Another great article by Chris Widener!! Enjoy!!
One of the most watched television show today is Survivor. We admire those who survive! We tune in every week to see who makes it next. But even better than being a survivor is to be one who thrives!
What are the differences between someone who survives and someone who thrives? Here are a few:
A survivor gets by, a thriver gets ahead. Do you feel like you are just getting by? You don’t have to. You can actually get ahead! You can be out front! You can thrive!
A survivor is tired at the end, a thriver feels full of energy. When you are finished do you feel tired? You can thrive and be filled with energy! You can thrive!
A survivor has barely enough, a thriver has an abundance. Do you have more month left over at the end of your money? You can have more money left over at the end of your month! You can thrive financially!
A survivor is always on the edge, a thriver is on firm ground. Do you feel like you could fall over the edge at any time? You can get back on solid footing! You can feel firm about where you are. You can thrive!
So how do we shift from being a survivor to becoming a thriver? Here are a few steps to put you on your way!
First, start with some good input. Subscribe to as many good magazines and Ezines that will change your outlook and inspire you to thrive! And don’t just subscribe to them – read them. Devour them. Get great audios and videos and listen to them and watch them. The principle here is to renew your mind to become a person whose mindset is one of a person who thrives.
Second, get around people who are thriving. Join clubs and groups filled with people who are already thrivers. Develop friendships with them; take them to lunch or coffee. Pick their brains and learn from them. Mimic their habits of thriving.
As you commit to these first two, you will see the time you spend watching and listening to junk go out the door. You will see that you are spending less and less time with those kinds of people who just want to survive. This will be the launching pad for your success.
Third, make a personal evaluation of your skills. What areas do you need to grow in? Now, get to work on those skills. Skills are what take you to the top. An old quote says that the race isn’t always won by the fast or the strong, but that’s the way to bet! I’ll take the person with skills to be the one who thrives every time. It won’t work like that every time, but it will most of the time.
Fourth, make a commitment to a long-term, tenacious outlook. We have to do this in order to turn the ship around. If you are just a survivor, you can be a thriver, but it may take some time. Remember, this is for the rest of your life. There will be times of weakness. There will be times of hardship. If you are tenacious, you can, and will, thrive!
Fifth, understand that thrivers are almost always people of methodical discipline and order. They know that they have to have order in their lives and the order is what produces the ability to thrive. They thrive financially because they discipline themselves to save and invest rather than spend. They thrive physically because they are disciplined in what they eat and in how they exercise. Discipline will make you thrive!
Yes, you can THRIVE! Take the above and get to work. Make these principles a part of your life and they will create in you an ability to thrive in everything that you do. You will no longer just survive. Instead, you will thrive! And that is going to feel great!
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
10 Leadership Lessons from Food Network Chefs
A good article by Steve Tobak. Enjoy!!
Engaged in a fierce battle on last night’s Chopped All-Stars, chef Aarón Sanchez quipped, “When brilliance happens, you don’t ask where it came from, you just kind of go with it, ride the wave.”
It didn’t matter that he was referring to making whipped cream out of chickpeas; he might just as well have been talking about the next high-tech innovation or big business idea.
If you watch enough Food Network shows like Iron Chef or Worst Cooks in America, a picture of what greatness is all about begins to emerge. No, I’m not talking about great chefs making great food. I’m talking about great leaders.
What separates iconic chefs like Bobby Flay, Masimaru Morimoto, and Cat Cora from the millions of competitors around the world is their leadership ability. It’s evident in their behavior, their character, everything they do. Never mind that they’re on TV. They may as well be cooking in one of their restaurants or mentoring an up-and-coming sous chef.
Restaurants deliver product and service like any other business. But make no mistake. The cooking business is a fiercely competitive battleground that breeds great chefs who are also great leaders.
10 Leadership Lessons From Food Network Chefs
1. Compete to win but respect the enemy. Forget all the politically correct BS - business is about winning. And yes, it is a zero-sum game. It’s all about market share. But that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t respect your competitors.
2. Success is about managing and mentoring people. The way chefs move up is by hiring talented cooks and training them to be sous chefs so they can someday run one of their many restaurants. It’s the same as climbing the corporate ladder.
3. Results are all that matter. It’s what the customer thinks of the product and service that counts. That’s what creates repeat business and loyal customers. You may think you’ve come up with a brilliant dish, but if the folks don’t like it, you failed.
4. You’ve got to know the business. Steve Jobs isn’t just a brilliant marketer. Warren Buffet isn’t just a smart investor. Bill Gates wasn’t just a great software coder. Just like these iconic leaders, every great chef has a head for the business.
5. It’s not who you know but what you know. Don’t let anyone tell you success is about who you know. That’s just an excuse for whiners who can’t cut it. Great chefs know everything there is to know about making a restaurant business successful. Period.
6. Experience is overrated. Even young chefs like Sanchez and Bobby Flay - when he was first starting out - exude such instincts and passion for what they do that you know in a heartbeat they’re going to be successful. That’s why people follow them.
7. Learn from failure and move on. Failure is how we learn and grow. Failure teaches us how to do things differently. How to do things better. Great chefs don’t dwell on their mistakes. They suck it up and do better next time. After all, there’s always another meal.
8. Focus on core strengths. Great chefs grow their business around their core strengths. For Flay it’s southwestern. Paul Prudhomme is a Cajun master. You can probably guess Mario Batali’s specialty. There are lots of ways to diversify without going too far afield.
9. Smarts matter. Nobody has ever been successful in the restaurant or cooking business by just doing the same stuff as everyone else. Sure, execution is critical, but innovation and creativity are also requirements for success. Like it or not, smarts matter.
10. Work hard, play hard. Even while competing at an extraordinarily high level, these chefs never lose their sense of humor and, when it’s over, they party and congratulate each other on a job well done. That’s how it should be
Engaged in a fierce battle on last night’s Chopped All-Stars, chef Aarón Sanchez quipped, “When brilliance happens, you don’t ask where it came from, you just kind of go with it, ride the wave.”
It didn’t matter that he was referring to making whipped cream out of chickpeas; he might just as well have been talking about the next high-tech innovation or big business idea.
If you watch enough Food Network shows like Iron Chef or Worst Cooks in America, a picture of what greatness is all about begins to emerge. No, I’m not talking about great chefs making great food. I’m talking about great leaders.
What separates iconic chefs like Bobby Flay, Masimaru Morimoto, and Cat Cora from the millions of competitors around the world is their leadership ability. It’s evident in their behavior, their character, everything they do. Never mind that they’re on TV. They may as well be cooking in one of their restaurants or mentoring an up-and-coming sous chef.
Restaurants deliver product and service like any other business. But make no mistake. The cooking business is a fiercely competitive battleground that breeds great chefs who are also great leaders.
10 Leadership Lessons From Food Network Chefs
1. Compete to win but respect the enemy. Forget all the politically correct BS - business is about winning. And yes, it is a zero-sum game. It’s all about market share. But that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t respect your competitors.
2. Success is about managing and mentoring people. The way chefs move up is by hiring talented cooks and training them to be sous chefs so they can someday run one of their many restaurants. It’s the same as climbing the corporate ladder.
3. Results are all that matter. It’s what the customer thinks of the product and service that counts. That’s what creates repeat business and loyal customers. You may think you’ve come up with a brilliant dish, but if the folks don’t like it, you failed.
4. You’ve got to know the business. Steve Jobs isn’t just a brilliant marketer. Warren Buffet isn’t just a smart investor. Bill Gates wasn’t just a great software coder. Just like these iconic leaders, every great chef has a head for the business.
5. It’s not who you know but what you know. Don’t let anyone tell you success is about who you know. That’s just an excuse for whiners who can’t cut it. Great chefs know everything there is to know about making a restaurant business successful. Period.
6. Experience is overrated. Even young chefs like Sanchez and Bobby Flay - when he was first starting out - exude such instincts and passion for what they do that you know in a heartbeat they’re going to be successful. That’s why people follow them.
7. Learn from failure and move on. Failure is how we learn and grow. Failure teaches us how to do things differently. How to do things better. Great chefs don’t dwell on their mistakes. They suck it up and do better next time. After all, there’s always another meal.
8. Focus on core strengths. Great chefs grow their business around their core strengths. For Flay it’s southwestern. Paul Prudhomme is a Cajun master. You can probably guess Mario Batali’s specialty. There are lots of ways to diversify without going too far afield.
9. Smarts matter. Nobody has ever been successful in the restaurant or cooking business by just doing the same stuff as everyone else. Sure, execution is critical, but innovation and creativity are also requirements for success. Like it or not, smarts matter.
10. Work hard, play hard. Even while competing at an extraordinarily high level, these chefs never lose their sense of humor and, when it’s over, they party and congratulate each other on a job well done. That’s how it should be
Friday, April 1, 2011
Seven Hallmarks of a Great Workplace
A good article by Norm Spitzig. Enjoy!
What exactly makes a workplace “great?” What are the specific characteristics common to those very special workplaces that are universally recognized as the indisputable signs of a superior operation?
If there's a more basic (or fascinating) question for a workplace and the people who inhabit it, it hasn’t been found. A workplace that successfully attains the following characteristics—whatever size it might be or industry it may be in—can proudly and accurately call itself “great.” Exemplary companies have:
1. A clear mission and purpose for being. The very best workplaces in the world know—really know—who they are and what their core purpose is. They have a straightforward, concise mission statement (i.e., who they are) that is readily understandable and enthusiastically embraced by each and every employee. Such great workplaces have carefully identified those factors critical to their long-term success (i.e., those services and/or facilities they must do, and continue to do, exceptionally well) as well as their specific vision for the future (what the workplace will likely be in five to 10 years). Great workplaces develop detailed action plans and accompanying areas of responsibility to ensure that their vision for the future is more than some pie-in-the-sky dream; instead, it’s concrete, actionable, measurable and (with perseverance on everyone’s part) achievable.
2. Forward-thinking, creative senior management and a caring, well-trained staff. No workplace can remain superior over any meaningful period of time without quality leadership at the top as well as a caring, well-trained support staff. At great workplaces, everyone from the president/CEO to yesterday’s hire is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to help the company achieve success year-in and year-out. Equally as important, great workplaces attract people from myriad backgrounds and with varying levels of professional and personal skills—talents that complement and enhance each other to the benefit of all employees as well as the customer base. At a great workplace, individuality is valued and cherished, but teamwork remains first and foremost.
