Not long ago I was working with one of my clients and was asked does leadership come first or personal development? Have you ever thought about people that are in leadership positions and have unscrupulous behavioral characteristics; consisting of feeding into the grapevine or strategically planning a coup to get rid of people through scheme tactics. I have observed counterproductive behavior in numerous situations throughout my career and can honestly tell you; those are the types of principals that turn me right off. And, are the types of principals that quite frankly get me sick.

You see I have an abiding love for management and also have an abiding love for education. Often, I am motivated to be the complete opposite of those whom I have observed to be unprincipled and immoral. As one embarks on a leadership role or in the process of venturing onto a career of entrepreneurial ship; the day will come when you will run onto shysters and schemers. Be on the alert and work hard from falling onto the trap of thinking that you can take a short cut to accomplish a particular task or that you won’t get caught. Immorality in a moral society will ultimately pay the prize for corrupted thinking. I am a true believer that in the world of management the majority of us are influenced by the principals of great thinkers in the field of management and by staying steadfast with the fundamentals of English common law. The moment one deviates from the law; one will succumb to a life of dishonesty and a road to nowhere.

One of my career mentors was a Chief of Staff to a County Board of Supervisors in Southern California; this man stood for the true qualities, of what a manager should be like. He was an intellectual; every time I met with him he taught me something in the field of management. He is the one who introduced me to the likes of Peter Drucker and a ton of administrative workbook manuals that took one through step by step process of management systems analysis. He slowly started to coach me and explained to me about the importance of office attire in the professional environment; this was a time; when I was still quite naïve politically and still had some of the residual effects of the 1960′s and early 70′s; another words – put on a tie and get a haircut. Next he started to take me to important meetings with the likes of Boeing aerospace Corporation and McDonald Douglas and others, just to shadow him. After the meetings we would debrief and he would give me feedback about how as a young man handled myself with a group of seasoned aerospace executives and his feedback of me, quite honestly was brutal but much needed as he was not easy on me and insisted I work hard at become a leader and competent administrator on my own merit. This is the man who was instrumental in my acceptance to one of the country’s best University’s in the School of Public Policy and Planning, The University of Southern California. This man was a teacher, coach, top public official, scholar, and most of all he was a great husband and father not to mention a great friend.

The reason I just revealed the above mentioned life based story is because throughout my career I have tried to emulate my mentor in my professional world. I’ve always tried to perform in a way I think he would be proud of me as I performed my duties throughout my career. And, those have been: honesty, hard work, discipline, the search for knowledge, love people and give back to the less fortunate. These are principals I have worked hard to live by and also as my teacher did to me; teach others.

About the Author

Do you want to discover the secret to explosive Personal and Leadership Development? Download my free guide here:Personal and Leadership Development. Dr. Richard C. Baiz is a College and Corporate Personal/Leadership Development Instructor and Coach who gets his clients top notch successful results fast.

Those that would be successful leaders must master paradox.

Leaders must be in it to win. Weather its overcoming an obstacle, finishing an objective, or beating the opposition; leaders have to be in it to prevail. If you do not carry a winning objective in mind, those that follow you will soon rebel.

Leaders need followers and followers need to feel that they stand behind someone that is strong and will succeed against any opposition. You cannot fake a winning attitude. You must know deep within yourself that you can win, that you will win, and that you have the methodology to win.

Winning means being a master of contradiction.

When they expect you to go high, you have to go low. When they think that there is no way that you can catch up, you must appear ahead of them. To do this you have to appear to be one way while in reality you are the complete opposite.

To win, you must do what they don’t expect. In order to catch the opposition off guard, you have to trick them into thinking one thing while in reality you do something completely different.

When you have finished all your work and are ready to move ahead, appear totally unprepared. Frazzled and unready in appearance, within you are ready to strike ahead. Act agitated but be prepared.

When you are ready to let them have it, act as if you are ready to run. Don’t telegraph your moves, especially your attacks. An attack or strike is a forceful action; this can be a strong attempt to overtake an obstacle, direct line of questioning in a debate, or the launch of a new product.

