Don’t Tell Me You Don’t Have Time

March 4, 2013 by

Time-Management-effective-leadership-Brendan-HoweI am declaring war on the phrase “I don’t have time”. It’s a very common sentence I hear way too often from leaders, managers and employees.

If you EVER use this phrase or a variation of it, I will suggest two things about you:

  1. You are not as accountable as you should be; and,
  2. You are bad at time management.

Tough medicine? Well, let me explain why I think this way and why it is so important that leaders never to use this phrase.

Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day, whether you’re Bill Gates or the garbage man. It comes down to how you use that time and being accountable for that.

Effective time management is constantly making effective decisions to direct your time toward the activities that are most important in hitting your goals.

If you say “I didn’t have time to do that,” you are essentially blaming something else – some other force of time – for not being able to do something. In reality, you chose to do something else instead and you need to be aware of that and accountable for that decision.

If that decision was spending more time with your family or watching the football game, there’s nothing wrong with that, just be aware and accountable for the decision you made.

I’ve gotten frustrated with staff before and told them if you don’t hit your goals for the week I’d like you to say the following to me:

“I decided that everything else I spent working 40 hours on last week was more important than what you asked me to do.”

Harsh? Well, it’s to make a point. I’m sick and tired of people pretending they don’t have control of their day or week. We all have tons of interruptions and distractions. You need to understand that if you don’t get something done, you’ve assigned a higher priority to whatever else you did.

One of the most important things any successful person can master is time management but you will never do it unless you accept that you are the one ultimately responsible for how you spend your time.

The other part of this is making sure you have clear goals and a purpose. You need to know what your goals are for the quarter, month, week and day in order to make those effective decisions about how to spend your time.

If you have clear goals, then when someone comes to your office door and asks you to do something, you will measure doing that task against what you need to get done for your goals that day, plus the list of other things you need to do.

If you don’t have clear goals, you might just go off and do whatever someone asks you to do that’s urgent to them. Or you might spend your day responding to emails and putting out fires.  Then you get to the end of your day and realize you haven’t gotten anything done.

I’ve found the more I focus on managing my time to hit my goals, the more it forces me to figure out how to do more in the limited amount of time I have every day.

It all starts with never saying “I didn’t have time for that.” I’ve told members of my team to call me on it if I ever say that.

So here’s a challenge for you. The next time someone asks you if you’ve done something, keep yourself from saying “no, I didn’t have time to do that.” It may be a little difficult but I’m confident you can do it.

Instead, say something like “I haven’t done that yet” or “I wanted to finish that sales proposal yesterday first before doing that.” I can guarantee you will feel much better about yourself and more in control.

By eliminating “I don’t have time” from your vocabulary you are becoming more accountable and you’re forcing yourself to be better at time management. You’ll be much more successful as a result!

How do you feel when someone tells you “I don’t have time?” Post a reply and I will take the time to reply.

One of the most important things any successful person can master is time management. ~Brendan Howe Tweet this

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Leading Virtual Teams Effectively

March 3, 2013 by

Leading-Virtual-Teams-Effectively-Chris-LemaDo you remember playing the telephone game as a kid? You’d say one thing to the person sitting next to you, and they’d pass on your message. Then the next person would pass on what they thought they heard and so on. The real fun of the game was when you heard the last person share what they thought was the message, and the first person share the message after that.

Leading Virtual Teams is Tough

For almost two decades I’ve been managing remote staff. In some cases these were full teams located in one place far from me. In other cases it was an entire team spread across three countries, with no two people within 100 miles of each other.

Leading a virtual team – one where members are distributed all over the place – can take that telephone game to a whole new level of crazy. And if you’ve been leading in a remote context there’s a good chance you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Leading Virtual Teams is Counter Intuitive

What I know to be true is that when it comes to leading virtual teams effectively, you can’t simply add a weekly phone call or regularly emailed report to your normal leadership strategies and hope for success. Leadership in this context requires something else.

In fact, the most central thing I’ve learned is that it’s all unintuitive. By that I simply mean, leading virtual teams effectively requires you to embrace two new leadership paradigms because, like the telephone game, what you think you know may not be what you need to know.

It Means Managing Less

One of the things we all tend to do in situations we’re uncomfortable in is to limit the degrees to which things can fail. So we control more and release freedom less. This puts us, we think, in a stronger leadership position.

But that’s not always the truth. The truth is that we’ll never develop ownership by assigning tasks. And that can quickly become a vicious cycle where we create the lack of ownership by the way we’re leading our virtual teams.

