Lessons in Leadership - November 15, 2005

Lessons in Leadership is devoted to helping new leaders learn how to motivate employees and customers to stay longer, complain less, and produce more profits.

In this issue you will learn:

Contagious Leadership Lesson: Leaders Value and Respect Those they Work WITH
Contagious Customer Service Lesson: The One Thing to Do to Keep that Customer
Contagious Confidence Lesson: It's All in Your Head

You are currently viewing a previous issue of Lessons in Leadership. To subscribe to this newsletter and have it sent directly to you, go to www.monicawofford.com. Enjoy!

*******************************************************
Contagious Leadership Lesson:
Leaders Value and Respect Those they Work WITH

Do the employees that report to you actually work for you? Hmmm... Some will say yes, some no. Do you work for the company or organization from which you recieve a pay check or direction? Hmmm... Likely similar answers.

If you have read Contagious Leadership or been to any of my seminars, chances are you know the answer because in truth neither you nor those other people work FOR you or FOR an organization. For those who might not be tracking with me just yet, think of it this way:
Call up each and every one of those folks who work "For" you and ask them to come in tomorrow for free. That's right, absolutely free of charge, gratis, being paid bupkis... you get the idea. See what they all say. In fact, how many of you would have an entire staff of people show up?

If you did not quickly jump in and say me, yes, me, "I would have an entire staff show up", then let's look at this from a bigger picture perspective. Shouldn't that make it immediately clear to you that these folks do not work for the sheer, shining fact of getting to see your smiling face each and every day? No matter how cute you are, the truth is that they do not work FOR you or the organization with which you are affiliated. They work for ... THEMSELVES. Yep, you guessed it, FOR themselves and whatever the paycheck or reward that is doled out allows them to achieve most likely at home or other places outside of work. Thus, these folks do not work FOR you, they work, yep, you guessed it... WITH you.

The use of different words, though it may seem a silly matter of semantics, can make a big difference. A noticeable change occurs when a manager begins to describe employees as those he or she works WITH instead of those who work FOR him or her. Of course, the only way you will know if this makes a difference to those that work WITH you is to give it a try.
(You will enjoy reading the rest of Chapter 1 of Contagious Leadership at http://www.monicawofford.com/resources.php)

Happy Leading!

*******************************************************

"Your business is only as good as the people who work WITH you" M. Wofford
...from Contagious Quotations

*******************************************************

Contagious Customer Service Lesson:
Where is the New Leader's Focus?

You've done it! You've worked hard, paid your dues, worked through the resentment of those who you used to be peers with and are now their boss, and you've been promoted! Congratulations! Before the ink dries on your newly titled business cards, let's take a look at what your focus is and where your efforts lie with regard to your customers. Who are they exactly?

Are your customers those who pay the bills and buy stuff at your store or pay the taxes or pay the insurance bills that keep your hospital running or are they the folks who day in, day out, say hello to those folks, make them feel at home, make them want to buy your product, answer your phones, or any number of other tasks that keep your business alive? It's a tough and long question, admittedly. Yet, without finding the focus of your customer service efforts and where they are best placed, you may find that your best customers leave your organization to serve the external customers of your competitor.


Those that report to you are your best customers and from all the recent motivational material on morale and internal motivation, we all know that. What we tend to do and what we know are different. Spend a day determining who you spend more time with - the external customers or the internal customers.

• Make a list of what you do for the external customers to say thank you for their business
• Make a list of what you do for the internal customers to say thank you for their business
• Compare the two lists and make any needed adjustments
• Walk around and among those you work with and seek their input
• Don't wait for them to come to you only if there is a complaint

Spend as much time, effort, and energy on those who work side by side with you as you do on those who do business with you. It will serve you better, serve them better, and allow you both to serve that external customer better.

*******************************************************
You don't need another quote from me, you need results. What are your hot leadership issues? Give me your best hot leadership problem, issue, or need, and you may find yourself featured in the next issue of Lessons in Leadership. Send your issues or challenges to monica@Monicawofford.com.

