by Deborah Leverett | Jan 3, 2014 | Blog, Uncategorized
When managers complain of shifting priorities handed down from leadership, the culprit behind the confusion is more often than not a lack of clarity on the part of leadership about the organization’s vision. The one common behavior I find most often is that leaders crowd their calendars, their desks, their minds with an overflow of activity (have you counted how many meetings you attend, lately?) “Busy leaders are a dime a dozen, but highly productive leaders are not so common” says Mike Myatt in his newest book, Hacking Leadership. My question to the leader is always: “If you, the leader, are not doing the thinking, the visioning, the planning; then who do you think is?” Therefore, my ONE resolution for a leader in 2014 is to dedicate regular time to Reflect, Assess and Prioritize. Your job is to lead others. You must take time to reflect on what went well and what needs more (yours or someone else’s) attention. This is your thinking time. Time to imagine how the company’s vision will look. I’ve known leaders who do this daily, weekly, or even monthly. The best of the best will take time at the end of each quarter as well as at the end of the year. Tools to have handy: the strategic plan, your monthly goals, list of most persistent problems, or an inspirational book you are reading. If you can do this in an environment that fosters imagination and innovation, you will definitely gain some momentum. And, if none of these do it for you, grab a blank notebook and a pen. Go to your calendar right...
by Deborah Leverett | Dec 18, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
With as many as 4 generations in some companies, there is often a stark difference between groups as to what values are important. How does your company measure up to what you want? Click Here to Vote
by Deborah Leverett | Nov 25, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
While doing research for a client, I ran across a piece of information from Gallup. I’m not sure the date of the research; nevertheless, it is timeless and trusted advice for those of you looking to build a culture of extraordinary service. All of this easier said than done… Gallup has found that a service-centered culture requires: a committed leadership team that champions a service first philosophy employees who are ardent about and understand the benefits of outstanding service and quality the strategic alignment of the organization’s plan, policies, and procedures to be a service-focused organization an established process to document and disseminate organizational knowledge, strengths and weaknesses a learning organization with an ongoing commitment to improving performance I would add one more: extend the same importance to your employees, associates and vendors as you do your customers. How does your organization stack up?...
by Deborah Leverett | Nov 8, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
This past week I attended an Austin Roundtable luncheon for business owners . The speaker, Ed Perry, President & COO of DrillingInfo, has been described as one of today’s most enlightened business leaders. A very successful businessman, he is committed to share what he knows and has set a professional goal of helping create one million successful, principled entrepreneurs before he dies. In a highly informative presentation, Ed emphasized the importance of leadership especially during times of high growth. Among his many great points, the most fascinating to me was his definition of an authoritative leader as opposed to dictatorial leadership. The authoritative leader: has a high degree of emotional intelligence has a ‘come with me’ mindset is goal-driven is inspirational is decisive – ‘someone has to take the lead’ is tough but fair focuses on doing what’s right – not on being right Favorite quote from Mr. Perry: “When you’re wrong, don’t get into a fight to prove you’re right!” How do you make sure those in your organization’s leadership positions are authoritative and not dictatorial?...
by Deborah Leverett | Oct 25, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
Mozart – @ age 7 wrote his first symphony. Joan of Arc @ age 17 led an army defending France. Fred DeLuca @ age 21 co-founded Subway with $1,000 in the bank. John F. Kennedy @ age 43 was inaugurated as 35th POTUS. George Foreman @ 45 recaptured heavyweight championship of the world. Willie Shoemaker @ age 54 won Kentucky Derby. Ray Krock @ age 57 founded MacDonalds. Grandma Moses @ age 78 started painting. What are you waiting for? Happy Friday!...
by Deborah Leverett | Oct 18, 2013 | Blog, Uncategorized
In a positive way, of course. With a highly-educated workforce, there still seems to be ignorance around the fact that an action always causes a reaction. To succeed in the workplace, understand which behaviors will bring success which ones will be destructive. Here is Mature Behavior 101: 1. Be punctual – don’t just show up – show up on time and be punctual about your commitments. 2. Be conscientious about your work: do your work well and thoroughly: you waste (steal) your employer’s time when you spend time idly on computer/social media. 3. Do the hard tasks first. 4. Do everything you do with excellence. In the words of Henry Kissinger to his subordinates: “Is that the best you can do? If it isn’t, do it over.” 5. Be the leader – the adult in the room – don’t gossip about other co-workers nor about your boss. 6. Help remove obstacles for others whenever you can. 6. Examine your own behavior by answering this question: If everyone in the company had my work ethic and attitude, would the company be better than it is now or worse? Happy Friday!...
Recent Comments