Personal Growth and Development – Page 7 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Are You Running On Empty?

Posted September 30, 2016
by dougdickerson

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary. – Edgar Allen Poe

A first-grader wondered why her father brought home a briefcase full of work every evening. Her mother explained, “Daddy has so much to do that he can’t finish it all at the office.” “Well, then,” asked the child innocently, “why don’t they put him in a slower group?”

Have you ever had one of those days you wish you could be placed in a slower group? I think perhaps we’ve all had one.

It should come as no surprise that there is a high number of people who report burnout at work. A report from Statista (http://bit.ly/2dIiPan) reveals that as many as 62% of North Americans report high levels of stress. Of course it doesn’t help that workload ranks as the top source of stress for those employees.

So how are you doing? A little weary? Are you feeling the stress? Are you feeling a little overwhelmed? Are you running on empty? What you need is some R.E.S.T. Here are four simple reminders every leader needs to take to heart.

Remember you are only human. As leaders we like to pride ourselves in the quantity of our work. We equate success with how much we produce. But if we are not careful along the way we can take our eye off the ball and the quality of our work begins to suffer. Not good.

Our bodies need time to rest and recharge. As leaders we like to pride ourselves by being the first to arrive and the last to leave and outpace everyone. But we all have our limits. As a leader you are on a journey, not a 50-yard dash. Set your pace, work hard, but don’t forget that you are only human. It’s OK to rest.

Examine your priorities. “Either you run the day,” said Jim Rohn, “or the day runs you.” That is powerful advice for any conscientious leader. Intuitively we know it to be true. But how intentional are we in making it happen? I think sometimes as leaders we can be guilty of bringing much of our fatigue on ourselves because our priorities are misplaced.

How much time do you spend during the course of a day dealing with things that easily could be delegated? The most precious commodity you have is time. Using it wisely can make a world of difference. When you put your priorities in order you can save a lot of time and energy. Get this straightened out quick.

Set boundaries. One of the hardest things a leader learns is how to set boundaries. Perhaps it’s a pride thing. We like being needed and freely dispense our wisdom to anyone who cares to listen whether it makes sense or not. We take on more than we possibly have time for just because we feel like “it’s the right thing to do.”

But here’s the rub- our good intentions don’t always measure up to our energy level. Just as we have to set our priorities we also have to protect our boundaries. So along the way we have to say no to good ideas. We have to take a pass on that extra-curricular activity that competes for our time. Establishing your boundaries is not a task to delegate; it’s a task you own. Are you tired of running on empty? Are you tired of being drained physically, mentally, and emotionally? Define your boundaries and draw your line in the sand. No one is going to do it for you.

Take action. Running on empty? We’ve all been there. Feeling burned out? I know how you feel. No one is immune from these seasons in life, work, and in leadership. But we are not powerless on our path forward. We do have choices.

It’s up to you to know your limitations and act accordingly.

It’s up to you to set your priorities and stop wasting your time and energy.

It’s up to you to protect your boundaries and learn to say no. No one is going to do it for you.

Are you tired of running on empty? Are you sick and tired or being sick and tired? It’s time to fuel up. It’s time to get some R.E.S.T.

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The Most Important Person in the Room is Not You

Posted September 23, 2016
by dougdickerson

Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, ‘Make me feel important.’ Never forget this message when working with people- Mary Kay Ash

At age 16 Andor Foldes was already a skilled pianist, but he was experiencing a troubled year. In the midst of the young Hungarian’s personal struggles, one of the most renowned pianists of the day came to Budapest. Emil von Sauer was famous not only for his abilities; he was also the last surviving pupil of the great Franz Liszt. Von Sauer requested that Foldes play for him. Folds obliged with some of the most difficult works of Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann.

When he finished, von Sauer walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead. “My son,” he said, “When I was your age I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on the forehead after my first lesson, saying, ‘Take good care of this kiss–it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play.’ I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage, but now I feel you deserve it.”

