Its great to have a concept, but the real skill is the ability to actualize it and make it a reality. How do you do that?
First, you need to understand that your concept is a goal -- it is the point you would like to reach. Its unlikely that this is something that is a step or two away, so you need to see it as a destination in the distance and your implementation strategy is the path you build to get there.
Yesterday we talked about how imperative it is to be aware of who you are now, in order to begin to see how you can become who you want to be. Here is where this characteristic of self-awareness is key: you must know from where you are starting in order to plan how to reach your destination (your goal). You have to be brutally honest here -- inflating who you are is only going to cause pitfalls in the path ahead.
Once you know where you are (self-assessment) and where you want to go (concept/goal), design the best path to get there. Just as you would look at a roadmap and consider all the factors of travel when planning a trip (distance, time, ease of travel, traffic congestion, etc), so you must consider every factor as you plan your roadmap to your goal. Who do you need to help you make this a reality? What resources do you already have available? What resources are available outside of your organization that might assist you or make your pathway more solid and secure? What combination of resources will produce the best end result?
Finally, but certainly most important, prepare your team for the road ahead. Help them see the goal as clearly as you do, and understand how it will collectively benefit the organization. Show them the clear pathway to the goal and encourage them to come along with you. Give them a clear understanding of the benefits of reaching the goal and a clear pathway to reach the goal, and they will come along with you on the journey and help you attain the goal.
See the destination. Clear the path. Show the way. Help everyone reach the destination.
It can't be any easier, folks. Try it!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Keys to Conceptualization
The thing about servant leadership is that you can't really talk about one characteristic of this leadership style without somehow incorporating at least one or two more. The great thing is how all of these characteristics work together to create a successful team environment.
Such is true with the idea of conceptualization. In order to be successful at conceptualizing, you need to be skilled in other areas, such as awareness, listening and empathy.
In order to conceptualize where you want to be and how to get there, you first need to truly understand where you are and who you are as an organization. Lack of awareness will lead to lack of conceptualization. You must know first what you have and what you need before you can determine how to get it.
Once you know where you are, its important to listen. Listen to what your employees are saying about your company and learn where they feel you need to grow and improve. Listen to the outside world and find out what is out there that you can utilize to become more successful. The more you listen and keep an open mind about the information you hear, the more you will have to work with as you build your vision of the future.
Finally, empathize. Remember that your staff is your vehicle to any change, to any improvement, to any success, and without them, you are certain to fail. Keep their concerns in mind, as they are the implementers and you need their support. If you aren't concerned about what effects your team, how can you expect them to be concerned about your vision for the future?
In order to form a concept of what you can be, you must first know who you are, know what resources you have and know what resources you can obtain outside of your organization. To ensure the success of your concept, you must ensure your team is supported and feels that you value their input and concerns, so that they will come along with you and help you make your vision a success.
What is your vision for the future in your leadership role? Have you developed a concept? How will you turn it into a reality? A great leader knows the way is through caring for their team and getting them on board. Conceptualization, while key to a servant leader, is only successful when one is mindful of all the other servant leadership characteristics and is utilizing them appropriately.
Such is true with the idea of conceptualization. In order to be successful at conceptualizing, you need to be skilled in other areas, such as awareness, listening and empathy.
In order to conceptualize where you want to be and how to get there, you first need to truly understand where you are and who you are as an organization. Lack of awareness will lead to lack of conceptualization. You must know first what you have and what you need before you can determine how to get it.
Once you know where you are, its important to listen. Listen to what your employees are saying about your company and learn where they feel you need to grow and improve. Listen to the outside world and find out what is out there that you can utilize to become more successful. The more you listen and keep an open mind about the information you hear, the more you will have to work with as you build your vision of the future.
Finally, empathize. Remember that your staff is your vehicle to any change, to any improvement, to any success, and without them, you are certain to fail. Keep their concerns in mind, as they are the implementers and you need their support. If you aren't concerned about what effects your team, how can you expect them to be concerned about your vision for the future?
