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(17931, 293, '2012-04-18 06:00:10', '2012-04-18 11:00:10', 'Leaders struggle with two challenges when trying to make good decisions:<strong></a></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Making bad decisions, and</li>\n	<li>Taking far too long to make them</li>\n</ul>\nFortunately, there are <strong>5 Simple Steps</strong>* to consistently making good decisions.\nFollow these 5 steps and you will learn what hundreds of leaders use to make good decisions in a quick and straight forward way.\n\n<strong>Today\'s post covers <a href=\"http://www.eoscarolinas.com/5-steps-to-consistently-make-good-decisions-step-2/\">Step 2: You must avoid the 10 Bad Decision Making Habits</a></strong>', 'Leaders struggle with two challenges when trying to make good decisions:', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-struggle-with-two-challenges-when-trying-to-make-good-decisions', '', '', '2012-04-18 06:00:10', '2012-04-18 11:00:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6506', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17932, 283, '2012-04-19 09:22:23', '2012-04-19 14:22:23', 'Today\'s Smartblog on Leadership post is by Leigh Steere, co-founder of Managing People Better. She discusses racism and <a href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/04/19/8-ways-to-help-end-workplace-prejudice/\">8 Ways to Help End Workplace Prejudice</a>: \"Each of us needs to do a frank self-assessment and come up with a personal action plan for becoming more sensitive. Your organizational success depends on embracing employee talent and suspending judgment of the “packaging.”', '8 Ways to Help End Workplace Prejudice', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '8-ways-to-help-end-workplace-prejudice', '', '', '2012-04-19 09:22:23', '2012-04-19 14:22:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6516', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17933, 270, '2012-04-26 06:00:25', '2012-04-26 11:00:25', 'I grew up in rural North Dakota and would occasionally see movies about events that are a part of our history but were not a part of my reality:  Movies about the civil rights movement or the Holocaust.   Watching those movies would instantly trigger my adrenalin, raise my heart-rate and make every cell in my 5’2 body feel as courageous as David taking on Goliath.   In those moments, I felt invincible and ready to kick some bully-butt!\n\n…At least until a few months ago, when I stumbled across three questions in one of Max Lucado’s books that punched me in the gut so hard it was difficult to breathe. Three questions were so convicting that I had to stop reading.  Three questions that over-time have caused me to think past my image of who I think I am and deeply challenged me to examine my courage and my commitment to others:\n<ol>\n	<li><em>Had you been in Germany in WWII, would you have taken a stand against Hitler?  </em><em> </em></li>\n	<li><em>Had you lived in the South during the civil rights conflict, would you have taken a stand against racism?  </em></li>\n	<li><em>When your grandchildren discover you lived during a day when 1.75 billion people were poor and 1 billion were hungry, how will they judge your response?</em></li>\n</ol>\nIn the months that have followed:\n<ul>\n	<li>I\'ve remembered several situations where I have stood up for those that were being treated unfairly.</li>\n	<li>I’ve remembered other situations and wondered if I should have stood firm sooner and held-ground longer.</li>\n	<li>I\'ve thought through times my message was right but my delivery could have been much better.</li>\n	<li>And I’ve developed a new appreciation for people that had the courage and the character to stand up for others in circumstances that were far more extreme than anything I have ever experienced.</li>\n</ul>\nI’ve started to pay a lot more attention to people who are taking a stand and making a difference as they encounter needs in their daily lives:\n<ul>\n	<li>One dear friend has a son being bullied at school and is courageously using her blog to influence parents and teachers to intervene for others that are being victimized.</li>\n	<li>Another friend shared a nephew’s article about the Holocaust and urged us to remember that event and learn from it.</li>\n	<li>The church my husband and I are attending a recently formed group to help stop human trafficking.</li>\n</ul>\nUltimately those three questions have caused me to see issues with fresh eyes and realize how purposeful we must be if we are going to make a difference for others.\n<ul>\n	<li>Repeatedly the need for character-based leaders in the workplace is emphasized in articles, seminars, networking events and in conversations.</li>\n	<li>And after a recent shooting in our community re-opened some historical wounds, many of us were reminded that we need to openly discuss racism, to seek first to understand and to work together for healing.</li>\n</ul>\nWith all of that said, it is interesting to me that on May 4<sup>th</sup> over 85,000 people in over 17 countries will be connected via simulcast for a  global leadership event to discuss the importance of making <strong><a title=\"Chick-fil-A Leadercast Event\" href=\"http://www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com/\">C<em>HOICES THAT MATTER</em></a>.  I am IN AWE that although that theme was chosen months ago, it</strong> i<strong>s exactly what our families, our communities, our countries and our world desperately need us to be intentional about TODAY.</strong>  Are we engaged and courageously challenging our own comfort zones for the good of those around us or are we sitting comfortably and watching the world go by?\n<ul>\n	<li>If you have the opportunity to participate in that event please do.</li>\n	<li>If however, that is not an option,  then take a moment and think about those three questions.  Do they resonate with you?  Then please comment on this post and share them.</li>\n	<li>And lastly ask yourself:  Am I making choices that matter? And if not, what are you willing to do to change that?</li>\n</ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">_______________________________________________</p>\nThoughts in this post were inspired by:   Mary Beth VonDissen, Erin Schreyer, Jesse Lyn Stoner, Max Lucado and the Members and Staff at The Kirk of The Hills Tulsa.', 'Are you making choices that matter?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'are-you-making-choices-that-matter', '', '', '2012-04-26 06:00:25', '2012-04-26 11:00:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6527', 0, 'post', '', 20),
(17934, 367, '2012-05-08 06:01:12', '2012-05-08 11:01:12', 'You likely have heard the old adage in the business world, “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” In generations past, networking typically involved shaking lots of hands and distributing a forest’s worth of business cards.\n\nHowever, in the rapidly changing global marketplace, some networking consultants promote an updated notion. They contend that<a title=\"Effective Leadership Lessons\" href=\"http://www.notredameonline.com/effective-leadership-lessons/\" target=\"_blank\"> effective leadership</a> isn’t just about what you know or who you know, but rather it is who knows <em>you </em>that expands your sphere of influence and catapults your leadership career.\n\nGenerating powerful professional momentum involves solid leadership skills, and knowing how to leverage those skills effectively can be essential for continued career advancement. Consider the following 4 tips when striving to reach your leadership potential.\n<h2>Spread your Leadership Knowledge</h2>\nProfessionals who complete formal leadership development programs may sometimes revert to the same old patterns once the training is over. That can present a challenge when attempting to foster methods to secure long-term success.\n\nInstead, consider the potential of being approachable. Cultivate a mentoring style that engages junior team members in side-by-side learning and ongoing professional development. Imparting your knowledge in a more accessible way can prompt team members with natural leadership skills to become allies, inspiring the rest of the group.\n\nEffective leadership can motivate others to emulate success and may inspire teams by offering increased momentum. Being positive and excited about meeting new goals and addressing new challenges can rub off on your team.\n<h2><strong>Feed your own Growth and Engage with Others</strong></h2>\nAfter you complete a formal advanced certificate or degree program or <a title=\"Online Business Courses\" href=\"http://www.notredameonline.com/online-business-courses/\" target=\"_blank\">online business course</a>, it is important to continue cultivating your leadership development. It is not uncommon for new knowledge to need a little time to percolate in order for you to reap the most benefits. Joining one or more professional associations, as well as being active in alumni associations, may support your own growth and identify mentoring relationships that can help you sustain career longevity.\n\nSpeaking to student groups, civic organizations or other community-related groups about a leadership topic you are passionate about is another way to use your knowledge to promote ideas and make worthwhile connections. Many business leaders involve their teams in volunteering with youth groups or supporting a civic organization. This can help build team rapport, secure community respect and build brand recognition and confidence through an investment of time and knowledge.\n<h2><strong>Cultivate your Contacts</strong></h2>\nIn a business environment where portable devices and social media are seemingly ubiquitous, it makes sense to learn how to utilize these various tools for maximum benefit. Part of your leadership mentoring can involve assisting your team in developing effective communication skills, including social media and portable devices.\n\nLeaders in companies such as Home Depot and IBM encourage employees to blog about products and services to which they feel connected and can help promote. This can create a workplace culture where employees want to stay up to date on products and services in order to remain experts in particular areas.\n\nIf the use of social media doesn’t fit well in your organization, you can still consider using it to build a wider network around yourself. Sharing your ideas with others through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs can help open doors as your career unfolds. It also offers another way for your team to connect with you and access your leadership knowledge. As we mentioned before, in today’s electronic world it’s all about who knows you.\n\nIdentifying the most popular blogs in your field, following them, responding to them and possibly even writing a guest post are ways effective leaders can spread their knowledge. Remember also to plan face-to-face time with peers. Many professional organizations offer social mixers, sponsor conferences and provide regional gatherings that can help you network and decompress.\n<h2><strong>Spring into Action</strong></h2>\nDeveloping your role as a mentor and leading with an engaging style can help you contribute to your current organization with new leadership knowledge and skills. It may also be a good idea to seek out mentors of your own in order to secure career longevity and keep your skills current. Other leaders have walked the same path and usually are more than willing to share tidbits of wisdom.\n\nBy utilizing your leadership abilities to influence your organization, network effectively and engage in your local community, you may be able to influence a wider segment of society in a positive and powerful way. Embraced fully, leadership can become a way of inspiring others to achieve more together than they can alone.  Are you inspiring your team to acheive more than they currently believe they can as individuals?', 'Networking: 4 Tips to Expand Your Leadership Influence', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'networking-4-tips-to-expand-your-leadership-influence', '', '', '2012-05-08 06:01:12', '2012-05-08 11:01:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6536', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(17935, 277, '2012-05-02 06:11:57', '2012-05-02 11:11:57', 'Often, managers who are good at Relating (asking, listening, coaching, including, and encouraging) shy away from Requiring activities (insisting on excellence, confronting poor or marginal performers, or just telling an employee what is expected or needed). We see this pattern among the managers who have completed the free assessment at <a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a>.\n\nIf asking for what you want or talking with employees about a performance shortcoming conjures images of a root canal, the following five mindsets will make asserting and insisting easier:\n<h3><strong>Requiring isn’t mean; it’s nice and necessary.</strong></h3>\nOgres march around barking orders at employees. <em>Good </em>managers are firm but kind about what they expect from their staff. Employees look to you for guidance. They need to know details on the deliverables you want, deadlines, budgets, and any other important parameters. If they are off-track, they want feedback on their work so they can improve and grow in their careers.\n<h3><strong>Conflicts happen; look at them as opportunities to strengthen relationships.</strong></h3>\nBecause disagreements can feel icky, some managers actively avoid conflict. But dealing with conflict is part of your job. You cannot excel in managing without coaching, pushing, stretching, and insisting on excellence. And these activities sometimes lead to temporarily raw feelings. At times, team members will lock horns on an issue, and you must mediate the discussion, to draw out each person’s perspectives and help them work toward a solution. Effective mediation creates understanding between parties, and this paves the way for stronger relationships.\n<h3><strong>Good managers may not always know the right course of action.</strong></h3>\nSome managers have a hard time “insisting” on specific employee actions when they are uncertain about the “right course” for the ship. Good managers recognize that they can’t know everything or be right all the time. But they still need to make decisions and set a direction for employees. When you are unsure about the way to proceed, seek input and involve employees in the decision-making. When workers can help shape the course of action, they tend to be more motivated and engaged. Once you have their input, make your decision without apology. You can course-correct later if new information suggests a need to do so.\n<h3><strong>Providing constructive feedback helps employees grow.</strong></h3>\nFailure to confront a career-limiting behavior is like failure to provide first-aid to someone who is hurt. For each employee you manage, create a list of things that would help each individual grow as a contributor in your group and in your company. Your list might include behaviors that need modification or additional skills the worker needs. Pick one or two of the most important items on your list and start the process of helping your employees grow more. It\'s a win/win—they can grow and your group can contribute more. Though it might feel uncomfortable at first, think of it as EMT training. You are saving careers and enhancing quality of life.\n<h3><strong>Using the word “I” instead of “we” makes your instructions clearer.</strong></h3>\n“We” may seem like a good team word, but too often, it’s a cop-out for managers. When you want something from one of your employees, you need to use \"I\" and it is perfectly ok to do so. \"I need,\" \"I need you to…,\" and \"I expect you to …\" are all good things to say to give employees adequate direction.\n\nYour job as a manager is to help employees achieve business goals and do outstanding work. Sure, there can be some great camaraderie in the process. But at the end of the day, you will be measured on your team’s performance. To direct their efforts and help them deliver their best work, you need to be equally adept at Relating and Requiring skills. Are you? Find out for free at <a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a>.', '5 Challenges For Relationship-Oriented Managers', 'Often, managers who are good at Relating (asking, listening, coaching, including, and encouraging) shy away from Requiring activities (insisting on excellence, confronting poor or marginal performers, or just telling an employee what is expected or needed). Your job as a manager is to help employees achieve business goals and do outstanding work. To direct their efforts and help them deliver their best work, you need to be equally adept at Relating and Requiring skills. Are you?', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-challenges-for-relationship-oriented-managers', '', '', '2012-05-02 06:11:57', '2012-05-02 11:11:57', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6543', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(17936, 243, '2012-05-07 14:37:28', '2012-05-07 14:37:28', 'At the first of every month, Dan McCarthy, of <a title=\"Great Leadership by Dan\" href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/\">Great Leadership blog</a> hosts the Leadership Development Carnival.  The carnival is a roundup of recent posts on Leadership Development and Dan\'s been doing this kind of thing as long as I can remember.  Check out <a title=\"May 2012 Leadership Development Carnival\" href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2012/05/may-2012-leadership-development.html\">this month\'s carnival</a> for some great reading from over 25 great leadership bloggers.', 'May Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'may-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2017-10-15 22:27:04', '2017-10-15 22:27:04', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6549', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17937, 243, '2012-05-07 11:45:33', '2012-05-07 11:45:33', 'Do you help people reach for their dreams?  Have you ever considered that is a job for leaders?  Becky Robinson posted on S<a href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/05/03/leaders-shouldnt-ignore-their-employees-dreams/\">martblog on Leadership</a> last week about the power of our team members\' dreams, not as a motivational \"tool\" but rather as the high calling of a leader.  The greatest work of a leader is to enable people to reach their own dreams by working to reach organizational goals and objectives.  Think about it.  And check out Becky\'s post: <a title=\"Leaders Shouldn\'t Ignore Their Employees Dreams\" href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/05/03/leaders-shouldnt-ignore-their-employees-dreams/\">Leaders Shouldn\'t Ignore Their Employees\' Dreams.</a>', 'Leaders Deal In Dreams', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-deal-in-dreams', '', '', '2017-10-15 22:30:29', '2017-10-15 22:30:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6551', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17938, 251, '2012-05-10 06:00:38', '2012-05-10 11:00:38', '<em>“The boss told me this morning my decision to implement the new social media strategy wasn’t a good one.”</em>\n\n<em>“Did he say why he thought that way?”</em>\n\n<em>“He said I didn’t do enough research or involve the right stakeholders.”</em>\n\n<em>“Did you do those things?”</em>\n\n<em>“Sure, I did little research and talked to a couple people. But what I really did was my job, what he hired me to do: see a problem and fix it.”</em>\n\nWow, talk about danger signs at the intersection of autonomy and collaboration!\n\nIn his thought-provoking book, <em>Motivation</em>, Daniel Pink says we’re motivated by a combination of <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html\"><strong>purpose, mastery and autonomy</strong></a>. Who doesn’t love autonomy?! However, if we’re going to be a successful leader, autonomy must be balanced with collaboration -- another one of those both/and scenarios critical for success.\n\nNo doubt, there are times and situations, like a crisis or one of those-the-buck-stops-here scenarios when a party of one is the best decision-maker. Yet most of the time it’s more beneficial and productive to invite more people to the decision-making party. Thoughtful collaboration brings diversity of thought, inclusion and engaged participation.\n<h3>6 steps to thoughtful and inclusive decision-making</h3>\nI don’t advocate reams of analysis and organizational paralysis, just a simple decision-making process that assures solid involvement and a rich, thoughtful outcome:\n\n<strong>Create a constructive environment. </strong>Have a focus group, take people out for a chat and coffee, mingle after the staff meeting — all good locales for sharing your preliminary thoughts and inviting alternate points of view.\n\n<strong>Generate and explore good alternatives.</strong> As a leader creating solutions is part of your job. Just be sure that you’ve read enough, talked enough, and turned over enough rocks to have a full picture of the problem as well as potential solutions. Sometimes you find out that the problem you’re trying to solve isn’t the problem at all. As you explore, challenge (in a positive, professional way, of course!) the thinking of those involved as healthy debate is integral to productive collaboration.\n\n<strong>Select the best outcome.</strong> Be thoughtful in analyzing the pros and cons of each solution. Ferret out unintended consequences before they happen. Balance the three-legged stool of people, principles and profits.\n\n<strong>Validate your decision.</strong> Bounce the problem and proposed solution off an impartial third-party, someone with no skin in the game. Get a truly unbiased view of whether your solution is on the mark or misses it. Park the ego, and be willing to return to square one based on what you learn.\n\n<strong>Communicate and communicate some more</strong>. Double-back with stakeholders (at all levels within the organization) to assure their buy-in. Talk to people who will be affected by the new system, process, etc. and weigh their feedback. Play angel’s advocate with yourself and with the decision-party team to test your assumptions and solutions to see if they hold water.\n\n<strong>Make it so.</strong> Put the plan into place, create success measures (both quantitative and qualitative as appropriate) and use a thoughtful plan to monitor progress and maintain ongoing communications.\n\nIf you’ve followed this process, then you can say <em>“I’ve done my job!”</em>\n\n<span style=\"font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;\"> </span>', 'Me, Thee or We:  6 Steps to Making Good Leadership Decisions', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'me-thee-or-we-6-steps-to-making-good-leadership-decisions', '', '', '2012-05-10 06:00:38', '2012-05-10 11:00:38', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6553', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(17939, 368, '2012-05-09 06:02:35', '2012-05-09 11:02:35', 'Harvard Business School is one of the oldest, most-acclaimed MBA-granting institutions in America. Its success relies heavily on case studies. Students read exhaustive write-ups of both monumental successes and abject failures, with the point being to learn what works—and<em> what doesn\'t</em>.\n\nIn the spirit of HBS\'s \"<em>what doesn\'t</em>\" case studies, here\'s a list of the most common saboteurs of business success:\n<ol>\n	<li><strong></strong><strong>Accepting what\'s available. </strong>Everyone loves convenience, so we often settle for what\'s available. But what\'s available usually isn\'t anywhere near what\'s best. In fact, it\'s safe to call availability the foe of innovation. Good leaders look beyond the obvious and convenient and create their own new options.</li>\n	<li><strong></strong><strong>Distraction. </strong>We\'re living in one of the most distracting business environments of all time. Not only must we contend with personal interruptions—cell phones, YouTube, email, and more—but business itself is full of distractions: data overload, constant marketing, fickle consumer polling trends, political debates, and contingency plans. The best leaders learn to focus their attention on only what\'s most important and relevant. <strong> </strong></li>\n	<li><strong></strong><strong>Decision-making by committee. </strong>There\'s nothing wrong with using committees (or other forms of teams) to gather information or develop proposals. But the best leaders understand that being the ultimate decision maker is part of their job description. It\'s tempting to shirk responsibility by hiding behind a committee, but it\'s not good leadership.</li>\n	<li><strong></strong><strong>Comfort. </strong>Who needs a Nobel Prize when they have satellite TV, always-on Internet, 10,000 frequent flier miles, and Angry Birds? It\'s hard to criticize comfort, but it certainly doesn\'t drive us to greatness. The most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders push past their comfort zones and learn to embrace risk and uncertainty.</li>\n	<li><strong></strong><strong>Riding momentum. </strong>Success is sweet, and it\'s tempting to ride out your accomplishments for all they\'re worth. Unfortunately, finding something that works and then only doing that is a great way to dig yourself into a rut. The most successful leaders take a moment to relish a victory and then move on to their next even bigger project.</li>\n	<li><strong></strong><strong>Uncertainty. </strong>Most leaders like to think of themselves as decision-makers, but it\'s not uncommon for some to become paralyzed by discovery, research, analysis, and planning. There\'s nothing wrong with making educated decisions, but leaders who put too much emphasis on completely eliminating risk are likely to miss the biggest opportunities.</li>\n	<li><strong></strong><strong>Undervaluing technical skill. </strong>\"A good salesperson can sell anything,\" is a favorite quote of... salespeople. Likewise, some managers believe that management is all about emotional intelligence, and some say good teachers can teach anything. In reality, little gets done in the business world that doesn\'t require technical expertise. The best leaders have a solid grasp of how their company\'s products or services work.  <strong> </strong></li>\n</ol>\nGood leadership isn\'t always fun and easy. After all, who likes ignoring the convenient, embracing the uncomfortable, and staying up late to study? Still, that\'s what good leaders do—and it pays off in the end.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo © fotomek - Fotolia.com</span>', '7 Saboteurs of Business Success', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '7-saboteurs-of-business-success', '', '', '2012-05-09 06:02:35', '2012-05-09 11:02:35', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6561', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17940, 294, '2012-05-24 06:00:37', '2012-05-24 11:00:37', 'It may be tempting to dismiss the millennial generation as a bunch of spoiled brats, however we have something important to learn from the millennial mindset. The millennial outlook on life is forcing previous generations to reconsider some serious workplace issues.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.massingenuity.com/2012/04/16/lessons-from-the-me-first-generation/\">Read More...</a>', 'Lessons from the &#034;Me First&#034; Generation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'lessons-from-the-me-first-generation', '', '', '2012-05-24 06:00:37', '2012-05-24 11:00:37', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6514', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17941, 281, '2012-05-10 09:53:10', '2012-05-10 14:53:10', 'If you don\'t know Jack ... you should meet him.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_6559\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"186\" caption=\"Are you a hero at work and a zero at home?\"][/caption]\n\nJack is a successful executive who is recently retired at the early age of 52 as the CEO of a Fortune 500 company that made a financial turn around from red to black on his watch.  He was very proud of the achievement ... and several thousand employees were grateful for Jack\'s abilities as an excellent CEO.\n\nJack, like most successful leaders looking toward retirement, wanted to be sure he would leave his company in good hands, and carefully chose and groomed his successor three years before he retired.\n\nJack was also financially smart and planned for  his retirement and family\'s finacial security going forward.\n\nAs most driven executives, he was a competitive typical Type A personality, a high achiever who was respected by many (and feared by some).  Before he retired, his wife described him as a \"workaholic.\"  Now she says he has too much time on his hands. He is driving her nuts.  The kids are wondering who the stranger is who now lives in the house.  In other words, he\'s a bit of a pain in the a**.  No matter how good it looks to play golf full time after working 60-80 hours a week for years, Jack has now discovered he can only play so many rounds of golf (or tennis).\n\nFast forward, several months into Jack\'s retirement.  Jack feels bored, restless, dissatisfied and somewhat useless.  His family doesn\'t \"snap to attention\" like his employees did when he walks into the room.  In fact, they often disappear. <em> \"Honey,\" asks Jack of his wife of 18 years, \"how many kids do we have, was it three or four?  If it was four, I never see her ... she\'s invisible.\"</em>  To make matters worse, Jack\'s wife has her own interests, without him.  She spends time with her friends, enjoys her part time job at the hospital and has recently taken up scuba diving.  Jack is also noticing they snap at each other more, often using sarcasm and sometimes even arguing loudly in front of the kids.\n\nJack sees his once sweet (and cooperative) daughter, now 16, defiant, angry and deliberately breaking rules and getting into trouble at school. On her last last report card, she failed several of her classes.  He shamefully confesses that he doesn\'t even know what\'s going on in his two boys\' lives any more.  He did when they were little ... what happened?  <em>If this is what retirement is like, I\'d rather be back to work!</em>\n\nThe problem?  While Jack prepared his company for his exit, Jack failed to prepare himself, and his family, for his entrance.  You see, Jack\'s wife was right.  Jack was a workaholic and for good reason.  Human nature.  Jack spend a lot of time at work because his work gave him identity, purpose and a sense of accomplishment.  Whether he spent less time at home because he didn\'t feel as accomplished and purposeful as a father or husband as he did a CEO, or the other way around.\n\nJack wasn\'t a bad father or neglectful husband.  He was human.  We spend more time doing what is familiar and what makes us feel good, than we do where we don\'t feel as satisfied.  As time passes, we spend more and more time at work and less and less time at home.  We inherently will avoid the discomfort, the conflict we are experiencing at home.  Unfortunately, Jack sees evidence which only supports his \"theory\" that \"they (i.e., Jack\'s family), don\'t like or respect me as much as the people work do.\n\nThe solution?  What if Jack was able to rewind the clock back to a year or two (or five) before his official retirement date and do his own \"personal\" and \"professional\" succession planning?\n<ul>\n	<li>How could he have re-entered the family atmosphere a little more smoothly?</li>\n	<li>What would have had to happen <em>before he was home full time</em> to prepare everyone, including Jack, for the transition home?</li>\n	<li>What hobbies, interests or \"someday goals\" could Jack have begun cultivating and taking action on several years before his retirement date that could have been in almost full swing by the time he officially retired?</li>\n</ul>\nHere\'s my advice to Jack:  If Jack had fully and completely planned for his retirement ahead of time, he would have made a few jaws drop when his response to<em> \"What do you do?\"</em> comes easily, confidently ... even though he is without a title or a job.\n\nWhat if Jack responded with a smile, by saying, <em>\"Instead of asking me \'What do you do?\' ask instead \'Who are you?\'  That\'s a question I can now answer... with confidence and satisfaction!\"</em>\n\nWhat would your advice to Jack have been?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;', 'Retiring executive?  You&#039;d better have your personal succession plan first ...', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'retiring-executive-youd-better-have-your-personal-succession-plan-first', '', '', '2012-05-10 09:53:10', '2012-05-10 14:53:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6557', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(17942, 367, '2012-06-01 06:00:28', '2012-06-01 11:00:28', '<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><strong>Two employees, two different situations.</strong></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\">Imagine yourself walking by the desk of someone you know who has a large skill set.  You see them hunched over their desk, frowning, and you know that they are struggling to get their project to move forward because they are lacking support.  Then, you walk by another desk and you see someone else looking at their cell phone and watch them quickly turn away so you can\'t see that they are sending a text on work time.  Which is worse?</p>\nThe short answer?  Neither.  They are both just a symptom of a leader who needs to make changes to how they manage their team and become more involved.  If changes aren\'t made by the leadership, the talented, unsupported worker will either begin to look for a new job or burn out.  The untalented person with bad office behavior that everyone overlooks is setting a poor example for the entire office culture and may drag the entire team into a less effective mindset, stalling everyone\'s career.\n\n<strong>Both of these types of workers provides an opportunity for a leader to provide adequate support and clear expectations for workers. </strong> Rather than simply ordering changes, the <a title=\"Effective Leadership Lessons\" href=\"http://www.notredameonline.com/effective-leadership-lessons/\" target=\"_blank\">effective leader</a> will use this as an opportunity to mentor each worker.  The talented, unsupported worker may need assistance in figuring out not only how to run the project that they have been assigned, but access to resources and the helpful experience of a leader who has gone through the situation before them.\n\nWhen providing support, the most effective help for this person may be their team leader, but it also may be wise to find a mentor for them – someone who has been in the organization for a significant amount of time and who is several levels of responsibility above them.\n\nThe same general process will work for the untalented, enabled employee.  The first thing to do is to ask a series of “why”questions.  Why are they not working up to their ability?  Why are they not using their time wisely?  Why are they not engaging effectively?   Again, the direct team leader may not be the best person to coach this employee.  Building a relationship with someone outside their own department may allow them to become honest about their lack of job performance and what their true career goals are for the short and long-term.\n\nFor both the talented and untalented employees, devising concrete goals that will not only prevent burnout, but that will provide clear milestones will go a long way to assisting each of these workers to become their best.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo (© auremar - Fotolia.com)</span>', 'What is More Debilitating –  A Talented Person Who is Unsupported Or an Untalented Person Who is Enabled?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'what-is-more-debilitating-a-talented-person-who-is-unsupported-or-an-untalented-person-who-is-enabled', '', '', '2012-06-01 06:00:28', '2012-06-01 11:00:28', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6565', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(17943, 243, '2012-05-14 06:06:13', '2012-05-14 11:06:13', 'In my new favorite book titled <a title=\"Steal Like an Artist on Amazon\" href=\"http://j.mp/Kk43Bf\">Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon</a>, one of the chapters is about complaining. The chapter \"Quit Picking Fights and Go Make Something.\" regards a quote his wife told him one night when he was up late on Twitter trying to correct the \"stupid stuff out there.\"\n<h2>Three things to remember about How Leaders Complain</h2>\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Remember anger can be a creative energy</strong>. Most of us do our best work right after what Bill Hybels referred to in <a title=\"Holy Discontent on Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310272289/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0310272289\">Holy Discontent</a> as the \"Popeye moment;\" when we\'ve \"had all [we] can stands and [we] can\'t stands no more.\" We were made to solve problems. Which problems make you angry?</li>\n	<li><strong>Remember anger can be very destructive and counter-creative</strong>. We have more than enough selfish anger. Anger that\'s other-focused and directed at righting a wrong on others can be very socially beneficial. Anger can generate destructive instincts or creative ones. Which way will you direct your anger?</li>\n	<li><strong>Remember there is a \"best\" way to complain</strong>. When you\'re angry you have a choice.  You can criticize, lash out, or try to inflict pain. There are countless ways to destroy with your anger. Or you can choose to encourage others to change. Discipline and patience and perseverance are required to help the world choose to change.</li>\n</ol>\n<blockquote>\"But instead of wasting my anger on complaining or lashing out at people, I try to channel it into my writing and my drawing.\" Austin Kleon</blockquote>\n<h2>Be the Change</h2>\nI\'m tired of bad leadership. I\'m tired of trying to make a positive difference when it seems like the most people would rather I spend my energy benefitting them. Bosses vary expectations. Leaders create solutions that benefit themselves. Let\'s not even mention politics or government. Too many people fail to look objectively at the outcome they\'d like me to assist. Why do you want me to spend my money? If it\'s just so you can make yours, forget it.\n\nGreat leaders give the world something to compare. Great leadership is the only answer to self-focused, minority-oriented, me-first, hierarchical leadership. Don\'t let the world draw you into the fight. Complain by providing an alternative. Right now. Choose to invest in your people. Choose to share and make the world better. Give everyone on the fence something to compare to the problem.\n<blockquote>\"Complain about the way other people make software by making software. Andre Torrez from the book <a title=\"Steal Like an Artist on Amazon\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/me-thee-or-we-6-steps-to-making-good-leadership-decisions/\">Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon.</a></blockquote>\nWant to solve the leadership problem in this world? Make leaders better by being a better leader. Anything less cements the problem. The right way to complain is to be the solution... be the change you want to see in the world.\n\nHow will you complain about bad leadership in the next week? Will you share your ideas below? Will you come back and tell us how you did?\n\n&nbsp;', 'How Leaders Complain', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'how-leaders-complain', '', '', '2012-05-14 06:06:13', '2012-05-14 11:06:13', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6578', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(17944, 288, '2012-05-22 06:00:49', '2012-05-22 11:00:49', 'One critical habit to address in reducing workplace stress involves your productive and non-productive use of time. How you manage your time is directly correlated to your stress levels.\n\nSome stress is normal. In fact, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety states that stress is often what provides us with the energy and motivation to meet our daily challenges both at home and at the workplace. Stress in these situations is the kind that helps you rise to a challenge and meet your goals such as deadlines, sales or production targets, or finding new clients.\n\nHowever, it is easy to pass the normal level of stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, stress can have many negative effects your body, mood and even your behavior. These effects include headaches, fatigue, muscle pain, anxiety, lack of focus, weight gain, depression and social withdrawal.\n\nTake these simple steps from <a href=\"http://dalecarnegie.com/organizational-development-human-resources-training/\">Dale Carnegie</a> to better manage your time and ultimately reduce your stress in the process.\n<blockquote><strong>The early bird gets the worm…and the fresh coffee.</strong></blockquote>\n<h2><strong></strong><em>1.    Show Up Early</em></h2>\nAs far as pros and cons go, there really is no downside to showing up to work, or any appointment early. A big cause of stress is rushing, which leads to anxiety. How many times have you found yourself stressed out and ultimately doing a lackluster job on a project because you did not have enough time? Although this cannot always be prevented, when you come in early, you have extra time to gather your thoughts and get prepared. Even a mere extra half hour is enough to ensure that you make a better impression in every situation. All the way around, this work habit reduces stress.<strong> </strong>\n<blockquote><strong>“Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.” Francis Bacon</strong></blockquote>\n<h2><strong></strong><em>2.    </em><em>Keep Your Thoughts &amp; Plans in a Daily Planner</em></h2>\nWhether you use software or plain paper, you need a daily planner to make sure that you are on top of all the daily details of your workdays. This will help you keep track of tasks and events. When you spend time planning, you reduce time spent executing tasks.  Whether you are forgetful, or simply need to better manage your time, thorough daily planning is a key tool in successful time management.\n<blockquote><strong>“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.” -Buddha</strong></blockquote>\n<h2><em> </em><em>3.    </em><em>Be Present: Focus On What’s Right in Front of You</em></h2>\nThink about the number of times you have sat in a meeting or even a conversation where you allowed your mind to wander from the subject under discussion? You are often physically present, but mentally in a totally different place. When you daydream during meetings or conversations, you end up uninformed about the topic. When you are not present your mind is not focused on the current situation, rather you make way to become overwhelmed with past thoughts that might even be negative. Being present also has several benefits such as improved social skills and creativity.\n\n<em>Tips to being present: </em>\n<ul>\n	<li>Sit up straight during meetings</li>\n	<li>Take notes on the topic (tip not intended for use during informal conversations)</li>\n	<li>Maintain eye contact with the speaker</li>\n</ul>\nTry to take these steps in your everyday life and see how quickly your stress level begins to decrease! Check back soon for Part II, and find more ways to improve your time management.', 'Time Management Tips to Reduce Stress: Part I', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'time-management-tips-to-reduce-stress-part-i', '', '', '2012-05-22 06:00:49', '2012-05-22 11:00:49', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6592', 0, 'post', '', 9),
(17945, 251, '2012-05-23 13:00:10', '2012-05-23 18:00:10', 'If your organization is mired in a command-and-control hierarchy, <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Calls-Twelve-Stories-Decisions/dp/142215811X/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0\" target=\"_blank\">Judgment Ca</a><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Calls-Twelve-Stories-Decisions/dp/142215811X/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0\" target=\"_blank\">lls</a><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Judgment-Calls-Twelve-Stories-Decisions/dp/142215811X/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0\" target=\"_blank\">:  Twelve Stories of Big Decisions and the Teams that Got Them Right,</a> a new book by Thomas H. Davenport and Brook Manville isn\'t for you. However, if you and/or your organization are self-aware and want to tap into the power of effective organizational decision-making, there\'s much to learn in this book.\n\nThe backdrop of the ongoing global economic calamity and the BP oil platform explosion in the Gulf of Mexico prompted the authors to ask why \"is it so hard for organizations to do the right thing?\" Their search for answers led them to \"organizational judgment—the collective capacity to make good calls and wise moves when the need for them exceeds the scope of any single leader\'s direct control.\"', '5 Reasons Leaders Should Read Judgment Calls', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-reasons-leaders-should-read-judgment-calls', '', '', '2012-05-23 13:00:10', '2012-05-23 18:00:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6597', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17946, 258, '2012-05-23 06:00:01', '2012-05-23 11:00:01', '\"Call it a clan, call it a tribe, call it a family...  Whatever you call it, you need one.\"  ~Jane Howard\n\nA few years ago a few women and I started doing triathlons as a hobby.  It was a means to focus on fitness, a new and exciting way to push our limits.  One race and I was hooked.\n\nLast weekend I did my tenth race with my “team,” a grass roots community of women that have become friends and training partners with only one thing in common: triathlons.  More than a hundred women have done races with me, and this year my 25 Tri Tribe teammates at the Danskin Triathlon in Clemont, Florida ranged in age from 14 to 73.  They are from all walks of life and are at every level of ability.  A few are elite athletes and will compete at nationals.  Others have just begun their journeys.\n\nOne of the things I love about this group is the fact that we all lead each other.   Our team’s goal is simple.  We each agree to promote, support, and encourage each other, but no one owns this team.  Each woman contributes what she can.  We do lake swims at one teammate’s house.  Others have conducted workshops for us on swimming, cycling, running, and core training.  Two of my teammates created our logo, a design that has united and branded us in ways that I never imagined.  I am the manager in that I organize group training and run our website.  And almost every returning member has reached out to a friend and brought her into the fold over the years.  Some women join us and stay forever.  Others come for a year and then move on.\n\nThis year was an especially amazing one for me, not because of my spectacular performance, but because of my spectacular team.  I have been struggling with injuries throughout the season and a recent bad knee meant that I wasn’t able to run at all by the end.  Despite this reality I decided to do the race so that I could be there body and soul in support of my team.  Half way through the cycling portion, I determined that simply finishing was going to be my only option.  As I limped through the run portion, shuffling along at turtle speed, I heard dozens of women encouraging me, teammates and strangers alike.\n\n<img class=\" wp-image-6609 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/with-dawn-300x288.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"192\" height=\"184\" />It was with a half mile to go that something amazing happened.  I looked up to see my friend Donna.  She had finished the race and returned to the course to bring me home.  Right behind her were Dawn and Michelle.  In my darkest moment, these three women walked with me and then ran those final yards, giving me the strength I needed to finish the race.  I share this picture of Dawn and I, not because I look fabulous, but because I don’t.  A year ago I helped Dawn learn to swim in open water.  On this day she was there to help me home.\n\nTriathlons have taught me so much over the years about the strength of the people in my life. This year’s race reminded me of some of the most important lessons of leadership.  We are all leaders AND followers.  There is opportunity in every day to make a difference in someone’s life.   And each of has a chance to help another learn to swim in treacherous waters, or more importantly, find her way home.\n\nIf you would like to read more about the Tri Tribe and our stories, you can find them <a href=\"http://swim-bike-run-repeat.blogspot.com/\">here</a> or watch a video of the Tribe in action <a href=\"http://animoto.com/play/uBPbLTUcy8hGdhorfloR8g\">here</a>.', 'Finding My Way Home', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'finding-my-way-home', '', '', '2012-05-23 06:00:01', '2012-05-23 11:00:01', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6606', 0, 'post', '', 6);