If you are boiling mad and crazy with emotion, appear to be the picture of calm peacefulness. This is beyond not sweating the hard stuff. This is outright deception. If you are calm, then appear emotionally crippled. In other words sweat when it suits you. If you care, act as if you don’t but if you don’t care then act like a nervous Nelly.

When your people are cohesive and united, make them seem like they are all over the place.
The idea then is to portray a completely different image of what you are. The reason for this is simple and obvious; if your competition knows what you are going to do, they can counter or block any move that you make.
Winning means taking the initiative in all action and always being one step ahead of the competition. If your are easy to read then you are at best second. People do not follow second best.

But don’t make the mistake of appearing weak, clumsy, or haughty to your own people. The idea is to deceive the opposition and not to discourage those that are under you.

Let your people in on your deceptions. Command with a velvet touch and keep them in the loop. When in private council with your people, talk straight and let them see your strength. If you are planning something big then let them know about it. If its better that some people stay in the dark, at least let them know that you are on top of things and plans are in the works. Always assure those that you would lead that you have it under control.

Those that win act as if they can’t…until it’s the right time to move.

Resource—The Art of War by Sun Tzu

About the Author

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Much stress is caused at work by differing approaches to getting things done.
Some people seem to do nothing until a last minute coffee fuelled rush. Others seem to have lists, organisers & calendars and move seemingly effortlessly through their days ticking lists off as they go.

Such polar opposite approaches can create disharmony (Conflict) at work where a little understanding could create wonderful harmony.

Let me explain.

Some people like to take things slowly keep their options open and get decisions made at the last possible minute. (Perceivers or P’s)

Others want detailed plans diarised and ticked off as they go, seeing the development of their project, grow over time. (Judgers or J’s)

Where an organised person (J) will want to plan & know procedures, processes, how’s, when’s, where’s and will make sure that all Is are dotted and Ts are crossed; an evolving person (P) will let things happen – keeping his options open and allow life and his projects to unfold until the last possible minute.

There is a real hard wired and physiological difference between the Perceiver (P) and the Judger (J) in their approaches to getting things done.

Js, will start their project / task at time zero and will have an slight adrenalin lift which sustains them through to completion on, or before, the set deadline. Thus their visible effort will match their adrenalin levels and steady state activity follows.

P’s on the other hard will get an adrenalin surge at the start of a project accompanied by a rush of activity. When they realise that the project /task is not due until 3 days/weeks/months/years away there is an associated drop in adrenalin with an associated and highly visible drop in activity level. They relax & chill out.
No rush.
Put off till tomorrow what does not need to be done today.

At the last possible minute our Pressure Prompted P gets an ‘oh gosh’ moment.
A massive surge in adrenalin followed by a rush of creativity and a very highly visible burst of activity; perhaps an overnight dash to the finish line with delivery/completion on, or around, the set deadline.
Where there is no deadline at all our Pressure Prompted P does not get an adrenaline burst so the activity simply does not get done.
Both J’s and P’s can schedule and plan. Both can create Gantt charts and work to them. It is simply that J’s Schedule from time zero and plan forward; while P’s schedule from the delivery deadline and plan backward to the absolute latest they have to start to get the task finished on time.
The challenge comes when they underestimate the amount of time needed to complete the task.

What does all this mean? Information is not useful unless you can apply it somewhere.

If you are an organised “Early Starting J” and work with a “Pressure Prompted P” then you are probably seething in frustration at the seemingly never ending fire-fighting stress-based rollercoaster. “Why can’t they just start earlier?”
Why can’t they delegate more to me earlier so that I don’t have to rush?

If you are a “Pressure Prompted P” it is highly likely that you are tired of being micromanaged by Early Starting J’s who don’t trust you to deliver on time with your usual genius just like you always do (well mostly).

Early Starting organised J’s if you want to get things done by your Pressure Prompted P colleagues on time and with your stress levels intact – The Secret is…
LIE to them.
Yes Lie!

Tell them a false early deadline.
Better still – break your project into smaller tasks with lots of mini deadline along the way to the ‘real, completion. They will still get an adrenalin surge and you get to know that your project is being delivered.

