The ethics you live out as you go about your work can provide the foundation for excellence. The high calibre organisation is, after all, merely a reflection of its people.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Positive Leadership: The Ethics of Excellence
The ethics you live out as you go about your work can provide the foundation for excellence. The high calibre organisation is, after all, merely a reflection of its people.
Positive Leadership: Empowering your Colleagues
A true leader’s success is not measured by their individual accomplishments – it’s measured by the impact they have on those they lead.
Leading means giving others continuous opportunities to learn and grow. Regardless of your title or position of authority within your workplace, you can show your leadership abilities by empowering others on a daily basis.
Start by asking yourself the following questions:
- What strengths, experiences or best practices can I share with my colleagues that may enhance their overall performance?
- Do I have a colleague who I can help to achieve his/her professional goals?
- Which of my colleagues would benefit from additional or new responsibilities?
- Do I have any tasks or projects that I can delegate in order to provide a colleague with a new, enriching experience?
- How can I make time in my daily schedule to follow-up and ensure that my colleagues are able to come to me with any questions, concerns or problems they may encounter.
When you provide others with new experiences and help them remove obstacles in their path to success, you enhance their knowledge, confidence and ability to achieve peak performance. Start today by identifying one colleague who could benefit from any specific knowledge, skills or guidance you can provide. Then commit to their development by empowering them to learn, grow and achieve new heights of success.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Positive Leadership: Making Decisions
The moment of truth has arrived and it’s time to decide. You have investigated alternatives, narrowed the field, determined all the positive and negative consequences, considered costs and benefits, and, all in all, done a great deal of careful consideration.
But here it is again – that paralysing fear of actually choosing. What if you make the wrong choice? What if what you choose to do doesn’t work? And then you start to sweat and your stomach aches and your head hurts and pretty soon you start to wonder if maybe you should decide not to decide.
Maybe you “have to” choose. Or maybe you’re tired of feeling paralysed and you’re going to bite the bullet and actually do something. But what?
Well, here’s an idea that may help. First, make a list of your choices. Then, rank them with number one the most acceptable, then number two, and so on. Now, focus on your number one option. That’s where your energies should go, that’s the one you should pursue – for now.
Once you’ve chosen, commit to it. Really give it your best effort and a good chance to work. But remember that if number one turns out not to be such a good idea, you can always try the next option on your list, or make another choice.
When you’re stuck, any step in the right direction is a milestone. There’s more than one route to any destination, and this method will give you the breathing room you need to get going.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Positive Leadership: "What Do You Want?"
Have you ever heard of the “if only” syndrome? Maybe you have a touch of it yourself. People with this syndrome often blame others for their disappointments and failures.
They blame their families – “Nobody could succeed with the parents I have.” They blame their friends – “If only my so-called friends would come through for me once in a while.” They blame their circumstances – “It’s obvious that the deck is stacked against me.” Their complaints frequently start with the words “if only,” such as, “If only I had more money. If only I had paid more attention in school. If only I was better looking, a different race, a different age.” You get the picture.
They stumble through life feeling anxious or depressed, dreaming of unlikely events that will transform them, magically, through little or no effort of their own. And, because they envy others, it’s hard for them to feel any genuine pleasure in anyone else’s successes.
The cure for the “if only” syndrome is to take responsibility for your own life once and for all. Give up blame and learn to hope. Give up finding fault and learn to set achievable goals. Give up thinking about what you’d do if you won the lottery, and figure out what you can do with the 50 pounds you have now.
By the way, do you know the magic of taking responsibility for your failures? When you do, you also take control of your success.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Positive Leadership: The Purpose of Leadership
Purpose is at the heart of Positive Leadership. Focusing on the purpose of the team allows good leaders to lead their followers in a way that gets desired results.
Recent research has looked at the effects of understanding and embracing purpose or the ‘why’ of an organisation.
In one study, Adam Grant of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School visited a call centre at a large American university, where each night employees made phone calls to alumni to raise scholarship funds.
