Blog author Terry Starbucker writes his top 10 list of how to start a great year on this blog.  Click the link above to read the full list.

The Leadership Trust has been in the throes of kicking off a great 2010 with full expectation of creating greater fun and profit for not only our clients but ourselves as well.  We are more focused than ever and have “hope with a backbone” that 2010 will catapult 2009 into total oblivion.  Dr. Kathy Sturgis created an amazing team building/strategic planning session designed to stretch our potential to compelling performance.  We are no different from any organization – we want the freshness of ideas coming from within and beyond our own walls.  If you’re looking for a jump start, call us, 1-888-313-2570.

The Leadership Trust® is offering a complimentary data collection that allows you to pinpoint potential problems. “If you don’t know, you can’t fix,” and even if you decide not to know, those perceptions of what’s not working at work are still out there and may even be occasional topics of casual conversation, thereby potentially affecting morale.   Find out what needs to change or at least manage any faulty perceptions. And if you need further help doing so, we’re here to help you.

Find out from Heather how the anonymous data collection is performed and your findings shared. You’ll be all the better for it!

Heather Kellum, MBA

Program Coordinator

heather@leadershiptrust.org

Office: 919.484.0999

Toll Free: 888.313.2570

See if you recognize someone you know by visiting our Graduate Testimonials page that includes these videos!  We’d greatly appreciate your sharing this link with you peers, friends, and family!  We are now offering finder’s fees for new clients for both our workshop and onsite consulting services.

You can also find us on You Tube and LinkedIn!

So how do you know?

Collins was inspired to write a book about it.  In his book, he offers ways to look at your company and the interactions amongst it’s leadership team to determine your current state.  Read the exerpt from his book by clicking the link below.

How the Mighty Fall: A Primer on the Warning Signs

If you find your company is on the path to decline, let us help you.  We can take your leaders and your executive team to a new level of leadership that will Improve Relationships to Improve [your] Bottom Line.

Tunnel Vision- “What worked before will work again.”

Why: Often managers are jinxed by their own experience bias.  Seasoned managers with previous experience  in surviving recessionary conditions are likely to follow “what worked before.”  This is a common mistake and it is important for managers to understand that each recessionary environment is not the same, and thus demands unique managerial decision making.  Approaching other managers and  employees in the organization is a good way to generate cost saving ideas and coordinated leaner operations.

Beware Inaction: Another common managerial mistake, in additiona to a bias for repeating the past is simply doing nothing.  Inaction is a very dangerous road for managers and can result in increase employee anxiety, loss of direction and declining morale.  Filing to respond to changes in the business environment is not the measure of an effective manager.  Economic changes present a perfect ociasion to re-examine and revisit existing policies and procedures and look for opportunities to improve processes and save money.

Resources provided upon request.

Confront the Person Sooner, Not Later

Goal: Act fast to show that your company won’t tolerate bad behavior.

The biggest mistake employers make, according to Gary Namie of the Workplace Bullying Institute, is that they don’t pay attention to bullying until it results in a crisis. When grievances emerge, handle them immediately — otherwise victims will stop reporting bad behavior. Talk with the bully and be direct but not confrontational or emotional. Be specific about the behavior: Saying “You told someone to shut up” or “You called someone an idiot” works better than saying “You’re not being nice” or “You’re not being a team player.”

After you describe the complaints, ask for the bully’s thoughts. Watch their style. Do they blame others? Do they get angry? Their reaction may tell you a lot about that person and whether they can change, says Holly Latty-Mann, president of The Leadership Trust, a executive consulting firm in Durham, N.C. Try asking the offender if he or she would want their spouse or their child to be treated the same way at work. “Often their whole demeanor will soften,” Latty-Mann says.

If bullying has proven to be a pattern, it’s important to communicate with HR about the problem employee or perhaps include an HR official in meetings with the accused, says Sandy Gluckman, author of “Who’s in the Driver’s Seat: Using Spirit to Lead Successfully.”

