Finding Your Leadership Voice

Lynae and I were talking with a potential client the other day about leadership development.  We discussed the journey participants would travel throughout a year-long curriculum that aligned with the organization’s core competencies.

As with any plan, you have to know where to start.  With leadership development, we always start with vision, values, and finding your leadership voice.

In their book The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner say: “To act with integrity, you must first know who you are.  You must know what you stand for, what you believe in, and what you care most about.  Clarity of values will give you the confidence to make tough decisions, act with determination and speak your truth.”

When you find your leadership voice, you become a more effective communicator.  Effective communicators speak both from their minds and hearts.  They understand the importance of speaking with the intention to build relationships and encourage what is possible.  They choose words that affirm, appreciate, support, solve, and inspire.

Finding your leadership voice requires some introspection and exploration of what matters most to you and how you can use this self-awareness to inspire others.  With a strong sense of your own internal compass, you are in a more effective position to lead others to bring their best selves forward.  Here are some questions to ask yourself to find your voice.

What do you love to do?

• Where have you been successful?
• In what areas are you most likely to offer your expertise to others?

What matters to you?

• What personal motives and values drive you?
• What gives you the greatest sense of satisfaction and reward?

How can you serve?

• How do I use my passions and strengths to serve others?
• What do others value most from me?

Georgine

In Service to Others

Our world is spinning quite fast these days, and there are a lot of people experiencing some very hard times.  Now more than ever it’s helpful for each of us to find ways to be in service to others.  Every day, we have countless opportunities to give a little something extra to our colleagues, communities, families, and friends.  Acts of service don’t need to be heroic to make a difference.  Small things matter . . . sometimes small things can make a world of difference to someone.

Being in service to others is a philosophy and practice that benefits everyone, including ourselves.  I know that I feel empowered and capable when I do something that makes life a little easier for someone else.  When things are going on around me that are significant and out of my control, engaging in a single act of service may be the only thing I can do.  In addition, I know how grateful I am when someone extends themselves to me during a time of challenge or crisis.  It can be calming and reassuring – just what I need.

Here are some simple acts of service that might make a difference to someone today:

• Listen without judgment or comment.
• Ask: “How can I support you?”
• Jump in and join the effort without questioning “what’s in it for me?”
• Take care of more than your share of the problem.
• Be the first to volunteer for that project that no one wants.
• Instead of looking at what someone else can do, look at what you can do.
• When you see that something needs to be done, do it without being asked.
• Look people in the eye and greet them with a smile.
• Give someone else credit.
• Let others have a chance.
• Celebrate someone else’s accomplishment.

What will you do to be in service to others today?

Respectfully,

Lynae

Look For What You Want

Our good friend and colleague, Laura Goodrich, has just published a book to accompany her video Seeing Red Cars.  We are pleased for her success, and really appreciate her message.  It’s so much in alignment with Madd-Steiny’s philosophy of moving toward what you study.  When we work with organizations, we help them look for what is positive and life-giving about their culture and community, instead of only looking at something that needs to be “fixed”.

Goodrich’s message is simple:  Focus on what you want.  We are conditioned throughout our lives and in our culture to identify what we don’t want.  Many of us have a natural inclination to be motivated by our fear of loss or failure.  In the book, Goodrich cites research that “it is estimated that we have 12,000 – 50,000 thoughts coursing through our brains each day, 70% of them are focused on what we don’t want and what we’d like to avoid.”  Perhaps it’s that Neanderthal in all of us that is motivated to avoid being eaten by something bigger than we are.  There is something undeniably important about outrunning predators.  But, I believe that one of the most threatening predator to our success is our own thought process.  The downside to thinking about what we don’t want, is that we often take our eye off the “ball”─the “ball” being our goals and desires.

So, what can you do, right now, to help focus on what you want and create the results you desire?  Start as I do on most days (not all days . . . I’m an imperfect animal with Neanderthal tendencies):

Create a list of what you want from the day.  This is not a ”to-do list”.  Rather, it’s a list of what you want your day to bring and the experiences you want to have.

This list, helps set an intention for your day and shifts your focus to what you want.  And, these intentions don’t mean you are aspiring to greatness every moment; small steps matter.  Here are some examples:

Today, I want to . . .

-       Create something new.

-       Step outside of my comfort zone.

-       Feel a sense of accomplishment.

-       Have fun.

-       Learn something.

When you set these intentions, your focus then becomes about “how to “ vs. “how not to”.  Try it tomorrow when you awake and see if you don’t find more and get more, of what you want.

Lynae

Respecting the Whole Person

When you see yourself in your mind’s eye, you probably see more than your outward appearance.  I know I do.  I see me as a whole person and think about myself in terms of my thoughts, my heart, and my spirit.  I seek what gives me joy and makes me think critically and challenges beliefs that don’t necessarily serve me.  And, I love it when others notice more of me than just what is on the outside.  My guess is that you do too.  And, that got me thinking about what I can do more of to notice the “wholeness” of the people around me.  Here are some things I’m committed to do more of.  How about you?

