March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
Chances are good that right now there is an opportunity to improve a situation in your organization that requires your decision. Perhaps it is a weighty one, with the potential for business consequences that you’d rather not deal with…so you aren’t. You justify the delay with the claim that you need more time, more alternatives to consider, more money or resources before you can take action. The fact is, indecision is a decisionnot to act. A wise man once said If you are already in a hole, it’s no use to continue digging. The situation that requires a solution will only get worse and your lack of decisiveness will become your legacy.
FAILURE TO ACT CAN RESULT IN THE INCALCULABLE COST OF OPPORTUNITY LOST.
Consider Barnes & Noble, who as the world’s biggest bookseller, failed to act on the opportunity to tap the marketing potential of the Internet, until they became an also ran reacting to the overnight success of industry upstart Amazon.com. Or, put yourself in the picture of watching your most talented contributor hand you his resignation out of frustration to take a job with your fiercest competitor because you put off deciding to fund his idea or implement the solution to your organization’s biggest problem.
In his book The Paradox of Choice, Swarthmore psychologist Barry Schwartz talks about two general types of decision makers: satisficers - those that can determine how much information is enough in order to make the best choice possible and move on; and, maximizers - those that must examine every possibility and thoroughly analyze each one before deciding, and then worry about and second guess the decision once it’s made. It seems reasonable to imagine that if some choice is good, then more choice is better, but psychologically, that’s not true says Schwartz, Analysis paralysis sets in. There’s a kind of regret when you make a choice. Decision makers that are maximizers can worry about the state of things, recognize that something needs to change, and yet avoid making it happen because they don’t feel certain about their course of action. It makes sense, then, to have analyzers, as well as good enough types in organizations to ensure a balanced approach to decision making.
WAITING UNTIL THINGS ARE PERFECT CAN MEAN FAILING TO TAKE THE RISK THAT COULD LEAD TO A POSITIVE OUTCOME OR LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
General George Patton once said A good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later. Take the decision by 3M to go ahead with marketing the failed to stay stuck glue that has resulted in today’s ubiquitous, and indispensable post-it note! Or, consider organizations that encourage and reward employee risk taking as a strategy for growth. One client of mine, for example, consistently uses mistakes to foster a learning environment and has a habit of saying to a manager who makes a bad call, What did you learn from that experience and how can we apply it to decisions going forward?
The best decision makers are proactive rather than reactive, and those most adept at decision making use different techniques depending on the circumstances.
HERE ARE A FEW TIPS:
Don’t sweat the small stuff: Make on the spot decisions for non-crucial things like what to have for lunch or what time to hold a meeting.
Think on your feet: In a true crisis, stay calm, do a fast triage, use your instincts and go with what you’ve got.
Narrow your choices: Quickly whittle the list of possibilities down to 2-3 reasonable options so you can take the time necessary to explore the realistic pros and cons before deciding on more weightier matters like implementing a new organization structure or selecting your successor.
Face your fears: Write down the action or decision that is keeping you up at night. By identifying the toughest fears and asking, What’s the worst that can happen? you should be able to clear the obstacles and see a straight path to the best decision.
Ask for help: If you are overanalyzing, get an outsider to help you put things into perspective. If you tend to shoot from the hip, quickly initiate a brief survey or bring the team together to request their honest feedback.
Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent and committed decision. –Anthony Robbins
Now, back to the elephant in the room…what are you going to do right now about that situation waiting on your decision?
Marilyn Lustgarten, president of The Star Makers Group, is an organizational strategist, coach and advisor to leaders in organizations experiencing the challenges of getting to the next level. Marilyn speaks professionally and is the author of numerous published articles on achieving stellar performance results through effective leadership, innovation and a winning culture. She also publishes For Your Inspiration, an electronic newsletter and resource for business leaders. For more information or to contact her visit http://www.starmakersgroup.com
Author: Marilyn Lustgarten
Keywords: Decision making,decision maker styles,decision techniques,business decisions,decisiveness
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By admin
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
Leading innovation in business development and risk management is the result of action, thought and creativity, commitment and dedication, as well as perseverance.
