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You are here: Home / Archives for CEOWorld

The 3-Part Process of Leadership Basic Training

April 5, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

The 3-Part Process of Leadership Basic Training
Featured article by Dave Ferguson in CEOWORLD magazine. Reprinted by permission.

In The 11 Essential Needs of Employees, we noted the top reasons for job dissatisfaction. One of those reasons is that employees are unhappy with management and the way they manage.

This is why the first rung on the Leadership Ladder is “Leadership is a Priority.”

Good leadership doesn’t just happen by appointment.

Granted, there are those who are “natural leaders” to some degree; it is their inclination to take charge. But that doesn’t mean all natural leaders are good leaders. The fact is, some “natural leaders” can be really “bad bosses” if their natural talents are not trained in the right direction.

When an unprepared leader is assigned to a leadership position, it can result in disastrous consequences, leaving unhappy employees in the wake. Unaddressed, it can negatively impact the company’s bottom line.

As a leader of leaders, your main focus must be on training your leaders to be good and effective leaders.

How do you do this?

Here is the 3-Part Process of Leadership Basic Training.

1. Un-train

First, you un-train.

As an Air Force veteran, I can tell you that the first few days in basic training are not intended to be pleasant. They are intended to “un-train.”

We recruits came from diverse backgrounds, each with our own ideas as to how things should be done.

We each brought habits – some good ones, and many bad ones. The first few days were all about tearing down those bad habits – and even some of the good ones – to make room for better habits.

Some of us had attitudes. Those were untrained as well…and pretty quickly, I might add.

2. Train

The bad habits and attitudes were replaced with rigorous training for better habits and attitudes. This wasn’t just a matter of positive thinking. It required action…painful, arduous, push-to-the-limits action.

Creating strong leadership habits and attitudes also required repetition. It meant daily practice until the process of what to do was drilled into us so we could carry it out quickly, strategically, and with confidence.

The results of this un-training and training process transformed us from cocky young teenagers to a strong, confident team.

3. Serve

The problem with leadership in typical organizations is that there is no basic training for it. It is simply assumed that a person who is good at his or her job should be able to lead those who do that kind of work, or that someone who is tested and falls within a certain range on an assessment automatically qualifies for a leadership position.

You have an employee who excels in IT, for example, so you make him or her the IT manager. But soon you notice projects are falling behind, and you hear murmurings of discontent among his or her direct reports.

“He used to be our friend. Now he thinks he’s better than us.”

“She did a good job in IT, but as a manager, she’s out of her league.”

Why is it that this stellar employee now fails as a manager?

It often comes down to one issue: They were trained to do a job, but never trained to be a leader.

For them to transition well from being an employee to being a manager, they need to be un-trained on some practices and trained on some new ones.

Before a leader can serve well, they must be un-trained and trained well.

Your organization is all about people – the people who lead, the people they lead, and the clients and customers they collectively serve.

If your leadership team is functioning well at all levels, your clients and customers will be served well.

Are you, as the leader of those leaders, equipping them with the tools and resources they need to do  their jobs well?

Leadership Training Resources

Leadership training can take the form of books (at a basic level), workshops, retreats, extended leadership programs, or executive coaching, depending on the needs of the organization and individuals.

Where specific issues need to be addressed, executive coaching can help a leader push through personal or professional obstacles that may be holding them back, or get specific help in dealing with a situation. Executive coaching is also good for strategic planning and accountability, while also offering a confidential sounding board for ideas and issues.

Where teamwork is a component of the leadership training, we encourage group platforms such as workshops and retreats.

Where extensive training for leaders and teams is needed, an extended leadership program will give you and your team time to learn new principles, apply them in the workplace, and then review and refine for best results.

Living to Lead offers all of these, plus an innovative new option where you as a leader can lead your team through a 16-week leadership training program. We provide the tools you can take to your team for learning and application. With this option, you are learning and developing your leadership skills right along with your team. This gives you a chance to get to know your team and generate real solutions and ideas for your business.

To discuss and determine the type of leadership training and team development options that best fit you and your team, feel free to contact me at livingtolead.com/contact.


Dave FergusonDave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. Are you interested in talking to Dave about coaching or having Dave speak to inspire and motivate your team? “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

The 3 D’s of Responsible Leadership

March 7, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

The 3 D’s of Responsible Leadership

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in CEOWORLD magazine. Reprinted by permission.

311…it was posted everywhere on every floor. 311 on the elevator. 311 in the hallway. And 311 on the door of one very determined executive vice president.

