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(4239, 255, '2010-11-10 08:14:07', '2010-11-10 14:14:07', 'I love vigorous debate, generally have an open mind, and actually enjoy having my thoughts and opinions challenged. If everyone always agreed with me conversation wouldn’t be very stimulating, and acquiring new knowledge and insight would certainly be more difficult. That said, I only really have the patience for intellectually honest discourse. I don’t care in the slightest about winning arguments, whether someone is right or wrong, or whether logic is sound or flawed, but I do care about motivation and intent. In the text that follows I’m going to ask you to do some soul searching – up for the challenge?\n\nWhat follows might get a bit esoteric, but if you can get past the semantics of my philosophizing I believe you’ll find great value as I connect the dots on today’s topic. A few initial questions to ponder as we get started – How do you react when someone disagrees with you? Do you tuck tail and run desiring to avoid conflict at all costs? Do you dig-in your heels and prepare to defend your position to the death, all the while not really caring about how many casualties are incurred in the process? Or do you attempt to gain knowledge, understanding and perspective? Most importantly, do you genuinely engage in pursuit of the truth, or do you just wax eloquent in an attempt to justify your opinion or position?\n\nIt seems that in today’s world many people have lost the ability to disagree with someone, yet still respect them. If someone challenges your thinking and you immediately view them as an adversary there might be a problem with your perspective. If opposing views are worth the time and energy to debate, then they are worth a legitimate effort to gain alignment on perspective and resolution on position. However this will rarely happen if lines of communication do not remain open, and this in turn requires that candid, effective communication be maintained through a mutual respect and rapport.\n\nHere’s my premise – few things benefit leaders in the ways that dissenting opinions do. The best leaders constantly seek out and engage those who challenge their thinking. They are curious, inquisitive, and have an insatiable appetite for learning. Most importantly, they truly care about what others think and why they hold the convictions they do. Whether you see opposing views and positions as conflict or opportunity says a lot about you as a person, and especially gives insightful commentary on who you are as a leader. Being able to discern and debate subjective positions with objectivity is an art form that must be present for effective leadership.\n\nRespect and trust are earned by honoring commitments and doing the right thing regardless of opinion, sentiment or influence. It is through right acts, good decisions and honest communication that you earn respect and maintain rapport even with those who are not necessarily your greatest supporters. If you cannot lead someone with whom you disagree then you are not a leader – you’re a dictator. If you cannot surround yourself with those who challenge your thinking then you are not a leader – you’re an egomaniac.\n\nUnderstanding and respecting other’s perceptions is such a critical part of being an effective leader that absent this ability I truly believe you cannot be effective in a leadership role. Great leaders take the time to understand the various constituencies and spheres of influence they come in contact with. “My way or the highway” thinking, and/or positional dictatorships rarely create the culture and performance demonstrated by winning organizations.\n\nWhile I long ago reached the conclusion that perception does in fact matter, it may not be for the reasons that you might think.  I have found that the majority of people tend to be myopic with regard to perception…they understand their own  perceptions, but are quite often either ignorant or uncompassionate with regard to the perceptions of others. You see, the most important item to understand is that success as a leader has very little to do with your perception, but rather it has everything to do with the perception of others.\n\nI’m not suggesting that you ignore your perception, subordinate your perception, or change your perception, but I am strongly suggesting that you take the time to both be aware of, and understand the perceptions of others. What I’ve just espoused has nothing to with compromising your values or being disingenuous. Rather my reasoning simply hypothisizes that if you’re not in touch with the perceptions of meaningful constituencies, your success will be impeded by your tunnel vision.\n\nWhen it comes to authentic, transparent discourse, motivations matter. Those who place the care and regard of others above advancing their personal, positional, professional or political agendas will garner trust, respect and influence. You see it is precisely by not attempting to steamroll, manipulate or outsmart others, that you’ll be able to effectively convey your message even to an audience that might not otherwise be willing or receptive. Moreover, by having open and honest interactions you might actually learn something…\n\nI can guarantee you that you’re not always right, that your thinking can be nuanced, that your knowledge can be deepened, that you can reframe and evolve your positions, and that your vision can be expanded, However these things don’t generally happen if you give monologues rather than participate in dialogues. If you don’t engage those who hold dissenting opinions and viewpoints in candid and open discussions you will struggle in developing to your true intellectual potential. Whether you agree or disagree is not the point…The point is that understanding the perceptions of others affords you a source of intelligence, a learning opportunity, and the ability to keep lines of communication open.\n\nSo, what do you think? Whether you agree or disagree I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.\n\nOriginally posted at <a href=\"http://www.n2growth.com/blog/perception-matters/\" target=\"_blank\">n2growth.com/blog</a>\n\n&nbsp;', 'The Benefit of Dissenting Opinion', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-benefit-of-dissenting-opinion', '', '', '2010-11-10 08:14:07', '2010-11-10 14:14:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4239', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(4246, 243, '2010-11-14 07:00:59', '2010-11-14 13:00:59', 'Generally, Meet LeadChange is about introducing you to members of the Lead Change community.  As the community is growing, one of the things we\'ve started doing is facilitating small group round table discussions aimed at people who want to take their leadership to the next level.\n\n<strong>Where: <a title=\"Round Table Discussion\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2010/11/18/meet-leadchange--round-table-discussion\">Blog Talk Radio</a> - Listen below or call (646) 721-9815</strong>\n\n<strong>When: Thursday, November 18, 2010 from 3 - 5 PM Eastern</strong>\n\nTara Alemany, Susan Mazza, Shawn Murphy, and Erin Schreyer will join the conversation and share their experiences in the Lead  Change Round Table and how that has helped each of them improve in their  areas of focus.\n\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4102\" style=\"margin-left:20px;\" title=\"tara_alamany\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/tara_alamany.jpg\" alt=\"Tara Alemany\" width=\"130\" height=\"130\" /><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4128\"  src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/mazza-susan-prof-small-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Susan Mazza\" width=\"130\" height=\"130\" /><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-3315\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/shawmu-new.jpg\" alt=\"Shawn Murphy\" width=\"130\" height=\"130\" /><img class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2057\" title=\"Erin\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Erin-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"Erin Schreyer\" width=\"130\" height=\"130\" />\n\n<p style=\"clear:left;\">They have each volunteered to answer your questions about the round tables?  Are they worth it?  How do they work?  What\'s the format?  What benefit have you received from the meetings?  Call into to talk live with these members and ask them the questions yourself!</p>\n\nWill you spend the next year doing what you did this year or will you make the necessary adjustments?  Find out how these folks took the necessary action to make a positive difference in 2010.  Renew your passion and commitment for positive growth in 2011!\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<img style=\"visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;\" border=0 width=0 height=0 src=\"http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXCbT*xJmx*PTEyODk2Njc1OTA2MDEmcHQ9MTI4OTY2NzU5Mjg*NyZwPTQ1MDk3MiZkPTEyOTU2NCZnPTEmbz1lNjQwZmQ1MWJjNjQ*/ZTVmYTA2YjlmNzg*MjViODAwNg==.gif\" /><object classid=\'clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000\' codebase=\'http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0\' name=\'1371374\' width=\'210\' height=\'105\' id=\'1371374\'><param name=\'movie\' value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fmikehenrysr%2Fplay_list.xml?show_id=1371374&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com//FlashPlayerCallback.aspx\" /><param name=\'quality\' value=\'high\' /><param name=\'wmode\' value=\'transparent\' /><param name=\'menu\' value=\'false\' /><param name=\'allowScriptAccess\' value=\'always\' /><embed src=\'http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf\' flashvars=\"file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2fmikehenrysr%2fplay_list.xml?show_id=1371374&autostart=false&shuffle=false&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx&width=215&height=108\' width=\'215\' height=\'108\' type=\'application/x-shockwave-flash\' pluginspage=\'http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer\' quality=\'high\' wmode=\'transparent\' menu=\'false\' name=\'1371374\' id=\'1371374\'\"></embed></object></p>\n\n<p><strong>Listen right here or call (646) 721-9815</strong></p>', 'Meet LeadChange Round Tables', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'meet-leadchange-round-tables', '', '', '2010-11-14 07:00:59', '2010-11-14 13:00:59', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4246', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(4375, 247, '2010-12-21 06:17:04', '2010-12-21 12:17:04', 'After being on my own as a <a href=\"http://mandyvavrinak.com\" target=\"_blank\">small business person for seven years</a>, I recently contracted with a smart, talented young woman to assist me with day-to-day tasks, graphic projects and schedule management. The decision was not an easy one... I tend to be a private person and I need a certain amount of \"mental space\" in order to deliver my best work. I work from a (thankfully large) home office, which means any person sharing my work life is also sharing office space and mental space with me.\n\nI\'ve managed award-winning teams of creative, driven people during my previous work life at larger advertising agency and have also successfully led client-staff integrated project teams in the past, so I wasn\'t concerned about my ability to effectively lead one contracted provider. I should have been concerned, and I am going to share some lessons learned with all of you.\n<h3>Let\'s set the stage</h3>\nI knew Amanda Burr from both social networking and from several meetings in person at events and other functions; I knew she would be a good fit when she indicated her interest and I jumped at the opportunity to use her. Our prior relationship led to my first mistake: Not clearly communicating the boundaries.\n\n<strong>How it happened:</strong>\nSince I work from my home, I need to keep my work life and my home/family life as separate as possible in order to maintain some mental compartmentalization and balance. Typically, I am officially \"at work\" (all kid drop offs done, work clothes on, etc.) at 9:00 AM. Amanda typically comes into the office at 9:30, the time we\'d set for her. It worked well for me because it gave me time to get tasks for her organized, etc. One morning, I saw her car outside the house at 8:30 AM as I was walking out (again) to the suburban with my oldest son and the baby for the last drop off of the day. It was a shock to me and probably to her, too, since I was wearing my indoor-outdoor fuzzy-on-the-inside slippers, among other not-ready-for-the-office garb.\n\nShe waved at me, rolled the window down and said she was just hanging out until 9:30. I was shocked... because I was completely unprepared for my work and my family worlds to collide in that manner. I had never explained to her that there were boundaries that were very important to me because I DO work from home, and therefore need to reduce intersections of those worlds when possible in order to keep my sanity and my focus.\n\nWe had a open and honest conversation later that morning and were able to clear things up, but we would have avoided the situation if I\'d clearly communicated to her in the beginning that unlike an office, where it might be fine to \"go in early\" when you want, it wasn\'t OK to come early to my home.\n\n<strong>Another lesson learned, or more accurately, re-learned</strong>: We are always leading, every moment of every day. When I asked Amanda to think about and share with me what her takeaways (so far) were from her work with me, I was surprised at her answer. I\'ve tried to expose her to many of the different types of work I do and to involve her in many day to day opportunities to build her professional skills and her resume. But, she said the biggest things she\'s learned have been from watching me organize my life and work... how I keep things separate and compartmentalized so I can focus on what I do. \"You keep the door closed during the day, and your family respects that, \" she said. \"How you handle the logistics of being a mom to four and running your own business... that\'s been inspiring to me to watch.\"\n\nFirst of all, I was incredibly flattered to hear her say that, because I often feel on the edge of insanity! But most importantly, it reminded me that we are always leading.... in even the smallest moments, words, decisions or actions. And, you never know what will stick with someone... make it count!\n\n&nbsp;', 'Small Moments', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'small-moments', '', '', '2010-12-21 06:17:04', '2010-12-21 12:17:04', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4375', 0, 'post', '', 32),
(4376, 251, '2010-12-23 06:21:42', '2010-12-23 12:21:42', 'Tis the season for gift-giving! Have you selected one for yourself? Something special that you’ve needed or wanted for a long time? Something that will help you be at your leadership best in 2011? If you’re still searching, maybe there’s something on this list that’s just right for you!\n\n<em>An hour a week of self-care.</em> Take time to laugh, play, learn, read, dance, sing, exercise or may be even do nothing. Pay attention to your feelings and show your strength by reaching out for support when you need a boost. Nurture yourself so you can nurture others.\n\n<em>Dedicated reflection time.</em> Carve out a few minutes at the end of the day to ponder, appreciate and feel gratitude for what went well and what you learned. Let this upbeat contemplation time shape your mental script for the next day.\n\n<em>A daily dose of self-appreciation.</em> Value all the good things you are, rather than fixating on what you aren’t. Rejoice in your strengths, understand your weaknesses and be gentle with yourself.\n\n<em>Heartbeats in the spreadsheets for those whom you lead.</em> Practice accountability and expect solid performance, to be sure; but liberally sprinkle genuine caring, sharing and heartfelt laughter, too.\n\n<em>An on/off switch for your inner critic. </em> Use what the dude’s got to say as input, not as the final end-all or be-all. Be satisfied with excellence (it can happen) and don’t drive yourself crazy chasing perfection (it won’t happen).\n\n<em>A five-minute timer for daily connecting.</em> Make a call, send an email, walk down the hall and chat with a colleague, comment on a blog, talk to the stranger in line behind you at the coffee shop, tell someone they’ve done a good job. Connections build relationships, and relationships are the currency of the workplace, and the world.\n\n<em>A rollicking belly laugh once a week and daily smiles.</em> Neither costs a dime, yet what an investment in feeding your soul…and that of others.\n\nDo you have something else on your list?  Go for it, you deserve it!', 'It&#039;s a Wonderful Leadership Life!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'its-a-wonderful-leadership-life', '', '', '2010-12-23 06:21:42', '2010-12-23 12:21:42', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4376', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(4382, 260, '2010-12-22 06:15:22', '2010-12-22 12:15:22', 'I recently had a discussion around what was considered appropriate and inappropriate in leadership. There were a number of things brought up and most were simple enough, but one topic emerged that truly bothered me. It was the subject of crying in leadership. The suggestion was made that it was inappropriate to cry if you\'re in a position of leadership and all of the references were made to men in leadership.\n\nI challenged this by asking if it would be viewed the same if women in the same place of leadership would be viewed as equally inappropriate if they were to cry. The answer was a cleverly crafted \"no\", but a \"no\" nonetheless. This disturbed me to a large degree. At the time I politely disagreed and let the conversation continue. I wanted to spend some time thinking about why this bothered me to such an extent.\n\nIf it\'s fair to ask, \"What is the prevailing thinking about a leader who cries openly?\" I thought it was fair to also ask, \"What is the prevailing thinking about a leader who laughs openly?\" Are we judging leaders by the existence of certain emotions? In being a leader, are we not permitted to experience a particular emotion?\n\nThe fact that this was made a gender issue made me a little sick in my gut. It was like an archaic and misconstrued understanding of masculinity was being perpetuated. A distorted perspective that says masculine strength doesn\'t cry is nothing short of absurd. The implication to say that it\'s okay to cry because of femininity, yet it\'s a sign of weakness for men because of our masculinity is appalling. It subversively places women beneath men as weaker. Less. Rubbish!\n\nAs long as an expression of ANY emotion does not genuinely diminish the efficacy of your leadership, then be who you are. It is that authenticity that will make you a better leader. People will see you as a real person, not some distant figurehead.\n\nThe idea of reducing certain emotions to gender based roles is a complete lack of leadership and understanding of the human condition. Emotions are an element of our humanity. When we begin asking for less than human qualities in a leader, the result will be less than human results from that leader. I say live your life passionately and be a leader that is an expression of who you are. That is where greatness begins in leadership.\n\nHow have you seen great leadership exemplified through the expression of emotion?', 'There&#039;s no crying in leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'theres-no-crying-in-leadership', '', '', '2010-12-22 06:15:22', '2010-12-22 12:15:22', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4382', 0, 'post', '', 112),
(4393, 252, '2010-12-29 06:30:23', '2010-12-29 12:30:23', 'I have a confession to make.  It bugs the heck out of me when leaders refer to the members of their organization as “like family.”\n\nTo be clear, I’m not “anti-family,” but it prickles at me when used in the context of work.  I urge leaders to use caution and weigh the risk in their use of the word.\n\nI think leaders sometimes use it to try to make people feel good.  They may have even heard long-time employees describe their co-workers as family, so they feel safe saying it, without realizing that not everyone holds that perspective.  I even think some are being manipulative with the use of the word, implying there is a caring when, in reality, there is not.\n\nEven in trying to emulate the best aspects of families, the comparison of workplace to family can set up unrealistic expectations.  A workplace is not a home.  Co-workers are <em>not </em>family in most cases.  At some point some decision is going to be made, or action taken, that is right for the business or the organization and its employees, but is “unfamily-like.\"\n\nIf employees have an idealized perspective on family, those actions are just going to create disillusionment and broken trust.  All of which put a dent in a leader’s effectiveness and credibility in a big way.\n\nRecently I heard a supervisor going on about how her work group was like family, and why that made them effective.  She finally said, “We look forward to working together, and go the extra mile because we don’t want to let each other down.”  Ah.  There is what I’m really looking for.\n\nWe use certain words as code or shorthand (like \"family\"), not expecting to need to acknowledge what they specifically mean to each of us.  What I want for us as leaders is to be very specific on <em>what it is </em>about family that we want to emulate in the workplace, to ensure we are all on the same page and working from the same clear intention, without bringing to mind uncomfortable connotations.\n\nWhen managers say that they want their workgroup to be like a family, and I dig for the reason, this what I hear:\n<ul>\n	<li>We’ve got each others\' backs</li>\n	<li>We stick together even when we annoy each other</li>\n	<li>We don’t want to let each other down</li>\n	<li>We share our resources</li>\n	<li>We know if we argue or have words, we’ll get over it</li>\n	<li>We trust each others\' inexplicable behavior, because we know it’ll eventually make sense</li>\n	<li>We all know where we fit</li>\n	<li>We have a feeling of belonging and contributing to something bigger than ourselves individually</li>\n</ul>\nThese are all noble and character-based intentions.  I am all for a leader wanting to create a work environment that emulates the positive aspects of family.  But let’s simply describe what we want, for example, “I want us to have each other’s backs” and work on how to make that happen.\n\nAnd yet, I am still compelled to be specific about the risks of using the words “like family” at work. To be very clear… for some people it translates to:\n<ul>\n	<li>I am expected to carry your secrets</li>\n	<li>I put up with poor treatment</li>\n	<li>I have to spend the holidays with you even though it will end up in a fight</li>\n</ul>\nThere’s really no reason to bring up these mental or emotional connections at work even if your employees aren’t hyper-aware they are being negatively affected by them.  And anyway, what organization member is going to readily admit that they object to the use of the word “family” at work?  Articulating that could feel like betraying the expectation of “being a family.”\n\nMy challenge to all of us today is to take another look at our words and our actions around use of the word “family” at work.  How it is working for us, and potentially against us?  How can we get a read on this without people feeling like they need to tell us <em>what they think</em> we want to hear?  And finally, what can we do to make changes in this context to strengthen our own leadership?\n\nAdapted from posts at <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/family/\" target=\"_blank\">ReImagineWork.com</a>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<hr size=\"1\" />', 'We’re Like Family Around Here.  Well, Maybe.', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'like-family-well-maybe', '', '', '2010-12-29 06:30:23', '2010-12-29 12:30:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4393', 0, 'post', '', 64),
(4397, 243, '2010-12-27 10:51:37', '2010-12-27 16:51:37', 'Reflecting on Christmas movies and pulling lessons from what\'s transpired over the past few weeks and few months, I was struck by the number of times I heard the term \"believe.\"  In the Miracle on 34th Street, Suzie repeats over and over, \"It\'s silly but I believe.\"  Believing in something doesn\'t make it so, or does it?\n<blockquote>\"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.\" - John Quincy Adams</blockquote>\nBelief inspires courage.  Believe in someone and put courage in them.  Belief that someone will succeed or fail is a key determinant in their success or failure.  We hear of stories of people who overcame the odds.  We focus on these stories for two reasons:\n<ol>\n	<li>We feel like we\'re fighting the odds.  It seems like someone else is always the one to accomplish the great task.  We tend to place ourselves in the less-than-special category.  Heck, we know us.  We know the laziness and selfishness we\'re capable of.  Deep down inside, many of us don\'t truly believe in ourselves much less have people in our lives who believe we are truly great.  Be honest.</li>\n	<li>There are fewer of these types of stories.  It seems like whenever we get a story about believing in someone it ends up being a Santa Claus story.  The result is almost unbelievable to the point of reminding us that these types of miracles never really happen, at least not to us.</li>\n</ol>\nWhen we look for people to believe in us, we invert the process.  Belief is a gift.  When you believe in someone, you turbo-charge <em>their</em> vision of the future.  Vision pulls them (and us) toward great accomplishments.  Your team (or your children, or your organization) will never exceed <em>their</em> greatest vision of <em>their future</em>.  So why not help create a great vision for their future and begin to resource them to achieve it?\n\nNicole Nordeman co-wrote a song called Brave.\n\n<address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The gate is wide </address> <address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The road is paved in moderation</address> <address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in</address> <address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Welcome to the middle ground</address> <address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">You\'re safe and sound and</address> <address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Until now it\'s where I\'ve been</address> <address style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\'Cause it\'s been fear that ties me down to everything</address> <address style=\"padding-left: 30px; margin-bottom: 24px;\">But it\'s been love, Your love, that cuts the strings.</address>Putting others first is love.  Believing in others is an act of love.  When a leader creates an opportunity for others to succeed and when that opportunity comes with the resources, energy and the true belief that they will, in fact, succeed, that\'s a gift.  If you\'ve been given that gift, thank your leaders.  Otherwise, demonstrate that you\'re trustworthy enough to get it. Give your people courage, inspiration, dreams, education, resources and an active, energized belief in their abilities.  Create the environment where they can succeed.\n\nBelieving in others is one key of character-based leadership.\n\nHow about sharing a story about someone who believed in you?  Or talk about someone other than yourself that you believe will accomplish great things!  Let\'s start the 2011 excitement right now.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Brave by Nicole Nordeman and Jay Joyce 2005 Birdwing Music / Birdboy Songs (ASCAP), admin. by EMI CMG Publishing / Sony/ATV Songs LLC / JohnnyO Music (BMI) © 2005 Sparrow\nphoto by iStockPhoto © <a href=\"http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-863624-climbers-and-sherpas.php\" target=\"_blank\">Peter Hazlett</a></span>', 'Leaders Inspire Courage', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-inspire-courage', '', '', '2010-12-27 10:51:37', '2010-12-27 16:51:37', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4397', 0, 'post', '', 116),
(4421, 243, '2011-01-03 18:37:24', '2011-01-04 00:37:24', 'Liz Strauss (<a title=\"Liz on the Web\" href=\"http://www.lizstrauss.com/\" target=\"_blank\">web</a>, <a title=\"Liz\'s Blog\" href=\"http://www.successful-blog.com/\" target=\"_blank\">blog</a>, <a title=\"Liz\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/lizstrauss\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter</a>) reminded me last week that a leader is someone who wants to build something they can\'t build alone.  Lead Change is about making a positive difference.  This year, I will spend my effort moving the \"difference needle.\"\n\nMoving the difference needle in our culture requires more than just a tweet chat and discounts on books or motivational posters.  It requires more than web traffic or encouraging social media interactions with a group of like-minded friends.  How can we move the difference needle in 2011?  Before the how, let\'s examine four questions that answer the Why and What of moving the needle.\n\n<strong>Why improve my surroundings?</strong> If there is no lasting benefit in doing something for others, why bother?  We should all just look out for ourselves.  But something in me wants to outlive my life.  Something in me wants to create value for others.  I didn\'t put that something inside me, it\'s just there.  Our culture didn\'t put it there either.  Wealth and stuff won\'t fill the hole in my spirit.  The only value that lasts is that which lives on in others.  My treasure isn\'t in a bank.  It\'s in the lives of people.\n\n<strong>Why move the needle?</strong> If this is just going to be a small difference,  then I\'d rather be golfing.  Let\'s take up another hobby.  Besides, hobbyists  will not bring about cultural transformation.  Nothing worthwhile is ever easy.  If this were easy, we could just make a few clicks and it would be over.  Moving the needle and making a difference in our communities will take more than that.\n<blockquote>Let\'s make a dent in the universe! - Steve Jobs</blockquote>\n<strong>What kind of difference?</strong> The effect you have on the life of another person is either positive or negative.  There is no neutral.  To make a positive difference, you have to create a positive effect.  Generally, that means adding value.  Others judge your interaction and assign a value to the result and determine if it is positive or negative.  Others always determine the value of your interactions with them.  You determine the cost of the interaction but not the value.  Our communities determine the value.  Look around you?  What types of problems face your community or your organization?\n\n<strong>What people?</strong> Here\'s the sticky part.  I don\'t want to just help people.  I want to help people who help people.  Leaders influence others.  If those leaders create a positive influence, they affect the next \"generation\" in terms of leadership.  But if the recipients simply end it there, little changed.  Sure, one generation benefited, but what about the others. I don\'t think one generation moves the needle.  That\'s why I need to be helping leaders help leaders.\n\nHelping Leaders Grow Leaders has been the tag line for this page, but Liz gave me another challenge too.  I hope to take \"help\" out of my vocabulary.  It\'s like \"try.\"  To paraphrase Yoda, there is no help...  only do.  Join me this year as we <em>Lead Change - Leaders Growing Leaders</em>.\n\nWe\'re going to discuss some new ideas for \"how\" to move the needle in a call this <a title=\"Register for the Contributors Call January 6, 2011\" href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1139697867\">Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 8 PM Eastern</a>.  We\'re using a webinar tool because I have a few slides to present reviewing a survey the Contributing Members took part in during December.  Then we\'ll start to discuss our plans for 2011.  Will you join us for the call?  Subsequent posts will recap the conversation and talk about how the entire Lead Change community will energize, equip and encourage you to grow leaders in your sphere of influence!\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo <a href=\"http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-1625694-running-on-empty.php\">Running On Empty © Richard Gunion</a></span>', 'Renew and Transform', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'renew-transform', '', '', '2011-01-03 18:37:24', '2011-01-04 00:37:24', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4421', 0, 'post', '', 20),
(4425, 262, '2011-01-05 07:48:07', '2011-01-05 13:48:07', 'In anticipation of writing this blog post, I recently asked a question on my <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/HeatherEColeman\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook </a>page: \"What do leaders and managers do to cultivate a work environment of trust? What is successful, and what is not?\" Overwhelmingly, the answer was this: \"I want my supervisor to trust me.\"\n\nAhhh....trust. It seems as if it should be so simple. Employees want to be trusted and respected for their work. Team members believe that their passion for their job, their work ethic, efforts and experience in their specific area should be recognized and rewarded. How? With autonomy, empowerment and open communication. These intelligent, dedicated professionals all agree - trust should be a normal part of the work culture. The question is, how do we accomplish this?\n\n<strong>Employees want to be lead, not micromanaged.</strong>\n\nStephen Dahnke, an auditor, says this: \"Set expectations for job assignments and follow up. Don\'t micromanage. This lets people have the freedom to do assigned tasks but holds them accountable for results...it also fosters mentoring in any work relationship.\"\n\nYour dedicated team members respect leaders who respect <em>their</em> talents and abilities. They also appreciate a mentoring relationship, which fosters the opportunity for continued professional growth. Adds <a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/TheJobQuest\" target=\"_blank\">Melissa Cooley</a> of The Job Quest, \"Leaders build trust by empowering their team with knowledge.\"\n\n<strong>Team members want to be - and should be - heard.</strong>\n\nShay Bowls, a leader in the hospitality industry, emphasizes this point: \"Show your employees that you value their opinion and take it into consideration...their ideas may be fresher and better than that of the top brass.\" <a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/alex_hardestyMI\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Hardesty</a>, paralegal and community advocate sums this up by saying, \"Good managers know what they <em>don\'t </em>know, what their teams <em>do</em> know; they know when to educate and when to <em>listen</em>.\"\n\n<strong>In order to be trusted, leaders must first be trustworthy.\n</strong>\n\nAuthentic leaders inherently know that it is our actions, not our titles, which make us leaders. Susan Corey, Manager of <a href=\"http://www.semca.org\" target=\"_blank\">SEMCA</a> MI Works!, puts this into perspective. \"The manager has to act trustworthy. Allow staff to do their jobs. Let others know how important these folks are! Praise is always wonderful.\"\n\nA supervisor can attempt to rally his team at meetings and paste motivational posters throughout the office, but the words must underscore the actions. If we expect our teams to listen to us, we must show them that the respect is returned. Smart leaders listen more, talk less and gives credit where it is due.\n\n<strong>Trust is a two-way street.</strong>\n\nSuccessful relationships involve all parties equally. With this in mind, I took the opportunity to sit down for a conversation with my own supervisor, Pamela Bellaver of the Ferndale Career Center. I took a different spin on the question and asked her what <em>team members </em>can do to cultivate trusting relationships between leaders and employees.  Her answer was simple, authentic and very much worth discussing. Pam says, \"Trust comes from history, time, honest communication and consistency. Keep your managers in the loop and ask their opinions - they may have the insights you need. As a leader, I know that I learn something every day because I am surrounded by the experts that make up my team.\"\n\nThere is something important employees must keep in mind - the leader is responsible for the department, the organization, the contractors, customers and the staff. Leaders are held accountable to their leaders, boards, the public interest, the stockholders. Pam respects the leaders on her team who understand these layers and take the time to consider the different perspectives and responsibilities as we work to accomplish our shared vision.\n\nSome points to ponder: As employees, what are our responsibilities in cultivating the environment we will thrive in? <em>How do we support our leaders?</em> And as leaders, how do we dismantle fear and create an autonomous, accountable workplace where our teams thrive in their areas of expertise? In this changing culture that is leadership; how do we plan to get from here to there?', 'Just Trust Me…', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'just-trust-me', '', '', '2011-01-05 07:48:07', '2011-01-05 13:48:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4425', 0, 'post', '', 60),
(4460, 263, '2011-01-19 06:30:31', '2011-01-19 12:30:31', 'If you aspire to be a leader, what would that look like for you? Do you imagine it? Do you strive for it every day?\n\nOf course, you might be attracted to the LeadChange group because you already have a leadership responsibility or because the very thought of leadership is enticing to you. To me, leadership is a deep, personal choice that will require very much of the person making it. So it should not be taken lightly, but rather, grounded in who you are and what you want out of life. To lead well and with character will be a huge undertaking. It will also be very rewarding if you do it right.\n\nLeadership can take so many different forms. And so it should. Because true, character-based leadership takes into account not only who the followership is and where they might  want to be led, but also the leader’s own heart. I find the most compelling leaders are those who are brave enough to follow their own heart and passion in deciding where they are willing to stand up and lead.\n\nSo, following my aspirations theory, let’s look into the three main aspirations that drive human beings. Reminding ourselves of them will help us to be better leaders. If you want to get in touch with your own aspirations and your heart’s desire make sure you cover these bases in your self-reflection.\n\n<strong>Transcendence. </strong>\n\nWhat do you want to be known for? Leading is about being bigger than yourself. About creating lasting, relevant things in the world. It is a path to a deeply significant life, because it creates the possibility to influence the lives of others. Through leadership, you can encounter and engage with those who can take your work a step further, share it, make it blossom, keep it going. That’s where mentoring and coaching people becomes a win-win situation. If you are leading with only the present moment in mind, your leadership will be short-lived or become irrelevant as time goes on. Think always of the impact of your work in those that follow, in the possibilities it creates and in the lasting effect of it.\n\n<strong>Wisdom. </strong>\n\nIn leading, make sure you pick up some understanding on the way. True leaders will get a buzz from learning new things and listening to how others’ process their vision. You can correct course, learn and lead yourself on to explore uncharted territory, gain insights and become curious about what’s behind the progress you are making or even the mistakes you are sometimes plagued with. Every step of the way holds nuggets of wisdom to be had by those who become aware of them. Leaders strive to be the ones that are aware and make the best use of wisdom gained.  What wisdom are YOU after? Where are you looking? How are you looking? Will you know it when you find it? Being IN these questions makes a world of a difference, and sharing them with others expands their effectiveness.\n\n<strong>Happiness.</strong>\n\nLeading others to your own heart’s desire should really be a joyful experience. And yes, if you are not enjoying it, there IS something wrong with your leadership. Even if it is doing some good in the world, you could definitely do more if you were connecting with your own bliss. That doesn’t mean that it won’t entail hard work, chosing to do some things over others, collaborating in unfamiliar ways or taking on projects you wouldn’t have considered if you didn’t have the end in mind. Happiness goes beyond pleasure into being truly satisfied with life. Are you satisfied with where you are leading yourself as you lead others onward? The answer should always be YES. Whenever it is not, there is a leader’s course to be corrected. Passion will ensue.\n<blockquote>I wish you well on your own personal path to leadership. May you be well accompanied, well mentored, well advised. And may you find your way to your aspirations. Please join the conversation below so we can all deepen our thoughts on the matter.</blockquote>', 'Aspire to Lead? Check your aspirations.', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'aspire-to-lead-check-your-aspirations', '', '', '2011-01-19 06:30:31', '2011-01-19 12:30:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4460', 0, 'post', '', 36),
(4465, 264, '2011-01-26 06:30:29', '2011-01-26 12:30:29', 'While promoting Leading With Honor, I sometimes get asked, why? Why take the time and effort to Lead With Honor? Society teaches us that success comes from focusing on the 3 P\'s - Power, Prestige and Profit. There is certainly nothing wrong with these in and of themselves. As a leader you will certainly encounter these on your journey through life. However, the leader who leads with honor, understands that chasing the 3 P\'s needs to be tempered with humility, compassion and a great deal of responsibility. That without these caveats, the unbridled pursuit of the 3 P\'s at all costs, will wreak havoc on a community.\n\nThis understanding, that there is more to life than just money, fame and fortune, is what keeps civilization going. It is the counterweight to greed that evens the balance and allows man to be civil. Without it, mankind is doomed. It is this understanding that sets the honorable leader apart from the rest of the pack. It is also unfortunately, a distinction that forces the honorable leader to journey down a lonely road. To watch quietly as others chase the 3 P\'s and achieve what appears to be the trappings of success. Leading with honor demands that you take the more difficult road. It requires dedication, diligence and yes, sacrifice.\n\nInstead of chasing the 3 P\'s, the leader who leads with honor thinks about his or her legacy. What will be left behind, when the game pieces of life go back in the box? Will there just be money in the bank and plaques on the wall? Or will there be others left behind to carry on your work? Your legacy. What will people say they learned from you? How many people did you help? What kind of impact will they say you had on them? Did you teach them to run people over and grab all they can? Or will they say that you made their life a little better by the things that you said and did?\n\nLeading With Honor is <strong><em>vital</em></strong> to the survival of civilization. As the world shrinks in size due to globalization and advances in technology, I can only imagine what will happen without it. War, Crime and Poverty will all become prevalent. A return to the middle ages would not be out of the question. Don\'t fool yourself, we\'ve been there before and can return there again. That is why we must lead with honor. To ensure that civilization, and the people in it, all people, have the right and freedom to pursue a life of liberty and happiness.\n\nI\'ll leave you with a song made famous by <a title=\"Nicole Nordeman - Legacy\" href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zf-2dKMt0Q\" target=\"_blank\">Nicole Nordeman, called Legacy</a>. What is your legacy going to be? If you\'re open to sharing... please leave us your thoughts on what you want your legacy to be.\n<h6 class=\"zemanta-related-title\" style=\"font-size: 1em;\">Related articles</h6>\n<ul class=\"zemanta-article-ul\">\n	<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\"http://bizcovering.com/management/summary-and-review-of-leadership-gold-by-john-c-maxwell/\">Summary and Review of Leadership Gold by John C. Maxwell</a> (bizcovering.com)</li>\n	<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\"http://astromama.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/setting-a-legacy/\">Setting a Legacy</a> (astromama.wordpress.com)</li>\n</ul>\n<div class=\"zemanta-pixie\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;\"><a class=\"zemanta-pixie-a\" title=\"Enhanced by Zemanta\" href=\"http://www.zemanta.com/\"><img class=\"zemanta-pixie-img\" style=\"float: right;\" src=\"http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=98fa0a79-1019-444d-85e9-5d10cf40bcbd\" alt=\"Enhanced by Zemanta\" /></a></div>', 'Leaving A Legacy… Worth Leaving', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaving-a-legacy-worth-leaving', '', '', '2011-01-26 06:30:29', '2011-01-26 12:30:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4465', 0, 'post', '', 32),
(4479, 265, '2011-02-07 06:00:16', '2011-02-07 12:00:16', 'Have you ever thought about the words we use to describe relationships? Our entire paradigm for how we relate to one another is <strong><em>economic</em></strong>. We ‘<em>spend</em>’ time with family. We ‘<em>invest</em>’ training and resources in employees. When we feel neglected by our spouse we tell them they don’t ‘<em>value</em>’ us nearly enough. I’ll get that promotion when my boss recognizes how much I ‘<em>contribute</em>’ to the team.\n\n<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Godin\" target=\"_blank\">Seth Godin </a>has said that leadership, at it’s core, is marketing and marketing is leadership. As leaders we’re selling a vision, an idea, a method, a system. We market our influence and hope someone will ‘buy in’. This economic model for relationships affects our approach to leadership at every level. It’s transactional in nature. Quid pro quo. I’ll follow you if I get something in return. You’ll follow me when you realize my idea has more than merit, it has <em>value</em> that will benefit you personally. They say all politics is local. Well, all leadership is transactional and everyone’s looking for an ROI (return on investment) that far exceeds the risk they take when they believe in you.\n\nWhat would happen if we changed the language of leadership? What if we stopped using the words of Wall Street to describe how a leader relates to others? <strong>Transactional Leadership</strong> relies heavily on 4 words that have more to do with economics than leadership. What if we replaced these 4 words with new words, better words? Words designed to inspire, empower and engage people.\n<ul>\n	<li>Value vs. Respect</li>\n	<li>Invest vs. Serve</li>\n	<li>Buy-in vs. Trust</li>\n	<li>Contribute vs. Collaborate</li>\n</ul>\nThese aren’t simply 4 contrasting ideas. They are a progressive pattern for how \'Relational Leadership\' works. They are guiding principles that build one on top of the other.\n\nOver the next several weeks we\'re going to explore the differences between Transactional Leadership and Relational Leadership. We\'ll discover how these four guiding principles leverage the power of influence, magnify the effectiveness of a team and create a vibrant culture where individual and corporate potential explodes with exponential growth.\n\nIt\'s going to be a great series. As we get ready to dive in I have some questions for you.\n<ul>\n	<li>What\'s been your experience with \'Transactional Leadership\'? Was it positive or negative?</li>\n	<li>Do you think it\'s possible to describe our relationships without using words that are economic in nature?</li>\n</ul>\nGod Bless,\nChad', 'Transactional Leadership &#124; 4 Words to Disrupt Your Leadership Foundation &#124; Part 1', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'transactional-leadership-4-words-to-disrupt-your-leadership-foundation-part-1', '', '', '2011-02-07 06:00:16', '2011-02-07 12:00:16', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4479', 0, 'post', '', 64);
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(4487, 249, '2011-01-25 06:30:55', '2011-01-25 12:30:55', 'I\'ve often heard it said that the one constant in business is change. While change is certainly always present I think that there is at least one additional constant. This one doesn\'t only apply to business, it also applies to life. That constant is this: <strong><em>Leadership Matters. </em></strong>In fact, even before change first took place, around the time that Eve took a bite from the apple, Leadership Mattered.\n\nLeadership has always mattered and it is inconceivable that there will be a time when it doesn\'t. Perhaps no one has ever said it better than <a href=\"http://www.johnmaxwell.com/about/\" target=\"_blank\">John Maxwell </a>when he said, \"Everything rises and falls on leadership.\" <em>Everything</em>!\n\nLeadership matters because no one and nothing comes to success without it. Think about it: virtually every great accomplishment has at its core, solid leadership. When everything is going well it is leadership that keeps people from getting complacent. When things are going poorly it is leadership that rights the ship, it is leadership that sets the new course and it is leadership that provides hope.\n\nOne of the greatest things a leader can give their people is hope. People need hope, almost as much as air, food or water. Without hope effort stops and progress stops along with it. Leadership matters most in the absence of hope because experienced, authentic leaders will manufacture hope from despair. Leadership matters because where there is a lack of leadership despair will prosper.\n\nPeople watch their leaders far more closely than most leaders will ever realize. They do what their leader does long before they do what their leader says. A leader that radiates hope gives permission to their people to hope, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.\n\nAuthentic leaders lead with their deepest self, they care enough about their people to expose their feelings. They lead for their people, not themselves. It is why leadership that matters requires a keen awareness of people. Everyone can be managed the same but authentic leadership means leading each individual on a team or in an organization differently.\n\nThe most dangerous people in a company or organization are those in a leadership position that refuse to lead or get out of the way for someone who will. They care more about the \"job\" than they do about the people who get it done. They hide behind a title never knowing the difference they could make in the life of someone else.\n\nLeadership is about making a difference for <em>other</em> people and when a leader fails, their people fail too. Leadership matters because people matter. It has always been that way and as long as there are people to be lead, it always will be that way.', 'Why Leadership Matters', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'why-leadership-matters', '', '', '2011-01-25 06:30:55', '2011-01-25 12:30:55', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4487', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(4492, 244, '2011-01-27 06:30:03', '2011-01-27 12:30:03', 'When it comes to teaching people to communicate we have historically focused a lot more on effective speaking, writing and presenting than on effective listening. Yet what has you trust someone more: the ability to speak eloquently or the ability to listen so that people actually feel heard? Too much of the former and not enough of the latter is all too often what causes us to label someone that 10 letter word “politician”.\n\nIf you buy into the belief that successful leaders engender a high degree of trust, I would argue that listening is a critical skill. It may even be more important than speaking skills. I’ll even suggest that by learning to listen better you will actually become a better speaker, presenter and writer.\n<h3>3 SIMPLE STEPS TO LISTENING BETTER</h3>\n<strong>1. Prepare for What You Want to Learn, Not Just What You Want to Say</strong>\n\nWe spend a lot of time preparing for meetings by putting together speaking notes and PowerPoint presentations. Our focus is all too often entirely on us. Whether the meeting is small or very large it is as though we were preparing for a performance with our attention on what we want to say. Yet how many PowerPoint presentations have you fidgeted or even slept through? I don’t sit still well so these are particularly painful for me!\n\n<strong>Whether you are preparing for a one on one meeting or a meeting of 100, I suggest you prepare for a conversation not a presentation.</strong><strong>\n</strong>\nThink first about your audience. What can you contribute to them? What are their burning questions? Then think about how to engage your audience not just talk at them. Consider what you want to learn from the conversation, not just what you want to communicate. Prepare a thought provoking question or two. Great questions have the power to turn a presentation into a great and memorable conversation. When people are engaged their energy rises and attention sharpens.\n\n<strong>TIP:</strong> Make one of the goals of your next meeting to learn more than the person or people with whom you are speaking.\n\n<strong>2. Ask Questions AND Give People Enough Time to Answer</strong>\n\nTo be effective at asking questions we have to become comfortable with what I call the “pregnant pause”. When you are asking a question it can feel like an eternity waiting for someone to answer. The bigger the group the longer that pause can be. It is uncomfortable and our tendency is to want to jump in and fill the space.\n\nRemember that people may need a few minutes to think about your question so they can formulate an answer. And as group size increases the discomfort for many people to actually answer your question also increases. They may need even a little more time to muster up the courage or to formulate their answer so they can speak confidently.\n\n<strong>TIPS:</strong>\nPrepare a question other than “do you have any questions?” for the end of what you have to say or present.\n\nFocus on taking 3-5 slow deep breaths after you ask a question (remember to keep eye contact though or you can get so relaxed people think you checked out!).\n\n<strong>3. Ensure People Know You Heard Them (and that you hear more)</strong>\n\nNodding your head is a helpful way to let someone know you are listening, but unfortunately we can nod and not hear a thing they said. And they know it, or at least they feel it. You actually have to speak before someone really knows you were listening. You can do that with phrases like “I understand”, “uh huh”, etc. You know the drill. But if you really want someone to know you heard them, try giving them back what you heard.\n\nThis is not about being a parrot. It’s about saying in your own words what you got out of what they said, or what you will do as a result of what they said, or asking a relevant question. That is the only way we can ever be sure that we actually understood what was said.\n\n<strong>Do we hear what people say or do we hear what we think they said?</strong>\n\nWe are interpretation machines. We listen through the filters of our personal beliefs, knowledge and experience. All too often we don’t hear what people have actually said, or tried to communicate anyway, even though we think we did. This is a significant cause of mis-communication. Practice this and not only will people feel heard by you, but you will actually start hearing more of what they are saying. I can guarantee you will have fewer communications breakdowns all around if you get really good at this.\n\n<strong>TIP:</strong> If you don’t feel like you are being heard you are probably not listening.\n\n<strong>Any questions? </strong>\n\n,,,just kidding!\n\n<strong>What other suggestions do you have for listening better and hear more?</strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\nThis post is reprinted with permission from the blog Random Acts of Leadership.', '3 Steps to Listening Better and Hearing More', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '3-steps-listening-better-hearing-more', '', '', '2011-01-27 06:30:03', '2011-01-27 12:30:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4492', 0, 'post', '', 84),
