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Leadership Guidance: As Parents and Mentors

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Steve Riddle

Leadership points to ponder for teenagers are just as relevant to adults, especially new leaders, viewed via a father’s letter to a teen.

A Father’s Letter

Today you turn 13 years old. I am amazed at how quickly this time has gone and the next 10 years will fly by as well. Then you will be well into your 20′s, however there is a lot that you will see, hear and be tempted by during this time. Much of it will be wonderful, inspiring and of great benefit to you and how you are seen and interact with others.

There will also be some potential pitfalls and challenges, many of which you will not see coming. That is OK. Our job is not to wrap in you cotton balls or bubble-wrap, protecting you from what are ultimately learning opportunities. Our role is and has always been to help you through these times, to support you (always!) and guide you where we can.

1) Keep talking to us. Even in those times when you are angry, frustrated or disappointed, we will always listen to you and provide help where we can. If you don’t want to share with your Mum or I, then seek help from others – whoever you feel comfortable with. Don’t dwell on issues or let them fester.

2) Choose your friends wisely. Who you spend your time with reflects on you and will certainly influence who you become, both good qualities and bad. You have some lovely friends now. Support them, be kind and know that with all relationships, just like ours, you will have ups and downs along the way. That is OK – in fact it is expected. It is during these times that you will learn who your good and true friends are and also how you are perceived by them, which will be revealed through your actions and theirs.

3) Keep a broad level of interests in many things as you already have shown and put into practice. The skills, passion, diversity of thought, leadership exposure and opportunities provide one of the great bases for much of how you will make choices in coming years.

4) Don’t worry about trying to be cool or liked. It is a bit clichéd in the adult world now, unfortunately, but it does not take away from the fact that ultimately being respected is harder to achieve but has greater meaning and purpose.

5) Know what you are passionate about. As an adult you will know that passion is critical, however many people of all ages struggle to define this. One of the first questions I ask my clients when coaching is: what are you passionate about? It is surprising how many people cannot answer this easily. Follow your passions; make sure they form part of what you do and who you are and if you can, build it into your work-life as you get older. This may not be clear for some years, which is OK, but keep it in mind.

6) Role model the best behaviours. We do not expect you to be perfect. Neither your Mum or I are, as you know. We all have strengths and faults, but none of them should stop you from trying to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do. I have found over the years that putting other’s needs ahead of your own is one of the most fulfilling aspects of life and most rewarding behaviours you can possess. Others will respect you for it.

7) As much as possible, remove assumption from situations and your thinking. Consider alternatives and think broadly – make this a habit. I see too many people place their own ideals and values on others and fail to see the bigger pictures and/or other people’s perspective. This relates to emotional intelligence and empathy – both things we will talk more about later.

8) Speaking of values and trust, earn the trust of others through what you say and most importantly back it up with what you do. If you commit to do something, do it. Meet your deadlines and continue to challenge yourself. Over time, learn what is most important to you (I will continue to help you with this) and maintain these values through how you portray yourself and decisions you make. Values are the absolute platform to work from as a person – know what yours are and develop a solid base to build upon as you reach adult-hood. Know who you are and stay true to your values!

9) Don’t be in a hurry to grow up. There are many benefits to the modern world, however one of the downsides in my opinion is the exposure to so much, so quickly. There is no doubt that 13 is the new 16 when I compare your life now to my childhood and teenage years. My big tip – not everything that is fun and worth doing has a screen attached or needs to be plugged in. Get outside often. Try new things.

10) Communication. It would be a surprise to some of your age that communication initially was through symbols and eventually the spoken word. Technology and newer methods of communication continue to challenge effective communication. As a result much of this is changing, however the written word remains a core component and has abundant power and authority. Also, continue to develop your speaking skills. They will hold you in good stead throughout your life. You have learned to spell and use grammar correctly. There is nothing more off-putting than seeing the poor English skills all too prominent online. Sadly, this is often reflected in important text such as resume’s and business documents. I thnk u no wat I meen!!!

