Christian Whamond. Key Leadership. Executive coach
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Collaborative Leaders

1/11/2013

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Collaborative leadership is crucial for leading in uncertain and turbulent times. Leading in turbulent times requires a deliberate shift away from command-and-control towards a more collaborative style of leadership. When talking about leadership here, we’re referring to leadership as a verb and not a noun. We’re talking about leadership as the social process shared by all members of an enterprise. We’re not the person at the top of an enterprise’s organisational structure!

If you are considering making the shift towards a more collaborative leadership approach you may be asking yourself, “What are the practices that support collaborative leadership?” Good question. In this post we will briefly explore the 11 practices of collaborative leaders.

1. Passionate Purpose and Vision

Collaborative leaders create an environment where people can unite behind a common purpose, vision and set of values. Clear and compelling purpose, vision and values are essential. They unite people and provide guidance as to the goals and standards of behaviour. Passion begins with the leader, unless the leader is passionate and leads by example others will be reluctant to follow.

Having a purpose and vision is necessary, but it’s not sufficient. Vision and purpose must be supported by passion. Collaborative leaders have passion for a cause. It’s passion that drives people to initiate, to act and draws them into conversations about the best ways to create a new future. It’s passion that causes people to step up to a challenge, to take on ambitious responsibilities and accept risk. Seek out people who are passionate about the purpose and vision of the enterprise and help the participate in bringing the vision into reality.

2. Accept You’re Not in Control

The reality is a leader in never in control. Leaders are unable to command the commitment and passion required for success. People may comply when you’re around, but they only commit as the result of inspiring leadership and a meaningful cause. Moving towards collaborative leadership requires you moving away from the thinking that leadership is about control. Making the shift from “command-and-control” is not easy, but it’s critical if you want to develop a more collaborative leadership style.

Collaborative leadership demands that leaders, lead without the safety of authority, position and hierarchy. This requires that leaders let go of their need to control and embrace an alternative a collaborative leadership style.

Collaborative leadership begins with the understanding that although you cannot change others you can change yourself. You can change your leadership philosophy, your leadership behaviours and develop a new set of leadership beliefs and skills. The bottom line is that collaborative leadership starts with you and your example. It’s a decision you must make and begins with a change in your mindset, behaviours and the example you set for the team and your enterprise.

3. Flatten Your Enterprise Structures

Flat organisational structures have fewer levels of management with more people reporting into a single manager. This supports a fast, reliable communication and increased collaboration when compared to tall, deep structures. Flat structures are more agile and flexible as a result of faster decision making. However to be successful flat structures require more competent employees as higher levels of responsibility is placed on each individual. Collaborative leaders seek to flatten their enterprises structures allowing individuals to take more responsibility, increased accountability for decision making and power to initiate change.

4. Lead Horizontally

Collaborative leadership is about breaking down silos and building trust based cross-functional relationships. This requires a shift in thinking about who’s your team. Instead of seeing your team as consisting only of your direct reports you must learn to embrace the horizontal team consisting of your peers. Your peers, those leading and working in other functional disciplines, is your team. Leading a horizontal team requires influence and strong relatiopnships. To lead outside your area of responsibility and accountability is the hall mark of collaborative leadership.

5. Develop Leaders at All Levels

Unless we invest massively in the development of leadership at all levels we’ll be stuck with command-and-control as the primary way of getting things done. We’ll constrain the extent to which the enterprise could embrace collaborative leadership. Sadly, many enterprises have historically underinvested in the development of the necessary leadership skills required throughout the organisational structures to navigate in complex, ambiguous and uncertain times.

Collaborative leaders focus intensely on the development of leaders at all levels of the enterprise. Everyone is a leader. Everyone is expected to take responsibility to lead. Everyone is developed to become a leader. Collaborative leaders commit to the development leaders at all levels. Letting go of control and sharing power gives other the opportunity to step up and develop their leadership skills.

One of the best ways to develop leader is through leadership experiences. This means viewing mistakes as a learning and development opportunities. It means placing your best leaders on your biggest opportunities, rather than your biggest problems. It means rotating individuals so they lead outside their comfort zone and to encourage them to lead strategic projects.

6. Build a Foundation of Trust

Trust is the foundation of effective team work and collaboration. When trust fails, leadership fails. All the dysfunctions of teams as described by Patrick Lencioni – the lack of accountability, fear of commitment, lack of conflict and the avoidance of accountability – are a result of the absence of trust. Trust is the foundation of successful team work and collaboration.

