Leadership

The Essence of Exceptional Leadership

Scores of books have been written on the subject of leadership, and some great insight and advice has been imparted. But most of those books avoid answering one critical question…

We all know that better leadership is important and makes a difference, but most books and people I know – leaders included – can’t really explain “why” good leadership makes a difference. I’ll hear explanations about leaders needing to be decisive and needing to have good judgment, but truthfully, having the ability to make good decisions doesn’t make someone a good leader. (We all know smart people who are poor leaders.) I’ve given this topic a lot of thought over the years and have distilled the impact of great leadership down to one important concept.

“The essence of exceptional leadership is eliciting excellence in others.”

In other words, great leaders bring out the best in the people around them. They bring out the best in their team, they bring out the best in their organization, they bring out the best in their vendors, and they bring out the best in their customers.

The art of leadership is learning how to bring out people’s best. Great leaders understand what keeps people engaged and what compels people to give their best. There are many ways to make this happen, but five of the strongest strategies are 1) Treating People as People, 2) Treating Adults as Adults, 3) Expecting the Best in People, 4) Helping People Develop, and 5) Giving People Something to Believe In.

Treating People as People
People will give (and be) their best when they’re treated like “people” rather than “things”. Effective leaders understand that everyone – regardless of position – has hopes, fears, dreams, and stress. They interact with people in a way that reflects that understanding. Great leaders demonstrate that they care about people.

Treating Adults as Adults
People will give (and be) their best when they’re treated like adults rather than like children. Effective leaders allow people to be responsible and give them the autonomy to complete tasks in their own way. Great leaders encourage people to use their creativity and avoid micromanaging.

Expecting the Best in People
People will give (and be) their best to live up to expectations. Effective leaders help people understand what is expected of them – not only as it pertains to achievements but to personal traits as well. Great leaders expect the best – and usually get it.

Helping People Develop
People will give (and be) their best when they’re asked to develop new skills and take on new responsibilities. Effective leaders help people grow their skill set – both technically and interpersonally. Great leaders nudge them beyond their comfort zone to become the best they can be.

Believing in Something
People will give (and be) their best for something they believe in. Effective leaders provide a reason to accomplish something. They understand that an initiative without a “why” is simply a goal – and no one gives their all for a simple goal. Great leaders provide a compelling reason (a cause, a philosophy, a passion) to strive for excellence.

Bringing out the best in people is the essence of exceptional leadership. Simply getting things done is managing people and process. Getting people to be their best and achieve their potential is the job of a leader.

The Art of Persuasion

Mastering the art of persuading people is essential to achieving great results. As a leader, one of the main responsibilities is to develop sound strategies. But no matter how good a strategy is, the results gained will be proportional to the amount of buy-in people have for that strategy.

Over the years, I’ve seen many leaders resort to one of two approaches in an attempt to “persuade” people to get behind an idea. The first approach is to argue the facts to make their case. (This is especially popular with analytical people.) The thinking behind this is that if you present enough facts and do it with more passion, the other person will eventually come around to your way of thinking. Unfortunately, this approach rarely works. (I’ll explain why in a bit…)

The second approach leaders sometimes resort to is to use “the hammer”. By that, I mean that because the leader is in charge, they can always resort to saying, “We’re going to do it this way because I say so.” And because they’re the boss, everyone agrees to do it that way. The problem is that there is a big difference between compliance and commitment. The results achieved by a committed team are far greater than those gained by a team that is simply compliant.

The key to gaining buy-in for and commitment to an idea or strategy lies with understanding how people make buying decisions. Although many people think that decisions are made based on evaluating the facts and features, that’s not quite true. People buy emotionally.

It’s not that facts and features don’t matter. They do. But the truth is that people buy a thing or an idea because of how they feel about it. Once they make that decision, they’ll use the facts and features to rationalize it.

Therefore, the key to persuading people and gaining buy-in is to shift their perspective so they feel yours is correct. The two most effective approaches for changing someone’s perspective are the use of questions and the use of analogies.

