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“Creating Successful Leaders”

Category Archives: Advice from a Life Coach

July 13, 2012 How You (Yes You!) Can Get Creative at Work

By Margaret Smith, UXL:
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER

I was surprised to discover two really helpful articles in the recent USA Weekend insert (usaweekend.com) in my Stillwater Gazette. I decided to share some of the most important ideas with my readers.

Last week I wrote about an article on building a successful business based on the perfect team. This week, I’d like to focus on an article addressing a different subject—that of sparking creativity—by author MeKenna Grant, and featuring advice from creativity specialist Tina Seelig.

Now, before we dive into some great tips for supercharging our creativity, I think it’s important that we face a common hang up that many of us have when it comes to “being creative.” The problem is that many people believe that we’re either born with creativity, or we’re out of luck—we’re “uncreative” people. It’s like picturing creativity as a gift we’re given that cannot be taught, handed off, or fostered.

This way of thinking about creativity is downright wrong, and it limits potential, says Tina Seelig, author of inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity and award-winning educator at Stanford University. Seelig urges readers to understand that creativity can be easily taught and learned.

Interested in learning to ignite your own creativity and start embracing challenges and creating new ideas? See Seelig’s handy tips below.

Use Metaphors and Analogies to Connect the Unfamiliar
Seelig suggests turning to devices commonly reserved for literature to get your creative juices flowing. This means using metaphors to compare things to one another and connect unfamiliar pairs. “By comparing one thing to another, you uncover fascinating parallels that open up a world of new ideas,” she says. “Connecting unexpected people, places, objects, and ideas provides a huge boose to your imagination.”

Make Space to Be Creative
It’s not always easy to make room for new ideas, different ways of thinking, and different possibilities. This means it’s important that you work to give yourself creative space. “Creative space leads to creative work.” As a great example, Seelig turns to creative animation powerhouse Pixar, the company behind movies such as Toy Story and Finding Nemo. We learn by this example that creative space can be made by working with a group. It’ll help you gain insight from others. Seelig explains that it’s best to have “a group composed of individuals who bring different perspectives to the table, who respect different working styles, and who resolve conflicts along the way.”

As a final note, Seelig reminds us of the all-important, final ingredient when it comes to creativity: “Great teams also have a healthy dose of playfulness.” Add a little more fun to your next brainstorm, and you’ll be sure to generate some fresh ideas.

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July 5, 2012 The Key to Business Success Is All Around You

By Margaret Smith, UXL:
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER

I was surprised to discover two really helpful articles in the recent USA Weekend insert written by Stephanie Weaver (usaweekend.com) in my Stillwater Gazette. I decided to share some of the most important ideas with my readers.

The first article deals with building a successful business, and offers the key to this success: Build the perfect team. Does it sound like a great solution? Sure. Does it sound like an easy solution? If you’ve ever worked on a team, then your answer is probably a little less definitive.

Have you ever found yourself assigned to a group project at work, and caught yourself dreading it? This is probably because there’s some work to be done not on your project, but on your team. “Team building is a way to be in control of your life.” says Robyn Benincasa, world champion adventure racer and author of How Winning Works: 8 essential leadership lessons from the toughest teams on earth.

Build your team, and gain control of your life. A rather interesting concept, right? I couldn’t help but recognize the truth behind this insight. The less out of control or imbalanced your team is, the more weight each member has, and the more democratic things become.

Benincasa had a wide variety of experiences to thank for such great advice. She left the corporate world to take on expedition-level competitions that ask participants to hike jungles and mountains, cross lava fields and survive rapids.

Who crosses the finish line first is as much about who you’re with as how you train, she says.

Although you may not be inclined to enter the world of extreme sports in search of wisdom, you may be interested in stealing some of her tricks:

Play to the Strengths
Recognize one another’s strengths and weaknesses (we all have them) and tap into them by divvying out tasks accordingly. Leave egos at the door.

Stop the Finger Pointing
Nothing defeats team spirit more than singling out someone’s flaw. All teams—whether work or personal—are built on respect.  “Lead by strength, not title”, and squash any negative remarks as soon as they come up.

Take Benincasa’s Test
Do you look at people as potential competitors or potential teammates? If you’re trying to compete, flip a mental switch. The world is full of potential teammates.

After reading great teambuilding tips from a revered adventurer, I decided to consider the challenge of teambuilding with my own set of tools and experiences. About a year and a half ago, I discovered a personal assessment tool that’s brought teambuilding to a whole new, easy to understand level:  Insights Discover.

Insights Discovery is a great tool for building team respect and eliminating competition. The program does this by helping teams to recognize the value and skills that each person offers, no matter how different they from you. A well-balance team is the key to seeing all perspectives and getting work done on time with reduced conflict and stress. If you’d like to explore the benefits of Insights for your work group, please contact me today.

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June 25, 2012 Tally-Ho! June Newsletter: 13 Ways to Look at a Leader

13 WAYS TO LOOK AT A LEADER | UXL, JUNE 2012

What’s the secret behind great leadership? There’s no “right” response to the question; All of us will answer differently because there are a multitude of different leadership styles.

Recently, INC MAGAZINE published an article outlining 13 DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT A LEADER. Before you inspect the list below, take a moment to consider an exemplary leader who you’ve experienced personally. What were the things that made this person strong and valuable?
Click Here to Read More!

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