It’s guest post Monday! Today’s post is a guest post by Dan Erickson.  Dan teaches communication courses at a college in the Pacific Northwest.  He was the child victim of a cult and has developed a unique view of life and leadership.  Dan has written two books, A Train Called Forgiveness, and At the Crossing of Justice and Mercy.  You can learn more about Dan Erickson’s work at http://www.danerickson.net. 

As a child, working for the leaders of an extreme religious cult, I learned a few things about leadership: mostly what not to do.

We’ve all worked for one.  You know, one of those people who has absolutely no understanding of the way you feel.  In fact, they don’t really care at all.  They’re simply task managers, cracking the whip to make you perform.  That’s what it was like for me as a kid. 

As an adult I’ve worked for some good and some bad bosses.  I studied some of the great modern entrepreneurs in college.  I wrote my Master’s thesis on Woody Guthrie.  Yes, he was a leader, and a pretty good one.  He helped to lead an entire social movement.  One trait I’ve noticed that great leaders have is empathy.  Let’s define that word:

“Empathy: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another.”

“Empathy: the ability to imagine oneself in another’s place and understand the other’s feelings, desires, ideas, and actions.”

Great leaders have empathy for their followers.  They allow themselves to internally experience what their followers are experiencing. To become a empathetic leader I suggest:

 1.  Be understanding. As leaders it is our job to be understanding of our followers.  We are all human.  We all have good days and bad days.  When one of your followers is not performing as they usually do, ask them what’s going on.  Listen closely to their response.  Try to put yourself in their shoes. 

2.  Be aware.  Great leaders know their followers.  Why?  Because they interact with them.  A truly great leader may not even consider his or her employees followers, but rather part of a team of equals.  As a leader, make sure to interact with your team.  Get to know each member.  Watch how your team members interact with one another.  Be alert to personality conflicts and other potential problems.  And when a problem arises… see point #3.

3.  Be sensitive.  Don’t just attack problems with a fix-it-quick mentality.  People, and relationships between people, are complex.  You need to study the issue.  When you talk to those who are performing poorly or having a dispute, you need to have a thorough understanding of the underlying causes before making suggestions for change.  When I was a kid in the cult, I was never asked why I was working slowly at times.  I was just told to get moving.  If they would have asked, they’d have known I had severe headaches, as I got migraines as a kid.  But the leaders were not sensitive.

4.  Be vicarious.  Put yourself in the other’s shoes.  Ask yourself how they feel during a given situation.  How would you feel?  Allow others to express their feelings, their thoughts, their ideas and desires.  Listen!  After you have listened, imagine yourself in their position before reacting. 

Finally, I’d like to point out that being empathic does not mean being a wimp or a pushover.  You still need to be firm and hold your ground as a leader when a situation calls for it.  If a team member is repeating inappropriate behavior, you may need to take further action.  Be empathic first, but don’t be afraid to set limits.  And even if the worse happens and you must cut someone from the team, do it with understanding and sensitivity.  Be an empathic leader.  When you use empathy as one of your leadership traits, you’ll find that people will respond to you.  Your organization will run more smoothly.  It’s a win-win situation for all involved.

Questions: Can you describe a situation when you wished someone would have had more empathy with you as a follower?  Can you describe a time when you successfully used empathy as a leader?

The post The Empathic Leader appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.

Leadership is about connecting and building relationships with people so you can influence them toward a common vision. However, not all relationships are created equally. This is because some relationships allow you to thrive forward and others can damage or hurt your leadership. The people who can hurt or cause harm to you and your team include:

• People who are on the team but do not want to take the journey with you or move toward the vision.
• People who refuse or have no desire to grow, learn, or change.
• People who have a negative attitude or bad mindset about life.
• People who don’t have a strong work ethic.
• People who have no desire to positively influence those around them.
• People who have weak character or integrity.
• People who are not team players and only want personal success or recognition.

It’s important for a leader to care about and show grace to everyone but at some point one has to evaluate the person and effect that person has on the team to determine if the person should stay on the team. If you are not in a role that allows you to make this decision you should set boundaries between you and the other person so you can limit the amount of time you spend together.

