Leadership Skills – Learning From the Best

By Sacha Tarkovsky

There are some leaders that have to lead there team into situations where they can be killed. Yet, their team follows them without question. Who are these people?

Army officers - If ever their were people who need to show the best in leadership skills its them, as it really is a question of life or death.

Let’s see what are the main leadership skills taught and which apply to civilian leadership.

1. Command Total Respect:

You don’t need to like someone you need to respect them

In the army officers don’t have favorites, everyone is treated the same, there all part of the same team.

In civilian life one of the leadership skills that is lacking is leaders who have favorites on a personal level and give them preferential treatment.

This can cause huge resentment.

Nothing undermines a leader more than office politics and back biting.

Treat everyone with the same respect and ethics.

Your staff will appreciate it and it will foster a better work ethic.

2. Hands On

In the army the officers men know that there commanding officer can either do all the tasks they can do, or at least will be very familiar with them.

Army officers are people who are seen by their men as people who are able to get their hands dirty in a team.

Many civilian leaders fail to get to grips with this concept and are seen as aloof or detached from their team.

A good leader will muck in and be seen as one of the workers at times and be seen as in the team rather than aloof from it.

3. Planning & team spirit

An army officer makes sure his men understand the mission at hand.

He knows there life depends on it.

He makes sure that everyone understands the expectations, goals and objectives.

The whole team knows exactly what’s expected of them and they will all be together and depend on each other.

A good civilian leader will have a plan in place with clear objectives where everyone knows their place in the plan and their exact role.

You need a clear plan, workable goals and a good time spirit

4. Think outside the box and ahead of the competition

One of the key points to remember is that army officers have to constantly adapt to changing situations. They’re used to thinking ahead and thinking independently.

This is a key trait many civilian leaders lack, they don’t think far enough ahead.

They only see the near term picture and before they know it their competition has moved ahead of them. A good leader stays one step ahead at all time and is constantly studying his competition and ways he can improve.

5. Make Tough Calls instantly

Army officers do this is a matter of course the whole safety of his group depends on it. If you are a civilian leader you have no room to procrastinate you need to make the hard calls that ensure the survival of your business.

6. Optimism and Perseverance

Army officers will suffer setbacks but they have ultimate confidence in their team and vice versa. "When the going gets tough the tough get going"

Army officers don’t contemplate throwing the towel in, they remain optimistic and are prepared to persevere.

They remain strong and in control and this is an essential trait of civilian leaders.

If you show you’re worried, not in control and unable to cope your teams moral will drop with disastrous consequences.

You need strength in the bad times and perseverance – All leaders have this trait and are confident they can confront and deal with anything.

Final words

An army officer acts as part of a well oiled team.

He commands respect because he can lead and his men will follow orders unquestionably because they have faith in his ability.

Acquire the traits of army officers above and maybe you to can become a great leader.

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Connection in work at home and moral leadership

By Shashi Pal

I had lunch recently with a close friend of mine. He said something that stuck with me. I see a lot of leaders today who don’t seem to have convictions. They are inconsistent. They don’t really lead. They just go through the motions. But worse are other leaders I see who have convictions, but because of political expediency or weak will, don’t live by them.

Political expediency and weak will. I don’t care how talented or how adept you are at making yourself look good, if you lack moral courage you will never be satisfied with your life, you’ll always suffer from paranoia (wondering if your misdeeds will be discovered), and any wealth you attain you will not be able to enjoy. The philosopher William George Jordan said it best. Into the hands of every individual are given a marvelous tool for good or evil - the silent, unconscious, unseen influence of his life. This is simply the constant radiation of what a man really is, not what he pretends to be.

When looking for online business opportunities I thought about this. I decided I would not consider any business that does not have a set of core values to guide in decision making. John Dalla Costa wrote a book a few years back called The Ethical Imperative: Why Moral Leadership is Good Business. In his book Dalla Costa offers numerous examples of how companies who try to skirt legal requirements to save money end up paying more in fines and legal costs. On the positive side he also offers examples of companies who refuse to compromise core convictions even if it means paying a monetary price for doing so. In every example the companies that hold to their core convictions, who do not take legal short-cuts or engage in questionable business practices ultimately become more profitable. Their reputation as an honest company causes their stock (and stocks) to rise, while companies who pay fines for violating environmental regulations or who seem to find their way into the news for other questionable business practices ultimately lose credibility as astute investors take their money elsewhere while clients lose confidence in their business practices.

