The Scud

missiles flamed toward their targets behind friendly

lines in Saudi

Arabia and Israel. We were in the Persian Gulf War and

Iraq unleashed another

salvo of airborne lethality. Air raid sirens sent both

America soldiers and

news media people into their bunkers beneath the surface.

At any second the

missile could explode on the military base. Except a few

foolhardy reporters

and a couple of remote video cameras, no one was standing

in the open.

Deep underground in a protected bunker, an American

soldier talked to his wife

back at Ft. Benning, Ga., via cellular phone. His wife

was glued to the

television watching live coverage on CNN of the same

missile attack. Blow by

blow, moment by moment, she relayed the information back

to her husband via the cell phone. Like a military

command post, she told him when the attack was

over and when it was clear to return outside.

This spouse, like millions of others has learned how to

innovatively manage

information. A few years ago these same electronic tools

were available only

to a small number of people. Today, half the modern world

has access to them.

Innovative leaders can improve productivity, reduce costs

and increase

efficiency by adopting new business skills as the ones

below.

Tool 1-Learn to Web-"Webbing" means the ability

to pull together groups of

people and resources to get the job done. The ladder of

success and longevity

is disappearing in many organizations. At Rubbermaid and

W.L. Gore &

Associates use teams that form and disband to move onto

the next project.

Rank, pay-grade and position are becoming irrelevant in

the innovative

organization. As a "webber" interpersonal

skills are just as important and

technical skills. Interpersonal skills are valuable

assets that people need to

bring to any organization.

Tool 2-Use the Technology-In many cases, staying

competitive and productive may depend on staying up with

the latest technology. In 1990, computer controlled

18% of the functions at Ford. In 1994, it had increased

to 82 percent. As

individuals or as organizations we need to know what is

available to make us

more productive. Whether it is the latest software

program, CBT, virtual

reality, or the latest version of robotics, we need to

stand ready to apply it

to our work environment.

Tool 3-Build Relationships-All businesses today must

bridge gaps and help to

provide for the interpersonal needs within the workforce.

The information

explosion is causing people to spend more time with a

computer terminal.

Stress and job pressures are taking a big toll and having

negative

consequences. The increase in technology requires a

corresponding increase of

soft-sided management. Workers value the social aspects

of their job very

high. Old-fashioned kindness, consideration and

recognition are critically

important in this age of high technology and rapid

change.

Tool 4-Paint a Big Picture-It is important to convey a

challenging vision that

lets everyone know how their job relates to the big

picture. A vision lets the

individual people within the organization know what the

organization stands

for, where it is heading and how it will reach its

destination. Communicate

all plans, goals and objectives to everyone within the

organization.

Tool 5-Seek the Skills-Stephen Covey says, �I believe

that about one-fourth of

the workforce today is obsolete or almost obsolete, and

that this is getting

worse as the old paradigm persists that school is over

when you finish

school.� The innovative leader seeks trainers,

consultants or whatever

resources are needed to keep the workforce finely tuned

and capable of

performing at maximum efficiency. To do this requires

continuous training and

education. The nation's most valuable resource is

people's ideas, skills and

creative potential. Our greatest advantage comes from

capitalizing on these

resources.

Free by fax: If you would like the free leadership

assessment, please fax your

letterhead and name with the words �Leadership� to

770-760-0581.

Gregory P. Smith lives in Conyers, Georgia. He helps

organizations solve

problems and build more productive work environments. For

further information

please call (770)860-9464 or send E-mail to [email protected] .You can find more

information and business tips at www.chartcourse.com