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The Case For Empowerment To Achieving Greatness

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By LOUISA DEVADASON

People under the influence of an empowering person are like paper in the hands of a talented artist. No matter what they’re made of, they can become treasures.—John C. Maxwell

John Maxwell said this to sum up a story from his book, Leadership 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know, about an English artist named William Wolcott who, in 1920s New York, was documenting his impressions of the city.

One day, he was overcome with the urge to sketch and picked up a piece of regular wrapping paper. His friend pointed this out but he said in response, “Nothing is ordinary if you know how to use it.”

Wolcott created two sketches on this canvas and later that year, one of them sold for USD500 and the other for USD1,000. That was a lot of money for the early 1900s.

This is, in essence, why empowering others is pivotal to both personal and professional success. As the poem by John Donne goes: “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. . .”

No one, no matter how impressive or skilled or intelligent, can do it alone. Moreover, as an executive and/or leader, the only way to succeed in the long run is to achieve excellence and success through people.

Consider your company a car, your employees the parts that make it run and empowerment the fuel source. If you pump the wrong fuel or poor quality fuel in, you ultimately make your engine less efficient and hamper your car’s performance.

Empowerment = Excellence

There are a number of reasons that empowerment is where a leader’s focus should lie:

1. Empowering establishes pride in people’s work because it means that what they are doing or creating is worthwhile.

2. Empowerment puts faith in others because it shows that you trust them and believe in their potential and skills.

3. Empowerment creates autonomy because you have to step back to let others co-lead.

4. Empowerment allows failure but more importantly, opportunity to grow and learn because while mistakes are inevitable, you’ve allowed a positive, strength-based mindset to exist.

5. Empowerment opens the floor to upcoming innovators and winners because what some people need to be great is the opportunity to be great.

It’s a win-win for everyone. You enhance the success of both yourself and others by further enabling others to be their best selves.

Louisa secretly wishes she is a Power Ranger (the black one, obviously) because it would be both awesome and useful. Share your source of power with her at louisa.allycyn@leaderonomics.com. For more Try This articles, click here.

What We Can Learn From Muhammad Ali, A True Champ (A Special Tribute)

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By PETER COOK

I was saddened to hear the passing of Muhammad Ali at age 74 last week (3 June). It was only in April 28 that I hosted an exclusive event to celebrate his life and work at Chelsea Football Club with professional portrait photographer Christina Jansen.

In 1986, Christina spent two weeks photographing Ali at work, rest and play and our event captured the soul of this extraordinary leader.

Having spent two weeks with Ali, Christina built a strong, trusting and lasting relationship with the champion. In her collection of portraits, it is evident that by having unlimited access to Ali, she was able to capture him at work and during his more tranquil moments.

Christina curated a special exhibition for Ali’s birthday, which coincided with the 2012 Olympics in London, showing 70 images for each year of his life. During that prestigious show, Christina was approached by Universal Pictures to be a researcher and went on to set up interviews for the documentary film I Am Ali.

It is evident that Ali possessed leadership qualities well beyond his more public life as a sportsman. In our event, we dwelt on some of his transferable lessons.

On purpose

Ali managed to do what Daniel Pink discusses in A Whole New Mind, to synthesise his passion with his purpose. He quoted:

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision.”

Introversion and high performance

A common misconception is that Ali was an extrovert, yet is thought to have a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator around the area of an INFJ (Introvert, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging) which makes him a rare breed at under 2% of the population.

INFJs are innovative, idealistic and compassionate and Ali shares his personality type with Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and Plato. Ali was a deep thinker who was able to articulate his feelings through language, which added to his mystique.

INFJs often have deep-seated value bases. He even went to prison for refusing to serve in the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. Christina’s personal experience of the man outside of the ring is a great insight into the soul of a leader in this respect.

Learn and adapt

Ali was a great scholar, both in terms of his professional life as a boxer, but also in terms of his learning about philosophy and spirituality. In his words:

“A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.”

I’ve written here about Prince and they shared interests in spirituality, and Ali had this to say of Prince:

Prince and Muhammad Ali

Ali at play

Like so many great leaders, Ali had a playful side, which came out through his poetry and in many other ways. Christina captured the lighter side of Ali during her extended stay with him and through subsequent contact with his family.

Rest in peace, Muhammad Ali (1942–2016)

Rest in peace, Muhammad Ali (1942–2016)

Peter is also an accomplished rock, pop and jazz musician and leads The Academy of Rock. To connect with Peter, email us at editor@leaderonomics.com. For more Thought Of The Week articles, click here.
Peter leads Human Dynamics. He is passionate in the areas of science, business and music, and is the author of eight books, acclaimed by Tom Peters and Professor Charles Handy.

Are You Leading Or Are You Controlling?

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By ALLISON KIRKLAND

Leadership gets paid a lot of lip-service these days. Every day I see at least three posts or articles regarding the top umpteen things that successful leaders do, or don’t do.

Despite all the discussion around the subject and all the people labelling themselves “leaders,” there are far too few instances of true leadership in business.

Although we hear extensively about all the innovative, forward-thinking examples of leadership, they’re still the exception rather than the rule. The challenge isn’t understanding what leadership is, but enacting it.

What is leadership?

Leadership isn’t about having power, it’s about sharing it and providing the support necessary to use it appropriately and effectively. Leadership is about people rather than tasks.

Leaders recognise each individual’s strengths, experiences and how they can contribute to successfully achieving the expected outcomes.

In a leadership-oriented environment, people are valued for their contributions, no matter how small. They are engaged and developed. Communication is multi-directional, so no matter the role, everyone has a chance to speak and be heard.

Communication is the number one tool of an effective leader and it involves more than giving direction. It incorporates conveying expectations, providing future-focused feedback, coaching, listening and ensuring that the messages being heard are the ones intended.

All of this has been said before, so why are there still more people practising command-and-control style management than not?

Gaming addict.

How to truly lead?

True leadership involves honestly assessing your intentions and capabilities; a willingness and ability to give up a measure of control; allowing others to take risks and make mistakes so they can develop personally and professionally; caring about others and their success; and understanding that communication is about what is heard, not what is said.

This is tough as most people act with good intentions. They often believe they are practising leadership rather than management. Often they’ve done little more than add “please” or “thank you” to the end of a sentence (which is a good start, so please keep doing it).

Often those in authority exhibit true leadership behaviours momentarily, then quickly revert to what makes them feel more in control. It can be hard to let go of the reins when you’re responsible for the outcome.

Everyone is capable of leadership, but it doesn’t happen overnight, as it’s a skill set as well as a mindset. It starts with a desire to see others succeed and to build real relationships based on mutual trust, integrity and respect.

You have to be OK with others being better at some things than you are and accept that no one is good at everything.

A good leader must wear many hats—coach, captain, teammate, sounding board and open-book—although not all will fit comfortably.

Most importantly, to quote John Wooden, “Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.

So ask yourself, “Do I want to lead or be in control?” Because that’s the dilemma.

Allison Kirkland is an experienced manager and trainer/facilitator. She has a passion for strengthening the community, locally and globally, through the betterment of the people in it, and believes that when people love what they do, they will do it well and attract the like-minded. For more Consulting Corner articles, click here.

Reposted with permission on Leaderonomics.com.

Leadership can sometimes be an extreme thing that people do. An epitome of a true leader is never about themselves, but about others. Read about the leadership of Mother Teresa and Mahatma Ghandi by clicking here.


Roshan Says

Leadership is hard. Many mistake leadership for power. But to lead is to both inspire and to direct, to listen and to talk. Leadership is to be great at being strategic but also being great at execution.

Leadership requires humility but it also requires assertiveness at times. Leadership is a challenge as it requires us to not only have the competence and skills but also to know when to use each skill.

Allison Kirkland argues in her article that leaders wear many hats. But more than wearing hats, leaders need to be clear how to make the right decisions at the right time.

Much is expected of leaders and much is made of leaders. Every fault is usually traced back to the leader and the leader faces numerous struggles with their time, priorities and obligations.
Yet, we all know that “everything rises and falls with leadership.”

To truly lead, leaders must go back to the roots of why they took up the leadership challenge in the first place. Leaders grow weary from leading but if they take moments off to rest and reflect, they will recall the reasons they first aspired to be leaders—to make a difference!

Consistently remembering the purpose of your calling enables you to move from being a leader that leads through authority and getting things done, to a leader of love. Most leaders take on the leadership challenge because of their deep love to help, inspire and make a difference to the people around them.

Kirkland argues that the leadership dilemma is between being in control or leading. I would take it a step further to argue that it is between being in love with the community you serve (and leading) or being in love with yourself and thus serving your needs.

Human Resources Online: What Matters Most To Employees?

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Understanding employee needs in an era where they are no longer satisfied working only for monetary gain is a challenge faced globally.

Where purpose drives fulfilment and job satisfaction, employee compensation and benefits play a significant role in facilitating rewarding work experiences.

Understanding the importance of compensation and benefits is critical to overall growth and evolution of an organisation.

A working environment where employees feel valued, satisfied and secure, boosts morale, motivation, creativity, loyalty, and also minimises an organisation’s turnover rate.

It is crucial therefore to better understand methods in resolving compensation and benefits challenges, and how to strategically implement employee benefits that are not just “nice to hear,” but directly address employee needs.

In addition, it is necessary to take into consideration the need to maintain, if not, lower business costs.

All these and more will be discussed and shared at the Employee Benefits Asia 2016, a two-day conference tailored for human resources (HR) leaders who desire to be equipped with current industry insights and strategies to transform HR practices into effective business goals.

Since its launch in 2012, Employee Benefits Asia has risen to become Asia’s largest conference for HR professionals seeking to optimise on the latest developments in the field of HR from leading global industries.

