1. An executive is only a leader if people choose to follow. How can you tell whether people are following or just doing their job?
2. Everyone says leadership is important, but why does it make a difference?
3. If an executive produces a good bottom line are they a good leader?

I think the first question is one that most leaders rarely ask but should. Unless you understand and observe the distinction between people who are following and those just doing their job, it becomes easy to have the misconception that you are being effective as a leader, even though the reality may be quite different.

When people are just “doing their job”, they are essentially just doing enough work to keep their job. They’ll do what’s asked of them – but generally no more. They’ll do a good job performing their tasks and fulfilling their responsibilities – but nothing notable. They’re not argumentative or confrontational – but they’re not passionate either. Basically, they do a good job. But there’s a big difference between doing a good job and doing a great job.

In contrast, when people are following a leader, they become engaged and enthusiastic in their work. When a leader builds a team that is enthused and engaged, remarkable things happen. They take pride in their work and regularly strive to improve the efficiency and quality of their work. Instead of simply putting in the time to complete their tasks and fulfill their responsibilities, they make an effort to accelerate their progress, going the extra mile to be the best they can be and producing the best results. Apathy falls to the wayside and people begin to care – not only about the quality of their work, but in their ability to make a difference.

Rest assured, if your team is simply going through the motions, they’re just doing their job.

The second question – the one about why and how leadership makes a difference – is also an important question that rarely gets asked. I’ve reflected on the answer to this question for years and I’ve been able to distill it down to one simple statement. “Eliciting excellence is the essence of leadership.” A great leader doesn’t directly produce great results. Instead, they work to bring out the best in the people they lead who, in turn, produce great results.

The key then, is to understand how a leader accomplishes that. Bringing out the best in people is accomplished in a number of ways. I believe a key to eliciting excellence is to adopt a coach-like approach to leadership. This approach is one of listening and asking good questions. A leader who is committed to bringing out the best in people promotes independent thought and personal growth, creates opportunities to develop people to their fullest, respects each person (which in turn earns their respect), and develops a vision which attracts and aligns people.

The third question about whether someone is a good leader if they produce good results arose as a consequence of a comment made during one of the LinkedIn discussions. The commenter’s contention was that an executive’s responsibility was to produce the desired results for the shareholders and was therefore a good leader if they achieved those results. My issue with that perspective is that, although a leader is responsible for achieving the desired results, if those results are achieved at the expense of the team, then the effort and the results aren’t sustainable. Consequently, I don’t believe that just because an executive achieves results he or she is necessarily a good leader.

So then, how does one become a more effective leader? There are many factors that go into making someone a good leader, but here are some of the more important ones:

Integrity: Acting with integrity means doing what you say you’re going to do and being true to your stated values. Consistency of action creates trust and respect, which allows a leader to inspire, motivate, and influence.

Respect: Showing respect for others is essential. Human nature is to respect those who show respect for us. Without earning the respect of followers, leadership is ineffective.

Transparency: Being transparent means being who you say you are. We need to avoid putting on the façade of someone we’re not. People eventually see right through a façade and if they find a different person, we lose credibility.

Vulnerability: Being vulnerable means admitting when you don’t know the answer and/or when you’ve made a mistake. People respect someone who acknowledges their weaknesses along with their strengths.

Development: People appreciate being valued and appreciate when someone thinks highly enough of them to invest their time in developing them. When we invest in others it creates the feeling in them – almost an obligation – to invest in you and your vision.

In conclusion, most people will do a good job regardless of whether an executive is an effective leader. The art of leadership is getting people to be and do their best. Good efforts produce good results. Great efforts produce great results. The challenge we each have as leaders is to be mindful of how engaged and enthusiastic our team is, and then to be honest enough with ourselves to admit when the reality is less than we’d like.

