Skill Assessment: What Type of Leader Are You?

Are you a Cosmetic, Slim•Fast or Healthy Leader?

[A cosmetic person's quality of life is driven by their looks.]

The Cosmetic Leader is only interested in looking good and making surface only improvements. Their focus is primarily self. They think that as long as they look good, people will follow them. They are like everyone else in the fact that they have blemishes, but they spend their energy finding new and more creative ways to cover them up instead of working hard to overcome their shortcomings.


[A Slim•Fast person's eating habits are driven by the latest diet fad and they do not invest time exercising or eating healthy.]

The Slim•Fast Leader is mostly transactional with their leadership. They keep track of good deeds others do or don't do and treat them accordingly. They are one-sided with their development and only focus on leading other's growth, not investing time in self-improvement. They look good, but never really do any of the hard work necessary to create real, meaningful change. They avoid difficult conversations, are risk-averse, too prideful to seek coaching, etc. The Slim•Fast Leader is certainly better off than the Cosmetic Leader, but their systems and philosophies hold them back from creating real, meaningful change in themselves and others.


[The healthy person exercises and eats right.]

The Healthy Leader is a leader inside and out. They look good on the outside as a result of doing the work necessary to be good on the inside. They also demonstrate and promote healthy leadership in themselves and others by doing the hard, dirty, unpopular work that the Cosmetic and Slim•Fast Leaders avoid. They are balanced in their approach to life, growth, time management, priorities, etc. Healthy Leaders serve as selfless role models for the benefits of living a clean, powerful and positive life.



- Posted using my iPhone.

Teaching PLI: A few of my Favorite Leadership Books and Blogs

At the very back of my leadership book, Leaders in Gear, I have a list of my favorite leadership books and blogs.  I have a library of hundreds of leadership and life skills books and I read 150 blogs every day.  These are my favorites...
.

1. The Art of Innovation, Tom Kelley
2. The Bible
3. Brain Rules, John Medina
4. The Dip, Seth Godin
5. The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker
6. The Element, Sir Ken Robinson
7. Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman
8. Getting Things Done, David Allen
9. How to Become a Rainmaker, Jeffrey Fox
10. How to Say it for Women, Phyllis Mindell
11. How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
12. Influence, Robert Cialdini
13. Inspire any Audience, Tony Jeary
14. Leadership 101, John Maxwell
15. Leadership is an Art, Max DePree
16. Little Black Book of Connections, Jeffrey Gitomer
17. Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath
18. Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham
19. Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds
20. Quantum Teaching, Bobbi DePorter
21. Season of Life, Jeffrey Marz
22. See You at the Top, Zig Ziglar
23. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey
24. Slide:ology, Nancy Duarte
25. The Story Factor, Annette Simmons
26. Teaching as Leadership, Steven Farr
27. Three Signs of a Miserable Job, Patrick Lencioni
28. Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill
29. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
30. Winning with People, John Maxwell



1. Books – blog.800ceoread.com
2. Brain Science – brainrules.blogspot.com
3. Business & Sales – www.thejfblogit.co.uk
4. Happiness – www.happiness-project.com
5. Ideas – ben.casnocha.com
6. Ideas – changethis.com/blog
7. Ideas – sethgodin.typepad.com
8. Ideas – www.danpink.com
9. Leadership – plileadership.blogspot.com*
10. Leadership - blogs.hbr.org/goldsmith
11. Leadership – www.allthingsworkplace.com
12. Leadership – www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog
13. Leadership – www.marksanborn.com/blog
14. Presentation Design – blog.duarte.com
15. Presentation Design – www.ethos3.com/blog
16. Presentation Design – www.presentationzen.com
17. Presenting – www.AuthenticityRules.com*
18. Presenting – sixminutes.dlugan.com
19. Productivity – www.zenhabits.com
20. Productivity – www.marcandangel.com
* Rhett’s blog

If you are in the Oklahoma City area and are interested in a powerful personal development conference experience, check out the information and consider attending our Core Four Conference on September 9, 2010.  Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/corefour.  We would love to have you!

General: How to Maximize a Conference Experience

John Maxwell, the famous leadership author and teacher, tells us there are three things we must do to grow as leaders:

1. Surround yourself with the right people.
2. Consume the right media.
3. Attend the right conferences.

When you attend conferences, to make the most of them, follow these five guidelines.

1. Be child-like. This doesn't mean throw a tantrum if the room is too cold. It means ask questions. Lots of them. Don't let your pride or reputation or position keep you from raising that hand and getting clarity, more information or better information.

2. Take organized notes. If you aren't writing, you aren't learning. But don't just write to recall. Write with organization. Make notes of what needs to be delegated, acted upon immediately, filed for later, etc. This will help your post-conference actions take flight quicker and more efficiently.

3. Offer solutions, advice and suggestions in a CVS format. Concrete. Visual. Simple. It is important to not only add value where you can, but to be clear with your thoughts.

4. Maximize gap time. The official sessions and breakouts will be valuable learning environments, but the real magical sharing times happen early in the morning, at meals and during breaks. Make the most of them.

5. Seek out answers. If possible, go to conference with specific questions and challenges you are looking to resolve. Then hunt to find experts, speakers, exhibitors and attendees who might just have the answers you are looking for.



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General: Indiana FFA State Convention 2010

Sold out of Leaders in Gear last night after my keynote at the 2010 Indiana FFA State Convention. I am so very proud of all the students, parents and advisors for investing in their leadership. LiG is packed with tips and strategies to help them know how to use their influence to make a positive difference in the lives of others!



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Skill Assessment: Vital Questions

Many times your effectiveness is based on your ability to know which questions to ask. Here a few vital leadership questions you should be reflecting on regularly:

Am I coachable?
How do I respond to feedback?
Am I fully committed to my leadership duties?
Do I represent the best of my organization?
Am I supporting and encouraging the people around me?
Do my words, body language and attitude lift others or bring them down?
How can I be my best today?


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General: Who is Your Leader Hero?

