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Posts Tagged ‘Intentional’

Intentional Leadership — D5, W2, M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

It’s somewhat warm, humid, and rainy as I write this, and I am so looking forward to this weekend.

My plans are to rest and play… mostly! And, yes, there will be some work. On my business, on Empowerment Mentoring, on Women in Leadership Luncheon prep, but mostly fun.

I have flowers to plant in my boxes out front. Need to hit a local nursery to replace a few lavender bushes that didn’t make it last year (there’s always a risk when you buy them at 80% at the end of the season and they are totally root bound in their containers!). And on Sunday, will be the highlight of my weekend: An afternoon with a good friend, lunch, shopping, and painting. Yes, I said painting. We are going to a place called Uncork and Create for Mimosa Sunday. I’ve never been, but you go and paint a picture, and while you paint you may enjoy a glass of wine and snacks…if that suits you. I’m just really looking forward to the girl time and creative outlet. Don’t get me wrong, though…this activity will push me out of my comfort zone. I’m not a “visually” creative person usually. My creative juices normally flow along the lines of words, ideas, and concepts. So, I truly welcome this opportunity to get outside myself for a bit and see what happens.

Oh, and it looks like I’ll be spending a week in June, in Guatemala with John C. Maxwell, and a number of my fellow John Maxwell Team Members, teaching transformational leadership! How’s that for the opportunity of a lifetime? I’m more excited than I can say, and as you can imagine, there’s a lot of work to do to prepare for that!

Now, it’s your turn. What’s on your list?

Who really need your attention this weekend? You? Family? Friends? People you’ve not yet met?

What really needs your attention this weekend? Is it projects, rest, relaxation…?

What thoughts do you have about the level of focus you are applying to your life?

What’s in store for you this weekend, next week, and in the coming weeks? Are you taking the steps to set yourself up for success and fulfillment?

Have a great weekend, and I’ll “see” you Monday!

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Intentional Leadership — D4, W2, M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , on April 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »

It’s time to get your journal out. Take some time today to reflect on what you’ve learned this week, and especially about the benefits of focusing on and improving a specific skill. Consider, also, the affect on your relationship with the person (people?) you reached out to for help.

How could your efforts in sharpening your skills, and building stronger connections, impact your production and effectiveness at work? What’s the impact on the larger organization — beyond just your role and your team?

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Intentional Leadership — D3, W2, M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Now that you’ve defined the skills necessary for success in your current role, and are actively working to sharpen at least one of them, let’s think about who can help you.

Who do you know who can help you deliberately develop the skills required in your role?

While you surely have an extensive network and a long list of contacts, create a list of specific people who are key players with respect to your position. Designate each one based on expertise and associate their names with the skills from the list you created yesterday. Think of them as your “inner circle” with respect to sharpening your skills in this job.

On a piece of paper, make two columns. In the left column, list your top ten skills, one per line. In the right column, list the people you identified above who can help you with each specific skill on your list.

Contact at least one person on your list today to help you with something specific.

You know, people are flattered when we recognize their skills and abilities; they want to know that others recognize their talents and competence. You can win in two ways with this exercise: First, you sharpen your skills, and second, you will likely develop a stronger connection with the people you reach out to.

What are you waiting for? Get started…

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Intentional Leadership — D2, W2, M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , on April 16, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Let’s work through an exercise to clarify your role, sharpen your skills, and refine your ability to focus. Before you can do this, it’s important to understand you role and what skills are necessary for you to be successful in it.

First, on a piece of paper, describe your current role. What are you responsible for?

Next, outline the skills required for you to be successful in your role. List at least 10 skills, then circle the top three.

Now that you are clear on the top three skills required for success in your job, what can you do in the next week to improve your mastery of just one of those skills?

After you have picked one, create a simple plan that will drive you to sharpen that skill at least twice over the next week. Be very specific and even put the time and activities in your planner. If you don’t commit to it, something else will surely come along and eat up the time you’ll need.

I look forward to hearing what you are working on, the actions you are taking to sharpen your skills, and what your results are.

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Intentional Leadership — D1, W2, M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , on April 15, 2013| Leave a Comment »

As we move into week two of this month on focus, I am reminded of John Maxwell’s Law of the Inner Circle (21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership), which essentially says that because no one person is strong in every quality, characteristic, behavior, or skill, we need an inner circle — people around us who are strong in areas where we are not. Strong, confident, self-aware leaders realize this and know it to be true.