In place of those who hurt or negatively impact your leadership chose the right people to associate with and place on your team. I have found at least 3 types of relationships you should have which can maximize your leadership and be valuable to your team. They include:

1. Inner circle members- Every leader should have a small group of inner circle members who provide guidance, wise advice, and nourishment. These are people who support and stay with you through the different seasons of life and leadership. They have your best interest in mind and do whatever they can so you will be successful.

2. Supporters- These are people outside of your inner circle but who are still closely connected with you. They bring support to you through their commitment and dedication to your message, dreams, vision, and leadership. Supporters can include a family member, follower, fan, employee, or a person in your tribe. Every leader needs supporters around them.

3. Lifters- Lifters are people who lift your leadership and what you are doing to the next level. They provide a positive attitude, energy, and optimistic viewpoint. When they are around they help create a desirable and enjoyable work environment. This can help produce better results that lead to achieving goals and the vision.

Questions: What are some other reasons why a relationship can hurt you or your leadership? Can you add to the list of relationships that would help and add value to us?

The post When Relationships Hurt Your Leadership appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.

It’s guest post Monday! This post is written by Aaron Morton who is the creator of The Confidence Lounge. A platform where you can discover how to turn your ideas into reality. Aaron works with individuals who want to earn a side income using the skills and talents they already have or have the confidence to leave their job and go solo. Go to www.theconfidencelounge.com for a more articles and a free report on how to handle Fear. If you would like to have a post featured on my site then click here.

So you want to lead?

One of the consequences (both positive & negative) of being a leader is the demand placed on your time from multiple directions. Think about the most powerful leader in the world, Barack Obama. With the world looking over his shoulder every day, Obama has multiple decisions to make knowing his answers will have a large impact in the future of, not just America, but the world.

Despite this, he describes in an interview in Vanity fair, how he still makes time for a 45 minute workout in the morning.

What does it mean to be productive? For me it involves 3 entities;

·         Fulfilling what you set out to do,

·         Within a certain timeframe,

·         That moves you closer to a specified outcome.

As you think about the times when you were highly productive and compare them to times when doing work was as slow as running through a pit of honey, you will notice a difference in the mindset of how you approached the task. Productivity starts in the mind.

So what can you do to ensure you are a productive leader?

Associate importance to it.

If there is no real importance assigned to particular aspects of your work, what is the incentive to getting it done? In knowing what to associate importance to, you have to look at your outcome and ask yourself:

 “What are the main acts that need to be accomplished in order to bring me closer to my outcome?”

Deadline it.

Deadlining creates an urgency that is frequently required in getting work done. You elicit a focus that is rarely present when you leave a task open ended. There is a difference in focus if the deadline is in two days than if it was ‘sometime in the next few weeks’. Ask yourself:

“When does this work need to be completed by?”

 Know what you are going to do before you do it.

Every evening I spend 5-10 minutes working out what I am going to be doing the next day. I started this simple strategy when I realised that I was wasting too much time in the morning. Assign 10 minutes and think about what can get done the next day asking yourself:

“What steps do I need to take tomorrow?”

Outsource ‘low level’ thinking.

As a leader, you are best served playing to your strengths. Know what your weaknesses are and look to outsource it. If you are not good at design, hire a graphic designer. If you still don’t get Twitter, work with someone who does. By freeing up all this ‘space’ in your mind, you allow yourself the freedom to focus intently on the important work of creating. Ask yourself:

“Who would be better suited doing this?”

 Review frequently.

As a leader, it is important to review your work and your vision frequently. There are times when changes need to be made. I make it a practice to review, at least weekly, my goals to see whether I am doing what I set out to do and whether it is still a path I want to take. Ask yourself:

“What went well? What needs attention?”

Question: What did I miss? How do you stay productive like a leader? 

The post The Productive Mindset appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.

I have found several relevant leadership lessons from this show which we should know and apply into our leadership. Here are 5 of them:

1. Leaders have perseverance- The contestants of the show face many challenging obstacles to try and qualify for the next stage and potentially win. Often it happens with steady progress. Though they might fall, they get back up and keep moving forward. David Sarnoff said, “The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success.” Leaders should have a personal and team vision and be moving toward it through attainable goals. This is done by taking small daily steps forward no matter what’s happening around you, never give up.

