Do You Inspire?

What does an inspired person look like? Not only are they actively engaged, their productivity is superior. As a consequence, their production motivates those around them – and a new standard is set.

Inspired people can be team members, leaders, or managers. Arguably, all people can be leaders – thus it does not matter where an inspired person falls on the totem pole. This is about setting standards of excellence, and having it radiate to others.

If an inspirational leader (person) unlocks motivation and engagement – as well as commitment, there’s no question that businesses will be served well to help people tap into their inner inspiration. But how do we do that?

First, let me define what I mean by inspiration. Inspirational leaders use a combination of skills that motivate and simultaneously place value on accountability for results. This is not a cheerleader – it is a cheerleader with expectations. Inspirational leaders use taught or innate traits to help unlock performance potential in others.  

HBR conducted a study to learn what traits the participants identify as inspiring. The findings point to an interesting conclusion: inspirational people need to be diverse and have the ability to adapt. While many attributes help inspire others, only one trait is needed to double the likelihood that you will be viewed as an inspirational person.

Some of these traits include humility, empathy, openness, vision, focus, unselfishness, and stress tolerance. From my experiences, it is clear these attributes require self-reflection, receptivity, and a guiding philosophy of servanthood. [Are you taking steps to flex muscles that result in the aforementioned traits?]

The answer to reaching limitless potential is through the investment in people and in ourselves. Inspirational leaders recognize the opportunity to draw upon the rolodex of traits, contingent upon the situation. An aptitude to respond appropriately in differing scenarios takes poise and practice. The good news is, in dealing with people, there is never an absence of opportunity to practice inspiring others! What trait do your colleagues or counterparts possess that you find most inspirational?  

First published on LinkedIn

You Are Not As Lonely As You Think

Recent discourse with industry experts allowed me to reach the following conclusion: we are all a little more alike than we may know (or admit). For those who follow my blog and publications, you know I support middle managers across the spectrum— both frontline and mid-career. A trend I regularly hear from my coachees is that of a self-admitted lacking knowledge. This knowledge – knowledge to manage effectively, knowledge to spark cohesion, to craft a vision, to draw upon individuals’ strengths, is invaluable. The brilliant thing about education is that it cures these (management) ailments which cause disengagement and turnover. But at the root of this lacking knowledge is a feeling of loneliness.  

Loneliness is sparked by pressure: (1) pressure from the top to perform, to increase profit, to engage the workforce, and (2) pressure from the team to resolve concerns, increase resources, address benefits, resolve interpersonal conflict… the list goes on.

Although loneliness is a common theme – what I do not often see is a coalition for managers to learn from one another or to support each other (who has the time!?). I also observe hesitancy to allocate funding to the coaching and training of managers, even though disengagement costs businesses in the U.S. over $350 billion/year. While a different topic, managerial training is proven – yes proven – to retain talent.

Back to loneliness. What loneliness drives is isolation, and not much good comes from isolation. Creative solutions dissipate, cohesion of managers cease to exist, and the pressure managers feel to “do it all,” increases. 

In this same breath, loneliness is not an issue unique to middle management. In fact, I am told it is quite the opposite.

Wendy Luttrell, Owner of C Suite Goals, a west coast-based consulting firm, realized a need to support CEOs after her lived experience. Wendy is a seasoned CEO with experience in the Fashion sector (most notably taking BedHead Pajamas from 4M – 12M and exiting the owner profitably).  She is not unknown in fashion – having worked with Eileen Fisher, Sketchers, Linea Pelle, and Hello Kitty.  

From Wendy’s point of view:

 “When I was running BedHead it was a daily struggle to keep a positive attitude and motivate the team to grow.  Working alone in a vacuum can be paralyzing, I kept pushing forward by calling on my network to bounce ideas and get encouragement.  As CEO’s and business owners we are called upon to consistently be a support system for our teams and for the owners of our companies.  Who takes care of CEO’s?  This is why I feel I have a calling to provide a support system for CEO’s and business owners.  I work with CEO’s to help them through each day, when they feel like impostors, and when they feel the weight of the responsibility of leading the team with no support.  I consistently hear that CEO’s have no one to talk to.  Providing an ear through my Vistage Peer support group and through my private practice gives leaders a break – providing a safe space to talk about challenges they face and celebrate their victories and grow as people and leaders.” 

The challenges middle management or executive leaders face may be different, but a basic human need remains the same – the need to confide and the desire to collaborate with peers. The support that one gleans from shared experiences can yield creative solutions and offer emotional support. But, moreover, the discussion of our perceived isolation is useful to demonstrate how we are not all that different - an interesting takeaway.

