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#Leadership : From Landing A Promotion To Harnessing Stress: October’s Top Leadership Stories…This Month’s Top Stories may Help you Put your Stress to Good Use, Write Better Cover Letters, or Even End the Year with a Promotion.

This month, we learned which cover letter gaffes turn hiring managers away, what kinds of work-related stress may actually be useful, and why the cybersecurity sector may want to consider recruiting musicians.

These are the stories you loved in Leadership in October 2016:

1. I REVIEW HUNDREDS OF COVER LETTERS—HERE’S WHAT I INSTANTLY REJECT

The days of the cover letter may ultimately be numbered, but they’re still widely used to screen candidates. These are some of the most common immediate disqualifiers, according to one experienced hiring manager.

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2. I’M A CEO—HERE’S HOW I DECIDE WHETHER TO GIVE YOU A RAISE OR LAY YOU OFF

Got your eye on a raise or promotion by the end of the year? To get it, you’ll need to make a case for what you’re worth to your company. This month, one CEO shared the basic math he uses to make decisions like these, saying, “For every dollar that you hope to get in increased pay, you need to bring in three to five dollars to the business for your raise to make sense.”

3. USE THIS FORMULA TO TAME YOUR HOPELESS TO-DO LIST

Chances are your to-do list is a bit of a jumble, right? You’re not alone—the very act of prioritizing your daily action items sometimes doesn’t feel like a top priority. But with this straightforward method, you can give your work tasks some much-needed structure, and all you need to know are your ABCs.

4. SORRY, BUT SOME WORK-RELATED STRESS IS GOOD FOR YOU

Chronic stress can be a workplace killer, but researchers believe that smaller doses of “acute” stress may actually help us develop our skills and boost productivity. Here’s a look at a few ways to make limited amounts of job-related stress work in your favor.

5. GM TO TOP TECH TALENT: DITCH SILICON VALLEY FOR DETROIT

The legacy carmaker isn’t exactly known for its fast-paced, innovative culture, but CEO Mary Barra is trying to change that. With several key acquisitions under its belt, GM is picking up a few things from the tech world, hoping the best and brightest will take note.

6. 3 CRUCIAL THINGS I’VE LEARNED IN MY FIRST 30 DAYS AS A MANAGER

Becoming a new manager isn’t easy. For Buffer’s Katie Womersley, it didn’t help that she felt the people she was tasked with managing were better developers than she was. Here’s what she says it took to shake that self-doubt and settle into her new role.

7. GWYNETH PALTROW ON WHY HER MONTHLY CAPSULE COLLECTIONS SELL OUT IN HOURS

Paltrow told Fast Company this month that recent rumors she’d be leaving Goop, her lifestyle brand, are dead wrong. The company is growing fast, thanks in no small part to the “lean” startup methods that inform its new, curated product lines featuring just a handful of items at a time.

8. THREE WAYS TO WRITE SHORTER, MORE EFFECTIVE EMAILS

Email is only as effective as what it gets done, so this week we learned how to trim the inefficiencies out of our messages to make sure they accomplish more in fewer words.

9. MUSICIANS MAY BE THE KEY TO THE CYBERSECURITY TALENT SHORTAGE

Data breaches are becoming so commonplace that the cybersecurity sector can’t seem to grow fast enough to help organizations defend themselves. In fact, the sector is at 0% unemployment, and the race to find qualified talent is driving up wages. That means looking for crossover skills in unlikely places, and some believe that musical training may be one of them.

10. SCIENCE-BACKED WAYS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE

There’s plenty of advice out there for faking confidence, but the better approach may actually be to persuade yourself to actually feel the vibe you’re trying to project. Here’s a look at the latest psychological research on how to trick your brain into greater self-assurance.

FAST COMPANY STAFF 10.28.16 5:00 AM

#Leadership : 3 Crucial Things I’ve Learned In My First 30 Days As A Manager…Here’s How this Buffer Engineer Quickly Faced her Fears about Managing People she Felt were Better Developers Than she Was.

No two first rodeos are ever alike. But they’re all rodeos, and falling off is falling off. There’s some kind of pattern. So here I am, writing the post that I want to read. And in my first month in a new management role, I’ve found these to be the three things I’ve had to sort out above all else.

1. WHAT IS THIS JOB, ANYWAY?

I had a rough idea what I was getting into from the internal job description, but there’s a chasm between “Help build deep fulfillment and ensure the personal growth of team members” and, well, doing that.

So I went on something of a crusade to understand what exactly I should do. I asked engineers at Buffer, “What do youthink makes a great engineering manager (EM)? Where do you think I fall short?” I am so grateful for the honest answers of my peers—it allowed me to develop a clear sense of how I need to grow. I stalked people on Twitter and LinkedIn, cold emailed them, and asked them how they survived the switch. “What was your rookie error?” became my pickup line.