This year’s installation is set to cover the trends, challenges and strategic implementation in workforce compensation and benefits. The conference will be held on 17−18 August at Connexion@Nexus, Malaysia and 2−3 August in Singapore.

Here’s why you need to attend this:
1. Learn how to engage your staff by giving them recognition in meaningful and relevant ways.

2. Gain industry insights and real implementation stories.

3. Meet over 200 HR professionals and rewards experts to exchange insights and best practices.

4. Expand your network with C-level executives, HR directors, and Compensation and Benefits leaders across different industries.

5. Explore opportunities for increasing employee value proposition without increasing costs.

6. Learn how to attract, engage, and retain top talents through cost-effective benefits and enhancing flexibility at the workplace.

7. Deliver reward programmes that are cost-effective and drive performance improvement.

8. Learn how to improve work-life balance in the workplace to boost workforce agility.

A critical element in attracting, recruiting, and retaining the cream of the crop is a benefits programme that effectively addresses their needs. —Aditi Sharma Kalra, regional editor of Human Resources magazine.

 

Leaderonomics is a proud media partner of Human Resources Online for Employee Benefits Asia 2016.

To find out more and to register, head over here.

How To Put Your Best Self Forward

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Functional mastery, impression formation & you

By LOUISA DEVADASON

When you step into the professional world, you become an entity larger than who you ever were. You put aside who you were in preschool, what you achieved in high school and how great you were at university.

It’s not to say that all these stages mean nothing or that they have not meaningfully contributed to the person that you are. It’s just that every time you network, meet clients or collaborate with your peers, you are your first impression and subsequent reputation—you are your own personal brand.

In order to thrive professionally, we need to refine two levels of ourselves: the “superficial” i.e. first impressions and the “deep” i.e. functional mastery.

Impression formation

Impression formation is the process by which individuals perceive, organise, and ultimately integrate information to form unified, fixed, and consistent impressions of others.

These impressions are made based on our appearance, non-verbal behaviours, as well as how we communicate and engage with others.

1. Appearance: People form a large portion of their ideas about you as you approach them, so learn to be immaculate.

• Pick clean, neat and crisp outfits as they make you look organised, clean and detail-oriented. Universally, clean, ironed and well-fitted white shirts and tan or black pants and skirts are seen as most professional.

• Accessories like watches and bags say a lot about you. Many see a good watch as a status symbol, so invest in a good brand.

• Healthy hair, teeth, skin and nails also play a pivotal role in first impressions. It’s an evolutionary disposition to notice or assess the health of another person based on these factors and healthy equals ideal. It pays as a personal brand to keep these parts in tip-top condition.

2. Non-verbal behaviour: This refers to any type of communication that does not involve speaking—facial expressions, body language, touching, voice patterns, and interpersonal distance.

• Tone: Keep your voice even and train yourself to speak at a steady rhythm.

• Body language: Practise good posture and stand at an angle from the person you’re speaking to so you do not come across as confrontational. Be mindful of conveying openness through your body by keeping arms uncrossed and off your hips.

Lastly, smile during your initial greeting but not throughout your exchange. Keep your expression open and warm but smiling too much may make you seem clownish and lead someone to not take you seriously.

3. Engagement: How one relates and communicates with others is pivotal to building and maintaining rapport.

• Active listening: Learn to be a good listener by paying attention like using verbal and non-verbal cues (for example, say, “Go on. . .” or nod). Paraphrase the feelings and content heard back to them so they feel you are attentive and value their words.
Ask more questions and relate to the answers given.

• Be genuine: Everyone has values and beliefs, so stand by yours. Firstly, compromising them
means compromising your personal brand. Secondly, people are able to instinctively detect bogusness so it would just make them uneasy around you.

Functional mastery

Functional Mastery is the expertise you bring to the table and what you are skilled at. This element articulates that you are accomplished at your vocation, trade or profession.

It is essential to achieve functional mastery so that others will trust your judgement when you know what you are talking about.

It’s not just the knowledge you graduated with but also the efforts you have put in to go further in learning by keeping up-to-date with your field, picking the brains of mentors and being open to new learning experiences.

Author of Mastery, Robert Greene, says the two most important factors in developing any kind of mastery is time and desire. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail—so you have to manage your time and allocate time to honing your expertise and craft—then commit yourself.

Assess if where you put your time and energy is where you actually want it to be. Check that you have not somehow lost the plot. Without the desire and passion to do something, the bumpy roads will be harder to navigate and you may just want to go home.

In short

Learning to create a great first impression is the best way to get your foot in the door but being a true master in your area will ensure a good reputation and professional longevity.

The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways. —Robert Greene

Louisa is a mastermind (or so she wants to believe). What skills are you trying to master? Share your thoughts with her at louisa.allcyn@leaderonomics.com. For more How To articles, click here.

5 Things That Brands Should Be Doing On Social Media

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By PREM ANAND

For some, it’s just another buzzword. To others, it’s the way of the future. Looking at the present, social media is a gold mine for brands and marketers to reach their target audience.

According to statistics released by We Are Social in January 2016, almost 87% of the entire Malaysian Internet population is active on Facebook.

Well, you might be wondering—do I really need it? The answer is a simple Yes, you do. Let’s face it—not having an active social media presence in this day and age is like someone not owning a smartphone in today’s fast-paced world.

Your brand’s presence on social media should now be an integral part of your overall business strategy. For the Gen Z, your brand doesn’t exist if you’re not on social media.

Listed below are five things that brands should be doing on social media to better engage with their consumers:

Be real

One of the most important things a brand should do on social media is to be real. You’ll need to truly represent your brand’s personality to your audience.

Ask yourself, if your brand were a living person, who would he or she be? How would they speak? What would they wear? What car would they drive? These questions help put into perspective the tone of voice for the brand on social media.

It also helps to “humanise” your brand, thus, making your brand more relatable.

Never try to be someone you’re not. Your audience will see right through you and you will be eaten alive by the vigilant trollers. Just imagine, wouldn’t it be weird if you get up one day and CNN (Cable News Network) starts tweeting funny one-liners and “yo’ mama” jokes?

Advertisement, aerial, table.

Be consistent

Where brands tend to go wrong is they forget to create a clear direction or strategy for their social presence.

In fact, some brands simply hire interns to run and manage their social media accounts.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but interns come and go but brands need a clear and consistent communications strategy and voice. Investing in an individual who solely runs the page would be the best way forward and would pay off in the long run.

Don’t expect your social media page to instantly amass a few thousand followers as building a brand on social media is similar to building a brand—both do not happen overnight!

Before you jump on the social media bandwagon, sit down with your team and create a brand guideline and content strategy to ensure a unified and consistent voice across all your platforms.

This ensures that everyone is on the same page when it comes to what’s being posted on social media and that the intern you hired will not be updating your Facebook page with a Kardashian meme.

Listen, listen & listen

Social media is not a one-way street. In fact, more and more people are now turning to social media as their primary touchpoint to a brand.

Calling up or e-mailing a brand is just too tedious when people can immediately just jump on your Facebook to share their queries or air their dissatisfactions.

The turnaround time to respond to a query and the time taken to diffuse an unpleasant situation can make a huge difference in building customer loyalty.

If you don’t act fast enough, you could be facing a full-blown social media crisis which makes it even more important to have an experienced person handling the page so they know how best to respond in a timely manner.

Your brand’s social media page should not be limited to sharing your latest promotions or a platform to upsell your latest product to your consumer.

It is best that you understand right from the start—whether you like it or not—it will also be a customer care platform. So make it a place where your customers can ask or tell you anything and they’ll always hear back from you.

App, hand, cloud.

Content

While brands see social media as a marketing platform, people hate being marketed to on social media.

They see it as an invasion of their personal space. Where most marketers go wrong is when they try to force their traditional marketing strategy on social media. Well, if it works on television, it should work on YouTube right? Wrong!

On average, a person is served up to 150 stories on their Facebook newsfeed.

Unless there is something compelling about your 30-second advertisement or your annoying banner advertisements, it’s all going to end up being “noise.”

Is there any way around this? Well, yes. Create great content. If social media were a car, then content would be its fuel. One company that does this really well is Petronas. I mean, ask anyone and they’d be able to recall at least one Petronas commercial that touched them.

Creating great content not only gives you great engagement on your social media sites but it also helps build a relationship with your consumer at an emotional level.
When was the last time a banner advertisement made you laugh or cry?

SONY DSC

Be ‘In the now’

What do they want? Great Content. When do they want it? Now!
Yes, great content gets thrown around a lot these days but it’s the best way to describe social media for brands in a nutshell.

Your brand can remain relevant by staying in the now. Things on social media change so quickly that it can be both exciting and a little nerve-racking at times.

If you see something that is relatable to your brand, you’ll need to hop on it and execute immediately.

There’s no room to go back and forth, hold five different management meetings and then present the idea to the chief executive officer for approval before posting it up. If you’re going to do something, make sure it is not “yesterday’s news.”

One local brand that has constantly done this right and well is Nando’s. They’ve managed to build a reputation as the “go-to” digital brand by always staying current with their digital marketing strategy.

Parting thoughts

Having been in the media industry for the past ten years, the one thing I can say for certain is that social media has effectively changed the media landscape across the globe.

Small businesses are no longer held back by large marketing budgets of the big brands and with the right strategies, your brand building efforts are bound to pay off in the long run.

Prem Anand is the Head of Digital Content at Astro radio station. For more How To articles, click here.

The post 5 Things That Brands Should Be Doing On Social Media appeared first on Leaderonomics.com.

Connect, Follow, Like, Share, Tweet And Hashtag Me!

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By LOUISA DEVADASON

One of today’s vainest of guilty pleasures is our follower count or the number of likes we get on social media.

Don’t pretend a chill doesn’t run down your spine when your “likes” reaches a new high or someone new follows you. We can’t help it, it’s just the times we’re in.