Instead, assign roles and goals. Get out of the task business. It will drive greater ownership over tasks simply out of necessity’s sake. After all, if you don’t own the tasks, someone must. And why should it be anyone other than the people with the roles assigned to pursue the goals?

In this way you step out of task management, and step into the leadership work of clearing the roadblocks and providing the air cover that your virtual team needs.

It Means Embracing Peer Pressure

We’ve all learned, from early on, that peer pressure was something we were supposed to reject. But we never stopped to question if some kinds of peer pressure was good.

I run a daily “pulse” call with my different virtual teams. That call can last anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes and it’s where I share context so that team members can make better decisions. It’s also where I hear about roadblocks that may be in the way, and anything else that someone thinks I need to know.

But the most important aspect of the call is when each team member answers the question – “What is done done?” No, that’s not a typo. It’s there twice on purpose. Because I want to know what is actually complete. Not partially or mostly done (with an attached modifier after the word “Done”). Instead, I want to know what’s so done that the only word after it is done.

As we “walk” around our virtual meeting room, each person shares what’s done done. They don’t share activity. They share accomplishment. And there’s no trouble when a person doesn’t have anything to share on any given day. But after a couple of days, there is mounting peer pressure.

The fear of peer rejection is stronger than the fear of looking weak.” ~Chris Lema (Tweet This)

No one wants to be the slacker, the slowest one on the team. And so they do what comes naturally – they ask for help. First from each other. And then from me. But they don’t hide for days. Because tomorrow’s another day where they can shine, where they can get something done, or help someone else on the team succeed.

What about Your Experience Leading Virtual Teams?

Are you leading virtual teams? What other paradigms have I missed? Share them with me in the comments.

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4 Games That Leaders Play

March 3, 2013 by

4-Games-That-Leaders-Play-Dan-ForbesAre you a true leader, or are you a game player? Some leaders are examples to follow, others are examples to avoid. Bad leaders play games with their people.  Good leaders inspire and lead the way.

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” – The Apostle Paul

Four childhood games teach us valuable leadership lessons.

King of the Hill

I remember when a friend’s Dad dug a pond on his property and by doing so created a mountainous pile of dirt.  It was perfect for a game of King of the Hill.

We would race-climb up the hill, shoving and pushing other kids aside.  The first one to reach the top became King of the Hill. To maintain his position he would push and shove down any kid who tried to take his place.

King of the Hill is a nice kid’s game, but it’s a game leaders shouldn’t play. We all know the positional leader who shoved others aside to ascend to his position, and then protects his turf by pushing others down.

Bad leaders put others down. Good leaders pull others up.

Lesson: Leadership isn’t about pushing others down, it’s about pulling them up. (Tweet This)

“There are two ways of exerting one’s strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up” – Booker T. Washington

Follow the Leader

Another childhood game we played was Follow the Leader. One kid was the leader, the rest of us were the followers. The object of the game was for the leader to make following as difficult as possible.

The Leader would go under things, over things, through things, around things, making it hard to follow.  The followers would become exhausted, disoriented, and finally give up.

We all know leaders who are difficult to follow. Perhaps they lack integrity, empathy, people skills, or vision. We don’t want to follow them.

Bad leaders are hard to follow. Good leaders make following easy.

Lesson: Leadership isn’t about making following a chore, it’s about inspiring others to want to follow you. (Tweet This)

“Leaders know the way, go the way, and show the way” – John Maxwell

Hide and Seek

I can still remember leaning against a tree, counting out loud “one, two, three…one hundred,” as the other kids ran and hid.  It was a game of Hide and Seek.

The object of this game was to become the best one at hiding and the last one to be found. The last one found won the game.

Hide and Seek is a nice game for children, but when leaders play it, the organization suffers. We all know leaders who are not good at handling conflict or challenges. These are the leaders who rather than face a challenge head on, instead go into hiding.

That’s not good leadership. Bad leaders hide when the going gets tough.  Good leaders are accessible.

Lesson: Leadership isn’t about hiding during challenging times, it’s about leading from the front. (Tweet This)

“In business, as in war, the best leaders are those who lead from the front lines–who commit themselves fully to the mission…and…the common goal” – Justin Moore

Blind Man’s Bluff

We usually played this game in the big backyard of my Grandparent’s house. On kid was selected to be the “blind man.” We’d tie a bandana over his eyes so that he couldn’t see, spin him around a few times, and then, while hiding in plain sight, challenge him to catch us.

The object of the game was for the “blind man” to grope around trying to touch the other players. They would avoid the “blind man” while teasing him and tempting him to change direction.

