You may be your own best success coach. In simplest terms a coach will help you reach for your best.
If you wish to understand how to be the best you can be you must understand how to reach for excellence. That's where it starts. You must have a hunger for excellence … what I like to refer to as an attitude of excellence.
That's why, at least as a starting point, you may be your own best success coach. The desire starts with you. It can't be artificially imported from the outside. The desire, the hunger drives you forward.
By excellence I do not mean perfection. We will not reach that this side of heaven. But we can reach to be our very best, personally and professionally. We can reach for our companies and organizations, our committees and teams to be the best they can be. That reaching is moving forward with an attitude of excellence.
An attitude of excellence is a driving knowledge that we have the capacity to do even better, that we have been created with incredible potential to do better and achieve more than we may have realized or accomplished to this point.
Desire is a starting point. You must desire to be your best. A hunger for excellence is the attitude that precedes action and best begins to put one on the path to success. It is not a hunger that tramps on others to move one’s self forward. It is an attitude that causes you to measure yourself against yourself and your past achievements and improve upon those, daily, monthly, yearly, and consistently.
If a person is not reaching for excellence in what they do, if they do not believe they really can do better and achieve more and be willing to do what’s needed to make it happen, you can be assured they will probably reach a plateau and stay stuck there for the rest of their career … or life.
Men and women with an attitude of excellence are most apt to engage a personal and professional Coach to assist them in understanding themselves and identifying opportunities for moving forward with greater momentum. They want to identify blind spots and make needed adjustments so they can be their best at thinking, carrying out their day to day work and leading others.
Of course, simply having an attitude of excellence isn’t all that is needed to be successful. You need to be clear about where you are going, assemble skills and resources to get there and do the work necessary to realize your desired outcome. You need to realize open doors when they are in front of you and seek to open them when they are not.
But attitude is the driver. An attitude of excellence will keep you moving forward while others are settling for less than what is truly possible. An attitude of excellence will keep you positive when things look like they will never work out. An attitude of excellence will give your thinking and your actions momentum while others languish.
Never underestimate a right attitude. Attitudes of excellence can lift up a whole team and propel them forward. This type of attitude leads to breakthroughs where others see dead ends. It sees problems as one step closer to solutions.
An attitude of excellence does not settle for the status quo. It is attractive, expansive and forward moving. It is simply an attitude lived out, a driving force that has caused men and women throughout the ages to do better, achieve more and thrive.
Adopt this attitude. It has moved forward countless numbers of people who have achieved above and beyond what they originally might have thought they were capable of.
Showing posts with label Career Limiting Behaviors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Career Limiting Behaviors. Show all posts
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Fast Response, the Small Business Entrepreneur's Advantage
The hallmark of a small business entrepreneur is that they can give a fast response.
We all have a sense that corporate and government wheels grind slowly as decision making winds its way through successive layers of bureaucracy. But the small business person can make a decision quickly. Do they? Often yes. But many times no.
Often hanging on to a dream, a method, a boast, an image or a feeling, the small business entrepreneur waits too long to respond quickly to reality and implement needed changes. The result is that they either run out of time or money and suffer the consequences.
Odd, isn't it that these business leaders can make a lightning fast decision and turn their small enterprise in a new direction. They have the ability to change quickly. All they need to do is say the word. But they hesitate.
Hesitation isn't because of outside influences so much as it is because of those internal 'struggles' to hang on to that dream, that way of doing things, the pride that made the boast, the image that has been put out into family and community and the feeling of control that the unfamiliar path would challenge.
Those who run successful small businesses make considered but quick decisions. They don't let internal self-talk and feelings get in the way of taking the actions that are needed to move successfully forward.
Don't wait too long to make needed adjustments. Be honest with yourself about what is holding you back from doing what you know needs to be done. Then decide and move fast.
Running a small business isn't for the faint of heart. But to those who can make the decisions that need to be made, it can be a very successful, lucrative and totally fulfilling enterprise.
We all have a sense that corporate and government wheels grind slowly as decision making winds its way through successive layers of bureaucracy. But the small business person can make a decision quickly. Do they? Often yes. But many times no.
Often hanging on to a dream, a method, a boast, an image or a feeling, the small business entrepreneur waits too long to respond quickly to reality and implement needed changes. The result is that they either run out of time or money and suffer the consequences.
Odd, isn't it that these business leaders can make a lightning fast decision and turn their small enterprise in a new direction. They have the ability to change quickly. All they need to do is say the word. But they hesitate.
Hesitation isn't because of outside influences so much as it is because of those internal 'struggles' to hang on to that dream, that way of doing things, the pride that made the boast, the image that has been put out into family and community and the feeling of control that the unfamiliar path would challenge.
Those who run successful small businesses make considered but quick decisions. They don't let internal self-talk and feelings get in the way of taking the actions that are needed to move successfully forward.
Don't wait too long to make needed adjustments. Be honest with yourself about what is holding you back from doing what you know needs to be done. Then decide and move fast.
Running a small business isn't for the faint of heart. But to those who can make the decisions that need to be made, it can be a very successful, lucrative and totally fulfilling enterprise.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Why Most Leadership Development Programs Don't Work
I'm going to suggest three reasons why most leadership development programs don't work.
Organizations Aren't Really Committed: In business, dedicating people and resources to seeing someone grow isn't as easily traced to bottom line dollars earned. This is extremely short-sighted thinking. Build your people and you will build your business. Certainly our executive coaching firm frequently uses Return On Investment tracking that makes a strong case for bottom line results from front line human resource investments.
In addition, investment in people takes work. You don't just subscribe them to a magazine, give them a book allowance and send them off to a conference or two and think you have done the leadership development thing. Most of those in supervisory positions just don't have the time or inclination to work consistently with their leaders. And even if they are keen, they often don't really know how to proceed or to follow up on the individual.
It isn't much different in nonprofit settings. Just because they aren't engaged in profit making enterprise doesn't mean they don't want results. But many nonprofits are so strapped and busy that those who should or could be developing others just don't have the time. Immediate needs take precedence.
Individuals Aren't Really Committed: Individual leaders are often hungry to do better and achieve more. But they haven't got a clue of how to go about it. Busyness dictates that they don't get much time to think about personal and professional development beyond trying to keep up with the bottom line latest information they need to know for the next day.
Leadership development takes time. And months stretch into years. It's easy to let something slide. The tyranny of the urgent dictates attention and action. Unless the individual abruptly interrupts their well established patterns and plans for a different approach, things will pretty much stay the same.
