Leadership Lowdown

1. Leadership Lowdown What Makes a Leader Worth Following?

2. �He who thinks himself a leader, yet turns to find no one following, is merely taking a walk.� - Author Unknown��

3. It�s a matter of TRUST. And TRUST is based on CHARACTER, �not REPUTATION.

4. REPUTATION is what others think you are� CHARACTER is what your family knows you are!

5. Character Matters Honesty �The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.� - Groucho Marx

6. Character Matters Mark Twain said: "Honesty is the best policy� �when there is money in it.�

7. Character Matters But Twain also said: "If you tell the truth� �you don't have to remember anything."

8. Character Matters According to Edgar J. Mohn: "A lie has speed� �but truth has endurance."

9. Character Matters Character Driven People Do right, then feel good Are commitment driven Make principle-based decisions Action controls attitude Believe it, then see it Create momentum Ask: What are my responsibilities? Continue when problems arise Are steady Are leaders Emotion Driven People Feel good, then do right Are convenience driven Make popularity-based decisions Attitude controls action See it, then believe it Wait for momentum Ask: What are my rights? Quit when problems arise Are moody Are followers

10. Communication is Critical Communication is key to good leadership. Good communicators can take a complex message and simplify it for everyone to understand. Communication is the most powerful weapon a leader can have.

11. Communication is Critical �Short words are best and the old words when short are best of all.� - Sir Winston Churchill

12. Communication is Critical Henry C. Link said: �If you wish to make a man your enemy, tell him simply, �You are wrong.� This method works every time.�

13. Communication is Critical Examine a memo or letter you have written recently. Were you clear as a bell? Were you direct and simple or did you use all kinds of superfluous words? If you can say it in one line, do it.

14. Communication is Critical Refocus your attention to the people you need to communicate to. Meet them where they are, and think about how it is to be in their shoes� �or remember what it was like when you were in their shoes!

15. Competence is Crucial People won�t willingly follow someone who knows less than they do� �or who works less than they do. It�s the �Lou-Rich� Factor

16. Competence is Cultivated Become more responsible. That means showing up when you�re supposed to� �regardless of how you feel that day.

17. Competence is Cultivated Devote yourself to continual improvement. Choose to perform at a consistently high level of excellence. Go the extra mile. Never be satisfied with �good enough� (in your own life). Demand more of yourself than you demand of others.

18. PMA: Positive Mental Attitude It took Thomas Edison ten thousand tries to find the right materials for the incandescent light bulb, but he didn�t see them as failures. People who are so close to success don�t realize it, because they simply give up after the 99th try, when the 100th may be �The One� that will catapult them into the history books.

19. PMA: Positive Mental Attitude Maintain a positive attitude if you want to inspire folks to follow your lead. Your attitude is a choice. Your attitude determines your actions. Your people are a mirror of your attitude. Maintaining a good attitude is easier than regaining one.

20. A True Leader Serves People Put others ahead of your own agenda. Who works all the holidays? Perform small acts of kindness for others Get to know your employees or subordinates as people. Birthday & Anniversary Cards (& other occasions) Spouses & Children, too! And don�t do it so you can �get� something!!

21. Try to be Teachable Nobody likes a know-it-all! Trade in your pride. Remember that the front-line folks facing the problems are the most likely source for the solution�and it might be different than yours! �If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.� � Abraham Maslow And remember when nobody listened to you?

22. Leaders Develop People Principles of People Development: � Make the right assumptions about people. Positive assumptions about people will make for positive leadership. Negative assumptions lead to negative leadership.

23. Leaders Develop People The right assumptions about people are: Everyone wants to feel worthwhile. Make people feel important. Everyone needs and responds to encouragement. People do better work and exert greater effort under a spirit of approval. People are naturally motivated. Create a people-friendly environment that does not de-motivate by acknowledging significant contributions, by recognizing people and by setting clear expectations. Avoid de-motivating people by belittling, publicly criticizing and cutting conversations; manipulating or using people; being insensitive and discouraging personal growth.

24. Leaders Develop People Ask the right questions about people. This means asking the following five questions: Question # 1: Am I manipulating people or motivating them? Manipulation is moving together for one�s advantage. Motivation is moving together for mutual advantage.

