Lee Ellis's Blog, page 155
January 31, 2020
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, January 31, 2020
“I have trouble imagining what I could do that’s beyond the practicality of what I can do.” – David Byrne
The post Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, January 31, 2020 appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
January 30, 2020
Dee Ann Turner, former Chick-Fil-A VP, Endorses ‘Leadership Behavior DNA’
We’re so grateful for these kind words about the new book, Leadership Behavior DNA, from Dee Ann Turner, Former Vice President, Talent and Vice President, Sustainability (Retired), Chick-Fil-A; and Coach at Dee Ann Turner LLC.
Please watch below and purchase your copy.
The post Dee Ann Turner, former Chick-Fil-A VP, Endorses ‘Leadership Behavior DNA’ appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
January 28, 2020
New Podcast Interview – Money Matters Top Tips
Lee was recently on the “Money Matters Top Tips” podcast with Adam Torres talking about the best ways to manage differences between people.
Please listen on their podcast page, and see what he had to say. Then add your comments below – thank you!
The post New Podcast Interview – Money Matters Top Tips appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
January 27, 2020
3 Leadership Goal-Setting Behaviors for 2020
If you’re feeling some anxiety or struggle about goals for the New Year, here’s my advice for relieving that pressure: fail fast and avoid the drama. Just avoid making goals altogether. Seriously, you say?
I remember my parents’ generation making New Year’s resolutions, but they rarely stuck to them for a full year. Today, I believe that’s why making resolutions is less trendy because people realize how hard they are to keep.
The concept of stretch goals for personal and professional growth can be inspiring and hopeful, but the reality is that they’re very difficult because it requires us to do something different, to break old habits, and adopt new behaviors. Reprogramming our brain is counter to human nature, which likes to follow the old paths. Creating goals requires some measure of worthy sacrifice.
Sacrificial Decisions
Think of a time in your life when you made a worthy sacrifice. The arrival of a new baby in a family is a great example. Babies inconvenience everyone around them, and yet couples quickly make drastic changes in their mindset and behaviors. This type of sacrifice is obviously a willing investment with a valuable payoff!
“Just thinking of the word sacrifice can be painful, but if the goal is strong enough, then it’s worth it.” [Tweet This]
Ironically for worthy goals, giving up an old mindset or behavior can actually lighten the load mentally, emotionally, and physically! And in our training and coaching using the Leadership Behavior DNA Discovery Process, we pinpoint specific ways to lead yourself and others based on your unique strengths and struggles.
The Elevator Isn’t Working
Years after my mom’s passing, she is still a legendary schoolteacher and leadership example in the community where I grew up. One of her students made her a sign that hung on a wall in her class and ultimately in our home. It said* –
“The elevator to success is not working. You’ll have to take the stairs.” [Tweet This]
That sign made a great point, and seeing it often sealed in my mind the principle that success is usually a series of steps that require diligent, hard work for any profession. Michael Jordan would shoot baskets for hours. Pro golfers typically hit hundreds of balls a day. Business owners and senior leaders typically work long hours to cover all their responsibilities. In all of these examples, the sacrifice was ultimately worth the cost because these leaders passionately believed in their goals.
3 Helpful Goal-Setting Tips
Here are three tips that will help us achieve our goals this year –
Remember how you have sacrificed in the past and the reward that came from your suffering.
As a Vietnam POW, when you have eaten nothing but a bowl of thin soup and a piece of bread or cup of rice twice a day for weeks, months, years, you know you can eat almost anything and survive well on a lot less than the typical American diet. What seemed like sacrifice became the accepted way of life because it was the only way to achieve our goals. You also have examples where you’ve paid the price—reflect on them.
Use determination and discipline to overcome your fears.
When you sacrifice (and even suffer) to achieve an important goal, it’s fear that you have to combat. As a writer, I have to fight off the “fear of failure” voices in my head telling me “this is no good” and “who would read this?” We must fight back, knowing that once we kick fear out of the way, we’ll find that sacrifice helps us reach beyond ourselves and find success. Lean into the pain of your doubts and fears and do what’s needed to achieve your worthy goal.
Make your goal public and enlist a support team to encourage you along the way.
The wisdom of the ages is that you should never fight alone. In the POW camps, we would risk our lives to reach out to isolated teammates. Victory is usually a team effort and especially when you’re fighting discouragement. Who will encourage and support you when things get tough, and help you stay the course?
What’s your decision?
Are you willing to sacrifice this year to grow, change, achieve, and reach a higher level? Please respond and make your commitment public right here.
