Lee Ellis's Blog, page 121

How a CEO Improved His Communications Skills to Grow His Business

Inspirational story about CEO Steve Munro and his desire to improve his communication skills to grow a healthier business. We can learn from Steve’s example.

Please read on the CEO Netweavers website, and post your advice below too –

 

 

The post How a CEO Improved His Communications Skills to Grow His Business appeared first on Leading With Honor®.

2 Quick Tips to Effectively Lead by Example

Whether it’s day-to-day leadership or leading through a battle, are you standing out in leading by example? Leadership is about influence, and the concept of “leaders go first” carries a lot of weight.

When I reflect on the examples of the great leaders in the crucible of the Vietnam POW camps, first they courageously held the line on their commitment to their character. Second, they learned to adapt their behaviors to balance mission and people. Simultaneously they had to deny repeated enemy attempts at exploitation while taking care of their fellow POWs. Given these conditions, their lives were a 24/7 battle of grit and mental discipline to set the example and show us the way.

 1. Battle for Your Character

Have you realized that we are all only a step away from dishonorable behavior? Have you intentionally  engaged in the battle to guard your own character? We frequently bring this issue up in our training materials, coaching, and presentations for three reasons –

A. We’re all human and therefore tempted to take shortcuts and pursue our interests at the expense of others.

B. Bad character, as evidenced by widespread deceit and dishonesty, is undermining the foundations of our culture.

C. When we violate character basics as leaders, our followers quickly lose trust.

2. Work to Gain a Leadership Balance

Contrary to what others may recommend, you cannot focus solely on your strengths. Yes, they’re critical for your career/work performance success, but that’s only one side of the seesaw.

When you step into any mantle of leadership—personal or professional—you must learn to manage your struggles sufficiently to be a good example on both sides of the balance of results/mission and relationships/people. If you fail to balance achieving the mission while positively influencing your people, you’re not setting a good example and you can never be seen as a great leader by your followers.

Finally, the senior leaders in the POW camps would also remind us that we can’t do it alone. Otherwise, it’s overwhelming and it doesn’t give others an opportunity to grow with you. Enlist the help of others with some positive accountability, and you’ll make some significant contributions to the cause of honorable leadership.

Please post your comments below, and also read and watch more on this topic – “What Does ‘Leaders Go First’ Really Mean? Two Attributes”

 

 

 

 

The post 2 Quick Tips to Effectively Lead by Example appeared first on Leading With Honor®.

Today in Leadership History for February 7th

On this day in 1877, the first Guernsey Cattle Club was organized in New York City.

What’s the leadership lesson? Honorable leaders understand the power of a group of people coming around a core idea or passion. Unify your people towards a common goal with a set of core values that guide that process.

Guernsey Cattle – Wikipedia

 

 

 

The post Today in Leadership History for February 7th appeared first on Leading With Honor®.

Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, February 5, 2021

“If you’re not in the battle for your character and honor, you are or you’re about to be tumbling over the cliff to failure.” – Lee Ellis

 

 

 

The post Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, February 5, 2021 appeared first on Leading With Honor®.

Coaching Clip – Inspirational Models of Leading by Example

For all the myriad of advice and materials on leadership development available today, the fundamental goal should be to lead by example. But let’s be specific—what exactly does leading by example look like? And how best to do it with honor?

Lee’s new 5-minute coaching clip this month shares his advice based his research and experience. Please watch and then share with others.

(Video not playing? Watch it here.)

Also, read the entire article on this topic – “What Does ‘Leaders Go First’ Really Mean? Two Attributes”

 

Assess Your Personal Leadership Balance

Every human is unique — and the best leaders know why this might be an advantage. Learn how embracing different talents and abilities, both our own and those of others, can lead to more effective leadership and success.

Grounded in statistical research and supported by data from millions of clients and more than 45 years of workplace experience, Lee Ellis and Hugh Massie reveal their personal stories and experience on how they’ve successfully helped organizations achieve their goals by applying practical insights on human design.

Purchase the Book

Additional discount available for bulk orders.

Purchase the Leadership Behavior DNA AssessmentPurchase Both Together and Save 20%!