Trust does not “just happen” as the result of spending time with others. Trust needs to be deliberately nurtured and developed. Trust is a choice we make about someone, it’s a belief in the competence, reliability, integrity and character of another person. To encourage trust you need to be trustworthy, it’s a two way street. Collaborative leadership have the courage required to trust others, to risk being vulnerable  and to expose who you are and what the stand for to others.

7. Encourage Risk Taking

Developing leaders at all levels means encouraging people to take initiative and the implications of that is we need to take risk. When individuals feel trusted and secure they’re open to risk taking. This is a good thing. Thoughtful risk taking by individuals and teams is necessary for creativity, innovation, learning and growth. Without this enterprises find themselves stuck in the mire of process, procedure, bureaucracy and the status quo. When individuals feel free to take risk they spend less of their time figuring out how to cover their asses and devote more time to driving change.

8. Lead with Questions

When you lead with questions you’re trading control for collaboration. Information and knowledge is spread throughout the enterprise in different silos. To leverage this information require shifting the leadership role from providing the answers to asking questions. Effective questions opens up the conversation and the search for creative new solutions. Effective questions engage people in meaningful conversations. Conversation is how groups think. Effective questions generate conversation. Collaborative leaders bring people together in conversation around the enterprises biggest opportunities.

9. Share Information Broadly

Information is the lifeblood of any enterprise. Sharing information widely places everyone on same level, it encourages responsibility and collaboration. A continuous stream of information about customers, suppliers, markets improves agility and decision making at all levels.

There was a time when information was seen as a source of power and many hoarded and withheld information. However collaborative leaders share information generously. This gives others the information they need to confidently step into leadership roles and take responsibility for initiating change.

Sharing information broadly contributes to building an environment of trust. Without information people feel isolated and tend to make up their own version of reality. This leads to gossip and rumours that undermine trust and leadership effectiveness. Collaborative leaders share information creating an environment of trust and openness.

10. Support Transparent Decision Making

Collaborative leadership requires that leaders share power and allows individuals to contribute and influence decisions. Collaborative leaders are clear about who makes decisions, how decisions will be made, who is accountable for the outcomes and how others can participate in the process. When decision making processes are transparent people spend less time questioning decisions and commit their energy to implementation.

Collaborative leaders create processes and systems that support participation in decision making. Transparent decision making processes empower individuals and teams with the authority to make decisions. They develop supporting  principles, values and decision making criteria as decision making guidelines. This empowers individuals and teams by providing the necessary decision making processes and frameworks in which they can execute their decision making authority.

When individuals are involved in decision making they get a deeper understanding of the issues, challenges and constraints that influence decisions. When people feel their voice has been considered they’re more likely support the decision. This builds the commitment necessary in support of the decisions implementation. Transparent decision making creates buy-in, builds trust.

11. Encourage Constructive Conflict

The active sharing of diverse perspectives provides a richer understanding of what’s happening resulting in better decisions and outcomes. It’s when we combine different ideas, perspectives and understanding that we gain insight. But such insight is hard won – it occurs as the result of difficult conversations around conflicting issues and concerns.

Encouraging constructive conflict in an environment where people are free to raise tough issues, to provide raw feedback to their leaders and team members is essential. Without open and constructive conflict innovation fails, decision making stumbles and creative solutions become scarce.

Collaborative leaders invest in building the interpersonal skills necessary for constructive conflict in themselves and others throughout the organisation. They celebrate diversity and welcome new and challenging perspectives with the goal of finding innovative solutions.

Conclusion

Leading in turbulent times requires a deliberate shift from command-and-control towards a collaborative style of leadership. This is easier said than done. It demands that individuals at all levels take initiative and act in ways that supports the achievement of the vision, purpose and objectives of the enterprise. The freedom to take risk, to fail, to engage in constructive conflict, to participate in decision making and to experiment, to learn and innovate. All this is the result of collaborative leadership.

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Trust

19/10/2013

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Trust is built on telling the truth, not telling people what they want to hear.

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Become someone who can positively influence other people

15/6/2013

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People today are desperate for leaders, but they want to be influenced by someone they can trust, a person of good character. If you want to become someone who can positively influence other people:

1. Model consistency of character. Solid trust can only develop when people can trust you all the time

2. Employ honest communication. To be trustworthy, you have to be like a good musical composition: your words and music must match.

3. Value transparency. If you're honest with people and admit your weaknesses, they appreciate your honesty. And they are able to relate to you better.

4. Exemplify humility. People won't trust you if they see that you are driven by ego, jealousy, or the belief that you are better than they are.

