Tag: leadership

The Danger In The ‘Us Versus Them’ Dilemma

Post author By C-Suite Network
Post date May 14, 2018
No Comments on The Danger In The ‘Us Versus Them’ Dilemma

“When it comes to an ‘us versus them’ mentality, potential danger looms in the inability to understand ‘them’.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

“If we stick together, we can overcome them.” Those were the words of a devoted follower of his group. That is, he was a follower until he realized that he did not want to follow the group in the direction it was going.

There’s danger in the ‘us versus them’ mindset; it’s a dilemma people don’t realize when they’re in it. So, what is that danger and why should you be mindful of its pitfalls?

Psychologically, everyone needs to belong to an entity that’s larger than themselves. That’s not the dangerous part of the dilemma; the danger lies in the degree that you’re willing to follow the group, based on your own beliefs, and the confliction that might be caused as the result of those two being out of sync with one another. It also highlights what can occur, per how you view what the group terms as enemies of its norms. You hear that in the intonation of, “they’re not like us.” Therefore, something must be wrong with them.

If one adopts the latter mindset, their mind becomes clouded by the prominent thought that someone that doesn’t share the same norms as the group that they belong to, must be ‘missing the boat’ (i.e. not seeing something right). Once such a mindset is adopted, you’ll seek confirmation in the actions of those that are unlike your group, to confirm why you can’t treat them like you treat members of your group. In essence, your mind will have been jaded to receiving positive thoughts and ideas that might otherwise allow you to see ‘the others’ in a positive light.

If you want to be more open-minded, do so by believing, and allowing your thoughts to be moved by, the thinking that people may have different opinions and perspectives about something, but because they do, that doesn’t make them wrong or a bad person.

When it comes to ‘us versus them’, keep an open mind with the intent to discover something new about the perspective being discussed. Doing so will allow you to gain more insight into anything that you weigh. That will make you a more informed individual … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

In a negotiation, you should always be mindful as to how you’re being influenced by the biases you have, towards the person making the proposal or offer. Even if you don’t like the initial offer, don’t let your initial emotions alter its appearance. There may be more than meets the eye, if you keep an open mind and consider any hidden benefits the offer might contain.

Good negotiators are aware that they can control a negotiation better, by controlling themselves. When it comes to, ‘us versus them’ in a negotiation, such a demeanor will only serve as a blight on an otherwise more successful negotiation outcome.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

What are your thoughts? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Danger #Dilemma #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveYourself #Achievement

Growth Leadership Personal Development

When You Have NO MORE to Give as a Leader

Post author By Jennifer Ledet
Post date May 14, 2018
No Comments on When You Have NO MORE to Give as a Leader

As an executive leader, you are pulled in 50-million directions, you are wearing 10 different hats, and you are just trying to meet your deadlines each week. I’m here to introduce you to a concept that sounds foreign, sounds maybe a bit crazy, and probably isn’t what you want to hear.

First, let me introduce you to the Southern Louisiana term “Lagniappe.” If you’re not quite sure what this term means, “Lagniappe” is a term that actually has Spanish and French roots. (Remember, Louisiana has been under both Spanish and French rule, so many of our terms are derivatives of those languages.) “Lagniappe” refers to a little something extra that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a customer’s purchase.

Today it is used to mean an extra gift or benefit – a bonus. Folks in other parts of the country might use the term ‘baker’s dozen’ to mean the same thing. Literally translated, it means “to give more.”

To give more. If only we could each adopt this as our personal philosophy and practice! In customer service and sales the application of this term is pretty clear – to give more than is expected. I’m asking you to give more. Yup, I’m going to go there. I know what you are thinking. There is no possible way you have any room to give more.

We all know the bottom line is, the more you give the more you receive. When you have NO MORE to give, not an ounce, give just a bit more. If you don’t do it now, you can run your whole life as an executive leader claiming to be “too busy.” Now, while you may need a team retreat or personal retreat, or to better delegate tasks, or to hire a new assistant to address that work-life balance, in the meantime, I’m talking about giving in small but impactful ways that don’t cost anything. Your clients, your team members remember that extra inch you gave and it will come back to benefit you and your business over and over.

