leader

Some Die So Others Can Live. The Death That Created Success…

The difference some people make comes alive after they are gone. Sad but true.
S. Cameron

Martin Luther King, Jr., was a Baptist minister and leader extraordinaire. His death catapulted a movement so others could live. The more recent deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and many others who lost their lives and in their deaths they made an impact. Their deaths made others live.

It causes us to wonder if some people are born with the purpose to make a difference after death. We think of children. Amber alert was created after little Amber died after being abducted. Sad but her death encouraged changes that saved the lives of others.

Sadly, it is in death that we understand. Only after some die that we understand the purpose of life. Today I encourage you to look back on your life. Try to understand your purpose. Are you on the path that leads you to making a difference?

Reflect. Think about your purpose. Why are you here? While you’re at it, reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s last speech. It depicted a leader who had attain his true purpose.

Go now, find your purpose.

Cheers!

Why Do You Do What You Do? Here’s How To Find Out…

What’s that one word that encourages you to do everything you do?
Evan Carmichael

Here are Questions Carmichael proposed to get you started to find your own One Word that will help define everything you do in life.

5 Core Questions To Ask Yourself

What makes you happy?
What connects your happiness?
What trait do you hate?
What’s your constant?
Is this really who you are?

Limiting Beliefs

It’s too Hard
What do you think?
Someone else is doing it
It’s too Simple

Take a moment and find your one word. Trust me, you won’t regret it. Already know what drives you, do share, we would love to hear!

Cheers!

I Ain’t Gonna Lie. Leadership Ain’t Easy. 11 Hard Things You Have To Do To Be A Great Leader…

You have to try and fail and try again

I Ain’t Gonna lie. Leadership Ain’t easy.

The Hard Things – INC Lolly Daskal. Here I share Eleven.

You have to make the call you’re afraid to make
You have to give more than you get in return right away
You have to care more about others than they care about you
You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing it safe seems smarter
You have to lead when no one is following you …yet
You have to invest in yourself even when no one else is
You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option
You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot
You have to try and fail and try again
You have to run faster even when you’re out of breath
You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled

Does any of the above resonate? Any you want to add? Do share. We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Even On A Team Dreams May Differ…

If I had planned my life, it never would have ended up like this. So maybe it’s kind of fun not to plan. Maybe it’s more fun just to see where life takes you. ~Joanna Gaines

In a relationship, dreams may differ. In a striving organization, dreams may differ. On a professional team, siblings growing up together…in all these scenarios, dreams may differ. Each person has his/her own goals and objectives which contributes positively to the end result. Negatively? Not so.

Let’s consider Marie and Alex, both managers who are working on a marketing project to achieve their department’s goal. Marie wants the project to succeed because she has her eyes on that coveted promotion. Alex wants to succeed because his family is growing and he’s hoping to get that mega increase to move into a bigger space to suit his family’s needs.

Goals Should Align

Goals should align though. How we get there may differ but they should align.

But as Joanna said … be open. Plan it but let it flow in whichever direction it chooses. You’ll get there if you don’t give up

Cheers!

If You Are Going In The Wrong Direction, Turn Around…

If you’re Going in the wrong direction, turn around. ~Seth Godin

Tis sad. So many recognize that they are on the wrong path, yet continue because they’re afraid or feel they can change things with ‘one last try’. Then the cycle repeats itself over, and over, and over again.

Just One Last Try

Stop. It’s such wasted effort, time, and resources. Turn around. Get back on track.

Go ahead, do it.

Cheers!

Leadership Is Foresight…

Being a leader is 24-7 job, and educational opportunities to improve yourself are everywhere. Learn from your friends and family and sometimes complete strangers, and you’ll find opportunities at every turn

– Byron Scott and Charles Norris

Where are you now and where do you want to be? In the book Slam Dunk Success, Magic Johnson articulated in the Forward that most people think you win then you become a leader. But it’s the other way around. You’re a leader first, then you win.

Leaders Are Everywhere

Leaders are everywhere and so are leadership opportunities. Punctured or not, Magic urged that you may be an entry-level employee or a middle manager, but not to worry. Every department is looking for a leader. To have the courage to stand up and take the lead, you will become successful.

Leadership is Innate

Leaders are constantly changing the world around them. They may be involved in business or in the community. Opportunities abound.

Leadership Is Foresight

Manage yourself. Think of where you are now and where you want to be. Then take the steps ….one at a time. Try. Learn. Fail. Get back up and do it again. You will succeed with hard work and persistence. As always, don’t give up.

Cheers!

If You’ve Always Done It That Way…

If you have always done it that way, you’re probably wrong.

6 Tips to Help You Succeed as a Leader

Christian heads many organizations and several Professional Associations. He was always respected. Whatever he says, goes. He retired recently, and decided to use his knowledge to start a renowned Group to make a difference to others in the community. He was successful. Within a year the group grew to several hundreds, with many eager to join his endeavor.

However, Christian has one problem. The group has grown and comprised millennials and others who expect a participatory leadership style. They shared ideas which little by little were shut down, avoided, or disregarded. The members now wonder whether it makes sense for them to be involved in the organization.

