Leadership

Trust does matter; we all know that. Trust is the currency of every relationship. Reaching out to your people and building relationships based on trust appears to be a natural concept. Sometimes, it is not all simple. So, how do you build trust that lasts? Below are a few ideas you may want to consider: You can start with a mindset that people want to contribute. I believe, and hope you do as well, that most of your people come to work every day and want to do a good job. Value your people and believe in them. Let them know you trust them and believe in them. Ask yourself, why should they trust you if you don't trust them?   In [...]

It has been said countless times, and I believe it is true: "The most important asset we have in our business is our people." Henry Ford said it best: "You can take away my buildings, machinery, my land, but leave me my people, and in no time, I will have everything back." Henry understood his most important asset. One of our jobs as leaders is to hire the right people and then put them in a place where they can shine. We then need to create and be clear on the expectations. The next step is to equip them—equip them with the tools and resources, train them, and evaluate their progress. Part of equipping them is helping them stay focused on [...]

Last week, I wrote about the importance of maintaining a lifelong learning mindset. Birthed when I first read the John Wooden quote, "It is what you learn after you know it all that counts." I shared two ways of learning: Our life experiences and reading about others. This week, I am sharing two more. But first, here is another quote I remember as a reminder of my commitment to learning. Ghandi said, "Live like you are going to die tomorrow and LEARN like you are going to live forever." This is another mandate for lifelong learning. Here are two more methods of learning: Other people's experiences. Today, we have many opportunities to glean from others: Podcasts, webinars, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and various posts. When others [...]

Legendary UCLA Basketball coach John Wooden said this, which I have cherished for years. This quote has inspired me to be on a journey of lifelong learning. When you sign up for leadership, you also sign up for continual learning. Striving to improve, gain more knowledge, develop, or acquire skills required to be more effective in your leadership. In my emails for this week and next, I will briefly remind us of the ways in which we can learn. At the onset, I must remind us that we need to be intentional. Learning only happens with time. Your leadership is sharpened when we make intentional learning a priority. One of the ways we learn is from OUR EXPERIENCES. Every encounter, every [...]