People are far more often thrust into leadership than prepared for it. They learn by the seat of their pants. Now that's not all bad, but it is far from great for them or the company. And sometimes the results can be downright disastrous.
Personal Coaching Isn't a Key Component: Without one-to-one, intentional back and forth that is focused on the individual and what they are attempting to achieve, there is no focused 'system' or approach to fostering real growth. Intentional growth takes conversation. It takes probing and the revealing of potential blind spots. It takes questioning entrenched habits and exploration of as yet unknown possibilities in behavior and performance.
The Coach can take the time to walk alongside the individual with one purpose in mind ... helping them think about, plan for and act upon those things which would move them forward in learning, experience, skills and attitude.
Consistent coaching over an extended period of time may be the key missing link in most leadership development programs. With it, the individual can go further faster. In the same way that iron sharpens iron, the coach can sharpen the leader, assisting them to go farther than they might have otherwise thought possible. When that happens the results will show back in the organization.
Bottom Line. If you are going to be serious about a leadership development program, work with an executive coaching firm such as ours. We have a track record. We know what we are doing. We know how to help an individual grow in ways the benefit them and the company or organization. Your investment will be highly targeted and ROI will be real.
Additionally a seasoned professional coach can help you implement a 'coach approach' to working with your people. You will have a three-way partnership that is focused both on personal and professional growth and company results.
If you run leadership development programs
- Organizations aren't really committed.
- Individuals aren't really committed.
- Personal coaching isn't a key component.
Organizations Aren't Really Committed: In business, dedicating people and resources to seeing someone grow isn't as easily traced to bottom line dollars earned. This is extremely short-sighted thinking. Build your people and you will build your business. Certainly our executive coaching firm frequently uses Return On Investment tracking that makes a strong case for bottom line results from front line human resource investments.
In addition, investment in people takes work. You don't just subscribe them to a magazine, give them a book allowance and send them off to a conference or two and think you have done the leadership development thing. Most of those in supervisory positions just don't have the time or inclination to work consistently with their leaders. And even if they are keen, they often don't really know how to proceed or to follow up on the individual.
It isn't much different in nonprofit settings. Just because they aren't engaged in profit making enterprise doesn't mean they don't want results. But many nonprofits are so strapped and busy that those who should or could be developing others just don't have the time. Immediate needs take precedence.
Individuals Aren't Really Committed: Individual leaders are often hungry to do better and achieve more. But they haven't got a clue of how to go about it. Busyness dictates that they don't get much time to think about personal and professional development beyond trying to keep up with the bottom line latest information they need to know for the next day.
Leadership development takes time. And months stretch into years. It's easy to let something slide. The tyranny of the urgent dictates attention and action. Unless the individual abruptly interrupts their well established patterns and plans for a different approach, things will pretty much stay the same.
People are far more often thrust into leadership than prepared for it. They learn by the seat of their pants. Now that's not all bad, but it is far from great for them or the company. And sometimes the results can be downright disastrous.
Personal Coaching Isn't a Key Component: Without one-to-one, intentional back and forth that is focused on the individual and what they are attempting to achieve, there is no focused 'system' or approach to fostering real growth. Intentional growth takes conversation. It takes probing and the revealing of potential blind spots. It takes questioning entrenched habits and exploration of as yet unknown possibilities in behavior and performance.
The Coach can take the time to walk alongside the individual with one purpose in mind ... helping them think about, plan for and act upon those things which would move them forward in learning, experience, skills and attitude.
Consistent coaching over an extended period of time may be the key missing link in most leadership development programs. With it, the individual can go further faster. In the same way that iron sharpens iron, the coach can sharpen the leader, assisting them to go farther than they might have otherwise thought possible. When that happens the results will show back in the organization.
Bottom Line. If you are going to be serious about a leadership development program, work with an executive coaching firm such as ours. We have a track record. We know what we are doing. We know how to help an individual grow in ways the benefit them and the company or organization. Your investment will be highly targeted and ROI will be real.
Additionally a seasoned professional coach can help you implement a 'coach approach' to working with your people. You will have a three-way partnership that is focused both on personal and professional growth and company results.
If you run leadership development programs
- Be committed. Make it part of who you are as an organization.
- Work with committed individual leaders.
- Make coaching a long-term key component of your effort
Monday, September 14, 2009
Is Personal Development Dead?
Is it possible that we have too many terms with too much baggage ... terms like 'personal development'? Could it be that 'personal development' is bogging many good and potentially great leaders down? (Not to mention professional development.) They have sincere and hopeful intentions but over the months and years remain stuck, not growing and not attempting to grow beyond what are akin to a few New Year's Resolutions and some feeble attempts at 'embracing change' all under the label of personal and professional growth.
Is personal development dead? ... the term I mean ... is it spent, passe, overworked, past its prime, tired and in need of younger blood showing up on the scene?
'Personal development' - it's a great term, you know. Keeping it alive and well certainly fits into the movement that benefits to the tune of billions every year. But with all the personal development, you'd think we'd be further ahead in our companies and communities.
Again, could it be that a lot of it just isn't implemented at a very personal level? Or that too few people even explore what might be involved and are content to live in mediocrity as long as their pay cheque keeps showing up? Or that industry truthfully has no stomach to encourage and inspire it?
Maybe we need a new term, something to jettison the stereotype and start fresh ... something meaningful, measurable and moving. Maybe personal development should be 'Practical Monthly Improvement'. How about that? It isn't glamorous but it's a workhorse of a term.
Practical Monthly Improvement implies that something is measured from month to month. It assures us there is actual forward movement. And it certainly tells us that it shows up in everyday practical ways.
What would you do to achieve Practical Monthly Improvement? (Or PMI, as we'd have to say in business speak.)
Imagine what could happen in a company or an organization where every individual from bottom to top was seriously committed to month over month improvement both individually and collectively. Where compensation and rewards were based on real practical, observable, monthly improvement? What would that look like?
You might be thinking this is idealistic nut-talk ... a whole organization ... come on. But practical monthly improvement isn't corny, and I don't care what new term you come up with if the intention is right. Maybe, just maybe if we got rid of some of the stereotypical ideas people have about personal development and how difficult it is going to be, we could move forward faster.
When we published 52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day, we were committed to really, really practical action steps. Pick any ten simple practices from that book and it will probably transform the way you work and lead. Just ten.That's what I mean by practical monthly improvement.
And while I'm at it, maybe we should require PMI as a condition of employment and leadership or running for public office. Prove you're engaged with doing better and making things better. Your company, cause ... or country ... will be better for it. You'll be more satisfied. It could develop into a way of living and working from here on in.
