Leadership
Send a Hand-Written Note and Make An Empowering Impact
It is so easy, but hardly anyone does it. In these days of digital communication, it’s considered old-fashioned. Most of the people who still do it are over 50. Have all of my readers under that age already decided this article is not for you and moved on to the next email?
But if you do want to make an impact, if you want to be remembered, if you want to engage your people and lift morale in your organisation, then becoming aware of the power of the hand-written note becomes an important skill to embrace.
It is because so few people write hand-written notes today that they have such impact.
Writing a hand-written note is not an obligation; it is an opportunity. It is a differentiator.
How To Retain Your Talented People
There is presently an overwhelming global concern among CEOs and senior leaders about their inability to find talented people with the right skills for the job. One of the most important skillsets they are looking for is the soft skills for leadership, the ability to lead people, to engage them so they become intrinsically motivated to give 150%.
But the challenge is not only about attracting the right people with the right skillsets. It is also about how to retain them. It’s about looking after them.
These two articles I’m sharing this week have insights and strategies for how to do just that. They are a valuable resource for leaders and their organisations.
Empowered Leadership in Practice
Every leader wants a team of high performing professionals in their organisation. How you achieve that is the big question. I’ve written previously about what I consider are the three big motivators – Engage, Empower and Elevate that will see you achieving that.
There are also many other skills that can enhance your leadership. I have selected six that when developed and enhanced are the ones that I believe will bring the most significant outcomes. Those of you who know my work will know that my focus is on the soft skills needed for leadership.
Empowering You For Leadership No. 2
This is the second of my weekly issue on empowering you for leadership with the two articles that I have found worth reading. This week they are about two soft skills that are important for leadership.
My work is predominantly with leaders and the soft skills they need for leadership, with an emphasis on self-leadership. They are the skills they need to lead in these changing and unpredictable times. I believe they are skills that help them lead from within. The 7 skills I believe they need are – self-awareness, resilience, emotional intelligence, pro-activity, high energy, work/life integration and the ability to build connections and relationships.
The two articles I have chosen this week fit into that – one on the importance of empathy which is part of being emotionally intelligent. The second is about what I call resilience.
Empowering You For Leadership No. 1.
Every leader needs to read and stay up to date on what is current and in touch with the Thought Leaders of the moment on leadership. Every week I read a lot of articles, blog posts, reports and books on leadership and I keep most of them to myself. From now on I’m going to share with you some of what I read each week that I believe will inform, educate and enhance your leadership.
This first week, I’ve chosen two – one for you to improve your leadership and management performance, the other for improving the performance of your employees – “6 Leadership Waeknesses and How To Fix Them” and “Self-Assessment : 5 Tips for Writing Your Performance Evaluation.”
Achieving Success as Women in Leadership – Knowing the Rules of the Game
I know from talking with many women over many years that much of what I am going to say here is very difficult for them. Some are quite indignant that they have to engage in what they believe is a game. In many ways it is, but as someone else has said, we have to play the game to change the game.Karen Mitchell from Kalmor Consulting, who consults to women about career success, says that many of us as women make the wrong assumption in believing that if we work really hard we will be successful. Rather, she said, the key to success for the corporate woman is knowing the rules of the game. She said that we may not like it, and we don’t have to agree with it, but we need to work out how to play the game without losing our souls. Here are some ideas I’ve put together. It’s not a comprehensive or inclusive list, but rather some ideas and strategies that I, and other women, have found helpful. Wherever you are on the ladder of success, there is something here for you.
Read MorePodcast – Empowerment, Soft Skills, Reflection, Self-awareness and Much More
It was a privilege last week to be interviewed for this podcast by Joanne Law from the Mediation Institute. Its regular podcast has generally been about specific mediation issues, but Joanne has been engaging with people like myself to provide mediators with a broader perspective of ideas that will further enhance the skills and insights of mediators. In this wide-ranging interview we discussed empowerment and being an empowered and empowering person, soft skills and what they mean, the importance of reflection and self-awareness among ofther issues.
Read MoreMonday Motivation October 22, 2018 – Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem?
Peter Wilson, President of the Australian Human Resource Institute, has said that only 24% of employees in Australian organisations are engaged, 60% are neutral – just there but not really engaged – 16% are turned off. Not only are these statistics worrying, they raise a big question – WHY? Why do so many people in our organisations feel unable to take the action that would see them become more engaged?
If you had a magic wand, what 3 problems in your workplace would you like solved? Now, I’m going to challenge you to be very honest with yourself.
Have you even tried to solve them?
Why haven’t you been able to solve these problems up until now?
In every workplace. people complain about the problems and about why “someone” isn’t doing anything about it.
Those who complain become part of the problem. The more they complain the bigger the problem becomes.
The late President John F. Kennedy once said:
I thought “someone” should do something, and then realised
I was “someone”.
Rethinking Performance Appraisals
Are performance appraisals the bane of your life?
Do you dread doing them and you find your employees hate them also?
Do you know that there is no other business practice that fails so often to bring about the outcomes it sets for itself, but continues to be used year after year?
Did you know also that increasing numbers of organisations are abandoning them in favour of better ways of motivating and enhancing the performance of their people?
You can also do that!
It has surprised me as I work in this area how many people do not realise there are alternatives to the traditional performance appraisals and alternatives that produce much better outcomes for motivating the performance of their people.
Read MoreThe Australian Leadership Project Asked Me Who The Leaders Were That Impacted Me Most.
When Victor Perton asked to interview me on Australian Leadership for the Australian Leadership project, I thought I would easily be able to speak about leadership in 2018. Instead I went on a reflective journey, thinking about the leaders who have impacted me most. What surprised me was how many of these were part of my life in my 30s and 40s but left a lasting legacy that has shaped my professional development and career ever since.
Victor asked me 3 questions:
What are the unique qualities of Australian Leadership and Leaders?
What do Australian leaders want from their leaders?
Who have been the leaders in your life journey ? What or who has inspired you?
To read my reflections and answers, continue reading.