2. Leaders are prepared- The people who contend on Wipeout have to be prepared, both mentally and physically. The strong players are the ones who have prepared themselves well. Leaders know the importance of being prepared and ready for the challenges and demands of leadership. They know it takes every ounce of strength to lead others successfully, so they prepare their body (by being healthy) and mind (through personal growth and thinking) for the daily challenges leadership brings.

3. Leaders are enthusiastic- The players are energetic, excited, and enthusiastic about being on the show. This is often show by the wacky clothing they wear and their spirited attitudes. Leaders should be enthusiastic toward the people around them and what they are leading. This means they have fun, celebrate wins, and never are too serious. When a leader is excited and happy about life it will rub off onto the people they lead. This in turn will positivity impact the customers or clients they serve.

4. Leaders are competitive- The players on Wipeout are competitive with each other. They want to win so they try and throw other players off their game by having competitive discussions with each other. A leader’s desire should be to see personal and team results. They should want to win in life, leadership, and business. Being competitive is more about pushing ourselves toward better performance and results than it is about competing with someone else. Actor Tyra Banks said, “I’m competitive with myself. I always try to push past my own borders.”

5. Leaders have endurance- It takes endurance to move forward and win the competition. The people who make it through the final obstacle course have endured tremendous challenges. Leaders know the importance of enduring through the different seasons of life, both the good and difficult times. The best leaders nourish themselves so they can keep moving forward in spite of what happens to them or around them.

Question: Either from watching the show or your personal experience what are some other essential leadership characteristics or qualities?

The post 5 Lessons Leaders can Learn from the ABC Show Wipeout appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.

Since the first part of The Art of Asking Good Questions sparked such a great discussion I thought it was only suitable to write a follow up post. In part 1 of the post we discussed how we can implement open-ended and clarifying questions to better connect and strength our relationships during a conversation. 

Thomas Berger said, “The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” Good question asking is about asking the right question, with the right tone, at the appropriate time. This can be challenging (That’s why it’s an art) however like any skill it can be learned and mastered. It’s something worth focusing on because it will allow you to become a better leader. Below are 2 more questions you can implement into your conversations:

1. Inward life questions- Asking inward questions can help you reveal the inner workings of a person; it allows you to identify their personality, character, and deep heart qualities. The questions can help you learn about a person’s values, beliefs, and convictions. Though it takes time to learn about who a person is on the inside their actions and attitude can be a great indicator of their inward thoughts and life. This is because the person on the inside, good or bad, shows through in their behaviors and attitude.

Ask questions that will help you learn about what drives and motivates them as well as ones that will reveal their attitude about life. Examples of these questions include:

• “What drives you forward or toward success?”
• “How have you overcome the obstacles life throws at you?”
• “What do you think about ________?” (Something going on in the organization, like a major change).
• “What do you want to achieve in your career and personal life.”

2. Passion questions- This is personally one of my favorite types of questions. Asking a question similar to, “If money or time where not an issue what would you do?” This can help you learn about the other person’s passions, ambitions, and dreams. If you follow this question with open-ended or clarifying questions you will dig deeper into what the person’s personal passions include.

 If you’re able you should allow the person to work in areas of personal passions while at work (if at all feasible and appropriate). For example, if one of your team members is passionate about connecting and building relationships with other people but they are behind a computer all day, if possible you should move them into a different department or allow them to spend some time in front of the customers or clients if it is possible. This will not be feasible in every situation, but if your able to have your people work in areas of passions you will see an increase of energy and enthusiasm from them. At the very least you should support and encourage them to focus on their passion outside of work.

Questions: Have you used either of these types of questions in your life or leadership? Can you add to the list?

The post The Art of Asking Good Questions (Pt.2) appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.

Author Joel Manby said in Love Works, “The enthusiasm of the guest experience can never rise any higher than the enthusiasm of your own employees.”

Leaders, he’s talking to you. Specifically, if you help run a business or nonprofit, he’s talking about what I call your Serve mini-business.