I know this to be true. As an example, I am a strategist. I see the big picture. I thrive on concept development and deep discussions around ideas and problem solving. I can deal with the details, and have spent a considerable number of years doing exactly that, and quite well, but it’s a huge energy drain for me, and quite tedious. Not the best use of my time, energy, or talents. I have a number of skills and talents, and a number of other areas where I’m not the best. The good news is, I recognize this about myself. So, as I build my team, I will be wise to include someone who loves the administrative stuff, who thrives on dealing with the details, among other things.

This was also true of Anne Mulcahy, former Chairperson and CEO of Xerox Corporation. When she was appointed to the top position, a promotion she wasn’t looking for, Forbes Magazine dubbed her “The Accidental CEO.” While she was in an unexpected position, she was not unintentional about how she handled her new-found responsibility.

And a heavy load it was. At the time, Xerox was $18 Billion in debt and under SEC investigation for accounting fraud. Mulcahy knew she had to turn the company around, and to do this she — and her inner circle — would have to be bold and dauntless. Knowing her strengths and weaknesses, she was smart in surrounding herself with outstanding leaders in their areas of discipline, especially in finance and accounting. She expected them to challenge her instincts, to be transparent and blunt about what they found, and they delivered.

During this trying time, Mulcahy put the company through rigorous financial changes, including massive lay-offs (more than 25,000 jobs!), shutting down unprofitable divisions, and even relocated executives to less extravagant offices. All the while, she had her eye on growth, continuing to fully support Xerox’s Research and Development team because she knew the company would required new products to stay afloat.

You could say, Anne Mulcahy had crystal clear focus on where she was taking the company and what was required to get there, and she did this with the support of a strong inner circle. As a leader, you will also need the vision, insight, different perspectives, and support of others.

Who is in your corner and on your team — part of your Inner Circle, if you will — who helps you in your current role?

What skills do you have and what tools do you use to help you stay focused in your job?

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Intentional Leadership — D5, W1, M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Good morning and Happy Friday!

Another week has flown by and we are at the end of our first week of Month Four — Focus.

This topic is a good one for me right now. I am working through the Deeper Path process, as I’ve mentioned, and it’s all about gaining clarity, developing a crystal clear plan for where I’m headed with my life’s work, which requires a lot of reflection and focus.

What about you? What are you thoughts on this month’s topic, so far?

What do you need to focus on?

Now for our Friday ritual, let’s focus on the weekend and the weeks ahead…

What really needs your attention this weekend? Is it projects, people, rest, , fun, relaxation…?

We’ve had a lot going on in our family this past week, so rest and reconnection are definitely in order. My son wants to spend his tooth fairy money on a wind-up turtle for the tubby, so we will go to Toys R Us.

Continuing preparation for the Women in Leadership Luncheon; it takes a lot more preparation than one might imagine to deliver an awesome keynote speech, and that’s my intention. I don’t want anyone attending the luncheon to walk away disappointed. I also just committed to sponsoring the Chick-Fil-A Leadercast being hosted at University of Charleston on May 10. So, I have some work to do polishing up my marketing materials for Empowerment Mentoring and a couple of Mastermind Groups (15 Invaluable Laws of Growth and Everyone Communicates Few Connect). I am still working my way through content in the John Maxwell Online University; this material is so good on so many levels, I will go through it over and over and over and over, and get something new out of it every time! Finally, I applied to be part of the team John Maxwell is taking to Guatemala in June to teach Transformational Leadership. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I’m so excited! Can’t wait to hear if I will be included in the team. If the answer is “yes,” I have a lot of work in preparation for that, as well.

What’s in store for you this weekend, next week, and in the coming weeks? Are you taking the steps to set yourself up for success and fulfillment?

Have a great weekend, and I’ll “see” you Monday!

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Intentional Leadership — D4, W1, M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , on April 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Today, I encourage you to spend some time journaling about the goal you accomplished this week using your objective statement and task list.

Did you do it?

Were you successful?

Were you more aware of the big picture surrounding the task and how it involved others?

As a result, were you able to come up with a task list more quickly from the objective statement?

Were your activities more focused this week than in previous weeks?

What have you learned, so far, about focus, that you can carry forward and increase your effectiveness going forward?

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Intentional Leadership — D3, W1, M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , on April 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »

What important projects are you working on, either at work or at home? Pick one and take some time to consider what challenges you might encounter while working your way through the project.

