Model the Best, Remember the Worst...

Do you remember some of the ‘Best’ leaders you’ve worked with?  Do you remember some of the “Worst’ ones that you’ve had the unfortunate experience of working for?  Well these memories can be an outstanding blueprint for you to develop your Leadership skills. 

There’s no question you were likely exposed to some very powerful lessons on effective leadership throughout your career.  If you’ve been promoted into a leadership position, you’ve already received them well before you moved into that role.  Where did they come from?  They are courtesy of all the managers, supervisors, leaders you’ve had throughout your working career.

Think back on all of the various people you’ve worked for/with over the years.  Some you’ll remember fondly, some not so fondly.  Undoubtedly some were great leaders—or at least they displayed behaviors that many were attracted to, as well as followed.  These were leaders who showed you, through their example, what you should be doing, appropriate behaviors, etc.   Follow their lead and emulate these leaders.  When in doubt ask yourself—“What would he/she do in this circumstance?” “How would they handle this situation?”   Then move forward!

Maybe your inventory of past managers also includes one or two difficult, challenging, or some might have called them, “jerks”. ..and you’d likely just as soon forget them.  DON’T!!  You need to remember these leaders, clearly and frequently, as well—every day.  They will provide your best lessons on what NOT TO DO.  By avoiding the poor leadership behaviors exhibited by these leaders, you’ll make sure to focus on the positive leadership traits and down the road, you won’t appear on any of your team members’ lists of their worst leaders J.

“People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after.”

—Oliver Goldsmith

What Makes a Good LEADER?

What Makes a Good Leader?

Ask 100 people and you’ll likely get 100 answers.  But one thing is for sure, almost all of the characteristics commonly cited for an effective leader have one critical theme:

                                Working with Others

This is why it’s not a surprise that there are a few important things that we’ve discovered, over time, that all leaders do….

Listen and Learn from others..

Energize your organization..

Act for the benefit of everyone..

Develop themselves and others..

Empower others to lead..

Recognize achievements of others..

Do you think about think about these goals or exhibit some of these leadership behaviors in your role??

Lead from the FRONT

Sounds obvious or logical, doesn’t it? 

Here’s a quote from one of the most legendary leaders that ever lived, GHANDI:

“You can’t change people.  You must be the change you wish to see in people.”

There is nothing more motivational to others than leading from the front.   You motivate others when you are out there and you do it yourself.  It’s more inspiring to others when you DO what you want them to do, first.

BE INSPIRING to others.

Your team would rather be inspired than fixed or corrected.  They would rather be inspired than anything else.

As a motivational practice, leading from the front has a bigger impact and lasts longer than any other practice.  It changes people more deeply and more completely than anything else you can do.

BE What You Want to See in Others

If you want your team to be more positive, be more positive.   If you want them to take pride in their work, take more pride in yours.  Show them how it’s done.  Want them to be on time?  Always be early…(and tell them why..tell them what punctuality means to you, not to them).

Remember the words of General George Patton, “There are three principals of leadership:

1)      Example

2)      Example

3)      Example”

Leverage Your Biggest 'Winning' Behaviors

You may have heard of the Pareto Principle, or better known as the “80/20” Rule.

The rule goes like this:  80 percent of your performance gains will come from 20 percent of your growth efforts.  A typical pattern will show that 80 percent of outputs result from 20 percent of inputs; that 80 percent of consequences flow from 20 percent of causes; or that 80 percent of results come from 20 percent of effort.

A few targeted efforts, aimed at a few particular goals, result in making the major contribution to our personal growth.  A few critical behaviors will account for most of your rapid growth towards your goals.

Just think how much you can accelerate your growth by allocating your personal resources more carefully.  Spend your time, energy, and attention in the high- payoff areas and you could easily double or triple your personal development.

The few things that work incredibly well should be identified, cultivated, nurtured and multiplied.  At the same time, the ‘waste’—the majority of things that will always prove to be of low value—should be abandoned or severely cut back.

If you’re looking for maximum rewards and maximum personal or career growth, don’t make the mistake of seeking balance in your workday routine.  Instead relay heavily on leveraging the biggest winning behaviors that will accelerate your growth and maximum output.

Explain Your Rationale for CHANGE

As our environment is shifting on a daily basis now, the rules, playing field, goal lines are being edited every single day.  Many are insisting that a real change is necessary, whether it’s across an organization, or a facility, or a team.  Given the high stress environment that currently exists, you will likely be met with some form of resistance as we move forward.

Resistance often is rooted in a lack of understanding.. Teams or individuals will withhold support for an initiative simply because they don’t understand the situation or proposal. Education is the first step.

