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.
Service
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
Young people KNOW customer service…
In light of the earlier posts regarding generational differences, this article adds nicely to those thoughts: Why Gen Y-ers are Better at Customer Service : The World :: American Express OPEN Forum.
Do you dig the little things?
At the entrance to the service bay of Toyota of Des Moines is a small, plastic, a-frame sign that says simply
“SERVICE ENTRANCE”
and then, toward the bottom,
“Welcome.”
Last week,
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!”
You can’t be too kind. But, you can be too soft. That is the difference, and I’ll admit that I have had trouble sometimes helping folks understand the difference. I just read Good to Great and have taken quite a liking to Jim Collins’s phrase “rigorous, not ruthless.” This is the message for leaders who would like to be positive. In fact, participants in Group Dynamic workshops are often trained in the art of “behavior –> outcome” statements. (Covered in an earlier post). This focus on behavior, and the high standards of the organization, can be done in a way that is positive, not negative. In a way that is rigorous, not ruthless.
Effective Leaders Pause and Listen
This morning, I read an article in T+D by Nance Guilmartin about the importance of cultivating humility in an organization’s leaders.
She poses a great question:
“What don’t I know I don’t know?”
Putting the needs of others first, and acting in support of your organization are key elements of servant leadership. That’s basic.
But there can be an arrogance there, too. You can assume that you know what is needed – because you’re the leader, and you ought to know.
This is what Peter Block refers to as a paternalistic view of leadership — “taking care” of people who “don’t know better” as opposed to a true commitment to learning what is needed.
Example:
Leaders Model the Behavior they Expect
Recently, I planned an event that took place at a hotel, and I needed to check in eight rooms at once.
The front desk was busy, and so I understood that I needed to wait my turn. No problem.
However, the two employees there were not moving very quickly.
Leadership behaviors in “non-leaders” leads to organizational success.
Recently, I ate breakfast at the Starbucks on 86th in Johnston (Iowa) on my way to a leadership workshop with the Waukee High School Warrior Wrestling program. As I drank my coffee and prepared the workshop, I would occasionally look off into space. You know, to think. But there was a display of funky-cool travel cups right in front of me, and I took a break to walk over and look at them more closely. (Side note — I’ve been searching the world over for a travel mug that both retains heat very long and is dishwasher safe — if you find one, let me know. Thanks.)
I picked one up to look at it more closely, and an employee appeared in front of me immediately.