Posts filed under ‘Uncategorized’
What We Can Learn from the Chilean Miners…
This story truly amazes me…
33 miners trapped for 69 DAYS! They were presumed dead for 17 days until rescue crews on the surface pulled back a drilling tube to find a plastic bag with a note in it that said, “We are fine in the refuge, the 33.” 
What they did for themselves was simple yet astounding. They modeled leadership by showing us …
- Grace under pressure
- Ability to organize based on strength
- The importance of keeping a level head
- Power of hope and a positive attitude
- What happens when we work together
Here’s some of what we learned from the miners:
Leaders share the role: You might assume that the miners’ shift supervisor would take over the main leadership responsibilities. Yes, Luis Urzua was organizing work assignments for the crew, assisting with the plan to get out of the mine and ensuring that no one eats a meal until everyone’s food has been sent down the shaft. He did not, however, taken on every leadership responsibility for himself. The oldest miner on the crew, Mario Gomez, took on the role of attending to the spiritual and mental health of the men. He was consulting with psychologists on the surface to monitor the psychic health of his comrades. Yonny Barrios took the lead on ensuring the physical health of the crew by drawing on six months of nursing training he took 15 years ago. Barrios administered tests and health screenings to his friends on behalf of the doctors monitoring the situation above ground. What an impressive example these men are of leaders who share the work of leadership.
Leaders leverage their gifts: Each of these three miners, along with others on the crew, drew on their gifts and life experiences to ensure the well being of the unit. Someone I respect recently pointed out to me that you know you’re in the right leadership role when your heart, not just your head, tells you it’s the right way for you to contribute. My guess is that Urzua, Gomez and Barrios felt that kind of alignment with the leadership roles they’ve assumed.
Leaders keep the whole person in mind: Every organization has a bottom line. In the case of a mine rescue, the bottom line was getting the miners out alive. It’s one thing to bring the men out in relatively good physical health. It’s another to bring them out mentally, spiritually and emotionally healthy. They were so fortunate to be led by men who recognized those needs and organized themselves to attend to them.
Would your team perform differently if you approached your leadership role with such attention and care to the whole person?
What’s inspired you about the Chilean miners, their families and the people working to rescue them? What other leadership lessons can we learn from these brave and resourceful souls?
Please share your comments…
Your Bright Spot is a Big Opportunity!
What’s a bright spot?
A bright spot is the one person on your team that you wish you would clone.
She has the perfect combination of attitude and skill. He is the team member that continues to effortlessly “make it happen” day in and day out.
Bright Spot!
You know these people; you have some of them on your team!
- She’s the woman who makes your customer’s smile… every time they walk in the door!
- He’s the guy that comes up a the great idea … and actually implements it.
- It’s the team member with the contagious attitude that gets the rest of the team motivated each and every morning.
You fantasize about having 10…20…100 of these bright spots!
So, here is a secret… you can!
Seriously, it’s possible. It takes leadership on your part.
Here is how:
Step 1: Define what makes your bright spot so bright!
Shadow your bright spot. Interview her… ask her why she does what she does. Find out what makes her tick. She’ll tell you and guess what she will be thrilled that you noticed.
Step 2: Teach other team members to be bright spots!
After you figure out the secret recipe … create a plan to train the rest of your team. Tell everyone what you expect, give them examples and teach them how. Be creative! Use video, old movie clips or have your bright spot create the training.
Guess what? Your team will “get it”… they already know that Miss Bright Spot as special and unique.
Step 3: Lead by example.
Be the one! Walk the talk! Do what you expect others to do.
As the leader it’s critical that you model the behavior that you expect from your team. If you mess up… no worries just admit it and try again.
Step 4: Measure their progress.
Have a contest, keep score, be transparent and post the score for everyone to see!
Have some fun with this one! Don’t make it too complicated. For example: If customer service is your goal, then measure the number of times that each person on the team makes a customer smile.
Step 5: Reward bright spot behavior!
This doesn’t need to cost money… an enthusiastic “high-five” or “that was awesome” really does go along way! Of course, a pizza party, coffee gift certificate or team BBQ can’t hurt. The key is to celebrate their success!
Remember: The behavior that get’s attention grows!
Register Now! Only 10 Spots Left…
Leadership = Great Leaders, Great Team, Great Results™
Participate in the FranklinCovey® LQ leadership assessment and receive an invitation to a free leadership workshop!