Explain the logic that’s driving the change.  Build your case and make it compelling. Explain the background, losses, stress, lack of forward movement that will bring  others to the conclusion that some kind of change is necessary.

Your explanation should widen their field of vision.  Relate the situation to trends in your industry.  Show how your organization measures up against performance benchmarks.  Try to relate proposed changes to your organization’s CORE VALUES.  And always consider the situation from your audience’s perspective because it needs to make sense from their viewpoint.

Granted some won’t accept what you’re proposing, but you do want them to understand it. Fully.  That way no one can claim ignorance as the reason for their resistance.

Explain specifically why change is under way—making certain your rationale is solid—and more people are likely to get on board.

Never assume your entire group has caught on, even if the reasons for change may seem obvious—Spell it out for everyone and check repeatedly for understanding.  This way you can accurately and appropriately begin to hold others accountable going forward.

Practice the Five (5) A's of Leadership

  

APPROACHABLE—Listen to what others have to say.  Make yourself accessible to others, inviting them to discuss what’s on their mind..

ACCEPTING---Keep an open mind.  Good ideas can come from everyone, at all levels of an organization. Oftentimes, the best ideas come from day-to-day workers, as they’re usually closest to the delivery or execution of projects.

ACKNOWLEDGING---Recognize the contributions of others. Acknowledge someone each day and let them know they’re contributions matter.

ACCOUNTABLE---Be responsible for your actions and all under your charge.

ADAPTABLE---Change isn’t an aspect of business, it IS business itself.  Think about where your organization and your team need to be in the future, more than where you need to be today—make the adjustments necessary to get there.

Do You Know the 20-50-30 Rule?

Though we may anticipate resistance when a major change program is underway, how much resistance is ‘reasonable’?

If you have a reliable frame of reference, you can put things into perspective.  Knowing what’s considered ‘normal’, will better prepare you for the particular situation you may encounter.  

Let’s look at a typical scenario:

In general, twenty (20%) percent of people (or team members) are ‘change friendly’.  They’re open to change, advocates, and will help drive the program you’re looking to implement.  Another fifty (50%) percent of people/team members are ‘on the fence’.  They assume a so-called practical position, trying to figure out which way to lean. Not necessarily hostile to change, but not assisting in a way that they could. The remaining thirty (30%) percent are change-averse.  They are resistors—those that are antagonistic and preventing any movement forward with change programs.

Resistance is very seductive and difficult to ignore—but this group takes up the most time and energy of anyone else. They’ll provide the least return on all of your investment and time.

Spend your time wooing those that are on the ‘fence’—you have a far better chance of winning them over.  Also—devote the largest amount of attention and time to the 20 percent that are already supportive, these are the stars who will drive the change program.   Often they are taken for granted.

You must be willing to let squeaky wheels squeak. Save your grease for the quieter wheels who are already carrying the load…

EXPECT Resistance When Looking to Employ Changes

Resistance is the most common side effect an organization encounters when looking to bring about Change.  If you don’t encounter it, you have to wonder if you’ve really changed the status quo very much.

Similar to your body’s immune system employing a variety of ways to fight an infection, an organization, team, or individual’s response to change manifests in different ways as well—an immediate, pointed response; or a set of emotions; or a collective response designed to refuse cooperation.  Each of these may be stressful to all involved but they’re actually a useful tool.

When looking to execute a change, the specific response(s) that one receives to the proposed change acts as a  barometer or gauge that helps to understand quickly, how the organization and to what degree, the proposed changes may be accepted.

Please Note—the reactions/responses that are received are a gauge, and should not be used to determine whether the proposed change is appropriate to implement.  Oftentimes it is appropriate, but feels too ‘strange’ at the time..

Initiate change with the idea that more than likely it will stir up resistance of some sort or fashion.  Anticipate this and you’re better positioned to address the reactions that come.

“Twenty percent (20%) of people will be against anything..”—Robert Kennedy, former Atty Gen

Weigh Your Reliance on Resistors to Change

Many organizations are struggling to speed up, scrambling to adapt, trying to innovate and embrace new technologies, and respond to a rapidly changing workplace.  As many have experienced this can also be very painful too… Despite the apparent ‘gloom’ of current times we’re also in a time of exciting change.

 Nearly half of all major change initiatives that organizations undertake prove to be a disappointment or possibly a failure.

Why does that happen?

All too often, precious resources are being squandered on organizational ‘civil wars’. Those who are fighting change, instead of collaboratively pushing it forward.  They’re pulling in different directions rather than aligning with the change efforts.

These are the ‘resistors’ or ‘insiders’ within an organization.  You may be paying top dollar for these team members. Yet they represent one of the major threats to your organization’s future.