While it’s often seen as shallow or self-indulgent to chase followers and likes—as a modern business or brand—there is value in follower count. In the age of the Internet, followership impacts how expansive your reach is and how far your message spreads.

The main reason a brand is followed is because people like the brand and also wish to keep abreast with the latest updates on the brand and its promotions, products and services.

So simply, a brand needs to be likeable and attractive to consumers in order to amass a large follower count. The question, as always, is: How?

The science of social media

Here are a few research-backed ways according to Rutgers University, Nielsen Researchers, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) researchers, and social media analytics company, Beevolve:

1. Keep it upbeat

Users respond to positivity and are more likely to follow an account that is uplifting and gives out good vibes.

2. Stay connected

Create a consistent, dependable strategy so you stay fresh in people’s newsfeed and the “explore” section. Users appreciate when you maintain a flow as it makes them feel more familiar and connected to the brand.

Conversely, be mindful to not spam with multiple posts, consecutively. Schedulers like Buffer can make managing posts easier.

3. Be an expert

Your social media platforms are reflective of you as a brand and your posts and strategies reflect how good you are as a company.

So be authentically great at what you do. Being top of your industry means people will be inclined to keep up with your company and lifestyle. Keywords like author, expert, founder and official are powerful tools for growing followership.

4. Informers vs ‘Meformers’

Meformers: Users who post social media updates, predominantly self-related.
Informers: Users who post updates that predominantly share pertinent updates and information.

When it comes to brands and follower counts, informers > meformers. So, keep your posts relevant to your brand and align yourself as an informer to users.

5. We all get freebies!

Who doesn’t love free stuff? Add giveaways, discounts and freebies as a compliment to your content strategy and branding. Users follow brands for their goods and services.

Louisa likes to be liked! Share your fave social media tools with her at louisa.allycyn@leaderonomics.com. To understand the impact of social media on your organisation through our “Social Media and Online Public Relations” training module, e-mail us at training@leaderonomics.com for more information. For more Try This articles, click here.

The post Connect, Follow, Like, Share, Tweet And Hashtag Me! appeared first on Leaderonomics.com.

Why Big Conversations Matter And How To Lead Them

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By LEE HWAI TAH

One of the success conditions for major positive change to happen in any organisation or individuals is for everyone involved to face the truth, take an honest assessment of where they are right now.

To do that, it’s crucial to have honest conversations where everyone takes stock of their current reality before moving forward. It’s not easy. They’re often very uncomfortable. But big conversations matter.

Big what?

A big conversation is a conversation when stakes are high, emotions run strong, and opinions differed. Breakthroughs and big transformations hinge on such conversations.

Big conversations

Leaders can play an active role to facilitate these big conversations, both on individual and group settings. But here’s the tricky part.

Leaders may become cautious to avoid honest, straight talk in order to avoid the conversation to turn unpleasant and the people involved get defensive.

The reason why we may be susceptible to avoiding big conversations is that we have been conditioned to converse in ways rooted in certain social or/and cultural virtues.

From where I come from (Asia), we value virtues like respect (especially to the elderly and those being in authority), being nice, minding our own business, not upsetting people and keep the status quo.

Why big conversations matter

The lack of courage to discuss the “undiscussable” often impede the progress of most teams to reach where they have not been before.

They get stuck in a never-ending cycle of mediocrity and false improvements. No breakthrough there.

It’s common for organisations to put up defensive routines and make potentially embarrassing and threatening feedback that is needed for growth and learning “undiscussable”.

If you as a leader don’t change the way you facilitate team communication, you become an accomplice to the organisation’s or individual’s defensive routines.

This applies not just to big organisations but small teams of any kind, including families.

Leading big conversations in 7 steps

Big conversations

How can you make it safe for big conversations to happen, so that people are willing to discuss the “undiscussable”?

1. Common end goal

Set the tone. Let it be known that this conversation needs to happen as stakes are high. Focus on the common end objective that everyone is striving for. Get very clear on the purpose, intentions and goals. Discuss the “whats” and more importantly, the “whys”.

2. Grant permission

This is the basic ground rules. Create a safe forum that allows people to speak the truth, making it known that no one needs to be offensive or defensive about anything.
Let it be okay for everyone to be their real self.

3. Take ownership

Make sure that everyone involved in the conversation have something personally at stake in the goal.
Everyone has to take responsibility for what he/she says.

4. Don’t pretend

Let people say things as they really are. Don’t pretend things are fine when they really aren’t. Don’t smoothen any rough edges (not yet!) as they are useful information to deal with the challenges.

5. Bigger picture

This is an invitation for everyone to play a bigger game and see the greater cause, the bigger picture. Context matters.
It’s not just about you or me.

6. Discuss the ‘hows’

Don’t just state the “whats” and the “whys”, but discuss the “hows” – specifically how the team thinks and interacts.Throw out some thought-provoking questions. Gather divergent views and perspectives to build a shared understanding and new workable model to move forward.

7. Ready to act
Make sure people leave the conversation feeling ready to take action.
That will inevitably happen if they leave the conversation in three ways:

  • They feel inspired by a newfound freedom to express and be who they really are and everyone is okay with that.
  • They feel empowered by new possibilities that they previously didn’t see.
  • They see a clear path to move forward and are now ready to jump into action.

Coaching questions

Is there a big conversation that needs to happen in your organisation/team?

What will happen if it doesn’t take place and things remain the way they are?

How can you lead such conversations and lead your people to greater heights now?

I didn’t say it will be easy. It’ll be worth it. Don’t play safe, take a little risk. Make it happen. Let me know how it goes.

Hwai Tah is the founder of Coaching-Journey.com and a certified professional coach and associate certified coach with ICF (International Coach Federation). To connect with him, email editor@leaderonomics.com. For more How To articles, click here. To engage Leaderonomics for character-wise conversations approach to facilitate courageous communication with your people, email us at training@leaderonomics.com.

Reposted with permission on Leaderonomics.com.

The post Why Big Conversations Matter And How To Lead Them appeared first on Leaderonomics.com.


Infographic: 10 Ways To Maximise Social Media Impact For Your Business

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Did you know today (30 June) is Social Media Day?

Well, it is! It was launched by Mashable back in 2010 as a way to recognise the impact of social media on global communication.

Undeniably, social media is hard to ignore these days. It is where we keep ourselves updated with what our friends are doing all over the world, as well as the happenings around the world – in an instant. Even businesses have started to recognise the importance of engaging their stakeholders and customers via social media.

It is high time we learn to maximise the power of social media for our business and organisation. Here are our top 10 ways.

Social media impact

See also: Top 10 Ways To Maximise Social Media Impact For Your Business

Watch the corresponding video below:

Comment or write to us at editor@leaderonomics.com and share with us some of your tips in managing social media for your organisation. For more Top 10 articles, click here. For more infographics, click here.

The post Infographic: 10 Ways To Maximise Social Media Impact For Your Business appeared first on Leaderonomics.com.

Do Your Employees Actually Understand The Company’s Purpose?

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By DAVID DUBIN and DANIEL RUSSELL

We have all heard the astounding stories of employees going the extra mile. One example comes from the book How Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathan Rosenberg.

In 2002, on a Friday afternoon, the chief executive officer of Google, Larry Page, googled “Kawasaki H1B.” In the place of ads for motorcycles, there were ads for lawyers selling their services with a specific focus on H1B immigration visas, a type of non-immigrant visa in the United States. Page simply pasted these, along with other poor ad results, on a board and left for the weekend.

On the following Monday morning, the engineering team at Google sent an e-mail saying they saw the note, explained why the error had occurred, provided a solution, and had a prototype in hand. What’s even better is that these engineers were not even from the Google AdWords team.

What caused this amazing feat of employee performance? Was it the free food and ping pong tables? Probably not. Was it Google’s culture? No doubt, but there is another aspect driving the tenacity of the Google workforce.

This competitive edge is Google’s purpose.

The mission at Google is clear: “organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful (emphasis added).” In the aforementioned example, the engineers understood that the information provided by Google (i.e. the ads) is not useful in its current state and they thus went on to provide a solution, which fits in with the organisation’s purpose.

Google’s story and similar accounts from other companies have made purpose a hot topic in human resources (HR) management. But anecdotes aside, research lauds purpose as a powerful purveyor of positive outcomes. For example, a study conducted by Calling Brands indicated that clear organisational purpose ranks just behind compensation in importance for employees.

Given the power that purpose holds, here are a few tips about how to instil purpose into your workforce:

Clearly define your organisation’s purpose

There may be a tendency to want to throw together a purpose that sounds good enough. It shouldn’t be surprising, however, that an unfocused purpose makes it difficult for employees to focus on what is important.

In an article on Harvard Business Review, Graham Kenny outlines the difference between purpose, vision, mission, and values. But don’t get too into the weeds trying to follow these strict definitions. The key is infusing your employees with commitment and helping them identify with your company. To do this, look beyond money.

The Calling Brands survey found that 64% of employees feel more devoted to a business that has other values besides increasing shareholder value. Furthermore, almost half of today’s workforce would take a 15% reduction in pay if it meant working for an organisation that would have a valuable impact on the world, according to a study by Net Impact.

Another tip when defining your organisation’s purpose is to make sure your employees are considering the true impact of their work and are not just talking about their individual tasks.

Interview employees and ask them about the impact their work has on their team and the organisation but put a special emphasis on the impact to the organisation’s stakeholders (e.g. clients, patients, the world, etc.).
Think about how a football player with the game winning goal in overtime would describe his role. When asked about his job, would he say: “I try and kick a ball into a net”?

Ensure that the identified organisational purpose is engaging

Purpose

Engaging your employees so that they understand how they fit into the organisational purpose has to be carried out.

