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Growth Leadership Personal Development

Want To Be A More Effective Leader? Listen

By John T. Hewitt, CEO and Founder of Liberty Tax Service

When it comes to communication, no one gets it right. It’s an essential part of every relationship, whether it’s a marriage, a partnership, a business, or an employer and employee. I don’t care if you have a Ph.D. in communications; I’ve never met a person who consistently listens or gets their message across. Even if you’re close and you try, things are taken out of context or misheard or misstated. Communication is something that no company and probably no couple have ever mastered.

Here’s the problem: human beings are communication stoppers. Every person I know wants to receive communication – they want to know everything – but they don’t give communication back. Information is power and people will hoard it. Whether or not it’s going to the trouble to say something or simply remembering to communicate at all, our desire to get information is greater than our desire to give it. There is no solution to our constant communication dilemma, but we can work at improving every day.

As an entrepreneur, you can never make assumptions. If you are not in direct contact with your customers on a daily basis, you have to communicate with the person who is. Successful business owners must listen to their employees. Those in authority need to pay attention to the troops on the ground.

Our Chief Marketing Officer, Martha O’Gorman, and I once flew to Kansas City to interview a person for the CFO position. Martha asked, “What is your management philosophy?” He replied, “Ours is not to reason why, but to do or die.” In his world, all orders come from above and you are not supposed to question them. Just do it, like a good soldier. That is how many companies run. Many CEOs issue edicts and say, “this is what we’re going to do,” instead of listening to the people who deal with the customer because they think they know best. It’s partly because they feel if they admit that they don’t know best, then they look inferior or won’t be perceived as a good CEO, so they just don’t listen.

I’m secure enough in my leadership to listen to employees. They are the boots on the ground and they know what the customer really wants. Whether it’s a higher level of service, kid-friendly offices, or refreshments, I listen. For example, we print out a letter that we give to every customer with their tax return. Why would I think I could do that better than the person who gives it out thousands of times? They give out two million letters with tax returns. Why would a CEO think he could create a better letter than the people who are closest to the customer? They should design the letter; we should just implement it. There are hundreds of issues like this.

In my company, I know the big picture better than anyone, but my franchisees and employees know the tools they need to exceed customer expectations. A good CEO will trust employees to make the right decisions – empowering them instead of just issuing automatic edits that they must follow. To succeed, employees must feel free to make suggestions and give advice to their managers without concern for retribution. Remember, humans are communication stoppers. The managers who listen the most – and listen well – to their employees will win.

While I still believe that no one really masters communication, we work to improve every day and set the standard. I regularly teach the importance of improving every day in the way we communicate to our customers, to our employees, and to our owners. Customers come first – always. Words aren’t the only communication that a client notices. An employee’s attitude, tone of voice, facial expressions and gestures are all part of the message, leading to either positive or negative results. At Liberty, an important part of our system is to call each client within 24-48 hours of completing a return. We ask for feedback on our service and they can offer any suggestions to help us improve. Most importantly, we listen.

Excerpted from:

iCompete: How My Extraordinary Strategy for Winning Can Be Yours, by John T. Hewitt, CEO and founder of Liberty Tax Service, available on Amazon March 29, 2016

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Growth Personal Development

How to Bring Out the Best of Your Leadership Style

How to Bring Out the Best of Your Leadership Style

by Tony Alessandra

If you are part of the C-Suite, you should be very aware of your leadership style to allow you to work more effectively with your direct reports and transform from being just a boss into a true leader.

However, before you do that, you will need to identify your leadership style. I espouse using the DISC behavioral model. DISC is an acronym for the four primary behavioral drivers: dominance, influence, conscientiousness, and steadiness.

Dominant people are decisive risk-takers who speak boldly and confidently. Influence driven people are apt to intertwine emotion with work and they are interested in forming social bonds. Steady individuals are cooperative and composed and approach their work consistently and methodically. People with a bent towards conscientiousness prioritize accuracy and precision and tend to me more guarded and tactful in their expression.

You can also self-identify yourself based on two questions:

  • Are you more open (emotive) or guarded (controlled)?
  • Are you more direct (faster-paced) or indirect (slower-paced)?

Based on your answers, you can find your primary DISC style:

D – Direct and guarded

I – Direct and open

S – Indirect and open

C – Indirect and guarded

Once you have found your DISC style, you can begin making your leadership style more palatable to others who might not share your behavioral type. Here are some ways a leader can round off some of the sharper edges of his or her DISC style:

 

If you are a DOMINANT DIRECTOR…

Ratchet down a notch or two! Keep in mind that others have feelings and that your hard-charging, know-it-all style can make others feel inadequate and resentful.