We all know leaders who are like the blind leading the blind. Leaders without vision and without a clear direction. These leaders are constantly changing course.  They are weak and easily influenced by people and issues calling for their attention.

Bad leaders have no vision. Good leaders know where they are going and how to take their people there.

Lesson: Leadership isn’t simply activity and being busy, it’s having a clear vision which excites and compels others to follow.

 “Where there is no vision, the people perish” – Proverbs

There you have it.  Leadership is pulling people up, it’s inspiring others to want to follow you, it’s leading from the front, it’s having a vision that excites and compels others to follow. Good leaders don’t play games.

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Leading From The Heart

March 2, 2013 by

Leading-Heart-Susan-Bagyura“Leadership is not a formula or a program, it’s a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. It’s an attitude, not a routine.” ~Lance Secretan

Even with leaders, loyalty and respect are earned, not given.  It’s the leader’s emotional intelligence skills determining their ability to influence and inspire others.

Here’s a perspective using the head and the heart.  Purpose and mission are important to both the head and heart leaders, but the day-to-day approach is stark in contrast.

When someone leads from the head, there’s an intellectual process that seems quite rational and reasonable.  As long as everything is running smoothly, this approach works well.

However, when there’s stress and tension, then the ego steps in looking for causes and someone to blame for the situation.  Voices and tensions are raised in reaction to the chaos. It’s like the lights were shut off as the darkness spreads throughout affecting anyone involved, even on the periphery.

Once the problem is resolved, outer appearances show that everything is back to normal.  However, a serious toll will have been taken, leaving anger and humiliation to fester in the wake. Things will have been said and done that many will carry as silent wounds.

When someone is allowing the head to rule during those stressful times, as things appear to be going desperately wrong, the ego is like a general involved in a bloody battle.  All civility is tossed aside in favor of getting the job done.  It’s a fear-based environment and everyone dreads being caught in the crossfire.

A heart-centered leader sees the people rather than the task as the number one priority.  This leader will be focused on bringing out the best in people in all circumstances.  Relationships are built based on respect, growth, cooperation and communication.

When leading from the heart, time is set aside to understand what’s important to each individual in terms of their:

  • Career/work
  • Growth
  • Family
  • Health
  • Finances
  • Future aspirations

The loyal union is predicated on helping each other get what they want.

Should a tense situation arise, rather than looking for a culprit, people will respond to the immediate needs while looking for the learning to be gained from the experience.  Instead of making accusations, ways to resolve the situation are found and changes are made to reduce the likelihood of a re-occurrence.

At the core of the heart-centered leadership is preservation of each individual’s value to the team, the organization.  When leaders take the time to view their staff from different perspectives, particularly personally, they will see strengths and commitment beyond their imaginings.

The proof of this is seen in each episode of Undercover Boss.  The CEO and their directors wonder how they can improve performance.  It’s decided the CEO will go undercover.

Always in disguise, the new worker experiences great difficulty doing any of the jobs they are given.  Suddenly at least 2 things become obvious to the boss:

  • The employees are working at maximum capacity
  • Most of the people, despite personal challenges, are performing amazingly well.

It’s only when these leaders have some heartfelt moments with some individuals that they recognize the extraordinary people working in their companies. Later the CEO institutes programs or assistance.

In each case, the CEO found the heart of their organization by engaging with each employee as a peer with something to learn from them.  Judgments were set aside in pursuit of understanding.

Although their individual contribution won’t show up on the spreadsheet, the personal pride of the workers performing to the best of their abilities shone through in the personal interactions with the undercover boss.

Each one ended up in tears when they were finally recognized and appreciated for their value to the organization.  Leading from the heart may take more time, but the outcomes are well worth the effort.

 Leading from the heart may take more time, but the outcomes are well worth the effort. ~Susan Bagyura Tweet this!

What other thoughts do you have about leading from the heart? Please share your thoughts below.

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Humility in Leadership: Myths, Fears, and Truths

March 2, 2013 by

Humility-leadership-kate-nassar Humility in leadership conjures vivid images in leaders’ minds. The images seem to fall into opposite camps: indecisive wimpiness or non-arrogant self-confidence.  It’s fair to say that if your image of humility in leadership is one of weakness… then you are not likely to strive for HUMILITY!

On the other hand if you see humility in leadership as the self-confident strength to lead others to shine, you are on your way or almost there.

What if you want to move from seeing humility in leadership as weakness to embracing its strength? Or perhaps you as a leader already embrace it but your leader doesn’t.

I’ve walked this journey with many leaders. So let’s walk it now.

Humility in Leadership: Steps to See Strength

Humility in Leadership: Myths, Fears, Truths (Image by: Dopamind via Flickr Creative Commons License.)