When being aware and being willing get turned into daily, intentional and decisive action, there is no telling what can be accomplished in a life ... or a country.
What do you say my friend? Does PMI have traction?
Is personal development dead? ... the term I mean ... is it spent, passe, overworked, past its prime, tired and in need of younger blood showing up on the scene?
'Personal development' - it's a great term, you know. Keeping it alive and well certainly fits into the movement that benefits to the tune of billions every year. But with all the personal development, you'd think we'd be further ahead in our companies and communities.
Again, could it be that a lot of it just isn't implemented at a very personal level? Or that too few people even explore what might be involved and are content to live in mediocrity as long as their pay cheque keeps showing up? Or that industry truthfully has no stomach to encourage and inspire it?
Maybe we need a new term, something to jettison the stereotype and start fresh ... something meaningful, measurable and moving. Maybe personal development should be 'Practical Monthly Improvement'. How about that? It isn't glamorous but it's a workhorse of a term.
Practical Monthly Improvement implies that something is measured from month to month. It assures us there is actual forward movement. And it certainly tells us that it shows up in everyday practical ways.
What would you do to achieve Practical Monthly Improvement? (Or PMI, as we'd have to say in business speak.)
Imagine what could happen in a company or an organization where every individual from bottom to top was seriously committed to month over month improvement both individually and collectively. Where compensation and rewards were based on real practical, observable, monthly improvement? What would that look like?
You might be thinking this is idealistic nut-talk ... a whole organization ... come on. But practical monthly improvement isn't corny, and I don't care what new term you come up with if the intention is right. Maybe, just maybe if we got rid of some of the stereotypical ideas people have about personal development and how difficult it is going to be, we could move forward faster.
When we published 52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day, we were committed to really, really practical action steps. Pick any ten simple practices from that book and it will probably transform the way you work and lead. Just ten.That's what I mean by practical monthly improvement.
And while I'm at it, maybe we should require PMI as a condition of employment and leadership or running for public office. Prove you're engaged with doing better and making things better. Your company, cause ... or country ... will be better for it. You'll be more satisfied. It could develop into a way of living and working from here on in.
When being aware and being willing get turned into daily, intentional and decisive action, there is no telling what can be accomplished in a life ... or a country.
What do you say my friend? Does PMI have traction?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
What's Your Problem? Saying it Clearly
What's your problem? Saying it clearly will help you find solutions. And if you can't admit what it is, trying new things won't solve it. Your efforts will be squandered chasing phantoms. Make the real thing the real thing.
Probably more important than talking about your problem is taking the time to define your problem in the clearest of terms. Defining is the place to start. Once that is done you will have a clearer conversation. And it will be your gut, your emotions, your feelings that will let you know how good your definition is. When it is really cutting close to the core, you know you're probably on target.
As Dr. Phil McGraw frequently states, “You can't change what you don't acknowledge.” And until you can articulate whatever that area of needed change is, so that you mind and your heart are acknowledging, you will be unable to find the proper options that will lead you to the best strategies and actions to apply.
My most important task as a personal and executive coach is helping leaders clarify what the real situation, problem or opportunity is and to say that in the fewest words possible. Once that is done we know what we are really talking about and then we can come up with options that apply to the real topic at hand.
Those who are committed to personal, professional or organizational growth, clarify frequently as needed. Those who are complacent about consistent clarification continue to live, perform and lead in mediocrity.
I am sure that you probably have one problem or opportunity today that will benefit from clarity. It is the truth that sets free. It is the lack of it that leads to frustration, neglect and deterioration to whatever degree it may manifest itself.
The greatest change will come when it can be articulated in the simplest possible terms.
Probably more important than talking about your problem is taking the time to define your problem in the clearest of terms. Defining is the place to start. Once that is done you will have a clearer conversation. And it will be your gut, your emotions, your feelings that will let you know how good your definition is. When it is really cutting close to the core, you know you're probably on target.
As Dr. Phil McGraw frequently states, “You can't change what you don't acknowledge.” And until you can articulate whatever that area of needed change is, so that you mind and your heart are acknowledging, you will be unable to find the proper options that will lead you to the best strategies and actions to apply.
My most important task as a personal and executive coach is helping leaders clarify what the real situation, problem or opportunity is and to say that in the fewest words possible. Once that is done we know what we are really talking about and then we can come up with options that apply to the real topic at hand.
Those who are committed to personal, professional or organizational growth, clarify frequently as needed. Those who are complacent about consistent clarification continue to live, perform and lead in mediocrity.
I am sure that you probably have one problem or opportunity today that will benefit from clarity. It is the truth that sets free. It is the lack of it that leads to frustration, neglect and deterioration to whatever degree it may manifest itself.
The greatest change will come when it can be articulated in the simplest possible terms.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
What Makes a Good Leader Work With a Coach?
What makes a good leader work with a Coach? They have their act together, don't they? They effectively carry out their own work each day, not wasting a lot of time but getting things done. They work well with their staff. The company, organization or division they direct is moving along as well as any other. So why would they think about working with an executive coach? Or why would their organization think of having them engage a coach?
It's simple really. Because they know they can always do better. In fact they want to do better and achieve more. Great leaders are characterized by consistent growth. Stagnation, the status quo, staying on the plateau, these are not in their vocabulary except to be avoided. They believe in and go after personal, professional and organizational growth.
Even though you are doing just fine right now, what would you work on with an executive coach? Where can you grow yourself and your leadership team ever further? What would you like to learn and implement to give you that edge that will translate into greater success? Have you really reached your highest and best potential in each of these areas?
People
Personal
Process
Aware, growing leaders believe they and the organizations they lead can do better and achieve more. They are restless until they see that happen.
It's simple really. Because they know they can always do better. In fact they want to do better and achieve more. Great leaders are characterized by consistent growth. Stagnation, the status quo, staying on the plateau, these are not in their vocabulary except to be avoided. They believe in and go after personal, professional and organizational growth.
Even though you are doing just fine right now, what would you work on with an executive coach? Where can you grow yourself and your leadership team ever further? What would you like to learn and implement to give you that edge that will translate into greater success? Have you really reached your highest and best potential in each of these areas?
