Leadership Newsletter – January

We hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter, our very first for
the new year, 2012. We’re excited to be able to provide you
with some fresh ideas and some very practical steps you
can take to make 2012 your best year ever!

THE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

Leadership Newsletter . . . January, 2012

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Be sure and click on links, headings and photos for more information!
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Success

“Most successful people did not achieve their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. Instead, they developed the opportunity that was at hand.”

“In the middle of difficulty always lies opportunity. Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who wanted something, recognized a problem and then turned it into an opportunity. They recognized that problems are only opportunities in work clothes.”

“There is really no future in any job. The future lies in the individual who holds the job.”

Jim Abbondante

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Newsletter Content

Where’s the Opportunity in 2012?

What is Leadership?

January Leadership Session Content!

Tribute to our Troops Abroad!

Integrity Leadership!

Time Management (2012 Schedule)

Personal ‘On-Site’ Coaching!

What is Keeping You from Succeeding?

Leadership Development: Luxury or Necessity?

How are Sales?

How to Reach & Teach Adult Learners!

What makes a Good Boss?

Why are some considered to be a Bad Boss?

Getting Employee Feedback on How You Are Doing!

Involvement is the Key!

Recommended Reading!

Who Said It??

Protect Your Privacy!

Come Join Us!

Contact Information!

Enjoy!!
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Where’s the Opportunity in 2012?

Welcome to the new year!

What a great time of year . . . the slate is clean and nothing lies before us now but a new and fresh ‘opportunity’!

The obvious question here at the beginning of this new year, 2012, is what are you going to do with yours and what do I plan to do with mine? Why not begin the new year by taking stock of all of the opportunities that are available to you in each of the important areas of your life, then consider the many ways in which you can take full advantage of those opportunities by turning them into new successes. If you haven’t already, set some meaningful goals, develop a game plan for 2012, and then get started. Commit to making some great things happen. You’ll be amazed at the progress you’ll make, the successes you will achieve and all the fun you will have along the way.

Life really is a ‘do it to yourself’ proposition.

An ancient proverb says, “Opportunity is where you find it.” Note that it doesn’t say “where it finds you”. There is also another ancient proverb that says, “A wise man will make many more opportunities than he finds.” If I have learned anything at all about opportunities, it’s that great opportunities are all around us and that often times they start out disguised as what would appear to be unsolvable problems. I’ve also learned that succeeding is all about perspective, planning and about consistently taking the right steps. It’s also about maintaining a positive expectation.

So, what’s the Secret?

It’s in understanding that every situation, when properly perceived, becomes an opportunity. The golden opportunity you are seeking is ultimately to be found in yourself. It is not in your environment; it’s not in ‘luck’ or ‘chance’, or even in the help you may receive from others; it is in yourself alone. Williams Jennings Bryan said, “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it’s a matter of choice. It is not something to be waited for; but rather something to be achieved.”

Why not invest a little quality time on the front end of this year considering the kind of ’2012′ you want to design for yourself and those around you, (both your team members and your family). You might even begin by considering some of the following very important introspective questions . . .

How pleased were you with your progress in 2011?

Did you achieve all or at least most of the personal and business goals you set out to accomplish at the beginning of last year? Did you invest time at the beginning of the year (2011) considering your goals for the new year and why they were important to you? Did you write them all down so they could be reviewed and checked on a regular basis? Did you include a ‘game plan’ for each goal? Were you pleased with the outcomes? Why? What factors contributed to the successes and/or the failures you might have experienced as you moved toward the accomplishment of your goals last year? What wisdom can you take with you into this new year? (You bought and paid for it last year, why not benefit from it this year!)

What progress are you committed to achieving in 2012?

In what ways are you committed to expanding yourself, your career, and your life this year? At the close of 2012, what do you want to look back and see; something that you and those around you can be proud of or just another year having come and gone? Consider who you are and what you stand for and those things that are most important to you in your life; what kind of a year do you want to experience in 2012 and why? What kind of an impact do you plan to make on those around you this year and for what reasons? What are your most important personal, financial and business goals this year, and what steps are you going to take to reach them? What are you going to be willing to give in order to get what you really want this year? In what ways are you really going to commit to making this year truly different from all the rest? (It’s your year to do with what you will!)

What are your strengths and weaknesses going into 2012?

