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The 3 D’s of Responsible Leadership

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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.

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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.

An Often Overlooked Goal Strategy: Choose Your Words

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An Often Overlooked Goal Strategy: Choose Your Words

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.

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

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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:

Dave's Recommended Reading List

4 Steps to Create a Robust Work Regimen

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4 Steps to Create a Robust Work Regimen

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

You do not need to be a morning person to be a good leader.

There are plenty of people who don’t rise before the sun, and yet manage to build empires. What they do have in common, however, is diligence.

Creating a work regimen is simply about habits. These are the small acts you perform throughout your day that help give you structure. This structure is what helps push us through the trying or mundane days (we all have them) and pushes us toward success when we lack the extra drive ourselves.

In short, crafting a work regimen will make you a more productive leader.

“But Dave, I have no idea where to start…”

I can’t create the perfect work regimen for you because successful habits are deeply personal. But I can offer up four important steps to creating one.

The Work Regimen

Step One: Always look ahead

Assess your schedule and to-do list at the beginning of each day. End each day by looking forward to the next. This should take 10 minutes tops. Surprises upset most of us — this is a sure way to head off the unexpected.

Identify the one task or project you want to complete most every day and block off your most productive time for this task. This ensures you will end most days feeling productive.

Step Two: Write things down

Whether you prefer a digital app to organize your to-dos and personal notes or you are more of a pen and paper kind of person — I promise you that writing things down will only make you more productive and accountable.

Don’t be afraid to be creative with it! A simple checklist may be the perfect option for you. Or you may find that a concept map is more effective. The point is that we don’t always know what’s best for us, and so it is important to try different things until we find our optimal solution.

Step Three: Make it work for you.

You can’t just adopt someone else’s regimen lock, stock, and barrel. Just because a habit works for a colleague or mentor doesn’t mean it will work for you.

By all means, take suggestions from these people in your life. And try them out — but without expectation. Point is, we are all different. Make sure your work regimen is yours.

Step Four: Give it time.

By definition, a habit is a behavior practiced over time. Your ritual will take time to establish. Be kind to yourself, and don’t get discouraged by slip-ups.

Remember, it is important not to try to overhaul your life all in one day. Like any other healthy change, it takes time in order to stick! But once you settle into your work regimen, you will find that it is much easier to handle menial tasks on autopilot, attack important tasks with focus and solve problems with creativity.

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.

 

10 Valuable Attributes of Leaders Who Thrive

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10 Valuable Attributes of Leaders Who Thrive

We live in a dramatically changing marketplace. The dynamic leader knows how to stay relevant and expand relevant skills.

I have presented many times about good habits to practice, but it is equally important to discuss valuable attributes of successful leaders. I’m talking about those features that are inherent in us.

If you look at any business that weathered the Great Recession, or any business that shows continual growth, you will be able to identify many of the following valuable attributes in their leadership team.

  1. Stay curious. Many leaders who thrive are successful because they are “life-long learners.” They never presume to know it all, and constantly wonder how something can be improved.

Strengthen this attribute: Ask, “What if?” in every situation.

  1. Be creative. Leaders who thrive in a changing market do so because they are innovative. They work with what they have and produce things no one else imagined.

Strengthen this attribute: Hold brainstorming sessions with your team (or by yourself). No rules allowed — anything goes.

  1. Remain flexible. Leaders who thrive understand why organizations need to change. They also see the value in Plan B, C, D, and Z. Just because it wasn’t the first idea doesn’t mean it’s not the better idea.

Strengthen this attribute: Replace the word “failing” with the word “learning.”

  1. Be Passionate. Passion is what propels leaders who thrive to take risks when others won’t.

Strengthen this attribute: Eliminate the excuses you make to accept new challenges. Understand what is holding you back.

  1. Plan (but don’t over-plan). Leaders who thrive plan for potential pitfalls, difficulties and setbacks — but not so much that they overlook opportunity. Many leaders fall victim to over-planning.

Strengthen this attribute: View your plans as a road map, and let go of perfection.

  1. Maintain Self-Awareness. Leaders who are self-aware lead with a better sense of purpose and authenticity. This is because they are in tune with their strengths and weaknesses equally.

Strengthen this attribute: Ask for feedback from trusted peers and mentors — allow them to be your mirror until you can learn to be your own.

  1. Network. Leaders who thrive understand the strength of a team, and don’t presume they’ve gotten where they have on their own. They know that a certain amount of interdependence is more valuable than independence.

Strengthen this attribute: Set monthly goals of people you would like to connect with, email, or touch base with. Write these goals down.

  1. Doubt yourself (but not too much). Leaders who thrive are successful in part because they are not blind to challenges. Leaders who doubt themselves too much will eventually talk themselves out of trying. But a little bit of doubt is healthy, and keeps their leadership grounded.

Strengthen this attribute: If you doubt too much — ask yourself, “Is that thought unfounded?” If you doubt too little —ask yourself, “What are the potential pitfalls of this decision?”

  1. Be decisive. Leaders who thrive often do so because they make decisions faster than others.

Strengthen this attribute: Gather the “how,” “what” and “why” of every decision you face. Decisions are infinitely easier to make if you’re clear on their importance and impact.

  1. Remember the customer. Leaders who thrive know who their customers are, are familiar with their expectations, and are constantly reassessing their customers’ needs.

Strengthen this attribute: Let customers get to know you — communication is a two-way street and the foundation for any lasting relationship.

Remember, we all have the ability to be any one of these things — some features just may come easier to some than others. But this doesn’t mean attributes can’t be developed.

Take the time to get to know yourself and your team, and identify which of these valuable attributes come natural and as well as those you’d like to see more of. Practice makes progress!

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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