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Sunday, December 30, 2007

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2008 TO YOU

The Leader Formula: The 4 things that make a good leader.

Q: What makes a great leader?
A: My definition of leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.
Q: You often say that leadership is a choice not a position. Can you elaborate on this?
A: Because of the definition I use for leadership, the ability to become such a leader is a choice that any person can make; any parent or grandparent, any teacher, any coach, any co-worker, and friend. When I speak throughout the world, I often ask audiences,
"How many of you had someone in your life that communicated your worth and potential so clearly that it profoundly influenced your life?"
Inevitably over half the people raise their hands. I walk around the room and ask them to share their experience with how it happened, who did it, the impact that it had upon them, and if they, too, are making the choice to do the same with other people. People often become very emotional when they talk about the parent, the coach, the teacher, the formal leader, the friend, the neighbor, or the relative who really became very close to them and communicated to them their worth and potential. This is always an inspiring experience.
Q: Is there a formula for becoming such a leader?
A: I believe there is a formula. They are what we call the four imperatives of leadership.

  1. The first is to inspire trust. You build relationships of trust through both your character and competence and you also extend trust to others. You show others that you believe in their capacity to live up to certain expectations, to deliver on promises, and to achieve clarity on key goals. You don't inspire trust by micromanaging and second guessing every step people make.
  2. The second is to clarify purpose. Great leaders involve their people in the communication process to create the goals to be achieved. If people are involved in the process, they psychologically own it and you create a situation where people are on the same page about what is really important—mission, vision, values, and goals.
  3. The third is to align systems. This means that you don't allow there to be conflict between what you say is important and what you measure. For instance, many times organizations claim that people are important but in fact the structures and systems, including accounting, make them an expense or cost center rather than an asset and the most significant resource.
  4. The fourth is the fruit of the other three—unleashed talent. When you inspire trust and share a common purpose with aligned systems, you empower people. Their talent is unleashed so that their capacity, their intelligence, their creativity, and their resourcefulness is utilized.

I would add that these are based upon principles that build upon each other rather than techniques or steps that have to be taken independent of each other. These aren't "management tricks" but real principles that guide a true leaders character.
The world is vastly different today and ever-changing. If we can develop leaders who can withstand and embrace the changing times by deeply rooting themselves in these principles of great leadership, then we can develop great people, great teams and great results.

Attitude defines success

thoughts are reflected in your mood and your approach to problems. keep them positive

our universe has laws that apply equally to all of us. if we were to fall off a building along with someone like industrialist sunil bharti mittal, we'd hit the ground just as mittal would. like the law of gravity, there are other laws that apply equally to all of us. in her book the secret, rhonda byrne explains this. she talks of the law of attraction and says that what you think, you will achieve.
thoughts are powerful. if you think positively, life will be happier, but if you think negatively, you will be surrounded by negativity. successful men have positive thoughts and therefore, they lead powerful, happy and successful lives. our feelings are a result of what we are thinking. we feel low when our thoughts are depressing. so when we are depressed, only happy thoughts can help us cheer up.
many of us don't take into account all the good in our lives. we don't open our minds to the possibility that what's happening is actually wonderful. this way, we don't benefit from the daily experiences that benefit us. we exaggerate and add unnecessary importance to our weaknesses and others' strengths. this causes an inferiority complex and leads to more negativity.
in his seminars, american motivational speaker zig ziglar narrates this story about a man who went fishing on the river bank. whenever he caught a big fish, he'd release it back into the river, but when he caught a smaller fish, he would keep it in his basket. a person nearby watched him repeat this a few times. intrigued, he approached the fisherman and asked him why he was releasing the big fish and keeping the small ones. the fisherman replied: "i only have a small frying pan at home, so i'm keeping the fish that i can fry in the pan." this story teaches us a lesson: in order to think big and attract more positivity into our lives, we need to change the way we look at things.
hollywood films based on true stories can be very motivating and can empower our minds. for example, miracle, starring kurt russell, is a film that chronicles the victory of the us ice hockey team over the russians in the 1980 olympics. coach carter - starring samuel l jackson is a true story of how a coach turns a high school basketball team around, leading them to victory. in pursuit of happyness, starring will smith is the true story of a man, chris gardener, who manages to get successful even though the odds are against him. chris gardener's autobiography, also titled in pursuit of happyness, is an inspirational book.
think about all the good things that happen to you every day and see yourself as an amazing person who has a unique set of abilities. focus on your strengths and make the most of them. empower yourself with positive and powerful thoughts.

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12 Traits of a successful leader..

12 Traits of a successful leader..

 

 

Are leaders born or made? The jury is out on that one with modern theory suggesting a bit of both and certainly supporting the notion that any level of innate leadership can be nurtured and augmented with the right vision, tools and training. While not all people are born movers and shakers who can influence, motivate and inspire by pure gut instinct, everyone can be empowered to tap into their natural leadership abilities to succeed in business and in life. While each leader will have a unique style and roadmap to success, there are some common traits that the most successful leaders share. 1. Integrity

Honesty and integrity are the cornerstone of sustainable success. In order for people to want to follow their leader they must have complete trust in his honesty, his dedication, his commitment and his unshakeable ethics and high standards and values. Leaders who are open, truthful and consistent in their behaviors are more likely to inspire trust, loyalty and commitment in their teams.

