Leadership Skills: Don't hit the brakes when you hit the gravel By Joe Tye

If you're speeding along down the road on your bike and unexpectedly hit a patch of loose gravel, the temptation is to immediately hit the brakes. But if you do, more likely than not you will just as quickly hit the ground.

A much safer approach is to coast, to ride it out as you gradually slow down, keep your concentration and maintain your balance, and not even think about falling.

We're faced with similar challenges in our everyday lives. At the first sign quarterly profits might not hit the expectations of analysts and shareholders, the CEO might be tempted to slam on the brakes by slashing "discretionary" expenditures like advertising or staff training.

Although it might take longer for the effects to be felt than would a tumble from a bike, the damage can be very real, and it can take a long time to heal.

At an organization where I once worked, I was holding a staff meeting in a department characterized by low morale, marginal productivity, and lousy attitudes.

When I asked about this, a participant remarked, "It all started when 'the suits' decided to save money by canceling the employee picnic. It was the one nice thing they used to do for us." I'd been at the organization for a number of years, but I'd never heard about an employee picnic. "Picnic? How long ago was this?" I asked.

The response: "Oh, I don't know - five or six years ago." We on the management team were furiously pedaling away, wondering why our "knees" hurt so much, oblivious to the wounds that had been inflicted five or six years earlier when a previous rider hit the brakes on the proverbial patch of gravel.

The effects can be similarly traumatic at home. A teenager comes home way past curfew. Instead of riding it out until morning, when the situation can be handled with love, compassion, and understanding, the parent slams on the brakes: "You're grounded! Give me the car keys and go to bed."

Though it might not be superficially obvious in the morning, a wound has been inflicted that will require first aid if it is to heal properly. The danger is, like the long-forgotten (by management), long-remembered (by staff), cancelled employee picnic, what might have been a minor abrasion can turn into an ugly scar.

If you mentally rehearse your reaction to hitting a patch of gravel before it actually happens, you're less likely to panic when it does. So, too, in business and in life. If you anticipate the possibility of an economic downturn, or a rebellious teenager, and mentally rehearse your response, you're more likely to respond with intelligence rather than react in anger.

* The above is an excerpt from Joe Tye's e-book Learning to Ride the Bicycle of Life.
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Joe Tye is president of Paradox 21 Inc., which provides corporate training and culture change initiatives based on a proprietary curriculum of The Twelve Core Action Values of Personal Leadership Effectiveness. He is also the author of several books and audio programs on personal, career, and business success, and a popular motivational speaker. Visit www.JoeTye.com.

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Building A Successful Team By Jim Rohn

Once you've set a goal for yourself as a leader-whether it is to create your own enterprise, energize your organization, build a church, or excel in sports - the challenge is to find good people to help you accomplish that goal. Gathering a successful team of people is not only helpful, it's necessary.

So to guide you in this daunting task of picking the right people, I'm going to share with you a four-part checklist.

Number One: Check each candidate's history. Seek out available information regarding the individual's qualifications to do the job. That's the most obvious step.

Number Two: Check the person's interest level. If they are interested, they are probably a good prospect. Sometimes people can fake their interest, but if you've been a leader for a while, you will be a capable judge of whether somebody is merely pretending. Arrange face-to-face conversation, and try to gauge his or her sincerity to the best of your ability. You won't hit the bull's-eye every time, but you can get pretty good at spotting what I call true interest.

Number Three: Check the prospect's responses. A response tells you a lot about someone's integrity, character, and skills. Listen for responses like these: "You want me to get there that early?" "You want me to stay that late?" "The break is only ten minutes?" "I'll have to work two evenings a week and Saturdays?" You can't ignore these clues. A person's responses are a good indication of his or her character and of how hard he or she will work. Our attitudes reflect our inner selves, so even if we can fool others for a while, eventually, our true selves will emerge.

And Number Four: Check results. The name of the game is results. How else can we effectively judge an individual's performance? The final judge must be results.

There are two types of results to look for. The first is activity results. Specific results are a reflection of an individual's productivity. Sometimes we don't ask for this type of result right away, but it's pretty easy to check activity. If you work for a sales organization and you've asked your new salesman, John, to make ten calls in the first week, it's simple to check his results on Friday. You say, "John, how many calls did you make?" John says, "Well..." and starts telling a story, making an excuse. You respond, "John, I just need a number from one to ten." If his results that first week are not good, it is a definite sign. You might try another week, but if that lack of precise activity continues, you'll soon realize that John isn't capable of becoming a member of your team.

The second area you need to monitor is productivity. The ultimate test of a quality team is measurable progress in a reasonable amount of time. And here's one of the skills of leadership: be up front with your team as to what you expect them to produce. Don't let the surprises come later.

