Super-connectivity is a Two-way Energizer

May 26, 2014 by

super-connector-leadershipMost of my work at the university revolves around communication(s) as I teach Computer Network courses and work as a department head and academic advisor to a large number of students. Working in academia is a blessing for me as it allows me to be in contact with and serve many students on a daily basis.

An example of being so blessed is as follows. In my first year of teaching, there was a student, Nabil, who missed the first couple of lectures of my course. He came to my office, obviously quite worried about how I would react to his absences. When I saw his anxious face, I asked him gently why he had missed the lectures and listened to him patiently. He told me that he was working on a part-time basis to pay for his education fees, and the company sent him abroad between the two semesters. As a result, he had to miss a couple of his lectures. He was a senior student and was due to graduate by the end of that semester—assuming he passed all his courses. The university had a strict rule on the number of allowed absences, and Nabil had reached that limit. After realizing that the work he was doing was actually relevant to the course I was teaching, I allowed him to join the class and offered help with the missed materials. Nabil passed the course and graduated that semester. During the graduation ceremony, he ran to me and thanked me profusely. I felt at that moment very grateful for my teaching career because it allows me to make a difference in people’s lives.

At the end of my second working year, I was asked to chair my department. I accepted the offer without any reservation because I knew deep down that with this new position, I could do more of what I love best: connect, listen and serve.

I chaired my department for four and half years before resigning from that position due to recurrent miscarriages and urgent medical advice to rest. In 2009, I was blessed to give birth to my beautiful twins—one of each gender. Shortly after they were born, I was asked to again chair the department. I could have refused the offer because I was very busy with the twins. On top of that, the critical and unstable situation in my country was causing me a lot of stress. But I did not select the easy option since I just wanted to do again what I love most, serve people.

Heart-Based Leadership and Super-connectivity

Leading with heart energizes leaders as much as it does to the led, mainly because heart-based leaders enjoy what they do and follow an inner call.

It seems to me that a heart-based leader is a super-connector with the following abilities:

  • To listen intently to people and empathize with them, and let them feel that they are not alone and they can trust us.
  • To connect with everyone, accept them for who they are and acknowledge that we are all different in the way we perceive the world, in our likes and dislikes.
  • To synchronize the connections among the diverse members of the community and make sure that they are capable of understanding each other.
  • To be the glue in a diverse environment, create a coherent inter-locking network in spite of a multitude of differences and provide a unique interface to the external world.

Characteristics of Super-Connected Teams Members

As a result of this, the members of a super-connected team should be able to relate between their individual roles and the goals of their organization. They should feel the importance of their jobs, become highly engaged at work and feel grateful to be part of that team.

Furthermore, not only will mutual interests bring these employees together but mutual trust which provides them with a feeling of safety and enables them to talk freely with one another, rendering any problem they may face less overwhelming and thus manageable.

All super-connected team members feel equal, empowered and involved in the decision-making process which becomes very adaptive and resilient because of this 100% involvement.

In every instance of our lives we are offered infinite choices in what we think, say or hear. This affects what we feel in the present moment and conditions the quality of our communication with others and hence the quality of our working environment. By extension, it affects the quality of our lives.

Positive thoughts and gratitude provide us with pleasant inner states and have energizing effects on us and on all the people around us.

I’d love to connect and hear your thoughts in the comments section.

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Leaders – Stop Pegging People into Your Hole

May 19, 2014 by

Leaders-Differences-International-Leadership-Todd-NielsenI’ve had the privilege of working with people from all over the world. The United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, India, Singapore, Philippines, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, England, Kenya, Nigeria, Australia, New Zealand, and the list goes on and on. I don’t mention this to brag, instead I desire to state an observation about people in the world, people in your country, people in your city, and even people your office or home – THEY….ARE…..ALL…..DIFFERENT. If this is so obvious, why is it that leaders keep trying to peg people into their “Hole?”

