by Dumb Little Man (blog). Enjoy!!
Richard Branson clearly knows a thing or two about success. At 20, he started a mail order shop, and opened a recording studio a short while later. Now, the Virgin brand boasts dozens of companies and Branson’s net worth is estimated to be more than 3 billion pounds sterling.
As well as immense business success, Branson has personally broken a number of world records for high-speed boat and balloon journeys.
Often witty, always insightful, here are some choice Branson quotes to ponder. Motivation often comes from unique places so if one of these strikes a chord, use it!
1. "Ridiculous yachts and private planes and big limousines won't make people enjoy life more."
I suppose we all know deep down that money won’t make us happy. Of course, money is nice – it brings freedom and opportunities and can be a wonderful recourse. It can contribute to happiness, even. But happiness itself is another thing – it’s independent of anything else. Buddha wrote, ‘there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.’
2. "I enjoy every single minute of my life."
For me, this is the most important thing to remember. When you’re enjoying what you do, you’re more likely to do it well and to be successful. Enjoying every situation is an art, a skill, and can be developed. Maybe it comes naturally to some people, but for most of us, it takes a little practice. But believe me, it will make an enormous difference to the quality of your life.
3. "But the majority of things that one could get stressed about, they’re not worth getting stressed about."
I read somewhere that the most common ‘commandment’ given in the bible is not to worry. Being stressed and worried about things is just a waste of energy – it never helps. I highly recommend Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. It contains invaluable, practical advice for those of us inclined to worry about things.
4. "You can’t be a good leader unless you generally like people. That is how you bring out the best in them."
Obviously, we live in a social world, and it is almost impossible to physically cut yourself off from other people. But, how we interact with others is vitally important to our happiness and success. Getting along with people – allowing them to be themselves, bringing out the best, encouraging them – these are the hallmarks of good leaders and good friends.
5. "There is no one to follow, there is nothing to copy."
Life is always fresh and new. We are always on the leading edge, and the successes of the future will not rely on old ways of doing things. Thinking outside the box, embracing change, innovating, taking risks – these are the hallmarks of success in all facets of life.
6. "I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive, then I believe you are better off doing nothing."
Money is a by-product. It is not a goal in itself. Those who simply chase money end up with nothing of true value, because money in itself does not add anything to life. Money cannot buy the things that matter most in people – wisdom, serenity, leadership, happiness.
7. "I never had any intention of being an entrepreneur."
Funny how things turn out! We certainly need to know where we are going in life, but we also need to remain open to new possibilities. Things have a tendency to change and if we are prepared to sail with the wind, and not fight against it, life can take us on wonderful adventures, and we can end up in the most magical places. I can attest to this in my own life, as I’m sure many readers can.
8. "I made and learned from lots of mistakes."
How else can we learn? Think back to when you learned any new skill – driving a car, cooking, learning a language. Of course you messed it up! Taking risks, trying new things, learning – these things always involve making mistakes. So don’t fear mistakes – be proud of them!
9. "If you can indulge in your passion, life will be far more interesting than if you're just working."
Someone said that if you enjoy your job, you’ll never have to work another day. Not everyone can go out and ‘indulge their passion’ right away, but there is good to found in all jobs, and if we focus on the good things, looking for that which is pleasing and which, perhaps, we can influence, it will expand. This kind of proactively is the basis of Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, another book I highly recommend.
10. "Right now I'm just delighted to be alive and to have had a nice long bath.
This quote reminds me of a scene from the wonderful British comedy movie, Clockwise. John Cleese’s character is trying to get to a conference but, after many trials and tribulations, he ends up stranded in a monastery. Sitting in a room with a monk, covered in mud, clothes torn, he asks, ‘what should I do?’ The monk simply replies: ‘Have a bath, perhaps?’
We can be so focused on the big picture stuff that we forget that life is a series of moments, each of which has its simple pleasures. Whatever life brings, it is good to be thankful for the many little pleasures each day has to bring.
‘When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love’ (Marcus Aurelius)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
10 Traits of True Leadership
Great artcile by John P. Enjoy!!
Article by John Pozadzides
Believe me – leaders are made, not born. And this is good news for anyone that truly wants to improve their leadership skills.
If you want to step up to the plate and help shape the future at work, in an organization, as a teacher or anywhere else, you need to master the 10 traits I‘ve listed right here. I should state that this is not some list I’ve regurgitated from elsewhere. This is my own personal list that I’ve lived by my entire career.
Do they work? Well, given the fact that I‘d attribute all of my past successes to the teams I’ve led, I’d say so. But perhaps if we’re lucky a few of my old employees will stop by and let us know.
Now you’re going to see things on lists of leadership characteristics such as “have confidence”, “great communication skills”, “empathy” and other traits that can generally be stated to be desirable in all people regardless of if they are in leadership positions.
However, I want to cut to the chase and focus on the ones that are most applicable specifically to people in leadership roles. You take care of these, and the business will take care of itself.
1. Make decisions that are sometimes unpopular. You‘re in charge. You’re going to have access to information other people aren’t privy to. Sometimes you have to act on that even if you think it‘s going to be less than popular. That’s life. Suck it up and do what you know has to be done.
2. Lead from the front. My rule number 1: never ask your people to do something you won‘t do yourself! A leader has to be willing to roll up the sleeves and get your hands dirty with the troops. Otherwise you’re just a boss.
3. Teach and Mentor. There is no way you can earn respect if you don’t share some wisdom and information with your team. Make it your goal to teach people everything you know. And make sure you are always pushing yourself to learn more.
4. Empower people. I promise you this… if you make everyone run every decision past you, you will be a massive failure. Give people a little room to make decisions, and let them earn more responsibility over time.
5. Hold people accountable. Accountability goes hand in hand with all of these other traits. If you are going to be good to your people, train them, mentor them, lead by example, and establish a vision, you must hold them accountable for their performance. That is part of being a team player.
6. Develop an inclusive vision. People will only follow a vision that is good for the company if they think it’s also good for themselves. So any good strategy includes everyone in the vision.
7. Demonstrate honesty and integrity. Don‘t ever lie. Make it an edict and live with it. If you can’t tell the truth for a good reason then abstain. But don’t ever lie. Oh, and if you make a promise – live up to it.
8. Have conviction. Do you believe in your product, service, plan, strategy, etc.? If you are not absolute convinced, don’t expect anyone else to be. Instead, work to refine the vision until the argument is absolutely convinced. Conviction is merely a demonstration of the amount of faith a person has.
9. Be flexible. There are times when it‘s appropriate to demonstrate conviction, such as on matters of principle. But 90% of the time it’s important to keep an open mind and watch for opportunities to do things better, faster, or cheaper.
10. Motivate and Inspire. Remember, a great way to motivate and inspire people is to blend realism with optimism. It’s important to demonstrate that you have an accurate assessment of the situation, and that despite that you are optimistic for the future. Optimism is contagious.
As a final thought, remember that people follow answers. You can be a nice guy who tells everyone all about the situation they are in, but unless you discover, inspire or demonstrate how to change things you have not really earned the title of leader – even if you are a manager.
Article by John Pozadzides
Believe me – leaders are made, not born. And this is good news for anyone that truly wants to improve their leadership skills.
If you want to step up to the plate and help shape the future at work, in an organization, as a teacher or anywhere else, you need to master the 10 traits I‘ve listed right here. I should state that this is not some list I’ve regurgitated from elsewhere. This is my own personal list that I’ve lived by my entire career.
Do they work? Well, given the fact that I‘d attribute all of my past successes to the teams I’ve led, I’d say so. But perhaps if we’re lucky a few of my old employees will stop by and let us know.
Now you’re going to see things on lists of leadership characteristics such as “have confidence”, “great communication skills”, “empathy” and other traits that can generally be stated to be desirable in all people regardless of if they are in leadership positions.
However, I want to cut to the chase and focus on the ones that are most applicable specifically to people in leadership roles. You take care of these, and the business will take care of itself.
1. Make decisions that are sometimes unpopular. You‘re in charge. You’re going to have access to information other people aren’t privy to. Sometimes you have to act on that even if you think it‘s going to be less than popular. That’s life. Suck it up and do what you know has to be done.
2. Lead from the front. My rule number 1: never ask your people to do something you won‘t do yourself! A leader has to be willing to roll up the sleeves and get your hands dirty with the troops. Otherwise you’re just a boss.
3. Teach and Mentor. There is no way you can earn respect if you don’t share some wisdom and information with your team. Make it your goal to teach people everything you know. And make sure you are always pushing yourself to learn more.
4. Empower people. I promise you this… if you make everyone run every decision past you, you will be a massive failure. Give people a little room to make decisions, and let them earn more responsibility over time.
5. Hold people accountable. Accountability goes hand in hand with all of these other traits. If you are going to be good to your people, train them, mentor them, lead by example, and establish a vision, you must hold them accountable for their performance. That is part of being a team player.
6. Develop an inclusive vision. People will only follow a vision that is good for the company if they think it’s also good for themselves. So any good strategy includes everyone in the vision.
7. Demonstrate honesty and integrity. Don‘t ever lie. Make it an edict and live with it. If you can’t tell the truth for a good reason then abstain. But don’t ever lie. Oh, and if you make a promise – live up to it.
8. Have conviction. Do you believe in your product, service, plan, strategy, etc.? If you are not absolute convinced, don’t expect anyone else to be. Instead, work to refine the vision until the argument is absolutely convinced. Conviction is merely a demonstration of the amount of faith a person has.
9. Be flexible. There are times when it‘s appropriate to demonstrate conviction, such as on matters of principle. But 90% of the time it’s important to keep an open mind and watch for opportunities to do things better, faster, or cheaper.
10. Motivate and Inspire. Remember, a great way to motivate and inspire people is to blend realism with optimism. It’s important to demonstrate that you have an accurate assessment of the situation, and that despite that you are optimistic for the future. Optimism is contagious.
As a final thought, remember that people follow answers. You can be a nice guy who tells everyone all about the situation they are in, but unless you discover, inspire or demonstrate how to change things you have not really earned the title of leader – even if you are a manager.