The third benefit of being highly productive is often overlooked.  And that benefit is that being productive sets an example for the rest of our team.  Generally, we tend to focus on our words and actions during “important” events such as meetings or speeches, but the truth is that people observe us all the time, even in our “insignificant moments”.  In fact, the impact we have during those important exchanges is always colored by the image we’ve painted over time with our words and actions in those “insignificant moments”.  Consequently, how we attain high productivity is as important as the productivity itself.  Sacrificing one’s personal life, health and family isn’t the most admirable example to set.

The key, therefore, is to become highly productive and at the same time, reduce stress and set the example you’d like duplicated by your team.  There have been scores of books written and courses taught about time management.  The strategies promoted focus on things like prioritization, list-making, and calendar management.  And most of them make sense except for one thing.

I don’t know anyone who’s achieved sustained productivity using these methods.

Don’t get me wrong – prioritization and creating lists are important factors to becoming highly productive.  But unless another critical factor is addressed, all the prioritization and list-making in the world won’t help.  And that issue is energy.  The issue of personal energy management has garnered growing attention in the last years.  It’s something I’ve done intuitively for many years and is nicely supported in a book entitled, “The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.

The energy I’m referring to has four components to it, and the management of that energy pertains to our ability to maintain and replenish those reserves.  These four energy reserves are Physical, Emotional, Mental and Inspirational.  Addressing each reserve is essential for high productivity.  Let me briefly discuss each energy reserve and then offer some strategies to help keep them buoyed up.

Our physical energy affects our ability to push forward.  It helps our drive and our self-discipline.  It improves the functioning of our organs, which, in turn, allow us to get oxygen to our brain, nutrition into our body, and toxins out of our body.  If you’ve ever had a “mid-afternoon crash”, then you’ve experienced the impact a low physical reserve can have on productivity.

Our emotional energy impacts our ability to deal with stress, to communicate well, to think clearly, and to interact with others effectively.  It’s not uncommon to become short with people when we’re feeling stressed or tense (which is caused by a low emotional reserve).

Our mental energy affects our ability to think clearly, to concentrate and focus, to solve problems, and to be creative.  Clearly, a low mental reserve hampers productivity.

And finally, our inspirational energy is the fuel that motivates us.  It is our passion, purpose, and inspiration that spark self-discipline, extra effort, and new direction.  In the absence of motivation and inspiration, we end up just going through the motions.  Low inspirational energy saps the productive juices right out of us.

Maintaining our reserves is critical if we’re to be highly productive on a consistent basis.  I like to draw an analogy to a four-legged stool whenever I discuss the topic of energy management.  We’re all familiar with the analogy of a three-legged stool.  All three legs need to be present in order to use the stool.  Without all three legs the stool is useless.  But the story is different with a four-legged stool.  Unlike the three-legged stool, a four-legged stool can still be used even if one of the legs is missing.  A person can sit on a four-legged stool missing a leg by exerting a bit of effort and balance.  It’s not especially comfortable and requires an ongoing expenditure of energy to maintain.  But it is functional.  The same goes for our four energy reserves.  We can function even if one of our reserves is depleted or all four reserves aren’t at the same level, but it’s inefficient, draining, and can’t be sustained for very long.

It’s not that difficult to maintain relatively high reserves, but it does take some intentional effort.  There are a number of very effective steps that can be taken to recharge your reserves.  Here are a few of them:

1. Take breaks throughout the day.  Break every 2-2.5 hours to recharge and rejuvenate.  What you do during those breaks makes a difference.
2. Eat “strategically”.  Eat about six times a day.  Make sure to balance protein, carbohydrates and fats.
3. Maintain your attitude.  If you don’t decide what goes into your head, someone else will.  Introduce positives and eliminate negatives.
4. Get restful sleep.  Avoid caffeine late in the day – it really does work to keep you awake.  Avoid eating a big meal late in the evening – your body can’t rest if it’s working hard to digest.

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of these strategies.  For years they’ve allowed me to accomplish about 50% more than most people do.  Managing your energy reserves combined with prioritization of tasks will make you a productivity superstar.

