Lee Ellis's Blog, page 103

Leadership History Lesson for September 12th

On this day in leadership history in 1992, Dr. Mae Carol Jemison became the first African-American woman in space. She was the payload specialist aboard the space shuttle Endeavor. Also onboard were Mission Specialist N. Jan Davis and Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Mark C. Lee. They were the first married couple to fly together in space. And, Mamoru Mohri became the first Japanese person to fly into space.

What���s the leadership lesson? Honorable leaders know that there is strength in diversity in every endeavor!

Dr. Mae Carol Jemison – Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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9/11 Remembrance

Leading with Honor remembers today those courageous men and women who led with honor under the direst circumstances. You will never be forgotten.

 

 

 

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Coaching Clip – The Fresh Way for Leaders to Build a Healthy Culture

When you feel helpless to create change around you, it���s time to re-think and be aware of the areas that you do have influence. Recently, I���ve mentioned my concern about our national culture and the growing fractures and splits we are seeing. This month, it���s time to take culture down to the local level, to the arena where you have power and influence. Please watch and share with others ���

Also, read the companion coaching article on this topic – “4 Steps to Re-Ignite a Strong Work Culture”

 

Team Culture Development with the Courageous Accountability Online Course

With over 20 years training and coaching leaders, we know that the most effective development comes in community. And our mission has shifted toward leaders developing their people���the most efficient way���growing and taking others with them. ��

The challenge is that many leaders don���t feel qualified to conduct training, and it���s expensive. The Courageous Accountability Development Course, based on Lee Ellis’ award-winning book, is a practical, hands-on experience that uses the Courageous Accountability Model and the Honor Code as the basis to engage and work together.

Learn More and watch a sample interviewRequest a complimentary course demo

 

Where Did the Courageous Accountability Model Start?

From his early experiences as an Air Force jet fighter pilot and POW in the prison camps of Vietnam to an award-winning author, presenter, and leadership consultant, Lee Ellis shares his concerns about the lack of accountability in our culture and how you can apply a positive, proven accountability model to get better results as a leader.

Read his award-winning book, Engage with Honor, to practically add value in your leadership and the team that you lead.

Purchase Your Copy in the Online StorePurchase Your Copy on Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, September 10, 2021

“Highly successful organizations may have many differences in how they operate, but they will share one thing in common���they have a strong culture that keeps them aligned to accomplish the mission.��� ��� Lee Ellis

 

 

 

 

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Coaching Article – 4 Steps to Re-Ignite a Strong Work Culture

By Lee Ellis

When you feel helpless to create change around you, it���s time to re-think and be aware of the areas that you do have influence. Recently, I���ve mentioned my concern about our national culture and the growing fractures and splits we are seeing. This month, it���s time to take culture down to the local level, to the arena where you have power and influence. Self-aware leaders recognize this opportunity and are intentional about clarifying the culture and then setting the example.

Positive Outcomes from Your Example

There are many great advantages to a strong culture ���

better teamworkhigher performancegreater loyaltymore open communicationsmore alignment and cohesiveness of teams

One outcome that often gets overlooked is that empowerment is much safer and easier when you have a strong culture. If your people know the goals, values, expectations, and boundaries, they can effectively make decisions at the lower levels���which means they will feel more valuable and more likely to work hard to live up to your confidence in them. This also gives them good experience for development and creates an environment where they can learn from their mistakes. A side effect is that empowerment takes some of the load off you and your managers. All this blends together to make your organization a great place to work.

Watch my 6-minute coaching clip on this topic as I dive deeper on the topic of building an honorable culture –

Creating Culture in the Camps

Though the Vietnam POW environment ended almost fifty years ago, I refer to those lessons from that experience often because they highlight the power of culture in which the leaders had to clearly define the expectations and then set the example for followers. Because of the limited communications, every cell and every individual at some point had to make very hard decisions���all alone. Yet 99% of the POWs took ownership for those hard decisions and in doing so resisted the enemy heroically to do their duty and live up to our cultural standards.

Though few leaders will ever have to endure isolation, beatings and torture to live by the standards and values they have set for the culture, the example of our POW leaders provides a powerful lesson that is crucial for our workplace (and society) today. If you have read my two leadership books on that experience, you know those stories.

Two Modern-Day Culture Examples

Highly successful organizations may have many differences in how they operate, but they will share one thing in common���they have a strong culture that keeps them aligned to accomplish the mission. [Tweet This]

Remember the great leadership guru of the 80���s, Peter Drucker, and his famous quote ��� ���Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast.���

Another great example about the importance of culture comes from Jim Collins��� renowned book Good to Great. In his example of what I call the Yin and the Yang graphic showing Preserve the Core and Stimulate progress, the Core covers most of what we are referring to here.

Collins��� Core centers around Core Purpose and Core Values. These are two of the foundational pieces of organizational culture. The third is what I call, for lack of a better term, Organizational Uniqueness. Top rated culture (and retention) companies like Southwest Airlines, The Blue Angels, DreamWorks, REI, and Squarespace all have a uniqueness to their culture that might not fit other great cultures.

Also, keep in mind that some organizations will have very specific ���ground rules��� and boundaries that will be critical to their unique culture. For example, the military and first responder cultures will have some unique rules and expectations. It is in these three major areas of culture, that leaders must clarify and then set the example for others.

