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#Leadership : What Coach K Can Teach You About Leadership and the Morning Habits of NBA Stars…The most Winningest Coach in NCAA Division I Basketball History Wants to Show you How to Be a Better Leader. He’s Qualified to Do That, Don’t you Think?

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Mike Krzyzewski, or Coach K as he’s more commonly called, is much taller in person than he looks on TV.

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I guess that’s because the coach of Duke’s multiple champion men’s basketball team and Team USA’s gold medal men’s basketball team wasn’t surrounded by 6-foot-11-inch super athletes at the time I met him in a midtown New York office. Instead, Coach K was sitting with his business partner Chrissie Gorman, CEO of PowerForward, a new startup digital subscription service that will deliver interactive leadership and team-building videos to users.

He’s got trophies, medals and the respect and admiration of millions, so why start a business? “I don’t know how many more years I will continue to coach, but I wanted to be able to teach for the rest of my life,” Coach K told me. “And this platform will allow me to do so.”

I had the pleasure of speaking with Gorman and Coach K about their venture and the parallels between leading on the court and in business. I walked out of the room feeling energized, inspired and ready to throw down a vicious dunk on my opponents … if only I could figure out a way to grow a foot and a half on my way to the gym.

Last time I saw you, Coach, you had a big hunk of gold around your neck.

Coach K: I wish! They don’t give coaches the actual medals, we get replicas — but that’s OK, the main thing is we won!

How does PowerForward work?

Coach K: It is a video service a company would subscribe to. People from all walks of life — sports, business, military — tell a story about how they have adapted or how they have shown leadership. And as you watch the 20-minute video, the viewer is asked if they would have made the same decisions, if they would have done things differently and why. It is interactive. So you’re not just reading or watching — you’re able to feel it. And if you feel it, you might own it. And that’s how you get better.

 

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Related: Mark Cuban Talks Basketball, Hustle and the Wonders of Great Wealth

How did your partnership come together?

Coach K: Chrissie and CAA had the vision to put this startup together, which has been two years in the works. And they were able to help me understand the vision, because this isn’t a world that I am in. Just like she doesn’t understand the vision of attacking a zone or full-court pressing. And now it is a shared vision. I love what she and our team have be able to do.

Chrissie Gorman: We had an incredible opportunity to work with a man who has this amazing legacy of leadership. I came in to look at it and see if there was a need we could fill. I looked at the $10 billion B2B leadership market, and we saw a gap in focusing on emerging leaders. Who better to fill that role than Coach K?

Related: Leadership Lessons From Sports Legends

Your ability to lead spans between athletes fresh out of high school to athletes who are seasoned NBA All-Stars. What are the similarities and differences leading groups like that?

Coach K: It is completely different. There’s a big difference in maturity: age, physical and experience. So when I’m coaching the USA team in the Olympics, those guys are professionals, they’ve crossed bridges of experience. The quickest way of explaining it is that we adapt to each other. Then we find the best practices that that group can adapt to.

When I’m coaching the young guys in college, they pretty much have to adapt to me. The lessons I’ve learned in adapting to the pro players have been unbelievable. How you train, how they are able to be successful in certain situations — I’ve learned more in the past 10 years from these guys than I knew before.

Who surprised you most?

Coach K: Almost all of them, quite frankly. In some respect, that’s not the world I live in. In college, we have to train our guys. These professionals have their routines. What we do as a group we do as a group. But I have to allow them time to follow the routines that work for them.

Demar DeRozan is getting up at 6 a.m. to do his routine, Klay Thompson is going back to the gym and shooting at night. Kyle Lowry is one of the top scorers in the league, and he came to me and said, “What do you need coach? I don’t care how many minutes I play.” It is called selfless.

People always ask “How do you get these big egos together?” If you have a good common cause — to play for your country and win a gold medal — that’s a pretty good common cause. Like we say inPowerForward, they make a commitment to being part of something that is bigger than you.

Related: Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Quotes of All Time

Do you love to win or hate to lose?

Coach K: Both! I would say for me, the thought of losing is a bigger motivator than the thought of winning. But the hatred of losing causes you to prepare to win. Everybody wants to win, not everybody wants to prepare to win. You have to love the process of preparing to achieve that goal of winning. People who are less talented can beat you if they are more together, tougher and more unselfish.

My kids play little league, and there is a mercy rule that stops better teams from running up the score too high. Are you able to take your foot off the gas during a game?

Coach K: I would hope that I am faced with the opportunity in every game that I coach! A lot of people ask if I prefer a close exciting game or a blowout — as long as we’re the ones blowing out the other team, the sooner the better.

Does that competitiveness carry through in business? Do you look to crush your competition?

Gorman: In business, you have to be agile. You have to be open to someone coming in and disrupting you. You can’t rest on your laurels. It is always competitive, but in the end, it is all about your investors and your customers. You are working to make their investment of time and money worthwhile, that’s where your focus needs to be.

Coach K: I think your focus should always be on yourself, being the best that you can be. Your competition shows your flaws, your weakness. I’m into beating my opponents, not crushing them. Without competition, you don’t know how people are looking to beat you. So you welcome that. To “crush” someone means that you feel like you won. But if you’re committed to excellence, it’s not about one game, you have to be there all the time. You’re never at the end, you’re always “becoming.”

