Lolly Daskal's Blog, page 80

7 Things Every Leader Needs to Quit Doing Immediately

Coaching as many leaders as I have, there are patterns that emerge—and there are times it’s apparent, from the perspective of an outsider, that certain actions are not going to lead to the desired results.

I consider it part of my job to help leaders avoid unnecessary struggle. It’s in that spirit that I present some things you need to quit doing immediately—not because I say so but because they will not serve you in the way you think they will.

If you’d rather learn these lessons the hard way, that’s your right. But for those who are open to advice from someone who’s witnessed a lot of leadership situations, good and bad, here’s the list of things you need to quit doing (or avoid starting):

Comparing your success to that of others. Your leadership will never be like anyone else’s, and your journey is all your own. You will likely be successful in ways other leaders aren’t and you will fail as others might not. The goal of your leadership should be to be the best leader you can be, and the only accurate way to measure your success is against your own ideals and self-awareness.

Running from your problems. If you can’t face your own problems head on, you can’t lead others in their own struggles. To be a great leader, you must first build understanding by struggling with your own problems and issues. That experience is what will ultimately shape you into the leader you were meant to become.

Trying to be popular. If you want to be popular, you cannot be a leader. If you want to be a leader, you have to be willing to do the hard work, have the difficult conversations and take the major risks that make it all but impossible to be popular. Leadership can be risky at times—be prepared.

Being indecisive about what you want. You can never leave where you are until you decide where you would rather be. Decisiveness is everything when it comes to being successful in leadership. Make a decision about what you want, then pursue it with passion and determination.

Pretending you have all the answers. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to know everything. The sooner you admit you don’t have all the answers, the quicker those around you will be willing to help you fill in the gaps.

Going it alone. Leadership can be lonely, but it doesn’t mean you have to lead alone. The best leaders surround themselves with people who hold them accountable for their actions and help strengthen their character. If you have a tendency to isolate yourself, make it a practice to connect with others who will support you.

Trying to be everything to everyone. One of the greatest challenges of leadership is wanting to always do more. But trying to be everything to everyone is impossible and will just burn you out. Don’t allow yourself to flounder in the weeds trying to meet everyone’s expectations. Instead, believe in yourself and in others, and help inspire people to work toward their own priorities.

Lead from within: There are many lessons to be learned in leadership. Whenever possible, try to avoid learning them the hard way and quit them before they stop you.

 

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 7 Things Every Leader Needs to Quit Doing Immediately appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

10 Ways to Make Sure People Love Working For You

If you want people to love working for you, it’s important that you keep them happy. Many studies and workplace reports show that employee happiness has a direct tie to the bottom line.

Happy people are more creative, innovative and dedicated than their unhappy counterparts. And they are more likely to be loyal and responsible and to stick around for a long time.

It’s the very definition of a win-win situation. And the best way to make it happen is to create an environment and culture that foster employee happiness. Here are some of the most important things you can do:

Make people feel important. When you create an environment in which people feel important, it becomes a place where they want to spend more time. When people know they matter and believe they are contributing in ways that make an impact, they want to stick around and follow the leader who makes them feel significant.

Let people know they’re being heard. It sounds simple enough, but it’s something many leaders don’t bother to do. People want to know someone is listening—really listening. Being heard means that when problems are uncovered, people work together and take action to fix the issues, and it’s an important part of happiness at work.

Deliver praise and appreciation often. Everyone wants to be appreciated and recognized for their efforts, but when things get frantic—as they often do—leaders too often forget the power of simple words like “thank you,” “I appreciate you,” and “I value the work you’re doing.” These simple phrases can be a game changer for how people feel about your leadership.

Make work fulfilling. Everyone wants their work to have a purpose. For people to feel good about the work they’re producing, they need to believe it’s part of something meaningful. It’s your job as their leader to make sure they know what that looks like. Allow people to see the inner workings of the organization from all angles and perspectives. When you do, they feel better connected and more committed to its mission. Success by itself doesn’t breed happiness—it’s the other way around.

Prioritize work-life balance. It is important that people understand you value them as a person. One powerful way to make that happen is to make work-life balance a clear priority. You may want to let people work from home on Fridays, provide discounted child or elder care, or find other incentives that improve people’s overall quality of life. Attention to work-life issues shows you care about your people—at work and away.

