1. Establish an impeccable standard of excellence.
Set high expectations at the outset and raise the bar on any crucial factors. The best way to establish a standard is by modeling the expected behavior yourself. Showcase excellence. Your actions have the potential to affect everyone around you and the bottom line, don’t dabble in mediocrity.
2. Deliver on results promised.
Able leadership requires an ability to deliver results. Rhetoric has little value if outcomes are what’s essential. Instead of touting wins from past performances, focus on capturing tangible gains now. Harness the power of chunking, a process for organizing tasks and breaking them down into bite-size pieces, to avoid stress and burnout.
3. Value people and nurture relationships.
Top-notch people skills are vital to sound leadership. Develop premium listening, communication and decision-making skill sets. Demonstrate integrity by being open, honest and fair. If you treat people well, most will be encouraged to return the favor.
4. Promote strategic cooperation.
Collaboration is an indispensable component of leadership, this is especially true if you can build high-performing teams. Isn’t it fascinating that no matter how brilliant people are as individuals, they are often far more effective when working with others? People often produce higher quality, more efficient work products when collaborating.
5. Resolve conflict quickly and effectively.
As a core leadership competency, conflict resolution is a delicate process that requires thoughtful intervention. Disagreements naturally occur. But persistent hostility should not be tolerated. The bottom line? Conflict gets in the way of everything else. Thus, your ability to quickly and effectively facilitate resolution will undoubtedly boost your ability to lead.
6. Freely develop and support others.
Professional development is an extraordinary mechanism for facilitating growth. Demonstrate your commitment to growth by prioritizing opportunities for enrichment. Challenge yourself and your team to overcome shortcomings at regular intervals throughout the year. Then acknowledge and reward proactive participation to build enthusiasm.
What are some of your career or personal goals? Become an expert in your field? Or even an expert with your finances? Cooking?
How do you become an expert in your field or area of focus? Read. As quoted by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.”
Self-development expert Brian Tracy tells us that, “If you read just one book per month, that will put you into the top 1 percent of income earners in our society.” Now, imagine what would happen if you read one book a week!
If you read 30-60 minutes a day in your chosen field, that translates into 1 book a week, resulting in over 50 books per year. In three years, that is 150 books in your field or area of focus – quickly allowing you to become an expert in your field.
I know, I know, you don’t have the time to read. I hear that excuse all the time. Try this … listen to audio books.
It works for me. My iPhone is a mobile library. I listen while I drive around town, cook in the kitchen or even while exercising. I was able to read five books over Christmas break this way. There are many online resources for downloading audio books, even your local library might offer them. If you prefer to read physical books, be sure to set time versus saying you will make time. Schedule your reading – this makes it a routine and it will quickly become a habit.
Twelve books that have shaped my leadership philosophy:
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
The Speed of Trust by Steven M.R Covey
Great by Choice by Jim Collins
Decisive by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John C. Maxwell
Principle-Centered Leadership by Stephen Covey
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry
Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey
How Full Is Your Bucket by Tom Rath
8 Dimensions of Leadership by Jeffery Sugarman
Three books that have helped me grow as a person:
Jesus Calling by Sara Young
Daring Greatly by Berne Brown
20,000 Days and Counting by Robert Smith
….and a personal author from my childhood is the beloved Dr. Seuss as he was always very wise – “the more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go”. Happy reading!
A friend shared a story about how when they feel grateful for even the small things in life, it changes their whole outlook. It retrains them to think of all the good things in their life versus the things that are wrong, or little annoyances.
He used a shiny plastic gem. I have heard others just carrying a small stone in their pocket, etc. The purpose is to carry it wherever he goes-whenever he touches it in his pocket, it reminds her to be thankful regardless of the good or bad of what is happening at the moment.
This simple act changes his perspective – to a thankful attitude. Thankful for what he has, instead of lacks.
We may think we lack so much….wish we had a different job, or that our kids behaved better, or were heading off on vacation for the holidays. It certainly does not dismiss the pain and suffering that some people may be experiencing, especially at this time of year, but all this “lack” thinking depletes us.
The gratitude stone is one tool that helped my friend, and believes it will be a life-changing experience if we all give it a try. As 2014 comes to a close, let me challenge you to push the pause button and write down ten items you are thankful for right now. I know one at the top of my list….it is all of you – thank you for your business, or being a participant in various training programs, or even just reading this newsletter to inspire yourselves and others. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Many people start projects with good intentions but struggle to stay on track.
Here are a few of the most common concentration busters that throw people off schedule:
Social media and email. Avoid logging into social media and checking email when you’re working on a project. Consider turning off your alerts and possibly even Wi-Fi. If you feel compelled to check your email, wait until breaks throughout the day.
Multitasking. While people often think they can accomplish more in less time by multitasking, they lose time when shifting attention from one task to another. Try to devote your time to one solid project and see how much further you can get.
Hunger. Remember to always eat breakfast and snack on high-protein items, such as cheese and nuts; and always choose complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains.
Disorganization. Rather than attacking the day’s projects randomly, take some time to organize your deadlines, projects, and plan of attack. Rank them in order of importance, and always tackle the hardest projects first.
Cell phones. Utilize caller ID and let calls go to voicemail. Silence your phone so you can have distraction free time.
Lack of sleep. Most adults need a solid seven to nine hours of sleep each night to fully recharge. If you feel exhausted and tired, your body and mind will benefit from some extra sleep.
Dehydration. Drink water. Even mild dehydration can cause inattention.