I’m continually astonished at how helpful the world generally is. I’ve met up with incredible people whom I’d thought wouldn’t give me the time of day. I’ve found this awesome Slack community where I can see, in real time, a smorgasbord of management scenarios unfolding and people of experience, the very kind of people I want to become, give their advice. There is such treasure, if you care to dig.

From my own experience, I certainly remember times when I knew what I wanted from a manager, but didn’t feel I could speak up and ask for it. So I’ve decided to ask a very simple question: “What is something that I can do for you over the next week to make your work life better?”

I quickly learned that this is a solved problem—the help is there. I just had to ask.

 

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2. WHAT HAPPENS TO MY OLD WORK?

This is tough. When an engineer switches to management, the team loses an engineer. That puts a damper on team velocity and morale, but doing two jobs at once is infeasible. Having a handover and transition plan was my first task. It’s a real challenge to figure out who can take over the work you do in a team that’s already lean. And let’s face it, there’s never an “extra engineer” twiddling her thumbs.

I got really lucky here: Half my team (non-engineers) took a vacation as I made the switch, so there was a natural lull while I Googled “how to be an engineering manager.” Then I got another break: A product team happened to be disbanding, and there was someone ready and excited to take over. I dodged a very difficult quarter.

Think about your old responsibilities—don’t just walk out. If there’s really no one to step up, then schedules will slip. Realize this, and make sure others realize it, too.

3. HOW DO I MANAGE SOMEONE WHO’S BETTER THAN I’LL EVER BE?

This was the scariest thing I had to do. Before jumping into a first meeting with an engineer whom I admire greatly, I was decidedly fretful, and definitely anxious throughout. What did he think of me? Was this a huge waste of time? I shudder at the opportunity cost.

After that first video call, it hit me that although I thought he was awesome, I’d given zero recognition. Realizing why I held back calling out good work was a key moment for me: I didn’t feel qualified to praise this engineer. I felt that my opinion didn’t matter; that he’d think I was an idiot for praising something he’d done that was no big deal. It would be like praising Dan Abramov for writing a todo app in React.

Once I understood and named that fear, it went away. If I was better at coding than the engineers I managed, then I’d be writing that code. But I’m not. That’s exactly why I’m managing!

I’m better at encouraging and unblocking. I think that’s when the idea of “servant leader” started to click.

I am there to sort out all the stuff that stops engineers from focusing. Make the processes smooth. Make sure they find their work interesting and challenging. Make sure they are having the biggest impact that they can. Understand who they are and what drives them, and line that up with what the team needs. Tell them when I think they did something great. Ask them why they did something that falls short of our quality bar—maybe there was a good reason. Maybe I can help. I don’t have to be able to do their jobs better than them. They’re the experts, and they should be.

I still don’t know what my biggest rookie error is, though. I guess that’ll be a subject for another post.


An earlier version of this article originally appeared on Buffer. It is reprinted with permission.

 

 

#Leadership : 4 Ways Leaders Kill Productivity…You May be Holding your Business Back Without Even Realizing It.

Businesses often reflect its leaders, which is why you should work on developing traits that make you a good business leader and killing those that are harming you and your business.

argue-conflict-workplace

“Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.” – Peter F. Drucker

As a business leader and a blogger, my level of productivity is greatly determined by the skills I possess and the various productivity tools I’ve acquired over the years. The same applies to all entrepreneurs of every stripe and color. It’s important to constantly self-examine your progress. I do this by regularly asking myself the following questions.

  • How far have I come?
  • What got me to where I am today?
  • Am I really delivering as expected?
  • Do I find it difficult to keep up with expectations?

Related: 22 Qualities That Make a Great Leader

Too many business leaders fail to reach their full potential because they have an internal hold-back button and fail to take their fingers off of it. In this post, I’ll identify four common struggles that you may not realize are holding you back and harming your business.

1. You’re afraid to fail.

“Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others” – Robert Louis Stevenson

You will fail and make mistakes a lot, as a business leader. The good news is it’s a necessary part of the path to success because running a business isn’t a hurdle-free process.

When your mind is filled with thoughts of failure coming up with actionable strategies to help boost your business can be difficult, if not impossible.

You may ask yourself: But what if I lose my job or sink my business by making one wrong choice? And I’ll say: Well, if your business dies as a result of inaction, you’ll be in the same boat. By not taking any risks, you’ll never set yourself up for the rewards that success can bring.