I want to know that any business I’m going to become a part of and/or promote to others considers the dignity and worth of every man or woman created by God. I want to know that the business has some core values that serve as a moral barometer for its business activities, and I want to know that the intention of any wealth generated by the business through its affiliates is for improving the moral condition of society rather than for destructive purposes. That’s why I won’t become a part of, or invest money in any business that earns profits through pornography or through casino gambling. I have yet to see either of these activities improve anyone’s life.

I have found that there are plenty of good businesses that are values driven with solid reputations offering profitable home based business opportunities. I would suggest you consider this component before settling on a business to which you want to become connected. When you run across a business you think might be compatible with your interests, or when you see an advertising agency you think might represent your interests well go to a search engine and type in the name of the business and the word "news." That will take you to online forums and to media sources where you discover all the information you need to make an informed decision. It's worth the time and effort and your it will serve as a good compass for leading you in the right direction.

David Moore is a member of the Wealth Online Website system. He is a home based online business entrepreneur and teaches at a University (part-time). He has completed post graduate programs in both Cross Cultural Communications and Higher Education Administration.
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Executive Coaching For Authentic Leadership - Staying True To Yourself

By Maynard Brusman

Authentic Leadership

Employees follow leaders who they believe are real. Authenticity is important for trust to develop.

One of my recent senior vice president executive coaching clients was being considered as the successor to the CEO. He told me the following story. At one of the Board of Director meetings the bulb in the overhead projector burned out. My client quickly rolled up his sleeves and changed the bulb. He received feedback from a couple of Board members that it created an impression of not looking like a CEO. My client is the heart and soul of the company. People love him.

Do you think he did the right thing by changing the bulb? What would you do in a similar circumstance?

Successful executives develop leadership styles that fit their business needs, as well as their personal beliefs and personality. While many leaders ask themselves about the former, few analyze the latter.

Companies require leaders who can express strongly held views, rather than mimic the party line. Do you hold back for political reasons? Do you encourage your people to express their opinions and make waves, if appropriate?

Do not tiptoe around significant issues or foster an atmosphere that encourages employees to do so.

Ask yourself:

• Is my leadership style comfortable? Does it reflect who I truly am?

• Do I assert myself sufficiently, or have I become tentative?

• Am I too politically correct?

• Does anxiety about my next promotion or bonus cause me to hesitate when I want to express my

views?

In the early stages of your career, you may have received plenty of guidance and support from superiors and mentors. As you have been promoted, however, you have probably encountered fewer sources of honest and useful feedback. By the time mistakes have come to light, it may have been too late to fix them.

Successful leaders continually ask themselves hard questions to stay on track in a world of rapid change. Remember to step back and gain fresh perspectives so you are prepared with a new game plan when change occurs. If you are standing too close to the blackboard, you will not see mistakes until it is too late.

These questions are designed to ignite serious introspection. They can be even more productive when discussed with a trusted advisor, coach or mentor.

When is the last time you had a leadership checkup?

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the BarOn EQi and CPI 260 can help you become a an inspiring and visionary leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams.

We provide strategic talent management solutions to select and develop emotionally intelligent leaders and lawyers.

The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded two rare "Board Approved" designations for Dr. Maynard Brusman in the specialties of Executive/Leadership Coaching and Trusted Advisor to Attorneys and Law Firms.

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P.O. Box 471525San Francisco, California 94147-1525Tel: 415-546-1252Fax: 415-721-7322E-mail: mbrusman@workingresources.com Web Site: http://www.workingresources.com

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New Leader For The Future

By Vidya Mulia

The leader for the future leads for achieving the best target than the leader at previous time. Individual, the present leader, a group of people and importance prepare him to be the new leader. A good organization has good stage to form of cadres. The organization can make it by the cultural accumulation or by the arts of the organization. Meanwhile, a bad organization has bad stage to change its leader. This organization does leadership by conflict or problem. In this case, the bad organization performs a conflict that force to form a leadership.

To create new leader, people state many conditions. However, the most important is, a person should comprehend the past time of his organization. Then he has to design an attitude for the future time of his organization. He has to have a constructive reformation spirit. Then, he has to be able to perform his plan in good manner with all the members of the organization. A leader should retain those basics in restructuring his organization to achieve the best target.

In creating the cadres of new leader, companies often do management trainee. With its variations and levels, the management trainee is the trusted way to embrace the best cadres of new leader. Some of the companies in Indonesia proof the best side of the management trainee.

The new leader should be prepared as a person that is able to understand and solve the problems. He is also able to do the operation of the organization in detailed. A formal organization really requires the well-prepared leader. The social or government organization owns the similar thing. However, the top leader in the government tends to the political importance that has authority as its orientation; consequently, the people often meet blurred character of the leader. While the leader turns to be the symbol for the organization, the persons who have long period authority become the operators of the organization. Every one can be a leader for the next era because everyone is the leader for his or her selves.