Humility in Leadership: Myths & Fears

Change involves owning your own fears for they can either create myths or extend themselves. What common fear-based myths, stop your growth to humility in leadership?

  • Fear of being a weak leader.

    New leaders, transitional leaders, and long time leaders all know they have strengths and weaknesses. Those who sense their own weaknesses more intensely than their strengths, often fear being seen as a weak leader. Will people see them as too nice to lead? From this fear comes the myth that humility in leadership is indecisive weakness.

  • Fear of being disrespected.

    Like dominoes, one fear based myth leads to another. Leaders who believe the myth that humility is indecisive weakness, fear being disrespected as a wimp. They then embrace the myth that being a strong non-humble leader builds respect. Certainly, there are many real problems that develop under weak leaders including bullying among teams, power struggles, culture of blame, finger pointing, low morale, and even chaos. Ironically, the same trouble can develop with non-humble leaders. I have seen both — over and over and over.

  • Fear of entanglement.

    This fear is often subconscious and hidden from leaders’ awareness. There are personality types as well as past experiences that drive leaders to avoid true connection with those they lead. They see connection as entanglement and loss of objectivity. They then attach this fear to humility in leadership, and form a false conclusion: Humble leaders lose their objectivity and can’t handle tough conversations with employees. Humility does not cause a loss of objectivity. In fact, it strengthens it. Humility keeps you in learning mode and objectivity comes through knowledge.

Myth: Humble leaders lose their objectivity and can’t handle tough conversations with employees.” ~Kate Nasser #leadership #peopleskills Tweet this!

Humility in Leadership: Truths

  • Humility elevates purpose above the personal.

    Leaders’ humility guides all toward the greater goals instead of personal whimsy. It balances the empathy to connect with the objectivity to achieve.

  • Humility celebrates all talents encouraging all to contribute for success.

    Leaders’ humility naturally inspires, for it highlights everyone’s abilities instead of just the leaders’ strengths.

  • Humility removes the veneer and shows leaders’ greatness.

    Humility is transparent. It shows who and what leaders are. Team members trust this authenticity and engage without the distraction of hidden agendas and politics.

  • Humility is stronger than any yell!

    Leaders who check their egos at the door have far greater influence. Humility keeps leaders listening. Humility replaces the ego — the target of conflict — with “we go“. This inspires contribution and models ideal teamwork behaviors. Conversely, it is always a problem when dominating solo type leaders demand teamwork.

  • Humility smooths resistance to change and growth.

    Humility fosters continuous learning. It allows and encourages everyone to learn from mistakes for the benefit of all. This is a prerequisite to change and growth — the secret to business success. In fact, companies fail when the market changes and they don’t. Humility in leadership feeds a culture of learning and flexibility. No one method, nor practice, nor view, nor person is cast as best. The goal is to listen, perform, learn, and succeed.

Humility in Leadership: What Ifs

What if you as a leader practice humility yet the leader you report to sees it as weakness?

  • Find out specifically what that leader sees as weak? Small changes in your behavior can close the gap between you and your leader without abandoning humility.
  • Consider what if any cultural and personality differences there are between you and your leader. These differences impact how people view behaviors and describe their impact.
What if you as a leader practice humility and the teams see you as weak?

  • Ask them where and when do they need more strength from you? Humility is not generally the culprit. Most likely there are stressful situations that you are not seeing. Remember humility is not abandonment. Assist where they need help.
  • Engage team members and discuss your leadership style. Leadership evolves and their expectations may be ahead of your evolution. Be open to learning from them.
What if you as a leader are being told to develop some humility?

  • Write down how this makes you feel before you respond else you might react defensively. Then ask for specific examples of where your behavior needs to change.
  • Review the fears and myths noted above to guide your journey of growth. Have you worked with strong humble leaders? What did you learn from them? Have a mentor or coach help you evolve and refine your leadership style.

Humility in leadership is not a label nor a fixed set of behaviors. It is a mindset of inclusion and a model of continuous learning for success. It honors and engages all. It builds tremendous trust and sustains all especially in tough times of change.

So we’ve come quite a distance. What other what ifs shall we discuss?

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The Grateful Lead

March 1, 2013 by

grateful leadershipI know that throughout the International Leadership Blogathon this year there will be many excellent posts on leadership.  There will be some great thinking on how to lead, and how to follow, and how to manage.  I’m looking forward to reading them and gaining a loads of useful knowledge.

But for this first post, I want to take us on a different path.

— A path that we sometimes forget in our leadership.

— A path that we sometimes forsake in our organization.