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(17947, 243, '2012-05-20 12:46:52', '2012-05-20 17:46:52', 'Lisa Petrilli (<a href=\"http://twitter.com/lisapetrilli\">@LisaPetrilli</a>) has written a great post titled <a title=\"7 Lessons The Tango Teaches at LisaPetrilli.com\" href=\"http://www.lisapetrilli.com/2012/05/03/7-lessons-the-tango-teaches-about-being-a-great-follower/#\">7 Lessons the Tango Teaches About Being a Great Follower</a>.  The post comes from her own lessons dancing and how she\'s learning to enjoy being a follower.  Her list contains some interesting insights and even one or two that you might challenge. You Have to Trust and Listening is Critical are some of the seven that you might have guessed.  But you really need to <a href=\"http://www.lisapetrilli.com/2012/05/03/7-lessons-the-tango-teaches-about-being-a-great-follower/#\">click here</a> and check out the full list and the great post.  Even the comments add to the discussion.', '7 Lessons for Followers From the Tango', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '7-lessons-for-followers-from-the-tango', '', '', '2012-05-20 12:46:52', '2012-05-20 17:46:52', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6611', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17948, 243, '2012-05-19 15:36:13', '2012-05-19 15:36:13', 'Twice a month, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Lead Change Group </a>authors write a blog post on the <a href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership\"><em>SmartBlog on Leadership</em></a> site. This past Thursday, Jennifer Miller (<a title=\"Jessica\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/jennifervmiller\">@JenniferVMiller</a>) took turn with a post called <a href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/05/17/how-to-get-your-team-to-speak-up/\" target=\"_blank\">How to Get Your Team to Speak Up</a><strong>. </strong>It’s based on her observation that many team leaders create a culture where saying “no” is unacceptable, thereby causing their team members to use the truth recklessly when they say “yes”. <a title=\"How to Get Your Team to Speak Up by Jennifer V. Miller\" href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/05/17/how-to-get-your-team-to-speak-up/\">Go on over, check it out and leave a comment</a>. Would love to hear from you!', 'Leadership and Speaking Up', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-speaking-up', '', '', '2017-10-15 22:26:59', '2017-10-15 22:26:59', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6613', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17949, 243, '2012-05-21 06:15:28', '2012-05-21 11:15:28', '<blockquote>\"Conscience is that faculty in me which attaches itself to the highest that I know and tells me what the highest I know demands that I do.\" Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, May 13.</blockquote>\n\n\nWe talk much here about character-based leadership. Our definition for character-based leadership is leading from who you are rather than your power or position. Often, people ask if we have some religious slant on character. We do not. People sometimes check to see if we\'re going to be \"character-cops\" - making lists and judging whether or not someone acts with character. Hang around a while and you\'ll see we don\'t want to \"police\" character in anyone but ourselves.\n\nBut often, the lower, softer side of who we are would prefer not to be challenged. Our lazy side would prefer to be left alone. We don\'t want to get out of bed early to exercise. We can find any excuse in the world to avoid challenges from either outsides ourselves or inside.\n\nOn our inside, in our character, there is this faculty, a feature, built into us that calls us to be our highest self. It calls us to be our best us. That\'s our conscience.\n\nI\'m sure there are some who would object even to the fact that our conscience exists, but often that is the voice of someone who\'s shouting to avoid hearing the opposing argument simply because deep down inside, they know they might be wrong. When it comes to our conscience, we may all object a bit too much. That fact may prove its existence.\n\nChambers\' definition of conscience is the best I\'ve ever read. My conscience attaches itself to the highest I know and then it tells me what the highest I know demands that I do. When I listen to the highest I know, I\'m the best person I can be. When I act on the highest I know, my best character makes a positive difference. When I am the highest I know, my character, my who-I-am, inspires others to act according to the highest they know. And I become a leader.\n\nWe will attract people like us. We will be drawn to people who demonstrate similar affinities and similar character-istics. Those people will encourage us to do what they do and we will encourage them to do what we do. We all influence. I would like to encourage people to act according to the highest they know. That\'s the only way I know to make the world better.\n\nWould you like to influence others? Would you like to be a better leader? Your \"highest you know\" is calling you to act accordingly. Will you? That simple act will make you a character-based leader.\n\nRelated posts: <a title=\"Good Leadership vs. Effective Leadership\" href=\"/good-leadership-vs-effective-leadership\">Good Leadership vs. Effective Leadership</a> and <a title=\"Character vs. Charisma in Leadership\" href=\"/character-vs-charisma-in-leadership\">Character vs. Charisma in Leadership</a>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo <a title=\"Arrow of shining leader balls in the dark\" href=\"http://us.fotolia.com/id/38467108\">© borzaya - Fotolia.com</a></span>', 'Character and Conscience in Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'character-conscience-leadership', '', '', '2012-05-21 06:15:28', '2012-05-21 11:15:28', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6618', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(17950, 243, '2012-05-31 06:03:24', '2012-05-31 11:03:24', '<blockquote>Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” - Michael Jordan</blockquote>\nTeamwork presents itself in many flavors and forms. Teamwork is the art of joining others in pursuit of a common goal. But it\'s not just joining. We don\'t join a team. We become a team. Becoming a team requires sacrifice. Michael Jordan\'s whole quote shows the connection:\n<blockquote>“There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and never win titles. Most of the time, those players aren\'t willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual goals more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.\" Michael Jordan</blockquote>\nGreat players don\'t win titles. Individual accomplishment shrinks when delivered by itself but it grows when sacrificed to a team. When any player clings to accolades and achievements for personal benefit above team benefit, both suffer. No person is an island.\n\nThis also has a poignant application to our recent economic struggles. Beginning in 2009, you heard many a commentator and business leader use the term \"hunker-down.\" Conventional wisdom suggested organizations should save what they have and taking fewer risks out of fear and uncertainty. Today, people feel we\'re on the verge of the solution; the economic recovery may be just around the corner.  The answer was just getting consumers to wake up and spend more; increase consumption.  Consumerism is, after all, what makes our economy successful, correct?\n\nBut Michael Jordan\'s quote says nothing about consumption. A great player wins a title by sacrifice and contribution, not by either hoarding or consuming. Rather than hunkering-down, we should strategically invest in the future. That may mean more spending, but that spending should be on investing in people and organizations that have a chance of improving the community and the world. Purchase training, invest in your people. Or invest in your community by helping at a homeless shelter.\n\nAnd consumption isn\'t the answer either.  Rather than deciding that you can finally afford that big-screen TV or new tablet or vacation, invest in some furniture for the local homeless shelter or medical clinic. Or sponsor a local unemployed networking group, or invest in training for unemployed people to re-enter the workforce!\n\nWe must address our economy and our quality of life as a team. If one groups\' quality of life continues to grow while many others deteriorate, our culture will eventually fragment and die. Our teamwork needs to be focused on the goal of improving the quality of EVERY life in our communities. There is little teamwork in hoarding or consumption. There is great teamwork, reward and accomplishment in sacrifice and contribution. Our championships need to happen at the community level if we\'re going to make a positive difference.\n\nPhoto <a title=\"1982 UNC Mens Basketball NCAA Championship Team\" href=\"http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/morton/index.php/2008/03/start-the-madness/1982-unc-mens-basketball-ncaa-championship-team/\">(c) UNC.edu</a>', 'Sacrifice and Teamwork', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'sacrifice-and-teamwork', '', '', '2012-05-31 06:03:24', '2012-05-31 11:03:24', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6623', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(17951, 304, '2012-05-30 06:00:12', '2012-05-30 11:00:12', 'When asked to identify the necessary traits for leaders, most would propose answers that fall within a wide range of topics. <em>Charisma, purpose, determination</em> - these are just a few of the traits that are typically used to define a leader. However, many leaders have a single quality in common. In short, what distinguishes the best leaders from the majority is their level of emotional intelligence.\n\n<strong>Emotional intelligence</strong> is defined by the ability to understand and manage our emotions and those around us. This quality gives individuals a variety of skills, such as the ability to manage relationships, navigate social networks, influence and inspire others. Every individual possesses different levels, but in order for individuals to become effective leaders, they’ll need a high level of emotional intelligence.  In today’s workplace, it has become a highly important factor for success, influencing productivity, efficiency and team collaboration. The following are important reasons why leaders should cultivate their emotional intelligence:\n<h3>1. Self-Awareness</h3>\nLeaders with emotional intelligence are self-aware and able to recognize emotions as they happen. This is a vital skill for leaders, as it helps them obtain a clear understanding of their strengths and weaknesses without any obstruction. In addition, great leaders are able to perceive emotions as they arise in response to an action or situation. As a result, they are able better able to address problems and handle any future complications.\n<h3>2. Emotional Management</h3>\nThe prior skill gives leaders the ability to stay aware of their feelings. The next step is learning how to manage those emotions. Leaders with high emotional intelligence are able to regulate themselves and stay in control. These individuals are unlikely to rush headlong into hasty decisions or let their anger take over their behavior.  It is vital that individuals in managerial positions keep their emotions in check, as it will help them stay in a respected position.\n<h3>3. Effective Communication</h3>\nWhat is the benefit of emotional awareness and management if you are unable to clearly express your thoughts? Luckily, individuals with emotional intelligence also have the skill of effective communication. They are able to clearly convey directions and know what to say in order to inspire and motivate others. An important skill for leaders, communication can be a deciding factor in whether the team listens or not.\n<h3>4. Social Awareness</h3>\nLeaders with emotional intelligence are well tuned to the emotions of others and are able to pick up on what is going on around them. They are able to sympathize with others by putting themselves in the employee’s shoes and giving helpful feedback. This is a critical skill for leaders, who work closely to inspire and motivate a team. If the leader is unable to empathize with their employees, he or she will surely find it difficult to obtain respect or loyalty.\n<h3>5. Conflict Resolution</h3>\nIn the workplace, there’s always the risk that emerging conflicts can threaten or disrupt efficiency and productivity. However, leaders with emotional intelligence are equipped to handle conflicts and provide resolution. With this skill, leaders can quickly placate any disagreements that arise between employees, customers, and other parties. In conjunction with the above skills, leaders can use their emotional intelligence to develop a more effective workplace.\n\n<em>Photo Credit: artsfwd.org</em>', '5 Reasons Why Emotional Intelligence is Critical for Leaders', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-reasons-why-emotional-intelligence-is-critical-for-leaders', '', '', '2012-05-30 06:00:12', '2012-05-30 11:00:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6662', 0, 'post', '', 11),
(17952, 288, '2012-06-06 06:00:41', '2012-06-06 11:00:41', '\n\nIn Part I, we discussed the first three steps to better manage your time. Remember, time management is the act of exercising conscious control over how you spend your time in an attempt to increase efficiency or productivity.\n\nThe key words here are <em>conscious control</em>. Time management is impossible without the person making an honest effort. Time alone will not manage itself in your favor. Check out the final three steps below to begin your journey to a more peaceful, well-managed life.\n\n<strong>“Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible.” - George Claude Lorimer </strong>\n<h2><strong> </strong><strong>4.  </strong><strong>Avoid Procrastination</strong></h2>\n<strong> </strong>Everyone is motivated in different ways. Find what inspires and energizes you to tackle work issues, instead of putting them off. Commit to a regular schedule of work output and project completion. Don’t<strong> </strong>make it easy to procrastinate. Make an effort to be conscious of your actions, and this will make removing, or at least recognizing, distractions a lot easier. Remember: time goes by slowly for those who wait.\n\n<em>Tips: Don’t overthink tasks. This often leads people to make tasks more difficult than they truly are. The task that once slightly frightened you from completion will soon grow into a terror-causing project that you will never finish. Stop over-complicating things and take action.</em>\n\n<strong>“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.”- Dale Carnegie</strong>\n<h2><strong> 5.  Gather Your Priorities and Put Them In Line</strong></h2>\nNo one likes to leave work at the end of the day or week feeling like they didn’t accomplish the most critical tasks. When you set and adhere to priorities, you avoid stress and keep on pace with the demands of your workload.\n\n<em>Tips: Set aside 30 minutes to write down what you need to do and number them in their order of importance. Seeing your tasks in order of importance and all in one place will make it clear as to what tasks you might be able to cut out entirely. If you still need extra help, try signing up for <a href=\"http://www.dalecarnegie.com/events/leadership_training_for_managers/\">time management training programs.</a> Many of these programs are offered online and give practical techniques to help you undo destructive habits and learn how to lock out mental distractions so that you can eliminate time wasters and concentrate on your priorities.</em>\n\n&nbsp;\n<h2> <strong>6.  </strong><strong>Protect Your Private Time</strong></h2>\nSome anxiety-provoking work habits, such as bringing work home or staying at work late, are more exhausting than we may realize. Sometimes it can’t be avoided, but if it becomes a habit, you can start to feel like you don’t have a life outside of work. According to a study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, the weekend provides critical opportunities for bonding with others, exploring interests and relaxing-all basic psychological needs that people should be careful not to crowd out with overwork. Try to manage your time at work more efficiently so you can enjoy your time outside of the office. Being happy in general will have an overall positive effect on your work performance.\n\n<em>Tips: Start a weekly tradition of doing something you love once a week. Do some variation of an activity you enjoy on the same day every week. Traditions are easier to keep up with and maintaining your psychological health is more important than you may realize.</em>\n\nHopefully you utilize these tips in your everyday life. The positive effects these steps can have on your life definitely outweigh the cons and negative effects stress can have on your health and work life.', 'Time Management Tips to Reduce Stress: Part II', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'time-management-tips-to-reduce-stress-part-ii', '', '', '2012-06-06 06:00:41', '2012-06-06 11:00:41', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6673', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(17953, 274, '2012-06-05 14:00:00', '2012-06-05 19:00:00', '<strong>How easy is it to spot the airport from the air?</strong> Apparently, not as easy as we may think.\n\nIn this article, Bill Fox explains that his \"personal take on this is that we all fall into familiar patterns of looking at things and performing our work.We repeat the same familiar patterns and don’t shift our gaze even slightly to consider different viewpoints, alternative solutions or examine root causes.\" Read on...', 'Do You Have the Right Perspective on Your Current Situation?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'do-you-have-the-right-perspective-on-your-current-situation', '', '', '2012-06-05 14:00:00', '2012-06-05 19:00:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6681', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(17954, 274, '2012-06-14 14:00:41', '2012-06-14 19:00:41', 'Business schools are incorporating a number of new subjects into the curriculum since the financial crisis, including leadership training! Students need to \"have the confidence to take a stand when they encounter unethical business practices at their companies. At the very least, the effects of the mortgage crisis could have been softened had a few key people had the courage to buck the tide and call for an end to predatory lending and other harmful practices.\" Read more...', '8 Ways B-Schools Have Reformed Their Curriculum Post-Crisis', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '8-ways-b-schools-reformed-curriculum', '', '', '2012-06-14 14:00:41', '2012-06-14 19:00:41', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6741', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17955, 274, '2012-06-20 14:00:10', '2012-06-20 19:00:10', 'As a leader I am sure you will either consciously or unconsciously know what you require of your followers, over and above their job role. But do you articulate those wants, or do you get frustrated because your followers don’t actually follow very well? If you are a follower, do you know what your leader expects of you, and if not would you like to know? Read on...', 'Do Followers Know What Their Leaders Want?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'do-followers-know-what-their-leaders-want', '', '', '2012-06-20 14:00:10', '2012-06-20 19:00:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6750', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17956, 274, '2012-07-09 14:00:55', '2012-07-09 19:00:55', 'The following is a guest post by author Wendy Appel on Susan Mazza\'s blog, Random Acts of Leadership.\n\n\"Every moment of every day, we are making choices...They add up. Over time, these choices become our habits -  conscious or unconscious, wanted or unwanted. <strong>While they may seem somewhat benign at first, these little choices make up how we live daily.\" Click here to view the full post. </strong>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Small Choices Big Impact', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'small-choices-big-impact', '', '', '2012-07-09 14:00:55', '2012-07-09 19:00:55', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6841', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(17957, 303, '2012-07-11 06:00:35', '2012-07-11 11:00:35', 'After the retirement of a respected and long serving senior leader, his bright-eyed replacement newly selected for the position visited the team.</strong>  The arrival of the thirty-something female whose career had been fast paced and widely reported was met with eager anticipation.  Not only was she completely different from the outgoing leader; she had a liveliness about her, which together with her highly acclaimed reputation, gave off an air of professional brilliance.\n\nUpon her arrival, her new team was excited, hopeful, and welcoming.  But the buoyant mood didn’t last. Within an hour the atmosphere had changed considerably.  In her opening speech, the new leader announced what she hoped to achieve in her time with the team, and in the same breath told them her intention was to stay for two years, by which time she would be moving on.\n\n<strong>The team’s optimism was crushed.</strong>  In the new leader’s mind, she was being upfront and honest with them.  In their eyes she was planning her exit even before she had opened the entrance door, and she lacked commitment. The deciding factor for her followers was that the two years term suited the requirements of the wider organization and had nothing to do with the leadership task at hand.\n\n<strong>Whether you are committed or not may not be in question at all for you as a leader.</strong>  The question and the doubt raised by longevity in terms of your leadership might be more of an issue for your followers.\n\nIn this fast paced world, corporate and team leaders come and go. Founder leaders of established companies are more likely to stay and give their followers welcomed consistency.  There are many stories where founders have exited their leadership roles and their “dream” by selling out and moving on, only to find the business fails or falters within years, if not months, of their leaving.  Given the rate of change both in the business world and as our own goals and dreams change, what role does commitment play in our credibility as a leader?\n\nI believe that whether you are trusted as a committed leader depends on many factors. As a leader you must fully understand the depth, length and purpose of the commitment required of you.  Additionally, you need to be clear about the possibilities of your leadership term being terminated early for you, and the circumstances in which you might choose to leave before time.  Crucially, in the beginning, middle, and end of your term of leadership you plan, communicate, and position your intentions.\n\n<strong>As a leader, several principles are relevant in communicating and positioning your commitment in different circumstances.</strong>   Commitment, a crucial aspect of your leadership role, gives your followers the certainty they need to be able to develop a relationship with you and grow in trust.  You must position your particular leadership commitment so that you can manage expectations.\nThe principles are:\n<ul>\n	<li>When appointed for a specific leadership challenge, be clear about your outcomes and be prepared to see it through to the end.</li>\n	<li>When appointed for a specific task, determine the part or phase of the task you will lead on, how long that will take and exactly which outcomes you will be responsible for delivering.</li>\n	<li>If you aren’t sure you will be reappointed, commit to the dedicated vision, values, and mission of the company while you are there. Be clear about your leadership outcomes during your first term.</li>\n	<li>Where you are founder, cultivate a dedication to your own values and vision and a promise to do all within your power to put in place a sustainable plan after you leave.</li>\n	<li>Make a commitment to your followers that you will do the best you can for them while you are there.</li>\n	<li>Make a commitment to doing your absolute best no matter how long your term as a leader lasts.</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>I had no doubt that the new leader described above was committed, albeit for a predetermined period.</strong>  In retrospect she could have positioned her commitment to two years with a clear vision about her legacy, and what she could do for her followers in that time.\n\nSo leaders, position your commitment, unless of course you are married to the job and it’s a lifetime commitment.  And if so good luck; my advice would be to keep the marriage alive, and keep a courting mentality!\n\n<em>Christina is the owner of People Discovery, an Inspirational Leadership, Management and Engagement consultancy based in the UK.  You can visit Christina’s website at <a href=\"http://www.peoplediscovery.co.uk/\">www.peoplediscovery.co.uk</a>.  Christina’s first published book “The 6 Secrets of Great Emotional intelligence – for Inspirational Leaders and Managers”   is available on her website as a free download.</em>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo (© olly - Fotolia.com)</span>', 'Married to the job? –   How Leaders show commitment in a fast changing world.', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'married-to-the-job-how-leaders-show-commitment-in-a-fast-changing-world', '', '', '2012-07-11 06:00:35', '2012-07-11 11:00:35', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=6747', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(17958, 274, '2012-08-07 14:00:29', '2012-08-07 19:00:29', '<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-7039\" title=\"leadershiplogo\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/leadershiplogo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"251\" height=\"112\" />It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over. Where did the time go?! For me, August is a month of finishing up summer projects and getting ready for a busy fall. I usually travel quite a bit in Q3 and Q4 – so I’m looking for some excellent books for my travels.\n\nThis month’s carnival has a great selection of leadership reading and I also asked contributors to share what’s on their summer reading list. So find a nice comfy chair…maybe grab a cup of tea and enjoy this month’s reading. Click <a href=\"http://www.hrbartender.com/2012/training/august-leadership-development-carnival-summer-reading-edition/\">here</a> to read on.', 'August Leadership Carnival!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'august-2012-leadership-carnival', '', '', '2012-08-07 14:00:29', '2012-08-07 19:00:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7038', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17959, 314, '2012-09-19 13:00:41', '2012-09-19 18:00:41', '<p>Let’s review the leadership errors that hurt our credibility when we lead.\n\nLeadership errors get magnified.  Why? Because it’s easy for people to point fingers and blame.  When leaders make mistakes, they stand out.  They impact the entire organization.\n\nThere are some leadership errors that are not intentional, and even then some people will still assume you’re incompetent.\n\nSo, let’s take a look at four leadership errors that you never want to make.<img src=\"http://johnbossong.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif\" alt=\"\" />\n<h2>1. Delegate finding and developing leaders</h2>\nThis has deep ramifications for the future of the organization.  You are the leader.   Finding and developing future leaders is your responsibility.  Don’t <a href=\"http://johnbossong.com/2012/07/16/this-will-grow-your-business/\">delegate</a> it.\n<ul>\n	<li> This starts with the interview and assessment process.</li>\n	<li>You are not replacing the Human Resources department, but you should have a hands on approach.  This increases the chances of hiring great people.</li>\n	<li>Most interview processes are too short.  Spend a lot of time and have multiple interviews.   Don’t hire someone after one meeting.</li>\n	<li>You can’t spend too much time hiring and developing people.  It’s that important.</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>2. Confuse management with leadership</h2>\nMost organizations are over managed and under led.  These are two distinctive and complimentary systems of action.\n<ul>\n	<li>Leaders press for change.  Managers promote stability.</li>\n	<li>Leaders provide inspiration, vision and set direction.</li>\n	<li>Leaders prepare organizations for change and help them cope with it.</li>\n	<li>Leaders align people (<em>remove bureaucracy</em>).  Managers focus on organizing and staffing (<em>utilizing</em> <em>systems and manuals</em>).</li>\n	<li>Leaders motivate people.  Managers control and problem solve.</li>\n	<li>Leaders recognize and reward success.</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>3.  Fail to create or institutionalize a culture of leadership within the organization</h2>\nCreating the proper culture to develop leaders starts at the top.  It’s the leaders’ responsibility to create the culture to grow future leaders.  Here are 8 things that will prevent this from happening:\n\n<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7356\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/lead-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" />\n<ul>\n	<li>Not enabling employees to take risks.</li>\n	<li>Not challenging the status quo.</li>\n	<li>Failing to build unity and loyalty.</li>\n	<li>Not creating the vision early enough.</li>\n	<li>Following a manual rather than taking care of the customer.</li>\n	<li>Failing to create new products and ideas.</li>\n	<li>Failing to provide growth and development opportunities.</li>\n	<li>Not being <em>fanatical</em> about the culture - talk about it all the time.</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>4. Fail to clearly communicate the vision of the organization</h2>\nThis needs to be done early and often.  Leaders need to clearly communicate the vision and direction of the organization.   Here are 3 things that happen when this is not done.\n<ul>\n	<li>Employees don’t know the organization’s <em><a href=\"http://www.startwithwhy.com/\">why</a>.  </em>For further information on this, please visit <a href=\"http://www.startwithwhy.com/\">Simon Sinek’s web site</a>.</li>\n	<li>The organization (collection of people) doesn’t take on the personality of its leader.  This happens in great organizations like <a href=\"http://www.apple.com/\">Apple</a> with Steve Jobs.</li>\n	<li>Leaders don’t create a strong sense of community, belief and belonging.</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>What errors or mistakes would you add to this list?</strong>\n\nPhoto Credit © Deklofenak - Fotolia.com', 'Do You Make These 4 Mistakes When Leading?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'do-you-make-these-4-mistakes-when-leading', '', '', '2012-09-19 13:00:41', '2012-09-19 18:00:41', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7347', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(17960, 307, '2012-09-21 06:00:27', '2012-09-21 11:00:27', '<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7357\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/dirty-microwave-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\n\nIs there anything more nasty than a neglected break-room microwave oven?\n\nIf a comic-book super-villain ever attacks earth, it will likely emerge from the splatter of last night\'s warmed over spaghetti and be fueled by the petroleum fumes of artificially butter-flavored popcorn.\n<h2>Take a Peek</h2>\nWant a quick look at your organization\'s culture? Examine your break-room microwaves.\n\nIf you haven\'t seen yours in a while, go take a look.\n\nIf you don\'t have a microwave, check the refrigerator…or the bathrooms (preferably near the end of the work day).\n\nWhat did you find?\n<h2>Why Microwaves, Refrigerators, and Bathrooms Count</h2>\nWe share these spaces, everyone can use them, but...who is responsible for them?\n\nToo often, the answer is: no one.\n\nOver time, it shows. People rush between meetings or for a hurried lunch and something spatters or spills…\n\nAnd is left for the next person.\n\nEven if your organization hires someone to clean these shared spaces each night, take a look near the end of the day.\n\nWhat you find tells you a great deal about the culture of an organization.\n\nA clean microwave tells you people care.\n<h2>Tragedy</h2>\nIn 1968 Garret Hardin studied the phenomenon of the abused shared space. He wrote about farmers overgrazing a shared field and titled his work \"the tragedy of the commons\".\n\nWe\'re all familiar with it: each person maximizes their own benefit (they save time by leaving their mess in the microwave or increase revenue by grazing their sheep too often).\n\n<img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7358\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/grazingsheep-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />And we\'re also familiar with the consequences: the microwave becomes so disgusting that no one can use it, or the field\'s soil is depleted, it dies, and no one can graze sheep at all.\n\nWhat I love about the microwave or shared field is that these are solvable problems.\n\nThe tool used to solve that problem of the commons?\n\nLeadership.\n<h2>Waiting for a Hero</h2>\nShared spaces are a perfect leadership laboratory.\n\nThe only way to resolve the tragedy of the commons (or break-room microwave) is for someone to take responsibility and influence others to change their behavior.\n\nThis is no small task!\n\nThink about the leadership involved. Someone (not necessarily a positional leader) has to:\n<ul>\n	<li>Recognize the problem - people maximizing short-term benefit that leads to loss of the shared resource</li>\n	<li>Take personal responsibility for it</li>\n	<li>Make others aware of the problem</li>\n	<li>Generate solutions</li>\n	<li>Influence everyone to participate in those solutions - and this always means people change their behavior. They give up their short-term self-interest (sacrificing a few minutes to clean up after themselves or sacrificing money to graze sheep less often).</li>\n</ul>\nThis is much easier in an organizational culture where shared responsibility is the norm.\n<h2>What Did You Find?</h2>\nA build-up of thick crud no one will touch?\n\nOr is it reasonably clean?\n\nIn an organization with a culture of shared ownership, the microwaves, bathrooms, and refrigerators tend to be clean.\n\nEveryone understands they are responsible…that it all belongs to them.\n\nIn my work with leaders, I regularly hear a desire for their teams to \"own more\".\n\nThe words vary:\n<ul>\n	<li>\"more entrepreneurial spirit\"</li>\n	<li>\"I want them to own the mission\"</li>\n	<li>\"be more responsible\"</li>\n	<li>\"to pay attention to detail\"</li>\n</ul>\nAnyone who\'s been leading for any length of time recognizes the need for everyone to share commitment.\n\nBut too often, leaders say they want team ownership, but then don\'t act to encourage it.\n<h2>When Was the Last Time...?</h2>\nShared ownership begins with you.\n\nWhile CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner made a point of picking up trash when in the parks. Keeping the park spotless was everyone\'s responsibility - in action, not just in word.\n\nI\'ve worked with high school Principals who modeled the same behavior.\n\nI\'m not suggesting a CEO or Principal should spend all their time picking up trash - there are other vital tasks they should attend to.\n\nBut if you want shared ownership in your team, model it.\n\nWhen was the last time you picked up some trash, wiped out the microwave, or made a new pot of coffee?\n\nThese things take seconds, but they communicate volumes.\n\nOnce you\'ve set the example, sustain shared responsibility through trust, respect, some autonomy, and appreciation.<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7359\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/cleanup-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\n<h2>Lead Where You Are</h2>\nIf you are not a titled leader, shared resources are one of your greatest opportunities.\n\nLook for areas or services in your organization that everyone needs, but are in disarray because no one owns them.\n\nTake responsibility. Clean it, organize it, create a system to share the service…whatever it is, get others involved.\n\nMake sure <a title=\"How to Get Clarity, Accountability, and Results in 5 Minutes\" href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/2012/09/how-to-get-clarity-accountability-and-results-in-5-minutes/\" target=\"_blank\">responsibilities are clearly defined after a decision</a> - it will have a major impact on the team (and on your career!)\n\nYou don\'t need a title to lead…and shared resources give you a huge opportunity to demonstrate and practice your leadership.\n<h2>Your Turn</h2>\nHow do you influence others to take care of shared resources?\n\nWhy do you think some organization\'s seem to have an easier time keeping their microwaves and bathroom\'s clean?\n\nHow clean is your microwave?\n\nTake care,\n\nDavid M. Dye\n\nPhoto Credits: <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/punkjr/520887206/\" target=\"_blank\">Microwave</a> by Jason Burrows, <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ekieram/260838938/\" target=\"_blank\">Sheep</a> by ekieraM, <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanchamp/2443463188/\" target=\"_blank\">Cleanup</a> by Bryan Bowden.', 'Looking for Team Engagement? Check the Microwave', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'looking-for-team-engagement-check-the-microwave', '', '', '2012-09-21 06:00:27', '2012-09-21 11:00:27', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7353', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(17961, 318, '2012-09-19 06:00:29', '2012-09-19 11:00:29', '<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/?attachment_id=7371\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7371\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-7371 alignright\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/iStock_000016017745XSmall10-300x223.jpg\" alt=\"leadership development\" width=\"300\" height=\"223\" /></a><strong>Formal leadership development programs are invaluable when developing leadership talent.</strong>  Getting outside perspective is vital, and external facilitation can make all the difference.  It\'s also possible to supplement these programs with workshops leaders run themselves.  Such programs provide leaders an opportunity to share mindset, enhance transparency, and review lessons learned.\n\nI spent the first decade of my career in leadership development, organizational development and HR roles.  I then went out to the \"field\" in customer service and sales leadership positions leading larger teams.  As my role in organizations has grown, I have been implementing some of the leadership development programs I once facilitated for others with my own team.   <strong>The new spin... leader turned facilitator... brings out an exciting dynamic.</strong>\n\nI share some of the techniques that have worked best in the summaries and links below.  If you are a leader, I would love to hear about DIY leadership you are doing with your own team.  If you are a coach or other support function, it would be great to hear how you have supported such programs with your clients.\n<h2>Basic Conditions</h2>\n<em><strong>For this to work, leaders must...</strong></em>\n<ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>have a strong intention for development, not judgement</li>\n	<li>be comfortable with transparency</li>\n	<li>be vulnerable</li>\n	<li>have time to follow-through on scheduled meetings and commitments</li>\n	<li>engage completely without distractions</li>\n</ul>\n</ul>\n<h2>Techniques and Applications</h2>\n<h3> Storytelling (<a href=\"http://store.astd.org/Default.aspx?tabid=167&amp;ProductId=8028\">Strategic Storytelling Workshop </a>)</h3>\n<em><strong>What it Is: </strong></em>\n\nAn experiential workshop focused on strategic use of storytelling as a communication technique.\n\nEach leader reflects on his or her own values, priorities, and history and identifies a personal story that reflects his or her approach to leadership.  The stories are then shared with the team, and each leader receives  feedback on their story and delivery.  The themes from each story are discussed and leveraged to create norms for the team (or organization).  The participants work to identify opportunities to incorporate strategic storytelling into their communication plans.\n\n<em><strong>The Benefits</strong></em>\n<ul>\n	<li>learning more about one another</li>\n	<li>Increased trust and transparency</li>\n	<li>Skill-building, communication and public speaking</li>\n	<li>Opportunity for the leader to role-model risk-taking and humility (I find the stories that work best are the ones where I did something stupid,but survived)</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Group Mentoring (<a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2012/06/29/mentoring-in-circles/\">Mentoring Circles</a>)</h3>\n<em><strong>What it Is </strong></em>\n\nI do this as a skip level experience, giving me an opportunity to get to know 8-10 high potential managers by working together.  I always start with teaching them about “elevator speeches”, and having them create one.  <a href=\"http://wp.me/p2v7wL-37\">Glass Elevators: Why Elevator Speeches Matter</a>.\n\nWe talk about the business…and we all share the challenges we are having and share best practices.  The fun begins when we take field trips to struggling areas of the business and offer support.  We also do a project together to give back to the business.  I have found that these circles (called various names, usually “academies” or “leagues”), are a great way for me and my team to share our vision, work on work, and really get to know the managers in a deeper way.  An added win is having a direct report involved with this as part of their leadership experience.   I have seen a good track record of successful promotions coming out of these scenes.\n\nOf course, some would argue it’s not “mentoring” if it is your own chain of command.  Perhaps.\n\n<em><strong>The Benefits</strong></em>\n<ul>\n	<li>Getting to know frontline leaders at a deeper level</li>\n	<li>Leadership skill building</li>\n	<li>Working on real work together (I always learn something new)</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Virtual Book Groups<a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/?s=answers+from+olivia\"> (Book Groups and Exercises)</a></h3>\n<em><strong>What it is</strong></em>\n\n<em><strong></strong></em>My team is spread out around the country, so we do this virtually.  It would work even better face to face.  I just tell my larger team what leadership book I am reading and offer for them to join me.  We then pick specific leadership behaviors we will work on and begin to \"experiment.\"   We don\'t just discuss, we do... and then discuss.  You can read about one such adventure in the above link.  Next we are reading Multipliers, by Liz Wiseman, and working on our \"multiplying behaviors.\"  Participation in these groups has grown exponentially.\n\n<em><strong>The Benefits</strong></em>\n<ul>\n	<li>Common language</li>\n	<li>New ideas</li>\n	<li>Encourages risk taking and trying new behaviors</li>\n</ul>\nThe time I spend on these programs is an investment that develops the talent, and goes a long way in building trust and transparency in the organization.  Plus, it is fantastic fun.\n<h3>Are you a leader who has facilitated your own leadership gig?  Please share...</h3>\n<h3>Or are you a coach, supporting such endeavors?  I would love to hear your stories...</h3>', 'DIY Leadership Development:  Easy Leadership Programs You Can Run Yourself', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'diy-leadership-development-easy-leadership-programs-you-can-run-yourself', '', '', '2012-09-19 06:00:29', '2012-09-19 11:00:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7360', 0, 'post', '', 11),
(17962, 307, '2012-09-20 14:00:58', '2012-09-20 19:00:58', '<h2><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-7380 alignleft\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/clear-water-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"300\" /></h2>\n<h2>Frustration!</h2>\nThe team and I had just invested three hours wrestling with significant issues.\n\nWe defined the criteria that would make for a good decision…we had healthy debate among different opinions…we listened…we looked for alternatives…we considered consequences to the organization…we pushed hard looking for the best answers…\n\nAnd finally we made a decision.\n\nOr we thought we did.\n<h2>What Happened?</h2>\n[<a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/2012/09/how-to-get-clarity-accountability-and-results-in-5-minutes/\">Read More...</a>]', 'How to Get Clarity, Accountability, and Results in 5 Minutes', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'how-to-get-clarity-accountability-and-results-in-5-minutes', '', '', '2012-09-20 14:00:58', '2012-09-20 19:00:58', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7379', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(17963, 302, '2012-09-20 06:00:07', '2012-09-20 11:00:07', '<em><p>In this post, Bill Fox and Samira Askarova of <a href=\"http://aegis.net/\">AEGIS.net</a> share their thoughts on the recent bestselling book, <strong>The Strategist</strong> by Cynthia Montgomery.  Our intention is to take a 3,000 ft. view of the book, provide an overview, and talk about the three most impactful ideas that came up for us to intrigue and inspire more leaders to read the book and become better strategists.</em>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.foxhighperspective.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/TheStrategist-cvr-thumb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" src=\"http://www.foxhighperspective.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/TheStrategist-cvr-thumb-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"The Strategist\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n<h3>Introduction:  A View from 3,000 ft</h3>\n<blockquote><em>“Managers who get caught in the trap of overwhelming demands become prisoners of routines,” wrote Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal, in A Bias for Action. “They do not have time to notice opportunities. Their habituated work prevents them from taking the first necessary step toward harnessing willpower: developing the capacity to dream an idea into existence and transforming it into a concrete intention.” - From The Strategist</em></blockquote>\n<strong>I doubt that there isn’t a leader or manager alive today who doesn’t feel overwhelmed by the trappings of the modern, electronically connected world we live in today.</strong>  We are bombarded and overwhelmed on so many fronts, we know it and want to slow it down, yet most of us don’t do it successfully.  But do we know what we are giving up and what it’s costing us?\n<h3>Overview</h3>\nAfter decades of teaching business strategy to real-world entrepreneurs and up-and-coming private sector leaders, Montgomery has discovered a simple but unintuitive fact.  In determining the best strategic direction for an organization, it is not enough to only focus on the competitive strategy of the company.\n\n<strong>It is equally, if not more, important to come up with a statement of purpose that clearly connects the firm to the impact it wishes to make on the outside world.</strong>  Montgomery argues that a realistic and relevant yet unique and heart-felt purpose for an enterprise makes all the difference in how well it can do in the marketplace.  And this purpose must start from the individual or the individuals at the helm of the company, directing its path forward in every decision they make.\n\nThis individual or individuals have to be strategists to the core to not only come up with the reason for the firm’s existence – something that truly sets it apart and fills a gap in the current offerings, but they should also be open to continuously evolving this purpose, ensuring it is something that the firm’s entire ecosystem - employees, customers, suppliers, and every activity – can be aligned around and feel good about.\n\nMontgomery bravely discusses many topics that, as she asserts, are viewed as soft concepts and are not given the deserved attention.  <strong>She talks about passion and enthusiasm of the people working for the company being critical to the firm’s profitability against similar companies in the same market space. </strong> This comes, she feels, from the employees’ ability to see the difference they are making in their day-to-day work.  Through a carefully-selected statement of purpose, every employee considers themselves to be a problem-solver for the customer.  The firm’s purpose helps them understand why they do what they do, why they perform it and price it in a certain way, what market they are serving, and how they are helping each customer.\n<blockquote>Montgomery asks,\"<strong>would custome</strong><strong>rs miss you tomorrow if your company were to disappear?</strong>  If they won’t miss you tomorrow, how much do they need you today?”</blockquote>\nThese are important questions for any leader to contemplate.  It is a mirror that they must be willing to hold up and look at, changing their belief system and behavior, if needed.  Making money does not bring the same type of satisfaction as having an impact on the customers and the industry – something that the likes of Apple, IBM, Gucci, and other examples cited by Montgomery have been able to accomplish.  Montgomery purposefully brings up these iconic companies to inspire the reader to consider how they could revolutionize their industries and make access to products and services easier for more people.\n\nThis is why any company should exist, and if they fail to make a difference, they could not dream to be successful in the long run.  The long-term impact is what counts the most in judging the success of a company.  And thinking about the firm in its larger context – current and future – requires the leader to be a true strategist at all times, without exceptions.\n<h3>Too many of us have lost touch with our ability to bring forth boundless possibilities</h3>\n<blockquote><em>“Or as Jean-Paul Sartre, a major exponent of existentialism, put it, “There is a future to be fashioned.” Sartre championed what he called “the possibility of choice,” celebrating the way it positions people to craft identity and define purpose. In his view, it is this fundamental aspect—the possibility of choice—that creates the opportunity to find meaning. “Man first of all exists,” he writes, “encounters himself, surges up in the world—and defines himself afterwards.” Sartre’s is a universe that creates boundless possibilities for self-definition.” - From The Strategist</em></blockquote>\nAre you surprised to find the above ideas in a book on strategy?  I was. The message of the book really resonates with me, and I believe it speaks to the basic issue that is preventing us and our organizations from advancing further than we could.  We are so wrapped up in the hectic pace of today’s world, marching along in habituated routines trying to get it all done but never getting there.  What we’re failing to perform is “going to the balcony”, as Montgomery refers to it in her book.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<a href=\"http://www.foxhighperspective.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/WestVirginiaMountains.jpg\"><img src=\"http://www.foxhighperspective.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/WestVirginiaMountains-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"West Virginia Mountains\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a> Flying Over West Virginia at 3,000 ft.<br />Source: Bill Fox[/caption]\n\nHow can I be so sure of this and why do I think it’s so important?  Because “going to the balcony” or viewing the world from 3,000 feet  - as I like to call it - allows us to see hidden opportunities and possibilities that we otherwise wouldn’t see.\n\nOut of my passion for flying and aerial photography, I have learned to appreciate what possibilites come forward when we take the time to consider and look for them.\n\nFor me, it first came to me visually through my flying and photography.  Reflection and “going to the balcony” are now a key part of my daily activities.  My personal practice has transformed my life and career.\n\nI know so much more is possible for us as individuals and as organizations.  Montgomery shares how her journey working at Harvard with leaders from nearly every industry and nation transformed her thinking about strategy.  She now believes that it’s “time to transform the process from a mechanical, analytical activity to something deeper, more meaningful, and far more rewarding for a leader.”\n<h3>We have been focused on the wrong things trying to improve our organizations</h3>\n<blockquote><em>“If leaders lack a clear idea about what they want their businesses to be, they cannot build coherent systems of value creation because they don’t know what they should be designed to do exactly or how their success should be measured. That leaves them to fiddle at the margins of success with generically good practices such as “state of the art” sales management approaches or Total Quality Management. These may be helpful, but they’re not what will help you find an edge and live on it.” - From The Strategist</em></blockquote>\nIn my work over the past 20 years of helping organizations introduce change and transformation, one thing has become painfully clear.  Most organizations fail at it miserably and repeatedly.  A few organizations reach some level of success  and make meaningful progress.  But this progress as measured against the likes of Apple, IKEA, and Gucci – shining examples discussed in the book – pales in comparison.\n\nFor the past two years, I have been interviewing top thinkers and experts to discover their best ideas and strategies for helping organizations improve.  After more than 30 interviews, it’s interesting to me that none of the 30 strategies are the same.  It’s also interesting that none of the strategies begin with the words Agile, CMMI, Lean, Total Quality Management, etc.  These all fall into the category of “generically good practices” that Montgomery addresses above.\n\nThe key theme that has emerged from the interviews in my opinion is the art of asking good questions.  What are those questions?  I’m compiling a listing of all the stated and implied questions from the interviews that I will be publishing in a future blog post.  In the meantime, here are several great questions that have come up from the top thinkers I’ve interviewed at <a href=\"http://5minutespisuccess.com/\">5 Minutes to Process Improvement Success</a>:\n<ul>\n	<li>What is your challenge and where to you want to go?</li>\n	<li>What are you doing now, what do you want to achieve, and why do you want to do process improvement at all?</li>\n	<li>What’s your number one biggest problem right now?</li>\n</ul>\nQuestions slow us down and make us more mindful and deliberative – they help us step back and “go to the balcony” or view our world from 3,000 feet.  Questions help us understand the real problem, they help us envision the ideal end state we are trying to reach, they help us discover new possibilities, and they help us establish intention – moving us towards action.\n<h3>Purpose is where performance difference start</h3>\n<blockquote><em>“Purpose is where performance differences start. Nothing else is more important to the survival and success of a firm than why it exists, and what otherwise unmet needs it intends to fill. It is the first and most important question a strategist must answer. Every concept of strategy that has entered the conversation of business managers—sustainable competitive advantage, positioning, differentiation, added value, even the firm effect—flows from purpose.” - From The Strategist</em></blockquote>\nHow many organizations do you know of that truly have a strong purpose statement?  How can we truly start to impact performance if we don’t know the purpose of our business, not in vague terms such as money but in concrete terms that drive all the competitive and strategy components above.  Montgomery argues that the internal costs of an unclear strategy and purpose are great.  With vagueness in purpose, Montgomery states, “employees are left in the dark and guessing.”  We rob our employees of the ability to take decisive and meaningful action in the now to serve our purpose.\n\nWe believe<em> The Strategist</em> is a must read book for every leader at every level.  But how can leaders who are \"absorbed in day-to-day challenges\" find more time to \"go to the balcony?\"  Please share your comments here.', 'Absorbed by Day-to-Day Challenges, Leaders Are Failing to Go to the Balcony Robbing Themselves, Their Organizations, and the World', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'absorbed-by-day-to-day-challenges-leaders-are-failing-to-go-to-the-balcony-robbing-themselves-their-organizations-and-the-world', '', '', '2012-09-20 06:00:07', '2012-09-20 11:00:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7381', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17964, 243, '2012-09-22 07:29:31', '2012-09-22 12:29:31', '<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Screen-Shot-2011-09-06-at-1.56.00-PM.png\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5438\" title=\"Smartblog Logo\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Screen-Shot-2011-09-06-at-1.56.00-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"232\" height=\"96\" /></a>Do you see opposition as a problem or an opportunity?  This isn\'t merely spin. Our perspective can change the way we react and the types of results we generate.\n\nJane Perdue (member profile, <a title=\"Jane\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\">@thehrgoddess</a>) posted <em><a title=\"Lead with an open mind | Smartblog on Leadership\" href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/09/20/lead-open-mind/\">Lead with an open mind</a></em> over on Smartblog Thursday.  She presented an interesting perspective on the importance of resisting temptation to think we have all the answers, or that because we\'re in charge, we\'re right.  Invest 3 minutes in expanding your horizons and get over to Smartblog on Leadership to read Jane\'s post, <em><a title=\"Lead with an open mind | Smartblog on Leadership\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/absorbed-by-day-to-day-challenges-leaders-are-failing-to-go-to-the-balcony-robbing-themselves-their-organizations-and-the-world/\">Lead with an open mind</a></em>.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Open-Minded Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'open-minded-leadership', '', '', '2012-09-22 07:29:31', '2012-09-22 12:29:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7404', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17965, 243, '2012-09-24 06:00:12', '2012-09-24 11:00:12', '\"Let\'s write a book.\"\n\nOften we don\'t see significant turning points in our life. Or we don\'t realize their significance when they happen. Many times radical change comes from a simple decision. Some decisions fire off a chain reaction of additional decisions leading to unexplored territory. You find yourself wondering, \"How did we ever get here?\"\n\nHave you made any of those commitments? Have you chased an idea and found yourself months and miles from where you ever thought you would be?\n\n<a href=\"http://j.mp/PwEj5b\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7407\" title=\"The Character-Based Leader\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/cbl3d-001-206x300.jpg\" alt=\"The Character-Based Leader\" width=\"206\" height=\"300\" /></a>The end result of that comment above, paraphrased from a Lead Change conference call in May 2011 has just been published. It\'s titled <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://j.mp/PwEj5b\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Character-Based Leader: Instigating a Leadership Revolution… One Person at a Time</em></a>. Over the first 3 months of the effort, we all wrote. After that, Tara Alemany, Deb Costello and Don Shapiro along with Will Lukang and some others worked to pull the content together. Then, beginning in February of this year we began working to get the final work published.