08 Aug
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Leader Nelson Mandela

Today we want to highlight the leader Nelson Mandela. He is considered to be one of the world’s greatest leaders, and he certainly exemplifies courageous leadership.

In a nutshell:

  • Mr. Mandela was the first black President of South Africa (1994 to 1999) elected in a multiracial election.
  • He passionately addressed racism, poverty, inequality, and healthcare.
  • He was convicted of attempting to overthrow the government and sentenced to life imprisonment (he was released after 27 years).

Was he controversial? Yes! Did he live his life with passion and conviction? Yes! Did he lead with courage? Absolutely!

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
–Nelson Mandela

Mandela’s Courageous Accomplishments

  • President Mandela led negotiations to abolish apartheid and establish multiracial elections.
  • He established a new constitution.
  • He created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate human rights abuses.
  • He was a mediator between Libya and the U.K. in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing.
  • He created the Nelson Mandela Foundation with the focus on combating poverty and HIV/AIDS.
  • He is recognized internationally for the many challenges he addressed head-on, and as a result, he has received hundreds of awards. Some include the Nobel Peace Prize (1993), the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom (2002), Order of St. John (from Queen Elizabeth II), the Soviet’s Order of Lenin, the Bharat Ratna Award (from the government of India), and from Pakistan, the Nishan-e-Pakistan.

Quite the accomplishments; quite the courageous leader, one that we should all strive to emulate!

01 Aug
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Passion and Persistence

In our CourageAbility series, we talk about “5 P’s.” After watching the movie “Lincoln,” I’m inspired to talk about two of the 5 P traits which are frequently used in conjunction with one another: passion and persistence.

These two traits are a must for any leader. Your passion comes from deep in your soul and must be identified and not feared. (It can be described as courage.) After seeing the movie, it struck me hard as to how determined and passionate Abraham Lincoln was in his beliefs.

If the movie is an accurate portrayal of his leadership (and I have no reason to assume otherwise) then it clearly demonstrates how his passion is applied with a specific focus and purpose. While many were badly hurt and killed during the Civil War, Lincoln persisted in carrying out actions that had some negative impacts.

His passion and persistence were necessary ingredients to carry an entire nation forward. He did not give up; he was determined to free slaves and put a proclamation into law. While it was unpopular by many for all men, women and children to be free, he chose to take a stand. The movie portrayed how difficult this was, and how significant the risks were. I’ve read several books on Lincoln’s leadership and highly recommend them as a study.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan press on has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
–Calvin Coolidge

In the book, For Your Improvement, Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger suggest the following skills are needed in a leader. Please rate yourself in these areas. How would others rate you?

  • Doesn’t hold back anything that needs to be said
  • Provides current, direct, complete, and actionable positive and corrective feedback to others
  • Let’s people know where they stand
  • Faces up to people problems for any person or situation quickly and directly
  • Is not afraid to take negative action when necessary
  • Pursues everything with a need to drive and finish
  • Seldom gives up before finishing, especially in the face of resistance or set-backs
  • Relishes leading
  • Takes unpopular stands
  • Encourages direct and tough debates but is not afraid to end them and move on
  • Is looked to for direction in a crisis
  • Faces adversity head on
  • Is energized by tough challenges

As with any skill, if we overuse them they can be a detriment. We need to develop the ability to know how much to apply and when. Are we a master at this? How can we get better?

My suggestion is to delve into your heart and determine what is meaningful to you and document it. What actions are you willing to take for these beliefs?  Will you give up at the first sign of resistance? What will be unpopular? How will you address the resistance?

At PeopleTek we define leadership as inspiring and empowering others to go where they’ve never gone before and wouldn’t go alone.

Think about passion and persistence. What risks are you willing to take to achieve what’s truly important to you?

As always, your comments and critiques are welcome!

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.

27 Jun
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership, Success

Destination Goals

We’ve addressed the need for courageous leadership and having and living your dream. Next we’ll discuss the need for having documented goals and why they help you reach your desired destination.

