Positive Leadership: Influencing Others
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Positive Leadership: Staying Motivated: Advice form Peyton Manning
Friday, November 09, 2012
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Positive Leadership: How to Learn?
Human beings are learning animals, probably the most
efficient learning machine ever to have walked the earth. From birth we are programmed to alter our
behaviour depending on our desires and the feedback we are receiving from the
environment. Our success as a species is
largely down to how efficiently we learn and change our behaviour, depending on
circumstances.
So, if the learning process is so natural and normal, why do
we find it so hard sometimes to change our behaviour and learn new skills,
especially new motor skills and movement patterns?
Something seems to have gone wrong with the way we learn, we
seem to have got in the way of the natural process and made it much harder than
it needs to be.
Rather than focus on the acquisition of the new skill as a
starting point, perhaps it would be better if the first stage of the learning
journey was to reconnect with and understand exactly how we go about acquiring
and developing that new skill, whether it’s a golf swing, playing a musical
instrument or tiling a bathroom.
In his books, ‘The Talent Code’, and ‘The Little Book ofTalent’, author Daniel Coyle goes into great detail into the learning process,
and offers some great insights into how to get the most from your tuition and
practice, and how to work with the natural learning process rather than
fighting against it.
Here are a few of the key points he raises.
1. Repetition is the absolute Number 1 key to
successful motor skill acquisition.
It takes about 3000 repetitions of a movement for the body
to ‘get it’, 10000 reps for it to become a habit. That’s why a couple of hours a week down the
driving range might be fun, but it isn’t really helping your golf swing to
become a consistent, repeatable movement.
2. We learn most by failing.
You need to fail to learn.
Instead of berating yourself and feeling angry and disappointed when you
hit a bad shot, pause for a second. Open
your mind. What actually happened
there? What did it feel like? What was the difference in feeling between
that and a good one? Your mistakes are
the big opportunities. Make them count.
3. Break it down into
small pieces.
When learning a large and complex movement such as the golf
swing, it really helps to break it down into ‘chunks’. Work on small pieces of
the movement, such as the takeaway, transition or impact, and focus tightly on
that specific part of the movement, repeating it over and over until it is
perfect. Then integrate it into the overall movement.
4. Little and often
is better than feast and famine.
Sitting down once a week and saying “Right, I’m going to
practice my grip for the next hour” very rarely works, for the simple reason
that it’s dull, repetitive and unlikely to hold our attention for that length
of time. Within a few minutes we’ll get distracted and any opportunity for
learning will be limited. Much better to
say “Right, I’m going to grip the club perfectly 20 times” then leave it an go
and do something else, coming back after a while, then doing 20 more perfect
reps.
5. Play games, make
it fun!!
In the same way that a little and often is better than feast
and famine, playing games rather than doing drills, is an excellent way to make
practice engaging and enjoyable. Whether
it’s competing with a friend to get it up and down, or challenging yourself to
hole 20 consecutive 3 footers, or hit 10 drivers in the fairway, making
practice into a game keeps it from becoming ‘work’. Most of us play golf for
fun, and while we all want to improve, turning it into work is rarely the way
forward.
Wednesday, November 07, 2012
Positive Leadership: The Qualities of the Most Successful US Presidents
Knowing the traits that forged the best U.S. presidents could
have helped US voters grasp what's necessary to succeed in the Oval Office.
Here are some interesting historical perspectives on the key qualities needed for success:
• Show vision.
The best-rated presidents conveyed the direction they wanted to take the
nation. Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, fixtures at the top of
historical rankings, exuded that quality of setting a futuristic tone. Thus
Washington shaped the presidency, and Lincoln reshaped the nation. Ronald)
Reagan had it too. His concept that it was possible to win the Cold War was
visionary. Almost no one else, in or out of government, thought there was any
prospect of that.
• Have
self-confidence. Washington was
secure enough to recruit the greatest minds ever assembled in a Cabinet: future
high-ranking Presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, plus Alexander
Hamilton. The first president knew he needed their help to shape the nation. Lincoln,
a one-term congressman, had no problem deferring to or overruling his secretary
of state, William Seward, who many thought was more qualified to be president.
• Be humble. It's
not just that Lincoln had the ability to reject advice from more qualified
people. It's that sometimes he listened to the advice, took it seriously and
changed his mind. The 16th president could acknowledge that he very well might
be wrong on issues. That attribute prevented Lincoln from making the
catastrophic mistakes that someone who lacked humility might make. Washington
and Lincoln were secure enough that they didn't feel they were the smartest
people in the room. The same could be said of Harry Truman. The 33rd president
called George Marshall the greatest man in the country and that if the former
Army chief of staff could take the presidency, he'd resign in a minute.
