What is Going to Make YOU the Next Great Leader? What Will Take YOU to the Next Level?

As the workplace dynamics and life situations are rapidly evolving, there are multiple opportunities to assume leadership roles.  Circumstances whether in your job or in your community or even in your family may require you to step up and lead.   For example, I have seen one of the biggest and most consequential leadership roles that I have had to undertake was addressing the needs of my aging parents.  In our communities, we often see that individuals are standing up to fight for what they believe in or to seek justice.  In the workplace, organizations are moving more aggressively toward team management and project-based operations.  These settings have made it even more imperative that organizations invest in growing leaders that can step into management roles to execute their organizational.

So, what do the experts say makes a great leader?

  •  Great leaders get straight “A’s” on their leadership test.  They exemplify authenticity, accountability, adaptability and appreciation.

  • Great leaders cast a compelling vision about where they want to go and they have faith in their beliefs - they create lasting solutions to problems not just band aide fixes and they create a thriving organizational culture.

  • Great leaders stay positive, exhibit confidence and have a sense of humor - they are clear about their goals and decisive in their decisions - they lead with courage, passion and humility.

  • Great leaders handle controversial issues or crisis calmly and confidently - they embrace failures and manage setbacks while taking responsibility for their actions - they learn from their mistakes and make the hard choices when they have to.

  • Great leaders embrace change and lead by example - they communicate effectively and are transparent in their actions.

These are what I call the brass ring objectives.  These tend to be the buzz words of leadership development.  These are the things that we often shoot for to become better leaders.  While these are all good intentions and yes great qualities to have as a leader, they tend to be taught as the flavor of the month but, in reality, nobody embodies all of these leadership qualities. While a finely tuned racecar looks great and will perform competitively on the racetrack it won’t be a winner when you need to bring the groceries home from the store; your SUV will do a better job at that.

So how are you going to become the next great leader?  What will get you prepared to step into a leadership role, willingly or unwillingly, and have the best chance to succeed?

We all take on leadership roles in very different ways.  Depending on our talents and strengths as well as knowing our limitations we all approach the responsibilities of leading in very different ways.  Through Gallup’s research, it was determined that the most effective leaders are always investing in strengths.  Without an awareness of your strengths, it is almost impossible for you to lead effectively.

“We believe that when the right talent meets the right opportunity in a company with the right philosophy, amazing transformation can happen.”  -- Reid Hoffman

In order to be an effective leader, you need to take stock of your personal characteristics and skill sets and assess your strengths and weaknesses.  Further education in leadership and management coupled with continued professional development of your skills are key.   In this age of digital enlightenment and rapidly evolving workplaces, the definition of effective leadership is constantly changing and to keep up, leaders need to continuously ask questions of themselves.

In the popular TV show, Game of Thrones – Peter Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister a dwarf living in this fictional world where physical strength and the ability to engage in warfare are rewarded.  When asked why he reads so many books, his answer is to improve his already strong mind.  Knowing that because of his physical limitations, that he would never excel as a warrior, his best chance to lead and succeed was through his intellectual abilities.  He knew his strength was his intelligence and that by enhancing his strongest asset he could not only survive in a chaotic world but he would excel as a leader.

Knowing your strongest assets are your best chance to be a successful leader.  Understanding not only your strengths but those of your team and bringing those talents to bear in your leadership endeavors is your best path to being a great leader.  Knowing your strengths and those of your team is like having a blueprint of why you are or why your team members are the way that they are is like having a manual on how to make yourself or your team members function at optimal efficiency.

In my previous articles, I have been talking about knowing your strengths is understanding your “YUR”.  Why you tackle certain challenges the way you do; why you react the way you do; why you lead the way you do are all encompassed in how you use your strengths.  For example, if one of your strengths is communication you will lead best if you use this talent to influence others.  Empathizing easily with others will take you a long way in your leadership responsibilities by helping to build strong relationships.  Having strong analytical skills, will help you devise effective strategies while leading a team and if you are a person possessing an acute ability to focus then you will use this strength to lead your team in successfully executing their projects.