Seven Leadership Traits That The Gurus Don't Tell You
Some good advice from Jo Owen! Enjoy!!
By Jo Owen, July 26, 2010
Most leadership gurus tell you half the truth, at best, about what it takes to be a leader.
They will tell you about the need for vision, handling people, dealing with crises and all the other good stuff that makes up the corporate speaking circuit. Here are seven vital qualities you are less likely to hear them talk about:
1. Sleeping on planes and dealing with jet lag. In any large organisation, a leader will spend a large amount of time on planes: I did 250,000 miles a year. The routine was simple: one glass of champagne and one melatonin pill forty minutes before take off, and I would be able to sleep all the way. Business class is not for fancy meals and watching movies: it is for work or sleep.
2. Working in vehicles. If you can not work in taxis and cars, you will waste more time than you can afford. Staring out of the window mindlessly is not good.
3. Dieting. Leaders are surrounded by biscuits, cookies and other corporate death food; and then there are the inevitable lunches, dinners and hotel breakfasts. Either learn to love the fruit, or start jogging. Or die early as an obese alcoholic. But to this day, some firms demand that you put your liver on the line: if you do not drink and entertain, you fail. Pick your diet to fit your firm.
4. Ruthless time management: queues were invented to let leaders catch up with emails and phone calls; ditch or delegate everything you can; fix appointments around your diary, not around other people’s.
5. Work the politics. Find the right assignments, right support and right mentors. Set expectations well. Negotiate budgets hard. Wake up to the reality of corporate life.
6. Be ambitious, for your organisation and yourself. Stretch yourself and your team to achieve more than ever; keep on learning and growing. Don’t accept excuses, don’t be a victim: take responsibility.
7. Learn to speak well. To small groups, to individuals and to large groups. As one tribal elder told me: “Words are like gods: words create whole new world’s in someone’s head. So use words well.” For many people, having a tooth extracted is less daunting than speaking in public. But it is a skill anyone can develop, with practice, over the years. And leaders must have this skill.
These seven qualities add up to a person who is pretty driven: they are often not comfortable people to be with. Not surprisingly, many people prefer to keep their humanity and their life than make the sacrifices to get to the top.
When I first started out, my boss told me: “one of the benefits of this job is that you will never suffer the rush hour. You will arrive before it and leave after it.” And if you keep that lifestyle going for ten to twenty years, you can reach the top. It was not a good choice, but at least it was a clear choice.
Choose well.
By Jo Owen, July 26, 2010
Most leadership gurus tell you half the truth, at best, about what it takes to be a leader.
They will tell you about the need for vision, handling people, dealing with crises and all the other good stuff that makes up the corporate speaking circuit. Here are seven vital qualities you are less likely to hear them talk about:
1. Sleeping on planes and dealing with jet lag. In any large organisation, a leader will spend a large amount of time on planes: I did 250,000 miles a year. The routine was simple: one glass of champagne and one melatonin pill forty minutes before take off, and I would be able to sleep all the way. Business class is not for fancy meals and watching movies: it is for work or sleep.
2. Working in vehicles. If you can not work in taxis and cars, you will waste more time than you can afford. Staring out of the window mindlessly is not good.
3. Dieting. Leaders are surrounded by biscuits, cookies and other corporate death food; and then there are the inevitable lunches, dinners and hotel breakfasts. Either learn to love the fruit, or start jogging. Or die early as an obese alcoholic. But to this day, some firms demand that you put your liver on the line: if you do not drink and entertain, you fail. Pick your diet to fit your firm.
4. Ruthless time management: queues were invented to let leaders catch up with emails and phone calls; ditch or delegate everything you can; fix appointments around your diary, not around other people’s.
5. Work the politics. Find the right assignments, right support and right mentors. Set expectations well. Negotiate budgets hard. Wake up to the reality of corporate life.
6. Be ambitious, for your organisation and yourself. Stretch yourself and your team to achieve more than ever; keep on learning and growing. Don’t accept excuses, don’t be a victim: take responsibility.
7. Learn to speak well. To small groups, to individuals and to large groups. As one tribal elder told me: “Words are like gods: words create whole new world’s in someone’s head. So use words well.” For many people, having a tooth extracted is less daunting than speaking in public. But it is a skill anyone can develop, with practice, over the years. And leaders must have this skill.
These seven qualities add up to a person who is pretty driven: they are often not comfortable people to be with. Not surprisingly, many people prefer to keep their humanity and their life than make the sacrifices to get to the top.
When I first started out, my boss told me: “one of the benefits of this job is that you will never suffer the rush hour. You will arrive before it and leave after it.” And if you keep that lifestyle going for ten to twenty years, you can reach the top. It was not a good choice, but at least it was a clear choice.
Choose well.
Real Leaders Use Social Media to Shut Up and Listen
Great article by Wayne Turmel and goes to my point that listening/communication are the #1 leadership trait! Enjoy!
By Wayne Turmel
With all the Twittering, Yammering, Foursquaring and all the other social media going on (the word I’ve coined is tweetfacelinkblogging, patent pending) it would seem that leaders have no shortage of ways to get their message out. That’s great, says one leadership expert, but it misses the point. The real advantage of social media to a leader is the ability to listen.
Jim Kouzes has been writing about leadership for well over 30 years,starting with the landmark “The Leadership Challenge” and now his latest book, “The Truth About Leadership- the No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know,” are essential reading for anyone interested in being a great leader. He doesn’t buy into the fact that leadership means anything different to Millennials (or whatever you want to call those darned kids) than it did to your parents, but technology has made a difference, and the difference isn’t what you think.
“The fact is that social media, Twitter and all that, actually makes it easier for leaders to listen to their people than ever before”, he said when I spoke to him on The Cranky Middle Manager Show. That’s right, people complain about distance and being physically far from your people, but ask yourself: how many leaders actually get unfiltered input from their folks, even when they’re in the same location?
The idea of using social media to listen seems counter-intuitive. After all, we get told constantly how easy it is to broadcast your message. You can send out daily tweets, update your Facebook or Ning page, and conduct “Town Hall” webinars but those are one-way, broadcast media, at least the way most people use them. When was the last time your CEO held a webinar that actually allowed chat or took questions with any serious intent?
It’s amazing how insulated leaders can become- just watch a treacly episode of Undercover Boss sometime. (”I never knew the people who worked for me worked so hard for so little”. Really????). Giving the appearance of listening is easy, you just have to take a look at that dusty suggestion box in the lunch room. It gets a lot of action at first and then becomes a dust bunny repository as people realize that their ideas are going into the ether.
Kouzes makes the point that a real leader listens. “Social media is a great opportunity to get input from your people and let them feel listened to and heard- if it’s used effectively”.
That effectiveness is demonstrated by not only gathering feedback, but responding to it and displaying it for all the world to see, even when it’s not flattering. Then (and here’s the hard part) taking actual action based on that feedback.
Whether you’re the CEO or first-time project manager, leaders listen to their people and let those folks know they’ve been heard. It doesn’t mean you do everything they suggest — after all, you’re the leader for a reason– but they have to know that you listen and care.
By Wayne Turmel
With all the Twittering, Yammering, Foursquaring and all the other social media going on (the word I’ve coined is tweetfacelinkblogging, patent pending) it would seem that leaders have no shortage of ways to get their message out. That’s great, says one leadership expert, but it misses the point. The real advantage of social media to a leader is the ability to listen.
Jim Kouzes has been writing about leadership for well over 30 years,starting with the landmark “The Leadership Challenge” and now his latest book, “The Truth About Leadership- the No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know,” are essential reading for anyone interested in being a great leader. He doesn’t buy into the fact that leadership means anything different to Millennials (or whatever you want to call those darned kids) than it did to your parents, but technology has made a difference, and the difference isn’t what you think.
“The fact is that social media, Twitter and all that, actually makes it easier for leaders to listen to their people than ever before”, he said when I spoke to him on The Cranky Middle Manager Show. That’s right, people complain about distance and being physically far from your people, but ask yourself: how many leaders actually get unfiltered input from their folks, even when they’re in the same location?
The idea of using social media to listen seems counter-intuitive. After all, we get told constantly how easy it is to broadcast your message. You can send out daily tweets, update your Facebook or Ning page, and conduct “Town Hall” webinars but those are one-way, broadcast media, at least the way most people use them. When was the last time your CEO held a webinar that actually allowed chat or took questions with any serious intent?
It’s amazing how insulated leaders can become- just watch a treacly episode of Undercover Boss sometime. (”I never knew the people who worked for me worked so hard for so little”. Really????). Giving the appearance of listening is easy, you just have to take a look at that dusty suggestion box in the lunch room. It gets a lot of action at first and then becomes a dust bunny repository as people realize that their ideas are going into the ether.
Kouzes makes the point that a real leader listens. “Social media is a great opportunity to get input from your people and let them feel listened to and heard- if it’s used effectively”.
That effectiveness is demonstrated by not only gathering feedback, but responding to it and displaying it for all the world to see, even when it’s not flattering. Then (and here’s the hard part) taking actual action based on that feedback.
Whether you’re the CEO or first-time project manager, leaders listen to their people and let those folks know they’ve been heard. It doesn’t mean you do everything they suggest — after all, you’re the leader for a reason– but they have to know that you listen and care.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Love The Game!
Love the game.
Love the game for the pure joy of accomplishment.
Love the game for everything it can teach you about yourself.
Love the game for the feeling of belonging to a group endeavoring to do its best.
Love the game for being involved in a team whose members can't wait to see you do your best.
Love the game for the challenge of working harder than you ever have at something and then harder than that.
Love the game because it takes all team members to give it life.
Love the game because at its best, the game tradition will include your contributions.
Love the game because you belong to a long line of fine athletes who have loved it.
It is now your legacy.
Love the game so much that you will pass on your love of the game to another athlete who has seen your dedication, your work, your challenges, your triumphs... and then that athlete will, because of you, love the game.