With the permission of the university, Grant and his team randomly divided the call centre representatives into three groups. For a few days, before they made calls, people in the first group read brief stories from previous employees about the personal benefits of working in the job – how they developed communication skills and sales know-how that later helped them in their careers.
The second group also read stories before hitting the phones, but theirs were from people who had received scholarships from the funds raised and who described how the money had improved their lives. The aim of these stories was to remind workers of the purpose of their efforts.
The third group was the control group; they read nothing before dialling for dollars. Participants were also told not to discuss what they’d read with the recipients of their calls. Then a month later, Grant measured the performance of the three groups.
The people in the first group, who’d been reminded of the personal benefit of working in a call centre, did no better than those in the control group. Both groups earned about the same number of weekly pledges and raised the same amount of money as they had in the weeks before the experiment.
However, the people in the second group – who took a moment to consider the significance of their work and its effect on others’ lives – raised more than twice as much money, in twice as many pledges, as they had in previous weeks and significantly more than their counterparts in the other two groups.
In other words, reminding employees about purpose – the “why” – doubled their performance.
For more, see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/yourbusiness/8288971/Think-Tank-Have-you-ever-asked-yourself-why-youre-in-business.html
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Authentic Leadership: How You Can Take the Lead
Betsy Myers can tell you what being an authentic leader means to her. As a woman who has had careers in the private, corporate, and political arenas, Ms. Myers knows that being an authentic leader requires tremendous self-awareness and the right team of people who will act as your support group.
Ms Myers served as a senior adviser to Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign. Prior to this appointment, Myers was the Executive Director of the Centre for Public Leadership at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
Ms. Myers has drawn her inspiration to succeed and her support from a broad collection of people: her colleagues, public and political leaders, and close family and friends. She knows that leading an authentic life plays a critical role in the making of an authentic leader.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Positive Leadership: Truth
We’ve all heard the saying “the truth hurts.” But while lying to protect someone else’s feelings may seem easier, it can be very damaging in the long run. Let’s talk about truth in relationships.
Lying to someone you love can be devastating and can undermine their trust in you for a long, long time. How do you feel about lying? Would you prefer that those around you keep unpleasant truths from you? Or, would you prefer to know the truth, no matter what?
How would you like the truth told to you? Brutally, with no regard for your feelings? Or tactfully, with a gesture of affection and a few softening words, such as, “Remember, we said we’d be honest with each other, so here goes,” or “I’m no expert, but here’s what I think.”
The truth doesn’t have to hurt if it’s offered with a loving spirit. What hurts is feeling that we have to wear a mask over our true thoughts and emotions. If we want our relationships to last and grow, honesty and truth must be our inevitable goals.
Sure, we will fall from the truth from time to time. It’s only human. But we must put aside our ideas that deception of those close to us is something we do for their own, or our own, good. Hiding the truth leads to living a life of lies. Who needs it?
It is lies, not the truth, that hurt and the truth that heals.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Positive Leadership: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World
A former Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times, Stuart Diamond (Law/Univ. of Pennsylvania) debuts with a superb how-to based book - Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World
- on his immensely popular Wharton course on negotiation. The author prepares for any negotiation by asking himself, "What are my goals? Who are 'they'? What will it take to persuade them?" Depending on the answers, he then draws selectively on bargaining tools and strategies described in this anecdote-rich book.
Others in his field assume that most people in a negotiation are rational. Not so, says Diamond. People in the real world—whether friends, store clerks or CEOs—tend to be emotional and irrational in their interactions. Since the 'people' involved make up 90 percent of a negotiation (substance accounts for only 10 percent), you must negotiate based on your understanding of "the pictures in the head of the other party"—a phrase Diamond frequently uses to underscore that psychology trumps the issues at the bargaining table.