The young Andor Foldes experienced what the average person in your office/organization wants to experience (no, not a kiss!) but validation and approval.

In fact, a report by the American Psychological Association (http://bit.ly/2ddRXvf) found that those who report feeling valued by their employer are significantly more likely to be motivated to do their very best (93 percent vs. 33 percent). So how are we doing?

Value. It is a word as leaders we like to kick around. We want to “add value” we say, but in reality, do we? Really?

Are you running a deficit on people skills and showcasing the most important people in your organization? Here are three simple tips that you can put into practice right away that can make all the difference in the world to your people.

Say it

Your people are the most appreciable asset you have. As you interact with your team members, look at them with that invisible sign around their neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ How about a compliment? How about word of encouragement? How about a pat on the shoulder, a look in the eye, and a sincere “Thank you for all that you do. We really appreciate all of your hard work!” Who wouldn’t feel important after an encounter like that?

Leadership tip – Your people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Tell them!

Show it

Your words are nice and your words are important. But you can also make them feel important by your actions. Take time to celebrate your victories along the way and give honor where honor is due. You don’t have to break the bank to make your people feel important but you should be willing to acknowledge your people and the sacrifices they make. Make your people feel important giving them a hand-written note of appreciation with a gift certificate enclosed to their favorite restaurant. It doesn’t have to be elaborate but the acknowledgement lets them know they are important.

Leadership tip – Leaders who are invested their people will have people invested in their leader.

Share it

Making team members feel important is essential to you as a leader. It does wonders for morale and the sense of shared accomplishment is elevated. But you are not the only one who looks upon your team members and sees their value. After 25 years of service one company I know of gives their employees and spouse an all-expense paid dream vacation. Behind every great team member is a significant other who shared in the sacrifice you benefited from. The circle of your success is far more reaching than you might imagine.

Leadership tip – The most important person in the room is not you. It’s everyone who has joined with you, bought into your vision, share your passion, and have cast their lots with you to carve out a future together. It’s them.

Who have you made feel important today?

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What’s On Your Success List?

Posted September 8, 2016
by dougdickerson

Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

The story is told of a new bank president who met with his predecessor and said, “I would like to know what have been the keys to your success.” The older gentleman looked at him and replied, “Young man, I can sum it up in two words: Good decisions.” To that the young man responded, “I thank you immensely for that advice, sir, but how does one come to know which are the good decisions?” “One word, young man,” replied the sage. “Experience.” “That’s all well and good,” said the younger, “but how does one get experience?” “Two words,” said the elder. “Bad decisions.”

Years ago, like many I suppose, I was programmed to equate success in terms of what I was able to cross off of my “to-do” list at any given time. As each item that was transcribed onto the list was successfully completed it somehow gave me a sense of accomplishment. But the euphoric feeling didn’t last long as a new list soon replaced it and the process started all over again.

As time went by I began to see and understand the frustration associated with this hamster wheel approach of measuring success. I was running myself ragged checking off “to-do’s” which ultimately culminated with an empty feeling on the inside and little to show for it outside. Can you relate?

Allow me to introduce you to a few ideas from the book The One Thing, by Gary Keller (Order on Amazon at http://amzn.to/2c6nqje) that I believe will empower you as a leader. K onething eller devotes a powerful chapter to the myth that everything matters equally. Here are three key thoughts worth consideration.

You need a success list not a to-do list

The key thought here is that your to-do list tends to be long whereas your success list tends to be short. “If your to-do list contains everything,” says Keller, “then it’s probably taking you everywhere but where you really want to go.” Focus more on what you should do and less on what you could do. Keller adds, “Instead of a to-do list, you need a success list- a list that is purposefully created around extraordinary results.” Your success begins with the way you frame it and define it. Success is not measured by checking off the to-do list, it is measured by what you check off of your success list.

