5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of June 27, 2016

Each week I read a number of leadership articles from various online resources and share them across social media. Here are the five articles readers found most valuable last week. I have added my comment about each article and would like to hear what you think, too.

Love Is One of the Core Qualities of Leadership (via SmartBriefs on Leadership) – originally: The Simple Truths Behind The 8 Principles Of More Human Leadership by Terry St. Marie

Humility. Trust. Values. Teaching. Accountability. Metrics. Positivity. And…. Love.

Behind the 8 Principles of More Human Leadership are simple truths, and the secrets to the success trifecta – a profitable company, a happy team, and a fulfilled YOU.

My Comment: Leadership is a relationship and St. Marie’s 8 principles underscore that fundamental truth. I’ve long believed in ‘love’ as a leadership value – obviously, we’re not talking about romantic love here, but about the genuine regard and other-mindedness that people have for one another all the time. This is possible even in the extremes…In Winning Well I share how I tried not to terminate employment for cause until I was doing it from a place of compassion – that this really is in the employee’s and the team’s best interest.

Doing It All Yourself by David Greer

Things were tense onboard Van Kedisi. The four of us had sailed that morning from Los Christianos on the island of Tenerife. We were approaching San Sebastian on the island of La Gomera, Christopher Columbus’ launching point for sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. All four of us onboard were working together to spot the entrance channel and the tiny opening to the harbour as we passed massive ferries on the commercial dock. On a sailboat you all have to work together because your lives depend on it. In this instance grounding out on a rock or hitting the breakwater would not likely have cost us our lives, but it would have done serious damage to Van Kedisi scuttling our well laid plans to sail across the Atlantic together.

In the rest of our lives, we depend on other people, yet as humans we often operate as if we have to do it all ourselves. Not only does it limit what we can achieve, we end up burning ourselves out…

My Comment: Greer rightly points out a common trap for leaders: the “If you want it done right, do it yourself” pitfall. If you’ve been down that road you know it leads nowhere. Greer shares some of the common reasons you might fall into this trap as well as how to overcome them and create situations where 1 + 1 = 3.

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Is Your Leadership Getting in the Way of Profitability? By Mary Kelly, PhD, US Navy (Ret)

Leaders often don’t realize how much of a role they play in the success or failure of all aspects of business growth. Great leaders run profitable companies because they follow great leadership practices. Looking to improve profitability…?

My Comment: Kelly gets to the bottom line (literally and figuratively) in this article – are you helping your team make a business profit or are you getting in the way? Even if you’re leading an internal, a nonprofit, or public sector team, the same principles apply. Kelly shares five ways to make sure you’re helping produce results – and not screwing them up!

Five Outdated Leadership Ideas That Need to Die by Liz Ryan at Forbes.com

We are 16 years into the new millennium and it is time that our leadership practices reflected today’s reality. We are not in the Industrial Age anymore. Our only ability to compete and to win customers is to put the smartest, best-equipped team on the field, and that can only happen if our workplaces are fun and energizing places where smart people want to be.

We have to manage our cultures so that they exalt and bring out people’s talents, not squash them and belittle them. Too many organizations are stuck in a Machine Age mindset. They rule by fear instead of trust. They shackle their employees with stupid rules and policies instead of setting them free to create amazing products and solutions.

My Comment: This was easily the most popular article I shared this week and it’s easy to see why: Ryan takes an uncompromising stance with regard to the contemporary work place and some of the historical (though not necessarily valuable even then) ideas that continue to linger in many organizations.

I would hope that no company and no person needs to be told that managers aren’t better than everyone else, but its insidious and it creeps in when responsibilities begin to confer status. I invite you to read Ryan’s other four ideas an examine whether they linger in you or your team.

What is Your Team Saying Behind Your Back by Karin Hurt

Have you ever talked about your boss behind your back? If you haven’t complained to at least someone…you’re a saint. Call me. I’m sure you’ve got some wisdom we can share here at LGL. For the rest of us… you know… right? Just like you’re complaining about that boss who (you might even like a lot of the time) has behaviors you wish they would improve–SOON. And chances are you haven’t told them.

Here’s the real deal. No matter how wonderful you are, I guarantee you, your team is talking about you (in some way that would surprise you) too.

My Comment: This article from my Winning Well co-author Karin Hurt was another popular one this week. Hurt addresses the reality that people are always talking…and that you have a chance to influence what they’re saying. It includes a fun video from our Winning Well eCourse as well.

David works with leaders to get results without losing their soul (or mind) in the process. Have David keynote your next event or deliver corporate training: Email today or call 303.898.7018!

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