\n\nI learned several lessons about leadership and life. The 10 that are most clear in my mind at this moment are:\n<ol>\n	<li>Ideas create possibility and possibility creates hope.  The object of hope is a vision.</li>\n	<li>Leaders are those who take ownership of the vision.</li>\n	<li>Leaders also are those who steward the vision for those others who align and contribute.</li>\n	<li>Teammates, those sharing the vision, create power, energy and strength to keep going. Often team members step in at just the right moment to re-energize the leaders.</li>\n	<li>Responsibility to the team may sometimes be the only energy you have to keep going.</li>\n	<li>The vision is never more important than the team, however, there are times when a collaborative leadership style creates complexity.</li>\n	<li>Simplification is always good. Fewer words, fewer steps, fewer actions help teammates stay focused and on target.</li>\n	<li>Confusion and conflict are inevitable. Clarity of vision and commitment to the vision are the only remedies.</li>\n	<li>Confusion and conflict are opportunities. Failure to adopt this view leads to exhaustion and despair.</li>\n	<li>The vision owner is ultimately responsible for cleaning up the messes.</li>\n</ol>\nDo you consider yourself a leader? If you have a vision, you have a call to leadership. You don\'t need permission; you don\'t need power and you don\'t need to be promoted or \"put in charge.\" You have what you need. You can lead right now, right where you are, buy leading from who you are. <a title=\"lizstrauss.com\" href=\"http://lizstrauss.com\" target=\"_blank\">Liz Strauss</a> once told me that I needed to <a title=\"Community Leader Liz Strauss\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/looking-for-team-engagement-check-the-microwave/\" target=\"_blank\">decide what I was going to do</a>. \"You know what it means to decide, don\'t you?\" she asked. \"The word decide is like the word homicide… you must kill all the other options.\" The first step is to decide to <em>be a leader</em>.\n\nIf you\'d like to decide to move forward on your vision, check out <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/how-to-get-clarity-accountability-and-results-in-5-minutes/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Character-Based Leader: Instigating a Leadership Revolution… One Person at a Time</em></a> at <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/diy-leadership-development-easy-leadership-programs-you-can-run-yourself/\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon.com</a> or <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader at Barnes and Noble\" href=\"http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-character-based-leader-lead-change-group-inc/1112436889?ean=9781457512223\">Barnes and Noble</a> or on <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader website\" href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com\" target=\"_blank\">our website</a>. And tell some other people about it too. The world can always use more character-based leaders.\n\n&nbsp;', 'The Character-Based Leader Book Project: My 10 Leadership Lessons', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'character-based-leader-book-10-leadership-lessons', '', '', '2012-09-24 06:00:12', '2012-09-24 11:00:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7405', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(17966, 281, '2012-09-29 08:00:38', '2012-09-29 13:00:38', '<h4>Check out this great interview with Author, Tara Alemany:</h4>\n<h4><strong><em>Chapter Titles:  \"The Choices We Make\" and \"The Power of Perseverance\"<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/tara-alemany-the-character-based-leader-co-author-interview/tara/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7290\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7290\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tara-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"210\" /></a></em></strong></h4>\n<h4>Tara Alemany</h4>\nOwner, Aleweb Social Marketing\n\nTara R. Alemany is the owner and founder of Aleweb Social Marketing. (In keeping with the times, her teen-aged daughter created the “Aleweb” name as a mash-up between their last name and “the web.”) Tara brings more than 20 years of experience writing, training, and providing application support and business process analysis. All of these skills are used in helping her clients achieve their goals. She is frequently recognized for her speaking ability, knowledge and expertise, which she leverages to educate technophobes, trendsetters and a variety of age groups.\n\nTara has her own blog, “The Conversations Around Us,” but also guest blogs, writes for the Lead Change Group, and has been reprinted in SOLD magazine. She has published an eBook (“The Plan that Launched a Thousand Books”), as well, and is working on her next book, The Best is Yet to Come.\n\nShe speaks frequently on social media topics, and has been a speaker or panelist at local events, as well as larger conferences, including the eMarketing Association’s “The Power of eMarketing” conference, SMCampLI (a social media conference in Long Island) and at a chapter meeting of the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners.\n\nIn addition to providing consulting services, writing and speaking, Tara serves on the Board of Directors of a non-profit ministry, is Chaplain of her local Word Weavers chapter, and is also a martial artist, a short-term missionary, and a homeschooling Mom to 2 kids (one of each), ages 14 and 12.\n\nConnect with Tara online –\nWebsite/Blog: <a href=\"http://alewebsocial.com\" target=\"_blank\">alewebsocial.com</a> | Facebook: <a href=\"http://facebook.com/AlewebSocial\" target=\"_blank\">facebook.com/AlewebSocial</a> | Twitter: <a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/eandtsmom\" target=\"_blank\">@eandtsmom</a> | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taraalemany | Google+: <a href=\"http://gplus.to/taraalemany\" target=\"_blank\">gplus.to/taraalemany</a> | Email: <a href=\"mailto:tara@alewebsocial.com\" target=\"_blank\">tara@alewebsocial.com</a>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;\">Get your copy now at <a href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">characterbasedleader.com</span></a>, <a href=\"http://bit.ly/TheCharacterBasedLeader\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">Amazon</span></a>, <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader at Barnes and Noble\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/two-sides-of-respect/\">Barnes &amp; Noble</a> or <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader on iTunes\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/two-sides-of-respect/\" target=\"_blank\">iTunes</a></span></strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\">[powerpress]</p>', 'Tara Alemany:  The Character-Based Leader Co-Author Interview', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'tara-alemany-the-character-based-leader-co-author-interview', '', '', '2012-09-29 08:00:38', '2012-09-29 13:00:38', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7289', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17967, 281, '2012-10-01 12:15:39', '2012-10-01 17:15:39', '<h4>Check out this great interview with Author, S. Max Brown</h4>\n<h4><em><strong>Chapter Title:  \"The Real Power of Humility\"</strong></em></h4>\n<h4>S. Max Brown<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/s-max-brown-the-character-based-leader-co-author-interview/max/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7314\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7314\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/max-277x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"166\" height=\"180\" /></a></h4>\nVice President, Leadership Initiatives, Rideau Recognition Solutions\n\nIn the last ten years, Max Brown has made over one thousand presentations in locations all around the world. He’s taken clients rappelling off the Great Wall of China, facilitated at the Parliament of World Religions Conference in Spain, and spoken in hundreds of cities including Athens, Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Paris, New York, Vancouver, and Sydney… Nebraska.\n\nWith his experience in leadership training, speaking, and facilitating around the world, Max brings a global perspective to the challenge of motivating people. Audiences at companies such as American Express, GE, HSBC, The Nature Conservancy, and the Canadian Federal Government have raved about his interactive, engaging style. As a result, he travels 200,000 miles per year to deliver presentations to clients around the world!\n\nMax laces his presentations with stories and examples that inspire people to act. He is consistently given high ratings including an “all-star” recommended speaker designation from the International Association of Business Communicators. Max has a certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in Organizational Learning from George Mason University, and he is a member of the National Speaker’s Association.\n\nConnect with Max online –\nBlog: <a href=\"http://rideau.com\" target=\"_blank\">rideau.com</a> | Weekly radio: <a href=\"http://RealRecognitionRadio.com\" target=\"_blank\">RealRecognitionRadio.com</a> | Twitter: @<a href=\"http://twitter.com/SMaxBrown\" target=\"_blank\">SMaxBrown</a>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;\">Get your copy now at <a href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">thecharacterbasedleader.com</span></a>, <a href=\"http://bit.ly/TheCharacterBasedLeader\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">Amazon</span></a>, <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader at Barnes and Noble\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/called-to-the-front/\" target=\"_blank\">Barnes &amp; Noble</a> or<a title=\"The Character-Based Leader on iTunes\" href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/character-based-leader-instigating/id557995419?mt=11\" target=\"_blank\"> iTunes</a></span>!</strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\">[powerpress]</p>', 'S. Max Brown:  The Character-Based Leader Co-Author Interview', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 's-max-brown-the-character-based-leader-co-author-interview', '', '', '2012-10-01 12:15:39', '2012-10-01 17:15:39', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7313', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17968, 281, '2012-10-05 01:10:01', '2012-10-05 06:10:01', '<h4>Check out this great interview with Author Sonia DiMaulo:</h4>\n<h4><strong><em>Chapter Title: \"Trust Daily Actions\"</em></strong></h4>\n<img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7340\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/sonia-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"180\" /><h4>Sonia DiMaulo</h4>\nFounder, Harvest Performance\n\nAt Harvest Performance, we use the power of authentic feedback to help Leaders Cultivate Trust &amp; Collaboration. How do you cultivate trust &amp; collaboration to positively impact those around you?\n\nSonia Di Maulo (B.A., M.A.) is the founder, feedback enthusiast, speaker, leader, performance improvement professional and creator of award-winning programs ? is passionate about helping leaders find the right performance strategies to grow their teams’ potential for trust and collaboration. Her proven 3 plus 1 feedback strategy harvests connection and boosts individual and team performance.\n\nSonia has published articles in PerformanceXpress and Human Resources IQ. She is also a contributor of the Lead Change Group (a Global Leadership Community of Leaders Growing Leaders), and In the Loop (a Guide to Getting the Most out of Work).\n\nHer current book projects: The Apple in the Orchard, a fable that illustrates the importance of working collaboratively to achieve peak performance and Expose Exceptional Performance, a guide to successful implementation of her 3+1 feedback strategy, showcases case study learnings from organizations that have implemented the strategy.\n\nConnect with Sonia online –\nE-mail: sonia@harvestperformance.ca | Twitter: <a href=\"http://twitter.com/soniadima\" target=\"_blank\">@soniadima</a> | Phone: 450-624-0459 | LinkedIn: <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\">s</span>oniadimaulo\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;\">Get your copy now at <a href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">thecharacterbasedleader.com</span></a>, <a href=\"http://bit.ly/TheCharacterBasedLeader\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">Amazon</span></a>, <a href=\"http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-character-based-leader-lead-change-group-inc/1112436889?ean=9781457512223\">Barnes &amp; Noble</a> or<a href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/character-based-leader-instigating/id557995419?mt=11\"> iTunes</a></span></strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\">[powerpress]</p>', 'Sonia DiMaulo:  The Character-Based Leader Co-Author Interview Author Interview', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'sonia-dimaulo-the-character-based-leader-co-author-interview-author-interview', '', '', '2012-10-05 01:10:01', '2012-10-05 06:10:01', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7339', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(17969, 323, '2012-09-27 06:00:14', '2012-09-27 11:00:14', 'Can you lead a team in a hurry?  In today\'s lightening-fast business world, effective leaders who achieve swift results through others have the advantage.  What does it take?  I\'ve led and overseen lots of project teams.  They don\'t all succeed, and the ones that do have a few things in common.\n\nWhen we talk about teams, we often draw comparisons from sports.  For a change of pace, let\'s reference a less common source of <img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7388\" title=\"hourglass-and-dollar-sign-compressed\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hourglass-and-dollar-sign-compressed2-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Leadership ASAP\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" />leadership lessons: live theater.\n\nFor the last couple of years I have participated in something called <em>Theater ASAP</em>. The whole idea behind this event is to create original live theater for an audience. But, there\'s a catch. It all happens in a 24-hour period. That\'s right - one day.  That entails writing, rehearsing, and staging six to eight new scripts.\n\nEach script has its own playwright, director, and actors. To make things interesting the collection of new scripts has a theme, and each playwright is required to incorporate a randomly chosen phrase, prop, line of dialogue, and an outline of a cast.  Once written, the script is handed off to the director and cast, and the playwright fades into the background. The director and actors have twelve hours to prepare for their live performance.\n\nFor perspective, a live play at your local theater may rehearse for six weeks.  Not one day.  Imagine the leadership required to pull this off.\n\nIf you had to lead a team in your organization to create something and deliver it to a customer with only 24 hours notice, could you do it?  What would it take?\n\nHere\'s what makes Theater ASAP work:\n\n<strong>Talented players</strong><strong></strong>\n\nWhen you hear about great plays or movies, you often hear people talk of the \"strong cast.\" For theater ASAP to work, you have directors and actors who know what they are doing and who already have the requisite knowledge and skills.  There is no time to teach the basics of acting.  The day is tough enough as it is.\n\nIn addition to the cast you see, there is also the behind the scenes \"supporting\" cast.  In order for this event to happen, a dedicated group of theater technicians and producers are hard at work in the background. They provide the resources, the facilities, and the food. If a play cast doesn\'t have what it needs, the supporting cast is on the case.  They manage the stage, the sounds, and the lights for every play.  They invite the audience and show them to their seats.\n\n<strong>Clearly defined roles</strong>\n\nIn the theater world, the roles are clearly understood by all. The playwright provides the words. The director provides the vision, casting and blocking.  In most large productions you have set designers, lighting and sound technicians, and costumers.  In Theater ASAP, however, that\'s also the director\'s role.  The actors memorize their lines and their movements, interpret and bring meaning to the playwright\'s words, and execute the director\'s vision.\n\n<strong>A dedicated and shared purpose</strong>\n\nParticipation in Theater ASAP is voluntary and demands 100% dedication, and a healthy dose of self-leadership.  No distractions, no side projects, no resource cancellations.  Participants believe in and share the vision, which is to produce original theater in a hurry.  Many times, the team members are meeting for the first time.  They are forced to form, storm, norm, and perform quickly, and have no choice but to trust one another.\n\n<strong>Clearly defined outcomes</strong>\n\nThe goal is crystal clear. Write a new script. Use the assigned director and cast.  Memorize, block, costume, and set.  Choose some lights and sounds.  Rehearse, and then perform it in front of a live audience at your appointed time.\n\n<strong>A hard deadline</strong>\n\nThe schedule is set.  The audience will arrive and the curtain will go up.  The show must go on, as they say in the theater world.  There is no chance of a delay. It is now or never, and not performing is not an option.\n\nThe best thing about Theater ASAP is when it\'s over.  You\'re exhausted.  Your mind and your entire body hurts.  All you want to do is sleep.  But, you also feel amazing.  Nothing quite compares with that moment you walk off the stage and know that you and the rest of the cast pulled it off.  That\'s what has made me go back more than once.\n\nIn reality, most corporate projects require and allow more than 24 hours.  But how many of these \"normal\" projects have struggled, stalled, or failed because one or more of the elements that make Theater ASAP work was lacking?  William Shakespeare said \"all the world\'s a stage.\"   The next time you lead a project, try what makes Theater ASAP work, and see what happens.\n\n<em><strong>When have you had to lead in a hurry?  What worked, or didn\'t work, for you?</strong></em>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo (c) <a href=\"http://www.readytalk.com\">www.readytalk.com</a></span>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Leadership ASAP', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-asap', '', '', '2012-09-27 06:00:14', '2012-09-27 11:00:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7386', 0, 'post', '', 14),
(17970, 309, '2012-10-03 06:03:31', '2012-10-03 11:03:31', '<a href=\"http://johnmaxwell.com\" target=\"_blank\">John Maxwell</a> once commented on the time it typically takes to develop your leadership. The first few years in the organization is spent building relationships and showing your worth by the production you do. From years 5 to 7, you begin to see real traction as people recognize your leadership skill and contributions. After year seven, you begin to see results from your reputation in the community. This is why, he points out, if you continually move – from one job to another, from one place to another – you will have difficulty experiencing the larger returns on your leadership. They just don’t come quickly. When you do stick it out, through the good and the bad over the years, you can enjoy some great rewards as a leader.\n\nAmazingly, all those years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice for your vision, can be wiped out so much quicker than you created it. A legacy of great achievement can be removed from the public memory because of a gross violation of leadership ethics. Such is the case with Penn State’s famed head football coach, Joe Paterno. His record as a leader is extensive. He has won many awards and has been honored many times over. His “grand experiment” was to combine excellence in football and academics, thus preparing his young men for success after college. He had a great leadership legacy. Yet his entire life’s work is tarnished. Fourteen years of his victories have been wiped away because of his participation to cover up the active abuse of children by his defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky. Because of his decision, his leadership legacy is literally trashed.\n\nHe is certainly not the only leader who has done this. We all are susceptible to making these kinds of leadership-destroying decisions. Now, more than ever, leaders need to step up their game. We need to rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of those values and ethics that made our country great. Values like integrity, honesty, and following through with your word. Values like, doing what is right no matter the consequence, need to be upheld. We need to hold each other to a higher standard. People don’t need perfect leaders, but they do need leaders who will pursue and exemplify truth. We can do this. We, as leaders, can help each other live to a higher standard and purpose. One that will bring hope and revival to our culture. One that will inspire creativity and innovation in the market place. One that will bring true prosperity and a legacy worth remembering.\n\n<strong>As you look at other leaders and the decisions they made that led to their downfall, do you see similar patterns of behavior or decision making in your own leadership? Who speaks into your life to help you correct dangerous thinking patterns?</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPhoto by author.', 'Decisions That Destroy A Leader&#039;s Legacy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'decisions-that-destroy-a-leaders-legacy', '', '', '2012-10-03 06:03:31', '2012-10-03 11:03:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7432', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(17971, 322, '2012-10-02 06:00:51', '2012-10-02 11:00:51', 'Feedback is apart of every organization and a very important part of leadership and employee development. Daniel Pink\'s book <em>Drive</em> explains, \"We inhabit a landscape of lush feedback in most realms of our life. We play a video game and we get a score. We press a button on the ATM and we get our balance. We send a text and we get a sound that confirms the message has been sent. [But] when we step through the office door we enter a feedback desert.\" So why do organizations only give feedback once a month, once a quarter, and sometimes only once a year?\n\nOrganizations succeed more based on habits than strategic decisions. Research shows that 40-45% of our day is a habit, which means about half of every day we make decisions subconsciously. To change a habit there has to be constant feedback that leads to small incremental changes over time. It takes on average 66 days to change/develop a complex habit (21 days for a simple habit). Developing the needed habits to achieve the results desired is the foundation of coaching.\n\nThere are many forms of coaching:\nSports Coach, Life Coach, Voice Coach, Fitness Coach, Health &amp; Wellness Coach\n\nCoaching is an essential feedback tool for growing leaders and for leaders to help others succeed. But why has this not translated to all organizations?\n\nPeer Coach, Leadership Coach, and Business Coach should be apart of every organization\'s culture.\n\nNo matter what type of coach, there are a few basic fundamentals of coaching:\n\n<em><strong>Collaboration</strong> </em>- Both parties have to identify the goal and come up with a plan together. Coming up with a plan together from the input of both parties gains the necessary buy-in to make the plan successful.\n\n<em><strong>Commitment</strong></em> – A commitment must be made by both parties to the plan and the behaviors that need to be exhibited to make the plan successful.\n\n<em><strong>Consistency</strong> </em>- The behaviors from the plan have to be put into action every day until they become a habit. The coach has to ensure that they are coaching daily to drive the behavior so the habit is formed.\n\n<em><strong>Follow-Up</strong></em> – Sitting down regularly to discuss the progress is an essential part of coaching. Coaches must highlight the progress that is being made. People tend to focus on how far they have to go, instead of how far they have come. This type of thinking is why people frequently give up.\n\n<em><strong>Accountability</strong></em>- Everyone must be held accountable. The coach for consistently coaching and the individual for consistently exhibiting the behaviors needed to get reach the goal.\n\nAt the end of each day ask, \"Are you better today, than you were yesterday?\" This creates open dialogue to start the feedback conversation.\n\nFollowing these fundamentals to coaching will allow the individual or team to develop the knowledge, behaviors, and habits needed to grow and succeed. Coaching isn’t something that you can do only once a year, once a quarter, once a month or even once a week, feedback and coaching has to be apart of the daily culture!\n\nWhat are some ways you can integrate coaching and feedback into your organization\'s daily culture?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPhoto by <a href=\"http://killarney.olx.ie/life-coaching-and-mentoring-iid-95728827 \">Killarney</a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;', 'Feedback &#038; Coaching: Putting the Pieces Together', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'feedback-coaching-putting-the-pieces-together', '', '', '2012-10-02 06:00:51', '2012-10-02 11:00:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7433', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(17972, 314, '2012-10-04 06:00:53', '2012-10-04 11:00:53', 'Jimmy walked slowly down the hall to his supervisor\'s office. His thoughts were on a sales presentation. The presentation was in two hours and he really needed to put the finishing touches on it.\n\nHe clutched the small coffee cup in his hand, careful not to spill it. His mind raced as he thought about what the meeting could possibly be about.  The email simply stated, “<em>Come see me first thing in the morning so we can talk</em>.”\n\nAs he reached his supervisor\'s office, Stephanie, the Human Resources Director, welcomed him and told him to take a seat.\n\nAs the meeting ended, Jimmy left refreshed and relieved.  What started out as an uncomfortable meeting turned into a great coaching session.<img src=\"http://johnbossong.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif\" alt=\"\" />\n\nThe supervisor was disappointed with Jimmy\'s current performance.  Jimmy had no idea what the expectations were or what success looked like. He was hired and told to go sell.\n\nHow many times have you, as the leader been in this position? You are about to have a serious discussion with an employee about their performance but find out that you were a <em>lousy leader</em>.  You were part of the problem and now the solution.\n\nEmployees typically don’t fail. <em>They are failed by their leaders</em>.\n\nHere are 3 things you can do as a leader to ensure your team members are set up for success.\n\n<strong>1. Prepare a well thought out and planned job description</strong>.  It doesn’t have to be a five page document. There should be four or five key elements that show them what success looks like.  This needs to be written out for the employee.  It needs to be clear.\n<ul>\n	<li>Here is what you need to do every month</li>\n	<li>Here are the clear expectations</li>\n	<li>Success looks like ………..</li>\n	<li>Give the employee structure</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>2. Determine what the training and development needs are on the front end</strong>. Every employee will have training and development needs.  It’s your job as the leader to find out what they are and provide it. Training and development are critical drivers that lead to high-performing employees and better retention.\n<ul>\n	<li>Give them challenging job assignments with significant and varied responsibilities.</li>\n	<li>Stretch them with opportunities that will accelerate their growth through leadership positions.</li>\n	<li>Expose their work to higher-level executives, give them visibility and accountability.   Hold them responsible for their failures and reward them for success.</li>\n	<li>Provide candid and honest feedback.  This is crucial.  A great resource for this is the new book by <a href=\"http://www.help-them-grow.com/Authors.html\">Julie Winkle Giulioni and Dr. Beverly Kaye</a>,  <a href=\"http://www.help-them-grow.com/\">Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go</a>.</li>\n</ul>\nOne key is that the leadership and culture of your organization supports a learning and growing environment. The organization should be fully committed to supporting individuals by creating and encouraging stretch job assignments as part of their development.\n\n<strong>3. Provide a path for the employee</strong>. Twenty years of the same job won’t get or keep a lot of people.  <a href=\"https://plus.google.com/103657641753349471053/posts\">Reid Hoffman</a>, founder of <a href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/\">LinkedIn</a> and the author of <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307888908/?tag=googhydr-20&amp;hvadid=7879815861&amp;hvpos=1t1&amp;hvexid=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=6601208382124395980&amp;hvpone=14.98&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=b&amp;ref=pd_sl_5fvxha9zrw_b\">The Start Up of You</a>, states that companies want and need to hire people, but only those who want to be a part of what the organization is doing.\n<ul>\n	<li>Have a plan for employees that shows them where they will be in 1 year, 18 months, 2 years. Waiting 5 years won’t work any longer.</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.zappos.com/\">Zappos</a> has a great practice of promoting associates in small chunks of time rather than waiting two years. They have mini-goals set up the employee can achieve.  This enables the employee to achieve goals at a quicker pace but the end result is the same.</li>\n</ul>\nVery few companies are actually training people. They are expected to come equipped ready to work.  The mindset is “what are you bringing to the table”? However, it’s important to set the employee up for success on the front end with:\n<ul>\n	<li>A solid job description and clear expectations</li>\n	<li>Training and development opportunities</li>\n	<li>A path to grow and develop with the organization</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>How have you handled being a lousy leader when you haven’t set clear performance goals and expectations up front? </strong>', '3 Things Great Leaders Do To Set People Up For Success', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '3-things-great-leaders-do-to-set-people-up-for-success', '', '', '2012-10-04 06:00:53', '2012-10-04 11:00:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7470', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(17973, 243, '2012-10-04 21:25:22', '2012-10-05 02:25:22', '<p>I had the opportunity to post over on <a title=\"4 Outcomes of Character-Based Leadership on Smartblog\" href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/10/04/4-outcomes-character-based-leadership/\">Smartblog on Leadership</a> today about the 4 Outcomes of Character-Based Leadership. Character-based leadership is leading from who you are rather than your position or power. When leadership influence is based from within an individual rather than outside that individual (title, position, power, etc.) activities gain meaning, teams are energized, productivity improves.  Character-based leadership brings life to an organization because character-based leaders bring the best of who they are to help others succeed. Check out the <a title=\"4 Outcomes of Character-Based Leadership on Smartblog\" href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/10/04/4-outcomes-character-based-leadership/\">whole post here</a>...</p>', 'Outcomes of Character-Based Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'outcomes-of-character-based-leadership', '', '', '2012-10-04 21:25:22', '2012-10-05 02:25:22', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7484', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17974, 281, '2012-10-08 12:55:31', '2012-10-08 17:55:31', '<h4>Check out this great interview with Author Georgia Feiste:</h4>\n<h4><strong><em>Chapter Title:  \"The Language of Leadership\"</em></strong></h4>\n<h4>Georgia Feiste</h4>\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/?attachment_id=7345\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7345\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7345\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/georgia-214x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"128\" height=\"180\" /></a>President, Collaborative Transitions Coaching, Inc.\n\nGeorgia Feiste specializes in Leadership and Career Coaching and Training. Her focus is on helping women executives and leaders grow their character-based leadership and collaboration skills in their career, business, and personal life. Georgia has over thirty years of executive leadership experience in corporations, non-profits, and in her community. She has served on multiple boards in a variety of officer positions. Georgia believes that character is the underlying foundation to true leadership, and teaches about these concepts in her transformational leadership program and workshops.\n\nConnect with Georgia online –\nWebsite/Blog: <a href=\"http://collaborativetransitions.com\" target=\"_blank\">collaborativetransitions.com</a> | Twitter: <a href=\"http://twitter.com/feistycoach\" target=\"_blank\">@feistycoach</a> | Facebook: <a href=\"http://facebook.com/collaborativetransitionscoachng\" target=\"_blank\">facebook.com/collaborativetransitionscoaching</a> | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/georgiafeiste | Email: Georgia@CollaborativeTransitions.com\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;\">Get your copy now at <a href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">thecharacterbasedleader.com</span></a>, <a href=\"http://bit.ly/TheCharacterBasedLeader\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">Amazon</span></a>, <a href=\"http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-character-based-leader-lead-change-group-inc/1112436889?ean=9781457512223\">Barnes &amp; Noble</a> or <a href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/character-based-leader-instigating/id557995419?mt=11\">iTunes</a></span></strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\">[powerpress]</p>', 'Georgia Feiste:  The Character-Based Leader Co-Author Interview', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'georgia-feiste-the-character-based-leader-co-author-interview', '', '', '2012-10-08 12:55:31', '2012-10-08 17:55:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7344', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(17975, 281, '2012-10-12 01:14:14', '2012-10-12 06:14:14', '<h4>Check out this great author interview with Author Susan Mazza:</h4>\n<h4><em>Chapter Title:  \"Essential Dimensions of Personal Integrity\"</em></h4>\n<h4>Susan Mazza<em><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/susan-mazza-the-character-based-leader-co-author-interview/susan/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7419\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7419\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/susan-213x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"128\" height=\"180\" /></a></em></h4>\nManaging Partner/President, Clarus Consulting Group, LLC\n\nBelieving that you don’t have to be THE leader to be A leader, Susan writes about everyday leadership through everyday actions on her Random Acts of Leadership blog. She is also a contributing blogger for the Lead Change Group, Polymash, and Talent Culture and was among the founding “leadership instigators” in the Lead Change Group.\n\nWith a commitment to unleashing the human spirit at work, Susan is a leadership coach, motivational speaker and business consultant. She has worked for over 25 years with people around the world cultivating relationships that work and delivering results that matter in business, non-profits and K-12 education.\n\nA former IT professional, Susan parlayed her unique talent for leading change through implementing business systems into transforming human systems through leadership. While her focus is now leadership development and business consulting, she continues to embrace innovation through new technologies from social media to partnering with Polymash, Inc. in mobile app development.\n\nSusan graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Finance. She lives in Vero Beach, FL with her husband, daughter and two dogs.\n\nConnect with Susan online –\nWebsite/Blog:<a href=\"http://www.RandomActsofLeadership.com\" target=\"_blank\"> www.RandomActsofLeadership.com</a> | Twitter: @<a href=\"http://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\">SusanMazza</a> | Email: Susan@RandomActsofLeadership.com | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/SusanMazza\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;\">Get your copy now at <a href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">thecharacterbasedleader.com</span></a>, <a href=\"http://bit.ly/TheCharacterBasedLeader\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">Amazon</span></a>, <a href=\"http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-character-based-leader-lead-change-group-inc/1112436889?ean=9781457512223\">Barnes &amp; Noble</a> or <a href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/character-based-leader-instigating/id557995419?mt=11\">iTunes</a></span></strong></p>\n[powerpress]', 'Susan Mazza:  The Character-Based Leader Co-Author Interview', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'susan-mazza-the-character-based-leader-co-author-interview', '', '', '2012-10-12 01:14:14', '2012-10-12 06:14:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7418', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17976, 307, '2012-10-15 14:08:20', '2012-10-15 19:08:20', '\n<h2>\"No Way!\"</h2>\nI was working with a leader whose team was struggling. They were frustrated, felt like their leader did not care, and were dealing with the same problems over and over.\n\nI suggested that the next time a team member addressed one of these issues he ask a simple question: \"How can I help?\"\n\nHe immediately responded, \"No way! I\'m already crazy busy, there\'s no way I can do their work for them.\"\n\nHis answer revealed a common misconception about what it means for leaders to help their team.\n<h2>A Better Way</h2>\nI regularly share my belief that effective leaders serve their teams, but how you help them makes a huge difference.\n\nYou team does need you and there are three significant ways you can truly help your team: [<a title=\"3 Ways to Actually Help Your Team (and Yourself!)\" href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/2012/10/3-ways-to-actually-help-your-team-and-yourself/\">Read more...</a>]\n\n&nbsp;', '3 Ways to Actually Help Your Team (and Yourself!)', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '3-ways-to-actually-help-your-team-and-yourself', '', '', '2012-10-15 14:08:20', '2012-10-15 19:08:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7473', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(17977, 320, '2012-10-12 06:05:20', '2012-10-12 11:05:20', '&nbsp;\n\nThere is a graveyard of dreams out there, where abandoned ambition has breached its hull on bare rocks and run aground, never to be sea-worthy again. But we aren’t going there. No, the conversation I hope to have is a little more nuanced than that.\n\nThere are the doldrums of duty, in which the repetitive and repressive are a perpetual motion machine that becomes the norm, and is accepted because what you’re doing is important and necessary and must be done by somebody. But we aren’t going to loiter here. No, the place at which we need to arrive hints more at significance than this state of mind does.\n\nThere is dissonance that screeches out from between the touching points of dream and duty, cringe-inducing dissonance that you notice from time to time in silent moments when you ask yourself, “Is this really what I’m supposed to be doing? Am I capable of more? Has my ship sailed? Is it too late? Where do I go from here?”\n\nWhen the dream looks more like an end result you are attaining to, and less like a station in life you are trying to reach, then you can be content in the way you are bringing about the dream right now, whether you are inspiring large crowds or cleaning a toilet.\n\nWhen the duty is recognized as a launch pad for new and exciting ways to achieve change and add value, rather than the place you are stuck until X, Y, and Z can happen to move you up the ladder, then you can be enthusiastic and open to the possibilities as they present themselves.\n\nPerhaps your present situation is just a transitional phase on your way to something greater. Or maybe, due to conscious choices or uncontrollable situations, you wish you could retrace your steps and create a totally different life than the one you are living now. The dissonance will ease when you are able to:\n<ul>\n	<li>Reconcile the difference between the duty and the dream</li>\n	<li>Find contentment</li>\n	<li>Recognize the true impact of your work</li>\n	<li>Stay open to the possibilities</li>\n	<li>Add value to what you are doing and the people you are working with, and</li>\n	<li>Live up to the potential that you know is inside you.</li>\n</ul>\nIs there a difference between what you are doing, what you want to do, and the impact you hope to make in life? Can you see the significance of where you are and what you are doing right now? What must change about your situation or your mindset to reduce the dissonance and help you make the greatest impact in your profession and your life?\n\nPhoto: Glen Gaugh, 2012', 'The Duty, the Dream, and the Difference', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-duty-the-dream-and-the-difference', '', '', '2012-10-12 06:05:20', '2012-10-12 11:05:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7476', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(17978, 252, '2012-10-17 06:06:03', '2012-10-17 11:06:03', 'I’ve been conducting training on manager/employee communication for years. In one class a few weeks ago I heard the same phrase over and over, and realized it holds the key to a breakthrough.\n\nWhen it comes to thinking about initiating a discussion about a touchy subject, inevitably I hear some version of, “What I don’t want to happen is ________.”\n\n“What I don’t want to happen is…”\n<ul>\n	<li>For the other person to shut down</li>\n	<li>To not have the answers</li>\n	<li>For them to get emotional</li>\n	<li>For them to get mad</li>\n	<li>For me to get mad</li>\n</ul>\nThere are a few ways you can deal with this.\n\nThe Obvious #1: Maneuver to minimize the likelihood your worst fear will be realized.\n\nThe Obvious #2: Focus on what you <em>do</em> want to happen.\n\nAfter my recent class I realized there’s one more possibility. In fact, if you focus on this one it might turn into an entirely different discussion.\n<h2>A less obvious, but powerful choice: Be open to whatever happens.</h2>\nI’ve been a manager and coached many managers. Over time we get to the point where we are wary of particular behavior, like the other person becoming emotional, throwing accusations, expressing anger. We get psyched out by what we think will happen. Doing this, we give the other person all the power. Let me rephrase. We buy into the premise that “we are powerless” to their reaction.\n\nTo me it feels like I’m being held ransom when I’m overly focused what I don’t want to happen. If you are familiar with that feeling, I want to encourage you to be a leader. It doesn’t matter if you have the title. Empower yourself to face what you don’t want to happen <em>beforehand</em> and do what it takes to handle it if it does happen. This requires you to be in touch with your own baggage, your own projections, and your own ego. It’s tough self-development, but worth it.\n\nSome questions to begin this process:\n<ul>\n	<li>Am I blaming this person for anything? If so, what?</li>\n	<li>Is there anything like anger or resentment that I need to let go before the conversation?</li>\n	<li>If I put my assumptions aside, what am I curious about in this situation that only they can shed light on?</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>Be the leader no matter what.</h2>\nManaging our own “stuff” is the high road and the hard road. It requires deeper work than we generally like. I find when I do this self-examination I end up in a much better place to initiate a conversation <em>or</em> realize this is not the time to have it.\n\nThis is part of growing as a character-based leader, growing in how you are leading yourself. When you find a place where you don’t feel empowered, there is an opportunity for you.\n\n<em>What will it take to for you to feel empowered enough to handle whatever comes up?</em>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<span style=\"color: #888888;\">Images: Microsoft Clipart</span>\n\n&nbsp;', 'A Little Known Way to Prepare for A Tough Discussion', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'a-little-known-way-to-prepare-for-a-tough-discussion', '', '', '2012-10-17 06:06:03', '2012-10-17 11:06:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7480', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(17979, 313, '2012-10-07 02:30:15', '2012-10-07 07:30:15', 'Dusk was settling in fast as I drove along a winding road. Waves crashed on the rocky cliffs below. Why was I driving on the wrong side of the road? I couldn’t control my car and move into the correct lane. With my arms and legs outstretched from the back seat, I tried to grab ahold of the wheel and steer. My feet barely reached the pedals. Further on, I could see my destination, but had no confidence I would reach it in tact.</p>\nA lucid moment. What was I doing in the back seat? Poof. I woke up.\n\nMy dreams speak to me. When I wake up remembering my dream, there is something I need to learn. My subconscious has a way of reaching up through murky layers of my unconscious self, to grab my attention. The message is usually quite obvious if I don’t over-analyze and just take it at face value.\n\nNow all of you armchair psychologists out there will have an interpretation of my dream. Stop. Let me share with you the message my subconscious whispered to me that night.\n\nThere are times and circumstances when I fail to take charge of my situation and I feel out of control, as if I have abdicated responsibility. People who know me would not guess this – for the most part. But I know. I find myself waiting for other people to change; for other people to follow-through on their commitments; for other people to make decisions so I can make mine.\n\nI find myself waiting with arms outstretched to catch the ball/the handoff so that I can move things forward.\n\nWhy do I wait for others to hold up their end of the bargain so I can move forward? What stops me from cutting my losses and moving on or taking action on my own behalf? <strong>What am I doing in the back seat of my life?</strong>\n\n\n<strong>Contrast this</strong> with clients, colleagues, people on my team and service providers, I see right along side of me as we pass the ball back and forth, all the while moving the ball down field towards the goal. It’s an amazing experience to have this kind of traction with clients and colleagues.\n\nThese are the kinds of relationships I need to put energy into and nurture. These are the folks that deserve my time, energy and attention.\n\nAfter that dream, I realized I had to jump into that front seat and take more control of my destiny.\n\nFirst, I had to understand my participation in this dynamic. <strong>Why did I allow this?</strong>\n\nWhat beliefs did I hold about myself and others that needed some reexamination? Do any of these sound familiar?\n<ul>\n	<li>I believe people should follow-up and follow-through on their commitments.</li>\n	<li>I don\'t think I should have to babysit.</li>\n	<li>I don’t want to have to have the difficult conversations.</li>\n	<li>These are paid professionals, these are collaborators on projects, clients, colleagues … They shouldn\'t need me to hold them accountable.</li>\n	<li>If I just give them one more chance …</li>\n	<li>I know they have (fill in the blank) going on, so I just need to be patient and understanding …</li>\n	<li>If I gently encourage …</li>\n	<li>If I wait just a little longer …</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>To call someone to account is tough.</strong> I am afraid I’ll come off pushy, critical, unfair, demanding …\n\nI find that I don’t want to deal with excuses. I don’t want to deal with attacks. When people aren’t willing to look in the mirror—they tend to blame.\n\nI don’t want to risk losing the relationship. I have already invested time and money and don’t want to start over (could mean I have to source and hire a new person and take a loss on the time and money I invested ).\n\nHave you heard yourself say or think these things?\n<blockquote>A wise person once told me, “Don’t throw good money after bad.”</blockquote>\n<strong>My subconscious told me that it was time to get in the front seat and drive.</strong> What did that mean in practice? I had to hold myself to account and do some <em>letting go</em>.\n\nI had to take some difficult conversations; truncate collaborative partnerships that took time and energy and did not produce the desired results; let go of some service providers and take a financial hit; end relationships that ate up time, energy, caused grief and didn’t add.\n\nI had to climb into that drivers’ seat I had been avoiding and take action. I had to make tough decisions and steer myself to my destination rather than attaching my destiny to someone else’s wagon.\n\nThank you, subconscious for alerting me to a self-defeating pattern. One step at a time, I am developing patterns that better serve me and others.\n\n<strong>Are you in the drivers’ seat of your life?</strong> Please share your experiences. We will all benefit.\n<div></div>', 'Leaders: Are You Driving from the Back Seat?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-are-you-driving-from-the-back-seat', '', '', '2012-10-07 02:30:15', '2012-10-07 07:30:15', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7485', 0, 'post', '', 15),
(17980, 318, '2012-10-15 06:03:45', '2012-10-15 11:03:45', 'As leaders grow in levels of responsibility, scope and scale, the issue of \"transparency\" becomes more significant.  Executives have insights into confidential strategy, complex nuances, and serious situations.  They also have large teams and a customer base watching every move.   It\'s common practice for leaders to pull back more as they rise in the business, revealing less about themselves as humans.  Some chose to show up strong, serious and a bit mysterious.   They create professional distance to drive results.  On the other hand, there are also examples of leaders who chose to be more open, sharing more about themselves and why they do what they do.\n\nAnd so, I invite an expanded conversation.  What is the right level of transparency?  What are the pros and cons of being more closed or open?\n<h2>Why Less Can Be More</h2>\nThere are many good reasons to create some distance.   Executives are public figures, and have many of the same risks as celebrities in terms of boundaries and privacy.  Also, for competitive reasons, some parts of strategy must be kept close to the vest.  Of course, there is also the need to carefully communicate sensitive topics in a controlled way.  Disclosing too much of a plan in progress can be dangerous as things change.  No need to get people worked up about something that might not materialize.\n\nIn her excellent post, <a title=\"Married to the Job | Lead Change Group\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/married-to-the-job-how-leaders-show-commitment-in-a-fast-changing-world/\">Married to the Job:  How Leaders Show Commitment in Fast Changing World</a>, Christina Lattimer (<a title=\"Christina\'s Twitter profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/pdiscoveryuk\">@pdiscoveryUK</a>) shares an example of a leader who lost credibility by sharing too much about her intentions to stay in the job for a finite period of time.  The team did not want to feel like part of an executive\'s developmental assignment, even if that was the case.  They wanted a visionary leader who cared about them and their mission.  A great example of a transparency backfire.\n<h2>Why More Can Be More</h2>\nOn the other hand, there can also be real value in leaders opening up and sharing a bit about themselves to the larger team. Showing up \"human\" can go a long way in building deep trust within an organization.  I am sensitive to all the concerns raised above, and am deliberate in what I disclose.  At the same time, I see real value in transparency where possible.   I believe people learn best when they have more information about why and how executives do the things they do.\n\nWith my direct report teams and mentoring relationships I tend to open up a bit about myself.  I have dinners at my home where they get to know my family,  and hear about the work I do at church, and the other stuff in my life.   They share back, and I know this creates deeper bonds and trust.\n\nThis year, that transparency has expanded substantially through my blogging.  Anyone in my organization (or around the world) can see my teachable point of view and what I am wrestling with as a leader.\n\nPerhaps that\'s why at my last summit with my organization, I put away the PowerPoint slides and opened up to let them know more about me.  \"I am a mom of 2 boys... my husband is a fireman...yes... we struggle with daycare with my travel and his overnight shifts.  I am a blogger and a runner, and it\'s hard to find time to do all those things well... but this is why I try...\"   Not typical microphone fare.\n\nThe feedback has been amazing. Somehow, it was meaningful for folks to hear that I wrestle with the same issues they do.  I am a human trying to do the best I can, just like them. It has led to fantastic one-on-one conversations with folks on my larger team that I did not know well.  More are reaching out for mentoring and support with their work.  We are learning from one another, and results continue to climb.\n\nAnd so, I invite you to join the conversation and share your insights.\n\n<em><strong>What is the right balance of formal executive presence and transparent human disclosure?</strong></em>\n\n<em><strong>What are the pros and cons to both sides of the continuum?  Please share your thoughts.</strong></em>\n\nSee Also:\n\n<a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2012/10/08/full-disclosure-leadership/\">Disclosure in Leadership:  The Benefits and Risks of Showing Up Real</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2012/07/27/following-the-leader/\">Following the Leader?  Stop, Notice How it Makes You Feel</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2012/09/04/humility/\">Humility Matters:</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2012/07/23/write-myself-a-letter/\">I\'m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter</a>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo © iStockPhoto</span>', 'The Transparency Debate:  How Much Should Leaders Share?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-transparency-debate-how-much-should-leaders-share', '', '', '2012-10-15 06:03:45', '2012-10-15 11:03:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7486', 0, 'post', '', 17),