Here are some interesting statistics about what having goals can do for you…

“A study was made of alumni 10 years out of Harvard to find out how many were achieving their goals. An astounding 83 percent had no goals at all. Fourteen percent had specific goals but they were not written down. Their average earnings were three times what those in the 83 percent group were earning. However, the three percent who had written goals were earning 10 times that of the 83 percent group.”

No one knows why a written goal is more effective than one that’s known and understood but not committed to paper. Some psychologists theorize that writing triggers important processes in the subconscious, which in turn inspires action towards achieving those written goals.

Regardless of the reason, goals keep us moving forward and help us focus and track our progress.

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
–Jimmy Dean

We’re mid way through the year (hard to believe isn’t it?), so this is a perfect time to review and update your goals.

  • Which have been achieved?
  • Which have been missed or neglected?
  • Which need to be revised or deleted?
  • Do any new goals need to be added?

Think SMART

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Achievable and actionable
  • Realistic
  • Time-bound

Have you documented your year-end destination?

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.

20 Jun
PeopleTek Coaching Success

Live Your Dream!

Start By Identifying & Documenting Your Dream

We’re picking up on last week’s article that concluded with “write down your dream, summon the courage to take action, and then take control!”

Ask yourself the following questions to start:

  • What is your dream?
  • How do you want to live your life?
  • What would make you truly happy?
  • What would it take to begin to make progress towards achieving this dream?
  • Are you ready to take that first step? That is, to identify and document your dream?

For some this is problematic. Not everyone allows themselves to envision or identify their dream. They conduct day to day activities, are almost on “automatic pilot,” do what they need to do to be moderately successful, but don’t take the time to reflect on what really makes them thrive and feel valuable.

Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.
–Gail Devers

Dream Big and Live Your Own Life!

Why not make your dream be all it can be? Some individuals dream only small dreams and even fear having a “big” dream. They let gremlins get in the way and actually worry about what could happen if their dream came true.

Don’t allow others to tell you what your dream should be; create your own! How can others know what you truly want? Only you understand and have an unlimited vision of your dreams; don’t let others squelch your enthusiasm, even if it’s someone you respect and appreciate.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
–Steve Jobs

Establish a Timeline to Achieve Your Dream

Have you established steps and a timeline to make your dreams a reality? Utilize PeopleTek’s COMPASS to help with strategies and direction. Assess the following:

  • Is my dream documented?
  • Do I demonstrate the behaviors necessary to realize it?
  • Have I communicated this with others?
  • Do my behaviors need to change to make my dream a reality?
  • What is known and shared about my strengths and opportunities for it to be real?
  • In what ways could I be more open and authentic to live my dream?
  • Who can I ask for feedback to learn more about my strengths and areas for improvement?
  • How can I be more creative and innovative to make progress?

Some dreams take decades to achieve. Be realistic and realize that nothing happens overnight; obstacles are not unusual, but certainly can be overcome! Expect them, plan for them, and don’t beat yourself up if your timeline (or even your dream) changes.

Life is filled with decisions, challenges, rewards, benefits and consequences, but bottom line there are choices we must make. Some to consider include:

  • What works for you and feels “right”?
  • What can you learn from it?
  • How are you adding value?
  • Are you moving forward or restricting yourself?

12 Actions Leaders Should Live By

The following twelve actions require courage and are all necessary for effective leadership. These actions are also particularly helpful if you are committed to living your dream.

  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.

Write down how you’d like to live your life, identify your dream, summon the courage to take action, and then take control.

Wishing you success!

QwikTip and QwikCoach

PeopleTek’s Strategic partner, E-Coach, specializes in online coaching tools.

QwikTip for How to be More Effective at Developing Yourself

And for those with a QwikCoach license, refresh your existing skills and acquire new skills by visiting the QwikTips library for leadership ideas and techniques.

If you don’t have QwikCoach, it’s an excellent resource for growing your leadership skills remotely that you should consider.

Learn More About QwikCoach

Help turn your leadership knowledge into leadership action!