5. Demonstrate your support of others. Nothing develops or displays your character better than your desire to put others first.

6. Fulfill your promises. One of the fastest ways to break trust with others is in failing to fulfill your commitments.

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Nurturing benefits everyone.

13/3/2013

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Many organizations today fail to tap into their potential. Why? Because the only reward they give their employees is a paycheck. The relationship between employer and employee never develops beyond that point. Successful organizations take a different approach. In exchange for the work a person gives, he receives not only his paycheck, but he is also nurtured by the people he works for. And nurturing has the ability to transform people's lives.

I use the "BEST" acronym as a reminder of what people need when they get started with my organization. They need me to . . .

Believe in them
Encourage them
Share with them
Trust them

Nurturing benefits everyone. What employees wouldn't be more secure and motivated when their leader believes in them, encourages them, shares with them, and trusts them (BEST)? People are more productive when they are nurtured. Even more important, nurturing creates a strong emotional and professional foundation within workers who have leadership potential. Later, using training and development, a leader can be built on that foundation.
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Things Customers Want Most From You

22/9/2012

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It's not just about your product or service. Customers want you to be the type of person they can trust to get the job done.

What do your customers really want from you? No matter what your industry, your customers want more than just great products and workable solutions.

What they really want to know is that you--personally--are the type of person whom they can trust to get the job done.  Here are the seven things they want to see in you:

1. Independent Thinking

Customers want to know that you'll represent their interests, even it's not in your own financial interest--and particularly when the proverbial chips are down. (Of course, it's your job to make certain that the chips stay up.)

2. Courage

Customers want to know that you can be trusted to do the right thing. They expect you to tell them if buying what you're selling is a mistake, or not truly in their interests.  That takes real guts.

3. Pride

The best customers don't want you to truckle and beg. Because they're trusting you to deliver, they want to work with proud, successful people who can handle even the most difficult tasks.

4. Creativity

Customers don't have the time to sit and listen to cookie-cutter sales presentations.  However, they always have time for somebody who can redefine problems and devise workable solutions.

5. Confidence

Customers are taking a risk when they buy from you.  They both need and expect you to exude the kind of confidence that assures them you'll do what it takes to make them happy.

6. Empathy

Customers want you to see the situation from their perspective.  They want you to understand where they are, how their business works, and the challenges that they face--not just intellectually, but in your gut.

7. Honesty

Above all, customers want you to be honest with them.  In fact, the previous six values are built upon a foundation of honesty.  Without honesty, you have absolutely nothing to offer any customer.

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People's trust in you is largely determined by your intentions.

17/8/2012

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People's trust in you is largely determined by your intentions. Here are three ways to prove your sincerity:

Talk explicitly about what you want. Tell your team the values and motives that guide your decisions. Don't assume people will see them. Say them outright and invite discussion.

Walk the talk. Maintain integrity between what you say and what you do. This will prove your authenticity.

Be consistent.. What you practice should be the same from day to day, from person to person, from situation to situation. If it's not, people will doubt you. When there are discrepancies, explain them.
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Five dysfunctions of a team

11/8/2012

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Executives are not working together as a team? Is the team is struggling with their situation and are unable to come to agreement on an appropriate solution to their problems? Is the team dynamics erode into naming, blaming and shaming, no one is accepting responsibility, deadlines are being missed and moral is on the decline.…

The is know as a dysfunctional team.

“If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

To get the people in a team aligned and rowing in the same direction requires the CEO and the executives to address the following five dysfunctions of their team

Dysfunction 1: Absence of Trust

The first dysfunction is the absence of trust amongst team members. The type of trust we are talking about here is the ability of group members to show their weaknesses, to be vulnerable and open with one another. Trust is never generated in teams when the team members are not prepared to be vulnerable. Instead they feel the need to be right, to be strong and competent, so much that they are unable to be vulnerable and open with one another. 

Trust requires that team members have confidence in each other intentions, that they are good and therefore have no reason to be protective and careful in the team. The when I ‘m vulnerable it will not be exploited and used against me by the team. The lack of trust amongst teams is a huge waste of time and energy as team members invest their time and energy in defensive behaviours, reluctant to ask for help and to assist others.

The key to overcoming a lack of trust is shared experiences, multiple follow – throughs and integrity. A Myers Briggs assessment or a 360 degree assessment is a good way to get the team talking about one another’s strengths and weaknesses and so become comfortable with one another.

“…teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.”

The primary role of the leader is to lead my example, be the first one to be vulnerable, and create an environment where it’s safe to be vulnerable. Building trust makes conflict possible!