People
- Managing Critical Conversations, Conflict and Confrontation
- Motivating, Leading and Developing Others
- Succession Planning and Grooming for Advancement
- Building Key Relationships – Family, Work, Community
Personal
- Time Control, Managing Stress and Dealing with Burnout
- Meaningful Contribution and Career Satisfaction
- Character Growth and Personal Development
- Changing Possible Career Limiting Behaviors
Process
- Increasing Daily Productivity and Effectiveness
- Planning, Goal Setting and Decision Making
- Fostering Significant Ideas and Projects
- Maximizing Opportunities in Change and Transition
Aware, growing leaders believe they and the organizations they lead can do better and achieve more. They are restless until they see that happen.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Coaching to Address a Leader's Performance Problem
Here are 8 steps to best use coaching to address a leader's performance problem.
In today's environment, every member of the leadership team needs to be functioning at their best. Dismissal and replacement is costly, finding star players even more so. Coaching has proven to be a cost effective intervention in returning critical contribution leaders to full form.
While much less leadership or executive coaching today is remedial, occasionally there is a need to address sagging performance. There may be several contributing factors to explain why a leader isn't doing as well as expected. Coaching will give them the opportunity to address their behavior and begin once again to move in a more positive and contributory direction.
In today's environment, every member of the leadership team needs to be functioning at their best. Dismissal and replacement is costly, finding star players even more so. Coaching has proven to be a cost effective intervention in returning critical contribution leaders to full form.
While much less leadership or executive coaching today is remedial, occasionally there is a need to address sagging performance. There may be several contributing factors to explain why a leader isn't doing as well as expected. Coaching will give them the opportunity to address their behavior and begin once again to move in a more positive and contributory direction.
- Have a conversation with the the leader, expressing your belief that they have the capacity to change their behavior in order to improve their performance. Otherwise you wouldn't be suggesting that they work with a coach. Be very clear about those things which you wish to see addressed and gain their agreement to work with a coach.
- In determining the appropriate professional, have a complete and candid conversation with the coach, outlining the objectives you are seeking the leader to accomplish and any other expectations that you have of the coaching engagement. Discuss confidentiality and reporting. Make sure you understand the coach's ways and means of tracking and addressing the client's progress. Talk about how you will be kept informed and how the coaching agreement is structured. Discuss the value and administration of any useful assessments.
- Have a three-party meeting: yourself, the leader and the coach. Review the objectives, putting on record those things that you wish the leader to work toward. Allow the coach to outline the nature of the relationship. Make sure all three of you agree on the game plan for moving forward. Express your confidence in and support for the leader.
- Let coaching have its effect. Most change takes some time. Good coaching and the results it produces are not forced. It works by helping the person see themselves and their situation clearly and knowing what to do next to advance personal, professional and performance goals. During the engagement the client will get over a critical hump. They will become clear about what needs to happen and they will begin to gain momentum from there on in.
- Engage the leader in a periodic review to assess how they feel they are doing with coaching. Talk with them about the progress they feel they are making. Discuss their plans for their ongoing committment. Fill out any observation and tracking forms that the coach has suggested. Review those with the leader and send them to the coach. They agreed to pursue certain objectives and where you see progress it is only right that you nurture it and let the leader know that you have observed that progress in them.
- Toward the end of the engagement, it is time to make a determination if the return that you are getting warrants the continuation of coaching. Perhaps the leader has improved performance and surpassed expectations and with the benefit of coaching could achieve even more. In this case the return on investment warrants continued coaching.
- From any administered assessments, seek to understand the behavioral style of that leader, how you can best communicate with them, motivate them and assist them to develop latent capacity for further responsibility. Have the coach help you understand this critical leadership development information.
- Adopt a coach approach with this leader, where you will periodically meet to review their personal development goals. Learn from the coach how to use a 'coach approach' with this leader. Learn how to ask good questions that can give them greater clarity and further momentum. The 'coach approach' is best learned by being coached yourself. So this may be an opportune time for you to engage coaching for your own growth and the greater benefit of the organization. Never assume that you have arrived and that you have no further capacity for growth, creative thinking and even better planning, execution and action.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Simplifying Life and Leadership
Do you ever feel the need to simplify your life or your leadership?
We often have far more than is really necessary. This does not mean that we have to divest ourselves of all our possessions, interests or involvements. It does mean that we can probably make our lives a whole lot more uncomplicated and uncluttered than they are.
The more that there is, the more you have to attend to it and put energy into it. Those very same possessions, interests and involvements can become weights that slow us down from running the race of life with energy, focus and settled satisfaction.
Periodically through life and leadership, we need to reflect on questions like ...
Do I need as many ...
Do I need to be involved in ...
Do I need to ...
Do I need as much ...
Are there areas where I am not content? Why is that? Is it acceptable to me? What can I do about it?
For years I have periodically gone through a simplification process. Usually I consider it when I take some type of personal planning retreat. I do it because I want to work with excellence. I want my attention to be focused and my full energy available. I want to be at my best, both in life and in work.
Alice and I have simplified. We have carefully considered the involvements we could commit to. In some cases we have cut out all but those we felt necessary. Other times we felt certain new commitments could be added for a period of time. We have also culled possessions, decided on vehicles and a number of other considerations around which we asked, "Are we simplifying or complicating our lives more? Are we creating more or less to worry and fuss over?
Simplifying is different for each one of us. But the end result is the same. It lets us move with greater agility and less attachments, better focus and fewer distractions.
We often have far more than is really necessary. This does not mean that we have to divest ourselves of all our possessions, interests or involvements. It does mean that we can probably make our lives a whole lot more uncomplicated and uncluttered than they are.
The more that there is, the more you have to attend to it and put energy into it. Those very same possessions, interests and involvements can become weights that slow us down from running the race of life with energy, focus and settled satisfaction.
Periodically through life and leadership, we need to reflect on questions like ...
Do I need as many ...
Do I need to be involved in ...
Do I need to ...
Do I need as much ...
Are there areas where I am not content? Why is that? Is it acceptable to me? What can I do about it?
For years I have periodically gone through a simplification process. Usually I consider it when I take some type of personal planning retreat. I do it because I want to work with excellence. I want my attention to be focused and my full energy available. I want to be at my best, both in life and in work.
Alice and I have simplified. We have carefully considered the involvements we could commit to. In some cases we have cut out all but those we felt necessary. Other times we felt certain new commitments could be added for a period of time. We have also culled possessions, decided on vehicles and a number of other considerations around which we asked, "Are we simplifying or complicating our lives more? Are we creating more or less to worry and fuss over?
Simplifying is different for each one of us. But the end result is the same. It lets us move with greater agility and less attachments, better focus and fewer distractions.
Friday, July 3, 2009
What Do You Mean, Leadership Development?
Before engaging a coach for 'leadership development', you had better get a grip on what exactly leadership development is in the context of how you want to use it.
