Susan Scott's Blog, page 100

Effective Leaders are Consistent

When discussing how to be an effective leader, it’s not uncommon to use buzz words like trust and authenticity. Yet, what does it truly mean to be a leader who, day in and day out, cultivates relationships that are actually trusting and authentic?

When I reflect on the leaders who I have worked with, where the relationship is genuine and has a strong foundation built on trust, the common denominator is that the leader is consistent in their behavior and in turn, so am I.

These leaders set themselves apart because they acknowledge that being a a leader is hard. They handle the pressure of leadership by being consistently thoughtful, agile, and quick on their feet, while having an awareness of their emotional wake. In clutch situations their employees don’t “walk on egg shells” or wonder what outburst might happen next.

They also make time for their employees. Schedules are busy, we know! However, there is tremendous value in being consistent in how often you communicate with those that report to you. In our coaching module, we explore the idea of meeting regularly with those you lead. This is a time for your employee to talk, start the meeting by asking them: What is the most important thing we should be discussing today?

Being aware of your emotional wake, asking questions, checking in often – these are all areas, as a leader you can be consistent, and in turn build stronger relationships.

As a leader, where are you consistent?

Fierce Tip of the Week: Are You Faking It?

The idea of authenticity may seem like a squishy one. It’s such a subjective concept, and yet there is something within all of us that respects and responds to those who are real with us.

This week’s Fierce Tip encourages you to look at the conversations you are having where you may be faking it. Then look at the type of relationship you have with those people and ask yourself: Is this what I want with this relationship?

If the answer is no, take this opportunity and begin to change that. At Fierce we believe the conversation is the relationship, so if you want a more authentic relationship, you need to start by having more authentic conversations.

The people in your less genuine relationships might not know what to make of your new behavior. They might not even like it, and that is okay. All you can control in this situation is you.

Fierce Resources: 8 Things Bosses Say That Make Workers Happy

This week’s Fierce Resource was published yesterday on the Business News Daily website. The article features Fierce CEO & President, Halley Bock.

8 Things Bosses Say That Make Workers Happy, explores the importance of how leaders communicate with their employees and how what they say impacts the moral, engagement, and happiness of their workers.

“Employees want to know what is going on, and organizations need to clearly communicate with workers before final milestones hit.”

To read the full article, click here.

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3 Tips to Be a Leader Who Shares Success

Think about a leader in your life who people deeply commit their time, talents, and hearts to.

I’m talking about the kind of leader who draws out the greatness in others – even when people do not believe in their own greatness. This kind of leader thrives on creating an environment where people are all in.

In Pour Your Heart Into It, Howard Schultz says, “Success is empty if you arrive at the finish line alone. The best reward is to get there surrounded by winners. The more winners you bring with you – whether they are employees, customers, share-holders, or supporters – the more gratifying the victory.”

How do you become the leader who shares the wins?

Here are three tips to consider:

1. Give credit where credit is due. This is absolutely critical. If you do not give credit, there is no way that you will be the leader that people follow into the toughest challenges. There is nothing worse than putting your all into a project, and then the leader taking the accolades. Be a leader who highlights the accomplishments of others and openly shares how their wins impact the larger picture. Be specific.



2. Get out of their way. Once you have set clear expectations of what is needed, give your team the space to problem solve and not feel suffocated. This is where true ownership is built. When people brainstorm and act on their own plans, there is more pride in the work. Be cautious here though. It is important to be there if they need you. Let it be on their terms.

3. Encourage people to follow their instincts. This is where drawing greatness out of others lies. You need the people on your team to drive components with full confidence – this means that they must trust themselves. The Fierce Coaching model is a powerful tool for this, because it is about asking questions and creating self-generated insight. Try to not give advice. One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is to ask questions, truly listen, and show your confidence with the next steps that he or she wants to take.

These three practices are not easy. It takes a courageous leader to truly develop others – to look outward and want to share something bigger.

Are you the kind of leader who shares successes? How do you do it?

Fierce Resources: Class of 2013: Ignore Your Commencement Address

This week’s Fierce Resource was first published on LinkedIn’s Influencer Posts by BuzzFeed President and Chief Operating Officer, .

Class of 2013: Ignore Your Commencement Address is about the tired advice recycled each year to graduates. It highlights that what really matters in business is the relationships you form.

“The only business advice I was given that proved useful was about how to treat people, operate, and behave, and it was not ever given in the form of advice – I just observed it in my mentors.”

To read the full blog, click here.

Goals that Stretch Your Comfort Zone

When we set goals for ourselves that stretch our limits, we challenge our boundaries and break down the box we can often put ourselves in. When you give yourself or your team a stretch goal, and allow everyone the chance to dream big, it provides an entirely different point of view on how to approach your day-to-day life.

