What Makes An Employee Highly Engaged?

Good Strategy/BadStrategy: The Difference and Why It Matters

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZrTl16hZdk

Speaker(s): Professor Richard Rumelt
Chair: Professor Gordon Barrass

Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of any leader. Richard Rumelt shows that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to equate motherhood and apple-pie values and fluffy packages of buzzwords with "strategy."

Richard Rumelt is the Harry and Elsa Kunin Professor of Business and Society at UCLA Anderson.

5 Keys to Inspiring Leadership, No Matter Your Style

Forget the stereotypical leadership image of a buttoned-up person in a gray suit hauling around a hefty briefcase. Today, standout leaders come in all shapes and sizes. She could be a blue jeans-clad marketing student, running a major ecommerce company out of her dorm room. He might be the next salt-and-pepper-haired, barefoot Steve Jobs, presenting a groundbreaking new device at a major industry conference.

"Our research indicates that what really matters is that leaders are able to create enthusiasm, empower their people, instill confidence and be inspiring to the people around them," says Peter Handal, chief executive of New York City-based Dale Carnegie Training, a leadership-training company.

That's a tall order. However, as different as leaders are today, there are some things great leaders do every day. Here, Handal shares his five keys for effective leadership: 

1. Face challenges.

Great leaders are brave enough to face up to challenging situations and deal with them honestly. Whether it's steering through a business downturn or getting struggling employees back on track, effective leaders meet these challenges openly. Regular communications with your staff, informing them of both good news and how the company is reacting to challenges will go a long way toward making employees feel like you trust them and that they're unlikely to be hit with unpleasant surprises.

"The gossip at the coffee machine is usually 10 times worse than reality," Handal says. "Employees need to see their leaders out there, confronting that reality head-on." 

2. Win trust.

Employees are more loyal and enthusiastic when they work in an environment run by people they trust. Building that trust can be done in many ways. The first is to show employees that you care about them, Handal says. Take an interest in your employees beyond the workplace. Don't pry, he advises, but ask about an employee's child's baseball game or college graduation. Let your employees know that you're interested in their success and discuss their career paths with them regularly.

When employees, vendors or others make mistakes, don't reprimand or correct them in anger. Instead, calmly explain the situation and why their behavior or actions weren't correct, as well as what you expect in the future. When people know that you aren't going to berate them and that you have their best interests at heart, they're going to trust you, Handal says. 

3. Be authentic.

If you're not a suit, don't try to be one. Employees and others dealing with your company will be able to tell if you're just pretending to be someone you're not, Handal says. That could make them question what else about you might be inauthentic. Have a passion for funky shoes? Wear them. Are you an enthusiastic and hilarious presenter? Get them laughing. Use your strengths and personality traits to develop your personal leadership style, Handal says. 

4. Earn respect.

When you conduct yourself in an ethical way and model the traits you want to see in others, you earn the respect of those around you. Leaders who are perceived as not "walking their talk" typically don't get very far, Handal says. This contributes to employees and other stakeholders having pride in the company, which is an essential part of engagement, Handal says. Also, customers are less likely to do business with a company if they don't respect its values or leadership. 

5. Stay curious.

Good leaders remain intellectually curious and committed to learning. They're inquisitive and always looking for new ideas, insights and information. Handal says the best leaders understand that innovation and new approaches can come from many places and are always on the lookout for knowledge or people who might inform them and give them an advantage.

"The most successful leaders I know are truly very curious people. They're interested in the things around them and that contributes to their vision," Handal says.

Gwen Moran

Gwen Moran is a freelance writer and co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Business Plans (Alpha, 2010).

9 Habits of People Who Build Extraordinary Relationships

The most extraordinary professional relationships are built by ordinary actions like these.

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Professional success is important to everyone, but still, success in business and in life means different things to different people--as well it should.

But one fact is universal: Real success, the kind that exists on multiple levels, is impossible without building great relationships. Real success is impossible unless you treat other people with kindness, regard, and respect.

After all, you can be a rich jerk... but you will also be a lonely jerk.

That's why people who build extraordinary business relationships:


1. Take the hit.
A customer gets mad. A vendor complains about poor service. A mutual friend feels slighted.

Sometimes, whatever the issue and regardless of who is actually at fault, some people step in and take the hit. They're willing to accept the criticism or abuse because they know they can handle it--and they know that maybe, just maybe, the other person can't.

