The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
THE FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM gives you the framework for understanding how and why companies get really messed up, and what you as a leader can do to build a great work culture. I am usually called in to revive a leader, or his/her team as a last resort. Kind of like marriage counseling is to couples, they don’t get help until it’s almost too late.
If you want to expedite your leadership learning curve, save thousands of dollars in consulting and coaching fees, then learn this material. Then, call me to do a fun team building retreat, or a strategic plan instead of conflict resolution. But if you’re already in the trenches with your employees firing at you from the enemy line, I do love a challenge. Do know that if I can learn leadership principles that can turn an organization around, anyone can! It’s not an accident you’re where you are, and it’s not failure to get the coaching you need before it’s urgent! Enjoy the video . . .
Finding Your Mission In Life #3
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In this podcast you will learn how to create your leadership plumbline. This will be the very anchor of who you are as a leader, and is found in knowing and living your “mission”. Discover and take the seven questions that will help you dig deep into what you value most, in order to have your best life now. After this podcast you will have the tools to be able to create a personal “Mission Statement” that will truly reflect who you are, and what you are suppose to be about in this world. It can then be the guiding force to assist you in deciding which activities and causes you will participate in throughout your life.
Finding Your Mission In Life #2
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Do you know if you’re living your mission? Sue gives you a clear way to discern if you’re not, and what to do if you can’t living it out on the job. You’ll learn the worst enemy to this pursuit, and hear a great story of a successful executive that made the transition.
Finding Your Mission in Life #1
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Do you know what your purpose in life is? Do you have a road map where you’re going? Are you ready to design the kind of life you want to live? In this introductory podcast, learn what knowing your “mission” will do for you, and then begin the journey of creating your own personal “Mission Statement“.
Lessons Learned From A Detoured Climb to Mt. Everest
While only three hours from reaching the summit, Mazur and two teammates stumbled upon a man precariously sitting on a precipice. Without his backpack, oxygen, tent, or mental capabilities, how had he survived all night? A decision had to be made. Do they continue on their journey and reach a lifetime goal, or stay with the man called Lincoln Hall, who had been left for dead the day before when suffering with a severe form of altitude sickness. He had miraculously survived the night, but was unable go the trek down to base camp if he tried. For you and I, it may have been an obvious call, but for these three men, you have to remember the cost they’d paid. They had spent months of grueling training, and $20,000 each in the focused pursuit of their dream. How could they not reach the summit of Mt. Everest? They were faced with conflicting priorities. Why couldn’t they be like the men that had just passed by with the excuse, they didn’t know English while they continued climbing up the mountain. Later, at base camp they heard them speaking it fluently. Amazing what high altitudes can do for you.
But with a unified vote, they stayed with him. What are the leadership lessons you can take from this? The most important is that leaders will, at one time or another, encounter conflicting priorities that causes them to fall back on their values and ethics to make wise decisions. Unfortunately, it is all too common to find the leadership of a company stepping over and on employees as well as colleagues while reaching their goal. Without meaning to, they sacrifice the hopes and dreams of others while gaining theirs. Let me give you an example. My husband had the wisdom to want to train emerging leaders for the new project they were on. Inviting the owner to join him, he was excited, and ready for the collaboration. But when it came down to it, he was given the responsibility of setting up of the room and making the coffee, even though it was his idea and vision. Something died in him during that season of work. And, as is typical, this leader had no idea what he had done. It is hard to comprehend the kind of leadership that takes everyone with them on the journey, but by including others, you will find yourself not only more satisfied, but the fulfillment you will experience is nothing less than exhilarating. So, let me ask you, when you’re leading a project as a new leader or new manager, do you:
1. Find out why others join you?
2. Learn what they want to get out their involvement in the project?
3. Utilize their best skills, talent and gifts?
4. Communicate often, asking them how they’re doing on the project?
5. Give them an opportunity, often, to examine the progress/egress and why?
6. Delegate to their qualifications and then support them without taking over?
Next time you’re on a conquest to reach a goal, bring your team with you, it’s much more gratifying than if you do it all yourself. But, be sure to share the acclaim, or you risk loosing them to your competitor that will let them take the spotlight and be successful.