• An executive with presence commands respect instead of having to demand it.
• Executive presence is established, in part, by one’s dress and one’s carriage. What does your dress and carriage say about you?
• Successful executives develop a certain air about them. Not an elitist attitude or one of superiority, but one of refinement.

Not everyone agreed with me on these statements, which was a surprise to me. Some felt that focusing on one’s appearance and presence was superficial, and that a leader should be judged/assessed solely on their accomplishments. Their argument was that an executive who focuses on “presence” was simply an “empty suit”.

I think that, whether we like it or not, people ARE judged in part by their appearance and presence, and therefore developing one’s executive presence is meaningful.

Also, some people were quick to point out certain successful business people who do not “dress for success” or have that certain executive presence about them. While I agree that there are exceptions to the rule, the majority of us cannot escape the impact that a strong presence (or a lack thereof) has on others.

I don’t think anyone would really argue that looking the part without the intelligence, knowledge and experience to back it up really is an illusion. However, my contention is that a competent leader will go farther and have greater impact if they also have a strong executive presence.

Additionally, in reading through the responses on LinkedIn (there were 100′s), it also became evident that some people had really been affected by how they’d been treated by past executives/leaders. Their tone on this topic was angry and judgmental. I found this to be yet another example of the impact we, as leaders, have on the people around us. The emotional impact of our words and actions is long remembered.

We define who we are as executives, as leaders, and as people, by our words and our actions. More specifically, we define who we are by the picture our words and our actions paint about us over time.

What picture are you painting with your words and your actions?
P.S. – If you’d like to join future discussions on LinkedIn as they unfold, please join one or more of the groups I belong to. (Of course, feel free to invite me to join your network as well!)  Network on LinkedIn

Blind spots can severely impact an executive’s strategic vision, their course of action, and their rate of success. They impact decision-making and creativity (or lack thereof) in solving problems and they act to limit the strategic initiatives we are willing to consider. They even affect how we relate to others – hampering our leadership effectiveness, our political adeptness, and our executive presence.

It doesn’t matter what our experience in life or in business has been, what our background is, our age, level of education, or intelligence. We’re all subject to blind spots. Executives, like everyone else, acquire blind spots from life, but as leaders, they suffer additional blind spots caused by their need to operate within the corporate environment.

Blind spots show up in our beliefs, our thoughts, and our actions. These beliefs are self-limiting and are often at odds with the goals we say we want to achieve. Our beliefs are formed – good or bad, limiting or expansive – as we develop from children into adulthood. We formulate these beliefs from the stories we invent as we seek to explain events. Unfortunately, we view these events through the lens of immaturity and without having all the facts. These flawed stories act to limit us and sometimes even come to define us. The key to moving past these limiting beliefs is to replace them with beliefs formed from fresh perspectives.

When it comes to our thoughts, the same thinking that got us where we are can’t take us further. If we keep thinking in the same way, we’ll keep coming up with the same kinds of solutions. Our thinking becomes stagnant without outside stimulation. The only way to expand one’s thinking is to seek out new perspectives, which of course, come from reading and seeking outside input.

When we get attached to the process of how we imagine success will be attained we become blind to other possibilities. And when that happens, we’re like a fly incessantly beating its wings against a pane of glass trying to reach its goal. It doesn’t matter how hard we try if we’re pursuing success in the wrong way. When we’re not willing to consider other courses of action, we limit our success. How does one distinguish between dogged determination and blindness? It usually requires input from an outside, unbiased source.

Blind spots within the corporate world arise from two sources. The first source is corporate culture – corporate culture in a general sense as well as the specific “culture” of an organization. We hold beliefs about how organizations should function, how they should be structured, and which behaviors are valued. Every organization has its own special culture – either by design or by default. And while a corporate culture can be an asset, it often acts to create blind spots with executives. The second source of executive blind spots arising from the corporate world stems from the need of leaders to achieve productivity through others. As executives, we run the risk of our thoughts and beliefs being influenced by the thoughts and beliefs of the people under our guidance.

