If You Can't Lead Yourself, Are You Sure You Can Lead Others?

Being a strong leader can make the difference between success and failure in anything you do professionally.  It starts with your ability to lead yourself...then others!

I think you'll agree that your personal and professional success and your future, is really up to you!  But you also need to realize that your success in your personal and professional life can be enhanced if you, first, know how to lead yourself.  Strong self-leadership will not only determine your future as a leader but also the future of others who look up to you as their leader.

So what exactly, is self-leadership?  It's knowing who you are, who you want to become, and how you're going to get there.  It means being consistent in demonstrating your values and goals.  It requires self-discipline as you strive each day to reach your goals, the ability to change your mental models to survive tough challenges, and a commitment to life-long learning.  It's recognizing the importance of finding new and better ways to build on best practices to achieve your goals.  It allows you to set direction for yourself and for those who look to you for direction.

There are basically three types of leaders.  Those who enhance others by adding value, helping others improve, being honest, genuine and sincere, with excellent communication skills.  Those who neutralize by not doing much of anything because they don't help, usually follow, achieve little and don't add much value.  And, those who diminish or actually take away from the situation and others because they lack confidence and fear change which reveals itself in the putting down or general abuse of others.  Luckily most people don't fall into any one style. 

Ideally, strong leaders should strive to be enhancers.  They are the leaders who are visionaries and can take their organization to the next level.  They're powerful in their level of execution and see possibilities in everything and everyone around them.  They want others to enjoy success, and will contribute to, share and set examples from which others can learn and achieve.  They are honest in their emotions, and understand the importance of being able to laugh at themselves, cry with others, get angry if necessary, and show warmth and kindness when it's most needed.  They are confident in themselves, respected by others, and take their responsibilities seriously.  They know how to stand tall and bring hope to others when chaos abounds.

Since applied knowledge is power, one goal of self-leadership is to start thinking about the type of leader you are and what you can begin doing to become more of an enhancer, a leader that can help make their own and others dreams come true.

The road to understanding and developing self-leadership emphasizes developing self-confidence and a belief that you have he ability to accomplish what you've set out to do; self-esteem that says I really like me; integrity that demonstrates honesty and sincerity toward everyone you come in contact with; a positive mental attitude that helps you focus on the good things you can accomplish rather than the negatives you may face day-to-day; courage to meet and overcome what seem like insurmountable obstacles; persistence to keep trying no matter what the odds; and character expressed through well developed values, morals, and self-discipline that demonstrates you know the right things to do and can do the right things.

Being a strong leader and being able to lead others begins with being excellent at self-leadership.  It's the first step to achieving your personal dreams and professional goals and the ultimate success you want for yourself and others who depend on you as their leader.

MAG                                                                                www.performance-connect.com

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT - 2011

The other day I received the BlessingWhite Employee Engagement Report 2011.  They introduce their report with these bold words:  "In organization's every individual is accountable for his or her own engagement; anyone with direct reports must coach team members to higher levels of engagement and manage his or her own engagement; and executives set the tone for high morale and motivation plus shoulder the responsibilities of individuals and managers".  The report itself is 80+ pages but I'd like to share some of their key findings because whether we want to recognize it or not, as leaders, we must encourage our workforce to build a more engaged organization.

These key findings focus on engagement levels worldwide, the engagement-retention connection, key drivers, and the ways that behaviors of managers and senior leaders influence engagement.

• 31% are Engaged, and 17% are Disengaged.
• There's a strong correlation between engagement levels and age, role/level, and tenure.
• More employees are looking for new opportunities outside of their organization.
• Engaged employees plan to stay for what they give; the Disengaged stay for what they get.
• Employees worldwide view opportunities to apply their talents, career development and training as top drivers of job satisfaction.
• Trust in executives appears to have more than twice the impact on engagement levels than trust in immediate managers does.
• Managers are not necessarily doing the things that matter most.
• Executives appear to struggle with key leadership behaviors.  Engagement surveys without visible follow-up action may actually decrease engagement levels.  