*******************************************************
Contagious Confidence Lesson:
It's all in Your Head

Whether your presentation is one on one or one on 50, confidence is something a leader cannot be without. But, where does it come from? Confidence is all in your head and believe you me what is in your head often comes out in your communication. Thus, might it be prudent to look more closely at what is in your head instead of focusing on what is "Supposed" to be coming out of your mouth?

Rather than focusing on what your body language is or where your hands are, focus on the message you want your audience to receive. Consider these questions before you provide your next presentation:

• What do you want them to do different?
• How do you want them to feel different?
• What is it that you want them to learn how to do?
• How do you want them to act once your presentation is over?
• What is the one thing that your learners will know when you are done?
  

Once your message and the benefit you are looking for your learners to receive is solidified, your body language gestures and positioning on stage will come naturally. Once you shift the focus in your head from you and your nervousness to the audience and their benefits, you will find that your presentation will come more naturally.

Much like leadership, delivering a presentation is not all about you, it's all about them and that is a shift that takes place in your head.

*******************************************************
With The holidays coming up and the shopping days counting down, keep in mind just what all you have to be grateful for. If you woke up this morning breathing and have friends to tell that you did, I would say that your list of grateful things is already pretty healthy. Happy Thanksgiving holidays to all of those in the states!
Monica

*******************************************************
The tools that you use to do your job, to lead those you are given the privilege of leading, are important. If you use the same tools that you have always used, you will gain the results that you have always gotten. (Just how many times do we have to hear that to believe it??) What new results are you looking to achieve? Even more importantly, what new tools will you be using to achieve such results?

As a trainer of leadership, customer service, and confidence, I have taught hundreds of people how to lead both their customers an employees. Those learners who take the most initiative also look for ways to practice their new skills long after the training sessions. In order to change old habits, they employ hard work, practice, and new learning tactics.

Some of the ways in which they learn new skills is to listen to Contagious Leadership CDs and Contagious Confidence, as well as to read the book from which it all began: Contagious Leadership. If you have not taken that initiative, the next step you take could change the way employees and customers respond to you in the new year. Spend 15 minutes a day reading or listening to the tools that will give you new skills and watch your progress improve.

Request your personal copy of Contagious Leadership (the book or the 6 CD set) at www.monicawofford.com. I look forward to sending them to you. Not to mention, your shopping days for your boss and co-workers are quickly diminishing.
Give them gift of learning that will last far beyond the holidays.

******************************************************
Go to http://www.monicawofford.com/resources.php to order your very
own autographed copies today!

Being a leader doesn't happen in one day, it often takes years, yet doing it on your own may take a lifetime. Who wants to make all the mistakes I had to make in order to learn to lead others effectively? If you don' t have a coach, get one. If we had all the answers we would be doing it all without help and I have never met anyone who had all the answers in all the areas and didn't need any help - even if they didn't want to admit it. Fees and structure are based on project.

Monica provides coaching for small business owners, public speakers, and leaders. Outside of those areas, she will gladly refer you to someone who will serve you well. Contact her directly at 407-739-1870 or monica@monicawofford.com.

Also - You don't want to miss out on the coaching program that is all online.

******************************************************

See you next issue and in the meantime...

Stay Contagious!

Lessons in Leadership - November 1, 2005

This is the archive of previous issues for Lessons in Leadership. The current issue can be sent to you directly on request. Go to www.monicawofford.com to request your current copy of Lessons in Leadership.

Lessons in Leadership is devoted to helping new leaders learn how to motivate employees and customers to stay longer, complain less, and produce more profits. In this issue, you learned:


Contagious Leadership Lesson:
Leadership: It's Simple Really
Contagious Customer Service Lesson:
Are we Making it Easy for our Customers?
Contagious Confidence Lesson:
What if You Simply Did Nothing?

Contagious Leadership Lesson:
Leadership: It's Simple Really

Really, isn't leading new or problem employees an easy thing to do? If you follow three simple rules such as:

• Micro manage until they get it
• Free up those who don't
• Beat up those who don't and won't leave (KIDDING!)

Whoa, whoa, whoa. No, no, no. That last one was just a JOKE. Yet, leadership can be simple, if you let it, but at no time does it involve physically harming anyone, no matter how tempting it might be. Let's look at how you might handle those who are new or those who are posing problems, a bit differently.