11) Reading is the gift that keeps on giving. We love that you are a keen reader. Knowledge and understanding has always been and will be one of the great attributes. It enables you to form your own views and opinions based on various aspects from different perspectives. Just because it is written does not necessarily make it true. What it does do is provide depth of knowledge, varying perspectives and counter-arguments. I love my Kindle as you do too…but keep on interspersing the traditional, physical book occasionally with the eBook, as you already do.

12) Finally, much of what I have mentioned in this list comes down to values and respect. Respect for your family and how we love one another because we are family but also because of how we treat each other. Continue to work on this – both how you respect yourself and others. Respect property – your own and that of others; respect the opportunities provided to you and those earned by you; do not take anything you have in this world for granted – there are no guarantees they will always be there and many people are not so fortunate.

We hope that this list, although not definitive, makes sense now and in the future. Life is wonderful. Life is challenging. These points may assist you and will probably become more relevant and meaningful over the next few years.

Do what you will with the words – words that have real meaning to us, more than just script on a page – and understand they will continue to form the themes for how we will support and help you, as we have in your first 13 years.

Love,

Mum and Dad xxx

**********

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Image Sources: 1.bp.blogspot.com

Advice Quotes about Women and Leadership (melissayin.com)
Goodwill Mentors Help Young People and Adults Develop Careers (prweb.com)
Gift and Passion (ryan1bowen.wordpress.com)

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Leadership Lessons Learned, Leading & Developing Other Leaders | Tagged: business, Father, learning, respect, values | 7 Comments »

Middle School Leadership Lesson: I DARE YOU TO FAIL!

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Brian Dawson, M. Ed.

Often times, we spend so much energy on trying to not fail, that we fail at everything.

Middle School Leadership Lesson

I was watching a basketball coach work with some 7^th grade boys. This team was brand new to the sport and lacked many of the needed skills to succeed at playing basketball. On top of that, due to the awkward stages of their current development, risks and challenges were even more daunting.

As I watched the coach, his words of encouragement really struck me. He watched one student particularly. This student would shy away from the ball and would not attempt to make any type of rebound when he was near it.

The coach asked the young player why he was afraid of the ball.

The boy looked at the coach and simply stated:

“Coach, I am not afraid of the ball, I just don’t want to mess up.”

The coach’s response was even more enlightening than the boy’s. The coach responded by telling the 7^th grader this:

“…you will never truly know what you are capable of achieving because you’re not putting yourself out there. If you never try, you will never learn or grow your craft. I’d much rather you try and make a mistake that teaches you, than for you to not try at all and never learn anything or ever improve your playing skills.

When you don’t try at all, you are not only selling yourself short, you are affecting your entire team, who is depending on your efforts to drive our team towards the goal of winning. You are either all in, or let me know so we can find a player who is.”

Taking It to the Goal

I watched as the boy cautiously trotted up, attempted a lay-up, made it, smiled and went back to his spot in line, waiting for his next turn with the ball. But, the boy went back to the line changed. He was no longer worried about and overly focused on NOT making a mistake.

He was now focused on repeating the “good” and learning from his mistakes.

Our world rarely acknowledges or celebrates failures. We very rarely make reference in our history books or great speeches about people’s failures. However, people often forget that very few times is success immediately attained.

If we spent as much time trying to learn from our lack of successes and what must change the next time, we would truly see a new definition of “success.”

A Bright Idea: Persistence

Think about the famous Thomas Edison. Where would our world be without his inventions? If he just tried one or two times and then gave up, we would be in a world of dark; pun intended. It was documented that Edison stated he tried 10,000 times before he was finally successful in creating the light bulb.