Accept that mistakes will occur and try to temper justice with mercy. You might even joke about errors you make, rather than trying to always project a super-human image.

Encourage growth in others in at least two ways: by praising employees when they do something well and by giving direct reports a measure of authority and then staying out of their way so they can use it. Whatever you lose in control, you are likely to gain in commitment and improved staff competency.

If you are an INFLUENCING SOCIALIZER…

Your people depend on you not just for ideas, which you are very adept at generating, but also for coordination, which you are probably less comfortable providing. So anything you can do to become more organized — making lists, keeping your calendar current, prioritizing goals — will pay big dividends for both you and your team.

Nothing’s so dispiriting as to see the boss drop the ball on important matters. So, remember: if you fail to follow-up, procrastinate on tough decisions, or make pledges you don’t keep, your employees will lose faith. Even though you don’t do those things purposely, your direct reports will feel as if you’re letting them down. Your charm and warmth can’t compensate for unreliability.

Also, come to grips with the fact that conflicts are going to occur. Try to deal with them up front instead of sweeping them under the rug. In addition, strive to keep your socializing in balance with your tasks.

If you are a STEADY RELATER…

You are probably a well-liked leader. Your goal should be to become a more effective well-liked leader.

Learn to stretch a little, taking on more small risks or different duties and trying to accomplish them more quickly. You may want to be more assertive as well as more open about your thoughts and feelings.

Being sensitive to your employees’ feelings is one of your greatest strengths, but you must seek a middle ground between that and being knocked off balance by the first negative comment or action that comes your way. Try to develop a thicker skin for the good of the team.

If you are a CONSCIENTIOUS THINKER…

Your high standards are a double-edged sword. Your employees are inspired by your quest for excellence, but they might feel frustrated because they can never quite seem to please you.

One of the best things you can do is lessen and soften your criticism, spoken or unspoken. Bear in mind that you’re inclined to come off as stern in certain situations.

Ease up on your need to control and attempt to project a more social persona. Walk around and spend more time with the troops, chatting up people at the water cooler or in the lunchroom.

Realize the fact that you can have high standards without requiring perfection in each instance.

Whatever your style, being adaptable can help you to build bridges to your employees and make them feel valued. By learning to best respond to their interests, concerns, strengths and weaknesses, you can get the most from your people as well as leave them more satisfied.

Categories
Growth Human Resources Personal Development

Executive Briefings: Intersection of Leadership and Social Media

By Thomas White for Huffington Post

In my work, I meet business leaders from all over the world who have advice, stories and personal tips to provide. I sit down with these leaders to give them the opportunity to provide current business advice and give a glimpse to their personal stories as a business leader.

I recently sat down with Rob Harles, Head of Social Business & Collaboration at Accenture Interactive. Rob joined Accenture from Bloomberg LP in New York where he was Global Head of Social Media responsible for developing and managing Bloomberg’s social media strategy and initiatives worldwide.

As a leader in social media for a long time, both at Bloomberg and now Accenture, what changes do you see in what expectations customers have of companies?

Customers have higher expectations than they’ve ever had. Social has acted as a catalyst for people to express their views, support, lack of support for brands, and what they expect brands to do, to live up to their promise. Only ten to fifteen years ago you wouldn’t have been able to do that. Brands were lucky enough to be able to tell you what they stood for and hope you believed it. Now you have to prove it, and social is acting as that catalyst.

We call it the ultra-transparency situation, and it affects how companies engage with customers. How would you describe this phenomena?

The phenomenon with social is really about people wanting to feel that they matter, and they want to be able to express that. It’s been around since the dawn of time, when we were just a nation of shopkeepers. As we grew and had to come to terms with the challenges of scaling businesses, we got more and more distant from our customers. The result was that we had to do standalone market research at a set point in time just to see where people’s needs or demands were going or how they felt about us. Now that’s changed. It’s 24/7. They’re telling you exactly what they need. They’re telling you exactly how they feel. Sometimes they’re telling you the extremes of that because there is less of a filter.

What do you see in the next five years? How is social media going to change as a medium, and how is it going to change the way we do business?

