Saturday, September 3, 2011

100 Ways to be a Better Leader

Taken from a article on http://learnthis.ca/ by Mike King


Leading People
1. Volunteer to help before you know what you are really needed for
2. Show up early for a meeting and welcome everyone with a handshake as they arrive
3. Facilitate a meeting for someone you work with
4. Prepare for a meeting before you attend and present your thoughts on the meeting topics first.
5. Highlight several strengths or skills you see another person has and tell them
6. Admit a mistake you have made
7. Tell stories of times where you have learned something new from a failure
8. Apologize for some wrong doing or hurt you have caused to someone
9. Display or publish your own personal values to your co-workers
10. Introduce yourself to anyone you don’t know in the workplace
11. Start a relationship with a colleague outside of work12. Develop and use a consistent positive response to greetings like, “Hi, how are you?”
13. Share with someone one of your vulnerabilities
14. Always treat others respectfully
15. Outline for your boss each month all your accomplishments, plans and lessons learned
16. Make calls to maintain your network and to keep your contacts informed of your presence and lend an offer of help should they need it
17. Be transparent and share personal stories
18. Provide regular feedback to others about behaviors and actions you can see and hear
19.. Share your vision
20. Dream big
21. Define, build and maintain your reputation
22. Spend more time with those performing well than those not
23. Keep business performance and expectations independent of any personal relationship (business is business and personal is personal)
24. Admit when you are not right
25. Communicate clearly, inquire deeper and paraphrase often
26. Spend time communicating with people in private
27. Ask about and learn what motivates other people to help them achieve it

Leadership Skills and Development
28. Start an informal learning time at lunch with colleagues and pick various topics to cover on a regular schedule
29. Send out on email; your favorite learning websites
30. Tell others about how you learn new skills
31. Offer to help someone develop an area you are already familiar with
32. Teach a skill you have learned to others
33. Learn the DISC personality profiles (or another type of behavior/personality profile) to help describe and communicate more effectively with others. (Click Here to See the Article on DISC Personality Profiles)
34. Put at least one thing into action from every course / book you ever complete
35. Show empathy and compassion to others
36. Find a mentor to focus your own development with
37. Mentor someone else in an area or role you excel at
38. Create/write your own training manual and share it with others
39. Write down all of your goals with end dates and ensure they are measurable
40. Write your desired legacy or epitaph
41. Increase communication by using open ended questions
42. Actively pursue and encourage continuous improvement for yourself and others
43. Continue to grow and raise your expectations over time

Leadership Actions
44. Accept responsibility for your own actions and make that point known
45. Smile at the first people you see each and every day
46. Complete the one thing you have procrastinated the most before anything else!
47. Start procrastinating things a leader doesn’t do.
48. Encourage and promote change. Be a change agent.
49. Add enthusiasm and passion to your presentations
50. Say no to unimportant requests
51. Bring up and engage in a difficult subject or conversation
52. Keep your actions and decisions aligned with your values
53. Read books and share them with others
54. Be first to demonstrate and practice the Golden Rule
55. Choose to promote someone else’s idea over your own
56. Pick 3 low value things you can stop doing and stop doing them from now on
57. Listen and think more than you talk
58. Show appreciation and thanks to others
59. Be bold in your actions
60. Tackle your biggest fear by facing it to overcome it
61. Step up your business attire a notch and keep it that way
62. Memorize and share your favorite leadership quotes
63. Be persistent
64. Do one new leadership action every day
65. Maintain and uphold any professional ethics
66. Practice what you preach
67.Be confident in your abilities and decisions
68. Strengthen your unique attributes
69. Do what you say and carry through on your commitments
70. Work hard and play hard, you need to show an ability to balance both
71. Let go of perfectionism for yourself and others
72. Be willing to take risks
73. Take initiative
74. Reduce and even eliminate things that are distracting
75. Set time aside for planning and strategy
76. Review and recap your progress and accomplishments

