From the Leadership Excellence: Ethics and Integrity Training Program
When integrity lapses, there will be a failure in either ethics or morality. Common challenges to integrity include:
Relativism
• Someone else does it.
• Other people do it all the time.
• It is okay in other environments.
Sense of Invincibility
• Previously has gotten away with an ethical or moral lapse.
• Little or no penalty for prior offenses.
• Organizational position has little control or supervision.
• Well thought of and valued in the organization.
• Enforces laws and codes.
Alcohol and Drugs
• Loosens the tongue and integrity.
• Silences the little voice of good.
• Lubricates away many inhibitions.
Group Think and Peer Pressure
• No one wants to be the lone dissenter.
• Feeling of safety within a group.
• Self doubt about value system when in a minority position.
Sense of Invisibility/Sense of Isolation
• Will never get caught.
• False sense of power based on organizational position or value.
• Geographically isolated or remote.
• Too much available time and resources.
Monday, November 30, 2009
WSJ: The Difference Between Leadership and Management
Leadership and management must go hand in hand. They are not the same thing. But they are necessarily linked, and complementary. Any effort to separate the two is likely to cause more problems than it solves.
Still, much ink has been spent delineating the differences. The manager’s job is to plan, organize and coordinate. The leader’s job is to inspire and motivate. In his 1989 book “On Becoming a Leader,” Warren Bennis composed a list of the differences:
Monday, November 23, 2009
Leadership Breakthrough is Here
Two days. Exceptional material. Guest speakers. A personalized focus on your skills and competencies. Individual coaching follow-up. Greater understanding of yourself, others and how the role of the leader impacts performance. Opportunities to interact with other leaders.
That is what you will get from the Leadership Breakthrough from Soaring Eagle Enterprises. Offered only twice a year and with a small enrollment, secure your opportunity in this great program today.
Specific learning elements and skills you will obtain include:
Effective Leadership Communication
Leadership Style and Impact
Building Rapport and Enhancing Relationship Power
Coaching to Maximize Results
Understanding and Building Morale and Team Member Engagement
Strategic Planning and Personal Action/Development Planning
Innovation Enhancement
Emotional Intelligence for Leaders
You will come away with a full tool set to energize your personal leadership mission and passion to set your organization on fire.
Just real leadership skills at a great value. Delivered by professionals. Supported and connected.
Learn more at: www.soaringeagleent.com
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Top Talent, Top Strength
Recently, I've read commentary that forecasts job changes by a surprisingly large percentage of employees when the economy stabilizes. Given this prediction, plus the fact that baby boomers have already begun to retire, it's clear that supply management leaders face a grave threat to business success in the near future. In short, intelligence might walk out the door precisely at the moment when business begins to boom again.
For this reason, it's imperative that we refocus today. Retaining high performers is a top priority. Now more than ever, talent management is critical to our companies' success.
Like so many people with whom I've spoken recently, you might operate under the assumption that, due to the current business environment, your employees are simply thankful to have jobs. You might assume they're not being recruited or looking for the next opportunity. In reality, however, recruiters are actively contacting your high-performing supply management professionals — especially those in leadership roles.
Read the rest of the Article: http://www.ism.ws/pubs/ISMMag/ismarticle.cfm?ItemNumber=19816
For this reason, it's imperative that we refocus today. Retaining high performers is a top priority. Now more than ever, talent management is critical to our companies' success.
Like so many people with whom I've spoken recently, you might operate under the assumption that, due to the current business environment, your employees are simply thankful to have jobs. You might assume they're not being recruited or looking for the next opportunity. In reality, however, recruiters are actively contacting your high-performing supply management professionals — especially those in leadership roles.
Read the rest of the Article: http://www.ism.ws/pubs/ISMMag/ismarticle.cfm?ItemNumber=19816
Friday, November 20, 2009
I am Thankful For . . .
I AM THANKFUL FOR……
I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party
because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
I am thankful for the taxes I pay
because it means that I am employed.
I am thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug
because it means I have enough to eat.
I am thankful for my shadow who watches me work
because it means I am out in the sunshine.
I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows
that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing
because that means I have a home.
I am thankful for the spot I find at the far end of
the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
I am thankful for all the complaining I hear about our
government because it means we have freedom of speech.
I am thankful for the lady behind me in church who sings off
key because it means I can hear.
I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing
because it means my loved ones are nearby.
I am thankful for my huge heating bill
because it means that I am warm.
I am thankful for the alarm that goes off in
the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.
I am thankful for the weariness and aching muscles
at the end of the day because it means that I have been productive.
I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party
because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
I am thankful for the taxes I pay
because it means that I am employed.
I am thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug
because it means I have enough to eat.
I am thankful for my shadow who watches me work
because it means I am out in the sunshine.
I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows
that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing
because that means I have a home.
I am thankful for the spot I find at the far end of
the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.