We are on a search for a few good men and women. Please comment on the one person you most admire as a leader in your life and at least two reasons why. Stories are welcomed. These individuals will be featured on this blog (by us interviewing them directly) and their stories will be shared with thousands during our hundreds of speeches and trainings throughout the year. We look forward to seeing who our readers hold up as model leaders and heroes. Please comment today! Thanks.


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Fostering Relationships: The Leader's #1 Job

Achilles is famous in Greek mythology for his ultimate strength and beauty.  He was the perfect warrior except for his even more famous heel.  A small arrow shot to his heel brought him down.

Every boss, supervisor, business owner, manager and team leader strives for perfect strength and leadership.  They all can be brought down with a number of different weaknesses and tactical errors, but there is one that is the ultimate Achilles Heel - either not knowing or forgetting to do Job #1...

A leader's #1 job is to grow and develop their people.

At a recent state human resources management conference I presented a workshop covering the six keys to getting employees engaged and keeping them engaged in their work.  A major take-away for the HR professionals was based on a question:  do the bosses in your organization have this #1 job in their list of core duties?  Do they personally invest financial and calendar resources to this task?  Their responses were interesting.  Some were shaking their heads yes.  Most had a look that said, "No."

The most important relationship in an organization is the one between a supervisor and their immediate team members.  When this goes bad or isn't healthy, people under-perform, cause trouble or just leave.  There are many reasons why a leader's #1 job is to grow and develop their people, but helping people meet/exceed expectations and enjoy their job is the best reason. 

If you are a boss and/or play a role in helping bosses understand how to do their job effectively, ask yourself that question.  If you don't give a resounding yes, make some changes.  Dedicate a majority of your time developing people and helping them understand expectations, develop their strengths, minimize their weaknesses and have what they need to do their job exceptionally.  Good luck.

Vision: Personal Leadership Plan

"3. Every useful brush has a canvas upon which to leave its mark. Getting into Leader Gear requires a reason, a purpose, a place, a team, a project and/or an idea. You reading this book means you more than likely already have one or more of these. They are essential for your leadership to create real change and value. The secret is not that you need a canvas on which to leave your mark. The secret is that you need to whittle down the size of your canvas for your colors to be bright, bold and substantial. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Although this book covers a wide swath of leadership topics, skills and application points, you need to take a different approach. Focus your leadership strongly in one or two areas. As those areas gain color and strength, you can move on to others. Trying to be everything to everyone is a recipe for disaster. Pick and choose your battles. Prioritize. Think like a master surfer riding a wave. His most important ally is the ability to be totally present; using all his physical and mental strength to read the moment, adjust quickly on the fly and make it to shore safely. Being in Leader Gear means being 100% present for the people and projects that need your time, attention and leadership. On their behalf, thank you for giving 100% to moving from a leader in waiting to a Leader in Gear."

Those are the final words of the first chapter of my new leadership book, Leaders in Gear.  The core lesson is you must have a place to apply your leadership.  You are a leader because you have influence on others - for good or for bad.  However, your goal is to put action to your leadership and this requires a field on which to throw the ball around. If you are struggling with where to apply your leadership or if you think it is time to kick it up a few notches, you should consider going through the process of creating a Personal Leadership Plan. 

(Click here for a visual version of the following process.)


Personal Leadership Plan
Step 1.  What is your definition of leadership?  This definition should be brief - like a mission statement - and should give you (and others) a sense of your core values and beliefs about leadership and influence.

Step 2.  Who are the people and projects in your life that need your leadership the most?  This list should be short as well.  Just a handful of people and a few projects, but be specific.  List faces, not groups.  List general tasks at home, work and play, not just home, work and play.

Step 3.  What specific actions do you need to take to be a better leader for each person and project?  How can you "act out the words" in your leadership definition?  Again, be specific.

Step 4.  Break each action down.  List out the goals and the benefits of accomplishing each.  Give yourself benchmarks.  How will know that you are half-way and all-the-way finished with that goal (with the understanding that some of the goals may be perpetual)?  Most importantly, give yourself time reminders.  When will you revisit this plan to check in on yourself and see how you are doing?  You should not only write these in your plan, but also put them in your calendar tool.

Step 5.  ACT!  You might be amazed by either how much leadership you are already doing and simply aren't labeling it that or by how much you aren't doing.  Either way, a PLP is a valuable and meaningful process only if you get to and complete step 5.  Good luck!

Fostering Relationships: The Power of Importance

Feeling important is a driving force for leaders.  Like most things, this force is used for good and bad.  Leaders who have a need to feel important for the sole purpose of being a person of importance lead a shallow and roller-coaster life.  Their sense of self-worth is so attached to their current position of power or influence that they end up being very self-centered.  This is a dangerous way to lead because when your focus is solely or mostly on self, you can act in ways that only serve you – dishonesty, cheating, rudeness, etc.

The productive angle on importance is to have a need to feel important because you desire to do important, meaningful and valuable work.  This method drives you, but unlike the first approach, the end goal is not to spotlight you, but to spotlight the end results of your work.  Your self-worth is still attached to something, but it is something that is benefiting the big world, not just your little world.

The power of importance can not be overstated when dealing with other people.  If you think of your “favorite people” list, a common trait they probably all have is they lift you up and make you feel good when you are around them.  Leverage this dynamic to play a positive role in the emotional maturity and quality of life of the people around you. 

Remember, when you make others feel more important than they actually are, you become more important to them.  What a great way to be a person of importance in your home life, school or work life – to lift up others.

Skill Assessment: Grow Into Who You Used To Be

I have the great privilege once again of speaking to my alma mater this afternoon - Oklahoma State University.  I will have 75 leaders from across the campus in Tulsa for two hours.  The program is one I created a few years back called the Unmade Leader.  The concept is very simple - leaders are born and then unmade.  It is based on research and observations that as young people we have many traits that make us great leaders.  Then over time, because of pride, failures, peer pressure, misguided priorities, etc., those traits become diluted, diminished or deleted.