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Emotional Intelligence At Work

By Kevin Dwyer

Emotional intelligence is more than 90 % of what makes the difference between one leader's success and another leader's failure. Intelligence measured by IQ is less than 20% of what makes the difference.

This is a popular refrain of Emotional Intelligence devotees. Is it true? My experiences with a group of twelve people in a hospitality organisation strongly suggest it is true.

The twelve people were part of a leadership development programme. In two groups of six, they attended face-to-face training over six months consisting of:

Leading yourself (two days)
Leading others (two days) and,
Leading change (two days)

During the three months between the face-to-face training, each team of six was required to complete a project in their own time, which would take them out of their individual comfort zones. As a team, they had never worked together before. Their backgrounds were as far apart as massage therapy, financial control, event management, kitchen and golf course maintenance.

As part of the two days on leading yourself, they completed an analysis using the Simmons EQ profile ably administered by Bob Wall.

Over the six months of training and the following three months after the training I came to a number of conclusions from observing their behaviour and relating it to their EQ profile.

The "after you" team

One of the teams had the following profile of Assertive, Tolerance, Considerate and Sociable attributes on a scale of one to ten:

Assertive: mostly unassertive - five at or below 5, one at 6.5 (10 is very unassertive)

Tolerance: very tolerant - six at 7 or higher (10 is very tolerant)

Considerate: generally not considerate of others - four below 5 and two between 5 and 7 (10 is very considerate)

Sociable: at the extremes of sociability - three at 4 or less, three at 7 or more, (10 is very sociable)

The first three months of their project meetings were depicted by no-one leading. Everyone refused to make an assertion about what they thought should happen and who should do it.

The sociable group met separately from the non-sociable group. Whilst they were not willing to assert what they believed they were coincidentally the group who were less considerate and spent much time criticising other's commitment.

They achieved little during those three months. All bar the project manager had a courage score of less than 5. Being risk averse as a group and generally unassertive, they did not want to challenge others at the property to get information to them on-time and in the manner they needed it.

Team selection was made before the EQ profiles were completed. If, however, their Emotional Intelligence could have been tested before selection, this team would not have been selected to achieve the difficult outcome they were given in their project.

At the end of three months they were required to make a report on their project progress. It was not pretty. They did poorly and the general manager let them know.

Their reaction to the feedback was dramatic. They changed both as a group and as individuals. The next three months were much more productive as they worked on improving their individual limitations, having experienced what impact they, as individuals, were having on the group.

The "Let ME do it" team

The other team had the following profile of Assertive, Tolerance, Considerate and Sociable attributes on a scale of one to ten:

Assertive: mostly very assertive - one below 5, five at 6 or higher (10 is very unassertive)

Tolerance: at extremes of tolerance - three below 5, three above 5 (10 is very tolerant)

Considerate: mostly inconsiderate of others - five below 5 including two below 2 and one above 5 (10 is very considerate)

Sociable: mostly sociable - one at less than 2, one at less than 5, four at 6 or above (10 is very sociable)

This team was expected to interact better because of the diversity of attributes and the combination of sociability, low tolerance and high assertiveness of most individuals. They did. They started with the speed and power of an express train. The very afternoon their project was explained to them, they started work contacting people, setting up appointments to get information and brainstorming ideas.

They all had high (greater than 6) change attribute scores and coped well with new ideas and changes in direction over the first three months. Their high work scores (five well above 5) and energy scores (five above 5 with two above 6.5) predicted they would work hard. They did.

Their mid-term project review was excellent. If we rated it out of ten, the score would have been seven or eight. The first team would have scored two or three.

With the positive feedback they received one might have expected them to power on. They did not. The general work environment outside the project was challenging. Time started to become difficult to set aside and fatigue was a factor. The low consideration levels kicked in and self preservation became the order of the day for four of the team.

This manifested itself in two ways. Two people withdrew, doing the minimum required to stay attached to the programme. Two people shifted their focus to where they thought the highest level of recognition lay on any one day. The other two, which included the project manager, soldiered on to complete the project as best they could, maximising their learning along the way. The project manager was the only one with a high consideration score.

The learners versus the deniers

The group of twelve as a whole can be split into:

those who learnt a lot about themselves and who are, today, better leaders,

those who learnt a little and can talk about what's needed to be a better leader and,

two who did not identify with the work required to change their profile and made no progress.

The common attributes of the two who did not learn were low consideration, very high assertiveness, low optimism, moderate work, and low detail.

When life got tough, they worked for themselves only.