When Thomas Edison was interviewed by a young reporter who boldly asked Mr. Edison if he felt like a failure and if he thought he should just give up by now. Perplexed, Edison replied, “Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.” And shortly after that, and over 10,000 attempts, Edison invented the light bulb. Source

Unlike Edison, most of us fear failure and avoid it at all cost. Often times, we truly never realize or reach our personal and maximum potential because the fear of failure kidnaps our efforts before we even try. We spend so much time trying to hide or deny our mistakes out of fear and pride; we very often fail to learn from our failures.

Root of the Issue

As a middle school principal, I often remind my teachers, students, and parents, much of the learning our students need to experience is not in writing down the “right answer,” it’s the steps the students must take in order to get to the right answer.

If you spend any time analyzing data-school, sales, trends, etc.-you will spend a great deal of time analyzing what went wrong; but, yet, very little time on what caused it to go wrong. Why? Often in the business world, we see many leaders, teams, and employees who never reach their personal and maximum potential because they are scared of making a mistake.

“We have too much at stake to lose,” is often the thought for the day. However, I challenge you with this…we have too much at stake to NOT make a mistake and learn from those mistakes. Often, what we learn from making the mistake not only teaches us about that particular contextual learning, but it transfers over to so many other areas of our lives-both professional and personal.

Recalibrated Thinking

“Failure is not an option.”

NASA flight controller Jerry C. Bostick reportedly stated during the mission to bring the damaged Apollo 13 back to Earth, and we have heard that phrase in the education and business world ever since. I challenge Mr. Bostick. Failure should be an option; so long as we spend our time and efforts learning through and from them.

SO…GO MAKE A MISTAKE! I DARE YOU!

If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? Which is worse, failing or never trying? Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first? Has your greatest fear ever come true? If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? Do you ask enough questions? Or do you settle for what you think you know?

**********

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Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

———————–

Brian Dawson, M. Ed. is a Middle School Principal and Independent Consultant
He serves with Educational Restructure, Transformation, and Systems Specialist
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Web

Image Sources: 5congressavenueaustin.files.wordpress.com

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Coaching Corner, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership, Future Leadership Issues, Leadership Lessons Learned, Practical Steps to Influence | Tagged: Coaching, education, failure, Grow, leadership, learning, measurement, Middle School, Success | 7 Comments »

Hey Leaders: Get Curious!

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Christa Dhimo

What does “curious” mean? (Exactly.)

“Curious.” It’s a strange word.

If you read it over and over it doesn’t look like how it sounds, and it barely resembles what it means. It isn’t an adjective describing something like a cure unless you refer to a fascination (“I thought the anecdote was curious myself”), and it isn’t a conjugated verb tense when referring to radioactive units of measurement:

1 Curie, 2 Curie-um, 3 Curious…

So What is “Curious?”

The Free Dictionary defines “curious” as:

cu·ri·ous [kyoor-ee-uhs]

Eager to learn more: curious investigators; a trapdoor that made me curious.
Unduly inquisitive; prying.
Arousing interest because of novelty or strangeness: a curious fact.
Archaic: Accomplished with skill or ingenuity OR Extremely careful; scrupulous.

And of course many of us in the USA have been touched by NASA’s Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory character on Mars for which this blog is namesaked.

But wait! There’s more…

**Curiosity Saved the Cat**

Yes, I know, I know… you probably have heard that “Curiosity Killed the Cat“… But my version is more true than the original saying.

Anyone who’s owned a cat or even observed one knows that a cat is at least 80% curious during its few waking hours. The fact that the average domestic cat lives 12-14 years easily tells me that curiosity hardly “kills” a cat.

If it did, their lifespans would probably be closer to 6 months.

And so with that logic, curiosity and the characteristics that often come with it (tenacity, patience, resourcefulness, imaginative, solution-driven, etc) can lead to survival, utmost achievement, and a perpetuation of “living” that might be unparalleled to any other characteristic.

So why don’t we hear about more leaders being described as CURIOUS?

What led to my achievement?

“Oh that’s easy: I AM CURIOUS…”

When I was asked what has led to my achievement, my response was that I am curious. With my answer, all eyebrows went up as their complementary blank stares bore into my soul. I felt compelled to say, “Nah, I’m just kidding!” so that I could move on to a far more lofty answer, the one they seemed to have expected in contrast to my simple adjective.