Dysfunction 2: Fear of Conflict

Trust is the foundation of great teams and it’s trust that makes team conflict possible. Teams become dysfunctional when they are unable to productively deal with conflict. All meaningful relationships require productive conflict for them to grow. Healthy conflict occurs when people talk about the issue at hand avoiding personal attacks, looking for the best solution for the team. Teams tend to avoid conflict often replacing it with an artificial harmony.

“Harmony itself is good, I suppose, if it comes as a result of working through issues constantly and cycling through conflict. But if it comes only as a result of people holding back their opinions and honest concerns, then it’s a bad thing.”

We wear masks and focus on being nice to everyone. however, productive conflict is required for teams to become functional. This allows for meaningful dialogue where people are open to share, without feeling fearful of reprisal or criticism. One of the worst team dysfunctions is when you have a team of “yes men”.

Leaders need to encourage debate, support it and keep it productive. Teams who avoid conflict spend much time “off-line” never making decisions that the group can commit to. Healthy and productive teams accept that conflict is a normal part of being in a team to learn to deal with it productively.

“…meetings and movies have a lot in common…A movie, on average, runs anywhere from ninety minutes to two hours in length. Staff meetings are about the same…And yet meetings are interactive, whereas movies are not…And more importantly, movies have no real impact on our lives…. [and]…Every great movie has conflict. Without it, we just don’t care what happens to the characters.”

When working with teams a leaders need to understand the importance of conflict in teams, being careful not to try and steer the team towards premature resolution of conflict with the intention of protecting people. It’s important for leaders to help the team members to learn and develop positive conflict resolution skills. The beast way to do this is for leader to “lead by example”, modelling the appropriate behaviours, rather than trying to smooth over the conflict.

Dysfunction 3: Lack of Commitment

When teams engage in productive conflict they can confidently commit and buy-in to decisions. Commitment is a function of clarity and buy-in. Productive teams make clear decisions and are confident that they have the support from every team member. A lack of commitment usually arises from not hearing all the teams concerns before making a decision. There can be no commitment without debate. People will not buy into something when their opinions and thoughts on the matter were not included and discussed. “If they don’t weigh in, then they won’t buy in.” This is not as much about seeking consensus as it is about making sure that everyone is heard.

“The point here is that most reasonable people don’t have to get their way in a discussion. They just need to be heard, and to know that their input was considered and responded to.”

At the end of the day everyone needs to get to the point where they can say, “I may not agree with your ideas but I understand them and can support them.”

“When people don’t unload their opinions and feel like they’ve been listened to, they won’t really get on board.”

Leaders can help to facilitate commitment by reviewing all key decisions made at the end of team meetings, making responsibility and deadlines clear.

Dysfunction 4: Avoidance of Accountability

Without team commitment you cannot have accountability. If the team is to be accountable, everyone must have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

“People aren’t going to hold each other accountable if they haven’t clearly bought in to the same plan.”

At the end of the day it’s about each team member being accountable to the team. This means that a team member never lets the team down when is comes to meeting commitments. The team needs to hold their peers responsible for achieving results and working to high standards. It’s the responsibility of each team member to hold one another accountable and accept it when others hold them accountable.

It’s often the case, that when teams are not holding one another accountable it’s usually because they’re not measuring their progress. It’s important to make clear what the team’s standards are, what needs to get done, by who and by when. Ambiguity is the enemy of accountability.

Dysfunction 5: Inattention to Results

When teams are not held accountable the team members tend to look out for their own interests, rather than the interests of the team. A healthy team places team results as the most important goal. When all team members place the team’s results first the team becomes results orientated.

“Our job is to make the results that we need to achieve so clear to everyone in this room that no one would even consider doing something purely to enhance his or her individual status or ego. Because that would diminish our ability to achieve our collective goals. We would all lose.”

Leaders need to make the teams results clear for all to see, rewarding the behaviours that contribute to the team’s results. It’s the responsibility of the leader to keep the teams focus on results.

Cohesive Teams

By addressing these dysfunctions, what results is a cohesive team….

“…and imagine how members of truly cohesive teams behave:

1. They trust one another. 
2. They engage in unfiltered conflict around ideas. 
3. They commit to decisions and plans of action. 
4. They hold one another accountable for delivering against those plans 
5. They focus on the achievement of collective results.”

Reference: Patrick Lencioni


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Trust

11/8/2012

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I recently was involved in a seminar where the core of the discussion was building trust with customers.

This has made me think about the impact of trust, or lack of, and who is our customers.

