I can’t tell you how often I hear comments from professionals that sound so defeatist.  I recognize that there are difficult aspects of every professional’s role – challenging colleagues, bad bosses, inflexible environments.  However, it’s sad to see how many people fall victim to constraints and personalities.

As leaders, we cannot be defined by what we can’t do – we have to develop coping mechanisms that tell us what we can do.   We determine the value we bring to the organization.  We determine the work ethic that we put forth.  We determine the quality of our performance by being prepared, exceeding standards, and proactively approaching our roles.  And we can counter difficult people by cultivating an inner discipline to tune out the negative noise. 

For any professional who is falling into a routine of blame and despair, I highly encourage you to start reading more leadership literature to give yourself some inspiration and also start challenging your routine to ensure that you overcome the status quo.  Also, re-examine your leadership behaviors and see what you can do more of to show your true value in your professional environment.  Small actions, over time, produce profound results.

Today I picked up the book, flipped to a random page and found the following quote:

“The happiest people seem to be those who have no particular reason for being so except that they are so.”

- William Ralph Inge

I have to say that I needed that reminder today.  Whatever happens in life, your mood, your state of being, is defined not by the event but by how you react to it.  You can let work or life get you down – or, you can choose to be happy with who you are despite life’s sometimes challenging circumstances.

Leaders are optimistic people.  Even in the midst of turmoil and chaos, their mental attitude can help them to rise above and persevere.

Thank you to my little book for reminding me of that today.

As leaders we have a duty to provide those we lead with meaningful growth experiences.  While that might mean that it takes you more time to show someone how to complete a new task or to edit their work than it would have had you completed the project yourself, the service that you provide to that individual far outweighs the minor personal sacrifice.

Make it your mission this week to find someone who is eager to grow and provide them access to your knowledge and expertise.  Pick a project that will enhance their skills and prepare them for future advancement and work on it together.

By empowering others to learn and grow within their professional environment, you can ensure that they are able to contribute on an even greater level in the future.

When leaders are close enough to a problem to know about it, they attempt to understand how their own actions (or in-actions) contributed to the situation.  Instead of immediately looking to place blame, stop and ask yourself:

• Did I clearly communicate my expectations?
• What could I have done differently to avoid this situation?
• Is this situation about my own ego and my need to be right?
• What will I do in the future to ensure this doesn’t happen again?

If you want to be a leader others respect, you’ll need to develop a strong ability to be accountable, to admit when something is your fault and to own your mistakes.   Leaders resist the urge to get on the “blame bandwagon.”  It is unproductive and goes nowhere.

Like any 4 year old, my daughter has definitely grasped the concept of winning v. losing.  And of course, she prefers to win (don’t we all?).  However, when she bowls, she takes the need to win to an entirely different level.  Not only does she want to win, she wants to bowl only strikes.  Anything less is unsatisfactory to her.  At first I ignored the behavior.  I thought that as she continued to play the game she would realize that strikes do not occur every time you throw the ball.  I was mistaken.  And she continues to throw a fit when she doesn’t knock all of the pins down on her first throw.

What’s even worse is that she has started to display anger when her opponent gets a strike and she does not.  So, within the last several days, I have spent a lot of time explaining to her the old adage, “It’s not whether you win or lose its how you play the game.”  Does that sink in with a 4 year old?  Only time will tell.

And now to the real point of explaining my recent parenting challenges…  I received an email a few days ago from an individual who suggested that Lead Star write a Leadership Moment about how to handle colleagues who attempt to make incentives competitions all-out war among their team members.  It seems that at this individual’s workplace some team members are more focused on doing what they can to beat each other and win the prize than they are on their own overall job performance.  What’s worse, it seems as if some team members who are uncomfortable with the cut-throat competition are opting out and choosing not to participate at all.  Obviously the incentives program is not working as intended.

It is easy to get caught up in the heat of competition.  Just like my 4 year old, everyone likes to win.  However, the inherent nature of any competition (whether a sports endeavor or a workplace incentives program) is to challenge individuals to push beyond their prior personal best.  It’s about learning, growing and personally excelling.  It’s not about beating someone else.  After all, anyone who participates in competitive sports knows that it feels much better to play your best and lose than it does to play badly and win.  Hollow victories are unsatisfying.

So how do you change those who play only to win at all costs?  You don’t (well at least not directly).  As a leader, you must understand that the only two things that you can control are your own actions and your reactions to other people’s actions.  When you learn to focus inward, constantly striving for personal improvement instead of concerning yourself with how others are playing the game, you will ultimately be successful.  As others see you succeeding they will tend to follow suit.  Leaders are role models.  And you influence healthy competition by setting the consistent example of not focusing on winning or losing but instead striving to constantly perform better than you did the day before.

As for my daughter, while she may not learn the lesson today or tomorrow, I can be sure that she will over time based on the example that I set for her.

Do you have any additional advice on how to handle colleagues who display unhealthy competitive behaviors?  We would love to hear your thoughts.

My life is dynamic – running Lead Star, traveling to client sites, delivering training … add to that, as the wife of a Marine (who travels frequently) and the mom of a pre-schooler (who has just entered into after-school activity world) and it’s easy to see that life can be complicated at the Morgan household.   

Last year I found myself jumping through the same hoop several times when I should have just jumped through it once. As a small example, why was I going to the grocery store four times a week when with a bit of proper planning I could only go once? Also, I found myself saying “yes” to a few things that I should have said “no” to.  If you’ve ever over-committed, you know the stress that it can bring! 