Related: 10 Most Successful Entrepreneur Athletes (Slideshow)

When you are recruiting new players for Duke, you have statistics that show how talented a player is, but are there any tells that you look for to see if you want them on your team?

Coach K: We look for three things: talent, academic ability and character. Are they easy to coach? Is it all about them or is it all about us? We give those equal weight, and if one is missing, we won’t try to recruit that player.

Do those three pillars line up with recruiting employees in business?

Gorman: Yes, particularly when it come to character. I look for people who say “we” more than “I.” When someone says “we” that means that they feel a part of something being built.

Coach K: I ask every kid I’m visiting, “What are your goals?” I visited two this weekend who said, “I want to be part of a national championship team.” And you love to hear an answer like that. If they start asking how many shots they’ll take or minutes they’ll play, that’ll all shake itself out — most likely as you are playing for another team. The “we” concept is huge for us.

Gorman: It’s funny, as I’m building this team for PowerForward, if someone’s first question is “what will the salary be?” it’s not the right fit. This is a startup, this is about building something together and about the experience. You can go somewhere else if all you’re looking for is a comfortable salary.

Part of being a leader is dealing with the good and the bad. The NCAA just announced that they are pulling all championship games from North Carolina due to its controversial transgender bathroom law. How do you feel about that?

Coach K: I was asked about this law when we were preparing for theOlympics in Las Vegas. It was a very short answer: It’s embarrassing. And I still feel it is embarrassing because it is discriminatory. I’m all in on what the NCAA has done and I am proud that Duke AD Kevin White has stepped forward on behalf of our university to say that we are against discrimination, and to express our sorrow that it has hurt our great state.

Related: The Most Inspiring Moments from the 2016 Olympics

You coached all of these guys on Team USA, and now they’re all back in the NBA. So going into this season, who do you want to win?

Coach K: First off, I want them all to be healthy. I want them to be taken care of contractually. In 11 years, in the last five competitions we’ve won, we’ve coached 39 NBA players and they’ve all won gold medals. Some multiple times. I have anywhere from 16 to 20 former Duke players in the NBA. I want good things to happen for them all.

On Christmas, I’ll be watching the NBA games with my grandsons and I’ll be able to say, “On the court right now, there are six guys I’ve coached.” Then the next game will have four or seven. I just want them to do well. And I keep in contact with a lot of them. Relationships are another keyword that we teach in PowerForward. We want people to take these words, make them their own and be better for it.

 

Entrepreneur.com | September 15, 2016 | Dan Bova

 

#Leadership : 6 Ways to Develop the Poise That Defines a Business Leader…By Definition, Poise is a Self-Confident Manner or Bearing that Offers Steadiness and Stability. It is Most often Indicated in a Particular Way one carries Himself or Herself, and it Can Make the Difference on Whether You are Respected as a Business Leader — or Not.

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Audrey Hepburn had it. Jacqueline Kennedy had it. Even Fred Astaire had it. They all had poise. And you can have it too.

young green plant in soil for agriculture, business growth or environment concepts (isolated on white background)

By definition, poise is a self-confident manner or bearing that offers steadiness and stability. It is most often indicated in a particular way one carries himself or herself, and it can make the difference on whether you are respected as a business leader — or not.

Poise is being aware of your surroundings and being flexible and adaptable. Poise is not something you are born with or can acquire overnight. It is something you must practice daily.

Here are a few ways you can cultivate poise.

1. Practice manners and etiquette.

First impressions count when meeting with someone. Stand tall and act confident (even when you don’t feel it). Give a firm handshake, offer an enthusiastic greeting and maintain eye contact. Always introduce yourself by saying your first and last name. If you forget someone’s name, don’t fret. Just say something like, “It’s been one of those days; please tell me your name again.”

Be mindful of how your behavior affects others and learn the proper etiquette of dining and socializing. People notice your manners, whether you are taking a co-worker to lunch, networking in a crowded room, negotiating a deal or simply interacting around the office.

Related: The Best 25 Motivational Quotes To Kick Start Every Morning

 

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2. Become a better communicator.

When speaking to a group, talk at a moderate speed with constant volume; avoid drops at the beginning or end of sentences and make eye contact with your entire audience. Use good grammar and avoid the use of “fillers” like “um” or “like.” If you aren’t comfortable speaking in public, take a course at a local university or joinToastmasters. This will be the best investment you make in yourself.

When speaking with others, become a thoughtful listener. Always choose your words carefully and think before you speak. Although it may be difficult at times, be patient and don’t be tempted to finish others’ sentences.

3. Keep your composure.

I once worked with a colleague who lacked composure and was always in a panic. Though he had an advanced degree and lots of talent, he was unable to remain calm and thus made all his co-workers feel uneasy. He was often needlessly dramatic about the smallest of problems. He couldn’t deal with crisis and change so he ended up quitting.

There will be times when you don’t agree with someone or things didn’t go as planned. Before you jump to conclusions, listen to what is being said. Before you get defensive or angry, assess the situation calmly. When others panic, a leader with composure takes a step back to connect the dots of opportunity within adverse circumstances. Your poise makes others feel safe, secure and comfortable in your presence.

