by Jane Perdue | Character
This statistic stopped me cold: 60% of the participants in a 2009 international study has more trust for a stranger than they did for their boss.
Yikes, how sad.
In thinking back over the the bosses I’ve had, there were a few whose word I didn’t have faith in. I knew they didn’t have my back or were unlikely to be transparent in what they said or did.
“The truth is that trust rules,” writes Pamela S. Shockley-Zalabak in Building High-trust Organizations. “Trust rules your personal credibility. Trust rules your ability to get things done. Trust rules your team’s cohesiveness. Trust rules your organization’s innovativeness and performance. Trust rules your brand image. Trust rules just about everything you do.”
5 elements of trust
The handful of bosses who had my firm belief in their reliability were masters of five elements.
They were a transparent communicator
They came, they listened, and they spoke without hidden agendas or ulterior motives. They avoided making almost-certain-to-bite-you-in-the-butt-later remarks like “This is the last time we’ll have layoffs” or “This is the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make.”
They practiced consistent consistency
There were no say-do gaps. They did what they said they were going to do. They advised us of their shortcomings. Problems weren’t glossed over and/or ignored; they were resolved.
They defined clear roles, responsibilities and expectations
They made it clear what they expected us to do and how they generally wanted it done. We knew ahead of time how our performance would be measured. They expected us to take care of our job duties and didn’t micro-manage. If we fell short, they told us where and how and coached us on doing better next time.
They gave equal consideration to all
These men and women lived out fairness and justice in how they allocated outcomes, dealt with processes, and handled interpersonal treatment. They didn’t play favorites nor use platitudes like “You’re the greatest.”
They had character
We wanted to follow them. Research tells us that perceptions of a leader’s characteristics, things like integrity, credibility and fairness, shape how employees will behave in the workplace. “…individuals who feel that their leader has, or will, demonstrate care and consideration will reciprocate this sentiment in the form of desired behaviors,” writes professor K.T. Dirks. Authentically walking the talk is important.
Image source: morgueFile.com
by Jane Perdue | Leadership
The leadership team at BIG isn’t big on new year’s resolutions. They’re gone faster than the time it takes for us to munch our way through a bag of gumdrops.
We are big, however, on commitment and personal leadership.
Commitment to personal improvement, ongoing learning, exploring, making a positive difference that lasts, and developing others.
Why?
Because when people feel confident, involved and valued…magic happens.
People build connections, character and confidence to lead BIG.
They learn, take risks and work BIG.
They inspire themselves as well as others to grow wings and embrace possibilities beyond what they thought or dreamed possible. They give back, believe in themselves and live BIG.
This kind of BIG has nothing to do with size and everything to do with heart…with meaning…with caring…with thinking more about we and less about me.
Daniel Maher said “confidence is courage with ease.”
Achieving this level of personal grace requires getting your BIG on. That means:
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- Understanding your strengths and knowing how to use that knowledge for leading, guiding, teaching and encouraging others
- Knowing that the small things do make a BIG difference, so don’t be afraid to start small. The important thing is getting started
- Recognizing that you may be holding yourself back from BIG things because you’re thinking small. Don’t be afraid to take the BIG leap forward toward your dreams – jump and grow your wings on the way up
Audrey Hepburn once said that “the best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”
To help others get their big on,
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- Let them know that it’s OK to fail, but it’s not OK to hold back from trying because they’re afraid of failing. That’s a lot like spending your life in a rocking chair. The ride may be comforting but you won’t get very far
- Agree to be their accountability partner. Meet up periodically to learn what they’ve done, then encourage them to keep going
- Help them embrace and practice the polarities of life: things like being both confident and humble or focused on both task and relationship
Grab some big, bold, brave thinking and start living your best life, full of confidence and courage…and help others do the same.
Here’s to you!
Image source before quote: morgueFile.com
by Jane Perdue | Creativity
“I know we asked you to improve employee morale, but what you’re asking us to do is contrary to how we’ve handled promotions for the entire 25 years we’ve been in business!”
“So are you saying you want to back off the employee morale work?”
“Good heavens, no; we’re not saying that at all. You just have to find another way to do it, that’s all. Our company founder set up the procedures for awarding promotions, and we simply can’t change them. It’s too much a part of our company culture.”
Sound familiar?
Have you ever been involved in one of those “we’ve-always-done-it-that-way” discussions where the door gets slammed shut just as it starts to open?
Defending the status quo
If you have—and were on the side of defending the status quo—ask yourself:
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- Why is it so important to hang on? Is the reason for the practice/policy/belief still relevant or has it become a tradition that we accept without question?