Take this for example:

I have made it a practice to under-promise and over-deliver – with the emphasis on over-delivery. For my family’s Nicaragua vacation, we enlisted the help of a travel agent who booked hotels, advised us about driving distances, and recommended sites to see. He was compensated for his efforts, but, as “a little lagniappe,” I’m putting together a Cajun gift basket to send to him. Little thank you’s like this take moments, but will be remembered for years.

As an executive leader, where can you give more?

Try these quick, costless, simple opportunities to give a little lagniappe to your team members, colleagues, and clients.

Empathy for another’s circumstances and struggles. Take your focus off of yourself and really tune in to the other person. Empathy is the ultimate virtual reality. Put yourself in their shoes.

Feedback to team members. Your team would rather receive negative feedback than no feedback at all. Please tell them how they’re doing!

Time to mentor and teach. Share your wisdom, knowledge, and experience to help an intern grow and learn.

Respect for others. Acknowledge that differences in behavior, style, and approach are, as Martha Stewart would say “a good thing.” Appreciate that we each have strengths that add value to the team.

Thanks for a job well-done. Gratitude can go a long way toward re-energizing employees to give their best.

Attention to what people are saying. Listen more and talk less. Hear what’s being said as well as what’s not being said. (Yeah, so you might have to peel your eyes away from the i-phone for a few minutes.)

Consistency in your actions and behavior. Your team members need to know what to expect from you – day in and day out.

Trust in your team members. This is perhaps one of the toughest things to give as a boss, but probably one of the most empowering things you can do for your team members. Mentor, teach, guide, give feedback, and then trust them to get the job done their way.

Giving, and lagniappe is a way of life in South Louisiana – embedded in our culture. As a leader, you can make it part of your organization’s culture. I believe that the more you model the practice of giving a little lagniappe, the more positive results you will see from your team… and the more positive results for your customers, and ultimately, your bottom line.

What will you:

start doing,
stop doing, or
continue doing

to give a little more – to offer a little lagniappe for your team? Use the comment box below to share your action plan with us!

To receive solutions to your people problems in your inbox every month, and to receive our report: “7 of Your Biggest People Problems…Solved,” click here.

Hey Leaders, Are You Setting Up Your Team to Fail?

Post author By Jennifer Ledet
Post date May 8, 2018
No Comments on Hey Leaders, Are You Setting Up Your Team to Fail?

Take, for instance, when we hear about air traffic controllers reportedly nodding off on the job and pilots being forced to land unassisted. As frightening as that may be, personally, I don’t blame the controllers. They were set up for failure.

The majority of these controllers work schedules that sound something like this: work an 8-hour shift, rest for 8 hours; work an 8-hour shift and rest for 8 hours. Many work repeated back-to-back midnight shifts, during which most of them are flying solo.

As Charlie Sheen would say, “DUH!” They’re all falling asleep at the switch because they’re all sleep-deprived!

This system is clearly flawed and therefore, it has failed the controllers – and us. Where are the leaders here? I know grocery store managers who do a much better job of scheduling their clerks than this, and these clerks (typically) are not responsible for the lives of hundreds or thousands of people in one shift.

So, here is my question for you as executive leaders, as bosses, as team leaders, as business owners. Are you scrutinizing your procedures and systems to make sure that you are setting people up for success rather than failure?

I once had a client contact me requesting a team-building training program. In an effort to conduct a little quick and dirty needs analysis I asked him what was going on – what prompted his request. (Since I’ve worked with this company in the past, I have a pretty good idea of their leadership structure.) He explained that they wanted to provide the teamwork training to their salespeople. He further elaborated that these salespeople are set up into two divisions and are essentially competing against each other for customers.

