Lee Ellis's Blog, page 259
October 20, 2016
The Latest Recommendation from Lee’s Bookshelf – “The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough
The Latest Recommendation from Lee’s Bookshelf – “The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough. Who were these men and how was it that they achieved what they did? Far more than a couple of unschooled Dayton bicycle mechanics who happened to hit on success, they were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity, much of which they attributed to their upbringing. The house they lived in had no electricity or indoor plumbing, but there were books aplenty, supplied mainly by their preacher father, and they never stopped reading.
Read More in this Good Reads Review.
If you’ve read this book, please share your comments – thank you!
October 18, 2016
Why Developing Your Next Generation Leaders is Critical: The Training Plan
With the Fall season in full swing, this is a natural time to reflect on this year’s accomplishments and how we as leaders can continue to grow our teams and organizations into the new year. So, let’s pause to think how to nurture and mature your next crop of leaders.
Passing the Mantle
When speaking about my POW experience and the lessons learned there, a common question from the audience is how we chose our leaders in that situation. That’s a great question because the burden of leading in that cauldron was often painful, always unpredictable, and not a position that most people would want. Fortunately we didn’t have to compete or debate about who would take command; in remote situations like this, it’s clear military policy that the senior person (based on rank and date of promotion) takes charge and everyone else follows.
“In normal conditions, the military is constantly training and grooming every person for higher leadership responsibilities to pass the mantle on to the next well-equipped leader.” [Tweet This]
The heavy turnover from reassignment, separations, and mandatory retirement at the twenty- to thirty-year window makes succession planning a vital part of normal military planning and operations.
But many organizations don’t see a pressing need, and many don’t have a system in place for developing and evaluating leaders. Do you have a vision for developing leaders? Do you see the need and are you willing to invest the time and energy in this process?
The Benefits of Nurturing Young Leaders
Developing leaders does take time and money, but it also has great short term benefits such as –
Having a built-in system for instilling the values and leadership principles that are important to you.
Building relationships in classes to enhance functional collaboration and break down silos.
Gaining better trained leaders at every level.
Creating higher morale and better retention among top performers.
Long term benefits are even more strategic because research shows that hiring from within is the way to go especially at higher levels. Developing your own pool of leaders from which to choose managers, directors and executives reduces your risks in several ways –
You’re maximizing “the known” and minimizing the “unknown” of hiring.
You know these folks and have seen them perform under stress.
They already know you and their working environment.
Ministry values and expectations
Ministry history
Members, donors, and community
Granted, there are times when you may need to bring in an outsider to stir the pot or tap into a resource you don’t have on board. But when you do, the risks go up.
A Quality Hiring Focus
Hiring is one of the most difficult challenges that leaders face.
“If you search the web, you’ll see that the estimates for the cost of a bad hire run from 30% of the individual’s salary to three times their annual salary.” [Tweet This]
In some cases, it could be much more when you consider the energy lost to leadership teams and the opportunity loss of not having the right person on board.
Over the past fifteen years, I’ve been fortunate to work with some great organizations. The best ones usually put considerable effort and resources into developing their next generation of leaders at every level from first line supervisor to the executive level. Frequently, they’ll use a behavioral assessment like Leadership Behavior DNA for hiring and/or development training purposes. Getting an accurate leadership baseline on these team members is invaluable.
What about your organization? Do you have a focus on growing your on leaders? What programs and processes do you have in place to make this happen? If so how will you evaluate it and if not, who will help you build and grow it? Remember, you must be diligent in planting and cultivating if you want a good harvest. When it comes to developing leaders, any season is a good time to think about planting.
LE
New Report Enhancements – Check Out the UpdatesWe’re excited to announce the following enhancements and updates that were made this month on these Leadership Behavior DNA Report Services. This is the first major report update since the report’s 2014 release, and it includes many new enhancements listed below. Specific updates include:
Improved and simplified graphics for factor and traits.
More detail and explanation on DNA Traits.
Clarified development list for creating better results vs relationships balance.
More in-depth instructions on how to apply the results of the assessment.
Minor text and formatting updates.
Download a copy to review.
Contact Us for a personalized quote on LBDNA Report and Training Services.
