Leading in Uncertain Times

By Susan Tomlinson

Unless you are one of the Super Rich then there will be very few who will not have been touched by the credit crunch, rising fuel and food prices and global economic and environmental changes. Alan Greenspan predicts that 'the current financial crisis in the US is likely to be judged in retrospect as the most wrenching since the end of the Second World War' (FT, 16 March 2008).

In this situation the natural reaction for businesses is to stop recruiting, lay off staff and spend as little as possible on training and development. Bucking the trend is likely to be a more successful option. Evidence from the last downturn showed that those companies who laid off or failed to develop key staff struggled to regain ground when the economy bounced back.

Developing and retaining leaders will be critical to organizational success in the long term. Towers Perrin-ISR researched global high performing organizations and compared their employee opinion survey scores with those of other global companies. The global high performers outperformed the rest in leadership effectiveness by 14%.

Leaders who can steer a path through stormy waters, manage costs and identify new growth will be in demand in a tighter more competitive environment. To succeed leaders will need to

• Have the courage to take tough and effective decisions
• Build the confidence of employees by communicating a strong vision for the future
• Sustain high performance for themselves and their team
• Be alert to innovative and imaginative solutions

The quickest way to support and develop leaders is through bespoke coaching programmes that focus on the business in hand.

Susan Tomlinson provides bepoke solutions to improve the motivation and performance of managers and their teams. She specialises in helping women in business to build confidence and success. Get her valuable tips and resources and the workbook "Speaking for Success" at http://www.realcoachingsolutions.co.uk/productsandservices/success.htm

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How to Build Strong and Effective Leadership Skills

By Richard Saldan

A good leadership style is often difficult to define as it is more qualitative than quantitative. Some say that a good leader gets the job done, while others argue that a good leader simply inspires and motivates his team. In other words, a good leader gets the work done by inspiring others and he does so, because not only does he know the best method of doing the job, but he helps the doer to look at the bigger canvas. He shows him the path of progress, of independence and the route to success. To put it simply a good leader knows how to get the best out of his team. He has a vision which he constantly shares with his people.

But how does a person get to develop leadership skills? Is it an innate quality or can a person be trained to develop such skills? The right way to approach such issues would be to understand a bit of history and scrutinize leadership styles and traits of people who have made a mark in this world. We have seen through the biographies of several world leaders that many of them were initially shy and reticent by nature but firm in their decisions and assertive in the implementation of such decisions. Each leader has his own way of leading people ultimately persuading them to think the way he does. Incidentally, leadership is not restricted to authority, designation or power of the chair. Leadership traits can be evident even in the smallest fry in the department – who is willing to take on responsibility, who is committed and who has tremendous tenacity to see a job through till its completion. Be that as it may, analyzing the traits and styles of many historical as well as contemporary leaders one can surmise that while some leadership qualities can be innate, these skills need to be honed and fine-tuned further. This does not exclude people who were born without any visible leadership skills. Even such people can be a leader provided he has a strong determination and develops himself through a continuous process of self analysis, training and personal experience.

How does our institute train people to become future leaders and build the most efficient team in an organisation? Our training module is based on certain intrinsic beliefs about leadership traits which we train people to learn and adopt. The keystone of modern leadership style involves building a strong team within the organization – where individual ambition is given an opportunity to dovetail with corporate mission and vision. Team building is an important job of a successful leader where each and every member shares the same magnificent vision which the leader has. A thorough knowledge of individual strengths and weaknesses is another important skill of a leader which we help to develop. The way we look at it is that when a leader knows the core competence of his team, he can use the potential of his workforce to the fullest. Motivational and inspirational qualities are important for the leader to inject his team with renewed enthusiasm even in the face of failures or obstacles.

Our leadership and team building training takes an integrated approach where importance is given to areas including: recruiting and retaining the right people in the organization; rewarding as well as retribution skills; job allocation and rotation skills; harnessing talent to move in the right direction which is in line with organizational goals; development of core competence in every individual working in his team. If leadership is all about how well he manages to delegate responsibilities, we believe that it also includes his skills to build his successor. The sooner he does this successfully, the quicker is his personal growth.

