Category Archives: Better Business
May 15, 2014 Leading With Humility Strengthens Your Organization
A recent study found that across the board, the most effective leaders demonstrated the following characteristics:
1) acts of humility, such as learning from criticism and admitting mistakes
2) empowering followers to learn and develop
3) acts of courage, such as taking personal risks for the greater good
4) holding employees responsible for results
In other words, it is crucial to lead with humility. You may feel pressured to always have the right answer and to always take the reins, which is understandable. After all, the buck stops with you. But if you never allow your team room to find solutions in their own way, you’ll miss out on some amazing collaborations. I’ve witnessed some truly incredible things when I gave people room to learn, grow, ask questions and trust both me and one another.
In other news, the Star Tribune did a great piece on me. You can read it here.
Have a great week, all!
Tags: Delegation, Effective Communication, Healthy Workplace, Improving Leadership, Improving Relationships, Margaret Smith, UXL
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Better Business
May 3, 2014 Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel’s Five F’s For Successful Leadership
In this snippet from one of her talks, Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel gives us her five characteristics every good leader needs.
Her five F’s are:
Fast
Focused
Flexible
Fluid
Futurized
I like how she not only establishes some very important leadership attributes, but also stresses the importance of being able to jump from one skill to the next. In a leadership role, you need to be fast on your feet as things develop on the fly. At the same time, you must stay focused on the project and on the people working with you. The attribute that lets you do this is flexibility. You must be able to be on high gear in one moment, then slow it down to address the needs of an individual, and then turn it back on high gear.
From experience, I can tell you that all this running around and focusing on all the various needs of the organization gets exhausting. Many leaders burn out pretty quickly. This is why I think Dr. Bethel’s last point, being futurized, is a very fitting point to end on. Having vision and being forward-thinking are what keep you centered and motivated. So, while you might get tired from all the running around and changing gears to address new developments as they pop up, you won’t burn out, because you know what you’re working toward.
What are your thoughts on Dr. Bethel’s five F’s? What kind of leadership principles are on your list?
Have a great week, it looks like spring is finally upon us!
Tags: Delegation, Healthy Workplace, Improving Leadership, Leadership, Learning Agility, Margaret Smith, UXL
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Better Business
April 23, 2014 4 Tried And True Follow-Up Tips For Business Prospects
In the big, bustling world of business, it is absolutely crucial that you make a memorable impression (the good kind of memorable!) right away. This is as true for job seekers as it is for veteran business people hoping to make big waves in their career.
The key, I’ve found, is prompt and consistent follow-ups. Here are some principles that have given me success:
1. Hang on to the contact info of business prospects. Whatever works best for you. I know folks who keep a case for business cards. I like to write down the contact info in my planner on the same day that I met them. Either way, keeping track of who you meet and how you can get a hold of them is a sure-fire way of optimizing your chances of success.
2. Contact prospects sooner, not later. A rule of thumb is within the first couple days of meeting them. You want to keep their memory of you fresh in their minds as that ideal option for them to take advantage of.
3. Remember first names, and use them. People respond well when you use their first name. It shows you view them as a unique individual, not just another business lead. Do you best to get their name the first time. It can be tough, but think about how you’ve felt when someone has said to you, “I’m sorry, what was your name again?” That’s never good for business.
4. Never burn bridges. Many leads turn out to be dead ends, but don’t let this get you down. You never know when a prospect who has turned you down in the past may approach you in the future, but they certainly won’t do so if they had a negative experience interacting with you. Stay positive, hang on to their business card, and keep that door open.
Good luck!
Tags: Confident Interviewing, Effective Communication, Job Hunt Advice, Margaret Smith, Networking, Personal Branding
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Better Business
UXL Blog 