The advantage of real-time information is that we are addressing people’s issues faster. We are being more responsive. Organizations and brands are using the insights that come out of social to improve themselves, and that’s a good thing. But with that always comes challenges. This is where organizations go off the rails. At Accenture Digital, what we’re seeing is that companies are almost too ready to take data and do something with it and not really think about the implications. Also, it comes with the challenge of where do you draw the demarcation line in terms of privacy? How do you think about protecting the rights of your employees or the rights of your customers? There isn’t a day that goes by when there isn’t a headline about something like this. It’s creating great opportunities on the one hand, but it’s also creating a lot of challenges in terms of sensitivity and the law. Eventually we find our path. Eventually we figure out the right way to do something and sometimes we only do that by making mistakes. Sometimes the consequences of those mistakes are actually quite precious, but it still makes us better.

Let’s shift gears. As a leader, what are the traits that you most admire in other leaders?

Everybody is different. That’s the thing that I’ve recognized, and good leaders recognize that. We’re a little bit more open than we’ve ever been and don’t self-edit as much. Great leaders are ones who have a vision and are willing to be tenacious enough to drive that forward. An example would be if you say you want to have an innovative culture. It’s another thing to actually create an innovate culture. Great leaders are ones who are a little more flexible than they’ve ever been, but have great vision and can really motivate people to bring more than what they’re just asked to do. It’s like a puppy dog scenario. I love it when people come to me and they have an idea, it might not be a perfect idea, but it’s a start. They’re thinking. The worst situation is where you stifle that.

Along your way to becoming the leader that you are today, who has inspired you, and what about them inspired you?

I have to pay homage to some of the great thinkers and entrepreneurs that we’ve had in just the last few decades. Whether it’s Bill Gates, or Steve Jobs, or Steve Wozniak and many more. In so many ways they represent the unique American spirit of trying to do something that no one has done before. It’s high risk. I admire the people who are the unsung heroes who have tried something and it hasn’t worked. Most entrepreneurs, if they’re really honest, will tell you, “So much of our success is built not just on hard work or creativity.” But their little secret is luck and being able to see it and take advantage of it and run with it. Not everyone has that luck, but they have all the other things. Sometimes those unsung heroes drive us forward through the missed opportunities and the failures just as much as those who we venerate. I like to see people, generally, who try things and are okay with failing and picking themselves up, learning from it, and moving to the next thing.

Categories
Personal Development Sales

Executive Briefings: The Model of R.E.A.L. Leadership

By Thomas White for Huffington Post

In my work, I meet business leaders from all over the world who have advice, stories and personal tips to provide. I sit down with these leaders to give them the opportunity to provide current business advice and give a glimpse to their personal stories as a business leader.

This week I interviewed Joe Hart, President and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, an organization whose founder pioneered the human performance movement over 100 years ago and has continued to succeed and grow worldwide, through constant research and innovation building on its founding principles. Dale Carnegie Training has more than 3,000 trainers and consultants, operating in 300 offices in over 90 countries impacting organizations, teams and individuals. Dale Carnegie Training’s client list includes more than 400 of the Fortune Global 500, tens of thousands of small to mid-sized organizations and over 8 million individuals across the globe.

Dale Carnegie does a lot of research in regard to leadership. What are the traits that make up a great leader?

Dale Carnegie Training initially conducted research on this subject in 2015 in the United States and Brazil. We were so intrigued with what we had found that we expanded the research to 13 additional countries. Some of the key questions we found included: what are the types of traits that really motivate someone to want to give their best and what are the things that demotivate people. From this research we have characterized these to ‘R.E.A.L.’ or reliable, empathetic, aspirational and learning.


What makes a leader Reliable?

It refers to someone who is internally reliable. Internal reliability is someone being authentic. As people, we have great intuition, and we can tell when somebody is being consistent with who they are. They are internally reliable. But with external reliability people want to sense a level of integrity. Does the leader do things that they say they are going to do or do they say one thing and then do another?

Of the four traits, this one is absolutely foundational for the other three. It doesn’t matter if you’re empathetic, aspirational, or you’re an active leader, if do not have reliability, you do not have the core trust that you are building with people. If you do not have this trust with the people you work with or who you interact with then the other traits just will not matter.

What does it mean to be Empathetic as a leader?

Being empathetic means to really want to reach out and to be others-focused. It means to demonstrate a desire to listen, to care, to recognize the importance that other people have and to really give them the respect of hearing what it is that they have to say. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” So, an empathetic person is trying to learn, trying to listen and trying to demonstrate caring for the people around them.

