Leaders developing leaders.

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We’re All Different

Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.
—Stephen Covey

Chances are your work culture is comprised of individuals that are not from the same “mold”; we’re all different in a variety of ways. What matters is how we embrace and leverage those differences.

As a leader, how and what are you doing to help others create and support an environment comprised of a variety of work styles and differences?

A few weeks ago we talked about a multi-generational workforce. Did you feel there were noticeable differences in styles and behaviors? Some feel yes, others say no.

We’ll add to those differences. Consider values, practices, traditions, race/ethnicity, religion and gender in addition to age. Now think about preferred styles such as Myers-Briggs, DiSC, Listening, and Managing Conflict. The differences are endless!

We all have biases and filters. What we suggest is taking the time to examine those biases and recognize the impacts on our relationships and mindset. Studies show that differences enhance learning; growth occurs when we listen, process, and understand things from a different perspective. We also have to understand that our way isn’t the only way!

We like to use leadership assessments that identify preferred styles and find this invaluable for teams and colleagues. The first step is becoming self-aware, and then we need to be cognizant of the styles of others.

Take the time to learn about teammates, colleagues, your boss, and others within your workplace. Share your background and what’s important to you and learn what’s important to others.

Listen to one another, openly exchange opposing perspectives, and treat all views respectfully and with an open mind!

We’re all different! Appreciate those differences and watch individuals and teams achieve more.

Our differences are our strength as a species and as a world community.
–Nelson Mandela

Are You In The Position To Accept A New Job?

Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it.
–Katharine Whitehorn

You like the company you’re currently working for. There are great benefits, your skills are adding value, your work ethics are a good fit, and now you’ve been recognized for your contributions and are being offered a promotion.

You say “yes”, and your boss says “not so fast”.  What?

If you are offered a job change internally (could be a promotion or a lateral move that suits your career plan), could your boss hold you back? What if there’s no one to fill your position and the work must be done? It does not happen often, but it does occur, and your move could be held up.

As a leader, if key members of your team are aspiring to do more, (ex. get promoted or enhance their skills by joining another team), are you prepared to replace them?

It’s a good idea to have serious chats not just related to development planning, but also about career desires and succession planning.

As a leader, start by assessing:

  • What are the critical skills that each team member possesses? Are any unique to that person
  • Who could fill those positions when movement occurs?
  • Is cross training an option?
  • Would delegating differing roles test out and strengthen the pool of candidates?

Before a team member does indeed move on, engage your high performers and your colleagues and obtain their thoughts about possible internal candidates.

  • Who could be a good fit for your team?
  • Do they have an attitude and mindset that aligns with that of the team?
  • Can they relate well with others?
  • Do they listen and are they collaborative?
  • Will they put the needs of the team before their own needs?
  • How will the work culture be improved?

If one of your key team members is given a career opportunity, are you prepared for them to accept that new job?

Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.
—Chris Grosser

Are Workers Today Different?

Your workplace is its own unique culture. It is a community made up of people with many different backgrounds, perspectives, work styles and expectations. Each generation is valuable to your team for different reasons just as their values often differ from each other… or do they?
–Balance Concierge

When we ask “Are workers different today”, we’re not addressing changes made due to covid, but rather changes in the work culture and the transition from the Baby Boomer population to the Centennials.

If your workplace consists of a blend of multi generations, do you believe there are noticeable differences in styles and behaviors? 5 generations have been identified with the approximate associated years below. (Note: different studies show differing ranges)

  • Silent Generation – born during the Great Depression and WWII (1925-1945)
  • Baby Boomers                        (1946-1964)
  • Generation X                          (1965-1980)
  • Millennials or Generation Y   (1981-1996)
  • Centennials or Generation Z  (1997 – )

The intent is not to label people, but rather share the perceptions of what each generation is known for.

The Silent Generation was considered hard working, optimistic, accountable, financially savvy, and optimistic about the future.

Baby Boomers are considered to have strong workplace and family ideals and traditions, are relatively active, have adapted to changes in technology, and generally do not change places of employment.

Gen X folks are thought to live in the present, like to experiment, desire immediate results, may question authority, and have embraced the internet. They also like teamwork and strive for harmony and trust in the workplace.

Gen Y / Millenials are considered a global generation with connections around the world with shared values.  They are self-confident and committed, are tech savvy, and are not afraid to change jobs.

