How do leaders think? Correct thinking as the development of leadership qualities. Global Thinking VS Global Citizenship

Integration different cultures, nationalities,
ages and styles in companies around the world have a huge impact on business. Today's leaders need new skills to succeed.

Thanks to social networks and technology, global connectivity is becoming an everyday business reality. Almost any data and knowledge can now be accessed through devices that fit in the palm of your hand. Jim Kouzes, a renowned management scholar, recently described this shift this way: “The essence of management remains the same throughout
over the past 20 years, there is no context.”

Leaders who strive for success must now develop three new competencies:

• Global business acumen: New financial, industrial, functional and technical skills needed to navigate a market characterized by rapid changes in business models and products, mergers and acquisitions.
• Global Mindset: Ability to Participate constant process generating new things through recognizing opportunities in a multi-component and complex environment.
• Global citizenship: sensitivity and resourcefulness in geography, politics, economics, law, culture, technology, which helps create and implement corporate strategy.

Global Thinking VS Global Citizenship

Global thinking includes the ability to see beyond the company's boundaries, national culture, functional responsibilities, comprehend the results of activities as a contribution to society and sustainable development.

• Leadership, Management, Company Management

We hear about leadership thinking quite often. Here's from the TV screen famous politician proves to us that he has a leadership mindset and is able to lead the country out of the crisis. But the employer, when selecting personnel for leadership positions, boldly indicates in his vacancy that he needs a person who certainly has leadership thinking.

However, freely appealing to this concept, few can clearly explain what leadership thinking should be.

Let's start with the fact that leaders are different. In psychology, there is even a developed typology of leaders. But whatever the leaders, the principles that define their thinking remain unchanged. A particular leader may not own some of them or may own them to a lesser extent. In this case, he has something to work on and something to strive for!

Let's look at the basic principles leadership thinking. Check yourself - which of them do you have?

1. The leader strives to take responsibility.

This desire stems from will and the desire for power. The leader himself may not realize this. But it is vital for him to be responsible for something.

Example: department working meeting, employees present their new idea. The idea is good, but crude and needs competent elaboration. The manager’s question is logical: who will undertake to work out this project in detail, bring it to completion and bear responsibility for its success or failure?

How many daredevils do you think there are? Probably a little. Leaders are piece goods. But the one who is not afraid, who is ready for difficulties, will succeed. In contrast to leaders, people who are performers constantly “escape from freedom”; they try to drive themselves into a framework where they will not be required to make decisions. They would rather be subordinate to a leader who will show them the entire algorithm of actions and take upon themselves the results of their work, than they themselves will decide to lead any undertaking.

2. A leader in his thinking is free from stereotypes and frameworks

A leader's thinking has no boundaries or limitations. He is open to everything new and progressive. He does not live by rules, he sets these rules himself.

3. A leader blames no one but himself for his mistakes.

As long as you look for the sources of your problems and mistakes in other people or in external circumstances, you will not be able to achieve anything. I know real example, when the company manager, when asked by the manager about the reasons for the failure of an order with a promising client, honestly admitted to him that she had made a mistake, further explaining why nothing like this would happen again, and... received a promotion.

Incredible? Not at all! And often this is justified: firstly, the employee was faced with an extraordinary situation and now has valuable experience, secondly, she admitted the mistake and will not make it again, and thirdly, she honestly admitted everything and did not shift responsibility to mythical circumstances are external, which means she can be characterized as a leader who can be entrusted with serious projects.

4. Setting ambitious goals, focus on achieving results

A leader knows how to set goals and achieve them. However, his goals, as a rule, are “lofty” - they do not lie in the plane of obtaining benefits here and now. The saying “After me there will be a flood” clearly does not correspond to leadership thinking. Leaders always strive to do something that will have a lasting effect. And they are ready to endure hardships and give up momentary benefits today so that tomorrow will be good.

5. Ability to find common language with people and infect them with your energy

Not all leaders have this skill. I think many of you can list two or three leaders you know who, having authoritarian character, are unable to listen to other people. Considering their position to be the only correct one, they deny others alternative opinion. It is more difficult for such leaders to achieve their goals. After all, a leader cannot solve all problems himself - he must be able to delegate authority. How can he delegate them if his team is disloyal to him?

Of course, on pain of dismissal, you can force a person to work, but you can force him to put his “soul” into work only through non-material motivation. It turns out that it will be much easier for a leader if he learns to communicate with people and understand them. It is very important to be able not only to listen, but also to hear others. The ability to convince and “ignite” an audience also doesn’t hurt. And without possession oratory can't get by here.

6. Optimism and self-confidence

A leader is always optimistic about the future - he is confident in his abilities. This is not to say that he is not afraid of anything. As we know, only fools are afraid of anything. The leader understands perfectly well that in achieving his goals he will inevitably encounter obstacles. But he can and is ready to overcome them. The mere presence of obstacles only strengthens the leader’s desire for his goal.

