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By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, February 26th, 2019
  • "They are on time for meetings, for planes, for phone calls.
  • They make individual commitments (who is taking what actions by when) clear in meetings.
  • They follow up on agreed-upon actions religiously.
  • They make lists (to do, to read, mistakes, people to keep in touch with, useful resources, etc.) - and put those lists into action.
  • They are aware of their mood, words, and actions in their interactions with their teams - are their actions and words having the desired effect?
  • They keep the people who need to know in the loop, so that no one drops the ball (p.125-126)."

What other successful leadership habits would you like to add?

From: Botelho, E. L; & Powell, K.R. (2018).  The ceo next door: the four behaviors that transform ordinary people into world-class leaders.  New York: Currency.

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Tags: leaders, Success, leadership, leadership skills, habits
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By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, February 19th, 2019
  • Personalize recognition. Individuals, not groups, do work.
  • Make recognition motivating, not embarrassing, for star performers. Make those recognized part of an elite group - don't focus on the solo star.
  • Keep recognition a surprise, not routine. When employees become conditioned to expect rewards, they feel disappointed when they aren't acknowledged.
  • Make it clear why the person deserves recognition. Praise the specific performance, skill, judgment, expertise, or accomplishment.
  • Share stories with your group to help them understand the impact of their work on both internal and external customers. Show them that their work makes a difference!
  • Make the recognition personal and heartfelt.
  • Vary the reward (p. 116-117)."

What do you do to recognize your employees?

From: Booher, D. (2017). Communicate like a leader: connecting strategically to coach, inspire, and get things done. Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, February 12th, 2019

"If you don't love it, you'll never be great at it. If you don't love it, you won't work to overcome all the challenges to keep doing it. If you love what you do, you won't quit when the world says you should. You will continue to show up every day, do the work, and discover that success is not created by other people's opinions. It's not created by what the media and fearful news says. It's not created by any of the circumstances outside you. It's created by the love you have inside you - love for what you do, for your team, for the organization you serve, and for the world you want to change. The love and grit you possess on the inside will create the life you experience on the outside.

Love powers grit, and it also powers you over fear. I've heard it said that fear is the second most powerful force in the universe because it's the one thing that can keep us from our vision, goals, and dreams. Thankfully, there's a force more powerful than fear, and it is love. People think that fear is strong and love is weak, but love is more powerful than fear. We don't run into burning buildings because of fear. We do it because of love. Love is the antidote to fear. Love casts out fear so where there is love, fear dissipates (p. 222-223)."

Do you love your job?  Please share why you love what you do.

From: Gordon, J. (2017). The power of positive leadership: how and why positive leaders transform teams and organizations and change the world. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons.

When asked about his best leadership advice, Dr. Jeff King, Co-Director of the OSU Leadership Center and Associate Professor at Ohio State, simply says “Listen”.

He added that most of the time, if we took the time to intentionally listen to one another, we would realize that we’re really working toward the same goals, and that listening allows us to work together to find common ground.

King said that his 4-H educator and program assistant were significant mentors growing up that led him to this leadership philosophy and to the career path he loves today, and that he continues to receive professional support and mentorship from a variety of faculty members at Ohio State.

In the classroom, King loves to see the ‘lightbulbs’ go off for his students as they learn to apply the concepts discussed in class. “Leadership content is different,” King said. “It’s not ‘tell me what I need to do’- it’s a reflection and a change process, it’s a different style of engagement”.

As a workshop facilitator at the OSU Leadership Center, King said that he loves meeting and working with a diverse audience, which includes both ‘front line’ employees and top executives.

In both settings, he enjoys the opportunity to challenge people’s perceptions and disrupt the thought processes that drive our behavior in order to establish behavior change. He is particularly interested in teaching about emotional and social intelligence, and enjoys the challenge of discovering where people are and exactly how he can help them move forward.

Personally, King likes to take on a supportive role as a leader, seeking out ways to encourage others, establishing relationships, and listening to understand, but he is comfortable changing his approach in response to various situations.

“When I need to be upfront I’ll be upfront, whether that’s advocating for a program, person, or organization,” King said. “But I also realize that sometimes I need to take a step back and recognize how I can support others around me”.

King says that every leader can benefit by growing their level of empathy. He added that caring for others genuinely is so important, and that meaningful relationships must be established in order to move people and projects forward.

 

Blog post created by Courtney Fulton, OSU Leadership Center Marketing Intern

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Tags: leaders, leadership, Jeff King, Leadership Center
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By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, February 05th, 2019

"When you are a leader, most things that go wrong are not directly your fault, but they are always your responsibility. The art of apology can make the difference between lost trust and ruined reputations.