To book yourself or sponsor staff for leadership development coaching doesn't mean much by itself. What is it you wish to accomplish?
... and any number of other things that would impact the daily life of a leader.
I think Steve Roesler gives some very cogent advice in his recent post, Leadership: Coaching Clarity Needed,
When it comes to coaching--or any kind of consulting activity--90% of the success or failure lies in the contracting phase. So:
a. Get clear about who initiated the coaching request. If it was a boss, make sure to understand what that person is looking for and why. Which means asking, "Who really set this process in motion?"
b. What are the specific results desired from the coaching engagement? While Leadership is a sexy catch-all phrase, maybe the real issues are managing team performance, running better meetings, or initiating conversations with colleagues in other corporate locations. (All three of those have emerged after probing underneath the Leadership umbrella during contracting).
c. Is coaching the best way to get at the desired growth? The fact of the matter is that some things are skills that can be learned in other ways. And if you ask yourself how you best learned Leadership, the thoughtful answer will probably be "from leading." Be prepared to suggest expanded responsibility. People grow by being lifted up and then stepping up.
Clarity rules! If you can name it, you can do something about it. If you wish to establish new skills, change a particular attitude or adjust the way you go about whatever ... write it down clearly and then make focused effort to work on it.
If you want to achieve specific goals with coaching, fuzzy ideas and articulation about leadership development may not get you there. Zero in.
Here are sample statements from executives we have coached. Each of them started out as 'leadership development' type requests. But they had something more specific in mind. Notice how their statements are becoming more refined.
This means that the coaching can be more targeted. We can more quickly zero in and get to work on those things that matter.
And even for your own personal and professional development work ... be crisp and clear and you will better be able to develop your own personal development plan. You will have specific topics to work on. You will be able to set realistic targets because you will know what you are talking about.
Clarity rules!
To book yourself or sponsor staff for leadership development coaching doesn't mean much by itself. What is it you wish to accomplish?
- Adjust a career limiting behavior
- Improve communication skills
- Learn how to develop and articulate vision
- Create connections both inside and outside the organization
- Handle conflict better
... and any number of other things that would impact the daily life of a leader.
I think Steve Roesler gives some very cogent advice in his recent post, Leadership: Coaching Clarity Needed,
When it comes to coaching--or any kind of consulting activity--90% of the success or failure lies in the contracting phase. So:
a. Get clear about who initiated the coaching request. If it was a boss, make sure to understand what that person is looking for and why. Which means asking, "Who really set this process in motion?"
b. What are the specific results desired from the coaching engagement? While Leadership is a sexy catch-all phrase, maybe the real issues are managing team performance, running better meetings, or initiating conversations with colleagues in other corporate locations. (All three of those have emerged after probing underneath the Leadership umbrella during contracting).
c. Is coaching the best way to get at the desired growth? The fact of the matter is that some things are skills that can be learned in other ways. And if you ask yourself how you best learned Leadership, the thoughtful answer will probably be "from leading." Be prepared to suggest expanded responsibility. People grow by being lifted up and then stepping up.
Clarity rules! If you can name it, you can do something about it. If you wish to establish new skills, change a particular attitude or adjust the way you go about whatever ... write it down clearly and then make focused effort to work on it.
If you want to achieve specific goals with coaching, fuzzy ideas and articulation about leadership development may not get you there. Zero in.
Here are sample statements from executives we have coached. Each of them started out as 'leadership development' type requests. But they had something more specific in mind. Notice how their statements are becoming more refined.
- "Develop some benchmarks for the company and understand how to use them best"
- "To get away from the edge of burnout"
- "I need assistance in relating to the board."
- "I need help in making a smooth transition of leadership."
- "Become someone who deals better with staff performance problems"
This means that the coaching can be more targeted. We can more quickly zero in and get to work on those things that matter.
And even for your own personal and professional development work ... be crisp and clear and you will better be able to develop your own personal development plan. You will have specific topics to work on. You will be able to set realistic targets because you will know what you are talking about.
Clarity rules!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Top 10 Ways to Lose Business
Your thinking will probably determine how you behave. The Top 10 Ways to Lose Business are all mindsets, ways of thinking that can be disastrous. They need to be pulled out like the weeds in a garden.
Keep these ideas about your prospective clients in your mind and you will most certainly lose business. Follow the advice and you may see your business skyrocket. Develop a mindset for success.
1. Too small for my services:
Small may just become bigger. And small may know bigger or be eventually bought out by bigger. Never underestimate the size of what you are looking at. Don’t judge by the building. Deal with the person. They may be the one who can bring you a lot of business even if they never personally initial a deal for their own company. The influence of your new friend may serve you well for many years to come.
2. Too big to ever retain me:
Without asking you’ll never know what might have been. Remember, someone else will ask. Behind the corporate structure are people who need to get a job done. Be the professional you are and bite off a big chunk. Offer what they need. Tailor it by listening carefully. Big chunk – big rewards.
3. Just another sale:
Another sale? That was just the greatest transaction ever done. Give them value beyond what they every imagined from you and cash in on the future business. Hum drum stops with “duty done”. Excellence builds value for the future. You won’t be just another professional come and gone, but a long-term professional alliance that can make their company great.
4. An interruption to my day:
What a day for golf. Sunny. Too much to do to be bothered following up that lead? When a prospect turns into an interruption day after day, you’re in a rut. Either you’re afraid to make contact or your work habits need to be checked out. Shake out of your lethargy. Get a coach to work with you and get you on track again. Enjoy leisure from a position of success not avoidance.
5. Too much work:
“I’ll just work my tail off for this, and get didly squat for it.” Work won’t kill you, but work smart. Zero in on what’s important. Many spend too much time on details with little real importance. 80% of the real productive work will probably be fleshed out in 20% of the time. Is it managing your time that’s challenging or managing yourself? There is a big difference between creating extra work and creating more time to be productive.
6. My only hope:
Desperation is like a plague. It sucks the emotional energy right out of you. Your presentations will be like therapy 101 to the client. Learn from every presentation that didn’t fly and make the next one that much better. Operate from a place of strength and confidence in your ability. Hopefully, this isn’t the only deal you’re working on and it won’t be the last.
7. Too professional to want to listen to me:
You’re a professional. You have training, expertise and a history of experience that they, no matter how professional, do not have. Offer your unique expertise to the client. Do you know their field? Perhaps not. Do you have to? No. You have to know your field. And if they need your services then go for it. Act what you are, a professional.