Related: How Emotionally Brilliant Leaders Turn Envy Into Something Much More Beneficial

4. Become conversational in diverse subjects.

The best conversationalists are great storytellers well versed on topics far beyond their own business and industry. To acquire a well-rounded repertoire of conversational topics through books, magazines and trade journals and talk radio programs. They attend classes, go to cultural and sporting events and watch a variety of movie genres.

One of my mentors told me, “School is never out.” Take the opportunity to learn everything you can and you will feel more confident and be able to interact with anyone in business and social situations.

Related: She Built an App Without Knowing How to Code — and is Now a Millionaire

5. Focus on the positive.

Be thoughtful of others and look for how you can help whenever the need arises. When you help others, they want to help you in return. That’s the rule of reciprocity.

No matter how tempting, avoid office or workplace gossip. Be authentic, but don’t be an open book or spill your every emotion in words or on social media. Try to find the silver lining in all challenging situations. Unless a situation is life threatening, get over it and move on. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Overall, take pride in how you look, what you do, what you say. Do your best work each and every day. Brush up on your appearance and presentation skills. Consider yourself “on stage” any time you are around clients, employees, co-workers or anyone with whom you do business.

Your poise will elevate you in the eyes of those around you.

Author:  Jacqueline Whitmore – Author, Business Etiquette Expert and Founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach

Entrepreneur.com | August 30, 2016

#Leadership : An Introvert’s Guide To Leadership…As Humans, We Often have a Tendency to Mistake Loudness for Confidence, and Aggression for Strength. As such, Extroverts Often have an Easier Time Rising to the Top of an Organization.

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I think a lot of people assume I’m an extrovert because I’m relatively visible in my role at BodeTree and enjoy engaging with people across the board. The truth, however, is that I’m more naturally inclined towards introverted tendencies. I’m more than comfortable keeping to myself and cherish the time I dedicate to quiet introspection.

Free- Bench on a Lonely Beach

As humans, we often have a tendency to mistake loudness for confidence, and aggression for strength. As such, extroverts often have an easier time rising to the top of an organization. Once at the top, however, I’ve found that the traits and behaviors most often associated with introverts are the ones that separate successful leaders from failures.

The key for introverted leaders, then, is to take the things they’re naturally good at – deep thinking, empathy, and the ability to listen – and augment those skills with a strategic dose of extroversion. If you’re able to strike the right balance, you’ll develop a leadership style that is uniquely suited for the modern workplace.

Listen and empathize

Leaders who are self-aware and introverted are typically better equipped to listen and empathize with the people with whom they interact. This ability, of course, is an invaluable skill in the modern workplace.

Throughout my six years as CEO, I’ve found that there is almost always more to a story than meets the eye. It’s tempting and, frankly, much easier to take a given problem at face value and hammer home a simple solution. For example, a convenient response to a team member’s underperformance is to say that they simply need to “buck up and do the job.”

However, this approach can easily lead to a tense culture and high turnover. Instead, it’s better to listen and empathize with the individuals in question. Many times, issues like underperformance stem from a lack of communication, unclear goals, or scenarios outside of a person’s control. While this isn’t always the case, good leaders explore all options before jumping to such a conclusion.

Think deeply but act with purpose

We’ve all encountered individuals in the workplace who speak first and think later. These types of people can be difficult to work with because they don’t respect the nuance and details of the situation at hand and act from a position of force.

When these people find their way into leadership positions, the team they’re working with often loses respect as a result of their behavior. This, in turn, leads to a disastrous cycle of frustration, poor results, and turnover.

Introverted leaders, on the other hand, can thrive where these individuals fail. Rather than speak first and think second, introverted leaders tend to think deeply about a given scenario before taking action. In contemplating the intricacies of a situation first, introverts are better equipped to communicate with their team and drive positive results.

The key, however, is to find a way to act with purpose once all aspects of the situation have been considered. A tendency towards introversion is not an excuse to be passive. Leaders must be able to think deeply but take action when the time comes.

 

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Remember that a light touch can move mountains

Rather than hammer people until they produce an expected outcome, introverted leaders bring an array of tools and approaches tailored to the situation at hand, enabling them to find the right path forward for everyone.

If you’ve ever read Aesop’s fables, you’ve probably encountered the parable of the sun and the wind. In it, the sun and the wind enter into a competition to see who is the strongest. They decide to see who can make a passing traveler remove his cloak.

The harder the wind blew, the tighter the man held onto his cloak in an attempt to keep warm. However, when the sun shone, the traveler got hot and simply removed the cloak. The moral of the story, of course, is that sometimes a lighter touch is more effective than forceful blustering.

The same thing applies to introverted leaders. When you’re a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Leaders who can think deeply and act intelligently, however, can find the unique and often less abrasive ways to get the outcomes they desire.

Find your balance

Nothing in life is as cut and dried as we would like. Introverts and extroverts don’t exist in separate, well-defined buckets. Instead, they sit on a spectrum that is unique for everyone.