Innovation is the product of continually conducting five key activities. These activities can be incorporated into your small business plans, your skills development and your corporate team building.
Understand Your Customers and Find Out What They Want
Go and visit your customers and talk to them. Get to know them. Find out what their needs are and determine what needs are not being met by what you are currently offering them. In some cases, you may not be able to help them directly, but you may be able to point them in the right direction.
In most cases, however, if you work together discussing their needs, it is surprising how many new opportunities for innovation will emerge.
It is only when you build trusting relationships with your customers that you will come up with something that you never thought of before.
In such moments, breakthroughs occur in our thinking, and we come up with solutions that are new and beneficial to both your customer and to your business.
Understand People Who Are Not Your Customers
Listen to people who are not your customers, as well. In this respect, try to understand what sells and the reasons that it sells, as far as these people are concerned.
Become aware of the reasons that people who are not your customers give for their not being interested in buying your products or services. Think about the features you could potentially add that could make your product or service attractive to them.
Know Your Own Business Capabilities
Its all very well to come up with exciting new opportunities or ideas that have been generated in discussions with customers. However, these potential opportunities have to be analysed in the hard light of day to see if they are worth pursuing or not.
To complete this analysis, you must know what your business is capable of in relation to prospective innovative initiatives.
The new idea must be in line with the nature and direction of your business. It must be in keeping with your skills base. It must fit with your business in terms of its structures, systems, planning, resources and shared values.
Questions need to be asked and answered in light of all these elements. You must talk to the key people in your business and listen to what they have to say. You need to debate and discuss the pros and cons of each initiative. By doing this, you are generating an energetic mindset and a can do culture in your own business.
Ultimately, not every idea has merit. The approach outlined above ensures that new ideas are constantly being responsibly evaluated and considered in your business. Such activity stimulates innovation.
Think Creatively
Having said above that you must align new ideas with the primary focus of your business, in terms of its nature and direction, it is also true to say that those elements likewise must be challenged by emerging new ideas. What got you where you are in business today will not necessarily get you where you want to be tomorrow.
Be prepared to challenge the conventional thinking in your own business and understand the gaps that might appear in your capabilities if you pursued a new course of action.
You should not be frightened to explore new choices that might take you into new territory. Innovation requires taking risks. The important thing is to minimize the risk and maximize the opportunity to deliver the highest likelihood of success.
Create an environment in your business that encourages free and open thinking, where nothing is taken personally. Focus the discussion on the idea and not the personalities. Bad news and good news are both important to hear.
Share ideas and wrestle with the questions until you hone the idea down to a product or service that can be delivered.
Another thought about product development is to keep it simple and uncomplicated. Too often, people want to design the killer product with heaps of features, bells and whistles that, in the end, nobody wants or uses.
Take the Idea to Market
One of the highest valued qualities of good is getting results. Once you have decided what to do, do it, and do it quickly.
On the basis of having listened to your customers, taking into account other sources of information and having hammered the thinking out with the people in your own business, you must then act expediently. Get it out there.
Develop the product or service. Learn from any mistakes you make by understanding the causes of such failures. Always evaluate and be open to feedback and make adjustments.
Remember, innovation in business has a distinct emotional element. It preys on our hopes and fears and raises the excitement and anxiety levels. Nothing that was ever worth achieving comes about by sitting on our hands. Innovation in business is born of sheer hard work, determination, commitment and resilience. Emotional intelligence in business involves managing your state through this emotional roller coaster.
Leadership skills development, in terms of innovation, is about being willing to go into an unknown future, with clarity of focus, clear-headed thinking and a willingness to take the calculated risk.
Peter McLean is a highly experienced Coach, Senior Manager, Consultant, Business Owner and Company Director. He successfully coaches top Executives in some of Australias leading multi-national companies. One such Senior Executive recently won an International Award for Excellence within his particular field. In addition, Peter works extensively in the Public, Private, Commercial and Not-for-Profit sectors, delivering outstanding results for his clients. To learn more of how you can benefit from Peters experience, visit the Essential Business Coach web site!
