5 Top Leadership Articles for the Week of October 24, 2016

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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.

Workplace Culture a Deal Breaker for Many Employees by Anna Patty

Employees rank workplace culture as a decisive factor when seeking a new job and more than half believe it is misrepresented by future employers in their job interviews, a survey has found.

When asked to rank what was more important, 29 per cent of employees said pay and the remaining 71 per cent chose a cultural aspect of work including flexibility (19 per cent), performance review (18 per cent), teamwork (13 per cent), ethical standards (13 per cent) and social activities (8 per cent).

The vast majority (96 per cent) believe cultural fit is an important factor when weighing up career options.

My Comment: The most desirable talent for your team are also the ones with the most flexibility and options. Creating a culture that aligns with your organization’s values, outputs, and the type of people you need to succeed probably isn’t written in your job description anywhere – and yet it’s a hallmark of great leaders and managers.

One aspect of this article bears additional emphasis: be upfront with your candidates about the culture. If its tough, say so. Use it as a attractive differentiator if you have to (eg: “We’ve found that only dedicated and highly competent people thrive in this culture.”) – but don’t lie, shade, or misrepresent the truth here. You just diminish your own credibility and make it more likely the person will leave.

How to Start a Conversation You’re Dreading by Joel Garfinkle at SmartBrief

When you manage people, sooner or later you are in a position where you need to have a conversation that you’d just rather not have.

We’ve all been there – something has gone awry, there’s an interpersonal conflict, someone isn’t performing well or an incident has occurred that can’t go undiscussed. It’s easy to make up excuses or reasons to avoid — it was an isolated incident, the person knows what the problem is, someone else is going to discuss it with them, the already feel bad enough, etc.

My Comment: As an executive, when I’m promoting someone into a position with greater responsibility for people, the number one skill I look for is the ability to have tough conversations well. None of us are born knowing how to do this well. The good news is, you can learn. Garfinkle gives you steps to get started right away.

In Winning Well Chapter 7 we give you a step-by-step conversation guide to help you address performance issues, hold each other accountable, and inspire greater performance. Want to go deeper? Shari Harley’s book How to Say Anything to Anyone is a fantastic resource to help you grow in this arena.

Leadership Is About Doing by Steve Keating

Leadership is more about what you’re doing today than it is about what you did yesterday.

You may have done lots of great things yesterday that helped you earn your leadership position. Having a leadership position however does not make you a leader. Even being a great leader yesterday does not ensure you’re a great leader today.

You never “arrive” as a leader because the leadership journey never stops. Great leaders know that since their people are always evolving that they must evolve as well. They are constantly learning, always growing and perpetually looking for new ways to help their people succeed.

My Comment: The essence of leadership is simple: by working together we can have a better tomorrow. Keating captures this forward-looking aspect of leadership well. Leadership isn’t a place you arrive. It’s not something you are or achieved. It’s something you do. One of my favorite lines in this article: “If you were to go on trial this week, charged with being a leader, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

How to Be Bold and Make Tough Decisions by LaRae Quy at SmartBrief

FBI agents working knotty and sophisticated cases such as those involving terrorism, cybercrime or counterintelligence need to be bold so they can make tough but smart decisions.

As the world has become more complex, the focus of FBI investigations has evolved from hunting bank robbers like John Dillinger and mobsters like Al Capone to better address the current threats to American lives.

It’s no secret that business and life are not as simple as they were, either. Executives, business owners and entrepreneurs need to take a bold stand and make tough decisions to overcome strong competition and market upheavals.

My Comment: In my experience, there’s a strange paradox with bold decision-making. Often, the people who are most reflective and do some of the best thinking on a topic are the least likely to be bold or make a tough decision. If you struggle to be bold or make tough decisions, Quy gives you some tips to help you move past the fear of getting it wrong and open yourself to the process of getting it right and moving forward.

7 Things Your High-Performing Employees Long to Hear You Say by Karin Hurt

These are all real statements I’ve heard in the last few weeks:

“Oh we don’t worry about observing our high-performing call center reps. We just focus on the ones who are struggling.”

“John doesn’t really need a training and development plan like everyone else, he’s got his job nailed.”

“Well, he’s a bit a rough around the edges, but we don’t say anything. He’s so good at his job, we’re afraid to tick him off.”

“Oh Sally’s good. She loves what she does. Thank God for her. She just likes to be left alone to do her thing.”

I get it. Your high-performing employees never seem like the MIT. (Most Important Thing). They’ve got it. You can count on them. They don’t appear to want your help. They don’t complain. You’ve got other fish to fry…

My Comment: My Winning Well co-author, Karin Hurt, addresses an all-too-common management problem: ignoring top performers. Remember: you get more of what you encourage and celebrate, less of what you criticize or ignore. Don’t ignore those top performers. Use the phrases and principles Hurt gives you to ensure your top 20% continue to create that 80% of value.

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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