How to Lead in a Competitive Environment
If you consider yourself a strategic leader, then you know the importance of translating strategy into action and results. Here are a few tips:
Know yourself—know your leadership brand and what makes you different than other leaders in similar roles. Ask yourself, “Are people willing to be led by me or am I just managing their daily activities?” If you have a strong leadership brand, you are being followed because you’ve won the hearts and minds of those who work for and with you. So, are you an influencer or a director? What is working well for you and what behaviors should you consider changing?
Case Study: Consider the impact one leader had when she first became a part of the senior management team in a Fortune 500 organization.
When I first began working with Mary (name has been changed to protect confidentiality), she was a mid-level, high-potential woman seeking our executive coaching to help her move forward in her career.
In her promotion to a senior management role, the very first thing she did was determine what behaviors were recently pointed out in her performance appraisal as areas for improvement. She then called each of her new peers, requesting a meeting with them in person (and this team was spread across the country). She asked for an hour to meet with each of them on a more personal AND strategic level.
Each peer granted her request, of course, and during those meetings she shared her targeted areas for improvement and asked to be supported in holding herself accountable for personal growth. As a result, each colleague was impressed with her self-confidence in asking for help along with her sincere desire to grow professionally. The powerful ending of this case study is that Mary climbed further in her role to become President of a large division of the corporation before her recent retirement.
Know your role—what is expected of you as you operationalize the expectations of the business with your personal contribution to the organization? How can you be fully engaged in using your strengths? Have you “recently” taken an assessment on how others perceive these strengths? And what can you do to inspire and recognize others?
Case Study: Here’s how a client of ours built a work environment that inspired trust and respect.
Bill developed a communications plan during our executive coaching engagement that outlined—strategically and tactically—how he would communicate his vision for the organization and his business plan for the division. In creating his communications plan, we first determined the clear, consistent and constant message he wanted to share (the 3 C’s of a strong personal leadership brand). Then Bill chose the vehicles for building stronger communication that he felt comfortable using.
Some of the communication vehicles he decided upon included a monthly internal newsletter where he recognized those who made valuable contributions to the organization that month, suggestions he called his Top Ten Tips for the month’s business growth and enhanced customer satisfaction, and a quarterly video conference with his team across the country where he gave the opportunity for Q & A about any issues that were on their minds.
Bill’s leadership attributes included engaging, inspiring, visionary, strategic and trusting. Using his brand attributes and communications skills, he soon led his team in accomplishing outstanding results for the company and ultimately won the award for “Best Loved Boss” of the year.
Valerie
Why Should You Take a Risk
You could be just the person to make something happen! Maybe during other times that this project or idea was attempted, the leader was not prepared or was not dedicated enough. Maybe you could be that person to make it work.
You will never have this opportunity again.You will never have this exact moment back. If you don’t try now, you will be losing a moment, a moment of momentum or a moment of excitement.
Don’t let your doubts hold you back. Let them educate you and let them caution you. But don’t let the fact that you have doubts stop you from acting. You will always have doubts, but your decisions must be made.
You’ll never know your limits until you stretch. In order to grow, you need to stretch yourself: in your creativity, in your management skills, and in your innovation.
You just might be able to do it. Sometimes projects look daunting from far away, but up close, they are manageable. Maybe this jump or risk is just terrifying from a distance. Start examining the pieces. Can you conquer this obstacle in chunks? If so, jump!
Valerie
People Skills – The Essence of Successful Leadership
In this videoBIO I talk about how I help companies make the best of their people. 85% of what keeps you successful has to do with what you do to cement and build relationships.
“People skills and leadership are about being the most authentic best you can be.”
Click here to view the video.
Valerie
NEVER LOOK IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR!
As I set my sights on a new year, so very grateful that this one is over, I’ve been thinking of 2011 goals. It takes time for me to gather my thoughts before I put them to paper, so I’ve learned to start in December before setting them firmly in January.