(4496, 266, '2011-02-01 06:00:08', '2011-02-01 12:00:08', 'Authentic leaders are people of extraordinary integrity, with a profound sense of purpose and willingness to live by their core values.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/jame.htm\">William James</a> once said “I have often thought that the best way to define a (wo)man’s character is to seek out the particular mental or moral attitude in which, when it came upon them, they felt themselves most deeply and intensively active and alive.  At such moments, there is a voice inside which speaks and says ‘This is the real me.’ ”\n\nThe term authentic leadership came to me via a client.  She is a student, in the process of receiving her Master’s degree in Leadership.  She asked me what model of leadership I followed, and I was hard pressed to explain that to her, and a lengthy conversation ensued.  I have often talked of character-based leadership, and servant leaders, but had never heard the term “authentic leadership”.   So, I did what I do best – I set out to find out what it means, and what golden nuggets I could glean by doing a little research.   I discovered that perhaps the concept of character-based leadership and authentic leadership are one and the same, with a little bit of servant leadership thrown in.\n\nAuthentic leaders, according to <a href=\"http://www.billgeorge.org/\">Bill George</a>, genuinely desire to serve others through their leadership.  They are interested in empowering the people they lead to make a difference; more than they are interested in power, money or prestige for themselves.  They are guided equally by the heart and the mind – practicing heart-based guidance grounded in passion and compassion,  as well as thoughtful leadership grounded in the qualities of the mind.   They lead with purpose, meaning and values.  And their people relationships are extremely strong.  People follow them because they are consistent, reliable and strong.  When they are pushed to go beyond their beliefs and values, they will not compromise.  They are dedicated to personal growth and learning because they believe that becoming a leader takes a lifetime.\n\nIt seems that my “model” or “style” of leadership is born from the Georgia Feiste College of Lessons Learned.  As with all of my beliefs, I look at many alternatives, and pick out the pieces that  make the most sense to me, and run with that.  Once I have done that, if I feel the need to find a like-minded community, I watch for a group of people who believe MOST of the same things I do.  With that, I may claim a model – or I may not.\n\nWhat I have found is that it is important for me to be self-directed and independent in my thinking, and stay consistent with my personality and my values.  When I pay too much attention to what everyone else wants me to be, I feel like my head is spinning on my shoulders and my feet come out from under me.  One of my strengths is being able to stand alone if it is something I truly believe in.   Another is in having taken the time to work on my relationship building skills, my people skills – if you will, through my coaching studies and practice.  It is in being able to see the beauty in all different types of people, and to be able to work in different environments and situations.  This does not mean I create differing roles.  What it means is that different situations require different skills and choices that need to be made.\n\nAnother aspect of this is in recognizing and embracing my weaknesses as well as using my strengths, and oftentimes acknowledging that they are at times two sides to the same coin.  For example, I don’t believe we get very far when the text of our conversation is subtle, which often leads to a lack of tact.  People have told me forever that I intimidate them – mostly because they are less confident of their abilities.  I make decisions quickly and like to keep moving; flip that to I often get impatient with those who move more slowly.   Having embraced my shadow side, I understand that it has often helped me be successful.  Paying attention to the people I interact with has helped me soften the edges to make sure that people are feeling that they have been heard, and are fully engaged.\n\nYes, if I define my leadership style in the context of what is presented here, and the coaching that I do around leadership – I believe I can claim the authentic leadership model as my basis of leading.  And, since I believe that life is about the lessons learned each and every day, I may augment at will.  That is what makes it authentically and uniquely mine.\n\nHow do you define Authentic Leadership?', 'Authentic Leadership – Is This Your Leadership Style?', 'Authentic leaders are people of extraordinary integrity, with a profound sense of purpose and willingness to live by their core values.\n', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'authentic-leadership-is-this-your-leadership-style', '', '', '2011-02-01 06:00:08', '2011-02-01 12:00:08', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4496', 0, 'post', '', 84),
(4503, 246, '2011-02-02 06:00:46', '2011-02-02 12:00:46', '<blockquote>“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I\'m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” Robert McCloskey</blockquote>\nYou walk away from the conversation thinking, I am sure he knows what I meant, after all he knows what I expect!\n\nBut does he <em>really</em> know what you meant… does he <em>really</em> know what you expect!\n\nEach of us perceives and interprets differently. Cultivating a discipline for clarification is very important. If you don’t offer and ask for feedback frequently and consistently, you are at a disadvantage. Trust between leaders and employees won’t happen unless actions (both verbal and non-verbal) are demonstrated by both the leader and employee.\n\nWithout this trust, miscommunication and misinterpretation run rampant in organizations; fear, jealousy, insecurity, and lack of motivation and collaboration impact performance. This impacts customer relations and sales!\n\nDoes this description paint a realistic picture? Many of you know <em>exactly</em> what I mean!\n\n<strong>Where is Communication in the Corporate Agenda?</strong>\n\nThere are many excellent workshops that provide techniques that improve communication excellence that help increase trust and collaboration among teams. These are excellent in the moment but the energy and enthusiasm they create are hard to sustain over time unless the whole organization takes responsibility for improving communication at all levels as part of the corporate strategy.\n<blockquote>High performing organizations put communications at the top of their agendas.</blockquote>\nBut what if you are alone in a sea of miscommunication? The responsibility of cultivating a discipline for clarification is yours alone. As a leader, lead by example. As an employee, protect your motivation and become an example.\n\n<strong>Protect your Motivation</strong><strong> </strong>\n\nOne technique that can help cultivate a discipline for clarification is to ask for feedback. This is a critical skill to master, and its benefits outweigh the risk of learning the truth!\n<blockquote>“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” Rudyard Kipling</blockquote>\nYour colleagues will begin to see you as brave, confident, professional, and resourceful, and as you integrate the feedback you receive, communicate the results, and recognize those who provided input, you will learn first-hand how to cultivate trust and collaboration!\n\nThe key is to practice the exercise below frequently and consistently no matter what the outcome at first.\n\n<strong>Goal:</strong> Help others deliver feedback that is useful, focused, and motivating – get the information you need to improve.\n\n<strong>Why protect your motivation? </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>When asking for feedback about your performance (a report, meeting, or one-on-one interaction), it’s your responsibility to guide feedback you receive.</li>\n	<li>If you don\'t lead this feedback interaction you will be given all kinds of feedback. Some that may motivate you, some that may demotivate you.</li>\n	<li>The feedback will come based on the other person\'s point of view and it\'s not that person’s responsibility to protect your motivation, only to provide you with feedback.</li>\n	<li>They may not know how to deliver feedback that inspires you to action.</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>How does it work? </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Be clear on what you are looking for. What is your purpose for getting feedback?</li>\n	<li>Ask one or two specific questions. <strong><em>Tip</em></strong><em>: If you can’t answer the questions specifically, then keep working the questions!</em></li>\n	<li>Ask for 3 + 1 feedback with details: three things they liked and why, one thing you can do to improve your performance with details. <strong><em>Tip:</em></strong><em> If you would like more than one improvement opportunity, explain that you’ll fix that one thing and come back for another review. Getting a list of 10 things to change from 5 people all at once may de-motivate you and slow you down. Working on <strong>the</strong> most important thing at a time is best.</em></li>\n	<li>Complete the task, improve your performance, and stay motivated!<em> </em></li>\n</ul>\nWhat is one other benefit of using this technique? What is one potential challenge of asking for feedback in this way? What technique have you used to help protect your motivation?\n<blockquote>“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.\nWatch your words, for they become actions.\nWatch your actions, for they become habits.\nWatch your habits, for they become character.\nWatch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” Author Unknown</blockquote>', 'What you heard is not what I meant!', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'what-you-heard-is-not-what-i-meant', '', '', '2011-02-02 06:00:46', '2011-02-02 12:00:46', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4503', 0, 'post', '', 18),
(4507, 243, '2011-01-31 06:03:03', '2011-01-31 12:03:03', 'There is an intrinsic reward that is received by the giver.  We all know this is true.  When you help someone who can\'t possibly repay you, an immeasurable benefit, almost a force, provides benefit back to you.  It may not come at the same time or in a specific sequence.  Sometimes your good fortune or luck, your serendipity, comes from benefit you created for others years ago.\n\nThink of the example of helping someone who can\'t help you back or paying anonymously for someone\'s meal.  Even if no one ever knows, you know.  And because you know, you benefit.  When you pay it forward, you give what you\'ve been given to help others.\n<h3>Contribution Creates Margin</h3>\nEvery organization, family, team, community, society or people operates on a margin that exists between contributed effort and withdrawals made.  You know when you\'re in an organization or community of contributors.  There is always margin.  People are gracious and helping.  There is room for error.  People forgive quickly.  Mistakes are tolerated, not encouraged.  Accountability results from the shared benefit created by the contributors in the community.\n<h3>Withdrawal Kills Margin</h3>\nA team of takers is much less rewarding.  Taker teams begin when any leader takes more than they give or rewards people for doing the same.  In no time a chain reaction results.  Both excesses, either withdraw or contribution are contagious. Excess withdrawal destroys; excess contribution creates.  Eventually, just like the US social security system, excess over-withdrawal creates a toxic society that must either transform or bankrupt.  Excess withdrawal results in bankruptcy.\n<h3>You Get What You Give</h3>\nPeople with influence on your team set the tone.  The positional leader is one of the tone-setters but not the only one.  As a leader you get what you give and what you reward. Your team\'s culture will end up being the culture you promote.  Contribute and create margin.  Withdraw and bankrupt your team\'s culture.  It\'s up to you.\n\nHave you ever been on a team of contributors?  Care to share a bit of the story below?  Those great stories energize people years later.  Just think back to the best teams you\'ve ever been on and share a bit about the person or people who energized the culture the most.  Then, go and do likewise...', 'Leadership, Reward and Culture', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-reward-culture', '', '', '2011-01-31 06:03:03', '2011-01-31 12:03:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4507', 0, 'post', '', 18),
(4515, 265, '2011-02-13 16:00:01', '2011-02-13 22:00:01', '<em>Note: This is the second of a 5 part series on Transactional Leadership.  If you haven\'t seen the introduction, you can read that <a title=\"Transactional Leadership Part 1\" href=\"/transactional-leadership-4-words-to-disrupt-your-leadership-foundation-part-1/\" target=\"_self\">here</a>.</em>\n\nThe role of \'value\' in transactional leadership is based on the idea that people follow the leader because the leader somehow adds value to their lives. The benefits could be social, political, economic or even spiritual. Followers follow because of the value the leader adds to them. The leader benefits from the value brought by those who follow him. It\'s reciprocal and the leadership equation continues successfully unhindered as long as everyone can clearly see the benefit of the relationship. The problem with value based leadership is that it\'s focused on one single idea, \"What\'s in it for me?\" Don\'t get me wrong. That\'s not an inherently bad question to ask. People are in business to make a profit. The reason we want to improve our leadership skill is because we have this vision of a future that\'s better for us and the people we lead. But, \'What\'s in it for me?\' can\'t be the foundation of our leadership relationships. What\'s in it for me is transient. What makes me happy from one moment to the next is dynamic. Therefore the value I\'m looking for out of any given relationship is constantly changing. It\'s why married couples can fall in and out of love. It\'s why coaches can be heroes one day and villains the next. You didn\'t win the game. The value of this relationship has just been diminished. You don\'t make me feel like you once did. It must be time to find a new partner in marriage.\n\n\'Respect\' approaches relationships differently than \'value\'. Instead of leaders looking for what they can gain from others they recognize that every individual has intrinsic value apart from what they give to an organization. Out of respect for the individual the leader looks for ways to unleash the unrealized and untapped potential of those they lead. Instead of using people as a resource they challenge and inspire people to become more than they ever imagined possible on their own. Respect becomes the foundation on which a new kind of leadership is built. When respect drives the leader\'s responsibility to lead and the follower\'s willingness to follow the paradigm changes for how we relate to one another. Because of my respect for you I won\'t treat you as a commodity or as a means to an end. Out of respect for you I have a responsibility as a leader to attempt to understand your hopes and dreams, to use my resources and experience to equip, encourage and empower you to fulfill your maximum potential. The follower has a responsibility here as well. Out of respect for those who lead the follower commits to serve the organization well. This service isn\'t simply about a paycheck or promotion but about giving my best, being fully engaged with the responsibilities entrusted to me, and doing what\'s right for the organization as a whole. Respect defines the way we relate in times of success, failure, conflict and cooperation.\n\nPut simply, value looks for what\'s in this relationship for me. Respect dreams of what\'s possible for you as we serve together.\n\nNext time we\'ll look at two more words to disrupt our leadership foundation. In the meantime consider the following:\n<ul>\n	<li>Are your leadership relationships based on value or respect?</li>\n	<li>What are the inherent challenges or apparent weaknesses in leading from respect rather than value?</li>\n</ul>\nGod bless,\nChad', 'Transactional Leadership &#124; Part 2 &#124; Value vs. Respect', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'transactional-leadership-part-2-value-vs-respect', '', '', '2011-02-13 16:00:01', '2011-02-13 22:00:01', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4515', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(4517, 265, '2011-02-19 09:45:48', '2011-02-19 15:45:48', 'We\'ve been talking about Transactional Leadership and we\'re learning 4 words to disrupt our leadership foundation.  (The previous posts are <a title=\"4 Words to Disrupt Your Leadership Foundation\" href=\"/transactional-leadership-4-words-to-disrupt-your-leadership-foundation-part-1/\">Pt. 1</a> and <a title=\"Value vs. Respect\" href=\"/transactional-leadership-part-2-value-vs-respect/\" target=\"_self\">Pt. 2.</a>)\n\nWith Transactional Leadership once you\'ve discovered the value someone provides you begin to invest your time and energy in that person or idea. This is like any financial investment. You expect to get something in return. But that\'s not really the nature of an investment is it? You\'re not pouring money into an IRA in the hopes you\'ll get a little something in return. You\'re hoping for more than you risked in the first place. You gauge the value of your investment by how much compounding interest or residual income you are able to receive as a result of the risk you take. The same is true for transactional leaders. You invest in someone or in their idea because you\'re convinced you\'ll get more out of it than you put into it. But what happens if the investment doesn\'t pay off? What happens when a leader invests in followers who don\'t follow through? Think of the coach with the perfect game strategy leading a team of under-skilled players. It takes more than a winning strategy or remarkable talent. Both are necessary to win the game. We stop investing in others when we realize we\'ll never get the return we\'re looking for.\n\nThe Servant Leader approaches these relationships differently. Out of respect for the person, a servant leader chooses to meet that person where they are in order to take them where they should be. It\'s not about an investment being made, but a responsibility fulfilled. As a leader you\'ve been entrusted with the care of those you lead. When faced with an underperforming employee the Servant Leader recognizes an opportunity for growth. Conflict isn\'t personal. It\'s the resistance that builds the strength and the skill necessary to take the individual and the organization to the next level. Correction isn\'t corrosive. It\'s a reminder of the core values that define how we relate within this organization and what this organization is really all about. We serve by looking out for the needs of others and the needs of the organization we lead. For a servant leader no task is too menial, no job is too small. The transactional leader is focused on how to protect his investment. The servant leader is focused on meeting the needs of others.\n\nNext time we’ll look at two more words to disrupt our leadership foundation. In the meantime consider the following:\n<ul>\n	<li>What are some practical ways you can better serve the people you lead?</li>\n	<li>In what way is the idea of serving the antithesis of leading?</li>\n</ul>\nGod bless,\nChad', 'Transactional Leadership &#124; Part 3 &#124; Invest vs. Serve', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'transactional-leadership-part-3-invest-vs-serve', '', '', '2011-02-19 09:45:48', '2011-02-19 15:45:48', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4517', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(4519, 265, '2011-02-27 08:15:02', '2011-02-27 14:15:02', '<em>Note: This is the fourth of a 5 part series on <a title=\"Transactional Leadership Introduction\" href=\"../transactional-leadership-4-words-to-disrupt-your-leadership-foundation-part-1/\">Transactional Leadership</a>.</em>\n\nWe\'ve been talking about the differences between Transactional Leadership and Servant Leadership. We\'re learning 4 words to disrupt our leadership foundation.\n\nSo far we\'ve seen the difference between:\n<ul>\n	<li><a title=\"Transactional Leadership Part 2\" href=\"/transactional-leadership-part-2-value-vs-respect/\" target=\"_self\">Value vs. Respect</a></li>\n	<li><a title=\"Part 3 Invest vs. Serve\" href=\"/transactional-leadership-part-3-invest-vs-serve/\">Invest vs. Serve</a></li>\n</ul>\nToday we\'re going to discover the difference between buy-in vs. trust.\n\nOnce the Transactional Leader has begun to leverage the \'value\' of his followers and started \'investing\' in them, his next step is to achieve \'buy-in\' from those who follow. For the Transactional Leader \'buy-in\' is critical. Have you ever noticed the difference in the way employees and owners work? For owners, business is personal. It\'s more than their livelihood, it\'s an expression of who they are. But employees are different. For an employee a job is what they do, not who they are. When casting vision transactional leaders are looking for buy-in. Buy-in is more than positive affirmation. It\'s a whole-hearted acceptance of the vision cast by the leader. Buy-in is the difference between an owner and an employee. My uncle used to say, \"When I was young I thought I wanted a career. Now that I\'m old I realize I just wanted a paycheck.\" Think about the things you \'buy-in\' to. If you\'re like me you\'re a discerning shopper who looks for the best deal possible before making any kind of purchase. You\'re not going to buy-in until you\'re certain you\'re getting the best value possible. And that\'s exactly how followers shop for leaders. Which visionary leader will offer me the best deal? As the leader how can I package the vision so people will give themselves to it? Too often, striving for buy-in reduces the most beautiful of dreams down to a clever catch phrase and slick marketing, the heart of the matter lost one talking point, one sound bite at a time.\n\nTrust is different from buy-in. Trust develops slowly and it\'s affects are longer lasting. Trust grows from the seed of respect and blossoms in the refreshing waters of service. Trust is a two way street. Followers trust leaders who respect them and who serve well. Leaders trust followers who respect the significance of the work that needs to be done and who faithfully serve to fulfill their responsibilities.\n\nChanging an organization based on Transactional Leadership can be difficult because the group has bought into an idea, a method for how things are done. In order to change direction the value of the new idea has to be sold to those responsible for guarding the current system. It\'s a tough sell from the start.\n\nIn trust-based leadership I\'m not simply following an idea or a method. I\'m not serving a system. I\'m part of something bigger than myself that\'s made up of other individuals, men and women on whom I rely for my own success. It\'s relational, not transactional. I trust that others in the organization are giving their best for the good of all and they can trust that I will do the same. When change becomes necessary it comes more easily, the merits of the new idea strengthened by the trust found in my relationship to those I lead and those who lead me.\n\nNext time we’ll compare two final words to disrupt our leadership foundation. In the meantime consider the following:\n<ul>\n	<li>What do you think is a groups biggest barrier to trust?</li>\n	<li>When leading through a change how do you determine which key influencer the group trusts the most?</li>\n</ul>\nGod bless,\nChad', 'Transactional Leadership &#124; Part 4 &#124; Buy-in vs. Trust', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'transactional-leadership-part-4-buy-in-vs-trust', '', '', '2011-02-27 08:15:02', '2011-02-27 14:15:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4519', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(4521, 265, '2011-03-06 07:00:14', '2011-03-06 13:00:14', '<a rel=\"attachment wp-att-4522\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/transactional-leadership-part-5-contribute-vs-collaborate/stop/\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4522\" style=\"margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/stop-300x193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"193\" /></a>Today we\'ll wrap up <a title=\"Transactional Leadership \" href=\"/transactional-leadership-4-words-to-disrupt-your-leadership-foundation-part-1/\">this series</a> on the differences between Transactional Leadership and Servant Leadership. We\'ve seen 4 words to disrupt our leadership foundation. These four words are: <a title=\"Value vs. Respect\" href=\"/transactional-leadership-part-2-value-vs-respect/\"><strong>Respect</strong></a>, <a title=\"Invest vs. Serve\" href=\"/transactional-leadership-part-3-invest-vs-serve/\"><strong>Serve</strong></a>, <a title=\"Buy-in vs. Trust\" href=\"/transactional-leadership-part-4-buy-in-vs-trust/\"><strong>Trust</strong></a>, and <strong>Collaborate</strong>. We\'ve compared these 4 words of Servant Leadership to four comparable words of Transactional Leadership. Let\'s take a look at the difference between:\n\n<strong>Contribute vs. Collaborate</strong>\n\nThe Transactional leader is looking for contributors. Another word for contributor is \'producer\'. Contribute something to the project, the company, the team or find yourself in search of a new job. The need to make a contribution drives some to be back-stabbing, cold-hearted corporate climbers. While others simply settle in to lower circles of responsibility, their contributions limited to the minimum required amount of effort necessary to provide value to the team. Transactional leaders search for contributors the way entrepreneurs search for venture capitalists. What do you bring to the table? How can you bring more satisfied customers, design a better product or provide a better service? If louder, faster, higher is the mantra of the trumpet player, bigger, faster, better is the mantra of the Transactional Leader. There\'s always one more sale to make, one more quota to break. Contribute or die and if you contribute the most we\'ll give you a fancy gold watch!\n\nCollaboration is different from contribution. Collaboration starts with the premise that I don\'t know it all and I don\'t have to. Collaboration relies on the fact that there are some things I\'m naturally good at and other things I don\'t do well at all. Collaboration is the art of working with others. It\'s what happens when I have enough respect for someone else that we\'re able to serve one another. This builds the trust we need to collaborate on any project. I trust that in those seasons I am weak, you\'ll be strong, when you\'re weak I\'ll be strong. Collaboration and cooperation go hand in hand. The respect on which collaboration is based allows us to see that any individual in the organization can make a difference regardless of position, title or job function. Collaboration is the leveraged strength of every member of a team.\n\nI\'ve heard it said that the difference between a winner and a champion is that a winner may win the game, but a champion wins consistently. Think of this year\'s Super Bowl champs. They became champions by winning consistently. They didn\'t win consistently because one player or one coach made a winning contribution to the team. They won because every player worked together to shape the team into the champions they became.\n\nPut simply, contribution is how one individual adds value to the team. Collaboration is the leveraged power of the team to fulfill the vision.\n\nFour words. Four words to disrupt our leadership foundation.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Respect | Serve | Trust | Collaborate</p>\nThese four words can transform the leader inside of you. They can shape you and your team into an irresistible force that will leave a lasting and sustainable impact on the world around you.\n\nDon\'t settle for simply pointing the way. Serve well those who have been entrusted to you and lead where you are.\n\nGod bless,\nChad', 'Transactional Leadership &#124; Part 5 &#124; Contribute vs. Collaborate', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'transactional-leadership-part-5-contribute-vs-collaborate', '', '', '2011-03-06 07:00:14', '2011-03-06 13:00:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4521', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(4538, 247, '2011-02-21 06:15:14', '2011-02-21 12:15:14', 'I saw this post a few days ago that asked the question, \"<a href=\"http://kellycroy.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/leadership/\" target=\"_blank\">Do You Really Want Your Child to be a Leader</a>?\" and posited that what most parents are thinking about when they answer, \"Yes, of course!\" is not really leadership at all. From the post:\n<blockquote>The truth is that while leadership can often be a truly rewarding experience, it is often a lot of hard work.  Leaders have responsibilities whether their team wins or loses. They are often ridiculed, criticized, and they work well beyond ‘their fair share’ with little to show for it. Leadership is not a popularity contest and it isn’t about being the star.</blockquote>\nThink about that... Leadership isn\'t about being the star. Most of us, immediately, would agree and say things like leading is about the team\'s success, or creating positive change in the world, or mentoring, or serving, or a host of other things which are not self-focused. My challenge is, would you do those things if you NEVER got recognition for any of them? If your part was never known to ANYONE else? Would you do what needed to be done, lead for vision, change and success of the mission if you aren\'t even recognized as a bit player on the stage? Most of us, regardless of our verbal or written positions on why we lead, have a bit of ego in there somewhere that likes, needs even, the positive recognition that comes with leading a successful team or effort. We\'re only human, after all, right?\n\nSo, how do we prepare to lead when leading isn\'t going to feed our egos?\n\nAlso from the post I mentioned above:\n<blockquote>The ingredients we mix into a bowl determines the dish we prepare... What ingredients are going in your child, and will they make a leader? What books do they read? What games do they play? What do they listen to? What movies do they watch? Who do they admire? With whom do they spend their time?</blockquote>\nThe same is true for adults who seek to be the kind of leaders who do the job even when no one knows they\'ve done so. What is in your life\'s mixing bowl? What are you reading, thinking, learning, playing, watching or hearing? How are you feeding your soul instead of your ego so that you have the knowledge and desire to lead when leading is necessary, regardless of the personal reward or recognition? We are always moving toward a particular outcome in this life. Even when we think we\'re standing still, the world does not, and it runs on past us, effectively moving us in the opposite direction. How do you choose your path consciously, evaluate regularly, and lead purposefully? How do you stay motivated?\n\n&nbsp;', 'Of Mixing Bowls, Feeding Souls and Seeking Recognition', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'of-mixing-bowls-feeding-souls-and-seeking-recognition', '', '', '2011-02-21 06:15:14', '2011-02-21 12:15:14', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4538', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(4546, 267, '2011-02-08 06:00:34', '2011-02-08 12:00:34', 'If you haven’t read the Harvard Business Review this month, you should.  Why?  Here are just three of the articles highlighting research that will rock, push, disturb, and ultimately change the way we do business:\n<ol>\n	<li>“<em>How Women End Up On the “Glass Cliff</em>,” by Susanne Bruckmüller and Nyla R. Branscombe.  They report that people prefer leaders with stereotypically male strengths, when a company is running well.  However, “when a company is in crisis, they think stereotypically female skills are needed to turn things around.”</li>\n	<li>“<em>Finding Hard Ways to Measure ‘Soft’ Leadership</em>,” led by Herminia Ibarra.   Professor Ibarra is analyzing her list of “The Best-Performing CEOs in the World” and checking to see if there is a common thread in how these leaders approach leadership.  She asks, “Can we provide hard evidence of the benefits of ‘soft’ leadership?  Why is this important?  Because “distributed leadership, empowerment, and knowledge networks are still viewed as indulgent.”  If they can identify the common “soft” traits of the most successful leaders, they “may be able to predict which leaders will add the most value” to their organizations in the future.</li>\n	<li>“<em>Creating Shared Value</em>,” by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer.  “Not all profit is equal.  Profits involving a social purpose represent a higher form of capitalism, one that creates a positive cycle of company and community prosperity.”  Creating Shared Value (CSV) is different than Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in that it creates both economic and societal value.  While CSR focused on reputation with little link back to the company, CSV combines company and community interests.  This is “capitalism unleashed” to create the next wave of growth.</li>\n</ol>\nWhy does any of this matter?  Because organizations that want to compete in the future will adopt new ways of doing business.  Instead of answers though, I have questions.  Questions that I hope will stir some reflection and some dialogue regarding our current state of affairs, and where we are headed.  I don’t ask merely to be provocative, but to start a conversation that will hopefully provide some clarity into this new way of being (and leading):\n<ul>\n	<li>Are we hearing more about women in leadership due to the financial crisis (based on the first article cited)?  How have we limited and destroyed value because of our reliance on dominant male strengths?  Would the financial crisis have happened at all if we had more female leaders?</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Decades of leadership theory have suggested that we are better when we learn how to become more “emotionally intelligent,” but the ability to implement “softer” skills in the workplace have often been perceived as a career ender for those that want to climb the ladder.  Is it possible that this resurgence in softer skills training has also come as a result of the financial crisis?</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Why do we tend to punish men when they demonstrate “soft” leadership?  Do we shame men that show compassion?  Why is it considered a weakness to be vulnerable and transparent when we know that trust is built on these “softer” skills?</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>Likewise, how do we demonize strong women?  Do women feel compelled to “man-up” in order to compete?  Does “manning-up” wipe out the strengths women naturally bring to the table?  Do we take some pleasure criticizing those that seem to “stray” from the societal definitions of normal?   What impact do we have on future leaders that don’t feel like conforming to the status quo of gender stereotypes?</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li>What do great companies do to sustain their growth year after year?  How do they treat their employees?  How do they view their role in society?  How does CSV change the way we all do business?</li>\n</ul>\nWhat do you think?', 'Gender, Leadership, &#038; CSV', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'gender-leadership-csv', '', '', '2011-02-08 06:00:34', '2011-02-08 12:00:34', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4546', 0, 'post', '', 30),
(4603, 268, '2011-02-24 07:51:25', '2011-02-24 13:51:25', '(Part 1 of 3)\n\n<em>When I shared the following story with my business partner, he had a strong reaction. He feels Robert represents an extreme that readers will not relate to. I, on the other hand, have heard many Robert-type tales lately and think situations like his are happening way too often in the corporate world. Am curious to hear your thoughts. This is a true story with names changed to protect privacy…</em>\n\nRobert Stephens had a rotten Christmas season.\n\nHis story began 10 months earlier when his company hired Juan, who was super to work with the first few weeks.\n\nThen, a management change at the company ushered in a new set of rules and procedures that Juan did not agree with. Robert explains, “In a matter of four months, Juan went from \'team lead\' to \'complaint factory\'. He complained we did not motivate him, but he would not tell us what was demotivating him. He complained the job was too hard, and he was too busy to do all the projects on his plate. We worked with him, because he really was the best we had at one point, but the more we made concessions, the more he complained. This was around July, and I did not confront him about the impact of his communication on team morale.”\n\n<strong>The noble excuse</strong>\n\n“You see,” Robert continues, “I am a non-Spanish speaking manager who manages staff in Latin America. I did not want to appear too mean, or yes, too American. Just last year, one of the staff had noted that American managers yell and punish. I wanted to dispel that stigma. I did not want to seem insensitive to the needs of people who do work hard and are very sweet and hospitable.”\n\nWhat seemed like a noble mindset quickly landed Robert in a managerial quagmire. By September, Juan was regularly giving incorrect and incomplete answers to customer questions, and Robert began fielding numerous customer complaints. Robert notes, “Customers were losing trust in our company, because they did not trust the answers we were giving them. And Juan did not want to be corrected. Juan left more work for others on the staff to deal with, and as nice as they were, they were afraid to tell me. I didn’t realize that employees doubted my ability to lead.”\n\n<strong>Attention: loose elephant in customer service</strong>\n\nThere was now a paper trail of documentation and lost customers to support terminating Juan’s employment, but Robert still did not act. Juan’s performance continued to deteriorate. The final straw came in December. Four different customer complaints in one day, all related to Juan, landed on Robert’s desk to deal with. Juan would not own that he had made these errors, nor was he even slightly apologetic.\n\n“I felt terrible firing him so close to Christmas,” says Robert. “Team morale worsened a bit because I took this action so close to the holidays. And now, I find myself having to prove to people above and below me that I do in fact know how to be a manager. I finally took action because I realized the business was suffering. The managers above me helped me see this.”\n\nAs extreme as this story may sound, similar situations—perhaps more subtle or seemingly less destructive—are playing out at many other companies.\n\nMy next post will look at the top 13 reasons managers let poor performance linger. And a third installment will look at how to make “the discussion” smoother if you ever find yourself needing to confront an employee like Juan.\n\nMeanwhile, I’d like to hear from you. What are the best onboarding and performance management practices you have seen that give managers the incentive and support they need to confront damaging behavior in a timely manner?\n\n<em>Note to readers: If you found this post interesting and if you are a manager, we could use your input for a research study on management styles. To participate, just complete the questionnaire at <a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a>. All managers who take part will receive a free personal report outlining the strengths and limitations of their current management style, with suggestions to improve effectiveness. Thanks, in advance, for helping us with this study.</em>', 'The Urgency of Dealing with Poor Performance', 'This post shares the story of Robert, a manager who let a performance problem slide for too long. What are the best onboarding and performance management practices you have seen that give managers the incentive and support they need to confront damaging behavior in a timely manner?', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-urgency-of-dealing-with-poor-performance', '', '', '2011-02-24 07:51:25', '2011-02-24 13:51:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4603', 0, 'post', '', 32);
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(4607, 256, '2011-02-22 06:15:25', '2011-02-22 12:15:25', 'Ever have one of those “defining moments” in your life?  You know, those times when ‘something’ happened, and you just knew that moment would change you forever…\n\nI remember a defining moment in college.  I lived off-campus, a few miles away, so I often took the university’s metro system to get me to different parts of campus and back home again.\n\nOften, when I walked to the bus stop near my home, I would see an elderly man walking his Chihuahua.  He lived right across the street from the stop, and he walked his dog several times a day, so most of the students were familiar with the site of his slow, unsteady gait alongside his yippy, excitable dog.  It was such a dichotomy; it was hard not to notice.\n\nI don’t know this man’s name. I never did.  But I was always sure to smile and say hi, and sometimes I even stopped to pet the dog, thinking it might need some extra attention.\n\nThe man never said much, if anything at all, though I recall his voice being frail, much like his body appeared to be.  He didn’t seem to have much strength or energy, nor did I ever see his cheeks flush with any color.  I don’t have a clue how old he was, but he seemed ancient to me, especially since I was at the opposite end of his spectrum, being a young, energetic, college kid with my whole life ahead of me.\n\nOne day, as I walked to the metro stop, I saw the familiar old man and his dog walking uneasily, as always.  I kept my eye on him as I waited for the bus to arrive, and just moments after I stepped onto the bus, I watched what I had feared would happen to my weak and wobbly neighbor.\n\nHe fell.  A really hard fall.  And, although he was slightly moving on the ground, I could see he had no chance of getting himself up.  I knew it.  All the students on the bus knew it.  His little, tiny dog, who was barking frantically next to him knew it.  But nobody did anything.  It was as if everything and everyone was frozen…except for the old man, who was now moaning and still just barely moving his body as he tried to rock himself to a different position.\n\nI could feel my adrenaline surging.  I could hear my own voice in my head shouting to the man, “Come on, Mister, you can do it.  Just get up!”  I could hear the other students on the bus gasping as they, too, watched this poor man in horror.  And then, the next sound I heard was the bus beginning to pull away.\n\nNow, mind you, the bus was largely full.  There were people driving cars on the street next to the sidewalk where my elderly neighbor was now laying.  There were other walkers nearby.  But nobody did anything.  Everyone saw it happen, but nobody moved.\n\nMy mind raced, thinking of the journalism class I knew I was about to miss.  We had a writing exam that day, and I had no idea how I would explain this story to my professor in a way that he would either give me grace or re-schedule my exam for another day.  At that point, though, it didn’t matter to me.  I had to do something to help this poor man.\n\n“STOP THE BUS!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.\n\nThe bus driver acknowledged me immediately and opened the door, knowing what I was about to do.  I grabbed my backpack full of books and ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the side of the man, who was familiar enough to me that he even felt a bit like a friend.\n\nI quickly expressed to him that I was there to help; that I wouldn’t leave his side until we found a way to get him up and bring him home safely.  I watched as the bus pulled away, and it wasn’t until I started shouting to others on the road and sidewalks around me that anyone else came to help me with this man, who was more than six feet tall when he was standing.  On the ground, I knew his weight would be more than I could handle alone.\n\nEventually, I and a few others were able to gingerly bring my neighbor to his feet and carefully deliver him to his front door.  His wife greeted us with an abundance of gratitude and lovingly took him into her care, as she closed the door leaving us to move on with our day.\n\nI raced to my class, now more than 30 minutes late for the hour-long session.  I felt good about the decision I had made, although I knew others thought I was crazy for taking the risk and helping a stranger.  I cried to my professor as I shared the details of what had happened.  He didn’t react with much, if any empathy, although he did allow me to make up the time for my exam.\n\nSo, why did I share so many details of this old story from my past?  Because that was a defining moment for me – one where I knew firmly in my gut that I would be okay being different; being the only one who would get off the bus to help.  I knew I would be willing to take a stand for what I believed was right, even if meant risking ridicule or passing up other rewards.  I knew in the deepest part of my heart that I was a leader and following the crowd wasn’t going to be part of my norm.\n\nWhat’s exciting for me is that almost twenty years later, I have found an incredible community of leaders just like me.  The Lead Change Group includes many friends and colleagues, who like me, aren’t just okay with being different than the “norm” – we <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">want </span>to be different, because we know that most businesses and communities can be better than they are today if just they put more focus on people and values.\n\nOrganizations today are concerned with getting the right people on the bus, but it’s often a bus of conformity and status quo without much innovation or drive to be truly valuable.\n\nI want to challenge each of you to get off the bus, as I did.  I don’t mean quit your job and launch a company, but I am suggesting that you clearly understand, embrace and act on your values and strengths.  Lead from who you authentically are, and leverage the very best that you can bring to the people around you.  Get off the bus of complacency and DO something that creates the next defining moment in your life.\n\nJoin me and others in this “revolution” of leadership.  Make the difference that only you can make.  The world is waiting for you, and you are needed.  Join our community now.  Contribute your story.  Embrace the leader within you and dedicate yourself to making a positive difference.  This is what Lead Change is all about.  We welcome your contribution!', 'Is it Time To Get Off The Bus?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'is-it-time-to-get-off-the-bus', '', '', '2011-02-22 06:15:25', '2011-02-22 12:15:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4607', 0, 'post', '', 46),
