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(771, 243, '2009-08-18 18:01:47', '2009-08-18 23:01:47', 'As a manager, what\'s the best thing you can do for your organization?  Is your highest goal making money?  Is it the financial largess of your organization, or the praise of your customers?  Have you ever wondered how noble it is to help a very few people make a lot of money?  What is the greatest good of a manager in a for-profit organization?\n\nI\'ve recently read a couple of different articles about how managers must \"balance the drive for performance against the needs of the employees.\" You must admit that the tension between the two seems real.  We can put profits and performance before people or we can put people before profits and performance.  <!--more-->That seems accurate.  Many leaders toil away years of their career unable to \"balance\" these competing interests.  The argument for balancing these competing interests appears, on the surface to be reasonable.\n\nHowever, when you think deeper,  rather than an either-or balancing act, the strongest teams align themselves in a win-win relationship.  The same is true for companies.  Win-win relationships are enjoyable, self-motivating, and sustainable.  How could it ever be in the employees best interests if the leadership strives for their well being at the expense of profit?  Very few employees are \"better off\" when their employer suffers.  If the organization\'s reason for being is its own people, a well-performing company <em>is </em>in their best interests.  When associates benefit <em>in accordance with</em> their contribution, the scales stay in balance.  If associates receive more (or less) than their share of the value created by the organization, sustainability begins to deteriorate. Overcompensate either and eventually the business will fail. For examples of either imbalance, take a look at the history of unions in America.\n\nSo back to the middle manager.  What\'s the middle manager\'s highest purpose?  Understand the intricacies of the relationship between your team and your organization and make sure both parties win.  A true sustainable win-win relationship encourages each side to win more, because winning for one party is not losing for the other.  Look for places in your organization where one side wins at the expense of the other and question, even change, them.  Help your team understand the best way for them to further their career is for the company to be successful.  But also work with your leaders to help them develop the mindset that the best thing a company can do is help every employee have a great life.  Master the art of creating win-win for your organization and your team.  Be creative and persistent.  Your goal is to help your team improve their quality of life, and their value to the organization.  It\'s a great job.\n\nWhat types of win-lose relationships do you find in your organization?  Can you do anything about them?\n<h6></h6>', 'The Call of a Manager', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'call-manager', '', '', '2009-08-18 18:01:47', '2009-08-18 23:01:47', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=771', 0, 'post', '', 20),
(774, 243, '2009-07-28 08:00:06', '2009-07-28 13:00:06', 'I\'ve read a few articles criticizing Warren Bennis and others for the way they tend to polarize leaders vs. managers or leaders vs. managers <em>and</em> supervisors.  Wally Bock always has an interesting perspective and he posted a much commented Three Star Leadership blog post here.  Wally has rich experience in leadership development, developing new leaders, and building a leadership culture and he provides some interesting critical balance in his post and throughout his blog.\n\nDr. Bennis seems to suggest in his quotes and his books that you either are a leader or a manager.  It almost seems like he believes you can only be one or the other and if you\'re a manager, you should stop and become a leader.<!--more--> I\'m not really sure that\'s his intention, but many of the quotes Wally references certainly seem that way.  Once we interpret Dr. Bennis and others as postulating that you are either a manager or a leader, then it becomes easy to take the other side of the argument.  In this case, the other side of the argument is presented nicely by Wally in his post and on his blog.  You must perform as a manager, supervisor and leader.  Almost no one can focus on one of those behaviors to the exclusion of the others.  Up front, let me say I agree with Wally; you cannot decide that you will only lead and never manage.  You cannot decide you don\'t supervise.  If you\'re a great leader, you will do whatever is necessary.  I have circulated a fitting thought before that came out of my career; \"Just because I cleaned up the mess doesn\'t mean I\'ve volunteered to be the janitor.\"  We clean up messes, we do weekly reports and performance reviews.  Leaders in business do what it takes.\n\nHowever, I\'d like us to consider the use of the boxes or the labels themselves.  I\'m sure many leadership coaches including Wally use the labels for simplicity.  But some, when they hear the label, stop thinking of the variety.  They operate with the labels as multiple choices on a test.  Instead, allow your mind to think in degrees.  Don\'t immediately force the issue to be black and white.  Black and white situations might make decisions easy, but only when the answers are, in fact easy.  While we might prefer either-or situations or true-false questions, the temptation to try to put people in boxes or cover them with labels forces us to use shallow definitions and we lose depth.  Fewer choices lead to simplicity, multiple choices bring complexity.\n<h3>You can\'t Lead by the Numbers</h3>\nWhen you\'re the leader of a group, black and white is a luxury you can\'t afford.  Black and white represents easy, convenient, old, and lazy.   The world is full of a limitless number of colors.  (I\'m sure there\'s a limit but there are still more than I can keep up with.) Ever tried to match a paint color?  Color provides depth, complexity, richness and beauty.  Remember the color transition in the Wizard of Oz?  Remember the first time you watched something at the IMAX, or the first time you really appreciated a high-definition television set?  The world is colors.  Rich, deep, complex, complicated business relationships can\'t be cooked off to black and white.  We really wouldn\'t want them to be.  Anyone can do black and white.  Simple relationships are like the lemonade stand.  Greater complexity brings greater solutions.  You should want unlimited color and brilliant resolution.  The more deep and brilliant your relationships, the greater the barrier to entry, the less likely your team will be offshored. Simple jobs get automated or offshored.  Valuable leaders with complex relationships are multi-colored, talented individuals that use whatever colors necessary to create a masterpiece of teamwork.\n\nSo enough for the analogy.  My point: almost any designation or comparison of leadership styles to management styles or supervisor styles comes up short.  Labels seldom fit.  If you have direct reports, build your skills. Learn how to work with different individuals in different environments with different pressures.  You need to be able to create your masterpiece of teamwork using whatever you have.  Maybe your masterpiece is a watercolor on canvas or oil on tree bark.  It shouldn\'t matter.  In the middle of an organization, we seldom get to choose our resources, constraints or objectives.  So own your situation and create your masterpiece.  Don\'t let others put labels on you or tell you how to create your masterpiece.  Learn various techniques and skills and then apply them in your context.  Few maxims apply to every masterpiece.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and many times your leadership skills will be judged by the people around you on the organization chart.  You become your own judge. At the end of the day, you need to be convinced that you did your best.  You must be the first judge.\n\nOnce you\'ve realized that, now you\'re free to actually serve the very people who will judge you.  Therein is leadership: serving others.  You get to become a servant leader, creating a teamwork masterpiece any way the situation dictates.  Study the people who are stakeholders in your leadership and provide the best, richest, most meaningful leadership. Build a great team and invest in the lives of the people around you.  You\'ll love your job and build many one-of-a-kind team-works of art!\n\n&nbsp;', 'Multicolored Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'multicolored-leadership', '', '', '2009-07-28 08:00:06', '2009-07-28 13:00:06', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=774', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(802, 243, '2009-07-31 16:34:30', '2009-07-31 21:34:30', 'Do you remember the opening line from Paul Simon\'s Kodachrome (most of you are probably too young, so a <a title=\"Kodachrome (the song) on Wikipedia\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachrome_%28song%29\" target=\"_blank\">link is here</a>). <em>\"When I look back at all the crap I learned in high school, it\'s a wonder I can think at all.</em>\" Each of us has a season in life we\'d rather forget. For many that may be high school. For others, it may be a word spoken out of place that came back to haunt. Much of our lives get past us before we know it. How we reflect on those experiences influences the quality of our lives, our leadership and our ability to make a difference. Let me explain.<!--more-->\n<h2>No One\'s Perfect</h2>\nWe all know humans aren\'t perfect. But generally, we are the only human we fully excuse. We judge everyone by their actions but ourselves. We know <em>our</em> intentions, and because they are <em>our intentions</em>, they <em>must</em> be good. That thought first caught my mind while reading <a title=\"The Noticer by Andy Andrews at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0785229213?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0785229213\" target=\"_blank\">The Noticer</a> by Andy Andrews, but I have seen it in several places since.\n\nHow you reflect on your life experiences matters. If you are a leader, it matters more. The best leaders lead from the depth of their experiences. True compassion which only grows through experience builds bonds with others. Leaders take responsibility for the future, but they gain insight to the future by owning, reflecting on and growing from the past.\n<h2>Look Back to See Forward</h2>\nIn <a title=\"Leadership Challenge at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0787984922?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0787984922\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posne</a>r, the authors cite a research project performed by a USC professor to provide insight into the value of using reflection about the past. Two groups of CEO\'s were asked to look into \"their personal futures - \'to think of things that might (or will) happen to you in the future.\'\" Then they were also asked to record events from their past. \"In each case they were asked to list 10 events and date each event.\" One group of CEO\'s was asked to do the past events first then the future events. The other group was asked to do the future events before the past events. Each group looked back about the same amount of time, approximately 20 years. But the group of CEO\'s that viewed their past first \"had a significantly longer future time horizons than the CEOs who listed future events first.\"*\n\nReflecting on your past allows you to objectively, constructively process it. The wisdom you develop is leverage to impact your relationships and your leadership in the present. You learn new insights and perspectives as you objectively reflect on past events. Take time to reflect on the past to gain leverage and insight into people, causes, effects, and results taking place in the present. Use your life as a classroom. If you\'re new at reflecting, enlist an older mentor, someone whose leadership you appreciate. Chances are they\'re good at reflecting and their experience will prove helpful.\n<h2>Make It Stick</h2>\nEven though <a title=\"Kodachrome on Wikipedia\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachrome\" target=\"_blank\">Kodachrome</a> is <a title=\"Kodachrome at money.cnn.com\" href=\"http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/fortune/0906/gallery.kodak_kodachrome.fortune/\" target=\"_blank\">going away</a>, you can photograph your past and archive the memories.  What recent experiences have dropped off your radar because you\'re too busy? Can you take a minute today and reflect on a recent problem or experience? Some times our most painful experiences provide the best lessons because we remember them longer and reflect on them more. Pick an experience from your past today and think for a few minutes. Then share your learning with someone else. In a few short minutes you will make a difference. You may even help someone avoid learning the same lesson the hard way.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Reflect Back To Lead Forward', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'reflect-back-lead-forward', '', '', '2009-07-31 16:34:30', '2009-07-31 21:34:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=802', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(957, 243, '2009-09-08 07:01:54', '2009-09-08 12:01:54', '<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;\">IThe subtitle of the book is an interesting challenge: \"Imagine your life without fear.\" Can you?  Have you ever considered what your life would be like if you had no fear?</div>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;\">\"Wait a minute,\" you say. \"I\'m not afraid.  I don\'t live my life in fear.\"</div>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;\">Well, that\'s great.  But you\'re in the vast minority.  I\'ll never forget the fear I first experienced when my wife was pregnant with our daughter.  I couldn\'t keep from thinking about the things that could happen.  How would she turn out?  Would she be born healthy? Would she remain healthy?  Would she be pretty, smart, successful?  Would she make a difference?  Many times I\'ve wondered and worried about my kids; when they first spend the night, or drive a car, or go away to college or go out on a date.  Fear can grab us in a lot of places with our kids, or our possessions, our finances, our careers, our future, or our life.</div>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;\">The author is a pastor and the teaching in the book comes from the Bible, and primarily the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels.  We can fear a lot of things, but as the author points out, Jesus spoke quite a bit about fear.  \"The Gospels list some 125 Christ-issued imperatives.  Of these, 21 urge us to \'not be afraid\' or \'not fear\'... The second most common command, to love God and neighbor, appears on only eight occasions.\"</div>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;\">Max takes the reader on a journey through the Gospels and applies Jesus words to the different types of fear we all face: the fear of not mattering, fear of running out, fear of not protecting our children, fear of overwhelming challenges, fear of what\'s next, fear of life\'s final moments, and the fear of global calamity.</div>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;\">Max Lucado has an almost-artistic style to his adjectives and methods of describing explanations.  His writing is very conversational and you get the feeling that his words just roll off his pen.  He is a master story-teller, using very graphic terms to draw you into the story.  Then, before you know it, you understand the author\'s point with clarity.  Each chapter revolves around a story to make the point.</div>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;\">The book provides a timely message: we don\'t have to live with fear.  Much is currently written about courageous living, but little is provided as sound evidence that fear can be totally dismissed.  Instead, we live with fear very well, thank you and concentrate on courage, which is action in the face of fear.  Our world, at least the wealthier parts of it, manage fear, and nurse fear, but we can\'t eliminate fear.  Fear is a natural response to anticipation of loss.  The wealthier we become the more we have to lose.  Fear can only subside when we know every outcome is good.</div>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;\">I was attracted to the book because courage is a core value of mine.  We can demonstrate and exhibit courage.  Courage is facing our fears and acting as if they\'re not there.  Courage exists in the presence of fear. Only when we have nothing to lose can we shun fear.  There\'s a difference between being brave and having no fear.  The results are the same, but the difference is real.  Noble outcomes require less courage in the absence of fear. (Think about it.)</div>\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\" style=\"position: absolute; left: -10000px; top: 0px; width: 1px; height: 1px; overflow: hidden;\">So are you open to living a fearless life?  Check out the book.  You\'ll learn more about Christ and enjoy the strength and energy you get from the study.</div>\nI just finished reading <a title=\"Fearless at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0849921392?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0849921392\">Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear, by Max Lucado</a>.  The subtitle of the book is an interesting challenge: \"Imagine your life without fear.\" Can you?\n\nHave you ever considered what your life would be like if you had no fear?  \"Wait a minute,\" you say. \"I\'m not afraid.  I don\'t live my life in fear.\"  Well, that\'s great.  But you\'re in the vast minority.  I\'ll never forget the fear I first experienced when my wife was pregnant with our daughter.  I couldn\'t keep from thinking about the things that could happen.  How would she turn out?  Would she be born healthy? Would she remain healthy?  Would she be pretty, smart, successful?  Would she make a difference?  Many times I\'ve wondered and worried about my kids; when they first spend the night, or drive a car, or go away to college or go out on a date.  Fear can grab us in a lot of places with our kids, or our possessions, our finances, our careers, our future, or our life.\n<blockquote>\"Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty, or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business.  Courage did that. Faith did that.\"</blockquote>\nThe author is a pastor and the teaching in the book comes from the Bible, and primarily the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels.  We can fear a lot of things, but as the author points out, Jesus spoke quite a bit about fear.  \"The Gospels list some 125 Christ-issued imperatives.  Of these, 21 urge us to \'not be afraid\' or \'not fear\'... The second most common command, to love God and neighbor, appears on only eight occasions.\"  <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Fearless-small.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-958\" title=\"Fearless small\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Fearless-small.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"140\" height=\"211\" /></a>Max takes the reader on a journey through the Gospels and applies Jesus words to the different types of fear we all face: the fear of not mattering, fear of running out, fear of not protecting our children, fear of overwhelming challenges, fear of what\'s next, fear of life\'s final moments, and the fear of global calamity.\n\nMax Lucado has an almost-artistic yet effortless, down-home style. His writing is very conversational and you get the feeling that his words just roll off his tongue (or pen).  He is a master story-teller, using very graphic terms to draw you into the story.  Then, before you know it, you understand the author\'s point with clarity. Each chapter revolves around a story to make the point.\n\nThe book provides a timely message: we don\'t have to live with fear.  Much is currently written about courageous living, but little is provided as sound evidence that fear can be totally dismissed.  Instead, we live with fear very well, thank you and concentrate on courage, which is action in the face of fear.  Our world, at least the wealthier parts of it, manage fear, and nurse fear, but we can\'t eliminate fear.  Fear is a natural response to anticipation of loss.  The wealthier we become the more we have to lose.  Fear can only subside when we know every outcome is good.\n\nI was attracted to the book because courage is a core value (yet constant struggle) of mine.  We can demonstrate and exhibit courage.  Courage is facing our fears and acting as if they\'re not there.  Courage exists in the presence of fear. Only when we have nothing to lose can we shun fear. There\'s a difference between being brave and having no fear.  The results are the same, but the difference is real.  Noble outcomes require less courage in the absence of fear. (Think about it.)\n\nSo are you open to living a fearless life?  Check out the book. You\'ll learn more about Christ and enjoy the strength and energy you get from the study.', 'Book Review: Fearless by Max Lucado', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'book-review-fearless-max-lucado', '', '', '2009-09-08 07:01:54', '2009-09-08 12:01:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=957', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(982, 243, '2009-10-02 07:20:20', '2009-10-02 12:20:20', 'What does it take to be truly unique? What do you do that no one can reproduce?\n\nA meeting I had this week caused me to think a great deal about this. This person said that they sought out people who were truly unique and that could make an impact to their company\'s bottom line. They clearly understood and articulated their vision.\n\nThe words \"truly unique\" continue to ring in my brain.\n\nMy mind sifted through thoughts on this topic that came from the  <a title=\"Collapse of Distinction at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595551859?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1595551859\" target=\"_blank\">Collapse of Distinction by Scott McKain</a>. (I reviewed the book<a title=\"Collapse of Distinction Review by Mike Henry Sr.\" href=\"/collapse-of-distinction-scott-mckain/\" target=\"_self\"> here</a>.)  The slant of Collapse was toward businesses.  The premise: companies choose their services, products, marketing and direction. Companies can choose to be distinct or they can choose to copy someone else, follow best practices.  Success often went to those who chose to pursue their own path with clarity, creativity, communcation, ultimate customer focus.  When we choose to copy rather than pursue distinction, we try to out-perform the original or we are left to compete on price.  It seems easier to do what others are doing.  How many business models are simply minor evolutions or twists on some other successful idea?\n\nFew rewarding things are easy.  Uniqueness requires courage. Forging your own path is hard.\n\nSo back to individual leaders in general and myself in particul\n\nar.  While thinking about the words \"truly unique,\" I began to wonder where Mike Henry stops and the rest of the world begins. Do you ever think how your combination of interests, desires, skills and passions are absolutely unique? You can\'t be reproduced. You\'re one of a kind.\n\nBut if that\'s true, why do we get sidetracked?  Why do we tend to end up trying to be like everyone else or do what everyone else is doing?  If you\'re like me there are at least two problems:\n<h2>Fear</h2>\nIt\'s easy to wonder what is going to happen with a small consulting practice or any business for that matter.  We live in tough economic times with rapid technological and cultural change. If you\'re like me, you see others making more money, being more successful, or just doing things you might like to be doing and think you have to do the same things.  Can you be you when that looks like a bad strategy?  Whenever you\'re tempted to copy someone else, remember that\'s fear talking.  It takes courage to be true to yourself, but regret is a heavy consequence.  When you <strong><em>know</em></strong> you tried to do the right thing, when you did what you sincerely thought was right, at least you avoid the burden of regret for your motives.\n<h2>People-pleasing</h2>\nDo you do things people appreciate without considering what your own strengths, desires or what energizes you?  We can get so sidetracked in commitments we\'ve made to others that we never honor the commitments we have made to ourselves.  Do you ever find yourself  disappointed at what you\'re doing just because you agreed to do it  without even thinking?  Unless you\'re careful, the most important things you wanted from life, the truly significant things, will never happen.\n<h2>One of a Kind</h2>\nYou and I are absolutely unique. We entered the world that way. Nothing will ever replace you. Others will duplicate your efforts or break your records, but there will <em><strong>NEVER EVER</strong></em> be another you. Don\'t settle for the temptation of copying someone else just because it works for them. And don\'t give away your life because you can\'t say no.  Our world needs you to do your best, most noble, thing.  The world becomes a better place as we each make our own unique positive difference. You matter!\n\nSo what keeps you from doing your thing?  Add to my reasons below or straighten me out, unless of course your thing doesn\'t include commenting on blogs.\n\nWould you rather succeed at being like everyone else, or risk failure as you invest your life making a difference through your unique contribution?\n<h6></h6>', 'Unique Difference', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'unique-difference', '', '', '2009-10-02 07:20:20', '2009-10-02 12:20:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=982', 0, 'post', '', 96),
(1000, 243, '2009-10-08 07:18:14', '2009-10-08 12:18:14', 'I\'ve been wrestling for the last few days about a new leadership paradigm, at least for me.  I just completed an insightful book called <a title=\"The Future of Management\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1422102505?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1422102505\">The Future of Management by Gary Hamel with Bill Breen</a>.  I\'m also very involved in a Linkedin Group known currently as the <a title=\"The Lead Change Group on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\">Lead Change Group</a>. (I say \"currently\" because we\'re considering changing the name.)\n\nIn the Future of Management, Hamel wanted to equip others to create the future of management.  The hierarchical management structure we\'re all so familiar with was created for the industrial age.  That age is gone, but the structure remains.  We keep trying to adapt it and evolve it, but evolution is slow and doesn\'t seem to affect much change.  Maybe a revolution will serve the cause of leadership better.<!--more-->\n\nIn the Lead Change Group, we\'re putting together a leadership event, if you will.  We\'re all trying to avoid the word \"conference.\"  My passion is that it not be just-another leadership conference.  I\'d prefer it was \"not your mama\'s leadership conference.\" One member quoted Steve Jobs: \"We want to make a dent in the universe!\"\n\n<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1422102505?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1422102505\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1004\" style=\"margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\" title=\"futureofmgmt\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/futureofmgmt.jpg\" alt=\"futureofmgmt\" width=\"140\" height=\"213\" /></a>Gary Hamel went into detail about how the Internet, and more precisely the open-source software community and the Linux community in particular are organized.  He was suggesting an alternative to hierarchical leadership structures so common today.  In an open source community, the mission is primary.  For Linux, the goal of the application is clear. It\'s a free, open-source, Unix-like operating system.  There are a few key people who \"oversee\" what actually gets added to the kernel (source code base) but the development and direction of most of what happens to Linux comes from volunteer members of the development community.  The community votes with their energy and effort what projects get done, supported, tested and implemented.\n\nFor less technical subjects, the Internet has become a launching pad for thinkers and a gathering place for communities.  The friction is being removed and more people can become authors and people of influence on just about any topic. Anyone can become published in minutes with Wordpress or Blogger or dozens of other platforms.  The competition for ideas is fierce since the medium no longer becomes a barrier to entry.  If you have an idea, share it.  Your ideas and your content must stand or fall on its own merit.  And the Internet community votes or supports ideas with their attention.\n\nSeveral people with a passion for character-based leadership have found one another at the <a title=\"Lead Change Group on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\">Lead Change Group</a> LinkedIn community. The LinkedIn group is considering a mission: to advance and apply character-based leadership to make a positive difference.  We\'d like to foster, nurture, and enable character-based leadership and we know that can\'t be done simply through conversation.  It requires action and results.  We have to collaborate and develop ideas, implement those ideas, evaluate results, revise, rinse and repeat in order to help leaders become the best they can be. We\'d like to raise the bar, emphasize the good of leadership and help one another improve our individual corner of the world.\n\nCan we do that in an open-source model?  Can we create a community of leaders that are committed to leadership development without personal agendas, like an open-source project?  Can we become a community that advances anything that has to do with leadership?  What do you think?\n<h6>Photo © Dana S. Rothstein - Fotolia.com</h6>', 'Open Source Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'open-source-leadership', '', '', '2009-10-08 07:18:14', '2009-10-08 12:18:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1000', 0, 'post', '', 40),
(1013, 243, '2009-10-10 08:30:54', '2009-10-10 13:30:54', 'Last Sunday, Becky Robinson of Mountain State University\'s LeaderTalk Blog posted the <a title=\"October Leadership Development Carnival\" href=\"http://mountainstate.typepad.com/leadership/2009/10/leadershipdevelopmentcarnival.html\" target=\"_blank\">October Leadership Carnival on Endurance</a>.  Becky compiled several posts on endurance, perseverance and leadership in general.  She linked to several wonderful posts and many great friends I\'ve had the pleasure of \"meeting\" online in the last few months.  It was my first time to submit as well.\n\nYou can follow Becky on Twitter (<a title=\"Becky Robinson (LeaderTalk) on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/LeaderTalk\" target=\"_blank\">@LeaderTalk</a>) and you can even follow the whole list of bloggers on Twitter using this list she compiled on TweepML.  Check it out!', 'Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2009-10-10 08:30:54', '2009-10-10 13:30:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1013', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(1024, 243, '2009-10-21 13:10:54', '2009-10-21 18:10:54', 'You have probably heard the David Campbell quote: \"Discipline is remembering what you want.\"  We all have more wants than we can keep up with.  That\'s why tools like <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280\">Getting Things Done</a> (the book and system by David Allen), PDA\'s and note-taking applications exist.  We forget what we want.  Our higher, more important values typically are not front of mind.  Over time, we make a series of choices from a limited menu, only to regret later never completing the truly important things.  We forget what we really want.  Do you ever do that?<!--more-->\n<h2>Plan to Remember</h2>\n&nbsp;\n\nThat\'s why it\'s a good exercise to write, communicate, share and articulate your values.  If you can create a set of personal or corporate values and let them guide your choices and actions, your decisions are informed by your true values.  You will make fewer decisions without considering the truly important options.  Short term desires won\'t crowd out long-held dreams and desires.\n\nYou can act contrary to your long-term values by making poor choices in the short term.\n\nConsider this first-person example: I value serving others and making a difference.  I also desire comfort.  Many evenings, I choose comfort and eat a dessert.  I\'ve done that so many times that I\'m overweight, making me less healthy and limiting my ability to serve others and makea positive difference.  (Sure this is extreme, but it makes the point.)  I often choose short-term reward over delayed gratification.  I choose comfort over impact or significance.\n\nYour actions expose your true values - every time, at least the ones in the front of your mind.  Each choice you make to go to work, to call in sick, to help your kids with school or watch a football game; to spend time on Twitter of Facebook, or do the reports you\'ve been postponing; every choice you make is a value-judgment.  You value the option you selected above the option (or hundreds of options) you passed up.\n<h2>New Inputs</h2>\nBut when a new idea becomes important to you, when your values change, your mind and your body don\'t believe you.  You must train yourself to behave according to your new values.  If you\'ve been a people-pleaser you must force yourself to say no for a while until it becomes natural.  If you don\'t reinforce your new value, it will become an unfulfilled wish.\n\nSo as you choose your actions today, do you choose for the past or the future?  Do you remember what\'s important to you and make your choices accordingly?  Or do you go with the flow of your habits and years of choices?  You\'re free to choose.  What will you choose today?\n<h2>The question remains:</h2>\nIs my true value comfort?  What values do your actions testify to? Are we over-emphasizing our  intentions and under-emphasizing our results?  What do you think?', 'Can You Act Contrary to Your Values?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'act-contrary-values', '', '', '2009-10-21 13:10:54', '2009-10-21 18:10:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1024', 0, 'post', '', 40),
(1035, 243, '2009-10-23 09:37:00', '2009-10-23 14:37:00', 'This past Tuesday, I had the honor of being interviewed by a fellow member of the LinkedIn Lead Change Group, David Porter (@BullsEyeLeader on Twitter) of Bulls Eye Leadership fame. David and I have been talking about what kind of difference faith should make in the life of a leader. Any leader who claims to hold certain religious beliefs (mine are well documented) should have the integrity to lead according to their beliefs and should also be transparent enough for outsiders to be able to notice.\n\nDavid is an excellent interviewer. He asked piercing and meaningful questions that interested and challenged me. I\'m grateful for the chance to do this.\n\nIf you get a chance, take 30 minutes and listen.   For your review, here\'s a <a title=\"Instilling Faith Into Your Leadership on BEL Radio\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/BELRadio/2009/10/20/Instilling-Faith-Into-Your-Leadership\" target=\"_self\">link to the broadcast</a>. I\'d appreciate your feedback.\n\n<img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/MWE*MzNiN2YyNTQwYzVhYjUzMGNjNDE1MDYwZDViJm9mPTA=.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" border=\"0\" /><object id=\"btr\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"btr\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"FlashVars\" value=\"gig_lt=1282161290373&amp;gig_pt=1282161295981&amp;gig_g=2\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D735050&amp;autostart=true&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;borderweight=1&amp;bordercolor=#999999&amp;backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&amp;dashboardcolor=#0098CB&amp;textcolor=#F0F0F0&amp;detailscolor=#FFFFFF&amp;playlistcolor=#999999&amp;playlisthovercolor=#333333&amp;cornerradius=10&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&amp;C1=7&amp;C2=6042973&amp;C3=31&amp;C4=&amp;C5=&amp;C6=&amp;hostname=BEL Radio&amp;hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/belradio\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"gig_lt=1282161290373&amp;gig_pt=1282161295981&amp;gig_g=2\" /><embed id=\"btr\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D735050&amp;autostart=true&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;borderweight=1&amp;bordercolor=#999999&amp;backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&amp;dashboardcolor=#0098CB&amp;textcolor=#F0F0F0&amp;detailscolor=#FFFFFF&amp;playlistcolor=#999999&amp;playlisthovercolor=#333333&amp;cornerradius=10&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&amp;C1=7&amp;C2=6042973&amp;C3=31&amp;C4=&amp;C5=&amp;C6=&amp;hostname=BEL Radio&amp;hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/belradio\" flashvars=\"gig_lt=1282161290373&amp;gig_pt=1282161295981&amp;gig_g=2\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"btr\" /></object>', 'Bulls Eye Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'bulls-eye-leadership', '', '', '2009-10-23 09:37:00', '2009-10-23 14:37:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1035', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(1044, 243, '2009-10-27 08:00:04', '2009-10-27 13:00:04', 'In a discussion a few days ago, <a href=\"http://www.CrossroadsCommunications.com\">Mandy Vavrinak</a> made an observation that I promised to write about. She has a knack with words and can typically apply precise wording to a particular effort or idea. She said I was \"at war with apathy.\"\n\nThe <a title=\"Merriam-Webster\" href=\"http://www.merriam-webster.com/\" target=\"_self\">Merriam-Webster online</a> dictionary defines apathy as:\n<ol>\n	<li>A lack of feeling or emotion</li>\n	<li>A lack of interest or concern</li>\n</ol>\nWikipedia defines apathy as: Complete lack of emotion or motivation about a person, activity, or object; depression; lack of interest or enthusiasm; disinterest.\n\nDefining my passion has always been difficult for me.  I guess I\'m too close.  <a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/Mandy_Vavrinak\">Mandy</a> pegged it in 5 words. Life without passion is no life. I\'m at war with Apathy.\n<h2>Hot or Cold?</h2>\n&nbsp;\n\nWhy be lukewarm? Why do anything if you\'re not going to do it with all your being?  I confess to times when I lack energy or passion for a given activity or project. Today for example, I\'ve been tired and listless, but knowing I must write this article.  In fact when I write, I get energy - it\'s the beginning that\'s sometimes difficult.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/ron_hudson\">Ron Hudson</a> asked a question on Facebook the other day, \"<a href=\"http://www.immediateinfluenceblog.com\">How many times do you say \'No</a>?\'\" I realize that every Yes means No to so many other things. If I\'m down as a \"No,\" then don\'t expect anything from me. But if I\'m a \"Yes,\" then by all means I want my \"Yes\" to be \"Yes\" 100 percent; maybe more.  Whatever I do, I want to do it with all that I am.\n\nToday, whatever you choose to do, do it with everything you have.  Bring your \'A\' game or stay home. I realize that this blog is read by people with a common passion. The ideas behind the Lead Change Group center on a passion to make a positive difference. I may be preaching to the choir, but we all need to remember nevertheless.\n<h2>Choose Once</h2>\nChoose carefully.  Once you choose, commit. Resist the temptation to re-choose.\n\nHonor your plan with your best effort. Passion and commitment add flavor to any accomplishment. Significant, meaningful achievements require your all.\n\n\"The quality of a person\'s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.\" ~ Vince Lombardi\n\n&nbsp;', 'War With Apathy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'war-apathy', '', '', '2009-10-27 08:00:04', '2009-10-27 13:00:04', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1044', 0, 'post', '', 36),
(1051, 243, '2009-10-29 07:30:24', '2009-10-29 12:30:24', '<h2>We have seen the enemy...</h2>\nDo you ever get tired of going through the motions?\n\nYou know what I mean. In a bit of passive aggression, we give less than our best because our heart is just not in the activity.  We do what we have to and no more.  Can you think of times when you\'ve done this? (Be honest!)\n\nWell, I\'ve done it and I\'ll probably do it again, but I\'d like to confess that I hate it.  The struggle isn\'t in the project or the work, but in my heart.  Why would I do a good job at something I like and a poor job at something I don\'t like?  You might say that\'s only human nature.<!--more-->\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBeginning today, let\'s be more careful when making commitments. Let\'s be people who honor our commitments with our best effort.  Every commitment.  Therefore, we must be more careful what we commit to because when we\'re committed, we\'re \"all in.\"\n<h2>All In</h2>\nBeing \"all in\" as is commonly stated in Texas Hold \'em means that if we lose, we lose everything. There is no plan B. Often the difference between victory and defeat, success and failure is the pure will and commitment of the champion. Many a weaker team has overtaken a stronger one on nothing more than heart and extra effort.\n<h2>Nothing To Lose</h2>\nDo you remember the movie <a href=\"http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0191397/\">The Replacements </a>with Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman?  The story is about the replacement players who got an opportunity to play professional football because the real pros went on strike.\n\nOne of my favorite lines in the movie takes place at halftime in the final game.  Coach Jimmy McGinty played by Gene Hackman, tells the team just what they need to hear to make a miraculous comeback:\n<blockquote>Up until now Dallas hasn\'t been afraid of you, and they should be because you have a powerful weapon working for you. There is no tomorrow for you, and that makes you all very dangerous people!</blockquote>\nSure, <em>The Replacements</em> is fiction.  But we all love it when the underdog pulls off the big upset. We\'re all underdogs in one way or another.  Who would think that one person can make a difference?  You\'re only one person, what can you do?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nRemember, there is no one more dangerous than someone with nothing to lose.  Decide today that you\'re going to make a positive difference in your world no matter what the cost. The strength of your commitment becomes the fuel for your launch.\n\nAnd don\'t invest any more than is absolutely necessary in plan B. Forget plan B. Consider plan B as a failure of plan A.  Failure isn\'t necessarily bad; we all fail at times.  But failure becomes inevitable the moment you plan for it.\n\nOur previous post we introduced the idea of being at <a title=\"War With Apathy\" href=\"/war-apathy/\" target=\"_self\">war with apathy</a>.\n\n&nbsp;', 'The War on Apathy Continues ...', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'war-apathy-continues', '', '', '2009-10-29 07:30:24', '2009-10-29 12:30:24', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1051', 0, 'post', '', 52),
(1121, 243, '2009-11-10 20:53:43', '2009-11-11 01:53:43', 'Dr. Eli Sopow will be the presenter on the November Lead Change Conference call.  The call is scheduled for November 16th at 5:00 PM Eastern.\n\nSystems theory illustrates how one small change can make a huge difference by using the metaphor of a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil. Ultimately that flap of a wing sets off a series of reverberations that result in a thunderstorm in Texas. Now new research shows how the \"Butterfly Effect\" operates in the workplace. A recent study of over 3,000 employees show there are no more than six key factors affecting the workplace. <!--more-->Even more intriguing is the result that doing a very good--not just good-- job on just one of those factors creates a huge and positive ripple effect across many other factors. Discussion Group members are invited to the first pubic unveiling of this data by Dr. Eli Sopow, author of the study, and see how the results can be directly applied to their own workplaces.\n\nDr. Eli Sopow has worked with national and international organizations over the past 35 years providing counsel on leadership, change, and innovation. He s current Special Advisor to the Change Management Team of Canada\'s national police force as well as an Associate Faculty Member with the Royal Roads University School of Leadership. Over the years he has worked with organizations as diverse as Starbucks Coffee Company and Greenpeace, to national financial institutions and resource companies. He holds a PhD in Human &amp; Organizational Systems, Masters degree in both Organizational Leadership and Human Development, plus a Certificate in Peer Counseling.\n\nTo find out more about Dr. Eli Sopow visit his website at www.bioleadership.org or check out his BioLeadership blog or his LinkedIn profile. Better yet, just register for the call below!  It\'s free.  A recording will be available after the call too.  So what are you waiting for?\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><object id=\"W499d781e7a2ff8ce4afa16bf8d15cb66\" width=\"250\" height=\"310\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"allowNetworking\" value=\"all\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/499d781e7a2ff8ce/4afa16bf8d15cb66/4afa0ce50c141aa6/5146194b/-cpid/41a978e9bc5e33c8/showRegistration/false\" /><embed id=\"W499d781e7a2ff8ce4afa16bf8d15cb66\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"250\" height=\"310\" src=\"http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/499d781e7a2ff8ce/4afa16bf8d15cb66/4afa0ce50c141aa6/5146194b/-cpid/41a978e9bc5e33c8/showRegistration/false\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allownetworking=\"all\" wmode=\"transparent\" /></object></p>', 'November 2009 Lead Change Call', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'november-2009-lead-change-call', '', '', '2009-11-10 20:53:43', '2009-11-11 01:53:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1121', 0, 'post', '', 4);
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(1131, 243, '2009-11-12 07:19:56', '2009-11-12 12:19:56', '<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061251305?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0061251305\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1142 alignright\" style=\"margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"tribal leadership\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/tribal-leadership.jpg\" alt=\"tribal leadership\" width=\"140\" height=\"212\" /></a>I\'ve just finished listening to a book called <a title=\"Tribal Leadership at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061251305?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0061251305\" target=\"_self\">Tribal Leadership Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization</a> by Dave Logan, John King and Halee Fischer-Wright. I listened to an abridged audio version of the book that you can get for <a title=\"Tribal Leadership at Zappos.com\" href=\"http://about.zappos.com/tribal\">FREE! here,</a> compliments of <a href=\"http://www.zappos.com/\">Zappos.com</a>\n\nThe authors define a tribe as a group of up to 150 people that share time and common interests.  You\'re in several. Those tribes, however, all fall into 5 stages, characterized by their prevailing attitudes. <!--more--> The distribution of the stages is very much like a normal bell curve.\n<h2>Stage 1</h2>\nThe first stage is the equivalent of a gang, where the members believe that all life is unfair.  The comment that defines this group is \"All life sucks.\"\n<h2>Stage 2</h2>\nStage 2 is defined by the futility and hopelessness of bureaucracy where members and victims who believe that \"my life sucks,\" but that other people, luck, a higher power, or winning the lottery could make it better.  They believe their life is what it is through no fault of their own.  They are just victims of circumstances.\n<h2>Stage 3</h2>\n&nbsp;\n\nThe third and largest group consists of people who are fighting, scratching, and clawing to get ahead.  It\'s them against everyone else and they\'re phrase is \"I\'m good \" or \"my life is good.\"\n<h2>Stage 4</h2>\n<h2></h2>\nIn this stage we start to see a different kind of tribe. They begin to associate their personal success directly with the success of the tribe.  Shared goals and the success of the group become the central purpose of their individual effort.  They\'re identified by the sentiment that \"we\'re good\" or \"our life is good.\"\n<h2>Stage 5</h2>\nFinally, in the rare air of Stage 5, the tribe becomes all about the cause.  This tribe is so focused on the cause, that they believe \"life is good.\"\n\nOne of my favorite ideas from the book regards the break between Stage 3 and Stage 4.  An important distinction occurs as tribes cross that divide.  We create different types of relationships. I made a reference to this in <a href=\"/open-source-leadership/\">Open Source Leadership</a>.  At Stage 4, we begin to create what the authors call Triad Relationships. Rather than a group of relationships that look like hub-and-spoke diagrams, our relationships begin to look more like a triangles or points on a grid. In a typical hub-and-spoke relationship, people remain connected through others.  In effect, if I introduce two of my friends, but they never establish any relationship of their own, that\'s a hub and spoke relationship. However, when I connect two friends in a triad relationship, they establish a relationship that no longer requires me to be involved.  Those individuals take the relationship beyond the point of interaction with me. These triad relationships form in the context of a cause: something greater than the individuals.  Stages 1-3 have no higher cause than the individuals involved.\n\nWhen we\'re living for something bigger than just ourselves, our relationships take on a new dimension. We live on purpose. The cause becomes the focus and relationships create energy rather than draining it.\n<h2>Are you living on purpose?</h2>\nYou can see some hints in the types of relationships you\'re creating. As you invest your life in a purpose bigger than yourself (or other individuals) you\'ll begin to form triads and you can celebrate the success of your friends and coworkers.  People you connect may have a huge impact on the world.', 'Tribal Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'tribal-leadership', '', '', '2009-11-12 07:19:56', '2009-11-12 12:19:56', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1131', 0, 'post', '', 56),
