How to Define Leadership

There are many ways to define leadership. Each one may come from a completely different perspective and core beliefs.

Leadership may mean you are the dominant person in a group or organization, it could mean getting things done by having the ability to bring in others to assist you. Leadership can also mean challenging who or what has set up a set of rules by providing a better way of doing something.

The "Alpha Leader"

Both in higher species of animals and primitive tribes the leader is always the most dominant amongst the others. That dominant person or animal has and shows the power necessary to reach and hold on to the "top dog" position until they either retire or someone younger comes along and takes over.

A leader can be passive or proactive in any given situation. If things are moving along smoothly and holding the status quo, it isn't necessary for the leader to assert themselves if everything is stable. As long as everyone is following the rules and obeying the set of rules created by the leader there's no reason to step in and upset the proverbial apple cart. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" would be the rule of the moment.

If you simply took the position of leader by seizing power, most of the group would never assume to confront you if you're doing a good job at keeping things running smoothly. So, becoming a leader in this respect means you're the 'Top Dog' and most people will respect your take charge attitude.

Being a Leader by Recruiting Helpers

Modern businesses are the model for leadership through "delegation." Bosses, managers and others in corporate leadership positions get the best results by choosing the right person for the right task. Those who want total control and insist on doing everything themselves are never able to hold the reins of power for long.

In a corporate setting, leadership entails coordinating a group of highly skilled people with many specific skill-sets. Knowing how to utilize and place these people in their perfect positions takes someone able to think out of the box and make something that could be very complex look easy.

A good leader is not the embodiment of what used to be called "managers." Of course there are still people in business settings with the title of manager, yet the reality is they are more than those who simply tell others what to do.

The old days of the 'Boss,' barking orders and threatening everyone on a daily basis is normally not acceptable in today's corporate environment. Large, bureaucratic and controlling workplaces create an atmosphere of frustration, fear and lack of inspiration and innovation.

Being a leader is more than being a 'cheerleader.' There's always room for motivation, but as it is often said; "A true Leader leads by example." A boss who sits in his or her office shouting orders with a closed door policy will not last long in the 21st century business model. Neither will one of completely turning over the running of the company to the employees.

'Casual Fridays' are fine and can be incorporated in the dress code of the company as a special day of the week, but it must be clear who is running the company and who makes the final decisions. Casual dress does not mean including a casual attitude when it comes to work that must be completed even on Fridays.

In a well-run company there must be someone others can turn to for advice or counsel, knowing that person is in charge and due the respect they have earned by being creative and having an understanding of how to recognize their most dependable and valuable people.

Leaders Understand the Importance of Promoting A Better Way of Doing Things

We all know how to recognize a leader. Heads turn when they enter a room. They have a "look" about them that exudes confidence and power. They're approachable and respectful of others, no matter how small a role that person plays in the corporate structure.

They build up their people instead of wearing them down. They invite suggestions and innovative ideas. They're willing to listen but at the same time they are respected and appreciated.

A quality leader looks for ways to improve company and individual performance in the workplace. Many times something that seems like a novel idea can be a brilliant move that improves the flow of cash and efficiency to the company. And if the idea came from an employee the leader will not take credit but put the person who came up with the idea in the spotlight and perhaps give them an award and/or reward for their creative thinking.

21st Century Leadership

For any company to achieve greatness no matter on what level it will take someone at the helm who may be a "larger than life" personality who shines in the spotlight. They may almost become the 'brand' of the company as they go out and network with other executives, appear on radio, television and print media, representing the company and its services or products.

Within the confines of the company, there can be leadership shifts in various areas. If someone sticks their head up above the others and shows a particular talent or expertise it may make it necessary to move people around to different positions.

The leader of the company needs to keep on top of identifying those who show promise, talent and be prepared to offer them a higher position within the company. This can also motivate others to excel.

The Reinvention of Leadership

• A leader doesn't always have to micro-manage people to get the job done.

• Being a leader means being the captain of the corporate ship. The leader chooses the crew and brings them aboard, then guides the ship as the "sailors" do what they need to do to keep the ship afloat.

