See what my experience at the of Belize City has to do with clarity for change.
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Our assumptions play a large part in how we view the world and how we behave towards others, yet they are often invisible to us. Learning to identify your assumptions allows you to see the world in a new light. By identifying your assumptions you have the opportunity to build common ground and consensus.
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Leaderswho are always calling attention to themselves can be dangerous. They feel they’re the only ones that can do things right. Any time the achievements of others are mentioned, they have to brag about theirs. They make a lot of noise and many times don’t show as much action. As a result, they create a toxic environment around them. Even if they are bright, people fear them, and keep their distance.
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At the end of the day, if you are irresponsible, you can't expect anybody else to be responsible. It is Responsibility what qualifies you to show up at a higher level of leadership. When you model responsibility, you will also get more responsibility from the other leaders under you and from everybody in the organization.
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Collaboration has evolved in its meaning. In older times it had a negative connotation. A collaborator was a spy, someone that was collaborating with the enemy. For some leaders it would seem that collaboration is still a negative word!
Yet, a current working definition of collaboration, shared by several different disciplines is: joining together to make possible that which cannot be accomplished alone. The present business environment demands that kind of collaboration.
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Hope is one of those words that brings a lot of good feelings. When people become hopeless they get depressed, “lose heart,” “give up.” Some even want to die. However, no case of suicide has ever happened because a person had too much hope.
Without hope you don’t take action on anything, much less tackle change. Hope get us up in the morning. As a leader, hope makes you strategize and act upon your dreams and goals.
So hope is good. . . right? Well. . . kind of. . .
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Nice words, ugly words, kind words, curse words, thankful words, sad words, positive words, negative words. . . What kind of words you use, said with what tone of voice, at what time, and how many of them. . . it all matters. Whether the environment of your business is productive and uplifting or negative and miserable depends, in great measure, on the words you use.
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You need a mental thick skin to meet the barbs and scratches of life in the spotlight. At the same time, as a leader you need to have the courage to say what you mean and mean what you say. And to do this even when others don’t like it. This idea of leaders needing a rhino's skin is not mine, it belongs to a very famous lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Keep reading to discover what it means.
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Traumatic events make us feel vulnerable and fearful, straining our ability to cope. Once again, in a flash, sick hate, and horrible cowardly acts make our sense of safety evaporate and everything seems to change. Learn practical ways you can deal with such events.
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About 55 years ago Dr. O. T. Binkley, professor of Christian ethics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, offered 6 marks of an emotionally mature person. These traits are so timeless and important that every leader should strive to cultivate them. Do you possess them?
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All executives I talk to want to feel they are in the "better boss" category. The trick is to know better compared to what. And better judged by whom. In my ongoing quest to answer those questions I started looking at what different successful organizations considered a "better boss" was like. A report on a study Google undertook to find out what makes a boss most successful gives us a reliable measure to judge if you are a better boss or not.
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Many think that leaders are supposed to be demanding, critical, and driven, among other things. The problem is that many of the behaviors exhibited by leaders can easily be classified as bullying behaviors. How do you know if you are being a leader. . . or a glorified bully?
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Freedom is not only for Americans, but we tend to think of it as our special inheritance, fought for at a great price, and a heritage to be cherished and guarded. We are stewards of this gift. There are many definitions and explanations of freedom.. For me, Freedom includes two very important tenants: First, the principle of free will and second, self-control.
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Businesses are collections of people working together. We have to drive change with that in mind. Unless you are able to make strong connections, change will stall and fail.
Today we are exploring what you need in order to build strong healthy connections.
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Many change efforts fail because people and their emotions are not factored into the equation. Change tends to create or increase anxiety, negativity, and emotional overload. Yet, it can also sharpens focus and purpose. Finding ways to enhance resilience will help reduce emotional burnout.
Today, we are going to examine some of the most common negative psychological and emotional attitudes toward change that bring resistance and emotional turmoil. We will also explore what you can do to help people reduce emotional reactivity and turn it into energy for change.
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