Overall learning

What I learnt during this six month period was that before people can utilise their emotional skills and have the drive to improve where they are weak, they must have a sense of direction. The sense of direction must first and foremost be personal. Without a personal goal people get lost. They have nothing to calibrate their current status in life against and no creative tension to drive the formation of skills, including emotional skills.

The behaviour of people in both teams changed for the better when they had a goal to believe in and for the worse without one. The first team as a whole, improved greatly. They developed skills and improved their emotional intelligence. When they knew they had done poorly in the first report out, their goal was simply not to feel that way again.

The second team tasted too much success and praise too early. After receiving the praise most of the team had a goal of completing the project with as little disruption to their normal work hours as possible.

The project leader of the second team had a goal to learn as much as he could about financial planning, project and people management. He wanted to improve his emotional intelligence attributes where he thought it would improve his people management skills. He remained constant, learnt the most and grew the most.

What I have also learnt is that emotional intelligence does indeed have a large bearing on how people cope. Not just with day-to-day life, but more importantly in times of stress. What I also unexpectedly learnt was that The Simmons EQ profile is an accurate predictor of behaviour and competence at work.

Kevin Dwyer is the founder of Change Factory. Change Factory helps organisations who do not like their business outcomes to get better outcomes by changing people's behaviour. Businesses we help have greater clarity of purpose and ability to achieve their desired business outcomes. Visit our website to learn more or see more articles on Leadership ©2008 Change Factory

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Executive Coaching For Visionary Leaders - A Leadership Map For The Future

By Maynard Brusman

Visionary Leadership

Leaders need to create a vision for the future. It is human nature for people to want to know where the organization is headed and how they fit into the strategic plan.

I frequently consult with companies to help them develop competency models as part of their selection and succession management processes. The challenge is to change the competency models to reflect any changes in the strategy and vision so that all processes are aligned.
How well do you do as a leader in predicting the future?

Keeping up, staying up and getting ahead are now more difficult than we have previously imagined. There is no turning back, but there is turning forward. Mike Jay.

Predictions for the future can be stimulating and challenging, especially if one is a top executive in a business enterprise attempting to make strategic decisions. Our rapidly changing global environment presents problems never before encountered. No one knows what will be required of leaders in the future, but some speculation is worthy of our attention.

Predictions from experts in their fields have not always been accurate. Here are a few examples:
o In 1899 the U.S. Commissioner of Patents, Charles Duell, declared, Everything that can be invented has been invented.

o In 1905, President Grover Cleveland prophesied, Sensible and responsible women do not want to vote.

o When Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, wrote a student paper proposing an overnight delivery service, his professor wrote: The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a C, the idea must be feasible.

o Even Bill Gates once mused, 640K of memory ought to be enough for anybody.

New industries are in their gestational phases. Some are already well on their way to becoming established products and services.

- Micro-robotics or miniature robots built from atomic particles that could unclog arteries

- Machine translation or devices that will provide real-time translation between people conversing in different languages

- Digital highways that will make available to any home instant access to knowledge and entertainment

- Urban underground automated distribution systems to reduce traffic congestionVirtual meeting rooms to eliminate business travel

- Bio-mimetic materials that will duplicate properties found in living organisms

- Satellite-based personal communicators that will allow instant communication to anyone anywhere in the world

-n Machines capable of emotions, inference, and learning that will interact with human beings in entirely new ways

- Bioremediation or custom-designed organisms that will help clean up the environment of the earth.

Each of these opportunities is by nature global, with no single nation or region likely to control all the technologies and skills required to turn them into reality. Any firm wishing to become a leader will have to collaborate with and learn from leading-edge customers, technology providers, and suppliers wherever they are located (Hamel & Prahalad, Competing for the Future, 1994). Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the BarOn EQi and CPI 260 can help you become a a more inspiring and visionary leader. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams.

We provide strategic talent management solutions to select and develop emotionally intelligent leaders and lawyers.

The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded two rare "Board Approved" designations for Dr. Maynard Brusman in the specialties of Executive/Leadership Coaching and Trusted Advisor to Attorneys and Law Firms.

Subscribe to Working Resources FREE electronic newsletter at http://www.workingresources.com

Visit Maynard's Blog at http:// http://www.WorkingResourcesBlog.com

P.O. Box 471525San Francisco, California 94147-1525Tel: 415-546-1252Fax: 415-721-7322E-mail: mbrusman@workingresources.comWeb Site: http://www.workingresources.com

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Leadership Development For A Diverse World - How To Lead Globally

By Maynard Brusman

How to Lead Globally

Enlightened leaders now and in the future must be learning agile. They must be able to engage people with different values and perspectives.