Gen Z / Centennials are the youngest in the labor market. They prefer the digital world and remote work, are considered innovative and pragmatic, and may be hard to retain as employees.

Do you think workers today are different? Has your leadership style evolved over the years? Knowing the strengths and preferences of those you lead, regardless of the generation, will help your workplace thrive and grow.

Every age group contains people who are different, people who are
extroverts, introverts, over achievers and underachievers.—Allessia Musso

Leaders Developing Leaders

To succeed in life, become a leader and help others become leaders, too.
–Noel M. Tichy

Effective leadership entails many components and one of the most important ones, sometimes overlooked or not viewed as a priority, is committing sufficient time to develop and inspire others to strengthen their leadership skills and abilities.

Think about it – what organization or workplace would not benefit by building bench-strength, with the side benefits of increasing satisfaction levels and employee engagement while increasing results?

If the majority of your workforce feels their position is career related and not just a job, there’s a great likelihood they want to develop and grow. Jobs and careers differ with one of the major differences being that those viewing their position as a career often have professional goals. They want more!

As a leader, hopefully you share yours and your organization’s vision, mission and goals annually and also request them from your team members. What are the gaps that need to be filled? Is development planning jointly determined? Do you provide the time and financial resources to address them?

A Gallup poll reported that “opportunities to learn and grow” was one of the top three factors in retaining millennials and for attracting new applicants. In today’s work culture, the ability to hire the right person for the right job is becoming increasingly difficult. Competition is stiff with an abundance of opportunity. It’s up to us as leaders to:

  • consistently provide growth opportunities
  • address skill gaps so company productivity is not hindered
  • increase employee/team engagement to reduce attrition
  • encourage mentor/mentee relationships
  • invest in our people!

By investing in development, we as leaders create a culture that inspires new ideas, instills a desire to grow professionally, with an increase in results. How are you supporting the concept of “Leaders Developing Leaders“?

Could you do more?

The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on
leadership development.
–John C. Maxwell

 

 

Not To Be Repeated

Concerning mistakes, follow three simple rules.
Firstly, correct a mistake that you made whenever it is possible. Secondly, don’t repeat the same mistakes. Thirdly, learn from past mistakes.
― Eraldo Banovac

We make mistakes, we experience failure, and hopefully we learn from both. It’s learning from them (and not repeating them) that increases our ability to succeed.

Dr. Henry Cloud, clinical psychologist and author shares what successful people do not do:

1. Return to what hasn’t worked.

2. Do anything that requires you to be someone you are not.

3. Try to change another person.

4. Believe you can please everyone.

5. Choose short-term comfort over long-term benefit.

6. Trust someone or something that appears flawless. (Everyone has imperfections!)

7. Take your eyes off the big picture.

8. Neglect to do due diligence.

9. Fail to ask why we are where we are.

10. Forget that our inner life determines our outer success.

And he sums it up nicely:
We don’t need new ways to fail….the old ones are working just fine! Our task, in business and in life, is to observe what they are, and never go back to doing them again.

How successful are you at not repeating past mistakes?

Analyze and correct your past mistakes before they paralyze your future.
― Israelmore Ayivor

Is It Time To Return To The Workplace?

During all phases of reopening, employers should implement strategies for basic hygiene (e.g., hand hygiene; cleaning and disinfection), social distancing, identification and isolation of sick employees, workplace controls and flexibilities, and employee training that are appropriate for the particular phase.–OSHA

As we all know, COVID-19 created massive changes to the work culture and the global economy. From a work perspective, immediate impacts were realized especially related to the loss of jobs and entire businesses, and we will also experience long term impacts yet to be defined.

Many companies are beginning to make plans for “non essential” employees to return to an in-person work environment; as a leader, how are you managing (and communicating) if/when/how you and your colleagues will be impacted?

There’s much to be considered, and there are arguments to almost every decision that needs to be made. Here are a few starter questions:

Q1. Are you/your organization preparing to bring employees back?

Q2. Do employees want to come back?  What if they don’t?

Q3. Are changes required for floorplans/office space?

Q3. What were the benefits for working remotely? The downside?

Q4. Will vaccinations be required?
If yes, what will happen to those that refuse?
If no, how will positive covid tests be managed? (For
the sick and those exposed).

