Posts from — December 2007

Your Real Goal …
Your goal is to become a transformational leader, the kind of person that motivates and inspires people to perform at levels far beyond anything that they had previously thought possible.

Keep People In the Know …
Transformational leaders empower others by keeping them “in the know,” by keeping them fully informed on everything that effects their jobs.

People want and need to feel that they are “insiders,” that they are aware of everything that is going on. There is nothing so demoralizing to a staff member than to be kept in the dark about their work and what is going on in the company.

A common characteristic of high-achieving leaders is a deep sense of passion. Passion is the glue that helps teams stick to their plans through adversity and over the long haul. There are three success factors for leaders to capitalize on the power of passion.

Paint the Picture…

Focus and competence engage the minds of your employees. To engage their hearts and ignite their passion, we must meet one of their most basic psychological needs – to contribute to something bigger than a job, to find meaning in their work.

By asking for feedback, analyzing the results, developing a focused action plan for change and following-up, leaders are perceived as more effective.

Recently, one executive was asked, “How much do you spend each year on leadership development programs?” He replied, “Tens of millions of dollars!” He was then asked, “How much do you spend on follow-up?” He replied, “Tens of dollars!”

More effort needs to be placed on the follow-up required to ensure positive, long-term change. By developing processes that ensure ongoing feedback and follow-up, we can help leaders develop in a manner that requires fewer resources and produces more change.