- Author Unknown
Excellence: Taking Your Leadership to New Heights
Another great article by John Maxwell. Enjoy!!
by John Maxwell
As a child, did you ever wish that you could fly? The longing to escape gravity seems ingrained in our imaginations. Fictional characters from Superman to Mary Poppins to Aladdin have soared across the sky on adventures. Michael "Air" Jordan's fame rested, in part, on his seeming ability to glide above his opponents on the court to slam-dunk the basketball. Kite flying remains a popular pastime and air shows draw crowds to watch planes perform acrobatic aerial feats.
Our longing to take flight transfers to our careers. We don't want to be stuck on the bottom level; we want to soar. We desire to be on top, to excel in our work.
Whatever your occupation and regardless of your position, here are three habits of excellence which, when attained, will get you off the ground.
Work with Your Whole Heart
I've never met a halfhearted leader who sustained excellence. The successful leaders I know are ablaze with desire to see their vision come to fruition. Having an end in mind, they approach work with joy and expectancy.
What should you do if you feel unmotivated on the job?
1) Seek self-awareness of your strengths and find ways to express them. What do you do well? What captures your attention? What have you enjoyed doing in the past? If your role at work doesn't provide an outlet for your strengths, volunteer them in another capacity.
2) Monitor your attitude. Cease complaining and weed out negativity from your thoughts. Instead, concentrate on opportunities to learn and grow.
Devote Undistracted Attention to Your Job
Excellent leaders have laser-like focus. They fix their attention on top priorities and refuse to be diverted from accomplishing them. They work purposefully and strategically, doing what's important instead of what's easy.
How can you regain focus when your vision seems fuzzy?
1) Prioritize your time. If you don't budget your time, others will spend it for you. Control your calendar so that your hours are spent on what matters most.
2) Protect your environment. Distractions creep in and hold our attention hostage. Take steps to eliminate interruptions. This can be as simple as turning off your phone during times of focused thought or sealing yourself off from others for a few minutes in the morning so that you can plan for the day.
Give Maximum Energy to Your Team
Leaders who excel give full commitment to their team. They offer their best day after day, always devoting maximum effort to their responsibilities. They understand what's required to complete an assignment, and they don't rest until every detail is in place and the project is finished.
1) Eat well and exercise. Your health determines your quality and quantity of life. Don't view your physical health in isolation; it connects to your emotional and mental health.
2) Make rest a must. Leaders are generally driven, outcome-oriented people. As such, they can have a hard time seeing the value of rest and relaxation. In truth, you actually accomplish more when you discipline yourself to unplug and recharge periodically.
Anchor Your Relationship
Another great piece by Chris. Read and Enjoy!!
By Chris Widener
I heard a speaker recently who was talking about how to maintain strong relationships. As I listened to his basic principle, I realized that it is true in all of our life situations, be it work, family etc. And let's face it, relationships are what make the world go 'round. So strong healthy relationships will make your work more enjoyable, and prosperous, and will make your family and friend relationships better as well.
What was the principle? The speaker said that each point of connection is like an anchor in the relationship, and the more connections you have, the stronger the relationship will be. He calls one-connection relationships "Simplex," and multi-connection relationships, "Multiplex." The strongest relationships are multiplex.
There is also the idea that some connections are stronger than others and so you want as many connections as possible and you want those connections to be as strong as they can be as well. Confused? Let's put some legs on this. We'll take a business situation and we'll take a family situation to illustrate the principle.
Anchoring work relationships.
Let's say you sell insurance. A guy walks in and says, "I would like to purchase some term life insurance." You have a simplex relationship. The connection is that you both want him to have insurance. As you get to know him better and get information from him, you realize that you have a multiplex relationship growing and the chance that your business relationship will grow is improving.
"You grew up in Iowa? Me too!"
"You like to golf? Me too!"
"Your wife and you like to go to the opera? So do we! We should go together sometime."
The multiple connections are anchoring your relationship.
Anchoring a family relationship.
Let's take a marriage in trouble. Chances are that at one time, the relationship was multiplex. Because of time, work, and other stresses, the marriage has deteriorated to the point where both are thinking, "What did I marry this person for?" Or "Why do I stay?" The chances are that now the relationship is simplex. Maybe it is that the one connection is that they want to do right by the kids and so they "Tough it out." What is the answer? I believe that it is regaining a multiplex relationship. Work hard to make those other anchoring connections. Did you used to play tennis together before the kids came along? Go play tennis together on a regular basis. Do you both have a common interest in a specific cause or charity, but time hasn't allowed you to pursue it? Take the time! It will anchor your relationship again!
I think you get the point.
Take some time to think about your current relationships. Are they as multiplex as they can be or as they used to be? Think about the new relationships you will make in the coming weeks or months. Think of ways you can make them strong by finding multiple connections, securing deeper and more fulfilling relationships.
Make your relationships "multiplex" and you make them strong, with an anchor that will not let them go!
By Chris Widener
I heard a speaker recently who was talking about how to maintain strong relationships. As I listened to his basic principle, I realized that it is true in all of our life situations, be it work, family etc. And let's face it, relationships are what make the world go 'round. So strong healthy relationships will make your work more enjoyable, and prosperous, and will make your family and friend relationships better as well.
What was the principle? The speaker said that each point of connection is like an anchor in the relationship, and the more connections you have, the stronger the relationship will be. He calls one-connection relationships "Simplex," and multi-connection relationships, "Multiplex." The strongest relationships are multiplex.
There is also the idea that some connections are stronger than others and so you want as many connections as possible and you want those connections to be as strong as they can be as well. Confused? Let's put some legs on this. We'll take a business situation and we'll take a family situation to illustrate the principle.
Anchoring work relationships.
Let's say you sell insurance. A guy walks in and says, "I would like to purchase some term life insurance." You have a simplex relationship. The connection is that you both want him to have insurance. As you get to know him better and get information from him, you realize that you have a multiplex relationship growing and the chance that your business relationship will grow is improving.
"You grew up in Iowa? Me too!"
"You like to golf? Me too!"
"Your wife and you like to go to the opera? So do we! We should go together sometime."
The multiple connections are anchoring your relationship.
Anchoring a family relationship.
Let's take a marriage in trouble. Chances are that at one time, the relationship was multiplex. Because of time, work, and other stresses, the marriage has deteriorated to the point where both are thinking, "What did I marry this person for?" Or "Why do I stay?" The chances are that now the relationship is simplex. Maybe it is that the one connection is that they want to do right by the kids and so they "Tough it out." What is the answer? I believe that it is regaining a multiplex relationship. Work hard to make those other anchoring connections. Did you used to play tennis together before the kids came along? Go play tennis together on a regular basis. Do you both have a common interest in a specific cause or charity, but time hasn't allowed you to pursue it? Take the time! It will anchor your relationship again!
I think you get the point.
Take some time to think about your current relationships. Are they as multiplex as they can be or as they used to be? Think about the new relationships you will make in the coming weeks or months. Think of ways you can make them strong by finding multiple connections, securing deeper and more fulfilling relationships.
Make your relationships "multiplex" and you make them strong, with an anchor that will not let them go!
Monday, November 22, 2010
These 10 core competencies comprise good leadership
Great artcile. Enjoy!!
By William S. Frank
Use this test to rate your leadership ability.
There are 10 categories, each worth 10 points. If you feel you have a competency fully developed, give yourself 10 points. If it's not developed at all, no points. Grade yourself as follows: 50=F, 60=D, 70=C, 80=B, 90-100=A. Scores of 70+ are in the target range. Scores below 70 indicate weaknesses worth correcting, or else a lack of desire or suitability for leadership.
Use your results to create a development plan for your career. In other words, if you're lacking in an area, seek mentors, training or coaching to shore up your weakness. Most importantly, however, leverage your strengths.
Visionary:
Good leaders create a vision, a picture of the future, of where they want to take their organizations. Leaders can improve both the quality and acceptance of the vision by partnering with their peers, executive team, key employees throughout the organization or outside consultants. To get the best vision you need lots of ideas, and people support what they help to create.
Inspirational:
Once a vision is established, great leaders can inspire everyone in the company to get onboard. Employees in great organizations are passionate about what they do. This inspiration extends to customers, investors, suppliers, boards of directors and all other stakeholders.
This doesn't mean good leaders have to be charismatic or great public speakers, though some are. Leaders may inspire by example or in low-key ways. Every word and action demonstrates their passion for the vision.
Strategic:
Strategic leaders are clear and directly face the strengths and weaknesses of their own organizations, as well as their external opportunities and threats. They think in terms of leverage, fishing where the big fish are and partnering to gain market advantage. While interested in one sale, they would rather create pipelines and strategic alliances that generate thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of sales.
Tactical:
Wired like businesspeople, good leaders are bottom-line oriented and extraordinarily committed to results. They thrive on facts, figures, numbers and data. They're interested in ROI, ROE and EBIDTA. If not numbers-oriented themselves, they surround themselves with strong financial talent.
Focused:
Once vision and mission (a brief, clear statement of the reasons for an organization's existence) are established, good leaders achieve what they set out to do before launching new initiatives. By contrast, poor leaders may have dozens of conflicting programs and priorities. Leaders with 20 priorities essentially have no priorities.
Persuasive:
Not necessarily salespeople, good leaders can bring others to their point of view using logic, reason, emotion and the force of their personalities. They motivate by persuasion rather than intimidation. The key here is the leader speaking from his or her heart.
Likeable:
Good leaders are people-centric. They may be scientists, engineers or technical experts by background, but they recognize interpersonal skills are paramount. They display high degrees of emotional intelligence, and thrive on finesse and likeability.
They want to be liked -- and they are. Again, the key is what's inside the leader. Likeability comes from the inside out.
Decisive:
Sometimes shooting from the hip, good leaders can make decisions quickly -- often with incomplete data. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."
Rarely is a leader able to get 100 percent of the information needed for a decision. Typically it is "60 percent and go" or "80 percent and go."
Ethical:
Good leaders are direct and straightforward. They set clear performance expectations and hold people accountable. This requires being direct and truthful, which can be difficult but -- more often than not -- is natural for the principle-based leader. Good leaders know it's hard to beat the truth.