Richard Saldan is a motivational speaker and master magician. His programs will rivet your audience with his stunning magic and proven strategies of success. Richard is exceptionally dedicated, committed, and enthusiastic. For extraordinary results, visit: http://www.motivationalmagic.com

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Strategic Thinking For Leaders

By Bryant Nielson

The process of strategic thinking allows us to analyze situations and problems - and then prepare the plan that will take us to new levels or through a change. First, let's look at the difference between strategic thinking and strategic planning, and put our focus on thinking. Strategic thinking is the input to planning, the creation of a vision for the future. Strategic planning, then, is the roadmap from where we are to where we want to be, the answer having appeared in our thinking process. We probably do quite a bit of strategic thinking in all aspects of our lives, but it's necessary to put it on a formal level in order to really take action. What are the benefits of strategic thinking?

First, strategic thinking allows us to solve problems collaboratively and from varying perspectives. In a true strategic thinking process, even if the only person involved is you, different perspectives will emerge. Second, strategic thinking helps us manage change. We are able to analyze not only where we want to be after a change, but also the impacts and issues that will occur during the change. Finally, strategic thinking for its own sake creates new possibilities and opportunities. Sometimes a broad range of topic categories in a brainstorming session can lead us to fantastic new ideas.

The process itself revolves around asking questions. To start, honesty will be of great importance in the answers to the questions you'll ask. If you're employing strategic thinking techniques for yourself, you'll have to take a good look in the mirror and be honest about what you see. First, you must determine strengths and weaknesses, of the person, group, or company. The best tool for this is a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis. Take a large sheet of paper, divide it into four quadrants, and label each as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are usually easy to determine, but what about opportunities and threats? This takes more analysis, more future predictions based on fact.

Once you've answered your SWOT, you have to ask, "just what is the big picture?" This is where you'll think about where you or the organization needs to be. In a family situation, let's say conflict arises every night at bedtime. Obviously the place you want to be is conflict-free. In filling in the big picture, don't overcomplicate matters - yet. It's easy to paint a picture of the ideal if you don't cloud it with detail. Leave that for your planning process.

Next, consider all points of view. Andy Grove, the former chairman of Intel Corporation, always said that the best way to solve a problem was to take yourself and your emotions out of it - and observe it as an outsider. Of course this again means that you'll have to take a hard look at yourself and your group. This also means that after you've looked at the overall situation, you may have to go back in, still as an outsider, and analyze why people feel and act they way they do when confronted with the problem.

Finally, you must determine what will drive the change when you go forward. What will drive the move from where the group is now to where it will be? Your powers of observation will come in very handy at this point - you must find out what motivates people. What inspires them to action? You can also use the observation as a way to determine the group's capacity for the change. In a corporate environment, you may find yourself hoisting change on the wrong group, or a group that's simply not equipped to handle it at the time. From there, the problem becomes which group to move to or how to equip the current group.

One of the best ways to begin any type of strategic thinking is to hold a brainstorming session. GE held sessions like these under Jack Welch - and they later became a formal problem solving vehicle that all business units took part in. It could be as informal as the family sitting around the kitchen table discussing the issues. Or, let's say it's a church group that's about to embark on a big change in policy, doctrine, or business. In either case, you as the natural leader should strive to get everyone involved, record the honest feedback of the group, and use it to shape the vision.

Once you've been through the thinking process, you'll be ready to create a plan of execution - that roadmap from where you are now to where you want to be.

Copyright 2007-2008 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

Bryant Nielson - National Corporate Sales Trainer - assists executives, business owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary. Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for many sales organizations. Bryant's 27 year business career has been based on his results-oriented style of empowering.

Subscribe to his blog at: http://www.BryantNielson.com

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Secrets of Leadership

By Robert Reed

The influence of leaders on business is irrefutable. Great leaders create great businesses. Average leaders create average businesses. Leaders are the ones that set the vision. They set the tone for the organization and lay the foundation for what's to come. Many leaders find that in order to achieve greatness they must not only bring wisdom to the table but also an air of charisma or charm. People long to find and follow someone they can believe in, someone that they trust, respect and admire, from near and from far. Entrepreneurs understand this and use their intelligence, integrity and class to speak for themselves, and make others want to speak more about them. Entrepreneurs are naturally great leaders and own successful businesses that increase in value and throw off generous cash flow. They are able to lead their companies to victory because they know the seven secrets of Leadership, which are as follows:

1. Have a Critical Eye - As the captain of your business, you must confront reality and recognize what's working and not working and make changes accordingly. Remember Pareto's Law - 80 percent of company profits typically come from 20 percent of the products and customers. You need to know where your 80 percent is coming from and focus on making them happy and consider getting rid of the rest of your clients and seeking more like the ones that are most profitable. Don't worry about hurting people's feelings or shaking up the status quo. Change is inevitable, but it is always easier to deal with if you initiate it. Remaining static in a changing market is actually riskier than actively shifting your strategy.

