Leadership Presence

Steve Shenbaum is the Director of game on Communications Training at the IMG Performance Institute at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida. He has worked with many top athletes including Pete Sampras, Sidney Crosby, Alex Smith and many more. 

Here he talks about adopting the right ‘presence’ as a leader:

Leadership Presence

What Really Motivates Us?

This lively RSA Animate, adapted from Dan Pink's talk at the RSA, illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace. (www.theRSA.org)

See also:

What Really Motivates Us?

Qualities of an Inspirational Leader

Leaders need vision, energy, authority, and a natural strategic ability. But those things don't necessarily help you inspire your employees to be their best and commit to you as a leader. 

Here are the four qualities you need to capture the hearts, minds, and spirits of your people:

1. Humanness. Nobody wants to work with a perfect leader. Build collaboration and solidarity by revealing your weaknesses.
2. Intuition. To be most effective, you need to know what's going on without others spelling it out for you. Collect unspoken data from body language and looks given across rooms to help you intuit the underlying messages.
3. Tough empathy. Care deeply about your employees, but accept nothing less than their very best.
4. Uniqueness. Demonstrate that you are a singular leader by showing your unique qualities to those around you.

Qualities of an Inspirational Leader

Motivating Your Team After Success

Celebrating the start of the basketball season, with Mike Krzyzewski, Duke University Men's Basketball Coach:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=1620048213&play=1

Motivating Your Team After Success

The First Rule of Leadership !

The First Rule of Leadership !

Stop Being So Nice

Conflict avoidance is a common trait of most corporate workplaces. But, steering clear of disagreements and leaving things unsaid creates unnecessary complexity and needless anxiety. To get better at confronting conflict constructively, follow these three steps:

1. Reflect. Ask yourself whether there are times you should've spoken up but held your tongue. Do you avoid certain types of conflicts?
2. Get feedback. Ask trusted friends and colleagues how they perceive your readiness to engage in constructive conflict. They might see patterns that are less obvious to you.
3. Experiment. You don't have to change overnight. Try pushing back on a request or speaking up in a meeting and see how it goes. Preface your comment with an admission that you are working on getting better at conflict. This will help demonstrate your sincerity.

Stop Being So Nice

LEADERSHIP IS A PROCESS NOT A THING. LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT PRESENCE NOT TITLE. LEADERSHIP EXISTS THROUGHOUT AN ORGANISATION.

WITH THESE PRINCIPLES IN MIND, PLEASE THINK ABOUT THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

A)     INDIVIDUAL

• What 3 words describe me as a leader?  Which one do I most need to change if I am to become a better leader?  How will I do it? 
• How do I define success as a leader?  Am I on track?  What do I still need to do to achieve success?
• What are my core values?  To what extent am I leading in alignment with them? Am I walking the talk?
• If I had to change one aspect of my leadership, to achieve improved team / organisational performance, it would be........
• Am I a leader of value, or values, or both?  Am I prepared to sacrifice performance for what I hold to be right? 
• What was the last (conscious) action I adopted, to improve my leadership effectiveness? Was I / it successful? What could I have done differently?
• Am I confident that I will deliver my very best performance on a consistent basis when I am under pressure?

B)     ORGANISATIONAL

• Does my organisation have a leadership strategy (ie an integrated platform to attract, develop and retain top leadership talent for competitive success)?
• Are values embedded in the way my organisation thinks and acts?
• What are the top 3 values of my organisation?
• Do I believe that the values of my organisation are likely to hold up under pressure?
• Do I have personal experience of seeing the values of my organisation drive high performance?
• Do the values of our organisation drive the strategy of our organisation or is strategy developed regardless of values?
• Has the strategy of our organisation been benchmarked for alignment and consistency with the values of our organisation?
• Do the values of our organisation create a platform for consistent high performance, even under pressure?
• Am I confident that my organisation will deliver its very best performance on a consistent basis when it is under pressure?
• Does my organisation strive for excellence or is it comfortable with ‘satisfactory underperformance’?

