Christian Whamond. Key Leadership. Executive coach
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The six deadly sins of leaership

28/8/2013

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Being a leader is perhaps the hardest challenge any of us will ever face. No matter how long we work at it, practicing the right behaviors is a never-ending task. Knowing – and avoiding – the wrong ones is too. Thus, we offer the following six common leadership pitfalls:

1. Not Giving Self-Confidence its Due.

Self-confidence is the lifeblood of success. When people have it, they’re bold. They try new things, offer ideas, exude positive energy, and cooperate with their colleagues instead of surreptitiously attempting to bring them down. When they lack self-confidence, it’s just the opposite. People cower. They plod. And they spread negativity with every word and gesture.

But all too often leaders ignore (or neglect) this very basic fact of the human condition. Why is anyone’s guess. Perhaps they just don’t understand that it is part of their job to instill self-confidence in their people. It may even be said that it’s their first job. You cannot unleash the creative power of individuals who doubt themselves.

Fortunately, some people seem to be born with self-confidence. Others gain it from life and work experience and come to a company fully loaded. Regardless, leaders can never stop pouring self-confidence into their teams. The ways to do so are myriad. Make sure goals are challenging – but achievable. Give effusive positive feedback. Remind your direct reports of what they do right.

We’re not saying that leaders should blindly extol and exalt. People know when they’re being gamed. But good leaders work relentlessly to find ways to instill self-confidence in those around them. They know it’s the gift that never stops giving.

2. Muzzling Voice.

Perhaps the most frustrating way that leaders underperform is by over-talking. That is, they act like know-it-alls. They can tell you how the world works, what corporate is thinking, how it will backfire if you try this or that, and why you can’t possibly change the product one iota. Sometimes such blowhards get their swagger from a few positive experiences, but usually they’re just victims of their own destructive personalities.

Ultimately, the company ends up being a victim too, because know-it-alls aren’t just insufferable, they’re dangerous. They don’t listen, and that deafness makes it very hard for new ideas to get debated, expanded upon, or improved. No single person, no matter how smart, can take a business to its apex. For that, you need every voice to be heard.

3. Acting Phony.

Can you spot a phony? Of course you can – and so can your people. Indeed, if there is one widespread human capability, it is sniffing out someone who is putting on airs, pretending to be who they’re not, or just keeping their real self hidden. Yet too many leaders spend way too much time creating personas that put a wall between them and their employees. What a waste.

Because authenticity is what makes people love you. Visibly grappling with tough problems, sweating the details, laughing, and caring – those are the activities that make people respond and feel engaged with what you’re saying. Sure, some people will tell you that being mysterious grants you power as a leader. In reality, all it generates is fear. And who wants to motivate that way?

Now, obviously, authenticity is unattractive if it’s coupled with immaturity or an overdose of informality. And organizations generally don’t like people who are too emotionally unbounded – i.e. so real that all their feelings are exposed. They tend to tamp that kind of intensity down a bit. And that’s not a bad thing, as work is work and, more than at home, allows us to maintain some privacy.

But don’t let convention wring all the authenticity out of you, especially as you climb the ladder. In time, humanity always wins. Your team and bosses come to know who you are in your soul, what kind of people you attract and what kind of performance you want from everyone. Your realness will make you accessible; you will connect and you will inspire. You will lead.

4. Lacking the Guts to Differentiate.

You only have to be in business a few weeks to know that not all investment opportunities are created equal. But some leaders can’t face that reality, and so they sprinkle their resources like cheese on a pizza, a little bit everywhere.

As a result, promising growth opportunities too often don’t get the outsized infusions of cash and people they need. If they did, someone might get offended during the resource allocation process. Someone – as in the manager of a weak business or the sponsor of a dubious investment proposal.

But leaders who don’t differentiate do the most damage when it comes to people. Unwilling to deliver candid, rigorous performance reviews, they give every employee the same kind of bland, mushy, “nice job” sign-off. Then, when rewards are doled out, they give star performers little more than the laggards. Now, you can call this egalitarian approach kind, or fair – as these lousy leaders usually do – but it’s really just weakness. And when it comes to building a thriving organization where people have the chance to grow and succeed, weakness just doesn’t cut it.


