by Jane Perdue | Leadership
What a great discussion question for the book club group: with what skill would you imbue all leaders for success and why?
My answer? The ability to not destroy curiosity.
While many CEO’s say curiosity is a necessary leadership skill, my experience has been that most organizations work overtime, covertly and inadvertently, to stamp out curiosity.
Common ways that leaders kill curiosity
They want efficiency.
Responding to the person who wants to know “why” and “have we thought about…” takes time. Time is a resource in chronically short supply, and leaders are rewarded for meeting deadlines, not for sponsoring curiosity. Which means the curious person who wants knowledge beyond what they know generally gets a reputation as being a time-waster, “Don’t let Tom be on your team. He wastes time by asking too many questions.”
They want fast decision-making.
Time is money, and money means success. Which means that bosses have preferred methods for making decisions…fast. Given time and performance pressures, they aren’t interested in the curious person who want to review the situation and determine if an ad hoc or process-based approach is best, if action or caution is most prudent, if information should be gathered narrowly or widely, if corporate interests or personal interests should prevail, or if the matter is one of continuity or change.
They don’t want a troublemaker on their team.
Too often, those who are curious are labeled as rebels. Output-oriented and bottom line focused bosses want employees who go by the book, not ones who want to rewrite the book. Google “how should leaders handle a troublemaker.” When I did, 1,150,000 results popped up. Curious people sometimes violate social norms with their questions and non-conforming behavior, so they make co-workers and bosses who like going by the book uncomfortable.
They like conformity.
I call this the vending machine approach to leadership. Someone asks a boss a question (that’s inserting the coins), out pops the correct answer (that’s getting the candy bar or bag of chips), and the employee takes the offering without question or pushback. No fuss, no muss, and so efficient which may be why a Harris Poll found that 60% of respondents said their workplace throws up barriers to integrating curiosity into their work.
They want to minimize uncertainty.
Curious people are intrigued by novelty. Novelty means the unknown. Dealing with the unknown sits outside the comfort zone of most people and organizations. “Stay in your lane” or “color within the lines” are common pieces of performance advice offered to the curious ones wanting to try something new.
They want people to get on board asap and be team players.
“Because of their preference for new information, curious people are less likely to prematurely commit to initial ideas and perspectives.” That’s not likely to endear them to many bosses. Bosses want employees to fit the mold, and curious ones often don’t.
Is your company on an innovation kick and disappointed in the lack of ideas and creativity employees are generating?
If so, look at the behaviors for which employees have been rewarded—fast, shallow, short-term decision-making; going by the book; fitting in; and the like. Therein may lie your answer as to where all the curiosity, wonder, and creativity went.
Image source before quote added: Pixabay
by Otto Scharmer | Leadership
The following is an excerpt from The Essentials of Theory U
I grew up on an 800-year-old farm near Hamburg.
Sixty years ago, my parents decided to abandon conventional industrial farming techniques (using pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers) and replace them with organic methods (focusing instead on cultivating the living eco-system of the farm). Every Sunday my parents took me, my sister, and my two brothers on a Feldgang—a field walk—across the fields on our farm.
Once in a while my father would stop, bend over, and pick up a clump of soil from a furrow so that we could learn to recognize its different types and structures. The quality of the soil, he explained, depended on a whole host of living entities—millions of organisms living in every cubic centimeter of the soil—whose work is necessary for the earth to breathe and to evolve as a living organism.
Just as we did on those field walks of my youth, this book will take you on a similar journey where every now and then we stop and examine a case story or a piece of data that helps us understand the deeper structures of the “social field.”
And just as the organic farmer depends completely on the living quality of the soil, social pioneers depend on the living quality of the social field. I define social field as the quality of relationships that give rise to patterns of thinking, conversing, and organizing, which in turn produce practical results.
And just as the farmer cannot “drive” a plant to grow faster, a leader or change maker in an organization or a community cannot force practical results. Instead, attention must be focused on improving the quality of the soil.