Successful negotiators must prepare, learn what makes others tick (through research and small talk), take small steps, communicate clearly, turn problems into opportunities, avoid deceit and embrace differences. Above all, writes the author, they must stay focused on specific goals and connect with the other party. Many of Diamond's suggestions are counterintuitive...This immensely useful book will have wide appeal and leave many readers anxious to put their new skills to work.
- on his immensely popular Wharton course on negotiation. The author prepares for any negotiation by asking himself, "What are my goals? Who are 'they'? What will it take to persuade them?" Depending on the answers, he then draws selectively on bargaining tools and strategies described in this anecdote-rich book.Others in his field assume that most people in a negotiation are rational. Not so, says Diamond. People in the real world—whether friends, store clerks or CEOs—tend to be emotional and irrational in their interactions. Since the 'people' involved make up 90 percent of a negotiation (substance accounts for only 10 percent), you must negotiate based on your understanding of "the pictures in the head of the other party"—a phrase Diamond frequently uses to underscore that psychology trumps the issues at the bargaining table.
Successful negotiators must prepare, learn what makes others tick (through research and small talk), take small steps, communicate clearly, turn problems into opportunities, avoid deceit and embrace differences. Above all, writes the author, they must stay focused on specific goals and connect with the other party. Many of Diamond's suggestions are counterintuitive...This immensely useful book will have wide appeal and leave many readers anxious to put their new skills to work.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Positive Leadership: Build Collaboration
All successful influencers cultivate collaboration to form productive relationships. Effective influence results from two-way dialogue, not manipulation.
Here are six questions to ask yourself when forming productive partnerships:
- What do I want to achieve from this relationship?
- What does my potential colleague want to achieve?
- How can I weave these sets of wants together so we are both satisfied?
- What can I give up without undermining my overall goal?
- What can my counterpart bring to the table that might not be immediately obvious?
- What new solutions serve our common goal?
"The secret is to gang up on the problem, rather than each other." - Thomas Stallkamp
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Positive Leadership: 7 Traits of a Courageous Leader
Here are 7 traits of a courageous leader:
- Does not bail on the team when things get difficult…
- Not afraid to make big requests of others…but willing to pull equal weight to accomplish them…
- Willing to take the first move into unchartered territory…pursuing the unproven by willingly taking risks…
- Moves forward with confidence…even when the outcome is unclear…
- Makes hard decisions regarding people…trusting responsibilities to others early and acknowledging when a team member is no longer a good fit for the team…
- Protects the vision in the midst of criticism, hard economic times, and setbacks…
- Implements needed changes even when they are uncomfortable or not immediately popular.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Positive Leadership: Women & Relationships
Monday, February 14, 2011
Positive Leadership: What's Leadership Got To Do With It?
In December 2007, the Health Foundation commissioned an in-depth evaluation of its leadership programmes, including an exploration of the links between leadership and quality improvement (QI).
The results have recently been published (http://www.health.org.uk/publications/what-s-leadership-got-to-do-with-it/ ).
The three core enquiry questions for the study were:
· What are the links between QI and leadership behaviour?
· Do different types of QI require different leadership behaviours?
· What are the lessons for leadership development generally and for the Health Foundation specifically?
The results of the study provide the Health Foundation with evidence to develop its leadership development work. The report contains insights into how leadership development can support Quality Improvement in the NHS.
Among the most interesting findings of the research is that it became increasingly clear throughout the study that the effectiveness of leadership development activities is more validly measured in real-time, prospectively, rather than merely in retrospect.
The study also highlighted that participants in existing Health Foundation leadership programmes believe that the top 10 leadership behaviours essential to all are:
1. Identifies and nurtures talent to build capacity and capability.
2. Capitalises on the range of skills and talents present in the organisation.
3. Demonstrates honesty in interactions by matching deeds to words.
4. Explains the need for change and inspires commitment to the process.
5. Demonstrates commitment to innovation and to continuous improvement.
6. Unites staff around an inspiring vision and aligns staff capacities with planned activities.
7. Takes a ‘helicopter view’ of the system to oversee both short and longer-term issues.
8. Helps others create their own solutions to facilitate ownership and commitment.
9. Offers support, rewards achievements and celebrates success.
10. Gives clear constructive feedback, timely praise and focused recognition.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Positive Leadership: Our Priorities Reveal our Values
It has been said that values are the standards by which we set our priorities. This means we can understand the values of a person or an organisation by examining their priorities.