Pressure Prompted P’s if you are tired of being micro managed, tell your J colleges what you are doing and why they can’t see your visible output. Show them your plan (please write it down first – Js’ like to see things written down!) Show them when you plan to start & finish.

Reassure them and if that doesn’t work to appease them then agree an earlier deadline. Over time, when you regularly deliver they will begin to trust you more.
But you will have to train them to relax with your way of getting things done.

About the Author

Liz Cassidy is a Brisbane based writer and Executive Coach.
Third Sigma International is an Executive Coaching and Corporate Training business specialising in Effective Communication Skills and Leadership Development. Myers Briggs Personality Tests may be used in workshops.

I have most respect for self made millionaires. They came from having nothing to being successful in a matter of time. Do you ever wonder how they got there? The burning desire to being rich is what got them to where they are.

It’s really not hard at all to reach success. All it takes is commitment and persistence. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t mind being a laborer for the rest of your life then I believe you won’t continue reading from here on. If you want to succeed in life continue reading!!!

Many people are complaining right now about the recession. They keep listening to the news, reading the newspapers. Getting all this info about how everyone is getting laid off, huge companies are going bankrupt. It seems like the end of life for many.

Do you know 2009 is the year for opportunists? And such year will not come in your lifetime again. This year has the tendency to make fortunes. In other years lots of people had plans. But in 2009 most of the people are crying because of the recession and job losses. But only the opportunistic person will laugh coz he knows that this year is the best year for him.

I can guarantee you that 2009 will change your life if you will take these 11 months as your life’s last 11 months. Just work as much as you can with the only concentration on your business, count each day of 2009 as your life’s last moments. If you lost this year anyhow, then you will loose your life’s best opportunity. Keep this in your mind forever in 2009. And so even if u have an hour or two for free, then don’t waste them in watching TV or films. But go and propose your business to some people because were not going to be an audience any more were launching ourselves for the hosts now and hosts never waste time. They make best of even one free minute they have.

When watching TV u have seen that you don’t get a free second of blank page. Even if they get 2-3 seconds of free time, then they give one advertisement and they earn from it. Wasting time in 2009 means allowing you to live the life like a laborer for lifetime.

People not knowing that this is the time where self made millionaires are being born and sculpted. Right now as you read this forum there are Master Mind Groups all over the world coming up with plans that are going to make them millionaires for the years to come. Take my word, in a couple of years you will see fresh new faces in the millionaires list. Do not let your ignorance hold you back you, will regret it!!!

About the Author

I’m the founder of Triple Mind Inc. We’re a Master Mind Group who work on various types of business’s. I own several websites called [url]http://71flavors.com[/url] [url]http://sneakertecato.com[/url] [url]http://tripleminddesign.com[/url] My motto is to stay Money Conscious and you will reach the sky!!! http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/add.cgi

See Possibilities – Good Managers know how to bring out the best in others. They look for possibilities that perhaps no one else can see.

Know the Structure – Know the structure of the company – the guidelines, limitations and policies. A good manager needs to be up-to-date on what the current procedures are in the company so they can give employees good, clear expectations.

Remember: Small Actions Count! -Little drops of water make the mighty ocean, and little deeds of kindness act as glue that holds the puzzle pieces together. Each time you go out of your way to do something nice for another, it is noticed, and you are respected that much more.

Be Creative -A creative manager separates a competent manager from an exceptional one. Creativity adds that special spark to otherwise mundane responsibilities and projects, and can act as an inspirational tool for co-workers and other employees.

Commit – Commit not only to the success of your team’s project, but to your team as well. Remember: your level of commitment is contagious.

Be ‘Human’ – Don’ let your authority create a gap between you and the members of your team. There is nothing wrong with being your self. Be someone your team members can look up to and gain respect, loyalty and a good connection.

Stay Versatile – There is always room for flexibility and versatility. Be open to others suggestions and sudden changes.

Think back – Think back to how things would be for you if you were in their place. How would you want your manager to be? Be that manager.