(1153, 243, '2009-12-27 11:56:53', '2009-12-27 16:56:53', 'A friend of mine has recently launched a blog with an interesting purpose. Don Shapiro (LinkedIn Profile, <a title=\"Don Shapiro on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/donshapiro1\" target=\"_self\">@DonShapiro1</a>) came up with an idea to pursue the decisions people make with a blog called <a title=\"Life is a Fork in the Road\" href=\"http://www.lifeisaforkintheroad.com.\" target=\"_self\">Life Is A Fork In The Road</a>.  The premise is that our life is made up of several, maybe even hundreds of choices.\n\nA fork is one of those decisions that becomes a significant event.  Don is examining how people choose which fork to take.  His desire is to collect stories and see if there are any patterns.  His end goal is a book on the topic that is based on the stories.\n\nEvery choice eliminates other choices, many forever.  I can think of several significant forks myself, and many things that would have never been possible had I not taken the fork.  If you\'re like me, and you tend to think back and plan forward at the end of the year, take a minute and invest in an interesting work.  Please hop over to Life Is A Fork and share a story or two.  I\'ll be doing that in a few days myself.  It will be interesting to see how Don\'s pursuit of his particular fork ends up.', 'Life is a Fork in the Road by Don Shapiro', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'life-fork-road-don-shapiro', '', '', '2009-12-27 11:56:53', '2009-12-27 16:56:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1153', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(1157, 243, '2009-11-17 16:45:07', '2009-11-17 21:45:07', '<strong><em>Servant Leaders serve people in pursuit of a goal.</em></strong> We might be tempted to consider only one facet at a time in this statement.  However consider all of the dimensions and you\'ll get a complete picture of <strong>great leadership</strong>.\n<h2>Servant</h2>\nLeaders who do not serve but who expect to be served immediately<!--more--> break down the win-win requirement of any successful relationship.  All relationships must be win-win to be sustainable.\n<h2>Leaders</h2>\nPeople who influence things.  A leader is one who influences.  We naturally are influenced by people with certain characteristics: authenticity, character, sincerity, etc. A leader influences the path and behavior of others.\n<h2>Serve</h2>\nYou can call yourself a servant leader but until you serve others, you\'re simply dreaming.  Many times it\'s only after you have served that you gain the trust to influence. Quality, significant leadership is borne from service.\n<h2>People</h2>\nPeople are the only things that matter.  Don\'t be fooled into believing that this life is all there is. Jesus claimed that we will live forever.  Therefore everything you do for (or to) people will affect eternity.\n<h2>In Pursuit</h2>\nThe reason why change is central to leadership is that we all \"pursue.\" People who are not in pursuit become stagnant.  We were made to create, be and do. Rest is a function of creating, being and doing, not the purpose.  We are all in motion, through both time and space.  And we all intrinsically want to make things better for ourselves.  \"In pursuit\" packs a lot of power.  We also appreciate people on a mission; people who know what they want.  If you\'re standing still, you\'re falling behind.\n<h2>Of a Goal</h2>\nThe desired outcome of our efforts.  Common, shared goals are energizing. The best goals inspire their effort, sacrifice, and cost.  Great goals are worth great effort, but also great goals are often shared by large numbers of people.  If your goal is not shared, maybe it\'s not that great.  But that\'s where leadership makes a full circle.  You may need to serve people in order to influence them to pursue your goal.  Leadership requires that one manage the circular nature of complex win-win relationships.\n\n<em><strong>Servant leaders serve people in pursuit of a goal.</strong></em> Make sure you polish all of the facets of your diamond. Your leadership diamond will sparkle as you pay attention to all 6 facets.\n<h2>Think about it.</h2>', '6 Facets of the Servant Leadership Diamond', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '6-facets-servant-leadership-diamond', '', '', '2009-11-17 16:45:07', '2009-11-17 21:45:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1157', 0, 'post', '', 40),
(1180, 243, '2009-11-22 11:17:28', '2009-11-22 16:17:28', 'On a conference call October 19 with other members of the Lead Change Group, I learned about the 4 categories of emotional intelligence. The main divisions are Awareness and Management in one dimension and Self and Others in the other dimension. The grid looks like this:\n\n\n\nWhat quadrant would you say you naturally fell into?  That will be the area you\'re most comfortable and where you are energized and engaged.\n<ul>\n	<li> Self Awareness - understanding what\'s important to you, what energized and guides you.</li>\n	<li> Self Management - ability to order your life, priorities and manage your self to achieve your goals.</li>\n	<li> Social Awareness - sense or understand the emotions, motivations, feelings and intentions of others.</li>\n	<li> Relationship Management - ability to coordinate groups, priorities and conflict.</li>\n</ul>\nI\'m confident I haven\'t described this very well at all.  I am grateful for Gloria organizing and leading the discussion and I regret my delay in posting this link.  You can hear the call at Dr. Gloria Miele\'s web site, <a title=\"Optimal Development Coaching\" href=\"http://www.optimaldevelopmentcoaching.com\" target=\"_blank\">Optimal Development Coaching</a> and you can replay the broadcast here.  You can also follow <a title=\"Dr. Gloria Miele on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/GloriaMiele\" target=\"_self\">Gloria on Twitter</a> or reach out to her on LinkedIn. And, while you\'re on LinkedIn, check out the <a href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\">Lead Change Group on LinkedIn</a> too.\n\nWhat other topics would you like to discuss in our monthly calls?  Kelly Ketelboeter is organizing future calls right now and if you\'ll comment on topics you would like to share or learn about, I\'ll pass them along.  Thanks!', 'Emotional Intelligence Call with Dr. Gloria Miele', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'emotional-intelligence-gloria-miele', '', '', '2009-11-22 11:17:28', '2009-11-22 16:17:28', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=1180', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(1290, 243, '2009-12-22 07:50:06', '2009-12-22 12:50:06', '<h2><strong>Shared vision takes time.</strong></h2>\nFirst you must appreciate other contributors.  Shared means <em>shared</em>.  If you supply the team vision, others must adopt it.  You can’t pick the level of effort needed for them to adopt your vision. You don’t decide how hard or easy it will be to get them to fully share and appreciate your vision of the future.  Each person influences the level of difficulty you’ll encounter as you try to get buy in for “your” vision.<!--more-->\n<h2><strong>Choose to Understand Your Team</strong></h2>\nHowever, you can choose to understand your team first before “setting” the vision.  This solves two problems.  First, you determine the amount of effort you will invest in understanding your team.   Second, few people can (or will even try to) understand anyone who fails to understand them.  You will eliminate a major roadblock to being understood.  One of the popular <a href=\"https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits.php\">Seven Habits of Highly Effective People </a>is \"seek first to understand, then to be understood.\"   Most people won\'t understand you first.   Only highly effective people do that.  Understand your teammates and stakeholders and their vision of the future.  That one act will take you a long way to sharing understanding.\n<ul>\n	<li>Do you appreciate your team enough to encourage and understand their vision of the future?</li>\n	<li>What would they like your team to be known for?</li>\n	<li>What do they appreciate most about your team and its contribution to the organization?</li>\n	<li>What do they feel is their greatest contribution?</li>\n</ul>\nYour vision of the future will be shared and appreciated more as you appreciate and understand your team\'s view better.\n<h2><strong>The Vision is Set</strong></h2>\nWhen the vision is set, the game changes.  Until it\'s set, you\'re a collaborator helping the team agree on the best future and understand it in wonderful detail. Once the agreement has been reached, and the plan finalized, your role changes. In service to your team, you begin remember the vision and enforce the plan.  We\'ll talk about that more in a future post. But to the degree that you\'re able, invest in the work necessary to give stakeholders input into the vision.  The additional detail each member adds, as well as the shared ownership, will provide lift and energy propelling your team in the right direction.\n\nIs this an area of opportunity for you? Do you build the consensus, or do you find yourself jumping ahead to the enforcer role too quickly? Or, do you spend too much time building consensus and never become the enforcer? Let us know how you\'re doing in this area.', 'Shared Vision', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'shared-vision', '', '', '2009-12-22 07:50:06', '2009-12-22 12:50:06', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1290', 0, 'post', '', 40),
(1297, 243, '2010-02-22 08:05:10', '2010-02-22 13:05:10', 'We\'ve had several posts now about vision.  Have you \"seen\" the common thread between them?  We discussed the need to be able to articulate your vision in a way that makes your <a title=\"Can You Taste It?\" href=\"/can-you-taste-it/\" target=\"_self\">stakeholder\'s salivate</a>.  We also talked about the value of a <a title=\"Shared Vision\" href=\"/shared-vision/\" target=\"_self\">shared vision</a>, how it <a title=\"Energize, Mobilize &amp; Guide\" href=\"/energize-mobilize-guide/\" target=\"_self\">energizes and mobilizes</a> your team and how you need to keep it <a title=\"Align your Vision and Purpose\" href=\"/align-vision-purpose/\" target=\"_self\">aligned with your highest purpose</a>.  There is one last thing you must do though...\n<h2>Finally, Own It</h2>\nOwn your vision. Take responsibility for your team’s shared vision of the future. Invest your energy and time in pursuit of that vision.  Give your best energy and your best effort serving your team as they pursue that vision. If your team shares the vision, your energy will build trust and confidence for when the going gets rough.  Let\'s face it, what better feeling is there when you served your team by making them successful at achieving a grand vision aligned with their highest purpose?\n\nSo as you own the vision, know as much about it as you can. What are the benefits? How will others feel when they achieve the vision?  Practice communicating the feeling others, developing the detail and their appreciation.   Use graphic terms to give people the idea they can change the world. They can! Ignite the flame in others and set your world on fire.\n\n<em>Inspire</em> them.  Inspire means to put life into something. Put life into your team by taking the extra time to savor your vision and communicate it well.  The joy you and your teammates receive through the shared accomplishment will be worth it.', 'Own Your Vision', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'own-your-vision', '', '', '2010-02-22 08:05:10', '2010-02-22 13:05:10', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1297', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(1313, 243, '2009-12-24 08:01:16', '2009-12-24 13:01:16', 'The original idea for the Lead Change Group was launched on March 30, 2009.  It rose out of my desire to develop as a leader and build quality leaders.  I prefer action to inaction, so rather than hoping someone else would do something, I began the group.\n\nMy goal was to act on my belief that all quality leadership brings about positive change. Poor leadership brings about negative change. (Note: some poor leadership spawns positive change as a reaction, but not as a direct cause.) Good or bad, leadership creates change, or it\'s not leadership. It\'s just noise.  Positive change is often referred to as win-win. Positive change is \"worth it\" to everyone involved. Excellent leadership is worth the effort.\n\nBut I have another belief about quality, character-based leadership you should know. <!--more-->Quality, others-centered leadership is the very thing that attracted me to the teachings of Jesus Christ.  His leadership brings about that win-win change I mentioned above.  Once I believed His message and committed to His teachings, my life was changed.  It\'s not my desire to make converts, but to live according to what I claim to believe. I don\'t do it very well sometimes, but in the interest of full disclosure, I thought you should know.\n\nCharacter-based leadership when pursued with excellence, makes a positive difference. Let\'s partner together to share that message. Our world needs people like you and me to exit our comfort zones and improve the world.  We don\'t have to agree on every detail, just share a desire to apply character-based leadership with excellence to change the world.\n\nAs of this writing, the <a title=\"Lead Change Group on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\" target=\"_blank\">Lead Change Group on LinkedIn</a> is up over 520 members. I have met many wonderful friends from various faiths who share the passion to make their world better.  And if you\'re motivated to make your world better, this group exists to help you.  We\'re planning a get-together, called LeaderPalooza, February 19-20, 2010 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Please click the link for more details.\n\nIn January 2010, I\'ll have a couple of conference calls setting forth some goals for the group in the coming year.  For now, please know that as you read this, I am grateful and thankful for your attention and humbled by those who have joined the group.  Our commitment: <strong><em>helping people apply character-based leadership to make a positive difference</em></strong>.\n\nThank you.  I hope that you have a wonderful holiday and then go on to change the world in 2010!', 'Quality Leadership Changes The World', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'quality-leadership-changes-the-world', '', '', '2009-12-24 08:01:16', '2009-12-24 13:01:16', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1313', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(1367, 243, '2009-12-30 09:42:58', '2009-12-30 14:42:58', 'Have you ever noticed how quickly a fire dies out when you separate the logs or the coals?  Fire, energy and ideas have many things in common. People with energy, enthusiasm and ideas can equip, supply and assist one another. Like a fire, when they\'re together, they fuel each other.  Separated they burn or die out. United they make a difference. Isolated, your mind begins to play tricks on you. Fear can set in.  But, get around other enthusiastic people with energy <!--more-->and <em>you will be</em> energized. Associate closely with idea people and soon your mind will race with ideas.\n<h3>Lead Change Catches On</h3>\nCurrently over 500 people have joined the <a title=\"Lead Change Group page on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\" target=\"_blank\">Lead Change Group on LinkedIn</a> and over 200 are active (that I\'m aware of) on Twitter (<a title=\"Lead Change Group on TweepML.org\" href=\"http://bit.ly/36uhrt\" target=\"_blank\">list here</a>).  I <a title=\"Quality Leadership Changes the World\" href=\"/quality-leadership-changes-the-world/\" target=\"_self\">mentioned</a> that the mission of the group is to <em><strong>help people apply character-based leadership in order to make a positive difference</strong></em>.  Most of us initially met on Twitter or LinkedIn and have connected further via telephone.  Some members have met face-to-face. We\'ve talked and tweeted about getting together, well now is the time!\n<h3>LeaderPalooza 2010</h3>\nSo we\'re throwing an un-conference.  That\'s right. We want to leverage each others\' ideas and energy in a get-together this February 19-20 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  We won\'t have formal speakers and you won\'t get a binder.  You will meet great leadership people and create opportunities to be part of something different.  You won\'t just sit and listen; you will contribute.  Everyone in the group is capable of speaking on leadership anyway.  Come and share ideas and create ways to collaborate with other like-minded leadership friends.\n\nWill you join us?  The conference registration site is <a title=\"LeaderPalooza 2010\" href=\"http://www.leaderpalooza.com/\" target=\"_blank\">www.LeaderPalooza.com</a>. (Hotel arrangements are being finalized and should be set by 1/8/2010.) We want to get together, share energy and ideas and make a positive difference through character-based leadership. We believe together we will collaborate and create in a way that we can\'t even imagine until we\'ve done it. This is a chance for you to act on your beliefs about leadership.\n<h3>Catch the Fire?</h3>\nOur world needs your ideas and energy applied toward advancing character-based leadership. Your contribution matters. But more than your individual effort, we need you to be part of a community committed to the same idea, supporting, energizing, equipping and mobilizing each other.  Our world needs us to pull together. Will you? You can get more information and register at <a title=\"LeaderPalooza 2010\" href=\"http://www.LeaderPalooza.com\" target=\"_self\">www.LeaderPalooza.com</a>.\n\nAlso, Please publicize this event or this group on your blog, Twitter or Facebook. <a title=\"Contact Lead Change Group\" href=\"/contact/\" target=\"_self\">Contact us</a> for a registration button or simply link to <a title=\"LeaderPalooza 2010\" href=\"http://www.LeaderPalooza.com\" target=\"_self\">http://www.leaderpalooza.com</a>. Let\'s make a difference in 2010!\n\n&nbsp;', 'Leadership Un-Conference: LeaderPalooza', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-un-conference-leaderpalooza', '', '', '2009-12-30 09:42:58', '2009-12-30 14:42:58', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1367', 0, 'post', '', 24),
(1404, 243, '2010-01-04 21:19:48', '2010-01-05 02:19:48', 'Join us for the January call / webinar: Lead Change - Past, Present and Future.  We\'re trying some new things.  We\'ll be doing a webinar because the calls are getting a lot of participants and leaving an open conference call was getting confusing.  We\'re also going to do the same presentation at two different times in case you have questions or items you\'d like discussed.\n\nThe topic this month is the Past, Present &amp; (Proposed) Future of the Lead Change Group.  I\'ll review a little of our brief past, what\'s happening in the next few weeks and what will be happening over the next year.  Please follow the links below to register for the call you plan to attend.  I\'ll post a recording a couple of days after the call for anyone who misses it.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Register for Call #1 Wednesday, January 13, 2010 8 PM Eastern Time (5 PM Pacific)</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/608552824\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1223 aligncenter\" title=\"Button1\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Button1.png\" alt=\"Register Jan 13\" width=\"118\" height=\"50\" /></a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Or, Register for Call #2 Friday January 15, 2010 3 PM Eastern Time (Noon Pacific)</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/971034745\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-1223 aligncenter\" title=\"Button2\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Button1.png\" alt=\"Register Jan 15\" width=\"118\" height=\"50\" /></a></p>\n&nbsp;', 'Past, Present and Future', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'past-present-future', '', '', '2010-01-04 21:19:48', '2010-01-05 02:19:48', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1404', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(1453, 243, '2010-01-18 09:11:50', '2010-01-18 14:11:50', '<a title=\"Jane Perdue on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\" target=\"_blank\">Jane Perdue</a> of The Braithewaite Group and the <a title=\"Life, Love &amp; Leadership Blog\" href=\"http://getyourbigon.com/leadbigblog/playing-office-politics/\" target=\"_blank\">Life, Love &amp; Leadership blog</a> has introduced a challenging topic with a post called \"<a title=\"Politics are Necessary, but Not Necessarily Evil\" href=\"http://getyourbigon.com/leadbigblog/playing-office-politics/\" target=\"_self\"><em>Politics are Necessary but Not Necessarily Evil</em></a>\" where she introduces the idea that many of the core characteristics of quality leadership are also the central tenets of office politics.  The only difference is the motive.\n\nOver the course of the next four weeks, <a title=\"Jennifer Miller\'s People Equation blog\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com\" target=\"_blank\">Jennifer Miller</a>, <a title=\"Susan Mazza\'s Random Acts of Leadership blog\" href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com\" target=\"_blank\">Susan Mazza</a> and I along with Jane will be examining one characteristic of leadership looking both at the \"dark side\" and the the \"light side.\"  For example, Jennifer will consider the light and dark sides of necessary leadership skills such as networking and relationship building.  Susan will look at how leaders set agendas and frame the conversation, and Jane will share tips for leaders on becoming more influential and socially aware.  My post will be up next Tuesday, 1/26/2010 on authenticity and sincerity.\n\nSo how do you check your motives when applying your leadership skills within your organization? Check out this introductory post and let\'s start the discussion.\n<div>Photo by:http://www.flickr.com/photos/parl/ / <a rel=\"license\" href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/\">CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</a></div>Tag: D8T3XU2EPCB3', 'Leadership or Office Politics Series', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-office-politics-series', '', '', '2010-01-18 09:11:50', '2010-01-18 14:11:50', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1453', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(1459, 243, '2010-01-19 08:28:47', '2010-01-19 13:28:47', 'Leadership is about people.  My interest in leadership is actually a byproduct of my interest in people. People are neat.\n\nI\'ve met several great people in my work the last few months.  One I met recently who shares a common interest in people and leadership is Perry Maughmer.  Perry\'s blog is titled <a title=\"A Wider Lens on Wordpress.com\" href=\"http://perrymaughmer.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">A Wider Lens</a>.  It implies a perspective shift that I appreciate.  Where I\'m always trying to focus more, Perry presents a different perspective.  That\'s one reason why I appreciate his blog and <a title=\"LeaderPalooza on A Wider Lens\" href=\"http://perrymaughmer.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/leaderpalooza/\" target=\"_blank\">his article on LeaderPalooza</a>.  (The other. of course, is that he\'s suggesting you register for LeaderPalooza!)\n\nHis post and an email exchange we shared introduced me to emergent systems.  Basically an emergent system is created by individuals who create a product greater than the sum of the parts, and that product in turn rewards the creators.  That is what we\'re trying <!--more-->to do with the Lead Change Group - create a community of character-based leaders who make a positive difference by applying that leadership.  We each grow as leaders in the application, not merely through academic study, of leadership.  So in growing, we apply; in applying we grow.\n\nIn order to help us help one another, we decided to come together face-to-face at <a title=\"More info on LeaderPalooza\" href=\"http://leaderpalooza.com\" target=\"_self\">LeaderPalooza, February 19-20, 2010 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida</a>.  We plan to further the emergent model of the Lead Change Group by mobilizing, facilitating and energizing members to lead with character and create positive results.  The actual conference format is an un-conference where some of the agenda is in flux.  But don\'t let the uncertainty of the format keep you from attending.\n\nImagine what you can do in partnership with people like Don Shapiro (@DonShapiro1) Steve Keating (@LeadToday), Erin Schreyer (@eschreyer) Jim Holland (@Jim_Holland) Chris Zaucha (@czaucha) and Susan Mazza (@SusanMazza) among others, as we focus our efforts and take this emergent system to the next level.\n\nCheck out Perry\'s post and <a title=\"More info on LeaderPalooza\" href=\"http://leaderpalooza.com\" target=\"_self\">register for LeaderPalooza</a>.  I can\'t wait to meet you!', 'View LeaderPalooza Through A Wider Lens', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'view-leaderpalooza-wider-lens', '', '', '2010-01-19 08:28:47', '2010-01-19 13:28:47', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1459', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(1464, 243, '2010-01-20 08:43:23', '2010-01-20 13:43:23', 'Yesterday, <a title=\"Jennifer V. Miller on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/jennifervmiller\" target=\"_blank\">Jennifer V. Miller</a> posted a <a title=\"Networking Inside the Company Walls\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com/networking-inside-the-company-walls/\" target=\"_self\">great article</a> on networking, relationships and office politics.  The article is titled <a title=\"Networking Inside the Company Walls\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com/networking-inside-the-company-walls/\" target=\"_self\"><em>Networking Inside the Company Walls</em></a> and it\'s posted on Jennifer\'s blog,<a title=\"The People Equation by Jennifer V. Miller\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com/\"> The People Equation.</a> It\'s the first post in a series initiated by <a title=\"Jane Perdue (@thehrgoddess) on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\" target=\"_blank\">Jane Perdue</a> that will also include <a title=\"Susan Mazza (@SusanMazza) on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/susanmazza\" target=\"_blank\">Susan Mazza</a> and myself. The idea is that many leadership skills, such as networking and building relationships, can contribute to office politics when applied with wrong motives.\n\nJennifer makes several great points about the need for networking across functional areas.  The key is to sincerely be working for win-win. If you\'re not sure, be careful or get someone you trust to give check your motives. But if you can be sure that you\'re committed to the other person\'s (and the organization\'s) success, then reach out. Everyone likes to be appreciated.  Most like to be helped once they feel they can trust you.  In fact, that\'s what my post next week will be about; being sincere and authentic.\n\nOne other thing that Jennifer alludes to in the post: it is your responsibility. The days where you can \"just do your job\" are coming to an end. You need to know and be known in the organization in order to create value. \"Just doing your job\" is an invitation to layoffs, unless you have a irreplaceable skill. (Are there any irreplaceable skills any more?)  So the sooner you learn this and get out of your cube, the better off you, your peers, and your organization will be.\n\nSo, by all means venture on over to <a title=\"The People Equation\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com\" target=\"_blank\">The People Equation</a> and check out the post.  Also, please leave Jennifer a comment and tell her you came from the Lead Change Group.  Then stop back here on January 26 for <a title=\"Sincerity and Office Politics - Lead Change  Blog\" href=\"/sincerity-office-politics\" target=\"_self\">my installment.</a>', 'Office Politics and the People Equation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'office-politics-people-equation', '', '', '2010-01-20 08:43:23', '2010-01-20 13:43:23', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1464', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(1524, 243, '2010-02-04 15:04:33', '2010-02-04 21:04:33', 'In our group, we\'ve had a lot of conversation about character-based leadership.  This is the second post in a series on character-based leadership.  The first was <a title=\"Sources of Leadership on Lead Change Blog\" href=\"/sources-leadership\" target=\"_self\">Sources of Leadership</a>.\n\nWhat result does character-based leadership promise? What makes our type of leadership different?\n\nSo I thought about the question for a few minutes. Quickly, I thought of 3 promises of character-based leadership.<!--more-->\n\n<strong>Promise 1: Engaged team members</strong> - Either team members are growing and contributing or the leader is helping them discover the disconnect to either become accountable or recognize the need to find another place to contribute.  Relationships with team members are built on mutual respect. Leaders respect each member\'s contribution and serve them to insure each member\'s success as a contributor to an overall goal greater than the sum of individual contributions.\n\n<strong>Promise 2: Satisfied stakeholders</strong> - expectations are managed because integrity and transparency are valued creating trust between leadership and customers, vendors, and partners.  Everyone doesn\'t necessarily get totally satisfied in the short-run but, because of the high level of trust, sacrifices are accounted for and everyone is treated fairly\n\n<strong>Promise 3: Sustainable relationships</strong> - The goals pursued by teams with character truly benefit their intended customers. Customers derive benefit in excess of their cost and can therefore fairly reward the team for their achievement, and the organization can fairly reward each member according to their individual contribution.  Each party wins and is therefore incented to sustain the relationship.\n\nI\'m sure there are more?  What would you add?  The promise of character-based leadership is just one of the topics we will tackle at <a title=\"LeaderPalooza 2010\" href=\"http://www.leaderpalooza.com\" target=\"_self\">LeaderPalooza 2010</a> February 19 and 20, 2010 at the Hilton Airport Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  We\'re considering ideas like these because we accept our share of responsibility for the crisis of leadership in our world today and we want to do something about it.  Will you join us?  Even if you can\'t attend, please comment below and add your contribution. Our world needs character-based leaders now more than anytime in recent history.  Will you to join the effort?  Will you answer the call?', 'Three Promises of Character-Based Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'three-promises-character-based-leadership', '', '', '2010-02-04 15:04:33', '2010-02-04 21:04:33', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1524', 0, 'post', '', 108),
(1535, 243, '2010-01-26 07:04:24', '2010-01-26 12:04:24', '<em>This is part of a series of posts organized and arranged by <a title=\"Jane Perdue on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\" target=\"_blank\">Jane Perdue</a>.  You can find the introduction <a title=\"Politics are Necessary, but not Necessarily Evil\" href=\"http://getyourbigon.com/leadbigblog/playing-office-politics/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> and the post on <a title=\"Networking Inside the Company Walls\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com/networking-inside-the-company-walls/\" target=\"_blank\">networking</a> by <a title=\"Jennifer Miller on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/jennifervmiller\" target=\"_blank\">Jennifer V. Miller</a> at her blog <a title=\"The People Equation\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com\" target=\"_blank\">The People Equation</a>.  Next week, <a title=\"Susan Mazza on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\">Susan Mazza</a> will post on the political side of agendas at <a title=\"Susan Mazza\'s blog Random Acts of Leadership\" href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com\" target=\"_blank\">Random Acts of Leadership</a>. The question before us today: examining the political and non-political sides of sincerity and authenticity.</em>\n<blockquote>\"The secret to life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you\'ve got it made.\" Groucho Marx</blockquote>\nSincerity and authenticity are leadership competencies that inspire trust.  Trust lubricates relationships and transactions. Trust makes it easier for people to work together.  Trust is necessary for togetherness and group identity.  Being authentic means I know what you\'re \"for.\" If I am confident that another person is \"for\" the same things I\'m \"for,\" I don\'t have to <!--more-->spend energy managing the gap in our allegiance.  I have more energy to devote to the allegiance itself and its desired outcome.\n<h3>Misleading Motives</h3>\nWhen a person fakes authenticity or sincerity, they misrepresent their true motives and create a trust gap.  Faked authenticity and sincerity sabotage shared vision as they kill trust. They create an organization where trust is replaced by \"politics;\" (office politics, or little-league team politics, or homeowner\'s association politics, or church politics, or \"you-name-it\" politics). Wikipedia defines \"politics\" as a process by which groups of people make decisions.  The word originated from the Greek word <strong><em>polis</em></strong> which means city-state. The original idea rises from the ideas of republic and democracy, but over time the term has taken on negative connotations.  Many times office politics implies individuals trying to manipulate outcomes to favor a few rather than the whole. Office politics rise when objectives are not shared or clearly understood.  Lack of clarity on shared mission causes everyone to pursue their own definition of \"right.\" End-justifying activities such as posturing and manipulation become best-practices of the organization.\n\nUnsuspecting co-workers drop their guard and award trust when it would otherwise be unjustified. Power initially transfers until true motives are discovered.  When trust is compromised and people withdraw, the dark side of office politics fill the trust void.\n<h3>Restore Sincerity</h3>\nWhat do you do when you recognize your group\'s culture is one of distrust and politics?\n<ol>\n	<li>Commit to authenticity and transparency. Take the leadership role by developing sincere, team-focused motives and being transparent. (Someone has to go first!)</li>\n	<li>Renew a shared vision - work to make sure everyone on your team is working for the same goal. If you\'re not sure about a team member\'s motives, maybe you need to help them find another team.</li>\n	<li>Align motivations - Every sustainable relationship must be win-win. Align individual motives with the shared vision.</li>\n	<li>Tear down walls - transparency is the only way to initially prove true authenticity and sincerity.  When people begin protecting themselves and masking true motives, credibility evaporates. Work to keep people open and honest.</li>\n	<li>Encourage patience and grace - authenticity is proven over time.</li>\n	<li>Celebrate progress - Repeatable success over time builds confidence.</li>\n</ol>\nWhat other steps can you recommend to readers who long for true sincerity (positive office politics) or a politics-free workplace? Speak up and stamp out negative office politics, one organization at a time.', 'Sincerity and Office Politics', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'sincerity-office-politics', '', '', '2010-01-26 07:04:24', '2010-01-26 12:04:24', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1535', 0, 'post', '', 56),
(1562, 243, '2010-01-28 15:22:32', '2010-01-28 20:22:32', 'My gratitude goes out to <a title=\"Joan Koerber-Walker on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/JKWLeadership\" target=\"_blank\">Joan Koerber-Walker</a> and her <a title=\"Core Purpose Blog\" href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com\" target=\"_blank\">Core Purpose</a> blog.  Joan is very involved in leadership development, small business and Arizona small business.  She manages several on-line profiles and works tirelessly to make a difference through her business and professional services.  Joan took the time to <a title=\"Interview with Mike Henry Sr.\" href=\"http://jkw.typepad.com/corepurpose_joan_koerberw/2010/01/not-just-accepting-change-leading-it-an-interview-with-mike-henry-sr.html\" target=\"_blank\">publish an interview of me</a> that even includes some behind-the-scenes activity getting quotes from both of my adult children, <a title=\"Jessica Henry on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/@jdhenry09\" target=\"_blank\">Jessica</a> and Michael.  Joan, thank you for all you do as a member of the group and a friend!', 'Core Purpose Interview', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'core-purpose-interview', '', '', '2010-01-28 15:22:32', '2010-01-28 20:22:32', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1562', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(1571, 243, '2010-01-29 07:22:45', '2010-01-29 12:22:45', 'The way I see it there are only two sources of leadership.  Will you lead because you are in a <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>position</strong></em></span> of leadership or because you are a <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><strong>person</strong></em></span> of leadership?\n<blockquote><em>\"Leadership is influence.\"</em> John Maxwell</blockquote>\n<h3>Position</h3>\nSome people think of a leader as the person \"in charge.\"  If the person <em>in charge</em> was better leader or if we had better people <em>in charge, </em>we wouldn\'t be in the situation we\'re in.  Our world wouldn\'t have the economic, moral, spiritual, physical or (fill in the blank) problems it has today. <em>\"If I were the person in charge, I\'d do such and such.\"</em> The concept of a leader being the person in charge creates a subtle challenge: the labor for the solution and the power are separated.  A chasm forms between the solution (people) and the power.  I\'m sure you know people who blame <em>people in charge</em> for many things but never do anything.  They feel or act powerless to do anything.  Like Eddie, Clark\'s brother-in-law on Christmas Vacation, they\'re holding out for a management position.\n<h3>Person</h3>\nA <strong><em>person</em></strong> of leadership finds, even creates opportunities to lead.  Their influence rises out of their character, or who they are as a person.  The source of their leadership is who they are rather than where they are.\n\nYou see, our character is who we are.  According to <a title=\"Wikipedia - Moral Character\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_character\" target=\"_self\">Wikipedia</a>, \"The word \"character\" is derived from the Greek word <em>charaktêr</em>, which was originally used of a mark impressed upon a coin.\"  It\'s your mark.\n<blockquote><em>\"Our character is what we do when no one is looking.</em>\" H. Jackson Brown Jr.</blockquote>\n<h3>Character-based Leadership</h3>\n<em>Character-based leadership</em> begins with who you are, not what role you play.  We have too many role players.  We need more people bringing \"who they are\" to the leadership game.  When I talk about character-based leadership, I begin there.  You can be a character-based leader when you pick up trash in the parking lot or donate to Haiti.\n<blockquote>Lead Change Group: Applying character-based leadership to make a positive difference</blockquote>\nOur world needs leadership, regardless of the age or the issue.  That doesn\'t mean we need more people in charge. It means we need more dependable people. It doesn\'t mean we need more people taking credit. We need more people taking responsibility. It doesn\'t mean we need more people giving orders.  We need more people doing the very things that need to be done.\n\nIn fact, we\'re so committed to the idea that something must be done, we\'re doing it.  We\'re meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida this February 19 and 20 for <a title=\"LeaderPalooza\" href=\"http://leaderpalooza.com\" target=\"_self\">LeaderPalooza</a>.  We have decided to add action to our talk. Don\'t just complain about the state of leadership today. <a title=\"LeaderPalooza\" href=\"http://leaderpalooza.com\" target=\"_self\">Join us!</a>\n\nThink about the difference between position-based leadership and character-based leadership.   Which is more hopeful, inspiring, motivating?  Which are you?\n\nNext post, what are the promises of character-based leadership?\n\n&nbsp;', 'Sources of Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'sources-leadership', '', '', '2010-01-29 07:22:45', '2010-01-29 12:22:45', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1571', 0, 'post', '', 60),
(1601, 243, '2010-01-31 15:14:48', '2010-01-31 20:14:48', 'Nicole DeFalco of <a title=\"Write Influence\" href=\"http://www.writeinfluence.com/\" target=\"_self\">Write Influence</a> and her blog, <a title=\"Saying What You Mean blog \" href=\"http://nicoledefalco.wordpress.com\" target=\"_self\">Saying What You Mean</a> published a <a title=\"How Social Media Helps Birds of a Feather Flock Together\" href=\"http://nicoledefalco.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/how-social-media-helps-birds-of-a-feather-flock-together/\" target=\"_self\">wonderful post</a> about the Lead Change Group last week. If you haven\'t seen it, <a title=\"How Social Media Helps Birds of a Feather Flock Together\" href=\"http://nicoledefalco.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/how-social-media-helps-birds-of-a-feather-flock-together/\" target=\"_self\">please click over right now</a> and read it.  Nicole is a writing coach and you can tell it from the well-written article. She\'s also a member of the group, making a difference by doing what she could to help.  She can\'t attend LeaderPalooza this year so she thought she would help us with the effort.  (If you might want to attend, <a title=\"LeaderPalooza 2010 Registration\" href=\"http://leaderpalooza.com\" target=\"_blank\">click here!</a>)\n\nThe article makes the case that social media is one of the \"new\" things that can be <!--more-->utilized to solve old problems. The post is about how leaders respond to changes in the world around them and how we have a responsibility to steward:\n<blockquote>Leaders have a responsibility to understand what this newer frontier is about and how it can be leveraged to  better serve customers, contribute to the community, benefit the world at large, and advance the organization’s interest.</blockquote>\nShe goes further to use our group as a case in point.\n<blockquote>The Lead Change Group is just one example of how Social Media can be leveraged to achieve a targeted objective.</blockquote>\nThank you Nicole, for the wonderful post.  I hope we all take your lead and do what we can to influence others by taking responsibility for our leadership in the social media world and by the beauty and energy of our character. Let\'s make the world a better place, on leader at a time!', 'Birds of a Feather', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'birds-feather', '', '', '2010-01-31 15:14:48', '2010-01-31 20:14:48', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1601', 0, 'post', '', 4);
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(1658, 243, '2010-02-03 11:26:22', '2010-02-03 16:26:22', '<em>This is part of a series of posts organized and arranged by <a title=\"Jane Perdue on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\" target=\"_blank\">Jane Perdue</a>. You can find the introduction <a title=\"Politics are Necessary, but not Necessarily Evil\" href=\"http://getyourbigon.com/leadbigblog/playing-office-politics/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> and the post on <a title=\"Networking Inside the Company Walls\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com/networking-inside-the-company-walls/\" target=\"_blank\">networking</a> by <a title=\"Jennifer Miller on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/jennifervmiller\" target=\"_blank\">Jennifer V. Miller</a> at her blog <a title=\"The People Equation\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com\" target=\"_blank\">The People Equation</a>. I also posted on <a title=\"Sincerity and Office Politics at Lead Change Group Blog\" href=\"/sincerity-office-politics\" target=\"_self\">Sincerity and Office Politics</a>.  This week, we\'ll discuss <a title=\"Susan Mazza on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\">Susan Mazza</a>\'s great post on the political side of agendas at <a title=\"Susan Mazza\'s blog Random Acts of Leadership\" href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com\" target=\"_blank\">Random Acts of Leadership</a>. </em>\n\nDo you consider your motivations objectively?  What about those of others?  Are you able to accurately discern what motivates people in your organization to do what they do?  Could they have... <em>an Agenda?</em>\n\nSusan\'s post, titled <em>What\'s Your Agenda?</em> asks the question in light of generally accepted thought around the balance between leadership and office politics.  Agenda\'s are a good thing if we have to have meetings, agendas keep us on task and schedule.  And we all have motivations for what we do.  But when we have private, or <em>personal</em> agendas, we increase the Office Politics Quotient (#OPQ on Twitter).  Susan makes some interesting distinctions and contrasts between positive and negative agendas.\n\nCheck out Susan\'s post and leave her a comment.  Let\'s stamp out office politics in our lifetime! The first step is to expose it and keep the awareness up.', 'Random Acts of Motivation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'random-acts-motivation', '', '', '2010-02-03 11:26:22', '2010-02-03 16:26:22', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1658', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(1672, 243, '2010-02-11 09:57:20', '2010-02-11 14:57:20', 'Finally.  Everyone else did their year-end recap around the end of the year.  As you have learned by now, I\'m not everyone else.  But I still got the list together.  These posts are my 10 favorites or most popular posts for 2009.  If you\'re newer to the blog, I hope you get a chance to review some of the older posts.\n\nJanuary 10 - <a title=\"Capitalism and Meaning\" href=\"/capitalism-and-meaning\" target=\"_self\">Capitalism and Meaning</a> – One of my first posts but a consistent passion of mine. Can a business serve its employees before shareholders and customers?  Will that work?\n\nJune 8 - <a title=\"Who Do You Love?\" href=\"/love/\" target=\"_self\">Who Do You Love?</a> - One theme I hope to revisit in the future is how businesses need to value the right things to succeed in the long run.<!--more-->\n\nJune 29 - <a title=\"Look What They Make You Give\" href=\"/look-what-they-make-you-give/\" target=\"_self\">Look What They Make You Give</a> – This post asked the question of employers, “what do you make your employees do to be a contributor?”  Matthew Kelly’s Dream Manager was the context.\n\nJuly 16 - <a title=\"Can You Base Your Career on a Little White Lie?\" href=\"/career-little-white-lie/\" target=\"_self\">Can You Base Your Career on a Little White Lie</a>? This was a reaction to a Huffington Post article that got the most page views and tied for the most comments of any post in 2009.  What do you think about the need to tell the truth?\n\nAugust 18 - <a title=\"The Call of a Manger\" href=\"/call-manager/\" target=\"_self\">The Call of a Manager</a> – What’s the best thing you can do for your organization as a manager?\n\nOctober 2 - <a title=\"Unique Difference\" href=\"/unique-difference/\" target=\"_self\">U</a><a title=\"Unique Difference\" href=\"/unique-difference/\" target=\"_self\">nique Difference</a> – Appreciate your special contribution. This was tied for the most commented article of 2009 with Little White Lie.\n\nOctober 8 - <a title=\"Open Source Leadership\" href=\"/open-source-leadership\" target=\"_self\">Op</a><a title=\"Open Source Leadership\" href=\"/open-source-leadership\" target=\"_self\">en Source Leadership</a> – We took Gary Hamel’s ideas about an open-source management model and combined them with the ideas behind the Lead Change Group.\n\nOctober 27 &amp; 29 - <a title=\"War With Apathy\" href=\"/war-apathy/\" target=\"_self\">War With Apathy</a> and <a title=\"War on Apathy Continues\" href=\"/war-apathy-continues/\" target=\"_self\">War on Apathy Continues</a> – A friend challenged me to make that a label for myself.  Very popular across both posts.\n\nNovember 17 - <a title=\"6 Facets of the Servant Leadership Diamond\" href=\"/6-facets-servant-leadership-diamond/\" target=\"_self\">Six Facets of the Servant Leadership Diamond</a> – my first pass at defining Servant Leadership and the first post of a brief series.', 'Favorite Posts of 2009', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'favorite-posts-2009', '', '', '2010-02-11 09:57:20', '2010-02-11 14:57:20', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1672', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(1683, 243, '2010-02-07 23:09:06', '2010-02-08 04:09:06', '<em>We\'ve had a couple of posts about character based leadership as a starter for discussions that will take place at <a title=\"LeaderPalooza \" href=\"http://leaderpalooza.com\" target=\"_self\">LeaderPalooza</a> Feb 19-20, 2010 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  You can find the other posts on character-based leadership under the titles <a title=\"Sources of Leadership\" href=\"/sources-leadership/\" target=\"_self\">Sources of Leadership</a> and <a title=\"Three Promises of Character-based Leadership\" href=\"/three-promises-character-based-leadership/\" target=\"_self\">Three Promises of Character-based Leadership</a>.  Also, you can click the LeaderPalooza logo or this link to find out more about the un-conference.</em>\n\nPromise implies hope.  Our <a title=\"Three Promises of Character-based Leadership\" href=\"/three-promises-character-based-leadership/\" target=\"_self\">last post</a> assumed that your organization had the hope of at least three outcomes as you apply leadership inspired from who you are and not what title or role you play.\n\nCharacter isn\'t the only factor that affects an organization\'s ability to realize the promises. Character must be joined by <em>Competence</em>. <!--more--> There is no substitute for achieved goals or exceeded expectations.  If you\'re a developing leader (aren\'t we all) you must remember in every conversation about leadership, positive results are a prerequisite for everything you read.\n\nToday, leaders don\'t have followers any more than politicians or barbers do.  (In fact, the hairdressers may do better than the politicians!) Leaders have contributors.  The New Orleans Saints just won the Super Bowl.  The leaders on that team don\'t have followers, they have teammates; fellow contributors.  Their fans are consumers and there are many suppliers but the best leaders and great organizations make their customers, suppliers, and communities feel like contributors too.  Contributors volunteer to cooperate.  They\'re free agents.  They volunteer to contribute even if they directly report to you and you do their annual performance review and sign their paycheck.  Even your children choose their level of buy-in.\n\nContributors vary their energy and enthusiasm depending on their belief that your leadership will create \"wins\" for them.  People can be energized to contribute based on your charisma, your power (or positional authority) and your character (who you are on the inside).  