Friday, October 31, 2008
The Likability Factor: Hucks approach
Stealth competitiveness can be seen in a good friend who is liked by everyone I've met. He succeeds at whatever he does but only does things he loves to do. He employs the "One Thing" approach to perfection and is willing to say no or walk away from whatever he doesn't have a passion for. He he also has an uncanny ability to be persona en grata with whomever he decides is a key influencer on skills he would like to learn. He understands people and is able and willing to read them correctly to treat them how they want to be treated. This allows him to build bridges anywhere he wants to go, truly an amazing skill.
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
By John C. Maxwell
An excellent read on leadership priciples that will get you rethinking your personal management style and expand your horizons. I read it twice! Here are the chapter headings and a few of my key thoughts, although I could write for hours on the ideas that John helped trigger in my mind.
The Law of the Lid
The Law of Influence
The Law of Process
The Law of Navigation
The Law of E.F. Hutton
The Law of Solid Ground
The Law of Respect
The Law of Intuition
The Law of Magnetism
The Law of Connection
The Law of the Inner Circle
The Law of Empowerment
The Law of Reproduction
The Law of Buy-In
The Law of Victory
The Law of the Big Mo
The Law of Priorities
The Law of Sacrifice
The Law of Timing
The Law of Explosive Growth
The Law of Legacy What’s it mean to me?
1 The Law of the Lid: to grow exponentially you will need excellent leadership, or you hit the Lid. 2 The Law of Influence: I cannot lead if others are not influenced by me
3 The Law of Process: I cannot lead if I am not improving my processes, and my leadership development is a daily process.
4 The Law of Navigation: I cannot lead without seeing further than others see, and navigating a course with skill and timing to carry out our organizations plans
5 The Law of E.F. Hutton: I cannot lead if I don’t understand that when the real leader speaks, people listen.
6 The Law of Solid Ground: I cannot lead if I am living on a sandy foundation, trust is essential and grows with each correct decision and group victory, if I run out of leadership change, the bank is broke.
7 The Law of Respect: Leaders of 9 quality follow 10’s, 7’s can recruits 5’s and 6’s, but not 8’s. There is a law of respect among leaders.
8 The Law of Intuition: as I leader I will develop an intuitive sense of resources available to the group among us, and how to marshall those to advance the group
9 The Law of Magnetism:
10 The Law of Connection: connecting with a group is essential to lead them, I must first touch the heart before I ask the group to do something for me.
11 The Law of the Inner Circle: a guiding principle to explosive growth, the group is only as good as its Inner Circle of leadership, so consider your lieutenants wisely, and recruit the best leaders I can find.
12 The Law of Empowerment: I can only lead other leaders if I empower them to act without fear.
13 The Law of Reproduction: mentoring and then mentor other leaders will reproduce a host of leaders my organization if given time, a key. So, pick tomorrows leaders today and groom them, I will be able to walk away happily from the group and they will stay strong.
14 The Law of Buy-In: Others believing thte plan requires full explanatationn, time for questions, and time for Buy-In, part of the providing vision and navigation, and leadership to the group part of leading.
15 The Law of Victory: leading to win provides money in the leadership bank
16 Law of the Big Mo
17 The Law of Priorities: planning efficient use of time enhances leadership
18 The Law of Sacrifice: a leader looks out for the group first, not oneself
19 The Law of Timing: the right thing at the right time brings acceptance, the wrong thing or the wrong time brings resistance, both brings disaster
20 The Law of Explosive Growth: Leaders who raise other leaders experience explosive growth
21 The Law of Legacy: when you walk away and things roll on, you did it right
Thank you John, these principles and your excellent depth in each chapter is worth reading the book 2 or 3 times at least!
By John C. Maxwell
An excellent read on leadership priciples that will get you rethinking your personal management style and expand your horizons. I read it twice! Here are the chapter headings and a few of my key thoughts, although I could write for hours on the ideas that John helped trigger in my mind.
The Law of the Lid
The Law of Influence
The Law of Process
The Law of Navigation
The Law of E.F. Hutton
The Law of Solid Ground
The Law of Respect
The Law of Intuition
The Law of Magnetism
The Law of Connection
The Law of the Inner Circle
The Law of Empowerment
The Law of Reproduction
The Law of Buy-In
The Law of Victory
The Law of the Big Mo
The Law of Priorities
The Law of Sacrifice
The Law of Timing
The Law of Explosive Growth
The Law of Legacy What’s it mean to me?