(17981, 243, '2012-10-09 06:01:35', '2012-10-09 11:01:35', '<a href=\"http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-character-based-leader-lead-change-group-inc/1112436889?ean=9781457512223\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7505\" title=\"The Character Based Leader Cover\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/The-Character-Based-Leader-Cover-197x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" /></a><p>In case you haven\'t heard, 21 of the Instigators of this group recently completed <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader website\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/The-Character-Based-Leader-Revolution-One-ebook/dp/B008Z4HDPS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1349787110&sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">The Character-Based Leader: Instigating a Leadership Revolution... One Person at a Time</a>.  We\'ve received some positive press and some interesting sales numbers, but we don\'t live in a wonder-land.</p>\n\nThere is a bit of dis-order and anarchy behind the idea of character-based leadership.  It can be chaotic to consider everyone acting like a leader.  We know this book isn\'t for everyone.  So in the interest of full-disclosure, we\'d like to compile a warning-label for the book.\n\n<strong>Top 10 Reasons You Won\'t Like The Character-Based Leader book:</strong>\n<ol>\n<li value=\"10\">You don\'t read.</li>\n<li value=\"9\">You believe leaders are born, not made.</li>\n<li value=\"8\">You believe that only people as smart as you can lead. \"Some people have to be followers.\"</li>\n<li value=\"7\">You think that people should obey and not think for themselves.</li>\n<li value=\"6\">Your goal is to \"climb your way to the top.\"</li>\n<li value=\"5\">You think things will fall apart if everyone can \"just do what they want.\"</li>\n<li value=\"4\">You know the best way to get ahead is to follow all the rules.</li>\n<li value=\"3\">You see leadership as a position or a title.</li>\n<li value=\"2\">You think the best leaders are \"<a href=\"/biased-justification-for-poor-leadership/\" title=\"Biased Justification for Poor Leadership | Lead Change Group\">benevolent tyrants</a>.\"</li>\n<li value=\"1\">You just want everyone to do things your way, for now.  \"We can try this \'leadership\' thing later.\"</li></ol>\n\nHave you read the book?  Are you a supporter of the idea of character-based leadership? If so, help us out.  Who else should we warn?  Would you add your own items to the list in the comments below?  Let\'s help people who won\'t like the book avoid it.  Please, do those people a favor by adding to the list below!\n\n<em>Author\'s note: Reason 11 might be that you don\'t recognize sarcasm.</em>', 'Top 10 Reasons You Won&#039;t Like The Character-Based Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'top-10-reasons-you-wont-like-the-character-based-leader', '', '', '2012-10-09 06:01:35', '2012-10-09 11:01:35', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7504', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(17982, 303, '2012-10-11 06:14:21', '2012-10-11 11:14:21', '&nbsp;\n<p>As an organisational leader you usually have a balancing act to perform especially around how well (or not) your team contributes to organisational success or not. Much depends on how well you manage to harness the commitment, efforts, skills and effectiveness of your  team, and then how well you are able to let go and allow your team to take up the challenge and deliver.</p>\nIf you are anything like me, you will know one of the most difficult dilemmas is determining when as a leader you should let go and allow employees to either float their boat, or sink.\n\nIn order to do this well, leaders need to have 3 grounded abilities\n\nA)  A reciprocal and healthy sense of taking and giving responsibility\n\nB)  An ability  to communicate their own boundaries and a have healthy respect for other people’s\n\nC)  The courage to take and manage calculated risk.\n\nBeing able to apply these in working relationships is essential for good decision making, although for many reasons some find difficult to do.   A mismatch of parameters can and does create disharmony, distrust, and demotivation within and sometimes outside of the team.\n\nI remember a story about a brilliant CEO who was driven and committed to a life changing cause, was respected by peers and stakeholders.  He got good results mostly and where he didn’t, had a great handle on problems.  What he didn’t realise of course was  75% of his team were slowly sliding off the edge of the deck, while the remainder were  standing at his back cheering him on, watching him steer the boat.\n\nThis great man had such an extended sense of responsibility he couldn’t see that by trying to control the whole ship, he was systematically disempowering his team - except of course those who liked to enjoy the view through the porthole along the way. He was wary of taking risks, giving over control and allowing his team to take some of the responsibility from him.\n\nThere are many variations on the theme and of course no-one’s perfect.  There are many times I disempower my kids by making decisions for them.  In a work situation, when the risk seemed too great I have been known to take over and override an employee’s decision; although I tried to do it kindly, of course, it was not always perceived that way.  Sometimes you have to let people fall and suffer the consequences of that fall to learn and grow.  That can be a tough call for a leader.\n\nAlternatively, I heard from a team who had big problems because their leader “overdid” delegation.  He was so focused on what others should or must be responsible for, he left himself out of the equation. He didn’t gain the respect of his team, as they often felt overburdened and were wary of asking for help because the signals he was giving indicated he didn’t really want to be involved, although that wasn’t the case at all.\n\nOne of the most difficult issues is respecting role boundaries.  Of course roles are meant to be fluid and let’s face it, we all must cross over role boundaries at times in order to get the job done.  But there are times when crossing over such boundaries either masks poor performance or muddies the water so much that it becomes confusing about accountability.  Good role boundaries are essential, with a good degree of flexibility, under certain conditions and agreed circumstances when it is appropriate to do so.\n\nWhen to let go and when to keep steering can seem daunting. Much depends on a leader’s inner confidence and maturity. The following examples “allow” people to achieve and take responsibility, within their boundaries, without enormous risks.\n\nDelivering results\n<ol>\n	<li>Set outcomes and final timelines then let the team work out  “how”</li>\n	<li>Reward exceptional results and have clear consequences for non-achievement</li>\n</ol>\nEngaging people\n<ol>\n	<li>Empower teams to become involved in innovation, discussion and decisions wherever possible.  Set standards around employee engagement.  Understand the actions and behaviours which will facilitate engagement.</li>\n	<li>Create zero tolerance for persistent lack of buy-in.   Make engagement with the business a pre-requisite for working with you.  Highlight and reward behaviours which demonstrate buy in.  Clearly identify when lack of engagement causes problems for the organisation and act when you see it happening.</li>\n</ol>\nCreating  great teams\n<ol>\n	<li> Be clear about what you expect, including behaviours, internal and external customer service and contribution.  Make team-working a performance measure.</li>\n	<li>Allow teams to work to their strengths, creating ownership, whilst maintaining corporate consistency in delivery.</li>\n</ol>\nI have rarely worked with or for a leader who gets responsibility and boundaries completely right.   And of course how much leeway you give others has to be tempered by calculation of risk.   It’s no good pointing fingers at the people falling into the water when the boat is already sinking, is it?  What do you think?  In your experience do leaders get the balance right?', 'A Leadership Balancing Act - Boundaries, Risk, and Responsibilities', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'a-leadership-balancing-act-boundaries-risk-and-responsibilities', '', '', '2012-10-11 06:14:21', '2012-10-11 11:14:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7509', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(17983, 281, '2012-10-31 13:08:32', '2012-10-31 18:08:32', '<h4>Check out this great interview with Author Mike Henry, Sr.:</h4>\n<h4><strong><em>Chapter Titles:  \"Instigating a Leadership Revolution\"  and</em></strong><strong><em> \"Respect\"</em></strong></h4>\n<h4>Mike Henry, Sr.<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/?attachment_id=7342\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7342\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7342\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mike-239x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"176\" /></a></h4>\nChief Instigator, Lead Change Group\n\nMike Henry is the founder and Chief Instigator of the Lead Change Group, a global community of leadership development professionals dedicated to instigating a leadership revolution by applying character-based leadership to make a positive difference.\n\nHe’s an initiator and a catalyst, connecting people and mobilizing change.\nMike is also a leadership development specialist and instigator who helps leaders at all levels gain perspective and accept responsibility for their job and for the big picture of the organization. He\'s also VP of Operations for a Tulsa-based technology service provider.  He challenges individuals and groups to lead through relationships regardless of their position or power in an organization. Mike loves to mobilize and energize leaders to overcome obstacles and deepen their character as the foundation for their leadership.\n\nAnd Mike enjoys connecting people through social media or face to face.\n\nConnect with Mike online –\nWebsite: <a title=\"Mike\'s Lead Change Profile\" href=\"/members/mike\">leadchangegroup.com/members/mike </a>| Twitter: <a title=\"Mike\'s Twitter profile\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leadership-asap/\">@mikehenrysr</a>\nLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/mikehenrysr | Just look for “mikehenrysr”!\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;\">Get your copy now at <a href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">characterbasedleader.com</span></a>, <a href=\"http://bit.ly/TheCharacterBasedLeader\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: blue;\">Amazon</span></a>, <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader at Barnes and Noble\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/two-sides-of-respect/\">Barnes &amp; Noble</a> or <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader on iTunes\" href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/character-based-leader-instigating/id557995419?mt=11\">iTunes</a></span></strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\">[powerpress]</p>\n&nbsp;', 'Mike Henry, Sr.:  The Character-Based Leader Co-Author Interview Part 1', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'mike-henry-sr-character-based-leader-co-author-interview-part-1', '', '', '2012-10-31 13:08:32', '2012-10-31 18:08:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7341', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17984, 282, '2012-10-23 06:20:41', '2012-10-23 11:20:41', 'But the obvious question that follows \"Why should I lead by my strengths?\" is then, \"So how do I do that?\"  I believe the question is answered by one of the greatest teachers on leadership ever, as He spoke about the \"HOW\" of Character Based Leadership. We find the plan laid out in another passage in the Bible, in Luke 10:25-28.  Jesus is speaking to one of the \"experts\" in his field about eternal life.\n\n\nNow, without making this a purely religious treatise, understand that in the first century, this concept of \"eternal life\" was not just something that began on a cloud after you drew your final breath.  It embodied the afterlife to be sure, but it also described the richest and most fulfilling quality of life that one could live this side of his or her own mortality.  It\'s critical that as you read the question and hear the answer to it that you understand \'eternal life\' in their understanding meant the best and the brightest for one\'s life here and now, as well as what came after this life was through.  The failure to recognize the answer being sought had implications for the present is to ignore half of the question that was posed.\n\nOne other important note... this Q &amp; A between Jesus and the \"expert life coach\" asking the questions is the preface to a story that may be much more familiar to many of us.  It\'s the story of the Good Samaritan.  It is this initial dialogue about living a Character Based Life that leads Jesus to share with us one of the greatest stories of all time regarding Character Based Leadership.  That\'s why we it was critical for His followers, and for us today, to understand the \"HOW\" of Character Based Leadership that He challenges them to.  So the stage is set... and here is the script.\n\n\"Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus. \"Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?\"  He(Jesus) answered, \"What\'s written in God\'s Law? How do you interpret it?\"  He (the scholar) said, \"That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.\"  \"Good answer!\" said Jesus. \"Do it and you\'ll live!\" (The Message translation)\n\nJesus is asked a question that it seems was intended to either embarrass, confuse or condemn Him, depending on how He answered it. But His mastery as a leader can be seen immediately in that He invites the scholar to answer his own question.  And in that answer we find the \"HOW\" of Character Based Leadership that serves as the essential next level to the \"WHY\" as it\'s taught regarding \"training up\" in the \"way they are bent.\"  His answer shows us the \"HOW\" and then He finishes this teaching by giving us an illustration of the \"HOW\" immediately following in the story of the Good Samaritan.\n\nFor us to be successful and to genuinely have the highest quality of life for us and those we impact,  what we do has to come from those FOUR CORE ELEMENTS of who we really are.  How we do what we do comes from our heart(emotions), our soul(spirit), our strength(physical) and our mind(mental).  As creatures we can act singularly within any one of these facets.  But we are complex beings, with all four of these inextricably woven together to make each of us uniquely who we are.  We live, we love, we lead best when we do them from all of the these- our heart, soul, strength and mind- these multifaceted dimensions that when combined, make us who we are.\n\nFor more information by Page Cole on Leading From Your Strengths, check out Chapter 6 in <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/The-Character-Based-Leader-Instigating-Revolution-One/dp/145751222X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1348943343&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=character+based+leader\">\"The Character Based Leader- Instigating a Leadership Revolution One Person at a Time\"</a> on Amazon.com!\n\nPhoto credit: <a href=\"http://www.gavrielshaw.com\"><strong>http://www.gavrielshaw.com</strong></a>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Jesus on Leading From Our Strengths', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'jesus-on-leading-from-our-strengths', '', '', '2012-10-23 06:20:41', '2012-10-23 11:20:41', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7449', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(17985, 245, '2012-10-30 06:10:10', '2012-10-30 11:10:10', 'When you look back on your career, how will you gauge your leadership success? Being a leader can be a thankless job. Some days, it’s hard to feel like anything positive is being accomplished, isn’t it?  It can be tempting to think that nobody notices and that your actions don’t really amount to much.\n\nWhy is that? It’s because we’re conditioned to “go for the gold.” Think about it – what do we see in the media, hear from motivational speakers and perhaps even our own mentors? Huge, grand gestures are held up as shining examples of leaders who “broke the mold,” “thought outside the box,” and “wrote the next chapter on innovation.”\n\nHere’s the challenge: The Go Big or Go Home meme messes with our heads. It says, “If it’s not a home run, then it’s not really noteworthy.” The truth is, those grand gestures are built on a foundation of smaller, daily choices. None of those quietly made decisions hit the front page of the Wall Street Journal, but they matter every bit as much as the heralded pinnacle of achievement.\n\nI believe if you are a <em>character-based leader</em>, you <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">are</span> making a difference, even if the evidence is sparse on a daily basis. The seeds of your leadership legacy are being planted every day, through the small, seemingly inconsequential choices you make. Those seeds may take months, or even years, to bear fruit. But they <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">are</span> there, ever-growing, taking root and preparing to bloom.\n\nCharacter-based leaders:\n<ol>\n	<li>Foster trust – they praise in public and coach in private.</li>\n	<li>Are humble – they eschew false modesty for the real thing, knowing that they are but one of many who make their organizational world go ‘round.</li>\n	<li>Operate with integrity – especially in the small, private moments of choice – knowing that the foundation of their character is built there.</li>\n	<li>Use their hearts to lead and their heads to manage – and understand the difference between the two.</li>\n	<li>Lead authentically – by having the courage to live their values.</li>\n	<li>Respect others for who they are – not for whether they “measure up” to an unpublished list of expectations.</li>\n	<li>Are comfortable in their skin - they don’t need to reinforce their own values by shooting down the values of others’.</li>\n	<li>Practice “professional intimacy” – the ability to be open to meaningful, emotionally accessible workplace conversations.</li>\n</ol>\nI’d love to hear from you – how do <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">you</span> gauge your leadership success? What are the measuring sticks that you use to help know if your leadership career was “worth it”?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<em>Want to know more about character-based leadership? The eight points listed above are drawn from the book The Character-Based Leader, which explores the concept of leading from who you are, not from your position of title or power. As a member of the Lead Change Group community, I contributed a chapter on trust-building to the book and invite you to learn more at <a href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com/\">characterbasedleader.com</a>. </em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\nPhoto credit: istockphoto.com\n\n&nbsp;', 'A Character-Based Leader Leaves a Powerful Legacy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'a-character-based-leader-leaves-a-powerful-legacy', '', '', '2012-10-30 06:10:10', '2012-10-30 11:10:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7477', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(17986, 277, '2012-11-03 08:01:23', '2012-11-03 13:01:23', '<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7579\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/mpb-leadchange-petephoto8-102612-300x282.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"282\" />We humans tend to evaluate others through the lens of our own best traits. For example, if you perceive yourself as kind, you will likely notice the trait of kindness in others. And you’ll quickly observe where kindness is lacking.\n\nI saw this every year when our firm (Hewitt Associates) was selecting new partners. We would ask every current owner to evaluate all the potential candidates for the year. The actuaries expressed enthusiasm for people who were detailed, accurate, timely in response, and thorough. They were often negative about people they perceived as showy, loose on details, or overly aggressive.\n\nOur business developers voted positively for people who could make a good presentation, work the room effectively at networking events, and close big deals. They frequently were more negative about “number crunchers” and “computer systems types” (their words, not mine).\n\nBoth groups limited their own opportunities by chronically devaluing traits they did not have personally and by using negative words when describing people not like them. Are you doing this unwittingly? And if you are, what effect does it have on your team’s morale and performance?\n<h3><strong>Two key observations</strong></h3>\nIn my years of coaching managers, I’ve noticed something intriguing. The most effective managers are keenly aware of both their strengths and their shortcomings, and they evaluate employees through <strong><em>both</em></strong> lenses. For example, suppose you find it hard to praise employees when only part of a job is well done. But you recognize one of your employees is a natural cheerleader, who can help co-workers celebrate things done well while gently correcting work that needs improvement. A good manager acknowledges the employee’s cheerleading talent and finds ways to channel it to help the team. He or she is willing to admit, “You are better than me at this. I want to learn from you, and I want to find opportunities for you to use this skill more.”\n\nLess flexible managers undervalue traits they are not personally good at. If they even notice the cheerleader, they wouldn’t automatically think about ways to harness that talent for the good of the organization. And often, there’s a blind spot that prevents the manager from consciously recognizing an employee’s strengths.\n<h3><strong>Do you have such a blind spot?</strong></h3>\nHere’s an exercise to find out:\n<ol>\n	<li>Complete the questionnaire at <a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a> (it’s free and you get a personal report with feedback on your current management approach).</li>\n	<li>Create a list of your employees. Across the top of the page, write a few areas you don’t feel strong in, based on the questionnaire results.</li>\n	<li>Think about each employee. Who excels in areas where you are weaker?</li>\n	<li>Answer honestly: do you regularly express appreciation when an employee is good at a skill that isn’t your strength? Or do you discount or minimize the importance of this skill? Have you observed this strength before?</li>\n	<li>Find a way to utilize each employee\'s talent, then acknowledge and appreciate it.</li>\n</ol>\nWatch what happens as you begin to embrace your employees more fully. Consider keeping a journal of your observations. You will likely notice improvements in morale, engagement, and team dynamics. And that’s a recipe for better business results.\n\np.s. I’d welcome hearing the insights you gain from this exercise. Hope you’ll share your thoughts and anecdotes in the comments section below (or email me at support@ManagingPeopleBetter.com).', 'Find Your Blind Spot: A Self-Reflection Activity for Managers', 'We humans tend to evaluate others through the lens of our own best traits. We often value people who have our same strengths and undervalue people who don’t. Are you doing this unwittingly? And if you are, what effect does it have on your team’s morale and performance?', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'find-your-blind-spot-a-self-reflection-activity-for-managers', '', '', '2012-11-03 08:01:23', '2012-11-03 13:01:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7578', 0, 'post', '', 11),
(17987, 303, '2012-11-01 13:10:57', '2012-11-01 18:10:57', 'Like me, you know that in order to be successful in life and business you have to develop resilience.  You are probably quite adept at being resilient in most parts of your life.  A friend of mine has this saying whenever things get tough.  “It’s character building.”  A bit of a clique, but unless you give up, that’s precisely what challenges do; build character.  I used to think she was being harsh until I grew up enough to realise that it’s more loving and kind not to reinforce a victim mentality.  The problem with believing you are a victim is that it strips you of all power, and any hope of reclaiming yourself.  <a href=\"http://www.peoplediscovery.co.uk/2012/10/25/when-trouble-hits-8-ways-to-develop-resilience-options-and-falling-up/\">Read More</a>', 'When Trouble Hits - 8 Ways to Develop Resilience, Options and &#034;Falling Up&#034;', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'when-trouble-hits-8-ways-to-develop-resilience-options-and-falling-up', '', '', '2012-11-01 13:10:57', '2012-11-01 18:10:57', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7598', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17988, 281, '2012-11-05 13:22:23', '2012-11-05 19:22:23', '<h4>Here\'s part 2 of Dan Rockwell\'s interview with Author Mike Henry, Sr.:</h4>\n<em>You can find Part 1 <a href=\"/mike-henry-sr-character-based-leader-co-author-interview-part-1/\">here</a>.</em>\n<h4><strong><em>Chapter Titles: \"Instigating a Leadership Revolution\" and</em></strong><strong><em> \"Respect\"</em></strong></h4>\n<h4>Mike Henry, Sr.<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/?attachment_id=7342\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7342\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7342\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mike-239x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"176\" /></a></h4>\nChief Instigator, Lead Change Group\n\nMike Henry is the founder and Chief Instigator of the Lead Change Group, a global community of leadership development professionals dedicated to instigating a leadership revolution by applying character-based leadership to make a positive difference.\n\nMike\'s chapter in the book is Respect: Bring Your Team to Life. He talks about the different ways that respect is demanded, given, and taken. How can respect play a role in the legacy of a character-based leader?\n\nHe’s an initiator and a catalyst, connecting people and mobilizing change. He loves to mobilize and energize leaders to overcome obstacles and deepen their character as the foundation for their leadership.\n\nAnd Mike enjoys connecting people through social media or face to face.\n\nConnect with Mike online –\nWebsite: <a title=\"Mike\'s Lead Change Profile\" href=\"/members/mike\">leadchangegroup.com/members/mike </a>| Twitter: <a title=\"Mike\'s Twitter profile\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leadership-asap/\">@mikehenrysr</a>\nLinkedin: linkedin.com/in/mikehenrysr | Just look for “mikehenrysr”!\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;\">Get your copy now at <a href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com/\" target=\"_blank\">characterbasedleader.com</a>, <a href=\"http://bit.ly/TheCharacterBasedLeader\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon</a>, <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader at Barnes and Noble\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/two-sides-of-respect/\">Barnes &amp; Noble</a> or <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader on iTunes\" href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/character-based-leader-instigating/id557995419?mt=11\">iTunes</a></span></strong></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"line-height: 14.25pt;\">[powerpress]</p>\n&nbsp;', 'Mike Henry Sr.: The Character-Based Leader Co-Author Interview Part 2', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'mike-henry-sr-character-based-leader-co-author-interview-part-2', '', '', '2012-11-05 13:22:23', '2012-11-05 19:22:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7592', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17989, 307, '2012-11-12 12:56:09', '2012-11-12 18:56:09', '\n<h2>How Did This Happen?</h2>\nWe were enjoying a breezy summer day in the Colorado mountains many years ago…\n\nOur team of teachers and high school students had just finished a rafting trip, changed into fresh clothes, and loaded up our convoy of vans to head out to our hotel.\n\nAnd I was leading.\n\nI confidently led our convoy out of the parking lot and onto a frontage road that ran parallel to the highway before crossing over and merging – or so I thought.\n\nWith the other drivers in tight formation behind me, I led the team up a hill, but as I crested the hill and began descending the other side, it looked like the road was narrowing.\n\nI slowed a bit, but kept going – we were in the mountains after all and roads aren’t always built perfectly.\n\nBut as I continued down the hill, the asphalt became just wide enough for one vehicle…until it took a sharp right and disappeared out of sight under the highway. And then I saw it… [<a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/2012/10/can-we-really-trust-you/\">Read More</a>]', 'Can We Really Trust You?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'can-we-really-trust-you', '', '', '2012-11-12 12:56:09', '2012-11-12 18:56:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7596', 0, 'post', '', 1);
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(17990, 318, '2012-11-13 13:32:35', '2012-11-13 19:32:35', '\n\nFailing happens.  Helping our teams to learn from failure can be one of the most vital aspects of our role as leaders.  Even when the situation seems devastating, how we show up can make a tremendous difference in someone\'s growth.\n\nJohn Maxwell talks about this well in \"<a title=\"Failing Forward\" href=\"http://books.google.com/books/about/Failing_Forward.html?id=jsYnPLniBtkC\">Failing Forward.\"</a> In fact, I have bought many copies of his work, and have shared them over the years when the time seemed right.   I have also used the concepts to help recover from my own mishaps.\n\nFailure is the key to success.  Many so-called \"failures\" are just steps along the journey.\n\n<strong>But what about when we really screw up?</strong>\n\nHere\'s my first big leadership memory on the subject.   It was over a decade ago.. a pivotal moment in my leadership development. It happened in my pajamas.  <a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2012/07/17/please-help-me-fail/\">Read more</a>', 'Please Help Me Fail:  Learning How to Fail Better', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'please-help-me-fail-learning-how-to-fail-better', '', '', '2012-11-13 13:32:35', '2012-11-13 19:32:35', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7660', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(17991, 256, '2012-11-15 06:29:28', '2012-11-15 12:29:28', 'I’m so glad the election and all the campaigning are over. Aren’t you?\n\nI thought it was especially brutal this year.  So much negative advertising.  So much vitriol.\n\nOne of the very few things I appreciated about the campaign was that each of candidates talked about their values.  During other times of the year, people may not be as open about what they deem important.\n\nDoes your organization regularly talk about their core values, the values that drive leadership and employee behaviors?  Or are they framed in your lobby in an ancient wooden frame, layered with an inch of dust?\n\nCould you recite the values off the top of your head?  So how do you know if your actions support them?\n\nValues should drive actions.  There should be consistency, conformity, congruency.  Company standards are born of them.  Policies should be rooted in them.  Every employees’ actions should reflect them.\n\nDo they?\n\nTake a moment today to read your corporate values statement.  (I hope you can easily find them!)  Ask yourself if your organization is living them.  Ask yourself if you, yourself, are upholding them.\n\nThink about your own values for a few moments too.  Are they in alignment?  Are there any deeply held values that you would need to sacrifice in order to follow the corporate values?  Will you be able to live with that…or yourself?\n\nConsider this great quote from Mahatma Gandhi.\n<blockquote>“Your beliefs become your thoughts,\n\nYour thoughts become your words,\n\nYour words become your actions,\n\nYour actions become your habits,\n\nYour habits become your values,\n\nYour values become your destiny.”</blockquote>\n<strong><em>What’s in your destiny?</em></strong>', 'Living Values.  Living Destiny.', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'living-values-living-destiny', '', '', '2012-11-15 06:29:28', '2012-11-15 12:29:28', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7684', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(17992, 335, '2012-11-16 12:54:57', '2012-11-16 18:54:57', 'The best leaders have a secret. It’s what enables them to outperform the rest. Do you know what it is? It’s probably not what you think.\n\nCertainly, great leaders are women and men of extraordinary vision who rally people to pursue a preferred future. The best leaders do more than cast a compelling vision — they do what Warren Bennis describes as turning intention into reality and sustaining it. They also earn the trust and respect of those they wish to lead. But none of these activities is what sets the best leaders apart from their peers.\n\n<a href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/11/15/what-great-leaders-know/\">Read more here...</a>', 'What great leaders know and do', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'what-great-leaders-know-and-do', '', '', '2012-11-16 12:54:57', '2012-11-16 18:54:57', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7693', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(17993, 265, '2012-11-26 11:06:19', '2012-11-26 17:06:19', '<blockquote>This is the second and final part in quick series called \'Deodorant\'. I hope with these simple ideas we can serve our organizations more effectively by recognizing that laws and policies don\'t have to stink. They can be written in a way that inspires and empowers people and defines the culture of your organization.</blockquote>\nWe\'ve all experienced the affect of crazy laws and policies in our nation and business. Where I live most of the main roads are wide, four lanes with an additional turn lane, yet the speed limit is only 35 mph. It keeps city revenue high and traffic moving at a leisurely pace, but on most mornings when it\'s just me and the open road 35 mph becomes that admirable suggestion I consider as my speedometer creeps past 46 or 47. By law I\'m set for failure.\n\nLaws &amp; policies - they\'re not the sexy salesmen that bring the rain or the brilliant engineer that invents the next disruptive, billion dollar technology. They are the guiding principles that define our culture and set the standard for how we do what we do. They don\'t often stand in the spotlight, but when written well they permeate every corner of our organization and become that intangible edge that separates Apple from Microsoft, Disney from Universal, and the Unites States of America from, well...everyone else.\n\nI love to play games. I love to win. I also have a rebellious streak that loves to push the limits of the status quo. \'No\' activates my gut reaction to find a way around the rules. Limitations, like speed limits, tempt me to see how far and fast I can go before someone tries to stop me. When playing games with my family I have as much fun trying to cheat without getting caught as I do trying to win. My gaming battle cry, \"Win if you can, lose if you must...always cheat!\"\n\nI\'ll bet you\'re the same way. Instead of living up to the spirit of the policy we live down to the letter of the law. We learn to use laws and policies to our best advantage and look for loopholes that give us the edge. It\'s why laws and policies need to be written well. They define the limits of our tolerance and the essence of our culture. They show us the shadows and shine the light on behaviors we appreciate.\n\nLast time we said laws and policies should:\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Protect the innocent</strong> - the naive, ignorant, &amp; those unable to protect themselves</li>\n	<li><strong>Punish the guilty</strong> - those who hurt someone else or the organization</li>\n	<li><strong>Manage the irresponsible</strong> - how we manage mistakes, the untrained or incompetent</li>\n	<li><strong>Promote a behavior</strong> - defines a culture, a worldview, our virtues, beliefs and practices</li>\n</ol>\nThis time we\'ll see four principles and one technique that can make our laws and policies a force for good rather than the frustrating bureaucracy they often become.\n\n<strong>SIMPLE\n</strong>It\'s impossible to write laws or policies to govern every situation. So don\'t try. Make it simple. In the Jewish tradition when God decided to write law He only needed 10 and those are far from wordy -  \"Don\'t steal. Don\'t murder. Honor your father and mother.\" Have you read the Constitution of the United States? It\'s strikingly simple in its language, yet the spirit of our nation is found within that document and we\'ve become the most prosperous people in history. With both of these examples it\'s only after time passes and people feel the need to add to the original, to narrowly define what the meaning of \'is\' is, that laws and policies get complicated, convoluted, and maddening. Start with laws and policies that are simple and resist the urge to try to control people with words on paper.\n\n<strong>UNDERSTANDABLE\n</strong>Complexity is the enemy of clarity and motivation. If you want people to live up to the spirit of your culture rather than down to the letter of the law, write policy in a way that is easy to understand, recognize, and repeat. As often as possible use words that empower responsibility rather than limit action. If I can\'t understand it, I won\'t do it; more than that, if I don\'t understand I have every excuse to do it my own way.\n\n<strong>ENFORCEABLE\n</strong>A law or policy that can\'t or will never be enforced is wasted energy. Don\'t bother to write it down or train people to follow it because they won\'t. They\'ll do what they think is best and feel guilty or clever. Either way, with every minor rebellion they become more disconnected from the spirit of your organization.\n\n<strong>REINFORCE YOUR CULTURE</strong>\nThere\'s a local grocer and restaurant chain in my area I do business with for one reason only - they produce a remarkable product. Other than that my every experience with them is unpleasant. Around the corner is Chick-fil-A. Their food is good, but in the end it\'s just another chicken sandwich. What sets them apart is my experience with them. It\'s always exceptional. Their employees are thoughtful and well-trained, their store spotless, their environment friendly. I say, \"Thank you.\" They say, \"My pleasure.\" I like their food. I love their culture. If the grocer around the corner would adopt a few of these principles, they would own the milk and ice cream market nationwide.\n\nYour laws and policies reinforce your culture. They define the behaviors you value or discourage. If you expect excellence write excellent policy.\n\n<strong>THE TECHNIQUE | Cast in, Call Out</strong>\nWhen laws and policies are written well they become the standard we aspire to achieve rather than the rules we try to break. As leaders and managers we can use these laws and policies to cast in and call out. We cast in character - the vision of <em>who we are, </em>the behaviors we intend to practice. We call out correction back to the heart. Rather than point to an arbitrary rule designed to limit possibilities we remind people of who they are, who they are trying to become, and what we\'re attempting to accomplish together. It sounds like this, \"Surely you won\'t continue doing that, not because of a rule we\'ve made, but because doing that doesn\'t fit with who I know you to be and what I know you want us to accomplish together.\"\n\nLaws and policies. They don\'t have to stink. They can be the standard that empowers responsibility.', 'Deodorant &#124; 4 Ideas to Take the Stink Out of Bad Laws &#038; Policies &#124; Pt. 2', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'deodorant-4-ideas-to-take-the-stink-out-of-bad-laws-policies-pt-2', '', '', '2012-11-26 11:06:19', '2012-11-26 17:06:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7613', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17994, 281, '2012-11-20 06:05:26', '2012-11-20 12:05:26', '<strong>In one hour this morning\'s news was filled with the following headlines with fallen leaders topping the storylines:</strong>\n\n\n\n<em>“A middle school principal arrested for domestic violence …”</em>\n\n<em>“NASCAR star Jeff Gordon loses his temper in a race and gets into a fight on the track”</em>\n<div>\n\n<em>“John McAfee (of anti-virus fame) wanted for the murder of his neighbor in Belize”</em>\n\n<em>“Lockheed Martin CEO ousted after having an affair with an employee”</em>\n\n<em>\"General Allen, a “Superstar Military Leader” linked to “inappropriate” emails”</em>\n\n<em> “General Petraeus (head of the CIA) guilty of an extra-marital affair, sex scandal\'”</em>\n\nYes, it’s shocking to see the dirty laundry of public heroes in their own right being aired in public, and perhaps that’s what makes the news.  Yet, it seems to be happening more often than ever before:  Leaders who are responsible for making decisions and who have such influence over so many lives making shockingly poor decisions for their own personal gain or satisfaction.\n\nWhich leads me to ask a different question ...\n\nWhy do we continue to be so shocked at the misbehavior and poor personal decisions of leaders compared to “regular” people who make the same poor decisions?\n\n<strong>Let’s start by asking:  <em>Whose problem is it?</em></strong>\n\nIs it the problem of the leader who, perhaps as a result of extraordinary success and accomplishment, develops any of the following belief systems:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Untouchable Syndrome:</strong> <em>\"I won’t get caught.”</em></li>\n	<li><strong>It Can’t Happen To Me Syndrome</strong>:  Similar to adolescent thinking when you tell your kids not to drink and drive so they don’t kill themselves or someone else and their response is … \"…that happens to other people, \'I<em>t won’t happen to me</em>.\'”</li>\n	<li><strong>Entitlement Syndrome</strong>: <em> \"I deserve to do what I want, who’s going to stop me?”</em></li>\n	<li><strong>Sociopath Syndrome</strong>:  <em> \"Not only do I not give a damn if my actions hurt others, what I tell myself to make it okay is I blame others or I deny I did it in the first place.”</em></li>\n</ul>\nMaybe it’s my problem … your problem…. The public’s problem.  I believe the first three syndromes I described above is what happens when people put leaders up on such a pedestal (or in the corner office in the Ivory Tower).  The last one is a diagnosis of a mental illness.\n\nResearch has proven that many highly successful leaders have strong sociopathic characteristics of charisma, confidence, the ability to communicate and to deceive and influence others into doing what they want.\n\nWhere does that leave us when it comes to deciding which behaviors are reinforced and which ones are discouraged and have serious consequences?\n\n<strong>Another option might be to manage our expectations of leaders and not set them up to fail.</strong>\n\nWhat if leaders had the resources and the tools from Day 1 to lead from character, with integrity, authenticity and a sense of responsibility to “do the right thing in every situation especially when no one is looking?”\n\nIn our society, our culture and within our organizations, we elevate leaders into such a distant place they are so far removed from the feedback they need to see quickly that their behavior is unacceptable.  Left unchecked, each time a leader “gets away” with making poor choices, his or her belief system gets reinforced, even rewarded.  Until it crumbles completely.  And even then I have seen leaders still hold onto their beliefs with white knuckles.\n\nPerhaps it’s time to stop being surprised that ordinary, everyday leaders, as well as extraordinary leaders, are human, fallible and susceptible to making very poor decisions and fail just like you and me.\n\nPerhaps it’s time to create cultures and organizations that allow, encourage, and reward leaders who are human.  To give them a way to “think out loud” and receive honest feedback from people who aren\'t “yes” men.\n\nThose of you who are Executive Coaches and reading this are probably nodding in agreement.  You have experienced being the trusted adviser who tells them what they need to hear, not necessarily want to hear.  Assisting leaders in making good personal and professional decisions that are in alignment with their values as well as those of the company and people in it is an art and a science. And, yes, it’s an asset every leader ought to have in their arsenal because the stakes are higher than ever.  .\n\nYet, until Executive Coaching becomes a staple in the C-Suite, and we can stop preaching to the choir, perhaps the only thing we can do is manage our expectations of our very human leaders, both ordinary and extraordinary.\n\nI wonder how the leaders listed above who were arrested, ousted, fired, forced to resign would answer, <strong><em>“What would have had to be in place for you to avoid being a news story today?”</em></strong>\n\n</div>', 'Leaders in the News: A reality TV show, a comedy of errors, or a Greek tragedy?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-in-the-news-a-reality-tv-show-a-comedy-of-errors-or-a-greek-tragedy', '', '', '2012-11-20 06:05:26', '2012-11-20 12:05:26', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7680', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(17995, 290, '2012-11-21 06:04:45', '2012-11-21 12:04:45', '&nbsp;\n\n<a title=\"Cynthia Montgomery - website\" href=\"http://cynthiamontgomery.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>The Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs</em></strong> by Cynthia A. Montgomery</a> brings purpose directly into strategy and illustrates the essential nature of it in developing a sound strategy. The two are closely linked and in a real, results-oriented way.\n<h2>Leading with Purpose and Strategy</h2>\n<blockquote><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7706\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/The-Strategist-212x300.png\" alt=\"The Strategist\" width=\"148\" height=\"210\" />“You and every leader of a company must ask yourself whether your strategy is a real system of value creation – a clearly defined purpose tightly backed by a set of mutually reinforcing parts.” (<em>The Strategist</em>, page 78)</blockquote>\n<a title=\"The Strategist – Bring Your Passion and Leadership\" href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/2012/08/23/the-strategist-bring-your-passion-and-leadership/\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Strategist</em></a> excels in driving purpose through in a way that is real, practical, and necessary to make strategies work. Here are four relevant elements of purpose in strategy, as defined by the author:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>“A good purpose is ennobling.”</strong> There needs to be a level of inspiration; it delivers meaning to the people in the organization and the work they do.</li>\n	<li><strong>“A good purpose puts a stake in the ground.”</strong> It defines what the organization will be and not be. It is about trade-offs.</li>\n	<li><strong>“A good purpose sets you apart; it makes you distinct.”</strong> It is not about generic descriptions – software company or non-profit organization. It is what makes the organization different from others and what may drive innovation and approach.</li>\n	<li><strong>“Above all, a good purpose sets the stage for value creation and capture.”</strong> It must create good economic outcomes.</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>The ultimate question is:</strong>\n<blockquote><strong><em>“If your company disappeared today, would the world be different tomorrow?”</em></strong> (<em>The Strategist</em>, page 56)</blockquote>\nThis is a tough, necessary question to answer and then lead from it and build a strategy on it.\n\n<em>The Strategist</em> delivers a strong message in a subtle way. The more you think about the concepts in the book, the more it challenges us in how we lead and why a <a title=\"Absorbed by Day-to-Day Challenges, Leaders Are Failing to Go to the Balcony Robbing Themselves, Their Organizations, and the World\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/absorbed-by-day-to-day-challenges-leaders-are-failing-to-go-to-the-balcony-robbing-themselves-their-organizations-and-the-world/\">purpose-filled strategy</a> is necessary.\n\nPurpose plays a core role in strategy, and we need to embrace it fully.\n<h2>What strategy books do you value in your leadership library?</h2>\n&nbsp;\n\n<em>Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations. </em>', 'Enabling Strategy with Purpose', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'enabling-strategy-with-purpose', '', '', '2012-11-21 06:04:45', '2012-11-21 12:04:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7705', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17996, 307, '2012-11-22 07:15:25', '2012-11-22 13:15:25', '\n<h2>Have You Been There?</h2>\nYou\'re at your desk, head pounding, anxiety gnawing deep in your gut.\n\nThe email you just received stares back at you from the screen and you:\n<ul>\n	<li>Worry that the problem in front of you is too big.</li>\n	<li>Are fearful that you\'ve screwed up and there\'s no saving it.</li>\n	<li>Are anxious that you\'re not up to the challenge.</li>\n	<li>Wonder if you\'ll never get the sales, revenue, or results you need.</li>\n	<li>Think that this time, \"they\" will finally realize you\'re a fraud.</li>\n</ul>\nIn short, you\'re scared.\n\nWe may use a bunch of other words to describe it, but our body knows these emotions as fear.\n\nEvery leader that\'s ever lived is familiar with these fears.\n\nThe leaders who succeed (and especially those who are part of a character-based leadership revolution) have found a way to take charge of these fears.\n\nAnd you can too.\n<h2>You Say You Want a Revolution?</h2>\nI\'ve often wondered why we continue to need a leadership revolution.\n\nI mean, seriously…for many years now, study after study have given us the same feedback about what teams need from their leaders and what makes a leader effective.\n\nAnd yet...employee disengagement continues to hover at 60-70%, we regularly experience poor leadership, and can all cite friends with horror stories.\n\nYou most likely know someone who complained about poor leadership as a team member, then went on to commit some of the same mistakes as a leader. Maybe you <em>are </em> that person.\n\nSo my question is simply this: if we know character-based leadership works (and I believe we have plenty of evidence that it does), why don\'t we see more of it?\n\nI believe there are several answers, but it comes down to two things: skills and fear.\n\nIf you don\'t have the skills, you can\'t use them. To get those skills, keep reading the Lead Change Group and our individual blogs. We live in an age where more leadership teaching is readily available than at any time in history!\n\nHowever, even when we have those skills, the character-based leadership revolution faces a significant challenge:\n\nFear.\n\nYou know what happens when you\'re insecure, fearful, and scared: you shut down and get defensive, or you get angry and lash out, or you get depressed and give up, or you… Well, you get the idea.\n\nWhen fear dominates your emotions, you do not serve your team well, and you certainly don\'t lead from a place of character.\n\nIf you\'re to succeed you have to manage those fears.\n<h2>How to Take Charge of Your Leadership Fears</h2>\n<img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-7709\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/open-hands-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" />\n<h4>a) Get perspective.</h4>\nWhen fears starts shutting you down, it becomes your entire world. You see everything through its dark veil. When that happens, there are two powerful ways to ease its grip.\n\nBoth help you regain perspective.\n<h6>1) Gratitude.</h6>\nIt does no good to tell yourself \"don\'t worry.\" It can help, however, to introduce some other emotions - and gratitude is a powerful one. Here is a short list of leadership gifts you can focus on:\n<ul>\n	<li>Anything anyone does for you is a gift. Your team has chosen to serve with you, to contribute their time, their talent, and their work. They don\'t have to. They choose to.</li>\n	<li>You impact the world every day. The way you treat people, the products and services you provide, the work you do - all of it makes a difference.</li>\n	<li>You have a team. You are not alone.</li>\n	<li>What you do will outlive you. The products or services you provide will eventually disappear, but what you do for people (both your team and customers) will continue long into the future.</li>\n	<li>The problem in front of you is an opportunity - to learn, to grow, to serve. You have this opportunity when many others do not.</li>\n</ul>\nWhen fear shuts down your perspective, focusing on one or two of these leadership gifts is often enough to regain your balance.