Page 56 - Develop your leadership skills- John Adair. -- 2nd ed

CikguOnline
CikguOnline
How to turn the core leadership functions into skills ■ 47

Systems

Organisers tend to organise things by introducing systems. A
‘system’ is almost a synonym for an ‘organisation’: a set of
interrelated parts making up a whole. But ‘system’ can refer to
processes – orderly or structured ways of doing things – as well
as social structures.

Now you cannot run anything (even a fish and chip shop)
without systems: production systems, selling systems, financial
systems and so on. In large organisations there is a variety of
other systems, such as an appraisal system or a quality control
system.

A good leader understands the importance and value of
systems. Almost by definition it is impossible to think of organ-
isations that do not have systems or definite ways of doing
things, although they are not always immediately apparent.
Good leaders respect and work through the systems, changing
them if need be. But they are not bound by them, like prisoners
shackled in chains. They know when a system is becoming
counterproductive.

Moreover, every system – if you think about it – requires
teamwork to make it effective. So we come back to that core
metafunction of leadership: building and maintaining the team.
Have you noticed, too, that systems do not learn? Only people
learn! Indeed, left to themselves systems are subject to one of
the laws of thermodynamics: they run down and atrophy. To
keep systems – the very essence of a corporate body – fit and
healthy, good leadership at all levels is needed.