Micro management is a task most abhor. With those who are new at performing a task or skill or those who are not performing it well, however, micro management has it's place. The simple Contagious Leadership rule is to Micro manage Only Those Who Need it and Only Until They Prove They do Not. The concepts of hovering, pestering, or bugging to death are NOT synonymous with micro management. What is perhaps more appropriate and more simple is to guide those who are not yet skilled to all the resources and tools to become skilled, give them a way to practice, and then give them feedback on their progress.

With those who are not performing the practice becomes a bit less simple, but not by much. If a person is not performing, find out why with the following questions:

• Is there a reward for doing it right?
• Is there a reward for doing it wrong?
• Is there a punishment for doing it right or wrong?
• Is the person afraid of failure?
• Is the person afraid of success?
• Does he or she lack the competence?
• Does he or she lack the knowledge or skill?
  

Before micro managing a poor performer, solve the above issues. Then, provide a reward or consequence where there is none; address the fear that exists if it does; investigate skill and competence level.

Once you have done each of these, follow the above steps for new employees. If performance still does not change within a reasonable amount of time, transfer or terminate the person accordingly, however, NOT WITHOUT prior investigation and clear answers to the above questions.


It's simple, really.

*************************************************************************************
"Micro managers find few friends and even fewer talented employees when they overextend their welcome in performance territory."
M. Wofford
*************************************************************************************
Contagious Customer Service Lesson:
Are We Making it Easy for our Customers?

Who can argue with the simple ease and utility of the search engine that has taken it's place among brands that are now generic, such as Kleenex and Coke. The search engine is Google. Have you "Googled" something lately? Chances are you have and so have hundreds of thousands of other customers of the search engine giant. What do you bet, their success is due in part to the fact that it is just so darn simple?

The November issue of Fast Company happens to agree. The article, (found at http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine - once they update their site for the November issue in my hot little hand) focuses on how simple Google is in the face of all of our high tech gadgets and services in the information age. The lesson is ours to learn. In the age of complication times information equals confusion, are we making it simple for our customers to do business with us?

1. Do they have to search to buy from us?
2. Do they have to go through menu tree mazes to find an answer to a simple question?
3. Or do we frustrate our customers by making it "easier" for them to get what they need without ever interfacing with another human?
   

Consider my experience this week with what may well be the nation's largest computer distributor. The company with a name begins with a big blue D and has perfected the use of the web and the menu tree to solve all our problems as end users. Yet, the problem this week began as I navigated four menu trees and answered a round of rigorous security codes and identifiers before I could ask about my power adaptor problems.

It about as silly as if I had walked into a pharmacy and had to answer twenty questions on my health history, including my immediate family names and addresses, before asking for which aisle the aspirin is on. The response certainly was not an easy one to get and certainly does not make doing business with the computer giant's tech support easy. Then again, maybe that was the point.

In contrast, lately I have noticed that the airlines, though they suffer, have made it easier for the customer to use their web sites. What used to be an experience that I suffered through only if the travel agent had gone home for the day is now a piece of cake. Check out the ease of www.delta.com or www.southwest.com for yourself and then consider how this applies
to your customers.


The key to Contagious Customer Service is to keep 'em coming back. Yet your business can only be contagious, or catching, if it is easy to catch. What are you doing to make it easier for your customers to do business with you...and if the answer is nothing, you may just be getting the results that you asked for.

************************************************************************************
"Contagious Customer Service means giving the customer something they catch on to and almost can't get rid of, so that they keep coming back."
M. Wofford
************************************************************************************

Contagious Confidence Lesson:
What if YOU Simply Did Nothing?


You step onto the stage, position yourself behind the lecturn, and silence strikes. In fact, the mind blowing, shorter than life, short-term memory, strikes at the same time. What do you do? Well, let's weigh your options, you can't think and you can't speak... try breathing... and then do nothing.


There is little more powerful than doing nothing, particularly when nothing can be done. And doing nothing is actually doing something. For example:

• Simply pause and say nothing
• Simply stand and say nothing
• Simply state when the thoughts come back and everyone will listen.
  

There is power in the pause and the stare and the challenge when speaking often comes in when we say too much, and thus speak too fast. A further challenge occurs when we are afraid to look at any one person and we stare non-committedly at the heads of all.