Click here to read more: http://www.bnet.com/2403-13059_23-242687.html

 
Stress reacts physically in your body the same way “fight or flight” does. If you don’t “fight” or you don’t “flee” the stress will remain INSIDE your body and feed on it internally. Some people can physically move around to “trick” the body into believing the EXTERNAL threat is being addressed, thereby alleviating the INTERNAL stress on the immune system.  After all, stress is housed in the body. 

WHAT LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS AND LEADERS CAN DO TO EASE THE EFFECT OF STRESS IN THEIR WORKPLACE
 
•        Offer your work associates the chance to talk about the economy, including actual and potential losses.  This can be done via intact teams or people who work in close proximity. Create the “we are in this boat together” esprit de corps. 
 
•        Anything that ups morale will alleviate stress, whether it is surprise bagels or everyone gets to leave a half hour early today. 
 
•        Email everyone a list of things they can do to handle excess stress along with a note of encouragement. 
 
•        For chronic stress as it relates to high gas prices or gas shortages, create either a 4-day workweek or at least one day working from home – and this is important – let them be a part of that decision. 
 
•        Invite your employees to bring their walking shoes or tennis shoes to work and get them moving (tricks the brain into the flight or fight mode, believing the fear is being addressed). 
 
•        Many executives hold their stress in their shoulders, which can be theorized to represent “holding the weight of the world upon their shoulders.”  Exercise does help alleviate stress, which also explains why so many executives jog and/or play handball.  Some people learn this is where they house their stress when their chiropractors tell them. The truth is that we all house stress in our body, and we need to know where in order to manage it. If, for example, you house stress in your shoulders, punctuate your day with “Where are my shoulders?” Chances are good they are raised when you feel stressful. Likewise, if you lower them while taking a deep breath, you will literally feel stress start to dissipate, thereby offering relief to your immune system.     

 
                        Manage stress, manage your health.
•        NOTE: If the resources are in place, invite employees to a DVD gathering on how to manage stress. Provide popcorn and soda. Better yet, bring in an expert who can speak to these issues, providing encouragement and hope.

5 WAYS INDIVIDUALS CAN ALLEVIATE EXCESS STRESS

 
1)  Your mother was right, “Take a deep breath and count slowly to ten.” This is not just for anger management; it is to handle excess stress. 
 
2)  Stay away from other high-stressed individuals – they exacerbate whatever your own stress level.  
 
3)  Take a few minutes’ mid-morning and mid-afternoon and simply count your blessings. Most people find just one minute works. 
 
4)  Picture something that makes you happy: a laughing baby, your favorite pet, your favorite teacher from grammar school.
 
5)  Combinations of 1 – 4 above. 

Research Findings to Support this Blog: According to Erik B. Herzik and Brent W. Brown’s book, Gubernatorial Leadership and State Policy, “all new governors recreate the governorship in unique forms – starting with the materials at hand, but guided by their own concepts and limited by what events their own skills permit to make of the formal office.”

The North Carolina gubernatorial contest between Republican Pat McCrory, currently mayor of Charlotte, and Democratic Lt. Gov. Beverly “Bev” Perdue allows N.C. voters interesting contrasts in the matchup – not just between gender or party, but also on the way they present themselves as future leaders of the state. In fact, the topic is so important that McCrory’s own tagline for his campaign is “The difference is leadership,” (http://www.indyweekblogs.com/triangulator/tag/pat-mccrory/) while Perdue has run a TV ad that is called “Leader.” (http://www.bevperdue.com/release_details.asp?id=1117)

McCrory’s appeal is his inclusive tone in saying he desires what is best for all parts of North Carolina. As he told one reporter, “I did not give a speech to appease the east over the west, or the Piedmont over either one. I gave a consistent message because I believe if you try to appease everyone, you appease no one and you fail as a leader.” (http://news14.com/content/carolina_decides/595538/perdue-or-mccrory-to-be-next-governor/Default.aspx) He emphasizes his independent streak in not always voting the party line and says that he wants to form coalitions with Democrats. (http://tinyurl.com/talking-about-politics)