Encourage wellness. Encouraging people in wellness and health by supporting positive steps in areas like exercise, diet and meditation will create a lot of happiness. People often work too hard and for too many hours. As a result, they don’t feel well and may become unhappy. Encouraging wellness says you care the people on your team.

Engage in meaningful dialogue. It’s important to engage in meaningful conversations—not only about work but also about deeper issues and what’s going on in people’s lives. Meaningful dialogue connects people in profound ways, and more connected people are happier at work.

Refrain from micromanaging. Employees who feel trusted and supported, without being hovered over, are more relaxed and confident in the work  they do. When you’re tempted to micromanage, remember why you hired your team and trust them to make the right decisions without interference. Giving people the freedom to do their jobs as they think best will keep their confidence high, adding to the success of your organization.

Be accessible and available. If your door is always closed and your tone says “Do not disturb,” people will feel disconnected from the person whose thoughts, opinions and guidance they most need. People want to know that their leader is invested in them. When you are accessible and available, you send a clear message that people can count on you and you’ll be there for them.

Help them grow and develop. There’s no better way to show you care about your people and you’re serious about investing in them as individuals than to foster their personal and professional can growth and development. Your support and encouragement show that you believe in them, you recognize their potential and you want them to succeed as individuals.

Lead from within: If you want people to love working for you, show them the love they deserve and make them happy.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 10 Ways to Make Sure People Love Working For You appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

7 Habits of Weak Leaders (and How Not to Be One)

Just as positive habits create strong leaders, bad habits can and will create weak leaders.  Here are seven habits to be especially mindful of. If you’re practicing even one of them, start working immediately to replace it with a positive habit before your leadership weakens and suffers major damage.

Holding to a double standard. Weak leaders are in the habit of saying one thing and doing another. They believe it’s fine to set rules for others, but they hold themselves exempt. Consistency between word and deed is a major factor in successful leadership, and part of being a leader is knowing that people are watching you at every step and taking their cues from your behavior.

Lack of vision or strategy. Weak leaders have a habit of not thinking beyond the scope of today. They may deal with immediate issues and concerns, but overall they’re comfortable with the status quo. They’re the ones who say, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” This shortsightedness causes others to similarly focus on tasks instead of the visioning and strategic planning that will move the organization and its mission forward.

Poor communication. It’s impossible to be a strong leader with poor communication skills. If you can’t communicate, you can’t connect with others—much less provide engagement and transparency. The ability to speak, write and above all listen effectively is among the most important leadership skills.

Isolation. If you hold yourself inaccessible and unavailable, sitting in your office with the door closed, you send a clear message to others that you’re unwilling to engage. The message it sends isn’t one of leadership but of privilege and insecurity.

Failing to develop others. A weak leader focuses solely on getting the job done instead of using the job as a way to help their people develop new competencies and skills. It’s an ineffective leader who keeps their people playing small without investing in them, whether it’s through neglect or because they see others as a threat.

Resistance to improvement. Every great business is constantly growing and evolving. Leaders who resist change and improvement are arrogant or complacent—and sometimes both. They believe things are fine as they are and aren’t interested in moving to the next level or positioning for the future.

Lack of interest in inspiring others. The best leaders know how to energize people and inspire them to reach higher levels of performance and potential. Those who can’t are probably uninspired themselves, and it’s virtually impossible to build a great team with an uninspired leader.

Being a strong leader requires equal amounts of self-awareness, self-management and humility. Spend some time reflecting on any bad habits that may be limiting your leadership potential and resolve to take steps now to reverse them.

Lead from within: A single bad habit, left unchecked, can be enough for your leadership to weaken and fail.

 

 

#1  N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 7 Habits of Weak Leaders (and How Not to Be One)  appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

What Happens When Your Team Turns On You

 

As a leader, you want to think that your team would never turn on you, but it does happen—even to the most confident and competent of leaders. Maybe drama from another part of the organization has spread, or a charismatic team member has developed a grudge against your leadership, or you’ve inherited (or unwittingly created) a bad situation. Whatever the reason, it’s both discouraging and demoralizing when you find yourself with your team in mutiny—refusing to do what you ask, or going in their own direction, or excluding you from things you need to know and decide.

The way you respond in such a situation is critical. Here are the steps you can take to regain your team’s trust and commitment:

Acknowledge the problem. The first step can be the hardest—you have to get it out there. If you don’t address what’s happening, it will only get worse. Talk to your team as soon as possible. Be open, direct, and vulnerable. Opening up lines of honest communication is the first step in restoring your leadership.