Author: Peter McLean
Keywords: Leadership skills development,Business development and risk management,Small business plans
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By admin
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
So what is leadership from the heart? Leadership from the heart is only a expression for how you (as a leader) can center yourself before making decisions.
I recently attended a couple of workshops from Greg Yau, a King-Fu Master, an Acupunture Master, and a Master of Quantum Physics. These workshops were around using Quantum Physics to master yourself and not trying to master those around you. It has been said that in order to win the battle, you must first master yourself and this is certainly the truth for leaders in any profession, whether it is sports, business, or school. Without knowing yourself, the more difficult it is to lead others.
You may be wondering how centering yourself has an effect on your leadership skills. Let me explain. If you are in a heated battle of words with someone, your anger will control the outcome of the argument. If you can center yourself so that you are focused and calm, the battle winner will surely be you.
What about Quantum Physics? Greg Yau has done extensive research into the application of physics with accupunture points and with the Chakras. He demonstrated postures, balancing of the brain (sides, top to bottom) and drinking in knowledge. I was truly amazed at the results achieved when the brain was centered. Setting goals was given a different meaning so that it went straight to the core of the body and internalized. I know there are many books out there on affirmations but I doubt very much these books are based on the study of the human body including Quantum Physics.
The biggest concern with affirmations is that we, as humans, do not always affirm in the right way. If our intentions are not correct, then these affirmations will often bring the opposite. Greg points out that you must give of yourself before you can receive. The laws of the universe determine what you deserve rather than giving you what you want.
Is there any truth to being centered and calm? You should ask Greg Yau as he has worked with hundreds of people and gained tremendous results. Is this for everyone? I doubt it but for those of us that believe in helping others first, this is certainly the best step forward.
If you want to know more about this fascinating work go to fmbr.org
Bette Daoust, Ph.D. is a speaker, author (over 170 books, articles, and publications), and consultant. She has provided marketing, sales, business development and training expertise for companies such as Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Varian Medical Systems, Accenture, Avaya, Cisco Systems to name a few. Dr. Daoust has also done extensive work with small businesses in developing their marketing, training, and operational plans. You may contact Dr. Daoust at http://BizMechanix.com You may also view her latest publications at http://BlueprintBooks.com Dr. Daoust also writes for the National Networker http://theNationalNetworker.com
Author: Bette Daoust, Ph.D.
Keywords: leasership, Bette Daoust, BlueprintBOOKS, Tao, I Ching, business
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March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
Elizabeth M., Human Resources Director for a mid-sized furniture manufacturer, earnestly shared with me her hopes for developing a skilled cadre of supervisory personnel who would effectively lead their work groups by positive example and, thereby, maximize the contributions to company profitability. She wanted the front-line Supervisors to be able, through training, to develop, motivate, and inspire their subordinates to be more effective and productive contributors to Company growth and profitability.
She explained that her front-line leadership needed to learn basic leadership skills, and wanted training to address these. I asked her what had been the company’s prior experiences with formal training, and she explained that, in 2000, she had contracted a trainer to deliver a series of supervisory development workshops, and that these were successful; that is, they were highly evaluated by workshop participants, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed them. Training was considered a success!
I inquired, If these workshops were successful, why was she interested in contracting for more of the same training? Elena replied that, because the company failed to reinforce training, and that follow-up training was needed to reinforce the 2000 training intervention.
On Day 1 of class, I asked participants to briefly review and summarize what they had learned from this prior training, and of those skills learned, which were they using, on-the-job, As an aid to developing participant responses, I briefly summarized the content of previous training, together with an abbreviated review of the skill points covered in all the previous lessons. I then verbally polled their responses. Typical answers were, I learned a lot of useful things; I learned how to treat people better; Training helped me understand how to get along with others better, etc. Not one of the twenty-one people present could name one skill learned - much less presently used - as a result of training.
This is an example of training dollars that were apparently poorly spent; after all, if you cannot point to specific performance improvements as a result of training, why bother doing it at all? In this case, at least, it wasn’t enough that people thoroughly enjoyed themselves and that training was entertaining and upbeat.
What to Do?