One thing I’ve learned in this process is to move ON, not try to recapture the past. While we certainly learn from the past, it’s not healthy to spend wasted energy there. Instead, focus on the NEW day and NEW year that awaits. Past disappointments, missed opportunities, or mistakes ARE past. Let them go andface toward the road ahead.
Here are tips my clients find helpful in setting their goals. Start with just one major goal that you want to accomplish and then use these tips for all your goals. (I find that three is the magic number. If you reach your top three goals,you’ve done well!)
1 – Use the SMART rule. Make sure that your goal is Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Timeframe-specific.
2- Stay positive. No one can sabotage you like YOU. You must truly WANT to reach that goal. If you do, then you’ll be energized and motivated to accomplish it.
3 – Soar with your strengths. I’ve never been one to focus on my weaknesses because, goodness, that would be too depressing. We should all recognize what great talents and experiences we have that can take us across the finish line.
4 – Set a stretch goal. If it’s too easy, it’s usually not a goal, rather a next step toward something already moving along. If the goal is a bit of a stretch, just think how thrilled you’ll be when you make the mark.
5 – Take one step at a time. The ol’ saying is true—“inch by inch it’s a cinch.”
6 – Celebrate along the way. Each little success should be recognized and celebrated. I clearly remember writing my latest book, Do It Right. It seemed impossible to meet the deadlines, and I was stressing with each one looming overhead. A colleague reminded me to take those short wins (finishing a chapter or even a page) and give myself a reward (eata chocolate chip cookie or relax that night in a warm, hot bath). Yes, that seems silly. But those little recognitions that I gave myself actually boosted my energy and motivated me to finish.
7 – Keep your goal visible. Post it in a place where you see it every day. That keeps it top of mind.
Anyone else have ideas that have worked for you? I’d love to get your emails. Send to: Valerie@valerieandcompany.com. Good luck!
Valerie
p.s. Read more articles like this here:
Mentoring Helps Women As Well as Men
Taken from The Wall Street Journal by Hal Lancaster
(This is the journalist who gratefully featured our company in The MarketPlace – see below)
Broaden your definition of the term “mentor.”
Mr. Lancaster likes the term, learning partner.We can learn from people older and younger than us. According to Lancaster, you should select a mentor who can help you with specific concerns, such as conflict resolution. Select people based on their knowledge.
Build a board of mentors.
Sometimesyou may want a female mentor. Sometimes you may prefer a male. Mentors may come from all walks of society, including professional organizations, alumni groups, community groups, and women’s forums.
Vive la difference.
Find someone who is different from you. Look for differences. Don’t always be comfortable with the mentor you have chosen.
Market yourself to a prospective mentor.
Find out the outside interests of this mentor. Maybe the two of you like some form of music. Maybe you like jogging. You may offer a view the mentor does not possess.
Take your mentoring in small doses.
Approach your prospective mentor slowly. I need some help in marketing segmentation. I need to improve my networking skills. Don’t be a pest to the mentor, and know when to leave. You can learn a great deal by listening closely to your mentor.
Read more articles like this here:
http://www.valerieandcompany.com/
Valerie
Leaders Should Celebrate Small Wins
A leaders role is to inspire and help their team recognize the small wins that might come during projects. I have found it helpful to actually “create” small wins for the team. Here’s what I mean. Let’s call this C.O.S.T.T. which means that we can “create on-going short term tangible” positive results for the team. When we’re in the trenches doing our day to day activities, we tend to not even recognize those little things that could be celebrated. Some ideas could be a deadline that is met ahead of schedule, a sale that may not have been the big one, but a sale that could be that the team could be proud of, or even a new team member who made a significant contribution to the team. I always try to think of and recognize those wins, no matter how small and celebrate them. This could simply be a pat on the back, taking someone out for coffee, putting ‘congratulations’ in the company newsletter, etc. Everyone wants and needs wins along the way, even small ones. Recognition keeps motivation high!