- What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen if the practice/policy/belief were to be stopped? Would we survive?
- Do I have my ego, my sense of self-worth, tied up in this practice/policy/belief? What am I really defending?
Pushing to get unstuck
If you’re on the side that’s pushing for change, seeking to get “unstuck,” ask yourself:
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- Do I have all the necessary facts, information and support to build a case for a better way? Can I paint a clear vision of why this change must happen?
- Have I engaged and connected with other stakeholders to determine if they are interested in change? Do I understand their motivations, their positions and their interests?
- Is my ego pushing for change, any change, just for the sake of change? Or am I seeking a win-win outcome that improves the business, our employees and even me?
To hide behind “we’ve-always-done-it-that-way” as the exclusive reason for maintaining the status quo is to shut yourself off from fresh possibilities and improved outcomes.
To push for change just for the sake of change new runs the risk of unnecessary and unproductive chaos.
Change is a good thing, a necessary thing to drive win-win outcomes.
What say you? How have you helped yourself or someone else get unstuck?
Image source: Gratisography
by Jane Perdue | Character
To fulfill the promise of using your head to manage and your heart to lead throughout the upcoming year, may your holiday stocking bulge at the seams with the gift of the 7 c’s of leadership!
7 c’s of leadership
Gift #1: Connection.
Connect with your purpose and passions, then work them into your daily living in doses large or small. Take and make the time to connect with others.
“Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone’s hand is the beginning of a journey. At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.” ~Vera Nazarian
Gift #2: Communicate.
Engage in two-way dialogue, share freely what you know and actively listen with your head and heart to what others have to say.
“Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” ~C.S. Lewis
Gift #3: Capability.
Dare yourself to stretch the limits of your potential and to inspire those around you to do the same.
“Life shouldn’t be about the either/or. We’re capable of more than that, you know?” ~Sarah Dessen
Gift #4: Celebrate.
Smile, laugh, have fun – it feels good and is good for you and those around you!
“Grace is the celebration of life, relentlessly hounding all the non-celebrants in the world. It is a floating, cosmic bash shouting its way through the streets of the universe, flinging the sweetness of its cassations to every window, pounding at every door in a hilarity beyond all liking and happening, until the prodigals come out at last and dance, and the elder brothers finally take their fingers out of their ears.” ~Robert Farrar Capon
Gift #5: Courage.
Take a stand for what’s good and what’s right, even if doing so is unpopular.
“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.” ~Coco Chanel
Gift #6: Character.
Choose to be a person of integrity, never afraid to be found out. Show care and compassion for all.
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” ~Maya Angelou
Gift #7: Commitment.
Dedicate yourself to finding connection, communicating, reaching for your potential, celebrating, and being courageous, sincere, caring and authentic!
“Your art is what you do when no one can tell you exactly how to do it. Your art is the act of taking personal responsibility, challenging the status quo, and changing people.” ~Seth Godin
May these 7 c’s of leadership be a year-round gift that keeps giving and giving!
Image source before quote: morgueFile.com
by Jane Perdue | Character
A leader who has character focuses on “being good” along with “doing well.”
A leader who has character gets the task done and builds the relationship.
For me, that’s the heart of character-based leadership—a knowledge and love of the good through which one creates positive and sustainable change. It’s using your head to manage and your heart to lead, whether at work or play because life, love, and leadership all intersect.
The members of the Lead Change Group walk the talk for being good and doing well.
Multiple times over the last two years this group has reached out to support one another—both privately and publicly. All giving and receiving that goes on is incredible.
And the Lead Change Group is at it again…this time in a fund-raising effort for Dan Rockwell, aka the LeadershipFreak.
The Lead Change Group is giving many people—through the reach of social media—the opportunity to participate, too.
While this time of year has been dubbed the season for giving, the Lead Change Group has expanded the giving season to year-long and never-ending.
Heart-warming. Inspiring. Encouraging all of us to give the gift of character and compassion every day.
That’s priceless.
Ready to play? Let these quotes inspire you!
Be not simply good; be good for something. ~Henry David Thoreau
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~William James
I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. ~Maya Angelou
Go out into the world and do good until there is too much good in the world. ~Larry H. Miller
What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead. ~Nelson Mandela
Do good with what thou hast, or it will do thee no good. ~William Penn
If you wait until you can do everything for everybody, instead of something for somebody, you’ll end up not doing nothing for nobody. ~Malcom Bane
Image source before quote: morgueFile.com