How have they changed, if at all, during this last year? What are you doing better? Are you doing anything worse? Where do you need to make any improvements? Have you matured as a person and developed as a leader this past year and are you genuinely committed to continuing in your process of growth? Considering that businesses have changing needs and they require different skill sets, are you continuing to develop new skills and abilities? What strengths can you capitalize on as you move into the new year? (Be sure to play to your strong hand as you continue to grow in 2012.)

In what ways are you committed to developing your employees in 2012?

As you have heard said in the leadership sessions, your team members are among your most valuable assets. What are you planning to do this year to protect and develop those assets? Are your employees really satisfied with their involvement in your organization? How do they really feel about their relationship with you their leader, their mentor and coach? Don’t make the mistake of thinking that satisfaction to employees only equates to more money. Not true. They want to feel connected, and they want to feel, particularly the Generation Xer’s – that they are doing something worthwhile, and/or meaningful. As we have discussed in our monthly sessions, team members want to feel that they are valued, respected and appreciated. They want to feel challenged. They want to know that they are making a valuable contribution; and they want and need to feel optimistic about their future. What are your goals going to be this year for the further development of your team, and each team member in particular? (Remember, you and I both are in the ‘people building’ business!)

What are you going to do above and beyond for others during 2012?

I love what one of my early mentors Zig Ziglar says: “You can get everything in life you want if you will simply help enough other people get what they want.” The emphasis, of course, is on ‘enough.’ You may be helping many people already. Others of us, perhaps, could help more people. A gracious God has blessed each of us with talents and gifts and it’s important that we be good stewards of our blessings.

We can be good stewards of the blessings we have been given by helping other people. Whether you help family or friends, employees or colleagues, or you help people in far away lands, what’s important is that you help meet the needs of others. If we would all do more of that, we really would have a better world, not just for our businesses, but for each other. Think about how you can help other people during this new year, choose to follow-through and invest into the lives of others this year and you will see that it really will end up being a great 2012 for you personally and for those who are impacted by the decisions you make in every area of your life!

Well . . . the choice is yours . . . why not go ahead and begin laying the foundation now for a great 2012 for yourself and for those you love and care about; this time next year you’ll be glad you did, wait and see.

Choose to make it a . . .

Happy & Successful New Year!

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What is Leadership?

One of the important truths that we are learning in our leadership series is that leadership in many ways is about fostering positive change in individuals and in organizations. While the term management suggests the oversight or maintenance of existing systems and processes, leadership suggests movement from the place or condition we are in today to a place or condition that will prove to be different and hopefully better at some point in the future. The term ‘lead’ implies action; a movement from one place or condition to another.

Leadership also implies intentionality, in the sense that the change we are seeking to influence or the direction that we are moving in is not ‘random in nature’. For example, it’s not ‘change simply for the sake of change’ but it’s directed toward some future condition or end result which is to be desired or significantly valued by the leader and by those who are following the leader as he or she moves toward the accomplishment of that desired outcome.

Accordingly then, we can say that leadership is value-based in that it involves a process which is motivated by the accomplishment of something that will be valued by everyone involved. Given the fact that leadership is about change, we can view the leader basically then as a ‘change agent’ or ‘one who fosters positive change’, the kind of change that will be valued by anyone and everyone who will be impacted by the change.

Genuine leaders then are not necessarily those who merely hold formal ‘leadership’ positions; on the contrary, they are individuals who have the ability to influence others in a positive way. They have the ability to move people and organizations from where they are today to where they have the potential to be, and they have the ability to do it in such a way that the natural response of those around them is to want to be involved in the process.

Leaders are confident, vision-oriented, high achievers. They recognize potential, they have the ability to communicate vision and they have the ability to empower and motivate others into action. They are all about creating positive change both in and through others while producing outstanding results in the process. Genuine leaders will always play a strategic role in any organization’s ability to succeed.

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“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not just an act,
but a series of choices which become habits.”

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January Leadership Session Content

We are looking forward to seeing you in one of the many leadership development sessions that will be conducted around the country this month.

We have prepared two very thought-provoking and practical segments for you that will focus our attention on the subject of leadership; what it is and what it isn’t, its importance, and how to substantially increase your effectiveness in this extremely important area of your performance.

In our first segment, we’ll go to work on developing an understanding of the meaning and purpose of leadership and what’s really at its core. For example, how can you be expected to perform effectively in your role as leader if you do not really understand what it truly is and what its purpose is? In addition to developing a practical understanding of leadership, we are also going to identify management and the ways in which the two are related. While there’s certainly a big difference between leadership and management, it takes both to get the job done effectively on a daily basis.

