How To Develop Qualities Of Leadership

By Joandra Evaline

Of the many qualities of leadership, leaders are mostly renowned for great vision and for taking action to make their vision a reality. Leaders know how to enlist others to help them achieve goals. They know how to create strategies and encourage others to change behaviors.

There are several vital leadership qualities:

* Listening: Good leaders will listen to other points of view and opinions, and they do it in a positive way. They will take the time to figure out how to base their strategies and goals on their followers' needs.

* Good communication: Leaders are comfortable expressing themselves clearly. They know when they should speak calmly and when to speak to motivate. They are easy to follow because their directions are easy to understand.

* Leaders are good at explaining problems. They help their team members see and face the obstacles that are in the way of achieving their goals. Better still, a good leader knows how to help and encourage the team to find solutions.

* The ability to delegate. This is one of the most important qualities of leadership, but one that is frequently overlooked. Leaders know the strengths and skills of their team, and they capitalize on these strengths by giving each team member tasks that contribute to the goals.

* A good leader knows how to show appropriate appreciation to team members who have done well. Good leaders know when to reward their followers.

* Leaders are respectful. In general, they strive to treat others the way they themselves would like to be treated. By following the Golden Rule, they don't just demand respect, they demonstrate that they deserve respect.

* Good leaders are goal setters. They have the ability to set goals that are clear, understandable, and attainable.

* Good leaders tend to embrace creativity and innovation to reach goals.

* Good leaders don't just come up with strategies, they do their best to keep everyone involved in the plan.

* Good leaders encourage integrity, ethics, and good values in the workplace. This is one of the most important qualities of leadership.

According to John Quincy Adams, a leader is someone who inspires others to dream, learn, do, and become more. If you motivate people to do these things, you are on the right path to becoming a good leader.

Make Sure To Visit Our Websites - Leadership Games, Leadership Theories and Leadership Traits For Everything You Need To Know About Becoming A Great Leader.

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What Do Leaders Do As Often As They Can?

By Darryl Mobley

They learn new things! Did you know that 5 years from now you will be exactly where you are now --- exactly the same person--- except for the people you meet, the audio programs you listen to, and the books you read.

What my company has found through our research is that super achievers habitually read and grow using audio programs, DVDs, magazines, seminars and books. They constantly push themselves to seek out the best new thinking available and apply it to their life and to the way they operate. They engage in an ongoing process of development for continual improvement.

The fact of the matter is that information is doubling every four years in the United States, and communication is increasing in speed daily. If you are not engaged in an ongoing process of learning, you will quickly fall behind and become obsolete and irrelevant. We cannot afford to fall behind in the race for information. We must engage in the process of continual improvement and expanding our minds. People who are not expandable are expendable.

Expand Your Mind

It does no good to read things that do not cause you to expand your mind. Lazy reading material and constant TV viewing leads to a lazy mind. Read about the great thinkers. Read about the great leaders, read about the people who have achieved great stature and great personal power. Personally, I love reading about inventors. As you read about them the way they operate will literally become embedded in your mind and you will start to replicate the good things, the positive things that they have done. Study the super achievers.

You must put into your head things that cause you to grow and expand. It was the great educator Booker T. Washington who said, "There is no great education which is equal to that which can be gotten from contact with great men and women." You can get into contact with great men and women through both audio programs and books.

If you spend your time absorbing lazy mindless slop or watching mindless TV you will develop a lazy, good for nothing mind. It is the same with your brain and body as with computers: crap in equals crap out. You must engage in a process of continual learning.

Become A Well-Known Expert

Another tip, read a book a week. It is not really that difficult to do, if you put your mind to it. Do you know that if you read a book a week in the subject area of your choosing that at the end of two years you will be one the foremost authorities in the world on that subject? You will be able to write your own ticket. Yes, through weekly reading or listening to audio programs or viewing DVDs or going to seminars for the next two years, you will be one of the foremost authorities and you will never want for income or job opportunities.

People who are the experts are always in high demand. A reporter once asked Malcolm X, "What's your alma matter?" Malcolm X told him books. Malcolm X goes further to say you will never catch me with a free 15 minutes in which I am not studying something I feel might be able to help people.

On a day to day level you will find that your ability to quote relevant sources as you talk to your associates gives you much more personal power. People who use quotations well show that they are involved in the pursuit of relevant information and therefore worthy of being listened to and followed.

© 2008 Darryl L. Mobley

Want To Use This Article In Your E-Zine, Magazine Or Web Site? You can, as long as you include this complete short blurb with it: For nearly 25 years, super-achievers have praised "Life Acceleration Coach" Darryl Mobley. Darryl Mobley is brilliant when it comes to the strategies and action steps that lead to living a better life. Darryl Mobley teaches people How To Create The Life Of Their Dreams - personally and professionally - with more happiness, more income, better relationships and more success with his How To Create A Life Worth Living™ system. To get FREE tips on "Living a Life Fantastic" go to http://a1.successsubscription.com

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Leadership Fitness - Are You Exercising Your Leadership Muscles?

By Christine M. Glasco

In my long career as an executive coach, I have noticed that a large number of my senior executive clients are deemed leaders by virtue of their job title, but their practice of leadership is "rusty" from lack of usage.

These executives have read or at least heard of Michael Watkins book, The First 90 Days. They understand that they must have a strategy and plan to enter a new role or a new organization, including: meeting with key stakeholders; identifying the team's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; redefining the mission; achieving alignment; matching strategy to the organization's needs, etc.

What these senior leaders sometimes forget is to practice continuous improvement and continuous learning. Leadership is a talent and can be an acquired skill - but like all talents and skills, the leader must engage in the practice of leadership, identify and achieve leadership goals, acquire knowledge, ask for feedback, observe what works and doesn't work for other leaders, and finally, engage in leadership development activities.

If an athlete does not train regularly, regardless of his or her sport of choice, the athlete will lose strength, agility, focus and general fitness. The athlete will lose the ability to view his or her performance in the larger context of the sport. The athlete will lose the edge.