In order to form a concept of what you can be, you must first know who you are, know what resources you have and know what resources you can obtain outside of your organization. To ensure the success of your concept, you must ensure your team is supported and feels that you value their input and concerns, so that they will come along with you and help you make your vision a success.
What is your vision for the future in your leadership role? Have you developed a concept? How will you turn it into a reality? A great leader knows the way is through caring for their team and getting them on board. Conceptualization, while key to a servant leader, is only successful when one is mindful of all the other servant leadership characteristics and is utilizing them appropriately.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Step outside the box -- its a big world out there!
This week, we’re going to talk a little bit about the sixth characteristic of a servant leadership, conceptualization.
Wikipedia states the following on its Servant Leadership entry:
What does this mean?
It means a servant leader thinks “outside the box.” Heck, some servant leaders don’t even hang out in the box – they live outside it!
A good leader is able to look at a problem or issue within his company or team and see beyond the current solutions to what solutions might be available beyond their normal scope.
For example, a start-up company is struggling with its marketing needs, having only one person to handle the entire department. A long list of major start-up projects puts the timeline further and further out for completion.
A stagnant leader might see only what is in front of him, the funding to pay only one person, who is unable to complete the project in the timeline needed. He might not see how the project can be completed at all. He might demand more of his one employee, causing him to be resentful and bitter. As a result, the project may not ever be completed and, as a startup, the entire company may eventually fail.
A great leader will look beyond what he currently has. Instead of saying “Oh, we can’t do that” when presented with an idea or a solution, he says “How can we do that?” He looks beyond what lies right in front of him and takes off the blinders. He opens himself up to new ideas, new concepts, new solutions, and as a result, finds better success, because he doesn’t focus on the limitations, but rather the possibilities.
Ask yourself today – are you someone who focuses on the limitations you have? Or do you look beyond those limitations and see the possibilities of what you can accomplish? I encourage everyone today to take a step outside the box – the air is fresh and the ideas are new and ever-improving. You’ll never know what great things lie ahead if you aren’t willing to go looking for them!
Wikipedia states the following on its Servant Leadership entry:
A servant leader thinks beyond day-to-day realities. That means he has the ability to see beyond the limits of the operating business and also focuses on long term operating goals. A Leader constructs a personal vision that only he can develop by reflecting on the meaning of life. As a result, he derives specific goals and implementation strategies.
What does this mean?
It means a servant leader thinks “outside the box.” Heck, some servant leaders don’t even hang out in the box – they live outside it!
A good leader is able to look at a problem or issue within his company or team and see beyond the current solutions to what solutions might be available beyond their normal scope.
For example, a start-up company is struggling with its marketing needs, having only one person to handle the entire department. A long list of major start-up projects puts the timeline further and further out for completion.
A stagnant leader might see only what is in front of him, the funding to pay only one person, who is unable to complete the project in the timeline needed. He might not see how the project can be completed at all. He might demand more of his one employee, causing him to be resentful and bitter. As a result, the project may not ever be completed and, as a startup, the entire company may eventually fail.
A great leader will look beyond what he currently has. Instead of saying “Oh, we can’t do that” when presented with an idea or a solution, he says “How can we do that?” He looks beyond what lies right in front of him and takes off the blinders. He opens himself up to new ideas, new concepts, new solutions, and as a result, finds better success, because he doesn’t focus on the limitations, but rather the possibilities.
Ask yourself today – are you someone who focuses on the limitations you have? Or do you look beyond those limitations and see the possibilities of what you can accomplish? I encourage everyone today to take a step outside the box – the air is fresh and the ideas are new and ever-improving. You’ll never know what great things lie ahead if you aren’t willing to go looking for them!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thou Shall Not Manipulate!
Every good thing has a bad side, right? And the bad side of persuasion is manipulation. A good leader persuades his team to get on board, helps them see the benefits of working together and outlines the positive future of the project or idea. A bad leader goes one step further and manipulates his team to get what he wants. Know the difference.
Let's look to politics to see an example of this that everyone can understand.
