Lee Ellis's Blog, page 221

The Latest Monthly Coaching Video – See Inside

Leading with Honor just released the latest Coaching Video from Lee Ellis on the topic, “The Two-Pronged Strategy of Connecting in Leadership”.

Want to watch it instantly and get the next one in your email inbox? Register free at this link, please share – thank you

 

 

 

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Stuart Levine Says, “Embrace Change Or Get Left Behind”

Embrace change or get left behind? Why such an emphatic statement from author and consultant, Stuart Levine?

He says, “Rethinking opportunity and change were repeating themes running through many events I have attended in the last quarter. AI (artificial intelligence) and ESG’s (Environment, Social and Governance) impact on corporations are at the center of people’s minds. Executive teams are concerned about how AI will impact business strategies and how leaders will be able to respond to the seismic changes coming.”

Where does all of this fit with you as an honorable leader? Please read his article on Forbes.com and share your comments – thank you

 

 

 

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How Unique Behaviors Work Together: 3 Surprising Leadership Observations

By Lee Ellis

Almost twenty-five years in the Air Force serving my country—what a wonderful first career experience I had. There were many things that I enjoyed about the military such as the joy of flying, but over the long haul it’s the close camaraderie with my military teammates that I miss the most. If you’ve had a similar experience, then you understand the close bonds that are often forged when meeting challenging goals. Specifically during my Vietnam POW experience, the hardships that my comrades and I endured created a strong bond of brotherhood that endures to this day.

Regardless of my work, I still have a longing for that type of connection. These insights came to mind when I experienced a camaraderie “booster shot” on two consulting occasions.

Two Examples of Camaraderie

It began with two days in San Antonio, Texas at an air base where I had served in both command and staff roles. Good memories of past work and teams waft strong when I visit historic Randolph Air Force Base. I was welcomed back into the fold by another generation of warriors closely bound by shared mission and values, and it was an uplifting experience in more ways than I can count.

Then later that week, I flew to France where I experienced that same bond while training a team with the Leadership Behavior DNA leadership development and team-building program for an international food distribution company.  Knowing this was a diverse global team, I had anticipated potential problems in their communications and willingness to be vulnerable with each other. When I joined them for dinner on the first evening though, I had quite a surprise. Let me explain.

There were 35 attendees representing 9 nationalities from 12 countries around the world. Many of these executives are working outside their native country or language, so clearly they had many differences. Yet the thing that stood out most about their time together was their cohesion and camaraderie. It was clear that they trusted each other.  During the long day of work, it was all business with excellent discussions and healthy conflict. As we gathered in the evenings for social time though, it was clear that the group really cared a lot about each other. Some were clearly more outgoing than others, but every person engaged in their own way. The gathering came alive with fun, laughter, teasing, and the joy of being together.

The Hallmarks of Camaraderie

These positive feelings took me back to the days when I had experienced this type of camaraderie in the military. We were diligently competitive and gave each other straightforward feedback in mission debriefs. To an outsider, it might appear that we were hard on each other, but we were actually very close. Our bonds of friendship and trust were strong, and we enjoyed socializing, having fun just hanging out and talking about our work and sharing our lives together.

Reflecting back over the years, I’ve noticed that camaraderie is usually present in high-performing teams that endure over a long period of time. [Tweet This]

What are some of the hallmarks that we can learn from such teams?

Time – They have taken the time and energy to build understanding, acceptance, and respect so that individuals feel connected and secure.
Results – Because they feel belonging, team members don’t want to let the others down so they strive for excellence in accomplishing the mission (getting results).
Communication – Healthier teams have more frequent and more effective communications. They pick up the phone and call each other to quickly solve problems.
Team Focus – Healthy teams focus on team results and not just individual effort. Team members help each other succeed and hold each other accountable.

Leadership Steps to Camaraderie

We’ve been talking about the team, but it all starts with the leader. To have this kind of positive energy flowing from human connections, the leader must take the lead. Here are some important steps to help a leader to build camaraderie –

Clarify the culture and set the climate. Alignment built around mission, vision, and values is crucial, as is your commitment to be both leader and member of the team. [Tweet This]
Create opportunities and expectations for people to build bonds. Social time outside of work is clearly the best way to get to know each other.
Connect with each person. Regardless of whether the leader is an introvert or an extrovert, he or she has to engage by connecting with each person making them feel important and welcome. Learning the “unique design” of yourself and your team members helps you understand the nuances of each person and how to relate to them. Above all, make your connections confident yet humble and vulnerable as possible.