Work to understand the source. Try to get the clearest and most complete understanding possible of what caused the problem in the first place. Ask questions of your team to get to the root of the issue. Even if it’s uncomfortable, you want to find the source of the breakdown.

Encourage people to express themselves. Allow people to air their grievances and let them speak their mind. With respect and without judgment, open up a space for expression. Tell people to come to you if they have a problem with you, then demonstrate your willingness to listen and deal with the issues. This foundation will help in solving the current problem and will also prevent recurrences.

Take ownership. This step may be difficult, especially if you honestly believe you haven’t done anything wrong, but if enough people are telling you there’s a problem with how you lead, communicate or work, you need to take ownership. As I always tell my clients: what you don’t own owns you. This step is a big one in reclaiming your leadership. One of the hallmarks of great leaders is the ability to take feedback as a gift and take ownership of their mishaps, so consider it a time of learning and growth rather than punishment.

Ask for help. This step is another one that may be difficult, because too many of us feel asking for help is a sign of weakness. But in fact the opposite is true: when you ask for help, you’re demonstrating that you have strength to find and use every possible resource to reach your goal.

Work on a solution. The biggest problems can have the best solutions. Work on solving the issue by addressing it head-on. Make a plan for implementing change and let people know they’ve been heard. The best leaders treat problems as opportunities to do things better the second time around.

Hire a coach. Connect with a coach or consultant who can help you navigate your way back to calmer waters. Working with a coach will show your team that you’re taking their feedback seriously, that you’re addressing your weaknesses and committed to doing better. It can also help you understand your leadership style and the disconnect with your team.

Lead from within: If your team turns against you, turn back toward them to help improve the situation for everyone.

 

N A T I O N A L  B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post What Happens When Your Team Turns On You appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Successfully Transition to a New Leadership Role

If you’re making the transition to a new leadership role, whether it’s in the same organization or somewhere new, it’s a challenging and important moment in your professional life. Your actions in the first few weeks of a new role can determine the success or failure of your tenure.

It’s an unfortunate truth that nearly half of leadership transitions fail. Studies show that anywhere between 27 and 46 percent of executive transitions are regarded as failures after two years.

What can you do to ensure that your transition is successful out of the gate and that you stay on the right side of that statistic? Here are some key points:

Don’t move too quickly. Leaders who have been successful in a previous leadership role sometimes make the mistake of wanting to change the culture and immediately fix everything that it isn’t working. You may think you need to move quickly to make things happen, but that’s far from what will make you successful. Instead, you must be deliberate and thoughtful about any changes you implement. Fast moves and new initiatives are likely to have a negative impact, which reflects badly on you. To be successful in transition, learn to move slowly.

Make sure you’re prepared. A recent study finds that as many as 83 percent of global leaders in a new role say they are unprepared. Leaders often think that what got them there is going to keep them there. But a leader in a new position has to prepare for transition by with the knowledge that they don’t know everything. They have to lead with an inquisitive mind to figure out what skills, learning or development they need, then go out and cultivate them. To be successful in transition, learn to assess.

Become an effective collaborator. As you’re developing new initiatives, consider it an opportunity to model a collaborative approach. Don’t hand down edicts but help your team take on sponsorship of the initiative. Lead them in strategizing, optimizing and working on integration with all the aspects of the business. Allow them to be the architects of the plan to make sure everyone can buy into the idea. Together you will go much farther than any leader can go alone. To be successful in transition, learn to share ownership.

Build a comprehensive view. Before you take any broad action, make sure you have a good sense of the five basic dimensions of leadership—the strategy and operation of the business or function, the corporate culture, the team, the leader themselves, and other stakeholders that need to be managed—and how they work together in the current context. For transformational change to be successful you need a leader who can fluently switch between the big picture and a more detailed view. To be successful in transition, know when to act.

Transitions are a great opportunity to build a foundation for long-term success—both your own and the organization’s—but they need to be carried out slowly and deliberately.

Lead from within: The most successful transitional leaders must first go inward before they can be effective leading outwardly.

 

N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The post How to Successfully Transition to a New Leadership Role  appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

12 Stupid Things to Stop Saying to Your Team Immediately

We all have our leadership blind spots, and sometimes even the most intelligent leaders say things that are—well, just stupid. And then they’re surprised when, predictably, they get the opposite effect of what they want.