Not everything is equal

Being busy does not necessarily translate into being successful. We succumb to the tyranny of the urgent and we end up chasing rabbits all over the place. In the end, the rabbit wins and you are worn out, frustrated, and empty-handed. Keller observes, “When everything feels urgent and important, everything seems equal. We become active and busy, but this doesn’t actually move us any closer to success. Activity is often unrelated to productivity, and busyness rarely takes care of business.” When you remember that not everything is equal many things can come off your to-do list.

Work from your priorities

Successful people have a clear set of priorities. They think and act different. They have an “eye for the essential.” The crux of the matter, as Keller points out is that “the majority of what you want will come from the minority of what you do. Extraordinary results are disproportionally created by fewer actions than most realize.” Success comes not from a long to-do list you check off one by one, it come from focusing your time, energy, and creativity around a short list that you have prioritized (Pareto’s 80/20 principle). Success is not doing many things half-heartedly, it is achieved by making the list smaller and smaller and pouring yourself into it.

Making the transition from busy to productive to successful comes about as you make your list smaller not larger. It comes from clear priorities and understanding that not everything is equal. Do yourself a favor as a leader and get off the hamster wheel of being busy and start being successful. It will make all the difference in the world.

What’s on your success list?

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The Leaders Without Borders Coaching Program

Posted August 9, 2016
by dougdickerson

New Session Begins September 12th!

Across the country students are preparing to go back to school. But what about you? Now is the time to enroll in my 9 week leadership coaching program! Check out the information below. Space is limited so the time to act is now!

The Leaders Without Borders Coaching Program

After more than thirty years in leadership positions I am pleased to announce to you an opportunity for one-on-one leadership training and coaching for you or your team.

Taken from the pages of my book Leaders Without Borders: 9 Essentials for Everyday Leaders, (Foreword by Mark Sanborn) I bring home the leadership skills you and your team need to move forward.

Here are two realities you are up against:

A recent Gallop Business Journal survey not long ago reported that only 30% of U.S. employees (and 13% worldwide), are engaged. Getting your employees engaged and building a corporate culture that thrives can be a challenge. How do you think that type of engagement impacts your place of business? How different would things look if that number increased for you?
Writing in the Harvard Business Review, John Zenger, CEO of the Zenger/Folkman leadership development consultancy reports that the average age of supervisors receiving any type of leadership training was 42. More than half were between 36 and 49. Less than 10% were under 30; less than 5% were under 27. Think about that for a moment. If they are not entering leadership training programs until they are 43, they are getting no leadership training at all as supervisors. And they are operating within that company untrained, on average, for over a decade.

But what is a leader like you to do? Your obstacles to this dilemma are two-fold – time and money. Where do you find the time to send your team members to get the training they need? While the desire may be there, often time the resources you need are not. Conferences can be pricey once you factor in registration fees, travel, and hotels, and lost productivity being away from work. Many well-meaning leaders like yourself who would like to empower their employees don’t have the access to leadership training that can help because of these two factors—but, help is on the way!

My book, Leaders Without Borders: 9 Essentials for Everyday Leaders, serves as the textbook for the 9 week leadership training course you need. The nine chapters address foundational leadership principles that will enrich and awaken the leadership skills that can improve your people both personally and professionally. The nine leadership principles outlined in the book are: passion, priorities, optimism, teamwork, attitude, authenticity, loyalty, kindness, and legacy.

Here is how it works:

*Upon registration, participants will receive a copy of the book. Participants will be assigned one chapter per week to read and will be emailed a set of corresponding questions, outside reading assignments, videos to watch, and evaluations to work on.

*Participants will have a one hour session with me each week live via Google Hangout/Skype where I will serve as their personal leadership coach to discuss their assignments and develop their skills.

Upon completion of the course each participant will receive a certificate and a copy of my latest book, It Only Takes a Minute: Daily Inspiration for Leaders on the Move, a daily motivational leadership read for the entire year.

As stated before, workshops and conferences can be expensive. My desire is to make leadership training not only effective and empowering, but affordable. My desire is to awaken the leadership skills within your people, to close the engagement gap within your organization, and help you get a jumpstart on the training for everyone in your organization. Simply put, I want to add value to you and your team!