Open to feedback:
Good leaders are open and dedicated to lifelong learning. They seek feedback about their performance through direct conversations and objective tools such as 360-degree reviews. Seeking continuous improvement in their companies, they also seek it for themselves.
After reviewing these criteria, you may still have the age-old question: Can leadership really be learned or are good leaders just born?
Denver leadership expert Jim Downey comes down on the side that good leaders can be developed. "Good leaders develop by practicing the right behaviors," he says. "It is like golf. You can spend hours on the driving range, but if you are not practicing the right fundamentals, you will never be a good golfer. By practicing the 10 core competencies of good leaders, you can improve your leadership skills.
"You will also be modeling the right behaviors [fundamentals] for others, who watch their leaders surprisingly closely. You may end up an organization full of leaders with surprising success."
By William S. Frank
Use this test to rate your leadership ability.
There are 10 categories, each worth 10 points. If you feel you have a competency fully developed, give yourself 10 points. If it's not developed at all, no points. Grade yourself as follows: 50=F, 60=D, 70=C, 80=B, 90-100=A. Scores of 70+ are in the target range. Scores below 70 indicate weaknesses worth correcting, or else a lack of desire or suitability for leadership.
Use your results to create a development plan for your career. In other words, if you're lacking in an area, seek mentors, training or coaching to shore up your weakness. Most importantly, however, leverage your strengths.
Visionary:
Good leaders create a vision, a picture of the future, of where they want to take their organizations. Leaders can improve both the quality and acceptance of the vision by partnering with their peers, executive team, key employees throughout the organization or outside consultants. To get the best vision you need lots of ideas, and people support what they help to create.
Inspirational:
Once a vision is established, great leaders can inspire everyone in the company to get onboard. Employees in great organizations are passionate about what they do. This inspiration extends to customers, investors, suppliers, boards of directors and all other stakeholders.
This doesn't mean good leaders have to be charismatic or great public speakers, though some are. Leaders may inspire by example or in low-key ways. Every word and action demonstrates their passion for the vision.
Strategic:
Strategic leaders are clear and directly face the strengths and weaknesses of their own organizations, as well as their external opportunities and threats. They think in terms of leverage, fishing where the big fish are and partnering to gain market advantage. While interested in one sale, they would rather create pipelines and strategic alliances that generate thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of sales.
Tactical:
Wired like businesspeople, good leaders are bottom-line oriented and extraordinarily committed to results. They thrive on facts, figures, numbers and data. They're interested in ROI, ROE and EBIDTA. If not numbers-oriented themselves, they surround themselves with strong financial talent.
Focused:
Once vision and mission (a brief, clear statement of the reasons for an organization's existence) are established, good leaders achieve what they set out to do before launching new initiatives. By contrast, poor leaders may have dozens of conflicting programs and priorities. Leaders with 20 priorities essentially have no priorities.
Persuasive:
Not necessarily salespeople, good leaders can bring others to their point of view using logic, reason, emotion and the force of their personalities. They motivate by persuasion rather than intimidation. The key here is the leader speaking from his or her heart.
Likeable:
Good leaders are people-centric. They may be scientists, engineers or technical experts by background, but they recognize interpersonal skills are paramount. They display high degrees of emotional intelligence, and thrive on finesse and likeability.
They want to be liked -- and they are. Again, the key is what's inside the leader. Likeability comes from the inside out.
Decisive:
Sometimes shooting from the hip, good leaders can make decisions quickly -- often with incomplete data. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."
Rarely is a leader able to get 100 percent of the information needed for a decision. Typically it is "60 percent and go" or "80 percent and go."
Ethical:
Good leaders are direct and straightforward. They set clear performance expectations and hold people accountable. This requires being direct and truthful, which can be difficult but -- more often than not -- is natural for the principle-based leader. Good leaders know it's hard to beat the truth.
Open to feedback:
Good leaders are open and dedicated to lifelong learning. They seek feedback about their performance through direct conversations and objective tools such as 360-degree reviews. Seeking continuous improvement in their companies, they also seek it for themselves.
After reviewing these criteria, you may still have the age-old question: Can leadership really be learned or are good leaders just born?
Denver leadership expert Jim Downey comes down on the side that good leaders can be developed. "Good leaders develop by practicing the right behaviors," he says. "It is like golf. You can spend hours on the driving range, but if you are not practicing the right fundamentals, you will never be a good golfer. By practicing the 10 core competencies of good leaders, you can improve your leadership skills.
"You will also be modeling the right behaviors [fundamentals] for others, who watch their leaders surprisingly closely. You may end up an organization full of leaders with surprising success."
From Manager to Leader
The age old question!!! Great artcile by Leslie. Good read. Enjoy!!
By Leslie Kossoff.
Ask anyone and they'll tell you. There's a difference between managers and leaders.
Ask them what that difference is and they may have a bit more difficulty. Suddenly the words become amorphous and undefined. Somehow leadership is an intangible - a charismatic component that some people have and others simply don't. That's why, according to the ubiquitous "they", it is such a rarity.
Wrong.
The difference between being a manager and being a leader is simple. Management is a career. Leadership is a calling.
You don't have to be tall, well-spoken and good looking to be a successful leader. You don't have to have that "special something" to fulfill the leadership role.
What you have to have is clearly defined convictions - and, more importantly, the courage of your convictions to see them manifest into reality. Only when you understand your role as guide and steward based on your own most deeply held truths can you move from manager to leader.
Whether the group you oversee is called employees, associates, co-workers, teammates or anything else, what they are looking for is someone in whom they can place their trust. Someone they know is working for the greater good - for them and for the organization. They're looking for someone not only that they can - but that they want to - follow.
Because it is only when you have followers -people who have placed their trust in you - that you know you have moved into that leadership role. And the way you see it is that your organization is transcending all previous quality, productivity, innovation and revenue achievements. You're operating at such a high level of efficiency that you're giving budget back to the corporation - and you're still beating your goals.
You're achieving what you always dreamed could be achieved. And not only that, but it's actually easier than you thought.
Because you're a leader. Because the classic command and control management model - which, contrary to popular belief still applies even in our most progressive 21st century companies - is no longer in play. Sure, controls are in place. Sure, you're solving problems that arise.
But it's not just you alone. You have the people in whom you've put your trust - and who have happily and safely reciprocated - to help you create organizational success.
By Leslie Kossoff.
Ask anyone and they'll tell you. There's a difference between managers and leaders.
Ask them what that difference is and they may have a bit more difficulty. Suddenly the words become amorphous and undefined. Somehow leadership is an intangible - a charismatic component that some people have and others simply don't. That's why, according to the ubiquitous "they", it is such a rarity.
Wrong.
The difference between being a manager and being a leader is simple. Management is a career. Leadership is a calling.
You don't have to be tall, well-spoken and good looking to be a successful leader. You don't have to have that "special something" to fulfill the leadership role.
What you have to have is clearly defined convictions - and, more importantly, the courage of your convictions to see them manifest into reality. Only when you understand your role as guide and steward based on your own most deeply held truths can you move from manager to leader.
Whether the group you oversee is called employees, associates, co-workers, teammates or anything else, what they are looking for is someone in whom they can place their trust. Someone they know is working for the greater good - for them and for the organization. They're looking for someone not only that they can - but that they want to - follow.
Because it is only when you have followers -people who have placed their trust in you - that you know you have moved into that leadership role. And the way you see it is that your organization is transcending all previous quality, productivity, innovation and revenue achievements. You're operating at such a high level of efficiency that you're giving budget back to the corporation - and you're still beating your goals.
You're achieving what you always dreamed could be achieved. And not only that, but it's actually easier than you thought.
Because you're a leader. Because the classic command and control management model - which, contrary to popular belief still applies even in our most progressive 21st century companies - is no longer in play. Sure, controls are in place. Sure, you're solving problems that arise.
But it's not just you alone. You have the people in whom you've put your trust - and who have happily and safely reciprocated - to help you create organizational success.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
What Separates the Haves From the Have-Nots?
I have always wondered the same thing? Also why is it that people who should succeed in life don't and those that shouldn't succeed do? Crazy stuff. Nice to see that someone else believes that "work ethic" is important!! Enjoy!! Great article.
By Steve Tobak /November 15, 2010
There certainly appears to be a growing divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots” in America. But when it comes to achieving success in your business and career, that divide exists solely in your head.
That means you can cross it, if you know how.
While there’s certainly more than one way to do that, I found that certain characteristics and one method in particular worked for me. And since they can be learned, they can work for you.
You see, I grew up a have-not, the youngest of a lower middle-class family that lived in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn, New York. My dad was a clerk in the post office and my mom worked in a bank. My dad had a high-school diploma; my mom didn’t. Life wasn’t easy, but they did everything they could to give their kids a chance at a better life than they had.
My dad instilled in me a rock solid work ethic. When I broke my leg in high-school, he was pissed off because he had to take a day off from work. And that was from a job he hated. I got the message. You do your job and you do it right, no matter what.
Early on, I demonstrated an unusual thirst for knowledge and a desire to understand how and why things worked the way they did. I was constantly asking questions to which my folks did not know the answers. It was incredibly annoying, so they bought me books and got me a library card. That was the only thing that kept me quiet.
Those two things - work ethic and thirst for knowledge - got me through school and into the high-tech industry. In the working world I learned that lots of things didn’t work quite right, which fed right into my compulsion to fix them. I learned a pretty simple way to do that. First, learn how things work, then figure out how to do them better. Simple.
I would soon learn that that ridiculously simple technique would work for everything - technology, management, even workplace politics. So I climbed the corporate ladder, pretty much by approaching every problem the same way. I call it going from Point A to Point B. Very creative, I know.
That worked up to a point when one of my many compulsions - a relentless drive to succeed - started working against me. These days, I call that self-limiting behavior. You see, everyone’s got issues that, left unchecked, will impede their success in the workplace, even their happiness as individuals. Some people become bitter and angry at their stunted growth. They blame everyone from their boss and coworkers to their spouse and parents. They look everywhere but where they should look, inside.
Socrates said, “know thyself” and “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Smart guy, that Socrates.
