David Mahoney on getting in gear

Posted on March 11, 2008
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“Their comes a moment when you have to stop revving up the car and shove it into gear.”

— David Mahoney

Henri Bergson on your character

Posted on March 7, 2008
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“Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.”

— Henri Bergson

5 Personality Traits That Define A Natural Born Leader

Posted on March 6, 2008
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Are leaders born or are they made ? There is evidence to prove that there is a Personality Profile that exists that is a Natural Born Leader. In Fact there are 5 specific Personality Traits that define a Natural Born Leader. A Natural Born Leader is someone who is willing to lead and has the social ability, self confidence, assertiveness and boldness to take on team responsibilities and lead others.

photo credit: biscuitsmlp

These profiles can be tested and proven. A natural born leader will test extremely high in areas of Socialability, Self Confidence, Assertiveness, and Boldness. Leadership is another Personality Trait that comes into play but I will explain that later.

These definitions are specifically define and can be tested and measured based on specific questions. Below are the definitions of Socialability, Self Confidence, Assertiveness and Boldness and Leadership.

1) Socialability - Good natured Extroverted, outgoing, friendly, gregarious, neighborly, congenial. Warmhearted individuals who enjoy interacting and participating with others. They greet strangers openly, are quick to form friendships, and enjoy careers dealing with people rather than things. They are rarely content in solitary work. People that rate a 8 or higher in Socialability out of a scale of 10 are usually happier people in general. This is a Personality trait that shows how well someone will interact with everyone in their sphere of influence (Spouse, Boss, Associate, Freind, Employee).

2) Self Confidence- #1 Trait - Determines Success Self-assured, certain, secure, brave, fulfilled, poised, self-reliant. Believe they have the knowledge and ability to be successful at whatever they attempt. Cope successfully with challenges and are not easily discouraged. Handle unexpected situations well, make decisions with assurance, and are quick to express ideas and opinions.

3) Assertiveness -Aggressive, persuasive, influential, headstrong, opinionated, possibly argumentative and hostile. Believe that being assertive and taking the offensive is essential to attaining success. They make things happen, rather than waiting for them to happen, and are willing to be forceful in order to get a job done. May be authoritarian.

4) Boldness- Adventurous, daring, carefree, brave, courageous, audacious, fearless. Uninhibited individuals who are willing to try new and different experiences. They can function normally even in unfamiliar environments, and are quick to accept challenges and willing to take risks to accomplish their objectives. May be pushy and ignore warning signs.

5) Another Personality Trait that can be measured is actually called Leadership. It is defined as dominant, influential, controlling, dynamic, commanding, forceful, directing, authoritative. Very strong desire to control, influence and direct others. Assume the role of leader naturally and enjoy the responsibility and challenge of being in charge. Have an active leadership style, and are quick to take control of situations.

However the Leadership Trait is measuring a persons willingness to lead. A person may be a great leader but not willing to lead their sons t-ball team or the parent teacher association as they may not have the time to do so. So they may be reluctant to take on those responsibilities. So their Leadership attitude measurement be a lower score.

The natuaral born leadership qualities are still their and when they do get invovled in areas that they want to devote their time they will natuarally take on leadership roles.

In a corporate setting if you find someone that is high all 5 areas you have a natural born leader.

About The Author:
And you can also visit http://mindsetbreakthrough.com to sign up now for the FREE Online Personal Evaluation Test. Donald Griffith Speaker/ Author with Winslow Research Institute speaks on achieving peak performance, Leadership and implementing Marketing programs that get results.

Franklin D. Roosevelt on the joy of achievement

Posted on March 5, 2008
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“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

John Quincy Adams on who is the leader

Posted on March 1, 2008
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“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a Leader”
- John Quincy Adams

Leadership Is About The Outcomes Not The Process

Posted on February 29, 2008
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Leaders have a choice to focus on the process or the outcomes when leading others. The goal should always be to not micro-manage. You simply monitor the appropriate results and get involved in the employee’s process only when really necessary. True, many employees cannot be given a lot of freedom – they are new, not that skilled and some even like to be micro-managed. Most do not – watch outcomes, not process whenever you can. Too much mucking around in the process kills intrinsic motivation. Managers fall prey to this tendency because they feel anxious about poor work reflecting on them and because they often spend too much time questioning others’ abilities. One thing is for sure – focusing on the process will alienate your team and kill personal initiative.

Here is a great example I have seen in practice more than once: using absenteeism and time clocks as metrics for understanding productivity. The president of a company wanted to impress me with his focus on productivity. Unfortunately, he was not equally in touch with morale. He proudly proclaimed that he used time clocks and absenteeism to ensure “that the work got done” – even for all of his white-collar staff (e.g., engineers, customer service reps). Absenteeism is a process measure! Time clocks are better aligned (though still not the best option) with manufacturing environments. Do you really care about when they are at work as much as you think you do? No, you care about the work they produce (and that they produce it with integrity). Giving out no or low absenteeism awards is just begging people with the flu or bronchitis to show up and infect everybody else in the office. It is funny how many higher level leaders naturally understand the “outcomes not process” idea for sales personnel, but not for other types of employees. They know they cannot be in the field micro-managing sales personnel, so they look at revenues, margins, the number of new accounts generated, etc. These are relevant outcomes. Yet internally, they cannot resist the temptation to get involved in the process. It is partially a control thing, but mostly it is just because they have not thought about it much.

This all reminds me of a classic management article by Steven Kerr, “The Folly of Rewarding A, While Hoping for B” (1975, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 18, Issue 4, p769-783). There is often a huge disconnect between what companies and their leaders ask for and what they actually reward – a huge cause of ambiguity and stress at work. They ask for increased productivity, but reward low absenteeism rates. They ask for higher sales from the salespeople, but reward customer satisfaction. They reward A and hope for B. One way to sum up your job as a leader is to say that you have to ask for the right outcomes, provide meaningful rewards contingent upon achieving these outcomes and then be sure not to provide any other rewards (or punishments) for outcomes you do not want. In theory, this is clean and simple. In practice, it is a mess!

Instead of micro-managing and/or using process metrics, get a grip on goal setting 101. If you have meet with your direct reports (and they have met with theirs) and established clear goals for the performance period, that is a start. Now identify the key milestones implied in those goals, the resources they will need in order to be successful, the obstacles you can help remove for them, when and how you will follow up to lend support, etc. All of these are far better uses of your time compared to micro-managing. Who cares if one person worked fifty hours if they did not produce as much value as the amazing employee who is far more productive in only 35 hours? Which leads me to the issue of morale.

What do employees think when they are micro-managed and forced to punch in and out on a time clock?

• They do not trust me.

• Big Brother is watching.

• Why do I need a babysitter?

In contrast, when you manage outcomes and only get involved in the process to offer encouragement and assistance, employees think in an entirely different fashion.

• They view me as competent.

• I have the freedom to do my work as I see fit.

• I am a professional.

The difference between these two views is not trivial. When you get your head around this way of thinking you will be a lot closer to not only boosting productivity, but employee morale too.

Todd Dewett is a business professor, author, consultant and speaker specializing in leadership and organizational life. As quoted in the New York Times, BusinessWeek, the Chicago Tribune, MSNBC and elsewhere. His new book is Leadership Redefined. Find out more at drdewett.com.

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