But… “curious” isn’t a simplistic answer AT ALL. And it is almost never easy. I think it’s just underestimated, as though any fool can do it and do it well.

But let me tell you, being curious is anything but simplistic or something that handled well by fools.

Getting More Curious

And so I got curious. Again.

And this raises some questions:

Why aren’t we getting back to basics when it comes to linking leadership traits and success traits?
During these times when companies are struggling to work differently, how many truly struggle because leadership cannot embrace a new way of thinking?
How many truly struggle because they have lost the wonderment of asking curious questions?
How many truly struggle because they have lost the imagination that got them into position in the first place?

Braniac is As Brainiac Does

Good ‘ol Albert Einstein said it best when he said…

“I am not more gifted than the average human being. If you know anything about history, you would know that is so–what hard times I had in studying and the fact that I do not have a memory like some other people do… I am just more curious than the average person and I will not give up on a problem until I have found the proper solution.

This is one of my greatest satisfactions in life–solving problems–and the harder they are, the more satisfaction do I get out of them.

Maybe you could consider me a bit more patient in continuing with my problem than is the average human being.

Now, if you understand what I have just told you, you see that it is not a matter of being more gifted but a matter of being more curious and maybe more patient until you solve a problem.” ~ Albert Einstein, as listed in goodreads.com for “curiousity”)

Question, question, question… and Get Curious

And so as I leave you with those words, ask yourself how curious you let yourself get throughout the day? How much do you allow yourself and enable yourself to ask questions and find everyday things interesting? Just curious… what’s stopping you?

**********

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——————–

Christa Dhimo is President & Founder, via Best Practices
She helps clients by aligning human capital performance with business results
Email | LinkedIn | Web | Blog | Bing Search

Image Sources: 25.media.tumblr.com

Filed under: Coaching Corner, Leadership Lessons Learned, Leading & Developing Other Leaders, Practical Steps to Influence | Tagged: communication, emotional intelligence, leadership, learning, mentoring, motivation, problem-solving, Self-development, servant leader | Leave a Comment »

Leaders: How to Grow a Spine and Say NO

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Debra Olejownik

Just Say No

We all have a tendency to overload our schedule; to put too much on our plate. We do this because it is so much easier to say “yes” than it is to say “no.”

But when we say “yes” too much, what does this underlying message say about us?

The YES and NO of the Matter

Let’s look at what saying “yes” too much could be telling others.

Saying “yes” could mean that:

You simply want to help out; that you don’t want to disappoint others.
You confirm to another’s request by agreeing to what they are asking.
You are trying to avoid conflict or negative consequences.
You are afraid of potentially missing out on opportunities by saying no.

As for me, I have known for years that I was afraid to say NO. I didn’t really know how to say NO and make it stick. And, I never really understood the liberating power that this two-letter word carried until years later!

What are you telling yourself when you say yes all the time to others?

The Realities of Saying “Yes”

According to a recent post I found online:

When you say “yes” to something you don’t enjoy, you are putting yourself in the position of essentially saying “no” to things you love.
When you say “yes” to a job you don’t love, you are putting yourself in the position of essentially saying “no” to your dreams.
When you say yes to working overtime, you are putting yourself in the position of essentially saying “no” to your family or social life.

When you say yes to others, you are potentially saying “no” to peace of mind.

The Realities of NOT Saying No

Saying yes all the time could reveal you have not clarified your own intentions. Other people’s goals become more important. The best way to understand why you should or should not say NO is to ask your-self these questions:

Does what I am being asked to do go against my values?
Will it create internal conflict?
Will the end result lead to a less desirable outcome that is out of alignment with my highest intentions?

Other realities of not saying NO; you may lack time management and organizational skills. You may have low self-esteem; you don’t value your time or yourself. If self-worth is low, then you don’t respect yourself, or your dreams and aspirations.

