One of the best lessons I learned from my dad was to lead with respect. He taught me just because someone has the power and authority to boss people around, it doesn’t mean they should use it to push people, to crush them or to be rude. My dad was that way in his work and personal life. No matter what trouble I got into—even the time I accidentally set off a box of fireworks in my bedroom—he...
What is the purpose behind the work you do every day? Pretty standard responses to this question include “to provide for myself” or “to provide for my family.” Although those are important, they suggest the person saying it doesn’t know the purpose behind the work they do; they don’t suggest the people know why their work really matters. Clear, motivating vision statements challenge everyone on the team to do their best work. They tell everyone inside and...
We’ve all heard the saying, “Teamwork makes the dream work,” and in my experience, I have discovered you have to have a good team before you can accomplish the dream. That begins by recognizing the fact that we can’t do everything by ourselves. We need others, but in our rush to finish a project or meet a deadline, we try to do so much on our own. How important is your team to your organization’s success? A strong team begins with a leader who first is willing and confident to lead...
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” This quote is attributed to Abraham Lincoln. Is it true for you? Today I was speaking to a 30-year-old who is in an entry-level employee position. He said for the first time, he's considering a leadership position. I asked him why he was considering it now? His answer was not surprising, “I am getting older and I need to make more money. Becoming a leader allows me...
What is one of the number one characteristics of a winning team? Talent is obviously needed, but is that all?There are many factors that go into creating a team, but one that is foundational is that each person understands and knows the role they play in the organization's success. My 8th grade basketball coach used to tell us, “Accept your role.” Whether we were a starter or practiced to make the starters better, he said accept...
It’s one thing when your front-line team members have conflict, but it is a whole new matter when your key leaders are in conflict with each other. If your leaders are “sideways” or in disagreement with each other, you would be wise to not let it just work itself out. We spend a lot of time at work with people most of us never choose to spend time with. Conflict is costly - especially if it is...
If you’re looking to grow a leadership culture at your organization, three leadership styles can help you achieve your goal. Think about a time in your life when you really were impacted by an effective leader—someone who cultivated success, effort and productivity. What qualities did this leader possess? It’s safe to say the leader you are thinking about was more than a figurehead. He or she was more likely to be someone who took interest in you...
Becoming an effective leader isn’t always easy. Leadership styles are often developed unintentionally, learned from others who led before you. Additionally, with all the pressures today and multiple pulls on our time and attention, it’s more challenging than ever to lead with a long-term vision in a way that develops the next generation of leaders. Even with the best intentions, people can develop poor leadership styles that can destroy productivity. If left unchecked, poor leadership traits can...
Vision statements can be a powerful way to lead a team to success because they help get every team member working together toward a common goal. If you’ve struggled to put together a vision statement for your team, or if your vision statement has failed to stick, it’s possible your statement is missing one of the following “Three R’s” of impactful vision statements. Relatable Vision statements need to be big enough to relate to everyone in the company in...
Companies spend a lot of time and money on training employees. Some bring in outside consultants, others send key staff to off-site training facilities and others even host their own. Unfortunately, too many companies see little to no return on their investment. Many times, the problem isn’t with the company or people. They try their best to incorporate the lessons into their company and see little or no benefit. When that happens, it could be because the...