I am thankful for all the complaining I hear about our
government because it means we have freedom of speech.
I am thankful for the lady behind me in church who sings off
key because it means I can hear.
I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing
because it means my loved ones are nearby.
I am thankful for my huge heating bill
because it means that I am warm.
I am thankful for the alarm that goes off in
the early morning hours because it means that I am alive.
I am thankful for the weariness and aching muscles
at the end of the day because it means that I have been productive.
Barriers to Delegation and Empowerment
From the Soaring Eagle Enterprises' training program Coaching II-Delegation, Development and Empowerment.
1. Insecurity
Fear of losing control and fear of criticism prevent some leaders from delegating. Ultimately, they are afraid of losing their job.
2. Lack of Confidence in Others
Some believe their team members are not competent to take on a task, but through delegation, they can improve their skills and competence.
3. Lack Of Ability To Train Others
If proper training is not provided, team members will fail and become resentful. Some leaders lack the ability or desire to articulate directions and desired outcomes.
4. Personal Enjoyment
Some things are hard to let go of, but leaders should not retain control of a task simply because they enjoy doing it.
5. Habit
If a task becomes simple and repetitive, it should be delegated to free up your time for more complex issues and responsibilities
6. Reluctance Caused by Past Failures
Determine the cause of failure. Failed delegation is typically due to a poor match, lack of training or poor tracking of delegated tasks. Avoid the mistake, not delegation.
7. Lack of Time
Training, preparation, and delegation require a time investment. While it may take time in the short term, it will be a time saver in the long term.
8. “I Can Do It Best”
Leaders who think that to do something right, they have to do it themselves will achieve very little strategically.
1. Insecurity
Fear of losing control and fear of criticism prevent some leaders from delegating. Ultimately, they are afraid of losing their job.
2. Lack of Confidence in Others
Some believe their team members are not competent to take on a task, but through delegation, they can improve their skills and competence.
3. Lack Of Ability To Train Others
If proper training is not provided, team members will fail and become resentful. Some leaders lack the ability or desire to articulate directions and desired outcomes.
4. Personal Enjoyment
Some things are hard to let go of, but leaders should not retain control of a task simply because they enjoy doing it.
5. Habit
If a task becomes simple and repetitive, it should be delegated to free up your time for more complex issues and responsibilities
6. Reluctance Caused by Past Failures
Determine the cause of failure. Failed delegation is typically due to a poor match, lack of training or poor tracking of delegated tasks. Avoid the mistake, not delegation.
7. Lack of Time
Training, preparation, and delegation require a time investment. While it may take time in the short term, it will be a time saver in the long term.
8. “I Can Do It Best”
Leaders who think that to do something right, they have to do it themselves will achieve very little strategically.
The Cost of Not Developing Your Leaders Now-From HR Esquire
The benefits of developing current and emerging leaders are well known to most senior business executives. What may not be as well known, and what can be more damaging to the organization in the long-term, are the hidden costs of not developing leaders in these economic times, especially after a layoff.
Typically ignored in the planning for a layoff are support mechanisms for those employees who stay. Layoff survivors, both managers and front-line workers, are shouldering heavy, if less obvious, burdens of their own, including an infectious sense of anxiety and the uncomfortable feeling that they ought to be grateful just to have a job.
Read the entire article at: http://www.humanresourcesiq.com/article.cfm?externalID=913&shownewswindow=1&mac=HRIQ_Ext_SMO_LI_Q409&SID=LinkedIn&utm_campaign=Linkedin&utm_medium=SMO&utm_source=e-bim&utm_content=Nov16news&utm_term=TEST
Typically ignored in the planning for a layoff are support mechanisms for those employees who stay. Layoff survivors, both managers and front-line workers, are shouldering heavy, if less obvious, burdens of their own, including an infectious sense of anxiety and the uncomfortable feeling that they ought to be grateful just to have a job.
Read the entire article at: http://www.humanresourcesiq.com/article.cfm?externalID=913&shownewswindow=1&mac=HRIQ_Ext_SMO_LI_Q409&SID=LinkedIn&utm_campaign=Linkedin&utm_medium=SMO&utm_source=e-bim&utm_content=Nov16news&utm_term=TEST
Friday, November 13, 2009
November, 2009-Customer Service Rankings
With over 20 years of experience in customer service training and evaluation of customer service systems, we are qualified to rank and comment on some of our interactions during the month. Here are the winners and losers:
The Top Five
1. Fed-X/Kinkos (Lake Mead and Tenaya)
+'s Remembering customers, different service levels for commercial customers, very pleasant greetings.
2. Via Brazil Steakhouse
+'s Remembering regular customers, service level and attention is very good, adds some extras.
3. Ted Wiens Tire and Auto
+'s Rembering customers, very good greetings, explanations very good and no slimy upsells.
4. Southwest Airlines (National)
+'s Pleasant, gets you where you need, three singing flight attendants on the last flight.