Leaders like athletes can sometimes lose their edge without their knowledge. I interact daily with executives from a variety of industries. They are the recipients of the best business school educational programs and are placed in a variety of assignments that will season and broaden their leader capabilities. But something can happen during a senior leader's career. One day, the leader shows up and has not read anything new. One day, the leader shows up and the new initiatives the team needs to pursue to remain competitive are not communicated. One day, the leader shows up and finds his or her skill sets are just a little behind the curve. One day, the leader stops learning and stops the daily exercise of leadership muscle.

Now the leader sees problems versus challenges; now the leader sees risk versus breakthrough opportunities. When this happens - if the leader has a coach or a trusted confidant - he or she may receive feedback that motivates the leader to start a new exercise program. If the leader does not have such a resource, the leadership muscle begins to atrophy. The company may not recognize why an executive does not fit the new culture, the new mission or the new marketplace, so they move the executive to a nonessential role or they terminate the individual.

The best approach for executives to ensure that they stay at the top of their game is to consistently exercise their leadership muscle.

© All rights reserved

Christine M. GlascoEmail: cglasco@charter.net Website: http://www.cgconsultinggroup.net Phone: 940.367.0837 Fax: 940.321.7154

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Meetings - Control Them Easily With Questions

By Bill Repp

Q. I often run our meetings, even though I'm outranked by others in the room. I need to control the session, but I don't have formal authority over anyone. How can I keep things moving, especially with the higher-ups in the session?

A. It's clear that others see you as having leadership skills; otherwise they wouldn't continue to ask you to run the meetings. Use questions to lead the discussion; they're an easy way to keep gentle control, without appearing to be "bossy." You become the facilitator, and can run the entire meeting, just by asking questions.

Types of questions

Several kinds of questions can help you do this:

Overhead-

You ask without saying who should reply. Use it to start discussion and get the group's attention. ("What do we know about the current profit problem?")

Direct-

You ask a specific person, usually for specific purpose. ("John, what's your take on the current profit problem?")

Reverse-

turn the question around to the one who asked it; have the person answer his or her own query. (John: "Why do we have this problem with profits?" You: "John, why do you think we have this problem?")

Relay-

pass the question from one participant to another, possibly re-worded; you can use it as a lead-off or follow-up question. ("Mary, what do you think about John's answer to that?"

Pick-up or follow-up-

bring up a question that was asked previously, but hasn't been answered yet: use it to expand or extend discussion. ("Ted, earlier we postponed discussion on the regional performance problem. What's your take on it?")
Complimentary.

It gives extra credit or recognition to questioners, and lets you highlight their know-how: "Ms. Brown has been a legal secretary for 10 years. Ms. Brown, what do you think about this issue?"

Barrage.

This is a "spread-shot" technique you can use to challenge the group's thinking: "How many complaints do we get each month? For what reasons? Who makes them? What are we doing about them? Or are we doing anything? How do they affect us?"

Double-Headed.

To challenge thinking, you can join two questions and ask them at the same time: "Why do you think the proposal was defeated, and how do you feel about it?"

Motivational.

Gets to the fundamental issues by appealing to basic motives: "How is this going to affect your paycheck?"

Postponing.

You put off discussion of a topic until a later time. "Can we hold that thought for a moment? Here's another question on our current topic we might want to discuss a little further."

Humorous.

This keeps morale high, can change the pace, and can also diffuse potential problems or ease tension when someone makes an inappropriate comment. "Isn't this a little like the civilian woman in World War II who volunteered her services as an air raid siren?"

Clarifying.

Use these to confirm understanding or reinforce a point: "Do you mean that...?" Or, "How do you others perceive what was just said?"

How to Ask

Asking questions the right way can make the difference between success and failure at getting the appropriate response. Some suggestions:

• Prepare and write down key questions before the meeting starts.

• Don't ask "leading" questions-those that establish a bias: "Are we still having a problem with the regional performance?" (Maybe there wasn't a problem to begin with.)

• Avoid vague or general questions. For example, "What do we know about employee morale?" is too broad. "What are things that break down employee morale?" is better.)

• Avoid questions that can be answered YES and NO, because they don't get the discussion going very effectively. Instead, use questions that ask how, what, why, who, when, and where.

• State the question in a normal, conversational tone, so it doesn't look like you're putting someone on the spot, or placing undue importance on the question.

• After you ask, pause...and give the person a few seconds to think about the answer. (But don't let anyone struggle with an answer. Once it's clear that this person isn't ready, pass the question on to someone else. You might say something like, "Bob, maybe I've caught you off-guard; how about I get back to you a little later?"

• Acknowledge the answer. ("That's helpful." "I didn't realize that; thanks." "That's an idea we should explore further."

• Don't repeat questions. It's not only annoying, but it subtly encourages people not to listen the first time. Ask the question clearly, and slowly enough, so everyone hears it correctly-once.

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Can You Do Everything?

By Margaret Meloni

Can you do everything? If you can, please stop reading and start writing. Start writing your secret now, I know the rest of us would benefit from your expertise.

But just in case none of you respond, let's talk about asking for help.

Do you mind when someone asks you for help? If a co-worker is overwhelmed or needs assistance, would you rather watch them freak out from stress or would you rather help? Most of us do not mind being asked for help and in fact even like it. And yet, many times we hesitate to ask others for help. Why? Fear.

Fear of looking weak. Fear of looking ignorant or unintelligent. Fear of rejection. Fear of embarrassment and maybe even fear of sharing success. These fears are playing on our insecurities and our ego. Yet we know logically, that we like it when others ask for our help. But remember, we are discussing a fear, which is an emotion and not bound by logic.

What would it look like if we forgot about the fear?

We could be role models for others, by showing leadership through reaching out for assistance. It takes more strength to be vulnerable than it does to lead by ego. We could draw others closer to us by admitting that we do not know everything. By requesting help we may become more approachable and instead of rejection, we might experience acceptance. When we are smart enough to recognize that we need help, we prove that we are not ignorant.

Still not convinced?

What if we learned something new? What if our working relationships became stronger and our network of trusted associates grew? That sounds good. Maybe some of us would stop applying self-imposed pressure to excel, mistakenly assuming that we must do so completely on our own. And just maybe we would experience less stress and more joy.

