Leadership Cafe

Thoughts for Thursday

As Chris Garrett's grandmother advised, "You have two ears and one mouth.  So, use them proportionately."  What more can I say? 

Pensive Pearls: Wordless Wednesday

Photo Credit: Flickr Photo  by Oldtasty 2007

Two for Tuesday

FINANCIAL OUTLOOK

"Heading into the 2008 election, leaders of both parties have examined the data, and remarkably, reached the same conclusion: Their opponents are ill-informed, irresponsible, crazy rascals. Republicans know that there won't be a recession. Democrats are sure there will be. Both parties can't possibly be right, but given their records, it's highly probable that both are wrong."

Steve Bodow, head writer for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"  in the New York Times, 2/10/08

HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL?

"First, you have to have a philosophy and you have to sitck to it - consistently and over a long period or time. I am also a strong believer in contrary opinion - looking for opportunities away from the crowd.  This is an art, not a science.

It was never a goal for me to become rich.  That was secondary.  To do what you want to do and what you love to do - that should be your real goal.  You have great, long futures ahead of you."

Ab Nicholas, Chairman and CEO, Nicholas Company (mutual fund company) to student at UWM.

Are You a Servant Leader?

Today I had Todd Reardon, President of the Braeger Group, come and talk to my enterepreneurship class.

Todd maintains that there are two motivations for people to become high performers- and to stay on the job:

A sense of accomplishment

and

A sense of belonging.

How do you engender both in your team members?  According to Todd, by being a servant leader - that is, you serve your team by assuring that they have the tools and resources to achieve their goals and feel a personal sense of accomplishmnet.  You serve/lead by providing an environment where people feel like they belong.  Todd maintains that is one of the primary roles that unions played, and still play-workers feel like they belong.  They associate with the union.  As one student in my class admitted, the union he belongs to serves up a keg of beer at its nonthly meeting.

Hewlett Packard and subsequent Silicon start-ups were known for their Friday afternoon keggers.  People got a chance to socialize and feel like they belonged.  Maybe we need to kind other ways to foster belonging so we don't have team members drinking too much before driving, but you get the idea. 

How about finding ways to use our technology to encourage belonging?  How about a group blog?  How about a team facebook?  How much do you know about the people who work for you? 

Years ago, I was part of a group of high potential executives at my company (a Fortune 100).  They randomly assigned us tables for dinner and left one seat empty at each table.  During the course of dinner, the CEO of the compay played "musical tables"  and moved from table to table.  He sate between me and another guy at our table.  He asked this other guy how his son (using the kid's name) was doing on his sports team.  After the CEO left the table, I asked the guy how long and when he had worked with the CEO earlier in his career.  He responded that he had met the CEO only once before and they just traded stories about their sons.  He was astounded that the CEO remembered - even his son's name. 

So, do you think this guy feels a sense of belonging?  Do you think he's going to go to the wall to asssure that the mission of the CEO is carried out?  YOU BET!!!

A servant leader provided the resources for his or her team to accomplish their goals AND provides an environment that engenders a sense of belonging by keeping it personal (kegger or not!).   

Fringe Friday - Oprah

I'm going to be on Oprah on March 6th (it was taped last month).  The show is on setting intentions.  I have really lived my life, expecially my vocation, by setting clear intentions and then realizing them.  I have found that when you are clear about where you intend to go, the universe responds with a map -at a minimum.  One caveat, the intention must be set from a place of integrity and passion.

What are your intentions?  Where do you want to see your career heading this year?  Where is your passion and how can you achieve the life you desire? 

Set an intention for this year let me know how it goes.  Can't wait to hear about it!

Great Bosses- Born or Made?

I was thinking about leaders and it automatically led me to think about who in my life has been a great boss. I think of someone who is smart, credible, empathetic, quick-witted, decisive, inclusive...well, you get the idea. The atrribute list could go on forever. Unfortunately, the attribute list is longer than the list of great bosses I recall - and I've had lots of bosses over the years! 

Four bosses come to mind: Dennis, Darla, Dan and Carla. In each case, they led by example and innately trusted the people on their teams to perform. They empowered members of their teams to attain new levels of performance because these leaders never expressed doubts that their teams could not achieve the goal.  They praised rather than criticized and set goals in terms of mutual purpose, not just the benefit to the leader.  They also gave their people credit for the achievements of the team.  They were people for whom you always went the extra mile - without ever thinking about. And, the most extraordinary part, when you look back at your own performance, you see it as the most fulfilling, exciting time in your career.

How did these great bosses learn to be exceptional leaders?  What part does personality or charisma play in great leadership?

Who has been a great boss to you?  Why?  How do you think he or she exceptional?  Are leaders born with these traits or can they be learned?   

TGIF

Are you a woman entrepreneur?  Looking for funding?  Check out Make Mine a Million $ Business Contest sponsored by Count me In for Women's Economic Independence and OPEN from American Express. 

Mentionable Monday

At Harley-Davidson, customers are treated as individuals - individuality has been a tradition of Harley customers forever.  Harley's CEO, Jim Reimer, maintains that his company also values the inviduality of its employees.  "It's leadership's job to bring out each individual's capabilities and talents.  We expect all employees to make a difference."

How do you help your team members to engage their talents in the workplace?  When has someone supported you and helped you feel like you were contributing to making a difference?

Three for Thursday

Three things I've learned my daughters:

• Tough criticism often brings about the greatest change - even if it hurts at the time.
• You must be open-minded and taking it the most positive was is the best way to stay open.
• Mothers always know when you're fibbing.

Mentionable Monday:Are you a Shepherd?

Denzel quoted Nelson Mandela as saying, "A leader is like a shepherd-he send the fast, nimble sheep out fron so that the rest will follow, not realizing they're all being led from behind."

Like improviastional leadership where the leader is also a player, Mandela describes the shepherd leader similarily.  He or she is confident enough in his own vision and abilitities - and those of the other players- to be able to stay in the back and led others take the stage.

Are you a shepherd?  Do you have fast, nimble people on your team who you trust enough to lead the pack?

Do you have enough confidence to lead from the back?  Conversely, have you worked for leaders who are shepherds?  If so, how did that work towards developing your own skills?