Have funs while you work – A good manager knows how to have a good balance between being professional at work and having fun in the process. I’ve known this quality to work wonders in combating attrition as well! But don’t forget, there is a very fine line between having fun while your work and still staying focused.

Be a role model – Remember that you are the leader for the people who work under you. They will mirror you and your work ethics. Be worthy of being a role model.

More information about management go to the website:http://www.thedindigulonline.com/

About the Author

Allan,
HR Executive,
Elyot Technologies
Chennai

At first, we all must agree that leadership is not developed in a day. You have probably been through the hard way before you’re in high position like this. It takes process and ups and downs to be a great leader.

When you have become a leader, you have the responsibility to manage your team, achieve the goals, and when you finally reach the goals it’s not about yourself, but it’s about your team and the people you lead. You have to give them responsibility too.

So, what are the five keys of that mark a great leader?

Love your workers

Just because you are the leader doesn’t mean you can control them arbitrarily. They (workers) have a brain too. They have a sight that might be you don’t have. If they ask to you, hear them. Talk to them, as like as you talk to your friend. Give a sight as the leader who protects them. In short, treat them as normally human not a robot.

Able to Handle Criticism

Leader does not mean that you suddenly become immune to making the wrong decisions. As a leader you have to listen to constructive criticism and make the changes necessary. If a worker cares enough to share criticism, the least you can do is listen.

Carrot and Stick

Carrot and Stick is like good and bad thing for your workers. As a leader you have to be able respect their work by give them reward for the achievement they’ve made. and absolutely, if they made a mistake or not capable to handle the job you have to give them punishment as heavy as their mistakes, don’t forget to give them a warning first.

Trust

Trust is earned. It doesn’t make in a day, so you should get them word, trust your workers is important. Don’t neglecting them, your workers are your business and they have to be treated that way. Our workers are people with feelings and emotions and have to be told in many ways how important they are to the company.

Humble

Humble leaders do not debase themselves, neither falsely nor due to low self-esteem. They simply recognize all people as equal in value and know that their position does not make them a god. So, it’s important to you to recognizing that you are not inherently superior to others and consequently that they are not inferior to you.

According to what John F. Kennedy has told, Leadership and Learning are indispensable to each other, so just because we are leader doesn’t mean we stop learning.

About the Author

Hendra Dasindo is a freelance writer for a training provider company which supports trainings such as corporate training, leadership training, sales training, executive training, communication, motivation, customer service, and more. Visit the website: http://www.dalecarnegie.co.id

Being masterful at giving feedback requires that managers are able to separate fact from fiction and reality from perception. There is a powerful principal discovered by social psychologist which often blurs the boundaries when people seek to answer the question of why someone engages in a particular behavior. The principle is called the fundamental attribution error and it relates to how motive is assigned to the actions of others. It the simplest turns the principle states that we assume people behave as they do because that is the way they are. If someone reacts in a short tempered fashion it is because they are a rude and intolerant individual. Conversely we do not apply the same standard when explaining our own actions. Our own short temper is explained as resulting from having a bad day, or being tired, or having a headache.

In his book Intuition, David Myers relates the results of an experiment conducted by David Napolitan and George Goethals in which subjects were asked to interact with another individual who was a collaborator in the experiment. The collaborator was instructed to act in either a warm and friendly or a cool and aloof manner. As might be expected the subjects perceived the collaborator as being either warm and friendly or cool and aloof depending on how they acted. What is surprising is that even when subjects were told before hand that the collaborator was going to be acting a role, the subjects still believed that the collaborator’s real personality was consistent with the role they were playing. This illustrates how powerful the tendency is to take the behavior of others out of context.

Inferring the character and motives of others from their actions is not a bad thing to do. It is part of how we make sense of the world and learn to deal with the individuals that we encounter. The pitfall is that while we consider the circumstances when explaining our own behavior when it comes to the behavior of others we gravitate toward an explanation that attributes their behavior to their basic nature without considering the context and situation in which the behavior occurs.