\n<h6>2) Use Competing Problems</h6>\nThis is a powerful technique you can use to counter one of fear\'s most powerful effects:\n\nVictim-itis.\n\nWhen fear takes over, you forget you have choices, you feel trapped, and you become a victim. (And that\'s no way to lead!)\n\nTo counteract victim-itis, remember your choices.\n\nIf you\'re leading, you will have problems. You will always have problems. (That\'s not a choice.)\n\nHowever, you often DO get to choose which set of problems you want to have. Effective leaders don\'t spend time trying to avoid problems. Rather, they put their energy into working on the right set of problems - the ones that, once solved, get them closer to their goals.\n\nWhen you\'re scared, remember that you have choices. Often, the problem that had you scared in the first place is one you would willingly choose once you compare it to others.\n\nFor bonus points: picture yourself having resolved the problem you\'ve chosen. Think about how you got there and how it feels.\n<h4>b) What Can I Do?</h4>\nOnce you\'ve regained your perspective, it\'s time to move to responsibility. Nothing drives fear away faster than the realization that you have power in the universe and can actually do something.\n\nIt\'s a simple question: what can you do to solve the problem or accomplish the results you\'re looking for?\n\nIf the answer is, \"I don\'t know\" then maybe the real answer is to begin by getting some input from others, doing some research, etc.\n\nIn any event, when you take responsibility for yourself and what you can do, you\'ll discover fear losing its grip.<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/?attachment_id=7710\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-7710\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7710\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/pawn-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a>\n<h4>c) Do Something Impossibly Small</h4>\nYou\'ve regained perspective, you\'ve reclaimed your power, now it\'s time to act.\n\nBut I encourage you to start with something impossibly small. Something at which you can\'t fail. Something that takes 30 - 60 seconds.\n<ul>\n	<li>Email your team to schedule a meeting.</li>\n	<li>Create a file for the topic, take notes on the email, and put it in the file.</li>\n	<li>Call a trusted colleague to get their perspective.</li>\n	<li>Open a document or get a piece of paper and write down your next steps.</li>\n	<li>Jot down similar issues you\'ve encountered and what you did then.</li>\n</ul>\nWhen you take action, you build momentum. Your body begins to assume that it will continue doing what it\'s doing.\n\nAlmost without realizing it, that one small step turned into 3 or 4 more and before you know it, you\'re back at work.\n\nFear, while maybe not vanquished, is just along for the ride.\n<h2>Your Turn</h2>\nDespite your best intentions, insecurity and fear can quickly drive you back to the use of power and control rather than character and influence. When you take charge of your leadership fears, you\'re on your way to influencing everyone around you.\n\nAs a leader, what are you grateful for?\n\nHow do you maintain your perspective when fear threatens to shut you down?\n\nI\'d love to hear your answers in the comments below!\n\nTake care,\n\nDavid M. Dye\n\nCreative Commons Photo Credits: <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/ucumari/356615093/\" target=\"_blank\">No Fear</a> by Valerie, <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/kwerfeldein/2234720298/\" target=\"_blank\">Open Hands</a> by Martin Gommel, <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkamp/2429091134/\" target=\"_blank\">No Going Back</a> by Mariano Kamp', 'How to Take Charge of Your Leadership Fears', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'how-to-take-charge-of-your-leadership-fears', '', '', '2012-11-22 07:15:25', '2012-11-22 13:15:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7707', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(17997, 303, '2012-11-22 13:31:23', '2012-11-22 19:31:23', 'The beauty of social media is the ability to connect with many great people I wouldn\'t otherwise be able to, and my connections include many great USA citizens who are celebrating Thanksgiving Day this week.\n\nIn the UK the nearest we ever got to a Thanksgiving was when we used to celebrate our Harvest Festival.  When I was a child the Harvest Festival was a big deal at school.  The Harvest Festival was a form of thanksgiving where we celebrated the food we received and gave to those less fortunate of us.  (My mother regularly cleared out her “tins cupboard”, to pack me off to school, with my donation for the school hampers, they usually gave to the elderly and sick).  Now I may simply mix in the wrong circles, but it’s literally years since I heard about the Harvest Festival.\n\nWhen we were kids, my family were big on manners, and we were automatically taught to say “Thank you.”  It was the done thing, and if we violated this exercise in politeness, we were taken to task with a big frown.\n\nOf course as a child,  I didn\'t realise the significance of those words and why they are so important.  It took me years to stop being polite with my “Thank you’s” and to mean them with sincerity. Much of my growing awareness stemmed from my life simply not working.  I was tenacious enough to want to discover why.  One of the reasons it wasn’t working had a lot to do with my <em>polite</em> ”Thank you”  and here’s why.  <a href=\"http://www.peoplediscovery.co.uk/2012/11/21/12-reasons-to-say-thank-you-and-why-the-world-needs-it/\">Read More</a>...', '12 Reasons To Say Thank You And Why The World Needs It', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '12-reasons-to-say-thank-you-and-why-the-world-needs-it', '', '', '2012-11-22 13:31:23', '2012-11-22 19:31:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7716', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17998, 288, '2012-11-28 07:11:31', '2012-11-28 13:11:31', '<p align=\"left\">“There is only one way... to get anybody to do anything. And that is by making the other person want to do it.” – Dale Carnegie</p>\n<p align=\"left\">Whether you believe it or not, being a good leader requires more than telling others what to do. Successful <a href=\"http://www.dalecarnegie.com/events/confident_assertive_in_charge_developing_the_attitudes_of_leadership/\">leadership qualities</a> come from training, practice, and true effort. If you want your team to trust and support you and to work to their fullest potential, you will definitely want to take your role as a leader seriously. While being a leader is not always easy, it is one of the most important jobs and is a necessary role. Use the following tips to learn how to lead a strong team:</p>\n\n<ul>\n	<li>Always do what is best for the group. Being a leader at times means making decisions that might not make you the most popular but will ultimately help the team. Be willing to take risks in order to benefit the whole.</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Learn how to work with different personalities. Remember that each member of the team has unique qualities. Once you have <a href=\"http://www.dalecarnegie.com/events/dale_carnegie_course/\">effective communications skills</a> and can interact with different personalities, knowing how to motivate and get the best work out of every person on the team will be a simple task. A great leader possesses flexibility, patience, and open-mindedness. This will ultimately help your team reach its fullest potential.</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Along the same lines, leaders should not just tolerate different personalities but also celebrate them. Make an effort to show that you admire each team member’s personality because it truly does enrich and cultivate a better company culture.</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Utilize competition to gain cooperation and success. Friendly competition generates results. Leaders of strong teams keep the competition between the team and its own past results—not between individual team members. Make competition exciting and remember to keep competition friendly so that it generates healthy relationships within the team. If you are worried about utilizing completion, ask yourself this: “Who would you rather have working on your team—a competitive individual or someone who is simply satisfied with average results?”</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Always keep the lines of communication open. If you notice that members of your team tend to avoid others, it is your job to make sure everyone is on the same page. Once communication barriers are in place, teams can quickly create cliques with insiders and outsiders that will ultimately hurt the team. Look for ways to increase understanding and break down these potential barriers.</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Remember that each team member is there to contribute to the team’s goals and mission. Focus and work on results rather than tasks. By allowing team members to focus on successfully achieving results, they will enjoy their roles because they are able to show their unique strengths in their own way while still contributing to the overall team effort and goal.</li>\n</ul>', 'How to Lead a Strong Team Part II', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'how-to-lead-a-strong-team-part-ii', '', '', '2012-11-28 07:11:31', '2012-11-28 13:11:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7723', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(17999, 243, '2012-11-22 15:19:06', '2012-11-22 21:19:06', 'You hear a lot about strengths. I\'m a huge fan of the whole focus on strengths led by Marcus Buckingham &amp; Donald O. Clifton in their book, <a title=\"Now Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham &amp; Donald O. Clifton\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743201140/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0743201140&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=elevate-20\">Now Discover Your Strengths</a> and followed by Tom Rath and the Gallup folks with their books <a title=\"Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159562015X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=159562015X&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=elevate-20\">Strengthsfinder 2.0</a> and <a title=\"Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595620257/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1595620257&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=elevate-20\">Strengths Based Leadership</a> (by Rath with Barry Conchie).\n\nBefore this, as a people we concentrated for more than a generation on our weaknesses. The thought was, if we could  improve our weaknesses, we would be better. The study of <a title=\"Posts on Strengths | Lead Change Group\" href=\"/tag/strengths/\">Strengths </a>gave us the freedom to move forward, appreciate what we are uniquely gifted to do, and walk in those strengths.\n\nOn this Thanksgiving Day, as I consider things for which I\'m thankful, I decided this year I need to be thankful for my weaknesses. That\'s right. I\'ve never appreciated my weaknesses more than I do today. (And I may not be so happy about them tomorrow either, so I figured I\'d write some of this down.) I can think of 4 reasons I\'m grateful for weaknesses\n<h2>4 Grateful Attitudes toward Weakness</h2>\n<strong>Weaknesses make me dependent on others.</strong> Without my weaknesses, I would never notice the truly great strengths in others. When I\'m as objective as I can be, people who are truly gifted at the things I do cause me to express gratitude to be around people better than me. We all need people who are better than we are. Our proper dependence on others (not co-dependence) makes us better.\n\n<strong>Weaknesses make me empathetic of others.</strong> Were it not for my own weaknesses, I\'d judge you. I\'m way too quick to judge and criticize others when they are weak where I might be strong. Judgment separates. Strength comes through unity. Weaknesses remind me that no one is perfect, including me, and that makes me more understanding, more credible, and more of a team player.\n\n<strong>Weaknesses make me remember my place.</strong> Almost as an extension of the empathy point above, no one attracts others when they think more highly of themselves than they should. At our most arrogant, we\'re also our most repulsive, or at least I am. When I understand where I fit in relation to others and the rest of the world, I\'m most productive. My energy doesn\'t create collateral damage in others. My passion fits, elevates and enables others. \"We\" (the global, community \"we\") become more productive when we\'re each energized by the passion of others. I can\'t bring my energy to any relationship without offending others unless I accurately know my place.\n\n<strong>Weakness makes me strong.</strong> When \"WE\" are strong, I am strong. In fact, I\'m never stronger than when I\'m united with strong people. People won\'t share their strength in an environment that is void of trust. Gratitude for others\' strengths make me someone they\'ll join and as a result, I am stronger. The stronger the people are to which I\'m rightly connected, the stronger I am. (Note: for Christians, see how this applies to our relation to Christ in 2 Corinthians 12:9 \"... power is perfected in weakness.\")\n<h2>Weakness Creates Teams</h2>\nWeakness makes me someone others will join. Great leaders are joined, not followed. Weaknesses enable <a title=\"Posts on Sincerity | Lead Change Group\" href=\"/tag/sincerity\">sincerity</a>, <a title=\"Posts on Humility | Lead Change Group\" href=\"/tag/humility\">humility</a>, empathy, <a title=\"Posts on Gratitude | Lead Change Group\" href=\"/tag/gratitude\">gratitude</a> and <a title=\"Posts on Trust | Lead Change Group\" href=\"/tag/trust\">trust</a>; 5 keys to building great teams. There\'s nothing like being a part of a winning team.\n\nI\'m grateful for my friends and family who have sacrificed to give me the freedom to be involved in Lead Change. I\'m grateful for your time in reading this post. I\'m grateful to all of the very strong people from all over the world with whom I\'ve connected. And I\'m grateful for what you\'ve shared and the opportunity we\'ve shared to make the world better. Thank you.\n\nWhat about you? Would you take a minute to share what you\'re thankful for?  Or do you have some other reasons we should be grateful for weaknesses?  Please add your comments below. Discussion makes us all better. Thanks for your participation.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo © Brocreative - Fotolia.com</span>', 'Gratitude for Weakness', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'gratitude-for-weakness', '', '', '2012-11-22 15:19:06', '2012-11-22 21:19:06', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7726', 0, 'post', '', 9),
(18000, 323, '2012-11-29 07:08:34', '2012-11-29 13:08:34', 'Employees leave.  That\'s about as guaranteed as death and taxes.  Almost as equally guaranteed is the use of the exit survey.\n\nHR departments seek feedback from exiting employees on their employment experience. Some conduct live interviews. Some, electronic surveys. Some, both. Whatever the mode for collecting feedback, HR wants to know what worked, what didn\'t work, what motivated them to leave, what could have influenced them to stay.\n\nMost exit surveys will provide space for the departing employee to provide open-field commentary on a variety of employment subjects.  It is in these sections where we often learn about their leaders; the good, the bad and the ugly are revealed.\n\nI reviewed the combined results of multiple exit surveys recently and was stricken by the range of responses about the ex-employees\' leaders, from scathing criticism to hearty praise.\n\nAs I flipped through the positive and negative comments from these former employees I wondered if their leaders would be surprised by their reviews, or expecting them.  And for those comments that were dripping with disapproval, I wondered if those leaders could have saved that employment relationship if only they had been alerted sooner.\n\nIf you work in leadership it is likely you are familiar with the assertion that employees leave their managers, not their companies.  The claim is you may work for the greatest company in the world, but if your manager is lousy you are not long for the door.  Whether backed by scientific research, personal experience, or gut, most agree this claim is true.\n\nBut if we are blind to how our leadership style is distressing an employee, then we are not in a position to fix things.  As a result, we lose good people.  And let\'s face it, we all have blind spots.  We may think everything is coming up roses, but in reality our employees are only feeling the thorns.\n\nIn his oft-quoted book, <em>The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</em>, Stephen Covey suggests that we \"begin with the end in mind.\" In that spirit I offer this simple four-step strategy for avoiding the exit survey blind-side, and keeping good people:\n\n<strong> <em>1. Plan what you want the exit survey to say</em></strong>\n\nThis step is in the same vein as planning your legacy, or what you want carved on your tombstone.  You choose for yourself, but here’s an example of what I’d like to see on my employees’ exit surveys:\n<ul>\n	<li>He trusted me to do good work</li>\n	<li>He challenged me and made be better</li>\n	<li>He made me feel great about my contributions</li>\n	<li>He asked for my input and made me feel in on things</li>\n	<li>We accomplished a lot with his leadership</li>\n	<li>I hope to lead like him</li>\n</ul>\nWrite your plan down, then share it with your employees.  Say, “If you leave my team someday, this is what I’d like for you to be able to say about your experience working with me.  If now, or at any point in the future, you feel I’m not worthy of these remarks, please tell me.”\n\n<strong><em>2. Create an environment where employees can tell you anything</em></strong>\n\nMany unhappy employees will wait for the exit survey for their chance to bear their souls.  They think there is no retribution for doing so, as there may have been while on the job, so they spill.  Well, that’s too late.\n\nIn step 1 you ask the employees to tell you if you’re not living up to your plan.  But if the environment you\'ve created is not conducive to that kind of upward feedback, then you have more work to do.\n\nWhen employees offer their sincere feedback, reply with a genuine “thank you, let me think about that a bit” and then go away to self-reflect on what they said.  You may ask follow-up questions to better understand their points.  But do not disagree or offer an excuse.  That is equivalent to saying “Thank you, but your opinion is incorrect.”  By doing so, we send cues that we do not in fact appreciate or want their inputs, and soon after we’ll stop receiving them.\n\nIn reality this step is not a \'gimme,\' because it comes down to style and a little luck.  No matter how open and accepting you are, some employees will simply not tender their reviews.  In all cases, and especially when they’re tight-lipped, try step 3.\n\n<strong><em>3. Ask for targeted feedback </em></strong>\n\nWhen seeking our employees\' feedback we have to be specific.  By asking “what feedback do you have for me” we leave things open-ended and hear “nothing, everything is fine” in return. This is like throwing a dart in the air and hoping it hits a target, any target.\n\nWe get a little closer when we ask “what can I do better,” but we still miss the mark.  This is like throwing a dart in the direction of a dartboard with our eyes closed.\n\nIf we want to hit the target and obtain some real actionable input, we must to give our employees something to work with.  If I asked you right now, you’d probably be able to offer up at least one of your leadership behaviors that you suspect is not working well with your employees.  Perhaps you think you’re lousy at running meetings.  Or maybe you’re awful at giving directions on new tasks.  Whatever it is, hang that up as your target and ask your employees to take aim.\n\nSay, “One area where I think I can do better is giving directions on new tasks.  What has been your experience with this?”  This targeted question gives your employees permission to have an opinion and focuses their thoughts on something they know about.  In return, you get valuable input, they feel safe offering it, and they’re likely ready to spill on other leadership issues.\n\n<strong><em>4. Get the exit survey results and check on the gaps</em></strong>\n\nOnce you have steps 1 through 3 running like clock-work you need to check your results.  Despite your excellent leadership, you are still likely to lose employees.  Remember: death, taxes, and turnover…\n\nFirst chance you get, ask HR for the results of the exit survey.  If some or all of the results don\'t line up with your plans from step 1, rinse and repeat.  If they do line up, rinse and repeat anyway.  Because we can never stop improving.\n\nThis strategy isn’t foolproof, and it won\'t work for everyone.  But it is worth a try, because the exit survey is the last place where we want to discover leadership issues that could have been handled with a little awareness.\n\n<em>What would you like your employees’ exit surveys to say about you?</em>\n&nbsp;\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo from jeaniblog - pxleyes.com</span>', 'What Employees Will Say About You On the Exit Survey', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'what-employees-will-say-about-you-on-the-exit-survey', '', '', '2012-11-29 07:08:34', '2012-11-29 13:08:34', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7730', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(18001, 306, '2012-12-03 06:39:00', '2012-12-03 12:39:00', 'Sustainability gets a lot of attentions these days... and rightly so. As a society, we’re bringing greater consciousness to the preservation and endurance of the environment, energy, and more.\n\nYet, there’s one precious natural resource that rarely gets the same attention. And for too many people, it’s reaching dangerous depletion levels.\n\n<strong>How sustainable is the personal energy you bring to the focus you deploy against your goals, mission, and purpose in life?</strong>\n\nThroughout our upbringing, school and work experiences, many successful individuals have learned and honed a potentially destructive form of focus: the forced and fierce variety. You may recognize it as a sense of intensity and drive that propels you forward toward your goals... and toward complete burn-out.\n\nBe honest...what does focus feel like to you? If you’re like most, the following words and phrases might come to mind:\n<ul>\n	<li>Determination</li>\n	<li>Discipline</li>\n	<li>Force of will</li>\n</ul>\nI know for myself that despite how joyful my goals might be, it frequently feels like a forced death march toward achieving them. (And forced death marches by their very nature are totally unsustainable.)\n\n<strong>What if we could cultivate a sustainable, softer - not harder - focus?</strong>\n\nThis is not an argument for becoming lazy or sitting around waiting for your goals and purpose to take care of themselves. Instead, it’s an invitation to find the place within you where joy, receptivity, fun, and lightness can actually clear the way and enable the rigor and persistence required to see your results through.\n\nAnd here is the key... based upon interviews with leaders who have successfully navigated the good and bad, the ups and downs to achieve long-term goals: They figured out how to elevate the path they were on or process they were going through to the same level as the purpose or the goal they were pursuing.\n\n<strong>When will we understand that the ends don’t justify - or sustain - the means?</strong>\n\nMany of our goals are big and, let’s face it, there’s no guarantee that we’ll be here to see them realized. But even when we are, achievement is SO fleeting. We cross the finish line in the blink of an eye... so we’d better have something to show for it in terms of pleasure along the way.\n\n<strong>What can you do to make sure that you’re bringing joy to the journey... that the process delivers as much pleasure as realizing the purpose?</strong>\n\nSustainability of your personal energy and focus frequently comes down to ‘small stuff’ that yields big results:\n<ul>\n	<li>Intentionally sprinkle the activities you enjoy into every day.</li>\n	<li>Spend time with the people who make you smile.</li>\n	<li>Celebrate the little things.</li>\n	<li>Routinely step back and away from the work associated with achieving your purpose.</li>\n	<li>Take up a hobby. Have some fun. (“Wasting” a little time is frequently exactly the softness you need to be able to focus clearly and stick with your goals even longer.)</li>\n</ul>\nYour purpose and goals are important. Not just to you... but to a world that’s waiting for and needs your contributions and achievements. As 2012 comes to a close and the new year offers a fresh start, consider resolving to replace burn out with an approach that will keep burning strong over the long-haul of your life.\n\nFocus softly and bring sustainability to your own precious natural energy resource.\n\nPhoto credit: Liz Price and www.freedigitalphotos.net', 'Sustainability and Focus', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'sustainability-and-focus', '', '', '2012-12-03 06:39:00', '2012-12-03 12:39:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7736', 0, 'post', '', 5);
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(18002, 243, '2012-12-02 16:43:08', '2012-12-02 22:43:08', '<em>This is the first post in a series on the origins of Lead Change.  A list of all of the posts along with an explanation of the series can be found here.</em>\n\nEarly in <a title=\"Tribes at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591842336&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=elevate-20\">Tribes, by Seth Godin</a> there is a section titled The Opportunity, onpage 8 of my copy. Seth Godin mentions how there are tribes everywhere and they are all looking for leadership. \"The question isn\'t Is it possible for me to do that (lead)? Now, the quest is, Will I choose to do it?\"\n\nMy initial thoughts on Twitter when I first started using it to connect with people, was that it appeared that 30 or so people, acting in unison, could form a significant critical mass on the Internet. The tools, like Twitter made crowd sourcing and influence much easier.\n\nGodin made the connection between marketing, the practice of influencing people to purchase certain products; and leadership, which is influencing people to adopt ideas and to change behaviors.\n<blockquote>\"This book says something new. Everyone is not just a marketer - <em>everyone is now also a leader.</em> (emphasis Godin\'s) The explosion in tribes, groups, covens, and circles of interest means that anyone who wants to make a difference can.\"</blockquote>\nI began to follow people who were writing and sharing about leadership. And I clicked the button to form the <a title=\"The Lead Change Group on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://bit.ly/LeadChange\" target=\"_blank\">Lead Change Group on LinkedIn</a> for the purpose of applying leadership to make a positive difference. I decided to try the very thing he was suggesting. I decided to see if I could make a difference.\n\nWhat about you? Have you tested, really pushed the idea that you can make a difference? Share your ideas below. Take a minute and share this post or do what you can to start making the difference you were made to be. Join Lead Change. Share someone\'s post. Do something different today. Tony Robbins said \"If you do what you\'ve always done, you\'ll get what you\'ve always gotten.\"\n\nTake some action and share it with us. Do it right now! If you wait, you may never do it. Don\'t let the cement of this moment set without making a handprint! Do it now!\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo @ Glenys Gustin iStockPhoto</span>', 'The Opportunity - Origins of Lead Change Group Part 1', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-opportunity-origins-of-lead-change-group-part-1', '', '', '2012-12-02 16:43:08', '2012-12-02 22:43:08', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7759', 0, 'post', '', 9),
(18003, 307, '2012-12-04 09:08:18', '2012-12-04 15:08:18', '\n<h2>Oops</h2>\nI knew Gary wasn’t happy.\n\nEarly in my career, when I first began leading team-leaders, one of them was clearly struggling – he looked frustrated, sounded frustrated, and it didn’t take a genius to know something was bothering Gary.\n\nSo I asked if I could buy him lunch and hear what was on his mind.\n\nAs we ate, he began sharing complaint after complaint…he’d been disrespected and abused by a senior manager, his team wasn’t doing as well as he hoped, he wasn’t sure the company’s vision matched his own…and so on.\n\nGary had appreciated my invitation to lunch and the opportunity to be heard.\n\nBut as he started sharing his concerns, I couldn’t stand it…\n\nHe was only halfway through his first issue before I interrupted and started “helping.” I offered solutions, tried to help him see the issue or person differently, or pointed out where he might be responsible.\n\nFinally, he looked at me and said, “David! You asked me how I was feeling and what’s bothering me…quit arguing. I’m just trying to tell you how I feel.”\n\nI could have helped Gary, but I wasn’t able to.\n\nThe good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way… [<a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/2012/11/5-tips-to-avoid-a-critical-leadership-mistake/\">Read More</a>]', '5 Tips to Avoid a Critical Leadership Mistake', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-tips-to-avoid-a-critical-leadership-mistake', '', '', '2012-12-04 09:08:18', '2012-12-04 15:08:18', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7720', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18004, 322, '2012-12-04 07:10:33', '2012-12-04 13:10:33', 'Leadership has always involved helping others see the big picture and leading through change. Most leaders don’t effectively do either. They talk about it and explain it, but to change someone’s behavior  usually involves changing their situation. When you try to change things, you are tinkering with behaviors that have become automatic. In order to change behaviors, you have to figure out which behavior to change. Chip and Dan Heath’s book <em>Switch</em> paints a vivid picture and gives many examples of how this is done.\n\nEveryone has a Rider and an Elephant. The Rider is rational, thinks, and plans long term. However, the Rider can also over analyze and over think situations. The Elephant gets things done and has energy. However, the Elephant is lazy, skittish, and looks for a quick payoff (Eating Ice Cream) instead of long term pay offs (Being Thin).\n\nThere are 3 parts to help make the Switch:\n\n<em>Direct the Rider</em>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Follow the Bright Spots</strong>- Investigate what’s working and clone it</li>\n	<li><strong>Script Critical Moves</strong> – Don’t think big picture, think in terms of specific behaviors</li>\n	<li><strong>Point to the Destination</strong> – Change is easier when you know where you’re going and why it’s worth it</li>\n</ul>\n<em>Motivate the Elephant</em>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Find the Feeling</strong>- Knowing something isn’t enough to cause a change. Make people feel something.</li>\n	<li><strong>Shrink the Change</strong>- Break down the change until it no longer spooks the elephant.</li>\n	<li><strong>Grow Your People</strong> – Cultivate a sense of identity and instill the growth mindset.</li>\n</ul>\n<em>Shape the Path</em>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Tweak the Environment</strong>- When the situation changes, the behavior changes. So change the situation.</li>\n	<li><strong>Build Habits</strong>- When a behavior is habitual, it’s “free”- it doesn’t tax the Rider. Look for ways to encourage habits.</li>\n	<li><strong>Rally the Herd</strong>- Behavior is contagious. Help it spread.</li>\n</ul>\nBehaviors are contagious at the individual, group, and societal levels. The Elephant constantly looks to the herd for cues. Every herd watches how the leader reacts in every situation. How you deal with those situations depends on how the rest of the herd responds. Change isn’t an event; it is a process.\n\nHow do you effectively lead through change and help mold behaviors?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\nContent from this post from the book<em> Switch</em> by Chip and Dan Heath', 'Are You Flipping the Switch as a Leader?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'are-you-flipping-the-switch-as-a-leader', '', '', '2012-12-04 07:10:33', '2012-12-04 13:10:33', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7734', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18005, 290, '2012-12-05 07:12:16', '2012-12-05 13:12:16', '<strong>Just how good of a leader are you?</strong> A quick test may be how well you are “leading” with your teenage son or daughter.\n\nLeading as a parent is one of the most challenging, purpose-filled jobs we have. Maybe it is just me, but parenting changes when your child is in the middle of those teen years. When they were younger, we could just tell them what to do, and they acted without too much fuss. When they were younger, they looked up to us almost with admiration.\n\nWell, something happens to our child around the age of 16, and we change, too. We shift from an autocratic leadership model to a coaching one.\n\n<strong>Here’s what I mean.</strong> Leading teens becomes about four key things:\n<ol>\n	<li>Setting boundaries</li>\n	<li>Upholding accountability</li>\n	<li>Guiding, not telling</li>\n	<li>Inspiring</li>\n</ol>\n<h2><strong>Let’s explore each.</strong></h2>\n<h3><strong>Setting boundaries</strong></h3>\nMicro-managing is out. It is about setting the expectations and giving them room to explore, learn, stumble, and succeed. Boundaries aren’t overly restrictive, but there are certain standards and principles that must be maintained. Communicating these clearly is essential.\n<div>\n<div>In essence, this is not telling them what to do or how to act. It is telling them that they have the freedom to do things within certain guidelines. Imagine these as the bumper pads in a pinball machine; it helps keep the ball in play without going completely out-of-bounds.\n<h3><strong>Upholding accountability</strong></h3>\nGoing hand-in-hand with the boundaries is accountability. If the expectations are not met, then there is a consequence. Something is lost. There is a price to pay for ignoring standards and doing things that betray defined principles. This is about integrity and trust. When broken, there is a consequence, as well as a time of healing and learning.\n\nAs leaders, we need to not shy away from holding them accountable. Accountability is the linchpin that makes boundaries and standards work.\n<div>\n<h3><strong>Guiding, not telling</strong></h3>\n<div>With boundaries and accountability set, we can coach and mentor. We drop hints and suggestions. We listen. We guide. We offer thoughts and insights when asked. We don’t get in their way by telling and directing. The boundaries and accountability consequences provide the bar to live up to. As tempting as it might be to tell, we need to hold it back. Learning and growing is about trial-and-error. The extent of the trials and errors may be held – <em>hopefully</em>– in-check by the defined expectations and consequences.\n<h3><strong>Inspiring</strong></h3>\nWe cannot underestimate the power of inspiration. It isn’t always lofty stuff. It is the why, what, and how we do certain things. Are we setting a purpose-led example? A spiritual and gratitude aspect needs to be present in our actions and conversations.\n\nIn addition to these things, we need to expose them to inspirational thoughts, programs, speakers, and events. We never know what <a title=\"What Are Soul Sparks?\" href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/2011/10/24/what-are-soul-sparks/\">spark will light a fire within</a>, so we need to expose them to different opportunities to be inspired.\n\n<strong>Above all, set a good example. </strong>\n\nAll that we do – with our spouse, our neighbors, and our work – is being watched for inconsistencies or opportunities to question. We need to lead with full integrity in all we do and say. They are watching closely. We need to set a <a title=\"Character-based Leadership in Real Life\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/character-based-leadership-in-real-life/\">sound example</a>.\n\nWe can hope the Mark Twain effect happens:\n<blockquote><strong>“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished by how much he\'d learned in seven years.”</strong></blockquote>\n<h2><strong>The Teen Test of Our Leadership</strong></h2>\nLeading teens tests our leadership skills. How we do leaves a legacy, so we need to do our best. Each of these lessons needs to be applied in our work, too. If we cannot pass these four leadership principles in our work, then we may be failing in more than one place.\n\nThis is more than a test. It is a challenge to lead with boundaries and expectations defined, accountability maintained, guidance rather than detailed instruction, and inspiration wrapped around it all.\n<h3><strong><em>What principles would you add that you have learned from raising or working with teens? Please add your insights below.</em></strong></h3>\n&nbsp;\n\n</div>\n</div>\n</div>\n</div>', 'The Teen Test for Your Leadership Skills', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-teen-test-for-your-leadership-skills', '', '', '2012-12-05 07:12:16', '2012-12-05 13:12:16', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7755', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(18006, 266, '2012-12-06 07:23:20', '2012-12-06 13:23:20', '<div>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n</div>\nDan Rockwell wrote a blog a short time ago entitled “<a href=\"http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/overcoming-the-downside-of-pursuing-excellence/\">Overcoming the Downside of Excellence</a>” in which he said, “Participants, on the other hand, build the future by offering insightful evaluations coupled with positive suggestions.\n\n<strong>Momentum:</strong>\n“Should have” ties to the past. “Next time” maintains momentum.\n\n<strong>Bonus tip:</strong>\n“What worked” and “What didn’t work” is better than “What went wrong?”\n\nThis is the beginning of de-constructive conflict, a type of conversation that holds that there is rarely an absolute right or wrong way to do things, and recognizes that no two people see things exactly the same way. It creates <strong><em>a context for learning</em></strong> that criticism rarely does, even when it is given kindly.\n\nMost of us think our only choice in giving feedback is criticism – destructive when given poorly – constructive when given with good intent. In fact, most performance management is based on constructive criticism, and can be quite demoralizing. Yes, demoralizing – we’ll talk about that in a minute. Either type of criticism makes the assumption that the leader/manager is the only one with the right answer, and it is their job to give the employee all the information they need to do the job. The employee’s only job is to listen, not ask questions, and do what they are told. In our educational system, this is called the transmission model (and that’s a blog for another day).\n\nWhen you accept and believe these assumptions as leaders, you lose out on one of the best aspects of being in collaboration with your team members.\n<ul>\n	<li>You lose the opportunity to learn from your co-workers.</li>\n	<li>You continue to live inside the four walls of your box, making no effort to expand your understanding, or shorten the walls so that you might actively look for someone else’s perspective.</li>\n	<li>You have a tendency to think others who disagree with you are just being disruptive, defensive, or they love to stir the pot.</li>\n	<li>Substandard behavior may begin to show up, resulting in a fear of giving feedback, a tendency to hold people to your personal preferences, and perhaps you begin to label others as agitators, stupid, or incapable.</li>\n</ul>\nSo, here is where we get to the demoralizing part – for everyone. Employees begin to disengage. They stop thinking or making independent decisions or judgments on their own. Often they only do exactly what they are told.  Leaders begin to think they are responsible for everything and they are no longer able to function as a leader.\n\nNow that we know we don’t like criticism – in any shape or form – here is what deconstructive conflict can do for you!\n<ul>\n	<li>It creates a framework and environment designed to create learning, rather than shame.</li>\n	<li>It allows us to explore the assumptions of all parties, and determine what significance they are attaching to what they see, hear, feel, touch, and even smell.</li>\n	<li>When we operate from a sense of adventure and openness, everyone gets to learn, not just the person(s) we are speaking with.</li>\n	<li>Creating an environment designed to create learning, allows us to see each other responding authentically, and with integrity. We are all making choices and share thoughts and ideas that express who we are, not who someone wants us to be.</li>\n	<li>When we are participating in this type of feedback mechanism, we recognize that none of us may have the correct answer, or we all do, or one of us does – but we come to that realization together.</li>\n	<li>When you are the person starting the feedback communication, you get to admit that you don’t understand given what you know about the situation. And, you get to ask for help in understanding! This shows everyone concerned that you respect yourself, you respect them, and while you are cautiously holding to your own viewpoint, you are honestly seeking clarity so that you (or both) might change your mind(s).</li>\n</ul>\nHere is my question for the day. I would love to hear from you, especially if you would like to give me feedback!\n<p align=\"center\"> <strong><em>Where are you presented with opportunities to utilize this different form of feedback?</em></strong></p>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<address>Photo credit: Copyright (c)<a href=\"http://www.123rf.com\"> 123RF Stock Photos</a></address><address> </address>', 'Leadership Perspectives: A Better Form of Feedback', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-perspectives-a-better-form-of-feedback', '', '', '2012-12-06 07:23:20', '2012-12-06 13:23:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7766', 0, 'post', '', 11),
(18007, 270, '2012-12-07 07:12:47', '2012-12-07 13:12:47', '\nOn Sunday, our church choir and an orchestra filled an entire service with Christmas carols.  As they sang songs that I cherish, I was hit with a sudden realization that there are parts of the world where people are not allowed to sing those songs, or to come together and hear them.  …I choked, I tried to clear my throat, I fought tears and then I cried.  (Partially because I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness for what I have and partially because I was so overwhelmed with grief about what others don’t have.)\n\nMonday I read a blog post by Dan McCarthy about <a title=\"A Manager\'s Guide to Crying at Work\" href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2012/11/a-managers-guide-to-crying-at-work.html\">crying in the workplace</a> and was reminded that tears are a <em>human</em> condition and immediately felt thankful for his insights.\n\nWednesday I visited with a single mom that recently had her car break-down.  It is her only mode of transportation and she needs it to get from her home to work.  It is Christmas and she wants to be able to provide a special season for her son.  …And she cried.\n\nLater in the day I visited with someone that has been EXTREMELY busy caring for others for months, someone who is worn out and suddenly faced with several additional life-altering situations.  ...And she cried.\n\nTonight as I am thinking about how much I love the lights, the sounds, and the smells of the Christmas season, I am also thinking of three families that have lost loved ones this year, of single moms that can’t afford the basics, and of people that don’t have the freedom to choose how they celebrate Christmas.\n\nAnd I’m wondering…   What can I do to make a difference for those that are struggling?  ….And how can I remember to pause and really SAVOR all that I have?\n\nHow about you?  ...What brings you to tears this season?  Is there someone in your life that needs you right now?  Are there blessings in your life that you\'ve been taking for granted?  What are you going to do about it?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPhoto credit: istockphoto', 'The Holidays and Tears', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-holidays-and-tears', '', '', '2012-12-07 07:12:47', '2012-12-07 13:12:47', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7782', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(18008, 303, '2012-12-11 07:36:10', '2012-12-11 13:36:10', 'At the beginning of the year, the Regional Director had asked me to stay behind at a meeting where I had been voicing my opinion about why a major learning project hadn’t delivered. He proceeded to give me and a colleague the task of getting the project back on track in the next 12 months.\n\nI was delighted, I had worked well with my colleague in the past and we worked well together.  Our line manager was very supportive.  The Regional Director had already cleared our involvement with him.  We developed a programme, with clear deliverables.\n\n\n\nDuring those 12 months, we worked hard, were a great team and loved every minute of it.  We were making a real difference, and we knew it.   At the end of the time, we almost skipped into the Regional Director’s office with the results which were impressive.  Of course, he already knew, the impact had been monitored with growing admiration.\n\nIt was a double celebration for me because not only had we delivered on a great project, my team I managed in my day job had risen from one of the worst performing to nearly one of the best in my region.\n\nIn those days, we were awarded performance pay. It wasn’t much, the award definitely wasn’t about money; it was about recognition.  My colleague with whom I had worked with equally on the project had already had his report from our line manager, and he had been awarded a small, but welcome bonus, his performance had been judged as “above average” because of the project.\n\nSo when I opened up my report, which was handed to me in advance of the appraisal, I was surprised and taken aback when not only had  I no bonus,  but my performance had been  marked as “average.”\nI felt as if someone had slapped me.  Always self-reflective, I sat down and read the report in detail to try to get a feel for why all that effort had not been acknowledged as it had with my colleague.  The comments were great; the acknowledgement of my contribution was there, in words, just not in the final marking or bonus.\n\nI began to feel inadequate, was I missing something?   I know I am one of my own best supporters, but equally I am my own worst critic.   Had I become carried away with my success to such an extent that I had forgotten to look in the mirror?  What did my line manager see which I couldn’t?  <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">I </span>had a lot of respect for my line manager; I valued his opinion, so there must be something!\n\nI felt down, but went into the review, determined to listen intently. I listened, and he gave me great and positive feedback.\n\nPerplexed I asked him why, if I had such a good year, with such great results, I didn’t warrant a higher marking.  I mentioned the bonus, although I really wasn’t bothered about that.  His response?  He said <em>I didn’t have as much experience or seniority as my colleague,</em> <em>and that is why he had drawn a distinction. </em>\n\nI was astounded, and this is what happened next.\n\nHe said he was sorry, he had given it some thought and felt almost obliged to mark my colleague up because he had some 15 years more experience than me.  When the report had gone to the Regional Director, his markings were queried, and the Regional Director had asked him to think again.  They agreed since I had seen the report, it would be discussed with me.  He humbly expressed his apology, he realised he had got it wrong, and he knew I deserved the higher marking, and he offered to change the marking there and then.\n\nHis honesty about his (rare) mistake both to his own boss, and to me was dignified.  His humble apology was one of my defining moments because what I witnessed was a great demonstration of someone “doing the right thing” and being prepared to put his hand up and say “I made a mistake.”\n\nFor me, I realised that relationships are more important than being right, and although I’ve not always resisted the need to be right, on occasions, when it’s mattered most, I’ve remembered and sometimes also “done the right thing.”\n\n<em>This incident happened over 2 decades ago, but it has stayed with me to this day.  If any of you leaders out there ever question the impact you make, remember, you never know what indelible imprint you are leaving on someone you are leading.  </em>', 'A Leadership Relationship Story', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'a-leadership-readership-story', '', '', '2012-12-11 07:36:10', '2012-12-11 13:36:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7800', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18009, 268, '2012-12-18 06:00:11', '2012-12-18 12:00:11', '\nIn your organization, how much employee input does management get before deciding a course of action?\n\nIn large, hierarchical organizations, the answer is often “not much.” In a command-and-control structure, management frequently makes the decisions and hands them to employees for implementation. If employees feel the course of action is ill-advised, they have little voice. If they speak up, they may be perceived as trouble makers. If they don’t speak up, they slowly die inside as they trudge to work each day to implement something they don’t completely believe in.\n\nIn surveys, these employees tell management they want more opportunities to provide input. And they don’t mean implementing a suggestion box that no one consistently monitors. They want to be involved in a more meaningful way.\n<h3><strong>Consider these three brief tales of true involvement:</strong></h3>\nHurricane Katrina wreaked havoc for Gulf Coast infrastructure providers. Telecom companies, utilities, and road/bridge contractors faced an overwhelming influx of new projects. Business processes that had worked just fine in “peace time” buckled under the strain of the increased workload. After the hurricane repair work had subsided, one large company hired a consultant to interview their project managers to get feedback and recommendations. Front-line employees were integral to designing significant process improvements.\n\nAt LoyaltyOne in Canada, a group of passionate volunteers petitioned for the greening of the company. This grassroots effort soon became a cornerstone of company culture and branding. According to Debbie Baxter, Loyalty One’s Chief Sustainability Officer, employees drove the adoption of recycled paper, electronic payroll statements, “Free to a Good Home Forum (where staff can share gently used items with other employees to keep them out of landfill),” and the external venture AIR MILES for Social Change “to drive positive environmental impact across Canada.” LoyaltyOne’s culture of listening to employee input has led to <a href=\"http://loyalty.com/about/accomplishments\">numerous awards</a>.\n\nThe staff at Id-Ra-Ha-Je, a large Colorado retreat facility and summer camp, wanted to improve customer service. Director Mike DeBoer explained, “We want customers to have a smile on their faces and warmth in their hearts” after interactions with us.\" To get new ideas, he and his front-office crew went to local businesses and quietly observed customer-employee interactions. They also called other retreat/camping organizations and evaluated the phone conversations. “Our goal was not to judge other folks on how well or poorly they treated us, but to open our eyes to see how we like to be treated.” Based on these visits and calls, employees came up with specific ideas for enhancing customer experience.\n<h3><strong>Cultural requirements</strong></h3>\nMeaningful employee involvement happens when the following beliefs are part of an organization’s culture:\n<ol>\n	<li>Because employees are at the front line with customers, and because they are personally working within the constraints of the tools, processes, and policies you have in place, they have important insights about what works well and what doesn’t. They should be the first place you go if you want input.</li>\n	<li>Learning is a two-way event. Employees learn from managers. But managers also can learn from employees. And both can learn together, side-by-side.</li>\n	<li>Hiring a consultant to do things your current staff can do is a quick way to damage employee morale. Use consultants sparingly. Yes, they can be very helpful in developing strategy, because they can see your organizational challenges with fresh eyes and from multiple perspectives (management, employees, customers, shareholders, etc.). But without adequate employee involvement, the consultants’ work may not earn employee buy-in and may simply end up in a binder, collecting dust on a shelf.</li>\n	<li>Employees need feedback on their ideas. It’s not possible or advisable to implement every single suggestion. But don’t just ignore the suggestion; have a dialogue about it. You may find you disagree on the suggested solution, but agree on the problem. Together, you may be able to come up with new ideas that neither you nor the employee had considered before.</li>\n</ol>\nDo you agree? I’m curious to hear your thoughts and stories.', '3 Portraits of Employee Involvement', 'In your organization, how much employee input does management get before deciding a course of action? Not much? You might want to rethink that.', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '3-portraits-of-employee-involvement', '', '', '2012-12-18 06:00:11', '2012-12-18 12:00:11', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7818', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18010, 243, '2012-12-15 08:15:02', '2012-12-15 14:15:02', '<em>This is the third part of a series on the origins of the Lead Change Group based on one of the key books that inspired me to take action: <a title=\"Tribes at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591842336&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=elevate-20\">Tribes by Seth Godin</a>. For links to all the posts, check out this page.