Many of us this year are going to be expected to accomplish more in less time, and in some cases, with fewer people; and in addition, both quantity and quality are going to be issues this year. This is going to require true teamwork and a genuine commitment to excellence on everyone’s part, and it’s going to be your job as the ‘leader’ to create a desire on the part of each one of your people to really want to stretch and perform up to the level of their individual ability.

This may mean ‘beyond’ one’s comfort level in some cases. How do you do that? Who are you going to need to be and in what ways are you going to need to be perceived by your people in order for you to be able to accomplish all that you are going to be expected to accomplish both in and through your people this year?

Again, it’s going to require both effective leadership and effective management on your part to get the job done this year, and in the first of our two segments, we are going to define what they are, their relationship and how to achieve the right balance between the two.

In addition, we’re going to take a look at the four primary ways in which the outstanding leader typically demonstrates the effectiveness of their leadership in their organization; and we’re also going to take a look at some of the most dangerous leadership ‘pitfalls’ that you will want to avoid this year. Our first segment is going to be really power packed with information and tools you will want to take back and begin applying immediately.

In our second segment, we’re going to take a look at how to identify and clearly communicate your company’s core values and how to create and effectively communicate mission and vision statements. It’s important that you be able to influence the perspective that you will want your team to take as you begin moving them on into the new year.

It’s important that everyone understand who you are as an organization and why you are in business. Team members need to be able to understand and identify with the answers to questions like: What is our purpose and why should that be important to us? What are we working to build together? What’s good really look like and what’s in it for all of us as stakeholders when we achieve our desired outcomes? These are all very important questions that really need to be addressed and taken under consideration when it comes to your ability to influence your organization’s success this year.

These two segments are both going to be very strategic in terms of you developing a clear and practical understanding of your role as a leader and what it’s going to take in order for you to  be able to achieve the kinds of results you will need to achieve through the people you have been given to work with this year. Both segments are foundational and will prove to be very valuable to you as you begin to move your team forward in 2012.

Two great segments to begin the year with!!

Do your best to be there!!!

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Tribute to Our Troops Abroad!

Patriotism is easy to understand in America. It means looking out for yourself, your family and for each other by looking out for your country. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude  as we begin this year to those in uniform for their heroic sacrifice both on and off the field of battle with this small tribute:

Let’s remember to regularly pray this year for the members
of our military and also for their families back at home.

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The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.

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Integrity Leadership

One of the things I learned (and consistently saw demonstrated) during my years of working with Zig Ziglar was that integrity alone won’t necessarily make you a leader, but without integrity you will certainly never be one.

Zig often referred to a classic example of integrity displayed by Steuben, the manufacturers of crystal. For generations now they’ve had a policy of breaking every imperfect piece of crystal, no matter how small the flaw.

Needless to say, this is a potent symbolic act, to both employees and to their customers. By the same token, genuine leaders must resolve to uphold their standards and values and act as role models for all of the people in their organization. If leaders don’t place values on a pedestal and defend them against attack, who will? They anchor us against the storms of life.

A person of integrity will make many of his or her decisions in advance. They are guided by principles and decisions that are made not for each individual situation, but according to guiding principles. When values are well established within an organization, when those countless occasions arise where there has been no specific prior example, the integrity principle will lead to an integrity decision. This enables the organization to avoid serious and costly pitfalls.

Leaders with integrity know they are not infallible, so when they make the inevitable mistakes they acknowledge their errors and immediately make amends. In other words, they are big enough to admit their shortcomings and wise enough to right their wrongs as quickly as possible.

In his books and speeches, former Notre Dame head football coach Lou Holtz regularly admonishes people to “do the right thing.” When you do the right thing, even if the results are not good, your integrity remains intact; and your followers’ confidence in you is not irreparably damaged. Because of that kind of inflexibility on your part, your people will know you are a person of integrity and they will want to follow your example and live up to your expectation of and for them.

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Time Management!

LEADERSHIP-THE BOTTOM LINE

You may still be in the process of getting your personal time management system set up for the new year, (2012), so with that in mind, in order to be sure that you will be able to receive the maximum benefit possible from your involvement in the leadership series this year, make sure you place all 12 of your leadership session dates on your personal calendar . . . it’s as simple as applying the . . .

Seven P’s of Professionalism . . .

