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(29951, 323, '2016-07-13 06:00:39', '2016-07-13 10:00:39', 'Dear Leader:\n\nI’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about our time together - the good and the bad - and today I felt like writing you a letter.\n\nNo, not a letter of resignation. Rather, a letter of thanks. For all you’ve done for me, I want to say “way to go!”\n\nYou probably don’t hear it all that often, but you’ve made a huge impact on me. Both as a person and as a professional.\n\nIt all started on the very first day I came to work.\n\nHow? Simple. You made me feel welcome.\n\nWhen I showed up, my work space was prepared and my supplies were laid out, ready for me to use. There was even a little note card from you that said, “welcome.”\n\nAnd my favorite thing of all? You left a fancy mug with the company’s logo on my desk. So cool.\n\nI know what you’re probably thinking – that’s silly, that’s basic stuff. But, you’d be surprised.\n\nI had a boss at another company who didn’t say hello to me on my first day. She went as far as to pass me in the hallway without even a glance. I remember it well:\n\nAs I saw her approach from the other end of a long hallway, I straightened my back, cracked my best smile and readied my hand for a firm handshake, to be followed by a pleasant “good morning.”  But, nothing. She passed me and kept going.\n\nI never forgot that.\n\nSo, please know what a huge impact you had on me that day you were ready for my arrival. I know you are incredibly busy, and it made me feel special and loyal to this company from the very start.\n\nI could stop there, but that’s not all I want to give thanks for today.\n\nThere was another time when you pulled me into your office to tell me I wasn’t meeting your expectations. Do you remember that?\n\nI remember, because you did it with such finesse and grace. I could have left that meeting feeling like a lesser person, but you made the exact opposite happen!\n\nInstead, while I did leave your office feeling sad about how I had disappointed you, more importantly, I felt optimistic that I knew how to do better and could improve.\n\nOne thing you said to me really stood out:\n<blockquote>\"If you want to get to the next level, perform like you’re already there.\"</blockquote>\nA short time after that meeting, you caught me doing the very thing that you asked me to do, and you stopped me in the hall to tell me that I had nailed it.\n\nYou said:\n<blockquote>“That was perfect. Do more of that!”</blockquote>\nSo, I did.\n\nThose were the early days of our time together, when I was green and needed your close guidance. But, somewhere along the way, things changed. For the better.\n\nLike, just last year when you called a meeting with me to talk about your strategic five-year goals. I remember thinking, “This is very interesting, but why is she telling me all this?”\n\nBut, by the time you were done, it was all clear.\n\nTo my surprise, you were asking me to take the lead on one of your new initiatives. Yes, I was excited, but there was only one BIG problem. I had absolutely no idea how to do the thing you were asking of me. But, that didn’t seem to bother you. Not one bit.\n\nTo me, you said:\n<blockquote>“No worries. I trust that you can do this. And, I’ll help.”</blockquote>\nSo we did it. And it was great.\n\nI feel like I\'m gushing, but I can\'t end this letter without also acknowledging how well you’ve supported me personally, during some of the hardest times. Like, when I had a sick family member in the hospital. You didn’t make me feel bad for something I couldn’t control or guilty for not being at work.\n\nInstead, you said:\n<blockquote>\"Go, take care of your family. We’ll handle things until you get back.”</blockquote>\nI’ll never forget how that made me feel and how much you helped me and my family.\n\nI hope you see that, from my perspective, things have been going well with us. You\'re a great leader, and I never want that to change.\n\nYou asked me once to never hold back on giving YOU feedback. So, while I have your attention, I’ll just take this opportunity to share how I want you to continue to lead me.\n\nHere are a few tips on the best ways to lead me:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Continue trusting and pushing me, and giving me space to do my best work.</li>\n 	<li>Start spending more time with me. Your attention is invaluable for my development.</li>\n 	<li>Stop taking on too much work yourself. Use me. I\'m up for the challenge!</li>\n</ul>\nIn closing, one more time, I want to sincerely say <em>thank you</em> for all that you’ve done and will do for me. It is because of you that I continue to work for this company and enjoy what I get to do every day.\n\nI look forward to what’s to come, whatever that may be.\n\nFrom,\n\nYour Follower', 'A Letter to the Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'a-letter-to-the-leader', '', '', '2016-07-13 06:00:39', '2016-07-13 10:00:39', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=29951', 0, 'post', '', 14),
(29979, 374, '2016-05-03 06:00:12', '2016-05-03 10:00:12', 'This month we are featuring Instigator <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/instigators/kevin-eikenberry/\" target=\"_blank\">Kevin Eikenberry</a>, Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a leadership and learning consulting company that helps organizations, teams and individuals reach their potential. Kevin’s specialties include leadership, teams and teamwork, organizational culture, facilitating change, organizational learning and more.\n\nKevin has a degree in agriculture from Purdue University. This means, he says, \"I studied how to help things grow and began to understand systems - both things critical to my work every day now.\"\n\nKevin worked in several roles for a Fortune 10 company and left to start the company that is now known as The Kevin Eikenberry Group in 1993.\n\nA leadership lesson Kevin gained from his first job was: <em>the leader\'s job is to make their team members ready to take their job. </em>\n\nWhen asked about one of the best moments he has had professionally, Kevin shared, \"Any time someone tells me something I helped them learn made a real difference in their life.\"\n\nOn the topic of the most important qualities in leaders, Kevin believes that being a REMARKABLE leader requires being a lifelong, continual learner.\n\nKevin thinks schools should put more emphasis on the understanding and development of the right mindset in order to be happy, healthy, and successful.\n\nWhen questioned about the strangest thing he\'s ever been asked in a job interview, Kevin explained that he has only really had one job interview since college, and it was a long time ago. He can\'t remember too much about it!\n\nWhen asked about books he has found most helpful for his professional life, Kevin said, \"Just one? I\'m not sure that is possible.\" <em>Editor\'s Note:</em> I took the liberty of researching some of Kevin\'s previous writings on favorite books and came upon <a href=\"http://blog.kevineikenberry.com/leadership-supervisory-skills/my-favorite-books-of-the-year/\" target=\"_blank\">this 2011 post</a>, which lists several recommended books as well as introducing Kevin\'s own <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bud-Boss-Successful-Transition-Remarkable/dp/0470891556/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1462236979&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=kevin+eikenberry\" target=\"_blank\">From Bud to Boss</a>! ~ pk\n\nWhen asked the most creative solution he\'s ever seen to a problem in life or work, Kevin replied, \"If we look around us we see creative solutions all the time. Usually if we (really) watch children we will be amazed at their creative solutions.\"\n\nIf he had to hashtag his life, Kevin\'s would be: #blessed.\n\nOne of Kevin\'s favorite quotes is \"Use wisely your power of choice\" from Og Mandino.\n\nWhen asked \"if money were no object, what would you do all day?\" he responded, \"There are many things I like to do. I get to do most all of them in my life right now. I\'m not sure I would change much of anything.\"\n\nOne area of expertise Kevin has added to his repertoire over the years is how to make dispersed teams and the remotely located workforce effective, both for the employer and the employee. Plan to join him, Becky Robinson, and Wayne Turmel for a <a href=\"http://weavinginfluence.com/events/work-isnt-a-place-kevin-eikenberry-wayne-turmel-becky-robinson/\" target=\"_blank\">free webinar</a> on Wednesday, June 15th, at noon ET to learn more!\n\nThe best advice he\'s ever been given was, \"Little hinges swing big doors.\"\n\nWe like that quote, Kevin! And we appreciate how you open doors for people to find their way to becoming remarkable leaders! Thanks for helping us get to know you better!\n\n<em><strong>Editor\'s Note</strong> - You may ask, “How does one get chosen to be a featured Instigator?” The answer is simple. If you are already an Instigator, fill out <a href=\"https://cl182.infusionsoft.com/app/form/lcg-feature-questions\">this form</a> and continue to engage with the Lead Change Group on a regular basis. If you are not yet an Instigator, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/join/\">sign up</a>. There are many benefits to being an Instigator – email us if you want more information.</em>\n\n<strong>Previous Featured Leading Voices and Instigators:</strong>\n\n4/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-leading-voice-chip-bell/\" target=\"_blank\">Chip Bell</a>\n\n3/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-eunice-parisi-carew/\" target=\"_blank\">Eunice Parisi-Carew</a>\n\n2/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-chris-edmonds/\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Edmonds</a>\n\n1/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-marcella-bremer/\" target=\"_blank\">Marcella Bremer</a>\n\n12/2015: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-john-stoker/\" target=\"_blank\">John Stoker</a>\n\n11/2015: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-sean-glaze/\">Sean Glaze</a>', 'Featured Instigator: Kevin Eikenberry', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'featured-instigator-kevin-eikenberry', '', '', '2016-05-03 06:00:12', '2016-05-03 10:00:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=29979', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(29985, 380, '2016-06-29 06:00:07', '2016-06-29 10:00:07', 'The release date of this article was strategically planned - because toasts should not be reserved for New Year’s Eve only.\n\nToasts should not be unspoken until the end of your season or project.\n\nTeam celebrations and personal reflections should, like feedback, be shared and encouraged on a consistent basis.\n\nIt is always a good time to remind ourselves of what is important moving forward and to celebrate the small successes of our recent past.\n\nI am a huge fan of this quote by Benjamin Franklin:\n<blockquote>“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.”</blockquote>\nEveryone remembers to share the same three-word toast at the stroke of midnight, but few teams or families or groups take the time at other points throughout the year prior to improve their fate with four other important toasts. In your quest to become better with each new year or season or quarter or month or project you and your team will spend together, I suggest that you consider adding <u>four toasts</u> to your list of to-do’s over the coming week.\n\nSo what are the four important toasts that will improve your team FATE?\n\nI’m glad you asked!\n\nEven though January is a distant image in our rear-view mirrors, be sure that you and your team apply the enthusiasm of January to your team life with the following four important toasts: Failures, Achievements, Teammates, and Expectations…\n<ol>\n 	<li><strong>Toast your Failures</strong></li>\n</ol>\nMistakes are how we learn and improve.  They are catalysts for change, and can sometimes be the most important experiences of our past.  Don’t get caught up denying or regretting them – let your failures be the feedback that fuels your future efforts!  <u>Success is never a straight-line drive</u>, and you will do well to find value in the lessons your off-road experiences may have provided.\n<ol start=\"2\">\n 	<li><strong>Toast your Achievements</strong></li>\n</ol>\nRecall what you did well.  Be sure to remind yourself and your team of how far you have come, and the many things you have successfully completed.  What are you proud of?  Be sure to recall the many accomplishments you and those close to you have enjoyed, and <u>take a moment to acknowledge each of those special occasions</u>.\n<ol start=\"3\">\n 	<li><strong>Toast your Teammates</strong></li>\n</ol>\n<a href=\"http://greatresultsteambuilding.net/winning-teammates\">Winning Teammates</a> say thank you to ALL the people on their team.  Make sure that your family, your friends your mentors, and any other individuals who helped to influence your growth over the last 12 months know how much you <u>appreciate their contributions to your life</u>.\n\nThere is no such thing as a self-made man, and team development is supercharged by showing your gratitude to those who helped you reach your current position.  Identify the skill you appreciate in them, and you will find them (and others) even more willing and enthusiastic to contribute in the future!\n<ol start=\"4\">\n 	<li><strong>Then, Toast your Expectations</strong></li>\n</ol>\nBe bold enough to not only set and write down what you plan to do in the upcoming year, but to <u>speak it into existence</u> and provide yourself the accountability of others knowing what you intend to do.  Let your enthusiasm inspire others to join the crusade and offer their contributions.  If you don’t tell others what you want to do, they won’t know how to help you do it…\n\nIf you will take the time to toast these four things, your team’s FATE will most assuredly be more positive year round.\n\nLearn from your mistakes.  Appreciate your successes.\n\nBe grateful for the people around you.\n\nLook ahead to the adventures that await you (maybe consider scheduling an engaging <a href=\"http://greatresultsteambuilding.net/motivational-keynotes/\">teamwork speaker</a> for your next conference!).\n\nBe intentional about making this next year even more memorable and impactful.\n\nEvery team needs to take time to reflect on occasion, and this time of year is a terrific opportunity to remind yourself and your teammates that you aren’t where you want to be – but even more importantly, that you aren’t where you used to be!\n\n&nbsp;', 'Four Important Toasts to Improve the FATE of Your Team', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'four-important-toasts-to-improve-the-fate-of-your-team', '', '', '2016-06-29 06:00:07', '2016-06-29 10:00:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=29985', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30000, 273, '2016-05-05 06:00:54', '2016-05-05 10:00:54', '<em>This post is a part of our 2016 Lead Change Group Guest Blogger Series. Today we are pleased to introduce you to Dan Forbes from <a href=\"http://www.leadwithgiants.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Lead With Giants</a>.</em>\n\nWhen I was a kid I would fasten a bath towel to the back of my shirt and pretend to be Superman. I would run as fast as I could while pretending to fly. Visions of heroically saving the day filled my mind.\n\nWhen I graduated from Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree I had a vision of “leading” a church as kind of a “hero-pastor.” I assumed others would follow me because of my position, authority, charisma, and knowledge.\n\nI was wrong.\n\nNow, as an Executive Coach, I help Leaders discover that it’s not the Hero Leader that saves the day. It’s the Inclusive Leader.\n\nI made a lot of mistakes and learned about leadership mainly through the school of hard-knocks.\n\nHere are five mistakes I learned that helped me transition from Hero Leader to Inclusive Leader:\n<h3>1. Hero Leaders think they have to be smarter than those they lead. They relish the idea of being the smartest person in the room. They become arrogant and egotistical.</h3>\nInclusive Leaders gather smart people around them. They seek out others who are smarter and encourage them to speak their mind and offer their ideas.\n\n\"Wise leaders generally have wise counselors because it takes a wise person themselves to distinguish them.\" <em>--Diogenes of Sinope</em>\n<h3>2. Hero Leaders rarely admit their mistakes. The three words you’ll never hear them say are, “I was wrong.” To them, admitting mistakes is a sign of weakness to be avoided at all costs.</h3>\nInclusive Leaders openly admit their mistakes. They know that they are not perfect and step into vulnerability in ways that encourages others to do the same.\n\n\"A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.\" <em>--Arnold Glasow</em>\n<h3>3. Hero Leaders believe it’s their position and authority that makes them a leader. They use their title and authority to force others to conform to their wishes. They often take a “my way or the highway” approach.  This kills the morale of others.</h3>\nInclusive Leaders understand that when others follow they are giving you a great gift. They follow because they share your vision, your enthusiasm, and your heart. They follow because they feel inspired.\n\n\"Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or position.\" <em>--Brian Tracy</em>\n<h3>4. Hero Leaders focus on themselves. They consider themselves to be the most important person in the organization. They enjoy riding into town like the Lone Ranger to save the day.</h3>\nInclusive Leaders are humble. They say, “We are in this together.”  They ask, “How can WE do this?” They willingly seek the input of others and rally people to a great cause.\n\nRemember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says \"Go!\" - a leader says \"Let\'s go!\"  ~E.M. Kelly\n<h3>5. Hero Leaders constantly remind others of their (the Leader’s) power. They relish barking orders and giving commands. Others are expected to fall in line and do what they are told. Their one go-to style is command and control.</h3>\nInclusive Leaders share power, responsibility, and leadership. They create space for new leaders to emerge and flourish. They let others take the lead to learn and grow. They know that their primary job is to create new leaders.\n\n\"The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.\" <em>--Harvey S. Firestone</em>\n\nThe less one tries to be the Hero Leader and seeks to become an Inclusive Leader the greater the results.\n\n<img class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-29996\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Dan-Forbes-Web-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Dan-Forbes-Web\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" />\n\nDan Forbes is an Executive Coach, Speaker, and founder of the #LeadWithGiants Community on Social Media which has a vision of raising up 10,000 UpLifting Leaders. Connect with Dan at <a href=\"http://leadwithgiantscoaching.com/\" target=\"_blank\">LeadWithGiantsCoaching.com</a> and <a href=\"http://www.leadwithgiants.com/\" target=\"_blank\">LeadWithGiants.com</a>.\n\n&nbsp;', '5 Mistakes of the Hero Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '5-mistakes-of-the-hero-leader-2', '', '', '2016-05-05 06:00:54', '2016-05-05 10:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/5-mistakes-of-the-hero-leader-2/', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30003, 323, '2016-06-27 06:00:45', '2016-06-27 10:00:45', '<h3></h3>\nShips have important jobs. They take people and things to new destinations.\n\nBut, to be seaworthy, a ship must float. And, to float, a ship requires a solid foundation.\n\nLeaders are like ships.\n\nThey have important jobs. And they also need a solid foundation.\n\nLike shipbuilding, leaders must start with a design. Here’s a simple approach to building your Leader SHIP:\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>S</strong>elf-assess</li>\n 	<li><strong>H</strong>atch a plan</li>\n 	<li><strong>I</strong>nvolve others</li>\n 	<li><strong>P</strong>ace yourself</li>\n</ul>\n<h3><strong>Self-assess</strong></h3>\nThis first step in your leader design asks:\n<blockquote>Am I lead-worthy right now?</blockquote>\nTo answer, begin by identifying the knowledge, skills, and experiences you need to succeed in your leadership role. Then, match those with your current strengths to see what’s missing.  The result will be a list of gaps between the kind of leader you want to be and the leader you are now.\n\nStart with a self-assessment, but never stop there.\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">Observe all men, thyself most.</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Benjamin Franklin</div></blockquote>\n<h3 class=\"quote\"><strong>Hatch a Plan</strong></h3>\nAfter you’ve found your gaps, make a plan to close them.\n\nThe best development plans incorporate a blend of activities, leveraging the 70/20/10 model of learning:\n<ul>\n 	<li>70% of learning is from doing\n<ul>\n 	<li>On-the-job performance</li>\n 	<li>Projects</li>\n 	<li>Stretch assignments</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n 	<li>20% of learning is from watching others\n<ul>\n 	<li>Coaching</li>\n 	<li>Mentoring</li>\n 	<li>Feedback</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n 	<li>10% of learning is from self-study\n<ul>\n 	<li>Courses</li>\n 	<li>Workshops</li>\n 	<li>Reading</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\nConsider how you learned to ride a bike. You did it by, well, riding. Through trial and error, you fell down and got back up again. Someone also demonstrated the proper techniques, and you likely stood on the curb, watching your friends.  Maybe, just maybe, you read some instructions.\n\nAs is illustrated by our bike example, most learning happens through doing. As you\'re crafting your development plan, keep in mind what activities will most help you gain the knowledge, skills, and experiences to ready you for the challenges ahead.\n\nIt\'ll be a blend of activities, but the best learning happens when you just get out there and do it.\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Pablo Picasso</div></blockquote>\n<h3><strong>Involve Others</strong></h3>\nSelf-assessments and development plans are great, but they are not enough. You will need help along the way. Lots of it. Drawing on the ship-building idea again, imagine how hard – nay, impossible – it would be to build a ship alone.\n\nWhy should leadership be a solitary act?  Well, it’s not. You succeed and fail with others.\n\nIt is because of this, that you must take stock of your relationships. And take action to mend or strengthen any relationships that will be key to your success. Consider any of the following:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Your boss</li>\n 	<li>Your peers</li>\n 	<li>Your team</li>\n 	<li>Your customers</li>\n</ul>\nFor each group, start with the following questions:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Am I credible?</li>\n 	<li>Am I trustworthy?</li>\n 	<li>Am I respected?</li>\n 	<li>Am I approachable?</li>\n</ul>\nFor each “no” or “maybe” answer, your next step is devise a plan to improve your position with that individual or group.\n\nFace it. As leaders, we need people more than they need us. It is because of others that we accomplish anything at all.\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">We works a lot better than me.</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Ken Blanchard</div></blockquote>\n<h3><strong>Pace Yourself</strong></h3>\nFinally, as you build your leader SHIP, take a moment to dream. Visualize the perfect leader. Think of that person you idolize for all their shiny perfections, whom you wish and can’t wait to emulate. The leader who is all-knowing, all-powerful, and can do no wrong.\n\nDo you have that image?\n\nGreat, now crumple it up and throw it in the dream trash.\n\nRemember that you’re only human and that there are no perfect leaders. The quicker you accept this, the more successful you’ll be.\n\nDon’t take on more than you can handle. Be realistic. Even more, just be yourself.\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself.</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~ Warren Bennis</div></blockquote>\n<h3><strong>Set Sail</strong></h3>\nIn closing, remember that to be <em>lead</em>-worthy, a leader needs a strong foundation. Without it, the leader may sink.\n\n<span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">If you’re a leader today, or aspire to be one, take the time to consider your design. </span>\n\n<span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">What knowledge, skills, and experiences do you need to succeed? What plan will get you where you want to go? Who can help you along the way? And, finally, remember to pace yourself. Be honest about who you are and what you can accomplish.</span>\n\n<strong><em>What else should one consider when building their Leader SHIP?</em></strong>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Build Your Leader SHIP', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'build-your-leader-ship', '', '', '2016-06-27 06:00:45', '2016-06-27 10:00:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30003', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(30016, 343, '2016-05-27 06:00:19', '2016-05-27 10:00:19', 'During the first week of baseball season in April, young superstar and reigning MVP Bryce Harper sported a ballcap with the following saying:\n\n<em><strong>MAKE BASEBALL FUN AGAIN</strong></em>\n\nHarper\'s youthful zeal and love for a game that is diminishing in popularity may seem like a trite attitude for playing a sport. But for Harper it\'s his job, one he works very hard at in studying, practice, and proper diet and training. Baseball is a grueling 6 month, 162-game schedule, with 2 months of spring training, another month of pressure playoffs, and off-season conditioning. Not to mention recovery from injuries and being part of the players\' association. So if he chooses to approach his job as fun, why shouldn\'t he encourage others in his sport to do the same?\n\nHarper\'s enthusiasm for his work leaves each one of us with a similar challenge in our careers, namely:\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>MAKE WORK FUN AGAIN</strong></p>\nA survey of leadership and workplace articles today will inevitably find people encouraging each other to find their passion in their work. That is all well and good, but how does one make their workplace fun instead of jumping ship to find enjoyment in another job?\n\nOne of the best examples of this is the world-famous <a href=\"https://www.pikeplacefish.com/\">Pike Place Fish Market</a> in Seattle. A struggling business after 50 years, it re-invented itself after almost going bankrupt when the owner and staff decided to make the company survive by infusing fun into their work. They started to throw fish around the market, perform improv acts with customers, and be comedic in an effort to enjoy what they do and prevent the job from being drudgery again. What happened after that is now legendary in customer service and human resource circles: news features, international recognition, training videos, books, and appearances in TV shows and movies.\n\nHaving an attitude of fun in the workplace is not an individual initiative; it\'s a cultural belief supported by leadership and intertwined with everyone\'s collective attitudes and personalities. Countless organizations that have incorporated a spirit of fun into their company DNA have stood out from others in their field: karate dojos (Beyond The Belt), commercial airlines (Southwest), music bands (Genesis), church ministries (The Wilds of North Carolina and New England), IT companies (Mainstay Technologies), and hospitality services and venues (CruCon, University of New Hampshire dining services). And of course even toy and entertainment companies have their own share of fun within their culture as well as in what they provide in services and products (the LEGO group).\n\nThere have been a great many articles written that <a href=\"http://greatist.com/happiness/workplace-fun\">support</a> or <a href=\"http://www.economist.com/node/17035923\">argue against</a> having fun in the workplace. But as in anything we do, whether our own personal lives or social endeavors, common sense and balance are the key. So here are four common sense reasons to make work fun again:\n\n<strong>Science.</strong> We know that science has shown that when you enjoy an activity, you\'re more committed and engaged. Working in alignment with your endorphins and adrenaline creates a healthy environment. And people tend to gravitate towards the healthier environments at work. When our physical selves align with our mental selves in the workplace, we tap into a higher level of creativity, productivity, and commitment. A fun workplace will do that in ways a boring or toxic work environment can never do.\n\n<strong>Motivation.</strong> Motivation is getting people to not be under compulsion to do a job, but to willingly engage in the work. Fun workplaces tend to be more collaborative and connected. They enhance productivity - workplace drudgery gives people a reason to look for distractions or go through the motions as they don\'t have the extra drive to dive into their work. As a way to improve employee engagement, making the job environment more enjoyable is a relatively easy and cost effective way to gain that edge.\n\n<strong>Camaraderie</strong>. Do people tend to connect when there\'s a spirit of drudgery, or when there is a spirit of enjoyment and fun? One may argue that people tend to band together during tough times, but those situations also create divisiveness across teams. In order to bring teams and groups of teamS together, allowing your people to infuse fun and their personality gets them to lower any pretenses and sets everyone at ease to work together towards the common vision. Enjoyable workplaces can break down department walls and silos that invariably crop up in organizations.\n\n<strong>Why Not?</strong> Is there a truly valid reason not to infuse fun into the workplace? Do new office models have to have such a sterile environment that staff can\'t put up pictures, candy dishes, or plants in their cubicles? Can smiling and fun be a core value? Why do some companies have fun during meetings but carry on otherwise stoic daily routines? Life is too short, and our working careers are even shorter. The organizations I listed above have a point of differentiation that helps them stand out from similar companies. They will readily admit that fun is a part of what they do, and would lose their identity and competitive edge if they took that key ingredient away.\n\n<strong>Fun is not a gimmick or a fad, it\'s a state of mind. Fun does not have to be Nerf gun fights, skits, or Halloween costume days. Fun can be just a simple enjoyable workplace that allows people to exercise good humor, creativity, and passion. Those extras can enhance, but the culture of fun must be rooted in people truly enjoying their work and looking forward to the value they give and get.</strong>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Let\'s plan to make work fun again!</strong></em></p>\n</blockquote>', 'Make Work Fun Again', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'make-work-fun-again', '', '', '2016-05-27 06:00:19', '2016-05-27 10:00:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30016', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(30021, 252, '2016-05-09 06:00:02', '2016-05-09 10:00:02', 'An employee walked into my office and asked me to read an email from our CEO he had printed out. He asked me what it meant.\n\nI had not seen it yet so I read through it. I looked at him. He said, “Don’t you think we’re going to have another restructuring, if you read between the lines?” The purpose of the note <em>was</em> a little perplexing.\n\nBut it was the last paragraph that grabbed my attention. It was 1997 and I remember this particular line word for word.\n<blockquote>“It’s times like these that we all have to fall back on what best motivates us – pleasing the customer and beating the competition.”</blockquote>\n<h3>What works for you may not work for me</h3>\nI wondered if something was wrong with me. That’s not what motivated me to come to work every day. I went down the hall, office to office. I asked people what motivated them at work. Not one named pleasing the customer or beating the competition.\n\nI heard things like:\n<ul>\n 	<li>I have bills to pay, and this isn’t a bad way to do it</li>\n 	<li>I like the people I work with</li>\n 	<li>I like the sense of accomplishment</li>\n</ul>\nAlong the way my boss overheard what I was doing. He said, “Just give me a heads-up before you call the CEO, okay?” He knew me well.\n<h3>Implications of being disconnected</h3>\nAfter my information-gathering adventure, my assessment was that the CEO’s comments described what motivated him, or other executives. He didn’t have a clue about what motivated the majority of employees.\n\nWhat’s the problem with that? The problem is this person and his compatriots made decisions that affected my life and the lives of tens of thousands of other people. He had no idea what we were about or what was important to us. His obliviousness or lack of concern for the impact of his decisions on employees eroded his credibility with me.\n<h3>Are all stakeholders created equal?</h3>\nI know leaders need to dial in the needs of a number of stakeholders including the community, society, customers, shareholders and employees. I observe an employee\'s status as a stakeholder is often a low priority.\n\nI understand that some believe there is no way to choose a decision that will be best for everyone, or do the least harm to various stakeholders. I disagree. I believe that is a failure in creativity and character.\n<h3>What’s really at stake here?</h3>\nFor me, this was a turning point in my career. I now knew I would not be there long-term. I would part with my employer at some point because one of us would become disenchanted with the other and terminate our relationship.\n\nI had many reasons that led me to leave my corporate career. What came to me “the day of the email” is that I could not trust this leader or others like him. He had alienated me. This compromised his ability to lead me.\n\nI had to wonder what else he was oblivious to. What other factors was he not considering in business decisions because of sheer lack of awareness or interest?\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">I know this is not unusual. Certain leaders are disconnected from the human beings who happen to be employees. Thank goodness we all have the freedom and agency to make decisions in our favor if we feel we are not respected for what motivates us and what we contribute.</span></p>', 'Do Your Motivations Undermine Your Ability to Lead?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'do-your-motivations-undermine-your-ability-to-lead', '', '', '2016-05-09 06:00:02', '2016-05-09 10:00:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30021', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(30064, 414, '2016-06-03 06:00:52', '2016-06-03 10:00:52', 'Productivity is the lifeblood of any successful business, and optimising this is one of the omni-present tasks of leadership. While this is a self-evident truth, however, it is fair to say that many leaders and managers either misunderstand the nature of productivity or fail to adopt the necessary techniques to motivate their employees.\n\nEither way, such misunderstandings can trigger a downturn in productivity within your business, while in the worst case scenario they can also drive low morale and impact negatively on your ability to retain (and recruit) talent. With this in mind, strong and strategic leadership is crucial if you are to maintain a productive and contented workforce with a low turnover of staff.\n\nWhile the assertion that good leaders are integral to a productive workforce makes for a compelling argument, however, you will need to develop strong techniques if you are to make this a pillar of your business.\n\n<em><strong>Here are three tips that will enable you to drive productivity through excellent leadership: </strong></em>\n<h3>You must humanise productivity and increase engagement.</h3>\nWhenever productivity is discussed in modern times, there tends to be a focus on specific organisational tools and desktop applications. While <a href=\"http://www.trenholm.co.uk/5-productivity-tools-youll-thank-us-for-mentioning/\" target=\"_blank\">purposeful tools such as Trello</a> and Evernote are viewed by many as the cornerstone of productivity in the digital age, it is important to remember that they will only ever be as effective as the individuals that interact with them.\n\nAs a leader, you must therefore prioritise the human element of productivity and increase the level of engagement that exists within your firm. After all, it is your employees that have the ultimate responsibility for their workload, and not only must you recognise this but you must also take steps to ensure that they are fully empowered and motivated as individuals.\n\nOne way to achieve this is to ensure that you carefully manage your interactions with employees, using your listening skills and openness to respect staff member\'s opinions and any concerns that they have over their workload. It is also important to empower them as part of the decision-making process within the business, both in terms of how work is distributed and how tasks are undertaken.\n\n<em>These steps will help your employees to become more productive and increasingly engaged with the brand as a whole, while they will also drive collaboration between teams.</em>\n<h3>Understand the difference between working hard and working smart.</h3>\nOn a similar note, it is easy to <a href=\"https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/Management-Blog/2013/11/Leaderships-Impact-on-Productivity-and-Engagement\" target=\"_blank\">confuse the concept of productivity with hard work</a>. These are two separate entities, however, and focusing solely on the latter may overload your workforce and damage employee morale.\n\nDuring periods of decline or austerity for your business, inexperienced leaders are always inclined to respond by demanding more from their staff members. This is all well and good, but if your employees are already giving their all increasing their workload or hours will simply demoralise them and impact on your ability to retain talent.\n\nIn contrast, strong leaders understand that productivity depends on the ability to work smart, and will therefore adopt an analytical (and consultative) approach to optimising the output of employees and the business a whole. This can involve everything from changing work flows and processes to eliminating time-consuming and ultimately unnecessary tasks, while even a number of small changes can have a cumulative impact within your firm.\n\nThis not only drives productivity without overloading your employees, but it also improves morale as staff members can see their efforts deliver optimal results.\n<h3>Afford work a higher purpose in the eyes of employees.</h3>\nWe have already touched on the importance of empowering employees, but sustained productivity also relies heavily on your staff member\'s fundamental approach to work. This includes both their motivation for working and their perception of the role that they have within the firm, as productivity issues can arise as a result of each employee\'s individual mind-set.\n\nWhile it can be difficult and time-consuming to appraise individual mind-sets, you can drive productivity as a leader by affording the work that you do a higher purpose. This makes employees feel as though they are contributing to something truly special, while simultaneously offering them a unique opportunity to add value and derive genuine job satisfaction. Even if this only adds 5% or 10% to the productivity of each employee, the combined effect of this could be significant across the business.\n\nIn practical terms, there are several simple ways in which you can elevate the purpose of your work. The first is to <a href=\"http://quickbase.intuit.com/blog/how-leaders-can-improve-productivity-and-profits-simultaneously\" target=\"_blank\">eliminate all unnecessary meetings and tasks,</a> as these can frustrate staff members and undermine even the most grandiose of projects. Developing incentives beyond the bottom line is also a sensible move, as this enables you to tap into a wider range of motivational values and makes individual work roles more aspirational.', 'How to Drive Productivity as a Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-drive-productivity-as-a-leader', '', '', '2016-06-03 06:00:52', '2016-06-03 10:00:52', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30064', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30068, 386, '2016-05-11 06:00:47', '2016-05-11 10:00:47', 'Karalee and I were driving from Sechelt to Gibsons on BC’s sunshine coast to catch the noon ferry back to the mainland. The day before we had celebrated our 34<span style=\"font-size: 13.3333px; line-height: 20px;\">th</span> anniversary and were happy after having had a four-day mini break together away from the busyness of regular life.\n\nMy mobile rang this April morning and I answered it on the car speakerphone. It was a reporter from the National Post newspaper. He asked if I heard the news and with a sinking heart I said that we hadn’t. He then told us that our good sailing buddy <a href=\"http://www.macleans.ca/society/john-ridsdel-1948-2016/\">John Ridsdel</a> had been murdered by beheading by the Abu Sayyaf terrorists who had kidnapped John and four others off the docks of a marina in the Southern Philippines September 21, 2015.\n\n<img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/20020821.john_.ridsdel02-300x268.jpg\" alt=\"20020821.john.ridsdel02\" width=\"219\" height=\"196\" />We had no comment for the reporter, as we had promised John’s sister and daughters that we wouldn’t publicly comment on the kidnapping. We knew things were on a knife edge as Abu Sayyaf had issued two deadlines saying they would kill their Canadian hostages if a $6M ransom wasn’t paid. This was the day of the second deadline. The terrorists followed through on their threat and our friend was the one that paid the ultimate price.\n\nFew of us ever experience such brutality and finality of life. Each of us does go through life events, disease, and death of those that we love and are close to. What leadership lessons have I learned from John’s death about how we respond when such events occur?\n\n<strong>First, we must look after ourselves.</strong> Our reaction to such events are unpredictable. It is truly a time to take it from moment to moment. Sometimes being busy helps us move through the process and sometimes we need to be alone and quiet. Be sensitive and understanding of where you are. Share often and surround yourself with people who are compassionate and supporting about what you are going through.\n\n<strong>Second, we need to be there for those impacted by these events.</strong> This is especially true where we lead others in business. All too often expectations are that we act as if nothing has happened. When I have had a first report go through a major life event, I check in with them even more, and give them the time off they need to deal with what is going on. You can try and chain a person to a desk, but if their heart and mind is with their loved ones, neither they nor the organization will benefit from them being there.\n\nLast fall, I took a photography workshop on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to stretch my creative edges. This was shortly after John had been kidnapped. I shot the Currituck Beach Lighthouse at dusk calling the shot “Beacon of Hope.” I sent it to John’s sister and daughters for all of us to hang on to as we hoped for John’s release. John is now just a spirit, but each of us has the opportunity to be our own beacon of hope to those we lead at times when they have to deal with a life changing event in their lives. Karalee and I continue to lead by example, as each of us goes through our own grieving process for John, we are there for other and for those of John’s family who are dealing with his loss.\n\nMay you honor your spirit and the spirits of those around you who need to deal with life on life’s terms today.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Photographs:</strong>\n\n<a href=\"http://20151026.currituck.beach.lighthouse01.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">Currituck Beach Lighthouse</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://20020821.john.ridsdel02.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">John Ridsdel</a>\n\n<em>All photographs © David J. Greer. Permission is given to the Lead Change Group to use these photographs on the Lead Change Group web site and in all promotional media for the Lead Change Group.</em>', 'Honoring the Spirit', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'honoring-the-spirit', '', '', '2016-05-11 06:00:47', '2016-05-11 10:00:47', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30068', 0, 'post', '', 22);
