Author: Shaun Coffey

Shaun Coffey is interested in future making and institutional building. He is an agricultural scientist who tries to integrate fragmented and sector-specific technical and scientific knowledge to address the wicked problems that characterise the real world.
Posted on

Nanus on developing yourself as a leader

Since most people “per se” are mediocre, true leader can be recognised because, somehow or other, their people consistently turn in superior performances.  Superior managers have the ability to create high performance expectations that ultimately subordinates fulfil.

How can you get there?

  • Seek leadership responsibility early and often.
  • Find a mentor or role model.
  • Develop farsightedness.  Create a sense of vision.
  • Master the skills of interdependence.  They’re more important than the skills of competition.
  • Become a world citizen, learning the languages and cultures of others.
  • Develop personal character, integrity, and trust.
  • Seek varied job assignments.
  • Think like a researcher, develop a sense of curiosity and creativity.
  • Design a leadership job carefully, knowing their goals.
  • Have fun at what you do.

Source:  Nanus B (1990) The Leaders Edge (US: Contemporary Books)

Posted on

Six Enemies of Strategic Planning

And six ways to face them

  1. A focus on means rather than ends.  Overcome this enemy by turning it on its head.  Look at the WHAT and not the HOW.
  2. The failure to recognise the three levels of results:  micro (individual), macro (organisational) and mega (societal).  Overcome this by understanding the distinctions among the three levels and linking them together.
  3. Written objectives that give destination without supplying precise criteria for knowing when you have arrived.  Overcome this enemy by preparing objectives that include measures of success.
  4. Needs that are defines as gaps in resources or methods (means).  Overcome this enemy by defining needs as gaps in results (ends), rather than rushing into premature solutions to ill-defined problems.
  5. A mission that is practical, real world, do-able, and achievable, without being focused on a vision.  Overcome this enemy by defining an ideal vision.
  6. Reliance on plans that are comfortable and acceptable.  Overcome this enemy by pushing out of comfort zones and looking at where you should be, not just where you feel comfortable.

From Kaufman R (1992)  6 steps to strategic success.  Training & Development 46(5):107-112

Posted on

Transformational and transactional leaders

Burns (1978) is credited with first distinguishing between transactional and transformational leadership. 

Transactional leadership is characterised by setting task goals, providing resources necessary to achieve goals and rewarding performance.  It is the traditional leadership concern for people and for task. 

Transformational leadership involves an emphasis on the leader activity intervening in the status quo, challenging current assumptions and understanding and encouraging others to do so as well.

Continue reading “Transformational and transactional leaders”
Posted on

Constructive “no-people” will help you succeed

We see many examples today of leaders who can’t see the reality around them.

One characteristic of these leaders is that they tend to surround themselves with people who either agree with everything they do or say, or are to scared to offer a contrary view.

The trap then is that confirmational bias risks taking you deeper into problems and messes because you don’t get exposed to alternate views and ideas. You risk not being able to see reality, and making matters worse.

So, you should not surround yourself with “yes-people”

And, a “no-person” who is just a no-person is also a no-no! 

You need constructive no-people….


“I do not wish to hire yes-men.  Yes-men come cheap . . .what we are looking for is what I call constructive no-men.  My own personal rule for very many years has been that anybody is free to criticise me, to criticise the company, to question or argue against anything that we are trying to do – provided they will satisfy the one criterion that they will tell us what I or the company should do differently.”;
Source: Harvey-Jones J (1988)  Making it happen.  Fontana, London.  P.89

And remember that recruiting is perhaps the most important task you will undertake if your business is to be successful!