The program today is built on seven specific traits we tend to lose as we age, get more educated and/or get more experienced.  Two examples are energy and trust.  Being young is synonymous with having a ton of energy.  Age naturally changes this.  However, great leaders are able to defy nature and maintain an energetic mind, body and spirit. This allows them to not only get more done, but also inspire others to do the same.  A positive, active attitude is highly contagious. 

Our perspective of trust also changes as we grow older, more educated and more experienced.  The major change that negatively impacts leadership effectiveness is thinking you are above the laws - both the small and big ones.  There is an innocence that we lose over time that distorts our thinking about how we do life.  We think that because we are adults or professionals we can bend rules.  A small example is responding to voice mails or emails.  When you get a request from someone, it is not only unprofessional, but also damaging to your trust account to allow a long period of time to pass before you respond.  The distorted thinking is, "my time and attention is more valuable than your need for even a small portion of it."  This is your ego getting in the way of good manners and trust building.

The big challenge of this afternoon's program will be to "grow into who you used to be."  Many times we are so focused on learning more, doing more, getting more education, getting more professional development, etc. when the reality may be that you need to start forgetting some ways you have learned and grow back into the powerful leader you used to be. 

By the way, the other five leadership traits that become diluted, diminished or deleted over time are:  optimism, decisiveness, authenticity, appreciation and growth.

Wise Judgment: How Are You Doing With Decisions?

Decisions rule our lives.  Every action started with a decision.  Some are simple - What should I have for breakfast? - and some are complex - How can we get more members for our organization?  Our ability to make the best choice consistently drives our quality of life and our ability to gain and keep trust from those we are charged with leading. 

So, how are you doing?  Spend some time reflecting on your answers to the following questions.  Your answers will reveal where you are today with the PLI Essential of Wise Judgment...

1.  How do you respond when you make a bad choice?
2.  How do you respond when you see someone you love make a bad choice?  What about a stranger?
3.  What good choice do you make consistently?
4.  Why are you continuing to make a bad choice in a certain area of your life?
5.  Who do you seek advice from?
6.  What is a bad choice in your past that you haven't found peace with yet?
7.  Are you making choices on a daily basis for the sole purpose of lifting up and helping others?
8.  If you could teach others how to make better choices in one area of their lives, what would you teach?
9.  Do you think you are making certain choices that are wrong, but you have chosen to justify, validate or ignore?
10.  Are you patting yourself on the back enough for the good choices you are making today?  Are you doing this for your close friend and family members?
11.  What is one choice you know you need to make today to improve your quality of life?
12.  What values/beliefs serve as a guide for your decisions?

General: New Leadership Book Available Now!

Rhett's new leadership book is now available for purchase.  Leaders in Gear is the perfect companion to your Personal Leadership Insight study.  It is a powerful study guide to improving your personal leadership, team leadership and presentation abilities.  Learn more about this great new resource and order your copy today - http://leadersingear.blogspot.com/.

"A must read with powerful tips on every page to shift your leadership gears into overdrive and genuinely impact who you are, who you will become, and non-stop, real-life “how to’s.” I'd recommend this book to managers, speakers, consultants, and organizational leaders; everyone who cares about becoming more effective--now. Rhett literally hands the reader an entire career of experiences devoted to building character, skill, and personal impact. With Leaders In Gear, you’ll find yourself in the driver’s seat.”
Steve Roesler, President and CEO
Roesler Consulting Group
www.steveroesler.com

General: Some Leadership Food for Thought

Following are ten Tweets from Rhett's personal Twitter account that could be used as leadership food for thought and/or quotes to post in your classroom or boardroom.  Enjoy...

1. To be a great presenter you have to equally care and have total disregard for how the audience feels and thinks about you and your content.
2. When you fully and genuinely believe in something, it causes others to believe more deeply in you even if they don't share your belief.
3. If you are a lukewarm leader, let someone on fire take the lead. Lack of growth is not the economy's fault - it is yours. Get in gear.
4. You should receive personal gain from the blood, sweat and tears you give as a leader. Just make sure your gain is not your neighbor's pain.
5. Great ideas hide under piles of hard work, bad ideas and self-doubt. They discriminate and only want to associate with people who dig deep.
6. Love and money make the world go round. One is worthless without the other and one is worth more than the other. You decide which is which.
7. To purely evaluate a musical piece, listen with eyes shut by yourself. To purely evaluate a leader, ask how they act when no one is watching.
8. Famous people are leaders because they need attention. Real people are leaders because they give the attention to more important things.
9. Stop using "the economy is bad" as an excuse to not fundraise for good causes. Avatar brought in $500 mil+. You need way less. Go get it.
10. There are 2 types of people: 1) Those driven by improving the big world. 2) Those driven by improving their little world. We need more 1's.

Also, pre-order Rhett's new leadership book, Leaders in Gear.  It will arrive on your doorstep in April.

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Teaching PLI: Must Read Posts for PLI Teachers

We are having a great time at the California Association of Directors of Activities state conference in Reno. Over 1,000 dedicated Activities Directors, Class Advisors, Administrators and Leadership Teachers from California and beyond. Since we are going to have a number of new PLI affiliated schools, it is time to remind all our PLI teachers of the most useful blog posts for your teaching experience. Enjoy!

Essential Resources for PLI Teachers

Iphone App

Exceptional PLI Authors, Bloggers, Videos

How to Run Your Initial PLI Classes

Overview of the HUGE PLI Delicious Database

TRAX Grading/Evaluation System

Books to Supplement PLI

Vision: Are you a Visionary?

The PLI Essential of Vision is all about making decisions in the short term to satisfy the needs of the long term.  In terms of action, it is less about tomorrow and more about today.  What are doing right now, in five minutes from now or this afternoon to get you where you want to be tomorrow, five years from now or five hundred years from now (leaving a legacy)?

A Visionary is a leader whose actions today are guided by their expectations and goals of tomorrow.  A key distinction to make is that there are actions involved.  A Visionary is not just someone who sits around all day thinking about their future.  A Visionary is someone who sits around for five minutes thinking about their future and then acts all day to make it a reality.  They are someone who sits around for a week thinking about their future and then acts for a year to make it a reality. 