3. Meaningful work. A great workplace allows—better yet, encourages—its employees to do what they deem meaningful. Of course, the term “meaningful” denotes different things to different people. What is meaningful work for a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company may, but not necessarily, differ significantly from that of a solo entrepreneur working at home. Both can (or cannot) be genuinely viewed as meaningful work, depending on the perspectives of the individuals involved. Having said that, Malcolm Gladwell is correct when he notes in “Outliers: The Story of Success” that, for most people, work is meaningful when it is sufficiently autonomous, appropriately complex, and has a perceived direct relationship between the effort invested (i.e., time on the job) and the accompanying return (i.e., compensation). Great workplaces offer their team members the opportunity for each and every employee, irrespective of their education, talents and experiences, to consistently do what they themselves perceive as genuinely meaningful.
4. Reasonable, understandable, and uniformly enforced work rules.Great workplaces have rules and policies that are reasonable, understandable and, perhaps most importantly, fairly and uniformly enforced. (If, for example, smoking is prohibited in the work environment, it means, plainly and simply, no one smokes—not the president, not the chief operating officer, not the new dishwasher.) The rules and policies at great workplaces are neither capricious nor arbitrary. They aren’t written in language so arcane that only a senior tax attorney can comprehend. Ideally, they aren’t written to prevent employees from doing something, but rather to set appropriate standards whereby all employees are assured the opportunity to maximize their potential. In short, great workplaces embrace rules and policies that reflect the core values of the workplace as well as the expectations of the employees and customers in a fair and logical manner.
5. An appropriate blending of tradition and innovation. While great workplaces are environments where employees devote a significant amount of time to improving current products and services as well as creating new ones, they’re also places where tradition and continuity are highly valued. Longstanding products and services aren’t whimsically eliminated to the detriment of loyal customers; rather, they’re continually improved as circumstances dictate to the benefit of all concerned. At great workplaces, all are aware and proud of their company’s origins and heritage, its growth and evolution, its positive reputation in the community, its quality products and services, its mission for the present, and its vision for the future.
6. Open communication among all vested parties. Great workplaces have regular, honest communication between everyone involved with, and interested in, the long-term success of the company. Staff and customers are always kept informed of, and are encouraged to appropriately participate in, the company mission, vision, policies and procedures as well as any significant changes under consideration. In other words, they’re given adequate opportunity to convey their ideas and suggestions to company leadership. Managers at great workplaces are unwavering in their commitment to “management by walking around” because they know that this time-tested practice promotes open communication and minimizes potential problems. Great workplaces typically have company newsletters, both electronic and print, that regularly and effectively communicate the various opportunities available to staff and customers in an accurate and timely manner.
7. Fiscal responsibility. Last, but certainly not least, great workplaces are fiscally prudent. They have detailed, multi-year business plans that feature accurate income and expense projections, conservative cash-flow estimates, sufficient funding for research, development, infrastructure maintenance, renovation and expansion, and realistic cash-flow projections. In addition, great businesses rigorously monitor and adjust their financial plans on a regular basis and as circumstances dictate. They know exactly how much money will be required to provide the products and services their customers want and expect, as well the specific costs associated with them. The long-term financial well being of the workplace remains a high priority in the minds of all concerned.
A great workplace, in the end, employs happy, productive and talented people who perform meaningful work compatible with the mission, vision and financial goals of the company. It takes constant effort and vigilance to be a truly great workplace, but the end result is well worth it.
What exactly makes a workplace “great?” What are the specific characteristics common to those very special workplaces that are universally recognized as the indisputable signs of a superior operation?
If there's a more basic (or fascinating) question for a workplace and the people who inhabit it, it hasn’t been found. A workplace that successfully attains the following characteristics—whatever size it might be or industry it may be in—can proudly and accurately call itself “great.” Exemplary companies have:
1. A clear mission and purpose for being. The very best workplaces in the world know—really know—who they are and what their core purpose is. They have a straightforward, concise mission statement (i.e., who they are) that is readily understandable and enthusiastically embraced by each and every employee. Such great workplaces have carefully identified those factors critical to their long-term success (i.e., those services and/or facilities they must do, and continue to do, exceptionally well) as well as their specific vision for the future (what the workplace will likely be in five to 10 years). Great workplaces develop detailed action plans and accompanying areas of responsibility to ensure that their vision for the future is more than some pie-in-the-sky dream; instead, it’s concrete, actionable, measurable and (with perseverance on everyone’s part) achievable.
2. Forward-thinking, creative senior management and a caring, well-trained staff. No workplace can remain superior over any meaningful period of time without quality leadership at the top as well as a caring, well-trained support staff. At great workplaces, everyone from the president/CEO to yesterday’s hire is fully committed to doing whatever it takes to help the company achieve success year-in and year-out. Equally as important, great workplaces attract people from myriad backgrounds and with varying levels of professional and personal skills—talents that complement and enhance each other to the benefit of all employees as well as the customer base. At a great workplace, individuality is valued and cherished, but teamwork remains first and foremost.
3. Meaningful work. A great workplace allows—better yet, encourages—its employees to do what they deem meaningful. Of course, the term “meaningful” denotes different things to different people. What is meaningful work for a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company may, but not necessarily, differ significantly from that of a solo entrepreneur working at home. Both can (or cannot) be genuinely viewed as meaningful work, depending on the perspectives of the individuals involved. Having said that, Malcolm Gladwell is correct when he notes in “Outliers: The Story of Success” that, for most people, work is meaningful when it is sufficiently autonomous, appropriately complex, and has a perceived direct relationship between the effort invested (i.e., time on the job) and the accompanying return (i.e., compensation). Great workplaces offer their team members the opportunity for each and every employee, irrespective of their education, talents and experiences, to consistently do what they themselves perceive as genuinely meaningful.
4. Reasonable, understandable, and uniformly enforced work rules.Great workplaces have rules and policies that are reasonable, understandable and, perhaps most importantly, fairly and uniformly enforced. (If, for example, smoking is prohibited in the work environment, it means, plainly and simply, no one smokes—not the president, not the chief operating officer, not the new dishwasher.) The rules and policies at great workplaces are neither capricious nor arbitrary. They aren’t written in language so arcane that only a senior tax attorney can comprehend. Ideally, they aren’t written to prevent employees from doing something, but rather to set appropriate standards whereby all employees are assured the opportunity to maximize their potential. In short, great workplaces embrace rules and policies that reflect the core values of the workplace as well as the expectations of the employees and customers in a fair and logical manner.
5. An appropriate blending of tradition and innovation. While great workplaces are environments where employees devote a significant amount of time to improving current products and services as well as creating new ones, they’re also places where tradition and continuity are highly valued. Longstanding products and services aren’t whimsically eliminated to the detriment of loyal customers; rather, they’re continually improved as circumstances dictate to the benefit of all concerned. At great workplaces, all are aware and proud of their company’s origins and heritage, its growth and evolution, its positive reputation in the community, its quality products and services, its mission for the present, and its vision for the future.
6. Open communication among all vested parties. Great workplaces have regular, honest communication between everyone involved with, and interested in, the long-term success of the company. Staff and customers are always kept informed of, and are encouraged to appropriately participate in, the company mission, vision, policies and procedures as well as any significant changes under consideration. In other words, they’re given adequate opportunity to convey their ideas and suggestions to company leadership. Managers at great workplaces are unwavering in their commitment to “management by walking around” because they know that this time-tested practice promotes open communication and minimizes potential problems. Great workplaces typically have company newsletters, both electronic and print, that regularly and effectively communicate the various opportunities available to staff and customers in an accurate and timely manner.
7. Fiscal responsibility. Last, but certainly not least, great workplaces are fiscally prudent. They have detailed, multi-year business plans that feature accurate income and expense projections, conservative cash-flow estimates, sufficient funding for research, development, infrastructure maintenance, renovation and expansion, and realistic cash-flow projections. In addition, great businesses rigorously monitor and adjust their financial plans on a regular basis and as circumstances dictate. They know exactly how much money will be required to provide the products and services their customers want and expect, as well the specific costs associated with them. The long-term financial well being of the workplace remains a high priority in the minds of all concerned.
A great workplace, in the end, employs happy, productive and talented people who perform meaningful work compatible with the mission, vision and financial goals of the company. It takes constant effort and vigilance to be a truly great workplace, but the end result is well worth it.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
10 Business and Leadership Lessons - From Machiavelli
By Steve Tobak. Great article!! Definately worth a read!! Enjoy!!
Few historical figures are as divisive and polarizing as Niccolo Machiavelli. The fact that this Renaissance philosophers works date back 500 years hasn’t blunted its impact or controversy one bit.
Some view him as the father of modern materialism, inspiring people to do or say anything to achieve personal gain, i.e. the ends justify the means. Indeed, the word Machiavellian - derived from his most famous work, The Prince - has come to mean cunning, deceit, and manipulation.
Others, however, see him as the world’s first great realist and a positive influence on modern politics and capitalism. Some even think Machiavelli was the first to apply empirical scientific methods to human behavior by making innovative generalizations based on experience, observation, and history.
Being a realist - much like Machiavelli - I’m not inclined to weigh in on the man’s overall affect on the world, good or bad. Regardless, many of his ideas for achieving long-term political success and power translate extraordinarily well into the current business climate of intense global competition.
Moreover, I never realized how closely my own ideas on business, leadership, and entrepreneurial culture resonated with his until I read this post by author Mark Harrison. It turns out that I’ve more or less been quoting the guy for years without even realizing it. Coincidence? Hmm.
In any case, he predates us all by a few centuries, which makes these 10 Business and Leadership Lessons from Machiavelli remarkable, to say the least:
1.
“Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.” As I wrote just the other day, “Leaders must learn to adapt in a fast-changing world to avoid corporate or political disaster.” That is, after all, why most companies fail.
2.
“Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.” An entrepreneur’s first and most important goal is to find a unique and innovative solution that solves a big customer or market problem. Without obstacles, there are no opportunities. And those same obstacles provide barriers to competitors, down the road.
3.
“Never was anything great achieved without danger.” I’ve often said that willingness to take risks is a critical success factor. In Irreverent Career Advice for Up-and-Comers, I encourage young folks to, “Take big risks … now!” since, “It gets much harder as you get older and begin to ‘acquire’ things you don’t want to risk losing.”
4.
“Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.” Finding your passion is not only the key to happiness, but also the key to business success. As Apple CEO Steve Jobs once said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Amen.
