28 Feb
[email protected] Leadership

Listen for Energizers

One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.
—Bryant H. McGill

When you saw “Listen For Energizers” what came to mind? That it was a weird subject? Energizers are a part of magic dust and should be both listened for, and shared.

When you’re having one on one feedback or update sessions, do you listen (and watch) for excitement? Enthusiasm? Joy? Do you watch for levels of engagement? Does the person lean in?

This is all part of someone’s magic dust and as leaders it’s something we need to pay attention to. Not only is this respectful, it provides us with an understanding of how others feel, and shows that we’re interested in the person.

We don’t always have a lot of latitude when assigning work, projects, or tasks, but whenever possible, it behooves us to consider the requirements and match them with not only the skill-set, but with each person’s magic dust. Note: Often skills that are well done are linked with magic dust, but not always.

As leaders it’s important to pay attention to the type of work that others thrive on, and it’s equally beneficial for us to share our own interests with those we report to. We’re not saying you’ll only be given work that you enjoy doing (wishful thinking!), but if we’re candid about what kind of work we find most enjoyable, maybe we’ll be lucky enough to get more of those assignments.

Capitalizing on personal strengths will help with achieving results, as well as increasing satisfaction levels within the work culture.

Do you listen for energizers?

Listening is a master skill for personal and professional greatness.
—Robin S Sharma

21 Feb
[email protected] Leadership

Known and Unknown Gifts

One of my greatest talents is recognizing talent in others and giving them the forum to shine.—Tory Burch

Last week we asked if the happy factor was part of your magic dust. Was this hard to answer? Did you think about your general disposition and how you view life? Perhaps you considered whether you think more about the negatives in your world than the positives?

How you view the world is likely to be impacted by your magic dust. (For those that missed it, we suggested thinking of magic dust in terms of what you’re good at, what comes easy to you, your unique skills and abilities, and what you enjoy doing.)

Remember the Johari Window? It consists of four window panes:

OPEN: This is our conscious self – our attitudes, behaviors, motivation, values, way of life – not only are we are aware of them, but they are also known to others.

HIDDEN: Our hidden areas are not known to others unless we choose to share them.

BLIND: There are things about ourselves which we do not know, but that others see. (This is when feedback is invaluable).

UNKNOWN: We and others are not aware of what falls in this quadrant. Sometimes something new reveals itself.  Ex. Art, sports, or other new talents and skills are discovered.

Give thought to the 4 window panes:

  • What magic dust is known to both you and others?
  • Do you have a talent/skill that is only known by you? Is there a reason to not share it?
  • Have you ever received feedback or been told you have a special skill or add value in a way that was a surprise to you?
  • For those that have gone through the 363 feedback process, are your “self ratings” aligned with the ratings provided by others? Were there any surprises?

Now think about colleagues and your immediate boss – can you identify their magic dust? What makes them stand out? Take a few minutes to think about what you view as their special skills and talents.

If you’re comfortable doing so, share your thoughts with them. You may have the ability to enlighten them and expand their “open” window!

It’s good to test yourself and develop your talents and ambitions as fully as you can and achieve greater success; but I think success is the feeling you get from a job well done, and the key thing is to do the work.—Peter Thiel

14 Feb
[email protected] Leadership

The Happy Factor

We believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards?
—Shawn Achor

Have you ever worked for someone that made you enjoy being around them? That you felt uplifted, happy, and inspired, and that you wanted to help them achieve desired results?  Better yet, that YOU are that type of leader?

Psychologist Shawn Achor’s TedTalk shares that “happiness inspires us to be more productive”. Some leaders have a special gift (aka “Magic Dust”) that authentically influences the workplace happy factor.

Achor’s studies found that it’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but rather the lens through which our brains view the world that shapes our reality.

His studies provided some interesting data:
90 percent of our long-term happiness is predicted not by the external world, but by the way our brain processes the world

25% of job successes are predicted by IQ, and 75 percent of job successes are predicted by optimism levels.

He also shares that our brains can be re-wired to become more positive and provides the following five tips for creating lasting and positive change:

  1. Write down three new things that you’re grateful for 21 days in a row (each day must have 3 new items)
  2. Journal your positive experience
  3. Exercise
  4. Meditate
  5. Conduct random acts of kindness

Is an element of your magic dust the happy factor? How do you impact the happy factor of others?

Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.—Thomas Jefferson

The next leadership tip will include the Johari Window. This is very helpful for expanding on your Magic Dust. Your known and unknown gifts help you to become the very best leader.

07 Feb
[email protected] Leadership

What’s Your Magic Dust?

The meaning of life is to find your gift.  The purpose of life is to give it away.
—Pablo Picasso

Are you familiar with our term “magic dust”?  Some think of fairy dust or Peter Pan’s Tinkerbell flitting about.  Not exactly!

Think in terms of what you’re good at.  What comes easy to you? What unique skills and abilities do you possess that impact your level of effectiveness? What do you like doing? (Chances are you’re good at it).

How do you use and apply your special gifts? Do you make others aware of them? Better yet, do you use them to help achieve results and to develop others?  These skills and abilities are our gifts, and that’s what we call “magic dust”.

Our “magic dust” differentiates us from others and often guides us to the type of work or career we find fulfilling. It’s fairly easy and natural to identify what we don’t like doing, and we generally know what we are not good at, but we’re not always aware of why we feel we had a great day at work and just in general feel good.

Are you able to define a good work day? What gives you a sense of accomplishment? Does it include leading others or contributing to their success? Leadership can be formal (ex. direct reports, matrix management, project manager, mentorships, etc), or it could be informal, where your skills lend themselves to you taking “charge”.

This could be related to your ability to build relationships, achieve common goals and objectives, apply your technical savvy, or simply that you are respected, appreciated, and looked up to.

What leadership qualities do you bring to your team or organization?  Are you able to integrate your gifts/strengths both in your career and in your personal life?  It’s great when your ambition and talents serve you rather than enslave you!

This may sound funny, but we have worked with leaders that excel at what they do, are acknowledged and rewarded for their accomplishments, but they quite simply don’t LIKE what they’re doing!

Hopefully that does not apply to you! What made you choose the position you currently have? Do you find it motivating and energizing?

Knowing what you enjoy and where you add the most value will energize you. Using those gifts and skills will increase your level of fulfillment, and sharing them with others will add to your sense of purpose.

What’s your “magic dust”?

Over the years, I’ve learned that a confident person doesn’t concentrate or focus on their weaknesses – they maximize their strengths.—Joyce Meyer