The only true way to know if you are living the life of a Visionary is to answer “the future” when you ask yourself, “Are my actions today guided by where I need to be right now or in the future?” 

You need $20,000 in your savings account next year?  Spend wisely today.  You need to be 20 pounds lighter in six months?  Eat less today.  You need a job next week?  Make more phone calls today.  You need to rock out a presentation this afternoon?  Stop reading this blog post and get to work right now.  :)

Vision is all about ironing out where you want to be in the future and then acting accordingly today to get there.  Goal Processing is the stuff in the middle.  Make sure you study and practice both.

Teaching PLI: The PLI Blog iPhone App is Here!

If you have an iPhone and enjoy studying leadership, you will be pleased to know the PLI Blog iPhone App is now available on the iTunes App Store.

Click here to learn more and download.

The PLI Blog App Includes:

The RSS feed of this blog.

The RSS feed of my Authenticity Rules speaking skills blog.

The RSS feed of our PLI_Leadership Twitter tweets.

The RSS feed of our huge Delicious links database.

It is a very valuable and very free leadership library in the palm of your hands. Enjoy!

Fostering Relationships: How Leaders Deliver Bad News

Deciding to step up and create change, take charge or accept responsibility for making decisions is rarely easy. There are some simple strategies you can use to simplify the leadership process, but simple and easy are not the same thing.

One of the most challenging parts of being in a leadership position is having to make decisions that are necessary, but unpopular. These decisions can temporarily alienate you from your team, turn friends into enemies and just add friction to your relationships. How do you strike an even balance between keeping people happy (satisfied, challenged, engaged, etc.) and moving the organization forward?

One of the first things you need to decide when you step up to engage your leadership is that you are ok with not always being liked. This doesn’t mean you upset people or treat others poorly intentionally. It means forward movement involves change. Change is feared, battled against and unpopular. Yet, as the leader, your job is to guide this change and because of your job description, you are not always going to be the most popular person in the office, school or construction site.

Image Source: stockxpert.com

“To be able to lead others, a man must be willing to go forward alone.” Harry S. Truman

Secondly, before you make a decision that you know is going to be widely unpopular, make certain you foster a few key relationships. Have a sit down with the team members who many people trust and respect and discuss the pros and cons of your decision. Your job here is diplomacy – doing your best to communicate clearly and simply the benefits of your move for everyone involved. You should also sit down with your most vocal opponent and just listen. Make them feel like they have your ear.

We have all heard stories of people being fired by text message or divorced via court documents. These stories serve as a reminder that a message’s medium is almost as important as the message itself. Zig Ziglar, the grandfather of motivational speakers, announced a major decision for his company via a company-wide email. He later apologized. Not for the message, but for how it was given. It is important to deliver the message as personally as possible. This is not the easiest path, but it is the most leaderly.

Finally, when you find yourself in conversation with your team about their viewpoint, be as cordial, caring and empathetic as possible. The ability to gracefully agree to disagree will go a long way. However, be confident and resolute when stating your viewpoint and the reasons why you made the decision you did.

Leaders have to deliver bad news or unwelcomed news because their job one is to deliver results. However, the best leaders take strides to protect and secure relationships because they are just as important as the results.

Fostering Relationships: Dealing with a Controlling Boss

How do you deal with a boss who makes decisions and policies that are negatively impacting the work place, but they continue to make them anyway because they have an inflated need for control?

1. Be empathetic. For most of the decisions your boss is making, there is a good and valid reason. Many times, those in leadership know more about the reasons than they are either willing or able to share. However, this isn't an excuse for acting powerless. Make sure to at least ask for the reason(s) behind the policy. You can also request empathy from them. Next time they set a policy that is hindering your ability to do good work, ask them (in a calm, cool and positive tone) for suggestions on how they would operate if they were in your position. Ask them for advice. This gesture will feed their need for power, but also force them to really think about the practical impact of the decision or policy.

2. Ask for changes. Powerful people are just like everyone. They are annoyed by people who challenge their opinions and decisions. However, powerful people also respect those who demonstrate power and have little respect for the weak. Your controlling boss won't enjoy you asking for changes, but they just might respect you for it. If you do it the right way.

3. Embrace risk. There is always a risk when you challenge the system, when you don't just lay down and when you try to take the lead. That is why it is very important to weigh the consequences and make sure it is worth the risk to fight for whatever you want to fight for. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it is not.

4. Start small. If you have a controlling boss, you probably have a list of things you would change if you were in charge. Write down this specific list and prioritize them in order of size of difficulty for your boss to change. Begin requesting changes, but start with the small things. If you win a few small ones, this might give you some "change capital" to use for the larger items; especially if those small changes dramatically improve the performance of your part of the company or organization. Even if you don't get the larger ones changed, you at least made a few changes happen.

5. Start big. You can also try the reverse strategy. Ask for something big to be changed, but have an "other-pocket request" that is smaller and that you can use if they reject the first one.

6. State the benefits. When you do ask for changes, back up the request with a few clear explanations of how the current way is hurting the organization and a few valid reasons for your requested change. Try your best to leave you and your boss out of it. Speak in terms of the potential upside for the organization.

7. Be an ally. Although difficult to put into practice, your boss is more likely to relinquish control if they learn to trust you more. Trust is a by-product of three things: reputation (I don't know you, but someone I trust does), repetition (you have repeatedly exhibited behavior that makes me trust you) and relationship (I know you and I like you, so I trust you). Many times in a formal organizational structure, it is difficult to earn all three, but that is your goal. The most powerful one of the three is relationship. Find some small and large ways to foster a relationship with your boss. After all, they are human (even if there are times you swear they don't have a belly button).

8. Choose positive responses. Never respond to your boss with sarcasm, cynicism, anger, jealousy or greed. These times require you to be calm, professional and positive. Therefore, don't engage with them when you are filled with a negative emotion. Take a day or two to think about it and chat with them when you have a calm head.