8. A waste of my time:
They just won’t be interested. How do you know? What facts lead you to believe that? Let the customer be the judge of how they’ll receive your efforts. You be you, and do your excellent best. This attitude of defeat before battle is a wasting one. Every presentation you make sharpens your knowledge, skills and hopefully your attitudes towards your success.
9. An easy sell.
Never underestimate the smarts of your prospect. Get your facts complete and present them well. If there is any hint of condescension you could be in big trouble. Treat every prospect as the only prospect that may ever come your way. Respect their dignity and you could be compensated well for it.
10. The competition probably has it:
Who says? Like everything before this, it’s all in your mind. Until you take the action that can lead to the result, you just don’t know. Unlock this key insight in yourself. You are a professional. Professionals act until there is “proof” that the competition has it. Keep giving the client value with your name attached.
Make a decision right now to deal with self-defeating thinking.
Keep these ideas about your prospective clients in your mind and you will most certainly lose business. Follow the advice and you may see your business skyrocket. Develop a mindset for success.
1. Too small for my services:
Small may just become bigger. And small may know bigger or be eventually bought out by bigger. Never underestimate the size of what you are looking at. Don’t judge by the building. Deal with the person. They may be the one who can bring you a lot of business even if they never personally initial a deal for their own company. The influence of your new friend may serve you well for many years to come.
2. Too big to ever retain me:
Without asking you’ll never know what might have been. Remember, someone else will ask. Behind the corporate structure are people who need to get a job done. Be the professional you are and bite off a big chunk. Offer what they need. Tailor it by listening carefully. Big chunk – big rewards.
3. Just another sale:
Another sale? That was just the greatest transaction ever done. Give them value beyond what they every imagined from you and cash in on the future business. Hum drum stops with “duty done”. Excellence builds value for the future. You won’t be just another professional come and gone, but a long-term professional alliance that can make their company great.
4. An interruption to my day:
What a day for golf. Sunny. Too much to do to be bothered following up that lead? When a prospect turns into an interruption day after day, you’re in a rut. Either you’re afraid to make contact or your work habits need to be checked out. Shake out of your lethargy. Get a coach to work with you and get you on track again. Enjoy leisure from a position of success not avoidance.
5. Too much work:
“I’ll just work my tail off for this, and get didly squat for it.” Work won’t kill you, but work smart. Zero in on what’s important. Many spend too much time on details with little real importance. 80% of the real productive work will probably be fleshed out in 20% of the time. Is it managing your time that’s challenging or managing yourself? There is a big difference between creating extra work and creating more time to be productive.
6. My only hope:
Desperation is like a plague. It sucks the emotional energy right out of you. Your presentations will be like therapy 101 to the client. Learn from every presentation that didn’t fly and make the next one that much better. Operate from a place of strength and confidence in your ability. Hopefully, this isn’t the only deal you’re working on and it won’t be the last.
7. Too professional to want to listen to me:
You’re a professional. You have training, expertise and a history of experience that they, no matter how professional, do not have. Offer your unique expertise to the client. Do you know their field? Perhaps not. Do you have to? No. You have to know your field. And if they need your services then go for it. Act what you are, a professional.
8. A waste of my time:
They just won’t be interested. How do you know? What facts lead you to believe that? Let the customer be the judge of how they’ll receive your efforts. You be you, and do your excellent best. This attitude of defeat before battle is a wasting one. Every presentation you make sharpens your knowledge, skills and hopefully your attitudes towards your success.
9. An easy sell.
Never underestimate the smarts of your prospect. Get your facts complete and present them well. If there is any hint of condescension you could be in big trouble. Treat every prospect as the only prospect that may ever come your way. Respect their dignity and you could be compensated well for it.
10. The competition probably has it:
Who says? Like everything before this, it’s all in your mind. Until you take the action that can lead to the result, you just don’t know. Unlock this key insight in yourself. You are a professional. Professionals act until there is “proof” that the competition has it. Keep giving the client value with your name attached.
Make a decision right now to deal with self-defeating thinking.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
How to Improve Your Leadership
Want to know how to improve your leadership or your productivity? One percent at a time ...
Who says one percent isn’t significant? A one percent gain may seem modest but it’s measurable. Over time a series of one percent gains add up. And combined with other coaching successes, their multiplying effect can be impressive.
Jesus told an old friend, “Only one thing is necessary.” One simple thing … paid attention to, can make a big difference.
A one percent improvement is very achievable, even for busy people. One percent a month over ten months is a ten percent improvement. Ten percent is significant.
You can make one percent improvements. Like achieving anything, you must be intentional about it. You must make a decision to do it. Once you do, you will find out that you can achieve significantly more. Imagine what this means to the projects, programs, causes and career that you really care about.
For example, at the beginning of every coaching engagement, our clients begin to work through our book, 52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day. From the 52 practices that can improve personal effectiveness, they choose the two or three that if implemented, can make the biggest difference in helping them move forward their priorities. This includes simple practices like:
From then on throughout our coaching engagement, the routine is simple. Parallel to our coaching, clients identify and implement better thinking, habits and practices week after week. When one of the 52 becomes habit, they turn attention to another. It isn’t long before clients experience even greater effectiveness, less stress and better results.
We can all do better. The wisest leaders get this and they move forward. Revisiting and reapplying basic strategies and techniques drives greater personal, professional and organizational effectiveness and creates space for renewed vision and energy.
Paying attention to basics reaps dividends in work, life and leadership. It may seem simplistic to challenge an executive, leader or anyone else to make a 1% improvement, but the results are worth any feeling of embarrassment it might foster. So I am challenging you to make a 1% improvement. Use my book 52 Solutions if it will be of assistance.
Go on to make a whole series of 1% improvements and pretty soon you will see a significant difference in how you work and what you achieve. By the way, I am not embarrassed. I know you will like the results.
Who says one percent isn’t significant? A one percent gain may seem modest but it’s measurable. Over time a series of one percent gains add up. And combined with other coaching successes, their multiplying effect can be impressive.
Jesus told an old friend, “Only one thing is necessary.” One simple thing … paid attention to, can make a big difference.
A one percent improvement is very achievable, even for busy people. One percent a month over ten months is a ten percent improvement. Ten percent is significant.
You can make one percent improvements. Like achieving anything, you must be intentional about it. You must make a decision to do it. Once you do, you will find out that you can achieve significantly more. Imagine what this means to the projects, programs, causes and career that you really care about.