5. American Express (National)
+'s Good representatives during the week and daytime, great internet interface, very response.
The Bottom Five
5. United Blood Service
?'s Calls after 9:00pm, what part of I can't don't you understand?
4. Office Depot
?'s How many times do you need to ask about your rewards card?
3. Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles
?'s Note to Michelle at Flamingo-Yes you hold the priviledge of driving in your hands but can't you be a little human?
2. Wendy's
?'s Do you really need my money before handing me the drink (that cost you $0.15 to produce)?
1. Bank of America
?'s After nearly 20 years, is remembering me really that big of deal? Why are my three accounts not linked? Could your on-line banking be more complex and less useful?
The Top Five
1. Fed-X/Kinkos (Lake Mead and Tenaya)
+'s Remembering customers, different service levels for commercial customers, very pleasant greetings.
2. Via Brazil Steakhouse
+'s Remembering regular customers, service level and attention is very good, adds some extras.
3. Ted Wiens Tire and Auto
+'s Rembering customers, very good greetings, explanations very good and no slimy upsells.
4. Southwest Airlines (National)
+'s Pleasant, gets you where you need, three singing flight attendants on the last flight.
5. American Express (National)
+'s Good representatives during the week and daytime, great internet interface, very response.
The Bottom Five
5. United Blood Service
?'s Calls after 9:00pm, what part of I can't don't you understand?
4. Office Depot
?'s How many times do you need to ask about your rewards card?
3. Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles
?'s Note to Michelle at Flamingo-Yes you hold the priviledge of driving in your hands but can't you be a little human?
2. Wendy's
?'s Do you really need my money before handing me the drink (that cost you $0.15 to produce)?
1. Bank of America
?'s After nearly 20 years, is remembering me really that big of deal? Why are my three accounts not linked? Could your on-line banking be more complex and less useful?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Be the Leader that People Want to Follow
From John Maxwell via Steve Forst
The Kind of Leader Others Want to Follow
The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. You must become someone others can trust to take them where they want to go. As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following guidelines to help you grow:
1. Let go of your ego.
The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence D. Bell remarked, "Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things, and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things."
2. Become a good follower first.
Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first - and why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School.
3. Build positive relationships.
Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means it is by nature relational. Today's generation of leaders seem particularly aware of this because title and position mean so little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people they get along with.
4. Work with excellence.
No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and hard work. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.
5. Rely on discipline, not emotion.
Leadership is often easy during the good times. It's when everything seems to be against you - when you're out of energy, and you don't want to lead - that you earn your place as a leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion.
6. Make adding value your goal.
When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long after they have finished leading, you find that they were men and women who helped people to live better lives and reach their potential. That is the highest calling of leadership - and its highest value.
7. Give your power away.
One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You're meant to be a river, not a reservoir. If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.
The Kind of Leader Others Want to Follow
The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want to follow. You must become someone others can trust to take them where they want to go. As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following guidelines to help you grow:
1. Let go of your ego.
The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They lead in order to serve other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence D. Bell remarked, "Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things, and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things."
2. Become a good follower first.
Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first - and why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School.
3. Build positive relationships.
Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means it is by nature relational. Today's generation of leaders seem particularly aware of this because title and position mean so little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people they get along with.
4. Work with excellence.
No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not only their skills and talents, but also great passion and hard work. They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.
5. Rely on discipline, not emotion.
Leadership is often easy during the good times. It's when everything seems to be against you - when you're out of energy, and you don't want to lead - that you earn your place as a leader. During every season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion.
6. Make adding value your goal.
When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long after they have finished leading, you find that they were men and women who helped people to live better lives and reach their potential. That is the highest calling of leadership - and its highest value.
7. Give your power away.
One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You're meant to be a river, not a reservoir. If you use your power to empower others, your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Ben Stein on God, Country and Christmas
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me.
I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.
I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves..Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Wall Street Journal-How to Develop Future Leaders
It’s a key task for managers: developing the company’s next generation of leaders.
It’s usually less expensive to retain and develop homegrown talent than to hire it from the outside.
Experts recommend creating in-house leadership development programs that single out so-called high-potential employees and put them through multi-year programs, including mentorships, management classes, stretch assignments and coaching. The goal is to elevate candidates above a single function and give them a broader vision of the company.
Read the rest of the article: http://guides.wsj.com/management/managing-your-people/how-to-develop-future-leaders/?mod=rss_WSJBlog
It’s usually less expensive to retain and develop homegrown talent than to hire it from the outside.
Experts recommend creating in-house leadership development programs that single out so-called high-potential employees and put them through multi-year programs, including mentorships, management classes, stretch assignments and coaching. The goal is to elevate candidates above a single function and give them a broader vision of the company.
Read the rest of the article: http://guides.wsj.com/management/managing-your-people/how-to-develop-future-leaders/?mod=rss_WSJBlog
Monday, November 2, 2009
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