1 The Law of the Lid: to grow exponentially you will need excellent leadership, or you hit the Lid. 2 The Law of Influence: I cannot lead if others are not influenced by me
3 The Law of Process: I cannot lead if I am not improving my processes, and my leadership development is a daily process.
4 The Law of Navigation: I cannot lead without seeing further than others see, and navigating a course with skill and timing to carry out our organizations plans
5 The Law of E.F. Hutton: I cannot lead if I don’t understand that when the real leader speaks, people listen.
6 The Law of Solid Ground: I cannot lead if I am living on a sandy foundation, trust is essential and grows with each correct decision and group victory, if I run out of leadership change, the bank is broke.
7 The Law of Respect: Leaders of 9 quality follow 10’s, 7’s can recruits 5’s and 6’s, but not 8’s. There is a law of respect among leaders.
8 The Law of Intuition: as I leader I will develop an intuitive sense of resources available to the group among us, and how to marshall those to advance the group
9 The Law of Magnetism:
10 The Law of Connection: connecting with a group is essential to lead them, I must first touch the heart before I ask the group to do something for me.
11 The Law of the Inner Circle: a guiding principle to explosive growth, the group is only as good as its Inner Circle of leadership, so consider your lieutenants wisely, and recruit the best leaders I can find.
12 The Law of Empowerment: I can only lead other leaders if I empower them to act without fear.
13 The Law of Reproduction: mentoring and then mentor other leaders will reproduce a host of leaders my organization if given time, a key. So, pick tomorrows leaders today and groom them, I will be able to walk away happily from the group and they will stay strong.
14 The Law of Buy-In: Others believing thte plan requires full explanatationn, time for questions, and time for Buy-In, part of the providing vision and navigation, and leadership to the group part of leading.
15 The Law of Victory: leading to win provides money in the leadership bank
16 Law of the Big Mo
17 The Law of Priorities: planning efficient use of time enhances leadership
18 The Law of Sacrifice: a leader looks out for the group first, not oneself
19 The Law of Timing: the right thing at the right time brings acceptance, the wrong thing or the wrong time brings resistance, both brings disaster
20 The Law of Explosive Growth: Leaders who raise other leaders experience explosive growth
21 The Law of Legacy: when you walk away and things roll on, you did it right
Thank you John, these principles and your excellent depth in each chapter is worth reading the book 2 or 3 times at least!
How to Sell Yourself
Book Review: How to Sell Yourself,
by Arch Lustberg,
copyright 2002 Career Press
This book is a short and easy read made for those who are pushed into leadership or public presentation and immediately go stiff. It was a fantastic collection of helpful ideas that could change ones life immediately!
Here are my favorite pearls by Lustberg:
-We can only sell ourselves if we are judged to be 1) competent; and 2) likable.
-Competency is often judged by our 'minds' and speech pattern, and best accepted if we: --particularly if we 'pause' rather than use 'um' or 'uh' during our speech.
--are well prepared (e.g. short, quick and to the point)
--make eye or face contact
--avoid the 4 positions of 'no-no' hands (fig-leaf, pockets, behind back, or female figleaf) -Likability is often from mood or affect, and the 'Open face' countenance is the best way to achieve likability, much more than the stern, passive, or other faces we sometimes use.
--The Open Face is a caring face, and invites others to open up, and like us back. --Diaphragmatic breathing: relaxes the face, neck, shoulders, & slows the heartrate.
--when nervous, prepare and use the Open Face and diaphragmatic breathing in presentation.
There are 4 ways people respond to you:
1) they can like you
2) dislike you
3) be neutral to you
4) or feel sorry for you.
There are 3 views of others regarding a controversial subject and you:
1) they can agree with you
2) disagree with you
3) be undecided Here the Undecided group is the only one that matters, a true controversial subject is unlikely to sway groups who are already decided.
The opinion of the Undecided usually follows competenece and likability.
Your job is to convince the undecided.
Here are some pearls how to be like by the Uncommitted:
-- Pause before you answer. use diaphragmatic breathing.
-- Stay calm and reasonable.
-- Don't get angry
-- walk away from a situation first. -
- Refuse to take the attack personally.
-- Be positive.
-- give information rather than denials. Be explanatory and do not argue.
-- Take lots of time, be rational. Be the voice of reason. Be the good guy, Mr. Nice.
-- make intellectual love to your audience.
How to Control your temper when others disagree with you:
***** Use the 'Pause' to reframe their question in a way a decent person would ask it, then answer the right question, the one that should have been asked.