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Pitiful Poor Participation!

Plan to be with us in all twelve of the monthly sessions to insure you receive the maximum benefit possible from your participation in the leadership series. Let us know if you need a list of the dates for the sessions you will be participating in this year; Click Here!

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Personal On-Site Coaching!

You are missing out if you are not taking full advantage of the opportunity for individual ‘on-site’ coaching as you progress through the twelve month leadership development process with us.

Let me remind you that we are available to meet with you individually, at your location, on an as-needed basis, between each one of the monthly sessions to assist you with the completion of your application projects or to assist you in any areas that might pertain to your responsibilities as a leader and manager in your organization. All you need to do is contact us via email or by phone and we’ll be happy to schedule a convenient time to get together with you at your location. Personal coaching always yields impressive results.

Remember . . .

Every aspect or component of the leadership series has been designed to work together in such a way as to enable you to achieve the maximum benefit possible from your participation in the twelve month process with us. Individual ‘on-site’ coaching is available to active participants and to all of our prior alumni, and best of all, it’s free.

All you need to do is email or call and we will take it from there!

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What is keeping you from Succeeding?

People have asked me over the years why some people seem to succeed while others don’t, and as I have considered the question I have found the answer to be really quite simple. The things successful people find easy to do, unsuccessful people find easy not to do.

For example, in my own life and career, I found it easy to set the kinds of goals that could and would change my life. Others found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the kinds of books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. Others found it easy not to.

I found it easy to attend classes, seminars and workshops, and to invest time around other successful people while others said it probably really wouldn’t matter. If I had to sum it all up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, others found those same things easy not to do.

While many are succeeding, those who are not are still blaming the economy, their parents, the government, company policies, yet they continue to neglect doing the basic, easy things. In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word . . . ‘neglect’.

It’s not the lack of money, banks are full of money, nor is it the lack of opportunity, America continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history. It’s not the lack of books, libraries are full of books, and they’re free! It’s not the schools; the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisers.

Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply ‘neglect’. Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.

Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slowly shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more . . . and on and on it goes. I’ve seen it happen time and time again.

So my suggestion is that when given the choice of ‘easy to’ or ‘easy not to’ that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, ‘easy’, but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines that will lead you to the success you desire. Others will see and will surely want to follow.

Remember . . .

“Successful people make a habit of doing the things
that unsuccessful people won’t do.”

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What Do You Really Think?

Leadership Development: Luxury or a Necessity?

Consider your company’s most important and valuable resource, your ‘people’; what kind of ‘return on investment’ are you really experiencing when it comes to what you are investing in your people?

While you might have effective ‘managers’, how many of them are truly equipped to ‘lead’ and to get the very best out of their people? Most managers today know a whole lot about their industry, their products and services and the mechanics of how to get things done in their organization, but the thing they seem to really understand the least is their most expensive and valuable resource . . . their people.

Managers ‘manage’ things and processes; leaders ‘lead’, develop and guide ‘people’ into a greater degree of involvement, productivity and personal and team success.

Imagine the impact in any organization if their managers and supervisors began to understand their people as well as they understood every other part of their operation. Communication and working relationships would improve dramatically, problems would be reduced, productivity would be improved and levels of profitability would be greatly increased.

Realistically, equipping your key leaders with effective leadership skills is becoming even more important during these very unusual times we are all living and working in. As today’s organizations are being expected to achieve even more with less and through fewer people in some cases, developing effective leadership skills can no longer afford to be seen as a luxury, it’s very quickly becoming a necessity. It’s going to be the only way to insure a maximum return on what you are already investing in your people, and most importantly, the only way to insure a strong and secure future for your team and your company.

If you’re interested in learning about one of the most cost-effective and results-oriented approaches to developing strong leaders – click here!

LEADERSHIP-THE BOTTOM LINE

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How are Sales?

In the competitive environment in which we all live and work today, it’s becoming vitally important that your sales people be able to out-think and out-perform your competition.

You can no longer afford to place the future of your organization in the hands of ‘typical’ or even good sales people; if you’re going to win when it comes to achieving the success you want and securing the future you’re committed to, you’re going to have to turn your pretenders into contenders and your top performers into true champions!

If you’re interested in learning about an effective approach to sales development that will empower your sales team with the ability to increase their closing ratios, generate more repeat and referral business and substantially increase profitability, you owe it to yourself to take a look at our career development process for professional sales people.