• A leader promotes efficiency and a better way of doing certain things

• As a leader the responsibility for failure lies squarely on their shoulders

A successful leader urges employees to feel free to think creatively and assist in promoting company products and its' services. A "thought leader" is someone who promotes better ideas in the industry. Knowing how to present new and innovative ideas takes a person with knowledge and excellent communication skills yet the common sense of emotional intelligence.

Someone who comes across as arrogant and unable to hear what others have to say does not embody a good leader. They must have the ability to articulate and demonstrate the depth of their ideas or those of others.

This type of talented individual has a monumental influencing style. They exude power and show others a sophisticated leadership model.

However, if the content of what they are presenting lacks substance it can be viewed as fluff and having less value than what the company and its leadership are trying to sell to the public. Make sure your product or service has the content to back up the hype.

In addition, a great leader understands the importance of fostering leadership among the rank and file of company employees, especially those already in moderately higher management levels. You never know where the next brilliant idea comes from.

As a rule, innovation comes from employees and occasionally from the most unlikely of people. Never, ever dismiss out of hand a suggestion or idea from anyone on the payroll.

True leadership also ensures the line between leadership and management is well-defined. Those with the skills will step up and the others will be left behind. When you define leadership, striving for excellence without being overpowering is something a real leader understands.

Do You Want to Achieve More and Reach Your Potential?   

Collaborative Leadership: Are You a Mindful Leader?

Mindful leadership is an idea whose time is here... now. Now is the present moment, and unless you can be self-aware enough to listen to what is present to you, here, now, you are not showing up as a mindful leader. Mindfulness takes practice, particularly in our hyperactive culture, which is full of fear, distraction and "never enoughness."

Granted, it is highly unlikely that you live every moment of your life mindfully, but for most people even if they could do it for a few moments or minutes at a time, they are ahead of the game. Actually, this is serious business.

Collaborative leadership-which is not consensus in my book, by the way-requires a leader that can see people as individuals instead of prejudging them based on their social group. That, by the way, includes gender, both male and female. No two people are identical, so when we buy into social stereotypes we are not practicing mindful leadership.

Mindful leaders can be more empathetic because they are present enough to notice the state of mind of others. It should be noted here that this is tough to do if you are not even in touch with your own state of mind. What I mean by this is that many, if not most-and probably the vast majority-people are so out of touch with their feelings and unwilling to deal with their own "blind spots" that they at best struggle with seeing others where they truly are. If you don't deal with your stuck areas, you will not have clarity of vision in your mind's eye. This leads to all sorts of projections and assumptions, which only hinder team relationships.

You see, leadership development is really personal growth at work. Can you see the double meaning here? To be an artful, inspiring leader you must first walk your talk; and to do this you must grow yourself mentally, spiritually, and emotionally first. This takes courage. I know from experience that it is easier to hide behind arrogance and power over others, than to be vulnerable. Vulnerability requires fearlessness... less fear.

By the way, vulnerability is more about admitting that you are human, as we all are, so there is always a need to learn. It is a willingness to be your authentic self and not a blind copy of "traditional leadership." This takes strength of character.

Growth does not mean that you are defective at all; there's nothing to fix. A willingness to embrace growth just shows that you are wise and confident enough to realize that regardless of your IQ, background, or education you don't know everything and have not reached your true potential. How can I say this?

Well, are you alive and breathing? Then your work here on earth is not finished, so you have more to learn. It's as simple as that. Even those awarded Nobel prizes don't know it all, so you can relax. Leadership development gets easier when we can lay aside the masks, embrace with gratitude and humility the gifts and talents that are naturally ours, develop them, and then share them with the world in our own unique way of making an impact, regardless of gender. So, as it relates to this post, here is a summary of the benefits of becoming a mindful leader-but, of course, there are many more:

#1. Better able to grow and develop your leadership skills

#2. Better able to inspire and engage team members

#3. More confidence and personal power/presence

#4. Stronger and healthier mental, emotional, and spiritual states

#5. Much greater ease in tapping your true potential

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself (herself)." ~Leo Tolstoy

I hope you join me in developing into a more mindful leader. Do you want to change the world? Then start with yourself. Change yourself and you can change your world. Now that's truly visionary leadership that inspires action.