Stop, say nothing, and look seriously at your audience. Pause, say nothing, and hold your pose. When you do speak, say it simply as though the audience is now clearly listening for the gold that pours forth from your mouth, you are always in competition with the voices in their head and their attention span!

*************************************************************************************

"Contagious Confidence comes from feeding off the audience's reaction, however, first you have to give them something exciting to react to."
M. Wofford
*************************************************************************************

- A Word from Our Sponsor -


To be a leader, instead of a manager, you will want Contagious Leadership in its many forms. (that means book and CD set and the new training DVD!) http://www.monicawofford.com/resources.php

To provide contagious service that your customers cannot resist, you will want Contagious Customer Service special reports.

http://www.monicawofford.com/special-reports.php

To give speeches that make you appear to exude confidence, you will want Contagious Confidence, along with Contagious Quotations to give you new and fresh ideas that others will catch on to!

Go to http://www.monicawofford.com/resources.php to order your very
own autographed copies today!


Being a leader doesn't happen in one day, it often takes years, yet doing it on your own may take a lifetime. Who wants to make all the mistakes I had to make in order to learn to lead others effectively? If you don' t have a coach, get one. If we had all the answers we would be doing it all without help and I have never met anyone who had all the answers in all the areas and didn't need any help - even if they didn't want to admit it. Fees and structure are based on project.


Monica provides coaching for small business owners, public speakers, and leaders. Outside of those areas, she will gladly refer you to someone who has more expertise and will serve you well. Contact her directly at 407-739-1870 or monica@monicawofford.com.



Also - Check out the new website updates at www.monicawofford.com. You don't want to miss out on the coaching program that is all online.

************************************************************************************

See you next issue and in the meantime...

Stay Contagious!

Message from Monica

The other day I was riding the parking shuttle bus from ORlando's airport to the lot where I park my car. I was absolutely beat and in a fog from having slept on the plane on the way home. Yet, as I rode in the back of this bus and chose, for whatever reason to face the back watching the roads and cars and traffic that was behind us, it occurred to me that I lost track of where we were.

Let me explain. In a town that I know well, in an area of town that I know very well, because I was watching what was behind us instead of what was infront of us, I lost track of where we were.

It made me wonder just how many times in my life and work I had done that to myself. Do we focus so much on our past and what we have done or not done before that we forget to pay attention to where we are going or more importantly, where we ARE? Something to think about...

Monica

Lessons in Leadership - Oct 11, 2005

In this month's issue of Lessons in Leadership, learn:

Contagious Leadership lesson:
What is your "PERCEPTIONALITY"?
Contagious Customer Service Lesson:
To be Contagious, Be Aware of Your Customer's Perception
Contagious Confidence Lesson:
What Does Your Audience Perceive About You?




CONTAGIOUS LEADERSHIP LESSON:

WHAT IS YOUR "PERCEPTIONALITY"? (Contagious Leaders know!)
Well, that's a new one! Haven't you always been told that perception is reality? And isn't it? Or is it? Maybe it is just the way YOU see things or the way THEY see things. There aren't multiple realities, at least not for most of us, so what is the difference in interpretation attributed to?

Part of the difference in interpretation is based on our personalities. Not to say that any one of us has one certain personality all day every day - AT ALL. In the same breath, there is a lot of truth to the fact that we gravitate to one personality usually more often than another. Thus, if you don't already know your base level personality type - check out this free assessment and and
then see how your "perceptionality" fits in.

To take your FREE Personality Assessment, click here.

And here I thought I was being all ingenious by coming up with word that seemed so clearly to describe why two people can see the same event or hear the same message and interpret it so very differently: perceptionality. A gentleman named Paul Davis, currently working on his PhD, is exploring the phenomenon he and I both seem to call Perceptionality (though clearly he had the idea first!). Here is how he describes it (in his clinical and scientific research soon to be the topic of a new book):

PERCEPTIONALITY (noun): the manner in which a person perceives reality

Surely Contagious Leaders (For a special report of the The Top 100 Things to do to be a Contagious Leader: Go to http://www.monicawofford.com/special-reports.php) see this every day. One person sees reality in one way, and another perfectly well intentioned individual sees it another way. Yet the fact remains that there is only ONE reality. Could it really be that Suzy sees things one way because of her biases and experience, whereas David sees things completely differently because of his background? The bizarre part is that both parties are looking at the same event and yet both parties walked away with a completely different impression. I am assuming this has happened to you and I believe the key is their personality, mixed with their perception.

