Leadership Solutions

Leadership Solutions: Too Much of a Good Thing

We all seek this.

But it can be toxic.

Because it lulls you, fools you, and stops you.

It's agreement.

Consider this: what if everyone agreed with everything that you did and said.

What would happen?

You might conclude that you were perfect.

That's bad.

Because none of us are.

In fact, it's disagreement that causes us to reflect upon what we're doing, understand why we're doing it, and seek improvements.

Sometimes a leader makes the mistake of discouraging disagreement. Bad news is prohibited. Contrary ideas are forbidden.

The leader lives in a nice safe bubble of complete agreement.

As a result the leader becomes a monster that destroys the business.

Key Point: Allow disagreement. It makes you stronger. If you hear too little, then find some.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
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Leadership Solutions: What If I Were . . . ?

It's a great question.

And you make it powerful it by creating the part that matters for you.

The question is this:

"What if I were . . . ?"

Then fill in the rest. For example, you might write things like:

• More successful, more wealthy, more (or less) something, etc.

• A manager, a VP, a president, an owner, etc.

• Working for a different company, working in a different department, etc.

And so on.

Choose the ending that matters for you.

Then write a list of answers telling what you would be doing and what you would have. Strive for at least a dozen.

This is powerful because your answers describe what you must change if you want to have that possibility.

Key Point: Imagine what it's like to be where you want to be. Then use this description as a map for going there.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
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Leadership Solutions: False Humility

Basic question: What do you say when someone gives you a gift?

Obviously, "Thank you."

By the way, if you say something like, "You shouldn't have" you're insulting the person who gave you the gift.

So, now let's expand on this.

What do you say when someone gives you praise?

Again, "Thank you."

And so you avoid feigning humility with statements like:

Praise: Nice camera.
Bad reply: "It's last year's model."

Praise: Good job.
Bad reply: "I had a lot of help."

Praise: Nice serve.
Bad reply: "Lucky shot."

In each of these examples, the bad reply discredits the person who gave the praise.

I'm writing this because I had a recent conversation where the other person rejected every compliment that I gave. Eventually, I stopped looking for good news and began wondering about personal flaws.

Key Point: Accepting gifts graciously shows that you think well of yourself.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
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Leadership Solutions: Why Bother

Planning is hard work.

It takes time, requires effort.

So, why do it?

Obviously, making a plan helps you identify actions that lead to a result.

That's useful.

And more important, making a plan asks you to state your vision, goals, and purpose. It helps you recognize obstacles, consequences, and costs. It causes you to consider options, possibilities, and alternatives.

In short, planning makes you think.

That's priceless.

By the way, every plan is just a rough draft of your next plan.

That's because every plan is obsolete as soon as the ink dries on the last page. Things change, you know.

And so, planning becomes a continuous activity instead of something that you do, say, once a year.

Key Point: Planning makes you smarter. Do it often.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
Website

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Leadership Solutions: Think Like a Venture Capitalist

Suppose you had an extra billion or so, and you decided to use it to buy a company.

What would you consider?

Your goal is to make money, lots of it.

And you plan to let the existing management run the company because you have more important things to do.

When I ask executives this question, they reply with answers like "Financial data," "Marketing strategy," "Brand recognition," and so on.

That's nice.

Actually, I'd want to know what their meetings are like.

If, for example, they hold bad meetings, then their business is in trouble.

Why?

Because a meeting requires all of the skills that embody effective leadership. And people who can't plan and conduct an effective meeting, will be unable to provide effective leadership in something larger, like making a business profitable.

This leads to an important question.

Based on the meetings held in your business, would you buy the company?

Key Point: Your meetings reveal your leadership skills.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
Website

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Leadership Solutions: The Real List

Most likely you have a list of things to do.

This is good because it helps you manage your time.

So, what's on your list?

Or, more specifically, which things on your list really matter.

If you look at today's list, you may find that the "Things to Do" separate into two groups:

Trivia, such as:

• Answer e-mail
• Read magazines
• Sort paperclips

And Progress, such as:

• Prepare for Tuesday's presentation
• Complete the project report
• Schedule appointments

While all of the tasks may be important, only progress related tasks add value. The rest are distractions or maintenance.

And no one becomes successful by excelling in distractions or maintenance.

Key Point: Focus on priorities that matter.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
Website

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Leadership Solutions: Speed Gauge

Think about a time when you were running.

What told you how fast you were going?

Most likely it was the wind on your face.

And if you were running really fast, it may have felt exhilarating to feel that resistance. Because you knew that you were overcoming it.

So, what's the point?

If you are running your business fast, you will encounter resistance. In fact, the faster you go, the more resistance you will feel.

And that's good.

It validates that you are moving. Causing change. Growing.

If you felt no resistance, it means that you are stagnant. Staying still. In trouble.

Key Point: Run hard. And enjoy the wind on your face.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
Website

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Leadership Solutions: Zoo Strategy

How do they keep animals in a zoo under control?

It's really very simple.

They feed them.

Now, here's the real question:

How do they keep people quiet?

They feed them.

In either case, contentment leads to compliance.

If you're stuck with a business (or a career) that seems to be going nowhere, it may be that you're too well fed.

That is, you're not hungry enough.

Take a moment to imagine how creative you would be if you were hungry.

Or how hard you would you work.

Or the risks that you would take.

Or the amount of rejection, failure, and loss that you would endure to get away from hungry.

So, maybe hunger is a good thing. Because being well fed can lead to accepting what you have.

Key Point: Manage a strategic level of hunger to keep yourself moving. It's the key to growth.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
Website

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Leadership Solutions: Defining Statement

One statement explained everything.

Here's the story: I was facilitating a meeting for a group that had a history of poor meetings.

At the start of this meeting one of the attendees dumped a large bag of treats (candies, food bars, snacks) on the table and announced, "We're just a bunch of magpies!"

Everyone laughed.

Except me.

Because that explained why none of their meetings had worked in the past.

It they think that they're "just a bunch of magpies" then that's how they'll behave. And magpies don't accomplish much.

So, what are you?

How do you define yourself? How do you define your organization? How do you define your industry?

Your answers will explain why your meetings take as long as they do.(Your answers will also tell why you have what you have.)

Key Point: How does your self-definition compare with what you want to have?

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
Website

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Leadership Solutions: Your Greatest Fear

For many, this is a haunting fear.

It gets them up on the morning. It causes them to endure boredom. It pushes them through life.

It's the fear of being fired.

Wrong.

Actually, being fired could be the greatest gift anyone could give you.

Why?

Now you have to start over. Fresh. Without ties to favors or politics or stuff like that.

Now you have to find your worth in the career marketplace. And then you have to sell that worth to someone else.

Sure, it's scary. And disruptive. And expensive.

It's also invigorating.

Now you can clean house, getting rid of habits that held you back.

Now you can put yourself in a career that's more suitable than the one you (or your parents) picked when you were a kid.

And you can leave behind the baggage of mistakes, disappointments, and failures that has accumulated in your old job.

It's like taking a shower after working all day digging in a garden. You can emerge as a new person.

Of course, there is a less dramatic possibility.

You can fire the person who has been showing up in your current job. Then you can either approach your job as if you were a new person or you can leave to find a new job.

Key Point: Major changes can be good when you embrace them.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
Website

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