For example, at the beginning of every coaching engagement, our clients begin to work through our book, 52 Solutions for Those Who Need a 25 Hour Day. From the 52 practices that can improve personal effectiveness, they choose the two or three that if implemented, can make the biggest difference in helping them move forward their priorities. This includes simple practices like:
- Conquering the to-do list
- Embracing failure
- Preparing for people who don’t understand
- Rejecting busyness as a bragging point
- Planning for the unexpected
From then on throughout our coaching engagement, the routine is simple. Parallel to our coaching, clients identify and implement better thinking, habits and practices week after week. When one of the 52 becomes habit, they turn attention to another. It isn’t long before clients experience even greater effectiveness, less stress and better results.
We can all do better. The wisest leaders get this and they move forward. Revisiting and reapplying basic strategies and techniques drives greater personal, professional and organizational effectiveness and creates space for renewed vision and energy.
Paying attention to basics reaps dividends in work, life and leadership. It may seem simplistic to challenge an executive, leader or anyone else to make a 1% improvement, but the results are worth any feeling of embarrassment it might foster. So I am challenging you to make a 1% improvement. Use my book 52 Solutions if it will be of assistance.
Go on to make a whole series of 1% improvements and pretty soon you will see a significant difference in how you work and what you achieve. By the way, I am not embarrassed. I know you will like the results.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Why the Training and What the Motivational Speaker Said Didn't Work
You and I both know that it is easy to spend hundreds of dollars to listen to a high powered motivational speaker. You have probably invested many thousands or maybe even millions of dollars in providing training for your organization over the years. What has come of it? Really, what have you got to show for it? What has been deliberately integrated into life, habit, improved performance, results and success?
Over the space of your career, you’ve probably already personally spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours just listening. You got pumped up, quickly scribbled down a couple of great ideas, resolved to make incredible breakthroughs, bought the books and recordings, came home, and several weeks later ….
Well, you know the rest of the story. You never had someone to partner with for your success, so …
That's where the power of executive coaching comes in.
A seasoned Coach won't ask you to spend thousands of dollars just to listen … because effective coaching is not a one way relationship.
What an accomplished Coach will do is ask you to commit to making an investment in yourself, an investment to accomplishing the things you have always wanted to achieve and becoming the person you have always felt you could be - an investment in changing how you think and how you operate - a commitment of time and energy focused on YOU ... supported and challenged and tested and held accountable with their professional support ... until ... you make those breakthroughs and nice ideas become habits and habits become success.
The price of that capital investment in YOU is slight compared to the dividends it will pay at work, at home and doing the things you feel passionate about doing in your community.
And, BONUS ... you can use the Coach to turn what you learned from the high powered motivational speaker and from the company sponsored training into deliberate, sustainable action. Training with follow-up coaching can be absolutely powerful. It's a two for one ... for you and your company.
Over the space of your career, you’ve probably already personally spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours just listening. You got pumped up, quickly scribbled down a couple of great ideas, resolved to make incredible breakthroughs, bought the books and recordings, came home, and several weeks later ….
Well, you know the rest of the story. You never had someone to partner with for your success, so …
nothing happened.
- No one to bounce your ideas off.
- No one to help you identify your blind spots.
- No one to give you a different perspective.
- No one to be accountable to.
- No one to hold up your vision when you let it slip.
That's where the power of executive coaching comes in.
A seasoned Coach won't ask you to spend thousands of dollars just to listen … because effective coaching is not a one way relationship.
What an accomplished Coach will do is ask you to commit to making an investment in yourself, an investment to accomplishing the things you have always wanted to achieve and becoming the person you have always felt you could be - an investment in changing how you think and how you operate - a commitment of time and energy focused on YOU ... supported and challenged and tested and held accountable with their professional support ... until ... you make those breakthroughs and nice ideas become habits and habits become success.
The price of that capital investment in YOU is slight compared to the dividends it will pay at work, at home and doing the things you feel passionate about doing in your community.
And, BONUS ... you can use the Coach to turn what you learned from the high powered motivational speaker and from the company sponsored training into deliberate, sustainable action. Training with follow-up coaching can be absolutely powerful. It's a two for one ... for you and your company.
Ownership Leadership, the Changing Face of Corporate Performance
Corporate coaching is about creating a shift from requiring to inspiring.
It nudges aside a workplace model where people exclusively receive direction, they are required externally ... to a model where people take ownership, they are inspired internally. This is much more powerful. Motivation levels are higher and performance is strengthened.
In this 'ownership leadership model', people have greater motivation to change those assumptions, attitudes and behaviors which are barriers to their own performance and organizational success. They take ownership for carrying out those things they have some passion about and that will impact their future positively. It encourages personal responsibility, stronger self-leadership and results in better bottom-line results for the organization.
When 'what you do' (requiring) is out of sync with 'who you are' (inspiring) there will be diminshed performance and unreached potential. To the degree you passionately bring all that you are to your work, you will be engaged and willingly seeking to improve in all areas of work, life and leadership.
People make a commitment to their work. They receive a paycheck and bonuses. This is a strong incentive to provide good service to the company. However, commitment is not as strong as ownership. Ownership engages the whole person. It adopts the the aims and tasks as one's own. Where there is a climate of encouragement to grow that is underpinned by a true respect and relationship, ownership can florish.
Ownership is encouraged by constructive feedback that focuses on what is possible and supports efforts to eliminate barriers to success, achievement and growth. It allows the leader to articulate and troubleshoot assumptions, attitudes and actions that have become limitations to moving foward.
Ownership leadership finds the strongest and best people consistently rising to the challenge, improving on past performance and maintaining an attitude that looks for new possibilities.
It nudges aside a workplace model where people exclusively receive direction, they are required externally ... to a model where people take ownership, they are inspired internally. This is much more powerful. Motivation levels are higher and performance is strengthened.
In this 'ownership leadership model', people have greater motivation to change those assumptions, attitudes and behaviors which are barriers to their own performance and organizational success. They take ownership for carrying out those things they have some passion about and that will impact their future positively. It encourages personal responsibility, stronger self-leadership and results in better bottom-line results for the organization.
When 'what you do' (requiring) is out of sync with 'who you are' (inspiring) there will be diminshed performance and unreached potential. To the degree you passionately bring all that you are to your work, you will be engaged and willingly seeking to improve in all areas of work, life and leadership.
People make a commitment to their work. They receive a paycheck and bonuses. This is a strong incentive to provide good service to the company. However, commitment is not as strong as ownership. Ownership engages the whole person. It adopts the the aims and tasks as one's own. Where there is a climate of encouragement to grow that is underpinned by a true respect and relationship, ownership can florish.
Ownership is encouraged by constructive feedback that focuses on what is possible and supports efforts to eliminate barriers to success, achievement and growth. It allows the leader to articulate and troubleshoot assumptions, attitudes and actions that have become limitations to moving foward.