For a leadership group within an organisation their customers are their internal staff. We all have customers weather they are internal or external, we focus on building great relationships and harbouring trust with these external customers but sometime forget about the more important customers to a organisation, our internal customers.

Trust is not automatically given when a person becomes a manager, trust from his/her pears and directs must be earned, it must be exhibited everyday with trust worthy behaviours and actions. This means removing bad habits like checking on everything people do, questioning their motives and looking to catch people out. I once hear a manager say “inspect what you expect” this comment in itself is saying “I don’t trust my staff and I need to check everything they do”

One of the greatest organisations I know whose complete business is based on trust is EBay. EBay have over one million transactions everyday go through their system. The model behind EBay allows a consumer to purchase goods from a total stranger from around the world, hand over their money and hope that the seller will post the goods and that they are as described.

If I was to describe this model to someone today that had no idea who EBay are they would call this madness, they would say that it could never happen, it would open the flood gates form fraudulent transactions, yet EBay has less that 28 fraud transactions per day on average. This is an astonishing figure when you look at how many transactions take place everyday. This tryst is based on a “feedback system” that’s in place within EBay.

If the feedback model can be so successful at preventing fraudulent activities with EBay, could we use this same model within Business for our direct reports?

Distrusting people this is called self deception, we see people as objects and no longer as people. We then look to be right and look for confirmation of the deception, we no longer see the good in people we are always looking to "catch them" and confirm our own self deception. This is called self betrayal.

Self betrayal is an act contrary to what we feel is right and what we should do for another person. When we betray ourselves we begin to see the world in a way that justifies our self betrayal. When we see the world in a self justifying way, our view of reality is distorted. Over time these self betrayal's become characteristics of me, and I carry them around with me, this then provokes others to do the same, an the cycle starts again.

Break the cycle. We need to start to trust our people, we need to start to believe that the majority of our staff want an do the right things by the customer and the organisation, giving people the freedom and empowering them with the trust needed to do their role will intern get a better result. To weed out the fraudulent activities we need to give regular feedback everyday about their performance to our direct reports.

If you as a manager are not able to give feedback everyday because “it’s too hard” and you feel that “inspect what you expect” is the right methodology, then don’t be surprised when your start to loose staff and moral drops overall. This distrust that you are passing onto your directs is then reflected onto your customers though your directs.

Referance: HuTrust and The Arbinger Institute.

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Trust

3/5/2012

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Trust is a feeling. It is the same feeling for friends or companies. To earn trust companies need to act like our friends would.
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Trust

2/5/2012

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Trust is built on telling the truth not telling people what they want to hear
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leaders make mistakes!

28/4/2012

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Okay, maybe not news to you, and certainly not news to me either. But how many actually admit they make mistakes? My experience has shown that some leaders admit it; some don't. When leaders make mistakes they have everything to gain by admitting them. When they don't, they have plenty to lose

But that is difficult for some, why? It's kind of a "human thing" to appear better than what you really are. However, that can be a big mistake. Here are three reasons to start admitting your mistakes the next opportunity you have.

1. You build trust. Leaders who admit mistakes build trust. In fact it is a real quick way to build trust. Admitting your mistakes demonstrates that you are human and endears people to you.

2. You gain respect. Leaders that admit mistakes show that they take accountability for their actions. In a world of leaders that make excuses, try to point the finger at someone else or lie, it is a breath of fresh air to have one that does none of that.

3. You learn. If a leader doesn't believe he or she ever makes mistakes, how can he or she learn from them. Leaders ought to embrace mistakes and learn from them.
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trust in one another

14/4/2012

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If your team members believe in the goals of the team and begin to develop genuine trust in one another, they will be in a position to demonstrate true teamwork. Notice that I mention the team members will be in a position to demonstrate true teamwork. That does not necessarily mean that they will do it.

For there to be teamwork, several things must happen. First, team members must genuinely believe that the value of the team's success is greater than the value of their own individual interests. Second, personal sacrifice must be encouraged and then rewarded-by the team leader and the other members of the team. As this happens, the people will identify themselves more and more with the team, and they will recognize that individualism wins trophies, but teamwork wins pennants.
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I see leading and management as complementary and related

12/4/2012

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I see leading and management as complementary and related. Leading is more about who you are as a person; people want leaders who feel ‘followable.’ We’ve found that translates into six attributes: Far-sighted, Passionate, Courageous, Wise, Generous and Trustworthy. These attributes must be demonstrated on a daily basis to be seen as real (in other words, lip service and how you act as big meetings don’t make you a leader). Management is more of a craft: it’s primarily skill-based, like cooking or carpentry. And again, those skills need to be demonstrated on a daily basis.

