Linked 2 Leadership

November 2009
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Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Tom Schulte

Happy Thanksgiving!

In America, we take a moment each year to celebrate all the things for which we are thankful. The L2L staff and bloggers are taking this time to celebrate our national holiday and spending the time with our family, friends, and loved one. We are even spending time with people who we normally don’t like too much, but that is part of the scene, too

We will be back soon. So, no matter where you are, take a moment or two and think about your life and everything in it. Then thank God for everything you have, for all of your experiences, and for the ability to serve others for our brief time on this planet.

Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!

~Tom

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Tom Schulte | Executive Director | Linked 2 Leadership
Atlanta, GA USA

Image Source: hornblowerholidays.com

Filed under: Servant Leadership | Leave a Comment »

Everyone Deserves Good Servant Leadership

Posted on November 25, 2009 by David Hasenbalg

Be Honest

How many people woke up this morning and said to themselves, “I’m going to be completely non-productive today”? How many people went into work this morning committed to finding a way to make mistakes? The answer is nobody. Nobody goes into something hoping to fail. So, why do some people flourish while others struggle?

The answer is leadership. And people deserve good leadership.

Ivy League Stars Can Fall

Let me tell you about James. (I’m not using real names here.) James was a star student at a private prep school. He was awarded the highest honors that the school could give. He was captain of several athletic teams and received top honors there as well. After prep school he was accepted to an Ivy League college where he also excelled both academically and athletically. It seemed like James was destined for greatness no matter what he did.

At his first job out of college, James began working for Brad. Brad is a hands-off manager. In fact, his hands are so far off you might think that he is absent. James receives minimal guidance and direction. The only time Brad gets involved with his team is when his boss takes an interest in what is going on in the department. When James is given projects to work on, he does them and does them well. But, on any given workday are as likely to see him surfing the web as you are doing anything for work.

So what happened? How did this Ivy League star fall so far? The answer is leadership.

People genuinely want to do good work and to be recognized for it.

In exchange, they will work hard to do what it takes to get the job done, if only the person in charge can connect with them and will lead them. If someone isn’t doing well at work, 90% of the time it is because they aren’t sure what is expected of them or they don’t possess the competency to do the job at that point in time. In either case, it is the responsibility of the leader to address it by making sure the expectations are clear, the skills and experience of the individual align to the work at hand, and the desired outcome is reached. Ken Blanchard calls this situational leadership and does a good job of illustrating it in his One Minute Manager series of books. Specifically, in the book “Leadership and the One Minute Manger” Blanchard says,

“Everyone has peak performance potential – you just need to know where they are coming from and meet them there.”

So, did James suddenly tell himself that he was just going to coast in his career? Did his new job reveal that James is not capable of mastering the requirements of the job? Not likely.

Servant Leadership

What happened is that James came face-to-face with self-appointed authoritarian royalty. Leaders like Brad are more focused on fitting themselves with the crown of authority than they are working with their people to help them achieve great things. Sadly this is an all too common story. The most effective leaders are those who have realized that they will be far more successful if they find ways to help their people to be successful. This is called servant leadership.

Servant leaders find it hard to work with people while wearing the crown of authority because the crown tends to fall off when you bend down to help somebody.

In what ways are you a servant leader? How are you helping people achieve the performance potential of which they are capable?

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Dave Hasenbalg is Chief Operating Officer of Customized Solutions, LLC and does coaching and public speaking on Leadership and Operational Excellence.
He can be reached at dhasenbalg@customized-solutions.com

Image Source: farm2.static.flickr.com

Filed under: Coaching Corner, Leadership Lessons Learned, Practical Steps to Influence, Professional Growth, Servant Leadership, Values Measurements | Tagged: Attitude, business, Coaching, emotional intelligence, executive coaching, Inspiration, leadership, leadership skills, Lessons Learned, Self-development, soft skills, team building | Leave a Comment »

Beyond Polarity: A Third Way of Thinking

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Nicole Gnutzman

Who really likes polarity anyway? Ok, maybe the TV pundits, but they’re being paid for it. I’m going to go out on a limb and contend that we might tolerate it, be incensed by it, or even get some vicarious pleasure out of it… but we don’t really, at a fundamental level, like it. And yet we can’t seem to get enough from either.