So remember, recognize when you need help, someone is just waiting for you to ask.

Margaret Meloni helps professionals create career strategies that bring them success and enhance theirwork experiences. She helps her clients focus on the importance of professional brand and reputation management.

Margaret is a people oriented leader with over eighteen years experience in Information Technology.

She holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.B.A. from California State University, Long Beach. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute and an instructor at the University of California Los Angeles.

A dynamic speaker who combines inspiration, common sense and a dash of humor; Margaret has spoken at technology conferences and events hosted by the Association of Information Technology Professionals; The Project Management Institute and The International Institute of Business Analysis.

This same style keeps her UCLA and UC Irvine students and seminar attendees actively engaged during their learning experience.

To learn more please visit: http://www.melonicoaching.com

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The Power of Reinforcing Feedback

By Juan Riboldi

Reinforcing feedback tells us that what we are doing is working well. We just need to keep doing it!

We experience reinforcing feedback as words of affirmation, encouragement, praise, or recognition. All these forms of verbal reinforcement are powerful motivators that boost morale and improve results. An excellent performance review, a bonus, or a promotion represent tangible signs of reinforcing feedback.

Power of Reinforcing Feedback

Reinforcing feedback has a strong positive influence on behavior. Most of us like to hear compliments and feel recognized. Reinforcing feedback will encourage us to do what we did more often, and better.

Think about the type of feedback you receive every day at work. How much reinforcing feedback do you regularly receive from others? The answer to this question has a direct impact on your motivation at work. Now, consider what would happen if we were to drastically increase the proportion of reinforcing feedback? Let's say that we were to experience reinforcing feedback about 80% of the time. What do you anticipate would happen? You would likely experience higher commitment and increased engagement.

Conversely, imagine what would happen to a group when they start focusing on the things that are going wrong. Consider the case of a worker that frequently hears from his manager when things go wrong, seldom hearing a word of appreciation for everyday accomplishments. A lack of reinforcing feedback kills the morale and motivation of the team.

Increase the proportion of reinforcing feedback and morale increases, employees are more engaged, quality improves, productivity goes up, customers are more satisfied, and the team performs better.

Focusing on what is right has a powerful effect. Recognition is contagious, as it creates a buzz for success. Reinforcing what is right tends to produce more of it. It costs nothing and takes little time, yet the impact of focusing on what is right attracts success.

Negative Effects?

Some people may reason that that too much optimism is unfounded or insincere. After all, work is not supposed to be a "love fest." Some may legitimately ask: What if things are not going well? What if the praise is not sincere? What if I recognize people just for doing their jobs and they grow to expect praise for it? What if I give it, but never receive it back in return?

Real World Example

The following story provides an example of how reinforcing feedback can be effective in even the most difficult situations. Years ago, I worked as a coach with a manufacturing plant manager named Steve (name changed) who stepped into a money-losing operation needing a turnaround. Workers were demoralized and hostile to management. Rumors of closing the plant fueled distrust and low performance.

Steve's first task was to lay off some of his assistant managers and make many unpopular changes. He encountered resistance and excuses for change with firm and assertive opposition. There were days that nothing seemed to be going right. One of those days he said to me, "I have to be the ugly boss (he used other words), so how can I build morale in this environment?"

I suggested he continued to be firm and strict about the changes that needed to happen, and at the same time be nice, positive, and respectful. I challenged him, "You can be both firm and nice, can't you?" He realized, at least intellectually, that being firm and nice are not mutually exclusive. Then he asked, "What if I can't find anything to be positive about?"

"Let's find it any way we can!" I said. We decided to try an experiment for one month- a daily dose of positive reinforcement. Every day at 11:00 am Steve would stop was he was doing and walk around the floor right before the lunch break with the sole purpose of congratulating others for anything that was going right; anything at all, even if it was minimal.

On the first day of the experiment, Steve praised an operator for wearing his safety gear while operating a dangerous machine. He also smiled at others as he walked around. That was it. By the third day he was able to point out at least three things deserving sincere recognition. He was also pleased to notice some workers making eye contact with him and even smiling back. By the end of the month, the daily dose of recognition was having a noticeable impact. Steve was able to point out at least ten things going well each day, including important cost saving measures and record production quotas.

Personal Impact

Despite errors and mistakes, there are always things going right. We need not be insincere in our praise. As we give frequent, specific, and sincere recognition to others we will experience a change for the better in our lives as well. We will feel more positive about our own performance and be able to focus more readily on what is going well. In turn, others may respond better to our requests as they feel more appreciated and secure. Trust and cooperation increases and new levels of achievement are then possible. There is great power in positive reinforcement!

What can we do to give more reinforcing feedback?

1. Catch People Doing What's Right

We can develop the habit of looking for what's right and pointing it out. Find people doing great work and reaffirm them. Every day, pay a compliment to someone at work for something they did well.

2. Speak Words of Affirmation

Listen to your words before you speak and, if necessary, rephrase the message in a positive way. If you catch yourself about to say something critical, you can rephrase your thoughts so you actually provide reinforcing feedback instead. For example, instead of jokingly saying, "Not a bad job!," you will get better results by simply saying "Great work!" Or, instead of saying, "You need to stop spending so much money," you can reinforce by saying, "Let's find ways to save more to strengthen our financial situation."

3. Recognize the Value of Work Itself

Find ways to reward good behavior by recognizing the fruits of that behavior. That will teach the true value of doing a good job. For example, after someone delivers a report to you on time and without errors, you can take a few minutes to thank the person and describe how the report was used, and the impact of the information when you presented it at a meeting. Simple words of reinforcing feedback mean more than we realize.

Research on Recognition

Our research shows that out of twenty factors that drive employee engagement, recognition (reinforcing feedback) is a top-five driver of overall engagement. Yet, recognition is consistently the lowest scoring factor. There is clear need for improvement when it comes to recognition at work.

Interestingly, in terms of overall engagement, recognition shows up as one of the key differentiators between the very best and the worst organizations. For example, as many as 83% of the employees give favorable scores to recognition in the best organizations, compared with only 39% of the employees at the worst organizations. When it comes to engaging employees, there is a 44% difference in recognition between the best and worst organizations.