Introverts possess the skills and traits that are found in the best leaders. However, these cannot exist in a vacuum. To find success, introverts must learn to augment their natural abilities with the ability to drive change and move mountains.

Chris Myers is the Cofounder and CEO of BodeTree a web application designed to help financial institutions better interact with their small business clients.

 

Forbes.com | August 15, 2016 |  

Chris Myers ,  

CONTRIBUTOR

I write about my journey as a first-time CEO and startup founder.

#Leadership : The Self-Driven Manager’s Guide to Leadership…I’ve often Found that Self-Driven People make Good Leaders. After all, They usually are Harder on Themselves than anyone Else Could Ever Be, Which Drives them Towards Success.

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Because of this, they act as their own accountability partners and they rarely need to be pushed. They also are not afraid of hard work; perfection must be reached, regardless of the hours. While self-drivers possess many qualities that help them climb the management ladder, they also might struggle when leading people who operate from different motivators.

Free- Stones stacked on each other

Here are three keys for self-driven leaders to remember:

1. There is no such thing as perfect.

For the self-driven leader, it’s not uncommon for them to demand perfection from themselves. The target is a benchmark that is impossibly lofty, but as a high achiever, you sometimes manage to reach it. The problem is when you try to hold your team to the same stringent standards as you do for yourself. People are never perfect. To err is human.

When perfectionists expect their teams to approach goals with the same degree of precision, the employees are doomed to never meet expectations. Not only that, this type of leader will tend to get annoyed by even the most inconsequential imperfections, causing enormous frustration.

Related: How Leaders Can Best Manage Conflict Within Their Teams

Does this mean that lowering expectations is the answer? Not necessarily. It’s a combination of choosing what to focus on and looking past stylistic differences. The perfectionist by definition wants everything to be just right. This can result in focusing too much attention towards what isn’t going right — even if it is not a key result area of your business. While you should not ignore an important constraint, ask yourself if it’s really where your attention should be concentrated. If not, focusing on the bigger picture can help you steer your team in the right direction.

Shifting emphasis away from the minor imperfections also can give your team more leeway to operate within their own style preferences versus strictly adopting yours. This can be tremendously valuable in not only getting the most out of each individual team member, but also in the discovery of better approaches you otherwise might not have pursued.

 

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2. Your drivers may differ from your team’s.

One aspect self-driven leaders often share is that they know exactly where they want to go and are in a hurry to get there. Whether it’s a big promotion, an income target or a juicy assignment — your motivators are clear and compelling. While this surely works for you, it’s very likely your team is going to be comprised of individuals with lots of other drivers. Great leaders don’t operate under a one style fits all model. They get to know the team first and work with each individual to put together a mutually beneficial plan.

Related: 10 Insights on Building, Motivating and Managing an Exceptional Team

3. Others may need your ability to push yourself.

One of the reasons some people rise up the ranks faster than others is because they are naturally able to grasp concepts quickly and apply them without much supervision. These individuals are able to produce prodigious results, whether their leader is exceptional or not. They are successful and have been promoted in many ways because they can operate largely in a self-sufficient manner. Through years of experience, these individuals have learned how to motivate themselves.

Upon being asked to lead others, these individuals can become frustrated that their teams do not have the same skill sets. This should not be mistaken for either a lack of effort or disinterest. It’s more likely they need someone to help hold them accountable. They require the occasional nudge, pat on the back or kick in the rear. Gradually, they can reach a level of greater self-sufficiency, but it needs to be coached, learned and practiced.

Related: 4 Smart Strategies for Managing a Small Team

The best leaders have the ability to relate to each member of their team, regardless of their diversity. Remembering that every member is unique — and allowing for such differences — can help determine whether you become a great versus good organization.

 

Entrepreneur.com | August 15, 2016 | Marty Fukuda

 

#Leadership : 5 Things That Scare the Hell Out of Your Manager…You’re Expected to Produce Results and On Top of All That, Don’t Forget you Need to Make Sure your Employees are Happy, Productive, and Making Your Boss Happy.

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Being in charge can be scary. When you’re thrust into the position of manager, boss, CEO, etc., you’re suddenly not just punching the clock when you come into work — you’re expected to produce results and keep the whole operation from imploding. Leadership positions, though typically coveted for their prestige and higher pay, can be extremely stressful for those reasons. To put it simply, being the boss isn’t always the cakewalk you may have assumed it is.

Free- Women walking on Narrow Bridge

But there are some very specific fears that your manager or boss has related to their job. When you’re at the apex of an organization — or even a specific part of an organization — there are threats coming at you from all sides. You may have enemies among the ranks, sniping for your job. Something unexpected can happen, making you appear totally incompetent. Or, you might even sabotage yourself by believing you’re not good enough for the role.

 

On top of all that, don’t forget you need to make sure your employees are happy, productive, and making your boss happy.

But for the things that managers and those in leadership positions fear the most, we can look to a 2014 survey of 116 executives by Roger Jones, CEO of London-based consulting company Vantage Hill Partners. His findings, which he wrote about for the Harvard Business Review, revealed a handful of specific, key fears that many leaders had in common. Here are those five fears.