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(30085, 251, '2016-05-12 06:00:05', '2016-05-12 10:00:05', '“Remove people from your life whose beliefs, ideas, and values aren’t aligned with yours. Make no compromises here.” Wow. That passage from a book a local businessman had written and asked me to read stopped me cold.\n\nAs that position was opposite from mine, I wanted to explore his view in more detail. From his perspective, however, there was nothing to discuss. So, true to his beliefs, he removed me from his life because I was unwilling to accept the rightness of his position.\n\nIn scanning the business and political horizon, I see too much of this exclusionary polarization happening:  the proverbial wagons are circled within a “tribe” of believers. Once circled, everything is reduced to black and white or right and wrong, and it’s either “you’re with us or against us.”\n<blockquote>“The human capacity to injure other people is very great precisely because our capacity to imagine other people is very small.” ~Elaine Scarry, <em>Teaching for a Tolerant World</em></blockquote>\nUniformity and conformity <em>are</em> comforting. We know what to expect. We know where the true, right, and proper boundaries are because we’ve defined them. However, given that we all have our own definition of reality and individual way of sense-making, expecting or demanding homogeneity in a highly connected world full of big differences feels unfeasible. Doesn\'t such an orientation promotes discord, not unity?\n<h4>Different ways in which we believe</h4>\nShouldn’t heterogeneity be the new normal? Increased interaction and connection shine a brighter light on the many realms in which our thinking can be different:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Moral beliefs—our code of conduct for welfare and justice in how we treat one another</li>\n 	<li>Conventional beliefs—our expectations for appropriate behavior</li>\n 	<li>Psychological beliefs—our understanding of ourselves and others</li>\n 	<li>Metaphysical beliefs—our faith and spiritual views</li>\n</ul>\nIn our empty nest home of two, hubby and I bring yin and yang to most everything we do. While there’s the occasional conflict, we’ve come to love the serendipity associated with differing thoughts, opinions, perspectives, and preferences. Perhaps my hope is naive, but I\'d love to see the balance we\'ve worked out practiced on a larger scale.\n\nIn a world populated with 7.4 billion people and as many opinions, wouldn\'t a more realistic expectation would be to anticipate a smorgasbord of differences rather than uniformity? As technology has reduced the six degrees of separation to four, I’d love to see intolerance for differences replaced with respect and acknowledgment.\n<h4>Moving from homogeneity to heterogeneity</h4>\nTo appreciate differences and avoid the blind spots, prejudice, and hate that can accompany polarization, it’s necessary to replace our paradigm of homogeneity with heterogeneity and move from preferring sameness to accepting difference. Making that move requires determination, resilience, and grace. Because what we believe to be true might not be so, there are two tools we can use to keep our minds and hearts open.\n\nOne is <strong>reflective thinking</strong>. Educator John Dewey introduced the concept in 1910 and defined it as the “active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusion to which it tends.” Reflective thinking is a form of critical thinking in which we think about our thinking. It involves evaluating our thought processes and what happened, looking to assure that we’ve moved the unexamined to the examined, i.e., did we let assumptions, pre-conceived beliefs, or stereotypes unconsciously color our decisions? Without reflective thinking, we can fancy ourselves being tolerant yet still be prejudiced.\n\nThe other is building a <strong>tolerance for ambiguity</strong>. Lest we inadvertently fall victim to confirmation bias and narrow mindedness, we need to nurture our capacity to accept deviation and uncertainty in what we define and believe to be the truth. Building this thinking and acting muscle requires a willingness to forfeit a measure of certainty and control. Because sometimes there is more than one right answer, objectivity in assessing if our values about what ought to be are in conflict with the facts comes in handy. We want to be skilled in both doubting and believing. (If you want to assess your tolerance for ambiguity, <a href=\"http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/p/padilla/www/435-Leadership/Scale-%20tolerance%20of%20ambiguity.pdf\">here’s a questionnaire</a> for doing so.)\n\nSadly, I’ll never know what motivated that businessman to adopt his position and defend it so fiercely. Was it dogma? Bigotry? Fear? His polarized view and refusal to engage only leaves me guessing.\n\nIf I had enough pixie dust, I’d spread it across the world and enable people to replace their fear of not knowing or being right with unconditional positive regard for themselves and others.\n<blockquote>“At the end of the day, we are all different and it comes down to unconditional love and acceptance.” ~Lenny Kravitz, singer-songwriter</blockquote>\nI’d tell them that holding unconditional regard doesn’t require that they accept someone’s differing viewpoint, but simply that they acknowledge without judgment everyone’s right to believe and think differently. Kind of a golden rule about thinking, doing, and being that makes room for everyone.', 'How to Move Beyond &quot;You&#039;re Either With or Against Us&quot;', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-move-beyond-youre-either-with-or-against-us', '', '', '2016-05-12 06:00:05', '2016-05-12 10:00:05', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30085', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(30090, 276, '2016-05-16 06:00:53', '2016-05-16 10:00:53', 'In this economic time, leaders are faced with many challenges to keep their respective companies competitive in the marketplace. Factors include the demand from their stakeholders to do more with less, competition from their competitors, and government regulations to have more regulation and oversight that can cause the cost of doing business to go up.\n\nAs a result, leaders set their sights on trimming costs and aim to increase market share through better offerings. As the leaders look for ways to improve their company\'s bottom line, it is worth noting that there are a few ways of doing it.\n\nThe first option is to improve market offerings by providing new products.\n\nThe second option is to cut costs.\n\nThe third option is to assess the total cost of ownership and determine which slice of the cost can be reduced to help improve the bottom line.\n\nEither way the approach to help improve their bottom line must be a well thought out process that enables them to stay competitive while focusing on sustainability. In an effort to reduce costs, there is one area that I think that is worth exploring. Such activities are so common that sometimes we miss the point. If we capture an inventory of the activities of our people, we’ll be able to use the data to analyze where we can save time. Such opportunity can be addressed by automation to create a straight-through processing or the data can provide you with visibility on where you can delegate work to junior workers and let the senior workers focus on high-value items.\n\nAnother area I believe presents an opportunity can be harnessed by developing a keen eye for observation. This is necessary to observe staff members who are unproductive or frequently complaining. These types of people often go around talking to other people and bringing down the moods of coworkers, which ultimately affects their commitment and desire to get their job done. Ultimately, that is the biggest time waster, because it is not easy to detect unless you spend time observing. However, it could be a low-hanging fruit that enables you to correct and helps right the ship.\n\nIn the end, whatever approach or solution a leader can implement will help the company head in the right direction. However, if the solution is short term, the effect or impact will not be lasting, thereby creating a new problem for the leader in the future.', 'Rising to Leadership Challenges in Lean Times', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'rising-to-leadership-challenges-in-lean-times', '', '', '2016-05-16 06:00:53', '2016-05-16 10:00:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30090', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(30100, 418, '2016-07-15 06:00:03', '2016-07-15 10:00:03', 'Any change, whether self-selected, imposed, or out-of-the-blue, requires energy to move through. Energy management is the building block of resiliency. It stands to reason then that we might find lessons from the very place that gives us energy: the gym!\n\nI admit to being an exercise fanatic and, in doing so, I have come to understand some parallel lessons on leading yourself and others through change.\n\nThese might sound small but remember the might of a single mosquito. Small can make a big difference.  Consider these:\n\n<strong>Hydrate. </strong>The body demands water when it is being physically taxed. So too does the brain. Notice I didn’t say “coffee.\" Just plain old clear water. Water might not be our favorite beverage but hydration actually helps our endurance.  No wonder we want pitchers of water in our training rooms and by our desks!\n\n<strong>Cross train.  </strong>It’s essential for continual improvement<strong>. </strong>We all get into our ruts, doing the same routines over and over again and wondering why we don’t see any improvement. The same thing happens when confronted with change. Somehow, we think that if we try doing MORE of the same thing, we can make it.\n\nNot so. One organization, having been sold to a very different company, was paralyzed with fear. However, a smart leader brought in outsiders who had gone through a similar situation and triumphed. Learning new ways of behaving from these outsiders was akin to cross training.\n\n<strong>Push beyond your barriers. </strong> There are two kinds of barriers: those imposed by others and those imposed by ourselves. The latter are the most restrictive. I finally took a spin class where I found myself on a stationary bike. One minute I was pedaling up Mt. Everest and the next, racing at breakneck speed down the mountain. I thought I would die. But I went back to another class to prove to myself that my MIND can triumph over my body.\n\nThe work by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, as outlined in her best-selling book <em><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Success-Carol-Dweck/dp/0345472322/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1462139551&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=mindset\">Mindset</a>,</em> offers compelling evidence regarding the power of a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset.\n\nA fixed mindset sees failure, assumes negativity, and envisions disaster. A growth mindset encounters change and looks for ways to learn and grow. The former sees barriers. The latter breaks down walls. Caveat: Dweck insists that to break down the wall, one must have a compelling WHY in order to proceed.\n\n<strong>Talk is cheating.  </strong>At my gym, there are members who spend most of their time swapping war stories and giving updates on current sports matches. Instead of working out, they talk.  And then, they’ll ALSO talk about how hard they worked out. I think that’s cheating\n\nStick to the task at hand. Don’t just talk: DO! Action is always louder than words\n\n<strong>Get a trainer</strong>.  I always thought I could exercise alone until the day I was given a few sessions with a trainer. He saw what I could not: my posture with free weights; how one exercise was not going to get the results I wanted. He taught me how to use machines I had stayed away from and kept up the encouragement. And, I also knew he’d hold me accountable for results.\n\nCall it a consultant, coach, an advisor, a mentor—whatever. But all of us can benefit from the advice and new eyes of someone outside of ourselves. An outsider offers a different perspective, hopefully with no political agenda or secondary motive other than to help you succeed.\n\n<strong>Celebrate. </strong>I admit: I despised exercise when I started. But I KNEW that I had to begin. I set a goal of 3 exercise sessions per week—30 minutes to start.  Every time I exercised, I put a sticker in my appointment book. Sounds silly but at least I could count the smiley faces at the end of a week.\n\nIn going through change, what could you do to recognize effort—not perfection? What small steps deserve recognition, praise, and perhaps—even a sticker? Or an ice cream cone?  It is the encouragement of effort that can keep you and those around you moving through with resiliency.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Six Workout Secrets for Leading Through Change', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'six-workout-secrets-for-leading-through-change', '', '', '2016-07-15 06:00:03', '2016-07-15 10:00:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30100', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30103, 307, '2016-05-19 06:00:40', '2016-05-19 10:00:40', 'She stood up, took the microphone that was offered her, looked over the audience surrounding her, then turned to me and said, “Those pesky millennials.”\n\nShe paused, waiting for applause that never came, the continued: “What is up with them?”\n\nIt was my turn to pause, waiting for the rest of the question. Finally, I asked, “Can you be more specific?”\n<h3>Unrealistic</h3>\nI had just finished a program about <a href=\"http://amzn.to/1VWiRuw\">Winning Well</a> leadership. The woman identified herself as Darla, a senior vice president for a national human service company. Then she groaned. “Well, for one thing, they want their work to be important. What’s up with that?”\n\n“It’s true,” I replied, “millennials often seek out work that is meaningful and will sometimes take less money for work that has a real sense of purpose to it.”\n\n“Yeah, but…” she grasped for words. “That’s unrealistic. It’s work – it can’t all mean something.”\n\n“Why not?” I asked. “Let me take it a step farther…why would you want one of your employees to do work that doesn’t matter?”\n\nThe truth is, everyone performs better when what they do is connected to a meaningful and compelling reason why it should be done. Millennials tend to be more vocal about it, but everyone benefits from a sense of purpose.\n<h3>Entitlement</h3>\n“Hmm, that’s a good point…but what about wanting to be in charge after they’ve been there three weeks?” she asked.\n\n“I hear that complaint frequently. Personally, I’d rather have someone who is eager for responsibility and wants to improve than someone with no aspirations.”\n\nIn my experience this youthful urgency is not unique to this young generation. I saw it in mine as well. Young people tend to have a condensed time horizon. It’s part of being young. Their social media also tells them everyone else is succeeding, but not them.\n\nThere is also value in their desire. When your millennial employee asks you what they have to do to earn a leadership position, be ready with a good answer. (Hint: “Be here ten years\" is not a good answer.) Tenure alone does not equal competence. You’ve certainly known employees who have been around forever, but lack influence and excellence.\n\nConnect the time they need to put in with the abilities and skills they need to master. Coach them on how to have influence with their coworkers. Telling someone, “I’ll let you know when you’re ready” is incredibly discouraging and demotivating. You’ve basically told them, “You have no control over your own success.”\n\nIf you have someone who wants to lead, show them what that means and help them acquire the skills to do it. Why wouldn’t you want another leader on the team who helps you achieve results and build relationships?\n<h3>Work Ethic</h3>\n“I know I’m hogging the microphone, but just one more…”\n\nI nodded and she continued: “What about their work ethic? Everyone disappears at five o’clock. Don’t they know the benefit of hard work?”\n\n“And what are the benefits of staying late and working hard?” I asked.\n\n“Well, that’s how you get ahead,” she said.\n\n“Ahead how?” I asked.\n\n“How about a promotion or a raise?”\n\n“Okay,” I said, “let’s say that’s true. Staying at your desk longer results in a promotion or a raise?”\n\nShe nodded and a few audience members murmured their agreement.\n\nI paused for a moment, “That’s irrational.”\n\nSitting at your desk doesn\'t relate directly to productivity. In many cases it actually means you\'re less productive.\n<blockquote>When you reward people for their ability to look like they’re working, you undermine your own credibility.</blockquote>\nRather than look at the time they sit at a desk, examine your employees’ productivity. What do they achieve? What results do they accomplish? How do they bring people together to achieve results? What value do they add to the organization?\n\nIf “showing up” and “staying put” are your measurements of success, you’re missing what’s truly important – and you’re asking people to sacrifice meaningful experiences and time with friends and family (both of which are essential and valuable) beyond what they\'re paid for...to do something that is irrational and meaningless.\n\nAre there times everyone needs to band together and put in that extra effort to get things done? Of course.\n\nThink carefully about the “why” – why are you asking people to make an extra effort? Why should they stay late? Why shouldn’t they travel and invest in their relational health? (And why aren’t you?) If there are meaningful and compelling reasons why, be sure to connect them to your request.\n<h3>Your Turn</h3>\nPeople are different – but we’re all people. We all need encouragement, a sense of purpose, growth, and some control over our future. Your millennial team members can help reinvigorate your team, your culture, and ultimately, your success when you listen. Once you’ve listened, you can also help them learn to navigate the world the way it is, not just the way they may perceive it online or in their childhood.\n\nLeave a comment and share: <strong>What is one meaningful lesson you’ve picked up from your younger team members?</strong>\n\nAnd for millennial readers: <strong>What is one meaningful lesson you\'ve picked up from your Generation X or Boomer colleagues?</strong>', '3 Reasons You Should Listen to Those Pesky Millennials', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '3-reasons-you-should-listen-to-those-pesky-millennials', '', '', '2016-05-19 06:00:40', '2016-05-19 10:00:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30103', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(30118, 421, '2016-05-25 06:00:31', '2016-05-25 10:00:31', 'There’s a company out there — in every corner of every town — that prides itself on being a great place to work. Customers are greeted with vigor and felicitous wishes. The lights are bright and appealing in the space, lending a favorable glow to the interactions and products within the room. This company has it all together – or so it seems on the outside.\n\nInside, it’s falling apart. Though a celebratory drink makes its way into the hands of staff after each great sales day, the empty glass means little to the rotating faces consuming it. New face after new face appears to greet guests and down this first drink of success. After a few weeks in the rotating collection, an employee starts to guess that not all is as it seems.\n\n<em>Where has everyone gone? How long has that person been here, again? I’ve only been here six months… am I the longest tenured employee? I don’t even really like this drink.</em>\n\nThese are the thoughts of a new hire who’s about to become inactive on payroll. It’s all because that initial swag bag of perks that included a free drink after success <em>looked </em>like company culture, when in reality it was an empty habit, a deceptive perk masked as culture.\n\nIf your company looks or feels anything like this, it’s time to change.\n<h3><strong>Company Temperature Check</strong></h3>\nThink for a minute about your company and the current temperature of your employee pool. If it’s too icy to jump all in, why stick around? Your company needs a warm-up if it’s experiencing high turnover, communication issues and excessive gossip, but these are just a few of the many <a href=\"https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241132\">signs of an unhealthy workplace</a>.\n\nEven if a company offers some really great perks, employee retention percentages may indicate that they just aren’t enough.\n<h3><strong>Defining Company Culture</strong></h3>\nWhat does it mean when someone says, “That company has great culture?” Culture is much more than a list of cool perks. You may be able to wear slippers to work on a regular basis but if the boss still ignores your phone calls, what difference does it make what you’ve got on your toes?\n\nAnalogies aside, culture is habitual. <em>This </em>is what sets it apart. Culture is an ingrained philosophy that is emphasized and enforced in company policies and interactions with its staff members.\n\nUnlike perks, which can be taken advantage of sometimes or infrequently, culture defines the company, becomes the company. Culture is a process on a never-ending continuum that pushes a company to be better at customer happiness — externally <em>and </em>internally.\n<h3><strong>Defining Perks</strong></h3>\nJob “perks” should be defined differently from workplace culture. Though perhaps used interchangeably, the two refer to separate things. As culture has been defined above, perks should be defined, as well.\n\nA “perk” is a “plus” to a job. This may mean that the company allows you to work from home one day a week or bring your pet to work with you on a designated day. Perks are the “nice-to-haves.” Individually, they sound great, may actually be great and are enhancements to the company culture.\n\nHowever, perks should be implemented cautiously, as they aren’t the fix-all to company culture issues. Leaders who believe that perks <em>make</em> company culture fall victim to a deceptive school of thought.\n\nIf your aim is to simply <a href=\"https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-company-perks-that-cost-nothingbut-mean-everything\">add a few more perks</a> to the job ad in hopes of recruiting and retaining someone worthwhile, that goal may be worth reevaluating.\n<h3><strong>Making Great Company Culture</strong></h3>\nThere’s no scientific formula that can create a great company culture. Clicking the heels of ruby red slippers probably won’t work either. Still, leaders of a company can work to develop some habits in order to build a long-lasting culture:\n\n<strong>1.    Know Who’s Working for You</strong>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">This is such a simple idea and yet it’s revolutionary. Get to know the people in your company. Know their birthdays, find out what activities they enjoy doing and talk to them about their lives. They spend <a href=\"http://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/#work\">an average of 8.9 hours per day at work</a>, so make it personal and enjoyable. By doing so, you establish their value.</p>\n<strong style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">2.   Acknowledge and Reward Success</strong>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Let employees know when you notice their success. Yes, it’s part of their jobs to do well, but recognition — even a “thank you” — can go far.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Have you ever had a moment where you pulled off something that was next to impossible? Maybe you hit a deadline that was far from feasible. Didn’t you just want someone to acknowledge that you rose to the challenge? Be the one who acknowledges accomplishments for your staff and encourage the leadership to do the same.</p>\n<strong>3.   Create Opportunities to Give Back</strong>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Many job candidates are looking for ways to reach out to the community around them. Marketing company WebpageFX notes just how important this particular trait is to millennial workers. As the number one “Best Place to Work in Pennsylvania,” they’ve realized <a href=\"http://www.webpagefx.com/blog/general/keys-to-millennials-workplace-happiness/\">the importance of giving back</a> and have put together a program that allows their staff to do so at work. #FXBuilds has had the opportunity to use monies raised from performance achievements to build schools in both Guatemala and Ghana.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">This model can be adapted and modified to fit any company, whether it’s through company-organized volunteering or flexible schedules to volunteer on their own.</p>\n<strong>4.   Communicate</strong>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">No matter the size of an organization, <a href=\"http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2011/11/21/how-to-communicate-effectively-at-work/#5749b44b56c3\">communication is a challenge</a>. Even the best companies struggle with this area. Communication should be a top priority, as it creates a culture that is open, honest and full of integrity.</p>\nCulture isn’t just defined by the perks within a company. A company culture is long-lasting and habitual and addresses employees’ areas of concern quickly. A good culture is a sign of leadership strength. Leaders who prioritize their employees’ happiness will produce better results in the long run, which makes a company stand out to job applicants as a great place to work.\n\nBe the company with great culture, and you’ll be the company that retains its staff.', 'Don&#039;t Confuse Perks With Company Culture', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'dont-confuse-perks-with-company-culture', '', '', '2016-05-25 06:00:31', '2016-05-25 10:00:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30118', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(30120, 399, '2016-05-17 06:00:15', '2016-05-17 10:00:15', 'The 12<sup>th</sup> century philosopher Maimonides advocated that the “middle way” was the most harmonious way to live. Every character trait, whether it be generosity, greed, diligence, laziness, or any other trait, should always be tempered with a good dose of moderation.\n\nMaimonides classic work <em>Hilchot Deot</em> explains this concept of moderation as it relates to anger:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Man should not be wrathful, easily angered; nor be like the dead, without feeling, rather he should [adopt] an intermediate course; i.e., he should display anger only when the matter is serious enough to warrant it, in order to prevent the matter from recurring. (<em>Chapter 1, section 4).</em></p>\nBut there is one trait that the philosopher thought did not deserve moderation—a trait that one should try to completely eradicate from his or her character: <strong>arrogance</strong>.\n\nBut what about our leaders? Don’t they need just a <em>little</em> bit of arrogance to drive them forward? Can’t pride <em>sometimes</em> be useful?\n\nNo. Leaders should not be arrogant or prideful. Leaders should be confident, strong, firm, and extremely <strong>humble</strong>.\n\nHere are three steps to get you started on your path to humble leadership.\n<h3>1.      Flee from honor.</h3>\nThe language “flee” is different from “avoid” or “don’t pursue” in that it advocates actively distancing yourself from situations that will cause you to be prideful. Did you work together with someone on a project that was successful? Instead of emphasizing your contributions, make an extra effort to applaud and recognize the other person. Don’t downplay your successes, but don’t look for opportunities to be recognized, either. Fleeing from honor will help you learn to do the best you can do for the right reasons.\n<h3>2.      Recognize your talents as gifts. Go develop them.</h3>\nWhen you learn to see your natural propensity for public speaking as a gift, you may ask yourself, “how can I use this gift to help benefit others? What can I use speaking for to be a better (fill in the blank)?” Talents are not just random things we happen to be good at—they are skills that we have a responsibility to develop because there are things that only we can do with them! Sometimes, your talents require you to lead in areas that are outside your comfort zone. A humble leader is one who recognizes when there is a void that <strong><em>only they</em> </strong>can fill because of the unique gifts they were given.\n<h3>3.      Acknowledge your faults; take steps to change.</h3>\nIt takes an incredible amount of humility to admit one’s faults or mistakes. However, this admission of imperfection allows others to see that your path to leadership involves constant real human struggle. By allowing yourself to be seen as an actual human being who slips up, you are inspiring others to persevere through difficult situations. Inadvertently, you are also earning their respect.\n\nOne of the most difficult parts of being a leader is recognizing the situations when perhaps you are no longer the best person for a particular role. A humble leader is confident—they know who they are and what they are capable of. A humble leader also knows when to put their own pride aside and empower others to lead.', 'The Greatness of Humility', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-greatness-of-humility', '', '', '2016-05-17 06:00:15', '2016-05-17 10:00:15', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30120', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30130, 329, '2016-05-18 06:00:54', '2016-05-18 10:00:54', 'Ivan the Terrible was worse than Leroy Brown. Not only was the Russian ruler meaner than a junk yard dog, he was the “baddest man in the whole dang world!” “The” was not his middle name; his middle name should have been “fighting.” He was a warrior’s warrior. He got up every morning ready, willing and eager for battle. He fought, not because that is what he did; he fought because that is who he was.\n\nAfter many years as a single man, he finally decided to marry Sophia, the daughter of the king of Greece. He learned after selecting her as his bride that a prerequisite to the marriage was that he become a member of the Greek Orthodox Church and be baptized. And, the church was opposed to warfare of any kind for any reason. When he learned that a baptized member of the church could not be a professional soldier, he was in a pickle. Should he abandon the church, give up Sophia, or find another solution? He chose the latter.\n\nWhen he and 500 members of his Army went into the water with 500 priests to be baptized by immersion, they each raised their arm, sword in hand, out of the water. Their bodies joined the church that day, but their swords and arms for fighting remained unbaptized.\n\nThere are many ways to interpret this story. You could call him inflexible and stubborn. You could label him devious, unethical and only interested in his own selfish interests. Some might call him a cheater; a weasel who found a clever way to beat the system. I opt for the “commitment to his passion” interpretation. He embraced and ennobled the hill he was willing to die on.\n<h3>Passionate Leadership is Courageous</h3>\nGreat leaders demonstrate passion-driven courage. Not a show-off fearless kind of courage, but rather an “I only regret I have but one life to lose for my country” kind of valor. It is the courage that wells up from a devotion to duty rather than bravery that extends from disorderly desperation. It comes from leadership that takes its lead from a dogged commitment to a principle as well as an insatiable desire to stand for that principle.\n\nThe Tattered Cover in Denver is one of the largest independent bookstores in America. Founded in 1971, it has hosted live readings by such famous writers as Julie Child, J.K. Rowling, and three U.S. presidents. The bookstore came under attack when owner Joyce Meskis refused to release the book-purchasing records of a customer who was part of a criminal investigation. Losing her case in the lower courts, Meskis funded an expensive appeal on the grounds of her customers’ First Amendment rights. Not only did she win the state Supreme Court case, she won the admiration of customers around the globe. Even those who disagreed with her position praised her courage in the face of strong opposition and risk of significant financial loss.\n\nGreat leaders are willing to go against the tide. Too many leaders today have been inundated with the innumerable ways they can violate employee rights and infringe on the sanctity of good public relations. As they have been instructed in \"act like a leader,\" they have been informed to \"think like a lawyer.\" Many have learned to surrender to unrealistic demands of some issue-based fringe when their consciences scream for “acting on principle.” Too many leaders would rather lose sleep than lose face. Such timidity has bred cautiousness about controversy that has spread beyond complex employee relations issues. The dearth of value-based decisions has left too many organizations with a “character deficit.”\n<h3>Passionate Leadership is Conviction</h3>\nLeaders who display conviction elevate those around them to pursue greatness. C.S. Lewis wrote in his essay, “The Weight of Glory” about the ease with which people can be half-hearted creatures, “like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.” Passionate leaders recruit followers to pursue, as Victor Hugo wrote, “a reach that far exceeds their grasp.” It is their invitational commitment to a purpose grander than themselves that advances and promotes others.\n\nPurpose can be a deep commitment to the product or service provided to the marketplace. “You’ve gotta be able to see the beauty in a hamburger bun, “ said Ray Kroc, founder of McDonalds. Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies, echoed the same theme. “I am not a businesswoman. I’m a cookie person.” Southwest Airlines President Emeritus Colleen Barrett says it this way: “We are not an airline with great customer service. We are a great customer service organization that happens to be in the airline business.”\n\nLeaders often are heard to say, “It’s lonely at the top.” Such sentiment is taken from a perspective that positions leadership as a top-down controlling relationship and not a partnership with colleagues. When Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell was asked how he dealt with the stark terror of being in a space capsule facing almost certain destruction he said, “We had an important job to do and we were never alone.” Great leaders may be by themselves at times, but they are never alone.\n\nLeaders are not fearless beings that stoically snub their nose at terror. They are real life human beings who face danger standing on legs of rubber with their stomach in their throat. Danger makes them as queasy as a young recruit posed for his first taste of battle. But, great leaders lean into danger out of strong sense of duty and responsibility to act like a pro because feel accountable to those they serve.\n\nJohn Ellis in an article entitled <a href=\"http://www.fastcompany.com/45607/strategy\" target=\"_blank\">Strategy</a> in the October, 2002, issue of Fast Company wrote: “Here’s what real business leaders do. They go out and rally the troops, plant the flag, and make a stand. They confront hostile audiences and they deal with the press. If the issue is confidence, they conduct themselves confidently. If the issue is trust, they make their company’s business transparent. If the issue is character, they tell the truth. They do not shirk responsibility; they assume command. Because a fundamental ingredient of business success is leadership. And the granular stuff of leadership is courage, conviction, and character.', 'The Character of Passionate Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-character-of-passionate-leadership', '', '', '2016-05-18 06:00:54', '2016-05-18 10:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30130', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30138, 409, '2016-07-26 06:00:22', '2016-07-26 10:00:22', 'Your time is precious. Every hour, minute and second we spend at work, in particular, should be accounted for. We are but passing through this world, after all, so why not make the most of it?\n\nUnfortunately, we also live in a world absolutely jam-packed with distractions and each and every one eats up precious time from our schedule.\n\nI speak from experience. As a blogger, I now use all manner of <a href=\"http://www.trenholm.co.uk/24-productivity-tips-for-bloggers/\" target=\"_blank\">productivity-enhancing tips</a> to remove distractions and make the most of my days, but it hasn’t always been like this and I’d like you to benefit from the changes I made to my own work ethic and environment.\n\nSome distractions are welcome, but in this post, I’m going to focus on how to rid yourself of the most harmful.\n\nYour day is your property. Let’s reclaim it!\n<h3><strong>Clean up your workspace</strong></h3>\nWe’ve all been guilty of this at some stage, but it is a silent productivity killer that is all too easy to overlook: the messy desk. Colleagues, notifications and emails aside, inanimate objects can be just as big a distraction, so it’s time to clean up your workspace.\n\nRemove and file away everything you’re not currently working on. Throw away anything you’ve finished with. Leave only the essentials - your laptop, phone and notepad. In doing so, you’ll have removed countless distractions and simultaneously created an environment that will keep you focussed on the job in hand.\n<h3><strong>Declutter your computer</strong></h3>\nI’m a bit of a stickler for this. If you take a look at my computer desktop you’ll find an ultra clean space with no documents, folders or leftover installation files anywhere in sight. Everything is filed away in its place, out of sight.\n\nTry it. If your desktop is full of icons you’ve not interacted with for months, perform the same tidy you carried out on your physical desktop with that on your computer. Uninstall applications you no longer use and turn off all but the most important of notifications.\n\nBe digitally clear - it feels good.\n<h3><strong>Shut the door</strong></h3>\nDepending on your working environment, you may find this one a little tricky. If you work at home, the temptation to leave the office door open to listen out for the postman may be too great. Ignore it - close that door.\n\nIn a communal office, the thought of shutting colleagues out may concern the sociable amongst you. If you’re a manager, you may have the ‘<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/managers-how-well-are-you-connecting/\" target=\"_blank\">my door is always open</a>’ rhetoric ringing in your ears. Ignore it - close that door.\n\nYour door doesn’t have to remain closed at all times, but by setting certain times where, without fail, it is, you’ll grab that all important time to yourself and likely produce your best work as a result.\n<h3><strong>Remove email from your smartphone</strong></h3>\nEmail is not a method by which people should grab your attention, so try this for size: remove it from everything but your computer. Your tablet and smartphone should be email-free zones.\n\nIt sounds counterintuitive, but remember that people will always contact you via other means if there’s an emergency. Email shouldn’t rule you.\n<h3><strong>Take a look at your own habits</strong></h3>\nIt’s time to look at oneself. And I’m sorry to break this to you, but you may be one of the biggest distractions you experience while trying to work. Do you leave the TV on while working? What’s your diet like? Do you eat regular meals and ensure you take on enough energy-boosting foods?\n\nWhat about exercise? Are you giving your body enough oxygen and regular workouts? These are all just some of the bad personal traits which will add to your distractions throughout the day and only you can stop them. If you suspect that a habit is pegging you back, alter it immediately.\n\nFollow the above stages of distraction removal and you should end up with working days that flow as effectively as they should. Just remember to set yourself daily goals and rejoice in your ability to, finally, achieve each and every one.', 'How to Remove Distractions From Your Working Life', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-remove-distractions-from-your-working-life', '', '', '2016-07-26 06:00:22', '2016-07-26 10:00:22', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30138', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30154, 282, '2016-05-30 06:00:33', '2016-05-30 10:00:33', 'Teddy Roosevelt once said, “This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” We make the difference. Whether it’s our workplaces, churches, schools or communities, you and I are the determining factors about the goodness of this place we call home. The same can be said for us as a nation. So what are <strong>you</strong> doing to make this a good place for all of us?  Isn’t that truly what being patriotic is all about?\n\nIn this election year, as a leader you may have to wrestle with what is acceptable in regards to politics in your organization. Patriotism and politics are synonymous in the vocabulary of some, while diametrically opposed terms for others! Some things you might need to consider:\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Civil discussions </strong>It is a reasonable expectation to ask the members of your team to be reasonable with each other! Lively discussions are bound to happen with politics, elections and various issues that come up. Respectful dialogue should always be encouraged, but hateful rhetoric, personal attacks and other inappropriate behavior should never be acceptable.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Computer time </strong>Social media is a time devouring monster. Add politics to that mix, and it becomes a monster on steroids! Challenge your team to guard their time on the computer, and reserve social media and other political web surfing time for after work.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Displays </strong>Your organization may already have policies that either allow or disallow political displays (posters, banners, buttons or computer wallpaper) in the workplace. Lead from the front on the issue, and if your organization doesn’t have policies here, then help establish some. It’s much easier to establish and enforce a policy than it is to mediate an out of control competition within your workplace.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Time off</strong> Staff may ask for time away from the office to attend rallies, volunteer for their favorite causes or candidates or otherwise actively show their patriotism. Make sure they are clear on how that time away will be requested, classified and recorded.</li>\n</ul>\nAnother critical issue that reflects your organization\'s view on patriotism is this: How important, if at all, is it for you to bring veterans onto your team?  These veterans are men and women who took on much risk and gave up a portion of their lives to serve as a protecting force for our country and our people.  In addition to the entitlements given via the <a href=\"https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-employment-initiative/vet-guide/\" target=\"_blank\">Veterans Employment Initiative</a>, they deserve our respect, our consideration and our gratitude. But why should we give them a high consideration when it comes to bringing them on to our team? Here are a few things to ponder:\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Veterans tend to have a great work ethic.</strong> Part of their training means getting the job done, no matter the cost. Being a part of the military shows them that every member of the organization matters (i.e., “leave no man behind”), and that it takes the best effort from everyone to accomplish the mission.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Veterans typically have a higher level of maturity, one found in people who have faced the “life and death” challenges military life brings.</strong> While it is true that you can teach most tasks, it is a much more difficult challenge if you have immature team members. Wisdom, thoughtfulness, prudence and courage are character traits we have typically found that were either instilled or greatly nourished and expanded in team members with a military background.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Veterans are likely already trained in some instances for what you might need.</strong> The military knows that it is critical to train soldiers in teamwork, in decision making skills and in good preparation and follow through. Beyond that, they may have already provided a potential team member with technical, organizational or people skills crucial for the success of your organization.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Your organization could receive thousands of dollars in tax credits for hiring vets.</strong> These tax credits vary in amounts, and will be based on a variety of factors. But if you’re going to be hiring quality employees anyway, why not let the IRS give you an additional tax credit for doing it?</li>\n</ul>\nFinally, ask yourself this simple question… does Patriotism have a place in our organization?  If so, then what does that look like?  It might look like:\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Simple things like patriotic art in the office or attending veterans\' events.</strong> Your organization is going to have art on the walls; why not have some that reflects pride in our country or military? Encourage your team members to help with this.  Beyond that, show your physical support by attending local veterans\' or Memorial Day events.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Celebration of Memorial Day, Independence Day &amp; Election Day.</strong> Obviously two of these dates are national holidays, so your staff will most likely not be at work. Why not have a celebratory lunch before these dates, or take some of your team members with you to a local veterans\' hospital on or near these holidays to spend some time visiting with and honoring veterans? When election time rolls around, make sure your staff have plenty of time to go vote, even if it means arriving late or leaving early on that day.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Financial support of groups like <a href=\"https://www.foldsofhonor.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Folds of Honor</a>, <a href=\"https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Wounded Warrior Project</a> and more are great ways to show patriotism.</strong> Write financial gifts for worthy groups like these into your annual budget, and then challenge your staff to “match” gifts they will make up to a certain amount. (We recommend <a href=\"http://www.charitynavigator.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Charity Navigator</a> to research charitable projects.)</li>\n 	<li><strong>Finally, individual recognition of your employees who are veterans is a noble and worthy way to show a very personal display of patriotism.</strong> Recognize them with a gift certificate to dinner, or tickets to their favorite concert. Let them know their time and their sacrifices did not go unnoticed or unappreciated.</li>\n</ul>\nEspecially in this crazy and somewhat confrontational election cycle we find ourselves in, it’s easy to just write off anything political or otherwise deemed “political.\" I encourage you to do just the opposite! Jump out there and actively show your love for this country by making it “good” anyway you can! Support those who have defended it, and honor those who have paid the ultimate price.\n\nTeddy Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”\n\nEditor\'s Note: At Lead Change, we recognize that <a href=\"http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/05/22/memorial-day-veterans-day\" target=\"_blank\">Memorial Day and Veterans Day are distinctly different days</a>. In sharing this post, we intend to acknowledge a deep respect for all military, and trust that you, our readers, will understand our intent.', 'Star Spangled Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'star-spangled-leadership', '', '', '2016-05-30 06:00:33', '2016-05-30 10:00:33', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30154', 0, 'post', '', 9);
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(30158, 412, '2016-05-20 06:00:30', '2016-05-20 10:00:30', 'Organizations of all sizes and industries are reimagining work cultures in this relationship economy. It’s all about the people. Consequently, servant leadership quickly is becoming the preferred practice for some of the <a href=\"http://modernservantleader.com/servant-leadership/fortunes-best-companies-to-work-for-with-servant-leadership/\" target=\"_blank\">biggest and best</a> companies in the world.\n\nHere are three profound ways great leaders go about valuing their people.\n<h3><strong>1. Great leaders trust and believe in the people they lead.</strong></h3>\nIn his book “The Speed of Trust,” Stephen M.R. Covey says that a team with high trust will produce results faster and at lower cost.\n\nNot surprisingly, many companies that made <em>Fortune</em> magazine’s <a href=\"http://fortune.com/best-companies/\" target=\"_blank\">100 Best Companies to Work For</a> list are characterized by high levels of trust and transparency—especially employees’ belief in the credibility of their leaders. The <a href=\"http://www.greatplacetowork.com/industry-strategies-whitepaper\" target=\"_blank\">research</a> behind what makes those companies get on that list is conducted by the folks at <a href=\"http://www.greatplacetowork.com/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Great Place to Work</a>, who report that 92 percent of employees surveyed at these companies believe that management is transparent in its business practices.\n\nThe study found that the “Best Companies to Work For” have leaders who, to ensure success, do several things year in, year out that correlate well with leadership trust behaviors:\n<ul>\n 	<li>They keep the lines of communication open.</li>\n 	<li>They share their vision for the future with employees.</li>\n 	<li>They take the pulse of the organization by constantly listening and responding to what they hear so they can serve the needs of their people. Whether it’s sharing quarterly financials or making strategic decisions, they make sure to listen.</li>\n 	<li>They offer employees ample opportunities for training and development.</li>\n</ul>\n<h3><strong>2. Great leaders show respect for their employees.</strong></h3>\nCheryl Bachelder, CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, wrote a book called <a href=\"http://daretoserveleaders.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others</a>, in which she tells the story of her leadership journey. When she was named CEO in 2007, profit was in the negative, and the company stock price had taken a nose dive from $34 in 2002 to $13. The brand suffered, and franchise owners were running around with their hair on fire.\n\nBy 2014, Popeyes did a 180-degree turn. Sales were up 25 percent, and profits were up 40 percent. Market share had grown from 14 percent to 21 percent, and the stock price was over $40. The franchisees were giddy with the turnaround and began reinvesting in the brand, many remodeling their restaurants and building new ones around the world.\n\nThe difference?\n\nBachelder says that it was a conscious decision to create a new workplace (with rigorous measures in place) where people were treated with respect and dignity yet were challenged to perform at the highest level. Silos were broken, managers began to listen, and self-serving leaders went bye-bye as collaboration increased. Workers were valued.\n<h3><strong>3. Great leaders are aware of, and responsive to, the needs of their employees.</strong></h3>\nGreat leaders show an interest in their people’s jobs and career aspirations. They look into the future to create learning and development opportunities. They find out what motivates their best people by getting to know what desires will drive each tribe member. This is about emotional engagement.\n\nLet’s suppose you manage the web development function of your marketing division. Take three developers on your project team:\n<ul>\n 	<li>One comes to work every day just to fill a financial need for the family.</li>\n 	<li>Another fulfills a deep need to design software to serve the needs of her carrier community.</li>\n 	<li>The third eats, drinks and sleeps user design interface to understand how it will work holistically for both end users and stakeholders.</li>\n</ul>\nKnowing what makes each one of them get up in the morning can help you develop tasks and provide incentives they will actually care about. And make sure that it plays to their individual strengths to keep them engaged and learning on the job.\n\nLet’s end with a question to think about:\n\n<strong>In what meaningful and sustainable ways do you value your people at work?</strong>\n\n&nbsp;', 'How Great Leaders Value People', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-great-leaders-value-people', '', '', '2016-05-20 06:00:30', '2016-05-20 10:00:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30158', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30181, 252, '2016-06-08 06:00:53', '2016-06-08 10:00:53', 'Assertiveness and empowerment can cause real problems when overused or applied out of context. They become maladaptive responses -- just like anything taken to its extreme. Does this influence the effectiveness and maturity of your leadership?\n<h3>An epidemic of entitlement, irresponsibility and self-absorption</h3>\nCan you relate? Coworkers can’t make decisions. They show up in front of you as if helpless. In meetings, you go around in circles, without a clear agenda or purpose.\n\nYou drive down the street. Another driver honks if you hesitate for a moment at a red light. Others can’t seem to find it in their hearts to let you enter the highway.\n\nIn your favorite coffee shop, customers leave their tables a mess. They don\'t take time to notice the practice is to clean up after yourself.\n<h3>If you don’t, who will?</h3>\nThe term “adulting” has become popular. I understand it to mean moving out of a comfortable nest, landing a grown-up job, paying one’s own bills. I like it. It shows the recognition for the act of stepping up. Though the term is often used in regard to twentysomethings, given my examples of entitlement, irresponsibility and self-absorption, I would say the need for adulting has nothing to do with age.\n<h3>Maturity is underrated, i.e. we need more adulting</h3>\nIn looking for definitions of the word mature I am attracted to these:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Based on slow careful consideration [= thoughtfulness].</li>\n 	<li>Having attained a desired state [= self-reflection + values].</li>\n 	<li>Having or showing the mental and emotional qualities of an adult. (Qualities of an adult: developed, grown, advanced.)</li>\n</ul>\nI also want to add compassion, self-restraint, graciousness, and selflessness, demonstrated consistently, as traits of true maturity.\n\nTo me these are a minimum requirement to earn the right to call yourself grown up. Daily, we have the opportunity to play our part to keep society running smoothly. That is a responsibility of an adult, and a leader.\n<h3>What mature leaders don’t do</h3>\nLong-time leaders may know how to deliver a strong ROI. Mature leaders maintain a commitment to the dignity of their employees in the process.\n\nLeaders may pursue engagement by bringing employees together to gather input. Mature leaders make sure they don’t end up doing all the talking.\n\nSome start out ambitious in their careers wanting to advance to higher and higher levels. Mature leaders recognize they don’t do it alone.\n<h3>Are there phases of maturity in leadership?</h3>\nI reached out to my Lead Change Group colleagues for some thoughts on this.\n\nLet\'s start with Cassandra Ferguson’s question for consideration. “Is leadership taught or caught? Can it be inherited or is it a development process?” Good question.\n\nMy colleague, John E. Smith offers this structure (Source: <a href=\"http://insights.ccl.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/leadershipStrategies.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Center for Creative Leadership</a>).\n\n<strong>1)  Self Leadership:</strong> You become comfortable with yourself and your role.\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Don’t underestimate the importance of this. This is a good time to practice empowerment, speaking up, dealing with uncomfortable situations. When it’s your turn to lead others, you can’t give what you don’t have.</p>\n<strong>2)  Group leadership:</strong> You learn to lead small groups.\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Sharon Coon Reed and Jane Perdue agree that that maturity in leadership occurs when the focus shifts from self to growing others.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">To me it’s a milestone when you learn to sit with other’s discomfort, say, when they receive critical feedback. Another sign is when you realize you can’t do their growing for them.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Alan Utley suggests embracing your own authority to lead those who are older and have more experience. Don’t sell yourself short on leading well simply because of your age.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Page Cole adds the very specific point that maturing leaders consciously practice listening well, pausing and reflecting, and then responding. This is the self-restraint I’m talking about.</p>\n<strong>3) Organizational level:</strong> You learn to direct complex organizations, such as large business units or entire companies.\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">This is the perfect time for what Jon Mertz suggests – to prepare the next generation of leaders, e.g. to develop succession plans, etc.</p>\nAs we grow in wisdom and maturity as leaders, we self-reflect. A mature leader plans for and also knows when it is time to hand the reins over to someone else who has earned it. As a mature leader, we can then move on with our heads held high.', 'Do You Have What it Takes to be a Mature Leader?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-be-a-mature-leader', '', '', '2016-06-08 06:00:53', '2016-06-08 10:00:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30181', 0, 'post', '', 9),