All of these factors are valueless unless your contributors achieve some success.  In fact, every team or organization is only sustainable to the degree it can keep every contributor feeling some level of success.  If your managers and stockholders don\'t realize results, they\'ll remove your positional authority.  If the contributors don\'t have a win, they will reduce their contribution and their energy.  Vendors withold support, customers take their business elsewhere.  In the absence of success a charismatic leader becomes ineffective; a positional leader begins to look like Dilbert\'s boss, and even a person of great character loses their ability to inspire the effort necessary to win.\n\nSustainability in leadership demands results.  Stakeholders, shareholders, contributors and customers measure their contribution against their return and their expectations and continually adjust their contribution based on that evaluation.  If they don\'t win, eventually you won\'t influence.\n\nCan you see some parallels to today?  What leaders do you see teetering on the brink of diminished influence for failing to deliver?', 'Deliver the Promise', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'deliver-promise', '', '', '2010-02-07 23:09:06', '2010-02-08 04:09:06', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1683', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(1709, 243, '2010-02-10 07:22:41', '2010-02-10 12:22:41', '<em>This is part of a series of posts organized and arranged by <a title=\"Jane Perdue on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\" target=\"_blank\">Jane Perdue</a>. You can find the introduction <a title=\"Politics are Necessary, but not Necessarily Evil\" href=\"http://getyourbigon.com/leadbigblog/playing-office-politics/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> and the post on <a title=\"Networking Inside the Company Walls\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com/networking-inside-the-company-walls/\" target=\"_blank\">networking</a> by <a title=\"Jennifer Miller on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/jennifervmiller\" target=\"_blank\">Jennifer V. Miller</a> at her blog <a title=\"The People Equation\" href=\"http://jennifervmiller.com\" target=\"_blank\">The People Equation</a>. I also posted on <a title=\"Sincerity and Office Politics at Lead Change Group Blog\" href=\"/sincerity-office-politics\" target=\"_self\">Sincerity and Office Politics</a> and <a title=\"Susan Mazza on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\">Susan Mazza</a> followed with a great post on the political side of agendas at <a title=\"Susan Mazza\'s blog Random Acts of Leadership\" href=\"http://randomactsofleadership.com\" target=\"_blank\">Random Acts of Leadership</a>.  This is the final post in the series, titled <a title=\"Influence and Intentions on Life Love Leadership by Jane Perdue\" href=\"http://getyourbigon.com/leadbigblog/influence-and-intentions/\" target=\"_blank\">Influence and Intentions</a> on the positive side of influence.</em>\n\nIs there such a thing as positive office politics?  Jane Perdue has hosted a series of articles on the four behaviors that politically astute leaders master.  Jane asked each of us to post on one of the behaviors.  Her post <a title=\"Influence and Intentions on Life Love Leadership by Jane Perdue\" href=\"http://getyourbigon.com/leadbigblog/influence-and-intentions/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a> presents the common thread.  When your motives are noble, your behaviors are received as \"positive politics.\"  When your motives are selfish, your social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability and sincerity all come into question.\n\nWhen people perceive that your motivations include them, they give you the benefit of the doubt in many behaviors. Eventually your skills need to produce results in line with your true motives.  Jane\'s post points out 7 ways to improve your \"win-win\" influence skills. They\'re great tips.  Zoom over to her blog to <a title=\"Influence and Intentions on Life Love Leadership by Jane Perdue\" href=\"http://getyourbigon.com/leadbigblog/influence-and-intentions/\" target=\"_self\">read the whole post</a>.  You\'ll be glad you did.', 'Positive Office Politics', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'positive-office-politics', '', '', '2010-02-10 07:22:41', '2010-02-10 12:22:41', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1709', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(1774, 243, '2010-03-01 17:11:56', '2010-03-01 22:11:56', '<em>We have talked about vision in previous posts such as <a title=\"Can You Taste It\" href=\"/can-you-taste-it/\">Can You Taste It?</a><a title=\"Energize, Mobilize &amp; Guide\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/energize-mobilize-guide/\">  Energize, Mobilize &amp; Guide</a>, <a title=\"Shared Vision\" href=\"/shared-vision/\">Shared Vision</a>, <a title=\"Align Your Vision\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/align-vision-purpose\">Align Your Vision</a> and <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/own-your-vision\">Own Your Vision</a>.  As a follow up to the whole series, let\'s do a short check to see how you\'re doing at deciding what\'s most important.</em>\n\nAs the leader of your team, you make choices every few minutes.  Even as a contributor, more and more these days, you have some control over how you spend your time. You decide to attend meetings, write software or return customer calls or talk with a team member about some deliverable.  You make literally hundreds of choices per hour.\n<h3>What is Urgent?</h3>\nSome of the things you choose are <em>important</em> and some are <em>urgent</em>.  You know the urgent choices -- the ones that must be done right now.  Important tasks take longer to identify and complete.  Often the most important tasks are the most strategic; requiring time and coordination to implement.  Urgent problems <em>demand </em>attention. In fact, we can define urgency as the tension between <em>what is</em> and <em>what needs to be. </em>Urgency is inversely proportionate to the slack (excess time and resources) we have to implement <em>what needs to be.</em> High slack, no urgency; Low slack, high urgency.\n\nImportant tasks wait patiently.  Important tasks are high-value, <em>what needs to be</em> initiatives. Generally, since they\'re high value, we commit the necessary time and resources, establishing slack.  Discipline is required to maintain the slack; or fence-off the best parts of your day to devote to the most important issues.  It\'s very tempting to commit the slack of important projects to the squeakier, urgent ones.  (I\'m not saying I do this very well...)\n\nOnce you have identified the truly high-value <em>important</em> issues, make sure your team\'s best effort, their prime time, is committed to the most important objectives.\n<blockquote>\"If you do what you\'ve always done, you\'ll get what you\'ve always gotten.\" Anthony Robbins</blockquote>\nYou may have to get urgent about this.  I realize that might sound confusing, but there is a \"good\" urgency.  If your home is on fire, you can\'t stop and evaluate how changes in the trade deficit will affect your 401k.  Effective people and teams deliver their best energy to their top priorities.  As you\'re diligent about applying your best energy to your best goals, you will align with your best vision.  Your team will appreciate your consistency.  In fact, they should flourish in it.  They will adopt the vision and push it forward for you.  Make your top priorities your most important and urgent initiatives. Apply your best energy in their direction for your greatest impact.\n\nCan you look past the lack of slack (high urgency) and find the high value projects?  Are you clear on the most important initiatives your team must address?  If you\'re not clear, who is?  If you fail to hold the line, eventually important initiatives will produce more urgent tasks.  Can you identify the important initiatives that will soon become urgent?\n<h3>Questions for reflection:</h3>\n<ol>\n	<li>Are urgent things keeping us from working on the truly important ones?</li>\n	<li>What urgent things can we delegate and get off our plate?</li>\n	<li>How can we spend more energy on our key strategic initiatives and less on \"drama?\"</li>\n</ol>', 'Urgent or Important', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'urgent-important', '', '', '2010-03-01 17:11:56', '2010-03-01 22:11:56', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1774', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(1785, 243, '2010-02-16 17:32:34', '2010-02-16 22:32:34', 'With short notice we held the February Tweet Chat yesterday.  The topic of conversation: \"How can we help each other build character-based leadership in our communities?\"  Because of the short notice and the holiday, participation was down but ideas shared were meaningful and worthwhile.  Like <a title=\"JohnDWatt on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/johndwatt\" target=\"_blank\">John Watt</a> said late in the hour, this was the \"fastest moving hour\" of the day.\n\nSo what were the ideas?  <a title=\"Phil Gerbyshak on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/philgerb\" target=\"_blank\">Phil Gerbyshak</a> had a great idea early that got everyone re-tweeting. We need to model character-based leadership personally.  <!--more--><a title=\"Tara Gotwalt on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/taragotwalt\" target=\"_blank\">Tara Gotwalt</a> talked about Leadership Bartlesville (Oklahoma) and some of the things they do to advance character.  They (like my own <a title=\"City of Owasso\" href=\"http://www.cityofowasso.com\" target=\"_blank\">town of Owasso, OK</a>) utilize material by <a title=\"Character First website\" href=\"http://characterfirst.com\" target=\"_blank\">Character First</a>.  For me the conversation had a lot of good ideas, but few were personally actionable.  Then <a title=\"Monica Diaz on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/monedays\" target=\"_blank\">Monica Diaz</a> and suggested that we find \"a local paper or radio show that is also a biz of character.\"  The idea was to get them to run interviews or panels to talk about character-based leadership.\n\nThen an idea hit me: why not find a local business that I can do a post (or even a series on) related to their character-based leadership (CBL) and how they apply CBL or use it in their business.  What makes them different as a result?  What problems do they avoid?  What challenges do they encounter?  Several people (and I have your names) retweeted that idea, so I\'ll be looking for your posts!\n\nThere were many other great ideas in the chat as well, but we definitely need to chose a different time an place as the number of people participating was about half last time.  Stay tuned for changes in March.  Meanwhile, you can <a title=\"Tweet Chat summary on Box.net\" href=\"http://www.box.net/shared/jxh61ngv4l\" target=\"_self\">download the transcript here</a>.\n\nBut don\'t let the fact that you missed the chat stop you.  What can you do?  How can this group help you take action to encourage character-based leadership in your community?  What will it take?', 'February Tweet Chat', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'february-tweet-chat', '', '', '2010-02-16 17:32:34', '2010-02-16 22:32:34', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1785', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(1786, 243, '2010-02-17 17:00:55', '2010-02-17 22:00:55', 'We have talked about vision in previous posts such as Can You Taste It?,  Energize, Mobilize &amp; Guide, and Shared Vision.  Now we need to check to make sure your vision is aligned.\n\nDo you know the purpose of your team?  Can you articulate the strategic reason your team exists?  Does your team\'s vision align with your organization\'s vision?\n\nSay you\'re in a technical support role.  There is a strategic benefit your company receives from paying your salary and giving you a place to work.  You may never talk to customers or make a sale, but you contribute a key function to the overall mission of your organization.  <!--more-->Regardless of your functional area, as a manager - make that <strong><em>leader</em></strong> - you need to know your team\'s strategic purpose and actively share that purpose, inspiring people toward that purpose in a way that energizes your teammates to join in the cause.  Your organization has a \"greatest purpose\" for your team.\n<h3>Strategic Purpose</h3>\nSo, do you know the most strategic purpose for your team?  Are you clear on that purpose?  If not, step back from the moment-to-moment drama of your job and list all the tasks performed by your team.  What value does your team deliver to your organization?\n\nOnce you\'ve made your list, force rank those functions or results:\n<ul>\n	<li>What is the greatest value your team brings to the game?</li>\n	<li>Can you drill to the top item?</li>\n	<li>If you owned the company, would you pay the cost of your group for the benefit you receive?</li>\n	<li>Would you be your team\'s customer?</li>\n	<li>Would you be a satisfied customer?</li>\n</ul>\nNow, which of those are the greatest?\n<h3>How do you measure up?</h3>\nIf you went to the range, how would you score?  Are you known for helping your team focus on the part of the target that produces the best chance for victory?  Or do you concentrate on all of the not-so-important details that support the center?  Are all of those reports and additional services necessary?  Must every team member be at <em>every</em> meeting?  What can you do to help your team align their actions with the pinnacle of their purpose?  The answer to that question may be the difference between success and everything else.\n<div></div>', 'Align your Vision and Purpose', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'align-vision-purpose', '', '', '2010-02-17 17:00:55', '2010-02-17 22:00:55', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1235', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(1801, 243, '2010-02-25 17:44:20', '2010-02-25 22:44:20', 'Social media entered another dimension this past weekend. At least for me.  It took on a third dimension, and a fourth!\n\nI met 13 members of the Lead Change Group face to face this past weekend at LeaderPalooza.  The third dimension was the people. What a great group of new comrades-in-arms.  The fourth dimension is the tangible creative energy that the group ignited in my spirit.\n\nI took away 4 ideas from LeaderPalooza:<!--more-->\n<div id=\"_mcePaste\">\n<ol>\n	<li>I\'m not alone. People share the same passion I have for leadership that inspires commitment rather than commanding compliance. The War on Apathy has new resources!</li>\n	<li>People voluntarily contribute (much!) more than you\'d ever command. These 13 people energized and inspired me. I\'m honored by their contribution; no rather their ownership.</li>\n	<li>Inspiration is contagious!  WOO HOO! People are drawn to relationships where they\'re valued and their contribution matters. We need to remember this when we\'re interacting with everyone, our kids, our vendors, people who disagree with us or disappoint us, and everyone else.  Find people who are open to new relationships and invest in them. Consider others more important than yourself.  You\'ll be amazed at what results.</li>\n	<li>We can make a difference! We\'re doing it already.  <a title=\"Erin Schreyer on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/erinschreyer\" target=\"_blank\">Erin </a>posted an article titled \"<a title=\"Leadership Conference? Not Hardly! by Erin Schreyer at Sagestone Partners Blog\" href=\"http://sagestone.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/leadership-conference-not-hardly-this-was-absolutely-a-palooza/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership Conference? Not Hardly! This Was Absolutely a Palooza</a> \" and <a title=\"Monica Diaz on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/monedays\" target=\"_blank\">Monica</a> wrote a post \"<a title=\"Otheresteem for Leaders\" href=\"http://www.otheresteem.org/blog/?p=207\" target=\"_blank\">Otheresteem for Leaders</a>\" energizing and encouraging us to step up and keep things going.  I know <a title=\"Jane Perdue on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\" target=\"_blank\">Jane</a>, <a title=\"Sonia Di Maulo on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/ReadyToFeedBack\" target=\"_blank\">Sonia</a> and <a title=\"Susan Mazza on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/SusanMazza\" target=\"_blank\">Susan</a>* are working on them as well.  <a title=\"Steve Keating on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/LeadToday\" target=\"_blank\">Steve</a> put the red filing cabinets out for everyone to see at work. (You had to be there.)  <a title=\"Mark Oakes on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/MarkOOakes\" target=\"_blank\">Mark</a> took action to infuse his values into his relationships.  <a title=\"Chris Zaucha on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/czaucha\" target=\"_blank\">Chris</a> is making a stand in a challenging industry and helping with group organization.  <a title=\"Deb Costello on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/costelloland\" target=\"_blank\">Deb</a> put together a list of leadership resources for her students. <a title=\"Don Shapiro on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/DonShapiro1\" target=\"_blank\">Don</a> made a change in a call with a client.  <a title=\"David Wachs on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/DavidWachs\" target=\"_blank\">David</a> is connecting people and making a difference. <a title=\"Jim Holland on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/Jim_Holland\" target=\"_blank\">Jim</a> is helping various members of the group. <a title=\"Fanny Korman on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/innerwonder\" target=\"_blank\">Fanny</a> is taking the message of character-based leadership overseas. Everyone is doing something.</li>\n</ol>\n</div>\nWe each committed to make progress every day. We all committed that the idea wouldn\'t die.  That\'s quite a commitment. But we don\'t want you to read this post in 6 months and wonder what happened.  We intend to <em>instigate</em> a movement and we commit to publicize the impact of this conference every day through the way we live.  When one of us slows down, there are 14 more that can pick us up.\n<blockquote>\n<div>\"Consider others more important than than yourselves.\" (Philippians 2:3)</div></blockquote>\nThe first rule of character-based leadership - it must be delivered in the flesh.  You can no more lecture character-based leadership into someone than you can lecture ice skating, a golf swing or a 3-point jump shot.  We must improve our own character every day and lead from the depth of who we are, rather than what our title is.  Depth of character, compassion for others, and commitment to excellence inspire others to believe in shared goals and give their best.\n<blockquote>\n<div>\"Do or do not. There is no try.\" Yoda</div></blockquote>\nIf you couldn\'t come, don\'t second-guess or beat yourself up.  You did what you had to do. Get ready and take the next shot.  Forget what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead.  In the world of social media, and character-based leadership, the frontier is immense. When you get your next shot, take it. Invest in a life.\n\nFor those of us who were there, let\'s remember what happened and use that to launch a new future.  Character-based leadership must begin with us.  Our next meeting will be another new experience.  Let\'s not wait a year.\n\nAnd for everyone, be watching for an announcement about Lead Change Roundtables. These will be like a CEO RoundTable or advisory board, but for the purpose of deepening our character and making a positive difference. If you\'d like more information, head over to the Contact form and drop us a line.\n\n* Note: Other Posts:\n<ol>\n	<li>Jane Perdue: Let Us Be Water at her Life, Love Leadership Blog</li>\n	<li>Deb Costello: Eloquent Words published by Jane Perdue at Life, Love Leadership Blog</li>\n	<li>Susan Mazza Real Leadership at her Random Acts of Leadership Blog</li>\n</ol>\n&nbsp;', 'Community&#039;s Forth Dimension', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'communitys-forth-dimension', '', '', '2010-02-25 17:44:20', '2010-02-25 22:44:20', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1801', 0, 'post', '', 32),
(1872, 243, '2010-03-07 18:46:38', '2010-03-07 23:46:38', 'Character-based leadership creates energy. Character-based leaders lead out of who they are rather than their position. They don\'t manipulate; they inspire.  Their character, personality, gifts, values, beliefs and behaviors communicate to the whole team and other stakeholders that they are part of the team.  They share the goals and objectives of the team and serve the team in pursuit of that goal.\n\nThe team rewards those leaders with energy.  <!--more-->They know that their leader is making as great or greater contribution to the cause. That knowledge inspires them to take responsibility, make sacrifices, and submit to the authority in order to take part in achieving a goal that is bigger than anything they could do on their own.  Their contribution in turn energizes the leader.  A cycle begins. The result can be many times greater than the sum of the parts.\n\nIt all begins with a person of character investing themselves in service to the team and the effort.\n\nThis week, what can you do to start or restart the cycle?  Will you be an investor or a consumer?  Will you inspire others by the energy you invest?  Be the best person you can be and invest yourself in a shared goal. You will energize and mobilize others giving them the best chance to achieve extraordinary, even multiplied results.', 'Leadership Energy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-energy', '', '', '2010-03-07 18:46:38', '2010-03-07 23:46:38', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1872', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(1880, 243, '2010-03-11 07:16:50', '2010-03-11 12:16:50', '\"If people are going to do their best, they must be internally motivated\" - Kouzes &amp; Posner Leadership Challenge 4th Edition\n\nReal success in energizing an organization or a community or a tribe comes from a shared vision and spontaneous motivation. By \"spontaneous\" I mean \"controlled and directed internally,\" and \"produced without being planted or without human labor,\" (both from <a title=\"Merriam Webster definition of spontaneous\" href=\"http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spontaneous\" target=\"_self\">Merriam Webster Online Dictionary</a>).<!--more-->\n<h3>Proactive Leadership</h3>\nCharacter-based leaders model this self-originating proactive motivation in pursuit of a shared vision. Others who share the vision receive the leader\'s actions as service to the cause and tend to respond by becoming more self-motivated, inspired or proactive themselves.\n\nThis self-acting spontaneous motivation energy cycle creates great success in organizations of producers.  A producer is someone who understands that they are measured by their contribution, not their consumption.  If you\'re not a contributor, you\'re a consumer. Consumers (or victims) see themselves as the center of the story.  Proactive leaders serve them to no effect. In fact, proactive leaders can sabotage their own efforts by trying to satiate consumers.  Consumers want to maximize consumption over production. When we\'re in the consumer mindset, we don\'t care who loses, as long as we win.  We\'re sorry the other person lost.  It\'s a shame they couldn\'t win too, but there\'s no way we could let them win at our expense.\n\nEvery time we take advantage of a vendor, flex our muscles on pricing, demand to win at the expense of another, we add a brick to our consumer wall.  We sign up for another lap on the victim bus.  We made someone else the victim or we were made the victim.  We believe every transaction has to have a loser and we\'re glad it\'s not us this time.\n<h3>Encourage Producers</h3>\nWe can\'t get trapped in this mindset.  We need to be proactive leaders, judging our own effort by our output, our contribution, our actual results rather than our intentions or our consumption.  Then we must radically resist the consumers.  How?  Force them to earn their keep.  Many will leave when they realize that they must produce more than they consume.  They look for places where they can get more grease and they\'ll do what they need to in order to attain to that status.  We need to help them learn early and often that, like Coach Vince Lombardi said, \"If you aren\'t fired with enthusiasm, you\'ll be fired with enthusiasm.\" Or as the Netflix documentation states, \"Adequate performance gets a generous severance package\n\nSo, what can you do to begin to stamp out consumerism and become a champion for the producers and key contributors in your organization?', 'Spontaneous Motivation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'spontaneous-motivation', '', '', '2010-03-11 07:16:50', '2010-03-11 12:16:50', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1880', 0, 'post', '', 24),
(1913, 243, '2010-03-25 17:25:13', '2010-03-25 22:25:13', 'After a considerable search on the Internet, I could find the following quote attributed to several people. It seems Bill Cosby may have said it as the character Dr. Huxtable on the Bill Cosby show. It seems very much \"in character.\" The quote: \"Show me your friends and I\'ll show you your future.\"<!--more-->\n\nWe are affected by the people around us. To some degree, everyone exerts some influence on us.  Just look at how we let dress styles change. Also note how some areas of the world are more fit than others.  But great influence is reserved for our closest relationships.  Many people around us can create a little effect, but our friends, those we choose to associate with, have a tremendous impact on us.\n\nA friend of mine, <a title=\"Scott Pearson on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/bspearson\" target=\"_blank\">Scott Pearson,</a> wrote a perceptive post titled <a title=\"Do Your Metrics Matter\" href=\"http://byronscott.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/do-your-metrics-matter/\" target=\"_blank\">Do Your Metrics Matter</a> about how we measure ourselves.  His example was about cycling with a friend and how, when the two of them rode together, Scott exerted more effort.  The partner\'s presence alone challenged Scott to work harder and go faster than he would otherwise.  He went on to discuss metrics, and the post is good in that regard.  Please check it out and the other great content on his <a title=\"Ideation Blog by Scott Pearson\" href=\"http://byronscott.wordpress.com/\" target=\"_blank\">blog Ideation</a>.  But it made me think...\n\nHow do your friends affect your performance as a leader?  Do your friends subtly pull you down or up?  Do they challenge you to give more or less?  Do they encourage you to grow or slow?  The people you associate with may be a more accurate determination of your future than any other factor.  So who do you chose to associate with?\n\nIt\'s almost been a year since we created the Lead Change Group. The organization has so many excellent, passionate, committed character-based leaders, it\'s difficult to avoid growing.  But we still need to be purposeful in challenging ourselves and helping others grow as leaders.  We must attempt new challenges and invest in new relationships to continue to grow as character-based leaders.\n<blockquote>\"Your friends are your future.\"</blockquote>\nThat\'s why we\'ve introduced the Lead Change Roundtables.  In a roundtable group, you will be partnered with 5-7 other quality Lead Change members, successful leaders, committed to continued growth  and development as a leader.  For instance in a group of leadership coaches, we will each help one another refine service offerings, promote our businesses and consider collaborative endeavors.  In a group of middle managers, we will help each other with issues relating to our teams, our peers, our leaders and our customers.  Each month we\'ll have two 2-hour video calls where members will discuss their goals, accomplishments and issues and help one another grow as a character-based leader.  Each participant will be encouraging each other to pull together and help one another overcome obstacles, take advantage of new technologies and methods, deepen relationships and drive through to tangible leadership growth and achievement. You will reach new heights and have greater impact in your sphere of influence.  Your business and your impact will grow dramatically.  Click the image or <a title=\"Contact the Lead Change Group\" href=\"/contact/\" target=\"_self\">contact us</a> to find out more.\n\nWill this be a year of growth, a plateau or a downhill coast?  What type of difference will you make in your own life and in the lives of a few others?\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photos © memo &amp; © Beholder - Fotolia.com</span>', 'Your Friends and Your Future', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'friends-future', '', '', '2010-03-25 17:25:13', '2010-03-25 22:25:13', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1913', 0, 'post', '', 28),
(1915, 243, '2010-03-28 15:00:19', '2010-03-28 20:00:19', 'Patrick Lencioni\'s latest book isn\'t what you might think from the title. It is very much true to the author though. \"<a title=\"Getting Naked at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0787976393?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0787976393\" target=\"_blank\">Getting Naked: A Business Fable about shedding the three fears that sabotage client loyalty</a>\" is a business fable about two consulting firms. The subtitle exposes some of the reasoning behind the title too (all puns intended).<!--more-->\n\nThe story surrounds a rather large successful consulting firm that is purchasing a smaller one. The contrast between the two firms provides the context to discuss the three fears. Fear tends to make us want to protect ourselves and in protecting we sabotage trust and loyalty. When we are free and open, confident, focused on the activity rather than avoiding certain outcomes, we relax and do our best. It\'s no fluke that in sports they call it choking. We often self-seek the very result we focus on. When we focus on negatives outcomes, we tend to produce them. Any fear that causes us to take our focus off the success is destructive.\n<h3>Shred the Three Fears</h3>\nThe three fears are 1) the fear of losing the business; 2) the fear of being embarassed; and 3) the fear of feeling inferior; cause organizations of all types, not just consulting firms, to choke. Lencioni makes his points well in his trademark business fable format. The characters are believable and real. You can tell Lencioni has quite a bit of experience on the topic. In fact, the story is based on his own firm, the Table Group. The characters tell the story well so the summary of the book is very short relative to the fable.\n\nOne point I highlighted late in the book applies to so much more than just business, \"there is nothing more attractive and admirable than people who willingly and cheerfully set their egos aside and make the needs of others more important than their own.\"\n<h3>Overcoming the Fears</h3>\nThe author closes the book with specific behaviors that defeat the fears. But rather than spoil it, you should check it out for yourself. I thought of some other behaviors as well. For example, focusing on the things you\'re grateful for (partial adaptation to the strategy: Give Away the Business) helps you counter the fear of losing the business too.\n\nI highly recommend this book. In fact, I have read all but one or two of Lencioni\'s books and can recommend them all. In the end the fable helps make the points of the store more memorable unless you\'re into reading from the dictionary. The stories make the points more memorable. Check out the book and let me know if you agree.\n\n<em>Some people seem to believe that it is necessary for me to tell you that I reviewed a publisher-provided copy of this book.  I hope you know I wouldn\'t review this positively simply because they gave me a $20 book!  But if that\'s something you might be tempted to do, then please disregard the review.  Mike...\n</em>', 'Getting Naked', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'naked', '', '', '2010-03-28 15:00:19', '2010-03-28 20:00:19', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1915', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(1924, 243, '2010-03-21 15:00:20', '2010-03-21 20:00:20', 'A book\'s length is not a direct indicator of it\'s value or depth.  Many a lengthy book has put me to sleep and many a short book has had wonderful insights.  <a title=\"The Leadership Test at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/057804210X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=057804210X\" target=\"_blank\">The Leadership Test by Timothy R. Clark Ph.D.</a> falls into the later category.  It\'s a very quick read but it left me with a new way to discuss some very important leadership insights.<!--more-->\n\nThe book presents its story in a fable format.  The principle character is Isadore \"Izzy\" Kroll, a high school teacher who has become an institution in his institution.  He is a wise teacher who understands leadership and how people learn.  One of his students, Marcus, called out of the blue one day.  It seems Marcus was faced with the opportunity to move up in his organization from being an individual contributor to a supervisor.  Marcus was considering his options.\n\nIzzy asked an interesting question that makes a great point about leadership. The question: \"Why do you want to lead?\"  Izzy goes on to explain to Marcus that the answer to that question is a primary determinant in the success of the leader.  Many people take their first supervisory job because it\'s a promotion, an honor, and a raise.  It means you\'ve done a good job contributing and now we\'re going to bestow some higher honor on you.  Most people would appreciate the honor.  Why not go for it?\n\nBut the problems of many positional leaders trace back to this point. Their motives are selfish and leadership is not for the selfish.  Leadership is service.\n\nThe author uses the main character to make five key ways we are tested as we \"put stewardship above self-interest.\" The test presents key ideas in a way that is easy for emerging leaders to understand.\n\n<a title=\"The Leadership Test at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/057804210X?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=057804210X\" target=\"_blank\">The Leadership Test</a> is a good introductory book for a first time leader or someone who\'s struggling in a front-line management position.  It is a good tool for mentors and executives to provide to individual contributors who are considering their career and the direction they should go as well.  If you are a front-line manager, considering becoming one or if you are responsible for front line supervisors, you should get a copy and check it out.', 'The Leadership Test - Book Review', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-test-book-review', '', '', '2010-03-21 15:00:20', '2010-03-21 20:00:20', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1924', 0, 'post', '', 20),
(1956, 243, '2010-03-29 18:38:23', '2010-03-29 23:38:23', 'Ray Fisman of Foreign Policy Magazine and <a title=\"www.foreignpolicy.com\" href=\"http://www.foreignpolicy.com\" target=\"_blank\">www.foreignpolicy.com</a> published an article on March 24, 2010 titled <em><a title=\"The Bad Kind of Corruption\" href=\"http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/03/24/the_bad_kind_of_corruption\" target=\"_blank\">The Bad Kind of Corruption</a>.</em> The article is about how the recent \"trial of four Rio Tinto employees on bribery and corruption charges in China may not bode well for the relatively orderly and benign style of corruption that allowed China\'s great leap forward into economic progress.\"\n\nThe author begins by describing how the economies have been growing in Indonesia and China, nations known for their corrupt government practices.  While I appreciate the author\'s courage bringing the issue to light, my challenge is with the method of judging right from wrong.<!--more-->\n<h3>Is Bribery Wrong?</h3>\nThere is a tip-of-the-hat to the idea that corruption may not be good, that the people in these nations might \"be richer otherwise.\" But then the author goes on to assert that known, stable corruption is good; at least better than unknown corruption.  The idea is that if businesses and individuals know what types of bribes are required to get something done in a particular region, it \"levels\" the playing field.  It goes on to assert that corruption in some ways \"is no different from a tax, albeit one that gets deposited in the bureaucrat\'s pocket rather than the state treasury.\"\n\nThe author states, \"The most troubling aspect of the recent Rio Tinto case is that it might be signaling to foreigners that they are entering a new era of uncertainty over the rules that govern their interactions with Chinese bureaucrats.\"\n\nIt seems from the article that the issue relating to the Rio Tinto trial in particular and corruption in government in general is simply a matter of economics. If it makes money, it\'s OK.  If it doesn\'t it could be bad.  Taxes are bad if they \"discourage business entry and growth\" and so are bribes.\n<h3>Economic Growth?</h3>\nAs a citizen of a free nation, I\'m ashamed for us.  Those of us who are free, living in governments with justice as a guiding principle or rule of law should be ashamed that we can so quickly forget the people who pay for the corruption.  They pay with their quality of life.  They pay with their safety and security.  It is not progress when a corrupt economy grows, it\'s corruption!  It simply becomes a more powerful corrupt economy.  Corrupt nations have learned that if they allow some money to trickle through to their people and if the business people in the other nations get their profit, they are free to practice any type of corruption they desire.\n\nWe have quickly traded our principles for profit. If it makes us money, we will find a way to rationalize it until we can judge the practice as acceptable. No matter that we make our profit at the expense of millions of voiceless people in those nations who have no choice but to labor under the very corrupt bureaucracy our riches finance.  As long as we get our profit, we\'re sorry about their problem, but we\'ve got to make our quarterly numbers.\n<h3>Basis of Judgment</h3>\nWhen every moral judgment cooks off to money, our world is in a sad state.  If everyone is a consumer, taking all they can and judging results by their own profit, then our world becomes transactional and heartless.  The individuals in those corrupt nations are not free to do anything about their situation.  The \"most troubling aspect\" for me is that I live in free nation that has sacrificed freedom on the altar of profit.  We have sold ourselves into slavery - a slavery to money.  Not only do we cooperate with corrupt governments and bureaucracies, but our only concern is that our profits may be jeopardized when they act more corrupt than usual! (I suppose we can claim that it\'s not fair!)\n\nWe demonstrate our slavery to money when we judge a travesty such as this by the economic impact it may have. We sold our heart, our passion and our courage and our love for less fortunate people.  There was a time when we valued another\'s individual freedom, justice, and economic liberty above our own profit.  Will we simply argue the economic merits of something like this?  When will we stop serving our greed and begin to serve the people subject to this injustice?  Will we ever again stand up for character and resist the corruption?\n\n&nbsp;', 'The Most Troubling Aspect', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'most-troubling-aspect', '', '', '2010-03-29 18:38:23', '2010-03-29 23:38:23', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1956', 0, 'post', '', 68);
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(1970, 243, '2010-04-01 14:36:19', '2010-04-01 19:36:19', 'We all want to win.  No one gets up in the morning and decides, \"Today, I think I\'d like to lose for a change.\" You never tell your spouse, \"Honey, I\'m so used to losing that today, I\'m managing expectations.  My goal is to lose.  That way, when I lose, I\'m a winner!\"  We use terms like Win-Win because if we win, we\'re more than happy for others to win too.  It\'s human nature.  I\'ll let you win if it helps me win.  Isn\'t that what Win-Win is all about?\n<h3>Who do you trust?</h3>\nThink for a moment about the people you trust the most.  <!--more-->Got a picture of them in your mind?  What is it about them that inspires you to trust them?  Somewhere very near the top of the list is the thought that they are \"for\" you.  They understand your best interests and demonstrate a willingness to work in your best interests.  The people you trust the most are people you believe would work for your best interest even if it didn\'t mean they would directly benefit.  In fact, if you\'re like most people, you trust people to the degree that you think they care for you regardless of the results for them.\n\nBy the same token, we tend to trust least where we believe people are \"in it\" for themselves more than we are in the relationship for ourselves.  There\'s almost a balance or an honor among thieves if we\'re both in the relationship for what we can individually get out of it.  Many relationships exist on that principle.\n<h3>Give Win First</h3>\nBut true Win-Win begins when someone else <em>gives win first</em>.  In order for you to demonstrate that you are worthy of trust, you must give win first.  When you can make the other person a winner, they will trust you and want to reciprocate.  We trust people most when we believe they are truly for us more than they are for themselves.\n<h3>Remove Friction</h3>\nTrust lubricates relationships and interactions.  We are free to do and be our best around people we trust.  Rather than bemoan the lack of trustworthy people today, work to make sure you\'re trustworthy.  Examine your key relationships with your leaders, peers, collaborators and teammates.  How can you give win <em>first</em>?  How can you provide overwhelming evidence that you\'re trustworthy?  Constantly grow your trustworthiness and improve the performance of everyone you influence.  That\'s the kind of trend our world needs today.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Give Win First!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'give-win-first', '', '', '2010-04-01 14:36:19', '2010-04-01 19:36:19', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=1970', 0, 'post', '', 20),
(2155, 243, '2010-05-02 12:23:19', '2010-05-02 17:23:19', 'When friends and I began talking about character-based leadership on <a title=\"Lead Change Group on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\" target=\"_self\">LinkedIn</a> and Twitter and as the group was beginning to grow, we each had different ideas about how to \"apply\" character-based leadership.  How could we actually make a difference?  How do we actually make the connection between our social-media interactions and our real-life world?\n\nIn late July 2009, <a title=\"Erin Schreyer on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/erinschreyer\" target=\"_blank\">Erin Schreyer</a> launched <a title=\"Authentic Leadership In Cincinnati on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&amp;gid=2149541&amp;trk=anet_ug_hm\" target=\"_blank\">Authentic Leadership in Cincinnati</a>.  The group took off because <!--more-->Cincinnati seems to be a great community for authentic, character-based leadership.  They\'re very connected with some large local networking groups already established on LinkedIn.  They also have a large <a title=\"Character Council of Cincinnati\" href=\"http://www.charactercincinnati.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Character Council</a>.  They have held several meetings and this past week, they hosted a panel discussion on diversity over lunch last Friday.\n\nLast Tuesday,<a title=\"Lead Change Tulsa on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2465470\" target=\"_blank\"> Lead Change Tulsa</a> met for the first time.  Over 20 people attended with several sending last minute regrets.  We discussed a shared desire to make a difference in the community.  We all believe that other-focused leadership can inspire a community to make itself better.  We can grow as leaders by taking responsibility and bringing our best self to the workplace or church or wherever and investing in the lives of people around us.  We will grow and develop as leaders and we will earn influence as we actively invest in our friends, co-workers and neighbors.  As we model what we believe we improve our world and we encourage others to do the same thing.\n\nWe committed to keep going.  We scheduled a meeting on May 18 to discuss our focus, our definition of success, and how we can begin to get to work.  We talked about several ways we could help organizations by making leadership material and opportunities available for emerging leaders, especially in organizations too small to have internal training programs.  What will we do? We will definitely do something. Too many people are too committed. You can find out more by checking out Lead Change Tulsa\'s community meetup page.\n\nWhat about you?  Will you just wish your community was different or will you actually do something?  You don\'t need to start a Lead Change group.  Find one doing the same things and join them.  Part of my passion is connecting groups that are already working on the problems that result from selfish, ego-centered leadership. If you\'re already doing that, please comment below on how I (or anyone else) can help you.  Never underestimate your own ability to make a difference.  Our world needs you to step up.  Go for it.', 'Applied Character-based Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'applied-characterbased-leadership', '', '', '2010-05-02 12:23:19', '2010-05-02 17:23:19', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=2155', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(2193, 243, '2010-05-14 10:51:06', '2010-05-14 15:51:06', 'As an active participant in leadership discussions both on blogs and group discussions, I come across a common confusion in definitions.  I saw it again in the comments to a great post by <a title=\"Jen Kuhn on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/JenKuhnPR\" target=\"_self\">Jen Kuhn</a> this week at <a title=\"Take Me To Your Leader at The Experience Factor\" href=\"http://theexperiencefactor.com/take-me-to-your-leader/913/\" target=\"_blank\">The Experience Factor</a>.  I also witnessed it in the series and discussion <a title=\"David Burkus on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/davidburkus\" target=\"_blank\">David Burkus</a> did at <a title=\"The Leader Lab\" href=\"http://theleaderlab.org/\" target=\"_blank\">The Leader Lab</a> on the <a title=\"The Maxwell Fallacy final post\" href=\"http://theleaderlab.org/2010/04/maxwell-fallacy-stronger-yet-simple/\" target=\"_blank\">Maxwell Fallacy</a>.\n<h3>Good vs. Bad Leadership</h3>\nLet\'s agree today that <em>good</em> leadership is not the same as <em>effective</em> leadership.  <!--more-->Let\'s agree that the word <em>good</em> is an evaluation of the end result rather than the leader\'s actions.  Did it achieve <em>good</em> purposes?  Did it create value?  (By value I mean benefit in excess of cost.)  Did the benefit to all parties exceed the cost to all parties?  Let\'s agree that <em>good</em> leadership is that authority or influence that creates a <em>good</em> outcome.  If the outcome is not generally <em>good</em>, it would be <em>bad</em> leadership.  Using this model, <em>\"bad\"</em> becomes a big word.  Any leadership that doesn\'t create positive outcomes for the contributors and stakeholders can\'t be <em>good</em>.  As Jen stated in her comments, what Hitler did can\'t be <em>good</em>.  It can however be <em>effective</em>.\n<h3>Effective Leadership</h3>\nAn <em>Effective</em> leader is someone who manages to get people to do what they want.  It could be defined as one who exerts influence to get others to achieve the leader\'s objectives regardless of the quality of the outcome.  It will be <em>effective</em> if people allow themselves to be influenced.  The outcomes can be good or bad.\n<h3>Just Plain Ugly</h3>\nIn keeping with the movie, ineffective leadership is just plain Ugly.  We won\'t even try to clean it up.  If you have to stoop to manipulating or threatening or bullying, that\'s ugly leadership.\n\nIt seems from my connecting with people all over the world through Twitter and the <a title=\"Lead Change Group on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\" target=\"_blank\">Lead Change Group on LinkedIn</a>, as well as the interest that has been shown in starting local leadership groups like <a title=\"Authentic Leadership Cincinnati\" href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2149541&amp;trk=myg_ugrp_ovr\" target=\"_blank\">Authentic Leadership Cincinnati</a> or Lead Change Tulsa, that a growing number of people agree that our world needs an infusion of good leadership: effective leadership that brings about net-positive outcomes.  The only way to do that is to contribute more than you consume.  Let the revolution continue in your life and sphere of influence today!', 'Good Leadership vs. Effective Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'good-leadership-vs-effective-leadership', '', '', '2010-05-14 10:51:06', '2010-05-14 15:51:06', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=2193', 0, 'post', '', 64),
