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Steve Jobs...A Lesson in Life

2009-10-22T11:33:00.002-05:00

Steve Jobs...

Everyone has heard of him he is the guy who started Apple in a garage when he was 20 years old. Steve Jobs life holds a lesson for us all. Attached to this post is a link to the commencement speech he gave at Stanford University in 2005( http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html ).
In that speech he outlines his startup with Apple and talks of building the company only to be voted out 10 years later when it was worth $2 billion.

Obviously it was a very public story and he was a 30 year old man who was released from power of a company that he built. Steve went on to develop a company called NexT and also Pixar (they created the first fully animated movie Toy Story). To make a long story short Apple eventually bought NexT and Steve was once again a part of one the company that he originally started.

Now I know that this is a leadership blog and you may be asking yourself why I am writing about Steve Jobs. Well in a nut shell Steve Jobs survived because he was doing what he loved to do. I know that he was absolutely devastated when he was dismissed from Apple. I know that he went through a tough period trying to find his way. I also know that what he achieved was because Steve Jobs is a man with a very clear vision of what he expects of himself.

He expected to achieve success again. He expected that his dreams were worth pursuing. He trusted his instinct. He understood what he loved to do and was able to communicate that vision to the people around him. He never gave up on himself or his ideas and it worked.

When you know what you stand for, can share that vision, and have unwavering faith in what you believe to be true, then you can achieve these kind of results. We can all follow Steve Jobs example that I consider to be a "Lesson in Life": "In the last days of my life I will not be concerned with how much money I have or how the masses stand in judgement of me. I will want to take my last breath knowing that I lived my dream and was able to help others to know that they did the same for themselves."

Face Time

2009-10-20T16:44:00.001-05:00

One of the most challenging of all activities when you are a leader is quality FACE TIME with your peeps. They need it more than you know. They need it more than they know. You both need it so that you both grow.

Most people tend to run their business day-to-day. That is to say that although people may have an idea of what they would like to do with their day, it is typical for people to react to the business at hand. That means that they constantly find themselves putting thing on the back burner to "get to later" because they run out of time. Which brings me to my point. Face time is essential for your people. They need to know that you care about them. It is the one thing that is put aside until later that will make the most impact on your business.

When people feel valued they tend to work better, harder, and smarter. They are less timid about sharing ideas and pushing themselves to move further. Not giving them face time is a critical mistake that you cannot take back. You may catch up to them later but you are giving up value for convenience when you do.

Spend some time evaluating your day. Dedicate some time to your people. You can schedule it or you can do it on the fly. They only thing that I would like for you to remember is that each time you interact with them is an opportunity to ad value to their day, to give them confidence, to inspire them, or even just to make them feel appreciated.

Acknowledge your people - gain their respect - GIVE THEM YOUR TIME!

Thats all for today
Thanks

Truth in Leadership

2009-09-21T17:26:00.001-05:00

I have spoken of it before and the time is here to speak of it again. Truth in Leadership is not just a concept. It is not vague, there are no grey areas. People often under estimate the ability of even the simplest minds to know when they are not being told the truth. People have a built in B.S. meter and they are quite able to know it is going off. Everytime it does they lose a little respect, a little piece of what your credibility goes away. Here is the interesting thing about that. You never get it back. People do not forget being lied to. It is just the same as stealing from them or spreading rumors about them or any other act that will tear at their dignity.

I know that this sounds silly to read. I also know that everyone who reads this can relate to what I am talking about. We have all had discussions in our past with people who were supposed to be our "Leaders" that left us with a feeling like we had just been decieved. We felt humiliated and we did not forget it. Guess what, your people won't either!

At any rate this is just a quick little snippet for today about a topic I think cannot be talked about enough...
Use it - Remember it - or ignore it if you like....but don't say I didn't warn you!

Thanks for Reading
Carl Frost

We know the truth, not only by the reason, but also by the heart.
Blaise Pascal

Your Footprint....

