Purpose Must Be A Priority

This weeks post is by guest, Jeremy Kingsley who's new book, Inspired People Produce Results will be released on March 11!  If you like it half as much as I do, you'll love it! Get it now.

As the leader of your team, you must clearly understand and be able to pass on the purpose of your organization and your team’s role within that organization. If you don’t know the purpose of your efforts, you certainly won’t be able to inspire your team to success.
     
Communicating purpose will take more than requiring your team to memorize the company mission statement, however. It must become part of the culture of what everyone in your organization thinks about, says, and does each day. It will influence decisions made at the top and choices made by the “lowliest” employee.
     
Keep your own sense of purpose honed and sharp. You are the leader. Keep that big picture in mind and know exactly where you are and where you are going. Communicate your enthusiasm and dedication. Carry everyone else along with you. It will take energy and effort, but no one said that being a leader was easy.
     
Grow together. At times, it may seem that everyone has a different purpose, and that paths are diverging. Make sure that everyone sees the way back to the common goal, and that the impact their work will have on it is clear to them. It is as if each team member must make a brick, ensuring that it is strong and free from flaws, and then firmly set it in place, among others, so that the next course can rest safely upon it.
     
Friday is a great time to bring your team together, to review the week, discuss the one to come, and end the working day with a sense of triumph, feeling united, energized, and eager for what lies ahead.
     
I’m a runner, I know how my legs ache halfway through a race, and at work my head often hurts at some point during a week. It is purpose that carries tired limbs and overburdened minds on until a second wind comes and that tape is in view. Purpose fathers that final burst of energy that carries your team over the line, with the broken tape fluttering at their feet. Purpose paves the way to victory. “Good leaders,” it’s been said, “create an organization with a purpose that rises above the bottom line; great leaders go a step further, finding ways to leverage the passion of each employee in order to create incentives that transcend financial rewards.”
     
What does this statement mean? I think it’s saying that to be an exceptional leader, you must discover ways to link the passions of each individual on your team with the purposes of your organization. You may have to find ways to do this that go beyond traditional methods. As you get to know your team, you’ll discover more about their individual desires and goals and how they define their purpose in life. It may be based on their family values, faith, or recent experiences. Pay attention to these clues! The more you can find common ground between your organization’s goals and purposes and the individual goals and purposes of each member of your team, the more effective and happy they will be on the job.
     
You won’t regret making purpose a priority.

About the Author
Jeremy Kingsley is a professional speaker, author, and the President of OneLife Leadership. Since 1995 he has spoken to over 500,000 people at live events around the world. He has given over 2000 keynote speeches and his messages have reached millions through radio, television, and the internet. He has a new book titled Inspired People Produce Results, published by McGraw-Hill. Order now and learn more at www.jeremykingsley.com

The Secret of Teams

What a busy few weeks of book reading. I received a re-launch book to read on the secret of teams. I thought, "hmmmm, what could possibly be new". Well, wasn't I surprised?

Mark Miller's (VP Organizational Effectiveness, Chick-fil-A) book, The Secret of Teams, surprised the heck out of me. It's written as a parable (which I'm not usually a fan of), which makes it easier to comprehend then most other books on teams. And the common sense ideas made me think, "hmm (again), why haven't I ever looked at it like that?"

Mark has an up and coming executive (Debbie Brewster) take a look at 3 very different types of teams, totally out of her business domain. What Debbie finds is that there are common threads to success and also common types of factors to look at, no matter the team or organization. Mark says that "the keys to building great teams are universal". There is no REAL secret here. You just have to stop and smell the roses in order to realize what those keys are for you.

The biggest step for anyone trying to create a successful team is changing the  "entrenched ways of thinking and acting". Along with this is - developing your staff, your team members. Teams don't fail because the want to, they fail because they don't know what it takes to succeed.

Doing things the 'way we've always done it' has been one of my biggest pet peaves over the years. Miller's book gives you the ideas and the tools to get away from the old 'tried and true'. Chances are you've tried, but it hasn't worked, and no one wants to put the effort out to try again.

My suggestion . . . my recommendation . . . is to buy The Secret of Teams for yourself and your leadership team. It may well be the best investment that some of you will ever make.

Communication and Partnerships

Fostering a sense of partnership with your employee's is an important aspect of motivation. People typically want to do good and feel like they belong. Don't just focus on the success of the company or your management team. Realize that you can't be a successful leader and try to do everything yourself. The increased success of you and your company relies on the future success of the employee's.

Continuous communication is a must if you want employee's to develop and succeed - or help your company succeed. You need to take a proactive role in looking at what's required. Take a look at any types of barriers there are to success. This very often has to do with a lack of communication or hoarding of power. If you hoard power and knowledge, someone's not getting information they need that may increase productivity and quality of work.

A former manager of customer satisfaction at Disney summed up success like this:
"Recruit the right people, train them, continually communicate with them, ask their opinions, involve them, recognize them and celebrate with them. If you show respect for their opinions and involvement, they will be proud of what they do and they'll deliver quality service."

Don't forget about your new employee's once the next crop comes in. Set them up with a mentor - be a mentor - to help them grow from the start and continue to grow. They're going to need guidance while they're getting used to their jobs and responsibilities. Communicate and be visible from the get go. Show new people that you're glad to have them aboard and that their jobs are just as important as anyone elses.

Too often we see organizations put on their orientation program, send employees to their departments, they meet their supervisor, they get to work - only to see their supervisor again when something goes wrong.  That in itself is wrong. In order to keep people motivated leaders must continuously communicate and show they care. Even if there's no news to share, let people know that. Remember - if employees hear nothing, they'll make up things to fill in the gaps.

"We're all in this together", so keep the communication and visibility up.  Make sure you "take them" (new employees) to the corporate culture - don't let the culture come to them. That never really works out very well. That will be a topic for another day.

The Outstanding Organization

These last couple of weeks I’ve had the pleasure of reading, The Outstanding Organization, by Karen Martin.  I’ll tell you what - every organization that’s trying to improve or going through anything like a merger or restructuring should be reading this book.

There have been NUMEROUS books written on performance improvement by numerous “experts”, but they’re all, in some way, very similar . . . lots of theories.

In, The Outstanding Organization, Karen Martin, in five chapters, explains the straight to the point, duh factor of how to succeed.  She says that chaos is the main underlying issue in failed improvement.  “Chaos sabotages your ability to provide value to your customers, satisfy shareholders, . . .”  “Left unchecked, chaos destroys everything that’s good about an organization.”  Too many times, organizations start to plan without looking enough at what’s already happening and jump into the fire too quickly.