Imagine a political candidate. He wants to get that position -- he wants you to like him! He makes lots of promises to you, the voters, so that you will support him and his agenda and vote him into office. Once there, faced with the limitations of the position and the politics surrounding it, he isn't able to make good on all of those promises. Voters are discouraged, but he got what he wanted, so who cares, right?
How many of you have been one of those voters, completely disenchanted with the lack of follow-through with your elected leaders?
So don't be that way with your employees!
Don't make a promise you can't keep. If you have to promise your employees something that you can't keep in order to get them to buy into your idea or project, perhaps you should reconsider the potential success of your project.
Don't ask your employees to do something you aren't willing to do yourself. The best way to persuade your team to get behind your idea is to get in, on the ground floor, and be willing to do the grunt work yourself. If they see that you are willing to get your hands dirty to make the project successful, they will be more willing to do so as well.
Do share the long-term benefits with your team, not just at the beginning when you are trying to get their support, but throughout the project. Help your team keep their eyes on the prize and share your hope and passion with them, as hope and passion are infectious!
Do LISTEN. If you are the great leader that I know you are, then you have surrounded yourself with a great team, filled with intelligent, insightful people. Listen to their feedback. Don't assume that your idea is perfect, that your project is flawless. Most likely there is room for improvement. Valuing your team's input and listening to and addressing their concerns will help them feel more comfortable with the project's future success, and more willing to work hard toward making the project successful. Willingness to listen and implement your team's insight into your plan is crucial to getting their support and buy in -- the quickest way to a failure is assuming that you have all the answers.
Getting your team behind you is not hard if you are putting your team first. A great leader ignites passion in his team and accomplishes great things because he relies on the joint efforts of many to bring the idea to fruition. His team knows he cares for them and they, in turn, care for what the leader cares for and work to make it a success.
Be careful to avoid crossing the line and using your power as a leader to manipulate and deceive to accomplish your goals. You will find yourself at the end of the line, with no team behind you. Great teams support great leaders. Don't let the power go to your head and cross that line -- for what is a leader if he has no one following him?
Let's look to politics to see an example of this that everyone can understand.
Imagine a political candidate. He wants to get that position -- he wants you to like him! He makes lots of promises to you, the voters, so that you will support him and his agenda and vote him into office. Once there, faced with the limitations of the position and the politics surrounding it, he isn't able to make good on all of those promises. Voters are discouraged, but he got what he wanted, so who cares, right?
How many of you have been one of those voters, completely disenchanted with the lack of follow-through with your elected leaders?
So don't be that way with your employees!
Don't make a promise you can't keep. If you have to promise your employees something that you can't keep in order to get them to buy into your idea or project, perhaps you should reconsider the potential success of your project.
Don't ask your employees to do something you aren't willing to do yourself. The best way to persuade your team to get behind your idea is to get in, on the ground floor, and be willing to do the grunt work yourself. If they see that you are willing to get your hands dirty to make the project successful, they will be more willing to do so as well.
Do share the long-term benefits with your team, not just at the beginning when you are trying to get their support, but throughout the project. Help your team keep their eyes on the prize and share your hope and passion with them, as hope and passion are infectious!
Do LISTEN. If you are the great leader that I know you are, then you have surrounded yourself with a great team, filled with intelligent, insightful people. Listen to their feedback. Don't assume that your idea is perfect, that your project is flawless. Most likely there is room for improvement. Valuing your team's input and listening to and addressing their concerns will help them feel more comfortable with the project's future success, and more willing to work hard toward making the project successful. Willingness to listen and implement your team's insight into your plan is crucial to getting their support and buy in -- the quickest way to a failure is assuming that you have all the answers.
Getting your team behind you is not hard if you are putting your team first. A great leader ignites passion in his team and accomplishes great things because he relies on the joint efforts of many to bring the idea to fruition. His team knows he cares for them and they, in turn, care for what the leader cares for and work to make it a success.
Be careful to avoid crossing the line and using your power as a leader to manipulate and deceive to accomplish your goals. You will find yourself at the end of the line, with no team behind you. Great teams support great leaders. Don't let the power go to your head and cross that line -- for what is a leader if he has no one following him?