Any organization with customers or donors has Get, Serve, and Keep mini-businesses within it. And it’s imperative you align your marketing to each. Why?

Because the mindset of the person you’re trying to persuade to buy or donate is radically different in each.

With regard to your Serve (once you have the customer/donor) business, it begins and ends with leadership. It lives and dies with you.

In Entreleadership, Dave Ramsey said,

“The Bible says the anointing drops from the beard. In Old Testament days, when someone was pronounced king, the Israelites had a tradition of pouring old (lots of it) over that person’s head. The oil symbolized God’s spirit being poured over the leader. And the oil that was poured heavily over the head ran down the hair, the beard, onto the rest of the body, symbolizing that as goes the king, as goes the kingdom.”

And as goes the entrepreneur, director, or pastor, as goes their team, and as goes their customer’s experience.

So when you’re thinking about how to improve your customer service, train your team well, and never forget their success and failure will hinge on you.

Question: How have you worked to be a better leader to your team?

You can get Joel’s free eBook, Small Business Guide to Marketing: Ideas You Must Know & Mistakes You Must Avoid, by subscribing to his marketing blog. Click here.

The post Your Team’s Greatest Limitation Is You appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.

Attending conferences should be a part of every leader’s personal growth plan. Though it can’t be done as frequently as reading a book or listening to an audio teaching, a leader should attend a leadership conference at least once a year. I have found these 4 benefits to attending a leadership conference:

1. You increase your leadership abilities- Attending a leadership conference allows you to sharpen and gain new skills. You hear the ideas and thoughts from leading experts in leadership or your specific industry. Every time you walk away from a conference you have the opportunity to learn something new or be reminded about an important leadership principle. You gain relevant and practical advice you can implement into your leadership. The result is that you become a better person and leader.

2. A conference can be a source of nourishment- Nourishment is defined as “the substance necessary for growth, health, and good condition.” A leadership conference can bring nourishment into your life because it can encourage, motivate, and inspire you. The weight of leadership can be heavy so attending a conference can allow you to be refreshed and renewed. The key is to not think about the work tasks or projects while your at the conference, this will allow you to really learn and be nourished.

3. Your able to connect with like minded people- When attending a conference you can connect and network with other leaders. Whether it’s a short (1 day) or a longer (3-4 day) conference you can start building a relationship that can last long after the conference is over. These relationships can be valuable to your leadership journey. Because they can:

• Lead to new and greater opportunities.
• Turn into friendships where you can support each other.
• Give you a chance to hold each other accountable for implementing what you have learned and support each others growth.

4. You can increase your platform- Attending a conference allows you to share (or promote) yourself and your platform, in moderation. When connecting and networking with others at some point during the conversation you will be able to share about your passions and what you’re doing online or offline to make a positive difference. Make your platform pitch short, to the point, and then move on.

Questions:  What are some other benefits of attending a leadership conference? What conferences have you attend or plan on attending in 2013? 

The post 4 Benefits of Attending a Leadership Conference appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.

Today my good friend Kimanzi Constable’s book is releasing, Are you Living or Exciting? 9 steps to change your life. If you buy a copy between May 1st – May 19th he’s offering over $100 worth of free bonuses, click here to check out the bonuses and see what you need to do after you buy your copy. It would be crazy to not buy a copy (Just saying).

Each of us have personal dreams about the things we want to do and achieve in life. This book will help you turn your dreams into reality by taking you through these 9 steps:

• “Identifying your dreams.”
• “Getting fit.”
• Getting rid of the negative.”
• “Fixing your money.”
• “Nail down your plans.”
• “Making the first moves.”
• “Tying up loose ends.”
• “Making radical changes.”
• “Paying it forward.”

What I really enjoyed about this book is that Kimanzi is living out what he writes about. You won’t find theory or useless advice in this book. It’s full of practical and relevant advice that will help you move you toward your dreams. Below are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

“The main difference between living and just existing is your attitude towards what you do, which affects how you do it and how you feel about your life.”