2009-09-16T12:34:00.002-05:00

When you walk along the beach or on a dirt path you see footprints of the people who have been there before. The footprints just say "Someone was here!" They do not tell of the person that left them. You just see them and know that an unidentified person was there before you were.

What does your footprint tell? Does it say here is a person who stood strong? Here is someone who knew their purpose and lived up to it with a steadfast determination! It might say here is someone who never took the lead. Here is someone who never stood (alone if need be) against and conquered a challenge because they knew they were right. Whatever your footprint is saying, it is saying it because you put it there.

You will never hit the ball if you never swing the bat!
Carl Frost

The Man He is Becoming

2009-09-02T08:08:00.002-05:00

      My son, Michael, is fifteen years old and the center snare drummer in his marching band at Union High School in Tulsa. Michael's first year on the drumline was not typical; the first year can be a constant struggle to fit in. Michael set about on proving himself; he was always the first to arrive and the last to leave every event. He practiced day and night, living, talking, and breathing drumming. The older drumline students started to respect his ethics and dedication right away.

    It came as no surprise to me that he was given the prestigious center snare position. Although I am very proud of that, I am grateful most of all because he tries very hard to be fair, consistent, and honest in all of his dealings with the other snare members. To be on center snare means that Michael is considered the "section leader," and he is responsible for keeping the other drummers on his section aligned with the needs of the rest of the band. It has always been a custom that when someone is late or makes an error in their execution on the field, he or she is required to do push ups or run laps.

    Michael began to notice that every time he had to give out this kind of punishment, it seemed to drive a wedge further between him and the rest of his team. To him, it was always a struggle to get the other members to take laps or do push ups without feeling a sense of responsibility for their being in that situation to begin with.

     He started asking me a lot of questions about different ways to present this kind of punishment. During one of those conversations, I asked him, "Do you feel responsible for them when they mess up?" His answer was, "Absolutely, I'm the leader, the leader is always responsible." I told him that he had his answer, and he needed to remember it when he was talking to his team.

      Not long after that, I came home from work very late one night. Michael was in bed, but my oldest son, Joe, was awake and came downstairs to talk to me. He said that his little brother was "Hard-core cool as a section leader." I asked him what he meant; he related a story that Michael had shared with him about the day's events. It seemed that one of the team members was late arriving for practice. Everyone was waiting for the, "You were late, so you run laps," command. Instead, Michael took off his drum and said "Listen, guys, we are a team and I am the team leader. When you mess up, you always have to run laps or do push ups; but from now on, I am going to run the laps and do the push ups with you." He ran the laps with the team member who was late and the rest of the practice happened without any further issues.

    When I finished visiting with Joe, we both said goodnight and I went upstairs to Michael's room. I sat on his bed next to him and waited for him to wake up. When he did, I told him that his brother had just given me the play-by-play of the day's events. He asked, "Dad, was that the right thing to do?" Holding back tears of pride, I just looked at him, and the only thing I could think to say was this: "Mike, you have been struggling with how to be in charge of the drumline since you made center snare; but today, you finally became a LEADER." I went to bed, and when I turned off the light, I realized how proud I was of the man he is becoming.
"Leadership does not care how old you are or what your title is. Anyone who has vision and strength of character can do Great Things."
                                                           Carl Frost

Leadership Principles

2009-08-24T08:19:00.000-05:00

Leadership: 1. the position of guidance of a leader. 2. the ability to lead. This is the dictionary definition of "Leadership." It is simple, precise, and emotionless. It does not care whether you are a Great Leader. It does not care if you are a poor leader. It just is.

It is not important what kind of leader YOU think you are. It is the kind of leader that your people think you are that will determine the measure of your effectiveness.

For me, there is a certain responsibility that comes with the title of "Leader". A leader is someone who inspires others to challenge themselves to grow. Someone who has a definate vision that is shared by all, who is steadfast in a worthy cause and who's excitement for the purpose at hand (whatever it happens to be) is contagious.

In the world in which we live today the need for strong leadership has never been higher. There are constant forces at work that make it very difficult to remember the greater good that we as individuals can bring.

