Posted on March 09, 2011 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
"You ain't gonna know what you don't want to know." - Jerry Garcia
In the book "The Extraordinary Leader," authors John Zenger and Joseph Folkman discuss potential "fatal flaws" of a leader. Their research identified five fatal flaws that can derail an executive's career:
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Failing to learn from mistakes - "Derailed executives made about the same number of mistakes as those whose careers continued onward and upward - but (because of arrogance, fear, or another reason) derailed executives did not use setbacks or failure as a learning experience."
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A lack of interpersonal skills - "When a leader is consistently abrasive, insensitive, cold, arrogant, and bullying - research shows that (in today's world) this is a pattern that will eventually result in their failure."
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Not being open to new ideas - "When a leader is not open to new ideas, subordinates feel ignored, their ideas unappreciated, and their contribution undervalued."
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Not being accountable - "Should a leader fail to assume a sense of accountability for their entire group, they will eventually fail as the leader."
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A lack of initiative - "When a leader fails to initiate consistent action - a visible lack of producing quantifiable results will result."
Remember, fatal flaws are visible. If a leader has a derailing behavior that is frustrating - and driving other people crazy - everyone who works with that leader is aware of the problem. Leadership is a social and visible act, therefore whatever a leader does well - and whatever they do poorly - is widely known.
** As a leader, do you know your potential "Fatal Flaws"... and what are you doing about them?
Posted on February 25, 2011 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
If you are feeling a little too comfortable in your organization - or in your leadership role - take some time to think through the list of questions below.
** Find at least three that you will commit to take desicive action on:
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What are your Top 3 opportunities you have yet to tap into?
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What are the Top 3 ways you are limiting yourself?
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Who are the Top 3 people you need to learn more from?
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What are your Top 3 priorities for the next 90 days?
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What are the Top 3 unmet needs of your customers?
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What are the Top 3 distinctives that make your organization unique?
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What are the Top 3 ways you can reduce expenses?
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What are the Top 3 ways you can increase income?
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What are the Top 3 things you can learn from your competition?
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What are the Top 3 excuses you tend to make?
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What are the Top 3 obstacles you are facing now?
Posted on February 19, 2011 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
Thoughts regarding embracing risk at various points in life:
“Many great ideas have been lost because the people who had them could not stand being laughed at.” ~Author Unknown
“A ship in harbor is safe - but that is not what ships are for.” ~John A. Shedd, Salt from My Attic
“One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” ~André Gide
“There are those who are so scrupulously afraid of doing wrong that they seldom venture to do anything.” ~Vauvenargues
“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.” ~Author Unknown
“This nation was built by men who took risks - pioneers who were not afraid of the wilderness, business men who were not afraid of failure, scientists who were not afraid of the truth, thinkers who were not afraid of progress, dreamers who were not afraid of action.” ~Brooks Atkinson
Posted on January 24, 2011 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
As a leader, do you display confidence, even when you are not sure of the outcome? Do you inspire your team to follow - even when the odds may be against you?
That’s exactly how Winston Churchill acted when England was faced with the inevitable invasion from Nazi Germany. England was to stand alone in Europe against Hitler’s forces, for France had been defeated and the United States was not yet involved in the war. It was a perilous situation to say the least. Instead of fighting, some of his countrymen wanted to negotiate with the monstrous Hitler - instead of conceding all out war.
Rather, Churchill took the plunge, despite the odds against victory - he gave his historic speech "We will fight on the beaches." In his speech, the first thing he does is express confidence in eventual victory:
I have, myself, full confidence that if all do their duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made, we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny - if necessary for years - if necessary alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to do.
In another part of the speech Churchill adds these famous lines:
we shall fight with growing confidence, and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be!
I believe that deep inside, Churchill must have felt some doubt about England's ability to fight such a formidable enemy. Regardless, he demonstrated extraordinary leadership - with powerful speeches, strategies and a continually confident demeanor. You know how the story ends…
* Do you have the courage to act confidently, even when you face a challenge that is against the odds?
Posted on January 19, 2011 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
The idea that you can catapult yourself toward success is a myth - the "lone-star myth." The truth is, in the absence of talented friends and colleagues, you will never excel in your job, or reach your full potential.
** High-quality colleagues provide at least 4 important aids for your success:
1) They Help You Create Knowledge: In today's complex world, one can not master all the levels of expertise needed to consistently excel. That's why we need colleagues and friends, who have expertise in various fields, to help provide reliable sources of new information.
2) They Providing Accurate Feedback: Another advantage of high-quality colleagues is they can serve as our most astute and valuable sounding boards and critics.
3) They Can Help Deliver Your Products/Services: In many cases, we rely on others to position and deliver our products or services to clients. High-quality individuals can help secure customers - and provide valuable market intelligence that can improve your effectiveness.