Breaking free of limiting thoughts and beliefs is essential for achieving the results we want, however, there are some inherent challenges in releasing blind spots. Many blind spots are so deeply ingrained within our make-up, we’re no longer aware they control us. Without outside perspective, these beliefs appear to be truths. It’s important to keep in mind that generally these limiting beliefs are YOUR truths rather than THE truth.

It is critical that we identify and release the self-limiting blind spots which hold us back if real progress is to be made. To that end, it requires outside perspective and input from someone who can point out what we can’t see for ourselves.

One evening I was outside enjoying a cigar on the patio of the resort hotel.  The weather was beautiful and the atmosphere was vibrant with relaxed resort-goers.  There were palm trees, a balmy breeze, and soft music playing in the background.  The resort had fire pits lit as the evening air cooled down.  The building was dramatic with 2-story high windows and accent lighting washed the outside walls, adding to the feeling of opulence.  In addition, there were plenty of friendly, attentive staff.

The bottom line was that the whole experience was memorable and notable.  It wasn’t any one thing that created the feeling.  Everything worked in harmony to create the experience.

So here’s the question…

“What is the experience your clients have when they work with you?”

Do they feel important or do they feel like an account number?  Do they feel appreciated or taken for granted?  Do they feel that they’re someone on the inside, or do they feel like everyone else?  Is working with you easy and comfortable, or do they need to do things “just so” in order to get the full benefit?

In short, you need to take a step back and examine what your clients and customers “experience”.  A smart business strategy is to give prospects, clients and customers the best experience possible.  It’s not simply having good systems in place – it’s about the “feeling” that the person gets.

Enhance the experience and you enhance the value.  Enhance the value and you enhance your bottom line.

Whether you’re having sales conversations, coaching conversations, or working to develop others, learning how to ask good questions can be the difference between success and failure. What does asking the right questions at the right time mean? It means asking questions in such a way as to better understand the other person, their needs, and their motivations.

Since the questions asked and the flow of an effective conversation vary from person to person and from situation to situation, the best way to illustrate the Art of Asking Questions is by way of example.

Here is a sample sales conversation, conducted by someone not skilled at the Art of Asking Questions:
***************
Hi Bob, I’m calling about the great widgets my company sells. Do you have a few minutes to speak?

“Sure.”

Great! Are you familiar with our brand?

“No, not really.”

We offer widgets that solve a number of problems and have some great features. The new V210 – our mid-grade model – consumes 20% less energy than our competition and is 10% smaller. It comes in three different colors – red, black and white. Can I schedule a time with you to come by and show it to you?

“What’s the price?”

It normally sells for $199, but I can offer it to you at a 25% discount – only $149.

“Do you have something you can send me?”

Sure… what address should I send it to?

“123 Main St.”

Great! I’ll give you a follow-up call in about a week. OK?

“Yes, that would be fine.”

***************

If you’ve been in sales, you already know the outcome of that conversation. The likelihood of closing a sale is slim and the salesperson will no doubt continue to try to reach the prospect again until they get discouraged and give up.

The next example is the same conversation conducted by someone who is better skilled at the Art of Asking Questions, but is not quite there yet:
***************
Hi Bob, my company helps companies like yours solve their widget problems. Do you have a few minutes to talk?

“Sure.”

Do you currently use widgets in your business?

“Yes, we do.”

Have you been pleased with the ones you have?

“Well, for the most part we are, but nothing’s perfect.”

The newer design of widgets have a number of improvements over older models. Would you like to hear more about some of the improvements?

“Sure.”

Well, feature 1… , feature 2…, feature 3… We have a number of different models available. Do you have a budget in mind?

“Well, we haven’t been actively looking up until now. Can you send me some information?”