Chapter One begins right where the book should - the fundamentals.  I’ve had a couple of friends who have “flipped” houses.  What do you think the first thing is that they look at when checking out new properties?  The foundation.  Without a good foundation in business, you’re going to hold onto chaos and be unable to develop any kind of consistency.

From there Martin goes into creating clarity - truth seeking and truth telling.  Without it causes a psychological drain on everyone involved.

I loved the section on the problem of lack of focus.  She calls this “organizational attention-deficit-disorder.”  There must be focus and a sense of discipline instilled in the organization in order to get over the hurdles.

And lastly is employee engagement.  People talk and talk and talk about it, but as Karen says, it’s “the single largest contributor to an organization’s success”.

This book is based on Martin’s extensive research and experience with a number of organizations.  She taught these organizations not to accept the chaos as a norm but to fall back to the fundamentals and open the curtains to improvement.

If you’re looking for some no-nonsense ways to get your organization on, or back on track, you need, The Outstanding Organization.


Author, speaker, and consultant, Karen Martin, provides practical strategies and tools for building an Outstanding Organization. The Outstanding Organization: Generate Business Results by Eliminating Chaos and Building the Foundation for Everyday Excellence is available at bookstores nationwide and on Amazon.

Because . . .

Have you ever tried to figure out why your group, department, whatever is tasked with doing something and been told, “You have more people”?


Huh? What does that have to do with the price of tea in China, or anywhere else for that matter? Sure, there are cases where this may play out, but it should not become one of those “it’s the way we’ve always done it” type answers.

Example: One area has one staff member and another has two. You have a task that fully affects both areas but it’s given exclusively to the area that has two staff members because, “you have more people”.

Now, a good leader is going to think this through. Each one of these people has a job to do, projects to work on, goals to meet. Just because there are two people doesn’t necessarily mean they have more time to devote to this other task or any other.

The point is; catch-all reasons don’t create teamwork. They don’t create motivation. They don’t create production. Each task and assignment is an individual task and assignment in itself, and must be treated as such.

Take a look at some of those catch-all phrases that you’re using . . . write them down, study them, remember them . . . now burn them. Be admired and remembered as a great leader, not disliked and remembered as a run of the mill manager.

Leaders Need to Learn

That's right . . . learn.

Like I used to tell all of my young Sailor's who would get discouraged with setbacks and lacked ambition - success is like a video game.  You have to know which buttons to push and when.  If you get knocked down you have to figure out which way is the better way to get ahead.  In other words, keep learning as you're progressing.

This learning doesn't stop when you become a supervisor, director, or even a CEO.  Part of good leadership includes continued learning.  No one can ever get to ANY level and say, "I now know it all".  But how many leaders have you ever had that had just that mentality.  I've had "a few".

 Jim Rohn once said, "The book you don't read won't help."  Makes sense, doesn't it?

Make a habit of reading books - any subject you're interested in is out there and just waiting for you.  Read trade magazines or blogs.  Go to local seminars or complete online courses (there are a lot of free ones out there).  There are so many resources out there for you to learn from.  There's no reason why you shouldn't be taking advantage of them.

"No time", you say?  Wrong answer.  Make time.  A blog only takes a couple of minutes to read.  Start by finding a couple that are published by notable "experts" and go from there.

You're never going to know it all - realize it and believe it.  You need to keep learning.  Google "leadership blogs" and/or "leadership books" and get started now.

Let Em Shine

Your staffs are an integral part of the success of your organization’s performance. This, you should know already. But how do they get to that point? How are they able to realize just how important they are?


You, as a leader, must communicate to your staff how you expect them to behave – clearly and concisely – and then let them do it. Does that mean becoming a dictator? Of course not. Think of your business like a play and your job is to be the director.

A director helps the actors rehearse their lines and actions so that they know just what to do on opening night so the play runs as smoothly as possible. A dictator would suppress the actors’ talent, where the director pulls them in and lets them shine.

To this, Walt Disney once said, “I think if there’s any part I’ve played . . . the vital part is coordinating these talents, and encouraging these talents, and carrying them down a certain line. It’s like pulling together a big orchestra. They’re all individually very talented. I have an organization of people who are really specialists. You can’t match them anywhere in the world for what they can do. But they all need to be pulled together, and that’s my job.”

I’ve had managers, as I’m sure you have, which held the reins so tightly that it sucked the energy out of me. Creativity suffers. Production suffers. Enjoyment in general is non-existent. People must have some leeway to be themselves, not a clone of a dictators’ need to be in control.

Do you let your staff shine? How can you pull them together? What type of success are you hindering by keeping the reins taut?

Everyone Picks Up Trash

Walt Disney once said about cast members (employees), “We train them to be aware that they’re there mainly to help the guest.”


Helping the guests (visitors) means not only personal deeds, but also keeping the parks clean. And when Walt said “them”, he meant everyone.

No one in your organization is exempt from guest support and service – this includes you. This reminds me of the story of the new Disney executive in California that on his first day walked past some trash on the ground while on his way from his car to his office. He got to his office, settled in, and a few minutes later another cast member walked in, placed the trash on his desk, and said, “Everyone picks up trash.”

If you want your employees to act a specific way, then you must also mirror that effort. And DON’T be surprised if someone calls you on it if you aren't doing it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the CEO, department head, or the brand new supervisor. You must walk-the-talk. Talking only works if you have the walk to back it up.

Your employees are watching you – they see a lot more than you think. Next time you’re about to walk past trash, make sure you stop to think if that’s what you want your employees doing.

Quality Doesn't Have To Come At A Price

When was the last time you thanked your employees . . . individually?  And I'm talking about just a simple thank you.

When was the last time you shook one of your employees hands?

When was the last time you sent one of your employees a simply - hand written - note of encouragement?

Wow, don't these things sound simple?  And notice one thing that each has in common - they don't cost a thing.  Nada!  AND, as a bonus to you . . . they take very little time.

If you take a look around you can find MANY simple, and free (or at least cheap), things that you can do for your employees to thank them, to encourage them, and to create team spirit.  And what's that going to do?  Among other things, it will help to create a quality driven atmosphere.

People typically react very positively to just simple acts of kindness and inclusion.  It gives them a sense of belonging and need.  And with those feeling's comes the desire to share them themselves.

So get ready to thank, shake, and write.  And while you're at it,  lets bring back the simple everyday "art" of conversation.

Keep It Out

As we get closer and closer to election time, we hear more and more "stuff".  And that's exactly what it is.

Have you ever wondered how no one is ever wrong when it comes to politics?  Why is that?  Because we never know ALL of the facts on why someone did this or didn't do that or thought this or that . . . NEVER.