For the manager who is responsible to assess performance and provide feedback, the message is a cautionary one. It is important to realize that committing the fundamental attribution error by assuming someone’s behavior is always a result of who they are and ignoring the context and situation in which the behavior occurred is too simplistic. It is important to consider both the context and the situation in which the performance occurred. A normally polite individual can become rude and short tempered when trying to meet a tight deadline. This behavior can be disruptive and have a negative impact on the work team, the organization and even the customer. While this is clearly not acceptable performance and should not be excused, to focus solely on the issue of rude behavior is to miss the mark. The stress of the deadline that contributed to the behavior is the root cause of the unacceptable performance. Effective performance feedback from the manager will address the impact of rude behavior because that is the performance issue but also will focus the discussion of performance improvement around strategies for managing or eliminating stress. Management’s responsibility is to produce results and focusing on root cause by avoiding the pitfall of the fundamental attribution error is one of the tools used by masterful managers.

About the Author

Maret Maxwell, PhD is the Chief Collaborator at Next Step – A Collaborative Services Group. His career spans academic, government, and private enterprise including 20 years as a manager and project manager with a Fortune 100 healthcare company. He currently works with clients to create sustainable improvements in business and leadership performance. Visit his websites at http://nextsteppm.com

One of the biggest business buzzwords today is engagement.

Everyone suddenly seems to have realized that we need to have employees who are engaged in their work. It seems to be the latest “holy grail” in leadership and management circles (teams, lean and total quality are just three past examples).

Like the other examples, creating and nurturing engaged employees is important and will make a difference both for the individuals and the organization. I believe in the importance of engagement and the value of engaged employees. And I believe leaders can make a big difference in this area.

And, if these are my beliefs, you may be wondering why I opened on a bit of a cynical note?

Because I know many reading right now are thinking about “buzzword Bingo.”

I get that.

And, even though engagement may be the latest rage, it`s still an important topic for you to be familiar with – regardless of how you feel about the latest leadership fads.

(Leadership tip: I also know that when we acknowledge how others may be thinking and feeling up front we improve our ability to connect and communicate with them.)

If you agree that engagement is important and that we as leaders can do something about it, the logical next question is, what can we do? Here are four everyday actions any leader can take to support, build and nurture the engagement of team members.

The Four Ways

Acknowledge them. I`ve just given you an example of this one. One of our deepest human needs is to feel heard and acknowledged. It starts with listening but goes beyond that. We do not have to agree with people in order to acknowledge them and their perspective. The quicker we realize this, the more effective we will become.

Share the big picture. Do your folks know the big picture? Can they see past the work of your group to see how it impacts the larger organization? Do they know how your organization`s products make a difference for Customers? Positive answers to all of these questions are critical to creating engaged team members. If any of the answers are no for your team, this is job one for you as a leader. Once the answers are yes, you can remind, connect and reinforce these ideas every day.

Create meaning in daily work. People will be engaged when they feel like their work matters – that it makes a difference. Help people find that meaning. Certainly understanding the big picture will help. You also can do this by learning more about their needs, interests and skills and helping them see the connections between these and their work (or adjusting their work to create a better match). Another way to create meaning is to give people a more personal connection to Customers. When people meet or talk to those who use their work output (or the final products of the organization), the work isn`t just being done “because it is my job,” but to “actually help Carla the Customer.”

Trust them. Can you tell if someone trusts you? Do you try a little harder, pay a little more attention and remain a little more engaged for those who do? Your answers to these questions should be a big signal to you! Trust people. Show them in tangible ways that you do. When you do you will reap higher levels of engagement.

A Final Important Thought

One could look at these as tactics that could be used to manipulate others. Please know that if you choose to look at them in this way you will not be successful beyond the very short term – in any way. These activities will gradually create greater and greater engagement for your team members, but only when they are done authentically and genuinely.

Remarkable leaders know engaged employees are more effective, productive and happier. That`s why they continually look for ways to help those they lead become more successful and engaged. One way is by participating in The Remarkable Leadership Learning System – a one skill at a time, one month at a time approach to becoming a more confident and successful leader. Two months of that unique system are included in Kevin`s Most Remarkable Free Leadership Gift Ever.