Leadership Minute: What Do You Expect?

expectations

If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you will never change the outcome. – Michael Jordan

People will place certain expectation on you as a leader. It comes with the territory and is not uncommon. But what expectations you choose to accept is one of the most important choices you will make. While well-meaning people may place expectations on you their expectations may not always rise to your standards. Negative expectations only make matters worse. Where you are today and where you plan to be in the future is a combination of hard work, goals, vision, perseverance, and adherence to a high level of expectations. Tune out the negative, don’t settle for good enough, and be careful who you listen to. The expectations you set for yourself, not the ones set for you by others, will be your greatest asset.

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Leadership Minute: The Value of Respect

respect

I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity. – Julius Erving

In keeping with establishing leadership priorities, be careful not to fall into the trap of prizing popularity over respect. Many had rather enjoy short term popularity than pay the price for respect that is earned over a greater span of time. But popularity, like beauty, can be fleeting. You are never more than one unpopular decision away from the tables being turned and learning that being popular is not all it’s cracked up to be. Choose to be popular more than respected and you will be respected little. Choose to be respected more than being popular and in due time you will enjoy both. It’s all a matter of priority. The greatest compliment you can earn as a leader is the respect of your people. The bonus? People tend to like whom they respect.

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Leadership Minute: Use Everything You Have

give

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, but could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’ – Erma Bombeck

We know this to be true: it’s not what you have that maters; it’s what you use. The same goes for leadership. What gifts, talents, and skills are you using? What new ones are you acquiring? The best leaders are not content just to have skillsets and talents; they want to be using them to the fullest every day. The stewardship of your leadership skills is not just about perfecting your skills, but rather is found in the way you develop them in others. The legacy of your leadership is not about the wisdom you kept to yourself but in what you shared and transferred. Being spent as a leader is not about being worn out, it’s all about being fully invested in the lives of your people. Give freely.

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Leadership Minute: Be Careful Where You Sit

attitude

The world is full of cactus, but we don’t have to sit on it. – Will Foley

As a leader you will encounter your fair share of prickly people. Sometimes there is no escaping them. But how the behaviors and actions of others affect you is your choice. It’s a given that we all can have a bad day now and then and be a little prickly ourselves. But then there are those “special” people- you know the ones, they are just not happy unless they are unhappy. When life handed them a lemon instead of making lemonade they planted more lemons. But that is their choice. You will run across these people now and then. My advice? As best you can, keep running. You don’t have to sit there with them. Your happiness and disposition is one of the most important leadership decisions you will make so don’t surrender it to anyone. Be careful where you sit.

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Six Ways to Enhance Organizational Structure – with guest co-author Elizabeth Stincelli

structure

The productivity of a work group seems to depend on how the group members see their own goals in relation to the goals of the organization. – Ken Blanchard

When was the last time you took a hard look at the effectiveness of your organizational structure? While most organizations have one, do the people in your organization know it or understand it? The time may be ripe for you to take a fresh look at yours and consider these six ways to enhance it.

Empower your leaders

Regardless of what your present organizational structure looks like its functionality should empower its leaders. Successful leaders thrive in an organizational structure that fosters creativity, unleashes potential, and doesn’t stifle progress. This happens when less emphasis is placed on hierarchical structure and more emphasis is placed on empowering the right people in the right places. Empowerment elevates the performance of leaders and encourages behavior that earns the respect of followers. This respect allows leaders to build partnerships within the organization that encourage open, two-way communication and foster a sense of loyalty.

Give ownership

Ownership occurs within your organizational structure when there is buy-in from the bottom up and system wide. If ownership is not shared then the structure is self-serving and not empowering. People want ownership and sense of belonging to a great cause. Without ownership that can’t happen. Ownership holds everyone on the team accountable for their decisions and actions. In order for employees to take successful ownership of their work they must clearly understand expectations. They must also have milestones where progress is evaluated. Ensure that employees are serving in the right roles, give ownership, and celebrate their victories.

Expand borders

Organizational structures don’t define you, you define them. As such, your organizational structure should not be a document of containment but a blueprint of open boundaries to grow and succeed. It should not box people in but should free them to do what they do best. As your organization grows so should your structure but in a way that facilities your growth and not in ways that impede it. Provide employees with the opportunity to be more flexible about how, when, where, and with whom the work gets done. Employees want to be involved in designing and managing their work tasks. Offer employees choices and the ability to personalize work. Allow employees to share ideas and be involved in the implementation of these ideas. As you expand your borders, provide opportunities for employee growth and focus your energies on the results that really matter.