Two Poles

In business, there’s a polarity of another kind. It’s the polar opposites of reliability (analytical thinking) and validity (intuitive thinking). Many companies have a reliability bias where decisions about new products or new ideas are based purely on analytics and the demand for proof. These companies tend to maintain the status quo, scale well, yet they tend to lack innovation. On the other end of the spectrum are companies that exalt what is intuitively valid;,they innovate fast and furiously, but on the other hand, they find sustainable growth and longevity a difficult challenge to master.

A Third Way to Think

Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto (one of the top business schools in Canada), in his new book, The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage, contends there is a third way, which he calls design thinking.

Design thinking balances “analytical mastery and intuitive originality in a dynamic interplay.”

According to Roger Martin, aspects of both analytical and intuitive thinking are necessary, but not enough for optimal business performance. And when taken to polar extremes, they ruin businesses. Maintaining one without the other in counter-balance does not make for a “sustainably advantaged enterprise.”

Aeron Polished Aluminum Frame In his book, and in a talk hosted by Dev Patnaik, founder and chief executive of Jump Associates, a design strategy firm in San Mateo, CA, Martin provided examples of design thinking companies and leaders such as P&G under the leadership of A.G. Lafley, Apple with visionary leader Steve Jobs, and the De Prees of Herman Miller, the company that designed the now ubiquitous, Aeron chair (you know, the one that looks like it’s half finished and is missing its cushion, but is oddly beautiful and amazingly comfortable).

Design thinkers move along what Martin calls the knowledge funnel from exploring a mystery (a problem that needs solving) to a heuristic (a simple rule of thumb) and then to an algorithm (a formula or code). The beauty of design thinking is that it moves along the funnel efficiently and begins to explore new mysteries once a formula for the first is in place. Far too many companies have gotten stuck along the funnel, only to fail.

So, the question is how do leaders at all levels (and not just the Steve Jobs of the world) become design thinkers?

Three Tools

According to Martin, design thinkers rely on three specific tools to organize their thinking and understand their world:

Observation—Deep, careful, open-minded observation on the lookout for new insights
Imagination—Making an inference based on data gathered through observation and testing it through prototyping
Configuration—Translating the idea into a system that will produce the desired outcome

Beyond the power of the tools themselves is the design thinker’s way of interacting with colleagues operating on polar principles. Design thinkers interact with their reliability colleagues and their validity-based counterparts in several different ways. They have to be flexible and intentional in their interaction in order to bring about the desired results with such variables.

Five Ways

There are 5 specific ways to engineer desired outcomes.

Reframe extreme views as a creative challenge and appreciate the legitimate differences
Empathize with colleagues on the extremes and seek to understand their positions and uncover the range of options for a compelling solution
Communicate on their terms by learning to speak the languages of both reliability and validity
Put unfamiliar concepts in familiar terms using analogy for reliability-based colleagues and sharing data and reasoning (but not conclusions) with validity-based colleagues
Use size to their advantage and design right-sized experiments by turning the future into the past for reliability colleagues (their proof comes from the past so they are more comfortable with incrementalism) and give innovation a chance with validity colleagues (who want to do it all and go big).

Balancing polarity and holding the creative tension between the poles of reliability and validity is the design thinkers’ challenge. From this place, true innovation that solves wicked or intractable problems, and business sustainability (and scalability) springs.

Does your organization’s leader champion design thinking? Are you a design thinker? I’d love to hear stories of what design thinking made possible at your company. And, if you are contemplating the value of design thinking for the first time, I’d love to hear your thoughts on applying it your world.

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Nicole Gnutzman, Principal at Innate Strategies & workshop leader of Effortless Leadership.
She can be reached at nicole@innatestrategies.com or on her blog at www.leadingeffortlessly.wordpress.com.

