The nature of your strengths is your power. To lead yourself, you have to understand your sources of power. Each point of power can contribute to yourself or become a weak link. Recognize your points of power and cultivate them.
“The sole advantage of power is that you can do more good.” Baltazar Gracian
Competence: You have the knowledge and skill to accomplish a goal or do the skill in question.
Level of Commitment: You have motivation and confidence about the goal.
“There is joy in diagnosing your development level and getting the direction and support you need to achieve your goal.”
| Competence | Commitment |
| To increase competence, to achieve a goal, you need direction from someone who will: | To build your commitment to achieve a goal, you need support from someone who will: |
|
|
When your competence is low, you need direction. When your commitment is low, you need support.
Style 1: Directing
The leader decides about the timely completion of the task and provides the follower with the benefit of her experience. The flow of communication is from the leader to the follower.
Style 2: Coaching
The leader maintains the decision regarding what the follower needs to do, how they should do it and when it needs to be done. But there's an opportunity to discuss why the task is important and where it fits into the overall scheme of operation.
Style 3: Supporting
This is follower driven. The approach is high on Relationship Behavior but low on Task Behavior. The objective of Style 3 is to create alignment. If the follower is developing, she might have demonstrated task proficiency but still have some fear about performing it on her own.
Style 4: Delegating
This is another “follower-driven” leadership approach that is characterized by low amounts of both Task and Relationship Behavior. The intent of Style 4 is to enhance task mastery and autonomy.
As a self-leader, it's your responsibility to get the feedback, direction, and support you need. And one of the most inconsistent things a leader can do is to treat all followers the same.
“The two most powerful words to get what you need to succeed are, ‘I need’.”
3 Types of Dumb Questions
- Answer is obvious.
- Not willing to hear a certain response.
- Know what you want to hear.
When you say ‘I Need’, you're coming from a position of strength.
“A leader is anyone who can give you the support and direction you need to achieve your goal.”
An assumed constraint is “It's never been done before”.
When you develop a self-leader, it frees managers to focus their attention to where it's needed most. Teach others the magic of self-leadership.
Conclusion: Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager
People are not mind readers. As a self-leader, it's your responsibility to get the feedback, direction, and support you need. If you don’t do that, no one will do it for you. A lot of your success is in your hands. Make sure that you activate your points of power. The messages in Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Susan Fowler are timeless.
After reading Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager, I want to explore the concept of self-leadership more deeply.
Next Steps
- Buy and Read Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Susan Fowler
- Join the Art of Learning Membership Site
If you want access to Bookish Note Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Susan Fowler, which has more information than the above summary, please consider joining my membership site, the Art of Learning.
This post contains affiliate links and The Invisible Mentor® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support! UPDATE First Published on: Nov 11, 2021.