According to the founder of iCustomLabel Nick Chachula, great leaders are good at taking risks, because they keep themselves open for the opportunities. They see around the corner, have their homework done and are upfront about taking a shot at the given opportunity.

 

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2. You’re too independent.

Yes, you’re the leader; therefore, you should have the power to single-handedly manage the business all by yourself, right? Wrong. No one has the ability to grow a business and increase all-around productivity without relying on others at times.

The truth is this – in running a successful business, the role of teamwork can’t be neglected. In the words of Ken Blanchard, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”

Getting ideas from various sources will help you make well-informed decisions and take calculated risks. It will also lead to a rise in your productivity because you’ll be able to spend more time on things you do well. To rise above the challenges, you’ll need to kill the one man army mentality before it kills you.

Related: 10 Signs That You Suck As a Leader

3. You’re too scared to make decisions.

“It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.” – Jim Rohn

As a business leader, the decisions you make strongly determine outcome of your business, so I understand the pressure. I really do.

Having the buck stop at your table can get overwhelming. And making good decisions will help boost your productivity, almost as quickly as poor decisions will kill productivity.

According to French Entrepreneur Julien Labrousse, decisions must be made. And guess what: every leader struggles with a fear of making poor decisions at some point. One way to get over this fear is to seek counsel and delve into available data. This will give you the foundation you need in order to trust your gut instinct. It’s never a bad idea to gather information and professional opinions. Just don’t delay unnecessarily.

4. You’re not humble.

“Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” — Ezra Taft Benson

You just might be a great leader, but don’t forget that your team can always make you better. They may indirectly let you know when you’re taking the wrong steps. But leaders, who lacks humility, will tend to ignore any kind of constructive feedback.

Being a humble leader doesn’t mean accepting everything that your team says, but it does mean having a willingness to listen to the views of others, and give their suggestions fair consideration.

Related: How Thoughtful Leaders Earn Employee Loyalty

It also means giving credit where credit is due. It means recognizing and rewarding the efforts of your team. Acknowledging the contributions of others is a great way to foster humility, and encourage positive results from your team.

Businesses often reflect its leaders, which is why you should work on developing traits that make you a good business leader and killing those that are harming you and your business.

Entrepreneur.com | October 7, 2016 |  Toby Nwazor

#Leadership : 20 Habits of Unsuccessful and Ineffective Leaders (Infographic)…What Not to Do If you Want to Succeed in Leadership

A few weeks ago I wrote an article which focused on the bad habits of leaders which should be avoided, as I thought this was just as important as modeling ourselves on the best. Due to the popularity of this article I produced an Infographic, using Visme, that you can download and share.

Free- Stones stacked on each other

The article was based on my 25 years of experience in leaderships, highlighting some of the habits of unsuccessful and ineffectual leaders that I have seen, and in some cases, their justification for having them.

These are habits best avoided, if possible!

1. Believe They have All The Answers

They know that the reason that they have been put in charge is that they are smarter and better than everyone else. So when it comes to deciding strategy, solving problems, or resolving issues, there is no need, or point in involving anyone else.

2. React, Don’t Respond

Driven by their emotions, they react quickly to situations without worrying about factsor the repercussions of their actions.

They can always show good emotional intelligence by apologizing later.

3. Take Big Risks, The Bigger The Better

They like to gamble and take big risks. Believing in the adage “Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained” and that Smart Risk taking is for wimps.

When I questioned a decision that one boss was taking his response was, “that’s not your concern I get paid big bucks to take the big risks and make the tough calls.”

Personally, I though he got paid the big bucks to take the right risks and to be successful, but what did I know.

 

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4. Believe That Talking About It and Doing It Are The Same Thing

I always remember the first boss I worked for, when the CEO asked him how it was going, he said: “It’s going great, we have been discussing the problem for two days now.” The only problem was that was two days that the business couldn’t operate, and we were no closer to finding a solution.

5. Focus On Blame Not Solutions

It’s better to know who’s fault it is so that we can fire them and make sure this doesn’t happen again.

6. Believe Their Own PR

There is a big difference between confidence and arrogance; the former helps build trust in the leader, the latter destroys it. As soon as you start to believe your own PR, then you are leaning more towards arrogance and starting down a path that is going to end in tears.

7. Don’t Waste Valuable Time on Planning And Preparation

Sometimes you just have to dive and get it done. Don’t worry about what’s involved, or whether you’re focused on the symptom or root cause, just do it. My favorite comment was “we can’t  afford to spend time and money on planning; we just need to get started”.

Which was interesting because we found the time and money to do it again correctly, after that first attempt failed badly.

8. Hire People Beneath Them

As a leader, it is critical that you are the most skillful and knowledgeable member of the team, that way everyone can focus on their job rather than working out how they could replace you.