Servant Leadership
77. Take a day off work to go volunteer for a non-profit group
78. Always give credit to those you work with or who work for you
79. Admit and accept fault for what you are involved in even if its not solely yours
80. Don’t judge others, offer help to promote change instead
81. Be open minded for other people’s ideas and opinions
82. Stay calm and control emotional outbreaks in all situations
83. Sacrifice your own time or personal goal to help achieve a collective goal
84. Take on a task or trade a task for one that no one else wants to do
85. Contribute for free to personal and career development systems like wikis, blogs, articles, interview, speaking opportunities or other related systems
86. Find your own passions and connect with others in a community sharing that passion
87. Engage in a conversation with a stranger
88. Do something nice for a complete stranger or homeless person
89. Use the 5W questions to investigate learning and teaching
90. Keep complacency at bay and drive through resistance from others
91. Let go of having things done your way and accept alternative paths
92. Let others share their opinions before you
93. Express gratitude and appreciation for what you have
94. Put love into what you do and how you do it
95. Build trust by offering to trust people before expecting it to be earned
96. Rely on and reveal your spiritual guidance that helps you be the leader you are
97. Make decisions that build a team, not an individual
98. Do the right thing even if it won’t be liked
99. Give first and without any expectation
100. Be humble and willing to serve others

DISC Personality Profiles

The DISC Personality System is the universal language of behavior. Research has shown that behavioral characteristics can be grouped together in four major divisions called personality styles. People with similar personality profiles styles tend to exhibit specific behavioral characteristics common to that profile. All people share these four styles in varying degrees of intensity. The acronym DISC stands for the four personality styles represented by the letters:
  • D (Drive)
  • I (Influence)
  • S (Steadiness)
  • C (Compliance)
(Drive)

General Characteristics:
  • Direct. Decisive. High Ego Strength. Problem Solver. Risk Taker. Self Starter
Value to Team:
  • Bottom-line organizer. Places value on time. Challenges the status quo. Innovative
Possible Weaknesses:
  • Oversteps authority. Argumentative attitude. Dislikes routine.
    Attempts too much at once.
Greatest Fear:
  • Being taken advantage of.
Motivated By:
  • New challenges. Power and authority to take risks and make decisions. Freedom from routine and mundane tasks. Changing environments in which to work and play.
Ideal Environment:
  • Innovative focus on future. Non-routine challenging tasks and activities. Projects that produce tangible results. Freedom from controls, supervision, and details. Personal evaluation based on results, not methods.
Remember a High D May Want:
  • Authority, varied activities, prestige, freedom, assignments promoting growth, "bottom line" approach, and opportunity for advancement.
DO:
  • Be brief, direct, and to the point. Ask "what" not "how" questions. Focus on business; remember they desire results. Suggest ways for him/her to achieve results, be in charge, and solve problems. Highlight logical benefits of featured ideas and approaches.
DON'T:
  • Ramble. Repeat yourself. Focus on problems. Be too sociable. Make generalizations. Make statements without support.
While analyzing information, a High D may:
  • Ignore potential risks. Not weigh the pros and cons. Not consider others' opinions. Offer innovative and progressive systems and ideas.
D's possess these positive characteristics in teams:
  • Autocratic managers - great in crisis. Self-reliant. Innovative in getting results. Maintain focus on goals. Specific and direct. Overcome obstacles. Provide direction and leadership. Push group toward decisions. Willing to speak out. Generally optimistic. Welcome challenges without fear. Accept risks. See the big picture. Can handle multiple projects. Function well with heavy work loads.
Personal Growth Areas for D's:
  • Strive to be an "active" listener. Be attentive to other team members' ideas until everyone reaches a consensus. Be less controlling and domineering. Develop a greater appreciation for the opinions, feelings, and desires of others. Put more energy into personal relationships. Show your support for other team members. Take time to explain the "whys" of your statements and proposals. Be friendlier and more approachable.

