Rick Baker Thought Posts
Left Menu Space Holder

About the author

Name of author Rick Baker, P.Eng.

E-mail me Send mail
Follow me LinkedIn Twitter

Search

Calendar

<<  March 2024  >>
MoTuWeThFrSaSu
26272829123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031
1234567

View posts in large calendar

Recent Comments

Comment RSS

Only when you know who you are can you influence others.

by Rick Baker
On Nov 20, 2013

If you lack self-knowledge then you will never be a great leader. In fact, if you lack self-knowledge then you will struggle to have any level of sustained success in business.

Perhaps, you will get lucky and experience short-lived wins. If you do then don’t confuse that with success. Without self-knowledge the wins will soon disappear. They will disappear because sooner or later, likely sooner, followers will recognize the leader’s shortcomings.

Quality people – good followers – lose interest in a leader when:

  • the leader fails to illustrate intelligence or
  • the leader fails to illustrate self-control or
  • the leader fails to illustrate focused drive.

Good followers want to vent their strengths. They want their talents, knowledge, and skills to be linked to opportunities. Good followers expect their leaders to generate those opportunities. Good followers also want to be part of something successful…if they sense the leader is exercising poor judgment then they will interpret that as a sign of weak intelligence, if they see the leader stray from the goal-path then they will interpret that as a sign of weak self-control, and if they see the leader lose energy or ambition then they will interpret that as a sign of weak drive. These are just a sample of the many ways a leader can lose quality followers. And, there is no question, the quality followers will be the first ones to leave.

When a leader develops the skill of understanding self the leader can use that skill to understand others. Yes – this is far from an exact science. It takes concerted, life-long effort to understand self. It takes even more effort to improve skill at understanding others. But – do not let that dissuade or discourage you. Small improvements in understanding others result in huge payoffs. Huge payoffs? Yes – most people do an extremely poor job of understanding others. Anyone who makes an effort to understand others stands out as ‘a good listener’ or ‘a good communicator’. Because it happens so rarely, people quickly register positive feelings and thoughts when someone actually listens to them or illustrates the ability to empathize with them.

So, simple steps to leadership success…

1.    Work at self-knowledge: every day, take the time to think about what you think and what you do.

2.    Use your self-knowledge to work at understanding others: observe, ask questions, listen.

3.    Use your knowledge of self and others to build business strength:

·         Strategize: set vision and goals

·         Build relationships with people, influence performance, & execute actions

      -  Develop and use your strengths

      -  Develop and use others’ strengths to augment your strengths

      -  Develop and use others’ strengths to offset your weaknesses

Tags:

Influencing | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

Thought Tweet #872

by Rick Baker
On Nov 19, 2013

Thought Tweet #872 Great leaders don't drive people; great leaders fuel the drive in people.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Weak leaders have little choice but to force others to do what they are told to do.

Great leaders have a spectrum of choices: their choices range from forcing people to do what they are told to do to inspiring people to want to do what is of value and of mutual benefit. Great leaders favour fuelling the drive in other people. However, great leaders will draw clear lines when that is required. These lines reflect the great leaders' Values and Master Rules.

And - great leaders lead by example. They exhibit Integrity.

Tags:

Influencing | Leaders' Thoughts | Thought Tweets

Take Steps Toward 'Change Leadership'

by Rick Baker
On Nov 15, 2013

If you want to lead change and influence others to help you achieve the success you desire, consider these things:

  • Your Intelligence - This is a tough one! How can you be objective? How can you know whether or not you have the intelligence required to be a successful leader? Here's a few suggestions: (1) view this as a life-long process, work at self-knowledge, & figure out how to measure accurately [then you will be able to apply these things to understanding others], (2) ask for input from others then consider it from different perspectives [as examples, subjectively and objectively], (3) have at least one mentor...intelligence is not fixed - it is something you can expand if you work at it.
  • Your Self-Control - There are two dimensions: (1) short-term control over emotions, feelings, thoughts, & actions and (2) 'Grit', the ability to control thoughts and actions so they align with personal Values, Vision, Rules, & Goals. 'Grit', as defined here, is the thing in you that determines whether or not you can illustrate Integrity to others and whether or not you have the conviction required to achieve your Desires.
  • Your Emotions - Another tough one! Start by defining Emotions and how they differ from feelings, moods, and other mind states. Seek help from others who can observe you in a variety of Situations: under heavy workload, under stress, under assault [for example, while being criticized]. Assessments can help identify your weaknesses. Major weaknesses must be corrected. If they are not you will violate sacred things like Integrity and your stated Values...violations will destroy followers' Trust in a blink. 
  • Your Actions - and the Actions you must do to deliver value, lead others, inspire others, influence others, and help others. 
 
Dedicate at least one full, uninterrupted day each year to measure your progress. 
 
When you do this you will observe progress steps that look something like this...
 

Delegation: The Decision-Making Engine of Business

by Rick Baker
On Nov 13, 2013

Delegation is the decision-making engine of business.

The Delegation engine is fuelled by Influence.

Influence is built on a track record of releasing control and growing trust...all laced together, consistently, with Vision, Values, Rules, Goals, & Measures...all making best use of Talents & Strengths...and, together, learning lessons from errors made along the road to Success.

 

 

And the key to successful Delegation: make Decisions around How you will go about Releasing Control and How you will go about Growing Trust. For most people and most businesses, these things do not just happen naturally. They only happen after a great deal of forethought, self-analysis, and good planning. 

Practice the 80% Rule: If someone else can do the Task 80% as well as you can do it then Delegate.

And remember...

Constructive Criticism is an Oxymoron...so choose to celebrate lessons learned from failures rather than criticizing others' errors.

Thought Tweet #865

by Rick Baker
On Nov 8, 2013

Thought Tweet #865 Listen to what people say...are their words the words of Victims or Initiators?

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

We do better with people when we understand them...as Stephen Covey taught - 'Seek First to Understand'.

We all go through ups and downs and the ups and downs can skew our day-to-day personalities. So, yes - it is rash to judge personality too quickly.

Setting day-to-day variances aside, we all have predominant tendencies. While we do not want to pretend we are armchair psychologists, our success in this world of other people increases when we observe people and develop an ability to understand them.

And, people do have predominant tendencies. One of those tendencies has been captured by psychologists and labelled locus of control. Some of us 'have' an internal locus of control while some of us 'have' an external locus of control. People who 'have' the internal locus of control believe they can affect change and outcomes. They tend to be Initiators. People who 'have' the external locus of control believe they have little ability to influence change or outcomes. They are fatalists or Victims. 

Victims tend to complain about their lot in life. Victims tend to blame others. Victims tend to blame situations. Victims are pessimistic. Victims make excuses. [Feelings of envy and jealousy hang around the shadows of Victims.]

Initiators are the opposite.

[Give Victims comfort. Give Initiators latitude.]

Thought Tweet #864

by Rick Baker
On Nov 7, 2013

Thought Tweet #864 Influence flows when actions are backed by strong appetites for & vivid visions of change.

 

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

And the results are constructive when formed by intelligence and self-control.

Influence - Why, that's something every single one of us does every single day. 

But of most importance - What form does our Influence take?

How have our intentions or inattentions shaped our influences?

Tags:

Change: Creating Positive Change | Influencing | Thought Tweets

Copyright © 2012. W.F.C (Rick) Baker. All Rights Reserved.