"The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to ellicit it, for the greatness is already there."John Buchan

Joe Vitale, Bob Proctor, Jack Canfield "Wonderful People - Wonderful Visions"

2009-07-14T12:00:00.001-05:00

Joe Vitale, Bob Proctor, and Jack Canfield. Do you recognize the names? Some of you may and some of you may not. I chose these guys to talk about in this posting because of something I refer to as "Wonderful People with Wonderful Visions."

Each of these three people are successful in their own right. Each of these people began their lives from very humble beginnings. Each of these people also understood that the world, in all of its abundance, will provide you "exactly" what you expect from it.

By understanding their own hang ups, beliefs, and unhealthy mental habits, then changing those things to be more in line with what they truely wanted. They were able to build incredible successes for themselves.

Each one understood that they were responsible for where they were in their own lives. That no circumstance or individual was in control. That if they followed their own "true vision" they would be delivered those things that they truely wanted.

They also understood that they could not get there without giving back. Without helping others to understand what they understand. Simply put "When you help someone you feed your soul." When your soul is healthy your life is abundant in every way and the universe is greeting you every day with a new blessing.

True Leaders understand this as well. True leaders inspire people to action. They make people want to reach further, to work harder, to add value.

Your "True Vision" will come to pass if you believe you can do it. If you can relate that vision to others and if you can remain steadfast in its conviction regardless of outside forces. Just remember that you cannot get there without showing others how to get there too....

If you have never taken the time to study Dr. Joe Vitale, Bob Proctor, or Jack Canfield then you should do so. You should do it now. You can't help someone until you help yourself and if you really want to "Feed your soul" you should start by giving the first serving to you.

Thanks

Carl Frost

Courage and Humility

2008-06-23T10:14:00.001-05:00

Have you ever felt one way about yourself only to find that others think of you entirely different?

Do you have the courage to be humble enough to ask yourself:

Do my employees see me as a leader?
Do I inspire or am I a tyrant?
Am I giving my people confidence or tearing them down?
Did I help them or confuse them?

Now that you have decided, can you ask your employees those same questions? Do you have the courage and humility to put yourself out there? Are you afraid of what they might say?

Humility is the most mis-understood of all leadership qualities. While most people take signs of humility as a weakness, the truth is, it takes courage to be humble. You can be proud of your successes. You can have confidence in your abilities. You just don't have to do it with arrogance.

We have all been in situations with our own Leaders that have made us feel useless. They have come to us and immediately started preaching and coaching when they should be asking questions. They have left us feeling less than adequate. They have left us feeling less confident. They have taken our self worth at times. They have come accross as tyrants.

Guess what you do that to! It's true! We have all done it. We have all made mistakes and made someone feel bad. What separates leaders from Great Leaders is what we do about it. Put yourself in a constant state of awareness to be responsive to those times.

Have the Courage and Humility to say "I'm sorry!" or to ask "How am I doing?" Take the responses and make any neccessary changes to your style. HAVE THE COURAGE TO MAKE YOUR PEOPLE LOVE YOU!!!!

Thanks
Frosty

"How few there are who have the courage to own their own faults, or resolution enough to mend them!" --Benjamin Franklin

Leading With Integrity

2008-02-15T08:40:00.000-06:00

Leading with IntegrityBy: Mark Shead

Leadership is often defined as getting other people to do what you want. Using this definition it is no wonder that many people revert to using underhanded tactics to try to "trick" their followers into doing what they want. This is a shortcut to leadership and doesn't result in long term value.

It is this type of "leadership by trickery" that makes people automatically suspicious of their leaders. If you want to develop a long term foundation for leadership, these types of short cut tricks will only prevent you from achieving your goals. Once some of your followers realize that they have been tricked you will lose any credibility you started with.

If you want a solid leadership foundation you must take the long view and consider how every action will impact your ability to lead further down the road. To build trust with your followers you must act with integrity.