A great example of developing an engaging purpose comes from accounting firm, KPMG. KPMG conducted employee interviews by first asking the question, “What do you do at KPMG?” This then evolved into an initiative where employees created digital posters similar to corporate posters.

These KPMG posters didn’t emphasise specific accounting tasks, but rather, reflected the transformational effect that their services had.

Similarly, once your organisation has made a decision about what it is all about, it is important to help employees connect and see how they are contributing to the organisation’s purpose or how they fit into the organisation’s purpose.

This is more than just using your e-mail signature line, and it would require more than merely putting up posters above the photocopier machine.

After all, identifying with a purpose isn’t just about employees memorising trivia on what is important in an organisation; rather, it is about explaining the origin of the organisation and providing real stories to employees that demonstrate the organisational purpose in action.

KPMG made a large investment in making their purpose engaging. But, was the investment worth it? KPMG shot up 17 spots on the list of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For and 76% of their employees (even more than the previous year) stated that their job meant something to them.

Send a consistent message about your organisation’s purpose

An employee that feels as though his/her work is tedious and of no meaning, and sees the opposite right next to them in the workplace is like being all alone at a party—everyone is having fun but that particular employee.

These types of situations can take place when the message about your organisation’s purpose is not consistent, and it is disastrous for motivation. If the company’s leaders tout a higher purpose, but the direct supervisor tells his subordinates not to believe the hype, the whole process could backfire. Instead of a fully engaged workforce, you may possibly end up with pockets of cynicism.

Here’s an example. KPMG made an observation on the differences between leaders who do and do not communicate the company’s purpose to employees. Groups with leaders who discuss the organisational purpose are almost twice as likely to strive for continuous improvement and are three times as likely to not look for another job. Surveys aside, the actual turnover is almost twice as much in the groups with leaders who did not discuss the organisational purpose.

Parting thoughts

Evidently, identifying and instilling a sense of purpose within your organisation has tremendous benefits. However, it is not an easy task. The purpose has to be genuine and inspiring to employees at all levels.

Then, it has to be shared in such a way that each employee understands his or her role in fulfilling the purpose every day.

When this is executed well, the organisation’s sense of purpose not only improves employee outcomes but also improves overall productivity and quality.


Purpose is more important than having a ping pong table

Ping pong

When we think about purpose in the workplace, we can’t help but remember a visit we made to a medical devices company to discuss their employee engagement. Upon receiving the invitation, we did a bit of background research to understand the firm’s business and context.

Things look so happening

In this case, we were impressed with the stirring videos on the company’s website that explained how their products and services could improve people’s health, and which effectively illustrated the tremendous difference their products make in people’s lives.

Upon arriving at their office, we were impressed by the luxurious modern building and, in particular, the lovely office waiting area with displays of artistic applications of the company’s technology.

After the initial introduction, the HR team gave us a tour which included a wall of photos about the company’s annual corporate social responsibility events which focused on the environment and outdoor activities. The faces smiling back at us proved that everyone was having a great time.

The HR representatives were eager to show us the employee hangout area which reminded us of a fun gaming room in a college campus. We walked around the ping pong table and marvelled at the outdoor space that boasted an authentic grass lawn, which sat on a terrace that was 20-storeys high! One of the walls was covered with murals that had been painted by each of the local teams in an effort to build team pride.

A great but silent space

Unfortunately, no one was using this great space. It was silent.

After leaving the common spaces, we were shown the employee work areas, but the HR representative warned us to keep quiet because the work was important and required attention to detail.

Similarly, the work space was nearly silent, but there were no brightly coloured murals on the walls. Instead, the space was divided into grey cubicles and most of the windows were covered with paper to keep the glare off the workers’ screens. The atmosphere was tense and gloomy.

One of the few experienced workers was asked to show me a bit about what they did. In a whisper, he explained how they created customised medical products for people all over the world. I realised that my own father had likely benefitted from their work. I almost came to tears as I explained the connection and I thanked this employee for his work.

And reality hits

After the tour, we had lunch with the HR team and they told us about the high turnover they were experiencing. Staff were leaving due to very small pay differences. They also explained that management had just increased the productivity targets for staff and that they expected that many employees wouldn’t be able to hit these targets (and be let go) or that many would quit out of frustration.

They were eager to hear about leading practices in employee engagement—specifically Google and Facebook. While we understood their desire to benchmark themselves against other successful companies, we asked if they had shared the videos from their corporate website with their employees.

Their response: They hadn’t. We asked if they had considered sharing their patients’ success stories with employees. Once again, their response was they hadn’t, and they couldn’t understand why they should.

So, we began by explaining why purpose was more important than ping pong tables.

Dan is the managing director of Straight Path Leadership, a US-based consulting firm focusing on leadership assessment, development and coaching. Straight Path is a partner with Leaderonomics on assessment and coaching programmes. You can reach him on Twitter at @danielrussellHR.
David Dubin, Ph.D. is the managing partner of PsychologicalARTS, a US-based consulting firm focusing on assessments, surveys, and leadership development. He is also a licensed psychologist and has presented at universities, conferences, and organizations across the United States and Europe on leadership, personality, legal issues in HR, pre-hire assessments, and computer adaptive testing.

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4 Ways Leaders Can Create A Candid Culture

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By JOSEPH GRENNY

When leaders want to create an open culture where people are willing to speak up and challenge one another, they often start by listening. This is a good instinct.

But listening with your ears will only take you so far. You also need to demonstrate with words that you truly want people to raise risky issues.

Take the former president of a major defence company, whom I will call Phil. No one at the 13,000-employee firm believed Phil when he announced that he was going to create a culture of candour and openness.

And why should they? He already had three strikes against him: his workforce, past performance, and manner.

First, Phil’s workforce had successfully repelled every attempt at culture change in previous decades. Well-intended change efforts had continually failed. Why would this time be any different?

Second, his own leadership history was not exactly one of give-and-take. He had a command and control style and the closest he got to dialogue was one-way “management briefings” he held monthly with his “chain of command.”

And finally, he was imposingly large, his face was one of studied expressionlessness, and his voice had an involuntary imperiousness even when asking you to pass the salt.

And yet, Phil needed to dramatically improve quality and costs at the 60-year-old tactical aircraft designer and manufacturer—and he knew that the stifling culture was suppressing the very ideas he needed.

Once he set out to better engage his employees, however, within a matter of months he succeeded at transforming the company culture.

Like many leaders, Phil’s first attempt at fostering candour was by using his ears. And it immediately fell flat.

At the end of a highly scripted management briefing, he announced, “I will now take questions.
You may ask anything you wish.” He scanned the audience for raised hands. None. Thirty painful seconds later he would have been happy for even a twitch to indicate engagement. Crickets.

While some executives would have blamed the audience for its timidity, Phil understood the problem was a lack of safety. He reasoned that the behaviour he was trying to encourage was so counter-cultural that any rational person would be terrified to try it.

With the studied intensity of a good engineer, he decided to demonstrate that this defence company was a safe place to talk about anything.

Employees had decades of data from their own painful experiences that told them taking a risk to raise controversial questions was quickly punished.

Phil and his senior team needed to produce enough disconfirming data to call these fears into question.

Phil did four things that went beyond listening:

1. Praise publicly

He created a safe forum for people to raise questions—then spoke publicly about those who asked them in laudatory ways. It may sound like small potatoes, but simply adding a column called “Ask the President” to the weekly internal newsletter was a daring move.

He instructed his communications team to forward him the most universally asked and highly sensitive questions. He personally penned every response. He was careful to sympathise with the questioners and to validate their concerns.

The workforce took note—seeing evidence that disagreement would no longer be treated as insubordination.

Questions could be asked anonymously or not, and over time more and more of the questioners identified themselves—which gave Phil a chance to commend them in the newsletter for their candour. Public praise is more about influencing those who hear it than those who receive it.

P03_0207_BAL

2. Prime the pump

Phil began meeting regularly with groups of opinion leaders from throughout the organisation—encouraging them to bring their toughest questions. One topic that never came up was criticism of a major re-organisation Phil imposed two years previously. So he primed the pump.

In one of these sessions he said, “How are you feeling about the integrated project team/team structure we started two years ago? I’m sure there are frustrations with this one. What barriers are you facing? What isn’t working?”

When people don’t feel safe speaking up, leaders can show that it is safe by saying the hard things themselves.

By saying the unsayable, and doing so with a tone of voice that suggested respect for this view, Phil created a little more safety.

And the dam burst. For the next 90 minutes, the group poured out their views on the inadequacies of the new structure. Phil acknowledged their concerns and invited them to discuss modifications to the model.

Most importantly, this influential group began spreading the word that Phil was sincere about being open to criticism.

3. Lead by teaching

Phil went beyond encouraging openness to teaching it. He and his senior team taught hour-long sessions on how to have what my colleagues and I call “crucial conversations”—how to diffuse strong emotions, how to speak candidly without provoking resistance, how to quickly build rapport, and so on.

As people acquired these new skills, their confidence in speaking up increased. The fact that Phil personally taught the skills showed how invested he was in having open conversations.

4. Sacrifice ego

On one memorable occasion, Phil said in front of a group of middle managers: “I’ve been told I am unapproachable. I don’t know what that means.

I would appreciate any specific feedback any of you would be willing to offer me.” The rest of the group looked on in awe as one brave soul, a manager named Terry, raised his hand. “I would be happy to, Phil.”

Terry met later with Phil and gave a couple of suggestions—which Phil then shared publicly. Phil
sacrificed his ego to show how much he valued candour and openness and that people were safe with him.

Parting thoughts

For two years, my colleagues and I measured the frequency of people raising risky issues with peers, subordinates, as well as with senior managers at this defence company.

Within the first few months of Phil’s campaign, these measures shot up by double digits, and continued to increase during the rest of this period.