(4633, 269, '2011-02-26 06:54:28', '2011-02-26 12:54:28', '<em>In addition to the blog posts created specifically for the Lead Change blog, many of our Contributors write for other blogs as well. We’ve established a “Best of the Blogs” series featuring favorite leadership posts offered by our contributing writers. </em>\n\nThe ability to lead is a rare gift. The opportunity to lead is just as precious.\n\n<strong>Have you ever thought about whether you’re worthy of these gifts?</strong>\n\nI had the honor and privilege to be asked to speak at an organ donation dinner and celebration last night.  The gentleman before me on the agenda, my friend Tim, spoke about “the gift of donation,” while I spoke about “the gift of receiving.”\n\nTim’s presentation is about his daughter Samantha who lost her life in a car accident on the way to school one rainy morning when she was a senior in high school. Part of his presentation involves a slide show of Samantha growing up, set to moving music, concluding with a photo of Samantha and her boyfriend all dressed up for the Homecoming dance just 10 days before she died. She was spectacularly beautiful.\n\nTim talked achingly about what he’s missed out on…seeing her graduate, watching her go off to college, dancing with her at her wedding, playing with his grandchildren that will never be…\n\n<strong>He then spoke about the gift of organ donation – how Samantha was able to help save 25 people through her gift of life, and how he was so moved by his experiences speaking about Samantha’s gift that he himself chose to donate his kidney last May to someone he’s never met.</strong> There was not a dry eye in the room and, truth be told, I have tears streaming down my face even as I write this.\n\nAnd so I got up to speak about the gift of receiving.\n\nI was supposed to be the “happy” part of the program and yet I was moved to talk about the difficulty for recipients in knowing that – for most recipients – someone like Samantha had to lose their life in order for us to live ours.  Though there is a miracle in this gift there is deep pain as well.  We <em>know</em> that it helps the families to heal by knowing that their loved one is helping us to live, and yet, how do you reconcile your own sense of gain with the extraordinary loss felt by others?\n\nIn <a href=\"http://www.lisapetrilli.com/2010/05/25/what-i-learned-about-networking-when-i-asked-a-stranger-for-a-kidney-2/\">my case</a>, my donor gave consciously and wholeheartedly.  She told me that she felt it was what God had meant for her to do and that she didn’t need that extra kidney and so very genuinely wanted me to have it.\n\nMy friend <a href=\"http://adaptivemarketer.com/\">Rob Rose </a>wrote to me once that he heard, “a true gift is one that someone wants to receive.”  I absolutely wanted the gift, and the way it was given made it so easy for me to receive – and yet – I struggle to this day with feelings of unworthiness.\n\n<strong>“What makes me worthy to receive the gift of someone else’s life? </strong>\n\nWe don’t really think about whether we’re worthy to receive birthday gifts or Christmas gifts or graduation gifts.  But what about the other, more significant gifts in our life - should we reflect on our worthiness to receive and, if so, our responsibility to do something with them?\n\n<strong>Which brings me full circle to leadership.</strong> <strong>What makes someone worthy of being a leader?</strong>\n\nI believe in my heart that the ability to be a truly great leader is a gift that many people have within them, but that the self-awareness to bring it out and make it sing is actually rare.\n\nI also believe that having <em>the opportunity</em> to lead – being put in a position of leadership over others - is a gift not to be taken for granted.\n\nDeep down inside I know that my worthiness to receive the gift of life is very simple; purely by being an imperfect human and child of God I am worthy.  And yet, <strong>I believe that with leadership it is not nearly so simple -that leaders need to <em>live their worthiness</em> every day.</strong>\n\n<strong>I believe in these four key indicators that they are doing so…</strong>\n<ol>\n	<li>They have a deep understanding of their responsibility to treat others with great respect regardless of title or rank in the organization, age, gender, race, ethnicity, or any other factor. If respect is not part of who you are then I don’t think you’re worthy to lead.  It’s not to say you won’t be successful driving financial results, it simply means you’ve done so out of force or sheer will and not leadership.</li>\n	<li>They understand their responsibility to have a vision for the organization that they are leading and to clearly communicate this vision to their employees so that every member of the organization understands what they’re working towards creating.</li>\n	<li>There is a set of strong, core values that the organization commits to and lives by, with the leader being held most accountable.</li>\n	<li>They show they value their employees – the people they’ve been entrusted with the opportunity to lead. They actively seek out and engage insight and ideas from all levels of their organization and not just the C-Suite or senior management.</li>\n</ol>\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>I believe the gift of leadership is one that is meant to be honored and respected; meant to be unwrapped purposefully, with a clear understanding of the degree of responsibility that it comes with. It’s the ones who are truly grateful for the gift and treat it with sincere respect that I believe are worthy of their roles and who ultimately make the most successful leaders.</strong>\n\n<strong>What do you think…?</strong>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo is Gift by <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcinmoga/\">MarcinMoga</a>.</span>', 'Leadership is a Gift. Four Signs You&#039;re Worthy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-is-a-gift-four-signs-youre-worthy', '', '', '2011-02-26 06:54:28', '2011-02-26 12:54:28', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4633', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(4646, 270, '2011-03-23 06:05:43', '2011-03-23 11:05:43', '&nbsp;\n\nIt is 2011 and most organizations are feeling intense pressure to cut budgets, maintain programming, keep morale up, and improve results.  Across the board from government agencies to non-profits and from educators to business communities, stress is high and hope is low.\n\nIt is clear that doing the same things, the same ways, expecting different results is more than crazy.  And just as clear that doing something different is risky and will challenge comfort zones.\n\nAs I am typing this I am thinking of organizations and communities that continually repeat historical cycles of ineffectiveness &amp; dysfunction.  <strong>Below are 3 common causes:</strong>\n<ol>\n	<li><strong> No clear and motivating vision uniting everyone in a common purpose.</strong> The lack of a unifying vision frequently allows &amp; even encourages individuals, and departments to think more about their own needs than the mission and success of the organization as a whole.</li>\n	<li><strong>A lack of communication.</strong> Even after spending millions of dollars to create new programs many organizations fail to connect-the-dots communicate what they are doing and why they are doing it both internally and externally.   That failure limits the potential success of the program, and wastes both time and resources.</li>\n	<li><strong>A mix of ego and historical complacency.</strong> Inability or unwillingness to confront often results in the construction of internal barriers that prevent titled leaders from listening and responding to employees or from communicating &amp; problem solving with peers.   Those barriers silence truth about opportunities in the organization &amp; limit the ability to overcome challenges and grow.  Many times missed opportunities include reducing risk, increasing efficiency or maximizing results without added expense.</li>\n</ol>\nThe great news is that there are organizations that have created unprecedented results by:\n<ul>\n	<li>Intentionally tearing down silos throughout their entire organization.</li>\n	<li>Engaging everyone at every level in a shared vision.</li>\n	<li>Strategically empowering EVERYONE in the organization to make suggestions and take ownership in that vision.</li>\n</ul>\nI have watched them benefit by:\n<ul>\n	<li>Intentionally setting aside egos.</li>\n	<li>Letting to of historical turf-wars for the good of the organization and the customer.</li>\n</ul>\nAnd I have watched in joy-filled AWE...\n<ul>\n	<li>As the vision begin to grow and gain momentum.</li>\n	<li>As the resulting enthusiasm became almost virally contagious.</li>\n	<li>And as teamwork and results were elevated to unprecedented levels.</li>\n</ul>\nNow imagine that kind of positive “virus” infecting and connecting organizations across your community…\n<ul>\n	<li>Imagine knocking down walls that are limiting your success.</li>\n	<li>Imagine accessing more funding because of strong partnerships.</li>\n	<li>Imagine having more knowledge and support for your programs because of relationships.</li>\n	<li>Imagine increasing education, quality of life, economic development &amp; workforce development in your community.</li>\n</ul>\nPut the pieces together and be a part of something bigger than you, bigger than your silo, bigger than your organization.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">None of us can accomplish alone,\nWhat is possible when we are working TOGETHER!</p>', 'Organizational Wholeness.. Put the pieces together', '•	Imagine knocking down walls that are limiting your success.\n•	Imagine accessing more funding because of strong partnerships.\n•	Imagine having more knowledge and support for your programs because of relationships.\n\n', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'organizational-wholeness-put-the-pieces-together', '', '', '2011-03-23 06:05:43', '2011-03-23 11:05:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4646', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(4649, 271, '2011-03-02 06:05:36', '2011-03-02 12:05:36', 'We have two outdoor cats at our home named Hobbes and Merlin. They  have a house, a food bowl and a litter box in our garage. During the  day, we open the garage door and let them run free. At night, we close  them in the garage to protect them from larger predators they might  encounter after dark.\n\nWe feed them. We give them fresh water. We give them a warm, dry  place to sleep. We scratch their heads. We brush their fur. We play with  them.\n\nThey have no fence or other physical constraints to keep them at our home.\n\nWhen we open the door in the morning, they run quickly out of the  garage into our yard. They rarely stray far from our home, and they  almost always come back to the garage at night.\n\nThey have complete freedom to leave if they choose, and yet they always return because we meet their needs.\n\nOn occasion, one or the other of them will fail to return to the  garage. The first time one of them stayed out for the night, we were  concerned that he had left permanently. When we opened the garage door  the next morning, he came running in to greet us.\n\nThis scenario has happened a few other times since the first event, and they have always returned.\n\nThey return for food. They return for our attention. They return for  clean water. They return for a dry bed. Sometimes they exercise their  freedom, and yet they return.\n\nThey return because they get their needs met with us. We do not have  to force them to stay. They choose to stay with us to get their needs  met.\n\nObserving Hobbes and Merlin has taught me a valuable lesson about  working with people. Give them freedom, meet their needs, and they  return when you let them go. When they return under these conditions,  they do so gladly and without reservation.\n\nHave you ever had that type of freedom in your job from your leaders?  How did you respond?', 'What Our Cats Taught Me About Working With People', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'what-our-cats-taught-me-about-working-with-people', '', '', '2011-03-02 06:05:36', '2011-03-02 12:05:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4649', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(4652, 268, '2011-03-13 06:23:03', '2011-03-13 11:23:03', '<em>This is part 2 of a 3-part series on dealing with poor performance.</em>\n\nIn my <a title=\"The Urgency of Dealing with Poor Performance | Lead Change Group\" href=\"/the-urgency-of-dealing-with-poor-performance/\" target=\"_self\">last post</a>, we met Robert, a well-meaning manager who waited far too long to fire a poor performer. His reason for the delay seemed noble at first, but the cost to his company and his own career became painful. Is there <strong><em>ever</em></strong> a good reason for letting poor performance drag on? This post lists 13 excuses managers sometimes lean on to postpone or offload the responsibility for confronting bad behavior.\n\n<address>Credits: Thanks to Peter Friedes (<a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">http://www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a>), Sarah Licha (<a href=\"http://www.espacerh.com/\">http://www.espacerh.com</a>) and Camille Preston, Ph.D. (<a href=\"http://www.aimleadership.com/\">http://www.aimleadership.com</a>) for your significant input on this topic. Your ideas and examples have made this a richer piece.</address><address> </address><address> </address>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 12px;\">The 13 excuses are:</p>\n\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Discomfort with confrontation.</strong> “I feel I come across as mean when I confront. I do not want to be viewed as a bully.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Fear of a lawsuit from someone in a protected class.</strong> “Each time I try to bring up the topic, Beth raises the harassment card.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Extenuating circumstances.</strong> “Jim is going through a rough time. His wife has cancer and I need to cut him some slack.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Anxiety about losing a star performer.</strong> “No one can stand working with Joe, but we can\'t afford to let him go because he is the best financial modeler we have.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Concern about cross-cultural miscommunication.</strong> (The entire <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/the-urgency-of-dealing-with-poor-performance/\">prior post</a> provides a vivid example of this one.)</li>\n	<li><strong>Trying to preserve morale after a downsizing.</strong> “Confronting this performance problem right now might generate another wave of fear among the staff.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Desire to maintain headcount.</strong> “I know he is a poor performer. But if he goes now, I may lose my budget for this position.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Poor timing.</strong> “If I deal with this issue now, I might not reach my yearly objectives.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Popularity.</strong> “The staff loves her. If I fire her, the rest of the team may revolt.”</li>\n	<li><strong>The nonprofit factor.</strong> “We are a nonprofit and well aware that people work here for less pay than in the private sector. There is an added expectation of always being ‘nice’ because we are ‘doing good.’ I don’t want to discourage our workforce by seeming mean.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Uncertainty.</strong> “I am not sure I am right in my assessment.”</li>\n	<li><strong>Magnitude.</strong> “The issue isn’t that important. I will confront him if something bigger happens.”</li>\n	<li><strong>The employee’s self esteem.</strong> “I do not want to hurt the employee’s confidence.”</li>\n</ol>\nSome of these excuses sound quite reasonable, but each is “fed” by one or more erroneous assumptions. For example, in numbers 2-4, the manager seems to assume there are only two choices—letting the poor performance continue unchecked or firing the employee. What about coaching?\n<h3>Equal opportunity performance management</h3>\nSuppose numerous customers filed complaints about a particular employee’s conduct. Does it matter if that employee is male, female, young, old, in a particular ethnic group, able-bodied or wheelchair-bound, or your most brilliant software developer? You are not serving your customers if you let the employee’s poor conduct continue. If you would confront a non-protected-class employee about a particular issue, then it is also appropriate to do the same with an employee in a protected class and your star performers.\n\nIn #3, Jim does need some slack, but how should a manager define “slack”? Suppose Jim’s head is elsewhere and he is making lots of errors. Letting the errors continue is not the right solution. Talking with him about the errors and then offering him a paid leave of absence so he can focus on his family takes care of Jim <em>and</em> your customers.\n\nPart 3 of this post will offer some tips to make these performance conversations easier. But you <strong><em>need</em></strong> to have these conversations.\n\nIf your customers, project quality, team productivity or morale are suffering, is there <strong><em>any</em></strong> valid excuse for failing to intervene in a timely manner? Aren\'t the 13 excuses above just managerial versions of “the dog ate my homework”?\n\n<em>Note to readers: If this post struck a chord and if you are a manager, check out the free assessment at <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</span>. (You get a free report and you also will be helping us with a research study on management styles.)\n</em>', '13 Bad Excuses for Letting Poor Performance Slide', 'Is there ever a good reason for letting poor performance drag on? This post lists 13 excuses managers sometimes lean on to postpone or offload the responsibility for confronting bad behavior. Are these 13 reasons valid—or simply adult versions of “the dog ate my homework”?', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '13-bad-excuses-for-letting-poor-performance-slide', '', '', '2011-03-13 06:23:03', '2011-03-13 11:23:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4652', 0, 'post', '', 28),
(4654, 272, '2011-03-03 06:15:31', '2011-03-03 12:15:31', '\n\nOrganizations sputter and stall quickly. Insider focus seems to be our default mode. We naturally work to create personal comfort rather than value for customers. How can stalled organizations re-energize their zeal and reinvigorate their vision?\n\nOne strategy to get a stalled organization moving is creating a crisis.\n\nWebster says a crisis is, “The point of time when it is to be decided whether any affair or course of action must go on, or be modified or terminate…”\n\n<strong>How to Create a Crisis</strong>\n\nThe leadership team I work with created a crisis <em>by setting a deadline</em>.  After months of pursuing a desirable solution to a pressing problem, we drew a line in the sand.  Here’s what we said to our organization.\n\nIf we cannot find the property we desire by July 1, we will accept a less desirable, temporary option.  Furthermore, by August 9 we plan to vacate this property and move into the <em>best available location.</em> July 1 arrived and the solution we hoped to find didn’t materialize.  We identified a less desirable solution and moved on schedule.\n\n<strong>Getting over it</strong>\n\nWe kept looking for the “perfect” solution. While looking we turned down several opportunities. A deadline helped us let go of perfection. Perfection is the enemy of progress.\n\n<strong>Creative urgency</strong>\n\nA crisis forced us to get creative and consider unconsidered options. Setting a deadline opened our minds and created urgency.\n\n<strong>Results</strong>\n\nIt turns out the less desirable option has many advantages.  It’s not perfect.  It’s creating discomfort.  However, it freed us from a strangling bottleneck and presents new exciting opportunities.\n\n<strong>Eight suggestions for crisis makers:</strong>\n<ol>\n	<li> Be willing to fail and be prepared for the consequences</li>\n	<li>Be up front with everyone (never deceive)</li>\n	<li>Only create a crisis if your mission and vision are in peril</li>\n	<li>Don’t even think about it unless trust runs like a river through your organization – it’s going to be tough even with trust</li>\n	<li>Stick to your word</li>\n	<li>During the crisis act humbly, confidently, and compassionately</li>\n	<li>Acknowledge the negative while focusing on opportunities</li>\n	<li>Keep repeating your values. Values establish stability during the destabilization.</li>\n</ol>\n*****\n\n<strong><em>What other suggestions do you have for creating a crisis?  What other dangers?</em></strong>', 'Creating a Creative Crisis', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'creating-a-creative-crisis', '', '', '2011-03-03 06:15:31', '2011-03-03 12:15:31', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4654', 0, 'post', '', 22),
(4661, 243, '2011-03-02 14:27:05', '2011-03-02 20:27:05', '<a title=\"Mike\'s Twitter Profile\" href=\"http://twitter.com/thoughtleaders\">Mike Figliuolio</a> offered me the opportunity to guest post over on the <a title=\"Thought Leaders Blog\" href=\"http://thoughtleadersllc.blogspot.com/\">Thought Leaders Blog</a>.  I wrote about the need to care <em>about</em> people before you earn the right to <em>expect</em> their best effort.  In the context of motivation, the post refers to the motivation gap: the gap between what motivates different people on the same team.  Trust bridges the gap, but you have to CARE about people to actually close the gap.  Check out the post for <a title=\"Four Easy Steps to Motivating Your People on Thought Leaders Blog\" href=\"http://thoughtleadersllc.blogspot.com/2011/03/4-easy-steps-to-motivating-your-people.html\">the four steps to close the motivation gap</a>.', 'Care to Motivate at Thought Leaders', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'care-to-motivate-at-thought-leaders', '', '', '2011-03-02 14:27:05', '2011-03-02 20:27:05', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4661', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(4665, 252, '2011-03-05 13:07:00', '2011-03-05 19:07:00', '<img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-4666\" style=\"margin: 8px;\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/MP900422175-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"224\" height=\"150\" />You are invited...to an upcoming LeadChange Group BlogTalk Radio panel discussion.\n\nMark your calendars for <a title=\"Where have all the leaders gone on BTR\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2011/03/09/where-have-all-the-leaders-gone\"><strong>Wednesday, March 9, 3-4pm ET</strong></a> for the topic of:\n\n<a title=\"Blog Talk Radio\" href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2011/03/09/where-have-all-the-leaders-gone\">\"<strong>Character-Based Leadership: Where Did it Go and How do We Get it Back?</strong>\"</a>\n\nWhether you are a leadership consultant, HR professional or peer manager, you are in a position to influence leaders.  Sometimes our priorities differ from these leaders regarding treatment of the human beings who are their constituents (i.e. Human resources).  Other times they lack self-awareness or \"emotional intelligence.\"\n\nLet\'s discuss how we got here and how we can influence others toward a character-based approach to leadership.\n\nOur panelists, Tara Alemany, Shawn Murphy and John Ikeda and I will discuss questions such as:\n<ul>\n	<li>What is  your observation in leaders - aware and desiring to be character-based or not?</li>\n	<li>What is your opinion how/why this happened?</li>\n	<li>What have you found that has worked to influence leaders positively toward a more character-based approach?</li>\n	<li>What more can we do?</li>\n</ul>\nI would like to have an open discussion on what our community has experienced. To paraphrase Mike Henry (founder, <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com\">Lead Change Group</a>), \"I believe a shared experience,  story-based approach is best because we\'re going to be talking to people who are experiencing the same tension (as described in Mary\'s story below). We all have a need to share the challenges we\'re having advancing the cause [toward more character-based leadership].\"\n\nWe will also be taking questions and comments from listeners, so if you have something you want to say, be sure to <a href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr/2011/03/09/where-have-all-the-leaders-gone\">tune in real-time</a> or call (646) 721-9815 to talk live.\n\nBackstory: As an example, I had a client I was coaching on his approach to employees who were not performing to his standards.  He paid a price for impacting them to the point they felt abused and humiliated.  I agreed with this when he told me his side of this story.  I presented this to him and he accepted that.  I  asked him how he wanted to think of himself after those type of interactions with employees.  Long silence.  He said he had <em>never</em> thought of it that way.\n\nI don\'t know about you, but I want to know what happened to a desire to want to be a good leader - a good person - for it\'s own sake, and how we can influence others better and faster to rise to the occasion in their roles as leaders and fellow human beings.  Let\'s talk about it March 9.\n\nUpdate: Here\'s a direct link to play back the recording.\n<center><img style=\"visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;\" border=0 width=0 height=0 src=\"http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyOTk5NjI5MDE*MTQmcHQ9MTI5OTk2MjkwNDg3MiZwPTQ1MDk3MiZkPUhvc3RJRCUzYSUyMDEyOTU2NCZnPTImbz1l/NjQwZmQ1MWJjNjQ*ZTVmYTA2YjlmNzg*MjViODAwNiZvZj*w.gif\" /><object classid=\"clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000\" codebase=\"http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0\" name=\"btr\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" id=\"btr\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/BTRPlayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D1615411&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&borderweight=1&bordercolor=#999999&backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&dashboardcolor=#0098CB&textcolor=#F0F0F0&detailscolor=#FFFFFF&playlistcolor=#999999&playlisthovercolor=#333333&cornerradius=10&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&C1=7&C2=6042973&C3=31&C4=&C5=&C6=&hostname=Mike Henry Sr&hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\" /><param name=\"quality\" value=\"high\" /><param name=\"wmode\" value=\"transparent\" /><param name=\"menu\" value=\"false\" /><param name=\"allowScriptAccess\" value=\"always\" /><embed src=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/BTRPlayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eblogtalkradio%2Ecom%2Fplaylist%2Easpx%3Fshow%5Fid%3D1615411&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&borderweight=1&bordercolor=#999999&backgroundcolor=#FFFFFF&dashboardcolor=#0098CB&textcolor=#F0F0F0&detailscolor=#FFFFFF&playlistcolor=#999999&playlisthovercolor=#333333&cornerradius=10&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx?referrer_url=/show.aspx&C1=7&C2=6042973&C3=31&C4=&C5=&C6=&hostname=Mike Henry Sr&hosturl=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\" width=\"210\" height=\"108\" quality=\"high\" pluginspage=\"http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" wmode=\"transparent\" menu=\"false\" allowScriptAccess=\"always\" name=\"btr\" FlashVars=\"gig_lt=1299962901414&gig_pt=1299962904872&gig_g=2\"></embed> <param name=\"FlashVars\" value=\"gig_lt=1299962901414&gig_pt=1299962904872&gig_g=2\" /></object><div style=\"font-size: 10px;text-align: center; width:210px;\">Listen to <a href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/\">internet radio</a> with <a href=\"http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mikehenrysr\">Mike Henry Sr</a> on Blog Talk Radio</div></center>\n\nPhoto credit: Microsoft clipart', 'BlogTalkRadio broadcast March 9: Where Have All The Leaders Gone?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'blogtalkradio-broadcast-march-9-where-have-all-the-leaders-gone', '', '', '2011-03-05 13:07:00', '2011-03-05 19:07:00', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4665', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(4668, 251, '2011-03-08 06:08:53', '2011-03-08 12:08:53', 'After Lyle hired me, I saw the position profile the recruiter had used for the placement: 10+ years management experience in a B2C service industry, bachelor\'s in accounting required, law degree preferred, and a working knowledge of telecommunications. I met none, absolutely none, of those requirements. My education and experience were in entirely different areas.\n\nI asked Lyle why he hired me. His answer?  \"You\'ve done some really good work in areas where I think our organization needs to grow and besides, I liked you.\" I learned later that his boss, the regional EVP, advised against hiring me.\n\n22 years ago Lyle took a risk and hired me. We\'re both glad he did.  It turned out well for him and for me. Because he took a chance on me, my career went to great places I never envisioned possible.\n\nLyle\'s risk was informed, not fool-hardy. He saw similarities and possibilities in differences, where his boss saw only the differences. He had faith that I could both learn the telecommunications industry and use what I already knew to make our organization better.\n\nHe believed in me and put his credibility on the line with his boss. He saw opportunity.  He believed jumping off the cliff and growing wings on the way down was the right thing to do.*\n\nWhen you think about it, isn\'t that kinda what leading change is about? Taking that first, sometimes risky, step that ultimately ends up making the right kind of difference?\n\nIs there someone on your team, in your department, in your community, in your neighborhood who needs you to take a chance on them? Let\'s make it so!\n<h6>*with a nod to Ray Bradbury</h6>', 'Leaders Take a Chance', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-take-a-chance', '', '', '2011-03-08 06:08:53', '2011-03-08 12:08:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4668', 0, 'post', '', 18),
(4677, 248, '2011-03-10 06:33:28', '2011-03-10 12:33:28', '“<em>There is a tendency to prize a few standout individuals while ignoring how much they draw on their surrounding systems of support</em>,” wrote HBR journalist Michael J. Mauboussin in October 2009.  His words were pulled from an article advocating the importance of looking at the whole organization instead of individual influences/influencers.\n\nHis contrarian perspective is compelling.  The individualistic “me first. I’m going after what I want” perspective was a major factor in the downfall of our economy.  What are the impacts to an organization when its people are gunning for advancement by working to out-do a peer or show-off their talents? Sure competition can be healthy and important.  I won’t argue that.  Selfish, self-centered ambitious employees, however, threaten the health of people and the organization.  They deplete the organization and people of vitality.\n\nAlso, some leaders in today’s traditional corporate cultures will not make changes to the “systems of support” for individual pursuits.  I’d like to say they’d slowly become irrelevant. I don’t think that’s realistic or true for sometime.\n\nBut leadership styles are evolving in response to the changing demographics and characteristics of the generational cohorts, social technology (and technology) advancements, and local, national and global politics and economies.\n\nThe 21<sup>st</sup> Century Leader will work to remove influences that deplete the organization, people AND groups of people.  Today’s wise leaders and those in the future will design businesses that bring people together.  They will focus on the power and results of the group.  And the group’s successes will reflect positively on the people – collectively.\n\nSo what levers will futurist leaders pull to spotlight the importance of the group’s efforts?\n\n<strong>Cubicle walls come tumbling down</strong>. <a href=\"http://twitter.com/#!/TalentAnarchy\">@TalentAnarchy</a> wrote in their ebook <a href=\"http://talentanarchy.com/manifesto/\">The Talent Anarchist\'s Manifesto</a> “<em>Cubicles suck. They are where creativity goes to die.  Healthy cultures thrive in open environments</em>.” So do teams.  Open spaces pull people together.  The environment encourages people to collaborate, to share ideas, to connect as a community.\n\n<strong>Flatten the hierarchy</strong>. Multi-layers of managers tend to create bureaucracy.  Decisions stall. Ideas grow stale. Getting new products and services to market is more essential in our global, 24-hours-a-day economy.  With fewer layers of managers who have learned to let employees do their work and come together in groups the pace of progress picks up.\n\n<strong>Building emerging leader competency</strong>.  It’s natural that when people come together one or two people begin to emerge as the informal leader. The 21<sup>st</sup> Century Leader will have spent time developing employees to overcome the awkwardness often associated with emergent leadership in groups. It will help groups gel and perform faster.\n\n<strong>Mature self-organizing teams</strong>. Self-organizing teams come together out of necessity.  Employees know the skill sets of others.  Using this knowledge when a project is started, employees will organize a team to successful implement it.  21<sup>st</sup> Century Leaders will create financial incentives, train on group dynamics, and allow “work as a laboratory” to occur.  The latter concept is a creative way to say a culture of creativity, entrepreneurship, and curiosity enables employees to try out ideas and learn from mistakes and breakthroughs.  It’s part of the creation process.\n\n<strong>Reinforce that a great life is most important</strong>.  Google co-founder Larry Page said about the company’s culture, “<em>We don’t just want you to have a great job.  We want you to have a great life.  We provide you with everything you need to be productive happy on and off the clock</em>.”  Perhaps not all companies will go as far as Google, but the belief behind the relationship with employees will be foremost in leaders of the 21<sup>st</sup> century.  Such leaders have learned that when employees know that their employer supports their pursuit of a quality life, richer possibilities open up.  These possibilities lead to competitive advantages.  They attract top talent. They keep employees engaged.\n\nCommunities of employees coming together to create, improve, sustain solutions that meet customer needs is an important outcome of leadership in the 21<sup>st</sup> century.  This may seem daunting to some. The beauty of it, though, is it is rooted in our human nature.  We want to connect with people.  We are social. We want to make a difference. We can do this best working in groups.\n\n<a href=\"http://hbr.org/2009/10/when-individuals-dont-matter/ar/1\">Read</a> Michael J. Mauboussin\'s article referenced at the beginning of this post.\n\n<strong>What other levers are important for futurist leaders to pull to bring people together in groups?</strong>', '5 Levers to Raise the Importance of the Group', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-levers-to-raise-the-importance-of-the-group', '', '', '2011-03-10 06:33:28', '2011-03-10 12:33:28', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4677', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(4683, 262, '2011-03-14 06:04:43', '2011-03-14 11:04:43', 'We are a hockey family.  That’s for sure, and most of the time we are knee deep in it.\n\nYes, for eight months out of the year our time is devoted to coordinating the crazy hockey schedule while still making sure dinners get made, homework gets done, the kids are getting enough sleep and making school the priority. Our family activities revolve around the hockey schedule. Sleeping-in on the weekends between the months of September and April is a concept that we are no longer familiar with. Somehow, we have maintained our sanity during the 8 month season while simultaneously airing out uniforms and equipment – hockey parents, you know whereof we speak.  And next year, we will ramp up to do it all over again - we love it, it’s a great sport, great exercise and a <em>great </em>way for them to learn commitment and the <strong>value of teamwork</strong>.\n\nOur son Tom* has been on mediocre teams, undefeated teams and like this year (in terms of the scoreboard after every game) a losing team.  It’s been a tough season for the Ravens, but in spite of what the score board says, it is this season that goes down as being the <strong>most successful</strong> in his four years of playing.  This is the season that he learned the value of self-leadership.\n\nWhile it may have been a “losing season” in hockey, this season is what has ultimately taught him some of the most important lessons in life. This doesn’t mean it has been an easy season – for him or his teammates. Often, he was very frustrated with himself– other days, he wanted to blame the referees or the other team. As the leaders of our family, we took these opportunities to  guide him into looking at the situation from a different perspective.\n\nOne such conversation stands out as most poignant. While discussing a recent team disappointment, we asked him a few questions to encourage him to see this experience as an opportunity. We could see the “aha” moment occur when he stated:\n\n<strong>“My job is to help my team”\n</strong>\n\nIt was then we realized that we were witnessing the birth of a great leader. He understood that playing hockey this season was not going to be as effortless as it had been in the past. A natural athlete, this was a bit of a shock to him. He also realized that as someone with more experience and gifted with natural athleticism, his responsibility this year was different: He was there to lead, and that meant stepping up to motivate and encourage his individual teammates who could use a little extra help.\n\n“Remember the Titans” is one of our family’s favorite movies. A line that we all know by heart is: <strong>“Attitude</strong> <strong>reflects leadership.”</strong> This powerful scene is a reminder to all of us how important it is to lead not just for ourselves, but for our teams.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve9yP6j6xeY\">Attitude Reflects Leadership - Remember the Titans</a>\n\nThis was the year he learned – and reinforced for us as well – what character building, the importance of teamwork, and taking responsibility for our own actions means in our daily lives.  It means more than spending two minutes in the penalty box only to go out and commit the penalty again.\n\n<strong>“Do not only point the way but lead the way.</strong><strong>” ~ Sioux Proverb.</strong>\n\nPaul has spent a great deal of time working with our son on how to be a good winner and, more importantly, how to be a good loser. Playing on a winning team does not necessarily mean the team will get a trophy – the most important wins come from the actions and attitude one has while working through what some may consider a crisis situation. Tom* showed through his actions on and off of the ice that collaboration is key to the success of any team. He learned that competing against your own team for recognition or rewards is the first step to the dissolution of a team. This concept taught him the benefits of working as a team, passing the puck when he could and creating better opportunities for his team to score.  He showed that lending a hand to help others up (sometimes literally!) is what great leaders do – strengthening the team in spirit and in times when competition is fierce on the other side of the ice.\n\nAs you lead your team towards victory while avoiding unnecessary trips to the \"sin bin\"remember - leadership is a learning process. The truly great leaders are always evolving. Acts of leadership are often times evidenced in the small things which have the greatest impact. Leadership isn\'t just the responsibility of the boss or the coach. As a valued team member - how do you participate in the leadership of <em>your team</em>?\n\n<em>Author\'s Note:</em> <em>This post was written in collaboration with my husband, <a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/PaulWVoss\">Paul</a>. The post came to life after a discussion we were having on LeadChange, character-based leadership and family leadership. This is about Paul\'s wonderful son, and I am fortunate to be his step-mom! (*Tom is not his real name.)</em>\n\n<em>\n</em>', 'Hockey, Teams and Self-Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'hockey-teams-and-self-leadership', '', '', '2011-03-14 06:04:43', '2011-03-14 11:04:43', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4683', 0, 'post', '', 26);
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(4688, 273, '2011-03-11 06:15:51', '2011-03-11 12:15:51', 'Leaders sometimes have to deal with complacent people – those people who are seemingly happy with their current position or status or job performance.\n\nGather leaders and coaches for any length of time and this challenge is likely to come up. Inherent in the challenge and the questions they ask about those behaviors is a sense of unhappiness and cynicism and frustration at not knowing what to do with “those people.”\n\nIf you identify with any of these situations and feelings, or even if you wonder how you would deal with complacent behaviors, read on – this article may surprise you, and it will definitely help you.\n<h3>Labeling and Assumptions</h3>\nFirst, a definition.\n\nAccording to <a href=\"http://www.dictionary.com/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Dictionary.com</strong></a>, complacent is “pleased, esp. with oneself or one’s merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied.”\n\nAs you can see from this definition, being complacent is an internal feeling. That implies that as leaders we are more likely to be assuming someone is complacent, rather than “knowing” it.\n\nIn my experience labeling someone as complacent is often making a tacit assumption that they aren’t willing to make a change; hence our frustration and concern!\n\nThe first key to coaching someone whose behaviors lead you to believe they are complacent is to avoid labeling as such. Next, through conversation begin to understand how they really are feeling and what they really are thinking.\n\nAdditionally, it is important to ask yourself: “why is the behavior a problem?\n\nIs she completing her work? Is he meeting job expectations? Clearly if behaviors aren’t meeting job expectations it’s different than if someone is meeting job requirements, but you just want them to “do more” or “be more proactive.”\n\nOnce you have determined that in fact there are job requirements or expectations not being met, you can begin to influence, coach and persuade. If not, perhaps your best course of action might be to let the behavior go as it is more of your perception than their job performance.\n<h3>Five Strategies</h3>\n<h4>1. Identify dis-satisfiers.</h4>\nIf people seem (or are) complacent, they are in their comfort zone. When any of us are comfortable, there is little likelihood that we will want to change. Help people see that things are not perfect. Help them recognize that while things seem “fine” there are ways things could be better. This will be achieved most effectively by asking questions to help them recognize that however good things seem, they could be better.\n<h4>2. Help them find a vision.</h4>\nOnce people are wishing things to be (even a little bit) better, you set the stage for creating the picture of a more desirable future. You may have ideas about what the future looks like – a future with them using or developing new skills, or behaving in new ways. Help them create this picture, with a clear connection that as they reach this vision, their situation, however good it feels now, can be even better.\n<h4>3. Identify impacts.</h4>\nHow will the new future be better? How will it make them happier, more secure, more confident and more? Help them see all the consequences for the changes. While you may need to show negative consequences for not changing, don’t focus all of your attention on impacts in this way. The positive reasons to change hopefully are even more powerful than the negative consequences of not changing.\n<h4>4. Help them build a plan.</h4>\nWith a disrupted comfort zone, a picture of a new future and a clear sense of why, complacency is on its way to being a memory. Help them craft a plan for getting from where they are to where they now have decided they want to be.\n<h4>5. Let it go, or let them go.</h4>\nIf after patience and effort you are not able to help them build a plan with a commitment to work the plan you must do one of two things. You must either let go of their behavior, recognizing you have done all you can do (if the performance is “fine” but not what you’d prefer), or you must let go of them – if their performance isn’t up to the standards required for the job. Don’t take either of these steps too soon, but recognize this may be the eventual end of the story.\n\nThese steps will help you understand their perspective and behavior and help you influence them to make changes that they understand to be in their best interest.', 'Five Ideas for Dealing with Complacent People', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'five-ideas-for-dealing-with-complacent-people', '', '', '2011-03-11 06:15:51', '2011-03-11 12:15:51', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4688', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(4701, 243, '2011-03-15 06:00:29', '2011-03-15 11:00:29', 'I\'ve read two different posts in the past few weeks that caused me to think about how we treat people in the workplace.  The first was actually a series written by Chad Balthrop about the trap of <a title=\"Transactional Leadership 4 Words to Disrupt Your Leadership Foundation \" href=\"/transactional-leadership-4-words-to-disrupt-your-leadership-foundation-part-1/\">Transactional Leadership</a>.  Sometimes, many times, we view our personal interactions as transactions and our language exposes that belief.  The <a title=\"Purpose Driven Productivity\" href=\"/purpose-driven-productivity/\">second was a post</a> by Tristan Bishop on how focusing on your purpose improves your productivity.\n<h3>What is the purpose of a business?</h3>\nI also wrote some time back about the most noble purpose of a business.  Contrary to popular opinion, the most noble purpose of a business isn\'t to make a profit.  The most noble purpose of a business is to make it\'s people profitable.  In the post <a title=\"The Call of a Manager | Lead Change Group\" href=\"/call-manager/\">The Call of a Manager</a>, I said the highest call of a middle manager is, \"Understand the intricacies of the relationship between your team and your organization and make sure both parties win.\"  Win-Win is the only sustainable business model.  When we make our people profitable, our organization wins.  Any organization that wins at the expense of its people will eventually lose.  Any people who win at the expense of their organization also eventually lose.\n<h3>The most noble purpose of an organization is the success of its people.</h3>\nTherefore, the purpose of an organization is to create an environment where its people thrive.  The organization must avoid the idea that people are an asset.  People are the reason, profit is an asset. The highest call of a leader is to help people work together to create a profit that in-turn is used to reward <em>those same people</em>.  Leaders must hold employees, vendors AND customers accountable for their part of the formula.  Leaders fight for the relationship that ultimately rewards the very people who create the value.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591843162/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591843162\"><img class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-2037 alignleft\" title=\"linchpin\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/linchpin-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" /></a>The people involved also have a responsibility.  Each employee or associate must perform their job well enough for the organization to achieve profitability.  Employee engagement is a current buzzword, but it must spring from the employee\'s side of the relationship.  Seth Godin called it <em>emotional labor</em> in <a title=\"Linchpin by Seth Godin\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591843162/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591843162\">his great book, Linchpin</a>.  They must bring their mind, their energy <em>and</em> their ideas.  They must be willing to go above and beyond the call for the good of the organization but that seldom happens when the organization simply consumes all of the gain.  If the organization\'s leadership is viewed as \"they\" rather than \"us,\" that becomes much more difficult.  People must remember that their effort rewards the group and when they slack, it hurts the group.\n<h3>5 Steps to Elevate (even rescue!) Your Purpose</h3>\nI\'m sure yours is a win-win company, but just in case you know some others with turnover problems, disengaged employees, or other symptoms of a win-lose company, you can pass these 5 steps along.\n<ol>\n	<li>Decide today to be a win-win organization for your people.  Make a written declaration. Get on record.</li>\n	<li>Ask how your people win.  Find ways to make your employees winners.  Reward people according to the value they create and enable them to create as much value as possible.  They give their life to your organization.  Honor their service.  Even for difficult jobs, you can help improve the value your people derive from their jobs by helping them with their personal dreams.  Check out <a title=\"The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401303706/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1401303706\" target=\"_blank\">The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly</a> for some great ideas.</li>\n	<li>Re-align jobs and responsibilities to enable the most people to win.  Create career paths that energize people for creating additional value.  Instead of rewarding longevity, reward applied experience such as rewards for training, documentation or excellent performance or zero defects.</li>\n	<li>Change anything possible to make difficult jobs rewarding.  Put them on a better career path. Clearly define success.  Set a specific end date for the job so the person doing it has something to look forward to.  Make them part of a team and rotate the bad jobs with more rewarding jobs.</li>\n	<li>Stop rewarding under-performers.  Set clear, distinct, measurable goals for your people and reward people according to the value they create.  People who consistently under-perform must be corrected or asked to leave.  If you provide a safe haven for under-performers, after a while, that is all you\'ll have.</li>\n</ol>\nPeople are the reason for a profitable business.  Nothing else.  Make others\' lives better and elevate your purpose.\n\nWhat other suggestions do you have?  Does this model work in light of the labor / management issues currently in the news in the NFL or the Wisconsin state government?  What are your thoughts?', 'Five Steps For Leaders To Elevate Their Purpose', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leaders-elevate-purpose', '', '', '2011-03-15 06:00:29', '2011-03-15 11:00:29', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4701', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(4706, 243, '2012-10-01 06:03:49', '2012-10-01 11:03:49', '<h3>The Problem</h3>\nThere is a rising tide of character-based leaders in our world.\n\nSome are tired of the tactics and motivations that caused our global economic challenges and are self-motivated to help bring about change starting with themselves.  They search out, create and share information and resources as they coach and develop friends, coworkers, or clients.\n\nOthers simply understand the behaviors, techniques and technologies that got us to our present age, won’t take us to the next.  The Internet creates options where none have ever existed. People all over the world are freer than ever to choose who they follow, what gets their attention, and the activities they pursue.  Old style leadership is less effective when everyone is free to choose their sources of information and influence.\n\nTraditional leadership development only provides incremental improvement in individual and organizational leadership.  Current methods simply can’t keep pace with the demand for change.  Global discomfort and transition outpace the evolution of traditional solutions.  Even today, leadership celebrities draw thousands for speeches and conferences, and sell tens of thousands of books, but celebrity-level change is slow and difficult to see in a world where free agency and individualization rule.  Real change takes place one person or one organization at a time; but those people are separated by distance, culture, time, money, traditional media and the seeming noise and chaos of the Internet.\n\nLeaders in the next generation want to be inspired more than led, encouraged more than trained, launched more than instructed, and mobilized more than directed.\n<h3>The Solution</h3>\nLeaders are forming a new leadership model and a new support infrastructure.\n\nThe new leadership model is service and action oriented.  Terms like “servant leader,” and “authentic leader” ring more-and-more through old and new media alike.  A rising tide embraces the noble cause of inspiring a team toward a higher purpose.  We want to be part of something bigger than just ourselves.  We want to make a lasting, positive difference.\n\nThe <a title=\"Posts tagged character-based leadership | Lead Change Group\" href=\"/tag/character-based-leadership\">character-based leader</a> is the new leadership model.  Character-based leaders lead from who they are on the inside.   Their quality of character, not their position or power, determines their ability to inspire achievement.  Individual character-based leaders create energy, passion and value in their community.  The new leader inspires, equips and mobilizes leadership behaviors in others.  And these new leaders aren\'t waiting for new celebrities and new programs.  They\'re creating their own.\n\nThe new leadership model thrives in \"Community.\"  Community replaces hierarchy as the new infrastructure. Words like “organization” and “hierarchy” drop from favor and are replaced by words like “tribe,” “clan,” “culture,” and “community.”  Top-down organizations drain energy from free-agent cultures. A great community brings out the best in the character-based leader.  The community elevates and launches these leaders to new achievements, like the book just released by the Lead Change Group.  The new community is peer-based; members are equals, leadership is a role, and ideas exist in a free market competing equally for attention and resources.  Competition for lasting positive impact elevates each participant.\n<h3>Lead Change Group</h3>\nThe Lead Change Group is a community that connects networks of character-based leaders.  We\'re committed to <em>Instigating a Leadership Revolution</em>.  As Instigators in the Lead Change Group, we each contribute a small portion of our energy and passion to create a community that energizes and mobilizes character-based leaders all over the globe.  Our relationships are designed to promote awareness of <em>each other</em> and the benefits of applying character-based leadership in all areas of life.  We will be the network that connects leaders, fosters awareness, shares resources and creates influence to make this new, global leadership community visible in our world.\n\n<a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/large.png\"><img class=\"alignright  wp-image-7452\" title=\"character based leader 2d\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/large-197x300.png\" alt=\"The Character Based Leader\" width=\"98\" height=\"150\" /></a>Character-based leaders <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">are</span> changing the world. We need to be visible to one another and aware of each other in order to further the leadership revolution.