25. Leaders Develop People Question # 2: Do I care enough to confront people when it will make a difference? When confronting people or clarifying issues, observe the following ten commandments of confrontation:

26. Ten Commandments of Confrontation Do the confrontation privately, not publicly Implement it as soon as possible Clarify one issue at a time Stress a point but do not over-repeat Deal with actions the person can change Avoid sarcasm Avoid words like �always� and �never� that urge defensive behavior Present criticisms as suggestions or questions Do not apologize for a confrontational meeting Do not forget the compliment. Use the bookend formula: compliment �confront-compliment.

27. Leaders Develop People Question # 3: Am I listening to people with more than my ears; am I hearing more than words? Assess one�s self on the basis of the following: Do I allow the speaker to finish without interrupting? Do I repeat what the person just said to clarify the meaning? Do I avoid getting hostile and/or agitated when I disagree with the speaker? Do I tune out distractions when listening? Do I make an effort to seem interested in what the other person is saying?

28. Leaders Develop People Question # 4: What are the major strengths of this individual? Encourage followers to work at areas of personal strength.

29. Leaders Develop People Question # 5: Have I placed a high priority on the job? Keep people motivated by letting them see the importance of things they are asked to do. Regularly use the five most encouraging words in an organization, �It will make a difference�. Avoid the five most discouraging words, �It won�t make any difference�.

30. Leaders Have �People Skills� Chief executives of major corporations say that the single thing most needed by those in leadership positions is the ability to work with people. Leaders with people skills have the following qualities: They admit their mistakes and accept the consequences rather than blame others. They are able to get along with a wide spectrum of people. They have strong interpersonal skills, sensitivity to others and tact. They are calm and confident rather than moody and volatile.

31. Leaders Have �People Skills� Leadership is role modeled. People do what people see. Lead others by looking through their eyes. Leaders must care for people to develop and grow them successfully. A Wall Street Journal survey revealed that of the 16,000 executives studied, about thirteen percent identified as high achievers cared about people as well as profits. Average achievers concentrated on production while low achievers were preoccupied with their own security. True leaders look for opportunities to build up people. Leaders believe in growing people to grow the company.

32. Leaders are Encouragers What is your Encouragement Index? Ask yourself the following questions: Do I make certain we set a standard that motivates us to do better in the future than we are doing now? Do I express high expectations about what people are capable of accomplishing? Do I pay more attention to the positive things people do than to the negative? Do I personally acknowledge people for their contributions? Do I brag about the special achievements of the members of the team? Do I get personally involved when we recognize others? Do I clearly communicate my personal values and professional standards to everyone on the team? Do I let people know I have confidence in their abilities? Do I personally congratulate people for a job well done?

33. Credibility is the Crux of the Matter When people perceive their leaders to have high credibility; they�re significantly more likely to: Be proud to tell others they�re part of the organization Feel a strong sense of team spirit See their own personal values as consistent with those of the organization Feel attached and committed to the organization Have a sense of ownership for the organization

34. Credibility is the Crux of the Matter If people perceive their leaders to have low credibility, they�re significantly more likely to: Produce only if they�re watched carefully Be motivated primarily by money Say good things about the organization publicly but criticize it privately Consider looking for another job if the organization experiences problems Feel unsupported and unappreciated

35. Credibility is the Crux of the Matter A recent survey asked employees to describe characteristics of �credible� leaders. Responses included the following: �Credible leaders practice what they preach.� �They walk the talk.� �Their actions are consistent with their words.� �They put their money where their mouth is.� �They keep their promises.� The most frequent response: �They do what they say they will do.�

36. Every once in a while�look behind you and remember� �He who thinks himself a leader, yet turns to find no one following, is merely taking a walk.� - Author Unknown

37. Adapted from the following works: Developing the Leaders Around You The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader Becoming a Person of Influence - Dr. John C. Maxwell The Servant - James C. Hunter Trust Me - Wayne Hastings & Ron Potter Encouraging the Heart, A Leader�s Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others - James Kouzes & Barry Pozner