So, let���s get specific about the 4 cultural responsibilities of leaders to re-ignite your team or organization ���

Leaders must define and own the culture. You as a leader own and support it 100%���meaning the purpose, values, and unique attributes of what you want and expect. If you���re the senior leader, you have that right and role. If you���re the subordinate leader, then you must embrace it 100% as though it was all your idea. If not, leave ASAP because you are being disloyal. Of course, if you think something in the culture is unethical or inappropriate, then you need to speak up and explain the logic for your beliefs. That would be a loyal thing to do if done respectfully. And if your voice is not heard, then it���s probably time to move on. Leaders must clarify the culture. The purpose, values, and unique aspects of your culture must be clear to all, and it must be repeated often. People have short memories and naturally tend to go with the path of least effort. People have very different personalities and past experiences, so the expected culture must be a living, breathing part of the environment. In a healthy culture, the person at the bottom of the structure must know and understand it���and feel empowered to call it to the attention of someone who is out of line. Leaders must live the culture. Your example shows your commitment to the standards you���ve set. The higher up the ladder you are the more people are watching you. Your example inspires and reminds them of the cultural expectations. Your people are serving you, and the quickest way to undermine your authority and other���s confidence in you is to violate the culture you are advocating. And what if you miss the mark? We���re human, and we all violate some of our personal standards. When you mess up, your character and humility are put to the test. If you immediately take ownership for your error/mistake and apologize, you set the example of how you want others to operate. If you own it and re-commit, in almost every case, respect by your teammates and your influence is going to increase because your vulnerability shows you are genuine. You can be trusted. Leaders must enforce the culture. Remember that you���re leading humans, and none of us are perfect. But as a leader, you must emphasize the positives (the carrot) of having an important purpose, healthy values, and ground rules (guidelines, policies and boundaries) in your culture. Then when someone violates your culture, you must hold them accountable (the stick). That can be gentle and subtle at times and in other situations, it must be direct and strong. In all cases it must be respectful.

Dave Cantu, www.ToonForWriters.com

My Challenge to You

I want to challenge you to spend some time reflecting on your culture.

Have you defined it, and do you own it?Are your regularly Clarifying it, Living it, and Enforcing it?Are you empowering your people to decide and act in the areas where they have responsibility?

To be a great leader, you must be intentional and courageous to ensure that your people are operating in a great culture? Work with your team to define it. Then set the example by your actions and your vulnerability. You will grow in effectiveness, but perhaps more important your people will too.

LE [Tweet this Article]

Team Culture Development with the Courageous Accountability Online Course

With over 20 years training and coaching leaders, we know that the most effective development comes in community. And our mission has shifted toward leaders developing their people���the most efficient way���growing and taking others with them. ��

The challenge is that many leaders don���t feel qualified to conduct training, and it���s expensive. The Courageous Accountability Development Course, based on Lee Ellis’ award-winning book, is a practical, hands-on experience that uses the Courageous Accountability Model and the Honor Code as the basis to engage and work together.

Learn More and watch a sample interviewRequest a complimentary course demo

 

Where Did the Courageous Accountability Model Start?

From his early experiences as an Air Force jet fighter pilot and POW in the prison camps of Vietnam to an award-winning author, presenter, and leadership consultant, Lee Ellis shares his concerns about the lack of accountability in our culture and how you can apply a positive, proven accountability model to get better results as a leader.

Read his award-winning book, Engage with Honor, to practically add value in your leadership and the team that you lead.

Purchase Your Copy in the Online StorePurchase Your Copy on Amazon

 

 

 

The post Coaching Article – 4 Steps to Re-Ignite a Strong Work Culture appeared first on Leading With Honor��.

Wow! Endorsement from Champlain Cable Corp

We���re so grateful for these kind words from Champlain Cable Corp President, William Reichert, about his team���s recent experience with our Courageous Accountability online training course –

���The course is fantastic and exactly what we needed as an executive team. The social collaboration features in the platform kept us engaged and led to many in-depth discussions that we strategically implemented during and after the course. I hope that other teams benefit from this course as much as we did.���

Want your team to have the same experience? Click to Learn More

 

 

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Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day from Lee Ellis and the Leading with Honor team. Thank you honorable leaders for going first in character and courage!

 

 

 

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Leadership History Lesson for September 5th

On this day in leadership history in 1882, the first U.S. Labor Day parade was held in New York City.

What���s the leadership lesson? Celebration is required for worthy things and accomplishments. Try and publicly recognize and celebrate one person over this Labor Day holiday.

Labor Day – Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

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Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, September 3, 2021

���I���ve made the points that leaders under pressure must keep themselves absolutely clean morally (the relativism of the social sciences will never do). They must lead by example, must be able to implant high-mindedness in their followers, must have competence beyond status, and must have earned their followers��� respect by demonstrating integrity.��� ��� Admiral James B. Stockdale (1923���2005)

 

 

 

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Giving Back – Yellow Ribbon Program

���Leading with Honor��� is proud to give our time, attention and support to the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.

Their mission is to assist, collaborate, and partner with Services, and agencies at the lowest level possible in order to provide Service members, Veterans, and Family members with informational events and activities, referrals, and proactive outreach services throughout the phases of deployment or mobilization.

Please learn more about their vital work on behalf of our military ��� thank you @DoDYRRP

 

 

 

 

 

 

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