We can all give reinforcing feedback more often. Positive reinforcement creates positive thoughts, actions, and outcomes. As we practice thinking and talking in ways that reinforce what is right, we will achieve better results faster.

Juan Riboldi

To find more articles on leadership development and talent management visit our website at: http://www.decwise.com

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Leadership - Every Day In Every Way

By Wally Bock

John and I were having lunch midway through his shift. It was the graveyard shift and John was a police sergeant, one of the best.

"I haven't talked to Spalding yet tonight," he said as he scanned down a list of the people who worked for him. "We'll head that way next. And I've got to talk to Smith about that complaint, so we'll meet her for coffee later."

Books about leadership make it seem like what leaders do is mostly strategy and mostly cosmic. Reality is different.

For most leaders, most of the time, leadership is a round of daily actions that help the team accomplish the mission while they help team members do better and grow. In other words, the results of your leadership spring mostly from what you do every day as part of the natural rhythm of work.

Every day you need to make your expectations clear. Master the art of giving clear directions. Deliver the same core messages over and over.

Every day you need to check for understanding. Don't let people leave your presence without checking to make sure that they understand what you want.

Every day you need to make sure to touch base with your people. Make sure they're turning understanding into performance. Great supervisors touch base a lot.

Every day you need to use every one of those contacts as an opportunity to improve team performance and morale. They're real "Moments of Truth." Here's what to do in those moments.

Coach the team members who need it. Help them succeed, along with the team. Encourage good behavior and honest effort to do better. Praise improvement and effort. Correct what needs correcting. Small course corrections are best. Think of problems as dinosaurs that are much easier to kill when they're small.

Counsel those that need it. For those who can't or won't change, lay out the consequences if things don't improve. Then make sure you deliver the consequences. It's your job. Every day you need to do the hard work of weeding out the unfit and the unwilling. Making sure you meet all the requirements for a fair and final firing is hard work, but it has a big impact on productivity and morale. Slackers and malcontents are cancers that kill your team.

Don't succumb to magical thinking about management. It's what you do every day, not magic traits that will improve your team's productivity and morale.

Wally Bock helps organizations improve productivity and morale by selecting and developing great leaders at all levels. He coaches individual managers, and is a popular speaker at meetings and conferences in the US and elsewhere. This article first appeared in the Three Star Leadership Blog (http://blog.threestarleadership.com/). Check out Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit (http://www.threestarleadership.com/supervisorsupportkit/).

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Ten Ways Leaders Overcome Analysis Paralysis

By Andrew Cox

One of the biggest challenges leaders have is to ensure that preparation and analysis add real value and provide the framework for action. The biggest enemy to action is analysis paralysis.

One of the most difficult habits to break is the habit of continuing to create and analyze choices long after decisive action should have taken place. Analysis paralysis is the graveyard of many organizations and careers. It's procrastination - on both the organizational and individual level - caused by fear of failure, fear of consequences, fear of not being thorough, fear of making a mistake.

Analysis paralysis results in too many choices. Too many choices drag down the energy, the time and the effort of all those who are part of the issue.

Here are ten ways leaders have ensured they and their organizations don't fall victim to analysis paralysis.

1 - Define success as the result of a cumulative process - built on a cycle of action, evaluation, improvement - then action, evaluation, improvement. Nothing creates fear - and analysis paralysis - quicker than to be told that whatever decision is made will result in failure or success - with no other possible outcomes. Creating a either/or success or failure situation will almost certainly result in careful - read lengthy - analysis and preparation. Define ideal outcomes and solutions and use them as guidelines in setting goals - just don't let the ideal be the only acceptable solution.

2 - The best course of action in the vast majority of situations is the one that "meets requirements." Save the "best possible" course of action for the relatively few high value, high impact decisions.

3 -Impose constraints - money, time, resources - that keep the focus on action, not on preparation and analysis

4 - Set up a ready, fire, aim behavior. Insist on enough information to act with a reasonable degree of confidence in the decision, and establish a measuring mechanism to allow for changes as they become apparent.

5 - Realize that simplicity and limited choices can be very liberating - they create a structure that allows for action, rather than a constant evaluation of ever increasing alternatives. Complexity is the partner of analysis paralysis.

6 - Value attitudes that place a premium on information - but information as a means to act, not as an end in itself.

7 - Insist on action at every step. Direction and priorities are created through goal setting. Accomplishment is the benchmark of success - not activity.

8 - Accept that mistakes are part of improvement. The biggest enemy of innovation and development is often the fear of making a mistake - or of being blamed for a mistake. A problem solving climate accepts mistakes as part of the process of improvement. It punishes non risk taking behavior, as well as behavior to cover up mistakes."If you're not making mistakes you're not accomplishing anything" is a belief in problem solving organizations.

9 - Adopt a "Principle of Good Enough " (POGE) attitude toward action. Software developers use POGE to act - knowing that the only way to implement and improve is to throw the switch - go live - measure the results and improve - and then do it all over again. Adjustments based on the results of action are an accepted part of the process - not an indication of failure.

10 - Keep progress reviews simple and frequent and highly structured. It's amazing how even the most worthy goal can become hostage to analysis paralysis - if it's left unattended by people in a position to see the bigger picture. Make course corrections a routine part of the process - an accepted and vital part of meeting goals. A question that should be asked in every progress review should be " "What course corrections do we have to make to meet this goal?"

Take an inventory - of yourself and of your organization. Ask yourself if the conditions for analysis paralysis exist - or if analysis paralysis is already hard at work confusing activity with accomplishment. Then use the suggestions from the leaders who contributed to this article to increase your personal and organizational competitive advantage.

Andy Cox is President of Cox Consulting Group LLC. The focus of his work is on helping organizations and their people increase their success in the hiring, developing and enhancing the performance of leaders and emerging leaders. Cox Consulting Group LLC was started in 1995, and has worked with a wide range of organizations, managers and leaders - helping them define success, achieve success and make the ability to change a competitive advantage. He can be reached at http://coxconsultgroup.com or at acox@coxconsultgroup.com

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Leading People In Need - Tips For Keeping Hope Alive

By Richard Hamon

People who are happiest are those who serve others. They are loving and giving individuals who reach out to help those in need. And they do it because they care. But . . . what should a helper or leader do when the picture looks bleak for someone he is trying to help?

