Tag Archives: Leadership
Four Steps for Getting Results
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” —Albert Einstein
We do it all the time without even realizing it, it’s called habit and Einstein referred to it as insanity; doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. So, when it really matters, how do we prevent ourselves from falling into habit? How do we get results?
Plan
The first step is planning. When we stop to make a plan we are consciously putting the brakes on habit. Planning forces us to pause and think.
Evaluate
We are not done once we have made our plan and put it into action. Now it is time to evaluate. What were we trying to accomplish? Are we succeeding or failing?
Learn
Whether our plan worked out to be a great success or turned into a huge failure, there is always something we can learn. This is the turning point! What can you learn?
Apply
Now, here is the final step, the actual key to getting results, the culmination of the other three steps. APPLY what you have learned. It’s in the continual learning and applying of those lessons that you get real results.
Get Results
Stop doing the same thing over and over again. Make a plan. Evaluate the results. Learn from both successes and failures. And then, apply what you learn. Stop the habit cycle and start getting results.
© 2017 Elizabeth Stincelli
Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations change attitudes, change communication dynamics, improve collaboration and problem-solving, engage employees, and strengthen organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com or engagenow.me and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.
Leadership Growth Hacks Week 15
Stop Treating Your Employees Like Robots!
“I am not a robot. I have a heart and I bleed.” —Serena Williams
Robots are designed to run on a predetermined program; thoughtlessly performing tasks. Good leaders do not treat employees simply as a process or piece machinery. These leaders do not treat people simply as a means to an end. Employees are human. If you want the value of their contribution, then you need to meet a few of their wants in exchange.
They want meaning
No one wants to perform a task, day in and day out, simply for the sake of performing it. Employees want their work to have meaning. They want to understand the big picture and the role they personally play in that picture; share the meaning.
They want control
No one wants a dictator controlling their every move. Employees want a level of control over their own work. Give employees the training and resources they need, set and communicate parameters, and then let them do what you hired them to do; give them control.
They want to contribute
While people do work to earn money, money is not their only motivation. Employees want to be able to take pride in their contribution to the organization. They want to know that they are of value. Make sure they know how much they are appreciated for their specific and unique contributions.
Focus on People
Your employees are not robots, start focusing on the human side of your workforce. They want meaning, share it with them. They want control, give it to them. And, they want to contribute, appreciate them for it. It’s time to focus on your employees as people.
© 2017 Elizabeth Stincelli
Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations change attitudes, change communication dynamics, improve collaboration and problem-solving, engage employees, and strengthen organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com or engagenow.me and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.
Leadership Growth Hacks Week 14
Four Reasons Your Ego is a Threat to Your Leadership
“I believe that we are at a very low level of consciousness, and we do not know how to treat each other as human beings. We are caught up in our own lives, our own needs, our own ego gratification.” —Madonna
There may be no greater barrier to effective leadership than ego. Left unchecked, your ego will undermine the hard work of everyone around you. It will prevent you from seeing what is right in front of your face and it will stop you from admitting your mistakes. Here are four reasons your ego is a threat to your leadership.
You don’t know everything
You don’t know everything but your ego can lead you to believe that you do. When you think you know everything, you become incapable of admitting you may be mistaken. If you can’t recognize and admit your own mistakes, your ability to lead is at risk.
You are not good at everything
You are not good at everything but your ego won’t let you admit it. When you think you are good at everything, you overlook the idea that there may be a better way to do things. If you can’t consider alternatives, your leadership is at risk.
You are not better than others
You are no better than those around you but your ego wants you to believe that you are. When you think you are better than everyone else, you sit alone in your ivory tower. When you look down at others you lose their trust. Without trust, you cannot lead.
You cannot hear what others are saying
You can’t do it all on your own but your ego can prevent you from even hearing what others have to say. When you are unwilling to listen to others you miss out on their knowledge and experience; you pass up great ideas and lose out on valuable advice. Not listening to what others are saying puts your leadership at risk.
It’s Not about You
Leadership is not about you. It is about the people you lead. Your ego is the biggest threat to your leadership. It wants you to think you know everything. It leads you to believe you are good at everything. Ego tells you that you are better than anyone else. And, it prevents you from hearing what others have to say. This is all the perfect storm for leaving you stranded, standing all alone in your own failure. Get your ego out of the way and make your leadership about those who follow you.
© 2017 Elizabeth Stincelli
Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations change attitudes, change communication dynamics, improve collaboration and problem-solving, engage employees, and strengthen organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com or engagenow.me and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.
Leadership Growth Hacks Week 13
To Whom Much is Given
“To whom much is given, much is required-not expected, but required.” —Andrew Young
The first of a new year is a great time for reflection. Not just a time to reflect on personal aspects of your life, not just the status of your professional aspirations, but where do you stand as a leader. In the areas you are given much, whether it be status; knowledge; wealth; or experience, much is expected of you. According to Andrew Young, much is required of you. Here are four ways to share what you have been given.