Think lateral

Employees need to have a level of control over their work tasks. A top-down organizational structure hinders the ability of decision-making at the lowest level possible. Decision making on the front-lines allows issues to be identified and addressed quickly. In a lateral structure, employees understand where they fit and how they impact the success of the organization. A flat organizational structure allows employees at all levels of the organization to be empowered and given autonomy over their work. This less rigid structure allows for flexibility and promotes a feeling of equality and inclusiveness. When lateral thinking is put into action it allows for swifter response times that can translate into happier customers, gratified clients, and a healthy bottom line. Lateral thinking is empowering, efficient, and very effective.

Build trust

The support needed to successfully achieve organizational goals is gained by developing relationships based on trust and commitment. The organizational structure can enhance or impede factors such as open communication, management follow-through, accountability, consistency, and concern for employee interests all of which foster a sense of trust. Therefore, building trust is a deliberate action, not something left to chance. It happens as relationships are given priority, it grows in an atmosphere of community, and it pays huge dividends when everyone is engaged. Without trust you have nothing. With it your potential is unlimited.

Find common ground

Employees prefer to work with others they see as similar to themselves. When the organizational structure provides an inclusive environment with common goals a sense of community is developed. Finding common ground helps in the successful pursuit of these shared goals. The organization must foster a shared purpose so that employees understand why the organization exists and why they do what they do. Finding common ground is a fundamental condition of your success. You need to define, share it, but most of all; your team needs to own it. Common ground is your path forward.

Does your organizational structure support the goals you trying to reach? The continued success of your organization is dependent on your ability to continually evaluate and enhance your organizational structure. You can enhance your effectiveness by taking these steps to ensure that your organization is ready to succeed in the 21st century.

© 2014 Doug Dickerson and Elizabeth Stincelli

* Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational structure. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership. Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her websites, www.stincelliadvisors.com and http://lizstincelli.wordpress.com/

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Leadership Minute: Do You Trust Your Instincts?

instincts

Instinct is the gift of experience. The first question you have to ask yourself is, ‘On what basis am I making a judgment?’… If you have no experience, then your instincts aren’t any good. – Malcolm Gladwell

For the leader there are few things as important as good instincts. Your instincts are those gut feelings or intuitions that can save you a lot of grief and heartache. Instincts can be a tremendous asset that helps you make great decisions. But instincts are not theoretical. They are born of experience. Experience is a great teacher. It’s through successful experiences that we appreciate the good times. It’s through our failures that we grow and where most of our learning takes place. There are no short cuts for experience and therefore no other tangible way to hone the skill. Experience is your teacher, present challenges are your tests, and sound judgment is your reward. Do you trust your instincts?

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Leadership Minute: Are People Moving Toward You?

vauel

People always move toward someone who increases them and away from anyone who decreases them. – John Maxwell

Are people attracted to you? I’m not talking about attraction based upon physical appearances, but rather something much deeper and of lasting value. Leaders who add value to others tend to draw people their way. They are the ones with a kind word who are willing to do whatever they can to help out. Negative people are not in short supply and their motives are self-revealing. But when you embrace the mindset of servant leadership then it’s really not academic at all. It’s a reflection of the heart. In short, people will move toward you when you move toward them with words and actions that give increase to their life. Don’t be stingy; give freely and give often.

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Leadership Minute: The Necessity of Discontentment

discon

Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities for progress. – Thomas Edison

Progress comes about in many different ways. This would include and not be limited to restlessness and discontentment. There comes a time when the way things are should not be the way things remain. Making progress and moving forward will require discontented leaders to take action. In what areas of your life or business would you like to see progress? Are you discontent or restless? If so this might be a good sign that you are about to see some real areas of progress in your future. You will need to work on how to properly use that energy in a way that produces the progress you desire. Identify the areas where you are experiencing the most restlessness and why. From there you can put your plans into place and work toward your goals.

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Leadership Minute: Try Something New

new

Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new. – Brian Tracy

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone to try something new? Was it awkward? That’s a normal feeling but one that you should get more acquainted with. When leaders learn to step out of predictable environments and dare to try new things such as reading books with differing views than your own or make new friends, it can open up whole new worlds to you. Your growth as a leader comes when you stop settling what is and dare to experience new possibilities. Be willing to be stretched in all areas of your life. Why settle for the ordinary when you can live the extraordinary? Go ahead, try something new. Step out. Take the risk. Your growth as a leader will only be as exciting as you make it.

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Leadership Minute: Channeling Your Anger

anger

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. – Buddha

You’d be hard pressed to find a leader who hasn’t been angry or doesn’t get angry at some time or another. It’s part of the human emotion and therefore is something you will deal with. It’s not that you won’t get angry; it’s more about what you will do when you are. Anger, like any emotion, can be positive if channeled the right way. How you direct your anger is important. Are you in control of it? Vented the wrong way it can be mean, hurtful, and counterproductive. When you are in control of your anger you can direct that energy and those passions in a way that motivates and raises expectations. Don’t ever let anger get the best of you. Even when angry you can be in control, you can channel it the right way, and you’ll never have to worry about apologizing for doing something dumb when you were.

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