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TFW Today - August 23, 2011
Let Your Superstar Emerge
by Rhonda Askeland
Our professional growth is like a blob of clay that
forms over the course of our life. Like all masterpieces, the clay takes
on different forms. The difference, of course, is that the sculptor may
be many people and, ultimately, we are the sculptor who determines what the
final product looks like. Where are you in the
development of your masterpiece? Is a superstar close to
emerging or is your clay not much different than when it was first forming?
I’ve dedicated my life to being a learning professional
and along the way I’ve acquired the passion for being a professional
learner. Each day offers a different twist on what I’ve learned or how I
choose to apply it. I’d like to think that my clay has the basics and now
the refining and minute details are creating a shape that’s moving toward that
masterpiece, at least for me.
How do we mold our clay to create a masterpiece that
makes a difference and leaves a legacy? There are a number of tools and
situations that help us along the way:
Identifying the values that drive
us and influence us. Early in my career I took a values assessment and a key value in my life (then
and now) was freedom. I have refined this piece of clay in how I’ve
approached work, knowing the type of organization and leaders I need to work
for/with and what I need in order to grow. When there has been
opportunity to have freedom in my work, I have made the largest gains in my
development and for the organization’s success. Knowing what is fundamental
to us is an essential first step.
Creating a circle of influence.
When you know the values that are important to you, you attract people
who help expand your boundaries. Think
about the discussions you’ve had that challenged pre-conceived ideas – this is
helping you refine who you are. Surrounding ourselves with people and
opportunities that help us grow compounds our success.
Taking action.
It’s great to have self-awareness and an inspiring group of people to mentor
and guide us and it’s quite another thing to do something that helps us to be
better people. Learning and applying what we learn go hand-in-hand.
Unless we “just do it” as Nike implores
us, our potential is just that, potential. It doesn’t have to be grand
action – that’s what stops a lot of people from starting – it just has to be
action. Make a plan and then commit to doing one thing to advance on the
plan. Then do the next thing. Then the next…
Getting feedback.
The world gives us checks and balances and feedback is one of the checks.
Ask others for feedback on what’s going well
and then ask for feedback on what you could do
differently. Keep doing what’s working and make adjustments as
needed. Involve your circle of influence – they want what’s best for
you. Be generous in how you return feedback and receptive in how you
accept it.
Where are you in your emerging masterpiece? Your
superstar is there and with a little refinement, you’re on your way. What’s one action you can take right now that will refine
your masterpiece?
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TFW Today - June 14, 2011
The Top 7 Leadership Pitfalls That Can Derail You
by Rhonda Askeland
Now is the time to shine as a leader AND now is the time
where you have the opportunities to do so. We’ve been dealing with some
tough times and organizations need people to step up like never before.
The Kentucky Derby was last Saturday and I find it
fascinating to watch the course strategy. The winner, as has happened in
numbers of races in the past, made his move in the final quarter. He
stayed in the pack and then came up the middle when there was an opening and
surged ahead to win by two lengths. There are similarities to the role of
leaders and organizational success. It’s in times like right now that
savvy people make their move. New leaders emerge and smart leaders hone
their skills to position themselves for better roles.
I’ve written about how important it is to know yourself:
know your strengths, development areas, triggers, and abilities. Knowing
yourself is also evaluating your course and knowing what you need to do to
emerge as a leader for the future. Knowing what can get you in trouble as
a leader and how to avoid the pitfalls is a part of that. It’s easy to
get derailed with common and easy-to-do pitfalls. Keeping an eye out for
them is the first step to avoiding them.
Let’s look at the pitfalls. Here’s a quick list:
Letting your pride get
in the way. When you think you have things wired and don’t have
contingency plans or fail to listen to what others are saying or recommending,
you are setting yourself up for a big fall.
Failing to recognize and
appreciate others. No one does it alone and letting people know
that you value their contribution and ideas builds commitment.
Spending little time on developing
leaders, not followers. Followers do as they are instructed.
Leaders build their skills, bring their ideas, and add to your vision.
When you develop leaders, you build for the future and you compound your
effectiveness.
Lacking authenticity.
Leaders who say one thing and do another undermine trust. “Walking the
talk” is essential to building trust. Effective leaders never ask their
teams to do something they wouldn’t do. They are transparent in their
communication and demonstrate consistency in their actions.
Micromanaging. The job of a leader is to lay out the direction, to define the “WHAT,” and then
to let their teams determine the “HOW.” When leaders specify the “HOW”
they limit creativity and potential and, most importantly, commitment.
Focusing on the poor performers. Do you need to
address poor performance? Of
course. Do you need to spend more than 20% of your time on poor
performers? No. Paying attention to the bottom 10% at the exclusion
of your higher performers brings all performance down. What you give
attention to is what you’ll see more of. Address the poor performers,
give them a plan, and give them a time line. Then focus most of your time
on how you can help your higher performers use their talents.
Doing the work yourself because you’re faster and do it
better. Developing others is a
fundamental skill leaders must have. Sure, doing work yourself may get it
done faster…now. What happens later when you have other things you must
do and you haven’t developed your team’s skills? Give a fish, teach to
fish - it’s the same thing. Allow for mistakes and don’t put pressure on
deadlines when you know people have to learn. You’ll be so much better
off in the future.
What are you doing to plan your move? Take a look
at your effectiveness and identify one action you can take that will help you
emerge as a leader to be reckoned with.
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Askeland