(30201, 422, '2016-06-20 06:00:58', '2016-06-20 10:00:58', 'As we look at the timeline of our lives, how many transitions can we see? Inside the womb to outside the womb counts as one of our first major transitions. Being chauffeured, to holding a driver’s license. Graduation, moving, marriage, births, deaths, promotions, the list goes on and on. Transitions are endless and life-long.\n\nOne of our oldest and <strong>most essential navigational tools is the compass</strong>. It’s <strong>mandatory equipment</strong> for anyone venturing out into the wilderness. Without a way to re-orient yourself, the possibility of losing your way is extremely high. I am known to all my friends and family as<em> directionally-</em>deficient. I cannot get anywhere without some kind of device pointing me in the right direction. A 16 year old tells about a time he got lost in the woods of Eastern Oregon while he was bow hunting with his dad. “<em>I began to feel the psychological effects of being lost, mostly frustration and some fear. I remember going back and forth from one side to the other searching for the trail and being so sure of myself and my direction that I actually discounted and didn\'t believe my compass. It turned out I had walked out onto a finger of the main ridge and should have realized it if I would have simply trusted my compass instead of my feelings.</em> ” <strong>When we are in transition we need to trust a compass, not our feelings.</strong>\n\nThe transitions I\'ve navigated in my life span have ranged from exciting and planned for to unexpected and potentially devastating. What you are in the middle of today may be surprisingly similar to getting lost in the woods. You’ve left the familiar camp and need to find the main trail out of the woods. In the middle of leaving something you\'re accustomed to and moving toward something unknown, consider using these three practices to re-orient yourself in the heart of unfamiliar territory. Think of them as your compass.\n<h3><strong>Take a PAUSE</strong></h3>\nWhen you find yourself in yet another transition, <strong>take a pause</strong>. Healing comes when you take time to just be. Many times in transition you will find yourself clinging to something in order to avoid uncertainty. Hard transitions can shake your identity. It’s natural to define yourself by what surrounds you. If your environment is changing, then who are you? Getting married, having a child, job promotion, all require a re-building of your identity and a letting go of what used to be. Our fast-paced world is fixated on production. Often it appears that the more plates you can spin, the more you are worth. This means that taking a time out is rarely encouraged. When you get still and quiet, pause to just be, you can stop judging yourself and discover what’s going on deep within you. Take a day, a lunch hour, a coffee break and stop planning; don’t look for solutions, put down the electronics, and breathe. <strong>Transitions are opportunities to push pause, so that you can re-discover yourself.</strong>\n<h3><strong>Look for GROWTH Opportunities</strong></h3>\nWithin the angst of transition lie many opportunities to grow. Take a look at the parts of your life you most value. Bring those parts with you into this new chapter. Inventory the areas in your life that you’d love to see change. Start practicing some new habits. What parts of your life have you been neglecting? Create a new routine that incorporates these bypassed pieces of your life. Now is the time to explore, brainstorm, make-over before your life begins to solidify into a new pattern. <strong>Transitions are those unique times when we toss off the old but have not yet stepped into the new.</strong> Seize the opportunity!\n<h3><strong>Be REAListic</strong></h3>\nThat early transition, the one we call birth, took some time. <strong>Be realistic about time frames and expectations.</strong> Tough days are part of it. Just expect them. It’s not the end of the world, just part of life. Be patient with yourself and others. New relationships, new roles, new neighborhoods all require an adjustment period. Give yourself six months on a new job, a year in a new relationship, two years in a new community. Not allowing plenty of time only puts more stress and strain on you.\n\nThe dictionary defines transition as the process or period of changing from one state or condition to another. <strong>Transformation is behind the scenes of transitions.</strong> Allow transition to usher in a metamorphosis for you!\n\nEditor\'s Note: This post was originally shared on Michele\'s website, Life by Design, as <a href=\"http://www.lifebydesign.guru/blog/2016/5/26/a-compass-for-transition\" target=\"_blank\">A Compass for Transition</a>.', 'A Compass for Transition', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'a-compass-for-transition', '', '', '2016-06-20 06:00:58', '2016-06-20 10:00:58', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30201', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30211, 382, '2016-06-30 06:00:21', '2016-06-30 10:00:21', 'Recently, I had the opportunity to sit with the C-Suite team of a highly-successful $7B business. The topic of discussion: The Questionable Future of the Company. Why? They were internationally recognized as an entrepreneurial giant, noted for their “Pirate” mentality consistently causing beneficial market disruption which yielded revolutionary advancements.\n\nThe discussion began with a standard four questions and incredibly positive answers…with a shocking #5.\n\n<strong>Q1 : Do we have the right people?</strong>\n\n<em>A1: Yes.</em>\n\n<strong>Q2: Are the people doing the right thing?</strong>\n\n<em>A2: Yes.</em>\n\n<strong>Q3: Are they intrinsically motivated?</strong>\n\n<em>A3: Yes, extremely.</em>\n\n<strong>Q4: Do they finish what they start?</strong>\n\n<em>A4: Yes, usually before planned completion date.</em>\n\nLet us turn to the U.S.A.F. military for an example. The United States Air Demonstration Squadron, more commonly known as the Thunderbirds, are an amazing assemblance of talent. The Thunderbirds are assembled to showcase the U.S. Air Force, the capability of Airmen and the power of our military.\n\nLittle known is the fact that all Thunderbirds undergo a specified period of indoctrination before earning the “right” to wear the suit. Each member shows daily at the Red, White and Blue “office” before the sun rises. As a team of “newbies,” they enter the majestic Thunderbird hangar, with pristine white painted floors and a glowing oversized patch emerging from the center. In a choreographed ceremony the public will never see, they don booties with rags and polish and, on hands and knees, spend the opening hours of the day polishing the patch emblazoned in the floor and discuss the weight of being a Thunderbird.\n\nFrom the 300,000 Airmen they are privileged to represent to the millions of Airmen who have forged the path to where our Air Force and the Thunderbird Team are today, from the first airshow to the last, they understand every ounce of history, dedication, reason, and purpose behind the patch. This develops a pride of ownership for the future of the Team and the Air Force. Once the new group completes the syllabus of belonging, once the other team members are convinced they have adopted the shared mental model, only then are they considered for “patching.”\n\n<strong>This example leads to Q5</strong>\n\n<strong>Q5: What are we missing?</strong>\n\n<em>A5: A Shared Mental Model.</em>\n\nAfter discussion, it became obvious why the stock prices had fallen and there was concern for the future. The company had the right people, doing the right things, all intrinsically motivated to complete projects ahead of schedule. But they were all running in different directions. The “problem” with brilliant innovators, same as Fighter Pilots, is that when they are not given a clear vector on which to act, do not have a shared mental model of what the future and success should look like, they will develop their own path.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/beliefs.html\"><strong><em>Mental Model</em></strong></a><strong><em>: </em></strong>\n\n<strong><em>“</em></strong><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/beliefs.html\"><em>Beliefs</em></a><em>, </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/idea.html\"><em>ideas</em></a><em>, </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/image.html\"><em>images</em></a><em>, and verbal </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/description.html\"><em>descriptions</em></a><em> that we consciously or unconsciously </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/form.html\"><em>form</em></a><em> from our </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/experience.html\"><em>experiences</em></a><em> and which (when formed) guide our thoughts and </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/action.html\"><em>actions</em></a><em> within narrow </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/channel.html\"><em>channels</em></a><em>. These </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/representation.html\"><em>representations</em></a><em> of perceived reality explain </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/causality.html\"><em>cause and effect</em></a><em> to us, and </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/sales-lead.html\"><em>lead</em></a><em> us to expect certain </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/result.html\"><em>results</em></a><em>, give meaning to </em><a href=\"http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/events.html\"><em>events</em></a><em>, and predispose us to behave in certain ways.”</em>\n\n<em> </em>A quick turn to popular literature reveals “<a href=\"http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-642-21268-0_8\">the idea is that team performance improves if team members have a shared understanding of the task that is to be performed and of the involved team work.</a>”\n\n<a href=\"https://hbr.org/\">Harvard Business Review</a> details not only <a href=\"https://hbr.org/2011/06/building-a-shared-mental-model/\">the importance of a shared mental model but also the three critical components</a>:\n<ul>\n 	<li>The mental model <em>must provide an accurate reflection of your reality</em>. A major flaw for companies, and for individuals in survival situations, is starting from faulty assumptions. There is a tendency, especially under pressure, to see the world as we wish it were, or how it used to be, rather than as it really is.</li>\n 	<li>A <em>realistic picture of the situation serves as the basis for a plan of action</em>. Agreement is needed on goals and how to achieve them.</li>\n 	<li>The <em>group needs to work together</em> using their shared mental model to achieve its goals.</li>\n</ul>\nAs our situation in the C-Suite continues, the manager of the top performing sales team offered to me on a coffee break how he planned to reward his team when they hit 330% of their sales goal for this quarter. As he continued, he detailed how his team broke the record every quarter because they, collectively, thought the “low” quarterly sales goal was laughable and they rallied around the shared mental model of tripling the goal every quarter. This was not delivered with arrogance, but with confidence in the capability of his unique part of the team.\n\nAfter returning to the formal discussions, new questions ensued from the coffee break chat. With representatives from every aspect of the business, Question #6 was, simply, what is your <a href=\"http://blog.afterburnerseminars.com/?p=164\">High Definition Destination</a>?\n\n<strong>Q6: What is your <a href=\"http://blog.afterburnerseminars.com/?p=164\">High Definition Destination</a>?</strong>\n\n<em>A6: We do not have a single High Definition Destination; we have a situation which feels like 3,000 mini-CEOs.</em>\n\nThis was the “Ah-Ha” moment.\n\nTo be successful as a team, as a company, your innovators, workhorses and intellectual capital MUST be moving in the same direction, <a href=\"http://blog.afterburnerseminars.com/?p=164\">gaining team buy-in and driving effects-based thinking, to achieve your stated and shared Mission Objective</a>. With the simple adoption of the sale manager\'s mentality, this $7B company is now forecasting to grow over $10B in the next 2 years. The confidence in achieving their clear mission objectives, which supports their <a href=\"http://blog.afterburnerseminars.com/?p=164\">High Definition Destination</a>, was found in uniting the team around the intrinsic motivation always present, just left unfocused until now.\n\nFor me, the “Ah-Ha” moment was a repeat of a lesson learned so many times before…if you are interested in <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/about/\">instigating a leadership revolution</a>, do it one leader, one company, one employee at a time and find the shared mental model which unites individual and corporate vision, motivation and success.', '3 Critical Components of a Shared Mental Model', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '3-critical-components-of-a-shared-mental-model', '', '', '2016-06-30 06:00:21', '2016-06-30 10:00:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30211', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30215, 423, '2016-06-22 06:00:10', '2016-06-22 10:00:10', 'Every year, businesses spend a combined total of more than $20 billion on leadership development, according to figures published by Forbes, as they continue to try and plug the leadership gap. In total, this represents 35 percent of all spending on corporate training, making it the single biggest area of investment.\n\nWhile spending remains high, opinion is divided on whether or not businesses are receiving value for money. However, a recent focus on making this training more practical has yielded positive results. Here, we take a look at five reasons why leadership and management development should be made more practical.\n<h3><strong>1. People Learn More From Practical Lessons</strong></h3>\nThe first and perhaps most obvious point is that practical lessons have been shown time and time again to improve the quality of learning. One of the most damning statistics comes from the SAVO Group, which found that after one week, the average employee will have forgotten 65 percent of the material covered in a traditional training seminar. Worse still, this figure rises to 90 percent after six months.\n\nA study carried out at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, meanwhile, found that long-term knowledge retention - measured eight months after the original lesson - can be increased by more than 15 percent through \'active learning\'; combining teaching with related, concrete experiences.\n<h3><strong>2. It is Easier to Measure Practical Results</strong></h3>\nDespite the huge amount of money spent on leadership training programmes, many businesses report that they struggle to measure the return on investment. As a result, it is sometimes viewed as a luxury that can be done away with when times get tough and cuts need to be made to expenditures.\n\nBy involving practical elements, however, businesses can measure the effects of their development programmes more effectively. This then allows them to make changes, and to step up or reduce investment as is necessary. It will prevent them from seeing it as little more than a financial gamble.\n<h3><strong>3. People Need to Learn From Real-Life Situations</strong></h3>\nAccording to the famous 70/20/10 Model, which was advocated by Morgan McCall and colleagues in <em>The Career Architect Development Planner</em>, 70 percent of effective training occurs on the job. A further 20 percent of learning should come from talking to mentors or role models, with just 10 percent coming from formal training programmes.\n\n\"Strong leaders are key to any company\'s success...[but] traditional training courses often focus on hypothetical case studies,\" says Emma Luxton, writing for the World Economic Forum. \"[This] can make it difficult for participants to apply their knowledge to real-life situations and learn through their mistakes.\"\n<h3><strong>4. Increasing Practical Elements Can Lead to Savings</strong></h3>\nAlthough the development of new leaders is an absolutely critical concern for most modern businesses, making their investment in a quality training programme worthwhile, every business should still look for ways to be more efficient with their money. Making a development strategy more practical is one such way.\n\nBy cutting the amount of time spent in a classroom type environment, the cost of hiring teachers or coaches can be reduced significantly. Moreover, it can help to reduce the cost associated with taking leadership candidates away from the workplace for prolonged periods of time.\n<h3><strong>5. Practical Development Produces Tangible Business Results</strong></h3>\nFinally, one of the biggest reasons why it makes sense to adopt a more practical approach to the development of new leaders is that doing so can have a positive impact upon a business\' day-to-day operations. Put simply, when training is designed to be practical, it can be designed to solve a genuine business problem.\n\nTo provide an example, the Harvard Business Review collaborated with global agricultural processing company, Cargill, to create a new development programme. Of the 75 participants, 80 percent completed their projects and produced results and business insights. One of the programmes generated a 2.6 percent reduction in work orders.', '5 Reasons Why Leadership Development Should Be More Practical', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '5-reasons-why-leadership-development-should-be-more-practical', '', '', '2016-06-22 06:00:10', '2016-06-22 10:00:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30215', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(30217, 376, '2016-05-31 06:00:23', '2016-05-31 10:00:23', '<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Maybe we are overthinking this whole \"Motivation\" thing ...</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I have been reading about motivation since my graduate school days, practicing various approaches to motivating others in every setting I find myself, and am familiar with the <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http://www.yourcoach.be/en/employee-motivation-theories/\">best-known theories</a> about what moves and influences us.</span>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I know that money and \"perks\" are nice, but sincere and distinct praise is better.</span></strong></p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I understand that each person is motivated in a unique way based on  personality, background, and values.</span></strong></p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I fully grasp that our strongest motivations come from within us, rather than from any external place or person.</span></strong></p>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Like some of you, I am currently trying hard to keep up with the informational fire hose that is the annual <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http://www.wbecs.com/wbecs2016/\">WBECS Pre-Summit series</a>, where a large number of excellent and value-filled short presentations are available at no cost to those of us who identify as coaches, especially business, executive, and leadership coaches. This prelude to the <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http://www.wbecs.com/wbecs2016/\">Full Summit program</a> next month, in my opinion, is the single best source of current learning around effective coaching from a global perspective.   </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">I am amazed at how much I get out of the Pre-Summit alone ...</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Earlier this morning, I was listening to <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https://twitter.com/djmitsch\">Darelyn \"DJ\" Mitsch</a>, author of the recently released <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Zombies-Zealots-Darelyn-DJ-Mitsch/dp/1504356403/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1464359875&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=zombies+to+zealots\"><em>Zombies Into Zealot</em>s</a> discuss her current and upcoming work. She identified <em>Love</em> and <em>Fear</em> as the two basic underlying drivers of human behavior and used the phrases \"<em>Spiritual Intelligence</em>\" and \"<em>Be Yourself</em>\" around the growing understanding that we must deal with the whole person, rather than just the employee part of that human being.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Her comments spurred some thinking about how all this might be injected into ongoing discussions around motivation, from this proudly non-recovering <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanistic_psychology\">Humanist</a> who idolizes <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html\">Carl Rogers</a> and believes in a spiritual element for all human relationships.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Maybe this whole motivational thing could be as simple as:</span>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">First, decide to treat employees like fellow human beings, rather than role fillers.</span></strong></p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Then, seek to see employees in their wholeness:  Take the time to understand what moves and shapes them, not just at work, to complete a task, or ply a trade, but as human beings, with physiological, emotional, economic, psychological, cultural, relational, biological, and even spiritual needs.</span></strong></p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Finally, create workplaces that honor and support each person to the maximum extent possible by engaging with their whole person, not just the employee. Take the work-life balance concept a bit further.</span></strong></p>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Not exactly the <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http://managementstudyguide.com/transactional-leadership.htm\">transactional approach</a> where we are always concerned with what we receive for what we give, but I find this direction resonates with me. If I were in an organization that did this to motivate me, I would respond quite positively ... but that\'s me.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">This approach is far different from what I have experienced in the workplace, since it requires us to tread into the realms of spirituality and psyche, not familiar ground for most managers or leaders, outside the broad organizational context.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">The religious overtones which accompany the use of the term \"<em>spiritual</em>\" are often problematic in organizations ... it doesn\'t easily fit within many business cultures.</span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Having worked in religiously-affiliated organizations some, I know first-hand how difficult it can be to address spiritual aspects of an employee. I imagine any HR folks reading this are having a bit of a swoon right now.  </span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">So let\'s talk honestly about what works and what doesn\'t work!</span>', 'Full-Scale Motivation ... Maybe?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'full-scale-motivation-maybe', '', '', '2016-05-31 06:00:23', '2016-05-31 10:00:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30217', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(30231, 424, '2016-07-22 06:00:43', '2016-07-22 10:00:43', '<p style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">If you’ve been promoted to a management position for the first time, you’re probably feeling pretty terrified. While stepping into a managerial role is a huge accomplishment, it’s the beginning of a set of arduous challenges. If you’re not quite sure how to smoothen the transition, here are some <a href=\"http://www.industryleadersmagazine.com/leadership-management-mistakes-avoid/\">common leadership and management mistakes</a> most first-time managers make, which when avoided can help you get off a pretty good start.</span></p>\n\n<h3 style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">Holding back</span></h3>\n<p style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">First-time leaders are often paralyzed by fear that they will come across as draconian. Obviously, you cannot please everyone. Besides, you’ve been promoted because your bosses see something promising in you. So, lead on, because if you don’t, your team is likely to question your authority and the ability to get things done. Take risks. Don’t be afraid of things backfiring. Find a mentor, if you feel you may flounder while making certain decisions. The first couple of months is a solid learning period, so learn as much as you can and ensure you don’t repeat any of those mistakes again.</span></p>\n\n<h3 style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">Failing to delegate</span></h3>\n<p style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">Leaders who can’t delegate demonstrate a lack<span class=\"apple-converted-space\"> </span>of faith in their team. New to the role, first-time managers take ownership of projects when they believe only they can do it right, or in some cases, when they fear they would be outshone by their subordinates. People want to feel their contributions at the workplace are valuable, so when you delegate tasks, you’re showing faith in their ability to execute on it responsibly. This kind of support and interaction from the leader gives employees a reason to step up and build up their strengths.</span></p>\n\n<h3 style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">Failing to set clear expectations</span></h3>\n<p style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">Many new managers often avoid communicating clearly about expectations as they don’t want to be seen as authoritative or be lableled the bad guy. People cannot read your mind, so unless you don’t spell out the expectations, they are not going to know what is expected of them. Leaders must provide a clearly articulated vision and set realistic expectations to make sure employees are motivated for performing and attaining their goals.</span></p>\n\n<h3 style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">Expecting employees to do everything as you say</span></h3>\n<p style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">You’ve likely been promoted to your job because you’re good at what you do. But, you cannot expect employees to blindly follow the “do as I say” advice. It would simply sound invalid and immature. If you want your people to follow in your footsteps, model good behavior. If you expect employees to show up to work on time, then exemplify that behavior. If you want your employees to act professional, then exemplify that behavior.</span></p>\n\n<h3 style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">Turning a blind eye</span></h3>\n<p style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">You may have been fully aware of what is going on, and yet you may have turned a blind eye because you believed your employees deserved the benefit of the doubt. You may also fear that your decisions may affect your team and department. Moreover, new managers often delay making a decision, believing that it may negatively affect their reputation, as well as the entire team and the department.</span></p>\n\n<h3 style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">Failure to reward employees</span></h3>\n<p style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">New managers are often unsure about the best way to recognize employee performance, and so they do nothing. This could harbor a disrespect for employees in some way. Managers should talk to a mentors and learn how to reward employees.</span></p>\n<p style=\"line-height: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: \'Georgia\',\'serif\'; color: #333333;\">As the list of leadership and management mistakes shows, first-time managers fail due to barriers that inhibit their ability to lead confidently. Being a leader is an ongoing learning experience, and it’s never going to be easy. But you can always learn, set expectations, and shift your focus on things that matter, and you’ll pretty soon be seen as a positive leader.</span></p>', 'Leadership and Management Mistakes Most First-Time Managers Make', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'leadership-and-management-mistakes-most-first-time-managers-make', '', '', '2016-07-22 06:00:43', '2016-07-22 10:00:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30231', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30243, 374, '2016-06-01 06:00:40', '2016-06-01 10:00:40', 'This month we are featuring Leading Voice <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/mary-schaefer/\" target=\"_blank\">Mary Schaefer</a>, a coach, trainer, consultant and speaker who helps develop a culture of engagement and empowerment with tech managers and employees. She specializes in manager/employee interactions with organizations employing engineers, scientists and IT professionals, helping managers/owners successfully coach employees to tap into their own initiative and resourcefulness to deliver results. Mary’s mission is to create work cultures where organizations and human beings can both thrive.\n\nMary has a B.S. in Computer Science from Indiana State University and an M.S. in Human Resource Management from the University of Charleston.\n\nMary has always been fascinated by the human dynamic at work. Human relationships, motivation, and human needs like appreciation, belonging and making a meaningful contribution have been high on her list. She started learning about this on her father\'s farm as young as age 5. Mary and her father tended 1000 tomato plants to get her through her senior year in college.\n\nAs an IT professional, Mary loved figuring out when things went wrong; it was like figuring out a puzzle. But her favorite thing was helping others learn new things and flourish at work. She went into HR so people could have at least one person in HR they could expect to be \"human.\" After experiencing her 8th downsizing, she left DuPont in her 20th year there, concluding her corporate career as an HR manager. Since 2004, Mary has had own business coaching and training managers, HR leaders and employees to bring more humanity to their work cultures through treating each other like human beings, applying listening and coaching skills, and taking charge of their careers.\n\nA leadership lesson Mary gained from her first job was:<strong> </strong><em>Coaching people while maintaining their dignity gets you better results than telling or yelling</em><em>. </em>\n\nWhen asked about one of the best moments she has had professionally, Mary shared, \"When I was an HR manager, a young man came to me because he thought he was deliberately embarrassed in a meeting and he thought I was the only one who would take him seriously. We worked together on how he could address the transgression.\"\n\nOn the topic of the most important qualities in leaders, Mary believes that having dealt with or being aware of their own limitations and hot buttons is key.\n\nMary thinks schools should incorporate emotional intelligence into their curriculum planning.\n\nWhen questioned about the strangest thing she\'s ever been asked in a job interview, Mary replied, \"Do you like being married?\" is the question that was the oddest.\n\nWhen asked about books she has found most helpful for her professional life, Mary recommended <a href=\"http://www.stevenpressfield.com/turning-pro/\" target=\"_blank\">Turning Pro</a> by Steven Pressfield.\n\nWhen asked the most creative solution she\'s ever seen to a problem in life or work, Mary replied, \"I don\'t know if this is an urban legend or not, but the story about the boy who suggested letting air out of the tires when a truck was stuck under an overpass.\"\n\nIf she had to hashtag her life, Mary\'s would be: #peoplematter.\n\nOne of Mary\'s favorite quotes is \"Many a man would rather you heard his story than granted his request\" from Philip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield.\n\nWhen asked \"if money were no object, what would you do all day?\" she responded, \"write, speak, teach, coach, read and travel.\"\n\nThe best advice she\'s ever been given was, \"Trust your intuition.\"\n\nMary became involved in Lead Change when her coach brought the hashtag #leadchange to her attention and insisted that she check it out. <em>We are so glad you trusted your intuition and followed through, Mary! You are an important part of our community!</em>\n\n<em><strong>Editor\'s Note</strong> - You may ask, “How does one get chosen to be a featured Instigator?” The answer is simple. If you are already an Instigator, fill out <a href=\"https://cl182.infusionsoft.com/app/form/lcg-feature-questions\">this form</a> and continue to engage with the Lead Change Group on a regular basis. If you are not yet an Instigator, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/join/\">sign up</a>. There are many benefits to being an Instigator – email us if you want more information.</em>\n\n<strong>Previous Featured Leading Voices and Instigators:</strong>\n\n5/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-kevin-eikenberry/\" target=\"_blank\">Kevin Eikenberry</a>\n\n4/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-leading-voice-chip-bell/\" target=\"_blank\">Chip Bell</a>\n\n3/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-eunice-parisi-carew/\" target=\"_blank\">Eunice Parisi-Carew</a>\n\n2/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-chris-edmonds/\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Edmonds</a>\n\n1/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-marcella-bremer/\" target=\"_blank\">Marcella Bremer</a>\n\n12/2015: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-john-stoker/\" target=\"_blank\">John Stoker</a>\n\n11/2015: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-sean-glaze/\">Sean Glaze</a>', 'Featured Leading Voice: Mary Schaefer', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'featured-leading-voice-mary-schaefer', '', '', '2016-06-01 06:00:40', '2016-06-01 10:00:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30243', 0, 'post', '', 4);
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(30259, 421, '2016-07-27 06:00:04', '2016-07-27 10:00:04', 'Evaluating your employees. Leading meetings. Connecting with clients. As soon as your alarm clock goes off, your mind starts to race. And, while a leadership role can certainly cause you to sweat, it shouldn’t start as soon as you wake up!\n\nIn fact, there are several steps you can take to ensure your days always get off to a stress-free start. We can’t promise that your entire 24 hours will be smooth sailing, but your waking ones can be if you follow these seven tips.\n\nThat way, the next time you say, “Good morning” to your team, you’ll really mean it!\n<h3><strong>Waking Up </strong></h3>\n<strong>Don’t Press Snooze</strong>: In the moment, it feels great to go back to sleep for five or 10 more minutes. Once you get up, though, you’re sure to realize that your choice to catch a few more Z’s was a mistake. That’s because you’ll be trying to fit everything you need to do pre-work into less time and, needless to say, rushing isn’t quite ideal when trying to cultivate a stress-free vibe.\n\n<strong>Grab a Glass of Water</strong>: For many, the first beverage that comes to mind in the morning is coffee. And, while your daily Joe is certainly vital to getting you going, a glass of water works wonders in ways that you may not feel as instantly as a caffeinated beverage.\n\nThe link between dehydration and stress exists: <a href=\"http://www.webmd.com/diet/water-stress-reduction\">Being just a half-liter dehydrated can cause a boost in cortisol</a>, which is a stress hormone. Of course, drinking water as soon as you wake up won’t erase any stressors that arise, but it will take an additional stressor out of the equation.\n\n<strong>Don’t Check Your Email</strong>: If your alarm clock is attached to your phone, it’s so easy to make a virtual check-in the first thing you do in the morning. This is one of the best ways to kick-start your anxiety, though, as your freshly awakened brain will be forced to process everything that’s waiting for you at work.\n\nIt gets even worse if it also has to wrap itself around the overnight headlines, the Facebook posts you missed, the Tweets you slept through, etc. If you must check it before you reach your desk, give yourself a good amount of time to get your body and brain going first.\n<h3><strong>Getting Ready</strong></h3>\n<strong>Time Your Routine — And Give Your Alarm Some Wiggle Room</strong>: We already told you not to press snooze, but it’s also important that the alarm you set gives you enough time to get through your entire AM routine. In order to make it happen, time yourself over a few mornings to see roughly how long it takes. Then, consider your commute and the average time of your routine.\n\nRather than setting your alarm for exactly the amount of time you’ll need, give yourself 10 to 30 minutes of wiggle room, depending on how extensive your routine is. That way, if something goes awry, you’ve got time — and zero stress.\n\n<strong>Make a Few Shortcuts</strong>: Many before you have attempted to shorten their morning routines, with varying degrees of success. The trick is looking at everything with a critical lens and deciding if you can do any of it later, delegate it, shorten it or completely eliminate it from the routine.\n\nAs far as shortcuts go, <a href=\"http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/how-to/a4887/20-ways-to-get-ready-faster/\">there are plenty when it comes to getting ready in the morning</a>, so borrow from others or come up with your own!\n<h3><strong>Commuting</strong></h3>\n<strong>Enjoy the Extra Time</strong>: Whether you see a long line of cars, hear a cacophony of honks or feel yourself rocking back and forth as you brake with traffic, the first signs of a slow commute can cause your stress levels to spike. In fact, if you drive to work, it probably comes as no surprise that <a href=\"http://blog.cjponyparts.com/hack-your-commute/\">it’s the most stressful way to commute</a>. In order to lessen these feelings when you’re behind the wheel, we suggest you start enjoying yourself in the process.\n\nHow should you do it? There are many answers to this question. If you drive, you could download an audiobook or podcast you’ve been meaning to read or listen to, but haven’t been able to fit into your schedule. That way, you’re entertained and engaged throughout the process.\n\nThe same goes for bus and train commuters who might feel stressed out by packed cars or, of course, traffic: Focus on the fact that you have time to do something you enjoy pre-work, and the minutes will fly by in the happiest way possible.\n\n<strong>Start With a Spark</strong>: Your workday should begin much like your morning did. Don’t dilly-dally or press “snooze,” if you will, on what you need to tackle during the workday. Instead, enter your office each morning with a focus on productivity, and blow your first hour of work completely out of the water. With this precedent set, the rest of your day will fall into line, and you’ll be way more likely to be productive throughout than to procrastinate until 5 pm rolls around.\n\nNeed further inspiration? Think of it this way: If you know in your head that you’re completely crushing it day in and day out, you’ll probably notice your stress levels fizzling out over time. And, if you head into work knowing that your to-do list is no match for you, then your entire morning will be brighter: Waking up, getting ready, commuting and everything in between will feel a lot less stressful, too.\n\nAaah. We like the sound of that.', 'Start Your Day Stress-Free', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'start-your-day-stress-free', '', '', '2016-07-27 06:00:04', '2016-07-27 10:00:04', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30259', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30261, 273, '2016-06-06 06:00:14', '2016-06-06 10:00:14', '<em>This post is part of our 2016 Lead Change Group Guest Blogger Series. Today we are pleased to introduce you to leadership coach and author Kimunya Mugo.</em>\n\nFrom the moment she walked in, I knew things would not go well.\n\nWe were interviewing for a position in my department. This lady was the second of five interviewees that day. Immediately, my attention was drawn to her dressing. Yes she wore a black skirt suit. But it was a little too revealing.\n\nWhat did she expect me to do? Did she want me to assess her suitability for the position? Or was she out to distract the male panelists? This was something that did not sit well with me. I expected a professional demeanor.\n\nThat minimum expectation weighed heavily on my selection criteria. In setting her expectations in the wrong place, it affected everything else she had to offer. Suffice to say, she did not get the job.\n\nSometimes, I find myself approaching leadership on autopilot. And this complacency is dangerous. Not only does it undermine my leadership, it compromises my character. Just like the lady in the interview, I make assumptions that people know what is expected of them.\n\nWhy is it essential to define my expectations? Because this attitude cultivates mutually beneficial outcomes between my followers and me.\n\nExpectations have a direct link to my ability to maintain a clear head, articulate facts well and balance my approach to problems.\n\nWhen expectations are understood, you capture people’s hearts as well as their minds. It provides them with the opportunity to ask quality questions. As Nancy Willard notes, “Answers are closed rooms; and questions are open doors that invite us in.\"\n\nHere are three keys to leadership that matters: reasons why I propose we need to lead from expectations.\n<h3>1. Define boundaries</h3>\nExpectations provide safe limits for people to work within. For example, if you encounter an electric fence, it means something important is under protection. If for some reason you decide to breach this fence, the electric current may hurt you. Actually, chances of arrest for trespassing are very high.\n\nThis is what expectations provide for in any meaningful relationship. They give clarity for what needs to be done, by whom, and the timeline. Furthermore, everyone understands how activities will be carried out.\n<h3>2. Provide freedom</h3>\nMost of us have worked in stomach-ulcer-inducing jobs. Even before you start on a task, it feels like a noose is gradually tightening on you. Given the opportunity, you will run for the hills and never come back.\n\nHowever, where expectations are known, work performance seems to improve exponentially. You feel free and inspired to growth. And this is driven by the desired outcome that is defined by those expectations.\n<h3>3. Promote ownership</h3>\nWhat had become crystal clear to me is that expectations have a direct link to better accountability. They clarify people’s personal or departmental vision and goals in light of where the organization is going. There is a deep appreciation of what is required of them.\n\nThis is because expectations must have an owner. Then, the right people must be connected together. This informal network becomes the critical hub to the delivery of the broader team expectations.\n<blockquote>“Positive expectations are the mark of the superior personality.” ~ Brian Tracy</blockquote>\nLeading from expectations can be challenging. But once you make it a habit, everyone works together like a well-oiled machine.\n\n<img class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-30262\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/kimunya-mugo-e1465001861521-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"kimunya mugo\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" />Kimunya Mugo is a leadership coach, communication specialist and author. He helps motivated but overwhelmed individuals and organizations regain their purpose to lead so they can focus on what matters most to build a transformational legacy. You can follow more of Kimunya on his <a href=\"http://www.leadbychoice.co\" target=\"_blank\">blog.</a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;', 'How to Lead from Expectations', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-lead-from-expectations', '', '', '2016-06-06 06:00:14', '2016-06-06 10:00:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30261', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30269, 406, '2016-07-29 06:00:56', '2016-07-29 10:00:56', 'Do you know how to help others feel a strong sense of meaning and purpose in the workplace? In two previous posts, I shared about the strategies of using <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/to-finding-meaningful-work\">self-reflection</a> and <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/the-smart-way-to-work-with-purpose\">community building</a>, and in this one, I will share the last key strategy for developing a meaningful workplace: engage in serving others through your work.\n\nSocial service to others is one of the keystones of greater meaning and purpose in life, as <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/meaning-purpose-and-civic-engagement-beyond-belief\">numerous studies</a> reveal. Research specifically on <a href=\"http://www.michaelfsteger.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Steger-Dik-Duffy-JCA-2012.pdf\">the workplace</a> has found that the same concept applies to work as well as to anything else. So I and my fellow <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/about\">Intentional Insights</a> participants are lucky ducks, as the organization by its very nature is oriented toward helping our audience have better lives. Furthermore, one of our key principles is to coach and mentor each other, which simultaneously builds social bonds and serves others.\n\nIt is important, however, to reflect occasionally on how I specifically help others have a better life. To do so, I and other Intentional Insights participants collect quotes from emails, blog comments, and other sources where people express gratitude to the organization for helping them, and share these with each other. I encourage a work culture where we highlight and celebrate mutual accomplishments in helping our audience members improve their lives.\n\nLet’s say you have a 9-5 job that does not explicitly serve others, what then? No worries! Every job helps somebody somehow. Think about the social value you provide. What is it about what you do that helps others have better lives? Journal about it, and collect any positive feedback provided from others about your work. Take steps to solicit such feedback, since some workplaces don’t have optimal systems to provide it. Don’t ask for direct compliments, but ask people for their frank assessment of how you are doing, both your strengths and your weaknesses. Look for both formal and informal opportunities to support and coach others in your workplace.\n\nLikewise, see if your workplace has service projects like building homes through Habitat for Humanity, volunteering in a soup kitchen, etc. Also, remember that the salary you earn at your work can be donated to charity, and many employers offer matching contributions. <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effective_altruism\">Effective Altruism</a> identifies the most effective charities by using well-reasoned, evidence-based evaluations. Such civic engagement can help you find greater meaning and purpose in your work by serving others outside the direct context of your work. Again, to cultivate the deepest sense of life purpose, keep a journal and reflect on the positive impact you’ve had on others.\n<h3><strong>How do I know this is working for me?</strong></h3>\nGreat question! I developed the <a href=\"https://meaningandpurpose.herokuapp.com/users/sign_up\">Meaning and Purpose Questionnaire</a> (MPQ), a research-informed tool used to quantify your own sense of purpose in every area. Then it customizes a science-based strategy to your personal search for purpose. Take that questionnaire with a focus on your work activities, and work on any areas that you might find are lacking.\n<h3><strong>What if my supervisor doesn’t want me to do meaning-making activities at work?</strong></h3>\nYeah, I hear you. Some supervisors don’t yet realize the benefits for employee <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/what-is-the-meaning-of-life-for-you\">mental and physical health and wellbeing</a> that come from a greater sense of meaning and purpose in their work. First off, I’d suggest you talk to them about the research on this topic, such as the studies summarized in this article and the previous one I wrote on this topic. Now if the argument about the mental and physical wellbeing of employees doesn’t satisfy them, I suggest you <a href=\"http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/09534819910282135\">bring up research</a> about how creating a meaningful workplace contributes to the bottom line for well-known companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Southwest Airlines, Tom’s of Maine, Ben &amp; Jerry’s Homemade, and many others. If they’re skeptical that they can actually create a sense of meaning and purpose in the workplace, I hope the examples in this and my previous article will help convince them otherwise, and <a href=\"http://www.michaelfsteger.com/?page_id=105\">here’s some research</a> on other ways to do so. Also consider bringing this research to the attention of the HR department and upper-level administrators if your direct supervisor is not flexible.\n\nStill, regardless of what your supervisor might think, a great deal of these activities are under your own control. Remember, you’re working for yourself, not for anyone else. Always remember that, <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/living-intentionally-3-steps-to-gaining-agency\">be intentional</a>,  and show agency in getting what you want from your work, including a sense of meaning and purpose in life.\n\nConsider sharing this article with your co-workers and/or supervisor if you think they would benefit from reading it, and also if you would benefit from them having read it.\n\nFor additional resources on a science-based approach to finding meaning and purpose, check out this <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/book-find-your-purpose-using-science\">free workbook</a> written by the author of the post; use this <a href=\"http://s.bl-1.com/h/rdg7cLD?url=https://meaningandpurpose.herokuapp.com/users/sign_up\">free science-based web app</a> to evaluate your current sense of meaning and purpose; take this <a href=\"https://humanistlearning.com/workplacemeaningandpurpose/\">free online class</a> on cultivating meaning and purpose in the workplace, certified for credit for coaches, trainers, HR professionals, and consultants; and also consider the <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/findyourpurpose\">wide variety of others resources</a> on meaning and purpose at Intentional Insights.', 'Build a Meaningful Workplace by Serving Others', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'build-a-meaningful-workplace-by-serving-others', '', '', '2016-07-29 06:00:56', '2016-07-29 10:00:56', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30269', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30273, 274, '2016-06-06 13:25:39', '2016-06-06 17:25:39', 'The Lead Change Group is grateful to Randy Conley of <a href=\"https://leadingwithtrust.com/about/\" target=\"_blank\">Leading With Trust</a> and The Ken Blanchard Companies for hosting the June 2016 Leadership Development Carnival.