Do You Want to Achieve More and Reach Your Potential?   

Being Gotten

I have been doing a lot of mediation coaching in Pittsburgh and elsewhere helping management and staff work together better. It is not all that different from executive coaching because, after all, I am still talking to real people with real problems. When I am doing this work, I am often left with a feeling for how stringent we are in our beliefs, and how difficult it is for us to be free of judgments and to get our feelings heard. I've seen many times how placing judgment on the other members of the team slows productivity at work, and threatens relationships between partners and friends.

The biggest culprit I find in these situations is poor communication. We all probably fancy ourselves excellent communicators and can't understand why someone else doesn't follow our simple directions, train of thought, or idea. We walk away from conversations with our loved ones, coworkers, or friends with bruised feelings because we feel we have not been heard. In a recent survey with a global company I found that most of the 150 people who took part in a cross-cultural training thought that their communication was perfect but their co-workers were flawed and poor. When we point the finger, we are left feeling disempowered and hopeless. Issues are not resolved and work doesn't get done efficiently. Let me give you an example:

In my recent mediation coaching session I had the pleasure of working with an introvert and an extrovert. The introvert was complaining of too much talk and activity, and the extrovert had her feelings hurt because she did not feel received. The new office mate did not talk enough with her. After both parties got to air out their difference, and created a way to communicate their needs, they were able to create a positive work relationship where one was able to request quiet when it was needed and the other was able to be more talkative when requested.

I know this seem like a very silly example, but it is often those silly things that fester and create bad relationships at work. Add the gossip and victimhood on top of it and it is to no one's surprise that 70 percent of people are dissatisfied at work.

Communication is about being received, being seen, being gotten. It's hard to have that between two people if you're coming from two different places, especially judgment. If you are wondering why this matters think about this: happiness could be the underlying factor for success, and there is science to back that up.

Thomas Wright, Jon Wefald Leadership Chair in Business Administration and professor of management at K-State, found employee well-being is tied to higher performance. And employee performance is, after all, tied to a company's bottom line. Happy workers make better decisions and have better interpersonal behavior.

This makes happiness a valuable tool for maximizing organizational outcomes. Economists too have found a link between happiness and productivity. In recent research, Andrew Oswald, a professor of economics at Warwick Business School, found happier workers were 12 percent more productive. Unhappier workers were 10 percent less productive. Yes, this is nothing new but something to remember. Heard employees are happy and engaged employees that are more likely to take the company to double-digit growth.

In order to hear and be heard, we have to be open to the conversation. But so many of us go into a meeting or a disagreement with our partner with preconceived ideas or thoughts about the person that make it difficult for us to listen and communicate. We have filters on, filters from the past, filters for how it is, and filters for what we want. What if you went in to a meeting or a disagreement with your partner and decided instead to be generous and listen to them newly. Forget about the past and really receive what they are saying or participate in a dialogue instead of a lecture? What if you tried meeting your colleague or partner in a place where they are comfortable?

I know two coworkers who have very different styles of communication. One wants to document everything in email and isn't much for talking things through. The other likes to talk out ideas face-to-face. What if the email worker spent a little time talking to her colleague, fleshed out some ideas, and then they both documented the results of their meeting in an email. Well that's a win-win. The colleague who likes to talk can feel she has been heard and it may help the email colleague find that the conversation sparked a new way of looking at things for her. And still, the email colleague will have her documentation and be able to see that real results came out of the conversation.

Once we're open to a conversation and receiving the person on the other end of the conversation, new ideas can be born and better relationships can be built, whether it is at work or at home. And what's more science seems to be proving that by doing this, we are likely to build a better app, find a more cost effective solution, and retain employees.

Do You Want to Achieve More and Reach Your Potential?   

Collaborative Leadership: Are You a Mindful Leader?

Mindful leadership is an idea whose time is here... now. Now is the present moment, and unless you can be self-aware enough to listen to what is present to you, here, now, you are not showing up as a mindful leader. Mindfulness takes practice, particularly in our hyperactive culture, which is full of fear, distraction and "never enoughness."