(2203, 243, '2010-05-20 17:14:03', '2010-05-20 22:14:03', '<a title=\"Linchpin at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591843162?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591843162\" target=\"_blank\">Linchpin</a> is a fairly important recent book by Seth Godin.  Most of the concepts in the book aren\'t new and have been presented in many other books including <a title=\"The Fred Factor at Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385513518?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0385513518\" target=\"_blank\">The Fred Factor</a> by Mark Sanborn.  Many times the way the author makes a point or the current state of the economy may serve to add impact to a particular idea.  The reminders and the new (at least to me) ideas make the book a good reminder why it\'s important to work toward indispensability.<!--more--> It\'s particularly well written and served up in small sections, this time with chapter breaks, making it very easy to read.  The real leadership benefit comes from digesting the book; reflecting and thinking about the concepts and applying them diligently to your life.  (That\'s why we have a live conference call every Wednesday at 5 PM Eastern to discuss topics from the book.  <a title=\"More info about the Lead Change Library\" href=\"/lead-change-library/\">You can find out more here.</a>)\n<h3>Can you become indispensable?</h3>\nThe main point of the third chapter, entitled Thinking About Your Choice, becoming indispensable is a choice.  In a small section on page 33, Godin asks what was for me a new question, \"What would make you impossibly good at your job?\"\n<blockquote>If your organization wanted to replace you with someone far better at your job than you, what would they look for?</blockquote>\n<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591843162?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591843162\"><img class=\"alignleft\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"Linchpin\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/linchpin-2.jpg\" alt=\"Linchpin\" width=\"170\" height=\"261\" /></a>Once you\'re in a position, your leadership wouldn\'t go for someone with more experience or someone who could score better on some standardized test.  They\'ve already made that choice.  Instead, they would prefer someone who brought more energy to the job; \"someone more human, connected and mature... with passion and energy... flexible in the face of change, resilient in the face of confusion.\"  Your employer would prefer someone who is an artist - someone who brings passion, desire, and energy to the position.\n<h3>The Key</h3>\nEvery characteristic your employer would want from the ideal person is <em>attitude</em>, not <em>talent</em>.  You choose attitudes.  You have everything you need!\n\nMany times good people fall into the trap where they think that since their organization can\'t give them everything they think they need, money or resources or time, they will choose a bad attitude and withold their best energy.  It could be that they think they don\'t need to bring their best effort until they\'re the top person.  Those are choices.\n<h3>It\'s your choice.</h3>\nYou choose your attitude.  In choosing to react to your circumstances, you give your circumstances  control over your contribution.  Why give anything the ability to control your effort or your reputation?  Bring your best energy and effort every day.  You are known by the actions you take.  Decide what type of person we will be and make the choices that align with that character.  You can be the most energetic, committed, passionate person, doing your the best job under any circumstance.  There is no better way to make the point that you\'re worth more.  Even if your current employer never notices it, a better organization will.\n\nYour choice of attitude exposes your true self.  If you are indispensable, you will demonstrate the attitude and create the results.  Words won\'t be necessary.  Examine your attitude and make your choice.  And share the results with others.  Our world and your organization needs more Linchpins.  Will you make the choice?', 'Impossibly Good', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'impossibly-good', '', '', '2010-05-20 17:14:03', '2010-05-20 22:14:03', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=2203', 0, 'post', '', 36),
(2268, 243, '2010-05-27 14:44:50', '2010-05-27 19:44:50', '<em>This is a guest post by </em><em>Jessica Henry (<a title=\"Jessica Henry on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/jdhenry09\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter</a>, LinkedIn), my daughter.  She has no shortage of hobbies or books on her reading list.  Many of the books come from me.  But when she read this one, because of her feedback, I asked her to post the review.  You\'ll find that leadership comes in every type of relationship...</em>\n<h2>It’s time to upgrade! – “Girlfriends 2.0” By Cindy w. Morrison (Book Review by Jessica Henry)</h2>\nA couple weeks ago, I received some devastating news. Money is tight at work, as with most places, and my job was way too close to the chopping block. I was given an opportunity and left with a tough decision to make. So, I did what any girl would do and I called in reinforcements.  I called the one person that I knew to give me the right advice on what to do, my dad, one of my biggest fans and (after reading this book) best \"guy-girlfriends.\"\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/gf20.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2270\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px;\" title=\"gf20\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/gf20.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"96\" height=\"150\" /></a>He and I had dinner and discussed my options. He told me about someone we both know that had been through this in the past and she had just written a book about the power of girlfriends and how she survived some of the toughest of life’s little lessons. <a title=\"Cindy W. Morrison\'s Website\" href=\"http://cindywmorrison.com\" target=\"_blank\">Cindy Morrison</a> (<a title=\"Cindy W. Morrison\'s Facebook page\" href=\"http://www.facebook.com/cindywmorrison\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook</a>, <a title=\"Cindy W. Morrison\'s Twitter profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/cindywmorrison\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter</a>, LinkedIn) has been through it all, from layoffs to cancer to her book, <a title=\"Girlfriends 2.0 shopping page\" href=\"http://cwmmedia.donordepot.com/node/1\" target=\"_blank\">Girlfriends 2.0</a>.\n\nIn this book, Cindy pinpoints the value behind girlfriends and explains the dire need to upgrade your friends to the highest of standards. She draws examples of the types to avoid and types to find.\n\nGirlfriends are the ones that tell you when your dress doesn’t look good (in a gentle way) and when you’re making decisions that will cost you later. These people are the ones that make up your safety net. They catch you when you fall and are there to celebrate when you succeed; they are your biggest fans.\n\nThis book has helped me identify some friends in my life that are not really friends at all. These people fit more into the categories of “Needy Nancy,” “Debbie Downers” and “Just Don’t Get It Gidgets,” just to name a few. Since this book, I’m cleaning out the closet, so to say, and “dumping the wanna-bes.”\n\n“Girlfriends 2.0” also helped me to identify my true friends and what we can share to help boost each other up. Girlfriends come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and even genders as Cindy makes clear through her descriptions.  I’m working to identify each one in my closest circle and the gifts that they have given me. Even more important, I’m checking myself so that I’m a great girlfriend to those that consider me in their closest circle.\n\nI enjoyed this book. It is written in a communicative style and I found myself feeling as if Cindy was sitting with me on the back porch telling her story, just as my girlfriends and I do now. In fact one night, while sitting with one of my girlfriends listening to her current problem, I then started telling her to dump the “wanna-be” girlfriend that was creating so much grief in her life. She was better than that and maybe she too needed to upgrade her girlfriends.\n\nIt was a fun and insightful read. I want to say thanks to Cindy for all the advice and for sharing a piece of herself with me. This whole crazy world is a little less scary with the new and improved Girlfriends 2.0. If I have a daughter someday, this book is one that I will want her to read to learn about the value of true Girlfriends.', 'Friendship Upgrade - Girlfriends 2.0 by Cindy W. Morrison', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'friendship-upgrade-girlfriends-2-0-cindy-w-morrison', '', '', '2010-05-27 14:44:50', '2010-05-27 19:44:50', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2268', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(2278, 243, '2010-05-30 07:36:39', '2010-05-30 12:36:39', 'I watched Saving Private Ryan yesterday.  It was the first time I had seen the movie all the way through.  I enjoy great movies, but few sad ones. I knew enough about this movie to know it was sad.  I also knew the plot and story.  It is truly an inspired classic.\n\nJames Francis Ryan lives his whole life thinking about the actions taken by a group of 8 soldiers who risked their lives to save him.  The command to do so came from General George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the Army.  Private Ryan would be returned home because his three brothers died within days of each other and he was the only one remaining.  The squad of 8 is headed by Captain John H. Miller and Sergeant Mike Horvath.  They must go across the French countryside searching for this one soldier to return him to his family.  Captain Miller\'s last words were the challenge to Ryan that caused him to wonder if his life measured up.<!--more-->\n\nSeveral thoughts run laps around my brain in light of the US commemoration of <a title=\"Memorial Day on Wikipedia\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day\">Memorial Day</a>, the holiday to memorialize those who died in military service to our country.  Maybe they\'re the same ones that you considered after the first time you watched the movie.\n<h3>Simple Math</h3>\nFirst, I was struck with the simplicity of their math.  Not having served in the military, I expect the practicality of day-to-day, down-to-earth life-and-death forces you to simplify your judgment.  I was struck by the numeric evaluations each person made.  First there was the 8 for 1 comparison the squad made in the fubar scene.  Then there was this exchange where Captain Miller explained how he wrestled with the responsibility of command:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Captain Miller:</strong> You see, when... when you end up killing one your men, you see, you tell yourself it happened so you could save the lives of two or three or ten others. Maybe a hundred others. Do you know how many men I\'ve lost under my command?\n<strong>Sergeant Horvath:</strong> How many?\n<strong>Captain Miller:</strong> Ninety-four. But that means I\'ve saved the lives of ten times that many, doesn\'t it? Maybe even 20, right? Twenty times as many? And that\'s how simple it is. That\'s how you... that\'s how you rationalize making the choice between the mission and the man.</p>\nThe math is almost surreal in its simplicity.  Quite a number of Americans and people of other nationalities have  been born free because of their actions.  In the end, the men didn\'t  just save Private Ryan, they saved the bridge.  Their sacrifice made a  difference.  Yes, I know this was a fictional account, but the last 66  years have proven their sacrifice effective.  The numbers are staggering.  Consider the impact of your life on the lives of others over the next 66 years?  How are you doing?\n<h3>Cost of Inaction</h3>\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/saving-private-ryan-upham.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2282\" style=\"margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 10px;\" title=\"saving-private-ryan-upham\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/saving-private-ryan-upham-150x109.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"109\" /></a>The second thought I had was what it must have been like to live each subsequent day as Corporal Upham.   First he was instrumental in freeing a German soldier the squad took captive.  Since one of their own died in that exchange, the squad wanted to kill the German, but Captain Miller let him go free at Upham\'s urging.  Later, Upham failed to take action that may have saved some of the lives of his fellow men, initially not providing ammo and secondly by not shooting back at the Germans who eventually killed Captain Miller and Sergeant Horvath.   He chose inaction, in direct contrast to Ryan who refused to leave his squad with the Germans bearing down on them, even though he had an excuse to leave.\n\nWhen we choose to act, we free ourselves from a thread of judgment and second-guessing that only come into play from inaction.  When you act, you question the action, but you never have to question the failure to act. In choosing to do nothing, Corporal Upham had only negative consequences to consider for a long time.  Imagine the consequences of the inaction in your life.  Remember that feeling the next time you consider doing nothing when you could act.\n<h3>Did we earn it?</h3>\nFinally, I wonder as an individual and as a nation whether or not we have earned the sacrifice of the men and women we memorialize on Monday.  What have we done with the gift purchased by the men and women who have died in the military of not just America but other free nations.  Have we made good choices?  Would they be proud of us, our tendency to let power corrupt us or our proclivity for laziness.  We have tremendous resources beginning with our lives and the freedom purchased for us by their sacrifice.  How are we doing?\n<h3>Thankful</h3>\nI am grateful for the sacrifice made by every person who has been wounded or died in the service of the United States.  However I must also admit that I could improve my stewardship of the freedom they sacrificed to purchase.   But for my part, when I remember the Captain\'s final words, I\'ll want to question them applied to my life.  When my time comes, I hope to be able to say that my life justified the sacrifice made for me by the those who gave their lives in service to the United States of America.', 'Earn This', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'earn-this', '', '', '2010-05-30 07:36:39', '2010-05-30 12:36:39', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2278', 0, 'post', '', 24),
(2320, 243, '2010-06-13 16:15:11', '2010-06-13 21:15:11', 'Nothing puts air in our sails like a noble purpose. But many of us work for businesses where our focus is to simply outperform last quarter. If you can\'t manage your purpose, you can still inspire your co-workers. When you bring the best of who you are to the job or the project or the dinner table, you will inspire. You can\'t help it. Great causes inspire. Any cause is greater than service to self. Include anyone besides yourself in the category of \"who you serve,\" and your cause becomes something great!<!--more-->\n\nMaybe you don\'t look up to your company or its leaders. Maybe you drag yourself to work every day. But if you can make your purpose anything bigger than yourself, you can begin to experience inspiration. And this is self-inspiration. It\'s an intrinsic reward that we get when we know we\'re doing something meaningful. In Drive, Daniel Pink referred to people motivated by the goal as Type I people to designate their intrinsic motivation. That intrinsic motivation comes from a purpose. (Note: Steve Farber wrote a great book on this titled <a title=\"Steve Farber\'s Greater Than Yourself website\" href=\"http://www.greaterthanyourself.com/\">Greater Than Yourself</a>.  Check it out.)\n\nWhat if you decided that you were going to serve a teammate tomorrow? Just look for opportunities to help a coworker with no expectation of return. I promise you will get an opportunity. We\'re all struggling a little. We all could use some help. Look for the help you can provide rather than concentrating on the help you need. The minute you recognize a need and take action, you\'re a leader. And that action builds trust which will eventually lead to influence. That\'s character-based leadership in action.\n\nMake your purpose bigger than yourself and energize your life. You\'ll energize the people around you too.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo by ronnie44052</span>', 'Inspiring Purpose', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'inspiring-purpose', '', '', '2010-06-13 16:15:11', '2010-06-13 21:15:11', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2320', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(2331, 243, '2010-06-19 14:35:42', '2010-06-19 19:35:42', '<span style=\"font-size: small;\"><em>This is the second in a short series on inspiration.  You can find the first post <a title=\"Lead Change Blog - Inspiring Purpose\" href=\"/inspiring-purpose/\">here</a>.</em></span>\n\nCharacter is who you are.  It\'s your mark.  One friend I met through social media, Perry Maughmer, said, \"Your character is an outward manifestation of an inward reality.\"  Our world pursues image-based leadership (celebrities) or position based ones (wealth and power).  Unless you become a celebrity or a wealthy power broker or elected official, you, like most of us, will have to come up with a different (and better) way to make a difference.<!--more-->\n\nYour impact will come from your character.  More precisely, your greatest impact will be made by your truest and best self applied with focus and commitment toward a great goal.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842808?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591842808\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2335 alignleft\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 10px;\" title=\"startrwithwhy\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/startrwithwhy.jpg\" alt=\"Start With Why by Simon Sinek\" width=\"126\" height=\"202\" /></a>Simon Sinek wrote a book titled <a title=\"Start With Why by Simon Sinek\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591842808?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591842808\"><em>Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action</em></a>.  In it he said that there are only two ways to get someone to do something.  You can either manipulate or inspire.  One is a drain.  The other energizes.  One is frustration.  The other is flow.\n\nWant to inspire?  Show up every day with your best \"who you are\" ready to serve a big, inspiring goal.  That simple act of modeling your best recharges and re-energizes the people around you. We all need each other.  No man is an island.  We\'re much more like charcoal that we\'d like to admit.  Our warmth comes from the fire in others.  Bring your own fire and you\'ll attract other coals.  Everyone can use someone else to put some fire it them.  We need you to bring your fire (your best you) every day.  Take your fire into the dark places you notice in the people around you and you\'ll light your world.  (Credit to Chris Rice, Go Light Your World.)\n\nWhen you realize that you have everything you need to inspire others, you will make a difference. I get energized thinking about the possibility of helping a thousand people take responsibility for the difference they make in the lives of others.  What energizes you?  How can I help.\n\nToday, you can take responsibility for the difference you make in the lives of others.  You don\'t need to take a class, get certified, get a new job, or win the lottery.  Inspire someone by simply investing your best effort in a goal bigger than yourself, one that benefits others in addition to yourself.  Take your fire to some cold charcoals around you.\n\nWhat are you waiting for?\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo by <a title=\"Photo by radialmonster on Flickr.com\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/radialmonster/128987476/\">radialmonster</a></span>', 'Inspiring People', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'inspiring-people', '', '', '2010-06-19 14:35:42', '2010-06-19 19:35:42', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2331', 0, 'post', '', 24),
(2339, 243, '2010-06-22 12:51:09', '2010-06-22 17:51:09', 'Shawn Murphy (<a title=\"Shawn Murphy on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/shawmu\">Twitter</a>, LinkedIn, <a title=\"Achieved Strategies Blog\" href=\"http://achievedstrategies.com/blog\">Blog</a>) is hosting a series of posts on the need to shake things up in the leadership space.  The series is called <a title=\"Wake Up and Shake It Up Intro Post\" href=\"http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/get-ready-to-shake-up-your-leadership/\">Wake Up! and Shake It Up</a>.  He\'s had posts from great bloggers (besides himself) like <a href=\"http://www.e-quidam.com/theblog/\">Monica Diaz</a>, <a title=\"The Leader Lab blog by David Burkus\" href=\"http://theleaderlab.org/\">David Burkus</a>, <a title=\"Lolly Daskal\'s website\" href=\"http://www.lollydaskal.com\">Lolly Daskal</a>,  Jason Moore and <a title=\"The Baby Gorillas blog by Ed McLaughlin\" href=\"http://babygorillas.com/\">Ed McLaughlin</a>.  And he\'ll have more great posts as the series goes on for a few days.\n\nBut today, he\'s got me.  <a title=\"Wake Up and Sacrifice - What? at Achieved Strategies\" href=\"http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/wake-up-and-sacrifice-what/\">My post</a> is about a critical element in building trust: sacrifice.  We don\'t like that word much.  Not many people wake up each day planning to go out and make sacrifices.  But when you can make a sacrifice, even one so small<!--more--> as writing a handwritten thank you note, you show people that you are <em>for </em>them.\n\nI once managed a small trucking company.  A driver had to lay over to get a load that no one else could get. When I asked him to do it, he said, well, my wife should be getting out of the hospital on a certain day and that would mean that I\'m not there to take her home.\n\nShame overtook me.  I didn\'t know his wife was <em>even in the hospital</em>.  Knowledge changes things... and people.  It changed me.  I learned a lesson that day.  (<em>The rest of the story\'s not in the post.  Suffice it to say that things  got taken care of.</em>)\n\nTrust must be earned. Sacrifice is often the barter.  If you get a minute, check out the post.  Don\'t sleep through another day.  Wake up and make a difference!\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Yellow Alarm Photo by <a title=\"Yellow Alarm on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/h_is_for_home/3494382794/\">h is for home</a></span>', 'Wake Up! at Achieved Strategies', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'wake-up-at-achieved-strategies', '', '', '2010-06-22 12:51:09', '2010-06-22 17:51:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2339', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(2344, 243, '2010-06-21 19:08:45', '2010-06-22 00:08:45', 'You probably have come across Kelly Ketelboeter on Twitter or LinkedIn or at her website, <a title=\"The Experience Factor website\" href=\"http://theexperiencefactor.com\">The Experience Factor</a>.  She also hosts the free Lead Change webinars we\'ve been having and was one of the early members of the group, joining in April of 2009.\n\nBeginning June 24, I\'ll start a weekly interview with a group member.  I wanted to start with Kelly because she\'s been working behind the scenes with the Lead Change Group since we first got going.  Our goal is to promote members of the group as they step up and model character-based leadership in their world and to help promote character-based leadership, not by talking about it, but by actually encouraging each other to engage our spheres of influence.  <!--more-->>We want to instigate a lead change, or leadership transformation, away from celebrities and super-stars and wall-street wizards and toward responsible, honest people who want to make a positive difference in their world.  What better place to start?\n\nKelly exemplifies character-based leadership.  She stepped up and did what she could to help the group.  She\'s learned at least 4 different webinar technologies with me as we\'ve done different trial-and-error experiments to find the best technology.  She\'s invested time in test calls and discussions about the group.  She always has a great attitude, quick to pick up the discussion and always on the spot with a \"Cheers\" at the end of each note.\n\nShe co-founded The Experience Factor with <a title=\"Jen Kuhn on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/jenkuhnPR\">Jen Kuhn</a>, to help companies and managers create a positive work experience for  employees through positive and consistent coaching methods.  By  enhancing and capitalizing on the employee experience, companies will in  turn enhance and create amazing customer experiences.\n\nJoin us for the discussion this <a title=\"Meet LeadChange - Kelly Ketelboeter\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2010/06/24/meet-leadchange\">Thursday at 3 PM Eastern at the Lead Change Group\'s Blog Talk Radio page</a>.  And don\'t worry if you\'re late, you can play the recording.', 'Meet LeadChange Kelly Ketelboeter', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-kelly-ketelboeter', '', '', '2010-06-21 19:08:45', '2010-06-22 00:08:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2344', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(2346, 243, '2010-06-26 19:33:57', '2010-06-27 00:33:57', 'Episode #2 of <a title=\"Meet LeadChange July 1 2010 Phil Gerbyshak\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2010/07/01/meet-leadchange\" target=\"_blank\">Meet LeadChange</a> this Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 3 PM EDT will be an interview with <a title=\"Phil Gerbyshak\'s website\" href=\"http://www.philgerbyshak.com\">Phil Gerbyshak</a> (<a title=\"Phil Gerbyshak on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/philgerb\">@PhilGerb</a>, LinkedIn).  Phil has been managing people since he was 16 years old. He is the coauthor of the book Help Desk Manager’s Crash Course and has been working with clients to create great customer service experiences for the past 15 years. <!--more-->Phil’s mission on this planet is simple: to help people unleash the greatness inside them, by connecting people to the ideas, people, and information they need to crank it up and take things to the next level.\n\nPhil has been writing at Make It Great! Institute since early 2005, where he has shared over 2200 articles on building business relationships management, leadership, customer service, personal empowerment, and personal productivity topics. In 2010, he launched The Management Experts (<a href=\"http://themanagementexperts.com/\" target=\"_blank\">http://themanagementexperts.com</a>) with Steve Roesler to offer a one-stop shop for all things management. From 2007 until 2009, Phil wrote for b5 Media on the Slacker Manager blog, where his work was recognized as one of the top 50 HR blogs.\n\nHis latest book <a title=\"Twitterworks\" href=\"http://twitterworks.tv/\">#Twitterworks</a> features success stories, tips and traps about using Twitter for  independent restaurants and small businesses.\n\nPhil helps IT organizations increase employee &amp; customer engagement. It\'s really not about the tools; it\'s all about the conversations you participate in and the connections you create and cultivate. Over 1000 articles to help you at <a href=\"http://philgerbyshak.com/\" target=\"_blank\">http://philgerbyshak.com</a>.\n\nMake It Great <a title=\"Meet LeadChange July 1 2010 Phil Gerbyshak\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2010/07/01/meet-leadchange\">Thursday July 1, 2010</a> and listen in as I interview <a title=\"Lead Change Group on LinkedIn\" href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\">Lead Change Group</a> member Phil Gerbyshak.  This should be a lot of fun!', 'Phil Gerbyshak - Make It Great!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'phil-gerbyshak-make-it-great', '', '', '2010-06-26 19:33:57', '2010-06-27 00:33:57', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2346', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(2391, 243, '2010-06-27 19:03:32', '2010-06-28 00:03:32', '\"[G]reat talent leads to more innovation and more productivity which then lead[s] to more demand.\" Seth Godin, Linchpin\n\nWe have written here about what I called <a title=\"Open Source Leadership \" href=\"/open-source-leadership/\">Open-Source Leadership</a>.  I asked, \"Can we create a community of leaders that are committed to leadership development without personal agendas, like an open-source project?\"  Seth Godin\'s quote above from <a title=\"Linchpin\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591843162?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591843162\">Linchpin</a> talks about how this type of positive-sum understanding of \"our marketplace\" is necessary to produce growth.<!--more-->Nothing grows until talent innovates, creating productivity which leads to more demand.  Productivity doesn\'t lead to more consumption, but to better products (things we produce\").  More innovation leads to more demand.  Therefore, generosity is the best strategy once we see our marketplace as growing through that generosity.  That\'s the case with individual artistry, individual productivity and individual leadership too.\n\nInspiring character-based leaders create a better, more productive, more highly-functioning community, which, in-turn creates more character-based leaders.  A character-based leader is someone who leads from who they are, not from position or power.  Character-based leaders inspire, creating energy, generosity, and prosperity and greater well-being for each member of the community.  Serving others as a leader fuels the process.  Selfish agendas, silos and look-out-for-number-one types break the chain.  I discussed this further in a post titled Give Win First.  Generosity fuels positive-sum thriving communities.  Any community qualifies: leadership communities, homeowner associations, PTA\'s, neighborhoods, cities, regions, or nations.  All can be made better.  Generosity starts the process.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/drive.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2397 alignleft\" title=\"drive\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/drive.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"142\" height=\"209\" /></a>In <a title=\"Drive by Daniel Pink\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594488843?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1594488843\">Drive</a>, author Daniel Pink refers to it as intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation.  When we provide extrinsic motivation, we make the relationship transactional.  When we do something just because it\'s the right thing to do we receive the intrinsic rewards, we tend to contribute with greater emotional labor and we generally produce better \"art.\"  I specifically mixed references to both Linchpin and Drive in that sentence.  Godin says our emotional labor produces art.  Pink says that intrinsic rewards are a better motivator for right-brained creative work.  And I say that when you bring your best self and contribute your energy to your community you make the world better - the whole thing.\n\nCharacter-based leaders bring their best energy to create a better world and make a positive difference?  Are you waiting for someone else to be generous first?  What can you do?  Can you do it now?  Or are you investing in others?  Care to share?  We could all use the encouragement.  After all, this is an open-source leadership community...\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Wheat</span><em><span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"> © <a title=\"Wheat by Paul Murphy\" href=\"http://www.fotolia.com/id/3989095\">Paul Murphy Fotolia.com</a></span>\n</em>', 'Generosity Fuels Prosperity', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'generosity-fuels-prosperity', '', '', '2010-06-27 19:03:32', '2010-06-28 00:03:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2391', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(2611, 243, '2010-07-02 14:21:04', '2010-07-02 19:21:04', 'I just finished reading an <a title=\"Your Company Is not a Democracy\" href=\"http://www.entrepreneur.com/management/columnistgeorgecloutier/article207280.html\">article published</a> by Entrepreneur.com written by George Cloutier: The Turnaround Ace.  The title of the article is <em>Your Company Is not a Democracy: The most effective leaders are benevolent dictators who hold employees accountable.</em> It brought back memories of several jobs I have had so I thought, in the spirit of American Independence Day, I\'d declare independence for the people employed (no, enslaved) by the 6000 companies he claims to have helped.<!--more-->\n\nFirst, I appreciate the author\'s experience with turnarounds.  Most turnaround efforts are more about profits and performance.  We have written before that there is a difference between <a title=\"Good Leadership vs. Effective Leadership\" href=\"/good-leadership-vs-effective-leadership/\">good leadership and effective leadership</a>.  He is clearly describing <em>effective</em> leaders, not necessarily good ones.  Some of the things he says are right on.  Employees must be held accountable.  You should fire incompetent employees.  Everything is not up for a vote. Profits are necessary and the boss\'s responsibility.  No boss can blame their people for the failure of an organization.\n\nBut it ends there.  You see, I expect I have a lot more experience than the author working under one of his tyrants.  The <em>benevolent tyrants </em>as the author calls them, might consider how their employees feel.  In fact, the author might consider how the employees of his clients feel.  They go to work every day knowing that in their boss\'s eyes, they don\'t matter and they can\'t do anything about it. I read another of the author\'s posts where he stated he has 150 employees.  I\'m glad I\'m not one of them.\n\nThe author suggests that there are only two polar opposites, <em>fail or dictate</em>.  He goes into such detail that I really thought they were joking in publishing the article. Maybe they are.  Here are some quotes:\n<ol>\n	<li>[Small business owners] have to execute their battle plans with as few flaws as possible.</li>\n	<li>The only opinion that counts is that of ownership.</li>\n	<li>Your employees... will respect the benevolent dictator who keeps the business afloat and continues to cut them a paycheck.  If they don\'t like the size of their paycheck, tell them to work harder and you <em>may</em> reward them if they meet your standards. (emphasis, mine)</li>\n	<li>Be a dictator.</li>\n	<li>Tell your employees, \"Don\'t think - obey.\"</li>\n	<li>Be a feared general.</li>\n	<li>Fear is the best motivator.</li>\n	<li>It\'s better to drive your employees nuts than to lose money.</li>\n</ol>\nI can\'t go on.  I\'ve worked for too many of these types. This article is the reason why there is a revolution going on today. Employees are declaring independence, leaving jobs and going on their own, because of tyrants just like this.  If I have to wrangle carts or mow yards for a living, I\'d do it to keep from working for another one of these \"my way or the highway\" types. Here are at least 5 reasons why:\n<ol>\n	<li>You\'re not getting my labor, you\'re getting my life. A paycheck is a pittance for that.  My best energy and my best effort is worth more than money, it\'s worth respect.  You can sell the company tomorrow, you can lay me off.  And then what do I have.  I don\'t trust you to look out for me.  You just said it yourself, ownership is the only thing that matters.  We know who matters to you and we\'re tired of supporting it!</li>\n	<li>People always <em>give</em> more than you can <em>demand</em> or <em>scare</em> out of them.  It\'s a gift.  Read Linchpin, or Drive. We won\'t <em>give our best</em> to a tyrant.  You will never get our best for just a paycheck because we have to keep some energy in reserve to look out for our family.</li>\n	<li>Where do you get off thinking you\'re better than us? Do you think you know more about the actual work that we do every day?  When was the last time you did it?  Maybe if you asked instead of telling, you\'d find a better way to do things.</li>\n	<li>We don\'t want you to take a vote, and we don\'t want the business to fail.  There\'s a difference between respecting someone\'s input and following popular opinion.  No one is asking you to ruin the business or to try to get us all to like you.  We won\'t like you very much if the business fails either.  But there are more than two ways to do anything. If another company can be profitable and bless the people who invest their lives in the effort, then I will forget you and your crap about knowing the best way to do things the minute I can.  I\'d chew off my arm to get away from your place.  And for the record, I have left a company before just to have the time to look for another job.</li>\n	<li>Tyrants aren\'t perfect either.</li>\n</ol>\nThe attitudes in the article prove a couple of things to me.  First, some publishers will go to any lengths to get someone to read their crap.  I\'m highly disappointed by this magazine and I\'m disappointed by SmartBrief for passing it along and calling it leadership.  I hope more people in the leadership world rail against stuff like this.  Second, when the job market swings back (and it will) all of his clients will be calling people who agree more with me.  The reason: everyone else will be leaving.  If you\'re an entrepreneur and you buy this crap, you deserve what you get when it turns around.\n\nNo business exists only for its owners and customers. That\'s horse manure.  A truly sustainable business values and treasures the people who invest their lives in its success. It\'s not easy and it\'s not black and white.  But if the company you are working for doesn\'t appreciate your investment in it\'s success, throw some tea in the harbor and find another place to work.', 'Biased Justification for Poor Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'biased-justification-for-poor-leadership', '', '', '2010-07-02 14:21:04', '2010-07-02 19:21:04', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2404', 0, 'post', '', 296);
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(2612, 243, '2010-07-07 11:22:21', '2010-07-07 16:22:21', 'Episode #3 of <a title=\"Meet LeadChange July 8 2010 Monica Diaz\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2010/07/08/meet-leadchange\" target=\"_blank\">Meet LeadChange</a> this Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 3 PM EDT will be an interview with <a title=\"E-Quidam Global website\" href=\"http://www.e-quidam.com\">Monica Diaz</a> (<a title=\"Monica Diaz on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/monedays\">@monedays</a>, LinkedIn).  Monica is the author of <a title=\"Otheresteem: Regaining the Power to Value Others\" href=\"http://otheresteem.org\">Otheresteem: Regaining the Power to Value Others</a> and CEO of Quidam Global and LifesWork International. A global speaker, coach and Organizational Consultant, her passion lies in helping people revalue their work to boost productivity through authenticity and true leadership.\n\n<!--more-->Monica\'s company serves executives and global corporations helping their people take responsibility for their productivity by valuing others.  She\'ll talk more about her passion for making a difference during our interview.  We\'ll discuss some of her other initiatives, and, \'ll try to understand more of her history, and how her background and her passion for character-based leadership can be applied in each of our lives.\n\nOne of her initiatives is a new program called Fulfilled Aspirations with Randall Krause.  This is a new one-of-a-kind program to boost your success by re-connecting to the <strong>DOING</strong> and <strong>BEING</strong> aspects of your aspirations!\n\nAnd we\'ll also talk about a new initiative that Monica is kicking off for the Lead Change Group. Monica will be doing a private webinar just for the Lead Change Group on July 20 at 3PM Eastern.  The topic of the webinar is Leading Yourself.   This will be the first of a series of offerings we\'re going to provide in a premium supporters area in the new Lead Change Group website.  We\'ll tell you more about how to participate in the Leading Yourself webinar and the new group website on the call.\n\nTune in this Thursday to the Meet LeadChange Blog Talk Radio show at 3 PM Eastern and learn more about Monica. We\'ll also be tweeting with the #LeadChange or #Otheresteem hashtags as well as', 'Monica Diaz - Leading Change Through Otheresteem', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'monica-diaz-leading-change-through-otheresteem', '', '', '2010-07-07 11:22:21', '2010-07-07 16:22:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2416', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(2724, 243, '2010-07-13 16:00:45', '2010-07-13 21:00:45', 'This week\'s Meet LeadChange broadcast will feature Michael McKinney of M2 Communications and Leadership Now.  The conversation will air live on <a title=\"Meet LeadChange - Michael McKinney\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2010/07/15/meet-leadchange\">Blog Talk Radio</a> at 3 PM Eastern July 15, 2010.  You will also be able to listen to a <a title=\"Meet LeadChange - Michael McKinney\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2010/07/15/meet-leadchange\">replay at this link</a>.\n\nMichael is the president of <a title=\"M2 Communications\" href=\"http://www.m2com.com\">M2 Communications </a>which since 1980 has been dedicated to developing and making available tools to improve your performance and enjoyment of life. We accomplish this purpose through the use of educational web sites, articles and multimedia presentations.  He is also the publisher of Foundations Magazine, a personal development e-zine and is the president of CenturyOne Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes biblical archaeology, historical and biblical research, lectures and publications on subjects pertaining to the time of the first century C.E./A.D.\n\n\n\nAnd if that weren\'t enough, we know Michael best as author of the popular leadership blog, <a href=\"http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog\">Leading Blog</a>. The blog is frequently updated with reviews of the latest books and commentary on leadership news, trends and issues related to leaders and leadership.\n\nJoin me for a great conversation with another member who\'s been making a positive difference!', 'Meet LeadChange Michael McKinney', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-michael-mckinney', '', '', '2010-07-13 16:00:45', '2010-07-13 21:00:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2724', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(2804, 244, '2010-07-16 23:41:38', '2010-07-17 04:41:38', '<em>When I ask you for a definition of leadership, what would you say? As a leadership community do we need a definition? Can we agree on a \"best\" definition?</em>\n\n<em>It seems there are no shortage of definitions of leadership.  But can we create any consensus on the best definition?  What defines leadership in a way that inspires agreement in the majority?  That\'s a question Susan Mazza addressed in a blog post from February 2009. The question still remains.  Her title:</em>\n<h2>The Best Definition of Leadership</h2>\n…does not exist.\n\nThere is not one agreed upon definition in the world despite how much leadership has been studied and written about. <!--more-->As of today 316,641 results returned when searching Amazon for books on leadership. According to Warren Bennis in Leaders (1997) “academic analysis has given us more than 850 definitions of leadership”. I think it is fair to say that defining leadership will be studied and debated for a long time to come and it is likely we will never all agree on THE BEST definition.\n<h4>Although that is the question I have been asked and challenged about the most.</h4>\nA very good friend even wrote to me having spent a good deal of time reading what I wrote, thinking and searching the internet trying to help me do a better job of defining leadership. The definition I offered in one of my posts was “Translating vision into reality” by Warren Bennis. Yet she strongly believes that “Vision is not a catalyst for leadership.” Essentially the definition I had offered in her worldview was just wrong. Yet the most interesting thing of all was that everything she said to make her point completely validated what I was trying to say to begin with about leadership and leading.\n<h4>Could a definition actually be getting in the way?</h4>\nPerhaps offering a definition of leadership was a mistake. Not because I offered a “wrong” definition. Warren Bennis is well known as an expert in this field so it certainly wasn’t wrong. But because I tried to define something that perhaps cannot be adequately expressed with the simplicity and accuracy expected from the definition of anything.\n<h4>So why do we keep trying to define it?</h4>\nPeople expect you to be able to define the thing you are writing about or teaching. It is a valid expectation so naturally I have offered one. But definitions rarely help you understand and/or do the very thing you are trying to define. For example, I can define balance, but does that help me to achieve the balance necessary to ride a bicycle? In the case of leadership I have never seen a definition that has helped anyone instantly know how to lead.\n\nWhat do we seek when we ask for a definition? I think we are seeking “the truth” about it. Yet trying to define leadership is a bit like trying to define beauty: it has many interpretations, although we know it when we see it. It is also said that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. In fact, beauty does not look the same in all cultures. And perhaps neither does leadership. This points to the power of context in shaping our interpretations of “truth” about anything, including leadership.\n<h4>What could be more useful than a definition?</h4>\nThe notion of a “random act of leadership” is my attempt to take leadership out of the realm of theory and develop a rich context for leading that can give EVERYONE access to leading in their day to day work and lives. My purpose is not to define leadership. It is to empower more people to see and seize opportunities to lead more readily and more often in everyday work and life. My focus is on identifying the actions of leading so we can do it more and make a bigger difference ourselves rather than waiting for “the” leaders to make things happen.\n<h4>So now what?</h4>\nI say we create a context for leadership that helps us see opportunities to lead – to take actions that will make a difference in the things that matter to us. So I invite you to start thinking about and sharing your context for leadership. The question I’ll use to start the inquiry is this:\n\n<em><strong>What does leadership look like to you?</strong></em>\n\n<em>One other note... Susan\'s blog, Random Acts of Leadership, was just recognized as a Top Human Resources Blog by the folks at Online MBA.  Visit her blog for the her most recent thoughts on demonstrating leadership through everyday actions.</em>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo by <a title=\"Ducks by pedrosimoes7 on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/1301014184/\">pedrosimoes7</a></span>', 'The Best Defintion of Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'best-definition-leadership', '', '', '2010-07-16 23:41:38', '2010-07-17 04:41:38', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2804', 0, 'post', '', 56),