For example, employees were 15% more likely to report that they were comfortable sharing bad news up the chain of command—a remarkable change from the past.

Listening matters. But sometimes you’ve got to open your mouth too and make positive statements to generate the safety people need.

Joseph Grenny is an author, keynote speaker, and social scientist for business performance. His passion and expertise is human behaviour and its impact on business performance and relationships. For more Be A Leader articles, click here.

Reposted with permission on Leaderonomics.com

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Do You Have To Deal With Confrontation At Work Sometimes?

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By ALISON MILES-JENKINS

When asked what needs to be improved at work, why is it that staff often cite communication amongst the top ten issues that need to be improved?

Communication is something that can always use some improvement and we are all on a journey of continuous improvement when it comes to communicating at work.

Sometimes it doesn’t go well and you find yourself dealing with confrontation at work.

If this happens then we need to find a constructive way of dealing with this.

That is not always easy as confrontation triggers an emotional reaction in us, because we are human. So we need some tools in our communications toolbox to deal with this effectively.

Here are my thoughts on how to deal with confrontation at work:

1. Do keep in mind that you need to make sure that you are in control of your emotions.

We are not machines and if we let ourselves go then our emotional response can trigger fight/flight reactions which will not be conducive to dealing with confrontation at work.

Indeed, it may only make matters worse.

As soon as you feel yourself getting annoyed or angry, your pulse raises, then you need to get control otherwise your emotional state will drive your communications.

Train yourself to recognise the signs of annoyance and take a deep breath, focus and tell yourself that this is simply a problem to solve.

2. Find a way to plan.

If a situation escalates suddenly, see if you can find a way to defer a discussion for a bit later in the day to give yourself time to plan.

If this is not possible then you could try to buy yourself some thinking time by listening to the other side, summarising their viewpoint and reflecting what they say. Ask open questions to give direction.

3. Think about your communication from an assertiveness perspective.

We know that once emotions take charge, an individual may just be reacting rather than thinking rationally and we need a way to diffuse this.

One option is to use assertiveness techniques to draw attention to the behaviour and how it makes you feel.

For example, you might say: “I can see that this has affected you greatly.

When you raise your voice I do find it hard to think and perhaps we can agree to discuss this rationally?” or perhaps, “We need to find a way of resolving this, how about we think about it and come back together this afternoon to run through the issues together?”

4. Show understanding and empathy.

Acknowledge the emotion and issue. Perhaps you might say: “I can see this is very important to you, let’s try and find a solution.” The collaborative use of “let’s” seeks to try and encourage a joint approach to resolution.

Understand the perspective of the person who confronts you. Think about why they might be reacting to the situation so negatively.

There might be a range of reasons from simple disagreement, to issues of status, surprise or reaction to change.

Different people react differently to change. Understanding the driver behind the response will help give insights into resolving it.

5. See if you can find a “win-win” response.

Something that works for both sides.

Dealing with confrontation at work is often challenging but a strategic and thoughtful approach can be a great place to start.

Alison Miles-Jenkins is the founder of Leading Light Learning, and author of New Manager Secrets. To engage with us on workplace culture and how to deal with confrontation, e-mail us at training@leaderonomics.com. For more Try This articles, click here.

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How To Disagree With The Boss Agreeably

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By JOSEPH GRENNY

Harsha thought things were going well.

Six months earlier he was hired by Najib, a wealthy and powerful man in Dubai, to turn around the flagging reputation and prospects of a five-star business hotel.

It took little time for Harsha to identify three areas of focus he was confident would rapidly improve ratings at popular review sites.

First, he would update the look; second, he would invest more in training staff; and third, he would curb the hotel’s reputation as a haven for sex workers.

The women in the bars were easily dealt with. Harsha’s security detail discreetly requested they leave, and most did. It was trickier to deter those roaming the halls of guest rooms. But within a few weeks of beefed up security patrols, Harsha was pleased to see reviews stating his was “The cleanest hotel in Dubai.” As reputation improved, so did bookings.

Call from the boss

Harsha’s growing satisfaction was shattered at midnight one Saturday by a menacing call from Najib.

When Harsha answered, Najib attacked, “You will not harass anyone coming to my hotel. You’re losing business. You have five minutes to call off security or I will have you removed.”

Click.

Harsha walked straight to his office, closed the door and tried to breathe. His mind raced. He considered packing his bags and leaving. He deliberated about legal measures. He berated himself for failing to respond in his own defence.

Speaking truth to power

An irony of leadership is that while chief executive officers despair that “Nobody tells me the truth,” their staff fret that “I can’t speak my mind to the boss.”

The result is a stifling of the flow of information up the chain of command that results in uninformed decisions and avoidable crises.

Clearly there’s a lot that bosses should do to invite greater candour. But we’ve been surprised over the years to find that even in the most stultifying cultures there are usually a handful of people who know how to speak truth to power.

When people tell us, “People here are terrified of the boss!” we’ll respond, “OK, but is there anyone here who speaks up anyway, in fact, is appreciated for doing so?”

We have yet to find an organisation where at least a couple of names aren’t offered. We’ve studied the tactics of this interesting group and found there are ways to disagree agreeably.

Harsha showed us four of them.

1. Contract from candour

When Harsha took the position he knew he was facing a steep power gradient. Najib was a man who was unfamiliar with disagreement.

And yet Harsha knew that his success would depend upon maintaining his independent management of the hotel.

When inevitable encroachment of that independence occurred, he would need to be able to discuss it with Najib.

So in their initial interview he described this need—and contracted for the licence to express concerns. “Mr. Najib,

I expect you and I will disagree at times. I need to know that when this happens you will allow me to express my concerns.

Without this assurance, I cannot bring my full talents to this job.” Najib agreed. The boss is much less likely to take offence at disagreement if s/he has invited it.

Effective communicators don’t wait for the need to disagree—they hold a separate conversation when the stakes are low and emotions are calm to contract with the boss about how to manage these moments.

This psychological contract becomes a powerful referent when emotions are high as it helps the boss hold the disagreement in a healthier way that minimises defensiveness.

2. Intent before content

When the boss gets defensive it’s for one of two reasons. The first is because he believes your dissent is a threat to his goals.

Defences are far less provoked by content than they are by perceived intent.

You can be far more candid about your view if you frame it in the context of a mutual purpose the boss already cares about.

If you fail to do this, the boss may believe your disagreement signals a lack of commitment to her interests.

3. Respect before dissent

The second trigger for defensiveness is perceived disrespect. Most of us assume you have to choose between candour and respect.

If you want to be respectful, you have to dilute your disagreement.

If you want to be honest, you’re going to have to hurt some feelings. Showing proper deference to the boss means sugar-coating your opinions.

This is a false dichotomy. It is possible to do both. There are ways to be 100 per cent respectful and 100 per cent honest at the same time. With bosses, respect comes first.

You must find a way to assure them you respect them and their position. When that is secure, you can venture into expressing your views.

4. Give him a reason to give you permission to disagree

Asking permission is a powerful way of honouring the position of the boss and avoiding unnecessary provocation. The trick is to ask permission while giving the boss a reason to give it to you!

Harsha complied with Najib’s immediate demand. Over the next two days, he tried to understand what happened.

Apparently some of Najib’s friends had been embarrassed earlier in the evening when security had refused hotel entry to their female escorts.

Harsha understood the cultural embarrassment this caused Najib. His friends had been treated inhospitably on his own property.

Harsha thought carefully about how he demonstrate deep respect for Najib’s predicament and position in a culturally appropriate way—while still finding a way to candidly lay out his requirements for continuing in the position.

P12_0904_7 Nonverbal cues (5)

“I will sit outside your gate.”

Three days after the incident Harsha called Najib and requested a meeting. Najib did not answer. Harsha hadn’t expected him to. He did not take offense, but considered the inconvenience an opportunity to show deference to Najib.

After three unsuccessful attempts, Harsha drove to Najib’s residence. He removed a mat from his trunk and set it outside the massive gilded gate.

He withdrew his phone from his pocket and sent a text stating, “Sir, I request the privilege of speaking with you. I understand you are busy. I will sit outside your gate until it is convenient for you.”

With that, Harsha doffed his sports jacket and sat on his mat under the Middle Eastern sun. It was well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 per cent humidity.

Two and a half hours later, the gate swung open. His humble expression of deference was accepted. Harsha was escorted to a room where Najib sat waiting.

Najib greeted Harsha curtly without rising and motioned for him to sit. He placed his hands in his lap and looked at a place on the wall.

Harsha knew this was as good as it was going to get. So he began.

The art of authenticity

“Mr. Najib, I thank you for allowing me this time. I will understand when we are through if you prefer another manager. I will not oppose your wishes. My entire goal has been to please you with my stewardship of your property.

I have never wanted to be obstinate or oppose your wishes for your hotel. I am sorry if I behaved in ways that made it appear I did. I want the hotel to be profitable. And I want it to be hospitable to your friends.”

Najib’s eyes were still locked on the wall—but his face softened a little as Harsha continued.
“When we first met, I failed to explain some things about myself that I realise now were significant. May I have five minutes to present you with that information?”
Najib nodded slightly.

Harsha was the illegitimate son of a sex worker in India. His mother was driven to the sex trade after her husband abandoned her and Harsha’s three older siblings. His religious faith and moral code had helped him believe he could transcend his disgraceful upbringing.

When Harsha finished sharing poignant details of his life, Najib wept softly. Quietly, he said, “I understand why you’ve done this. I want to be such a man.”

Harsha thanked him for his understanding. Then he added frankly but calmly, “There are certain things I need or I cannot continue to work at the hotel. If you do not want to extend those to me, I understand and will resign so you can get a manager you feel good about.”

Najib now looked directly at him and said, “You are the manager I want. I will make every accommodation so you can lead with integrity and success.”

