I am sure you have heard the well known phrase "attitude is everything". Well, as a leader, and as one that pursues the interests of others to help build them up for a goal, let's expand on this concept of how your attitude really does become everything.
Attitude is really about one thing, choice. And choices, well we make them all day, every day. Some choices may seem simple and unimportant, like what to wear, or which sandwich to pack for lunch. Others have much greater impact on our lives, the lives of others and ultimately the outcomes of the group, team, organization or family you are leading.
A common business element that occurs in manufacturing is late deliveries. They happen all the time, for various reasons. Common reasons are lack of planning, over booking of the schedule, errors requiring rework, employees not showing up, machine breakdown and much more. As a leader, do you share the truth with the client or instruct those communicating to the client to tell the truth? Or, do you choose to make up a story so the company doesn't look bad?
How about when someone is upset, you cannot control their emotion, yet you can choose to control yours. If your attitude is a response to fight, you will get that. If you choose to remain calm, the chances are you will eventually calm them down too. It is really hard to fight someone that doesn't fight back. Think about it, who are they yelling at?
The choice is yours, and the reality is, whichever way you choose, you will be correct, and get what you chose.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Letting go
Sometimes being a leader and ensuring something gets done means letting go. A common mistake is that the leader is always in control, that nothing happens without their final approval, that they are paid the big bucks to tell others what to do. Certainly, this ties into what we have discussed thus far in regards to delegation, so let's dive a bit deeper.
To grow your business, and to grow people, you need to let go. I remember back when I was a teenager and my mom would try to dictate my schedule, what I could and couldn't do. Now, I am not talking here about inappropriate things, I am speaking to multiple school activities, church band, school trips and so forth. I wanted (and did) do it all. It was (is) a part of who I am, and in a word, driven. I want to be involved in everything.
My mom, who God blessed me with a wonderful, sweet, caring women, is not like that at all. She sits back, relaxes, doesn't jump into too many things, just takes it slow. I am not saying either is correct, because each IS correct for each of us. Back to my point...she was trying to control my schedule and life to fit her desires, interests and likes. She didn't want me to be her, yet she certainly wanted me to slow down because that isn't how she would do it.
Now there is nothing wrong with taking breaks, we need time to regenerate. I am simply saying that what worked for her didn't necessarily translate to work for me. So, in the world of leading, sometimes letting go and giving the other person a chance to run their own way can yield tremendous results. In the end, you should be concerned with the destination not so much the path taking to get there.
If by holding on you get what you want, you most likely took a piece of imagination and opportunity for growth away from the person you delegated to. If you want to expand, grow and develop people, you need to give them room to take risks, to expand methodologies and yes, even to fail.
Next time you look to lead someone down a path, let go, give them room to work. Your absence could actually turn out to be the best strategy.
To grow your business, and to grow people, you need to let go. I remember back when I was a teenager and my mom would try to dictate my schedule, what I could and couldn't do. Now, I am not talking here about inappropriate things, I am speaking to multiple school activities, church band, school trips and so forth. I wanted (and did) do it all. It was (is) a part of who I am, and in a word, driven. I want to be involved in everything.
My mom, who God blessed me with a wonderful, sweet, caring women, is not like that at all. She sits back, relaxes, doesn't jump into too many things, just takes it slow. I am not saying either is correct, because each IS correct for each of us. Back to my point...she was trying to control my schedule and life to fit her desires, interests and likes. She didn't want me to be her, yet she certainly wanted me to slow down because that isn't how she would do it.
Now there is nothing wrong with taking breaks, we need time to regenerate. I am simply saying that what worked for her didn't necessarily translate to work for me. So, in the world of leading, sometimes letting go and giving the other person a chance to run their own way can yield tremendous results. In the end, you should be concerned with the destination not so much the path taking to get there.
If by holding on you get what you want, you most likely took a piece of imagination and opportunity for growth away from the person you delegated to. If you want to expand, grow and develop people, you need to give them room to take risks, to expand methodologies and yes, even to fail.
Next time you look to lead someone down a path, let go, give them room to work. Your absence could actually turn out to be the best strategy.
Monday, April 23, 2012
When you have your health..cont...
Signs of a healthy organization, family, business, small group, team and of course marriages all have one thing in common, they are healthy because they work at. There are no shortcuts, no quick rich methods, no cliff notes, this is hard work. This is where those that just buy the running shoes are separated from those that cross the finish line of the race. The best ideas and intent is great, yet in reality the daily practice of remaining healthy and "fit" for your purposes and objectives is the real work.