• Character does
matter. The top-ranked presidents who were most upstanding were Lincoln,
Washington, Reagan, Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.
• Be diverse. Career
politicians were less capable as president when rated against men who entered
office with varied backgrounds. Some soldier-presidents — such as Washington,
Eisenhower, U.S. Grant and Truman, with their sense of management were highly capable
presidents. The ones who didn't plan on being president from the time they were
little tended to excel! For example, political ambition came to Ronald Reagan
late in life and Washington thought he'd die a soldier. As it turned out, the
general won the Revolution and became the father of the USA.
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
Positive Leadership: What is Your Ecological Footprint?
Chip Conley is the founder of Joie de Vivre
Hotels, California's largest boutique hotel collection, which includes more
than 30 properties.
In this extract from a Stanford Graduate School of Business article he talks about the values that are important to him in business.
'You can see who’s most powerful in a society based on who
has the tallest buildings. Two hundred years ago it was cathedrals. Fifty years
ago it was a government building. Today, in most urban areas, the power rests
with business and skyscrapers. Business is the most powerful influence in the
world today. Fifty-four of the 100 most powerful entities in the world today
are companies, not countries. That means it is that much more important that
businesses take a conscious capitalist perspective to make a difference in the
world. I’m a big believer in that on a global level. Businesses are finally
asking, what is our ecological footprint? I also believe businesses need to
look at their emotional fist print on their employees.
Our work is the most
predominant use of our time. We spend more hours in our working life than our
family life. Yet for many people their working life leaves an emotional fist
print as if they're getting punched. It creates anxiety, anger, and a sense of being
abused. That can have a contagious effect on their family, friends, and
everybody around them. How do we measure that? Fifty years ago we had no idea
we could measure our ecological footprint. How can we start measuring and
managing what’s most important in life?'
Monday, November 05, 2012
Positive Leadership: Values Drive Our Behaviours
To live intentionally, you must surface your values – not
the ones you think you should have, but the ones you really do have.
Our values are our deeply held beliefs about what is right
and good.
Values drive our behaviours, whether we are conscious of them
or not.
Many people adopt the values articulated by their parents,
organisations or institutions. But when they are not also conscious of their
own personal values and the connection between their values and what they
espouse, they are often only superficially committed to them. The values
support a self-image of who they want to be, not necessarily who they are, and
don’t hold up during times of stress. This is one of the reasons we see values
breached so often – where we are surprised by the incongruous behaviour of
someone we respected.
We are all values-driven. The question is whether it’s
consciously or unconsciously.
When you are conscious of your values:
- You can challenge beliefs that no longer serve you.
- You can make intentional choices about your actions, rather than being driven unconsciously by them.
- You can be intentional about choosing relationships with people who share our values.
To surface your personal values, take time out for
reflection. Identifying your values is not a mental activity – we care deeply
about our values and become emotional when we connect with them.
Ask yourself questions like:
- What do I care deeply about?
- What would I stand in front of the bus to defend?
- What do my actions say about what I really value?
If you believe something is a value but it’s not guiding your behaviour, it’s not a real value … it’s simply a “good idea.”
Friday, November 02, 2012
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Positive Leadership: What Does A Win Look Like?
How do you keep score? How does your team keep score? What
does winning look like? Are these questions you immediately have an answer for,
or do they make you stop and think? Do you have an answer at all? We believe
this is one of the most critical factors in human engagement. We think it’s
true at home, at work and even where we play.
The best leaders help people understand what a win looks
like and how to get there. Wins come in all shapes and sizes. Here are a few
principles to consider as you help your team and yourself answer the important
question: What constitutes a win?
A win must be
quantifiable. How will you measure your progress? How will you know if you
win? Unclear victories can demotivate even the strongest individual and team.
As a leader, you may need to create milestones that can be measured and
achieved to boost the energy of your team. A win defined as 10 new customers
this month is better than we need more customers.
A win should require
a stretch. Yes, there is such a thing as a “cheap win” – a victory that was
achieved with little effort or thought. These are not the type we are
advocating. These wins generally don’t help people grow or feel long-term
satisfaction. A win that requires people’s best efforts are inherently
motivating.
