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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The Vulnerable Leader

March 12, 2013 by

Vulnerable-Leader-Lora-CrestanLeadership is not easy. In fact, if you are doing it right, it is downright difficult.  Learning to lead is an ongoing process that evolves with you.  Many skills and talents are molded together to create the leader you are today.  Your personality and the experience you have had either as a leader or with the leaders around you will definitely contribute to who you are as a leader.  We are clearly influenced by leaders and their actions, whether directly or in the media – a great leveler when it comes to viewing leaders as they truly are.

Think about this though.  Have you progressed in your leadership development so that you know it is okay to be vulnerable?

Vulnerable is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as ‘being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally’.  As leaders, we need to accept that we are human – being vulnerable is part of that.

Being vulnerable is not:

–        A sign of weakness or indecision

–        Becoming a doormat and allowing others to walk all over you

–        Crying at the drop of a hat

–        Taking unnecessary risks that could harm you or your organization

–        Abdicating responsibility

Being vulnerable as a leader is:

–        Letting others know you need help and asking for it

–        Listening to feedback and incorporating it into your next steps or development plans

–        Understanding that not everyone will ‘like’ you and dealing with the emotions that comes with that acknowledgement

–        Being empathetic and compassionate with your team, your family, your clients and your vendors – consistently and authentically

–        Allowing yourself opportunities to reflect and review your past performance and behaviour and seeking guidance for change

In quite the opposite direction, a leader needs to be confident to show their vulnerable side- this includes self-awareness that shows the leader can be multi-faceted and certainly focused at the same time.  It may not be easy to reconcile this in your mind.  As a human being, many emotions collide and keeping them bottled up really is not a good idea.  Finding ways to express emotions like frustration, confusion, regret, happiness, joy and all the rest is an art developed by experience.  Take some time to think about the many ways in which you interact with clients and colleagues.

Do you focus on building relationships instead of making transactions?  This applies to both clients and team members.  With clients, it is clear – get to know them and build the relationship so that they trust you.  As soon as trust develops, the relationship is now a two-way street and no longer about a transaction but about making both parties better.  The same applies to relationships with your team – it is not about strictly giving direction (the transaction – they do what we say). Now you are venturing into tapping into who does what best, or who needs to stretch and grow in new directions because you have gotten to know them and understand who they are and the direction in which they would like to move.

Are you interested in listening and truly understanding as opposed to glossing over objections to close the sale?  If you truly listen, you are doing so with your whole body – and seeing as well as hearing what is being said.  If you are only trying to close the sale and get the dollars, they most certainly will not stick in the future as there has not been a true effort to build trust.  By taking time to listen, even though you may not get the sale today, you have been open and vulnerable to rejection and allow the other party to learn more about you.

As a leader, you are charged with guiding others to move forward through your example. Lora Crestan Tweet this!

This could be an individual or an entire company.  How you act will define how others act.  How you develop relationships will be reflected in how your team learns to, and then builds relationships.  Your ability and courage to show vulnerability will provide a more open environment in your organization, allowing for change, personal growth and stronger bonds to develop.

 How you act will define how others act”.

Are you a Vulnerable Leader? Describe to us how you became one.

 

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Are You Making Your Employees Stupid?

October 29, 2012 by

Stupid-LeadershipAccording to Merrill Lynch, “50% of employee skills become outdated in 3 to 5 years.” WOW, when I read this statistic, it really surprised me. Many leaders think that the experience of just doing the required work, day in and day out, is enough to keep their employees knowledgeable to optimally perform their duties. Unfortunately that is not true at all.

On the job training, meaning training that is acquired by just doing your job, interacting with clients, and talking with colleagues is hardly enough to create productive and engaged employees that are on the cutting edge of their disciplines. Many leaders and managers struggle with training programs because they are often tasked with reducing costs. So training programs are often the first to go.

Consider this though, according to a Saratoga Institute study, “Workers who have good training and professional development paths average 12% turnover; workers who don’t have learning and growth opportunities average 41% turnover.” That is not even the worst of it; consider additionally that the average cost of replacing an employee is 150% of their salary.

Those numbers mean that eliminating a training budget will probably cost you much more than you can save. To support that statement, Motorola has discovered that, “…for every $1 spent on training, there will be $30 in productivity gains in 3 years.” Why then would anyone cut training?

There is a lot of hidden meaning in these numbers that whisper of leadership, culture, productivity, cost savings, and innovation; but they all point to the fact that an organization will be less successful if they operate without formal training and coaching opportunities for their employees.