Details: To register click here
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Time: 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Cost: $199* each (or $179* each for 2 or more)
Location: Traverse City Chamber of Commerce — 1st Floor Conference Room
This workshop will help leaders discover the importance of inspiring trust and building credibility with their people, defining a clear and compelling purpose, creating and aligning systems of success and unleashing the talents and energy of a winning team.
FranklinCovey’s® leadership curriculum and award – winning videos showcase the best in leadership resources. It is the mission of FranklinCovey® to enable greatness in people and organizations everywhere – you are one of those people!
The LQ will give you feedback on how you are doing as a leader. During the workshop you will create a plan to:
- Build trust and influence with your team members, peers and superiors.
- Link your teams work to a clear and compelling purpose.
- Implement a system for executing on clear priorities.
The Facilitator:
Robyn Marcotte, Founder of Aha! Leadership is an energetic and passionate leader, brings over 20 years of real world stories and experiences to this highly engaging leadership workshop. Robyn will inspire you to become a great leader and you will walk away with the tools to produce result and apply solutions.
For maximum benefit attend this class with a team of leaders from your organization. Together you will generate momentum and drive accountability.
Are You Indispensible?
I love this question… Are you indispensable?
Well, the obvious answer is of course. Maybe the better question is: How can I be Indispensable?
Seth Godin asks that question and encourages readers to find the art in their work.
I love Godin. He makes me think…
Most of us like to think we are indispensible. Yet, deep down we also know that’s not really true. Everyone is replaceable, right? In his latest book, Linchpin, Godin argues only an artist is truly irreplaceable.
How does he define an artist? He says it’s “someone who can intentionally connect with another person and create a change in the person they touch.” In other words, using your unique God given talent to touch others and positively motivate them.
Godin challenges leaders to lead others as linchpins by treating people as invaluable resources and by encouraging them to chart their own paths without waiting for you (their boss) or a job description to tell them what to do.
The new economy, he argues, is about offering one’s “art” as a gift without asking for anything in return (though he suggests that ultimately individuals are regarded for their efforts by the market). In his mind, this unconditional generosity will create “abundance” in your life and in the lives of those around you. My translation… first you must decide… then do “it” and do “it” really, really well … then you will get “it”!
Artists can be:
- Outstanding Customer Service Representatives
- Stellar Web Designers
- Talented Financial Planners
Or even …
- Inspirational Leadership Trainers!
Godin writes in his take-no-prisoners tone. “You have brilliance in you, your contribution is valuable, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do it, and you must. I’m hoping you’ll stand up and choose to make a difference.” His challenge: Decide!
Once you decide you will succeed!
So, here is the question: What’s your art? What are you devoted to pursuing? What talent or skill have you been given that is uniquely yours? Are you using it now?! If not, what’s holding you back?
LEADERSHIP AHA!…Tapping into “The Art of Possibility”?
I love learning from people that we label as “non-traditional” leaders. Today’s AHA! comes from a man that inspires me to think and lead differently.
Meet…Boston Philharmonic’s
Benjamin Zander
Just imagine swapping leadership roles with him for one day. Would you lead differently if you were conducting an orchestra? Why?
I think the better question is…
How would you lead differently? What will you do starting today?
Here is my leadership Aha!:
1. Assumptions are roadblocks to innovation
Speaking on leadership and problem solving, Zander emphasized that everyone has options. “You can face problems with resignation, anger or possibility. These are all valid responses. You have a choice.” Choosing possibility isn’t always easy, he noted, but it will lead to excellence. It will also lead to a challenging of assumptions — and assumptions are often roadblocks to innovation.
2. To think out of the box: Ask yourself “What assumptions am I making”?
“Everybody wants out of the box thinking; the question is, how do you get it?” said Zander. “It’s very simple. You ask a question: What assumptions am I making that I don’t know I’m making?” The key to success inside an organization, he added, has to do with voicing these assumptions. “Every organization, every human endeavor, has to have someone whose job it is to notice what assumptions are being made … and [who] has permission to say so. Anybody from the bottom to the top should be able to speak about assumptions without fearing loss of any kind.”
3. Assume excellence!
In his teaching, Zander assumes excellence. He assigns each of his students an A at the beginning of the semester. Society treats A and B students differently, and students have unique reactions to their status as determined by grades, he pointed out. Giving the A on the first day of class sets a standard that students naturally strive to maintain, and exceed, Zander noted.