I worked at one company where the boss told me that he liked to recruit from the bottom quartile because it kept the costs down. He then added, “the only problem with that was the results sucked.”

9. Focus Instant success

It’s all about results, and if we find that they are not coming, then we need to move quickly on to another topic.

They believe that a lot of short-term success will lead to long-terms success.

10. Focus On The Big Picture, Not The Details

Don’t worry about the details, focus on the big picture, as that will keep you motivated. We all know the devil is in the details, but that could lead to concerns, a lack of belief and even worse de-motivation.

11. Focus on Weaknesses Not Strengths

As leaders we cannot have or show any weaknesses, so we need to work on eliminating them, or failing that, hiding them.

12. Confuse Stubbornness With Determination

“Winners never quit, and quitters never win” is a great approach to achieving results.

However you’re bordering on stubbornness if your approach is failing but you refuse to change it.

13. Don’t Play Well With Others

It’s hard to play well with others when you adapt a command and control approach to leadership. People like to be led not managed.

14. Think Praise is For Wimps

It’s ok to praise people once we have achieved success, but praising people just to keep them happy is not a good approach to building a strong, resilient team. We’ve got to be mean to keep them keen, and praising people too often makes a team soft.

15. Take Don’t Give

The more we take, the more we have, that’s how winners are made.

It’s a dog eat dog world, and we have to fight for our share.

16. Quick to Criticize

If you want people to improve, you need to point out their mistakes quickly and clearly. It’s also best to do this publicly so that others can learn too.

17. Easily Distracted

Never content with their current goals they are constantly looking for the next big thing that the get involved in. I think the reason for this is it’s much easier to start something new than to finish something important.

18. Make Excuses

There are a million and one reasons why things don’t work out as planned, so it’s not always our fault, and we need to remember that so as we don’t become too de-motivated. One boss told me never ever accept responsibility it could be career limiting, always have someone ready to blame or a good excuse handy.

19. Love To Micro Manage

It’s hard to trust everyone, so by micro-managing your staff, you can keep a close eye on things, and look to offer advice or step in if things start to go wrong.

20. Practice Inconsistently

It’s great to be inconsistent because it keeps your team guessing, which in turn keeps them on their toes. Predictability, on the other hand, can lead to complacency.

 

 

Inc.com  | October 5, 2016 |

BY GORDON TREDGOLD

Founder and CEO, Leadership Principles

 

#BestofFSCBlog : #YourCareer -Management is a Minefield-10 Things the Boss Wishes You Knew. Over 42K Reads!

If you’re a part of the rank-and-file, it can be hard to get inside the head of management or your company’s leadership team. They seemingly make decisions merely to anger or stir up the lower-level employees, and the boss can be amazingly inept or unable to respond to employees’ concerns. They can devise and deploy stupid rules with little logic or reasoning, and some even seem like they’re out to get you if you rub them the right way.

Elegant business partners holding blank papers on green background

 

It can be hard to figure out what’s going on in the C-suite. But you have to realize that the boss is only human, and has a job to do. As difficult as it is to try and rationalize or figure out the logic behind some decisions, empathizing with the decision makers can be just as hard. Giving it a shot, though, may go a long way to explaining some of their flabbergasting decisions.

What kinds of things do managers wish employees better understood? Here are 10 things bosses wish employees could empathize with, to realize that being in charge doesn’t necessarily mean that every day is a picnic.

1. “I have a boss, too.”

You have a boss, and your boss has a boss. That means that the same issues or negative feelings you’re harboring toward your boss? Your boss is harboring many similar feelings toward their boss. Everyone’s a part of the chain, when it comes down to it. Even the CEO — they answer to shareholders.

 

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2. Honesty goes a long way

If you can get something done, great. If not, don’t pretend that you can — just tell your boss so they can figure out an alternative. If your manager or team leader is counting on you to take care of something, especially after you’ve assured them that you can do it, they’re banking on the fact that you will. Don’t blindside them at the last minute by coming up short. Just be up front about your ability to handle a given task.

Angle view of a business team discussing the future of their company on the foreground

3. Scheduling is very difficult

In certain businesses and workplaces, scheduling employees is a nightmare. If you’ve worked in a restaurant, for example, you have an idea of the juggling act that building a schedule can be. Many employees have school, families, or other jobs they need to attend to, and asking for a day off at the last minute isn’t as easy as slotting in another name.

4. 9:00 does not mean 9:10

Some jobs allow for some leeway in when you come and go to work. Others do not. If your boss needs you at work on time, that means you need to be there on time — not 10 or 15 minutes late. You may send the message that you’re not coming in at all, and send the rest of the staff scrambling to cover your station. Everybody’s late from time to time, but if you make it a chronic habit? You’re only giving your boss ulcers.