Mr. Lustberg did a fantastic collection of valuable techniques for any individual to improve professional relationships, sales, team leadership, public presentation, and takes the nervousness out of much of the interpersonal tasks we take on daily!
This is a great book for those who are good at work, and want to get better at teamwork and leading others. Thank you Arch!
by Arch Lustberg,
copyright 2002 Career Press
This book is a short and easy read made for those who are pushed into leadership or public presentation and immediately go stiff. It was a fantastic collection of helpful ideas that could change ones life immediately!
Here are my favorite pearls by Lustberg:
-We can only sell ourselves if we are judged to be 1) competent; and 2) likable.
-Competency is often judged by our 'minds' and speech pattern, and best accepted if we: --particularly if we 'pause' rather than use 'um' or 'uh' during our speech.
--are well prepared (e.g. short, quick and to the point)
--make eye or face contact
--avoid the 4 positions of 'no-no' hands (fig-leaf, pockets, behind back, or female figleaf) -Likability is often from mood or affect, and the 'Open face' countenance is the best way to achieve likability, much more than the stern, passive, or other faces we sometimes use.
--The Open Face is a caring face, and invites others to open up, and like us back. --Diaphragmatic breathing: relaxes the face, neck, shoulders, & slows the heartrate.
--when nervous, prepare and use the Open Face and diaphragmatic breathing in presentation.
There are 4 ways people respond to you:
1) they can like you
2) dislike you
3) be neutral to you
4) or feel sorry for you.
There are 3 views of others regarding a controversial subject and you:
1) they can agree with you
2) disagree with you
3) be undecided Here the Undecided group is the only one that matters, a true controversial subject is unlikely to sway groups who are already decided.
The opinion of the Undecided usually follows competenece and likability.
Your job is to convince the undecided.
Here are some pearls how to be like by the Uncommitted:
-- Pause before you answer. use diaphragmatic breathing.
-- Stay calm and reasonable.
-- Don't get angry
-- walk away from a situation first. -
- Refuse to take the attack personally.
-- Be positive.
-- give information rather than denials. Be explanatory and do not argue.
-- Take lots of time, be rational. Be the voice of reason. Be the good guy, Mr. Nice.
-- make intellectual love to your audience.
How to Control your temper when others disagree with you:
***** Use the 'Pause' to reframe their question in a way a decent person would ask it, then answer the right question, the one that should have been asked.
Mr. Lustberg did a fantastic collection of valuable techniques for any individual to improve professional relationships, sales, team leadership, public presentation, and takes the nervousness out of much of the interpersonal tasks we take on daily!
This is a great book for those who are good at work, and want to get better at teamwork and leading others. Thank you Arch!
Good to Great
Book Review: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . and Others Don't
By Jim Collins,
2001, HarperCollins Books.
This is simply one of the best books I've read on creating a successful group over time with solid principles of leadership, focussed efforts on strategy, and understanding why some companies fail and others thrive with seemingly the same ingredients.
Here are a few pearls I hope I never forget:
1) First Who, Then What. Good-to-Great leaders get the right people on the bus first, get the right people in the right seats, then figured out where to drive it. The right people are your most important asset.
2) Confront the Brutal Facts, (Yet never lose faith) The Stockdale paradox is one of Vietnam POW warhero who survived prison camp by daily confronting the most brutal parts of his reality and yet knowing someday he would survive the ordeal and teach about it at Stanford, which he does. Getting "red button" feedback helps leaders overcome the liability of charisma to find out what is truly going on in the business early. The Brutal Facts help companies come to grip on what they cannot achieve, and then refocussing on what they can become the best at.
3) The Hedgehog Concept (Simplicity within the Three Circles) Being the best in the world at a particular function is a key secret great companies discover to transcend the curse of competence, even if that competence is their core business and has sustained them for decades. The Hedgehog concept must satisfy 3 overlapping requirements a- you actually can become the best in the world at it b- you have intrinsic passion for that activity c- the economic engine of your company is centered around that activity
4) Culture of Discipline When there exists a culture of disciplined thought, you don't need heirarchy. When you combine the culture of discipline with the ethic of entrepeneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great performance.
5) Technology Accelerators The role of technology is simply an extension of ones understanding of the hedgehog concept. A technology revolution alone does not sustain a company or make one thrive successfully. By carefully selecting technology that does not distract from the hedgehog mission, technology can be successfully integrated.