Few acts are more selfless than taking the undeserved hit. And few acts better cement a relationship.

2. Step in without being asked.
It's easy to help when you're asked. Most people will.

Very few people offer help before they have been asked, even though most of the time that is when a little help will make the greatest impact.

People who build extraordinary relationships pay close attention so they can tell when others are struggling. Then they offer to help, but not in a general, "Is there something I can do to help you?" way.

Instead they come up with specific ways they can help. That way they can push past the reflexive, "No, I'm okay..." objections. And they can roll up their sleeves and make a difference in another person's life.


Not because they want to build a better relationship, although that is certainly the result, but simply because they care.

3. Answer the question that is not asked.
Where relationships are concerned, face value is usually without value. Often people will ask a different question than the one they really want answered.

A colleague might ask you whether he should teach a class at a local college; what he really wants to talk about is how to take his life in a different direction.

A partner might ask how you felt about the idea he presented during the last board meeting; what he really wants to talk about is his diminished role in the running of the company.

An employee might ask how you built a successful business; instead of kissing up he might be looking for some advice--and encouragement--to help him follow his own dreams.

Behind many simple questions is often a larger question that goes unasked. People who build great relationships think about what lies underneath so they can answer that question, too.

4. Know when to dial it back.
Outgoing and charismatic people are usually a lot of fun... until they aren't. When a major challenge pops up or a situation gets stressful, still, some people can't stop "expressing their individuality." (Admit it: You know at least one person so in love with his personality he can never dial it back.)

People who build great relationships know when to have fun and when to be serious, when to be over the top and when to be invisible, and when to take charge and when to follow.

Great relationships are multifaceted and therefore require multifaceted people willing to adapt to the situation--and to the people in that situation.

5. Prove they think of others.
People who build great relationships don't just think about other people. They act on those thoughts.

One easy way is to give unexpected praise. Everyone loves unexpected praise--it's like getting flowers not because it's Valentine's Day, but "just because." Praise helps others feel better about themselves and lets them know you're thinking about them (which, if you think about it, is flattering in itself.)

Take a little time every day to do something nice for someone you know, not because you're expected to but simply because you can. When you do, your relationships improve dramatically.

6. Realize when they have acted poorly.
Most people apologize when their actions or words are called into question.

Very few people apologize before they are asked to--or even before anyone notices they should.

Responsibility is a key building block of a great relationship. People who take the blame, who say they are sorry and explain why they are sorry, who don't try to push any of the blame back on the other person--those are people everyone wants in their lives, because they instantly turn a mistake into a bump in the road rather than a permanent roadblock.

7. Give consistently, receive occasionally.
A great relationship is mutually beneficial. In business terms that means connecting with people who can be mentors, who can share information, who can help create other connections; in short, that means going into a relationship wanting something.

The person who builds great relationships doesn't think about what she wants; she starts by thinking about what she can give. She sees giving as the best way to establish a real relationship and a lasting connection. She approaches building relationships as if it's all about the other person and not about her, and in the process builds relationships with people who follow the same approach.

In time they make real connections.

And in time they make real friends.

8. Value the message by always valuing the messenger.
When someone speaks from a position of position of power or authority or fame it's tempting to place greater emphasis on their input, advice, and ideas.

We listen to Tony Hsieh. We listen to Norm Brodsky. We listen to Seth Godin.

The guy who mows our lawn? Maybe we don't listen to him so much.

That's unfortunate. Smart people strip away the framing that comes with the source--whether positive or negative--and consider the information, advice, or idea based solely on its merits.

People who build great relationships never automatically discount the message simply because they discount the messenger. They know good advice is good advice, regardless of where it comes from.

And they know good people are good people, regardless of their perceived "status."

9. Start small... and are happy to stay small.
I sometimes wear a Reading Football Club sweatshirt. The checkout clerk at the grocery store noticed it one day and said, "Oh, you're a Reading supporter? My team is Manchester United."

Normally, since I'm pretty shy, I would have just nodded and said something innocuous, but for some reason I said, "You think Man U can beat Real Madrid next week?"

He gave me a huge smile and said, "Oh yeah. We'll crush them!" (Too bad he was wrong.)