It pays to keep hope alive.

Hope is a powerful tonic. And a powerful tool for helping others. When we remember to use hope strategically, we can keep everyone happier. In fact, giving hope is one of the greatest gifts we can ever give.

When people lose hope their emotional health plummets and their thinking habits become more negative. Some people may engage in destructive behavior or even become suicidal when they feel a strong sense of hopelessness.

Tips For Creating Hope

1. Always encourage hope without turning it into a lecture and without being condescending in any way!

2. When trying to help people who are in need, it always pays to do your best, without trying to do it for them.

3. Offer or provide help, but be willing to step back and give the person a chance to take advantage of it.

You can't keep wearing yourself out trying to help. At some point, it's the person's responsibility to deal with his own life.

4. Leadership is not rescuing. As time goes by, a good helper will continue to find ways to instill hope, without trying to rescue the people he's trying to help (or without trying to do it for them) and without assuming responsibility for the problem or situation.

This will keep both of you healthier emotionally!

5. Stay positive. Sometimes this is the most helpful step we can take. By being a positive influence, we are helping people to hold onto their hope.

Don't give in to the sea of negativity. Help others face their doubts and move past them.

6. Try to lead and be of service without telling the person what to do, and avoid taking over or running the person's life.

7. Listen. Take the time to listen to what people are going through. You don't always have to say or do much, just listen and be there for them. Let them know you have heard them. Give your undivided attention and your heartfelt understanding.

8. Help people to help themselves. This reminds me of teaching people how to fish . . . that will feed them for a lifetime, whereas is you save them from their problems you aren't helping much . . . in the long run.

9. Speak of your wisdom and experience, but don't preach to them. Allow them to think for themselves and to make the decisions that influence their lives.

10. Keep in mind the nature of true happiness. When you help others to attain happiness, you are happy, too, but you must lead a balanced life and avoid becoming overly focused on the lives of those whom you are helping.

11. Express hope in a calm, relaxed and confident manner. Think and speak optimistically. Display hopefulness in your actions, without criticizing, which only turns most people off.

12. Above all, don't get discouraged when the person you are trying to help doesn't seem to be getting anywhere. Sometimes change -- real change -- takes time.

In some situations, the best a leader can do, besides caring about people, is to provide a ray of hope. There may be no one else in the person's life who is remaining positive and hopeful. No one who is inspiring them to keep trying, to keep bringing their dreams into reality.

Stop to reflect on what your positive example may mean to those in need.

Whatever you do . . .

remain a beacon of light and hope.

Remember, by keeping hope alive, you are leaving the door cracked in someone's life . . . so they can always feel your optimism, warmth and acceptance . . . and someday walk through to freedom.

Richard Hamon is a professional therapist and coach with over 25 years of experience. Richard's Relationships For Success Coaching helps people to enjoy truly satisfying relationships and find great success in all areas of their lives.

Richard has written a unique eBook, The Ultimate Relationship Solution: How Secrets Discovered From A Near Death Experience Can Help You Ignite Passion and Realize Success in All Your Relationships.

The eBook tells about an actual Near Death Experience the author had in 2003, which transformed his life and led to a series of insights, revelations and secrets about building extraordinary relationships.

You can find Richard's eBook, The Ultimate Relationship Solution at: LINKED TEXT

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How to Be a Good Leader in All Fields

By Olayinka Tunwagun

What is leadership?

Leadership is not just for rich people at the top, some people defined leadership as the ability to obtain followers, to some it is act controlling the actions of others join me in this lesson as I will be taken into the world of LEADERSHIP...

Everyone can learn to lead by discovering the power that lies within each one of us to make a difference.

Leadership development is not an event.

Albert Einstein once said, 'We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles but no personality. It cannot lead; it can only serve.'

Leadership development program is a self-development program. Learning how to not micromanage... so maximizing our potential in a rapidly changing global economy.

"Leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow". (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).

"Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal". (Northouse, 2004)

"Leadership is the influencing process of leaders and followers to achieve organizational objectives through changes". (Lussier & Achua, 2004)

"Leadership is the behavior of an individual... directing the activities of a group toward a shared goal". (Hemphill & Coons, 1957)

"Leadership is the influential increment over and above mechanical compliance with the routine directives of the organization" (D.Katz & Kahn, 1978)

"Leadership is the process of incluencing the activities of an organized group toward goal achievement" (Rauch & Behling, 1984)

"Leadership is a process of giving purpose (meaningful direction) to collective effort, and causing willing effort to be expended to achieve purpose" (Jacobs & Jacques, 1990)

Quotes from: www.bealeader.net

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Roadmap to Leadership Success Checklist

By Natalie

Leadership success is the foundation of High Performance organizations. Being a successful leader is crucial to the success of your company. Being a successful leader is not just leading and delegating jobs to people. There is much more involved in leading a team successfully. It requires a desire to be a leader and to participate in continuous learning. Do you want to be a successful leader? Listed below is a leadership success checklist for you to consider when contemplating this question.

A checklist for successful leaders:

• Recognizes that building a solid team is critical to a successful business. Developing a solid team enables people to collaborate more effectively, more creatively and more productively with the guidance of a leader.

• Gets to truly know the team members. Makes an effort to learn who they are and what their beliefs are.

• Communicates clearly and effectively. Communication is not only about talking! In fact, communication has a lot to do with "not talking." Listening is the key to effective communication. When you take the time to listen, you will not only learn what is happening, but why things are happening. In order to handle a situation effectively, you need to understand the entire situation. If you just make demands, without fully comprehending the circumstances, this could have a detrimental impact on your company. Take the time to listen to your employees, vendors or customers. You never know what amazingly profitable idea can come from one of your team members. So, close your mouth and open up your ears to the many possibilities of successfully listening.

