Leadership Solutions

Leadership Solutions: Offensive Request

Olivia Felini is upset. ( Meet Olivia )

It seems a publisher asked her to write a book under the title, "Shedding for Dummies."

First, Olivia is an expert at shedding. She received the coveted Furry Fur Mat award from NSA (the National Shedding Association).

But Olivia knows that a cat would never buy a book that implied the reader was dumb.

Never.

Cats realize the importance of labels and their role in maintaining self esteem.

So, Olivia feels insulted that someone would ask her to participate in such a hideous project.

She was so mad, that she told the publisher to read "Marketing for Dummies."

Key Point: Watch the labels that you use. Do they lift people to greater excellence?

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

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Leadership Solutions: Being Small

How large a leader are you?

There is one easy way to tell.

Just look around you.

If you are surrounded by people who are living large (or becoming larger), then you are large.

In contrast, small leaders surround themselves with small people. In fact, small leaders are so afraid of others becoming large, that they work hard to keep everyone small.

They do this by:

1) Setting an example of smallness.

2) Allowing smallness.

3) Obstructing growth.

Of course, large leaders do the opposite.

1) They live large so that others have an example to emulate.

2) They set rules, goals, and expectations that guide others into becoming larger.

3) They cultivate and celebrate growth.

As a result, large leaders cause expanding success.

Key Point: Large leaders welcome and promote growth in others.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Do You Miss This Step?

Many people undo good work by missing the most important step in a meeting.

It's this: end the meeting when it's over.

Instead, they stay in the room, trading news, rehashing issues, and socializing.

Remember, a meeting is a business activity. It's supposed to earn a profit for your business. It's not a social event with an infinite budget.

When it's over, it's over.

It sounds like this: "That finishes our work today. Thank you for coming. This meeting is over."

Key Point: A meeting must be driven by urgency. Work hard to finish early. And then adjourn.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: The Critical Test

It's an old strategy.

When you're considering different courses of action, just choose one.

Then begin acting on it.

If you chose the option that fits your situation, you will feel good about it. And related activities will align themselves with it.

If, on the other hand, you choose a bad fit, you will feel uncomfortable. And your thoughts will continue to argue over it.

Either case is good.

If you chose well, you are underway taking action.

If you chose poorly, you can change your mind.

Note that it's important to pay attention to 1) your internal reaction to your choice and 2) external reactions. Then be flexible, making changes as appropriate.

Key Point: The reality of implementing a choice can help you decide which option serves you the best.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: You Did What?

Here's an odd use for a common household chore.

Recently we had awnings installed on our east and west windows. They help keep the house cooler by shading the morning and afternoon sun.

After the technicians finished, there were bits of debris on the roof, such as wood chips and metal turnings.

So, I vacuumed the roof.

I realize that few people vacuum clean their roof.

Why?

When I look out of those windows, I could see the trash. And that was disturbing.

It's a matter of personal pride. I think I'm good enough to deserve a clean roof.

This is a small example of how important our environment is.

That is, your environment both reflects and reinforces your values.

Thus, the environment that you create determines everything in your business. This includes how people feel about themselves, how they make decisions, and how they work.

All of this ultimately affects profitability.

Key Point: Create an environment that facilitates excellence.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Seeing the Good Side

I give away many photos.

If you buy a book, I include a photo.

If you buy a workshop, I send a photo with every correspondence related to the project.

If you help me, I mail a photo with a thank you note.

Recently, someone complained: "You didn't put the name of the flower on the back of the photo."

I was surprised. Here's why:

1) Flower don't wear name tags, especially in forests. And even botanists find it a challenge to identify some of the flowers in my photos.

2) The photo is what matters. I doubt a photo would be prettier if I had written something on the back like Borzicactus Sericatus.

So here's the point: When someone does something, which side do you see?

Do you see the side that matters?

Or do you look at the back?

Key point: Seek out the good side. It's the one that matters.

Second Key Point: I need to learn more about flowers. Notice that every criticism points toward an improvement.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Just What is a Facilitator?

A facilitator does more than just watch people talk.

A facilitator works with you as a partner to make sure that you obtain the best possible results from your meeting.

To do this, a facilitator will:

1) Help you determine the goals for the meeting.

Often the real goals are hidden in private agendas. Or the important goals are not known. A facilitator will work with you and the participants to determine the goals that need to be achieved in the meeting. This is a critical step that helps you hold a meeting for the right reasons.

2) Provide work activities that lead to results.

Most meetings are held using discussion, which is the least efficient way to reach agreements, make decisions, and find solutions. A facilitator will lead the group through structured team activities that produce results. And a skilled facilitator will be able to modify or invent activities as appropriate to maximize progress toward results.

3) Create an environment that maximizes everyone's contributions.

A positive, safe environment promotes clear, creative thinking. It helps everyone perform at their best. A facilitator will create and maintain a working environment that helps people accomplish more. Thus, your meeting produces better, more valuable results.

4) Provide leadership that is free of internal constraints.

A external facilitator provides leadership that is free of internal politics, history, or alliances. Thus, a facilitator can provide direction that would be impossible from an employee. This leads to a more efficient and more effective meeting.

5) Obtain results that everyone will support.

If the participants are fooled or forced into accepting a result, that result is useless because no will cooperate on implementing it. In some cases, people will even work to prevent its implementation. A facilitator helps the participants achieve results by a process that everyone perceives as being fair. Thus, the meeting produces results that have real value because everyone agrees to implement them.

Key Point: When results matter, use a facilitator.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Finding the Muse

There are many books on dispelling writer's block.

So this must be a common challenge for people who write.

Many writers wait for the muse to deliver the next great creative idea. Or, they try to trick the muse into appearing.

Actually, it's easier than that.

You have to go out and find the muse. Then you have to grab it and drag it out of its hiding place.

How?

Just write.

Just write anything. Even if it's terrible. Even if it's nonsense. Just write.

For example, I'm working through a stack of blog ideas. Each is a broken, incomplete, bad article. But now, they're providing the fuel for workable articles. And with each revision these articles improve.

Most good results work the same way.

You can wait for them. You to try to trick them into appearing.

Or you can go out and find them.

And the key to doing this is to be constantly active, doing something, even if it's anything. Once you start, then you can always revise, edit, and improve.

Key Point: Leaders make things happen through a blend of purposeful reflection and action.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Hidden Costs

It sounds so heroic.

"Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead."

Certainly, in some cases, refusing to quit has great value.

But persistence can also take the form of being stubborn.

For example, an executive refuses to attend a workshop on Effective Meetings because, well . . . , the reason really doesn't matter. What does matter is that this executive presides over terrible meetings and refuses to learn how to hold better meetings.

First, being stubborn has the obvious cost of being stuck with a bad approach. This can evolve into being a problem if poor work skills result in bad performance reviews that translate into career failures.

Beyond this, there is a more subtle and costly side effect of being stubborn: This executive begins to resent those who are achieving success.

Resentment expands into dislike. And dislike ruins communication. And a lack of communication guarantees bigger problems.

Key Point: The difference between being persistent and being stubborn is the difference between success and failure.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: The Real Loss

Bad meetings waste something that is far more valuable than time or money or effort.

It's opportunity.

It's everything that you could have done if you weren't sitting in that meeting.

Imagine the possibilities.

You could devise goals, plans, or strategies that would make your business more profitable.

You could read books, attend workshops, or take courses that would make you a more effective leader.

You could hold conversations, make phone calls, or conduct interviews that would make your relationships stronger.

You could do many things that would make you more successful.

And that's why meetings need to be a short as possible.

Key Point: Bad meetings waste more than time, they waste the future.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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