The Use of Questions

Asking the right questions can be extremely effective in persuading people. The key to asking the “right” questions is to be curious rather than to be challenging. Questions need to be worded and delivered in a manner that doesn’t cause the other person to become defensive.

As a simple example, consider two people see things differently. If one of them asks, “How can you say that?”, it would clearly put the other one on the defensive. In contrast, consider taking a curiosity approach by asking, “OK. Help me understand why you see it this way. Why do you think this will work?”

In doing that, they avoid challenging them and instead, asking them to better explain their position. One of two things will come of that. Either you’ll discover their approach has merit, or you’ll see where their thinking or judgment is flawed. Once you have that insight, you can either ask follow-up questions to gain more clarity or ask additional questions to shift how they see things.

The Use of Analogies

When you’re trying to shift someone’s view about a situation or an idea, analogies can be a powerful tool. Arguing your point by discussing the specific situation at hand usually causes people to defend their position. They’re emotionally invested in the outcome.

But when you use an analogy – an example from a different industry or different context – people can stay neutral to the story. Using an analogy that people can relate to evokes an emotional response – one that the two of you can usually agree on. Using the right analogy can make your point very effectively and instantly shift the other person’s perspective. It pays to master the art of storytelling.

The art of persuasion relates to emotions more than facts. By asking good questions and offering effective analogies, a leader can gain more influence within the organization and generate better results.

If you’d like help becoming more influential, please contact me.

Employee Turnover is Not a Problem

Don’t get me wrong, I understand and appreciate that turnover creates challenges. Employee turnover causes a decrease in productivity, lower profits, inconsistent quality, and certainly creates work overload.

But here’s the question: Is employee turnover a problem or a symptom?

Turnover is a symptom.

But what is turnover a symptom of? You might argue that turnover is a symptom of unmotivated people, apathy or a labor shortage. But most often, turnover is a symptom of poor leadership. Turnover occurs because poor leaders lack purpose, lack integrity, lack a plan for developing people, have poor communication skills, and treat people like things instead of like people.

Have you ever worked for someone who lacked integrity? Someone who would say one thing and do another? Someone who promised to do something but never did it? Someone who took the credit and placed the blame? Unfortunately, I’d have to guess that each of us has had that kind of boss at one time or another.

When you were in that situation, did you continue to do your work? Of course you did. Was your work accurate and correct? Of course it was. Did you take the initiative on new projects for the benefit of the company? Maybe not. Go the extra mile to make a difference? Hmmm… Did you leave the company at the first opportunity? Point made. When an individual or a company lacks integrity, turnover occurs.

Have you ever worked at a company where the prospect of advancement was nonexistent? Someplace where you knew that you weren’t going anywhere? Did you stay very long? That’s my point. Without opportunity for growth and expanded responsibility, people leave.

Have you ever worked at a company where major changes were “sprung” on you? Where work was assigned to you and after you completed it, you found out you had done the wrong thing? What happens when people don’t communicate effectively? Poor communication leads to misunderstanding, conflict, de-motivation, and stress. What does misunderstanding, conflict, de-motivation and stress lead to? You got it – turnover.

And then comes the most insidious issue of them all – treating people like things rather than like people.

How does someone treat people like “things”? They do it in several ways. They do it when they’re insensitive to them and interact with people as if they have no feelings. They treat people like things when they ignore the fact that everyone has hopes and dreams and fears and stress. They treat people like things when they relate to people as if their own goals and aspirations are more important than the goals and aspirations of the other person. And they treat people like things when they don’t show respect for people or value their contributions and efforts.

When someone treats a person like a thing, it sends the message that they are unimportant and that they just don’t care about them. And when people sense a leader doesn’t care about them, they start not to care about that leader. When the company tolerates leaders who don’t care about people, people tend not to care about the company. When a leader treats people like things, turnover occurs.