We call it Sales-The Bottom Line – click here!

SALES-THE BOTTOM LINE

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How to Reach and Teach Adult Learners!

This is a subject I wanted to deal with in the newsletter this month due to the fact that I have had a number of our participants raise questions about this issue and also because we have a number of Human Resource and Training Directors who take a lot of the training material from the leadership series back to their respective organizations.

One thing you can almost always be sure of if you’re training adults is that they are going to be ‘afraid’. To one degree or another, they’re afraid of authority, participation, of losing face, losing their dignity, and of not being able to keep pace. Add to that the fact that adults tend to have a good deal of experience, established habits, and strong beliefs, pride, and the tendency to hear only what they want to hear.

Ready to give up yet? Well, don’t. You can reach your adult learners. You just have to know how. I don’t presume to have all of the answers but I have had well over 30 years in this industry and experience has taught me a few valuable lessons that I would like to pass on to you to help you create a much more positive and productive experience for both you and your adult learners.

Before genuine skill transfer can take place, you must do your best to meet the following certain conditions:

1. Adult learners must feel that there is a need to learn.

Your training mission must be clear. Your learners must believe that they have a legitimate need for what you are teaching and that it will help them in their current position, or to develop their career, or to help them increase their income, or to somehow make their jobs easier. Once they’re ‘sold’, you will have their undivided attention.

2. The training environment must be socially and mentally safe.

The trainer or facilitator must create a setting where there are no ‘wrong answers’ and no ‘unnecessary risks’. For example, the term ‘role-play’ typically strikes fear in the hearts of many adults. Be creative; you can use terms like ‘practice sessions’ instead. Remember that it’s important that your learners feel good about themselves while in the training environment you have created for them, especially in front of their own peers.

3. Your adult learners must ‘own’ the goals for the training.

This is the all important ‘what’s in it for me?’ part of the process. You have heard us say in the leadership sessions that, from their perspective, their ideas and goals will always be much more credible and important than yours so the idea here is to begin to create involvement by introducing the subject and then allowing them to outline the learning objectives. This is most effectively done using a flip chart or erasable marker board.

4. Adult learners must be allowed to actively participate in the process.

You can easily get them involved on the front end by the use of introductory games or with brain-teasers and then through the use of exercises and tasks that are easy to do that offer quick rewards. In addition, using a discussion style presentation keeps the adult learner mentally and emotionally involved and increases their ability to apply what is being taught to actual situations that exist in their working environment. Always remember, the greater the degree of involvement on the part of the participant, the more they are going to internalize while they are there.

5. Learning must ‘relate to’ and utilize the adult learner’s experience.

By asking questions, the trainer or facilitator is not only creating an opportunity for involvement but the trainer is able to find out what the adult learners already know which helps the trainer to better relate the information being taught to the learner’s experience and also to what their greatest needs are.

6. Adult learners must see that they are succeeding at the training.

The trainer or facilitator must look for legitimate opportunities to positively reinforce the learner’s participation or accomplishments during the training. Consistent positive feedback will lead to a very positive and productive training experience for both the trainer and the participants.

7. Learning must involve as many of the senses and emotions as possible.

It’s all about getting them involved from their perspective and relating your training to what they consider to be most important to them, using examples that they can identify with, and challenging them to share their experiences and ideas, and to challenging them to think outside the box as they consider issues from as many different perspectives as possible.

You want to remember that if you’re going to influence and change their behaviors, you are going to have to influence and change their attitudes about those behaviors first, and this might require that you move them through a total paradigm shift during your training process, but then again, isn’t that what leadership is really all about?

For more great ideas and the ‘how tos’, you will want to be sure and participate with us during the month of March when our topic will be . . .

How to Effectively Train & Develop a Winning Organization!

By the way . . . probably the most important advice I can offer the effective leader/trainer/coach is to . . . Make it Fun!!

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What Makes a Good Boss?

Interesting question, don’t you think? A typical manager is rarely considered a good boss, but a good leader is always considered to be a great boss! Ever wonder why? Which are you? There are a number of traits, attitudes and abilities that seem to be common to all effective leaders, the kinds that would be considered ‘good’ leaders.

Good leaders tend to set the tone for the entire department and, often times, for the entire company. Good leaders will always make a difference in the lives of their people.

Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics that are considered the most valuable.