— A path we sometimes neglect in our relationships.

Today let’s pause to think of all those meaningful moments,  profound people and  life lessons that have saved us and inspired us and empowered us, and let’s… be grateful.

— Think about that someone who helped you see that darkness is just the absence of light, and be grateful.

— Think about the difficult times when you were frightened, yet someone dared you to do it anyway, and be grateful.

— Think about the moments when you felt beaten down and then someone picked  you up, and be grateful.

— Think about the times you felt yourself become tense and someone helped you find your gentle side, and be grateful.

— Think about the times of when others failed you and someone was there with an extended hand, and be grateful.

— Think about the occasions when someone helped you feel your inner power, and be grateful.

— Think about the special times when you felt you were leading from love, and be grateful.

 Be the Leader who leads with gratitude” ~Lolly Daskal  (Tweet This!)

Thank those who have made a difference in your life: with a note, with a call, with an e-mail, with a text. If they’re out of reach, or if they were passing strangers and you don’t even know their name, thank them in your heart.

The grateful lead.

This is what it means to Lead From Within.

Be the kind of leader who embraces gratitude and extends appreciation to others. The grateful lead with heart.

Have you thanked anyone lately who had helped you in any possible way? Please share with us your thoughts on grateful leadership.

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The 2nd International Leadership Blogathon Preview

February 27, 2013 by

2nd-Annual-International-Leadership-Blogathon-Todd-NielsenOn March 1st, a large conglomerate of leadership experts, coaches, speakers, authors, and leaders will come together for the 2nd Annual International Leadership Blogathon on http://www.ToddNielsen.com. For 31 days we will read amazing stories, unparalleled experiences, and leadership wisdom oozing from every crevice of the Internet. There are a total of 41 writers for the blogathon, gathered from many countries.

Last year’s blogathon brought an amazing source of wisdom, much of which would be hard to come by collectively on any single blog or book. This year’s articles raise the bar so much higher.

Below are the 41 writers for the blogathon. I’d invite you to read more about them and make sure to sign-up for updates to receive the articles in your inbox every day. Plus there will be some prizes and contests, here and there, throughout the month to win books and some other leadership products.

DATE

AUTHOR

COUNTRY
March 1st Lolly Daskal USA
March 2nd Kate Nasser USA
March 2nd Susan Bagyura USA
March 3rd Dan Forbes USA
March 3rd Chris Lema USA
March 4th Brendan Howe Canada
March 5th Dave Bradley UK
March 6th Martina McGowan USA
March 7th Joan De Winne Belgium
March 8th Kai Roer Norway
March 9th Ali Paskun USA
March 9th Susan Thorn USA
March 10th Susan Mazza USA
March 10th Andy Phillips Colombia
March 11th Heidi Alexandra Pollard Australia
March 12th Lora Crestan Canada
March 13th Ogwo David Emenike Nigeria
March 14th Susan Bowen UK
March 15th John Thurlbeck UK
March 16th T. Hampton Hopkins USA
March 16th Barry Smith USA
March 17th Colleen Jolly USA/UK
March 17th Ray Attiyah USA
March 18th Janine Garner Australia
March 19th Alli Polin Australia
March 20th Frode Heimen Norway
March 21st Kimunya Mugo Kenya
March 22nd Karin Hurt UK
March 23rd Tanvi Bhatt India
March 23rd Henna Inam USA
March 24th Sean Glaze USA
March 24th Jonathan Creaghan Canada
March 25th Peter Sterlacci Japan
March 26th William Powell Finland
March 27th David Hain UK
March 28th Sandro De Silva Netherlands
March 29th Paul Jolicoeur Canada
March 30th Richard Andrews UK
March 30th Tom Shulte USA
March 31st Todd Nielsen USA

 

I can’t wait to take part with all of these great minds, as well as the thousands of readers to create a fantastic leadership event that helps enhance the world of leadership acumen, the world over.

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The 2nd Annual International Leadership Blogathon

January 27, 2013 by

International-Leadership-Blogathon-Todd-NielsenHold onto your seats, because this March is going to be a thrill ride through the world of leadership in the 2nd Annual International Leadership Blogathon. Last year I held this event and it was phenomenal. The nuggets of wisdom from all over the world were inspirational and enormously valuable for any leader. We had leadership experts from every corner of the globe take part; and the buzz on social networks still continues to this day for many of the articles.

This year is going to be better than last year’s event. My platform is triple the size of last year, so news of the blogathon and the articles will get out everywhere to help drive discussions. We are going to give away prizes this year, mostly leadership books, to help drive engagement and attract more readers, and my website is way cooler 🙂 than last year.