The leadership training you desire coupled with the convenience of not having to travel off-site, and equipping your team and raising up leaders is now within your reach!

Now is the time to take action and enroll as an individual or members of your team.

Email me today at: [email protected] or call 843.509.5104 for pricing and scheduling.

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Leadership Essentials: Communicating with Clarity

Posted July 14, 2016
by admin

comm

The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said. – Peter Drucker

A worker asked for a pay raise and got this note back from his supervisor: “Because of the fluctuation predisposition of your position’s productive capacity as juxtaposed to standard norms, it would be momentarily injudicious to advocate your requested increment.” The puzzled worker went to the supervisor and said, “Is this is about my pay raise I don’t get?” “That’s right,” said the supervisor.

As a leader one of the most important skills you will develop is communication. Unfortunately, it’s becoming one of the hardest skills to develop. The reasons for this vary. On the bright side, technology has increased our ability to communicate like never before. On the down side, conversational and social skills have waned because we prefer to text or send an email- thus avoiding actual human interaction.

Communicating with clarity is important for you as a leader. Those you lead don’t need to be like the man in the story above trying to figure out what you are saying. Here are a few simple guidelines to keep in mind going forward.

Keep it simple

Avoid as much as possible all the fancy corporate jargon. Keep it simple. Your goal here is not to impress people with your vocabulary but to inspire your team with your words and actions.

Keep it pithy

Don’t waste your people’s time with never ending meetings and chasing proverbial rabbits. The longer things drag out the more your people tune out. Have an objective, stick to it, and get going.

Be transparent

Nothing will endear your people to you more than to by being open and honest about where you are personally, where things are as an organization, and by reminding your people of the vision and the role they play in fulfilling it.

Be inclusive

Clarity is essential throughout your organization. As the leader you need to make sure everyone knows your heart and that you have their backs, and that they have all the knowledge and information they need to be successful.

Know when to speak, and speak on purpose

When communicating with your people it is important that you have a reason and purpose behind it. What you say and how you say it is important. What a team members “hears” and interprets may be very different from said and meant. Before you speak, think it through and put yourself in their shoes.

Know when to shut up

I’ve saved the most important for last. Clarity comes to us best not when we are speaking but when we are listening. The most powerful communication skill you have is your silence and your open mind. It is when you listen to your people that you have your greatest moments of clarity. Someone once said, “God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason.” That’s great advice.

Communicating with clarity is essential to your success as a leader. Use these guidelines as starting points and build upon them. Your success as a leader depends upon it.

What tips would you add?

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Be The Right Person (Video Blog)

Posted July 11, 2016
by admin

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCU3C5_g9lg&w=560&h=315]

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Video Blog: Six Ways to Rise Above Your Critics

Posted July 5, 2016
by admin

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Are You an Opportunistic Leader?

Posted June 16, 2016
by admin

opportunity

Your big opportunity may be right where you are now. – Napoleon Hill

In Bits & Pieces a number of years back the story is told of an energetic young man who began work as a clerk in a hardware store. Like many old- time hardware stores, the inventory included thousands of dollars’ worth of items that were obsolete or seldom called for by customers. The young man was smart enough to know that no thriving business could carry such an inventory and still show a healthy profit. He proposed a sale to get rid of the stuff. The owner was reluctant but finally agreed to let him set up a table in the middle of the store and try to sell off a few of the oldest items. Every product was priced at ten cents. The sale was a success and the young fellow got permission to run a second sale. It, too, went over just as well as the first. This gave the young clerk an idea. Why not open a store that would sell only nickel and dime items? He could run the store and his boss could supply the capital.

The young man’s boss was not enthusiastic. “The plan will never work,” he said, “because you can’t find enough items to sell at a nickel and a dime.” The young man was disappointed but eventually went ahead on his own and made a fortune out of the idea. His name was F.W. Woolworth.

Years later his old boss lamented, “As near as I can figure it, every word I used in turning Woolworth down has cost me about a million dollars!”