Ownership leadership finds the strongest and best people consistently rising to the challenge, improving on past performance and maintaining an attitude that looks for new possibilities.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Four Steps to Reduce Poor Executive Decisions
In a guest post for Great Leadership, Sydney Finkelstein, a Professor of Strategy and Leadership at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, outlines four steps "to reduce our vulnerabilities to making bad decisions."
This is a must read article for executives. It has relevant examples from well recognized businesses.
http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2009/04/leaders-and-decision-making.html
Sydney is also the co-author of Think Again: Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions and How to Keep it From Happening to You (Harvard Business School Press, 2009)
Here are his four suggested steps, but do read the article in its full context.
Leaders often engage executive coaching to generate even better decisions. It's at the heart of moving forward important companies, causes, projects, programs and priorities. There is probably not a client I have worked with over the years that hasn't sought to adjust and improve their approach to good decision-making.
This is a must read article for executives. It has relevant examples from well recognized businesses.
http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2009/04/leaders-and-decision-making.html
Sydney is also the co-author of Think Again: Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions and How to Keep it From Happening to You (Harvard Business School Press, 2009)
Here are his four suggested steps, but do read the article in its full context.
- Make sure you’ve got lots of data sources, internal and external, that can enhance our ability to assess what is really going on.
- Make sure you’ve got the right people around the table. Not just talent, but people who are unafraid to push back and challenge.
- Make sure you are monitoring any important decisions in real-time, ready to step in and make adjustments before the momentum becomes too great.
- Make sure to create a robust governance system, perhaps the hardest challenge of all because this really means that the board of directors is active, vigilant, and strong. A tall order to be sure.
Leaders often engage executive coaching to generate even better decisions. It's at the heart of moving forward important companies, causes, projects, programs and priorities. There is probably not a client I have worked with over the years that hasn't sought to adjust and improve their approach to good decision-making.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Executive Coaching and Self-Reflection
I maintain that executive coaching and self-reflection go together like a hand and glove. Just tonight I read a post from B.J. Hawkins, Making Work-Life Balance Work in Your Entrepreneurial Company. In it he related what I think is a brilliant insight. In talking about his past work life, B.J. related,
"I was working an average of 18 hours a day. A lot of our clients were located in the Caribbean, and flights from the West Coast are long and arduous.
Fortunately, I've engaged for years in a practice of self-reflection, asking trusted advisors to help me see myself as others do. In the early 1990s, their message was clear: I had been paying lip service to a desire for more free time, but my actions were indicating otherwise.
That, in turn, led to a change on my part ..."
The practice of self-reflection. You can either self-reflect and change or take your choice (or not) of several other alternatives ..
Well, you see what I mean. Self-reflection is about gaining clarity. My clients may sometimes be sick to death of me going on about clarity, but they listen and realize that clarity rules. To tell yourself the truth is powerful. To take ownership of those insights and act on them is a downright rocket launch away above and beyond most of the population ... and your peers, and the competition, and the ...
My second encounter this evening with self-reflection:
Someone from Frame of Mind Coaching reminded me about the importance of journaling. From founder Kim Ades,
"Kim designed the Frame of Mind Coaching program to provide her clients with a supportive infrastructure where they could develop the skill of deliberate thought. Kim understands that the single greatest difference between those people who are stratospherically successful and everyone else is their THINKING. She knows that we all have the propensity to shift our thinking and achieve success.
The foundation for creating Frame of Mind Coaching lies in Kim’s ardent belief in journaling as the absolutely most effective and profound vehicle to make substantive and lasting changes in your life and career."
Your greatest means of moving forward is you. Your greatest barrier is you. Think about that. What you think is who you will become. How you work and lead will be a function of how you think.
A little self-reflection may be in order here. Start with a pencil and a piece of paper. It will force you to be more succinct.
"I was working an average of 18 hours a day. A lot of our clients were located in the Caribbean, and flights from the West Coast are long and arduous.
Fortunately, I've engaged for years in a practice of self-reflection, asking trusted advisors to help me see myself as others do. In the early 1990s, their message was clear: I had been paying lip service to a desire for more free time, but my actions were indicating otherwise.
That, in turn, led to a change on my part ..."
The practice of self-reflection. You can either self-reflect and change or take your choice (or not) of several other alternatives ..
- Let market changes wipe you out
- Slip into mediocrity
- Experience burnout
- Have your spouse leave you
- Lose your investment
- Miss out on that promotion to SVP
- Miss company targets
- Have your kids forget your name
Well, you see what I mean. Self-reflection is about gaining clarity. My clients may sometimes be sick to death of me going on about clarity, but they listen and realize that clarity rules. To tell yourself the truth is powerful. To take ownership of those insights and act on them is a downright rocket launch away above and beyond most of the population ... and your peers, and the competition, and the ...
My second encounter this evening with self-reflection:
Someone from Frame of Mind Coaching reminded me about the importance of journaling. From founder Kim Ades,
"Kim designed the Frame of Mind Coaching program to provide her clients with a supportive infrastructure where they could develop the skill of deliberate thought. Kim understands that the single greatest difference between those people who are stratospherically successful and everyone else is their THINKING. She knows that we all have the propensity to shift our thinking and achieve success.
The foundation for creating Frame of Mind Coaching lies in Kim’s ardent belief in journaling as the absolutely most effective and profound vehicle to make substantive and lasting changes in your life and career."
Your greatest means of moving forward is you. Your greatest barrier is you. Think about that. What you think is who you will become. How you work and lead will be a function of how you think.
A little self-reflection may be in order here. Start with a pencil and a piece of paper. It will force you to be more succinct.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
5 Characteristics of a Leader
In her Sunday post, Marcia Merrill very briefly mentioned 5 characteristics of leadership potential.
While there may be others, there is no doubt these five are important and are all things that I can work on and be intentional about this week.
If you are considering someone for a leadership position right now, how well do they exhibit these characteristics? What does their work and leadership history tell you thus far? What have those around them observed?
Leadership potential leaves clues.
- Decisiveness - the ability to make tough decisions
- Integrity - your actions match your words
- Trust - ability to engender respect, confidence and belief
- Value diversity - valuing everyone's opinion
- Performance - your actions get results
While there may be others, there is no doubt these five are important and are all things that I can work on and be intentional about this week.
If you are considering someone for a leadership position right now, how well do they exhibit these characteristics? What does their work and leadership history tell you thus far? What have those around them observed?
Leadership potential leaves clues.
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