Granted, it is highly unlikely that you live every moment of your life mindfully, but for most people even if they could do it for a few moments or minutes at a time, they are ahead of the game. Actually, this is serious business.

Collaborative leadership-which is not consensus in my book, by the way-requires a leader that can see people as individuals instead of prejudging them based on their social group. That, by the way, includes gender, both male and female. No two people are identical, so when we buy into social stereotypes we are not practicing mindful leadership.

Mindful leaders can be more empathetic because they are present enough to notice the state of mind of others. It should be noted here that this is tough to do if you are not even in touch with your own state of mind. What I mean by this is that many, if not most-and probably the vast majority-people are so out of touch with their feelings and unwilling to deal with their own "blind spots" that they at best struggle with seeing others where they truly are. If you don't deal with your stuck areas, you will not have clarity of vision in your mind's eye. This leads to all sorts of projections and assumptions, which only hinder team relationships.

You see, leadership development is really personal growth at work. Can you see the double meaning here? To be an artful, inspiring leader you must first walk your talk; and to do this you must grow yourself mentally, spiritually, and emotionally first. This takes courage. I know from experience that it is easier to hide behind arrogance and power over others, than to be vulnerable. Vulnerability requires fearlessness... less fear.

By the way, vulnerability is more about admitting that you are human, as we all are, so there is always a need to learn. It is a willingness to be your authentic self and not a blind copy of "traditional leadership." This takes strength of character.

Growth does not mean that you are defective at all; there's nothing to fix. A willingness to embrace growth just shows that you are wise and confident enough to realize that regardless of your IQ, background, or education you don't know everything and have not reached your true potential. How can I say this?

Well, are you alive and breathing? Then your work here on earth is not finished, so you have more to learn. It's as simple as that. Even those awarded Nobel prizes don't know it all, so you can relax. Leadership development gets easier when we can lay aside the masks, embrace with gratitude and humility the gifts and talents that are naturally ours, develop them, and then share them with the world in our own unique way of making an impact, regardless of gender. So, as it relates to this post, here is a summary of the benefits of becoming a mindful leader-but, of course, there are many more:

#1. Better able to grow and develop your leadership skills

#2. Better able to inspire and engage team members

#3. More confidence and personal power/presence

#4. Stronger and healthier mental, emotional, and spiritual states

#5. Much greater ease in tapping your true potential

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself (herself)." ~Leo Tolstoy

I hope you join me in developing into a more mindful leader. Do you want to change the world? Then start with yourself. Change yourself and you can change your world. Now that's truly visionary leadership that inspires action.

Do You Want to Achieve More and Reach Your Potential?   

Do You Want to Achieve More and Reach Your Potential?

Behavioral scientists tell us that an average person uses about 3% to 25% of the total resources of their talent and abilities. If you are running your business, sales territory, or departmental area based on 3% to 25% of your talent and abilities, how much business are you leaving on the table every day?

Challenging the assumptions you make in your own situation is difficult; however, it's doable. You have to step back and be willing and able to think creatively in terms of how to solve the challenges in your organization or area and what are the obstacles that you have to overcome.

If you could find a way to use more of that untapped potential in you, what would it do for you? Quantify the amount of lost revenue, waste, or expense reduction that you are suffering. Is that figure sufficient to create a sense of urgency to address and correct it? In other words, what differences would I see in you and your organization six months or a year from now?

If nothing changes, nothing changes. For you to become what you're capable of becoming and to succeed, change is needed. One change is attitude development. Another is interpersonal skills and the third is goals achievement.

Attitudes are seen as outlooks or feelings and they are internal to us. Attitudes are not opinions. Opinions may change rapidly from week to week, while our attitudes a more stable and a little more fixed. Attitudes are habits of thought. There is a link between the way we think and the way we behave.

Interpersonal skills that contribute to your success evolve as your career does. At the entry-level, 90% of your success is from the job and the technical knowledge and 10% from people or management knowledge. By supervisory and middle management, that may be 50/50 and for top management it is people issues 90% vs. technical issues 10%, that will determine if they are successful.

For many, the skills and knowledge that got them hired is not what will propel them in the future. Its attitude and behavior that causes us to quit or get fired from a job, just as it is attitude and/or behavior that cause you to fire a subordinate. That employee possesses the same knowledge and skills that they were hired for... what went bad was their attitude and behavior.

