Leaders developing leaders.

Leadership

Ideas To Influence

The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions.–John Hancock

It’s not uncommon for us to hear that leaders are uncertain of how they can enhance their influence skills. Below are some ideas that may help:

I         Consistently display and lead with INTEGRITY

N        Identify the developmental NEEDS of your people and
organization

F        Reflect on FEEDBACK that is given to you, and provide
meaningful FEEDBACK to help others grow

L        LEVERAGE differing styles and preferences to obtain goals
and desired results

U       UNDERSTAND that not everything goes as planned; don’t
punish, rather learn from what went wrong

E        ENGAGE others with both similar and opposing views.
What have you not thought of? Is there more to learn?

N       Invest in both NEW and tenured leaders and commit to
continual learning

C        Genuinely CARE about how others think and feel

E        EFFECTIVE leaders build and maintain authentic, lasting,
and trusting relationships

It’s critical to be authentic; share your passion and the passion of others, and as Ken Blanchard says “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority”.

Use your influence skills daily!

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.
— Napoleon Hill

Influencers Are Leaders

Influence has countless benefits, and is a particularly lucrative asset in the business world.—Jayson DeMers

We feel everyone is a leader since everyone has the ability to influence others. Do you agree? Granted there’s a need to have positive intent and a “want” to influence (or help) others in their role, decision making process, or for growth in general, but let’s say that the “want” exists.

Jayson DeMers, Founder and CEO, AudienceBloom provides seven ways to build levels of influence:

  1. Build Trust With Your Co-Workers
  2. Cultivate Reliability Through Consistency
  3. Be Assertive, Not Aggressive
  4. Be Flexible
  5. Be Personal
  6. Focus on Actions Rather Than Argument
  7. Listen to Others

Have you been on teams where someone just automatically becomes the leader and sometimes the spokesperson?  Where team members seek that person’s opinion (and acceptance) even though no reporting structure exists?

Why do you think that is? Chances are the “influencer/leader” is very approachable, non-judgmental, collaborative, and builds relationships. They understand and appreciate differing styles, and know how to inspire and ensure all team members are engaged.

They’re also a team player. They expect nothing more from others than what they’re willing to do. They understand the goals, and their behaviors and actions support them. When they provide feedback, it’s well intended, and if issues arise, they involve the team to assess the “whys”, and determine improvement options.

Influencers are also good with clarity;

  • What needs to be accomplished?
  • By when?
  • What are the tasks and who “owns” each task?
  • Are the needed resources (dollars or personnel) in place?
  • Are there any known barriers or obstacles to overcome?

Regardless of your role or title, are you an influential leader?

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.
–Kenneth Blanchard

Happiness = Success

Happiness is the precursor to success, not merely the result.
—Shawn Achor

It’s not news that the workplace happiness factor impacts performance and achieving results, and it’s something that we as leaders continually struggle with.

Not everyone is motivated by the same thing or enjoys the same styles or environment. For example, we’ve worked with many individuals and teams over the years and found that while some like to be publicly recognized for their contributions, others were mortified. We also learned that some team members wanted daily touch points/check-ins, while others were quite happy when communication happened based on the need for updates or when issues arose.

So what’s a leader to do?

We obviously need to invest time in our staff. Do you know what motivates each team member or how they prefer to be communicated with?

Make sure each employee knows they are appreciated; let them know how what they do contributes to the bottom line.  So many teams do their job, and do it well, but do not understand how they satisfy the needs and wants of the customer/client, or even the workplace as a whole.

Employees want to know that what they do makes a difference.  They want to hear what they’re doing well, and when delivered in an honoring way, they want to know what they could do better.  Don’t neglect providing consistent feedback; we suggest minimally incorporating monthly one on one time. (That means actually scheduling it and putting it on your calendar!).

Money has been found to be a short term happy factor. Instead, employee engagement, the ability to be heard, to be part of the decision making process, and feeling they have purpose makes the difference.

This all leads to self motivation, inspiration, and employee engagement with the overall sense of feeling good, and

Feeling Good = Happiness = Success.

Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers.—Robin S. Sharma

Under-Used Leadership Behavior?

Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free and worth a fortune.—Sam Walton

Are you under-using any critical leadership behaviors? As leaders a lot is expected of us; we need to keep our skills sharp, our relationships strong, and we need to communicate effectively.

That’s just a starting point. We need to be accountable for all of our behaviors, we need to know what we’re doing well, we need to know which areas to develop, and we must acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions made by our direct reports (and colleagues too).

The old adage that people quit their boss and not their job is pretty accurate. We’ve previously shared that only 33% of employees are engaged at work – so what’s up with the 70%?

Research has found:
• 79% of employees say a major reason for quitting their job was due to lack of appreciation
• 65% of U.S. employees claim they received zero recognition in the past year
• Over half said they are more motivated by recognition/appreciation than money

Do these numbers surprise you and do they make you think about what, why, and how you show your appreciation?

