Sunday, December 23, 2007
5 Most Desired Leadership Traits
To be in high demand as an executive, it is important to understand exactly whatit is that adds the most value to an organization. Many studies have been done todetermine exactly what traits are most sought after, most recently by Right Management Consultants of Philadelphia. They discovered that 47% or more of the organizations surveyed look for five qualities from their top management.These five traits are the ability to:
- Motivate others and connect them to the organization's vision.
- Communicate strategically and interpersonally.
- Think strategically.
- Lead change.
- Create a performance organization.
These traits point out the major issues that face organizations of all sizes as competition grows at alarming rates. For an executive to be the most desirous, they need to display three critical attributes.
Developing a strategy to move an organization forward is paramount to success. However is no longer advantageous to simply be able to think strategically and create a vision. The successful executive must also be able to communicate the vision and motivate others to follow that vision.
This same individual must be able to lead the organization through the change in strategy. This requires team building and communication skills.
This same individual must be able to lead the organization through the change in strategy. This requires team building and communication skills.
Finally, once the strategy is in place, it is critical to keep the organization focused on that strategy while thinking strategically of other ways to stay in front of competitors.All five of the traits sought by key executives and business leaders are critically important if an organization is to stay competitive with black ink on the bottom line.
Is it possible to have all five traits?
Possessing all five traits is very rare, however not impossible for successful executives. Each of the five can be achieved through either training or coaching. The learning experience can be shortened and made more successful with the use of assessments to determine an executive’s strengths in each of the five areas.
The Profile XT™ is a valuable tool in the pursuit of these traits. The online employee assessment provides the foundation for a coaching or training program to meet the specific needs of each individual executive. Combine this assessment with workshops or programs such as “Motivating Your Team”, “Communicating with Employees”, “Strategy for Growth”, “Change Management”, and “Extreme Leadership Make-over” and you have a winning formula to instill these traits in yourself or your management team.
Just as business competition has gotten more intense over the last decade, the competition for top leadership jobs has gotten tougher. Today every executive needs to realize that there are 11 other people who would love their position and except less money to fill out. Therefore it is imperative that every executive be able to demonstrate these sought after traits.
©2007 Max Impact Corporation
Labels: Assessments, Leadership, Traits
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
How to deal with a manipulator
At some point in our lives we have all run across manipulative people. Perhaps it was a friend, relative, salesperson, coworker, supervisor, customer, tenant, or casual acquaintance. Perhaps we did not even recognize it as they manipulated the facts or situation to their benefit, or perhaps we did see it but were helpless to counter their behavior.The motivation for the manipulator can be varied. Some see manipulation as a way to get what they want in life. They feel that by controlling other people’s thoughts and actions they can also control the agenda.
Others look at manipulation as a way to deflect attention from their own inadequacies. These individuals have insecurity in their own ability or have failed to properly execute tasks to which they were responsible.
They manipulate the situation by calling attention to problems in other areas so that the troubles in their areas are overlooked. Still other manipulators are factual manipulators. They take statistics or number to paint a picture to arrive at a conclusion they may believe is right, even though it is very wrong. In many cases these manipulators are passive and unaware of their error until it is pointed out to them, but by that time they have committed to the incorrect conclusion and will defend it rather than to admit the mistake.
In his book, In Sheep’s Clothing, Dr. George Simon states that all of us have used manipulation at some point in our lives. But he insists that does not make us all manipulators. He sites manipulators as those that habitually and aggressively manipulator. According to Simon, “The tactics of deceit, manipulation and control are a steady diet for covert-aggressive personality. It's the way they prefer to deal with others and to get the things they want in life.”
The key to working with manipulators is to recognize their behavior and deal with it. Robert Bacal, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dealing with Difficult People says the critical message is “it isn’t going to with me.” The manipulator seeks those that they control and you have to position yourself away from the target of their behavior through the proper actions early in their game.
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© 2007 Max Impact. Learn how Max Impact can help you get control of unacceptable employee behavior.
Labels: Behaviors
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Believing in yourself
With the onslaught of competition from the Internet and globalization of the marketplace, many companies are afraid to launch new ventures, explore new marketing strategies, or take aggressive steps to lure customers from their competition.Instead they “circle the wagons” thinking that if they can only protect their existing customer base, they can ride out the era of change. However the history shows disappointing results when wagons are circled.
