The IBAR Critical Thinking Method Makes Employees More Productive and Profitable Like Charismatic Leaders

Edward Brown, M.S., of Core Edge Image & Charisma Institute provides questions and answers about the impact of the IBAR Critical Thinking Method on corporate productivity and profitability.

Q: What is the IBAR Critical Thinking Method and how did it come about?

Brown: IBAR is an acronym for Issue, Benchmarking, Analysis/Application, and Recommendation. Each section of the process is designed to resolve a business problem, but can be used generically. The IBAR Critical Thinking Method was developed from our work on charismatic leaders.  Research showed that the “visioning” trait of charismatic leaders was nothing other than a leader’s highly evolved critical thinking skills.

Q: What influenced the IBAR Critical Thinking Method?

Brown: Essentially, I took the legal analysis method I learned in law school combined with the research methods I learned in my master’s degree program and created a user friendly method that average employees can learn to solve complex problems.

Q: Why was it important to create another critical thinking method? Aren’t there already other methods in existence?

Brown:  I wanted a proprietary method that we could create that focused on tackling business related issues. Although the other critical thinking methods are effective, the IBAR Critical Thinking Method is designed to make the average employee a “knowledge worker.”  As a knowledge worker, an employee can become an expert within a specific subject matter and think and research on a graduate school level. 

Q: What corporate need does critical thinking fulfill in the marketplace?

Brown: Research suggests that the top skills employers are looking for in employees are: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Leadership skills. The IBAR Critical Thinking Method was designed to address the top needs of employers for the 21st Century.  The information Age requires employees not only to be able to find information on the Internet, but to develop the skills to analyze and apply the information to specific problems in real time.

For information on the IBAR Critical Thinking Method and charisma, click: Charisma 

What's the Difference Between a Boss and a Leader?

Every leader is a boss. But every boss is not the leader. This defines the difference between a boss and a leader. The biggest difference between a boss and a leader is one. The boss is respected and obeyed because of his seniority. A leader is respected and looked up to as an example not only because of seniority but mainly because of the qualities of character and ability.

Those who aspire to become leaders must lead by example. The team must always have a firm belief that the leader will be there during every crisis. Not to fix the blame, but fix the problem. If the team members find that the leader does not follow what he preaches, they will have no respect for him. They may obey him, but the respect will be missing. Leaders gain this respect by their actions. They look and act sincerely. There is no mismatch between their words and actions. They look integral in approach and character.

To be a leader, every boss must display characteristics such as knowledge, planning, anticipation, foresight, action, result oriented approach, perspective, respect every team member, earn their respect, act as a friend and act as a mentor. This is quite a list, but if you want to become a good leader you need these qualities. This is true not only for national leaders but for persons in every leadership position in any organization. Once a person earns the respect of his team members he ceases to be only a boss and transforms into a leader.

To be a transformational leaders, visit: Charisma

Leadership Learning: The Real Costs of Not Doing Leadership Training

A purported study from the Business School at Oxford University in the UK found that British businesses and public sector organizations are wasting almost $140 million on executive education programs that are poorly conceived and delivered. The study went on to say that 35 percent of HR directors and 21 percent of other executives believed that their current training and development programs were meeting corporate strategic objectives. The bulk of the money was being spent on individually developed courses for senior executives.

If those businesses want to quit wasting all that money on ineffective management training, I know where they can get their monies worth. And it doesn't have anything to do with having more academics design special courses, events, and outings for senior staff. Why not spend the money on leadership training and development down in the trenches, where it will really do some good?

The fact is that front line leaders don't get much training at all and precious little of it is actually about leadership skills. Maybe that's because companies think they're saving money by not investing in front line leader training. True, there's no budget line item absorbing funds that might be spent on the executive dining room, or art for the CEO's office. But there are what economists call "opportunity costs," the costs of not training front line leaders. There's the opportunity cost of lost productivity. Good frontline leadership builds both morale and profitability.

There's the opportunity cost of lost leadership. Great companies develop most of their own leaders. If you have to go outside for leadership, you incur recruitment costs and transition costs.

Finally, there's the cost of lawsuits. Good frontline leadership creates organizations where lawsuits are less likely. And, if the company is sued over a supervision issue, defense will be easier if the leaders have been doing their jobs.

How about your company? Do you develop your own leaders? Do you help them develop the skills they need to improve morale and productivity and avoid lawsuits? Think about that the next time you consider the training budget.

For more information on leadership and professional development training, visit: Charisma

How to Unleash All Your Leadership Potential

There is a steady flow of information in the form of books, articles, white papers, and training all in the context of "what is leadership" or "how to develop a leader?"  In this issue, I will avoid those two questions and write about two others that I believe might be on the minds of a lot you readers and they are:

Why does better leadership make a difference? and

How does better leadership achieve those differences?

Leadership is a highly unique form of human behavior that requires the integration of character, knowledge, and experience.  So what can you do if you step up and unleash your leadership potential? Change the world.