5.
“I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.” Most of you know that I abhor the status quo. In Why Skeptics Make Great Leaders, I wrote, “Cynics question common wisdom and those in authority. [They] aren’t just okay with the status quo. [They] seek a better way to do things. [They] break rules and break molds.”
6.
“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” Weak leaders surround themselves with weak lieutenants. Strong leaders always hire the best at what they do … assuming they can afford it.
7.
“The distinction between children and adults, while probably useful for some purposes, is at bottom a specious one, I feel. There are only individual egos …” In Are You a Dysfunctional Manager? we discuss how dysfunctional managers get stuck in one stage of human development and “look just like ordinary adults, but actually behave a lot more like children, acting out, throwing tantrums, and generally making life miserable for everyone around us.”
8.
There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. So true. It’s also true of startups, mega-mergers, and big corporate change initiatives.
9.
“The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.” I’ve always favored decisive action versus over-planning which, in dysfunctional organizations, often results in analysis paralysis.
10.
“The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.” Regarding Google’s recent announcement that co-founder Larry Page will become CEO, I concluded that Founders Do Make Good CEOs … When They Grow Up. We’re all getting older, but are we also becoming wiser? Let’s hope so.
Few historical figures are as divisive and polarizing as Niccolo Machiavelli. The fact that this Renaissance philosophers works date back 500 years hasn’t blunted its impact or controversy one bit.
Some view him as the father of modern materialism, inspiring people to do or say anything to achieve personal gain, i.e. the ends justify the means. Indeed, the word Machiavellian - derived from his most famous work, The Prince - has come to mean cunning, deceit, and manipulation.
Others, however, see him as the world’s first great realist and a positive influence on modern politics and capitalism. Some even think Machiavelli was the first to apply empirical scientific methods to human behavior by making innovative generalizations based on experience, observation, and history.
Being a realist - much like Machiavelli - I’m not inclined to weigh in on the man’s overall affect on the world, good or bad. Regardless, many of his ideas for achieving long-term political success and power translate extraordinarily well into the current business climate of intense global competition.
Moreover, I never realized how closely my own ideas on business, leadership, and entrepreneurial culture resonated with his until I read this post by author Mark Harrison. It turns out that I’ve more or less been quoting the guy for years without even realizing it. Coincidence? Hmm.
In any case, he predates us all by a few centuries, which makes these 10 Business and Leadership Lessons from Machiavelli remarkable, to say the least:
1.
“Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.” As I wrote just the other day, “Leaders must learn to adapt in a fast-changing world to avoid corporate or political disaster.” That is, after all, why most companies fail.
2.
“Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.” An entrepreneur’s first and most important goal is to find a unique and innovative solution that solves a big customer or market problem. Without obstacles, there are no opportunities. And those same obstacles provide barriers to competitors, down the road.
3.
“Never was anything great achieved without danger.” I’ve often said that willingness to take risks is a critical success factor. In Irreverent Career Advice for Up-and-Comers, I encourage young folks to, “Take big risks … now!” since, “It gets much harder as you get older and begin to ‘acquire’ things you don’t want to risk losing.”
4.
“Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.” Finding your passion is not only the key to happiness, but also the key to business success. As Apple CEO Steve Jobs once said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Amen.
5.
“I’m not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it.” Most of you know that I abhor the status quo. In Why Skeptics Make Great Leaders, I wrote, “Cynics question common wisdom and those in authority. [They] aren’t just okay with the status quo. [They] seek a better way to do things. [They] break rules and break molds.”
6.
“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” Weak leaders surround themselves with weak lieutenants. Strong leaders always hire the best at what they do … assuming they can afford it.
7.
“The distinction between children and adults, while probably useful for some purposes, is at bottom a specious one, I feel. There are only individual egos …” In Are You a Dysfunctional Manager? we discuss how dysfunctional managers get stuck in one stage of human development and “look just like ordinary adults, but actually behave a lot more like children, acting out, throwing tantrums, and generally making life miserable for everyone around us.”
8.
There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. So true. It’s also true of startups, mega-mergers, and big corporate change initiatives.
9.
“The wise man does at once what the fool does finally.” I’ve always favored decisive action versus over-planning which, in dysfunctional organizations, often results in analysis paralysis.
10.
“The more sand has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.” Regarding Google’s recent announcement that co-founder Larry Page will become CEO, I concluded that Founders Do Make Good CEOs … When They Grow Up. We’re all getting older, but are we also becoming wiser? Let’s hope so.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Strategic Leaders Look Farther Ahead
Another great article by John Maxwell. Enjoy!!
America seems to be waking up to its weight problem. Popular reality television shows Biggest Loser and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution inspire viewers to shed pounds, or better yet, to avoid putting them on in the first place. Bestselling books, Eat This, Not That! and Cook This, Not That! teach readers how to order and prepare healthier foods. Health-conscious supermarket chains Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and Trader Joe's cater to shoppers concerned about nutrition.
With Americans aspiring to better diets, you might expect PepsiCo, known for its sugary drinks and salty snacks, to be in a perilous position. Yet, thanks to the strategic leadership CEO Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo was able to anticipate the trend toward healthier diets and adjust its course. Today, PepsiCo enjoys a diverse line of products and has the agility to feature nutritious brands.
Take a Long Range View of the Future
When driving a car, you don't fix your vision only a few feet beyond the front bumper. Instead, you peer into the distance so that you can anticipate curves in the road, locate upcoming turns, and steer clear of any potholes or debris on the roadway. Looking farther ahead gives you the reaction time needed to pilot the car safely to your destination.
As CEO of a corporation whose financial size exceeds that of many countries, Nooyi has tremendous responsibility to steer PepsiCo in the right direction. She must look years ahead, not only to ensure the future profitability of PepsiCo, but also to ever-enhance its influence as a global citizen. To lead well, Nooyi makes a practice of projecting herself into the future. Doing so allows her to identify market trends in advance and gives her time to position PepsiCo to capitalize on them.
As early as the mid-1990s, while serving as chief strategist of PepsiCo, Nooyi saw consumers turning to more nutritious products. In response, she spearheaded the acquisition of Quaker Oats Co., giving Pepsi a heavyweight sports drink (Gatorade) and recognizable health foods like Quaker oatmeal. Later, she purchased Tropicana so that Pepsi could add a prominent fruit juice to its lineup. Meanwhile, she convinced executives at Pepsi to abandon their foray into fast food by selling Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. As a result of Nooyi's efforts, by 2006 only 20% of Pepsi's sales came from soft drinks compared to 80% for rival Coca-Cola.
Conclusion
As a leader, you're responsible to look ahead, sense impending change, and make the course adjustments necessary to keep your organization on track. Remember: you cannot see the future with your nose to the grindstone. To lead strategically, it's essential to withdraw from the urgency of day-to-day business in order to plan the direction of your organization's future.
America seems to be waking up to its weight problem. Popular reality television shows Biggest Loser and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution inspire viewers to shed pounds, or better yet, to avoid putting them on in the first place. Bestselling books, Eat This, Not That! and Cook This, Not That! teach readers how to order and prepare healthier foods. Health-conscious supermarket chains Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and Trader Joe's cater to shoppers concerned about nutrition.
With Americans aspiring to better diets, you might expect PepsiCo, known for its sugary drinks and salty snacks, to be in a perilous position. Yet, thanks to the strategic leadership CEO Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo was able to anticipate the trend toward healthier diets and adjust its course. Today, PepsiCo enjoys a diverse line of products and has the agility to feature nutritious brands.
Take a Long Range View of the Future
When driving a car, you don't fix your vision only a few feet beyond the front bumper. Instead, you peer into the distance so that you can anticipate curves in the road, locate upcoming turns, and steer clear of any potholes or debris on the roadway. Looking farther ahead gives you the reaction time needed to pilot the car safely to your destination.
As CEO of a corporation whose financial size exceeds that of many countries, Nooyi has tremendous responsibility to steer PepsiCo in the right direction. She must look years ahead, not only to ensure the future profitability of PepsiCo, but also to ever-enhance its influence as a global citizen. To lead well, Nooyi makes a practice of projecting herself into the future. Doing so allows her to identify market trends in advance and gives her time to position PepsiCo to capitalize on them.
As early as the mid-1990s, while serving as chief strategist of PepsiCo, Nooyi saw consumers turning to more nutritious products. In response, she spearheaded the acquisition of Quaker Oats Co., giving Pepsi a heavyweight sports drink (Gatorade) and recognizable health foods like Quaker oatmeal. Later, she purchased Tropicana so that Pepsi could add a prominent fruit juice to its lineup. Meanwhile, she convinced executives at Pepsi to abandon their foray into fast food by selling Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. As a result of Nooyi's efforts, by 2006 only 20% of Pepsi's sales came from soft drinks compared to 80% for rival Coca-Cola.
Conclusion
As a leader, you're responsible to look ahead, sense impending change, and make the course adjustments necessary to keep your organization on track. Remember: you cannot see the future with your nose to the grindstone. To lead strategically, it's essential to withdraw from the urgency of day-to-day business in order to plan the direction of your organization's future.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Obstacles? They are there and they must be put down.
Another great article by Chris Weidner. Well done Chris. Good advice for 2011!!
What would you do in that situation? Would you save the day and proceed to victory, or would you run and hide? Running and hiding is tempting when you see the guy all dressed in black, symbolizing your impending doom!
Isn't that what happens regularly though? Our journey to success always has these "Showdowns" that we have to go through if we are going to get there. There are always going to be "bad guys" we have to get through.
Let's take a look at a few:
Fear:
Fear is the pre-imminent "bad guy." He keeps millions of people from success. Here is a secret: There are times when I am stretching myself to achieve all that I can, when I am taking huge risks, that I wake up in the middle of the night and I am so scared I can't sleep! Fear will tell you anything to keep you from even trying! But do you know what takes care of fear? Persistence. You see, everybody has fear. The most successful people I know have fear. But they work through it rather than give up! To be successful you have to have and win that showdown with fear.
Crowd mentality:
I have become increasingly aware of this in recent years. The crowd is loud. They are tenacious in letting you know that they expect you to do things their way or something is just not right. You know, it is the relative who calls you a dreamer. It is the naysayers. They want you to do what is normal. Well friend, nobody ever got successful doing what the crowd does. The crowd is average, that's why they're the crowd! To be successful you have to have that showdown with the calling of the crowd. Hear their voices screaming, "Don't do that. Be like us," and win the showdown.