So, at the beginning of this year I’m going to write out my priorities.  As a next step, I’m also going to look at my current activities and see if they support these priorities.  If they don’t, then I’m going to start eliminating them.  Plain and simple.  With a little bit of planning and discipline, my hope is that I’ll have more time to enjoy the things that I say “yes” to and make my minutes count. 

I would love to hear any tactics you have for efficiency and effectiveness.  Please post here or on Facebook.

• Reorganize your space. Even the most well organized individual has something within his/her workspace that is screaming to be sorted through, de-cluttered or reorganized.  Take some time today to make a fresh start.
• Make a list of achievements. Think about everything you accomplished in 2009.  Write out a list.  Experience pride in all of your successes over the past year.  Start 2010 with the confidence in knowing that you have the ability to achieve great things.
• Create a mission statement. Take inventory of the most important aspects of your life: your relationships, your career, your emotional and physical well-being, etc.  Decide what you ultimately want to accomplish in these areas of your life and write out your mission statement on a note card.  Place the note card where you will be able to read and reflect upon it throughout the year.  Commit yourself to working toward your mission in 2010.

Make 2010 a great year by taking some time today to ensure that you start off on the right foot.  Here’s to leading yourself to continued success this year!

In 1989 I volunteered to be on a Fire and Safety Fair committee in Gainesville, FL.  The person in charge referred to himself as “facilitator,” not “chairperson.”  He said each meeting would last one hour and would start and finish on time.  He always had a printed agenda and stayed on task.  If conversations strayed from the agenda, he invited those folks to meet with each other after our meeting.  Our time was never wasted.  Everyone left knowing what would be expected of them at the next meeting.  It was amazing to me to witness such order, progress and enthusiastic teamwork.

I am often asked to facilitate/lead meetings and mentor those who have difficulties with their own meetings.  It is because I had the wonderful opportunity so long ago to learn from Louis Kalivoda, who is now at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, FL.  I also learned so much about being involved in my community outside of work and the importance of volunteering.  And I even met my future husband – another volunteer!

Debbie C. Thomas
Administrative Services Mgr. & Public Information Officer
Court Administration – Fifth Judicial Circuit

Wisdom from one of my mentors, Peter DiGiammarino:  “The plan that will work is the plan that we ALL agree to make work.”   I have found this to be so true. 80% of the game is getting people aligned around a common goal.

Kitty Nix, SPHR
Director, Strategic Development
Helios HR

I am very grateful for the leadership shown by my SAIC division manager, Douglas Ray.  He exemplifies the ability to stay calm in a firestorm, listen before he forms or expresses an opinion, navigate emotional situations calmly and provide a balanced level of support that assures me I’m not fighting my battles alone, while at the same time not undermining my ability to decide my own path forward.  Managers like this make work a safe and rewarding place to be and provide an example to be followed.

Jan Denny, PMP
Project Manager / Sr. Business Process Analyst
Science Applications International Corporation

Great role-models and mentors are truly a gift to us all!

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy holiday,

The Lead Star Team

As Mayor of my small town (Tom Bean) and also still being employed at Raytheon, I of course, have to make the most of my time at both places.  Delegation and empowerment have been two large components that have allowed me to more effectively manage my responsibilities.

At the city, I have put each department in charge of their own fiscal budgeting efforts, allowing me to weigh in with the final say so in the details.  By doing this, each department now has true ownership and they are held accountable throughout the year to maintain the budget lines that they created.  This gives them a chance to truly experience their success, knowing that I will be overseeing the budget to ensure that everyone is on track throughout the year.

Sherry E. Howard
CCA PDE
RWN MEMBERSHIP OFFICER
NCS TX ESS Producibility
Network Centric Systems
Raytheon Company

I make the most of my time by scheduling time on my calendar!  I do this for my prep meetings, family commitments etc.  I do a weekly review each Friday of the next week’s calendar to make sure it has the right stuff on there!  I do slip on few items here and there, but by far, I can get the most out of my day, as long as I schedule it.

Shubha Ramaswamy
eBusiness IT Project Manager
Chubb Group of Insurance Companies

Time is the great equalizer.  We all have only 24 hours in a day.  In order to be personally effective, we all need to make the most of the time that we have.  Thank you Sherry and Shubha for your great time management tips!

Any one else have best-practices for managing their limited time?  We would love to hear them!

In the midst of professional or personal low points, it is hard to keep perspective.  You may be dealing with a painful personnel issue, riding out a negative media storm with which you are associated, or struggling with a personal/family crisis during a critical time at work.  This is where the good leadership habits you previously established make all the difference.

Self talk can help, such as:

“This too shall pass.”
“It is what it is…”
“This is one of those experiences that money can’t buy, but I wouldn’t give a dime to go it through again!”

Also, calling colleagues who have had to deal with similar situations can be beneficial.

Whatever you do, you must keep your confidence level up as internal and external pressures can lead to self-questioning that is both non-productive and likely has no basis in fact.  Second guessing oneself for not being perfect is truly counterproductive.

It is important to learn from these types of situations ways that you can improve in your role.  This is both productive and brings meaning to these challenges.

When the stress gets so intense that it begins to change who you are as a person, it’s time to seek out professional help.  Not only will it help you keep perspective in the midst of the storm, it will protect those essential qualities in your being that those you love and who love you most cherish.

- Anonymous