Yet at the same time, he underlines that he is an outsider from state government and vows to reform it, a sentiment that plays well with the general discontent a majority of voters have regarding the image of scandals that have involved legislators in recent years. His public speaking style reflects his appearance for being direct – it is “bright, persuasive, confident” but not confrontational. (http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=4647)

As for his opponent, many believe Perdue won her party’s nomination in the May primary by looking straight into the camera during her TV commercials and pledging to run a “positive” campaign – and she held true to that statement. (http://community.myfoxwghp.com/blogs/Neill_McNeill) Her slogan about having “small-town values and big-time ideas” resonates with many North Carolinians as well. A former teacher, Perdue has a deliberate speaking pattern that clearly explains her positions in a relaxed yet forceful manner, making her points by inflecting the key words.

In her stump speeches, she emphasizes her wittiness as much as her smile and warmth. One observer noted that “Perdue is blessed with an appealing personality that includes a burst-out-laughing sense of humor.” (http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/08/26/article/job_and_politics_kept_perdue_bottled_up)

If there is a common thread between Perdue and McCrory, it is that they both have indicated that if they are elected to head the state, their relationship with the General Assembly – not to mention fellow North Carolinians – will be different from that of Gov. Mike Easley, as several observers have criticized his style as being secretive and aloof. They both promise that they will not be conducting business as usual like the current administration, and that there will be more transparency in how they conduct business in state government. Whether this results in more efficient state government remains to be seen, but for now, the fact remains that polls indicate the race between them is close, indicating in part that each has strong characteristics to be a leader among the majority of North Carolina voters.

______________________________________________________

With Election Day rapidly approaching, we thought it would be interesting to study the similarities and differences in leadership qualities between the candidates running for governor of North Carolina. Leadership involves much more than just saying what needs to be done and expecting it to happen, and it will be interesting to see how the two candidates approach our state’s voters.

There is a myth that people are born leaders, but the reality is that leadership is about skills, attitudes and behaviors that are learned over time. (http://www.portfolio.com/resources/insight-center/2007/09/11/Leadership-Ability) People who don’t recognize these skills within themselves cannot act upon them and, as a result, will not be able to contribute to your company to the best of their ability. Taking the time to invest in developing these skills will not only show your employees that you care about them and their future with your company, but it will also result in improving your company’s bottom line. Employees who feel valued are much more likely to have high levels of productivity.

Chances are that if you’re considering sending someone to a leadership development program, you already value something that they bring to your company. Investing in their skills shows that you care about them and their future with your company. Employees who feel appreciated will be less likely to jump ship should another opportunity come along, ensuring that the skills you need remain with your company.

Making an investment in your employees’ leadership skills isn’t just an investment in the individual – it’s an investment in the future of your company. Employees who are strong leaders will have higher levels of productivity, increased job loyalty and the ability to develop leadership skills in others. Empowering your staff to realize their potential will ensure that your company survives any economy, whether it’s good or bad.

Today, I wanted to simply post an insightful quote to stimulate your thinking about leadership. Lynn Hall said, “we do not change as we grow older; we just become more clearly ourselves.” On the other hand, my mother used to say, “Some of us mature, while the rest of us just have birthdays.”

Authentic leadership is all about “becoming clearly ourselves,” and that assumes we’re maturing as we grow older. And both of these concepts involve a good dose of self-awareness, something that tends to be a bit too deficient as folks go about their daily lives.

I invite you all to post your successes and challenges as they relate to leading from your authentic self. I say we can learn even more from our challenges when we garner the courage to work through them; then over time we realize that it’s now a new habit that no longer takes courage. We all stand to be surprised at what happens when we allow ourselves to be truly authentic in both our words and actions.