2. Willingness to take Risk

Leaders are not afraid of taking risks or making mistakes. They take calculated as opposed to reckless risks and while they weigh their options and alternatives carefully they do not allow themselves to fall prey to the "analysis paralysis" syndrome. The best leaders learn from their mistakes and emerge from them resilient and ready to take on the next challenge.

3. Optimism and Enthusiasm

Leaders inspire others with the very infectiousness of their enthusiasm and their disarmingly genuine keenness, passion and zeal for what they do. Rather than dwelling on problems they are solution-oriented and focus on how to make things work and succeed. They are willing to see the silver lining in every cloud and have a 'can-do' optimistic attitude that leaves no place for negativity.

4. Commitment to Growth

Leaders recognize that learning is a life-long process and never stop doing what it takes to grow professionally and personally and maintain a grip with emerging trends and tools and business realities and technologies. The best leaders realize that to remain at the vanguard of their particular function or industry requires constant learning, enquiry, exploration and innovation as well as continuous self-scrutiny and analysis.

5. Vision

Leaders know precisely what they want and make clear detailed and achievable plans to get there. They are not vague or ambiguous in their goals nor do they leave anything to chance. Leaders are also able to articulate and communicate their vision clearly and in no uncertain terms and inspire and win others to their platform with their vision.

6. Pragmatism

While leaders may have lofty visions and ideals, they do not hide their heads in the clouds and are mindful of the hard facts and figures that surround them. They are very realistic when it comes to assessing the landscape they operate in and practical about the decisions they make.

7. Responsibility

Leaders can be depended on to take responsibility for their actions and to live up to their responsibilities completely. They stand firmly behind the commitments they make and do not let their teams down; nor do they assign or allocate blame to deflect from their own responsibilities. They do not have a victim mentality that holds others responsible for their poor choices and deficiencies but stare challenges in the face and confront them head-on.

8. Hard Work and Conscientiousness

Leaders work hard and accept no short cuts. The best leaders lead by their example demonstrating a stellar work ethic by being the first in the office, the last out and the most productive, persistent and dedicated while at work. They have a strong sense of duty and very high standards of excellence and they apply these rigorous standards to themselves first always seeking better, smarter, more effective ways of doing things.

9. Self-confidence

Leaders have no shortage of that essential commodity of self-assurance that enables them to risk giant strides, be bold and tough-minded and 'fall forward' in the rare instances when they do fall/fail. Leaders generally have little need for approval and are motivated by an inner strength, maturity and drive. Leaders are very cognizant of their inner strengths, weaknesses and the impact they have on others and knowledgeable of what they can and cannot realistically do/achieve/influenc e. They do not wallow in self-pity or guilt over past mistakes or doubt.

10. Emotional Intelligence

Empathy, self-awareness, decisiveness, self-discipline, intuitiveness and social competence are all key to successful leadership and all are associated with high levels of emotional intelligence. Congeniality, the ability to put oneself in another's shoes and relate with others, the ability to read between the lines and analyze the pulse of a relationship or situation, the ability to focus on the positive and refrain from negative and self-defeating attitudes and behaviors, are all elements of emotional intelligence that contribute to leadership success.

11. Expertise in Industry

While there are many generalists in leadership positions the best leaders become generalists not by knowing a little about many fields but my being experts in a multitude of fields. Good leaders are characterized by a very high level of energy, conscientiousness and drive and spare no efforts to become experts in their field and harness all the information and knowledge and competence they need to maintain an edge over their competitors.

12. Ability to Engage Others

A key leadership trait is inspiring, motivating, engaging and bringing out the best in others. The best leaders encourage leadership in all around them and strive to develop and empower others to assume roles of leadership and responsibility. They are able to propel others to elevated levels of performance through their own energy and enthusiasm and insight and can maximize the strengths and capabilities of their team for the benefit of the whole organization.

The Simplest Leadership Practice

Elevate Others
People crave recognition. Everyone needs to know that they are doing well, that they are appreciated, that what they do matters. It is hard-wired into us. Watch someone after they have received a compliment for their work. They shine.

Yet we so rarely call a meeting to discuss what's going right in the organization and who's responsible. We think that its our job to solve problems, not hand out praise. Wrong. It's our job to act like a leader. And leaders make everyone around them better. More capable. More engaged. More positive.

Giving honest praise is one of the most powerful leadership actions you can take. (And remember: if you consume oxygen you are a leader.) No matter where you are in the organization you can find someone doing something right and recognize them. Whether it's a vendor who is impeccably polite, a colleague who is outrageously punctual or a supervisor who listens deeply. Every one of them is a human being who deserves and craves recognition. And when you give them that recognition they will go out and make someone else's day better. What a powerful way to spread leadership.