Leading with integrity means doing what you say you will do. Many leaders get themselves into trouble by making commitments off the cuff and then not following through on those commitments. If you are careful what you say, you will increase your integrity with your followers simply because you won't have to back out of commitments you made with out thinking. When you do make commitments make sure they are tied to realistic timeframes. If you tell someone you are going to give them a raise next year, you are making a commitment with many factors you can't control. Sometimes saying that you will give them a raise when sales reach $1,000,000 will be a better commitment because it is tied to a goal that will enable you to give the raise.

Sometimes leading with integrity means going through with something to keep your word even when you would rather not. Not keeping your word will often hurt you much more than any inconvenience that is caused by keeping your word. If you ever have to go back on a promise, don't hide it under the rug. Take the time to apologize to the people you made the promise to. Apologize and try to come up with some way to work things out even if you can't make the original commitment.

Another important part of leading with integrity is delegating responsibility. Many leaders fail by delegating responsibility and then taking back over when their delegate does something they don't want. When you delegate you need to be willing to part with the responsibility. If your delegate does something differently than you, you need to support their decision. That doesn't mean you can't steer them in a different direction, but always support their decision whenever possible. If you delegate responsibility and then pull it back, you will demotivate your followers and make it difficult to delegate other items in the future.

Leading with integrity is avoiding the shortcuts that many leaders take. By avoiding shortcuts you can build a strong foundation that will amplify your leadership skills as you develop trust with your team.

Article Source: http://www.leadershiparticles.net
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The Great Leader - Top Tips and Advice for Successful Leadership

2008-01-30T09:14:00.000-06:00

Great Leadership comes when you understand what it means to lead. What leadership responsibility truely is. When people follow you naturally and don't even think about it. This does not come easily and all of the Great Leaders throughout history understood the basics first.

Please enjoy this article on The Great Leader fro Matthew Hick.

The Great Leader - Top Tips and Advice for Successful Leadership
By: Matthew Hick

Whether you're a manager at work or a leader of some organization, getting people to do what you want and need, can often seem like a daunting task. But it doesn't have to be. There's no need to be ultra-nice, or mega-mean. The key to good leadership is following these expert tips:

Don't Play the Blame Game:Whether a project deadline is missed, or someone forgets to order the T-Ball trophies, don't blame others when things go awry. After all, your in charge, and that makes you the one responsible for everything - even when things go wrong.

Be Clear About Your Expectations:It's hard to follow the game plan if you don't know what they are. Be clear and concise when handing out orders. Clearly explain what you want done and what you expect each person to handle. Then, allow them to go off and handle it in the best way they know how.

Accept That Everyone's Style is Different:Sure, you may know that folding the company newsletter one way is the best way, but someone else may disagree. Don't be knit-picky over small details and accept the fact that everyone does things differently. As long as the end results are the dame, does it really matter that Joan calls clients at 10 am instead of 3 pm?

Lead By Example:Never expect more form your employees or volunteers than you are willing to do yourself. Show everyone in your office that you're willing to kick in and help get things done, no matter what. They'll be much more eager to stay that extra hour or two to finish up an important project if you are to.

Learn from Your Mistakes (and other's too):Everyone makes mistakes - so why not learn from them. Whenever you or someone else makes a big boo-boo, be sure to take stock and see how the situation could have been handled better. Then follow that advice in the future!

Give Credit Where Credit's Due:Never accept all of the accolades for yourself (no matter how great a leader you are). Give credit to people who contributed to your success and make them feel as if you couldn't have achieved it without them. The odds are good that you couldn't have, no matter how hard you tried.

Being a good leader means being able to work well with others, no matter how different your style of doing things, and being able to bring out the best in everyone in your group.

"You may be the boss, but you're only as good as the people who work for you." --Rear Admiral William Leahy

Posted by Frosty

Q.B.Q. :The Question Behind The Question

2008-01-23T11:37:00.000-06:00

This book was written by John G Miller, the founder of QBQ Inc., an organizational development firm dedicated to making personal accountability a core value for organizations and individuals.

Great leaders throughout history all understand that leadership only happens when people "Own the skin they are in." Leadership development can only begin when we assume responsibility for ourselves.