“…There are few that have made significant strides on making ‘knowing yourself’ operational and real as Lee and Hugh have in this marvelous book. Reading this book is a compelling adventure. If you follow the path, you will change for the better!” – Richard Boyatzis, Co-author of the international best seller, Primal Leadership and the new Helping People Change

“This is the book that I have longed for during my decades in managing talent. Having seen the positive impact of DNA Behavior on my teams, this is a must-read for leaders who desire to build strong teams by accelerating natural talents in an authentic and lasting way.” – Belva White, CPA, MBA, Vice President for Finance & Treasury, Emory University

The post Coaching Clip – Inspirational Models of Leading by Example appeared first on Leading With Honor®.

Webinar Invitation – Behavioral Dynamics of Family Relationships

Most of our clients use DNA Behavior to assess their professional leadership, their teams, or their customers. In this new webinar, we’re taking an intentional turn to focus on using DNA Behavior to assess family relationships.

Whether it’s a marriage, parent/child relationship, or extended family relationships, awareness of human behavioral factors and traits can create even more intimacy and open communication on love, commitment, finances, and more.

Hugh Massie and Lee Ellis have invited special guest Brian Brogan, Director at The Initiative for Family Business at Saint Joseph’s University, to share his valuable experience.

Register for this free online event on Tuesday, February 16th @ 11:00am ET

*Can’t attend? Register to receive the complimentary recording after the event.

 

 

The post Webinar Invitation – Behavioral Dynamics of Family Relationships appeared first on Leading With Honor®.

Coaching Article – What Does “Leaders Go First” Really Mean? Two Attributes

The frequent torture and abuse were indescribable, but they consistently met the challenge and bounced back. To this day, their example inspires me. I’m referring to our senior leaders in the crucible of the Vietnam POW camps. When the going got tough, their character and behaviors set the example that inspired and influenced the rest of us.

Whether it’s day-to-day leadership or leading through a battle, are you standing out in leading by example? Leadership is about influence, and the concept of “leaders go first” carries a lot of weight.

Two Unwavering Attributes

When I reflect on the examples of those great leaders, two attributes come to mind.  First, they courageously held the line on their commitment to their character. Second, they learned to adapt their behaviors to balance mission and people. Simultaneously they had to deny repeated enemy attempts at exploitation while taking care of their fellow POWs. Given these conditions, their lives were a 24/7 battle of grit and mental discipline to set the example and show us the way.

In this month’s 5-minute coaching clip, I give more examples and insight into these two attributes. Please watch, interact, and post comments as you watch –

(Video not playing? Watch it here.)

Battle for Your Character

Have you realized that we are all only a step away from dishonorable behavior? Have you intentionally  engaged in the battle to guard your own character? We frequently bring this issue up in our training materials, coaching, and presentations for three reasons –

We’re all human and therefore tempted to take shortcuts and pursue our interests at the expense of others.Bad character, as evidenced by widespread deceit and dishonesty, is undermining the foundations of our culture.When we violate character basics as leaders, our followers quickly lose trust.

Keep in mind that character issues are easy to spot in others but often myopically difficult to see in ourselves.

“If you’re not in the battle for your character and honor, you are or you’re about to be tumbling over the cliff to failure.” [Tweet This]

If you need more clarity on this character battle, please download our free Honor Code. You’ll see it’s a powerful  guide to stay on course and hold yourself accountable. Remember, good character is the foundation of leading by example.

Work to Gain a Leadership Balance

After more than 20 years of leadership development research and experience, we know that most people are naturally bent or tilted toward either results/mission/tasks or relationships/people. Today we use assessment tools like Leadership Behavior DNA to help leaders grow in this type of awareness. Thankfully, our great leaders in the POW camps had  learned through training and experience to adapt their behaviors to do both.

“While many leaders don’t have a POW experience to help shape their leadership, gaining leadership balance is the challenge that all leaders face.” [Tweet This]

Contrary to what others may recommend, you cannot focus solely on your strengths. Yes, they’re critical for your career/work performance success, but that’s only one side of the seesaw. When you step into any mantle of leadership—personal or professional—you must learn to manage your struggles sufficiently to be a good example on both sides of the balance of results/mission and relationships/people. If you fail to balance –

Achieving the mission Positively influencing your people

– you’re not setting a good example and you can never be seen as a great leader by your followers.