(2818, 243, '2010-07-18 19:30:22', '2010-07-19 00:30:22', '<em>There is much to discuss in the relationship between leadership, integrity, ethics and morals.  Many people have opinions on the meaning of the words and they way they\'re applied.  Jim Furr, of Tulsa Executive Events has written a series of articles titled Pointers in Proverbs making drawing relevant wisdom for living from the biblical text.  He connects leadership, integrity and ethics in an interesting way that I thought would start some discussion.  See what you think.</em>\n<h2><strong>Pointers in Proverbs by Jim Furr</strong><em>\n</em></h2>\n<strong><em>\"Good leaders abhor wrongdoing of all kinds;  sound  leadership has a moral foundation.\"</em></strong> --Pr  16:12\n\nAfter surveying over 75,000 people around the world and  performing  more than four hundred written case studies, James Kouzes and Barry  Posner  (<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Leadership Challenge</span>) identified the characteristics most  desired in  a leader. In virtually every survey, integrity was identified more often  than  any other trait.\n\nNo surprise here. Peter Drucker writes in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Effective  Leader</span>: \"By themselves, integrity and character do not accomplish  anything.  But their absence faults everything else.\"\n\nAccording to Steven Hayward in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Churchill on Leadership</span>,  a  Wharton School of Finance study of large corporations over a four-year  period  concluded that “between 15 percent and 25 percent[!!] of the variation  in  profitability was determined by the character of their chief  executives.”<em> “… sound leadership has a moral  foundation.”</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n<h3>Integrity</h3>\nSo what’s integrity? One study framed it in terms of ethics  and  morality. Ethics, they said, refers to our standard of right and wrong;  it’s  what we say we believe is right. Morality, on the other hand, is our  lived  standard of right and wrong; it’s what we actually do. “Integrity” means   “complete,” “integrated.” To the degree, then, that our ethic and  morality are  integrated, we have integrity. To the degree that our ethic and morality  are not  integrated, we lack integrity.\n\nLooking at this another way, if John tells you that he will  lie,  cheat and steal from you, he has a low ethic. If he does business that  way, he  also has a low morality. John is unethical and immoral, but he has  integrity –  twisted as it may be – because his morality is consistent with his  ethic. Of  course, when you and I think of integrity, we’re assuming a high ethic  matched  by an equally high morality.\n<h3>Right Things</h3>\nMost of us would probably agree that always acting with  integrity can  be a challenge. Norman Schwarzkopf made this observation: “The truth of  the  matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is  doing  it.”\n\nSeveral years ago, a friend who owned a certain  professional sports  franchise, although his team had just won the national championship, due  to a  failed TV contract found himself $10 million upside down. Many advised  him to  file for bankruptcy, but my friend’s ethic required that he pay his  debts. It  took him 11 years!\n\nHow does one develop this level of integrity? I’m sure it  comes as no  surprise to you that it takes practice and hanging around the right kind  of  people. Stephen Graves and Thomas Addington put it this way in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The  Fourth  Frontier</span>: \"Integrity is a character muscle we either develop or  ignore. And  it\'s rarely a last minute decision. It requires discipline. It comes  from years  of practice or, at the other extreme, years of neglect…Our integrity is  shaped  not only by our personal decisions, but also by the company we keep…Good   character keeps good company.\"\n<h3>Personal Observation</h3>\nOne other tip, if I may, that I’ve found helpful in  developing  integrity. The Bible says that God searches the earth in order to  strengthen  those who are totally committed to him (2 Chronicles 16:9). I’ve  discovered that  when my driving and guiding ambition is not simply to build a  reputation, but to  serve God and his people, then God lends his power to my efforts to have integrity, and that seems to make a significant  difference.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo by <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigdamlo/4582417149/\">Craig Damlo</a></span>', 'Leadership Integrity Ethics and Morals', 'Leadership, Integrity Ethics and Morals. How do you relate the words.  In this guest post by Jim Furr, you\'ll see an interesting connection...', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-integrity-ethics-and-morals', '', '', '2010-07-18 19:30:22', '2010-07-19 00:30:22', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2818', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(2825, 243, '2010-07-30 10:03:14', '2010-07-30 15:03:14', '\"<em>A hero is someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.</em>\" Bob Dylan\n\nDo you consider yourself a hero?  Think about who your real-life heroes were.  Chances are, they gave more than they took.  Heroes by definition give more than they take.  Many other characteristics may come to mind too.  You may look up to someone who helped you when you couldn\'t help back or someone who took care of someone else less fortunate or someone who shares a common cause with you.\n\nBob Dylan\'s description of a hero rings true for a society.  These aren\'t necessarily personal heroes, but they are society\'s heroes.  You see any culture, especially one built on freedom and respect needs people who take their responsibility seriously.  Our world needs people who understand the responsibility that comes with freedom.  Do you?\n\nConsider your freedom.  What maintains it?  Is your freedom supported by others, or yourself?  What responsibility comes with your freedom?  Are you responsible to look out for others; give more than you take; clean up after yourself?  Do any places come to mind where you\'ve been dropping the ball?  What are you going to do about them?\n\nAs you examine your life, choose to be more responsible and you\'ll improve your impact.  You may even become someone\'s hero today!\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo AP</span>', 'Heroes and Responsibility', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'heroes-and-responsibility', '', '', '2010-07-30 10:03:14', '2010-07-30 15:03:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2825', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(2830, 243, '2010-07-19 15:20:45', '2010-07-19 20:20:45', 'Here\'s episode #1 on getting around the members area, updating your profile.\n\n<object classid=\'clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\' codebase=\'http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0\' width=\'560\' height=\'345\'><param name=\'movie\' value=\'http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\' /><param name=\'flashvars\' value=\'i=88674\' /><param name=\'allowFullScreen\' value=\'true\' /><embed src=\'http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\' flashvars=\'i=88674\' allowFullScreen=\'true\' width=\'560\' height=\'345\' pluginspage=\'http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer\'></embed></object>\n\nIf you have any questions or ideas about the site and the members area, just ask it in the Activity Stream or you can send a note using the <a href=\"/contact/\">Contact Us</a> page.\n\nMike...', 'Members Area Tips - Update Your Profile', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'members-area-tips-update-profile', '', '', '2010-07-19 15:20:45', '2010-07-19 20:20:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2830', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(2833, 243, '2010-07-19 07:01:00', '2010-07-19 12:01:00', 'Join us for a <strong><em>free </em></strong>webinar this Wednesday July 21, 2010 at 3 PM Eastern\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia,palatino;\">Framework for Understanding Poverty - and its  effects on leadership and learning</span></span></h2>\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: georgia,palatino;\"><strong>Presented by Rebecca and Jim Holland</strong>\n</span></span>\n\n<span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;\">How is leadership impacted when poverty is present? How are teachers,  mentors and leaders accepted in impoverished states? This session will explore the  dynamics of poverty and how relationships, hidden rules, and formal versus casual language all impact education, teaching and leadership. We will review  findings from Dr. Ruby Payne’s research and discuss how leaders can build  relationships.</span>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://lcgwebinarjuly2010.eventbrite.com?ref=ebtn\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/registerbutton?eid=729056628\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Register for July 2010 Lead Change Webinar in Online  on Eventbrite\" /></a></p>\n<span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;\">Rebecca Holland, is  an experienced educator and parent who has dedicated her time and talents to leading children  and youth. A graduate of Utah State University, Becky has a degree in Early Childhood Education and certificates in LindaMood-Bell learning  processes (LIPs) and Mathematical Thinking (MTI) and currently teaches  Kindergarten for an Idaho Title I school focusing on poor and academically challenged  students in the Meridian Idaho school district. Becky has been trained in A  Framework for Poverty by Dr. Ruby Payne.</span>\n\n<span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;\"> In her spare time,  Becky enjoys gardening, landscaping and exploring the outdoors. A mother  of four children, Becky has worked in community and religious groups  leading children from ages 4 to 18.</span>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://lcgwebinarjuly2010.eventbrite.com?ref=ebtn\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/registerbutton?eid=729056628\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Register for July 2010 Lead Change Webinar in Online  on Eventbrite\" /></a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; font-size: xx-small;\">Photo by <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/heycoach/1197947341/\">Mark Brannan</a></p>', 'Free Webinar - The Effect of Poverty on Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'free-webinar-effect-poverty-leadership', '', '', '2010-07-19 07:01:00', '2010-07-19 12:01:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2833', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(2846, 243, '2010-07-19 16:00:53', '2010-07-19 21:00:53', 'What are all of these friend requests in the member\'s area and what should you do with them?  Friend requests are a way to filter the amount of information you have access to as the community grows.  Here is a video explaining how to get started with them.\n\n<object classid=\'clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\' codebase=\'http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0\' width=\'560\' height=\'345\'><param name=\'movie\' value=\'http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\' /><param name=\'flashvars\' value=\'i=88678\' /><param name=\'allowFullScreen\' value=\'true\' /><embed src=\'http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\' flashvars=\'i=88678\' allowFullScreen=\'true\' width=\'560\' height=\'345\' pluginspage=\'http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer\'></embed></object>', 'Members Area Tips - Friend Requests', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'members-area-tips-friend-requests', '', '', '2010-07-19 16:00:53', '2010-07-19 21:00:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2846', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(2852, 243, '2010-07-20 10:58:10', '2010-07-20 15:58:10', 'Here\'s a video about getting around the menus in the members area of the site.\n\n<object classid=\'clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\' codebase=\'http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0\' width=\'560\' height=\'345\'><param name=\'movie\' value=\'http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\' /><param name=\'flashvars\' value=\'i=88693\' /><param name=\'allowFullScreen\' value=\'true\' /><embed src=\'http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\' flashvars=\'i=88693\' allowFullScreen=\'true\' width=\'560\' height=\'345\' pluginspage=\'http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer\'></embed></object>', 'Members Area Tips - Menu Navigation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'members-area-tips-menu-navigation', '', '', '2010-07-20 10:58:10', '2010-07-20 15:58:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2852', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(2858, 243, '2010-07-20 16:32:06', '2010-07-20 21:32:06', 'One of the most powerful features of the site is the ability to create your own links.  You have great resources and ideas, so share them.  This is one of the places in the site where you can share links to services, tools and resources that will each of us make a positive difference!\n\n<object classid=\'clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\' codebase=\'http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0\' width=\'560\' height=\'345\'><param name=\'movie\' value=\'http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\' /><param name=\'flashvars\' value=\'i=88706\' /><param name=\'allowFullScreen\' value=\'true\' /><embed src=\'http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\' flashvars=\'i=88706\' allowFullScreen=\'true\' width=\'560\' height=\'345\' pluginspage=\'http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer\'></embed></object>', 'Members Area Tips - Links', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'members-area-tips-links', '', '', '2010-07-20 16:32:06', '2010-07-20 21:32:06', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2858', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(2867, 243, '2010-07-20 10:23:58', '2010-07-20 15:23:58', '<em>Update: We had technical issues with this interview.  Heather has graciously agreed to let me try this again this coming Thursday, July 29 at 4 PM Eastern.\n</em>\n\nLead Change people are trying to make a positive difference by applying and developing as leaders.  One member that I\'m honored to know is Heather Coleman (<a title=\"Heather\'s profile on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/heatherecoleman\">@HeatherEColeman</a>).  Heather is the training coordinator at the Ferndale (MI) Career Center and owner of <a title=\"Career Savvy\'s Facebook Page\" href=\"http://www.facebook.com/CareerSavvy\">Career Savvy</a>.  I don\'t think any place in the US has been harder hit from an employment perspective than the Detroit, Michigan area.  Heather trains people how to embrace their circumstances, social media, their experience, skills, energy and their network to change their situation and make a positive difference.\n\nHeather develops and leads over 25 specialized seminars and workshops, special  events, networks with community business leaders, oversees professional  marketing sites, and creates marketing pieces for programs. Teaches  approximately 600 clients on a monthly basis.  She also trains customers and small business professionals in the utilization of  social media PR.\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Almost everyone I know in Michigan I met through Heather.  You won\'t want to miss this broadcast.  You can click the image below to listen to the show live at 3 PM Eastern time Thursday July 22, 2010 or shortly after the show, that button will start the replay.  Either way, I think you\'ll enjoy meeting Heather Coleman.</p>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/MTFhNDMzYjdmMjU*MGM1YWI1MzBjYzQxNTA2MGQ1YiZvZj*w.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /><object id=\"btr\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"btr\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"FlashVars\" value=\"gig_lt=1280549944444&amp;gig_pt=1280549952343&amp;gig_g=2\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D1166790&amp;autostart=true&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;borderweight=1&amp;bordercolor=#999999&amp;backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&amp;dashboardcolor=#0098CB&amp;textcolor=#F0F0F0&amp;detailscolor=#FFFFFF&amp;playlistcolor=#999999&amp;playlisthovercolor=#333333&amp;cornerradius=10&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&amp;C1=7&amp;C2=6042973&amp;C3=31&amp;C4=&amp;C5=&amp;C6=&amp;hostname=Mike Henry Sr.&amp;hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"gig_lt=1280549944444&amp;gig_pt=1280549952343&amp;gig_g=2\" /><embed id=\"btr\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D1166790&amp;autostart=true&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;borderweight=1&amp;bordercolor=#999999&amp;backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&amp;dashboardcolor=#0098CB&amp;textcolor=#F0F0F0&amp;detailscolor=#FFFFFF&amp;playlistcolor=#999999&amp;playlisthovercolor=#333333&amp;cornerradius=10&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&amp;C1=7&amp;C2=6042973&amp;C3=31&amp;C4=&amp;C5=&amp;C6=&amp;hostname=Mike Henry Sr.&amp;hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\" flashvars=\"gig_lt=1280549944444&amp;gig_pt=1280549952343&amp;gig_g=2\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"btr\"></embed></object>\n', 'Meet LeadChange Heather Coleman', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-heather-coleman', '', '', '2010-07-20 10:23:58', '2010-07-20 15:23:58', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2867', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(2883, 245, '2010-07-21 08:09:43', '2010-07-21 13:09:43', 'Little League has finally come to an end for our family this season.  Between watching my son’s  regular-season games and my nephew’s all-star games, we’ve logged some significant bleacher time this spring and summer. It’s a great place to watch the interplay of talent and heart.\n<h3>Talent</h3>\nTalent—well, that’s all over the field, even in kids as young as nine years of age.<!--more--> It’s amazing to see those little bodies diving for (and catching) balls, hitting home runs and sliding into second base.  Some kids are naturals and others come by it from time spent at expensive indoor “elite” practice fields, but it’s there all the same.\n<h3>Heart</h3>\nHeart—that shows up too, but in different ways. At our son’s first game this season, the opposing team’s catcher took a hard hit to the hand and was sidelined.  As the one coach helped him off the field, the other coaches convened to figure out whom to put into the game.  From inside the dug-out, we heard a high-pitched voice yell, “Put me in, coach!  I can do it!” That’s <em>heart</em>.\n\nWhen it comes to leading a team, be it Little League, or Company, leaders need both talent <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">and</span> heart in their players.  The old adage goes, “hire for attitude, train for skill.” Given an ideal workplace scenario, wouldn’t we love all of our employees to have a generous heaping of both heart <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">and</span> talent? This is the real world, though and so I ask you, the Lead Change members:\n\nIf you are considering two potential team members, and one is stronger in “heart” and the other is stronger in “talent”—which would you choose?\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo by Ed Yourdon</span>', 'Integrate Talent and Heart in Your Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'integrate-talent-and-heart-in-your-leadership', '', '', '2010-07-21 08:09:43', '2010-07-21 13:09:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2883', 0, 'post', '', 32),
(2927, 243, '2010-08-23 07:53:09', '2010-08-23 12:53:09', 'The definitions of words intrigue me.  Words can have multiple meanings.  Think of one quick (clean) example, the word coast.  It can mean someplace we hope the oil doesn\'t ruin or it can mean to neither accelerate or brake (as opposed to break).\n\nI\'ve spoken before about character-based leadership as leading from <em>who</em> you are rather than your position.  The word <em>leader</em> gets a second, clarifying meaning.  I don\'t mean to confuse, but to clarify, although many people have tried to convince me otherwise.  When your followers follow you with energy because they believe you\'re on their side, you\'re being a character based leader.  When they do it because you\'re the boss, well, let\'s call that positional leadership (and keep this clean).\n\nThe double meaning of the word <em>leader </em>creates a question: are there two meanings for <em>follower</em>?  The reason why I ask is related to intention.  Many wonderful people are training leaders.  Many definitions of <em>leader</em> or<em> leadership</em> suggest the presence of followers.  So what happens when we\'ve taught everyone to lead?  Do we need to grow more followers?  Will our supply of people to convert into leaders eventually run dry?\n\nWhat do you want to be when you grow up?\n\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/rJB0CzlzSwY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1\" /><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/rJB0CzlzSwY&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"></embed></object>\n\nI submit few want to <em>be</em> a follower, although we all serve in that capacity at some time.  I suggest there might be a second meaning for the word follower.  Seth  Godin wrote a leadership book titled Linchpin.  A linchpin is a  necessary person, but not necessarily the one in charge.  Their character  and their personal commitments make them something more than one who  \"just does what they\'re told.\"  Godin uses the term \"linchpin.\"\n\nSo do you want to be a follower when you grow up?  What word would you use?\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo by<a title=\"ducks in a row\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandonschauer/2002866892/\" target=\"_blank\"> bschmove on Flickr</a></span>', 'Of Followers and Leaders', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'followers-leaders', '', '', '2010-08-23 07:53:09', '2010-08-23 12:53:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2927', 0, 'post', '', 60),
(2930, 246, '2010-07-26 09:38:40', '2010-07-26 14:38:40', '<em>This post has been modified but was originally posted on <a title=\"Ready To Feedback blog\" href=\"http://readytofeedback.com/?p=825\" target=\"_blank\">Ready To Feedback</a> in December 2009.  Sonia was trying to get 100 responses.  Can you add to the total?</em>\n<h3><strong>Have you ever received positive, inspiring feedback in your life? </strong> <strong>How did this feedback make you feel?</strong></h3>\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">TIP – Feed these feelings forward</span></strong>\n\nHelp someone else<!--more--> feel like this. Give someone positive, inspiring feedback in the coming week.\n\nRepeat often.\n\nAdd to the 6-word stories collection (started on December 5, 2009) on how powerful, inspiring feedback made you feel. Why?  To inspire others to recreate these powerful motivating feelings in others. It’s time to <strong>Lead Change</strong>!\n\nLet your feelings guide your 6-word selection.\n\n<strong>Share your story </strong>by adding it to this post as a comment.\n\nBelow is the inspiring 6-word story collection of S. Max Brown (Twitter: <a title=\"S. Max Brown on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/smaxbrown\" target=\"_blank\">@smaxbrown</a>) to get your creativity started!\n\n1. Life is good. I can serve.\n2. Hope breathes life into my work.\n3. Feeling good, I become other focused.\n4. Inspired by kindness, I do more.\n5. Engaged, cooperative, teamwork brings great results.\n6. Trust is built conversation by conversation.\n7. Knowing where I stand today — priceless.\n8. Anxiety goes away when you share.\n9. Relationship established, now I can work.\n10. Recharged, renewed, reinvigorated, refocused! Thank you.\n11. Your greatest gift: words that lift.\n12. Why appreciate me? Because you matter.\n13. How do I serve? Love more.\n14. Why me? You are perfectly appropriate.\n15. Perfect? No. But I’ll give everything.\n16. Can we all do more? Yes!\n17. Celebrate today to recharge for tomorrow.\n18. Being human is a gift — appreciate.\n19. Words define: Treat me respectfully — please.\n20. I want to do good work.\n21. Humbled, I listen and ask questions.\n22. We all need to feel important.\n23. Self-esteem boosts performance, ego destroys it.\n24. If you don’t give feedback: LEARN.\n25. My charge is clear: Let’s ROLL!\n<h3>What\'s Your Story?</h3>\n• 1_______ 2_______ 3_______ 4_______ 5_______ 6_______ – YOU', 'A Tip for Giving Powerful Inspiring Feedback', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'tip-giving-powerful-inspiring-feedback', '', '', '2010-07-26 09:38:40', '2010-07-26 14:38:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2930', 0, 'post', '', 68),
(2977, 247, '2010-07-27 09:06:51', '2010-07-27 14:06:51', 'How do you lead when you’re a solopreneur or a *very* small businessperson? My business, <a title=\"Crossroads Communications on the Web\" href=\"http://mandyvavrinak.com\">Crossroads Communications</a>, is primarily myself and my husband. While we work with a network of partners and trusted providers for some projects, on a daily basis we have no employees, no co-workers... it’s just us. And since I spend a good chunk of most days out of the office in meetings or on site at client facilities, it’s not even us, it’s just him and just me.<!--more-->\n\nHow do you lead when you’re alone? More importantly, how do you create positive change in the world through leadership as a solopreneur?\n\nLeadership isn’t defined by one person being in charge of or “leading” others. It is an attitude and an approach characterized by commitment to ethical, moral, self-directed behavior designed to accomplish set goals. Knowing where you want to go is the first step to leading alone. Then, you must examine your attitudes, biases, commitments and beliefs to determine whether your goals are truly in alignment with your personal moral compass. If not, set some different ones. You can’t lead effectively if you don’t believe.\n\nOnce you’ve set goals that are in alignment with your beliefs, leading alone is a matter of choosing to do, every day, that which is best for those you come into contact with through the course of your day. Every time I meet with clients, I have an opportunity to lead through my conduct, how I share knowledge, how I present opportunities and challenges and how I handle objections or misgivings. I have an obligation to serve my clients in a way that meets my moral standards and accomplishes my goal of fulfilling their expectations and helping them achieve.\n\nI carefully choose the businesses and clients I work with. I view it as a relationship... a partnership. I get to know them and their business and I need to believe in what they wish to sell, share, promote or grow. If I can’t believe, I don’t work with them (though I’ll recommend another provider). Leading alone sometimes means making difficult choices based on maintaining the alignment of my moral compass and my business goals.\n\nAlways consider the impact your life and your actions, especially when viewed from afar, may have on others. I’m a mom of 4 and I’m often asked,  “How do you do it?” Every time I answer that question, I have an opportunity to share why I’ve made the choices I have... why my office is at home, why my husband and I are partners, why we’ve chosen to keep our business small. When someone sees me working for an hour between meetings at a Starbucks or reads my tweets or Facebook updates... I am leading alone. Who knows what inspires someone, or disenchants them? Leadership doesn’t take holidays.\n<div>To me, every day is a powerful opportunity to lead within the framework of my everyday life. Having employees,  co-workers or even daily face-to-face interactions isn’t necessary to lead... having the right attitude and alignment is.</div>', 'Leading Alone', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leading-alone', '', '', '2010-07-27 09:06:51', '2010-07-27 14:06:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2977', 0, 'post', '', 36),
(2996, 243, '2010-07-24 16:35:20', '2010-07-24 21:35:20', 'As members of this group can attest, there are several types of leadership.  We\'ve written before about <a href=\"/good-leadership-vs-effective-leadership/\">good leadership</a>, and <a href=\"/biased-justification-for-poor-leadership/\">benevolent tyrants</a> and we speak often of what we call character-based leadership.  When you lead from <em>who-you-are</em> rather than your position or power, you\'re a character-based leader.\n\nSo when we decided to launch a webinar series <!--more-->for the Contributing Members of the group, we wanted to start with what we feel is the most important single leadership ability: Leading Yourself.  This is Episode 1 of the <a href=\"/leadership-character-series/\">Leadership Character series</a>.  Monica Diaz will be presenting a webinar this Tuesday at 3 PM Eastern on the first <em>and last </em>responsibility of any leader, that of <em><strong>Leading Yourself</strong></em>.   An effective character-based leader must constantly be working on their  character, developing, growing and continuously improving in the area  of self-leadership.\n\nMonica Diaz is one of the initial Contributing Members of the group and she is the Owner of Quidam Global and author of <a title=\"Otheresteem Website\" href=\"http://www.otheresteem.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Otheresteem: Regaining the Power to Value Others.</a> She is also one of the Instigators, members of the group who attended  LeaderPalooza 2010 and one of the authors of The LeadChange Revolution  ebook.\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Since this is episode 1, we\'re opening this up to all of the members of the group.  Space is limited.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://leadingyourself.eventbrite.com?ref=ebtn\" target=\"_blank\"><img src=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/registerbutton?eid=767828596\" border=\"0\" alt=\"Register for Leading Yourself by Monica Diaz on Eventbrite\" /></a></p>\nYou can <a title=\"Eventbrite page for Leading Yourself\" href=\"http://leadingyourself.eventbrite.com/\">Register Now</a> or take your chances and just connect to the call <a href=\"http://connectpro10696177.na5.acrobat.com/leadingyourself/\">at this link.</a> But don\'t miss it.  This is the start of something special!', 'Leadership Character Episode 1 Leading Yourself', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-character-episode-1-leading-yourself', '', '', '2010-07-24 16:35:20', '2010-07-24 21:35:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=2996', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(3007, 243, '2010-07-26 16:23:01', '2010-07-26 21:23:01', 'This week\'s featured guest for Meet LeadChange is Jennifer Miller (<a href=\"http://twitter.com/jennifervmiller\">@JenniferVMiller</a>) of The People-Equation.  The broadcast will air Thursday July 29, 2010 at 3 PM Eastern on <a title=\"Meet LeadChange with Jennifer Miller\" href=\"http://blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2010/07/29/meet-leadchange-jennifer-miller\">Blog Talk Radio</a>.  You can also listen to a replay of the broadcast afterward at the same link.\n\nJennifer V. Miller is the Managing Partner of SkillSource, a  leadership training and consulting company that helps emerging leaders  “master the people equation”.  Jennifer taps into her 15+ years of  experience as a human resources generalist, training facilitator and  corporate manager to help develop the “people side” of those who want to  maximize their influence. An avid writer, her work has been featured in  Executive Travel magazine, ForbesWoman.com and OfficePolitics.com. She  blogs at The People Equation.<!--more-->\n\nShe is a Contributing Member in the LeadChange Group and her first contribution was the post <a title=\"Integrate Talent and Heart in Your Leadership\" href=\"/integrate-talent-and-heart-in-your-leadership/\">Integrate Talent and Heart in Your Leadership.</a> Registered members can connect with Jennifer on her LeadChange profile.  Anyone can also connect with her on LinkedIn too.\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/MTFhNDMzYjdmMjU*MGM1YWI1MzBjYzQxNTA2MGQ1YiZvZj*w1.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /><object id=\"btr\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"btr\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"FlashVars\" value=\"gig_lt=1280550213420&amp;gig_pt=1280550216144&amp;gig_g=2\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D1159721&amp;autostart=true&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;borderweight=1&amp;bordercolor=#999999&amp;backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&amp;dashboardcolor=#0098CB&amp;textcolor=#F0F0F0&amp;detailscolor=#FFFFFF&amp;playlistcolor=#999999&amp;playlisthovercolor=#333333&amp;cornerradius=10&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&amp;C1=7&amp;C2=6042973&amp;C3=31&amp;C4=&amp;C5=&amp;C6=&amp;hostname=Mike Henry Sr.&amp;hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"gig_lt=1280550213420&amp;gig_pt=1280550216144&amp;gig_g=2\" /><embed id=\"btr\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D1159721&amp;autostart=true&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;borderweight=1&amp;bordercolor=#999999&amp;backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&amp;dashboardcolor=#0098CB&amp;textcolor=#F0F0F0&amp;detailscolor=#FFFFFF&amp;playlistcolor=#999999&amp;playlisthovercolor=#333333&amp;cornerradius=10&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&amp;C1=7&amp;C2=6042973&amp;C3=31&amp;C4=&amp;C5=&amp;C6=&amp;hostname=Mike Henry Sr.&amp;hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\" flashvars=\"gig_lt=1280550213420&amp;gig_pt=1280550216144&amp;gig_g=2\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"btr\"></embed></object>', 'Meet LeadChange Jennifer Miller', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-jennifer-miller', '', '', '2010-07-26 16:23:01', '2010-07-26 21:23:01', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3007', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(3019, 248, '2010-07-28 07:40:30', '2010-07-28 12:40:30', 'What catches my attention today are things that lift me up: music, movies, people, books, and my communities of people.  I’m no different than many others who are exhausted by the relentless and seemingly unending barrage of sad news stories. I find them to be one sided. So, I seek ways to find a ways to lift my spirits.<!--more-->\n\nWhat Lead Change provides is a place to find optimism. To find possibility. To find a network of people who still believe that leadership and change can be a source of good. In short it’s inspiring.\n\nSo what makes Lead Change Group uplifting? Here’s what does it for me:\n<ul>\n	<li>Articles on leadership that assist me when I need it.</li>\n	<li>Webinars from people who pay attention in their worlds and teach what they’ve learned from their mistakes and from their success</li>\n	<li>Content that’s created in the moment – fresh, relevant, applicable</li>\n	<li>Available online network of professionals to give me feedback on my ideas or to share ideas</li>\n</ul>\nThis site is about bringing together a community of change leaders who believe in the humanity of business. Sound too good to be true? That’s another reason why I connect with people on this site. It is true. That’s why it’s uplifting, inspiring, and a great community of people.', 'Lead Change Group Inspires', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'lead-change-group-inspires', '', '', '2010-07-28 07:40:30', '2010-07-28 12:40:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3019', 0, 'post', '', 20);
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(3060, 243, '2010-08-02 11:00:02', '2010-08-02 16:00:02', 'On Thursday, August 5, our guest for Meet LeadChange is none other than Steve Keating (<a title=\"Steve Keating on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/leadtoday\">@LeadToday</a>)!\n\nSteve is Selling Skills Manager for a large global corporation  developing and administering their worldwide effort to inject  leadership into their sales and sales management process.  On Twitter he\'s  become famous for his weekend trivia and his passion for  ethical, long-term-focused management and individual character-based leadership.  He has been a member of LeadChange since  the very beginning and is one of the Contributing Members of the group.   He will be presenting the <a href=\"/leadership-character-series/\" target=\"_self\">Leadership Character webinar</a> on Vision and Leadership on August 17, 2010 to the Contributing members of the group.<!--more-->\n\nYou can listen to the broadcast live by clicking the player below on Thursday August 5 at 3 PM Eastern or anytime thereafter you\'ll get the replay.  I hope you enjoy getting to know this LeadChange friend!\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/MGM1YWI1MzBjYzQxNTA2MGQ1Yg==.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /><object id=\"1166799\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"1166799\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1166799&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1166799&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" /><embed id=\"1166799\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1166799&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1166799&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"1166799\"></embed></object>', 'Meet LeadChange Steve Keating', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-steve-keating', '', '', '2010-08-02 11:00:02', '2010-08-02 16:00:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3060', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(3070, 243, '2010-08-02 08:08:59', '2010-08-02 13:08:59', '<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>This is a guest post by Dr. Jack King (<a href=\"http://twitter.com/drjackking\">@DrJackKing</a>) of <a title=\"The NorthFork Center for Servant Leadership\" href=\"http://www.northforkcsl.org/\" target=\"_blank\">The Northfork Center for Servant Leadership</a>.  Jack has been a great friend and supporter on LinkedIn and Twitter.  Don\'t miss this great post and video.</em></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><span style=\"color: #0066ff;\">“It’s a great moment when someone has character to step up and do the right thing, at the right time.”</span></em>\n~Pam Knox, Head Coach, Western Oregon</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We all know leadership when we see it.  The problem for most of us is this: we expect leadership greatness to look something like a CEO, the Chairman of the Board, or the President.  We have somehow come to a place where leadership is commensurate with graybeards waxing long on the wisdom of the ages.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">You are invited to view a clip that’s proof positive leadership is anything but old people (mostly men) telling everyone else what to do.  You see, leadership never was about power, position, perks, prestige, or privilege.  Instead, it’s always been about people, and it has always manifested itself as someone of character.  Anne Frank said, \"Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness.”</p>\nMallory Holtman, the conference home run king, embodies this goodness.  Her Central Washington softball team is behind in the second game of a double-header in a quest for the conference championship.  As you may guess, there’s a lot at stake.  Every decision matters, especially with their opponent at bat.  On the second pitch in the top of the second inning of the second game with two runners on, Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky hits <em>her</em> first career home run.  But there’s a problem.  Only a true leader will do what Mallory does next.\n\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/1PhvXyoGVFw&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1?rel=0\" /><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"480\" height=\"385\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/1PhvXyoGVFw&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1?rel=0\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"></embed></object>\n\nMallory and her Central Washington team went on to lose the game that day.  But what they found will carry them — and all of the graybeards who realize just how much they have to learn from young &amp; emerging leaders like Mallory — through a lifetime: leadership is love.\n\nThe next time we go looking for leadership, let us remember leadership without love is no leadership at all.', 'Character – A Greater Victory', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'character-a-greater-victory', '', '', '2010-08-02 08:08:59', '2010-08-02 13:08:59', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3070', 0, 'post', '', 76),
(3078, 249, '2010-08-03 08:31:55', '2010-08-03 13:31:55', 'Mountains are beautiful from a distance, especially when we don’t need to hike over them to get somewhere else.\n\nImagine what the mountains meant to the early pioneers traveling across the vast prairie in search of the Great Northwest. They were not a welcomed sight, but rather, the very definition of hardship. It took days to travel even a few miles. The journey was rugged, the work exhausting, the progress minimal. Joy in passing through the rugged range rested completely upon the attitude of the pioneer.\n\nTrials and hardships in life are like mountains. They are inevitable, challenging, unwanted obstacles, and much more beautiful when looking back on those recently conquered.\n\nToday, many of us live in the midst of mountains. And so the question must be asked – how is your attitude?\n\nI speak often on the importance of maintaining control of our attitudes. The ability to “set the tone” for our day, everyday, is critical for success in the face of the mountains that challenge us today. It is difficult; to say the least, to remain positive when it seems as if every light at the end of the tunnel is just another train on it’s way to running us over. It might even be impossible to do it alone.\n\nSo….I’d like to offer a small suggestion – don’t try to do it alone. Simul-climb! Simul-climbing is a technique used by experienced rock climbers to move up a rock wall with a steady pace, it also allows the peak to be reached much faster. Simul-climbing is basically two climbers roped together climbing at the same time. While it offers many advantages there seems to be one big shortcoming, if one falls, they both fall. This causes simul-climbers to be very selective when choosing a partner.\n\nPick a partner that will help you maintain control over your attitude and someone that you can help as well. This is a person who you can share your challenges with, one that offers advice and encouragement and accepts the same from you. Tie yourself to this person and attack the mountains that stand in the way of your eventual success. Remember, if you fall and your attitude goes south on you, you will be taking someone else with you. So don’t fall!', 'Mountains To Climb', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'mountains-to-climb', '', '', '2010-08-03 08:31:55', '2010-08-03 13:31:55', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3078', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(3087, 250, '2010-08-04 06:30:03', '2010-08-04 11:30:03', '‘Leadership’ has been defined, re-defined and re-re-defined. While there are many ways to demonstrate leadership and as many different situations demanding even more hybrid applications of leadership: in order for people to work in organized and efficient modes toward successful results, leadership is required.\n\nIn the context of the fast-paced, ever changing workplace of today, the most successful leaders are those who face new challenges with current and relevant solutions. Those who attempt to solve the issues of today with the solutions of yesterday may find themselves obsolete. That would be like trying to run the newest version of Excel on the 286 microprocessor.\n\nOne of the most successful approaches to the current demands is the style, ‘leader as coach’. ‘Leaders who coach’ balance their concern with people performance with the goals of the company. The ‘leader as coach’ models the behavior desired by those around him or her. They serve as mentor and teacher allowing individual talent to flourish. They foster independence and accountability by exercising a high level of engagement. They often surround themselves with people as talented or more talented than they are and continue to develop them. Rather than being threatened by the talent of subordinates, they link arms and treat them as valued colleagues.\n\nThis type of leadership fosters a culture where long-term performance is valued over short-term. The hierarchy is blurred with fewer levels of command replaced by a stronger informal network and increased communication between people. This builds a foundation of trust and inclusion. This type of leadership is nimble and agile in responding to change. This culture is prepared for the future to hold the unexpected in both threatening and opportunistic forms.\n\n‘Leaders who coach’ are strong in adaptability and secure in their roles. They equip their people with the knowledge and tools they need to make sustainable decisions on their own. In these environments, performance and flexibility are a passion. These adaptive leaders value differences of opinion and encourage the healthy debate. As a result, employees feel valued and loyalty is the norm.\n\nThis type of leadership is certainly a contradiction at first glance. However, what these leaders know and understand is that in ever-changing environments, the best way to maintain control is to give it away. As they empower their employees, a more confident workforce emerges.\n\nAs we observe companies failing on a regular basis, organizations that are faced with instability and stress will suffer the same result as all other living things under the same circumstances, they must adapt to what they are faced with or they will become extinct. This elevates the necessity for agility and adaptability as the basis for survival.\n\nOrganizations being led by this type of leadership must have some very unique skills. Most employees must have the goal of becoming great problem solvers with well-honed decision-making skills within their areas of responsibility. The more volatile the environment - the less time to get final approval on every decision from the top. This requires that people be able to identify trends, principals and processes and feel confident in making decisions that advance the organization’s objectives.\n\nOrganizations focused on the development and performance of all employees will create a common thread of organic knowledge transfer. Succession planning will develop as the natural result of talent management, as opposed to an annual structured event. Customer response time will increase as more ownership is fostered and expected.\n\nNo longer is the dictatorial ‘command and control’ leadership model effective in response to the challenges of today’s workplace. Perhaps, we should begin identifying and developing leaders who coach for tomorrow’s success.  There are those who will claim this model will never work, that people must be controlled and told what to do.  I challenge them to find talented people who desire an oppressive workplace.\n\nThis is certainly a shift that will take time and planning, as well as culture transformation. However, the investment today may provide ongoing success in the future.', 'Leaders Who Coach', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-who-coach', '', '', '2010-08-04 06:30:03', '2010-08-04 11:30:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3087', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(3093, 243, '2010-08-02 07:30:06', '2010-08-02 12:30:06', 'There are over 30 great articles on leadership that you can get to in one place over at <a title=\"http://jasonseiden.com\" href=\"http://jasonseiden.com/\">Jason Seiden\'s blog</a>.  Check out the Leadership Development Carnival - Fail Style compiled this month by Jason for some great leadership ideas.  And if you like the post, take a minute to comment or connect in some way.  We all grow through the conversation.\n', 'Leadership Development Carnival – Fail Style', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-development-carnival-fail-style', '', '', '2010-08-02 07:30:06', '2010-08-02 12:30:06', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3093', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(3111, 251, '2010-08-05 08:02:10', '2010-08-05 13:02:10', 'I\'m starting with the man in the mirror\nI\'m asking him to change his ways\nAnd no message could have been any clearer\nIf you wanna make the world a better place\nTake a look at yourself, and then make a change\n\n~Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson\n\nLeaders use their heads to manage and their hearts to lead.  If you aspire to be that kind of leader, getting your interactions with others right depends on you getting you right –<em><strong> first</strong></em>.\n\nAnd getting you right requires:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">…<strong>introspection</strong>: casting a caring yet clinical eye on your interests, skills, qualities and values; and</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">…<strong>self-awareness</strong>: a non-judgmental understanding of how you respond, react, engage and interact.</p>\nGetting to know what makes you tick requires a super-sized serving of fortitude – sometimes that mirror reflects self truths we’d prefer not to know.  It’s much easier to point a finger at the management teams of BP, Toyota, Lehman Brothers and on and on and declare that their leadership practices need to change.  That’s really tackling the 800 pound gorilla!  A gorilla that’s of a scale and scope beyond our reach.\n\nYet what is within our reach is stopping to consider our very own leadership legacy. Is it a good story? A bad story? A so-so story that could be better?  If so, that’s an 800 pound gorilla that <strong>can be</strong> conquered one bite at a time. Get connected to what goes on in your head and your heart, and then use that wisdom and knowledge to connect with, lead and inspire others.\n\nA couple bites to chew on…\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Your hot buttons</strong>.  Get familiar with what sets you off and prepare ahead of time.  One of my hot buttons is missed deadlines, especially those that come and go without advance notice that there’s a problem.  My workaround has been to use a two-part ground rule that communicated early on:  deadlines are jointly negotiated and a heads-up regarding barriers to completion is an expected practice and courtesy.</li>\n	<li><strong>How you like to learn.</strong> Do you learn best by doing? Reading? Touching? Seeing? Noodling it over? Tailor your own practices to fit your style.  Share those insights with those around you so they don’t have to waste time guessing.</li>\n	<li><strong>Your top five values.</strong> Many life and career mistakes, and heartache, can be avoided by making the time to inventory those principles that are “must haves” in your life. Taking a wrong-fit job will become a thing of the past as will feeling unfulfilled and disengaged.</li>\n	<li><strong>What you are really good at doing.</strong> Get a firm grip on your strengths and put yourself in situations where you can maximize them <a href=\"http://hbr.org/2009/02/stop-overdoing-your-strengths/ar/1\" target=\"_blank\">(without over-playing them).</a></li>\n	<li><strong>Personal skills that are lacking. </strong>Knowing your weakness is really strength. If you’re an introvert and meeting strangers makes your stomach knot up, the nonprofit job you’re considering that requires you to regularly network with community leaders to raise funds probably has a skill gap between your preferences and the job requirements that’s too large to bridge successfully.</li>\n</ul>\nI’m fond of saying that real leaders think more about we and less about me. To achieve such a thoughtfully self-aware position, real leaders must first focus on themselves, getting firmly grounded in their own emotional intelligence so they can be successful in leading others.\n\nI\'m gonna make a change,\nFor once in my life\nIt\'s gonna feel real good,\nGonna make a difference\nGonna make it right . . .\n\n~Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo © thereisnosquare</span>', 'DIY Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'diy-leadership', '', '', '2010-08-05 08:02:10', '2010-08-05 13:02:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3111', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(3142, 243, '2010-08-06 16:00:26', '2010-08-06 21:00:26', 'We\'ve been talking all month about self-leadership.  We have stressed the importance of leading ourselves.  But how does one go about becoming a powerful self-leader.  How do you get trained in self-leadership?\n\nTraditional leadership training creates self-leaders only as a secondary result.  Many times we train people to follow the steps to becoming a leader.  If you have to follow the program, what are you leading?  If you tell someone that they should be more responsible, when they become more responsible, did they do it because you told them?  Are they following you or are they leading?<!--more-->\n\nHere are my 5 steps to identify, encourage, fertilize and grow self-leaders in your organization:\n<ol>\n	<li> Identify the gap between what-is and what-ought-to-be.  The tension between the two is critical.</li>\n	<li> Encourage people who might be able to affect the problem to take responsibility.</li>\n	<li> Provide resources and guidance as requested or needed while they begin to close the gap.</li>\n	<li> Provide insight, coaching and support during and after the process so the self-leader learns for the next time.</li>\n	<li> Publicly endorse the behavior of individuals who take steps 1-4.</li>\n</ol>\nYou can teach people how to identify gaps. And you can train on problem-solving.  Beyond that, individuals need to take responsibility for the gap.  Leading the horse to water and even talking to them about their thirst, doesn\'t necessarily inspire them to drink.  This is the very point at which some argue that leaders are born, rather than made.  Learn to let the tension build so your growing leaders can emerge.  Real character-based leaders want to bring their best performance and personality to work.  If you always tell them what to do, you kill that creativity.  Give them the chance to apply their own creativity without direction.  Sure, it can be scary for us control-freak types, but wouldn\'t it be wonderful if your team did things the best way without constantly being told what to do?  Take a chance and give your self-leaders a chance to shine.  The best ones will relish the opportunity.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">© <a href=\"http://www.fotolia.com/id/2263907\">Linkattivo</a> - Fotolia.com </span>', 'Growing Self-Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'growing-self-leadership', '', '', '2010-08-06 16:00:26', '2010-08-06 21:00:26', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3142', 0, 'post', '', 52),