5. Fixation on Results at the Expense of Values.

Everyone knows that leaders deliver. Oratory and inspiration without results equal…well, a whole lot of nothing. But leaders are committing a real dereliction of duties if all they care about are the numbers. They also have to care about how those numbers came to be. Were the right behaviors practiced? Was the company’s culture of integrity honored? Were people taken care of properly? Was the law obeyed, in both letter and spirit?

Values are a funny thing in business. Companies love to talk about them. They love to hang them up on plaques in the lobby and boast about them to potential hires and customers. But they’re meaningless if leaders don’t live and breathe them. Sometimes that can take courage. It can mean letting go of a top performer who’s a brute to his colleagues, or not promoting a star who doesn’t share her best ideas with the team. That’s hard.

And yet if you’re a leader, this is a sin you cannot squint away. When you nail your results, make sure you can also report back to a crowded room: We did this the right way, according to our values.

6. Skipping the Fun Part

What is it about celebrating that makes managers so nervous? Maybe throwing a party doesn’t seem professional, or it makes people worry that they won’t look serious to the powers that be, or that, if things get too happy in the office, people will stop working their tails off.

Whatever the reason, too many leaders don’t celebrate enough. To be clear here, we do not define celebrating as conducting one of those stilted little company-orchestrated events that everyone hates, in which the whole team is marched out to a local restaurant for an evening of forced merriment when they’d rather be home. We’re talking about sending a team to Disney World with their families, or giving each team member tickets to a show or a movie, or handing each member of the team a new iPod.

What a lost opportunity. Celebrating makes people feel like winners and creates an atmosphere of recognition and positive energy. Imagine a team winning the World Series without champagne spraying everywhere. You can’t! And yet companies win all the time and let it go without so much as a high-five.

Work is too much a part of life not to recognize the moments of achievement. Grab as many as you can. Make a big deal out of them.

That’s part of a leader’s job too – the fun part.

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Lead by example

5/9/2012

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Are you as a leader setting the example? Are you living and breathing the actions and behaviors that you ask your people to embrace?

When I meet with many leaders within large originations they vent about how their people can be so frustrating. They have values and behaviors that they are asking their people to live by, yet they themselves don't display these same V's & B's

I herd a leader of a organization asking his people to deliver great customer service and asked "what are you doing today to deliver great service to your customers, what can you do today to go the extra mile?"

I highlighted that his customers where his people and if they don't see you living by these same values and behaviors they see his request as only that, a request or in some instances, a command.

If you want you people to live a breath certain V's & B's make sure that everyone in your organization believes that these are your V's & B's and they see you living these as much as possbile and not just another order from the top tear management group.

Give your people the same service you expect them to deliver to your customers. Have you gone the extra mile today for your people?
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Leadership behaviors