Politics boils down to one thing - opinion.  Anytime someone speaks of politics, it's mostly the way they've developed "information" in their own head.  No matter what, you can't win the argument.  So what purpose is there to purposely bringing non-winnable arguments into the office?

I say, go ahead and have your opinion.  Everyone's entitled to it.  But don't bring it in the form of a controversy   There are so many other things in the office that we can constructively put that effort towards.

Oh, by the way . . . the same goes about religion.

Slow It Down Pal

Many business leaders are just too darn busy these days. They tend to spend less time thinking about themselves and their employees, but rather use that time thinking about the bottom line, goals and strategies. You, maybe?

 

By spending so much time on the "work" aspect, they tend to get more physically and emotionally drained than leaders who take time to breath and build relationships. As a result, these "leaders" begin to avoid their relationships, become irritable, aggressive and close-minded.

 

In, Wired For Success (04/11/11), Ray Williams listed a number of key elements to becoming more mindful:

• Pay attention: Focusing 100% of your attention on whatever you are doing
• Be non-judging: take the role of an impartial observer to whatever your current experience is, and don't judge whether things are good or bad.
• Have patience: cultivate the understanding that things must develop in their own time.
• Be in the present moment: Be aware of how things are right now in the present moment, not as they were in the past, or how they might be in the future.
• Non-reactivity: Our brains are built to have you react automatically, without thinking. Mindfulness encourages you to respond to your experience rather than react to your thoughts. Being mindful is a deliberate and intentional choice.
• Have beginner's mind: have the willingness to observe the world as if it was your first time doing so. This creates an openness that is essential to being mindful.
• Trust: have trust in yourself, your intuition, and your abilities.

If you're not doing at least some of these things . . . now may be a good time to take a look them.

Help Them Grow

It only happens every few years. I’m talking about leadership books that come out that I like so much that I read it with a highlighter. I use them in staff development and lend them out to others who want to improve themselves and/or their staff.

A few years back it was Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell. Then came From Bud to Boss by Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris. Now – I've had the great privilege of reading a pre-launch copy of Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want by Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni.

Help Them Grow is the type of book that makes you think, “Hmm, why haven’t I been doing that?” It’s a straightforward roadmap on how to help your staff develop without you having to take control of the reins. Let your employees grab hold of those reins and become responsible for their own growth. Wow . . . what a concept, right? Can you see your time being freed up?

Kaye and Giulioni say that “your role is more about prompting, guiding, reflecting, exploring ideas, activating enthusiasm, and driving action”. This book shows you ways to incorporate these career conversations in your everyday work life.

Notice that last sentence that says “everyday”. Leaders don’t have time to hold extended annual appraisals that package up everything from the entire previous year – and shouldn’t – heck, they don’t remember about what you’re talking about half the time anyway! You’re already having everyday conversations with your employees (hopefully), so just change the tone a bit. You don’t need a bunch of checklists and forms. Conversations and asking questions are the keys to development.

This book gives you actionable steps to “focusing on what the employee needs to experience, know, learn, and be able to do”. Too often, leaders think they have to have all the answers (and they avoid the topic if they don’t), when what they actually need most are the questions, permitting the employee to be a first hand participant in their own successful development.

There’s so much more to this embracing book than I have time for here, so my suggestion to you is to go to Amazon on September 18 (release date) to order yourself a copy or two – others are going to want their own.

Recognition Linked to Performance

Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, completed a study a few years back on how employee recognition impacts performance and in turn assists managers in creating a productive team.

In his study, he found of managers that:
90% said recognizing employees helps them to motivate them.
84% said recognizing employees provides them with practical feedback.
80% said recognizing employees for good work makes it easier to get the work done.
78% said recognizing employees helps them to be more productive.

73% of managers said that they received the results they expected when they used employee recognition.
99% said that if they didn't get immediate results, they would eventually obtain the desired results.

Take another look at those statements.  Who's point-of-view are we looking at?  Not the employees - the managers'.  Yes, the employees desire and need recognition for their own good, but look at the production side and see that it's just plain good for you and your organization.

Account on This!

One of the biggest areas that I've seen lacking in leadership is keeping staff accountable.

One of the best ways that you can help people excell is to establish an accountability-based culture focused on producing results.  There are a number of basic things that you can do help this culture along, tremendously and quickly:

• Establish goals and objectives . . . that align with the organization.
• Assign each team members specific goals and objectives.
• Find out from your team what they need in order to succeed in those goals and objectives.
• Be a part of the team yourself.

and the biggie:

• FOLLOW UP!

Many leaders actually do focus on those first four bullets . . . then they lose it all at the last one.  If you don't follow up, you're just going through the motions.  That's just a waste of everone's time, including the organization's.

Teach Customer Service First

First off, this isn't a young folks bashing post.  But it is a lack of thought training bash.

We've all been there.  We walk into a store with questions or to the check-out and see young workers.  Do I stop that clerk or go to that register - or do I go to the more "seasoned" worker?

Young workers aren't usually real skilled at customer service.  They don't have the experience or the thought processes of the more seasoned worker.  However, they do the same job, see the same customers, deal with the same situations.  It is leaderships responsibility to ensure that these young folks have the proper training PRIOR to stepping foot on the floor by themselves.

I visited a major pet store chain this weekend.  When I got to the register my $3.99 item rang up as $6.99.  The cashier's response?  "Oh, it was probably in the wrong place."  No, price check, or "I'll take a look".  It was 'probably' in the wrong place.

Good customer service is not about guessing and leaving it at that.  It's about knowledge and finding out answers.  These are two easy things that CAN be taught to new staff.  If you don't know about a product ask someone else.  If you don't know the answer, find out.

"I don't know, but I can find out" will save MANY customers for your organization.  Try it out.

Find Your Platform

Last week I reviewed a new book by my friend Michael Hyatt, one of the top bloggers in the world and Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers. I don't usually publish multiple posts about products, but this is a book that I believe has great potential to really change some lives.

Michael has just released - today - an amazing new book for anyone with something to say or sell. It’s called Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.

John C. Maxwell said about Michael - "I have watched Michael Hyatt build his own platform from the ground up to become one of the largest in the world. And he has done so with the strategies and tips he outlines in this very practical book. Any author, speaker, or business owner who wants a blueprint for getting the attention and visibility they want, needs to read this book."

To be successful in the market today, you must possess two strategic assets:

• a compelling product and
• a meaningful platform.

It's never been easier, less expensive, or more possible than right now to build your platform and Michael Hyatt will show you how.