In contrast, an effective leader understands that people’s hopes, dreams, fears, and stresses are real and matter to them. An effective leader inspires people. An effective leader interacts with people as people, helping them to be their best. And an effective leader helps people achieve their goals.

When a leader and an organization have a clearly defined purpose, they attract and retain the talent they need. When a leader and an organization have integrity, it builds trust and loyalty. When a leader and an organization are committed to developing people, people become the best they can be. When a leader and an organization communicate effectively, conflict and tension diminish, and cooperation increases. When a leader and an organization treat people as people, they appreciate it and reciprocate.

Turnover isn’t a problem – it’s a symptom caused by leadership problems. Fortunately, these problems can be resolved, and you have the power to make that difference. Strive to become the best leader you can be.

Effective Strategies to Inspire People

For years, leaders have asked me how to motivate people. And regardless of whether you’re talking about large teams or small teams, sales teams or project teams, the answer is the same.

You can’t motivate people. People are either self-motivated or they’re not.

The most effective means of getting people to take action is to inspire them.

There is a difference between motivation and inspiration. By definition, “to motivate” means “to provide with an incentive” while “to inspire” means “to exert a stimulating or beneficial effect upon, or to arouse with a particular emotion“. The implication is that people are motivated by what they want, but are inspired us – by who we are and what we do (or did). Therefore, for you to be able to inspire people, they need to know what kind of person you are and need to become aware of what you’re doing or have done in the past.

If you want to enhance your leadership effectiveness and achieve greater success, it is essential to become inspiring to others. An inspiring leader elicits an emotional response from people. This ability is essential to effective leadership. People are moved more often and more strongly by emotion than they are by logic.

An inspiring leader can spark the imagination of an entire organization. When a leader masters the ability to deliver an inspiring message, their message can become the catalyst for a new, innovative future. Inspiration causes people to align themselves with your vision, your passion, and your cause.

An inspiring leader creates belief, enthusiasm, and hope in people. When people are inspired by someone, they admire them, respect them, and often strive to emulate them. In turn, they will strive to gain your respect and admiration as well.

Because the ability to inspire people is so impactful, it’s important to understand how to become an inspiring leader. A good place to start is by thinking of people who you find inspiring and by reflecting on why they inspire you. These people may be historic figures, present day figures, or family members.

Some people I think many of us would consider to be inspiring include Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King.

So, the question is, what was it about them that made them inspiring? What causes us to feel that way about them? If you list all the things about them that cause you to feel that way, you’ll see that their character and/or their actions were admirable.

When someone has a vision, a passion, a purpose, or a philosophy and communicates it well, they draw people to them like a magnet. They inspire them to dream bigger and achieve more. Even more inspiring is when they act on that vision, passion, or purpose. We also are often inspired by and admire a leader who was willing to stand up for someone or something.

A leader who overcame adversity and succeeded in spite of everything will inspire us to achieve greater things. We all have challenges – sometimes we overcome them and sometimes they overwhelm us. An inspiring leader can make all the difference in someone’s life.

And finally, we are inspired by someone with integrity. Someone who not only does what he or she says they will do, but speaks and acts in alignment with those values they say matter to them. There are few things more powerful than a person who lives by their principles.

Let me offer some insights into what you can do right now to be more inspiring to the people around you. Most of us haven’t had to overcome extraordinary challenges and most of us haven’t made an impact on a global scale. But nevertheless, each of us can be an inspiring leader to our team, our company and our family.

The best way to start is to take time to reflect back on your life and take stock of how you’ve changed, who you’ve become, what you’ve overcome, what you’ve achieved, and what you believe in (your passions, philosophies and/or purpose).

We often tend to consider our past achievements and accomplishments as unremarkable. Unremarkable because either they came easily to us, because we feel that anyone could have accomplished what we did, or because we’re focused on (and are possibly embarrassed by) the challenges we faced rather than focusing on the fact that we overcame those challenges. Nothing could be further from the truth.

STRATEGY #1: Share what matters to you.