The One Skill That Will Make You Seem Like a Real Life “Hero”
I never said a complete thought but that the conversation was overridden, and my train of thought either finished by him or completely aborted. And, I can guarantee, he was clueless as to what he was doing. I could tell he was use to being given free, complete reign of every conversation, and why not, he was THE BOSS their leader. Highly intelligent, moving at the rate of the Daytona 500, with more vision and energy than most exude in a life time. I’m use to this. It’s the typical MO of my success driven entrepreneurial clients. Works 24/7 with endless ideas and metabolism. But with all the fervent, feverish drive, they’re usually missing the very glue that keeps people energized and willing to continue with enthusiasm to play on their team.
I’m guilty many times myself. I’ve spent years learning, practicing and failing using this “ONE” grand leadership skill that can transform not only the person, but the very climate of an office overnight. When you use it, you become the most brilliant person anyone has known. People will not only like you, they’ll think you’re just fabulous, even when you’ve never mentioned a word about what you do, or who you are. I’m sure you already know, it’s the are of LISTENING. Now, I didn’t say hearing, I said listening. You can hear the train, answering the phone, and hearing the headlines on TV all at the same time. But listening, it’s an art. Think you already do it? We’ll see. Take the 48 hr test. Yes, I said test. You think you’ve got it so together? Take the next 48 hours and go on a fast. No, not from food, from talking about yourself. I dare you. Don’t give an opinion, don’t share an accomplishment an idea or any vision. Don’t talk about yourself. That is, of course, unless you’re asked a question, and even then, be brief and amazing with your answer. Keep a log. Write a slash every time you fail, but don’t give up. We’ll talk next time about the value and benefits you’ll receive. Then let me know how you do. And if you’re really hot stuff, try it for a week. Then we’ll know just how much you want Leadership Influence!
How Not to Become the #1 Nightmare of Employees “A Very Bad Boss”
Suzy Welch relates her article “Work Nightmare No.1: The Very Bad Boss , from O magazine, how to take yourself out of the vortex of victimhood. She claims that you can escape the prison you’ve created for yourself by discovering the freedom that comes from owning your own performance and attitude. Now, let me give this a twist this and new bent on this theme. Unfortunately, I confess that at one time or another I was this nightmare boss. But I’m learning, and believe me, this means you can as well. So, let me ask you candidly: Can you avoid becoming the jerk every employee hates, and dreads working for? From this article, I’ve listed some of the qualities to avoid that engender feelings of despair among staff:
- being critical
- withholding
- bullying
- displaying resentment instead of proper correction
- unforgiveness
- disorganization
- a bad temper
- screaming at people
- self-centered motives and actions
Sometimes we learn from what “not to be” as a leader, in order to become the person others respect and gladly follow. Take this action step: For one week, at the end of each day ask yourself how you responded to the various urgencies that happened between you and your staff. Copiously go through this list and take a brutally honest profile of yourself. If you’re coming up short, it may be time to enlist a coach . Why a coach, because if they’re good, they’ll hold you to this process, keeping you accountable for your actions and attitude, good and bad. Do this, and you won’t find yourself sideswiped by a disgruntled employee who quits, or worse yet, who files a dreaded lawsuit.
Ten Questions to Know You Have the Makings of a Leader
Many people find themselves leading because they were proficient in a particular skill, so they were promoted into management without being given the appropriate training to know how to work with or lead people. Why does management do this? Think that just because someone is good at their job that the next natural step is to promote them to be in charge of supervising people. Yea, that’s right, promoted right out of their competency, and skill set. One of my passions, when I first begin working with a company is to, as stated in the book “Good to Great” make sure everyone on the bus is sitting in the right position. “Out of position leaders” are the most frustrating, limiting aspects of business advancement. So how do you know if you’re out of position? One way is to ask yourself these questions:
1. Do I find satisfaction in developing people?
2. Do tend to delegate, or do I prefer to do it myself?
3. Do I completely miss doing what I use to do in this company?
4. Can I tell that people don’t respect or follow me?
5. Do I have a desire to learn what is necessary to deal with people, to: lead, motivate, grow, and confront them?
6. Am I only staying in this job position for the money?
7. Can I see myself doing this for the next 5 or more years?
8. When you’re in a group and someone says something controversial, do most of the people turn to observe your reaction or response?
9. Can I handle conflict well? If not, am I willing to learn what it takes to deal with it?
10. Do I see myself working through people to accomplish organizational goals, or would I prefer to specialize and do a piece of the work myself ?
If while reviewing your answers you have been brutally honest with yourself, you’ll know deep down in your “knower” if your a leader, or if you should get back to what brings you the greatest satisfaction. Need more help? Check out a coach, and how leadership coaching can assist you. I’ll address this more in future post.