Becoming a better leader is primarily an internal process of self-reflection; learning to think and then behave differently. It’s about seeing yourself as a leader, and then behaving in ways that make others see you as a leader, too. Becoming a better manager is primarily about honing your craft; creating habits of speech, organization, and interaction that allow the people who work for you to be best utilized and best focused on achieving the company’s goals.

Great leaders and great managers listen well, are curious, manage their self-talk, and hold themselves accountable for moving the business forward.

If you actually do these four things, and at the same time both hone your people management skills and develop yourself as a followable leader – you’ll be pretty much unstoppable; I’ve observed that folks who have this combination of skills and attributes can more or less write their own ticket.

The combination of good manager and good leader is rare and valuable, and far more useful than either one alone. So let’s stop debating about which one is better, cooler, or more needed – let’s do both.
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Enthusiasm and positive attitudes can spread just as quickly-improving performance and increasing productivity!

12/4/2012

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Negative attitudes are a lot like the common cold, it can start with just one employee, but soon everyone is feeling the effects and morale and performance decline. But unlike the common cold, there's a cure. Enthusiasm and positive attitudes can spread just as quickly-improving performance and increasing productivity!

Here are 5 tips for overcoming workplace negativity with enthusiasm:

1. Turn Barriers into Opportunities
Look at negative behaviors and attitudes as opportunities for improvement. Now instead of dreading these issues, you can maintain your own positive attitude by controlling your response. Often negativity starts with negative self-talk—the looped messages that play over and over in our heads to darken our outlook and erode our confidence.

2. Replace Negative Self-Talk with Positive Self-Talk
Negative thoughts lead to self-doubt and failure. Look for negative messages in your own thinking or in the thinking and actions of others. Try turning the negatives into positives. Positive thinking will result in positive actions and results.

3. Build Relationships Based on Trust
Use positive attitudes and enthusiasm to build relationships. Negative attitudes make it difficult to trust others; and without trust you can’t influence positive change. Taking action to build trust will increase comfort levels and strengthen relationships.

4. Win People to Your Way of Thinking
The only way to win an argument is to avoid it. When handled correctly, disagreements and debates are opportunities for positive change. When disagreements arise, show respect for the opinions of others, never tell someone they are wrong, and try to see things from the other point of view.

5. Disagree Agreeably
The key question that we all face is, "How do we disagree agreeably and still have our ideas heard?" Keep the lines of communication open by trying to see things from a different perspective. Take the time to really think about how the other person thinks and why they feel the way they do.
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Think outside the box

29/2/2012

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If the Leaders within a company states that employees should “think outside the box,” but then squashes ideas because of their perceived chance of failure, a contradictory environment is created. In this type of situation, a challenge to conventional thinking and performing causes employees to fear losing their jobs; creative employees will leave and a culture of yes-men will be created.

Mutual trust is an important hallmark of effective leadership. Management should trust the leader and the leader should trust management. It is important to note that micromanaging can kill the trusting culture. When employees come to trust one another, it creates a team environment, where everyone is working for the common goals of the organization.
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10 fundamental truths about leadership and becoming an effective leader.

12/1/2012

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_ There are fundamental principles that inform and support the practices of leadership that were true 30 years ago, are true today and will be true 30 years from now. They speak to what the newest and youngest leaders need to appreciate and understand, and they speak just as meaningfully to the oldest leaders, who are perhaps repurposing themselves as they transition from their lengthy careers to other pursuits in volunteer, community or public sectors. They are truths that address what is real about leadership.

Here are 10 fundamental truths about leadership and becoming an effective leader:

1. The first truth is that You Make a Difference. It is the most fundamental truth of all. Before you can lead, you have to believe that you can have a positive impact on others. You have to believe in yourself. That’s where it all begins. Leadership begins when you believe you can make a difference.

2. The second truth is that Credibility Is the Foundation of Leadership. You have to believe in you, but others have to believe in you too. What does it take for others to believe in you? Short answer: credibility. If people don’t believe in you, they won’t willingly follow you.

3. The third truth is that Values Drive Commitment. People want to know what you stand for and believe in. They want to know what you value. And leaders need to know what others value if they are going to be able to forge alignments between personal values and organizational demands.

4. The fourth truth is that Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart. The capacity to imagine and articulate exciting future possibilities is a defining competence of leaders. You have to take the long-term perspective. Gain insight from reviewing your past and develop outsight by looking around.