4) They Can Enhance Your Reputation: Finally, high-performing colleagues can help strengthen your own reputation - simply because of your association with them. This is referred to as the "halo effect." This halo effect can benefit you by creating greater access to new opportunities and relationships.
* Surround yourself with quality individuals and win!
Posted on January 13, 2011 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
In the book, Heroic Leadership, Bill Cohen writes “Heroic leadership requires leading with absolute integrity - while raising your performance to a personal best... it also involves building a team spirit of sacrifice for the common good.”
Heroic (or effective) leadership takes “considerable thought, intention and action” - grounded in the following eight principles:
1) Maintain Absolute Integrity - Leadership involves building trust. Keep your word; do the harder right instead of the easier wrong; be principled.
2) Know Your Stuff - People follow leaders who are good at what they do. Learn from every experience - your successes and mistakes. It’s what you know, and how you use it, that builds trust and effectiveness.
3) Declare Your Vision - You need to decide on where you are going - and then declare it, and promote it in everything you do. And as you move forward, get feedback and adjust your strategy when needed.
4) Show Unwaivering Commitment - Brigadier General Edward Markham said, “A leader must take a bulldog approach to accomplish the mission.” When a leader does this, others do the same.
5) Expect Positive Results - Winners expect to win. Visualize success. Vincent Lombardi said, “We never lose, but sometimes the clock runs out on us.” Research demonstrates those who “think positive” achieve more, and get better results, than those who don’t.
6) Take Care of Your People - “Take care of your men and they will take care of you,” says Brigadier General Philip Bolte. As the leader, you’ve got to give the needs of those you lead greater weight than your own personal needs.
7) Put Duty before Self - Sometimes the mission must come first, sometimes the people, but both must always come before self. If you don’t put duty and your people before self, you can not create a highly successful team environment.
8) Get Out in Front - You have to put yourself where the action is. General Harry Aderholt said, “Effective leadership is no secret. You’ve got to know your people, live with them, and always be seen out in front - leading the way.”
Posted on January 02, 2011 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
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Studies show that many leaders are unintentionally preventing themselves from becoming exceptional leaders.
Why does this happen? The Harvard Business Review identified 5 major barriers:
Barrier 1: Overemphasizing Your Personal Goals
True leadership is about making other people better. While effective leaders have personal goals — the narrow pursuit of your goals can subconsciously lead to self-protection and self-promotion, neither of which will foster the success of those you lead.
Effective leaders do not focus on protecting themselves - but seek to engage and support the members of their team. "The decision to focus on others can feel dangerous..., but if your goal is to lead, our advice is the same no matter who you are: First, get over yourself. Start with a commitment to make another person, or an entire team, better — and then develop the skills, and find the resources, to pull it off."
Barrier 2: Trying To Protect Your Public Image
Another common impediment to effective leadership is being overly distracted by your image — that "ideal self" you have created in your mind. Protecting your image takes a lot of energy, leaving little left over for the real work of leadership.
When you try to protect your persona, your effectiveness will suffer. (The need to be seen as intelligent can inhibit learning and risk taking. The need to be liked can keep you from asking tough questions, or challenging existing norms. The need to be appear decisive can cause you to shut down critical feedback loops.)
Leaders must choose between image and impact, between looking powerful and empowering others. They must choose, in effect, between impersonating a leader and being a leader.
Barrier 3: Turning Your Competitors into Enemies
One particularly toxic behavior is the act of turning those you don’t get along with into enemies. But as you turn others into caricatures, you risk becoming a caricature yourself.
Take a hard look at how you interact with various colleagues whose agendas seem opposed to your own. Recognize that these colleagues are real people, who can possibly be turned into your allie.
Barrier 4: Going It Alone
The road of leadership, by definition, is unsafe. It leads to change, not comfort. Therefor, effective leaders choose to surround themselves with a strong team - a team that helps provide perspective, grounding, and movement.
Barrier 5: Waiting for Permission
Patience can be a valuable leadership tool. It provides a leader with discipline and hope.
But patience can also be a curse. It can undermine your potential by persuading you to keep your head down and soldier on, as you wait for someone else to recognize your abilities, and usher you up to the next level of responsibility or authority.
The problem with this approach is that healthy organizations reward people who decide on their own to lead. "Most of the exceptional leaders we’ve studied didn’t wait for formal authority to begin making changes. They may have ended up in a corner office, but their leadership started elsewhere. In one way or another, they all simply began to use whatever informal power they had." This is a lesson for every aspiring leader: You must chose to begin.