There’s been a transformation of how leadership has been viewed over the decades. In the past, one might expect a leader to have all the answers, to show strong leadership qualities. Today, especially when you look at the millennial generation, people want to contribute to find out the answers. They want to have meaning in their work. They want to know the work they’re doing is valuable and that they are valued as a person. Someone who comes in and simply says, “Here’s what we’re going to do and you’re going to do it,” that is an immediate dis-engager for high percentages of people.”

What does a leader need to do to be someone who is Aspirational for the people that they are working with?

Leaders tend to focus on the bottom line. The finances are important and critical to the success of any business. However, to focus on those exclusively without a broader picture is not necessarily enough to connect with a lot of people. If a leader understands that people really want to have meaning in what they do, then simply hitting financial targets may not be enough. A leader not only needs to be focused on the details but also on why we are doing this at all and why what we are doing is important.

The financial parts and having targets are all important, but at the same time, to have something broader and something we can connect to that makes us feel like, “Yes, I’m really a part of something bigger and important, and I can go home and feel really good about that.”

How critical is it for a leader to also be a Learner?
It is very critical. Being a learner connects with empathetic in the sense that the learner says “I don’t have all of the answers”. The learner recognizes that mistakes are going to happen and they learn from that. They don’t necessarily like it but, they will embrace it and they won’t hesitate if they’ve made a mistake, to admit it, to address it and to move on. It’s about taking action. It’s about making mistakes. It’s about experience and judgement.

Follow Thomas White on Twitter: @ProfoundlySmple

Categories
Growth Management Personal Development

Finding the Lions Within Your Organization

When we talk about the challenges of remote work, the first thing that comes to mind is those that employees experience. However, employers have their fair share of challenges too – ensuring productivity, making sure employees feel connected to the organization. Employers have to solve the problems for the organization to survive.

Another particular area of concern is the lack of opportunity for teamwork and collaboration. The physical separation of employees and the continued reliance on remote teams can often lead to issues with collaboration. Remote work has, in some ways, caused employees to miss out on getting “chance” encounters, which is often the catalyst that births new ideas.

When employees are in the same office, it is “easier” to make people understand the tasks assigned to them. If and when an employee has a question, a quick walk to a colleague’s or manager’s booth can easily get answers. Remote work hinders this.

Remote work presents several issues, however, many of the challenges of working remotely that affect both the employees and employer can be resolved by effective leadership. A leader who can prioritize regular communication, provide the right equipment, and adopt a degree of flexibility in working arrangements when possible is indispensable to organizations.

But the question now is how do you find Lions who are up to the task within your organization?

Internal Leadership Development

This is where internal leadership development comes into the picture. This is a program that provides training to individuals so that they can become effective leaders and players within an organization. Most programs focus on developing and polishing a prospective leader’s abilities to handle crucial responsibilities in an organization by teaching them the dos’ and don’ts’ of a successful leader.

Why is this important? We submit there are two main factors why it’s beneficial for organizations to “build from within.” First, there’s no better place to look for employees who understand your business than those who are already in it. Second, it gives the employees a tremendous boost in morale to see one of them take on a more active role in running the business. It gives them an idea that as long as they are loyal and provide results, they can also be part of the leadership.

Starting an Internal Leadership Development Program

Your internal leadership development program does not have to be complicated. In fact, the simpler it is, the more effective it will be. What’s important is that, first, you have to define the leadership roles of your organization. Leaders function better and more efficiently if they have complete knowledge and understanding of the leadership goals set by the organization.

Second, focus on development versus training. Leadership is a culmination of various skills acting in unison – charisma, the skill of persuasion, the ability to negotiate, and the ability to see the bigger picture. Thus, instead of teaching people how to do this, pick people who have shown results AND already possess these skills and develop them.

This will help participants acquire skills that can help them become efficient leaders.

Bottomline

There are numerous benefits of leadership development programs. Thus, you must come up with a development program that reflects your work culture while aiming to fill the leadership gaps within an organization.

The responsibility for creating the leaders of the future lies with the leaders of today. If you want to learn more about the intricacies of leadership development programs and enter the business sphere, you can visit MarketAtomy.com to know more.

 

Danna Olivo is a Growth Strategist, Author, and Public Speaker. As CEO of MarketAtomy LLC, her passion is working with first-stage business owners to ensure that they are prepared and equipped to launch and grow a successful small business. She understands the intricacies involved early on in business formation and as such the challenges that come with it. A graduate of the University of Central Florida’s College of Business, Danna brings more than 40 years of experience strategically working with small and medium businesses, helping them reach their growth goals. danna.olivo@marketatomy.com

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Leadership Marketing Personal Development

The Rise of Omni-Channel Marketing* – On Bots, Funnels, Fly-Wheels and Social Media

 

The Rise of Omni-Channel Marketing*

– On Bots, Funnels, Fly-Wheels and Social Media

…And the ONE thing you really need to learn if you want to keep your sanity

Do you ever feel overwhelmed these days by the sheer amount of marketing messages coming your way?