9. Face to face. Even though you need to remain positive, these interactions are certainly not going to all be positive. There will be difficult conversations. One of the reasons why your boss is controlling is because it works. Most people run from conflict and choose not to engage or ask for what they need because are afraid. They don't think its their place. They aren't willing to stomach the consequences. You need to be a stronger leader and be willing to engage in difficult conversations with your boss face to face.

10. Its not personal. This is not true in all cases, but many times the policies and situations your controlling boss has created is a response to their need for perfection (or their need to avoid conflict). It is not about you. So, don't take it personally. Ie - its not that they don't trust you or want to see you fail, they just don't know any other way to lead.

(11. Get a new job. Life is too short to work for a leader who doesn't know how to lead.)

General: Updated Version of The Leader's Credo

The Leader's Credo

I will lead & always remember what it is like to follow.

I will speak my voice & listen for you speaking yours.

I will be me & let you be you.

I will not pretend to be perfect & not expect that from you.

I will lift you up & give thanks when I am lifted.

I will live a clean, powerful & positive life.

I will focus on our commonalities & not our differences.

I will choose to smile & enjoy life.

I will look for the good in myself & in you.

I will learn from those who have journeyed before me & leave a
challenge for those yet to arrive.

I will change where change is needed & remain the same where it is not.

I will arrive early & stay late.

I will strive to do valuable & meaningful work.

I will be clear in voice, motive & action.

I will remember my job is to serve & every day find a way to take you to work with me.

Download PDF of The Leader's Credo

Download The Leader's Credo Discussion Cards

Download The Leader's Credo Discussion Cards (formatted for print)

General: A Short List of Exceptional Authors and Others

Who you are today is an equal mix of genetics and inputs.

Half of who you are is a product of your parent's DNA. That half is stagnant, done, and written in stone. The other half is a product of who you are around, what you read/listen to/watch. Following is a short list of inputs I keep in front of me on a daily basis.

Seth Godin - Marketing guru, author, blogger. His blog is packed with exceptional thinking.

Zig Ziglar - The grandfather of motivational speakers. His book See You at the Top is a must read.

Ben Casnocha - A young entrepreneur and blogger. His blog will expand your circle in a big way.

Chip and Dan Heath - Marketing experts. All marketers, teachers and speakers should read Made To Stick.

Gretchen Rubin - Blogger on emotional awesomeness.

Leo Babauta - Blogger on productivity.

Malcom Gladwell - Author. His books and articles are seriously intriguing.

John Maxwell - Author. The grandfather of modern leadership teaching.

Steve Roesler - Success Consultant and Blogger. If you lead others, you should subscribe to his blog.

Garr Reynolds - Author on designing great presentations and blogger.

Nancy Duarte - Author on designing great presentations and blogger.

TED - The annual conference of everything next level. Site includes hundreds of past video clips. [iTunes link]

Terry Gross - Host of NPR's Fresh Air. A daily radio show of interesting people. [iTunes link]

Ira Glass - Host of This American Life. A weekly radio show of interesting stories. [iTunes link]

Dick Gordon - Host of APM's The Story. A daily radio show of interesting stories. [iTunes link]

Dave - Host of a weekly chillout, trip hop and downtempo music called Dave's Lounge. [iTunes link]

Service Mindedness: The Elected Student Leader's Credo

The Elected Student Leader's Credo.
Thoughts on Intentional Leadership

I will lead and always remember what it is like to follow.

I will speak my voice and listen when you are doing the same.

I will be me and let you be you.

I will not pretend to be perfect and not expect that from you.

I will lift you up and give thanks when you return the favor.

I will live a clean-powerful-positive life and help you do the same.

I will focus on how we are the same and not worry about how we are different.

I will choose to smile and let you smile when you choose to.

I will look for the good in myself and in you.

I will learn from those who have come before and leave a challenge for those yet to come.

I will change where change is needed and remain the same where it is not.

I will arrive early and stay late.

I will strive to do valuable, meaningful work and help you do the same.

I will be clear in voice, motive and action and strive to understand you.

I will remember my job is to serve and every day find a way to take you to work with me.

10 Ways the Threshold Thread Works

 

The Threshold Thread is a concept I have developed to frame the quintessential success trait of high-achievers.

They all have developed the ability to push their capacities further than the average person.

So, what are the most common skill areas high-achievers have pushed the threshold in? The following list highlights one skill area per PLI Essential. As you read through the list, think about how you are doing with each skill area in your life. When was the last time you worked to push yourself in each area?

Visualize the future you want for yourself, your organization, your company, your family, etc. just a little clearer, believe in that future just a little stronger and work just a little harder to create it. If you do, you are living the Threshold Thread.

Be just a little more convicted in your beliefs and values than you were yesterday. Make them stronger as you go. Your average person's conviction in their values gets weaker from the time they set them. You will be a living example of the Threshold Thread if your values and beliefs get stronger.

When faced with a challenge, move quicker into solution mode than you did yesterday.

The Threshold Thread is a powerful concept when applied to your decision making. Are you making better decisions today than you did yesterday? One way to do this is to gather clearer and more exact information than you did before. You can't create specific solutions with vague information.

It is natural to be self-serving. It is a basic human defense mechanism that dates back to the start of the human race. Oh, look - a bear! I had better think about myself and away. However, the Threshold Thread is about crossing over certain lines so you can have a higher quality of life today than you did yesterday. One of those lines is the line between MySpace and YourSpace. It is the line between thinking about yourself first/second/third or thinking about yourself first and then others second/third/etc.

What have you done today to move you closer to a big and/or small goal you have? Most high-achievers don't make few huge leaps forward, but many small steps forward. Remember, the Threshold Thread is about pushing your capacity for action just a little further than you did before. Most of this "pushing" will be done in small spurts.

This PLI Essential is about knowing who you are and how to leverage your uniqueness for success. Get to know yourself a little more today by thinking about why you do what you do and how you can make adjustments to achieve a higher quality of life.