Platform offers a step-by-step guide with proven strategies, practical tips and easy-to-replicate formulas. Whether you're an author, pastor, public speaker, entrepreneur, musician, or small business owner… developing your platform is critical for your success.

CHECK OUT THIS BONUS OFFER: To celebrate the launch of the book - this week ONLY, Michael is giving away $375.98 worth of FREE bonus content for those who purchase the book between May 21 and May 25. Complete details are available at http://michaelhyatt.com/platform.

Bonuses include:

• Platform Video Jumpstart Program (six sessions),
• How to Write a Winning Book Proposal (two e-books and two audio sessions),
• Why NOW is the Best Time Ever to Be an Author (hour-long video),
• Digital Versions of Platform (audio and eBook),
• and more!

Seriously - get this book today - take advantage of Michael’s bonus content and start building or expanding YOUR platform - now!

Get Noticed In A Noisy World

Recently, I had the honor of being chosen as one of 100 people (out of 800 candidates) to be a part of the Launch Team for Michael Hyatt’s new book, Platform: Get Noticed In A Noisy World.


Michael Hyatt is Chairman of Thompson Publishing, the 7th largest publisher in the U.S. His blog, called Intentional Leadership, is ranked #1 in the leadership category.

Anyway, back to the book. The premise of this book is that just having a good idea for writing a book, getting a record contract, gaining funding for a startup business, or anything creative for that matter, is not enough. Just having a good – even great – idea doesn’t get you in the door anymore. What a life changer this book could be to a lot of people. Now I’m not just saying that because I’m on the Launch Team. The Launch Team is formed, in part, to get good honest feedback.

These days you need to have a “platform”. Michael gives you a step-by-step guide on how to build that platform. He shows you how to use an online presence to build your brand and gain connections. If you want to be heard, people have to be listening. “People like you and me can get noticed and win big in an increasingly noisy world.”

Many books on similar subjects give you a lot of fluffy page fillers. Platform gives you the to the point information that you need. According to Michael, there are three things that building your platform provides:

• visibility,
• amplification, and
• connection.

In order to be visible, you have to have a stage – Blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc. In order to be amplified, you need to be able to be “heard” above the crowd, especially through social media. In order to be connected, you have to be able to engage your fans, customers, and supporters.

I could go on and on about all the great – and usable - information that’s in this book (personal responsibility, elevator pitches, online media kits, building your home base, generating online traffic, brand monitoring, etc.), but you’ll get more out of it by reading it yourself.

Just remember, whatever your “product” is, it has to be good – it has to WOW. One of Michael’s favorite quotes, by David Ogilvy, is, “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.”

Platform will be released on May 22nd. But don’t order the book prior to that! That's an odd thing to say, isn't it? But if you wait to order the book the week of May 21st he'll give you $375.98 worth of extra FREE products. You can sign-up to be notified here: http://michaelhyatt.com/platform.

Is That You?

Is that you?  What does that mean?  It means that you're recognizing someone.  It's a pretty simple example of the word "recognize", isn't it?  But that's the point.  Recognizing people is simple.

Most managers spend more time pointing out mistakes than achievements - even though their staff do more things right than wrong.  A feedback ratio of one positive to three negatives doesn't really do too much for morale.  But I bet, if you turn it around, that a ratio of three positives to one negative will really do wonders for the motivation of your staff.

Sit down and really think about how much you recognize people.  Compare work to your personal life.  For some of you I bet you recognize people in your personal life more - spouse, kids, neighbors, buddies, etc.

Put yourself in your staff's position.  Personalize it.  Say your neighbor's been ill, so you mow his yard.  Next week you mow it again.  Come Monday morning you see him walk to his car, give you a wave, and he drives off to work.  How does that make you feel?  Not too awful good does it?

Getting NO feedback is just as bad as getting negative feedback.

Use the acronym that Lee Cockerell, former VP of Operations at Walt Disney World, uses - ARE:

• Appreciation
• Recognition
• Encouragement

Lee describes ARE as a "cost-free, fully sustainable fuel, one that builds self-confidence and self-esteem, boosts individual and team performance, and keeps an organization running cleanly and smoothly".

Appreciation - Recognition - Encouragement . . . a little goes a long way.

"Remarkable" Workshop

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Kevin Eikenberry Groups' Bud to Boss Workshop.  They certainly lived up to their tagline of "You Are Remarkable."

While other leadership training workshops tend to be canned and uneventful, the Bud to Boss facilitator, Valerie Plis, tailored the two days to the attendees' personality's and needs.

Some would look at the agenda and think there's nothing new that's going to happen here.  But I was very pleasantly surprised.  I didn't believe anyone could come up with so many new and creative ways of leading.

One of my favorite elements of the workshop (and of most attending) was the ease of understanding that Bud to Boss makes of the DiSC model.  Valerie used the entire group of attendees to illustrate the quadrants so we could experience it first hand.

Another of my favorites, that we used continuously throughout the two days, was:

• acknowledge the (issue),
• ask questions,
• set expectations.

By doing these three things, you can effectively deal with most any problem.

And lastly, the Bud to Boss ABC's of Coaching (accountability, belief, conversation) opened all of our eyes and gave us a good stepping off point to becoming remarkable leaders.

Would I recommend this workshop for new leaders?  No.  I'd recommend this workshop for leaders at all levels.  So take a look at the workshop link above and find a workshop near you.

The Secret's Out!

Walt Disney once said, "People often ask me if I know the secret of success and if I could tell others how to make their dreams come true. My answer is, you do it by working."

"Working." Wow, what a concept.

Most people have heard of the old Bible saying, “You reap what you sow?” at some point in their life. Larry Winget, 'the pitbull of personal development', explains the problem best saying, "Most people aren’t reaping much these days because they haven’t done any sowing".

I Googled "books on the secret of success". It came up with 47,500,00 entries! That doesn't seem to me like there's much of a secret.

Here's the real "secret" of success . . . work harder, faster, smarter, and better. That will be $29.95 please.

Don't Fight It

Don't fight CHANGE. It happens. It must happen in order to grow.

You can try to ignore change, but it doesn't stop it. You can try to stop change, but you're just fooling yourself. You can try to insulate yourself from the effects of change, but that's just speeding up career death. You can't fight change and expect to be successful.

Watch out for these 7 warning signs of change resistance. You're:

• still using the old rules to play the new game.



• ducking new assignments.



• trying to slow things down.



• working hard to control the uncontrollable.



• playing the role of victim.



• hoping someone else can make things better for you.



• absolutely paralyzed, like a deer in the headlights.

A good leader makes responsiveness to change your PERSONAL mission. Be a Change Leader!