• Considers resources when making decisions. When making any type of decision, it is imperative to consider your resources. Not only should you be able to understand the finances, you should be able to consider the resources of your team members. Knowing your team and their strengths and weaknesses will allow you to effectively make knowledgeable, efficient decisions for your team and the company.

• Creates a positive environment and recognizes accomplishments. People are more motivated to do their best for a company that they feel truly cares about their needs. Positive morale among team members will ensure increased productivity. Recognizing people for their accomplishments, no matter how big or small, will go a long way in creating a positive environment.

• Leads by example. People are more willing to work hard for someone they respect. Show respect for your team, consideration for their feelings and opinions and be knowledgeable in what you teach.

• Helps people grow. Helping people grow and develop skills and capabilities is an asset to your company. Consider expanding their skills by offering classes or on-the-job learning. A knowledgeable person will only add to the success of your company.

Make the commitment to continually work on and improve your leadership and communication skills. Evaluate how you portray yourself as a leader. See yourself through your team's eyes. Be a leader that people want to follow. After all, you can't be a leader unless you have followers. You won't have followers unless you can gain the respect of others. Apply these checklist tips, watch your leadership skills grow and reap the benefits for your roadmap to success in your career and life.

© Copyright 2008 by Natalie Manor. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Natalie R. Manor, CEO, author, speaker and executive coach, creator of The Roadmap to Your Extraordinary Success series, The Roadmap, Natalie Manor & Associates is your ultimate resource for leadership and communication development success for managers, emerging leaders and executives to maximize your potential and increase your productivity. Success@The-Roadmap.com, (800) 666-2230, http://www.NatalieManor.com

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Leadership Skills - Apply Your Leadership Skills To Your Own Life And Take Better Care Of Yourself

By Richard Hamon

Many good leaders and professional helpers neglect themselves. They often lavish unfaltering attention onto the people they lead or help while ignoring their own needs.

This article will address the importance of good self-care and offer proven tips on how to make it easy and fun while increasing your success.

Case Example

For many years, I have conducted workshops and seminars for busy professionals on self care, stress management and relaxation. I've asked participants what kept them from taking good care of themselves. The answers have always surprised me.

The answers range from "there isn't enough time" to "I've always been this way . . . taking care of everyone but myself!"

Surprisingly, a high percentage of the audience said they didn't know how to provide truly excellent care for themselves!

How To Give Yourself Top-Notch Care

A. Realize the difference between taking good care of others and rescuing them. So often the latter masquerades as the former. Rescuing only creates dependency. And it takes a lot of energy and time. Caring for others and leading them without rescuing is another matter!

B. Refuse to allow yourself to feel guilty for giving yourself a little TLC. There is nothing to feel guilty about. In fact, if you deprive yourself you will only be hurting yourself . . . and others. If you crash or burn out what kind of motivation will you offer? What kind of example will you be?

C. Stop and recognize that you are human, too. And you need care and feeding. Think of the consequences of ignoring your needs. How easy it is to squander our health away by working too hard or not eating a healthy diet.

Good self-care basics are not rocket science. It's easier to do than you may think.

Interested in self-help? All self-help plans start with good self-care.

Three Big Tips To Ensure The Success Of Your Self-Care Plan

One, you may have to set some limits with people in your life, making sure they understand that you are truly commited to giving good self care. Let them know what to expect!

Two, don't allow yourself to be talked out of your self-care needs. Establish a routine and stick to it.

Three, give good self-care even during a crisis or stressful time. After all, that's when you'll need it the most.

If you won't take care of yourself, who will?

Case Example

I know a woman who is always reading a good book. She does it for herself. Yes, she is busy with her career, and she has a family who needs her, but she also needs to be a healthy, happy individual. So she does this one thing for herself. She reads a good novel and then starts another. It gives her time to relax and unwind, and each good book gives her great personal satisfaction. You might say reading is her special hobby.

What can you do to give yourself better care? Get a hobby, if you don't have one. And always spend a certain amount of time pursuing your hobby.

Simple but effective.

The All-Important Relationship With Yourself

It pays to build and maintain excellent, high-quality business and personal relationships. But that all-important relationship we have with the self can be one of the most wonderful relationships of our lives. It is a relationship many forget about.

It is prudent to invest in your relationship with yourself. Set aside the time necessary to take care of yourself . . . time for relaxation and blowing off steam. Time for spending quiet moments alone. Time for just doing what you want to do.

Be responsible to the self:

-- Take care of your health.
-- Deal with stress.
-- Grow your inner and spiritual life.
-- Be yourself.
-- Reach for your dreams.
-- Live a life of courage.
-- Endeavor to know thyself!

If you want to be your best, don't neglect that all-important relationship with yourself. It is a hidden source of happiness and strength.

In a nutshell, you'll be in good shape if you take time to recreate and have fun, eat properly, exercise, keep up with your doctor's visits, follow a stress management plan, and take time for yourself -- time alone.

Don't forget . . . you can't love others if you don't start with yourself.

Richard Hamon is a professional therapist and coach with over 25 years of experience. Richard's Relationships For Success Coaching helps people to enjoy truly satisfying relationships and find great success in all areas of their lives.

Richard has written a unique eBook, The Ultimate Relationship Solution: How Secrets Discovered From A Near Death Experience Can Help You Ignite Passion and Realize Success in All Your Relationships. The eBook tells about an actual Near Death Experience the author had in 2003, which transformed his life and led to a series of insights, revelations and secrets about building extraordinary relationships.

You can find Richard's eBook, The Ultimate Relationship Solution at: LINKED TEXT

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How to Run a Leadership Activity

By Perry Burns

The big buzz in the Learning and Development community is about Leadership development. "If only we could train good leaders," goes the argument, "we could be beat the world"

This belief is so well ingrained that hardly anyone stops to question it. But when you step back for a second, there are a number of huge questions. For example:

1. If leaders need training, who trained Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin?

2. If leaders can be easily trained, why are there any followers (which begs the question :)

3. What is so great about being a leader anyway?

4. If everyone understands how to lead, doesn't that cause a problem when followers are led badly?

We all know good leaders. We knew them when we were in the playground; and when they conceived a mischief, we followed. We probably tried our first clandestine cigarette at the behest of a leader and pursued our childhood interests at their bidding too. So it is clear that leadership qualities are not only apparent from a young age but are an important part of our development.