5. You Can’t Do It Alone is the fifth truth. Leadership is a team sport, and you need to engage others in the cause. What strengthens and sustains the relationship between leader and constituent is that leaders are obsessed with what is best for others, not what is best for themselves.

6. Trust Rules is the sixth truth. Trust is the social glue that holds individuals and groups together. And the level of trust others have in you will determine the amount of influence you have. You have to earn your constituents’ trust before they’ll be willing to trust you. That means you have to give trust before you can get trust.

7. The seventh truth is that Challenge Is the Crucible for Greatness. Exemplary leaders — the kind of leaders people want to follow — are always associated with changing the status quo. Great achievements don’t happen when you keep things the same. Change invariably involves challenge, and challenge tests you. It introduces you to yourself.

8. The eighth truth is that You Either Lead by Example or You Don’t Lead at All. Leaders have to keep their promises and become role models for the values and actions they espouse. You have to go first as a leader. You can’t ask others to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself.

9. The ninth truth is that the Best Leaders Are the Best Learners. Leaders are constant improvement fanatics, and learning is the master skill of leadership. Learning, however, takes time and attention, practice and feedback, along with good coaching. It also takes willingness on your part to ask for support.

10. The tenth truth is that Leadership Is an Affair of the Heart. Leaders make others feel important and are gracious in showing their appreciation. Love is the motivation that energizes leaders to give so much for others. You just won’t work hard enough to become great if you aren’t doing what you love.

These are enduring truths about leadership. You can gain mastery over the art and science of leadership by understanding them and attending to them in your workplace and everyday life.
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Trust is the foundation of leadership

3/12/2011

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_Trust is the foundation of leadership. It is the most important thing. Leaders cannot repeatedly break trust with people and continue to influence them.

Your people know when you make mistakes. The real question is whether you’re going to fess up. If you do, you can often regain their trust.

How does a leader build trust? By consistently exemplifying competence, connection and character. People will forgive occasional mistakes on ability. And they will give you time to connect. But they won’t trust someone who has slips in character.

Character Communicates – a person’s character quickly communicates many things to others. Here are the most important ones:

o Character Communicates Consistency – leaders without inner strength can’t be counted on day after day because their ability to perform changes constantly.

o Character Communicates Potential – weak character is limiting. Who do you think has the greater potential to achieve great dreams: someone who is honest, disciplined, and hardworking or someone who is deceitful, impulsive and lazy?

o Character Communicates Respect – When you don’t have character within, you can’t earn respect without. How do leaders earn respect? By making sound decisions, by admitting their mistakes, and by putting what’s best for their followers and the organization ahead of their personal agendas.

No leader can break trust with his people and expect to keep influencing them. Trust is the foundation of leadership. Violate the Law of Solid Ground, and you diminish your influence as a leader.
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Respect in Leadership

3/9/2010

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Respect is one of the values that we hear talked about a lot. Respect is a word that always evokes a positive conversation. The problem has been that almost no one really thinks about or understands what it means to respect someone, create a culture of respect among people or for that matter what it means to be respected.

Most of us believe that respect is an important value and that it is good. We do not normally think of respect as an action but as a feeling or judgment about other people.


To understand and distinguish respect it is important to recognize that language is fundamental to how we see the world. Language both opens possibilities and empowers us, or it closes possibilities and limits us.


If we say we respect someone, we are “looking" at the other person in a particular way — usually suggesting we are open to listen and honor each other’s views even if we disagree. If we say we don’t respect someone, we are generally closed to certain possibilities and conversations with them.


Likewise, if we have “self-respect” we are generally in a healthy internal conversation with ourselves. If we don’t respect ourselves, we will typically be stuck in all sorts of unproductive and unsatisfying "self-talk". If we say that something is possible to someone we respect, we will more than likely have a productive and satisfying dialogue. If we don’t respect them then we will more than likely be closed, not listen or in some cases disregard and dismiss them and their views outright.


‘Respect’ is just a word, but what it means and what it distinguishes for us can make all the difference in how we observe ourselves and others.


If we can create a culture in which respect is universal and an expression of our commitment to each other as human beings and how we choose to "look at each other", then we have a foundation for designing ways for collaboration and mutual empowerment that are simply not possible in the absence of authentic respect.


I believe that respect is the foundation for any serious discourse on coaching, leadership or building satisfying relationships with others. Without respect there are no possibilities for trust, sharing a vision, for empowerment or for creating powerful teams and organizations.


Respect (or lack of it) is a core aspect of any recurring conflict situation as well as an integral factor in most labour-management disputes. Many times, we use the term and our feelings about respect to in effect say, “You should agree with me and behave the way I want you to or it means you don’t respect me (or justifies my not respecting you) and therefore I can rationalize doing just about anything I want without concern for you”.