“What is this all about?” many inquired.

Those on the top floor knew…all 311 in that division.

This particular company was in bankruptcy. Meetings were held daily as to what parts would be sold and when. Negotiations were ongoing with other companies to purchase different divisions. Some would be dissolved.

But one very adamant executive vice president fought for his people.

He promised them that none of the 311 would lose their jobs, and then he made good on the promise. The division was sold to another company – it had to be, as the “mother ship” was going down. But in his negotiations with the other company, who very much wanted him, he required that as part of his employment agreement, they would agree to hire all 311 of his people.

This is the epitome of a leader who recognized that leadership of his people meant declaring a vision, determining to safeguard his people, and delivering on his promise.

And he did.

As a leader, do your people know you take their interests seriously? Do they know that you would fight for their jobs just as much as you would fight for your own? Are they secure in the vision you have for them and the company?

Leadership is serious business.

Every day, your employees give you their most precious gift – their time. In exchange, though they may not say it, they expect at least some degree of security. It is their right to expect that you create and adhere to a vision that is geared toward the long-term success of the company.

How can you be a responsible leader? There are three very specific tenets.

1. Declare a vision.

Take out a piece of paper, and write down the number of employees entrusted to your care. Post it on your door. Post it in other prominent places. Then declare to your people that will protect every one of their interests as much as your own. That is a big, daring vision.

The Result: You will gain their attention.

2. Determine to safeguard your people.

Vision is key, but vision alone is not enough. It must be followed by determination and a plan. In fact, the bigger the vision, the more fierce determination and solid planning must be applied. Just as you declared the vision to your people, you must also share the plan with them. This gives them security and obtains the needed buy-in from them that you need to carry it out. Big vision is a team effort.

The Result: You will gain their respect.

3. Deliver on your promise.

Vision, determination, and planning require one other component in order to become reality: action. Action is delivering on your promise…and your promise is vision. Deliver the vision.

The Result: You will gain their loyalty.

These principles apply to your employees and team; and they also apply to your customers and clients. Do your customers and clients know the vision you have for them and do they sense your commitment or are they treated like a number? Do they know you will passionately deliver that vision and keep your promises to them?

This is the second article in the Leadership Ladder series. Click here for more.

Boss or Leader - Get Your FREE Chapter or Buy the Book!


Dave FergusonDave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. Are you interested in talking to Dave about coaching or having Dave speak to inspire and motivate your team? “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

The Starting Point of Leadership

February 7, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

The Starting Point of Leadership

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in CEOWORLD magazine. Reprinted by permission.

“Because I told you so.”

Chances are you have either heard it or said it sometime in your life.

It is usually uttered by the exasperated parent who has been barraged with a few too many “Why’s?”

  • “Why do I have to do my homework?”
  • “Why do I have to clean my room?”
  • “Why do I have to follow these rules?”

And the infamous words are uttered…”Because I told you so.”

This is the foundational rung of leadership.

It says, “You are expected to follow me because I am your parent. I am appointed to put a roof over your head, ensure you are educated, and keep you healthy and safe.”

This first rung of leadership is critically important. You are meeting the needs of those entrusted to your care. It may not always be easy – and they may not understand many of your decisions – but it is essential for their well-being that this foundation be established.

Fast forward to the workplace.

These same “Why’s” surface there as well. Those who report to you may not be saying it, but they could be thinking…

  • “Why do I have to do this work?”
  • “Why do I have to clean up this mess?”
  • “Why do I have to follow these policies and procedures?”

And your answer, in some form or fashion, comes out as “because I told you so.”

It is your way of saying you don’t have it all figured out yet, but you realize you are responsible, at least in part, for the work and welfare of your people.

In time, as you ascend the ladder of leadership, you will add layers beyond these basic tenants. But as a first rung of leadership, it is important that you build upon this solid foundation.

How can you be a good first-rung leader?

At this foundational point, you have two vital responsibilities.

1. Create a strong business that supports the team.

This is about fiscal responsibility. It is about building and growing a business while also battling to protect the bottom line.

As a leader, you must take these two areas of responsibility seriously. Too much growth, and reserves will be depleted. Too much protection, and you lose innovation. A healthy business that serves its clients and supports its team has a leader at the helm who is building and battling.

Several decades ago, the leaders of a major corporation failed to follow this principle. At a time when raw materials were high, they chose to manufacture a major quantity of product using those raw materials. This was also the time when they were in a major building campaign and implementing a corporate-wide software system that was not fully vetted. They were growing in many directions.