13 Jun
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Courage, Life, and Leadership

Courage is a requirement for success and has been acknowledged as a need throughout history.

Wikipedia defines courage as:

Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation;…Moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement. In some traditions, fortitude holds approximately the same meaning as courage.

Being courageous is a must for strong and effective leadership. You must be true to yourself and allow your conscience to guide you through unpopular decisions.

Aristotle said: Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.

Ernest Hemingway said: courage is grace under pressure.

Winston Churchill said: Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

Abraham Lincoln said: It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong.

Leadership, like life, requires courage. And, when you combine courage with a strong sense of awareness (of self and others), with a commitment for growth and development, your comfort zone expands and we more readily accept and lead others through change.

Fear is an inhibitor, but when recognized and linked with courage, it can produce great results, create inspirational thoughts, and be liberating.

Expand your life and your leadership skills and behaviors!

Embrace your feelings of both fear and courage to acknowledge and manage the challenges you face.  This will better position you to live your dream (which coincidentally is the first of twelve components found in our 12 Steps For Courageous Leadership!).

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.
10 Jun
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Are You a Technician or a Leader?

Effective Leaders Develop Their Skills

When I was starting my professional career, I needed to develop my technical competencies in order to become proficient in the IT area I was hired for.

After several years I learned the skills, abilities, and talents to be a very good technician, but I needed more! I wanted to lead people and realized I did not possess the skill-sets necessary to be an effective leader.

Like so many other technicians, I was very good at my job as a technician, but when tapped for a leadership promotion, I was not ready.

It is not uncommon to promote individuals that are great technicians, but is this optimal? Newly promoted leaders are not always provided with the tools, mentorship and development opportunities to be effective.

Obtain Input

This is a process that may be done over time (and repeated annually), and there are various tools that will help address that input. Some areas you need to assess are explained in our Leadership Compass. These include how we make decisions, handle conflict, motivate and inspire others, and create and take action against our vision, mission and goals.

The optimal situation is to have input from various sources; consider colleagues, bosses, customers, vendor partners, and others. We sometimes cannot see ourselves and “how we show up”. It’s weird because if others see us clearly, why can’t we see ourselves?

Often when we receive the feedback we feel badly. This is okay as it means we care about how we are perceived by others, and that we desire to do well, and are hopefully willing to change!

Improve your effectiveness and levels of impact by having and communicating clearly defined vision, mission, and goals, and determine the behaviors needed for the destination you strive for. The Leadership Compass will help.

Contact us with your questions or for a consultation. Start your Leadership Improvement Process now!

30 May
PeopleTek Coaching Career, Leadership

Attrition Relief

There are many reasons for voluntary attrition in the workplace. If you had to pick, which factor would you choose as the top reason for individuals leaving their current job:

  1. Salary/benefits
  2. Lack of recognition
  3. Poor management/leadership
  4. Growth opportunities
  5. Career change

The answer may surprise you. The lack of growth opportunities has been identified as the number one reason for attrition in 2013!

Although a paycheck is a powerful motivator, it should never be the only reason for coming to work day after day.
–Robert Bullock

Attrition Relief

Compensation is a key factor for job retention, as are leadership skills and rewards and recognition, but the opportunity for career growth is #1.

You might not always have the ability to increase salary or improve benefits for your staff, but as a leader you can assist with professional growth for both your team overall, and for individual team members.

Do you consistently review employee development plans? Is cross-training something that’s utilized? What about assigning and utilizing mentors?

Start at the individual level. What skill-sets could be further developed? Are there any “needs” in each person’s current role/position?  Next, consider future responsibilities and new positions.  (Don’t limit it to promotional opportunities; keep lateral moves in mind).

Don’t forget to engage the employee!  You may think you’re aware of their ideal career path, but you’ll want to validate it. Understand the preferred styles and strengths of your team members.  Ask them:

  • What do you like best about your job?
  • Are there any skills you’d like to develop/enhance?
  • How do you feel you contribute most for attaining the goals of the team?
  • What would you like your next position to be?
  • How can I help you achieve this?