Here are the 12 stupidest things you can say to your team, but they must be stopped immediately.

“Do it my way.” If you hire a group of talented individuals to use their skills and expertise to do a job, then tell them to do it exactly the way you would do it, you’re bound to alienate and disempower them.

“That will never happen.” Using the word never closes a door, and it makes you sound unprofessional and limited. Nothing is impossible—there are always opportunities and options.

“Do you know what I mean?” It’s always important to make sure you’re connecting with people and that everyone’s on the same page, but you need to find a way to do so that isn’t condescending and annoying.

“It’s none of your business.” Anything that pertains to the project or the team is everyone’s business.

“That was my idea.” If you’re caught up who gets credit, you’re not concentrating on what’s important. As a team, you do things together to accomplish great things. Focusing on individuals—especially yourself—is inappropriate on a team project where the goal is a collective accomplishment and result.

“You’re doing it wrong.” There are many ways to tell people they seem to be moving off track. It’s important to remember that people do things in different ways, so they may just be taking a different approach. If you think someone is in error, enter into a dialogue instead of making pronouncements.

“Before you say that, let me tell you . . . ” Why would you want to shut people down or tell them not to speak? Communication is key to great teamwork, and you want to encourage people to express themselves. Listen before you speak.

“I already knew that.” Even if it’s true, listen again. Maybe this time you’ll learn something new.

“Because I said so.” This phrase, the hallmark of halfhearted parenting, will make people roll their eyes and lose all respect for your leadership.

“You must have misunderstood.” Sometimes people do misunderstand, but it’s unprofessional and disrespectful to assume that a miscommunication was entirely the other person’s fault. You don’t want to make people feel they’re not smart enough to understand what you want from them.

“What’s in it for me?” This phrase shouldn’t even be in a leader’s vocabulary. What’s in it for us? is more like it. A team is a collective, and what happens to one happens to all.

“I’m the boss.” They know you’re the boss. And you wouldn’t have to remind them if you acted like their boss—by letting them do their job, empowering them, supporting them, and helping them develop.

Lead from within: We have all said stupid things without being aware of them. When you’re in a leadership position, it’s especially important to think before you speak.

 

 

#1  N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 12 Stupid Things to Stop Saying to Your Team Immediately appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

4 Mistakes Leaders Need to Avoid When Being Onboarded

Having coached many CEOs and senior executives through onboarding processes, I know how important the early days are—and how much can go wrong. Most of the serious missteps I’ve seen have happened because the person coming on wasn’t given all the information they needed to be successful.

When you come into a new role, you have a unique opportunity to showcase who you are as a leader. While you’re doing so, make sure you tread somewhat carefully until you’re able to figure out the things you’re not being told. Here are some tips for the balancing act of onboarding:

First, listen. It is a natural inclination to start a new position by showing how qualified you are. But remember, that’s not the most significant aspect of your leadership. Far more important is taking the time to listen before you take action. Ask questions and learn; there will be time for action, but the early days and weeks should be about taking it all in and getting a feel for the big picture by tapping into numerous perspectives.

Don’t rush the changes. We all want to leave our mark, and especially if you’ve seen evidence of problems it’s tempting to come in and start showing others how you can make things work better. Disruption is fine—it may even be part of what you were hired to do—but you have to start by giving the people you’re disrupting a chance to buy in to your leadership. Even if you feel you’re making a slow start, it will even out quickly once you have some momentum.

Keep it humble. Don’t feel that you need to show off all your accomplishments, experience, intelligence and capability right off the bat. Instead, demonstrate your humility and look to see where those around you shine. As an incoming leader you have only a small window to give a good first impression of your character, so use it wisely.

Keep communication open. One of the most important things you can do in your first days is to establish an open line of communication and let people know you are here to listen and support. Especially if you’re coming on after a crisis or a leadership failure within the organization, employees may have a low level of trust. Make it your responsibility to initiate conversations, to earn trust, and to establish a tone of transparency and frequent honest communication.

Onboarding is challenging, and sometimes it can leave you feeling that you’re surrounded by blind spots and opportunities for mistakes. But if you stay aware of the areas where mistakes are most likely to happen, if you make use of every opportunity to learn from others and stay focused on the people you’re serving, you can position yourself for long-term success in your new role and any future ones.