The world is full of introverts, extroverts, and centroverts, bubbly people and serious people, thoughtful people and outgoing people. Actually that previous sentence is all wrong, sorry for leading you astray; the truth is that the world is full of… people. There is no type of person or personality that is necessarily better than another. People all have qualities that make them valuable and worthwhile, you are the same. I’m sure that most people the world over would agree more or less with that statement. Yet if that that is so true, why is it I keep seeing leaders try to form a culture that is modeled after their own personality?

The Mini-Me CulturePeople-Mini-Mes

I have seen this play out dozens of times. The outgoing extrovert CEO trying to convert everyone into mini-mes. If the world were
full of pixie-dust unicorns, and Austin Powers, we might be able to do just that, fortunately we live in a much more realistic and diverse culture.

Instead the world is full of people – all different types, different flavors, different personalities, different communication methods, different cultures, different customs and a thousand other differences. A real leader will have the intuition to recognize the value that people bring and not judge them because they are different then themselves.

In working with people from all over the world, whether from a different culture, or the same; I have found the following practices to be beneficial in communicating and relating to those you work with:

  1. Mimic – Attempt to mimic their communication styles when possible while still integrating your own in the mix. For examples in Canada and England the word “Process” is pronounced proh-ses and in the United States we say pros-es. The difference is “O” vs “AAH” in the pronunciation.
  2. Observe – Take time to observe how the other person communicates. Examine their written and verbal communications. Check out social media to see how they communicate on those channels, as the way they communicate there, often is how they feel most comfortable communicating.
  3. Research – No need to do a big report, but take a few minutes and Google the communication styles of the country, culture, or type of person you are working with to be able to understand certain idiosyncrasies. There are many differences even within a country and taking the time to understand might mean the difference between being understood or being offended.
  4. Patient – Some cultures, even some sub-cultures in the United States and other countries, move a bit slower than many executives would like. A good working relationship will require mutual trust and respect.
  5. Recognize – To have a successful working relationship, whether it is a small project or a long one, it’s important for both parties to recognize the value that the other(s) brings to the project. Recognizing the value will help one to overlook the communication differences that might be bothering to one of the parties.

Accept Differences, Value Others

As we roll into the 3rd Annual International Leadership Blogathon and more importantly, as we roll on with our working lives, I hope you can find and see that everyone has value, and that everyone should not be forced into an ideological “hole” that a leader believes is their culture of nirvana with multitude of mini-mes doing their bidding. Everyone has value, you have value and as leaders is it our job to discover other’s values.

I’d love to hear your comments below and please stay-tuned to a lot of great articles in this year’s 3rd Annual Leadership Blogathon, starting today!

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Building What Matters – The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership

March 16, 2013 by

5-Pillars-of-Influential-Leadership-Barry-SmithWith over thirty years in the construction industry, I have had the opportunity to participate in multiple “leadership” training presentations and programs.  The one thing that bothers me to this day is that although the material was very good, there remains a problem that most of the attendees were not equipped to use the resources they were provided.

In the competitive market that exists today, I think most business owners and managers would agree that their people are both their biggest asset and at the same time, their biggest liability.  That being said, why is it that more money is invested in equipment, operations and facilities than in developing their people?

Being a student of leadership development for over thirty years, I have concluded that there is a progression that our great leaders have gone through.  This progression will maximize potential and result in a leader that will develop those beneath him to strengthen the overall structure of the organization.

I call this “The 5 Pillars of Influential Leadership.”  I will briefly describe each of the pillars below and suggest that although there is overlap in the progression, the maximum return on each pillar is connected to success in the previous pillars.

PILLAR 1 – AWARENESS

It is difficult to learn and retain information without first being aware of where we are.  This includes knowing where we currently are, knowing where we have been and more importantly, where we want to go.

“When we change the way we look at things; the things we look at change.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

We are all striving to improve both our skill level and the situation we are currently in.  If you don’t know where you are, how do you know where to go?  Think of it as a road map.  You might know the destination but without a starting point you are unable to chart the course.  Only once you accept where you are, good and bad, can you determine the course needed for the desired outcome.

True awareness will allow you to accept what you currently lack and focus on the skills you currently possess.  To develop as a leader you must be able to honestly identify both of these in order to become who you were designed to be.