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.  When you become a leader, success is about growing others.”  – Jack Welch

As a person that has “Maximizer” as my top talent theme according to the Gallup StrenghtsFinder assessment, I understand that great leaders know that people are key to your success.  One of the keys to being a great leader, in my opinion, is being able to instill power within others.  Lifting others up, inspiring them to grow and bringing out the best in people is the best way to create more leaders.  A true leader is able to inspire their team to encourage them to go beyond excellence and accomplish far more than anyone expects them to – or they expect of themselves.  Great leaders earn their team’s respect.  They do this by getting to know their team by listening, providing productive feedback and they encourage cooperation over competition.

“You cannot have faith in people unless you take action to improve and develop them.”  -- Sumantra Ghoshal

The other side of the leadership equation is encompassed in why followers follow.  In the book written by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie, Strengths Based Leadership, Rath and Conchie outline how you can effectively lead using your unique strengths.  I highly recommend reading this book and with it you will get a code that will allow you to take Gallup’s StrengthsFinder Assessment.

If you are ready to find out what shapes your ability to be an effective leader and you are ready to maximize your “YUR” by discovering your talents, declaring your strengths and developing them into dynamic tools that will make you the next great leader V1H Consulting will help you to evolve your “YUR”.

“What great leaders have in common is that each truly knows his or her strengths – and can call on the right at the right time.”  --Tom Rath

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“How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything”

A Strengths Based Approach

Martha Beck is credited with coining the quote, “How you do anything is how you do everything”.  This quotation has been widely used in a variety of training seminars, motivational talks and many books and periodicals.  It would suggest that how you manage most situations, challenges or other experiences in your life is probably a good indication of how you handle almost all of the occurrences in your life.  When I first heard this quote in a leadership seminar a few years ago, I wasn’t quite sure if this was really true and, if it was, how I would process this information.  Typically, statements that include words like anything or everything are usually very broad expressions and, quite frankly, I interpret them with guarded reservations.  For example, when I looked at the relationships that I have had in my life, or some of the actions that I have taken, I didn’t necessarily see a correlation to that statement.  My relationships varied widely and because I may procrastinate on doing yard work that didn’t necessarily mean that I procrastinated in doing other things, especially things that I enjoyed doing.  Also, while my desk may get a little messy, my car stays clean.  And, I certainly would not want to compare how I play basketball or sing, for example, with how I do other things in my life.  So, while I did see some things that fit in this model, my personal experiences didn’t seem to fit this doctrine consistently enough to solidify it in my consciousness.

Do you ever wonder why you make certain choices?  Why you do what you do?  Why you like certain things?  In my last article, titled “YUR” which talked about how your talents and strengths determine why you do what you do, leads to the connection between strengths and the do everything scenario. Under the concept of “YUR” I have suggested that the core of why you do what you do is driven by using your strengths.   As I viewed the do everything statement through the strengths lens, I could see a more definitive pattern that gave credence to this premise.  As I developed the “YUR” concept, as it relates to StrengthsFinder, I began to see a pattern that provided more credibility to the notion that “how you do anything is how you do everything”.  By looking at this quote in this new context, I saw it’s meaning in an entirely new perspective.

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There are obviously some things we don’t do well.  Strengths psychology pioneer Dr. Donald O. Clifton asked the question, “What will happen when we think about what is right with people instead of fixating on what is wrong?” This philosophy dictates that it is better to focus on the things that we do well.  Why are we better at some things than others?  There is a reason:  It’s our talents.  Our talents help us to understand why you are the way you are – ergo, your “YUR”.  Knowing your talents helps us to understand how we naturally think and feel and they can shed light into our behaviors. Talents are aptitudes, personality traits and interpersonal characteristics like empathy, strategic thinking and assertiveness.  These are things that you are born with.  Infused with knowledge and the development of skills, these talents will become our strengths.  These are enduring qualities in each of us because they are basically hardwired in our brains. In short, they affect our ability to reach our goals and desired outcomes.  So, when you are using your talents and working in your strengths you can feel confident that when you do anything that you will find consistency in how you do everything and you can achieve the results that you desire when you know your talents and use your strengths to succeed.