Some may find Harsha’s solution extreme. He did not. Often, the difference between grovelling and deference is authenticity. Harsha understood the signal Najib needed in order to feel respected and was willing to offer it. Having done so, he protected his self-respect as well by authentically expressing his needs.

Use contrasting

A common—and less dramatic—way skilful people ensure dissent is not misinterpreted, is by contrasting. A contrast is a simple “don’t mean/do mean” that inoculates the boss from misinterpreting your intent.

For example, one manager who wanted to express ethical reservations about a boss’s decision began, “I’d like to share a concern but am worried it will sound like I doubt your character. I don’t. And yet I don’t think I’d be fully loyal if I didn’t share my perspective. May I do so?”

Disagree agreeably

When powerful people shut you down, it may not be because they are incapable of brooking dissent. It may be that they mistake dissent for disrespect.

By contracting up front for candour, clarifying his intent before diving into the content of his concerns, and giving his boss a reason to give him permission to disagree—Harsha found a way to disagree far more agreeably.

Joseph Grenny is a four-time New York Times bestselling authorkeynote speaker, and social scientist for business performance. His passion and expertise is human behaviour and its impact on business performance and relationships. His work has been translated into 28 languages and has generated results for 300 of the Fortune 500. Joseph has been a contributing columnist for BusinessWeek, Forbes, and Harvard Business Review. He has appeared on The Today Show, CNN, Bloomberg, and Fox Business News, and been cited in hundreds of national news publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today. Joseph is the co-founder of VitalSmarts, an organisation committed to teaching others how to effectively change human behaviour. To engage with him, e-mail us at editor@leaderonomics.com. For more How To articles, click here.

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Perspective-Taking: The Solution To Managing Workplace Relationships

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By SHERRIE CAMPBELL

To be a true success, we must possess masterful people skills. The key to successful relationships lies solely in our ability to take the perspective of another.

Perspective-taking is that all-important skill of being able to look at things from someone’s point of view other than our own. Perspective-taking brings in the mindfulness of compassion and empathy to our relationships. When these two qualities are present in our interactions, mutual respect, success and movement forward are guaranteed.

1. Think of others

Whenever we are in the presence of another, it is natural to think about what they may be thinking (if we are not self-centred). We observe them instinctively and notice subtleties such as what they are doing, where they are looking, and what their body language is indicating. This helps us determine if we feel comfortable around them which helps us decide if we want to interact with them and how.

If we feel comfortable around another person, we begin to think more logically, like if now is a good time to talk to them, or if they seem unavailable or busy, we can decide which is the most effective way to proceed. All of this subtle information prompts us to speak up in the conversation or to decide to hold back for a more convenient time.

2. Have strong emotional regulation and empathy

Perspective-taking relies not only upon our ability to share emotions with others, but also upon our capacity to regulate our own emotions. To be effective with others, we must be aware of what might trigger us so we can quickly refocus ourselves on what is happening with the other. When it comes to empathy, the point is not to ask ourselves what we would do in any given situation, rather it’s to try and understand what another would do.

If our empathic accuracy and emotional regulation skills are strong, we will be more successful in our interactions. We possess the depth and awareness to predict the attitudes, expectations, and intentions of others that may be very different from our own.

This creates an interpersonal connectedness which is built to thrive and succeed because people feel heard, validated and understood on the other side of us.

3. Correctly reading other people

The emotions are our perspective-taking guides. They help us to read people. We naturally track the behaviours of others to try and determine what they are thinking, feeling, doing or planning. Our brains assist us by providing a social radar system which helps us determine people’s motives and intentions, even when our attention is not specifically on them.

In this way, our sensitivities are our strengths. These sensitivities to other people alert our gut instincts to the intentions of others and to sense any possible emotional changes in them or the peripheral work environment. It is important to trust what we intuit about the intentions of others because it helps us to gauge how we can most successfully show up in the interaction.

4. Interpreting words

Most people speak indirectly, which requires us to infer the actual meaning of what they are trying to say. This creates a lot of room for misinterpretation, especially through text or e-mail. We all know too well that what a person says is not always what that person actually means.

At the workplace, each person has to take into account every other person’s needs and ideas to figure out how to complement or add to the team effort, rather than to detract from it.

What we decide to say or not to say requires that we interpret as accurately as possible what the other person is trying to say. If we don’t understand or we cannot get a clear idea of where another person is coming from, it is important to create dialogue to gain clarification.

Most conflicts arise from a misinterpretation of what another is trying to communicate. Once communication is clear, trust is gained and success is inevitable.

5. Respecting differences

Workplace firestarters

We must remain open-minded and respectful to what others believe when relating to them.

Perspective-taking requires the maturity to gain knowledge and be respectful of another person’s personal beliefs. When we are disrespectful to another person and their belief system, it is the quickest path to creating separation and division between people. It is the surest way to upset a co-worker, vendor or boss.

It is important to remain highly attuned to the fact that not all people share our personal views and beliefs of the world. We must remain open-minded and respectful to what others believe in when relating to them.

This means knowing what not to say as much as knowing what to say. This makes communication complicated, but it keeps you open-minded and will enable you to grow in the process of being able to put yourself aside and be respectful of the other.

6. Get to know people

What you know about where people come from and how they came to be the people they are is critical in determining what to say and do. We interact very differently with co-workers who have had years of experience as compared to someone new in the industry. Our mind works like a compass directing us to find our way around and through information to keep communication moving forward efficiently.

Everyone’s brain is wired to be effective when communicating, which is why it is frustrating when we give too much or too little information to other people. People often make the mistake of expecting us to know them well enough to avoid communication mistakes.

However, no matter how well we know anyone, we are human. It is through these mistakes that we learn to find a balance in each individual relationship we have. Each mistake can only improve the success and integrity of our relationships while also benefiting our mindfulness and personal growth.

7. Analyse each person’s personality

It is easy to enjoy relating to all kinds of people. However, the way in which we relate to someone has a lot to do with how we perceive them to be as people. When we are around a co-worker who is more serious or intellectual, it calls for a different interaction approach from us than when we are interacting with someone who is more laidback and easy-going.

To some extent, we all become social chameleons, making slight shifts in our behaviour to fit the people and personalities around us in an effort to best relate to them. This social adaptation does not make us fake as much as it makes us well-rounded.

It allows us to use many parts of our personality to create positive and effective relationships. This kind of shifting is what makes us successful with other people and more whole and successful as individuals.

In a nutshell

The practice of perspective-taking brings compassion to the emotional climate of the workplace. It has the greatest potential to positively impact our ability to succeed through relating well to others.

When we think of compassion, it naturally helps us to modify our responses according to how we think others think, and to ensure a predictable emotional response from them. This does not mean we constantly seek to please others.

Clearly, our responses at times will cause disappointment or frustration; it simply means we seek to empathise with others as best as we can to ensure we create the most effective communication which will lead to successful relationships.

Success in life and business boils down to effective interactions, humility, self-awareness and the all-important skill of perspective-taking. These elements are the keys to success of any kind.

Sherrie Campbell is a psychologist in California with two decades of clinical training and experience in providing counselling and psychotherapy services. She is the author of ‘Loving Yourself: The Mastery of Being Your Own Person.’ This article was first published on Entrepreneur.com. For more Consulting Corner articles, click here.

Reposted with permission on Leaderonomics.com.

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5 Steps To Recover From Leadership Mistakes

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By MARK MOSES

We all make mistakes. If we don’t, we’re not taking enough risks. Executives with big responsibilities sometimes make big mistakes. It comes with the territory.

But I have often watched leaders struggle to recover from a mistake made that probably didn’t have to be as personally or professionally damaging to them as it was.

They simply didn’t respond well enough, and it cost them more than it should have.

Here are five steps to move forward and learn from leadership mistakes:

Step 1: Communicate quickly

You don’t have to tell the world, but those who need to know should hear it from you and not from anyone else.

Let the offended parties know and the people who will have to answer for the mistake. This can’t be done too soon. Surprises like this never turn out well, but with advance knowledge, many times further damage can be averted.

Step 2: Own it

Don’t make excuses. Don’t pretend it didn’t happen. Don’t blame others. Don’t say, “I’m sorry,” but then try to wrap the other person into your story.

Ask for forgiveness, if necessary, but own it now. You made a mistake. Be a leader. Own the mistake and be willing to accept the consequences.

You’ll be far more respected and stand a better chance of bridging support in the recovery process.

Step 3: Stop the loss

Do whatever you can to stop further damage from occurring. If there are financial issues involved, try to recover as much as you can.

If there is collateral damage with relationships, apologise quickly and try to restore trust. I have always found that a humble, but confident response is usually best in these situations.

Step 4: Figure out what’s next

Help the team recover. Find solutions. Don’t leave the clean-up to anyone else.

As you lead into the mistakeor even betterlead through the recovery. Help bring people together, seek wisdom, and help steer energy back to a more positive position.

Step 5: Learn from it

The best thing you can do is to grow from mistakesall of them. They can shape us as people and leaderseither positively or negatively. The good news is that we get to decide which one.

In the process of recovery, sometimes keeping a journal is helpful. Start with the question, “What can I learn from this that will help me make better decisions in the future?”

Mark is the founding partner of CEO Coaching International where he and his team coach entrepreneurs and companies on ‘Best Practices’ in determining where they want to go, how to get there, how to grow their leadership team and put accountability systems in place to ensure that it happens.
What leadership mistakes have you made? How did you respond? What did you learn? Comment below! For more Try This articles, click here.

Reposted with permission on www.leaderonomics.com

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Spilling The Beans On The Craft Of Coffee Art

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What does it feel like to forgo a chance to work in management and finance and instead take up the position of a barista in an indie café? Leaderonomics’ writer Tamara Jayne speaks to Mahesh Krishnan, a coffee craftsman at a local café, to find out more about his decision to take up coffee art and life as a coffee maker.