The message he delivers in this book is invaluable to people who want to truely "Own the space they occupy." Personal accountability is probably the number one problem with people and their efforts to advance in their careers (or their lives in general). Some people are natural leaders, they get it, for those who struggle with this. Q.B.Q. will help them get there.

Although this book is only 114 pages of large text (about an hour and a half to read) the message comes through loud and clear. You will never live up to your own potential if you do not practice "Self Accountability."

Complacency coupled with the blame game has crippled countless individuals in their quest to advance in their careers. QBQ ( Question Behind the Question) illustrates in chaper after chapter the impact one individual can make if he or she only chooses to. When they begin to understand this, you start to see Great Leaders being born.

Regardless of the challenges that you face in your job or in your own personal lives, you can allow yourself to overcome them. Victim statements ( It's not my job! It's always been that way! This company doesn't care! etc.) will cripple you. Decide to change your life. Decide to lead the way. Decide today to do anything except stand still and allow yourself to live one more minute with this kind of thinking.

You can be a Great Leader, you can inspire others to do the same. Leadership is ownership and your career starts with you.

Whether you read this book or not, do somehing now!!!!!!!

Thanks
Frosty

"There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who ask, 'What happened?'" --Casey Stengel

Leadership: Helping People Grow and Feeding Your Soul

2008-01-16T10:19:00.000-06:00

The Great Leaders of the past and present will tell you the same thing. You cannot maintain success if your only motivation is monetary, or for recognition. They will tell you that you have to find something that you truely believe in to be successful in the long term sense.

I agree with them 100%. I have been in a position of leadership for several years and I can tell you first hand that after the money and the recognition have come you still have to have something to hang your hat on.

Realize that you can empower others to achieve great success. That you can make a difference in someones life. There is no greater feeling than to have someone tell you "Thanks for helping me." You gave them some direction, helped them understand their struggle, or gave them encouragement when they needed it. You enriched their life.

I have a rule that guides me everyday "Today I will add value to the lives of those around me." I will teach to them, or, learn from them something positive. I will make an impact.

People in general do not hear this enough. They tend to get lost in the day to day. They find themselves being overwhelmed by lifes challenges. They need you and people like you to help feed them knowledge. They need to understand what you understand. If you are a Manager, Supervisor, or just someone that others tend to look up to, "Make a Difference TODAY!"

Help them grow.........................................Feed your soul!

Thanks
Frosty

"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand." --Woodrow Wilson

Leadership and Long Term Results!!!!!

2008-01-04T05:41:00.000-06:00

Long term success in business comes from a dedication to perservere. It comes from trial and error with a huge emphasis on learning from mistakes of the past. Success comes from internal growth with creative cost control measures. A strong S.O.P.( standard operating procedure), a talent development plan, outside recruiting and promotion from within, good inventory control guidelines, obviously a fair product at a fair price with a strong lean toward customer service. Of all these things the most effective, the most explosive, the longest lasting success comes from betting on your people.

The title of this post is "Leadership and Long Term Results!!!!" The truth is that companies that are led "Bet on people." Companies that are only managed do not! Lets look a 2 different companies that you are very familiar with.

Before we do just let me say that I am not going to include a lot of numbers and specifics. I am only highlighting what happened to prove a point.

Best Buy (currently the #1 electronics retailer in the world) and Circuit City (once the industry leader now on the brink of disaster). If you would like to see what the investors are saying just click on the link below.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/circuit-city-stock-plunges-losses/story.aspx?guid=%7BDB3AE05B-1188-44CA-8DA6-1F0C370B5705%7D

In the early 90's Best Buy was very much a managed company. They were opening new stores and executing their version of stack em high and sell em cheap. At the time there was very little emphasis on "leadership" but very strong emphasis on "managing." Best Buy came on troubled times and their very existence was at stake.

The company C.E.O. (Brad Anderson) understood that the old ways of doing business were over. That there had to be a clear and defining moment that Best Buy would be reborn. So what did they do? Well first they rewrote the company S.O.P. and closed any gaps that existed. They streamlined the waste that was allowed to thrive and plowed forward. This time however there was a new awakening to their style. It was time to bet on their people. It was time to stress leadership over managing. The company C.E.O. knew that he had to inspire his entire company to win.