“If you don’t respect the things that mean the most to you, who will?

Know When to Say No

Often times when you are faced with the decision to say no, how do you know which activities to say no to and which activities to focus your attention on?

Here are some tips to help keep things in perspective:

The focal point should matter most to you

Look at your calendar, do you have time to fit something in? If you do, great! But if not, then pass.

Consider the yes-to-stress ratio

How much of a time commitment is this new endeavor going to add to your schedule? If it’s a couple hours out of your day for one day, that is different from a long-term strategic plan that may require weeks of planning.

Get rid of the guilt

Deciding to help should not be based on guilt or obligation, that only adds stress and feelings of resentment.

Sleep on it

Sleeping on a decision to help someone, gives you time to think about every aspect of how this request will or will not fit into your already full schedule.

Ways to Say NO

Just Say No The one thing you don’t want to do is avoid the person requesting your time, all this does is create more stress. The first time you say NO to someone, you may be surprised at how easy it is.

You may also be surprised at how understanding other people are when you say no.

Other people will respect you more when they know how much you value your time.

If saying NO is something new to you, then try these simple phrases:

I can’t commit to this; I have other priorities at this time. How about reconnecting on this day at this time to discuss options?
I will not be contributing to the gift for so and so; I don’t think our relationship has reached the gifting level.
Let me think about it first and I’ll get back to you.
This is not a good fit for me but I know who would be a perfect fit for this!
No, I can’t!

“You can always rephrase the request so that it is in alignment with your ideals and then say, “That’s a Brilliant Idea!”

The Power Behind Those Two Letters: N O!

According to the Mayo Clinic there is a lot of power in the word NO. Don’t be intimidated by the word NO, and be careful not to substitute NO with I’m not sure or I don’t think I can. When you do, you transfer power back to the other person.

Always be brief, honest, respectful, and be ready to repeat yourself. It’s not always going to be easy to say NO. Learning and practicing to say NO will help you manage your time better and reduce stress levels.

According to Success Magazine,

“Learning how to say “NO” to the smaller tasks in life creates a path to freedom and success, keeping your schedule free from mental clutter; and allowing you to focus your attention on the things you value most, that creates a sense of purpose and fulfillment in your life.”

Questions:

How do you say NO and make it stick? When do you say NO and what strategies do you use? What are some of your most successful ways to say NO? I’d love to hear your comments and experiences with saying NO!

**********

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Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

——————–

Debra Olejownik is a consultant with DJC Core Consulting & Support Services, LLC
She helps clients identify comprehensive solutions to problems that inspires change
Email | LinkedIn | Twitter | Web

Image Sources: women-journal.com

Filed under: Authentic Leadership, Conflict Management, Life Balance | Tagged: Internal Conflict, learning, Priorities, purpose, self-worth, stress, Time Management, values | 1 Comment »

Leaders: What the Heck is DISC?

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Wayne Kehl

This is the first in a series of blogs in which I will explain the most common personality survey on the market today.

DISC is the foundation of understanding for virtually every human personality type. Originally published by Dr. William Marston in 1928, the science of DISC is proven and trusted all over the world as the benchmark for all employee behavioural testing.

D.I.S.C. stands for:

DOMINANCE
INFLUENCE
STEADINESS
COMPLIANCE*

(Note that in some versions the “C” stands for Conscientiousness)

The elements of DISC are represented by a plethora of suppliers under a variety of aliases, including but not limited to colours, temperatures, seasons, bunnies and tigers and a variety of other pseudonyms. No matter what they are called, the elements of DISC are common to all personality types and vary in intensity from one person to another.

Here is a breakdown of what DOMINANCE, INFLUENCE, STEADINESS and COMPLIANCE mean in these surveys.

DOMINANCE:

This is the element of an individual’s personality that indicates competitiveness, drive and a desire to win. Highly dominant people tend become angry more often than lower dominant types. Dominance is a task oriented trait so once a highly dominant person takes on a task, they become determined to see it through to the end.

