by Deborah Leverett | Jun 10, 2016 | Uncategorized
This is the second in a series of blogs on the most important efficiencies of a team. A team’s power to achieve results rests on how strong the leader is especially in today’s environment of accelerated change and unpredictability. The current chaos can be either a deal-breaker or a game-maker for an individual, team or entire organization. History shows us that it is in tumultuous times some of society’s greatest advancements have been made and which way the team and organization goes depends on the strength of the leader and the leader’s ability to communicate a clear vision. One of the best examples of leading a team in a highly volatile and unstable conditions is Abraham Lincoln. Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals, tells the story of how Lincoln brilliantly brought his political rivals together to create the most unusual and dynamic team that resulted in the healing of a nation. His understanding of human behavior and what motivated them was the key to his success. Lincoln’s willingness to forgo and forgive these men’s slights and their disdain and ultimately gaining their respect and admiration was one of the clearest pictures of what powerful leadership looks like. What kind of leader can take a negative and turn into a positive? A person who is courageous, a problem-solver, has a positive expectation of the future, and is resilient. Today’s leadership is first about being a leader (as opposed to doing), and then about creating a pathway through vision, innovative problem-solving and aligning the right people. Here are six leadership practices that will move today’s team in the right...
by Deborah Leverett | Jun 3, 2016 | Blog, Uncategorized
Have you ever worked on a team that understood what it really means to be an air-tight team? Unfortunately, that is not the norm. You may have worked on a team with individuals who have strong leadership capabilities. But, a team comprised of high-performers does not guarantee a championship team. How does a group strong individuals learn how to be a strong team? You may have noticed, it does not just happen automatically. There are 7 efficiencies that have an enormous impact on a group of people who are working together to accomplish a goal. Over the next few weeks, I will be addressing these external and internal factors in more detail. 1. Strength of leader: the foundation of any team is the robustness of the leader and the clarity of the leader’s vision. No matter how strong the team members are, it is difficult to consistently achieve when the leader is mediocre or struggles to effectively communicate the vision. 2. The maturity of the team: the length of time a team has been together plays a strong role in how effective and productive the team is. It takes time to build relationships that forge trust. 3. Rate of turnover: it takes anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks to integrate a new team member. A new person will always cause a slowdown in the normal routines of the team. 4. Rate and level of complexity of change: the faster and deeper the change is, the more the team has to discern what to deflect, what problems to solve and how to handle the speed and stress of the change....
by Laura Heinemann | Mar 31, 2016 | Uncategorized
You might be wondering how this video of an enthusiastic festival goer could possibly provide an important lesson on leadership, and that is understandable. After all, the image of a lone man flailing about on a hillside hardly resembles the typical portraits of great leaders we have come to expect, such as MLK, Gandi, Lincoln, or Jobs. However, this video actually perfectly demonstrates the process of how leaders come to be. Now before you scoff in dissent, let me explain my reasoning. The start of the video exemplifies that sometimes being a leader means taking action independently of everyone else. However, in the first 15 seconds of the video, the lone dancer is not actually a leader. Why? A leader needs followers. Otherwise, they are just an individual. It isn’t until about 20 seconds into the video that our lone dancer inspires one follower to hesitantly join the dancing madness. All great leaders start out as individuals without followers, and it is through their passionate course of action – or wacky shirtless dancing – that others begin to follow. After the first follower joins in, it isn’t until the 50 second mark that another follower comes along. Just like all movements led by great leaders, the follower base takes times to develop. A leader’s follower base usually builds gradually and eventually goes through a snowball effect: one follower leads to two, two leads to four, four leads to eight, and so on. With each additional follower to the group, the leader’s validity to outsiders of the movement strengthens, which consequently attracts more followers. Once the follower base reaches a certain threshold the number of followers begins to exponentially grow. Basically, a single man or woman can become a small group,...