4. When you make a mistake say “How fantastic”!
When Zander’s musicians make a mistake, he teaches them not to give in to the voice of doubt or self-recrimination. Instead, he has instructed his students to say “How fantastic!” whenever they make a mistake. To Zander, this means throwing up one’s arms and exclaiming “How fantastic!” at top volume. His point: Every setback is an opportunity to learn. Every setback represents a world of possibility. “Education is not so much about the transference of information as the opening up of new categories,” Zander noted. “When you are educated in that sense, you are actually walking in a different world. The question becomes, ‘What are you going to do now?’”
5. Inspire your team members to themselves “How will I contribute today?”
Wouldn’t you love to work for someone that sees the possibility in you?
Click here for the full article.
Click here for the podcast.
Become a ChangeMaker
I like to keep this change model (see link below) by my desk to help remind me how important the balance of communication is when rolling out change. The model covers 6 key steps needed for successful change leadership in your organization:
- A Case for Change
- Vision
- Skills
- Incentives
- Resources
- Action Plan
If you leave out any of these steps, you will likely encounter resistance to the change. For a closer look…
Michigan’s Next Great Companies
Last week, Aha! Leadership shared “The Power of 5″ concept with participants at Michigan’s Next Great Companies in Lansing, MI. It was a great day and we were honored to be a part of it. Check out this overview of the day by Implement Improvement here.
Robyn Marcotte sharing Power of 5
Undercover Boss—More Than Another Reality Show
By guest author: Larry Collar
Several weeks ago CBS launched a new reality show called Undercover Boss (Sundays 9:00 p.m. Eastern). The concept is simple, take a top executive from a major company and have him/her work “in the trenches” for a week. The twist? Have them do it incognito.
The routine is the same with each episode. The soon to be undercover boss tells the executive team what his/her plans are, the boss goes undercover with a plausible cover story for having the cameras around, and in the end the boss reveals themselves to all the individuals he/she had contact with during the week.
For many of you going “undercover” is nearly impossible. The good news – we can learn from these leaders and apply their Aha’s! to our organizations. Over the next few weeks we will feature one episode, share key teachable YouTube clips and challenge you to THINK.
Take a look at this 5 minute segment from episode #1:
This clip is from the end of the episode where Larry O’Donnell, CEO of Waste Management reveals himself to the front line workers he encountered during his mission. Watch how O’Donnell connects with each of the people. Notice how he:
- Rewards positive and enthusiastic behavior with something non-monetary but valued
- Learns from employees the impact that decisions made in the board can have on employees
- Encourages employees to help others and get involved in issues and causes that extent beyond the confines of the workplace
- Discovers through employee input improperly implemented policies and how he coaches a manager to improved performance
- Rewards those that work hardest with more responsibility instead of just more work
Ask yourself …
- Can you separate a worker from their “personal story”? Should you?
- How do you reward your employees? How do you know when to reward them?
- What data do you gather that tells you how your decisions impact your employees? How do you know your decisions (policies) are being properly implemented?
- How do you take corrective action and still keep the experience positive.
Final Thoughts…
As leaders we sometimes have to go “undercover” to get to the heart of what matters in our organizations. It isn’t always an issue of communication, sometimes it is simply perspective…….closeness brings clarity. Get out of your office, roll up your sleeves, talk to your team and listen to what is really going on in your company. Get to know the people and their stories. You will be amazed at the connections that you make and the lessons you learn.
Complete episodes of Undercover Boss can be viewed by going to CBS.com.
Idea #5: Inspire and Unite Your Team!
Keep the Team Thinking…
With WOW! Wednesdays…
The Alfie team gathers weekly for WOW! Wednesday, which is a 15- to 20-minute team huddle. Each week a different team member chooses one of their core values and highlights its purpose.
“There is no restrictive format; we encourage everyone to express their thoughts about the value they have chosen in a way that reflects their personal style. These conversations help keep our culture alive in a couple of ways. First, we review both positive and not-so-great examples the team demonstrated the value over the past week. We refer to the latter as an ‘OUCH’ – Our Unusual Challenge. With this format we focus on situations that will provide our clients with an even-more-phenomenal customer experience. And by encouraging each team member to express themselves in their own way, we build trust and empower each member of the team,” explained Tricia Bowman, member of Team Expedite.
Check out the great promotional products Alfie offers by clicking here.
Idea #4: Inspire and Unite Your Team!
How to Clarify Expectations…
By measuring performance…
This is one of my favorite quotes, and at the Bill Marsh Auto Group they live by this philosophy by incorporating their core company values into their annual performance plan process.
“By measuring the behaviors related to our company values, we stay focused on what’s important and clearly communicate our expectations to every member of our team,” Said Ron Smith, Director of HR.
Check out their company values by clicking here, then go to the
Company Info and Company Mission.