  1. Be personal. Assume personal responsibility rather than simply act as a spokesperson for the institution you represent.
  2. Be focused. Address specific acts or mistakes as well as impacted parties, so it is clear that you understand the ramifications of what went wrong.
  3. Be genuine. Convey in both words and tone honest remorse and atonement for mistakes made and any resulting damage caused.
  4. Make no excuses. Avoid shifting blame, minimizing harm, or whitewashing a bad situation.
  5. Act swiftly. The sooner an apology is given, the better the chance the apology will be accepted by those who count.
  6. Be comprehensive. Get all the facts out, admit all known shortcomings, and clearly articulate what has yet to be determined.
  7. Prevent recurrences. Articulate an action plan to correct what went wrong and to make sure the same problem doesn't recur (p. 70-72)."

Please share a time when you needed to apologize and how you went about making the apology.

From: Botelho, E. L; & Powell, K.R. (2018).  The ceo next door: the four behaviors that transform ordinary people into world-class leaders.  New York: Currency

By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, February 05th, 2019
  1. "Grow leaders and difference-makers, not just followers
  2. Build and orchestrate synergistic, high performance teams more powerful than the sum of their parts.
  3. Focus your organization on strategic priorities and simplify operations to accelerate progress.
  4. Champion the people who purchase and use your products and services.
  5. Cultivate a performance-based culture of innovation that unleashes the innate desire in the people who lead to solve, create and contribute to winning.
  6. Communicate relentlessly to give your workforce the context they need to sign up for and truly commit to achieving the company goals.
  7. See the world through the eyes of others, and your example with breed a healthier organization.
  8. Be the model you want emulated. Operate transparently, deliver on your promises, and remain steadfastly focused on doing the right things.
  9. Coach people to achieve more than they thought possible (29-30)."

Please share some examples about how you demonstrate these principles.

From: Rake, J. (2018). The bridge to growth: how servant leaders achieve better results and why it matters more than ever. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.

By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, February 05th, 2019

How to Communicate with Extroverts

  • Extroverts tend to work through their ideas out loud, so expect to do some brainstorming.
  • Be prepared to jump in from time to time with extroverts. Interrupting is not considered rude.
  • When asked what seems like an invasive question, offer just what you are comfortable sharing.
  • If you are caught by surprise with a question, respond that you need a moment to consider it.
  • Send short emails and concise voice mails, and follow up in person with more detail if asked.

How to Communicate with Introverts

  • In meetings and casual conversations, slow down, pause, and give introverts time to reflect and respond.
  • Because introverts need alone time, support teleworking and configuration of office space that supports quiet reflection.
  • Before meetings, send talking points via email or text to give introverts thinking time.
  • Encourage balanced participation in meetings and engage all team members. Monitor how much you speak.
  • If someone seems reserved or quiet, don't ask, 'What's wrong?' Most likely, nothing is wrong. They are in their heads (p. 180-181)."

Are you an introvert or extrovert?  How do you adapt your communication to deal with an extrovert or introvert?

Please note:  Extroversion and introversion is about where you get your energy, not if you are outgoing or shy.  Extroverts get the energy from others, while introverts get their energy from within themselves.

From: Kahnweiler, J. B. (2018). The introverted leader: building on your quiet strength. 2nd edition. Oakland, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, February 05th, 2019
  • "Leading with compassion entails using a leader's interpersonal skills to alleviate suffering in work interactions with followers.
  • Leading with compassion becomes a powerful form of modeling compassion.
  • Leaders can build skill in allowing suffering to surface, engaging in sensitive inquiry work, remaining mindful, attuning to others, and listening with empathy.
  • Seeing compassion modeled in everyday work interactions opens up the possibility that an organization's members can take compassion from work to home, improving their family and community relationships (p. 264-265)."

How do you demonstrate compassion to others?

From: Worline, M.C., & Dutton, J.E. (2017). Awakening compassion at work. Oakland CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
 

By: Beth Flynn, Tuesday, February 05th, 2019

"There's an old saying: 'History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes.' That's especially true when we're thinking of our personal histories. Why? The circumstances of our lives change week by week, year by year. But we're still standing. And our habits of thinking tend to produce consistent results no matter what's going on in our work, relationships, or the world around us.

If our habits of thinking are beneficial, we tend to experience positive results, such as happiness, personal satisfaction, even material success. If our habits of thinking are counterproductive, however, we often experience the opposite: unhappiness, dissatisfaction, and the nagging feeling that the deck is somehow stacked against us.

The good news is that you can change the rhyme scheme. Even if your habits of thinking are already serving you well, you can experience transformative personal improvement in all areas of your life by upgrading your beliefs. When we focus on belief improvement, often our circumstances follow suit (p. 38-39)."

 

What are some things you do to change your thinking when you start having negative thoughts?

 

From: Hyatt, M. (2018). Your best year ever: a 5-step plan for achieving your most important goals. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
 

 

 

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Tags: leaderships, optimism, positivity, Positive, leaders
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