Doubt:
Success usually takes a while. It rarely comes overnight. And after some time, you will begin to doubt. "Am I dreaming too big?" "Did I take a dumb risk?" "Should I quit and go back to something safe?" Rest assured, it will come. But this is when your vision must be string and you must keep going. Stick with the dream. Don't give up! Overcome your doubt and the doubts of others! To be successful you must have that showdown with doubt and win!
Yes, there will be many showdowns. The above are but a few, though they are the major ones. Maybe you are experiencing them even now. Your time has come. The old western music is playing. Your foe dressed in black grins that devilish grin. He thinks you can't do it. But have your showdown.
Win.
Then ride off into the sunset! It's time to draw pardner! Take aim and win your showdowns.
What would you do in that situation? Would you save the day and proceed to victory, or would you run and hide? Running and hiding is tempting when you see the guy all dressed in black, symbolizing your impending doom!
Isn't that what happens regularly though? Our journey to success always has these "Showdowns" that we have to go through if we are going to get there. There are always going to be "bad guys" we have to get through.
Let's take a look at a few:
Fear:
Fear is the pre-imminent "bad guy." He keeps millions of people from success. Here is a secret: There are times when I am stretching myself to achieve all that I can, when I am taking huge risks, that I wake up in the middle of the night and I am so scared I can't sleep! Fear will tell you anything to keep you from even trying! But do you know what takes care of fear? Persistence. You see, everybody has fear. The most successful people I know have fear. But they work through it rather than give up! To be successful you have to have and win that showdown with fear.
Crowd mentality:
I have become increasingly aware of this in recent years. The crowd is loud. They are tenacious in letting you know that they expect you to do things their way or something is just not right. You know, it is the relative who calls you a dreamer. It is the naysayers. They want you to do what is normal. Well friend, nobody ever got successful doing what the crowd does. The crowd is average, that's why they're the crowd! To be successful you have to have that showdown with the calling of the crowd. Hear their voices screaming, "Don't do that. Be like us," and win the showdown.
Doubt:
Success usually takes a while. It rarely comes overnight. And after some time, you will begin to doubt. "Am I dreaming too big?" "Did I take a dumb risk?" "Should I quit and go back to something safe?" Rest assured, it will come. But this is when your vision must be string and you must keep going. Stick with the dream. Don't give up! Overcome your doubt and the doubts of others! To be successful you must have that showdown with doubt and win!
Yes, there will be many showdowns. The above are but a few, though they are the major ones. Maybe you are experiencing them even now. Your time has come. The old western music is playing. Your foe dressed in black grins that devilish grin. He thinks you can't do it. But have your showdown.
Win.
Then ride off into the sunset! It's time to draw pardner! Take aim and win your showdowns.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Want a Great Team? 5 Questions to Ask Yourself
Great article by William C. Taylor. Enjoy!!
Last week, in the spirit of a season in which most of us look at the end of one year, and the start of a New Year, as an opportunity to reflect on our jobs, I offered a set of questions to help you figure out whether it was time to move to a new company or even a new career. This week, in that same spirit, I’d like to address myself to leaders at every level of the organization who want to keep their best people and get the best effort out of them.
Here, then, are five make-or-break questions for leaders who want to make a fresh start for the New Year.
1. Why should great people want to work with you? The best leaders understand that the most talented performers aren’t motivated primarily by money or status. Great people want to work on exciting projects. Great people want to feel like impact players. Put simply, great people want to feel like they’re part of something greater than themselves. It’s the leader’s job to keep everyone energized and determined in a business environment that remains lackluster and uncertain.
2. Do you know a great person when you see one? It’s a lot easier to be the right kind of leader if you’re running a team or department filled with the right kind of people. Indeed, as I reflect on the best workplaces I’ve visited, I’ve come to appreciate how much time and energy leaders spend on who gets to be there. These workplaces may feel different, but the organizing principle is the same: When it comes to evaluating talent, character counts for as much as credentials. Do you know what makes your star performers tick–and how to find more performers who share those attributes?
3. Can you find great people who aren’t looking for you? It’s a common-sense insight that’s commonly forgotten: The most talented performers tend to be in jobs they like, working with people they enjoy, on projects that keep them challenged. The trick is to win over these so-called “passive” job seekers. These people may be outside your company, or they may be in a different department from inside your company, but they won’t work for you unless you work hard to persuade them to join.
4. Are you great at teaching great people how your team or company works and wins? Even the most highly focused specialists (software programmers, graphic designers, marketing wizards) are at their best when they appreciate how the whole organization operates. That’s partly a matter of sharing financial statements: Can every person learn how to think like a businessperson? But it’s mainly a matter of shared understanding: Can smart people work on making everyone else in the organization smarter about the business?
5. Are you as tough on yourself as you are on your people? There’s no question that talented and ambitious people have high expectations–for themselves, for their team or company, for their colleagues. Which is why they can be so tough on their leaders. The ultimate test for people in positions of authority is to demonstrate the same values, attitudes, and mindsets they want to see from the people who report to them.
In other words, as we approach a New Year filled with new worries, problems, and difficulties, the biggest question is the one it’s always been: Are you the kind of leader you’d want to work for?
Last week, in the spirit of a season in which most of us look at the end of one year, and the start of a New Year, as an opportunity to reflect on our jobs, I offered a set of questions to help you figure out whether it was time to move to a new company or even a new career. This week, in that same spirit, I’d like to address myself to leaders at every level of the organization who want to keep their best people and get the best effort out of them.
Here, then, are five make-or-break questions for leaders who want to make a fresh start for the New Year.
1. Why should great people want to work with you? The best leaders understand that the most talented performers aren’t motivated primarily by money or status. Great people want to work on exciting projects. Great people want to feel like impact players. Put simply, great people want to feel like they’re part of something greater than themselves. It’s the leader’s job to keep everyone energized and determined in a business environment that remains lackluster and uncertain.
2. Do you know a great person when you see one? It’s a lot easier to be the right kind of leader if you’re running a team or department filled with the right kind of people. Indeed, as I reflect on the best workplaces I’ve visited, I’ve come to appreciate how much time and energy leaders spend on who gets to be there. These workplaces may feel different, but the organizing principle is the same: When it comes to evaluating talent, character counts for as much as credentials. Do you know what makes your star performers tick–and how to find more performers who share those attributes?
3. Can you find great people who aren’t looking for you? It’s a common-sense insight that’s commonly forgotten: The most talented performers tend to be in jobs they like, working with people they enjoy, on projects that keep them challenged. The trick is to win over these so-called “passive” job seekers. These people may be outside your company, or they may be in a different department from inside your company, but they won’t work for you unless you work hard to persuade them to join.
4. Are you great at teaching great people how your team or company works and wins? Even the most highly focused specialists (software programmers, graphic designers, marketing wizards) are at their best when they appreciate how the whole organization operates. That’s partly a matter of sharing financial statements: Can every person learn how to think like a businessperson? But it’s mainly a matter of shared understanding: Can smart people work on making everyone else in the organization smarter about the business?
5. Are you as tough on yourself as you are on your people? There’s no question that talented and ambitious people have high expectations–for themselves, for their team or company, for their colleagues. Which is why they can be so tough on their leaders. The ultimate test for people in positions of authority is to demonstrate the same values, attitudes, and mindsets they want to see from the people who report to them.
In other words, as we approach a New Year filled with new worries, problems, and difficulties, the biggest question is the one it’s always been: Are you the kind of leader you’d want to work for?
Friday, December 17, 2010
Putting a Bow on 2010: A Proper Perspective
Great article by one of my favorite authors, John Maxwell. Enjoy and here's to 2011!!
At this stage, the punctuation you put on 2010 will not depend as much on what you do but on your point of view. As you look back on the past year, you likely experienced highs and lows, encountered blessings and victories alongside hardship and heartache. As you wrap up 2010, be sure your attitude toward the last twelve months is providing you with the healthy perspective needed to finish strong.
Here are three suggestions to help you adopt a mindset that makes the most of 2010.
1) See the lessons in every setback.
Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. ~ John Wooden
As you think back on the past year, don't be ashamed by the mistakes you made. Failures are stepping-stones to success, not proof of inadequacy. If you're not stumbling from time to time, then chances are you're not going anywhere worthwhile.
Failures are not fun, but neither are they fruitless. Opportunities to learn and grow are embedded in every setback we undergo. Instead of dwelling on the disappointment of things going wrong, seize the insights of the experience. By doing so, you'll emerge as a stronger person.
2) Show gratitude for the blessings you've received.
Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues but the mother of all the rest.~ Cicero
To cultivate gratitude, Oprah recommends keeping a gratitude journal:
"Every night, list five things that happened this day that you are grateful for. What it will begin to do is change your perspective of your day and your life. If you can learn to focus on what you have, you will always see that the universe is abundant; you will have more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never have enough."
In addition to writing down what you're thankful for, take action to show gratitude to the people who have helped you over the course of the past year. Expressing thankfulness to others encourages them, strengthens your relationship with them, and positions you to receive their goodwill again in the future.
3) Turn the page on the past and take joy in today.
Hoping to get a glimpse into history, an interviewer asked an 87-year old woman, "What was the world like back in your day?" "Hmph!" she responded, "This is my day!" I love her attitude. Instead of being wistful about the years behind her, the elderly lady's mindset was on making the most of the day in front of her.
The close of the calendar year can be a time of reflection. We think back to the happenings of 2010 and assess where we are in life. Although life can only be understood looking backwards, it can only be lived moving forward. No matter what has transpired this past year, today is a blank slate. So set aside any regrets you may have about 2010, enjoy the holiday season, and look forward to a fresh new year.
At this stage, the punctuation you put on 2010 will not depend as much on what you do but on your point of view. As you look back on the past year, you likely experienced highs and lows, encountered blessings and victories alongside hardship and heartache. As you wrap up 2010, be sure your attitude toward the last twelve months is providing you with the healthy perspective needed to finish strong.
Here are three suggestions to help you adopt a mindset that makes the most of 2010.
1) See the lessons in every setback.
Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out. ~ John Wooden
As you think back on the past year, don't be ashamed by the mistakes you made. Failures are stepping-stones to success, not proof of inadequacy. If you're not stumbling from time to time, then chances are you're not going anywhere worthwhile.