The Buck Starts Here

I'm presenting a corporate program on change tomorrow and in my research and development I found a very interesting "chain of excellence". It comes from, my fave, Disney.

Disney's Chain of Excellence goes like this:
Leadership Excellence -- Cast Excellence -- Guest Satisfaction -- Loyalty & Financial Results.
Every level is dependent on another. You can't have Cast Excellence unless you have Leadership Excellence. You can't have Guest Satisfaction unless you have Cast Excellence. You can't have Loyalty & Financial Results unless you have Guest Satisfaction.

The thing that really stands out after looking at this model is that you can't have any of the three levels unless you have the first - Leadership Excellence. This isn't where the buck stops, it's where it starts!

Leadership development and succession planning should be a top priority for all organizations.

Want More Than Good Enough

Good enough isn't good enough. Sound strange? . . . Must be early in the morning. Seriously though, think about it. If you're just performing "good enough", you're not excelling. You're just doing what you need to do to get by.

I won't let myself settle for "good enough". I want to do more - better - than expected. I want to stand out. I don't want to have to "blow my own horn". What I do should be noticeable. And that's the type of people I want to work with or the type of businesses I want to deal with.

I recently got a new pair of glasses from a large club store (starts with S and ends with s). I had to have lenses remade multiple times because my left eye is sensitive to having as exact a prescription as possible. But each time the left lens was off BUT was "within the acceptable parameters" . . . at the BOTTOM of the acceptable parameters. This was "good enough" for the lab making the lenses and the attitude that was taken by the store employee's. It was also an acceptable practice to them.

I finally returned the glasses for a refund and went elsewhere . . . along with letting friends know what I went through. Can you say, "lost customers"?

When you begin feeling too comfortable in what you're doing - personally or organizationally - it should sound an alarm telling you that you'd better take a look.

I Don't Have Any Competition

You’d better think twice about that title statement. Any person or organization that your customers do business with is a competitor. Notice that word I bolded . . . ANY.

Before a customer calls your business, could they have just talked to a Disney reservations representative about their upcoming Walt Disney World vacation? Could they have talked to FedEx about an emergency pickup? Maybe they ordered some clothing from Zappos.

All of the above mentioned companies are tops in the field of customer service - and for good reason. Just the mere fact that your customer talked to them first can make your “great” service experience feel more typical or even down right inferior. People will unconsciously compare every business they deal with.

Don’t you want to be one of the Disney's, FedEx's, or Zappos’?

Leaders Look for Results Instead of Salutes

"Look for results, not salutes.” This is a great quote that comes from a chapter in Captain D. Michael Abrashoff’s book, It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy. In it he describes how he broke down the time honored traditions of officer/enlisted separations. Not completely, of course, but enough to make a harmonious difference.

It takes just simple things sometimes to make a difference, and to show that you, as a manager/supervisor, are part of the team and not just the overseer. For instance, Captain Abrashoff talks about taking his place at the end of the food line at steel beach picnics (cookouts on the flight deck). This just normally is not done – officers go to the front. It wasn’t long, of course, before other officers took his cue and were doing the same thing. Going to the end of the line was one of many ways of showing his crew that he genuinely cared for them and he was working WITH them.

You can easily use these same types of techniques in civilian business. Just like the military, we also have ranks and privileges – executive parking spaces, cafeterias, even restroom’s. But take a look at the difference in where you spend most of your time. In your office – which is segregated far from the lower ranks?

I often talk about Tom Peters' concept of MBWA (management by wandering around). Step out of your hideout and become part of the team. Make it habit to eat in the break room once a week. Give staff the opportunity to talk with you freely, whether they’re happy about something or concerned. This is where new ideas and improvement comes from.

From 12/19/08

Hellllooooo?!

I have but one question . . . "How hard is to say hello?"

"Hellllooooo" is what I'd like to just say sometimes as I walk by some people - managers - in the morning.

When you become a manager, director, or what have you, it's not a license to become arrogant. I greet everyone I know - and then some - the first time I encounter them each day - and even throughout the day.

Your greeting, or lack of, tells a lot about you. It shows staff how approachable, or not, you are. It shows staff how interested, or not, you are in them. It shows staff how appreciative, or not, you are of them.

You may not be in the best mood and not really want to converse with people, but if someone extends a greeting to you, you ARE expected to return the greeting. Even just a simple "hello" or "hi" will do. And don't forget eye contact.

Just as we tell staff who work with customers to leave their problems at the door before punching in, you as a leader, need to do the same thing when dealing with staff and co-workers. Remember: all eyes are on you.

Feed Your Employee's

By FEED, I don’t mean buy them lunch everyday (although once in awhile would be great). I mean feed them knowledge and experience.

With all the talk about Millennial’s, Gen-Xer’s, Y’s and Z’s, we’re seeing more and more employee’s that don’t want to take over the reins of the company. They just aren’t quite as ambitious these days as say the Baby Boomer’s have been.

Employees don’t have their sights on the corner office as much as they used to. They’re perfectly happy trying to balance work and life – with an emphasis on life. There’s too much challenge and demand on CEO’s and VP’s these days so the ambition to get that high is lacking.

Now that’s not to say that today’s workforce is lazy - to the contrary. They work very hard. Actually, a recent study found that the notion of Gen-Xer’s being lazy was way off and that it’s really just the opposite.

Now is the time to start grooming – learning and training - or you may just find your succession plan slipping away.

Pick the Fit

I've read a number of articles lately about how bad unemployment is BUT how employers can't find the right match to hire. Really?

Companies need to take a look at their current hiring practices, which are quite often OLD hiring practices, and see what can be revamped. Especially in the areas of required experience.

Take a look at some of the most successful companies like Zappo's and Disney. A big focus of theirs is on personality and "fit". Zappo's has two sets of interviews. In Delivering Happiness, Tony Hsieh says, "The hiring manager and his/her team will do the standard set of interviews looking for relevant experience, technical ability, fit within the team, etc. But then the HR department does a second set of interviews, looking purely for culture fit."

You can sometimes (often) forgo some of the "experience" in order to get a better fit. If you get the culture right, most of the other stuff will often happen naturally on its own.

Are You Listening?

Listening to your employees is at the top of the list in Boss 101. Your organization depends on you doing this. It’s just as important as listening to your customers.

Your customers are the final authority of your success. But try this out - start there and listen back - to your employees.

It's not necessarily your products or services that create your customers. It's your employees. Take a few minutes and ask yourself a couple of basic questions.

•Are your customers evangelists or vigilantes?
•Do they refer their friends or warn them off?
•Are they repeat buyers or one-hit wonders?
Your employees create, reinforce, and support those definitions OF your customers, FOR your customers.