Wait a minute. Back up! You want to provide teamwork training, presumably to help them to work together better as a team, while they are expected to compete against each other? Sounds almost like an oxymoron to me.

The heaviest dose of team-building, training, or rah-rah-rah inspirational/motivational pep talks can’t get these people to function as a team when they are required to compete against each other for their livelihood. That system is inherently flawed.

Policies, procedures, systems, processes all have to be established to set your team members up for success. Do you periodically re-evaluate and re-assess yours to make sure that they still make sense?

Duh!

What will you:

start doing,
stop doing, or
continue doing or do differently

to make sure that you’re leading your team and preparing them success rather than failure?

Use the comment box below to share your action plan and experiences with us!

To receive solutions to your people problems in your inbox every month, and to receive our report: “7 of Your Biggest People Problems…Solved,” click here.

Know When You’re Playing A Long Versus Short Game

Post author By C-Suite Network
Post date May 7, 2018
No Comments on Know When You’re Playing A Long Versus Short Game

“The less you leave to chance, the less chance will be the source that leads you.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

He gently stroked her hand as she was transitioning from this world to someplace more worldly. As he did, he gently whispered to no one in particular, “had I known you were going to be such a pivotal force in my life, I would have treated you differently.”

In your dealings with people, do you play a long or short game (i.e. develop long-term or short-term strategies)?

To a degree, that’s a trick question. Yes, you should have strategies developed based on what you’re attempting to achieve in a relationship, and those strategies will be based on the person that you’re involved with. That means you’ll develop strategies for family members and others that are close to you that are different from those that do not fall into that category.

You may not be aware of the degree that you’re implementing strategies when dealing with people, but nevertheless, you are implementing strategies. Even if it’s just at a subconscious level, you engage with others based on the benefits derived from doing so. If you raise your sense of awareness, related to the short-term gains/opportunities you seek from such engagements, you can gain greater control of yourself and those interactions for the long-term.

When you’re mindful of what you want from a relationship, you become more aware of what you need to do to enhance it. That should trigger the degree of willingness you put forth to engage in actions that promote what’s required for that enhancement.

With a heightened sense of awareness, per the value you associate with any relationship, you gain greater control of where the relationship goes. So, no matter where you are in a relationship, reflect on what you want from it, what you’re willing to change about it, and where such changes might lead. In making such assessments, you’ll find paths to longer, more satisfying relationships … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

If you’ve followed my articles, you’re aware that my motto is, “you’re always negotiating.” That means, what you do today impacts tomorrow’s outcomes. When it comes to playing a long or short game in a negotiation, your strategies might tend to be more to the point in a short-term undertaking, while the opposite will more likely be the case if the negotiation will be protracted. Thus, one strategy you may adopt in future negotiations, especially if you’re not sure where it might lead in the future, is to treat a short-term engagement as though it was long-term. Doing so may disclose unforeseen benefits.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

What are your thoughts? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

#LongGame #ShortGame #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveyourself #Achievement

Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Personal Development

What CEOs and C-Suite Leaders Really Want

Post author By Chris Westfall
Post date May 4, 2018
No Comments on What CEOs and C-Suite Leaders Really Want

What do leaders really want?
That’s the question that IBM asked over 1500 CEOs: what’s the number one quality you look for, in a leader?

From Dubai to Dubuque, and everywhere in between, CEOs weighed in on the most desired aspect of leadership.

Surprisingly, the most-desired quality or characteristic was not technical competence.

It wasn’t loyalty, or communication skills, or financial acumen.

The top characteristic wasn’t charisma. Or empathy.

The number-one most important characteristic for business leaders?

Creativity.

That characteristic is quite surprising, when you consider the traditional definition of creativity. Under careful consideration, “being creative” is not always a positive and encouraging description.

Related: Find out what Entrepreneur has to say, about Identifying Your Blind Spot

For financial professionals, project managers, executives and other task- or numbers-oriented individuals, the call for creativity seems quite contrary to the training and experiences that form the very foundation of the business world.