1.It is axiomatic that successful training must be tied to expectations for specific improvements in group or individual behaviors: competent training can demonstrate measurable results.
2.Specific improvements must be tied to identified needs; therefore, do a needs assessment before you even entering the classroom. If the company doesn’t want to invest the time and money in an assessment effort, walk away. Needs assessment is critical to any classroom training effort.
3.The needs assessment process should identify the specific improvements that are needed - improvements that are measurable and specific. This may seem an elementary point, but it is often missed, or undervalued.
4.Educate the internal person who is driving the training effort as to why needs assessments are necessary, what can be expected from them, how they can inform and guide a successful training effort, why performance criteria are necessary, etc. Get the internal person - and other key stakeholders in the organization - involved and committed to the entire training process.
5.Hold trainees accountable for learning. This can be done in a number of ways, including pre-and post testing of training content, simple verbal quizzes during class, using a paper-and-pencil evaluation exercise as part of class, etc. Some resources for evaluation activities include: Games Teams Play (McGraw-Hill), More Team Games for Trainers (McGraw-Hill), 101 Ways to Make Training Active (Jossey-Bass), and 101 Good Ideas: How to Improve Just About Any Process (ASQ Quality Press).
6.Develop mechanisms, with trainees, they can use to continually evaluate their own learning and application of newly-acquired skills.
About the Author
Anthony Griffin has owned and operated Teamworks, a bilingual/bicultural performance improvement and human resource development practice, since 1994. He can be reached at: (951) 784-9330 or training@teamworks1.com. His website is: http://www.teamworks1.com
Author: Anthony Griffin
Keywords: Spanish,training,supervisors,managementdevelopment,management,training problems,successful training
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By admin
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
I had dinner recently with my close friend, Sarah. She is a mid-level manager at a large technology firm. She is not happy at work, and she lamented her work situation during our meal. If R & D were smarter, she would be happy. If Sales would listen to her, she would be happy. If Management would connect to what is going on in the firm, she would be happy. If she did not have to commute every day for an hour each way, she would be happy.
The following day I had a similar conversation with a client Janet is the CEO of a sizeable corporation. It is her team’s fault that she is overworked. Because of their incompetence, Janet is so busy that she has little time to spend with her family. She is out of shape because her workload leaves no time for exercise. If her team were better, the organization would be more profitable. Then the board would not come down so hard on Janet.
It happens to all of us. We realize that things at work or in some aspect of our personal lives are not going the way we want them to go. Deftly we find other people or outside circumstances to blame for our dissatisfaction. Thus, we avoid taking responsibility for personal choices that perpetuate the problems we face.
Shifting blame for our problems away from ourselves eliminates our need to take charge of our own lives. By blaming other circumstances or other people for our problems, we avoid taking responsibility in our jobs, in our families or in our communities. We abdicate leadership. We give our power away to the people or the organizations around us. Then we become frustrated when the results we want are not forthcoming. Having stepped out of leadership, though, we are powerless to make effective changes toward our goals.
We regain our power to affect change when we recognize that our choices, whether conscious or unconscious, and our actions create the circumstances around us. Although we will have to face the fears that come with change, it will be in recognizing that we have options that we will become empowered again. We will reclaim leadership.
Sarah can continue to be angry and dissatisfied with her work situation or she can choose to do something positive about it. Janet can choose to be frustrated because her team is not performing to her expectations or she can take action and change the team’s performance for the better. Each woman needs to choose. Either she is going to stand on the sidelines and be a victim or she is going to step up, claim responsibility and be a true leader.
It is not always easy to take responsibility for our choices and our behavior. Many times, in fact, it is quite difficult. As we reclaim accountability, though, we realize that we are capable of being effective leaders. We become the authors of own stories. We create our own destinies. This is the heart of what it means to be a leader.
In what area of your life do you abdicate responsibility?
What does it feel like?
What choices do you avoid making?
What actions do you need to take?