I’d rather come by and show you first-hand so you can really see what I’m talking about. Which would be better for you, Tuesday morning or Wednesday afternoon?

“How about Tuesday morning.”

Great! I’ll see you Tuesday morning then!
***************

While it is possible that this salesperson may make a sale, it’s far from a sure thing. Even though the prospect set the appointment, the salesperson really doesn’t know anything about the prospect or the prospect’s motivations.

The conversation would unfold very differently if the salesperson was skilled in the Art of Asking Questions:
***************
Hi Bob, my name is Paul and I help companies like yours solve any widget problems they have. Do you have a few minutes to talk?

“Sure.”

Do you currently use widgets in your business?

“Yes, we do.”

How often do you use your widgets?

“Pretty much every day.”

To what extent? How much?

“About 3-4 hours every day.”

It sounds like you rely on them pretty heavily.

“Yes, absolutely.”

What aspects of your widgets work best for you?

“Well, for one thing they’ve been really reliable. We’ve had them for over 4 years. Also, we need the automated feed feature and that’s been a life-saver. And the supplies are easy to find and affordable.”

Sounds like they’ve served you well. Have you had any problems with them?

“Well, the only problem we’ve had is that they sometimes misfeed.”

When you say they sometimes misfeed, specifically how often does that happen?

“Only once or twice a day.”

Are there any features or functions you wish they had?

“It would be nice if they had a bigger bin so we didn’t have to re-stock them so often.”

Anything else? Would it help if they could automatically stack the finished product?

“Can they do that?”

Ours can. I think it would make sense for us to get together. I can show you a widget I have that has a 99% reliability record, high-speed automatic feeding without jamming, a large bin, and automated stacking. Do you have about 25 minutes on Tuesday morning or would something like Wednesday afternoon work better for you?

“Let’s do next Tuesday morning.”

***************

As you can see, the last sales conversation unfolded very differently than the prior two. In the last conversation, the salesperson asked good questions – questions which uncovered what mattered to the other person, along with some motivations for making a change. (We didn’t have time in this article to uncover all the motivations.)

Having a conversation like this helps the prospect to clarify what features he needed and highlighted problems and desires. Both parties knew exactly why they were getting together and the likelihood of closing a sale was extremely high.

When you master the Art of Asking Questions, you learn to ask questions which uncover motivations and you’ll do a better job of selling, coaching, and developing others.

If you’d like help mastering the Art of Asking Questions, please contact me through my website: www.michaeljbeck.com

The truth is that we get what we believe and expect.  In other words, if we expect that more business will make things too complicated and that the demands will be too great on our time, then that is exactly what happens.

I continued my conversation with my client and asked him whether the successful entrepreneurs he knew in his field worked harder or less hard than he did.  His answer?  ”Less hard.”  My client held onto his limiting beliefs in spite of the fact that he had proof in contrast to them!

There are three important observations to be made here.  One is that as long as you have a mindset that is in “conflict” with your goals, it will act to limit you.  A belief that a larger business will impose demands that take away from your lifestyle will act to sabotage your efforts to grow.

The second observation is that if we believe that there is a way to handle the extra load effectively and to maintain a balance in our lives, then we approach the new challenges in a completely different manner.  We adopt a solutions-oriented mindset rather than a problem-focused one.

The final observation is that the same thinking that got you where you are can’t take you to the next level.  When you think in different ways (usually by getting an outside perspective from someone), it allows you to see what you’ve missed, allows you to grow beyond your present level of success, and helps you to do it in a way which maintains and improves your life.

Don’t let limiting, conflicting beliefs hold you back from the success you desire.

The first class section of a flight is always full. There may be a number of empty seats back in coach class, but the first class seats are always booked solid.

There is this misconception that in a “weak” economy, somehow all the money that was floating around and available to us is no longer. That somehow, money became scarce. If you stop and think about it, that line of reasoning just can’t be true. The money is still there, it’s just that people are choosing to use it a bit differently.