Listening to a presentation given by top executives of a large firm recently, we heard them list the company’s priorities:
1. Top line growth
2. Enhance shareholder value
3. Focus on global expansion
4. Enhance customer satisfaction
5. Our people.
From this listing, it seems they don’t really value their people. Or at least they don’t put their people before growth. Ironically, the best organisations we have seen, the ones that are actually more profitable for the long-term, all put people before growth on their list of priorities.
As Lou Gerstner, the man who reinvented IBM, said: "Culture is not an aspect of the game. Culture is the game."
So what of other priorities?
If a company says shareholder value is their main priority how do they value customers? If an executive has their Blackberry at his child’s football match because work it still a priority, then how much does he value the fleeting time he has to watch his children grow up? If the urgent always takes priority over the important, then how much do we value the important over the urgent? If indeed we value things that we are not prioritising or prioritising things we do not value as much, then perhaps it is time to realign our priorities. If we value those kinds of things...
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Positive Leadership: Barriers to Becoming a Leader
Friday, February 11, 2011
Positive Leadership: Views from the Boardroom on Employee Engagement
A 2010 survey, “Re-engaging with engagement” by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) found C-Suite executives consistently out of touch with what others in the firm experienced — biased in an overly positive direction:
‘The C-suite displays a consistently “rose-tinted” view of engagement that is not shared lower down the ranks. One important revelation from our survey is the huge disparity between the views of many in the C-suite and those of less senior directors, including just a single rung below board level. For example, 47% of C-suite executives believe that they themselves have determined levels of employee engagement, a view shared by only 16% of senior directors outside the C-suite. More than one in five in the C-suite believe that employees are “much more engaged” than those in rival firms, compared with only 7% of respondents outside the C-suite.’
For more, see: http://businessresearch.eiu.com/re-engaging-engagement.html
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Positive Leadership: Helping Others Shine
Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at MIT says, “Success has a much greater influence on the brain than failure.”
Ned Hallowell comments in Shine: Using Brain Science to Get the Best from Your People
: "While of course mistakes need to be acknowledged and, one hopes, learned from, it may be more likely, from a purely neurological point of view, that a person will learn more from a success than a failure.” The brain’s plasticity—its ability to grow and change throughout life—means that none of us are stuck with who we are. With the proper attention we can learn to perform better. “All people want to work hard and will work hard, given the right job and the right conditions, because it feels supremely good to excel.”
: "While of course mistakes need to be acknowledged and, one hopes, learned from, it may be more likely, from a purely neurological point of view, that a person will learn more from a success than a failure.” The brain’s plasticity—its ability to grow and change throughout life—means that none of us are stuck with who we are. With the proper attention we can learn to perform better. “All people want to work hard and will work hard, given the right job and the right conditions, because it feels supremely good to excel.”Hallowell points out that acknowledgment or recognition serves two important functions. Of course there is the familiar purpose of giving the recipient encouragement, motivation and greater confidence, but recognition also promotes moral behaviour through connection. Hallowell explains: “When a person feels recognised and connected to the larger group, she knows viscerally, not just intellectually, that she has made a contribution others value. Not only does this motivate her to do more and try harder, but it instills a desire to look out for the larger group…. It leads a person to do the right thing even when no one is looking.”
Showing appreciation and giving recognition is part of the Cycle of Excellence process he calls 'shine'. In our busy culture it is easy to overlook opportunities to acknowledge others. Noticing the positive is a daily challenge.