Who said that leadership can’t be fun? Cute Video Clip
Who said that leadership can’t be fun? You can’t be too young to learn a leadership lesson, and it naturally occurs in the animal kingdom, too! Any lessons to be learned here? Please share your comments –
October 17, 2016
Leadership-Packed Launch Package with 10 Resources! Check It Out
With every purchase of Engage with Honor from our Online Store, you get this packed “Leadership Launch Package” that includes –
Free Leading with Honor 1-Page Mini Report; Discussion Guide for Groups; 6 Coaching Videos by Lee Ellis; 10 Video Clips Explaining each chapter; A Case Study on Balancing Results and Relationships; A copy of The Honor Code to Share with Your Team and Colleagues; The Courage Challenge Card – A Tool for Maximum Employee Engagement; Free Monthly Leading with Honor Coaching sent to your inbox; and Special Discounts on Leading with Honor Live Training for your team or organization.
Check it out and enjoy with our compliments!
October 16, 2016
On This Day in Leadership History for October 16, 2016
On this day in leadership history in 1990, Comedian Steve Martin and his wife Victoria Tennant visited U.S. soldiers in Saudi Arabia. What’s the leadership lesson? Find one way this week to help or encourage someone else with your natural gifts and abilities. It’s the generous thing to do!
Steve Martin – Wikipedia
October 15, 2016
The Skills That Business Employees Must Have from Military Culture
Great interview article with Angie Hicks, Co-Founder And Chief Marketing Officer Of Angie’s List. It’s another example of how military skills are being integrated into business culture.
Please check it out and share your thoughts too – thank you
Angie Hicks, Co-Founder And Chief Marketing Officer Of Angie’s List
October 14, 2016
Leading with Honor Wisdom for Today, October 14, 2016
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – The Apostle John
October 13, 2016
Developing a Collaborative Mindset – 5 Reasons to Do It Right Now
Courageous collaboration is anchored in the fact that people want to succeed. They want to be a part of something larger than themselves, they want to be valued, and they want to count for something. When the collaborative leader assumes goodwill, treats others with dignity and respect, and believes in them, they will be inspired to respond with their best.
Here are 5 proven results that collaboration will produce – see if you agree:
Facilitates alignment. When individual talents are aligned and working in concert, there’s a unity of effort that brings synergy and astonishing levels of execution. Picture the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels demonstration teams or a perfect performance by the Radio City Rockettes.
Promotes three-dimensional, 360 degree leadership and performance. When leaders collaborate with their peers, it frees their direct reports to collaborate at their peer level, breaking down silos and working more efficiently and effectively.
Gets better results. If you look at high-performing organizations, you’ll find alignment, good communications, and leaders that trust their people to execute the mission.
Builds teamwork and develops people. Collaboration builds trust. The better you know each person, the more effectively you can work with them or lead them. More understanding means more trust which means stronger teams that are growing as they learn from each other.
Helps minimize risks. In the POW camps our covert communications depended on collaboration. While I was the lead communicator in my cell, I was totally dependent on my cellmates and the guys next door to “clear” for me. Their eyes and ears and danger signals made it possible for me to do my job. Likewise, working together as a team reduces risk in every workplace. Think about the operating room in a hospital. If the team of doctors, nurses, and support specialists don’t collaborate, the risk for tragedy and malpractice suits is high.
Please share your wisdom and comments below. Also, read the entire article on this topic.
October 12, 2016
Join Thousands Who Have Used the Leadership Freedom Checklist – See Inside
Leadership freedom is about knowing yourself and being authentic—shedding away layers of protection that keep you from growing. The checklist infographic below has been downloaded by thousands of people wanting to assess where they are in being an honorable leader. See where you stand, and please share your comments –
Download a copy on SlideShare
October 11, 2016
Bi-Partisan Voter Evaluation Guide – Download Your Free Copy
We’re less than a month away from Super Tuesday Election Day in November. What are the most important criteria for choosing your local and national public leaders?
Lee Ellis offers a bi-partisan ‘Leading with Honor Voter Evaluation Guide’ to help you vote with honor!
Download your complimentary copy, and please share with others – thank you