When thinking of an opportunistic person what mental image comes to mind? For some it’s an image of a person seizing a moment in time to be unscrupulous or devious. But I’d like to frame it from a different perspective.

As a leader with influence you have many opportunities that come your way and not all of them have to do with what you gain. Often it’s about what you can give. Here are five characteristics of opportunistic leaders.

Opportunistic leaders take time to listen

This point might stand in contrast to the “leader” in the organization who is more accustomed to talking and being heard. But opportunistic leaders understand the value of listening to his or her people. The best leaders know that it’s not always about what you have to say that is important but in what you hear. Be an opportunistic leader and tune in to those around you. You might just learn something.

Opportunistic leaders look for ways to serve

Leaders who make their mark on the world do so by finding ways to serve others and causes greater than themselves. This can be done in so many ways and on so many different levels large and small. This opportunistic leader is less concerned about the limelight and simply finds joy in serving others and making their small corner of the world a better place to live. In what ways are you serving those around you?

Opportunistic leaders are always growing

Opportunistic leaders have a healthy appetite for personal growth and development. It’s understood therefore that it won’t happen by chance or without being intentional. What personal growth and development and leadership books are you reading? How about magazines like Success (my favorite) and other resources to help you sharpen your leadership skills? Opportunistic leaders are always striving to be better and make their personal growth and development a priority.

Opportunistic leaders build relationships

A good leader understands the value of relationships and will make building them a priority. An opportunistic leader knows that strong relationships are the foundation of his organization and it contributes to a healthy culture. As good of a benefit as that is; it’s even nicer for your people to know that you care about them as a person and that you see their worth not just for what they do but simply for who they are.

Opportunistic leaders are willing to take risks

Some might argue that risk-taking is throwing caution to the wind, but I beg to differ. Opportunistic leaders realize that this brief moment in time spent on earth is but a vapor and every moment is a gift from God to make a difference. Mark Twain said, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.” I believe it’s true.

Opportunistic leaders are not in it for themselves. They are looking for ways to leave their mark on the world and to add value to others along the way.

Have you found your next opportunity?

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Building Bridges and Tearing Down Walls

Posted June 2, 2016
by admin

bridges

Management is about arranging and telling. Leadership is about nurturing and enhancing. – Tom Peters

The Great Wall of China was built over hundreds of years to keep China’s northern enemies from invading. The Great Wall is so wide that chariots could ride across the top. It is one of the few manmade objects that astronauts can see from space as they look back on the earth.

But the Great Wall did not keep the enemy out. Do you know why? All the enemy had to do was bribe a gatekeeper. Despite the massive wall, there was an enemy on the inside that let the enemy on the outside in.

One of your most important responsibilities you have as a leader is to grow your corporate culture in a way that benefits everyone. But what happens when office gossip, professional jealousy, and turf wars build walls that place your company at risk? What is the fallout when walls go up and camaraderie is a faint memory of the past? Here are four critical areas that are impacted in your organization if walls are built or allowed to remain.

Loss of trust

The first line of defense for you as a leader as it relates to your corporate culture is the establishment of trust. When walls go up among your people trust is one of the first casualties along with it. Trust among your team is essential to your operation. If it doesn’t exist internally it’s going to be hard to nurture and develop it externally.

Trust is the foundation of your corporate culture. If there is no trust among the members of your team then your team is simply going through the motions. Trust is built when the walls come down and your people learn to work in harmony with one another. When they see each other as allies and advocates rather than adversaries then you trust can be established.

Lack of communication

When there is no trust then communication is going to suffer. If information is being withheld and secrets are kept, then good corporate culture is lacking. Walls keep people apart and when this occurs then the life blood of your company is missing. Everything rises and falls on trust and communication.

Consider for a moment how different things in your organization would be if there were not impediments to communication. Good communication can be a challenge in the best of times when there are no walls much less when they do exist. Communication in your organization will exist and thrive when you bring people together and make it a priority.