·    Listen for the meaning behind what someone says through their tone of voice and choice of words.
·    Probe for deeper understanding to ensure I hear what’s important to someone else.
·    Pay attention to what makes someone “light up” when they talk.  This can be a sure sign of a passion.
·    Notice someone’s interests and choice of leisure activities to gain insight to what they appreciate.

It’s not important that other people notice that I’m doing these things.  What’s important is how my interactions with them are influenced as a result of me paying closer attention to their wholeness.  At the very least, I can be as gentle and accepting with them as I’d appreciate others to be with me.  Because, we’re all more than just the roles we play.  We are whole beings and are wholly deserving of respect.

Warmly,

Lynae

Values and Health

Last week, I participated in an event with the Minneapolis Heart Institute which focused on women’s heart health.  I talked about values and how they play an important role in helping people gain a strong sense of self, which in turn can help people choose healthy behaviors.

I did some homework for the talk and discovered that there is a growing body of research that affirms the “role of self” in preventing and recovering from health events.  To quote one of the articles I found, “How the self is defined determines what goals will be meaningful, which in turn determines what behaviors will be enacted to meet those goals.”  So, it follows (as the article also pointed out) that “the self likely plays a pivotal role in regulating individual thoughts, motivations and decision-making activities relevant to health behaviors.”  In other words, if I value vitality, it’s likely that I would behave in ways that increase my energy – like exercising regularly, eating well, and getting plenty of sleep.

Values are at the core of our selves, and help us gain a clear sense of who we are and how we want to live.  I was delighted to see research about how the role of self and one’s value system influences health.  It just reinforced what Georgine and I have believed and shared with clients for many years now.  That’s why we created a suite of products to help people discover their values – to help people improve their results.

What I appreciated about being able to participate in the event last week was to help women see how values can serve as another tool to help them make healthy choices.  And, perhaps clarifying your values will help you too.  Here are some questions to help you get started:

·    What are your 5 core values – those values that are most important to you right now in the age and stage of your life?
·    How do these values show up for you?
·    What do you gather around you in your life that reinforce or align with your values?
·    What can you let go of that doesn’t support your values?
·    How do your values help you make choices that help you live a healthy life?

Wishing you health and vitality,

Lynae

Generosity

Recently, I’ve heard a lot of “talk” about a new book out by Ken Blanchard (author of The One Minute Manager) and S.Truett Cathy (author of It’s Easier to Succeed Than to Fail) called The Generosity Factor: Discover the Joy of Giving Your Time, Talent, and Treasure.

I don’t know about you, but for me when I hear something once I take notice.  When I hear something twice, I take interest. And, when I hear something three times (or more), I take action.  So, I went out and bought the book.

I found the book to be an inspirational and easy read.  What I received from the book was a reminder about the power of giving.

I couldn’t help but think about a blog that my partner, Lynae, wrote a few weeks back on Getting What you Want after being inspired by hearing Zig Zigler speak at a conference we attended, about the power of giving generously.

Generosity is the mindset of giving freely without expecting anything in return. Generosity involves giving of your time, attention, assets, or talents.  Although the term generosity often goes hand-in-hand with charity, it is not solely based on one’s economic status, but instead, includes the individual’s pure intentions of expressing appreciation, looking out for an individual’s/group’s common good and/or giving from the heart.

For me, the book inspired more than a heart of giving. It inspired my heart of receiving. I haven’t always been so gracious in receiving gifts from others, be it appreciation, feedback, help, or tokens. I do believe that giving and receiving go hand in hand.

We have always heard that the act of giving has a cause and effect relationship with the receiver. They are more inclined to “pass it on” and acknowledge others that make a difference in their lives.

Madd-Steiny’s focus on helping create and sustain values-based work cultures has a lot to do with the art of giving and receiving. When we are generous with each other, we have an eye on the greater good that we can accomplish together and feel more empowered to make a difference in our world.

Here are some tips I would suggest for practicing the art of giving and receiving in your environment.

·    Be generous with “calling out” action and/or contributions from others that you appreciate
·    Be fully present “in the now” with each interaction you have with others.
·    Get good at saying “thank you” when you receive a token of generosity
·    Express your appreciation for the give and take (collaboration) of your relationships

Georgine

Monuments

Last week, I took my twin nieces to Mt. Rushmore.  (That’s us in the photo.)  I was awestruck by the powerful sight of four of our greatest presidents carved into a granite mountainside.  It got me thinking about monuments, their power, and their meaning in our culture.

Monuments are imbued with meaning by their creators.  Mt. Rushmore is a memorial to American history and instills hope and is meant to represent a basic belief in the decency of our country and its government.  But I believe Mt. Rushmore holds greater power than imagined by its artist because of the personal meaning for each individual who visits.  For me, the monument represents America’s values of freedom, liberty and opportunity.  I can only imagine what it might mean to others: hope, strength, truth, justice, happiness, or possibility.