This is the Threshold Thread's most fertile ground in terms of helping you achieve a higher quality of life - your Emotional Maturity. One starter example, how do you respond to stress in your life? How do you respond when something goes wrong, someone aggravates you, something breaks, you disappoint yourself, etc.? Really think about if your responses to these situations are adding or detracting from your quality of life, learn how to make them better and then act.

Relationships are just like plants: they come in all different shapes and sizes, some can survive with minimal attention, but most require daily care and we aren't born with the ability to keep them in great shape - we have to learn what it takes to do so. Push your relationship fostering abilities just a little bit forward. A few small changes can make huge differences.

Your quality of life is directly impacted by your ability to effectively communicate with those around you. Next time you find yourself struggling in a writing, listening, or speaking situation, afterwards make a note to find out how people who succeed in those situations do it and model their success.

Skill Assessment: The Quintessential Success Trait

What does it take to reach success in any field?

I believe it entirely depends... if you are trying to fully explain each high-achiever's individual success. The most common traits that show up on these lists include determination, luck, hard-work, timing, passion, intelligence, networking, etc.

However, upon closer examination you will find there are a few commonalities.

My day job for the past 10 years has been teaching people how to be better leaders and, ultimately, how to do life better. Therefore, I have spent thousands of hours studying, examining and thinking about success and how to help people get there and stay there. Through this I have discovered a very powerful common trait among successful people.

I call this common trait... The Threshold Thread.

The Threshold Thread is a concept I have developed to frame the quintessential success trait of high achievers. They all have developed the ability to push their capacities further than the average person. They have expanded, enhanced and empowered -- this is the threshold part -- a large variety of skill areas -- this is the thread part, this capacity is woven throughout many aspects of their life.

The Threshold Thread concept leaves us with many questions:

• How did they achieve this capacity expansion ability?
• Who are some specific examples of The Threshold Thread?
• What are the most common skill areas high-achievers have pushed the threshold in?
• How does this concept gel with the success concept of getting highly skilled in one or two very focused areas?
• What is preventing the average person from achieving this?

These are the questions I will be challenging you to think about and work through over the next few posts as we close out 2009 here at the Personal Leadership Insight blog. Keep checking in for more...

Fostering Relationships: Negotiating With Your Advisor

I teach leadership to thousands of young people and professionals every year. One common question I get often from student leaders is, "How do I get things done when my advisor keeps saying no and shutting me down?"

Here are the strategies I shared with a recent group of young leaders:

1. Understand why they are saying no. A good amount of their motivation for saying no (especially if they are a veteran advisor) is because they have been burned by previous students in your position who have had great ideas or wild ideas that the student didn't follow through on and the situation ended up with the advisor having to do all the work. Your advisor may also have constraints or barriers that are only visible to them (administration pressure, peer pressure, funding limits, school rules, etc.) and sometimes it may be quicker and easier for them to use the strategy of just saying no instead of doing what they should do which is to say no (if they have a valid reason), explain to you why they are saying no and then helping you come up with an idea that will work.

2. Which brings us to strategy number two, when you approach your advisor (either on the local, state or national levels) be prepared for a no response. Ie - don't get so emotionally invested in an idea or project before you seek approval that a no is going to totally topple you.

3. If you do get a no response, ask for an explanation why and start going to plan B with them. Plan B should be a version of Plan A with compromises made. This is where the negotiation strategies begin. This will demonstrate a few things: you are committed to the idea at least enough to fight for it, you are willing to work with them, and you have put enough thought into your idea to actually have plan B. And of course, have a Plan C, D, and E ready also.

4. There are some strategies you can employ to give your plan A a fighting chance right off the bat though:

A. Do as much information gathering beforehand as possible. Find out school/organization policies, do market research, get your team together, etc.

B. Do some initial work to demonstrate your commitment to the project. Now, it is important not to do too much and it is important not to use that pre-work as a bargaining chip. Ie. don't say, "But how can you say no? Look at all the work we have already done!" This is a negative negotiation strategy that will cost you trust chips with your advisor, not earn them.

C. Be ready to answer questions from your advisor to support and sell your idea. Most ideas get shot down early not because they are bad ideas, but because they didn't have someone doing a good enough job championing them.

Good luck and if you need specific help with your specific struggle, feel free to email me at rhett @ yournextspeaker.com. Or send me a Facebook message - Rhett Laubach.

Fostering Relationships: The S.M.I.L.E. Formula to Networking Success

There are many times when leaders (especially younger, student leaders) are called to host events, attend events or otherwise be in potentially uncomfortable or "new and different" social situations where you are seen as the leaders of the room. In these situations, it is important to remember that you can make or break the situation. Ie - if you look bored, disengaged, stressed, etc. - these body langauge signals are read by and mirrored by a large portion of the group. However, if you look, feel and act energized, engaged, joyful and excited - again these signals are picked up and mirrored.

Therefore, in order to remember how to maximize these opportunities, remember to S.M.I.L.E.:

S - Socialize...

...with as many different people in the room as possible from as many different groupings as possible. These groupings may include age, profession, school, how well you know them, etc. It is important to look and be active, moving and welcoming to all. It is also vital that you not look like you are showing favortism to any one person or group.

(Student elected leaders - your natural inclination in situations like this will be to hang out with your safe and comfortable friends on your officer team. Avoid this. Set a 10-feet rule and try to stay at least 10-feet from the other members of your team. This will be a way to ensure you are spending your time with the students/parents/teachers and not just your friends.)

M - Model...

...what a gracious, friendly and excited leader should look, feel and be like. Even if you don't feel like it, fake it until you find it. You are the leader in the room. Your presence is felt in a large way. Make it a good one. One that makes people feel glad they chose to come to your event, meeting, etc.

I - Interested/Interesting

This double "I" is so important. The first I is Interested. As you work the room and make people feel at home, be interested in what is going on with them. Have a list of standard questions you are going to ask people. If you need help with this, visit this post. Also, be interested in terms of their needs. Is the room hot/cold? Do they have everything they need for the purpose of the event (paper, pen, drink, food, place to sit, etc.)?