So think about your organization, your community or your family and try some of the following simple strategies for elevating others. Observe how people respond, the results will astound you.

1. Honest praise. Tell someone what you admire about their performance or their attitude.
2. Public praise. Share someone's victory with the rest of the team.
3. Thank you notes. A handwritten card thanking someone for their help will be the highlight of their day.
4. Support them. Say yes to a colleague's ideas. Find a way to incorporate their input into your plan.

 

Monday, December 24, 2007

The Leader Formula: The 4 things that make a good leader.

Each week we will be asking Dr. Covey to comment on common questions. This week we ask: what makes a great leader?

Q: What makes a great leader?
A: My definition of leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.
Q: You often say that leadership is a choice not a position. Can you elaborate on this?
A: Because of the definition I use for leadership, the ability to become such a leader is a choice that any person can make; any parent or grandparent, any teacher, any coach, any co-worker, and friend. When I speak throughout the world, I often ask audiences,
"How many of you had someone in your life that communicated your worth and potential so clearly that it profoundly influenced your life?"
Inevitably over half the people raise their hands. I walk around the room and ask them to share their experience with how it happened, who did it, the impact that it had upon them, and if they, too, are making the choice to do the same with other people. People often become very emotional when they talk about the parent, the coach, the teacher, the formal leader, the friend, the neighbor, or the relative who really became very close to them and communicated to them their worth and potential. This is always an inspiring experience.
Q: Is there a formula for becoming such a leader?
A: I believe there is a formula. They are what we call the four imperatives of leadership.

  1. The first is to inspire trust. You build relationships of trust through both your character and competence and you also extend trust to others. You show others that you believe in their capacity to live up to certain expectations, to deliver on promises, and to achieve clarity on key goals. You don't inspire trust by micromanaging and second guessing every step people make.
  2. The second is to clarify purpose. Great leaders involve their people in the communication process to create the goals to be achieved. If people are involved in the process, they psychologically own it and you create a situation where people are on the same page about what is really important—mission, vision, values, and goals.
  3. The third is to align systems. This means that you don't allow there to be conflict between what you say is important and what you measure. For instance, many times organizations claim that people are important but in fact the structures and systems, including accounting, make them an expense or cost center rather than an asset and the most significant resource.
  4. The fourth is the fruit of the other three—unleashed talent. When you inspire trust and share a common purpose with aligned systems, you empower people. Their talent is unleashed so that their capacity, their intelligence, their creativity, and their resourcefulness is utilized.

I would add that these are based upon principles that build upon each other rather than techniques or steps that have to be taken independent of each other. These aren't "management tricks" but real principles that guide a true leaders character.
The world is vastly different today and ever-changing. If we can develop leaders who can withstand and embrace the changing times by deeply rooting themselves in these principles of great leadership, then we can develop great people, great teams and great results.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Prescription for a successful resume

1.     Don't be vague, and be sure to customise your resume for each employer. The inability to do this on-line accounts for some of the low return rate on-line applications. Anytime you try to do a "one size fits all" approach (by agency, computer, or just passing a resume around an organisation courtesy of a friend) you lose the all-important opportunity to craft the resume to fit a particular position.

2.     Don't be long-winded. Be pithy and keep it to one (preferably) or two pages unless you want a job in academia, research or the arts.

3.     Don't confuse a resume and a curriculum vitae. The latter is for employers who will want to know all about what you've studied, taught, written, researched, exhibited. Resume readers want a quick summary of what you've done with just enough detail to let them know the depth of your skills. The rest they'll find out in the interview. If you drown them in verbiage, you'll never get to the interview.

4.     Students and recent graduates: put your education up top and include relevant courses.

5.     Find out which skills the employer is seeking and be sure to showcase them. If you're short on actual job experience, include a HIGHLIGHTS or SKILLS SUMMARY section to "editorialise" about yourself a little.

6.     Be clear about what you want. If you intend to be both a full time student and a full-time employee, for instance, this might be a turnoff for some employers.

7.     Use verb phrases -- "conceived campaign for student elections", "created online student newspaper", "initiated weekly meetings for minority students", "lead charity drive" -- not sentences; this is not an essay or an obituary you're writing.

8.     Use dates to show when you did things, not just the vague "one year".

9.     NEVER overlook spelling errors or typos. That's a one-way trip to the circular file. Check and recheck. Typos and spelling errors usually occur when you try to do something at the last minute. So leave enough time!

10.  For new graduates without much work experience, have an "EXPERIENCE" section rather than one called "EMPLOYMENT," because you can include traineeships, class projects and independent study under the former, but not the latter.

11.  Tailor the objective to a given position or leave it out altogether. Objectives are helpful when you're trying to show the relationship between your skills and a particular position, but they merely annoy when they say inane things like "a challenging position suited to my education and skills." What position? What skills? Resume readers will give yours, on average, seven seconds; don't make them cranky with filler.

12.  We had an entry from a poet. Poets don't write resumes, they write and rewrite poems, enter contests, and try to sell them. Better to start there.

 

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