Walk Into the Future

Category: Mentoring

  • What Inspires Me?

    ‘Don’t chase the paper (money), chase the dream.’

    (The Notorious BIG)

    I conducted a leadership and goal-setting workshop with staff from the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Center for Student Success and Services (CSSS) in January.  Extremely engaged group of professionals who were very aware of their goals and vision for success.  My work allowed them to fine tune their organizational efforts towards creating empowered leaders who lead from the front.

    During my time with the group we touched on the concept of inspiration and who they inspire through daily interactions.  This was a very good way to get staff to engage and identify how they impact the organization in a positive way.  While listening to their responses it was easy to see the passion they have for what they do and the clients (students, parents, leaders, peers) they interact with daily.

    I formulated a question for myself on my drive back from conducting the workshop for CSSS staff members:  What Inspires Me?  Please note, this concept is something I have already identified but wanted to expand as part of my continued Walk into The Future.

    Why

    Months ago, a friend asked me ‘what’s your why?’.  My response was:  to impact people in a positive way to leave them better than when I found them.  Simple enough, right?  But to look deeper, my why and interactions with others is what inspires me daily.  This process seems to generate a complete circle because the more I help others the more inspired I become.  Understanding your ‘why’ can provide the blueprint for what you should be doing.

    Inspiration with Why

    Who

    I work with multiple people I’ve met over the years; some from my time in the Air Force, others from my work at multiple university Career Centers.  My speaking engagements have allowed me to reach a larger audience from diverse work environments and backgrounds.

    My interactions with branches on my tree drive my desire to help them succeed in their professional and personal lives.  My branches determine the level of interaction needed during our check-in sessions.  Some just need a little ‘encouragement’ while others need a full session to energize their efforts on their Walk into Future.  Either way, my work with branches on my tree inspires me probably more than it does them.  The stronger the branches grow, the stronger the tree becomes.  Let’s inject the complete circle metaphor here again for visual impact. 😊

    Inspiration Circle

    When

    Spend time with me and I will probably have some level of advice for you.  It comes naturally for me since I have a background in Psychology and Career Services arenas.  I never force information on anyone but when asked I will give an honest answer.  There will be times my responses require a branch to conduct homework (research, reflection, goal formation, etc.) and then we can get to work on mapping out a path for success.  I agree to partner and help find the success needed to move forward.  The ownership remains with the branch to finalize the process.

    So, what truly inspires me?  Having a formulated ‘why’ and interactions with branches (who) as determined by their needs (when).  Simple enough, huh?

    Thanks to my branches for inspiring me daily!  Well done!

    What inspires you daily?  Who inspires you?  Curious, thanks!

  • Leaders Build People

    encouragement 3

    How often do you make the time to encourage others?  What benefits can a kind word from you have on the daily outcomes for someone you know?  How do leaders build direct reports into valuable team members and future leaders?

    Encourage them and watch them grow!

    I look for ways to reach out and help my tree continue to grow daily.  Some days it’s just a simple text to say hello and other days jumping on a phone call may be a better option to be a people builder.

    A simple ‘check-in’ can be the catalyst to help someone experiencing a difficult challenge in their day.  This approval process can be what they have been craving but didn’t know they needed.

    Leaders can bring this concept into the work environment by having a complete understanding of their staff members. Knowledge of strengths and weaknesses can enhance this process.  Look for ways to emphasize and cultivate the strengths of your team to unlock hidden potential.  Also look for opportunities to encourage team members to stretch their skills for additional growth.  Leaders who encourage their people to test their limits and provide a foundation for growth are ‘people builders’.

    I make it a point to tell direct reports, “I don’t care if you make a mistake, just don’t make the same mistake twice”.   This statement is my way to let people know they are encouraged and should explore additional ways to get things accomplished in the work environment.  We constantly hear about work place diversity but at times hinder the process of diverse thoughts, ideas and concepts.

    ‘Never let your ego get so close to your position that when your position goes, your ego goes with it’. (Colin Powell)

    Everyone wants to be valued—plant the seeds today and watch the people around you grow.  Show an authentic belief in them and their overall success.  This concept can be utilized in the work environment and with daily interaction with family, friends and others you cross paths with.  Take the time to showcase the ‘positive’ when communicating throughout the day.  Go ahead and give that vote of confidence to someone who is considering making a big change in their professional or personal life.  Your encouragement may be the thing they need to move forward.

    You become a ‘people builder’ when you provide the nudge, advice or encouragement needed to help them Walk into The Future.

    Who can you build up today?

  • Happy New Year

    Happy New Year 2019

    ‘None of us can change our yesterdays but all of us can change our tomorrows’ (Colin Powell)

    2018 was a great year and looking forward to having a great 2019 as well!

    I’m sure you will hear Happy New Year for the next few weeks, so I decided to get my version in via a blog post.  Positive thoughts lead to positive actions so let’s use the New Year vibe to create a road map for your personal and professional success.

    I’ve never been a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions because the construct behind these resolutions have an air of whimsy.   Most resolutions are stated with an almost ‘either/or’ prospect without the foundation for future growth or success.

    I sit down each January and generate a list of goals I will accomplish in the New Year.  These goals range from travel locations, fitness targets, professional pursuits, community involvement and reading plans for the year.  Generating SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Based) goals provides a template to determine progress towards meeting a specific goal.  The ability to gauge progress towards stated goals provide a level of satisfaction and accountability to meet or exceed a goal.  I also leverage an accountability partner who receives a copy of my goals and checks on progress throughout the year.