Lack of collaboration

Whatever the cause for the walls that exist – clicks, territorial disputes, petty office politics, etc. one thing is certain – relationships suffer. A strong work environment and the collaborative process are dependent upon good relationships – the very thing the walls have destroyed.

A healthy collaborative process can be very beneficial. When team members come together and check their baggage and their egos at the door, it can make a huge difference in the productivity of the organization. But this can’t happen within the confines of walls that are far too often supported by pride. When team members see their differences as strengths and their diversity as an advantage then collaboration can thrive.

Lack of credibility

Walls can be detrimental to any organization and every leader faces the challenge of how to deal with the underlying issues that lend itself to their creation. It’s a frustrating process and I understand the challenge it presents.

But the credibility of your organizational structure is on the line when walls of division that lead to a lack of trust, communication, and collaboration are allowed to linger. Chances are it’s only one or two disgruntled people who are the chief antagonists giving you this headache. But nonetheless, walls are being built because well-meaning team members may know of no other way to deal with it.

As a leader you must be proactive in the implementation and development of your corporate culture. It’s not an auto-pilot feature that you can turn on and then ignore as you move on to other issues. As a leader the best things you can do is learn how to build more bridges and tear down a lot of more walls.

What do you say?

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Six Ways to Rise Above Your Critics

Posted May 19, 2016
by admin

critics

To escape criticism- do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. – Elbert Hubbard

A story is told of Winston Churchill and his extraordinary integrity in the face of opposition. During his last year in office, he attended an official ceremony. Several rows behind him two gentlemen began whispering. “That’s Winston Churchill. They say he is getting senile. They say he should step aside and leave the running of the nation to more dynamic and capable men.” When the ceremony was over, Churchill turned to the men and said, “Gentlemen, they also say he is deaf.”

Critics. Every leader has them and every leader will. How you respond to critics is an important component of your leadership development. It’s all too easy to get defensive when critics rub us the wrong way or misunderstand us. But can you appreciate a critic when he or she is right? Rising above your critics takes courage. Here are six ways to do it.

Keep a positive attitude.

Zig Ziglar said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” He’s right. How high and how far you go as a leader will be determined by your attitude. Nothing will give you a bad attitude any quicker than a wrong reaction to a critic. Basic things you will want to know regarding a critic are the source, the accuracy, the ramifications, and your reaction – if there even needs to be one. Regardless, stay positive and focused on the big picture.

Stay true to your values.

Don’t allow your critics to throw you off of your game. Stay grounded and connected to the values that have guided you to where you are. Values do not change but are guideposts when your circumstances do. The values and principles that brought you to where you are will keep you there so handle your critics with that in mind.

Speak no evil.

Seriously? Yes. Engaging in mud-slinging with your critics only hurts you in the long run. Unless what they have spoken or done is libelous then don’t waste your time in a verbal battle. Be content in knowing that the truth is on your side. There is no greater satisfaction than in knowing that you can look yourself in the mirror and lay your head down at night with a peace that comes from knowing you did the right thing regardless of how others behaved.

Don’t retaliate.

There will be times when you will want (and those close to you) to retaliate against critics. There is something about human nature that wants to fight back and get revenge and settle the score. I get it. But again, the end result will never be good for you. As hard as it may be there are times when you just have to let it go. Don’t worry if you lose a battle today, you are going to win the war if you keep your heart right.

Give them more ammo.

Most of the critics you will encounter are simply those who have some kind of vendetta or jealousy directed toward you. As opposed to stooping down to their level why not give them more ammo? As you do the right thing by continuing to work hard and by exhibiting good leadership, you will only become more successful. Nothing will annoy your critics more than your continued success.

Don’t lose your sense of humor.

One of the most important leadership skills you can develop is a sense of humor. Churchill exhibited it towards the men who spoke ill of him. Your critics will stir up a wide range of emotions and reactions that you will want to run with. But if you laugh – at them, and at yourself, half the battle is won.

What do you say?

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