Bill Pullen is President of Pullen & Associates, a Washington, DC based consulting firm providing coaching and consulting services to individuals making change as well as corporations, the federal government and private organizations. His work focuses on managing change, developing current and emerging leaders and building leadership capacity within organizations. Some of his past or current clients include Booz Allen Hamilton, Marriot, AOL/Time Warner, Cascade Health Care, Federal General Services Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Canadian Government Fairfax County Public Schools and American Federation of Retried Americans. http://www.PullenAssociates.com
Author: Bill Pullen
Keywords: leadership
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By admin
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
The person who constantly angers you or frustrates you…controls you. Colleen Kettenhofen
Do you know any difficult people? Have you ever worked or lived with a difficult person? Are YOU a difficult person?! It’s amazing how many participants in my training will come up to me at the end of a program on, Dealing with Difficult People, or Dealing with Difficult Employees, and confide to me, Colleen, I think sometimes I’m a difficult person and just realized it today! Well, we can all be difficult people from time to time. But what do you do with the person who is chronically difficult? A key component to life balance is learning to deal with difficult people. There will always be difficult people. Here are three important points to remember.
1) All behavior has a positive intention - even with difficult people. 2) Low -esteem is often at the root cause of why people are difficult. 3) You can’t always please everybody.
1) All behavior has a positive intention. Take for example the gossip. When someone comes into your office gossiping about everyone else, who are they trying to make look better? Themselves. That is their positive intention. As a matter of fact, while you are reading this article, what do you think the difficult people/gossips are doing in your office? Gossiping about YOU! I’m just kidding. Sort of.
I don’t think gossips realize that when they gossip to you about everyone else, you are probably thinking, I wonder what they say about ME when I’m not around? Remember, they have a positive intention. Strange as it may sound, they are trying to make themselves look better.
What about whiners and complainers? If someone comes to you complaining and whining about how much work they have to do, or how overloaded they are, what are they looking for? They’re looking for empathy, sympathy. Or, these difficult people are looking for you to do the work for them. That’s their positive intention. Now, we all have times when we’re overloaded and feeling overwhelmed. But I’m talking about the real whiners and complainers. Those you might label emotional vampires because they just suck the life out of you.
What about snipers? Believe it or not, even these difficult people have a positive intention. They are the difficult people who throw little digs your way in the hopes of rattling your cage and ruffling your feathers. What’s their positive intention? To make themselves look better. And, they think that by cutting you down, especially in front of others, that they’ll look better. For example, in an open work area, a sniper might walk by and within earshot of others say to you, Well, there goes Shelly, on her 100th personal phone call of the day! AND, you weren’t even on a personal phone call!
These snipers are the same difficult people who after cutting you down and insulting you, will say, Oh, you just have no sense of humor. They’re trying to put it all back on you. Really though it’s about them and their own insecurities. Which brings me to the second main point in dealing with difficult people.
2) Low -esteem. A lot has been written and talked about regarding -esteem and -confidence. It almost seems ridiculous quite frankly. For example, every child on a team winning a trophy even though they were on the LOSING team. All in the name of -esteem. And yet, a lot of difficult people do suffer from low -esteem. Not always, but often.
Only one out of every three American adults has high -esteem, and we’re a pretty positive culture. But, only one out of three adults really has high -esteem. Some of you may be thinking, Well, I know it’s definitely not me! That’s okay. It’s something you can work on. The point is, that with difficult people it’s not necessarily about you. You aren’t the problem. It’s about THEM. They’re the difficult person. (More later on making sure we’re not the difficult person!)
Low -esteem often has its roots in childhood. It coulde be that the difficult person was teased by fellow classmates in school. This can result in one having a low opinion of themselves. You all know kids can be cruel. Sometimes it’s something a teacher or a parent said. Or being compared to Super Parent or a superstar sibling. Any number of things can cause low -esteem. You don’t always know what’s going on with someone else and why they’re behaving the way they do.
Sometimes you can do all the right things and nothing works because they’re a difficult person who doesn’t want to change. Or, they haven’t been held accountable for needing to change. So remember, focus on the part you can control - you.
3) You’re not always going to please everyone. You won’t always please everybody so get rid of the notion that you will. We can’t always worry about what everyone else thinks of us.
