Change is not easy, and we make it harder by not being masters and processing it well regardless of how effective our leaders are at managing it. Here are three tips to make you a force for positive change. People that do this are on their way to becoming Linchpins (thanks to Seth Godin for coining that title) in their organizations.
When relationships matter, process trumps outcome. Leadership does not have to be about relationships or performance, and yet there are circumstances where performance do trump relationships. Great conversations start with a question. Here are some questions to help you think about how you are aligned as a leader.
What was your first leadership lesson? Mine happened when I was 19 and learning how to operate a jackhammer. Here is what I learned, and how it frames my work as a leader, a coach, and even a father. Some thoughts, and a question for you: What are you challenged with today that you have to learn to let the jackhammer do the work? Great conversations start with a question. Lead well and go have one.
I am most comfortable dressed as a Superhero. This is a value of a company that has built a unique culture around a very successful business, and you have to see the picture in my blog post about how they rolled it out to their team. This group inspires me, and hopefully their story will inspire you as leaders to be more intentional about building your culture.
Captain John Meier understands that great conversations start with a question. He also knows that to serve first as a leader one must seek answers and input first. Of course, he commands an aircraft carrier, so he has some experience leading. Here are two tips he shared to move an intent to serve to an ACTION that your team will see and feel.
Leadership development is about honest conversations, that lead to thoughtful actions, and improved performance. It rarely starts with the DO of practice, but the DO of observation. Here is what I mean by that.
Talent management is about great conversations. Sometimes it starts with a conversation with ourselves. Here are two videos that evoked a conversation within me – one on Slomo and the other on Alex Zanardi. They are not corporate titans, but men who faced a fork in the road and chose a path. Very different people, but both reminded me of the piece of mind that results when we own our choices. Great lessons for individuals facing decisions around career or professional development. Remember, do what you love.
Great conversations start with a question. Leadership development is about learning to listen and then react, and to act out of an understanding of most of the variables in the situation so that the decision is the best one for your people and the organization. That is what I believe, and this is a piece of how to DO that has a leader. This is also a foundation for talent management.
Job descriptions are one of the problems with employee engagement. Here are three of my top frustrations and three fixes that will help any leader do a better job defining the work. Talent management is about great conversations, and using the new job description form is a big step towards having a great conversation. These are free templates for leaders looking to do talent management more effectively and build a stronger culture in their business.
What does a leader DO? This is a big question, and these questions are the start of a great conversation for any leader to have with others, and with themselves. It is much easier to make a habit out of something you believe in, and that is the core of the training launching next month from the LeaderWork group around What Leaders Do.
We try to avoid labeling people, and yet words have definitions that help us clearly state something we are seeing. In the world of talent management, there is a fine line between being ignorant and stupid. Effectively managing talent means knowing their attitudes towards learning and how agile their are. Talent management is about great conversations, and here are some tips for leaders to have them with themselves and their people.
Talent management is about having great conversations. Having a great conversation starts with an invitation, and too often leaders get focused on who does not participate vs focusing on who does. Here are 2 tips for leaders who are starting the process of one-on-ones, team meetings, or monthly strategy sessions as a way of generating more purposeful conversations with their people.