For the longest time, I didn’t get that. And yes, it stunted my growth. Ironically, the same method I had employed to solve problems in the working world turned out to be effective in dealing with my own self-limiting behavior. The only difference is Point A requires taking a long, hard look in the mirror. Once you do that, Point B becomes wherever your passion and goals take you.
These days I use that new, modified version of going from Point A to Point B in my strategy consulting business. Turns out it works for companies, too.
Bottom line:
So, the journey from “have-not” to “have” was made possible by three qualities:
1. Strong work ethic
2. Passion for how things work and how they can work better
3. Introspection
And a method for problem solving at work and resolving self-limiting behavior:
Going from Point A to Point B, where Point A is how things really work, i.e. reality; and Point B is how to do things or make things work better.
Of course, I don’t think these are the only factors that play a role in crossing the divide. There’s also drive, determination, and tolerance for risk and sacrifice. But for me, this is what made the difference. I’m sure we’d all be interested in knowing what worked for you.
By Steve Tobak /November 15, 2010
There certainly appears to be a growing divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots” in America. But when it comes to achieving success in your business and career, that divide exists solely in your head.
That means you can cross it, if you know how.
While there’s certainly more than one way to do that, I found that certain characteristics and one method in particular worked for me. And since they can be learned, they can work for you.
You see, I grew up a have-not, the youngest of a lower middle-class family that lived in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn, New York. My dad was a clerk in the post office and my mom worked in a bank. My dad had a high-school diploma; my mom didn’t. Life wasn’t easy, but they did everything they could to give their kids a chance at a better life than they had.
My dad instilled in me a rock solid work ethic. When I broke my leg in high-school, he was pissed off because he had to take a day off from work. And that was from a job he hated. I got the message. You do your job and you do it right, no matter what.
Early on, I demonstrated an unusual thirst for knowledge and a desire to understand how and why things worked the way they did. I was constantly asking questions to which my folks did not know the answers. It was incredibly annoying, so they bought me books and got me a library card. That was the only thing that kept me quiet.
Those two things - work ethic and thirst for knowledge - got me through school and into the high-tech industry. In the working world I learned that lots of things didn’t work quite right, which fed right into my compulsion to fix them. I learned a pretty simple way to do that. First, learn how things work, then figure out how to do them better. Simple.
I would soon learn that that ridiculously simple technique would work for everything - technology, management, even workplace politics. So I climbed the corporate ladder, pretty much by approaching every problem the same way. I call it going from Point A to Point B. Very creative, I know.
That worked up to a point when one of my many compulsions - a relentless drive to succeed - started working against me. These days, I call that self-limiting behavior. You see, everyone’s got issues that, left unchecked, will impede their success in the workplace, even their happiness as individuals. Some people become bitter and angry at their stunted growth. They blame everyone from their boss and coworkers to their spouse and parents. They look everywhere but where they should look, inside.
Socrates said, “know thyself” and “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Smart guy, that Socrates.
For the longest time, I didn’t get that. And yes, it stunted my growth. Ironically, the same method I had employed to solve problems in the working world turned out to be effective in dealing with my own self-limiting behavior. The only difference is Point A requires taking a long, hard look in the mirror. Once you do that, Point B becomes wherever your passion and goals take you.
These days I use that new, modified version of going from Point A to Point B in my strategy consulting business. Turns out it works for companies, too.
Bottom line:
So, the journey from “have-not” to “have” was made possible by three qualities:
1. Strong work ethic
2. Passion for how things work and how they can work better
3. Introspection
And a method for problem solving at work and resolving self-limiting behavior:
Going from Point A to Point B, where Point A is how things really work, i.e. reality; and Point B is how to do things or make things work better.
Of course, I don’t think these are the only factors that play a role in crossing the divide. There’s also drive, determination, and tolerance for risk and sacrifice. But for me, this is what made the difference. I’m sure we’d all be interested in knowing what worked for you.
WWCD - What Would Churchill Do?
Great piece about one of the great leaders of our time. Enjoy!!
By Margaret Heffernan
November 11, 2010
Warren Buffett, trying to describe the importance of leadership, once called it a “secret sauce,” arguing that it makes all the difference to the value of a business, even if you don’t quite know what it is.
I was reminded of the issue last week when I was in London and visited Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms. As you’d expect, they’re underground, dark and rather dismal, and neither Churchill nor his staff much liked spending time in them. That the government spent so much time above ground was due not to heroism but claustrophobia.
But on one level, I envied these men and women. They had a very clear, well-defined problem with an obvious goal: Defeat Hitler. How many business leaders yearn for so simply articulated a task! What’s easy to forget, in such nostalgia, is just how daunting it was. Three days before Churchill delivered one of his most rousing speeches — “this was their finest hour” — he confessed to a colleague that he expected them both to be dead within three months. A clear goal, yes. But with only the slimmest chance of success.
How did Churchill define leadership? In his own words, what he did was “keep buggering on.” In more contemporary words, what this meant was he and his Cabinet just kept going, putting one foot in front of the other, making the best decisions they could, many of which turned out to be wrong. He never made unilateral decisions, and he spent a lot of time in that bunker arguing.
I’ve never had much affinity for the business-as-war metaphor, and Sun Tzu leaves me cold. But what I respect in Churchill’s wartime leadership was his recognition that there were no magic bullets. He had no illusion of control. Strategy, alliances, technology, and mental, emotional and operational discipline were all essential — for six long years. But there was no such thing as a quick fix.
When I meet with CEOs, they’re all eager to hear what other companies are doing. Their curiosity is driven by a lingering sense that somewhere out there must lie a solution, a quantum leap that will catapult their business out of recession and themselves out of the doldrums. They’re sick of recession, despairing of government, cynical about temporary market rallies and deeply nostalgic for the good old days of predictable if slow growth.
It’s a lesson any leader would do well to remember as we enter the fourth year of the credit crunch. If there were a magic solution, someone would have found it by now. Growth is elusive and, in a recession, more so than ever. Maintaining morale is hard but fundamental. No miracle — in the form of strategy, technology or stimulus — will substitute for mental, emotional and operational discipline. The only thing that leaders can do, and must do, is abandon the illusion of control and keep buggering on.
By Margaret Heffernan
November 11, 2010
Warren Buffett, trying to describe the importance of leadership, once called it a “secret sauce,” arguing that it makes all the difference to the value of a business, even if you don’t quite know what it is.
I was reminded of the issue last week when I was in London and visited Winston Churchill’s cabinet war rooms. As you’d expect, they’re underground, dark and rather dismal, and neither Churchill nor his staff much liked spending time in them. That the government spent so much time above ground was due not to heroism but claustrophobia.
But on one level, I envied these men and women. They had a very clear, well-defined problem with an obvious goal: Defeat Hitler. How many business leaders yearn for so simply articulated a task! What’s easy to forget, in such nostalgia, is just how daunting it was. Three days before Churchill delivered one of his most rousing speeches — “this was their finest hour” — he confessed to a colleague that he expected them both to be dead within three months. A clear goal, yes. But with only the slimmest chance of success.
How did Churchill define leadership? In his own words, what he did was “keep buggering on.” In more contemporary words, what this meant was he and his Cabinet just kept going, putting one foot in front of the other, making the best decisions they could, many of which turned out to be wrong. He never made unilateral decisions, and he spent a lot of time in that bunker arguing.
I’ve never had much affinity for the business-as-war metaphor, and Sun Tzu leaves me cold. But what I respect in Churchill’s wartime leadership was his recognition that there were no magic bullets. He had no illusion of control. Strategy, alliances, technology, and mental, emotional and operational discipline were all essential — for six long years. But there was no such thing as a quick fix.
When I meet with CEOs, they’re all eager to hear what other companies are doing. Their curiosity is driven by a lingering sense that somewhere out there must lie a solution, a quantum leap that will catapult their business out of recession and themselves out of the doldrums. They’re sick of recession, despairing of government, cynical about temporary market rallies and deeply nostalgic for the good old days of predictable if slow growth.
It’s a lesson any leader would do well to remember as we enter the fourth year of the credit crunch. If there were a magic solution, someone would have found it by now. Growth is elusive and, in a recession, more so than ever. Maintaining morale is hard but fundamental. No miracle — in the form of strategy, technology or stimulus — will substitute for mental, emotional and operational discipline. The only thing that leaders can do, and must do, is abandon the illusion of control and keep buggering on.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Striving To Be A Real Leader
Great article by Graham Jones! I am looking forward to reading his book!! Enjoy!
Graham Jones, PhD, is Director of Lane4 Management Group, a performance development consultancy, based in Princeton, New Jersey. Graham is the author of Thrive On Pressure: Lead And Succeed When Times Get Tough , published by McGraw-Hill in August 2010. For more information, visit his website and blog at www.sustainedhighperformance.com. For information on Lane4, visit www.lane4performance.com.
The last couple of years have brought an intriguing quandary for senior leaders, and one that is probably here to stay. These are times when leaders have the option of keeping their heads down, staying out of the firing line, and playing it safe. The other option is to contribute to the current and future health of the organization by stepping up to be real leaders.
The Choices You Make As A Real Leader
Being a real leader is not easy which is why too many incumbents of leadership positions, knowingly or unknowingly, go for the easier option of safe leadership. Although I am sure you have some friends who have gone for the safe option, you, of course, will have opted to be a real leader and, in doing so, have made a number of choices that you will need to remind yourself of from time to time.
1. Your Choice To Take On The Pressure
Your choice to take on the visibility of real leadership means that you will be exposed to sometimes relentless pressure that can cause you to feel isolated, lonely, and vulnerable. And that is just during normal times! During economic downturns and when market conditions are tough, you will be stretched to the limits of your capability and resourcefulness. At times like these, it may be hard to see beyond those pressures that your responsibilities and accountabilities bring with them. You will need to remind yourself why you have chosen this path – the internal drivers that provide positive challenge, the change that you bring about because you have the guts to do it, the development you see in your people because you give them the opportunities, and the individual care you provide that makes your people feel valued.
2. Your Choice To Be Accountable When Things Go Wrong
By being a real leader, the buck stops with you! The failures of your people are your failures – you are the one who is accountable. Have the courage to seek to understand the causes of failure so that you can learn from them and take your learning forward.
