TheLeadershipNotebook

Security

 

Thought for the day:

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is a daring adventure, or nothing.”   

   ~Helen Keller

 

To your success,

Mary

Assertiveness: A Required Skill for Leaders

“Behavior is a mirror in which everyone shows his image.”

~Goeth

 

“John”, a former coaching client, is a senior manager at a CPA firm. He was skilled technically and had enjoyed a great reputation in the community and within his firm. But over time, this positive reputation began to erode.  You see, John was unable to say NO. He was unable to say NO to new projects that were beneath his technical capability, taking any project that was requested. He was unable to say NO to request for participation in several community boards, each asking for his expertise. His workload piled up and over time, he missed deadlines and made errors as a result of his lack of focus. He missed board meetings and commitments he made. John was miserable. He knew his passive behavior was causing much of his situation but he had not learned the skills to speak up and create a “win-win” situation for himself and his “constituents.” He needed to learn the skill of assertiveness.

 

Jane, on the other hand, had a different challenge. As the practice leader in a consulting firm, her attacking and demanding approach constantly put her direct reports on the defensive. Her aggression undermined the productivity of her team and in the long run, created a revolving door for employees leaving the organization. Jane’s aggressive approach created a “lose-lose” situation. Through coaching, Jane finally realized that she needed to learn new communication skills that respected other’s rights as well as her own.

 

Assertiveness is a required skill for leadership. Assertive behavior focuses on negotiating reasonable changes in the way both parties behave to create a win-win result. Assertiveness is not just expressing your feelings and walking away. It involves being very clear about what you want to accomplish and implementing an agreeable contract between yourself and the other person. Sharon Bower, author of Asserting Yourself: A Practical Guide for Positive Change, states “The basic difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect the rights and well being of others.” Passive behavior betrays your rights. Aggressive behavior betrays the rights of others. Assertive behavior respects both individual’s rights.

 

Assessing your current level of assertiveness is the first step in understanding where to begin. Ask yourself: Do you speak up when you have a legitimate complaint or issue? Do you work out a specific solution to a problem, being true to yourself and to the other party? Do you make your message to the other person short and clear and express yourself in a firm voice? Through coaching, John learned these new skills and has incorporated them into his daily communication. His colleagues know that he is a team player but will no longer be passive or be taken advantage of.

 

Jane learned to be more self aware in understanding what situations provoked her aggressive behavior. She was able to work proactively to manage the stress of her job and communicate her needs in a direct yet respectful manner.

 

Assertiveness can be learned and there are numerous benefits derived from building this skill. Some benefits include increased self confidence, becoming more comfortable in your communication with others and increased respect for yourself….All valuable benefits on our journey for more effective leadership.

 

To your success,

 

Mary

 

 

 

Celebrate!

It’s April 16th and many of my clients and friends are practicing CPAs. For the last several months they’ve been wrapped up in what’s affectionately referred to by the profession as “busy season.” Completion of numerous financial audits, corporate and personal tax returns and consulting projects related to those year-end compliance deadlines have been mercilessly compacted into a calendar period of a very short three and a half months. The workload is intense and exhausting. And so when April 15th comes around, there is a huge (and, of course temporary) sigh of relief. It’s clearly time to celebrate!

 

For about fifteen years, during my career as a practicing CPA, I spent the evening of April 15^th celebrating with my colleagues. It didn’t matter that I was involved in audits or consulting projects that did not have an actual date tie-in with the federal income tax code. (It’s like what your mother says about good manners: “You don’t leave the table until everyone has finished their meal.”) April 15^th was the date that our firm celebrated as one community. Our 4/15 party was an opportunity for each of us to express gratitude for the effort of our team members. It was an opportunity to connect with each other in an environment that was celebratory, to remind each of us that we are part of a bigger community.

 

David Campbell of the Center for Creative Leadership says: “Celebrations are the punctuation marks that make sense of the passage of time; without them, there are no beginnings and endings. Life becomes an endless series of Wednesdays.”

 

I know, I know. Some celebrations (i.e. individuals) can get out of hand or be cranky from months of intense and hard work. But the celebration I’m talking about is an opportunity for the team, the firm or your department to feel a sense of unity around what you’ve accomplished and pride in a job well done. Time to reflect on what went right and commit to taking a hard look at what didn’t.

 

So even if you’re not a CPA completing “busy season,” think about the next major project or milestone that you have coming up. Anticipate its completion. Build celebration into your team’s calendar. Terrence Deal and M.K. Key, in their book Corporate Celebration provide some examples of opportunities to celebrate.

 

Cyclical celebrations—seasonal themes, corporate anniversaries, key milestones

Recognition ceremonies—best in class, achieving a special recognition

Celebrations of triumph—beating forecasts, launching a new product, opening a new office

Rituals for comfort and letting go—loss of a contract, layoffs of employees, site closings

Personal transitions—retirements, other life transitions

Workplace altruism—pulling together to help others, showing appreciation to clients

 

Take advantage of the celebration as an opportunity to honor your achievement and build community at the same time. Say thank you, acknowledge your team’s efforts and cheer each other on for the next major milestone. This kind of support goes far beyond a one-time party. Its impact will be long remembered. I know I still remember mine.

 

So celebrate. It’s April 16^th!

 

To your success,

 

Mary

 

 

 

 

 

Come to the Edge

“Come to the edge.
We might fall.
Come to the edge.
It's too high!
COME TO THE EDGE!
And they came,
and he pushed,
and they flew.”

Christopher Logue

 

When I recently asked one of my coaching clients, a finance executive, to describe her most memorable and rewarding career experiences, she very quickly cited two different roles in two different companies. “What was the consistent theme?” I asked. With no hesitation she shared that in each case, her then boss provided her with significant “stretch” opportunities. Each leader encouraged and supported her along with challenging her to expand her capabilities. Her bosses believed in her and her capacity to learn and develop new skills even when she might have doubted her own ability to rise to the challenge. She learned much from these two leaders and has incorporated the same traits into her own leadership style.

 

My client’s experience is consistent with the results of research on “extraordinary” leaders published by Zenger and Folkman in a book by the same name. The authors identify 16 competencies that set exceptional leaders apart from average leaders. It turns out that outstanding leaders, (those that produce high productivity, low turnover, high profitability, innovation and positive relationships) establish stretch goals for themselves and others and promote a spirit of continuous improvement in those they lead.

 

How about you? Do you encourage those you lead to step out of their comfort zone? Do you provide stretch opportunities, along with support and encouragement to your direct reports?

 

Do you stretch yourself by taking on more challenging projects and engagements or are you comfortable with the status quo?

 

 Are YOU ready to fly?

 

To your success,

 

Mary