\n\nRandy says it best when he describes this month\'s contributions as \"a treasure trove of wisdom from many of the world’s premier leadership, management, and coaching thought leaders and practitioners.\"\n\nPlease visit the full carnival post <a href=\"https://leadingwithtrust.com/2016/06/06/leadership-development-carnival-june-2016/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> to read posts about motivation, leadership lessons, coaching, preventing burnout, and more.\n\nEach of the contributors would appreciate a visit to their articles, and we would be grateful if you would share the carnival among your contacts. You can easily tweet your support by using our simple <a href=\"http://ctt.ec/192HL\" target=\"_blank\">click to tweet</a> feature.\n\nThe Lead Change Group will be hosting the July 2016 Leadership Development Carnival so stay tuned for our call for submissions in the coming weeks. We will look forward to another tremendous month!', 'June 2016 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'june-2016-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2016-06-06 13:25:39', '2016-06-06 17:25:39', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30273', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30280, 243, '2016-06-09 06:00:46', '2016-06-09 10:00:46', 'I just completed a wonderful new guide for managers and leaders titled <a href=\"http://winningwellbook.com\">Winning Well: A Manager’s Guide to Getting Results — Without Losing Your Soul</a> by two friends from Lead Change, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/karin-hurt/\">Karin Hurt</a> and <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leading-voices/david-dye/\">David Dye</a>. Karin and David are accomplished leaders, speakers and authors and were before already accomplished having written the book. They organized their advice into a comprehensive, well-written guide to overcoming sticky issues with practical, relevant, action steps. The issues they address are more common than we’d like to admit, and their stories are personal, and entertaining. For each issue, they provide actionable, professional, informed, and proven methods of creating win-win situations.\n\nAs a manager who learned much the hard way, I often felt I was losing my soul. I longed to win. I thought I had to do a number of things just to try and get the job done. My daily grind consisted of a tug-of-war between what I thought would make our team successful and the goals and objectives of the people on my team. Only when I began to create win-win opportunities and outcomes and when I began to work on behalf of my team, did I ever find any peace in leadership.\n\nWinning Well is another term for being an effective leader. We most enjoy those leaders who help us win. We know win-lose isn’t sustainable. Only win-win situations create energy for growth and success. Winning Well means more people win.\n\nKarin and David put forth a number of excellent points in the book including chapters on Building a Team of Loyal Problem Solvers and another on how to balance humor and fun in the workplace (Chapter 18).  Many times they make constructive metaphors that help you remember the point and put it to use.  Each chapter has a summary called the Winning Well Action Plan, which provides clear, actionable steps to help you make progress in each area.\n\nThe metaphor I liked the most was very near the end of the book. They talked about, when reacting to any situation, one question we can ask that will help us become constructive, and begin to create winning-well outcomes. The question is “How can I…?”\n\nHow can I create a better outcome?\nHow can I change this situation for the better?\nHow can I encourage to create a “win” for this team member?\n\nThese types of questions arise from a position of personal responsibility. Immediately we find the thing we can do rather than focusing on the dozens or hundreds of things we cannot do. Our mainframe shifts. There is always something we can do to change the outcome or change the way the outcome is processed, received, handled. “How can I…?” turns every victim into a responsible party, someone powerful enough to make a difference. The question turns us from victim to leader. Immediately, we’re back on track to Winning Well!\n\nIn the end, although I listened to the unabridged audio book, I went back and purchased the Kindle version so I could make some notes and use the Winning Well Action Plans for reference. The book is packed with energizing ideas and practical advice, making it difficult to recall unless you took great notes in some other medium.\n\nIf you’re in management at any level, you will find ideas to help you win well more frequently and with greater ease. And if your management role drains you, sapping your excitement for work, please get a copy quickly. There is energy and life for you in Winning Well. You will transform your career, find new energy for leading and bring life to your work.\n\n<a href=\"http://winningwellbook.com/\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30303 size-medium\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Winning-Well-3D-HiRes-254x300.jpg\" alt=\"Winning Well-3D-HiRes\" width=\"254\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Winning Well - Leadership Without Losing Your Soul', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'winning-well-leadership-without-losing-your-soul', '', '', '2016-06-09 06:00:46', '2016-06-09 10:00:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30280', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(30283, 409, '2016-06-13 06:00:52', '2016-06-13 10:00:52', 'Back in June 2014, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) discovered that there was a <a href=\"http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105160709/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/characteristics-of-home-workers/2014/sty-home-workers.html\" target=\"_blank\">record number of Brits working from home</a>. The figure was huge - 4.2 million - and neatly demonstrated that the traditional office environment was fast becoming a distant memory for many.\n\nThe rise of the freelancer and increasingly convenient channels by which we all communicate in this digital age have made home workers a common fixture in teams of all sizes.\n\nYou may be familiar with this yourself - particularly if your business features people working remotely and in tandem with those situated at your office. If so, you may also be familiar with the challenges hybrid teams present, regardless of the abundance of technology we can now call upon.\n\nI think small businesses are excellently placed to use remote teams effectively. I know this because I am part of one myself and have spent the last two years refining the art of the hybrid team.\n\nI’ve learned 3 key things during my journey and I’d like to share them with you today.\n<h3>Communication is absolutely vital</h3>\nHow many times have you read that on a team leadership blog post? There’s a reason for its dominance when it comes to advice of this sort - <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/communication-do-you-hear-what-they-hear/\">communication</a> stands head and shoulders above every other element when it comes to managing teams successfully.\n\nWhen members of the team aren’t on-site at the office, the methods by which they can keep in touch are even more critical. Thankfully, we have tools such as <a href=\"https://slack.com\" target=\"_blank\">Slack</a> and encrypted direct messaging services like <a href=\"https://www.zoom.us\" target=\"_blank\">Zoom</a> to make the process far easier.\n\nHowever, you can have all the tools in the world, but if they’re not utilised effectively, your hybrid team will quickly fall apart.\n\nEnsure remote workers are empowered to use any communication methods they are granted access to as freely as they would their vocal cords when wandering the office. Set ground rules too - they should know when they’re expected to be contactable and when they should pick up the phone as opposed to firing a ‘reply all’ to everyone and sundry.\n<h3>You need a project management system</h3>\nWhen I first started out running a hybrid team, we relied on spreadsheets, shared calendars and a server full of Word documents. And that was before we even got to our own personal written notes and to-do lists.\n\nIt was a mess and it simply didn’t work. So, we changed it and implemented a project management system. The difference was night and day.\n\nThankfully, there are plenty of free tools to choose from, such as the wonderful <a href=\"https://trello.com\" target=\"_blank\">Trello</a>.\n<h3>Choose your remote team members carefully</h3>\nNot everyone is a good home worker. Some people are easily distracted by home comforts, while others may take the opportunity of being unseen to simply be less productive. It’s a tough reality many team leaders fail to discover early on.\n\nSuch people can be quickly identified, but you should do so before starting the process of running a hybrid team. Speak to your employees and ask them for an honest assessment of whether or not working remotely is for them.\n\nYou may be surprised at the reaction; many people prefer the camaraderie and social element of working in an office. If so, you’d be wise to keep such workers close by.\n<h3>Summary</h3>\nYou’ll hopefully have had a ‘eureka!’ moment while reading the above. As it turns out, the varying locations of hybrid teams may add some additional challenges, but the mechanics of managing them are no different to those of an in-house team. You simply need <a href=\"http://www.trenholm.co.uk/5-productivity-tools-youll-thank-us-for-mentioning/\" target=\"_blank\">the best tools</a>, clear channels of communication and the right team members. Sound familiar?\n\nProof, if ever it were needed, that managing a remote team is near identical to that of the traditional office-based variety!', 'Can Small Businesses Use Remote Teams Effectively?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'can-small-businesses-use-remote-teams-effectively', '', '', '2016-06-13 06:00:52', '2016-06-13 10:00:52', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30283', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30294, 251, '2016-06-10 06:00:10', '2016-06-10 10:00:10', '“After that first finger was pointed, the meeting went downhill fast,” said an exasperated friend as she recounted an awful day at work. “It was like everyone was in a race to the bottom. What hateful things were said as they threw one another under the bus. I just wanted to disappear.”\n\nToo bad, I thought while listening to her pain, that no one stepped up to stop the downward spiral by using the “Charleston approach.”\n<h4>It\'s a Choice</h4>\nChoosing to act with grace, curiosity, appreciation, and kindness what I call the “Charleston approach.”\n\nLeading a team, department, division, or an entire company is taxing work—yet it’s work that, in my opinion, pales beside speaking to someone who has killed a loved one. Living here in Charleston, SC and seeing the Emanuel nine family members rise above censure under such tragic and trying circumstances filled with me with hope for leaders everywhere. The big lesson I’ve learned over the last year is that if one chooses, the grace of goodness <em>can</em> transcend polarization.\n<blockquote>Leadership is both something you are and something you do. ~ Fred Smith, founder Fed-Ex</blockquote>\n<h4>Ending the \"isms\" that divide us</h4>\n“I’m right, you’re wrong” reasoning gives rise to mistrust and fuels the “isms”—racism, sexism, ageism, and the like—that divide us unnecessarily.\n\nCloaking ourselves in our rightness and pointing out the wrongness of being or thinking differently builds walls, not connections that serve a greater good. In a world where the six degrees of separation have become four, isn’t now the time to replace mean-spirited gut reactions with constructive curiosity, compassion, and a skosh of vulnerability?\n<blockquote>Leadership that starts by understanding one another, by seeing each other, requires a sort of slowing down, of paying attention, of presence. ~ Jacqueline Novogratz, founder Acumen</blockquote>\n<h4>Putting the Charleston Approach to Work</h4>\nBeing mean and lashing out is easy; choosing to use the Charleston approach is hard, as are most worthwhile things. The Charleston approach involves self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-control, and open-mindedness:\n<ul>\n 	<li>To be eternally vigilant in assessing if our beliefs have hardened into dogma. When we’re no longer open to considering what others have to say because we know our position is the true one, we’re putting our lack of skill in doubting on display.</li>\n 	<li>To be mindful of the degree of our skepticism. Being inclined to inquire is a good thing that can become a bad thing if we are unable to believe anything.</li>\n 	<li>To willingly seek out both the hidden flaws and virtues that lurk in our blind spots and embedded preferences and to be gentle with others regarding theirs.</li>\n</ul>\nOur brains are powerful, and our hearts large. If we choose, we can replace unfounded judgment, <em>liberals are idiots, you-don’t-know-what-you’re-talking-about, and feminists are bad,</em> with curiosity, <em>perhaps there’s something to be learned from their point of view</em>. In choosing to make this shift, we let go of the absolute “rightness” of our position, make room for ambiguity and paradox, and exchange automatic rejection based on selective facts for openness.\n\nWe choose to think big, not small.\n<h4>Be the water</h4>\n<blockquote>Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox:  what is soft is strong. ~ Lao Tzu, philosopher</blockquote>\nTo begin ending those “-isms” that divide us, we have to resist being the rock—anger, judgment and harshness aren’t the answer. By being the water, we can:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Bridge the distance between races, sexes, and generations in a world primed to respond with bias and ill will.</li>\n 	<li>Celebrate the power and possibility spawned by distinctions in thought, opinion, and perspective.</li>\n 	<li>Engage in courageous-yet-respectful conversations using our heads to manage and our hearts to lead.</li>\n</ul>\nIf I had enough Charleston approach pixie dust and angels to spread it, we’d sprinkle it liberally to put an end everywhere to harmful polarization. Ready to scatter some in your corner of the world?', 'How to Use the Charleston Approach to Be a Better Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-use-the-charleston-approach-to-be-a-better-leader', '', '', '2016-06-10 06:00:10', '2016-06-10 10:00:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30294', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30328, 425, '2016-07-12 06:00:46', '2016-07-12 10:00:46', '<em>When you are leading your business team through complex change, your team’s success will to a large extent depend on the level of transparency you are able to establish. The power of transparency is often underestimated. The true meaning of transparency is often misunderstood. Therefore: some experience-based thoughts about transparency, and how to stimulate it in your team.</em>\n<h3><strong>Transparency accelerates teamwork</strong></h3>\nWhy? Because it creates trust! In our current <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatility,_uncertainty,_complexity_and_ambiguity\" target=\"_blank\">VUCA</a></strong></span> business environment this is becoming increasingly important.\n\nThe more transparent we are to ourselves and to others, the better we understand what we want to achieve as a team. Teams who experience transparency generate a stronger mutual focus, as well as a higher level of mutual trust.\n<blockquote>Teams who experience transparency generate a stronger mutual focus, as well as a higher level of mutual trust.</blockquote>\n<h3><strong>Transparency starts with you</strong></h3>\nCreating an atmosphere of transparency starts with you being transparent yourself. Transparent about your intentions, about who you are, about how you work, what you value in life and believe to be important. Transparency about your habits, about your qualities, and your weak points.\n\nTransparency has a lot to do with being open, honest, and authentic. Especially when you are working with people with different cultural backgrounds and nationalities, your transparency will help your team to develop trust despite the cultural differences.\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30613\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Aad-Picture-e1468274614414.jpeg\" alt=\"Aad Picture\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" />\n\n&nbsp;\n\nTransparency does not mean you always have to know the answers. When you don’t know the exact end result yet, just say so, and focus your team on what needs to be done to move forward and to find the answers together.\n\nRead more here about <strong><a href=\"https://leadershipwatch-aadboot.com/2016/02/07/leadership-introspection-the-only-person-you-can-actually-change-is-yourself/\" target=\"_blank\">how to be transparent yourself</a></strong>.\n<blockquote>Not being open to others because you do not have all the answers yet often has a counterproductive effect. It will undermine trust.</blockquote>\n<h3><strong>Listening creates transparency</strong></h3>\nNo, this is not an obvious statement. Letting other people speak is not creating transparency by itself. It is the way we listen that makes the difference. Listen to learn! Listen between the lines, to what is unsaid. When people feel you are really listening and tapping into what they feel, believe, and think they will become more open and share more.\n\nWhen you are willing not only to hear them out, but also to learn from them, to change your own way of looking at things, then transparency starts to grow.\n\nRead more here about <strong><a href=\"https://leadershipwatch-aadboot.com/2014/10/09/cross-cultural-leadership-how-stimulate-your-asian-team-members-to-speak-up/\" target=\"_blank\">how to stimulate transparency, especially when working with Asian team members</a></strong>.\n<h3><strong>Transparency is about clarity, not about micro-management</strong></h3>\nTransparency is also about being clear about what you expect from other team members. This is not the same as telling them in detail what they must do. Trying to create transparency by micro-managing people will result in a lack of motivation, in complacency, and eventually in a lack of transparency.\n\nInstead, stimulate transparency by keeping the focus on the desired end-result. Here is a question that works well in my experience: \"<em>How do you think this can contribute to achieving our end-result?\"</em>\n\nYou stimulate transparency by making people aware of the bigger picture, and of their contributions. True teamwork originates when team members take ownership for the end-result, see beyond their own tasks, and see how their work impacts others.\n\nRelated article: <strong><a href=\"https://leadershipwatch-aadboot.com/2015/09/14/leading-complex-change-programs-crucial-tip-for-creating-success/\" target=\"_blank\">How to Stimulate People to Think Impact</a></strong>.\n\n<em>What are your thoughts about transparency? I’d love to read your comments below!</em>\n\n<strong>Are you leading global change programs? Find more detailed tips and insights on how to create openness here:</strong>\n\n<strong><a href=\"https://leadershipwatch-aadboot.com/2011/03/27/leading-cross-cultural-teams-how-to-create-openness-part-1/\" target=\"_blank\">Leading cross-cultural teams: how to create openness – part 1</a></strong>\n\n<strong><a href=\"https://leadershipwatch-aadboot.com/2011/04/09/leading-cross-cultural-teams-how-to-create-openness-part-2/\" target=\"_blank\">Leading cross-cultural teams: how to create openness – part 2</a></strong>', 'Leading Change: We Need More Transparency', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'leading-change-we-need-more-transparency', '', '', '2016-07-12 06:00:46', '2016-07-12 10:00:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30328', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30332, 276, '2016-06-14 06:00:49', '2016-06-14 10:00:49', 'A leader is someone who provides vision and inspires everyone around him or her to focus on the vision and drive toward achieving their goal. When things are not going well, leaders are often the first ones to roll up their sleeves and work alongside their people to make things happen. When confidence is not there, leaders encourage their people to continue their journey that ultimately enables them to achieve things they otherwise could not achieve.\n\nIn the global economy, each company is constantly adjusting its strategies to enable it to stay ahead of its competition. Their competitors are trying to inch closer to the leader and those who lag behind are doing their best to work their way up and try to chip at the lead. Cost management strategies are equally important, as the management of all firms is pressured to see how they can manage the cost to help improve the bottom line. To differentiate themselves from competitors, they need to find new ways of creating new product lines and managing their finances to improve the return on investments.\n\nIn corner offices across America, all CEOs are facing the same challenge to lead their organizations and outperform their markets. To ensure that they are accountable for the success of the company, pay for performance is instituted by most companies as approved by their stakeholders or shareholders. For example, Expedia\'s Dara Khrosrowshahi: he will get options worth $30.4 million when he is able to push the stock price above $170/share. He is accountable for returning value to customers by driving the strategy to ensure returns for the next five years. Last year, Expedia stock returned 47 percent. However, Viacom shareholders lost 42% in the last fiscal period and their CEO, Philippe Dauman, made $54.1 million, a 22% raise from the prior year.\n\nMy point for this post is that there is a gap in leadership where poor performance cannot be rewarded, because it is done at the expense of the shareholders and the employees at large. As leaders of their respective organizations, they need to be held to high standards and their reward should be closely correlated to the firm’s performance. While the shareholders approved all these pay packages, their effect is only felt in the coming years. Just like performance review, it drives incentive pay. The same should apply to leaders of the companies, especially CEOs.\n\nI understand the challenge and burden that the CEOs feel in running organizations; however they were put in that position because of their talent and capabilities to help shape the future of their organizations. Good leadership dictates that you get what you deserve; therefore the performance outcome of the company is the leading indicator to determine the shift in incentive compensation.\n\nDoing the right thing is not just a saying. It is a good practice.', 'Healthy Raises', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'healthy-raises', '', '', '2016-06-14 06:00:49', '2016-06-14 10:00:49', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30332', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30341, 418, '2016-06-16 06:00:01', '2016-06-16 10:00:01', '<strong>PROLOGUE:</strong> <em>I wrote this over 9 years ago. In June, I found out that Captain Denny Flanagan, of <a href=\"https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/\" target=\"_blank\">United Airlines (UAL)</a> retired after 30 years with UAL and 20 years Navy before that. The CEO of United, Oscar Munoz, came to the airport to greet Captain Denny on his final flight.</em>\n\n<em>What I wrote then is absolutely true today:</em>\n\nWhen was the last time you boarded an airplane and the pilot was handing out Aircraft Trading Cards with the statistics of the plane on which you’re about to fly?\n\nThink about it. Makes sense. How many of us would buy a car without reading the manufacturer’s label on the window? So why shouldn’t we know about the “product” we are buying? That must have been what Captain Denny Flanagan figured when he stood at the jetway of the 757 that was to take me home to Orange County.\n\nBut there was more to the practice. Captain Flanagan brought this idea to United just after September 11th when they were losing customers and furloughing pilots. His thought was that if the pilots were to become more proactive and more visible, customers’ confidence level might increase and fill the airplanes. If the airplanes were filled, furloughed pilots would get their jobs back. It worked.\n<h3>Lesson One: Servant Leaders think of employees and customers at the same time.</h3>\nBut Captain Flanagan didn’t stop there. Nope. During the flight, the attendant came back and handed out more business cards. This time, it was Captain Flanagan’s personal business card with a personal note handwritten on the back.\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em>Eileen, you are a valued customer and your business is greatly appreciated. Please let me know how we can exceed your expectations. Capt. Denny.</em></p>\n\n<h3>Lesson Two: Servant Leaders actively model HOW to reach the customer.</h3>\nNow, if I had been the ONLY passenger around me to get a card, I’d think this was a pick-up line. On the contrary, everyone received a personal note! Since I am in the leadership business, I figured I needed to meet this man and tell him how amazing it was to find a gesture like that.\n\nCaptain Flanagan appeared surprised that a passenger would wait to say thank you. He told me that he liked letting customers know that they mattered and he’d do his part, with whatever was in his sphere of influence, to give us a good experience. He made an impersonal flight into a flight of relationship building. I gave him my business card and said thanks.\n\nThat was two or three weeks ago. Today, I received another note from Captain Flanagan. It seems my comments on servant leadership were things he’d been practicing and he just wanted me to know more. (Little did he know that I write about leadership examples.)\n<h3>Lesson Three: Servant leaders aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.</h3>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em>Eileen, </em>\n<em>  </em>\n<em>I try and lead by example. This helps motivate the crew to do a better job. When they see me stow bags, assist moms with strollers and answer customer questions as if it was the first time I heard it they are brought back to their new hire days.</em></p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em>I tell my crew that in a year’s time there are many exterior forces in our lives that we have no control of but on a daily basis we can make a difference. It was a pleasure having you on my flight. You may forget my name in a few months but my goal is that you don\'t forget the feeling. Capt. Denny Flanagan</em></p>\nI know there are hard-bitten travelers who will mutter about mechanical delays, lost luggage, and surly clerks. I got them all just last week. That’s not the point.\n\nCaptain Flanagan can’t change the system. But he can—within the leadership boundaries of his 757—decide to model service, graciousness, and patience with the traveling public as well as his crew. The flight’s purser told me that Captain Flanagan treats his crew with the same respect he grants to his passengers.\n\nImagine what would happen if everyone just worried about the atmosphere and experience they are creating in that one small circle of influence instead of carping on the failure of senior managers, the work hours, the politics, the policies and the practices. An organization could fly on the wings of a lot of those “circles” coming together.\n\nA McDargh says to a Flanagan, “Keep up the great work.” And that’s not blarney.', 'Servant Leadership Flies High from the Cockpit – United 757', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'servant-leadership-flies-high-from-the-cockpit-united-757', '', '', '2016-06-16 06:00:01', '2016-06-16 10:00:01', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30341', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(30351, 329, '2016-06-17 06:00:02', '2016-06-17 10:00:02', 'There are a lot of really cool advantages to being first born. I liked getting to “be responsible” for my younger sister and brother. It likely made me a high achiever. I like that I gained a “gift of gab” by being the only (for a while) child, conversing with my parents before my sister came along. It sure helped prepare for a career as a keynote speaker and trainer. But, I hated hearing my parents say, “You’re the oldest; you need to set the example and be a role model.”\n\nLeaders get that same burden. In fact most leadership schools teach leaders the same admonition I got from my parents—be a role model. The concept has always seemed flawed to me. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a fan of making sure leaders\' actions match their values. I also think leaders should lead with obvious purpose-driven, people-centered values. But, I recall my sister accusing me of trying to be “a junior daddy” when I got a bit too big for my britches and blended a bit of pompousness into my role modeling.\n\nThe problem with leaders as role models is the assumption that followers need a parental figure to look up to and emulate. It also implies followers are like younger siblings who, without the model of “goodness,” would stray from an appropriate path and engage in irresponsible acts and attitudes. It represents a limiting view of human potential. Carried to its ultimate conclusion it puts leaders on a pedestal, setting them up to fall for grace when they inevitably make human errors.\n\nRoleness should not be the goal of leaders but rather realness. The definition of “role” means “an actor’s part” or “a function or part played by a person.” The concept of “acting” and “playing a part” suggests the complete opposite of genuine and authentic. I recently saw a wonderful play on Broadway and then waited with my wife to get the autograph of the villain in the play. He was completely differently “on the street” than “on the stage.” Such superb acting is impressive in a play or movie performance; but the same thespian-like prowess in a work performance creates distrust and suspicion.\n<h3>Lessons from the Chairman</h3>\nThe most famous car in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the ‘70’s was a perfectly restored antique Mercedes-Benz sports car owned and driven daily by Luther Hodges, Jr. He was then chairman of the board of North Carolina National Bank and the son of a former North Carolina governor and Kennedy administration cabinet member. Tall, handsome, with a Harvard MBA, Luther was an impressive leader. Coupled with The Car, he was just plain impressive!\n\nI had been with the bank only a few months and considered myself to be about 347 levels below Mr. Hodges. My occasional meetings with him were always cordial, warm, and upbeat. He went out of his way to help soothe my too-obvious nervousness at being in the presence of The Chairman. I wanted to learn from him — and he clearly afforded me the opportunity. However, the emotional space between us felt too wide for me. As a just-out-of-grad-school employee, I picked my words carefully in his presence. Learning from Mr. Hodges always took a back seat to impressing Mr. Hodges. That is, until The Car changed everything.\n\nI was accompanying Luther and my boss to a meeting in Raleigh, about three hours from Charlotte, the city where we all lived and worked. My boss and I had driven there in the company Ford checked out in his name only. Luther had driven there in The Car. Our meeting ran late, so Luther and my boss decided to stay over and drive back together early the next morning so they could talk on their drive. Two small problems remained: How was I going to get back to Charlotte that evening, and how was The Car going to get back to Charlotte?\n\n“Chip, why don’t you take my car home with you?” suggested Luther, flashing his Steinway smile. “Drive in to work in the morning, park in my spot, and just leave the keys with Pam. I’ll give you a ride home tomorrow afternoon.” My ears rang, my heart pounded, and I was unable to speak for what seemed an eternity. The chairman wanted me to drive The Car to my home! He trusted me with his most prized possession! The distance between us evaporated; suddenly I felt that Luther was my friend. As embarrassing as my then naiveté was when I think back today, I still recall my anxiety magically being transformed into confidence.\n<h3>Realness Builds Trust</h3>\nTrust comes in part from the communication of humility. Luther was as open and trusting as they come. Equally important, his showing authenticity fostered my courage to do likewise. Humility has a special role in relationships in which there is an unequal distribution of power: Trust is the equalizer.\n\nAt a large social event in Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte, North Carolina, organized to formally announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, Luther was relying openly and heavily on note cards as he began his prepared speech. The audience listened politely. Luther was never very comfortable as a public speaker. Halfway through, he lost his place. He cracked an awkward, apologetic joke and ad-libbed for a moment as he struggled to put his cards in order. Before he could fully recover, the audience broke into supportive applause. It was the sincere, genuine, flawed Luther they adored, not the Luther reading his speech perfectly from notes.\n\nMask removal is the humble stuff of which trust is made. Humility does not require you to fall on your sword. Nor does it mean loudly advertising your warts and clay feet. It does mean working very hard to be open and vulnerable. It means working to strip any nuance of rank, power, or status from the relationship. Trust is something that happens within people only when it is created between people.\n\nAnd where does this leave us with Luther and The Car? Luther lost his primary bid for the Senate seat but went on to become Undersecretary of Commerce in the Carter administration, then chairman of the board of a Washington, D.C., bank. He kept The Car for many years, finally selling it in D.C. For thirty years, we corresponded and then lost touch. Still today, there are very few people in the world I trust more than Chairman Hodges.', 'Leaders: Stop Being a Role Model', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'leaders-stop-being-a-role-model', '', '', '2016-06-17 06:00:02', '2016-06-17 10:00:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30351', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(30357, 426, '2016-08-04 06:00:07', '2016-08-04 10:00:07', 'Who do you think of when the word “leader” comes up? The list of great ones is endless, and history has provided countless examples of people we’d all follow into battle if called to. Whoever you include in your top ten list of favorite leaders, they certainly have one valuable thing in common: leadership credibility.\n\nWhether we think of a historical figure or a <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-lazerson-42052a7\" target=\"_blank\">great leader</a> who’s on the scene today, he or she develops trust and loyalty. They labor with the people they serve, they care about their team, and they’re looked to for guidance and encouragement.\n\nWhat about you? Are you building credibility every day, or are your attitudes and actions hindering your leadership credibility? If your team has lost faith in you, here are seven probable reasons.\n<h3><strong>You Lack Passion</strong></h3>\nToo many people in leadership roles are reserved and overly-formal. If you’re one of them, please know that respected leaders love people, love life, and live for much more than a paycheck. Do you have a dream, goal or passion that consistently fuels you? Or do you regularly give your team the impression that you’d rather be in bed or on a vacation far, far away? If people see a wet blanket when they look at you, you’re not credible as a leader. Find your passion, and don’t be afraid to let it shine!\n<h3><strong>You’re Not Inspiring</strong></h3>\nIf you lack passion, you’re probably not inspiring. And that’s a big problem, because much of your value as a leader is found in your ability to uncover your people’s hidden energy and motivation. Whether on a battlefield, in the White House or in a corporate headquarters, a credible leader brings the best out of his or her people. If you bring your people down rather than inspire them, stop reading this post right now and Google “How to inspire others.”\n<h3><strong>You’re Not Organized</strong></h3>\nDoes your desk look like the floor of a kindergarten classroom? Do you lose documents, forget about meetings, and miss deadlines? If so, you’re not credible as a leader. Luckily, organization is a skill that can be learned, so make it a priority.\n<h3><strong>You Don’t Give Credit to Your Team</strong></h3>\nIf your team has spent a workweek staying later than anyone else in the office to complete a project, don’t accept praise in a meeting. Instead, say “Thank my team! They amazed me with this one!” Don’t let <a href=\"https://growtheverywhere.com/hiring-2/effective-employee-onboarding/\" target=\"_blank\">your team</a> see you taking credit for their blood, sweat and tears.\n<h3><strong>You Don’t Do Everything You Say You’ll Do</strong></h3>\nRemember that time last month when you told your team you’d provide Starbucks every morning during this big project? Or that you’d push for getting the company to order those standing desks they’ve been wanting? You might have forgotten what you said in a passing comment, but your team remembers. If you have a habit of making promises but not taking action, you probably have very little credibility.\n<h3><strong>Your Priority is You Rather Than Your Team</strong></h3>\nHave you ever told your team, “Please don’t make me look bad,” or “I need you to give me your best work with this project so I can impress the CEO”? This tells your team that you view them as a burden. If you make them feel like second-class citizens compared to you and your career goals, you can bet that you don’t have a lot of leadership credibility in their eyes.\n<h3><strong>You Don’t Trust Your Team</strong></h3>\nDo you insist on listening to a team member’s entire pitch before he or she presents it to a client? Do you work late to check your team’s work, just in case you need to do it all over again to “do it right?” Being a leader is not synonymous to being a control freak. If you want to be trusted, show your team that the trust is mutual.\n<h3><strong>Conclusion</strong></h3>\nIf you find that some (or all) of these credibility killers are present in your own leadership, the good news is that “great leaders are made, not born.” It’s okay to apologize to your team and ensure them that you’re working on improving. Tell them you appreciate all that they do for you, and thank them for their patience as you work on your leadership growth.', 'These 7 Things Are Ruining Your Credibility as a Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'these-7-things-are-ruining-your-credibility-as-a-leader', '', '', '2016-08-04 06:00:07', '2016-08-04 10:00:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30357', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(30375, 307, '2016-06-21 06:00:45', '2016-06-21 10:00:45', 'It\'s a question that has perplexed me for many years:  With the wealth of leadership wisdom available, why do we continue to struggle to lead well? Why do employee engagement rates continue to hover around 30% despite the obvious advantages for leaders who choose to lead well?\n\nThe more time I spend with managers and leaders, the more I see three reasons aspiring leaders struggle:\n<ol>\n 	<li>They don\'t know how.</li>\n 	<li>They know how, but fear gets in the way.</li>\n 	<li>They know how, but pride gets in the way.</li>\n</ol>\nFrom our work with <em><a href=\"http://winningwellbook.com\">Winning Well</a>, </em>my co-author Karin and I have found that after a lack of skills, fear, manifesting as insecurity, lack of confidence, and pressure, are the most common obstacles to effective leadership.\n<h3>11 Ways Fear Cripples Your Leadership</h3>\nHealthy human beings experience fear. It’s a part of the gig.\n\nWhen you lead, you’ll have anxiety and fear as you face unexpected problems and take risks to move your team forward.\n\n<span style=\"line-height: 1.5;\">It’s okay - in fact it\'s natural and normal to have these fears, but if you don’t learn how to manage the fears that come with leadership, you\'ll succumb to shortcuts that compel, but don\'t influence. What makes these mistakes more dangerous is that they can seem rational at the time. Soon, you\'ll find your soul slipping away. </span>\n\nHere are 11 ways fear can cripple your leadership. Do any of these sound familiar to you?\n<ol>\n 	<li>You avoid dealing with the very thing that needs attention.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">You know that unease that creeps up and prompts you to procrastinate or avoid doing something? Listen to it! But instead of doing what it says (avoiding the problem), use it as a signal flare – the thing you feel like avoiding is exactly what should have your full attention. Dive in and get it done.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"2\">\n 	<li>You lose credibility</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Even if you don’t tell them what’s going on, your team will figure it out. When you’re paralyzed with fear, your leadership credibility slowly erodes.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"3\">\n 	<li>You feel like you’re all alone.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">When you’re scared, you forget your team. This one is particularly brutal because it cuts you off from one of your greatest strengths. Your team is smart; working together, you can get it done…but not if fear isolates you.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"4\">\n 	<li>You react and create chaos.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Have you ever had a squirrel get inside your house? They are scared and panicked. They over-react to every little noise or motion, scampering back and forth, climbing up the walls, knocking over everything. It’s chaos!</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">When we get scared, we can do the same thing and leave our teams frustrated and confused about their own priorities and expectations. Not sure if this is happening to you? Take the free Winning Well Assessment and learn what is working for you - and what\'s not.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"quote\">Free for Lead Change Group readers! Discover your strengths and areas where you can be more effective. Use company code: LCG</div>\n<div class=\"attribute\">~<a href=\"http://winningwellbook.com/assessments/\">Click here for your free Winning Well Assessment</a>~</div></blockquote>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n 	<li>You demotivate others.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Fear only motivates for a little while. When our teams are confused and we’re reactive, it sucks the energy out of them.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"6\">\n 	<li>You give up your ability to create the future.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">When you act out of fear, you aren’t working toward a positive vision of the future. You’re just trying to avoid problems.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"7\">\n 	<li>You clamp down on information.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">In the absence of information, people will jump to the most pathological conclusion possible.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">And yet, when you work out of fear, you often stop the flow of information (because you worry about communicating the wrong thing or aren’t sure who you can trust). This feeds into the isolation that cuts you off from the very people that can help you the most.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"8\">\n 	<li>You withdraw or lash out.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">This behavior goes by many names. You’ve probably heard it called our flight or fight response. <a href=\"https://www.crucialskills.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kerry Patterson</a> calls it our tendency to silence or violence.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Whatever you call it, I’m sure you know it: when you’re scared, you protect yourself – either through hunkering down in reinforced concrete bunkers or by launching an all out attack.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Whether you run and hide or go on the attack, it cripples your leadership credibility.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"9\">\n 	<li>You avoid risks and personal growth.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">When you’re worried about making mistakes, you don’t take risks. When you don’t take healthy risks, you stop learning new things…and you stop learning altogether. Leaders who don’t grow lose credibility.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"10\">\n 	<li>You don’t apologize, own, and correct mistakes.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">When you do make a mistake, if you’re frightened of being seen as a failure, you might not own up to it and apologize.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Of course, everyone already knows and so once again you fritter away your credibility.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"11\">\n 	<li>You inspire fear in others.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">This one is really bad: leaders recreate themselves.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Your team is learning from you. If you stay in fear-mode, it won’t be long before your team acts the same way and now you’ve multiplied the mistakes on this list.</p>\n\n<h3>Reclaim Your Power</h3>\nIf more than one of those mistakes sound familiar, it’s time to conquer your fear and be the leader your team needs you to be.\n<ol>\n 	<li>Listen to your fear.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">You’ll never get rid of it – fear is a normal emotion and we experience it for a reason.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">What is it trying to telling you? What is it warning you about? Take some time to examine what’s going on and understand it. Just listening to your own thoughts and emotions will help. Then you can begin addressing those things.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"2\">\n 	<li>Connect with your team.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">When you’re alone or isolated, things grow out of proportion. Reconnecting with your team will help you gain healthy perspective and engage many more minds in problem solving.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"3\">\n 	<li>Give yourself power.</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">If fear leads to victimhood, one of the best antidotes is to re-empower yourself. Do this by asking two simple questions:</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">What are the results I want to achieve?</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">What can I do to accomplish those results?</p>\n\n<ol start=\"4\">\n 	<li>Examine the actual consequences (not just what you imagine)</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Your mind can play tricks on you and grow imagined problems into epic proportions.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">What is it you’re scared of? What would actually happen if that came to pass? What would you do then? If you can find people who have been in the same situations and learn what they did, that’s even better. The point is to reduce the imagined problem to real-life and know you can handle it.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"5\">\n 	<li>Leave Room for Mistakes</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">When you plan, count on making mistakes. Allow some margin of error and know where your error-limits really are.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Perfectionists and high achievers sometimes let fear paralyze them because they fear making a mistake. But even engineers sending a ship to another planet know the acceptable margin of error.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Mistakes are a good thing. They mean you’re trying something new and stretching. Use them well – they’ve got so much to teach you if you’ll let them.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"6\">\n 	<li>Practice</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Overcoming your leadership fears takes time and practice. In the future, situations that caused you two weeks of anxiety will only give you two hours of serious thought.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"7\">\n 	<li>Start small</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">What is the easiest step you can take? Is it sharing your concerns with your team? Is it looking for someone who’s been in the same situation? Is it writing down the situation you need to address?</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Take one step. Then another.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"8\">\n 	<li>Get help</li>\n</ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Sometimes we need help.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Get it! Don’t let your fear of being seen as weak or inadequate keep you from getting the help you need to be effective.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The best professional athletes in the world have private coaches and sports psychologists. If they can do that for what is essentially a game, aren’t you worth even more?</p>\n\n<h3>Your Turn</h3>\nLeft unchecked, fear will cripple your leadership and either keep you from inspiring others with confidence or drive you to insecurity where power and control reign. Please join in the discussion below.', '11 Reasons Fear Screws Up Your Leadership and What To Do About It', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '11-reasons-fear-screws-up-your-leadership-and-what-to-do-about-it', '', '', '2016-06-21 06:00:45', '2016-06-21 10:00:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30375', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30386, 273, '2016-06-23 06:00:22', '2016-06-23 10:00:22', 'Chris is a twenty-something entrepreneur in the midst of her start-up. Designing her business cards, she proudly, yet innocently, appoints herself with the title Chief Executive Officer. Chris doesn’t realize it but she’s just placed her fledgling business at a long-term disadvantage.\n\nWhat? Why shouldn’t she be a CEO?\n\nCalling herself a CEO is the accepted norm. Unfortunately, her title is a strategic, operational, financial, and cultural derailing eventuality to the intended track of her purpose, vision and values.\n\nBill, in his late 50s, worked hard to be tapped as the CEO by the board. He works even harder as the CEO. Bill is frustrated with the work ethic and low levels of engagement within his management and employee ranks. Even more worrisome to him is the swelling ranks of millennial employees in his workforce who have an even more divergent perspective on work. The pressure he feels to meet the business objectives causes him to press on his team. He feels trapped by his position, power, and perks.\n\nChris and Bill are at two ends of the same CEO-led management system. They’re subject to the lingering effects of an obsolete, yet widely accepted manner for running organizations. The CEO user base is diverse, yet it can be compared to an almost 100% installed “operating” system matched with immeasurably supportive “hardware.”