Fear: A Silent Instigator

Of all complex situations in the workplace, fear is not often a term discussed or even considered when it comes to addressing and managing disagreements or tense situations.

I recently commenced reading a book I remind myself to open each year: Wired for Joy. The author, Laurel Mellin, helps readers understand more about how the brain functions. In brief (you should purchase the book!), there are joy circuits and stress circuits. Stress circuits are all around us – at home, in the office, on the road. Joy circuits, however, are harder to come by. And, like anything, practice makes perfect. When stress circuits are used regularly, they are more easily triggered.

OK, so what does this have to do with fear?

Picture yourself at work. You have a colleague who just wrote you a nastygram, insinuating your knowledge is inferior to their own. First, take virtual communication into consideration. This person may simply have a poor tone in email (I encourage you to pick up the phone *once you are calm* if you sense miscommunication or passive aggressive behavior). But beyond the tone or the insinuation, are your feelings. Your blood pressure rose, and your brain went straight to the stressed state.

What I described is as typical as getting water when we are thirsty. It’s not that we want to feel poor, but our brains tell us something is wrong. While I won’t try to explain the technicalities of neurotransmitters – Laurel can do that – I did consider a tactic that can help reground you and help you realize what is actually bothersome. What I realized is a lot of stress, and anger, stems from fear.

Next time you feel angry, give this method a shot:

• Ask yourself who you are angry toward. List the person or people.

• Then, ask yourself the reason. Record the reason.

• Now, consider what it effects. Self-esteem? Security? Ambitions? Personal relations?

• Finally, what are the underlying fears?

Let’s take the above example. Pretend Mark sent you the email. Mark is the person you are angry toward. The reason you are angry is that he is acting as he knows more than you do. <Enter reflective mode here.> The email made you feel less intelligent, gave you a swirl of insecurity about your job, and made you question if you are good enough. Further, you are now angry at Mark. How dare he? ... But what are you afraid of? Perhaps you are fearful you may lose your job, or you fear the project you need to work on with Mark will be a catastrophe.

Consider your feelings, and this process, the next time your blood boils. It may have less to do with the person (albeit we all have these tedious experiences!) and more to do with your fears. Once you recognize those fears, you are empowered to respond with insight – maybe even vulnerability – and not hostility. This helps ease tension and supports cohesion rather than opposition.

/Article originally published on LinkedIn./

Changing "Me First," to You, First.

It’s a “me first” society. I’d even argue our self-centered approach is worsening; from entitlement, to straight up narcissism, the absence of humility and selflessness is becoming systemic. It’s finding ways into every corner of our lives, including the workplace.

Robert Greenleaf crafted the phenomenon of servant leadership over 40 years ago. Empirical research has since been completed to identify not only what servant leadership should ideally be, but what it looks like in practice.

I am a proponent of not only adopting the behavioral components of servant leadership but honestly believe the ripple effect of servant leadership is incomparable.

Servant leadership is about others. From attentive listening to empathizing and nurturing, servant leadership focuses on developing each person’s full potential. From my viewpoint, the most powerful part of servant leadership is the desire to put followers first, empowering them in the process.

I am not saying you should forget about your needs, but instead, understand the principles of servant leadership to grasp the associated benefit (for you and for others!). One of the critical elements of servant leadership is ethical and sustainable behavior. Meaning, servant leaders not only lead with ethics as the cornerstone of their decision-making, but make an exerted effort to be concerned for those with less fortune. Are there inequalities and injustices in the workplace? As a servant leader, your goal is to try to remove them; this transcends beyond daily leadership and into global influence.

The essential piece to servant leadership is the ability to empower. As a leader, you shift authority to those you are leading. Helping team members be self-sufficient and make decisions on their own builds followers’ confidence. Sharing control is monumental. How do leaders lose their way? Power. Control. Egocentrism. By providing freedom and encouragement to employees to handle difficult situations, they buy into the notion that their decisions affect others. As a result, he or she become motivated and accountable members of the organization.   

The focus here is on the leader’s behaviors; the north stars are empathy, placing followers’ needs first, helping followers succeed, behaving ethically, empowering, and creating value for the community. Why is servant leadership worth investigating? Outcomes of servant leadership include an increase in follower performance and growth, improvement in organizational performance, and societal impact.

Having a deeper understanding of servant leadership allows you to determine if this approach is right for you. If you’re interested in testing your current servant leadership capabilities, send me a note.