In organizations, we create monuments imbued with meaning that is intended to send a message, represent shared values, or align with the company vision.  Sometimes the monuments are explicit, such as a sculpture of a company founder or a mural depicting major events in a company’s history.  Other times, monuments are subtle reminders of important beliefs, such as a plaque on which are listed the company’s core values.  More subtle still . . . a monument can be found in the form of company lore─a story told time and again.  The important thing to remember for leaders who erect monuments (or perpetuate a company’s oral history) is to make sure they are inspirational.  A monument endures when its meaning is universal and can stand the test of time.

·    So, what monuments exist in your company?
·    Do they inspire and appropriately represent your organization’s vision and values?
·    What do they mean to you and others?
·    How do they help your company progress and grow?

Lynae

Make Respect a Habit

“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.

Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors.

Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits.

Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values.

Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”  -Gandhi

I have always loved this quote from Gandhi and ran across it just the other day. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen it over the years, it still causes me to pause and affirm to live each day at my best.

The part of this quote that I am most focused on today is the part about habits. In our work with leadership development we know that people are creatures of habit.  Habits serve us well because once we have a habit engrained we become very efficient. We don’t have to exert much intellectual energy to accomplish tasks. Did you know that brain researchers estimate that out of every 11,000 signals we receive from our senses, our brain consciously processes only 40? This shows how often we operate on “auto pilot” as we go about our work and personal lives.

Habits, our automatic responses, can be bad or good. One bad habit I have worked on is interrupting people before they have finished talking. This behavior is not respectful. Even though I have never interrupted someone with the conscious intension to be disrespectful, this behavior doesn’t match my values and so I risk being perceived as not honoring what others have to say. I am committed to practicing good habits in listening because they align with my values and create the perceptions that I want others to have of me.

Og Mandino, author of The Greatest Salesman in the World, gives the advice to “make yourself a slave to good habits”.  Here are three simple tips to develop a good habit.

1.    Start simple.
Choose one behavior that you want to make habitual. Write it down on a piece of paper as an affirmation and post it somewhere that you will see each day. Visualize yourself behaving that way in a number of different situations.

2.    Commit for 21 days.
Three to four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit automatic. If you can make it through the initial conditioning phase, it becomes much easier to sustain. Consistency is also important during this conditioning phase so commit to doing your new behavior every day for 21 days.

3.    Celebrate outcomes.
Notice what the results are when you practice your behavior. If your behavior is a personal health related one, notice how you feel.  Good habits in self care result in higher levels of self respect. If your behavior is interpersonal, notice the results your behavior has on others.  Consider sharing your commitment with a friend or co-worker and ask him/her to give you feedback as he/she observes your behavior.

Warm Regards,
Georgine

Respect for your Environment

Recently I took a short road trip out of the city to my home town to visit my parents.  The day was incredible with lots of sunshine after a soaking rain.  The landscape was lush and I found myself taking in the beauty of the earth.  Gratitude filled my heart and my mind and left me with a feeling of great contentment.

At one point during my drive I came across a group of Boy Scouts who were walking the ditches and picking up trash that had been thrown out of cars. I felt a great deal of pride in those boys and respect for what they were doing.  Having been a leader in our local Scouts organization when my boys were younger, I know that this activity was a demonstration of a core value in the scouting organization – good citizenship.

Our organizational development work at Madd-Steiny helps companies find ways to bring their core values to life in their work cultures.  And, I think that just about every organization we have met has respect listed as one of their core values.

The value of respect, demonstrated, goes beyond an individual’s behavior during interpersonal interactions.  It also extends into caring for the work environment.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about conflict in work groups due to food left in the refrigerator, or dishes left in the sink or a mess left in the conference room after a meeting.

Establishing norms or expectations for behavior in your organization is one powerful way to bring your values to life and nurture a respectful work culture.

Here are a few behavioral expectations that we have seen practiced in organizations that demonstrate a respect for the work environment.

1.    Always leave your meeting space looking better than you found it.
2.    When you see litter in and/or around the building pick it up.
3.    Keep your workspace organized and free from clutter.
4.    Be accountable to pick up after yourself in shared space.

With Respect,

Georgine

Respect and Extraordinary Groups

I attended a networking event where the speaker talked about his research on what makes groups and teams “extraordinary.” The information he shared was practical and helpful. And although he didn’t specifically say that respect matters in building extraordinary teams, he talked about what I consider to be respectful actions, such as accepting differences and listening to the contributions of others. His talk got me thinking about how respect can influence whether or not a group is extraordinary-meaning that the group gets great results, shares a sense of purpose, and is engaged. What would a group be without respect?

How can you instill respect into a group quickly and witness some pretty “extraordinary” results?
Here are some tips:

• Define shared values. Values serve as powerful guideposts to actions and attitudes. Get your team together and select 5 core values that guide everything you do.
• Establish behavior norms. Involve everyone in the group to agree on the standards of behavior that will guide everyone’s interactions. Examples include: come to meetings prepared; turn off cell phones during meetings; and question someone’s ideas, not their values.
• Explore and honor different perspectives. Next time your group is given a project or is expected to meet a specific goal, bring the group together and invite different ideas about how to go about it. Brainstorm freely and encourage the group to think creatively. See if you can come up with an entirely new approach to an ‘old’ situation.

Give it a try, and let us know what happens.

Respectfully,

Lynae