Mix their personality with their perception and you get a bona fide "Perceptionality" (http://www.perceptionality.com/) that can cause lot of conflict, heartache, and miscommunication. Contagious Leaders are keenly aware of how inaccurate their perceptions can be. In fact, has this ever happened to you - someone else's perception of the way things "were" got YOU in a heap of trouble? If so, keep reading and learn to avoid those misperceptions as a Contagious Leader.

Personality Type: Black and White Get to the Point Person (Driver)
This person will often see things as clear cut and will also see his or her way as the "right way" and be quite confident about it. This person is often great as a sales person, yet dislikes details. He or she can often tell you the exactly "right" thing to buy or to do.

Frequent misperceptions can include:
~Social chit-chat is a waste of valuable work-time
~Long meetings/phone calls are unproductive
~Too many details drown out the end results
~If you have to think about it, you'll miss out

With this type of personality, anything that is done slowly, with several other people, or done in a haphazard fashion is subject to being taken over by the "black and white" person. Perceptions or often misperceptions, can cause this person to quickly judge others as slow or unproductive unfairly. Give them the meat of the issue and only give them dressing if they ask for it, and they eventually will.

Personality Type: Processor, Gatherer of Information (Analytical)
This person will seek out all the facts diligently and methodically prior to making any hasty decisions. This person is often better able to think on paper and likes to "talk out" a situation with others who will share opinions similar or different than his or her own. Great scientists and academics often share these traits.

Frequent misinterpretations can include:
~Seeing others' decisions as far too hasty
~There is never enough information to make a clear decisions
~Short meetings are highly unproductive - we have to think about it
~If you aren't asking questions, you must not care about the project

With this type of personality, anything that is done quickly or decided upon in short order, probably was not thorough enough and will not get his or her seal of approval or support. (unless something is on fire) This person's perceptions can often cause him or her to take the quick decision personally and over analyze the lack of desired detail and alternate options. Share with this person as much detail as you can, and have evidence to back up your information and sources.

Personality Type: People Person (Socializer)
This person enjoys catching up with those at the office, at home, and everywhere. They describe events in terms of feelings and prefer hanging out with people over completing tasks. After all, in their eyes without the people where would we be. Relationships are of paramount importance.

Frequent misinterpretations can include:
~A lack of socializing means other are cold
~A lack of socializing means others don't care
~Events are not complete with the people element
~Groups that do not hang out together cannot work well together

With this type of personality, a focus on the people will help to alleviate any hurt feelings or concern of isolation. This personality type can become resentful if not allowed to bring people together and will often see others as cold and unfeeling if they do not participate.

Personality Type: Laid Back, Easy Going (Relater)
This person will often express little or no interest in a decision one way or another. He or she is ultimately amenable and finds everyone at least mildly endearing.

Frequent misinterpretations can include:

-He or she doesn't care because of a lack of participation
-He or she is not interested in any of the outcomes
-He or she will not support fully any options
-This person can have the wool pulled over his or her eyes easily

This personality type is often read all wrong and serves as a projector for other more dominant emotions. Once you get them going in the desired direction, they will go full steam, yet be careful to assume you understand them, particularly if you are using another personality type's measuring stick.



Of course no personality or perception is right or wrong, it just is and as a friend of mine says, "What is, is, and what ain't, ain't so move on!" However, if you are going to be that Contagious Leader at the office that others want to follow then you might want to consider the misperceptions you have been gettin' and givin'.

Contagious Leaders look at the whole picture often before they assume they are correct... and even then they question and ask other employees for input!

To subscribe to Monica's online Coaching Program for managers of all personality types who are looking to lead even better, go to www.monicawofford.com/coaching.php

********************************************************************
"When you know more ways to communicate with different personalities then there are more people you can effectively lead and who will perceive you to be positively Contagious!"