\n\nWe will connect, interact, inspire, create, and we will impact ourselves and our communities. The energy of this revolution inspired 21 Instigators to complete the book, <a title=\"The Character-Based Leader website\" href=\"http://characterbasedleader.com\">The Character Based Leader: Instigating a Leadership Revolution... One Person at a Time</a>.  Are you a revolutionary? Check out the book.  Look around the site.  Then tell us, \"How can we help you maximize your positive impact?\"  The world needs you to act!\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo <em>Perfect Peak</em> © Shannon Stent iStockPhoto</span>', 'A Rising Tide in Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'rising-tide-in-leadership', '', '', '2012-10-01 06:03:49', '2012-10-01 11:03:49', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4706', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(4710, 245, '2011-03-19 06:45:22', '2011-03-19 06:45:22', '<em>This post originally appeared on <a href=\"http://people-equation.com/\" target=\"_blank\">The People Equation</a> and is reprinted here as part of the Lead Change Best of Blogs series.</em>\n\nHave you ever led a high-visibility project that has crashed and burned? I have and it taught me a powerful leadership lesson. Read on . . .\n\n<strong>The Back Story</strong>\n\nMany years ago, shortly after I joined a Fortune 500 company, I was assigned to manage a project called the “Institute”. The Institute was an annual, week-long conference that the company offered to the sales force of its distribution channel. Planning the Institute was an intensive, 10-month project. In addition to coordinating the week’s curriculum with 7 product managers, the project also required full conference logistics planning (meals, facility tours, lodging, etc.) on the part of the Project Manager. It was a huge undertaking.\n\n<strong>Lessons Learned— the Hard Way</strong>\n\nSo, why did the project go so badly? In a word: expectations. I didn’t fully understand the expectations of my customers (the conference participants), and as a result, there were some very angry, disappointed (and vocal!) people in attendance. It was a nightmarish week as I struggled mightily to appease demanding customers and keep the conference logistics on track.  Not everything was a train wreck, but the aspects deemed “unacceptable” by many of the group were enough to cast a negative vibe on the entire conference. At the end of working an 80-hour week, I drove home, exhausted and demoralized. I wondered what the following Monday would bring . . . reprimands from my boss? A demotion?\n\nAstonishingly, my boss did not reprimand me.  She had managed a few Institutes herself and was therefore able to take the incident in stride. So, I took inventory of the very difficult lessons learned and then did my best to put the assignment in the past.  I also breathed a sigh of relief—the Institute project was a grueling assignment, and therefore it was rotated amongst the four Project Managers on my team. It would be someone <em>else’s</em> problem next time around.\n\n<strong>A Second Chance</strong>\n\n<em>Fast forward two months. . .  </em>\n\nIt’s time to start planning for the next Institute and the team is discussing who will be the project lead.  My boss Mary tells me I will be the project lead for the next Institute. <em>Wait— no! That’s not how it’s supposed to work.</em> I’m panicked.\n\nIn private, I pleaded with Mary to assign someone else to the project. I told her I didn’t have it in me to endure the intensity of that project for a second time in a row. Mary looked me straight in the eye and said, “Jennifer, you need to manage this project again, because you need to prove to yourself that you can do it—and do it amazingly well. I know that the next Institute that you manage is going to be a success.”\n\nAt the time, being told I had to manage the Institute for a second time in a row seemed like a huge punishment. In retrospect, I now see if for what it truly was: a gift. It was a chance to redeem myself. Mary gave me the opportunity to prove to myself that I had what it took to manage a complex, demanding project. And, I’m proud to say that seven months later, I hosted a highly successful, well-attended Institute. It wasn’t easy getting to that point, but without Mary’s decisive leadership action, I wouldn’t even have had the chance to do so.\n\n<strong>A Leader’s Choice</strong>\n\nWhen projects go awry on a team, a leader has several choices: coach, reprimand, or remove. In my case, it would have been easy for Mary to “remove” me by assigning the Institute project to someone else. After all, that was the standard procedure and I was clearly not interested in jumping in again. However, Mary knew that if I didn’t get “back on that horse” immediately, I would forever doubt my ability to handle such a large scale project.\n\nHow leaders respond to mistakes or failures on their team shapes the way team members will respond to challenges. Team members who know that there will be “hell to pay” if something goes wrong will play it safe. I was trying to “play it safe” by not managing the Institute again. Luckily for me, Mary didn’t buy into that mindset. Mistakes happen and savvy leaders know that in order to get the best out of their people they need to create a culture that allows a bit of room for the occasional slip-up.\n\nA little bit of redemption goes a long way.', 'Redemption', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'redemption', '', '', '2017-10-15 22:31:25', '2017-10-15 22:31:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4710', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(4713, 261, '2011-03-26 06:45:28', '2011-03-26 11:45:28', 'The success of any organization be it a business, non-profit, educational institution or government, depends on its people. All the fancy strategies, creations and technology mean absolutely nothing without people to make it happen. In fact, people have to develop those strategies and make decisions about using them. People have to create the products and services offered. People have to decide the quality and service standards of the organization. People have to design and maintain the technology. That’s on top of the people who make the products, deliver the service and provide all the administrative support. People are the organization.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThat’s why it’s all about people who can lead. People at all levels in any organization have to assume a leadership role. Either that or nothing gets done. Or it doesn’t get done right. While the typical knee jerk reaction is to think of those people as the ones with the important titles, the truth is that leadership has zero to do with ones position or title. You can be a great leader without any title. In fact, the most successful organizations all have people in every function working along sides others with the same positions who assume leadership roles every day.\n<h3>Those With The Titles Who Can\'t Lead Destroy Results</h3>\nAnd what about those with the important titles? Yes, it would be great if they were all effective leaders. In the best organizations, most of them are. But there are simply too many people with titles who either can’t or won’t lead. A title does not make one a leader. People with titles who fail to lead are the barrier that holds organizations back, causes them to lose customers, fail to sell customers in the first place, run cost that are too high, deliver poor quality or service, cause poor coordination and teamwork among functions, departments and divisions, and mess up the administrative support systems. They undermine these organizations missions, strategies and standards.\n\nWhat organization could possibly afford the enormous cost of poor leadership? And yet too many organizations allow individuals to hold important management and supervisory titles who can’t lead and they don’t do anything about it. They either need to develop these people into Character Based Leaders, demote them or fire them. And they need to do this right now, today.\n\nThe ability to effectively lead must be a mandatory requirement for anyone with an executive, manager, or supervisory title. It needs to become the new line in the sand for anyone who oversees other people. Bestowing a title does not make one a leader. You can normally tell who will be a good leader because they are already acting like a leader without the title and people are following them even though the organization hasn’t bestowed them with any authority.\n<h3>True Leaders Don\'t Need A Title Or Authority</h3>\n&nbsp;\n\nAfter they left, productivity would start to unravel amongst the warehouse crew. Things slowed down and coordination between pickers, inspectors and packers broke down as well. But only for a short while. Because every single time George and Jesus left, Skip, one of the warehouse workers would fill the leadership void and soon the warehouse was humming along as if George and Jesus had never left. No one asked him to do this. George never said anything to the crew about Skip assuming this role. He just stepped up to the plate and made it happen every single time.\n\nIn the thirty different industries I’ve worked with as a consultant, I have seen the Skips of the world stand up and lead their fellow workers. The workers would follow them and do what needed to be done yet the Skips had no titles nor any authority bestowed on them to perform this role. But if they hadn’t, performance would have suffered. In those organizations where no Skips stepped up to the plate, I witnessed disasters unfold before my very eyes. The people with the titles just can’t be there every minute to lead the team. And if they are there, they actually need to lead, not just manage.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nIn truth, <strong>every employee needs to lead some of the time and everyone with a title needs to lead all of the time</strong>. Leadership development is for every employee who works for an organization, not just the anointed ones. When you develop leaders this way, you always have people ready for promotion that can and will lead.\n\n(Reposted from a blog by Don Shapiro at the <a title=\"We Need People Who Can Lead Regardless Of Their Title\" href=\"http://www.firstconcepts.com/people-who-can-lead/\" target=\"_blank\">First Concepts Consultants, Inc.</a> website from their <a title=\"First Concepts\' Insights Into Success\" href=\"http://www.firstconcepts.com/category/insights-into-success/\" target=\"_blank\">Insights Into Success</a> article series.)', 'We Need People Who Can Lead Regardless Of Their Title', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'need-people-who-lead-regardless-title', '', '', '2011-03-26 06:45:28', '2011-03-26 11:45:28', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4713', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(4715, 264, '2011-04-09 06:20:37', '2011-04-09 11:20:37', 'Greetings Leaders!\n\nThis is an updated post of Overcoming Defeat. You can find the original post <a title=\"Overcoming Defeat\" href=\"http://www.leadwithhonor.com/blog/2009/07/14/overcoming-defeat-the-thing-you-need-to-know/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.\n\nOvercoming defeat is a state of mind. My question to you is...\n<blockquote>Can you be defeated?</blockquote>\nTo overcome defeat, your must answer no. If you think you can be defeated then... you can be defeated. If you refuse to accept that you can be defeated, then... you won\'t be... ever! I know this may sound like mumbo jumbo from some whacked out guru - but - it\'s true. Me? I cannot be defeated. I may suffer setbacks, lose a lot of money, feel disgraced, lose sleep, get knocked down - but I refuse to be defeated.\n\nDefeat means surrender. I give up. If you give up, it is because of your state of mind, not your actual circumstances. You can fight any circumstance. You may not get the outcome you want, but you can still fight.\n<blockquote>Defeat is not measured by the outcome, but by your spirit and willingness to persevere.</blockquote>\nHow do you get this state of mind? By doing. Here are ten things you can do to get into a state of mind that says - I cannot be defeated.\n<ol>\n	<li>Look in the mirror every morning and every night, and say to yourself, \"I cannot be defeated\"</li>\n	<li>If you \"feel\" defeated - take action. Do something. Action = Perseverance</li>\n	<li>Gain perspective. Ask yourself, \"Why do I \"feel\" defeated?\" There are so many people in less fortunate circumstances than you - yet they are happy. What expectations do you have that you are not meeting?</li>\n	<li>When you feel defeated, remind yourself that defeat is an attitude not an outcome. Make a placard or little sign and post it on your mirror or on your desk. It could say something like - Defeat is an attitude, not an outcome. I CANNOT be defeated.</li>\n	<li>Stop crying about spilled milk. Now. Don\'t wallow in self pity. How do you stop crying? Get out and do something. Get up in the morning and take a walk. Exercise. Get a new hobby.</li>\n	<li>If you cannot overcome a situation, look for alternatives. Refusing to be defeated doesn\'t mean butting your head against a wall over and over. Change the situation. If you cannot get a job in your field, look in a different field. If you lose your house, go get an apartment and start rebuilding. If you can\'t get an apartment, go to the salvation army. If you can\'t find housing, move in with a relative or friend. There are people who live on the street, who are not defeated. Some are... but many aren\'t.</li>\n	<li>Hang out with positive people. Join the Optimist Club, Toastmasters, Kiwanis, Lion\'s Club or your local Chamber of Commerce.</li>\n	<li>Give back something to society. This helps change your perspective. Volunteer.</li>\n	<li>Take care of your spirit. Go to church, meditate, take up a martial art.</li>\n	<li>Extend yourself grace. No one is perfect. You can and will make mistakes. Some of them will be pretty darn awful and could hurt many people. But... you don\'t have to let that defeat you. Make amends, say your sorry, ask for forgiveness.... then get back up and move on.</li>\n</ol>\nI have a friend who lost his 16 year old daughter to cancer a few years ago. I\'ll never forget what he told me about the day she died. While Stephanie slipped away in the hospital room all he could do was watch the heart monitor. The steady thump of her heart just wouldn\'t give out. Although lying on her death bed, she refused to go quietly in the night. She fought until her last breath. Although death overcame her, she was never defeated. She died with honor and dignity.\n\nWhat about you? What problems are you facing? My guess it\'s either one of three things. Financial hardship, relationships or your health. Lost your job? Don\'t be defeated. Relationships going sour? Don\'t be defeated. Your health going bad? I know this is a tough one... but don\'t be defeated (You must visit these two sites for encouragement: <a title=\"Nick Vujicic\" href=\"http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Life Without Limbs</a>, Nick Vujicic\'s website, and <a title=\"Bethany Hamilton\" href=\"http://bethanyhamilton.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bethany Hamilton</a>\'s Website).\n\nIf you really feel defeated, I can only tell you that you can persevere. Anyone can overcome adversity, by just getting up. You can get up. You are just refusing to. Stop believing what others may be telling you and get up. Dust yourself off... and move on.\n\nAll the best,\nAll the time,\nJT\n\n&nbsp;', 'Overcoming Defeat', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'overcoming-defeat', '', '', '2011-04-09 06:20:37', '2011-04-09 11:20:37', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4715', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(4716, 274, '2011-03-16 06:06:07', '2011-03-16 11:06:07', '<em>“The most important decisions of our lives will require us to forsake invisibility and risk becoming visible. Whenever you choose to seize a divine moment, you move from the isolation of invisibility to the dangers of visibility in order to make what is invisible visible.”   Erwin McManus</em>\n\nLast night, near dusk, we spotted a turkey in the ravine behind our home. Well-camoflauged, it blended into the brown tree trunks and leaves. I had to strain my eyes to see it. Even then, I could barely distinguish the turkey from the landscape. It was only because I stood still — waiting — that I could see it at all.\n\nFar more visible were the cardinals I saw earlier in the day, while out jogging. Their bright red feathers announced their presence, their bold hues a sharp relief to the brown bare branches where they landed.\n\nWild turkeys wear safe colors to blend with their surroundings; male cardinals strut their color to attract the attention of other birds.\n\nIn our lives, we can choose to be safe and comfortable — we can choose to fade into the background, barely noticeable, invisible —or, we can choose to take a risk — we can choose to be bold, show our colors, call attention to ourselves, become visible to the world around us.\n\nYou cannot make a difference while remaining invisible, safe, comfortable, and alone.\n\nTo make a difference as leaders, we must make the choice to be visible.\n\nHow can we become visible to the world around us?\n\n<strong>We can stand for something.</strong> To make a difference as leaders, we need to stand for something. In the Lead Change group, we stand for making a positive difference in the world around us through character-based leadership. We are standing up to say that <em>who we are</em> as leaders is of primary importance.\n\n<strong>We can stand together. </strong>Alone, it is easier to fade into the crowd. Together, we cannot be ignored. When we join together, the strength of our numbers sends a powerful message to others. We are a powerful us. When we stand together, others will notice. We will attract attention.\n\n<strong>We can choose to be bold and colorful through taking action. </strong>In order to attract attention, we need to be bold and colorful. The best way for us to show our colors is to take action. We need to <em>do something</em><strong>. </strong>What we each choose to do will be different. But as we get involved in our communities, stepping out to make a difference, we will splash color and light with every step we take.\n\nChoose to become visible. Give up comfort and safety and take risks. Join with others to show your colors and make a difference.\n\n<strong><em>What other ways can we become visible? What prevents you from becoming visible? How can the LeadChange group help you become more visible? </em></strong>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Becoming Visible', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'becoming-visible', '', '', '2011-03-16 06:06:07', '2011-03-16 11:06:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4716', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(4720, 255, '2011-03-17 06:04:18', '2011-03-17 11:04:18', 'Every now and then I read an article by so-called “thought leaders” that just leaves me wondering “do people really believe this stuff when they write it, or are they just so busy cranking out new content for the marketing engine that they feel as if they can pull one over on us?” The attempts by prominent brands and large consultancies to spin something old as something new never cease to amaze me. If I wasn’t so busy laughing, I’d probably be crying…\n\nSadly, I just finished reading such an article co-authored by a few Heidrick and Struggles executives. The piece was recently published in <em>Harvard Business Review</em> entitled ‘<a href=\"http://hbr.org/2011/03/the-new-path-to-the-c-suite/ar/1\">The New Path to the C-Suite</a>.” While the article shares the authors’ opinions surrounding the evolution of key C-Suite positions, the main premise of the article is that by the time an executive reaches the C-Suite, leadership ability is of greater value than functional competency. Hmmm …let me see if I’ve got this right – business has evolved to the point where leaders need to possess leadership ability? Really HBR and Heidrick? Is that the best you can do? Are you really attempting to convince us that this <em>epiphany</em> is some form of ground breaking leadership theory?\n\nSmart organizations have always known that senior executives must have strong leadership abilities to succeed.  I don’t really care what decade, or for that matter, even what century you cite as a reference, great companies are built on a foundation of great leadership.  The authors do a fine job of stating that C-level executives need to be strategic thinkers, able to cast a vision, to build teams, create culture, etc., the problem I have is <strong>THIS IS NOT NEW INFORMATION</strong>.  The information is so basic, it’s not even particularly representative of the enlightened thinking one would hope for from a firm like Heidrick or a publishing platform like HBR.\n\nI have always poked fun at the concept of “thought leadership” where little real or original thought actually takes place.  As much as some people wish it wasn’t so, a thought leader is not someone who simply restates someone else’s views and positions. Even going beyond uniqueness of thought, a true thought leader’s positions also challenge established norms and conventions. Moreover, the true litmus test for a thought leader is when their unique ideas are implemented in the marketplace, they tend to create disruptive innovation, and often change the way we view the world. I would submit that gaining access to the C-Suite by exhibiting outstanding leadership ability does not meet this litmus test.\n\nSure, I’ve had days when some of my articles or blog posts miss the mark, but at least I make an intellectually honest attempt to ensure anything I author is original, adds value, and is actionable. News Flash - the world is not in need of more rhetoric just for the sake of adding to the noise.\n\nRegrettably the label of thought leader has evolved to become a self-bestowed title for anyone who has something to say or promote, often without regard for qualitative issues. Some would say that the term thought leader, once synonymous with futurist and innovator, is more closely aligned with snake-oil salesman today. Don’t get me wrong, true thought leaders still exist; they are just much harder to spot these days.\n\nMy advice to you is to judge people on their actions and results, not their rhetoric. Don’t accept conventional wisdom as gospel just because it’s published by a big brand.  Here’s the deal - when you run across true thought leadership, you’ll clearly recognize it as such. Thoughts?', 'Thought Leaders Usually Aren’t', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'thought-leaders-usually-arent', '', '', '2011-03-17 06:04:18', '2011-03-17 11:04:18', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4720', 0, 'post', '', 24),
(4730, 248, '2011-04-02 07:00:19', '2011-04-02 12:00:19', '<em>This is a popular post at our <a href=\"http://achievedstrategies.com/blog/\">Achieved Strategies </a>blog. We wanted to share it with all Lead Change readers.  We love to hear your reaction in the comments below.</em>\n\nOur doctors take they <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath\">Hippocratic Oath</a> swearing to ethically treat their patients, and to follow an ideal conduct as a physician.  In a conversation with a client, she casually suggested that leaders should take a Leadership Oath.  Ethics and ideal conduct are not limited to physicians and are fitting for leaders.  So what follows is a modified version of the Hippocratic Oath.  As suggested by my client, what follows is my version of the Leadership Oath.\n\nI present it to you for conversation.\n\n<em>I swear to fulfill to the best of my ability and judgment this covenant:</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\n<em>I will respect the hard-won leadership gains of those managers in whose step I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as well as mine to those who follow after me.</em>\n\n<em>I will apply, for the benefit of my employees, community, and society, all measures that are required, avoiding those twin traps of control and absence of leadership.</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\n<em>I will remember that there is art to leadership as well as science, and that compassion, courage, and understanding employees’ ideas may outweigh the logic of balance sheets or strategic growth.</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\n<em>I will not be ashamed to say “ I don’t know,” nor will I fail to call upon experts when their skills are needed for employee and organizational success. </em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\n<em>I recognize that my experiences create biases that limit my perspective; therefore, I will cultivate a culture of inquiry amongst my peers to invite others to help me see <img class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-4732\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/cooperation_Small-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" />possibilities beyond my viewpoint.</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\n<em>I will respect the needs of my employees to grow as human beings, and do what I can to support their development in ways that help them better contribute to the organization and society.</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\n<em>I will respect the privacy of my employees.  I will do what I can to support employees’ needs for work and life integration.</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\n<em>I will respect the need to support the growth and transformation of the organization.  Most especially must I tread with care in matters of ethics and integrity.  If it is given to me to “save the life” of an organization, I must call upon the two and act accordingly with all stakeholders.  It may also be within my power to terminate employees; this awesome responsibility must be faced with humanity, humbleness and awareness of my own frailty.  Above all, I must not put myself before others.</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\n<em>I will prevent “organizational disease” whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to “cures.”  I will remember that I remain a member of the community and of society, with special obligations to my fellow human beings, those who report to me as well as those who work and live nearby.</em>\n\n<em> </em>\n\n<em>If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter.  May I always act so as to preserve the finest actions and ways of being of leadership, and may I long experience the joy of being a leader.</em>', 'Leadership Oath', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-oath', '', '', '2011-04-02 07:00:19', '2011-04-02 12:00:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4730', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(4760, 269, '2011-04-16 08:05:32', '2011-04-16 13:05:32', 'I recently attended a conference at which a number of CEOs and marketing executives were present.  One morning when at a breakfast table with seven others the discussion turned, as it often does, to how we could be of help to each other.\n\nOne CEO in the group asked the marketers present for some creative ideas on using social media to grow his new, non-profit business.  The perfunctory questions about the business and his goals were asked and answered, and then the conversation quickly turned to the use of various social media <em>tools</em>.  Now, to the credit of the marketers at the table, the ideas were quite creative, but I found myself a bit dumbfounded by the answers the CEO had given.\n\n<strong>Why? He had not clearly articulated a vision for his business.</strong>\n\n<strong>What happens when marketing executives start talking about tactics of growing a business without first having a clear vision of the direction of the business?  You reach goals, but they don’t necessarily get you where you want to go!</strong>\n\n<strong>Case in point:</strong> I stopped the conversation and asked the marketers what they believed the CEOs vision to be.  The overwhelming consensus was that his vision was to drive <em>awareness</em> of the problem that his non-profit was set up to address.  I turned to the CEO and asked him, “if everyone in the country becomes aware of the problem your non-profit is addressing, will you have successfully brought your vision to life?” His answer, (of course), was “no.”\n\n<strong>He didn’t want to just make people aware; he wanted to fix the problem.</strong> Once he realized that, he also realized that he hadn’t created a vision in his mind, or in his heart, of what life (and the country) would look like when the problem was fixed – and thus, he didn’t really know just yet how to get there.\n\n<strong>To be successful, he had to start with the vision literally in his mind, and then work backward from there.</strong>\n\nIsis is the Goddess of Vision and Insight.  Yes, she is associated with femininity and guess what gentlemen, every single human has a combination of male and female energy – just in differing amounts.  <strong>I’ve noticed over the course of my career that many leaders – both men and women – are afraid to “trust their gut” or their intuition. </strong>\n\nIf the CEO had been honest with himself up front he would have admitted that as he was talking about his business he was talking in rigidly straight lines.  He was presenting a structured case that had no colorful vision – no inspiring dream - to it.\n\nOnce he started thinking about how truly beautiful life would look when his vision came to fruition – how it would taste and feel to him – he was able to much more clearly articulate with passion where he wanted to go.  From there, the goals, strategies and tactics fell much more easily into place.\n\n<strong>Moral of the story, don’t be afraid to tap into your intuition, your feelings and your dreams as you talk about your business and the vision you have for it. </strong>As a woman who myself avoided doing so for many years, I am now tapping into the power and wisdom of my own personal ”inner goddess” like I never have before.\n\n<strong>How about you? Can you clearly articulate a vision for your business? If not, anything Isis can do to be of help?</strong>\n\n<strong>I would be honored if you would share your insights in the comments…</strong>\n\n<strong>\n</strong>', 'What CEOs Can Learn From the Goddess of Vision', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'what-ceos-can-learn-from-the-goddess-of-vision', '', '', '2011-04-16 08:05:32', '2011-04-16 13:05:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4760', 0, 'post', '', 4);
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(4762, 269, '2011-04-29 06:08:44', '2011-04-29 11:08:44', '<em>This post was originally published on Lisa\'s blog <a title=\"The Business-Altering Difference Between Vision and Mission\" href=\"http://www.lisapetrilli.com/2010/06/14/the-business-altering-difference-between-vision-and-mission/\" target=\"_blank\">here</a>.</em>\n\nMy inner Isis <strong>(</strong>you’ll remember her from my <a href=\"http://www.lisapetrilli.com/2010/05/14/what-ceos-can-learn-from-the-goddess-of-vision/\"><strong>Goddess of Vision post</strong></a><strong>)</strong> is pretty ticked off, and she’s been that way since Thursday when I had a conversation that went something like this…\n\n<strong>Me:</strong> <strong>Can you articulate your vision for the organization?</strong>\n\n<strong>Him:</strong> Yes, we have a vision statement.\n\n<strong>Me:</strong> All I see is a mission statement.\n\n<strong>Him:</strong> Same thing.\n\n<strong>Me:</strong> <strong>Aaaaaaak!</strong> – pain, searing pain – <strong><em>please!</em></strong> <strong>for Zeus’s sake</strong> <strong><em>stop the pain!</em></strong> or just poke my eye out with his lightning bolt while you’re at it why don’t you…!!!\n\nUm, ok so perhaps that’s a bit melodramatic and I didn’t actually say that out loud – but it’s an accurate depiction of my inner response!  It has never failed to astonish me that<strong> leaders have such a difficult time understanding the difference between Vision and Mission</strong> when it comes to their businesses.\n\nMany moons ago I taught leadership training for the <a href=\"http://baxter.com/index.html\">Baxter</a> Institute, and one of the things I was able to focus on was helping our corporate leaders understand the difference between the two, and then distill them down to objectives, strategies and tactics.\n\n<strong>You can’t be in business without a mission, <em>but it’s your vision that makes all the difference.</em></strong>\n\nSo, my mission for this post is to help you understand why this is true… <strong>Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to never confuse the two again <em>if I am successful in my mission</em>. </strong>Are you game?\n\nOk, let’s look at <strong>one organization that I believe portrays the difference between the two beautifully</strong> -<strong><a href=\"http://www.worldwildlife.org/home.html\"> The World Wildlife Fund</a></strong>.\n\nLet’s take a look at their <strong><em><a href=\"http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/index.html\">Mission Statement </a></em>(Which they have written to include their strategies, objectives and a measurable goal):</strong>\n<blockquote>“<strong>WWF’s mission is the conservation of nature</strong>.\n\nUsing the best available scientific knowledge and advancing that knowledge where we can, we work to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth and the health of ecological systems by…”</blockquote>\n<strong><em>Strategies:</em></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>protecting natural areas and wild populations of plants and animals, including endangered species;</li>\n	<li>promoting sustainable approaches to the use of renewable natural resources; and</li>\n	<li>promoting more efficient use of resources and energy and the maximum reduction of pollution.</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><em>Objectives:</em></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>We are committed to reversing the degradation of our planet’s natural environment</li>\n	<li>(…And we are committed) to building a future in which human needs are met in harmony with nature</li>\n</ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><em>Goal</em></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>By 2020 WWF will conserve 19 of the world’s most important natural places and significantly change global markets to protect the future of nature.</li>\n</ul>\nGreat – I think by reading that <strong>we all get a pretty clear understanding of what the organization stands for and what they will work to accomplish.</strong>\n\nNow,<strong><em> if</em></strong> you’re someone who believes in this type of mission you are probably interested in what they’re doing and attracted to the organization.  You may even decide to <a href=\"https://secure2.convio.net/wwf/site/SPageServer?pagename=donate_to_charity4&amp;s_src=AWE1002GD020\">donate</a> to their efforts or contribute a bit more to help Leonardo DiCaprio save the tigers.  And really, wouldn’t all of our inner goddesses like to help Leo in any way that we can…? Ahem…yes, you’re right, I digress.\n\n<strong>Now let’s take a look at their <em><a href=\"http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/Vision/index.html\">Vision Statement</a></em>, and see what happens…</strong>\n<blockquote><strong>“We seek to save a planet, a world of life.</strong> Reconciling the needs of human beings and the needs of others that share the Earth, we seek to <strong>practice conservation that is humane</strong> in the broadest sense. We seek to <strong>instill in people everywhere a discriminating, yet unabashed, reverence for nature</strong> and to <strong>balance</strong> that reverence with a <strong>profound belief in human possibilities.</strong>\n\nFrom the smallest community to the largest multinational organization, <strong>we seek to inspire others</strong> who can advance the cause of conservation. <strong>We seek to be the voice </strong>for those creatures who have no voice. <strong>We speak for their future.</strong> We seek to apply the wealth of our talents, knowledge, and passion to <strong>making the world wealthier in life, in spirit, and in living wonder of nature.</strong></blockquote>\n<strong><em>Can you feel, taste, touch, smell and SEE the vast difference?!</em></strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>It’s the vision statement that <strong>brings their mission <em>to life</em></strong>, <strong>portrays it in <em>vibrant colors</em> and gives it <em>wings</em>. </strong></li>\n	<li>It’s the vision that,<strong> if you believed in the mission</strong>, would<strong> make you want to <em>work tirelessly</em></strong> to help them accomplish their mission, <strong>would inspire your passion</strong> <strong>to <em>be an evangelist</em></strong> in any way that you could, and <strong>will inspire the necessary drive<em> to bring</em></strong> such audacious goals to fruition.</li>\n	<li>It’s the vision that <strong>sets the organization apart</strong> from any other conservation organization with similar goals.</li>\n	<li>It’s the vision that makes all the difference in <strong><em>how your brand comes to life</em>.</strong></li>\n</ul>\nI believe it’s no accident that<strong> the WWF CEO, <a href=\"http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/experts/carter-roberts.html\">Carter Roberts</a>, is pictured prominently on the page with the Vision</strong> – not the page with the Mission.  I suspect that when talking with the Board of Directors and with governments across the globe he’s talking Mission, objectives, strategies, and measurable goals.\n\nBut the <strong>CEO’s role when talking with donors, employees, communities and evangelists is to communicate the vision and bring it to life.</strong> Those are the people <strong><em>whose hearts he must win</em>…</strong>it’s <strong>the vision that enables him to do so.</strong>\n\nGuess what?  <strong>He’s clearly fulfilling this role </strong>- just take a look at his <a href=\"http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/Vision/index.html\">“Notes”</a> on the right side of the Vision page – his latest notes on <strong>“Hope in the Himalayas”</strong> has the word “vision” in the first sentence.  His notes from September of last year are about <strong>“the stars aligning.”</strong>\n\nBy having a clear vision for the organization, communicating it passionately and consistently, <strong><em>the WWF is much better positioned</em></strong> to win hearts and minds, organically encourage evangelism, get communities on board with their mission, and dramatically increase revenues.  <strong>I believe these are real and measurable business-altering differences between a business mission and its vision.</strong>\n\nSo, <strong>have I accomplished <em>my</em> mission?</strong>\n\nIf so, I hope you’ll take a close look at your company and determine <strong>whether or not your organization has a clear vision</strong>, and <strong>if you as a leader are communicating it</strong> <strong>enthusiastically and using it as your company’s North Star.</strong>\n\n<strong>Now, <em>you’ve got to live up to your mission as well!</em></strong> Never confuse the two again…or face the wrath of the gods!\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe beautiful photo is called Reflective Mood by <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansasphoto/\">Kansas Poetry</a>.', 'The Business-Altering Difference Between Vision and Mission', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-business-altering-difference-between-vision-and-mission', '', '', '2011-04-29 06:08:44', '2011-04-29 11:08:44', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4762', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(4765, 269, '2011-03-31 06:03:25', '2011-03-31 11:03:25', 'I’m quite fortunate to be part of the team at <a href=\"http://www.ceoconnection.com/\">CEO Connection</a>, working closely with our CEO members on a daily basis.  One of the real perks of my role is the opportunity to meet with small, intimate groups of these executives five times a year in different locales around the world\n\nAt <a href=\"http://www.ceoconnection.com/article.html?aid=172\">these meetings</a> they have a chance to truly reflect on – and be open and honest about – mistakes they’ve made, and they share experiences and insights that enable them to leave with renewed and energized visions and strategies.\n<h3>Talent First</h3>\nIn each session the question invariably arises, “What do you wish you’d done differently when you first took the job?”  And in each session the response is overwhelmingly the same, “I wish I’d moved faster on talent decisions.”\n\nWhy? Because often their gut tells them that the people are not aligned properly with the needs of their roles, and that the roles are not aligned with the business needs that are driven by the organization’s new vision.  But there may be fear about sending disruptive signals by making dramatic changes, and by making them quickly.\n\nAnd yet, upon reflection, that is hands-down what they wish they’d done.\n<h3>7 Keys</h3>\nI believe that by doing the following seven things it is possible for CEOs and other C-suite executives to address talent alignment issues in a proactive and positive way, so that the organization is galvanized for forward movement toward its vision as quickly as possible:\n<ol>\n	<li>Make managing and growing your talent a top priority.  This means making it one of the top three items in every staff meeting and every strategy discussion.</li>\n	<li>Communicate openly about the importance – and the benefit to everyone in the company – of having positions aligned with the vision and strategies of the company, and of having the right people in those positions.</li>\n	<li>At the same time, be committed to finding roles for the current employees that best align with their strengths, and thus “set them up” for success.</li>\n	<li>Be open about your willingness to work with employees who may be in positions that are not a great fit – to help them via coaching or mentoring – so that both they and the company are better off because of the process.</li>\n	<li>Make sure that talent decisions align with the values of the company.  Top performers that disrespect others and play by their own rules – and may have been allowed to do so under previous leadership – must be dealt with because of their impact on the organization’s culture.</li>\n	<li>Remember that everything communicates.  Not addressing talent issues of non-performance speaks volumes.</li>\n	<li>And remember the power you have to communicate, through words <em>and</em> actions, a genuine desire to see everyone succeed – and to mean it.</li>\n</ol>\nWhat advice do you have for CEOs who are reluctant to make talent decisions, but who know in their gut they must be made? I’d be honored to hear from you.\n\n&nbsp;', 'The Number One Thing CEOs Wish They’d Done Differently', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-number-one-thing-ceos-wish-theyd-done-differently', '', '', '2011-03-31 06:03:25', '2011-03-31 11:03:25', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4765', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(4767, 249, '2011-03-24 06:10:02', '2011-03-24 11:10:02', 'People are pretty interesting to study. So many people from so many places, so many different cultures, backgrounds, and histories. So many differences.\n\nBut even in a world of differences there are some things that we can find most everyone has in common, and one of those common factors is that the majority of people hold others to a higher standard than they hold themselves. And that\'s likely a key reason why most people are not authentic leaders. Authentic leaders, the type that we would all follow, hold <em>themselves</em> to a higher standard than they hold others.\n\nMost people have high expectations for themselves but authentic leaders do not merely have high expectations, they have high standards. We may expect much of ourselves but we also provide ourselves with many excuses that authentic leaders simply don\'t need. Authentic leaders don\'t make excuses, they make commitments to excellence.\n\nAuthentic leaders know that people tend to \"follow up\", they follow people they want to be like or they follow someone they believe sets an example of who they could become.  No one \"follows down\", they don\'t follow people that they would not want to be like or people that they cannot trust. When someone with a leadership title or in a position of leadership holds themselves to lower standards than they hold others they lose the trust of their people and they lose the ability to truly lead.\n\nSo there is our question: Would you follow you?  Do you expect more from others than you expect from yourself? Do you hold others to a higher standard than you hold yourself?\n\nDo you allow yourself excuses that you would not allow others? Are the majority of your mistakes \"excusable\" but not the mistakes of others?\n\nIn order to properly answer those questions you must be completely honest with yourself because if you\'re lying to yourself, you\'re also lying to everyone else.\n\nExcellent, experienced, authentic leaders pause from time to time to ask themselves those very questions. If they don\'t like the answers, they take immediate steps to change them. An authentic leader has no other choice.', 'Authentic Leadership: Would You Follow You?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'authentic-leadership-would-you-follow-you', '', '', '2011-03-24 06:10:02', '2011-03-24 11:10:02', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4767', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(4790, 258, '2011-04-06 06:02:32', '2011-04-06 11:02:32', '“Why do you work so hard?” I used to ask my dad that question. He was on the road a lot when I was a kid. I wished that he was home more often. He told me he had to work. I say that to my kids now when they want to do something and I cannot. I have to work.\n\nI have to work. I really do. As teachers, my husband and I both work to keep the fridge stocked and the roof repaired. Our growing sons need cleats and books and piano lessons. But I work for myself too. I need the satisfaction of my job. Don’t get me wrong. I love spending time with my kids, but I also need the challenge of work. By the end of summer vacation I am chomping at the bit to work. I need to work, AND I want to work. It is who I am.\n\nI believe in what I do. I am inspired by my school’s mission, by our goals, our values. I helped write these goals, conceive this mission. And so I work for them, as hard as I can. I think about how I can do my job better. I design curriculum that I think will connect with today’s teenagers. I attend all the training I can find, read everything I can lay my hands on. I love my job and know I am blessed to be working in a profession I love. I do not take this for granted.\n\nBut I know this is not the same for everyone. Most people have to work to survive. People need to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. Work is not optional, and it is just work. It is hard. It wears us down and makes us long for Saturday. It is work. We do it because we must, but do we love work? Are we inspired to excel, to learn, to grow? Do we ache to go back after a long vacation?\n\nYou are a leader in your work whether you have that title or not. People see you do your job. Do you do it joyfully or are you working for the weekend? Do you do your best or are you just checking the boxes? Look around you. Can you help create and be a part of a culture, a company that changes how it thinks about the work? What if hard work wasn’t really work at all? And if it’s not work, is it really hard?\n\nInspiration or perspiration?\n\nWhy do you work so hard?', 'Inspiration vs Perspiration', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'inspiration-vs-perspiration', '', '', '2011-04-06 06:02:32', '2011-04-06 11:02:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4790', 0, 'post', '', 32),
