Tag Archives: coaching

Qualities that make great leaders from A to Z

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What does it take to be a great leader?

We thought it might be interesting to share the attributes valued by senior leaders in our network.  The contributors are recognized leaders in a variety of enterprises: two global professional services firms; healthcare software; law; world leader in enabling connected commerce; private equity; and, multinational foods. We hope you find inspiration and an insight or two from their words.

 

Ability to Guide-A good leader should be able to guide his/her team to be able to perform well in all scenarios. Leadership does not mean dominating people. It means encouraging them such that they work to the best of their abilities and produce positive results.

Building a Great Team-Team building is not the easiest things to accomplish. Great managers are really measured in their ability to build great teams. For a team to perform efficiently, their leader should be able to motivate his/her team.

Communications-Great leaders are great communicators. He/she must be able to effectively and regularly communicate to deliver the expectations of company’s leaders have set as the groups goals. Great leaders communicate frequently, provide context and ensure employees can tie decisions back to corporate goals and objectives. Be a great communicator and learn how to make and deliver a good pitch

Decision-Making and Problem Solving are necessary skills. As a leader sets his/her they need to be able to recognize problems and issues and figure out the best approach to resolve the issues and move his team forward.

Direction-Leaders not only show the path, but are able to dive in and solve for challenges along the journey!

Enablement- Strong leaders trust their people and work hard to ensure their teams have what they need to succeed, and clear the hurdles out of their way.

From the Front-Lead from the front, live it, breathe it!

Goal Oriented-Leaders should also have a visionary sight for the benefit of the company. He/she should plan the future steps for the growth his/her team and of the company.

Gratitude–Thanksgiving does not happen just once a year.  Even the weakest rower in a race keeps the boat balanced, keeps the rhythm, and enables the strongest rowers to pull ahead.  Thank every member of your team for their contribution.  Make it personal.  Make it sincere. There is always another race, and you will need all those rowers.

Integrity-Have integrity & strong values-know who you are.

Innovation-If you are not thinking about what is next, you will not be unique for customers so you will not grow and it will be hard to take care of your people.

Knowledge-A great leaders is aware of changes that are occurring in their industry, aware of innovations in their firm and their competitors. This is necessary so that he can use the knowledge and make positive contributions to the goal.

Life-Keep Life in Perspective-Work / Life Balance……………….Have fun!!

Look-Great leaders look forward and look outward.

Market-You have to be always taking market share so you need to know your competitors and your customers…You have to drive what makes you unique so customers want to buy from you and not your competitors.

Measure-Leaders understand what the goal line is, communicate it to their teams, and how to work towards that goal.  Without clarity in what the objective is, individuals will be confused on the goal and have different views of success.

Mentor-Seek wise counsel – know who has an interest in YOU.

Numbers-Business is about making money so a strong leader has to understand the activities that are going to drive growth and keep the costs down…

Open Mind-Treat your mind like a parachute.

Outcomes – never mistake action for outcomes.  Nothing is more de-motivating than have a team working hard and not getting the results – guide them towards the right target so the action matches the expected outcome.

Overwhelm-Overwhelm Problems before they overwhelm you.

Road less traveled-Fix /Build / Grow Something. Take the road less traveled–take risk & build skills not titles.

Visibility-For a team to be successful, their leader needs to bring visibility to the team of how / why each member of the team is there. What skills, experience, or knowledge do they bring to the team?

We-Leadership is about advancing others, not you. Good leaders often always use the term “We” instead of “I”.

Zeal-Leaders have to be the most energetic, focused, determined people on the team because everyone else will draw on that.

Many thanks to all of the leaders who contributed to this blog for their time and wisdom. Hopefully we have added to your perspective on leadership. If you would like to share a thought or two for a follow-up post, please let me know.

Thank you,

Larry Janis, Managing Partner, ISSG E-janis@issg.net  

 

The importance of humility in leadership

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By Cheryl Williamson

Rick Warren once said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” In leadership, it can be tempting to become enamored with status. However, it is crucial that leaders focus on their staff more than they focus on themselves.

I have learned that the best leaders are selfless and more concerned with the well-being of their team than with their personal titles. You cannot be an effective leader if you feel that you are better than your subordinates. Furthermore, teams under said type of leadership become hostile and experience low productivity and high turnover.

I have worked with my team for many years and am grateful for their loyalty. My team never ceases to amaze me, and I feel like they go out of their way to make my days run smoothly. When I sat down to ask them why they work so hard and remain loyal to me, they had lots to say.