Let us trace the thinking of the human performer on following example: imagine a hired manager who complains that he has ideas for opening his own business, but the situation in the country is difficult, taxes are high, corruption, etc. While talking briskly about the problems, he did not take a single step to try to implement his plans. He doesn't understand that his problems only exist in his head. Having drawn for myself hopeless situation, he is thereby simply looking for an excuse for his inaction. In turn, the leader understands that there is best way overcome fear - do what you are afraid of. Take risks – and you won’t regret your decision!

7. Constant desire for self-development

A leader is always aware that he lacks experience and knowledge. At the same time, he understands that today the flow of available information is so huge that covering it entirely is a completely futile task. From all this “information noise” he knows how to take only what he really needs. at the moment. In his self-development, a leader moves simultaneously in two directions - personal and professional growth.

The leader's desire to pass on his knowledge to other people is difficult to explain. A leader in this life is more inclined to give than to receive. It is the desire to give that pushes famous businessmen to giving lectures at universities (remember famous speech Steve Jobs to Stanford graduates) and to significant donations to charity. Another example: in any company you can easily find a person who will always be happy to take patronage or supervise someone - these are the leaders.

In general, leadership thinking is positive thinking. It is necessary to learn to objectively assess the current circumstances: not to exaggerate problems and not to belittle one’s abilities. Success in business and personal life directly depends on how you think. People tend to see the future in gloomy tones, inflate the scale of difficulties and underestimate themselves. But despite this, people strive to get only the best from life. Nobody wants to be mediocre.

The art of leadership thinking holds the key to solving many problems. Don't be discouraged if you find that you don't have all the components of leadership thinking. Remember, it’s never too late to develop your leadership potential. However, once you start doing this, you should never stop. Because leaders never stand still, they know that there is no limit to perfection.

“Become positive. No matter how scary things seem, or
are, lift your gaze and see the possibilities - they are
always visible, because they are always there"

Norman Vincent Peale

In my opinion distinctive feature, which exists in the mind of the leader, his life attitude can be called what the leader is capable of. He knows how to create positive images and derive benefit from the most negative, at first glance, situation. The average person, as a rule, sees only the surface of a situation or event, reacting emotionally.

Leaders are not born...

It is common for the average person to belittle own merits and exaggerate shortcomings. The prospect of a favorable future seems dim to such a person, but problems, on the contrary, are taken seriously. Such a person, of course, is afraid and does not want negativity in his life, but at the same time, he believes that he will not encounter anything good in the future. A leader, on the contrary, perceives the situation reasonably and knows how to see it as it really is. The leader sees his opportunities and prospects in a more rosy light.

Therein lies the secret: if you approach a problem without giving it undue significance, then it will be solved faster and easier. It all depends on perception: if you take everything to heart, exaggerate the negative significance of a particular situation, throw all your energy into solving it, then this problem will lead to others that can complicate the situation even more.

Leader in principle doesn't use the word "problem". This word itself evokes human brain a negative impulse that can attract to itself, like a magnet, is more negative than the situation. To indicate something unpleasant the leader uses the word "situation". Instead of saying: "I have a problem", the leader will say "has arisen interesting situation which I will decide". These two sentences mean essentially the same thing. But the way they sound completely changes the perception of the issue at hand.

The leader monitors his speech and tries not to use words and phrases in his vocabulary that could cause negative situations and images. The human mind thinks in images. Through words, a person conveys these thoughts to others. Emotional words unable to accurately convey the feeling of perception specific person. Therefore, when such an exchange of information occurs, it is necessary to encode the image in the right words and pass it on to someone else who can decode this image as the leader needs.

Words are a mediator. Many words can be used to convey an image. The leader conveys his images by using words that present the situation in a positive light. The same image is capable of both destroying people’s faith and motivating them to take action. It all depends on what words it is conveyed in. When a leader declares to those he leads: “we have serious problems“No matter what he says after this phrase, people will have negativity. And if you say “We took an opportunity that didn't work out quite the way we expected. We use a different method", then such a statement will most likely inspire action.

Below are options for describing a particular situation by an ordinary person and a leader.

Here are a few points about how a leader thinks?