When you're following this four-part checklist, your instincts obviously play a major role. And your instincts will improve every time you go through the process. Remember, building a good team will be one of your most challenging tasks as a leader. It will reap you multiple rewards for a long time to come.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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Creativity by Bobb Biehl

On a one-to-ten scale, how would you respond to these questions?

• How creative do you think you are?
• How competent are you at solving problems?

I believe that creativity for leaders is bringing together new, workable solutions to problems. It’s a fundamental misconception to think, “To be creative, I have to be artistic.” If you can solve a problem, you’re creative.

I’d like you to focus on the one thing you have the strongest desire to create. Asking yourself the following questions can enhance your ability to be creative:

Do I have an attitude of readiness for creativity?
I’m told that the director of the U.S. Patent Office in the late 1800s wanted to close that agency because he believed all the best ideas had already been patented. Do you believe the best has already been, or are you convinced the best is yet to be?

In the area I want to apply creativity, what is the need? As you think about this, how can you state the need—and then solve it using your problem solving skills? I’ve published a book called The Memories Book. Many people have told me the idea was creative. It’s a gift book (that includes 600 questions) in which parents or grandparents can record their memories. It lets them leave a priceless legacy for their descendents.

However, the Memories Book began as an attempt to fill many lonely hours for my wife’s elderly grandmother, Frances Shupe. I saw the problem and worked to solve it; the solution was a concept that could be passed on to others.

When a problem is “burning a hole” in your mind and you think, “There has to be a solution to this,” recognize that need as the soil for creativity. Reflect deeply on the problem, and the solution will “jump out at you.”

Should I try to find an original solution, or is there a model I can follow?

There are at least two types of human creativity. Both are valuable and effective.

• Original creativity is the process whereby you arrive at a solution without having seen anything like it previously.
• Adaptive creativity is the process in which you take existing models and tailor them to fit your situation.

How can I expand my perspective?

By temporarily adjusting the context within which you approach a problem, you may see new solutions. For example, if you’re trying to solve a problem with a budget of $100.00, consider what changes you would make with an unlimited budget. With more dollars available, you could identify a variety of solutions you hadn’t even considered. You can then identify ways in which some of those ideas could be pursued on a “scaled-down” version.

Another idea for expanding your view: Take five minutes to list as many options as you can. Don’t worry now about any drawbacks—just quantity. You may be surprised by your creative solutions.

When something is simple—keep simplifying it! (Make sure you have big sheets of paper to write on when brainstorming.)

Is this need worth a lot of time?

Make sure the problem is worth the amount of time and mental energy you’re exerting.

How do I feel about the problem?

Often, simply realizing how you feel about a problem will prompt creative solutions.

Has someone already solved this problem?

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. (On the other hand, never stop refining the tire!)

Who could help me think creatively about this problem?

Who’s the most creative person you know? Call that person, explain the problem, and ask for input. Expect to hear creative alternatives!

Could this solution be a “Big Winner”?

Some solutions are “ten-dollar ideas” while others might be “million-dollar ideas.” Identify and invest yourself in the “big ideas.”

REMEMBER...

Whenever you’re tempted to doubt your creativity, ask yourself:

• Do I have an attitude of readiness for creativity?
• In the area I want to apply creativity, what is the need?
• Should I try to find an original solution, or is there a model I can follow?
• How can I expand my perspective?
• Is this need worth a lot of time?
• How do I feel about the problem?
• Has someone already solved this problem?
• Who could help me think creatively about this problem?
• Could this solution be a “Big Winner”?

By knowing the right questions, you’ll continue to increase your leadership confidence.

Note: This material has been adapted from a book called LEADING with Confidence…available at www.BobbBiehl.com
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Bobb Biehl is an executive mentor. He is the founder of Masterplanning Group International. As its president, he has consulted personally with more than 400 clients. In that time he has met one-to-one with over 2,500 executives (board members, senior executives, and staff members) and spent an estimated 35,000 hours in private sessions with some of the finest leaders of our generation. You can visit him at www.BobbBiehl.com.

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Leadership From Confusion to Clarity By Bryant Nielson

New leaders - and sometimes more senior leaders - can find themselves in organizations and situations that are very cloudy and confusing.

This problem could arise from changes in the organization's structure, new leadership, a lack of direction, or even a new team or organization. What can a leader do to create clarity amidst the confusion?

First of all, you must define the future for the organization. Many times confusion arises from just not knowing where the organization is headed. Define the future by determining a vision and mission for the organization - and be as specific as possible.

What goal do you want the organization to reach, and in what time frame? Do you need or want the organization to grow in size, revenue, or number of locations? All of these things must be described concisely in order to lift some confusion.