1. “Imposter syndrome”

If you’re not familiar with Imposter Syndrome, it refers to the feeling or idea that you’re not actually qualified for the job you have, or possess any kind of authority. You feel like an imposter — a fraud. And this is a big problem for many executives, according to Jones’s survey. In fact, it was the biggest and most prevalent fear among his respondents. “This fear diminishes their confidence and undermines relationships with other executives,” Jones wrote.

 

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2. Underachieving

When you’re in charge, you have more skin in the game. No longer can you show up to work, clock in, screw around for hours, and then feign effort to skate by. No, as a member of management and the leadership team, you’re now more invested in the organization, and that means seeing it grow and prosper. The biggest fear related to that? Coming up short, or underachieving. Many people who make it into management are overachievers to begin with, and to get a big promotion and then fail? It can be crushing.

3. Mutiny

Every workplace has its internal politics, and when you’re at the head of the table, many other people are going to be gunning for you. They might want to take your place, or simply see you fail. Perhaps it’s a jealousy issue, or some sort of personal vendetta. Either way, there’s going to be uneasiness among the ranks, and if it isn’t quickly snuffed out, you can end up with a mutiny on your hands. That is a real fear for many managers and bosses.

4. Looking stupid

Shame — or the avoidance of shame — is one of the primary factors that motivates our behavior. Nobody wants to look stupid or feel embarrassed, and we’ll do almost anything we can to avoid it. You probably lay awake at night, replaying some humiliating thing that happened to you as a child. Well, imagine something similar happening to you as the head of a workplace, or as the guy or gal in charge. You’ll never live it down.

Everyone’s afraid of looking stupid or incompetent.

5. Looking weak

Looking stupid in front of your employees is scary. But so is looking or feeling weak and powerless. Have you ever served under a boss or manager who wasn’t respected? You could walk all over them, and so could everyone else. That can be emasculating, deflating, and make you feel toothless — which makes it a very real, and very frightening fear for the people in charge.

Follow Sam on Facebook and Twitter @SliceOfGinger

CheatSheet.com | August 2, 2016 | Sam Becker

#Leadership : 7 Telltale Signs That You Have a Leader’s Mindset…Being a Great Leader is about Setting your Ego Aside and Putting your Team First. It’s About being Present in your Interactions. Most of All, It’s about Looking for Ways to Help your Employees Become the Best Versions of Themselves they can Possibly Be.

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Great performers don’t always make great leaders. Need proof? Just look to the sports world. Wayne Gretzky, Isaiah Thomas and Kevin McHale — all legendary athletes whose on-the-field success didn’t translate to storied coaching careers.

Free- Pull Tab on Can

Leadership, it turns out, is its own distinct set of skills — skills that can be cultivated and developed, just like any other. To paraphrase the great Vince Lombardi, leaders aren’t born, they’re made. And it all starts with the right mindset.

More than anything, leadership is just that — a state of mind. It’s the lens through which you see the world and the beliefs you bring to all your interactions with your team.

So how do you know if you have the leader’s mindset? Here are the seven telltale signs that you have the right frame of mind to be the leader your team needs.

1. You stop craving credit.
I’m not saying you defer it. I’m saying you literally stop craving it altogether. For leaders, credit becomes increasingly unimportant over time. In its stead, a desire to do the work you were meant to do, to the very best of your ability.

To a large degree, great leaders separate outcomes from their activity entirely and derive satisfaction from the work itself.

 

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2. You become more cheerleader/coach than player.
You realize it’s not about the work you do, but rather it’s about the quality of the work that others around you do.

This means you’re not focused on building presentations, creating systems documentation or making sales calls. Instead, you’re focused on creating the best culture and environment for your people to thrive. You’re inspiring and setting a vision that rallies people to become the best version of themselves. You’re removing obstacles from your team so they can do in the most unobstructed manner possible.

Great leaders focus less on doing and more on getting others to do their best.

3. You care about how you make others feel.
You understand that people like you primarily as a result of how you make them feel, and not how you look or how smart or cool you appear to be. It’s fine to have an edge, and it’s good to be bold, but good leaders are keenly aware of how people feel in their presence.

4. You begin to crave criticism.
Leaders are curious about criticism rather than defensive towards it. In fact, the best leaders actively seek it out because they know that criticism means there is likely an opportunity for growth and improvement. Remember, in every critical interaction, there is the potential for growth by the critic, the person being critiqued (aka, you) — or both!

The common thread….By now you’ve probably noticed a through line — it’s not about you.

5. You lead with curiosity.
This is especially relevant when dealing with people. Good leaders always give people the unreasonable benefit of the doubt. You should never lead with assumptions, unless they are positive ones.

Curiosity is a state of mind that not only makes you playful and interested, it ensures you’re always present. Many leaders feel a certain pressure to be perfect. They feel the company looking up to them and like they have to be on their A-game all the time.

But as my recent podcast guest Marcia Reynolds says in her latest book The Discomfort Zone, your team wants you to be present more than they need you to be perfect. Approaching everything with curiosity ensures that this is always the case.

6. Helping your team find their unique abilities is a top priority.
You realize one of your most important objectives is to help people find what energizes them the most, and then effectively aligning resources so they can spend most of their time doing those things (or more likely, that one thing).