(3198, 243, '2010-08-09 10:28:09', '2010-08-09 15:28:09', 'Most of us don\'t need to be reminded of the benefits of teamwork. Yet many of us are solo entrepreneurs or people who are looking for work. And all of us want to make a difference.  We want to be better leaders. We know leadership starts with us as we\'ve said over the last few weeks. <!--more-->\n\nBut so what? What difference does any of this really make? If we end it right there, a few hundred people made some new friends on the Internet but nothing else really changed. Has it?\n\nKelly Ketelboeter and I are going to have a conversation tomorrow on the web <a href=\"http://connectpro10696177.na5.acrobat.com/leadchangeupdate/\">at this link</a>. (You can <a href=\"http://augustleadchangewebinar.eventbrite.com\">register and get a reminder here</a>.) I\'m going to talk a little about this community, this website and the possibilities I see from us working together as a team; a team of individual contributors, yet more coordinated than we\'ve been so far.\n\nI found a short video that also communicates many of my sentiments and thoughts about teamwork and this community.  I hope you like it.\n\n<object width=\"480\" height=\"385\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"allowscriptaccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/SII1EU3huuE&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1\" /><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" /><embed width=\"480\" height=\"385\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/SII1EU3huuE&amp;hl=en_US&amp;fs=1\" allowFullScreen=\"true\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" /></object>\n\nWill you join us tomorrow? I\'ll publish a replay of the video too for those of you who can\'t attend.', 'Benefits of Teamwork', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'benefits-of-teamwork', '', '', '2010-08-09 10:28:09', '2010-08-09 15:28:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3198', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(3204, 243, '2010-08-10 05:51:17', '2010-08-10 10:51:17', 'Our guest on Meet LeadChange this week is Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter (<a title=\"Jacqui\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/valueintowords\" target=\"_blank\">@ValueIntoWords</a>).  She\'s the owner of Career Trend (<a title=\"Career Trend\" href=\"http://www.careertrend.net\">http://www.careertrend.net</a>) specializing in executive and professional resume writing and career positioning documents.  <!--more-->She is also a certified master resume writer.  Her LinkedIn profile is here.\n\nAt Career Trend, in addition to resumes, they compose cover letters, biographies, leadership addenda, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, executive and professional summaries, power statements … and more.\n\nJacqui has been a member of Lead Change since the very early days.  The show will air this Thursday at 3 PM Eastern.  You can listen live or to a replay by using the player below.  Tune in to find out more about how all of this connects to her passion for leadership development and individual responsibility.\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/MGM1YWI1MzBjYzQxNTA2MGQ1Yg==1.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /><object id=\"1166846\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"1166846\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1166846&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1166846&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" /><embed id=\"1166846\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1166846&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1166846&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"1166846\"></embed></object>', 'Meet LeadChange Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-jacqui-barrett-poindexter', '', '', '2010-08-10 05:51:17', '2010-08-10 10:51:17', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3204', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(3214, 245, '2010-08-10 06:31:44', '2010-08-10 11:31:44', 'While sipping my morning coffee the other day, I stumbled upon an interesting Op-Ed piece by New York Times columnist <a href=\"http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/davidbrooks/index.html?inline=nyt-per\" target=\"_blank\">David Brooks</a> entitled <a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/opinion/03brooks.html?_r=3&amp;ref=davidbrooks\" target=\"_blank\">The Summoned Self</a>.  In it, he outlines two possible ways of thinking about one’s life:\n\n<strong>The Well-Planned Life</strong>: find a clear purpose for your life, and make time each day to work towards creating tangible progress in upholding that purpose.  The Well-Planned Life is well-thought-out, carefully “tweaked” along the way to fit into the overall purpose and concluded with a feeling of achievement.\n\n<strong>The Summoned Life</strong>: life isn’t a “project” to be completed but rather an “unknowable landscape”. Decisions about what to do are based on the context of the situation. The Summoned Life recognizes that there are many unknown factors- illness, war, economic factors and so on that may arise and therefore reshape one’s path.\n\nBrooks summarizes the two outlooks in this way:\n<blockquote>“The person leading the Well-Planned Life emphasizes individual agency and asks, ‘What should I do?” The person leading the Summoned Life emphasizes the context and asks, ‘What are my circumstances asking me to do?’”</blockquote>\nThankfully, he doesn’t pit the two viewpoints against each other, citing one as more effective than the other.  Rather, he suggests at the end of his column that perhaps drawing from both viewpoints will yield a third way of thinking—The Well-Considered Life.\n\nThese viewpoints could also influence how one leads. Knowing how strongly the Lead Change readership feels about the topic of character-based leaders, I have a few questions:\n<ol>\n	<li>In what ways have you seen a person with a Well-Planned viewpoint succeed in leadership?</li>\n	<li>In what ways have you seen a person with a Summoned Life viewpoint succeed?</li>\n	<li>What lessons can we learn from each of the viewpoints?</li>\n</ol>', 'Leadership and The Well-Considered Life', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-and-the-well-considered-life', '', '', '2010-08-10 06:31:44', '2010-08-10 11:31:44', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3214', 0, 'post', '', 20),
(3228, 243, '2010-08-10 14:55:51', '2010-08-10 19:55:51', 'The second installment in the Leadership Character webinar series will be delivered by Steve Keating (@LeadToday) on Tuesday August 17, 2010 at 3 PM Eastern. Steve will discuss the necessary role Vision plays in character-based leadership and how your values are essential to your vision.\n\nSteve is the Selling Skills Manager for Toro Corporation, a global leader in lawn care.  Since 1914 and through the decades, they have become a global leader in turf maintenance equipment and precision  irrigation systems, serving customers from golf course superintendents,  grounds and sports field managers to landscape and irrigation  contractors, agricultural  growers, and homeowners.\n\nSteve and his company\'s leadership understand leadership development is integral to sales and sales management.  Steve has a passion to inspire people to lead by taking responsibility and developing character and a compelling vision for the future.\n\nThe Leadership Character series is for Contributing Members of the group.  A Contributing Member is someone who has agreed to take responsibility for building the community and making sure we make a positive difference.  For more information on becoming a Contributing Member, you can visit this link.  A link to the show will be provided in the Authors and Moderators group.\n\nYou can see the first episode, Leading Yourself by Monica Diaz here.  The <a title=\"Leadership Character Series\" href=\"/leadership-character-series/\" target=\"_self\">entire schedule is posted here. </a>', 'Leadership Character Episode 2 Vision with Steve Keating', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-character-episode-2-vision-with-steve-keating', '', '', '2010-08-10 14:55:51', '2010-08-10 19:55:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3228', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(3237, 252, '2010-08-11 07:54:58', '2010-08-11 12:54:58', 'Our American work culture is evolving.  Many “people in charge” (I hesitate to call them leaders) have lost their way – they’ve have lost track of the <strong>very distinctive value</strong> that Human resources bring to making our businesses prosper.  If we are to capitalize on the unique value of Human beings at work, <strong>the fundamental relationship between people who are employees and the people who manage them must change</strong>.<!--more-->\n\nThe American work culture has gone through plenty of change since the industrial revolution.  In the last 25 years particularly, financial pressures forced companies to move away from taking care of employees to expecting employees <strong>to manage their own careers and create their own job security.  But, we overshot the mark.</strong> This move was made without attending to what it meant, for employees as well as those who manage them.  And who <em>would </em>know how to make this transition?  We may have vaguely foreseen the result of unfettered capitalism, <strong>but who knows where to go from here? </strong>\n\nThe social contract between employees and those representing employers changed once in recent history (when labor unions became necessary), and has to change again.  American business as we know it never had to do this before.  In attempting to make up for giving too much, companies overcompensated by giving too little.  And thus, in their ignorance, many in authority have unintentionally squandered the innate worth all Human beings bring to the table, simply by virtue of being Human.  Having overshot the mark,<strong> we now need to regroup.</strong>\n\n<strong>No matter what kind of leader you are, in title or influence, we all need to take responsibility</strong> for how our interactions at work impact each other and, thus, <strong>our organizations’ effectiveness.</strong> We need to take it to another level.  It’s given that the days of implying unconditional security for employees are over, as is the attitude that employers owe employees that.  And yet, we have to attend to <strong>what we DO owe each other </strong>and even expect and demand of each other.  We must all take responsibility for accomplishing our work and, at the same time, for <strong>respecting each other as Human beings in a deeper way </strong>than ever before.\n\nI’m struck by one definition of “<strong>character-based leadership</strong>” I’ve seen: leadership from who you are rather than your position in an organization or company, community or family.  I have one interpretation of this as meaning “<strong>being a leader when you don’t have to be</strong>.”  So my question is, “what would it mean to show more responsibility toward each other at work, even if we don’t <em>have</em> to?”\n\n<strong>What is your ideal state of a work culture</strong>, <strong>where everyone is practicing character-based leadership</strong>?\n\nNOTE:  <em>This post is based on a manifesto posted on my site.   To see entire manifesto, look here: <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/manifesto/\">www.reimaginework.com/manifesto/</a>.  “Part 2” coming to LeadChange soon.</em>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Image from Microsoft ClipArt.</span>', 'What Does it Take to ReImagine Work Relationships? Part 1', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'reimagine-work-relationships-1', '', '', '2010-08-11 07:54:58', '2010-08-11 12:54:58', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3237', 0, 'post', '', 20),
(3252, 253, '2010-08-12 06:55:31', '2010-08-12 11:55:31', '<em>This post by <a title=\"KnowledgeBishop on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/knowledgebishop\" target=\"_blank\">Tristan Bishop</a> was originally published on his <a title=\"KnowledgeBishop\'s Mission blog\" href=\"http://knowledgebishop.wordpress.com/\">KnowledgeBishop\'s Mission blog</a>.</em>\n\nA salty tear rolled past the border of my digital 3-D glasses.”It’s a cartoon, dad!” said my incredulous 11-year-old, “why are you CRYING?” The Saturday matinee was a cove of contrast: 400 giggling, wiggling kids: 150 weeping parents, each experiencing Toy Story 3 through the lenses of their lives. Through my foggy specs, I clearly saw the towering power of the servant leader.<!--more-->\n\nA few days later, I was talking with a new friend, <a title=\"Trey Pennington on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/treypennington\" target=\"_blank\">Trey Pennington</a>, who had written an <a title=\"Trey Pennington\'s post on Toy Story 3\" href=\"http://go2.wordpress.com/?id=725X1342&amp;site=knowledgebishop.wordpress.com&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Ftreypennington.com%2F2010%2F07%2F12%2Fevery-company-needs-a-sheriff-woody-a-toy-story\" target=\"_blank\">amazing post</a> about how every business needs a “Woody.” I mentioned that I saw Woody as a “servant leader.” Trey, rich with the inspiration that characterizes his work, encouraged me to expound upon the vision.\n\nIn the business world, the notion of servant leadership is attributed to writings of Robert Greenleaf. One of Greenleaf’s stellar passages asserts that a servant leader takes great care to ensure that the “highest priority needs of others” have been met. Because I aspire toward servant leadership in my profession, I couldn’t help but notice how clearly Woody modeled this archetype in Toy Story 3.\n\nWoody had it made. His future was secure. He alone would be heading to college with Andy: onward and upward. But he couldn’t ignore the despair of those he’d led for so long. His team was crushed by the incorrect assumption that Andy no longer cared for them. So Woody left his secure position in Andy’s luggage, risking his own future so that he could educate and encourage those he cared about.\n\nLater in the film, Woody was welcomed into a bright new home, safe in a delightful room among young Bonnie’s friendly toys. And yet, upon learning that his friends were suffering and oppressed, Woody once again left his secure position. Disregarding his own comfort, Woody returned to Sunnyside to lead them through danger to safety. For the second time, Woody demonstrated his servant leadership, placing himself in harm’s way for the good of his friends.\n\nIn the corporate world, the servant leader is willing to sacrifice time and energy, in order to ensure that the team is informed and inspired. The servant leader is willing take necessary political risks, in order to defend the team from false accusations. The professional servant leader finds purpose and fulfillment in denying self for the well-being of the team.\n\nIn the past, it was rare to see servant leadership emphasized as a crucial corporate value. In the future, servant leadership will be a prime predictor of long-term success. So as you ponder servant leadership in your business, don’t ask how you can become more effective. Ask, instead, how you can become more <strong>empathetic</strong>. Effectiveness rises and falls with empathy. <strong>They are inextricably linked</strong>.\n\n<em>This post <a title=\"Servant Leadership: Now in 3D on KnowledgeBishop\'s Mission\" href=\"http://knowledgebishop.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/servant-leadership-now-in-3-d/\" target=\"_self\">originally appeared (July 27, 2010) on Tristan\'s blog</a>, <a href=\"http://knowledgebishop.wordpress.com/\">KnowledgeBishop\'s Mission</a>. </em>', 'Servant Leadership: Now in 3D', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'servant-leadership-3d', '', '', '2010-08-12 06:55:31', '2010-08-12 11:55:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3252', 0, 'post', '', 52),
(3270, 254, '2010-08-13 09:19:36', '2010-08-13 14:19:36', 'When I work with groups, I often do an exercise in “Proactive Self-Definition.” It’s a moving experience that helps people become more aware of inner guides that shape their lives. I ask people to think of that one person from over the span of their entire lifetime that they would most like to be like. I love to watch the reflections in their eyes, and waves of emotion crossing their faces as they arrive upon the “one.” I then ask them to<!--more--> give me five descriptive words or phrases that would tell me how this “most special person” treated them. I often hear adjectives like “Loving,” “Gentle,” and “Caring.” Typical comments are “They really knew and believed in me,” “They were always there in the tough times,” and “They accepted me no matter what.” Very often I hear these people described as “Heroes,” “Angels,” and yes, “Leaders.”\n<blockquote>What 5 words describe the most special person in your life?</blockquote>\nIsn’t that interesting? The people that these folks are subtly patterning their lives after didn’t necessarily have important titles, big salaries, or large offices with degrees on the wall. Many of these leaders had no semblance of authority whatsoever yet, years later, they continue to wield great influence in the lives that they touched.\n\nThere’s a term for this kind of leading influence, and it’s called “Servant Leadership.” In fact, the ability to influence someone’s highest expression over time is the essence of this unique form of love. Servant leaders cherish people in the context of intimate relationships. Rather than standing above others, they seek to know, and to be known. And it’s through this knowing that servant leaders not only cheer up and praise, but actually speak “life to potential,” “healing to pain,” and “light to darkness” for those around them. Because they genuinely love, servant leaders are able to bring life, healing, and light to the hearts of those entrusted to their care.\n\nServant leaders walk with the people they lead, shoulder-to-shoulder, and they are prone to see more in others than they see in themselves. Servant leaders build people up in a way that brings out their hidden talents and gifts. They are present in ways that heal limiting emotional wounds. These “Heroes” offer acceptance and grace that breaks the bondage of shame that creates a glass ceiling on the expression of one’s greatest spirit. What I am describing is a worldview that I call “Simple Encouragement,” and servant leaders do it instinctively. Through this special way of being and relating, servant leaders leave behind “giants” that change the world, and their only legacy may be a “sacred residence” in the hearts of a handful. And if you really think about it, that’s a legacy that would leave anyone resting in a very sweet peace.\n\nSo, what 5 words describe the most special person in your life?  Let us know in a comment below or a tweet on Twitter.\n\n<em>Note: This post was originally published on 4/8/2010 over on the <a title=\"Northfork Center for Servant Leadership - Simple Encouragement\" href=\"http://www.northforkcsl.org/?p=703\">Northfork Center for Servant Leadership blog.</a></em>', 'Simple Encouragement', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'simple-encouragement', '', '', '2010-08-13 09:19:36', '2010-08-13 14:19:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3270', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(3277, 243, '2010-08-13 11:51:45', '2010-08-13 16:51:45', 'Teri Aulph (<a title=\"Teri Aulph on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/teriaulph\">@TeriAulph</a>, LinkedIn) is a published author, coach, consultant and leader.  She\'s the principal consultant at Teri Aulph Consulting and Director of the 360 HR team for 360JobInterview.com.  She\'s also an accomplished and <a title=\"Teri\'s Examiner Page\" href=\"http://www.examiner.com/career-coach-in-tulsa/teri-aulph\">popular author on the Examiner</a>.\n\nTeri\'s focus is on strengthening the space where the people and  the business intersect. She specializes in organizational design and development, executive coaching, strategy development, and talent management consulting,  She is a former global Vice President, HR &amp;  Ops, for several Fortune 500 companies in various industries. She is  now applying her experience and expertise as an independent business  consultant committed to providing leading edge expertise based on years  of demonstrated success.  She\'s also a fellow Oklahoman working with me and others to bridge the gap between the human resources and leadership development worlds.<!--more-->\n\nJoin us at 3 PM Eastern Thursday August 19th.  You can listen right her, live or replay after the show has concluded.  I\'m looking forward to it.\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/MGM1YWI1MzBjYzQxNTA2MGQ1Yg==2.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /><object id=\"1204887\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"1204887\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1204887&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1204887&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" /><embed id=\"1204887\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1204887&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1204887&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"1204887\"></embed></object>', 'Meet LeadChange Teri Aulph', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-teri-aulph', '', '', '2010-08-13 11:51:45', '2010-08-13 16:51:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3277', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(3283, 252, '2010-08-17 08:15:57', '2010-08-17 13:15:57', '<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/reimagine-work-relationships-1/\" target=\"_blank\">Part 1 of this post</a> concluded with the question, “What would your ideal work culture look like?”  Here’s an expanded version of my response.\n\nOver and over the human beings in our workplaces are marginalized, as if the task to get done is more important than employees feeling as though their contributions make a difference.  Human beings at work can take instruction and get things done.  But when we as leaders engage all of what makes us human, including the legitimate needs for meaning and belonging at work, our organizations will capitalize on the abilities that are particular to humans alone. We will see people creating ideas seemingly out of nowhere or accomplishing the impossible by trading on the power of relationships.  When all involved see the sacredness in their relationships and in everyone’s role and contribution, our organizations will experience the true competitive advantage of its human resources.\n\nBeing human means having very human needs, such as the need to contribute, to be appreciated, to make a difference, to belong. These must be addressed in every encounter. This awareness must permeate every interaction. We can start to adapt to this way of working by learning to earnestly revere each other’s needs, even if we don’t understand or relate to them.  And leaders must lead the way.\n\nMy wish is that one-day we all embrace the belief that there is an inestimable power and potential in human beings treating each other humanly. One day our society and the world will grow and prosper in a whole new way because each employee does their work from a place of knowing they play a legitimate role and truly make a difference. The commitment to taking responsibility to honor each other’s worth is not only a decision but also a journey, and through our struggles to see this vision in action, we realize its power.\n\nNOTE:  This post is based on a manifesto posted on my site.   To see entire manifesto, look here: <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/manifesto/\">www.reimaginework.com/manifesto/</a>.\n\n<span style=\"color: #888888;\">Image from iStockphoto</span>', 'What Does it Take to ReImagine Work Relationships? Part 2', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'what-does-it-take-to-reimagine-work-relationships-part-2', '', '', '2010-08-17 08:15:57', '2010-08-17 13:15:57', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3283', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(3298, 243, '2010-08-20 05:50:09', '2010-08-20 10:50:09', 'Shawn Murphy (member profile, <a title=\"Achieved Strategies Blog\" href=\"http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/\" target=\"_blank\">blog</a>, <a title=\"Shawn\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/shawmu\" target=\"_blank\">@shawmu</a>, LinkedIn) is the Founder, CEO and President of <a title=\"Achieved Strategies\" href=\"http://www.achievedstrategies.com\" target=\"_blank\">Achieved Strategies</a>.  His passion is helping businesses change how they create value by bringing together people, strategy, operations, and leadership.\n\nFor over 20 years, Shawn has worked with senior executives, middle  managers and individual contributors to successfully transform  businesses and individuals.  We’ll discuss with Shawn the starting point  to causing change: the leader’s awareness of his or her own views of  change.\n\nJoin me for a discussion on leadership, change and connecting with Shawn Murphy Thursday August 26 at 3 PM Eastern.  You\'ll be glad you did.', 'Meet LeadChange Shawn Murphy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-shawn-murphy', '', '', '2010-08-20 05:50:09', '2010-08-20 10:50:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3298', 0, 'post', '', 12);
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(3304, 255, '2010-08-16 11:01:18', '2010-08-16 16:01:18', 'Note: <em>This post originally appeared on the N2Growth blog May 18 with the title <a title=\"The Leadership Vacuum\" href=\"http://www.n2growth.com/blog/examining-leadership-rhetoric/\" target=\"_self\">The Leadership Vacuum</a>, but we need to keep the dialogue going.</em>\n\nThe biggest problem with the leadership industry is found within the ranks of those who call themselves leadership advisors. There is nothing short of a voluminous amount of leadership information being published on a daily basis. The number of books, blogs, tweets, videos, webcasts, podcasts, etc., being pushed into the market is reaching truly overwhelming proportions. It’s been my experience that regardless of the subject, it is precisely when the noise becomes the loudest, that it’s most difficult for the consumer to extract quality and value from the market. The text that follows is meant as both a rebuke of my industry, and a challenge to my fellow practitioners…It is my hope that this post stimulates vigorous discussion, and a great deal of thought on how we evolve the practice &amp; discipline of leadership, not for our own glory, but for the good of our clients and society as a whole.\n\nBefore I go any further, today’s rant should not be construed as a call for elitism, but rather a call for authenticity, innovation and professionalism. As leadership advisors and coaches we counsel our clients on the need for change and innovation, but have we become the proverbial shoe maker without shoes? We ask our clients ”why should anyone be led by you?” but a better question might be “why should anyone be advised by us?” When was the last time you read something new, groundbreaking, or significant with regard to the practice and discipline of leadership? Is it because everything valuable in regard to leadership has already been discovered? I think not…rather I believe that many among us are sadly lacking the innovative approach to our practice that we so consistently demand from our clients.\n<blockquote>Our world is suffering greatly due to lack of leadership.</blockquote>\nI believe our world is suffering greatly due to a lack of leadership. Examine any of the major problems of our time and you’ll quickly and clearly see a lack of leadership at the root of the issue. In fact, if you listen carefully you’ll readily hear a loud sucking sound that I refer to as the leadership vacuum. With all of us pushing leadership advice and counsel, why is it that our leaders are failing at such alarming rates? Are we as an industry fulfilling the mission of developing great leaders capable of handling great challenges and accomplishing great things, or are the majority of those entering our ranks just here to make a quick buck?\n\nI would venture to say that there are literally tens of thousands of consultants and coaches who bill themselves as leadership subject matter experts. If you Google ”leadership development” more than 4 million search results are returned.  How many of these practitioners are qualified? Who are the real leadership thought leaders? Spare me the slick info-product sales people, and give me authentic, professional practitioners of the art and science of leadership.\n<blockquote>Why should anyone be advised by us?</blockquote>\nI have long believed in eating my own cooking. I simply don’t proffer what I don’t practice. I can’t help clients lead change if my business model is antiquated or static. It is simply not possible to develop leaders if you’re not one yourself. Let’s not create more trumped-up professional credentials to make unqualified practitioners feel better about themselves, but let’s focus on the real issue…being better practitioners of our craft, and delivering real value through actionable advice rendered to our clients.\n\nI’m not interested in more tired rhetoric, but I am sincerely interested in welcoming dialogue with anyone passionate about the profession of leadership. Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.\n\n<strong>How can we bring authenticity, innovation and professionalism to the leadership development profession?</strong>', 'Leadership Advisors', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-advisors-2', '', '', '2010-08-16 11:01:18', '2010-08-16 16:01:18', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3304', 0, 'post', '', 36),
(3329, 243, '2010-08-16 19:16:00', '2010-08-17 00:16:00', 'Now that we\'re posting on the Lead Change blog daily, you can help promote character-based leadership, and the other Contributing Members and guest bloggers in 5 minutes a day.  Bookmark the blog and once a day you can catch up on a member\'s blog post and share it with your social network with just a few clicks.\n\nHere\'s a video that shows some simple steps you can take to help promote the community while you keep up with the blog.\n<object classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"560\" height=\"345\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"i=97251\" /><param name=\"allowFullScreen\" value=\"true\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\" /><param name=\"allowfullscreen\" value=\"true\" /><embed type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"560\" height=\"345\" src=\"http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" flashvars=\"i=97251\"></embed></object>\n\nWhat are some other ways you can promote the group?', 'Build the Community in 5 Minutes a Day', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'build-the-community-in-5-minutes-a-day', '', '', '2010-08-16 19:16:00', '2010-08-17 00:16:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3329', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(3343, 251, '2010-08-18 06:34:36', '2010-08-18 11:34:36', 'Last week in A Real Keeper: Leadership Lessons from Fishing, I pondered three elements that would infuse the workplace with positive engagement: appreciating failure, building a spirit of community and giving and accepting meaningful feedback.  These items work individually (expanding our own skills sets) and collectively (to improve a work environment, a volunteering opportunity, etc.), so let’s explore them in more detail.<!--more-->\n\n<strong>Appreciating failure.</strong> Sure, it doesn’t feel good to come up short (and it’s the rare employer who proclaims that they pay their people to fail), yet if the “let-down” feeling is replaced with learning, whole new vistas are opened to us.  Oscar Wilde says it best, “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”\n\nTo fail well:\n<ul>\n	<li>Look for the lessons  to be had and use that as the stepping off point to begin anew</li>\n	<li>Assess whether or not the process used was complete</li>\n	<li>Hone your skills of analysis to understand what went awry and why</li>\n	<li>Reward, rather than being too quick to punish</li>\n</ul>\n“Failure soften hearts, develops maturity, broadens thinking, offers insights, prompts innovation, reveals ability, inspires, reinforces the need for risk, builds courage, fortifies, open other opportunities, brings unexpected results, pushes the envelope of future performance, liberates, makes success sweeter, and is preferable to bitterness and regret,”  well said by Olivier Serrat.\n\n<strong>Building a spirit of community</strong>.  In business there’s no such thing as a team of one, and relationships are the new currency of the workplace.  Paul Malone shares a thoughtful story in “ Humor: A double-edged tool for today’s managers?” in the  <em>Academy of Management Review</em>:\n<blockquote>\"Our class . . . had just completed a 60-hour patrol. The patrol had gone poorly. The critiques . . . had been extremely harsh. We were all utterly exhausted and miserable, without sleep for almost three days, and caked with the mud of waste-deep swamps. Our only desire was to rest. To our collective disbelief and anguish, we received the order: ‘Prepare immediately for another patrol.’ Our sullen group moved slowly into the briefing area . . . [where the briefing ranger told a joke appropriate to the situation]. Something almost magical occurred. Slowly at first, the bedraggled group of trainees responded into what became a full minute of hilarious laughter. Suddenly, the environment changed; the Ranger became a fellow man, not a torturer; the men who had laughed together became a team with a revitalized common cause. For at least a while, the exhaustion and discomfort of the group were forgotten.\"</blockquote>\n<strong>Giving and accepting meaningful feedback</strong>.  In <em><a title=\"Persistence of Vision by Michael McKinney\" href=\"http://www.leadershipnow.com/Persistence_of_Vision.html\">The Persistence of Vision</a>, </em>Michael McKinney offers this observation, “We develop patterns of thought or mental models that shape what we see or perceive and thus what we think and how we will chose to think…our mind fills in the gaps between our experiences with the same old thinking.”\n\nBecause we become blind to those self-defined gaps, we need feedback to help us identify where they are. As Ken Blanchard says, “feedback is the breakfast of champions.” <a href=\"https://rideau.com/recognition-management-institute\" target=\"_blank\">Give some today</a>.  <a href=\"http://readytofeedback.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Ask for some today.</a>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/hknivers/4099553699/\" target=\"_blank\">Photo by Hakon Iverson</a></span>', 'Serving Up Those Leadership Lessons from Fishing', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'serving-leadership-lessons-from-fishing', '', '', '2010-08-18 06:34:36', '2010-08-18 11:34:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3343', 0, 'post', '', 28),
(3355, 256, '2010-08-19 06:30:20', '2010-08-19 11:30:20', 'A few weeks ago, I wrote a <a href=\"http://sagestone.wordpress.com/2010/07/27/learning-about-life-and-leadership-from-little-ones/\">blog post</a> referencing a recent family summer vacation to Hilton Head.  I experienced such joy watching my children during that week that I felt moved to write about it.  I found ways to relate my kids’ activities to “leadership lessons” that I thought were great reminders for us all.<!--more-->\n\nOf course, when I wrote the story, I knew it wouldn’t be my deepest, most data-driven blog post.  It wasn’t meant to be.  It was intended to be a light-hearted and sincere anecdote that many people could potentially relate to.  I hoped that possibly, readers might appreciate the leadership analogy coming from such a different, yet common, perspective.\n\nIt wasn’t my favorite blog post of all time, actually.  I was blown away, in fact, by the amount of positive attention and warm, appreciative comments from so many readers.  That is…all but one, anyway…\n\nSeveral days after the story posted, my article was re-tweeted on Twitter and caught the attention of a best-selling author and former Green Beret, who is also a self-described leadership practitioner and team-builder.  He re-tweeted the original message, along with his added message,\n<blockquote><em>“More leadership gurus who’ve never led”</em></blockquote>\nIt struck me as a bit odd at first, but I completely let it roll off my back.  The story was about my children, after all, and I could see where someone might take a more cynical view than I do and argue that I shouldn’t be looking to them for any leadership lessons.  Okay, I can accept that…sort of…\n\nWhat really made me scratch my head, though, was the fact that this Green Beret then went to my blog and left a public comment for me (and everyone else) to see.  There, he asked,\n<blockquote><em>“</em><em>Who have you led and under what circumstances?”</em></blockquote>\nI politely responded to him that I have led many people in different ways, most certainly, than a Green Beret.  That said, I do believe that we have both demonstrated good leadership – just very differently.\n\nSo why bring all this up?\n\nHonesty, I waited quite a while to share this story.  I didn’t want to write this to defend myself with a list of certifications, accolades or references.  I didn’t want to respond emotionally, getting everyone else all riled up and ready to come to my rescue.  I waited, and I prayed, to be sure I could feel comfortable with my reason for sharing this with a broader audience.\n\nAnd my reason is this…\n<blockquote><em>I’m passionate about spreading the message of character-based leadership and the difference it can make in people’s lives as well as business.</em></blockquote>\nI believe that leaders are everywhere, not just at the top of an organization.  I don’t think you are required to have a big title or three decades worth of experience.  You don’t need to have turned an organization around, managed hundreds of people, or even saved a life.  You don’t have to be an author, speaker or Ph.D, either.  (Please know that I mean no disrespect to anyone who has accomplished these things, though!  These are incredible achievements!)\n\nI believe everyone can be a leader from who they are <em>and</em> where they are.  I believe that we can influence people around us in positive ways, and that can have an overwhelming impact on business results.\n\nI believe that we can all take responsibility to bring out our best in every situation.  We can identify our strengths and the strengths of our teammates, and we can work to build incredible teams that allow us each to leverage what we do best.\n\nI believe we can all impact others around us by smiling more, caring more, understanding more and listening more.  I believe that we should place the highest value on each other as unique individuals and that each person has a purpose that only they can fulfill.  I believe that there is nothing more important than loving and appreciating others for who they are, and I think it’s okay to say that….even in a work setting.\n\nI’ve seen my children behave as leaders, when they choose to go against the crowd and do what they know is right.  And you know what?  I tell them they are leaders for making that choice, and I encourage them to continue that behavior.\n\nAlways do what’s right.  It does make you a leader.  At least, that’s what I believe.\n\nWhat do you think?  Does it make us a leader to take a stand for what we believe is right?  Are we leaders when we decide to have a positive impact on others around us?  Is it leading when we bring our absolute best with an intention to build into others?\n\nI’m not suggesting that everyone is qualified to run an organization, of course….but truly… can’t we all lead from where we are?  Or does it really require a title or position where people report to us?  To me, those things only give you authority.  I think that’s very different than leadership.  Do you?\n\nConsider it.  Please.  And do leave a comment here.', 'What Really Makes You a Leader?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'what-really-makes-a-leader', '', '', '2010-08-19 06:30:20', '2010-08-19 11:30:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3355', 0, 'post', '', 348),
(3414, 243, '2010-08-20 06:18:30', '2010-08-20 11:18:30', '<blockquote><p>\"Other men will make other violins, but no man shall make a better one.\" Antonius Stradivarius</p></blockquote>\n\n<p><!--more-->What type of work do you do?  I\'ve done a variety of things.  In fact, sometimes I get caught up in what I\'m doing so much that I stop doing what I do.  I become someone else, or I play the role of someone else, getting away from my strengths.  I\'ve often said, \"Just because I cleaned up the mess, that doesn\'t mean I\'m volunteering to be the janitor.\" (My apologies to the administrative maintenance profession, but that\'s how I felt at the time.)</p>\n\n<p>This quote talks about two topics to me: <em>Focus</em> and <em>Excellence</em>.</p>\n\n<h2>Focus</h2>\n\n<p>Stradivarius made violins.  Yes, he did many other things I\'m sure.  He played them, he probably taught others how to play them.  Maybe he also got involved in local government or his church or a charity.  I\'m sure if he were alive now, he\'d attend his grandchildren\'s soccer games and make public appearances.  But his primary focus, his work and his legacy were wrapped up in making violins.  He had a singular focus.</p>\n\n<h2>Excellence</h2>\n\n<p>And because of who he was, on the inside, he made the best violins.  So good in fact, that his last name is synonymous with quality.  According to <a title=\"Wikipedia entry on Stradivarius\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stradivarius\" target=\"_self\">Wikipedia</a>, \"The reputation of the Stradivarius is such that its name is frequently invoked as a standard of excellence in other unrelated fields (such as ships and cars); for example, the Bath Iron Works\' unofficial motto is \' A Bath boat is the Stradivarius of destroyers!\'\"</p>\n\n<h2>Core Values</h2>\n\n<p>Steve Keating on a <a title=\"Vision\" href=\"/leadership-character-episode-2-vision-with-steve-keating/\" target=\"_self\">webinar yesterday</a> said that your core values are the values you would spend your time on if you were had no need to work.  Focus - ruthlessly identify, compare, force rank and eliminate your interests and passions and get down to your two or three core values.  Then practice and work to become excellent applying them.</p>\n\n<p>A core value of mine is adding value in every relationship.  I want to put more into each relationship than I demand.  When I do that, I receive much.  Most of the rewards are intrinsic, built into the action rather than resulting from it.  There is great reward in giving more than you take.  Try it and see if you can prove me wrong.</p>\n\n<p>At the same time, it\'s convicting to me to say that only through focus can you achieve excellence. Rip away the things that are distracting you today and focus on what you do so you can do it better than anyone.</p>\n\n<h2>Care to go on record?</h2>\n\n<p>What are your core values?  Where do you want to become excellent?  Anything I can do to help?</p>\n\n<p><em>Note: The webinar I referred to is part of the new <a title=\"Leadership Character Webinar Series\" href=\"/leadership-character-series/\" target=\"_self\">member\'s webinar series</a> being offered to <a title=\"Membership Plans\" href=\"/about/\" target=\"_self\">Supporting and Contributing</a> partners of the Lead Change Group.  If you\'d like to have access to the replays and join us for future webinars, consider supporting the Lead Change Group.</em></p>', 'Focus and Excellence', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'focus-excellence', '', '', '2010-08-20 06:18:30', '2010-08-20 11:18:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3414', 0, 'post', '', 40),
(3459, 243, '2010-09-04 14:00:12', '2010-09-04 19:00:12', '\"<em>Leading UP - Put the Straw Away.</em>\"\n\nEpisode 3 of the <a href=\"/leadership-character-series/\">Leadership Character Webinar Series</a> is presented by Jane Perdue (<a title=\"Jane\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\" target=\"_blank\">@thehrgoddess</a>).  It will be offered on September 21, 2010 at 3 PM Eastern.<!--more-->\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Jane.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-1712\" title=\"Jane\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Jane.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"133\" height=\"155\" /></a>One  of the definitions for “leader” in the World English Dictionary is “a  person who rules, guides, or inspires others.” Other words commonly used  to describe what a leader does include inform and influence.  Considering these definitions within the context of an organization, one can lead down, across and up.\n\nFollowing in the footsteps of <a href=\"http://leadership.wharton.upenn.edu/l_change/Leading_Up.shtml\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Useem</a> (who coined the phrase) and John Baldoni, “Leading Up – Put the Straw Away” is the topic for the September Leadership Character webinar.  <a title=\"Jane\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\">Jane  Perdue</a>, CEO, The Braithewaite Group, will facilitate, sharing  situational and behavioral insights on how to interact with – lead! –  the senior team of an organization.\n\nThis webinar is for Supporting and Contributing members of the Lead Change Group.  If you don\'t see the link below, you\'re either not logged in or you\'re not a Contributing member.\n\n[labprotect (Contributor)]On September 21, 2010 at 3 PM Eastern, click <a title=\"Leading UP - Put the Straw Away! by Jane Perdue\" href=\"http://connectpro10696177.na5.acrobat.com/r76297324/\">this link to join</a> the webinar.  Or, you can register<a title=\"Register Here\" href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/event/840107785\"> in advance here</a> (password - <em>perdue</em>).[/labprotect]\n\nIf you don\'t see the link above to register for the event, you need to become a Contributing Member! Learn more here.\n\n<br class=\"spacer_\" />', 'Leadership Character Webinar Episode 3 Influence – Leading Up', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-character-episode-3-influence-leading-up', '', '', '2010-09-04 14:00:12', '2010-09-04 19:00:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3459', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(3467, 243, '2010-08-24 09:25:12', '2010-08-24 14:25:12', 'A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to contribute a post to a series conceived and published by Lead Change member Shawn Murphy called <a title=\"Wake Up and Shake It Up on Achieved Strategies\" href=\"http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/category/wake-up-and-shake-it-up/\" target=\"_blank\">Wake Up and Shake It Up</a>.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/wakeup.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-3468\" title=\"wakeup\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/wakeup.jpg\" alt=\"Wake Up and Shake It Up\" width=\"240\" height=\"185\" /></a>The series was an eye-opener for several reasons.  First, several Lead Change Group members contributed to the great series. In addition me and Shawn, Monica Diaz, Lolly Daskal, David Burkus, S. Max Brown, and Tanveer Naseer chipped in along with Ed McLaughlin, Alejandro Reyes, Derrick Strand, David Wong and Cyrus Aram.\n\nSecond, the contributions seemed to come together a consistent theme that aligned with Shawn\'s passion to help groups embrace change.\n\nWell, Shawn compiled the whole thing into an ebook that you might want to check out.  It\'s available for <a title=\"Wake Up and Shake It Up on Achieved Strategies\" href=\"http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/category/wake-up-and-shake-it-up/\" target=\"_blank\">free (registration required) here</a>.  Check it out.', 'Wake Up and Shake It Up', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'wake-up-and-shake-it-up', '', '', '2010-08-24 09:25:12', '2010-08-24 14:25:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3467', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(3473, 257, '2010-08-24 11:10:25', '2010-08-24 16:10:25', 'Craig Lambert in his book <em>Mind Over Water</em> talks about that frictionless state that rowers achieve when things become effortless. He calls it ‘swing’. He goes on to say ‘…our job is to simply work with the shell, to stop holding it back with our thrashing struggles to go faster. Trying too hard sabotages boat speed. <strong><em>Striving becomes trying and trying undoes itself</em></strong>’. In many ways this analogy reflects the essence of what it means to be a character-based leader. We don’t have to force it,… we just are.\n\nCharacter-based leadership starts with that simple, pure and thoughtful decision that \"<em>I AM a character-based leader</em>.\" It then manifests itself through our resolve and actions. Our actions define our character. Being a leader grounded in character isn’t an adjective. It’s not some label that we or others pin on our lapel. Rather, it’s a verb. It’s the sum total of our thoughts and decisions embodied in our Actions. It propels us in the good times and grounds us to bedrock in bad times. It is the lighthouse that guides us through the shoals on the darkest of nights and the toughest of storms. More importantly, it is also the beacon that illuminates the path for those who follow in our footsteps.\n\nWhen we look around and remark about the decay of moral fiber in leadership, we lose sight of the fact that ‘These ARE the good ole days’. Throughout history there have been much darker ages than these.  Yet, time and again men and women of character rise and prevail. Trying times aren’t a call for character-based leadership. They are the crucible that creates them.\n\nAs character-based leaders we’re called to pour our lives into others. That calling, however, begins with a <em>very personal</em> commitment to grow and improve. Water can only be drawn from a full well. We give because we have the capacity to give. This is the essence of character-based leadership. We have no control over the choices others. We DO have the ability to grow personally and, as a result, model what ‘Right’ looks like. As Ghandi said “We must BE the change we want to see in the world”. Change never starts ‘out there’. It starts within each of us. The result is that character-based leaders change the world… even when that means touching just ONE life.\n\n<address>Note: This is reprinted from Mark\'s entry in <a title=\"Instigate a Leadership Revolution\" href=\"/instigate-leadership-revolution/\">The LeadChange Revolution ebook</a>.  If you haven\'t read the other contributions made by the people who attended LeaderPalooza 2010, you can click the link above to learn more or just <a title=\"Download the LeadChange Revolution ebook.\" href=\"http://www.box.net/shared/nak33zzs7v\">download your copy</a>.</address><span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo © Pete Saloutos - Fotolia.com</span>', 'Change Never Starts &#034;Out There&#034;', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'change-never-starts-out-there', '', '', '2010-08-24 11:10:25', '2010-08-24 16:10:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3473', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(3489, 243, '2010-08-26 14:54:04', '2010-08-26 19:54:04', 'Our guest for Meet LeadChange on September 2, 2010 at 3 PM Eastern is Jen Kuhn (<a title=\"The Experience Factor website\" href=\"http://theexperiencefactor.com\" target=\"_blank\">web</a>, LinkedIn, <a title=\"Jen\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/jenkuhnpr\" target=\"_blank\">@JenKunhPR</a>), co-founder of <a title=\"The Experience Factor website\" href=\"http://theexperiencefactor.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Experience Factor</a>.  Jen and her partner, Kelly Ketelboeter (@KetelboeterPR) make the invisible visible at The Experience Factor; helping businesses understand their mission <em>IS</em> their customer experience.  They help businesses make sure their leaders are effective, employees perform and consumers experience the difference.\n\nJen has over 17 years experience in a variety of settings guiding leaders who want to enhance their professional development and improve the impact their organization has on employees and customers.  She connects and creates a unique experience as an energetic, enthusiastic, and sometimes humorous consultant, speaker, trainer, coach or facilitator.\n\nShe\'s also passionate about her ideas and service to others.  My first interactions with her were all related to making a difference in Haiti or elsewhere in the world.  She truly wants to lead change and inspire others to do the same.\n\nSo be sure to join us Wednesday, September 2, 2010 at 3 PM Eastern to listen live to the interview or you can hear the replay anytime after that right here.<!