When we look at others, such as, mentors, role models, leaders, etc. we look to them for inspiration and guidance but we also look to them to see if they do anything/everything consistently.  Those that we admire for their accomplishments and are at the top of their game in what they do are using their strengths at the highest levels.  Whether they are athletes, entertainers or in leadership positions they have discovered their talents and honed them to gain the maximum affect.  It is their dedication, tenacity and work ethic that are driven and supported by their strengths.  They repeat what has been working for them while enhancing their skills to improve outcomes.  For example, a basketball player uses his or her skills as a 3-point shooter to have maximum impact on the game, entertainers use their talents to regale their audiences and leaders use their strengths to influence others to initiate change.

Therefore, I have determined that this notion of how you do anything is how you do everything can be a good thing.  If you harness your talents and nurture them and ultimately make them your strengths, you too can use them to achieve your desired results. I encourage you commit to growing your strengths and use them to do everything.  When you master the art of unlocking your strengths and step into the version of yourself that uses your strengths to do anything, then you will find that how you do everything will result in more positive results.

Management expert, Peter Drucker says, “everyone ought to know what their strengths are’.  How you do anything is how you do everything when guided by your strengths creates patterns of success. Your strengths are your means of making positive contributions in the world. Your strengths are your inborn, hard-wired resources for good works. If you’re not making the most of your strengths, everyone's missing out. Start maximizing your strengths.

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Discover, Declare and Develop your Strengths:

“If you are not focusing on your strengths then what are you focusing on?”

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Because there’s a 1 in 33 million chance of you having the same top 5 talents in the same order as someone else, YOU are unique.  Be inspired to live in your strengths zone. Join us in the world of strengths. Focus on Your Strengths.

If you have any questions about anything that you have read in this article, or you’d like to talk to us about helping your team to understand the power of Strengths then connect with us today to see if we might be a good fit to help your team or organization build a Strengths Based culture.

Larry Hammond, Sr.

Start your Strengths Journey with our Basic Introduction Course

Unlock Your Strengths for Success, A Basic Introduction.
$97.00

Communicating Through Strengths – The Road to Success

Why is actualizing excellent communication systems such a challenging issue for most organizations?

All organizations generate, receive and use data- accounts about information which become accomplishments when arranged in meaningful patterns.  Members of organizations communicate because they must receive and transmit information to coordinate their activities and to carry out their respective missions. All messages that pass through a system must be comprehensible to intended recipients.

 The original meaning intended by the sender may also become distorted when intermediaries at various levels of hierarchies reframe the information in line with their prejudices and preferences or when new information is combined with what is stored in organizational memory.  No matter what systems are used, communication content must be defused through the organization effectively.  Even with technology enhancing communication, people find understanding and consensus is often lacking.  With the wide array of communication methods – email, telephonic systems, instant messaging, etc., the ability to send and receive messages has never been easier or faster. However, method and messages are not necessarily communication. This is especially true when the essential success of communication is imperative such as in a hospital.  
Recently, at the conclusion of a successful surgery for my daughter, I found myself sitting in the recovery area of a major hospital. With the stress of the surgery gone, I began observing the activities going on around me.  As I watched, it became apparent that hospitals are a hotbed of communicative activity.  It occurred to me that, by necessity, hospitals have almost mastered the art of organizational communication. There are large screen monitors chocked with data, computers at every station and patient monitors beeping as physiological data is being recorded.  Then there are the less technological devices like white boards to write notes which, by the way, include magnetic tokens that say “Stop” and “Go”.  And, of course there is the all-important face-to-face dialogue that takes place between the patients and medical staff.  Even the physical layout of the hospital setting is designed to facilitate productive communique; nurses’ stations are usually centrally positioned, and open for all to observe. In addition, there are a cadre of directional signs to keep you on the right path.  Successful communication in hospitals is literally the life blood of the organization.  A misguided or inaccurate message can mean life or death in a hospital setting. 
The flow of communication is essential to success and the decision making process in any organization if they are seeking to excel at performing their missions, serving their customers and being the best in their industry. As demonstrated in the hospital environment, communication is an essential element in organizational culture.  Organizational culture, according to Professor of Communication at the University of Illinois, Marshall Scott Poole, “represents the linkages between the organizational situation and members’ cognitions, feelings and behaviors.”  Most important to organizational life, it affects job satisfaction and performance.  Political Scientist, James Q. Wilson defines it as a “persistent way of thinking about the central task of and human relationships within an organization.”  Hospitals have a
distinctive organizational climate that tends to uniquely provide opportunities for people to work in their strength.  It’s mission, to provide excellent care to patients is clear-cut; policies and procedures are meticulously documented; and personnel is afforded the opportunity to use their communication strengths at a high performing level.   