What is the quality of the social soil?
It is the quality of relationships among individuals, teams, and institutions that give rise to collective behavior and practical results.
Looking back, I realize that my journey over the past four decades has been one of cultivating social fields. My parents cultivated the fields on the farm. My colleagues and I cultivate social fields.
And if you happen to be a manager, educator, entrepreneur, social entrepreneur, performing artist, health professional, parent, or movement builder, that is probably your work, too.
The deeper experiences and levels of the social field, described here, are familiar to everyone who is engaged in creating movements, startups or profound change. In my own case, I first got involved with the environmental, green, antinuclear, and peace movements of the late 1970s and 1980s, and later in launching the Presencing Institute as a new type of global social enterprise. At this point I just want to draw your attention to the fact that none of these experiences are unique or extraordinary.
On the contrary, they are actually quite ordinary. Many people have them. And yes, they do take you “out of the box,” like the fire experience took me out of my physical body for a moment or two.
And yet many of us have these experiences a lot more often than we realize at first sight.
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About today’s contributor: Otto Scharmer is a Senior Lecturer at MIT and co-founder of the Presencing Institute. He chairs the MIT IDEAS program for cross-sector innovation that helps leaders from business, government, and civil society to innovate at the level of the whole system. He is the author of Theory U (translated into 20 languages) and co-author of Leading from the Emerging Future, which outlines eight acupuncture points of transforming capitalism. His latest book, The Essentials of Theory U: Core Principles and Applications, illuminates the blind spot in leadership today and offers hands-on methods to help change makers overcome it through the process, principles, and practices of Theory U.
by Ken Blanchard | Leadership
No matter who you are, people can come at you daily with their egos blasting.
Some egos come from false pride—where they think more of themselves than they should and want more credit for things. Others come from self-doubt and fear—where they think less of themselves than they should and are protecting themselves.
How do you deal with these people?
Try to keep focused on leading with a servant’s heart. It can be part of your daily habits, such as how you enter your day by reminding yourself of the difference you can make in the world. It’s a matter of making a habit of practicing a helpful attitude when you are interacting with people.
The question you want to keep top of mind is, “How can I help?”
For instance, if someone comes to you and says, “I’m sick and tired that nobody seems to notice my contributions around here,” you could say to that person, “What I am hearing from you is that you don’t think your work is appreciated. I think you are doing a wonderful job on …” and then be very specific as to what that person is doing right. After that, ask, “What can I do to help you get over this feeling of not being important enough? How can I help you through this?”
Or, if someone says, “I can’t believe it, I just got another project dumped on me and I don’t have time in my day to work on it,” let that person know you understand by saying something such as, “Wow, I can hear that you’re really overwhelmed right now. Is there a way I can help you with this? Is there anyone I can talk to that might be able to partner with you?”
A phrase I like is lead with your ears.
Really listen to the person you are interacting with and see if you can respond in a caring and heartfelt way. When you ask the question “How can I help?” you’ll be amazed at how quickly it can diffuse the frustration another person is feeling. It can make an immediate difference to upset or fearful people just to know their concerns are being heard.
By leading with your servant’s heart, you will set an example others can use to get away from their egos, move forward, and make a positive difference in someone else’s day.
Originally Appeared on the Ken Blanchard Companies Blog
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About today’s guest contributor: LeadBIG welcomes back Ken Blanchard! Ken, one of the most influential leadership experts in the world, is coauthor of the iconic best seller The New One Minute Manager® and more than sixty other books with combined sales of more than twenty-one million copies in forty-two languages. His newest book, Servant Leadership in Action, is collaborative piece with other leadership influencers and shares lessons to help achieve great relationships and results.
by Allysa Cane | Leadership
“To err is human,” as the saying goes, and leaders are not immune to failure, either. What sets them apart is their ability to take stock of their weaknesses and move past them better and faster than the average employee. It is a skill that takes time and practice—something that is acquired through years of following and leadership. In other words, embracing your weaknesses will ripple through your life in far-reaching ways.
