fashano

Passion and conviction People want to follow a passionate leader. When we as leaders are passionate about a topic, it can be contagious. But, people need to follow a leader who also has conviction. So what is the difference between passion and conviction? We can be passionate about something and not necessarily have lived it, or successfully experienced what it is we are passionate about. It's primarily intellectual. An example could be in sports. A coach of a team, who has never played the sport, can be passionate about playing hard, preparing, winning, and has love for the game, but they haven't felt the highs and lows of being a player, and their team feels the difference. However, a coach [...]

Encouragement is key. “Flatter me, and I may not believe you, criticize me, and I may not like you, ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you," William Arthur Ward. Isn’t it true that just about every person on the planet wants to believe they have value? They want to know that they matter, and that they count for something. It is my belief that being valued and mattered is a basic human need. As a leader, helping someone feel significant can be a game changer. If you ever played sports you know how important the words of encouragement coming from the coach meant to you. Maybe accompanied with a pat on [...]

Are you an authentic leader? A good question to ask ourselves from time to time is, "Am I truly an authentic leader?" I am learning authenticity begins with living out our values. What we truly care about -- not just talk about-- and living by that code daily is the beginning of being an authentic leader. I believe our people deserve a leader who is true to what matters most. When we pursue our purpose, we are demonstrating our authenticity. Most of us have mission statements or purpose statements, and they are likely in writing and prominently displayed in an office or conference room. While a display serves as a strong reminder, what is more important, is having your people [...]

What your people expect. As we near the end of the year, many of us will reflect upon the last 12 months. We ask ourselves, "What did I do well?" "What do I need to change in the coming year?" "How can I grow?" But, do we ever stop and ask, "Am I meeting my people's expectations?" Maybe it's time we do. In my experience, the following is a good list of expectations that your people have for you -- their leader. To communicate openly, honestly, and frequently To be predictable and consistent To have a plan for their growth To exhibit self-confidence balanced with humility To encourage them To challenge them To let them know how they are doing [...]

How are you preparing your leadership team for 2021? In a recent survey of 100 CEOs of mid-sized enterprises, more than 60% reported that they won’t have any sort of business plan for the coming year. If that doesn't sound like 2020, than I don't know what does! But why? Well, smart executives have discovered that many of these old-fashioned planning methods and practices don’t work anymore. Business and corporate planning processes have not changed in fifty years. They’re too complex, time consuming, and produce little or no benefit. In other words, they are almost always a waste of time, energy, and resources. But here is the problem, this leaves critical business goals to chance, or worse yet, risks missing [...]