What Is The International Leadership Blogathon?

Ok, so imagine leadership writers and experts from all over the world gathered together to share their leadership wisdom with the world. The experience and lessons of working with different cultures and organizations helps to fuel an avalanche of knowledge that is not easy to come by.

So what I do is get around 30 experts from every possible country I can, and they each write an article between 400 to 1,200 words that explores some aspect of leadership. Last year we had many different topics and my heart lit up every time I read a new article. I mean, how often do you get to hear the inner thoughts on leadership from someone in Kenya, India, The Netherlands, New Zealand, the U.K., Japan and a bunch of other remote locations? It’s awesome! Subscribe now, and get ready for the flood of leadership wisdom to enter your inbox.

Awesome, the 2nd International Leadership Blogathon begins in March! ” Tweet This

Who Can Write For The International Leadership Blogathon & Why Should You?

Well, let me address the why first. Usually the best reason to write a guest post is to receive valuable backlinks to your own site from a reputable domain, to help grow your own platform, and get your knowledge in front of a bunch of people that might not know who you are. My site has an excellent Alexa rating, I get a lot of traffic, and I have a huge social network in which I will be broadcasting all of the articles – every single day. I’ll will also setup a private Facebook group for all the bloggers to collaborate, and I have a special surprise to rock your social world and help make sure all the articles are shared among all the blogger’s networks.

So who should write? Well anyone throughout the world that has leadership knowledge, that they want to share with the world. But there are some qualifications:

  1. You must be able to write in English
  2. You need to be able to write 400 to 1,200 words in good grammar and punctuation. We will help out as much as we can, but last year I spent way too much time re-writing articles that had great messages but were written poorly. So reach out to others that know English before submitting your article.
  3. You have to have a Twitter account and actively participate on social networks. You do not need to have a big following.
  4. You must be willing to commit to sharing all the articles on social networks and not just your article.
  5. You must be able to enter and edit an article in WordPress. My assistant will setup all the approved bloggers up on this site to submit their article.
  6. The post needs to be all original work from the author, and CANNOT be shared on another site. (Google does not like that)
  7. Your topic needs to be related to leadership or a leadership subtopic. Ask below in the comments section, or send me a message if you are unsure about your topic. It could also be about the intricacies of leadership in your country of residence.
  8. Your article needs to be in the system before March 1st, 2013.  We need to time to get everything setup and organized.
  9. You need to love leadership and want to engage with other writers by commenting on articles and helping to drive more discussion.

I am expecting a lot of interest this year. So if you are interested in writing, please fill out the form below and submit it ASAP. I look forward to a successful blogathon, I know my readers will love this content and it will be a hugely successful event.

[Form id=”10″]

Woohoo, I just signed-up to write for the 2nd International Leadership Blogathon” Tweet This

 

This is going to be an exciting event with wisdom oozing from all over the globe. Stay tuned for more information. Please share your thoughts below. Also what kind of articles are you hoping to see?

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Leadership Gold Nuggets From Around The World – Part 19 – 27 of 27

April 9, 2012 by

International Leadership BlogathonThis is the last of a multi-part article meant to share some of the tidbits of wisdom from the 2012 International Leadership Blogathon.

Article  19 – Debbe Kennedy from The USA
Leadership by Example: How to Ignite this Quality in Your Life and Work

“…it is clear that our notions about leadership are being turned upside down, questioned, revitalized and changed before our eyes.”

“The reflection of our faces in the mirror of the world is a reminder that the future, collectively, rests in our hands.”

“We are here at this time for a purpose – and it is hard to deny that we are the ones who will create the next chapter in history.”

“Leadership is as local as any of us sitting at our desks …and as global, …and far-reaching as time, distance, and technology can take us. In an instant, it stretches across cultures and many dimensions of difference.”

“Leadership by example is perhaps our most powerful tool in putting what we are learning here from one another into action.”

“May your life be the reflection of your leadership message.”

Article  20 – Don Mercer from The USA
Followership: the Corollary to Leadership

“In a team environment high performing followers are every bit as important as good leadership…”

“Great leaders will not guarantee an optimal organization, but great followers will come close.”

“We need to go beyond the standard answer of training in the actual job and move to a view of followership education just as we have done in leadership education.”

“Every organization has a culture–a personality–and multiple sub-cultures which can promote or hinder the organization’s mission.”

“The best leaders craft the details of the organization’s culture in a variety of ways from funny to quirky to serious.”

“…the wise leader should put a rock-solid cultural foundation under the details.”