Or, are you at the other end of the spectrum, feeling overwhelmed by the need to keep on sending out ever more and increasingly creative and promising marketing messages about your own products and services, while making sure you can deliver on the promises?

In other words, on what end of the noisy spectrum do you operate?

I know I’m sometimes troubled by both sides of the spectrum. That’s why I wrote this article in the hope it might also give you some nice new perspectives for being able to handle it all. So…

Let’s dive in…

I recently attended a webinar on Bots – what they are, what they do, how you can use them, and how they can automate your lead generation, your sales, and even the follow-up support.

It’s astounding. And for some, perhaps many of us, it can feel like a liberation.

What it also means though, is that many jobs will become obsolete. Many co-creative enterprises will be left to the advancing power of automated solutions. And the communication between buyer and seller becomes a robotic style of conversation marketing instead of a human-to-human social interaction.

  • One the one hand, this can be seen as a good thing. It can save us from tedious tasks or from troubled discussions over minutiae. It can also help us in placing our marketing messages virtually everywhere so we’re able to expand our reach and connect with more potential customers or clients. And so it can provide us with that much wanted increase of profits and time freedom at the same time.
  • On the other hand, this can also be seen as a bad thing. It can hurt our humanness because more and more interactions will be guided and directed by the programming of the bots. It can also usurp our vital energies because we’re not reciprocally nourished by the intricate web of human connectedness. And it can provide the consumer with a complacency or false sense of entitlement when we get back into interactions with real human beings who do not immediately comply to our requests or questions. Have you ever experienced that? Or perhaps, ask your customer service representative if they’ve experienced such behavior from consumers.
Now, Bots attached to Funnels will amp this even up a notch.

Because from the initial robotic style of conversation marketing, the customer/client’s journey is then further directed into a sales funnel. In the Sales Funnel there can be a video from an actual human being, but still, it’s not real time, it’s still somewhat artificial, since it is pre-recorded and oftentimes according to a script.

Then, after someone has taken the journey from Bot-conversation through the sales funnel, to the delivery and the automated support, the customer can be satisfied. But will they really be happy? Who knows for sure? They probably will. Or at least they think so because they got what they thought they would get.

It indeed depends – on the product, the course, the program, etc.

Yet, since almost all marketing seems to promise ‘heaven on earth’ these days, we also know that for many of us it’s still not here.

And so, people go online again in their never ending search for that happiness they think they can get from buying more stuff, getting more solutions, or from having a clearly laid out process for them that virtually guarantees eternal bliss – you know, that something that makes all problems disappear.

And so, they enter the fly-wheel of ever more products, services, etc. etc. etc.

Then, with all that ‘stuff’ and the wins they got along the way, they go show it off on social media, amidst all the promoted posts, the advertisements of bots and the marketing messages of others!

Oh dear, the madness we’re in…

So, let’s take a pause…

What is just described?

In a nutshell we went through the rise of Omni-Channel Marketing.

This means that we can see how over the past two decades – and especially over the past five or six years – technology has more and more taken over our marketing efforts.

Marketing indeed is everywhere!

It has become an Omni-Channel endeavor.
  • This means it is online on all the social media platforms, the websites, the funnels, the apps, the messenger services, the emails, etc.
  • This means it is offline via letter post, mailing packages, billboards, signs, brochures, newspapers, etc.
  • This means it is via telephone, text, at the front door, in the streets, by word-of-mouth…

And probably via even more channels that not everyone is necessarily aware of.

From a business standpoint this means that you have to find at least one channel that works for you to reach your customers, although it seems increasingly important to at least begin to adopt an omni-channel marketing mindset to a certain extent.

From a customer’s standpoint this means that they become more and more selective, apathetic or burned out, or maybe even aggressive towards marketing messages unless those messages are really dialed in to their specific needs, wants and desires!

And if you’re both a business owner and a customer, you’re even into some deeper complexity here.

So…

What is the ONE thing you really need to learn now if you want to keep your sanity?

It’s learning how to plug in to your authentic human awareness.

This means…

  • Not necessarily relying on Bots, Funnels and Fly-Wheels alone.
  • Not necessarily feeling the need to post endlessly or increasingly on a multitude of channels.
  • Not necessarily having to participate in the constant bombardment of sending and receiving marketing messages.