M. Wofford

********************************************************************

Contagious Customer Service Lesson:

TO BE CONTAGIOUS, BE AWARE OF YOUR CUSTOMER'S PERCEPTION

Sometimes you just can't help but to judge a book by it's cover. Stores have done it to Willie Nelson and just recently in Paris, to Oprah. Has anyone considered the fact that is probably works both ways?

Customers make perceptions of us and the way we do business and treat them all the time. They judge a book by its so-called cover in these areas:

?? Did you greet them quickly?
?? Were you carrying on a conversation with another employee for a long time, loudly?
?? Were you quick to suggest other items?
?? Did you put things in the fitting room and then disappear?
?? Did you put them on hold and never come back?
?? Did you provide a clear blank stare when asked a question?
?? Were you able to say "no" in a way that left them smiling?
?? Did you not bother to say thank you and throw the package at them?
?? Were you oblivious to the fact that there was a line out the door?
?? Were you thinking that if the phone would quit ringing and customers would quit coming in that you could get some work done? ('cuz even if you thought it, they probably sensed it)

Any of those and many others will catch you avoiding the reality that your customer is making perceptions about you. Can you avoid each of these foibles above and avoid making a customer frustrated? Of course!

Provide Contagious Customer Service (check out the special report on how Contagious Customer Service is not Rocket Science at http://www.monicawofford.com/special-reports.php) by:

1. Being AWARE all the time
2. Looking and acting PLEASANT all the time
3. Sharing POSITIVITY with customers all the time

Okay, okay, wait a minute, all of that might take medication or might break your mental bank. Doing these things most of the time will allow you to maintain your sanity: In fact, most of the time will allow you to Maintain your sanity, your positive attitude, AND the Customer's positive attitude, AND the customer's perception. That perception remember is their reality and it doesn't even have to be accurate.

Even if you aren't having a bad day and someone perceives that you are, doesn't that count for something? More importantly, if someone sees you once and you are having a bad day, don't you realize that this will be that person's lasting impression? Right or wrong - be aware most of the... well, all the time on that one.

Contagious Customer Service is the art of giving customers the impression and perception that you care and it's easy - because you do! This in turn will likely create a feeling among your customers of loyalty - that feeling of not wanting to leave you, almost as if they have caught the spirit of your organization and working with it - almost like you were and are... CoNtAgIoUS!

*********************************************************************
"Some customers will perceive you to be great, some will perceive you to be not so great - the cool part is YOU get to choose either way."

M. Wofford
*********************************************************************

Contagious Confidence Lesson:

WHAT DOES YOUR AUDIENCE PERCEIVE ABOUT YOU?

This section is geared toward those who give presentations and are leaders usually at work. Those who present for a living will find more helpful information at http://www.monicawofford.com/ under speaker resources or you may contact me directly at 407-739-1870. I am happy to help.

If you are not a speaker by trade, then the mere idea of getting in front of an audience can cause some to feel what I call "Speaker's Panic" in which the throat closes and the knees knock.

Take heart, your audience does not usually see or even imagine that you feel this way. Most of the time, the audience perceives you to be cool as a cucumber despite what ALARMS may be
going off in your head. My mantra in speaking has always been they don't know what you don't know". Think about that, even say it out loud - because it's true. They don't know what you don't know and that means that if you forget something, skip a whole
section, mess up a word, or forget to breathe, the audience is often none the wiser.

What your audience perceives about you is based on how you meet them before the
meeting, how you talk with them during the meeting, are you funny, are you serious, and how do you handle pressure or sudden changes. These events will help to mold and shape their perceptions of you.

Are you sending the message that you want? Are you worried about what is on your notes or what is in their eyes? I can assure you a more positive perception of your speech will come from you focusing on the latter.

*********************************************************************
- A Word from Our Sponsor -

To be a leader, instead of a manager, you will want Contagious Leadership in its many forms.
(that means book and CD set and the new training DVD!)

To provide contagious service that your customers cannot resist, you will want Contagious
Customer Service special reports.

To give speeches that make you appear to exude confidence, you will want Contagious Confidence, along with Contagious Quotations to give you new and fresh ideas that others will catch on to!

