OC Attributes Survey Findings

Thank you all for participating in the recent online survey regarding the attributes of an organizational champion. So far, we’ve captured the data from 57 responders. While we will continue to capture additional responses, this post is an update on findings from these initial responses.

Participants were asked to rank the importance of each of the attributes shown in the chart below regarding leadership today. The specific question was:

Based on organizational needs and demands in the 21st century, please rate the necessity of the following attributes of an organizational leader in order to have the most impact on organizational success on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being “Completely Unnecessary” and 10 being “Completely Necessary”.

The attributes and their ratings of importance are below (Click on image to enlarge.):

Not surprising, trustworthiness captures the number one spot for the most important attribute followed closely by vision. The next three attributes emphasize the importance of communicating to and enabling a complex and decentralized group of work teams toward change across many organizations and enterprises of which one has no or limited authority over.

Ok. Agree. The next question is how? Communication skills will fail if motives aren’t trusted. Therefore, motives must be pure and good. But motives will fail if you have an inability to communicate. Communication is a behavior (non-verbal) and skill (verbal). In order to be trustworthy, behaviors, skills, and motives must be trusted and understood in order to effectively move people, an organization, and a group of organizations.

Effectively maneuvering people and organizations through change seems to be at the top of the priority list as it relates to effectively leading in the 21st century.

Trusted behaviors and skills seem to fit many leadership principles. The next level of valued attributes for a leader in the 21st century according to survey responses are drive, inspiration, and authenticity. Today, inspiration can’t be manufactured as followers are smarter and leadership is constantly being tested and evaluated. It must be authentic from within. And because trustworthiness is so important, one’s authenticity must be good. There are few things more destructive than a driven and inspiring leader with a completely self-serving or evil agenda.

Therefore, the current data seems to align with the definition for an organizational champion. Organizational champions are enlightened change-makers who are sensationally tuned to altruistic values and relentlessly driven by possibilities.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Tags: 21st, attributes, business, century, champions, change, characteristics, competencies, drive, enlightened, leader, Leadership, maker, organizational, trust, vision

A Call for Your Input

Hello everyone,

We’re getting serious now. We’d like to hear your input on the attributes of an organizational champion. The link below takes you to a quick and anonymous survey for you to provide valuable insights into the premise of Organizational Champions and whether or not organizational champions are relevant in the 21st century.

Today’s business climate is marked by the need for organizations to be more than just successful entities, but also good citizens. Today there are many more stakeholders involved, cultures are clashing, and for the first time in recorded history, we have five generations working together. Add the extensive accountability brought on by corporate scandals and a flat world, and we need more than leadership today. We need champions to help organization maneuver through this complex environment.

As a reminder, organizational champions are enlightened change makers who are sensationally tuned to altruistic values and relentlessly driven by possibilities.

The aggregate findings from your responses will be used in forming the premise of the Organizational Champions book. I’ll publish these findings once we’ve completed the research.

Click here to participate in our short survey and log in with the following credentials:

• Username: Organizational
• Password: Champions

Thank you for your help and insights.

Tags: 21st, attributes, business, century, champion, characteristics, culture, leader, Leadership, organizational, research, society, values