PILLAR 2 – ENVIRONMENT

Once you have gained a strong awareness of where you are and where you want to be, it becomes crucial to understand how the environment in which you are in will affect your steps forward.  The basic question becomes, “Is the environment that you are in conducive to growth?”

You basically have two choices.  Change yourself within your current environment in the hope that you can become an agent of change or find a new environment.  This decision will be based on a multitude of variables and will be different for every individual.  What will remain constant throughout is that the only control you really have is to change yourself.

“Whether you are a success or failure in life has little to do with circumstances; it has much to do with your choices.” – Nido Qubein

Honestly, I believe this is the most difficult pillar to conquer.  There are so many moving parts and variables beyond our control that it makes it difficult to make changes alone.  Regardless of your tenacity and perseverance, inevitably your environment will directly impact your overall success.

PILLAR 3 – GROWTH

Once you have an idea of your goals and how your environment will affect the outcome, you are ready to maximize your personal and professional growth.  Embracing the previous two pillars allows us to better take on the challenges ahead.

If you have ever been seriously hurt, you know that sometimes you need to get well before you get better.  We need to take care of the basics before we can tackle the more difficult tasks in growing towards our potential.  Reaching our potential is better, but if we do not have a good understanding of the required steps to get better, it becomes difficult to consistently grow.

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. —Jack Welch

If you want to grow, you have to decide the path you will take.  Again, this is an example of the progression … is the environment you are in conducive to your growth?  Growth doesn’t happen in a day, it happens daily.  What you do today will determine who you will be tomorrow.

PILLAR 4 – COMMUNICATION

Now that you have a good idea where you are and where you want to be and are taking steps to get there, it is time to start sharing your knowledge and achievements with others.  After all, teamwork makes the dream work and when we reach the point of positively influencing those around us, we are impacting the world we live in on a much larger scale.

You won’t communicate effectively unless the people you are communicating with are receptive to that communication.  Making the conversation about the other person and valuing their input is critical to a successful relationship.  Meeting them on common ground and meeting them where they are at are two successful ways to communicate.

“The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” – George Bernard Shaw

To communicate successfully, what is being said is what needs to be heard.  Perception, assumption and presumption play into most of the conversations we have.  Be clear on what you are attempting to say and make sure that is what’s being heard.  Communication skills need to be atop any growth plan for without those skills, we will be unable to influence others or the outcome.

PILLAR 5 – LEADERSHIP

Once you have achieved the skills to be a good leader, and only then, can you become an influential leader.  Influential leaders make changes and positively impact those around them.

It doesn’t matter if you are speaking of business or your personal life, leadership will prove out to be the key to your success.  Every leader has a certain amount of success with these pillars but those that understand how the progression works will ultimately become influential leaders.

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” –  John Maxwell Tweet this!

At the end of the day, influential leaders are focused on building what matters.  What matters is the people they are leading.  Without a strong core of people, the structure will eventually fail.

So I ask you to consider this question, “What are you really building?”

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Effective Communication – Leadership’s Linchpin

March 6, 2013 by

Effective-Communication-Leadership's-Linchpin-Martina-McGowanThe ability to find success in our own personal lives, or in our businesses is rarely dependent on our own skill alone. Maintaining the proper attitude and effective communication are also important contributing aspects of our roles as leaders. Contrary to the current popular belief, effective communication is not merely a matter of how well we can speak in front of an audience, or how well we can write documents, articles or blog posts. Effective and superior communication can only be adequately determined in how well people have understood us and what we are attempting to express.

Communication is an important foundational element of your authority and influence as a leader.  Many businesses and organizations fail to survive because of poor or substandard communication between business decision-makers and the people who have to implement the tasks. Poor or ineffective communication can be a major contributor to employee burn-out, unnecessary and unwarranted elevated stress levels, dissatisfaction and disengagement.

To achieve effective communication, it is important to focus on this essential aspect of how we decide to lead. For many leaders this will entail a change in both attitude and perspective.  It is important that, as leaders of other people and of organizations, that we work to maintain openness to actively engaging  colleagues, employees and yes, customers.