And remember - your employees are also listening to YOU. They’re listening to you for answers to three questions:

•What’s in it for me?
•Why should I believe?
•Why should I care?
Those answers are delivered by you in everything you say and do in communicating your Purpose, Mission, and Vision.

LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN!

Full Circle . . . and Beyond!

On November 1, John Lasseter will become the 2,453rd star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Here’s a leader that’s come full circle . . . and beyond!

Lasseter started his career as a Jungle Cruise Skipper at Disneyland in California. It was shortly after that when he became an animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation. He realized that computers could be used to make films with three dimensional backgrounds where traditionally animated characters could interact to add a new, visually stunning depth. So he began the push . . . but pushed a little too hard and was terminated.

Lasseter was then hired on at Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group. Here he worked on their first computer animated short: The Adventures of André and Wally B. His original thought had been to create only the backgrounds on computers, but by the time it was all finished everything was computer animated, including the characters.

Most of what Lasseter had been working on had been considered “experiments” by George Lucas and his interest soon began to fade. Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group was acquired by Steve Jobs in 1986, which then became Pixar. Lasseter oversaw all of Pixar's films and associated projects as executive producer. He personally directed Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Cars, and Cars 2 – some of the biggest animated feature films of all time.

When Disney purchased Pixar in April 2006, Lasseter was named Chief Creative Officer of both Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. He was also given the responsibility as Principal Creative Advisor at Walt Disney Imagineering. He bypasses Disney's studio and theme park executives and reports directly to Disney President and CEO Bob Iger.

Congratulations John Lasseter!!!

Do you have an idea . . . a dream . . . a plan? See it through and make it happen. You never know - it may take you . . . to infinity and beyond!

For the whole Pixar story check out, “The Pixar Touch” by David A. Price.

Remarkable In Tampa

The leading new supervisor training, based on the book, From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership, is coming to Tampa, FL on November 9-10. Having worked with the writers, Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris, I recommend this workshop for anyone who is looking to increase their leadership skills. Find out more right here - B2B Workshop Tampa.

Top 10 Reasons to Go to the Bud to Boss Workshop:
#10 You are a new supervisor and you want to learn more so you can be successful in your new role.
#9 You train new supervisors in your organization and you'd like new resources and tips to share.
#8 You'd like to be more effective in leading others.
#7 You loved the book From Bud to Boss and you'd like a chance to interact on the topics in the book with an expert trainer.
#6 You haven't read the book yet but you want a chance to interact and learn from an expert trainer.
#5 You're struggling with a particular leadership issue and you'd like to get insights from others.
#4 You happen to have Nov 9-10 wide open on your calendar, and you have plenty of money left in your training budget.
#3 You're in the mood for a road trip.
#2 You've always wanted to visit Busch Gardens in Tampa.
#1 You want to attend a premier training event for new supervisors because you know you will gain knowledge and skills to raise your leadership expertise to a new level.

You'll have a remarkable time. I hope to see you there!

Do You See What I See?

No, I'm not talking Christmas songs . . . yet.

Robert Frost once said, “Some men see things as they are and say why? I dream of things that never were and say why not?” Doesn’t that sound like a leader?

One of your biggest responsibilities as a leader is to see things that others can’t see. Use your visionary capabilities to grow your mission. Think big! Use your imagination. Sometimes you just have to give yourself permission. Why do children come up with such imaginative ideas? They allow themselves to be imaginative – they don’t know any better. But you know that it’s extremely important to do so.

Allow your mind to look at ALL possibilities. One may not be the answer. But grab assorted details from various ideas and you’ve got a viable solution.

Walt Disney said, "I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse”. A mouse! Look at Disney today. Although Walt is gone, the empire still grows.

Have faith that you can accomplish the mission that you’ve chosen, and impart that faith on to your staff – and grow.

What Does It Take?

What does it take to recognize employee's? Not much.

Michael LeBoeuf, author of The Greatest Management Principle in the World said, "Everybody works smarter when there's something in it for them." For you managers that have been around for "awhile" that may be a lot of hoo-hah. For you leaders that work in "the now" it makes a lot of sense.

Reward programs are extremely important today, and contrary to common thought, it does NOT have to be expensive. What's expensive is not having a reward program.

Here are a few examples:

pay for a trade magazine subscription
off-site training seminar
lunch with the CEO
day off with pay
certificate
traveling trophy
pay for a professional membership
"thank you" and a handshake (wow, what a concept)
tickets to a game
restaurant gift card
make your own taco party
visit to headquarters
free car washes
spa day
bowling party
off work 1 hour early
Entertainment book
lottery tickets (hope there's not a $20million in it)

All of these things are either inexpensive or basically free to you. Add a little fun to your recognition program and watch employee's get more involved and stick around longer.

Where The Heck Did The Time Go?

Where the heck did the time go? Wow. How many of us have asked ourselves that one . . . many times?

The average day can be divided into six segments (with average hours):
Sleep - 8
Work - 8
Eat - 3
Personal Hygiene - 1
Commute - 2, and
Various - 2

Most people think they know how much time they spend on what they do. But unless you’re keeping track of it, mmmmm no, you really don’t. It’s like a diet. Until you start writing down EVERYTHING you eat, you don’t really have a clear picture of what you’re putting in your body – believe me, I’ve done it.

According to Merrill & Donna Douglass in their book Manage Your Time Your Work Yourself, “we have about two hours each day to do the various personal things that make life worth living. That’s not much. But it gets worse. By their own account, most people waste at least two hours every day”! Any free evening is a luxury.

The only way to get out of this rut is to sit down and figure out just what you’re spending time on and learn to manage your time better. This is called – work life balance.

The Douglass’s suggest drawing three circles divided like a pie. In one, distribute your time the way you THINK is true. In the second, indicate how you ACTUALLY distribute your time. In the last, draw an IDEAL pie. “The difference between where you are now and where you would like to be is the source for possible goals.”

Just like anything you do to be successful, you need to plan and set goals.

Design Your Culture

"But I thought a culture just happens?" Well Skippy, a lot of them do. But a lot of them are baaaad.

The title of this post comes from one of the strategies that Lee Cockerell discusses in his book, Creating Magic, on how to create a culture of INCLUSION. The first line in that section defines a corporate culture (via Disney Institute) as "the system of values and beliefs an organization holds that drives actions and behaviors and influences relationships."

I've actually heard stories of organizations saying they don't need to work on their culture because it will just happen, that that will be their TRUE culture. Alert - Alert - Alert Will Robinson. You're looking at the makings of one of those baaaad culture's.