1. Be inclusive.

It’s essential that everyone feels like an equal and an involved part of the team. A good boss is certain to treat each employee fairly, not only in terms of their salary and their other forms of compensation, but also in terms of how that employee is involved in the daily function of the business.

A good boss will encourage feedback, innovation and creativity so employees do feel genuinely engaged. You need to create an environment of integrity, trust and respect and make absolutely certain that everyone is treated fairly, regardless of any differences they may have. It’s essential to be inclusive, because that keeps everyone on the same page when it comes to the business’s short and long-term goals.

2. Mission – not just money.

Very few businesses operate out of sheer altruism, but that’s not to say that turning a profit is the only primary philosophical and practical focus. Rather, an effective boss establishes a genuine business mission. How that takes shape depends both on the business and on the overriding focus the boss wants to establish. For instance, a restaurant owner may push speedy lunchtime service as a way of serving the time-strapped business community. By contrast, a medical supply company may emphasize how its products improve customers’ health. Not only can a clear mission serve to motivate employees, it can also infuse a sense of importance in their jobs. It gets their hearts involved.

The point to be made is that there’s got to be something bigger than money involved. A positive mission will go a long way toward keeping employees from feeling as though they have become locked in to some mundane, day in and day out job.

3. Nothing to fear but fear itself.

Many of us have had bosses who would be right at home with a guillotine next to their desk calendars. Make one mistake on the job and feel free to slip your noggin right in beneath the blade. Conversely, an effective boss encourages his or her employees not to be gun shy about an occasional ‘snafu’ along the road toward better job performance. This requires a mentality that encourages learning rather than a fear of making a mistake. The effective leader will communicate a message that says, “Try something new and different, and know that we’re not going to kill each other if things don’t work out.”

A competitive swimmer in college swam fast when he imagined a shark was after him. He swam just as fast when he imagined he was in the Olympics. It’s a question of what you want your team to focus on, fear or opportunity. Which do you think will be most effective in the long run?

4. Don’t just lead – coach!

It’s common to hear a sports reporter observe that one coach out-coached another in a particular game. The same dynamic holds true for your business, in which you view your position both as a leader and a couch who teaches, encourages and, if need be, corrects employees. A coach sees things very differently than the players. It’s important to use that different perspective to educate and encourage. But it’s also important, like a good coach, to lead your team by example. For instance, while you should point out mistakes by your employees, be sure to admit when you yourself make a mistake. And remember to coach with questions and be sure to use a lot of positive reinforcement along the way.

5. It’s their careers, too.

Don’t forget that the people who work for you are looking to you to help them navigate and advance their careers. As I said, it’s not all about money. But it is all about making your employees see how to improve and create meaningful careers for themselves.

If an employee has a goal of becoming a manager or running his or her own department someday, nurture that goal. Tell them the traits they will need to work on to achieve their ultimate plans. This will give them a sense of purpose and direction and they will become much more self-motivated and more loyal to you in the process.

6. Made – not necessarily born.

One final aspect of being a good boss is recognizing that much of what goes into being an effective leader is, in fact, learned behavior. Of course, there always have been and will be bosses who seem to have a flawless touch in leading and motivating. But for every natural, there are just as many top-flight bosses who got that way by attending management classes and seminars, reading books on effective leadership and, just as important, developing good leadership capabilities. To a certain degree, we all have innate traits that make us good bosses. All you really have to do is continue to develop those traits to their utmost. Stay with it; you’ll become an even better boss than you already are! See you in class!!
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Why are some considered to be a bad boss?

Funny how many bosses think their subordinates are moving on because of dissatisfaction over what they are paid. Wrong.

A 2010 study involving some 20,000 exit interviews found that the No.1 reason people leave their jobs is ‘poor supervisory behavior.’ In other words, ‘bad bosses’. And one of the biggest factors cited as a part of ‘poor supervisory behavior’ was poor communication skills.

People too often are promoted for their workplace accomplishments, without any assessment of their communication skills. Simply put, if you aren’t a good communicator, you probably shouldn’t be a boss. And you probably won’t be one for long, although there does appear to be a lot of bad bosses hanging on out there. (We’re in and out of a lot of companies.)

Fortunately, good communicators are made, not born. We spent some quality time interviewing several management and human resources experts recently about how well today’s managers communicate, (including their use of e-mail). When we asked what bosses generally need to work on, here is our responses to what they told us.

7 Basic Communication Tips!

Practice these simple skills, build better working relationships and keep your good employees.