Instead, taking a step back for a moment from all the busyness, from all the noise of the entire spectrum… Taking an Omni-Channel perspective for a moment, without having to do anything… Just taking some time to think things through without the need to buy or sell anything…

But how to market your products and services then?

The answer to that question is probably the best kept secret no one’s really talking about.

Yet the answer is hidden in this article. And it is everywhere, in plain sight. If you can find it, you can have your Omni-Channel marketing dialed in from the positioning of your authentic human awareness. And that could save you tons of time and money in the long-run.

How? To learn more…

You’re invited to >>consider this<<  to get started today with Enhancing Your Awareness.

To Your Omni-Channel Marketing Success!

Sincerely,

Maurits van Sambeek, MA

Author of >>Omnibenevolence<<

PS: The rise of Omni-Channel Marketing is picking up speed these days. Are you well-prepared or already embracing it? To learn more about How to Adopt an Omni-Channel Mindset to begin with, you’re invited to >>consider this<< and get started today with Enhancing Your Awareness.

*Omni-Channel Marketing is defined as sending marketing messages through all available channels to all potential and existing customers and clients. It can be applied both online- as offline, and it is regarded as best practice when it is all attuned and aligned, serving humankind.

Categories
Best Practices Culture Growth Leadership Personal Development

From allies to partners: how white people can be better listeners

I’ve heard and read several stories about what white people need to do right now. Many of those stories talked about the need for white people to listen. That is absolutely true, but there are two points that need to be added: how to listen, and what to do after whites listen. I must say that I have heard for years that white people will only listen to other white people and they need to have their own conversations. While I do believe that white people need to do more amongst each other to further the work to end racism, we must ask what would happen if people like Dr. King believed he couldn’t speak to white people? With that, I am going to share my thoughts on how white people need to listen and what to do after they do so.

Les Brown once said to me that we have two ears and one mouth and that we should use them in proportion. So the first step in listening is to truly commit to not responding to every point brought up by black people who are speaking up about racism. For example, when I conduct my trainings on black boys in our educational system, I’ve been told by white educators that the issue isn’t race, it’s class. It’s not race, it’s gender. It’s not race, it’s this or that. Are you someone who is quick to say you want to listen but then shoot down the arguments made by the person you claim to be listening to? There is a difference between listening to what you want to hear and what the person speaking has to and often needs to say.

So rather than listen to correct, listen to respect. Rather than listen to analyze, listen to empathize. Rather than listen to teach, listen to learn. After you listen, acknowledge the words shared with you and acknowledge what you didn’t know. You don’t lose anything by being honest. I’ve had multiple conversations with white people in the last few days who have said things like “I really didn’t understand until I saw that video of George Floyd being killed” or “I really thought we had turned a corner once Obama was elected” or “I don’t know what to do as a white person right now.” Many of us in the black community get frustrated by these comments but I have also heard these and similar comments from black people who also thought these days were behind us. We have to take people for what they know when they know it but then it’s time for action.

The next step after listening is not take the patronizing mentality of “I’ll be your ally.” There is a certain level of arrogance that has started to develop with this term “ally.” We don’t need allies. We need partners. Allies help out and go home. Partners work together for a common good. Allies go to the sporting venue to cheer on their team and go home after the win (or loss). Partners are on the court as a player on the team and fight together for a common cause, win or lose. Where do you fit in the stadium of effective listening?

Once you believe you have become an effective listener, it’s now time for action. Action takes many forms but the first form is educating yourself. What’s on your bookshelf? Who is on your podcast favorites? What documentaries are you watching? Reading lists such as these are great ways to get started. Dr. King said that the two most dangerous things in this world are sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. You don’t know what you don’t know. You have to get out and learn so that you can engage from an informed position. That way after you start to listen, you can simultaneously engage in the work needed to challenge racism, systemically and individually. Systemic work looks at ways you can challenge racism wherever it presents itself in society. Individual work looks at conversations you should be having with your neighbors, co-workers, and especially family members who espouse racist ideas.

I saw a sign during the protest that said “White silence equals police violence” and several spins on that. Whether you agree with that or not, it is indeed true that silence equals compliance. By not becoming an engaged listener, educating yourself, and speaking up when you witness ignorance or injustice, you are part of the problem. There is no middle ground. As you can see, this country is in an all-hands-on deck approach. Where do you stand? How will you stand? We are working with or without you but I believe that success is better together. Dr. King said that he would rather see a good sermon than hear one. The world is waiting to see your sermon. Let’s go!