Leaders of your organization need to work on directing the culture - focusing on your values, beliefs, and relationships - so that it doesn't turn or work against you. One of the best ways to direct your culture is to use INCLUSION. I don't think there's any faster way to derail a culture than to exclude employee's. The less they know - the less they are asked - the less they are "partners" - the worse your culture will be.

Just think about it a second. With a lack of inclusion, comes more opportunity for "grapevine" and "water-cooler" talk. Your culture quickly becomes one that works AGAINST your organization.

Now I could ramble on about many aspects of growing and directing your organizational culture (and maybe some day I will) but if you create a sense of INCLUSION, you're going to be well on your way.

What kind of changes can you make, today, in the creation of a culture of INCLUSION?

Give Em Your All

Just a quick spiel this week about giving people your all. I'm talking about training. Aaaaand maybe I'm up on my soapbox a bit.

Have you ever been to a training class or workshop that the trainer just doesn't "show up"? He or she is physically there, but is mentally still at home?

Have you ever been to a training class that the format is not taken seriously? That the instructors don't do everything they should . . . and you know it?

Have you ever been to a course where the instructors obviously don't agree with the information they're putting out . . . and show it?

If you're one of these instructors, listen up. You're wasting my time and the time of everyone in the class, their supervisors, and their (your) organizations. Trainers/facilitators have a responsibility to all of the aforementioned people. You're not just dealing with the people in the classroom - it's all of the others also. If you're going to waste my time by not giving me your full effort, hey, I can definitely find many other productive and more important things to be doing.

So the next time you don't quite feel up to facilitating that class or don't agree with those policies, work on the one thing you always CAN change - your attitude - and buck up. I'm going to thank you for it!

Guestology - Know Your Customers

I had the great privilege of attending Disney Institutes Approach to Quality Service a few months ago. What a great experience. They've really got this customer thing down.

For one thing - customers are GUEST'S. One of the keys to great service is treating people the way you'd treat guests in your own home. Treat them the way you want to be treated. Good leadership understands this type of thing.

Sit yourself in a position to form a customer oriented culture. An organizations culture is only as good as its leadership.

The book, Be Our Guest (from Disney Institute), describes Guestology as "the study of people for whom Disney provides service". For over half a century "the one constant has been a relentless focus on the needs, perceptions, and expectations of Guests". This is driven by great leadership.

In order to treat customers like Guests, you have to learn everything you can about them. Some of the things Disney knows are:

• where they come from,


• the average party size,


• their length of stay,


• frequency of visits,


• attraction utilization, and


• per capita spending patterns.

Wow - wouldn't it be great to have staff that knew that much about their customers?

Lead your staff in a direction that exceeds expectations. Keep the bar high. Guests continually tell Disney that "a key driver determining their overall level of satisfaction is the interaction they have with Cast Members" (employee's).

Remember that leaders are role models. The better service that YOU provide and the more YOU learn will directly affect the service your staff provides.

It's New, It's Exciting

"What?", you ask. Why Google+ of course. Hey. Everyone else is talking about it, why can't I.

What is Google+? It's a new social network. You can either share with people you actually know, or with anyone who wants to follow you. Seems to me like a cross between Facebook and Twitter. Until it's fully up and they have the kinks out, you can join only by limited invitations - I got one.

I was lucky enough to get an invite last week and jumped right on it. At first glance it didn't seem too awful special. But as I started getting into it a little I quickly began to see some good things.

First of all, it's a chance to start over. How many people have a bazillion friends on that other big social network and only actually know a handful? How many people have friended all of your elementary and high school buddies and are now realizing, "I hadn't communicated with these people in years for a reason"?

The best thing I like, so far, about Google+ - besides the slate being clean - is the use of Circles of friends. You can add friends to Circles like, Business, Family, Acquaintances, or just Following. Instead of seeing every Tom, Dick, and Harry in your Stream of posts, you can click on a Circle and see only those people.

And another neat thing - if people add you to their Circle . . . you don't have to follow them back - it's not automatic. And visa versa. No requesting to "be friends". Plus, neither party knows what Circle they're a part of.

Check it out. Google is on to something here. Stay tuned for the expansion.

Cliques Gone Organized

I first learned of "tribal leadership" while reviewing the pre-launch book by Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness. I was curious to find out more about it when low-and-behold I received an email from the publisher of Tribal Leadership: Leveraging Natural Groups to Build a Thriving Organization (Dave Logan, John King & Halee Fischer-Wright) asking me to review the updated re-release (June 7) of the book. Awesome!

At first glance tribal leadership reminds me of cliques in school. There are various groups of kids who hang around together - preps, jocks, etc. - which you have to belong to in order to "hang" with them. As the school year progresses, so do the groups . . . or not.

LinkedIn co-founder, Reid Hoffman described Tribal Leadership as "a clear road map for the new reality of managing organizations, careers, and life". The key words here are, "new reality of managing organizations". In today's world, leaders must manage all aspects of the organization including the tribes. We have to help our people go from "they" or "I" attitudes to "we" attitudes.

The authors of Tribal Leadership take us through the five stages of building relationships between leaders, tribes and culture. It's, at times, comical because of the way tribes and leaders are described is sadly so true - reality check.

The goal of tribal leadership is to "upgrade as many people, and clusters of people, as are willing and able to move forward to Stage Four, the zone of tribal pride". A tribal leader is "someone who artfully builds his corporate tribes, then gets out of the way so people can achieve greatness".

By developing the tribe you'll create loyalty, hard workers, innovation and collaboration. Helllooo. Doesn't that make your job a bit easier? Sure it does. And just as importantly, it contributes more effectively to the success of the organization . . . and doesn't exactly hurt your own chances for advancement.

Tribes - culture - is not something that you want to "just happen". There's guidance and building that needs to be done in order for them to jive with your organization in order to create overall success.

Reading this book really opened my eyes to what was happening in my own organization. Pick up a copy of Tribal Leadership and learn how to become the leader of the tribe - go from "life sucks" to "life is great" - and you'll have that success.

Gotta Have It

Energy, that is. We’ve all been there – some more than others – wish you had more energy to do more, stay awake longer, or have more concentration. Yeah, you’ve been there.