So why do we think that we need to train leaders? Well for several reasons. Firstly, although leadership may be an innate talent, like all natural gifts, if it is not channelled correctly, bad habits develop and blossoming potential can go unrealized. Secondly, there is more need for leadership than there are candidates. Playground leaders may go on to military careers or become high flyers in the world of big business, but they are not likely to end up running a small social services unit in an out of the way provincial town.

Finally, leaders need to be part of a team, and for the team to function efficiently, the led need to know the ground rules so that they can serve effectively. So having concluded that leadership training is both necessary and desirable, how can it be organized?

The jumping off point for any training course is, and has to be, formal instruction in the theory and principles of leadership. There are just three ways of doing this.

1. Books. There are literally hundred of texts on leadership. Most of the business schools also provide free podcasts and webinars. The eager student can soak up any number of treatises on various leadership systems and processes but be cautious.

Some of the best writing is outdated and doesn't meet with modern management ideas. Many of the academic pieces are useful but based on case studies at the very peak of leadership experience and thus divorced from practical reality. While books are an essential resource, they are only satisfactory as a reference and as part of more focused study.

2. Courses. There may not be as many courses as there are books but it feels that way. Regardless of your discipline, geography academic background or vocational sector, there will be a leadership course bespoked to your needs and packaged to meet your requirements. Although many of these courses will be tailored to your industry by an experienced practitioner; in the end, the leadership system, process or methodology taught will be as much a matter of personal preference of the trainer as it will be reflective of any best practice. In reality there are hundreds of leadership models.

All will be based on observation and research and will have some applicability, but there is no "right" or "wrong" system. All a course does is highlight one particular approach and provide the basis for consistency amongst those that attend.

3. Practical Experience. The sure fire way of developing leadership skills is to practice. If under the leader's leadership, the outcome is "success" then he or she needs to capture the behaviours that led to that success. And if it was failure, then behaviours need to be modified and tried again. Which is why coaching and mentoring are so effective.

But of course, while practical experience may be very desirable, it can also be expensive and risky. So how can organizations who want to imbue leadership qualities provide the opportunity to practice in a safe environment which allows emerging leaders to make their mistakes and learn from them?

Although I tire of hearing clients say that their business is "different", the truth is that no enterprise is identical to any other. Just as every person is an individual, so every organization reflects the individuals in it in terms of history, culture, systems, processes and resources. There may be common characteristics that may mark out a leader in a company but there is no absolute answer.

Organizations have to develop training regimes that suit their own purpose. Regardless of how this is achieved, the starting point will nearly always be a process, model or philosophy that expresses the culture of "how 'leadership' gets done around here."

Whilst there is no doubt that formal courses have an important role to play in defining a common understanding of, and approach to leadership, in the final analysis, the practical element of developing leadership skills must be an internal process. Although not necessarily universally recognized or accepted, many leadership approaches are based on a six stage model:

1. History: How did we get to where we are?

2. Situation: What's going on right now?

3. Forecast: What will happen if we don't change?

4. Vision: Where do we want to go?

5. Strategy: How do we use our resources to meet our objectives?

6. Implementation: Timetable, actions & responsibilities

This model suggests that in order to be successful, the leader has to ask six basic questions:

A. Where do we want to be?

B. Where are we coming from?

C. Where are we heading if we keep going as now?

D. Where are we now?

E. By when do we want to be there?

F. How will we get there and what do we need?

By following this approach the leader can structure his team, deploy his resources and provide support, guidance and information that will get the team there.

Although the model itself is fairly simple, fitting it into a course is slightly more problematic. The content is simple, straightforward and easily understood. With a senior group, a competent trainer can usually get through the theory comfortably in a morning. The issue is with the practical sessions. Most courses have ten to fifteen delegates although six or seven is not uncommon.

To practice leadership skills effectively, the team needs to consist of at least four members. Thus with every delegate getting a chance to lead and assuming that several teams can practice in parallel, this is a full day especially when allowing for quality feedback and consolidation. To provide the practical experience, I use tools such as Super Tanker, Westrek, Viking Attack! and Terra Nova. These are self contained packs which contain everything needed to run a session. For additional "spice" the activities can be run competitively between groups with a prize for the winning team. This puts additional pressure on the leader and can be a useful device for creating tension within the teams.

The following structure is very tight, but by limiting the practice sessions to 45 minutes with 15 minutes for feedback, you could get 16 delegates through the program in a (very full) day. Ideally of course you would spread the course over two days and allow much more time for the exercises and feedback. This would also allow more time for consolidation and action planning after the delegates return to the workplace.

Time(mins) – Topic

10 -Introduction and domestics

35 -Objectives of the course, delegates experiences

15 - Overview of Leadership (Group / Breakout Discussion on characteristics and qualities of outstanding national, political religious leaders etc)

15 -Leadership Plenum

15 -Introduction to the Leadership Model

15 –Coffee

105 -Leadership Model Continued (Breakout sessions & handouts on Asking questions, Vision, Strategy, Objective setting, Providing feedback)

60 -Lunch (Leaders issued with the brief for the exercise they are to run in the afternoon)

30 -Summary: What does leadership mean (Breakouts & Group session )

45 -Super Tanker Exercise (3 or 4 groups in parallel)

15 -Super Tanker feedback to leaders (Followers give feedback)

45 -West Trek exercise(3 or 4 groups in parallel)

15 -West Trek feedback to leaders(Followers give feedback)

45 -Murphy exercise(3 or 4 groups in parallel)

15 -Murphy feedback to leaders(Followers give feedback)

45 -Terra Nova exercise(3 or 4 groups in parallel)

15 -Terra Nova feedback to leaders(Followers give feedback)

45 -Action plans and evaluation

An alternative structure would to be to break the sessions into logical components and then run them in a series of 2 - 3 hour development classes over a three or four week period. For a really successful session it is important that the leadership lessons learned are aligned with the needs of the organization and that the delegates leave the course with a clear action plan for improving their own performance.