Here are three things to emulate from great leaders so you can master the art of failing and recovering:
- They know what they’re made of— and what they’re not
You don’t become a leader without knowing what can get you to the top. Great leaders develop a high sense of self-awareness and they understand themselves better than most people. They know their areas of expertise and how to apply themselves but more importantly, they own up to their shortcomings.
Forbes quoted a 2010 study which found that a realistic grasp of your own abilities and weaknesses may predicate your level of success. This is not just in terms of technical skills, but also in your personality, because a high sense of self-awareness also equates to high emotional intelligence. A higher EQ means that a leader is more open to communication and criticism even from their subordinates. Menlo Coaching emphasizes the need for leaders to acknowledge how they contribute to the success or failure of a particular task or project. This means that you should be willing to seek assistance from others who can fill the areas or fields where you’re not proficient.
- They focus on progress
The Jane Group previously discussed the belief that failure is just a momentary lapse of judgment, and not of character. Many leaders share the sentiment that weaknesses do not define who you are. What enables them to welcome adversity is this thinking that setbacks or imperfections are part and parcel of achieving success.
Spanx founder Sara Blakely shared with CNBC that failing big was something to be celebrated in their household as a child because it only means that there is a lot of room for improvement. Instead of fearing hardships, great leaders welcome them as mere hurdles to overcome and not as a sign that they completely lack ability. While most people believe that reaching a certain standard immediately is the true measure of success, leaders accept the reality that it is not gained overnight, but over time through honest hard work.
- They take action
Another trait that effective leaders have mastered through time is resilience. Harvard Business Review hailed resilience as an indispensable quality in a leader because it is what pushes them to persist even in the face of adversity. The worst thing anyone can do, leader or not, is dwell on mistakes because it may impede or even undo the progress you’ve already made. Admit your weakness not for the sake of exposition but as a start to heeding the lessons ripe for picking. Confront your failures head on and once you’ve figured out what went wrong, apply your recently discovered insights moving forward.
Leaders know how to thrive under pressure without breaking because they’ve mastered it due to years of experience. Still, accepting shortcomings is a skill that everyone needs to develop. Failure is not something to be embarrassed about or to fear; it’s a reality of life that has to be welcomed with arms wide open because it is a great opportunity for personal growth and learning.
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About today’s contributor: Allysa Cane is a career counsellor who’s been providing assistance to professionals for two decades. She’s helped hundreds of adults find their way in the professional world over the course of her career.
Image credit: Pixabay
by Brad Deutser | Leadership
Many traits are associated with strong leaders: being confident, passionate, and decisive.
But one critical leadership characteristic that doesn’t get the attention it deserves is “gratitude,” which mean letting employees know their hard work is appreciated.
The best leaders do two things:
1) They say, “Thank you” to their employees, and
2) They take the time to be grateful for themselves and for where they are today.
The power of any organization is the collective energy of the people. Strong leaders recognize their people form the soul of the company and are directly responsible for the success of the organization.
When employees feel they’re working for a leader who is engaged and is thankful for their efforts, it creates a better environment, instills loyalty, and drives performance inside and outside the company.
If leaders don’t take the time to thank and appreciate their people, they’re missing the greatest opportunity to connect with them. People respond to gratitude, which makes the work they do more meaningful to them, which in turn is more impactful to the leader.
Expressing gratitude is a simple motivator that makes people happy.
Happy employees mean greater productivity. Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher and author of The Happiness Advantage, has demonstrated through his research that when people work with a positive mindset they perform better in the face of a challenge and every business outcome improves.
3 things to know about gratitude
If you want to increase happiness, productivity, and be a better leader, there’s three things you need to know about gratitude and its impacts on an organization’s culture:
• Authenticity is essential.