This will not only give your team the greatest gift you can give them — the opportunity to do what they were put on Earth to do — it will also have wide ranging impact on your organization. When people are focused on their unique abilities, and not wasting their precious energy on things they don’t like or aren’t good at, magic happens.

7. You think about the long-term significance of your actions.
Good leaders are obsessed with timescale and the significance of their activities in the long run. If you’re keenly aware of the impact your actions of today will have on the future, you’re on the right track. You don’t sweat those actions that don’t create any future impact — like most emails.

You understand that as a leader, it’s most important for you to spend the majority of your time on what will matter three, six and twelve months from now. You hire people to worry about the hours, days, weeks and months. The significance and timescale of your activities will define your impact as a leader.

Extra credit –– You understand that your people want to see you live a rich life.
That is, they want to see that you’re not just a great professional, but someone who lives a full, rich life — someone who has a great and loving marriage/relationship, someone who is peaceful and tranquil throughout the day (showing mental and emotional health), and someone who takes care of themselves by eating properly and working out.

Why is this important? Because consciously or not, your employees follow your example, and focusing on having a well-rounded life gives them permission to have a well-rounded life as well.

Gone are the days when your employees are cool with their leader being really good at work, but terrible at everything else. That inspires very few. Great leaders take care of their people and themselves. Part of what we provide at SnackNation is the ability to demonstrate to your team that it’s not all about work; things like health, nutrition and well-being not only support performance, but are just as valuable, if not more so.

The common thread….By now you’ve probably noticed a through line — it’s not about you.

Being a great leader is about setting your ego aside and putting your team first. It’s about being present in your interactions. Most of all, it’s about looking for ways to help your employees become the best versions of themselves they can possibly be.

 

Entrepreneur.com | August 2, 2016 | Sean Kelly

#Leadership : Accelerate Your Understanding Of Teams With These 3 Facts… What are the Differences between a Group and a Team? Here are Facts you Should know to Accelerate your Understanding of Teams.

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If you don’t think teams are important, you’re living in a bubble . In the interdependent and technological world of today where the increasing pace of change is constant, teams are the lifeblood that drive better (read sustainable) business. Nobody is smarter than everybody, and while people certainly work beside others in the workplace, they rarely work with them. Here’s what I mean.

top view, group of students together at school table working homework and have fun

The difference between a group, where people work beside one another, and a team, where people work with each other, is this: there is no mutual accountability in groups, no shared purpose. Groups are essentially clusters of people with individual agendas who have their own definition of “winning.” There are no shared consequences and no accountability. Teams, on the other hand, depend upon each members’ efforts because they’re aligned toward a common purpose. Teams are guided by shared leadership and share a mutual understanding—and therefore accountability—of team roles, responsibilities, the scope of work to be accomplished and the purpose for which the team exists.

Here are three more fun facts you should know to accelerate your understanding of teams:

Teams adapt to circumstance. Teams are living, breathing organisms that change and morph over time depending on the task at hand. Not every team is—or should be—structured similarly, as the team’s mission will dictate team typology. If, for instance, a deadline is approaching and time is of the essence, then the team leader may assume a more “command and control” type of role where she goes point-to-point with each team member to ensure follow-through and timely delivery. If a team is in transition (i.e. rotating roles, new members) then there may not even be formal leadership as members try to figure out the best fit for 1) the team and 2) each member.

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Team dynamics are everything. What goes unsaid in meetings is oftentimes more important than what is. The challenge for organizational leaders today—and every day for that matter—is observing the social dynamics that fly beneath the radar—not because the leaders themselves are unobservant, but because running a team meeting and focusing on the agenda while also observing the unsaid intricacies of non-verbal communication is too much for the brain to ingest. If you’re running a meeting, for example, you’re focused on tasks and you simply don’t have the mental bandwidth to observe and reflect upon each members’ actions and how they impact the team as a whole. The problem is this: when social dynamics aren’t addressed then questions go unanswered and follow-on hallway conversations become the norm because there was either an unwillingness to address the dynamics in the first place or a lack of awareness to know they even existed.

Teams are valued, but rarely understood. Most companies claim they value teamwork but few really know what great teamwork looks like. If teaming was clear, then there would be more team-based rewards rather than corporate incentives that promote individualism. Here’s an example. While sales teams claim to be a “team” they’re typically incentivized as individuals. Meaning, that bonuses aren’t allocated based on the collective efforts of the team but rather the individual wins of each sales person, which only leads to sales reps encroaching on others’ territories, stealing others’ clients and doing everything they can do to promote themselves because that’s what they’re rewarded for.

If you want to understand how businesses operate, start by understanding the essence of teams.

Jeff is the author of Navigating Chaos: How To Find Certainty in Uncertain Situations and former Navy SEAL who helps business teams find clarity.

Forbes.com | July 25, 2016 | Jeff Boss

#Leadership : What Bad Bosses Can Teach You About Good Leadership…List of 10 Things a Bad Boss can Teach you about Good Leadership, for the Day When you Might Have his (or her) Job

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A lot has been written about what makes a bad boss, or about bosses to avoid or signs you are working for a bad boss. And then what – leave? To go where? Today’s business world is so precarious may of us don’t know if we’ll be in the same company from one week to the next, let alone report to the same person.

