determination Archives • Living to Lead

The 3 D’s of Responsible Leadership

March 7, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

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.

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.

An Often Overlooked Goal Strategy: Choose Your Words

February 21, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

You have made goals. Now comes the time to execute those goals.

Whether it is a health goal, a relationship goal, a career goal, or some other goal, the process is similar. You have an aspiration. Now you must execute.

Taking a step back, consider what you need to do to achieve those goals.

There is a standard list of project planning steps we all know: set realistic goals, make a plan, build in feedback loops so that even a lofty goal has reinforcing achievements along the way, etc.

These are all critical. It is likely you already do most of these based on experience.

There is another subtle – yet critical – issue you should consider as you pursue your goals: consider your choice of words.

Have you ever noticed how you are describing your goals? Are you using passive words? Why does it matter?

When I coach leaders with regard to their goals, they often speak of what they want to achieve using terms such as: wish, would, could, like, if, and maybe.

“I would like to increase sales by 25%.
“I wish to become successful in 2018.

These are not goals. They are expressions of uncertainty.

When spoken or considered, these expressions further reinforce uncertainty.

If you want to achieve your goals, you cannot be in the business of wishing. If you want to be successful, you must speak with conviction. Using action words shows confidence and determination.

Action words like “want,” “will,” and “can” show intentions of taking action.

Think for a moment. What makes you trust and believe in someone you really do not know? Consider successful sales people. What kinds of words are they using when speaking to you and getting you to buy from them? Are they passive or active words?

People buy from people they know, like, and trust – and people who can who speak confidently about their product.

Consider their mix of topics:

How much time are they reinforcing your relationship with them?
How much time are they educating you on their services?
How much time are they selling you on the advantages their offer provides?

Chances are, they are speaking with confidence in each of these areas.

You may not be in sales. Your goals may be in a completely different area, but the same principle applies. Stop and consider how your choice of words influences not only other people, but yourself.

Using active words will show others that you are confident and mean business.

Those same word choices are also key to convincing you to make the changes necessary to achieve your goals.

How to Close the Gap Between Strategy and Vision

August 9, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Often, when someone asks me what I do for a living, I tell them, “I help leaders close the gap between the reality of where they are now and where they ideally want to be.”

I help them build the bridge between their current reality and a new ideal, and it is my passion to do so.

I hear from leaders every day who are in this gap. These leaders have great ideas that don’t come to fruition. They have powerful vision that never becomes their new reality. They have big goals but few results.

I believe the biggest gap most leaders have (in their personal and professional lives) is between what they plan to do and what actually gets done. Simply stated, it is the gap between planning and executing.

How do you know you’re standing in the gap? You will…

Sense a frustration with how things are but have little to no hope they will ever change. You can’t go back, but you won’t move forward.
Notice apathy – a lack of motivation. You have found enough motivation to push you forward from status quo, but you are missing – or resisting – the pull to go higher.
Be envious of those who are successful in the area to which you aspire. Think about it. Why are you envious? It is likely because they have found a way to get to where you really want to be.

Why don’t your strategic plans get you to where you want to be?

The fact is, it may not be the plan.

Some of the best strategies developed in businesses today are dead on arrival, not because of the plan, but because of the inability to execute.

This is very much like many of us who fail each year in accomplishing our new year’s resolutions. We have big ideas and big goals, but rarely do we make a targeted plan and (here’s the key) give it the priority needed to accomplish the goals.

We make them “shoulds” not “musts”.

If you want to execute your plan, make it a “must!”

To cross the great divide between planning and vision, you need three things:

Determined Perspective
Dedicated People
Defined Process

Determined Perspective

Execution requires a reality check.

Proper execution exposes reality and then acts on it. This means you must stop presenting and start asking your employees questions. You need open and honest dialogue that will raise the true realities of your business. Then you can create processes to facilitate the execution. If you start at process, you’re missing the point of execution.

Execution requires active leadership.

CEOs and other leaders can’t stand on the sideline and watch the rest of the team execute. The leadership team has to be engaged and personally involved. Like a coach, a leader needs to set the tone for the business and get on the field with the rest of the team!

Execution has to be a “way of life” in your business.

Executing can’t be the “flavor of the month”. It has to be embedded in the way your company operates. Just like a sports team practices every day of the week for the big game, so must your team practice the disciplines required to execute.

Dedicated People

You need people who energize people.

These people focus on short-term accomplishments that drive the larger results. They are unique people with their own personal style of leadership.

You need people who can make tough decisions.

They are decisive and do not dance around making decisions. They do not show signs of procrastinating or avoiding the reality of a situation. And they accept the responsibility that is theirs.

You need people who truly know how to delegate.

These people get things done through others, which is a fundamental leadership skill. They possess a temperament that builds relationships…they work well with others.

You need people who make sure the team is doing what they committed to do.

These people are experts at follow-up. They are your accountability arm in the execution process.

Defined Process

This is the point where many goals falter. You may have determination and a great team, but if your strategic plan is not defined to the level of a doable process, you and your team could be spinning your wheels in the gap.

This is a dirty little secret from the small business level to the corporate board room. Many businesses have no defined roadmap. It’s not enough to know where you want to go and have a dedicated team – you also need a roadmap to ensure you get to the place to which you are determined to go.

How do you bridge the gap?

Vision – Set the vision first. This will pull you forward.
Strategy – This will push you forward.
Execution – This will carry you through the gap.

And the key to execution is Determined Perspective, Dedicated People, and a Defined Process.