The importance of the feedback sessions cannot be overstressed. A non disclosure covenant should be obtained from all participants, and the followers must feedback to the leader how they felt during the exercise. This can be a brutal lesson but it is vital if the delegates are to get full value from the session.

In summary, every enterprise needs leaders at all levels throughout the organization. With some careful planning, a clear learning outcome and the right tools, almost anyone can structure a highly successful program that will have dramatic and long lasting results.

Perry Burns is a consultant who specializes in using tools & exercises to improve performance.

A former director at Ernst & Young he now provides soft skills training, resources and strategic advice.

Contact

Copyright 2008: Sales 101 Ltd All rights reserved.

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What Is A Good Leader?

By Len Roe

There are leaders and then there are leaders. In our place of work, in our group memberships and even at our churches and functions we have a leader. Sometimes more than one. If we are lucky, we might even have a good one.

Every one of us are leader material. We all have the ability to assume the position of leadership. We do it every day. We lead our children in the direction we feel is right. We lead our family and in most cases, do a fine job of it. Some of us lead in those church or organization.

The point is, we all have the ability. It is up to us to develop our leadership skills. If we don't let the position go to our heads we can master our skill and become extraordinary leaders.

What is it that makes one leader exceptional and does nothing for another? Sergeants and Lieutenants in the military are promoted into leadership positions but it doesn't mean that they are true leaders. One man or woman may be chosen to head a committee, but again, that doesn't mean that they are true leaders. Some people are placed it the leadership position simply because they know the product or situation.

I have had leaders who barked out an order or command and expected an immediate and absolute response. This type of leader uses fear and intimidation as their weapon. They intimidate you with the fear of losing your job or position and the fear of being demoted or given the dirty job if you don't do as you are told. This is not leadership, it is only a command position.

Some of our leaders are actually afraid of us. They fear that we will outshine them. They fear that we will do the job well and be recognized for accuracy and our ability. They fear that if we do good their roll as leader may be in danger of replacement. Possibly by those they were supposed to lead.

These leaders will do everything they can for you as long as you don't exceed the limits they set for you. They will put you down, belittle you and try hard to keep you in your place.

They have the fear that if you do good they may not be needed and that is a hard thing for them to accept. These are the people who will discourage you from doing what you may feel is good for the benefit of the group or company. As long as you follow orders and don't try anything new or that they didn't think of first they will be there for you in every way. This may be a leader that can get things done, but it is NOT a TRUE leader.

If this leader were as good as he or she thinks there would be no need for fear. The fear that someone you have been teaching will do better than you have done only says that you feel inferior in the roll of group leader. If you lead your people well and one of them begins to sparkle it reflects on your own performance. In short, make those you lead sparkle and shine. You will appear as more of a star than you ever could by holding them back.

There is also the type of leader who just happened to be at the right place at the right time. This leader doesn't really care about the job or position. He just happened to be handy when the need was there. He usually doesn't have much backbone and will waver in his orders, not knowing which decision is the right decision. I have known many of this type.

This one will tell you one thing and before you can get it done he has changed his mind and wants it done another way. He will also show favoritism among his employees. Allowing some to get away with murder and others will be reprimanded for almost nothing. He will also belittle his employees in front of customers and think nothing of cutting the company down and discussing company problems and confidential matters with a total stranger.

If you are on the good side of this leader, and if he likes you, you have it made, but if his superior says something about your work or performance it is rare that he will stand up for you. I know one such leader that will even allow one of his employees, and a good buddy, to consume alcoholic beverages while on duty. All he asks of the employee is that he be discrete. That leader is only in it for the ride, not the long haul.

What then, is a good leaders qualities?

A good leader is one who cares for you as both a person and an employee and also cares for the company he is representing. A good leader can get the job done and have happy employees in the process. He will exude an attitude that will inspire the group and build enthusiasm. He will encourage everyone under his command. If he has a complaint or problem with an employee this will be taken care of behind closed doors, not on the sales floor or in front of customers or even fellow employees.

When I was in the Army I had officers who barked out orders through intimidation. Their orders were carried out, but without enthusiasm or respect. However, there was one lowly little corporal who was a natural leader. He would never demand anything. He would never ask anyone to do anything he wouldn't do himself and everyone knew it. By simply asking "when you get a moment would you" or "when you finish that would you" he gained the respect due any officer. This simple little corporal received more respect and got more accomplished through consideration of his fellow man than any officer.

This leader would always listen to suggestions and comments and take them into consideration. He would always encourage and never demean. If there were a problem it would be discussed in private. Never in front of other people. If there were suggestions for improvement or another way of accomplishing a task, he was interested in what you had to say. If he didn't think it would work, he would give you the reason he felt the way he did. As a true leader he was open to being lead, even by those he was leading.

His attitude inspired me and I attempted to copy his style. On many occasions I have found myself in a leadership position and used the principals he taught me.

Through this type of leadership I have successfully managed several situations including my current endeavor of network marketing.

In my current position I have several leaders with which I work each day. Most of them are good leaders and are open to suggestions. Most of the suggestions have already been tried and were proven ineffective, but they were still open and would explain why something was or was not a good idea.

We should always edify our leaders and our leaders should edify us. If we edify each other this leads to belief and belief is the key to all success. I will repeat, we should edify our leaders, but our leaders should also edify us.

I can recall one time that this did not happen and it caused some slight problems. There was a person I wanted to get involved in a business of mine. I had talked to this person and he was ready to become involved, however, I wanted one of my leaders to also speak with him and get to know him. After all, he would be working with us both.

My leader was on a business trip into Northern California and stopped by to visit with this particular person and discuss business procedures. During the course of conversation my leader made some derogatory comments against me. My future partner became highly agitated and asked the man to please leave his home and not to come back. Needless to say, he did not become my partner. The sad part about this is that my future partner was also my own son.

A good leader will always edify you as much as you edify him. He, or she, will encourage you to do well and to try new things. He will also be there to back you up or help you up, whichever the case may be.

If you are a true leader your people will know it without you flaunting your position. They will know it by your actions and attention to details and also by your willingness to help them top succeed. Even if they are getting better than you had thought they could. That is a sign that you have become an exceptional leader.

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