Categories
Best Practices Culture Growth Leadership Personal Development

Inspirational Leadership in Trying Times of Crisis – How To Elevate Your Company Culture

What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to leadership in trying times of crisis?

That question is not necessarily an easy question. And oftentimes the leadership assessments don’t give a truly satisfying result. That’s why the following story could be of service for your leadership growth in these trying times of crisis.

“There once was a king and queen couple. They were revered by the people they reigned. But the land got invaded. And the time to step up their game had come.

Before this day though, things seemed to be easy. It was all about letting the people do their thing within the confines of a safe and well-ruled land. Everyone felt at home and on purpose. Life was good. And even the sky didn’t look like a limit to any of them.

Through securing the ways of freedom, trade and development, they had thus accomplished a great many things. Everyone received profits in different shapes and forms. And happiness and prosperity were as normal as the clean air they could breathe and the clear water they could drink, every day.

Until that moment came…

The invasion of dark forces and destructive patterns took a hold on their world. Freedom began to become a far off illusion. Trade got stalled and stuff got stolen. Developments were reversed and all outlooks for growth got destroyed.

Indeed it were trying times of crisis.

The couple got together with their most trusted advisors. Those advisors had intelligence and information from the peoples in the field. And the meeting was orchestrated so an invisible but infinitely powerful Benefactor could supply the timely wisdom they needed so much right now.

What came out of that meeting was a new balance of clarity on strengths and weaknesses. The strengths were all aligned with a grander vision previously unseen. The weaknesses were all confined to a balancing polarity, now productive again for a shared way forward as all being equal to the king and queen.

And so the darkness got destroyed by its own destructive forces. And the light shone upon the lands once again galore! Indeed the crisis was overcome. And everyone was led into a form of benevolence that was never seen before.”

What is the moral of this story?

  • You can clearly see that it refers to some actual events. In that respect, it hopefully gives you some hope.
  • You can also see that it refers to powers within each and every one of us. In that respect, it hopefully gives you some deeper understanding for creating and building a better company culture.
  • And you can see that it beholds a promise, something that can be made real through conscious choice. So…

Is it your strength to choose for new inspirational leadership now in these trying times of crisis? Can you indeed balance the weaknesses so they become a productive polarity for something better?

If you also believe in genuine inspiration for doing more good in the world then you’re invited to >>read this letter now<<

What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to leadership in trying times of crisis?

Because it is possible. It is doable. And it is time to embody it now.

I hope this story already helps a bit.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Maurits van Sambeek, MA

Author of >>Omnibenevolence<<

+++++

PS: If you want to talk deeper about the topics and themes of this story then you can >>contact me here on LinkedIn<<

PPS: If you want to receive genuine new inspiration for doing more good in the world then you’re invited to >>read this letter now<<

And you can go even deeper to reach higher forms of inspiration again and again by getting your copy of >>Omnibenevolence<<

 

Categories
Best Practices Culture Growth Leadership Personal Development

Inspirational Leadership in Trying Times of Crisis – How To Elevate Your Company Culture

What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to leadership in trying times of crisis?

That question is not necessarily an easy question. And oftentimes the leadership assessments don’t give a truly satisfying result. That’s why the following story could be of service for your leadership growth in these trying times of crisis.

“There once was a king and queen couple. They were revered by the people they reigned. But the land got invaded. And the time to step up their game had come.

Before this day though, things seemed to be easy. It was all about letting the people do their thing within the confines of a safe and well-ruled land. Everyone felt at home and on purpose. Life was good. And even the sky didn’t look like a limit to any of them.

Through securing the ways of freedom, trade and development, they had thus accomplished a great many things. Everyone received profits in different shapes and forms. And happiness and prosperity were as normal as the clean air they could breathe and the clear water they could drink, every day.

Until that moment came…

The invasion of dark forces and destructive patterns took a hold on their world. Freedom began to become a far off illusion. Trade got stalled and stuff got stolen. Developments were reversed and all outlooks for growth got destroyed.

Indeed it were trying times of crisis.

The couple got together with their most trusted advisors. Those advisors had intelligence and information from the peoples in the field. And the meeting was orchestrated so an invisible but infinitely powerful Benefactor could supply the timely wisdom they needed so much right now.

What came out of that meeting was a new balance of clarity on strengths and weaknesses. The strengths were all aligned with a grander vision previously unseen. The weaknesses were all confined to a balancing polarity, now productive again for a shared way forward as all being equal to the king and queen.