Free- Man at Desktop

In the belief that the only thing you can really change in the world is your point of view, I offer this list of 10 things a bad boss can teach you about good leadership, for the day when you might have his (or her) job…

1. Mutual respect. I had a boss once who – in staff meetings – would actually sneer at those with whom she disagreed, who wouldn’t hesitate to openly criticize someone’s efforts. This is one step shy of public ridicule. The result was a marked decline in initiative and innovation and a general malaise of spirit within the department that was noticeable and remarked upon by senior management. Ultimately her behavior outweighed performance in removing her from her position.

“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

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2. Communication is a two-way street. One boss had three styles when it came to communicating with staff verbally, and “listening” wasn’t one of them: bullying, pontificating, and droning on. The message that came through was that she really didn’t much care what anyone else thought or had to say. The result? People toed the line and had a field day mimicking her behind her back.

“The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” —Colin Powell

3. Know who’s the boss. If that’s your title, then it’s you. You don’t have to hold off making a decision until the last minute to watch your staff scramble to meet the deadline just so they’ll know who has the authority around here. That’s sabotage.

“A leader … is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.” —Nelson Mandela

4. Pay staff well and equitably. I once had a boss who suggested I hire a women for an open position because it would be cheaper than hiring a man. I didn’t. Make it cheaper, that is. A salary is a sign of worth, and if someone learns he or she is being paid less than someone else doing the same kind of job, you can leave yourself open to legal action. That’s in addition to being a jerk.

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” —Peter F. Drucker

5. Hire good people, share your vision, and then let them get on with it in their own way. Don’t let your staff’s competence make you uncomfortable or nervous. You’re there to lead an entire team, to clear the path for them so you can reach your targets — not meddle in their daily work.

“Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” General George Patton

6. Give the credit; take the blame. Too often, it’s the other way around, with the boss taking on for him- or herself the team’s achievements while offloading failure. That’s exploitation. This tactic fools no one, no matter which end of the corporate ladder you’re trying to impress.

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

7. Don’t play favorites. I had one boss whose principle business relationship centered around his second in command. The two played tennis together, their families went to dinner together. That left the other 96 people working at that company out in the cold. So none of them could (or would?) come to the rescue when eventually the Board of Directors, tired of lackluster performance from the CEO, ousted him one day… and his sidekick followed. Aside from putting yourself at risk of corporate lynching, playing favorites sidelines the valuable talents of everyone else.

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupry

8. Keep your distance. I don’t mean “aloof’ — as in the sense of being cold or void of compassion. But there needs to be a bit of a “no fly zone” between you and your staff. The people over whom you have some control, and on whose efforts your company relies, shouldn’t have to bear the burden of your personal problems.

“Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.” —John C. Maxwell (contemporary American author, pastor and speaker)

9. Lead by example. This almost goes without saying. Actions always speak louder than words. Say less, if you have to.

“Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.” —Albert Schweitzer

10. Trust your people. If you don’t, you may find yourself on the receiving end of words and deeds that are not as promised, whereas sometimes bestowing trust on someone is enough to make him or her live up to expectations. The trust you give out comes back to you.

“There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Both are based on authority. A boss demands blind obedience; a leader earns his authority through understanding and trust.” —Klaus Balkenhol (German equestrian and 1992 Olympic gold medalist)

And finally, be comfortable in your own skin:

”It’s hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.” —Adlai E. Stevenson II

Follow me on Twitter @sckarabell1

 

Forbes.com | June 6, 2016 |  Shellie Karabell – CONTRIBUTOR : I cover leadership – people, politics & policy – from a European view

Your #Career : 5 Signs That You’re Meant to Be a Manager…Do you Feel Destined for the Big Time? Have Middle-Management Written All Over You? Or Perhaps just Want your Underlings to Lovingly Refer to you as Mr. Manager? If so, you Might be Ready for Management, or a Leadership Position in your Company or Organization.

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While we all take the occasional shot at our leaders or managers — just look at the way we discuss our political leaders, or many CEOs and business leaders, for example — it takes considerable effort to make it to the top of a big organization. Often, we only think of our bosses or superiors as incompetent buffoons or narcissists who were born to make our lives a living hell. But it’s important to realize that they’re there for a reason, and in most cases, they’ve worked very hard and demonstrated that they are capable of handling the responsibilities of a management role.

question mark signs painted on a asphalt road surface

Perhaps you feel that you are too? The question is, how can you tell that you’re ready for management or a leadership position?

There are some sure-fire signs: you can do your job with incredible ease, for example. Or, maybe you’ve already assumed a role as a leader, and now want a better title and salary to go along with it? It’s never really a bad time to fight for more recognition and compensation, but you want to be sure you’re ready for more responsibility before gunning for the top.

Here are five signs you’re destined for management.

1. You demonstrate management and leadership skills

As previously mentioned, perhaps you’ve already assumed the role as a natural leader in your company. Your co-workers respect and like you, and you’re able to take charge when things need to get done. You step up and volunteer for tough assignments, and aren’t afraid to engage directly with managers and company leadership. This shows that you’re one of them — and are ready to take the next step up the company ladder.