--more-->\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyODI4NDQ2NjUyNjgmcHQ9MTI4Mjg*NDY2ODk3NCZwPTQ1MDk3MiZkPTEyOTU2NCZnPTEmbz*2MTFhNDMzYjdmMjU*/MGM1YWI1MzBjYzQxNTA2MGQ1Yg==.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><object id=\"1227220\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"1227220\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1227220&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1227220&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" /><embed id=\"1227220\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1227220&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1227220&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"1227220\"></embed></object>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>', 'Meet LeadChange Jen Kuhn', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-jen-kuhn', '', '', '2010-08-26 14:54:04', '2010-08-26 19:54:04', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3489', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(3493, 243, '2010-09-02 15:15:31', '2010-09-02 20:15:31', 'Our guest for Meet LeadChange this week, September 9, 2010, at 3 PM Eastern is Jane Perdue (web, LinkedIn, <a title=\"Jane\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thehrgoddess\" target=\"_blank\">@thehrgoddess</a>).  She\'s the CEO and Chief Inspiration Instigator for The  Braithewaite Group, a female-owned professional development and  consulting firm<em>.</em>\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Jane.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1712\" title=\"Jane\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Jane-133x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"133\" height=\"150\" /></a>Jane delights in inspiring and challenging at the intersection of the art of leadership and the science of business.  Following 15 years as a Fortune 100 company vice president where she managed eight-digit budgets and thousands of employees, Jane now gives back as a sought-after consultant, coach, and speaker.  Throughout her corporate and current entrepreneurial career as CEO for Braithwaite Innovation Group, Jane has created numerous leadership development programs, some exclusively for women, and has coached hundreds of business leaders to use their heads to manage and their hearts to lead.  Jane’s newest line of business, Get Your BIG On!, opens in October.  Get Your BIG On!, inspired by an Andrew Carnegie quote, provides online training programs and webinars as well as coaching so people have the tools and knowledge to work big, sell big, live big, start big, organize big and lead big!\n\nJane will be leading the Leadership Character webinar September 21 on \"<em>Leading UP - Put the Straw Away.</em>\"  You won\'t want to miss the explanation of this topic or the presentation.<!--more-->\n\nJoin us for the show.  You can listen live or to the replay right here!\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyODI4NDczNTMwMDEmcHQ9MTI4Mjg*NzM1ODQ2MSZwPTQ1MDk3MiZkPTEyOTU2NCZnPTEmbz*2MTFhNDMzYjdmMjU*/MGM1YWI1MzBjYzQxNTA2MGQ1Yg==.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /></p>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><object id=\"1227291\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"1227291\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1227291&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1227291&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" /><embed id=\"1227291\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1227291&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1227291&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"1227291\"></embed></object>', 'Meet LeadChange Jane Perdue', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-jane-perdue', '', '', '2010-09-02 15:15:31', '2010-09-02 20:15:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3493', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(3539, 243, '2010-08-30 08:20:44', '2010-08-30 13:20:44', 'I was reminded this morning of the potential for good and bad through social media.  I read these two posts (<a title=\"Confessions of a Narcissist | Six Pixels of Separation Blog\" href=\"http://www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/confessions-of-a-narcissist/\">here</a>, and one written to Christians <a title=\"Narcissism, Social Media, Christianity and Me by Maurilio Amorim\" href=\"http://www.maurilioamorim.com/2010/08/narcissism-scial-media-christianity-and-me/\">here</a>) about the narcissistic nature of involvement in social media and they made me think.  With a bit of reflection, I am challenged to keep the focus of my activities on serving the members of this group as they Lead Change.  It was refreshing and convicting to be reminded.  I live too close to the line.  It\'s time to move away.\n\nSo, how can I encourage, energize and equip you this week to apply character-based leadership to make a positive difference in ourselves first, others and our communities?\n\nDo you need to make a stand for character-based leadership?  Could that stand be to become a contributing member of this group?\n\nWould it help you to post on the Lead Change blog?  We could use some articles and I could use some help editing and posting.\n\nWould it help you to replay Monica\'s or Steve\'s webinars?  I\'m still working on getting those posted.  I expect to have them both posted this week.\n\nWould a monthly conference call help us become more strategic on how we lead change?\n\nWould sharing a link to a resource or promoting some other activity designed to help leaders grow be part of your plan this week?  Write a post about some resource you\'ve found to be a help.  Share the link in the Links area of the site.\n\nHow can we Lead Change and move the community from the LinkedIn discussion format to real action?  And please know that the answer to this question cannot simply be more things for Mike to do.  We must be the change we want to see in the world. Ghandi only told me that Mike must be the change.  I\'m confident that\'s not what he said to you. :-)\n\nBut if you truly need some help, as Susan Mazza posted, Just Ask.  You\'ll never know what this community will do to help you become a better leader until you commit to be part of the solution and then just ask.\n\nWhat will it be?\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo </span><span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">© iQoncept - Fotolia.com</span>', 'Leaders Serving Leaders', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-serving-leaders', '', '', '2010-08-30 08:20:44', '2010-08-30 13:20:44', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3539', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(3545, 253, '2010-08-31 05:20:10', '2010-08-31 10:20:10', 'As a lad, I lived for Saturday morning cartoons. Long before DVR, a boy needed an alarm clock catch the Super-Friends at 6 AM. And though a wide assortment of cartoons whizzed by until Noon, there was a consistent message throughout: \"They\'re GREAT!\"  See that was the catch-phrase of Tony the Tiger, the cartoon pitchman for Kellogg\'s Frosted Flakes. Five times an hour, Tony cheerfully chanted about his sublime cereal. By Saturday afternoon, all I could think about was the GREATNESS of sugary grains.\n\nGreatness is memorable. This week, as I explored the difference between \"good\" leadership and \"great\" leadership, I burst out laughing, imagining Tony the Tiger chanting, \"They\'re GOOD\" into my television. Much less inspiring, no? I\'m not sure THAT slogan would have stuck.\n<div>\n\nSo then, what differentiates the good from the great? How do the great leaders go beyond the good? Which characteristics classify the leaders in each category? Here are a few thoughts to consider:\n<ul>\n	<li>The good leader makes an impression: Great leaders make friends.</li>\n	<li>The good leader gets results out of any team: Great leaders build team through any kind of result.</li>\n	<li>The good leader creates demand: Great leaders create hope.</li>\n	<li>The good leader defends territory: Great leaders defend principles.</li>\n	<li>The good leader makes a profit: Great leaders make a difference</li>\n</ul>\n</div>\nAs I chewed on it all, I realized that <em>GREAT leadership is about </em><strong><em>purpose</em></strong><em> and </em><strong><em>people</em></strong>.  The great leader sees beyond the financials and can focus on fulfilled potential.  So today, if you find you\'re caught up in metrics, flowcharts and diagrams, take a step back. Ponder how you can fulfill your objectives <em>and</em> simultaneously inspire others. It is people that deeply matter. In fact, They\'re Gr-r-reat!\n\nHave you experienced leadership of this nature? If so, I\'d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.', 'Leaders: Be Gr-r-reat!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-be-gr-r-eat', '', '', '2010-08-31 05:20:10', '2010-08-31 10:20:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3545', 0, 'post', '', 24),
(3551, 251, '2010-09-01 06:00:23', '2010-09-01 11:00:23', 'Social media, as with most things in life, can be exploited for personal gain or maximized as a tool for sharing, giving and inspiring others to live to their biggest and best potential.\n\nAre you in it to win it – for yourself, or for others?\n\nIt’s that simple, and that complicated.\n\nAt one end of the continuum is the me-focused view depicted by publicist and author Mitch Joel in a provocative post, <a href=\"http://www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/confessions-of-a-narcissist/\">Confessions of a Narcissist</a>:\n<blockquote><em>“…the true destination for most of our online endeavors really are the new media equivalent of the biblical statues that were presented as deities. These digital shrines that we create to ourselves. The photos are almost as unrealistic as our expectations that we\'ll get some semblance of happiness from all of these digital ego boosts that we live in.</em></blockquote>\nAt the other we-focused end is Dr. Jack King’s <a href=\"http://www.northforkcsl.org/\">Northfork Center for Servant Leadership</a> where the goal is:\n<blockquote><em>“…helping our neighbors (communities and organizations, large and small) advance noble causes for peace and freedom in every corner of the globe.”</em></blockquote>\nWhere you park on that continuum is your choice.\n\nIf your leadership journey involves authentically connecting with and developing others, getting that right depends on getting <em>you</em> right.\n\nGetting <em>you</em> right requires self-awareness and self-confidence.  I think it also includes a Google Alert or two – effective ways to keep tabs on your marketing and promotional efforts.  It’s self-absorbed only if your sense of self-worth goes into a tailspin if the tallies aren’t sufficiently robust. Sharing information about who you are and what you do builds credibility, a cornerstone of trust (provided it’s trust you’re seeking, not adulation.)\n\nSocial media engagement is narcissistic if your intentions are me-centered…and stop there.  If your intentions are we-centered, social media is an incredible instrument for making a positive difference.\n\nAnd what’s really cool is that it’s all up to you.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">© Adnan Music - Fotolia.com</span>', 'We or Me – It’s Up to You', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'we-or-me-its-up-to-you', '', '', '2010-09-01 06:00:23', '2010-09-01 11:00:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3551', 0, 'post', '', 92),
(3568, 245, '2010-09-09 05:45:40', '2010-09-09 10:45:40', 'When’s the last time you attended a workshop or a conference?  Did you experience what I call the “Knew That/Do That” Phenomenon?  Meaning—that at some point during the event, you experienced the reaction of “I already knew that” or “I already do that”.  For those of us who are (ahem) “seasoned” professionals, this is a familiar feeling. Yet, my experience also has shown me that the most energized, productive, well-seasoned professionals are the ones who routinely<!--more--> show up for conferences, take a front row seat and actively participate.  Sure, they’ve probably heard it all before, but still, they manage to glean some new nugget, some interesting twist of information to consider. They acknowledge the Knew That/Do That sensation and then move on.\n\nPeople of character don’t whine about having “seen it all”. They don’t gripe about how boring the presentation is, or that “we’ve already tried that before”. They’re intellectually curious. They’re positive in their mindset. They’re constantly seeking to “<a href=\"https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit7.php\" target=\"_blank\">sharpen the saw</a>” as Stephen Covey calls it (from <a title=\"7 Habits by Stephen Covey\" href=\"http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadershop/0863-5.html\" target=\"_blank\">7 Habits of Highly Effective People</a>).\n\nKnowing that many of the members of the Lead Change group are practicing leaders in organizations, I’d love to hear from you:\n<ul>\n	<li>How do you stay “fresh” with your leadership approach?</li>\n	<li>How do you avoid the doldrums and strive for continuous improvement?</li>\n	<li>How do you foster this approach in your contributors?</li>\n</ul>', 'Seasoned Leaders: Keep It Fresh!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'seasoned-leaders-keep-it-fresh', '', '', '2010-09-09 05:45:40', '2010-09-09 10:45:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3568', 0, 'post', '', 32),
(3583, 243, '2010-09-10 16:10:40', '2010-09-10 21:10:40', 'Have you ever been misdiagnosed by someone when they thought you weren\'t trustworthy?  They doubted you or your motives or something you did or said.  I\'m not talking about people who don\'t trust you for valid reasons, but something you don\'t understand.  You mean them no harm, but it seems that they are afraid you are a threat.<!--more-->\n\nWe all have a radar built into us for our own protection.  We notice body language and voice tone.  We compare words to actions.  If we decide someone is using us to get what they want, we tend to resist.  We doubt their motives and we process every thing they do, every request they make, and every action they take through our mental filter.  We begin filtering for more actions to justify our impression of them.  After a very short while, if we\'re not careful, we only look for evidence that will convict them of being out-for-themselves.  And the more evidence we find the more we filter.  Eventually it is extremely difficult for that person to change our perception of them.\n\nWhen your team, organization or business thinks you\'re looking-out-for-number-one, they withhold energy and commitment from the effort.  They believe they must look out for themselves.  They don\'t think you will look out for them.  The loss of trust creates an immense obstacle or a heavy weight for your group\'s performance.  That lack of trust creates friction.  And that friction opposes the creation of a healthy, vibrant, successful team. It creates heat any time you try to get something done.  Left alone long enough and your team will become more and more dysfunctional eventually locking up from the heat and wear and tear.\n<blockquote>Trust lubricates relationships</blockquote>\nTrust lubricates relationships.  Service creates trust.  Leaders who serve their team find their service lubricates the relationships and frees everyone up to do their best.  When your people feel looked-out-for, they are free to give everything their best effort.  Like a golfer with a grip that\'s just too tight, tension reduces freedom of movement and hampers performance.  Service creates room for coworkers to relax and do their best. All of the moving parts remain cool. Service reduces fear and friction and enables relationships to grow.  Many people who feel cared for also feel free to care for others.  Now you\'re multiplying the lubrication.\n\nSensing friction in your relationships? Serve your people and oil the gears of the team.  You\'ll see tremendous benefit from small things.  Fill in for them on a painful task or sacrifice something for them and you will break the tension.  Serving others gives them the assurance that they\'re going to win.  You can\'t have win-win unless your stakeholders win.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">© photoiron - Fotolia.com</span>\n\n<em>Note: This post originally ran on Dr. Jack King\'s <a title=\"Northfork Center for Servant Leadership website\" href=\"http://www.northforkcsl.org\">Northfork Center for Servant Leadership</a> as <a href=\"http://www.northforkcsl.org/?p=1044\">Frictional Coefficients</a>. </em>', 'The Servant Nature of Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-servant-nature-of-leadership', '', '', '2010-09-10 16:10:40', '2010-09-10 21:10:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3583', 0, 'post', '', 28);
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(3634, 243, '2010-09-09 15:12:03', '2010-09-09 20:12:03', 'This week\'s guest for Meet LeadChange is Mike Myatt of N2Growth (<a title=\"N2Growth.com\" href=\"http://n2growth.com\" target=\"_blank\">web</a>, LinkedIn, <a title=\"Mike Myatt\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/mikemyatt\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter</a>).  He is a Top CEO Coach, author of “<a title=\"Purchase Leadership Matters\" href=\"http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadershop/9781432717735.html\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership Matters…The CEO Survival Manual</a>” and is the Managing Director and Chief Strategy Officer at N2growth.<!--more-->\n\n<img class=\"alignright\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Mike_Myatt.jpg\" alt=\"Meet LeadChange - Mike Myatt | Lead Change Group\" width=\"179\" height=\"207\" />Mike has been recognized as one of the world’s top 25 leadership experts, and is acclaimed for his contributions to the field of leadership. He is also a syndicated columnist and contributing editor on topics of leadership and innovation. His theories and practices have been taught at many of the nation’s top business schools, and his work has been noted in several publications including: Psychology Today, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Chicago Sun Times, Personal Branding, Institutional Investor, CIO Magazine and others.\n\nHe is also the author and moderator of the N2growth Blog which has been recognized as the #1 consulting blog of 2009 by Postrank, an AllTop Leadership Blog, and is on the AdAge Power 150 list of top marketing blogs. Mr. Myatt also frequently presents webcasts for CEOs and entrepreneurs and keynotes on topics of leadership, branding, innovation and social media. Mr. Myatt has been married for more than 25 years with two married children.\n\nJoin us right here Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 3 PM Eastern. <!--more-->\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyODQ2NjY4NDc1MDgmcHQ9MTI4NDY2Njg1MDY3NiZwPTQ1MDk3MiZkPUhvc3RJRCUzYSUyMDEyOTU2NCZnPTImbz*2/MTFhNDMzYjdmMjU*MGM1YWI1MzBjYzQxNTA2MGQ1YiZvZj*w.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /></p>\n<object id=\"btr\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"btr\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"FlashVars\" value=\"gig_lt=1284666847508&amp;gig_pt=1284666850676&amp;gig_g=2\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D1243986&amp;autostart=true&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;borderweight=1&amp;bordercolor=#999999&amp;backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&amp;dashboardcolor=#0098CB&amp;textcolor=#F0F0F0&amp;detailscolor=#FFFFFF&amp;playlistcolor=#999999&amp;playlisthovercolor=#333333&amp;cornerradius=10&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&amp;C1=7&amp;C2=6042973&amp;C3=31&amp;C4=&amp;C5=&amp;C6=&amp;hostname=Mike Henry Sr.&amp;hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"gig_lt=1284666847508&amp;gig_pt=1284666850676&amp;gig_g=2\" /><embed id=\"btr\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D1243986&amp;autostart=true&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;borderweight=1&amp;bordercolor=#999999&amp;backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&amp;dashboardcolor=#0098CB&amp;textcolor=#F0F0F0&amp;detailscolor=#FFFFFF&amp;playlistcolor=#999999&amp;playlisthovercolor=#333333&amp;cornerradius=10&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&amp;C1=7&amp;C2=6042973&amp;C3=31&amp;C4=&amp;C5=&amp;C6=&amp;hostname=Mike Henry Sr.&amp;hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\" flashvars=\"gig_lt=1284666847508&amp;gig_pt=1284666850676&amp;gig_g=2\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"btr\"></embed></object>', 'Meet LeadChange Mike Myatt', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-mike-myatt', '', '', '2010-09-09 15:12:03', '2010-09-09 20:12:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3634', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(3649, 243, '2010-09-06 08:59:36', '2010-09-06 13:59:36', 'Dan McCarthy (<a href=\"http://twitter.com/greatleadership\">@GreatLeadership</a>) has posted the <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2010/09/september-leadership-development.html\">September Leadership Development Carnival - Football Edition</a> over at his <a href=\"http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com\">Great Leadership blog</a>.  Some of the posts by members of the group included:<!--more-->\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Erin Schreyer\'s</strong> <a href=\"/what-really-makes-a-leader/\">What Really Makes You a Leader?</a> here on LeadChange;</li>\n	<li><strong>Jane Perdue\'s</strong> Excellence - 1; Perfection - 0 at Get Your Leadership Big On;</li>\n	<li><strong>Jennifer Miller</strong>\'s <a href=\"http://people-equation.com/the-z-factor/\">The Z Factor</a> at her site, <a href=\"http://people-equation.com/\">The People Equation</a>;</li>\n	<li><strong>David Burkus</strong>\' <a href=\"http://theleaderlab.org/2010/08/my-buffalo-wild-wings-rant/\">My Buffalo Wild Wings Rant</a> at <a href=\"http://theleaderlab.org/\">LeaderLab</a>;</li>\n	<li><strong>Art Petty</strong>\'s <a href=\"http://artpetty.com/2010/08/23/leadership-caffeine-give-your-people-room-to-run/\">Leadership Caffiene - Give Your People Room To Run</a> over at <a href=\"http://artpetty.com/\">Management Excellence</a>;</li>\n	<li><strong>Wally Bock</strong>\'s Simple Leadership Basics over at <a href=\"http://blog.threestarleadership.com/\">Three Start Leadership</a>;</li>\n	<li><strong>Kevin Grossman</strong>\'s Influential Leadership Can Trump Gender Bias at his Leaders. Better. Brighter.™ The Glowan Consulting Group L3 Blog</li>\n	<li><strong>Anne Perschel</strong>\'s <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/leadership-leap-frog/\">Leadership Leap-Frog</a> at <a href=\"http://germaneconsulting.com/germane-insights/\">Germane Insights</a>, and</li>\n	<li><strong>Bret Simmons</strong>\' <a href=\"http://www.bretlsimmons.com/2010-08/remarkably-unprofessional-behavior/\">Remarkably Unprofessional Behavior</a> over at <a href=\"http://www.bretlsimmons.com/\">Bret Simmons Positive Organizational Behavior</a>.</li>\n</ul>\nBe sure and check these and the other great posts out too.  Thanks Dan for compiling such a great list again.\n\nOh, and one more thing... The United Way and the NFL are teaming up for the first <strong>Back to Football Friday</strong>, a celebration of the start of the NFL season and an effort to promote youth health and wellness on <strong>Friday, September 10</strong>.  They are encouraging fans of all ages to show their NFL team pride at  work or with their friends by wearing their favorite team’s gear or  colors and planning parties, and to join the United Way and NFL\'s  campaign to end childhood obesity. Anyone who registers is eligible to  win a trip for two to Super Bowl XLV. One winning workplace will receive  a visit from an NFL player at an NFL-hosted office party. Find out how  to get involved here: <a href=\"http://www.liveunited.org/backtofootball\">www.LiveUnited.org/backtofootball</a>.', 'September Leadership Development Carnival', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'september-leadership-development-carnival', '', '', '2010-09-06 08:59:36', '2010-09-06 13:59:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3649', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(3662, 255, '2010-09-06 16:51:42', '2010-09-06 21:51:42', 'Note: <em>This post was originally posted as \"<a title=\"What If Leadership Was More Than A Buzzword?\" href=\"http://www.n2growth.com/blog/defending-leadership/\">What If Leadership Was More Than A Buzzword?</a>\" on my N2Growth blog in July of 2010.  The question is still valid.</em>\n\nWhat if “<strong><em>Leadership</em></strong>” was more than a buzzword? What If…What if leadership was more than just another contentious term bantered around in meaningless conversations? What if leadership was truly understood, modeled, and actually experienced as the rule and not the exception? <!--more-->In the text that follows I’ll  answer these questions and hopefully encourage you to reevaluate how you view the practice of leadership…\n\nHave you ever felt as if  the term “leadership” has a bulls-eye painted on it? Well, it’s because it does – the very mention of the word <em>leadership </em>seems to draw fire from increasingly large numbers these days. The term has been inappropriately hi-jacked by the politically correct who mock it, the avant-garde who belittle it, the naive who discount it, and the public at large seems to be growing tired of hearing about it. I’m befuddled by this dismissive attitude, and am left wondering how we could have arrived at such a place – how could something so valuable be trivialized by so many?\n\nWhy does all this matter? Because leadership matters…Whether through malice or naivete, those who trivialize the value of leadership place us all at risk…Poor leadership cripples businesses, ruins economies, destroys families, loses wars, and can bring the demise of nations. The demand for true leaders has never been greater -   when society misunderstands the importance of leadership, and when the world inappropriately labels non-leaders as leaders we are all worse for the wear.\n\nI’ve come to the conclusion that the reason so many attempt to ridicule leadership is twofold: 1.) The masses of feigned leaders in the public eye make it easy to do so, and; 2.) Real leaders tend to practice their craft quietly, and with great humility, often going unnoticed in the public eye.\n\nBy my definition, leaders are <strong>not</strong> self-promoting, pseudo celebrities whose propensity for personal achievement and media attention far outweigh their true contributions. Rather than focus on the braggarts that litter the media with their personal triumphs, or the charlatans who provide constant reminders of failed leadership, we need to focus our attention on the true leaders who quietly walk among us each day…ethical business people, soldiers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, principled educators, pastors &amp; theologians, medical practitioners, responsible parents, student achievers, volunteers, statesmen (notice I didn’t say politicians), good Samaritans, and the every day hard working American citizen. These are the real leaders who through their personal sacrifice, committed service, and selfless acts who deserve our respect and attention.\n<blockquote>Focus our attention on the true leaders who quietly walk among us each day…ethical business people, soldiers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, principled educators, pastors &amp; theologians, medical practitioners, responsible parents, student achievers, volunteers, statesmen, good Samaritans, and the every day hard working American citizen</blockquote>\nSo my challenge to you is this…the next time someone demeans the value of leadership in an attempt to show how cool or intelligent they are, stand your ground, engage, educate and inform them of the value of leadership, and don’t let them denigrate the value of leadership. But most of all, I would encourage you to engage in the practice of modeling true leadership - when all is said and done, it is your actions not your words that will demonstrate your true beliefs.\n\nI’d hope that what’s been espoused above sets the stage for an active dialogue in comments below. This is a subject that deserves a serious conversation by serious people. I welcome your thoughts and observations…', 'Defending Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'defending-leadership', '', '', '2010-09-06 16:51:42', '2010-09-06 21:51:42', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3662', 0, 'post', '', 48),
(3667, 258, '2010-09-08 06:00:44', '2010-09-08 11:00:44', 'Let me ask you a question.  What do you do?\n\nI am a teacher.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nI am also the Math Department Chair at my school.  Did this change how you think about me?\n\nI have been a teacher for 25 years.  I have been the Math Department Chair for 25 days.  Now what do you think about me?\n\nIn the last 25 days I have been thinking a lot about leadership and how I am going to excel in my new role.  And I find myself questioning my abilities.  I have led hundreds students to success, but leading teenagers is far different than leading adults and so I wonder, how can I lead?\n\nIn the last 25 years I know I have served as a leader in a variety of ways.  I have encouraged my colleagues to excel by introducing them to new teaching and learning techniques as coordinator of professional development at my school for a decade.  I spent five years leading our school toward technological resources by investigating and presenting sessions on dozens of technological tools including smart boards, clicker systems, tablet computers, video conferencing, blogs, social media, and Google apps.  My colleagues now use them all.  I have served as the faculty representative to the board of trustees, written school policy, mentored new faculty, and coached dozens of women training for triathlons.  I have led.\n\nBut through the years as I led various groups, I never really had a title, or at least I never had one that did anything more than describe my job so that everyone knew who should do the work.  I never had any money, never oversaw any personnel, and never had any mandate other than to do the best I could, and so I did.\n\nBut now I have this title and a budget and a team that needs to work together to be effective and still there is the mandate that I must do the best I can.  So as I begin this journey and a series of blog posts that describe my adventure, I am asking for your thoughts as a leader in your respective community.  My question, in all sincerity is this. What do you do?  Does a title matter?\n\n&nbsp;', 'Leadership Transition: What&#039;s In a Name?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-transition-whats-in-a-name', '', '', '2010-09-08 06:00:44', '2010-09-08 11:00:44', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3667', 0, 'post', '', 84),
(3684, 259, '2010-09-15 11:47:04', '2010-09-15 16:47:04', 'I recently wrote a post on my own blog entitled \"<a href=\"http://alewebsocial.com/2010/09/14/the-essence-of-self-leadership-start-with-the-end-in-mind/\" target=\"_blank\">The Essence of Self-Leadership: Start with the End in Mind</a>.\" In it, I shared a lesson I learned from my 10-year-old son, Tim. He\'s been wanting a BB gun, specifically, a Crosman Stinger S32P Airsoft Tactical Carbine for a long time. However, I’m missing that chromosomal gene that thinks that\'s neat. So, it’s been a bit of a battle in our household for years.<!--more-->\n\nI finally told him that if he was going to get one, he\'d have to buy it himself, along with safety glasses and the pellets, and he\'d have to adhere to a strict set of rules regarding its use. With that all in mind, I was very impressed with Tim\'s reaction. I had anticipated that he would give up on the idea because there was so much to learn. He had no experience earning his own money, he had no real support, and he had no plan to work from.\n\nHe was frustrated initially until I shared that other boys his age sometimes mow neighbors\' yards, or offer to rake in the fall, or trim hedges. That was the only advice I offered him. He took that limited information, believed he was capable, kept his goal in mind, and developed a plan. He knew what he wanted to achieve and didn’t let seemingly insurmountable obstacles keep him from pursuing his goal.\n\nThere\'s been some discussion in the leadership community recently as to what it takes to be a true leader. Personally, I believe that leadership starts within. We can\'t reasonably lead others until we\'ve led ourselves, and the earlier we learn that, the better off we are. Put in the right circumstances, we all have the ability to exhibit leadership qualities (even children).\n\nSo, what\'s involved in self-leadership?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><strong><strong>Start with the end in mind.</strong> </strong>When you know your goal and the value you\'ve assigned to it, it enables you to do what\'s necessary to achieve it.</span></li>\n	<li><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><strong><strong>Evaluate the steps required to reach your goal.</strong> </strong>You\'ve got to know what reaching your goal entails. Otherwise, you\'re just floundering.</span></li>\n	<li><strong>Seek to grow. <span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">If you\'re uncertain what\'s required, ask for advice from those with more experience than you. Read books, listen to webinars, attend conferences, and find mentors to gain the additional know-how you desire.</span></strong></li>\n	<li><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><strong><strong>Recognize that reaching your goal will require effort.</strong> </strong>Too many people expect things to be handed to them. Leaders, by contrast, recognize that all good things require effort, from ourselves and our teams.</span></li>\n	<li><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><strong><strong>Believe in yourself! </strong></strong>No one knows you better than you do, but beware of underrating yourself. Often we don\'t realize that we are capable of much more than we initially think.</span></li>\n	<li><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><strong><strong>Be flexible.</strong> </strong>There are times when a new goal may appear as you continue on your journey towards reaching your goal. Don\'t be so attached to one goal that you miss other opportunities that present themselves. </span></li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nIn Tim\'s situation, he started with the end in mind. He\'d assigned his own personal value to that goal, and was willing to do what was necessary to achieve it. Once committed, he stepped out in faith, making progress towards his goal. Ultimately, a new \"end\" presented itself (you can read my <a href=\"http://alewebsocial.com/2010/09/14/the-essence-of-self-leadership-start-with-the-end-in-mind/\" target=\"_blank\">blog</a> for the details of that). While it wasn\'t what he originally set out to do, knowing what his goal was enabled him to recognize the new \"end\" as a different vision of the same goal; his desire to own his very own BB gun.\n\nHow often do we, as adults, give up before we even get going because something’s going to be “too much work,” or hold on to one outcome without being willing to adjust the goal? Mastery of self-leadership is a lifelong occupation. It begins when we\'re young and learn that temper tantrums won\'t get us what we want, and continues as we ascend through school and into the business world.\n\nWhich of these steps of self-leadership do you struggle with most? How can the Lead Change Group help you overcome those obstacles? We\'re here as a community of leaders to help one another grow. Leave a comment below and let us know what \"end\" you are working towards so that we can encourage and support you along the way.', 'Do You Start with the End in Mind?', 'Self-leadership is a skill that takes a lifetime to master. So, it\'s never too early to get started. What is the essence of self-leadership? How do we get started? In this post, Tara R. Alemany (@eandtsmom) of Aleweb Social Marketing (http://alewebsocial.com) will be looking at The Essence of Self-Leadership.', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'do-you-start-with-the-end-in-mind', '', '', '2010-09-15 11:47:04', '2010-09-15 16:47:04', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3684', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(3729, 243, '2010-09-13 06:00:18', '2010-09-13 11:00:18', 'There were many great and touching posts, articles and documentaries recently published about the 9th anniversary of 9/11.  We must never forget 9/11.  We must work to honor the fallen from that event.  We must remember that the United States was drawn into a war that day.\n\nBut I want to remember 9/13/2001.  <!--more-->The eleventh was a Tuesday.  Wednesday most of our nation mourned.  Facts started pouring in.  People were frantic and tense listening for word of their loved ones who were in the World Trade Center buildings.  The fire was still going and smoke rose from Manhattan.  I\'m sure 9/11 and 9/12 seemed never-ending to people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.\n\nBy Thursday slowly the part of the country that wasn\'t within reach of the tragedy started back to work.  I promised I would never be the same.  I had spent enough time chasing career. The ultimate outcome of my effort prior to 9/13/2001 served a very small circle.  On September 13, 2001 I was certain that I must be different.  My life was racing past me.  If I was going to make a difference, it would start now.\n\nI\'m sure I was not alone.  The shallowness of our pursuit of happiness and personal success became painfully evident.  Politicians worked together. People helped one another.  Millions prayed and made great and small sacrifices without being asked.  We donated money and blood and food and clothing.  We did whatever we could because the threat was real.  No one needs to be told to share what they have when they experience evil up close and personal.\n\nBut after 9 years, we have gone so far back to our old ways.  I\'m saddened to see the greed that caused this depression (yes, I said it) and the fear and self-protection that seems to be so prevalent because our resources seem so limited.  I\'m disappointed by the partisanship that disables our government.  I\'m grieved by the victim mentality that we encourage as we promote the idea that government can solve problems by spending more money.  I\'m disgusted to see people use 9/11 for financial gain or emotional manipulation.  We have covered a lot of ground on the very road to selfish meaninglessness; drifting, no falling, back to very selfish pursuits that preoccupied us while enemies schemed to cripple our economy, kill our friends and extinguish our freedom.\n<blockquote>I regret the days when I lost focus and fell short too.  Admit it.  We all have fallen short, haven\'t we?</blockquote>\nPlease remember 9/13 and recommit.  Please remember how you felt in the days after 9/11 when the nation and free people all over the globe pulled together. We valued community and we appreciated our friends and our coworkers.  We did what we could to strengthen our economy and to serve one another. We did not wait for someone else to step up.  We were all leaders.  Deep inside each of us we took responsibility, made the sacrifice and invested in our freedom.  The need became the call and we raced to answer.  We served one another like nothing my generation ever witnessed.  We wanted to do something more than just pursue happiness.  We were alive and we wanted to matter.  We vowed to make a difference.\n\nToo easily, we drift back into the pursuit of happiness.  Personal happiness is not a lofty or noble pursuit unless it\'s done on behalf of others.  Pursue happiness for others and you will find your own.  Sacrifice your time and effort to bless the people around you.  Enlarge your community and serve it.  Include people; value them; care for them; serve them; lay down your life for them.  By doing this you will honor those who gave their lives in service to freedom, not just in the US but around the world.  Freedom was attacked on 9/11.  And free people freely chose to respond.  There is no greater love than that which sacrifices freely for the better of others.\n<blockquote>Will you honor the fallen with your words or with your life?</blockquote>\nEngage. Live your life in a way that honors those from every nation that have given their lives and their resources to produce a free world.  Liberty is wasted on selfish pursuits.  Commit your resources to serve a community greater than just yourself.  Imagine now what it will feel like 9 years from now.  Will you regret or celebrate your achievements of the last 9 years?  More importantly, will anyone else celebrate your achievements? How will you make a difference in the coming year?  Go on record.  Don\'t make allowances for your selfish side.  Make a commitment here and we can help one another.\n\nLet\'s be the change we want to see in the world.', 'Remembering 9-13', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'remembering-9-13', '', '', '2010-09-13 06:00:18', '2010-09-13 11:00:18', '', 0, 'http://www.leadchangegroup.com/?p=3729', 0, 'post', '', 36),
(3750, 254, '2010-09-17 06:21:00', '2010-09-17 11:21:00', 'I’m actually “on record” as saying that I basically don’t trust anyone. Well, when I really think about it, that’s not totally true. I trust EVERYONE, just in an odd way! I trust people to hurt me, frustrate me, tick me off, and generally let me down. And for me, that’s somehow all right. I know these things happen, especially with those who are closest to me! And believe me, my friends pretty much trust me to do the same for them.<!--more-->\n\nWhat I’m getting at is that we have to be careful with what I call “the deification of trust”. This is where otherwise healthy “emotional trust” morphs into unnatural demands for predictability. We have to be careful not to elevate “emotional trust” to proportions where we hold people hostage to the unrealistic standards of personal insecurity and fear. This essentially cripples others in their healthy flexibility, stifles change, and turns them into robots.\n\nWorse yet, when we rely on demands for “emotional trust” in order to feel comfortable, we fail to develop what I refer to as “the trusting character”. A “trusting character” is necessary for personal flexibility, spontaneity, and appropriate risk. A “trusting character” is essential if we desire to help others to grow through offering them the same freedoms. More than a personal emotional experience, trust is a character trait we are wise to develop, especially if we aspire to be agents of change in the lives of others.\n\nSo exactly what is a “trusting character”? A “trusting character” has at least eight defining characteristics, and I’ll list them as a starting point for your consideration of this construct.\n<ul>\n	<li>A “trusting character” is proactive, always ahead of the offense with a loving stance, and it’s rarely taken by surprise with what people do.</li>\n	<li>A “trusting character” is realistic, knowing and accepting the fallibility of its fellow human beings.</li>\n	<li>A “trusting character” knows that while others may be hurtful, frustrating, angering, and disappointing at times, they also know that deep inside they desire not to be that way. Good faith is the “trusting character’s” basis for connectedness.</li>\n	<li>A “trusting character” acts with “just right” boundaries, and allows a healthy “margin of error” for natural humanity to occur, and within which the other can grow.</li>\n	<li>A “trusting character” is strong with grace, and always prepared to cover offenses with a beckoning love, inviting others to reflect and “self-correct”.</li>\n	<li>A “trusting character” has a commitment to growth, and always takes the long view with itself, and with others. It knows instinctively that growth is a process (complete with “growing pains”), and that no one is ever “a final, finished product”.</li>\n	<li>A “trusting character” seizes the mission of raising up mature people, and ever adjusts itself to these ends.</li>\n	<li>A “trusting character” views trust as a gift to give, and it possesses the wisdom that over time, it will stimulate growth, and cultivate a trustworthy individual.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\nA “trusting character” is free to be more concerned with the emotional environment that it creates for others than it is with its own emotional safety. This is because a “trusting character” knows that love is the best “coping strategy” in relating with others. A “trusting character” knows that love is the true foundation for healthy relationships, and great relationship outcomes!\n\nThe bottom line is this, if you want to stimulate others to grow, then they have to feel free to make the mistakes that come with flexibility and spontaneity. And yes, sometimes in this “dance”, people will hurt you, they will frustrate you, they will tick you off, and they will let you down. The question is whether you want to give them the “growth curve” of a large, spacious meadow in which to roam, graze, and grow, or corral them into an eight-by-ten box where they will wither and die.\n\nThe Simple Encouragement® Movement is dedicated to creating Simply Encouraging® interactions and environments for the actualization of all people, young and old. Demonstrating “trusting characters” that cultivate fully developed people is a part of the process. I trust that as you integrate this construct into your being, you will begin to see its transforming power. In exercising a “trusting character”, you begin to leave a quiet but powerful legacy of leading change in the hearts of those you touch.  And that’s a legacy worth aiming for!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<address><span style=\"font-size: x-small; line-height: .8;\">The Trusting Character\nCopyright © 2010 Thomas Waterhouse and Simple E Creations, Inc. All rights reserved.\nSimple Encouragement and Simple Encouraging are trademarks of Simple E Creations, Inc. </span></address><address><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\">\n</span></address>', 'A Trusting Character', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'a-trusting-character', '', '', '2010-09-17 06:21:00', '2010-09-17 11:21:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3750', 0, 'post', '', 92),
(3843, 244, '2010-09-22 14:20:26', '2010-09-22 19:20:26', 'Part 1 - The Leadership Myth\n\nThere is a lot of conversation on the topic of the difference between leadership and management particularly among those who study and/or teach either topic.  In the process it seems to me that a myth has been born - that leadership is better than management.\n\n<!--more-->\n\n&nbsp;\n\nI want to thank Wayne Lux and Geoff Barbaro for calling my attention to this myth.  I truly appreciate and understand the sentiment behind their statements below.  There are good and valid arguments leading to these conclusions, but the conclusion itself, or at least the shorthand way we have started to express it, is what I want to debunk here.\n\n<strong>Is someone really more valuable or more important to the success of any group or organization if they have strong leadership skills even if they can’t manage themselves “out of a paper bag”?</strong>\n\nHere is what Wayne and Geoff said that had me start thinking about this:  Wayne Lux (@Gorpdc on twitter) responded with “You LEAD people and MANAGE things” to my question “What is your biggest challenge in managing people?”  Geoff (<a title=\"Geoff Barbaro on Twitter\" href=\"http://twitter.com/geoff_barbaro\" target=\"_blank\">@Geoff_Barbaro</a>) responded with “For most, I\'d suggest it\'s not managing, but leading.  People thrive with leadership but stifle with management.\n\nI think those two comments point to our dissatisfaction and disillusion with the lingering historic practices of management that come from the industrial age – an age of mechanization in which the role of people in a business really was a lot like that of a “cog in the wheel” of the production machine.\n\nUnfortunately some people still manage that way: they treat people like machines and expect them to operate like one.  It’s all about getting the work done no matter what.  The boss says jump and the employee is supposed to say “how high?”.\n\nThese legacy managers think their job is to dictate and their employee’s job is to follow orders.  They believe their job is to keep tight control over things, and see micro-management as an act of responsibility.\n\nThis kind of management is what gives “management” a bad rap, especially in a world that needs, and even demands, a vastly different approach.\n\nWhile there are some people who still like and want to be told exactly what to do, for many this kind of management is stifling and disempowering.  There is no doubt that management practices and the thinking that gives rise to those practices are in serious need of transformation.\n\n<strong>But I don’t think the solution to all of our problems is to throw out “management” and replace it with “leadership”.  Leadership is not better than management.  They are simply distinct skill sets, both equally important to the success of any endeavor.</strong>\n\nHere is a simple case for the importance of management.  Every successful business has effective systems.   It takes people to define, manage, and adapt those systems over time.  Among those systems is the human system, aka the organization.\n\nSome systems lend themselves to more of a mechanical process.   The more mechanical the process, the less we need humans.  But we still need people to run them and dare I say “manage” the systems and the people who: envision and design how the systems will work, develop them, execute the tasks necessary to keep them working well, as well as adapt those systems as things change.\n\nDo you manage people or things?  I believe you do manage people.  Machines never run themselves 100%.  Often parts of the process still require a human to execute properly.  Someone must direct the activities of those people, much like a conductor directs an orchestra to play a precisely written set of instructions called a musical score.  It is a dynamic process and the quality of the outcome can be attributed to both the skill of the “conductor” and the synergy of the relationship between the conductor and the “players”.\n\nEffective management is essential to the success of any endeavor involving a group of people.  And so is effective leadership.  One is not better than the other.\n\nSo what is the real issue behind the myth?\n\nWe now expect people who manage us to also naturally lead us.  We can be ruthless in our judgment when managers don’t do both well.  Yet I don’t believe we have equipped enough people in management or leadership positions with the skills they need to win in today’s world.\n\n<strong>What do you think?  Do we all need to be both effective leaders and managers to succeed in today’s world?   Or is there a place for those who are better at one or the other</strong>\n\n<a href=\"http://myatomicmass.com/projects/see-saw-bike/\"><span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo seesaw bike</span></a><strong>\n</strong>', 'Where Leadership and Management Meet', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'where-leadership-and-management-meet', '', '', '2010-09-22 14:20:26', '2010-09-22 19:20:26', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3843', 0, 'post', '', 88),