Failures are not fun, but neither are they fruitless. Opportunities to learn and grow are embedded in every setback we undergo. Instead of dwelling on the disappointment of things going wrong, seize the insights of the experience. By doing so, you'll emerge as a stronger person.
2) Show gratitude for the blessings you've received.
Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues but the mother of all the rest.~ Cicero
To cultivate gratitude, Oprah recommends keeping a gratitude journal:
"Every night, list five things that happened this day that you are grateful for. What it will begin to do is change your perspective of your day and your life. If you can learn to focus on what you have, you will always see that the universe is abundant; you will have more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never have enough."
In addition to writing down what you're thankful for, take action to show gratitude to the people who have helped you over the course of the past year. Expressing thankfulness to others encourages them, strengthens your relationship with them, and positions you to receive their goodwill again in the future.
3) Turn the page on the past and take joy in today.
Hoping to get a glimpse into history, an interviewer asked an 87-year old woman, "What was the world like back in your day?" "Hmph!" she responded, "This is my day!" I love her attitude. Instead of being wistful about the years behind her, the elderly lady's mindset was on making the most of the day in front of her.
The close of the calendar year can be a time of reflection. We think back to the happenings of 2010 and assess where we are in life. Although life can only be understood looking backwards, it can only be lived moving forward. No matter what has transpired this past year, today is a blank slate. So set aside any regrets you may have about 2010, enjoy the holiday season, and look forward to a fresh new year.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Skills of Extraordinary Leaders
By Chris Widener. Another excellent leadership article by Chris. Outstanding!!!
What? You don’t think that you are a leader? You are! Everyone influences others to some degree. Now, you may not be a very good leader… but that is altogether a different story! Even if you are in need of some help in the leadership department, and we all are, here are some skills you can work on immediately to help you become the leader you want to be. Then you can influence those around you like never before!
1. Good Communicator. Extraordinary Leaders are those who can take the vision they have and communicate it in ways that their followers can easily understand, internal, and own. Then, and only then, can they carry it out! So focus on speaking and writing more clearly, and with the passion that you have for the vision you have. Use different ways of communicating, including different ways verbally and non-verbally. Above all, communicate often!
2. "Sees" the End Result Long Before Others. I think the greatest compliment on my leadership skills I ever received came from a gentleman who told me that “you see things about 6 months before the rest of us.” Without tooting my own horn (okay, a little bit maybe…), that is a skill of a leader. They are always looking out ahead of themselves and their situations. Followers are worried about what happens today, while leaders are thinking about and strategizing about what they see for tomorrow. Be constantly looking ahead. Practice making projections. Get good at “seeing” the future. When you can do this better than others, they will look to you for leadership!
3. Ability to Define Goals for Self and Others. Do you know what your goals are? Can you define them? Can you articulate them clearly (see number one)? Can you do this for those who follow? Can you define and set their goals? A Extraordinary Leader works at clarity and definition of goals so that they can be internalized and acted upon by others. Work hard at this skill and others will follow!
4. Ability to Set Strategy and Course of Action. What will you do to reach the goal? Many people can say where we should go, but it is the Extraordinary Leader who can lay out a plan for everyone to get there! Work at laying out a plan for you and your followers. Remember that there are people with different skill and passion levels, and take this into account! Get good at this and when people want to get to their goals in a hurry, they will call on you to lead!
5. Ability to Teach Others. One of the greatest leadership development companies in the world has been General Electric. This is because their CEO, Jack Welch, has always emphasized the need for current leaders to teach others. He himself spends what others would consider an extraordinary amount of time in the classroom teaching. But remember, he is an Extraordinary Leader and he is developing Extraordinary Leaders to follow behind him. Work hard at your teaching techniques, and be sure to use as many situations as possible for the opportunity to teach those who would follow.
6. Ability to Inspire Others. You may have a great goal, but if you want to be an Extraordinary Leader, then you will have to put a little oomph under your followers! This is the ability to inspire! Work at helping them to see the big picture, the great end results, and how good it is going to be for them and others. Above all, make it exciting. If it is a good goal, it should be exciting. If it isn’t exciting, then dump it and get a goal that others can get excited about! (See the next article, the MFS Classic, for more on inspiring others)
7. Delegates. An Extraordinary Leader is rarely a person who is doing everything him or herself. Extraordinary Leaders get there job done through others. They figure out the way, communicate the way, and inspire the followers to go that way, and then they get OUT OF THE WAY! Delegate to your people. Empower them! Set them free to soar! This is what an Extraordinary Leader does. Leaders who do it any other way are just extraordinarily tired at the end of the day with very little to show for it!
What? You don’t think that you are a leader? You are! Everyone influences others to some degree. Now, you may not be a very good leader… but that is altogether a different story! Even if you are in need of some help in the leadership department, and we all are, here are some skills you can work on immediately to help you become the leader you want to be. Then you can influence those around you like never before!
1. Good Communicator. Extraordinary Leaders are those who can take the vision they have and communicate it in ways that their followers can easily understand, internal, and own. Then, and only then, can they carry it out! So focus on speaking and writing more clearly, and with the passion that you have for the vision you have. Use different ways of communicating, including different ways verbally and non-verbally. Above all, communicate often!
2. "Sees" the End Result Long Before Others. I think the greatest compliment on my leadership skills I ever received came from a gentleman who told me that “you see things about 6 months before the rest of us.” Without tooting my own horn (okay, a little bit maybe…), that is a skill of a leader. They are always looking out ahead of themselves and their situations. Followers are worried about what happens today, while leaders are thinking about and strategizing about what they see for tomorrow. Be constantly looking ahead. Practice making projections. Get good at “seeing” the future. When you can do this better than others, they will look to you for leadership!
3. Ability to Define Goals for Self and Others. Do you know what your goals are? Can you define them? Can you articulate them clearly (see number one)? Can you do this for those who follow? Can you define and set their goals? A Extraordinary Leader works at clarity and definition of goals so that they can be internalized and acted upon by others. Work hard at this skill and others will follow!
4. Ability to Set Strategy and Course of Action. What will you do to reach the goal? Many people can say where we should go, but it is the Extraordinary Leader who can lay out a plan for everyone to get there! Work at laying out a plan for you and your followers. Remember that there are people with different skill and passion levels, and take this into account! Get good at this and when people want to get to their goals in a hurry, they will call on you to lead!
5. Ability to Teach Others. One of the greatest leadership development companies in the world has been General Electric. This is because their CEO, Jack Welch, has always emphasized the need for current leaders to teach others. He himself spends what others would consider an extraordinary amount of time in the classroom teaching. But remember, he is an Extraordinary Leader and he is developing Extraordinary Leaders to follow behind him. Work hard at your teaching techniques, and be sure to use as many situations as possible for the opportunity to teach those who would follow.
6. Ability to Inspire Others. You may have a great goal, but if you want to be an Extraordinary Leader, then you will have to put a little oomph under your followers! This is the ability to inspire! Work at helping them to see the big picture, the great end results, and how good it is going to be for them and others. Above all, make it exciting. If it is a good goal, it should be exciting. If it isn’t exciting, then dump it and get a goal that others can get excited about! (See the next article, the MFS Classic, for more on inspiring others)
7. Delegates. An Extraordinary Leader is rarely a person who is doing everything him or herself. Extraordinary Leaders get there job done through others. They figure out the way, communicate the way, and inspire the followers to go that way, and then they get OUT OF THE WAY! Delegate to your people. Empower them! Set them free to soar! This is what an Extraordinary Leader does. Leaders who do it any other way are just extraordinarily tired at the end of the day with very little to show for it!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Five Essential Qualities of Leadership
Great article on leadership qualities by Angelo. Passion is the most important in my humble opinion!
Angelo Valenti, Ph.D., co-creator of the Fearless Leadership System™, leads a consulting practice known as “The Company Psychologist,” which provides psychological consulting services for clients in a wide variety of industries.
Leaders and leadership are top-of-the-mind subjects among businesspeople, coaches, athletes, politicians, clergy, and individuals in all walks of life. We demand more from our leaders every day but do little to prepare people for the leadership roles they take on during their lives. To paraphrase Shakespeare, some people are born leaders, some achieve leadership, and others have leadership thrust upon them. By whatever means a person attains a leadership position, there are five essential qualities that he or she must possess to be successful as a leader over time.
1. Above all else, a leader must have COURAGE. The majority of people fail to achieve the quality of life they seek because they are shackled by their own fears. Thoreau said, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” It’s not that the courageous leader is not afraid. Everyone is afraid at one time or another. Courage is the will to press on, to do what is necessary and what is right, to overcome obstacles even when afraid. It isn’t courage if you’re not afraid. The only antidote for fear is courage.
2. Fear has a partner in crime – self-doubt. Self-doubt is that little voice in your head that says, “You can’t get that promotion, you’ll never make the team, you aren’t attractive enough, or you just can’t cut it.” Fortunately, there is an antidote for self-doubt as well: CONFIDENCE. Confidence is the unshakable belief in yourself that you can make happen what you want to happen. It’s not the self-doubt that limits you; it’s your reaction to that self-doubt. Confidence allows you to keep trying until you get better, to seek help and advice, to ignore the well-meaning spectators who are ready at your first misstep to tell you that it can’t do it right, you never were good enough, and you never will be. Confidence is infectious. If you believe in yourself, others will believe in you.
3. Even if a leader is courageous and confident, if he or she does not have the capacity for intense CONCENTRATION, that leader is likely to drift off course. Concentration has two parts. The first is persistence, the most important determining factor in an individual’s success. Persistence is the unwillingness to quit until the goal is achieved. Persistence does not require talent, only determination. The second component of concentration is focus, or the ability to stay on track, organize oneself, and reduce debilitating distractions. Great leaders have the ability to separate what is immediately pressing from what is truly important.
4. Why are leaders able to inspire others? It’s because they have PASSION for what they do and what they believe in. They are consistently enthusiastic, upbeat, and optimistic. They bring a genuine joy to whatever they do. Even when things are not going well, they can instill in others the belief that together they can make the situation better. Great leaders are also committed to whatever they undertake. Commitment means throwing yourself into whatever you do with everything you have. It has been said that some people drink from the fountain of knowledge while others only gargle. Leaders don’t gargle.
5. Finally, leaders must have a strong sense of VALUES if they are to succeed in the long term. Values are enduring standards of behavior. They are the stuff upon which our reputations are built. They help us determine whom we can count on, how people will react in given situations, and whom we want as friends. The chances are good that if you follow the golden rule, do the right thing when nobody is looking, and live your life the way your grandmother told you to you will be demonstrating a sense of values that others will readily respect and follow.
