Leadership Freak - Small Groups

LEADERSHIP SMALL GROUPS ARE KEY TO CULTURE CHANGE

May 16, 2018

20 complimentary copies available.

Leave a comment on this guest post by Art Barter to become eligible to win one of TWENTY complimentary copies of  “The Art of Servant Leadership II: How You Get Results Is More Important Than the Results Themselves.”

(Deadline: 5/19/2018)

*International winners will receive digital versions.

In my journey of transforming a corporate culture to one that is servant-led, I’ve learned the value of leadership small groups. The purpose of leadership small groups is to create a safe environment for leaders to discuss the challenges they are having in changing the culture.

In our company, Datron, anyone with a manager or above title is required to be part of a leadership small group. Groups are made up of 8 – 10 leaders and meet monthly for 1 hour. Through these groups, the culture change process is accelerated as trust is built within leadership teams.

Small group attendance at Datron has become a welcome part of our leaders’ responsibilities.

Tips for establishing small groups:

1. Group members must understand whatever they hear or share is confidential. What’s shared in small group stays in small group. This provides a safe environment for leaders to share their struggles and successes in changing company culture.
2. Do not require an agenda and or any reporting to upper management. Encourage people to seek advice from each other and share their stories. Leaders will gain solutions to problems and build stronger relationships between each other and their departments.
3. The group should be made up of peers. You can’t be in the same small group as the person you report to.

One unexpected outcome of our small groups was with on-boarding new leaders. We found it’s a great way to introduce new leaders to their peers and help them learn about your culture and where the company is headed.

Your organization will be stronger when relationships are built through the leadership small group format. Culture change will take hold in your leadership team and your organization will be better because of it.

What suggestions do you have for establishing or running leadership small groups?

Leadership Freak - Make the most of Difficult Feedback

3 WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF DIFFICULT FEEDBACK

June 6, 2018

20 complimentary copies available.

Leave a comment on this guest post by Alex Vorobieff to become eligible to win one of TWENTY complimentary copies of  “Transform Your Company: Escape Frustration, Align Your Business, and Get Your Life Back.”

(Deadline: 6/9/2018)

*International winners will receive digital versions.

Don’t be afraid of feedback.

Five minutes into my first talk to a group of CEOs,  one pushed his chair back, tilted his head back and let out a silent groan. I wasn’t connecting and he was letting me know.

I prepared for weeks. I accepted the feedback and resolved to improve my speaking skills, but I still had 35 minutes to go.

Not all negative feedback is given directly. When you can harness it, you can stop wasting your time and other people’s time. There are three steps to using feedback effectively.

#1 Recognize absence of feedback is negative feedback.

The easiest feedback to give is none.

The giver doesn’t have to risk hurting your feelings, getting you mad or having to defend their feedback. At the end of my CEO talk, there were a couple of questions. They avoided me after the presentation. Nobody offered any feedback.

#2 Give permission for honest feedback.

The next day I called one of the CEOs in the audience and asked for feedback.

He asked was I ready for it and I gave him permission to not hold back. Some of it hurt. He said my talk was indulgent,  vague and verbose. It was painful to hear. It was difficult to not interject.

#3 Just Receive the feedback.

It is hard enough to give negative feedback, so just accept it.

One person’s perspective is not the only perspective and you can get multiple sources. Look for the common threads. They  are telling you something that will help you achieve what you want faster.

The next day, I started the long journey to improve as a speaker.

Two years later, I got a request from the same group to speak. The silent groaner was there. This time his head stayed level and he was engaged throughout. The negative feedback improved my skills.

How might leaders successfully seek feedback?

Leadership Freak - Pop the Cork on Stress

ONE STRATEGY TO POP THE CORK ON STRESS

June 13, 2018

It’s great to have someone show interest in you.

A friend, Richard Croad from New Zealand, just asked about highlights I have experienced over the last couple years.

Lot’s of highlights come to mind. Visiting Ireland and London, talking with some of the smartest leadership experts in the world, and traveling with my wife all come to mind.

The most satisfying experience is a shift in approach that’s evolved over the years.

I’m not sure when it happened, but I show up differently than I did in the past.

Leadership Freak blog is a little over eight years old. I’ve been traveling and speaking for about seven years. My concerns have changed in a way that cause greater satisfaction.

