personal development – Page 7 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Leadership Minute: Great Opportunities

Posted July 17, 2014
by admin

Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big things. – Rick Warren

Do you want to make a difference as a leader? Good. The path to greatness as a leader is sometimes found in the mundane. That’s right; no headline, no photo-op, no ‘Atta boy’, or pats on the back. Great opportunities and consequently great impacts are simply the by-products of ordinary people doing ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way. Expressions of servant leadership are found when you concede being in the spotlight by putting someone else in it. Expressions of servant leadership are important to you when you don’t care about being important. The more you serve others the more you discover this fundamental truth: it’s not about you. When you are big enough to be little, humble enough to serve and proud to do it, you can find your purpose and meaning in the small things. Great opportunities are before you if you are willing to be little.

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Leadership Minute: Positive Habits

Posted July 15, 2014
by admin

Without question, positive thinking will do more for you, will make you feel better, do better, let you have more fun, and be liked by more people that negative thinking ever will. – John Patrick Hickey

Positive thinking is the result of positive habits. It’s about programming your mind in such a way as to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. The habits you form are the result of choices you make. Why is it important? As a leader you have influence that shapes opinions, beliefs, and outcomes. How you use your influence is important. Your dominant thoughts tend to be your most vocal ones. What is the message you are communicating with your words? What outcomes can you expect as a result? Not every situation will be desirable but the leader with the right reaction, words, and influence can turn it around. If the direction of your organization was determined by your ability to think and articulate positive words and actions would it be acceptable to you? If you want a positive life develop positive habits.

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Leadership Minute: Make a Difference

Posted July 8, 2014
by admin
1 Comment on Leadership Minute: Make a Difference

I’ve learned if you want success you can’t chase it. Instead you must decide to make a difference where you are…and success will find you. – Jon Gordon

It’s not uncommon to look around and see people chasing –chasing their fortune, fame, success, recognition, etc. Perhaps it’s out of restlessness or some other motivating factor. The chase can often be driven by a sense that the grass is greener on the other side. And often the chase ends with disappointment when they learn that it’s not. So before you go chasing after greener grass elsewhere why not fully devote yourself and make a difference where you are today. The greener grass you are looking for is right under your feet. Today the grass may be dried out, brown, or non-existent, but it’s why you are there. Commit to making a difference where you are. Be the change you want to see and you will make it. Be the hope that others are looking for. You can make a difference right where you are.

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4 Things Your Employees Don’t Need From You

What a pleasure life would be to live if everybody would try to do only half of what he expects others to do. – William J.H. Boetcker

A story from Bits & Pieces tells of a manager and a sales rep standing and looking at a map on which colored pins indicate the company representatives in each area. “I’m not going to fire you, Wilson,” the manager said, “but I’m loosening your pin just to emphasize the insecurity of the situation.” That, of course, is a light-hearted reminder of the complexity of the employer/employee relationship.

Ask most people at their place of business what they need from their employers to be more successful or productive on the job and they will be quick to tell you. But when you ask them what they don’t need in order to be more productive is when things get interesting. Not long ago I asked a group of workers what they didn’t need in order to succeed. It was eye-opening exercise you should try.

Writing in a Harvard Business Review blog (http://bit.ly/1rEOqqS), Gretchen Gavett reported on the findings of the American Psychological Association’s new “Work and Well-Being Survey”. The good news out of their report is that 70 percent of people are satisfied with their jobs. But once you look below the surface there are a few troubling signs.

“Although almost two-thirds of employees feel their company treats them fairly,” writes Gavett, “other aspects don’t look so good. More than half feel like their employer isn’t open and upfront, a third feel that their organization isn’t always honest and truthful. One in four say they don’t trust their employer at all, and that’s a big deal.”

While intuitively we should know that open communication and trust are essential to good employer/employee relationships it still resurfaces as an issue to address. Knowing what your people need to succeed is important, but also knowing what they don’t need from you will certainly help. Here are four things to start with.