3. Your Choice To Accept That You Will Make Mistakes
You have chosen to put yourself in a position where you are expected to innovate and take calculated risks. You will sometimes get it wrong and you will make mistakes. These are what will make you a better and stronger real leader as long as you see mistakes as a key part of your learning and development.
4. Your Choice To Do What Is Right
You are aware of your responsibility to make those difficult, often critical, decisions that might not be popular with everyone, but are the right thing to do. You know that no matter how hard you try, there will always be someone who is unhappy with your leadership. There may even be people who think they can do the job better than you. No matter what, it is important that you tackle hard issues head on.
5. Your Choice To Drive Change
No individual, team, or organization can ever stand still. Sustained success is underpinned by constant change that takes you to the next level. As a real leader, your responsibility is to lead by example in driving continuous change. Encourage challenge and collective problem-solving among your people because you cannot do it all on your own.
6. Your Choice To Be A Role Model
Role modeling is a critical part of your role as a real leader. Role model what you want to see and hear in your people, and also role model the aspirations of the organization. If you want your people to raise their performance bars, then raise your own. Show them that you are hungry for feedback because it is so important to your development. And recognize and celebrate success in a way that inspires them to want more.
7. Your Choice To Develop The People You Lead So That They May Some Day Be Your Boss
If you do a great job of being a real leader, then you may find that, one day, you are being lead by someone who used to follow you. Your choice to empower and coach your people, combined with encouraging them to be creative and innovative, will enable them to make a significant contribution to achieving your vision. It will also help their individual development as they pursue their own aspirations in the organization. The best of them may end up being your leader! Take huge satisfaction from this.
Your Role In Creating A High Performance Environment
Real leaders create environments where high performance is inevitable and sustainable. If you are to achieve this goal, then there are a number of core principles that you should remember and follow.
Accept That You Can No Longer Do All The Things That Got You To Where You Are
This is where some leaders get it wrong. Most are promoted to leadership positions because they are functional experts and they make the mistake of continuing to be involved in the detail because they enjoy and are good at it. But, as you know, leadership is about people, and not about managing a function. As a real leader, your role is to create the conditions for your people to thrive. Minimizing constraints and maximizing supports for your people is a critical role that will help them deliver the performance you are now leading and no longer ‘doing’ yourself.
Identify And Communicate A Compelling Vision
Your people want to know where you intend to take them. Figure out what your vision is and communicate it in a way that it makes sense and also demonstrates a passion that will inspire your people to follow you and find a way of delivering it even in the most trying circumstances.
Get The Strategic Focus Right
You will have to manage the dynamic tension of current versus future focus. Your responsibility is to focus on the longer-term; specifically, the innovation and well-being that the future health of the organization is dependent on. Of course, your focus will be dragged into the current, day-to-day detail, especially when times are tough, but do not fall into the trap of getting stuck there.
Make Sure You Have The Right People In The Right Roles
If you are to stay out of the detail, then you need to have people with the appropriate knowledge, skills, and experience in the appropriate roles. This is your responsibility, and achieving this will provide you with the space you require to focus on your job as a real leader.
Clearly Define And Communicate What Is Expected Of Them
Having the right people in the right roles is insufficient – they must know what you expect from them. They want to know what their short-term focus should be and how their individual performances will contribute to achieving the longer-term aspirations and vision of the organization.
Have The Courage To Let Go
If you have the right people in the right roles, and they know what is expected of them, then have the courage to place your confidence and trust in them to deliver the goods. This will probably feel strange at first as you struggle with relinquishing some control. And it will not be possible before you have the confidence and trust in yourself to pass it on to your people.
Balance Vision, Challenge, And Support
Once you have everything in place, then your day-to-day role as a real leader is to remind people of the vision, challenge them to deliver against it, and support them in doing so. Remember that if you can get the balance right, then you will create an environment where the potential of your people is unleashed and high performance is inevitable and sustainable.
Over To You
Being a real leader will be stimulating, energizing, and, perhaps most important, enjoyable. And when you get it right, being a real leader will also provide you with an enormous sense of satisfaction and achievement. It really is something worth striving for.
Graham Jones, PhD, is Director of Lane4 Management Group, a performance development consultancy, based in Princeton, New Jersey. Graham is the author of Thrive On Pressure: Lead And Succeed When Times Get Tough , published by McGraw-Hill in August 2010. For more information, visit his website and blog at www.sustainedhighperformance.com. For information on Lane4, visit www.lane4performance.com.
The last couple of years have brought an intriguing quandary for senior leaders, and one that is probably here to stay. These are times when leaders have the option of keeping their heads down, staying out of the firing line, and playing it safe. The other option is to contribute to the current and future health of the organization by stepping up to be real leaders.
The Choices You Make As A Real Leader
Being a real leader is not easy which is why too many incumbents of leadership positions, knowingly or unknowingly, go for the easier option of safe leadership. Although I am sure you have some friends who have gone for the safe option, you, of course, will have opted to be a real leader and, in doing so, have made a number of choices that you will need to remind yourself of from time to time.
1. Your Choice To Take On The Pressure
Your choice to take on the visibility of real leadership means that you will be exposed to sometimes relentless pressure that can cause you to feel isolated, lonely, and vulnerable. And that is just during normal times! During economic downturns and when market conditions are tough, you will be stretched to the limits of your capability and resourcefulness. At times like these, it may be hard to see beyond those pressures that your responsibilities and accountabilities bring with them. You will need to remind yourself why you have chosen this path – the internal drivers that provide positive challenge, the change that you bring about because you have the guts to do it, the development you see in your people because you give them the opportunities, and the individual care you provide that makes your people feel valued.
2. Your Choice To Be Accountable When Things Go Wrong
By being a real leader, the buck stops with you! The failures of your people are your failures – you are the one who is accountable. Have the courage to seek to understand the causes of failure so that you can learn from them and take your learning forward.
3. Your Choice To Accept That You Will Make Mistakes
You have chosen to put yourself in a position where you are expected to innovate and take calculated risks. You will sometimes get it wrong and you will make mistakes. These are what will make you a better and stronger real leader as long as you see mistakes as a key part of your learning and development.
4. Your Choice To Do What Is Right
You are aware of your responsibility to make those difficult, often critical, decisions that might not be popular with everyone, but are the right thing to do. You know that no matter how hard you try, there will always be someone who is unhappy with your leadership. There may even be people who think they can do the job better than you. No matter what, it is important that you tackle hard issues head on.
5. Your Choice To Drive Change
No individual, team, or organization can ever stand still. Sustained success is underpinned by constant change that takes you to the next level. As a real leader, your responsibility is to lead by example in driving continuous change. Encourage challenge and collective problem-solving among your people because you cannot do it all on your own.
6. Your Choice To Be A Role Model
Role modeling is a critical part of your role as a real leader. Role model what you want to see and hear in your people, and also role model the aspirations of the organization. If you want your people to raise their performance bars, then raise your own. Show them that you are hungry for feedback because it is so important to your development. And recognize and celebrate success in a way that inspires them to want more.
7. Your Choice To Develop The People You Lead So That They May Some Day Be Your Boss
If you do a great job of being a real leader, then you may find that, one day, you are being lead by someone who used to follow you. Your choice to empower and coach your people, combined with encouraging them to be creative and innovative, will enable them to make a significant contribution to achieving your vision. It will also help their individual development as they pursue their own aspirations in the organization. The best of them may end up being your leader! Take huge satisfaction from this.
Your Role In Creating A High Performance Environment
Real leaders create environments where high performance is inevitable and sustainable. If you are to achieve this goal, then there are a number of core principles that you should remember and follow.
Accept That You Can No Longer Do All The Things That Got You To Where You Are
This is where some leaders get it wrong. Most are promoted to leadership positions because they are functional experts and they make the mistake of continuing to be involved in the detail because they enjoy and are good at it. But, as you know, leadership is about people, and not about managing a function. As a real leader, your role is to create the conditions for your people to thrive. Minimizing constraints and maximizing supports for your people is a critical role that will help them deliver the performance you are now leading and no longer ‘doing’ yourself.
Identify And Communicate A Compelling Vision
Your people want to know where you intend to take them. Figure out what your vision is and communicate it in a way that it makes sense and also demonstrates a passion that will inspire your people to follow you and find a way of delivering it even in the most trying circumstances.
Get The Strategic Focus Right
You will have to manage the dynamic tension of current versus future focus. Your responsibility is to focus on the longer-term; specifically, the innovation and well-being that the future health of the organization is dependent on. Of course, your focus will be dragged into the current, day-to-day detail, especially when times are tough, but do not fall into the trap of getting stuck there.
Make Sure You Have The Right People In The Right Roles
If you are to stay out of the detail, then you need to have people with the appropriate knowledge, skills, and experience in the appropriate roles. This is your responsibility, and achieving this will provide you with the space you require to focus on your job as a real leader.
Clearly Define And Communicate What Is Expected Of Them
Having the right people in the right roles is insufficient – they must know what you expect from them. They want to know what their short-term focus should be and how their individual performances will contribute to achieving the longer-term aspirations and vision of the organization.
Have The Courage To Let Go
If you have the right people in the right roles, and they know what is expected of them, then have the courage to place your confidence and trust in them to deliver the goods. This will probably feel strange at first as you struggle with relinquishing some control. And it will not be possible before you have the confidence and trust in yourself to pass it on to your people.
Balance Vision, Challenge, And Support
Once you have everything in place, then your day-to-day role as a real leader is to remind people of the vision, challenge them to deliver against it, and support them in doing so. Remember that if you can get the balance right, then you will create an environment where the potential of your people is unleashed and high performance is inevitable and sustainable.
Over To You
Being a real leader will be stimulating, energizing, and, perhaps most important, enjoyable. And when you get it right, being a real leader will also provide you with an enormous sense of satisfaction and achievement. It really is something worth striving for.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Under Pressure: Learning to be a "Clutch" Leader
Great leadership article by Sean. Makes so much sense. I have always maintained that leadership is something you learn to do. Enjoy!