2. Accentuate the Positive - Focus on your business' strengths rather than diverting attention to correct problems. As the leader, you can't get bogged down in the minutia of the business, nor can you get distracted from the focused strategy. Delegate the task of correcting problems if you must, otherwise keep your focus on building your business' strengths and doing what you do best be it gaining new business or creating new products or services.

3. Accept the Coming Change - We all know from the classic business fable Who Moved My Cheese that it's best to anticipate change and move with it, but it's a constant battle to keep you and your company from becoming complacent. Accept the inevitability of change - it offers great opportunity. By accepting and anticipating change, you can stay on top of your market. How is the economy affecting your sector? How can you reposition your product or service to stay ahead of the competition? What can you add to your value to keep it relevant?

4. No One Can Sell Your Business Like You Can - Be passionate about your business at all times. If you're not convinced that the product or service you are providing is phenomenal, your customers won't be either. As the head of the business, anyone you talk to is a potential client and they will either be attracted to your business by your positivity and passion or repelled by your negativity. As a leader, you are always on, so wherever you are, you must always be ready to talk the talk, business style.

5. Consistency is Key - Consistency of promises and delivery builds confidence and signifies reliability. It is always best to under promise and over deliver to your customers every time. Consistently making patrons happy is what creates loyal repeat business. How can you track and make sure that you are reliably satisfying customers? Can you put out comment cards or poll your clients without bothering them? Can you have mystery shoppers put your team to test?

6. Play a High Value on Continuity - It takes know-how to do a job well over time. Keeping employees happy will keep them around and increase your level of continuity. A high value should be put into finding good employees, training them well, clearly explaining their role and the objectives that they are responsible for and keeping them happy and thus around. If you have high turnover, ask your employees for critical feedback. This can be done anonymously for the most honest answers. It's hard to make your customers happy if you are constantly dealing with employee loss and job dissatisfaction.

7. Keep the Faith - Replace your fear with faith, that is, belief in your ability to succeed. By working hard, pushing for superior value and customer service while keeping your employees happy, you will succeed. The path to flourishing has many twists and turns and can be scary at times. The true Entrprenuer stays strong and shows courage and determination throughout the life of their business venture. The positive people who hold on to this belief get through the hard times and make it in the cutthroat business world. Make sure that you keep the faith.

Written by Robert D. Reed, this article was based on the book, The Chic Entrepreneur by Elizabeth Gordon. Published by Robert D. Reed Publishers http://www.rdrpublishers.com

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Leadership Tools For Inspiration and Motivation

By Bryant Nielson

Inspiration and motivation are musts for any leader. You can have perfect structures, awesome communication, and loads of emotional intelligence, but they aren't worth much if your group is not inspired and motivated to keep moving. What are some of the ways you can inspire and motivate?

First, you should take the time to encourage others. Don't confuse this with coaching - this is simply the act of telling people in the group that you believe in them and that their work is valuable to you and the organization. When you encourage this way, you can also cross the line into empowerment. Sometimes, you can encourage a person by telling them that you believe in their abilities to make decisions - and allow them to do it. Encouragement and empowerment go a long way to create an inspired atmosphere. Jack Welch famously said that the best way to harness people's power is to "let them loose, let them go."

With this newfound empowerment, you should try to create energy in other ways. For example, you must know what motivates people. In community organizations, it may be the motivation to create a better world, to help people. In your family, members could be motivated by personal factors or just the desire to do something, like playing soccer or taking ballet. In corporate situations, you may find that money, praise, or the promise of advancement motivates some people. When you look for motivation, think about your group and break it down from there. Remember that creating energy involves putting the spotlight on others' successes. Many times, the leader of a group is the one who receives the congratulations when things go well - if the members of your group truly contributed to the effort, you should have no problem giving them credit. The fact that your group is competent will only make your leadership look brighter. With empowerment and the spotlight comes accountability. If someone falls short of a goal, you must find out why and hold that person accountable for it. It's a way of teaching that the authority of empowerment comes with serious responsibility. We'll talk about coaching in an upcoming Foundations of Leadership article.