1. Leader thinks exclusively positive images because he knows what the mind perceives mental images, trying to create a favorable field for activity. In a state of anxiety or uncertainty, it is impossible to achieve the effectiveness of the activity being implemented.
2. Leader getting to the point problems, tries to present her to others in a more simplified form to be able to solve it more easily. “Fear has big eyes.” If you follow this proverb and discard the exaggeration of the problem, then its solution will not seem so difficult.
3. A leader uses a smile. It is common for a leader to face any problem with a smile. You can try it on own experience. If you think about something negative while smiling, the smile will turn into a grimace. A real smile allows you to think positively. Learn to smile and your thoughts will change to positive ones.
4. Outwardly, a leader may look serious, but in his soul there is a place of relaxation. Taking things too seriously complicates and exaggerates the size of the problem. And a smile can bring some relaxation, downplay the significance, thereby opening the way for a simple and effective solution. Too much serious attitude blocks resourcefulness of thought. The more seriously you take the task you receive or the problem that arises, the more worried you will be. This, in turn, will influence the adoption of a quick and adequate decision. Understanding this, the leader, when presenting the problem to those around him, somewhat downplays and simplifies its significance.
5. The leader uses global images. A leader is able to see everything in perspective. A leader tends to make big plans instead of small ones. Big image capable of giving people much stronger motivation than a small one.
6. The leader does not talk about how much he has left to overcome, he points out how how much has already been passed and done. This works great when a person is striving to achieve a goal. If you constantly think about how much you still have to do in order to reach your goal, you may never be able to achieve it. When you think about what you haven't achieved yet, you transform positive energy into a negative one, and this takes away your strength. And when you look at how much has already been done, then from the awareness perfect work, mentally you encourage yourself by adding positive and constructive energy. The leader, knowing this, constantly reminds those around him of how much work has already been done.
7. A leader pays attention not to how things are now, but to how the situation will change in the future. Every successful entrepreneur, starting his own business, sees the peak of his prosperity. It is the confidence that he will reach this peak that helps him cope with difficulties and decide complex tasks. What is “now” is just a step towards what will happen “later” when the goal is achieved.
8. The leader perceives any situation that arises positively. A leader knows how to perceive any circumstances as positive events, even if they are not.

It seems to me that in any situation there is a core of success. Human life consists of a constant need to make choices. A person cannot choose the situation in which he finds himself, but he can choose his reaction to a particular event. If a person reacts negatively and sees only negative aspects, thus it enhances bad energy, making the situation worse. A positive reaction, on the contrary, can transform a negative into a positive.

This is the quality of thinking that characterizes a true leader.

Write your opinions and research on the issue of leader thinking in the comments.

The most striking quality of a leader is the ability to see others in a positive light and think in the same way. As for the average average person, he, as a rule, sees the situation superficially, first of all, reacting to it emotionally, and often these emotions slow down progress.

A leader thinks about a problem from the point of view of its solution, and these thoughts are necessarily colored in a rainbow color. While an ordinary person tends to exaggerate the current situation and believes that a solution will never be found, or will affect him negatively.

It is precisely this difference in the perception of the world that makes a leader go forward, and an ordinary person lagging behind. The leader does not think in terms of a “problem”, does not attach undue importance to it - he simply looks for its solution, which in a mind not clouded by emotions lies on the surface.

A leader always thinks about the situation, because the word “problem” itself represents a negative impulse that can attract additional difficulties.

If a leader were to voice his thoughts out loud, one would hear that he uses only those words and phrases that do not carry negative energy.

Human mind perceives everything in images, and words are necessary to convey thoughts to others. If you color words with emotions, then the words will be incorrectly configured and then their meaning may be distorted. While the leader is accustomed to encoding words correctly and conveying them to others.

The difference between how a leader and an ordinary person thinks:

Situation 1.

Leader: We have a situation
Average Person: We have a problem.

Situation 2.

Leader: More effort is needed to achieve results
Average person: It doesn't work/it doesn't work

Situation 3.

Leader: The situation can be solved, we just need to outline an action plan
Ordinary Person: Difficult Situation

Situation 4.

Leader: My age is my advantage
Ordinary person: I'm not young anymore

Situation 5.

Leader: Although they have advantages, no one is perfect
Average person: They have serious advantages

Situation 6.

Leader: And although I lost, the next step is mine
Ordinary person: I lost, everything is gone

So, from the above it is clear that it is the thoughts of a leader that make him such.

1. Think positive images, since our mind perceives this information and creates a favorable field for future achievements. A state of anxiety and uncertainty can bring everything to nothing.

2. Simplify the problem, whatever it is. All situations should be viewed through the prism of simplicity and then the solution will come by itself.

3. Meet all situations with sincere smile, then positive thoughts will not keep you waiting. Learn to smile, and not turn your face into a grimace, and then your thoughts will change dramatically.

4. If external seriousness is fueled by internal seriousness, then such a perception can complicate most situations. Know how to find a source of relaxation within yourself, which will allow you to add ease of perception and find effective solution for the current situation. Excessive seriousness does not allow thoughts to be resourceful, and this leads to worries and frustrations. An essential quality of a leader is the ability to present a situation in a simplified form.

5. Learn to see the future. It is common for a leader to think about grandiose plans, and not sort through the small ones. The big message through the image will betray more motivation to others.

7. A leader is initially determined to succeed, therefore, when starting a business, he does not closely consider the affairs of the present, but looks at future changes, projecting himself at the top. Such confidence in your own strength helps to overcome all obstacles along the way and get out of difficult situations.

There is no doubt that the core of success lies within every person. But at the same time, you must remember that you are the master of your destiny, and much, if not everything, will depend on your choice. If we perceive all situations in negative light, then this will accumulate bad energy in you, which will negatively affect you. If you allow exclusively positive thoughts and images, you will be surprised at how dramatically this can change your life in a positive direction.