 

If you feel that your personal leadership brand or the approach to leadership which your organisation is adopting could be improved, then Positive Leadership Limited would be delighted to help you.

We provide leadership consulting, coaching and mentoring advice designed to help our corporate and individual clients excel under pressure and reach the highest levels of performance and profitability.

For further information, please see our website – http://www.positiveleadership.co.uk/ – or please contact: graham.watson@positiveleadership.co.uk / gavin.hastings@positiveleadership.co.uk / lee.torbet@positiveleadership.co.uk 

Exploring Dimensions of Leadership

There have always been individuals who are able to lead effectively in a demanding and evolving world. What does it take to be one of those remarkable people?

Exploring Dimensions of Leadership

Finding True, Positive Leadership

Most people see leadership as something people do in front of others, but true leadership starts within each of us. It starts with knowing your true purpose and aim and then acting on that knowledge in a way that remains true to your core values.

True, Positive Leadership involves:

Thinking – a true leader will dig deep inside to gain knowledge about herself in order to learn what her core values are. If you do not know yourself, you cannot lead else effectively.

Feeling – true leaders have a deep capacity for understanding the plight of others because they are completely honest with themselves that they are not perfect; therefore, they are able to find compassion, acceptance, and forgiveness for others.

Doing – true leaders allow deep and meaningful experiences in life so that they are able to engage fully in activities that enable them and others to realise their full potential.

If you are missing this kind of joy and fulfillment in your life, perhaps it is time to do the work that needs to be done to reach your highest potential.

Ask yourself the following questions:

·         Have you sought to look within to find your own core values and convictions?

·         Have you fully examined the logic behind your views?

·         Do your convictions match up with values that uplift humankind?

·         Do your actions match up with your convictions?

·         Are you living your life as a leader in private and in public?

·         Do you feel as if you are merely surviving or thriving?

If you are unsure about your answers, seek to empower yourself through books, education, seminars, counseling, life coaching, and/or positive and powerful friendships of like-minded people.

If you are currently unhappy with your place in the world, try new experiences, new friends, and new ways to break out of whatever is holding you back.

Do not give up because once you find your leader within you will be able to move from survival, begin to thrive, and live the life you want.

Finding True, Positive Leadership

The 1000th post on the Positive Leadership Blog

Here are nine ways Social Media has helped Positive Leadership, and can help you too:

1.  Blogging about leadership organises and crystallises your thoughts.

2.  Reading other leadership blogs adds to your knowledge base.

3. Social Media is a great place to road test your ideas.

4. Talking about leadership with other leaders helps to shape your vision.

5. You get to talk to (and learn from) other leadership gurus.

6. Being an active participant in the medium keeps you up-to-date and in the loop.

7. Personally monitoring the thoughts and comments of your clients and customers is a big advantage.

8. Social Media gets you more opportunities to lead.

9. There is no better way to work on your communication.

The 1000th post on the Positive Leadership Blog

UK leaders lag behind in the first global ranking of leadership effectiveness

The leaders of UK organisations are seen as less effective than their counterparts in India, China, Russia, the United States and Germany, according to a worldwide study by the Kenexa Research Institute (KRI).

The Kenexa Research Institute’s 2010 WorkTrends research report, entitled Exploring Leadership and Managerial Effectiveness, identifies what ‘followers’ want from their leaders and managers and it includes a global ranking of leadership effectiveness, showing which countries and industry sectors have the highest-rated leaders.

The study identifies ten ‘drivers’ of effective leadership - the characteristics that followers look for in their leaders. These include the ability to inspire trust and confidence; to value quality and customer service; to be open and communicative; to have a multi-stakeholder perspective, and to hold lower-level managers accountable for being ‘good managers’.