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
A Philosophy Lesson
So I could give you a big long post about what persuasion is, but in my research, I found this great video...and, well, rather than reinvent the wheel, I have decided to share the video with you here. Please check it out. The art of persuasion is a key strength in a great leader. A project is always more successful when the entire team is passionately supporting it and a successful leader is able to encourage that kind of passionate support from his team.
But first, a philosophy lesson... Aristotle taught us about the art of persuasion and identified three appeals necessary to successful persuasive speech. Check it out below... and come back tomorrow to see how we apply this to our servant leadership style.
But first, a philosophy lesson... Aristotle taught us about the art of persuasion and identified three appeals necessary to successful persuasive speech. Check it out below... and come back tomorrow to see how we apply this to our servant leadership style.
Friday, September 16, 2011
What can I say about Jenny?
When I sat down to try to think of just one word that would describe my friend and co-worker, Jenny Sowry, it was impossible.
She's so many things. A great mom to a really cool kid. A supportive wife to a really nice guy. A really good friend, not only to me, but to many, many other people. And that's just the beginning.
She's also the Senior Manager for the Editorial Department at The Mommies Network and perhaps one of the greatest servant leaders I have ever had the opportunity to work with.
I met Jenny just over a year ago. She lives near me and had been involved in leadership on her chapter, as well as volunteering at a national level with The Mommies Network, but we didn't cross paths until she volunteered to help me with a video project and attended our leadership retreat to take video footage of our volunteers. Within minutes of meeting her, I knew I had found a kindred spirit and we chatted with each other as though we were old friends.
As my role at TMN shifted and I began to develop an Editorial Department to house and manage our various online publications, I knew that I wanted Jenny on my team. Her dedication to our mission was evident in all that she did and I knew that great things were going to happen if Jenny was involved!
Jenny takes her job very seriously and she is tremendously talented. Her expertise is bar none and not only does she regularly bring great ideas to the table, but she follows through and brings them to fruition, constantly improving the department and the quality of our content and graphics.
But what Jenny does best, and why she is quite possibly the most beloved member of the Editorial Department (which has grown under her leadership to quite a big group!), is care for the people she works with and helps each of them to achieve their own success in their role. Her volunteers know she is dedicated. They see that she won't ask them to do anything she isn't willing to dive into the trenches and do along with them. She stays up until the wee hours of the morning scheduling blog posts for chapters where their leadership is stretched thin and need extra help. She rearranges her day to be there when one of her team members needs her time or attention. She regularly lets her team know how much she appreciates them and values the work that they do. She empowers them to do great things and steps back and lets them shine.
I always say that my number one job every day is to make sure Jenny is taken care of and supported. Its a pleasure and a honor to have that as my priority, because I couldn't ask for a more amazing person to work with every day. She takes care of so many people, she gives so much of herself to her team and to The Mommies Network, it seems only fair that she should get my first attention!
And don't just take my word for it -- just hear what some of her team had to say:
Jenny has got to be one of the hardest working moms I know and she doesn't get paid a dime. She's an amazing boss who will always give credit to her team before taking any for herself. It seems effortless for her to show so much appreciation and love for the mommies that work for her. She just fabulous!
Though I've been a member of The Mommies Network for three years, I'd never been a manager, even at the chapter level, before taking on my role as National Blog Manager. Despite how busy things were (and always seem to be!), Jenny not only made me feel right at home within TMN's expansive staff, but boosted my confidence and encouraged me to take on my job with pride. This was no easy feat - I felt inexperienced and insecure about taking charge as a newbie, not wanting to step on any toes among such talented women. But it was Jenny's light-hearted, friendly and overly welcoming word choices and emoticons (oh, the technological world we live in!) that pushed me from sitting on the sidelines to jumping in and taking charge as if each proposed project was my own. Every step of the way, she's been host to endless questions and suggestions, and she always answers them with poise - even if she doesn't agree with you. She does her best to be professional and courteous in the most frustrating of circumstances, and still knows how to have a goofy, down-to-earth, good time. She created a great sense of respect and camaraderie within the Blog Transition Team - creating friendships across the country among women who wouldn't have had the opportunity to get to know each other without this fun, supportive group. In other words, she is the very essence of The Mommies Network, infusing everything she touches with our mission statement. We love you Jenny! - The Lickster ;)
So, if you are a part of TMN and want a great example of a servant leader, look no further than our wonderful Jenny Sowry. We're so lucky to have her as a part of our organization and I'm grateful that I can call her my friend!