</em>\n\nWhen I went into business on my own as a consultant in the early months of 2009, I knew I wanted my business and effort to be about leadership. But I picked up the book <a title=\"Tribes at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591842336&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=elevate-20\">Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us by Seth Godin</a> to also learn some about marketing. It intrigued me to know that someone would write about marketing and leadership together.\n\nOn page 12 I came across Godin\'s list of big ideas titled Why Should You Lead? And Why Now? He lists his thesis in 5 points and summarizes:\n<blockquote>I want to help you realize that you already have all the skills you need to make huge difference, and I want to sell you on doing it. [Y]ou don\'t need to wait until you\'ve got exactly the right job or built the right organization… You can start right now.\"</blockquote>\nI already believed this. I had just never read it before. We don\'t need permission to take responsibility for our environment and make it better. We don\'t need permission to help people. We don\'t need to be promoted. We don\'t need any \"them\" to make room for us to lead. We simply need to act. The decision would be the key. Integrity and persistence would be needed, but only after an action. Everything begins with a thought, a commitment to no longer be a spectator. I want to have a bias toward action and correct on the way.\n\nThis also lined up with a favorite quote of mine, called the Man in the Arena quote by President Theodore Roosevelt.\n<blockquote>\"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 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 and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for 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 he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.\"</blockquote>\nWith only one life and one shot at self-employment and self-discovery, I didn\'t want to be a cold, timid soul. I\'ll take the consequences of an action over the consequences of inaction any day.\n\nWhat about you? Have you drawn your line in the sand? Is there an action you know you need to take? Maybe you need to commit to something. It could be the Lead Change Group, or a non-profit in your region. Maybe you just need to <em>finish </em>something. What is it?  Comment below and let us know about your story, your commitment and your progress spending yourself in a worthy cause.  Feel free to ask for help too.  You can connect with Lead Change members on LinkedIn, Facebook or right here.\n\nLike Seth Godin said, you can start <em>right now</em>.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo © Stephen Rees iStockphoto</span>', 'Why Now? Origins of Lead Change Part 3', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'why-now-origins-of-lead-change-part-3', '', '', '2012-12-15 08:15:02', '2012-12-15 14:15:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7828', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(18011, 243, '2012-12-20 15:52:07', '2012-12-20 21:52:07', 'Do you compare?  Do you let others force you to make judgments about yourself.  Do you tend to consider yourself in relation to other people?\n\nDo you worry about how you are perceived or what type of impact you will make?\n\nDo you ever let uncertainty keep you from taking action?\n\nI wrote a post over on Smartblog on Leadership titled <a title=\"Imperfect Leadership\" href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/12/20/imperfect-leadership/\">Imperfect Leadership</a> that might help you stop wondering \"What if?\" Who knows, you might just pull the trigger on something you\'ve been thinking about for a long time.  Up for a challenge?  Go for it!\n\n<a href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/12/20/imperfect-leadership/\">Read more here....</a>', 'Imperfect leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'imperfect-leadership', '', '', '2012-12-20 15:52:07', '2012-12-20 21:52:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7863', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18012, 244, '2012-12-27 13:59:58', '2012-12-27 19:59:58', 'Accountability is closely tied to employee engagement. Unfortunately, this critical and deeply personal relationship is too often overlooked. If we want employees to be sustainably engaged they must be able to experience themselves as the real, pulsating, thinking, idea-generating, responsibility-taking assets.\n\nIn my article <a title=\"The Keys to Fostering Sustainable Engagement | Switch and Shift\" href=\"http://switchandshift.com/the-keys-to-fostering-sustainable-engagement\" target=\"_blank\">The Keys to Fostering Sustainable Engagement</a>, I examine both the serious shift in context and practice that must occur to make this a reality and the implications.', 'The Keys to Fostering Sustainable Engagement', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-keys-to-fostering-sustainable-engagement', '', '', '2012-12-27 13:59:58', '2012-12-27 19:59:58', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7676', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18013, 294, '2012-12-24 13:57:42', '2012-12-24 19:57:42', 'One of the great challenges of management is the pressure to make decisions – and to do so quickly. Most of us dread the vacuum created when we know a decision needs to be made but for some reason has not been. This existence of such vacuums is indicative of not operating in the NOW and causes us to miss opportunities to excel.\n\nHistory is filled with decisive leaders who had a track record of making fast decisions – a sign of confidence we admire and expect in our leaders. After all, their self-confidence and voice of authority is what we expect. The boldness and courage of their convictions draws admiration and respect.\n\nSuch self-confidence has a double edge. We cannot forget the abundant examples of ill-considered choices across business and history. General George Custer stands as an example of bad choices, poor judgment, and undesired results.  <a title=\"Hurry Up and Decide\" href=\"http://www.massingenuity.com/2012/10/22/hurry-up-and-decide/\" target=\"_blank\">Read More....</a>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Hurry up and decide', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'hurry-up-and-decide-2', '', '', '2012-12-24 13:57:42', '2012-12-24 19:57:42', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7700', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18014, 291, '2013-01-03 06:09:47', '2013-01-03 12:09:47', 'Workplace attractiveness is an optimistic attitude or a positive emotion</strong> an individual has towards an organization (Aiman-Smith et al. 2001).  The attraction process involves a job seeker’s estimate of how well they “feel” their personal needs and values fit the organization’s culture. Gaining an understanding of the factors that can impact the attraction phase of this cycle is critical for workplaces who wish to attract the most qualified applicant pool possible.  Recent research indicates workplaces that are perceived as “civil” not only attract more qualified candidates, these candidates tend to stay with the organization longer and perform higher levels.</p>\nA recent study (Diane Catanzaro • Heather Moore • Timothy R. Marshall, 2010) indicates that workplace civility interacts with gender to influence applicant attraction.  Men were more likely than women to pursue a job with the competitive organization; however, <strong>the majority of both men and women reported stronger interest in working</strong> <strong>for the supportive, civil  organizations.</strong>\n\nWhat we know is the best job candidates are those who not only possess the required  abilities, but whose values and characteristics are compatible with the workplace culture. (McGinty and Reitsch 1192).\n\nWorkplace civility plays a key role in increasing the probability that applicants, particularly female applicants, will accept a job with the workplace and also influences how long they will remain with the organization once hired (Schneider et al. 1995).\n\nThe results of this most recent research are consistent with previous studies that found male and female managers preferred supportive, feminine workplace values over competitive, masculine values (Van Vianen and Fischer 2002).  This study trends well with the current focus on workplace civility, bullying and  psychologically healthy workplaces.   The bottom line is that  workplaces who create and nurture a culture that focuses on collaboration, teamwork, and balancing one’s career and family,  will gain a competitive edge in recruiting, attracting, and retaining a diverse sample of highly qualified job candidates, even if  the salary may be lower.\n\n<strong>What are some of the reasons applicants chose the civil workplace?</strong> The most frequently stated reason  by both men and women is the workplace reinforces a balance between work and family and did not require a sacrifice to one’s personal life, and the perception that this company is more civil and supportive of its employees. Overall, the results of this study provide an empirical and rational basis for workplace decision makers, consultants, coaches and leaders on the importance of integrating more supportive, civil values and policies into their leadership programs and mission statements.\n\nTo attract ”engaged talent,” workplaces need to reinvent, adapt, or renew cultural values that demonstrate civility, inspire social and emotional connections, and reinforce life work humanness.  <strong><em>What is your workplace doing to create a culture of civility?</em></strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n<div>\n<div>\n<h3>About the Author</h3>\n<div>\n\n<em>Cynthia Kivland, Author and President Smart2Smarter Coaching, Training and Assessment Services has over twenty-five years of accomplished career coaching experience working with very smart people, leaders and teams including MBA’s, military, scientists, CEO’s, and healthcare professionals. <a title=\"Join Cynthia\'s LinkedIn \" href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Emotional-Intelligent-Workplace-4602631?gid=4602631&amp;trk=hb_side_g\" target=\"_blank\">Join Cynthia’s Emotionally Intelligent Workplace Group  on LinkedIn</a>. To have a chat about coaching, training and career resilience resources <a href=\"mailto:cynthia@smart2smarter.com\">Contact Cynthia</a>. <a title=\"Book\" href=\"https://www.createspace.com/4067354\" target=\"_blank\">Author Smart2Smarter: Seven Positive Emotions Every Employer Want...Every Employee Needs</a></em>\n\n</div>\n</div>\n</div>', 'Civility:  The New Employee Attraction and Retention Strategy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'civility-the-new-employee-attraction-and-retention-strategy', '', '', '2013-01-03 06:09:47', '2013-01-03 12:09:47', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7815', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(18015, 334, '2013-01-04 06:02:57', '2013-01-04 12:02:57', '<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong><em>\"To answer before listening - that is folly and shame.\"</em> <em> Proverbs 18:13</em></strong></p>\nIt\'s easy for leaders to fall into the trap of thinking they need to have the answer to every problem or situation that arises. After all, that\'s in a leader\'s job description, right? Solve problems, make decisions, have answers...that\'s what we do! Why listen to others when you already know everything?\n\nGood leaders know they don\'t have all the answers. They spend time listening to the ideas, feedback, and thoughts of their people, and they incorporate that information into the decisions and plans they make. When a person feels listened to, it builds trust, loyalty, and commitment in the relationship. Here are some tips for building trust by improving the way you listen in conversations:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Don\'t interrupt</strong> - It\'s rude and disrespectful to the person you\'re speaking with and it conveys the attitude, whether you mean it or not, that what you have to say is more important than what he or she is saying.</li>\n	<li><strong>Make sure you understand</strong> - Ask clarifying questions and paraphrase to ensure that you understand what the person is trying to communicate. Generous and empathetic listening is a key part of <a title=\"Stephen Covey\'s Seven Habits - Habit #5\" href=\"https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit5.php\" target=\"_blank\">Habit #5</a> - Seek first to understand, then to be understood - of Covey\'s famous Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.</li>\n	<li><strong>Learn each person\'s story</strong> - The successes, failures, joys, and sorrows that we experience in life weave together to form our \"story.\" Our story influences the way we relate to others, and when a leader takes time to understand the stories of his followers, he has a much better perspective and understanding of  their motivations. Chick-fil-a uses an <a title=\"Every Life Has a Story\" href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v0RhvZ3lvY\" target=\"_blank\">excellent video </a>in their training programs that serves as a powerful reminder of this truth.</li>\n	<li><strong>Stay in the moment</strong> - It\'s easy to be distracted in conversations. You\'re thinking about the next meeting you have to run to, the pressing deadline you\'re up against, or even what you need to pick up at the grocery store on the way home from work! Important things all, but they distract you from truly being present and fully invested in the conversation. Take notes and practice active listening to stay engaged.</li>\n</ul>\nMy grandpa was fond of saying \"The Lord gave you two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion.\" Leaders can take a step forward in building trust with those they lead by speaking less and listening more. You might be surprised at what you learn!', 'Stop Talking! Four Tips to Build Trust Through Better Listening', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'stop-talking-four-tips-to-build-trust-through-better-listening', '', '', '2013-01-04 06:02:57', '2013-01-04 12:02:57', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7819', 0, 'post', '', 9),
(18016, 308, '2012-12-25 06:11:22', '2012-12-25 12:11:22', 'One of my favorite Christmas television specials is the classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer narrated by the late Burl Ives. I love the story, I love the characters and I particularly admire the qualities of the lead characters Rudolph and Hermey the elf. <strong>Why do I admire the characters and what does this Christmas television classic have to do with leadership?</strong>\n\nWell, both Rudolph and Hermey are different and do not fit in. Rudolph, because of his red nose will never become one of the members of Santa’s reindeer team. Hermey detests being an elf and spending his days making toys. He wants to become a dentist. They call themselves a couple of misfits as they do not fit in among their peers and do not meet the expectations of their parents and elders.\n\nAs a result they are isolated, shunned, and are not valued for their strengths and what they can bring to their community. They eventually leave and strike out in search of a place where they will be accepted and valued.  A number of obstacles confronted them on their journey but when placed under trying circumstances they demonstrate persistence, courage, and determination as they venture further from their home.\n\nWhat begins to happen is that Rudolph and Hermey become more confident as they discover strengths that were not appreciated at home. These strengths allow them to take charge of situations, to overcome obstacles, and to lead. Rudolph and Hermey begin to believe in themselves and gain confidence. In fact a couple of misfits become leaders and are eventually called upon by the same people who shunned them to assume leadership roles. Rudolph with his red nose leads Santa’s sled on a stormy Christmas Eve and Hermey prevents the Abominable Snow Monster from attacking Rudolph and others by using his dentistry skills. The Snow Monster is just upset over a sore tooth it turns out. Rudolph and Hermey return home as heroes.\n\nThe story of Rudolph and Hermey is fictional, yet their personal journeys to leadership have great significance. Many of us have been in a similar situations where we have not “fit in,” and have been viewed by others - perhaps even by ourselves - as misfits that do not have the capabilities to lead.\n\nAs Rudolph and Hermey show us, however, misfits have much to offer. They just have to make the decision to lead. Leaders emerge when they:\n\n<strong>1. Discover their strengths, abilities, and passions and use them.</strong>\n\n<strong>2. Believe in themselves and their unique attributes and embrace the challenges and obstacles they are confronted with.</strong>\n\n<strong>3. Accept the fact that they can be a leader and that they can influence others.</strong>\n\n<strong>4. Choose to lead with conviction, determination, and authenticity.</strong>\n\nRudolph and Hermey were different, but they stepped out and stepped up to lead. They did not disqualify themselves from leading. In fact, these two misfits actually fit the profile of <a title=\"Good to Great\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Companies-Leap-Others/dp/0066620996/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1355428660&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=good+to+great\" target=\"_blank\">Jim Collin\'s Good-to-Great</a> leaders who \"come from Mars... self-effacing, quiet, reserved, even shy - these leaders are a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will.\"\n\nIn the past, the Level 5 leaders described by Collins may have been misfits. But as the research of Collins and others has pointed out, these types of leaders are effective and necessary. So if you see yourself as a Rudolph or Hermey, or if you have someone in your organization like them, take heart. Being a misfit is more than okay, especially when they step up to lead in a positive manner. In such cases, the misfit will probably turn out to be beneficial to your organization.\n\nWhat are your favourite Christmas classics? Are there characters in these specials whose leadership qualities resonate with you? What leadership strengths stand out?\n\n<strong>Wishing all of the Lead Change community a very Merry Christmas!</strong>', 'Rudolph and Hermey: A Couple of Leadership Misfits', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'rudolph-and-hermey-a-couple-of-leadership-misfits-3', '', '', '2012-12-25 06:11:22', '2012-12-25 12:11:22', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7820', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18017, 294, '2013-01-04 14:10:37', '2013-01-04 20:10:37', 'Recently I had the pleasure of speaking at the <a title=\"Washington State Lean Transformation Conference\" href=\"http://www.massingenuity.com/washington-state-lean-transformation-conference/\">Washington State Lean Transformation Conference</a> held in Tacoma. The event was an amazing testimony to hope. There were about 2,200 people in attendance, up from 400 who attended the year before.\n\nWashington State government completed 95 lean projects in the past year.\n\nLean brings the promise of change, and with change comes hope.\n\nAt the conference someone came up to me to share some thoughts about the talk I gave. I warned that 80 percent of organizations that launch lean abandon it within three years. The reason is that management fails to apply this new way of thinking and its powerful tools to their processes – the management processes. Failure to do so often leads management to give up on lean largely because they do not understand how to leverage it to drive improvement that matters. <a href=\"http://www.massingenuity.com/2012/11/06/cruel-hoax-hope/\">Read More....</a>', 'Crux Hoax: Hope', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'crux-hoax-hope', '', '', '2013-01-04 14:10:37', '2013-01-04 20:10:37', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7851', 0, 'post', '', 0);
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(18018, 309, '2012-12-31 06:06:12', '2012-12-31 12:06:12', 'Tragedy comes in all forms. Some are the result of human decisions, such as making a bad investment that financially ruins a company, or a decision to take lives as we saw unfold in Newtown, Connecticut. Some tragedies are out of our control, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis. A common thread to all of these horrific events is a question; <em>Why? Why did this happen? Why wasn’t it prevented? Why didn’t someone see this coming?</em> Whatever the tragedy, leaders must rise to meet the challenge. Not the challenge of answering the questions, but the challenge of leading people through difficult times.\n\nPeople in difficult times look to leaders for hope and a sense of security. They are looking for assurance that everything will be alright again. They are desperately needing direction and movement to focus their attention. Unfortunately, the trend in leadership over the last decade has been to blame someone else, deflect responsibility, or otherwise say, “see, I told you so!”\n\nSome tragedies have no answers. All tragedies have people who need led. As leaders, we have a responsibility to lift up those who are entrusted to our leadership. In these times, we become a mixture of parent, coach, pastor, and friend to the people we lead. We put on the face of confidence, even if we don’t feel it ourselves. We speak words of encouragement and hope, even when we feel discouraged and hopeless. We set into motion plans and activities, even when we aren’t 100% sure they will work. It’s all part of leadership.\n\nSoon after the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, people were on the social media sites blaming the lack of gun control laws for the tragedy. Is gun control a legitimate topic for discussion? Yes, but not that day. Great leaders know that. Being sensitive to the needs of people in great distress is a critical skill during tragedies. Yet, at the same time, great leaders know how and when to instill hope by looking forward and directing others to do the same. They know how and when to cast a compelling vision that helps victims heal. They know when to be silent and when to speak.\n\n<strong>As the days and weeks unfold, will great leaders speak? Will you? What will you say to those around you with whom you have influence? Will you complain and blame like everyone else or will you encourage true discussion that leads to solutions? There will be no shortage of tragedies. Will there be a shortage of great leadership?</strong>\n\nI would encourage you, as I do myself, to rise up in your leadership. No matter the circumstance, whether the current tragedy or a future one, let us commit to leading with excellence. Let us speak words that lift others up, strengthen the weak, and bring hope to those in despair. Rise up my friends. Be the leader you have been called to be. Our companies need it. Our families need it. Our country needs it.\n\nThis blog was originally posted at http://www.indemandleadership.com/blog/posts/leadership-when-tragedy-strikes-leaders-must-rise/\non December 19, 2012.\n\nPhoto used by permission.', 'When Tragedy Strikes, Leaders Must Rise', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'when-tragedy-strikes-leaders-must-rise', '', '', '2012-12-31 06:06:12', '2012-12-31 12:06:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7860', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18019, 288, '2012-12-27 06:06:54', '2012-12-27 12:06:54', '<p align=\"center\"><strong><em>Professionalism is knowing how to do it, when to do it, and doing it. - Frank Tyger</em></strong></p>\n<p align=\"left\">While skill set and talent are essential to having a successful career, one aspect that many people often overlook is the major role social skills play in boosting a career.  Sure, work is not a high school popularity contest, but the way in which you interact with others can be a deal breaker in the professional world. Even seasoned veterans in an industry might be unaware of how they come across to co-workers and clients. Whether you are starting a new role or have been in the industry for years, it is important to project a professional image in the workplace.</p>\n<p align=\"left\">Not only does inappropriate behavior indicate a lack of <a href=\"http://www.dalecarnegie.com/events/individuals/\">employee development</a>, but it can make others feel uncomfortable. People want to conduct business with people who are socially and professionally accomplished. Poor behavior reflects negatively on the individual and on the organization. To avoid uncomfortable situations that may accompany inappropriate behavior, cultivate a professional image that allows you to navigate the professional environment with ease and comfort.</p>\n<p align=\"left\">Business professionalism reveals itself through phone communication, written emails, and meeting interactions. With more and more communication taking place over the phone and online for added convenience and quick means of interaction, face-to-face <a href=\"http://www.dalecarnegie.com/events/how_to_communicate_with_diplomacy_and_tact/\">communication skills</a> can begin to lag. While most business communication does not necessarily require in-person interaction, it is important to remember that face-to-face interactions still play a huge role in business relationships. Through in-person meetings, successful negotiations can be made, networking can be done, and client satisfaction can be further enforced. Use the following tips to set yourself apart and ensure you demonstrate proper, professional business etiquette in meetings.</p>\n\n<ol>\n	<li>Be On Time: You can earn yourself respect by arriving at meetings a few minutes early and taking several minutes to prepare, review your notes, and collect yourself. This shows that you appreciate the time and attention of those attending the meeting. Continual promptness will not go unnoticed, and you will earn a reputation of professionalism.</li>\n	<li>Be Amiable: While it is important to be serious and focused among co-workers and clients, that does not mean you cannot also be friendly and sociable. The way you greet other people can have a direct effect on the way you are perceived. Always acknowledge others with a greeting when you enter a conference room. Not only will you seem professional, but others will want to work with you when they have the opportunity to do so.</li>\n	<li>Be a Good Listener: If you are conducting a meeting, it is very reasonable that you will have more to say than everyone else in the room. However, if you meet with a client or partner, especially in their office, you must always be respectful of the person leading the conversation. Know when it is a good time to interject your thoughts and when to give your attention to the meeting leader.</li>\n	<li>Be Well-Dressed: Always take the time to consider appropriate attire before a meeting. The industry you work in, the meeting attendees, and the meeting topic are all determinants of the proper dress code. While it is better to be over-dressed than under-dressed, the best option is to fit in with everyone else. Make sure your overall appearance is neat and presentable. This includes removing your hat, wearing appropriate shoes, and keeping your notes in a professional-looking binder.</li>\n</ol>\n<p align=\"left\">Have you ever seen inappropriate behavior ultimately hurt a businessperson or company? What professional tips do you practice?</p>\n<p align=\"left\">Check back soon for part II to get even more ways to maintain professionalism in the workplace.</p>', 'Tips for Professionalism in the Workplace Part I', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'tips-for-professionalism-in-the-workplace-part-i', '', '', '2012-12-27 06:06:54', '2012-12-27 12:06:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7867', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18020, 252, '2013-01-03 12:40:33', '2013-01-03 18:40:33', '<h2>Do you tend to be hard on yourself?</h2>\nYou acknowledge your accomplishments and yes, you recognize your skills and talents, but there\'s so much more to do!  There\'s so much more you could do!\n\nAnd how are you supposed to anticipate the next big thing for the coming year?  Or even the next little thing that could throw your business, your organization or your community into a spin?\n\nThe truth is that you can\'t anticipate <em>every</em>thing.\n\nCheck out <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/leaders-start-the-new-year-off-powerfully/\">my post at my ReImagine Work site</a> about how you can make sure your self-questioning doesn\'t work against you.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Start Off the New Year Powerfully', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'start-off-the-new-year-powerfully', '', '', '2013-01-03 12:40:33', '2013-01-03 18:40:33', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7877', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18021, 243, '2012-12-22 08:45:21', '2012-12-22 14:45:21', 'This is the fourth part of a series on the origins of the Lead Change Group based on one of the key books that inspired me to take action: <a title=\"Tribes at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591842336&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=elevate-20\">Tribes by Seth Godin</a>. For links to all the posts, check out this page.</em>\n\nOn page 42 of <a title=\"Tribes at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591842336&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=elevate-20\">Tribes, Seth Godin</a> remarks that there are no shortage of great ideas. The only thing keeping great ideas from seeing the light of day is \"the will to make the ideas happen.\" The F Word in the title is <em><strong>fear</strong></em>. It keeps us from exercising the will to make ideas happen. Fear tells us to embrace the status quo. Fear questions our assumptions and challenges our beliefs.\n\nJohn Wayne\'s last movie was The Shootist, a movie about a dying gunslinger, John Bernard Books, who was confronted with a diagnosis of cancer. He spent his last week in a boarding house with a widow and a teenage boy, Gillom Rogers, played by Ron Howard. At one point in the move, Books gave Gillom a shooting lesson.\n\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Gillom Rogers:</strong> Mr. Books, How is it you\'ve killed so many men? My spread wasn\'t much bigger than yours.</address><address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>J.B. Books</strong>: First of all friend, there\'s no one up there shooting back at you. Second, I found most men aren\'t willing, they bat an eye or draw a breath before they shoot. I won\'t.</address><address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"> </address>Fear causes us to bat an eye or draw a breath. \"We can try tomorrow. Nothing\'s going to change. Someone else can take that chance.\" We make excuses because we fear the consequences. We risk the ridicule. Failure is a lonely place. It\'s embarrassing and deflating to screw up your guts and then strike out.\n\nHeretic is a word Godin uses for someone who challenges the status quo. \"In a battle between two ideas, the best one doesn\'t necessarily win. No, the idea that wins is the one with the most fearless heretic behind it.\"\n\nIn the following chapter, Thinking Your Way Out Of Fear, Godin tells us we can put together a plan and think our way through fear. We must engage our minds and remember \"The only thing holding you back is your own fear. Not easy to admit, but essential to understand.\"\n\nWhat\'s holding you back from becoming the leader you know you can be? What\'s keeping you from taking responsibility for your situation. Fear challenged me when I clicked the button to start the Lead Change Group. Fear called me stupid when I started trying to actually ask people to join and fear paralyzed me when I began asking people to commit to $24 a month to help cover the costs of the group.\n\nNow after 3 years, we\'ve held a conference, hosted 2 Leadercasts, held 6 breakfast discussions in Tulsa averaging about 40 people per event (see <a title=\"Local Leadership Impact video\" href=\"/local-leadership-impact/\">this video</a>), managed a successful website for 3 years and published a pretty-darn-good book, <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader website\" href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Character-Based Leader: Instigating a Leadership Revolution... One Person at a Time</a>.\n\nWhat about you? What can you do? You don\'t have to start on your own. You can begin with us. Tell us what\'s going on and let us help promote your activity. If you\'re committed to modeling leadership in your world, we want to help you. Resist the temptation to <em>\"draw a breath or bat an eye</em>.\" Go for it! The only thing you have to lose is a life spent protecting the status quo.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo <em>Fear © drizzd - Fotolia.com</em></span>', 'The F Word - Origins of Lead Change Part 4', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-f-word-origins-of-lead-change-part-4', '', '', '2012-12-22 08:45:21', '2012-12-22 14:45:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7881', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18022, 306, '2013-01-02 06:11:02', '2013-01-02 12:11:02', 'You’ve seen the research. Read the reports. Talked to leaders and employees alike. You know that despite our quantifiable understanding of the bottom-line impact of employee engagement, it continues to elude most organizations.\n\nThe reason engagement is such a sought-after commodity is because it’s a powerful contributor to a cycle that every business wants and needs for long-term success. Here’s how it works:\n<ul>\n	<li>Engagement unlocks discretionary effort. It creates the conditions that encourage individuals to volunteer more of themselves, their time, their creativity, and their talents to the organization. Discretionary effort at its core is a choice people make to ‘go the extra mile,’ a choice based in large part on their level of engagement.</li>\n	<li>Then, discretionary effort plays out in innumerable ways. Greater attention to the needs of customers. Improved sales and service. Innovations and improvements. Productivity and efficiency. Bottom-line results.</li>\n</ul>\nBut it doesn’t stop there. Once you start this ‘engagement ring,’ the cycle can naturally perpetuate itself. Because the thing about employee engagement is that much of what it produces also feeds it.\n\nDepending upon the study, key drivers of engagement include such factors as career opportunities, recognition, performance management, pride in working for the company, organizational reputation, and relationship with one’s immediate supervisor.\n\nThese items are <b>inputs</b> to engagement... but they are also frequently the <b>outputs</b> as well. For instance, when an employee is highly engaged in his or her work, and invests discretionary effort to drive extraordinary results:\n<ul>\n	<li>Career opportunities may be more likely to follow. These career opportunities encourage greater engagement and the ring continues.</li>\n	<li>He or she is likely to receive recognition for their work. This recognition encourages greater engagement and the ring continues.</li>\n	<li>The organization will excel, instilling pride. This pride encourages greater engagement and the ring continues.</li>\n</ul>\nThe process can naturally perpetuate itself... but only once you get an employee into the engagement ring. The good news is that there are countless ways to begin this positive cycle - that also serve the business:\n<ul>\n	<li>Tap into the talents people want to use</li>\n	<li>Demonstrate appreciation</li>\n	<li>Ask for input</li>\n	<li>Highlight successes</li>\n	<li>Offer opportunities to learn and grow</li>\n	<li>Provide honest, meaningful feedback</li>\n</ul>\nAs leaders, one of the most strategic investments of time and energy may be in taking the actions required to get employees in the engagement ring... because once they get in, they’ll become part of this cycle that can nourish and sustain itself while delivering unbeatable business results.\n\n<em><strong>So, what about you? Are you in the engagement ring? How do you help others in?</strong></em>\n\nImage: Liz Price', 'The ‘Engagement Ring’', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-engagement-ring', '', '', '2013-01-02 06:11:02', '2013-01-02 12:11:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7917', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(18023, 308, '2013-01-09 06:12:57', '2013-01-09 12:12:57', 'It has been a few months since I have retired as CEO/Superintendent of Schools and I am settling in to a life that is clearly different than the day-to-day demands, stresses, and responsibilities of leading a large organization. I have found that retiring after thirty-four years in public education has brought about feelings of unease, uncertainty, and some restlessness. I am definitely feeling a shift to a new season in my life still trying to envision what this season may bring.\n\n<a title=\"Axiom\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_11?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&amp;field-keywords=axiom+bill+hybels&amp;sprefix=Axiom+Bill+%2Caps%2C312\" target=\"_blank\">Bill Hybels in Axiom</a> suggests that organizations all go through different seasons and that the leader of the organization must define these seasons and the implications for the people in the organization. Hybels proposes five seasons each with significant signposts.\n<div><strong>1. A season of growth where everything in the organization is flourishing.</strong></div>\n<div><strong>2. A season of consolidation where the organization assimilates and supports its </strong><strong>people.</strong></div>\n<div><strong>3. A season of transition where there is uncertainty and people may feel off balance.</strong></div>\n<div><strong>4. A season of malaise where an organization is stuck and there is little excitement </strong><strong>or energy displayed.</strong></div>\n<div><strong>5. A season of reinvention where an organization undergoes an extensive assessment </strong><strong>to determine whether it needs an overhaul.</strong>\n\nI would also contend that leaders of organizations personally move through these seasons as defined by Hybels and each has to continually reflect on what season they are in as leaders. <strong>But what happens when you are no longer leading an organization where you have had an opportunity to lead and influence people in a workplace?</strong>  Four questions can assist in assessing what season you are in when this occurs and how you can continue to contribute as a leader.\n<div><strong>1. How do you continue to use your leadership strengths and abilities to impact and influence?</strong></div>\n<div><strong>2. How do you continue to be in a season of growth and avoid malaise?</strong></div>\n<div><strong>3. How do you transition into a season where you do not have to totally reinvent yourself but perhaps re-image and adapt to the changes?</strong></div>\n<div><strong><strong>4. How do you as <a title=\"Half Time by Bob Buford\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Halftime-Significance-Bob-P-Buford/dp/0310284244\" target=\"_blank\">Bob Buford in Half Time</a> states, \"move from a successful first half of your life into a second half of significance?\"</strong></strong>\n&nbsp;\nAs I reflect on these questions, I have realized that my decision to retire may have stopped me from leading an organization,  but it has not meant that I have to quit being a leader and curtail the use of my leadership strengths to influence, impact, and lead others. In fact, this season has given me permission to rediscover and redefine my sense of purpose and mission. How I do this and what it looks like may be different; however, my mission and commitment to developing and growing other leaders has not changed and will continue. Now that I have been released from the constraints and responsibilities of a CEO\'s position, and after being equipped for many years as a senior leader, I now have more time to spend mentoring, guiding, and coaching other leaders. I see this as a gift and a tremendous opportunity to impact, mentor, and lead with renewed enthusiasm.\n\nCraig Groeschel in his powerful <strong>Bridging the Generation Gap</strong> presentation at this year\'s Willow Creek Leadership Summit challenges senior leaders to invest in the next generation of leaders by mentoring and guiding them. He shares that you can still make a difference and engage in and develop leaders no matter what age you are.  Groeschel emphatically states, <strong>\"If you are not dead, you are not done. Invest in those who come behind you.\"</strong>\n\nIn my current season of transition I have come to the conclusion that I am going to embrace this season with passion and energy. I am not dead and I am not done. I am excited about this season of my life and am ready to let the second half begin.\n\nWhat season are you in?  Is it time to reflect on your mission, purpose, and commitment to leading, guiding and mentoring other leaders? How have you benefited from being led and guided by a senior leader? What are your plans for your second half?  I would love to hear your thoughts.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<div></div>', 'The Second Half: Transition Time', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-second-half-transition-time', '', '', '2013-01-09 06:12:57', '2013-01-09 12:12:57', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7740', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(18024, 244, '2013-01-21 12:21:32', '2013-01-21 18:21:32', '\n\nWe seem to have developed a belief that the purpose of holding someone to account is to make sure they know they did something wrong and/or are to blame and make sure they pay the consequences.\n\nHolding someone to account all too often seems to be equated with bringing someone to justice in both context and practice.  But justice and accountability are, in fact, very different.\n\nWhat if holding someone to account is actually the process of holding them up to be the best they can be every step of the way rather than hammering them down after they fail? <a href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com/accountability-is-not-about-justice/\">Read More</a>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Accountability is Not About Justice', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'accountability-is-not-about-justice', '', '', '2013-01-21 12:21:32', '2013-01-21 18:21:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7822', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18025, 294, '2013-01-22 12:11:19', '2013-01-22 18:11:19', 'A couple years ago, I heard General Colin Powell speak about the man who cleaned his office when he was the U.S. Secretary of State. The man displayed enormous pride and took his job seriously. He wasn’t a janitor, rather he was a man who had a place in history because history was made in the office he cleaned.\n\nThe other day I was attending a Quarterly Business Review at Oregon Youth Authority, the agency that works to reform young Oregonians who get in trouble with the law. This was the seventh business review since we began working with this incredible agency.  <a href=\"http://www.massingenuity.com/2012/11/13/whatever-you-do-be-outstanding/\">Read More....</a>', 'Whatever You Do, Be Outstanding', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'whatever-you-do-be-outstanding', '', '', '2013-01-22 12:11:19', '2013-01-22 18:11:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7853', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18026, 294, '2013-01-17 12:25:52', '2013-01-17 18:25:52', 'I talk to people all the time about what motivates them at work. The most common answer I hear is, “I like to help people.”\n\nThe human motivation to be of service is as natural as rain in Oregon this time of year. When we serve others, its gives us purpose and calls us to something bigger than ourselves.\n\nSure we work because we need to make a living, but there is more to living than paying the rent and buying groceries. Living is about finding satisfaction and even joy in our daily lives.\n\nIf you routinely interact with people it is easy to lose your sense of service when faced with all the details that need to be attended to at work. Yet, if you put yourself in your customer’s shoes — every time — you will find the sense of personal connection is very satisfying.   <a href=\"http://www.massingenuity.com/2012/11/19/whats-in-it-for-me-is-whats-in-it-for-you/\">Read More....</a>', 'What’s in it for me is what’s in it for you', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'whats-in-it-for-me-is-whats-in-it-for-you', '', '', '2013-01-17 12:25:52', '2013-01-17 18:25:52', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=7855', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(18027, 290, '2013-01-08 06:16:05', '2013-01-08 12:16:05', 'Pride is a funny thing. We want pride to be evident in what we do. We want our pride to show in where we work and gather as a community. We want to be proud of the places we engage and participate in. Pride is a good thing.\n<h3><b>My Way Pride</b></h3>\nIn leadership, it gets trickier. We want pride to show in our work and in the way we lead. However, pride can easily turn inward and become very self-centered and self-important. It becomes \"my\" pride. What I mean is this:\n<ul>\n	<li>My way</li>\n	<li>My plans</li>\n	<li>My style</li>\n	<li>My, my, my....</li>\n</ul>\nIt turns to inward pride, which translates into an outward impression of cockiness or <a title=\"Does Your Passion Overshadow Another’s?\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/does-your-passion-overshadow-anothers/\">big, big ego</a>. Focus is lost. Even worse, principles are lost. Decisions and actions can dangerously get off path and lead to big failures in judgment and outcomes.\n\nAlthough confidence is required in leadership, being overly proud of our abilities leads to downfalls and pitfalls. It is a misplaced pride that gets leaders off track.\n<h3><b>Rightly Placed Pride</b></h3>\nInstead, leadership pride needs to be placed in the right places. There are three key places where pride should be placed by leaders.\n\n<b>Team capabilities.</b> In our organizations, seeing the pride of work and accomplishment by a team is very satisfying, as well as very productive. If our team’s capabilities are increasing, it means the right foundation and mentoring structure is in place. Teams taking on more responsibility, making more decisions, and doing more right things in the right way is a great (and necessary) trait to have.\n\n<b>Culture longevity.</b> Organizational cultures can be viewed in many ways. One of the most positive aspects can be cultures that survive the test of time, meaning they evolve and adapt while keeping core principles intact. Trust and empowerment don’t change. How work is done and what work is pursued may change, however. Organizational cultures that live on after good leaders pass through is a great and worthy sense of pride.\n\n<b>Learning ability.</b> Organizations and individuals that continue to learn and grow are essential signs of healthy pride. It is a pride instilled by what leaders value and also what talented team members value. A desire to always be a better team member or leader is a great value to instill. Having pride in seeing people learn and grow into new responsibilities is very rewarding. It is about growth. The right type of pride enables growth in thought, actions, and approaches.\n<h3><b>The Pride Test</b></h3>\nAs a leader, where is your pride placed?\n<ul>\n	<li>Does it reside mostly in what you do and how you do it?</li>\n	<li>Does it reside mostly in how your team members and organizations are developing, working together, and producing relevant results?</li>\n</ul>\nTake a mindful approach and think about:\n<ul>\n	<li>How often are your thoughts centered on how wonderful your ways are and, if only people followed your way more often, everyone would be doing much better?</li>\n	<li>How often do you express gratitude to a team member for taking the initiative and taking risks in improving outcomes?</li>\n	<li>How much time do you spend coaching, mentoring, and facilitating?</li>\n</ul>\nIf the answers to these questions are focused more on self rather than team, then your pride may be misplaced. It is a <a title=\"Wake Up Your Character\" href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/2012/05/30/wake-up-your-character/\" target=\"_blank\">wake-up call to your character</a> and what will stand the <a title=\"Live Well. Finish Well.\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/live-well-finish-well/\">test of time</a> in terms of your leadership.\n\nWhen properly placed, pride is a good thing in leadership.\n<h3><b><i>What role does (or should) pride play in your leadership approach?</i></b></h3>\n&nbsp;', 'Leadership Pride – Where Is It Placed?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-pride-where-is-it-placed', '', '', '2013-01-08 06:16:05', '2013-01-08 12:16:05', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8050', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(18028, 243, '2013-01-08 12:07:33', '2013-01-08 18:07:33', 'Welcome to The January 2013 Leadership Development Carnival: Best of 2012 Edition!\n\nEach of the leadership bloggers in this edition were asked to submit their best (i.e., favorite, most popular) post from 2012, along with why it was the best.\n\nFor most Carnivals, I\'d suggest that readers just skim the headlines and pick and choose from the list. However, for this special edition, why not read them ALL? After all, for a typical blogger that cranks out at least 100 posts a year, you\'ll be reading <b>the top 1% of over 3500 posts</b>! I\'d say that\'s pretty darn efficient leadership development.\n\nSo here they are, in the order they were submitted. There were a few that missed the \"best of\" theme, but are included anyways. Please pardon the patchwork colors and fonts - it may not be pretty, but it sure is good stuff!\n\nRead more <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2013/01/the-january-2013-leadership-development.html\">here.</a>..', 'January 2013 Leadership Development Carnival: Best of 2012 Edition', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'january-2013-leadership-development-carnival-best-of-2012-edition', '', '', '2013-01-08 12:07:33', '2013-01-08 18:07:33', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8099', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18029, 251, '2013-01-10 06:20:32', '2013-01-10 12:20:32', 'She’d been impossible to miss – tall, impeccably groomed and stylishly dressed – flitting from table to table, rarely spending more than a minute or two before moving on. Movement out of sync with the 20-minute table rotations at the women’s networking event.\n\nHer final perch was our table, joining us in the last few minutes of the concluding rotation. Not looking directly at anyone, she announced the event a waste of time.\n\n“Why do you say that?” inquired a young professional who had just moved to town. “I had a great time.”\n\n“There was no one here worth meeting.”\n\n“You didn’t sit through the full round on our table, so how could you know that?”\n\n“Just by looking. It’s obvious no one has a background comparable to mine.”\n\n“What have you…?”\n\nRudely interrupting the young professional, chic woman declared, “And I’m sure you don’t either.”\n\nWith that, chic woman left our table with a disgusted toss of her perfect head, leaving all of us speechless.\n\nI confess that for most of my life I’ve wanted to look like that woman: tall, willowy, graceful, not a hair out of place, flawless make-up, mannequin perfect posture, size six beautifully-fitted clothing.\n\nBut suddenly it hit me that while she may be striking on the outside, she certainly came across as shallow on the inside. I’m trying not to be too judgmental since our encounter was so brief. Yet she declared she’d been sizing people up (no pun intended) by how they looked. Yikes, it doesn’t get much shallower than that in my book.\n\nI met some extraordinary women that evening — a writer, secretary, college professor, dream interpreter, lawyer, spunky single mom. Women who were tall, short, round, thin, young, old. Women who had contributed to the greater good. Women who had made something of themselves after starting out with very little. Women with resilience who kept trying despite setback after setback. Women passionately in pursuit of a vision.\n\nNone of those rich stories were obvious in their faces or in the way they were dressed. Their light came from within, not from designer clothes or expensive face creams. I felt sad for the chic woman who missed out on all that inner radiance just because the outer package didn’t meet her lofty standards.\n\nI still want to be tall and willowy but if the trade-off for that is being superficial, I think I’ll stick with short and round.\n\nImage credit:  <a href=\"http://thefemalebuddha.wordpress.com/\">The Female Buddha</a>', 'The Light Within', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-light-within', '', '', '2013-01-10 06:20:32', '2013-01-10 12:20:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8184', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18030, 303, '2013-01-11 06:13:32', '2013-01-11 12:13:32', 'I’d read about Philippe Petit some years ago, and while being amazed at his <a href=\"http://www.ted.com/talks/philippe_petit_the_journey_across_the_high_wire.html\">death defying tightrope walk</a> between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City, I was either was too young, too busy, in the wrong country  or too focussed on other things to truly absorb his story.  That changed last weekend when I happened upon an old documentary in which Philippe was recounting his experience on that day,  7<sup>th </sup>August 1974, and the events leading up to it.\n\nI realise as I write this, I am almost 40 years behind, but I also know there is a right time for everything, and I needed this story now, because it clicked into place a piece of jigsaw I was toying with, but not quite knowing where it fit.\n\nI have always admired people who have made a significant impact. People who particularly inspire me are Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, Viktor Frankl, Sir Winston Churchill, Carl Jung, Abraham Lincoln , and latterly Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve Jobs,  to name but a few. I am now adding Philippe Petit to my list.\n\nThese people on my list are famous for very different achievements. Some didn’t particularly set out to be “world” leaders in their field.  But to me and many others of course, they are leaders, because by virtue of their achievements they have led a way, which has helped many people, and so been inspirational. Their stories and work have certainly changed my world.\n\nSimon Sinek in his brilliant book “<a href=\"http://www.startwithwhy.com/\">Start With Why</a>” concludes the reason some people and their dreams (like Jobs and King for example) are globally successful is that they act from the inside out, they don’t sell their products, they sell their beliefs.  It is these beliefs that other people relate to which harnesses their commitment, support, and buy in.\n\nI was blown away when I heard Simon speaking about this phenomenon, because I know it to be true, certainly about me. I finally realised the reason I was so inspired by these people was my interpretation of their beliefs and traits embodied my own beliefs and value systems <i>which I aspire to.</i>\n\nWhen I examined my own list of inspirational people, I discovered several traits they displayed which I aspire to, and therefore inspire me.\n<ol>\n	<li>They owned a deeply held vision</li>\n	<li>Inner and self- directed, they listened to their intuition and the world around them became secondary if it didn’t accord with their inner guidance.</li>\n	<li>What they did/shared benefitted the greater good, even if they didn’t realise it at the time.</li>\n	<li>They were committed and dedicated; in fact most, if not all, view their achievements as their life’s purpose.</li>\n	<li>They weren’t deterred by popular opinion,</li>\n	<li>They acted fearlessly, even if inside they felt fearful</li>\n</ol>\nAnd finally, what Philippe Petit made me see so clearly:\n\n7.  They are aspirational, they dare to attempt “the impossible,” feats and successes which any rationale mind may have said weren’t possible.\n\nInspirational people lead others by letting them see that their hopes, dreams, aspirations, and values are not only desirable, but are possible, by demonstrating they can be done.  Once you have seen impossible being achieved, then the world has changed.\n\nSo how can this help our everyday leaders, who aren’t out to change the world, but who grapple with the day to day reality of where they are right now?\n\nI asked this question of a very dear mentor of mine.  “How can I lead in my small way, when all my inspiration comes from people who have changed the world, it seems overwhelming?”   What he said to me can also be true for leaders in every field.   He said, “Don’t concentrate on the world; apply your beliefs, principles and values <i>to your world </i>and the rest will take care of itself.”  I felt a glimmer but wasn’t convinced. That was until I witnessed Philippe’s mad impossible mission and suddenly the impossible was possible, and the final piece of the jigsaw slotted into place.\n\n<i>What inspires you?  Do you agree that you are mostly inspired by beliefs and values you either care about or aspire to?  Does this formula equate to leaders who inspire or inspired you?  </i>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nPhoto credit: photos.com\n\n&nbsp;', '7  Traits of Inspirational People, And What Leaders Can Learn', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '7-traits-of-inspirational-people-and-what-leaders-can-learn', '', '', '2013-01-11 06:13:32', '2013-01-11 12:13:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8195', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(18031, 266, '2013-01-15 06:20:31', '2013-01-15 12:20:31', 'Over and over again, I talk about vision. It is what pulls us forward and keeps us going. The Miriam-Webster online dictionary defines vision as:\n\n<b>1)   </b><b>Something seen in a dream, trance, or ecstasy; especially a supernatural appearance that conveys a revelation</b>\n\n<b>2)   </b><b>A thought, concept, or object formed by the imagination</b>\n\n<b>3)   </b><b>Unusual discernment or foresight, e.g., a visionary</b>\n\n<b> </b>As I’m continuing to learn, however, definition does not equal meaning.\n\nFor me a vision is what we see in our heart. And, every thought comes from an image in the heart. Did you know in ancient Hebrew, the first use of the word heart appears in the verse “The Father sees the image of the thoughts of the heart”? Our culture often associates the heart with emotions such as love and kindness – or states of being. Ancient Hebrews also saw the heart as the seat of emotion. But unlike us they also saw the heart as the seat of thought whereas we see the brain as the seat of thought. To the ancient Hebrews the heart was the mind including all thoughts, as well as emotions.\n\nWhat is your vision? Do you have one clearly in mind as you go about your daily life at home, at work, at worship, and at play? Can you close your eyes and share with me what you see?\n\nAn inspiring vision is what ignites your passion, and passion requires a clear unifying vision. Without it you are stumbling about in the dark. Jim Wulfeck, founder and Senior Partner of CompleteMASTERY Institute and Artisan Consulting Group, says that “purpose without vision is destructive.”\n\nHold that thought for a moment.\n\nVision needs to come from something you deeply care about. It is based on your core values, and your beliefs. It is not something you enter into lightly, nor is it easily reduced to words. It is something you profoundly feel in the very essence of your being. And, because of that, you must be sure what you are seeing is truth – and you are not deceiving yourself. You must reduce the plethora of what you think to be true and get to the core of who you are, so that you might grow.\n\nThis is purpose. It is the reason you do what you do, the reason you are created and why you exist. In order for you to grow and to fulfill that purpose you need a road map for action. And that begins with a vision that draws you forward. Goals are wrapped around that vision, and the steps needed to reach each goal leading to fulfillment of the vision can be defined and taken at just the right time.\n\nIf you are not experiencing the growth and success you hoped for, it’s time to take a step back and work on your vision. If the vision you are holding today is not working for you, how do you change it? <i>Change the image that sits in your heart.</i>\n\nI heard the following in a class I am taking, <b><i>ReDiscovery of the Heart</i></b>, and it had such an impact on me I am sharing it with you.\n<p align=\"center\"> I am not responsible for the thoughts I have, I am responsible for the thoughts I keep – the images in my heart.</p>\n<p align=\"center\"><b><i>What is your vision? Close your eyes and tell me what you see in your heart….</i></b></p>\n Copyright(c) <a href=\"http://www.123rf.com\">123RF Stock Photos</a>', 'First, We Must Have a Vision', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'first-we-must-have-a-vision', '', '', '2013-01-15 06:20:31', '2013-01-15 12:20:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8245', 0, 'post', '', 1),