Communicating across multi-cultural and multi-generational communities is becoming more important as a competency for leaders in the future. A lot more of managing and leading will have to be done virtually.

Only a few of the prominent business schools have begun to teach new and future leaders how to manage diverse cultures in a virtual environment. Yet this is a clearly emerging competency.

Even smaller companies will become global and be required to work in a global environment. Expect to see an increase in diversity issues arise in leadership development programs. The use of executive coaches is expected to gain priority as a primary tool for developing diversity competencies for leaders.

Dissolving Boundaries

Leadership, when simply defined, is all about bringing people together to make something happen. Effective leaders galvanize attention and get people moving forward together. However, organizations are increasingly complex. The past is no longer a map for how to do business in the future.

Leaders of the future must have an increased ability to be flexible, and open to learning. They must be able to manage the tension created by diversity and differing perspectives. They must be able to coordinate and reach consensus, while keeping the focus on common goals and values.

The global nature of business means improving our abilities to work and lead across diverse cultures. Leaders must understand the different legal, political, religious, gender and generational perspectives in different regions and countries. How do their organization’s products and services impact the people in the areas where they are doing business? Are the organization’s employees and executives able to respond to differing needs in a flexible and rapid manner? Can leaders manage the tension that is inherent in multi-cultural environments?

For many organizations having difficulty managing cultural diversity within their own domestic offices, it will be even more challenging to meet global demands. Flexible leaders who are capable of managing diverse groups of people both domestically and throughout the world will have the competitive edge.

Alliances, partnerships, mergers, and outsourcing have all changed the way we do business. Industry boundaries are blurring. Team boundaries must be fluid in order to share information and enable better decision-making. Leaders who are adept at building relationships and leveraging partnerships will have a competitive advantage for the future. The ability to guide diverse groups to consensus by focusing on common purpose and core values will be a highly prized competency.

Working with a seasoned executive coach trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating leadership assessments such as the BarOn EQi and CPI 260 can help you become a a more inspiring and visionary leader who can manage diverse cultures. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become happily engaged with the strategy and vision of the company.

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams.

We provide strategic talent management solutions to select and develop emotionally intelligent leaders and lawyers.

The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded two rare "Board Approved" designations for Dr. Maynard Brusman in the specialties of Executive/Leadership Coaching and Trusted Advisor to Attorneys and Law Firms.

Subscribe to Working Resources FREE electronic newsletter at http://www.workingresources.com

Visit Maynard's Blog at http:// http://www.WorkingResourcesBlog.com
P.O. Box 471525San Francisco, California 94147-1525Tel: 415-546-1252Fax: 415-721-7322E-mail: mbrusman@workingresources.comWeb Site: http://www.workingresources.com

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Where Leaders Excel

By Duane Zobrist

I had an interesting experience recently that reinforced the idea that, sometimes, even under the best leadership, problems can arise. On a recent spring day I boarded an eight passenger raft to spend the day on some pristine West Virginia white water.Our raft was giddy with anticipation as we honed our paddling skills. "All forward, back left-forward right, all back" shouted our experienced guide. The boat promptly responded and with pride in our paddling skills, the guide pointed the raft towards the first rapid.

Our team braved the early rapids well and had developed strong enough skills that the afternoon's big rapids would be passable. While our boat full of "Class A" personalities was prepared, the boat of teenagers form the local camp was not as confident. Their trip leader was very skilled, but evidently flustered by her inattentive team of teens.

Unfortunately, as if often the case in both business and life, the skills of the leader alone were not enough to keep this raft out of danger. As this well guided, but poorly paddled raft began its descent through the largest rapid of the day, the paddlers, decided to disregard their leader's direction. Within a split second, the rapids overpowered the guide and the raft careened towards the large protruding rock we were all told to avoid.

The pandemonium increased as the raft collided with the rock, and under the pressure of the water became pinned. Both paddlers and guide were ejected from the boat and as we floated by, the look of sheer terror was prominent. All the guides in the surrounding boats were rallied, swimming paddlers were recovered, the boat was unpinned and two hours later the trip resumed.

Often as leaders in an organization, you will face a similar dilemma. Your responsibilities are covered; your direct reports are doing fine and your revenue goals will be met, then it happens. You round the bend in the river, and you are headed for the rock. This is where true leaders excel. Are you able to rally those around you and avoid the rock, or will you end up, through no fault of your own, pinned?

Duane Zobrist is a consultant, speaker and adventurer. Duane has earned a reputation as a sought after speaker. His engaging style and use of experiential activities create lasting impressions and are often the catalyst for corporate or personal change. Learn more by visiting http://www.duanezobrist.com

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