(4813, 273, '2011-04-07 06:09:17', '2011-04-07 11:09:17', '<em>“What did you learn today?”</em>\n\nIt’s a question that sounds familiar to most of us. You were likely asked it when you were a kid. And, if you are a parent, you’ve probably asked it of your kids too.\n\nBut when was the last time you asked it of yourself?\n\n<em>“What did <strong>I</strong> learn today?”</em>\n\nIf you want to be more effective and more productive with lower stress and higher satisfaction, you ought to be asking yourself this question (at least) <em>every day</em>.\n\nThis question is at the heart of your personal and professional development. Development requires overcoming the status quo enough to start learning something new.\n\nYet, because human nature is what it is, we tend to stay where we are; not make the changes, take the effort or do what it takes to be on a personal development path.\n\nI haven’t told you anything you don’t already know, and many articles, posts and books will talk about what I have said so far. But rather than just trying to goad you by saying, “you really oughta wanna be a learner”, I’m going to give you a 7-step plan for development.\n\nFollow these steps and you will be on a development path that will help you achieve more, and enjoy your life more – perhaps more than you’ve ever imagined.\n\nAre you ready?\n<ol>\n	<li><em>Take responsibility. </em>No one can do this for you. Not your parents. Not your spouse. Not your best friend. And not your employer. All of these people might be able to <em>support</em> you. However, none of them can do it for you. If you wait for your employer to offer assistance or to pay for the workshop, you might be waiting a long time. If you wait for your spouse to buy you the master class in photography you are interested in, you better be patient. Why must you do this for yourself, even for <em>professional</em> development? Because you are the person who benefits the most! Your development belongs to no one but y-o-u. If others offer assistance, dollars or opportunities, great – just don’t wait for that assistance to get started.</li>\n	<li><em>Create a learning focus. </em>Long before asking, “What did I learn today?” ask yourself, “What do I want (or need) to learn today?” Human beings are learning beings – in some ways <em>we can’t not learn</em>. But to intensify your personal development beyond happenstance or serendipity, you must be clear on what matters most right now. Create a monthly, quarterly and/or annual learning focus. Yes, of course there will be lessons learned at random times, but having this (possibly daily) focus will help you consciously and intentionally learn the skills and knowledge that is most important to your growth right now.</li>\n	<li><em>Tie it to a powerful ‘why.’ </em>Why do you want to learn? What value will you gain – be it personal satisfaction, pleasure or a leg up for the next promotion? Tie your learning focus to things that matter to you deeply. Reminding yourself of this why will help maintain your discipline, keep you motivated and improve the chances you keep learning.</li>\n	<li><em>Connect everything together. </em>Now that you have a clear picture of what you are focused on learning along with your powerful ‘why;’ connect <em>everything</em> you read, experience and observe to that learning goal. For example, I lead a group of leaders through the development of a new skill each month. As I prepare and facilitate the learning of those leaders, I am thinking constantly about that topic/skill. This allows my subconscious mind to see examples, lessons and connections I would miss otherwise. Once you have your learning focus in view ask yourself, “How does this experience/situation/blog post/conversation/you-get-the-idea relate to what I need to learn?” This filter will help you learn much more, much faster!</li>\n	<li><em>Devote time. </em>You can tell me (or yourself) that you want to learn and grow. But the real proof is in your focus and in your calendar. To build important and valuable skills requires you to invest energy, focus and money. And more importantly, you need to invest time. Getting on a serious personal/professional development plan will require you to invest your time differently. However busy you are, it is a matter of prioritizing your learning and growth higher on your list. Get used to it, and get going.</li>\n	<li><em>Get help. </em>The best in any field or endeavor don’t get there alone. And perhaps more importantly, they can’t stay there alone! Help could be in the form of workshops, mentors and more. But almost certainly the most important help will be in the form of coaching. The coaching you need might be formal or informal, internal to your organization or external, free or paid (or some of all of these). If you are serious about your personal and professional development, then make coaching part of your plan.</li>\n	<li><em>Take action. </em>All the good ideas in the world are great, but as long as they stay in your head, sit in your journal or remain on this page, that is all they are – ideas. Want to reap the benefits of developing yourself? Take action!</li>\n</ol>\nPick the area of life you wish. Pick the topic or skill area (you’ve done that in step 2, right?). Then put this plan in action (that’s step 7). It <em>will</em> work.\n\nYou’ve got nothing to lose and only a more productive, successful, happier life to gain.\n\n<strong>Potential Pointer: </strong>If you want greater results in any area of your life, you must devote yourself to learning and growing. Personal and professional development is within your reach and within your control. Remember, as you learn more you earn more. And, as you grow, so you will go.\n\n<em>I would like to invite you to join me at ASTD 2011 in Orlando, Florida, May 22-25. The ASTD Conference and Exposition is a great place to pursue opportunities for your personal and professional growth. My team and I will have a booth at this years EXPO, where we, along with 300 other vendors, will be sharing about the products and services we offer to help you become more effective as a leader. </em>\n\n<em>We\'d love to help you get to ASTD by sending you a FREE pass to the EXPO and a coupon for a discount on registration to the conference. Fill in the form at this website if you\'re interested. </em>\n\n<em>We\'re also planning a tweet-up. If you\'re interested in that, please fill out the form, also, so we can send you information.\n</em>', '7 Ways to Jump Start Your Development', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '7-ways-to-jump-start-your-development', '', '', '2011-04-07 06:09:17', '2011-04-07 11:09:17', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4813', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(4818, 246, '2011-04-13 06:08:07', '2011-04-13 11:08:07', '<strong>The Trust Center</strong>\n\nMicrosoft has a Trust Center... shouldn\'t we have one too? What services would a Trust Center for people have? Wouldn\'t it be great <em><strong>if </strong></em>we could control what people say and do to facilitate the trusting process? What about controlling which people approach us or what locations we visit to allow a constant state of trust? A Utopian ideal?\n\nTrust equals <strong><em>Security</em></strong>... At least that is the case at the Trust Centers within Microsoft\'s various 2007 Office applications.  Microsoft\'s welcome message explains... \" The Trust Center is where you can find security and privacy settings...\". Here I can make decisions about if I trust and whom I trust.\n\nHere\'s my take on how to take Microsoft\'s Trust Center to the next level; it\'s not about <strong><em>if</em></strong> you trust, it\'s about <strong><em>how </em></strong>you trust! Being a control freak could have it\'s benefits if you want to live in a bubble... realistically speaking we need to step up our level of awareness and look at trust in a new light.\n\nHere are seven questions to get us started. Ask yourself:\n<ol>\n	<li>HOW can I get people to trust me more?</li>\n	<li>HOW can I show others that I trust them? What actions would enable a stronger connection? Stronger collaboration?</li>\n	<li>HOW can I get people to trust each other? What could I say and do?</li>\n	<li>HOW can I look at my work, home, or community environments to better identify where the lack of trust impacts the relationships?</li>\n	<li>HOW can I say things that will bring people on my team? HOW can I act?</li>\n	<li>HOW do I interpret actions and words? Does this allow me to facilitate/block trust?</li>\n</ol>\nLooking at the HOW has it\'s benefits! Here\'s a great example and a true story...\n\n<strong>Getting to Dubai on Trust and Collaboration</strong>\n\nIn March I flew to Dubai to facilitate a 5-day workshop on presentation skills and instructional techniques for Emirates trainers. The workshop was a huge success and the experience we created was exceptional.  That was the easy part!  Getting to Dubai called for me to look at <strong><em>how</em></strong> to trust and not <em><strong>if</strong></em> to trust. That was the hard part!\n\nTwo days before my departure, I still did not have tickets or a visa. Finally with paperwork in order, I did not realize that this was only the start of the ordeal. On the day of departure, a snowstorm on the east coast cancelled my flight to New York.  I called my client in Dubai... they were on it.  I emailed my contact in Montreal and Geneva, they were on it.  No flights out!\n<blockquote><strong><em>How </em></strong>can I stay positive and make this trip a success? <strong><em>How </em></strong>can I trust the airline industry to get me to Dubai to do what I do?</blockquote>\nWith a new flight through London for later that day, I thought the worst had passed!  Little did I know that the worst was yet to come! Additional flight delays on my new flight meant I would not make the connection in London to Dubai. Back on the phone... at this point everyone had gone home for the day.\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">I kept telling myself, it\'s not about <em><strong>if</strong></em>, it\'s about <strong><em>how</em></strong>.\n<strong><em>How </em></strong>can I get the check-in agent to <strong><em>trust</em></strong> me and this story? <strong><em>How </em></strong>can I explain this calmly and respectfully (understanding her perspective) so that she gets me out on a flight and checks my bags through to final destination (even without a confirmed flight out of London to Dubai)?</p>\n</blockquote>\nSounds impossible, doesn\'t it? Well, I decided to give it a try! I put my faith in the system and it\'s people.  I explained my situation... and managed to get on the only flight out to London and the amazing attendant also checked my baggage through to my final destination!  Being calm, confident and respectful, instead of frustrated and desperate helped!\n\nThe situation was scary for about an hour... What got me through was my focus on the <strong><em>how</em></strong>!\n\nA simple shift in perspective allowed me to see things from their perspective... this helped me to create a bridge from my frustration/stress/anger to a place where I could <em>cultivate trust and collaboration</em>.  The team effort, emails, phone calls, respectful conversations, and focus on trust got me to Dubai!  Of course Air Canada, Emirates, and IATA staff helped!\n\n<strong>What About You?</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Can you think of an event where your focus on the <em><strong>if </strong></em>caused the situation to go from bad to awful?</li>\n	<li>How could these seven questions have helped you be successful?</li>\n	<li>What situations are you in where trust in the team is the only way to success?</li>\n	<li>How can these seven simple questions help you <em>cultivate trust and collaboration</em> in your workplace?</li>\n</ul>\nSonia is currently attending and speaking at the 2011 annual conference for the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) (see <a href=\"http://www.ispi.org/\">www.ISPI.org</a> for more info). She is accepting an award, on behalf of her team, for Outstanding Instructional Intervention and is delivering 3 sessions, including a session entitled \"Leaders, Get your Teams Ready to Feedback\", where she explores the concepts of trust and collaboration when offering and accepting feedback.', '7 Questions on HOW to take Trust to the Next Level', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '7-questions-on-how-to-take-trust-to-the-next-level', '', '', '2011-04-13 06:08:07', '2011-04-13 11:08:07', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4818', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(4819, 253, '2011-04-10 06:08:53', '2011-04-10 11:08:53', '<h2>\"We\'re running low on leaders\"</h2>\nDue to the demographics, huge numbers of accomplished leaders will soon be leaving the workforce. This wise guidance is not easily replaced, but we\'ve got to try and we need to begin planning now. Because so many mentors have <a href=\"http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6421/is_8_92/ai_n56920471/?tag=content;col1\" target=\"new\">fewer than five years</a> left alongside those who\'ll follow, there is little time for trial and error. To ensure that organizations can move powerfully forward, it\'s imperative that we choose successors carefully AND correctly.\n\nBut how do we decide who should lead in the coming decades? Which character qualities will future leaders require?\n<blockquote>I assert that one of the chief characteristics needed for future success is \"Mettle\".</blockquote>\nMettle is defined as \"the courage and fortitude to carry on.\" The need for mettle is obvious. Economic <a href=\"http://www.fxstreet.com/technical/market-view/fx-briefing/2011/03/21/\" target=\"new\">uncertainty</a> continues to grow. Public trust in authority is <a href=\"http://www.edelman.com/trust/2011/\" target=\"new\">alarmingly low</a>. It is not an easy time for the inexperienced to experiment.\n\nSo how do we predict which potential successors are packed with precious mettle? Consider the way \"precious metals\" are obtained. Precious metals are mined from hidden locations, brought up to the light and then purified through fire. In the same way, precious mettle must be found deep within new leaders, from every hidden corner of our organizations, and then fanned into flame by passionate mentors. To forge a successful future, today\'s leaders must mine their organizations for those who already possess the following qualities:\n<ol>\n	<li>A Mind like a Steel Trap</li>\n	<li>An Iron Will</li>\n	<li>A Heart of Gold</li>\n</ol>\n<h4>Steel-Trap Mind</h4>\nHere are a few ways to assess whether or not a potential leader has a \"mind like a steel trap\":\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n	<li>Steel-minded leaders study (and avoid) the errors of others</li>\n	<li>Steel-minded leaders brave an issue before it escalates into an impasse</li>\n	<li>Steel-minded leaders know when to reason with and when to empathize with</li>\n</ul>\n</blockquote>\n<h4>Iron Will</h4>\nHere are some ways to discern whether or not a leadership candidate has an iron will:\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n	<li>Iron will leaders believe success seeks the steadfast</li>\n	<li>Iron will leaders use stumbling blocks as stepping stones</li>\n	<li>Iron will leaders mold obstacles into opportunities</li>\n</ul>\n</blockquote>\n<h4>Heart of Gold</h4>\nHere are a few ways to recognize whether or not a future leader has a heart of gold:\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n	<li>Golden heart leaders look at acorns and see oak trees</li>\n	<li>Golden heart leaders believe empathy powers progress</li>\n	<li>Golden heart leaders choose inspiration: They refuse to use intimidation</li>\n</ul>\n</blockquote>\nEven the most magnificent mentor can\'t turn bronze into platinum. To build successful new leaders in trying times, we must find the people who demonstrate key character traits and then train them in crucial skills.\n\nI think the future belongs to the organizations that can identify and inspire the next generation of leaders. <strong>What do YOU think?</strong>', 'Precious Mettle', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'precious-mettle', '', '', '2011-04-10 06:08:53', '2011-04-10 11:08:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4819', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(4833, 275, '2011-04-11 06:05:23', '2011-04-11 11:05:23', '<div>\n\nA few years ago I noticed a book ad in the O\'Hare airport titled, \"Hope is Not a Strategy.\" I loved the title. To me, it represented the pain and frustration I felt in companies I had worked for, namely if we did enough \"stuff\" and hoped it would work, it would. The equation of stuff + hope = results never worked, and so I loved and quoted the title.\n\nBut I\'ve changed my mind.\n\nHope is a strategy, but not the only one. While exhaustive homework, imagination and intensity make a difference, for anything worthwhile there will come a time when hope is the only thing to hold onto.\n\nIn the Heath Brothers <a title=\"Switch by Chip and Dan Heath on Amazon\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385528752/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0385528752\" target=\"_blank\">latest book Switch</a> (which ironically I was reading by lantern last night in a midnight power outage, hoping for light and heat to come back), IDEO CEO Tim Brown describes the need for hope for a singular reason: \"Foggy periods.\" Here\'s how he explains it.\n<blockquote>An IDEO designer created a \"project mood chart\" that\'s shaped like a U. The beginning of any project is represented by the upper-left of the U, where people feel enthusiasm. At the upper-right of the U, when the project is over, there is confidence (assuming they nailed it). Between the two peaks, at the valley of the U, is what they label \"insight,\" where the real struggle happens because you\'re caught in the middle of data, countless ideas, and what to do with it all. That\'s also where you watch many ideas fail. Tim is quoted as saying that design is \"rarely a graceful leap from height to height.\" At the bottom of the U, it\'s easy to be discouraged and overwhelmed.</blockquote>\nThat\'s where hope is a strategy. Without hope, discouragement and fatigue overpower enthusiasm and confidence, and the insight never comes.\n\nFor any company or project, it\'s just not possible to perfectly see the end from the beginning, despite how popular that message is to preach. Bookstore shelves are stocked with messages on \"vision\" and \"mission.\" I\'m not aware of one story, vision or mission that didn\'t require hope in perplexing and fatiguing moments. I hesitate to say the word \"moments\" because the very word suggests the bottom of the U lasts minutes or days, not weeks, months or years. And we often don\'t know for how long the bottom of the U will stretch.\n\nHope is as important to accomplishing great work as IQ, money and a driving purpose. In the darkest moments, hope may be the only thing you have to hold onto.\n\nDon\'t let anyone, including the over-analytics or those who imagine they\'ve had it easy (or that it usually is), tell you otherwise. Too many success stories about leaders, organizations and movements are sanitized of the dark moments where hope was all they had, or condensed so that it appears the tough moments are very temporary. It\'s not true. Don\'t believe it.\n\nHope is a strategy, and at the bottom of the U, it may be the most important one.\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n<em>As a gift to readers <a title=\"online leadership training\" href=\"http://www.g5leadership.com/\">G5 Leadership Training</a>. is offering 100 free tickets to the April 13th event, Greater Than Yourself. The event will be taught live by bestselling leadership author and speaker, <a href=\"http://www.g5leadership.com/gty\">Steve Farber</a>.</em>\n\n<em>To get in free, use this discount code: <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">leadchange</span></em>\n\n<em>You can register here: <a title=\"G5 Leadership April 13 Event\" href=\"http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1206788537\" target=\"_blank\">http://www.eventbrite.com/event/1206788537</a></em>\n\n***********************************************************************\n\n</div>', 'Hope is a Strategy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'hope-is-a-strategy', '', '', '2011-04-11 06:05:23', '2011-04-11 11:05:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4833', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(4835, 245, '2011-04-12 06:07:27', '2011-04-12 11:07:27', 'When you’re called to lead, are you ready?\n\nI’m not talking about leading people through a project, transition, or crisis. That’s leadership with a capital “L”, the type we love to debate on this blog and yes, it’s hugely important.\n\nThere are other ways to lead too— less obvious, perhaps, but no less influential. These are the lowercase leadership opportunities . . . those that present themselves in every day moments, calling your character into play. When these opportunities occur you have a fraction of a second to decide: do I step in and fill the leadership void? Hesitate, and the moment is gone. Take action, and you’ve made a difference.\n\nI think back to a time many years ago when faced with such an opportunity. I was a newly hired training professional at a large corporation and had been named to a cross-functional team that met weekly for status updates.\n\nOne week, the designated team leader, Sharon, was not at the meeting. In her absence, meeting leadership fell to “Jerry”, a genial and well-liked member of the team. As we proceeded through the meeting, we came to a point at which we needed to draw on the expertise of an engineer, but none were at the meeting.\n\nJerry piped up with, “Well, we could ask George to <em>weigh in</em> on the issue . . .” He let the sentence dangle, waiting to see if anyone would take the bait.\n\n<em>Oh, he wouldn’t </em>dare <em>go there, would he?</em> I thought.\n\nRegrettably, someone bit. “You mean, George who has the [model name of sports car]?” another team member piped up.\n\n<em>Crud,</em> I moaned silently, <em>we <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">are</span> going there</em>.\n\nJerry-the-Supposed-Leader followed up with, “That’s quite a car, isn’t it? It’s so sleek and well . . . <em>tiny</em>,” he offered, his sentence dripping with subtext.\n\nHere’s what Jerry wasn’t saying (out loud, at least): “George” was on the plump side and drove a small two door bright-yellow sports car. Apparently, Jerry found this image humorous and decided to have some fun at George’s expense.\n\nOf course, this line of discussion had absolutely nothing to do with the meeting topic and it was decidedly mean-spirited to boot. I thought Jerry would immediately bring the meeting back on track, but he didn’t. Instead, he and a few others around the conference table continued in the same vein, with people inferring about the difficulty of George getting in and out of his “banana mobile”.\n\nMeanwhile, I was mentally casting about for a way to put a stop to this conversation. Clearly, the meeting leader wasn’t going to end it and nobody else seemed inclined to do so either.\n\nSpeaking up was risky for me. Not only was I at the very bottom of this meeting’s food chain as newly hired employee, I had also been previously counseled to “lighten up” in my commentary, having been seen as too straight-laced for the company’s free-wheeling culture. Knowing that my comments would only further my reputation as a spoil-sport, I decided to speak up anyway.\n\nTaking a deep breath, I said, “You know, I can’t help but wonder that if George were here in this meeting . . . would we be having this conversation?” I made eye contact with everyone seated around the conference table.\n\nJerry had the good grace to look chagrined. “No, probably not”, he conceded.\n\n“So,” I continued, “Who is the best person to contact George to get those engineering specs?”  And with that, the meeting was back on track.\n\nIt’s disappointing when a leader fails us. It’s also an opportunity— for someone else to step up and make things right. Just because the designated leader has fallen short doesn’t mean the entire group need follow suit. Sometimes all it takes is someone brave enough to speak up and speak out to set things back on the right path.\n\nTo be a leader it’s not enough to just <em>know</em> the difference between right and wrong. You have to forge the courage to call out the wrongdoing, even when it means potential harm to one’s reputation. I believe everyone at that conference table knew deep down that poking fun at an absent co-worker wasn’t right. Several of us stayed silent and refused to partake in the inappropriate commentary. But silence wasn’t sufficient to stop the bad behavior; this situation required speaking up. Leadership requires action, especially when a moral wrong is occurring. On that day, in that conference room, I was ready and stepped in to fill the leadership void.\n\n<strong>Questions for discussion:</strong>\n\n<em>What are your guiding principles that help you decide when it’s time to step in and fill leadership void?</em>\n\n<em>Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? How did you handle a leader who had a momentary lapse of leadership?</em>', 'Leadership Void', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-void', '', '', '2011-04-12 06:07:27', '2011-04-12 11:07:27', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4835', 0, 'post', '', 16),
(4852, 243, '2011-04-22 06:15:08', '2011-04-22 11:15:08', '<blockquote>\"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.\" ~Aesop</blockquote>\nDo you believe that our existence ends when we die and that only tangible things are real?  This is important because ultimately this quote either confirms your beliefs or takes you to a great contradiction.  Either you believe there is something more than what we can see and feel and touch or this quote must be false.\n\nThere is much more to our existence than just what we can touch or see.  We contribute to the overall welfare of humanity when we perform acts of kindness and we overdraw that welfare when we\'re selfish.  There are intangibles that make up the quality of life that you experience.  One of those is the benefit we each derive from living in a community where people are generous and quick to share. Where people are kind and generous, the community is warm and giving.  When people are self-centered and greedy, the community is cold and lonely.  Imagine what your town would be like if everyone only looked out for themselves.\n\nThese types of \"soft\" measures do make a difference.  Look around your community.  Are there neighborhoods where you would prefer not to live?  How about companies you would prefer not to work for. Certain companies are selected year after year as the best places to work. The same is true with communities.\n\nWhat you contribute outlasts you because it lives \"in\" someone else\'s recollection.  However they remember the event and what they derived from it outlasts your physical act.  You \"pay it forward\" when you invest in another, and then, so do they.  There must be something more than what we can see or do or experience.  Why else would this phenomenon exist or matter?\n\nChoose today to make your place better.  Contribute an act of kindness.  You\'ll find that it wasn\'t wasted.\n\n<span style=\"font-size: x-small;\">Photo © 2011 <a title=\"Deb Chitwood\'s Raising Figure Skaters blog\" href=\"http://raisingfigureskaters.com/2011/01/26/no-act-of-kindness-wordart-freebie/\" target=\"_blank\">RaisingFigureSkaters.com</a></span>', 'Lead with Kindness', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'lead-with-kindness', '', '', '2011-04-22 06:15:08', '2011-04-22 11:15:08', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4852', 0, 'post', '', 42),
(4855, 252, '2011-04-19 06:17:47', '2011-04-19 11:17:47', 'Recently I gave a presentation titled,\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\"5 Simple Steps to Engage <strong>Even Your Most Skeptical Employees </strong>In Change, So You Can Create a Strong Foundation for a Positive and Developmental Work Culture\"</p>\nAs I went through it, I myself was struck <em>again</em> by the necessity to understand and consider human nature when we are trying to influence our co-workers and employees (i.e. fellow human beings.)\n\nWe were talking about understanding the nature of human resistance to change, particularly at work when trying to make positive change in work processes or culture.\n<h2>The Faces of Resistance</h2>\nThe point that struck me as fresh again happened when we talked about what is behind what I call \"the faces of resistance\", such as:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Skepticism/ Seen-it-All: </strong>\'Why should I believe you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I\'m going to be here picking up the pieces long after you\'re gone.\"</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Cynical/ Non-trusting:</strong> \"I don\'t want to act like a I care, because I cared once and felt like a fool when I believed in you (or another leader) and you didn\'t deliver as promised.\"</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>WIIFM?:</strong> \"Will I be forgotten once we accomplish this? Not that I want to be put on a pedestal but I\'d like my contribution to be acknowledged. And I want you to understand and acknowledge why my contribution means something <em>to me</em>.\"</li>\n</ul>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Agenda/ Grievance:</strong> \"I feel like I\'ve been wronged in the past and haven\'t been heard. No one has noticed or when I spoke up, no one said they were sorry. And I\'m going to make you miserable til you hear it\"</li>\n</ul>\nAll of these have very human concerns underneath them. As long as someone \"feels\" <em>something </em>about what you are doing, you have something to work with. I think it is the <strong>sign of a good leader</strong> to strive to look underneath these seemingly insurmountable reactions and work them through.\n\nYou can say people need to grow up, let it go and get with the program. I\'m reminded of what I added to the bottom of this slide in my presentation<em>:</em>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\"Like none of us have ever felt anything like this...\"</em></p>\nWhat are some things you have learned about dealing with the faces of resistance?\n\n&nbsp;', 'Understanding the Faces of Resistance', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'understanding-the-faces-of-resistance', '', '', '2011-04-19 06:17:47', '2011-04-19 11:17:47', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4855', 0, 'post', '', 8);
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(4860, 243, '2011-04-17 06:25:50', '2011-04-17 11:25:50', 'Can you develop people remotely?  New technologies are being created at a rapidly increasing pace.  And high unemployment combined with the current economic malaise has forced many companies to cut back on middle-managers and travel.  All of this creates a toxic environment for leadership development.\n\nTraditionally developing leaders is a mentoring activity.  Mentoring is difficult over distance.  Many organizations moved high-achieving potential leaders to the home office for job assignments that would expose them to corporate leadership and give them opportunities to change departments and experience mentoring relationships with home-office executives.  This type of opportunity has been a right-of-passage for many an up-and-coming executive in the corporate world.\n\n<blockquote>Virtual Leadership Development: Mastering the Seven Impact Points</br>When: Tuesday April 19, 2011 2 PM ET (11 AM Pacific)</br>Where: Online - <a title=\"Register Now\" href=\"http://bit.ly/fVuFOV\" target=\"_self\">Register Now</a></blockquote>\nBut with the cutbacks many organizations are experiencing, high-potential individuals are at risk because their career development may not be progressing along with their expectations.  As the job market improves many high-potential leaders may leave for greener pastures, when they appear.  How can we as leaders develop our high-potential remote leaders?  What can we do to invest in and develop our best people?\n\nRoger Courville (@1080Group) of 1080 Group and I will be presenting a free webinar: <a title=\"Virtual Leadership Development Webinar\" href=\"http://bit.ly/fVuFOV\" target=\"_blank\">Virtual Leadership Development: Mastering the Seven Impact Points</a> Tuesday April 19, 2011 at 2 PM Eastern Time.  We will outline seven strategies to utilize as you develop leaders on your team using virtual communication tools.  Space is limited so please register <a title=\"Virtual Leadership Development\" href=\"http://bit.ly/fVuFOV \" target=\"_blank\">here</a> and join us April 19.\n\n<span style=\"font-size:xx-small\">Photo iStockphoto © ilkeryuksel</span>', 'Remote Leadership Development', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'remote-leadership-development', '', '', '2011-04-17 06:25:50', '2011-04-17 11:25:50', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4860', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(4863, 276, '2011-04-23 06:29:04', '2011-04-23 11:29:04', 'With the economic turmoil that started a little over two years ago, coupled with the Madoff scheme, it made me wonder why it happened in the first place and how it could have been avoided.   I often wonder how the C level executives and leaders across those enterprises that caused these problems can sleep at night.\n\nHaving an accounting background, I cannot understand how the management of the companies who had financial problems did not know that their company was in trouble.   What did they do when it was first brought to their attention?   Didn’t they have the obligation to communicate to their shareholders that there was a problem?  I believe it is every leader’s responsibility to be transparent to their constituents at all times.    It does not take a rocket scientist to know that trouble is looming and that in order to avert a problem corrective action must be put in place to address the issue.\n\nThe only conclusion I was able to draw from the whole situation is that the leaders of the troubled companies are not authentic leaders.   Authentic leaders have integrity and lead with compassion for their people.  Like all other leaders they have the vision, insight, influence and followers.  But the difference between a regular and authentic leader is that the authentic leaders care.  They truly care about their constituents.\n\nSometimes I lament that there is no blueprint for selecting a leader for any position.   If there were a book or blueprint, would it help minimize the extent of the problem? At some point, the economic boom led people to believe that it would continue to be that way.    Greed is what broke the camel’s back.  Things would be better if we had authentic leaders back then to avert such a situation.   The next time you meet a leader in your organization; does it make you wonder what their motives are?  One would certainly hope that the person leading them is an authentic leader, because we need authentic leaders now more than ever.\n\nIn your own sphere of influence, whenever you‘re about to promote someone, ask yourself the following questions:\n\n1)      Is the person an authentic leader?\n\n2)      Does he/she have compassion for others?\n\n3)      Will this person bend the truth for his/her own benefit?\n\n4)      Is he/she easily influenced by others?\n\n5)      Is he/she a person of integrity?\n\nThe world is changing and competition is all around us.  The need for authentic leaders is more important than ever.  If you’re in position of authority, ask yourself the question: Is doing the right thing your way of doing things?  Are you there to serve or be served?  Hopefully your answers are doing the right thing and to serve your constituents.\n\nHerb Kelleher, the former CEO of Southwest Airlines, is an example of an authentic leader.  A question was once asked him about which one is more important, the shareholders, customers or employees.   He said that the employees come first and if employees are treated right, they treat the outside world right, the outside world uses the company’s product again, and that makes the shareholders happy.  That is the way it works and it’s not a conundrum at all (Kelleher, 1998, 76).    When I meet people who are in positions of authority, I often wonder how many of Herb’s traits they have.\n\nIn closing, I’ve met a great leader who wants to raise awareness on authentic leadership.   His name is Mike Henry Sr. and he spearheads a movement to focus on <a href=\"../\">authentic leadership</a> called Lead Change Group.   Visit his site to learn more about authentic leadership.  My hope is that the more we learn about it the better things will be around us.', 'The Need for Authentic Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-need-for-authentic-leadership', '', '', '2011-04-23 06:29:04', '2011-04-23 11:29:04', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4863', 0, 'post', '', 14),
(4872, 277, '2011-04-20 06:05:44', '2011-04-20 11:05:44', '<em>In an <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/the-keys-to-managing-people-better/\" target=\"_blank\">earlier post</a>, I offered the theory that <strong>all </strong>good managers have easy access to two fundamental skill sets: Relating (which includes asking, listening, including, coaching and encouraging) and Requiring (which involves creating expectations, focusing on goals, insisting on excellence, setting appropriate controls, asserting views and confronting problems).</em>\n\nOver half the managers who have completed the free assessment at <em><a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a></em> are Relaters. They find it easier and more natural to use the Relating skills rather than the Requiring ones. Almost 80% of these Relaters under-Require. They either under-use or don’t know how to use the Requiring skills.\n<h3>Mindsets that limit your effectiveness as a manager</h3>\nFor thirty years, I\'ve asked managers who have difficulty Requiring what blocks them from doing it, and their answers haven\'t changed much over time. They usually cite some combination of the following themes:\n<ol>\n	<li>I am not a \"bossy\" person. I think of myself as a nice person who happens to be a manager.</li>\n	<li>I dislike conflict and the emotions that result from it.</li>\n	<li>I have a need to be liked and avoid actions that may cause others to dislike me.</li>\n	<li>I don\'t want to hurt my relationships with employees.</li>\n	<li>I am uncomfortable judging others.</li>\n	<li>My employees are friends. I don\'t talk to my friends in a Requiring way.</li>\n	<li>I\'m oriented to meeting other people\'s needs and have a tougher time getting my own needs met.</li>\n</ol>\nThe overall message: \"I view myself as a kind, nice person. I want my employees to have that same view of me. I believe I would have to become \"meaner\" to be more Requiring and that would be very uncomfortable.\"\n\nThese managers know they often settle for mediocre performance. They may put up with less-than-excellent customer service, unmet productivity targets, or questionable quality in an effort to be a likable manager. They know they would be more effective if they could ask for what they want (without guilt) and insist on excellence (without worrying so much about how their corrections are being received). But they are uncertain how to assert without getting a bad result.\n<h3>Define: “nice”</h3>\nHere’s the problem I see. You are misunderstanding what is nice and what is mean. Is it mean or nice to withhold information employees need to grow and do their jobs more effectively? Is it mean or nice to let your group suffer because one of the workers isn’t pulling his/her weight? Is it mean or nice to communicate what you want and expect from your people?\n\nYou don\'t need to be meaner to Require—you need to be nicer. Give employees the information they need to grow and accomplish more. Take proactive steps to resolve issues that interfere with top performance. Communicate what you expect upfront.\n\nInsisting on excellence is nicer to employees than accepting mediocre work, because employees want to be on a winning team, not a limping one.\n\nWhat you want most is to have good long-term relationships with your people. If you could give up trying to please your employees in every interaction—and realize that necessary communication may occasionally upset someone—you would be able to Require more easily. This can lead to achieving the long-term relationship you seek (or if not, you can try again with a more interested, capable replacement employee).\n\nThe employment relationship may result in a friendship, but that is not your primary goal. Your job as a manager is to help employees reach their potential and to help your team deliver great work. You can only do this with the regular use of Requiring skills.\n\nAre you ready to Require more?\n\n<em>(Note: If you’d like to find out where you are on the Relating and Requiring scales, visit the free assessment at <a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a>.) </em>', 'Are You Too Nice To Be A Great Manager?', 'Effective managers create expectations, insist on excellent and confront poor performance. Over 40 percent of managers, however, under-perform on these “Requiring” activities. Why? Many of these managers fear they will come across as mean or combative, an image they want to avoid. To avert a career train wreck, these individuals need to rethink the definitions of “mean” and “nice.”\n', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'are-you-too-nice-to-be-a-great-manager', '', '', '2011-04-20 06:05:44', '2011-04-20 11:05:44', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4872', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(4875, 268, '2011-05-06 06:08:40', '2011-05-06 11:08:40', '“Idea people” constantly scan the environment inside and outside their organizations for product ideas and new ways of doing things. They don’t consciously do this. It just happens. For them, operating in this way is as natural and essential as drinking water.\n\nIdea people gravitate toward all things new and have little patience for inefficient processes and corporate silos. They can live in any department at any level of any organization. They can be any age, any color, male or female. To you as a manager, they may represent a breath of fresh air in your department or a colossal thorn in your side. Regardless of how you feel, idea people may be the key to your organization’s future. The question is…how are you engaging them today?\n\nIf you listen to National Public Radio, you’ve probably heard of <a href=\"http://www.npr.org/series/4516989/storycorps\" target=\"_blank\"><em>StoryCorps</em></a>. It’s a nonprofit that invites Americans to share and preserve important stories from their lives. In a similar vein, I invited idea people to share some of their experiences and observations of the corporate world. My next few posts will feature their input. My goal is to provide vital food for thought and inspire action where needed.\n\nLet’s start with “Mary.” That’s not her real name but these are her words.\n\n<strong>In-house counsel discarded</strong>\n\n“I am an attorney for one of the largest insurance carriers in the country. I want to pull my hair out at the inefficiencies that occur because no one wants to implement a fresh idea or try something new. I don\'t even know where to begin with my frustrations. Let me share three ideas I brought up to my company to save money and help us work more efficiently. All three were rejected.\n\n“Our claims department asks for certain information on a routine basis. Our case management system has some limitations and prevents us from being able to provide the requested numbers. I suggested inputting the information into an Excel spreadsheet.  Excel could perform the needed tabulations so we could serve our client. Why should I even need to ask permission to implement something this straightforward?\n\n“I suggested hiring law students as law clerks to handle some of the routine paperwork attorneys have to do. Such a program would let students build skills that will help them get jobs in this struggling economy. Our attorneys would be able to handle more cases, reducing the overall number of cases that need to be referred to expensive outside counsel.\n\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-4878\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/mpb-leadchange-leighphoto4-041811.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"185\" height=\"276\" />“When I proposed this, my manager thought it was a great idea. But the insurance company did not want to pay for the extra computers that interns would require. We even came up with a very conservative estimate of $90,000 per year of savings for every intern hired. I volunteered to train them and be in charge of the program (and asked for no additional compensation...I saw it as a resume builder). I guess an extra $500 for a computer is just too much money.\n\n“I suggested a monthly brainstorming session among the attorneys to discuss issues of the law or rulings that have created difficulty. The goal? To come up with better ways to defend the carrier and litigate our cases.\n\n“These are not far-out, whacky ideas. They are easy and inexpensive to implement. They solve an existing business problem. You’d think we could just implement these without a complex permission process.\n\n“I have never seen a company that celebrates mediocrity and the ‘sheep’ mentality like this one. I’ve stopped contributing new ideas. I even try to stop myself from thinking of innovative solutions, because I know it will only lead to more frustration. Do you know any companies looking for a bright, energetic legal professional with PR experience?”\n\n****************************\n\nCEOs: Do your corporate processes support or frustrate idea people? Do you know the answer with certainty?\n\nManagers: Do you have anyone like this on your team? When you think about them, do you smile or cringe? Why? Be honest.\n\nFrustrated idea people: I hope you’ll add your stories below.\n\nWildly happy idea people: My next post will be for you. Stay tuned…\n\n<em>Note: Idea people need a manager who can Relate and Require effectively. Do you? Find out via the free assessment at <a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a>. </em>', 'The Plight of “Idea People”', 'Idea people gravitate toward all things new and have little patience for inefficient processes and corporate silos. They can live in any department at any level of any organization. They can be any age, any color, male or female. To you as a manager, they may represent a breath of fresh air in your department or a colossal thorn in your side. Regardless of how you feel, idea people may be the key to your organization’s future. The question is…how are you engaging them today?', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-plight-of-idea-people', '', '', '2011-05-06 06:08:40', '2011-05-06 11:08:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4875', 0, 'post', '', 32),
(4881, 250, '2011-04-21 06:06:36', '2011-04-21 11:06:36', 'My first corporate experience came at about fifteen years into my professional life.  I made the decision to toss my resume in the air to see where it might land. The company I found myself attracted to was a $5B global high tech company with a very conservative culture.\n\nI quickly learned that this company – Company A – had a well-honed process they applied to discern who had ‘leadership’ capability and who did not.  Once you were ‘tapped’ as potential leadership material, you were purposely placed in situations to test your leadership mettle.  These situations often resulted in highly charged debates where your position or perspective was challenged publicly.  You were judged on specific criteria during these events.  If you were able to maintain control of your professional demeanor, effectively influence your opposition and hold your own intellectually, you became part of an elite group who were groomed and developed into a pool of potential successors to the current leaders in place.  While I found this practice to be uncomfortable and often staged, at the end of the day it did seem effective.\n\nThose, and we all know them, who were masters at politics without any substance, didn’t last long in this system.  Those who worked the back office and demeaned their competition through the rumor-mill fell out quickly in this game.  It was like the college debate team on steroids and was positioned in ‘real life’ issues, which upped the an\n\nte considerably.  This model values confidence, intelligence, influencing, communication skills and managing conflict.\n\nMy next corporate experience was at another large global company – Company B – in the automotive industry.  Company B had very sophisticated ‘people processes’ and took great pride in the analysis, application and results of years and years of development. They were much more progressive and cutting edge regarding leadership development.\n\nThey had a talent management system with a structured succession planning process. Quarterly, each division sent their twelve high potentials to a four-day leadership program. This program began with pre-work and each potential leader arrived at the event with their story, which must include a Teachable Point of View. The event began with a sharing of these stories, which demonstrated the ability to be inspiring through an authentic compelling story.  The rest of the time was spent on assessments, simulations requiring role-playing, being observed while networking, etc.\n\nThis might not seem as intense as the Company A process. Nothing could be further from the truth. The division Presidents who, ultimately, determine who attends the quarterly Leadership Program also serve this group up during the President’s Round Table annually.  At this meeting, each President and VP talk through those poised for leadership, the experiences they bring and experiences they need. This requires an in-depth understanding of each high potential leader. A list of open leadership positions is presented and people are slated for these position, on the spot, based on recommendations. Needless to say, many careers are on the line. This model values legacy building, compelling communication, political agility, drive-for-results and a high level of engagement.\n\nWhether you deliberately create a model to identify and develop leaders in your company or not, one will emerge. History teaches us that leaders step forward formally or informally based on what is needed at the time.\n\nUnderstanding your culture, your values and what is required for your company to thrive and grow should determine your methodology.\n\nWhile I witnessed both models work successfully.  In my experience, I would like to believe Company B had the model that launched a more sustainable leadership model.  Building a legacy of leadership creates common language, values and behaviors that become embedded in the way the company works every day. Leaving an imprint on emerging leaders by handing off a baton based on integrity and character equips a company to face the future poised for success. Holding current leadership accountable for future leadership raises the bar on engagement, accountability and decision-making.\n\nWhat have you done today to develop a legacy of leadership for tomorrow?', 'Leading, Learning and Building A Legacy', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leading-learning-and-building-a-legacy', '', '', '2011-04-21 06:06:36', '2011-04-21 11:06:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4881', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(4893, 268, '2011-04-26 06:19:40', '2011-04-26 11:19:40', 'Remember <a title=\"The Discipline of Market Leaders on Amazon\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201407191/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=0201407191\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Discipline of Market Leaders</em></a>? In 1995, authors Treacy and Wiersema described three competencies needed by all organizations: operational excellence (efficient productivity), customer intimacy (“the ability to cultivate relationships”) and product leadership (“offering products that push performance boundaries”). If you haven’t picked up the book in awhile, it’s worth re-reading.\n\nThe authors asserted that successful organizations stake their reputation on <strong><em>one</em> </strong>of these three disciplines, while also maintaining an acceptable level of proficiency in the other two.\n\n<strong>While watching companies implement this book’s principles, I noticed three things...</strong>\n\n<strong>First</strong>, the concepts apply to individual employees, not just organizations. Each employee needs some basic level of proficiency in operational excellence, customer intimacy and product leadership. But each employee is naturally stronger in one of the three and finds the most job satisfaction when engaged in that area.\n\n<strong>Second</strong>, each manager is naturally stronger in one of the three and tends to prefer “like thinkers” for their teams. This can have a couple of side effects. A team may be understaffed in the other two competencies. Or, a manager may unwittingly show preference for the employees most like them and subtly alienating behaviors toward the others.\n\n<strong>Third</strong>, apparently not realizing that Treacy’s and Wiersema’s concepts also apply to individual employees and managers, some organizations began an inadvertent pruning process. For example, one firm selected customer intimacy as its primary focus. It identified current employees who excelled in relationship building and focused on getting their input. The organization pointed to these individuals and said “this” is what we want and what we will reward. “This” is how to act. Everyone needs to learn how to do “this.”\n\nThe firm did not consider that employees who excelled at operational excellence might have brilliant operational ideas for boosting customer happiness. Or that product leaders might have ideas for enhancing offerings, again to delight customers. Instead, those employees whose natural strengths were in operational excellence or product leadership began feeling sidelined—particularly the product leadership folks, who tend to be outliers anyway in many organizations.\n\n<strong>Change your personality...or exit</strong>\n\nEmployees felt they needed to convert themselves into customer intimacy specialists in order to be valued and remain relevant. Some organizations were essentially asking employees to change their personality as a condition of continued employment.\n\nNot satisfied with a seat on the sidelines and not interested in a lobotomy, these disengaged workers left their employers for greener pastures. Product leadership folks gravitated toward product leadership firms that would reward their skills, or they left to start their own enterprises.\n\nThe result? Competency holes. In the effort to become a market leader by Treacy’s and Wiersema’s definition, some organizations fell short because they gutted their talent bench in the two non-focus areas.\n\nMy next few posts will look at the product leadership folks—the “idea people”—from a few different angles. My goal: to provide a fresh perspective on how managers can improve employee engagement and retention of this group.\n\n****************************\n\nCEOs: What discipline is your organization’s claim to fame—operational excellence, customer intimacy or product leadership? How are you doing in the other two areas?\n\nManagers: Which of your employees excel in operation excellence? Customer intimacy? Product leadership? Which group do you find more challenging to manage and why? Do you subtly favor one group over another? <em>(If you are not sure, visit the free questionnaire at <a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a>. You may discover that your answers vary by group.)</em>\n\nHR: If you look at your company’s attrition, is it disproportionally from one group? If you have a way to slice and dice your engagement data, does one of the groups report higher engagement?\n\nEmployees: Which of the three disciplines is your greatest strength? Have you ever experienced a workplace situation where you felt your strength wasn’t valued? If yes, I hope you’ll share your story below.', 'Gutting the Talent Bench', 'What is your organization’s claim to fame—operational excellence, customer intimacy or product leadership? How are you doing in the other two areas? If your focus is customer intimacy, do the employees who personally excel at operational excellence and product leadership feel engaged or disenfranchised in your workplace? ', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'gutting-the-talent-bench', '', '', '2011-04-26 06:19:40', '2011-04-26 11:19:40', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4893', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(4900, 264, '2011-04-30 06:38:11', '2011-04-30 11:38:11', '<em>This post <a href=\"http://www.leadwithhonor.com/blog/2011/04/03/five-tips-for-the-brand-new-leader/\">originally appeared</a> on John\'s Coaching Leaders blog.</em>\n\nGreetings Leaders!\n\nWhen I entered the Navy as a 26 year old Ensign many years ago, I thought I knew how to lead. I was college educated, had a few years of life experience under my belt and had just finished at the top of my class at <a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"Officer Candidate School (U.S. Navy)\" href=\"http://www.ocs.navy.mil/\" rel=\"homepage\">Aviation Officer Candidate School</a>. I was ready for anything - well, except for maybe reality. I remember my first month in the squadron as a blur. A lot of new faces, a lot of new opportunities to excel, and a lot of opportunities to screw up. Here are my Top Five Tips for the brand new leader.\n<ol>\n	<li>Don\'t Take Yourself Too Seriously. Just because you now have a title behind your name, doesn\'t mean you\'re any smarter than you were the day before you got it. In fact, you just went from the top of the class, to the bottom. If anything, you shouldn\'t be going around strutting your stuff, you should be humbly trying to figure out how to lead.</li>\n	<li>Title Does Not Equal Better. A leader understands that everyone has value. The CEO may make more money, but he/she can\'t do the job without everyone else at the company. Treat everyone with respect. You can learn something from everyone at your company. As an Ensign, I soon learned that there were people who I outranked, who knew a lot more than I did. These men and women are the Senior Enlisted members of the Navy and hold the rank of Chief. Chiefs get things done in the Navy, despite the best efforts of young Ensigns to hold them back.</li>\n	<li>Unlearn Everything You Know. This is a HUGE area where most new leaders fail. In your new role, you cannot do the things you did before and be a successful leader. I\'ve worked with mid-level managers trying to break through to the executive level and many of them think managing lists is going to help them excel. Wrong. Senior Managers are concerned about the BIG picture. As you move into a new leadership role, find out what your boss is expecting of you, and start trying to deliver. Do Not... Do Not... DO NOT, assume that you should keep doing the things you did before.