Businesses are built on trust. And, trust is built on relationships. Communication is an important linchpin of relationship building.  The most important relationship in your life is your relationship with our inner self. Consequently, communication with you inner self should be a high priority. I know, it sounds hokey and touchy-feely; but the way in which you communicate with your inner self is very much a determinant of how you communicate with others.

If you spend most of your time doubting your own capabilities, and putting yourself down, it is all but inconceivable that you will be able to mount a positive or even celebratory response to the activities of the people around you. Positive thinking, positive affirmations and positive reinforcement would help you deal with life’s difficulties better. Henry Ford was right when he said,

” If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” ~ Henry Ford Tweet this!

If you believe something, then those beliefs can either become limiting or expansive in terms of what you decide to pursue, and how you elect to do it. Having a positive inner dialogue will launch you into a more positive and supportive communication style with others.

One example of maintaining effective communication is giving appropriate, useful and practical feedback or constructive criticisms to your teammates.  You must first develop an internal successful feedback pattern for yourself.  This will help you give and receive criticisms more openly.

Effective communication is important to us and to the people we serve.

• Effective problem solving.  When you are able to communicate to your employees and co-workers clearly and successfully about real issues and problems, this can lead to a deeper understanding of problems. A deeper understanding will lead everyone to a quicker and more effective problem solution.

• Effective leadership.  For you, as a leader to be able to set the appropriate tone, get people to progress in a suitable and desired direction, and to influence the team or the organization, you must be able to develop a healthy style of communication with them.  As we have already discussed, positive feedback is important. But, so is criticism. Criticisms should be given as a form of positive, helpful useable suggestion and should serve primarily as support rather than chastisement.

• Effective planning.  Planning involves completely understanding the mission, the vision, and the goal of the individual, the department or the organization.  Planning should must directed by the guiding principles of the group. However, we all know that everyone approaches things differently. So it becomes important to properly communicate with each team member so that all of the energy and ideas can be channeled to create and pull together an effective and executable plan.

• Effective organizational improvement.  Communicating well as a leader is not only about your own personal and professional development and growth.  There should also be some noticeable improvement in the personal and professional paths of the people you lead. And, this can have significant effects on the improvement of your whole organization.

As you work to lead and develop yourselves and your colleagues, you will learn sooner or later that your success often depends on being able to interact effectively with other people. Learning good communication skills, and applying them to your inner dialog can only enhance your external dialog and interaction. Effective, on-point, erudite communication can make or break your leadership, your leadership style and your business.

What other ways can effective communication help an organization? Please share your thoughts and ideas below.

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5 Ways Leaders Botch Communication – Without Saying a Word

March 11, 2012 by

Leadership CommunicationLeaders who focus only on what they say to employees—through speeches and written words—overlook one of the most powerful ways they communicate: their actions. Without saying a word they can hinder productivity and kill morale.

Check whether you are guilty of any of these five mistakes:

  1. Failing to communicate. When is the last time you had a conversation with an employee? How often do you talk with employees who are two rungs or more down on the organizational chart? Often leaders talk with everyone except their own team members. They give orders, but they don’t engage in dialogue.
  2. Blindsiding employees with change. Leaders wonder why it is so difficult to convince employees to adopt changes that an executive team has spent months debating and designing. The problem is that they have left out a key part of the plan: the employees who will be responsible for making the change. The frontline workers don’t understand why the change is necessary, and they see obstacles that the executives overlooked.
  3. Sending them on goose chases. Employees drop everything to work on a new, urgent priority, and then their work seems to disappear into a black hole. The leader never explains what happened, whether the idea has been dropped, revamped or rescheduled. The next time one of those assignments comes along, the employees think “No need to put much effort into this. It’s just the ‘Idea of the Day,’ and it will pass.”
  4. Ignoring what employees say. When an employee tells you about a problem, what happens? Many organizations proudly tout their 360-degree evaluation programs and open-door policies, but the employees learn that voicing concerns about a manager or another problem just pegs them as troublemakers. If leaders don’t listen—and act to address problems—employees stop speaking up.
  5. Failing to keep commitments. Do you deliver what you say you will to your team members, on time every time? Do you treat an appointment with an employee the same way you treat an appointment with an important customer, showing up on time and devoting your full attention to that employee? If you keep the employee waiting, reschedule multiple times and multitask while you are talking, those actions send a clear message to employees that they are unimportant.