 

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2. You take ownership

When you start thinking in different terms — as in, “mine” becomes “ours,” for example — it’s a sign that you’re invested in your company or organization, and ready to take the next step. If you actually feel that your success is, in turn, a success for your team or company, then you’re starting to think like a manager. You take responsibility for your co-workers or subordinates and make it your personal mission to make sure they succeed.

3. You crush expectations

This probably should be step number one on the ladder to management: You need to make sure you’re not only accomplishing the tasks that are set out for you (whatever those may be), but that you’re crushing expectations. Whether you’re an account executive or a dishwasher, you should strive to be the best there is, and always look for ways to improve, make your process more efficient, and lift your equals up along with you. Take charge, but start with your immediate responsibilities.

4. You’re proactive

A manager or leader sees problems coming down the pipe before they arrive, and takes the necessary steps to curb the impacts. Being proactive can mean any number of things — be it showing up early to prepare for a big meeting, or trying out new software programs that can help save your team time and money. The point is, you’re starting to think like a chess player: three moves ahead. You see the big picture and are planning well in advance of encroaching problems.

5. You foster respect

We’ve touched on this a couple of times, but one of the most important things a manager or leader can do is to foster respect between employees. That means that you not only respect those who you work with (including those under you), but that they respect you, and listen to and take you seriously. It’s also about finding common ground and making sure your employees respect each other, and are able to accomplish their tasks efficiently.

Find a way to create a respectful work culture, and you’ll be well on your way to the C-suite in no time.

Follow Sam on Facebook and Twitter @SliceOfGinger

CheatSheet.com | May 18, 2016 | Sam Elliott

Your #Career : How To Know Which Skills To Develop At Each Stage Of Your Career….By Mid-Career, the Hard Skills that Got you the Job Won’t Be the Ones That Get you Promoted.

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At the start of your career, chances are good that you’ll be hired primarily for your “hard skills”—the stuff you know that’s relevant for the job. When you’re fresh out of college or even a few years into your career, things like what software you’ve mastered, the knowledge you’ve picked up during internships and in school, and your other technical credentials really matter.

Free- Office Works

But what no one quite tells you is that while you might’ve been initially hired for those hard skills, they gradually matter less. The further you get in your career, the less you’ll be evaluated on those same skills—and this is especially important once you reach your mid-career point. Why? Because the hard skills that got you the job won’t be the ones that get you promoted.

Now that’s not to say that improving your technical skills isn’t important. You should get better and faster at whatever your craft is over the course of your career, whether that’s coding, designing, researching, or something else. But if that’s the only area you improve in, you may find advancement more elusive than you’d expected. Improving your technical skills may be enough to get you promoted from level one to two, or coordinator to associate, but to advance higher, you’ll have to show improvement in other areas as well.

SHIFT TOWARD SOFT SKILLS . . .

So how do you do that? It starts with knowing what really counts when it comes to advancement at each stage of your career. While every role is different, the secret is to progressively invest more in your “soft skills”—your ability to get things done, your leadership abilities, and your likability at work (like it or not).

To get started—and no matter where you are in your present career—take a minute to assess where you stand in each of these categories:

The further you climb, the more decisive these traits will become. Maybe you have a few of them under your belt but could brush up on others. Now that you know what you’re up against, it’s time to take action. Here’s a game plan for growing your soft skills:

1. Self assess. Taking stock of your recent work and workplace habits, which areas do you feel strongest in? Weakest in? Which do you believe is most crucial to prioritize now, and why? Knowing the answers to these questions will be important for framing your conversation with your manager in the next step.

2. Discuss with your manager. Now it’s time to get on the same page. Work with your boss to determine what’s most important for you to learn now versus in the future: How much weight does your manager give to growing in these areas? And do you agree? What can you expect to happen when you show growth in these areas? Try to get specific about what you’re being evaluated on at each level. Your responsibilities may look different at various career stages, so make sure you understand any internal “career ladders” available to you, and how these map to your strengths and areas of development.

3. Explore ways of growing these softer skills in your current job. And that growth may be closer at hand than you think. What opportunities for collaboration and leadership might already exist? What are some avenues for taking on more responsibility in these areas? Brainstorm opportunities and check in with your manager on them. You’ll want her support to take on new things, and to keep an eye on the progress you’re making.

. . . WITHOUT LOSING SIGHT OF THE HARD ONES

What if your manager says you still need to improve your technical skills?

If you find that your manager is focusing on the technical skills even while you’re trying to bulk up on soft ones, this could mean two things: Either you’re still at junior level and need to grow in the basics (which is normal at the beginning of your career), or, if you’re mid-career and still getting this feedback, you may be at a company that values technical skills over people skills when it comes to promotions.

If that’s the case, you might find that the higher you go in a company like that, the less you enjoy the people who surround you. Consider whether that view (and company!) is a good match for you. Perhaps you’d be better off finding a different company that values your soft skills as much as you do.

 

FastCompany.com | April 29, 2016 | XIMENA VENGOECHEA