October 31st, 2008
By Scott Tibbels
Several years ago I spent a good amount of my study time reading and listening to some of the founders of the personal development movement.
One particular author recalled his time with Andrew Carnegie, the great steel magnate of the early 20th century. The author described Carnegie’s idea of creating a leadership support team called a “Mastermind Group.” It’s a group of like-minded individuals who get together on a regular basis for the purpose of supporting each other professionally.
A good way to build a foundation for any group like this is to focus initially on a good read. Here in Austin, our little group of four business professionals are concentrating on a book entitled “Total Leadership” written by Stewart Friedman. We assign a portion of the book to each other to read along with the exercises. This gives us a good deal to talk about when we meet and really gets the ideas and discussion flowing.
Mr. Friedman has put together a stellar book on leadership. The core message in “Total Leadership” is that we can manage our lives in such a way that our work and our personal lives are not at odds with each other. What a concept. We all struggle with this at one time or another. And it’s really magic when you work in an organization that supports this type of leadership style.
Pick up a copy of this book when you get a chance and study Mr. Friedman’s ideas. My royalty is zero, but I get the satisfaction of knowing that you may realize a more balanced and productive approach to your work, family, self, and community.
Filed under Leadership.
August 13th, 2008
By Renn Vara
As a career military, self-described “killer,” our father would commonly explain that true leaders lead bullet-filled battle charges without looking back to see if the troops are following. His logic was if a leader has to confirm loyalty, in our father’s words, “He’s already dead.” This explains a lot about me doesn’t it? (more…)
Tags: leadership training
Filed under All, Leadership.
July 17th, 2008
By Art Bell
(Third of three parts. Part one is here. Part two is here.)
Peers that Threaten Candor
Any parent with a junior high- or high school-aged child knows the extraordinary pressure exerted (purposely or unwittingly) by the child’s peers. Although that susceptibility to caring too much about “what others think” fades for many with growing maturity, other people (perhaps because of inborn personality tendencies) carry social sensitivities straight from school years into the workplace. Vivian, a California department manager in a large clothing store, talks about the problem: “I manage Young Women’s Wear in a national chain department store. It’s hard to explain, but I feel like I’m always looking over my shoulder to keep track of what Rachel is doing in her department (Formal Wear), Alphonse in his (Men’s Suits), and all the rest in the store. There’s a constant bickering match going on among managers that has nothing to do with the manager, who kind of leaves us all alone to do our thing. Take stocking, for example. When boxes arrive to be unpacked, there are a few hours when my clerks are out there with boxes in the aisles doing the work of getting the clothes on shelves and hangars. (more…)
Filed under All, Leadership.
July 15th, 2008
By Art Bell
(Second of three parts. Part one is here.)
The Nice Boss Made Me Do It
On the flipside, some employees act and speak disingenuously because they don’t want to disappoint a boss who has been kind, understanding, and solicitous of their professional welfare. A hotel manager in Florida tells such a story: “The hotel chain is privately owned by a gentleman in his early 80s. When I say ‘gentleman,’ I’m choosing exactly the right word. He has been practically like a father to me, and to the rest of the managers in his hotels. He wants to be proud of us and regularly sends a bottle of champagne to my office when he hears about something good that has happened at the hotel. But he’s such a gentle, sweet guy that a lot of managers—including myself at times–don’t get around to telling him less than good news. (more…)
Filed under All, Leadership.
July 10th, 2008
By Art Bell
(First of three parts) Do you observe a problem with down-right honesty in your workplace? It’s one thing to say that employees at all levels within a company often fail the candor and trust test, resulting in a breakdown of trust bonds with peers, subordinates, and supervisors. It’s quite another to understand why these otherwise upstanding citizens speak and act in such perverse, counterproductive ways in the workplace. Put simply, as we have put it in many employee interviews, “Why not be candid?”
One of the most frequent answers to that question can be summed up as “the devil made me do it”—in other words, “I was forced or manipulated into saying and doing things that aren’t really ‘me’.” What are these mysterious forces that turn otherwise ethical individuals into people who don’t speak up when they should, or make statements that are less than candid?
The Angry Boss Made Me Do It
American business magazines continue to lionize “the ten toughest bosses” and their temperamental antics. (These behaviors in the European Union are termed “bullying” and are grounds for termination as well as civil prosecution.) But in the United States, we still cling wrong-headedly to the outmoded notion that a boss must be a “butt-kicker,” rousing fear in the hearts of subordinates. Such actions, the theory goes, makes employees toe the line and give their utmost effort, fearing punishment in various forms from the apoplectic boss. (more…)
Tags: corporate communications,
leadership training
Filed under All, Leadership.
July 2nd, 2008
By Renn Vara
Is it just me or is something happening with our definition of leadership? Up until the recent tenure of President George Bush, we were an unapologetic apologist culture when it came to leadership; “What do you expect? That’s the nature of politicians, rich people, corporate leaders, etc.”
Then something happened. Some credit the eight month Democratic primary in which we got to know a junior Senator from Illinois and his welcomed approach to campaigns. Some say it’s a cosmic and/or nature driven change in our perspective on the human condition. Even more believe that this up-and-coming generational wave of millennials is at fault.
I’m too limited to know. But what I can tell you is that corporate leadership is under a lot of pressure these days to flatten their management approach and lead by example. Or as we say with our leadership training: character and voice. What this means is that you’d better be a decent person for real and be able to express your values to the whole organization without going through underlings and middle managers. Not an easy task.
So here are my top 10 recommendations for today’s business leaders – This applies to politicians too: (more…)
Tags: corporate communications,
leadership training
Filed under All, Leadership.