I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to join this diverse group. They reminded me of the importance of camaraderie.  I came away refreshed and inspired.  And oh, by the way, lest you think I stumbled into a social event veiled as a business meeting, they all had completed the Leadership Behavior DNA assessment prior to the meeting and the majority of them came out with scores in the Reserved Trait (versus Outgoing Trait) making the point about camaraderie even stronger.

What has been your experience on teams with and without camaraderie?  If you are a leader, what are you doing to promote this powerful bond among your people? Please share your thoughts and comments.  

LE

Break Through – Assess Your Unique Natural Behaviors

[image error]Knowing your natural leadership behaviors of your team is the smart way to lead. With this valuable information, unity, productivity, and performance increase dramatically giving you the strategic edge in the marketplace.

Learn More about Leadership Behavior DNA and Contact Us for customized proposal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Look Back: Christmas in the POW Camps and Perspective During Challenging Moments

One of Lee’s more popular posts has been his description of Christmas in the POW camps of Vietnam. In such dire, challenging circumstances, how do you muster the will and courage to celebrate?

Lee shares in this archive blog article – please read and share

 

 

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On This Day in Leadership History, December 17th

On this day in leadership history in 1791, a traffic regulation in New York City established the first street to go “One Way.” Horses and buggies had to change their route in getting to their destination.

What’s the leadership lesson? As a leader, keep the list of work and operational rules to a minimum; but if you must create a rule, explain the larger purpose so that everyone can support it wholeheartedly.

One-Way Traffic – Wikipedia

 

 

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When Fear Hits – What Do You Do?

Recently, Lee was featured in the CLA blog discussing the topic of “When Fear Hits” – You’re in the midst of a leadership situation or challenge that instills fear. What do you do? In the animal kingdom, fear produces a “fight or flight” response, and it’s true with people, too. But honorable leaders see fear coming and know how to handle it, right?

Please read the article on the CLA website and share your experience too – we love hearing from our friends and followers

 

 

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Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, December 15, 2017

“Listening is a powerful gift that enriches and blesses both the recipient and the giver.” – Lee Ellis

 

 

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Two Ways to Connect More Deeply with Other People

Want two ways to connect more deeply with other people, either personally or professionally? Follow this advice from Lee Ellis:

Connect Based on Unique Design = Learn to connect with each person based on his or her individual, unique design. More specifically, it requires communicating and managing people differently based on their natural DNA behaviors, and it gets tangible results if you can master it. Some people are extroverts, and some are highly reserved. Some people are very commanding, and some are more compliant. Some people are highly organized, and some are very spontaneous. Seek to understand each person uniquely and adjust your approach accordingly.
Connect with the Heart = Typical heart-connecting actions include listening, supporting, encouraging, believing in, and almost any action to connect to the deepest needs of another person in a positive, respectful, and honoring way. Why does it work? Every human being has deep desires to be valued, heard, seen, respected, trusted, feel important, feel as though they are contributing to something important, and believe they’re doing something that has purpose and meaning.

What other successful ways do you connect with others? Please share in the comments section – thank you

Read the entire article on this topic – The Two-Pronged Strategy of Connecting in Leadership 

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Feature Article – “A Novice’s Journey: Will I Improve Upon the Silence?”

Our lives run at a fast pace, and the holidays increase the pace even faster. Pat Falotico, CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, shares her experience and expertise on the skill of listening and learning to listen better as a leader.

Please take a moment and read the article and share your comments too – thank you

 

 

 

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What’s Your Leadership Tilt During the Holidays?

Are you feeling the struggle yet? Either to stay personally productive during the holidays or inspire your team to stay on task? At some point, I believe that we all face this challenge!

Make sure that your leadership tilt is balanced between results and relationships—check out the free infographic “Find and Balance Your Leadership Tilt” with our compliments, and share your comments here too –

 

 

 

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