Lead from within: Onboarding in new position can be extremely difficult, but if you are aware of the most likely errors you can avoid those mistakes.

 

 

#1  N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 4 Mistakes Leaders Need to Avoid When Being Onboarded appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How To Make Your Last 90 Days At A Job As Meaningful As The First

We hear and read a lot about the first 90 days of a leader’s tenure—all the things you should and shouldn’t do.

We know those 90 days are important because they set the stage and determine people’s perceptions of their new leader. We know too that the best way to start a new leadership position is not to be reactive and immediately make massive changes but to take your time and focus on serving and empowering others.

The same is true for a leader who’s departing. The last 90 days are just as important as the first; how you leave is just as important as how you come in. Just as you wanted to make a good impression at the beginning, you want to leave with the respect and goodwill of your former colleagues.

It starts with thinking about your departure from your team’s point of view. Feeling left behind creates a reaction that can be surprisingly strong.

Here are some thoughts on easing the transition for those around you and securing a good legacy for yourself:

Keep lines of communication open. In stressful times, communicating with honesty, integrity and transparency is critically important. Keep the focus on the team, assigning new roles where you can and making sure systems are in good shape so things can function well without you. Remember that the first response of many on your team will be to wonder What will happen to me now? and make sure your actions, as well as your words, are reassuring.

Speed things up instead of slowing them down. Many leaders think of a transition as a time when things should slow down and decisions be delayed, but this is actually the perfect time to rev things up. Give people reason to stay engaged with their goals, to remember where they’re going and how they’re going to get there. Send a clear message that leaders are important but those who implement strategy and work toward attaining the goals are more important. Any organization’s greatest asset is the people who get the job done; leaders come and go, but the people who make it work are essential. Make sure you’re setting up the people you leave behind for success.

Prepare your team not for loss but for big gains. Satoru Iwata was a Japanese video game programmer and the fourth president and CEO of Nintendo. He is widely regarded as a major contributor in broadening the appeal of video games, and he led Nintendo through one of the most successful periods in its history. When he died, most people thought the company would go under. Instead, his employees honored their beloved leader by growing the company. Their shared goals were focused not on loss but on moving forward and working to keep his legacy alive.

It’s about empowerment, not ego. At the organizational level, your departure is not about you. Most people have only a superficial interest in why you’re leaving or what your departure means to you—they’re concerned primarily with their own feelings and a possibly uncertain future. But the best kind of leadership—in any season, not just during transitional times—happens when the leader focuses on empowering their team instead of personal issues. In the words of Lao Tzu, “A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”

As a coach of executive leaders around the world, I know that the last weeks a leader spends at an organization are incredibly important. If you want to leave those around you better than when you came, make sure your actions are focused on empowering them. When people feel their own inner power, in spite of the sadness and difficulty of a leader’s departure, they can still maintain the energy to move forward.

Lead from within: Whatever the stage in your relationship with your organization, give your best and be aware of the likely effects of your actions.

 

 

N A T I O N A L    B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The post How To Make Your Last 90 Days At A Job As Meaningful As The First appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

How to Overcome Your Biggest Leadership Fears

Something I’ve noticed in my work as a leadership coach is people’s surprise that even the top leaders in their field can be troubled by fears. People think once you make it to a certain level you have it all under control. But running a business and leading people are difficult, complex jobs, and leaders—like the rest of us—have their share of fears.

It’s not having fears that’s important—we all do, at least once in a while. It’s what you do with your biggest fears that makes a difference in your future. Here are some of the top fears I coach top leaders through. Do any of them sound familiar?

Not being smart enough. Many leaders are afraid of not being smart enough, knowledgeable enough, and competent enough. It’s a fear so common it has a name—imposter syndrome, the feeling that you’re not at all qualified to be doing what you’re doing and that you landed where you are through some oversight or mistake of the universe. Left unchecked, this is one of the most destructive fears to leadership. Learn to leverage your fear by tapping into your competences and capabilities so you can build the confidence you need to banish imposter syndrome.

Making a bad decision. Making decisions is a big part of leading, and it’s something you likely do daily if not hourly. It’s easy to lock up out of fear that you’re going to make a wrong choice and disaster will follow. But here’s the thing: you will make a wrong decision at some point. Every leader does. And the best way to overcome the fear is to remember that fact.