People aren’t fooled by insincerity. Gratitude is something leaders need to really feel. They can’t fake it because they’ve been told it’s important. If their gratitude doesn’t come across as real or if it’s not founded in something they are truly grateful for, their inauthenticity shows through.
The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated. ~William James
- Gratitude is a perspective shifter.
When the boss routinely expresses gratitude, employees are inspired to take on challenging situations and reframe them in a way that reminds them something positive and good comes from them. Showing authentic gratitude creates positive energy and a positive workforce. Smart leaders understand the direct correlation between positivity and performance.
Gratitude always comes into play; research shows that people are happier if they are grateful for the positive things in their lives, rather than worrying about what might be missing. ~Dan Buettner
- Being willing to show gratitude rubs off on others.
Gratitude is contagious. When people in an organization see their leader doing it, they follow along, which makes an organization’s culture even more positive. We live in a world where we’re bombarded with negativity. When leaders inject gratitude by being grateful for what is good, for what is pure, for what is true, for what is real, and for what is right, they’re able to change the environment.
None is more impoverished than the one who has no gratitude. Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy. ~Fred De Witt Van Amburgh
Everyone likes being told they’ve done well and are appreciated. The more appreciated people feel, the more willing they are to do a great job the next time, and everyone wins…employees, leaders, and the organization.
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Today’s guest contributor is Brad Deutser, president of Deutser LLC, a consulting firm that advises leaders and organizations about achieving clarity especially in times of transition, growth or crisis.
Image credit before quote added: Pixabay
by Mayur Ramgir | Leadership
Great leaders are in great demand, whether it’s being a coach for a football team, a CEO for a corporation, or a general for the Army.
In many cases people are mistaken about what makes a good leader, thinking it’s about being able to establish resources and priorities to acquire worthwhile goals.
That’s a portion of being a leader, however, true leadership involves a lot more than that. Actual leadership deals more with inspiration than simple productivity.
A boss has the title. A leader has the people. ~Simon Sinek
For leaders to be truly inspirational, they must adapt and adopt different leadership styles at different stages in business.
If an individual in a leadership role is unable to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, the whole organization suffers. A key element to successful leadership is remembering that people want to follow someone who leads by example. Inspiring this reaction requires the leader to set the tone as well as the attitude for how to handle the challenges the team inevitably will face.
3 ways leaders set themselves apart
Three critical traits and attitudes are essential for leaders if they want to motivate their teams to perform at the highest levels:
Your success as a leader lies in your ability to believe in yourself. You must feel that you can handle whatever situation arises. Understand that effective leaders are aware of both their strengths and their limitations. While self-belief is a positive trait, it isn’t a license for narcissism or hubris.
Being positive in a negative situation is not naïve. It’s leadership. ~Ralph Marston
- Self-confidence that inspires others.
If you can convince yourself that you can do it, then the rest of the world will automatically be convinced. It makes a big difference in how people see you and react to you when you exude confidence. The saying, don’t let them see you sweat, certainly applies to leading.
Noble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are and who you have always been. And understanding it can change your life, because this knowledge carries a confidence that cannot be duplicated any other way. ~Sheri L. Dew
Having the opportunity to help others is also an opportunity to help yourself in disguise. When you provide employees what they need to reach and exceed their potential, the result will be high performance levels and loyalty, which is good for you and the organization.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ~Winston Churchill
Leadership is never about using the brute force of authority to force your ideas down other people’s throats. This is not the forte of the real leader. In fact, it’s quite the contrary.
True leaders set themselves apart by working to better the society around them and the world at large.
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Today’s guest contributor is Mayur Ramgir, author of Evolve Like a Butterfly: A Metamorphic Approach to Leadership and speaker, innovator, and entrepreneur. Educated at Georgia Tech, MIT, Oxford, and the University of Sussex, he currently serves as president and CEO of Boston-based Zonopact Inc.
Image credit (before quote added): Pixabay