Show your investment and commitment to the group. It may be easy to empower, but what do you do when a person seems to reach their zenith with nowhere else to go? It may be time to send them for education or conferences. Think about the possibility of rotating people in the group through other areas of responsibility. You, as the leader, must prove that you are committed to success and that you are willing to invest in group members to keep them. This is probably easier in corporate situations, where there may be a budget for education or rotation. What about a community organization? Think about the ways you can show investment in the group where cost may be a factor. Perhaps cross-training group members in other functions could be a way to show that you value their contributions and that you're willing to do what it takes to keep them around. When you go home, take the time and money for soccer teams or dance lessons - as long as the accountability is there, you can prove that you want to see advancement.

The spirit of inspiration and motivation continues by driving for results. One of the best ways to do this is to set realistic but challenging goals - you're already aware of the group's abilities and motivations, so why not give them something to reach for? And show urgency in your drive for results - goals should always have a challenging timeline attached to them. Of course, any forward movement will almost always run across challenges and obstacles. You have to show that the momentum must continue in spite of the obstacles and challenges. You can either move the obstacles out of the way or challenge the group to come up with creative ways to go around the obstacle. Either way, you're inspiring the group to keep moving and keep thinking. Are goals and timelines applicable outside of corporate settings? In most cases they are. Think about your community and family involvement and what kind of goals you can set in order to keep people motivated.

When you inspire and motivate a group, you'll be surprised at the energy and loyalty you'll create.

Copyright 2007-2008 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.

Bryant Nielson - National Corporate Sales Trainer - assists executives, business owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary. Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for many sales organizations. Bryant's 27 year business career has been based on his results-oriented style of empowering.

Subscribe to his blog at: http://www.BryantNielson.com

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Seven Gifts of Great Leaders

By Billy Arcemenet

St. Thomas Aquinas is considered by many to be the Catholic Church’s greatest theologian and philosopher. Among the many great works he created, Aquinas wrote about the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. As I was reminded of these gifts during a recent Sunday church service, I thought it would be relevant to take them out of the spiritual realm and bring them to the workplace. I’ve renamed the list the Seven Gifts of Great Leaders.

Wisdom: Henry David Thoreau wrote, "It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things." The free encyclopedia defines wisdom as "The ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting." Leaders who can take these two ideas and blend them into their philosophy of leadership will avoid desperation by being excellent judges of the truth. Wise leaders always deal with the truth and will always act on that truth. Their judgment is always consistent and while their choices may not always be the most popular ones, they are always the best choices.

Knowledge: One certainly must possess knowledge in order to grow wisdom. Aquinas writes that the gift of knowledge perfects a person’s practical reason on matters of judgment about truth. As a leadership philosophy, one uses practical reasoning to decide how to act, i.e. how you will undertake a task. From a cognitive position, strong leaders ignore the unproductive possibilities in favor of productive ones. The more leaders gain knowledge, the better they are able to find the truth and make decisions consistent with that truth.

Counsel: We might also call this being able to provide the "right judgment." Those we lead look to us for guidance on how things should be done. And, they expect decisions to be properly weighed before made and then made in the best interest of all people affected by the decision. That process is prudent and perfects a person’s practical reason I talked about in the previous point.

Fortitude: This is the expectation everyone has for their leader. They want to see courage and firmness of mind to accomplish what is right and ward off what can be detrimental to the welfare of people and the organization. Having the "intestinal fortitude" to do the right thing is a common description of a leader who uses this gift properly. The more difficult the decision, the stronger the fortitude needed to finish in the proper place. No one ever said leading was easy.

Understanding: Last month I wrote about "Common Sense" leadership. Possessing understanding makes one a "common sense" leader. Being able to exercise the right judgment; possessing the ability to follow the right principles of leadership requires understanding. Wisdom creates understanding thus allowing the right decision process to take place.

Piety: For me, piety in a leadership role means possessing goodness. In this sense, a pious leader would be one that always seeks to exemplify good and always seeks to bring out goodness in others and in the entity they lead. Does this always work? I wish I could say a resounding "yes" to that question. But the truth is that even the best of leaders will fail in achieving the goodness they seek. That however doe not mean a strong leader gives up on the idea of piety or goodness in the workplace.

Fear of the Lord: In this religious continuation, the word "fear" really means wonder and awe. So translated to leadership this means having the people you lead thinking the job you are doing is the best. They are in awe of the wisdom, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, understanding and piety you possess. When you’ve established this step in the leadership model, you’ve created great followship. And, as you know, if you have no followers, you are not leading.

Closing Thoughts

If anyone wishes to do more reading on the seven gifts discussed, I’d suggest doing a query on Google "Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit" and click on the links provided. I found tons of stuff out there that could have kept me reading for a week. All the information can be used as food to create a stronger leadership effort and it’s not bad food to create a stronger personal spirituality as well.