(18032, 318, '2013-01-22 06:16:08', '2013-01-22 12:16:08', 'Someone gets recognized with the best of intentions... and the eyes start to roll.\n\nOr, the audience begins to clap very slowly with plastered-on smiles.\n\nOr...a quiet murmur comes over the crowd.. and the text messages start to flow.\n\nSometimes recognition backfires.\n\nOn the other hand, we\'ve all witnessed the exuberant celebration when a name is called, and the whole audience seems to scream \'YES!\"  People rise to their feet.... it\'s hand slaps the whole way back from the stage. The congratulations go on all night. When the recognition is on target, everyone feels fantastic.\n\nAs a leader, I recognize.  I\'ve been recognized. I have also been in the constant conversations about who should be recognized.  I must admit, the higher I get in the organization, the more recognition scares me.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Recognition matters.</strong></em></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>Recognition can backfire.</strong></em></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong>It\'s important to understand the impact.</strong></em></p>\n\n<h2>5 Reasons Your Recognition is Backfiring</h2>\nAfter participating in hundreds of recognitions over the years, I have seen patterns that cause recognition to backfire.  Avoiding these pitfalls will help to ensure your recognition is a success.\n<h4>1.  Recognize numbers achieved through bad behaviors</h4>\nIn an effort to remain \"objective,\" many leaders rely heavily on numbers and stack ranks as they select who to recognize. Over-reliance on the numbers can be a slippery slope.  A good way to overcome this is to identify additional behaviors or related metrics to use as gateways. I encourage you to build a deeper context to your recognition criteria.\n<h4>2.  Recognize the leader without acknowledging the team.</h4>\nLeaders need recognition too.  Sometimes there is huge value in recognizing a leader in front of their team. However, this is risky and must be done with care. Many times it\'s best to use big recognition forums to recognize team efforts, and save the individual leadership kudos for another time.\n<h4>3.  Recognize a big deal as if it\'s a small deal</h4>\nOr... a small deal as if it\'s a big deal.  \"Thanks for saving us $5 Million dollars, here\'s your certificate\" can backfire. Ensure you calibrate level of accomplishment with level of recognition, as well as ensure all leaders doing recognition at the same event are aligned.\n<h4>4.  Mispronounce the recipient\'s name</h4>\nThis mistake seems really basic, but it\'s all too frequent. It doesn\'t help if you laugh first and apologize. Take the time to learn how to pronounce their name.\n<h4>5.  Stumble on the accomplishment, or read from a script</h4>\nThe leaders who go to the microphone without the notes always win in my book.  They speak from the heart... so what if they can\'t quote every number... their eyes light up... they tell a story. They mean it.  Make sure you understand the recognition enough to mean it.\n\n<em><strong>How do you ensure your recognition has the impact you desire? </strong></em>\n\nSee Also:\n\n<a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2013/01/18/incentive_programs/\">Why Isn\'t This Incentive Program Working?</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2012/09/08/recognition-power-words/\">Recognition Power Words: The Phrases That Mean The Most</a>\n\n<a href=\"http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/one-huge-step-every-great-boss-takes.html\">One Huge Step Every Great Boss Takes</a>', '5 Reasons Your Recognition is Backfiring', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-reasons-your-recognition-is-backfiring', '', '', '2013-01-22 06:16:08', '2013-01-22 12:16:08', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8253', 0, 'post', '', 9),
(18033, 268, '2013-01-18 06:17:27', '2013-01-18 12:17:27', '<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-8300\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/mpb-leadchange19-photo-011613-300x199.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" />A performance review, done well, should not come as a surprise. A good manager provides coaching and feedback throughout the year, so employees consistently know where they stand and what’s needed for improvement. A good manager also asks questions so that every performance discussion is a dialogue. The manager knows the employee’s frustrations and career aspirations, because there is regular, transparent, two-way communication.\n<h3><b>What’s between your annual reviews? An information vacuum?</b></h3>\nSurprisingly, a number of organizations still deliver once-a-year performance appraisals without providing much interim feedback. The dangers of this approach?\n<ul>\n	<li>Employees do not get the ongoing guidance and correction they need to do their best.</li>\n	<li>Workers wonder whether their boss likes their contribution; being in the dark can create anxiety.</li>\n	<li>Managers may not know the “pulse” of their direct reports—are those employees happy? Frustrated? Adequately challenged? About to resign?</li>\n	<li>The annual-only review gives the manager an excuse to postpone confronting a performance shortcoming. Instead of talking with an employee at the time of the problem, the discussion may occur months later or not at all.</li>\n</ul>\nBut here is one of the more insidious problems of once-a-year reviews: The manager puts off filling out “the forms” until the last minute and ends up providing top-of-mind feedback regarding only the last few weeks, instead of the whole one-year performance cycle. If an employee made a recent mistake, it can overshadow a year\'s worth of good work.\n\nAnd a related problem? Sometimes, there is no dialogue. The manager is often so harried to get these performance reviews checked off the to-do list that the appraisal goes something like this:\n\n<i>The manager hands the form to the employee to read, or delivers the feedback as a monologue, followed by, \"Do you have any questions? If not, go ahead and sign here.\"</i>\n\nIf the feedback contains any shocking or upsetting information, employees may become flustered. They want more time to think before responding. Instead of saying the \"wrong thing,\" they choose to say nothing. If they want to refute the evaluation, they must schedule another meeting and end up fretting or stewing (or looking for a new job) in the meantime.\n\nSure, you may have paid a consulting firm six figures to design your wonderful forms. But consider making this New Year’s resolution: Rename the annual performance appraisal. Instead, call it the “Annual Summary Review.” Commit to having performance discussions with each employee, at least once a quarter (if not more frequently). At the end of the year, the employee thinks, “O.K. You’ve complimented me on this. You’ve coached me on that. But how am I doing overall?” The annual form answers this question. It’s a culmination of a year’s worth of coaching and dialogue—not a once a year event.\n\nDo you agree?', 'The &#039;Annual Performance Appraisal&#039; Needs a New Name', 'A surprising number of organizations still deliver once-a-year performance appraisals without providing much interim feedback. Have you considered the dangers of this approach?', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-annual-performance-appraisal-needs-a-new-name', '', '', '2013-01-18 06:17:27', '2013-01-18 12:17:27', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8270', 0, 'post', '', 4);
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(18034, 282, '2013-01-21 06:23:36', '2013-01-21 12:23:36', '\n\nIf you\'re familiar with LeadChange Group, then you\'re familiar with the name Mike Henry.  Mike is more than just the founder of LeadChange Group; for nearly everyone he encounters, Mike becomes a blend of confidant, encourager, sage, &amp; friend.  His vision for Character-based Leadership has ignited that same passion in hundreds of other leaders, and countless others whom those leaders influence.  I have read many of his past posts, and found some nuggets of wisdom, challenge and passion I\'d thought I would pass on to you all, in case you might have missed them!\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/rising-tide-in-leadership/\">A Rising Tide In Leadership</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"Leaders in the next generation want to be inspired more than led, encouraged more than trained, launched more than instructed, and mobilized more than directed.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/whos-leading-who/\">Who\'s Leading Who?</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"We have to resist the pull to a life of routine reactions to our circumstances. We must dig our heels in and resist the pull to mediocrity. We must be people who lift others and who challenge others or we won’t have anyone to lift and challenge us.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/the-opposite-of-leader/\">The Opposite of Leader</a></span></i></b>\n\n<em>\"Victim</em> is my new word to describe <em>the opposite of leader</em>.  No one likes being a victim, but I catch myself blaming others for my circumstances and my position and at that moment I become a victim.  When I remember I can always choose my attitude and my reaction, I become a leader, at least of myself.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://mikehenrysr.wordpress.com/2012/06/\">Leadership and the Contemporary Church</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"What if leadership is nothing more than intentional influence? What if great leaders are those who intentionally influence great numbers of people to accomplish great things?\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://mikehenrysr.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/jack-henry-responsibility-persistence/\">Jack Henry: Responsibility &amp; Persistence</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"Who you are matters. It’s much more important than what you say or what you intend. It’s much more important than who you know or how much stuff you have... Your \"who-you-are\" is the only message you have. It’s the only story anyone will remember of your life.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://mikehenrysr.wordpress.com/2012/09/01/a-quotation-for-the-us-election/\">A Quotation for the US Election</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"Leadership demands that we bring ideas and solutions instead of criticism and discord. We must argue <em><b>for</b></em> our ideas, rather than <em><b>against</b></em> the others.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/ambition-of-great-leaders/\">Ambition of Great Leaders</a></span></i></b>\n\n\'Ambition isn’t the problem. The object of our ambition is.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/heretical-leadership/\">Heretical Leadership</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"No one needs a leader to lead <em>same</em>.  This is a community of heretics, leading <em>change;</em><i> </i>and changing leadership.  We believe we each individually can inspire character-based leadership and make a positive difference in ourselves, in others, and in our communities. Character-based leadership is each of us leading from who we are and not our power or position.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/stand-out/\">Stand Out</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"As for me, I don’t want to be lukewarm.  I don’t want to “go down easy.”  I want to make a difference in the world \"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/transparency-and-leadership/\">Transparency &amp; Leadership</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"Transparency enables sincerity and trust. <a title=\"Articles on Trust at Lead Change Group\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/tag/trust\">Trust</a> is the lubricant that enables organizations to function, grow and prosper. Trust enables success.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/love-accountability-and-leadership/\">Love, Accountability &amp; Leadership</a></span></i></b>\n\n“If you messed up, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you?”\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/character-vs-charisma-in-leadership/\">Character vs. Charisma in Leadership</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"True character creates true influence. To generate influence through any other means is simply manipulation.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leadership-production-vs-consumption/\">Leadership: Production vs. Consumption</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"As leaders, we’re measured by what we ship, not what we receive.\"\n\n<b><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/change-leaders-or-change-leaders/\">Change Leaders or Change Leaders</a></span></i></b>\n\n\"If we fear the future more than the risk of change, we’ll pursue the change.\"\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThanks Mike, for continuing to set the pace and challenging us as leaders to grow, to listen, to stand out and make a difference!', 'Top Quotes On Leadership From Mike Henry', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'top-quotes-on-leadership-from-mike-henry', '', '', '2013-01-21 06:23:36', '2013-01-21 12:23:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8291', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(18035, 307, '2013-01-28 12:14:27', '2013-01-28 18:14:27', '\n<h2>How Could You?</h2>\nHe was angry.\n\nHis tight words and finger stabbing the air made it clear: he felt betrayed.\n\n“How could you let this happen?”\n\nHe had just been fired…by the President of the Company.\n\n“Me?? I’m not the one who skipped out on the team over and over again.”\n\nHe may have been angry, but I was beyond frustrated and felt betrayed myself. I’d gone out on a limb to help, but in the end he’d gotten himself fired.\n\nWhat made it worse was that for the prior year, we’d been friends.\n\nThat all changed when I was asked to lead the team.\n<h2>Landmines</h2>\nOur problem was not unique to us – it happens to nearly everybody when they are first asked to lead a team they once belonged to.\n\nYou are now in a position of providing accountability and inspiration to a group of your peers.\n\nFor many emerging leaders, this is the most difficult challenge they will ever face. I’ve watched many experienced leaders stumble when asked to address or lead a team of their peers.\n<h2>Leading Peers – How To Make It Work</h2>\nMy experience didn’t have to end the way I described it.\n\nThe good news is that a few healthy leadership practices can help you manage the transition from peer to positional leader: [<a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/2012/10/but-i-thought-we-were-friends-how-to-lead-peers/\">Read More</a>...]', 'But I Thought We Were Friends – How to Lead Peers', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'but-i-thought-we-were-friends-how-to-lead-peers', '', '', '2013-01-28 12:14:27', '2013-01-28 18:14:27', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8059', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18036, 243, '2013-01-26 08:09:46', '2013-01-26 14:09:46', '<em>This is the fifth part of a series on the origins of the Lead Change Group based on one of the key books that inspired me to take action: <a title=\"Tribes at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842336/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591842336&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=elevate-20\">Tribes by Seth Godin</a>. For links to all the posts, check out this page.</em>\n\nOn page 65 in Tribes, Godin has a section titled The Plurality Myth that\'s about the idea that you need to a plurality or a majority to make something happen. Godin point out that with the exception of elections, the idea that we must build a plurality is a wrong idea.\n<blockquote>\"Starbucks doesn\'t serve coffee to the majority of the people in the United States. The New York City Crochet Guild appeals to just a small percentage of the people who encounter it. That\'s okay. You don\'t need a plurality or even a majority. In fact, in nearly every case, trying to lead everyone results in leading no one in particular.\n\n\"This leads to an interesting thought: you get to choose the tribe you will lead.\"</blockquote>\nMy first management assignment was as general manager of a trucking company branch office. We had to start it fast because we moved some existing business to a different geographic location. So we hired quickly. I had no training other than what I had seen other small company managers do. I had never had any formal leadership training.\n\nInstantly, people started complaining. I wasn\'t doing everything to suit them. After a couple of weeks chasing my tail and trying to please a variety of people and keep the peace, a thought occurred to me. \"I\'m probably not going to suit everyone. It\'s not possible. And if that\'s the case, I better decide up front who will get top priority.\"\n\nI chose to build a business where responsible, hard-working people liked to work. If you would rather be doing something other than a great job, you probably weren\'t going to like working for me. And while I hope to be liked by everyone, I especially wanted to be liked by those people who took responsibility for their lives and made sure they gave a good day\'s work for a good day\'s pay.  If the others liked it, fine.  But they weren\'t my core focus because we had a job to do.\n\nOnce you decide who you are not going to serve, you are free of tyranny. Early in Lead Change there was a lot of doubt and a ton of uncertainty.  But I tried to keep my focus on mobilizing <a title=\"Posts on character-based leadership\" href=\"/tag/character-based-leadership/\">character-based leaders</a> to make a positive difference.  So if that\'s your focus and you are willing to do your own work, I want Lead Change to help. I wanted to create an \"us\" where people were all moving forward in their own way, solving the problem of impersonal, behavior-based leadership. My goal was to see if there was anyone else in the world who thought that it would be cool to be part of a community of people who were promoting a change in leadership.\n\nDo you want to make a dent in the leadership universe? We believe <em>your</em> best <em>you</em> can change <em>your</em> world. We can\'t do that for you. But we can encourage and share and help one another as we each try to apply character-based leadership to make a positive difference. My hope is that this community will help you. But you\'re going to do most of the work. No one will change the world for you.\n\nJoin us?', 'The Plurality Myth - Origins of Lead Change Group Part 5', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-plurality-myth-origins-of-lead-change-group-part-5', '', '', '2013-01-26 08:09:46', '2013-01-26 14:09:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8369', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18037, 303, '2013-02-06 12:13:00', '2013-02-06 18:13:00', 'The psychology of leadership simply fascinates me, and no more so than when leaders have a positive influence on their team.   You may not class yourself as a leader, but you are a leader, whether you’re leading a team, a family or even yourself.  In your role, as a leader, the energy you emit is vital, and cannot fail to affect yourself and others.\n\nPositive psychology sounds like another fad or for those of us chronic doomsayers, just plain <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollyanna\">“Pollyanna.”</a>  We all know the world we see has positive and negative energy.  <a href=\"http://www.peoplediscovery.co.uk/2013/01/18/7-uncommon-ways-to-be-a-positive-influence-on-you-and-your-team/\">Read More</a>', '7 Uncommon Ways To Be A Positive Influence On You and Your Team', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '7-uncommon-ways-to-be-a-positive-influence-on-you-and-your-team', '', '', '2013-02-06 12:13:00', '2013-02-06 18:13:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8472', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(18038, 335, '2013-02-05 06:12:54', '2013-02-05 12:12:54', 'Some leaders don’t have an issue celebrating a team\'s accomplishments. They are naturally gifted at celebration. However, many leaders, including myself, struggle with celebrating - and not because we\'re no fun.\n\n<strong>If we don’t, from time to time, stop and celebrate with our team, we’ll miss a huge opportunity.</strong>\n\nIn this post I\'m sharing a few reasons we need to devote time and energy to appropriate celebrations with our team and also how to make celebration the rule and not the exception. <a href=\"http://greatleadersserve.com/teams/todays-challenge-celebration/\" target=\"_blank\">Read More...</a>', 'Today&#039;s Challenge: Celebration', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'todays-challenge-celebration', '', '', '2013-02-05 06:12:54', '2013-02-05 12:12:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8507', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18039, 306, '2013-02-04 06:17:46', '2013-02-04 12:17:46', 'We’ve all experienced it. The meeting goes well. Everyone nods, smiles, and quickly agrees. There are no objections or even questions to answer. You leave feeling confident that your proposal will be unanimously adopted.\n\nThen you hear about the meeting after the meeting... and the lingering concerns and worries that ‘everyone’ has... and you know that the torpedoes have already been launched and your proposal is sunk.\n\nI call this dynamic ‘dysfunctional politeness.’ It costs organization dearly in terms of dollars, but it also takes an enormous human toll: disappointment, mistrust, frustration, and disengagement.\n\nEach time we choose to be agreeable rather than raising legitimate concerns, offering candid feedback, or telling the truth about our reactions, we hurt both the results and our relationships with others.\n\n<strong>THE GIFTS OF CONFLICT</strong>\n\nThe ability to engage in constructive conflict - focused on issues and expressed with respect - is a key hallmark of effective teams. And it makes sense. Openly airing different points of views and passionately testing ideas helps groups:\n<ul>\n	<li>Identify and adjust faulty assumptions,</li>\n	<li>Eliminate or solve problems early, and</li>\n	<li>Bring the broadest and best thinking to decisions.</li>\n</ul>\n<p align=\"center\"> \"Conflict is what prevents all forms of stagnation and vulnerability from being overtaken by your competition.”\n<em>- Steven Berglas, consultant/clinical psychologist at Harvard Medical School</em></p>\nBut beyond the business argument for constructive conflict, there’s a human one. It also builds relationships and teamwork. While it might seem counterintuitive, teams that engage in the most heated and intense conflicts are frequently the strongest. They know they can count on each other for absolute candor. They know that once the group makes a decision, everyone will own it and work toward its success. They know that whatever someone has to say will be shared in a forthright way that allows for the back-and-forth required to fully understand and respond to issues or concerns.\n<p align=\"center\"> “Tumultuous meetings are of a sign of progress.”\n<em>- Patrick Lencioni</em></p>\n <strong>CULTIVATING CONSTRUCTIVE CONFLICT: 3 STEPS</strong>\n\nAre you and your team not realizing the benefits of constructive conflict? Here are three steps you can take today to start cultivating this critical team competency.\n\n<strong>Do a Personal Gut Check</strong>\n\nCheck your own reaction to conflict and evaluate the effect it has on your team. Your mindset drives your behavior. If differences make you tense, team members will pick up on that. If you rush in to smooth over minor disagreements, others will quickly learn that conflict is not OK... and dysfunctional politeness may creep in.\n\n<strong>Set Expectations and Ground Rules</strong>\n\nShare what you know about the value of conflict and the role it can play in helping your team achieve excellence. Brainstorm agreements that keep conflict safe. Examples include: focus on issues and ideas but never people; use respectful language always; listen to understand the other point of view fully before speaking.\n\n<strong>Model the Conflict You Want to See</strong>\n\nYour own behavior is the most powerful leadership tool at your disposal. Others learn far more from what you do than what you say. So model effective conflict daily. Challenge ideas in a respectful and supportive way. Test assumptions with open-ended questions. Demonstrate high-quality listening and the courage to ask questions that stir up productive controversy.\n<p align=\"center\"> “All polishing is done by friction.”\n<em>- Mary Parker Follett</em></p>\n<strong>What do you think...</strong>\n\n<em>How is dysfunctional politeness hurting your organization?</em>\n\n<em>What does constructive conflict look like to you... and how do you promote it?</em>\n\nArt:  www.dreamstime.com and Liz Price', 'An Argument for Conflict', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'an-argument-for-conflict', '', '', '2013-02-04 06:17:46', '2013-02-04 12:17:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8539', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(18040, 320, '2013-02-05 06:13:10', '2013-02-05 12:13:10', '[caption id=\"attachment_8207\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"125\"] Responsibility in 3 R\'s[/caption]\n\nConsider the state of Tennessee, where I live. <a href=\"http://tspn.org/status-of-suicide-2012\">932 deaths occured by suicide, a rate of 14.7 per 100,000</a>, in 2010. This is an improvement since 2008 but it represents too many losses that were totally preventable. Consider the case of Adam Lanza who perpetrated the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. It appears that he went largely <a href=\"http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/connecticut-school-shooting-adam-lanza-1492742\">unnoticed and unassociated </a>with throughout his life, and in the end he committed a horrific mass murder and suicide. Suicide prevention skill building programs, like First Aid and CPR certification programs, teach that, through skill building and confident involvement, lives can be saved. How many lives might have been saved if there had been a greater sense of responsibility for 932 Tennessee lives, or 1 Connecticut life that held so many others in his hands?\n\nThe New Era of Responsibility calls for greater Responsiveness. The only wrong action that can be taken, when there is a need, is to take no action at all.\n\nA few notes about responsiveness:\n\n<b>Prepare:</b> respond with tools that you are skilled with and ready to use. This starts long before a response is needed. However, I think this also involves building up one’s confidence in the moment of need as well; nervousness or uncertainty lead to responding in unhelpful ways.\n\n<b>Prioritize:</b> respond to what is important in the moment. In the medical world, this is called “triage.” In approaching employee development recently, I have had to address performance issues while being cognizant of personal hurts that resulted out of professional work. Looking at employees through the lens of personhood has caused me to choose my response wisely and compassionately.\n\n<b>Approach:</b> respond with what is helpful in the moment. Do not use 10 words when two will do, and no amount of words will accomplish what a few moments of listening can. Openness, genuineness, honesty, and positive regard are all necessary in a proper approach to human need. In the words of Stephen Covey from <em>The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</em>: “Seek first to understand, and then to be understood.”\n\nDonald T. Phillips recounts one of Abraham Lincoln\'s favorite stories in the book <em>Lincoln on Leadership.</em> It is about a US colonel who had a policy that he would do all the swearing for the entire regiment. One day the teamster, John Todd, spouted off a stream of profanities while driving his wagon down a rough road. When the colonel took him to task for it, John stated, \"The fact was the swearing had to be done then or not at all, and you weren\'t there to do it.\" Though humorous, the illustration is clear: so one who is around must respond when a response is needed.\n\nPeople around us, in growing numbers, are experiencing trauma, loss, impoverishment, or rejection that they will never speak to anyone. The opportunity to help others is great. In this new era, we should take more responsibility for the well being of others by being more responsive to the needs we find all around us.\n\nWhat do you think? Is it worth it to get involved, to call for help, to be present? What do you think are the obstacles to greater responsiveness?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;', 'Responsiveness in the New Era of Responsibility', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'responsiveness-in-the-new-era-of-responsibility', '', '', '2013-02-05 06:13:10', '2013-02-05 12:13:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8556', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18041, 290, '2013-02-06 06:17:37', '2013-02-06 12:17:37', '<a title=\"Enabling Strategy with Purpose\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/enabling-strategy-with-purpose/\">Purpose and strategy</a>. They seem to fit like peanut butter and jelly. Purpose is the jelly, sweetening our appetites for the work to be done. Strategy is the peanut butter, making it all stick together as we do the work.\n\nEven with this thought, leaders lose their desire to define an organizational strategy in terms of a greater purpose. It sounds too lofty, too qualitative. People may snicker or scoff at the very thought of discussing purpose when it comes to develop a strategy.\n\nIt is unfortunate because purpose and strategy belong together.\n<h3><b>A Two by Two Perspective </b></h3>\nFor those who know me, you frequently see a <a title=\"Unbox Clarity: Two by Two\" href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/unbox-clarity/\" target=\"_blank\">two by two matrix</a> in some of my articles. It is a great way to break things down and gain perspective. In this case, it highlights what happens when one is missing and when both are well-defined.\n\nLet’s dive in.\n\n<b>Mired.</b> With an undefined purpose and strategy, there is no question about where organizations and people within them stand; they are mired. There is no light ahead; there is no path defined. It is being stuck knee deep, and people are highly frustrated. It is time to define a purpose and a strategy to move  forward.\n\n<b>Unmotivated Direction.</b> Most organizations are likely here. They have a strategy but their purpose is undefined. People may have a sense of purpose in their work, as having a defined direction delivers a practical value by itself. However, the higher calling of the organization is likely viewed differently, or not at all. Team members, customers, partners, and other stakeholders may have a mixed view of what the organization’s purpose really is.\n<blockquote><em><strong>What do I mean by purpose? </strong></em>Simply stated, it is the larger impact, the real affect, the real driver of why the work is done.\n\n<em><strong>Take Whole Foods.</strong></em> Some may just look at it as a grocery store, a place to showcase organic foods for people to purchase. However, it is more than this. Their purposeful focus is on “<a title=\"The Power of Purpose - Forbes Article\" href=\"http://www.forbes.com/sites/barbaraarmstrong/2012/04/26/the-power-of-purpose-and-values-leadership-lessons-from-the-great-place-to-work-conference/\" target=\"_blank\">whole foods, whole people, whole planet</a>.” This is a broader statement, and it empowers many aspects of Whole Foods from their people policies to food selection policies to global practices. This engages the organization and their stakeholders more fully and delivers a higher purpose in why they work there, why people shop there, and why people buy their stock.</blockquote>\n<b>Motivated Unproductivity.</b> Moving up to the Purpose row, we first enter the quadrant where there is a clear purpose for an organization yet the strategy is missing. While people may be energized by the purpose, this will began to fade quickly as progress forward is scattered, inconsistent, and unplanned. Purpose without momentum leads to frustration and attrition.\n\n<b>Inspired Alignment.</b> When purpose and strategy come together in a tight fit, inspired work happens. There is a reason for the work is being done, and it is larger in mission than just completing a task. Tasks turn into results; results turn into momentum; and momentum moves an organization to realize a greater purpose in the marketplace. There is a rhythm to the work and a reason for the strategy.\n<blockquote><b><i>Remember this:</i></b> Purpose delivers a rhythm to the work and a reason for the strategy!</blockquote>\nInspired alignment is the complete opposite of drudgery in work and disconnection in approach. There is a lift in the step of people involved. The path ahead will likely contain challenges but there is a reason to overcome them.\n<h3><b>Real Organizations Have Purpose</b></h3>\n<a title=\"Your Dream: 4 Must Haves from History to Lead Forward\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/your-dream-4-must-haves-from-history-to-lead-forward/\">Purpose</a> is not fluff. It is the content of our strategy’s character. It is what makes organizations strong because it inspires people to engage in their work and achieve meaning in what they do. Purpose defines the personality and story of an organization and, in turn, the policies and processes that flow from it.\n\n<b>Key points:</b>\n<ul>\n	<li>Don’t be afraid. Engage in strategic conversations on what your organization’s purpose is.</li>\n	<li>Purpose is a necessary element of any worthwhile strategy. Define it. Communicate it. Act on it in all you do.</li>\n	<li>Rise up to the challenge of purpose. The <a title=\"Millennial Leaders: Building a Horizontal View\" href=\"http://www.thindifference.com/2013/01/21/millennial-leaders-building-a-horizontal-view/\" target=\"_blank\">Millennial Generation</a> expects it and everyone before and after will embrace it.</li>\n</ul>\n<h3><b><i>Does your strategy have purpose? What is the result – either way?</i></b></h3>\n&nbsp;', 'Purpose and Strategy: Two by Two', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'purpose-and-strategy-two-by-two', '', '', '2013-02-06 06:17:37', '2013-02-06 12:17:37', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8626', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(18042, 243, '2013-02-04 12:36:51', '2013-02-04 18:36:51', 'Lead Change Group is excited to be represented in the February 2013 Leadership Development Carnival. Here\'s what David Burkus at LDRLB offers in way of introduction:\n\n\"This month’s Carnival offers an array of fresh insights for a fresh year. There’s a lot of good material here, so don’t be afraid to bookmark this page or add it to your reading list to cover each post one at a time. To help guide your way through, we’ve divided the posts up by the three categories we at <i>LDRLB</i> tend to see the world through: leadership, innovation, and strategy.\n\nMany of these posts belong in multiple categories, but that’s the nature of these three domains. They overlap substantially and, where where they do, that’s where the most important lessons are.\"\n\nRead more <a href=\"http://ldrlb.co/2013/02/february-2013-leadership-development-carnival/\">here</a>...', 'February 2013 Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'february-2013-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2013-02-04 12:36:51', '2013-02-04 18:36:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8663', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18043, 316, '2013-02-07 15:06:20', '2013-02-07 21:06:20', 'Courage is an important virtue for leadership. It is critical for leading people, disrupting the status quo and having significant impact.\n\n\n\nBut I also think two other virtues, prudence and temperance, are also critical for leadership. Of course, I can easily argue that <a href=\"http://www.managementexchange.com/hack/energize-and-sustain\">all the virtues are important</a>! Increasingly, leaders are asking me for help with these areas. This may sound paradoxical to courage, but hear me out.\n\nRead more <a href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/02/07/why-leadership-requires-prudence-and-temperance/\">here</a>...', 'Why leadership requires prudence and temperance', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'why-leadership-requires-prudence-and-temperance', '', '', '2013-02-07 15:06:20', '2013-02-07 21:06:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8720', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18044, 369, '2013-02-13 12:20:07', '2013-02-13 18:20:07', 'Most organizations and their leaders now accept that simple worker compliance is insufficient for achieving operational excellence and long-term success.\n\n\n\nManagement writers, consultants, and academics have been telling us this for years. For example, a new book by Karen Martin, <a href=\"http://amzn.com/0071782370\" target=\"_blank\">The Outstanding Organization</a>, places Engagement as one of four ‘fundamental conditions’ that allow an organization to sustain consistently high value delivery over extended time frames.\n\nOrganizations are increasingly looking to deep employee engagement as a means to securing an unbeatable competitive advantage. If you want to build enduring engagement in your organization, answer these seven questions... read on\n\n<a href=\"http://wp.me/s2QyyO-73\" target=\"_blank\">photo credit</a><a href=\"http://wp.me/s2QyyO-73\" target=\"_blank\">\n</a>', 'Building Enduring Engagement', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'building-enduring-engagement', '', '', '2013-02-13 12:20:07', '2013-02-13 18:20:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8567', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18045, 252, '2013-02-15 06:19:09', '2013-02-15 12:19:09', '\n\nYou know those nagging little thoughts or feelings you have sometimes?  Let’s say one of your direct reports says something to you, but the vibe of the exchange makes you wonder if there really is something else going on.\n\nThis can be frustrating to say the least.  At its worst it can be a sign of a dynamic that is potentially destructive to the goals of the organization you serve, the working relationships you have with those you lead, and your success.\n\nHere are some flags to look for, what they could mean, and how to begin to remedy the situation.\n<h3>1 - The people around you are answering your questions with vague, non-committal language.</h3>\nAre they just telling you what you want to hear?  Are they afraid you are going kill the messenger or overreact?  Or is it because they don’t care and don’t want the hassle of giving the “wrong” answer.\n\nEither way, you have work to do.  You can tell people that you want to them to speak freely, but you have to prove it.  Create opportunities for them to feel safe in being up-front with you. Don’t start with the most “loaded” topic.\n<h3>1a - You haven’t heard any bad news lately.</h3>\nThis is a subtle version of flag #1. It could be that the engine of your organization is running on all cylinders.  On the other hand, are they buffering you from challenges you <i>really should</i> know about?\n\nI\'m not suggesting looking for trouble, but if things seem to be going a little too well, check your own behavior (see point 1). It’s also helpful to ask a truly trusted peer or confidante to weigh in and help you strategize.\n<h3>2 - It seems your direct reports come to you having scripted the discussion.</h3>\nOne obvious giveaway – the person in front of you is working from notes.  Less obvious – they seem stilted in their delivery.  This may mean:\n<ul>\n	<li>They’re merely nervous.</li>\n	<li>They have no idea what to expect from you.</li>\n	<li>They know exactly what to expect from you.</li>\n</ul>\nWhatever the case is, when you see this, one option is to let it ride. While the two of you are talking, monitor the effect of your behavior and words.  When their nervousness has passed, ask if there is anything you can do to make this type of conversation easier next time.\n<h3>3 - You\'re the only one talking in staff meetings.</h3>\nYou’ve had the boss who likes to hear herself talk.  Or the one who isn’t responsive when their staff members do speak.  Or the one who is uncomfortable with silence and doesn’t wait long enough for people to respond. There are a myriad of explanations.\n\nIf you sincerely want more interaction, design it in.  Don’t overwhelm them with your newfound commitment to interaction, but pick at least one question or topic that you really want them engaged in and:\n<ul>\n	<li>Go around the room for responses.  (See bonus tip below.)</li>\n	<li>Don’t let people get by with saying, “what she said.”</li>\n	<li>Ask <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/good-questions/\">follow-up questions</a> to draw them out.</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>Bonus tip</strong>: As a leader of a meeting, if you ask a question and you get no response, ask people to take a minute to think about a response and jot it down.  Try this first with a question that requires a little thought.\n\nDoes any of this make you uncomfortable?  The more comfortable you are with learning about the impact of your interactions and with trying new things, the more comfortable others will be with you.  Your leadership interactions will be on the upswing.\n\n<em>What tactics do you use to keep your interactions as a leader open and free-flowing?</em>\n\n<span style=\"color: #888888;\">Image: <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuchodi/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #888888;\">Flickr Contributor Tuchodi / CC 2.0</span></a></span>', 'Three Red Flags that Signal Your Leadership Interactions are Floundering', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'three-red-flags-that-signal-your-leadership-interactions-are-floundering', '', '', '2013-02-15 06:19:09', '2013-02-15 12:19:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8705', 0, 'post', '', 14),
(18046, 320, '2013-02-19 06:08:54', '2013-02-19 12:08:54', 'The tragic wake of the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School started in Newtown, Connecticut, but rushed over the rest of the nation as story after story in the media brought the local horror to a grand stage. The loss is so sad, the act is so reprehensible, and the implications are far-reaching. Cries for something, anything, to be done have risen high and loud.\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_8207\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"125\"] Responsibility in 3 R\'s[/caption]\n\nIn the midst of public hearings in Connecticut at the end of January, regarding gun violence in schools, one <a href=\"http://wp.me/p1Bxqd-lj\">grieving father, Mr. Mark Mattioli</a> spoke. His son, 6-year-old James, died in the Sandy Hook school building as a result of the mass shooting. This father lifted his voice in favor of a return to decency and civility, rather than a rush to create new laws or mandates about guns.\n\n<b>In the horror and danger of this man’s grief, Mr. Mattioli found the opportunity</b> <b>to speak out- and he spoke out in favor of restraint.</b>\n\nRestraint in a New Era of Responsibility requires one to <i>TAP</i> into a set of intentional behaviors:\n\n<i>Take</i> stock of what is already available to meet the current challenge or fulfill the current need. Is there already a policy or law in place? Do we already have the tools on-hand to address this need? Who can we pull as a resource in this situation?\n\n<i>Answer</i>: What is the reality of this situation? What actually will help those in need? What strain will this course put on everyone else? Are we really pinpointing the cause, or are we just shadowboxing around the issue?\n\n<i>Process</i>: plan, prove, and then proceed with efforts to alleviate the conditions or change the behaviors that lead to want and suffering. More than mere guesswork, this step is about hypothesizing a solution, gathering the supporting proof, and trying it out without being married to any one course of action. Any one of the biggest social issues, business problems, or family ills is worth applying a process to in order to find the best set of solutions.\n\nThere is no simple answer to any of the problems that need to be addressed in our society today. In a world of competing interests and agendas, with proponents that in many cases seem willing to utilize disaster to progress their goals, character-based leadership would dictate that we step back, clear our vision, refocus, and proceed with restraint.\n\nWhat do you think? Is this R in the New Era of Responsibility too passive? Do we really need to leap to the last square in times of turmoil and loss? Or is it possible to go forward reasonably and rationally in order to make long-term, positive, lasting change happen?', 'Restraint in a New Era of Responsibility', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'restraint-in-a-new-era-of-responsibility', '', '', '2013-02-19 06:08:54', '2013-02-19 12:08:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8755', 0, 'post', '', 3),