In Shine, Hallowell offers these ten tips for promoting shine with the people you influence:
- Recognise effort, not just results. Of course, you want the results, but if you recognise ongoing effort, results will more likely ensue. Cheerleading works.
- Notice details. Generic acknowledgment pales next to specific recognition.
- Try, as much as possible, to provide recognition in person. E-mail packs much less of a punch than human moments.
- In meetings—and everywhere—try to make others look good, not bad. Scoring points off the backs of others usually backfires.
- As a manager, you should know that the self-esteem of each employee is perhaps your most important asset. Recognition is a powerful tool to preserve self-esteem.
- Acknowledge people’s existence! Try always to say hello, give a nod of the head, a high five, a smile in passing. It’s withering to pass someone and feel as if that person didn’t even see you.
- Tap into the power of positive feedback. Remember that positive feedback often consolidates gains better than learning from mistakes.
- Monitor progress. Performance improves when a person’s progress toward a goal is monitored regularly.
- Remember, as a manager, the more you recognise others, the more you establish the habit of recognition of hard work and progress as part of the organizational culture.
- Bring in the marginalised people. In most organisations, about 15 percent of people feel unrecognised, misunderstood, devalued, and generally disconnected. Not only is recognition good for that 15 percent to help them feel valued, it is good for the other 85 percent as well, as it boots the positive energy across the organisation.
Hallowell reminds us that “recognition is so powerful because it answers a fundamental human need, the need to feel valued for what we do” and as leaders we are in a unique position to offer or withhold that recognition.
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Positive Leadership: Are You Integrious?
Integrity does not have an officially recognised word to describe someone possessing this virtue.
The Integrious Project is working to change that by re-introducing the word integrious into the English lexicon as the adjective of integrity. It’s time to start taking integrity personally.
IN-TEG-RI-OUS: adj.: Having or characterised by integrity - as defined by The Integrious Project -
IN-TEG-RI-TY: noun: firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values - as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Positive Leadership: Signs of Failing Leadership
Here are ten vital signs of prospective failure which every leader should monitor:
1. Authenticity. When the leader fails to be honest, they are hurting their credibility. When others do not believe you, then your influence is weak. Be real, be honest and see your influence rise.
2. Vision. At the moment the path is unclear, the leader needs to step away, retreat, and regain a clear focus for the journey ahead. You cannot lead without clear vision.
3. Passion. If you do not believe in the cause or purpose then why should anyone follow you? Your example of commitment will drive forward the vision.
4. Stewardship. The job of a leader is to respect the resources entrusted to them and be a good caretaker. If you are wasteful and not maximising resources (time, people and money) you will soon be bankrupt in your leadership.
5. Innovation. Leaders must be thinkers that ask: how can we be better? Running behind in making a good thing better leaves you playing catch-up and that could be too late.
6. Communication. Are you keeping people in the dark? If someone is coming to you asking what’s going on, then you have a communication problem. Keep people informed so they can appropriately support the vision.
7. Personal Development. How are you leading you? How’s the balance in your life? If the personal growth and personal leadership development is lacking then know your endurance tank is running low. You cannot give what you do not have.
8. Role Models. If you think you have figured it all out, that should be your major warning sign of trouble ahead. Have people around you that you are accountable to and learn from their example.
9. Discipline to focus. The greatest battle is to focus on what’s most important as a leader. If you fail to set the priorities for your organisation then you are driving in reverse.
10. Appreciation. Stop caring and watch people start leaving. You know you are not appreciating others when you stop listening! If you fail to appreciate those on your team and those that support your cause, then you will quickly see your influence decrease.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Positive Leadership: Showing Leadership After a Loss
Coach Mike Tomlin had to have been crushed by falling short in Super Bowl XLV, but he showed his character and leadership abilities with one small act after the game.
He was the first to arrive at the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room. But, rather than going in, he stopped at the door and waited for each of his players to get there. He shook each of his player's hands looking them in the eye each time. This couldn't have been easy for him. With multiple on-lookers and long gaps between arriving groups of players. He was there a good eight minutes (or so) to make sure he didn't miss anyone.
