25 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Fear and Its Impacts

What does the word “fear” mean to you? How often do you experience it? Do you face it head-on, or do you ignore it and let it simmer and grow? We continually speak about courageous leadership; the flip side of that is leading and living in panic. We saw this on a social media page:

FEAR

Forget Everything And Run
Face Everything And Rise

To lead is difficult when you’re a follower of fear.
–T.A. Sachs

If you’re experiencing fear in the workplace, chances are you’re not alone. It’s a time of uncertainty and a time for change. We’re a quick paced society with little time to process and manage what’s happening, but that’s exactly what we must do.

If something does not feel right, do you take the time to acknowledge your feelings and make a conscious effort to get your arms around that feeling and take control?

Fear is certainly not new, and the quotes below span generations and provide inspiration:

Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.
–Marie Curie

To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.
–Bertrand Russell

I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.
–Rosa Parks

Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them.
–Brendan Francis

There are times when fear is good. It must keep its watchful place at the heart’s controls.
–Aeschylus

Tips For Leading Through Fear

  • Create an environment that has open lines of communication
  • Take a pulse of what’s happening around you; add 5 minutes to your staff meeting agenda to ask team members what they’re feeling
  • Make sure all changes are discussed with impacts clearly stated; share the “why” whenever possible
  • Be proactive rather than reactive; share what you can in advance of impacts being felt
  • Restate goals and priorities

By addressing and managing panic, stress levels will be reduced, and a sense of stability in the workplace will be allowed to grow.

Are you willing to Face Everything And Rise?

15 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Leadership is a Journey

Leadership development is not a one-time event. Effective leaders continually develop themselves and their team, they have a desire to help others succeed, and they understand and utilize the variety of talents within their organization to provide optimal results.

PeopleTek’s 12 session Leadership Journey helps newly promoted leaders transition smoothly into their new role, and provides focus and a fresh outlook for tenured leaders.

The Leadership Journey now includes QwikCoach, a 24/ 7 online coaching and support tool. QwikCoach provides simple and direct access to hundreds of tips, techniques,and practice exercises. Click here to read more about QwikCoach and the Leadership Journey.

Testimonials From 2013 Leadership Journey Graduates

I should have taken this program 5 years ago. I always thought that I had to do all the work and didn’t realize to delegate, coach and develop others until I attended this program.

Everyone needs knowledge of themselves. The Leadership Journey tools helped me be a better leader because I now know my strengths and my weaknesses. I can magnify my strengths and develop my weaknesses or get others to do what I am not good at.

Click here to read more testimonials.

Graduates of the Leadership Journey Earn Credits

  • 18 priSM CPD credits,
  • 3 PSM level points
  • Eligible for PMI re-certification credits

John F. Kennedy said:

The policy of this administration is to give to the individual the opportunity to realize his own highest possibilities.

Are you providing your staff with the opportunities to realize their possibilities?

Contact us to learn more!

11 Jul
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Leading and Winning With Purpose

This past weekend, Wimbledon’s Gentleman’s Finals were held with the victor being Andy Murray.

We wanted to highlight Mr. Murray as he is a great fit for our discussions around courageous leadership. Here’s a summary of where we feel he applies courage:

  • He’s passionate about what he does
  • He lives his dreams
  • He has clear goals and persists at attaining them
  • He understands his strengths (and those of others)
  • He believes in self development and actively engages a coach
  • He remains controlled
  • He succeeds and learns from failure

The pressure was on to win Wimbledon and make Britain proud; he certainly did not let his fans down! He became the first British man in 77 years to win Wimbledon.

Did this take courage? You bet! In 2012 he was runner-up at Wimbledon, and although this is a major accomplishment, it was not fulfilling his dream. He was gracious in his loss, and seemed more determined than ever to achieve his goal.

Working with his coach, Ivan Lendl, he practiced every day to minimize his weaknesses while making his strengths even stronger. He had a goal and he had a purpose!

The very essence of leadership is its purpose. And the purpose of leadership is to accomplish a task. That is what leadership does-and what it does is more important than what it is or how it works.
–Colonel Dandridge M. Malone

While most of our careers don’t require that we address physical challenges, there’s a need to have a purpose along with a need to address soft skill challenges.

Common Leadership Challenges

  • Conducting difficult conversations
  • Delivering and responding to feedback
  • Addressing and managing conflict
  • Discerning and working on true priorities
  • Saying “no”

Believe it or not, practice helps! Think of some situations that make you uncomfortable, or that you postpone addressing for as long as possible.

Next, give serious thought as to “why.”

Now it’s time to practice ideal responses. This can be through role playing with a trusted friend or business peer, or by talking to a mirror. (Role playing has the advantage of obtaining feedback.)

Think of real life examples, plan your ideal response, then practice delivering that response.

Expect that this will initially feel awkward and unnatural. Your comfort level will grow when your responses sound more like you and less “canned.”

Do you have the courage to define your purpose and address your challenges?

12 Components That Require Courage

  1. Have and live your dream.
  2. Document your goals.
  3. Commit to your goals.
  4. Understand your strengths and the strengths of others.
  5. Communicate.
  6. Address conflict.
  7. Develop others.
  8. Delegate.
  9. Develop a skill.
  10. Remain controlled.
  11. Give rewards.
  12. Succeed and learn from failure.

Read more about 12 Steps For Courageous Leadership.