How does knowing and working in your strengths help enhance communications in an organization?  

In a previous article, “A Language to Excel”, I highlighted how the faculty at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) used StrengthsFinder® in their leadership programs to help students find a common language that enhances their leadership skills. It is one example of how StrengthsFinder® teaches that each of us has talents that are meant to be used and that we use these collective talents to meet life’s challenges. 
Achieving excellence in any area isn’t easy; especially in the area of communication.  Organizations which establish a foundation to maximize team performance have a distinct competitive advantage.  In my personal experience managing and working with teams, I have seen that the best way to succeed is to encourage all staff levels to identify and work in their talents. When one plays to these talents they become confident in their strengths and create an environment of focus and engagement. Individuals feel better because they are growing and developing and teams collectively elevate higher levels of innovation and creativity.  Organizations who promote and allow their teams to work in their talents and strengths are using this important key to success. 
Based on over 40 years studying human strengths, the Gallup organization created a language that identified 34 themes derived from multiple natural talents that naturally exist in individuals.  The development of these talents manifest strengths.  Most strengths are not rooted in just one talent, but two, three or more.  Using themes that overlap, helps you to contribute your best role in a variety of circumstances.  The interaction of themes is called, “theme dynamics”.  It is through these interactions that we draw from our talents to maximize our efforts in areas like communication.  For example, in the hospital scenario, let’s say that nurse Emily’s strongest talent is “Achiever” which naturally pushes her to get things done and to do more.   She also has “Learner” talents which drive her to master new skills that make her more effective in her work.  And, if she has “Strategic” talents included in her top themes, then she is always interested in knowing the options that the she can use to best communicate her messages.  While the “Communication” theme may not have been identified to be one of Emily’s top talents, she is using her primary talents to execute effectively in the area of communication which is key to being successful in her job.

       
Is communication in your organization consistent and effective?  

Using a strengths-based approach uniquely positions managers to build a strong communication network within their organizations.  There are multiple advantages to this method.   The first includes the formation of a common language that provides all team members with a consistent way to communicate among themselves.  This brings clarity and continuity in sharing information.  Also, teams that consistently work in their strengths are more confident and self-assured in their informational exchanges.  And finally, organizations that are operating in a strengths culture espouse their values to the constituents that they serve.  Communication is vastly enhanced when stakeholders clearly hear and understand the missions and goals of an organization when they are articulated definitively and confidently from members of the organization. When in the hospital, one takes great solace that any communication related to their specific case or that of a loved one is being executed accurately, effectively and timely.  It is imperative that the right information be communicated so that the best possible outcome is achieved.  In this setting, it is extremely important that those responsible for the medical care are working at maximum aptitude and efficiency.  When organizations communicate effectively, progress is made, employees stay engaged and service delivery is optimal.  Those that master communication systems by developing strengths-based, interdependent teams, where communication throughout the organization is at the forefront, consistent and effective, will succeed and prosper. 
Larry Hammond, Sr. – Certified StrengthsFinder Coach and Principal with V1H Consulting.  Find out more about strengths based workshops and training at wwwv1hconsulting.com 

The Strength to Lead!

Traits that define a good leader are numerous.  Even the definition of leadership has been debated for decades.  Successful leaders have been described as people that show confidence, that have a positive attitude, that are good listeners and insist on excellence.  Good leaders realize that accountability and responsibility are essential to success and developing others is as important as developing yourself. Making decisions is one of the most important functions performed by leaders.  Many of the activities of managers and administrators involve making and implementing decisions, including planning the work, solving technical and operational problems and creating job assignments. 