Here’s a quick test. Can you be tough, set clear standards and hold your people accountable in a timely way, while also giving them regular encouragement and positive feedback to let them know they are valuable, significant, and have great potential? Remember, you don’t need to re-invent yourself—in fact, you can’t. But you can learn to adapt your behaviors to the situation to be a good example of a balanced leader.

The Added Attributes of Courage and Commitment

Both character and leadership balance require courage and commitment. In the POW camps, Lt. Col. Risner and CDRs Stockdale and Denton showed the way for their followers.

I was fortunate to be a very young fighter-pilot who was greatly influenced by their example. Now that I’m an older warrior, I can also say that for most of us, gaining and keeping that balance will be a lifetime struggle. It requires swimming downstream with your best natural talents, and swimming upstream to adapt your behaviors in a few areas that are not natural. But that’s what great leaders do to be a great example and positively influence their people. Take the challenge and jump in the river; you can swim in both directions if you pause and flip the switch.

Finally, the senior leaders in the POW camps would also remind us that we can’t do it alone. Otherwise, it’s overwhelming and it doesn’t give others an opportunity to grow with you. Enlist the help of others with some positive accountability, and you’ll make some significant contributions to the cause of honorable leadership.

LE [Tweet This Article]

Assess Your Personal Leadership Balance

Every human is unique — and the best leaders know why this might be an advantage. Learn how embracing different talents and abilities, both our own and those of others, can lead to more effective leadership and success.

Grounded in statistical research and supported by data from millions of clients and more than 45 years of workplace experience, Lee Ellis and Hugh Massie reveal their personal stories and experience on how they’ve successfully helped organizations achieve their goals by applying practical insights on human design.

Purchase the Book

Additional discount available for bulk orders.

Purchase the Leadership Behavior DNA AssessmentPurchase Both Together and Save 20%!

“…There are few that have made significant strides on making ‘knowing yourself’ operational and real as Lee and Hugh have in this marvelous book. Reading this book is a compelling adventure. If you follow the path, you will change for the better!” – Richard Boyatzis, Co-author of the international best seller, Primal Leadership and the new Helping People Change

“This is the book that I have longed for during my decades in managing talent. Having seen the positive impact of DNA Behavior on my teams, this is a must-read for leaders who desire to build strong teams by accelerating natural talents in an authentic and lasting way.” – Belva White, CPA, MBA, Vice President for Finance & Treasury, Emory University

 

 

 

 

 

The post Coaching Article – What Does “Leaders Go First” Really Mean? Two Attributes appeared first on Leading With Honor®.

Outward Ego Strength – Where Do You Fall on This Scale?

In reflecting on my experience in coaching leaders and team, my conclusion is that the whole issue of outward ego strength could be put on a visual continuum.

This is a hypothetical question, so you don’t have to answer publicly. If the goal is to be a humble, balanced leader, where do you currently fall on this continuum? And how can you adjust where you want to be? Give it some thought and work on moving towards the center. 

Also, read the entire article on this topic – “9 Behaviors of a Narcissistic Leader”  

 

 

 

The post Outward Ego Strength – Where Do You Fall on This Scale? appeared first on Leading With Honor®.

Group Training – Leading Yourself and Leading Others

Time and again, successful outcomes in teams and organizations come from knowing how to lead yourself and lead others with honor. We created the Leading Group Training study to give any leader a self-guided, affordable option to grow your people.

Bulk savings available for groups – Purchase in the Online Store

 

 

The post Group Training – Leading Yourself and Leading Others appeared first on Leading With Honor®.

Today in Leadership History for January 31th

On this day in leadership history in 1982, Sandy Duncan gave her final performance as “Peter Pan” in Los Angeles, CA. She completed 956 performances without missing a show.

What’s the leadership lesson? Commitment. Resilience. Perseverance. Passion. Talent. Generosity. What other honorable leadership traits does her accomplishment come to mind with you?

Sandy Duncan – Wikipedia

 

 

 

 

 

The post Today in Leadership History for January 31th appeared first on Leading With Honor®.