Sunday, October 31, 2010

What Inspires You?

You have many responsibilities as a leader/manager, and inspiring others is a big part of those responsibilities. Before you can inspire, model the way, and lead others, however, you must first be inspired yourself. Consider the following questions: When was the last time that you reflected on your role as a leader? Why are you in a leadership position? Was it experience within your field that has brought you to this point, or was it your education? Perhaps it was a combination of both. Although career advancement and increased compensation are real components of being a manager, there is so much more when it comes to true leadership. Leadership is never simply going through the motions of daily tasks. A leader has to have a vision of something bigger and better, and the drive and skills to lead and inspire others to share his vision.


That which inspired you a decade ago may no longer be a source of true inspiration for you today. That’s OK. As people grow and change, so do their goals, beliefs, and ideals. What’s most important is your awareness of those things that inspire you the most at this point in your life and career. Knowing that will help you to be a better leader. Take the time to consider what you want to accomplish as a leader. What kind of impact do you want for your leadership to have on your employees, your customers, and the company itself? Answering these kinds of questions will help you to identify those things that inspire you.


It’s easy to get caught up in everyday tasks and to be distracted by all the “fires” that need our attention. However, in order to have a solid leadership foundation, it’s crucial that we know ourselves, examine our performance, and understand our motives. Being at the top of our game requires ongoing work on every level, so invest the time in those things that will help you to be your best.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Harvesting Talent

Every individual, and therefore every organization has various talents within it. It is in your best interest, as the leader/manager, to recognize, encourage, and utilize such talent. It’s no secret that properly matching people (and their talents) to specific projects, tasks, or positions within the company is a smart and beneficial way to manage. Although job histories and resumes can paint a picture of skills and talents, that picture is incomplete. Therefore, getting to know your employees can prove quite valuable. The better you know someone, the more likely you are to identify his/her skills and talents.


Think about what your employees are passionate about, what they’re good at, and what interests them. Knowing such things can help you to maximize the talent already present within the company. It may help you to make better matches between people and tasks, bringing with it happier, more satisfied employees, and better work results.


Clearly, getting to know your employees is a good way to understand the talent that’s available to you as a leader/manager. Although it may only take a few minutes and a casual conversation to gather the desired information, that task may seem much more difficult if you manage a large number of employees. Simplify things by targeting key people such at team leaders. Connect with them to better understand not only their talents, but also the talents of other employees around them.


Keep in mind that these conversations don’t have to be elaborate or happen all in one day. In fact, it’s better that you regularly take a few minutes to chat with different people. This is a good way to stay connected without compromising your busy schedule. The bottom line is that you have to pay attention and keep your eyes and ears open to identify talent. The better you understand what’s available to you, the better your chances of maximizing how you utilize your employees’ skills and talents. That alone can help you to become a more successful leader/manager.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Know Yourself

In the past, this blog has discussed the importance of having mentors, taking the time for self-assessment, and the need for rest and relaxation. This week’s entry combines all of those parts, while encouraging the leader/manager to get to know and understand the self.


As a leader/manager you have many responsibilities, plenty of work, and probably put in a lot of hours. In addition to your responsibilities to the company, its employees and shareholders, you must remember that you also have a responsibility to yourself. This means that you have to know your strengths and weaknesses, and must use and develop them to your benefit. It also means that you must know your own limits, so that you can take care of yourself and perform at your best.


Although this seems simple and obvious, it’s very important that we stop to think about it. Our days are filled with so many things that require us to focus our energy on others, that it’s easy to forget the self. Schedule some time where you assess yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, your performance, and your needs. Whether this is done once a month or once a quarter, it’s important that it becomes a regular occurrence. If you have a mentor, feel free engage his help with this exercise.


The better you know yourself, the better your chances of using your talents to their fullest, strengthening your weaknesses, and being at your best. Knowing when to push yourself beyond your comfort zone and when to take much needed rest can be key in your accomplishments. When your performance is consistently at its peak, you will have the tools to manage, lead, and inspire others on the road to success.


Although the idea that we need to take care of ourselves first, so that we can take care of everything and everyone else is simple and straightforward, we tend to forget it. Get to know and take care of yourself so that you can be and do your best.


Sunday, October 3, 2010

Persuasion and Relationships

Examining persuasion and relationships can sometimes seem like trying to figure out the old question of which came first – the chicken or the egg. Do your persuasive abilities affect the caliber of relationships that you’re able to form? Or are you more successful at persuading those with whom you already have existing relationships?

Consider the fact that relationships are a crucial part of everyone’s day at work. As long as we have some kind of contact with other people, we’re experiencing relationships. Successful managers/leaders know how to build relationships that are productive and beneficial. Power of persuasion can be quite handy when it comes to building relationships in the workplace because the right relationships can help to take you and your team to new levels of accomplishment.

On the other hand, your ability to influence and persuade your current employees depends on your existing relationships with each individual. Their image of you influences how receptive they will be to your persuasion attempts – trust, credibility, and expertise all play a big part. It’s in your best interest as an effective manager/leader to take care of the relationships in your professional life.

It’s a simple truth that the ability to influence appears to require building or having some kind of relationship. This seems to be the case regardless of the nature or longevity of the relationship. Whether it’s a store clerk influencing a sale or a manager working with people he sees daily, the ability to influence depends on relationships and our persuasive talents.

Given the importance of today’s topic, it’s worth expanding on a recent post that discussed some of the current theories of persuasion. Silberman (2000, p. 123) speaks of three ways to influence people – by connecting with others, assessing needs, and making a persuasive presentation. These suggestions make perfect sense. Connecting with others simply opens up a doorway for your persuasive attempts. Being able to correctly assess others’ needs, affords you the opportunity to provide the perfect solution. Finally, you can use the first two to make your persuasive presentation more effective.


Silberman, M. & Hansburg, F. (2000). People Smart: Developing Your Interpersonal Intelligence. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publisher, Inc.