5. If you’re quitting, let them know

People quit jobs all the time. But there’s a reason the “two week” rule exists — it allows both parties, the quitter and and the employer, to have some time to cover their bases. Yes, companies lay people off with little or no warning all the time, but if you have a good relationship with your employer, or don’t want to burn any bridges on the way out, give a heads up so they can replace you.

6. They don’t want to be there on Saturday or Thanksgiving either

Yes, working nights, weekends, and holidays sucks. Nobody wants to be there, not even management. But the world doesn’t stop just because it’s your favorite holiday, or because it’s Sunday. Somebody has to work, and somebody has to take the reins. If you’re complaining about having to work Black Friday, your complaints are probably falling upon deaf ears; your boss is probably just as stoked to be there as you are.

7. The boss isn’t out to get you

Management doesn’t want you to fail. They’re not typically setting traps or land mines for you to walk into, to give them a reason to dock your pay or write you up. They want you to do your job and be good at it. If you’re doing well, it makes your manager look better. Sure, some employee-employer relationships can fray, but it’s rare that someone in charge is gunning for you. Paranoia isn’t going to help.

Fear

8. They’re your boss, not your friend

Ever hear about awful parents who try too hard to be “cool,” and let their kids run amok? It’s similar in the workplace. Your boss is there to manage you, not be your bud. While you may have a good relationship with your manager — which is great — you don’t need to tell them how trashed you got last night or invite them to smoke a joint with you during a break. Respect the relationship, and professional boundaries.

9. Management knows you’re screwing around all day

Do you really think nobody realizes that you spend half of your day surfing Facebook, Snapchat, and Reddit? They know — so you don’t have to scramble to cover your tracks every time you’re on your phone and somebody walks up behind you. Of course, if you’re on the sales floor or in a customer service position, then this can be a real problem. But managers know that you’re not always being productive.

10. Saying “I don’t know” is OK

Sometimes, you’re not going to know the answers. Not sure how to work a machine or piece of equipment? Ask for a run-through. Does a customer have a complicated issue or question? Don’t B.S. them, and give them bad information. Even if it’s a little uncomfortable, ask for help from a higher-up, and treat it as a learning experience.

Follow Sam on Facebook and Twitter @SliceOfGinger

 

CheatSheet.com | September 30, 2016 | Sam Becker 

#Leadership : 10 Signs That You Suck As a Leader…Your Staff Won’t Tell you That you’re Terrible. You’ll Just Have to Figure it Out Yourself.

If you ask one of your key employees how you’re doing as a leader, chances are that you aren’t going to get a 100 percent honest answer. The employee probably isn’t going to tell you your faults, when you have the power to destroy his or her employment.

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question mark signs painted on a asphalt road surface

So, what’s it going to be?

Related: Employees Lose When Leaders Stop Leading

You may be asking why you should even ask such a question of your employees. After all, you’re the boss. But it’s simple, really. Research shows that more than 70 percent of the workforce is disengaged. Much of the cause of that disengagement oftem stems from the active dislike the employee has for his or her leader, often described as “the manager from hell.”

But none of these employees are going to risk their jobs to tell you that. And because of their reluctance, you may need to take a long, hard look at your behavior and be brave enough to recognize the signs that you aren’t doing as good of a job as a leader as you would like.

Here are 10 signs that you may, well, suck as a leader:

1. Your attitude is “This is how we do things around here, and you can like it or leave.”

Great leaders are in a constant state of growth and adaptability. They would never approach employees with this attitude.

 

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2. You are busy being nice.

Great leaders know what truly matters. Leaders know their purpose — their why. Running a business is not a popularity contest that leaders need to try to win. If you spend all your time trying to be nice to people, you aren’t leading.

3. You micro-manage.

Great leaders are collaborative, not micro-managers. Leaders don’t feel that they have to do everything themselves. They trust their team members to do it and know they will do it right.

Related: Leaders Succeed When They Go Where Their Fear Tells Them to Avoid

4. You are all about the numbers.

Great leaders are, first and foremost, CROs. You know — chief relationship officers. Leaders cannot always focus on the bottom line. Remember that the number one character trait of great leaders is that they highly value the people they lead.

5. You secretly, or not so secretly, dislike people.

Great leaders are genuinely into their work relationships. They like people and love seeing them grow. You have no business being a leader if you don’t like people.

6. You steal the light.

Great leaders give the spotlight to others. Bad leaders take credit for what’s not theirs, and justify their behavior based on some “rational-lies” that they tell themselves. But it is not, despite anything you have ever been told, all about you.