In an organizational or social context our judgments and level of respect become the basis for how we relate to other people on a day-to-day basis.


Respect is fundamental to human relationships (and relationship with self) is not a new idea. What is new is the inquiry into whether it is possible to respect people with whom we strongly disagree and whose actions and behaviour are inconsistent with what we value. We all use respect (or lack of respect) to determine how open we are, how trusting we are and how we choose to relate to others.


When we have negative judgments, our assessments become the justification to give or not give respect. In our everyday way of relating, we rarely notice that the judgments and assessments are one thing, and the conclusions and actions that follow are something else.


Respect can be seen as an action and that it is possible to create a culture in which people naturally and authentically respect each other. To do this, however, we need to consider how we are looking at people already. That is, we need to observe that we are normally judging others in terms of our own values and practices. Our baseline for assessing others is essentially what we happen to believe at a given moment. The implication of this has to do with whether we can take someone seriously if they don’t meet or match our standards and beliefs.


If we can’t take someone seriously then we never have the conversations which could make a difference in how we relate or what is or isn’t possible for us in the future. When this occurs we become trapped in a vicious cycle of judgment-lack of respect-reaction, and more judgment that justifies more lack of respect.


It is of course possible to partially finesse the issue by trying to separate the "human being" from his or her behavior… “I respect YOU, but don’t respect your behavior”.


I am suggesting that we must respect everyone if the idea of respect is to make any sense other than as a tool for judging and manipulating behavior. The reason for this is that the simple act of judging whether someone (including ourselves) is worthy of our respect is to separate us from the other person as a human being and assume a "superior" relationship to them.


As a coach, I am always relating to a person in two domains….one is who I say they are as a possibility, the other is who they are in a context of my judgments and their history. My choice is in which context I will relate to them. If I relate to another in a context of possibility then our work together is about their commitments, creating breakthroughs and producing unprecedented results. If I relate to them in a context of their past and my assessments then the game typically becomes about me analyzing their behavior and attempting to "fix" or control them.


Creating a culture of respect begins with a commitment to seeing everyone as worthy of respect. In a culture of respect there will be more straight talk (especially of negative assessments) because we respect each other. In a culture of respect — all sorts of relationship issues, differences and lack of alignment become positive forces for change, not justifications for the status quo.


Human beings will always have judgments about themselves and others. It doesn’t matter whether our judgments are positive or negative since no judgment is ever true or false anyway, no matter how many may agree or disagree with it.


Respect is one of many values we seek to "enculturate" in our organizations. Like all values it cannot be legislated or regulated into existence. It can be learned, it can be coached and leaders everywhere can demonstrate it.


Creating a culture of respect doesn’t solve problems or predict any particular behavior. It does, however, shift the context, our consciousness and the organizational paradigm in such a way as that we need not sacrifice our relationships in moments of conflict and fear. Moreover, when we respect others, we are able to consider our own responsibility for our disagreements and differences and most of all we can engage in dialogues to create a future in which everyone is included without perpetuating reactive cycles of distrust, resentment and acrimony….a future based on respect.
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Four Elements of Trust.

30/8/2010

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The Ken Blanchard Companies has an interesting workshop on trust. The Workshop model discovers the ABCD's of trust. It's highlights the following four elements of trust:
  • Able: demonstrates competence, expertise, experience, and capability in getting the desired results accomplished
  • Believable: walks the talk of a core set of values, demonstrates honesty, and uses fair, equitable practices
  • Connected: interacts with staff, communicates and shares relevant information, provides praise, and gives recognition
  • Dependable: is accountable, takes responsibility for own actions, and consistently follows up
As we are all aware trust is the foundation of all effective leadership, however trust does not just happen. It’s something that a leader must consciously and constantly work on developing. When it comes to developing trust, actions matter! “…people need to see trust in action more that they need to hear about it.” It’s only as leader’s act in a trustworthy manner, by example that trust is developed.

Without trust effective leadership is impossible. Consider the following:
  • Consider the four elements of trust how do you and other leaders in your organization rate?
  • What impact does this level of trust have on your ability to lead?
  • What action can you take this week to improve the level of trust?
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Dysfunction team

20/6/2010

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Even the most well-intentioned people will usually deviate towards dysfunction, unproductive behavior. This is because we are human. Because most leaders are not schooled in the art of building teams, small problems are left untreated and spiral further and further into ugliness and politics.. Open and honest trust must be established..
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