Angelo Valenti, Ph.D., co-creator of the Fearless Leadership System™, leads a consulting practice known as “The Company Psychologist,” which provides psychological consulting services for clients in a wide variety of industries.
Leaders and leadership are top-of-the-mind subjects among businesspeople, coaches, athletes, politicians, clergy, and individuals in all walks of life. We demand more from our leaders every day but do little to prepare people for the leadership roles they take on during their lives. To paraphrase Shakespeare, some people are born leaders, some achieve leadership, and others have leadership thrust upon them. By whatever means a person attains a leadership position, there are five essential qualities that he or she must possess to be successful as a leader over time.
1. Above all else, a leader must have COURAGE. The majority of people fail to achieve the quality of life they seek because they are shackled by their own fears. Thoreau said, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” It’s not that the courageous leader is not afraid. Everyone is afraid at one time or another. Courage is the will to press on, to do what is necessary and what is right, to overcome obstacles even when afraid. It isn’t courage if you’re not afraid. The only antidote for fear is courage.
2. Fear has a partner in crime – self-doubt. Self-doubt is that little voice in your head that says, “You can’t get that promotion, you’ll never make the team, you aren’t attractive enough, or you just can’t cut it.” Fortunately, there is an antidote for self-doubt as well: CONFIDENCE. Confidence is the unshakable belief in yourself that you can make happen what you want to happen. It’s not the self-doubt that limits you; it’s your reaction to that self-doubt. Confidence allows you to keep trying until you get better, to seek help and advice, to ignore the well-meaning spectators who are ready at your first misstep to tell you that it can’t do it right, you never were good enough, and you never will be. Confidence is infectious. If you believe in yourself, others will believe in you.
3. Even if a leader is courageous and confident, if he or she does not have the capacity for intense CONCENTRATION, that leader is likely to drift off course. Concentration has two parts. The first is persistence, the most important determining factor in an individual’s success. Persistence is the unwillingness to quit until the goal is achieved. Persistence does not require talent, only determination. The second component of concentration is focus, or the ability to stay on track, organize oneself, and reduce debilitating distractions. Great leaders have the ability to separate what is immediately pressing from what is truly important.
4. Why are leaders able to inspire others? It’s because they have PASSION for what they do and what they believe in. They are consistently enthusiastic, upbeat, and optimistic. They bring a genuine joy to whatever they do. Even when things are not going well, they can instill in others the belief that together they can make the situation better. Great leaders are also committed to whatever they undertake. Commitment means throwing yourself into whatever you do with everything you have. It has been said that some people drink from the fountain of knowledge while others only gargle. Leaders don’t gargle.
5. Finally, leaders must have a strong sense of VALUES if they are to succeed in the long term. Values are enduring standards of behavior. They are the stuff upon which our reputations are built. They help us determine whom we can count on, how people will react in given situations, and whom we want as friends. The chances are good that if you follow the golden rule, do the right thing when nobody is looking, and live your life the way your grandmother told you to you will be demonstrating a sense of values that others will readily respect and follow.
Best Leadership Advice from 7 Top Leaders
Great artcile by Paul. Definately worth a read. I might even buy his new book. Enjoy!!
Paul B. Thornton is President, Be the Leader Associates (http://www.betheleader.com) and author of seven books on management and leadership. His latest book is Leadership - Best Advice I Ever Got, is available from WingSpan Press.
Fortune magazine once published an article entitled “The Best Advice I Ever Got.” It was a great article that offered wit and wisdom about achieving business success. I liked it so much, that it motivated me to produce my newest book, Leadership—Best Advice I Ever Got, which describes the best leadership advice 136 successful CEOs, coaches, consultants, professors, managers, executives, presidents, politicians, and religious leaders received that most helped them become effective and successful leaders.
Here are 7 secrets to leadership success:
1. Leadership is about making things happen
If you want to make something happen with your life – in school, in your profession or in your community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumble against persistent desire. John Baldoni, Author, Leadership Communication Consultant and Founder of Baldoni Consulting LLC, shared this advice that had come from his father, a physician. He taught him the value of persistence. At the same time, his mother taught him compassion for others. Therefore, persistence for your cause should not be gained at the expense of others. Another bit of leadership wisdom!
2. Listen and understand the issue, then lead
Time and time again we have all been told, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason"...or as Stephen Covey said..."Seek to understand, rather than be understood." As a leader, listening first to the issue, then trying to coach, has been the most valuable advice that Cordia Harrington, President and CEO of Tennessee Bun Company has been given.
3. Answer the three questions everyone within your organization wants answers to
What the people of an organization want from their leader are answers to the following: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What is my role? Kevin Nolan, President & Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc. believes the more clarity that can be added to each of the three questions, the better the result.
4. Master the goals that will allow you to work anywhere in today’s dynamic business world
Debbe Kennedy, President, CEO and Founder of Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies, and author of Action Dialogues and Breakthrough once shared this piece of advice that was instrumental in shaping her direction, future and achievements.
She was a young manager at IBM just promoted to her first staff assignment in a regional marketing office. For reasons she can’t explain, one of her colleagues named Bookie called her into his office while she was visiting his location. He then began to offer unsolicited advice, but advice that now stays fresh in her mind. He mentioned that jobs, missions, titles and organizations would come and go as business is dynamic-- meaning it is always changing. He advised her not to focus your goals toward any of these, but instead learn to master the skills that will allow you to work anywhere.
He was talking about four skills:
• The ability to develop an idea
• Effectively plan for its implementation
• Execute second-to-none
• Achieve superior results time after time.
With this in mind, Kennedy advises readers to seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind. Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it opens doors.
5. Be curious
Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous improvement and even excellence. The person who gave Mary Jean Thornton, Former Executive Vice President & CIO, The Travelers this advice urged her to study people, processes, and structures. He inspired her to be intellectually curious. He often reminded Thornton that making progress, in part, was based upon thinking. She has learned to apply this notion of intellectual curiosity by thinking about her organization’s future, understanding the present, and knowing and challenging herself to creatively move the people and the organization closer to its vision.
6. Listen to both sides of the argument
The most valuable advice Brian P. Lees, Massachusetts State Senator and Senate Minority Leader ever received came from his mentor, United States Senator Edward W. Brooke III. He told him to listen to all different kinds of people and ideas. Listening only to those who share your background and opinions can be imprudent. It is important to respect your neighbors’ rights to their own views. Listening to and talking with a variety of people, from professors to police officers, from senior citizens to schoolchildren, is essential not only to be a good leader in business, but to also be a valuable member within your community.
7. Prepare, prepare, prepare
If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If one has truly prepared and something goes wrong the strength of the rest of what you've prepared for usually makes this something easier to handle without crisis and panic. One of the best pieces of advice Dave Hixson, Men’s Varsity Basketball Coach at Amherst College has ever received and continues to use and pass on is this anonymous quote—“Preparation is the science of winning."
Along with this are two expressions from Rick Pitino's book Success is a Choice, which speaks to preparation. Hixson asks his teams every year: "Do you deserve to win?" and "Have you done the work?" This speaks to the importance of preparation toward achieving your final goal. If you haven't done the work (preparation) the answer to the second question is an easy "no!"
Great advice comes from many sources – parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay open, listen to everyone, but also develop your own leadership style.
Paul B. Thornton is President, Be the Leader Associates (http://www.betheleader.com) and author of seven books on management and leadership. His latest book is Leadership - Best Advice I Ever Got, is available from WingSpan Press.
Fortune magazine once published an article entitled “The Best Advice I Ever Got.” It was a great article that offered wit and wisdom about achieving business success. I liked it so much, that it motivated me to produce my newest book, Leadership—Best Advice I Ever Got, which describes the best leadership advice 136 successful CEOs, coaches, consultants, professors, managers, executives, presidents, politicians, and religious leaders received that most helped them become effective and successful leaders.
Here are 7 secrets to leadership success:
1. Leadership is about making things happen
If you want to make something happen with your life – in school, in your profession or in your community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumble against persistent desire. John Baldoni, Author, Leadership Communication Consultant and Founder of Baldoni Consulting LLC, shared this advice that had come from his father, a physician. He taught him the value of persistence. At the same time, his mother taught him compassion for others. Therefore, persistence for your cause should not be gained at the expense of others. Another bit of leadership wisdom!
2. Listen and understand the issue, then lead
Time and time again we have all been told, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason"...or as Stephen Covey said..."Seek to understand, rather than be understood." As a leader, listening first to the issue, then trying to coach, has been the most valuable advice that Cordia Harrington, President and CEO of Tennessee Bun Company has been given.
3. Answer the three questions everyone within your organization wants answers to
What the people of an organization want from their leader are answers to the following: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What is my role? Kevin Nolan, President & Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc. believes the more clarity that can be added to each of the three questions, the better the result.
4. Master the goals that will allow you to work anywhere in today’s dynamic business world
Debbe Kennedy, President, CEO and Founder of Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies, and author of Action Dialogues and Breakthrough once shared this piece of advice that was instrumental in shaping her direction, future and achievements.
She was a young manager at IBM just promoted to her first staff assignment in a regional marketing office. For reasons she can’t explain, one of her colleagues named Bookie called her into his office while she was visiting his location. He then began to offer unsolicited advice, but advice that now stays fresh in her mind. He mentioned that jobs, missions, titles and organizations would come and go as business is dynamic-- meaning it is always changing. He advised her not to focus your goals toward any of these, but instead learn to master the skills that will allow you to work anywhere.
He was talking about four skills:
• The ability to develop an idea
• Effectively plan for its implementation
• Execute second-to-none
• Achieve superior results time after time.
With this in mind, Kennedy advises readers to seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind. Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it opens doors.
5. Be curious
Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous improvement and even excellence. The person who gave Mary Jean Thornton, Former Executive Vice President & CIO, The Travelers this advice urged her to study people, processes, and structures. He inspired her to be intellectually curious. He often reminded Thornton that making progress, in part, was based upon thinking. She has learned to apply this notion of intellectual curiosity by thinking about her organization’s future, understanding the present, and knowing and challenging herself to creatively move the people and the organization closer to its vision.