For example: Where do you find creative accountants?
Answer: Jail.

“Creative” skills are not commonplace in shipping, accounts payable, or operations. Or are they?

Creativity, in the context of business, means the power of creation. Creativity is the way that leaders harness imagination to disrupt the status quo, and find new solutions to the same old problems. The global leaders in the IBM survey are seeking creative solutions to business challenges. The leaders in the survey identify creativity as the antidote for the status quo.

For leaders, creativity is a vital disruption. Creativity is the birthplace of innovation.

Creativity can exist anywhere a process is created or improved. That means in shipping, accounts payable, or operations. And especially in the C-Suite.

Creativity means many things, but at its core, the process of creation begins with an idea.

Based on current information, “what if?” opens the door to imagination. New solutions can only come from within the realm of new ideas. As the economy continues to expand, the leaders of tomorrow are the ones who are open to new concepts, new perspectives and new solutions. Seeing things as they are is an important skill.

But, for C-Suite leaders: seeing things as they could be – and then making them that way? Well, that takes some creativity.

Do you agree? What does creativity mean to you, and to your organization?
How do you develop a workplace where creativity is allowed to thrive?
How is creativity linked to innovation for you?

About the Author:

Chris Westfall is the publisher of seven books, including the international best-seller, The NEW Elevator Pitch. His latest title is Leadership Language: Communication Skills for Changing Your Results, coming from Wiley in the fall of 2018. Find out more on his website, and follow him on twitter.

photo credit: Philadelphia Business Meeting image by the author

Tags business growth, entrepreneurship, human resources, innovation, leadership, leadership training

Best Practices Growth Management News and Politics Personal Development

Politics, Obstruction and REAL Leadership

Post author By Chris Westfall
Post date May 2, 2018
No Comments on Politics, Obstruction and REAL Leadership

Doesn’t it seem like our political leaders specialize in obstruction, when that might just be the last thing anyone really needs?

No matter which side of the aisle you’re on, it seems that stopping things is the main focus of our representatives in Washington these days. Look, I’m not a political guy, but when it comes to leadership, shutting down the dialogue is the last thing you need. Seems to me that there’s a real misunderstanding going on.

Changing the conversation is about helping people to get to “yes”, not the opposite. Obstructing others from getting what they want might classify as political leadership – but, in business, those kinds of politics can kill your career.

Look for openings, not obstruction, if you want to create new results.

As Sam Shepard said to his friend, rockstar Patti Smith:

“When you hit a wall, kick it down.” – Sam Shepard, Author, Playwright and Actor

What would happen if you helped people to find doors, instead of blocking them with walls?

As you go through the week, take time to consider the folks that matter most to you: your stakeholders, your team and your customers.

What would change for you if you started to look at everyone around you … as your client?

What happens if the people around you became your clients as well? In my new book, Leadership Language, I talk about the value in seeing the people around you as clients – seeing that the service you provide is the key to the impact you create. It’s easy to see that your customers are those you serve – after all, that’s why they call it ‘customer service’.

I talked about how to create greater influence for your internal clients, in my latest article on Forbes – check it out right here: “How to Get Buy-In for Your Ideas”.

Common Ground, Uncommon Results

The idea of internal customers (or clients) is nothing new. But focusing on how you can help people to get where they want to go – instead of shutting them down – can be a powerful place for your attention.

If you find yourself being frustrated by other people, and other agendas, here are some useful questions that can make a difference:

What would have to change, outside of the people involved, for this situation to improve?
What assumptions are you making, about the people and processes involved, that are leading to your frustration?

When it’s time for a difficult conversation, ask yourself: what is the focus that’s going to be most useful? Is obstruction really the answer?

Then, get out of the “he said-she said” mode. Focus your team (and your client) on that thing that matters most.

