management – Page 63 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Service-based Leadership

Posted April 21, 2012
by dougdickerson

You can start right where you stand and apply the habit of going the extra mile by rendering more service and better service that you are now being paid for. – Napoleon Hill

In his book, Waking the American Dream, Don McCullough relates a story about Winston Churchill during World War II. England decided to increase its production of coal. Churchill called together labor leaders to enlist their support. At the end of his presentation he asked them to picture in their minds a parade which he knew would be held in Piccadilly Circus after the war.

First, he said, would come the sailors who had kept the vital sea lanes open. Then would come the soldiers who had come home from Dunkirk and then gone on to defeat Rommel in Africa. Then would come the pilots who had driven Luftwaffe from the sky.

Last of all, he said, would come a long line of sweat-stained, soot-streaked men in miner’s caps. Someone would cry from the crowd, ‘And where were you during the critical days of our struggle?’ And from ten thousand throats would come the answer, ‘We were deep in the earth with our faces to the coal.’”

Needed within the ranks of your organization are team members playing to their strengths to make your business thrive. These positions cover the spectrum from high visibility to those with their “faces to the coal”, but nonetheless extremely valuable in their service and responsibilities.

Service-based leadership is the life-blood of your organization. In his best-selling book, The Fred Factor, Mark Sanborn writes, “The best Freds are true artists at taking ordinary products or job responsibilities and services and making them extraordinary. They are real-world alchemists who practice the art and science of ‘value creation.’” He is right. Do you have a culture of service within your organization? Here are three tips to help you turn that picture of service-based leadership into a practice.

Re-create your culture. In a recent survey by Consumer Reports, consumers revealed their most irritating customer service gripes. Topping the list? Not being able to get a human on the phone, rude salespeople, many phone steps needed, long waits on hold, unhelpful solutions, and no apology for unsolved problems, just to name a few.

If you are going to re-create your current culture and transform it into a service-based leadership culture, you must change your point of view. This is done when you quit your navel-gazing ways and look at your operation through the eyes of your customers. Solicit their feedback and audit their responses and see how you measure up. Re-creating the culture within your organization begins when you shift the focus off yourself and onto those you serve.

Re-focus your priorities. Service-driven leadership begins with fundamental shifts in attitudes and actions. This is characterized by making sure that your core values are clear to everyone within your organization and practiced with everyone outside of it. If your values are not clear internally do not expect any help from those you serve because they will not know either.

The responsibility for service-based leadership rests with the leader at the top of the organization. Ken Blanchard said, “True success in servant leadership depends on how clearly the values are defined, ordered, and lived by the leader.” How clear are your organizational values?

Re-claim your purpose. What is the true meaning or purpose behind what you do? Billy Sunday said, “More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent.” He’s right. The secret of service-driven leadership is found in your purpose. When your purpose and passions are clear so is your mission.

Without purpose you may find yourself like Alice in the fairy tale Alice in Wonderland. In a conversation between her and the Cheshire Cat, Alice asked, “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat. “I don’t much care where,” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,”
said the cat.

Which way you go matters. Service-based leadership is deliberate, focused, and is crucial to your success. Service-based leadership is simply servant leadership principles lived out in the marketplace. In order for it to work, you must, like Churchill, paint the picture for others to see and put a plan into action. In order to get ahead you must be willing to serve.

Doug’s new book, Great Leaders Wanted! is now available. Visit www.dougsmanagementmoment.blogspot.com to order your copy today!

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Change is on the Way

Posted April 17, 2012
by dougdickerson

Today the Space Shuttle Discovery took its final flight atop a 747 enroute to Washington, D.C. for its final destination at the Smithsonian. I had the opportunity on a number of occasions over the years to witness Shuttle launches from Cape Canaveral which was always a spectacular show.

Many today bemoan the end of an era with the Shuttle program and wonder just what the future holds for the space program. And granted, as much as the space program has been a part of our national experience the past number of decades, I understand the sentiment.