Billy Arcement, MEd., is a Professional Speaker, Consultant, Leadership Strategist and President of The Results Group. He wrote the books, Searching for Success and Journeying on Holy Ground. Learn more about his services at www.SearchingForSuccess.com 2008. All rights reserved. Use by permission.

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Personal Leadership

By Ann Vanino

For me, leadership is personal. It starts with the individual. Each person brings who they are to the task of leading. If you are a leader or aspire to leadership, I ask you: Is all well in your world? Are you happy? Are you operating at maximum efficiency? If your answer is "yes," then the world is a better place. Personal leadership is about management of self. You start with you, so that you can effectively lead others.

We have all seen leaders who are not managing their life very well. They are leading, but they are not giving their best. Their leadership skills suffer. We have also seen leaders at the top of their game, who manage their lives well. Their leadership skills thrive and those around them are inspired.

Here are some elements of personal leadership:

Balance

Balance is a state of equilibrium among the various demands of your life. Balance is dynamic as opposed to static. For the most part, you are constantly making adjustments, sometimes minor sometimes major, to achieve balance. Maintaining balance allows you to function effectively and productively as you lead.

Fulfillment

Fulfillment comes when you are living the life you want to live. You are able to give your all and be energized by your work. Your being and your work are a match. Your work flows and what you need comes to you. You are aligned with your destiny.

A Positive Relationship with Time

For years, management consultants and self-improvement experts have advised you to "manage" time. Planners, organizers and linear structures are useful, but in reality there is too much information and too many demands on your time to properly manage them. Time cannot be managed, you have to manage yourself.

Focus

Focus allows you to channel your energies to create the life you want. Without focus, things do not happen. Creating focus begins with identifying the top priorities in your life. Once your priorities are identified, spend your time honoring those priorities and getting them done.

Confidence

Confidence attracts people. As a leader if you project self-confidence, people will want to follow you. Confidence involves self-knowledge and appropriate humility. A lack of confidence belies problems that sabotage your personal leadership.

How are you doing with your personal leadership? Here are some things you can do to build your personal leadership skills.

CONDUCT A PERSONAL LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT

Ask yourself the questions below. Analyze your answers to help you determine how you are doing and if there are any areas you need to work on.

Are there "energy drains" you would like to eliminate from your life?

Is your life in balance?

Do you choose what the components of your life will be?

Do you focus on priorities?

Are there elements of your life that are not fulfilling?

Do you live in the present moment?

How is your relationship with time?

Are your relationships and friendships supportive and fulfilling?

Do you like the way you present yourself to the world?

Are you maximizing your impact, using all you are?

Are you healthy?

Are there any fears that have gotten the better of you?

Are you speaking your true voice?

OBSERVE EFFECTIVE LEADERS

The power of observation cannot be discounted. Identify several people that you think are effective leaders. Turn the lens of your observing from how they lead to how they manage their life. Read about them. If you have the opportunity, interview them. For each person you observe, do your best to determine how their self-management affects their ability to lead. From this observation identify your key learnings about personal leadership and how you will apply them to your life.

CREATE FOCUS

Identify the top three things you want to focus on in your life. For each thing, identify what you need to do over the next year to achieve it. Set a plan.

ELIMINATE IMPEDIMENTS

What is holding you back from being the best you can be? Answer this question and let go of what no longer serves you.

Your external leadership skills need a strong foundation within. Personal leadership can provide that foundation. Change within will lead to change without.

Ann Vanino is a business coach, consultant and trainer who specializes in helping people find fulfillment at work. Ann's book, Leadership on Trial: Lessons from The Apprentice offers leadership lessons from the popular TV show. You can learn more about Ann and her work at http://www.MovingForward.net . You can reach Ann at E-mail: Ann@MovingForward.net or Phone: 661-944-6329 (US.)

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Common Sense Leadership

By Billy Arcement

As I read about leadership and management topics and observe events in my consulting services that occur within organizations, I sometimes wonder where some of today’s managers and leaders get their rationale for making decisions regarding people. It’s almost like they have lost plain old common sense when it comes to relating and working with the people they lead and go out of their way to create chaos. Here are a few ideas I’ve picked up during my 50+ years of being thrust into leadership and management roles that I hope prove valuable to you as you strive to bring your common sense leadership into your world of work.