Being a leader doesn't happen in one day, it often takes years, yet doing it on your own may take a lifetime. Who wants to make all the mistakes I had to make in order to learn to lead others effectively? If you don' t have a coach, get one. Me or someone else. If we had all the answers we would be doing it all without help and I have never met anyone who had all the answers in all the areas and didn't need any help - even if they didn't want to admit it. Fees and structure are based on project.

Monica provides coaching for small business owners, public speakers, and leaders. Outside of those areas, she will gladly refer you to someone who has more expertise and will serve you well. Contact her directly at 407-739-1870.

Also - Check out the new website updates at

http://www.monicawofford.com/. You don't want to miss out on the coaching program that is all online.
Remember Boss's Day October 16th. Have you gotten a gift for your boss?
Go to http://www.monicawofford.com/resources.php to order your very own autographed copies today!

*********************************************************************

See you next issue and in the meantime...

Stay Contagious!

Does Leadership Now Come From Power?

I had a wonderful conversation this morning with a Rotary member visiting from Sweden. We spoke of leadership and how in his perspective much of the leaders in our current US culture found themselves in their positions by sheer brute force. After talking further, I surmised and confirmed that by this he meant many leaders of organizations are merely taking over the leadership positions, in contrast with what he believed once happened, which was more the climb to the top approach. He felt leaders at one point began in the mailroom and worked their way up the ladder to that top position, which is the case in many of the still family controlled corporations recently cited in the Wall Street Journal.

My question is can one be a contagious leader with power while still earning and developing the respect of those who work with you and who report to you? The resounding answer was absolutely!! Though, I believe it depends on three factors:

• Do you have the right attitude toward what you are doing?
• Do you have the right attitude toward who you are doing it with?
• Do you have competence and enough authority, real or percieved, to weild decision-making power once enough evidence upon which to base a decision has been received?

Contagious Leadership Special Report

THE TOP 100 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO BECOME A CONTAGIOUS LEADER

What you do as a leader is extremely important. Why? Because you are contagious! (Or you will
be if you follow the steps in this special report) Leaders have an attitude that other want to catch. Leaders have a charisma that others want to catch. They have skills that others want to have rub off on them and on and on and on and on. So what you do, more so than what you say, rubs off on those that follow your leadership abilities. And since the one key critical thing one has to have in order to be a leader is … well, you guessed it, FOLLOWERS, then let’s keep the focus on those folks and make sure that as leaders we are doing what makes the most difference to them. After all, leadership is all about the followers!
Just think, what would you be if you had a great many leadership skills that made you tremendously effective, but no followers? Well, if I am thinking straight here, you would be incredibly skilled standing out there all by your lonesome. Not exactly how we picture a leader. A Contagious Leader is the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage and that is what any number of these steps will help you to achieve!