To be a trusted, respected and effective leader, pay as much attention to what you aren’t saying as you do to your speeches and memos. Ask yourself: What are my actions telling my employees?

Connect with Amy Beth Miller: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

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Words To Lead By – An Inspirational Message of Leadership

February 22, 2012 by

I am not even sure where I found this video, as it was sitting in draft mode for months. But as I watched it – the message pierced my mind and uplifted my heart as I considered certain situations and leadership challenges that I was struggling with. Please take a few moments, sit back, relax, and just take in this short message of leadership that we should all remember. Please comment below on what words of leadership were of most value to you, and what additional words of leadership advice you might have.

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So …now that you’ve watched this video, how are you going to use this information to improve your leadership? What words of leadership were of most value to you, and what additional words of leadership advice do you have to improve your success?

Please take a moment and share your ideas in the comments section below, share this with your social media friends, and subscribe to receive A Slice of Leadership notices, and occasional leadership advice, articles, tips and freebies.
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The Leadership / Parenting Analogy

January 5, 2012 by

LeadershipI recently heard a poem, that while amazingly simplistic, held a very powerful message about parenthood. But later, when I found the text of the poem online and read it, I was amazed at the how the same message could ring true to leadership and management. I am fascinated at the intricacy of leadership and the lessons that can be pulled from all walks of life, including as in this case, parenthood.

The poem below is called “Children Learn What They Live” by Dorothy Law Nolte, PH.D. As you read this replace the word children, with employees, and see how closely leadership parrallels to parenthood.

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Comparing Leadership to Parenting

I know all these attributes do not necessarily align with employment traits. But I sure would rather manage and lead the employees that were raised by parents that taught the positive attributes, than the negative ones. Additionally, if your leadership style follows the practices of the negative traits in this poem, it is scary to see what kind of employee you might be developing.

Other Good Leadership Reading

You might also read “How To Be A Horrible Leader – 50 Bad Leadership Traits“, which would be a good read after reading this post.

One of my favorite books on parenting is called Parenting Kids: To Become the People Employers Really Want and… America Desperately Needs! by Charles Fay Ph.D.

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So, now that you’ve read this article, how are you going to use this information to bring greater leadership to your or your organization? Or perhaps greater parenthood to your family?

Please take a moment and share your ideas in the comments section below, share this with your social media friends, and subscribe to receive A Slice of Leadership notices, as well as occasional leadership advice, articles, tips and freebies.
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How Hellboy Helped me be an Inspirational Leader & 5 Keys to Inspirational Communication

November 20, 2011 by

Inspirational LeaderLately I have been thinking a lot about inspirational leadership. In this world that focuses on the bad, weak, and the diminishing returns; inspirational leadership can be what separates mediocre performance from exceptional performance, poor morale from positive and productive morale.

Let’s face it, work is not always fun.  That, compounded with the grim hope that many feel in this economy, i.e. that they might never see a brighter future because of the poor performance of their organization, can cause many employees and even leaders to forget about what they are capable of.  They lose sight of their objectives and wallow in the drudgery of daily firefighting.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to an organization whose net worth had dropped a staggering 20% in the last 11 months from an already negative net worth.  Morale was low, trust in the leaders was low and there were a whole host of other problems. After significant financial and operational analysis, we called a company meeting. For hours the night before the meeting, I prepared what I was going to say.  I knew I could not “sugar coat” the problems.  The employees knew it was bad.  At the same time I did not want to point fingers or make the current management look bad.  They were talented and capable people, who just needed some direction. I felt that I needed to inspire them to look beyond the problems and see what the company was capable of.