Posted on December 28, 2010 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
It's not uncommon to be hurt, or rubbed the wrong way by a leader you serve under. Leaders are not perfect - and how you handle a hurtful situation will speak volumes about your character. When a leader has done something that you believe is wrong, you have three options:
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Remain Silent
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Complain to others
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Talk to your leader about it
- Lets look at these options:
OPTION #1 REMAIN SILENT - While this may seem honorable, this option is dangerous. This approach actually undermines true autenticity - and can cause you to develop a spirit of self-righteous pride (and allow resentment to build in your heart.) In addition, if a leader's actions are truly wrong, not addressing the issue allows that blind spot to persist in their "leadership character." In the long run, remaining silent only hurts you and the leader. Solomon writes in Proverbs 10:18 “He who conceals hatred is a liar.” Be careful - your silence may not be as honorable as you think.
OPTION #2 COMPLAIN – For many, this is the easist option to choose when wronged. However, complaining to others only spreads discontent and division. Even the most subtly expressed complaints can undermine the authority of your leader - and weaken the unity of the tream. In reality, when you speak negatively about others, it diminishes peoples confidence in your character... for what are you saying about them... Proverbs 16:27-28 “A perverse man stirs up dissension, and gossip separates close friends.”
OPTION #3 TALK TO THEM - This is the hardest of the three options, thus is usually avoided. Though least chosen, it is the best optinon because this leads toward true reconciliation and restoration. When an issue is addressed with a gentle and humble spirit, most often a healthy and productive discussion will result. Proverbs 27:6 “faithful are the wounds of a friend.”
* Are you hurt? Offended? What are you going to do about it?
(Adapted from MacLake online.)
Posted on December 20, 2010 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
“Don't call the world dirty because you forgot to clean your glasses” - Aaron Hill
In Stephen Covey’s bestselling book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Covey discusses the following 7 habits:
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Be proactive - You are responsible for your life, therefore be proactive and take initiative in the direction of your goals and dreams. Don't wait on others to act for you. Don't sit back. Move out. Decide what you need to do - and get on with it.
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Begin with the end in mind - Choose how you want to be remembered at your funeral - and then use this picture as a basis for your everyday behavior and choices. Don't allow yourself to drift from what you really want your life to stand for and reflect.
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Put first things first - Choose to devote your time to what is important, not necessarily to what is urgent. Think about your purpose and proirities before you get lost in the things to do each day.
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Think win-win - Have an "abundance mentality." Life is not a competition. Instead, seek solutions that benefit everyone connected to the issue.
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Seek first to understand, then to be understood - Be slow to speak and quickk to listen. Push yourself to listen until you truly understand the values, beliefs and concepts that drive the other person's perspectives.
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Synergize - Find ways to mutually cooperate with those you work with. Value (and leverage) the differences and strenghts in those around you. Insitsting on doing it your way will quickly "de-synergize the synergy" in any relationship.
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Sharpen the saw - Keep your life in balance by continually choosing to renew and develop four key elements: 1) The physical, 2) mental, 3) emotional/social, and 4) spiritual.
Many people have read this book, and have been inspired by its insightful truths. Yet the question is: How many of the 7 habits have you integrated into your life? Or to put another way - how many have you simply forgotten about?
Take time to renew these key habits in your life this week.
Posted on December 12, 2010 by Ronald T. Brown, Ph.D.
A culture of Innovation & creativity are essential for remaining relevant in today's competitive marketplace - the following is addapted from the personal "Creative Credo" of Mac Lake, who leads the "Launch Network":
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Believe there is great power in ideas
Ideas have the power to change the world. Former Quaker Oats President, Ken Mason said, “I’m not impressed with the power of a corporate president, I am impressed with the power of ideas.”
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Believe Innovation is a team sport
Innovation takes hold in an organization when a team works together on a idea. Oliver Homes said, “Many ideas grow better when transplanted into the mind of another person - and pondered there.
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Don't be an idea killer
Charlie Brower said, “A new idea is delicate, it can be killed by a sneer or a yawn. It can be stabbed to death by a quip, and killed by a frown on a person’s brow." Be careful to create an atmosphere where ideas are encouraged and nutured.
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Don't just take time to think… make time to think.
Making time for reflective thinking is an investment in your future - and the future of the organization. Practice “what if” thinking… What if I had unlimited funds, what if I we could start over, etc…
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Understand that not all good ideas have to be big ideas
Some of the best ideas are small ideas. I read about a company who put up a suggestion board and announced they would pay $100 reward for any idea that would save the company money. The first winner, an employee who suggested cutting the award to $50.
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Be willing to take a Risk
FW Woolworth convinced his boss to have a 10 cent sell to reduce inventory. The idea worked so well he encouraged his boss to open a five and dime store, but he declined saying it was too risky. Later his boss said, “As far as I can figure every word I used turning FF Woolworth down cost me about a million dollars.”
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Acitvely seek out new new ideas in familiar places and experiences
George Ballas came up with the idea for the weedeater as he went through a car wash and noticed the strings slapping and surrounding his car. When we open our eyes and open our minds - we find the seeds of new ideas everywhere.
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Make sure you have FUN along the way