At Fierce, we have two strategy sessions each year where we collaborate together and innovate. As a company it is our time to stretch our comfort zone, and to not only discuss what is immediately possible, but also to dream about what could be possible.

In this meeting we are asked to show up and share how we would like to see the company stretch itself. At the last strategy session in January, it felt like such a daunting task. The night before, as I anxiously prepared, I contemplated other big thinkers in history.

The first person that came to mind was Nikola Tesla, a scientist from the 1890’s who innovated in the field of technology. He is most well known for his work with light bulbs, the alternating current electrical system, radio communication, X-ray experiments, and building the first hydroelectric plant. His insatiable curiosity led him to build things not conceivable to the general public.

You have to wonder: What was it about Tesla that drove such an inexhaustible need to innovate, to have the courage to stretch himself, and to attempt the impossible?

Where I find myself being limited in our strategy session is that I temper those Herculean dreams, while Tesla went for it. So in July, when I walk into our strategy session, my focus will be on the idea of limitlessness and how I can help stretch Fierce to its max.

What would the world look like if we all braved the unimaginable?  What kind of stretch goals would your company set? How can you channel your inner Tesla?

Fierce Tip of the Week: Set a Stretch Goal

Stretch goals are all about maximizing your potential. They push you to the limits and create opportunity to see what is possible. Setting stretch goals is something you can do both individually and collaboratively.

This week’s Fierce Tip encourages you to set a stretch goal for yourself. If you normally connect with 10 clients in a week, stretch yourself and set it to 15.

If achieving your stretch goal includes others, have the necessary conversations with those you collaborate with. Maybe the project you are all working on has a deadline for the end of the month that can be accomplished a week early. Having the conversation and all agreeing to push yourselves as a collective could make it happen.

Think of the possibilities. So how can you stretch yourself this week?

3 Benefits for Leaders Who Say Yes

Effective leaders say yes! They understand that a leader’s focus should be to encourage innovation and maximize the wisdom in the room. In order to do this, you need to provide individuals the space to come up with ways they can reach their goals and build opportunity, not only for themselves but the organization as a whole.

It can be scary to take a risk on your employees and say yes. It might not always seem like a career enhancing move, and yet the alternative, being a leader that allows no room for employees to drive their own success or innovate, is not the safer choice. It is the quickest way to have unengaged workers and middle of the road results.

So to help make the process of saying yes easier, below you will find three benefits for leaders who say yes.

#1 A Team That Isn’t Afraid to Fail

A fear of failure is one of the biggest hindrances to business today. As a leader when you say yes, you encourage your employees to push the boundaries and try. You should stay close to what they are creating and collaborate with them. When all is said and done, analyze the results and make a decision on how to move forward. By supporting their efforts and having the conversations, even if the decision is to not continue with the idea, it’s not looked at as failure, it’s looked at as innovation and probably spurs new and even better ideas.

#2 Gain Insights on New Business Opportunities

When you say yes, you can gain insight to new business opportunities you might not have thought about before. The risk of impact is generally low, especially when experience is on a small (controlled) scale. Great leaders learn from those they surround themselves with. Saying yes can be a very eye-opening experience.

#3 Identify Your Employees Strengths

How will you know what a person is capable of if you never give them the chance to show you? As a leader saying yes provides an organic way to identifying strengths within your team, and creates opportunities to develop others. At Fierce, we believe you delegate responsibilities to advance an employee’s skill set. By providing the space for your team to innovate you get the chance to discover more about their talents that you can then further develop.

What could your team accomplish if you said yes more?

Webinar Opportunity on Leading Collaborative Virtual Teams

Fierce CEO & President, Halley Bock is participating in the 2013 Thought Leadership Webinar Series. Tomorrow is the second webinar in this five part series, and we want to remind you to sign up and participate!

Tomorrow at 2 PM EST, Netspeed Learning Solutions founder Cynthia Clay presents, Leading Collaborative Virtual Teams: Managing Dispersed Teams that Get Results.

“As advancing technology and globalization continue to impact many organizations, it’s clear that virtual teams require consistent attention, direction, and recognition from managers. Strong work relationships remain critical to drive productivity and support innovation, trust, and nimble teamwork. But building and maintaining strong relationships becomes challenging as teams become more dispersed. What must a leader do in the virtual workplace to effectively manage distributed team members?”

To learn more about the webinar and register for this event, click here.

Fierce Tip of the Week: Be a Game Changer

Do you want to have an idea that changes the landscape of how the world works?

We call these ideas “game changers”. Thomas Edison was not the first inventor to create a light bulb, however, he was the first inventor to create a long lasting, economically viable light bulb for the masses – definitely a game changer.

So what is the key to innovating at this level? Have the conversation, put your idea forward, and be open to fail.

This week’s tip encourages you to leave the comfort zone of what is known, in order to venture out and perhaps dramatically alter the playing field.

Even if nothing around you appears to change, you’ll never be the same.