Success

The five signs of a “Stage Leader”

pointy-hairedboss_dilbertBeing a successful leader is a lot like being a parent – It’s not about you. The focus is on developing your team just like a parent ensures the development of their children.

We have all heard the famous stories of the Stage Parent.  This is the parent who pushes their child to excel in acting, singing, tennis, baseball or any other activity where the parent is living out their dreams vicariously through their child. The rewards for the Stage Parent are all about the Stage Parent.  We have also heard the all too often unfortunate end to these relationships.  The child may be an individual success for a time, but as an adult they resent the loss of their childhood and often drop out of the limelight and distance themselves from their parent.

Have you ever heard of Stage Leader?  Rarely is this type of leader successful in the long run. Like the children of Stage Parents, in time the team members resent the lack of focus on their development and distance themselves from the leader – often leaving the company.

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The reflection of great leadership.

When you look at your leadership reflection in the mirror each morning, whmirror_catat do you see?  Do you like what you see? I don’t mean are you perfect, and I don’t mean have you always made the right decisions.  What I do mean is mean do you see someone who has overcome many obstacles to become who you are today and someone who is capable of accomplishing greatness?

That is an accurate reflection of all leaders and a positive leadership self-image. Heading out the door each day with that thought to guide you will lead you to greatness.

Why is an accurate yet positive leadership self-image so important?  Brian Tracey says, “The person we believe ourselves to be will always act in a manner consistent with our self-image.”

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The importance of communication in leadership – Part 2

integrityThere are four steps that leaders take in successful communication of expectations:

Write them out – Clearly define your expectations

Hand them out – Overtly explain your expectations

Point them out – Verbally reinforce your expectations

Live them out – Openly demonstrate your expectations

In part one of the importance of communication in leadership, we talked about the first three steps – how to broadcast your expectations.  Now let’s examine the top step, the one where the best leaders spend most of their time – how to demonstrate your expectations.

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The importance of communication in leadership – Part 1

communicateImagine you start a new job. You are anxious to hear communication from the top; what is the vision of company? The head of your division steps up to the front of the room, clears his throat and says, “You are all doing a great job, keep it up. If you need me I will be in my office.”

Do you have any idea what is expected of you? What will you do first? How will you know if you are on the right track for success? Was there any communication at all?

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Why do we question our success? – Part 2

CoachteamYou have to admit, even the best coach doesn’t make an athlete a success. Neither does any leader make their team a success. In all cases, the leader makes the environment where people can be a success.

A large part of success comes from what you focus on. Since the leader sets the vision for achieving the purpose of the team, they also determine where the team will be focused.

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Why do we question our success?

Have you ever see a toddler become a success learning how to use a spoon to feed themselves? It goes something like this

Miss their mouth -> Spill

Closer to their mouth -> Spill

Spoon in the mouth -> Spill

Spoon in the mouth -> Success -> Success -> Success…

Once the toddler perfects the method of using the spoon, they continue the same process with all current and new food. They forget how not to be a success and remember only how to be a success.

As we age, we seem to lose that innate ability to accept that once a new skill is learned it can be repeated in the same and different circumstances.

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Do you follow the rules?

There are always rules to be followed in life.  Most rules were put in place by well-meaning people who felt they were needed to right a wrong, protect from injury, or create agreement between two or more parties.

Over time, we can forget the wise words of Franklin D. Roosevelt who said, “Rules are not necessarily sacred, principles are.”

I call the principles the “Why’s” behind the rules.

But we need more than just the rules. Without the wisdom of why the rules were made – understanding of their intent, and knowledge of when to apply them – we rely on their strict wording instead of the spirit of the rules.

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The Tough Steps To Success

Instead of focusing on the long climb, focus on the next step.

My family and I have moved many times, all for job related reasons.   We have built homes and bought homes; lived in warm climates and cold ones. We even spent one Christmas in a corporate apartment – I took the presents and the tree with me when I drove ahead of my family so Santa could visit.

No matter how many times we have reached success – found a home, school, grocery store, church, friends etc…It never gets easier.

The secret, we have found, is to plan out the steps, then take them one at a time.

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