As a leader, and again I remind you that everyone is a leader, it is your responsible to ensure all 5 of the below are accomplished from your perspective and from those you work/live with. Do not rely on others to set the example and tone, do it yourself. If you take hold of each step and put it into your daily habits, others will follow you. Let's look at them again.
Communication is the key to every relationship. I have held this to be true since I was a young adult in my teens, and I know it to be true as a middle aged man with kids now in their teens. You cannot expect others to know what you are thinking or expecting through some magical osmosis, you need to communicate to them. Do so with respect, yet do so. Make sure that what is on your mind, your dreams, your expectations, your objectives are shared. Then be open and honest and how to get there, together.
Next, you need to delegate some of the work, some of the responsibility and ownership for meeting the objectives. No one can carry the load alone, and actually, those you lead have different gifts, talents and desires from you, so ensure you use them. Communicate what needs to be done and accept the help, and offer opportunities for others to contribute.
Most people don't delegate the full task, they just assign things and then hover. You need to delegate fully, trusting those around you. You need to be honest and trustworthy first of course, yet you need to trust that they are capable. Too many leaders fail to let go, and what holds back growth is the inability to scale. The bandwidth of one is just that, yet a trusted resource equates to 1+1=3. Take my word, trust me...you will get more done when you fully trust others to do what they do best.
How often do you put your feet up on the desk? Take a break and do nothing but dream? How often are you willing for a task to not get done just so you can look out onto the horizon? I challenge you to do this at least weekly, if not daily. We need time to think. We need to realize what could be next and plan for it. An organization that move ahead does so because of the vision cast and communicated to the team. As we have discussed, having the client in mind and working toward those goals is forward thinking. Now go beyond that, go further, stretch yourself to imagine what is next. Keep the vision lofty, and don't consume yourself with tactical plans, just for a moment. Tasks will get done, they need to, that is why delegation and trust is so important, your plate if now open to be strategic. To see the competition, the changing market place, the wind that is changing and you have time and energy to grasp the next great strategic move for your team. Do it today!
As you look at the world, do you notice anything? Movement, creation, new ideas, innovation....change. Things do not stay the same, nor can you. You must be willing to alter your direction, your own plans and start the process again. When clients grow and change, so must your plans. When your kids grow, you must adapt how you lead them and parent them. As you accomplish your goals, set new ones, adapt, change as needed and communicate the message to those you delegate, trust and strategically lead.
As a leader, and again I remind you that everyone is a leader, it is your responsible to ensure all 5 of the below are accomplished from your perspective and from those you work/live with. Do not rely on others to set the example and tone, do it yourself. If you take hold of each step and put it into your daily habits, others will follow you. Let's look at them again.
- Communicate
- Delegate
- Trust Others
- Remain strategic
- Review and Adjust as required
Communication is the key to every relationship. I have held this to be true since I was a young adult in my teens, and I know it to be true as a middle aged man with kids now in their teens. You cannot expect others to know what you are thinking or expecting through some magical osmosis, you need to communicate to them. Do so with respect, yet do so. Make sure that what is on your mind, your dreams, your expectations, your objectives are shared. Then be open and honest and how to get there, together.
Next, you need to delegate some of the work, some of the responsibility and ownership for meeting the objectives. No one can carry the load alone, and actually, those you lead have different gifts, talents and desires from you, so ensure you use them. Communicate what needs to be done and accept the help, and offer opportunities for others to contribute.
Most people don't delegate the full task, they just assign things and then hover. You need to delegate fully, trusting those around you. You need to be honest and trustworthy first of course, yet you need to trust that they are capable. Too many leaders fail to let go, and what holds back growth is the inability to scale. The bandwidth of one is just that, yet a trusted resource equates to 1+1=3. Take my word, trust me...you will get more done when you fully trust others to do what they do best.
How often do you put your feet up on the desk? Take a break and do nothing but dream? How often are you willing for a task to not get done just so you can look out onto the horizon? I challenge you to do this at least weekly, if not daily. We need time to think. We need to realize what could be next and plan for it. An organization that move ahead does so because of the vision cast and communicated to the team. As we have discussed, having the client in mind and working toward those goals is forward thinking. Now go beyond that, go further, stretch yourself to imagine what is next. Keep the vision lofty, and don't consume yourself with tactical plans, just for a moment. Tasks will get done, they need to, that is why delegation and trust is so important, your plate if now open to be strategic. To see the competition, the changing market place, the wind that is changing and you have time and energy to grasp the next great strategic move for your team. Do it today!