I used to think that not every leader or manager could be inspirational; I have doubted my ability, like any other leader. I know I can write inspirational and while I have spoken many times to groups, companies or executives and inspired them to look beyond their problems, for some reason this was different too me.  It was a mixed group of people, morale was horribly low, performance was low and the stakes were higher.

The meeting turned out great.  Employees, who we previously thought were hopeless, told members of the management team at various times in the day that they were excited. The hope, that I had yearned to convey, pierced everyone’s mind and a new entity began to emerge out of the dark shroud it had been engulfed in. A line had been drawn in the sand, and everyone knew it was time to forget the past and focus on the future.

Being the process oriented person that I am, I kept thinking about this experience and other presentations I have done in the past, both inspirational and non-inspirational, to see what the keys were to creating inspirational communication.  I know there are many more qualified than I. But I figured that if I could break this down to a process, then I could be abundantly more successful in motivating others to get things done.

Well not just motivating, but inspiring.  I see motivation as getting people moving in a positive direction, I see inspiring them as getting them to move also in a positive direction, but with purpose.  Here is what I came up with that I think should be inclusive items to making one’s communication inspirational.

5 Steps to Inspirational Communication & Becoming An Inspirational Leader

1.       Genuineness
I believe in order to inspire others, you have to believe in what you are trying to convey. If you are trying to be inspirational just for the sake of making yourself look good then people will see through you.  I think genuineness is what can separate a pep talk from inspiring communication.  Being genuine is just being honest about the situation and showing your staff that you understand what is going on and that you care about it.

2.       Facts & Data
Maybe I am odd, but when explaining a situation, I always love a good fact thrown out to back-up the claim. I think that most staff members out there of most companies just have a huge distrust of management. A good fact will help drive your point home and for those not feeling the genuineness, the number will help convert them to the plan you are about to convey. Don’t go overboard on data points, 1 to 3 should be sufficient to help drive your point home.

3.       Labeling
I learned labeling many years ago and it was an eye opener to me. We generally think of labeling as negative, but it can be an amazing tool if used in a positive way. Labeling is easy, you imagine what you want, and you put that label of it on a person or persons. For example saying something like, “You guys are some of the most talented people I have had the privileged of working with; you’re loyal, dedicated, hardworking, and I know that if we can help focus all that talent, we will be <<insert goal>>, (i.e., the largest and most successful…..)”.

You can also use it to insert company qualities that might not be present, but that you want to inspire others to work for, “I can picture a company that has full benefits, generous compensation packages, and where the employees all respect each other and work together to efficiently solve any problem that comes our way.”

The idea with those two examples is to lift one’s vision out of the gutter and make people want to work toward the quality that you just described. This can be very powerful.

4.       Vulnerability
Depending on what type of presentation…. and the audience; vulnerability may be necessary to get through to those that have been severely hurt by your or your companies mismanagement.  Most experts usually preach that a leader has to be confident. I think you can be confident but still show vulnerability.  Vulnerability, when done right, puts your sacrifices and feelings about the condition on par with everyone else’s. It says to them that, we are all in this together.

5.       History and the Heart
History is full of inspiration. Giving people examples of organizations that were able to get out of similar problems or achieve similar types of goals, shows people that you’re not full of hot air and that what you are trying to convey is possible. But there is something that history can do even more, it can touch the heart.  You can see from my other points that they all involve an emotion. When people feel something in their heart, it gives them energy, focus, and the drive to perform better.  It can be a story, a quote or even a video or audio clip.

Late one evening a few days before the presentation I described at the beginning of this post, I was flipping through the channels on the TV in my hotel room.  I came across the end of the movie “Hellboy.”  I don’t watch much TV, but it grabbed my attention. In the last scene of the movie the character John Meyers in a closing narration says: “What makes a man a man? A friend of mine once wondered. Is it his origins? The way he comes to life? I don’t think so. It’s the choices he makes. Not how he starts things, but how he decides to end them.”

Call me crazy, but that was what I needed.  The group I was talking to could connect to that. I needed to draw a symbolic line in the sand. A line that signified that the past was the past, that the ways of the past were the past, and that we were crossing this line into a new future. That quote from a crazy movie helped to strike the emotion I needed to touch.