Q5. Do salaries or benefits need to be revised?

Q6. What key positions function best in person versus via teleconferencing?

Q7. Did any roles experience a loss in productivity?

Q8. What were the financial gains for minimizing office space and usage?

There are many, many more questions that need answering as we return to an in-person work culture. We encourage open and honest lines of communication and frequent status updates; wishing you well as we go through times of change (again!).

Businesses can start with a granular analysis of what work can be done remotely by focusing on the tasks involved rather than whole jobs.
–McKinsey

Do You Share Your Magic Dust?

The meaning of life is to find your gift.  The purpose of life is to give it away.
—Pablo Picasso

Those of you that are Leadership Journey alumni are very familiar with our term “magic dust”. For those that are not, think in terms of what you’re good at, what comes easy to you, what you enjoy doing, and what some would say is your gift.

Think in terms of how you would define a good work day. Consider:

  • What gives you a sense of accomplishment?
  • What unique skills and abilities do you possess that impact your level of effectiveness and sense of adding value?
  • What qualities do you bring to your team or organization that others may not have?
  • Are you able to integrate your gifts/strengths both in your career and in your personal life?

Our “magic dust” differentiates us from others and often guides us to the type of work or career we find fulfilling. It’s fairly easy and natural to identify what we don’t like doing, and we generally know what we are not good at, but we’re not always aware of why we feel we had a great day at work and in general just feel good.

This may sound funny, but we have worked with leaders that excel at what they do, are acknowledged and rewarded for their accomplishments, but they quite simply don’t LIKE what they’re doing!

Hopefully that does not apply to you! What made you choose the position you currently have? Do you find it motivating and energizing?

Having a career that utilizes our special gifts/magic dust is what we aspire for. Do you make others aware of those gifts? Better yet, do you use your gifts to help achieve results and to develop others?  These skills and abilities are what we call “magic dust”.

Hopefully your leader is aware of your strengths, but they may not be aware of what you’re passionate about and the skills/tasks you enjoy doing most.  Share it!

The ability to do the kind of work you enjoy most will energize you, increase your level of fulfillment, and add to your sense of purpose.

What’s your “magic dust” and how have you shared it? We look forward to hearing your stories

I think the foremost quality–there’s no success without it–is really loving what you do. If you love it, you do it well, and there’s no success if you don’t do well what you’re working at.
— Malcolm Forbes

Four Communication Styles

Communication is the real work of leadership.
–Nitin Nohria

How often have you experienced communication issues? There are likely times when you are extremely effectively, yet other times when it’s a struggle. Why is that? In 2010, researcher/facilitator Kirk Bridgman identified 4 communication styles:  demonstrators, assertors, contemplators &  narrators

His descriptions are:

Demonstrators – People orientation, emotional approach. Focus on WHO.
Demonstrators are people-oriented, fast-paced and enthusiastic with open and casual body language. They tend to be animated and outgoing, and prefer an informal atmosphere. Demonstrators can be outrageous, spontaneous, excitable and sociable. They are ideas people who like to be in the limelight. If over-balanced in this style some weaknesses may show up such as being unreliable, self-centered, overly optimistic and indiscriminate.

Assertors – Task orientation, emotional approach. Focus on WHAT.
Assertors are fast-paced and direct, like Demonstrators, and are more task-oriented, than people-oriented. They tend to be hard working, ambitious, leader types. They are good at making decisions quickly and efficiently. They are goal-oriented, assertive and confident. Assertors are the take-charge people who let nothing stop them. If over-balanced in this style some weaknesses may show up such as being too impatient, competitive and judgmental.

Contemplators – Task orientation, logical approach. Focus on the HOW.
Contemplators tend to be analytical, detail-oriented, thinker types. They are persistent, good problem solvers, and pride themselves on their orderliness and accuracy. Often seen alone, they tend to have quiet, low-key personalities. If over-balanced in this style some weaknesses may show up such as being too withdrawn, rigid, closed-minded, and overly pessimistic.

Narrators – People Orientation, logical approach. Focus on the WHY.
Narrators are slow-paced and indirect like Contemplators, but they are more people-oriented like Demonstrators. They are warm, friendly, gentle and cooperative. They highly value relationships over goals. They are good at listening and tend to be open-minded. Most people find them to be loving, and emotionally intuitive. If over-balanced in this style weaknesses can show up as overly meek and easily sidetracked.