As you look at the world, do you notice anything? Movement, creation, new ideas, innovation....change. Things do not stay the same, nor can you. You must be willing to alter your direction, your own plans and start the process again. When clients grow and change, so must your plans. When your kids grow, you must adapt how you lead them and parent them. As you accomplish your goals, set new ones, adapt, change as needed and communicate the message to those you delegate, trust and strategically lead.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
When you have your health...
...you have it all.
This was another great saying from Poor Fred, and when you stop and think about it, how true it is. When someone is healthy, anything is possible. They can dream big, accomplish much, travel, create, and flourish. Yet, no matter how strong someone might be, or wealthy, powerful, smart, athletic, strategic...you name it, when someone is not healthy, they are basically incapable. They struggle to breathe, for basic things in life, for smiling, for relief from pain, even for something to look forward to. They need one thing, to feel better. If the health situation is more serious, their world literally stops. Everything else is not important, seems trivial and rather meaningless compared to their healing.
Organizations, businesses, teams, families and groups accomplishing a common vision (like taking care of clients) are really no different than a human being having the need for health. The health of an organization is vital to the success of the organization. So, in turn, the health (and I am not referring to physical) of the leader is in direct correlation to the health of the group.
To be considered in good health as a leader, one must do 5 key things:
This was another great saying from Poor Fred, and when you stop and think about it, how true it is. When someone is healthy, anything is possible. They can dream big, accomplish much, travel, create, and flourish. Yet, no matter how strong someone might be, or wealthy, powerful, smart, athletic, strategic...you name it, when someone is not healthy, they are basically incapable. They struggle to breathe, for basic things in life, for smiling, for relief from pain, even for something to look forward to. They need one thing, to feel better. If the health situation is more serious, their world literally stops. Everything else is not important, seems trivial and rather meaningless compared to their healing.
Organizations, businesses, teams, families and groups accomplishing a common vision (like taking care of clients) are really no different than a human being having the need for health. The health of an organization is vital to the success of the organization. So, in turn, the health (and I am not referring to physical) of the leader is in direct correlation to the health of the group.
To be considered in good health as a leader, one must do 5 key things:
- Communicate
- Delegate
- Trust Others
- Remain strategic
- Review and Adjust as required
Monday, April 9, 2012
Keep your name and your credit good.
Why? Because it will beat you to the next place.
My grandfather became a leader at Quaker Oats by managing grain and other goods, their exchange, the monetary transactions and most importantly, the customer relationships. He was (in terms of American business) a success. He spent over 40 years in his career, almost all with Quaker Oats. He was respected by management, by the local farmer, by the local business commerce folks, and...he was extremely talented in ensuring the products, services and profits were top of line.
Most times, in today's world, a leader would need a college degree (possibly a MBA), years of understudy training, promotions, willingness to relocate, and huge potential to achieve the type of success that I just described. Not my grandfather, who went by the name of Poor Fred. He was nothing but poor, he was appreciated and respected at work, beloved by his family, and known everywhere he went, in advance of his arrival. He never graduated from high school, let alone the fancy degrees our world seems to desire today, he received his education in life. As he said, the school of hard knox.
Poor Fred had many principles that he lived by, and that I witnessed first hand in his business and personal life. One of which is "Keep your name and your credit good, it will beat you to the next place". Let me describe what that really means and how you need to apply it to your leadership, and life, today.
It is about integrity, truthfulness and honor. Your word is all you have, it is all you control. When you say you are going to do something, do it, and do it on time, as you promised. There is no negotiation between what you said you will do, and what you do. If they don't match, you have no integrity. As for truth, it is simple, speak it at all times. Never slander, never twist, no white lies, nothing that isn't the truth. And if it hurts, so be it, be gentle, yet stay in the truth. And finally, honor. What is honor. It is that undefinable image that someone has of you when your name is mentioned. Do they smile? Do they show respect? Are you mentioned with words of affection and excitement to share your company?
You may say, Randy, what about the credit part, are we really talking about credit scores in leadership? Yes, and more. We are talking about honoring your commitments, including loans, debts, and obligations to others (even those that aren't financial). When you owe someone something, pay them back. If an employee is due a raise, don't delay, give them their fair due. If a client is owed a credit for a mistake, acknowledge the mistake, own it, offer the credit and promptly pay it. Oh, and not on new work in the future, that is a trap. Give them a real credit for what went wrong, and do it today.
When someone thinks of you, when your name comes up, what is being said? When you are about to walk in a place you have never been, imagine that your name, your credit score, a history of what you owed to others, and said about others shows up first. Everyone is prepared to meet you, the you that has been kept of record based on your word being true, your promises being kept, your payment being sound. I hope you can be proud of that record. And even though he was known as Poor Fred, I can assure you, he was of his...