Your care
Everyone needs someone to truly care about them as an individual. Whether it be in your home, workplace, or community; take a genuine interest in others. Empathize with them in their struggles and rejoice with them in their successes.
Your ear
There is almost no greater gift you can give than to listen to others. Everyone has a story they long to share; they have opinions, concerns, and ideas. Give them the opportunity to be heard, to be acknowledged, and to be validated.
Your encouragement
Your encouragement can make all the difference in the success of others. We all need to be encouraged, for someone to show confidence in our abilities, and to have faith in our dreams. Your encouragement can inspire others to overcome barriers and reach new heights.
Your investment
Sharing your knowledge and experience can be on unbelievable benefit to others. When you invest your time and your resources in helping others grow, you are paying it forward. Your investment can lift up the next generation of leaders who in turn can help lift others.
Opportunity for Others
Use what you have been given as a tool for providing opportunity for others. Show genuine care, listen earnestly, offer them encouragement, and invest your time and resources in them. To whom much is given, much is expected; it’s time to start showing gratitude for all you have been given by sharing it with others.
© 2016 Elizabeth Stincelli
Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations change attitudes, change communication dynamics, improve collaboration and problem-solving, engage employees, and strengthen organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com or engagenow.me and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.
Leadership Growth Hacks Week 12
Four Traits of Selfless Leaders-Guest Post by Doug Dickerson
It’s difficult to find common ground with others when the only person you’re focused on is yourself. – John Maxwell
You may have heard the story of two friends who met for dinner in a restaurant. Each requested filet of sole. After a few minutes the waiter came back with their order. Two pieces of fish, one large and one small, were on the same platter. One of the men proceeded to serve his friend. Placing the small piece on a plate, he handed it across the table.
“Well, you certainly do have nerve!” exclaimed his friend. ”
“What’s troubling you?” asked the other. “Look what you’ve done,” he answered. “You’ve given me the little piece and kept the big one for yourself.” “How would you have done it?” the man asked. His friend replied, “If I were serving, I would have given you the big piece.” “Well,” replied the man, “I’ve got it, haven’t I?” At this, they both laughed.
One leader’s self-confidence is another leader’s arrogance in the world of perceptions. So let’s put the cards on the table up front- many leaders struggle with acts of selfishness. We want the big piece of fish. It’s not a truth to take pride in but one in which we have to acknowledge if we are going to grow and mature as a leader. In my own leadership journey the biggest mistakes I’ve made along the way can be traced back to selfish acts.
Growing to this new level in your leadership is about overcoming your fears, insecurities, and misconceptions about what it means to lead in a selfless manner. Here are four traits of selfless leaders and why they matter.
Selfless leaders empower their people
The emergence of a selfless leadership style begins by embracing this fundamental principle: until you empower your people they are only spectators. When they are empowered they can produce, achieve, and succeed. Unless you mature in this area as a leader you will never grow to your full potential.
Why does this matter? It matters because in any successful organization it’s empowered team members who run with the vision, fulfill its mission, and achieve its goals. Selfless leaders make it possible not by promoting themselves but by promoting others.
Selfless leaders share the credit
Billy Hornsby once observed, “It’s okay to let those you lead outshine you, for if they shine brightly enough, they will reflect positively on you.” The powerful wisdom of that statement must not be lost on the reality that selfish leaders struggle in this area.
A selfish leader wants to take all of the credit- often at the expense of work others did, and boast “look at what I did.”
Why does this matter? A selfless leader will concede being in the spotlight by putting someone else in it. It matters because each individual who had skin in the game and gave it their all deserve credit. A selfless leader will gladly say, “Look at what we did!”
Selfless leaders initiate the conversation
The mark of maturity in a leader begins to take shape when he or she invites open and honest conversation instead of dodging it. Selfish leaders seek to control the message, the agenda, and in the end stifle creativity and deprive themselves of much needed feedback. If a leader’s head is buried in the sand the view for everyone else is not that pleasant. Instead, a selfless leader engages in conversation with his or her people and makes it a priority.
Why does this matter? A selfless leader understands that open communication is the life-blood of the organization. Disconnected people create disconnected organizations. Selfless leaders build bridges and get people talking because your survival depends on it.
Selfless leaders create the culture
Leaders, whether selfish or selfless, set the tone and create the organizational atmosphere. Through your growth and maturity as a leader you’ve come to understand that people buy in to your actions and attitudes before they embrace your vision. Better to be rejected as a leader because people did not embrace your vision than because they did not embrace your selfish leadership style.
Why does this matter? Selfless leaders understand that value is created where value is given. Selfless leaders know that when they help others succeed they succeed. It matters because when this is the underlying foundation of your organizational structure it creates an atmosphere where everybody wins, not just a few.
What do you say?
© 2016 Doug Dickerson
Doug Dickerson is an internationally recognized leadership columnist, author, and speaker. Read more at Dougdickerson.wordpress.com