Now, think of other people who have worked on similar projects. Pick someone you know well enough to connect with who will spend a little time with you. Then use the opportunity to discuss your project, the challenges you think you might encounter, and how you might navigate your way through those hazards. Get their input.

What insights do they have to offer?

How will you use it?

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Intentional Leadership — D2, W1, M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I’m working my way through a process called The Deeper Path, led by Kary Oberbrunner, a fellow John Maxwell Team member can coach who is guiding me through this amazing process he developed with his Builder, Chet Scott. Traveling The Deeper Path is all about gaining clarity and focus.

While I have what I believe to be a lot more clarity about where I’m headed and what I’m building in my life than many others, I know I don’t have it to the degree I need it to be truly fulfilled, successful, and reach my potential. The truth is, there is so much stuff going on around all of us all day long, so much noise, so many messages to sift through, so many people clamoring for our time and attention, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. It’s easy to get lost in all the stuff. It’s easy to be busy, and yet not feel productive.

I know I’ve been there, on more days than I like to admit to. Yet, I’m aware of this, and awareness is the key. Once you have come to this realization, you have the opportunity — and the choice — to do something about it, to do something differently.

You see, busy doesn’t necessarily equate to productive. To be productive, I need to spend my time on the “right” activities. To know what the “right” activities are, I need clarity and focus!

How do we get there? Begin with the end in mind: What objective are we trying to achieve? When you can write an objective statement simply and clearly, you understand what you need to do to achieve it, when you need to do it, how you will do it, what resources (people and other) you need, and what the result will be when you are done.

Let’s put it into practice. We will create a task list that will allow you to stay focused on your project, effectively thinking through from the big picture to the details.

Across the top of a piece of paper, write your task or goal statement. Then, below it write this — and do the ranking:

Priority (1 = Low and 5= High)   1     2     3     4     5

Impact (1 = Low and 5= High)   1     2     3     4     5

Define the following:

What tools will you use to accomplish this task? List all resources — tangible or intangible, including specific people (time, money, supplies, staff, other materials, etc…)

Who will benefit or otherwise be affected by the completion of this task?

What will be the result?

When you’ve completed this exercise, use the information to draft your objective statement. Here’s an example: “By the end of this week, I will have created a comprehensive client contact file, including communication preferences, connection time-lines, product and services preferences, and known networks/affiliations, which I will use to track my business and networking activities.”

Now, take a clean sheet of paper, write your new objective statement at the top, then create your thorough task list which will allow you to meet your goal. Make notes as you work through it this week on what worked, what didn’t what you added that you didn’t need, what you needed but didn’t think to list…We’ll do some reflection on this later.

Get to work!

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Intentional Leadership — D1-W1-M4 — Focus

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , on April 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

This week we will spend some time studying the big picture — getting the lay of the land and understanding what it means for us in our teams and organizations. If you are a detail-oriented person, this could be a stretch for you, but I encourage you to work on this, because it’s critical to your success.

In order to be strategic in whatever you are doing, you need to be able to see the big picture. Once you have some understanding of the what’s happening in your industry, with your competition, and within your organization, then you can channel your energy and activity toward achieving some clear objectives designed to help you achieve your big goals. Only then can you shift your attention to the details.

Working as a professional communicator for the past 20 years, this is how I approach my work, whether the work at hand is in support of a corporate long-term strategic objective, or a one-time communication effort. I always ask my “client” what they are trying to accomplish? What end are they trying to reach? What do they want the audience the know, understand, and do as a result of the communication?

Once they are able to answer those questions, I am able to design a communication plan that will help them reach their goals. This includes segmenting the audience (I strongly recommend a precision targeted approach, rather than the shotgun — spraying your message over everyone hoping it will hit some of the right people — approach), gaining some understanding of what they know and what they need to know, defining key messages, identifying the best communication vehicles to use, outlining a timeline, and specifying who will deliver the message. Only then do we actually begin to craft the communication.

For those who are focused on the details or are impatient about just sending the message, it can be a painful process. But, I can attest that after 20 years of approaching my work this way, the results are worth it (proven by  both the clients who have taken my advice and achieved the results they sought, as well as by the clients who thought I was simply wasting their time and forged ahead with poorly developed communication and were significantly disappointed by their results).

I believe it was David Grossman who said (in his book You Can’t Not Communicate) that effective leader-communicators spend 80% of their time, with respect to a communication effort, actually planning for the communication and only 20% of it on delivery.

So, what’s your big picture?

What goals have you set in support of achieving that big vision for your work?

What about the goals you’ve set for the rest of your life?

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