by Deborah Leverett | Mar 11, 2016 | Uncategorized
Leaders go first, and their behaviors create the culture. Most leaders fall in the middle of the continuum. But, there are those who are exemplary leaders and those who are inadequate. How would you rate your leaders. How would your direct reports rate you? By the same token, how do you rate your culture? 1. Exemplary leaders are generous with their time, their leadership capital, and their compliments. Inadequate leaders share when it pays off for them. 2. Exemplary leaders create a strong culture of accountability. Inadequate leaders avoid accountability and use blame as a power tool. 3. Exemplary leaders model the work ethic and character they expect of others. Inadequate leaders expect more of others than they do of themselves. 4.Exemplary leaders are genuinely humble and honor others’ contributions. Inadequate leaders see almost everyone else as inferior to themselves. 5. Exemplary leaders are fair and consistent with others. Inadequate leaders show favoritism. 6.Exemplary leaders exhibit exemplary relational intelligence. Inadequate leaders have frequent anger outbursts, pout sessions, and blaming rants. 7.Exemplary leaders are transparent and cultivate agile communication systems. Inadequate leaders lack transparency and use information as a power source 8. Exemplary leaders set clear performance expectations, create a coaching climate and are quick to let wrong people off the bus. Inadequate leaders seek to dismiss or ignore poor performance. 9. Exemplary leaders look for ways to hear other points of view Inadequate leaders do not allow for disagreement or push back. 10. Exemplary leaders right wrongs. Inadequate leaders cover up or ignore wrongs. Leaders go first, and their behaviors create the...
by Laura Heinemann | Mar 10, 2016 | Uncategorized
Whether you are starting your first job or you are at the height of your career, self-education through reading is essential to success. By constantly striving to acquire new knowledge that can be applied to your life, you are expanding your abilities and increasing your potential in ways you probably can’t predict. Besides the typical reasons you’ve been told to read, there may be numerous health benefits scientists are just beginning to discover. After looking through the current research, here are 5 scientifically-backed reasons to read every day: Increasing intelligence. A report from the University of California Berkeley found that reading books exposes you to 50% more words than prime time TV or even conversations between college graduates. Exposure to new words leads to higher scores on reading tests, general intelligence tests, and reasoning tests. However, research does suggest that it is important to read from a traditional book rather than an electronic device. When you read from a screen, your reading speed can slow down by 20-30%. Give your brain a workout and improve your mental power. Reading a book is like giving your brain a cardiovascular workout. As your brain processes the text, changes happen in the brain that lead to improved efficiency, focus, and power. Studies show that reading regularly improves memory function, slows the decline of memory and brain function, and improves mental focus and stamina. Basically, reading often makes your mind sharper, longer. Reduce stress and increase relaxation. If you have stress built up from work, relationships, or other issues, reading is a great way to naturally reduce that stress and allow for...
by Laura Heinemann | Mar 3, 2016 | Uncategorized
Nothing can drain your energy and derail your organization’s efforts faster than toxic colleagues. Usually spotting a toxic coworker is fairly straightforward, but just in case, here are a list of toxic characteristics to watch out for. They’re selfish. Toxic people generally think about themselves before others. According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, selfishness is the number one characteristic of a toxic coworker. They usually lack genuine concern for your feelings or desires. This might appear in the form of someone demanding you work late despite knowing you have a necessary conflict or obligation after work. Or they might present you with an “urgent” project immediately before your lunch break and insist you complete the project before leaving. Regardless, selfishness should be a big warning on your toxicity meter. They seem to be surrounded by drama and gossip. Workplaces can become overwrought with drama and gossip, and generally there are only a few individuals responsible. If your coworker is constantly surrounded by drama at the workplace, they might be toxic. They’re dishonest. Whenever you discover that someone is purposely and consistently misleading you, it is best to distance yourself from that person. They’re toxic. They are always right… or else. We have all met those individuals who can’t stand being wrong, but usually people learn to graciously accept that they are not always right. However, when you meet someone who will pursue a debate until they force everyone involved to concede, that person is probably toxic. Other signs include bitter determination and underhanded tactics. They play the victim card too often. Everyone gets to...
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