From their responses, I created some helpful hints for others who are seeking to lead with humility:

  • Be willing to get in the trenches. Your team needs to know that you are willing to work together with them. They cannot feel as if you aren’t willing to work for and with them. A true leader supports his or her team in any and every way. If your secretary is out sick, be willing to answer the phones for the day. There is no job beneath your pay grade when you lead with humility. If your team knows that you are willing to work side by side with them, there is nothing they won’t do for you. They will be fiercely loyal, and their appreciation will be evident in their productivity.
  • Think like a leader, not a manager. A wise person once said, “When I talk to a manager, I get the feeling that they are important. When I talk to a leader, I get the feeling that I am important.” This quote is the perfect example of what it means to lead with humility. Each person on your team should walk away from a one-on-one with you feeling empowered, valued, important and appreciated. A team member who feels this way will undoubtedly be a strong player on your team. A leader views his or her team members as human beings. A manager views his or team members as a means to an end. Know the difference and lead your team accordingly.
  • Remove your ego from the equation. When faced with a challenging decision or difficult personality, this can be a hard rule to follow. Maintaining objective judgment is one of the biggest ways you can show humility as a leader. If your team can count on you to check your ego at the door and make decisions that will be for the equal benefit of your entire team, they will have a great deal of respect for you. On the other hand, if they feel that you do what is best for yourself as opposed to what is good for everyone, they will have a hard time trusting you. People don’t want to work for someone they can’t trust. One good way to remove your ego from the decision-making process is to get a trusted colleague’s opinion. Hearing a neutral party’s perspective will help you to see the situation clearly.
  • Be the change. We have all heard the famous quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” As it relates to your team’s culture, this means to lead by example. As leaders, we must remember that our team looks to us to set the standard. Make sure they see a good standard when they look at your own personal work habits. For example, you can’t be upset about tardiness if you tell your team that your office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. but you stroll in at 10:00 a.m. I challenge you to take a few moments and examine the changes you would like to see on your team. Next, find ways that you can lead and inspire your team to make a change by seeing you in action.

When you decide to lead with humility, your team will immediately see a difference. As a result, you will also immediately see a difference. Not only will leading with humility impact your business, it will also impact you personally. You will feel better about yourself, your work and your team. Needless to say, it will have a positive impact on your bottom line.

Keeping humility as a priority in my leadership style has greatly impacted my business and my brand. I am excited for you to experience the same great results in your business.

 

Source: Forbes

5 Ways To Tell Your Boss No Without Actually Saying No

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iStock_000027814907Small - Copyby Lisa Rabasca Roepe

Managers often ask us to do things we don’t want to: work late, work on a weekend, attend a conference the same weekend we have concert tickets, help a difficult colleague finish a project. While it’s important to be a team player, it’s equally important to stay happy at work.

In fact, it might even be good for your career to occasionally say no, says Suz O’Donnell, founder and CEO of Thrivatize LLC. “You may worry a boss may be mad if you don’t stay late or work over the weekends, but at the end of the day, you are much more innovative and productive when you’ve had some time to relax,” she says.

Most employees worry that setting boundaries gives the impression that they aren’t a dedicated worker, but in reality the opposite is true, O’Donnell says. She recalls a coworker who consistently worked extra hours because he didn’t have pressing weekend plans and it made him feel important. However, his reputation in the office didn’t improve because he worked every weekend. “It made him seem less powerful and more like someone people could push around,” O’Donnell says. In fact, she says, everyone on the team who consistently declined weekend work was promoted, while the coworker who repeatedly put in extra hours didn’t get a promotion. Perhaps, she says, it was because those who took a break came back to work refreshed and ready to produce.

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Overcoming the mental hurdles of leadership

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By Ross TsakasiStock_000008266083Small[1]

“Commitment is what transforms a promise into a reality,” according to a famous quote by Abraham Lincoln.

I would contend that leadership is, in fact, comprised of a series of small promises converted into reality. Along the way, these small promises generate faith and trust in a leader’s ability to not only promise wonderful things but also deliver on those promises. Great leaders are then idealized as the faultless heroes who steadfastly strode forth and never looked back — but is that indeed the whole truth?

I can’t confidently state whether it is. All I can share is my own experience of being a leader and what I encountered along the way. My experience as a leader began when I formed my first venture, Eulysis. I had discovered a technology, the Single Vial System, to deliver twice as many medicines at half the cost worldwide. Along the continuum from inception to completion, I was fortunate to gain support from the World Health Organization, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Royal Society of Edinburgh, and HRH Prince Charles. I also led an international team of public and private partners across three continents. Continue reading →

The Biggest Mistakes New Executives Make

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sabina-nawazby Sabina Nawaz

Organizations invest a lot of time and money in hiring the right CEO or senior executive to set a vision and make the changes in their company. Yet within the first 18 months, there’s a 50% chance the executive will leave the organization. This failure comes with enormous costs, not only in disruption to the organization but financially, too. One estimate puts the cost at 10 times the executive’s salary – sometimes more.

The reasons these individuals leave are many. They often cite poor cultural fit, inadequate onboarding, or the lack of appropriate expectations. But in reality, many new executives inadvertently set themselves up for failure within the first few months of their tenure through their own actions.

As an executive hired from outside the firm, you’ll naturally want to add value and assure your employers and employees that you are the right hire. But based on my work helping executives transitioning into new organizations, I’ve discovered common traps new executives tend to fall in, even as they try to solve problems, make decisions, and improve the company. Fortunately, there are ways to sidestep these traps so you can assimilate successfully into your new organization. Continue reading →