Most Discussed – Top Five + One
posted in: Leadership problems, Servant leadership
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These are the posts that have gotten the most comments over the last year. Please
Behavior and Feedback – Top Five + One
posted in: Communication, Leadership problems, Organizational Improvement
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Several posts have had a focus on behavior and giving frequent specific feedback. These things are among the wisest a leader can do, and yet they can be quite uncommon. Here are five posts that deal with these issues, and … Read More
Communication – Top Five + One
posted in: Communication, Leadership problems
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Communication solves problems; lack of communication causes problems. Communication is arguably the most critical skill we need to survive in the world, and leaders must master it. Here are five posts to help.
What Three Things Make the Biggest Difference? (Part Three)
posted in: Communication, Leadership problems
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This week, we look at the third concept of “The Big Three.” This is not new ground for this blog, and I encourage you to check out related posts: Effective Feedback is About the Future Leaders Model the Behavior they … Read More
Effective Leaders Stand Out (part two)
posted in: Communication, Modeling Behavior, Servant leadership
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Last week, we covered the first four of nine simple things that an aspiring leader can do in order to stand out. Here are five more – I’m anxious for your opinions! 1) Whenever possible, communicate by phone or in … Read More
Effective Leaders Stand Out (part one)
posted in: Communication, Modeling Behavior, Servant leadership
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In preparation for a breakout session at an upcoming conference, I developed a list of ten things a leader can do to stand out and get noticed. Not in a “look at me!” kind of way, but in a way … Read More
Effective Feedback is About the Future
posted in: Communication, Leadership problems, Servant leadership
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Any feedback on any behavior is most helpful to the individual and the organization if it is
1) Specific
and
2) Includes a call to future action
It can be as simple as “Good work, keep it up.” as opposed to simply “good work”.
It can be as thought out as “Nice thoroughness on that; if you always meet deadlines that well, we’ll really be successful.”
Things successful leaders avoid saying (part 3)
posted in: Communication, Leadership problems
4
Consistent negative talk will create a negative culture. A constant drumbeat of “don’t forget” “don’t be late” “don’t screw that up” “don’t talk to me right now” can be pretty discouraging. If you can rephrase things using positive words, a better atmosphere is created. Better atmosphere = more encouraging = more productive.
Nervous about speaking in front of others?
posted in: Communication
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When presenting, stand still. Too much walking around makes your audience nervous and projects fear and nervousness. Also, when you stand still, it’s easier to make eye contact. If you’re talking longer than five minutes, it makes sense to deliberately move to a different place. Then stand there, feet shoulder width apart, looking at your audience.
Beware acting while stressed…
posted in: Communication, Leadership problems
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Something we talk about in Group Dynamic workshops is this: 80% of decisions are made based on emotion, not ration. Also, we tend to act less mature when stressed. The lessons? There are many.
One is this; when stressed, see if you can delay acting, or speaking, or addressing a situation until the stress passes. This will increase the likelihood of a better decision, and (more importantly) better interactions and relationships. Be nice.