A win needs to
matter. Small visions stir no man’s soul; neither do wins that don’t
matter. You probably shouldn’t consider it a win if you show up for work. What
will really contribute to your growth and/or the growth of your organisation?
The answer is a candidate for a win. A Win: Raise revenues by 10% at year-end
to avoid layoff.
A win should build
confidence. What are the wins that will help you do this? Think about wins
for individuals and the team. What is challenging but not insurmountable? What
could serve as a stepping-stone to bigger wins?
A win should be
achievable. Have you ever tried to accomplish the impossible? These
situations are not win-win – they are lose-lose. The organisation and the individual
both lose. If a win is achievable, it can motivate performance.
A win should
ultimately serve the larger good. Most appropriate wins help the
individual, but the best ones also help the team, the organisation or beyond.
People long to be part of something bigger than themselves. As leaders, when we
can help connect the dots between the immediate task and the larger good,
people love it!
Think about the next 30 days; 90 days; 12 months – what does
a win look like for you? What does a win look like for your team? Perhaps
you’ll want to establish several. Don’t wait. The sooner you define them, the
sooner you can pursue them. Enjoy the journey!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Positive Leadership: Make Others Better
As leaders, our purpose should be to strive to make others
better.
We walk our talk and lead by the
example we put forth in our actions, thoughts and words in everything we do.
As leaders, we must strive to ensure to make others better
by encouraging others to find their own voice, not holding them back because we
fear their capability or wisdom. To make others better means we are holding
ourselves to our word, our truth and being honourable in all that we do.
Sometimes, we can make others better in spite of what we are doing; even if we
are not the best ourselves, we influence others.
To be a better leader, we must
be a leader who believes we are making others better in a positive way.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Positive Leadership: Cultivating #Leadership Success
Here are some guidelines to cultivating leadership success across an
organisation:
Make It a Priority: Acknowledge the risk, and put a formal
action plan in place. Start by clearly defining the behaviours and skills which
make a successful leader in your organisation.
Look Beyond Performance: Have a full picture of the leadership
potential across your organisation and don’t restrict that view to only those
you think are high potential. Do not confuse ambition with ability.
Replace Subjectivity with Objectivity: Gut instinct won’t do.
Using scientific data, benchmark your people against competitor talent and
identify leadership shortages to avoid succession risk.
Be Pragmatic & Proactive: Don’t wait for yearly review
cycles, instead, employ development interventions at the point-of-pain with
individual employees or across departments. This includes where and when to
spend learning and development budgets throughout the company.
Cast a Wider Net: Take a global view of where your
leadership talent is located and be prepared to use creative strategies to
source talent across borders to fill leadership gaps.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Positive Leadership: How to Build a Business
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Positive Leadership: The Leadership Challenge
Jim Kouzes, along with his co-author Barry Posner, has
written what is celebrated throughout the world as the definitive book on
becoming a leader - The Leadership Challenge. Here he speaks with PBS host Barry Kibrick.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Positive Leadership: Ideas for CEOs To Communicate Their Message Better
Creating a durable, attractive message that can be
distributed widely internally and externally is all important for any CEO
today. Here are some ideas:
Start with a broad
internal communications strategy. Different companies communicate in very
different ways with their people. Some executives share their thinking
primarily through voicemail or by e-mailing in the style of “note from the
corner office.”
Never sugar-coat the
news. Certain rules always apply when conducting meetings with employees. Always
tell them the good, the bad, and the ugly. The “everything is great” approach should
be avoided.
Always commend and
salute your people. It’s easy when the numbers look very good, but even in
years when overall results are not good, it’s important that somebody
somewhere, is doing a great job that deserves to be highlighted and praised. It
provides a measure of uplift even when the news tends to be sobering across the
entire enterprise.
Try interactive.
Try a new exercise to connect more effectively with employees. For example, a
chat room conversation with the CEO. These interactive efforts are not only
enjoyable but extremely useful for a CEO. You find things you can take away
from each session. Employee ideas are genuinely helpful.
Make certain members
of the senior team are on the same page. High quality executive
communications isn’t just the responsibility of the CEO. Your senior leadership
team to a man and woman must fully subscribe to the corporate mission and be
able to articulate it effectively.
Keep it simple. Leonardo
da Vinci said that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Who could
argue?
