Walk Into the Future

Tag: Mentoring

  • The Voice of a Leader

    orange and and brown chess pieces

    Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com on Pexels.com

    “True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed—Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection”.

    (Sheryl Sandberg)

    Had a great lunch meeting and chat with one of my Orlando tree branches at the end of May.  We were able to catch up before my scheduled guest speaking role on the Intern Pursuit podcast.  Always love catching up with my tree branches in-person and jumped at the chance to hear the great things she was doing in Orlando with her small business marketing firm.

    We were able to share professional and life updates during this visit and got into the concept of leadership in the workplace.  Just general stuff but I’m a big believer in leadership development and the impact ‘good’ leadership can have on the work environment.

    Most people have heard numerous leadership styles mentioned:  transactional, transformational, authoritative, authentic, etc.  I recommend new leaders have a good understanding of multiple leadership styles and then work to find their inner voice within the work environment.

    What’s your inner voice?  This concept can be used to determine your true leadership style and then put things into place to ensure your work environment and people can grow.  I tell anyone who listens I’m a huge believer in the authentic leadership style.  Guess what, authentic leadership takes some of the best aspects of other leadership styles and packages them into a concise, four variable approach to leadership.  The variables of self-awareness, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective and balanced processing are used by authentic leaders to develop their inner leadership voice.  An authentic leader needs to ensure these variables are on display and utilized daily to truly be an authentic leader.

    Please note, all leadership styles have variables of some level.  Transformational leaders are called ‘quiet leaders’ because they are described as leading by example.  Transactional leaders can be viewed as reactive and ‘may’ be more beneficial within large corporation settings.

    So, as you can see, there are a lot of leadership styles available to new and experienced leaders.

    “It can be done.  Leaders make things happen.  If one approach doesn’t work, find another”.

    (Colin Powell)

    The key to finding your leadership inner voice is assessment of your work environment and flexibility.  I can say I practice authentic leadership, but this style may not be practical for every direct report.  A direct report who is not performing to standards may need daily transactional interactions whereas the rest of the staff thrive with the authentic leadership environment created.  Knowing the needs of your staff is something that comes with experience, lots of reading and training.  The ability to adapt to changing work situations and needs of direct reports allows a leader to impact the work environment in a positive manner.

    It’s okay to take a personal interest in direct reports and things they are interested in.  You may be able to adjust work assignments to keep them engaged based on strengths and interests.  It’s also okay if you can’t accommodate everything your staff would like to do in the work environment.  Example:  staff may want to work from home but if that model does not fit the mission then it’s up to the leader to say so.  Saying no in this situation is not a personal attack, it’s just the way the organization must operate.

    A lot goes into being a leader.  Understanding leadership styles, your strengths and weaknesses as well as continual learning will help as you develop your inner leadership voice.

    “Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their staff.  If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish”.

    (Sam Walton)

    blank paper with pen and coffee cup on wood table
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  • Always reach back and help others: Networking grows tree branches

    ‘You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.’

    (Zig Ziglar)

    A lot of times we discuss networking in terms of attending an event and meeting people face to face.  That is a version of networking and requires skills to be able to introduce yourself and discuss mutual interest items.  Students use networking events (opportunities) to make their elevator speeches for potential career options.  More experienced folks may attend networking events to secure future business, opportunities or leverage to make career changes.  There is an art to networking within this type environment and successful outcomes are available to all.

    The quote above was intriguing to me as it covers networking from a more basic level.  Networking is available to us all but how many go out of their way to ensure we are helping others?

    I pose this question because I view my current Walk into the Future as my ultimate way to get what I want out of life because I am willing to help others.  The Walk into the Future blog is designed to capture my thoughts, feelings and adventures—sometimes all done within the same article.  Topics are also designed to help others—they are based on real world interactions (good and bad) with intent to provide talking points to help readers process my words and put them into play as needed.

    An interesting aspect of my current Walk into the Future is I have availability to speak with others (students, potential clients, consultants, etc.) to help them move forward in life.  Most of these people reach out to me based on a recommendation which is another form of networking.  Meetings are scheduled based on their current schedule to make sure we have enough time to discuss their needs.  This form of networking is exciting for me as it helps me generate additional ‘tree branches’ and keeps me energized because I’m making a difference.  Networking does not have to be a stuffy process and opportunities are available to us all.

    Always remember someone helped us all get where we are today.  How available are you when someone reaches out?  How can you enhance a networking opportunity to ensure your ‘tree branches’ continue to grow?

    I came back to networking as a topic because I believe it opens doors and provides a framework to make a difference.  I got agitated (for 2 minutes only) when I reached out to someone for information on a specific organization this person worked for previously.  Thought this was a simple request but they automatically referred me to someone else.  I never got the two questions I had answered because the person I reached out to wouldn’t help me get what I wanted/needed. Don’t be this person, help people as much as possible and watch how the positive vibes will come back to you MULTIPLIED!

    Networking April 2019

    How engaging are you when someone reaches out?  What opportunities are available for you to help someone else move forward?

  • 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?