And it’s not just the well-off who I’m referring to. People at all socio-economic levels have money and continue to spend it. I’m writing this article while sitting at a coffee shop of a well-known national chain. The place is busy with people drinking coffee, talking and working. In fact, most good coffee shops I know are generally busy. There’s been no appreciable impact on the coffee shop business because of the economy.

Your first inclination might be to say that observing coffee drinkers and relating it to the economy is a bit naïve or a misrepresentation of the truth, but it’s not. Let me expand on my observations about both the coffee shop and flying first class as a way to understand what it takes to succeed regardless of the economy. It is an understanding of these dynamics that allows us to earn $10,000, $20,000, or even $50,000 a month in any economy.

Even though the people who go out for coffee and purchase first class seats have the same degree of uncertainty about the future as the rest of the population, they choose to use their money to acquire or experience things. If people were truly in a “survival” mode, there would be no large screen TV’s sold, no new car sales, and plenty of empty seats in first class.

We need to ask ourselves, “Why do so many people continue to go out for coffee even though it is FAR more expensive than making coffee at home or at the office?” Obviously there are a number of reasons why people do this, but it really helps to examine some of them in order to understand how to be successful in our own business. In no particular order, they are: socializing, desire, change of perspective, service, choices, and value. (This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list.)

Likewise, it helps to examine why first class seating is almost always full. Some of the reasons are socializing, desire, change of perspective, service, choices, and value. Both lists are the same. There are some important clues here as to why people will choose to spend their money even during times of uncertainty. Let’s go through the reasons one-by-one and examine the dynamic at play so we can achieve our own success.

SOCIALIZING: Many people will go out to a coffee shop in order to be around other people or to meet someone. It’s a comfortable and relaxing environment to have a conversation or people watch. Many people who fly first class have achieved a certain level of success and are interesting to talk to.

People will often invest in products and services which allow them to be a part of a special community. If you can create the means for clients and customers to connect, you increase the likelihood that a prospect will become a client.

DESIRE: Many people have a “need” to go to a coffee shop. They love the taste of that particular brand of coffee, they may have a craving for caffeine, or they simply may be in the habit of going out for coffee (and after all, we are all creatures of habit). The same kind of dynamic holds true for first class passengers. They may need to have the feeling that comes with first class treatment, or they may need to fly first class in order to feel special or maintain a certain self-image.

People will often invest in products and services when they are shifted from “wanting” something to a state of “needing” it. If you can create that desire in your prospects they are more likely to take action.

CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE: Whether someone is going out for coffee or flying first class, doing something that offers a change of perspective can be highly desirable. Changing one’s perspective can bring about order-of-magnitude changes in one’s life. By changing what you are looking at or experiencing, it allows you to see yourself and your business in a different light. Changing what you look at can provide one with transformational insights.

People will often invest in products and services which help them change their perspective on their business and their life. If you can offer people a change of perspective so they can see what they weren’t able to see before, prospects are more likely to take action.

SERVICE AND CHOICES: People love to be catered to and love to have options. Visiting a coffee shop means no pots or cups to wash, and a variety of food and drinks to choose from. Flying first class means having all one’s needs attended to, being treated as a special person, and having choices that others might not have.

People will often invest in products and services which offer extra service, extra attention, and extra options. If you can offer prospects levels of increasing service, they are more likely to take action.

VALUE: The value of something is dependent upon how it’s perceived by someone. For someone who’s starving, a fast-food hamburger is of very high value. For someone who wants a prime cut of filet mignon, a fast-food hamburger has low value to them. To a person going out for coffee, the value that the experience offers justifies the investment. To a person flying first class, the value of the experience also justifies the investment.

People will often invest in products and services when the perceived value exceeds the dollar invested. If you give people more in use value than you receive in cash value, you and your business will thrive.