As part of the study, KRI created and applied a Leadership Effectiveness Index, which measures the extent to which employees believe their leaders communicate their vision, handle challenges, value employees, are committed to improving quality and inspire trust. According to this Index, India and China have the world’s most effective leaders.

The UK ranks 17th out of the 21 countries surveyed. The UK Leadership Effectiveness Index score (47%) lags a notable 25 percentage points behind India’s score (72%) and is below the global average score of 55%.

The study shows that, in the UK, effective leaders are mostly found in the manufacturing, healthcare and retail sectors. Government and financial services have the lowest rankings of leadership effectiveness.

The research also identifies the key priorities for leadership development. The two most significant are the need to build leadership trust and the need to engage in open, honest, two-way communication.

As well as focusing on leadership, Kenexa has also created a Managerial Effectiveness Index, which measures aspects such as a manager’s performance, their people and work management skills and whether they are trustworthy and inspirational. The results show that, according to employees, the most effective managers are those who are fair, communicative and involving, act as problem-solvers, provide recognition for a job well done, support employee growth and development and in general demonstrate an employee orientation.

Kenexa’s study highlights that effective leadership and management have a positive and significant impact on important financial performance metrics for organisations, such as diluted earnings per share and total shareholder return. They also have a beneficial and substantial influence on employee engagement and on organisational creativity and innovation. The study found that employee engagement levels can be five times higher if your leaders are more effective.

For more information, see: http://www.kenexa.com/MediaRoom/PressReleases/2010/Kenexa-Research-Institute-Announces-Publication-of

UK leaders lag behind in the first global ranking of leadership effectiveness

Prioritising Leadership Development

Here are 7 compelling reasons to take seriously, to invest in, and to put priority on leadership development.

1. Leadership makes a difference.

The more change that lies ahead, the more important great leadership will be. The quality and quantity can be improved through development.

2. Companies can’t always find outside or buy the leadership they need.

If they do, it is expensive and does not come with a money-back guarantee. Sports teams can rarely buy a championship. In business, success in one company does not always translate to success in another.

3. Derailments are expensive.

The higher the level, the more expensive they are. Costs include wasted salary, relocation expenses, finding and installing a replacement, buy-out packages, damage to morale and productivity, and many other intangibles.

4. Survival of the fittest is not the same as survival of the best.

Leaving leadership development to chance is foolish. There just are not enough potential leaders around to allow most of them to drown with no assistance.

5. Most of the cost of development is sunk.

Leadership development is already taking place within any organisation (job changes, stretch assignments, making mistakes, and role model bosses). Not to reap a return on the investment is bad business.

6. Creating a learning environment is consistent with business strategies that involve having employees take on more responsibility, assume more risk, and solve problems.

7. It's good business practice.

Investors consider the quality of a company’s management. Talented people prefer to work for companies that invest in their development. Customers prefer to work with companies that can solve their problems. Companies like that have strong cultures that place high value on leadership.

Prioritising Leadership Development

Success Takes Time

‘Instant Success Takes Time - new products, people, or ideas that appear to burst on the scene unheralded and soar to the top quickly have often been preceded by a long period of preparation, rehearsal, and trial-and-error experimentation.

One of the more mundane differences between perpetual winners and long-term losers among businesses, sports teams, and other organisations is that the winners simply work harder.  Winners are more likely to take the time to keep honing skills and testing ideas in preparation for change. That's not too dramatic or glamorous, but it's among the biggest differentiators.

In contrast, teams or organisations headed for losing streaks lurch from tactic to tactic without any apparent long-term direction. They lack discipline, do not always rely on facts before chasing fads, and panic under pressure.

Those building winning streaks remain calm and professional. Winners learn and experiment in a disciplined manner with a commitment to enduring principles and a long-term purpose that help them be patient on what can be a long road to victory.

Eventual winners have invested in three underpinnings of confidence:

First is accountability. They have faced facts honestly and taken responsibility for their own actions.

Second is collaboration. They make allies and partners, not enemies.