Clutter. It can be hard to focus on the task at hand in a room full of cluttered items, so try to work in rooms that are well organized and de-cluttered.
Have you ever been in a situation where you were asked to step in and lead a team you were once part of as a peer?
Making this transition from team member to team leader can be a tricky one. You go from being one of the group; hanging out at lunch or in the break room, to being “management” and the relationship changes. At times this feels like an overnight transformation as your once“lunch-buddy” group is now treating you like an outsider.
How do you navigate this situation? Are there some ways to make it easier?
Here are some tips for managing your former peers that can help things transition more smoothly. By the way, these tips apply to ALL LEADERS very well:
Address the change immediately and openly. Share your excitement to earn the respect of your team.
Acknowledge that your relationship with former peers has changed.
Accept that there may be mixed feelings about your promotion: people may be happy for you, at the same time, wondering what they were not selected to receive the promotion.
Meet with each team member privately and ask what issues or concerns the person may have.
Engage each team member – learn what excites, motivated and inspired him or her.
Show that you deserve the promotion by demonstrating the skills, knowledge and abilities that go along with your new role.
Focus on earning people’s respect, not being everyone’s friend.
Be your authentic self: don’t radically change your behavior.
Resist the urge to share information inappropriately. True friends will not force you to choose between friendship and career.
Be honest about what you know and don’t know.
Be willing to listen for understanding and value other’s opinions.
Do not treat your friends on the team differently than how you treat others.
Deal with tension by speaking directly and privately with former peers.
Be physically and emotionally present during interactions.
Include your skeptics in decision making; take initiative to turn them into supporters.
Be understanding. Give former peers time to adapt to your new role on the team.
As a small business owner, I’m always trying to learn from the experience of other entrepreneurs, and that happens most often through reading their books.
If you find yourself with some downtime over the holidays, here are the top 10 books I buy in bulk and regularly recommend to clients and colleagues. Read them in any order – this just happens to be the order that I discovered them!
1. Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlingham
One of my all-time favorites, Small Giants changed the way I looked at growing my company and inspired me to connect with owners of like-minded companies to learn how to create a culture of ownership, trust, and passion for greatness.
2. A Slice of the Pie: How to Build a Big Little Business by Nick Sarillo
Many entrepreneurs feel tied to every element of their business, because they can’t seem to let go and trust in their employees. This book taught me how to build a culture of trust and accountability through education, training, tracking, and process – and changed my way of thinking about my responsibility as an employer to educate and nurture the development of my team.
3. The Great Game of Business, Expanded and Updated: The only Sensible Way to Run a Company by Jack Stack
Most business owners would never dream of opening the financial books up to their employees, but this book may change your mind! Creating a culture of financial intelligence can cultivate a sense of ownership and responsibility in every employee. We started implementing Open Book Management at Whole Brain Group in 2011, and it has transformed the efficiency & profitability of our company.
4. A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business (Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading) by Ari Weinzweig
The first of three books written about leadership, this book teaches the power of creating a clear, shared vision of greatness in your company. Once everyone is clear about where you’re going, you can make faster and better decisions – following the 12 “Natural Laws of Business” that every leader should embrace when trying to build a great business.
5. Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow
If you’re seriously thinking about selling your business, or just fantasizing about it after a particularly bad day at work, Built to Sell will help you take an objective look at what needs fixing before others can recognize the value you’ve built in your company. Once you make your punch list and start fixing things, you may find that you don’t want to move on after all!
6. Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
Most of the drama and lost productivity inside companies is due to the lack of a clear vision and misalignment of teams. Gino’s book outlines a process for defining your company vision, clarifying priorities, and maintaining traction to move your company forward. Implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System was so successful at Whole Brain Group that it’s now the foundation of how we work with our clients on marketing & sales strategy.
7. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg
It’s nice to read a book that honestly discusses the experiences of women in business, and the feelings many of us have about leading. I’m used to being in the minority at conferences and business meetings, so I had stopped noticing some of the things Cheryl points out. This book made me think about the culture at Whole Brain Group, and take steps to make sure we aren’t inadvertently perpetuating learned behaviors among men or women.
8. Why is Everyone Smiling? The Secret Behind Passion, Productivity, and Profit by Paul Spielgelman
Think that having fun at work and caring for employees is bad for your bottom line? Think again! Paul’s book describes the culture at Beryl, a company that was built on the principle that employee loyalty drives customer loyalty, which in turns drives profits. Applying concepts from this book helped Whole Brain Group improve our level of service and increase revenue from existing customers by 50%.
9. Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs (New Rules Social Media Series) by Dharmesh Shah and Brian Halligan
If you can’t seem to generate the leads and sales you need to support your revenue goals, inbound marketing may be the answer! Dharmesh and Brian describe how to develop a strategy and process for attracting prospects, converting them to customers, and encouraging them to become evangelists for your company. This book is required reading for all of our customers!
10. Predictable Revenue: Turn Your Business Into A Sales Machine With The $100 Million Best Practices of Salesforce.com by Aaron Ross
If you’re frustrated with your sales team’s performance, it may be because your structure isn’t aligned with the strengths of your team members. Aaron’s book describes how to reorganize your sales roles and revamp your process & tools to align with how buyers are making decisions today. This book is a great companion to “Inbound Marketing” by Dharmesh Shah and Brian Halligan (above).
I’d love to hear your thoughts on these books, or suggestions you may have for my list!
Have you ever been in a situation where you were asked to step in and lead a team you were once part of as a peer?