Dr. Daniel Amen has what he calls the 18-40-60 rule. The 18-40-60 rule is: When you’re 18 years old, you worry about what everyone is thinking of you. When you’re 40, you don’t care anymore what everyone thinks of you. And when you’re 60, you realize nobody’s been thinking about you at all! How true is that?! The older we get we realize everybody isn’t thinking about us.
Also, don’t be a person who tends to dwell. For example, have you ever been in a situation where a week after your encounter with the difficult person you’re still stewing about them, thinking about them, and dissecting what was said? Remember, the person who constantly angers you…controls you.
Keep a pad of paper along with a pen in your car. Anytime you’re afraid you’re going to say something you’d regret, especially if you’re a manager or supervisor, go out to your car during a break. I realize many of you are so busy you don’t even know what a break is anymore! Seriously, though, write down everything you’d like to say, that you never could say. When you arrive home, tear it up, or burn it. Throw it away.
Be careful, too, of the words you use. Avoid absolutes. For example, don’t say, You always and You never. It will only put that difficult person further on the defensive. I once role played with a gentleman in one of my trainings, and I said John, you never do the work. You’re always expecting everyone around here to do your work! He looked at me, pointed and said, You sound like my wife! Everyone roared with laughter.
Even major corporations have to be careful that their slogans get translated properly into foreign languages. For example, it’s been said that Pepsi’s Come alive with the Pepsi generation, translated into Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave in Chinese. Frank Perdue’s chicken slogan, It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken, was translated into Spanish as, It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate!
In conducting training, especially when discussing dealing with difficult people or difficult employees, I sometimes have my participants take the following pledge.
On my honor, I promise, when dealing with a difficult person, that I will bite my tongue and count to 10. Because if I don’t, I may say something that I will LIVE to regret!
Colleen Kettenhofen is a speaker, workplace expert, & co-author of The Masters of Success, as featured on the Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. For more free articles and e-newsletter, or to order the book visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com Topics: , management, difficult people, public speaking. Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars. (971)212-2412. http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com
Author: Colleen Kettenhofen
Keywords: dealing with difficult people
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March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
A good leader can take a team and accomplish things that no one believed was possible. In order to do this they must make incremental changes that are challenging, but not impossible. By giving their organization a string of successes they will build momentum and attitudes that will help them overcome even difficult situations in the future.
Good teachers take their students far beyond what the students think is possible in a short period of time. A good leaders do the same.
Teachers break the overall semester goals into smaller weekly goals and arrange them in a logical order. The best teachers I have had plan their assignments out for the entire semester and include it as part of the syllabus. Going into the class you look at the assignments and it is overwhelming, but the first one looks doable, challenging and interesting.
In the process of completing the first assignment you learn several things that make the next assignment a little more possible and so one. By the time youve completed 4 or 5 assignments you have confidence. A leader must take the same approach as a teacher when it comes to improving his organizations confidence. As a leader you may not always be able to arrange tasks in the best order for your team to learn. This makes it difficult to create a series of goals where every time you achieve one you are more equipped to achieve the next.
Professors have the distinct advantage of being able to teach the same class year after year. Since most teachers get a new class every semester, they have the opportunity to start fresh. Any miscalculations about the complexity of certain assignments can be changed the next semester and any opposition on the part of the students is not cumulative. To manage these risks a leader must advance toward their first goals very carefully.
Staring with simple easy to accomplish goals helps build momentum and gives the leader a better idea of what his people are capable of accomplishing. By making the goals informal a leader can learn these things while reducing the risk of creating discouragement.
Over time a leader must communicative formal goals and plans. Some leaders dont want to tell anyone what the organizational goals are because they dont want people to get disheartened if they arent achieved. While this might be beneficial for a short period of time, if a leader is incapable of sharing goals and plans after a year, it will be damaging to the organization. Teamwork can only flourish when there are clear goals.
Leadership501 is a website with resources for leaders and people in management positions. Please visit http://www.leadership501.com to find out more about how leaders can challenge their organization and other leadership topics.
Author: Mark Shead
Keywords: leadership, how to, organizational change, business, business leadership, motivation
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By admin
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
Popular leadership books make a lot of money by asserting that anyone can be a leader. United States culture emphasizes that everyone is equal, so this idea is very popular in America.