Jon Gordon, author of The 10-Minute Energy Solution says that, "Everyone has lows. The key is to know when your energy is down and what you can do to turn it around." He maps out a 30-day plan with a simple 10-minute exercise each day to give you a boost physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Here are 10 things you can do:
1. Start your day with a positive energy walk. Step briskly and say what you're thankful for. Think positive thoughts like "I look forward to the rest of the day, the people I'm going to meet, the things I'm going to learn." Or complete these sentences: "I believe that... I trust that..."
2. Neutralize the "energy vampires," the people who drain you. They’re everywhere. Counter their negative comments and attitude with kindness and compassion. Notice something? Another person's negativity can only bring you down if you let it. Like I always say, attitude you give = attitude you get.
3. Lose your mind. No, don't go any more crazy than you already are. Go meditate. Sit in a quiet place. Focus on your breathing. Inhale and think of a word like "so" or "one" or "peace". Exhale and think of the same word or another. (Gordon likes the mantra "so hum".) Repeat with each breath. If a thought floats into your head, let it float out, and focus on your breathing and mantra again. "You want to lose your thoughts, your thinking mind, so you can be one with the moment," Gordon explains.
4. Add play to your day. Run around the yard with your kids or your dog (chase a squirrel). Put on your favorite pick-me-up song and dance. Grab three tennis balls and try to juggle them. Go for a bike ride. Build something out of Legos or Lincoln Logs – remember those? Write the lyrics to your life as a funny country song (and then share it with me!).
5. Connect. Call an old friend you haven't talked to in a while. Invite a coworker to lunch. Drop a line - not by email but by good, old-fashioned pen and paper (wow, what a concept) - to someone you don't see often.
6. Smile and laugh. Walk around your office and smile at your coworkers. They won't think you're strange (probably), just in a good mood. Several times a day, think of a funny joke or experience, and laugh.
7. Let stress go. "Energy is like a river," Gordon says. "Stress blocks it." To get it flowing again, first, list your stresses. Take a deep breath and clench your hands into fists, as if you're holding on to all the stress. Exhale forcefully, opening your hands and throwing your arms wide. Feel your tension release? Good. Say, "I choose not to have my stress. I let it go." Repeat this exercise for each stress you listed and let it go.
8. Pray for someone. It recharges your spiritual batteries. Studies suggest those who have a strong faith are better able to handle adversity. Make a list of people and what they need help and prayers for. Find a quiet spot and get comfortable. Listen to your breath, feel your heart beat. When you're nice and relaxed, pray for each person on your list.
9. Look for signs of grace. Think about the times in your life when you thought something bad happened, but it turned out to be a blessing. It may have happened and you just haven't realized it yet. Write these experiences down. Next time something you didn't want or expect occurs, look back on this list and remind yourself everything happens for a reason, even if you don't see it just yet.
10. Do a little lifting. Giving someone else a lift gives you a lift too. In one study, college students who performed five small acts of kindness a day (such as helping a friend with a paper or visiting an elderly relative) experienced a significant increase in well-being.

What will your five acts of kindness be? Plan two. Then look for three random opportunities to be kind as the day unfolds. If you come across more, keep going! As Gordon says, "Positive energy never decreases by being shared. With each gift, it grows."

Dare to Expect

What we usually get from people is what we expect to get. If we expect greatness, we'll get greatness. If we expect mediocrity, we'll get mediocrity.

Good leaders expect the BEST from themselves and their staff. Your expectations play a huge role in your own success and they also have a profound effect on the people around you.

ATTITUDE - What you expect from your staff determines your attitude toward them. And those around you reflect your attitudes right back to you - whether those expectations and attitudes are positive or negative. Attitude out=attitude back.

How many have ever worked for, or known, someone who thinks all staff are there just for a job. They have no motivation and will take advantage of any situation that comes along? Wow - that does sound familiar. If that's what the leader believes - that's what the leader will expect - that's how their staff WILL act.

In ALL relationships with others, develop a positive outlook. One that recognizes that they have the very best of intentions - with no ulterior motives.

Hey! Here's another good reason to be positive and expect the best. According to The Longevity Quotient, by Edward L. Schneider, M.D., "researchers interviewed 800 Minnesota residents to assess and rate their optimism levels, then tracked them for 35 years to see how long they lived." And the results? "Regardless of age or sex, the optimists lived longer. The pessimists died prematurely. In fact, for every 10 percent increase in the pessimism index, there were 20 percent more early deaths." That sounds like a pretty decent reason to think positively.

Communicate your expectations! Let your team know you have faith in them, while they might not yet have enough faith on their own. Knowing your expectations of working toward their best and being a positive influence will carry everyone to higher successes.

You ARE Your Staff

You are your staff - Your staff are you. Huh? In other words, the way customers, competition, and your bosses look at you is a direct reflection of your staff . . . and visa versa.

As Lee Cockerell says in his book, Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies From a Life at Disney, "your people are your brand". As I've said before, you are not alone. Leadership is not a one way street. If you have remarkable staff, chances are you'll be looked at as remarkable. If you have lazy staff, well, you get the picture.

Just as you would work hard to choose the best materials to create a product or develop the best routine's for your CSRs, you have to choose the right people to create those products and answer those phones. It all really becomes part of your brand - the ability to make the right choices.

Lee uses a great example in his book to illustrate this: "A head chef may be a great culinary artist, but if he or she does not hire the right people, train them well, and inspire them to prepare every single dish perfectly, he or she will quickly end up cooking for one."

A key to your top branding is - hire people with leadership ability and potential. These people think - and perform - differently than your average "it's just a job" employee. They WANT to be there. They WANT to learn and succeed. They WANT the organization to succeed. They'll act as a positive influence on others and help "keep the peace". You think you're stressed? Hire the right people and watch that stress level drop.

Remember - Leadership is not a one man show. You are not alone. You CAN'T be alone. It takes some good planning and smart thinking.

Schmoozing

I had a great time last week at the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) Expo in Orlando. It was actually my first time attending, but definitely won’t be my last.

Networking is so important these days for advancement. One of the best ways to network is by joining associations related to your profession. Just about every profession has at least one association. You can connect with people all over the world through the organizations website (blogs, forums, etc).

With membership in the group usually comes an annual meeting or conference. Now you have a great opportunity to “put faces to the names” and meet many more people (and maybe have a nice vacation mixed in).

At this year’s ASTD Expo I was able to meet one of the great “guru’s” in leadership, Ken Blanchard. That was an extreme honor. You know why you always see pictures of him smiling? Because that’s exactly the way he is. I was able to talk to him for just a couple of minutes, but that was all it took to know that he’d be just a pleasure to be around.

I was also able to meet Kevin Eikenberry, Guy Harris, and Becky Robinson of the Kevin Eikenberry Group. Kevin and Guy wrote the remarkable book, From Bud to Boss, which I had the honor of reading, pre-launch, and writing about here on my blog, Twitter, and Linked2Leadership. What fantastic people they are.

So check out your professional associations. You never know what doors it will open or success it will bring.