Some of the key implications and recommendations state that to reap the rewards that a more engaged organization promises, your entire workforce needs to be accountable for their piece of the "engagement equation" every day.  As an individual:  Ownership, clarity and action; Managers: Coaching, relationships and dialogue; Executives: Trust, communication and culture.

Think about it, are you making sure your workforce is engaged?

To download your free copy, click on the following link.  http://blessingwhite.com


Regards, Marya

ME, MYSELF, I AND YOU - How We Think and Make Decisions

Have you ever heard of the term "Axiology?" It's a mathematically accurate assessment that objectively identifies how our mind analyzes and interprets our experiences. It identifies how we are most likely to react in any given situation. Ouch!!! So, in plain terms it basically examines "how we think" and helps us understand the patterns we use to make judgments about anything.

Thinking requires three dimensions of thought - Intrinsic, Extrinsic and Systemic. The Intrinsic dimension is unique and singular and involves people, love, feelings, etc. The Extrinsic dimension is more abstract and comparative. It includes elements of the real, material world where we make comparisons of good, better, and best. The Systemic dimension is more formal and organized, and looks at things as they should be. This is the dimension of definitions, what we consider ideal, our goals, structured thinking, rules, policies and procedures, oughts, shoulds...in other words, pure perfection.

When we take these dimensionS of thought into the real world we look at it from an emotional (intrinsic) , practical (extrinsic) and structural (systemic) perspective. For example, if you were planning to buy a car, your first line of thought may be from the practical standpoint - it must get good gas mileage. Your focus is on getting real results from the car so you can save money on gas. Of course, if the car looks good too and is well equipped, this will appeal to your structural perspective. Ah, but not ignore the last aspect in this buying decision. Can you see yourself behind the wheel of the car, looking good, and looking good to others? Yes? Well, if this happens you have now become involved with the car from your emotional perspective. In a non-stressful situation, these three perspectives can work fairly well together.

But, if you put yourself in a high pressure situation, it will change the interaction. In this case your most dominant prospective can take over and become the master of your decision, good, bad, or indifferent! So let me ask you this, when you look back on the decisions you've made in your life hasn't that sometimes occurred? Think about it. They've been either based on emotions, driven by pure comparative analysis, or steeped in logic to the exclusion of all else. Well, now you know why.

Now let's look at thinking from the perspective of ourselves. These perspectives include self-esteem, role awareness and self-direction. Our self-esteem is couched in our self-worth. This allows us to love ourselves and see ourselves as special, unique, and having value outside of our worldly accomplishments. We see people first, and we connect with them. Role awareness is self-application, the physical you. This perspective helps you see yourself in a more physical way. It takes into account the various roles you fill in your life. It demonstrates value in yourself for what you've been able to accomplish. It's practical, results focused and indicates significance. Self-direction is the mental you and relates to your self-concept of yourself. It indicates certainty in where you are in your overall goals and objectives and the rules you follow as you move strategically forward in your life. Information on how you think about yourself helps you understand the uniqueness of you.

So why am I talking about "Axiology", the measurement of how we think and react in a situation and how we think about ourselves? Because today's business success is measured in Human Capital -- the Right talent for the job! Lack of job performance and related employee turnover results in missed business opportunities and increased costs. Eventually this lowers the value of the company.

If this is what you're facing personally, professionally or in your business then doesn't it makes sense to seek a better way to accurately assess and develop yourself and your employees to ensure success. If your goal is to reach optimal performance, then why not have a way to better understand the core dimensions of how you and your employees think and make decisions. The key to improved results is having the right people in the right place, doing the right things for the right reasons. This is vital to goal achievement and better business results.

To learn more about our business acceleration processes, the Attribute Index and how it can help you get a competitive edge call 908-782-9948 or send an email to performconnect@embarqmail.com. You can also visit us at our website: www.performance-connect.com.

Accel NOW!

Adapted from a presentation by J. Niblick, President, Innermetrix, Inc.