Over the years and through my experience I have come to believe that at its core, true leadership is doing the right thing and making the right decision at the right time.  Earlier this year, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history occurred at an Orlando nightclub.  During this catastrophic event, Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany had been filling in as medical examiner for Orange and Osceola counties in Florida for about a year, when he was faced with addressing the aftermath.  Dr. Stephany made the decision to separate the bodies of the 49 victims from the body of their executioner.  “There was no legal reason, no protocol” for separating the gunman, Stephany said in an interview.  “It’s just what I felt was right”. 

While everyone may not desire to take on a leadership role in an organization, it is now becoming more imperative that people within organizations be able to step up and adopt a more hands on approach to problem solving.  Twentyfirst century organizations need to be nimble and respond to challenges quickly and effectively to be successful.  In order to do so, they will need their team members to take on leadership roles to be responsive to the challenges presented. 

 In today’s work world, it is more important than ever to develop leaders within your organizations.  The increasing rate of change in the external environment of organizations and the many challenges facing leaders suggest that successful leaders will require a higher level of skill and some new competencies as well. As the need for leadership competencies increases, new techniques for developing them are being invented and old techniques are being refined.  A systems approach to leadership development will become more common as more organizations realized that this activity is strategically important for longterm organizational effectiveness. 

There has been extensive research on the effects of professional development training in organizations.  The research suggest that this usually increases job satisfaction and performance.   After decades of studying some of the most successful employees, leaders and enterprises in the world, Gallup Inc. has found that organizations achieve the highest levels of success by investing in their strongest asset – their people. 

Developing leaders in an organization offers a variety of potential benefits for the manager, the subordinate and the organization.  One benefit is to foster mutually cooperative relationships.  Potential benefits for subordinates include better job adjustment, more skill learning, greater self-confidence and faster career advancement.  The leader can gain a sense of satisfaction from helping others grow and develop.  Potential benefits for the organization include higher employee commitment, higher performance employees who are better prepared to fill positions of greater responsibility in the organization as openings occur. 

Successful organizations beyond the 21st century will be defined by how well they develop leaders within their ranks.  Employees need to collaborate across the organization to achieve organizational goals and objectives.  This often requires people to step into leadership positions to head teams and coordinate projects.  Developing leaders provides for successful succession planning, highly performing teams and successful project implementation. Organizations that develop internal leaders are better able to adapt and implement changes in the organization. 

When developing leaders, in any organization I have worked with, my successes and most effective outcomes have been when the focus is placed on employee’s strengths.  Using a strengths based approach to leadership development is the best way to instill confidence, develop leadership skills and to build a collaborative culture that supports emerging leaders in an organization. Many organizations are under using the strengths of their employees partially because they have not identified what strengths they have individually or collectively. Bringing these out in your team will be a tremendous benefit to the organization. 

Gallup’s research has shown that organizations that develop their teams around strengths see increases in employee engagement and results including 14.9% lower turnover and 12.5% greater productivity.  A strengths-based approach incorporates identifying the ways in which employees most naturally think, feel and behave and building on those talents to create strengths – the ability to consistently provide near perfect performance in a specific task. A strengths-based approach combines the requirements of the job and performance capabilities (or competencies) demanded by the organization with individuals’ strengths to optimize performance. 

Using a strengths-based approach to develop leaders in the organization is key to maximizing the potential for successful integration and the embodiment of a leadership culture.  It capitalizes on the positive outcomes that a strengths-based approach provides, such as, making progress, employees enjoying what they do and them having a high interest in their work.  By positioning employees in ways that allow them to use their strengths every day and integrating strengths into key processes and systems organizationwide will yield a multitude of benefits for the organization, including increased engagement and retention.  A strengths-based approach aligns an organizations’ policies and practices and anchors them in a common philosophy. 

As we talk about developing leaders, what it really comes down to is outcomes.  When the circumstances arise or as in the crisis in Orlando, will the people in your organization stand up in leadership roles to do the right thing and make a positive difference?  Will they use their strengths to act with confidence and resolve to advance the organization’s goals and vision?  When Dr. Stephany made the decision that he did he didn’t do it for notoriety; he didn’t do it because he had to; he did it because it was the right thing to do and he was truly serving the people that he was hired to serve.  Dr. Stephany used his strengths to lead with dignity and conviction.  

Larry Hammond, Sr. – Certified StrengthsFinder Coach and Principal with V1H Consulting.