A Creature of habit, Christian exhibits the traditional authoritarian leadership style. Permit us to say that we are not sure if that is going to hold in today’s society.

Christina Folz in her article titled Lead From Where You Are, shared 6 tips to help you succeed as a leader:

Accept Failure
Embrace who you are
Build relationships early
Question Everything
Find People who Challenge you
Take initiative

Of the points raised my top three include, accepting failure because it means you have tried. You don’t wait around on your Sleeve until things are safe before stepping out.

Building relationships is also crucial to success. My own research on Success Strategies confirmed this when I interviewed leaders of several organizations to find out the traits that made them successful.

The third point concerned finding and working with people who challenge you. Doing this encourages creativity, and a creative team propels an organization or team’s success.

There you have it, my top favs selected. From the list, do you have a favorite, or two? Do share.

Cheers!

Leader: Where Are You Now?

Being a leader is 24-7 job, and educational opportunities to improve yourself are everywhere. Learn from your friends and family and sometimes complete strangers, and you’ll find opportunities at every turn

– Byron Scott and Charles Norris

Leader. Where are you now and where do you want to be? In the book Slam Dunk Success, Magic Johnson articulated in the Forward that most people think you win then you become a leader. But it’s the other way around. You’re a leader first, then you win.

Leaders are everywhere, and so are leadership opportunities. Punctured or not, Magic urged that you may be an entry-level employee or a middle manager, but not to worry. Every department is looking for a leader. To have the courage to stand up and take the lead, you will become successful.

Leadership is innate. Leaders are constantly changing the world around them. They may be involved in business or in the community. Opportunities abound.

Leadership is foresight. Manage yourself. Think of where you are now and where you want to be. Then take the steps ….one at a time. Try. Learn. Fail. Get back up and do it again. You will succeed with hard work and persistence. As always, don’t give up.

Cheers!

4 Barriers To Change…

We don’t know what lies ahead and that causes fear, apprehension and dissent

Change. It hurts.

Change hurts and that’s the reason so many hate it. Some change is good. Some bad. The news report of the Boston Marathon bombing was just terribly awful news. It caused pain, anarchy, sadness and fear. It changed lives in many, many ways. The scars are borne by those who were present, and those miles away at a distance.

Arising from that terrible tragedy where people died, hundreds were injured and some maimed, there were good news. Some of which included the resilience of many survivors, inspirational stories, and more. However, two stories stand out. One pertains to the return of dancer Adrianne Haslet-Davis who recently returned to the stage on prosthetic leg. The other illuminates Roseann Sdoia now engaged to wed the fireman who saved her. Certainly stories of love’s triumph over tragedy or dare I say in spite of.

So how do we get the courage to face the ugly face of change when it hits like a ton of bricks right in the face? How do we get the strength to go on…to fight…to survive? Here are some barriers that impede our desire to change.

4 Barriers to Change

1.Fear of the Unknown. We don’t know what lies ahead and that causes fear, apprehension and dissent that sometimes retards our ability to move ahead or even causes us to get stuck.

Solution: Face your fear. Make the move. Act in spite of fear.

2.Power Struggle. Power especially in organizations or personal relationships creates struggles that ignites disharmony because of threats and resistance. Some people can be physically intimidating, highly vocal or difficult to deal with. This can be because of their position as in management, stature as in a bully, or financial acumen as in being the main bread-winner in a family.

Solution: Understand position whether it’s in the organization or in relationship. Understand each individual’s place in the situation. All are important.

You may also like Change. Commit or Comply

3.Communication. Lack of communication or trust. Communicating disrespectfully creates barriers.

Solution: Be open. Encourage open respectful discussion. Share what’s happening on both sides and most important…listen. This will help with breaking the barriers to communication and build trust.

4.Trust. Why Change? What is the rationale? Why is it necessary? Do you stay in the situation? Will fighting and resisting help? In most instances not at all.

Solution. Stop fighting. Face the situation. Try to understand what is happening around you and try to do something about it. If it is something that you can help, then do it. If not, find someone more experienced that can help you with the change as in the case of unexpected job loss, change in business, finances, or relationship.

It’s a Process

Recognize that change is a process. It takes time. But with effort, determination and the desire to overcome, you can do it. So be bold. Remain steadfast. Thrive and you will survive the wind of change in time.

On 2nd Thoughts: Leadership & Power

If you build it, will they come?

Leadership as the ability to cause other persons to act in desired ways for the benefit of the organization or group

As the citizens of the United States prepare for the passing of the baton to another President, it might be worth it to pause and reflect on leadership and power. Many are having Second Thoughts about what to do to influence the passing of the baton to another incumbent.

For that matter, our reflections turn to consider what is leadership? What is power? How can leaders positively influence the action of others? Is there a right way? Is there a wrong way? Does it differ at the worldwide level from that of the organizational and individual levels? These questions have tugged at my mind as I contemplated the sources of power and sought to identify individuals in organizations who exemplify these attributes.

