Development

Andrew Carnegie was an excellent businessman, leader, and coach. He came to America from his native Scotland as a small boy. He did a variety of small jobs, and eventually ended up at the largest steel manufacturer in the United States. At one time he was the wealthiest man in America, and he became a great philanthropist. At one point during his career, he had 43 millionaires working for him. In the late 1800s, a millionaire was a rare breed. A reporter once asked Carnegie how he managed to hire 43 millionaires, with which Carnegie replied, “They were not millionaires when I hired them.” The reporter’s follow-up question was a simple, yet provoking one, “How did you develop them to be [...]

One of the many lessons I have learned about encouraging performance is this: if you are serious about getting better results, you must deliver feedback on performance quickly, honestly, and consistently. Nobody likes to live in the gray area. People will not grow when they live in gray. As a leader, our job is to observe, analyze, and deliver fast feedback. Spending time with the troops in the trenches and observing and listening to them will prepare you for your feedback delivery. Always be prepared and ready to give positive reinforcement. Give it quickly -- that way it maintains its punch. Don't worry about giving too much positive reinforcement. I've never heard someone tell their leader, "Hey Boss, you reinforce me too [...]

Every leader wants an environment where all team members feel they are an integral part, and that they are contributing to the good of the organization. When this happens, we get results. To build an environment like this, we must start with TRUST. This is not new, we know this. The question is, it may seem natural and easy, but how do we do it? I have found we must demonstrate and show people we BELIEVE and CARE about them. Here are four steps you can take that may help in establishing the needed TRUST. BELIEVE THAT YOUR PEOPLE WANT TO CONTRIBUTE Here is what I know to be true—most if not all (maybe 99%) of the people come to [...]