Leadership Freak

AUGUST 18, 2011

I’m a listener that used listening to control people. If I ask the questions, I’m controlling the conversation. If I’m controlling the conversation, I’m controlling you. Does that make you uncomfortable? It should. It took me years to realize I used listening as a protective devise to keep people at arm’s length. Aubrey Hepburn captured [.].

Leadership 211

Leadership 211

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 31, 2011

Image source “Leaders need to be excited about what is possible rather than managing what is,” Doug Conant, former CEO of Campbell’s Soup. The context of Leadership: During our second conversation, Doug explained that, “Leaders are called in when problems are big.” People look to you when things aren’t working. Doug shared his recollection of [.].

Positioning 209

Positioning How To CEO Leadership 209

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 15, 2011

Image source: There are only three ways to get more time – eliminate, delegate, or accelerate. The hardest is elimination. Starting is more fun than stopping. Starting new things without stopping old things, however, is the reason your life is out of control. Five Ways to Stop the Madness: First, feel your frustrations; don’t bury [.].

Delegation 209

Delegation Goal 209

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 19, 2011

I’m consumed with power-packed brevity. Five words are better than thirteen. That sentence originally read, “If I can say something in five words rather than seven I’m excited.” Brevity by itself is meaningless, it needs content. In the spirit of brevity, what is the most important leadership quality/behavior of all? My number one quality is [.].

Leadership 209

Leadership Quality Content Power 209

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 20, 2011

Some think giving too much praise makes people lazy and indulgent. They’ll settle into the notion your organization is lucky to have them. Choose praise points carefully. Praise creates culture. You get what you praise. Saying, “great job,” celebrates a completion and allows recipients to define “great.” Praising completions makes people feel they’ve arrived.

Organization 206

Organization Motivation Development 206

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 16, 2011

The more you’re respected the less you need to say and the more power you have. You can earn respect while you’re speaking if you speak with compassion, integrity, and competence. People feel compassion when your words align with their needs. People see integrity when they believe you’re speaking for the good of others. People [.].

Power 204

Power Influence Leadership Development Development 204

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 22, 2011

Office politicians make themselves look good while making others look bad. “Create environments where people believe they will be honored,” Doug Conant. I recall a meeting where an office politician made a member of the team look incompetent. They subtly pointed out a Director’s mistake – who wasn’t present – while demonstrating their own competence. [.].

Politics 203

Politics CEO Environment Team 203

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 23, 2011

Image source Leadership principles that work the best change us the most. Trouble is leadership is situational. That’s why many principles work in one context but not another. I ask Doug Conant, retired CEO of Campbell’s Soup, to share the universal leadership principle that most changed him. The genius of “and”: Doug said moving from [.].

CEO 203

CEO Power Leadership Leadership Development 203

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 26, 2011

Image source It’s not unusual for emerging leaders to seek advice on how to ask for a promotion. It’s not enough to ask for a promotion. You must build a platform. 5 techniques you should never employ: Avoid being a threat to insecure bosses. If possible, help them get what they want. Never say you [.].

Advice 198

Advice How To Leadership Development Development 198

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 8, 2011

The hardest part of leadership is taking responsibility. You-are-to-blaming-leaders are common. I-am-responsible-leaders are rare. Magnificent leaders rise up, square their shoulders, and bear the responsibility of their decisions and behaviors. Maxwell said, “Everything rises or falls on leadership.” Harry Truman added a mouth full when he said, “The buck stops here.

Leadership 199

Leadership Delegation Influence 199

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 5, 2011

You won’t get where you want to go until your behaviors consistently express your intentions. If we could see your behaviors without your explanations, what would we think of you and your life-direction? The project: I’m asking a small group of selected leaders to evaluate my behaviors. I want them to let my behaviors explain [.].