(3863, 243, '2010-09-26 17:21:17', '2010-09-26 22:21:17', '<p>Another fall is beginning.  Soon, the leaves will change.  Change is in the air.</p>\n\n<p>But isn’t change always happening?  Little remains the same for any serious period of time.  Change is a fact of life.  Increasing change may be as well.<!--more--></p>\n\n<p> Sonia Di Maulo of <a href=\"http://www.readytofeedback.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Ready To Feedback</a> <a href=\"http://twitter.com/readytofeedback\" target=\"_blank\">(@ReadyToFeedback</a>) provides a daily email called the Daily Compelling Workplace Statistic.  (More info <a href=\"http://readytofeedback.com/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.)  She provides some interesting information in those emails and I’ve kept many for future reference.  But today’s message prompted me to write this post.</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>One-third of U.S. companies anticipate installing a head of change-management, with authority and standing similar to that of a chief financial officer, by 2015. The position did not even exist a few years ago, and today only 11% of executives say their companies have such a position.</p></blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href=\"http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/jul2008/ca2008078_219021.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"color: #0066cc;\">Human Resources: The Big Issues</span></a>, Bloomberg Businessweek, July 2008</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>A couple of things jumped out at me that I wanted to comment on and then ask for your thoughts as well.</p>\n\n<h3>New Specialty</h3>\n\n<p>The world is asking for a new specialty.  This statistic denotes direction.  The number might sound extreme or low, but organizations plan to devote resources to this skill.  Change matters.  Artful, skillful change that builds up rather than creating collateral damage is a growing and valued skill.</p>\n\n<h3>Valued Skill</h3>\n\n<p>The idea that the position would be equivalent to a C-Level position surprises me.  It shows that organizations understand the impact of both skillful, positive change  and the cost of careless, difficult change.  Because of market volatility and the importance of “getting things right” in Internet time, organizations will invest more in reducing the risk and maximizing the benefit of change done well.</p>\n\n<h3>Speed of Change</h3>\n\n<p>One more caveat, the statistics were compiled before our current depression.  Companies <em>will</em> continue on this path, but not at this rate.  Don’t be fooled by the next stat that says this has slowed (my expectations only).  Everything slowed over the last 24 months.  Change Management is a growing valued skill.  You will improve or you will lose.  It’s up to you.</p>\n\n<h3>Take Action</h3>\n\n<p>So, how can we take action now to get better at leading change and insuring our change is positive?  As the Lead Change Group, we must be addressing these questions.  What do you say?</p>\n\n<p>We will include a summary of the comments below as well as any on the <a href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\">LinkedIn group page</a> in a follow up post or series on Change Management.</p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo by <a title=\"Country Road by joiseyshowaa on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/joiseyshowaa/2077722276/\">joiseyshowaa</a></span></p>', 'People, Change and Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'people-change-and-leadership', '', '', '2010-09-26 17:21:17', '2010-09-26 22:21:17', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3863', 0, 'post', '', 20),
(3890, 251, '2010-10-04 05:59:32', '2010-10-04 10:59:32', 'I marvel at the amount of time spent:\n<ul>\n	<li>Seeking to define leadership and management. Can we just do the work, focusing on people, principles and results; and not get hung up on labels?<!--more--></li>\n	<li>Trying to prove that their list of leadership characters traits is the one and only. Can we agree that the list of worthy traits is long, that most are needed and that our time would be better spent leading than on creating a finite list that tomorrow’s business needs would change?</li>\n	<li>Espousing that one can only lay claim to being a leader if they have followers. Can we agree to disagree here and respect each other’s opinion?</li>\n	<li>Vehemently asserting that leadership is only measured by results? Again, can we agree to disagree and respect each other’s opinion?</li>\n	<li>Attempting to prove that managers do things right and that leaders do the right thing. Can we say that both managers and leaders do things right and do the right things?</li>\n</ul>\nLife is big and complicated and fun and challenging. So are those things we call leadership and management.\n\nRarely is life and/or leadership an either/or end game. It’s usually more of a both/and dance in which we balance opposing ends of an infinity loop. “Avoid the tyranny\nof the OR and embrace the genius of the AND,” as Collins and Porras point out.\n\nWhat do you think?\n<p style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">© ArTo - Fotolia.com</p>', 'Leadership is a Both/And; Rarely an Either/Or', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-is-a-bothand-rarely-an-eitheror', '', '', '2010-10-04 05:59:32', '2010-10-04 10:59:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3890', 0, 'post', '', 32),
(3892, 246, '2010-09-28 16:01:09', '2010-09-28 21:01:09', '&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 5.45pt 10pt; line-height: normal; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; color: #993300; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp; amp; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;\">Recognition and HR</span></strong> </span></p>\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 5.45pt 10pt; line-height: normal; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">HR professionals work hard to make the workplace a better place! Through their hard work, their exceptional performance sometimes gets overlooked. And so in keeping with what I do (I expose exceptional performance) the contest, <strong style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">Exposing Exceptional Performance in HR</strong>, was born! <!--more--></span></span></p>\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 5.45pt 10pt; line-height: normal; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">The goal of this contest is to help Leaders and the Organization: </span></span></p>\n&nbsp;\n<ul>\n	<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Gather insight about the exceptional work of their HR professionals </span></span></li>\n	<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Gather insight about themselves by focusing on the recognition of others </span></span></li>\n	<li><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Celebrate success </span></span></li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 5.45pt 10pt; line-height: normal; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\">Organization leaders are invited to <strong>send in a story in written or video format</strong> of how an HR professional helped them develop solutions that improve the workplace and resolve an organizational or team challenge. </span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">The 3 Top Stories will be recognized as models of HR excellence amongst their peers and win <strong><span style=\"font-weight: normal; font-family: &amp;amp;\">prizes worth </span></strong><strong>a total combined value of approximately $15,200</strong></span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\">! </span></span></p>\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 5.45pt 10pt; line-height: normal; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Submitting early has its privileges – prize draws for submissions received before October 1<sup>st</sup> are eligible! </span></span></p>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 5.45pt 10pt; line-height: normal; text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">For more information on how to enter and to download the story submission form, visit </span></span><a href=\"http://www.harvestperformance.ca/?p=3659\"><strong style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #4f81bd;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">Contest Headquarters on the Web</span></span></strong></a><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\">! </span></span><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"> You can also see the list of sponsors at that link too.  I am grateful for the support of my sponsors. </span></span></p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 5.45pt 10pt; line-height: normal; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><strong style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\">Thank you! </strong></span></span></p>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt; line-height: normal;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri;\"><strong style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt; color: #c00000; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\">Next contest</span></strong><span style=\"font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &amp;amp;\">! </span><span style=\"font-size: 9pt;\">At the close of this contest, we will be launching another: <strong>Exposing Exceptional Performance in PM</strong> (Project Management)!  Already getting judges… a new cycle begins! If you are interested in submitting prizes or in becoming a judge please contact me by e-mail at <strong style=\"mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"color: #c00000;\">sdimaulo@readytofeedback.com</span></strong>.</span></span></p>', 'Contest: Exposing Exceptional Performance in HR', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'contest-exposing-exceptional-performance-in-hr', '', '', '2010-09-28 16:01:09', '2010-09-28 21:01:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/contest-exposing-exceptional-performance-in-hr/', 0, 'post', '', 4);
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(3900, 243, '2010-09-29 08:02:27', '2010-09-29 13:02:27', '<p>I read an interesting comment in an article today.  The comment wasn\'t directed at the challenges and issues surrounding leadership, but it gave me many ideas for application.</p>\n\n<blockquote><p>Control is rooted in our weakness.</p></blockquote>\n\n<p>When a person in a leadership position micro-manages, that should be a signal.  <!--more-->The unfortunate problem is that many leaders fail to see that behavior in their middle-managers.  The weak manager can\'t let the boss see the micro-management any more than he or she can allow the team freedom of movement.</p>\n\nAs the leader of an organization or department, it is your responsibility to strengthen your people - all of them.   But what do you do when this micro-manager obstructs your view of their team and their behavior?</p>\n\n<ol>\n	<li>Watch out for signs of the problem. Encourage open communication with structured decision making.  That\'s a tactic I learned from <a title=\"A Contrarian\'s Guide to Leadership on Amazon\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0787967076?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0787967076\">A Contrarian\'s Guide to Leadership</a> by Steven B. Sample.  Talk to everyone in the organization.  Open your door to anyone.  But learn to \"listen gray\" as Sample said and avoid making judgments or decisions without honoring the chain-of-command.</li>\n	<li>Invest in people regardless. Your goal is to create confident, experienced middle managers.  Avoid the temptation to assume they don\'t have any problems because you don\'t know about them.  Provide resources and training.  Invest in your middle-managers before you see trouble.  Find some creative training that you can provide cheaply.  Ask people in this forum if you don\'t have any ideas.  There are many new ways of inexpensively giving your middle-managers resources, encouragement and confidence.</li>\n	<li>Have the courage to address problem.  The word <em>encourage</em> means simply that - put courage into them.  Put courage in your middle managers.  Arrange time to coach them and ask them about their team as a whole and listen for 3rd party pronouns and ways they separate themselves from their team\'s performance.</li>\n	<li>Expect them to overcome this.  People micro-manage because they fear the consequences of giving people freedom.  Employees are not free to do what they want, unless they want the business to succeed and they understand their role and what it takes to make that success happen.  Put the courage into them that their people can do the job and that they can lead with freedom.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Put courage in your micro-managers.  Inspire them and encourage them that you will provide the resources (training, experience, room for trial-and-error) for their team to succeed and that they must create the atmosphere for their team to flourish.  Your entire organization will be better for it.</p>\n\n<p>With some persistence, you can encourage most people out of micro-management.  Some won\'t ever end the practice however.  When that happens, you must take permanent action or you will institutionalize the problem.  And when you create a culture that allows micro-management, only those employees that require micro-management will remain.</p>\n\n<p>Maybe you have experiences with other ideas that will help free people from the felt-need to micro-manage.  Care to share?  All ideas are welcome here.</p>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">© <a href=\"http://www.fotolia.com/id/21756343\">kabliczech</a> - Fotolia.com</span></p>', '4 Steps to Overcome Micro-Management', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '4-steps-overcome-micro-management', '', '', '2010-09-29 08:02:27', '2010-09-29 13:02:27', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3900', 0, 'post', '', 80),
(3911, 259, '2010-10-03 07:00:25', '2010-10-03 12:00:25', '<p>This weeks guest for Meet LeadChange is Mike Henry Sr. (<a href=\"http://twitter.com/mikehenrysr\">@mikehenrysr</a>, LinkedIn, <a href=\"http://facebook.com/mikehenrysr\">Facebook</a>) We will turn the tables (or the microphones) on Mike and I\'ll act as the host and moderator of the discussion.</p>\n\n<p>However, rather than do your typical one-on-one inteview, we will open the phone lines so you can call in to ask Mike questions about anything. (Yes, anything!)</p><!--more-->\n\n<p><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/member/mike/\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-3957\" title=\"Mike Henry Sr\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/IMG_0236c-2.jpg\" alt=\"Mike Henry Sr.\" width=\"211\" height=\"211\" /></a>Mike is the founder of the Lead Change Group and a consultant, coach, speaker, and community builder.   He enjoys helping people make a positive difference in any endeavor.  He helps leaders at all levels gain perspective regarding their position, responsibilities, and how they are perceived throughout and around the organization.  He believes that true leaders are those who choose to exercise leadership skills and influence at any position or level in an organization.</p>\n\n<p>Mike speaks, consults and provides group and individual coaching to help people lead through relationships.  His group coaching program, Leader From The Pack, helps middle managers and emerging leaders to inspire, encourage, and support stakeholders in all directions: inward through influencing their team and peers, externally through improved relationships with suppliers and customers, upward through inspiring trust, and downward through supporting and developing direct reports and successors.  Mike energizes leaders to deepen their character as the foundation of their leadership.</p>\n\n<p>He\'s not shy, so we\'ve provided some extra time for this interview.  Please be sure and join us.  You won\'t want to miss it.  You can listen right here or call in to (646) 721-9815.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyODYxMTEwMDMwOTImcHQ9MTI4NjExMTAwNjc*MSZwPTQ1MDk3MiZkPTEyOTU2NCZnPTEmbz*2NDBlNzAzNGJjZDY*/ZmJjYWQyNzQxOTBkYTcxZTk3MA==.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /><object id=\"1290729\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"1290729\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1290729&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1290729&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" /><embed id=\"1290729\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1290729&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1290729&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"1290729\"></embed></object>\n</p>', 'Meet LeadChange – Mike Henry Sr.', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-mike-henry-s', '', '', '2010-10-03 07:00:25', '2010-10-03 12:00:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3911', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(3986, 243, '2010-10-14 06:00:59', '2010-10-14 11:00:59', 'A couple of months ago, another big name publisher tried to justify petty behavior under the name \"leadership.\"  This time Forbes published an article entitled <a title=\"Sometimes Micromanaging is Good\" href=\"http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/29/micromanage-employees-delegate-leadership-managing-staff.html\" target=\"_self\">Sometimes Micromanaging Is Good - And Necessary by Christine M Riordan</a> (click through the advertisement).  The subtitle explains further: \"But not for long. Here are the times you <em>have to</em> do it.\" (emphasis mine)<!--more-->\n\nTo her credit, the author qualifies her comments.  She defines \"micromanage\" as\n<blockquote>\"A dreaded word. The dictionary defines it as \'to direct or control in a detailed, often meddlesome manner.\'  Most popular management books call it something to avoid at all costs and give decisive tips on how not to do it.\"</blockquote>\nThroughout the article, the author uses a broad definition for micromanagement.  So broad in fact that she might mean \"direction.\" So for clarification, today let\'s distinguish micromanagement from direction.  There are times when direction is the order of the day.  Direction can be done with agreement.  It can be delivered in a way that doesn\'t meddle, or dismantle the respect and confidence of an individual.\n<h2>Control</h2>\nMicromanagement is meddling, unsolicited direction.  There are times when it becomes necessary only because the manager can\'t <em>control</em> <em>behavior</em> any other way.  That manager must micromanage.  But there are always ways to inspire rather than control.  No manager must micromanage, or attempt to control behavior from outside the individuals.  They should inspire it from within.\n\nIn other words, choose to lead instead of attempting to micromanage.  Leadership inspires internal control that comes from inside the team members.  Leaders inspire people to make right choices and perform in a way that enables successful outcomes.\n\nManagers substitute micromanagement and external control when they have  no other method.  Micromanagement is one of the default behaviors in the  absence of leadership.  External control is the tactic of choice for  the weak manager. Inspiration and internal control are the preferred  tools of a skilled leader.\n<h2>Direct with Respect</h2>\nSometimes leaders must give direction, or authoritative instruction to team members.\n\nWhen people have little confidence AND little competence in the job at hand, direction is the order of the day.  I use Ken Blanchard\'s <a title=\"Situational Leadership Training website\" href=\"http://www.kenblanchard.com/Issues_Organizational_Development/Effective_Leadership_Solutions/One_to_One_Talent_Management/Management_Situational_Leadership_Training/\">Situational Leadership II</a> as my model*.  But you can usually direct with respect, rather than as a meddler.\n\nThree steps for positive direction:\n<ol>\n	<li>Give simple direction. State the facts.</li>\n	<li>Reach agreement with the team members you\'re directing.  Do they understand their next actions and expected results?</li>\n	<li>Maintain the agreement until a designated follow up time.</li>\n</ol>\nIn emergencies, such as those described by the author, explain to your team that you will provide direction and allow the people being directed to agree to the direction and report back with their results.  You may even tell them you\'re going to watch.  Watch and direct for their benefit and only until they demonstrate their ability to operate without the supervision.  Maintain their individuality and respect them as contributors. You\'re still following up quickly, but expanding the time as they demonstrate ability.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">© bellemedia - Fotolia.com</span>', 'MicroManaging is NEVER Good', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'micro-managing-is-never-good', '', '', '2010-10-14 06:00:59', '2010-10-14 11:00:59', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3986', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(3988, 243, '2010-10-07 05:51:07', '2010-10-07 10:51:07', 'My recent post on how to <a title=\"4 Steps to Overcome Micro-Management\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/4-steps-overcome-micro-management/\" target=\"_self\">overcome a micro-manager</a> came as a bit of a surprise to some.  I wrote it to executives dealing with micro-manager direct reports.  My goal: convert micro-managers to leaders.\n\nGenerally conversion only comes from within the micro-manager and the only person they\'ll listen to is a supervisor or <!--more-->someone at a higher level in the organization or someone they look up to.  Eliminating micro-management is critically important to creating a culture of leadership. If you want to create a culture of leadership in your organization, please read that post.\n\nMany commented on the post asking about how to deal with bosses and peers who are micro-managers.  So today, we\'ll begin with the bosses and in a future post we will also address peers.\n\nRemember we said that micro-management is a fear and control issue.  If you feel your manager is micro-managing you here are 5 steps you can take to begin to reduce or eliminate the practice.\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Do your job exceptionally well</strong>.  This is the foundation for all trust.  The universal job description is to make your supervisor successful.  The only caveat is when their definition of success doesn\'t line up with the success of the organization.  Many micro-managers prefer order over growth or change.  There are ways to help preserve order and still initiate change.  The first step is to do the required position remarkably.</li>\n	<li><strong>Take your manager\'s side</strong>.  You must use the best parts of your manager\'s expectations to judge whether or not you\'re doing a good job.  If you simply apply your own measurements rather than theirs, you increase the tension and magnify the problem.  You must view your own performance through your manager\'s eyes. If necessary, when being corrected, ask questions.  Genuinely seek to understand first.  Until you understand your manager, you can\'t alleviate the micro-management.</li>\n	<li><strong>Proactively demonstrate your commitment to the organization AND your manager</strong>.  Adapt your behavior to your manager\'s requests. Wherever possible, avoid resistance and support.  I\'m not talking about sucking up here because that suggests insincerity.  You must be sincere.  Choose today that you will figure out how to make your manager\'s request successful.  There are always more ways to do something.  Own making their way successful.  Give their methods greater than 100% effort.</li>\n	<li><strong>Ask first</strong>.  If your managers methods were in-fact your own, what else needs to be done?  What improvements could be made that line up with their requests.  Then, before acting, ask, in private and in a way that doesn\'t question their motives but rather by asking if your idea helps or not.  Give them a chance to judge your idea.  If your ideas get \"shot-down,\" accept it and move on.  Don\'t hang on to your old ideas.  Don\'t come back in a month and say, \"but I asked you about that a month ago.\"</li>\n	<li><strong>Document your understanding and activity</strong>.  Avoid CYA, but try to find graceful ways to document your behavior.  When you ask, ask in an email, or ask for a meeting to discuss such-and-such in the email.  Or create an action item list that begins with all of your commitments and any outstanding issues as a confirmation.  Then use that document to keep them informed. Proactively follow up and give them updates in writing too, before they ask.  Show your manager you\'re taking initiative.  But in the end, remember you\'re going to have to take some risk in order to show that you are trustworthy.</li>\n</ol>\nThis is by no means exhaustive.  I thought of a couple of others as I was editing.  What other actions would you recommend?  Have you ever been under a micro-manager?  What did you do?  Did it work?  Share your thoughts below and let\'s encourage one another and maybe we can build some leaders in the process.\n\nStay tuned too as I\'ll recommend some attitudes that are helpful in my next post on the topic.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">© soupstock - Fotolia.com</span>', '5 Performance Tips When You Are Micro-Managed', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-performance-tips-when-you-are-micro-managed', '', '', '2010-10-07 05:51:07', '2010-10-07 10:51:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=3988', 0, 'post', '', 36),
(4001, 260, '2010-10-13 06:03:54', '2010-10-13 11:03:54', 'Even with idea of collaborative leadership in \"flat\" organizations, many consider \"leadership\" as a permeating force that ebbs and flows in and over every nook and cranny of an organization.  An example is when the end user is included in the development of the process and their voice actually has measurable value. Leadership taking on such a fluid form is quite effective for creating an amazing organization, but <!--more-->just like any fluid it will begin to take on the shape of its \"container\" or how it is framed.\n\nAn alternative to totally fluid leadership is linear structure. In western culture, default settings generally imply some linear structure be attached to something in order for it to function properly. The argument is made that without having things go through certain processes, usually within a hierarchy of authority, then the desired result won\'t happen. It\'s as if the process adds a magical element to the result.\n\nHerman Miller has designed a new <a href=\"http://www.hermanmiller.com/Products/SAYL-Chairs\" target=\"_blank\">chair</a> whose back doesn\'t have a frame. The material is structured in a way that allows it to support your back, but still conform to your unique shape. The material of the back of the chair has varying densities and firmer support is given in the spinal area and a little more flexible around the shoulders and sides.\n\nWhat a great example of how to allow our fluid and collaborative approach to leadership to \"take shape\", as it were. How different would our leadership look if we chose to get rid of the frame? Imagine an organization where the support was focused on the areas that truly need it for health and was flexible and malleable in its function and form in other areas. Zappos is a great example. The customer service team are told to \"think like they\'re the general manager\". They don\'t have a script to read. They can answer the phone anyway they feel like answering it. If, in their conversation with the customer, they find that there is a tragedy in their life they can even send flowers and a card. That is taking the frame off leadership.\n\nFind creative and innovative ways to take the frame off how we do leadership and allow it to ebb and flow with the unique creativity of those in our organizations. Obviously this isn\'t a call to abandon fiscal responsibility, but how ideas develop, how a process is managed (micro-managing), and how we include end users in the process of developing and moving an organization forward can be approached much differently.\n\nQuality leadership can be a catalyst to improve the future, but only by disturbing the present. Can you think of some other ways people can \"shake up\" the present or take the frame off leadership? Do you have some past examples or past experiences you could share?', 'Frameless Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'frameless-leadership', '', '', '2010-10-13 06:03:54', '2010-10-13 11:03:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4001', 0, 'post', '', 24),
(4010, 243, '2010-10-11 06:57:58', '2010-10-11 11:57:58', 'This week\'s guest for Meet LeadChange is William Powell (<a title=\"William Powell Coaching\" href=\"http://www.theleadershipadvisor.com/\">web</a>, <a title=\"William on Twitter\" href=\"http://www.twitter.com/LeadrshpAdvisor\">@WPowellCoaching</a>, LinkedIn, <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/williampowellcoaching\">Facebook</a>).  He\'s author of a book called <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003I84LX8\">Personal Ecology: Self Management and the Art of Cultivating Healthy Relationships</a> too.<!--more-->\n\nWilliam is a Leadership &amp; Culture Development expert who works with organizations and professionals to bring quality and effective leadership to the forefront. He has worked internationally with for profit and non-profit organizations and various professionals to facilitate them in improving their self leadership so that they are empowered to lead others well.\n\nHe is also a founding member of Lead Swag, a collaborative project with Heather Coleman and Ron Marshall. The goal of Lead Swag is to bring leadership to fun, cheekiness and a slight irreverence for the archaic and traditional approach to leadership.\n\nWilliam’s goal and purpose is to change the global conversation on the subject of leadership and to help create an international standard of leadership that reaches across national, cultural, and industry boundaries.\n\nListen live right here at 3 PM Eastern this Thursday October the 14th or you can listen to the replay any time thereafter.\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyODY3OTc5NjE2NDEmcHQ9MTI4Njc5Nzk2NTcxMSZwPTQ1MDk3MiZkPTEyOTU2NCZnPTEmbz*2NDBlNzAzNGJjZDY*/ZmJjYWQyNzQxOTBkYTcxZTk3MA==.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /><object id=\"1312657\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"1312657\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1312657&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1312657&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" /><embed id=\"1312657\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1312657&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1312657&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"1312657\"></embed></object>', 'Meet LeadChange William Powell', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-william-powell', '', '', '2010-10-11 06:57:58', '2010-10-11 11:57:58', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4010', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(4039, 252, '2010-10-15 06:00:59', '2010-10-15 11:00:59', 'Last week, my colleague, Jennifer V Miller asked us to contemplate this thought from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_DeMarco\" target=\"_blank\">Tom DeMarko</a>:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\"<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/no-posers-allowed-in-leadership/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership needs to be distinguished from posturing</a>.\"</p>\nPosture, posing, pretending - whatever you call it, not only does it not look good, but it can create<!--more--> a significant dent in your credibility and your employees\' willingness to follow your lead.\n\nThe thought reminded me... several years ago I heard a CEO talking about how well his company was doing. When it came to Q&amp;A time I asked him how employees should reconcile that positive picture with knowing that some of their colleagues, at the same time, were losing their jobs due to downsizing. He responded with a very touching, inspiring anecdote about what another company did in a situation like this. But that didn’t answer my question.\n\nI acknowledge that business is complicated, and paradoxes exist (e.g. business is great/people lose jobs), but please bother to try to explain it. I prefer the interpretation that he <em>chose</em> not to explain it to me vs. considering that the exec didn’t know the answer. Whatever the explanation for a response like that from a leader, everyone loses.\n\nOver and over, responses that sound good, but really don\'t answer the question, makes organization members question the leader’s competence and their own respect for them, thus eroding the leader’s privilege to lead.  Moreover, constituents want to believe in their leader, so they expend energy to make things make sense.  But they are just going to spin in circles because it doesn’t make sense – and then there’s just another hit to the company’s productivity because energy is being siphoned to unproductive activity.\n\nSome say that character doesn\'t count any more in leadership.  And despite any example that seems to support that case, know this – the laws of human nature can’t be cheated. People know when they are being avoided, disrespected, or exploited. Everyone, including the business, loses.\n\nOr is this just a cost of doing business?\n\nAdapted from post at Mary\'s blog: <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/category/blog/\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.reimaginework.com/category/blog/</a>', 'Posing, Posturing or Pretending - It&#039;s Not Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'no-posing-in-leadership', '', '', '2010-10-15 06:00:59', '2010-10-15 11:00:59', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4039', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(4101, 243, '2010-10-17 16:12:03', '2010-10-17 21:12:03', 'This week our guest on Meet LeadChange is <a title=\"Tara\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/eandtsmom\">Tara Alemany</a> of <a title=\"Aleweb on Facebook\" href=\"http://www.facebook.com/AlewebSocial\">Aleweb Social Marketing</a> (<a title=\"Tara\'s Blog\" href=\"http://alewebsocial.com/\">web</a>, Linkedin).  She helps business owners develop social marketing strategies and implement solutions that build relationships and position organizations to be top-of-mind for target prospects and customers.  Tara has helped many clients find and join the conversations that are already taking place about them, their product, product or industry.\n\nBefore Aleweb Social Marketing, Tara built an extensive background writing, training, and speaking.  She\'s been involved in technical writing and business process analysis.  Previous experience as a small business owner, she understands the challenges and advantages faced by business owners who are effectively competing with limited resources.\n\nIn addition to providing social marketing services, Tara is also a speaker, a martial artist, a short-term missionary, and a single mom to 2 children, one of each, ages 12 and 10.\n\nWe\'ll get some insight from Tara on her recommendations for being front-and-center with your leadership and how she applies leadership to make a positive difference.\n<!--more-->\nYou can listen to the show live at 3 PM Eastern, Thursday October 21, 2010 or a replay anytime thereafter right here.\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img style=\"visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;\" src=\"http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyODczNDk2NjI1ODMmcHQ9MTI4NzM*OTY2ODAwMiZwPTQ1MDk3MiZkPTEyOTU2NCZnPTEmbz*2NDBlNzAzNGJjZDY*/ZmJjYWQyNzQxOTBkYTcxZTk3MA==.gif\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"0\" height=\"0\" /><object id=\"1324506\" classid=\"clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0\"><param name=\"name\" value=\"1324506\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><param name=\"src\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1324506&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" /><param name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1324506&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" /><embed id=\"1324506\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"210\" height=\"105\" src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1324506&amp;autostart=false&amp;bufferlength=5&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1324506&amp;autostart=false&amp;shuffle=false&amp;volume=80&amp;corner=rounded&amp;callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&amp;width=215&amp;height=108\'\" allowscriptaccess=\"always\" menu=\"false\" wmode=\"transparent\" quality=\"high\" name=\"1324506\"></embed></object>\n\nAlso, if you create a profile on Blog Talk Radio, be sure to follow the <a title=\"Mike Henry\'s Meet LeadChange Profile on BTR\" href=\"http://blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\">Meet LeadChange</a> Broadcast there. Thanks!', 'Meet LeadChange Tara Alemany', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-tara-alemany', '', '', '2010-10-17 16:12:03', '2010-10-17 21:12:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4101', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(4107, 261, '2010-10-26 07:00:54', '2010-10-26 12:00:54', 'I’ve been working on a new strategic plan for my consulting business that includes a new website to mirror the strategic shift. This required me to make a lot of changes and turned into a serious leadership challenge. The decisions I finally made concerning this effort would not have happened if it wasn’t for the Lead Change Group and what I learned at <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/instigate-leadership-revolution/\">LeaderPalooza</a> last February.\n\nLeading your own business can be tough at times like these because you only report to yourself and ultimately the marketplace once you execute the strategy. For most of us in our endeavors, we tend to focus on the specific issues of what we do and are careful not to venture too far outside of that framework publicly (though among friends and family we will explore all kinds of issues). As a consultant, that would be things related to organization success.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBut two things become very clear as I stepped back to review what we had done the last 25 years and ask myself what were we really all about. Maybe I should have stopped there but decided to open up Pandora ’s Box. What has the recession taught me? Is there anything I can do to help out using my expertise and do I have a moral obligation to do that? If I am truthful with the answers to these last two questions, what should my business be doing right now and what role should I play in society as a whole?\n\nLike I said, I had to open Pandora’s box and by doing so thrust myself into a major leadership challenge. To go where the answers to these questions were leading would require me to step up to the plate in some new ways that went beyond just my business practice but were consistent with who I am and what I do as a consultant. Erin Schreyer would call that being authentic. Gee, it’s a lot harder to do than to talk about Erin!!!\n\nWhat became clear was that I had to immediately focus my business on services I had put on the back burner many years ago and I had to go public with my ideas on how to address all kinds of current issues that went beyond what my business addressed.\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">1. With the economy limping along, I realized that my firm should focus on one thing right now which is helping businesses to increase their sales. All the other things we offer as a firm are important but what good are they right now if companies can’t ring their register more. In that way, our service could help the economy right now.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">2. Since my entire career has been about helping people and organizations make better decisions, it was time for me to take that same expertise and apply it to the current public issues of the day. That meant I would have to throw my ideas into the public arena for others to consider. It’s one thing to do that around your friends or at a local organization you belong to but another thing entirely to put it out there for everyone to see. That could open me up to a lot of other people disagreeing and potentially place me in some heated situations. But I deeply felt that this perspective was sorely lacking based on all I hear in the news. Was I willing to be my authentic self out there in the public’s eye?</p>\nThis strategy is exemplified in my new business website <a title=\"First Concepts Consultants, Inc.\" href=\"http://www.firstconcepts.com/\" target=\"_blank\">www.firstconcepts.com</a>. Instead of the home page promoting my firm as most business websites do, I turned it into a magazine style blogging page with two blogs. One blog titled \"<a href=\"http://www.firstconcepts.com/category/insights-into-success/\">Insights Into Success</a>” features articles about organization success. That’s the normal application of my expertise. The other blog titled “<a href=\"http://www.firstconcepts.com/category/a-better-world/\">A Better World</a>” focuses on my ideas concerning the current issues of the day. So it is similar to an opinion/editorial column like you might read in the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. And in that column I pull no punches.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe first two blogs on there are titled “<a href=\"http://www.firstconcepts.com/3-steps-to-boost-jobs-and-the-economy/\">3 Steps to Boost Jobs and Economy</a>” and the other is “<a href=\"http://www.firstconcepts.com/the-assumptions-that-tanked-our-economy/\">The Assumptions That Tanked The Economy</a>.” Politicians from both parties will not like what I have to say. Banking, finance and mortgage executives will probably make voodoo dolly pin cushions of me they can stick needles in. Corporations that have shipped a lot of jobs oversees might be rather angry.\n\nBut this feels right to me. It feels authentic. Soon I will be writing about the real healthcare crisis, solving the Somalia piracy issue, why General Motors failed, the Muslim crisis in America, what’s wrong with corporate governance, the real cause behind the Mexican drug cartel war and much more. It has amazed me what happens when I apply my consulting process to all these other issues.\n\nAs a registered non-partisan since the age of 18, I have discovered I have a unique voice. As a consultant, I have a unique way of analyzing problems. Maybe somebody will pay attention. Hopefully, nobody will throw tomatoes or shoes at me. <strong>But that is what it means to be a Character Based Leader and I intend to go down this path regardless of the consequences.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nCharacter Based Leadership is a way of being. It’s who we are deep inside when no one’s looking. When we have to act as our own leader, it’s critical to have this inner guidance or we can flounder too easily.\n\nThe last time you had to lead yourself, what did you learn from the experience?', 'A Leadership Crisis In My Own Business', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'a-leadership-crisis-in-my-own-business', '', '', '2010-10-26 07:00:54', '2010-10-26 12:00:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4107', 0, 'post', '', 20),
(4172, 243, '2010-10-31 06:06:07', '2010-10-31 11:06:07', 'We have liftoff!  For the last few months I\'ve been working with a lot of new technologies preparing to build a leadership web destination.  The community of leaders we have assembled on <a href=\"http://bit.ly/leadchange\">LinkedIn</a> and <a href=\"http://facebook.com/leadchangegroup\">Facebook</a> and Twitter (@mikehenrysr/leadchange and @mikehenrysr/@leadchange-2) is unparalleled.  Now it\'s time to take it to the next level.\n\nThanks to Shawn Murphy of <a href=\"http://achievedstrategies.com/blog\">Achieved Strategies</a> and Phil Tretheway of Trethaway Designs, we have a new badge!  Check this out.  Now you can show off your membership in the community.\n\nWhen you become a member of the group, if you have a blog, we will list your blog in the Leadership Blogs page on this site.  This will serve as a free resource for people searching for blogs and it will also help both of our sites.  To list your blog there are 3 steps:\n<ol>\n	<li>Register (if you haven\'t already) and enter your blog in the <em>Details</em> part of your profile.  Click on your name in the login box and Edit Profile / Details.</li>\n	<li>Then, on your blog, create a text widget.  Insert the following code which will place a 125x125 badge in your sidebar that tells the world you\'re part of the LeadChange community.</li>\n	<li>Send a message or tweet to me with the name and category you\'d like your blog placed in.</li>\n</ol>\nI\'ll click the link to your website from your profile and confirm everything.\n\nOh, I almost forgot the code for the badge. This will give you a badge that links to the home page.\n<pre><code>\n&lt;a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/\"&gt;\n&lt;img style=\"height:125px;width:125px;border:0\"\nsrc=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/LeadChange_Badge125x125.png\"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;\n</code></pre>\nAnd this will give you a badge that links to the Leadership Blogs page.\n<pre><code>\n&lt;a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/leadership-blogs/\"&gt;\n&lt;img style=\"height:125px;width:125px;border:0\"\nsrc=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/LeadChange_Badge125x125.png\"&gt; &lt;/a&gt;\n</code></pre>\nAnd if you feel like you\'re giving something away when you do this, you can also have the link go to a different page than the blogs link here on the website.  If you\'re a member, just send them to your member profile page. The way you do that is to edit the link above and replace the link for the leadership blogs page with a link to your members profile. If you have any questions, please just drop me a line.\n\nAll November we\'ll be publicizing the members in the community that are helping make the LeadChange site a destination for people interested in character-based leadership.  For example, we published a <a href=\"/contributors-carnival-october-29-2010/\">Contributors Carnival</a> post yesterday.  The idea is to direct Lead Change readers back to the websites of our Contributing Members.  If we do this together, we will make a difference and our world will be changed.\n\nThe only question is, will you take part?  Well, will you?', 'Show Some ID', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'show-some-id', '', '', '2010-10-31 06:06:07', '2010-10-31 11:06:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4172', 0, 'post', '', 40),
(4216, 253, '2010-11-09 07:00:12', '2010-11-09 13:00:12', '<strong>\"How many quarters in a dollar, daddy</strong>?\"\nMy daughter looked up from her math homework, wondering why it had taken me so long to answer. It was the last weekend of the fiscal quarter and my mind had wandered to Wall Street. I carried our overflowing recycling bin toward the garage and answered, \"Four, honey.\" As I set the sea of empty plastic by the curb, I wondered if I\'d heard her correctly: Did she just ask, \"<em><strong>How many dollars in a quarter?</strong></em>\" My mind raced. <em>Disposable bottles. Quarters in a dollar? Dollars in a Quarter? </em>Suddenly, I saw the connection.\n\n<em>In recent years, leaders have grown so concerned with the number of <strong>dollars in a fiscal quarter</strong>, that entire organizations have become <strong>DISPOSABLE</strong>!</em>\n\nThe way I see it, there are four primary entities in any public company: The C-suite, the employees, the customers and the shareholders. It is the relationship between these entities that defines whether a business remains <strong>Renewable</strong> or becomes <strong>Disposable</strong>.\n<h3>Disposable Leadership</h3>\nWhen leadership has a disposable mindset:\n<blockquote>\n<ol>\n	<li>Each entity believes they compete with the others for a share of a finite resource pool.</li>\n	<li>Each entity seeks to siphon value from the others until replacements are needed.</li>\n	<li>The culture is fixated on short-term results and burnout leads to attrition.</li>\n</ol>\n</blockquote>\nWhen thought-leaders have a Disposable mindset, they encourage peers within their entity to <strong>take as much as possible </strong>from the others. In the Disposable enterprise:\n<ul>\n	<li>C-Suites hire the minimum possible number of employees and drive them at unsustainable levels.</li>\n	<li>Employees give customers half-hearted service, while audaciously cross-selling additional products.</li>\n	<li>Customers are charged the highest possible price and made to pay extra for courteous support.</li>\n	<li>Shareholders push the C-Suite to maximize Quarterly dividends at the expense of R&amp;D.</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Renewable Leadership</h3>\nWhen leadership has a renewable mindset:\n<blockquote>\n<ol>\n	<li>Each entity believes cooperation increases the overall resource pool.</li>\n	<li>Each entity willingly serves the needs of the others.</li>\n	<li>The culture is focused on long-term objectives, increasing retention.</li>\n</ol>\n</blockquote>\nThought-leaders with a Renewable mindset know that partnership is the path to prosperity. In the Renewable enterprise:\n<ul>\n	<li>C-suites serve employees by maintaining reasonable staff levels and clearly communicating long-term vision.</li>\n	<li>Employees serve customers by working to make every touch-point into a positive experience.</li>\n	<li>Customers serve stockholders by coming back for more, year after year.</li>\n	<li>Stockholders serve the C-suite by refusing to base their job security solely on last quarter\'s results.</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Retention, Profit and the Future</h3>\nThere is a correlation between Renewable thought-leadership and entity retention. And, due to the high cost of attrition, retention is a primary component of profitability. Disposable leadership only drives key contributors away. Here are a few thoughts on the costs of attrition for each internal entity:\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>C-Suite</strong>: Evidence <a href=\"http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1465064&amp;http://www.google.com/search?q=executive+turnover+and+market+capitalization&amp;hl=en&amp;client=safari&amp;tbo=1&amp;rls=en&amp;output=search&amp;source=lnt&amp;tbs=qdr:y&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=bS3UTPTGK4G0lQfol7WjBQ&amp;ved=0CAgQpwU\" target=\"new\">suggests</a> that key investors follow departing executives to their new companies.</li>\n	<li><strong>Employees</strong>: Replacing a manager costs an average of 2.5 times their annual salary!</li>\n	<li><strong>Customers</strong>: It costs six times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one.</li>\n</ol>\nWith disposable businesses disintegrating daily, it\'s time for character-based leaders to bring renewable thinking into each entity. So what actions should we take to encourage renewable thinking? What are a few ways each entity can drive out disposable thinking? What is one thing you can do to lead change in this area?', 'Renewable Leadership in a Disposable World', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'renewable-leadership-in-a-disposable-world', '', '', '2010-11-09 07:00:12', '2010-11-09 13:00:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4216', 0, 'post', '', 140);