We once worked with a leader that told us he expected everyone to go “above and beyond” and that as a result, there wasn’t anything exemplary to reward or show appreciation for. (No wonder his turnover rates were so high!)

Appreciation can be a simple thank-you or a financial bonus, and there’s a wide variety of things to recognize; here are but a few:
Accuracy/Customer Satisfaction
Financial Saves/Process Improvements
Driving Results/Inspiring Others
Positive Attitude/Collaborative
Top Performer/Goal Attainment

Whatever you do, make sure you’re authentic and provide the exact reason for the recognition. The recipient needs to clearly understand the praise, and they must know you’re sincere. This will help create a culture of engagement and positivity, reduce attrition, and lend itself to obtaining desired results.

Don’t neglect the power of appreciation; it’s definitely one leadership behavior not to under-use!

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. — William Arthur Ward

EQ – THE Performance Predictor

Research shows convincingly that EQ is more important than IQ in almost every role and many times more important in leadership roles.
– Dr. Stephen R. Covey

Some consider Emotional Intelligence (EQ) to be THE single biggest predictor of performance excellence in the workplace. By developing our EQ, (and yes, it can be developed), we position ourselves to more successfully cope with organizational demands and pressures.

Psychologist Steven Stein and psychiatrist Howard Book state that strong leaders have both a high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and a developed EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient). Intelligence will only go so far; leaders must also be aware of how they present themselves, how they respond to others, and how others perceive them.

Our IQ is considered to be non-dynamic and is an indicator of how we perform intellectual tasks. Our EQ on the other hand can increase through self development and consists of 4 areas: Self awareness, self management, social awareness, and relationship management.

Self Awareness is critical when engaging in communication
Self Management is key for managing emotions in difficult situations
Social Awareness leverages awareness of others to perform at your peak
Relationship Management manages relationships to increase job performance and integrates EQ professionally and personally

Self-awareness and self-management are about you – do you know your strengths and weaknesses; are you a continual learner?

Social Awareness and Relationship Management are about how you interact with others. Are you in tune with their styles? Do you bring out the best in others?

Emotional intelligence is the genuine ability to feel emotions, understand what you’re feeling and why, understand how others are feeling, and respond appropriately. Having a high EQ builds relationships and fosters communication even in the most difficult of times.

Do you know your EQ?
More importantly, what are you doing to develop your EQ?

As more and more artificial intelligence is entering into the world, more and more emotional intelligence must enter into leadership.-― Amit Ray

Clarity of VMGM

Keeping people fired up starts with having a really clear vision for what the company is aiming to do. –Nick Woodman

We’ve shared that CLARITY starts with YOU.  Now we’ll add to that – in order for there to be organizational success, a clear vision must exist.

Many of you are familiar with PeopleTek’s VMGM=B equation. For those that are not, it means that our vision, mission, goals and measures are to be 100% supported by our behaviors.

We define Vision as:
A dream or aspiration that provides direction and guides us to a place far away. It may be unattainable, but we are able to focus our attention and make strides for ideally getting there.

The idea is for the vision to be clearly defined, easily understood, with supporting actions made a priority. And, the entire organization (all levels; all positions) must be engaged.

That’s where things sometimes get derailed – how can each person and every role support it? That’s where leadership comes in.

As leaders:

  • We need to simplify the vision and make the connections for our staff/teams
  • We need to regularly restate the vision and associated goals and behaviors that will make the vision come alive
  • We need to explain the “why” and obtain buy-in for the “how”
  • We can also ask our team members their thoughts about making the vision feel real and meaningful to them
  • We need to reward the behaviors that support our vision
  • We need to track and share any team successes and accomplishments that support the vision (and celebrate them!)Clarity is required for us to have a work culture that includes innovation, decision making, collaboration, and ultimately success.How would you rate CLARITY in your work culture? What would you like to see change?

When there’s a clear vision, and you’ve got the creative teams working toward that goal, each on their own, it can then come together quite elegantly at the endpoint.—Greg Rucka

Clarity and Engagement

We need to draw out and leverage the unique talents within our organization so we can make a difference and improve levels of engagement (studies report that 73% of staff is not engaged)

Making a difference starts with CLARITY and it starts with YOU.

C  Communication
L   Listening
A  Authenticity
R  Results
I   Integrity
T  Trust
Y  YOU

Since YOU are in control of ensuring CLARITY exists, we’ll go in reverse order:

Y – How would YOU define your leadership skills? Would they be aligned with the perceptions and feedback others provide?

T – Are you able to build (and maintain) TRUSTing relationships with colleagues, direct reports, and partners?

I – Integrity is said to be the most-mentioned corporate value; do you live those values?

R – Are your desired results directly linked to your vision, mission, goals, and behaviors?

A – Is your delivery authentic?  Are your behaviors aligned with your expectations? Would others say you’re the “real deal”?

L – Do you truly listen (not just hear) what others say? Are you open to changing your mind, approach, and strategies if new information or opinions are shared with you?

C – Do you consistently communicate and do you confirm your message is understood?