1. Be a good listener.

Pay attention to your employees. Really care about them. Sounds simple, but it is a common gripe. Among the things that are going to be stressed in our workshops this year is learning how to really listen better.

2. Make time for employees.

Regular, one-on-one meetings with your team members are important; if employees work remotely, meet by phone. If you can’t meet weekly, do it at least twice a month. And don’t take phone calls during meetings, unless it is an emergency. Show your employees they have your full attention. Talk about their career paths and how you envision them growing in their jobs.

3. Get the word out to those affected as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Take great pains to reach those who should be in the know about workplace changes coming down from above. This is tough. It’s so easy (it is) to forget to tell someone, on a timely basis, something they should know about in order to be able to do their job. We’re all busy but know the downfall; Work may not get done, and you may also end up looking like you aren’t really in the know . . . which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in your troops.

4. Put out a consistent message about your values.

Knowing who you are, and what you stand for, can help your employees make better decisions on their own, (or at least decisions that you will like better). If you’re sending mixed messages, explain them or suffer the consequences.

5. Give regular feedback; avoid surprises.

Employees shouldn’t first learn about significant performance issues in an annual evaluation. They should be made aware well beforehand, (and as respectfully as possible), that there is something that they need to improve. The annual evaluation should be more of a recap of the progress they have achieved and a discussion of future direction and the benefits of continuing to apply themselves to the accomplishment of their goals.

6. Be effective in speaking to groups.

I’m not talking here about speaking to the local chamber of commerce or Rotary Club, although that is not a bad skill to have also, by the way. I mean speaking to employee groups. If you can’t speak well at employee meetings or in front of employee groups, you risk losing your credibility as a manager and leader. Learn how to do it; learn how to get better at it. The same thing goes for writing group e-mails, (which we will look at in a future newsletter).

7. Don’t hide behind e-mails.

Most delicate matters must be discussed in person. Most conflicts must be settled in person, or at the very least by phone. When emotions are involved, e-mail becomes a less-appropriate vehicle to communicate. And e-mail is never an appropriate method to tell someone he or she is being laid off. (Yes, we know it unfortunately happens in the real world). Nonetheless, e-mail is an important communications tool, so I will include a set of tips on how to communicate more effectively using e-mail in the February newsletter.

One of the smartest moves you can make is to get regular feedback from your employees on how you are doing!

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Getting Employee Feedback on How You Are Doing!

Should you seek out feedback from your employees on your performance as a manager? You bet. I highly recommend it! It will engender loyalty, and likely make you a better boss.

1. How do you solicit such feedback?

Larger corporations typically have annual manager feedback forms that can be answered by employees, (anonymously, if they so choose). While that is one way to do it, and a way that is helpful in a corporate setting where you have a large enough Human Resource Department, I suggest you continually strive to get the feedback in person, as part of an ongoing personal dialogue with each of your employees.

Example . . . “What can I do to make it easier for you to do your job and what can I do to help you succeed at accomplishing your goals?”

2. Don’t do it via e-mail.

Use your one-on-one meetings with an employee to hear him or her out on an issue or concern. Care about the employee and try to disarm the employee as much as possible, with humor or by simply listening and understanding, and it is important that you be sincere in your interest about what he or she has to say. It may be hard for you to do in some cases, but it may even be harder for the employee to speak his or her mind. The end result is likely to be a better relationship with the employee and also improved performance on your part as a leader and manager.

3. What if you can’t get the employee to speak up?

Your best bet is to keep working at your dialogue, without making the employee feel at all uncomfortable. Over time, the employee will confide in you. A smart way to end every one-on-one meeting is to casually but earnestly ask, “Is there anything else on your mind?” Then be willing to listen because, over time, you will be hearing more about what the employee is really thinking and that’s the only way you will be able to make the kinds of decisions that you will need to make in order to improve everyone’s performance, (your own included).

Acting on Employee Feedback You Are Receiving!

What you do with the information and insight provided by your employees is critical to your image and credibility in their eyes and to your effectiveness and success as their leader and manager.

1. How do you handle an employee’s criticism?

You listen to what the employee has to say, ask questions where appropriate, get the employee’s suggestions on how you might be able to improve and then pledge to consider it. You are likely not to agree with everything said, at least initially. But be patient; keep an open mind and take it all under advisement. Your initial reaction might be to reject the feedback completely. Bad move. Thank him or her and then tell them that you will take some time to think about the criticism, and then get back to him later. Then be sure and do so.