History and media is full of inspirational tidbits of information to back any principle that you need to drive into the hearts of your listeners.

6.       Structure & Direction
Those that know me know I am a huge proponent of structure in many forms.  I believe you must have it in order to produce scalability, change and ultimately, profitability. In this instance of inspirational communication in leadership, what I mean is that there has to be some kind of plan. Fancy words, genuineness and an emotional touching story will only get you so far.

You don’t have to have all the answers, but you need to have the beginnings of a plan, even if those beginnings are to figure out the plan. For me this “plan” was nothing more than some scribbles on a small whiteboard that showed how the organization was going to start the process of fixing things.  I also explained what the staff should expect. I did not sugar-coat anything and told them it was not going to be easy.

In the end the staff knew what was expected, they knew how things were going to change, what their organization could achieve, and they had a reason burned in their hearts on why they needed to act.  Inspirational communication is not something that only needs to be used in a turnaround situation.  It can be used to take motivation to the next level, it can be used to bring about greater execution, it can be used to improve morale and turn hidden ‘A Players’ into real ones. Lastly, it will turn you into a more effective leader.

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Never Underestimate The Lowly Peasant In Front Of You

October 10, 2011 by

I was at a couple conferences recently and a familiar topic came to mind, that is the value of those you network with.  The reason why this topic stuck with me because I had an interesting conversation with the CEO of an association that serves the IT industry.  There was an exclusive party for technology vendors and sponsors at this conference. I was invited by one of the technology vendors.  I was just a guy that had recently resigned and was looking for other opportunities.  I guess to the lay person, I was an unemployed nobody.  As with any party, I circled the room and talked with people about what they did and what companies they were from.  I met some fascinating people.

During the party, I ran into the CEO of the association that was putting on the conference. I congratulated him on the event and engaged in small talk. He then asked who I was and who I was with. When I explained that I was not with anyone and that I had recently resigned and was looking for other opportunities, he kind of shook his head, chewed some food and non-chalently turned around and started talking with someone else.  I stood there in in awe at this experience.

I don’t consider myself prideful, but later I thought to myself. Does he realize I run the largest IT operations oriented peer group with CEO’s from 3 continents? Does he realize I have almost 10,000 social media connections, of which at least two-thirds, work in the IT industry?  Does he realize that I write guest articles for an IT Industry Channel blog that is read by thousands of IT executives? Does he realize I have been asked to speak at several IT industry events in the coming year that will be attended by thousands of IT executives? Does he realize I have a book that will be published soon by a major publisher? Does he realize I was invited by one of the vendors paying him money to be there?

No, my head is not getting big. I guess to the lay person, I am an unemployed nobody. But who knows where I will be in a few years and what kind of influence, good or bad, that I could have on his association. I have often heard people say that they only connect with fellow peers of equal or greater position. I always respond that I connect with just about everyone (I have a few moral exceptions).  I tell them, that I will connect with people from other industries, because someday the IT industry could drastically change(i.e. Cloud Computing).  I explain that I will connect with an entry-level technician, or customer service rep., because one day I may need to hire one, and one day that person might be CEO of their own company. I will connect with an artist, because I might need one (I have), or any just about any other person, because you never know who they know. Perhaps they are the son of a Board member that will make a decision about having me come into the company.

The point I am trying to make goes back to the golden rule.  Treat others as you would like to be treated. Treat others with respect and interest, because you never know when you may need their help or when another might help you for no other reason than, they can. 

Filed Under: Networking Leaders Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Imagine Leadership

May 19, 2011 by

Nitin Nohria and Amanda Pepper of Harvard Business School’s Leadership Initiative collaborated with XPLANE to create this video in order to generate a discussion of the value and importance of leadership to address some of societys most pressing problems.

“It is my desire to inspire people of all ages and social demographics to think about leadership on a broad level, contemplate what it means to them and what individual impact they can have when it comes to leading,” says Nohria.

Filed Under: Imagine Leadership Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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