Look at retailing, for example. Discounters were king during the 60s and 70s but lost their luster when big box specialty retailers started opening up in the 80s and expanding in the 90s. Wal-Mart and Target took aggressive stands. Wal-Mart began unprecedented store expansions to move into new areas where regional retailers such as Bradlees, Caldor, and Ames were vulnerable. They also developed new brands such as Wal-Mart Super Centers, Sam’s Club, and the Neighborhood Marketplace. Meanwhile Target also increased their expansion plans to reach parts of the country where they had no exposure.
While Wal-Mart was growing the Sam's Club brand, Kmart was selling off its big-box divisions and spending its money on up-scaling existing stores. Bradlees, Caldor, and Ames were also concentrating on existing units and product lines without a vision to stave off competition from the big-box retailers.
Today, history shows that the aggressive approach of Wal-Mart and Target is the right way to go. The lesson is applicable to businesses both large and small.
The Lesson
To be successful at building businesses and careers one must have the confidence in their abilities to such a degree that they are not afraid of trying something new. I am not talking about small changes - but moving forward in a radical direction. There are several required steps involved in moving forward with risk:
- Capture a Vision. Do your homework to examine your strengths and weaknesses along with the opportunities and threats presented in the marketplace. With proper team decision-making your entire organization will understand the new vision and successfully execute it.
- Test Your Concept. When Wal-Mart decided to go in the grocery business they experimented with several concepts before finding the one that resonated the most with customers. Contrast this to Kmart when they decided to convert hundreds of Kmart units into the untested concept called Sears Essentials. Customers did not embrace the new concept and now the stores are being converted to a new format at tremendous expense. Use focus groups, test markets, or any one of a dozen other methods to make sure your new concept is correct.
- Deploy Aggressively and Intelligently. David Lloyd George said it best, “do not be afraid to take a big step - you cannot cross a chasm in two small jumps. With a clear vision and a tested concept move aggressively to make the program work before your competitors steal your thunder. Follow a plan and you will expand.
- Evaluate for Improvement. Once enough data is collected you can tweak what you have done to improve the results. Never look at what you have done as being a finished work. In the business world there is no crime in looking at your business as a work in progress.
The difference
One of the world's greatest inventors, Ben Franklin, developed many companies including a library, a post office, a printing business, and much more. We view his greatness in light of his aggressive approach to the world. He was always looking for some way to add value in the American colonies and the new country he helped form. Franklin is no different from you or me in capabilities. But he was different in that he saw life as a series of giant leaps over the chasm of mediocrity.
Labels: Kmart, Strategy, Target, Wal-Mart
Sunday, December 2, 2007
The Phenomena of Coaching
Coaching continues to have a growing impact in the workplace. One recent study shows thereturn on investment averages more than $100,000. In one case, research by MetrixGlobal,coaching showed a 529% return on investment at a Fortune 500 company before taking into account significant intangibles and soft dollars.According to The Hay Group, an International Human Resources firm, as many as 40% of allFortune 500 companies are now using professional coaches to varying degrees. Once reservedfor top-level executives, coaching programs are now hitting all levels of management. As theC-level executives quickly learned, technical and trade skills carry less importance thaninterpersonal skills and emotional excellence. Effectively coached executives at the upper levelsrealize that these interpersonal skills and self-mastery have a huge payback even with middle andentry level executives.
Today, the highest ROI is coming from organizations that take an all-inclusive approach to coaching. These firms are seeing an increase in camaraderie and teamwork as there executives experience coaching at the same time.
Researchers at MetrixGlobal found that three quarters of respondents indicated a significant are very significant impact on at least one of the business measurements coaching programs sought to improve.
Nine ways coaching programs typically provide improvement
There are nine improvement areas generally identified by those that have taken part in professional coaching programs. Read what they are by clicking here.
You may also want to learn more about programs such as Max Impact’s Catapult®. Success from the program can be staggering. Catapult® uses a unique blend of assessments and individualized goals to achieve results in excess of expectations. For example, a Sales Vice President was able to Catapult® his company’s sales from a double digit decrease to double digit increase by using the interpersonal skills he learned to extract untapped potential from his salespeople.
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