You'll find that by just painting a picture of what the future looks like, people will fall behind it and begin moving in the same direction. Remember that your vision is most likely a change, so expect the organization to react to change before embracing the new direction.

Next, be sure to clarify roles. This simple statement takes on quite a bit of complication because you must clarify the roles of everyone in the organization - from the front line to middle managers, as well as your own role.

As a leader, your role should concentrate on the big picture and you should communicate this to the organization. While you're clarifying roles, you may need to adjust them, as well. For example, if you're trying to move your organization into a more leadership-based organization, you may have to define managers as team leaders - and begin changing the hierarchy.

You may also find that you have to adjust roles within the organization - the person or team who was responsible for certain tasks may not be the best suited for those tasks and you may have to make adjustments.

As you move down into the organization, be certain that every person is aware of his or her role - and that their questions about that role can be answered by you or another leader.

With clarified roles, at least people can direct their attention to their tasks and not to the confusion that may be occurring.

Third, begin the process of developing leaders at all levels. Look at the training that currently exists in the organization. Is the training based on function only, or are there opportunities for people to grow as coaches or leaders?

Can you take functional training and adjust it to create functional leaders, that is, people who excel at their normal tasks and can be used to lead others in those tasks? Examine the organization to determine if any leadership is visible at the lower levels - and spend time developing those groups. But how does this create clarity in confusion?

First, creating a talent pool helps you to clarify roles. You may have emerging leaders who can now see their role within the organization - and the possibility that they can move up within the organization.

Second, you're making it clear that in order to reach the organization's goals, each person has a chance to become a leader. So not only can people concentrate on their own tasks, they can also concentrate on how leadership skill can improve the entire organization.

You must remove hierarchies and boundaries that may have caused confusion in the past. Sometimes you'll find that the organization may have quite a bit of redundancy in tasks and responsibilities.

This not only creates confusion but it also creates less than good will amongst departments and teams. By examining who's doing what, you can clarify the hierarchy and move to create an organization that functions efficiently.

Boundaries between teams and departments can also contribute to confusion. In many organizations, teams do not have a general awareness of how they fit in with the big picture and with other teams.

In fact, many individual team members may be keenly aware of his or her own tasks, but have no idea how those tasks contribute to the overall function of the organization. By breaking down the walls between teams and departments, you'll allow everyone to see how it all fits together, as well as to expose redundancy and ineffective processes.

Again, removing an old way of doing things is a change, so be sure to communicate the benefits the change at all times.

Finally, communication is the key to removing confusion - both formally and informally. On the informal side, you, as the leader, must be a constant champion of your own vision and goals for the future. In other words, you should talk about it whenever you have the chance.

Be sure that lower-level organizational members hear the words coming out of your mouth - prove to them that it's not just top-level talk. More formally, consider using a G.E. "Work Out" approach, where business units come together to solve problems and brainstorm on future efficiencies.

Allow the people who do the work to communicate with you and your team - you'll find that some of the best ideas come from that type of communication. You can also consider "town hall" type meetings, where you go to the groups and allow them to ask questions about the changes, the new vision, and the direction of the organization.

Remember that communication is a two way street, so just as you communicate to the organization, allow the organization to communicate with you.

By defining the future, clarifying roles, developing leaders, removing boundaries, and opening communication, you can create clarity in the midst of confusion - and move your organization ahead.

Copyright 2008 Bryant Nielson. All Rights Reserved.
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Bryant Nielson - Managing Director and National Sales Trainer - assists executives, business owners, and top performing sales executives in taking the leap from the ordinary to extraordinary. Bryant is a trainer, business & leadership coach, and strategic planner for sales organizations. You can visit him at www.BryantNielson.com

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Empowering Others By Brian Tracy

Get the Cooperation of Others...
Empowering people is the key to building a high-performance team. Once you empower people by learning how to motivate and inspire them, they will want to work with you to help you achieve your goals in everything you do.

Your ability to enlist the knowledge, energy and resources of others enables you to become a multiplication sign, to leverage yourself so that you accomplish far more than the average person and in a far shorter period of time.

Determine the Key People to Empower...
There are three types of people that you want to and need to empower on a regular basis. They are, first of all, the people closest to you: your family, your friends, your spouse and your children.

Second are your work relationships: your staff, your coworkers, your peers, your colleagues and even your boss.

Third are all the other people that you interact with in your day-to-day life: your customers, your suppliers, your banker, the people with whom you deal in stores, restaurants, airplanes, hotels and everywhere else.

In each case, your ability to get people to help you is what will make you a more powerful and effective person.

Always Be Positive...
Empower means "putting power into," and it can also mean "bringing energy and enthusiasm out of."