\n\n\"CEO\" represents more than the top officer’s title. It is a way and manner of leading rising in the early 1950s at the height of the Industrial Era and, coincidentally, at the birth of the Digital Revolution. Today, the “CEO System” dominates the business psyche, manner, and method. Yet it dampens the purpose, possibilities, and profitability of new as well as established businesses. For all the innovation of the Digital Age, business management remains wired to the rusting framework of the Industrial Age.\n<h3>The CEO System Exposed</h3>\nChallenging the CEO System is business heresy. There are, however, many problems in the world of commerce and practical affairs. For example, Gallup reports that less than one-third of U.S. workers are engaged in their work. What a waste of talent! That’s not an employee problem; it is the symptom of a widespread systemic leadership problem.\n\nHow to quickly identify a CEO style company:\n<ul>\n 	<li>There is a person holding the title of CEO.</li>\n 	<li>The CEO makes statements like, “People are our most valuable asset,” or “We need to get the right people on the bus.”</li>\n 	<li>There is a human resources person or HR department.</li>\n 	<li>The business has a “work-life balance” program.</li>\n</ul>\nAnswering “Yes” to any of these statements indicates the likelihood of a CEO-run organization. Two insidious tenets of the CEO-System are these:\n<ol>\n 	<li>People are ultimately assets—dehumanized chattel bought, sold, exchanged, and treated like any other unit of production.</li>\n 	<li>The CEO wants followers, not true leaders. Or more precisely, the CEO wants high performers who exceed financial and production quotas so they can be called “leaders” even if they demonstrate little of the character of a true leader.</li>\n</ol>\nThink. The term “human resources” speaks volumes. Regardless of how gussied up it is, the most glaring offense of the traditional CEO System is its dehumanizing effect on people at the sacrificial altar of shareholder value. Profit trumps people every time.\n\nAlmost every company today is a CEO-run business. Management or labor, we’re all human lemmings snared in an Orwellian reality. Prior to the Industrial Age, it wasn’t like this. Today, we find solace in making marginal patch jobs to a failing infrastructure. It is like drinking a diet beverage to be healthier while eating fried chicken, hush puppies, and fries with salt chased by apple cobbler a la mode. Who are we fooling about our healthier ways?\n\nPeople as body, mind, and spirit-filled souls deserve better. As a society, we’re more capable than ever to disrupt and rebuild a solid infrastructure based on what’s right for people and good for business.\n<h3>Enter the Chief Leadership Officer</h3>\nOn June 1, 2016, a leadership and business renaissance officially began with three words: Chief Leadership Officer. The unofficial start was in 1991 but that’s another story for another day.\n\nA Chief Leadership Officer is a new category of leader designed to successfully pilot mutually motivated people through the shoals and to the shore of the Digital Age and beyond. The two primary responsibilities of a Chief Leadership Officer are:\n<ol>\n 	<li>Position the organization to be a leader in its chosen field;</li>\n 	<li>Position the people within and outside the organization to be leaders in their lives and work.</li>\n</ol>\nThis dual responsibility creates an “iron sharpening iron” dynamic that hones the business strategy and carves the corporate culture to a profitable result. In a CLO-led organization many of the disciplines and tools of business remain familiar, yet this is a new frontier of leadership. The emergence of the CLO is like comparing a smartphone to a flip phone (CEO). Much is familiar but it is an entirely different user experience.\n<h3>The CLO Challenge</h3>\nWhen intrepid Chris prints “Chief Leadership Officer” on her business card, she’s making a statement. She’s electing to participate in an emerging system and brand of business leadership that Bill may not be able to stomach. She’s taking a chance by stepping into the unknown as a practicing pioneer of what it means to be a CLO. Bill faces a choice: kick the can down the road to the next CEO or embrace this opportunity. Both are business builders who can develop best practices as and for CLOs and leave them like breadcrumbs for future generations.\n\nNow it is your move.\n\n<img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-30387 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Kevin-McCarthy-Headshot-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Kevin McCarthy Headshot\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" />Kevin W. McCarthy is America’s Chief Leadership Officer. He’s an evangelist for the high and noble calling and creativity for business, while also an ardent reformer for what ails it. His previous books, The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business Person cultivated the conversation today about purpose and the meaningful integration of life and work. Learn more about him <a href=\"http://www.on-purpose.com\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>. Download opening chapters of his new book, Chief Leadership Officer, <a href=\"http://www.chiefleadershipofficer.com\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> or order the book <a href=\"http://www.CLOnow.com\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Chief Leadership Officer: Disrupting the CEO Status Quo', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'chief-leadership-officer-disrupting-the-ceo-status-quo', '', '', '2016-06-23 06:00:22', '2016-06-23 10:00:22', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30386', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30393, 408, '2016-06-24 06:00:01', '2016-06-24 10:00:01', 'Leaders. We\'re counted on to have vision and to oversee the plan. We\'re depended upon to have answers and to know and do what\'s right. We\'re expected to be the life force of a business and the person driving everyone else\'s motivation. We\'re assumed to get out of bed each morning and have the fortitude to do it all over again and again.\n\nBut you know what? Sometimes we lose our mojo, too. We have our doubts or don\'t know the answers. We cannot conjure a clear or new vision, which means we don\'t know what should be in the plan. Our lack of clarity certainly doesn\'t help to drive motivation, and finding our own daily motivation to get out of bed can even be a chore.\n\nWhen things get really bad, a leader can find herself descending into depression. She wouldn\'t be the first. According to the <a href=\"http://www.who.int/whr/2001/media_centre/press_release/en/\" target=\"_blank\">World Health Organization</a>, one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. Furthermore, Nassir Ghaemi, a professor of psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine and director of the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts Medical Center School of Medicine at Tufts University, has <a href=\"http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111904800304576474451102761640\" target=\"_blank\">showcased</a> how some of the world\'s greatest leaders suffered from depression, knew it, and, Ghaemi asserts, benefited from it.\n\nGhaemi writes, \"When the past no longer guides the future, they invent a new future. When old questions are unanswerable and new questions unrecognized, they create new solutions. They are realistic enough to see painful truths, and when calamity occurs, they can lift up the rest of us. Their weakness is the secret of their strength.\"\n\nSince Ghaemi has already written at length on the subject of leaders and depression, I won\'t spend any more time on the extreme of depression. Its kissing cousin, however, the \"loss of mojo\" as I\'m calling it, can be nearly as debilitating for leaders because the expectations placed on us are so high.\n\nWhen a leader suffers from a perceived loss of mojo, nearly nothing feels like it\'s going right. It feels like invisible barriers are placed in all directions, like all apparently great ideas go to pot, like seemingly closed deals fall through, like any momentum achieved not only can\'t be sustained but also backslides. Losing your mojo feels like having a perpetual black cloud over your head, and it\'s one of the worst feelings short of depression. I should know the distinction: I\'ve experienced both.\n<h3>Finding Mojo</h3>\nWhen I quoted Ghaemi a moment ago, I started with \"...they invent a new future. \" What struck me about this phrase is that Ghaemi is referring to reinvention. Since I specialize in reinvention, I know that the tactics to succeed in the reinvention process actually also work to help regain mojo. Here are five important ones:\n<ul>\n 	<li><strong>Do something not work related that you\'re consistently great at and which makes you happy.</strong> The kind of happy in which you can\'t help but smile when you\'re doing it. Do it often. Let it remind you how it feels when you\'re in the zone.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Push yourself to discomfort.</strong> We\'re not talking about the physical pain kind of discomfort, but the place where you\'re challenging your ordinary sensibilities. This could be attending an event you would never otherwise attend or calling up someone you think would never return your call or doing an activity you\'ve been avoiding. Inevitably, overcoming discomfort (or fear) leads to a feeling of euphoria, which even if fleeting, is the opposite of lost mojo.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Stimulate your imagination and indulge your curiosity.</strong> When I interviewed PR practitioner-turned-hospital chaplain <a href=\"http://www.reinventionworks.com/nettie-reynolds/\" target=\"_blank\">Nettie Reynolds</a>, I loved that she had a plan to get in touch with her \"child-like self.\" Curiosity and imagination tap into your creative side, and it\'s your ability to creatively problem solve that can help you break out of the lost mojo blues.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Step away and re-group.</strong> Some leaders go on retreats; others go on vacation (or sabbaticals); still others take up meditation. Whatever practice appeals to you and also allows you to take stock of your circumstance without the daily management of \"the machine\" getting the way is likely to lead to breakout thinking, and that alone can be mojo-fueling.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Share your energy.</strong> By nature, I\'m a positive person, and I think many other leaders are, too. Positivity draws people to leaders in the first place. Typically, however, when you\'ve lost your mojo, your energy meter runs low, and as a consequence you don\'t draw people in as much. It\'s that \"law of attraction\" that\'s been talked about before. On the other hand, when you share your wins with other people – however small the win and however few the people – if it\'s something that matters to both you and those you\'re sharing it with, the sharing will energize both parties.</li>\n</ul>\nLeaders have to self-regulate their emotional issues, and yet when leaders lose their mojo, it can impact the entire organization, with no one knowing something\'s wrong before it\'s too late. It helps leaders to realize that, as with most everything else, even at the top we\'re not alone. Most leaders made it to the top for a reason. Remember that even when very little is going your way, you have the courage and resilience you need to succeed. Use the above tips to help you.\n\n<em>This too shall pass.</em>', 'Sometimes Leaders Lose Their Mojo Too', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'sometimes-leaders-lose-their-mojo-too', '', '', '2016-06-24 06:00:01', '2016-06-24 10:00:01', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30393', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30403, 376, '2016-06-28 06:00:01', '2016-06-28 10:00:01', 'What does it means when someone makes an abrupt decision to almost completely change our professional direction without doing all that careful introspection and reflection stuff, without considering the options or alternatives, and with little thought to logistical realities or the possibilities for success?\n\nMy wife recently became a licensed real estate agent, a career for which she has been preparing most of her adult life and one that fits her like a glove, uses her considerable knowledge and skills artfully, and is simply the best work choice for her that I can imagine. The woman is thoroughly and enthusiastically \"<em>into it,\"</em> as they say. I was extremely supportive of her decision to leave the security of internal and steady employment, with those regular paychecks, essential benefits, and corporate logistical and technical support, because I knew this was the right decision for her.\n\nOn the other hand, I have not had the slightest interest in anything to do with houses, housing, or real estate. I do not watch television shows about real estate agents, series that depict house flippers, or even those that help buyers and sellers understand the process. My interests, background, and talents all lie in other areas ... or so I thought.\n\nAs she went through the educational process to pass the real estate license examination and the concentrated training program provided by her agency, two things became clear:  First, she is indeed in the best place work-wise that she can be, and second, she was overwhelmed by the rapidly evolving technology around online presence, social media, and other aspects of our modern digital world that are changing the real estate industry.\n\nWell, I know technology and social media, so I volunteered to help her become the successful real estate agent that I know she will be ... my \"small\" contribution to helping her shine.  Since I was working away at building a coaching practice around helping folks navigate change and had just earned a group coaching certification, I thought that my skills and knowledge might help her in any number of ways.\n\nThen we had a little chat.  Here is a relatively accurate representation of our pivotal conversation just over one month ago:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">She:  <em>\"You know, I think it would help if you were licensed too, so you could talk to folks about buying or selling their house too.\"</em></p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">He:  <em>\"Hmmm ... I hadn\'t thought about doing that.  Yeah, makes sense.  OK:)\"</em></p>\nYes, I made a decision to spend thousands of dollars and almost completely change my professional identity that quickly. This is NOT how the change process is supposed to work.\n\nIn less than 30 days, I have studied for and passed the examination and am working my way through the training program, while happily helping create our marketing tools, researching properties, conducting open houses, and doing all the other things that successful real estate agents  do. Terms such as listing agent, farming, sphere of influence, and so on are now part of my lexicon. I notice houses for sale by their owners and plan where I would place open house signs in an area to drive traffic to a specific doorstep.   I accept the fact that I no longer have weekends free.\n\n<strong>I engaged in no lengthy reflection or consideration of either alternatives or realities, but quite simply jumped at the chance for this change.</strong>\n\nChange is a well-researched subject optimally viewed as a clearly rational process ...\n\nMost change models identify some number of distinct, logical, and linear steps to take when engaging in change. Some of us have made our livings by convincing folks that these organized and logical ways to move ahead exist and that we can help someone move through the change process in a more orderly fashion by knowing and using them.\n\nMost change models emphasize clearly identifying your best alternatives, weighing them carefully for a while, and making a decision for forward motion based on some well-stated and specific criteria.\n\nMy decision does not fit this description.\n\nWhile I feel quite comfortable with my decision,  I am planning to incorporate some aspects of my preexisting career into the new venture. My coaching and presentation skills apparently have application in this particular sales process. Maybe that is my way of maintaining some security while I move into an uncertain future, but I am finding all manner of ways to use past skills and knowledge in this new venture.\n\nAll this has made me very curious about change, fast and slow.\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Have you ever just \"jumped\" at something big?</em></p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>Do you feel the steady and paced change is more effective or do you prefer a heavy reliance on intuition?</em></p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>What are your reactions to my little tale of abrupt and comprehensive change?</em></p>', 'Change is What You Make of It', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'change-is-what-you-make-of-it', '', '', '2016-06-28 06:00:01', '2016-06-28 10:00:01', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30403', 0, 'post', '', 7);
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(30413, 274, '2016-07-04 06:00:29', '2016-07-04 10:00:29', 'Welcome to the July 2016 edition of the Leadership Development Carnival!\n\nAlthough mid-summer is a time when many of us slow down (as we should), this compilation of excellent cutting-edge leadership thinking will help motivate you to hit the ground running when your vacation or other summer relaxation period ends.\n<h3>Let\'s Get Started</h3>\n<strong>Art Petty</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.about.com/money/\" target=\"_blank\">About Money Management and Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://management.about.com/od/leadership/fl/7-Characteristics-of-Organizations-that-will-Thrive-in-the-Digital-Era.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Reinventing the Organization and Leadership for a Digital Era</a>. Art writes, \"The emerging digital and technology-driven world demands that we rethink everything about how we manage, lead, structure and run our organizations. It also challenges us to rethink our own approach to leveling up in our career. In this article, I explore 7 key characteristics of organizations that will survive and thrive in this era.\" Discover Art on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/artpetty\" target=\"_blank\">@artpetty</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Beth Beutler</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.bethbeutler.com/\" target=\"_blank\">H.O.P.E. Unlimited</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.bethbeutler.com/com-mit-to-your-most-important-thing/\" target=\"_blank\">Com-MIT to Your Most Important Thing</a>. Beth recaps, \"Feeling overwhelmed? While you may feel like you have many important things to do, there should be one or two that stand out. Focus on those.\" Find Beth on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/bethbeutler\" target=\"_blank\">@bethbeutler</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Chris Edmonds</strong> of the <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Purposeful Culture Group</a> contributed <a href=\"http://drivingresultsthroughculture.com/do-what-great-bosses-do/\" target=\"_blank\">Do What Great Bosses Do </a>. Chris summarizes: \"Great bosses inspire growth, ensure accountability, spur teamwork and more. What more does a great boss do?\" Follow Chris on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/scedmonds\" target=\"_blank\">@scedmonds</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<div class=\"divide\">\n\n<strong>Dan McCarthy</strong> of Great Leadership provided <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2016/06/how-to-manage-yourself-so-your-boss.html\" target=\"_blank\">How to Manage Yourself so Your Boss Won\'t Have To</a>. Dan recaps, \"Here\'s a simple model that can be used to teach leaders how to “let go” and empower their employees to make their own decisions.\" Locate Dan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/greatleadership\" target=\"_blank\">@greatleadership</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>David Grossman </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog\" target=\"_blank\">The Grossman Group</a> shared <a href=\"http://www.yourthoughtpartner.com/blog/the-secret-respectfully-authentic-leaders-know\" target=\"_blank\"> The Secret Respectfully Authentic Leaders Know</a>. This post explores how respectful authenticity is about this constant process of being truthful – first with yourself and then with others.  To say the things that need to be said.  And to do it in a kind and respectful way.  Being authentic isn’t about saying whatever you think or feel. Discover David on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtPartner\" target=\"_blank\">@thoughtpartner</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<div class=\"divide\">\n\n<strong>Jill Malleck</strong> of <a href=\"http://epiphanyatwork.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Epiphany at Work</a> contributed <a href=\"http://epiphanyatwork.com/change-leader-changes/\" target=\"_blank\">How do you change when your leader changes?</a>. Jill shares, \"Many people find themselves – or put themselves – in a precarious position when their familiar leader leaves the company. Here are some tips to ensure you don’t get distracted from the importance of realigning with the new boss.\" Find Jill on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/epiphanyatwork\" target=\"_blank\">@epiphanyatwork</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jennifer Molina </strong>of the <a href=\"http://www.i4cp.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Institute for Corporate Productivity, Inc. (i4cp)</a> provided <a href=\"http://www.i4cp.com/productivity-blogs/2016/06/22/study-nearly-70-of-executive-teams-use-workforce-analytics\" target=\"_blank\">Nearly 70%of Executive Teams Use Workforce Analytics</a>. Jennifer shares, \"Nearly 70% of executive teams use workforce analytics to make strategic business decisions. The Institute for Corporate Productivity and ROI Institute have released the results of a new research study, which looks at positive trends and the state of human capital analytics. The study features case studies on Google, LinkedIn, HSBC, and Intel.\" Tweet i4cp at <a href=\"http://www.i4cp.com/productivity-blog/2016/04/14/i4cp-study-finds-managers-who-cling-to-good-talent-are-bad-for-business\">@i4cp</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jesse Lyn Stoner</strong> of the <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Seapoint Center</a> shared <a href=\"http://seapointcenter.com/when-to-involve-others-in-decisions/\" target=\"_blank\">The 4 Decision Styles: When to Involve Others in Decisions</a>. Jesse Lyn recaps, \"Leaders are called to make countless decisions each day and must determine which to make on their own and when to involve others. Most people are guided by personal preference. Some are naturally decisive and others prefer dialogue. You actually have 4 choices, and being intentional about when to make decisions on your own and when to involve others can save you a lot of time and headaches.\" Follow Jesse Lyn on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/JesseLynStoner\" target=\"_blank\">@JesseLynStoner</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jim Taggart </strong>of <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Changing Winds</a> contributed <a href=\"https://changingwinds.wordpress.com/2016/06/05/effective-leaders-execute/\" target=\"_blank\">Effective Leaders Execute</a>. Jim summarizes: \"This is a story about a rural-born and raised country girl who though hard work and adversity rose to become one of Canada’s most respected CEOs. Her ability to connect with people yet also focus on achieving results sets her apart from many other corporate leaders. Meet Annette Verschueren.\" Find Jim on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/72keys\" target=\"_blank\">@72keys</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Joel Garfinkle</strong> of the <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Career Advancement Blog</a> submitted <a href=\"http://careeradvancementblog.com/good-working-relationships\" target=\"_blank\">4 Ways to Develop Effective Working Relationships</a>. Joel recaps: \"Paul just got a new job in which he is overseeing a staff of twenty people. The culture of his new company encourages building of relationships, connecting and caring. Here are 4 ways that Paul can begin to immediately learn how to develop and build working relationships.\" Discover Joel on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/JoelGarfinkle\" target=\"_blank\">@JoelGarfinkle</a>.\n\n</div>\n<strong>John Hunter</strong> shared <a href=\"http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2016/06/21/support-theatre/\" target=\"_blank\">Support Theatre</a>. John summarizes, \"Support theatre provides the appearance of supporting customers when in fact it is just treating customers poorly based on a management system that disrespects customers. It is a similar idea to <a href=\"http://curiouscatlinks.blogspot.com/2013/05/security-theatre-thinking-is-damaging.html\" target=\"_blank\">security theatre</a>.\" Find John on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/curiouscat_com\" target=\"_blank\">@curiouscat_com</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\">\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Jon Mertz</strong> of <a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Thin Difference</a> contributed <a href=\"https://www.thindifference.com/2016/06/career-chapters-next-one/\" target=\"_blank\">Career Chapters: The Next One</a>. Jon shares, \"No storyline is straight and narrow. Jon Mertz shares the chapters of his career story and why it\'s important to exhibit patience and let a story develop.\" Follow Jon on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThinDifference\" target=\"_blank\">@thindifference</a>.\n\n</div>\n<strong>Julie Baron</strong> of <a href=\"http://thethoughtboard.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Thought Board</a> shared <a href=\"http://thethoughtboard.com/ceos-share-best-advice-received/\" target=\"_blank\">CEO\'s Share Best Advice Received</a>. Julie writes, \" It’s not uncommon for leaders to say they made it to the top with the help of some great advice along the way. So we asked some of our friends with CEO titles, “What’s the best advice you have ever received?” Learn from leaders in marketing, HR technology, structural engineering, corporate catering, innovation consulting, entrepreneurial education, benefits administration, and construction.\" Discover The Thought Board on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/commwrks\" target=\"_blank\">@commwrks</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\">\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Julie Winkle-Giulioni </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Julie Winkle-Giulioni</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.juliewinklegiulioni.com/blog/leadership-matters/2686/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership Advice…for the Ages (ALL Ages)</a>.  Julie summarizes, \"Despite the popular media’s focus on differences among the generations, recent research suggests that when it comes to workplace priorities and beliefs, we share far more similarities than differences. And this is good news for leaders who understand and can appeal to what all employees have in common.\"<strong> </strong>Find Julie on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Julie_WG\" target=\"_blank\">@julie_wg</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Karin Hurt </strong>of <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Let\'s Grow Leaders</a> contributed <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/learning-development/one-common-interviewing-mistake-that-will-cost-you-the-job/\" target=\"_blank\">One Common Interviewing Mistake that will Cost You the Job</a>. Karin recaps, \"It’s important to show passion for the job you aspire to—not just the title or the perks. But don’t cross the line of sounding desperate.\" Follow Karin on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/LetsGrowLeaders\" target=\"_blank\">@letsgrowleaders</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Lisa Kohn</strong> of Chatsworth Consulting Group submitted <a href=\"http://chatsworthconsulting.com/2016/06/23/why-a-pink-flamingo-is-an-essential-leadership-tool/\" target=\"_blank\">Why a Pink Flamingo is an Essential Leadership Tool</a>. Lisa summarizes, \"There are many essential leadership skills, and bringing a sense of lightness to the teams and organizations (and families) we lead is certainly one of them.\" Find Lisa on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ThoughtfulLdrs\" target=\"_blank\">@thoughtfulldrs</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Marcella Bremer</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership and Change Magazine</a> shared <a href=\"http://www.leadershipandchangemagazine.com/christian-felber-and-the-economy-for-the-common-good/\" target=\"_blank\">Christian Felber and the Economy for the Common Good</a>. Marcella describes the post: \"What is the role of a company in the universe? It is to serve the common good, says Christian Feller. His scorecard checks whether products are meaningful, sold ethically, produced in a sustainable way, and so on. How are you contributing to the common good? And your organization?\" Locate Marcella on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/MarcellaBremer\" target=\"_blank\">@marcellabremer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Miki Saxon</strong> of <a href=\"http://mappingcompanysuccess.com/\" target=\"_blank\">MAPping Company Success</a> contributed <a href=\"http://mappingcompanysuccess.com/2016/06/ducks-row-millennials-everybody-need-quiet/\" target=\"_blank\">Ducks in a Row: Millennials (and Everybody) Need Quiet</a>. Miki writes, \"Talent attraction and retention are critical to success. New research shows that it\'s not necessarily fancy perks, a la Google, that attracts and keeps great talent, but something that costs far less and can be more creatively supplied.\" Discover Miki on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/OptionSanity\" target=\"_blank\">@optionsanity</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Neal Burgis</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Burgis Successful Solutions</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.successful-solutions.com/2016/06/28/leaders-allowing-employees-to-break-rules-for-creativity/\" target=\"_blank\">Leaders Allowing Employees to Break Rules for Creativity</a>. Neal recaps, \"Leaders of creative and innovative businesses and organizations always have rules put in place. They know that employees will over-step these rules in order to generate great ideas, create and produce them for breakthrough results. By doing so, leaders have some control of their employees and the work they do.\" Find Neal on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Exec_Solutions\" target=\"_blank\">@exec_solutions</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Paul LaRue </strong>of <a href=\"https://upwardsleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The UPwards Leader</a> contributed <a href=\"https://upwardsleader.com/2016/06/12/5-ways-to-be-a-buffer-in-a-negative-culture/\" target=\"_blank\">5 Ways to be a Buffer in a Negative Culture</a>. Paul summarizes, \"A great leader showed how to create a positive culture in the midst of a negative one.\" Follow Paul on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/paul_larue\" target=\"_blank\">@paul_larue</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Paula Kiger</strong> of <a href=\"http://biggreenpen.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Perspicacity</a> submitted <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-work-lessons-from-early-intervention-paula-kiger\" target=\"_blank\">3 Work Lessons from Early Intervention</a>. Paula shares, \"Have you ever had to raise an issue with someone who reports to you? Although there is no way to eliminate the anxiety, which is part of the process anytime feedback is given, one key is to have clear lines of communication all of the time, not just at feedback time.\" Discover Paula on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/biggreenpen\" target=\"_blank\">@biggreenpen</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Randy Conley</strong> of <a href=\"http://leadingwithtrust.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Leading With Trust</a> shared <a href=\"https://leadingwithtrust.com/2016/06/19/3-ways-to-be-everyones-favorite-manager/\" target=\"_blank\">3 Ways To Be Everyone’s Favorite Manager</a>. Randy writes, \"Management is a tough gig and at times it can seem like you’re always playing the role of the bad guy. It doesn’t have to be that way, says Randy Conley, and in this article he shares three practical ways you can become everyone’s favorite manager.\" Find Randy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/RandyConley\" target=\"_blank\">@randyconley</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Shelley Row</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Shelley Row</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.shelleyrow.com/walk-labyrinth-learn-leadership-discipline/\" target=\"_blank\">Walk a Labyrinth to Learn Leadership Discipline</a>. In this piece, Shelley shares observations and lessons about leadership that she gleaned while walking a labyrinth. Discover Shelley on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ShelleyRow\" target=\"_blank\">@shelleyrow</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Susan Mazza</strong> of <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Random Acts of Leadership</a> provided <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/3-things-leaders-need-to-know-about-forgiveness/\" target=\"_blank\">3 Things Leaders Need to Know About Forgiveness</a>. Susan explains, \"Trust is a leader’s currency, and the willingness to forgive and the courage to responsibly ask for forgiveness sets the value of that currency. Said another way, without forgiveness trust is fragile.\" Follow Susan on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\">@susanmazza</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Tanveer Naseer </strong>of <a href=\"http://www.tanveernaseer.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Tanveer Naseer</a> shared <a href=\"http://www.tanveernaseer.com/keeping-our-drive-going-in-daily-work-life\" target=\"_blank\">Understanding What Drives Us To Push Ahead</a>. Tanveer asks, \"How do we motivate our employees – and ourselves – when the focus is simply on getting today\'s work done?\" Find Tanveer on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/TanveerNaseer\" target=\"_blank\">@tanveernaseer</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<div class=\"divide\">\n\n<strong>Tom Magness</strong> of <a href=\"http://leaderbusiness.blogspot.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Leader Business</a> contributed <a href=\"http://leaderbusiness.blogspot.com/2016/06/break-out-booksand-sharpen-pencils.html\" target=\"_blank\">Break Out the Books…and Sharpen the Pencils!</a> Tom summarizes, \"This post highlights the importance of leaders in two critical skills – reading and writing.  Using inspiration from the CEO of the US Navy in his charge to his “troops” to raise the bar in these two areas, we look at the importance for doing both as professionals and as those committed to continuous learning.  As the blog reveals…this is \'Leader Business\'.” Follow Tom on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/LeaderBusiness\" target=\"_blank\">@leaderbusiness</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Wally Bock</strong> of <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Three Star Leadership</a> submitted <a href=\"http://www.threestarleadership.com/teams/4-vital-truths-of-team-culture\" target=\"_blank\">4 Vital Truths of Team Culture</a>. Wally recaps, \"There’s lots of good advice on team culture. Here are four vital truths you can’t hear often enough.\" Find Wally on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/wallybock\" target=\"_blank\">@wallybock</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<strong>Willy Steiner</strong> of <a href=\"http://executivecoachingconcepts.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Executive Coaching Concepts</a> shared <a href=\"http://executivecoachingconcepts.com/authenticity-in-the-workplace/\" target=\"_blank\">Authenticity in the Workplace: Why I\'ve Gotta be Me</a>. Willy writes, \"There is a lot of discussion about staying true to your \"authentic self\".  This post examines how that may not always be the very best strategy and that a better option is for a mix of sincerity and empathy.\" Follow Willy on Twitter at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/coachforexecs\" target=\"_blank\">@coachforexecs</a>.\n<div class=\"divide\"></div>\n<div>\n\n<em>Thank you to everyone who submitted articles for this month\'s carnival! If you would like to be on the distribution list for submission calls, please contact Paula Kiger (paula @ weavinginfluence (dot) com)!</em>\n\n</div>\n</div>\n</div>\n</div>', 'July 2016 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'july-2016-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2016-07-04 06:00:29', '2016-07-04 10:00:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30413', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30417, 374, '2016-07-01 06:00:40', '2016-07-01 10:00:40', 'This month we are featuring Instigator <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/instigators/mike-henry/\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Henry, Sr.</a>, founder of the Lead Change Group and vice president for a US based networking services company. His personal mission is to Elevate Purpose and Mobilize People. He’s passionate about helping people find their most elevated purpose and use that to propel them to create a better future.\n\nMike says he \"majored in Fraternity\" at the University of Memphis for four years until he decided he wanted out of college. He continues, \"Then I buckled down for a year and a half and graduated with a Bachelor\'s in Business Administration. While I enjoy learning, I don\'t see how you can learn anything in a classroom. Therefore, I don\'t fit well in school, and haven\'t been back for any formal training. Everything else I learned, from copying other folks or making my own mistakes.\"\n\nA leadership lesson Mike gained from his first job was the idea that people should find work they enjoy because making yourself do things you don\'t like just isn\'t worth it in the long run.\n\nWhen asked about one of the best moments he has had professionally, Mike shared, \"I enjoy it when someone else achieves something important to them. I\'ve enjoyed seeing Lead Change folks make a difference in the world.\"\n\nOn the topic of the most important qualities in leaders, Mike believes there are many important character traits. He continues, \"The mix is what makes each of us unique. Character-based leaders are as unique as personalities. We each bring our who-we-are to each situation. In connection with this specific question, I\'d say the first is the ability to take responsibility. You can\'t lead anyone or anything unless you take responsibility. Empathy is very important as well, because, in the end every person is a volunteer.\"\n\nMike thinks schools should teach individual responsibility as well as the importance of creating value. He elaborates, \"We are each more powerful than we know, and if we take responsibility, we instantly become a leader who can make a difference. The difference we make is only important to the extent it is valued by someone else. As a leader, our impact is measured by the people who benefit, and appreciate the value of that difference.\"\n\nWhen asked about books he has found most helpful for his professional life, Mike said the first is The Bible. Secondly, he said <a href=\"http://winningwellbook.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Winning Well</a> by Karin Hurt and David Dye occupies his mind these days.\n\nWhen asked the most creative solution he\'s ever seen to a problem in life or work, Mike replied, \"I watch my son and daughter-in-law deal with their kids and I see a creative love every day. Each of their children seem to be so different than my son or daughter were. They apply creativity and love every day.\"\n\nIf he had to hashtag his life, Mike\'s would be: #instigator.\n\nOne of Mike\'s favorite quotes comes from The Man in the Arena, a segment of Theodore Roosevelt\'s <a href=\"http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/trsorbonnespeech.html\" target=\"_blank\">Citizen in a Republic</a> speech. The speech credits the people who tackle problems rather than analyzing them from afar: \"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.\"\n\nWhen asked \"if money were no object, what would you do all day?\" he responded, \"I\'d talk with Lead Change folks all day and play golf once or twice a week.\"\n\nThe best advice he\'s ever been given was, \"When I was working for my Dad, one time he asked me why I wanted to be a jerk at work. I didn\'t like my job or the people I was working with, and I was doing a poor job of hiding it. He suggested I consider the alternatives. I had a choice. I could be someone people enjoyed working with or I could remain a jerk. I controlled my own behavior and therefore influenced the outcome.\"\n\nMike became involved in Lead Change when he clicked a button on LinkedIn to create a group. He then invited his LinkedIn contacts to join the group (note ... check out <a href=\"http://www.characterbasedleader.com/book.php\" target=\"_blank\">The Character Based Leader</a> which was one of the group\'s products!). <em>We are grateful that you clicked that button which led to such a thriving and dynamic group, Mike. Thank you!</em>\n\n<em><strong>Editor\'s Note</strong> - You may ask, “How does one get chosen to be a featured Instigator?” The answer is simple. If you are already an Instigator, fill out <a href=\"https://cl182.infusionsoft.com/app/form/lcg-feature-questions\">this form</a> and continue to engage with the Lead Change Group on a regular basis. If you are not yet an Instigator, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/join/\">sign up</a>. There are many benefits to being an Instigator – email us if you want more information.</em>\n\n<strong>Previous Featured Leading Voices and Instigators:</strong>\n\n6/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-leading-voice-mary-schaefer/\" target=\"_blank\">Mary Schaefer </a>\n\n5/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-kevin-eikenberry/\" target=\"_blank\">Kevin Eikenberry</a>\n\n4/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-leading-voice-chip-bell/\" target=\"_blank\">Chip Bell</a>\n\n3/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-eunice-parisi-carew/\" target=\"_blank\">Eunice Parisi-Carew</a>\n\n2/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-chris-edmonds/\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Edmonds</a>\n\n1/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-marcella-bremer/\" target=\"_blank\">Marcella Bremer</a>\n\n12/2015: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-john-stoker/\" target=\"_blank\">John Stoker</a>\n\n11/2015: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-sean-glaze/\">Sean Glaze</a>', 'Featured Instigator: Mike Henry, Sr.', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'featured-leading-voice-mike-henry-sr', '', '', '2016-07-01 06:00:40', '2016-07-01 10:00:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30417', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30441, 276, '2016-07-18 06:00:41', '2016-07-18 10:00:41', 'It is my opinion that there are three types of individuals in this world: those who sacrifice their life for a noble cause or religious vocation, those who seek employment and climb the management ranks, and the entrepreneur. The latter creates opportunities and employs those who seek to climb the management ranks.\n\nThis post specifically focuses on those who seek to climb the management ranks, whether consciously or whether it just happens. As you climb the management ranks, you will realize that each rung you climb requires a unique set of skills and presents a unique set of challenges. It is your job to uncover what works and to seek help or acquire new skills to make it happen.\n\nIn the last four years, I have noticed a significant change as I was given the opportunity to do more. I got busier and busier and days go by really fast. I realize that in order for our organization to succeed, I need to avoid being the bottleneck. I also realize that making myself less relevant will enable the team to move forward. By that I mean raising leaders around us and coaching and mentoring them. More importantly delegating key projects and empowering them to make decisions where applicable. This is not easy because you need to be selfless.\n\nAs my responsibility doubled and quadrupled, I had to step back and reflect on the best way to make us successful. Like anything else, it is a work in progress. Learning to ask the right questions and learning to say NO was essential. I also realized that I don\'t have the time to meet and get to know my people. Their precious time is hard to come by, therefore I need to learn to be efficient and proactive about it. One on one, one to many, walking the floor between meetings to talk and engage our team -- I call it pounding the pavement.  Walking and seeking your people in their workspace can make them comfortable. Getting to know them beyond work topics is also essential. Asking about their family without prying for too much information, a casual engagement that can make them feel valuable.  At least you notice them. Pounding the pavement is a great analogy for being proactive about your interactions. There is no topic or agenda, but heartfelt engagement.\n\nI learned that there is no such thing as over communication. When there is anxiety, it is best to step up and say that there is nothing to share. By doing so, you can squelch water cooler gossip. Silence in time of uncertainty is like adding fuel to a fire. It can never end well.\n\nNo matter what level of management you\'re in, make sure you stay connected with your people. Because people are our most important asset. In order for your organization to succeed, they must communicate the vision and goals of what they are trying to accomplish. Pounding the pavement is good for you in many ways; it will ensure that you stay connected with your people and walking around will keep your blood flowing and keep you active.', 'Pounding the Pavement', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'pounding-the-pavement', '', '', '2016-07-18 06:00:41', '2016-07-18 10:00:41', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30441', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30444, 372, '2016-07-05 06:00:19', '2016-07-05 10:00:19', 'How healthy are your teams at work?\n\nAre functions siloed or is there proactive communication and cooperation? Do team members work purely on their own individual tasks or do they also help their colleagues when the pace demands it?\n\nIf your team’s interactions fall somewhere between those extremes, effective team work is eroded. Doing team work right, every time, requires clarity and discipline from leaders and team members.\n\nMy experience with teams is probably like yours. I was exposed to sports teams in my youth. Some of those teams were competitive - most weren’t. Some of those teams were gratifying to serve on - most weren’t.\n\nOne sports team - my college volleyball team - was a very effective team. It was a club team without a formal coach. Two players, who the previous year were awarded All-American status, co-coached us. They did a great job. They set up practices, plays, strategy, and - most importantly - ground rules.\n\nGround rules were guidelines on how we teammates were to treat each other. We agreed to not curse (that was a big one), to cheer our peers, to show up prepared and on time, and to challenge ideas while honoring our fellow team members.\n\nIt was the first time I’d been exposed to team values and behaviors. It worked wonders with that team. We performed very well in a tough league while rising above the typical ego-driven behaviors that screw up a team.\n\nThat experience was further clarified when I worked with my best boss, Jerry Nutter, years later. Jerry created a powerful, positive, productive culture that ensured we team members delivered on our performance promises while treating team members with trust, respect, and dignity.\n\nYou might well have seen the same dynamics in teams you’ve served on in your youth and in your career. Most teams have inconsistent performance and inconsistent teamwork and civility.\n\nWhen I interview leadership teams as part of the “discovery” process before starting a culture refinement initiative, I learn about all the lousy practices their leadership team’s culture tolerates. Sometimes their current culture even rewards lousy behaviors - like withholding key information, or sitting on a hiring requisition for weeks, or creating an insider/outsider dynamic where those outsiders don’t know what’s going on.\n\nThose behaviors erode performance and relationships, every day.\n\nHow can you ensure an environment where your team and team members thrive, engage, produce, and have fun (God forbid)?\n\nFirst, define what effective teamwork looks like. Don’t leave good team citizenship to chance. Be specific about the values and behaviors that you expect from team members in every interaction.\n\nOne client’s top value is “commitments\" - meaning, keep your commitments to your commitments! When anyone on the team makes a promise to deliver something by a certain time on a certain day, that team member is expected to deliver exactly what’s promised, on time and under budget.\n\nSecond, once effective teamwork has been defined in behavioral terms, hold everyone - leaders, hourly employees, everybody - accountable for demonstrating those required behaviors in every interaction.\n\nAccountability takes the most time, energy, and attention. When people keep their commitments, celebrate, thank, and recognize them for honoring that value and those behaviors. When people miss their commitments, don’t let it slide. Engage in conversation to learn what went wrong, determine how it’s being addressed, and map out a plan to ensure missed commitments don’t happen again.\n\nCreating a healthy, inspiring, productive team culture doesn’t happen by default. It happens only by design.', 'Two Keys to Leading Healthy Teams', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'two-keys-to-leading-healthy-teams', '', '', '2016-07-05 06:00:19', '2016-07-05 10:00:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30444', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30450, 427, '2016-08-10 06:00:56', '2016-08-10 10:00:56', 'Respond to the following statements with <em>always, sometimes, </em>and<em> never:</em>\n<ul>\n 	<li>In uncertain times, I usually expect the best.</li>\n 	<li>If something can go wrong for me, it will.</li>\n 	<li>I hardly ever expect things to go my way.</li>\n 	<li>I rarely count on good things happening to me.</li>\n 	<li>Overall, I expect more good things to happen to me than bad.</li>\n</ul>\nIn order to fully understand this topic, we have to get beyond the “<em>glass half empty/half full”</em> definition. The subject is also broader than a personality type. Some people are naturally bubbly while others take a few hours to get their engines running. Yet both can be optimistic. <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Learned-Optimism-Change-Your-Mind/dp/1400078393?