But in order to fund the growth, they failed to fund the necessary repairs and improvements to keep the manufacturing facilities in compliance.

As a result, the product sat in warehouses, priced too high to sell; the facilities were levied with millions of dollars in fines; and the costly software experiment resulted in the loss of millions of dollars.

In the end, the multi-million dollar new office building was sold for pennies on the dollar, and thousands of employees lost their jobs.

Be a leader who builds…and battles. Create a business that supports your people.

2. Create a strong team that supports the business.

As a first-rung leader, those who report to you may not know you well. They may follow your leadership, not because they want to, but because they have to. This is normal for a first-rung leader. But that doesn’t mean you can’t lead well.

The key is to be authentic. If you don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to let your team know…and then go and find the answer.

Listen to your people. Listen to their needs and ideas. Communicate with them according to their style. Let them know that, although you may be new in your position, you take the responsibility of creating a team that creates a strong business seriously because, ultimately, it supports them.

It is not about you. And though you may have them, it is not about your insecurities. It is about reaching a common goal that serves and supports the clients and the people who serve in your company.

If these two things are all you do as a first-rung leader, you have set a solid foundation for yourself and your people. In terms of the 11 Essential Needs of Employees, you have met their first need. You are able to reward them for their work. They, in turn, will reward you with their trust.


Dave FergusonDave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. Are you interested in talking to Dave about coaching or having Dave speak to inspire and motivate your team? “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.


For more tools to help you grow as a leader, click here for my Recommended Reading List. For new leaders, here’s a great place to start:

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Four Ways to Ensure You are Putting Employees First

December 6, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Four Ways to Ensure You are Putting Employees First

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in CEOWORLD magazine. Reprinted by permission.

Attracting and retaining top talent is the not-so-secret weapon of every successful business. When employees feel they’re cared for and respected, that good energy is transferred to customer care.

We can all agree that employees are the skeleton of your business – without their support, your company falls apart. Essentially, their success is your success.

But do you have an employee engagement plan? One that strengthens the “bones” of your organization while giving them what they need for growth?

If you are shaking your head, you are not alone.

Being considerate of and providing for your employees should be a top priority for you as a leader. After all, an employee-centric work culture fosters productivity and boosts morale.

Here are four ways you can ensure you are putting employees first. 

  1. Provide opportunities for professional growth.

Employees should feel challenged and inspired – and you should always be looking out for the future leaders within your company. Employees with drive and high potential are often not satisfied with staying where they are (at least not for long).

It is important to recognize potential in these employees and offer them avenues to strengthen their skillsets. Encourage them to advance their networking by attending relevant conferences. Make introductions to others that can help guide them. Simple efforts on your part can lead to big results for your company.

  1. Communicate the vision.

By consistently sharing what is happening with and within the company, you give your employees security. Without communication, your employees can become unsure of their future as well as the company’s future.

As leaders, it is sometimes easy for us to slip into a “silo” – sharing information only with our directors or key decision-makers. You can see how this could easily turn into a disaster.

A lack of communication means employees are left to fill in the blanks on their own. By communicating with your employees effectively and frequently, you are not only relaying crucial information to them, but you are also bringing them into the “inner” circle.

  1. Recognize solid work well done.

This should be a no brainer – we all like to be recognized for our achievements! Recognition is also motivating. When your employees know their contribution is appreciated, they will strive to receive recognition again and again.

A sincere offer of gratitude goes a long way to boost morale and communicate to employees that you notice those taking extra care and effort with their work.

Another aspect that works parallel with recognizing employees’ achievements is supporting your employees’ professional goals. This means realizing that employees can go much deeper than a “job well done.”

Taking the time to understand your employees’ personal goals will help you support them in ways that align with corporate goals. This is a win-win!

  1. Trust your team.

Resist any urge to micro-manage or over-manage. You have (hopefully) built a solid team around you – so use it! Trust their skills and your hiring instincts.

Instill confidence in your team by leading by example. Practicing the previous three points helps cultivate a culture of trust in your workplace. Allow your employees to (slowly) take on more responsibility. Give them the freedom to handle their mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures.

You are only as strong as your weakest link; there is a reason this phrase is a cliché. How you develop and support your employees’ growth will directly reflect in the growth of your business.

To learn more about the needs of your employees, enter your information below for your free Emotional Intelligence Infographic.


Dave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. Are you interested in talking to Dave about coaching or having Dave speak to inspire and motivate your team? “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.


 

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