My grandfather became a leader at Quaker Oats by managing grain and other goods, their exchange, the monetary transactions and most importantly, the customer relationships. He was (in terms of American business) a success. He spent over 40 years in his career, almost all with Quaker Oats. He was respected by management, by the local farmer, by the local business commerce folks, and...he was extremely talented in ensuring the products, services and profits were top of line.
Most times, in today's world, a leader would need a college degree (possibly a MBA), years of understudy training, promotions, willingness to relocate, and huge potential to achieve the type of success that I just described. Not my grandfather, who went by the name of Poor Fred. He was nothing but poor, he was appreciated and respected at work, beloved by his family, and known everywhere he went, in advance of his arrival. He never graduated from high school, let alone the fancy degrees our world seems to desire today, he received his education in life. As he said, the school of hard knox.
Poor Fred had many principles that he lived by, and that I witnessed first hand in his business and personal life. One of which is "Keep your name and your credit good, it will beat you to the next place". Let me describe what that really means and how you need to apply it to your leadership, and life, today.
It is about integrity, truthfulness and honor. Your word is all you have, it is all you control. When you say you are going to do something, do it, and do it on time, as you promised. There is no negotiation between what you said you will do, and what you do. If they don't match, you have no integrity. As for truth, it is simple, speak it at all times. Never slander, never twist, no white lies, nothing that isn't the truth. And if it hurts, so be it, be gentle, yet stay in the truth. And finally, honor. What is honor. It is that undefinable image that someone has of you when your name is mentioned. Do they smile? Do they show respect? Are you mentioned with words of affection and excitement to share your company?
You may say, Randy, what about the credit part, are we really talking about credit scores in leadership? Yes, and more. We are talking about honoring your commitments, including loans, debts, and obligations to others (even those that aren't financial). When you owe someone something, pay them back. If an employee is due a raise, don't delay, give them their fair due. If a client is owed a credit for a mistake, acknowledge the mistake, own it, offer the credit and promptly pay it. Oh, and not on new work in the future, that is a trap. Give them a real credit for what went wrong, and do it today.
When someone thinks of you, when your name comes up, what is being said? When you are about to walk in a place you have never been, imagine that your name, your credit score, a history of what you owed to others, and said about others shows up first. Everyone is prepared to meet you, the you that has been kept of record based on your word being true, your promises being kept, your payment being sound. I hope you can be proud of that record. And even though he was known as Poor Fred, I can assure you, he was of his...
Monday, April 2, 2012
Silence really is golden!
Have you ever tried to solve a problem, improve a situation, influence another person, or pursuade a group to your opinion? The chances are that you have, and more than likely you have done so multiple times. Now, think back to a situation where the group and you had different opinions and ultimately you came to agreement.
I suggest that at some moment, there was silence. You know, that 7 second completely quiet moment where you didn't know what to do. The sound you didn't hear when you stopped speaking might have been like the uncomfortable quiet of awaiting for the doctor to share test results with you. You may have been tempted to speak, hopefully, you didn't.
Many times leaders, like sales people, tend to fill the void with their thoughts, partially due to the fact that they aren't comfortable with the pause. The waiting, the hesitation and sometimes awkward silence can create tension. If you fill that tension you simply direct the moment, stamp your authority and even if people agree with you, in the long run, they won't.
Whether it be a co-worker, a client, an employee, your spouse or friend, the golden moment happens when you stop. When you completely engage the other person and do one simple thing, listen. By hearing them out, by letting their voice be heard, you have offered them respect. You have validated them as having worth and their thoughts of being of value. Even if you don't agree, by simply listening, you have opened up the door for the opportunity to lead them.
Who knows, their ideas might have even been better than yours?
I suggest that at some moment, there was silence. You know, that 7 second completely quiet moment where you didn't know what to do. The sound you didn't hear when you stopped speaking might have been like the uncomfortable quiet of awaiting for the doctor to share test results with you. You may have been tempted to speak, hopefully, you didn't.
Many times leaders, like sales people, tend to fill the void with their thoughts, partially due to the fact that they aren't comfortable with the pause. The waiting, the hesitation and sometimes awkward silence can create tension. If you fill that tension you simply direct the moment, stamp your authority and even if people agree with you, in the long run, they won't.
Whether it be a co-worker, a client, an employee, your spouse or friend, the golden moment happens when you stop. When you completely engage the other person and do one simple thing, listen. By hearing them out, by letting their voice be heard, you have offered them respect. You have validated them as having worth and their thoughts of being of value. Even if you don't agree, by simply listening, you have opened up the door for the opportunity to lead them.
Who knows, their ideas might have even been better than yours?
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