Last but not least is initiative. They encourage constant small innovations rather than relying only on the occasional blockbuster hit.

In short, winners are not necessarily flashy nor endowed with the hottest new thing; they are simply steady, disciplined, and prepared. They have some "instant successes" but even better, they have fewer outright failures. They bounce back faster from setbacks and can weather attacks because they stand on a firm foundation.

Success Takes Time

Executive Leadership and Business Performance

Efficiency and productivity are strategic imperatives in every corner of industry—from energy consumption to business processes and everything in between. How any and everything connects to the bottom line is fair game for scrutiny or is it?

What about the effects of executive leadership style and resulting corporate culture? Do certain leadership styles have a competitive edge? Could CEO as brand actually kill a company? Which Silicon Valley companies are best positioned for success, and which could be at a disadvantage? This is an insightful and spirited discussion about the psychology of executive leadership style and corporate culture, and their effects on business performance.

Speakers:
Bill Campbell, Chairman of the Board, Intuit
Gordon K. Davidson, Chairman, Fenwick & West, LLP
Daniel Denison, Professor of Management and Organization, IMD; CEO, Denison Consulting
Kavin Stewart, Co-founder & CEO, LOLapps

Moderator:
Rebecca Turner, Professor of Organizational Psychology, MGSM, Alliant International University; Owner, Turner Consulting Group

Executive Leadership and Business Performance

Failure Is An Essential Part of Process

Outsourcing giant Wipro chairman, Azim Premji fosters an environment in which workers feel safe taking risks.

Failure Is An Essential Part of Process

Helping Women Climb the Corporate Ladder

Most company employees will be familiar with the colleague who talks a lot at meetings, frequently in the first person: 'I have done this' or 'I will do that'. More often than not, that colleague will be male.

"Men are typically better than women at impression management – or the art of managing one's reputation and image," says Halla Tomasdottir, an Icelandic businesswoman who founded Audur Capital, an investment company that survived the country's financial meltdown. "Women, or men, who say 'We did this deal' rather than 'I did this deal' often make better leaders – but the world of business and finance frequently values a more masculine approach – where you blow your horn more."

Mentoring – the process of guiding and supporting a less senior colleague – has come to be seen as central to helping more women break into male-dominated boardrooms. 

For more, see: http://womenatthetop.ft.com/articles/women-top/17b86390-d60c-11df-94dc-00144feabdc0

Helping Women Climb the Corporate Ladder

Chile's Heroes Have a Lesson for Rio and Co

If the stream of remarkable footage from Chile can teach Rio Ferdinand and his bungling England football comrades anything, it is in its ultimate expression of positive leadership and what it means to be a team.

For the rest of this excellent piece of journalism, see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/england/8061923/England-captain-Rio-Ferdinand-would-do-well-to-follow-Chile-miner-Franklin-Lobos-lead.html

Chile's Heroes Have a Lesson for Rio and Co

Women and the Transition to Senior Management

Here is some advice from Positive Leadership on how women can best make the transition to senior management:

Anticipate transitions. At a certain point in your career, you will be expected to move beyond managing and will need to demonstrate leadership capability to move into the senior ranks. Instead of simply ensuring efficiency, planning and organising staff, you will need to create a vision for change and then inspire your team to bring it to fruition. These role shifts can be difficult to see. Watch out for them.

Development isn’t just about your skills. You won’t succeed in senior management if you rely solely on what got you this far. Two common hurdles for high-potential women include adopting a strategic perspective and managing stakeholders. Big-picture thinking and learning how to create influence through coalitions and networks are key to leadership success. Get on assignments that are key to the success of your company, as well as cross-functional projects that bring together diverse stakeholders from across the company.

Watch out for identity traps. Another common trap for women during the transition to senior management is that they fall victim to their natural leadership style. You’ll need to knock off the micromanaging, learn how to delegate and cultivate the ability to influence without authority.