By Sean Silverthorne | November 3, 2010
In the sports world, a “clutch” player performs best when the pressure is on, backs are to the wall, and all eyes turned their way. Think Michael Jordan, Joe Montana, Martina Navratilova. When it was all on the line, they not only didn’t wilt, they got better.
Is there such a thing as a clutch leader? Do you know managers or CEOs who rise above when everything is on the line? A bigger question: Can you learn to be clutch?
The latest issue of Harvard Business Review is spun around the topic of military leadership, and there is an interesting blog post on HBR.org about how military cadets learn what it takes to be clutch. New York Times business writer Paul Sullivan, author of Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don’t recounts a talk he gave at West Point on the subject.
All clutch leaders display five traits, he said: focus, discipline, adaptability, being present, and fear and desire. Read his post for more depth on each of these.
Sullivan’s good news for the rest of us is that organizations can train their performers to respond well to pressure. Sullivan says there are three things business leaders can learn from cadets:
- Focused on a goal. “When they graduate they will be deployed to lead a platoon, probably in Afghanistan or Iraq. They know the responsibilities and the risks. And everything they are doing is preparing them for that moment. Do you know what your primary mission is at work?”
- Continuous improvement. “They work in an organization that is continually striving to be better. When a mistake happens, the Army tries not to let it happen a second time. Are you aligned with the right organization? Or if you’re leading that organization, are you prepared to change things that aren’t working, even if change could be hard or even a reversal of something you implemented?”
- Practice for success. “These cadets are given the physical and mental training that will help them do their jobs at the highest level. They know you have to be able to perform a task perfectly under normal conditions before you can expect to do it in a stressful situation. Can you say the same thing? Are you able to do your job at a high level every day? If not, then you should not be surprised when you make the wrong decisions under pressure.”
Will following this advice make you the Michael Jordan of your business? Well, maybe not–some people are just hard-coded for success in tough situations. But working at focusing on the objective, adaptability to the environment and improvement of skills sure puts whatever natural abilities you have in the best position to succeed when the going gets tough. Looking through history, who were the greatest clutch leaders? Churchill? Lincoln? Alexander the Great?
An urgent call to fix golf
By Gene Yasuda
Call it a cavalry of round-bellies and graybeards.
For years now, a stagnant game has been awaiting the arrival of club-wielding baby boomers. Experts promised the unprecedented generational wave, nearly 80 million strong, would take up golf as they entered their golden years and revitalize golf courses that often resemble abandoned lots.
By all accounts, these fiftysomethings are doing their golfing duty. They now are responsible for about half of all rounds played in the U.S., and as they grow older and bask in the luxury of free time, they’re teeing it up even more.
What’s perplexing is that participation still is sliding. Since 2005, the total number of golfers has declined steadily, from 30 million to 27.1 million in 2009, according to the National Golf Foundation. Rounds played is trending the wrong way, too – off nearly 3 percent during the same period.
So, why isn’t golf reveling in its senior moment?
Because it’s suffering losses in another demographic that may prove far more vital: golfers ages 25-44.
In 1990, there were approximately 12.4 million golfers in that age group; by 2005, their ranks had fallen to 9.2 million – an alarming 26 percent drop. According to industry consultant Stuart Lindsay, who attributed the data to the National Sporting Goods Association, the fall-off bluntly underscores that golf isn’t appealing enough to the sweet spot of the U.S. population. He says the participation rate for that age group is about 20 percent lower today.
“All the boomers are doing is masking what’s really leaking in golf,” he says.
The situation is hurting golf, but the real pain likely is yet to come, considering the link between aging golfers and their increased frequency of play.
“Twenty years from now, there’ll be far less demand,” warns Lindsay, principal of Edgehill Golf Advisors, which conducts market research for golf courses and industry groups. “It could be catastrophic.”
Golf finds itself in this predicament for one main reason: In a day and age when free moments – let alone hours – are scarcer than ever, the game has become a time-sucking affair. Simply put, golf hasn’t adapted to sweeping societal changes, including the predominance of dual-income households. The increase in the number of married women in the workplace has redefined child-rearing and the division of household labor.
“Helicopter parenting” – hopping from one child’s activity to another – saps potential time on the links. And when these harried folks finally do get a chance to play, they’re quickly discouraged from going out again, thanks to five-hour-plus rounds.
Indeed, slow play is an epidemic. Blame it, in part, on developers’ desire to build tougher tracks: 70 percent of courses built in the U.S. between 1990 and 2006 had a slope rating of 125 or more. By comparison, the average U.S. slope rating has been hovering around 119.
It also hasn’t helped that golf’s biggest promoter perpetuates plodding. “We’ve depended way too much on the PGA Tour to market our product for us,” Lindsay says. “And frankly, all they do is market slow play.”
Much of golf’s woes are self-inflicted, and for years, industry leaders, acknowledging their mistakes, have pledged improvements – to make the game faster, family friendly, more affordable. But lip service won’t suffice anymore. Many of the proposed fixes actually work; it’s just a matter of copying those who already have put them in play.
For example, the Cincinnati Recreation Commission’s seven municipal courses in 2006 began a simple program: One paying adult entitles an accompanying junior to play for free. That means a parent and child can play nine holes during off-peak hours for $13.50.
“We started it to boost juniors, but we quickly realized it was allowing families to play together,” says Rob Higby, director of golf for the commission’s facilities, which are managed by Billy Casper Golf. The program has grown at an average rate of 26 percent annually since its inception.
Others are rethinking how golfers can consume 18 holes.
At Ka’anapali Golf Resort in Hawaii, guests can play “Golf My Way,” which enables them to enjoy a round in “portions” that best suit them. For example, they might play six holes at a time over three days. Such unconventional approaches likely won’t appeal to traditionalists. But that’s the point.
“If you do what you always did, you won’t even get what you always got,” says Scott Anderson, president of Kohler Co.’s Hospitality & Real Estate Group, which includes Whistling Straits.
That maxim should be heeded. Otherwise, there’s a chance that no one will be left to rescue golf.
Call it a cavalry of round-bellies and graybeards.
For years now, a stagnant game has been awaiting the arrival of club-wielding baby boomers. Experts promised the unprecedented generational wave, nearly 80 million strong, would take up golf as they entered their golden years and revitalize golf courses that often resemble abandoned lots.
By all accounts, these fiftysomethings are doing their golfing duty. They now are responsible for about half of all rounds played in the U.S., and as they grow older and bask in the luxury of free time, they’re teeing it up even more.
What’s perplexing is that participation still is sliding. Since 2005, the total number of golfers has declined steadily, from 30 million to 27.1 million in 2009, according to the National Golf Foundation. Rounds played is trending the wrong way, too – off nearly 3 percent during the same period.
So, why isn’t golf reveling in its senior moment?
Because it’s suffering losses in another demographic that may prove far more vital: golfers ages 25-44.
In 1990, there were approximately 12.4 million golfers in that age group; by 2005, their ranks had fallen to 9.2 million – an alarming 26 percent drop. According to industry consultant Stuart Lindsay, who attributed the data to the National Sporting Goods Association, the fall-off bluntly underscores that golf isn’t appealing enough to the sweet spot of the U.S. population. He says the participation rate for that age group is about 20 percent lower today.
“All the boomers are doing is masking what’s really leaking in golf,” he says.
The situation is hurting golf, but the real pain likely is yet to come, considering the link between aging golfers and their increased frequency of play.
“Twenty years from now, there’ll be far less demand,” warns Lindsay, principal of Edgehill Golf Advisors, which conducts market research for golf courses and industry groups. “It could be catastrophic.”
Golf finds itself in this predicament for one main reason: In a day and age when free moments – let alone hours – are scarcer than ever, the game has become a time-sucking affair. Simply put, golf hasn’t adapted to sweeping societal changes, including the predominance of dual-income households. The increase in the number of married women in the workplace has redefined child-rearing and the division of household labor.
“Helicopter parenting” – hopping from one child’s activity to another – saps potential time on the links. And when these harried folks finally do get a chance to play, they’re quickly discouraged from going out again, thanks to five-hour-plus rounds.
Indeed, slow play is an epidemic. Blame it, in part, on developers’ desire to build tougher tracks: 70 percent of courses built in the U.S. between 1990 and 2006 had a slope rating of 125 or more. By comparison, the average U.S. slope rating has been hovering around 119.
It also hasn’t helped that golf’s biggest promoter perpetuates plodding. “We’ve depended way too much on the PGA Tour to market our product for us,” Lindsay says. “And frankly, all they do is market slow play.”
Much of golf’s woes are self-inflicted, and for years, industry leaders, acknowledging their mistakes, have pledged improvements – to make the game faster, family friendly, more affordable. But lip service won’t suffice anymore. Many of the proposed fixes actually work; it’s just a matter of copying those who already have put them in play.
For example, the Cincinnati Recreation Commission’s seven municipal courses in 2006 began a simple program: One paying adult entitles an accompanying junior to play for free. That means a parent and child can play nine holes during off-peak hours for $13.50.
“We started it to boost juniors, but we quickly realized it was allowing families to play together,” says Rob Higby, director of golf for the commission’s facilities, which are managed by Billy Casper Golf. The program has grown at an average rate of 26 percent annually since its inception.
Others are rethinking how golfers can consume 18 holes.
At Ka’anapali Golf Resort in Hawaii, guests can play “Golf My Way,” which enables them to enjoy a round in “portions” that best suit them. For example, they might play six holes at a time over three days. Such unconventional approaches likely won’t appeal to traditionalists. But that’s the point.
“If you do what you always did, you won’t even get what you always got,” says Scott Anderson, president of Kohler Co.’s Hospitality & Real Estate Group, which includes Whistling Straits.
That maxim should be heeded. Otherwise, there’s a chance that no one will be left to rescue golf.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The Only Interview Tip You'll Ever Need: Don't Pee in Your Soup
Great article by Donna Ferm. Enjoy!!