Leadership Language Cover Mock-up — Coming from Wiley – Fall 2018

I’m not suggesting that you turn into Santa Claus, or start granting wishes. Sometimes what people want and what can realistically be delivered are two different things. That’s when you’ve got to ask yourself, “What’s this conversation really about?”

And, as a follow up: What does this conversation need to be about? Maybe the dialogue needs to be shut down. Incorrect initiatives must be stopped. A new beginning often starts with a fresh ending.

But understand where that decision is really coming from.

Is obstruction the kind of impact that you want to create?

Obstructing the Possibilities

Block the shot. Or take the shot. The choice is yours. (Decisions like that are why you’re in the C-Suite). But why you choose your shot is what matters.

Can you influence your team and the clients that matter most to you, by obstruction? What good comes from the absence of dialogue? What’s the real impact of shutting down the conversation?

There’s no need for a vote; new solutions don’t come from obstruction. Open up the conversation, if you want to discover new results.

Look in the direction of ‘yes’ – and guide your clients to the solution that fits, for everyone involved. Take time to look at your assumptions. In my experience, you will discover what changes when those assumptions aren’t written in stone. Because trying to block someone isn’t the best way to lead them to a new solution.

About the Author

Chris Westfall is the publisher of seven books, recognized as the US NATIONAL ELEVATOR PITCH CHAMPION. A keynote speaker to Fortune 100 companies and high-growth businesses across multiple sectors, he provides performance coaching for leaders and their teams. He’s appeared on CNN, ABC NEWS, NBC TV, and in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fortune and many other media publications. Find out more on his website and follow him on twitter.

Tags branding, communication skills, innovation, leadership, obstruction

Growth Management Personal Development

Are You a Traditional Manager or Facilitator for Self-Management?

Post author By Wally Hauck, PhD, CSP
Post date April 30, 2018
No Comments on Are You a Traditional Manager or Facilitator for Self-Management?

Are you a traditional manager or self-management facilitator? A shift is occurring. Some managers recognize the need to change now and they are aware and working hard to personally transform their thinking and their methods. Some organizations will be able to delay the transformation and others will need to change now or will suffer increased costs in turnover and low employee engagement. Those organizations who are unaware of the need and/or who ignore it may end up going the way of the Dodo bird at some point.

The current management model that requires managers to “drive” results, and evaluate performance is not fast enough to keep up with changes occurring in the global economy. There is a need for instant adaptability and traditional managers, as smart as they may be, cannot respond or plan fast enough. The need to adapt to change is one of the dynamics creating a need for organizations to prepare for self-organizing teams and employees who can self-manage.

Besides the need to adapt to the speed of change, managers must also be able to create environments that engage people naturally and not force so called engagement with bribes and threats. Many traditional managers use so called “new” motivational initiatives to create employee engagement but these programs are often just the same old traditional management with fancy digital bells and whistles.

Furthermore, it is impossible for bribes and threats of the traditional management policies, such as pay for performance and the traditional performance review, to encourage optimal innovation and creativity. Those policies are no longer able to meet the needs of the organization nor the needs of engaged employees. Like the Dodo and the Dinosaur, the environment has changed, and these policies are going extinct.

How do you know you are making the transition to a self-managing facilitator? Here are a few questions to challenge you and to consider what you are doing.

Are you a systems thinker? In the face of mistakes, do you step back and ask questions about how the system is impacting the results or do you immediately think about blaming the individual who made the mistake?

Do you understand that there is always variation in processes and therefore you avoid setting new policies and expecting perfection in policy deployment? Do you appreciate that the individual employees work in the system that you created? Do you believe if an employee makes a mistake it is rarely done on purpose but instead it’s likely because of the way YOU designed the process? Do you accept that it is your job to work on improving that system?

Have you clarified a specific context of trust and do you have a process to continuously reinforce trust by behaving with integrity? Do you continuously reinforce the company values, mission and vision? When employees do not appreciate why their jobs are so important and how their responsibilities impact the customer, do you ask “How can I improve my communication about company values, mission and vision?”