     

    smart goals 2019

    I routinely advise direct reports and mentees to generate 3 SMART goals in the following areas:  professional and personal.  This process has helped them set goals to ensure the new year will bring the success they seek.  Please note:  3 SMART goals are the minimum I request from my tree; most create a robust number of goals in these areas and others depending on their professional and personal needs.

    Use the early days of 2019 to get organized and create goals that will enhance your entire 2019!  Don’t wait, get moving towards the productive year and outcomes you want to see!

    Let’s energize your Walk into the Future!

    What goals do you have for the New Year?   

  • The Humble Leader

    close up photography of a cellphone
    Photo by Prateek Katyal on Pexels.com

    The concept of the humble leader sounds contradictory to what most people envision in the workplace.  The traditional leadership view (real or perceived) cast leaders as hard charging, take no prisoner and only out for themselves.

    Humility: the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one’s importance, rank, etc. (Dictionary.com)

    A true leader understands you lead people and manage programs.  Not the other way around.

    A humble leader displays a level of self-awareness within the workplace to ensure growth for everyone.  A humble leader does not seek or need the spotlight to highlight the great work of the team.  The humble leader can inspire better team cohesion, eagerness to learn and a better performance outcome for their teams.

    The process of leading by example and a leader with a humble approach when working with individuals and teams is an excellent example of this concept.  This consistent approach provides a template for others to follow and allows the team to perform knowing the true nature of their leader.

    Humble leaders:

    • Build relationships
    • Listen
    • Enable trust in the workplace
    • Show appreciation
    • Reflect
    • Display authenticity

    A humble leader puts the needs of others before themselves.  This could be a simple process of ensuring direct reports have the tools needed to perform their duties.  Sounds simple but how many times are work assignments delegated with deadlines, but instructions/tools needed to perform are not provided.  The humble leader looks to provide tools needed to ensure overall team success.  They are also not afraid to ask questions to ensure the assignment is fully understood.  Asking follow-up questions does not show weakness but shows the leader cares and wants to optimize time spent on a specific project.

    Being a humble leader does not imply weakness.  Humble leaders are always looking to improve themselves and focus on larger, organizational goals—not just their individual goals.

    A leader is best when people hardly know that they exist. (Lao Tzu)

    What impact does humility have within your current work environment?  How would this concept enhance overall productivity in the work environment?

     

     

     

     

  • The Self-Aware Leader

    Self Awareness2

    “If we agree on everything, one of us is redundant”

    (Colin Powell)

    This is one of my favorite leadership quotes from Colin Powell.  This statement identifies true leaders want and encourage feedback from their direct reports.

    This concept provides the leader with information needed to make sound decisions to help organizational growth.  New and ineffective leaders miss the opportunity to engage with direct reports on decision making for multiple reasons.  Some can be attributed to inexperience, lack of trust, and lack of self-awareness.  All can be overcome with concerted efforts to develop as a leader and engage within the work environment.  Leaders who are self-aware can begin to mitigate the inexperience and lack of trust mentioned earlier.

    How do you become a self-aware leader?

    • Look inside and become introspective
    • Identify your strengths, weaknesses, values and how others view you
    • Understand how your self-view impacts others and the work environment
    • Knowledge of how your interactions (positive or negative) influence direct reports
    • Ensure actions and decisions are based in an authentic framework
    • Strive to build authentic relationships with everyone within the organization
    • Adjust based on interactions and feedback from others
    • Advocate for a continuous learning work environment

    Work place impact of the Self-Aware Leader

    The self-aware leader improves the work environment by modeling the attributes of self-awareness.  This modeling allows direct reports to see and understand the importance of self-awareness.  The leader actively acknowledges strengths and weaknesses.  This provides a framework to enhance staff members’ development within the work environment by catering to staff strengths and working to mitigate weaknesses.

    The self-aware leader provides direct reports an engaging work environment where they know they are valued and input is encouraged.  This attribute showcases a leader who fully understands how they are viewed within the work environment.

    Finally, the self-aware leader provides an organizational foundation for success by creating additional self-aware leaders.

    How can you model self-awareness in your daily interactions?  What benefits would self-awareness bring to your work environment?

    Self Awareness

  • Mentoring

    “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” 

    (Oprah Winfrey)

    Having a mentor is an excellent way to walk into the future.  A mentor can help with your personal and professional growth.  I recommend having multiple mentors who can give you different perspectives and maximize your efforts to walk into the future.

    Identify someone who has expertise in an area you are interested in.  Use your current network to help identify a mentor if you don’t have direct connections with the right person.

    Reach out to a potential mentor and let them know your needs and gauge their ability to serve as your mentor.  Remember, this person will be ‘giving’ their time to help you grow so make sure the fit works for you both.

    You should be responsible for setting the agenda whenever you meet with your mentor.  Provide them with regular updates so they can be prepared to sit with you.  This ensures your time together is productive.

    I let my mentees identify the day, time and agenda for our regular meetings.  This helps them take charge of their meeting and helps keep us on track to meet their stated goals.  I find myself learning and growing during my sessions as much as my mentees.  This is another form of networking and I enjoy being a mentor.

    I have multiple mentors and see my personal and professional growth expanding due to mentors who have ‘reached back’ to help me.  I continue to have my eyes open for new mentors to help my walk into the future.

    How can you leverage a mentor/mentee relationship for growth?  Who can you mentor to help them move forward?

    Note:  Received text messages from two of my mentees on the same day—they both accepted offers for new positions—well done!

    For by wise counsel you will wage your own war.  And in a multitude of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 24:6)

    Make it a great day!

    Mentor