Image Sources: Mindmap by Jon Gabrio of Jump Associates, hermanmiller.com

Filed under: Future Leadership Issues, Leadership Lessons Learned, Leadership vs. Management, Organizational Health, Practical Steps to Influence, Professional Growth, Servant Leadership | Tagged: business, leadership, Lessons Learned, Linked 2 Leadership, Organizational Health | Leave a Comment »

Managing Mondays: Leveraging Gratitude

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Jason Christensen

It’s not difficult to allow the stress of your workday put you in a “fowl” mood. We often get wrapped up in the timelines, projects, heavy work load, snippy remarks and lack of appreciation presented during our day. More and more, it piles up like mashed potatoes on Uncle Ted’s Thanksgiving plate.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 65% of people say they don’t feel appreciated at work. The lack of appreciation takes its toll and leads to:

Low morale
Pervasive negativity
Loss of enthusiasm
Lack of teamwork
Decreased productivity
Increased turnover

“There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.” – Author Unknown

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It is time to scrape that plate clean and think of all the wonderful things you should be thankful for. Take a minute and clear your mind of all the minutia, take a deep breathe and focus in on the positives. Think of all the little things in the work place that make you happy. The blessings are right there in front of you, you just need to take the time to see them. Be thankful for the:

Customer service person who helped you without question and thanked you for calling.
Person who helped find information needed to complete a presentation you were working on.
IT team who keep your computers and systems up and running 99.9% percent of the time.
Finance person who provides your pricing, terms and agreements without complaint.
Colleague who can make it happen time and again.
Cheerful person you can count on for a positive comment or a good laugh.
Bowl of candy on your assistant’s desk.
Manager who believes in you enough to keep challenging you day after day.

Be thankful for all the wonderful things your workplace has to offer.

MKS&H informally polled a group of their professional colleagues on “Thanksgiving in the Workplace.” Below are some of the small blessings they shared:

I’m thankful for the quick response and smile I get whenever I ask for help.

I can always rely on my team for backup if they have experience with something I don’t. We rely on each other. They’re always there for me.

My manager always has time for me when I have questions – even repeat questions!

Our company trusts us to do the right thing – that means a lot to me.

I’m thankful for the dedication of our employees – I see it over and over again. You can’t teach that. It’s part of who they are.

I’m thankful that my work is treated as an important contribution. I can see that my work is important to others.

I’m thankful our organization understands the importance of technology and is committed to providing employees with the right tools.

I’m thankful for the supportive relationships of my coworkers. They believe in me and my capabilities.

I appreciate the support and assistance I have received since joining our company. I feel welcome here.

I’m very grateful for our professional administrative staff. They have a positive, can-do attitude and are creative problems solvers!

I’m thankful for my coworkers who delight in spreading good news – rather than dwelling on the negative.

I’m thankful for colleagues who return my calls promptly, as if I were their most important customer.

I’m thankful for a group of coworkers who may choose to disagree strongly on certain issues, but have the ability to put differences aside and remain teammates at the end of the day.

The people who share our workplace make up the corporate culture and work environment we all experience on a daily basis. Each one of them contributes to the whole. Some in public ways. Some in quiet ways. The small blessings they provide are all around us. We need only take the time to look – and listen.

For what are you thankful in your workplace?

“The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.” ~ William Blake

Now ask yourself, “Are your colleagues thankful for you?” If so, what is it about you they are thankful for? If not, is it time to make some subtle changes in you character and turn this “turkey” around? Why not! You can start by appreciating people for the little things, or big things for that matter, they contribute to the workplace. As you begin to display appreciation toward others, you will find your gratitude is contagious. It is the little things you can do to make a difference like:

Being respectful of others
Using manners, as simple as saying “please” and “thank you”
Taking the high road, avoiding conflict with colleagues
Showing a genuine interest in people
Keeping an open line of communication
Helping people to realize what they do is important
Recognizing someone for a job well done

You will soon see, by applying a few simple constructive character traits you will get further with people, you will have more respect from others and you will be sought after for the burst of positive energy you infuse into an otherwise thankless world. Take the negatives you encounter each day, turn them into positives and apply them to your own character.

“Be thankful for hard times in your life. Try not to look at them as bad things, but as opportunities to grow and learn” – artsy_T

What are some adjustments you have made or seen other people make in their character?

You are so fortunate, you have much to be appreciative of, put your mind to it and BE THANKFUL!

For a little boost of gratitude check out what other people are thankful for at: Gratitude Stream

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Jason Christensen is National Accounts Manager for The Stanley Works.
He can be reached at jasonchristensen_blog@yahoo.com

Image Sources: paulmayers.blogs.com, kyria.com, thetravelingteam.org

Filed under: Organizational Health, Practical Steps to Influence, Professional Growth, Values Measurements | Tagged: Appreciation, business, Gratitude, Helping Others, leadership, Morale, Recognition, Thankful, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving, Workload | 1 Comment »

It’s Selfish to Help Others!