The point is that regardless of whether the economy is “strong” or “weak”, people will always choose to spend and invest their money on products and services which help them socialize, meet their desires, change their perspectives, offer extra services and choices, and/or exceed the value they perceive. Take this opportunity to reflect on your business and reinvent it for success.

The first benefit, obviously, is to the person being developed. When we help someone expand their skill set and knowledge base, we make them more valuable and more versatile, which in turn, instills a sense of pride. Instilling pride in work and workmanship is a cornerstone of the foundation for eliciting excellence. In addition, we demonstrate our belief in them, their abilities, and their potential. This in turn nurtures loyalty and responsiveness towards you.

The next way that developing people elicits excellence is the impact on our team. When individual members of a team grow their abilities and stretch themselves, they in turn inspire others to do the same. Even though you may not have personally worked with each member of your team (although hopefully you will at some point), the people you developed act as examples of what is possible, which if you have the right people on your team, will act to motivate others to take the initiative to improve themselves for the betterment of their future and the benefit of the organization.

The third manner in which developing others brings forth excellence lies within us. By mastering the art of developing people, we become more skilled in our communication abilities, more effective in our leadership, and more leveraged in our efforts. All of these benefits act to make us more productive, more creative and more confident, thereby eliciting excellence.

Given the impact and far-reaching implications of developing others, it is critical to master this important function. At the heart of this effort lies the leadership style of “coaching”. Adopting a “coach-like” attitude and manner is the fastest and most effective means of developing others.

What does a coaching style of leadership look like? Being “coach-like” embodies a number of competencies and strategies, all of which interlock and work in conjunction with one another. The first concept to acknowledge is the power of asking rather than telling. Many of us, in an effort to help someone “get it right” (and in the name of expediency), tell others what to do and how to do it. And while this does get the work done, it does little to develop the other person, their skill set, and their confidence.

The alternative, “coach-like” approach, is to ask. Instead of starting off by telling them what to do, ask them what they would do and how they would do it. This strategy serves a number of very important functions. Firstly, it demonstrates that you have an interest in what they have to say. When you listen to what someone is telling you, it acts as a sign of respect. It demonstrates that you value what they have to say. The next benefit of asking is that their answers will give you a sense of how they think. The answers will reveal their level of insight and judgment, and will illustrate their problem-solving abilities. And lastly, listening to the answers to your questions will provide clues as to how best to help them develop. It helps you understand which aspects of development they need help and guidance with.

When you choose to develop people this way, it creates the opportunity to mentor them, rather than to simply “train” them. Training is good for technical matters and knowledge acquisition, but if you also want to develop someone’s judgment, you need to share your insights, improve their thought processes, help them understand better ways to approach problem-solving, and basically give them the benefit of your experience.

In addition to adopting a coach-like approach with people, practicing effective delegation is essential. Effective delegation consists of choosing the right tasks to delegate, choosing the right people to delegate to, delegating in such a way that the person grows from the experience, and making sure the work gets done accurately and in a timely manner.

In a nutshell, here is what all of that means…
“Choosing the right task to delegate” – Generally, any task which doesn’t require judgment is a good task to delegate. Also, if one of your goals is to develop a person’s judgment, then choose a non-crucial task requiring some judgment.

“Choosing the right people” – The right person to delegate to is dependent upon their present skill set, their level of self-confidence, their openness to growth, and their level of ambition. Clearly, choosing the right people is an art rather than a science.

“Helping the person grow from the experience” – The success of this is contingent upon using a coach-like approach when delegating. Once you’ve clearly explained what needs to get done, ask questions to not only ascertain whether they understand what’s required, but also to see their thinking process as it pertains to the task at hand.

“Ensuring an accurate and timely completion” – It is essential to let someone know when a task is to be completed and to hold them accountable for its completion. The more important the task, the more critical it becomes to provide ongoing feedback with course corrections. This, of course, will ensure that the work is completed in a timely and accurate fashion, but also demonstrates your integrity by following through on the things you said were important to you.