Now whenever I see him he waves, often from across the store. I almost always walk over, say hi, and talk briefly about soccer.

That's as far as our relationship is likely to go and that's okay. For a couple of minutes we transcend the customer/employee relationship and become two people brightening each other's day.

And that's enough, because every relationship, however minor and possibly fleeting, has value.

People who build great relationships treat every one of their relationships that way. (That's a lesson I need to take to heart more often.)

Jeff Haden learned much of what he knows about business and technology as he worked his way up in the manufacturing industry. Everything else he picks up from ghostwriting books for some of the smartest leaders he knows in business. @jeff_haden

Prepare to be pushed!

PREPARE TO BE PUSHED

I chair a T.E.C. Group and we are looking for a few good business leaders to join our team.

This is not a social club. It is challenging; it is personal; it is hard work!

Our group comprises non-competitive CEOs and Presidents of both private and publicly traded organizations with a passion for business and leadership excellence.  Member companies are found listed in the top 250 companies on the 2015 ROB Top 1000, in the top 1/3 of 2015 Profit 500, in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™ and have been finalists in Ernst Young’s “Entrepreneur of The Year Awards” programs for 2014 and 2015.

Joining the T.E.C. Group has enabled the leaders of these organizations, as a team, to share their drive and commitment to enrich each other’s ability to achieve their individual business, professional and personal goals. Members act as a private board of trusted advisors with no agendas other than helping each other share best practices, solve management issues, make better decisions and improve leadership skills.

• This group represents broad industry backgrounds and experience including automotive, construction, business services, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, distribution, real estate development, architecture, interior design, finance, franchising and technology.
• Member organizations have combined revenues of approximately $4.0 billion and more than 5,000 employees.
• Member CEOs/Presidents operate globally with sales and marketing offices, operations, clients and suppliers in Canada, US, numerous EU countries, Asia, South Africa and Middle East.
• The group holds monthly advisory board executive sessions  during which the team processes issues and opportunities involving leadership challenges, branding and marketing , new business launches, financial re-organization, global expansion, organizational development, senior level staffing and reorganization, retail strategy, manufacturing, board strategy and management.
• Eight times a year the group benefits from workshops with experts covering a wide range of issues and topics.
• Monthly 1-2-1 private sessions are held between the Chair and each member focusing on business and personal growth.
• Members have access to an online best practices library, member conferences and a network of more than 1,100 Canadian and 20,000 global business leaders.

Members comment on how “loneliness-at-the-top” has been eradicated and how “stress reducing” it is to be part of a group of liked-minded leaders with whom they can share and discuss matters that normally they would need to deal with in relative isolation. They are experiencing the quality of their decisions, strategies and overall problem solving noticeably improving. Access to fresh thinking and challenging conversations with peers is enhancing their personal effectiveness. 

Joining T.E.C. is by invitation only. 

If you think it is for you let’s talk & see if it’s a fit.

 Contact: 

Dick Peters

Chair – The Executive Committee

TEC Canada

(416) 471-1956

rpeters@tec-canada.com

You are not a leader until....

Peer Advisory Group-your answers questioned

YOU ARE NOT A LEADER

Skills have methods, habits have sources

We spend way too much time and effort on developing outer leadership skills, and not enough attention on unearthing the inner sources for bad leadership habits, releasing the hold those habits have on us, and developing more useful ones.  In order to learn, you likely have to unlearn first.

Thought for the day

Skills have methods, habits have sources

- Gilbert Ryle

1.    Leadership skills have methods:  We can teach leadership skills, through methods.  This is informational learning or what is sometimes called horizontal learning.  It is about adding applications to our personal operating systems (our mindset) or filling up our toolbox with additional skills, knowledge and competencies. It addresses the outer game of leadership, or “what a leader does”.  