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=learned%20optimism%20Seligman&amp;qid=1370876974&amp;ref_=sr_1_1&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1\">Martin Seligman</a> refers to this as a person’s outlook on life. He says everyone has an ”<em>explanatory outlook</em>.”\n\nWhen there are those inevitable setbacks in life, the optimistic person interprets these as something that is:\n<ul>\n 	<li><em>Temporary</em></li>\n 	<li><em>It can be changed</em></li>\n 	<li><em>It’s just this one situation</em></li>\n</ul>\nThe pessimistic person sees the setback as:\n<ul>\n 	<li><em>This is going to be forever</em></li>\n 	<li><em>This will undermine everything I do</em></li>\n</ul>\nWhen something good happens, the optimist explains it as:\n<ul>\n 	<li><em>This will last forever</em></li>\n 	<li><em>I did this</em></li>\n 	<li><em>This will help me in every area</em></li>\n</ul>\nThe pessimist, when they experience good things thinks:\n<ul>\n 	<li><em>I didn’t do this</em></li>\n 	<li><em>It’s only this situation</em></li>\n 	<li><em>It only helps in this one domain</em></li>\n</ul>\nYour explanatory style is the way you view the world.\n\nWhen bad things happen both the pessimist and the optimist embrace them. The difference is that the pessimist has a <em>“see, I told you so”</em> explanation. The optimist has an <em>“I can recover from this” </em>explanation. When good things happen the optimist embraces them, <em>“this is wonderful; I want more.” </em>But the pessimist discounts it by explaining, <em>“this can’t last; it’s too good to be true.”</em>\n\nHere are 4 practices that will make your explanatory style more personally productive.\n<ol>\n 	<li><strong>Acknowledge that you are the architect of your perceptions. </strong>Without this first step, you become a victim of things happening all around you.  The way you see your life shapes your life. We all have our internal way of defining our life which, to a degree, determines our destiny. This acknowledgment is the beginning of opening yourself up to new possibilities.</li>\n 	<li><strong>Be aware of your explanatory style.</strong> Everyone experiences setbacks and difficult situations. The optimist keeps the trouble external. This enables them to work on the problem, difficulty, or that taxing project.</li>\n</ol>\n<ul>\n 	<li><em>“Who has done this before?”</em></li>\n 	<li><em>“Where can I get help?”</em></li>\n 	<li><em>“Are there better instructions?”</em></li>\n</ul>\nThe pessimist sees the setback or struggle as hopeless. It becomes an internal focus of\n<ul>\n 	<li><em>“I knew this would happen”.</em></li>\n 	<li><em>“This will probably just get worse”.</em></li>\n</ul>\nOne makes use of available options, and the other is so internally focused that no options exist. Observe how you explain events.\n<ol start=\"3\">\n 	<li><strong>Disconnect happiness from achievement.</strong> The <em>“Destination Disease”</em> says that until a certain thing happens I will not experience joy. This is where the pessimist and the optimist switch perspectives. The pessimist’s happiness is overly dependent on external circumstances taking place. The optimist focuses on personal abundance and sees happiness as an inside job.</li>\n</ol>\nBut don’t confuse <em>contentment</em> with <em>complacency. </em>Hard work is a natural by-product of contented people. They are energized by personal contentment. Your destination is simply a reward for the journey you are on. Wealth never brings happiness to those who are miserable with modest means (<a href=\"https://twitter.com/LeadershipTraQ/status/344581805317431296\">tweet this</a>). Enjoying the landscape and challenges along the way unshackles optimism.\n<ol start=\"4\">\n 	<li><strong>Develop the habit of self-affirmation. </strong>We have 60,000 thoughts a day.  They will either take you in the direction you want – or they will take you further from what you truly desire. If 30% of your thoughts are taking you in the wrong direction, that would be 18,000 counterproductive negative nudges everyday, or 126,000 for the week! This is often referred to as <strong><em>Self-Talk</em></strong>.  The more we are aware of our self-talk (thoughts) — both positive and negative — the more we will focus on attitudes and actions that make us more resilient. Your conscious thoughts are like the <em>captain</em> of your ship, and your subconscious thoughts are like the<em> crew</em> members carrying out your orders. Dr. Sharon Melnick provides a helpful metaphor of how this works in our daily lives. Watch this short <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5RRKVtAG8s&amp;list=UUGLuBJbTlkeMqbKhCAPcw9g\">video</a> and find the blocks you never knew you had.</li>\n</ol>\nEvery thought is a directive in your subconscious mind to carry something out. Make sure the directives are pushing you in the way you want to go.\n<blockquote><em>“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”         Wayne Dyer</em></blockquote>\nIn reality, the glass is not half empty or half full. It’s both! So let’s open up another bottle and remedy the situation!\n\nCheers :)', '4 Things That Will Increase Your Optimism', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '4-things-that-will-increase-your-optimism', '', '', '2016-08-10 06:00:56', '2016-08-10 10:00:56', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30450', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(30472, 252, '2016-07-08 06:00:01', '2016-07-08 10:00:01', 'I was so excited. I finally got my first HR position. I was going to make my mark. I was going to show people how HR could be done.\n\nThere was one employee in my constituency who had a reputation for blowing up on others. The politically correct term was that people felt “poorly treated” by her. She would go from zero to 100 in milliseconds. You wouldn’t see it coming. Her teammates were exhausted from dealing with her. Her manager even seemed intimidated.\n\nEventually she ended up in my office. Her supervisor had talked to her about her counterproductive behavior. She did not receive it well.\n\nShe and I were sitting together at a table in my office. She railed about her supervisor. At one point stood up, moved closer to me and stood over me. I presume she was trying to intimidate me. Nope. The buck stops here. That was not going to happen.\n\nI worked with her supervisor. I worked with them together. I worked with the entire team to clarify roles to create a forum for collaboration.\n\nNothing changed.\n\nAt times when I met with her and her supervisor the supervisor would cave and undermine the plan to hold her accountable.\n\nI was frustrated. I was also frustrated with my predecessors. This woman had been getting away with this behavior for years. It was going to stop under my watch.\n<h4>Pride Comes Before the Fall</h4>\nOne day I was meeting with her and her supervisor. Something set her off. I responded. She responded by twisting my words. That’s beyond a pet peeve for me.\n\nAt that moment it all came together. I knew she could outlast me in this interaction and all others. Nothing I said was going to make a difference. I was in over my head. I started crying.\n\nHer supervisor finally stepped in with a good idea. What if we all took a break? We did. Indefinitely.\n\nI called my supervisor. I went home for the rest of the day. I couldn’t stop crying.\n\nLater I regrouped with my supervisor and his supervisor. We decided my supervisor would take over managing this situation. Within 6 months the employee left the company happily with a severance package.\n\nOne of my favorite quotations is:\n<blockquote>Sometimes the fool who rushes in gets the job done. – Al Bernstein</blockquote>\nIn this case, I was the fool. I certainly didn’t get the job done.\n<h4>What Could I Have Done Differently?</h4>\nI have strong feelings about those who get away with hurting others at work. I go crazy when I hear, “Oh that’s just so-and-so.” I needed to be clear about my own baggage and how it affected my job.\n\nI also needed to get good advice on a practical response to the situation. To give myself credit, I did ask for advice. I didn’t like the answers I got. It was not being taken seriously enough -- for me. People were going to continue to get hurt. That is all true. And, I didn’t know the depth of the situation with the alleged perpetrator.\n\nThe situation needed to be handled with a lighter touch. I couldn\'t imagine a lighter touch, but I was wrong. When my supervisor explained how he delivered the message that it was time for her to move on, it was clear he handled it with amazing dexterity. I was also amazed that she didn’t over-react. Who knew? Uh, someone other than me apparently.\n\nI’m struggling with the nuance between pride and arrogance to describe my behavior. When I find myself rationalizing I describe myself as responsible. It occurs to me that pride and arrogance can be the shadow of \"taking charge.\" I was over-flexing my responsibility muscle to the detriment of all involved.\n\nI hope others can learn from my humiliating and painful misstep. Though this was years ago, I am still learning.', 'Be Careful While You&#039;re Trying to Change the World', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'be-careful-while-youre-trying-to-change-the-world', '', '', '2016-07-08 06:00:01', '2016-07-08 10:00:01', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30472', 0, 'post', '', 2);
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(30483, 273, '2016-07-05 13:00:23', '2016-07-05 17:00:23', '<em>This post is part of our 2016 Lead Change Group Guest Blogger Series. Today we are pleased to introduce you to speaker, coach, and author JoAnn Corley.</em>\n\nI start every leadership group coaching session with these two questions:\n<ol>\n 	<li>What is leadership?</li>\n 	<li>What’s the point of it?</li>\n</ol>\nThose questions usually generate looks of confusion, blank stares and the painful expression of “why are you asking that?”\n\nMany in my coaching groups have been leaders for years – they are generally not newbies. Do you find that curious that those who’ve been leaders for years cannot quickly and precisely articulate what their title represents or what role they’ve been playing?\n\nAt the time of this writing, an Amazon leadership search netted 181,311hits – breathtaking. With all the information available on leadership, you would think those who lead would be clear on what it is and what they do.\n\nAnd yet, I believe too much information has created the opposite affect – a performance fog. The lack of precision and specifics, as well as a deficit of leaders who can competently lead and train other leaders, has muddled the would be success and effectiveness of many (and here in is another compelling reason for leadership training).\n\nIf you were to strip down all of the discussion about leadership and extract all information and wisdom from the thousands of books written about it, you could draw one simple conclusion: the point of being a leader is to get intended results.\n\nIn the context of business that can be translated into being a meaningful business partner -- providing a return on investment for an agreed salary utilizing available resources.\n\nSounds simple enough right? Well it’s simple only if there is a tangible, measurable way to accomplish it.\n\nOver the past few years, through my leadership coaching initiatives, I’ve made it my mission, to create a tangible framework that when utilized creates an undeniable leadership mark -- one characterized by consistently achieving substantial, <em>needed</em> results.\n\nI’ve named the framework “results-based leadership”, which sounds a bit redundant when you think about. But I purposely use this phrase to make the distinction that leaders exist to get desired, needed outcomes, not just to be present or busy.\n\nHere is an introduction to the 7 part results-based leadership framework:\n<ol>\n 	<li>Identify the results – what do you want and expect? Be clear, targeted and specific. This is commonly known as create a vision. But I don’t want to use that term because I think that sounds vague.</li>\n</ol>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n 	<li>Have daily targets – translate those results into daily targets. It utilizes a key performance management principle, “tight accountability equals higher performance.”</li>\n</ol>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n 	<li>Consistently (daily, frequently) communicate expected results, in constructive, creative, coaching/teaching, positive, inspiring, motivating ways. The key tip -- communicate verbally and visually.</li>\n</ol>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n 	<li>Hold team members accountable - continually lead and coach to outcomes. Here’s where style really matters. The way in which accountability is conducted can be used to harness and fuel motivation, nurture engagement, fine tune focus, develop capabilities while fostering trust, respect, appreciation, and sense of value.</li>\n</ol>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n 	<li>Consistently assess results within targeted time frames. If desired results are not occurring, leaders need to know why and address the deficit in a <em>timely manner</em>. It’s amazing what can be discovered about process and people when keen attention is paid to why results are or are not being met within a certain time span.</li>\n</ol>\n<ol start=\"6\">\n 	<li>Coach the gaps - provide feedback in a way that teaches and trains for improved performance. This is where alignment occurs – it’s when leaders take the opportunity to identify behaviors needed, matching them to actions and/or processes to increase the probability of hitting the mark.</li>\n</ol>\n<ol start=\"7\">\n 	<li>For as much as you can, measure, track, share results in #, %, $. There’s a big difference in the psychology of motivation when specific metrics or measurements are used to define achievement. Here’s an example:</li>\n</ol>\n<ul>\n 	<li>“Congratulations team, we’ve improved production this week.”</li>\n 	<li>“Congratulations team, We’ve improved production 25% over last week.”</li>\n 	<li>“Congratulations team, our production went from 50% to 75% in just 2 weeks.</li>\n</ul>\nWhich statement(s) has the greater impact?\n\nNow, the style in which these elements are executed matter – a collaborative coaching style is an essential ingredient to successful implementation. A dictatorial, oppressive style will have an adverse affect.\n\nWith this practical approach, our leadership mark really can be substantial, measurable and undeniable. It can address needs from both an executive leadership and human resource perspective. Tested within a variety of leadership challenges, it has proven to provide extraordinary success!\n\n<em>JoAnn Corley i<img class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-30397\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/BestSelfphie2-e1467673740828-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"BestSelfphie2\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" />s a passionate champion of human potential with a focus on leadership and organizational success. She has the crazy belief that we can create our best leaders and businesses from the best of our human selves. Her overall mission is to help companies put the human back in human resource though holistic talent management.</em>\n\n<em>She is a sought-after leadership speaker, coach and author, helping thousands from a variety of industries gain their professional edge by getting results, thinking creatively, working more collaboratively, and leading more effectively.</em>\n\n<em>She is consistently named to the top 100 most social HR &amp; Management experts to follow and has been featured or quoted by NBC., CNBC, Management Business Daily, SHRM, ATD, Harvard Business Review, Monster.com, Huffington Post.</em>\n\n&nbsp;', 'How to Make Your Undeniable Mark as a Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'how-to-make-your-undeniable-mark-as-a-leader', '', '', '2016-07-05 13:00:23', '2016-07-05 17:00:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30483', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(30499, 415, '2016-08-16 06:00:02', '2016-08-16 10:00:02', '<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A serenity-prayer-inspired saying goes, “Grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the person I can, and the wisdom to know it’s me.”  </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When attempts at motivating an employee are going poorly, what can you do before you show them the door? Look at yourself.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are two sample dialogues to illustrate different managerial mindsets with very different motivational results. In this scenario, a relatively new employee has gone from good to lethargic to obstinate.</span>\n<h3><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sample 1</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:</span></h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager: I have noticed that we are struggling to make progress, and I guess that’s as dissatisfying for you as it is for me. I suspect I am part of the problem. Would you help me understand what I could do better?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee: What? No, whatever. Just relax. I don’t know.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager: I’m serious, and I believe you want to be successful. How can I support you in that?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee: I don’t know. Just don’t worry so much about it.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager: Can you tell me more about that? I hear that you want me to relax and not worry. What would that look like for you?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee: It just feels like you’re looking over my shoulder all the time. Ready to pounce as soon as I make a mistake. I freeze up.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager: Huh. You expect a lot of criticism from me?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee: I don’t know--you’re just breathing down my neck all the time.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager (sensing defensiveness rising up, takes a deep breath and lets it go): Okay, I hear that I’m hovering. And you feel  like I’m paying too much attention. I have wanted to be close by in case you needed anything.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee: In case I needed to be corrected. Just let me finish before you jump on it and tear it up.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager: You do expect criticism. Have I been critical?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee (takes a deep breath, finally realizing the manager is genuinely trying): Look, I don’t think you mean to be, but yeah, you are. You only tell me what’s wrong with it, or even better you just do it again yourself. That sucks. Why am I here if you’re just going to do the job yourself?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager (the pieces are falling into place): AH. Now I get it. When I change what you’ve done, you feel like your work has been meaningless.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee: Yeah! It makes me want to leave.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager: What if I gave you a chance to go through it on your own, gave you <a href=\"https://careerleadershipalignment.com/2016/04/27/how-feedback-is-good-for-you-even-when-you-feel-bad-about-it/\">feedback about what I do and do not like, and then let you try again?</a></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee: I know that seems like it would take a lot longer, but it would give me a chance to learn what you really want, and maybe I’d start to get it right.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager: Okay, you’ve got a deal. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee: Yeah, okay.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">----</span>\n<h3><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sample 2</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:</span></h3>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager: I’m not getting through to you. What’s it going to take?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employee: I don’t know. Just relax.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manager: *walks off, muttering that it was a waste of time.*</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">----</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which of these two seems likely to be more motivational for the employee?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which of the two do you experience more commonly?</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The employee in the first scenario will be skeptical about the manager making a change until the change actually happens and sticks, but it’s a step in the right direction.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are a few characteristics managers can cultivate in themselves in order to have more conversations like the first:</span>\n<ul>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Willingness to learn -- accepting that past decisions might not have been good for the employee or the company.</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Willingness to change -- based on input, requests, and/or suggestions from the employee.</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">True curiosity -- suspending judgment in favor of finding out what is really going on and what would really help.</span></li>\n 	<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">True confidence -- managers must believe that their self-worth is not tied up in unquestioning obedience. They must be capable of believing in themselves while also acknowledging that they have taken action that wasn’t right for this employee.</span></li>\n</ul>\n<b>Bottom Line</b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When we struggle to motivate others, try to engage openly in self-examination, inviting feedback and remaining open to change. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It feels counterintuitive at first because we are so aware of what those others are doing that should be different. But, no matter how hard you try you cannot change someone else. </span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can effectively change yourself, and when you change yourself you change the dynamic of the relationship. That will always have an impact.</span>', 'Motivating Employees When All Else Fails', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'motivating-employees-when-all-else-fails', '', '', '2016-08-16 06:00:02', '2016-08-16 10:00:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30499', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30502, 323, '2016-08-12 06:00:15', '2016-08-12 10:00:15', 'A few weeks ago, I received this message from a former student:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Hi Professor.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I’ve been in the working world for 5 months now. I’m not yet in the position I desire, though I am pumped to continue in my journey.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I\'m networking more and more, mingling with professionals with much more experience than I. About a week ago I thought back to your course and reflected on what I had learned about being an effective leader. I see now that just having the intent to do better doesn\'t mean others will believe you and/or support you.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Can you offer any advice on how one navigates as a new graduate and budding leader? What are the rules of engagement?</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Kind Regards,</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Seeking Direction</p>\nI love hearing from former students. They ask the <em>best</em> questions.\n\nThis question, in particular, was a head-scratcher, because there isn’t a simple answer. As with many leadership quandaries, her best approach will depend greatly on the situation.\n\nAfter much thought, I fashioned a 4-step roadmap for the new leader, which l hoped would help guide her where she wants to go. Today, I share an expanded version of this roadmap.\n\nIn order, they are:\n<ol>\n 	<li>Ask questions</li>\n 	<li>Sit back and listen</li>\n 	<li>Help others</li>\n 	<li>Share your goals</li>\n</ol>\n<h3><strong>Step 1: Ask questions</strong></h3>\nThis first step is about remembering there is always more to learn. Recent college graduates tend to have this mentality where they just graduated and now suddenly they know everything.\n\nTrust me, I know this because I was once \"that guy.\" The moment people catch a whiff of this attitude on you, you\'ll have an uphill battle in convincing them you don\'t think you\'re a know-it-all.\n\nGraduating from college only proves one thing - that you have what it takes to graduate college. With that achievement behind you, your next aim is to learn everything you can and strive for excellence in whatever you do - whether it is your dream job, or not. What you learn will benefit you in each and every future endeavor.\n\nBe careful, though, about becoming that annoying person people avoid so they don’t get stuck answering all your questions.  Like with most things, moderation is key. Find a way to strike a balance.\n\nThis leads us to steps two and three.\n<h3><strong>Step 2: Sit back and listen</strong></h3>\nListening is hard. When you do it right, it can be the most exhausting thing you do all day.\n\nThat is because <em>really</em> listening requires tuning 100% into the person talking, paying attention to the messages that are being sent, both verbal and non-verbal.\n\nThe right kind of listening involves popping the thought-bubble filled with stories, to-do lists, disagreements, daydreams, and so on. The very same thought-bubble that shows up whenever you listen to a presentation, meet with a client, coach an employee, get feedback from your boss, debate with a coworker…even as you read this article.\n\nThe first step in popping the thought-bubble is awareness. Second, mentally pop it and actively refocus on what’s in front of you.\n\nIt is funny, and true, that great listeners are also considered great conversationalists, even when they do the least talking. That\'s because the person being listened to feels appreciated.\n\nWhen people see you as a great listener, who also asks great questions, they\'ll start to notice you. They\'ll start to wonder, \"What is SHE thinking...?\"\n<h3><strong>Step 3: Help others</strong></h3>\nWhen you\'re great at listening and asking questions, you’ll find yourself in more meetings, offices, networking events, and hallway-chats. These situations will naturally yield opportunities for you to offer help and add value to others.\n\nBut, they won’t fall into your lap. A little effort is required. When you see an opening, grab it. Start with, “I think I can help with that.”  And then, do it.\n\nYou may have to step out of your comfort zone, do something you don’t enjoy or make a personal sacrifice or two, and that’s okay. On the flip-side, you may discover a new area of interest or ignite an unlit passion.\n\nThe added benefit is what you receive in return. The more you help, the more deposits you make that will eventually pay dividends, because people are willing to help those who help them. This relies on the rule of reciprocity, which simply states that people give back the kind of treatment they’ve received from another.\n\nFor any influence tactic like reciprocity to be effective, however, it must be genuine and authentic. So, if you willingly help others, and you do it well, you’ll get noticed and you’ll find a line at your door of people willing to help you.\n\nThis leads us to our final step.\n<h3><strong>Step 4: Share your goals</strong></h3>\nI\'ve learned a key step in reaching one’s goals is telling people about them. Most things are difficult to accomplish on our own, without a little help from others. We need people, so why keep our goals a secret?<strong>\n</strong>\n\nBut, we can’t just go around willy-nilly asking for favors. No, we must first build trusting relationships through the arts of question-asking and listening, and by helping others. Once we’ve taken those steps, we’ll find our relationships to be safe and fruitful places to share our goals.\n\nWhen you start sharing what you’re interested in, something magical happens. People start offering ideas, making connections, and volunteering to help.\n\nSo, think about what you want and start sharing it with people you trust. Don\'t be obnoxious....but certainly be open.\n\nNext thing you know, you’ll be one step closer to where you want to be.\n<h3><strong>Forks in the road</strong></h3>\nIn closing, this roadmap isn’t a straight shot to anywhere. There will be speed bumps, stop signs, forks in the road, and hazardous conditions to navigate. But, if you follow these steps, you should see progress in the right direction.', 'A Roadmap for the New Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'a-roadmap-for-the-new-leader', '', '', '2016-08-12 06:00:15', '2016-08-12 10:00:15', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30502', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30527, 386, '2016-07-06 06:00:20', '2016-07-06 10:00:20', 'I was parked at the beach sitting in my car having just finished a half-hour phone call. In front of me stretched the ocean views of English Bay. Across the bay the North Shore Mountains stood out in sharp relief to the deep blue sky. The sun was shining overhead while people walked or ran along the path in front of me. Nothing was booked in my calendar for the next thirty minutes. The task master voice in my head told me to drive off and get working on the next thing on my list. After a few moments, I put on my sunglasses, opened the car door, stepped out, and went for a walk, fully taking in the beautiful day that was right in front of me.\n<h3>Work, Self, and Life</h3>\nAs a leader, my default behavior is to jump into the next action. This often works well. It certainly lets me get a lot done. Being in action can also stand in the way of my leadership. If I don’t look after myself first, there will be nothing of me to give to anyone else.\n\nAs high performing individuals, we are committed to our work. We are also committed to those of us in our life. We end up in the middle:\n\nWork ← Self → Life\n\nWe have the best of intentions—we are truly committed to being the best leaders we can be to those we work for and with. We also want to show up the best we can as leaders in our families and life. What gets forgotten in all of this is making sure that we do things that are specifically and only for ourselves. Like my walk on the beach.\n<h3>Selfless Versus Selfish</h3>\nWhen I look after myself, people around me can perceive this as selfish. I sit on a pendulum that swings between these two extremes:\n\nSelfless ← → Selfish\n\nIf I focus on serving others, which is how I work on becoming the best leader I can be, I end up giving so much that I am burned out and spent. If I am completely selfish, then I am not being of service to anyone.\n<h3>Intentionally Putting Myself First</h3>\nI have to put a lot of intention into looking after myself. Doing those things that renew and energize me, without worrying about what anyone else thinks.\n\nI recently signed up for adult sailing lessons. Many around me said “why on earth would you do that?” After all, I’ve sailing more than 15,000 nautical miles, including sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. What I know is that there is always something new to learn in sailing. That sailing is one activity that I have to do to renew and energize myself. The four days I spent on the water not only taught me a lot of new skills, I had an absolute blast sailing a modern higher performance keel boat with another keen sailor and our 18-year old very experienced instructor. The smiles say it all.\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30531 size-medium\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/20160626.lcg_.david_.sailing01-1-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20160626.lcg.david.sailing01 (1)\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\n\n&nbsp;', 'Looking After Myself', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'looking-after-myself', '', '', '2016-07-06 06:00:20', '2016-07-06 10:00:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30527', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30544, 374, '2016-08-19 06:00:12', '2016-08-19 10:00:12', 'The Lead Change Group has been following the Staples Business Advantage Workplace Index, in order to get a glance at trends in workplace issues.\n\nThe second annual Workplace Index, released by <a href=\"http://www.staplesadvantage.com/learn\" target=\"_blank\">Staples Business Advantage</a>, the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc., was released on June 7, 2016. The index was developed based on online responses from among 1,995 employees in the U.S. (936 were classified as general officer workers and 1,059 as business decision makers).\n\nIt is a comprehensive study involving office workers and business decision makers in the United States to help companies meet their recruitment, retention and engagement goals. This year’s study was created in conjunction with Jacob Morgan, best-selling author of The Future of Work, Futurist, and Co-founder of the <a href=\"http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fowcommunity.com%2F&amp;esheet=51356905&amp;newsitemid=20160607005356&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Future+of+Work+Community&amp;index=2&amp;md5=604ac095913a1f237a09f3e402cceeee\">Future of Work Community</a>, a brand council of the world’s most forward thinking organizations who come together to explore the future of work.\n<h3>Topline Findings</h3>\n<h4><i>Employee Recruiting &amp; Retention</i></h4>\nThe workforce is driven by salary and title. For those looking for a new job, as well as those who have already moved. In both circumstances, money is the key driver. Those not looking for a job are content on their place of work because of their good salary. In leadership, people are looking for truthful communication and reliability.\n<h4><i>Workplace Flexibility</i></h4>\nAlmost half the workforce work over 40 hours per week. US and Canadian decision makers are particularly likely to work more than 40 hours. (US – 59%, Canada – 54%). The reason for that is that there is simply not enough room in the working day to complete all tasks. 69% of people believe in creating a good balance between work and personal life. Flexibility is also the leadership style that has most increased over recent years.\n<h4><i>Happiness at Work</i></h4>\nHappiness is important to workers (92% of workers rate is as important or very important), and fortunately most people are happy – only 4% say that they are very unhappy in the workplace. Salary is seen as the answer to the improved happiness. Decision makers report to be happier than general staff.\n<h4><i>The Freelance Economy</i></h4>\nPeople generally freelance so that they can control their own hours and improve the work/life balance. However, only 29% of people are sure that they would not consider a traditional role. They would consider this overwhelmingly for a consistent income. Far less people would consider leaving their traditional job for a freelance position.\n<h4><i>Telecommuting</i></h4>\nTelecommuting is important to people for a number of reasons (time saving, weather, money saving, work/life balance). If telecommuting was stopped then 69% of people would be disappointed to some extent.\n<h4><i>Workplace Productivity</i></h4>\nThe office is still the most productive and inspiring place to work, the home comes in a close second place to the desk in terms of places for inspiration. 46% of people think that they receive too many emails, but only 34% of those think that it is impacting their productivity.\n<h4><i>Workplace Innovation &amp; Technology</i></h4>\nCompanies are providing their employees with innovative tech, but they’re typically don’t encourage use of wearable devices during work. With 21% of the workforce saying that they are provided with the latest technology. Companies are spending most of their money on technology and office products, and what they look for is price and an easy ordering service.\n<h4><i>Office Design – </i><i>Personalization</i></h4>\nOffice layout is now roughly split in thirds between open, closed and hybrid. This is also reflected in office layout. In terms of improving office design, natural light is the biggest feature of interest. People believe that the natural light will help improve productivity and creativity. Currently, the three most common office descriptors are ‘standard’, ‘plain’ and ‘dull’. Co-workers are the greatest source of inspiration, as is feedback on knowing they’re having an impact, but only 16% describe their office as inspiring.\n<h4><i>Wellness</i></h4>\nWellness programs are widely available (over 57% of companies offer a wellness program of some sort). The most popular features of a wellness program are wellness coaches &amp; smoking cessation. The features that are desired are fresh food and a gym onsite. Just over a third of employers financially incentivise wellness programmes, but that isn’t the key driver for participation for staff, health improvements are. Three quarters feel that the workplace has impacted on their stress levels to some extent, largely due to the volume of work.\n<h4><i>Sustainability</i></h4>\n43% of people say that their company does not make an effort to be eco-friendly. Those companies that do make an effort, essentially do it to be good &amp; kind to the environment rather than tax breaks or reputation. Recycling is still the most common way to be eco-friendly.\n\nFor additional resources, including an executive summary and shareable infographics and slideshare, please visit: <a href=\"http://staplesadvantage.com/sites/workplace-index\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> and <a href=\"http://hub.staplesadvantage.com/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-31019\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/staples-biz-advantage-300x73.jpg\" alt=\"staples biz advantage\" width=\"300\" height=\"73\" />\n\nThe Lead Change Group would like to thank Staples Business Advantage for sharing their results with us; the majority of this post is composed of results from the Workplace Index.', 'Today&#039;s Workplace: The Staples Business Advantage Workplace Index', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'todays-workplace-the-staples-business-advantage-workplace-index', '', '', '2016-08-19 06:00:12', '2016-08-19 10:00:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30544', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30558, 343, '2016-08-09 06:00:13', '2016-08-09 10:00:13', 'Leaders new to a team have the unenviable task of getting results, building trust and establishing credibility.  All the while they are learning their new role, and possibly even a new company.\n\nFor some leaders, doing one or the other is attainable, but doing all simultaneously can be a daunting task. It can be a delicate balance at times, and giving attention to everything at once can be a bit overwhelming.\n\nWhether the leader is brand new to leadership, or new to their team, or is a seasoned leader in a new company, the ability to quickly establish change can make or break the leader as well as their teams, and possibly the organization.\n\nI have realized over the years that the most effective way for a leader to create results and build culture is to adopt a rolling focus, 30-60-90 day game plan. Here it is in simplified form:\n<h3><strong>First 30 Days - Focus on People &amp; Culture</strong></h3>\nDuring this time you should make every effort to connect with as many people in your company as you can. At the same time, immerse yourself into the company culture: values, mission, goals, and current (if any) strategic plans. You want to find out who your people are, what strengths they bring to the team, and how aligned they are with the company culture. At the same time, you will be promoting the culture and re-establishing everyone\'s belief in the organization and where it\'s headed. Getting everyone connected to yourself, and more importantly to the greater vision and mission is the primary objective in the first 30 days.\n<h3><strong>Next 30 Days (30-60) - Build The Brand</strong></h3>\nAs you are laying the foundation of culture among your people, you\'ll be seeing how things operate and looking for ways to execute flawlessly. Brands are built internally first, by insuring the business model and daily operations support the culture and effectively serve your clients and customers. Take this time to really focus on training, procedural simplification, process improvement, and other efficiencies that will make your brand more consistent and reliable. The best marketing campaign for any company is wasted money if the service cannot be relied upon.\n<h3><strong>Final Stretch (60-90 Days) - Profitable or Sustainable Growth</strong></h3>\nNow is the time to plan marketing, strategic growth and revenue opportunities. By this time you have started a trajectory that will enable you to capitalize on the work done thus far. Now you can confidently say your products are better than the competition because of the attention to quality. You can promote best-in-class service because your people are engaged. And you can find new methods to increase top-line revenue and control your costs that will allow the organization to fund new initiatives, hire more people, and impact more customers.\n\nThese 30-day increments are designed to make the most of the foundation needs of the organization before moving on to the next phases. That doesn\'t mean in the first 30 days you won\'t need to worry about operations or profit &amp; loss (these are daily focuses from the first day). But you\'ll need to make the concerted effort to enhance the culture, then the brand, then the growth that will become the springboard for change and results. And through this 30/60/90 day cycle, you\'ll see results in your metrics at the end of each month that will show how effective this approach can be.\n\nMany new leaders have a 3-month, 6-month, and first-year game plan to create impact in their new role. But in our faster world, you\'ll need to set up a way to hit the foundational touch-points both quickly and solidly. Set the ripple effect from Day 1 that allows culture and people to permeate operations and ripples through sustained results and future growth for your organization.', 'A 30-60-90 Day Plan For New Leaders', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'a-30-60-90-day-plan-for-new-leaders', '', '', '2016-08-09 06:00:13', '2016-08-09 10:00:13', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30558', 0, 'post', '', 15),
(30562, 251, '2016-07-11 06:00:14', '2016-07-11 10:00:14', 'The uncompromising condemnation of Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s words, “Our most effective response to terror and hatred is compassion, unity and love,” troubled me. Why is talk of caring and connection so threatening?\n\nLooking for clues, I researched emotion, neuroscience, and change management. I kept circling back to love and its opposite, fear, which took me to Machiavelli’s words that “it was safer to be feared than loved.” He noted that fear was more reliable since it can be “maintained by dread of punishment, which never fails.”\n\n<em>Safer.</em>\n\nFunny how a single word can unlock a whole new line of pondering.\n\nHe didn’t say better, just safer.\n\nShowing love makes us vulnerable—we have to get close; fear can be elicited from a distance. Detachment doesn’t ask for an emotional investment, empathy does. Reaching out is harder than walking away.\n\nFear and love aren\'t forever <em>either/or</em> choices, though.  Sometimes a warm heart is what\'s needed; other times a cool head. Sometimes we need the boot in the bottom, other times the warm hug. How could I let people know the trick is learning not to default to one or the other but rather to seek to understand and do what’s right for the situation?\n\nAt one point in my noodling, I wanted to wag my finger at the naysayers and tell them that leadership is <em>both/and</em>, that there’s a place for love, that Lynch said “effective” not “only,” and that it’s OK to disagree but there’s no need to dismiss and be ugly towards those who see things differently.\n\nThen I <a href=\"https://medium.com/bad-words/the-biggest-little-challenge-in-leadership-c247e2d45497#.vk42uojzu\">discovered these lines</a> and dropped that wagging finger:\n<blockquote>Those who truly wish to be leaders in an age of discontent—not merely its demagogues, bullies, hecklers, and tyrants—will have to turn reject and refuse ruling through fear, and toward leading with love.\n\nLeading through love means overcoming the ever-present temptation to abuse and belittle people, to guilt and shame them, to mock and taunt them — to <em>force</em> them into line.\n\nIt means <em>creating the conditions</em> for them to <em>grow into </em>following the principles that you espouse. It means not just arguing tendentiously with nor patronizingly explaining to people things that they are not ready to, equipped to, nor prepared to understand, but putting faith in people — even those who damn <em>you</em> — first, always, everywhere.\n\n~Umair Haque, author and economist</blockquote>\nWow. Powerful stuff.\n\nHere’s to replacing my wagging finger with grace, aiming for a reaction chain of goodness.', 'Creating a Chain Reaction of Goodness', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'creating-a-chain-reaction-of-goodness', '', '', '2016-07-11 06:00:14', '2016-07-11 10:00:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30562', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30584, 374, '2016-07-14 06:00:26', '2016-07-14 10:00:26', '<div class=\"message_content \">We are <strong>thrilled</strong> to have Kevin Eikenberry of the <a href=\"http://www.kevineikenberry.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Kevin Eikenberry Group</a> as our Lead Change Group sponsor for July! One way to learn more about Kevin and take advantage of his leadership wisdom is to subscribe to The Remarkable Leadership Podcast, which he and his team have just launched.</div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n&nbsp;\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"message_content \"><span class=\"message_body\">We’ve learned a lot in getting to this point and we are excited to continue developing exceptional products and services to help leaders become truly remarkable, both personally and professionally. ~ Kevin Eikenberry</span></div></blockquote>\n<div class=\"message_content \"><span class=\"message_body\"><span class=\"para_break\"><i class=\"copy_only\">\n</i></span>Each weekly episode will include valuable and impactful conversations about leadership, teamwork, organizational culture and human potential with experts and practitioners from every walk of life. In the first week alone, Kevin\'s team is releasing four powerful episodes with these best-selling authors, entrepreneurs and award-winning speakers: <a href=\"http://www.leadershipchallenge.com/about-section-our-authors-jim.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Jim Kouzes</a>, <a href=\"http://www.jongordon.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Jon Gordon</a>, <a href=\"http://davekerpen.ceo/\" target=\"_blank\">Dave Kerpen</a>, and <a href=\"http://timsanders.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Tim Sanders</a>!</span></div>\n&nbsp;\n<h3 class=\"message_content \">These guests are incredible!</h3>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-30635\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/kouzes-quote-300x300.png\" alt=\"kouzes quote\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" /></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-30636\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/jon-gordon-quote-300x300.png\" alt=\"jon gordon quote\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" /></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-30637\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/dave-kerpen-quote-300x300.png\" alt=\"dave kerpen quote\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" /></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-30638\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/tim-sanders-quote-300x300.png\" alt=\"tim sanders quote\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" /></div>\n<h3 class=\"message_content \"></h3>\n<h3 class=\"message_content \">Each Episode of this Podcast will Inspire!</h3>\n<div class=\"message_content \">To subscribe, click <a href=\"http://www.remarkablepodcast.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" data-referer-safe=\"1\" data-referer-original-href=\"http://www.remarkablepodcast.com\">here</a> and subscribe to the podcast so you’re notified as soon as new episodes are available.</div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"><span class=\"message_body\"><span class=\"message_body\"><span class=\"para_break\"><i class=\"copy_only\">\n</i></span><span class=\"para_break\">To become more deeply involved you can join the </span>Podcast <a href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8550061/profile\" target=\"_blank\">LinkedIn group</a>. This community is the hub for Remarkable Leadership podcast listeners. As a member, you’ll be the first to hear about special promotions and resources. You’ll also be able to interact with other listeners and submit questions for upcoming interviews.</span></span></div>\n&nbsp;\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30585\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/larger_banner_01-1024x293.jpg\" alt=\"Print\" width=\"500\" height=\"143\" />\n<div class=\"divide\">\n\nWe wish you the best with The Remarkable Leadership Podcast, Kevin, and thank you for your support of the Lead Change Group!\n\n</div>', 'Introducing The Remarkable Leadership Podcast', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'lead-change-group-new-potential', '', '', '2016-07-14 06:00:26', '2016-07-14 10:00:26', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30584', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30708, 414, '2016-09-08 06:00:38', '2016-09-08 10:00:38', '<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Many universal attributes underpin great leadership, from an ability to engage others to supreme communication skills. There are a host of additional skills that many people associate with great leadership, however, despite the fact that they actually undermine your ability to guide others and achieve sustainable success.</span></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Ultimately, this means that aspiring leaders and managers have access to conflicting information and can often heed advice that is far from helpful. It is therefore important to separate fact from fiction in a bid to become a strong leader, while also recognising their own unique weaknesses and areas for improvement.