</li>\n	<li>Work On Your Soft Skills. As a leader, you are going to have to do things you weren\'t trained for. Here are just a few of them: Counseling, Conflict Resolution, Speaking, Writing, Facilitating, Negotiating, Appraising, Rewarding, Planning, Vision Casting, Team Building... and the list goes on. If you want to excel as a leader, you\'re going to have to learn how to do these things well. Trust me on this, most new leaders fail miserably at these things because they think a title gives them the knowledge to do them. It is not the title, but the willingness to learn, that makes someone a good leader. Go get educated on how to lead.</li>\n	<li>Become A Servant Leader. I know this has a churchy ring to it. But this is the BEST piece of advice I can give you. It is easy to bark orders - especially ones that don\'t make sense. As a mission commander, I had a rule on our crew of 12. After the mission, everyone, including the officers, stuck around until the very last thing was done. We all helped clean up the aircraft after we landed. I once had a visiting Lieutenant who went to the crew van and put his feet up on the dashboard while the rest of us worked. He thought he was above some easy manual labor. He didn\'t do well in the Navy. A great leader, serves others. Others include... well... everyone. Your organization, your boss, your peers, your team, other teams, your client, your customers, your family and yes... yourself. Learn... how to serve.</li>\n</ol>\nAll the best!\nAll the time!\nJT\n<h6 class=\"zemanta-related-title\" style=\"font-size: 1em;\">Related articles</h6>\n<ul class=\"zemanta-article-ul\">\n	<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/need-people-who-lead-regardless-title/\">We Need People Who Can Lead Regardless Of Their Title</a> (leadchangegroup.com)</li>\n	<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\"http://hrblueprints.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/so-what-is-it-that-makes-a-leader-great/\">So What is it That Makes a Leader Great?</a> (hrblueprints.wordpress.com)</li>\n	<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/authentic-leadership-would-you-follow-you/\">Authentic Leadership: Would You Follow You?</a> (leadchangegroup.com)</li>\n</ul>', '5 Tips For The Brand New Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-tips-for-the-brand-new-leader', '', '', '2011-04-30 06:38:11', '2011-04-30 11:38:11', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4900', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(4912, 276, '2011-05-09 06:02:03', '2011-05-09 11:02:03', '\n<strong>“Be the change you want to see in the world.”  Mahatma Gandhi</strong>\n\nThis quote was in our office cafeteria this week.  Change is about the only guarantee we have, along with death and taxes.\n\nChange is a source of fear and anxiety for many people.  It is easy to fall into the trap of being comfortable in your current situation.  Why change when you can just do what you’ve been doing for the last four years.  The routine simplifies things, but the question has to be asked: Is it really good for you?  I’m sure this would be an ages old debate on why keeping with the status quo is good or why change is necessary.  For one, staying as is would render your skills obsolete in a few years.\n\nPeople react differently to change because of the fear of the unknown.  Some people would dash off and seek greener pasture elsewhere because they don’t believe in the change that is about to happen.   I’ve been in the workplace for almost 21 years and it is my experience that grass is always greener on the other side.  Until you cross and see all the brown spots, it often looks nice from afar.  Just like my front lawn, when I’m driving home, I see it from afar and admire how green it is, but as I get closer, I can see brown spots and the smile turns to a frown.\n\nChange gives people hope, especially when they’re not happy with the current situation.  Here are 3 tips to <em>change your attitude about change</em> or to help someone else change their attitude about change:\n<ul>\n	<li>Give change a chance – It is not fair to judge something without really giving it a try.  You can’t say that something is bad until you live through it and experience it.   Experience is our best teacher.</li>\n	<li>Learning is only possible if you keep an open mind – if we never push ourselves and embrace the change, we will not grow.  Growing is only possible through patience and acceptance that through change new things can be learned that will make you better.</li>\n	<li>Staying the same is not good for you – You can’t expect different results by doing the same thing over and over.  Staying the same means that you’ll be left behind.</li>\n</ul>\n<img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-4937\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Future-300x190.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"152\" />\n\nAcknowledging the change is the first step.  After a while, maybe you can embrace the change and give it a fighting chance.   Who knows what you will learn from the journey and experience that you’ll gain along the way.\n\nThe same way people deserve a chance, give change a chance. With change comes opportunity.  By keeping an open mind, you’ll see the opportunity and achieve more.  Just keep in mind that change could be slow, therefore patience is important.  The next time change happens, don’t think about seeking another opportunity elsewhere.  Listen and give change a chance – you never know what will happen.', 'Don&#039;t Dash Off - Give Change a Chance', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'dont-dash-off-give-change-a-chance', '', '', '2011-05-09 06:02:03', '2011-05-09 11:02:03', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4912', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(4924, 270, '2011-05-07 06:24:54', '2011-05-07 11:24:54', '\n\n<em>This post was originally posted on Chery\'s <a href=\"http://www.gianaconsulting.com/blog/you-can-t-have-an-omelet-without-first-breaking-an-egg-\">Giana Consulting Blog</a>.</em>\n\nMy Grandfather was a WWII Battle of the Bulge Veteran and although his nature was to accept whatever life handed him and to move on, the memories of the brokenness &amp; devastation that the war created left a shadow of questions that haunted him.\n\nFor years he did his best to cope, while raising a large family, and tending to a farm.  When his youngest Grandchildren started asking about the war he found some healing by sharing stories with family and fellow veterans, but the questions themselves remained.\n\nIn 2004, 60 years after the battle he accompanied a number of veterans back to those battlefields.  Considering the devastation of the homes, the cities and the lives that were directly impacted by the battles, Grandpa was not sure what kind of a welcome they would receive.  Much to his surprise, everywhere they went they treated as heroes!\n\nOn one particular day Grandpa was given the opportunity to choose a destination on his own, and was accompanied by only a guide, an interpreter, and my Father.  Everywhere they went that day, Grandpa was received with the same appreciation and honor that the group had been receiving.  City Officials came out to meet him and shake his hand.  Grandchildren ran out to thank him for their bed-ridden Grandparents.\n\nGrandpa was honored and shocked by the reactions he was getting and finally voiced his thoughts, “How can you be so grateful when we left your homes, cities &amp; country in such devastation?”\n\nThe guide was a Belgium citizen that had became a political prisoner when the Nazi’s invaded France and spent time in a concentration camp.  His simple response was delivered with a spirit of gratitude and understanding…\n<blockquote>\n<h3><strong>“Y<em>ou can’t have an omelet, without first breaking the eggs.”</em></strong></h3>\n</blockquote>\nWhen the light of that truth met the darkness in Grandpa’s memories, he began to realize that the destruction he thought he was a part of, was the catalyst for hope, freedom &amp; healing to begin.\n\nIf you are currently under-fire and experiencing brokenness in your community, your workplace, your church, or your home; be encouraged that this season in your life is temporary.  And that brokenness is always a catalyst for something new and something whole.\n\n<strong>Additional Resources:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Everything has a season.  A time to break down, and a time to build up.  Eccl 3:3</li>\n	<li>\"<em>Visions make leaders passionate, thorns keep them authentic.\"</em> John Maxwell</li>\n	<li>Song:  Healing Begins by Tenth Avenue North</li>\n</ul>', 'You can’t have an omelet without first breaking the eggs.', 'The guide was a Belgium citizen that had became a political prisoner when the Nazi’s invaded France and spent time in a concentration camp.  His simple response was delivered with a spirit of gratitude and understanding… “You can’t have an omelet, without first breaking an egg.”', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'you-cant-have-an-omelet-without-first-breaking-the-eggs', '', '', '2011-05-07 06:24:54', '2011-05-07 11:24:54', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4924', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(4928, 270, '2011-05-02 06:02:48', '2011-05-02 11:02:48', '<img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-4929\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/FSA-Cover-4_18_11.jpg\" alt=\"Full Steam Ahead | Lead Change Group\" width=\"149\" height=\"225\" />\nProverbs says that <em>“Without a Vision People Perish.”</em>\n\nStephen Covey reminds us to <em>“Begin With The End In Mind.”</em>\n\nIn my personal leadership journey I’ve found vision to be the secret to building synergy, increasing commitment, maximizing results and experiencing incredible joy.\n\nIn the second edition of their book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1605098752/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=1605098752\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Full Steam Ahead</span></a>, Ken Blanchard &amp; Jesse Lyn Stoner begin by emphasizing their experience with worldwide organizations,\n<blockquote><strong><em>“…We have observed that </em></strong><strong><em>the biggest </em></strong><strong><em>impediment </em></strong><strong><em>to managers becoming great leaders </em></strong><strong><em>is the lack of a clear vision. </em></strong><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Yet less than 10 percent</span></em></strong><strong><em> of the organizations we have visited </em></strong><strong><em>are lead by managers who have a clear sense of where they are trying to lead people.”</em></strong></blockquote>\nThey go on to create an easy to follow story-line that has been skillfully written in such a way that you will begin to visualize how to unleash the power of vision in your own workplace and personal life.  Filled with insightful lessons, examples of extraordinary leaders and clear action steps you will learn:\n<ul>\n	<li>How a clear purpose helps you move ahead in spite of obstacles.</li>\n	<li>How a vision unleashes energy, passion and excitement.</li>\n	<li>How a vision empowers individuals.  And at the same time limits conflict and increases teamwork.</li>\n	<li>How to balance the creative tension between the current reality and the vision.</li>\n</ul>\nAnd you will be challenged to consider:\n<ul>\n	<li>How the leader becomes a servant of the vision by frequently reminding people what is really important and removing obstacles.</li>\n	<li>How these lessons can help people who are seeking to have more work/life balance.</li>\n	<li>How important it is to live in the present even if you’re passionate about creating the future.</li>\n</ul>\nI don’t know too many organizations today that are content with their current results, if you are one of them and you want to have more energy, ignite more creativity, experience more synergy and make a greater impact on your mission - Get the book, read it, study it, refer to it often.  You are on your way – <strong><em>Full Steam Ahead!</em></strong>\n\n<strong><em>\n</em></strong>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Special Launch Celebration May 2 to May 6</strong></h2>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Jesse and Ken will donate all profits from <a title=\"Full Steam Ahead on Amazon.com\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1605098752/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=1605098752\">online purchases</a> from </span><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">Amazon &amp; Barnes &amp; Noble to: </span>Give Kids the World</h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Give Kids The World provides cost-free magical experiences to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Their vision is to give these families the opportunity for joy, laughter, and serenity, and to be sustained by memories for a lifetime. Provided within 24 hours if need-be, no child in need has ever been turned away. Located near the central Florida attractions, over 100,000 children have had their dream come true.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Visit Give Kids The World Online!</p>', 'Full Steam Ahead!  Book Review', '“…We have observed that the biggest impediment to managers becoming great leaders is the lack of a clear vision. Yet less than 10 percent of the organizations we have visited are lead by managers who have a clear sense of where they are trying to lead people.”', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'full-steam-ahead-book-review', '', '', '2011-05-02 06:02:48', '2011-05-02 11:02:48', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4928', 0, 'post', '', 22),
(4943, 268, '2011-05-12 06:04:21', '2011-05-12 11:04:21', 'Literally hundreds of “idea people” are wilting in Corporate America today. Many feel they are talking to a brick wall when they propose process improvements or new product concepts to their employers (see <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/the-plight-of-idea-people/\">case study</a> in prior post). They voice frustration with “we’ve-always-done-it-this-way” thinking and silo mentality.\n\nIn exploring this topic, I did find one wildly happy idea person working inside a large organization and interviewed him for this post. Meet IBM Fellow John Cohn, Ph.D., an idea powerhouse who has been at IBM for 29 years. He offers six pieces of wisdom for employers who want to keep their creative talent engaged and on board. Enjoy.\n\n<strong>Employer takeaway #1: </strong><strong>Recognize your organization’s need for “wild ducks.” Show them a career path and help them channel their enthusiasm toward your greatest business needs.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\nCohn: “IBM is a funny place. It has a reputation for being buttoned down, yet it still has a strong underground culture of \'wild ducks,\' as our second chairman T.J. Watson, Jr., called them. I think large, structured organizations like ours actually recognize the need for a few creative loose cannons to keep things fresh. In fact, when I think of my most senior technical colleagues, the IBM Fellows, they\'re nearly <em>all</em> a little offbeat.”\n\n<strong>Employer takeaway #2: Equip idea people to work across silos and give them permission to do so. “Hands off, not your department” is a quick way to lose an idea person’s motivation.</strong>\n\nCohn: “The most important thing for a company of our size is to make it easy for folks to network and connect with employees in very different disciplines from their own. IBM has a variety of programs to bring folks together around ideas. We use a mix of face-to-face and virtual collaborations. In my experience, having at least some in-person interaction dramatically improves the speed and quality of cross-organizational collaboration. Great thinking can happen over a beer or coffee.\"\n\n<strong>Empl</strong><strong>oyer takeaway #3: Invite employees to challenge obstacles respectfully. </strong>\n\nCohn: “Here’s what I tell the people I mentor. ‘When you allow external constraints to shape your life or your work, you are letting others define you. You need to use your passion for your ideas to stand up to the many constraints you may encounter in a large organization.’\n\n“I think people at IBM have the power to do what they know to be right, although many folks lack the confidence to push through obstacles. You have to know when to listen to constraints given to you by your management…and when to move beyond or around them. You need to do this respectfully…but you need to do it. Clearly, the more senior you are, the easier it is to push big ideas. But you are never too junior here to start pushing.”\n\n<strong>Employer takeaway #4: Coach your boundary-pushers instead of slapping their wrists. They may need </strong><strong>gentle guidance on how to assess feasibility, how and when to present new ideas, etc. (My next post will look at this in more detail.)</strong>\n\nCohn: “You may have to start small and push the envelope just enough to accomplish your goals. When the organization sees you\'ve been successful, you will find you have a little more leeway the next time you need to stretch the bounds.\n\n“I\'m not saying it\'s OK to push the bounds just for the sake of doing so. Ultimately, it all comes down to results. You\'ll only be able to exercise your full Jedi powers if you\'re seen to be accomplishing things for the organization. In my experience, this works best when you\'re motivated by doing the right thing for <em>the organization</em>, as opposed to just focusing on what’s best for your personal career.”\n\n<strong>Employer takeaway #5: Provide time and space to learn, think and formulate. Chronic deadlines, overtime and excessive focus on costs will kill your organization’s creativity.</strong>\n\nCohn: “One trend I see in the tech industry is the amount of work expected from each employee is increasing. Any organization that wants to regain its innovative spirit needs to find ways to give employees back the gift of time.\n\n“In the interest of efficiency, many organizations unwittingly remove the \'space\' necessary for their employees to innovate. A culture that only focuses on the \'cost\' of things—like face-to-face travel, exploratory projects and even mistakes—fails to see the value of these activities. Spontaneous innovation is the life blood of a technology firm. A company that fails to invest in allowing its employees time to meet, think, explore and take risks will lose its creative energy and its creative people.\n\n“Ultimately, I see the responsibility here comes back to the individual. Whatever the demands on your time, you need to ‘make’ time to do the things that allow your creative juices to flow. Maybe it’s taking a class. Maybe it’s reading papers, writing patents, doing a ‘skunk works’ project…or even just thinking. This may sound a little subversive, but sometimes you need to push back on the system and take that time back for yourself.”\n\n<strong>Employer takeaway #6: Help employees identify and nurture their passions. Passion leads to high performance.</strong>\n\nCohn: “The most important advice I give to folks I mentor is to stay passionate about your work. It\'s not always easy to do that, but nothing fuels innovation like passion. Nothing kills innovation, loyalty and performance faster than lack of passion. The key to remaining \'in love\' with your work—or at least part of it—is to think hard about what you enjoy doing and work relentlessly to keep that element in your job. A company that recognizes employees need to find and nurture their passions is going to be much more innovative than a company focused purely on day-to-day metrics like cost and quotas.”\n\n&nbsp;\n\n*********************************************\n\nCEOs: Do you agree with the six takeaways? What other points do you glean from John Cohn’s remarks?\n\nManagers: Are you thinking, “This sounds great, but IBM is a technology company and we’re not?” What prevents you from acting on the six takeaways?\n\nIdea people: John Cohn advocates taking personal responsibility for idea leadership. Do you feel this is possible in your workplace? If not, what holds you back?\n\n&nbsp;', 'Cultivating Idea Leadership—Views From an IBM Fellow', 'Wondering how to rekindle creativity in your workplace? Meet IBM Fellow John Cohn, Ph.D., an idea powerhouse who has been at IBM for 29 years. He shares six observations about how to keep innovators engaged and on board.', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'cultivating-idea-leadership-views-from-an-ibm-fellow', '', '', '2011-05-12 06:04:21', '2011-05-12 11:04:21', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4943', 0, 'post', '', 8);
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(4949, 278, '2011-05-03 06:04:30', '2011-05-03 11:04:30', 'Do you ever wish there was one more day in the week?  Does your job seem like a <em>Black Hole?</em> Does it seem like you can’t get things accomplished because people get in the way?  The Transformational Leader learns to manage time and manage conflict by building effective teams.\n\nDefine ways that teamwork can free up your time for the specific tasks that only you can do and free up for visionary leadership, preparation and study.  Identify areas that could be delegated such as getting the doughnuts, writing and sending news releases, implementing the plans for team meetings or any other area that utilize the ability and time of your team.  Some of these are predictable and repeatable while some are creative.  A key point is to be flexible in the way plans are implemented.  It doesn’t have to be done exactly your way to be good, does it?  A Transformational Leader creates the vision and leads the process while mentoring and nurturing those whom they lead.\n\nEffective teamwork depends on effective leadership skills.  Having a clear vision of the concept of teamwork is the beginning.  There are many things that are not appropriate for teams to deal with.  The leader must decide what projects could, in fact, be team projects. Then it is essential to build the right team.  This process requires discipline on the part of the leader to take the necessary time and to do the necessary steps to insure the success of the team.  Teams can be formally or informally structured.  Teams can be short-term or ongoing. The parameters must be clearly defined.\n\nCreate a clear set of goals based on the vision for the organization that are consistent with the core values of the organization. The Transformational Leader continues to develop and strengthen the leadership skills for all leaders on the team in order to manage conflict and maintain momentum in all processes.\n\nBe the leader, in fact, be the leader of leaders. The Transformational Leader creates leader on teams and develops strategies for their success.\n\nIf the team you lead is successful, then you, as their leader, are ultimately successful!\n\n<span style=\"font-size:xx-small;\">Photo CC <a title=\"Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/5431801240/\">NASA\'s Marshall Space Flight Center</a></span>', 'Building Effective Teams: Manage Team Conflict by Clear Delegation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'building-effective-teams-manage-team-conflict-by-clear-delegation', '', '', '2011-05-03 06:04:30', '2011-05-03 11:04:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4949', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(4953, 279, '2011-05-10 06:03:26', '2011-05-10 11:03:26', '<blockquote><em><strong>Nothing is so powerful as insight into human nature... What compulsions drive a man, what instincts domi</strong></em><em><strong>nate his action... If you know these things about a man you can touch him at the core of his being. - William Bernbach (1911-1982)</strong></em></blockquote>\nThey surround us. People who do or say things that drive us crazy, and the brutal fact is that it\'s likely the feeling is mutual. You may live, work and play with people who have tendencies such as:\n<ul>\n	<li>They\'re bossy.</li>\n	<li>They talk incessantly with long-winded stories that aren\'t relevant to the topic at hand.</li>\n	<li>They need information and data to analyze before making a decision.</li>\n	<li>They come to you constantly with questions about the best ways to do a task.</li>\n	<li>They\'re a perfectionist and nothing you do is every good enough for them.</li>\n	<li>They think they\'re always right.</li>\n	<li>They\'re optimistic, even in the midst of a crisis.</li>\n</ul>\nTruth be told, you may exhibit some of these behaviors, if you were honest with yourself. Of course, you may be in denial and while these tendencies are apparent to others, you can\'t (or choose not to) see yourself in the same way that others see you. However, <strong>perception is reality.</strong> When others observe your behavior, their reality is based on their perception -- whether you choose to accept it or not. No behavior is universally right or wrong. It takes an <strong>enlightened leader</strong> to know thyself through a process of self-discovery, then choose to adapt their behavior to the needs of others depending on the situation and the people involved.\n<h3>Discover</h3>\nThe first step to <em><strong>knowing thyself</strong></em> is through a behavior or personality assessment. There are many from which to choose. I\'ve been working with the DISC model for more than a decade, and I am a certified professional behavior analyst, Value Added Associate and distributor through Target Training International. DISC is an acronym that stands for the four quadrants of behavior it measures: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance. DISC is a universal language of observable human behavior that\'s been scientifically tested for its high level of validity and reliability.\n<h3>Address</h3>\nAfter you know yourself, the next step for an enlightened leader is to learn to<em><strong> recognize behavioral differences in others</strong></em>. If you look around your team, office, department or organization, you will find that:\n<ul>\n	<li>Some people are forceful, direct and results-oriented. (D - dominant)</li>\n	<li>Some are optimistic, fun and talkative. (I - influence)</li>\n	<li>Some are steady, patient and relaxed. (S - steadiness)</li>\n	<li>Others are precise, accurate and detail-oriented. (C - compliance)</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Bring out the Best</h3>\nPeople around you may have two or more of these descriptors, yet their behavior seems to consistently fall in one of the preceding categories - D, I, S, and C. This heightened awareness allows you to take the third crucial step: <em><strong>appealing to others\' needs</strong></em>. Before you can appeal to someone\'s basic needs, you must know their needs then intentionally choose to adapt your behavior to their behavioral preferences. For example, if you know one of your team members like punctuality, you can choose to be on time for his/her meetings. Perhaps Jane Doe like to be in charge; assign her the role of a project manager.\n\nAs a <em><strong>character-based leader</strong></em>, if you are willing to discover your behavioral strengths; willing to address possible limitations in your behavior; and have a desire to bring out the best in others then DISC is a place to start. Because I believe strongly in the power of DISC assessments and analysis, I am offering<em><strong> free online DISC behavior assessments</strong></em> for a limited time. To take advantage of this offer, email me at <em><strong>angie@angiechaplin.com </strong></em>or post your request in the comment section below along with your email address. You\'ll receive instructions from me with the website, response link and one-time use password to access the instrument.\n\nWhat are your experiences with behavior or personality assessments?  Do you have opinions on how your leadership and communication styles - personally and professionally - have benefited from the insight and application?\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>', 'Why Can&#039;t We All Just Get Along?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'why-cant-we-all-just-get-along', '', '', '2011-05-10 06:03:26', '2011-05-10 11:03:26', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4953', 0, 'post', '', 18),
(4970, 268, '2011-05-20 06:04:59', '2011-05-20 11:04:59', 'Many “idea people” in Corporate America view their employers as inefficient and broken. Like “Mary” in <a title=\"The Plight of &quot;Idea People&quot;\" href=\"/the-plight-of-idea-people/\">The Plight of \"Idea People\"</a>, these employees feel stuck and unable to contribute in the ways they want. They have ideas to fix the system but too often hold back due to real or perceived road blocks. In my <a title=\"Cultivating Idea Leadership - Views from an IBM Fellow\" href=\"/cultivating-idea-leadership-views-from-an-ibm-fellow/\">last post, John Cohn of IBM</a> encouraged idea people to push through or work around the constraints. But how do you do this respectfully, without stepping on toes?\n\nIn this post, you’ll meet marketing executive Max Holloway of the UK software firm <a href=\"http://www.wordtracker.com/\" target=\"_blank\">WordTracker</a> (photo on right). Max describes himself as a “hyper-creative” jazz musician who has “more ideas per second” than he knows what to do with. He learned the hard way how and when to present ideas, and he offers five pieces of advice for idea leaders (and the people who coach them). Enjoy!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Just because it’s a good idea doesn’t mean it’s the right idea</strong>\n\nHolloway: “In any business environment there are a finite number of ‘man hours.’ These are the hours a company has at its disposal to work on projects. This means there are a finite number of projects that can be acted upon and ultimately a finite number of ‘yes’ decisions a boss or top-level manager can make.”\n\n<strong>Shoot from the hip and you may shoot yourself in the foot</strong>\n\nHolloway: “Good ideas make us feel like we are contributing. And because we often view our own ideas with unrealistic optimism, it is tempting and very common for ‘idea guys’ to shoot out ideas as they have them. This clogs up your boss’ email, irritating the very people whose support you need. Remember, a lot of the evaluating has to be done by managers, and not the idea guys.”\n\n<strong>Don’t expect others to volunteer for the work</strong>\n\nHolloway: “Most people who have a great idea think it is so good that all the work is already done, or that everyone else will do the work. So the idea hangs there, and in a month’s time when someone says, ‘Hey Max, that great idea you had, how’s that going?’ You’ll most often hear, ‘Oh…I thought you guys were working on that?’ I have seen this ‘great idea with no follow through’ actually SINK two companies. Dead.”\n\n<strong>Research your idea thoroughly before floating it with management</strong>\n\nHolloway: “When an idea comes into your head, you need to evaluate seven things…\n<ol>\n	<li>Will this activity add value to the company (in terms of money or brand equity)?</li>\n	<li>Will time spent on this add more value than time spent on other activities?</li>\n	<li>Is it achievable?</li>\n	<li>Does it fit your overall business direction, brand image and corporate culture?</li>\n	<li>Does it already exist?</li>\n	<li>Is there a demand for this idea?</li>\n	<li>Can you quantify the ROI?</li>\n</ol>\n“If your research looks good and the idea is sound, then it’s time to write a plan.”\n\n<strong>Think through the implementation steps</strong>\n\n<em>In some cases, an employee will not have enough background knowledge to understand the implementation requirements. But a good plan boosts the chances that management will be receptive to a new idea. So, get help if you need it. </em>\n\nHolloway: “A solid plan needs the following elements…\n<ol>\n	<li>Outline the idea in a paragraph.</li>\n	<li>Explain step by step what’s needed to actualize the idea.</li>\n	<li>For each step, list the non-personnel resources needed to achieve the goal.</li>\n	<li>For each step, list the people needed for accomplishing the work and how long you think it will take them.</li>\n	<li>Define your milestones for entire project. Clearly identify how you will know when each step is complete such that you are ready to move on to the next step.</li>\n	<li>Describe the expected outcome of your idea, providing numbers where possible.</li>\n	<li>Discuss how you will know the plan has been actualized.</li>\n</ol>\n“A plan with these elements provides a crystal clear outline for your boss. It is easier to critique the idea, amend it and ask questions about it. Once revised and approved, the plan serves as a project road map.”\n\n****************************************\n\nManagers: Is your inbox flooded with shoot-from-the-hip ideas? Would you be more receptive to new ideas if your employees followed Max’s advice?\n\nIdea people: If you regularly follow Max’s advice and still feel shut down, it’s time for a frank talk with your manager or HR. What’s the road block? Is it something you are doing? Or is it a corporate culture issue? If the latter, can you be a catalyst for change? Or is it time to find a new gig?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<em>Note: Idea people need a manager who can Relate and Require effectively. Do you? Find out via the free assessment at <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a></span>. </em>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<em>Another helpful resource:</em> <em><a href=\"http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/16/cb.tell.boss.good.idea/index.html\">http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/16/cb.tell.boss.good.idea/index.html</a></em>', 'Etiquette Guide for “Idea People”', 'Many “idea people” in Corporate America view their employers as inefficient and broken. These frustrated workers have ideas to fix the system but too often hold back due to real or perceived road blocks. How do you challenge broken processes or sacred cows respectfully, without stepping on toes?', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'etiquette-guide-for-idea-people', '', '', '2011-05-20 06:04:59', '2011-05-20 11:04:59', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4970', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(4980, 271, '2011-05-11 06:08:38', '2011-05-11 11:08:38', 'It’s not true in every organization, but it is true in many. Managers (leaders) often don’t understand their employees. They don’t know how to motivate, inspire, and correct people effectively. As I work with my clients, I hear the same questions repeatedly: “How do I get my employees to …\n<ul>\n	<li>Quit complaining?”</li>\n	<li>Do more than the bare minimum?”</li>\n	<li>Contribute in meetings?”</li>\n	<li>Show up on time?” etc.</li>\n</ul>\nI also hear all kinds of answers for each situation. Some proposals are good, and some are not. The good suggestions show an understanding of human nature and an effort to apply behavioral principles. The bad ones usually feel good to the manager, but they violate some basic principle of human relations and interaction.\n\nHuman behavior is a complex subject. However, events that appear to be random, isolated behaviors actually fit into predictable patterns for most people. If you understand the patterns, you will know what to do in most situations. I’ve developed the <em>Five Be’s of Motivation</em> to reduce some of these patterns to five easy to remember and apply principles.\n\nSo, let’s get started…\n\n<strong>1. Be Positive</strong>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">People pretty much do things for one of two reasons: to avoid pain or to pursue pleasure. As a leader, you constantly work between these two options. If you use negatives - like verbal reprimands, threats, or other punishments - to drive behavior, people will do just enough to avoid the pain. You will condemn yourself to bare minimum effort from your employees. If you focus on rewarding good behaviors, you improve the odds that you will get cooperation and extra, discretionary effort rather than conflict, complaints and bare minimum performance.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Noticing unacceptable behaviors and stopping them with punishment is easy. It takes effort to recognize good behaviors and praise them. You need to do both; but the more you recognize the good, the less likely you are to see the bad.</p>\n<strong>2. Be Specific</strong>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Make sure you speak only about specific behaviors. Whether you administer discipline or offer praise, the more specific you make your words the better.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Emotional involvement (anger) from a negative situation often makes specificity a bigger challenge during discipline. For example, an employees consistently challenges you in meetings. Many leaders get angry with the situation and tell the employee to “stop being rude and inconsiderate.” Unfortunately, “rude” and “inconsiderate” are <em>interpretations</em> rather than <em>behaviors</em>. A better statement would be, “I don’t appreciate it when you interrupt and challenge me. I see those behaviors as rude and inconsiderate. I won’t do it to you, and I don’t expect you to do it to me.” (I suggest you do this in private.) Depending on the situation, you might take further disciplinary action based on company history and workplace rules. Whether you take further action or not, focus on specific behaviors and not your interpretation of the intent or motive behind the behaviors.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Here are some examples:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n<ul>\n	<li>Rude, inconsiderate, disrespectful, arrogant, obnoxious, flighty, unfocused, smart aleck, and pushy are interpretations.</li>\n	<li>Interrupting, rolling eyes, speaking loudly (or softly), shrugging shoulders, looking away, walking away, and tone of voice are specific behaviors.</li>\n</ul>\n</blockquote>\n<strong>3. Be Certain</strong>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">People generally act based on what they expect to happen to them in the future. Whether it’s avoiding pain or pursuing pleasure, it’s still about expectations for the future. Your employees need to know — without a doubt — what to expect from you based on their actions.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Make sure that everyone clearly understands the rules of conduct in your workplace. Ideally, you will write down anything that is mission critical to your operation. I don’t suggest that you make your employee handbook look like the Code of Federal Regulations, but you should have a few well-written and clearly defined behavioral expectations for your business. People need to know the rules. They need to know what to expect when they follow the rules - and when they don’t.</p>\n<strong>4. Be Consistent</strong>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Consistency works in close partnership with Certainty. It is Certainty’s twin in the daily struggle to create a high-performing, results-oriented team. If you don’t consistently apply your workplace rules, your employees will never develop a sense of certainty.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Consistency applies to both positive and negative behaviors. If you say that you will reward certain behaviors, then always reward them. If you say that certain behaviors are unacceptable, always act to stop them.</p>\n<strong>5. Be Immediate</strong>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Act now. When your employees do something worthy of praise — do it now. When they need correction — do it now. Delayed consequences have very little impact on behavior.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I’ll illustrate the point with my behavior.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I like cheesecake. Eating cheesecake offers me both immediate and future consequences. The future consequence is negative - I could develop a weight or blood pressure problem. The immediate consequence is positive — it tastes good and gives me pleasure. When I have the opportunity to get cheesecake, I find it difficult to resist even though I understand the negative consequences. Why? The immediate, certain positive tends to overshadow the future, possible negative.</p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Acting immediately has an added benefit when the behavior is inappropriate. If the behavior continues without correction, you are likely to get angrier every time you see it. As you get angrier, you will probably have more difficulty keeping your response proportional to the behavior. Act now and you will be better able to maintain self-control.</p>', 'The 5 Be’s of Motivation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-bes-of-motivation', '', '', '2011-05-11 06:08:38', '2011-05-11 11:08:38', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4980', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(4987, 246, '2011-05-14 06:03:53', '2011-05-14 11:03:53', 'This post was modified from the original published on the <a href=\"http://harvestperformance.ca/?p=667\" target=\"_blank\">Harvest Performance blog</a>.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThink of someone that you are uncomfortable talking to (could be your co-worker, child, employee, or spouse).\n<ul>\n	<li>Why are they so difficult to talk to?</li>\n	<li>Do you feel defensive?</li>\n	<li>Do they feel listened to?</li>\n	<li>Do you avoid this person?</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>These are signs that the relationship is lacking trust and respect.</h3>\nOne way to help you have successful, meaningful conversations and relationships is to <em><strong>show</strong></em> respect.\n<blockquote><span style=\"font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;\">If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.  ~Hal Borland</span></blockquote>\nWhen we plant a tree, do we expect it to grow overnight? The same is true for building trust and respect in relationships. Through the ups and downs and over time, trust will grow.\n\nNow, think about someone you trust.\n<ul>\n	<li>How does this person make you feel?</li>\n	<li>Do you look forward to talking to this person?</li>\n	<li>Do great things happen when you are together?</li>\n</ul>\nNext time you have a conversation with your trusted friend, observe them. Which of the actions below do they practice?\n<h3>As a leader, how many of these do you use successfully?</h3>\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>Listen</strong>, really listen without interrupting.</li>\n	<li>Make <strong>eye contact</strong> (not piercing eye contact… make sure it’s comfortable for the other person).</li>\n	<li>Validate what was said by <strong>repeating back </strong>in your own words.</li>\n	<li><strong>Focus</strong> on what is being said: Don’t think of what you will say next.</li>\n	<li>If you need to take notes, <strong>ask for permission</strong> (if I want to take notes to remember what you said, would that make you feel respected?)</li>\n	<li>Find an item that you agree with and <strong>tell them you agree</strong> with them.</li>\n	<li>When you don’t agree, <strong>ask questions</strong> to help clarify or validate your intuition.</li>\n	<li><strong>Show interest</strong> in what is being said (<strong>nod</strong>, make eye contact, <strong>smile</strong>, ask questions).</li>\n	<li>Present your point of view as “<strong>another way of looking at things</strong>”.</li>\n	<li><strong>Ask their</strong> <strong>opinion</strong>.</li>\n</ol>\nThese 10 tips for showing respect can be effective both in your personal and professional life. The key is to practice. Which ones will you try today? What other actions show respect during a conversation?', '10 Ways to Show Respect: Master the Art of Conversation', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '10-ways-show-respect-master-art-conversation', '', '', '2011-05-14 06:03:53', '2011-05-14 11:03:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4987', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(4994, 258, '2011-05-05 06:03:36', '2011-05-05 11:03:36', 'In my leadership class we have been watching the film “Remember the Titans.”  The film is an explosion of leadership, both good and bad.  It demonstrates how people can lead by example, in their words, and also in their silence.  The leaders that are able to learn, to grow, end up being the most effective.  Those that stick to their negative and counterproductive ways eventually fail.  No leader is perfect, but there are plenty of moments when a leader inspires others and demonstrates how important leadership is, especially for youth.\n\nThere are dozens of scenes I could talk about, but there is one that struck me as we watched it.  The film is set in 1971 and racial tensions are high.  A school has just become integrated and the story is of the journey the football team makes to adjust to this integration.  In the scene, a black coach has been appointed the assistant coach of the team and shows up to meet the white head coach.  The head coach says almost nothing while a white assistant coach makes racist remarks and belittles the black coach.  What strikes me most was not the racist assistant.  His stance and hatred are clear and do not change throughout the film.  Mostly I notice the head coach’s silence.  By refusing to speak, to stop the racist remarks, he is in fact complicit in them, silently supportive of the behavior.  He leads his coaches with silence.\n\nThis might be lesson enough, but this week, an event of significance occurred in the US killing of Osama bin Laden.  As I watched President Obama’s speech, the media commentary, and the videos of celebrations that followed, I struggled to gather my thoughts and consider what I might say to my students the next day.  My leadership class meets 1<sup>st</sup> period, and I was literally still in the parking lot when they met me Monday morning ready to talk.\n\nI was grateful that I had friends on Facebook that had discussed the situation.  I was most grateful for a post I read almost immediately from my friend Lali deRosier that helped me think about this situation.  Her words:  “I am glad for the American families that will find closure. I am thankful for the efforts of our servicemen and allies. I am appreciative for what this means for the war against terrorism. I CANNOT rejoice in the death of a human being. I am better than that, and so are you.”\nThe next morning we watched President Obama’s speech in class and discussed the situation.  I hope these actions helped my students think about this event.\n\nLater that day I eagerly turned to Twitter and some of my favorite leaders for their wisdom and guidance on this historic event.  I found the usual blog posts on human resources and corporate leadership, but almost no comments on bin Laden’s death.  Finally I tweeted one thought, a single sentence.  “Do not rejoice in the death of one man. Rejoice when there is peace.”\n\nPerhaps everyone needed time to think so I came back Tuesday.  Nothing.  Now Wednesday.  Maybe I should say something, drop a thought into the #leadchange feed.  The silence made me wonder.  Is this too political? Am I so far off the mark?  I said nothing, complicit in the silence.\n\nIn the end we all know that bin Laden’s death will not bring back any of those lost on September 11, 2001 or in the years since.  His death will not stop al-Qaeda or terrorism.  In fact, we may be ever more targeted by those angered by his death.   So what were people celebrating through the night after the announcement?  American superiority?  Vengeance?  Death? And what does it say about me if I say nothing about any of this?\n\nI am worried, worried about the character of our citizens, especially our youth.  You may think that the response to this is obvious.  Why speak what everyone else already knows?  But I only needed to watch two minutes of celebrations to know that not everyone thinks the same way I do.  Those that care about leadership need to talk about this, not because we always agree, but because in our silence we are already speaking.\n\nI do worry about the hatred and evil we hear spilling from the mouths of those who live to spread such things. But I worry more that there are so few voices stepping up to counter this hatred.  When you watched those celebrations on Sunday, what, if anything, did you say to your children, to your colleagues, to whatever audience you have gathered at your blogs or on Facebook or Twitter?  Can we actually afford to be silent?', 'Silent Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'silent-leadership', '', '', '2011-05-05 06:03:36', '2011-05-05 11:03:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=4994', 0, 'post', '', 44),
(5010, 261, '2011-05-13 06:05:13', '2011-05-13 11:05:13', 'In the 6<sup>th</sup> century BC, Aesop told a fable about the Lion and The Four Oxen.\n\nA lion used to prowl around a field where four oxen dwelled. Many times he would try to eat them but whenever he approached the four oxen would back their tales up to each other with their bodies pointed outward in different directions. No matter what direction the lion approached, he was met by the horns of one of them and could do nothing. At last, the oxen fell to quarreling amongst themselves and so each went off to a pasture of their own in a separate corner of the field. Then the lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end to all four.\n\nAesop’s moral to this fable has become one of the most famous sayings in the English language: <strong>United We Stand, Divided We Fall.</strong>\n\nThroughout history, Aesop’s moral has been repeated over and over. Six centuries later the bible said “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.\" Abraham Lincoln used a paraphrased version of that in his acceptance speech as candidate for President in June, 1858, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”\n\nThe winners of every major war, conflict or cause all had their roots in everyone being united as one. The United States exist because farmers, merchants, clergy, family members and more all put the cause of the American revolution above their own individual problems and needs.\n<h3>A Moral For Leaders</h3>\nBehind Aesop’s moral lies a deeper moral that speaks to us as leaders. When no one assumes a leadership role, everything falls to pieces. If just one of the oxen had been strong enough in character to lead the other oxen, they could have maintained their united stance against the lion. They become divided because there was no leader amongst the four of them.\n\nEverywhere we turn we see signs of division, lack of unity and too many people more concerned about themselves than others. In major corporations, the halls of governments, sports, education, science and communities of all kinds, this lack of unity continues to spread like a wildfire.\n\nWe surely don’t lack for information about how to be an effective leader today. There are more books, leadership coaches and consultants and more education programs about leadership than at any time in the history of the world. One does not have to go very far or exert much effort to get first class guidance on how to be an effective leader.\n\nHow can there be so much available to develop good leaders while lack of unity continues to spiral out of control? The crisis we face today isn’t about the techniques, methods and attributes of good leaders. We face a crisis of courage and character.\n\nToo many of those who have learned how to be excellent leaders don’t step up to the plate when it’s really needed out of fear. They fear for their jobs, their image, their family, their future. Have too many of us become too comfortable in our way of life to take the risk when the stakes are high, the controversy is present and the consequences possibly severe?\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAmerica was founded by individuals who were willing to risk their life for what they believed in. They not only possessed the courage to act, they possessed the character to know right from wrong. The United States exist because of courage and character. The disunity we see all around us at home and on foreign shores can only be solved when enough leaders stand up for what is right and enough people follow them because they are people of true character.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>United we stand. Divided we fall. Where are the leaders with the courage and character to unite us all?</strong>', 'It Takes Courage And Character To Unify People', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'it-takes-courage-and-character-to-unify-people', '', '', '2011-05-13 06:05:13', '2011-05-13 11:05:13', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5010', 0, 'post', '', 30),