Understand this well: not every plan you write down on the
whiteboard is going to work. That’s a fact of business life, and no one is
immune to the occasional misstep. A lot of people don’t understand that basic
precept. They may believe that any sign of failure means the sun won’t be
coming out tomorrow. But the basic lessons of communicating with those who work
for you—delivering an easy-to-digest message, repeating it frequently as
possible, sticking to the facts and the truth and not sugar-coating anything
–provide an informational transparency that both illuminates the issues and
consolidates support for strategic and tactical missions.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Positive Leadership: Networking
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Positive Leadership: C.K. Prahalad on Leadership
The late C.K. Prahalad was more than an academic; he was one
of the foremost business thinkers of our time.
Coimbatore Krishnao -- CK -- Prahalad was born in the town
of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. He studied physics at the University of Madras
(now Chenai). He worked as a manager in a branch of the Union Carbide battery
company, before continuing his education in the United States, and earning a
PhD from Harvard. He has taught in India and America, eventually joining the
faculty of the University of Michigan's Business School, where he holds the
Harvey C Fruehauf chair of Business Administration.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Positive Leadership: What Makes @TeamSky Special?
What makes Team Sky special is that they keep riding that line!
And if you don’t know what the line
is...
This is the line,
The line between
winning and losing,
Between failure
and success,
Between good and
great,
Between dreaming
and believing,
Between
convention and innovation,
Between head and
heart,
It’s a fine line,
It challenges
everything we do,
And we ride it
every day.
For more, see: http://www.facebook.com/TeamSky/info
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Positive Leadership: ‘Rules’ for Being a Champion
Firstly, let us explain what we mean by being a champion. We
do not mean winning a race or a tournament. There is so much more to being a
champion than just winning. Before you can win you already have to be a champion
in how you practice, train, conduct yourself and how you behave. If you do these
things properly (the process) then you'll achieve your goals (the outcome.
You can only control what you do; not what anybody else does.
You can only control what you do; not what anybody else does.
Rule #1: Champions Choose to Work Hard
This is very true for all walks of life and not just in a
sporting context. You only get out of something what you put into it! After
all, 'practice makes permanent'. You can't expect to improve and achieve your
goals/dreams if you don't work hard at it.
Rule #2: Champions Practice Intelligently
Putting lots of hard work into mindless practice sessions
with no feedback is as useful (if not more destructive) than doing no practice.
Length of sessions is crucial, doing shorter practice sessions with total focus
followed by breaks between changing activity is more productive than just going
at it 100% for hour upon hour. Good practice needs continual feedback.
Rule #3: Champions Live in the Present but Have a Clear
Picture of the Future
It is important to stay in the present when it comes to winning.
Not to dwell on the past or dream of the future but to have a clear focus of
what you are doing right now and not let any failures or setbacks affect the
long term goal. To know what you need to do at the current time you must have a
clear picture of what you are trying to achieve and what it will look like when
you have achieved it.
Rule # 4: Champions Always Want to Learn
The most successful people are eager to learn as much as
possible, before deciding what to use and what didn't work for them.
Rule #5: Champions Never Give Up
For a new skill to become automatic it takes quite a great
deal of practice and dedication. If something doesn't work first time doesn't
mean it won't with practice.
Rule #6: Champions "Just Do It"
If not now, when? How many times have you said to yourself,
"I'd love to be able to....." and then done nothing about it? If you
have a goal to achieve go about achieving it! Don't just sit around talking
about doing it, actually go and do it.
Rule #7: Champions Enlist Help
Champions aren't afraid to ask for help (have a coach) to
make them better at something.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Positive Leadership: Leave Your Legacy
Stanford University Communications has partnered with three
Stanford Alums to create the institutional messages that will run during 2012 Stanford
Athletics television broadcasts.
The series is based on a film the students
made called "#leaveyourlegacy" that they created to show their
appreciation for the University. Garrett Gunther (MS '12), Kris Cheng (MS '12)
and Dominique Yahyavi (BS '11) combined their skills in story-telling, design,
engineering, and cinematography to create these beautiful images that tell the
story of Stanford students and their dedication to excellence and innovation.
The words are from a speech given by Ray Lewis to the Stanford Men's Basketball
team just before their victorious NIT Championship game on March 29, 2012.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Positive Leadership: The Power of Networks
In this RSA Animate, Manuel Lima, senior UX design lead
at Microsoft Bing, explores the power of network visualisation to help navigate
our complex modern world.
Listen to the full talk: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2011/the-power-of-networks
Listen to the full talk: http://www.thersa.org/events/audio-and-past-events/2011/the-power-of-networks
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