(18047, 251, '2013-02-12 06:11:41', '2013-02-12 12:11:41', 'The delta between their approaches was vast:  one devoid of generosity, the other overflowing with it.\n\nI’d been troubled by an exchange I had witnessed at a small conference a few months ago. The conference leader was from an organization dedicated to transformation. During a break, a gentleman from another state approached the leader and asked if she would be willing to spend ten minutes with him at the end of the conference to share her insights and learnings from establishing the organization. He said he wanted to begin something similar where he lived.\n\nIn a tone I can only describe as haughty and condescending, the woman told him her work was unique, that only she was capable of sharing her particular message, and the concepts of creating something similar were beyond his grasp. Obviously crestfallen, he graciously thanked her for her time and walked away, head held low.\n\nContrast that exchange to one I experienced last week. A colleague rang me up to ask if I was available to speak at a workshop for executive women. She said the sponsoring organization had contacted her to be the speaker. When they described the content they sought, she said she knew she could deliver the talk but also knew she wasn’t the perfect one to do so…because I was. She said she wanted her role to be introducing me at the workshop. I was moved, touched, profoundly so.\n\nOne individual transcended ego, stepping into her power of altruism. At the other end of the continuum stood a woman firmly clutching the power of her position. A very black-and-white picture of focus on either “me” or “we.”\n<table border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">\n<p align=\"center\"><b>Generosity for Me</b></p>\n</td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">\n<p align=\"center\"><b>Generosity for We</b></p>\n</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\"></td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\"></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">Only I have a unique insight into the truth</td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">Everyone has a story to tell and a message to share</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\"></td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\"></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">There’s little for me to gain by sharing with you</td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">Generosity isn’t a zero-sum game; everyone can win</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\"></td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\"></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">My circle is small; I decide the worthiness of those admitted</td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">No circles or double-secret passwords needed; inclusion rules the day</td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\"></td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\"></td>\n</tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">I need to protect my special message</td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"319\">Credit may be nice, but why not freely share</td>\n</tr>\n</tbody>\n</table>\nWhere we sit on the generosity continuum is a matter of personal choice. Every day, a character-based leader consciously balances the conflicts between selfish and selfless behavior. Being totally selfish or completely selfless just doesn’t work. Effective leaders figure out and practice the delicate equilibrium needed to assess each situation and do what’s right to bring about the best outcome.\n\n&nbsp;\n<p align=\"center\">“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it.” ~ Margaret Fuller</p>\n&nbsp;', 'Hoarding, or Sharing, the Light?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'hoarding-or-sharing-the-light', '', '', '2013-02-12 06:11:41', '2013-02-12 12:11:41', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8761', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(18048, 302, '2013-02-18 06:32:47', '2013-02-18 12:32:47', '[caption id=\"attachment_8828\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"] Source: istockphoto.com[/caption]\n\nEveryone, it seems, is talking about change and the need to change.  But somehow we keep repeating a familiar pattern.  It’s like going to the edge of a 50-foot cliff and jumping when all you’ve witnessed are others ahead of you jumping away.  As a result, you don’t see what they did before they jumped, what the landing area looks like, or what happened when they landed!\n\n<b>Are we focused on the right things when implementing change?</b>\n\nIn a recent article I wrote for the Cutter IT Journal, <a title=\"Cutter IT Journal November 2012\" href=\"http://www.cutter.com/offers/agilefox.html\" target=\"_blank\">The Agile CMMI Conversation is a Dead End</a>, I professed that the focus on best practices in many domains won’t go way because we are still focused on the wrong things.  Do change efforts focused on delivering best practices that worked somewhere else solve the main problem?  Not always.  So how long do they last before they are abandoned because of lack of results or a change in management?  Do these packages of best practices provide a full solution?\n\nI’m not the only one questioning what we are trying to change in our organizations.  In <i>The Going Lean Field Guide</i>, author Stephen Ruffa writes that “too many chase the latest fads and don’t consider decades of accumulated knowledge.”\n\n<b>Why is this?  Is it lack of real leadership?</b>\n\nIn a recent blog post, <a title=\"Reflections on What It Mean to Be a Leader\" href=\"http://tweetconnection.com/2012/09/07/reflections-on-what-it-means-to-be-a-leader/\" target=\"_blank\">Reflections on What It Means to Be a Leader</a>, blogger Samantha Hall raises many thought provoking ideas about what it means to be a leader.  Maybe leaders need to take to heart the idea that Hall raises in her post, “We need REAL leadership that is ABOUT the people and FOR the people!”\n\nHow might we do this?\n\nTo quote Stephen Ruffa again from <i>The Going Lean Field Guide</i>, he advocates:\n<blockquote>“Shift from a system driven by top-down control and outcome-based measures to one that draws on increasing insights, capabilities, and authority of the workforce, enabling direct accountability and visibility of value creation at each step in its buildup.”</blockquote>\nIn the end, I believe we need to be more about unleashing the creativity, intellect, and passion of everyone in our organizations.  It is my belief that a group of empowered people will outperform any group of experts or any collection of best practices.\n\n<b>Change-Friendly Leadership in 10 Minutes</b>\n\nMy work at <strong>5 Minutes to Process Improvement Success</strong>, where I interview top practitioners to talk about their best strategies, has resulted in an interesting phenomenon.  The interviews seem to resonate with many people who are then motivated to contact me.  They talk about how their talents are being vastly underutilized and how much they would like to make a more of a difference.  We’ve all seen it and probably experienced it.  One person who reached out to me is Marie Maher who is a contributor to this post.\n\nMarie and I recently teamed up on writing a book review of <i>Change-Friendly Leadership</i> by Dr. Roger Dean Duncan.  Because we share a passion for improving organizations and making them places where people can make a contribution, we thought it would be a worthwhile read.  We wanted to relate the book to our own experiences from our perspective of often being on the front line of many change projects.\n\nMarie and I gained many valuable ideas from reading the book.  Although some chapters offer more depth than some readers will want to consume, the book is filled with great ideas and techniques that will help any change project be more friendly and successful.\n\nMarie’s excellent book review of <i>Change-Friendly Leadership</i> is posted here.  Bill’s book highlights were captured and posted here.\n<blockquote><strong>What\'s been your experience?  If you agree we are chasing too many fads, how do you think we can solve this problem?</strong></blockquote>', 'Jump, Rinse, Repeat:  Why do we keep implementing change like this?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'jump-rinse-repeat-why-do-we-keep-implementing-change-like-this', '', '', '2013-02-18 06:32:47', '2013-02-18 12:32:47', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8827', 0, 'post', '', 9);
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(18049, 310, '2013-02-21 06:15:30', '2013-02-21 12:15:30', '<p align=\"center\"><b><i>Biography: a system in which the contradictions of a human life are unified.</i></b><b><i>\n</i></b><b><a href=\"http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/jose_ortega_y_gasset.html\">Jose Ortega Y Gasset</a>, Spanish Philosopher</b><b></b></p>\nLeaders are constantly watched by their followers, to see how they respond and interact. Especially when it comes to making decisions, dealing with a crisis, or navigating challenging relationships. We want to learn from their experience, at work and in life, as “old soldiers,” of battles won and lost along their journey. As followers we’re also interested in how those in charge got to where they are, as well as what they represent in their values and stance, looking to glean lessons, so that we too can lead effectively.\n\nIn my youth, I was always observing the adults in my family, particularly taking note of how they dealt with our economic and societal conditions, since we were poor, black, rural, and struggling. I learned a lot from these “old soldiers” in my life, as they found a way to keep going, in spite of.  Starting with my mother, a determined, no-excuse making single parent of four, who worked as a domestic and later a factory worker. We lived in the austere home of my wise grandparents, with no indoor plumbing. Much about our lives was not easy and all did not always go well.\n\nNevertheless, I saw a lot of leadership in the resourcefulness, perseverance, organization, humor, and guidance they exhibited. Everyone worked very hard to raise children and instill hope and values for better times. In addition to my mother and grandparents, I also anxiously awaited visits from my favorite uncle, jokingly known as Hardcore, who was away in the army, but still found a way to impact my life as his oldest niece, with his dedication, toughness and wisdom.  Later I found myself in the army and focused on being hardcore too!\n\nI simply cannot reiterate enough how strong of an impact these experiences had on me. For one thing, my mother, a smart leader of tremendous strength, focused on providing the best for her children. I was born when she was a senior in high school, but she went back to finish, which was no easy feat for a young, poor mother in 1955. That spoke loudly of her grit, as well as my grandparents’ support. She taught me to read and write before I entered first grade since there was no kindergarten in our county school system. As the oldest child, she raised me to be responsible and accountable, charting my leadership stance. I’m clear on the attributes of my mother that reside in me. Her message cemented well, because it was evident to me that education was extremely important to her. It was her influence, in part, that allowed me to do well in school and go on to college.\n\nThe wisdom of my maternal grandparents, even though one had a third-grade education, and the other only went as far as fourth grade, gave them an amazing way of capturing what life had taught them in the midst of hardships. Being raised in the house with them, no matter our structural home plight and the unpleasantries we experienced, was a blessing that I’ll never forget!\n\nMy uncle did extremely well in his military career, rising to senior noncommissioned officer ranks in high echelons of the army structure. After retirement, he returned to our home town of  Waverly, Virginia, bringing his leadership skills to various local government boards and positions. He also helped the family financially and tangibly.\n\nSo, for my mother, grandparents, and favorite uncle, the reconciling of their biographies from the beyond is clear. None of them were perfect, and neither are any of us, but I can select from their dash, the richness of taking on their earthly sojourn with a lasting imprint, of leading anyhow.\n\nSo I’ve discovered that up-close, effective, progressive models of leadership are needed, and we don’t need to look too hard or wide to find them. Oftentimes, the solid purveyors are right in our homes, gatherings, and organizations.\n\nThink about your first role models of leadership: parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, pastors, or ministers. Can we know and acknowledge these “old soldiers” of life for the role they play in our communities and lives?\n\nFor many of us, the courage, fortitude, leadership, and general managerial abilities that we see in our ancestral family history are part of a ripe and enduring legacy. Many have led and labored in the quest for more, for better, all while maintaining their homes, their places of worship, and their communities as well as possible. They secured their sanity in spite of the insaneness of the world around them. They handled multiple priorities effectively; while thrown into challenging situations, they led a charge.\n\nAnd what’s happening today? Some of the same predicaments are present.\n\nSo whose biography keeps you functioning and adding value to your personal and organizational battlefields? Jump off with their narratives of victory…or your own.\n\n<b> </b>\n\n<b>Excerpted from my book, Hardcore<i> Leadership: 11 Master Lessons from My Airborne Ranger Uncle’s “Final Jump” </i></b><b><i> </i></b> <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/1479324760\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.amazon.com/dp/1479324760</a>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Who Can Teach You How to Lead: Lessons from Life’s “Old Soldiers”', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'who-can-teach-you-how-to-lead-lessons-from-lifes-old-soldiers', '', '', '2013-02-21 06:15:30', '2013-02-21 12:15:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8894', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18050, 308, '2013-02-22 06:06:45', '2013-02-22 12:06:45', 'All leaders have been in a position where they are reluctant to tackle a difficult issue or to deal with a conflictual situation. Faced with these situations the predominant act for some is non-action and avoidance. Although I do not like to admit it,  I have been in this situation and if you are honest with yourself, I am sure that you have as well.\n\n<b>But what causes leaders to get stuck? What causes a leader to become immobilized? What prevents a leader from moving beyond their comfort zone and work through difficult situations when their leadership is challenged and sometimes threatened?</b>\n\n<b>It is FEAR. </b>\n\nIn his soon to be published book, <a title=\"The Power of Starting Something Stupid\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Power-Starting-Something-Stupid/dp/1609070097/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1361303483&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+power+of+starting+something+stupid\" target=\"_blank\">The Power of Starting Something Stupid</a>, Richie Norton describes fear as “<strong>causing us to exercise bad judgment and to make decisions from an emotional, unreliable and downright unhealthy state of mind - all significant roadblocks on our way to success</strong>.” Norton goes on to state that if “<strong>fear is not properly mitigated and overcome, it can be absolutely debilitating. Ultimately, that’s why so many people stay stuck. They’re so afraid of making the wrong choice, heading the wrong direction, or looking stupid, that they don’t ever go anywhere at all.”</strong>\n\nCraig Groeschel in his book <a title=\"Soul Detox\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Detox-Clean-Living-Contaminated/dp/0310333687/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1361303570&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=soul+detox+craig+groeschel\" target=\"_blank\">Soul Detox</a> outlines <b>fear of loss, rejection, failure and fear of the unknown as types of fear that immobilizes people</b>. He encourages people to break free of fear and act courageously. To demonstrate the definition of courage stated by Robert Anthony where, <b>“Courage is the willingness to be afraid and act anyway.”</b>\n\n<b>What causes leaders to confront fear and act courageously? What motivates them to ultimately act?</b>\n\nAt times a leader acts out of necessity as it is an expectation of the job. Intentional and deliberate action occurs swiftly, however, in situations where one\'s credibility and integrity are questioned or at risk, or when inaction will undermine your leadership. It is the effective leader who chooses to act courageously and decisively.\n\nThese courageous leaders embrace adversity. When faced with challenges, conflict and difficult decisions they leaders overcome fear, they persevere and act with conviction. It stretches them. It pushes them out of their comfort zone and it is risky. But it is worth it. All leaders will eventually face the choice of having to decide to act courageously and embrace arduous issues and situations, or to neglect and avoid them.\n\nThe most effective and influential leaders chose to act courageously. To face ones fears is not always easy. However, it is the difficult issues and situations that ultimately determine a leader’s effectiveness and influence. Courageous leaders are respected, admired and achieve success. As Richie Norton summarizes, <strong>“Learning how to effectively manage and work through fear is a high-performance skill that leads to achieving goals.”</strong>\n\nSo when faced with challenging situations do not shy away. Embrace the fear and tackle the tough issues head on. Or as John Wayne puts it best, <b>“Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.”<i> </i></b>So “saddle up” and be a courageous<b> </b>leader.\n\n<strong>When have you faced a situation where you had to demonstrate courageous leadership? What was the outcome?</strong>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Saddle Up and Lead', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'saddle-up-and-lead', '', '', '2013-02-22 06:06:45', '2013-02-22 12:06:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8910', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(18051, 318, '2013-02-21 12:58:25', '2013-02-21 18:58:25', 'You know volunteering is good for the community. But can volunteering make you a better leader?\n\nLots of leaders volunteer. According to the <a href=\"http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm\">Department of Labor Statistics, </a> more than a quarter of the American population volunteers, and employed people volunteer more frequently than the unemployed.\n\nMany corporations actively support volunteering; 48 of the 100 companies recognized in the <a href=\"http://www.greatplacetowork.com/publications-and-events/blogs-and-news/975\">100 Best Places to Work </a> give paid time off for volunteering; and <a href=\"http://www.economist.com/node/14536977\">Starbucks</a> and others have made volunteering part of their turnaround stories.\n\nI have been talking with hundreds of leaders through live conversations, LinkedIn forums, and other banter. Time and again, people shared these key ways volunteering makes them a better leader.\n\nRead more <a href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2013/02/21/why-volunteering-makes-you-a-better-leader/\">here</a>.', 'Why volunteering makes you a better leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'why-volunteering-makes-you-a-better-leader', '', '', '2013-02-21 12:58:25', '2013-02-21 18:58:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8931', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18052, 318, '2013-02-26 06:09:33', '2013-02-26 12:09:33', 'How do you open your leadership heart?\n\nWhere is your quiet place to reflect and grow?\n\nDo you have a reflective practice that you do every day?\n<h2>Yoga as a Heart Opener</h2>\nIn yoga there are a series of postures called <a href=\"http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/6-poses-to-open-your-heart-slideshow-instructions/\">\"heart openers,\"</a>  targeted at strengthening the <a href=\"http://www.nothingbutyoga.com/4th-chakra.html\">fourth chakra.</a>\n<blockquote><em><strong>\"The Sanskrit name for the 4th chakra is \"Anahata.\" This word means \"unstruck\" or \"stillness.\" This seems to imply that deep beneath our brokenness and pain, wholeness abides.\"</strong></em></blockquote>\nAnyone who has ever done yoga every day for an extended period of time understands... something changes.\n\nSide effects may include...\n<ul>\n	<li> a calmer spirit</li>\n	<li> more energy</li>\n	<li> new perspectives</li>\n	<li> better posture...</li>\n</ul>\nYou do the practice...and then the practice does you.\n<h2>Turns Out Blogging is a Heart Opener Too</h2>\nWhen I began my leadership blog, I knew it would be good for my writing… and likely inform my leadership.\n\nI had no idea how it would open my heart and transform the way I show up in the world.\n<h3><b>Reflection</b></h3>\nIt started as a reflective practice.  I first began examining my own leadership stories and what they mean.  I continue to be surprised as the old stories just seem to surface from nowhere.  They would just pop up when I was on a run or on the yoga mat.  It was as if the door to the archives has been pried off, and each story decided for itself when it is ready to peek out and be shared.\n<h3>Connections</h3>\n<b><i> </i></b>In search of content, I became thirsty for other people’s stories... talking to old friends and colleagues.\n\nAnd then something shifted.  I began seeing everyone I met as someone with a fantastic story to share.  I just kept asking... and learning... and growing.\n\nI am showing up in the world as a better story listener.\n\nI have been astounded at how open “strangers” are to telling their stories... on planes and trains... but also through remote connections through social media. I am meeting some amazing human beings.\n\nSherpas keep surfacing around every corner.\n<h3>Side Effects of Lead-Asana</h3>\n<ul>\n	<li>Deeper reflection</li>\n	<li>An opening heart</li>\n	<li>An eager spirit</li>\n	<li>Better listening</li>\n	<li>New relationships</li>\n	<li>Better leadership</li>\n	<li>More learning</li>\n	<li>More teaching</li>\n</ul>\nThis journey is expanding and I am delighted by the possibilities for what will show up next.\n\nNamaste.\n\n<strong>Please Share:  What reflective practices inform your leadership?</strong>\n\n<strong> A Bit More About What\'s Been Surfacing on This Journey:</strong>\n\n<a href=\"http://letsgrowleaders.com/2012/12/31/best-of-2012/\"> Best of 2012:  Early Writing on Let\'s Grow Leaders</a>\n\n<a title=\"Leader Athletes:  Training Long for the Long Run\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leader-athletes-training-long-for-the-long-run/\">Leader Athletes:  Training Long for the Long Run</a>', 'Lead-Asana:  Blogging as a Leadership Heart Opener', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'lead-asana-blogging-as-a-leadership-heart-opener', '', '', '2013-02-26 06:09:33', '2013-02-26 12:09:33', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8942', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(18053, 266, '2013-02-25 06:21:00', '2013-02-25 12:21:00', 'I’ve been giving a great deal of thought lately to the concept of civility.\n\nPier Massimo Forni, author of <b><i>Choosing Civility</i></b> and founder of the Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University, says “Civility means a great deal more than just being nice to one another. It is complex and encompasses learning how to connect successfully and live well with others, developing thoughtfulness, and fostering effective self-expression and communication. Civility includes courtesy, politeness, mutual respect, fairness, good manners, as well as a matter of good health.”\n<div>\n\n<em>“ A generous friend gives life for a friend.  Let’s rise above this animalistic behavior and be kind to one another.</em>”  - Rumi\n\nLast night, I was talking (texting) with my son. He and his boyfriend had had a tiff, and they were both working to breathe their way through their feelings, and be mindful about the next right step. We talked about how relationships develop, how frustrating they can be, and how to maintain the love and respect we have for each other throughout the years. What it boils down to is being civil, even when you disagree with your partner.\n\n</div>\n<ul>\n	<li>It becomes less about the drive to “be right” <i>(“Where’s the fun in that, Mom? Not a family trait. LOL</i>) and more about the drive to understand.</li>\n	<li>It’s about not taking things personally – especially when feeling judged by another. Their judgments are things they are dealing with, not you. (<i>But I can’t find my stuff when he moves it!)</i> You can step away from the fear and frustration when it’s not about you.</li>\n	<li>It’s about never making an assumption, but asking a lot of questions to seek clarity instead.</li>\n	<li>It’s about spending more time in reflection before you respond to a question or something said in anger. Check yourself to determine what outcome you are looking for, and pick the intention that will result in that outcome<i>.  (Luckily I’m getting better at keeping my mouth shut, and making up, rather than just becoming a better fighter. LOL</i>)</li>\n	<li>Be impeccable with your words. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. <i>(We’ll be fine. Sometimes ya just gotta take a moment to breathe first. </i>)</li>\n</ul>\nFor me, being civil is living in mutual respect and having meaningful connections and conversations across and among groups. These are necessary to building trust and social capital in our government, community, churches, businesses, and in our homes.  It means being able to know what truth is, and being able to speak it, while at the same time listening carefully to the truth of those we do not understand or know.\n\nBeing civil goes far beyond the concept of politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech. Civility is remembering to love one another, not just those who think the same way I do.  It means stepping away from the name calling and badgering that has become so popular on social sites.\n\nThe joy in this civility is that both sides learn and grow, and find common ground enabling forward movement.  As we listen, learn and grow we allow a shift to take place that permits us to embrace our brothers and sisters around the world, in our government, around the conference room table, or around the dining room table.\n\nIt takes courage to be civil. Civility is not necessarily non-confrontational or conciliatory. Sometimes truth requires us to say things that others do not want to hear. What civility brings to the table is that we recognize that truth can be said with love, compassion and respect. And, we acknowledge that the truth we speak may be only our truth by taking the time to listen to others.\n\nThere are tangible costs to rudeness. We are seeing them come to fruition all around us. I don’t believe we can’t come back from this downward spiral. It only requires us to leverage civility.\n<p align=\"center\"><b><i>Today, I will practice being civil in all I say and do</i>.</b></p>\n<p align=\"center\"><b><i>If you are willing, please share the experience of your day with us.</i></b></p>\n*************************************************************************************\n\nPicture: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos', 'Leadership Perspectives: Being Civil', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-perspectives-being-civil', '', '', '2013-02-25 06:21:00', '2013-02-25 12:21:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8990', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(18054, 307, '2013-02-28 06:35:16', '2013-02-28 12:35:16', '<h2>Have You Been Here?</h2>\nYou\'re reading a book - it\'s the best leadership development resource you\'ve come along in years. The wisdom smacks you right between the eyes and in your heart you know you are reading life-changing words.\n\nOr:\n\nYou hear a speaker present a powerful workshop and provide you with critical tools to expand your influence and engage your team.\n\nOr:\n\nYou come across a blog post - one of those cool tip-lists that are full of practical advice so amazing that you feel lucky to be on the internet that day.\n\nAnd then…it happens.\n\nYou fall into the trap.\n\nIt\'s a seductive trap and its siren song has snared many well-intentioned leaders.\n\nI know I\'ve fallen for it more than once.\n<h2>SASRNT!</h2>\nThe trap is problematic because it feels so good, but it\'s 100% effective at preventing your leadership growth.\n\nWhat is this pernicious threat?\n\nIt\'s the SASRNT Syndrome.\n\nSASRNT stands for \"So And So Really Needs This\"\n\nHere\'s how it works:  you read that book, hear that presentation, or see that blog post, realize just how meaningful the information is, and then, just when you might start to benefit from it…\n\nThe thought occurs to you, \"So and so really needs this…\"\n\nSASRNT Syndrome can take different forms:\n<ul>\n	<li>\"My boss needs to read this book right away!\"</li>\n	<li>\"I just wish my manager was here.\"</li>\n	<li>\"My colleague needs this list.\"</li>\n	<li>\"I need to share this content with my team.\"</li>\n	<li>\"This is awesome, I\'ll share, +1, like, post, or pin, it!\"</li>\n</ul>\nDoes this make sense?\n\nSASRNT Syndrome is that tendency we have, when we come across something meaningful, to immediately apply it to others.\n<ul>\n	<li>If you\'re a leader committed to the growth of your team, this tendency can feel very altruistic. After all, you\'re looking out for their interests and helping their professional development, right?</li>\n	<li>If you\'re frustrated by leaders in your life, it\'s very easy to sink into a whirlpool of wishing those leaders would practice what you just discovered.</li>\n</ul>\n<blockquote>Either way, this seductive trap keeps you from the most important work: applying your learning to you.</blockquote>\n<h2>Be the Leader You Want Your Boss to Be</h2>\nI was in a hotel recently and realized I\'d forgotten a few toiletry items. Fortunately, I discovered that they were well stocked with free samples of everything I needed.\n\nWhat did I do?\n\nWell, I did NOT call all my colleagues at the conference and tell them how the front desk had everything they might need.\n\nOf course not. I picked up the phone, called the front desk, and five minutes later they brought the items to my room.\n\nI applied the information to myself first.\n\nThe next time you come across awesome tools, tips, wisdom, and practices and start to feel SASRNT singing in the background, take a moment and ask yourself a couple questions:\n<ol>\n	<li>Is this information I have mastered in my own leadership?</li>\n	<li>Can the person I want to share with look to me as an example?</li>\n	<li>Have I committed to learning and applying the information in my life?</li>\n</ol>\nIf the answer to any of these three questions is \"no,\" then I recommend you do not share it…yet.\n\n\n\nBegin by making the commitment to master the principles, practices, and tips you\'ve come across. Apply them to your own life first. Then invite others to join you on the journey.\n\nIf you skip this step and don\'t make the commitment, you will feel great - \"Yay, I just passed on awesome material!\" - but you will have missed a real opportunity to expand your own influence.\n\nThis is a principle of leadership: take responsibility for yourself.\n\nInstead of starting with, \"My boss is a jerk and she really needs to read this!\" start with: \"How can this help <em>me</em> to be the leader I want my boss to be?\"\n\n<span style=\"font-size: 1.5em;\">\nDon\'t Share This!?</span>\n\nI\'m risking social networking excommunication here, but I encourage you to NOT share this post...not yet.\n\nNot until you\'ve made a personal commitment to resist SASRNT Syndrome and use what you learn for yourself, first.\n\nIt is much easier to click share, like, +1, and pin than it is to actively apply what you learn in your own life.\n\nYou can change that: make <em>your</em> click a personal and public commitment that <em>you</em> will be the leader you want your boss (or others) to be.\n\nIf you\'ve made that commitment, please share this post, the Lead Change Group, <a href=\"http://trailblazeinc.com/blog\">my blog</a>,  and invite people to journey WITH you, not INSTEAD of you.\n<h2>Your Turn</h2>\nHow do you incorporate the most important leadership learning in your own life?\n\nPost your thoughts in the comments section and let\'s help one another resist SASRNT Syndrome!\n\nTake care,\n\nDavid M. Dye\n\nCreative Commons Photo Credits: <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/petrichor/82808146/\" target=\"_blank\">Fly Trap</a> by David Midgley, <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/rfa247/6220170092/\" target=\"_blank\">Sirens Rocks</a> by R. Fernandez', 'Avoid This Seductive Leadership Trap', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'avoid-this-seductive-leadership-trap', '', '', '2013-02-28 06:35:16', '2013-02-28 12:35:16', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8871', 0, 'post', '', 9),
(18055, 326, '2013-03-08 06:15:46', '2013-03-08 12:15:46', 'Transparent leadership has been a life-long goal of mine,<b> </b>even before it was a buzzword.  Listen in to what I\'ve told my employees and contractors for nearly 22 years:\n\n<b>How would you answer these two questions?</b>\n\n<b>Q 1:</b> Do your employees know the direction your company is heading? (Aka: should be the same trail you\'re \"leading\" them down...)\n\nI hope you\'re sure about this one.  If not, you need to <i>immediately<b> </b></i>revamp your personal and corporate communication!\n\n<b>Q 2:</b> On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate your personal transparent leadership or that of other leaders within your company? (5 being highest)\n\nThat\'s a tough question, but hopefully one that you don\'t answer with, \"It depends...\" For sure, transparent leadership doesn\'t happen in a vacuum. It\'s a way of thinking and behaving every day with every action, reaction and transaction.  For a company\'s leadership to be transparent, ALL the leaders must be humble, open, honest and forthcoming. They also need to \"let them see you sweat\" once in a while.\n\n<b>Free tip: </b> None of us is perfect and we can all learn from other leaders…yep, even our employees.\n\n<b>Being a transparent leader means allowing your employees and customers to know where you stand and where your company stands.</b> As my mama used to say, \"Honesty is the best policy.\" You knew that when she said something, she meant it. There was no mistaking what she wanted done or NOT done and what the consequences would be for success or failure in following her requests. While that was my upbringing, now as a transparent leader in training, I still live by that motto.\n\nTransparent leadership also requires that when your associates generate ideas to help your company or your customers\' businesses thrive, <b>you give credit where the credit is due </b>-- not keep the glory for the C suite. Remember, mamas brag about their kids. They don\'t take away their glory of a job well done!\n\nOh yeah, and if you or your employees do something that has a negative impact on a project, your customers and employees know that <b>the buck stops with you, the leader.</b> You\'ll take the responsibility for making <i>\"it\"</i> right. That doesn\'t mean that you won\'t hold your employees <b><i>privately</i></b> accountable, but it does mean that you <b>\"NEVER throw them under the bus.\"</b>  If you\'ve known our company for a while, you should know that we refer to this behavior as being \"loving and kind.\" It\'s the <b>only </b>behavior we should accept - all the time!\n\nLoving and kind doesn\'t mean glossing over the tough conversations. It just means that <b>transparent leaders need to treat everyone equally and in a manner that is respectful, yet honest.</b> It also means delivering the message without leaving out the parts that, if delivered without taking into account their preferred communication style and feelings, could shut them down and possibly ruin relationships.\n\nOne last thought about leading with transparency: We\'ve always had the \"rumor mill.\"  I think we would all agree that it is still alive and dangerous. However, it\'s faster than a speeding bullet now because of texting, free long distance, Twitter, Facebook and all the other social media venues. We can no longer hide behind corporate newsletters \"telling people what we want them to hear.\" The days of brick and mortar walls are a thing of the past. If something is known by one person, you can be pretty darn sure that MANY people know it now or will \"know some version\" within a very few minutes. <b>I choose to have people hear things directly from me or our company\'s leaders - how about you? </b>We all know how much communications get distorted the farther they are from the source!  (Ok, I\'ll stay off the subject of the media.)\n\nI\'d really appreciate hearing how you or your organization feels about transparent leadership. Comment here or send me an email. I answer every email myself - my note of transparency here!\n\n<i>Jonena, <a href=\"http://tbdconsulting.com\" target=\"_blank\">TBD Consulting</a>\n</i>\n\n<a href=\"http://tbd-consulting.typepad.com/jonena_l_relth/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership Trends and Today\'s Realities Blog</a>\n\nHealthcare Talent Transformation Blog\n\n&nbsp;', 'Transparent Leadership is a Way of Life - Not a Flavor of the Month', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'transparent-leadership-is-a-way-of-life-not-a-flavor-of-the-month', '', '', '2013-03-08 06:15:46', '2013-03-08 12:15:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=8999', 0, 'post', '', 5),
(18056, 306, '2013-03-04 06:12:47', '2013-03-04 12:12:47', 'Earlier this year, Emily Esfahani Smith wrote an article in <i>The Atlantic</i> titled, \"There’s More to Life Than Being Happy.\"  Now, I’m not ready to throw in the towel on my pursuit of happily ever after... but it’s hard not to take note of the frequent mention of ‘meaning’ in articles, books, and other works of thought leaders.\n\nGary Hamel counsels managers to see themselves as “entrepreneurs of meaning.”  In <i>Good Business</i>, Csikszentmihalyi dedicates significant energy to the “making of meaning.” And <i>McKinsey Quarterly</i> ran an article last month dedicated to “Increasing the Meaning Quotient of Work.\"\n\nAccording to psychiatrist/neurologist/Nazi concentration camp survivor Viktor Frankl, “Man’s search for meaning is the primary motivation in life.” Given the central role of work in modern-day existence, it makes sense that the search for meaning plays out on the job.\n\n<b>Does Meaning Really Matter at Work?</b>\n\nIf you don’t buy the whole ‘primary motivation in life’ argument, perhaps you’ll be swayed by Richard J Davidson, PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. According to Dr. Davidson, “The positive emotions accompanying thoughts that are directed toward meaningful goals is one of the most enduring components of well-being.”\n\nAnd Daniel Pink confirms that having a sense of purpose and contributing to a greater good improves performance, motivation, and personal satisfaction.\n\nSo, meaning clearly matters... perhaps to the point that wise leaders may want to consider elevating it to the same level of attention that job satisfaction, culture, and employee engagement currently enjoy in many organizations.\n\n<b>But I\'m Just a...\n</b>\n\nLet’s be honest. We’re not all researchers dedicated to finding cures for debilitating diseases. Or inventors of new technologies and solutions for worldwide threats. Most of us do something considerably less dramatic and more mundane.\n\nYet, there is meaning in all of the work that is done each day... if we choose to seek it out and honor it.\n\n<b>Is Meaning Playing Hide and Seek with You?</b>\n\nAre you wondering where the meaning might be in your work? Consider one or more of the following strategies to root out the significance and importance of your 9-5 existence.\n<ol>\n	<li>Identify and consciously use your unique strengths, talents, and gifts. No one else can do quite what you can. Understanding that underscores a purpose that only you can fulfill - at work and in life.</li>\n	<li>Put values into action. Intentionally living a set of values elevates all that you do. Bringing integrity, respect, or positivity to all that you do profoundly affects others and your outcomes.</li>\n	<li>Connect your contribution with the big picture. Understand and remind yourself of how you work feeds into and supports a greater whole. You’re not a cog in a wheel, but rather an essential component whose absence would leave things incomplete.</li>\n	<li>Serve others. Helping others meet their needs and achieve their goals creates lasting meaning. When others flourish as a result of your efforts, you succeed as well.</li>\n	<li>Influence the organizations to do good. You’re in a powerful position to magnify your meaning as you help your organization take action that contributes to a better world - whether it’s through company-sponsored volunteerism or simply influencing constructive decisions.</li>\n	<li>Take time to reflect on actions, successes, and learning. Take a pause to let the results of your activity and effort sink it. Through reflection, you can make sense and find meaning in all that you experience.</li>\n	<li>Seek out challenges that make a difference. Stretch yourself deliberately and in directions that yield improvements. You’ll find meaning in your own development as well as the outcomes that it can yield.</li>\n</ol>\nIn the workplace, meaning will likely not come knocking on your office doors or cubicle walls every day. We need to search it out, consciously and actively finding the significance behind the sometimes mundane tasks that we perform.\n\nAnd leaders need to help others find meaning in their work by modeling and teaching these strategies.\n\nWhat could it mean to operate in an environment committed to everyone finding meaning at work? I’m not sure... but I’d sure like to find out.\n\nImage: Liz Price', 'Meaning Matters', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meaning-matters', '', '', '2013-03-04 06:12:47', '2013-03-04 12:12:47', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=9011', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(18057, 323, '2013-03-07 06:17:09', '2013-03-07 12:17:09', 'Picture the best follower you have ever known.\n\nWas this person in possession of any of these traits?  <i>Knew their stuff.  Had drive and determination. Was positive and willing to serve. Challenged you and made your ideas better. Helped you realize and achieve your vision.  Made you and everyone around you better.</i>\n\nI hope you\'ve had the pleasure of working with this person on at least one occasion.\n\nMost would agree that followers are critical to a leader\'s success. In fact, without followers, could Columbus have sailed the ocean blue in 1492?  Could Shakespeare have produced any of his now world famous plays?  Could Lincoln have abolished slavery?  Could Ray Lewis have won the Super Bowl? And, could Captain Kirk have boldly gone were no man had gone before?\n\nBut, if this is true -  that followers are so important - then why do we pass down phrases like \"if you\'re not a leader, you\'re a follower\" and \"be a leader, not a follower\"?  Somehow, followers have earned a bad rap, haven’t they?  Think about it.  Today, the term “follower” has a negative connotation.  We don\'t often hear mentors offer their mentees advice to \"<i>follow</i> by example.\"  We don\'t often hear children tell their parents \"I want to be a <i>follower</i> when I grow up.\"\n\nBut, what will happen if no one aspires to be a follower?  Because, without them how else can a vision be achieved?  Barbara Kellerman, Harvard Professor of Public Leadership and author of <i>Followership</i>, said \"Followers are more important to leaders than leaders are to followers.\"\n\nTo me this means that, as a leader, I need to find the best followers I can and treat them in the best way possible if I’m to achieve my goals.  It is a very simple formula, really.\n\nAlso, many of the qualities that are desirable in a leader are the very same qualities we look for in our followers.  So, what distinguishes one from the other at the end of the day?  Sometimes it is a title. Other times it is a matter of who has ultimate responsibility and accountability for results.  Steve Jobs is known for saying that \"innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.\" At the end of the day I believe there is a thin line separating the two.\n\nSo followers should recognize and stand proud of their roles in government, business, sports, education, and wherever else they follow.  I say it is time to take back the term.  Because without followers, there are simply no leaders, and there is simply no success.\n\nAs I think back over the followers that I admire the most, I consider these “musts” to be self-evident:\n\nA follower must...\n<ul>\n	<li>disagree and question me regularly and passionately</li>\n	<li>offer ideas often, openly and without ego</li>\n	<li>execute with the precision of a master surgeon</li>\n</ul>\nI’m sure there are other ways to “follow by example,” but this is a fair starting point because it speaks to the basic contributions of a follower: question, shape, and perform.\n\nAnd I’m sure there are plenty of followers out there who are more than willing to disagree and offer their own perspectives on the role.  I welcome those, of course.\n\nIn the end, followers and leaders need each other. Both should strive to be the best they can be in their respective roles. And each should be cognizant and respectful of those times when they shift from one role to the other.\n\nIn closing, a student once shared with me a piece of advice they had received from their parents.  Hearing this advice is the closest I think I\'ve ever come to a battle cry for followership.  It goes something like this: “if you end up being a janitor, be the best darn janitor you can be.”\n\nThis advice reminds me of the legend of the NASA janitor who was mopping the floor on the day of the first shuttle launch to the moon. When asked what he was doing he responded with “I’m putting a man on the moon.” That\'s followership.\n\nLet’s respect the thin line between followership and leadership, encourage our followers to stand proud of their role and contributions, and finally, let’s take back the term.  Maybe someday soon we\'ll hear a kid say \"I want to be a follower when I grow up.\"\n\n<i>How do you follow by example? </i>\n\n<i> Photo Image: <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pnmaryf/5656078847/\">www.flickr.com/photos/pnmaryf/5656078847/</a></i>', 'Follow by Example', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'follow-by-example', '', '', '2013-03-07 06:17:09', '2013-03-07 12:17:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=9024', 0, 'post', '', 7),
(18058, 294, '2013-03-07 12:07:54', '2013-03-07 18:07:54', '<strong>It’s critical to recognize that “You get what you got until you decided to create what you want.”</strong>\n\n\n\nOrganizations come to be managed as a result of a long series of small and large decisions, decisions appropriate to the needs and the challenges at the time. But over the years, the accumulation of these decisions turns into what amounts to an accidental system of management.\n\nThe reason it is accidental is that the accumulation of independent decisions were never destined to work together smoothly as an integrated, interdependent whole. So when all is said and done, we end up with an accidental system of management that results in an accidental culture.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.massingenuity.com/2012/12/17/the-accidental-organization/\">Read more....</a>', 'The Accidental Organization', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-accidental-organization', '', '', '2013-03-07 12:07:54', '2013-03-07 18:07:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=9041', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18059, 294, '2013-03-04 12:35:09', '2013-03-04 18:35:09', '<strong>Recent conversations with the Lean team in one of our great states reminded me of the passion with which organizations embark on their Lean journey. It a</strong><strong>lso remi</strong><strong>n</strong><strong>d</strong><strong>ed me of the lessons I have learned from leading its application in many organizations over the past 30 years.</strong>\n\nLean includes a wonderful and powerful methodology for improving processes. These continuous improvement projects create great value, however they represent just a fraction of the full potential\n\n<a href=\"http://www.massingenuity.com/2013/01/08/lessons-from-30-years-of-implementing-lean/\">Read more....</a>that Lean offers.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Lessons from 30 years of implementing lean', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'lessons-from-30-years-of-implementing-lean', '', '', '2013-03-04 12:35:09', '2013-03-04 18:35:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=9044', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18060, 294, '2013-02-27 12:07:17', '2013-02-27 18:07:17', 'Culture is a big deal, and as my colleague Beth Doolittle puts it, “Culture is not what we say it is, it is what it is.”\n\nCulture is the great invisible hand, and that hand determines much of what is possible for our organizations to achieve. But because it is invisible, shaping it is one of the great challenges of leadership.\n\nOver the next few months I will be putting a lot of energy into sharing my thoughts with you on the role culture plays in organizational success. I intend to strip away the mystery of culture and share with you what it is, what creates it and how to change it in order to meet organizational goals.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.massingenuity.com/2013/01/15/the-mysterious-lever-of-success/\">Read more...</a>', 'The mysterious lever of success', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-mysterious-lever-of-success', '', '', '2013-02-27 12:07:17', '2013-02-27 18:07:17', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=9049', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(18061, 296, '2013-02-27 06:11:42', '2013-02-27 12:11:42', 'One key to become a highly effective leader is learning to think deeply about personal, team, and organizational mindsets. These mental maps drive behavior at all levels and leaders are very interested in cultural patterns shaped by people interactions. Paradigm hunting in turn requires asking great questions, so here are four suggestions on how to improve leadership inquiry.\n<h2><strong>Self-Awareness</strong></h2>\nA leader’s journey begins and matures from the inside out. This is because it is very difficult to question an organizational outlook without doing so inside first. Changing inside will cause the person to influence change in the external world of work and family. For example, if I think a particular food tastes bad because it looks bad, I will have a hard time persuading others to try it. If I have tried the food and found it good, it is much more convincing to encourage someone else to try too.\n\n<em>Lesson – I must ask great questions of myself before I can do so of others.</em><i></i>\n<h2><strong>Maturity</strong></h2>\nOne of my favorite definitions of maturity is by Stephen Covey. He defines maturity as the balance of “courage and consideration.” (Covey, 1989) This means courage to say and do the right thing combined with consideration to do it in a kind way.\n\n<em>Lesson – Great questions require I ask hard things in a kind way.</em><i></i>\n<h2><strong>Systems Thinking</strong></h2>\nDr. Deming was an insightful teacher on systems thinking. One of his teaching tools was “The Red Bead” experiment.* Deming called this a silly game but he was passionate about the profound implications for the systems thinking student. A leader in search of a “new box” must first understand the entire existing box, not just a little piece of it. Misunderstanding the current paradigm means the would-be leadership student will likely make the problem worse rather than finding real, long-term solutions.\n\n<em>Lesson – Great questions come out of viewing the individual trees AND the forest at large.</em><i></i>\n<h2><strong>Curiosity</strong></h2>\nI believe all of us are naturally curious from childhood. Often this curiosity is silenced as we grow and try to become more adult-like. In reality, curiosity is a critical skill for a leader. Without this tool, leadership growth is severely stunted or non-existent.\n\nInnocent curiosity allows the so-called \'sophisticated\' uncover new ways of thinking which lead to new and better ways of doing. Curiosity gives permission to look for better answers. I don’t know about you but every so often my children have asked very simple yet equally profound questions because they were just curious. How about re-discovering that skill for the good of your part of the world?\n\n<em>Lesson – There really are no dumb questions in the leadership quest. If you think it, ask it … in a nice way of course!</em><i></i>\n\nWhere is the first place you want to ask questions?\n<h2><strong>Reference</strong></h2>\nCovey, Stephen R. (1989). <em>7 Habits of Highly Effective People.</em> New York, NY. Fireside Publishers.\n\n* www.RedBead.com\n\nPhoto by Florian on Flickr\n<div id=\"__tbSetup\"></div>\n&nbsp;', 'Ask Great Questions', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'ask-great-questions', '', '', '2013-02-27 06:11:42', '2013-02-27 12:11:42', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=9066', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(18062, 309, '2013-03-01 06:26:30', '2013-03-01 12:26:30', '“Vision is the best manifestation of creative imagination and the primary motivation of human action. It’s the ability to see beyond our present reality, to create, to invent what does not yet exist, to become what we not yet are. It gives us capacity to live out of our imagination instead of our memory.”</em> – Stephen Covey\n\nVision. A key component of leadership. The ability to see what doesn’t exist…yet. And then to communicate that vision, so compellingly, that anyone who hears it can’t help but jump on board. This is the stuff of great leadership.\n\nWe all have been exposed to leaders who are mediocre at vision casting, and some who are masters. One group of leaders inspires us, the others don’t. Which group are you a part of? How well do you paint a picture of what could be?\n\nI have found that one of the most challenging aspects of vision casting is not the actual speaking of the vision, but what the person receiving the message actually sees in their mind regarding that vision. I have discovered that I can verbally paint a vision for a group of people and, depending on their experience, upbringing, etc., each person can have a slightly different picture in their mind of what the vision looks like. They also have a particular view of how they play a part in that vision – which may or may not be what I had intended. This has led to miscommunication and missed expectations. So how do we as leaders cast a compelling vision that is caught by our audience as we intend it to be caught?\n\nThe simple answer is: know your audience. The better you know your audience, their background, their personalities, their language and culture, the better you can craft your message to connect with them. What if your audience is diverse? You may need to use multiple word pictures to say the same thing to different people. This takes a bit more time, but can be an eye-opener for you. Learning how to convey your vision in multiple “languages” will make you a better communicator. It will also sharpen your skills in building relationships with your team.\n\nOnce you feel enough of your audience has “gotten it,” you still need to continually cast that vision. As one great leader has said, “Vision leaks.” Imagine a bucket with small holes in the bottom. As you fill that bucket with water, some of it leaks out the bottom. If you don’t continually fill the bucket, all of the water will eventually empty out. People are no different. The concerns of their department, projects, and life in general, all compete for their attention, crowding out the vision. It’s up to you as their leader to keep “filling their bucket” with the vision so it stays top of mind. As you utilize various methods of delivering the same message, you will see your team gain energy, synergy, and momentum.', 'To See What Is Not Seen', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'to-see-what-is-not-seen', '', '', '2013-03-01 06:26:30', '2013-03-01 12:26:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=9083', 0, 'post', '', 1);