There are a lot of different training programs available that can train employees on a multitude of things, such as: Leadership, Execution, Productivity, Customer Service, Management, Teamwork, Collaboration, Innovation, Social Media, Financial Management, Technology, etc…

These programs are not always expensive and really could just involve reading a book in a quiet room of the office to hone a specific skill.

I challenge you, before the year is out, to put together a training program for next year, for your employees that will make them, and you, more successful in building the organization. Don’t make your employees “stupid” by failing to give them proper training.

Shameless plug, but if you are interested in execution and leadership training, be sure to check out all my programs that are half-off until the release of my book about execution.

Do you agree with these statistics about training programs? Please share your experience with training and development programs that you have experienced or implemented.

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Mark Miller – Great Leaders Serve

October 9, 2012 by
Last spring a publicist sent me Mark’s newest book, Great Leaders Grow. I think I read a page into it before I knew that Mark and I were going to get along great. I loved the book, it is a philosophy that I embrace deeply. Mark, being the most gracious and kind person that he is, thanked me a lot for my book review. A couple of months later, we had the great pleasure of sitting down to dinner and having a great discussion in San Francisco. Mark is one of the most generous, kind, and humble people I know. He has been immeasurably helpful to me. I value his friendship and look forward to many years of increasing friendship.
Mark Miller
Name:
 Mark Miller
 Company/ Blog Name:
 Great Leaders Serve
Website: 
Click Here
 Home:
 Atlanta, GA, USA

BIO:

Mark Miller is a business leader, best-selling author and communicator.

Mark began his Chick-fil-A career working as an hourly team member in 1977. In 1978, Mark joined the corporate staff working in the warehouse and mailroom. Since that time, he has provided leadership for Corporate Communications, Field Operations, Quality and Customer Satisfaction, Training and Development, and today he serves as the Vice President for the newly formed Organizational Effectiveness function. During his time with Chick-fil-A, annual sales have grown to over $4 billion. The company has more than 1,600 restaurants in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

Mark began writing about a decade ago.  He teamed up with Ken Blanchard, co-author ofThe One Minute Manager to write The Secret : What Great Leaders Know and Do. Today, almost 400,000 copies of The Secret are in print, and it has been translated into more than 20 languages. Recently, he released The Secret of Teams which outlines some of the key lessons learned from a 20 year study on what makes some teams outperform the rest.  His newest book, Great Leaders Grow : Becoming a Leader for Life, was released in February 2012 and was co-authored with Ken Blanchard.

In addition to his writing, Mark loves speaking to leaders.  Over the years, he’s traveled extensively around the world teaching for numerous international organizations. His theme is always the same: encouraging and equipping leaders.  His topics include leadership, creativity, team building, and more.

Mark has an active lifestyle. As a photographer, he enjoys shooting in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places, including Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp and the jungles of Rwanda.

Randomness from Mark:

  • Mission/purpose: Encouraging and Equiping Leaders.
  • Passion: Helping leaders grow.
  • Favorite Quote: “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
  • Family: Married to Donna for 30 years; Two sons, Justin and David, one daughter-in-law, Lindsay, one grand dog – Jackson.
  • Books: The Secret and Great Leaders GROW, both co-authored with Ken Blanchard. The Secret of Teams released in 2011.
  • Day Job: Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Links to Connect With Mark:

 

 

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Desire Success or Mediocrity? …It All Comes Down to GROWTH!

May 21, 2012 by

Leadership and Organizational GrowthI have been wanting to write this post for a while. I have said it many times in passing to individuals and in my writings, but I have never dedicated an article to it. Very few things boil my blood more than seeing business owners, or employees for that matter; that refuse to pick-up a book, read a blog post, or take a class to grow and learn how to be better. Better leaders, better followers, better innovators, better problem solvers, better marketers, better at anything and everything.

A couple months ago I was elated to receive an advanced copy of Great Leaders GROW – Becoming a Leader for Life, by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller. I received the book and I exhaled and said “Finally.” Not only was this a book by one of my favorite authors, but it hit the nail on the head. I receive a lot of books to review, but I never write about a book that does not move me. This one did it.

In the introduction it reads, “We’re convinced, after more that seventy years of combined leadership, that the path to increased influence, impact, and leadership effectiveness is paved with personal growth.” I could not have said it better myself. As individuals, and especially leaders in an organization increase their personal growth, that increase of wisdom, knowledge, influence, and effectiveness will directly impact every level of an organization. A learning environment and a culture that epitomizes personal growth, is abundant in innovation an success.