Taking risks. Every leadership role demands a significant amount of risk taking, which leads naturally enough to fear of failure. But a certain amount of risk is necessary for successful leadership—so allow yourself to feel the fear, then do it anyway.

Being ineffective. Every leader wants to be effective, and fear often takes the shape of concern that you’re not being as impactful or credible as you could be. The only way to overcome the fear of ineffectiveness is to make sure your character and values always lead the way. You can never go wrong when you lead from within.

Failing badly. The fear of failure is possibly the most pervasive among leaders. That’s why it’s  important to remember, is that failure not fatal. Often failure is the thing that causes you to look at things differently and improves your odds of success the second time around. Virtually every success includes some degree of failure.

Fears will always influence us and cause a certain amount of inner turmoil. It’s what we do with these fears that will make the difference.

Lead from within: As a leader, you gain strength, courage and confidence through every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face and work through it with dignity.

 

 

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

It’s Never Too Late to Learn These 12 Powerful Leadership Habits
My Best Advice for Leaders When Things Are Going Wrong
4 of the Most Important Skills of the Future
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
How to Increase Your Influence Using 5 Simple Words

 

Photo Credit: iStock Photo

The post How to Overcome Your Biggest Leadership Fears appeared first on Lolly Daskal.

10 Vital Traits to Look for In People You Hire

Generating value in any organization requires bringing together an amazing group of people around a worthy cause and compelling vision. Too many people look only to innovative technology or strong processes or new products. Those things have their role, but there is one thing successful companies have in common—it’s the people who are able to transform culture and reshape an organization.

That means it’s critically important that you hire the right people. Here are 10 traits that are a must:

They must embody emotional intelligence. Self-awareness and self-management are important skills; people with EI move the entire team forward, not just themselves.

They must have a growth mindset. Every hire needs to believe that with effort, perseverance and drive they can develop their natural qualities. People with that mindset are open to learning, feedback and becoming more productive and effective. They know they can overcome obstacles and learn from experience, and they’re willing to keep trying until they reach their goals.

 

They must have relentless drive. A great hire should have experience, but what’s more important is finding someone who’s self-motivated and tenacious. The best hires are looking for a combination of growth opportunities, responsibility, autonomy and a chance to prove their worth.

They must have a positive attitude. Being able to look on the bright side is a valuable asset in any new hire. A positive outlook often signifies a resilience and fortitude that can benefit your organization. Negativity has no place in a success-oriented environment.

They must be lifelong learners. Hire smart individuals who are open to learning and the constant pursuit of knowledge—personal or professional. These people enhance social inclusion and active citizenship within the workplace culture, and it encourages others to pursue their own development.

 

They must be agile and flexible. Don’t settle for someone who is satisfied with getting it “just about right.” Hire the person who is prepared to change course in the face of unexpected events, the person who will lean in to a situation and learn and fail and learn some more as they go. You want the person who sees value in making progress, learning from execution and delivering results.

They must value teamwork. Someone who prides themselves on how well they work on their own might not be the right candidate. You want someone who is primarily a team player. Team-oriented individuals know how to contribute to a group’s collective energy and creativity, and they understand that teams can get more done in less time than solo practitioners.

They are natural problem solvers. Solving problems is at the center of what many people do at work. Whether there is a problem to be solved internally or externally, knowing how to discover new solutions can be a valuable skill in a new hire. Those who are great problem solvers—who can find a path where everyone wins—can handle even the toughest situations in a wise and positive way.

They must have character. You can hire someone with incredible talent and experience, but none of it will matter if they don’t have character. Nothing great can be accomplished without integrity and authenticity. Find people of integrity who can be forthright about who they are.

They must draw their motivation from something bigger than themselves. Those who are intrinsically motivated by something that is bigger and more meaningful than themselves will eventually succeed. Hire someone who is committed to your mission. Purpose precedes process every time.

You can always teach skills and develop traits, but the core elements can’t be taught or faked. Hire the right people, then teach them what they need to know to be successful.

Lead from within: Make sure you hire people with the traits you want to define your team and organization.

 

#1 N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R


The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

buy now

 

Additional Reading you might enjoy:

12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
How to Succeed as A New Leader
12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
The Deception Trap of Leadership

 

Photo Credit: iStockPhotos

The post 10 Vital Traits to Look for In People You Hire appeared first on Lolly Daskal.