Positive Leadership: Why Women Make Strong Leaders (7)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Positive Leadership: What New CEO's Need to Remember
What do you wish you’d done differently when you first became CEO?
When asked this question, most CEO's will answer, “I wish I’d moved faster on talent decisions.”
Why? Because often their instinct tells them that the people are not aligned properly with the needs of their roles, and that the roles are not aligned with the business needs that are driven by the organisation’s new vision. But there may be fear about sending disruptive signals by making dramatic changes, and by making them quickly.
And yet, upon reflection, that is almost always what they wish they’d done.
We believe that by doing the following seven things it is possible for CEOs and other C-suite executives to address talent alignment issues in a proactive and positive way, so that the organisation is galvanised for forward movement toward its vision as quickly as possible:
Make managing and growing your talent a top priority. This means making it one of the top three items in every staff meeting and every strategy discussion.
Communicate openly about the importance – and the benefit to everyone in the company – of having positions aligned with the vision and strategies of the company, and of having the right people in those positions.
At the same time, be committed to finding roles for the current employees that best align with their strengths, and thus “set them up” for success.
Be open about your willingness to work with employees who may be in positions that are not a great fit – to help them via coaching or mentoring – so that both they and the company are better off because of the process.
Make sure that talent decisions align with the values of the company. Top performers that disrespect others and play by their own rules – and may have been allowed to do so under previous leadership – must be dealt with because of their impact on the organisation’s culture.
Remember that everything communicates. Not addressing talent issues of non-performance speaks volumes.
And remember the power you have to communicate, through words and actions, a genuine desire to see everyone succeed – and to mean it.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Positive Leadership: Avoiding the Ego Trap
Ego and insecurity are the two greatest land mines of leadership.
Ego creeps in when you start not to value other people—when you begin to look at people as what can they do for you instead of what you can do for them. There are three characteristics needed to become a successful leader:
1. Build consensus. Abraham Lincoln was great at bringing together the people around him to help make up for his weaknesses. The fallacy of leadership is thinking if you can lead in one area, you can lead in all areas. Value the opinion of others before making a decision.
2. Practice humility. Instead of talking about their own accomplishments, leaders should look to give the team the credit.
3. Take risks. Leaders are not afraid to step out and say 'this is what needs to be done'. Winston Churchill, for example, stood alone against Parliament in his opposition to Nazism.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Positive Leadership: Rebecca Watson, Lady Vol Student Athlete
Today, I want to pay tribute to my older daughter, Rebecca, who graduated yesterday from the University of Tennessee. Rebecca is a Lady Vol; a two-time Academic All-American who graduated cum laude in business. Rebecca played on the Lady Vol golf team for four years and is now returning to Scotland to begin a CA traineeship with Ernst & Young.
Rebecca embodies everything which the term 'student-athlete' stands for and we wish her every success in her future career.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Positive Leadership: Pass It On
The values we live by are best when we pass them on...Pass it on... (From the Foundation for a Better Life and Josh Groban) http://www.values.com/pass-it-on-sightings
Monday, May 09, 2011
Positive Leadership: How Can Teams Make Better Decisions?
Alan Mulally is president and chief executive officer of Ford Motor Company. Throughout his career, Mulally has been recognizsd for his contributions and industry leadership, including being named "Person of the Year" for 2006 by Aviation Week magazine and one of "The Best Leaders of 2005" by BusinessWeek magazine.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Positive Leadership: The Business Case for Leadership Development
One of the biggest challenges HR professionals face when they propose new leadership development initiatives is convincing CEOs of the financial impact of the proposed initiative. Without a clear sense of the positive financial impact, it’s easy to write-off a new proposal as too expensive, or that now is not the right time. The lack of urgency to improve performance is based on the idea that that the current level of leadership skill in the organisation is good enough. But is it? A look at most companies has shown that the typical organisation is leaving considerable value in untapped potential lying on the table through less-than-optimal leadership practices.
For example, in 2006 The Ken Blanchard Companies conducted a year-long study to identify the connections between leadership effectiveness, employee passion, customer devotion, and overall organisational vitality.
They identified several correlations:
- Effective operational leadership directly predicts positive employee passion
- Positive employee passion directly predicts customer devotion
- Customer devotion directly predicts organisational vitality.
Friday, May 06, 2011
Positive Leadership: Exercise and Leadership
Leaders who appear physically fit are viewed as better leaders. According to an article on weeklyleader.net:
“Fitness does so much more than just keep the extra weight off and prevent us from blaming the cleaners for shrinking our clothes. It increases mental stamina and endurance as well. It helps one weather stressful events with aplomb, and to keep one's head when all around them are losing theirs. The leader of the group, the one expected to make a good decision under stress and chart an effective course, should take advantage of the extra mental acuity and sharpness that comes with being physically fit.”
One study from the Centre for Creative Leadership found that individuals who exercise are significantly more effective leaders than those who don’t. According to the study, executives who exercise rate significantly higher on skills such as leading others (inter-personal savvy, inspiring commitment, and creating synergy), leading by personal example and results orientation than non-exercisers.
Probably one of the simplest and easiest exercises to do is to take a walk. According to the Franklin Institute, walking is very beneficial to the brain because it “increases blood circulation and the oxygen and glucose that reach your brain.” As you walk, you effectively oxygenate your brain. Maybe this is why walking can “clear your head” and help you to think better.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Positive Leadership: The Power of Leadership Quotes
Leadership quotes are leadership tools that inspire us. Studies have shown that leadership quotes have made a positive impact in our day-to-day life. They are considered as one of the best leadership tools. These inspirational words awaken your potential. Leadership quotes are one-line statements but their meaning is vast and impact is immense. These words not only inspire but also promote personal development.
Leadership quotes are the right words that are delivered at right time and in a right way. They can change your negative attitude and transform your problems into opportunities. Leadership quotes can give you strategy to solve your problems. These words help to stay focused in your work. Leadership quotes will encourage and inspire you to achieve higher goals. If you use leadership quotes in a speech, it will have a greater impact on the audience. Leadership quotes will help the speaker to effectively communicate with the audience. Strong leaders use leadership quotes for effective leadership. They use it as a tool to support their strategy, vision and mission.
Leadership quotes are like pearls of wisdom. It is up to you, to find vision in leadership quotes. A leadership quote if implemented can transform your life positively. Leadership quotes can tell you how to be successful in life.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Positive Leadership: Defining Corporate Culture
Andy Friere, Co-founder and CEO of Axialent, argues that what leaders do--not what they say--defines the organisation's culture. Friere suggests that most leaders are not actually aware of how what they do is perceived and shapes culture. However, shaping a strong culture is one of the most important activities for any entrepreneur because it determines, in part, whether the company goes on to success after the founder leaves or whether it fails.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Positive Leadership: Building Team Spirit Together
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Positive Leadership: How Video Games Build Leaders
Saturday, April 30, 2011
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