7/6/2012

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  • The leader has a sense of humor about her/his self.
  • The leader regularly participates in hobbies and activities not related to her/his job.
  • The leader demonstrates keenness and depth of perception with financial statements, key business measurements, current industry dynamics, and execution in employees' roles.
  • The leader understands the culture of the organization and has demonstrated that understanding to his/her team and others.
  • The leader inspires and motivates others to share the vision.
  • The leader regularly schedules formal planning meetings with his or her direct   reports.
  • The leader fosters a culture where forward thinking and intelligent risk taking are rewarded.
  • The leader considers how the organization's work is organized in an effort to find ways to improve productivity.
  • The leader communicates effectively.
  • The leader takes a systems approach to solving problems.
  • The leader fosters a spirit of teamwork in his or her work unit.
  • The leader is adept at reading the emotional state of others.
  • The leader willingly accepts and shares responsibility.
  • The leader can accept being wrong without rationalizing or offering excuses.
  • The leader spends an appropriate amount of time with her/his family and friends away from work
  • The leader has successfully aligned their understanding of the corporate strategy and guts of the business with what they, or their people, do everyday to drive business results.
  • The leader sets and beats stretch targets.
  • The leader sets goals which contribute to the vision and culture of the organization.
  • The leader takes the time to recognize people for their contributions and achievements.
  • The leader develops other leaders/employees to set priorities & make better business decisions while understanding the larger impact.
  • The leader develops strategies that zero in on key success approaches.
  • The leader uses a feedback mechanism that taps into stakeholders at every level of the organization.
  • The leader sets priorities for his or her direct reports.
  • The leader evaluates and, when necessary, adjusts implemented solutions.
  • The leader builds consensus on the team.
  • The leader listens well and communicates openly.
  • The leader trusts her/his own judgment.
  • The leader is aware of the impact of her/his behaviors on the people s/he works with
  • The leader has demonstrated knowledge of how businesses work domestically and globally.
  • The leader has a developmental plan for acquiring knowledge related to his or her profession.
  • The leader understands the critical role every function plays in the success of our brands and works successfully across functions to drive profitable growth.
  • The leader motivates and inspires entire units or organizations to share best practices.
  • The leader empowers others to achieve objectives.
  • The leader is forward thinking and has a clear view of what’s necessary for future success.
  • The leader develops strategies that improve financial strength and profitability.  
  • The leader is appropriately self-assertive.
  • The leader learns from her/his mistakes.
  • The leader reflects on her/his performance and seeks ways to improve.
  • The leader recognizes the effects of her/his negative emotions on others and manages them appropriately.
  • The leader involves his or her team members in decision making.
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Confronting Unacceptable Behavior

8/9/2010

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Few managers enjoy confronting staff about performance concerns or undesirable conduct. However, digging your head in the sand and just hoping that things will get better on their own is both naive and irresponsible. So how should you go about confronting someone at work?

The first step is to do your homework. There is nothing worse than having egg on your face because you didn’t have all the facts. What have you seen and heard yourself? What have you heard from others? What do you need to check? Would your boss see this as something worth confronting head on?

The second step is to decide what you are going to say. Right at the outset, you need to state the facts, how you came by them and how this falls short of your expectations. This part needs to be clear and concise, so spend some time rehearsing your opening statement. Then, you need to invite a response with a simple question such as, What happened? Other than the opening question, this part cannot be pre-planned. However, you can expect to spend some time listening to what they have to say and asking further questions that help you better understand the situation from their perspective. Finally, you need to remind them that their behavior needs to change and then work with them to come up with ways that they can make this change happen.

The third step is the meeting itself. Make a time in advance where you can meet with them privately and then work through the stages in step two. During the meeting you may discover that some personal issues (divorce, drug addiction, etc.) are contributing to the problem. You should not discuss solutions to these sorts of problems other than to offer to refer the person to a counselor from your company’s Employee Assistance Program or similar. You need to focus your efforts on helping the person change their attitudes and actions at work. This is essentially an open-ended problem-solving exercise sandwiched between a pre-planned opening and closing. I described the opening in step two (above). The closing is a simple restatement of what they have agreed to do as a result of the problem-solving you have just undertaken.

The fourth step is making a written record of the meeting. The degree of detail needed in your notes will depend upon the seriousness of the issue being discussed. However, it would generally include information about:
  • The meeting itself (when, where, who)
  • The gap between their current behaviour (factual) and your expectations
  • Any actions that you and they have agreed to take
Notes about personal problems should be general and minimal (e.g., Fred talked about some personal problems that were contributing to this work issue and I told him that I could arrange for him to talk to Sarah, our employee counselor, if he wanted some help with these).

The fifth and final step is following up after the meeting. At a minimum, this involves ensuring that you follow through on anything that you have agreed to do. However, I suggest you go further. Get out of your office and observe what they are doing. People are far more likely to do as they are told when they know that they are being watched. Use this ongoing insight to acknowledge any positive changes that you see, while also correcting any remaining undesirable behavior. Furthermore, you can set aside time for ongoing meetings. Use these meetings to check progress on their commitment to change, and if necessary, to work out solutions to any unexpected difficulties that they have encountered.
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Bolstering morale and ensuring staff retention

11/7/2010

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Clear and constructive feedback is critical for improving performance, bolstering morale and ensuring staff retention.
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