The events of today cause me to think of an important leadership lesson that can be hard to embrace at times: change. I am reminded of what John Maxwell wrote about change when he said, “Once the leader has personally changed and discerned the difference between novel change and needed change, then that leader must become a change agent.” So, what about you? Do you embrace change and are you a change agent?

To be sure, nothing stays the same as we witnessed this morning. But unless you are willing to change for the sake of the future, you will always be living in the past with no clear vision for the future.

How do you embrace change? I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Doug’s new book, Great Leaders Wanted! is now available. Visit www.dougsmanagementmmoment.blogspot.com to order your copy today!

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What’s Not to Love?

Posted April 12, 2012
by dougdickerson

The new list of the best and worst jobs of 2012 as reported by careercast.com has been released.

Topping the list of the best jobs? HR Managers, Financial Planners, Occupational Therapist, and Online Advertising Manages. Topping the list of worst jobs were lumberjacks, newspaper reporters, and broadcasters.

Everyone wants to find meaning and value in their work. Whether you work in an occupation that ranks for being a “best” or a “worst” job according to the poll, what matters is that you are doing your best, and that you are a “best” employee.

Indira Gandhi said, “My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition there.” How true.

Here’s the leadership lesson: it’s not about where you work that makes you happy or fulfilled; it’s about being your best and doing your best that makes you fulfilled.

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Why Appreciation Matters

Posted April 7, 2012
by dougdickerson

The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. – William James

A story is told that Napoleon’s genius had been attributed to many things, but above all, he was a superb natural leader of men. Like any wise leader he was aware that his own success would have been nothing had his men not been willing to follow him.

Obviously he could not know and personally inspire every man under his vast army; therefore he devised a simple technique for circumventing this difficulty. Before visiting a regiment he would call the colonel aside and ask for the name of a soldier who had served well in previous campaigns, but who had not been given the credit he deserved. The colonel would indicate such a man. Napoleon would learn everything about him, where he was born, the names of his family, his exploits in battle, etc.

Later upon passing this man while reviewing the troops, and at a signal from the colonel, Napoleon would stop, single out the man, greet him warmly, ask about his family, compliment him on his bravery and loyalty, reminisce about old campaigns, then pen a medal on the grateful soldier. The gesture worked. After the review, the other soldiers would remark, “You see, he knows us-he remembers. He knows our families. He knows we have served.”

The story serves to remind us of the importance of expressing appreciation and why it matters. Liz Jazwiec, author of the book, Eat That Cookie: Make Workplace Positively Pay Off…For Individuals, writes, “Too many people leave work every day thinking, ‘My boss doesn’t appreciate me.’ When you feel that your boss doesn’t fully value your work, you start to care a little less. You don’t provide the kind of service you would if you felt appreciated. You don’t make an effort to help your co-workers. And when the majority of people in a workplace feel this way, the overall environment is hugely impacted. Productivity decreases, turnover increases, and it can become very difficult to stay afloat, especially in a tough economy.”

In a recent Gallup Poll, 65 percent of people say they don’t feel appreciated at work. And, according to the Small Business Digest, “These feelings quickly lead to pensive negativity, low morale and decreased productivity”. What about your place of work? Is there an atmosphere of appreciation that is known and expressed? Here are three things you need to understand about appreciation and why it matters.

Appreciation signals engagement. Even though it was impossible for Napoleon to personally know every member of his army, he understood the importance of knowing as much as possible about those he could. A smart leader will be no less committed to knowing the value that each person brings to the organization and the difference that he or she makes. When you take the time to know, recognize, and appreciate the contributions your team members make, it indicates that you are engaged. Are you?

The recognition that you give can be in specific tangle ways such as cash, gift cards, or some other form of bonus. It can be something as meaningful as a hand-written note of appreciation for a job well done. It’s not so much the gift that matters as it is the fact you are demonstrating to your team that you are engaged.

Appreciation builds morale. The acts of appreciation on whatever scale you choose to demonstrate it are morale boosters. What better way to build morale than to huddle your team and publically praise the efforts of those who have worked hard for the advancement of the organization?