Worry more about liking people and less about being liked.

I show up to like people. In the past I showed up worrying if people liked me. Now, when I meet people at speaking engagements, I find something to like about them.

It feels good to forget – at least a little – about myself and appreciate others. Not long ago, I visited a client just to let them know I liked them. It felt great.

Showing up to like people pops the cork on the pressure to be liked. It’s joyful and freeing.

1. Notice something good about everyone you meet.
2. A focus on faults and weaknesses feels like dislike.
3. When you correct, confront, coach, or instruct, do it with with a forward-facing approach. Turn people toward what they could do. That feels like you like them.
4. When someone volunteers a bit of personal information, honor it. They aren’t sharing so you can outdo them.
5. People tend to like you when you like them.

If Richard asked you for one of your highlights over the past few years, what would you say?

Leadership Freak - Strategies for Dealing with Defensive people

STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DEFENSIVE EMPLOYEES

June 14, 2018

Feedback is wasted on Mr. Defensive. He closes his mind to anything that feels threatening. 

The chronically defensive can’t benefit from helpful suggestions or constructive feedback.

Strategies of Mr. Defensive:

The moment you bring up an uncomfortable issue, Mr. Defensive:

1. Has a reason or excuse why things didn’t work out.
2. Casts blame. It’s always someone else’s fault. Mr. Defensive can’t take responsibility.
3. Explains all the good things he’s done. Mr. Defensive is awesome, even though things aren’t going well. 
4. Tells a long story that keeps them in control of the conversation. You can’t get a word in edgewise when Mr. Defensive begins story time.
5. Accuses others of being worse than he is. He might have screwed up but he’s not as bad as someone else.

Don’t get defensive when someone gets defensive. Practice kind candor.

Kind candor clarifies confusion as long as it turns toward the future.

Strategies for dealing with defensive employees:

1. Evasiveness: Say, “I’d like to circle back to my original topic.”
2. Avoidance: Say, “I’m having trouble connecting what you just said with the issue I mentioned. What relationship do you see between the original topic (name it) and what you said in response?”
3. Avoidance: Say, “I thought you were responsible for this project. Am I mistaken?”
4. Blame: Say, “I don’t want to talk about someone who isn’t in the room. Could we discuss your role in this issue?”

Notice don’t judge.

I noticed when I brought up this issue you turned the conversation to something else. I’d like to circle back to my original topic.

Deal directly with defensiveness:

Mr. Defensive loves it when you dance around issues.

Seek to understand.

Say, “I notice that you started talking about someone else when I brought up this issue. What’s going on for YOU right now?”

Short-term pain beats long-term drain.

How might leaders deal with defensive employees?

Leadership Freak - Why Humility Delivers More

https://leadershipfreak.blog/2018/06/15/why-humility-delivers-more-results-than-arrogance/

WHY HUMILITY DELIVERS MORE RESULTS THAN ARROGANCE

June 15, 2018

Arrogance holds you back. Humility propels you forward.

Courage and humility:

You’d be wrong if you said humility is kin to fear.

Courage is the willingness and ability to fail and try again.

Arrogance needs to appear perfect so it plays it safe. It won’t try unless success is certain. Arrogance fears and rejects failure.

Humility accepts responsible failure and keeps going.

Wisdom and humility:

The arrogant become fools.

Arrogance learns slowly, if at all. It won’t accept advice or guidance from others because it believes it already knows best. 

Learning is hard for arrogance.

Arrogance knows. Humility knows there’s more to know.

Humility learns from failure, improves, and gains insight. Arrogance, on the other hand, repeats ineffective behaviors and blames others for failure.

Humility learns because it listens. Arrogance despises listening.

Arrogance points fingers.

Humility takes responsibility and grows.

There is no growth apart from taking responsibility.

Humility and results:

Humility respects and appreciates others. Teams work hard for leaders who appreciate their hard work.

Humility connects with others and honors their talent.

Arrogance stands aloof and feels threatened when others shine.

Five practices of humility:

1. Learning.
2. Listening.
3. Courage.
4. Connection.
5. Responsibility.

Which of the five practices of humility are most relevant to you?

How are courage, learning, and results connected to humility?