By Donna Fenn
November 3, 2010
Before last week, the last time I’d seen Larry O’Toole, he was carrying my favorite chair on his back, down a narrow staircase in a Beacon Street brownstone in Boston. I was moving. Or more accurately, O’Toole, then brawny and bearded, was moving me. That was 26 years ago, but I still remember what a pleasure he was to work with and how gently he treated my meager but precious possessions. O’Toole’s Somerville, MA-based company, Gentle Giant Moving, now racks up $25 million in revenue, and I’m betting that the thousands of customers he’s moved since I first met him have had similar experiences to mine. And that has a lot do with how O’Toole hires his staff, a subject he talked about last week at the Inc. Magazine and Winning Workplaces Leadership Conference.
“My grandfather told me that if you pee in your soup, it’s bloody hard to get it out,” says O’Toole, who frequently slips into an Irish brogue. The business lesson: if you hire the right people in the first place, you won’t have to worry about how to get rid of them later on. So O’Toole has a very unconventional, but highly effective, interview strategy. Anyone who wants a job as a mover at Gentle Giant must run the 37 sections of stands at Harvard Stadium - training exercise that the six foot six O’Toole regularly performed as a varsity rower at Northeastern University. Sure, he wants his movers to be fit, but there’s more to the stadium run than just a demonstration of physical prowess. “People reveal themselves at the stadium,” he says. Here’s what he’s looking for in job candidates:
Enthusiasm: “We tell them that after six to ten sections, your body is going to tell you to stop and that’s when you have to reach down deeper,” he says. “We don’t want quitters working for us, so it’s better to identify them there.”
Honesty: “They may try to skip a section and we’re looking for that,” says O’Toole. He wants to be sure he’s hiring movers who, for example, wouldn’t even consider keeping an envelope full of cash discovered on a moving job.
Positive attitude: “The stadium is great for identifying whiners,” says O’Toole. “When things get tough, you have to tackle it with humor, enthusiasm, and support for one another.” So while you may finish all 37 sections, if you’re a whiner, you won’t be invited to be a Gentle Giant.
O’Toole knows that his employees, who always run on a job when they’re not carrying something, are the key to differentiating his company in a commodity industry. If he spends time on recruiting, hiring, and training, then the customer service that the company is so famous for will essentially take care of itself. “We’re not just a moving company, we’re a leadership development company,” he says. “We always have people moving up so they can replace people who are leaving. We’re all about consistency.” Gentle Giant, by the way, was Winning Workplace’s Top Small Workplace in 2007.
While O’Toole certainly doesn’t recommend that every business owner put potential employees through their paces at the local stadium, he does feel strongly that all CEOs should come up with an interview challenge or test that will tease out the character traits that are most likely to lead to success on the job.
By Donna Fenn
November 3, 2010
Before last week, the last time I’d seen Larry O’Toole, he was carrying my favorite chair on his back, down a narrow staircase in a Beacon Street brownstone in Boston. I was moving. Or more accurately, O’Toole, then brawny and bearded, was moving me. That was 26 years ago, but I still remember what a pleasure he was to work with and how gently he treated my meager but precious possessions. O’Toole’s Somerville, MA-based company, Gentle Giant Moving, now racks up $25 million in revenue, and I’m betting that the thousands of customers he’s moved since I first met him have had similar experiences to mine. And that has a lot do with how O’Toole hires his staff, a subject he talked about last week at the Inc. Magazine and Winning Workplaces Leadership Conference.
“My grandfather told me that if you pee in your soup, it’s bloody hard to get it out,” says O’Toole, who frequently slips into an Irish brogue. The business lesson: if you hire the right people in the first place, you won’t have to worry about how to get rid of them later on. So O’Toole has a very unconventional, but highly effective, interview strategy. Anyone who wants a job as a mover at Gentle Giant must run the 37 sections of stands at Harvard Stadium - training exercise that the six foot six O’Toole regularly performed as a varsity rower at Northeastern University. Sure, he wants his movers to be fit, but there’s more to the stadium run than just a demonstration of physical prowess. “People reveal themselves at the stadium,” he says. Here’s what he’s looking for in job candidates:
Enthusiasm: “We tell them that after six to ten sections, your body is going to tell you to stop and that’s when you have to reach down deeper,” he says. “We don’t want quitters working for us, so it’s better to identify them there.”
Honesty: “They may try to skip a section and we’re looking for that,” says O’Toole. He wants to be sure he’s hiring movers who, for example, wouldn’t even consider keeping an envelope full of cash discovered on a moving job.
Positive attitude: “The stadium is great for identifying whiners,” says O’Toole. “When things get tough, you have to tackle it with humor, enthusiasm, and support for one another.” So while you may finish all 37 sections, if you’re a whiner, you won’t be invited to be a Gentle Giant.
O’Toole knows that his employees, who always run on a job when they’re not carrying something, are the key to differentiating his company in a commodity industry. If he spends time on recruiting, hiring, and training, then the customer service that the company is so famous for will essentially take care of itself. “We’re not just a moving company, we’re a leadership development company,” he says. “We always have people moving up so they can replace people who are leaving. We’re all about consistency.” Gentle Giant, by the way, was Winning Workplace’s Top Small Workplace in 2007.
While O’Toole certainly doesn’t recommend that every business owner put potential employees through their paces at the local stadium, he does feel strongly that all CEOs should come up with an interview challenge or test that will tease out the character traits that are most likely to lead to success on the job.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Being an Extraordinary Leader Through Tough and Challenging Times
Another great Leadership article by Chris. Enjoy!!
by Chris Widener
Tough and challenging times will surely come. That is a given. The question is what kind of leadership we will demonstrate during those time. Those who are weak leaders will see lasting damage done, if not see the organization fall apart completely. With Extraordinary Leaders at the helm, however, an organization can actually become stronger and thrive in spite of the tough and challenging times. That should be our goal so here are some idea on how to be an Extraordinary Leader in tough and challenging times!
1. Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture.
When things get tough, everybody’s temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. The Extraordinary Leader, however, will keep his or her eye on the big picture. This doesn’t mean that we don’t address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But what separates a leader from a follower is that the leader doesn’t get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision. The further they take their followers toward the vision, the further away from the problem they get.
2. Don't Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire.
When it gets tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside, they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. The Extraordinary Leader is the one who can keep from being drug into the fray. They keep their eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. They understand that people are heated and are saying things they don’t really mean. The people are firing because they are angry or scared. The Extraordinary Leader understands this and rises above it. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers.
3. Be First to Sacrifice.
When it gets tough, like when there has to be cuts in salaries etc, the leader should do just that - lead. They need to not only be the one who is rewarded the greatest when all is well, but they need to be the first to sacrifice. The Extraordinary leader says, “I know many of you are concerned with the salary cuts. I am too. In the long run we will be healthy again but for the mean time, this is necessary. Understanding this, I want you to know that I am taking a 20% pay reduction myself. I want you to know that we are in this together.” The Extraordinary Leader is the first to sacrifice and will be rewarded with the loyalty of his or her followers.
4. Remain Calm.
Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. The Extraordinary Leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions - for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.
5. Motivate.
In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can’t see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The Extraordinary Leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. He or she will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the mood of the group will be carried and buoyed by them and their attitude. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good - and with this they motivate their followers to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny.
6. Create Small Wins.
One of the ways to motivate is to create small wins. The Extraordinary Leader knows that in tough times his or her people think that all is lost. They wonder if they can win. So the Extraordinary Leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear.
7. Keep a Sense of Humor.
Look, hardly anything in life can’t be laughed at. The Extraordinary Leader knows that even if the whole company goes down the drain, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. The Extraordinary Leader keeps perspective and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. Don’t ever laugh at someone’s expense in this situation, because that will be perceived at cold and heartless, regardless of what you meant by it, but do keep the ability to laugh at yourself and the situations that present themselves. By doing this you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will eventually beat the tough times.
by Chris Widener
Tough and challenging times will surely come. That is a given. The question is what kind of leadership we will demonstrate during those time. Those who are weak leaders will see lasting damage done, if not see the organization fall apart completely. With Extraordinary Leaders at the helm, however, an organization can actually become stronger and thrive in spite of the tough and challenging times. That should be our goal so here are some idea on how to be an Extraordinary Leader in tough and challenging times!
1. Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture.
When things get tough, everybody’s temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. The Extraordinary Leader, however, will keep his or her eye on the big picture. This doesn’t mean that we don’t address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But what separates a leader from a follower is that the leader doesn’t get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision. The further they take their followers toward the vision, the further away from the problem they get.
2. Don't Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire.
When it gets tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside, they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. The Extraordinary Leader is the one who can keep from being drug into the fray. They keep their eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. They understand that people are heated and are saying things they don’t really mean. The people are firing because they are angry or scared. The Extraordinary Leader understands this and rises above it. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers.
3. Be First to Sacrifice.
When it gets tough, like when there has to be cuts in salaries etc, the leader should do just that - lead. They need to not only be the one who is rewarded the greatest when all is well, but they need to be the first to sacrifice. The Extraordinary leader says, “I know many of you are concerned with the salary cuts. I am too. In the long run we will be healthy again but for the mean time, this is necessary. Understanding this, I want you to know that I am taking a 20% pay reduction myself. I want you to know that we are in this together.” The Extraordinary Leader is the first to sacrifice and will be rewarded with the loyalty of his or her followers.
4. Remain Calm.
Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. The Extraordinary Leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions - for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.
5. Motivate.
In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can’t see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The Extraordinary Leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. He or she will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the mood of the group will be carried and buoyed by them and their attitude. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good - and with this they motivate their followers to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny.
6. Create Small Wins.
One of the ways to motivate is to create small wins. The Extraordinary Leader knows that in tough times his or her people think that all is lost. They wonder if they can win. So the Extraordinary Leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear.
7. Keep a Sense of Humor.
Look, hardly anything in life can’t be laughed at. The Extraordinary Leader knows that even if the whole company goes down the drain, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. The Extraordinary Leader keeps perspective and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. Don’t ever laugh at someone’s expense in this situation, because that will be perceived at cold and heartless, regardless of what you meant by it, but do keep the ability to laugh at yourself and the situations that present themselves. By doing this you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will eventually beat the tough times.
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