It is no wonder that "unified" is the best way to describe the Steelers moribund locker room after the devastating loss to the Green Bay Packers. At least three different Steelers expressed their "love" for their teammates explaining they'd do anything for them. There was no 'finger-pointing' about the loss. This kind of well-built team only comes when you have a true leader at the helm.
Tomlin's small gesture speaks volumes as to his ability to build a cohesive and effective team.
Positive Leadership: Green Bay Packers' Unique Team Leadership
Before the recent NFC Championship game, President Barack Obama said he would only attend the Super Bowl if his hometown Chicago Bears earned a trip. The Green Bay Packers ended all hope of that after defeating the Bears.
After that game, Packers cornerback Charles Woodson took the comment personally, saying he planned on seeing President Obama anyway.
First, Woodson took a page out of Obama’s “One America” campaign, telling the Packers to remain unified—”Let’s be one mind, let’s be one heartbeat, one goal, one more game. One.”
Then the cornerback called out the president to motivate his team.
After his teammates listened quietly to the beginning of his speech, Woodson changed the tone and pumped up the volume: “The president don’t wanna come watch us go to the Super Bowl? Guess what?” We’ll go see him!”
After winning the Super Bowl, the team is usually invited to the White House to meet the president. The Packers made it clear they intended receiving that invitation. Last Sunday they did! Watch below.
(More generally, as to Charles Woodson’s leadership of the Packers, see: http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/post_leadership/2011/02/super-bowl-green-bay-packers-leadership.html?hpid=smartliving )
Positive Leadership: Winning
‘Players have to have passion and emotion to succeed and achieve. Winning and a belief in winning is emotional. It gets the adrenaline moving which sends you on a high when you win and makes you cry when you lose – because it matters. There must be passion to succeed; to achieve and to keep achieving; to raise horizons and expectations. Excellence is continuous; you’ve never done enough; you can never be satisfied, but as the team grows it achieves a special identity – no longer one person’s image – but a reflection of everyone’s interests, their abilities and their beliefs.'
Sir Ian McGeechan, British & Irish Lions Rugby Coach 1989, 1993, 1997, 2009
Monday, February 07, 2011
Positive Leadership: MBA Oath Provides an Ethical Foundation for Business
The conclusion is a pertinent summary of the opportunity which adopting the Values of Positive Leadership™ affords businesses today:
'If adopted, an ethical perspective could become as second nature to executives as an economic outlook. That would make a radical difference to the way in which we conduct business because, in the end, conventional regulations cannot cure moral blindness or human greed.'
Positive Leadership: Coach K on Team Building
Says Duke University Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski (‘Coach K’):
"In all forms of leadership, whether you are a coach, a CEO, or a parent, there are four words that, when said, can bring out the best in your team, your employees, and your family...I BELIEVE IN YOU. These four words can mean the difference between a fear of failure and the courage to try."
"In all forms of leadership, whether you are a coach, a CEO, or a parent, there are four words that, when said, can bring out the best in your team, your employees, and your family...I BELIEVE IN YOU. These four words can mean the difference between a fear of failure and the courage to try."
The Gold Standard: Building a World-Class Team
is Coach K's first-hand account of how he dealt with such stars as Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and all the rest to buy into his "total team" play as members of the US Olympic basketball team. Half a book on basketball, half a book on management techniques, THE GOLD STANDARD captures Coach K's personal style and approach to getting different (and sometimes difficult) people to work hard and succeed in reaching a common goal.
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is Coach K's first-hand account of how he dealt with such stars as Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and all the rest to buy into his "total team" play as members of the US Olympic basketball team. Half a book on basketball, half a book on management techniques, THE GOLD STANDARD captures Coach K's personal style and approach to getting different (and sometimes difficult) people to work hard and succeed in reaching a common goal.(
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