(Influence)

General Characteristics:

  • Enthusiastic. Trusting; Optimistic. Persuasive; Talkative. Impulsive; Emotional
Value to Team:
  • Creative problem solver. Great encourager. Motivates others to achieve. Positive sense of humor. Negotiates conflicts; peace maker.
Possible Weaknesses:
  • More concerned with popularity than tangible results. Inattentive to detail. Overuses gestures and facial expressions. Tends to listen only when it's convenient.
Greatest Fear:
  • Rejection.
Motivated By:
  • Flattery, praise, popularity, and acceptance. A friendly environment. Freedom from many rules and regulations. Other people available to handle details.
Ideal Environment:
  • Practical procedures. Few conflicts and arguments. Freedom from controls and details. A forum to express ideas. Group activities in professional and social environments
Remember a High I May Want:
  • Social esteem and acceptance, freedom from details and control, people to talk to, positive working conditions, recognition for abilities, opportunity to motivate and influence others.
DO:
  • Build a favorable, friendly environment. Give opportunity for them to verbalize about ideas, people and their intuition. Assist them in developing ways to transfer talk into action. Share testimonials from others relating to proposed ideas. Allow time for stimulating, sociable activities. Submit details in writing, but don't dwell on them. Develop a participative relationship. Create incentives for following through on tasks.
DON'T:
  • Eliminate social time. Do all the talking. Ignore their ideas or accomplishments. Tell them what to do.
While analyzing information, a High I may:
  • Lose concentration. Miss important facts and details. Interrupt. Be creative in problem solving.
I's possess these positive characteristics in teams:
  • Instinctive communicators. Participative managers - influence and inspire. Motivate the team. Spontaneous and agreeable. Respond well to the unexpected. Create an atmosphere of well being. Enthusiastic. Provide direction and leadership. Express ideas well. Work well with other people. Make good spokespersons. Will offer opinions. Persuasive. Have a positive attitude. Accomplish goals through people. Good sense of humor. Accepting of others. Strong in brainstorming sessions.
Personal Growth Areas for I's:
  • Weigh the pros and cons before making a decision; be less impulsive. Be more results oriented. Exercise control over your actions, words, and emotions. Focus more on details and facts. Remember to slow down your pace for other team members. Talk less; listen more. Consider and evaluate ideas from other team members. Concentrate on following through with tasks.

(Steadiness)

General Characteristics:

  • Good listener; Team player. Possessive. Steady; Predictable. Understanding; Friendly.
Value to Team:
  • Reliable and dependable. Loyal team worker. Compliant towards authority. Good listener, patient and empathetic. Good at reconciling conflicts.
Possible Weaknesses:
  • Resists change. Takes a long time to adjust to change. Holds a grudge; sensitive to criticism. Difficulty establishing priorities.
Greatest Fear:
  • Loss of security.
Motivated By:
  • Recognition for loyalty and dependability. Safety and security. No sudden changes in procedure or lifestyle. Activities that can be started and finished.
Ideal Environment:
  • Practical procedures and systems. Stability and predictability. Tasks that can be completed at one time. Few conflicts and arguments. A team atmosphere.
Remember a High S May Want:
  • Security in situations, sincere appreciation, repeated work patterns, time to adjust to change, limited territory of responsibility.
DO:
  • Create a favorable environment: personal and agreeable. Express a genuine interest in them as a person. Provide them with clarification for tasks and answers to "how" questions. Be patient in drawing out their goals. Present ideas or departures from current practices in a non-threatening manner; give them time to adjust. Clearly define goals, procedures and their role in the overall plan. Assure them of personal follow-up support. Explain how their actions will minimize the risks involved and enhance current procedures.
DON'T:
  • Be pushy, overly aggressive, or demanding. Be too confrontational.
While analyzing information, a High S may:
  • Be openly agreeable but inwardly unyielding. Internalize their concerns and doubts. Hesitate to share feedback during presentation. Slow down the action. Provide valuable support for team goals.
S's possess these positive characteristics in teams:
  • Instinctive relaters. Participative managers - accomplish goals through personal relationships. Make others feel like they belong. Show sincerity. Can see an easier way of doing things. Focused and intuitive about people and relationships. Full of common sense. Buy into team goals. Dependable. Identify strongly with the team. Strive to build relationships. Provide stability. Consider elements of a total project. Realistic and practical. Even-tempered. Provide specialized skills. Show patience with others. Loyal.
Personal Growth Areas for S's:
  • Be more open to change. Be more direct in your interactions. Focus on overall goals of the team rather than specific procedures. Deal with confrontation constructively. Develop more flexibility. Increase pace to accomplish goals. Show more initiative. Work at expressing thoughts, opinions, and feelings.