2.    Leadership habits have sources: This is a different beast, as these habits are there to protect an image we have had of ourselves. These habits are like an immune system that protects us from change or developing and sustaining new skills.  We have to discover the source, and this source likes to hide deep within us.  This source is usually in the form of a big assumption or a belief, that maintains the “bad” habit.   We then have to question or test its validity, or accuracy, in terms of today’s world.  Does this habit still serve me, or only get in my way?   If in the self-reflection and testing process, we see that the belief or assumption is no longer accurate, than we can begin to release the habit without threat to our identity or integrity. This is transformational learning, or what is sometimes called vertical learning.  You can’t do this through adding applications to your personal operating system (mindset).  You have to change or evolve the operating system into something bigger or more complex.  This vertical journey addresses the inner game of leadership or “who a leader is”.  The process is like discovering how we have the brake on and then learning how to release it, so that when we apply our foot to the gas (developing a new leadership capability) the adaptive progress won’t be sabotaged by that hidden foot on the brake. 

Brian Brittain

Executive Development work,  through helping executives and their  teams get results by talking about what matters

Brian.brittain@brittainconsulting.ca

416-999-3217

http://brittainconsulting.ca/

How to Be a Leader, Not a Manager

The trick to being a master of both skill sets is understanding the nuances that distinguish true leadership.

 

By Ilya Pozin

Founder, Pluto.TV

Let's get something straight: manager and leader are not synonymous terms.

Manage implies maintaining the status quo. It's a manager's job to ensure that things go as planned and that the team meets expectations. Leading, on the other hand, has an inherent forward progression. Leaders encourage change and take us someplace new.

Now those semantic differences don't mean that being a manager and being a leader are mutually exclusive. But finding a great manager who is also leader, that's like finding a flying unicorn. The trick to being a master of both skill sets is understanding the nuances that distinguish true leadership.

These are the three things that separate a business leader from a manager:

1. You're paid for managerial duties, not leadership ones.
It's common to say that someone has been promoted to a "leadership role," but in reality they just become a manager. After all, their job title becomes "Senior Sales Manager" not "Sales Leader."

The sad truth is that, while leadership may be rewarded with occasional bonuses or just a pat on the back, very few people in the business world are paid to be leaders. A good manager makes sure their team has the tools they need, is there to answer questions, and fairly evaluates performance. Because that's what they're paid to do.

A manager who is also a leader goes further that. They focus on taking their team beyond what's expected of them and empowering them to be successful at whatever it is they're best at. And none of it for their own personal glory, but all for the good of the team and the organization. It's ideas and possibilities that motivate a leader every day, not a paycheck.

2. Leaders focus on and respect individual strengths.
The 2015 Gallup State of the American Manager report found some key differences in effective managerial leadership. One of the big ones was whether a manager focused on improving employees' weaknesses or on building their strengths. Comparing engaged and disengaged employees, 67 percent of employees who said their managers focused on strengths were engaged. Only 31 percent of employees whose managers focused on weaknesses were engaged.

A great leader knows that their team's strengths are their biggest advantage and they strive to let each employee make the most out of their skills. This means giving employees some autonomy when it comes to picking their own roles in different projects. It's then up to the leader to provide coaching and guidance for employees so they naturally pick up the tasks that are best suited for their strengths.

Take the company I founded, Coplex, for example. Every member of that team has a broad range of hard skills, soft skills, experiences and interests. These will even change and grow over time. We recently had a customer that joined us to build a yoga e-commerce app. One of our UX designers on the team has been a yoga junkie for years and was a big advocate of their brand. Naturally, she selected to join that product team. This allowed her to leverage her interests and brand history but also her hard skills and the work output has been incredible.

Leaders don't just view their employees within the confines of their job descriptions. They know and understand what each individual can offer on a deeper level and use that knowledge to set their team up for success.

3. Leadership requires accountability.
Many people shy away from accountability. They equate being held accountable for their actions as being punished for their mistakes. But a real leader knows that's not true. In fact, effective leadership relies on accountability.

There is no quicker way to lose the trust of your employees than passing the buck onto them. Aside from the ethical implications of blaming someone else, not holding yourself accountable sends the message that mistakes are unacceptable; that they're bad. On the contrary, mistakes can become great opportunities.

Leaders not only own up to their screw-ups but explore what went wrong and how to do better. If done effectively, this will trickle down to those you oversee. Employees will not only openly talk about their mistakes, but use them as a discussion that can help the entire team improve.

It might seem like it's a thin line between manager and business leader, but in reality it takes a lot to grow from one to the other. Becoming a leader means rethinking the way we conduct day-to-day business, as well as what we have to offer our employees. Being a leader means you're prepared to take your team forward.