LE
The New Primer for Managing Differences on Your Team
“Leadership Behavior DNA: Discovering Natural Talents and Managing Differences” was co-authored by DNA Behavior’s Hugh Massie and Lee Ellis. No matter your leadership style, this book is for you. Learning to recognize and better manage #differences is the key to building a winning culture and improved productivity.
Instead of another leadership or #management tome, Hugh and Lee’s book is grounded in statistical research + data from millions of clients and more than 45 years of workplace experience.
Purchase online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, other popular retailers
The post 3 Leadership Goal-Setting Behaviors for 2020 appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
Book Review on ‘Leadership Behavior DNA’
Thank you, Reader Views, for these exceptional comments about Leadership Behavior DNA –
“The authors [of Leadership Behavior DNA] have done a fantastic job of taking a complex topic and making it readily understandable. I felt like I was being gifted with an expensive leadership course. The sooner that this knowledge is accessed and assimilated, the better it will be for the business world!”
Read the entire review on their website and get your copy here!
The post Book Review on ‘Leadership Behavior DNA’ appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
January 26, 2020
On This Day in Leadership History, January 26th
On this day in leadership history in 1784 in a letter to his daughter, Benjamin Franklin expressed unhappiness over the eagle as the symbol of America. He wanted the symbol to be the turkey.
What’s the leadership lesson? Honorable leaders don’t always have the best perspective—be sure and get input and help from others.
Great Seal of the United States – Wikipedia
The post On This Day in Leadership History, January 26th appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
January 23, 2020
Rick Franza: “Caught stealing – a lesson in ethics”
We’re grateful for our colleague and Dean of the Hull College of Business at Augusta University, Dr Rick Franza, as he teaches future leaders on business ethics.
Check out his bold article in Bluffton Today.
Lee will be with providing this year’s speech at the Russell A. Blanchard Distinguished Lecture Series. The event will be held Jan. 30 in the ballroom of the Jaguar Student Activities Center on the Summerville Campus at 6 p.m. The speaker will be retired United States Air Force Col. Lee Ellis, whose lecture, “Leading with Honor,” will focus on how lessons he learned as a prisoner of war in Vietnam – where he was held in the “Hanoi Hilton” along with John McCain and others – can be applied for business leaders today.
Admission is free and no registration is required, but arrive early. This event usually draws a full house.
The post Rick Franza: “Caught stealing – a lesson in ethics” appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
January 22, 2020
The Latest Recommendation from Lee’s Bookshelf – “Lessons in Leadership”
The Latest Recommendation from Lee’s Bookshelf – “Lessons in Leadership: A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible”
Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, this book contains character-filled lessons that all leaders must have to truly succeed in their respective endeavors. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks mines the weekly Torah portions for insights into the nature of power, authority, and leadership. Based on the understanding that no man is born a leader, the book explores the principles, and perils, of becoming one.
Please read more and purchase on on the author’s website.
If you’ve read this book, please post your comments and insights – thank you
The post The Latest Recommendation from Lee’s Bookshelf – “Lessons in Leadership” appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
7 Harsh Truths That Will Improve Your Leadership Skills Overnight
People leave managers, not companies. We’ve known this for a while and yet we can’t seem to solve the leadership crisis that will result in happy, engaged, and motivated workers. This inc.com article gives seven brutal truths about leadership:
The brutal truth that good leaders will first pump the fear out of the room.
The brutal truth that good leadership doesn’t happen without trust.
The brutal truth that good leaders are willing to listen to feedback.
The brutal truth that good leaders are positive, even when things go bad.
The brutal truth that good leaders rarely, if ever, procrastinate.
The brutal truth that good leaders put strict boundaries on themselves.
The brutal truth that leadership, in the end, is really about love.
Read the entire Inc.com article – “7 Harsh Truths That Will Improve Your Leadership Skills Overnight”
Do you agree?
The post 7 Harsh Truths That Will Improve Your Leadership Skills Overnight appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
You’re Invited – Free Webinar with Lee Ellis and Hugh Massie
You’re invited to join Lee Ellis and Hugh Massie for an upcoming, free webinar on January 28th @ 11am ET entitled “The Competitive Advantage of Managing Behavioral Differences” – An Interactive Interview
You may have some awareness of the unique differences in people, but do you know how to harness and manage these differences to create a dynamic “people culture?” With the launch of the new book, ‘Leadership Behavior DNA’, we’re excited to share our combined 45 years of real-world examples and workplace experience helping millions of clients understand themselves and their teams.
Click to Register. After the event, you’ll receive a recording in case you are unable to attend for any reason.
The post You’re Invited – Free Webinar with Lee Ellis and Hugh Massie appeared first on Leading With Honor®.