Do you ask questions about what barriers are holding employees back from doing an optimum job? Do you listen and act on their suggestions? Do you then facilitate agreements with employees to act on their own? Do you encourage them to self-manage?

Are you able to provide the tools that enable your people to create self-managing teams make more and more of their own decisions? Do you provide employees with the tools and the data they need to track their own performance in a collaborative way without you micro-managing?

Are you trusting them to continuously improve their hand offs with each other? Do you explain that higher quality hand offs delivered faster increases profit and happier external customers?

Are you personally developing, and offering opportunities for your people to develop the skills of emotional intelligence, critical thinking skills and systems thinking skills?

The traditional manager has a difficult job, but the future self-management facilitator is prepared with a completely new set of sophisticated skills. Are you making the transition? Are you getting the help you need to make the transformation? If not, watch out for the Dodo. You might see it cross the street in front of you very soon.

Check out the interview on C-Suite Best Seller TV to learn more about how to stop leadership malpractice and replace the typical performance review: https://www.c-suitetv.com/video/best-seller-tv-wally-hauck-stop-the-leadership-malpractice/

Wally Hauck, PhD has a cure for the “deadly disease” known as the typical performance appraisal. Wally holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Warren National University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from Iona College, and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Wally is a Certified Speaking Professional or CSP. Wally has a passion for helping leaders let go of the old and embrace new thinking to improve leadership skills, employee engagement, and performance.

For more, read on: https://c-suitenetwork.com/advisors/advisor/wally-hauck/

Tags employee engagement, leadership

Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Investing Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

Know When Good Enough Is Good Enough

Post author By C-Suite Network
Post date April 30, 2018
No Comments on Know When Good Enough Is Good Enough

“To avoid ‘good enough’ from being supplanted by sorrow. Know where ‘good enough’ resides, in relationship to despair.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

“I hit the mark!” “No, you didn’t hit the mark!” “Well, we won! So, I hit enough of it and that was good enough!”

That was a snippet of a conversation held between two associates. In essence, they were discussing to what degree they’d accomplished their goal, versus if they accomplished enough of it to consider the outcome a win.

In everyday life, our mind is bombarded with hordes of information; a lot of that is sheltered from our state of consciousness to protect us from information overload. One way to be more productive, while also maintaining a more even-keeled life, is to know when good enough is good enough.

When it comes to outcomes sought, we must always be mindful of the law of diminishing returns. That law states, at some point the degree of effort you put into maximizing the acquisition of a goal or opportunity, that effort becomes diminished per the time and resources you put forth to do so. Thus, in order to maximize the time and effort you put into achieving a goal or opportunity, you should set parameters that indicate your proximity to a point of diminishing return. To do otherwise could mean that you lose a degree of productivity, along with a mental, more peaceful state of mind. The latter will lead to more stress in your life, which could lead you into a vicious downward spiraling stream.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

To win more negotiations, you have to know when ‘good enough’ is good enough. Don’t become overly transfixed on squeezing every little bit of gain out of a negotiation. Doing that could lead to the forfeit of some of the gains you’ve achieved.

As in everyday life, in a negotiation, set parameters that indicate when you’ve reached a ‘good enough’ point. In a negotiation that indicator can be enacted by bracketing your expected outcome (e.g. high point, mid-point, low point).

If you find yourself transitioning from the mid-point of your expected outcome into the high point, that’s the time to become more aware of what’s occurring in the negotiation (i.e. noting the demeanor of the other negotiator and the temperature of the negotiation). Taking those factors into consideration when assessing to what degree you should move forward will allow you to make such a judgment without the evaluation process that might otherwise be required.

If you use these thoughts to capture the essence of the outcome you seek to achieve in your negotiations, you’ll keep more of the gains you acquire … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember you’re always negotiating!