Your negative attitude

In as much as positive attitudes are contagious so are negatives ones. If you make it a habit to circulate among your people with a bad attitude, always finding fault, only focusing on what’s wrong, then your presence will be a demoralizing factor. The truth be told, your people may have every tool they need to succeed but if you have a negative attitude then it is hindering them. Among my informal survey this was the most cited response.

Your indifference

Everyone likes to be appreciated, valued, and wants to believe that their work makes a difference. But if you come across as indifferent to their work, ideas, and contributions then you are sending signals that they are unimportant to you. If you place no value in your people then how can you expect them to place value in their work? Indifference breeds indifference and the results will be devastating.

Your Obstruction

Your leadership style will either facilitate the progress of your people or it will stand in their way. If you burden people down with unnecessary policies and procedures, time-wasting meetings, or ill-timed interruptions then you are in the way. Your employees should not be made to pay the price for your poor time management skills. Don’t allow the “tyranny of the urgent” to be an obstruction to your people.

Your Inconsistencies

While most of your people will never speak up about this don’t mistake it for not noticing. Inconsistent actions by management always send the wrong message. When you communicate one thing and do another then you have planted doubt and mistrust in the minds of your people. Your employees don’t need mixed messages. It only creates confusion and animosity.

So, what’s the bottom line? What do your employees need? From their management team they need leaders with positive attitudes who see the good and bad and know how to address both. They need engaged leaders who know their business without being in their business. They need leaders who clear paths towards success and goal achievement without creating barriers. They need strong leaders who fairly and consistently put forth the values, vision, and best practices of the organization so that everyone can succeed.

What do you say?

I welcome your feedback:

1. What additional things would you add to the list?

2. How can employers do a better job building relationships with their employees?

3. What are some best practices that you can share that have been helpful in your experience?

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The Power of Your Perceptions

Posted July 3, 2014
by admin
2 Comments on The Power of Your Perceptions

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Leadership Minute: Bouncing Back

Posted July 2, 2014
by admin

Do you, as a leader, bounce back quickly from setbacks? – Bob Rosen

As a leader, the question is not whether you will have setbacks, but when you do, how quickly will you bounce back? It happens to all of us and it comes with the territory. Your resilience as a leader is crucial to your success. You and I have choices to make when faced with setbacks. We can let it get us down and discourage us to the point of giving up. Or, we can get up, dust ourselves off and get moving. None of us are exempt from setbacks so you need to stop with any notions that they are not supposed to happen to you. Get over it. Bouncing back from setbacks means you were doing something worthwhile and encountered an obstacle. Don’t let it throw you off your game or keep you from reaching your goal. How long will it take you to bounce back? That is entirely up to you. But the sooner you bounce back the sooner you will reach your goal. Get moving!

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Leadership Minute: Hold Your Tongue?

Posted June 27, 2014
by admin

I have noticed that nothing I never said ever did me any harm. – Calvin Coolidge

Ever had one of those times when you said something, and just as soon as the words came out of your mouth you instantly regretted it? Of course you have. We all have. In the spontaneity of the moment our mouth was in gear before our brains and we let it out. Most leaders I know are confident in their beliefs and opinions and are not shy about expressing them. That kind of confidence can be both a blessing and a curse. As a leader it’s all about finding the right balance between what you need to keep to yourself, what you need to say, and the best way to do it. What needs to be said needs to be said. How, when, and where are your considerations. The mark of maturity for you as a leader is figuring it out. When in doubt, err on the side of caution. The words you don’t speak are not the ones you will never have to eat.

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Leadership Minute: Smoke Screens

Posted June 24, 2014
by admin

The Wright brothers flew right through the smoke screen of impossibility. – Charles Kettering

Many of the smoke screens that you will face in life are diversions that would attempt to throw you off course. Before every great breakthrough is a great struggle. Hanging in the balance between these great struggles is your breakout moment- the realization of your dream. It could a new career path, an invention, a promotion, a new relationship, the writing of a book, etc. But first you must clear the air of the smoke screen. For the Wright brothers it was an unrelenting persistence to take flight. And if they had listened to their critics they would have been grounded. You must fly through the smoke screens of doubters and the prophesiers of the impossible. You’ve worked too hard, sacrificed too much, and dreamed too long to be denied now. This is your time and this is your moment. Don’t give up! Are you ready to fly?