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Jason Christensen

You heard me right, IT’S SELFISH TO HELP OTHERS!

“Sure others gain from your help, but ultimately why are you helping others?”

It makes YOU feel good inside and really isn’t that what is all about; making YOU feel good? There are many theories out there about altruism, even seemingly selfless acts always have hidden motives whether you are aware of them or not. Ultimately it comes down to this, in some form or fashion you reap a reward for being kind to others.

It may be that:

It makes you feel good inside
It benefits your family
You feel guilt if you chose not help someone
You get an ego boost from the experience
Relieving yourself from the burden of societies pressure
A reward in heaven

No matter the case, the reasoning is the same…SELFISHNESS!

But “resultant selfishness” grown from seeds inspired from helping others is okay.

“Leaders help others all the time, so is leadership selfish?”

ABSOLUTELY! What better feeling than to work hard, guide your team, achieve high success and see your vision come to fruition. Doesn’t that make you feel good? Teachers, some of the greatest leaders in society, do this every day. Ask any teacher why they chose that particular profession and you will find an overwhelming response. They teach because:

It is rewarding
There is a certain prestige and power associated with the position
It is an opportunity to mold the future
They get to ignite the fire and see the “aha!” moment as students overcome challenges
They get to see successes and what students become in life knowing they had affect on that student
There is a great feeling of accomplishment in teaching the unteachable
They get to share their love of learning with others
It allows them the opportunity to serve others and give back to the community
They get to spread their passion and virtues

“Now you know; does it make your quest as a leader any less meaningful?”

NO WAY! So what if it makes you feel good. Why shouldn’t you enjoy the experience of leading a team, helping others to accomplish a common goal. As you guide others you are shaping them for them for a better future. Everything you do influences them in one way or another. You have taken them in as an acorn, watched them sprout, growing into a seedling, eventually into a sapling and one day–a massive oak standing strong against the elements. You did that! With your optimism you helped them get where they are at and to where they are going.

Maybe it is selfish, but it sure does feel good!

Are you selfish? Does it stem from a primary interest in personal reward, or does it come as a result of helping others first? How are you looking to serve others and show up as a giver in your leadership role? Please tell me how. I would love to hear your story.

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Jason Christensen is National Accounts Manager for The Stanley Works.
He can be reached at jasonchristensen_blog@yahoo.com

Image Sources: schmucku.com, www.funkygrad.com, chocolatemintsinajar.com, antabaka.net

Filed under: Leadership Assessments, Servant Leadership, Values Measurements | Tagged: Attitude, business, leadership, Management, Self-development, Selfish, selfless, Thoughts, values | Leave a Comment »

Learn by Sharing

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Chris Sprague

Typically, when people start blogging, the first thing they think of is sharing their ideas with other people. They may think how wonderful it will be to help somebody else or they may think how great it will be for people to know who they are or they may think about how much fun it will be.

However, what most people don’t think about when starting to blog is what they will learn from the experience.

One of the pleasant side-effects from blogging is being able to learn from your own mistakes. Sometimes just putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) is enough to bring about a realization that there are things you’ve done in your career could have been done better. In some cases, blogging can even lead to an epiphany (that one moment that make you go “Ah-ha, now I get it!”) Other times, it takes a bit more thought and time than just putting fingers to keys.

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Whatever the case may be for you, one of the techniques that works very well in getting to that ‘ah-ha’ moment is taking some time to quietly reflect on your blog posting and the topic your blogging about.

According to Peter Drucker, one should… “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

Some people also partake in the practice of Reflective Meditation.

Hey Einstein, Think About It

You may ask – why not just think about what you’re doing while you’re doing it – which is an excellent question. Many people do think before, during, and after doing something. However, normally, when people are in the act of “doing” they are not also in the act of “learning.” This is because the mind for most people is so engaged in the act being done that it is not open to receiving new information or learning new and different ways of doing things.

A great example of this is talking and listening at the same time. Think of how many times you try to tell a person something and they just don’t seem to get it. More often than not, this is because they are either talking (either out loud or in their head) or they are already thinking about what they are going to say next and they are not fully receptive to what you are saying or the ideas you are trying to convey to them.