Your journey to unleashing your leadership potential begins with a great understanding of self. Discover your personality traits and how they relate to leadership. When we know ourselves, we can maximize our positive traits, and become aware of our weaker areas, which help us to achieve our leadership potential.  Once you understand and know yourself, next you must hone your communication skills. These are not limited to your public speaking skills either. This includes your writing style and your body language.  Your ability to communicate effectively enhances your ability to improve interpersonal relationships.  Another important skill is to learn how to learn.  Examine different teaching methods and learning styles to identify how you and those you may lead learn best.  This skill will greatly enhance your ability to make decisions and give clear instructions.  Charismatic leaders are unusually aware of their strengths and weaknesses and create great missions around building on the former and transforming the latter.

An Exceptional Leader is one that recognizes the value of harnessing the skills and abilities of team members and leads them toward greater efficiency and effectiveness.

...And so leader is not a title and leadership is not something you are born into. Leadership is something you develop.

This is what Dr. Ken Blanchard, in his book "The Heart of a Leader" had to say about good leaders; "If you want to know why your people are not performing well, step up to the mirror and take a peek."

For more information for improving your leadership skills, visit: Charisma

Leadership Training for Aspiring Charismatic Leaders

Leadership training has and always will be a significant part of organizational development.  Unfortunately, organizations are not becoming more effective with the onslaught of new leadership models, because many, if not most, fail to consider the model that best fits the personality of the manager.  There may be consensus among researchers about what components should go into a leadership program, but very little feedback on dissecting the manager’s personality and the leadership model best suited for that personality. Amisano (n.d.) asserted that an effective leadership program should have these components in the curriculum:

·         Effective Communication—Learning the essential parts of effective communicating, includes: active listening, paraphrasing, and motivation.

·         Influencing People—Enlisting positive reinforcement and persuasive techniques that inspire employees toward contributing to the mission of the organization.

·         Management—Outlining and implementing how each person fits into the structure of the organization.

·         Build Trust—Being reliable by leading with openness and competence.

·         Delegate—Sharing tasks and responsibilities that affect the long term benefits of the organization.

Although Amisano outlined the essentials for a general leadership development training program, charismatic personalities may require extensive self-study supported by the disciplines within the Humanities.  The psychodynamics of historical figures from Napoleon Bonaparte to Bill Clinton suggest that charismatic leaders have a preternatural curiosity about human nature and leadership training for aspiring charismatic leaders should focus on subjects within Liberal Arts (Literature, philosophy, history, social sciences, etc…).  Charismatic leaders are shaped and formed by their heroic deeds and need to connect with historical figures that embody their aspirations.  Specialized training for aspiring charismatic leaders should entail the following components.

---Charismatic leaders are case study driven.  The missionary zeal that charismatic leaders possess necessitates training that point to epic heroes and triumphs in history.  Reportedly, Alexander the Great was influenced by the hero in Homer’s “Iliad.” Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte were believed to have been influenced by Alexander the Great.  Training for aspiring charismatic leaders should tap into their vivid imaginations and great ambitions.  Charismatic leaders do not merely want to excel within an organization; they want to transform the industry.  

---Charismatic leaders have advanced oratorical skills. Amisano spoke about the need for effective communication skills that involved active listening, paraphrasing and motivation.  However, charismatic leaders use advanced oratorical skills, not only to arouse emotions within audiences, but to transform initiatives through direct action by employees. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. might have listened to his Civil Rights cohorts behind closed doors, but his tool for transformation came from his oratorical skills at the podium. Charismatic leaders are well versed at creating imagery that inspires and encourages audiences to achieve a mission.  Leadership training for aspiring charismatic leaders should focus on persuasive speaking.  The ability to speak with passion, clarity, and specificity are the powers that charismatic leaders possess that make them iconic.

-----Charismatic leaders are known for being visionaries.  Actually, charismatic leaders are excellent at dissecting and deciphering inefficiencies within an organization. The visionary traits attributed to charismatic leaders are often a result of compiling facts, critical thinking, and finding solutions to various problems.  The late Steve Jobs of Apple is an excellent example of a charismatic leader’s ability to discover inefficiencies within the marketplace.  By looking at the marketplace and the emerging needs of consumers, Apple’s invention of I-Tunes transformed the music industry into marketing and selling music online differently.  Leadership training for aspiring charismatic leaders should include problem solving exercises that enhance their critical thinking skills. 

Like any leadership development program, curriculum should be created that invigorates and motivates aspiring charismatic leaders to flourish where they exhibit the greatest strengths. By developing leadership training that addresses the visceral aspects of an individual, more leaders will emerge, generally, and more charismatic leaders, specifically.

References:

Amisano, C. (n.d.). Components of leadership training.eHow (Money). Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/list_6054344_components-leadership-training.html

For more info., visit: Charisma