Aristotle felt that people were more or less born in to classes. They might be born as a barbarian (someone not fit to lead) or born as a noble (someone fit to lead). If we recognize that some people are leaders and others arent well spend less time trying to develop leadership skill in people who have no natural skill in leading. One of the great difficulties that technology companies are working to overcome is pay scales that place a greater emphasis on leadership skills than technical skills. Many very productive scientists and technical people get moved to management positions that they are unfit for because it is viewed as a promotion.
If youve ever seen an eagle try to run, youll know that it isnt something they are good at. One point of view would be to look at the eagle and decide that with more training he can become a better at sprinting. With practice the eagle should be able to keep his wings at his side and balance better while running.
However, forcing an eagle to run would keep it from doing what it does so well already. Forcing some people to become leaders can take them from a place where they are effective to a place where they have little natural skill and lower their contribution to the organization overall.
Leadership501 is a website with resources for leaders and people in management positions. Please visit http://www.leadership501.com to find out more about born leaders and other leadership topics.
Author: Mark Shead
Keywords: leadership, born leader, leadership skill, oranizational leadership
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March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
The Principle of Leadership:
Many wish to be leaders. Few understand the true essence of Leadership, which is a compound of four separate ingredients, each one necessary and absolutely vital to all of the others. Those ingredients are:
Clear vision;
Execution of tasks;
Objectivity; and
Loyalty.
Vision means that one has the ability to see beyond today and its challenges, to set and pursue long term goals, yet stay in the moment enough to accomplish daily results. Vision and action, therefore, must always co-exist dynamically.
Vision can be created from awareness, but it must continuously be modified by new perceptions. As one grows, as the world changes, ones vision will require adjustments. Therefore, the essence of vision is to be strategically flexible, and yet the awareness behind ones vision is fundamentally unchangeable.
Vision without action is depression waiting to occur. Action without vision is too mechanical to be enjoyed. Microwave thinking (Seeking immediate gratification vs. allowing time by cultivating a great strategy) is the opposite of vision.
When vision is present, and combined with a great product, service, or marketing strategy, leadership has begun and success is going to follow. However, one of the most important facets of leadership is the leaders ability to execute.
Execution originates in decisiveness, but must include the ability to follow through on all aspects of that decision, long after the initial excitement of the moment has passed. Generally speaking, leaders make quick decisions and stay with them long-term. Non-leaders take a long time to make decisions, then shortly after pull back from fully implementing what they have decided upon.
This is not to say that leaders never change their mind. Everyone has the right to change their mind, and surely a leader must claim that right whenever necessary. But leaders change their mind not because of fear, but rather because of new intuition, or insight. New challenges can occur, and may get in the way of execution, yet a leader is proactive and solution-oriented, rather than reactive and problem-oriented.
Objectivity is the ability to see things as they are, including ones self. It must go hand in hand with allowing oneself to create solutions when necessary. A leader is very objective, very open, when it comes to noticing his or her shortcomings. They are unafraid of looking objectively because they know that their shortcomings dont define who they are. Rather, they are what she or he must choose to work on, within.
Therefore, objective leaders are self-correctors. They are their own best students. To be a self-corrector is not the same as undergoing self-criticism, or self-judgment. It is a process of maintaining clarity, not slowing down for blame. Self criticism gets in the way of self correction because it further clouds the mind of the individual, blocking the clarity that is required for being an effective self corrector.
A leaders deepest loyalty is to his or her vision. Second is their loyalty to remaining patient while pursuing that vision Third is ones loyalty to others who are inspired to be part of fulfilling that vision. Within true loyalty there is no room for guilt. Those who try to secure the loyalty of others based on fear and guilt are not true leaders. Quite the contrary, the essence of loyalty is found in love, trust, and the empowerment of others who are part of the vision.
A true leader will never confuse leadership with aggressive selfishness. Although this is often a path to leadership, it leads to achievement that carries with it emptiness and despair. Aggressive and selfish leadership is like placing a ladder alongside a tower, climbing up, and finding desolation. The Principle of Leadership says that a leader can and should strive to climb a ladder that is rooted and stabilized by vision, execution, objectivity, and loyalty. Once reaching the top of this ladder, the leader will find it to be leaning upon the tower of fulfillment.