These people often appear to be stern and severe. Once they have had an angry outburst, they forget the source of their anger quickly and move on to other things. Highly dominant people will often be seen as intimidating by others.

INFLUENCE:

This is the element of an individual’s personality that indicates optimism, trust, and a sense of humour. Highly influencing people tend to joke around a lot, talk a lot, and use other people to get what they want out of life. Almost completely people-oriented, they need to be in the company of other human beings as often as possible.

Highly influencing people like flashy, expensive cars, clothing, houses and virtually anything else they can show off. They are optimistic to a fault and trust almost everyone a little too much. Highly influencing people will often be seen as the life of the party by others.

STEADINESS:

This is the element of an individual’s personality that regulates the pace at which they do things. Highly steady people tend to hold off on decision making until they believe the decision is the right one. They like to do research and get the approval of others before they do almost anything.

They are people-oriented and will usually be very sociable with everyone they meet. Highly steady people will take longer to do their work, but because they are very thorough, the work they do is generally of very high quality. Others will often see them as logical, thoughtful members of the team.

COMPLIANCE:

This is the element of an individual’s personality that creates a need for rules and regulations in their lives. Highly compliant people tend to approach every challenge or project with caution and concern. Because they are task oriented, they tend not to fall for a sales pitch that is not accompanied by facts and figures.

They are fearful of not following rules to the point that if no rules exist, some will make up their own rules and insist that others follow them. They are often seen by others as overly careful, unbending and somewhat resistant to “outside the box” thinking.

BLENDING

It is important to understand that every personality has all of these elements in it to varying degrees. In other words, some will be highly dominant and low compliant, with a very low steady style and a moderate influencing style.

Understanding how the various elements of the DISC blend with each other is extremely important. Hence, you should avoid referring to someone as HIGH DOMINANT or LOW COMPLIANT since all of the 4 elements will come into play in a variety of situations.

In future issues we will discuss DISC blending and the effects of intensity on overall behaviour.

**********

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Image Sources: shrink4men.com

Filed under: Coaching Corner, Leadership Assessments, Professional Development | Tagged: Collaboratory, DISC assessment, leadership, learning, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Personality type, Talent Management | 9 Comments »

The Leaders Library: 4 Steps to Embrace Change

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Thomas Meloche

Our one constant is change. If you were on the top of the heap five years ago, where are you today? If you haven’t learned how to embrace change, you are now at least 50% irrelevant. The truth is, the half-life for most tactical business knowledge is five years or less.

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine…

Green & Growing

If you are not continually learning, reinventing your skills, and refreshing your processes, then you are rapidly becoming irrelevant. The problem is that change is accelerating at an accelerating pace.

It is happening everywhere, all the time. It is happening to you, and it is happening to everyone on your staff.

The problem is now so huge that even universities struggle to keep their curriculum up to date. There is tremendous pressure on knowledge workers everywhere because of the tremendous pace of change.

So what do you do as a business leader to keep up with the frenetic rate of change?

One of Three

There are at least three major initiatives businesses must undertake to manage this level of change. Today, I will address only one, but it is fundamental.

A competent leader today must do this:

Create a culture that promotes continual personal growth.

It sounds so simple, but I can count on one hand the number of businesses I have visited that pull it off effectively, and I have visited hundreds of businesses.

Story of Success

One business that promotes personal growth well is Menlo Innovations in Ann Arbor, Michigan

On a recent visit to Menlo, I was talking with managing partner James Goebel about some of the familiar book titles I saw in their business library. It is hard to miss the library because it is prominently displayed near the front entrance and everyone entering and leaving the office passes by it.

“You wouldn’t believe how many of our visitors are amazed by our library,” James remarked.

“It is as if they are stunned by the idea that we freely distribute books.”

The library is not actually visually impressive. It sits on white plastic shelves and contains less than five hundred titles. It is not the physical presence of the books that impacts visitors, it is the message of the library as a whole.