Provide clear direction. Too often leaders assume workers understand their instructions regarding job details. Never forget that it up to the person sending the message to make sure that those receiving it understand the meaning. Never assume, and always be very explicit with your directions. Ask for feedback to be sure understanding is clear and, if necessary, provide training to shore-up skills to get the job done right. Don’t set up people to fail. Remember their failure does reflect on your leadership abilities.

Recognize and reward good performance. We all like to experience feelings of importance. Genuinely be appreciative when workers get the job done right, on time, and at minimum expense. Use staff meetings and on-the-spot encouragement to let people know you appreciate their efforts. When appropriate, and consistent with organizational policies, offer a reward. It can be as simple as a sincere thank you, a lunch with you or as rewarding as a promotion with more responsibility and pay. Recognize and win!

Strive to remove tension in the workplace. Research shows that too little or too much tension has the same result—suboptimal productivity. Maintaining the proper tension is a balancing act for leaders. One must recognize that when tension is too low employees tend to relax, not take on challenges, reduce their efforts and lower their productivity. Like wise, when tension is too high, the workplace becomes prone to employee accidents and sicknesses. Anxieties and stress begin to dominate the workplace thus also losing productivity. Common sense leaders strive to find the proper middle ground. One must always have their antenna up to pick up worker signals. One must also understand that leadership style is a tension builder or tension reducer.

Learn to emulate the traits great leaders possess. Extensive research into what qualities great leaders possess has identified the following as important abilities. Use your common sense and see to it that these traits become part of your leadership style. It’s a good list to start creating a bold, new approach to leading others.

Vision, purpose, and direction: Do you know where you want to take the organization, why you want to get there and how you will do it?

Technical / Administrative skills: Do you have the understanding and tools to get the job done and can you keep the activities flowing in an effective and efficient manner?

Cognition / idea presentation / thinking skills: Can you process the information (knowledge) needed in a way that is understandable and are your people able to sufficiently utilize their thinking abilities to help smooth the path to success?

Drive and motivation: Are you willing to persist and strive to overcome obstacles and moments of discouragement in order to accomplish the vision?

Trust and respect (in both directions): Have I earned respect and trust rather than demanding it?

Teamwork and collaboration: Do I have a good understanding that I cannot do everything alone?

Ability to empower and enable performance: Am I willing to trust that people can help and do I support training to grow their skills?

Capacity to coach, appraise, and reward performance (give feedback): Do I recognize the difference between good and poor performance?

Workers rank these abilities in order of importance to them. As part of the research, workers were shown the above list and ranked the list in order of importance to them. As you carry out your common sense approach to leading, look at how these workers ranked the list and then run the same research with your team of workers. That approach is clearly common sense leadership and might make for an interesting discovery. Capacity to coach, appraise, and reward performance Ability to empower and enable performance Teamwork and collaboration Trust and respect Vision, purpose, and direction Cognition / idea presentation / thinking skills Technical / Administrative Skills Drive and Motivation

Never forget people are watching. I’m always amazed at leaders who continually alienate workers, demonstrate an untrusting management style, grab power and control by stepping on others, and in general are not people persons. These individuals clearly have lost their sense of direction. They lack real common sense when it comes to leading and relating to others. Workers watch your actions much more intently than they listen to your words and the end result is a high tension, low productivity working environment when there is incongruency.

Maximize the skills and talents of those you lead. If you have someone who brings a skill set to the table and you ignore seeking ways to utilize those skills, you are clearly shortchanging yourself, the organization and your worker. Common sense leadership knows that blending all the skills and talents of team members makes for a more effective, efficient, and energetic team. Do you have a clear understanding of all the gifts you’ve been handed and, are you putting these gifts into play? Common sense says that is how it should be done.

Closing Thoughts

We have a leadership crisis in this country at every level. I don’t know why except to think that we have become a very impersonal society where we seldom place the needs of others as an important part of our interactions. Self-centeredness dominates and servant leadership is a rarity.

I recently came across this survey of characteristics for the next president of the United States. As you consider your vote for our next leader, why not use the list as part of your screening process. Information on the survey is found on the NextNationalCEO.com website.

Insightful Judgment, Visionary, Trustworthy, Gets Things Done, Inspires Others, Good Judge of People Influences Others, Courageous, Confident, Energetic.

Billy Arcement, MEd., is a Professional Speaker, Consultant, Leadership Strategist and President of The Results Group. He wrote the books, Searching for Success and Journeying on Holy Ground. Learn more about his services at www.SearchingForSuccess.com 2008. All rights reserved. Use by permission.

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