He had a concerned look on his face as I entered the café before they opened early on a Friday morning.

“Good morning! What’s the matter?” I ask.

“Oh hey! My colleague’s car just broke down. She’s trying to find her way here,” he replies.

I expected him to tell me that we have to postpone our interview as he rushed to pick her up before the café needed to be opened. That just seemed like the kind of thing he would do for as long as I’ve known him. Always kind-hearted and willing to go out of his way for anyone.

The journey

I spent the next hour chatting with Mahesh Krishnan, coffee lover and barista, as he passionately shared his three-year journey – the struggles and the joys that come along with making coffee and latte art every day. He explained that his curiosity got the better of him and that sparked his interest way before the “coffee boom” happened.

“I saw all those different drinks. . . flat whites, lattes and more. I was curious and wondered how one could make so many different drinks out of just shots and milk.

“I spoke to an old friend, Ayub, who was a barista at that time, and he shared with me that coffee is an art. It’s not just a job.”

With his curiosity and willingness to learn, Mahesh joined the barista life. “Back then, there were only two cafés around Petaling Jaya other than the commercial ones. People were starting to move away from commercial coffee joints like Starbucks and Coffee Bean,” Mahesh explained.

I asked him, “What’s your favourite part about being a barista?”

“It’s definitely the art bit of it. That’s where I have a lot of fun. The best part of the job for me is also the opportunity I get to meet people. . . both the customers and the people I get to work with.

Mahesh Krishnan

Photo courtesy of Isaac Ravi.

“Coffee is a language. There’s a whole culture behind it. It’s a conversation starter. We meet our regular customers and different kinds of people every day. You might think it’s just a cup of coffee, but to me, I see it as a chance to share my journey with these people.

“They speak to me about their jobs, their lives, and sometimes even come here to vent their frustrations. Sometimes when they need time off from work, they’ll come here and let it out.”

Facing discouragement

Having completed a bachelor’s degree in management and finance, Mahesh feels that this is not a short-term plan for him. “I really am passionate about coffee. Even if I go into the corporate world, I want to keep this as a skill. I can work on the weekends. To me, it can even be a retirement plan. I can always come back to this. I see it as a skill and an art. It is something I enjoy doing.

“Whether it is sustainable or not, that depends on how far I pursue it.

People do discourage me. Sometimes I feel like maybe I’m not earning enough? Sometimes I wonder if I keep doing this, I may not be able to start a family either.

“Family members have also asked that since I have a degree, why am I still doing this at 25? But I don’t have to answer to everyone. I know I’m learning a lot and meeting lots of people. I have plans. Eventually, I do want to have a more stable job. To me, this is my hobby and I’m still making money. I treat it as an art. That’s the difference.

When you treat it as an art and as your passion, it’s not just a job. You can have a job and do this in your free time. And that’s what a lot of people do.”

“What does the future look like for you? In the corporate world, you can climb up the ladder. As a barista, where can you go? Is it fulfilling enough to just be a barista or are you planning to work elsewhere?”

Not in the near future but maybe later on when I’ve made enough money and experienced enough, then I might open my own café. That’s where my management degree can come into play. But if you’re talking about just the skill itself, what happens behind the counter is the ability to share my knowledge. I hope to be able to eventually share my knowledge with people who want to start their own place and educate others.”

The caffeine that keeps me going

“What drives you to wake up every day to do this? Or do you have days where you dread going to work?” I asked.

“Probably the cleaning part!” He jokes as we burst out laughing. “To be honest, what makes me come back every day to make coffee is that every cup I make doesn’t taste the same. I make coffee consistently but each cup has its own character.”

“It really depends on the mood of the barista as well,” he says mischievously. “The nicer the customers are, the better the cup turns out. It’s about how much heart we put into it.”

“A challenge I face is how coffee-making can really be affected by your mood. If you had a bad day, it affects how you make the coffee.”

Taking cues from the coffee connoisseur

Mahesh Krishnan

Photo courtesy of Isaac Ravi.

“Every job has taught me different things. But this job is an art. I get the freedom to express myself. . . I think everyone needs a hobby. I might need a job to survive but that may get boring so I need a place where I can express myself – something I enjoy.

Art is how much heart you put into the stuff you do and whether you treat it as a skill or job. And I believe everyone needs to have that.

“For those who want to become a barista, you get the chance to educate people. And watch people grow as well. That’s the most enjoyable part for me –when I get new staff without experience coming in, it’s a lot of fun to see the joy on their faces when they’ve finally made a good cup of coffee.

“That part is one of the most enjoyable things about art – where you want to share and are able to educate other people and tell them that this is where they can put their heart into.”

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4 Practices To Building A Strong Bond With Clients

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By ROHINI RAJARATNAM

You know how some people just have the knack for networking? It just takes them one conversation to turn a foe into friend. Fret not if you aren’t one of them because we’re here to help you or at least, help you fool others. Communication or some would say “social skills and charisma” is more of a skill than a talent. And the thing is, building rapport with a client usually comes from open communication.

Let’s start by laying down what exactly rapport really means. Merriam-Webster defines it as “relation characterised by harmony, conformity, accord, or affinity.” In simple terms, it means a state of harmonious understanding with another individual or group that enables greater and easier communication. Rapport is similar to trust, and you can often build trust and rapport simultaneously. However, building rapport focuses more on establishing a bond or connection.

So the question stands: why is it essential to build that communication grid with your client? Apart from the fact that it makes dealing with the client much easier, it’s essential in ensuring the aim of the relationship. When a client is comfortable and open enough to express what they want to achieve, you have to admit the work gets done faster.

Here are four essential practices to build that bond:

1. Breaking the ice

It’s your first meeting, you’ve heard how he sounds like, figured out exactly how he types and all that’s left is a face (not talking about the Snapchat filter picture on his WhatsApp profile).

Before you walk in, first, always have your research done and at least have an idea of who you’re dealing it. Now, if your client happens to be a huge believer on going “low profile,” take the time to get to know him instead and share a little bit of yourself. At all costs, resist indulging in a little schmoozing. That could be a tad off-putting.

To get the conversation going, try finding common ground. Think of how comfortable you might feel if meeting someone from your hometown whilst living miles away from it. The sense of connectedness creates an instant rapport between two people! Hence, use open-ended questions as they give room to the other to express themselves, thereby giving you a chance at discovering.

2. The personal touch

Everybody likes to feel important, to have that sense of being respected and treated like an equal. Regardless of which client you’re dealing with, treat all of them as your important ones. You never know who your clients may know or to whom they will refer you. Remember the small details, like how they like their coffee or even their children’s names.

The personal touch means extra work for you, but hey, nobody’s complaining when profits come flooding in. When a client e-mails you, acknowledge the receipt of the e-mail as quickly as possible, even if you do not have the answer they are looking for. You will give them comfort by simply acknowledging the receipt of their request and by communicating that you’re on it.

And once a project is done, remember to follow up with your clients or recap what was successful and what could have been smoother for the next time around. Check in with them at intervals to ensure that the strategy or deliverable is still effective. Excellent customer service is about long-term happiness and success, not just finishing a project on time and on budget.

3. Mirroring

What is “mirroring”? It’s adjusting your own body language and spoken language to “reflect” the person you’re talking to. In other words, you become the mirror image of that person! Mirroring makes the other person feel comfortable and, most importantly, it makes them feel that they’re being understood.

Start by analysing their body language including their gestures and posture. Take for example, if the person takes a seat with both hands folded, you then copy the person’s posture. Mirror the other person’s language. If he or she uses simple, direct words, then you should too. If the person speaks in technical language, then match that style if appropriate.

Also, on a subtle level, remember that being too overt can be counterproductive.

4. If all else fails, humour them!

There’s no such thing as too much laughter. There is something about it that breaks down some of the barriers between people and removes some of the tension. So if you find yourself stuck and running out of topics, attempt your level best at being the joker. However, if you’re known for telling a joke that nobody gets or having the “foot in mouth” syndrome, then maybe it’s best you shy away from this.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” —Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Rohini loves to meet new people but has a special bond with animal lovers! Share your thoughts with us at editor@leaderonomics.com.

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The Twin Enemies Of National Transformation

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By JOSEPH TAN

The celebration of a nation’s independence signals the beginning of a transformation process that goes right down to the root of the leadership mindset because it embodies the hopes and aspiration of every citizen.

As the weight of the national dream lays heavy on the leaders of the country, the first task of leadership at a national level is the establishment of a united and common identity. The principle is that of knowing first who we are before deciding what we should do. It is identity before implementation.

Man holding up an "I'm Malaysian" banner

During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, certain countries were able to weather the tough times better than others. It is my observation that countries with a common culture and heritage were able to rally the spirit of their citizens better than those with fragmented identities.

Think about it.

When an organisation is facing a moment of crisis, will brandishing the balance sheet and profit statement in front of employees rally the spirit of everyone together? Countries with a common identity have an underlying DNA that motivates people of every level to rally together, even when times are tough.

Even in the organisational context, those who turn in sustainable high performance are those who are not only clear about what they sell but also on what the organisation stands for.

The first enemy

The basic unit of leadership is not how we perform as a nation, but rather it is how we are performing as families. If we as Malaysians seek to be transformed as a nation, we need to ask ourselves whether if we as a family are clear about what we communicate to our children concerning our history and heritage.

The test of whether we have truly matured in our national identity is not what is communicated on the official channels but what is conversed at the dining table in homes.

What I tell my children at home about who we are as Malaysians bears significant weight to their understanding on who they will eventually become.