The second "I" is to be Interesting. This means when they ask you questions or you have an opportunity to share, have something interesting to say. Be knowledgable about your organization, the event, yourself, etc. The point here is not to get the attention on you ("The best conversationalists actually say the least." Dale Carnegie), but when the attention does fall on you, be worth listening to.

L - Laugh

The best way to lift a room and get people ready for a great event, meeting, etc. is to look and feel in a good mood. Throw a smile on your face (you will look better) and remember to have fun. Even the most serious meetings and events need a foundation of humor, laughter and positive emotion to take the edge off of the room and the people in it. You will also find that if you laugh and enjoy yourself, your stress will turn into positive stress and you will actually enjoy yourself more. This is especialy true when something goes wrong (which it always will.) Remember this phrase: take your job serious, but not yourself.

E - Energy

I have personally attended or spoken at thousands of meetings and events. The number one strategy I use to help influence the mood and feel of the room is to express energy in my body language. Walk fast. Lean forward when people talk. Ask questions. Respond in a positive manner to questions. A week after your event, the majority of the people at your event will have forgotten what was said or what they ate, but most of them will remember how they felt when they were around you. Lift their spirits by having your energy and engagement high. (Here are a few tips from one of my favorite bloggers on the right ways to find and maintain energy.)

General: A Healthy, Happy Leader

As a leader, you are not only more active than others, but you have more responsibility than others. This means you need to do what you can to stay healthy and happy.


St. Jude was one of four institutions world-wide asked by Washington, D.C. to help create vaccines for H1N1. Here is a release from St. Jude with some H1N1 prevention tips...

It's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. The portals of entry are the eyes, nostrils and mouth/throat. Contact with H1N1 may not be as much of a problem if you can avoid proliferation.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand washing

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. That doesn't mean just your eyes, nose and mouth. Resist all temptations to touch any part of the face (unless you are eating or bathing).

3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (or use Listerine if you don't like salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Use of a Neti Pot can help wash away proliferating viruses. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down the viral population.

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Goal Processing: T-COIN Time Management

A quick time management strategy that will save you a ton of time:

Spend your time with T-COINs: Take Care Of It Now.

If you are presented with a small task that will take 2-minutes or less to do (entering a business card into your digital rolodex, washing a dirty dish, making a quick phone call, sending an email, etc.) do it right now. Every little thing you think of that you either don't do or don't purposefully put on an action list weighs on your mind and bogs down your ability to focus on larger tasks.

Clear up your mind by spending your time with T-COINs.

The Purpose Must Match the Challenge

All great challenges must be matched with a great purpose.

As a leader, you are probably asking others to give more, do more and be more - to rise to the challenge. Their performance is directly influenced by your ability to develop, frame and sell the purpose behind the challenge.

The Challenge's Purpose

1. Make it personal to them. Not for the company's benefit or your benefit, but for their benefit. Use their language, their stories, and their outcome.

2. Make it simple, especially if you are communicating to a large group. Some of the biggest decisions we make in life are based on the simplest of truths.

3. Make it timely. I am going to be more equipped to give a ton of energy today if it helps me solve a problem or accomplish a goal I have today - not miles down the road.

4. Be Authentic, Believable and Compelling. The mechanics of effective selling (whether it is a machine or a message) include both content and delivery.

Teaching PLI: How to Run Your Initial PLI Curriculum Sessions

This post is primarily for our wonderful teachers and facilitators of the PLI curriculum, but is also a good read for anyone teaching leadership. Following are a few tips/suggestions on how to run your initial sessions (i.e. – your sessions before you start going through the Vision Essential.)

1. Pick one of the five breakdowns of the PLI Essentials in the opening section of your Navigator (PLI Essentials Defined, PLI Natural Laws, Basic Questions, Heroic Acts, Team Needs) and use it as a basis for group discussion/overview of the ten Essentials. The purpose here is to get everyone enrolled in the ten Essentials, as well as get a very specific conversation going about leadership behaviors.

2. Take the breakdown of the PLI definition (on the page in your Navigator that is titled Understanding PLI), and have the group member’s go around and read each element out loud. Either after each piece is read or after the entire breakdown is read, have a discussion about the group members’ thoughts. The purpose here is to get a very general conversation going about leadership.

3. Ask each of your group members to peruse the PLI blog and come to the session armed with one blog post that resonated with them and that they would like to have the group discuss the merit of. The purpose here is to get them started using the blog, as well as engaging them in the session very quickly by having them bring something of value to the table.

4. Pick anything on the Locator’s pages 6-7 (their intro pages) to use as fodder for group discussion.

5. Ask each group member to pick either a historical leader or a leader they personally know and prepare a short explanation outlining: why they picked that person and which of the PLI Essentials that person demonstrates at an expert level. Again, the purpose here is to get the group members immediately engaged in the session by having an assignment to bring. They will also have to study up on the Essentials to know which one(s) to tie to their selected leader.

Let us know how it goes!

A Leadership Skill List that Roars!

The town I grew up in is called Laverne, OK (Population:  1,200).  I rarely make it back to Laverne, it is in far Northwestern Oklahoma, but I made a special trip this past weekend to help 50 of their high school students learn how to be better leaders. 

One of our goals of the day was to get everyone in the room on the same page regarding how they expect each other to act as leaders.  Laverne’s mascot is the Tiger and their Top 10 Tiger Skills list is a clear, precise and thorough checklist for anyone wanting to be a better leader in their home, school, business or community:

1. Find the Good in Others

2. Be Aware of Others

3. Help Others Daily

4. Listen Actively

5. Speak Up

6. Stand Out

7. Be Convincingly Positive

8. Be Wildly Creative

9. Own Your Life

10. Do Leadership Today

 

Great list, huh?  Also, if you are teaching leadership, this is a great idea of what to do with a list like that.  After we created the list together (which I only cleaned up the language on – every list entry was their idea), each student set a very specific and action oriented “how I will help my home, school or community this year” goal, wrote it on an index card, wrote why the accomplishment of that goal is important and then showed and talked about their goal with all their peers.  It was a powerful day!