Resistance is the biggest barrier to ‘Change’.  Resistors will oftentimes employ a variety of tactics to attempt to keep the status quo intact, by keeping their collective feet on the brakes of an organization.   But an organization can keep their forward movement and speed going if they weigh the importance of continuing their future with existing ‘resistors’ in place….

Leadership Requires the Ability to CHANGE

What does it take to be successful in today’s environment of “hyper change”?

It takes Speed, Adaptability, Innovativeness, and a laser-quick Responsiveness to the rapidly changing marketplace around us.

Teams need to be aligned, moving in the same direction.  Energy needs to be focused on moving Forward, instead of protecting the past, if only to defend the status quo…

Impactful change and improvement requires teams to stop resisting and start Driving Change.

There is a great energy, a precious resource that exists right now, that’s might be wasted on ‘resistance’.  Free up this valuable resource and you can position your team and organization for a meaningful breakthrough.

Importance of Recognizing ACHIEVEMENT

Do you want to see a team member’s face light up?  Tell them what a great job they’re doing—even better, show your recognition in front of, or amongst the team itself.

Think about how recognition for achievement makes a person feel

—One of the reasons people choose to work or even volunteer for others, is the recognition for their efforts and achievements. 

Recognition is a huge motivator.  It drives continued motivation and desire for accomplishment, from all around you.

Saying Thank YOU—This demonstrates the value you place on another’s efforts, and shows that you appreciate the time and energy they’ve invested in their work.  This frequently helps create a culture of recognition, in which people go out of their way to appreciate the entire team’s efforts.

Good ideas need to be noticed—Let your team know their ideas, words, and actions are noticed.  Their input is being valued..

Why Should I Empower Others To LEAD?

You’ve likely heard—The role of a leader is to create vision, set expectations, and lead by example.  But leaders also determine the course of action for others to follow.  That involves allowing others to participate in the vision by setting their own expectations and determining their own example by which to lead.  We call this “Empowerment”.

When teams feel they have empowerment, they’re more likely to take ownership for their roles and the larger goals of the organization.  They become more accountable for their actions, and they care about the results they achieve.

It’s these teams that create an organization which is nimble and responsive to the needs of customers/clients.  They manage themselves under the direction of a leader who trusts them to do what is right for their role, and right for the organization.

Continue To Practice The 5 A’s Of Leadership

Approachable- Listen to what others have to say.  Make yourself accessible to others.

Accepting- Keep an open mind.  Great ideas can come from anyone, at any experience level or background.

Acknowledging- Recognize the contributions of others.  Let someone know each day that you appreciate their efforts.

Accountable- Be responsible for yourself and the actions of others under your charge.

Adaptable- Think about where your organization needs to be in the future, not where they are Today.  Make the adjustments necessary to reach that future state.

Leadership Isn't Granted By Title, It Just Requires Courage

In light of current world events, where fear and confusion can prevail, there are leaders of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels that are ‘popping up”—not surprisingly, due to the need for immediate action across our organizations, communities, and systems.

In what ways have you observed leadership occurring?  And who is responsible for providing Leadership??

 Leadership is EVERYONE’S responsibility.

It is the behavior each of us exerts when we take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.  It is the voice within us that calls out and says “Take Charge”, even if it makes one vulnerable.  Most importantly, it is what we do to make a positive difference in our lives and the lives of others, making our organizations and communities a better place.

MAP Your Communications Plan

Three of the most important words in Leadership are: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

Did you know that the best, most effective communication/s are those that are ‘mapped’ out?

Do you have a ‘map’ for your communication plan/s ??

Your ‘MAP’ should include:

• Establish the vision – Show others where you want to go.
• Articulate the strategies – tell others how to get there. 
• Identify benchmarks of achievement – demonstrate how they’ll know when they’re successful.  
• Provide a flexible method for continuous feedback – ask for input during the journey.

PRACTICE THE FIVE A’s OF LEADERSHIP

APPROACHABLE—Listen to what others have to say.  Make yourself accessible to others, inviting them to discuss what’s on their mind..

ACCEPTING---Keep an open mind.  Good ideas can come from everyone, at all levels of an organization. Oftentimes, the best ideas come from day-to-day workers, as they’re usually closest to the delivery or execution of projects.

ACKNOWLEDGING---Recognize the contributions of others. Acknowledge someone each day and let them know they’re contributions matter.

ACCOUNTABLE---Be responsible for your actions and all under your charge.

ADAPTABLE---Change isn’t an aspect of business, it IS business itself.  Think about where your organization and your team need to be in the future, more than where you need to be today—make the adjustments necessary to get there.