7. You lack empathy and compassion.

Great leaders have a highly developed level of emotional intelligence. Don’t try to lead if you can’t grasp this concept.

8. You lack self-knowledge.

Great leaders are continually developing deeper self-knowledge, because they understand that self-knowledge lies at the root of genuine empathy and compassion. In order to lead effectively, you have to know who you are below the surface.

9. Your people don’t trust you.

Great leaders are highly integral. They don’t say one thing and do another. If this is you, you’ll lose ground every quickly with your staff.

10. You keep your personal life a secret.

Great leaders are bonded to their people, and their people are bonded to them. Great leaders know and care about who their people are. Great leaders let their people see who they authentically are beyond their role as leader. Let people in, proving that you have learned the power of vulnerability.

If you read this, and you find yourself saying, “Yeah, but you don’t understand,” what you are actually saying is that you are committed to sucking at your role as you are at leading. If that’s the case, no one can help you until you decide it’s too painful to stay the same.

Related: 7 Habits of Masterful Managers Who Coach Their Teams to Success

Entrepreneur.com | September 27, 2016 | Dov Baron

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#Leadership : 5 Ways Smart Leaders Ruin Companies…The Bad News is that These Mistakes are as Common as They are Damaging. The Good News is that They’re Really Easy to Fix, Once you’re Aware of Them.

Most businesses are run by highly intelligent people. Yet, when things fall apart it’s usually due to these highly intelligent leaders’ stupid mistakes. Tragedies happen when smart leaders, who are otherwise great, sabotage themselves, day after day, with mistakes that they can’t see but are obvious to everyone else.

Free- Barbed Wire

How can smart, experienced people with impressive track records make such stupid mistakes?

Sydney Finkelstein, a professor at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, spent six years searching for an answer. He and his colleagues studied 51 of the business world’s most notorious failures, interviewing CEOs and people from all levels. He and his team found that the poor decisions these smart leaders made were sometimes intentional and sometimes accidental, but they always followed a clear pattern of hubris that ensured even the most successful enterprise could be run into the ground.

Here’s what the leaders in Finkelstein’s study had in common:

1. They thought they were the smartest person in the room.

Many intelligent leaders know quite well how smart they are. Their identities become so wrapped up in their intelligence that they believe input from others is unnecessary. They make decisions quickly and refuse to answer questions when there’s a misunderstanding. Although this may fit the TV image of a strong leader, making split-second decisions with imprudence often leads to major mistakes. Your chance of failure is heightened when you don’t care to know what other people think.

 

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2. They surrounded themselves with yes-men and women.

Some leaders become so obsessed with loyalty that they expect mindless support for every decision they make. This alienates valuable employees and silences voices that could otherwise help the business succeed. When a leader begins to equate disagreement with disloyalty, or worse—the undermining of their authority—there’s no one left to raise the warning flags.

3. They viewed themselves, and their companies, as untouchable.

There’s nothing wrong with having lofty goals or a healthy sense of pride, but these leaders took their success for granted. They became so enamored with their ideas that they believed their competitors would never catch up, their circumstances would never change, and no disruptors would ever surface. These unrealistic expectations made failure inevitable. Leaders must continually question their positions, especially when they’re on top.

4. They couldn’t tell where they stopped and the company began.

The leaders in Finkelstein’s study had high profiles and were obsessed with company image. As a result, they were too busy being the face of the company to effectively lead it. Not only did this lead to stagnation but it also engendered dishonesty and corruption. A leader who sees a company as his own is more likely to hide anything that could tarnish that image, whether it be low numbers or faulty products.

5. They drove past red flags and warning signs.

Some leaders are so enamored with their personal visions that they’re willing to drive the company off of a cliff in pursuit of them. Many of these leaders solicit input and suggestions, but they just can’t take their feet off the gas. Persistence is a great quality in a leader but not if it means ignoring the facts.

Bringing It All Together

The bad news is that these mistakes are as common as they are damaging. The good news is that they’re really easy to fix, once you’re aware of them.

Have you seen smart leaders make similar mistakes? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

Travis co-wrote the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and co-foundedTalentSmart.

 

Forbes.com | September 27, 2016 | Travis Bradberry 

 

 

#Leadership : What Elite Athletes Can Teach You About Being A Better Business Leader…Playing Sports at an Elite Level requires Commitment, Humility, and Perseverance—All Necessary Traits of Great Leaders.

“The obvious similarity is that they’re both competitive arenas,” Beecham says. In his coaching practice, which includes both executives and elite athletes, the training and mental toughness required is similar for both types of clients, he says. Business leaders can draw a number of lessons from those who play sports at an elite level.