The message is simple:

Knowledge is important
Reading is important
Learning is important
And if you are going to work here, you are expected to read

Menlo Innovations is well-known for implementing a software development process named Extreme Programming, whose core slogan is “Embrace Change.” Menlo incorporates a whole series of practices to embrace change.

The one practice for leaders to emulate is their library. This provides the fuel for personal and professional growth.

4 Steps to Embrace Change

If you want the formula to create positive effective change, then ask yourself this simple question:

Do you want to embrace change and create a culture that promotes continual personal growth?

If so, then begin with these simple steps:

Step 1: Build a Business Library

Purchase some bookshelves and place them in a prominent location.

Fill the shelves with books that are important for your industry. Fill it with books you would be delighted for your employees to read. If you don’t know what these titles should be, start asking other leaders you respect. They will likely name two or three books off the top of their heads.

Step 2: Talk Publicly about Important Books

The best leaders lead by example.

Speak publicly with employees, contractors, and customers about books that are important to you. Read yourself. Develop a passion for the books that are important to your industry.

A great way to communicate that a book is especially important is to have multiple copies in your library. Form discussions groups to talk about important books over lunch. Read and discuss one chapter at a time, one week at a time. Make it an office event by ordering FREE PIZZA.

Pizza is perpetually underestimated in its mystical power to create a culture of reading, learning, and sharing.

Step 3: Freely Lend

Resist your natural urges to lock the books away, check them out, and track them.

Employee training is very expensive. Books cost about $25 each and are an amazing bargain if your employees actually read them. Freely lend the books. A simple rule: Everyone (employees, contractors, even customers) can simply take a book at any time. The books are not locked up or tracked. You may take a book home and keep it as long as you like, even forever! If you want another book, bring the first one back.

Step 4: Celebrate When Books Disappear

Disappearing books means people are reading them.

If you spend $100 per employee per year restocking books, you a have the most amazingly efficient training program possible. Stamp your name and contact information in the book. Put a sticker on the spine so people can see it is from you, and celebrate your role in spreading information.

Keep a list of the books you most want to stock, and a few times a year order more!

Creating a Culture of Growth

Congratulations! You have just taken your first step in fostering a culture that promotes personal growth. The dividends this tiny investment you make will pay off for decades. You have taken your first steps to embracing change.

If your business does any Internet Advertising, may I humbly suggest a title to add to your library? It is called “Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising” by Perry Marshall and Thomas Meloche. I may be a bit biased, but I think it is a fine addition to any corporate or personal library.

**********

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Learn, Grow & Develop Other Leaders™

——————–
Thomas Meloche is the CEO of Procuit an an expert at Facebook Advertising
He serves clients with Facebook Advertising, Trends, and Marketing
Email | LinkedIn | Website

Image Sources: blogcdn.com

Filed under: Leading & Developing Other Leaders, Leading Change, Practical Steps to Influence, Servant Leadership | Tagged: business, Coaching, leadership, learning, Management | 2 Comments »

Go Back, To Go Forward

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Andy Uskavitch

“Take a step back to go forward? Are you nuts?”

Well . . . that’s beside the point. But I am serious.

It’s a Directional Thing

Sometimes you have to go backward to go forward. And good leaders realize this.

How many times have you been driving your car someplace and suddenly realized that you were heading in the wrong direction, or that you took a wrong turn, or that you forgot to take off the little fake map on the screen of that new GPS?

What did you do? You backed up, or turned around, and started moving in the right direction. You are now a little behind in your schedule or goals . . . but you KNOW that you are going where you want to go.

Go back, to go forward.

Reality Check

What would have happened if you had kept going in a misdirected path instead of backing up and recalibrating your course? You would have continued to put more and more distance between yourself and your goals. You would have been miserable. You would have wished you had listened to yourself (or your wife in this instance).

Go back, to go forward.