Especially in this day and age of doing many things at any given time (multi-tasking), it’s becoming more and more important that we slow down and start spending time thinking and reflecting on the things we do. Blogging is an excellent way to do just that. In the end, to get the most out of your blogging and learning experience, blog about your previous experiences and see what you can share and learn.

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Chris Sprague is Visionary Servant Leader.
He can be reached at sprague2006@comcast.net

Image Sources: tommyland, media.shuttercal.com

Filed under: Leadership Lessons Learned, Practical Steps to Influence, Professional Growth | Tagged: blogging, business, leadership, Leadership Development, Management, Self-development, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »

Programmed for Failure: Leading Our Knowledge Workers

Posted on November 18, 2009 by George Brymer

Geeks are different from other people. If this comes as a shocking statement to you, you’re either oblivious to others or unusually charitable with your opinion about others.” Paul Glen, Leading Geeks: How to Manage and Lead People Who Deliver Technology

Normal is…

I began my professional working career as a computer programmer, and although it’s been quite some time since I worked in the information technology field, I’m still a geek at heart. That’s why I’m not surprised when I hear business leaders grumble about the difficulties they encounter when managing technical folks. IT workers, according to these frustrated leaders, are not like normal people.

For starters, there’s the language barrier. With their extensive use of buzzwords and jargon, technology workers seem to mystify business communication more than any other profession does. Consider the following statement from industry veteran Brough Turner:

TCP (the dominant Internet protocol) continuously increases it’s transmit rate until it experiences packet loss, then it cuts its rate in half and enters a congestion avoidance mode.”

I think you get the point.

Notwithstanding the lingo, conversing with a geek can leave you bewildered in other ways. For example, because programmers are used to dealing with the precise rules of logic—if this, then that—many are intolerant of illogical grammar. Ask a geek the defectively phrased question, “Aren’t you able to fix my computer?” and you may receive the sardonic response, “No, I am not unable to fix your computer.” It’s hard to interpret such mocking as anything less than patronizing.

But what infuriates leaders most is that geeks tend to resist conventional or official reporting structures. That’s because IT workers respect technical knowledge far more than they do job titles. The smarter a techie is, the higher that person’s status is among his or her colleagues. If the boss happens to be the smartest geek, that’s great. Otherwise, independent-minded geeks will supplant formal leadership configurations with casual peer-to-peer hierarchies.

So, as leaders, how can we convince geeks to behave like the rest of us?

Curious question… Where does it say they have to? I know of companies that deplete training budgets in futile attempts to improve their IT workers’ communications skills. Others use disciplinary measures to counsel geeks about following the formal chain of command. Still others try to instill customer service qualities among their IT staffs, insisting that end-users (aka internal customers) deserve more respect and less condescension. Not surprisingly, these companies rarely get the results they desire.

Solution Upgrade

We need to take another approach. Our geeks’ personalities, as grating as some may be, are unrelated to their productivity. After all, whom do you call for help when your computer crashes? Those well-spoken congenial types in Marketing? I doubt it, because in the end, what matters most is finding someone capable of getting the damn thing working again.

So resist that urge to ship IT professionals off to seminars on interpersonal communication, and focus on exploiting their technical knowledge instead. For instance, maximize your training funds by sending geeks to workshops where they’ll learn the latest tricks for preventing packet loss or congestion avoidance. Simply put, help them fortify their strengths, not dwell unproductively on what others perceive as nerdy social shortcomings.

When we focus attention on their insignificant weaknesses, we overlook our knowledge workers’ strengths and inhibit their growth—and, in the process, we limit their abilities to contribute their best efforts. And where’s the logic in that?

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George Brymer is author of Vital Integrities and the creator of The Leading from the Heart Workshop®.
He can be reached at george.brymer@allsquareinc.com

Image Sources: danoneverythingelse.com, 123physics.com, una.edu

Filed under: Leadership Lessons Learned, Technology & Leadership | Tagged: business, emotional intelligence, leadership, Lessons Learned, Management | Leave a Comment »

44 Seconds

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Scott Archibald

44 seconds. That was the difference between first and second place in a nearly six and half hour race. It was my 12th triathlon of the 2009 racing season and I came in second place. By 44 seconds…

Triathlons are a unique sport as there are no scoreboards and usually no coaches providing you any information throughout the contest. The nature of the event is that it is an individual sport and you are racing among your peers. However, you generally don’t know who your competitor, or “peers”, are during most of the struggle. You can pass others and/or be passed in the swim, on the bike, or in one of two transitions. This can happen and you may not even realize what happened.