3 Main Roadblocks to Success

July 26, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

“Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” ~ Calvin Coolidge

Perseverance is a key component of leadership, and while I believe it isn’t something you can teach, it is a characteristic you can learn. And it is essential to success.

That said, the desire to persevere isn’t enough. Perseverance also requires application, dedication, and a heavy dose of tenacity.

What is Perseverance?

It is persistent progress in a course of action despite difficulties, roadblocks, or discouragement. As a leader, you cannot give in when met with unexpected difficulty. If you do, there will be collateral damage. You know this.

And yet…you are human. You will face these times and, truthfully, want to give up.

The fact is, the road to success requires the vehicle of perseverance. And you will face roadblocks along the way that will try to stop your vehicle.

What are these roadblocks? And, more importantly, how do you navigate beyond each one?

Roadblock #1: The Propensity to Give Up

The easiest way out of a difficult situation, at least in the short term, is to simply give up – to retreat to our comfort zone. As humans, we are predisposed to avoid pain. Unfortunately, in avoiding the pain of growing, we also avoid the pleasure of success. The number one reason leaders are not successful is simply because they give up too soon.

How to Break Through Roadblock #1:

Motivate Yourself – Watch someone accomplish something impossible
Push Yourself – Get up to work out—push yourself physically
Inspire Yourself – Listen to music that inspires, motivates, and pumps you up
Challenge Yourself – Go do something hard, like climb a mountain
Encourage Yourself – Find a friend, mentor, or coach who will both encourage you and call you out where accountability is needed
Support Yourself – Stay strong by re-energizing your mind, body, and spirit; and keep your head up

Roadblock #2: The Belief that Success Comes Easily

Another major roadblock is entitlement; the belief that you are deserving of the good life without having to work for it. My friend, Larry Winget pays his respects to this idea in many of his books. He has a point.

As with everything in life, there is a spectrum for entitlement. You may not expect to have success handed to you on a silver platter, but you might be thinking it shouldn’t be this hard, either. Either way, it is entitlement.

The fact is, success doesn’t land on our doorsteps. It is earned through perseverance and good old-fashioned hard work.

How to Break Through Roadblock #2:

Dig in and use struggles as a reason to recommit to your goals. Commitment will drive you through the roadblock of entitlement and on to the good life you have worked to achieve.

Roadblock #3: A Lack of Vision

When it comes to goals, individuals who persevere always keep the big picture in mind. They see it, and know what to do or create to keep working towards it.

What is your vision?

Is it to earn money?

This may seem to be the vision. But in reality, money is not the vision, but its predicator.

The real question is, “What is the WHY beyond the money?” That is the vision.

How to Break Through Roadblock #3:

Get to your “why”.

WHY do you want to succeed in your business and career?
WHY do you want to lose weight?
WHY do you want to reach your goals

Pushing through these roadblocks engages and strengthens perseverance. And perseverance, as we’ve noted, is the vehicle to success.

Click here for free chapter on perseverance.

Are you driving the vehicle of perseverance through the roadblocks to your success?

Are you helping and encouraging your team to learn perseverance as well?

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

Five Step Plan to Turn Failure into Success

April 12, 2017 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Few of us grow up thinking failure is a pathway to success. In fact, our natural instinct is to be ashamed of our failures, humiliated by them. But failure is not just a part of life, it is a fundamental element of success—a catalyst.

As a leader, you will face instances of failure – personal failures, professional failures, and failure on the part of your team members. The big question is, how are you going to handle it?

How do you quickly turn failures into successes?

Here is the five-step plan you can engage for yourself and share with your team.

1. Take a Step Back

Burnout in business is real, and it is often fed by or results in mistakes. While logic compels us to keep on going, push through, and take more risk, the fact is, there are times when you truly need to STOP. Taking a short break, a vacation, or spending time with family can reduce the burnout factor and its unintended consequences. Very often walking away for a short time helps your mind think more clearly and come up with solutions to the issues. For a team, this could be in the form of a corporate retreat. Getting away gives clear perspective to problems and begins to help formulate solid solutions.

2. Own It

It is important to openly acknowledge your mistakes, otherwise you can’t redeem yourself. You don’t have to apologize for your choices, but you do have to confront them so you can make better ones going forward. Harry Truman said it well, “The buck stops here.”

3. Reassess

Look at your situation from every angle, and talk with others about it. Look for those people who will give you honest feedback. They could be your business advisors, friends, employees, co-workers, or family. The key is to listen, synthesize everything, and get the complete picture of your failure. Figure out what happened, and why. With your new perspective, look for ideas on how to move forward.

4. Stay Confident

Failure can be a huge blow to the ego, especially after steps two and three. It’s human. But, if you want to be a successful leader, you must let go of your failure and move forward with optimism and confidence. An occasional ego correction is both humbling and healing. It teaches us to make better decisions in the future. Realizing this is normal will help you regain your confidence to move on.

5. Revise and Refocus

Now you are ready to learn from your mistakes, improve, and find success from your failure. You simply can’t afford to spend time replaying the pity party or second-guessing yourself. Form a new plan of action and write it out on paper. Then embrace your new plan, and enjoy this new beginning. Consistent action yields consistent results. The mistake that caused the downturn can be a pivot point for the upturn if you consciously adjust your plan based on what you have learned.

Our greatest lessons come from mistakes and failures. Leaders don’t just see failures as an example of what not to do again. They try to learn everything possible, embracing failure as a way to learn how to do things right.

It takes determination, and with each lesson learned, you will pave the way to success.

Dave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. For help in getting past a mistake and on to the path to success, “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.