“Begin with the end in mind. If you want to lose fifty pounds, go out and buy some new clothes that you’ll be able to wear when you’ve accomplished your goal. Keep those “skinny” clothes in a prominent place and use them as an object of motivation.”

Being physically fit is about a lot more than your weight; it’s having your body in peak condition which gives strength and energy for every other area of your life.”

“Negativity will keep you where you are now or even drag you farther from where you want to be.”

I highly recommend buying the book before May 19th so you can receive all the great bonuses. You can learn more about Kimanzi Constable here.

Question: What are you dreams and how are you making progress toward them?

The post Are you Living or existing? (Book Review) appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.

It’s guest post Monday! This post is written by Sophie. She is a writer and a child support representative. If you would like to have a post featured on my site then click here.

Anyone has the ability to achieve much in life and it all depends on the drive and motivation you have towards attaining your goals. This is what has given rise to the superior leaders who are individuals with outstanding traits and great potential for success. They are fully capable of presenting unique leadership on any position bestowed upon them irrespective of the possible obstacles. Notably, on such leaders, there are seven main characteristics which make up their wonderful personalities.

Competence is one such attribute. It is mostly attained through studies in learning institutions. This is well demonstrated if you are able to present great professionalism in your work. Therefore, a competent person will be able to contribute to the growth of the company or business through his or her expertise.

Great communication with members and employees is another trait of a superior leader. You cannot be able to present or transfer ideas to the other workers if you have poor communication techniques. It is very essential for there to be good communication between the employees and the head. Communication skills can be enhanced through interacting with the employees in business meetings and occasionally during lunch hour.

Positive attitude and the will to achieve is a trait observable in a superior leader. He or she is able to present great confidence and motivation on the employees by the continued spirit of success no matter the situation at hand. This paints a positive picture on the employees and motivated them to work harder.

Another trait which a superior leader has is that of being interpersonal. The relationship between the employees and the head is of utmost importance if the business is to function successfully. This means that the leader does not only see the people as mere workers, but he or she is able to relate with them. This develops courage among the workers to approach the head and present an issue without the fear of being reprimanded.

A superior leader must also possess the attribute of being inspirational to the rest. He must be able to inspire the employees into working harder to realize set set goals. The leader happens to be a role model and one to look up to for motivation.

Being ambitious is another trait which helps realize great success in a business. A superior leader is not always contented with the current level of success; he is aimed at achieving more. Such a leader ensures that with each moment there is a set goal to attain.

Lastly, a superior leader is not aimed at only improving himself; he has the heart of assisting the workers to strengthen themselves. The leader focuses on ensuring that the workers are improving in several aspects of their lives including performance at work.

Question: What are some other characteristics of a superior leader?

The post Top 7 Characteristics of Superior Leaders appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.

1. Cultivate a trusting heart- Building trust with others requires that we can be trust worthy and are able to trust others. Redford Williams says, “Such a heart believes the  basic goodness of human kind, that most people will be fair and kind in their relationships with others.” Leaders should be the first people who loan out trust to others.

2. Keep your word- When you say something or make a commitment then keep your word. This requires that your words are followed through with action. Whenever you commit to something, small or big, make sure you complete or accoplish what you said you would do. When people see you’re a person of your word they will trust you and your leadership guidance.

3. Respect others- Respecting the people around you shows you care and value them. Albert Einstein had a great mindset when he said, “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is a garbage man or the president of the university.” When people see you genuinely care about them and their well being they will be more inclined to trust you. Respect always fosters trust.

4. Avoid gossiping- Gossip can bring division and destruction into a team or organization. Leaders should never gossip or allow gossip to come into the organizational culture. This is because it can damage the relationship with the person you are talking about and also the person you are gossiping with. The person hearing you gossip about someone will have low trust with you because they will never know if you will gossip about them.

5. Be dependable- To build trust requires hat your people can depend on you and your leadership. Being dependable requires being present both physically and emotionally while your leading. Remember, “Trust is earned by following through and being dependable in small things as well as in large.” ~Unknown

Questions: How do you build trust with those around you? What are some things people have done to earn your trust? 

The post How Leaders Build Trust appeared first on Dan Black on Leadership.