6) The Flywheel and the Doom Loop Wrenching restructurings are the beginning of the end and the antithesis of the quiet, firm, steady plodding of the Level V leader, the hedgehod mission, and implementing the quiet knowledge gained from confronting the Brutal Facts of the present. The Flywheel starts moving one focussed effort is set toward a huge goal visualized after truly understanding ones capabilities, ones potential,as a company, and what the Inner Circle or council of leaders reveals through the process of discovery together. The turns occur slowly, effortfully, and gain more and more momentum until breakthrough finally occurs. But there is no lucky break, it is a matter of time and effort with the core principles in place.
More Pearls: the Best 11 companies who went from Good to Great over 15 years also had:
1) Level V Leadership
Level 5 Executive
a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will aims to put the corporation or group success above personal gains
Level 4 Effective Leader
catalyzes commitment to a clear and compelling vision, higher standards
Level 3
Competent Manager effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives
Level 2
Contributing Team Member works for team objectives, works effectively with others Level 1
Highly Capable Individual makes productive contributions through talent, skills, work habits Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company.
It's not that they have no ego or self-interest, they are actually incredibly ambitious, but first and foremost for the institution. Humility + Will = Level 5. The great irony is that personal ambition that often drives people to positions of power stands at odds with the humility required for level 5 leadership. Boards often feel a need to hire a bigger than life egocentric director, and you see why Level 5 leaders rarely appear at the top of institutions.
Level 5 leaders are fanatically driven for sustained results, but more plowhorse than showhorse. Colvard Mockler of Gillette had a great life and balance despite the transformation undertaken to make Gillette a great company because he put the right people in the right places to take care of the challenges faced together, even in times of crisis he had balance and family time.
That is the power of Who First, then What, and having the right people on the bus. This book was transformational for me and has helped understand the major Flywheels in my life: my family and childrens lives, my marriage, and my company. Understanding this helps me avoid wasting efforts and getting distracted, making life great.
Thank you Jim Collins and the hundreds of others who assisted in the study that empirically delivered these findings for Good to Great.
By Jim Collins,
2001, HarperCollins Books.
This is simply one of the best books I've read on creating a successful group over time with solid principles of leadership, focussed efforts on strategy, and understanding why some companies fail and others thrive with seemingly the same ingredients.
Here are a few pearls I hope I never forget:
1) First Who, Then What. Good-to-Great leaders get the right people on the bus first, get the right people in the right seats, then figured out where to drive it. The right people are your most important asset.
2) Confront the Brutal Facts, (Yet never lose faith) The Stockdale paradox is one of Vietnam POW warhero who survived prison camp by daily confronting the most brutal parts of his reality and yet knowing someday he would survive the ordeal and teach about it at Stanford, which he does. Getting "red button" feedback helps leaders overcome the liability of charisma to find out what is truly going on in the business early. The Brutal Facts help companies come to grip on what they cannot achieve, and then refocussing on what they can become the best at.
3) The Hedgehog Concept (Simplicity within the Three Circles) Being the best in the world at a particular function is a key secret great companies discover to transcend the curse of competence, even if that competence is their core business and has sustained them for decades. The Hedgehog concept must satisfy 3 overlapping requirements a- you actually can become the best in the world at it b- you have intrinsic passion for that activity c- the economic engine of your company is centered around that activity
4) Culture of Discipline When there exists a culture of disciplined thought, you don't need heirarchy. When you combine the culture of discipline with the ethic of entrepeneurship, you get the magical alchemy of great performance.
5) Technology Accelerators The role of technology is simply an extension of ones understanding of the hedgehog concept. A technology revolution alone does not sustain a company or make one thrive successfully. By carefully selecting technology that does not distract from the hedgehog mission, technology can be successfully integrated.
6) The Flywheel and the Doom Loop Wrenching restructurings are the beginning of the end and the antithesis of the quiet, firm, steady plodding of the Level V leader, the hedgehod mission, and implementing the quiet knowledge gained from confronting the Brutal Facts of the present. The Flywheel starts moving one focussed effort is set toward a huge goal visualized after truly understanding ones capabilities, ones potential,as a company, and what the Inner Circle or council of leaders reveals through the process of discovery together. The turns occur slowly, effortfully, and gain more and more momentum until breakthrough finally occurs. But there is no lucky break, it is a matter of time and effort with the core principles in place.
More Pearls: the Best 11 companies who went from Good to Great over 15 years also had:
1) Level V Leadership
Level 5 Executive
a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will aims to put the corporation or group success above personal gains
Level 4 Effective Leader
catalyzes commitment to a clear and compelling vision, higher standards
Level 3
Competent Manager effective and efficient pursuit of predetermined objectives
Level 2
Contributing Team Member works for team objectives, works effectively with others Level 1
Highly Capable Individual makes productive contributions through talent, skills, work habits Level 5 leaders channel their ego needs away from themselves and into the larger goal of building a great company.