Getting Good Advice

When I attended the annual American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) Conference in Orlando this week, I finally had the honor of meeting the authors of From Bud To Boss, Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris. I had previewed their remarkable book – prior to launch – this past year.

Guy and I were talking about my past and future, where I wanted to go, and what they could do to help. I had been a little down about taking a job position cut and pay cut to move to Florida a couple of years ago.

But through talking with Guy, I realized that even though I haven’t quite made it all the way back up my totem pole, I’ve had many opportunities in the past two years that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. And they are opportunities that WILL continue to lead me back up – and even open up new and exciting doors.

A Reconstructed Leader

Let me give you another example of how this works. How many of you have ever been in the military? What’s the basic premise of boot camp? They break you down and build you back up “properly.” It doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from, the best way – and quickest – to build you into a military leader is to knock you back and send you on a different path which will make you “all that you can be.”

The next time you Google ‘leaders’, count how many military people (and not just officers) are included.

Sometimes you don’t realize it but you might just need a reality check – kind of like boot camp. Check out the tough love, tell it like it is books by Larry Winget.

In his book, People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It!, Winget lays out a list for change for you:

Decide to change
Know why it is important for you to change
Be willing to do whatever it takes to change
Do whatever it takes to change
When you fail, dust yourself off and start again
When you get there, celebrate!
Move on, and
Become totally committed.

Make the decision, do what it takes, celebrate (don’t forget that one), and commit. Like the old Nike slogan says, “Just Do It”.

Remember – in whatever you’re doing, or will do, you just may fail or not live up to your own expectations – you’re a leader, not a robot.

A true leader will be prepared for this and will be able to “dust yourself off and start again.”

Sometimes we just need to take a look at where we are and who we are and clear that etch-a-sketch so we can re-learn our jobs, learn something completely new, or just re-energize.

Keep Sight of Things Important

You don’t always have to get so drastic as taking a pay cut or job reduction though. Just get out with your troops and work with them or even attend training with them. Too often, leaders get so bogged down with “the bottom line” that they forget there are people doing the jobs that are determining that bottom line.

Without the real knowledge of what they’re doing and what it takes for them to do it, we lose site of the process.

I bet most of you are familiar with the movie, The Karate Kid. “Wax on. Wax off.”

If you Google the meaning of WOWO you’ll find a multitude of opinions.

So here’s mine – for this situation anyway. You wax a car to make it look good – to make yourself look good.
You rub it in and rub it in to get the best shine you possibly can (you continue learning to improve yourself)
Once it dries (once you hit your ceiling) you wipe it off (you look for things to better yourself).
Then next month – or next week – you start the process over again with a new job or outlook of your present one.

Lead in the best way that you can. If you think you can, or want to do better, you need to take the necessary steps.

Don’t be afraid to say, “I need a change.”

Keeping Things Clear

Take a good close look at your present situation and your staff. In From Bud to Boss, Kevin and Guy say that, “In its most basic form, vision is a goal or a mental picture of a desired future state or situation.”

To get an idea of what that means for you, Kevin and Guy say to ask yourself a few questions about your vision:

Is it positive?
Is it personal?
Is it possible?
Is it visual?
Is it vivid?

If you’ve answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, maybe it’s time to make some new plans, take some classes, or hang out with the people who know the job procedures better than you.

One of my favorite Jim Rohn quotes goes like this:

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.”

Becoming – and staying – a successful leader is in YOUR hands.

What’s your vision? Do you have a vision – in writing? Are you ready for change?

Image Sources: raventalker.files.wordpress.com

Who Owns Behavior Change In The Sales Force? – A Key Question For SE Pros From ASTD’s 2011 International Conference (customerthink.com)
Leadership: Style Vs Substance (blogs.forbes.com)

Filed under: Leadership Lessons Learned, Leading Change, Organizational Health, Professional Development | Tagged: Attitude, courage, executive development, Leadership Development, leadership skills, learning, Lessons Learned, motivation, Self-development, Success | 2 Comments »

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