This happened to me.

I was leading after nearly four hours of swimming and biking. Somewhere on the run, I was passed by one of my competitors. But, none of that is part of what I learned during this last race of 2009. I learned that when you don’t have any information while in the middle of a process, you need to keep your the plan and continue to move forward.

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

When I was at mile five of the 13.1 mile run that day, I knew I that was going slower than I wanted to. I knew I was in pain. And I knew that it was only going to get worse. I became discouraged. And rather than keeping a slower pace and maintaining steady progress as I had planned, I did the worse thing possible: I nearly gave up. I assumed that I had gone from winning to merely finishing simply becasue I had no information to tell me otherwise.

I allowed my default mental position to be a negative thought and didn’t refocus my thoughts on the careful plan and preparation that got me that point of success. I was considering giving up and didn’t even know that I was very much in the front of the pack. As a matter of fact, I could have won that race had I simply executed my winning plan rather than doubting it. Mistakingly, I focused on my pain and forgot that everyone else was in an equal or greater amount as me. All I really had to do was to gather information on my own to see that everyone was hurting on the run and we were all moving slow. Arghhh!

Leading Through Pain

Sometimes, our employees probably feel the same way. They may be in some kind of “pain” caused by frustration, inadequate resources, or confusing signals. Their work may not be going as planned and their leaders (us) may not be providing all the information needed. Or, perhaps the plan was just wrong. Just like my run plan in the race was wrong for the course I was on. as leaders, we need to have the level of communication with the people on our teams to be able to coach tem through the difficult times and be there to give them as much information and feedback as we can. We have to immagine that they could be feeling as though they are in an epic battle (internally) and need some help to get through it.

As leaders, we need to be smart, creative, and flexible enough to adjust the plans in certain situations. This is much better than abandoning the race.

Application

The next time you are responsible for a multi-phase program, make sure you have a good plan that takes into account your organizations capabilities as well as the terrain (physical, political, organizational) that you will be covering.

Establish checkpoints along the course and objectively evaluate progress at those checkpoints.
During those evaluations, be realistic with how the health of the team is holding up (are they pushing too hard?, not hard enough?).
Evaluate whether you have all the resources that you need to be successful.
Evaluate whether you can accomplish your goals when you cross the finish line.

Adjust your program plans as necessary to meet your goals, but don’t get discouraged along the way and end up losing by 44 seconds.

Have you ever second-guessed your progress only to see that distraction cause you to come in second place? Are you confident enough in your plans so that you can proceed and win? Do you have contingency planning in place that will allow you to change pace, or recalibrate your plans along the way? And what are you doing to insure that your team is getting enough information to help them keep their bearing along thier journey? I’d love to hear your stories or comments?

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Scott Archibald is a Managing Director at Bender Consulting.
Scott can be reached at sarchibald@bendercon.com

Images Sources: zeeks.com, i97.photobucket.com

Filed under: Leadership Lessons Learned, Servant Leadership | Tagged: Attitude, business, leadership, Lessons Learned, Management, Organizational Health | Leave a Comment »

Managing Mondays: “Uneasy Lies the Head That Wears a Crown.”

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Jason Christensen

A crown is a symbol of leadership dating back many centuries. The bearer of the crown has traditionally been a member of royalty, one who leads his people through all trials, tribulations and victories. The carrier of the crown shoulders tremendous responsibility. Persons with great responsibility, carry a heavy burden to lead their people.

Thus, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

Leadership is not easy; it comes with a great weight of reliability and adversity. To be a great leader you must be willing to accept the responsibility and challenge which come with the position.

Responsibilities of a Leader

As a leader you must…

- Have a vision with high expectations, stay focused and remain committed.
- Have respect for yourself and others.
- Set an example for people to follow.
- Hold yourself to higher standards than required.
- Posses strong values, be honest, and uphold integrity.
- Strive to make people better, be encouraging, and take a genuine interest in others.
- Be a creative risk taker.