Satisfying the developmental “wants” of your staff will improve results and reduce attrition. How are you providing growth opportunities?

13 May
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Leadership Courage – Flop or Flip?

Many of us were promoted into leadership positions with minimal or no training, development, or mentorship.

We were great at a job, a role, or specific tasks, and then all of the sudden we were thrust into a role without a paddle. This sometimes results in an inability to move forward, and perhaps even “flop”.

So what’s the “flip”? It’s turning it around and seeking known remedies and opportunities!

We can help ourselves by learning new tools, techniques and methods that are tried and true. This takes courage. We have to first admit:

  1. Change is required.
  2. Things can be better.

This can be difficult for prideful, successful professionals and technicians that suddenly have a need for assistance. It takes courage to reach out and begin to investigate and reflect on where the gaps and needs exist, and how to find the tools that will perpetuate individual growth.

In 1988 I was told I was a visionary, motivating, inspiring, and great with customers. I was also told I was wishy-washy and didn’t hold individuals accountable for their behavior. It was a hard message to hear and process, but one that was required.

Leaders need to sharpen their skills for making decisions, managing conflict, building trust, setting goals and plans, and developing teams (to name a few). We need to not only look at ourselves from our own point of view, but also from that of our boss, colleagues, peers, customers and vendors.

Once we’ve identified our growth areas, the next step is select the tools, skills and actions required to address our needs. This may mean getting a coach or participating in a coaching/development program that will build our skill-set.

Why do the best and brightest people in the world use coaches? Because they get results!

It takes courage and actions to not “flop”, and to be willing to turn it around by engaging known remedies and opportunities (flip).

Leadership Courage & PeopleTek’s Leadership COMPASS

Each leader, regardless of level or tenure, has strengths as well as an Achilles heel. By using PeopleTek’s Leadership Compass you are taking the first step in learning the skill areas that effective leaders use to not only motivate and inspire, but also for holding others accountable and responsible for obtaining success, new learnings, and results. Click here to access the COMPASS.

Take your first step towards courageous leadership today!

“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities . . . because it is the quality which guarantees all others.”
–Winston Churchill

02 May
PeopleTek Coaching Leadership

Building Character is a Process

This week on a morning news show, Jon Meacham said: “Building character is a process, not an event.” Does this quote sound familiar? It probably does as we’ve been purporting this idea for years.

Building and maintaining character is encompassed in strengthening leadership skills, and is what, in part, will influence others to follow and respect you.

The glue that holds all relationships together — including the relationship between the leader and the led is trust, and trust is based on integrity.
–Brian Tracy

CHARACTER and LEADERSHIP…If you had to pick the top 2 characteristics that strong leaders must possess, what would you choose?

We pick:

  1. Integrity
  2. Trust

Why?

  • To be a leader (successful or otherwise), you must have followers.
  • You can’t succeed without the trust and confidence of your team.
  • Your peers, subordinates and co-workers will work around you if you are perceived as untrustworthy or not living the values you require from them, or they from you.

Trust can be lost (or never obtained) when:

  •  You are too direct.  People can be caught off guard and become   uncomfortable. As a result your message and intention are never received
  •  Point fingers or are too quick to assess blame
  •  Play favorites or only give a “chosen few” opportunities
  •  Jump to conclusions
  •  Fail to solicit opinions or differing ideas
  •  Don’t “walk the talk”
  •  Are unable to say no and as a result over commit
  •  Don’t treat others respectfully
  •  Won’t take a stand (or make one and continually change it)
  •  Are disorganized
  •  Exhibit inconsistent behaviors and have inconsistent expectations
  •  Are non responsive
  •  Lack the ability to admit mistakes

Trust produces positive and productive relationships and improves results. Communication lines are open, conflicts are addressed in a healthy manner, collaboration is enhanced and creativity and new ideas flow.

Are trust and integrity characteristics you consistently “live” and strongly encourage in others?

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