6. Listen to both sides of the argument
The most valuable advice Brian P. Lees, Massachusetts State Senator and Senate Minority Leader ever received came from his mentor, United States Senator Edward W. Brooke III. He told him to listen to all different kinds of people and ideas. Listening only to those who share your background and opinions can be imprudent. It is important to respect your neighbors’ rights to their own views. Listening to and talking with a variety of people, from professors to police officers, from senior citizens to schoolchildren, is essential not only to be a good leader in business, but to also be a valuable member within your community.
7. Prepare, prepare, prepare
If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If one has truly prepared and something goes wrong the strength of the rest of what you've prepared for usually makes this something easier to handle without crisis and panic. One of the best pieces of advice Dave Hixson, Men’s Varsity Basketball Coach at Amherst College has ever received and continues to use and pass on is this anonymous quote—“Preparation is the science of winning."
Along with this are two expressions from Rick Pitino's book Success is a Choice, which speaks to preparation. Hixson asks his teams every year: "Do you deserve to win?" and "Have you done the work?" This speaks to the importance of preparation toward achieving your final goal. If you haven't done the work (preparation) the answer to the second question is an easy "no!"
Great advice comes from many sources – parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay open, listen to everyone, but also develop your own leadership style.
A Failure to Lead - A Failure to Communicate
A great article for Private Club Managers. Reasearch show that Communication is one of the top leadeship traits need for club managers. Enjoy!
John Baldoni is a leadership communications consultant who works with companies and non profits organizations. He is the author of several books on leadership including Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (McGraw-Hill, 2003).
Two recent high profile catastrophes cast light on an age old problem. The first was the breakup of the Columbia shuttle as it speed across the Texas sky on February 1st, 2003. The second was the sudden power outage on August 14th that affected some 80 million consumers in the Eastern part of the United States and Ontario. The first accident cost the lives of seven astronauts; the second accident cost a loss of faith in the power grid as well as billions of dollars. While both accidents were different in root causes, both shared a single similar fault – a failure to communicate.
The most glaring communication failures make headlines, but failure to keep people in the know or to report an emergent problem are hardly unique to disasters. Communication lapses in fact are so recurrent that the very phrase, "failure to communicate" - popularized a generation ago in the Paul Newman movie, Cool Hand Luke - seems to be a near universal. Communication beakdowns occur routinely, but it takes a spectacular event like the Columbia disaster or the Eastern power outage to remind us how consequential they can be. What can we do to ensure that communications flourishes to the betterment of the enterprise?
Scan the horizon. Nothing remains the same for very long. Leaders are responsible for looking outside the organization to discover what customers are thinking and purchasing - and how competitors are responding to the changing market conditions. By scanning the organization's horizon, leaders help their organization anticipate the future to avoid blindsiding by it.
Keep an ear to the ground. Leaders listen to what people are saying - but also what they are not saying. Problems occur in all organizations, but it is the well lead organization that learns about incipient problems before they emerge. Front-line military officers, for instance, frequently look over the shoulder of their troops not only to assure performance but also to learn of early warning signs of threats to performance.
Ask questions. One of the surest ways to find out what is going on within an organization is to pose questions. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, is an inveterate questioner. He helps keep himself up to speed by incessantly posing queries during his many forays around Amazon facilities.
Create feedback loops. It is useful to install devices by which employees can voice an opinion and receive a response. Feedback systems are easy to implement with e-mail, but providing a thoughtful response requires a commitment to active communication. But then again, that's what communications is all about – two-way feedback and follow-up.
MBWA. David Packard pioneered "management by walking around" as he built Hewlett-Packard. Doing so took him out from behind his desk and into meeting, hallways, cafeterias, shop floors, and sales centers where the real work occurred, and his MBWA has become an industry standard.
Integrate communications into your disaster plans. Have a disaster plan in place with two way communications, and test it so that employees feel comfortable with it. Most fire, rescue, and trauma teams maintain such plans and rehearse them regularly. In the absence of a rehearsed disaster plan, effective communication is one of the first casualties of a catastrophe.
Communication is the glue that holds organizations together. It helps prevent calamity and fosters performance. Through self-conscious development and frequent practice of the art of organizational communication, communication failures should become communication successes.
John Baldoni is a leadership communications consultant who works with companies and non profits organizations. He is the author of several books on leadership including Great Communication Secrets of Great Leaders (McGraw-Hill, 2003).
Two recent high profile catastrophes cast light on an age old problem. The first was the breakup of the Columbia shuttle as it speed across the Texas sky on February 1st, 2003. The second was the sudden power outage on August 14th that affected some 80 million consumers in the Eastern part of the United States and Ontario. The first accident cost the lives of seven astronauts; the second accident cost a loss of faith in the power grid as well as billions of dollars. While both accidents were different in root causes, both shared a single similar fault – a failure to communicate.
The most glaring communication failures make headlines, but failure to keep people in the know or to report an emergent problem are hardly unique to disasters. Communication lapses in fact are so recurrent that the very phrase, "failure to communicate" - popularized a generation ago in the Paul Newman movie, Cool Hand Luke - seems to be a near universal. Communication beakdowns occur routinely, but it takes a spectacular event like the Columbia disaster or the Eastern power outage to remind us how consequential they can be. What can we do to ensure that communications flourishes to the betterment of the enterprise?
Scan the horizon. Nothing remains the same for very long. Leaders are responsible for looking outside the organization to discover what customers are thinking and purchasing - and how competitors are responding to the changing market conditions. By scanning the organization's horizon, leaders help their organization anticipate the future to avoid blindsiding by it.
Keep an ear to the ground. Leaders listen to what people are saying - but also what they are not saying. Problems occur in all organizations, but it is the well lead organization that learns about incipient problems before they emerge. Front-line military officers, for instance, frequently look over the shoulder of their troops not only to assure performance but also to learn of early warning signs of threats to performance.
Ask questions. One of the surest ways to find out what is going on within an organization is to pose questions. Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, is an inveterate questioner. He helps keep himself up to speed by incessantly posing queries during his many forays around Amazon facilities.
Create feedback loops. It is useful to install devices by which employees can voice an opinion and receive a response. Feedback systems are easy to implement with e-mail, but providing a thoughtful response requires a commitment to active communication. But then again, that's what communications is all about – two-way feedback and follow-up.
MBWA. David Packard pioneered "management by walking around" as he built Hewlett-Packard. Doing so took him out from behind his desk and into meeting, hallways, cafeterias, shop floors, and sales centers where the real work occurred, and his MBWA has become an industry standard.
Integrate communications into your disaster plans. Have a disaster plan in place with two way communications, and test it so that employees feel comfortable with it. Most fire, rescue, and trauma teams maintain such plans and rehearse them regularly. In the absence of a rehearsed disaster plan, effective communication is one of the first casualties of a catastrophe.
Communication is the glue that holds organizations together. It helps prevent calamity and fosters performance. Through self-conscious development and frequent practice of the art of organizational communication, communication failures should become communication successes.
5 Irrefutable, Non-Negotiable Laws of Leadership
A very good article by Kevin. Worth the read and worth keeping close at hand. Enjoy!
by Kevin Berchelmann.
Leaders, new and old, sometimes lose sight of the most fundamental tenets of leadership. Here’s a reminder…
I frequently tell executives that leadership and its concepts, theories and core applications haven’t changed in a millennium. Some of our demographics may have changed. This forces us to use alternative applications of those concepts. But the basic leadership concepts and theories remain.
So, why don’t we “just do it?”
Sometimes we aren’t motivated. Sometimes the “time” just doesn’t seem right. Maybe we simply forgot some of the basics… hence this article.
When I train companies and corporations worldwide on how to improve management and organization performance, I start off with these 5 laws new and experienced leaders should never ever forget.
Kevin's Leadership Skills Training Survival Kit for New & Experienced Managers
Leadership Law #1: Never delay a decision that must be made.
Make your decision and move on. You may have to immediately make another decision. This doesn't mean your first one was wrong. It merely means that your second one had the benefit of additional knowledge.
Leadership Law #2: When you want something specific done, say so specifically, using clear, plain language.
Employees generally have some difficulty doing their basic jobs. By adding "mind-reading" to their description is just plain unfair. Do not use hints, implications, or innuendos. Say what you want, and use plain English! Directness counts.
Leadership Law #3: Never answer every employee’s every question.
Questions are teaching moments -- don't rob employees of the opportunity. But don’t spend your whole time answering questions.
When you always answer every employee’s every question, you'll forever be answering your employee’s every question. This will leave you with no time to spend on areas that need your direct attention now. Sounds trite, and I don’t mean it to.
If employees are asking because they’re stupid, get rid of them. If they are decent employees asking because they do not know, then teach them. They’ll know next time, and you’ll both be better for it.
Leadership Law #4: Make your expectations clear, then back up a bit and give employees room to do their job.
That doesn't mean to never look back. To inspect what you expect isn't micromanagement. It's good management.
Even your top performers need clear expectations. Give them a target. Provide resources and guidance. Remove obstacles when necessary. Then let them do their job. But, don’t forget to check back later, since you still have management responsibilities.
Leadership Law #5: Employees need their managers to be leaders
Your employees don't need a shoulder. They don’t need a buddy, a sympatico, or a commiserator. If you want a friend, buy a dog.
We all struggle with this. Everyone wants to be liked, and it always seems difficult to decline a beer after work, or something similar. I’m not advocating a monk-like existence, disallowing any contact with your troops. I’m just merely reminding you that they would like to have a friend, but they need a leader if they are to be successful.
You do want them to be successful, don’t you?
Closing Leadership Thoughts
These leadership laws are fairly intuitive, and certainly not rocket science or brain surgery. They are simple management and leadership truths that have passed the test of time.
Print these out. Laminate it. Put in your top desk drawer and don’t forget them!
by Kevin Berchelmann.
Leaders, new and old, sometimes lose sight of the most fundamental tenets of leadership. Here’s a reminder…
I frequently tell executives that leadership and its concepts, theories and core applications haven’t changed in a millennium. Some of our demographics may have changed. This forces us to use alternative applications of those concepts. But the basic leadership concepts and theories remain.
So, why don’t we “just do it?”
Sometimes we aren’t motivated. Sometimes the “time” just doesn’t seem right. Maybe we simply forgot some of the basics… hence this article.
When I train companies and corporations worldwide on how to improve management and organization performance, I start off with these 5 laws new and experienced leaders should never ever forget.
Kevin's Leadership Skills Training Survival Kit for New & Experienced Managers
Leadership Law #1: Never delay a decision that must be made.