Challenges of a Leader

As a leader you must…

- Be willing to stand alone when everyone else is against you while continuing to focus on your vision.
- Overcome the reservations of your associates to gain trust as a credible leader.
- Comprehend varied personality types with the intention of relating to each team member.
- Leverage the strength of each person on the team as a compliment to the group balance as a unit.
- Incorporate the ideas and directives of team members enhancing ownership in their role on the team.
- Respond to failure, take corrective actions, and deal with confrontation head on.
- Hold yourself accountable for your actions and hold others accountable for their actions.

Leadership carries great accountability; it is your responsibility to achieve the results of your vision. Only you can lead your people through to triumph. You will encounter many challenges along the way, it’s not always pleasant but if you hold true to your vision and keep your eye on the horizon you will achieve the victory you seek.

Are you able to take on the responsibility and challenge that comes with being a leader?

Can you bear the weight of your vision and hold true to your commitments?

If so, then stand tall and put on the crown.

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Jason Christensen is National Accounts Manager for The Stanley Works.
He can be reached at jasonchristensen_blog@yahoo.com

Image Source: lgcuk.com

Filed under: Coaching Corner, Leadership Assessments, Leadership vs. Management, Servant Leadership | Tagged: business, Coaching, leadership, Management, Responsibility | Leave a Comment »

Leaders: Are You Embracing Life?

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Louise Wightman

There is a fine line between patience and procrastination…

Which is it for you?

Do you feel life is passing you by or are you ready to embrace life and look at life through a new set of eyes?

Are you waiting for someone to see your brilliance within the workplace and give you a promotion?

Or for the phone to ring with a job offer?

Are you waiting for that lost love to “see the light?”

Or another to rescue you?

Are you waiting for somebody to take responsibility for the pain they are causing you?

How long are you prepared to wait for them to change?

Perhaps you are waiting for just the right time to start that diet or take up an exercise regime?

Is it when the Moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligned with Mars?

Are you wishing away pain and grief?

Sadly, I have some unwelcome news for you if you are sitting, waiting, wishing… There is no magic wand.

Hope and Action

But there is “Magic” in hope and action. Trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve wasted time willing someone to “rescue” me from the disappointment that life throws at me. I psyched myself out so much that I’ve practically thrown my brain into some 4th dimension; a kind of living hell of unmet expectations and dashed hopes. Wasting years of my life in misery and longing, I waited for my world to change. I allowed my patience to turn to rage and saw my anger morph into pity and despair.

That was until I decided to do something about it.

Embrace Life

I decided to change. I made a decision to “stop the insanity” and begin to count my blessings. I decided to do, think, and act differently so that I could expect different outcomes.

I stopped expecting the world to act for me and I started digging my “escape tunnels” instead. I turned down the despair and turned up the creativity. When I quit waiting for life to deliver, these wonderful things eventually came to me – out of a place of gleaming hope and zero fear I found the courage to study, to take the leap and transfer career – to shout about who I am and what I have achieved. I couldn’t have done a lot of this without my family and friends.

My blood runs cold to think what life would have been like if I hadn’t had bothered to embrace life with hope and determined action. Where would I be if I had left my circumstances to chance? What have I had simply given up?

Call me lucky? Well, perhaps yes!

And the definition of luck? It’s when preparedness meets opportunity.

A Gentle Warning

It is vital to live in the now as you follow your dream. You can’t put life on hold until you drop the dress size, meet your dream date, or take over a large organisation. You have to get it into gear and move toward success by preparing yourself for good things to happen to you. The journey is as important as the desired destination and urgent patience must mean that you enjoy your life in its fullest whilst holding your dream deep in your heart. Press on and embrace life!

How are you doing in understanding whether you are being patient, or simply procrastinating with your life goals, aspirations, and endeavors? What challenges are you facing that are keeping you from releasing your energy, creativity, and passions in your work and home life? Who are you going to for help in the areas in which you are struggling? I would love to hear your thoughts! Please share.

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Louise Wightman, CBT Life Coach at Consultancy Options LTD
She can be reached at louise@consultancypersonnel.co.uk

Image Sources: farm1.static.flickr.com, kitchencontraptions.com

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