Archive for the ‘attitude’ tag
Feedback: the “silver bullet.”
Tabby and Alan outline the value of timely, specific feedback; in just a couple minutes, you’ll have greater insight on improving engagement on your team.
Previous posts on this topic:
How to deal with self-centered behavior…
In a sense, self-centered behavior is normal.
If people tend to act in self-interest, how do WE deal with that, and get THEM to think beyond themselves? Take a couple minutes to hear Matt and Alan address this.
Previous posts on this topic:
Tabby and Alan on “Attitude Versus Actions”
Address specific behaviors, rather than general assumed mindsets, like “attitude” for more effective communication.
LInks:
Also, some of you pointed out last week that the 90-second burn is longer than 90 seconds. It is, but the content portion is about 90 seconds. You may skip the introduction, and the silliness at the end, but you’d miss out on the fun. :)
Insecurity is Normal?
In April of 2011, I was caught off-guard by a silly combination of factors:
- I finally Read the rest of this entry »
The coolest thing I’ve heard lately… (and why leaders should hear it, too)
I am clearly upset that Dr. Jones just bogarted the creme brûlée from my dining companion. It was gonna be mine!
I’m not going to let my worst experience with someone define my relationship with them.
Isn’t that great? Sometimes we have a bad experience with someone and think “whoa, now their true colors are finally coming out!” — and that puts us on guard in the future. Once bitten, twice shy (we think).
But we all have moments when we are at our worst. Usually, we regret them. And, we’re embarrassed. Lots of times we sweep it away, but it nags maybe, and we sure hope it doesn’t define us to others.
Unfortunately, it can. But, as leaders, we have to be emotionally mature and make sure we don’t let the worst experience we have with someone – the low-water mark – forever define our insights, relationship, and treatment of that person.
Another view — what if we let our BEST experience with a person rule our feelings toward them and treatment of them? Perhaps that’s just as foolish, but our world might be a more positive place…
Leaders stay sensitive this time of year
This is a “rerun” from last year; some events of the last month have convinced me to share it anew:
We’re just a couple weeks from the Winter Solstice, the shortest darkest day of the year. A contrast to the holiday season, it can exacerbate hidden internal sadness in those around us.
I love Christmas music. But not all of it at the same level of love. I prefer minor keys, obscure pieces, and bleak moods that reflect peace and/or sadness. ”God Rest Ye Merry” is a good one, as is “‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime.” There’s a lot of good stuff in the French, Celtic, and British choir traditions traditions that are haunting.
Two favorite Christmas music albums are “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “If on a Winter’s Night…” The latter comes from Sting, who hits on a major theme of this time of year in the liner notes:
…I have an ambivalent attitude towards the celebration of Christmas. For many, it is a period of intense loneliness and alienation… Winter is a time of darkness and introspection… [and] the gravitational pull of home that Christmas exerts on the traveller.
Walking amid the snows of Winter, or sitting entranced in a darkened room gazing at the firelight, usually evokes in me a mood of reflection, a mood that can be at times philosophical, at other wildly irrational; I find myself haunted by memories.
This can be a joyful and jolly time of year; so many lights and happy music and gatherings. But many folks are like Sting; haunted by memories of sadness exacerbated by the short dark days and the contrast with the flaunting of joy.
Enjoy the season – the lights, music, gatherings, festivities – but please stay sensitive. And allow yourself to feel the melancholy, too. That can add to the beauty.
Happy New Year.
Effective leaders change the pace
I had a college professor who told us to “do everything 10% faster.”
This professor had lots of energy, and got lots done. And, the students who followed this advice seemed to work harder, have more energy, and be happier. Over the last 25 years this advice has proven invaluable; it works for me, too.
Not only does following this advice generate more Read the rest of this entry »
Group Dynamic Primer Chapter Eight: Passion
Leaders must have passion; that is, in their own way, they must show that they care.
Talk can only go so far – while an occasional well-done pep talk can be great with the right context and timing, it’s what you do that demonstrates your passion. There’s a lot you can do to show your passion and commitment. Some ideas: Read the rest of this entry »
Group Dynamic Primer Chapter Seven: Positivity
We’ve covered six leadership traits and skills. Now, it’s time to talk about two mindsets that must permeate our leadership behaviors.
The first is positivity. Being positive is the way others Read the rest of this entry »
For those who don’t get it…
Something that occasionally presents itself in the world of leadership is that there is one person, also a leader, who doesn’t “get it.”
Maybe it’s another teacher, a member of administration or your direct supervisor. They see what you are doing, they know that those you lead appreciate what you’re doing, but for one reason or another, they don’t think it applies to them. It’s usually one of the following: they think they’re already doing it, they think their team is doing fine and they don’t have the time to “waste,” or they think their way is better.
The Olympics of Dedication
The Olympics have a way of shining a new light on the meaning of dedication.
The opening ceremonies were comprised of one spectacular vignette after another, with thousands of performers, musicians and athletes knowing exactly where to go and what to do during every minute of their moment in the spotlight. That’s dedication.
Every commercial that runs during the Olympic Games tells the athlete’s tale of foregoing dessert, not watching TV, not skipping a single day’s workout in order to be the best. That’s dedication.
Then there was the Chinese farmer who spent the last two years traveling to London via rickshaw just to see the Olympic games. A little extreme, but yes – that’s dedication.
On owning your leadership style…
Let’s make the assumption that, as a leader, you’ve taken a number of human behavior assessments (like the Leadership Practices Inventory, Everything DiSC®, Strengths Finders or Myers-Briggs), and therefore you have some sort of description (or two or five descriptions) as to what kind of leader you are. What happens to those analyses after you finish the assessment? Do they sit on your desk? In a file? Or worse yet, do they take a one-way pass to the recycling bin?