2. Should I follow-up with the employee?

Chances are, you will appreciate what the employee had to say, even if, (after spending some time thinking about it), you still disagree. Do get back to the employee and pledge to do what you feel is necessary to improve your performance and enhance the relationship. It takes a confident person who is committed to excellence in their example and performance to be able to take these kind of steps. And that must be you or you wouldn’t have read this far down in the newsletter!

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The great thing about living in a democracy is
that you can say what you think
without really thinking.

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‘Involvement is the Key!’

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, “You’re tearing up the grass.” “We’re not raising grass,” Dad would reply, “We’re raising boys.”
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Book Recommendation!!

This is a very interesting book on leadership that comes highly recommended; one I think you will really enjoy.

It’s called . . .

Winners Never Cheat!

Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten)

by Jon M. Huntsman

Next time someone tells you business can’t be done ethically—corners must be cut, negotiations can’t be honest—hand them Jon Huntsman’s new book. Who’s Jon Huntsman? Just someone who started with practically nothing, and built a world-class business that carried him to Forbes‘ list of America’s wealthiest people. Here, he presents the lessons of a lifetime: a passionate, inspirational manifesto for returning to the days when your word was your bond, a handshake was sacred, and swarms of lawyers weren’t needed to back it up.

This is no mere exhortation. It’s as practical as a book can get. It’s about how you listen to your moral compass. It’s about how you build teams with the highest values…share success…take responsibility…earn the rewards that only come with giving back. Huntsman built his career and fortune on these principles—from his refusal of the Nixon administration’s corrupt demands, to his lifelong commitment to charity, to the way he approaches his biggest deals.

You don’t live these principles just to “succeed”: you live them because they’re right. But in an age of many business scandals, Huntsman’s life proves honesty is more than right: it’s your biggest competitive differentiater.

This has got to be one of the best books I’ve read on achieving success and being a success. If you want to put your people individually (and your team as a whole) on the fast track to success, this is a must read!

It’s available at Amazon.com
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Who Said It?

See if you can match the following quotes with the right person.

People:

A. Golda Meir
B. Muhammad Ali
C. Norman Vincent Peale
D. Mark Twain
E. Ruth Gordon
F. Jim Abbondante

Quotes:

1. Always do right. This will gratify some people and it will astonish the rest.

2. Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it’s strengthened by use.

3. The man who has no imagination has no wings.

4. Getting people to like you is simply the other side of liking other people.

5. You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.

6. Honey, what’s for dinner tonight?

See how many quotes you can match to the right person.

Let me know if you want me to send you the correct answers!!

Jim.Abbondante@LeadershipInstituteUSA.com

Enjoy!

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Protect Your Privacy

BLOCK YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE

We appreciate being alerted to this situation by one of our leadership series participants. Quite frankly, I can’t believe that this level of personal information is being made available on the internet so easily.

Just when you thought you were safe. You may want to go to this site and make sure that your personal information is blocked immediately.

Now you can see anyone’s Driver’s License on the Internet, including your own! I just searched for mine and there it was . . picture and all! I definitely removed mine; I suggest you all do the same. Go to the website and check it out. Just enter your name, City and State to see if your Driver’s License is on file.

After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked “Please Remove”. This will remove it from public viewing, but not from law enforcement.

http://www.license.shorturl.com

Good Luck!
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Come Join Us!

Once again, let me remind you that we are looking forward to seeing you again in one of the ‘on-site’ or public sessions that will be conducted this month around the country.

If you need any additional information or any assistance of any kind, please feel free to email or you can give any one of us a call at any of the numbers listed below as we are committed to your success.

And remember once again to say your prayers . . .

“Lord, when I am wrong, make me willing to change;
and when I am right, make me easier to live with.
Strengthen me that the power of my example
will far exceed the authority of my rank.”

Let’s make 2012 our best year ever!

Jim Abbondante

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Contact Information . . .

Jim Abbondante
President, Director of Training
Direct Line: (817) 304-2225

Leadership Institute
Main Number: (903) 960-5636

Student Services Number:    1-800-955-0109
(Personal and/or Executive Coaching, Misc. Needs, etc.)

E-Mail:    Leadership.Team@LeadershipInstituteUSA.com

Web-Site:    www.LeadershipInstituteUSA.com

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God Bless!

Psalm 78:72
John 10:10
Isaiah 48:17
Deut. 8:18