What are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

#GoodEnough #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveyourself #Achievement

Growth Management Personal Development

Leadership, Creativity…and Burt Reynolds

Post author By Chris Westfall
Post date April 30, 2018
No Comments on Leadership, Creativity…and Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds and Ariel Winter in “The Last Movie Star”. Source: IMDB

As an independent film maker, Adam Rifkin is in the dream-making business. Come to think of it, if you’re a C-Suite leader, maybe you are too.

Leadership is about bringing your dreams to life – not only for yourself, but for your team… and your customers.

Here’s how a seven-year search for financing – and the patience of Burt Reynolds – brought Adam’s boyhood dream to the big screen. An excerpt from “Leadership Language” by Chris Westfall

As a kid, growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Rifkin was practicing for his career in Hollywood by making movies with his junior high pals.

Back in those days, if you could ride your bike to Adam’s house you could be in a movie.

Rifkin commandeered his father’s video camera and began producing middle-school masterpieces like MURDER CAN KILL YOU, PAPERBOY CRIMES and THE BURGLAR FROM OUT OF THE DISHWASHER.

Adam explained, “I didn’t realize it at the time, but out of necessity I was actually teaching myself the basic principles of leadership.” Even at an early age, he had a knack for getting his fellow middle schoolers excited about the next opus.

“My enthusiasm must’ve been infectious because each project began the same way: I’d tell my core company that I had a cool idea for a new movie. This was inevitably met with a chorus of ‘no thanks’, ‘not this time’ and ‘I’ve got soccer practice’. Yet somehow, after a few more minutes of colorful discussion, where I’d wax poetic about the glories of the new idea and the fun that was going to be had bringing it to life, everyone signed on yet again.”

The Secret to ‘YES’

“Here’s what I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt: if it were to cease to be fun, my team would disperse. As a leader, even when I didn’t really know what that word meant, I had to develop a unique set of skills that enabled me to be able to speak to each cast and crew member individually. I had to get the most out of them creatively, also keep them engaged.” And that conversation is where leadership and creativity came together.

From backyard movies to the backlot in Hollywood: cut to Rifkin’s latest project, The Last Movie Star, featuring his childhood idol, Burt Reynolds.

More Burtastic than Ever

“Burt Reynolds was my hero. Not only was he the biggest movie star in the world when I was a kid, he was funny and self-deprecating and approachable. He made being famous seem fun, and I dreamt that someday we’d not only be friends, but that we would work together,” Adam shared. A film buff from a very young age, Smokey and the Bandit made a lasting impression on Adam.

“I wanted to create a role that would remind movie fans just how great of an actor Burt Reynolds is. Selfishly, I also wanted to make good on my secret dream of getting to work with The Bandit. I didn’t know Burt but I felt it was worth rolling the dice. So after writing the script I submitted it to his manager. I shared my passion for all things Burt and asked him to please send Burt the script. I also told him to let Burt know that if he wasn’t interested in playing the role I wasn’t going to make the film. I wrote it solely for Burt. My impassioned pitch was apparently enough for Burt’s manager to agree to send over the screenplay that day.

Smokey and the Bandit and Leadership — Do you remember The Bandit?

“Much to my shock and delight, the next afternoon I got a call from none other than Burt Reynolds. Suddenly I was transported to that fateful day in 1977 when I was watching SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT for the first time, and dreaming of Burt and I becoming pals. And now, here I was, talking to the man himself.

“Little did I know in that instant, things were about to get a whole lot more Burtastic.

“Burt accepted the role and attached himself to play Vic Edwards.

“Now, the only thing left to do was everything.”

An initial success created a new vision: namely, how to get this project funded.

The Search

“When I approached Burt I didn’t have any of the money secured to make the film. I naively believed that with Burt attached to this particular script, in this particular role, finding the cash would be easy. I was wrong. It ultimately took more than seven years to finally find the money,” Adam explained.

A creative journey, indeed. How can you maintain your vision, even when it seems like you’re not getting closer to your goal?