So the first step in empowering people is to refrain from doing anything that disempowers them or reduces their energy and enthusiasm for what they are doing.

There are things you can do every single day to empower people and make them feel good about themselves.

Satisfy the Deepest Needs...
The deepest need that each person has is for self-esteem, a sense of being important, valuable and worthwhile.

Everything that you do in your interactions with others affects their self-esteem in some way. You already have an excellent frame of reference to determine the things that you can do to boost the self-esteem and therefore the sense of personal power of those around you. Give them what you'd like for yourself.

Continually Express Appreciation...
Perhaps the simplest way to make another person feel good about himself or herself is your continuous expressions of appreciation for everything that person does for you, large or small. Say "thank you" on every occasion.

Thank your spouse for everything that he or she does for you. Thank your children for their cooperation and support in everything that they do around the house. Thank your friends for the smallest acts of kindnesses. The more you thank other people for doing things for you, the more things those other people will want to do.

Action Exercises:

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, continually look for ways to make people feel more valuable and important. Say things to others that you would like others to say to you.

Second, express appreciation for everything anyone does for you, large or small. Say the words, "thank you" on every occasion.
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Brian Tracy is one of the world's leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to get better results in every area. Visit the Brian Tracy web site.

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A Special Kind of Courage By Brian Tracy

There are several different aspects of courage. Perhaps the most important is the courage to endure, to persist, to "hang in there" in the face of doubt, uncertainty and criticism from others.

Practice Patience in Adversity ...
This is called "courageous patience," the willingness and the ability to "stay the course" in the face of uncertainty, doubt and often criticism from many quarters.

Stay the Course ...
In my experience, there is a critical time period between the launching of a new venture and the results that come from that venture.

During this hiatus, this waiting period, many people lose their nerve. They cannot stand the suspense of not knowing, of possible failure. They break and run in battle, they quake and quit in business.

The True Leader ...
But the true leader is the person who can stand firm, who refuses to consider the possibility of failure. The turning points of many key moments in human history have been the resolution, or lack thereof, of one person. Courageous patience is the acid test of leadership.

To encourage others, to instill confidence in them, to help them to perform at their best requires first of all that you lead by example.

Allow Honest Mistakes ...
The second thing you can do to help alleviate the fears of failure and rejection in others is to encourage them to take calculated risks and allow honest mistakes.

Build People Up ...
Give the people who look up to you regular praise and approval. Celebrate good tries as well as success, large and small. Create a psychological climate where people feel safe from censure, blame or criticism of any kind. Then do things that make people feel terrific about themselves.

Become Unstoppable ...
Courage comes from acting courageously on a day-to-day basis. Your personal development goal should be to practice the behaviors of a totally fearless person until you become, in your own mind, unstoppable.

Action Exercises:

Here are two ways for you to develop courageous patience.

First, prepare yourself in advance for the inevitable disappointments and setbacks you will experience on the way to your goal. Don't be surprised when they occur.

Second, resolve in advance that you will bounce rather than break and continually encourage others to think and act the same way.
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Brian Tracy is one of the world's leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that you can apply immediately to get better results in every area. Visit the Brian Tracy web site.

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Developing Leadership Skills Through Your Community By Barbara White

If you want to progress in your career, and get promoted to a leadership role, it is important to be developing your leadership skills on an ongoing basis.

One of the most essential indicators of good leadership skills is the most obvious – the ability and willingness to take the lead and to motivate the team to follow.

This article will explore how you can develop experience in leadership and how your leadership skills can be developed through becoming a volunteer in your local community.

Generally speaking everyone falls into one of three categories:
1. People who make things happen
2. People who watch things happen, and,
3. People who ask “What happened?”

The role of a leader is to make things happen. A leader is the person, who not only develops the skills and abilities to make things happen, but makes them part of their lifestyle.

The role of a leader plays out, not only in the work environment, but in every area of life. A leader takes the lead at work, at home, with family, in their church, in their community, and often this is in a volunteer position.

Leaders are the ones who step up to the plate and do what it takes to get the results that are needed.

Here is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. Who took the role of the leader?

It was Nobody

Part of the leader’s role involves leading by example. A leader is not just the person who takes charge or wears the “leader’s” badge. True leadership is about serving, and making sure the job gets done.

The role of a leader is to be a role-model for those who follow. You are there, setting the example by being part of the team. You start a little earlier, you work a little harder, and you stay a little later. You never ask anyone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself.

As the head of the team, you continually look for ways to make it easier for your team members to do their jobs. You accept complete responsibility for the achievement of the overall goal, You are a leader because you continually lead.
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Barbara White is an author, speaker and trainer in leadership development. You can visit her site at LivingBeyondBetter.com.

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