People are attracted to and inspired by someone who believes in something and is passionate. In truth, most people are not passionate about anything in their life. Having and expressing a vision can be impactful, but actually taking action on what we say matters to us is very powerful. After all, actions speak louder than words.

If you need a jump start towards gaining clarity about this for yourself, reflect on what advice you would give someone just starting out in business or in life. Never miss an opportunity to share what matters to you. Use stories to make your point and paint a picture with your words.

STRATEGY #2: Let others know about an adversity you overcame.

When people hear a story of how someone overcame adversity and succeeded in spite of it, they become inspired to overcome their own obstacles and challenges. It doesn’t have to be a “crushing” issue. It can be an attitude, a circumstance or a belief that we overcame that allowed us to achieve what we did and become the person we are today.

Share past challenges that you worked to overcome. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a major life-altering challenge to have an impact on someone. Once again, use stories to make your point and paint a picture.

STRATEGY #3: Be willing to stand up for what you believe.

People admire a person who stands up for what they believe in – even if they don’t agree with that person! They admire someone who is true to themselves and defends others.

Don’t compromise on the principles you believe in. Stand up for someone’s rights, even if you don’t agree with them.

STRATEGY #4: Act with integrity.

When someone does what they say they’re going to do, it creates an impression. When they go out of their way to do what they said they’d do, it creates an even stronger impression. Acting with integrity causes people to take notice of us. When we speak and act in alignment with the values we say matter to us, people notice.

Make a practice of doing what you say you are going to do, become clear on what values matter to you, and work to ensure your words and actions align with who you say you are as a person.

Put these ideas into action. People form opinions about us through our everyday actions, rather than as a result of our speeches and decisions. An associate of mine likes to refer to those everyday actions as “moments of apparent insignificance”. But of course, they are anything but insignificant. Start now to make a greater difference in people’s lives.

If you’d like help becoming a more inspiring leader, please contact me.Enter text here.

Successor Insights: The Need for a Sounding Board

There’s no question that a successful business owner knows his or her business better than anyone else. And as a consequence, there’s no one better to help a successor learn the business. But there are potentially several problems that occur when an owner is the only one to help a successor develop.

The first issue pertains to leadership. Learning the mechanics of a business doesn’t really help hone leadership skills. Although people generally do respect a leader’s knowledge and technical skills, that degree of respect only goes so far.

For people to fully trust and respect a leader, that leader needs to earn that trust and respect. Trust and respect aren’t automatically given because of someone’s title.

In order for a leader to earn trust, he or she needs to demonstrate that they have integrity. In other words, they do what they say they’re going to do and are the kind of person they claim to be. And, in order for a leader to earn respect, he or she needs to treat people with respect in both word and action. For example, a leader needs to treat people like people rather than like things. And they need to treat adults like adults instead of like children.

The second issue pertains to strategic thinking. Knowing how to do things really well simply means a successor has mastered the mechanics – the systems and tactics – of the business. If they don’t learn to think strategically, then several things tend to happen.

One result of not thinking strategically is that improvements will tend to be small, resulting in only modest gains. A second consequence is that a successor will tend to develop tactics that they feel are “strategies”. This also produces results that are mediocre. But the third consequence is the one that is most detrimental. They will develop strategies to address symptoms rather than underlying problems. The result of addressing symptoms instead of problems is that it almost always creates more challenges that cause a decline in revenues and profits.

The third issue pertains to blind spots. If a successor only gets guidance from an owner, they tend to end up with “group think” along with the blind spots that accompany it. Group think is what happens when people think “this is the way we do it around here”. The problem with having blind spots is that a successor can’t see what he or she is missing. Regardless of experience, intelligence or education, we all have these blind spots.

Typically, the only way to eliminate blind spots is to get outside perspective. Someone needs to point them out to us. If we don’t get past our blind spots, we miss opportunities and make poor decisions.

The solution to improving leadership competence, enhancing strategic thinking and eliminating blind spots is to have an unbiased sounding board. Someone who can offer outside perspective and help develop the needed competencies.