Your attitude determines your altitude – in business and in life. You can’t change someone else’s attitude for them. But this powerful adage is a great reminder that you can put in front of anyone who needs an attitude adjustment. I want to talk about a few of the many ways each of us can develop a winning attitude every day. It’s what leaders do.
Marcus Aurelius, the great philosopher who ruled the Roman Empire, said it simply: “Our life is what our thoughts make it”.
Life isn’t that simple. However, I am advocating – in the strongest terms – that we assume a positive attitude instead of a negative one.
Mental attitude - the power we hold in our heads. Reality can be changed dramatically by a single thought. In nutrition the adage is you are what you eat. In terms of leadership, it’s more likely you are what you think. Contrary to what people want to believe, outside influences don’t usually determine your happiness or success, rather it is how we react to those influences – good or bad. So how do you change your reactions to those outside forces?
Make how you react a conscious priority, which means practice daily.
Humour is vital. When things aren’t going your way, keep everything in perspective and relax. I laugh. Others throw up their hands. Whole industries get very cynical.
Positive self-confident feelings not only help you achieve more; they also make others want to be associated with you. People are drawn to others who have an upbeat outlook, who have a can-do attitude. Constant complainers don’t collect an easy following.
Positive self-confident feelings not only help you achieve more; they also make others want to be associated with you. People are drawn to others who have an upbeat outlook, who have a can-do attitude. Constant complainers don’t collect an easy following.
One of a leader’s most important jobs is to set a positive and self-confident tone, exuding the attitude that failure is not an option. A positive attitude is the cornerstone of leadership. It’s the same confidence that a quarterback, a golfer, or a tennis star projects every time they come out of the locker room.
To gain strength from the positive and not be sapped by the negative, here are a few ideas:
Focus on the 90% of your team who will run with your vision and your plan - don't let negative co-workers drain you or poison your team.
Tap your spiritual essence at work too - use your spirit and your heart to move you and your work forward.
Break the negative energy cycle – if you see yourself spiralling down or in a rut, mix it up, breakup the routine and do something fast that lifts you up. When you see one of your team members in a rut of unproductive or unprofessional behaviour address it, don’t let it fester.
Active listening – takes time. Work at it, to hear what your team wants. Often just by being heard, problems can go away and people really make a big turnaround.
You must be the emotional manager of your office - not your assistant, not the new hotshot you just hired. In a family, parents must be the emotional managers or chaos rules the home. In your business, you must wear that mantel, albeit reluctantly at times. It’s part of your leadership role and power. Hone it, as well as your reactions to external events, and you’ll see the culture around you shift to the positive.
When in doubt, don’t hire – keep looking. You can’t grow organisational capability consistently faster than your ability to get enough of the right people to implement that growth and still become a great company. So unless candidates for the open position have that can-do attitude and are a strong fit for your company in who they are – don’t hire them. The skills can be taught; the and-then-some positive attitude cannot.
If you'd like to know how Leadership and Management Solutions Pty Ltd can assist your organisation with training or business solutions, please visit our website or contact us via email.
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What does this have to do with leadership? What do you believe are the characteristics of an effective leader?
A good listener, enthusiasm, passion, shows appreciation, a visionary, role model, trusting, integrity, organized, knowledgeable, credibility, persuasive, charisma, team building, clarity of purpose, problem solver, attitude of service, leads by example, patience, willing to act without complete knowledge, understands followers, consistent, empowers other people, and adapts to change.
I'll add that this is essentially the same list that I receive from other audiences when I ask this question. From this comes some useful insights.
1) Notice what the list contains. All of these characteristics relate to the human side of leadership. That's interesting because I often hear people minimize this side of leadership with terms like "soft" or "touchy feely." Actually, applying these characteristics requires more strength than not.
2) Notice what the list excludes. Absent from this list (and all lists from other programs) are characteristics such as stern, mean, serious, short tempered, vindictive, tough, angry, harsh, punitive, controlling, violent, or ruthless. And that's interesting because many popular representations of leadership emphasize at least one of these "hard" characteristics. In fact, these characteristics are the refuge of those who lack the strength (or the skills) to apply the human side of leadership.
3) How about you? How would you rate yourself as a leader compared to the list of positive characteristics? If you were to survey the people who report to you, how would they describe your leadership? Would they list characteristics from the "soft" list or from the "hard" list? Could you become more effective by improving upon any of the "soft" characteristics? And how about the other leaders in your organization? Do they truly maximize human potential?
People want leaders who treat them with genuine compassion, courtesy, and respect. They want leaders who help them become more successful. They want leaders who inspire them with a vision for a better world and show them how to go there.
For further information regarding how our training can improve your leadership skills, please go to www.leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au
How does your professional profile stack up?
When you send your resume in for a position, does it pass the 3 second test? Yes - 3 seconds before it's rejected. That's about how long it will take for a recruiter to look at your profile.
Here are some tips for avoiding your resume from being put in the round file.
1) Your email address. It's amazing how many people keep an old email address with a less than favourable name. If I had a dollar for every time that I saw an email address with a name like "wild thing " or "hot chilli", I think I'd be very wealthy. Obtain a professional email address. Discard the old unsuitable one.
2) Do you have a Facebook account or other Social networking site? Clean it up. Recruiters frequently conduct web searches for prospective candidates. The same applies to You Tube, My Space or other similar sites.
3) Check your spelling and grammar on your resume. If you're a poor speller, have someone proof read your resume.
4) Make sure that your resume is not long winded.
5) When preparing a job application - allow plenty of time to prepare. When your application is ready, take some time out to revisit your application to ensure it meets the criteria.
6) With your resume, the question that is always raised is whether or not you should include hobbies. By all means, if your hobby relates to the job that you are applying for, feel free to include them. Avoid mentioning high risk activities, unless you are applying for a job as a skydiver. A prospective employer will view you as a future liability.
7) Professional presentation at the interview is also a must. Ensure that you are well groomed, with a minimum of makeup and jewellery. It is better to err on the side of conservative.
Do you have some additional tips that you'd like to add? Please feel free to comment below.
For further assistance in developing your professional presentation skills, visit www.leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au
Copyright Leadership and Management Solutions Pty. Ltd. 2013
As a business woman, one of the most important people that you can have on your side is a mentor. A mentoring partnership can be extremely beneficial for both you and your mentor.
Tips for Choosing the Right Mentor
1. Choose a mentor who has experience and qualifications in the area where you work or aspire to work.
2. Mentoring doesn't need to be a formal arrangement. There is a prospective pool of mentors waiting for you.
3. Be selective in your choice of mentor. You want a mentor who can give you constructive feedback and guidance. This will help your career more than you realise.
Don't forget to repay your mentor. Remember it's often not what you know but who you know. Once you have experience in your chosen field, how about becoming a mentor yourself and helping others?
Leadership and Management Solutions Pty. Ltd. offer mentoring programs that can assist you in developing your skills as a mentor.
Like to know more? Visit our website.
www.leadershipmanagementsolutions.com.au
Copyright Leadership and Management Solutions Pty. Ltd. 2013
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