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BE AUTHENTIC “People with humility don’t think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less. A great rule for leading is: Think more about your people and they will think more of themselves. And don’t act like you are perfect. Leaders need to come from behind their curtains of infallibility, power and control, and let their authentic side - their humanity - be revealed. Folks like to be around a person who is willing to admit his or her vulnerability, ask for ideas, and let others be in the spotlight.” Ken Blanchard, The Heart of a Leader MY TO-DO: Today, I will have the courage to be my true self and show my vulnerability by asking for help, admitting a mistake or saying “I don’t know”. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “Leadership is often misunderstood. When people hear that someone has an impressive title or an assigned leadership position, they assume that individual to be a leader. Sometimes that’s true. But titles don’t have much value when it comes to leading. True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that cannot be mandated. It must be earned. The only thing a title can buy is a little time - either to increase your level of influence with others or to undermine it.” John Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership MY TO-DO: I am committed to earning respect as a leader, rather than expecting it because of my title. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “The only source of a leader’s power is that others choose to follow. As leaders, we must not believe that we deserve the power bestowed upon us. Rather, our power arises only from others’ choices to follow us, and only to the extent that we can harness their energy towards our mission. Put differently, we are at the mercy of those we lead, to the extent that they will follow only if it appeals to them to be part of creating the change that we are asking for.” Monty Moran - former CEO, Chipotle, Love is Free, Guac is Extra MY TO-DO: I will attract followers, not because they have to, but because they want to. |
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BE AUTHENTIC It takes courage to share our authentic self with others. But this vulnerability allows us to establish connections with people, which is necessary to lead effectively. We have to trust that we will survive sharing ourselves in this way. (We will by the way. Actually, it will be incredibly invigorating.) When we feel our own authenticity flowing from our heart, those we lead will be drawn to this, and they will trust us to take them to a better place. I believe that the growth, development, and unfolding of our soul is the purpose of our life on earth. The magical power that most powerfully promotes our development is love, a universally present force that arises in our hearts when we are able to be fully present and quiet the distracting din of our mind and its many judgments. Monty Moran - Love is Free, Guac is Extra MY TO-DO: I will allow people to see the real me. |
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BE AUTHENTIC Building trust is a process that begins when someone (either you or the other party) is willing to risk being the first to open up, to show vulnerability, and to let go of control. Leaders go first. If you want the high levels of performance that come with trust and collaboration, you will have to demonstrate your trust in others before asking them to trust you. Going first is a scary proposition. You’re taking a chance. You’re betting that others won’t betray your confidence, and that they’ll take good care of the information you communicate, the resources you allocate, and the feelings you share. You’re risking that others won’t take advantage of you and that you can rely on them to do what’s right. This requires considerable self-confidence. But the payoff is huge. Trust is contagious. When you trust others, they are much more likely to trust you. But should you choose not to trust, understand that distrust is equally contagious. If you exhibit distrust others will hesitate to place their trust in you and in their colleagues. It’s up to you to set the example. Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner - The Leadership Challenge MY TO-DO: I will be the first to trust. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “Good leaders are always conscious of the fact that they are setting the example, and others are going to do what they do, for better or for worse. In general, the better the leader’s actions the better their people’s. John Wooden used to say to his players, “Show me what you can do, don’t tell me what you can do.” I believe followers have the same attitude toward their leaders. They want to see their leaders in action, doing their best, showing the way and setting an example. Remember, leaders tell but never teach until they practice what they preach.” John Maxwell - The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership MY TO-DO: What are one or two things I wish my people did better than they currently do now? I will set an example for what I am expecting from others. |
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BE AUTHENTIC We must find in ourselves the wisdom and skill to merit the continued support of our teams. That wisdom, in large part, comes from being in touch with the people we seek to lead. To be in touch with them means to get to know them, trust them, challenge them, believe in them, and to commit to helping them be their very best. We need to have full access to our hearts and to offer it to them. We need to become more, not less, human with them, such that we are worthy of their continued trust and confidence. Monty Moran - Love is Free, Guac is Extra MY TO-DO: I will be more “human” with my team. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “How important is trust for a leader? It is the MOST important thing. Trust is the foundation of leadership. It is the glue that holds an organization together. Leaders cannot break trust with people and continue to influence them. It just doesn’t happen. How does a leader build trust? By consistently exemplifying competence, connection and character. People will forgive occasional mistakes based on ability, especially if they can see that you’re still growing as a leader. And they will give you some time to connect. But they won’t trust someone who slips in character. As a leader, WHO you are makes what you do possible.” John Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership MY TO-DO: I will ensure my character is never questioned. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “In today’s competitive environment, some leaders are tempted to abandon ethical considerations. Somehow they think that playing by the rule “anything goes” is going to win for them. These leaders are jeopardizing far more than they imagine. First of all, they stand to lose respect. The number one characteristic employees say they are looking for in a leader is integrity. They also risk losing repeat customers and competent people. You can make a quick financial gain by taking advantage of your customers or your people but the loss of trust may never be restored. The third thing they are placing at risk is their own self-esteem. Yes, self esteem! Meeting people with a clear conscience puts you at ease and allows you to concentrate on doing your best work. When you deal straight with people, they sense that they can trust you. And when you lie down at night, your clear conscience makes a wonderfully soft pillow.” Ken Blanchard, The Heart of a Leader MY TO-DO: When the pressure is on I will remind myself that it’s not only getting results that matters, it’s also HOW the results are achieved. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “Character is that small, still voice that sometimes is too loud for comfort in the middle of the night, and sometimes too faint for influence in the heat of daily leadership. Competencies get us to the door of leadership, but character is the key to unlocking the door of leadership. So what is this thing we call “character”? It is our most authentic, unvarnished, non-spin-doctored self. It is the person and the leader who shows up - for better or for worse - when no one is looking. Many leaders’ characters would barely recognize their reputations if they met on the street! Character is the person others trust or mistrust from watching us in many, many situations. Character, in its highest state, is the leader who serves; in its lowest state it is the leader who self-serves.” Kevin Cashman, The Pause Principle MY TO-DO: Over the next week I will focus on one thing that will strengthen my character in the eyes of my team. |
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BE AUTHENTIC For leaders who want to develop their ability to inspire trust, research at Trust Edge Leadership Institute has identified eight key qualities to focus on: • Clarity. People trust the clear, and they distrust the ambiguous. Give employees a clear vision of where you want to go and what role they will play. • Compassion. Leaders who care for more than just themselves inspire trust. • Character. This means choosing to do what’s right rather than what’s easy. • Competency. Stay fresh, relevant and capable. • Commitment. Stick with your employees in the face of adversity, and they’ll do the same for you. • Connection. Cultivate strong relationships with workers. Ask questions. Find common ground. • Contribution. In other words, produce results. • Consistency. What we do all the time shapes what others expect of us. “If you’re late all the time, I will trust you to be late,” Horsager says. “It’s the sameness in a person that builds a reputation. It’s the sameness in a company that builds a brand.” David Horsager, CEO, Trust Edge Leadership Institute MY TO-DO: On what qualities have I fallen short? I will select one to focus on over the next month. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “Leaders never get extraordinary things accomplished all by themselves. Leaders mobilize others to want to struggle for shared aspirations, and this means that, fundamentally, leadership is a relationship between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. It’s the quality of this relationship that matters most when engaged in getting extraordinary things done. A leader-constituent relationship that’s characterized by fear and distrust will never produce anything of lasting value. A relationship characterized by mutual respect and confidence will overcome the greatest adversities and leave a legacy of significance.” Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner,The Leadership Challenge MY TO-DO: I will take the initiative to build trusting relationships with each member of my team. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “Credibility is the foundation of leadership. But what is credibility behaviorally? In other words, how do you know it when you see it? We’ve asked this question of tens of thousands of people around the globe, and the response is essentially the same, regardless of how it may be phrased in one company versus another one, or one country versus another. Here are some of the common phrases people use to define credible leaders: They practice what they preach. They walk the talk. Their actions are consistent with their words. They put their money where their mouth is. They follow through on their promises. They do what they say they will do. The last is the most frequent response. When it comes to deciding whether a leader is believable, people first listen to the words, then they watch the actions. A judgment of “credible” is handed down when words and deeds are consonant.” Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner,The Leadership Challenge MY TO-DO: Today, I will make sure my words and actions match. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “To become a credible leader, you must first have to comprehend fully the deeply held beliefs - the values, standards, ethics, and ideals - that drive you. You have to freely and honestly choose principles you will use to guide your decisions and actions. Then you have to genuinely express yourself. You have to authentically communicate your beliefs in ways that uniquely represent who you are. However, leaders aren’t just speaking for themselves when they talk about the values that should guide decisions and actions. When leaders passionately express a commitment to quality or innovation or service or some other core value, those leaders aren’t just saying, “I believe in this.” They’re also making a commitment for an entire organization. They’re saying, “We all believe in this.” Therefore, leaders must not only be clear about their personal guiding principles but also make sure there’s agreement on a set of shared values among everyone they lead. And they must hold others accountable to those values and standards.” Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner,The Leadership Challenge MY TO-DO: I will be intentional about reinforcing the organization’s values with the people I lead |
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BE AUTHENTIC “You cannot lead through someone else’s values or someone else’s words. You can only lead out of your own. Unless it’s your style and your words, it’s not you - it’s just an act. People don’t follow your position or your technique. They follow YOU! If you’re not the genuine article, can you really expect others to want to follow. To be a leader, you’ve got to awaken to the fact that you don’t have to copy someone else, you don’t have to read a script written by someone else, and you don’t have to wear someone else’s style. Instead you are free to choose what you want to express and the way you want to express it. In fact, you have a responsibility to your constituents to express yourself in an authentic manner, in a way they would immediately recognize as yours.” Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner,The Leadership Challenge MY TO-DO: Today, I will have the awareness and the courage to be myself. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “Values influence every aspect of your life; your moral judgments, your responses to others, your commitments to personal and organizational goals. Values constitute your personal “bottom line.” They serve as guides to action. They inform the priorities you set and the decisions you make. They tell you when to say yes and when to say no. They also help you to explain the choices you make and why you made them. The clearer you are about your values, the easier it is for you and for everyone else to stay on the chosen path and commit to it. This kind of guidance is especially needed in difficult and uncertain times. When there are daily challenges that can throw you off course, it’s crucial that you have some signposts that tell you where you are.” Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner,The Leadership Challenge MY TO-DO: I will ensure my words and actions make it clear to everyone what I value most. |
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BE AUTHENTIC “The very first step on the journey to credible leadership is clarifying your values - discovering those fundamental beliefs that will guide your decisions and actions along the path to success and significance. That involves an exploration of the inner territory where your true voice resides. It’s essential that you take yourself on this journey because it’s the only route to authenticity and because your personal values drive your commitment to the organization and to the cause. You can’t do what you say if you don’t believe in what you’re saying.” Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner,The Leadership Challenge MY TO-DO: I will be guided by my values in the choices and decisions I make. |
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BE AUTHENTIC Poet, journalist, and editor Alan Ross asserted, "Humility means knowing and using your strength for the benefit of others, on behalf of a higher purpose. The humble leader is not weak, but strong... is not preoccupied with self, but with how best to use his or her strengths for the good of others. A humble leader does not think less of himself, but chooses to consider the needs of others in fulfilling a worthy cause. I love to be in the presence of a humble leader because they bring out the very best in me. Their focus is on my purpose, my contribution, and my ability to accomplish all I set out to accomplish." What a great perspective. False humility downplays one's genuine strengths to receive praise. Arrogance plays up one's strength to receive praise. Humility raises up others so they can be praised. John C. Maxwell, Everyone Communicates Few Connect MY TO-DO: I will be humble enough to let others shine. |
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BE AUTHENTIC A position gives you a chance. It gives you the opportunity to try out your leadership. It asks people to give you the benefit of the doubt for a while. But given some time, you will earn your level of influence—for better or worse. Good leaders will gain in influence beyond their stated position. Bad leaders will shrink their influence down so that it is actually less than what originally came with the position. Remember, a position doesn't make a leader, but a leader can make the position. John C. Maxwell, The 360 Degree Leader MY TO-DO: I will not count on my position for influence. It will come from who I am. |
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BE AUTHENTIC Human nature seems to endow people with the ability to size up everybody in the world but themselves. Very few people are gifted with natural self-awareness. So what is a person to do? Become a student of yourself. Learn your strengths and weaknesses. Ask others to evaluate you. Understand the way you think, feel, and act in every kind of situation. Then once you know who you are, forget about yourself and place your focus on others. You will relate to other people from a place of strength. John C. Maxwell, Five Levels of Leadership MY TO-DO: I will invite someone I trust to give me 2 bits of feedback: (1) What would you like to see me do less of; and (2) What would you like to see me do more of. |