Leading Leaders

Selacuse in his book “Leading Leaders” discussed the category of powerful people whom he defined as the ‘elites’. Despite the natural negative connotation derived from this term, these are individuals who have “more” – more education, more talent, more money and more clout than ordinary people. Their knowledge, skills, money or power give elites (customarily leaders) special privileges.

A Bushy Comparison

Persuasion before action

Moreso Selacuse defined leadership as the ability to cause other persons to act in desired ways for the benefit of the organization or group. He conveyed an interesting spin on contrasting leadership at the presidential level. A comparative analysis was done on the leadership style of President George H.W. Bush with the leadership of his son President George W. Bush. Father Bush strongly believed that if other nations were to join the coalition to drive Iraq from Kuwait, the United States had to take an active, energetic leadership role in convincing them to join the coalition. He believed that leadership required diplomacy across a broad front and exhibited this through direct contact with other world leaders. Moreover, he did this through diplomatic missions; through action at the United Nations and other international organizations; through foreign embassies in the United States; and through American ambassadors abroad – to build and maintain a coalition of nations united in their efforts to achieve the goal to drive Iraq from Kuwait. George H.W. Bush’s leadership was based on persuasion before action.

If you build it will they come?

In contrast to his leadership style, his son George W. Bush acted under the belief that other countries had no choice but to follow the United States. George W. Bush and his administration believed that leadership by the United States seemed to flow automatically from its status as the world’s only superpower. At the time, the administration made it publicly clear that if other countries did not follow the U.S. into the war against Iraq, they would go to war alone. That certainly deviated from the importance of creating a coalition. They believed that unilateral action by the U.S. would naturally lead to multilateral action by other countries. The “if you build it they will come” doctrine expressed the belief that the United States was a unique country not just in terms of its power but also its moral authority for using that power.

To summarize this comparative analysis, Bush – the father, had broad experience in international diplomacy and long-standing relationships with world leaders at that time. He intimately knew and was on a first-name basis with national leaders and used this to his advantage to influence worldwide leaders. On the other hand, his son had no previous diplomatic experience and did not know the foreign leaders. Therefore, he often delegated important tasks to other members of his administration. Naturally then, he did not have the influence that his father did. In my opinion, this was indeed an interesting view on the issue of leadership and power at the global nation-wide level.

Definitely something to consider as we step into the future of our country, organizations or at the individual level of leadership, power and success.

Choose wisely.

Being Micro Managed?

You Micro Manager! Yes you. Repeat after me…I will not micromanage. I will not micromanage. I will not micromanage. These are the best words of caution for new managers.

Micromanagement is a management style whereby a manager closely observes or controls the work of subordinates or employees. Micromanagement generally has a negative connotation. Wiki

I was asked the question why some managers feel it necessary to micro manage. Reflecting on that I decided to share through this post.

Managers who micromanage makes coming to work a nightmare. Micro Management is the practice of managing with excessive control or attention to detail. It tells employees that there is a lack of trust. Essentially that the manager has little confidence in his/her team and their capabilities. Often it drives the team away and what is worse, it is the organization’s most talented people who frequently walk away. The company is then left with those workers who will simply show up for a ‘paycheck’. No commitment, no care.

Signs of Micro Management

If you are a micro manager, Harvard Business shared signs that can be seen:

You’re never quite satisfied with deliverables
You often feel frustrated because you would have gone about the task differently
You laser in on the details and take price and/or pain in making corrections
You constantly want to know where all your team members are and what they are working on
You ask for frequent updates on where things stand
You prefer to be cc’d on emails

As a manager, this is certainly grounds for disaster. You will either drive your team crazy or stress yourself out with the inevitable burn out.

How to Manage:

As a new manager if you find yourself micro managing here are a few points to keep in mind:

Don’t be afraid to fail. At its very core is the feeling that if you don’t do things yourself, things are going to fail. Not so. This is a myth. Sometimes failure is good. It helps us learn and grow, and our teams may end up with the belief that you are ‘human’. They will work together with you to achieve the results. Essentially, you will win.

Focus on the ‘what’ not the ‘how’. I am a firm believer in sharing the organization and your department’s goal with your team. Doing so stimulates their creativity and provides solutions that you may not have considered.

Let it go. The difference between managing and micromanaging is in the ‘micro’. Let go of watching people. Here’s how:

-Look at your to-do list to see which task can be passed on or delegated to those reporting to you.

-Engage your team. Let them know what level of detail you expect from them and where they need to connect with you.

-Think Big. Focus on the big issues that you need to concentrate on and place your energy and attention on those.

Being Micro-Managed?

If you are being micro-managed, Research Psychologist Dr. Peggy Drexler suggests a few pointers you can use to remain sane:

Do your job well.
Ask how you’re doing
Be a proactive communicator. Copy supervisor on emails. Keep him/her up to date on your activities before being asked.
Teach him/her how to delegate. Volunteer to help with tasks or projects and keep your manager abreast of the progress.

Practicing these points will help you succeed. The converse is also true. Continuing to micro manage is Ancient…a thing of the past where autocratic leadership was game. Doing this now is sure grounds for disaster.

So it’s your choice. Choose wisely and experience success.