THRIVE IN CHAOS

When linebacker Bradie James retired from the Dallas Cowboys in 2014, he devoted himself full-time to his franchise businesses. James had some success with MOOYAH Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, but was looking for new challenges in the business world. After discussions with management, he joined the company’s corporate team as director of brand engagement, working in marketing, operations, and sales.

James credits his time on the Cowboys with making this transition. “As an athlete, we thrive in chaotic situations. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][On the field], there are so many different things that are going on—the crowd, the opponent—you have to do your job. What you have to do is just hone that ability,” he says. He used the ability to quickly assess needs and actions that he developed on the football field to do the same for his new employer.

TAP THE RIGHT TRAINING

One of the first things elite athletes learn is that they can’t work in a vacuum, says elite performance coach Michelle Cleere, author of From Here to There: A Simple Blueprint for Women to Achieve Success in Sport and Business. You need the right training and coaches to help you succeed.

Developing relationships with the people who can help you get better is second nature to athletes, but perhaps less so to business leaders, who may try to achieve more on their own, she says. Look at yourself as an athlete, she suggests.

 

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If you need to get better in a particular area, think about where you can get the extra coaching or training you need to develop that skill set.

 

DON’T SKIP PRACTICE

Where elite athletes practice far more than they actually compete, business leaders are often expected to compete relentlessly, often with little practice, Beecham says. That can leave them ill-prepared when the stakes are high. While there is an enormous focus on numbers and successes, less attention is paid on building a solid process that prepares people to achieve those goals.

That process includes training, mentoring, stretch assignments, and assessment of strengths and weaknesses before “game time,” he says, whether that’s a big sales presentation or taking on a big project. Beecham points to John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball coach, who was well-known for not talking about winning or losing, but rather how he wanted the game played.

“What I’m saying is what a lot of business leaders fail to do and I would say that in the sport, they do better than this,” Beecham explains. “Good coaches in sport really do talk about the process, the things that we need to do to focus on to do well. In business, they don’t do that as well,” he adds.

GET IT DONE

When Ryan Kwiatkowski was a professional volleyball player in Belgium, he learned quickly how to manage his time. Three or four practices per day, traveling to matches, and other demands made it important for him to be organized about what needed to get done and overcome procrastination, he says. Now, he is director of marketing for his family’s financial services firm,Retirement Solutions, Inc. in Naperville, Illinois, which manages more than $100 million in assets.

“I take a look at the work day in chunks and focus on very specific targeted activities throughout the day,” says Kwiatkowski, “similar to how it would be during practices.”

WIN OR LEARN

Recently, Kwiatkowski’s team didn’t land a big business pitch. While the news was disappointing, the former volleyball pro drew on his athletic experience to rally his team. The options aren’t “win or lose,” he says. They’re “win or learn.” Review what happened and where improvements can be made to be a better competitor next time, he says.

SUCK IT UP AND SHAKE IT OFF

When you’re a linebacker in the National Football League taking a beating from the other team, overcoming adversity is part of your job. James says that one of the key lessons he learned playing pro ball was that you have to bounce back. You’re going to get hit. You’re going to have bad days, he says. But you’ve got to figure out a way to get yourself back in the game, renewing your resolve, determination, and enthusiasm to make another run, even when you might not feel like it.

“You don’t fail by falling, you fail by staying on the ground. It’s about getting yourself back up,” he says. That kind of mental toughness is an essential part of long-term success.

GET EVERYONE TO PLAY TOGETHER

As captain of the Cowboys, James says there were times when he had to be the liaison between players and coaches, resolving concerns. Today, he uses that same skill as he helps build the MOOYAH brand. His experience as a franchise owner allows him to bring a different perspective to the corporate team, and he speaks out regularly to make sure their voice is heard.

“Sometimes you say, ‘You know what, the team is banking on this, so let’s look at it from a different perspective. Let’s try a different way. I’m all in no matter what we do, but let’s make this one adjustment. What do you think?’” James believes that ability to get people to work together toward a common goal is a skill that will serve you in business and in life.

 

FastCompany.com | GWEN MORAN 09.23.16 5:07 AM

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#Leadership : 6 Habits Of Trustworthy Leaders…The People in your Office May Not Trust you as Much as you Think they Do. Here’s How to Win them Over.

Consulting firm EY released its Global Generations 3.0 research which found that less than half of full-time workers between the ages of 19 and 68 place a “great deal of trust” in their employer, boss, or colleagues. Another recent survey from Globoforce’s WorkHuman Research Institute found that 80% of employees trust their colleagues, but only 65% trust senior leaders in their companies.