Another point I love in the book, was early on and stated, “My capacity to learn determines my capacity to lead. If I stop learning, I stop leading.” Isn’t this true? Leaders that fail to grow, become stagnant. They fail to remain on the edge, fail to remain ahead of the pack. As more research and studies in psychology, human behavior, and social behavior are performed, leadership techniques and tools continue to advance. Ken and Mark leave a great question to ask yourselves, “Will you be a leader that tries to apply yesterday’s solutions to today’s problems?”

The need to continue growing is ever present in all areas of life as is so poignantly said in the book, “Growth is what separates living things from dying things. Organizations and people that are fully alive, GROW.” I have seen what a non-growing company and individuals look like and I have also seen what a growing one looks like. It is without a doubt the epitome of mediocrity vs success.

In my twitter profile I write that I am a “seeker of wisdom.” In the winding down pages of the book, my twitter bio became a lot more meaningful. “Wisdom is accumulated over months, years, and decades. You’ve got to stay with it. The pursuit of wisdom, like …other areas of growth, is never ending. Don’t try to rush it – and never stop seeking it.”

There is so much wisdom in the world. there is very little knowledge that cannot be learned. How to become better a spouse, a better father or mother, a better leader and among just a few of the important concepts that we should always seek greater wisdom. If you are not a reader or seeker of wisdom, I would challenge you to try change, to seek after knowledge that will make you better. Read Great Leaders GROW – Becoming a Leader for Life, by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller, and then devour everything you can. Then put that wisdom to practice.

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Really Useful Things Leaders Can Do In A Recession

March 24, 2012 by

Leadership - RecessionA Brit, Jenson Button, recently won the first Formula 1 motor race of the 2012 season. You might not know too much about Formula 1, but those of you who follow Nascar will get the picture. These super fast and highly complex cars are designed and tuned to perfection by a dedicated team of experts. The drivers are trained and highly skilled. Any mistake, any imperfection can lead to disaster. Yet despite the complexity and despite the critical importance of getting it right, Button did not drive around the track in Melbourne pulling a team of engineers behind him in a trailer! The hard work had been done in advance, when things were quieter, when the pressure was reduced and when there was time for careful thought and analysis.

As Leaders, whether in business, in not-for-profits, or in public service; we are constantly looking for that key competitive advantage, that unique something that will set us apart from the competition and will result in us making it to the chequered flag before everyone else. We’re also consistently challenged by the tension between investing time and energy for the future whilst still delivering today.

Global recession is pretty challenging for most of us, but as we start to see early signs of recovery we have an opportunity: Race day is coming closer!

Now’s the time to get that engine tuned, to get some re-design so that we can make the best use of our aerodynamics when the race starts. Now’s the time to make sure that every member of the team has the chance to deliver peak performance.

People

No improvement journey can be successful if there’s no focus on people so people have to be the starting point!

When times are hard, our natural human inclination is to revert to survival mode. Creativity can become stifled, and anxiety can lead to team members becoming competitors or even enemies. But no one ever united around a vacuum! What a great time to share a positive vision of the future and to support team members to develop a better understanding of themselves and each other. Leading a vision is crucial, – and thinking around some key team-building, team-working, and team-development tools offers a road-map. In most organizations, it’s not the skill set that causes problems, it’s the attitudes, the commitment and the ability to collaborate with trust and creativity.

Process

Jenson Buttons Formula 1 Pit Team can change a wheel in about five seconds. – Actually, they can change four wheels in about five seconds!  Whether we’re delivering products or services, we can’t disregard key processes. Process review is pretty challenging when we’re at 105% of capacity and if things go well, that’s where we’re going to be in the near future. 65% of capacity doesn’t feel great but it can provide the margin that’s needed.  Those managers and leaders who maintain a focus on their processes will know: if you’ve been running with the same process for 18 months or so, the chances are that there are some valuable gains to be made!

Product

Over the last few months, I’ve worked with a manufacturer of office storage solutions that has realized that their existing machinery is ideally suited to make a whole range of other products for a completely different market; and with a service provider who has recognized that its excellent process for supporting people with learning difficulties, can offer a competitive edge in the care of elders. Now’s the time to talk. Talk with clients and customers, talk with the production guys and the R&D guys, talk with colleagues, neighbors and suppliers. What does the market want from our existing products and services? Where is the brave new world? What are we really great at and how else could we use that expertise? Innovation sometimes comes in a flash of inspiration. But usually it comes from hard work and collaborative exploration.

Leadership - Recession FinalRecession certainly doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do, but it can offer us an opportunity to focus on getting people, products, and processes in great condition – ready to take on the challenge of future opportunities no matter how each of us, defines that particular chequered flag.

 

 

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