Last week we explored the first concept of “The Big Three.”
This week, we’ll outline the second one.
This one is quite simple – It’s merely a suggested two-word definition of leadership.
Leadership
What Three Things Make the Biggest Difference? (Part One)
It is good to be efficient, yes. It is also good to be comprehensive. Sometimes, however, those two things don’t work well together. Since starting this business, most of my work helping groups has been through 4-8 hour workshops. There is a demand for leadership training that can be delivered in much shorter periods of … Read more
My other favorite equation…
T=r+d
…where T is “trust,” r is “reliability,” and d is “delight.”
I attended EntreFest 2011, and one of the best sessions I attended was
Why “Tabatha” smokes “Boss”…
As a guy obsessed with maxing out potential in groups and individuals – and one who believes the person at the top is the one most responsible for making it happen – I was pretty fired up about the concept of Undercover Boss. In each episode, a CEO goes undercover, in disguise, to work next to front-line employees.
The format got tired quickly – boss leaves fancy home and doting family, stays in fleabag hotels, realizes he/she is totally inept at frontline tasks, discovers that employees are (gasp!) real people with real problems, cries (most episodes), promises to change, and gives lavish rewards to the episode’s featured employees.
What a great concept – and what a disappointment in a show.
What ought Iowa’s schools consider next?
* Training our teachers to be leaders and motivators so they see that students are not so apathetic; we simply may not be motivating them properly — and that students are ready to serve and be motivated; we need to find the way to help them do so.
“Generational Differences” offer opportunities, not excuses…
It all comes back to the basics of leadership: meet needs, build relationships, and provide meaning. No one, of any generation, really enjoys, say, “vacuuming to the corners.” But we can all be led to play a role in “comforting weary travelers by providing the cleanest hotel room they’ve ever seen.”
Self-Improvment – great article from HBR
In time for your New Year’s Resolutions, this article is a great and practical read for anyone who realizes that a commitment to self-improvement is essential: Are You a Good Boss-or a Great One? – Harvard Business Review. Happy New Year!
Things successful leaders avoid saying (Part 2)
If, as research has shown, people are motivated by autonomy, then there is a class of words we ought to avoid, as they can crush autonomy. These may include “ought,” or “must,” but let’s focus on the one that seems to pass judgement:
“SHOULD”
An addendum to the post on Positivity (Rigorous, not Ruthless)..
Came across this — another take on that same topic: Kindness At The Office – Forbes.com.
Positive leadership isn’t the same thing as “soft” leadership
Sometime, when people are urged to take a positive approach to leadership, there is some push-back. Some people seem to equate “positivity” with being super-nice, but being kind is much deeper than a spewing of empty compliments like “good job” or “nice work” or “super!”
An approach that upholds high standards and is very specific about behavior is positive, but not soft. Be rigorous, not ruthless.