It's not that they have no ego or self-interest, they are actually incredibly ambitious, but first and foremost for the institution. Humility + Will = Level 5. The great irony is that personal ambition that often drives people to positions of power stands at odds with the humility required for level 5 leadership. Boards often feel a need to hire a bigger than life egocentric director, and you see why Level 5 leaders rarely appear at the top of institutions.
Level 5 leaders are fanatically driven for sustained results, but more plowhorse than showhorse. Colvard Mockler of Gillette had a great life and balance despite the transformation undertaken to make Gillette a great company because he put the right people in the right places to take care of the challenges faced together, even in times of crisis he had balance and family time.
That is the power of Who First, then What, and having the right people on the bus. This book was transformational for me and has helped understand the major Flywheels in my life: my family and childrens lives, my marriage, and my company. Understanding this helps me avoid wasting efforts and getting distracted, making life great.
Thank you Jim Collins and the hundreds of others who assisted in the study that empirically delivered these findings for Good to Great.
The One Thing You Need to Know
by Marcus Buckingham
about great managing, great leading, and sustained individual success
Also wrote: First Discover Your Strengths
Contents
1) The "One Thing"
Controlling insights, core concepts
Part I: Sustained Organizational Success
2) Managing and Leading: What's the difference?
View from the Middle: What great Managers actually do
View from the Top: What great leaders actually do
3) Great Managing
- The basics of good managing
- Great managers play chess
- Great managers are romantics, employ individualization to benefit all
- The Three Levers of motivation
- The 5 most useful questions
4) Great Leading
- Leaders win loyalty, rally all of us to a better place, leads by commonality of all our goals
- 5 fears, 5 needs, one focus: the universals of human nature can be understood to pick a goal
- Leaders win by being clear: who we serve, why we will win, what the future will be, our core strength, etc.
- actions define your core concepts also: either systematic actions or symbolic actions
-symbolic actions give your followers something to look to
-systematic actions interrupt their routine or day and force an evaluation
-Find your Clarity as a leader through 3 disciplines: Take time to reflect, Select your Heroes with Great Care, Practice.
Part II: Sustained Individual Success
-20 Percenters do what they love, and have passion for.
-learn from 20 Percenters around you - see what it looks like to follow your passion
-sustained success means saying no to doing things you don't love
-or finding your strengths and cultivating them
-if you're bored, frustrated, drained, unfulfilled --> reevaluate and get to your strengths
-Intentional imbalance leverages your strengths to create something new you love to do.
about great managing, great leading, and sustained individual success
Also wrote: First Discover Your Strengths
Contents
1) The "One Thing"
Controlling insights, core concepts
Part I: Sustained Organizational Success
2) Managing and Leading: What's the difference?
View from the Middle: What great Managers actually do
View from the Top: What great leaders actually do
3) Great Managing
- The basics of good managing
- Great managers play chess
- Great managers are romantics, employ individualization to benefit all
- The Three Levers of motivation
- The 5 most useful questions
4) Great Leading
- Leaders win loyalty, rally all of us to a better place, leads by commonality of all our goals
- 5 fears, 5 needs, one focus: the universals of human nature can be understood to pick a goal
- Leaders win by being clear: who we serve, why we will win, what the future will be, our core strength, etc.
- actions define your core concepts also: either systematic actions or symbolic actions
-symbolic actions give your followers something to look to
-systematic actions interrupt their routine or day and force an evaluation
-Find your Clarity as a leader through 3 disciplines: Take time to reflect, Select your Heroes with Great Care, Practice.
Part II: Sustained Individual Success
-20 Percenters do what they love, and have passion for.
-learn from 20 Percenters around you - see what it looks like to follow your passion
-sustained success means saying no to doing things you don't love
-or finding your strengths and cultivating them
-if you're bored, frustrated, drained, unfulfilled --> reevaluate and get to your strengths
-Intentional imbalance leverages your strengths to create something new you love to do.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Leadership toward the Good: smart and beautiful
Decide in your own mind to build something, something worth investing EVERYONE's time into. Something that is smart, and beautiful. A well organized team. A place other people like to work. A beatiful facility. A great process. Good vision, outstanding results, contributes to society, and something other people want to help you build. People want to see variety and beauty, and well done.
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