Today Best Buy is a Leader in the industry with customer satisfaction growing higher and employee turnover growing smaller. Best Buy is now producing talent that is second to none in their field. A fiercely dedicated work force and a fiercely dedicated leadership team supporting them. They are creating a Best Buy family with their employees and constantly coming up with new ways to enrich the employee experiences within their company.

Now we all know that Best Buy is a huge company and certainly has their own share of problems. I do however feel that they are fortunate to have the leadership that currently exists. They should be applauded for what they have achieved.

Best Buy will be here for many more years, and I suspect that they will continue to hold their position as the #1 electronics retailer in the world.

Circuit City once held the place that Best Buy currently owns. Circuit City ran into their own crisis in the later 90's to early 2000's (use any search engine for exact dates). The interesting thing is what they did about it. Like Best Buy they also cut waste and found ways to streamline some of the things they were doing. Then they had an idea that they thought was going help them tremendously. They decided to dismiss all of the sales force they had that were Top Earners (the people who could sell their products to more people than anyone else). These were also the people who understood how to serve customers quicker and more efficiently than anyone else.

What did this mean for the consumer?

The people who used to be the mediocre to low performers, were now your seasoned staff. They were and still are, the employees that now are supposed to help you. They are supposedly the experts "with all of the advice." You, however, are constantly left with the incorrect product. Better yet you may or may not get the most up to date information about the specific product you are looking for. You will leave feeling your needs are unmet and that you were serviced by someone who was less than interested in helping you.

Somehow, somewhere, there was someone C.E.O.(Phil Schoonover) who thought this was a good idea............. So was it?... After they did this they did manage to keep afloat and run a few more years ............. Until just recently................They again found themselves in trouble. So what did they do about it..........That's right....., it worked so well the first time, they again decided to eliminate the top earners on their sales floor.

Look at their last stock reporting. Better yet look at their stock price.

With this kind of limited vision Circuit City will be lucky to survive.

I think that the message here is simple..........You can manage through and survive the short term, but without strong leadership you will fail!!

Thanks for reading
Frosty

"You have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I've learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership; if they feel empowered by you they will magnify your power to lead. Trust is a great force multiplier."

-- Tom Ridge

Truth in Leadership!!!!!

2007-12-04T21:28:00.000-06:00

Most people consider themselves to be honest. I believe this is true. I believe that the vast majority of people try to be. I don’t believe that all of them understand what it really means.

They say the truth can sometimes be hard to hear. The fact is that the truth can be even harder to say. We have all, at one time or another, had conversations with our superiors. Some of the conversations were open and honest. Some of them were not. Try to remember both scenarios. How did you feel when you knew they were not being truthful with you? What did you think of them when they were not telling you everything? To say that you lost some respect for them is probably an understatement. Try now to imagine an open and honest dialogue. How did that make you feel? Even if the dialogue included things that were painful to hear, you respected them for saying it.

Guess what? Your people know when you are not being open and honest with them too! They know when you are not telling them the truth. They know if you are capable of having difficult conversations. If you feel that your people have little respect for you this is a good place to self evaluate.

Leaders are never afraid of having difficult conversations. They say what needs to be said. They respect their people and it shows. Great leaders understand that people can handle the truth. The most basic element of respect is honesty. Without it nothing else you do will mean anything.

Thanks
Frosty

"Trust is the essence of leadership." --Colin Powell

Leadership vs Management

2007-11-28T07:58:00.000-06:00

This article was posted on changingminds.org. It is very specific in detail to further outline key differences between Leaders and Managers. Give it a read and enjoy!

Leadership vs. Management

What is the difference between management and leadership? It is a question that has been asked more than once and also answered in different ways. The biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate the people who work or follow them, and this sets the tone for most other aspects of what they do.