Make your decision and move on. You may have to immediately make another decision. This doesn't mean your first one was wrong. It merely means that your second one had the benefit of additional knowledge.
Leadership Law #2: When you want something specific done, say so specifically, using clear, plain language.
Employees generally have some difficulty doing their basic jobs. By adding "mind-reading" to their description is just plain unfair. Do not use hints, implications, or innuendos. Say what you want, and use plain English! Directness counts.
Leadership Law #3: Never answer every employee’s every question.
Questions are teaching moments -- don't rob employees of the opportunity. But don’t spend your whole time answering questions.
When you always answer every employee’s every question, you'll forever be answering your employee’s every question. This will leave you with no time to spend on areas that need your direct attention now. Sounds trite, and I don’t mean it to.
If employees are asking because they’re stupid, get rid of them. If they are decent employees asking because they do not know, then teach them. They’ll know next time, and you’ll both be better for it.
Leadership Law #4: Make your expectations clear, then back up a bit and give employees room to do their job.
That doesn't mean to never look back. To inspect what you expect isn't micromanagement. It's good management.
Even your top performers need clear expectations. Give them a target. Provide resources and guidance. Remove obstacles when necessary. Then let them do their job. But, don’t forget to check back later, since you still have management responsibilities.
Leadership Law #5: Employees need their managers to be leaders
Your employees don't need a shoulder. They don’t need a buddy, a sympatico, or a commiserator. If you want a friend, buy a dog.
We all struggle with this. Everyone wants to be liked, and it always seems difficult to decline a beer after work, or something similar. I’m not advocating a monk-like existence, disallowing any contact with your troops. I’m just merely reminding you that they would like to have a friend, but they need a leader if they are to be successful.
You do want them to be successful, don’t you?
Closing Leadership Thoughts
These leadership laws are fairly intuitive, and certainly not rocket science or brain surgery. They are simple management and leadership truths that have passed the test of time.
Print these out. Laminate it. Put in your top desk drawer and don’t forget them!
10 Management Lessons
Great leadership article. Enjoy!
By Ryan Allis.
Over the past five years, as iContact and Virante have grown, I've learned a lot about managing people. A business amounts to little without the people behind it. The two most important things I look for when hiring are initiative and work ethic. I cannot overestimate the importance to the eventual success of your business of bringing on good people. But once you have hired these good people, how do you manage them?
I certainly admit that I have much left to learn about leadership and management, but here are a few tips that might be helpful:
• Have a vision and communicate it. Make sure you clearly communicate your vision for the company. No one follows a leader who cannot communicate the way in which the company will succeed. The future of all your employees is tied closely to the success of your company. Make sure they believe in your company, what it stands for, and its products and services, and make sure they know that the hard work they are putting in now will payoff.
• Show respect. Treat people, including your customers, suppliers, partners, and employees, with respect at all times.
• Share your success. Make sure your employees share in the success of your company. As the company is able, provide additional benefits such as health care and dental coverage, a stock options plan, and a 401(k) plan. As your employees' skills and abilities grow, reward them with fair compensation. Finally, consider incentivizing your top employees and managers with ownership in the company. Few things can make a person work harder than a piece of the action.
• Don't be too serious. Make the business environment fun at times. While being professional and taking things seriously is important, nothing can beat the effects of a companywide midnight round of bowling after you reach an important milestone, a lunchtime pizza party once a month, or a spontaneous Nerf-dart duel.
• Work with your employees. Make sure the employees see you there and working with them. No one likes to work hard for someone who doesn't work hard him -- or herself. Especially early on, be the first to arrive and the last to leave whenever possible.
• Keep your door open. Whether or not you have your own office yet, keep your "door" open. Make sure your employees and managers know that you are approachable at any time about any problem they are having.
• Listen. You have built a great team and are paying top dollar for it. Hold meetings with your management team at least every other week. Also have frequent informal ad hoc discussions with your partners, managers, and employees. Get their feedback, discuss the business and its strategy, and inquire every so often if there is anything that is frustrating them that you can help with. A few weeks ago I had a quick spur-of-the-moment meeting with the lead developer for iContact. After inquiring whether he had any job frustrations, it came out that he felt he was working in an environment in which he became distracted too often. We quickly devised a solution whereby he would work at home four hours a day until we could move into a larger office where the development team could work in a separate room, away from the distraction of the sales and support team. This small change has doubled the developer's productivity.
• Build relationships. Without understanding at least the basics of what is occurring in an employee's out-of-office life, it can be hard to connect with the person on a professional level. One tactic I've used successfully to get to know each employee personally is to take the person and his or her significant other to dinner the first evening of their employment. It serves as a way to celebrate the occasion as well as learn a little bit about the employee that would not come out in interviews or through reading a resume.
• Commend more than you criticize. Too many business owners (and I have been guilty of this as well) speak to an employee only when he or she has done something wrong or something that has negatively affected the company. While constructive criticism and appropriate guidance have their place, if you seem to only condemn and never praise, your employees will quickly either dislike you or show apathy toward their jobs. Continual properly placed praises can be as powerful in getting quality results from employees as a large pay raise. Many people thrive on peer and superior recognition just as much as on money. Instituting an employee-of-the-month award and a quarterly performance review can be extremely valuable to your company.
• Consciously build a culture. At iContact, we truly are a family. In fact, we call ourselves the iContact Family. When someone is moving into a new house or needs a ride home from the airport, we're there to help. We believe in building people up, not tearing people down. We put people first and have respect for the individual. We believe that we should work hard and be innovative, yet maintain a balance in our lives. We believe in not letting balls drop, and that we're all working together on the same mission. We have foosball and Ping-Pong tables in our office, free sodas, Bagel Monday, and monthly birthday celebrations and Outstanding Performance Award ceremonies. We have a young, dynamic, fun, and innovative culture. It exists because we have consciously built it.
As a manager and business owner, you are charged with an immense responsibility. You control the activity and purpose that your employees dedicate half of their waking hours to. Make your company's purpose meaningful, communicate your vision, respect and praise your employees, and share your success. If you can succeed in building a team of highly motivated and happy employees who take initiative, have a bias toward action, respect you, and truly care for the business, you will have done much of the work toward building a strong and fast-growing organization.
By Ryan Allis.
Over the past five years, as iContact and Virante have grown, I've learned a lot about managing people. A business amounts to little without the people behind it. The two most important things I look for when hiring are initiative and work ethic. I cannot overestimate the importance to the eventual success of your business of bringing on good people. But once you have hired these good people, how do you manage them?
I certainly admit that I have much left to learn about leadership and management, but here are a few tips that might be helpful:
• Have a vision and communicate it. Make sure you clearly communicate your vision for the company. No one follows a leader who cannot communicate the way in which the company will succeed. The future of all your employees is tied closely to the success of your company. Make sure they believe in your company, what it stands for, and its products and services, and make sure they know that the hard work they are putting in now will payoff.
• Show respect. Treat people, including your customers, suppliers, partners, and employees, with respect at all times.
• Share your success. Make sure your employees share in the success of your company. As the company is able, provide additional benefits such as health care and dental coverage, a stock options plan, and a 401(k) plan. As your employees' skills and abilities grow, reward them with fair compensation. Finally, consider incentivizing your top employees and managers with ownership in the company. Few things can make a person work harder than a piece of the action.
• Don't be too serious. Make the business environment fun at times. While being professional and taking things seriously is important, nothing can beat the effects of a companywide midnight round of bowling after you reach an important milestone, a lunchtime pizza party once a month, or a spontaneous Nerf-dart duel.
• Work with your employees. Make sure the employees see you there and working with them. No one likes to work hard for someone who doesn't work hard him -- or herself. Especially early on, be the first to arrive and the last to leave whenever possible.
• Keep your door open. Whether or not you have your own office yet, keep your "door" open. Make sure your employees and managers know that you are approachable at any time about any problem they are having.
• Listen. You have built a great team and are paying top dollar for it. Hold meetings with your management team at least every other week. Also have frequent informal ad hoc discussions with your partners, managers, and employees. Get their feedback, discuss the business and its strategy, and inquire every so often if there is anything that is frustrating them that you can help with. A few weeks ago I had a quick spur-of-the-moment meeting with the lead developer for iContact. After inquiring whether he had any job frustrations, it came out that he felt he was working in an environment in which he became distracted too often. We quickly devised a solution whereby he would work at home four hours a day until we could move into a larger office where the development team could work in a separate room, away from the distraction of the sales and support team. This small change has doubled the developer's productivity.
• Build relationships. Without understanding at least the basics of what is occurring in an employee's out-of-office life, it can be hard to connect with the person on a professional level. One tactic I've used successfully to get to know each employee personally is to take the person and his or her significant other to dinner the first evening of their employment. It serves as a way to celebrate the occasion as well as learn a little bit about the employee that would not come out in interviews or through reading a resume.
• Commend more than you criticize. Too many business owners (and I have been guilty of this as well) speak to an employee only when he or she has done something wrong or something that has negatively affected the company. While constructive criticism and appropriate guidance have their place, if you seem to only condemn and never praise, your employees will quickly either dislike you or show apathy toward their jobs. Continual properly placed praises can be as powerful in getting quality results from employees as a large pay raise. Many people thrive on peer and superior recognition just as much as on money. Instituting an employee-of-the-month award and a quarterly performance review can be extremely valuable to your company.
• Consciously build a culture. At iContact, we truly are a family. In fact, we call ourselves the iContact Family. When someone is moving into a new house or needs a ride home from the airport, we're there to help. We believe in building people up, not tearing people down. We put people first and have respect for the individual. We believe that we should work hard and be innovative, yet maintain a balance in our lives. We believe in not letting balls drop, and that we're all working together on the same mission. We have foosball and Ping-Pong tables in our office, free sodas, Bagel Monday, and monthly birthday celebrations and Outstanding Performance Award ceremonies. We have a young, dynamic, fun, and innovative culture. It exists because we have consciously built it.
As a manager and business owner, you are charged with an immense responsibility. You control the activity and purpose that your employees dedicate half of their waking hours to. Make your company's purpose meaningful, communicate your vision, respect and praise your employees, and share your success. If you can succeed in building a team of highly motivated and happy employees who take initiative, have a bias toward action, respect you, and truly care for the business, you will have done much of the work toward building a strong and fast-growing organization.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Ten Life Lessons from Richard Branson
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)
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)
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
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.
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