(5021, 245, '2011-05-21 06:11:05', '2011-05-21 11:11:05', '<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>The concept of MBWA still has legs. Here’s how to capitalize on it.</em></h3>\nHow much time should a CEO spend interacting with company employees versus external partners? More than you might think, according to <a href=\"http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6665.html\">research</a> conducted by the Harvard Business School faculty.  There is evidence interacting with “insiders” (employees and their board of directors) is more productive than interacting with people from outside the CEO’s company. The researchers noted that “for every 1 percent gain in time [that a CEO spent] with at least one insider, productivity advanced 1.23 percent.” There was no such correlation when CEOs spent time with only outsiders.\n\nMost senior leaders would agree that staying in touch with their employee base is important. This leader-employee connection typically takes on the structured forms of town hall meetings, video broadcasts and planning sessions. But there are informal ways to stay in touch as well, often called “<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_By_Wandering_Around#cite_note-0\">Management By Walking Around</a>” (MBWA), a phrase coined in the 1980’s in the book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Search-Excellence-Americas-Companies-Essentials/dp/0060548789\">In Search of Excellence</a>. MBWA, the theory goes, helps senior leadership breaks down barriers that can often stymie effective communication across an organization.\n\nA time-stressed CEO may be tempted to skip the Walking Around part and only focus on the Management part of the MBWA equation, but that would be a mistake. Wise organizational leaders make use of both formal and informal communications channels.\n\nHere are eight ways executives can Walk Around and capitalize on timewith their “insiders”:\n<ol>\n	<li>Go for a walk. Literally. Does your company have a fitness room? Hop on the treadmill once a week and strike up a conversation with the person next to you.</li>\n	<li>Don’t skip lunch. Wander on down to the company cafeteria, grab a sandwich and ask to sit with a group of employees. Ask questions and listen. You might be surprised at what you learn. (After they get over the shock of having an impromptu lunch with the CEO.)</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://people-equation.com/the-card-playing-ceo/\">Play cards with employees at lunch time</a>.</li>\n	<li>Wander virtually. Learn to use, and become comfortable with, social media. It’s the new water cooler. See marketing advisor Pam Moore’s great essay on <a href=\"http://www.pammarketingnut.com/2011/04/ceos-repeat-after-me-we-are-not-afraid-to-tweet-21-success-tips/\">21 Things Every CEO Must Know About Twitter</a>.</li>\n	<li>Make an effort to attend as many employee celebrations as humanly possible. It’s at those service anniversaries and retirement parties that the walls really come down.</li>\n	<li>Learn to count. As you walk around, you’re bound to run into someone who asks a question that makes your blood boil. Practice silently counting to ten before you answer.</li>\n	<li>Revisit the structured ways that you interact with employees. Has attendance dipped, or conversation been stale at the last few meetings? Maybe it’s time to change things up a bit.</li>\n	<li>Ask a trusted advisor how you can be more approachable. Oftentimes, executives are unaware of how imposing they are.</li>\n</ol>\nBy the nature of the role they play in their organization, CEOs must be results-driven and numbers-focused. “Walking around” may seem like a waste of time. It’s not. The research bears it out: if the ambling is focused on building rapport with “insiders”, the organization gains productivity and the leader gains goodwill. That’s a winning combination worth a few hours of a CEO’s time.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThis post originally appeared on <a href=\"http://people-equation.com/8-ways-ceos-tap-their-insiders/\" target=\"_blank\">The People Equation</a>.\n\n&nbsp;', '8 Ways for CEOs to Tap Their Insiders', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '8-ways-for-ceos-to-tap-their-insiders', '', '', '2011-05-21 06:11:05', '2011-05-21 11:11:05', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5021', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(5024, 243, '2011-05-16 06:02:23', '2011-05-16 11:02:23', '<em>\"Great minds have purposes, others have wishes. Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.\" - Washington Irving</em>\n\nThere are two types of people in the world; those that are experiencing misfortune and those who are about to be. The measure of you as a person lies in your response to events.  At some point in your life, those events will be classified as misfortune.  Rather than plan to avoid misfortune, you will be better off if you plan your response to it.  How will you respond?\n\nWashington Irving confronts us comparing great and small minds.  A great mind has a purpose and rises above misfortune.  It has the ability to focus on objectives beyond the present.  Great minds rise.  Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune. Weak minds fall.  The difference between a great mind and a small mind according to Irving: a great purpose.\n\nDo you know your purpose?  Are you living for something great enough to pull you through misfortune?  Your purpose is the object of your effort in life.  If your wealth and comfort are your ultimate purpose, that purpose won\'t pull you through great misfortune.\n\nGreat purposes energize us and focus our thoughts.  A great purpose helps us remember our goals when we might choose lesser objectives .  A great reason for saving money or getting out of debt can enable you to avoid the instant gratification of a shiny new purchase.  The goal of a strong family pulls us through times of temptation to selfishness.  Someone once said that discipline is just remembering what you want.\n\nBut we also see that \"wishes\" oppose or contrast purpose.  A wish is something you merely dream about but refuse to take action toward.  Your commitment to a wish is weak.  Have you ever thrown a penny in a wishing well?  What did you get?  A common saying when I was growing up was, \"Wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which one gets filled up the fastest.\"  A wish won\'t pull you above misfortune. Only purpose will.  Only an object you\'ve committed yourself and your effort to.\n\nAnd, the greater the purpose, the greater the misfortune it can help you overcome.  Great misfortune inspires you to reach to a great purpose to pull you through.  You won\'t sacrifice for a wish, only a purpose.  Great misfortune calls you to your greatest purpose - something outside yourself and greater than yourself.  Focus on your greatest purpose to pull yourself through difficult times and achieve great results.\n\nMisfortune is inevitable.  Pursue your greatest purpose and you will rise above the inevitable misfortunes that come your way.\n\n<span style=\"font-size:xx-small;\">Photo <a title=\"Purpose Defeats Misfortune | Lead Change Group\" href=\"http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-photo-5197009-rock-climber-clinging-to-a-cliff.php?st=aa64f59\">istockphoto © Greg Epperson</a></span>', 'Leadership Principle: Purpose Defeats Misfortune', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-principle-purpose-defeats-misfortune', '', '', '2011-05-16 06:02:23', '2011-05-16 11:02:23', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5024', 0, 'post', '', 12),
(5029, 247, '2011-05-19 06:04:27', '2011-05-19 11:04:27', '<blockquote><strong>\"We teach what we know; we attract what we are.\"</strong></blockquote>\nThose 10 words from <a href=\"http://sethgodin.typepad.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Seth Godin</a> at the <a href=\"http://www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Chick-fil-A Leadercast 2011</a> seem simple enough. Maybe... but I think that like much of what Seth says, there\'s more to it than first appears. If you look at that statement through a traditional leadership lens, you might think about how it applies to organizational behavior situations; training, leading a team, etc. And his statement does apply to those situations, indeed.\n\nBut aren\'t we are always teaching... even when we don\'t intend to? Every action or inaction, gesture, word or reaction shows others what we want them to see; what we want them to know about us. We all hold an image of how we think we appear to others, and we tend to act in order to further that perceived image, no matter how inaccurate it may be. So we continually <strong>teach</strong> what we \"know\" to be true about ourselves and the world, even if our truth isn\'t authentic or even recognizable to others.\n\nWe attract, however, what we truly <strong>are</strong>. If we ARE close-minded or mean-spirited, we will somehow find ourselves working with, for and alongside others of the same inclinations. If deep down, we are suspicious of other\'s motives and fearful they are out to take our position, clients, or credit... it doesn\'t matter how often we \"teach\" trust, we\'ll attract people who are, at heart, fearful, suspicious or generally untrusting. We\'ll probably spend some time wondering why all the team-building exercises, ropes courses and training sessions aren\'t \"sticking\" either.\n\nI found myself thinking about this idea of teaching what we know (and honestly, how can you teach what you <em>don\'t</em> know?) but attracting what we are long after the event ended. When we seek new members for our team, we often say we want someone who complements us, who is strong where we are not... and maybe we achieve that balance in skill sets. But if we attract what we are, then it stands to reason that a highly creative, disorganized individualist isn\'t going to attract a linear-thinking, logical, highly methodical corporate type. However, if those two people had the <strong>higher mission of the organization or team first and foremost</strong> in their mind and hearts could their partnership be successful? Yes, I think, because then, they\'d be two of a kind at a deep level and would \"attract\" each other. So I think the big idea Seth was sharing had <strong>less to do with our attributes than our attitudes</strong>. We need to get beyond our ideas of people as discrete lists of skills and personality traits or scores on assessment tests. Look at who you\'ve attracted... who has asked to work with you, collaborate, pick your brain, work for you, have you be a part of their team. What are the common themes or big ideas? An honest examination can tell you much about your true self.\n\nThis principle applies to clients, too... if you aren\'t thrilled with the client base you\'ve been able to attract, take a (deeper) look inside and see if perhaps the leadership law of attraction is at work. I\'ve been working on a matrix of which clients I particularly enjoy working for, and looking for the unifying or common attitudes. Surprisingly (to me, anyway) it seems to have little to do with the type, size or category of business, age or sex of the contact or owner, payment history, or even the type of work I do for them. It has everything to do with how the owner views his own clients/customers and employees.\n\nI think Seth is on to something here. We teach what we know; we attract what we are. What do you think? Who are you attracting?  Is that a good thing?', 'Why Your Team Building Exercise Won&#039;t Build a Team', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'why-your-team-building-exercise-wont-build-a-team', '', '', '2011-05-19 06:04:27', '2011-05-19 11:04:27', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5029', 0, 'post', '', 8);
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(5033, 265, '2011-05-23 06:02:20', '2011-05-23 11:02:20', 'There’s an ancient story about an entire nation that comes together for one, singular purpose. They’re going to build a city. It would be a city like no other, a place where people could come together, a place where every individual could find work, raise a family and build a life.\n\nIt can be argued that this ancient culture lacked for nothing. They had the resources they needed to build the city, but more than that, they had a common goal, common vision and a dream that was larger than any one of them could possibly accomplish on their own. In the center of this city they would build a tower, one so tall that it’s top would scale the heavens. This tower would be an altar that would unite all humanity. It would be a monument to the innovation, ingenuity and rugged, self-determination of all mankind, a light to illuminate the glory of man and the unlimited potential that can be found within us all.\n\nThe central theme of this ancient story isn’t about a leader. It’s not even about a vision, a nation or even the tower itself. The glory of the city to be built is secondary to the primary tool that made such an incredible feat possible. You remember the story – we call it ‘The Tower of Babel’, the place in ancient history where the arrogance of man combined with one voice to build a city that captured the attention of God.\n\nIt wasn’t great wealth or great technology that persuaded mankind that we are capable of such grandiose schemes. It wasn’t resources at all. It was this one simple thing – COMMUNICATION. According to the story, “…all the people were one and they all had one language…nothing they proposed to do would be withheld from them…”\n\nNever underestimate the power of communication. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will raise and fell nations! Without clear communication vision will never stick. Without clear communication core values are simply trendy ideas. Clear communication gets me to work on time, convinces me which products to buy and let’s people know the depths of our relationships. Make no mistake; ambiguity and leadership are a deadly combination.\n\nWith this in mind let’s look at 5 Words to Make Yourself Heard.\n<ol>\n	<li><strong>CLEAR</strong> – Try this experiment with me. Think of a horse. What color is it? If you said anything but brown, you’re wrong. Why? Because when asked to think of a horse, unless otherwise instructed, mine always starts out brown. Everyone comes from a different background. This history shapes the words we know and the way we think. With a simple instruction, “Think of a horse”, ambiguity has already begun to set in, the vision starts to get blurry and momentum begins to wane. Say what you mean, mean what you say and recognize that not everyone in the room heard the same thing when you said it. <strong>CLARITY</strong> IS KEY.</li>\n	<li><strong>CLEAR (CREATIVE) </strong>– Because of diverse backgrounds what connects with me may not connect with you. I like rock ’n’ roll, you’re a little bit country, but a love song’s a love song, right!? Not exactly. This is where <strong>CREATIVITY</strong> is an important part of the process of being <strong>CLEAR</strong>. Creativity helps you connect. It makes your message stick. Creativity isn’t about flash and dash. It’s about finding the words and the meaning that will move your audience to action. If you want to be clear in your communication, be creative.</li>\n	<li><strong>CLEAR (CONCISE) </strong>– <em>“FIRE!”</em> – That’s a pretty clear instruction. But am I telling you to pull the trigger or grab a bucket of water!? If every word comes loaded with preconceived ideas and the history of experience then communicating with an economy of words is critical. Wait – I can say that better. Be <strong>CONCISE</strong>. More words don’t always lead to better understanding or greater buy-in; fewer words don’t always create clarity. When casting vision or communicating methods don’t just say anything, say the RIGHT thing, say it well and be <strong>CONCISE</strong>. It’s the power of the sound bite. <strong>CLARITY</strong> is strengthened by a <strong>CONCISE</strong> message.</li>\n	<li><strong>CLEAR (COMPELLING) </strong>– Nothing brings clarity like a compelling message, “Dial 911!” – Clear, concise, compelling – the creative element of that message would be the circumstance you’re in. A compelling message is one that requires action. It forces the one listening to make a choice. “Based on the message I just received, what will I do now?” <strong>CLARITY</strong> and <strong>COMPULSION</strong> are twin brothers that work together for a common goal. A <strong>clear</strong> message without a <strong>compelling</strong> conclusion is simply an entertaining story.</li>\n	<li><strong>CLEAR (REPEAT)</strong> – “Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun!” I can tell you the ingredients of a Big Mac by memory for two reasons. First – in the late 80’s McDonalds mastered the art of the message that is clear, creative, concise &amp; compelling, but they also added one more critical element. <strong>REPETITION</strong>. I never sat down to deliberately commit those ingredients to memory. But Ronald worked hard to insure that I would see it when I watched TV and hear it when I listened to the radio. If your message is worth saying once, it’s worth repeating. You know you’ve been <strong>CLEAR</strong>, you know you’ve repeated it enough when those around you almost mockingly say it with you as you say it! It’s the Department of Redundancy Department. If it’s worth saying, say it well and say it over and over and over again. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.</li>\n</ol>\nI hope that today you’re not arrogantly trying to build a tower for your own glory. Whatever you’re trying to build, I hope we can learn a lesson from the builders of the Tower of Babel – Clear communication is the key that will unlock virtually unlimited potential in you and those you lead.\n\nSo here are a few questions:\n<ol>\n	<li>Which part of being CLEAR do you struggle with the most?</li>\n	<li>Which words and phrases do you regularly use that people may misunderstand?</li>\n	<li>How can you say it better?</li>\n</ol>\n&nbsp;', '5 Words to Make Yourself Heard - a.k.a. Department of Redundancy Department', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-words-to-make-yourself-heard', '', '', '2011-05-23 06:02:20', '2011-05-23 11:02:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5033', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(5045, 262, '2011-05-28 06:01:53', '2011-05-28 11:01:53', '<em>Originally posted on LeadSwag, co-Authored by <a href=\"http://www.twitter.com/Ron_Marshall\" target=\"_blank\">Ron_Marshall</a>.</em>\n\nIn today’s job market, one must be seen in order to be heard. The most consistent, reputation-building method to be seen is by using social media. The <strong>FLinT</strong> (<a href=\"http://facebook.com/\"><strong>F</strong>acebook</a>, <a href=\"http://www.linkedin.com\"><strong>Lin</strong>kedIn</a>, and <a href=\"http://twitter.com/heatherecoleman\"><strong>T</strong>witter</a>) media stack and other current media platforms like Quora and YouTube are used to perpetuate one’s <strong>personal </strong><strong>brand</strong>. Personal brand (or one’s career identity) is the <em>you</em> that people view.  You can’t fake authenticity.\n\nAn online presence is critical to a successful job search. You must be present in order to be found, and you must be actively engaged within your niche to network toward the position you seek! It’s about your collaboration, the value you add, your ability to promote other people and businesses, and the information you share.\n\nWhile you may have set your Facebook profile to “private,” the truth is that your interaction on the pages of your friends and business pages is <em>public</em>. A friend of a friend may be searching for a candidate and how you handle yourself may get you recruited – or disregarded. Your behavior is the best indicator of your personality and professionalism. Think about your purpose before you post. Remember that your online activity represents who you are – and whether or not you are a good fit for a company.\n\nA recent CareerBuilder survey found that <strong>45%</strong> of <strong>employers</strong> are utilizing <strong>social media</strong> to find <strong>job candidates</strong>. And the number is rising at a rapid rate.\n\n<strong>Why Employers Disregarded Candidates After Online Screening</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 53%</li>\n	<li>Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs – 44%</li>\n	<li>Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients – 35%</li>\n	<li>Candidate showed poor communication skills – 29%</li>\n	<li>Candidate made discriminatory comments – 26%</li>\n	<li>Candidate lied about qualifications – 24%</li>\n	<li>Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer – 20%</li>\n</ul>\nConversely, when you are actively engaged with your Facebook friends and professional colleagues in a manner that is positive, productive andsupportive you are showing yourself to be the type of team leader for which organizations are searching. When you promote your community and share information that is pertinent to your social media friends and colleagues, you become a valuable resource and potential employee!\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Why Employers Hired Candidates After Online Screening</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit – 50%</li>\n	<li>Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications – 39%</li>\n	<li>Candidate was creative – 38%</li>\n	<li>Candidate showed solid communication skills – 35%</li>\n	<li>Candidate was well-rounded – 33%</li>\n	<li>Other people posted good references about the candidate – 19%</li>\n	<li>Candidate received awards and accolades – 15%</li>\n</ul>\n(Source: <a href=\"http://www.thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com/\">www.thehiringsite.careerbuilder.com</a>)\n\nWe know ourselves from the inside. Others – including employers, business partners, and customers – know us by the things we say, what we do, and <strong>how we behave</strong> toward people. Social media, especially FLinT, gives us tools to take charge of our positions in <strong>The Conversation</strong> and build our career reputations – by literally, actively showing our work.\n\nWhat do you do? Is it visual? Then you can show it in <strong>Facebook</strong> photos and blog content. Can you answer questions about it with authority? Then you ought to show that in <strong>LinkedIn Answers</strong>and <strong>Quora</strong>. Can you talk about it in an extended dialogue with someone? Can you collaborate with others in your particular niche? Start the relationship building on <strong>Twitter</strong>. Can you write about it? Then it may pay to have a <strong>WordPress</strong> blog. Can you instruct people in some task that would be useful to them based on your experience? Let’s see it on the world’s second-largest search engine: <strong>YouTube</strong>.\n\nWe  have seen social media evolve as a game-changing suite of platforms to spread your personal marketing messages – and we’ve seen these platforms make real, demonstrable, positive change in people’s career lives.\n\n<em>If you’re not there, you’re invisible</em>. <strong>Be visible.</strong>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;', 'The Value of Being Active in Social Media', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'value-active-social-media', '', '', '2011-05-28 06:01:53', '2011-05-28 11:01:53', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5045', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(5048, 243, '2011-05-26 06:06:56', '2011-05-26 11:06:56', '<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047ZFFEA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=B0047ZFFEA\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5049\" title=\"GracefulCover_th\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/GracefulCover_th.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"171\" height=\"228\" /></a><strong><a title=\"Graceful by Seth Godin at Amazon\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047ZFFEA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=B0047ZFFEA\">Graceful by Seth Godin</a> is the best $3 you will spend this year!</strong>\n\nI\'m serious.  The author quickly takes you through a series of ideas created to help you move individually from defensive, zero-sum, factory-style leadership to a new gift-based, positive-sum, community-style model.\n<h3>Position</h3>\nIt used to be that leaders were the people \"in charge\".  Followers did what they were told.  Godin refers to those types of workplaces as factories, regardless the color of the worker\'s collars.  Nothing was freely given; rather it was exchanged, transactional.  We exchanged money for labor.  Energy?  Well energy isn\'t always part of the transaction.  How much energy do you need to answer the phone, fill out forms, drive a truck or balance the books?  We exchanged time for money and the appearance of security.\n<h3>Ideas</h3>\nMore and more today, a leader has an idea.  They exercise their freedom to act, accepting risk and responsibility.  When you act on your idea you may or may not get anyone\'s attention.  Attention is scarce.  The Internet makes publishers of everyone.  We can create photos, videos, blogs, books, magazines, radio shows, games and other types of media more easily, cheaply, and quickly than ever before.\n\nFollowers volunteer their attention to you and your idea.  And as quickly as they gave it, they\'ll move it.  Do you want your ideas to attract the attention of others?\n\n<em><strong>Graceful leadership serves others and attracts attention.</strong></em>\n\nIn the section titled \"<em>Mastery, connection and then grace</em>\" Godin explains:\n<blockquote>The compliant era of the factory encouraged us to be focused on following instructions and fitting in.  Some used this as an opportunity to achieve mastery, to get good at our craft, to understand the nature of what we did.\n\nNow we have an opportunity to go beyond that.  To connect with one another. To bring surprise and delight and love to the interactions that make up our day.\n\nThat will make you graceful. And the work you do when you are graceful is what we need, now more than ever.</blockquote>\n<h3>Grace</h3>\nHow can you bring grace to your life such that you attract the attention of others?  What area of your gifts can be used in a way to inject energy in others without thought of reward?  You\'re being called to master your craft and deliver it with grace.  That makes you the new leader.  Will you join in that effort, or will you continue to try to run your factory?  The choice is up to you.\n\n<a title=\"Graceful by Seth Godin at Amazon\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047ZFFEA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=elevate-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399349&amp;creativeASIN=B0047ZFFEA\">Get the book</a>.  Take an hour and digest it.  Let the ideas in the book resonate with your mind and challenge you out of the transactional, control and manipulation mindset.  Break away from the org chart.  Bring grace to your work and be a graceful leader.', 'Graceful Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'graceful-leadership', '', '', '2011-05-26 06:06:56', '2011-05-26 11:06:56', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5048', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(5051, 243, '2011-05-24 14:41:49', '2011-05-24 14:41:49', '\nToday, <a title=\"Smartblog on Leadership\" href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/\" target=\"_blank\">Smartblog on Leadership</a> published the second post of a new relationship for Lead Change.  Twice a month, a contributing author from Lead Change will write original content for the Smartbrief folks.  The <a title=\"Leadership Reality Check: 5 Ways To Tell If You\'re Really In Touch\" href=\"http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2011/05/10/leadership-reality-check-5-ways-to-tell-if-youre-really-in-touch/\" target=\"_blank\">first post</a>, by Jennifer Miller described some ways a leader can tell if they\'re in touch with their team.</p>\n<p>The post today is about how free markets make ideas central to leadership.  We used to just line up with whatever org chart we joined.  If you went to work for IBM, you lined up with the IBM org chart.  You followed the people above you on the org chart and they followed the people above them.  The people \"below\" you were expected to follow you; to do what they were told to do.</p>\n<p>Over time, people desire more autonomy.  They want to choose the path to their future, and their future may not lay along the path being navigated by your org chart.  So I make an analogy to streets and highways to talk about the types of ideas and how people actually choose to \"follow\" ideas as paths to their future like streets.  We all know the value of planning our path.  People now are choosing to purchase from and work for organizations who\'s ideas will help us get where we want to go.  Check out the post here and let me and the SmartBrief folks know what you think.</p>\n<p><a href=\"http://www.smartbrief.com/index.jsp\">SmartBrief</a> is a daily newsletter service that pulls together the best articles on a number of topics like Leadership, Small Business, Workforce, even Social Media.  They\'ve featured a number of Lead Change articles an several by other great leadership names and friends of the group.  If you haven\'t subscribed, please go here and check it out.', 'Lead Change Authors on Smartblog Leadership', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'lead-change-authors-on-smartblog-leadership', '', '', '2017-10-15 22:30:58', '2017-10-15 22:30:58', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5051', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(5054, 243, '2011-06-09 06:05:59', '2011-06-09 11:05:59', '<h3>Do we transform existing leaders... or get new leaders?</h3>\nCan we embark on a set of activities designed to encourage people already in leadership positions to change their behavior?  Will current leaders change their ways?  Are there actions we can take to encourage those already \"in charge\" to act and think differently than they did during their rise to their present position?  What incentive exists for those already in authority?\n\nEstablished leaders have little incentive to change their ways.  Let\'s face it.  They\'re already in charge.  They have a track record of success.  There is little reason for someone in a position of leadership to identify with the Undercover CEO of the week.  I\'m sure some will.  But what reason do they have to change?  The answer is the same as anyone else, improve their present or future.  Therefore perceived need is the primary driver of change.  Many successful leaders have little perceived need.\n<h3>What or who should we be trying to change?</h3>\nI wonder if our energy isn\'t better spent equipping those who will one-day become leaders.  Change involves risk.  Those motivated by present discomfort are more likely to embrace the risk.  We avoid what we fear.  If we fear the future more than the risk of change, we\'ll pursue the change.  If we fear the change more than the future, we\'ll continue doing what we\'re doing.\n\nHowever, too much is at stake to bypass existing leaders.  First of all, many are character-based.  We have to look past the power of the media to find those leaders who light their world.  Their influence is critical to changing the tide away from position or power-based leadership.  We must continue to try to change the attitudes and behavior of those in leadership positions and at the same time equip those who will attain to leadership positions in the future. We must develop character-based leadership in the next generation of leaders.\n<h3>Lead Change?  Absolutely!</h3>\nSo we <em>do</em> want to change our existing leaders.  We ask existing positional leaders to wake up and decide to earn influence with character and service to the team.  Go beyond simply using the influence granted by your position.\n\nAnd we want to change incoming leaders, too.  If you are a positional-leadership outsider, build your character and strengthen your ability to earn authority.  Your character and service to the team generates influence.  Use the discomfort of your present position to build your character-based leadership endurance.  You will be \"in the lead\" soon.  Don\'t rest on positional authority.\n\nWhether you\'re \"in the lead\" now or you plan to be soon, do the things mentioned in Seth Godin\'s Tribes.  Take the lead. Stand for something positive and include those who chose to collaborate.  In other words, stand up for what you believe in, but please believe in something worth standing for.  Live your passion and we will join you in it.\n\nLead Change is a group of people who want to earn their influence because of who they are.  Join us?\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo <a href=\"http://www.fotolia.com/id/81763\">© Christy Thompson</a> - Fotolia.com</span>', 'Change Leaders or Change Leaders?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'change-leaders-or-change-leaders', '', '', '2011-06-09 06:05:59', '2011-06-09 11:05:59', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5054', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(5056, 255, '2011-05-24 06:06:30', '2011-05-24 11:06:30', '<em>This is a re-print of Mike\'s <a href=\"http://www.n2growth.com/blog/family-matters/\">last post of 2010</a> on N2Growth.com. </em>\n<blockquote>Success is only another form of failure if we forget what our priorities are. Harry Lloyd</blockquote>\nOver the years I’ve come to believe that there is only one sure fire litmus test for measuring leadership success, and to the chagrin of many reading this post, it has little to do with what happens on the job. Today’s post might push a few buttons and test the boundaries of your comfort zone, but if you stick with me, I promise you’ll be glad you did. I’m going to peel back the layers on your personal brand, question your priorities, and quite possibly put a big dent in your carefully crafted professional facade. We’re going to get very personal today – How’s your family life?\n\nIf the opening paragraph caused you to wince, then the text that follows is written just for you. If the next sentence seems a little preachy, it’s meant to be. The true test of any leader is not measured by what’s accomplished in their professional life, but rather by what’s accomplished at home. If you’re a well oiled machine at work, but your family is falling apart at the seams – who cares? Let me be blunt – you won’t earn anyone’s respect, at least not the respect of anyone who matters if your concern for career success overshadows your concern for the well-being of your family. If you’re struggling with the family balance thing my advice is simple: don’t attempt to balance your family – make them your priority.\n<h3>Think About Your Legacy</h3>\nCreate a legacy that transcends your career. Having the advantage of the hindsight my gray hair affords me, I can say with great certainty that who you are as a person is infinitely more important than the title you hold at work. There are few things in life as thought provoking as witnessing what by all outward appearances seems to be a successful executive, but as you begin to peel back the layers of their carefully crafted veneer, you quickly come to realize that they are little more than an empty, bitter, and frustrated person. They work their entire career chasing some illusive form of fulfillment only to fade into the sunset with nothing more than an empty lifetime of regrets as their reward.\n\nI’ve simply lived too long to buy into the myth that success in the workplace will create happiness at home. While it makes for a nice sound bite to console those with a guilty conscience, IT IS A LIE. If your business is growing, but your spouse is crying and your children are neglected, it’s time to do a reality check on your priorities. If your secretary respects you, but your spouse doesn’t you have serious issues that need your immediate attention. If you would rather spend time with your online “friends” than with your children, it’s time to pull the ripcord on your internet connection.\n\nHere’s the cold hard truth…if you cheat your family to invest into your career, you and your loved ones will pay a very heavy price. It is simply wrong to value your workplace commitments over your family commitments – moreover it’s not necessary. If your focus is on your family, your career won’t suffer, it will flourish. Get this wrong and not only will your family suffer, but so will you as you someday mourn the loss of what could have been, but cannot be recovered.\n<blockquote>If you cheat your family to invest into your career, you and your loved ones will pay a very heavy price.</blockquote>\nIf you really want to get to know me, don’t waste time reading my bio or scrutinizing my professional successes and failures, get to know my wife and my children. My best work, the work that I’m most proud of, is the relationship I have with the love of my life whom I’ve been married to for almost three decades, and with my two grown children who now consistently teach me more about life than I taught them. While I’ve had more career success than I probably deserve, I’m just as flawed as anyone reading this post. What I can tell you is that I’ve always made my family a priority. I don’t regret a single second of time I’ve invested in my family, but I’ve lost track of all the regrets I have over time squandered on the job.\n\nYou see, everyone creates a legacy – the question is will it be one worth leaving? While a legacy is classically defined as something of significant and/or lasting value that survives its creator, the best legacy is one that can be lived before it is left behind.\n<h3>The bottom line</h3>\nIf you’re a superstar at work, but a slacker at home you’re not succeeding at anything other than being a disingenuous, ego-centric charlatan. If this describes you, you’re not a leader you are a poser. As a very wise person once said (my wife), “don’t waste your time investing in those who won’t be crying at your funeral.”\n\nWhether you agree or disagree with what I’ve espoused above, I’d love to hear your comments below…\n\n&nbsp;', 'Family Matters', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'family-matters', '', '', '2011-05-24 06:06:30', '2011-05-24 11:06:30', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5056', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(5060, 248, '2011-05-22 07:43:27', '2011-05-22 12:43:27', '<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These are times to make a raucous noise.  These are times to stand up and proclaim what it is you believe. It is time for us to come together in unison and to offer up better ways that can change the world.  Such a noble goal is part of the inspiration for all of us in the Lead Change community.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We are starting a conversation with all who believe in a better way to lead, who are “discomforted by the state of positional leadership in our world.” We are a community that believes that it is a leader’s character that guides his or her leadership actions.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We are starting this conversation in a Lead Change book about character-based leadership.  It is a coordinated effort to make a raucous noise in unison.  And we are seeking others, possibly you, who want to be part of this movement.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You may be saying, “Okay, I’m curious. But why should I?” You should only lend your voice to this book project if you want to help color the conversation about the importance of character in leadership.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If this sounds like you, then join nearly 30+ raucous-noise makers in a conference call on Wednesday, May 25<sup>th</sup> at 5 PM Eastern, 2 PM Pacific.  In this call, we will finalize our plan to write our tome on character-based leadership.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Conference Call Details</strong></p>\n\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n	<li>The call-in number is 712-432-6223.</li>\n	<li>The access code is 100063#</li>\n</ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">To review the current version of the book project plan, <a title=\"Lead Change Book Project download\" href=\"http://www.box.net/shared/y469apu5um\">click here</a>.  To view the video I did as an introduction, <a title=\"Lead Change Book Intro video\" href=\"http://blip.tv/file/5034620\">click here</a> (8 mins.).  If you can\'t make the call, contact me via Twitter (<a href=\"http://twitter.com/shawmu\">@shawmu</a>) or by email: shawn [at] achievedstrategies [dot] com.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Be part of our movement to lead change. Be part of this movement’s moment to define character-based leadership in a profound manner.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">Photo courtesy of <a href=\"http://fav.me/d2ijt9v\">blindmanphoto</a></p>', 'Lead Change Book Project Summer 2011', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'lead-change-book-project-summer-2011', '', '', '2011-05-22 07:43:27', '2011-05-22 12:43:27', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5060', 0, 'post', '', 0),
(5080, 248, '2011-06-03 06:05:09', '2011-06-03 11:05:09', '<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The reality is forces exist to malign your leadership to mediocrity. <a href=\"http://www.stevenpressfield.com/\">Steven Pressfield</a> and <a href=\"http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/\">Seth Godin</a> <strong> </strong>call it Resistance. And Resistance is alive in the endless chatter in our heads.  Mediocrity is also what we achieve when we go with what’s popular despite every inch of our soul screaming to go to unexplored, lesser-known paths. Why do we let our leadership slip and become mundane? Common?  Stale?</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In a rat-race world the stakes are high to do something. It’s easy to become distracted.  We slip into sleepy, anything-leadership.  Left unexplored is contribution-driven leadership that comes from the core of our purpose, something real. Something completely authentic that it makes us uncomfortable.  Something that the naysayers might criticize.  We retreat and lead safely. Forgettable.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">However…</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">…amidst the doubt and fear your crazy, beautiful, brilliant leadership is ready to reveal itself. To unleash its influence, to achieve that outcome you’ve romanticized in your head a million times.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We need your crazy, beautiful, brilliant leadership today. I’ll leave it to Steven and Seth to explore the <a href=\"http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/quieting-the-lizard-brain.html\">Resistance</a> and how to overcome it. They do it so beautifully.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Instead, I want to share four core areas of Leadership on Purpose.  We all need to unleash these influences to lead our team, volunteers, and companies to achieve <strong><em>that something</em></strong> you’ve run like a movie in your head a million times. <strong><em>That</em> </strong>idea that touches, moves, inspires, and motivates people and sparks action. We need your leadership to leave its mark on those in your life. On the world.</p>\n\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">2 Core Areas of Leadership on Purpose</h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Values</strong> – Laser-sharp clarity on what drives you to make a difference in this world is a must. In today’s world of input overload, you must have a strong compass that guides your thoughts and actions. It was once said, “<em>If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything</em>.” Your values become a guiding light in those moments of conflict and ambiguity. Your values support your life purpose. When you know your values and use them to guide your leadership, your actions and<img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-5085\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Stand-out-from-the-crowd_Small-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /> your interactions, you’ll not fall for anything, or at least less often.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong> </strong></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Life Purpose</strong> – Leadership is about people. Leadership is about supporting the good of all. These two tenants of leadership humble us when we allow them to guide our decisions. How we invite others to contribute.  More importantly, they are central to Leading on Purpose – our life’s purpose.  What does a leader’s life purpose have to do with her leadership?</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Well, when a leader is clear that her purpose in life is rooted in supporting the good of all, and realizing that it’s only accomplished through people, it becomes easier to recognize when purpose is off course.  It becomes easier to spot the distractions.  Leadership on Purpose requires that we all do the work to seek what our purpose is.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">There is no magic to find it out.  There is no model or formula.  The answer lies, in part, by engaging others.  Interacting with peers and having conversations about the work you do. Learning from your mistakes and successes. It’s taking the time to reflect.  Recalculate direction.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This isn’t about some existential crisis, trying to figure out the meaning of life. No. It’s about you being in action and uncovering what you lights you up. And this requires that you dig-in and explore.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We need more leaders who can decipher when the path presented or path taken does not support the good of all or goes against the leader’s values and life purpose.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I want you to know what this means for you.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">We all need for you to know what this means for you.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">And if this is clear to you, then we need you to pay it forward: help another leader uncover their life purpose.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong> </strong></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong> </strong></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In Part 2 I will share the final two core areas of Leadership on Purpose:</p>\n\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n	<li>Getting that this world is not about you</li>\n	<li>Evolving clarity of your gifts</li>\n</ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>In the meantime, I’d love for you to add your reaction or comment of the two purposes in this post.</strong></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">Photos courtesy of iStockphoto<strong>\n</strong></p>', 'Leadership on Purpose – Beginning', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'leadership-on-purpose-beginning', '', '', '2011-06-03 06:05:09', '2011-06-03 11:05:09', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5080', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(5143, 277, '2011-06-02 06:03:38', '2011-06-02 11:03:38', 'One of your employees has a career-limiting habit. Procrastination. Frequent careless errors in written work. Audible impatience when talking with customers on the phone. How do you encourage behavior modification?\n\nTo change a long-term habit or weakness, an employee must…\n<ol>\n	<li>Genuinely “own” the trait.</li>\n	<li>Want to change.</li>\n	<li>Understand what to do instead.</li>\n	<li>Implement the change.</li>\n</ol>\nAs a manager, your job is to hold up a mirror to create awareness of the behavior and its consequences—and to help your employee through the four steps listed above.\n\nHere’s a conversation framework to improve your chances of securing the desired new behavior.\n<h3><strong>Describe the problematic trait and ask if it’s a surprise</strong></h3>\nConsider this example: A talented employee of yours is a chronic procrastinator who puts things off until it is an emergency. He sometimes misses deadlines and always submits work too late for a review. You decide it\'s time to take this on and start a conversation with him. \"I\'ve noticed something I think is limiting you and want to talk about it.\"\n\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5144\" src=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/mpb-leadchange-petephoto4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"237\" height=\"183\" />Describe the problematic behavior in one or two clear, direct, pre-thought sentences. Then, stop and ask, “Is this something you know about yourself?” Sometimes, a trait is so habitual the employee is unaware of doing it and/or unaware that it’s negatively affecting others.\n\nIf the trait is a surprise, some employees will respond with denial, and you won’t get very far in inspiring a change. Even when you provide examples, the employee may think the problem is you and your perception. If you encounter resistance, create an agreement that you <strong><em>both</em> </strong>will monitor the situation for a month and you\'ll highlight any example of the trait immediately.\n\n<strong> </strong>\n<h3><strong>Invite the employee to describe the adverse consequences of the behavior </strong></h3>\nIf the trait isn’t a surprise, you can say, \"Good, I\'m glad you know about this issue. What do you feel are the consequences of your procrastinating?” Typically, you will get an incomplete list. This is your opportunity to hold up the mirror and really show the impact of the procrastination on you, fellow workers, customers, work quality, etc.\n\nIf the employee seems to be “hearing” all of this information, you can ask, \"Is this something you\'d like to work on changing?” Once you have a \"yes\" to this question, you are on the same side. You are both working for the same change.\n\nIf you feel the employee isn\'t hearing the seriousness of the issue or seems to think you are hyping it up, you might say, \"I sense you are not buying the severity of the impacts you\'re having on our business or yourself, so I\'d like you to think more about it. From my perspective, you need to solve this. Let\'s talk again in a few days to see if this is something you want to change.\"\n<h3><strong>Coaching the employee through the change</strong></h3>\nChanging a habit requires understanding the mechanics of a better alternative. Saying “don’t procrastinate” is a little like saying “stop smoking” to someone who is addicted to nicotine. Most people can’t change a behavior cold turkey. They need some type of support.\n\nEvery behavior has a positive goal, otherwise we wouldn’t engage in the behavior. So, the employee needs to look at what they are <strong><em>gaining </em></strong>from procrastination. If they can see other ways to achieve the <strong><em>same</em></strong> goal more reliably, changing the behavior will be far easier.\n\nEmployees also need to develop some clear action steps. In the case of a procrastinator, one strategy might be to set internal deadlines that are 24 hours earlier than client deadlines. That’s a clear, measurable step—either the employee delivers or doesn’t.\n\nLastly, as part of the change implementation, create an accountability and feedback mechanism. That way, you and the employee can see progress, and the employee has incentive to maintain the new behavior.\n<h3><strong>Mistakes often made</strong></h3>\n<strong> </strong>\n\nManagers who more naturally REQUIRE (see <a href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/the-keys-to-managing-people-better/\">earlier post</a>) tend to skip from Step 1 (telling the employee the problem) to Step 4 (asking him to take action to solve it). These managers assume the simple act of telling an employee to do something will inspire the needed change. Behavior modification is not simply a “task.” Employees may need some hand-holding to understand what needs changing and how to change.\n\nManagers who more naturally RELATE often prefer to tell employees the things they are doing well and sugar-coat discussion of the needs-attention areas to the point where employees don’t “hear” the feedback. RELATING managers may not clearly articulate the problem that needs correcting. They may fail to spell out the business and personal consequences of continuing the behavior. The goal is not to make employees feel better. It’s to get great work done, which sometimes means calling for change.\n\nMost managers, regardless of their style, have difficulty with step 3 (helping the employee understand what to do instead). The HR department, Internet, self-help books, or an outside coach can provide guidance for this step.\n\nThe best managers are direct and caring, clear about what is hurting or limiting their employees and ready to help employees through the change process.\n\n<em>Not sure if you are RELATER or REQUIRER? Go to <a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a> for a free assessment of how you are managing your people. </em>', 'Coaching an Employee to Change a Bad Habit', 'One of your employees has a career-limiting habit. As a manager, your job is to hold up a mirror to create awareness of the behavior and its consequences—and to help your employee through the change process. Here’s a conversation framework to improve your chances of securing the desired new behavior. ', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'coaching-employee-change-bad-habit', '', '', '2011-06-02 06:03:38', '2011-06-02 11:03:38', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5143', 0, 'post', '', 4),