“It had almost gotten green lit multiple times along the way, but each incarnation fell through. Every time the financing dropped out I had to call Burt and give him the bad news. I always expected him to use each disappointment as his opportunity to graciously bow out, but instead, each time the financing disappeared, Burt seemed more determined than ever to stick with the project and see it through to fruition. His enthusiasm inspired me just as I believe my enthusiasm inspired him.”

Enthusiasm?

“Each cast and crew member is required to focus on a particular task that services the whole. As the director, it’s my job to not only keep a focus on the individual components needed, but more importantly, keep an eye on the macro task of how all these countless pieces will fit together. From carpenters to fine artists to performers to financiers, a movie brings together a very disparate group of individuals who might otherwise never have a reason to interact. The director needs to not only understand how to best communicate with each as an individual, but also inspire this eclectic team to work well together to essentially create this temporary movie making bio-machine.”

Can you relate?

From childhood dream to reality: a lifetime of leadership lessons on contagious enthusiasm, and a seven-year journey to bring this project to the screen. From a place of understanding, Rifkin made it all fit together.

“Leading by example, and being passionate and enthusiastic about a project is fundamental to getting the very best out of your crew,” according to Adam.

Fun is what makes it functional, when it comes to making movies. What about in your industry? Rifkin points to loving his work, time and time again. From that place he found new results for himself, his crew and his actors. “The director needs to be well versed in how to talk to all manner of cast and crew member to get the very best out of him or her.”

Do you see the creative spirit inside of yourself? Whether you are making movies, or making gadgets, your creativity is what makes a difference.

In fact, that creative spirit is the foundation of leadership.

- Watch the trailer for The Last Movie Star on YouTube here
- Watch The Last Movie Start on Amazon, Google Play, DirectTV, or iTunes.
- An excerpt from Leadership Language by Chris Westfall, coming from Wiley in 2018.

Tags creativity, executive leadership, leadership, movies

Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

You Can Have More Control Than You Realize

Post author By C-Suite Network
Post date April 23, 2018
No Comments on You Can Have More Control Than You Realize

“To have greater control in your life, start by controlling what you control in your life.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

That was what she said with passionate sincerity as soon as he answered the phone. Her cell phone battery had died, right at the time when she and her friend were supposed to be deciding where they were going to meet. Both had been driving to meet each other at an undetermined destination. She knew he’d be upset because she knew the demeanor he’d displayed in similar situations in the past.

By saying “I’m sorry” numerous times, as soon as her battery had enough power to call him, she defused a situation that could have quickly gotten out of control. That was also the way she controlled that situation.

What do you do to defuse and control situations before they get out of control? You can have greater control in any situation by first making a genuine effort to connect with someone. You can do this by displaying heartfelt empathy for the plight that the person is experiencing; this should be done in a manner that allows him to sense that your actions are sincere. To the degree that you can suspend negative prejudgments that might afflict your thoughts about the person related to past encounters (e.g. he’s going to be enraged with me, so I’d better adopt a posture that says don’t push me too far), you can stay ‘in the moment’ and foster a mindset that’s less fraught with despair. That will allow you to be perceived as being more empathetic.

My motto is, “You’re always negotiating!” That means, what you do today influences tomorrow’s outcome. Thus, a person’s actions today gives insights into how he might react to situations tomorrow. The woman mentioned in this story knew how her friend would react to not being able to reach her. Thus, she was able to control him by stating so profusely how sorry she was.

If you become more mindful of the actions you engage in with others, you too can shape their future actions/reactions. That means you’ll have greater control of your life’s activities … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

When negotiating, like a game of chess, you have to be aware of how your opponent will respond to moves you make. Being aware, based on past experiences about that person’s actions, allows you to predict with more certainty how he’ll respond in different situations, which will give you greater control throughout the negotiation. That in turn, allows you to make the moves (i.e. offers/counteroffers) that will progress the negotiation in the manner that suits your negotiation plans. That also means, your negotiation efforts will net greater outcomes for you.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

What are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

#HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveyourself #Achievement

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