We all need foundational beliefs that guide us. Leadership is hard enough without a set of beliefs to help guide our choices. This post is about exploring your Leadership Rocks. Mine is centered around a definition offered by Ken Blanchard many years ago.
When people are under lots of stress because of life/work, they start action ‘strange’. When I hear labels, I automatically think of the Birkman Method and what it captures and shares. A cornerstone of leadership development is self awareness of what is normal behavior, what our needs are, and how to deal with stress.
There is lots to talk about when it comes to Steve Jobs and his run with Apple. I just hope we do not forget the leadership lessons and the resilience he showed in coming back to the company that fired him and being more successful.
Is boss watching the #1 sport in the office? Not sure. But leaders need to have the self awareness to know people are watching and lead with transparency. Leadership is about building trust and generating truth to such questions as Why is this happening? or What are you thinking about? Boss watching is about followers filling in the blanks.
Listening is not always THEIR problem. Leaders need to be clear and people need to have time to digest either positive or negative news. Too often there is confusion and surprise. Here are 3 steps for leaders to make sure the news is heard and it makes a difference.
Resilience and leadership is a big topic. It is an important topic. Here is a formula that captures the essence of resilience.
Attitude is contagious. Smiles also become contagious, and people can hear smiles. Here is a thought about how leading with a smile makes a difference.
What do I believe? A question that is good to ask on occassion because it makes us think and put a stake in the ground on something. It might change, and even in that there is some learning. Here is what I believe.
Using a giving focus to building a business is one of the cornerstones of the book, The Go-Giver. It is a book that made me think, and it also made me wonder if a millenial would look at the message and wonder “What is the big deal about tha?”. They have it has part of their fabric already.
Coaching is often about helping people make significant changes through simple practices. The slow-flooding smile is one of those practices. Here is a way it might look, and the questions a coach might ask to reflect on the impact.
Is ego in leaders bad? When we think of ego we too often point to examples where ego has been the destruction of people. Barry Bonds. Bill Clinton. Marion Jones. Richard Nixon. The list could get long. We too often forget that ego is the reason many of these people succeeded in the first place. Ego deserves some exploration.
Ever thought of leading a family vacation as leading a team? There are lots of similarities and family vacations can be looked at as an opportunity for professional development. Read on . . .