</span></span>\n<h3><b><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">5 Pieces of Management Advice that You Should Ignore</span></span></b></h3>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Here are five generic and inaccurate pieces of management advice that you should ignore at all costs as a leader:</span></span>\n<ol>\n 	<li><em><b><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Leaders set priorities and delegate</span></span></b></em></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">While this is a tried and trusted piece of leadership advice, only half of it is actually relevant. Although you must have clearly defined tasks and delegate these to trusted partners and colleagues, for example, it is counter-productive to force priorities that should already be determined. </span></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">As author Dave Allen states in his book </span></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><i>Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity</i></span></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">, <a href=\"http://www.fastcompany.com/3052004/secrets-of-the-most-productive-people/7-popular-productivity-beliefs-you-should-ignore\">individuals do not set priorities</a> but have them organically, meaning that the key is to recognise these and act upon them. Simply by clearing your mind with mental exercise such as brain dumps or mind maps (where you utilise images to visualise your thought patterns and work flows), you can immediately identify your priorities and tackle these chronologically.</span></span>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n 	<li><em><b><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Set regular and rigid breaks for your staff</span></span></b></em></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Let\'s face facts; we must all take regular breaks from our work, regardless of the nature of our jobs. This does not mean that leaders should set rigid and inflexible breaks for every single member of staff, however, as this can hinder productivity and diminish employee demand.</span></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">While leaders may be restricted in terms of their knowledge and the demands created by shift times, they must allow employees to take flexible breaks that suit their outlook and working methods wherever possible. From standard working days and extended breaks to the <a href=\"http://weavinginfluence.com/inspiration/nobodys-got-time-for-distraction-putting-the-pomodoro-technique-to-the-test/\" target=\"_blank\">Pomodoro Technique</a> (which suggests intense sessions of 25 minutes followed by five minute breaks), great leaders must empower their employees to manage their own time and productivity.</span></span>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n 	<li><em><b><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">The early bird catches the worm</span></span></b></em></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">A similar principle can be applied when setting working hours for employees, as it is tempting to buy into the age-old adage that the early bird catches the worm. While there is some truth to this, it is important to recognise that each individual has their own unique body clock and enjoys variable sleep patterns at different stages of their life.</span></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">With this in mind, a progressive manager and skilled leader should always strive to establish flexible working shifts and directives. This allows staff members to tailor their working schedule to suit their own individual body clock and personal commitments, driving higher levels of productivity and efficiency as a result.</span></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><i><b>Leaders would also do well to bear this in mind for themselves, rather than arbitrarily starting their day early and pursuing an outdated piece of wisdom</b></i></span></span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">.</span></span>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n 	<li><em><b><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Stringent Time Management is central to Strong Leadership</span></span></b></em></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Our next point is all about balance, as there is no doubt that <a href=\"http://www.susanroan.co.uk/the-relationship-between-time-and-productivity/\">productivity and time tracking are intrinsically linked</a>. Tasks must be plotted and managed according to tight time-scales, as this enables sole traders and businesses to succeed and achieve their financial expectations.</span></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Being too stringent can counteract the benefits of time management, however, particularly when you oversee the workloads and deadlines of others. In this instance, you can create an overly pressurised environment where tasks are rushed and completed to a poor standard. Those who obsess about the deployment of time can also increase their own workloads and the demands placed on those beneath them, distracting a manager\'s attention from more strategic leadership elements.</span></span>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n 	<li><em><b><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">Individual failures must be seized upon and learned from</span></span></b></em></li>\n</ol>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">It is accepted logic that we must all learn from failure, although some managers and aspiring leaders take this notion a little too far. In the mistaken belief that each individual failure must be dealt with strongly and learned from, for example, it is easy for inexperienced leaders to obsess on particular points at the expense of employee morale. </span></span>\n\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">It is important to recognise that nobody is immune from occasional or individual failures, and reacting to each of these can create a culture of fear in which employees become intimidated and introverted. Instead, <a href=\"https://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2015/09/06/7-things-successful-leaders-ignore/\">strive to identify patterns of failure</a> rather than isolated incidents, while also empowering individuals to reflect, learn and develop on their own.</span></span>', 'The 5 Pieces of Management Advice Leaders Should Ignore', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-5-pieces-of-management-advice-leaders-should-ignore', '', '', '2016-09-08 06:00:38', '2016-09-08 10:00:38', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30708', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(30711, 414, '2016-08-03 06:00:24', '2016-08-03 10:00:24', 'Every once in a while, the human race achieves something that is truly seminal and ground-breaking. The first moon landing (and moonwalk) in 1969 provided a relevant case in point, and one that we celebrate every year on what is <a href=\"https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/moon-day/\">colloquially referred to as Moon Day</a>.\n\nThis often overlooked celebration, which is celebrated annually on July 20, teaches us about far more than outer space, however, as it also reinforces the ideal that anything can be achieved with planning, determination and a keen sense of motivation. It is also a celebration that has merit throughout the calendar year, especially as you strive to achieve challenging goals and grow as an individual.\n<h3><b>Embracing the Spirit of Moon Day: How to effectively motivate yourself and achieve your goals</b></h3>\nThe fusion of vision and hard work that is central to the Moon Day message is also central to effective leadership, and in this respect the event should be viewed as an important landmark for anyone who aspires to make a difference or guide others in a common cause. More specifically, this day encourages us to reconsider our goals and ensure that we are as motivated as possible to achieve them.\n<h3><i><b>Consider the following steps towards fulfilling this aim: </b></i></h3>\n<h4><b>Follow the Goldilocks Rule and set challenging, but attainable, goals</b></h4>\nA truly seminal moment in global history, the idea of landing on the moon also appeared to some as an impossible dream prior to its realisation. The way in which we perceive this goal changes when you consider the human and financial resources available to NASA, however, as it suddenly emerges as a challenging but ultimately attainable aim.\n\nThis taps into the Goldilocks Rule of motivation, which is based on years of scientific study and research. In simple terms, this asserts that <a href=\"http://lifehacker.com/how-to-stay-motivated-in-life-and-work-using-the-goldil-1783132075?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_facebook&amp;utm_source=lifehacker_facebook&amp;utm_medium=socialflow\">humans are at their most motivated</a> when they pursue goals that are within an optimal range of difficulty. So while tasks that are too simple will disengage the brain and cause individuals to lose interest and focus, those that are too difficult will overwhelm the mind and demotivate the person in question.\n\nConversely, those that are challenging but within an individual\'s skill-set will drive long-term engagement and <a href=\"http://www.trenholm.co.uk/building-productivity-habits/\">the type of productivity that is central to every successful individual</a>, small business and corporation.\n<h4><b>Be Prepared to Fail and Rebound from Setbacks</b></h4>\nDuring the execution of your goal, you are bound to experience setbacks and hardships that impact negatively on your level of motivation. You can negate this impact by being prepared to fail in the first place, however, as you make allowances for external influences and create an open mind that enables you to rebound when you fail.\n\nLet\'s say that you are planning to buy a home, for example, having painstakingly identified a viable area in which to live, accrued a deposit and organised your credit. It is at this point that the region\'s school performance tables are updated, leaving a number of local establishments that are rated as outstanding and suddenly highly coveted by parents. Given that houses in the desirable catchment area can drive an additional premium of £21,000, this could delay the accomplishment of your goal and place your dream out of reach for the foreseeable future.\n\nWith a determined and informed mind-set, however, you can approach this positively and develop the strength to rebound and redefine your goals in real-time.\n<h4><b>Measure your progress regularly and over time</b></h4>\nFinally, it is absolutely crucial that you strive to measure your progress as you continue along a particular path. This is renowned among psychologists as <a href=\"http://jamesclear.com/goldilocks-rule\">a keen driver of happiness</a>, particularly when working on projects within the optimal range of difficulty with a degree of sustained success.\n\nThe combination of challenging yourself and obtaining results creates what is commonly referred to as flow, which describes the mind-set of elite athletes and performers when they peak. In short, it creates a mental flow where individuals achieve their optimal levels of focus and motivation, driving progress, attainment and personal development in the process.\n\n<i><b>By measuring your progress and enjoying the fruits of your labour, it is far easier to remain motivated and continue your pursuit of higher goals in the future.</b></i>', 'Moved by Moon Day: Reflections on Motivation and Goal Setting', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'moved-by-moon-day-reflections-on-motivation-and-goal-setting', '', '', '2016-08-03 06:00:24', '2016-08-03 10:00:24', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30711', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30723, 428, '2016-08-25 06:00:02', '2016-08-25 10:00:02', 'Advancing to the head of a company requires some additional leadership competencies that aren\'t quite as important in lesser positions. It\'s a given that to be effective, all leaders must be good at interpersonal and communication skills, along with good decision making and being highly productive. But the person at the helm - guiding the organization into the future - needs additional, essential competencies.\n\nIn order to be successful at running and growing a company, the head of a company needs to be able to develop a vision for the future, must be able to develop effective and meaningful strategies, and must have the ability to influence an organization.\n<h3><strong>Vision and Foresight</strong></h3>\nFor a leader to guide a company, it is essential to possess the ability to develop a vision for the organization. A vision imagines a future which is better, different, and/or larger than the current state. Without vision, a leader will simply continue to execute the existing business model, often getting left behind as the economy shifts, customer/client preferences change, and competitors adapt. When a leader has and shares their vision, he or she helps others understand the organization\'s direction and aspirations, and inspires the organization to improve.\n\nThe ability to develop vision can\'t be learned from a book. It arises from within and it requires a leader to have passion and purpose for what they do.  A passionless leader can only develop goals - which are uninspiring by their nature. If a leader wants to engage his or her organization, he or she must create a future that causes people to aspire to improve.\n<h3><strong>Strategic Thinking</strong></h3>\nThe ability to think strategically is essential for leaders guiding an organization. Development of a proper strategy allows a leader to prepare an organization for faster growth and profitability. Without an understanding of what a strategy is and how to develop one, leaders will often focus on goals and tactics. In the absence of a true strategy, these goals and tactics are often misguided and usually result in new challenges arising. A misguided strategy can even cause a decline in growth and profitability.\n\nA good strategy addresses an issue or problem and provides a direction for the company. By developing a true strategy, excellent results can be achieved and the desired financial goals realized. In order for leaders to develop a good strategy, they need to uncover what the underlying problem is and not react to the symptoms it causes. A strategy which addresses a symptom always creates more issues.\n<h3><strong>Influence and Persuasion</strong></h3>\nInfluence is the ability to change people\'s perspectives and beliefs. An influential leader has the ability to sell his or her ideas and get buy-in throughout the organization. Without buy-in, a leader simply gets compliance. But compliance is not the same as commitment.  The results gained from the efforts of people who are only doing what is asked of them are very different from the results achieved by people who are enthused and committed.\n\nThe art of persuasion - our ability to persuade people to see our perspective - relies on our ability to understand the other person\'s motivations and perspectives. Once we understand why they see things the way they do, we can then offer a new view of the situation - one which resonates with the other person.\n\nThese three essential leadership competencies don’t come naturally to most people. They need to be nurtured and honed. Blind Spots need to be revealed. Limiting beliefs need to be set aside and replaced with stronger, more expansive beliefs. Outside perspective and an unbiased sounding board are usually required.\n\nAn Executive Coach offers all that and more. Leadership skills aren\'t trained – they’re developed over time. Utilizing the expertise of an experienced executive coach is the perfect solution for grooming an executive for the next level of leadership. Please let us know if we can help you reach your succession goals.', '3 Keys to Ensure a Smooth Succession', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '3-keys-to-ensure-a-smooth-succession', '', '', '2016-08-25 06:00:02', '2016-08-25 10:00:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30723', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30730, 329, '2016-07-20 06:00:21', '2016-07-20 10:00:21', '<em>How Today\'s Leaders Manage Culture Change</em>\n\nThe scene was the 2016 ZurichFest, a three-day street fair that envelops the Swiss city every three years.  Among the gazillion food tents, cavalcade of exciting rides, air shows, high wire aerialists over the LImmat River through the middle of the city, magicians and high divers was an amazing juggler. Not the usual balls or bowling pens, he was juggling sharp machetes and lighted torches. And, he was smiling like he was having the time of his life. I thought it was a great metaphor for the process of leading culture change.\n\nKeeping a number of objects in the air requires intense focus, great communication (between hands), spirited effort, and a keen sense of the bigger picture (great jugglers “feel the blur” of the whole rather than watching individual balls). Effective cultural change leadership has many of the same requirements: focus, communication, passion, and sense of the whole.\n\nAdd to the performance the context of a challenging economy, diverse worker needs, and the ever-present need for speed, and balls become sharp machetes; bowling pins become lighted torches. As one senior exec put it,  “I expected to have to keep different balls in the air; I just never realized I’d have to do at such a fast pace!”\n<h3>The Happy Juggler</h3>\nJuggling can be fun!  The Zurich juggler was smiling.  Leading cultural change can be fun as well. The secret for finding the joy in leading complex corporate cultural change parallels the secret of making complicated juggling a work of pride and joy. The components that work in cultural change leadership are also a reminder that like juggling, effective cultural change leadership is a performing art.\n<h3>Delivering Intense Focus</h3>\nGreat jugglers concentrate!  They start with a profound knowledge of juggling—they understand physics, motion, and timing.  They put that knowledge into play with great focus and attentiveness. One cannot juggle if one is half asleep or working on autopilot. One cannot juggle if overwhelmed by the task. One cannot juggle if afraid of the sharp machete or not respectful of the machete.  Focus combines confidence, knowledge, and concentration with humility and wonderment.\n\nLeading cultural change also starts with honing knowledge and concentration. It means “going to school” on the elements of change.  It means becoming the smartest person possible about each new “ball” added to the cultural change recipe. Being a cultural change leader requires that one not only gain knowledge, one also shares it. It means becoming a resource to others and demonstrating the power of continued learning. What is important is that followers experience the leader actively in the process of learning. Change is learning; learning is change. Harvard professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter wrote, “Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach.”\n<h3>Helping Hands Talk To Each Other</h3>\nGreat jugglers have “communicating hands”—hands that “talk” with each other so the right one knows what the left one is going to do.  Great leaders do as well. They promote, encourage, and demonstrate communication at its best. They tell all hands (i.e., employees) where they envision the organization going and they lead the way by their examples. The power of “walking the talk” has not been overrated!\n\nLeaders also know that change can create resistance. They recognize the resistance surfacing when they hear employees speaking of the cultural change effort as something that will pass with time--if they wait long enough it will go away. And they recognize resistance that may be borne in part out of a “fear of the unknown.” Rumors, myths, and half-truths can fuel the flame of misunderstanding and confusion thus heating up resistance solely out of anxiety.\n\nEffective cultural change leadership requires extraordinary communication. The best antidote to the poison of erroneous information is through communicating. Leaders help create an honest understanding of the worth of the change, as well as what the commitment or cost will be.  They clearly and frequently state the vision for the change. As employees get the information they need, they cultivate wholesome and complete perceptions of the future.\n<h3>Keeping the Performance Spirited</h3>\n“There is an energy field between humans,” wrote philosopher Rollo May. “And when we reach out in passion, it is met with an answering passion.” Jugglers engage in juggling with spirited energy. This passion becomes infectious and can enthrall even the surliest audience. It is hard to be sullen or indifferent while watching a happy artist enjoying the performance of his/her craft.\n\nLeaders keep the performance spirited by exhibiting their own enthusiasm. People take their cue regarding the change effort’s importance by the manner they witness leaders acting consistent with the needed change. Tacit compliance is viewed two ways by employees: as a signal their own commitment in not really required, and as a sign the leader is more interested in obedience than in courage.\n\nPerformance is spirited when it is rewarding and affirming.  Talk with someone involved in Habitat for Humanity or a walk-a-thon for a charity or as a coach of a youth athletic team. Their passion comes from the intrinsic reward of altruism. Great leaders approach their change agent role as a chance to give something special to employees every day. They see their responsibility as a fortunate opportunity to support, encourage, and affirm. Like the juggler, great leaders laugh when they think about how privileged they are.\n<h3>Feeling the Blur</h3>\nThe most important part of great juggling is approaching the task as a whole, rather than as a sequence of steps. Jugglers do not follow a checklist of tasks. They have a keen sense of the whole and “feel the blur.” If they look at an object or a hand in the middle of their juggling performance, they will catch the blade and not the handle. They “do” the process, but they sense the “outcome.” They know their knowledge of the process and their practice of the process can be trusted as they pay attention to the outcome—the blur of the whole.\n\n“Feeling the blur” means keeping sights on the ultimate purpose. For the juggler it is an expression of mastery that creates memorable moments of joy for the audience.  Keeping sight on the purpose means using it as a tool for auditing every activity and goal. Great leaders ask, “Will this effort contribute to building a culture that achieves our primary purpose, vision, or aim?” If the answer is suspect, they discard the activity or goal for one more likely to aid in the achievement of the purpose.\n\nIt means integrating parts into a whole so that focusing on the whole yields the needed outcomes. To be collectively managed they must be integrated into the whole rather than managed separately. Jugglers juggle objects, not smoke, sounds, or aromas. Jugglers integrate a diverse set of objects around their similarities, not their differences.  And, jugglers plan convenient “handles” for the objects they toss.\n<h3>A Successful Performance</h3>\nThe principal challenge for cultural change leaders is to first fully understand the individual parts of their leadership performance so they can bring focus and inspire confidence in those they lead. Second, they must find ways for hands to talk as well as value their continuous dialogue. Third, they must identify authentic and influential ways to walk the talk, bringing passion and energy to the performance. Finally, and most importantly, they must feel the blur—that is, lead the whole, not simply manage the parts.\n\nChange can cause people to feel tossed around. The truth is, they are. Change is about movement—leaving an old space deemed no longer effective for a new one. Comfort with the old space and uncertainty with the new can cause employees to anchor in rather than risk being dropped.', 'Juggling Machetes and Torches', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'juggling-machetes-and-torches', '', '', '2016-07-20 06:00:21', '2016-07-20 10:00:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30730', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(30737, 412, '2016-07-21 06:00:40', '2016-07-21 10:00:40', 'Power and control, positional authority -- we\'re all familiar with autocratic leadership styles as these approaches have been around for centuries. And top-down, hierarchical leadership styles can still be effective for managing an organization, especially those that mass-produce specific products. Think about it: what would a company be like without top-down leadership to set goals and priorities, direct resources and operations, plan strategies, and make sure those strategies are being implemented? So it does work.\n<h3>Here\'s where it gets sketchy...</h3>\nWhen left to their own devices under stress, these hammer-dropping leaders will lack the emotional intelligence to influence those they lead. They become engulfed in their own agendas and bravado by demanding, insisting and expecting something to go their way, while losing the respect of the very teams they lead along the way.\n\nWhen the expectations of top-down leadership become unrealistic, the workplace turns into a pressure cooker, and employees no longer feel safe to speak up. And when this happens, the Achilles Heel of top-down leadership is exposed.\n\nThe results I have personally witnessed in past companies from such leaders have led to conflict, low team or company morale, and painfully expensive cycles of turnover that took months of recovery.\n\nThat reminds me of a survey I conducted on LinkedIn, where I asked several groups and received hundreds of responses to the question, “What is the ONE mistake leaders make more frequently than others?”\n\nThe second most frequent answer I found was the “mistake” of leading from a position of power or ego. In one sense, hubris was the cause of much conflict and grief.  As one respondent succinctly put it:\n\n<em>Intellectual arrogance is like a termite to some leaders and networks. </em>\n\nIn another sense articulated in the responses, \"know it all\'s\" who think they have the best ideas (or take credit for the ideas of others), hoard information, and use it to wield power or control suck the life out of teams.\n\nSome respondents also expressed disdain over leaders unfit to lead, and blamed the hiring decision-makers who place such leaders in those positions.\n\nI also captured responses about the leader who says \"Do as I say and not as I do\" -- an attitude, according to some that some bosses take on when they reach that point in their career progression. It assumes a kind of superiority over their leadership role, where they indiscriminately use it to gain power and prestige.\n\nThe general theme in the responses pointed to a lack of humility in leaders – their inability to be wrong, and not handling being wrong well.\n\nThe reality is, humble leaders will act in a much different way, and still get results and move the company forward. When a humble leader’s tribe feels valued, respected, encouraged, and appreciated for the work they do as real human beings with a brain, those entrusted under their care will gladly walk the extra mile to get the job done. There\'s discretionary effort there. When the opposite is true, you will see fingers pointing to top-down leadership as the source of their unhappiness.\n\nWhat gets lost with the top-down approach as pressure increases from unrealistic expectations are things like:\n<ul>\n 	<li>mutual respect</li>\n 	<li>trustworthy relationships</li>\n 	<li>transparency</li>\n 	<li>candor in meetings</li>\n 	<li>input and buy-in from workers about <em>their</em> work, about what works, and what doesn\'t.</li>\n 	<li>employee engagement and satisfaction</li>\n 	<li>emotional safety</li>\n</ul>\nIf you feel stuck in your top-down leadership style, the first place to start is with <em>yourself</em>.\n\nMake a mindful decision today to create a different approach and way of being for your way of leading. My advice? Adopt an inside-out (not a top-down), approach that will call you to inspire others to be great. We call this servant leadership.', 'Top Down Leadership Does Work, If You&#039;re Stuck in the Industrial Age', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'top-down-leadership-does-work-if-youre-stuck-in-the-industrial-age', '', '', '2016-07-21 06:00:40', '2016-07-21 10:00:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30737', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30745, 406, '2016-09-30 06:00:43', '2016-09-30 10:00:43', 'What do you feel when you imagine standing up in front of an audience? Visualize the bright lights in your face, see all those people looking at you and expecting you to deliver a top-notch performance. Do butterflies start fluttering about in your stomach? Do your palms start to sweat? Does your head get light?\n\nLeaders at all levels of organizations - from the bottom to the top - need to be good at giving speeches. This is a skill that becomes increasingly important as you grow in your career. Yet research shows the large role played by <a href=\"http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000579679400072R\">speech anxiety</a> in blocking our ability to give great speeches. Fortunately, a few tips can go a long way to build up confidence and address fears around public speaking. <a href=\"https://www.academia.edu/5431076/Public_speaking_treatment._Trainer._trainee\">Research shows</a> that those individuals given some tips and training in public speaking were able not only to improve their own communication, but successfully taught others how to give better speeches. Therefore, training in public speaking works, hands down!\n\nThe keys to overcoming fear are mental preparation and practice.  Emerson said, <i>\"Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain!\"</i> Now, you are never going to get rid of it totally, but we can help you get rid of most of it.\n<h3><b>Dealing with Fear</b></h3>\nRecognize that the first thing to do is to deal with the fear itself rather than focus on the speech. Sure, some anxiety is useful. It gets adrenaline going and can give you energy and enthusiasm. Yet beyond that limited amount, if you don’t deal with the fear, you won’t be able to give a great speech, no matter how hard you try.\n\nThis fear comes from your <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/autopilot-vs-intentional-system-the-rider-and-the-elephant\">emotional self</a>, not your rational self. It’s not helpful for you to have fear to achieve your goal of giving a great speech, but your emotional self doesn’t know that. You need to use <a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/living-intentionally-3-steps-to-gaining-agency\">intentional thinking</a> strategies to manage your emotions in order to reach your goals.\n\nTo address your fear, remember you are not unique in your fear. There would not be the <a href=\"http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03637758109376055\">extensive research</a> on speech anxiety if you were! Scientists even have a special term for this fear - <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossophobia\">glossophobia</a>. Knowing that this term exists, and that it is a well-studied topic, should relieve some fear for you.\n<h3><b>Be Positive!</b></h3>\nNext, apply the <a href=\"http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/10/07/353292408/why-saying-is-believing-the-science-of-self-talk\">science-based strategy</a> of positive self-talk. Give yourself a pep talk and psych yourself up.  You can do this in many different ways. Some people meditate, others pray, others listen to music, and others go jogging. There are many different ways to get your energy level high. Whatever works for you, do it!  If you’re not prepared mentally, you won\'t be prepared.\n\nBesides positive self-talk, use <a href=\"http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950\">positive thinking</a>. If you want to be an effective public speaker, you have to believe in yourself. If you do not believe in yourself, how do you expect other people to believe in you? Remind yourself that you know more about the topic than the audience does. Now, you can expect a few people out there may be more knowledgeable. You are not going to know more than everybody does. However, chances are if you done your homework and picked a topic you know about you will know more than most people in your audience.\n\nIn this post, part 1, we focused on internal emotional management strategies to address speech anxiety. In part 2 (scheduled to be published on October 6), we will focus on external strategies to address fears and anxieties through managing your body and practicing for the big day!\n\n<b>This post was co-written by Patrick Donadio and Gleb Tsipursky</b>\n\n<b>Bio</b>: Patrick Donadio, MBA, is a keynote speaker and communication/speech coach with over 30 years of experience working with leaders and their organizations. His book, <a href=\"http://www.communicatingwithimpact.com/home.html\">Communicating with IMPACT</a>, is forthcoming in 2016. To contact him about speaking or coaching for you or your team, call 614-488-9164, e-mail Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com or visit<a href=\"http://www.patrickdonadio.com/\"> www.PatrickDonadio.com</a>\n\n<b>Bio</b>: Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, is the President of<a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/\"> Intentional Insights</a> (www.intentionalinsights.org), a nonprofit that helps people reach their goals using science to build an altruistic and flourishing world, and serves as a <a href=\"https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/intentional-insights/201606/why-would-anybody-engage-in-polyamory\">professor</a> at Ohio State. A best-selling <a href=\"http://smile.amazon.com/Gleb-Tsipursky/e/B00SF051VK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1\">book author</a>, he regularly published pieces in prominent venues. Email him at <a href=\"mailto:gleb@intentionalinsights.org\">gleb@intentionalinsights.org</a>', 'Use Emotional Intelligence To Address Speech Anxiety', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'use-emotional-intelligence-to-address-speech-anxiety', '', '', '2016-09-30 06:00:43', '2016-09-30 10:00:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30745', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30746, 406, '2016-10-06 06:00:04', '2016-10-06 10:00:04', 'In Part One of <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/use-emotional-intelligence-to-address-speech-anxiety/\" target=\"_blank\">Use Emotional Intelligence to Address Speech Anxiety</a>, we outlined how to address fears of public speaking through internal emotional management. In this part, we will focus on external emotional management strategies, namely how to use your body and practice for the big day.\n<h3><b>Use Your Body</b></h3>\nRegardless of whether you use the strategies discussed in part one, right before getting up to speak, you may get a little nervous. You have a lot of excess energy in there. You do not want to get rid of all of it, and believe me, you will not, but you want to get rid of some of it. Try some \"tense and relax\" techniques.\n\n<a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/7-surprising-science-based-hacks-to-build-your-willpower\">Clench and relax</a> your fists. Clench your fists really hard, and then release them. Can you feel the tension leaving? It really works. Some people get a lot of tension in their necks, if you do try shoulder shrugs. Push your shoulders up to your ears hold them there for 10 seconds and release. A good overall tension reliever is the use of stretching exercises. Do some deep knee bends, stretch your arms up, open your hands really wide and then close them. All of these exercises are good ways to release some of that tension.\n<h3><b>Practice</b></h3>\nPractice the speech to gain more confidence in your ability. It is especially helpful to do so in the exact room where you will be giving the speech. Get up in front of the room and try to envision what it is going to be like when you give your speech. This will help you feel more comfortable when you speak, and fill you with greater confidence.\n\nIf you can’t practice in the room, try to use visualization, a <a href=\"https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=zwc-YNnho0sC&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA23&amp;dq=visualization+research+sport&amp;ots=A52TQpn6Ae&amp;sig=QkLCh1mydIsA_r8h6tXdkXQAdVI#v=onepage&amp;q=visualization%20research%20sport&amp;f=false\">research-based strategy</a> widely employed by top athletes. Visualize what you know about the room and the audience, and imagine giving the speech. See with your mind’s eye everyone staring at you, listening with rapt attention. Imagine the applause breaking out after your speech, and your boss giving you a big thumbs-up sign after you finish.\n<h3><b>Conclusion</b></h3>\nThe sooner you get up in front of a group and you realize that you have something important to say, and you get out there and just do it, the sooner you will get rid of your fear. This follows the <a href=\"http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/da.20090/abstract\">research-based exposure therapy approach</a> to public speaking anxiety.\n\nSure, the first couple of times, you\'re going to be nervous, but you\'ll get over it. People will compliment you and you will say, \"Oh, really, I didn\'t think I did such a good job.\" Remember do not judge your external environment by your emotional self’s perceptions. You may feel nervous inside but many times on the outside, you appear more confident.  This is where videotaping comes in handy.\n\nAlso remember that \"failure is an event, not a person.\" If you do not have a successful speech, there might be other factors that may be causing this besides you. It\'s not that you failed; it\'s the event that failed.\n\nSpeaking is a skill that grows weaker with disuse and stronger with practice. The secret to improving your speaking skills is practice. Where can you get speaking opportunities? They exist all around us - at work, in community groups, at churches. You can also set up speaking engagements at various organizations like Fraternal Order of Police, Urban League, Community Action Agencies, Farm Bureaus, Rotary Clubs, Knights of Columbus, Kiwanis Club, Church Groups or League of Women Voters. These are all great opportunities to practice. Remember, your first speech is likely to be your worst speech, so you will keep getting better and less anxious going forward!\n\nThis post was co-written by Patrick Donadio and Gleb Tsipursky\n\n<b>Bio</b>: Patrick Donadio, MBA, is a keynote speaker and communication/speech coach with over 30 years of experience working with leaders and their organizations. His book,<a href=\"http://www.communicatingwithimpact.com/home.html\"> Communicating with IMPACT</a>, is forthcoming in 2016. To contact him about speaking or coaching for you or your team, call 614-488-9164, e-mail Patrick@PatrickDonadio.com or visit<a href=\"http://www.patrickdonadio.com/\"> www.PatrickDonadio.com</a>\n\n<b>Bio</b>: Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, is the President of<a href=\"http://intentionalinsights.org/\"> Intentional Insights</a> (www.intentionalinsights.org), a nonprofit that helps people reach their goals using science to build an altruistic and flourishing world, and serves as a <a href=\"https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/intentional-insights/201606/why-would-anybody-engage-in-polyamory\">professor</a> at Ohio State. A best-selling <a href=\"http://smile.amazon.com/Gleb-Tsipursky/e/B00SF051VK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1\">book author</a>, he regularly published pieces in prominent venues. Email him at <a href=\"mailto:gleb@intentionalinsights.org\">gleb@intentionalinsights.org</a>', 'Use Emotional Intelligence To Address Speech Anxiety (Part Two)', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'use-emotional-intelligence-to-address-speech-anxiety-part-two', '', '', '2016-10-06 06:00:04', '2016-10-06 10:00:04', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30746', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30751, 429, '2016-08-30 06:00:31', '2016-08-30 10:00:31', 'Quality leaders are in high demand today in almost all areas of professional business, education, science, politics, and also generally in day-to-day life.\n\nSometimes it can be hard to define what makes a good leader and whether being a leader is a talent or a skill acquired through work and experience.\n\nWithout doubt, both these theories are valid and do not necessarily contradict each other. Regardless of the fundamental questions about the nature of leadership itself, here are some of the most valuable leadership skills you will need in your life.\n<h3>Determination</h3>\nDetermination to pursue his or her vision is what makes a good leader stand out. It is a fuel which drives the leader and enables him or her to continue fighting for organizational ideals.\n\nWithout determination, it is not possible to realize your goals.\n\nA determined leader inspires confidence in others who will rely on the leader\'s will in times of struggle. Determination is a prerequisite for success as the strength of will involved gives the leader energy to move on towards the ultimate goal.\n\nMany important things which happen in our lives are directly linked with our determination, most prominently our ability to overcome problems and difficulties we face and triumph in the face of adversity.\n<h3>Organization</h3>\nA leader is essentially a <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/positive-leadership-toward-reinventing-organizations/\">supreme organizer</a>, the one who takes care of all aspects of a task and is able to make plans in advance. Although, organization itself represents a collection of various organizational skills, we must still view it as a critical leadership skill.\n\nOrganization is also a deciding factor behind our ability to handle practical tasks in our day-to-day functioning and is directly related to time management, finances and planning.\n\nThe ultimate success of both our private and business initiatives lies in our ability to organize and plan in advance. Possessing exceptional organization skills is what makes a good leader different from a mediocre one.\n<h3>Taking Initiative</h3>\nIf there is a single trait which best defines a leader, it is most certainly the ability to take initiative and point people in the right direction.\n\nInitiative distinguishes and defines a leader more than all other abilities. Taking initiative is what makes all successful projects, both in business and private life, move towards the goal.\n\nThe lack of initiative often has a very negative effect on our efforts, such as the one of building a successful enterprise.\n\nAnother essential aspect of taking initiative is knowing <em>when</em> to act. Quality leadership is all about decision making and timing.\n\nIt has also been demonstrated that people who take initiative at work are more likely to build successful careers and find themselves in leading positions in society.\n<h3>Decision Making</h3>\nNaturally, leadership requires quick <a href=\"http://www.moyak.com/papers/leadership-qualities.html\">decision making</a>, personal integrity and responsibility. When a leader finds himself in a difficult position, much will depend on the ability to act decisively and reach the best possible decision even under unfavorable circumstances.\n\nA confident leader is able to realize plans and put them into effect, while at the next stage, it is necessary that a leader stands behind decisions, and be willing to defend them if necessary.\n\nQuality decision making is also invariably connected with the ability to critically analyze a situation before reaching conclusions.\n\nThe ultimate decision is therefore an end result of a process starting with strategic planning and ending with realization.\n<h3>Self-Confidence</h3>\nAll of the skills listed previously depend on self-confidence. Determination and organization without self-confidence would not have the same effect. Taking initiative and reaching a right decision is almost impossible for a leader who does not have confidence in his or her abilities.\n\nSelf-confidence is a building block which holds all other leadership qualities together, enabling them to work in harmony.\n\nIf you have problems finding self-confidence, concretizing your thoughts and plans through writing is a good way of getting to know yourself and your capacities. <a href=\"http://essayrepublic.com/\">Essay Republic</a> is a quick and reliable way of acquiring good writing skills.', 'The Five Most Valuable Leadership Skills', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'the-five-most-valuable-leadership-skills', '', '', '2016-08-30 06:00:31', '2016-08-30 10:00:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30751', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30761, 408, '2016-07-25 06:00:36', '2016-07-25 10:00:36', 'I recently conducted a series of interviews of futurists in which I asked them about the reinvention of an industry sector facing considerable disruption. These interviews covered aspects of the innovation and change these futurists predict, to the timeline and ever-accelerating pace of this change, to suggestions about how the industry could cope with the change to come. The leading futurist in this field concluded his recommendations by saying, “I believe that every CEO should be assigned a therapist when they take the job.”\n\nShocking advice? Perhaps, but stepping back a moment, is it all that crazy of a proposition? Change in general is already unsettling, but couple trying to change with the responsibility of decision-making for an entire organization – which at large companies includes its employees, its investors, its partners, and its customers – and the idea of reinventing can be downright terrifying. Seasoned CEOs, hired for their industry experience and leadership abilities, may never actually have had to pivot and innovate in the way that today’s world requires:  agile, fast, and iterative.\n\nIn fact, the opposite may happen:  the CEO could be the roadblock to the whole transformative process. This person could have issues letting go of control, understanding unfamiliar ways of doing business, entrusting others to make major decisions that will affect the complete future of the business. There are a whole lot of reasons why <em>not</em> to be comfortable with the idea of change when you’re sitting on the top.\n\nI encountered this kind of resistance in the early days of the Internet when I founded my last company, an online marketing agency, in 1998. I had to confront a wide range of reactions to the services I was offering including general ignorance and disbelief in the Internet’s staying power (“Oh that Internet thing is going to be a flash in the pan”), to downright hostility. At one conference I attended (the Direct Marketing Association, no less!) I had one business owner tell me in no uncertain terms to leave because there was no place for me and my company at such a conference. I’ve often wondered if that company survived and still thrives today.\n<h3><strong>Reinvention Requirements</strong></h3>\nThe ability to enter reinvention – be it a personal or a business one – requires a preparedness of mindset and a conjuring of capabilities. Someone with the right capabilities might still be crippled by their mindset. Some mindset requirements of reinvention include:\n<ul>\n 	<li>Overcoming longstanding fears</li>\n 	<li>Reducing or eliminating the negative self-talk in one’s mind</li>\n 	<li>Accepting responsibility for the present situation while simultaneously recognizing it needs to change</li>\n 	<li>Being driven by the right sense of purpose (which means the purpose needs to also be defined or sought)</li>\n 	<li>Mustering confidence and courage without letting arrogance get in the way</li>\n 	<li>Taking the long-range view (while also acting in the short-term) and convincing those around you that you all have to persevere in the face of short-term challenges</li>\n 	<li>Being open-minded to all possibilities…even ones that don’t present themselves obviously</li>\n 	<li>Having high risk tolerance</li>\n</ul>\nThis is a pretty heavy list. If we found someone in our personal lives with all these attributes, they’d handily make an ideal mate. So it may not be reasonable to expect a CEO to come ready-made with all of these attitudinal skills.\n\nWhether exhibiting hostility, fear, or denial, the true reality is that in today’s age, we all have to learn how to be ever more adaptable. If we can’t do so on our own, we need to get help. Fortune 1000 CEOs should be no different. In fact, since more rides on these people and since many of these companies are publicly traded, perhaps the assignment of a therapist, coach, or trained confidante <em>should</em> be mandatory. After all, how can anyone believe in an organization’s ability to transform if their CEO is incapable of transformation himself?', 'Why Every Fortune 1000 CEO &quot;Needs a Therapist&quot;', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'why-every-fortune-1000-ceo-needs-a-therapist', '', '', '2016-07-25 06:00:36', '2016-07-25 10:00:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30761', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30766, 430, '2016-08-29 06:00:29', '2016-08-29 10:00:29', 'In today\'s marketplace more and more individuals are calling themselves entrepreneurs. Personal branding is the most important way to set yourself apart from the crowd. A strong brand will deliver several business benefits such as being able to charge higher prices for your services and make it easier to acquire new customers. The question is, what are some concrete steps to improve your brand as an entrepreneur?\n\nThe following are the most important aspects of working on for increasing both B2B branding in addition to B2C branding.  A business client has different needs from a consumer client. To achieve goals for both types of clients takes different strategies and different emphasis.\n\n<strong>Three ways to Improve your Business to Business Brand</strong>\n\nYour business to business personal brand should highlight the ways you can deliver superior results for the company. On average, it will take longer to acquire an individual business client but the reoccurring revenue will make the wait worth it. Below are several improvements you should immediately make to increase the value of your business to business brand.\n<h3><strong>Dependability </strong></h3>\nIncreasing the perception of dependability is an excellent way to strengthen your personal business brand. Every point of contact with your business client should reinforce the concept of you being dependable. This process has no end point; instead, it is a continuous progression.\n\nMake sure to always deliver what you have contracted to do with your client and do not over promise anything that you cannot accomplish. No matter how lucrative the job may seem, if you cannot deliver the result it is better to walk away and keep your reputation intact as an honest business person than fail to deliver. The nature of a business client means that the person hiring you might not be the end user of your services. Your failure to deliver could damage your reputation irreparably and it might also cost the job of the person who hired you. This is why focusing on improving the perception of your dependability should be your first goal if involved in business to business transactions.\n<h3><strong>Speed</strong></h3>\nBeing able to deliver the service promised is an important way to create trust with your client. On the other hand, quick completion of your client\'s tasks will exponentially increase your brand awareness. By making the people who hired you look good, you increase the chance they will recommend you to other businesses. Thus, speed is the second goal you should attempt to quantify and improve upon.\n<h3><strong>Accuracy</strong></h3>\nWhile speed is very valuable in a business environment, it means little if the information presented is partially incorrect. You must seek to set up a robust system to catch any inconsistencies in your submitted work. Every work error, no matter how small, that a client sees plants a seed of doubt affecting your brand. That is why your goal should be zero defect assignments which will create a reservoir of goodwill for the inevitable times you will make minor errors. Setting up systems to improve upon the above mentioned should be your main priorities. Your brand will strengthen when you make an effort to achieve goals like these.