That’s a problem. EY’s research also found that low levels of trust majorly influences employees to look for another job (42%), work the minimum number of hours required (30%), and be less engaged and productive (28%).

“People are forgiving if they know that their leaders—particularly their senior leaders—are trying,” he says. “If they know that their senior leaders are being straight with them and they have [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][the employees’] as well as the company’s best interest in mind, they’re more likely to trust.”

Earning the trust of your team has real bottom-line benefits, says Dennis Reina, cofounder of Reina, a trust-building consultancy and author ofRebuilding Trust in the Workplace: Seven Steps to Renew Confidence, Commitment and Energy. He points to one of his clients: an airline with a troubled operations team. Lack of trust, marked by infighting and poor communication, was making the team ineffective. In a year, Reina’s team raised the level of trust in the department by 51 points, according to a post-test they did. The department saved $1 million in strategic planning costs because they were able to work well together and cut the planning time down to one-third of previous requirements, he says.

There are a number of simple, straightforward actions that build trust, Reina says. Here are six simple tactics that work.

KEEP YOUR AGREEMENTS

Few actions ruin your trustworthiness faster than breaking your word, Reina says. Doing what you say you’re going to do reinforces the perception of your character. If circumstances change and you’re unable to do so, explain why with as much detail and context as possible so all parties understand the reason for the change. When you’re consistent with your word, people know they can depend on you.

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GIVE CONTEXT

Leaders are often counseled to give specific direction and communicate clearly, but context is also important, Reina says. When people understand why you’re asking them to take on a difficult challenge or a task they’d rather not do, help them understand the importance of what you’re asking. Seeing how their role fits into a bigger picture and is valued helps them understand and trust the organizational vision, which can help foster greater trust in both the company and its leaders. Plus, transparent cultures are good for business.

BE PRESENT

When you’re interacting with your team members, pay attention and focus on the conversations and dynamics, says Tara A. Goodfellow, managing director of Athena Educational Consultants, Inc. Listen to what matters to your employees and let them know that you are actually hearing and considering what they’re saying. If you’re distracted or unfocused, you risk making them feel like you’re insincere, which will erode trust.

“If you don’t get to know your employees and what motivates them, it’s really hard to build that trust,” she says.

WELCOME DIVERSITY

Leaders and organizations that welcome varied input and feedback are more trustworthy. The EY study found that 38% of respondents say that a diverse environment is a “very important” determinant of trust. In this context, diverse environment means that it “strives to recruit, retain, and promote diverse people with all differences including gender, country of origin, and thinking style,” according to the survey results.

BE HUMAN

You’re going to make mistakes and there are going to be things you don’t know, so ask questions, admit when you’re wrong, and, when appropriate, make amends, says Timothy G. Wiedman, a former corporate manager and associate professor of management and human resources at Doane University. By showing a measure of vulnerability and willingness to admit when you’re wrong or need help shows that you’re human and helps people more easily relate to you, he says.

“A question that should have been asked—but wasn’t—may have catastrophic consequences that will not soon be forgotten,” he says. But when people know that you’re willing to get the answers you need instead of faking it, they’ll trust you more, he says.

HAVE THEIR BACKS

Employees will trust you most when they feel you’re looking out for them, Reina says. Encourage feedback—even when it’s difficult to hear—and create an environment where they feel secure. When they are having challenges at work, provide the support, training, or resources they need to improve. And if they’re facing an unfair or otherwise disruptive situation, go to bat for them to make it right.

“People are forgiving if they know that their leaders—particularly their senior leaders—are trying,” he says. “If they know that their senior leaders are being straight with them and they have [the employees’] as well as the company’s best interest in mind, they’re more likely to trust.”

 

FastCompany.com | GWEN MORAN |  09.19.16 5:18 AM

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#Leadership : This FlowChart can Help you Figure Out If you’re a Horrible Boss, or a Great One…Follow the FlowChart to Figure Out If you’re a Great Manager, or a Horrible One

Most people like the idea of being the boss — but not everyone has what it takes to lead effectively.

Directions Man

It can be difficult to determine whether or not you’re manager material, even if you’re being honest with yourself. What’s more, once you are in a leadership role, it’s hard to reckon whether or not you’re doing a great job — or failing miserably.

It’s important to determine what your strengths and weaknesses are when it comes to leading. Otherwise, you might be unprepared once an opportunity to rise up comes around. Or, if you are already a boss, you might flounder in your management role.

For anyone who’s considering whether or not they have any leadership chops, Headway Capitalcompiled this infographic breaking down what it takes to be a great boss.

Follow the flowchart to figure out if you’re a great manager, or a horrible one:

Are you boss material DV4 1

Businessinsider.com | September 16, 2016 |