The first enemy of national transformation is a poor understanding of history

History is more than a collection of facts, dates and information. History provides an anchoring for right actions and decisions. Imagine this: if a country goes to war, how will the soldiers be motivated to fight, how can the leaders rally the citizens together for the cause? Without the right understanding of history, we would not know what we are fighting to protect.

No wonder, in civilisations’ past, when a new dynasty takes over, they waste no time in destroying the books, relics and artefacts of the past generation. In other words, no remnants of past history is spared because it might distract the agenda of the new regime.

So, what are my leadership responsibilities when it comes to inculcating the right understanding of history?
1. Be prepared to listen to a wide perspective of the past without prejudice.
2. Engage the younger generation in active conversation rather than “down-talk.”
3. Appreciate the contribution of the older generations who have gone before me.

Understanding the nation’s history is not about nostalgia, it is about learning from the past. As George Santayana once said, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”

My personal leadership example at home with my family – what I tell my children, how the truth is presented and the connection to historical lessons – is an important part of the national transformation journey.

The second enemy

The basic requirement of a leader is that of having a good reputation. In fact, a Middle-Eastern proverb states: A good name is better than silver or gold. Unfortunately, in today’s age of political mud-slinging, many leaders try to look good by making others look bad.

For such situations, the degree of one’s reputation is determined not by one’s character but by comparing with others worse than us. This is a quick way to gain an image of leadership but it will not earn the integrity of leadership.

The second enemy of national transformation is the habit of playing the blame game

The mark of a wise leader is not someone who never makes a mistake. Rather, it is someone who quickly owns up when a mistake is committed and takes personal responsibility to right the wrong with the commitment to make necessary restitutions.

Transformation fails when everyone is putting up a front and pretending that nothing is wrong. This is further compounded when no one steps up to the plate and starts finger-pointing. It is a game where everyone loses and nobody wins.

So, what are my leadership responsibilities when it comes to stopping the blame game?
1. Be humble enough to admit my mistakes and not let my ego get in the way.
2. Regularly solicit for feedback and really listen.
3. Take ownership to ask, “What else can I do?”

If you think about it, so much productivity is wasted in meetings where the focus is on finding out who is to blame rather than for every team member to come to grips on what really needs to be done. If the national pastime is for people to complain and murmur in coffee shops, just talking and pointing fingers, then we will have an army of armchair critics rather than transformational leaders.

Understanding the nation’s history is not about nostalgia, it is about learning from the past. As George Santayana once said, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”

There is something very wrong with the state of leadership when the only way to earn credibility is by discrediting others. A good name is earned by being blameless, not by blaming.

The one challenge

The single most important challenge for any national leadership is that of rallying everyone to a cause worth fighting for. Without a cause worth fighting for, the tendency is to be calculative and inward looking.

At every level of leadership – national, organisational or in the family – the main focus is to craft a cause that looks beyond the boundaries of discrimination and the pitfalls of corruption. The twin enemies, a poor understanding of history and the habit of playing the blame game, will thrive if we as leaders in our own field of influence do not define a unified cause for our followers.

National transformation can only happen when every individual takes on personal accountability to rise above personal differences and work towards a purposeful vision. Attaining our independence is only the starting point, the commitment to interdependence is the next key to united transformation.

Are you willing to do your part?

Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Joseph is the CEO of Leaderonomics Good Monday where he is passionate about engaging with leaders to transform culture in organisations.

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Pitfalls Of Leaders Who Lord Over Their People

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By VIGNESWARAN KANNAN

It is sad and frustrating to see some corporate leaders managing their staff poorly.

There is no care, concern or love towards their fellow subordinates. These arrogant bosses merely want their staff to respect them and follow all their instructions without question. Those who go against the grain are likely to fall into their “blacklist” category.

Leaders who oppress their people

Employees are sometimes intimidated to follow all the instructions from their superiors although some tasks may be irrelevant to their job scope.

If an employee fails to follow an instruction, increment, commission, bonus and promotion may be possibly at stake. Sometimes, even a departmental transfer will be exercised as a consequence for those who are not “yes men”.

Then, there are some bosses who use the “pressure” methodology to apply emotional pressure to push their employees out of the organisation.

They sometimes overload their people with work or practise constant public humiliation with an intention to flush their employees out of the organisation. Generally, employees would leave the organisation when they undergo such oppression. This is the price many have to pay for being firm and standing their ground against their boss.

These corporate leaders dislike their subordinates voicing out anything against them. Largely, these corporate leaders think that their actions are correct all the time and whatever their subordinates are doing is incomplete or incorrect.

In some cases, there are bosses who give out last-minute assignments to their subordinates at odd hours or on their leave day, and order them to complete them immediately. Some even call their staff to come to office on a Sunday to complete the given tasks.

I have heard bosses say:

“I pay him, so he has to do whatever and whenever I ask.”

How leaders turned arrogant

The truth is these bosses have become a modern day dictator in the workplace. They don’t ‘annihilate’ you physically but they do so emotionally, psychologically or even financially.

The question is why these corporate leaders have become very negative despite their high academic and professional qualifications with their great exposure and experience in various fields.

Psychological research shows that their own inner feeling of insecurity and low self-esteem are one of the primary reasons for such behaviour. Corporate leaders have turned so arrogant and egoistic that they believe that they will rule the organisation forever. Some even feel they are indispensable.

The behaviour of some of these corporate leaders had caused stress, depression and difficulties for many employees. It is also a contributing factor for high attrition rate in most organisations that drain out talents.

Leaders have to differentiate the act of being firm in handling task and being egoistic and using fear in managing a team or an organisation. Different management approach to suit the situation is crucial in today’s world.

How true corporate leaders should lead

A corporate leader must play the role as a motivator, friend and a coach when it comes to managing knowledge workers and the millennials to achieve organisational objectives.

As we know in today’s workforce, employees expect equal respect as well as value for their opinion and new ideas from their superiors.

A good leader will always be open for ideas as well as criticism. Pool of ideas and great skills put together determine the success of a team and an organisation.

Leaders must realise the ultimate truth that all of us are dispensable and the world can and will move on without our presence, as it has always been.

It is high time for leaders to value the human capital and work together rather than trying to be “lords of the employees”.

Can you relate to an instance where you were treated with disrespect at the workplace by your superior? How did you respond to that situation? Email us your thoughts at editor@leaderonomics.com. To understand the psychology of people management, and to see how this programme can help you lead in your organisation, email us at training@leaderonomics.com. For more Career Advice articles, click here.

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The Crisis Reframe

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A mind for trouble

By LOUISA DEVADASON

Unless you are an adrenaline junkie who loves to jump off jagged cliffs, go rapid white-water rafting or swim with apex predators, you probably don’t love conflicts and risks. Even if you loved thrills, you wouldn’t want that uncertainty and stress in your organisation as a leader or as a member.

Yet, trouble has a way of finding us no matter how hard we try to dodge. That is why it is essential for leaders and co-leaders of businesses and organisations to have a crisis management plan. Crisis isn’t merely an issue for feeble business. In fact, it is often large firms at the forefront who have to be especially adept at navigating harsh terrain.

In a rapidly evolving time where social media is constantly affecting businesses and how they run, crisis should be viewed as a process of transformation where the old system can no longer be sustained.

Experts have stated that crisis is inevitable and the lead up to it tells a company, “It’s time to rethink our strategies and procedures.”

Educator and crisis leadership expert, Erika H. James, has identified five necessary leadership competencies which facilitate organisational restructuring during and after a crisis:

  • Building an environment of trust
  • Reforming the organisation’s mindset
  • Identifying obvious and obscure vulnerabilities of the organisation
  • Making wise and rapid decisions as well as taking courageous action
  • Learning from crisis to effect change

Like many crisis leadership experts, James sees abundant opportunity in both the planning and management of crisis. She believes it is putting the quality of leadership and an organisation’s competencies to the test.

The crisis of the mind

 

There’s a dynamic mindset required of leaders who shoot for the stars and aim to win. Often, we hear talk of entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial mind and how they have a mindset for taking risks. Successful entrepreneurs and leaders balance this with a crisis mindset. This is a mindset of troubleshooting extremes.

In order to better grasp what this mindset involves, we need to first break it down to three stages of a crisis: before, during and after.

Before: Look, think and plan

Understanding and identifying your organisation’s risk level for crisis and the nature of crisis it could face is the first step to preparing your organisation for rocky times. From this, develop a plan to shrink your chances of facing a sudden and disastrous crisis.

This is also the time to develop trust and effective human resources. Being the right kind of leader and empowering the right kind of people is vital. Also, take time to improve and be aware of market trends and what’s going on both outside and inside your company.

During: Communicate

“Very simply, your organisation’s crisis plan is incomplete without a comprehensive digital strategy.” —Jane Jordan-Meier, The Four Stages of Highly Effective Crisis Management: How to Manage the Media in the Digital Age

It is natural during a period of crisis for there to be confusion and fear. As a result, false rumours and speculation – both within your firm and across your organisation – reach the rest of the world. Stakeholders, consumers, and employees need you to not only be transparent but sure and clear in your message during this time. This is when a strong social media presence needs to already exist and be used as a platform to manage as well as communicate in a timely fashion.

After: Reflect and find the silver lining

Once you’ve come out from the other side, it’s time to talk about it and ask, “What could we have done better?” or “What should we have done differently?” and “What should we change?” The worst is over and it’s important to take a constructive approach to reflecting, recovering and improving your systems and processes.

Start building morale and seizing new opportunities. Crisis has a make or break effect on companies but either way, it accelerates change.

All your planning and preparations engage in a rapid fire round of tests, often opening you up to new lessons if you look for them.

In short, crisis cannot be controlled, only managed by those who plan for it will become conquerors.

Louisa can’t have a crisis this week as her schedule is full. She loves to talk to people and wants to hear their thoughts on everything and anything. Get in touch with her at louisa.allycyn@leaderonomics.com.

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