Many people, by the way, are both. They have management jobs, but they realize that you cannot buy hearts, especially to follow them down a difficult path, and so act as leaders too.

Managers have subordinates

By definition, managers have subordinates - unless their title is honorary and given as a mark of seniority, in which case the title is a misnomer and their power over others is other than formal authority.

Authoritarian, transactional style
Managers have a position of authority vested in them by the company, and their subordinates work for them and largely do as they are told. Management style is transactional, in that the manager tells the subordinate what to do, and the subordinate does this not because they are a blind robot, but because they have been promised a reward (at minimum their salary) for doing so.

Work focus
Managers are paid to get things done (they are subordinates too), often within tight constraints of time and money. They thus naturally pass on this work focus to their subordinates.
Seek comfort

An interesting research finding about managers is that they tend to come from stable home backgrounds and led relatively normal and comfortable lives. This leads them to be relatively risk-averse and they will seek to avoid conflict where possible. In terms of people, they generally like to run a 'happy ship'.

Leaders have followers
Leaders do not have subordinates - at least not when they are leading. Many organizational leaders do have subordinates, but only because they are also managers. But when they want to lead, they have to give up formal authoritarian control, because to lead is to have followers, and following is always a voluntary activity.

Charismatic, transformational style
Telling people what to do does not inspire them to follow you. You have to appeal to them, showing how following them will lead to their hearts' desire. They must want to follow you enough to stop what they are doing and perhaps walk into danger and situations that they would not normally consider risking.
Leaders with a stronger charisma find it easier to attract people to their cause. As a part of their persuasion they typically promise transformational benefits, such that their followers will not just receive extrinsic rewards but will somehow become better people.

People focus
Although many leaders have a charismatic style to some extent, this does not require a loud personality. They are always good with people, and quiet styles that give credit to others (and takes blame on themselves) are very effective at creating the loyalty that great leaders engender.

Although leaders are good with people, this does not mean they are friendly with them. In order to keep the mystique of leadership, they often retain a degree of separation and aloofness.
This does not mean that leaders do not pay attention to tasks - in fact they are often very achievement-focused. What they do realize, however, is the importance of enthusing others to work towards their vision.

Seek risk
In the same study that showed managers as risk-averse, leaders appeared as risk-seeking, although they are not blind thrill-seekers. When pursuing their vision, they consider it natural to encounter problems and hurdles that must be overcome along the way. They are thus comfortable with risk and will see routes that others avoid as potential opportunities for advantage and will happily break rules in order to get things done.
A surprising number of these leaders had some form of handicap in their lives which they had to overcome. Some had traumatic childhoods, some had problems such as dyslexia, others were shorter than average. This perhaps taught them the independence of mind that is needed to go out on a limb and not worry about what others are thinking about you.

In summary
This table summarizes the above (and more) and gives a sense of the differences between being a leader and being a manager. This is, of course, an illustrative characterization, and there is a whole spectrum between either ends of these scales along which each role can range. And many people lead and manage at the same time, and so may display a combination of behaviors.

"The men who have done big things are those who were not afraid to attempt big things, who were not afraid to risk failure in order to gain success." --B.C. Forbes

Frosty.....

Management is a Skill, Leadership is a State of Mind

2007-11-16T07:28:00.000-06:00

There is a definite difference between leaders and managers.

Think of all the great leaders you have known or read about. Their lists of achievements were legendary in their fields. They existed years ago and they still exist today. The one thread that ties them all together is, “They understand the difference between leadership and management.” They are also very good at both.

Leadership defines who you are. It is the fiber of what drives you. The core values that you believe in. When you realize this you will begin to act differently. When you understand that the weight of your words are carried by everyone in your store. You set the tone and pace of your business just by the way that you inner-act with your team. You will begin to develop a clear vision of what leadership should be and eventually your team will get it too.

Managing is a skill that is learned. It is a skill that is developed by on the job training. You became a manager because you understood your company. You understood the systems and were able to execute them. You were able to train others to do the same. You earned the right to manage the systems. So now you are a manager. Please do not misunderstand my point. I realize that it takes talent and dedication to become management material. The point is that managing is only half of the equation.

