Lee Ellis's Blog, page 253
December 25, 2016
Merry Christmas! On this Day in Leadership History for December 25, 2016
Merry Christmas from Lee Ellis and Leading with Honor! On this day in leadership history in 1939, “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens, was read on CBS radio for the first time.
What’s the leadership lesson? Don’t be a Bob Cratchit—lead with a generous heart, will, and attitude!
A Christmas Carol – Wikipedia
December 24, 2016
Merry Christmas! And Your Encouragement to Be Courageous Today…See Inside
[image error]Merry Christmas! And some encouragement to be courageous today – “leaning into the pain to do what you know is right even when it doesn’t feel natural or safe.”
Download a free copy of the Courage Challenge card today for inspiration…
December 23, 2016
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, December 23, 2016
“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” – Dale Evans
December 22, 2016
“The Sacrificial Benefit of Listening” – Lee Ellis – Leading with Honor Coaching
Great personal and professional advice from Lee Ellis in this clip on “The Gift of Listening”. We’re all going to be around a lot of people during holiday gatherings (not to mention work meetings, etc.), and one of the greatest gifts that you can give someone is simply to listen.
Please watch the clip and share your comments too – and thanks for listening!
December 21, 2016
Leadership Behavior and the Gift of Listening: A Practical How-To
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You may be feeling the pressure of the gift-giving season. How can you make your gift meaningful? What do you give the person who has everything? As you plan your giving, I have the perfect gift suggestion; it’s costly and valuable, but you don’t have to spend any money on it.
My Confession
Before I share the gift idea with you, it’s time for a year-end confession. I’m not naturally a good listener; I have several personality challenges that undermine this area for me. My natural Leadership Behavior DNA struggles include being impatient, taking charge too quickly, and at times I can be too confident in my own opinions—all of which threaten my ability to be a good listener.
A few years ago I made a commitment to become a better listener at home with my wife Mary because we had transitioned into being empty-nesters. It was quite a challenge for me, but today Mary would say that I’m a much better listener. It has greatly improved our communication and relationship. But listening is not just a gift for family relationships, it’s also the most powerful skill that leaders can master with their team members.
The Valuable Gift Revealed
You’ve likely figured out my gift recommendation—it’s the gift of listening.
“Listening is a powerful gift that enriches and blesses both the recipient and the giver.” [Tweet This]
Choosing to listen is easy when it’s obviously beneficial for us, but to focus and listen when it’s needed (and we don’t want to listen) requires great effort and sacrifice. It can even feel like suffering!
Over the past fifteen years, I’ve surveyed hundreds of leaders and managers asking them to identify the one key attribute of their greatest leader that made them such an exceptional leader (we ask them to exclude integrity and diligence, which are assumed pre-requisites). Can you guess the number one answer by a significant margin? “They listened to me.”
Whether it’s a leader naturally skewed towards relationships or results, successful, honorable leaders learn how to listen. Listening is strategically important for two reasons –
It provides clarity which is essential for good execution, accountability, and results.
It builds strong relationships and trust because it makes people feel respected, valued, and important—some of our deepest personal needs as human beings.
Musical Listening Tips
For our anniversary last year, I took Mary to New York City. It was a fabulous experience and was enriched when we were invited to a holiday party by client and friend Tom Fuller. At Tom’s party I struck up a conversation with a most interesting fellow named Harry Glantz, and we somehow got into the subject of listening.
Harry serves as the VP/HR for a company in New York, but he started his career as a professional trumpet player. In our short conversation Harry shared five music-related insights on listening that have served him in life and career. Listen closely, as they could be music to your ears too –
Multi-Task to Be a Good Listener. Good listening does take focus, but a good listener also has to multi-task. In an orchestra, it’s not good enough to play; you have to hear the music of others and blend with them. Listen to all of the moving parts to get the meaning of the conversation rather than just playing your notes.
Intonation—You Have to Play in Tune. An A note is pitched (tuned) at 440 Hz or it grinds on you. Think of some political leaders who are never on the same page in their conversations because they’re not listening to each other. Being in tune verbally is mastering not only what’s being said, but the tone so that you can respond with some degree of resonance.
Find the Rhythm. Listening is waiting for the right moment to contribute to the conversation. If everyone in the orchestra played whenever they felt like it, the sound would be confusing and irritating!
Be Creative in Your Response. Listening closely allows you to be more creative and relevant in the conversation. You’ll be smarter if you listen first, engage your brain, and then analyze your response smartly.
Practice Listening. Musicians practice for hours, and good listeners need practice too. One way to practice is “listening” in a wide variety of situations, even while reading emails. If you have a question in these scenarios, practice asking a clarifying question and then listen.
Generational Listening
Harry also pointed out the need for intergenerational listening. Millennials and younger generations have unique technology and cultural insights that older generations need to understand.
“Regardless of age or experience, listening must be reciprocal. We all need to listen, but unfortunately we still have a few leaders who are tone deaf.” [Tweet This]
They likely won’t hear this message, but let’s not be like them.
The gift of listening requires sacrificial humility, courage, commitment, and lots of practice. But if you make this effort, your suffering will be rewarded in better relationships and better outcomes at home and at work. Happy Holidays.
LE
Leadership Behavior DNA Services are Bringing Teams Together
Please watch this clip and Contact Us for more information. Based on more than 30 years of research and experience in developing leaders, we’d welcome the opportunity to help your leadership and team assessment and development.
December 20, 2016
Funny Pic – Leadership In Action
December 18, 2016
On This Day in Leadership History for December 18, 2016
[image error] On this day in leadership history in 2009, James Cameron’s movie “Avatar” was released in the United States. On January 26, the movie became the highest-grossing film worldwide. The development process began in 1994 before he saw it come to fruition on-screen. What’s the leadership lesson?
Steady progression towards your goal is the best way to see your goals come to fruition. Plan ahead and keep moving forward.
Avatar Movie – Wikipedia
December 17, 2016
Five Universally Applicable Leadership Lessons Learned from Military Medicine
It’s always wise to learn leadership growth tips from various industries. In this article, they share 5 #leadership tips learned from military medicine:
Always Have a Forward-Looking Objective.
Communicate Your Intent to Subordinates, and Trust Them to Handle Their Tasks.
Subordinates Must Know how to Follow; But They Can and Should Serve as Leaders When Appropriate, and You Should Cultivate That Initiative.
Growth Requires a Culture Genuinely Interested in Improvement.
Appropriate Leadership Styles Will Vary From Situation to Situation and From Person to Person.
Read the entire article, and share your comments – thank you
December 16, 2016
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, December 16, 2016
“Confrontation as a leader is both the right and kind thing to do—for either unacceptable performance or undesirable behavior.” – Lee Ellis
December 15, 2016
The Latest Recommendation from Lee’s Bookshelf – “25 Ways to Control Your Stage Fright–and Become a Highly Confident Speaker!”
[image error]The Latest Recommendation from Lee’s Bookshelf – “25 Ways to Control Your Stage Fright–and Become a Highly Confident Speaker!” by Bill Lampton.
Fear of giving speeches may have kept you from taking a leadership role in your work place, community, and civic organizations. To help you control your stage fright and speak with poise and persuasive power, veteran keynote speaker and speech coach Dr. Bill Lampton wrote this book, giving you 25 practical tips that have worked for his hundreds of clients.
If this issue is the one thing that is holding back from moving forward in leadership and success, conquer it!
Learn More on Amazon.com