The 7 principles that make up the Followership Culture are: Instant Response, Initiative, Imagination, Integrity, Inquire, Inform, Involve.”

“…great leaders know that they must go to the locations where the followers are doing their work.”

” If you educate followers to be great followers, your organization will perform at a higher level and great leaders will emerge.”

Article  21- Ronny Snel from The Netherlands
Leadership Productivity Through Improved Energy

“Many leaders fail to do one of the most important things that could help their productivity, and that is to make their health and specifically, exercise, a priority.”

“. Exercise gives you the opportunity to relax, clear your mind, and it improves your energy levels so you can get more done.”

“Exercise is a win-win situation for your business and personal life; that every leader should take seriously.”

“By exercising and eating healthy you will feel energetic; and this energy will transfer to your staff, employees, friends, and family.”

Article  22 – Glenn Wallis from The U.K.
Leaders: Know Thy Self

“ou may be technically excellent. You may be a great presenter. You may have incredibly high standards, but if you are unable to lead and develop yourself, it is unlikely that these important but somewhat peripheral strengths will be enough to become a sustainably great leader.”

“Being honest about where you are now, and clear about the human being you wish to evolve to become, is time incredibly well invested.”

“…the closer that your current self-image is to your ideal self, the higher your self-esteem will be.”

“Once you have decided what sort of person you want to be and you have committed to working towards that, you can begin to craft what sort of leader you want to become.”

Article  23 – Rahul Meta from India
Be a “Karma Yogi”- The Leadership of Thoughts and Action

“Leadership is encompassing, endearing and all pervasive to the man kind.”

Leadership is about being detached, yet being in control of the inner senses, and “thoughts.”

“People tend to forget about what they love to do and just focus on bottom lines, sales targets and the like and in that process they forget about the road they travel to their goals. Savoring the journey is more important than the relishing the time to reach the destination.”

“The process of turning back to your inner thoughts and yourself to find your true calling evokes the thought leadership process.”

“If a leader is afraid of failing, he/she has already failed.”

“Leaders believe and believe strongly in their paths and if they ‘fail’ – the failure is just an outcome. To be true to themselves and to the people they lead, learning to be not to be afraid of ‘failing’ is a must.”

“Leadership draws on the ability to be compassionate and have a superior sense of empathy.”

“Loyalty and motivation are not rationally defined, but emotionally governed and people can sense selflessness, truthfulness and a great vision which rallies them to follow their leaders to the ends of the earth and beyond.”

“…leaders should work to be a Karma Yogi. Action leadership combined with thought leadership is karma yogi.”

Article  24 – Richard Andrews from The U.K.
Really Useful Things Leaders Can Do In A Recession

“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.”

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

“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.”

“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!”

“Innovation sometimes comes in a flash of inspiration. But usually it comes from hard work and collaborative exploration.”

“Recession 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…”

Article  25 – Arohanui-Grace from New Zealand
Who is a Leader?

“…that whilst the pace of change has increased exponentially, the world in which we humans live has always been complex to a greater or lesser degree.  Really, all that has changed is that some of us now see it from a different perspective.”

“…the benefit of systems thinking is not so much in any practical organisational application, but more in giving us a lens though which we can view who we are, and where we fit in the complex world in which we live and work. “

“Being and not doing is to me, the real power of systems thinking and is also the ‘who’ of leadership.”

Article  26 – John Thurlbeck from The The U.K.
Leadership …In An Unstable World!

“Leadership is a state of being. It is the human factor that people – peers, staff and colleagues in your organization and outside of it – will respond to most positively, especially when times are both challenging and stressful!”

{Note by Todd Nielsen] In this article John beatufully illustrates and proposes the questions below on examining our own leadership effectiveness. Click the link above to read the full article.

  • I Connect Leadership and Vision
  • I Am Visible, Approachable and Adaptive
  • I Promote Our Organization’s Image and Reputation
  • I Demonstrate the Impact of Our Work
  • I Invest In My People
  • I Constantly Scan Both Internal and External Environments
  • I Keep Learning

Article  27 – Becky Robinson from The USA
Why Social Media is Important for Leaders

“Some leaders in the real world may feel they’re too busy to engage with people online. While that may be true, I believe that they are missing the opportunity to extend their reach exponentially through making connections and adding value online.”

“If you want to make a difference, why not make a bigger difference? If you have knowledge to share, why not share it with as many people as possible? If you want to add value for some, why not add value for many?”

“I believe that in not-too-distant future, leaders who choose not to engage online will diminish their perceived influence, and perhaps, their ability to achieve their goals as leaders. Such leaders will be faced with a choice: share online or face obsolescence.”