1. Call employees “those that work WITH you”.
2. Stop calling employees “my employees”, “my people”.
3. Realize that employees do not work “FOR you”, but rather what you, or the $, provide.
4. Set goals with others.
5. Write your own goals down.
6. Teach others to write his (or her) own goals down.
7. Ensure goals are measurable.
8. Celebrate the achievement of each goal.
9. Create goals that are both realistic and unrealistic.
10. Provide goals with a timeline that is subject to be changed upon the goal author’s approval.
11. Hire the right people for the right jobs.
12. Encourage mentors at all levels.
13. Provide value to someone before you need value from them.
14. Be genuinely interested in the needs of others.
15. Have sincere desire, authenticity, and integrity in what you do or you will fail.
16. Know that all endeavors will not be easy and will not happen the way you wish.
17. Recognize that all followers will not agree with or “be on board” with what you want.
18. Allow for the opinions and ideas of others in all matters.
19. Show respect for differing opinions and ideas.
20. Find the leaders on the team you lead that have no leadership title.
21. Cultivate the natural gifts, skills, and abilities of those individuals.
22. Infuse a need to grow by teaching, rather than giving, the answers.
23. Allow for errors and missteps and mistakes at many levels.
24. Inspire persistence even after the first, second, and third rejection of an attempt.
25. Keep a cool head even in times when the world is falling apart.
26. Avoid engaging emotions until all angles have been examined.
27. Communicate assertively, but not in an overpowering fashion when issues are heated.
28. Act reasonably in even the most unreasonable situations.
29. Express opinions and ideas professionally and openly.
30. Avoid sucking things in until they become dangerously like a volcano of explosive readiness.
31. Realize that “home is not where you go when you are tired of being nice to people!”
32. Maintain an awareness of just how much your body communicates.
33. Remember that your body continues talking long after your lips stop moving.
34. Adhere to the ratio that you have two ears and a mouth and use them proportionately.
35. Talk less, listen more.
36. Ask more questions then you give advice.
37. Seek input from those closer to a problem than you are.
38. Be interested in the growth of others even more so than the others are at times.
39. Listen to the grapevine often and regularly.
40. Connect to the first brain in the first 30 seconds.
41. Build rapport with someone by finding overlapping frames and reference.
42. Fuss over others’ events, achievements, families, and friends.
43. Be entertaining, humorous, or at the very least, fun to be around.
44. Engage serious behavior on serious subjects when warranted.
45. Communicate with others in a language that they understand.
46. Avoid assuming that your communication or personality style is the one everyone else has.
47. Learn to modify your communication style to the style of others.
48. Adhere to the principle that “communication is not what was said, but what is received.”
49. Inspire creativity.
50. Require yourself often to think about something from a different angle or perspective.
51. Use crayons to draw out a problem.
52. Instruct those you lead to brainstorm using smelly markers on flip charts around a room.
53. Allow the team to pick the team leader using a point/plus system. (see #54)
54. Count to three; have them point at the leader of choice. Then let that person pick the real leader.
55. Ask people you lead to describe a problem using something from nature.
56. Ask people you lead to describe a solution using something from nature.
57. Replace nature with a canned good, a color, a piece of furniture, an animal, or anything…
58. Promote impromptu brainstorming sessions with the leader present.
59. Promote impromptu brainstorming sessions with the leader present.
60. Engage in active learning every day.
61. Have a LIFE!
62. Encourage all those you lead to have and or get a LIFE!
63. Reinforce the idea that work and life must be balanced or both will be out of whack.
64. Share you expectations clearly and consistently and early.
65. Give yourself permission to leave things undone.
66. Let go of needing to be perfect.
67. Let go of needing everyone else to be perfect.
68. Relinquish the need to always have others like you.
69. Become clear and comfortable with the fact that leadership does not mean “Be favorite on one the playground.”
70. Know that sometimes peers will become former employees when you are promoted.
71. Show gratitude to those who can transition from peers to employees.
72. Recognize those who perform their job consistently day in and day out.
73. Learn the different types of recognition: public, private, tangible, and intangible.
74. Avoid giving a public person, private recognition; they will see little or no value in it.
75. Praise public people in front of many, many, others.
76. Share kudos and praise in public, yet discipline and reprimand in private.
77. Give tangible people stuff they can feel, hold, and hang on to.
78. Balance your recognition with those you work with and their multiple preferences.
79. Be spontaneous, as well as scheduled in your recognition efforts.
80. Only give private people, public recognition, if you want de-motivation.
81. Spend most of your time with those who are performing the way you have asked.
82. Observe what people do for others to learn what they would like done for them.
83. Focus on the end result: Motivation for performance.
84. Remember that money does not motivate for the long term and becomes expected.
85. Grow courage to have the tough conversations.
86. Address only areas of behavior and performance when being critical.
87. Maintain clarity on the fact that attitudes are not taught or changed without the owner’s consent.
88. Criticize someone’s attitude at your own risk.
89. Never assume – well, ANYTHING.
90. Know that your crisis does not constitute urgent action from others if you are at fault.
91. Micro-manage only those who need it and only until they prove that they do not.
92. Be kind to new hires if you used to do what they are being taught to do.
93. Remind yourself that if you have done it for 30 years, you no longer remember the steps.
94. Make mentors out of those who still remember the steps even if they need a checklist.
95. Believe that people do what they get paid attention for.
96. Micro-manage problem employees until there is only one option.
97. Free up for new opportunities those who are unable to perform at the established standard.
98. Trust that managers are often promoted for no good reason.
99. Recognize that managers have to have a title and leaders do not.
100. Exhibit leadership traits as part of who you are, not what your title says.