Understanding the differing styles and needs will improve communication in the workplace. Let us know how it works for you!

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.
– Anthony Robbins

12 Steps For Courageous Leadership Recap

CourageAbility – The ability to live your dreams and professional life the way you desire, while achieving your goals and exceeding in your ambitions and objectives. It is taking and empowering yourself and others to go where you or they have never gone before!

In 2011 we wrote our first book: 12 Steps For Courageous Leadership – Start Your Journey Now and thought that this is a good time to revisit the steps.

It’s not easy being a leader. It takes courage and commitment, the willingness to step out of our comfort zone, the need to readily adapt to change, and the obligation to develop our skill set and the skills within our organization. Below are 12 essential steps:

Step 1)   Have and live YOUR dream. As leaders we need to have the courage to acknowledge and leverage OUR passion.  If you are living someone else’s dream, have the courage to say it; it’s not a problem to accommodate others, but realize and acknowledge that it’s your choice.

Step 2)   Document your goals. Put your goals in writing, communicate them, and enlist others to help track your progress.

Step 3)   Commit to your goals.  This can be difficult and requires taking action. Schedule the time in your calendar for what you’re committing to do. Saying you’re going to do something is not commitment; DOING it is.

Step 4)   Understand your strengths and the strengths of others. You can’t do everything yourself; allow others to help you.  Bring the experts into your life. Take a risk. Understand the strengths of others, help them grow, and allow them to take ownership.

Step 5) Communicate with Confidence and Clarity. This is our most important task and we’re continually working on it.

Step 6)   Understand and manage conflict with a purpose.  Without conflict there is no leadership. Conflict must occur for there to be growth, and it must be done in a healthy, honoring, respectful manner.

Step 7)   Grow and Develop others. As leaders our job is to help others achieve their goals and objectives. Are you mentoring others to help them grow?  Do you and your team have Individual Development Plans?  Do you track their progress?

Step 8)   Effective Delegation. This, combined with number 4, is critical. If you are doing everything yourself, you’ll get burned out. You may be surprised and find others can do it even better!

Step 9)   Regularly solicit feedback and commit to developing a skill.

Step 10)  Remain Controlled; composure is critical for a leader. Emotional intelligence is a skill that can be measured and developed.

Step 11)  Reward and Recognize. Do you reward others based on goals, or just randomly? Rewards need to be consistent and based on the actions/behaviors/results you would like to see more of.

Step 12) Succeed and Learn from Failure. Risks need to be taken or very little change will occur.

Be courageous and take action on the 12 steps!

Stay safe!

We challenge you to live your life with courage, leverage it to achieve success, and make a difference!

EQ and Success

If your emotional abilities aren’t in hand, if you don’t have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can’t have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.
—Daniel Goleman

We’ve written about Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in the past and have shared that EQ can increase through self development and consists of 4 areas: Self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management.

Success Magazine’s Rhett Power shares more. He provides the following about those with high EQ:

  1. They’re change agents.
    They understand that it’s a necessary part of life—and they adapt.
  2. They’re self-aware.
    They know what they’re good at and what they still have to learn; weaknesses don’t hold them back.
  3. They’re empathetic.
    Being able to relate to others makes them essential in the workplace. With an innate ability to understand what co-workers or clients are going through, they can get through difficult times
    drama free.
  4. They’re not perfectionists.
    They know perfection is impossible; they roll with the punches and learn from mistakes.
  5. They’re balanced.
    They know the importance of maintaining a healthy professional-personal balance in their lives.
  6. They’re curious.
    They don’t judge; they explore the possibilities; they ask questions and are open to new solutions.
  7. They’re gracious.
    They believe every day brings something to be thankful for; they feel good about their lives and don’t let critics or toxic people affect that.

Any idea which element of EQ you’d score highest in? Which area do you feel has the greatest growth potential?

Emotional intelligence is a way of recognizing, understanding, and choosing how we think, feel, and act. It shapes our interactions with others and our understanding of ourselves. It defines how and what we learn; it allows us to set priorities; it determines the majority of our daily actions. Research suggests it is responsible for as much as 80 percent of the “success” in our lives. -J. Freedman