Top executives must be on guard that their skills and knowledge are current and the responsibility is theirs alone to remain employable. Attitude and behavior can slip and people at the top of the organization usually have nobody brave enough to tell them so.

Humans are goal-directed. Most of us prepare shopping lists and plan vacations to maximize the time off. Many people will spend more time planning a vacation than what they do the other 50 weeks of their life.

Our approach to goal achievement involves both personal and organizational goal setting. Achieving a balance between home and work is one of the primary motivations that most executives express to me.

Many executives are great at directing others, but not so well at self-direction and role awareness. The value of goal setting is that as you become more competent professionally, the organization should get better results. That gives the organization more money to increase compensation, benefits, promotion opportunities, etc. As your personal compensation is increasing, you have the wherewithal to satisfy more of your personal goals and objectives. When you get better professionally, it adds to the balance in your personal life.

Use attitude development to change your potential, and management skills to affect confidence and knowing how to communicate, make decisions, and how to manage. Finally, use goal setting as a tool to force you to use that attitude along with a plan, or road map, for your life that will get you from where you are today to where you want to go.

Do You Want to Achieve More and Reach Your Potential?   

Do You Want to Achieve More and Reach Your Potential?

Behavioral scientists tell us that an average person uses about 3% to 25% of the total resources of their talent and abilities. If you are running your business, sales territory, or departmental area based on 3% to 25% of your talent and abilities, how much business are you leaving on the table every day?

Challenging the assumptions you make in your own situation is difficult; however, it's doable. You have to step back and be willing and able to think creatively in terms of how to solve the challenges in your organization or area and what are the obstacles that you have to overcome.

If you could find a way to use more of that untapped potential in you, what would it do for you? Quantify the amount of lost revenue, waste, or expense reduction that you are suffering. Is that figure sufficient to create a sense of urgency to address and correct it? In other words, what differences would I see in you and your organization six months or a year from now?

If nothing changes, nothing changes. For you to become what you're capable of becoming and to succeed, change is needed. One change is attitude development. Another is interpersonal skills and the third is goals achievement.

Attitudes are seen as outlooks or feelings and they are internal to us. Attitudes are not opinions. Opinions may change rapidly from week to week, while our attitudes a more stable and a little more fixed. Attitudes are habits of thought. There is a link between the way we think and the way we behave.

Interpersonal skills that contribute to your success evolve as your career does. At the entry-level, 90% of your success is from the job and the technical knowledge and 10% from people or management knowledge. By supervisory and middle management, that may be 50/50 and for top management it is people issues 90% vs. technical issues 10%, that will determine if they are successful.

For many, the skills and knowledge that got them hired is not what will propel them in the future. Its attitude and behavior that causes us to quit or get fired from a job, just as it is attitude and/or behavior that cause you to fire a subordinate. That employee possesses the same knowledge and skills that they were hired for... what went bad was their attitude and behavior.

Top executives must be on guard that their skills and knowledge are current and the responsibility is theirs alone to remain employable. Attitude and behavior can slip and people at the top of the organization usually have nobody brave enough to tell them so.

Humans are goal-directed. Most of us prepare shopping lists and plan vacations to maximize the time off. Many people will spend more time planning a vacation than what they do the other 50 weeks of their life.

Our approach to goal achievement involves both personal and organizational goal setting. Achieving a balance between home and work is one of the primary motivations that most executives express to me.

Many executives are great at directing others, but not so well at self-direction and role awareness. The value of goal setting is that as you become more competent professionally, the organization should get better results. That gives the organization more money to increase compensation, benefits, promotion opportunities, etc. As your personal compensation is increasing, you have the wherewithal to satisfy more of your personal goals and objectives. When you get better professionally, it adds to the balance in your personal life.

Use attitude development to change your potential, and management skills to affect confidence and knowing how to communicate, make decisions, and how to manage. Finally, use goal setting as a tool to force you to use that attitude along with a plan, or road map, for your life that will get you from where you are today to where you want to go.

Do You Want to Achieve More and Reach Your Potential?