About Ellie Drake
Savvy businesswoman, doctor,in-demand motivational speaker, inspiration to men and women around the globe,
Ellie Drake is a multi-dimensional success. She maintains a demanding schedule of personal appearances as well as a series of web sites, each offering insights, newsletters and products designed to help individuals acheive their personal best. Each Monday night at 10;30 pm Eastern, Drake offers a free teleconference designed to empower her listeners. Visit http://EllieDrake.com/movie for more details. http://EllieDrake.com/report.
2006 EllieDrake.com - All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Author: Ellie Drake
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By admin
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:42pm
Under Leadership
Im a confessed 24 Fanatic. Given the choice between going out on the town and watching Chloes Personality Disorder - Ill take Chloe and CTU hands down.
As the 24 seasons have unfolded I have thought more than once about the lessons that 24 has for todays business leaders running their own CTU. (Competitive Tactical Units).
If only every business, had a Jack Bauer they could call, to get the mission accomplished and lead field operations!
#1: Successful Missions begin with Good Intel. Jack never goes into a mission blind. The analysts at CTU send him the latest satellite updates and intel so he knows exactly what hes getting into and can develop his entry strategy. If only your sales team, had that intel before talking to a prospect.
#2: Field Operations need Communication and Support from Command. Jack is never out there alone. He is backed up by a team that provides constant tactical support. Does operations support your team in the field?
#3: To get things doneyou need a direct line to the President. Jack has on more than one occasion had to call the big guy to remove a road block and so will you when things get messy! Do you have quick access to your President when and if you need it?
#4: People with Personality Disorders sometimes have the greatest talent—Put up with it. Your business may depend having the best person for the job. Chloe and Edgar wont win you over with their communication skills, but thats not what their there for, they are the best at what they do .
#5: Every organization needs protocolsRules of the Road for what to do in those worst case scenarios and when to call Division. How familiar is your team with the rules that provide the playbook for problem solving.
# 6: Good Leadership entails a calm, non-emotional response to crisis. We saw it in President Palmer but in later episodes, when Air Force One went down, I didnt feel too safe with President Keeler at the helm. Did you? Remember that when were angry or emotional our IQ drops a whopping 50%. Good decisions never happen at 50% brainpower.
#7: Watch out for Traitors on your own Team. They are doing the most damage to your operations. Do you have Nina or Mrs. Palmer on your team sabotaging your mission? Sometimes covert and sometimes not, these inside terrorists are diverting your resources and attention and are most likely at the root of your units negativity and team morale issues. Root them out. Its not okay to be a traitor.
#8: Sometimes Leaders just never get a life! Poor Jack. Hero yes, but we never see this guy eat let alone have any kind of life. Even Heroes are Human. Just one time, wouldnt you love to see Jack at home with nothing to do, his shoes kicked off, eating popcorn and watching TV? Itll never happen but make sure it happens to you.
#9: Know the Enemy: Be they Terrorists or Competitors. Theyve got plans, technology and they dont follow rules, which make them extremely dangerous.
#10: A good agent like Jack Bauer is a problem solver with diverse competencies. He or she is loyal, confident, calm in crisis, and knows protocols. A good agent like Jack Bauer gets dirty and sometimes does break the rules in order to accomplish the mission but they are always guided by core values and a commitment to do whats best for the country!
So, maybe you have more in common with Jack Bauer than you thought? In which case, take 24 hours just for you and for your family. Your Country, Your Organization needs you well rested for the next mission.
Rosemary Rein, Ph.D is an Author, Professional Speaker and founder of Costa Rica Learning Adventures. http://www.costaricatraining.com She lectures internationally and hosts leadership and personal development retreats in tropical Costa Rica - http://www.retreatscostarica.com/2007specialoffer.htm
Author: Rosemary Rein
Keywords: leadership, 24, leadersip skills, leadership training, leadership coaching, 40 hours
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