Authenticity is also about your future self. It takes 15 seconds for a person to form an opinion about you. Think about how you want to be perceived and manage your image accordingly. Keep in mind that it is particularly difficult for women to be perceived as both competent and warm. Networking can also be a challenge for women, but growing your strategic network is essential. Cultivating mentors is also key to future success in senior management. 

Women and the Transition to Senior Management

Treating Customers and Employees Well

Most of the U.S. airline industry is under assault from skyrocketing fuel prices and a sluggish economy, but the message that Southwest Airlines president Colleen Barrett brought to the recent Wharton Leadership Conference was about the importance of treating employees and customers well. 

Innovative leaders such as Southwest chairman Herb Kelleher and smart management of non-human resources -- especially Southwest's fuel purchasing hedges that have saved the company more than $2 billion -- have certainly helped the airline post profits for 35 consecutive years. But the foundation for all that, she said, has been making the satisfaction of employees and customers the highest priority.

Treating Customers and Employees Well

Positive Leadership is an Effective Motivator

A recent McKinsey & Company research study, titled, “Motivating people: Getting beyond money”, has found that positive leadership attention, along with praise and commendation from a person’s immediate manager, are the most effective motivators available in any organisation. In fact, McKinsey has found that they outperform financial incentives.

Based on a global survey of executives, managers and employees from a range of sectors, 67% of respondents rated ‘praise and commendation from immediate manager’ as an effective motivator, 63% rated ‘attention from leaders’ as effective, and 62% rated ‘opportunities to lead projects or task forces’ as effective. By contrast, 60% of respondents rated ‘performance-based cash bonuses’ as an effective motivator, 52% rated ‘increase in base pay’ as effective, and 35% rated ‘stock or stock options’ as effective.

For more information on how Positive Leadership can help you become a high performer, please contact: graham.watson@positiveleadership.co.uk

Positive Leadership is an Effective Motivator

Create Candor in the Workplace

Jack Welch, former chairman of General Electric and author of  WINNING tells his audience to foster honest feedback: "If you reward candor, you'll get it."

Create Candor in the Workplace

Attitude

Attitude

Maximising the Value of Investment in Leadership Development

Here are a few ideas to make sure your investment in becoming a positive leader is optimised:

1. Make a public declaration

Share your plans with your manager, colleagues, significant others, whatever. Let them know what you are working on and ask for their support. Once a goal is made public, you’ll feel more accountable to make it happen. As an added bonus, research has shown that managers that share their development goals with others receive higher follow-up scores on surveys than those that don’t.

2. Get an “accountability partner”

Find someone who can help hold yourself accountable. It could be your manager, a peer, a coach, a friend, or a family member. Make an agreement to call each other at a regular interval and check in on each other’s progress. Ask each other a series of yes/no questions for every goal, covering all aspects of life (development, business, fitness & health, spiritual, personal). This process works great when it’s implemented at the end of a training programme.

3. Track and measure your progress

Try to make your goals measurable, and keep a log of progress. Then, establish your own rewards, or positive consequences, for when you hit key milestones along the way.

Maximising the Value of Investment in Leadership Development

10 Aspects of Executive Presence

Genuine. Open, straightforward, comfortable in your skin; no sugar-coating.

Passion. You love and feel strongly about what you do and how you do it.

Clarity. Communicate thoughts, feelings, and insights in crystal clarity and simplicity.

Intelligence. No way around this one, and yes, it shows through.

Insight. Ability to boil complex factors and mounds of data down to rare conclusions.

Determination. Driven and full of purpose, determined to achieve and succeed.

Confidence. Not overconfident, but with enough self-doubt to be objective.

Humility. Willingness to admit mistakes, misjudgment, fear, and uncertainty is endearing.

Courage. Willingness to take risks and take a position against considerable odds.

Humour. Not over-the-top, but in the right measure, brings down other’s defences.

10 Aspects of Executive Presence