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‘Us’ vs. ‘Them’ and the 5 Questions You Need to Answer

Posted June 22, 2014
by admin

You can observe a lot by just watching. – Yogi Berra

The story is told of a golfer who had been playing so bad that he went to see a psychiatrist who told him to relax by playing a round of golf without the ball. “Do everything you normally would do, but use an imaginary ball,” advised the psychiatrist.

The round went well and as he approached the 18^th hole, he met another golfer playing the same way. They decided to play the last hole together and bet $10 on the outcome. The first golfer swung at his imaginary ball and announced that it had gone 280 yards right down the middle of the fairway. The second golfer matched his drive. The first man took out his 5-iron and after swinging at his imaginary ball, exclaimed, “Look at that shot! It went right over the pin and the reverse spin brought it right back into the hole. I win!” “No you don’t,” said the second golfer, “you hit my ball.”

Your perceptions go a long way in determining what and how you think. But can you always trust those perceptions? Sadly, and much too often, in many organizations there is the proverbial “us vs. them” mentality that exists. And too often we are more concerned about being heard than understood. So here are five questions that I believe are fitting for leaders to ask and answer. They can set you on a course of better communication and understanding that will make you a more effective leader and create a better work environment.

What do I see?

What you see taking place in your organization is a perspective unique to you as the leader. Of course you will have a better understanding and answer the more you are out among your people. What do you see taking place? Do you see your people with all the tools they need to be their best? Do you see collaboration and camaraderie? What are the strengths of the organization and what are the weaknesses? Who are your heavy-lifters and who are your slackers?

What do I know?

Next is the formation of your perceptions based upon what you see. It may or may not be an accurate assessment based in part on the amount of time you spend with your people. If this is not something you do on a regular basis it may not be very accurate. But based upon what you do see – what do you know? Are you where you need to be? Are you getting the most from your people where they are? What do you know now that you wish you had known six months ago? What do you need to change?

What do my people see?

The first two questions are about your perceptions. Your perceptions are needed and important but the puzzle is still incomplete. Now, put yourself in the shoes of your people. Look at things from where they sit and work – now what do you see? This is about their perceptions. How do they see your leadership? Do they see you as an obstacle to progress or a facilitator of it? Do they see a fine-tuned operation or one that is mired down somewhere? If you want to be a more effective leader then you need to see what they see.

What do my people know (that I should)?

Throughout your organization are talented and highly skilled sales people, PA’s, marketing professionals, accountants, executives, volunteers, and the list goes on. What they know is a treasure trove of valuable information. But that information is of no worth to you if you do not tap into it. Your people are the most valuable asset you have as a leader. Get to know them and what they know. You can make better decisions that affect your organization when you listen to the people on the ground who have the most at stake by your decision. Listen to them and give value to their input.

How can we come together?

It’s time to put an end to the “Us vs. Them” mentality and the walls and isolation it creates. You best build and grow your organization when you build and grow it together. What you have to do is figure out the best and most practical way for you and your people to come together, get to know one another, build relationships, share information, and work together for a brighter future. Good leaders will do this. It’s time to ask, answer, and listen. Are you game?

1. What additional steps would you suggest to overcome the “Us vs. Them” mentality?

2. What other things should leaders look for from the perspective of their people?

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Leadership Minute: Are You Having Fun?

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing. – Dale Carnegie

How important is it to you to have fun at what you do? As leaders we tend to be task oriented and focused on getting the job done. We tend to be restless at times and are ready to tackle new projects once one is completed. Clearly we understand the importance of our work and take pride in it. But can you attach the label of ‘fun’ to what you do? While you may not be able to label your work as ‘fun’ you should have a sense of enjoyment and fun executing it. Life is hard, work is hard, and leadership is hard. But your level of success will only increase if you can find and take pleasure in what you do. A personal leadership inventory would look like this: is my work rewarding and fulfilling, and do I enjoy it? Fun is not your primary concern but it sure helps. Are you having fun?

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