Coaching Archives - Page 20 of 25

Inspire your team to persevere

Inspire your team to persevere. I have been reflecting on the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton. He led the entire crew of his ship, Endurance, to safety after being marooned on an ice floe for 15 months. Forced to abandon his original plan to cross the Antarctic, Shackleton's story holds strong lessons for leaders facing uncontrollable change. Here are a few of his actions that you can put in place today that helped his people -- and will help yours -- keep the faith during periods of upheaval. Redefine achievable goals: people need clear goals to keep their spirits and productivity up. Shackleton told his crew they would live on the ice pack until it broke up and then use the ship's [...]

By Bob Fashano|2020-05-05T18:38:07+00:00May 6th, 2020|Coaching, Empowering, Leadership|0 Comments

Balance optimism and realism during turmoil and change.

As leaders it is important we demonstrate confidence during change and upheaval. However, I have learned most people can tell when I am being overly optimistic. Here is how I have learned to strike a balance between the positive and the pragmatic: Show your enthusiasm: rather than tell people to look on the bright side, strive to model optimism. Check your body language and other nonverbal cues to make sure they're not telling a different story. Don't blow smoke: avoid putting a false spin on decisions or events that may be difficult to handle. Recognize obstacles: don't overdo optimism to the point of ignoring barriers, limitations, and mistakes. Maintain open lines of communication: make it understood that you want people, especially your key people, [...]

By Bob Fashano|2020-04-30T18:37:16+00:00April 30th, 2020|Coaching|0 Comments

Passion vs. Conviction

People want to follow a passionate leader. When we as leaders are passionate about a topic, it can be contagious. So what is the difference between passion and conviction? We can be passionate about something and have not necessarily lived it, or may not have successfully experienced what it is we are passionate about. It's primarily intellectual. An example could be in sports. A coach of a team (never played the sport) can be passionate about playing hard, preparing, winning, the game etc. However a coach who is convicted, has played the game, prepared, practiced- his/her players will feel the conviction. Conviction breeds credibility. It is stronger than a belief. A conviction is a belief so strong that it governs [...]

By Bob Fashano|2020-04-21T01:31:05+00:00March 2nd, 2020|Coaching, Connecting, Empowering, Leadership|0 Comments

Characteristics of an Effective Mentor

Author Fred Manske Jr. Secrets of Effective Leadership nailed it when he said: "The ultimate leader is one who is willing to develop people to the point they surpass him or her in knowledge or ability.” There are several characteristics of an effective mentor. First is Wisdom. There is no substitution for experience. Your past successes and failures are your bank account for an effective mentor. Next is Empathy. Chances are you were mentored and can relate to the place the mentee is in. This leads to the next characteristic of Patience. Growing and developing people takes time. If you are not willing to invest the time needed, you simply can’t be effective at mentoring. The next is Highly-Skilled. As [...]

By Bob Fashano|2020-04-21T01:21:52+00:00February 25th, 2020|Coaching, Leadership|0 Comments

It’s all about the People

Isn’t it true that people are an organization's most appreciable asset? What I’m learning is the longer I’m in the seat the more value I need to place on people -- in particular the top 20%. When it is all said and done, I believe leadership isn’t about strategy, efficiency, marketing systems or high quality products -- it’s about people! We lead people -- not manage them. Our people skills are the leader’s most critical asset. Developing, practicing, and honing people skills are a good investment of our time as a leader. There is no substitute for the leader who is good with people. If you are good with people you can lead in a variety of contexts. Bottom line [...]

By Bob Fashano|2020-04-21T01:15:30+00:00February 20th, 2020|Coaching, Connecting, Development, Empowering, Leadership|0 Comments