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Each of these writers would love to hear your comments and connect with you. You can do so on each of the pages above. Please share below any additional nuggets of wisdom that I might have overlooked.

Lastly – THANK YOU to all the writers who were willing to share their wisdom, and for all the readers that continually were fed with a leadership feast.

Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: , , , ,

Leadership Gold Nuggets From Around The World – Part 13 – 18 of 27

April 5, 2012 by

Leadership Gold NuggetsWe continue on today with more tidbits of wisdom from each of the articles in the 2012 International Leadership Blogathon. This is meant to allow you quickly read some of the best parts.

As always though, reading the whole articles are is the best way to enhance your learning of leadership from the blogathon.

 

Article 13 – Sandro Da Silva from The Netherlands
Leadership: Do You Practice What You Preach?

“…influence is crucial in gaining your team’s willingness to coordinate their efforts towards organizational goals.”

“These days, your team has read the same books you’ve read (or even more!). Information has become more accessible, and workers more independent and emancipated. They know the “tricks” and don’t fall for them anymore.”

“Core Values are, in our ever changing and demanding times, a constant which you can use to guide you in your behavior, your choices and your decisions.”

“Core Values are the laws that rule every employee in the company, from the receptionist to the C-level executive…”

“Core Values are not something you set and achieve, they are something you practice.”

Article 14 – David Hain from The U.K.
Lessons on Leadership and Life from a Football Match

{Comment by Todd Nielsen} This is a great, heartfelt article that deserves a full read to take in the lessons.  David wrote about 7 lessons about life and leadership. Click the link above to read the full article. It is worth the time. The lessons are:

  • When you win, do it with class
  • You can lose, and still win
  • The team is the most powerful vehicle that we have as human beings
  • We all need role models
  • Moments of small, quiet heroism happen all the time
  • It won’t take the recession to end to give people back their pride
  • Disaster, like triumph, is an opportunity if we chose to see it that way

Article  15 – Kamal Hassan from The United Arab Emirates
Leading from the Driver’s Seat

“…it can be helpful to learn from the past, but this should not be the extent of an organization’s learning and planning efforts.”

“As the organizational leader, you are in the driver’s seat. You can think of everyone else in the organization as the vehicle that gets you there, but without your direction they won’t know where to go, how fast or when to change course.”

” …it is only by looking forward, sometimes far ahead, will they see not only obstacles but also opportunities that can lead to new value creation and innovation.”

“This ability to look forward and see opportunities is the process of strategic foresight.”

“Strategic foresight helps you identify the global drivers and industry trends that are driving change, as well as how customer behavior is changing.”

Article  16 – Sharon Malouf from The USA
Leadership Around the World Using Positive Power and Influence

“A leader needs to do two things: build or maintain relationships, and get things done.”

“Positive influence is about being genuine and authentic which builds trust, hence relationships.”

“…trust is built when [a] leader is consistent and therefore reliable.” 

“…with each ascending role …internal relationships are critical in order to get things done.”

“Understanding that each person is a unique personality requires you to be flexible in your use of appropriate influence styles, which is critical to your success in building solid relationships.”

“Leaders have to stop focusing entirely on their own agenda and understand what matters to their direct reports regardless of culture.”

Article  17 – Kai Roer  from Norway
Reflection as a Leaders Tool

“There are not many …that call themselves a leader, who do not agree that we need to focus more on retrospection and reflection.”

{Comment by Todd Nielsen} – Kai’s article is another in which the parts make more sense when read as a whole. He wonderfully talks about 3 aspects of reflection. Something that all leaders should do to improve their lives and companies. These aspects are: Time, Topic, & Impact. I highly recommend you click the link above and read the article in its entirety.

“By relearning how to use your reflecting skills as a tool in your leaders toolbox, you can increase your ability to see possible challenges early, and seek alternative solutions before you are forced into a corner.”

Article  18 – Dave Bradley from The U.K.
Leadership is About Achieving Results (Which are Beyond the Ordinary!)

“Leadership is about outcomes, not behaviors.”

“Leadership is a system that enables an organisation to achieve results beyond the ordinary.”

“Good managers are not necessarily going to be leaders.”

“Leadership should not be confused with Headship.”

“Leaders will have an unequivocal source of inspiration that underpins their actions.”

“Leaders have clarity of purpose that drives them to find ways of achieving results that are out of the ordinary.”

 

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Each of these writers would love to hear your comments and connect with you. You can do so on each of the pages above. Please share below any additional nuggets of wisdom that I might have overlooked.


Filed Under: International Leadership Blogathon Tagged With: , ,
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