29 Aug
Sarah Williams Leadership

Influence Your Workplace

“People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”
– John Maxwell

Think of the best co-worker you’ve ever had. The one who everyone spoke well of and enjoyed working with. The one who made you smile when they walked into the room. The one whose influence you remember all of these years later because they were just that great.

What qualities did this person embody? Was he the most qualified? Was she the most well educated? Had he been there the longest? Did she know the product better than everyone? Maybe, but maybe not.

No one usually remembers those things, but we never forget the person with the contagious attitude. The person with the most influence isn’t necessarily the most chipper person, but it’s the one who has the “can do” spirit. Menial tasks aren’t below them, and challenging projects are done without complaining.

Your attitude matters more than the words you speak. To be a leader worth following, consider how you come across to others. Your body language, tone of voice, and visual engagement are more influential than the actual words you say.

When completing a task or working on a team project today, think about what your attitude is contributing to the work place. Are others happy to work with you? Or does your negativity bring down the mood?

Become the co-worker who is long remembered for making the organization a better place to be!

“Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” – John Maxwell

22 Aug
[email protected] Leadership

Composure and Self Control

Self-control is vital to reaching long-term goals . . .
–Amy Morin

How do stressful situations impact you? If you’re under fire at work, do others “feel” it and avoid interacting with you?

Composure and self control are important.  This is true for everyone, but as leaders, (whom others look up to and may even emulate), we need to be especially aware. We need to be cognizant of our emotions, we need to feel when we’re having an “off” day, and we need to have the skill to stay level headed and in control.

We’ve talked about being Emotionally Intelligent, and as a reminder, the 4 quadrants are:
Self Awareness – critical when engaging in communication
Self Management – key for managing emotions in difficult situations
Social Awareness –  leverages awareness of others to perform at your peak
Relationship Management – manages relationships to increase job performance and integrates EQ professionally and personally

Scoring high in Self Awareness and Self Management is certainly an asset for remaining composed.  It means we understand our emotions, what triggers them, and how to diffuse the negativity that will not serve us well.

Those that score high will likely not buckle under pressure, will continue to think and communicate clearly, their decision making process will remain sound, and relationships and productivity will not suffer.  Remember, once we lose our composure the damage is done!

Some common items that lend themselves to composure and control issues include:

  • Lack of commitment, buy-in or urgency
  • Lack of team effort or no accountability
  • Incorrect, incomplete, or mis-leading information
  • Missed deliverables
  • Insubordination
  • Change (especially when the reasons are not understood)

The dictionary defines self control as:
the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations.

How would you rate yourself? Is there anything you could improve upon?

No man is free who is not master of himself.– Epictetus

15 Aug
[email protected] Leadership

Ideas To Influence

The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions.–John Hancock

It’s not uncommon for us to hear that leaders are uncertain of how they can enhance their influence skills. Below are some ideas that may help:

I         Consistently display and lead with INTEGRITY

N        Identify the developmental NEEDS of your people and
organization

F        Reflect on FEEDBACK that is given to you, and provide
meaningful FEEDBACK to help others grow

L        LEVERAGE differing styles and preferences to obtain goals
and desired results

U       UNDERSTAND that not everything goes as planned; don’t
punish, rather learn from what went wrong

E        ENGAGE others with both similar and opposing views.
What have you not thought of? Is there more to learn?

N       Invest in both NEW and tenured leaders and commit to
continual learning

C        Genuinely CARE about how others think and feel

E        EFFECTIVE leaders build and maintain authentic, lasting,
and trusting relationships

It’s critical to be authentic; share your passion and the passion of others, and as Ken Blanchard says “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority”.

Use your influence skills daily!

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.
— Napoleon Hill

08 Aug
[email protected] Leadership

Influencers Are Leaders

Influence has countless benefits, and is a particularly lucrative asset in the business world.—Jayson DeMers

We feel everyone is a leader since everyone has the ability to influence others. Do you agree? Granted there’s a need to have positive intent and a “want” to influence (or help) others in their role, decision making process, or for growth in general, but let’s say that the “want” exists.

Jayson DeMers, Founder and CEO, AudienceBloom provides seven ways to build levels of influence:

  1. Build Trust With Your Co-Workers
  2. Cultivate Reliability Through Consistency
  3. Be Assertive, Not Aggressive
  4. Be Flexible
  5. Be Personal
  6. Focus on Actions Rather Than Argument
  7. Listen to Others

Have you been on teams where someone just automatically becomes the leader and sometimes the spokesperson?  Where team members seek that person’s opinion (and acceptance) even though no reporting structure exists?

Why do you think that is? Chances are the “influencer/leader” is very approachable, non-judgmental, collaborative, and builds relationships. They understand and appreciate differing styles, and know how to inspire and ensure all team members are engaged.

They’re also a team player. They expect nothing more from others than what they’re willing to do. They understand the goals, and their behaviors and actions support them. When they provide feedback, it’s well intended, and if issues arise, they involve the team to assess the “whys”, and determine improvement options.

Influencers are also good with clarity;

  • What needs to be accomplished?
  • By when?
  • What are the tasks and who “owns” each task?
  • Are the needed resources (dollars or personnel) in place?
  • Are there any known barriers or obstacles to overcome?

Regardless of your role or title, are you an influential leader?

The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.
–Kenneth Blanchard

01 Aug
[email protected] Success

10 Mistakes To Avoid

Smart, successful people are by no means immune to making mistakes; they simply have the tools in place to learn from their errors.– Travis Bradberry

Dr. Travis Bradberry believes there are 10 mistakes smart people never make twice, and he feels “emotionally intelligent people embrace mistakes for what they are—great opportunities to learn”.

So, what’s the first step?  Admitting that you made a mistake and committing to learning from it so it’s not repeated.

Here’s what he views as the top 10 mistakes:

1. Believing in someone or something that’s too good to be true.
Some people are so charismatic and so confident that it can be tempting to follow anything they say. Don’t be naïve!

2. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. If you want a different result, you must change your approach.

3. Failing to delay gratification.
Gratification doesn’t come quickly and hard work comes long before the reward.

4. Operating without a budget.
Budgets, both professionally and personally, establish discipline, and discipline is the foundation of quality work.

5. Losing sight of the big picture.
Assess your daily priorities against your goals; are they aligned?

6. Not doing your homework.
There’s no substitute for hard work and due diligence.

7. Trying to be someone you’re not.
Happiness and success demand authenticity.

8. Trying to please everyone.
It’s not possible to please everybody, and trying to please everyone pleases no one.

9. Playing the victim.
To play the victim, you have to give up your power, and you can’t put a price on that.

10. Trying to change someone.
The only way that people change is through the desire and wherewithal to change themselves.

Author Paulo Coelho said: When you repeat a mistake, it is not a mistake anymore: it is a decision.

Are you learning from your mistakes?

You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.
–Johnny Cash