(Compliance)

General Characteristics:

  • Accurate; analytical. Conscientious; careful. Fact-finder; precise. High standards; systematic.
Value to Team:
  • Perspective: "the anchor of reality." Conscientious and even-tempered. Thorough to all activities. Defines situation; gathers, criticizes and tests information.
Possible Weaknesses:
  • Needs clear-cut boundaries for actions/relationships. Bound by procedures and methods. Gets bogged down in details. Prefers not to verbalize feelings. Will give in rather that argue.
Greatest Fear:
  • Criticism.
Motivated By:
  • Standards of high quality. Limited social interaction. Detailed tasks. Logical organization of information.
Ideal Environment:
  • Tasks and projects that can be followed through to completion. Specialized or technical tasks. Practical work procedures and routines. Few conflicts and arguments. Instructions and reassurance that they are doing what is expected of them.
Remember a High C May Want:
  • Autonomy and independence, controlled work environment, reassurance, precise expectations and goals, exact job descriptions, planned change.
DO:
  • Prepare your case in advance. Delineate pros and cons of proposed ideas. Support ideas and statements with accurate data. Reassure them that no surprises will occur. Submit an exact job description with a precise explanation of how that task fits into the big picture. Review recommendations with them in a systematic and comprehensive manner. Be specific when agreeing. Disagree with the facts rather than the person when disagreeing. Be patient, persistent, and diplomatic while providing explanations.
DON'T:
  • Refuse to explain details. Answer questions vaguely or casually.
While analyzing information, a High C may:
  • Become overly cautious and conservative. Get too bogged down in details. Avoid or postpone decisions, especially if they perceive a risk. Be an effective trouble shooter.
C's possess these positive characteristics in teams:
  • Instinctive organizers. "Do it yourself" managers - create and maintain systems. Strive for a logical, consistent environment. Control the details. Conscientious. Evaluate the team's progress. Ask important questions. Maintain focus on tasks. Offer conservative approaches. Emphasize quality. Think logically. Will share risks and responsibilities. Work systematically. Will strive for consensus. Diplomatic. Analyze obstacles.
Personal Growth Areas for C's:
  • Concentrate on doing the right things, not just doing things right. Be less critical of others' ideas and methods. Respond more quickly to accomplish team goals. Strive to build relationships with other team members. Be more decisive. Focus less on facts and more on people. Take risks along with other team members.

How is DISC used?

  • Discover behavioral strengths, areas for augmenting, blending, capitalizing
  • Value and learn to respect the strengths of others
  • Deal with conflict effectively by learning adaptive behaviors
  • Enhance work group with teamwork and minimize team conflict
  • Develop strategies to meet diverse needs of others
  • Improve communication skills by determining communication styles
  • Increase sales skills and understanding of the prospect, client, customer with people reading.
  • Improve customer relationships by identification and meeting needs
  • Reduce conflict and stress, in both interpersonal and interpersonal relationships
  • Manage interpersonal communication better
Used by many Fortune 500 Companies, HR professionals, consultants, coaches, trainers, dentists, clergy, government agencies, sales firms, and educational institutions.  DISC helps them to:

  • Build productive teams
  • Develop effective managers, supervisors, leaders
  • Train a powerful sales force
  • Improve customer service
  • Ease frustrations and interpersonal conflict
  • Enhance Communication
  • Conflict Management resolution
  • Team Development and team building
  • Improves personal diversity awareness and recognition
  • Improve the bottom line: productivity
  • Assists in hiring, recruiting, placement, promotion, outsourcing
  • Change management, Quality enhancement
  • Managing, counseling, coaching