“I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me, and I didn't have the heart to let him down.” ~ Abraham Lincoln I had a professor, Dr. Ponder, who challenged me daily. Yes, he had exacting standards in the classroom, and he expected us all to know and execute what he taught. Dr. Ponder knew so much about his subject matter. He had worked in the industry as well as taught for many years....
Pat told me he may never become a supervisor on the team, rather he sees his biggest contribution to the team is as a mentor for the new hires. He said, “I see myself training my new boss one day.” Mentoring, or training/advising someone else, especially younger colleagues has a long tradition throughout human history. Pat may be right, for it is common for the mentee to eventually be the boss/leader of the colleagues who train...
“Always believe in yourself and always stretch yourself beyond your limits. Your life is worth a lot more than you think because you are capable of accomplishing more than you know. You have more potential than you think, but you will never know your full potential unless you keep challenging yourself and pushing beyond your own self-imposed limits. ~Roy T. Bennett. My natural tendency is to get into a comfortable pattern and work it – comfortable being the...
It is sometimes difficult to invest in training an employee only to see them leave. In the last 5 years I have seen over 20 of our staff members leave our organization for better job opportunities. They were not let go; they chose to leave because they were offered a growth opportunity. Some were actively recruited by other supervisors in other departments inside our organization. One former employee said he would have never been able to...
According to the Harvard Business Review employees who feel respected are more grateful for—and loyal to—their organizations. This idea is common sense, but a lot of work environments don’t seem to understand it well enough to nurture and grow a culture of respect within their teams. How important is respect? Recently I sat down for a Leader to Leader (L2L) session with our landscape staff. L2L is when we come into the breakroom for 30-50 minutes to...
As a leader how you make decisions is important. Regardless of the size of an organization, decisions at every level can often alter the company’s direction and have lasting impacts on the employees and customers. How well each employee makes decisions affects their ability to lead – themselves and others. Leaders who prioritize developing decision-making skills not only inspire confidence but also foster a culture of trust and respect within their teams or organizations. For that...
Decision-making is essential for building and maintaining leadership credibility. In the scheme of things, not just any decision will do. As with most things, decision making is a process. A leader who prioritizes the decision-making process not only inspires confidence, but also fosters a culture of trust and respect within their organization. As a leader how you make decisions is important to your influence on the team. First, as a leader, do you see and recognize problems?...
In the realm of leadership, words are undoubtedly important at any level of the organization. They inspire, motivate, and guide teams towards their objectives. However, it's not just what leaders say that matters—it's what they do. Actions speak volumes, especially when they reflect the values they profess to uphold. Living your values will translate into your leadership style. When leaders consistently align their actions with their stated values, they foster an environment of trust and authenticity within...
"The best leaders are also the best followers. They follow a purpose, cause, or belief bigger than themselves." ~Simon Sinek A few years ago, I was sitting with a group of employees focused on hiring a new grounds employee when one of the supervisors said, “I don’t need to hire any leaders, I need followers.” Why did this leader say that? Can we get them to see the value in hiring and developing people who have great...
Do I need to be teaching leadership skills at work? I was fortunate to learn a great deal about leadership, growing up playing sports, being involved in Scouts, and participating in school leadership roles. As I moved into my career many of those skills learned earlier in life became applicable and valuable as I grew in my leadership responsibilities. But there is always so much more to learn as a leader, leadership learning should never stop....