(5146, 243, '2011-05-30 07:39:19', '2011-05-30 12:39:19', 'On US Memorial Day, I\'d like to take a minute <a title=\"Earn This - 2010 post on Memorial Day\" href=\"/earn-this/\">again this year</a> and thank the families of those who fell in service to our country.\n\nIn prosperous times, it\'s tempting to think of leaders as those who make the most money, who are \"in charge,\" or who have the most authority.  The Lead Change Group stands for a model of leadership as influence.  Everyone is a leader to the degree they influence others.  Service to others is influential.  Leaders serve their sphere of influence.  If our goal is to expand our sphere of influence, we may or may not be successful.  But if we expand our service, our sphere of influence will grow. Those who paid the greatest sacrifice should influence every one of us.\n\nWe remember today those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  The price is high because the freedom is valuable.  Many gave their lives in service to our present generation.  How should we respond?\n<ol>\n	<li>We must stop forcing our children to sacrifice for us.  Our US deficit is embarassing.  We must leave the world better than we found it.</li>\n	<li>We must step up our willingness to sacrifice.  For me, that means making some hard decisions.  We must constantly examine ourselves with close friends who know us.  It\'s too easy to rationalize ourselves out of sacrifice.</li>\n	<li>We must live all out in service to others.  The death of soldiers doesn\'t purchase freedom.  The effort of a people willing to die earned our freedom.  Sometimes we must sacrifice our comfort to pursue the dreams and opportunities purchased for us by those who came before us.</li>\n</ol>\nI am grateful for the sacrifice made by those who were wounded or died to pay for my freedom.  We have such wondeful resources paid by the lives of so many.  I hope my life passes along and justifies the sacrifices made for me.\n\nNow I want to thank those who died by examining and, if necessary, changing the direction of my life.  How about you?  Would you share a comment honoring a sacrifice made for you?  What was sacrificed?  What is (or what will be) your response?  Let\'s purpose to honor the sacrifice.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Sacrifice and Service', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'sacrifice-and-service', '', '', '2011-05-30 07:39:19', '2011-05-30 12:39:19', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5146', 0, 'post', '', 8),
(5155, 252, '2011-06-08 06:01:32', '2011-06-08 11:01:32', '<h2><em>[Pssssssst, did she just use the L-word?]</em></h2>\nOne of my close friends is in the last phase of a selection process for a new assignment.  Her first meeting and her final meeting is with the executive she would be reporting to.\n\nWe\'re pretty sure she\'s a shoe-in because we already know he likes her.  Her reflection was, \"I like working for people who like me.\"\n\nWho wouldn\'t?  And that includes those who report to you.\n<h2>With human beings, likeability can\'t be ignored</h2>\n<strong></strong>Several years ago I conducted a workshop where one of the roundtable discussions with managers included the question: is it more important to be respected or to be liked?\n\nI\'m sure I don\'t have to go through with you all the pros and cons of either perspective, but the upshot for me, having coached hundreds of managers, is this:\n<ol>\n	<li>Don\'t make a decision <em>just</em> because it would be the popular one and</li>\n	<li>Don\'t implement a decision in an unthoughtful way just because \"<em>I don\'t need to be liked</em>\"</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>\"I\'m not doing this job to be liked\"</h2>\nI know so many managers who are stuck in this fierce standpoint.  Everything in moderation, people.  Many times a few simple tweaks in implementation or approach could at least prevent organization members from actively disliking you.\n\nTrust me. You don\'t want that.  You can say you don\'t need to be liked, but to be actively disliked sucks the life (read as \"productivity\" if you need to) out of your <em>human</em> resources.\n\nI\'m reminded of the book by Tim Sanders called, \"<a href=\"http://www.timsanders.com/books/likeability-factor.html\">The LikeAbility Factor: How to Boost Your L-Factor &amp; Achieve Your Life\'s Dreams</a>.\"  In short, here\'s what Tim says about this.\n<h2>What it takes to be likeable</h2>\n<ul>\n	<li>Friendliness</li>\n	<li>Relevance</li>\n	<li>Empathy</li>\n	<li>Realness</li>\n</ul>\nCheck out Tim\'s book, and what each of these mean for you, in a sincere and well-intentioned way.  And before you toss this off as mushball stuff, know this...\n<h2>Likeability works</h2>\nYou don\'t have to compromise yourself.  You don\'t have to be fake.  And, let me point out, there is something in it for them <em>and you</em>, like...\n<ul>\n	<li>Likeable people bring out the best in others</li>\n	<li>Likeable people get recognized</li>\n	<li>Likeable people outperform</li>\n	<li>Likeable people overcome life\'s challenges</li>\n	<li>Likeable people enjoy better health</li>\n</ul>\nSo again, instead of working against human nature (<a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/category/humanly/\">like you\'ve never  heard that from me before</a>), what if you looked at your own  likeability?  Is it working in your favor as a leader?\n\nOriginally posted at Mary\'s blog: <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/category/blog\">www.reimaginework.com</a>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\">Photo credit: flickr user <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/albany_tim/\">albany_tim</a> / <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons\">CC 2.0</a></span>', 'Does Being Liked at Work Matter?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'does-being-liked-at-work-matter', '', '', '2011-06-08 06:01:32', '2011-06-08 11:01:32', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5155', 0, 'post', '', 12);
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(5160, 276, '2011-06-07 06:04:12', '2011-06-07 11:04:12', 'Leaders are known to inspire others to act and achieve goals that they otherwise would not be able to achieve themselves.     They challenge the status quo and break down barriers to help their constituents achieve their vision.\n\nIn many ways, leaders make things happen and affect change that moves the needle and transforms the company from an average firm to a top-notch firm on the street.   However, in spite of that, leaders are like anyone; that is they are also human.  Humans are bound to make mistakes and leaders are no exception.\n\nLeaders have daily challenges like anyone else.  Such challenges could be health, family issues, and work place challenges to name a few.    Everyone has their own challenges; each person carries different size baggage every day.    So, what’s my point?   My point is that in order to achieve a sustainable level of performance, leaders must be self-aware and avoid the following mistakes:\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Failure to continue to develop talent</strong> – developing talent is a critical part of a leader’s success.  They need to continue to develop and grow talents around them in order to keep up and compete with the competition.</li>\n	<li><strong>Failure to drop non-performing assets</strong> – it is the leader‘s job to continue to sustain a level of performance, therefore the leaders must continue to challenge people around them.  When the leaders put a lot of weight on people’s prior performance history, they are more likely to let non-performance slide and it will eventually hold the company back.   It is the leader’s job to make sure people performing at a level that’s expected of them.    Therefore leaders must continue to challenge everyone around them and raise the bar.    If a person is not performing for a long period of time, they need to engage them in discussion and, worst case, let them go.</li>\n	<li><strong>Failure to delegate</strong> (or doing too much themselves) – a leader needs to delegate and let others take on more responsibility over time.   In the short term, taking too much yourself is fine, but over a period of time, you must challenge everyone around you to take on more responsibility to enable you to focus on the strategy.</li>\n	<li><strong>Failure to recognize the need for change</strong> – the only constant in life is change.     A leader must recognize when to change and transform and evolve an organization.   Failure to evolve could cause the leader to miss out on opportunity and affect the company’s ability to compete.</li>\n</ul>\nLeaders, like anyone, must continuously evolve and develop.  By avoiding the mistakes that I highlighted, they can continue to help the company stay competitive.    After all is said and done, the leader that knows when to change and effect change in a timely manner is the one that will succeed.\n\n&nbsp;', 'Failure! 4 Mistakes Leaders Must Avoid', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'failure-4-mistakes-leaders-mus-avoid', '', '', '2011-06-07 06:04:12', '2011-06-07 11:04:12', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5160', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(5165, 270, '2011-06-15 06:04:26', '2011-06-15 11:04:26', '<h1>Character Based Leadership is the conscious choice to be an<em> Ambassador</em> - To place the greater good, the purpose of the organization and the needs of others above your own desires.</h1>\n<strong>It starts with a decision to lead with integrity, the understanding that everything you do is observed and evaluated by others as either authentic or as disingenuous, and the commitment to audit yourself:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>How do you greet people when you see them?</li>\n	<li>How do you treat people when you are under pressure?</li>\n	<li>Do you follow through on your commitments?</li>\n	<li>What do you say about others when they are not around?</li>\n	<li>Are your actions and directions to others ethical?</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>It means walking around and engaging with others, asking questions and seeking first to understand:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>Are there specific concerns?  And have they been addressed?</li>\n	<li>Is the direction clear?</li>\n	<li>Are the necessary tools available?</li>\n	<li>Is consistent support provided?</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>It means having the courage to consistently speak truth instead of giving into fear and politics:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>What are the specific items that are creating barriers to success or increasing risk?</li>\n	<li>Is there anyone else that needs to be involved?</li>\n	<li>What are you doing to make sure the obstacles are being removed?</li>\n</ul>\n<strong>And it requires balancing both compassion and accountability for your own actions and when you address the actions of others:</strong>\n<ul>\n	<li>What have you learned about root causes for this issue?\n<ul>\n	<li>What have you done or not done to contribute to this issue?</li>\n	<li>How can you take ownership of this issue?</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n	<li>Are historical patterns being repeated with the expectation of different results?\n<ul>\n	<li>Are there signs of improvement or are you managing decline?</li>\n	<li>Is it time to change strategies?</li>\n</ul>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em>“A Level 5 leader is an individual who blends extreme personal humility with intense professional will.”</em></strong></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Jim Collins, Author of <strong><a title=\"Good to Great\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Companies-Leap-Others/dp/0066620996/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1307349037&amp;sr=1-1\">GOOD TO GREAT</a></strong></p>\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">RELATED BLOG POSTS:</span></strong>\n\n<a title=\"Organizational Wholeness...  Putting the Pieces Together\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/organizational-wholeness-put-the-pieces-together/\">Organizational Wholeness...  Putting The Pieces Together</a>\n\n<a title=\"Together You Stand, Divided You Fall\" href=\"http://leadchangegroup.com/together-you-stand-divided-you-fall/\">Together You Stand, Divided You Fall</a>\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">RESOURCES:</span></strong>\n\n<em>Compassionate Accountability</em><strong><em>:</em></strong> Doug &amp; Bev Sprague\n\n<em>Ambassador Analogy:</em> Max Lucado’s Book - <a title=\"It\'s Not About Me\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-About-Me-ebook/dp/B001OLRNF4/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1?ie=UTF8&amp;m=AG56TWVU5XWC2\">It’s Not About Me</a>\n\n<em>Seeking First To Understand: </em>Stephen Covey\'s Book - <a title=\"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People/dp/0671708635\">The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.</a>\n\n<em>Ownership Spirit:</em> Dennis Deaton - <a title=\"Quma Learning\" href=\"http://www.quma.net/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=113&amp;Itemid=104\">Quma Learning</a>\n\n<span style=\"font-size: small;\">\n</span>\n\n&nbsp;', 'Becoming a Character Based Leader', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'becoming-a-character-based-leader', '', '', '2011-06-15 06:04:26', '2011-06-15 11:04:26', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5165', 0, 'post', '', 24),
(5168, 268, '2011-06-16 06:04:20', '2011-06-16 11:04:20', 'In a priceless 1988 interview with <em>Fortune Magazine</em>, Ross Perot boldly confronted General Motors’ corporate culture. He said, <em>“</em><em>It\'s like a blanket of fog that keeps these people (employees) from doing what they know needs to be done. I come from an environment where, if you see a snake, you kill it. At GM, if you see a snake, the first thing you do is go hire a consultant on snakes. Then you get a committee on snakes, and then you discuss it for a couple of years. The most likely course of action is—nothing. You figure, the snake hasn\'t bitten anybody yet, so you just let him crawl around on the factory floor. We need to build an environment where the first guy who sees the snake kills it</em><em>.”</em>\n\nHere we are, 23 years later. If anything, miasma has worsened in many organizations. I recently interviewed “Laura,” who had just vacated a plum VP position in a large health care products company. The CEO had hired her specifically to implement process changes. Once on board, however, she found cultural barriers that made forward movement nearly impossible. She described her former environment in a way that echoes Ross Perot’s sentiment.\n<h3><strong>Do you weigh the cost?</strong></h3>\n“Are you a leader,” she asked, “when you automatically form committees and schedule status meetings without weighing the costs of those activities against the benefits?”\n\n“Many times, I was asked to review a document that had little importance to the overall business. In one instance, there were 40 people on the review list. The company spent roughly $30,000 in people-hours so that 40 individuals could insert their views into the process. Surely, most of these people had something higher in priority to attend to. I certainly did. We threw away the $30,000 (times how many projects)?\n\n“I spoke with the ‘document owner’ to question the number of reviewers. She agreed but said, ‘This is how we do things here.’ Sifting through the competing input took her unnecessary days that she could have spent on higher priority activities. Trying to create a politically pleasing end product was ulcer-producing for her. Sure, it “passed” the review process. But the final watered-down version had no punch and ended up as boring tripe. What employee feels good about delivering an empty document? (Reminds me of Tom Peters’ warning: ‘People don’t feel good about producing schlock.’)\n\n“It’s amazing to me that we produce <em>anything</em> in the U.S. Do I maintain my personal integrity when I accept a fulltime paycheck, knowing the ‘real work’ could be done by 2 p.m. and the other four hours I spend here are wasted in inefficient meetings or unnecessary reviews? Am I a leader if I try to change these inefficiencies, make no progress, but stay anyway?”\n<h3><strong>Are you studying your navel?</strong></h3>\n“In many large organizations—my former employer included—we are so focused on internal politics, and not saying the wrong thing, that we’ve lost sight of the bigger picture.\n\n“To serve our stakeholders well, we need to be able to make decisions quickly and take decisive action. We need to remove barriers to agility:\n<ul>\n	<li>Personnel who are ‘stuck in their ways’ and keep the organization mired in inefficiency.</li>\n	<li>Silos that keep functional areas from working together productively.</li>\n	<li>Processes and politics that cause us to spend endless hours revisiting past decisions.</li>\n	<li>Executives who override those ‘finalized’ decisions for their own political gain.</li>\n</ul>\n“Who has the corner office? Who has the big guy’s ear? When executives focus on these things, they are <strong><em>not</em></strong> focused on customers or the bottom line. Is that leadership?”\n\n“It’s easy to get lost in the bowels of big companies by losing sight of cash flow. If I fail to keep employees focused on our central mission and the bottom line, am I a leader?”\n<h3><strong>Does truth-telling get you a wrist slap?</strong></h3>\n“A true leader calls out, ‘the emperor’s got no clothes’. If an organization wants to win in the marketplace, truth-telling must be valued more than corporate politics and sacred cows.\n\n“If I stay silent and accept a paycheck for it, I’m following a herd of non-leaders who are sinking our business. I’m participating in a charade where form trumps substance.\n\n“I am paid a lot to NOT bring things about. How do people respond to an environment that rewards non-use of one’s skills? We lose our passion. We start making excuses for our failure to make forward progress, blaming others or blaming the system. We lose our confidence. It gets sucked right out. I personally became less assertive in calling for change, because it was such an uphill slog. Is that leadership?\n\n“If I stay at my job but am not passionate about my work and my company, am I a leader?\n\nLaura concluded, “I was actively uninspired. I could not stay, because I <strong><em>am</em></strong> a leader.”\n\n***************************************************\n\nCEOs: Remember the myth of Sisyphus? As punishment, he had to push a big boulder up a mountain. Before he reached the top, the rock rolled back down. He was sentenced to repeat this for eternity. In what ways are your employees pushing rocks uphill and feeling defeated?\n\nHR: If your organization has low employee engagement scores, do you understand the true root cause of employees’ negative sentiment? Do employees harbor feelings like Laura’s?\n\nExecutives: If you feel like Laura, what happens to your psychological wellbeing if you “stay in the game”? Are the money and title really worth it?\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<em>How well are you keeping employees focused on the highest organizational priorities? Find out via the free assessment at <a href=\"http://www.managingpeoplebetter.com/\">www.ManagingPeopleBetter.com</a>. </em>', 'Your Executive Title Does Not Make You a Leader', 'In a priceless 1988 interview with Fortune Magazine, Ross Perot boldly confronted General Motors’ corporate culture. He said, “At GM, if you see a snake, the first thing you do is go hire a consultant on snakes. Then you get a committee on snakes, and then you discuss it for a couple of years. The most likely course of action is—nothing…We need to build an environment where the first guy who sees the snake kills it.”', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'your-executive-title-does-not-make-you-a-leader', '', '', '2011-06-16 06:04:20', '2011-06-16 11:04:20', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5168', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(5178, 269, '2011-06-13 06:02:48', '2011-06-13 11:02:48', 'I wrote a post for this Lead Change Blog a few months ago entitled, “The Number One Thing CEOs Wish They’d Done Differently.”  In that post I talked about how invariably when CEOs are asked, “What’s the one thing you wish you’d done differently when you took your role” they say, <em>“I wish I’d moved faster on talent decisions.”</em>\n\nYou see, when taking on the role of CEO they can often see that people are not properly aligned with the roles they are in, and/or that the roles in the organization are not properly aligned with the leader’s vision.\n<h2>Magnetic Leadership</h2>\nAfter writing that post I had the pleasure of participating in the<a href=\"http://www.lisapetrilli.com/magnetic-leadership-program/\"> Magnetic Leadership Program</a> offered by ProfitAbility Business Simulations as a facilitator and leadership coach.\n\nDuring the simulation teams of eight executives are assigned a CEO and COO, and then given a business challenge.  The team has one hour to plan how they’ll approach and implement the challenge, and then a pressure-filled 10-minute period in which to execute.\n\nThe intent of the simulation is to bring leadership strengths and weaknesses to the surface for immediate learning experiences and follow-up coaching.\n<h2>Talent Decisions</h2>\nDuring the simulations I played the role of the customer so that I could observe the entire planning and implementation process as more of a bystander.\n\nWhat was most fascinating to me as an observer was watching how and when talent decisions were made.  I was keenly curious to watch this play out, having just written the aforementioned blog post for the Lead Change Group!\n<h2>Simulation One</h2>\nIn the first simulation, the COO (who was given the responsibility for talent management per his instructions) asked everyone to read the business challenge and let him know what role they wanted to fill.  Seems reasonable, right?  After all, most employees like to be asked what they’re interested in.\n\nHe made sure that there was a person dedicated to each role after some polite give-and-take between a few people who were interested in the same role, and then turned the discussion over to the CEO to discuss vision and strategy.\n\nGuess what? They were not successful in the business challenge and lost money because the talent allocation did not meet the requirements of the strategy they chose.  They had chosen to implement a low cost/high volume strategy that needed more people in “manufacturing” than they’d allocated.\n\n<strong><em>Their mistake? They made talent decisions before knowing the vision and strategy for their business.</em></strong>\n<h2>Simulation Two</h2>\nIn the next simulation, with a different CEO and COO and a few new team members, the team learned from their experience and determined their vision and strategy first.  They decided to pursue a high quality strategy, with the objective being to fully satisfy every customer need via the quality of the product produced.\n\nGuess what? Since they hadn’t had enough people in “manufacturing” in the first round, they didn’t have enough people with the “experience” needed to implement a high-quality strategy and meet all of the customer needs.\n\n<strong><em>Their mistake?  A lack of balance between experience needed and the strategy pursued.</em></strong>\n\nAnother failure; and another period of great learning.  Simulations three and four surfaced even more talent management lessons and insights for their leaders.\n<h2>Five Critical Talent Alignment Considerations for CEOs:</h2>\nThese <a href=\"http://www.lisapetrilli.com/magnetic-leadership-program/\">Magnetic Leadership</a> simulations clearly highlighted the five most critical considerations for a CEO – or any leader – to address when designing their team:\n<ol>\n	<li>Roles in an organization must be aligned with the organization’s vision and the strategies that will be pursued to bring the vision to life</li>\n	<li>Individuals filling the roles must have the proper experience to perform in their role in order to successfully implement the strategies</li>\n	<li>When leaders look to give team members new experiences to broaden their skill sets, they should consider the impact this initial lack of experience – in particular roles – will have on the ability to implement strategies.  Higher staffing levels may need to be considered for a period of time while that individual gains experience.</li>\n	<li>Roles within each function of the organization must be properly allocated and staffed to be able to successfully meet the objectives of the larger organization.  Address gaps immediately, and plan for long term needs!</li>\n	<li>Individuals should be a great fit for their role in order to empower them for success and each employee should understand how their performance is directly linked to the performance of their team and the organization as a whole, and how their role is aligned with the company’s vision.  This is critical.</li>\n</ol>\nWhat do you think? What have I left out?\n\n<strong>Please let me know in the comments and please join me, my <a href=\"http://leadershipchat.wordpress.com/about-leadership-chat-2/\" target=\"_blank\">Leadership Chat</a> Co-Host Steve Woodruff, and <a href=\"http://www.talentculture.com/founder/\" target=\"_blank\">Meghan M. Biro</a>, the Host of <a href=\"http://www.talentculture.com/what-is-tchat/\" target=\"_blank\">TalentCulture Chat</a> tomorrow night, Tuesday evening, June 14th at 8:00 pm Eastern Time on Twitter for our first-ever Joint Leadership Chat/TalentCulture Chat!</strong>\n\n<strong>Our topic will be: How Magnetic Leadership Attracts Best Talent</strong>\n\nUse hash tags <a href=\"http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23LeadershipChat\" target=\"_blank\">#LeadershipChat</a> and <a href=\"http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23TChat\" target=\"_blank\">#TChat</a> to join the fun.  You won’t want to miss what promises to be an epic Twitter event! (Cue dramatic Hollywood music…)\n\nWe look forward to seeing all of you there!\n\n&nbsp;', '5 Things Every CEO Should Know About Talent Alignment', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-things-every-ceo-should-know-about-talent-alignment', '', '', '2011-06-13 06:02:48', '2011-06-13 11:02:48', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5178', 0, 'post', '', 18),
(5181, 243, '2011-06-11 06:26:36', '2011-06-11 11:26:36', 'One of the things we like to promote here at Lead Change is members who inspire us to lead from who we are rather than our position.  With our character as the source of inspiration and influence we act as authentic leaders; not perfect but genuine, always seeking the best for the group rather than just for ourselves.\n\nRecently Erin Schreyer(<a href=\"http://twitter.com/erinschreyer\">@ErinSchreyer</a>) of <a href=\"http://sagestone.wordpress.com\">Sagestone Partners</a> and <a href=\"http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=2149541\">Authentic Leadership Cincinnati</a> commissioned a video based on her thoughts on authentic, character-based leadership.  It\'s titled <em>You Are A Leader</em>.  Take a look.\n\n<iframe width=\"600\" height=\"370\" src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bxf_16pC-Z4\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\n\nWhat response does that inspire from you?  How does that make you feel?  What are you challenged to do as a result of watching that short video?  Comment below or share this video with others.\n\nHave you written something that you\'d like to turn into a video?  Do you have a particular message you\'re passionate about sharing?  What are you waiting for.  <a href=\"/contact/\">Contact us</a>, connect with other <a href=\"/members/\">members</a> or just get going.  This group is full of people who would be glad to help you sharpen your message and make an impact.  What are you waiting for?', 'Authentic Leaders Create Impact', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'authentic-leaders-create-impact', '', '', '2011-06-11 06:26:36', '2011-06-11 11:26:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5181', 0, 'post', '', 6),
(5187, 273, '2011-06-17 06:04:10', '2011-06-17 11:04:10', 'Early in my consulting career I started telling people the consulting business is a relationship business. I was right, just a little short sighted.\n\nActually <em>all</em> business is a relationship business.\n\nAll <em>work</em> is a relationship business.\n\nAll <em>leadership</em> is a relationship business.\n\nAnd while our focus in this article is on business or professional relationships, I believe you could say, at some level, life is a relationship business.\n\nRegardless of how you would say it, it is hard to overlook the importance of relationships in all of our professional endeavors.\n\nHaving stronger relationships creates less stress, promotes higher productivity, improves speed and efficiency and helps our work in almost every measurable way.\n\nLike most anything of great value, strong relationships don’t just show up on their own. If you want relationships at all, let alone better ones, you must do something. You must do your part, take responsibility and do the things that will build relationships for mutual benefit.\n\nWhile there are many things you can do to nurture relationships, the seven that follow are things you can do – right now. And, when done consistently, authentically and with sincerity, each will help you nurture and grow the professional relationships you desire.\n\n<strong>Make it a priority.</strong> If relationships are important to you, you must make them a priority. I know you are busy. I know you have plenty to do. I know that unless there is a major problem or conflict, relationships won’t logically show up as an urgent item on your to-do list. (If you have conflicts or an issue, you need a different article!) If relationships really are important to you, put your focus and your calendar where your mouth is. Spend time doing the things that will build relationships, rather than neglecting them. Neglecting relationships lead to weed-filled garden results. What’s that, you ask? A big mess!\n\n<strong>Care.</strong> If you want to nurture relationships, you have to sincerely care about people, their thoughts and feelings, and their well being. It is often said (and I’ve seen the quote attributed to different people) “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Your professional expertise and knowledge matters, of course, but keep it in perspective. When you do, let people know you care. And if you really don’t care, you need to think long and hard about why that is true.\n\n<strong>Make connections.</strong> Connections come in many forms. On one hand we need to connect with people on things that matter to them. This, of course, starts with caring. We also can make connections for people with other people. Once you know their interests and needs, you can introduce them to others, connect them to resources and/or connect them to anything else that would help them.\n\n<strong>Be trusting.</strong> Want more trusting relationships? Trust others. Look for opportunities to show your trust, knowing that people tend to live up to the trust placed in them. Will you occasionally be disappointed? Sure. But will you build relationships further and faster in every other situation (and perhaps even in the relationship where you are disappointed)? Absolutely.\n\n<strong>Expect the best.</strong> Much like trust, you can expect the best of other people. People can tell when you are being cynical or have low expectations. People can also feel it when they know you believe in them and have confidence that they can succeed. Ask yourself – how often do I truly expect the best for others? And, when I do, do I let them know?\n\n<strong>Listen.</strong> It seems so simple, yet it is most often overlooked. Think about any person you know, and realize that they likely yearn to be really listened to. Do you ever feel that way? And how do you feel about another person when they really listen to you?  If you are like every person I’ve ever met, when you are listened to it strengthens the relationship with that person. You can do that for others – anytime (including right now). LISTEN!\n\n<strong>Take the lead.</strong> Inherent in all of these suggestions is one important element. If you want to nurture relationships in whatever way you choose, you can go first. Relationships won’t grow unless someone takes action. Be the one to go first. Make the first move. Offer the olive branch. Make the apology. Ask the first question. You get the idea. Take the lead.\n\nThese are just 7 of probably 107 (or more) strategies you can use to nurture your relationships and help them grow. I encourage you to take personal responsibility for the quality and health of your relationships, today. All of these tools can help you take that responsibility and take your relationships to a higher level now – and forever.\n\n<strong>Potential Pointer:</strong> One of the most important skills you can develop to be successful in your professional life is to be successful in nurturing and growing relationships. Time spent on this activity will create lasting benefits for everyone.\n\n<em>photo credit Aidan Jones </em>\n\n<em>All leaders work to improve their relationships with others. Many leaders from around the world have chosen to build their leadership skills as a member of the Remarkable Leadership Learning System. This one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader is a flexible way and effective way to build these skills – and not conventional (it just works!). This system allows people to learn without travel and allows them to learn in multiple ways whenever works best for their schedule. Get $916.25 worth of leadership development materials including two complimentary months of that unique system as part of Kevin Eikenberry’s Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever today at <a href=\"http://MostRemarkableFreeLeadershipGiftEver.com\">http://MostRemarkableFreeLeadershipGiftEver.com</a>.</em>', 'Seven Strategies for Nurturing Professional Relationships', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'seven-strategies-for-nuturing-professional-relationships', '', '', '2011-06-17 06:04:10', '2011-06-17 11:04:10', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5187', 0, 'post', '', 2),
(5193, 252, '2011-06-20 06:04:36', '2011-06-20 11:04:36', '<h3>Bosses, no, I really don\'t intend on making you a target of disrespect.</h3>\nEarlier this year I <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/respect-earned-really\" target=\"_blank\">expounded</a> on how much this phrase, \"respect must be earned,\" bugs me, in the context of a manager <em>to</em> employee relationship — mainly because it can be misinterpreted and give license to immature or unscrupulous managers to treat people <em>without</em> respect.\n\nMy reaction in that previous post was based on reading a popular business blog, which featured a post titled, \"<a href=\"http://www.bnet.com/blog/ceo/10-things-that-good-bosses-do/5868?promo=665&amp;tag=nl.e665\">10 Things Good Bosses Do</a>.\" Here’s the relevant excerpt:\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\"Treat employees the way they deserve to be treated.</span> You always hear people say they deserve respect and to be treated as equals. Well, some may not want to hear this, but a) <strong>respect must be earned</strong></em><em>, and b) most workers are not their boss’s equals.\"</em></p>\nI got some additive responses to the <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/respect-earned-really\" target=\"_blank\">last post</a>, so I decided to expand my reach and see what other audiences might think.\n\nWhoa. I have to admit the vehemence in which disagreement was expressed in other forums (i.e. not my blog) was enlightening. I will summarize opposing points of view like this:\n<h3>Respect for the position of manager is inherent in the superior-subordinate employment relationship.</h3>\n<ul>\n	<li>It need not be earned.</li>\n	<li>The workplace ethic has regressed to the point the worker feels “entitled” to demand personal respect in all things from all people.</li>\n	<li>Employees demanding respect often translates into a demand for tolerance of \"entitled\" behavior by everyone, including the manager.</li>\n</ul>\nI found it interesting that criticism of employees was described as entitlement, and at the same time, a feeling of entitlement from these bosses is exactly what I was perceiving. The work environment of today and the future is going to require supervisors to face exactly this mindset, and assess its true effectiveness.\n<h3>Just to be clear...</h3>\nI am <em>not</em> advocating managers putting up with bad performance, blatant and dangerous insubordination, abusive or destructive behavior or policy violations. I\'m sorry if employees have not shown you respect simply because of your position.\n\nIt\'s a balancing act. \"<em>Leaders</em>\" know that this all of this is part of the job, and<em> as a leader</em>, you are held to a higher standard of extending respect even when you are not receiving it or feeling it. And, extending respect to an employee does not mean you have to give an employee a raise, a promotion, a plum job assignment or a higher performance appraisal if they have not earned it.\n\nIn these scenarios I describe, you may say that you don\'t \"respect\" these employees, or they have not <em>earned</em> it, but be real careful about the context in which you are using that word. As a leader, it is your responsibility to extend respect and preserve human dignity in carrying out all of your responsibilities to your employees, whether or not the actions are received as positive or negative.\n<h3>Some Leadership Wisdom on Respect</h3>\nI could say a whole lot more about this, but to wrap up, I think I will borrow the words of Dennis Childs, a colleague I met on LinkedIn.\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\"The most important attribute that will most likely determine success or failure as a leader is the ability to be a good person, ...to control their most destructive humans emotions, tell the truth, [and] do what\'s right... If you want employees to be decent and honourable, you must be decent and honourable.\"</em></p>\nOriginally posted at Mary’s blog: <a href=\"http://www.reimaginework.com/category/blog\">www.reimaginework.com</a>\n\n&nbsp;', '&#034;Respect Must Be Earned&#034; - Leaders, Are You Comfortable Being Held to a Higher Standard?', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'respect-must-be-earned-leaders-are-you-comfortable-being-held-to-a-higher-standard', '', '', '2011-06-20 06:04:36', '2011-06-20 11:04:36', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5193', 0, 'post', '', 10),
(5196, 274, '2011-06-22 06:01:37', '2011-06-22 11:01:37', 'We get off the plane in Chicago, my daughters and I, enroute to South Carolina. With a 3 hour layover ahead of us, we take our time. We check the monitors for our connecting gate: A 11. I look up: we stand at gate B-15.\n\nIt\'s a long walk through Midway airport, past all the B gates, past the shops, through the center food courts, past more shops, into the A gates, all the way to gate 11. We have plenty of time, so we stop to browse a few shops. We stand still on the moving sidewalks while people rush past. About halfway to the gate, the kids start to whine and I remind them that we aren\'t going to complain; we\'re almost there.\n\nBut when we get to the gate, the sign indicates a different flight number, a destination that is not ours.\n\nWe stand in line for a few minutes to find out where we need to go. The girls are fidgety.\n\nIt\'s finally my turn. I look at the man behind the desk and smile.\n\n\"Hi, Saul,\" I say.\n\nI hand over our boarding passes. \"Your flight,\" he tells me, \"is at gate B-19.\"\n\n\"I checked the monitors,\" I tell him.\n\n\"Oh, well, we don\'t have control over those,\" he says. \"They\'re owned by the city of Chicago. They are often wrong. Sorry.\"\n\n\"Really?\" I say. \"We walked all the way over here and now we have to walk all the way back?\"\n\nI feel impatient and a bit baffled.\n\n\"You know,\" Saul says, \"Someone should really do something about that. This happens all the time.\"\n\n\"Is there something YOU can do?\" I ask him.\n\n\"I will. I\'ve been meaning to.\" We exchange a few more words and I can see a spark in Saul\'s eye. He intends to do something about this.\n\nI reach for the green wristband on my arm. I wear one all the time: it says \"<a href=\"http://youareremarkable.com\">I am remarkable!\" </a>\n\nI reach across the desk and I hand it to Saul. I tell him \"Saul, you are remarkable! You can make a difference.\"\n\nHe slides the bracelet onto his wrist and I hope it will remind him that he CAN make a difference.\n\nInstead of saying \"Sorry, I can\'t do anything about this,\" he can ask questions, look for solutions. He can be the one to instigate change, to suggest new procedures or policies.\n\nI take a deep breath. I reach into my bag and pull out a new wristband, slide it onto my left arm.\n\nI turn to the girls. \"Let\'s go, girls. Our flight is back at B-19.\" They\'re not happy about retracing our steps but we make it to our gate in plenty of time.\n\nAs we walk, I think about the first words Saul said to me \"We don\'t control that.\"\n\nSo often, we accept things as they are, even when the way things are is not ideal.\n\nWhat if, instead, we looked for ways to make a difference?\n\nWhat if we made a commitment to be the ones to instigate change? The ones to look for solutions where none have been found before?\n\nWhat if we could inspire others to lead where they are, our questions or example nudging others to action (the way I nudged Saul)?\n\nWhat if we could pass on the imperative to lead,seamlessly, as I passed my green wristband?\n\nWhat would it take? Where do we start?', 'Pass It On: The Imperative to Lead', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'pass-it-on-imperative-to-lead', '', '', '2011-06-22 06:01:37', '2011-06-22 11:01:37', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5196', 0, 'post', '', 34),
(5198, 280, '2011-06-14 06:01:18', '2011-06-14 11:01:18', '<strong>Authentic Leadership leads to a sustainable workplace brand, the key to attracting talent </strong>\n\n‘Authentic’ is a word rapidly falling out of vogue-especially with those of us engaging in social media. Yet none of us, if questioned, would deny we are authentic in our interactions with others. After all, we’re being ourselves all the time, right? How could that not be the real deal?\n\nBut to be <a href=\"http://blogs.forbes.com/allenadamson/2011/06/07/starbucks-wakes-up-and-smells-the-coffee-and-buzzes-back-up-the-leader-board/\">authentic</a> – ok-let\'s say genuine - requires more than just showing up and acting a certain way, day in and out. It requires us to be genuine, to be real - to behave in a way that is trustworthy, reliable and credible.\n\nYou can see how a leader might, while believing him or herself to be behaving in a way that is true to his or her ‘original self’, actually deviate from that behavior quite a bit. This does not mean there’s malice, or even forethought. Rather, it reflects the reality that leaders play many roles in an organization. Some of those roles are constructs, a <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/persona\" target=\"_blank\">persona</a> developed to accomplish a goal.\n\nHere’s an example. A perfectly nice leader starts a company. He/she hires a bunch of people they know from former jobs, people with whom they are comfortable, who can get the job done. People, in fact, whom they can manage and control. See the shift? He/she has already determined the construct for his/her leadership style, a new personal brand: to manage new employees. You will be the person in charge.\n\nBut those people knew you in another role, as an employee of another organization. You were a different person; this leader behaved differently in that context. You were a colleague, not a leader. You were credible in that context. You hung out after work and shared many laughs.\n\nNow you are now cast as a leader. The mantle of authenticity drops away: you are just another person pretending to be something you are not. He/She’s not perceived as a leader because no one has experience you as a leader. Your attempts to lead will be seen as clumsy at best, duplicitous and manipulative at worst. The people you hired will no longer know who you really are. Your actions, requests and demands will be inconsistent with everything they know of you. Trust will be damaged, if not outright destroyed. You will no longer be credible, and his ability to lead will be questioned at every turn.\n\nIt’s been said here at LeadChange that some leaders are born and some are made. Born leaders have it easy - it’s in their DNA. They are viewed as the real deal, even when they move to different organizations.\n\nThose who aspire to leadership have a more difficult path. To lead, they must master a number of disciplines, develop skills and build a workplace leadership <a href=\"http://www.talentculture.com/culture/culture-branding/culture-brand-create-magical-distinction-to-attract-the-very-best-talent/\" target=\"_blank\">brand</a>. They must stay true to their natural natures while becoming more than what they were. It’s a challenge to take on with passion and perseverance.\n\n<strong>Here are five authentic keys for leaders who want to attract top talent: </strong>\n<ul>\n	<li><strong>Build a personal brand that takes all your leadership skills and amalgamates them into a coherent whole. I talk a lot about building superstar workplace and personal brands on <a href=\"http://www.talentculture.com/culture/superstar-leadership-workplace-culture-damage-control/\">TalentCulture</a> and elsewhere.</strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Study the subject of emotional intelligence. Each of us has emotion and intellect. Emotional intelligence uses your emotions to unleash intelligence in such a way that people will see you as a leader. Only by understanding your emotional and rational selves can you create a compelling, resilient personal brand.</strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Understand motivation. Motivation falls into two categories - intrinsic (self-aware) and extrinsic (externally-focused). It’s vital for leaders to understand when a team member is self-motivated versus motivated by external pressure.</strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Create a workplace <a href=\"http://www.glassdoor.com/blog/simple-truths-nurturing-workplace-culture/\">culture</a> of accountability. Define roles and tasks, set a schedule, check on things, recalibrate if necessary and reward when appropriate.</strong></li>\n	<li><strong>Use external advisors and counselors as a check-and-balance to make sure you are behaving in an genuine, trustworthy way. Choose people who are honest, who aren’t afraid to tell you tough stuff.</strong></li>\n</ul>\nThe worst mistake a leader can make is to assume that he or she is a leader simply through the act of taking on a new title or role. Such a person is not behaving in a trustworthy way. Workplace culture will suffer, retention will drop, and recruits will be confused and will leave or perform poorly. Customers will sense the lack of stability and look for new suppliers.\n\nTell us about your views on what it takes to be a leader and attract the best talent. Is the most important piece being truthful? Is creating a personal brand more important? Is emotional intelligence the key? We’d love to know that you think.\n\n<strong>Please join <a href=\"http://www.talentculture.com/founder/\">myself</a>, <a href=\"http://marcomhrsay.com/\">Kevin W. Grossman</a>, and the #<a href=\"http://www.talentculture.com/what-is-tchat/\">TChat community</a> along with my valued community friends at <a href=\"http://leadershipchat.wordpress.com/about-leadership-chat-2/\">Leadership Chat</a> including hosts Steve Woodruff, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http://www.lisapetrilli.com/about-lisa-petrilli/\">Lisa Petrilli</a></span>, tonight, Tuesday, June 14th at 8:00 pm Eastern Time on Twitter for our first-ever Joint Leadership Chat/TalentCulture Chat!  Simply search for the #TChat or #LeadershipChat hashtags.</strong>\n\n<strong>Our topic will be: How Magnetic Leadership Attracts Best Talent.</strong> You won’t want to miss what promises to be an epic Twitter event! (Cue dramatic Hollywood music…)\n\nWe look forward to seeing all of you there!\n\n&nbsp;', '5 Authentic Keys to Attract Top Talent', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', '5-authentic-keys-attract-top-talent', '', '', '2011-06-14 06:01:18', '2011-06-14 11:01:18', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5198', 0, 'post', '', 14),
(5203, 265, '2011-06-23 06:04:45', '2011-06-23 11:04:45', 'What do these things have in common?\n<ul>\n	<li>Fire; the wheel; the plow.</li>\n	<li>Electricity; the internet; the iPhone.</li>\n	<li>Galileo; Newton; Einstein.</li>\n	<li>Martin Luther King Jr.; Gandhi; Jesus.</li>\n</ul>\nEach of these items or individuals caused an irreversible disruption in the course of human history. Their influence is so tightly woven into the fabric of our daily lives that we barely stop to notice or consider their effect until they show up missing or someone else comes along to further the disruption.\n\nPeople may tell you they hate change. We may be reluctant to learn knew skills and assimilate new ideas, new processes or innovations, but disruption is the kind of thing the business world dreams about. Disruption is the place where billion dollar ideas are found.\n\nA former mixer salesmen buys a small hamburger shop, applies Henry Ford\'s factory approach to making hamburgers and Ray Kroc brings McDonald\'s to life, arguably the most successful fast food business of all time. A handful of guys in a garage string together a few one\'s and zero\'s and license it to business juggernaut, IBM, and the world changes. Goliath falls and in it\'s place, Microsoft rises. Sergey Brinn and Larry Page make up a silly new word and build a website around the simple idea of helping people find the information they\'re looking for. How many times will you Google something today? Ten years ago you carried a pager. Yesterday you carried a cell phone. Today everyone speculates on what technology or business model could possibly overshadow the overwhelming reach of Apple\'s iPhone, iTunes or iPad. And that company continues to disrupt.\n\nWe swim in a world filled with disruption. Facebook and Twitter disrupt our social connections. Popular media disrupts our culture while politicians persist on disrupting, whether we want them to or not, almost everything else!\n\nThere is an art to disruption.\n\nI would also argue that there is a need for it. Disruption comes from that place deep down inside us that cries out, \"There must be more!\" Bill Hybels calls it a \'holy discontent\', that thing inside of us that absolutely has to come out. The problem <em>we </em>have to solve. The wrong <em>we </em>have to right. The one truly original thought no one else has had. In the immortal words of the great theologian, Popeye the Sailor Man, you know your holy discontent when \"You\'ve had all you can stands and you can\'t stands no more!\"\n\nAs leaders we are responsible for finding and implementing disruptive ideas. More than that, we are responsible for drawing disruptive ideas out of the people we lead. This disruption isn\'t about change for change sake. Neither is it Mao\'s Tse Tung\'s idea that, \"What is needed is a permanent revolution.\" Instead a truly history altering, disruptive idea will find it\'s foundation in one of four things. A healthy disruption will:\n<ul>\n	<li>Meet a fundamental need.</li>\n	<li>Solve an unsolvable problem.</li>\n	<li>Resolve an aggravating inefficiency.</li>\n	<li>Proclaim an undeniable truth.</li>\n</ul>\nThe secret of disruption isn\'t anarchy or rebellion. The billion dollar idea isn\'t found outside the box. A genuinely disruptive idea is characterized by this one quote from Union Square\'s, <a href=\"http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/11/fred-wilson-on-disruption-tctv/\" target=\"_blank\">Fred Wilson*</a>, \"You can\'t stop what people ultimately want to have happen.\" And there you find the art of disruption. It may begin as the idea of a counter culture revolutionary, an exciting new technology or an amazing scientific discovery, but that\'s not where disruptive ideas live.\n\nDisruptive ideas have the ring truth and the strength of effectiveness. Disruptive ideas are viral, not because of clever marketing, but because they are right, they are beneficial and somehow, some way, they are already built into the fabric of who we are. All that\'s required is a leader to draw them out.\n\nSo, as a leader today:\n<ul>\n	<li>What disruption has had the greatest affect on you?</li>\n	<li>What disruption are you ignoring and hoping will go away?</li>\n	<li>What are you doing to disrupt the lives of the people you lead?</li>\n	<li>Is it possible that there\'s a billion dollar idea inside you just waiting to get out?</li>\n	<li>Forget the money - is there a fundamental truth you and the people around you are ignoring? What can you do to give life to this disruption?</li>\n</ul>\nStop trying to be a trend setter. Instead, meet the need; solve the problem; resolve the issue; proclaim the truth.\n\nGod Bless,\nChad\n\n* quote from <a href=\"http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/11/fred-wilson-on-disruption-tctv/\" target=\"_blank\">http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/11/fred-wilson-on-disruption-tctv/</a>', 'The Art of Disruption', '', 'publish', 'open', 'open', '', 'the-art-of-disruption', '', '', '2011-06-23 06:04:45', '2011-06-23 11:04:45', '', 0, 'http://leadchangegroup.com/?p=5203', 0, 'post', '', 2);