And so the darkness got destroyed by its own destructive forces. And the light shone upon the lands once again galore! Indeed the crisis was overcome. And everyone was led into a form of benevolence that was never seen before.”

What is the moral of this story?

  • You can clearly see that it refers to some actual events. In that respect, it hopefully gives you some hope.
  • You can also see that it refers to powers within each and every one of us. In that respect, it hopefully gives you some deeper understanding for creating and building a better company culture.
  • And you can see that it beholds a promise, something that can be made real through conscious choice. So…

Is it your strength to choose for new inspirational leadership now in these trying times of crisis? Can you indeed balance the weaknesses so they become a productive polarity for something better?

If you also believe in genuine inspiration for doing more good in the world then you’re invited to >>read this letter now<<

What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to leadership in trying times of crisis?

Because it is possible. It is doable. And it is time to embody it now.

I hope this story already helps a bit.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Maurits van Sambeek, MA

Author of >>Omnibenevolence<<

+++++

PS: If you want to talk deeper about the topics and themes of this story then you can >>contact me here on LinkedIn<<

PPS: If you want to receive genuine new inspiration for doing more good in the world then you’re invited to >>read this letter now<<

And you can go even deeper to reach higher forms of inspiration again and again by getting your copy of >>Omnibenevolence<<

 

Categories
Growth Management Operations Personal Development

Four Season Planning

If you are in an executive leadership position, leading a team of employees, or running a business, regular thinking, planning, and contemplating is essential. Ideally, every day should include time for reflection, in solitude if possible. It may be the most important and most significant task that you do each day.

Similarly, big picture thinking needs to occur a lot more frequently than the annual planning retreat or strategic planning session at the beginning of your fiscal year. These annual rituals that may have worked years ago don’t work today – our world is simply changing too quickly.

The start of my business involved spending an entire day alone. With no computer or phone, I laid out the plan for where I wanted my business to go. I did this annually for many years. Annual planning may have been adequate years ago, but it’s not enough now. I needed more time to contemplate, and I think you probably do too.

Think Weeks – Many years ago, I read about Bill Gates and his think weeks. When he was CEO of Microsoft, Gates would retreat to a very secluded location twice a year for A “think week”. You may or may not like him, but there’s little doubt that your life has been impacted because of a Bill Gates Think Week. One of which led to the creation of Windows 95.

So how often should big picture “get-aways” happen?

Gates left his full-time position at Microsoft in 2008. That was 14 years ago. Twice a year for planning may not be enough today. So up the ante and gather your team (or do you own version of a think week, think weekend, or even a think day) Four times a year. Maybe two of these are individual and two are organizational.

I started thinking about this concept on one of my recent think walks. While walking at dusk, I was mesmerized by the beautiful colors in the sky. That lead me to think about daylight savings time and how that would be making evenings longer.   Why not use daylight savings time as an annual reminder to schedule a time to think about springing forward? Spend time pondering how to move your organization, business, or career forward. Consider making a ground rule that only forward-thinking (positive) ideas are allowed.

Roughly three months later is the longest day of the year – June 21st. Again, schedule time to think, plan, and create around this time. Questions you might consider include:

  • If I am in this organization, position, career, etc. for the long haul, what tools do I need? What learning, training, mentoring, or coaching do I need to lengthen my relevance or effectiveness?   

The first day of fall begins on September 21st and soon after another time change – this time falling back.  For purposes of this 3rd planning time, think back to what your organization has done well.

  • What needs to be repeated?
  • What needs to be retired?
  • What needs to be retooled?
  • What needs to be re-thought? If your organization has lost market share, customers, or profits, have the focus of your planning be how to get those things back.
  • If you have lost passion for what you do, think back to the beginning when your passion was high. What were you doing back then? What do you need to do to bring back that passion?

On December 21st, the winter solstice occurs when either of the Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun resulting in the shortest day of the year for those in the northern hemisphere.  It’s the beginning of the 4th season of the year and an ideal time to consider a 4th planning event sometime around December 21st (ideally a week or two before or after for obvious reasons!). Consider using both the words maximum and minimum as discussion prompts.

 “Four Seasons Planning” could also involve benchmarking highly successful organizations like the Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts. You could even examine the Four Seasons Hotel and Resort mission statement and culture to compare and contrast it with your organization’s mission statement. You could even gather with your organization or team to do your planning at a Four Seasons resort, and yes, I’d be happy to come and speak.

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