When 65 percent of employees indicate that they do not feel appreciated at work, chances are, you have some at your office not feeling the love. Showing appreciation will build much needed morale, boost performance, and will go a long way in demonstrating that you get this very important leadership principle: you would not be where you are without them.

Appreciation gives purpose. When your organization builds a culture of appreciation it goes a long way towards building organizational excellence, strong relationships, outstanding customer service, and a foundation for a bright future. Never underestimate the power of appreciation and what it means to the success of your organization.

What about your organization? Does a culture of appreciation exist? Do you feel appreciated? When was the last time you expressed it? John F. Kennedy said, “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” That’s great advice. Appreciation: show it, express it, live it.

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Great Expectations!

Posted April 4, 2012
by dougdickerson

In the comic strip we see Charlie Brown once again on the pitcher’s mound in anticipation of another baseball season. To his dismay, Lucy is just not into it.

Whether we like it or not, we live in a world of expectations. Whether they come from family, friends, or colleagues, we deal with expectations every day. So what is a person to do? Here are three simple ideas:

Make them realistic – For yourself and others. Charlie Brown learned the hard way that not everyone shares the same passion for the game as he does.
Make them practical – Never put expectations on others that are not within their capacity to reach. Like Charlie Brown, you can be disappointed when others do not live up to your expectations. Make the practical and save yourself the grief.
Make them desirable- Encourage ownership. On the first day of the season, Lucy is just not that enthused. And like Lucy, your team may need some time to come around and get in the game like Charlie Brown. The best way to get your team involved is to get them excited about what you are doing. For that, they need ownership!

What are your expectations?

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Understanding the Power of Competition

Posted March 31, 2012
by dougdickerson

I have been up against tough competition all my life. I wouldn’t know how to get along without it. – Walt Disney

Back when the telegraph was the fastest means of long-distance communication, there was a story about a young man who applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, noisy office. In the background a telegraph clacked away.

A sign on the receptionist’s counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office. The young man completed his form and sat down with seven other waiting applicants. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in.

Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. Why had this man been so bold? They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They took more than a little satisfaction in assuming the young man who went into the office would be reprimanded for his presumption and summarily disqualified for the job.

Within a few minutes the young man emerged from the inner office escorted by the interviewer, who announced to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has been filled by this young man.”

The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and then one spoke up, “Wait a minute! I don’t understand. He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair.”

The employer responded, “All the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. So the job is his.”

If you are like me, you are a competitive person, especially in sports. I do not like to lose and will play my heart out to win. But in our story we see what can happen when you don’t have a competitive edge and what happens when you do. Do you understand the purpose of competition? When you understand the purpose of competition then you will understand why it is good. Here are three observations to help you understand.

Competition brings focus. When the young man entered the office his focus was not on the seven other job applicants. In fact, it’s reasonable to conclude that he paid them little attention. And in spite of the clatter of the noisy office he got the Morse code message loud and clear.

The lesson here is simple. Don’t lose focus of what’s really important. Rather than worry about who your competition is and what you can’t control, focus on your priorities and you can control. Tune out your distractions so that you can concentrate on your objectives and achieve your goals.

Competition is a neutralizer. Because the young man was focused, he was able to hear what the others could not. This gave him the advantage he needed and the job he wanted. His competitors were rendered ineffective because his ear was trained on the code.

The lesson here is simple. Smart leaders will neutralize their competition not by obsessing over them, but by training their own teams to outsmart them. How? Through strategic planning, focused leadership, and a superior understanding of their product and service.

Competition is a motivator. It would be naïve to think the young man did not expect competition for the job. And as it turns out, he was one of eight who sought the position. Healthy competition is a good motivator.

The lesson here is simple. Whether the forum is in sports, business, or academics, etc., competition will motivate you to be your best. The secret is not to be distracted by the competition so as to lose your focus, but to allow it to bring out your best qualities that will give you a competitive advantage.

Competition is good and competitors make great teachers. Key for you is to learn from them, respect them, but never be intimidated by them. Let them bring you focus, neutralize them, and let them motivate you to be your best.

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