By effectively developing others, you elevate everyone. As people grow and stretch, their value and their sense of pride expand, which in turn, elicits excellence from them and the entire organization.

There’s a significant difference between establishing an environment where excellence is expected and one where excellence is demanded.  In the first case, not only does the culture of the organization establish the expectations for excellence, but the actions of your entire team will essentially “put pressure” on everyone to perform up to the standards of excellence expected.

In the second case, where excellence is demanded, “pressure” from you is the only dynamic at play.  And you know how most people react to direct pressure – they push back.  And push-back usually comes in the form of either passive-aggressive behavior or by working just hard enough to keep from being fired.

So let’s discuss how to go about establishing an environment where excellence is expected.  There are two components to this equation.  The first is defining what excellence means to you and your organization, and the second is the design of that environment.

How we define excellence is governed by the standards and values we embrace.  Standards determine the level of quality we desire.  They govern quality of service and quality of product.  There are many levels of quality, and only you and your team can determine which level you want to be known for.  Excellent quality does not necessarily mean the very best that can be produced.  Let me offer a couple of real-world, practical examples.  The first comes from the restaurant business and the other from the automotive industry.

If you go to a fast food restaurant, excellent service means delivering the customer’s food within a very short time – typically 2-4 minutes.  Much longer than that, and most customers will feel that the service is less than excellent.  In contrast, if you dined in an expensive, gourmet restaurant and your food came out within 2-4 minutes, you’d no doubt feel rushed and consider the service to be poor.

The other example comes from the automobile industry.  (I’m not promoting or judging any make of car here  just offering an example that most everyone can relate to.)  If every automobile were made to the very highest of standards, then there would be only Rolls Royce, Audi and Mercedes Benz.  There would be no room for Chevrolet, Ford or Kia.

The appropriate level of quality that determines the standards by which you and your organization are governed is determined by the expectations of your market.  This doesn’t preclude setting a standard which exceeds the expectations of that market.  It just acts as a benchmark by which your performance is measured.

The values which create an environment of excellence govern how we do what we do and are – for the most part – concerned with how we relate to others.  Values that may immediately come to mind are integrity, honesty, respect, and fairness.  However, there are many other possible values that you and your team may want to include on your list in order to elicit excellence.  Here are some additional values to help you get started: Authenticity, Family, Kindness, Commitment, Loyalty, Compassion, Happiness, Empathy, Health, and Humor.

Once you have defined what excellence means to you and your organization by clearly setting an expected level of standards for performance along with the values which determine how you, your team and your organization carry out the work you do, you will be in a position to design an environment which elicits excellence.

Designing an environment which elicits excellence is about establishing an organizational “culture”.  A well-established culture will embody and reflect the standards and values you and your organization have agreed upon.

So… what constitutes “culture” and how do you establish it?  Culture is established by how well you and your team live by and communicate the values and standards you’ve identified.  It’s not so much “whether” you and your team agree to these things, as it is about how consistently and to what degree these values and standards are adhered to.  Doing this well will create the proper initial expectations with new team members, will install a sense of pride throughout the organizations, and will fill your organization with integrity – causing the majority of your team to act, think, and speak in a certain way.

Consistency in the effort is all important.  The consequences are unfortunate if you and your team profess to embrace and embody a certain culture, but live by it in an inconsistent manner, tolerate behaviors by others which are at odds with the culture, or worse, act in a manner at odds with the so-called “culture”.  There is nothing more demoralizing than someone hearing about and believing in a certain culture, only to see a leader speak and act in an inconsistent manner.  It absolutely undermines the integrity of the leader and the organization as a whole.

The bottom line is that demanding excellence of your team will only produce modest and inconsistent results.  Alternatively, putting in the effort up front to design, implement, and live by a culture of excellence will produce long-term, self-sustaining results.