Thomas Leonard sums it up nicely: Clarity affords focus (and focus increases engagement which brings results!)

If you want to help somebody, make sure you’re coming from a place of clarity and complete non-judgment; that way, you can begin to understand their journey, too.—Mary Lambert

 

Take a step towards clarity today by joining our next Leadership Journey. It is the perfect opportunity to become your best self. Clarity makes a huge difference in your leadership, so taking the time to invest in yourself is an important decision.

Contact us today if you are ready to gain clarity and improve your leadership.

Clear As Mud

Without focusing and getting to clarity, you cannot lead. You cannot motivate. You cannot plan. You cannot communicate.– Bobb Biehl

Would you say you have clarity in your life, both personally and professionally, or would you lean more towards the “clear as mud” descriptor?

Where are you in your career and where would you like to be? What about outside of work?  Are you fulfilling your dreams?

Paul Cummings suggests thinking in terms of a camera:

  • Most cameras today automatically know how to focus on an image.
  • Years back that was not the case. You had to take the time (and make an effort) to focus your camera on the image you wanted to capture.
  • You had to slowly twist and adjust the lens until the image looked clear and in focus.

He then goes on to share how our minds work:

  • Minds don’t come with an “auto-focus” button
  • Mental clarity is not simple
  • It takes time and effort to find it
  • As leaders, we must take the time we need to find our own clarity, especially if we want to lead others. (Remember FLY? First Lead Yourself, then Lead Others)
  • Mental clarity means that you have total sharpness and clearness of mind about where you are and where you’re headed
  • You have a clear perception and understanding of who you are and what you want to get out of life
  • If you want to lead others well, you must be clear about the things that you are wanting to accomplish (Goals? Expectations?)
  • Team members are looking to their leader for confidence, total clarity and certainty
  • When it exists, you will be a trusted leader, and your team will want to follow you

Some define CLARITY as knowing exactly what you want to achieve, and FOCUS as knowing which daily actions to take to get there.

Are you “Clear as Mud or Auto-Focused”?

Too often we don’t know what we want and we lack clarity and commitment to stick with our plans long enough to achieve success.

What’s My Message?

The art of communication is the language of leadership.
–James Humes

We think we’re good communicators, we think our message is understood; we’re often wrong.

Levels of understanding differ and it’s up to us as leaders to assess each situation. We need to adapt to differing styles and we need to remember that communication is not a one way exchange. Most importantly, we need to remember to communicate with others in THEIR language.

Things to consider in communication:

  • What level of detail is desired?
  • Should the “bottom line” message come first with supporting details to follow?
  • Avoid getting too “wordy”
  • Ensure your message is organized and your grammar correct; plan, prepare, practice!
  • Don’t race through your message; be aware of the speed in which you’re speaking
  • If it’s a complex message, break it down into smaller bullet points or sub messages
  • Allow time for your message to be processed
  • If there will be impacts, share what they will be
  • Are there any takeaways or expectations? Request they be repeated backEveryone has a story about communication gone wrong – the delivery was well intended but somehow the message was garbled. (This happens both professionally and personally). If you are the sender, ask the receiver to share what they heard, and ask for their perceptions. If you’re the receiver, and especially when the message seems off, ask for clarity.  Perceptions left un-discussed can haunt us.

Do you ensure your messages are accurately interpreted?

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.
Tony Robbins

 

 

Communication is so valuable to your team. If you would like to learn more about effective communication, contact PeopleTek today. We are happy to help you become the best possible leader.

Be Purposeful With Behaviors

Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.
–Plato

The last piece of our VMGM (Vision, Mission, Goals, Measures) discussion is related to BEHAVIORS. We must be purposeful with our behaviors, and bottom line, all of our behaviors must support the achievement of our VMG.

This obviously requires that we are intimately aware of our VMG, that we are not only very clear on our role, but that we have a deeper understanding of HOW our role impacts successfully living and achieving our Vision, Mission, and Goals.

As Plato says our BEHAVIOR flows from our desire, emotion, and knowledge.

We also have to ensure our key processes and strategies are linked with our vision, mission and goals. This includes:

  • Hiring
  • Training and development
  • Performance Appraisals
  • Rewards and Recognition
  • Communication plans (the mode, the frequency, the level of content)
  • Change (anything new?)
  • Conflict (managing differences and expectations)

Do you want your behaviors to be modeled by others? Be honest! Ideally we’ll see positive behaviors in others, and if we’re truly effective leaders, some of those behaviors we observe may have been influenced by our own actions and behaviors.

You know the old clichés:
Walk the talk. Practice what you preach. Lead by example. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t ask others to do something you’re not willing to do. Be continual learners. Practice and apply new learnings. Be open to feedback. Listen twice as much as you talk.

Bottom line: be aware that we as leaders are indeed observed so model the behaviors that will help us, our colleagues, and our direct reports achieve the vision, mission, and goals for our organization.

Behavior is what a man does, not what he thinks, feels, or believes.
—Emily Dickinson