Leadership Definition
Socrates sought to define important terms before having a debate. How productive can a debate be, after all, if terms are not agreed upon by everyone? The act of defining, however, is not always clear cut. In fact, it can lead to more debates.
In building a training program for leaders, I’ve given a lot of thought to definitions of leaders and leadership. Judging from the number of definitions of I’ve run across, it’s high time for a debate.
Here are a few debatable definitions that caught my attention: Read the rest in Leadership Excellence (external link) by Gary Cohen
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Work Wise: Trust That Used To Come Naturally Must Be Carefully Cultivated
'This is a high-scrutiny, low-trust environment," says licensed psychologist Susan Battley, CEO of Battley Performance Consulting L.L.C., in East Setauket, N.Y. "You'll have to work that much harder when there isn't trust to create it and maintain it." This column will tell you how to gain trust. It will also tell you what you might have to do if you are trustworthy but not being trusted.
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Uncertain Situations
When faced with an uncertain situation, two in three leaders fail to first ask, “What is the goal?” This insight is based on a live audience survey by CO2 Partners, a Minnesota leadership development and executive coaching firm.
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Leadership Accountability
I have four
people reporting to me, and I feel like none
of them are accountable. What can I do
to make them more accountable?
Establishing accountability
is a common challenge for entrepreneurs and managers. I
suggest using a process I learned from a good friend,
Henry Chidgy, who once ran several railroad and
diamond companies. Henry emphasized the use
of monthly performance reviews – yes, monthly! These
reviews, however, need not and should not be complex;
they work best when kept extremely simple. Maximum
accountability is the main goal.
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Business Planning
In last week’s column,
you gave advice about starting a business, and
you kept preaching about writing a business
plan. I own a business, I don’t
have a plan, and I’m doing just fine. What’s
the big deal?
How do you know your business is
doing “fine” if you do not have a business
plan? This is like a runner stating that
he is “fast” when asked his running
pace. Quality and success cannot be measured
without having benchmarks and goals. A business
plan provides both, allowing you to compare your
outcomes to your goals. Without a plan, it
is all too easy to keep moving the bar for yourself.
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Leadership
At the Top
I lead a small company,
and I manage it very tightly. In meetings,
I find I am the only one offering ideas, while
others do not contribute. Although my ideas
have really worked to grow the company, I feel
I am doing it alone. What should I do?
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Accountability
Dear Coach,
I own and run a company, but my leadership
skills are sometimes lacking. My Senior Team
refers to me as “Mr. Softy,” because
I fail to discipline those who breach company policies. I
am having particular difficulty with my VP of Sales. While
he does bring in new accounts, he consistently
enters them incorrectly and causes all sorts of
problems for production staff. My team keeps
telling me to “let him have it,” but
I am not sure what to say. How do I make
him accountable without simply firing or threatening
to fire him?
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Ask Don't Tell Leadership
Dear Coach,
I have always been intrigued by politicians,
who utilize “Town Hall Meetings” to
communicate with their constituents. These
meetings seem to be a great tool, allowing voters
to ask any questions they want. Recently,
I decided to try out the Town Hall concept on a
corporate level. I manage a company of 2,000
employees, all in locations outside the United
States. In the course of two weeks, I visited
12 countries, presenting a slide show on the “state
of the union” and taking questions. Despite
working hard to engage my employees and remove
barriers, I feel something is missing. Any
ideas?
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Team Building
In any company or organization, a
new member can create tremendous waves. These
waves, or changes, may be obvious in small organizations
or in large companies, particularly when a new
member of management comes aboard. Despite
the size of the company or position filled, however,
a new team member’s presence inevitably creates
change.
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Sales Management
As a sales manager for a business
in Minneapolis, I am responsible for all company
revenue. Of the 5 sales people working for me,
only one is a star performer. Ironically,
the problem I am having is with him. He frequently
breaks rules, creates tension among coworkers,
and angers our entire senior team. If I fire
him, however, neither the company nor I will reach
our number goals. What do I do?
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Leadership in Opposing Viewpoints
When you find yourself confronted
with an opposing viewpoint, how do you first react? It
is likely you feel immediate discomfort, which
leads you to employ some type of resistance. Resistance
takes many forms: defensiveness, withdrawal, anger,
inflexibility, passive-aggressiveness – the
list goes on and on. In coaching executives,
I frequently emphasize that resistance to another’s
viewpoint can be limiting, wasteful, and destructive. For
leaders, in particular, resistance limits growth – for
both themselves and their organizations.
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Entrepreneurs
After working at one company for
10 years, I would like to begin my own business. What
issues do I need to consider, and how do I know
when it is the right time to take the “big
step?”
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