\n<h3><strong>Three ways to Improve your Business to Consumer Brand</strong></h3>\nYour business to consumer brand will focus heavily on acquiring new customers. The individual value of each consumer is lower than the equivalent business to business customer. This disparity requires you to emphasize things such as customer acquisition, visual imaging, and satisfying immediate gratification.\n<h3><strong>Advertising</strong></h3>\nYour advertising should get the word out <strong>and</strong> show your comparative advantages. This is best accomplished by seeing yourself from the consumer\'s point of view while answering five questions: what, when, where, why, and how. Once you have developed short answers to the five questions and created a compelling narrative, you can focus on distributing your brand message. Seek to expose your brand message to new people while reinforcing the message with previous customers. Every time you reinforce the message, you add a layer of strength to your professional brand. The most effective way for customers to remember the brand message is to keep it short and simple.\n<h3><strong>Efficiency </strong></h3>\nIf your advertising has sufficiently improved you will be dealing with a large influx of customers who seek immediate gratification. Improving your efficiency will allow you to satisfy the demands of your customers without disappointing them. Efficiency can be achieved incrementally through business practices such as time management techniques and work order flow management. Each efficient customer interaction adds to your brand\'s goodwill on an unconscious level.\n<h3><strong>Availability </strong></h3>\nHopefully, you have created a successful advertisement and set up efficient systems to deal with customers. This leads to the third most important aspect of business to consumer branding: availability. In today\'s business world you must be \"on\" and reachable by consumers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This includes setting up<a href=\"http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/strong-brand-voice-social-media\"> social media accounts</a> and having a virtual presence where your customers can interact.\n<h4><strong>Bringing it all together</strong></h4>\nThe time and effort you put into improving your brand will reward you handsomely in the future. Remember this ongoing process of improvement will continue as long as you are in business.\n\nEditor\'s Note: If you are interested in interacting with Diana, please visit her website by clicking <a href=\"http://writingdaddy.com/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> or follow her on Twitter <a href=\"https://twitter.com/Diana_Beyer_\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.', 'Improving Your Personal Brand as an Entrepreneur', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'improving-your-personal-brand-as-an-entrepreneur', '', '', '2016-08-29 06:00:29', '2016-08-29 10:00:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30766', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(30781, 374, '2016-08-01 06:00:40', '2016-08-01 10:00:40', 'This month we are featuring Instigator <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/instigators/susan-mazza/\" target=\"_blank\">Susan Mazza</a>, <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CEO of </span><a href=\"http://clarus-works.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clarus-WORKS</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Founder/Author of </span><a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Random Acts of Leadership</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">™, and Co-Author of <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Character-Based-Leader-Instigating-Leadership-Revolution/dp/145751222X\" target=\"_blank\">The Character-Based Leader</a> as well as <a href=\"http://www.energizeyourleadership.net/\" target=\"_blank\">Energize Your Leadership</a>.</span>\n\nSusan graduated from Penn State with a BS in Finance and International Business. She believes her \"real education\" started when she began working.\n\nShe started out working in a very large accounting department facilitating the communication between the accountants and the IT professionals to develop and deploy new and innovative technologies. Ultimately she became an IT professional and project manager. She discovered that implementing systems well requires that you facilitate change well. After 14 years she made a career leap from implementing technology systems to transforming human systems. Her focus now is on cultivating leadership, facilitating progress and developing accountable and collaborative cultures. She believes this is \"a natural integration of my experience in both technology and human systems.\"\n\nA leadership lesson Susan gained from her first job was the importance of empowering people based on their capabilities rather than limiting them by their level. She elaborates: \"I had an amazing first boss who treated me more like a partner than a new hire. Even though she had 10 years more experience than I did we were doing some leading edge work. I learned so much so fast, and felt empowered to invent solutions and contribute new ideas. Looking back I think that planted the seeds that ultimately lead me to venture off on my own later in my career.\"\n\nWhen asked about one of the best moments she has had professionally, Susan shared, \"Last September I delivered a keynote address to a large audience. Sometimes I wonder if it\'s really possible to make a meaningful impact in just 1/2 hour talking to so many. Last month though I was back in CA and stopped in to see someone who was at that event. She had brought quite a few people with her that day and shared how they are still talking about and acting on the ideas they learned. She shared that personally she got the courage to share her personal story, to speak more where she previously she had held back and been unsure, and is now fully embracing her leadership. Recently the non profit she started held an event for 500 people. I\'d say creating and speaking to a group of 500 people is remarkable. My best moments are when I hear stories like this from people who discover something that helps them to become the most powerful expression of themselves to make a difference in both small and big ways.\"\n\nOn the topic of the most important qualities in leaders, Susan believes that integrity, authenticity, courage, and compassion are four critical qualities.\n\nSusan thinks schools should teach personal development, especially anything that would develop the mindset and skills of personal responsibility.\n\nWhen asked about books she has found most helpful for her professional life, Susan said, \"Ellen Langer\'s books <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-25th-anniversary-Merloyd-Lawrence/dp/0738217999/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1469460567&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=ellen+langer\" target=\"_blank\">Mindfulness</a> and <a href=\"https://www.amazon.com/Power-Mindful-Learning-Merloyd-Lawrence/dp/0738219088/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1469460600&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=ellen+langer\" target=\"_blank\">The Power of Mindful Learning</a> immediately come to mind. If we are to realize our potential we need to find ways to go beyond our self imposed limits. The hard part can be to see the limitations in our own minds. These books wake you up to the mechanism of limitations in your thinking and perceptions. That understanding and awareness is so key to causing change.\"\n\nWhen asked the most creative solution she\'s ever seen to a problem in life or work, Susan replied, \"The tricky part about that question is that a lot of times the creative solution is so obvious I call them \'oh duh\' moments which immediately get integrated into \'but of course\'... so you can\'t remember them. This question did bring a funny story immediately to mind though ... when my daughter was very small she noticed that while she was born without hair she had hair now, but her father still did not. Her solution: \"I know daddy, let\'s go to ShopRite!\" While my husband wished it were that simple, sometimes the solution really is right in front of us.\"\n\nIf she had to hashtag her life, Susan would choose from: #livelovematter, #bethebestyou, #makeadifference, and #livealifeyoulove.\n\nOne of Susan\'s favorite quotes is \"Never believe that a few caring people can\'t change the world. For, indeed, that\'s all who ever have\" by Margaret Mead.\n\nWhen asked \"if money were no object, what would you do all day?\" she responded, \"Actually a lot of the same things I do today - write, speak, coach, and facilitate progress. I would probably focus more time on writing and playing music though.\"\n\nThe best advice she\'s ever been given was, \"Figure out what you want to do next so you can figure out what you want to do after that.\" She continues, \"I was in my late 20s wrestling with career change options. This college student reminded me that the path to the future really can be discovered one step at a time. I think that this is even truer today. Many jobs people will have 10 years from now haven\'t even been conceived of yet.\"\n\nOf her involvement in Lead Change, Susan says, \"You could say I was a founding member. Mike Henry invited me into conversation after we met on Twitter when Lead Change was just an idea. I had the good fortune to be 1 of the 12 who met for an Unconference in Ft. Lauderdale, FL where we engaged in a fantastic dialogue about character based leadership.\"\n\n<em><strong>Editor\'s Note</strong> - You may ask, “How does one get chosen to be a featured Instigator?” The answer is simple. If you are already an Instigator, fill out <a href=\"https://cl182.infusionsoft.com/app/form/lcg-feature-questions\">this form</a> and continue to engage with the Lead Change Group on a regular basis. If you are not yet an Instigator, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/join/\">sign up</a>. There are many benefits to being an Instigator – email us if you want more information.</em>\n\n<strong>Previous 2016 Featured Instigators:</strong>\n\n7/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-leading-voice-mike-henry-sr/\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Henry, Sr.</a>\n\n6/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-leading-voice-mary-schaefer/\" target=\"_blank\">Mary Schaefer </a>\n\n5/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-kevin-eikenberry/\" target=\"_blank\">Kevin Eikenberry</a>\n\n4/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-leading-voice-chip-bell/\" target=\"_blank\">Chip Bell</a>\n\n3/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-eunice-parisi-carew/\" target=\"_blank\">Eunice Parisi-Carew</a>\n\n2/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-chris-edmonds/\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Edmonds</a>\n\n1/2016: <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/featured-instigator-marcella-bremer/\" target=\"_blank\">Marcella Bremer</a>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Featured Instigator: Susan Mazza', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'featured-instigator-susan-mazza', '', '', '2016-08-01 06:00:40', '2016-08-01 10:00:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30781', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30793, 431, '2016-09-13 06:00:54', '2016-09-13 10:00:54', 'Becoming a leader is the dream of many. You want to be heard, to have people agree with you and follow your lead. But getting there is not just a question of natural talent. It is a matter of sacrifice.\n\nNo pain, no gain, they say, and there is no difference when it comes to leadership. There will be tough things that you will have to do and change in yourself if you want to get there.\n\nHere are seven ways to prepare for the journey.\n<h3><strong>Manage Your Personal Time</strong></h3>\nWhen you are a leader, you need to make time for all the other people in need. They will call you, follow you on social media, contact you in any possible way because they want to hear your opinion about virtually everything.\n\nAs you became a leader by choice, you won’t have the right to complain. You will stop whatever you are doing, even if it is something that you really enjoy, and be there for them as often as necessary.\n\nHave in mind that you won’t be allowed to rush away, as it is your duty as a leader to make time for your followers. Refusing to comply can damage your reputation in an irreversible way – just think about all those artists who avoid fans and the bad press that comes from it.\n<h3><strong>Extinguish Your Bad Habits</strong></h3>\nAs a leader, you will be a role model. People will look up to you and will copy your habits and ideas. Anything that you don’t love about your behaviour will have to be fixed as soon as possible unless you want to get in trouble later on.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/time-management/how-to-stop-procrastinating\">Procrastination will have to be in the past</a>, along with self-indulgence and lack of discipline. It will become necessary to be at your best all the time, including when you are just having fun, as you never know when you will meet one of your followers.\n\nAnd considering that everybody has a camera on their hands nowadays, you know what could be the end of it.\n<h3><strong>Check Your Ego</strong></h3>\nIt seems to be contradictory to many people, but a real leader isn’t a vain and egotistical person. Nobody listens or follows this kind of person except out of fear. That is the difference between a leader and a dictator.\n\nRemember to check your ego every time that you need to use your leadership skills. Be ready for criticism, because many people think that the best way to become your best friend is by bringing your mistakes to your attention just in case you aren’t aware of them.\n\nAlso, be prepared to serve and to work to make other people’s lives better instead of yours. In theory, they think that your life is already perfect anyway. Bear in mind that your needs come in second place.\n<h3><strong>Eliminate Your Pre-Conceptions</strong></h3>\nYour pre-conceptions are another thing that you will have to sacrifice to become a leader. If you think that you already know everything, you will stop learning, and soon all your ideas will become obsolete.\n\nPlus, you will find hard to relate and support people, if you dislike some of them due to some hidden prejudice of any kind. If you discover that you have any of these feelings within yourself, you should look for a way to change your mind as soon as possible.\n\nAdjust your mind to be flexible and to understand that, even though you have your own principles and values, some people might feel things differently. There is nothing wrong with that. As a leader, you can’t be asking them to change their beliefs only with the purpose of agreeing with you.\n<h3><strong>Manage Your Finances</strong></h3>\nIt isn’t cheap to be a leader. It costs money to stay updated about your industry, to keep up with the trends, and to <a href=\"http://www.grabmyessay.com/blog/good-leadership-skills-what-it-takes\">acquire new skills</a>.\n\nThere will be congresses, conferences, and seminars to go, and they aren’t cheap. There will be accommodations, food, flights, and many more expenses to be paid as well.\n\nDepending on your line of work, clothing may be another hit in your pocket. You will also possibly want new productivity-enhancing gadgets and apps. These costs will remain with you forever, as you will always need to be one step ahead of the majority in terms of innovation.\n<h3><strong>Open Your Ears</strong></h3>\nSometimes, people don’t want any advice. They just want to be listened to. There is nothing better than to be listened to by someone who is seen as a leader. People are relieved; it is like a certification that they aren\'t going mad, that their troubles are worthy.\n\nYou should be prepared to sacrifice your ear for the happiness of your followers. Be prepared to <a href=\"http://www.fastcompany.com/3036026/how-to-be-a-success-at-everything/5-ways-to-improve-your-listening-skills\">invest in your listening skills</a> and to be the best at listening.\n\nRemember that listening is not the same as hearing. People can easily spot if you are just pretending to give attention to them. It is not as hard as you think, even if they don’t know you well.\n\nIf this isn’t among your strengths, don’t despair. Start training yourself not to get impatient and to ask encouraging questions. It will pay off as soon as you start doing it.\n<h3><strong>Don\'t Abuse Your Authority</strong></h3>\nAnother misconception is that a leader is always obeyed, that people will hear you and do as they were told. This couldn’t be more wrong.\n\nIt is understandable if you feel frustrated after spending hours talking someone out of a bad move, and they end up doing it anyway. You were well prepared and made a point of using your time to see trends and predict failures. They came to you in the first place, so why didn\'t they follow your ideas?\n\nThe thing is that you are their leader, not their parent. They are adults fully capable of making their own decisions.\n\nPlus, they have all the right to make mistakes and learn from them – you probably have learned a lot from your mistakes, so why take the same opportunity away from them?\n\nRemember that you work within limits decided by your followers, not by you.\n<h3><strong>The Bottom Line</strong></h3>\nLeadership has nothing to do with achieving a perfect life. There is a lot that you will have to sacrifice in order to get there, and the imperative to sacrifice won’t go away when you achieve the position you have been dreaming of.\n\nBe prepared to understand that there will be sacrifices to be made and that they are only part of the game. This is only normal, and you should be proud of being able to overcome these small challenges in order to lead others to greater goals.', '7 Things Every Leader Needs to Sacrifice', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', '7-things-every-leader-needs-to-sacrifice', '', '', '2016-09-13 06:00:54', '2016-09-13 10:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30793', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30801, 376, '2016-07-28 06:00:15', '2016-07-28 10:00:15', 'I have been thinking about discipline more than usual of late.\n\nDiscipline has always been part of my life. I guess that comes from growing up on a farm, earning multiple degrees and certifications, being in the military, and having to continually adjust to new roles, new places, and new cultures.\n\nYou do not successfully navigate change without a healthy dose of discipline.\n\nDiscipline, to me, involves the consistent and continual exercise of your best thinking, doing, and being in the pursuit of higher standards and goals.  It also includes a strong dose of being able to withstand temptation.\n\nMuch has been written about discipline in various environments and from various perspectives over the years.  For me, the understanding of discipline boils down, as it often does, to the three overlapping, but distinct areas, outlined below.\n\nSince my most current challenges revolve around shifting my professional focus toward the world of real estate, the examples that come to mind to illustrate these three areas will relate to that particular and very personal transition.\n<h3>SELF-DISCIPLINE</h3>\nWe always have to start with ourselves …\n\nSelf-discipline, in my mind, includes how we treat our bodies, how we approach our emotional lives, and how we choose to structure our days.\n\nAs many have pointed out over the years, we have more choices than we realize or admit.  Self-discipline means we recognize and exercise those choices by opting for what will move us closer to a goal over that which is easier.\n\nKnocking on doors in a subdivision on a hot and humid summer day in the Heartland is not an activity I look forward to.   However, I know that this is how I become a known entity to those who I seek to serve.  My willingness to engage with others about property values, the local housing market, and the value I bring to helping someone buy or sell a house is what motivates me to do this activity, when I would rather be sitting in the air-conditioning somewhere with a large iced tea, watching the clouds float by overhead.\n<h3>COMMUNITY DISCIPLINE</h3>\nWe did not build this ourselves …\n\nMost of us operate in some formal fashion with others in professional alliance.  Whether we are part of an organized and recognized group, such as a real estate agency or function in looser fashion with a group of trusted others, we are social and communal beings.\n\nI have been fortunate enough to join an agency where the competitiveness of our profession is far outweighed by our collegial culture. I know from experience that in some companies, a “sink or swim” attitude prevails and self-interest is more powerful than community concerns.\n\nThe discipline of accountability that comes with being a member of a group which values integrity and collegiality as essential ingredients for success is a powerful thing.\n\nWe share our experiences and issues on a daily basis, both in ongoing training and development (itself somewhat unusual in this industry)\n<h3>PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINE</h3>\nWhen we become part of a profession, industry, or career field, we have a simple choice:  To either work at the minimal level to function or to work toward becoming the best in your chosen area.   You may think that you choose all the places between these two positions, but being average or mediocre at what you do is not really a choice as much as it is an unintentional outcome.\n\nChoosing to strive to become the best you can be requires discipline.\n\nI am a Realtor®, which means I have met certain requirements and agreed to operate at a higher standard of service and ethical behavior than someone who is simply a real estate agent.\n\nBut let me turn to one of my favorite people to help me with this one:\n\n<a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1442437/?ref_=nmbio_mbio\">Modern Family</a> is one of my favorite television shows. While I cringe at many of his scenes and lines, <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123092/\">Phil Dunphy</a> has one overriding positive quality: He is trying to be the best he can be.\n\nRecently, <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0123092/\">Ty Burrell</a>, the actor who portrays Phil, collaborated with the <a href=\"http://www.realtor.org/\">National Association of Realtors (NAR)</a>, to provide a lesson about the difference between a real estate agent and a Realtor®.  <a href=\"http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2016/05/06/modern-family-lifts-realtor-brand\">The episode</a> is watchable, enjoyable, and informative.\n<h3>IN SHORT …</h3>\n<ul>\n 	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Discipline does not just happen.  Discipline is a very intentional thing.</li>\n 	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Discipline first includes your personal desire to learn more, work harder, and be a better “whatever you are”, whether that be a personal or professional role.</li>\n 	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Discipline comes at a cost in terms of time, energy, and assets.  It’s easier not to strive for that higher level and discipline requires you fight that reality.</li>\n 	<li style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Discipline is continual, consistent, and conscious … nobody ever performed in a disciplined manner without considerable effort, even if they make it look easy on the outside.</li>\n</ul>\nPersonally, I believe that discipline, as I have described it here, has enriched and colored my life, with the benefits far outweighing the costs.', 'Disciplined Thinking', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'disciplined-thinking', '', '', '2016-07-28 06:00:15', '2016-07-28 10:00:15', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30801', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30838, 374, '2016-08-01 14:55:26', '2016-08-01 18:55:26', '<div class=\"message_content \">We are <strong>elated</strong> to have <a href=\"http://launchbox365.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Launchbox365</a> as our Lead Change Group sponsor for August! Launchbox365 helps companies and individuals achieve bold success through applying their expertise in cross-generational issues to help organizations bridge the gap between managers and their Gen Y workforce to increase employee engagement, productivity, innovation and profits.</div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"><span class=\"message_body\">\nDan Negroni, Launchbox365 Founder, says, <em>\"Our ability to attract, train, manage, and retain this next generation of leaders is critical to the future success of our businesses, but a huge and damaging connection, communication, and understanding gap exists between non-millennials and millennials in our workplaces.\"</em></span></div>\n<div class=\"message_content \"><span class=\"message_body\"><span class=\"para_break\"><i class=\"copy_only\">\n</i></span>Launchbox365 provides several uniquely positioned services in order to help organizations bridge the gap between managers and the GenY workforce. Here are highlights of their offerings:\n\n</span></div>\n<h3 class=\"message_content \">Chasing Relevance</h3>\nChasing Relevance is a book designed to \"create next generation leaders today.\" Praised by respected leadership thinkers such as <a href=\"http://www.kenblanchard.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Ken Blanchard</a>, <a href=\"http://keithferrazzi.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Keith Ferrazzi</a>, and <a href=\"http://hayzlett.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Jeffrey Hayzlett</a>, the book provides a step-by-step framework that teaches you how to bust through cross-generational issues to find your own relevance to truly understand, engage and maximize your millennial employees and customers.\n\n<a href=\"http://chasingrelevance.com/book/\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30736 size-medium\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ChasingRelevance_cover1000-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"ChasingRelevance_cover1000\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n<h3>\nCorporate Programming and Coaching</h3>\nLaunchbox365 helps organizations and individuals \"bridge the gap\" through corporate programs, coaching, and peer networking groups. For example, the Launch365 proprietary learning and coaching system allows an organization\'s employees to continue learning and growing long after the initial workshop. It allows them to apply their new knowledge and skills to real workplace situations, and internalize their learnings to maximize the impact for your organization.\n\n<a href=\"http://launchbox365.com/solutions/corporate-training-programs/#launch365\"><img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30847\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Launch-365-Solutions-1024x305.jpg\" alt=\"Launch 365 Solutions\" width=\"500\" height=\"149\" /></a>\n<h3>Blog and Research</h3>\nThe Launchbox365 blog contains informative articles, insights and tips to help managers increase employee engagement, productivity and results, and to help individuals achieve personal and professional success. One of our favorite recent posts taps into the current PokémonGO craze: <a href=\"http://launchbox365.com/2-big-reasons-pokemon-go-struck-gold-can-help-understand-millennial-customers-employees/\" target=\"_blank\">2 Big Reasons Why PokémonGO Struck Gold &amp; Can Help You Understand Millennial Customers and Employers</a>.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-30850\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Launchbox-Pokemon.jpg\" alt=\"Launchbox Pokemon\" width=\"500\" height=\"334\" /></p>\n\n<h3>The Chasing Relevance Webinar</h3>\nDan Negroni of Launchbox365 will be conducting a <strong>free</strong> webinar on Tuesday, August 23, at noon ET! The goals of the webinar are for participants to learn:\n<ul>\n 	<li>The key trends that define the millennial generation.</li>\n 	<li>Steps to bridge the generational gap between youth <span class=\"details\">and experience.</span></li>\n 	<li><span class=\"details\">How to deliver value to connect with your customers and employees.</span></li>\n 	<li><span class=\"details\">How to stay relevant in a crazy, fast-changing world.</span></li>\n</ul>\nRegister for the webinar by clicking <a href=\"https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8553936957342178052\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8553936957342178052\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-30852 aligncenter\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/webinar_share-1.png\" alt=\"webinar_share (1)\" width=\"440\" height=\"220\" /></a></p>\nWe are excited about the impact of your organization, its services, your webinar, and your book on organizations who seek to \"bridge the gap,\" Dan and Launchbox365 group. Thank you for your support of the Lead Change Group!', 'Highlighting Our August Sponsor: Launchbox365', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'highlighting-our-august-sponsor-launchbox365', '', '', '2016-08-01 14:55:26', '2016-08-01 18:55:26', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30838', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30871, 274, '2016-08-02 12:51:39', '2016-08-02 16:51:39', 'The Lead Change Group is grateful to <a href=\"http://thethoughtboard.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The Thought Board</a> for hosting the August 2016 Leadership Development Carnival.\n\nThis month is filled with a wide variety of leadership topics including <a href=\"http://thethoughtboard.com/leadership-development-carnival-august-2016/#julie\">idea generation</a>, <a href=\"http://thethoughtboard.com/leadership-development-carnival-august-2016/#rand\">power</a>, <a href=\"http://thethoughtboard.com/leadership-development-carnival-august-2016/#davidg\">delegation</a>, <a href=\"http://thethoughtboard.com/leadership-development-carnival-august-2016/#annp\">compassion</a> and more. Take some time out to learn from all the thoughtful contributions that make this edition so impressive.\n\nPlease visit the full carnival post <a href=\"http://thethoughtboard.com/leadership-development-carnival-august-2016/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> to peruse all of this month\'s posts.\n\nEach of the contributors would appreciate a visit to their articles, and we would be grateful if you would share the carnival among your contacts. You can easily tweet your support by using our simple <a href=\"http://ctt.ec/kN7m6\" target=\"_blank\">click to tweet</a> feature.\n\nThe Lead Change Group will be hosting the September 2016 Leadership Development Carnival so stay tuned for our call for submissions in the coming weeks. We will look forward to another tremendous month!\n\nThank you to <a href=\"http://launchbox365.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Launchbox365</a>, August Lead Change Group sponsor, for its support of this Leadership Development Carnival.', 'August 2016 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'august-2016-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2016-08-02 12:51:39', '2016-08-02 16:51:39', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30871', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30880, 252, '2016-08-08 06:00:40', '2016-08-08 10:00:40', 'This week I’m making a big ask of a long-time friend.\n\nWhen I talked my plan over with another friend, she asked, “What if he says no? Will it damage your relationship?”\n\nMy answer is no. I’m prepared for any answer from him. And I’m going to tell him that. The times I’ve been at peace asking for a favor have been the times when I was not attached to the outcome.\n<h4>The importance of being earnest (and conscious) about what you are asking.</h4>\nAs I prepared for this post, I asked my fellow Lead Change Group (LCG) members their thoughts on asking for help or a favor. When is it appropriate? Do you have to give before you get? How do you earn the right to ask a favor?\n\n<strong>Lisa Lavergne</strong> advocates for being clear about what is going on. In other words, acknowledge you are asking a favor and that the requestee may not be able to give you what you want.\n\nFor example recently via social media someone I didn’t know asked me for a piece of advice that was easy to answer. I provided a link to a post and a free resource I had written. The next thing I know I’m asked to review this person’s book and but extended no offer of a free book. The requester wanted me to “share what I thought, and share it with others.”\n\nLisa suggests another option for asking:\n<blockquote>\"Thank you so much for the resources, you have given me good direction. I do have a new book out as well, would you have time to review it for me if I sent you a free copy?\"</blockquote>\nThat is a graceful way to ask for a favor.\n\nI could have responded with; \"No, currently I do not have that time.” Lisa supports being unapologetic about protecting your time, and providing alternatives, such as free resources.\n\nI heard a speaker mentoring young professionals say you should never ask anything of anyone you don\'t know without giving first. I don\'t know that is always true. As a young professional, a manager in your organization may be willing to give you 15 minutes to learn about their career path, if you ask nicely.\n\nAs <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/instigators/david-dye/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>David Dye</strong></a> put it, “There are always things to give... it might just be your attention or appreciation. Those things are meaningful too.” Indeed. Let’s not take for granted that people like to be helpful and useful, particularly if the ask and appreciation is acknowledged.\n\n<strong>Lyn Boyer</strong> shared some great wisdom that I am coming to appreciate myself.\n<blockquote>“in some cases, asking a favor of someone can deepen a relationship. It offers someone the opportunity to share their expertise and/or experience.\n\nI used to believe that doing everything for myself was always desirable, but then I realized that it makes other people feel good to help out and it opens the door to greater trust.”</blockquote>\n<h4>The fine line in doing favors.</h4>\nThe HR Goddess, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/instigators/jane-perdue/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Jane Perdue</strong></a>, shares, “In my second act of life desire to give back and pay it forward, I gave too much in a few situations. The result was inadvertently creating the expectation in the mind of the recipient that they were <em>entitled</em> to my assistance whenever and in any degree. Sadly, some don\'t appreciate the difference between taking advantage and being helped out.”\n\nMore than one of my LCG colleagues mentioned the fine line between being helpful because you want to be, and developing strong boundaries.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/instigators/john-smith/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>John E. Smith</strong></a> says,\n<blockquote>\"I think we have to become astute about when we share without boundaries and when we share within boundaries.”</blockquote>\n<h4>Setting a boundary can be a gift.</h4>\nFellow coach <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/instigators/david-greer/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>David Greer</strong></a> summarizes for us:\n<blockquote>“As a giving person, my default is to give too much of myself. I have had to learn that <em>no </em>is the kindest gift to myself and to the person asking. Even when I do make a <em>free</em> offer, I make clear internally and externally what those boundaries are. As most have said in this post, getting clear on those boundaries internally is often the hardest part.”</blockquote>\nThere are no easy answers to asking favors or responding. Clearly, this is not an uncommon experience. Managing it well takes thoughtfulness, self-awareness and practice.', 'Are You a Master of the Fine Art of Asking a Favor?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'are-you-a-master-of-the-fine-art-of-asking-a-favor', '', '', '2016-08-08 06:00:40', '2016-08-08 10:00:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30880', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(30891, 380, '2016-08-23 06:00:59', '2016-08-23 10:00:59', 'As a speaker who used to be a basketball coach, I realize that basketball provides a number of lessons that apply to life and business.\n\nOne of the most important lessons is found in a simple phrase like, “screen left.”\n\nIf you have ever watched a basketball game, live or on television, you will notice that the single most common play in the screen and roll - where the ball-handler gets a screen from a teammate so he can turn the corner and score or pass to the screener.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">This is an effective offensive strategy for two reasons:</span>\n\n1. It forces the defense to make decisions\n\n2. It requires the defense to communicate\n\nImagine that you are guarding the man with the ball, and just as he changes speed and bursts toward the goal, you get hit by a screener - and find your face planted in the chest of a 260-pound post player.\n\nNow, there are a number of different ways for teams to defend the pick and roll…\n\nSome teams will choose to “trap” the ball-handler.\n\nSome teams will choose to “show and go under” the screen, so that the screeners man will step out and play the ball for just a moment while the ball-handler’s man will run under the to protect the lane and keep the ball away from the basket.\n\nBut regardless of how they choose to defend screens, you can bet that good teams invest a great deal of time in their practices working on how they are going to communicate and defend that action in games.\n\nIt is in their pregame talks and practices that teams and their coaches decide how they will defend the screen and roll…\n\nBut the decision about “how” is only part of the equation!\n\nThe most important part of defending a screen and roll is the players’ willingness to communicate and execute that plan.\n\n<strong>Decisions cannot be executed unless people communicate with each other!</strong>\n\nIf you are defending the ball, you NEED your teammate to call out “Screen Left!” so you know to execute the defensive maneuver that your team has decided upon.\n\nWithout that communication, the defense breaks down, and you end up eating some guy’s jersey numbers because nobody was telling you what was in your blind spot!\n\nAnd in business, in life, we all have blind spots!\n\nYou have to depend on your teammates to see what you cannot - and to talk and help out when you are put in difficult situations.\n\n<a href=\"http://greatresultsteambuilding.net/winning-teammates/\" target=\"_blank\">Winning teammates</a> are committed to talking to each other and doing more than is expected, with enthusiasm…\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Every industry experiences their own version of screens</span> – every company has problems or issues that can be anticipated and avoided.\n\nWhat are the “screens” or recurring issues that you and your team could plan for?\n\nIntentional <strong>planning and communication allows you to ultimately become successful as a team.</strong>\n\nAs an athlete, if you found yourself in a situation where your teammate is about to get screened, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">it is your duty to communicate</span> and call out, “Screen Left!” to announce the danger that waits in his or her blind spot.\n\nTo perform well, you trust your teammates to talk, and take action based on their comments.\n\nIt is that culture of two-way communication that creates winners - both on and off the court. Teammates must listen for and trust that others will help cover their “blind spot” and call out the screens that are placed in their path.\n\nAnd that trust demands that you, as a good teammate, must also always be alert and tell the truth to help your teammates!\n\nIf you or your coworkers haven’t been calling out screens and looking out for your teammates,  <a href=\"http://greatresultsteambuilding.net/winning-teammates/\" target=\"_blank\">The Ten Commandments of Winning Teammates</a> is a tremendous story that shares ten vital lessons that will make you more successful – both in your personal and your professional life.\n\nLife is a team sport – and winning teams have winning teammates.\n\nEither that, or they fall down a lot after running into an unexpected screen!\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-30895 size-medium\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/10-Commandments-Winning-Teammates-300x258.png\" alt=\"10 Commandments Winning Teammates\" width=\"300\" height=\"258\" />', 'Winning Teammates Talk Others Through Blind Spots', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'winning-teammates-talk-others-through-blind-spots', '', '', '2016-08-23 06:00:59', '2016-08-23 10:00:59', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30891', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(30901, 432, '2016-09-16 06:00:16', '2016-09-16 10:00:16', 'When we think of a leader we all use the general definition of a leader: someone others follow, someone who inspires others to do what they want them to do.\n\nIn business a leader or boss must make decisions that affect employees in many ways from wages to vacation time and more.\n\nIf you have worked for more than one boss in your career so far then you know that there are different styles of leadership or management.\n\nTrue leaders already know the team building exercises that will make the team strong and loyal and will help that leader to inspire his team to do great things.\n\nThink of a boss like an excellent coach who can take his team from a losing history to a winning history in a few years. That’s because the coach, despite players coming and going, has used his or her ability and the right team building exercises to get the team all on the same page of being a team without an \"I\" oriented attitude.\n\nYes everyone is an individual but when you are part of the team there is no room for \"I.\" The team and its goals are the most important dynamic.\n<h3><strong>Do team building exercises work?</strong></h3>\nWe’ve all heard of team building exercises and outings; some of you may think of it as silly games that are cheesy and don’t really work.\n\nHowever, when a true leader uses these exercises there will be a stronger team commitment with better communication and more loyalty.\n\nYes, they do work; however, before you <a href=\"https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_52.htm\">plan team building exercises</a> there are some things you should consider first.\n<ul>\n 	<li>Is there a conflict between certain employees that is resulting in a divide in the group?</li>\n 	<li>Do members know each other or do they need to learn more about one another?</li>\n 	<li>Is poor communication slowing the progress of the team?</li>\n 	<li>Are there some who are unwilling to modify the normal way of doing things?</li>\n 	<li>How about morale; does your team need a boost in morale.</li>\n</ul>\nHelp create a better workplace with <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/build-a-meaningful-workplace-by-serving-others/\" target=\"_blank\">this article.</a>\n<h3><strong>What are some team building exercises you can use?</strong></h3>\nHere are some team building exercises that have been used successfully:\n<ul>\n 	<li><em>Improving communication via back to back drawing --</em> Split your team members into pairs. The pairs sit back to back with one having a simple line drawing or graphic (a dice or domino for example) and the other one in the pair holding a blank piece of paper and pen so that as the one holding the picture describes it the other draws it on the blank paper.</li>\n 	<li><em>Communication building via a survival scenario -- </em>A survival scenario exercise helps build communication on what to do in order to survive. Use scenarios like \"your plane just crashed into a mountain, how does your team survive until help can arrive?\"</li>\n 	<li><em>Eliminating Stereotyping/Labels -- </em>Get rid of stereotyping or labeling by having your team write on name tags different types of vocations such as auto mechanic, butcher, doctor, carpenter, lawyer and so on. Then place one tag on each person’s back without letting them see what their label says. Now they have to one at a time ask questions to figure out what is on their back; questions like “am I a man or woman?”, “am I famous” etc.</li>\n 	<li><em>Problem-solving</em> -- With a game like shrinking vessel, use tape or blankets to create a space on the floor and have the team (or smaller teams) stand in that space. Start shrinking the space so participants have to think quickly in order to keep everyone in the space.</li>\n 	<li><em>Human spring --</em> Have members stand facing each other in pairs. Arms should be bent so that the palms face toward one another. Direct the pairs to place palms together, after which  they slowly start tilting into one another. This ends up so they eventually hold each other up. Now, tell them step further and further back with their feet only palms still touching so that they are totally dependent on their partner to stay standing.</li>\n</ul>\nThose are just a couple of exercises that can be used. If you would like to <a href=\"https://www.wrike.com/blog/ultimate-guide-team-building-activities/\">find other exercises</a>, this source is a trusted one.\n<h3><strong>5 Things you should do as a leader when it comes to team building</strong></h3>\nRemember to do these 5 things as the team leader in order to have a successful team building activity time.\n<ul>\n 	<li>Have a clear mission</li>\n 	<li>Establish goals</li>\n 	<li>Look for constructive criticism (this is different than just griping and whining)</li>\n 	<li>Fix team issues that cause problems immediately</li>\n 	<li>Evaluate failures, and as you celebrate wins look for things that could have been done differently or better in order to get a better win</li>\n</ul>\nThere are many team building exercises available and that will help develop must have leader skills.\n\nIf you wish to have your team become a true team and trust one another, then you need to develop yourself into a true leader and work with your team to build the trust, communication, problem-solving and more that is needed in order to become a great team.\n\nTo explore more about the potential of team building exercises for your organization, please visit me at <a href=\"http://www.ghostprofessors.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Ghost Professors</a> or tweet me at <a href=\"https://twitter.com/kerrycreas\" target=\"_blank\">@kerrycreas</a>.', 'Team Building Exercises for Leaders', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'team-building-exercises-for-leaders', '', '', '2016-09-16 06:00:16', '2016-09-16 10:00:16', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30901', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(30919, 386, '2016-08-05 06:00:22', '2016-08-05 10:00:22', 'What if you assumed that those people who work for you are in fact doing their best? As leaders we are quick to judge those we lead and when they don’t fit what we think they should be doing, we often get resentful and angry.\n\nI believe that most of us are doing the best we can. Our challenge as leaders is to help challenge those we lead to grow into what is the next level of “best they can do.\" If they are not willing to become the next best version of themselves, kindly send them on their way to somewhere else where their attributes will be appreciated.\n\nMany of us are held back from doing better because we fear what the path getting there might look like. If we try something new, we might fail and look foolish. To do better, we might have to learn something new, which would mean admitting that we don’t know in the first place.\n\nBeing challenged to grow through our fears and beliefs can be a stormy place for most of us. As leaders we can set the course for those we lead so that they can get past their fears to grow:\n<ol>\n 	<li>Paint an incredible vision of what it will look and feel like for the person to achieve their next level of performance. Keep reminding them of this vision when they are stuck.</li>\n 	<li>Believe in the person. Many people have never had someone else truly, deeply believe in their capabilities. Let them know that you truly believe they can reach their next level.</li>\n 	<li>Hold them accountable for both delivering the very best performance they can while stretching themselves into their future capability.</li>\n 	<li>Let them fail safely. People have to be able to fail in order to learn. Give them challenges that will stretch their capabilities, while at the same time protecting the organization from complete failure should they fall down in their attempt.</li>\n 	<li>Acknowledge the baby steps along the way. Growing into your new best self is a journey of many small steps. We often experience that giant leap in capability, but if you look at someone’s growth those giant leaps are almost always preceded by many, even hundreds, of small steps along the way.</li>\n 	<li>Model growth, by challenging and growing yourself into what is the next best you. By being vulnerable, showing your failures as well as your successes, and having a champion in your corner, you are modeling the behavior you want to see in your own people.</li>\n</ol>\nIf you are having trouble seeing yourself in what I’ve described, consider The Vancouver Sun Run. It is one of the largest 10K (6.2 miles) run/walk events in North America attracting over 45,000 participants to run or walk every April. The Vancouver Sun Run didn’t start out that big. One of the ways they created belief for so many people that they could run 10K is that in January of each year hundreds of Sun Run clinics start up.\n\nIf you have never run 10K, they have a specific learn-to-run program that progressively increases the intensity of each work out week-by-week. People who can barely walk 10K take on a little more each and every week until at the end of 13 weeks they are trained to run/walk a full 10K. The vision is to run 10K, the belief is created by the Sun Run clinic leaders, and peer-to-peer connection creates accountability. If you miss one or two sessions there is still time to catch up and complete the training; each week is a milestone in taking training steps, and leaders share their own stories of training for the Sun Run.\n\nWe are all doing our best today. We each have the capability of making our best even better tomorrow. Hold those you lead accountable for doing their best every day, while leading them step-by-step into their new best self tomorrow. It won’t be smooth sailing, but you set the direction for everyone’s growth.\n\n<img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-30921\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/20110626.waves_.regatta01-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"20110626.waves.regatta01\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />', 'Doing Their Best', '', 'publish', 'open', 'closed', '', 'doing-their-best', '', '', '2016-08-05 06:00:22', '2016-08-05 10:00:22', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=30919', 0, 'post', '', 0);