Teaching PLI: The Absolutely Huge PLI Delicious Links Database

Del.icio.us is one of the most popular social bookmarking sites. It works just like the favorites in your internet browser - only anyone can see what you bookmark. For example, if you have an interest in gardening, you can peruse Deli.cio.us and look through other gardening enthusiasts' links to find their favorite sites.

We have this set up for our leadership curriculum. I read around 150 blogs every day. When I come across a post that fits into one of our 10 PLI Essentials, I tag it. This enormous collection of leadership lessons, strategies and advice is now over 800 posts large!

So, how can you find value in this resource? If you are reading this blog to engage in personal leadership development, you can read through our Del.icio.us links to further your studies. If you are reading this blog as a PLI teacher/facilitator, you can find additional fodder for group discussion, ideas for lessons and much more from the Del.icio.us links.

Beware, even though every Del.icio.us link is indexed by PLI Essential, the size of the database can be overwhelming. Therefore, we have culled a few from the herd to get you started.

 
Vision [all Del.icio.us links]
9 tactics to effectively communicate your vision [link]
Creating a personal vision [link]
Ducks In A Row: Leadership Vision [link]


Integrity [all Del.icio.us links]
What you say, what you do and who you are [link]
Is effort a myth? [link]


Innovativeness [all Del.icio.us links]
5 Practical Steps for Generating New Ideas and Insights [link]
Where are you most creative [link]
10 Tips on how to think like a designer [link]


Wise Judgment [all Del.icio.us links]
The Essential Guide to Effective Decision Making [link]
The Fine Art of Decision-Making – 7 Tips for Getting Decisions Made Easier [link]


Service Mindedness [all Del.icio.us links]
How Giving Changes Everything [link]
A Guide to Cultivating Compassion in Your Life, With 7 Practices [link]

    
Goal Processing [all Del.icio.us links]
Theory of Productivity [link]
Topics du Jour: Give Your Life Direction in Less than 10 Minutes a Day [link]
Seven Productivity Tips For People That Hate GTD [link]


Skill Assessment [all Del.icio.us links]
12 Keys to Greater Self-Awareness [link]
Do You Have an Excessive Need to Be Yourself? [link]
50 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do [link]


Emotional Maturity [all Del.icio.us links]
Happiness Quiz: How well do you know yourself? [link]
12 Practical Steps for Learning to Go With the Flow [link]


Fostering Relationships [all Del.icio.us links]
50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind [link]
21 Keys to Magnetic Likeability [link]


Masterful Communication [all Del.icio.us links]
Nine steps to PowerPoint magic [link]
PowerPoints are not your Presentation [link]
7 Little Tricks To Speak In Public With No Fear [link]

Teaching PLI: Essential Resources for PLI Teachers/Trainers

This post is a quick resource list for our many PLI curriculum teachers and trainers across the nation. If you are not familiar with the PLI curriculum, go to our web site to learn more and/or preview this document.

• PLI Delicious Tags - Your go to place for more PLI-related content ideas. There are over 800 web sites indexed by PLI Essential.
  
• TED videos indexed by PLI Essential - The new TED videos portion of our Delicious tags. Each TED video is only 3 to 17 minutes in length.
  
• PLI Facebook Page - Connect with PLI on Facebook.
  
• Twitter Feed - Connect with PLI on Twitter.
  
• The Warehouse on the PLI site - The go-to place for class posters, curriculum updates, videos and more.
  
• Rhett's Authenticity Rules Blog - My presentation skills blog. Valuable information to increase your facilitation IQ.
  
• The TRAX testing model - The testing methodology for PLI. This post explains how it works.
  
• PLI Related books - A list of popular books indexed by PLI Essential.
  
• PLI Essentials Primer - A quick overview of each of the ten PLI Essentials.

If you need any help or additional ideas for teaching PLI, please email me at rhett@yournextspeaker.com. Thanks!

Motivate with Direction

In my many travels this month (eight days of trainings in Oklahoma, two in Boston, two in Springfield MO, one in Nashville TN, and one in Las Cruces NM), a recurring question popped up:

How do we get people motivated to act?

This question was stated to me via four questions:

1. How do we get our student leadership board to take action?
2. How do we get our adult teachers/advisers to start using technology?
3. How do we get our field managers to adopt new practices?
4. How do we get and keep our team members engaged in our monthly leadership study?

Although each situation requires different approaches, the basic strategy has one common thread: Your average person needs specific and clear direction in order to be motivated to act. It would nice (and easier) if everyone was internally motivated to constantly scan each situation and asking "how can I help out right now in the most meaningful and purpose-filled way?" However, we know two things are absolutely certain: 1) Leadership is not easy and 2) the reason leadership development is so important is because most people will default to their average behavior unless and until their better self is inspired to act. This direction that people need comes in many different forms, as well. Here are the suggestions given to the situations listed above:

1. How do we get our student leadership board to take action? Make sure there is a clear and trusted leader in the group - either a highly-equipped adult or peer leader will work. Then give the team either concrete and/or abstract responsibilities. Make sure you "inspect what you expect." Remember, it is pointless to get frustrated that the board isn't behaving in a certain way when they haven't been told how to behave.
2. How do we get our adult teachers/advisers to start using technology? Fear and purpose are the two big enemies here. Your average, mature human brain is very fearful of change. The best antidote for this fear is compelling purpose (second best is good ole' fashion basic training.) If you can demonstrate how the new technology will help them do their core job functions better, faster and more efficiently, then they will be more willing to get on board.
3. How do we get our field managers to adopt new practices? Same strategy as number two.
4. How do we get and keep our team members engaged in our monthly leadership study? Give them duties. This strategy is similar to how you can increase attendance at monthly member meetings or your garden variety social/family gathering. If you delegate small tasks (bring something, make something, create something, etc.), people will feel a higher sense of ownership in the event, as well as feel a higher sense of responsibility. Its easier to just not show up than it is to not show up AND be the one that didn't do something.