Succession 195

Succession How To Project Influence 195

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 27, 2011

One of my favorite quotes is, “Be quick but don’t hurry,” John Wooden. If you aren’t quick in today’s world, you’re done. If you hurry, things are poorly done or not done at all. Creating Urgency: Nothing gets done without urgency. With that in mind, shorter timelines are better than longer. They create urgency – [.].

Delegation 196

Delegation Management Leadership 196

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 11, 2011

I spent an hour and a half with an emerging leader who didn’t appreciate my pearls of wisdom. I’d like to think he wasn’t wise enough to understand my “wisdom” but that’s not true. I always end all leadership conversations with, “What did you get from our time together?” As usual I asked. We’d discussed [.].

Leadership 195

Leadership Influence Leadership Development Development 195

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 30, 2011

Image source Leaders are control freaks that struggle to let go. You go further faster when you pass the baton; sadly, you hinder your influence and effectiveness when you don’t. You’ll always be a mediocre leader until you become great at delegating. Recently an emerging leader explained they were learning to delegate. He said, “I’m [.].

Delegation 194

Delegation How To Influence Leadership Development 194

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 2, 2011

Photo by William Warby If duress, stress, and pressure represent the dark side of opportunity, today’s world offers great opportunity. Dr. Justin Menkes said of today’s business environment, “strategies are only contingencies.” How can leaders bring out the best in themselves and others when the world’s in constant flux? Dr. Menkes’ book, Better Under Pressure, explains [.].

Stress 194

Stress Environment Books Strategy 194

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 4, 2011

I know pathetic managers who are so poor at noticing performance that their team simply tolerates them. In some cases these managers are threatened by the success of others. They are de-motivators. Successful managers build morale, motivation and enthusiasm, by using low or no cost rewards that highlight performance. Rewards let us know what we [.].

Cost 194

Cost Morale Motivation Succession 194

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 24, 2011

You aren’t the future. The passion, potential, and skills of your team are the future of your organization. Vision cast until the cows come home but others make it happen. Organizations don’t rise above their leaders. Leaders never rise above the leveraged potential of their teams. It’s always about the people. Your future is black [.].

Power 193

Power Tips Skills Team 193

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 1, 2011

Image source: Md. Zabir Hasan Some conversations leave lasting impressions and this one did. He is a rising star in one of the largest companies in the world. His work has caught the attention of those in the highest levels of the company. He’s technically skilled and socially gifted. He’s an achiever with a humble demeanor. [.].

Skills 192

Skills Team Company Influence 192

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 10, 2011

Image source I’m grappling with how much change is too much. It feels like I’m surrounded by people that love stability and predictability – things low on my list of priorities. Collisions: The collision between change agents and stabilizers is inevitable, dynamic, potentially dangerous, and theoretically useful. Stabilizers apart from change agents are dangerous.

Innovation 191

Innovation Management Leadership 191

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 17, 2011

Doug Conant, CEO of Campbell’s Soup (2001 to 2011) knows how to stay on task; all successful leaders do. He’s setting up his office in Philadelphia after retiring from Campbell’s on July 31. When he picked up the phone, he was unpacking boxes. I asked him what was happening in his life. Doug has a [.].

Productivity 189

Productivity Products CEO Succession 189

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 12, 2011

Extend and enrich your leadership journey by reaching out to local leaders and inviting them to coffee or lunch. Honor them by asking them questions. Share a challenge you’re facing and ask for their insights. Explore their values. I’m in a hotel right now mulling over the interesting conversations I’ve had with high profile leaders. [.].

Resources 186

Resources Hotels Leadership Leadership Development 186

Leadership Freak

AUGUST 13, 2011

Life always requires attentive intervention. Death arrives on its own. Do nothing you die. Do something you may live. Products, people, and organizations follow predictable life/death cycles. The organization I lead is positioned on a recent three year reinvention. It’s an exciting time where teams dare to think new thoughts and embrace new challenges.

Positioning 181

Positioning Productivity Products Organization 181