She's so many things. A great mom to a really cool kid. A supportive wife to a really nice guy. A really good friend, not only to me, but to many, many other people. And that's just the beginning.
She's also the Senior Manager for the Editorial Department at The Mommies Network and perhaps one of the greatest servant leaders I have ever had the opportunity to work with.
I met Jenny just over a year ago. She lives near me and had been involved in leadership on her chapter, as well as volunteering at a national level with The Mommies Network, but we didn't cross paths until she volunteered to help me with a video project and attended our leadership retreat to take video footage of our volunteers. Within minutes of meeting her, I knew I had found a kindred spirit and we chatted with each other as though we were old friends.
As my role at TMN shifted and I began to develop an Editorial Department to house and manage our various online publications, I knew that I wanted Jenny on my team. Her dedication to our mission was evident in all that she did and I knew that great things were going to happen if Jenny was involved!
Jenny takes her job very seriously and she is tremendously talented. Her expertise is bar none and not only does she regularly bring great ideas to the table, but she follows through and brings them to fruition, constantly improving the department and the quality of our content and graphics.
But what Jenny does best, and why she is quite possibly the most beloved member of the Editorial Department (which has grown under her leadership to quite a big group!), is care for the people she works with and helps each of them to achieve their own success in their role. Her volunteers know she is dedicated. They see that she won't ask them to do anything she isn't willing to dive into the trenches and do along with them. She stays up until the wee hours of the morning scheduling blog posts for chapters where their leadership is stretched thin and need extra help. She rearranges her day to be there when one of her team members needs her time or attention. She regularly lets her team know how much she appreciates them and values the work that they do. She empowers them to do great things and steps back and lets them shine.
I always say that my number one job every day is to make sure Jenny is taken care of and supported. Its a pleasure and a honor to have that as my priority, because I couldn't ask for a more amazing person to work with every day. She takes care of so many people, she gives so much of herself to her team and to The Mommies Network, it seems only fair that she should get my first attention!
And don't just take my word for it -- just hear what some of her team had to say:
Jenny has got to be one of the hardest working moms I know and she doesn't get paid a dime. She's an amazing boss who will always give credit to her team before taking any for herself. It seems effortless for her to show so much appreciation and love for the mommies that work for her. She just fabulous!
--Kristin Swaim, TMN Graphics Manager
Though I've been a member of The Mommies Network for three years, I'd never been a manager, even at the chapter level, before taking on my role as National Blog Manager. Despite how busy things were (and always seem to be!), Jenny not only made me feel right at home within TMN's expansive staff, but boosted my confidence and encouraged me to take on my job with pride. This was no easy feat - I felt inexperienced and insecure about taking charge as a newbie, not wanting to step on any toes among such talented women. But it was Jenny's light-hearted, friendly and overly welcoming word choices and emoticons (oh, the technological world we live in!) that pushed me from sitting on the sidelines to jumping in and taking charge as if each proposed project was my own. Every step of the way, she's been host to endless questions and suggestions, and she always answers them with poise - even if she doesn't agree with you. She does her best to be professional and courteous in the most frustrating of circumstances, and still knows how to have a goofy, down-to-earth, good time. She created a great sense of respect and camaraderie within the Blog Transition Team - creating friendships across the country among women who wouldn't have had the opportunity to get to know each other without this fun, supportive group. In other words, she is the very essence of The Mommies Network, infusing everything she touches with our mission statement. We love you Jenny! - The Lickster ;)
--Jennifer Rychlicki, TMN National Blog Manager
So, if you are a part of TMN and want a great example of a servant leader, look no further than our wonderful Jenny Sowry. We're so lucky to have her as a part of our organization and I'm grateful that I can call her my friend!
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