It is usually at this point where the lines become blurred for some. Understanding that you have to lead your people but manage your systems is tricky. This blurry area is also the number one reason that businesses have the huge turnover numbers that exist to day. When you manage your people instead of your systems you tend to stifle your staff. There is no learning but a lot of tasks are being completed. There tends to be an overall lack of respect toward the management team. There also tends to be very little retention which effectively cripples a store. Why? There are always new faces. You are spending a lot of time hiring and training when you could be spending time developing talent.

Effective leadership with your people will eliminate all of this. You decide what defines you. Then decide what will define your team. Move forward with a vision that creates excitement and opportunity. Get your people involved and learn from them. Be dedicated to an idea everyday. Be sure that everyone understands it and helps develop a store vision so they can believe in it also. When all of this is in place then you can balance it with managing the systems. Systems are designed to help move roadblocks for your people. Systems are necessary to conduct business.

Learn this our profits grow, and your people grow. You will be happier and they will love you for it.
Frosty

A leader is best when people barely know that he exists.Less good when they obey and acclaim him.Worse when they fear and despise him.Fail to honor people, and they fail to honor you.But of a good leader, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled,they will say, "We did this ourselves." -- Lao-Tzu

Show Better Profits: Leadership Qualities

2007-11-12T19:06:00.000-06:00

Show Better Profits: Leadership Qualities

Leadership Qualities

2007-11-12T12:12:00.000-06:00

There are 100's of books, speakers, company CEO's. All of them have a list of qualities that make good "Leaders." You can read about them, listen to them, and see them on the news. Talking about what they feel those qualities are. Before you do that think about this:
"What do you stand for?"
What is the single most important quality you feel defines who you are?
Do you have one?
If you do then you are ahead of the majority of people out there who consider themselves "Leaders."
As for myself, I have one train of thought. Since the birth of my first child 27 years ago, I tell myself everyday "Today I am going to be the kind of person I want my children to be." It has helped me in my career to become what most people would consider a "Quality Leader."
Define who you are, what you would like to become, or what will guide you to success. Just know that "People will not follow you if they feel that you don't know where you are going."

Thanks
Frosty

"You have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I've learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership; if they feel empowered by you they will magnify your power to lead. Trust is a great force multiplier."
-- Tom Ridge

Sharing Your Vision of Leadership

2007-11-05T11:25:00.000-06:00

Every company has a "Vision" (a set of principles specifically designed to achieve success for the company). Your store should support that vision. Your store and its people are unique and deserves to be recognized. "Do you have a vision?" Does your vision support your company, your store, and your people? Does your leadership staff understand it? Do they live up to it every minute? To do anything less would be disrespectful to your store, your team, and your employees.
The Vision for OUR store would be something like this: Always give our best in every thing we do. Push ourselves and think outside the box. Be Pro-Active in our actions and ……. ABOVE ALL ELSE………WE WIN AS A TEAM!!
The Vision for our customers is: All customers get contacted. Our store has to be exciting and fun at all times. Always try to add value to the customer’s experience (they are our guests) treat them with respect!
Our Vision for our employees: Give them the highest support at all levels. Demand their best. Give them our best. An unhappy employee means we have failed. Always try to add value to their day in all that we do. *Notice that I said "Our" vision instead of "My" vision. This is aTeam effort and everyone should be included its development.
These are simple rules but they add value to the things that I deem important for my Team to win. We have something tangible to hold on to. It helps add clarity to the decisions that we make and keeps everyone focused on the things that are truly important.
Without a shared vision you are all fighting separate battles and you cannot survive if you are fighting alone. Everyone needs the full support of everyone else. Without it your store will always be in a re-active mode (at the end of each day you go home completely exhausted and accomplish very little) instead of a pro-active mode (you have systems and behaviors in place that allow you to think outside the box and have fun while being the best). You have an exciting store and you enjoy your JOB!

There are three kinds of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who ask, 'What happened?'" --Casey Stengel

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