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

<<  April 2024  >>
MoTuWeThFrSaSu
25262728293031
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293012345

View posts in large calendar

Recent Comments

Comment RSS

Thought Tweet #382

by Rick Baker
On Jan 3, 2012
Thought Tweet #382 Courage, Core, Encourage, and the Latin word Cor ["Heart"]…it isn't coincidence!
 
The Thinking Behind the Sales Tweet
Spirited Leaders values 'Courage'. Courage is our #1 corporate Value. Courage is the finest ingredient of character. It enables other fine aspects of character. Courage is something everyone can work at….like all fine aspects of character it takes time, effort, and commitment.

Tags:

Spirited Leaders | Thought Tweets | Values: Personal Values

Permalink | Comments (0)

Time for Learning!

by Rick Baker
On Dec 23, 2011

Do you spend enough time Learning?

Do you view learning as knowledge sharing?

Do you view learning as knowledge creation?

According to experts1, learning is essential to Leadership.

Leaders with Good Judgment Are Committed Learners

  • They constantly evaluate their own performance.
  • They seek knowledge and build on experience.
Knowledge Creation for All Constituencies Is an Explicitly Stated Goal
  • Operating mechanisms support teaching and learning.
  • Judgment capacity is a key leadership development target.
Customers, Stakeholders, the Larger Community Are Tapped for Input
  • Everyone teaches. Everyone learns.
  • Front-line employees are the new knowledge workers.
That's how Tichy and Bennis introduce the importance of learning in the business sector.
 
Learning is one of Spirited Leaders' Values....part of our corporate culture.
 
We approach Learning this way:
  1. Learning must be embraced naturally...curiosity is the best starting point.
  2. Learning must be life-long...the fun of it must not diminish with age.
  3. The majority of learning must be aimed at understanding and communicating with People.
  4. For your work, focus much of your learning time on specialized knowledge.
  5. For your work, concentrate specialized knowledge around your talent themes.
  6. For your work, use specialized knowledge to hone your skills.
  7. For your work, learn cutting-edge theory...and learn even more about practical things.
  8. For your work, learn how to tap into your creativity.
 
 
Footnote:
  1. 'Judgment - How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls', Noel M. Tichy and Warren G. Bennis (2007)
 
 
 

Tags:

Definitions - Spirited Words Defined | I'm too busy! - I don't have time! | Spirited Leaders | Values: Personal Values

Permalink | Comments (4)

Character & Courage

by Rick Baker
On Dec 22, 2011

An excerpt1, about Character & Courage:

 

To Sustain Good Judgment, a Leader Must Have Character and Courage

  • Character provides the moral compass.
  • Courage produces the results.
People With Character Have Clear Standards
  • They take responsibility and hold themselves accountable.
  • They value self-respect over public esteem.
Maintaining Standards in the Face of Obstacles Requires Courage
  • Character without courage is meaningless.
  • Courage without character is dangerous.

 

Spirited Leaders values Courage. I mean Courage is our highest-ranked personal/corporate Value. The above excerpt...well, we could not say it better ourselves...so we embrace and 'relay' the wisdom of Tichy and Bennis.

 

Footnote:

1. An excerpt from 'JUDGMENT - How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls', Noel M. Tichy and Warren G. Bennis, 2007

Tags:

Definitions - Spirited Words Defined | Spirited Leaders | Values: Personal Values

Permalink | Comments (11)

Having Values, Delivering Value, & Recruiting Great People

by Rick Baker
On Dec 6, 2011

Everyone knows personal values influence people's behaviour.

Most people know the interplay between people's personal values create culture, including the culture at their business place.

Some people understand and agree personal Values lead to business Culture, which must be Communicated well. When that's done it leads to the generation of Value: Value for the business [profit] and Value for its people, its Clients, suppliers, shareholders, etc. At Spirited Leaders, we call this concept VCCV. If you desire business success then the best starting-point, the strongest driver, is Personal Values.

Values-Culture-Communication-Value.

We speak about the many ways VCCV adds potency to business. 

Consider, for example, the function of Recruiting Great People.

In a 2011 Canadian Corporate Culture study, 85% of respondents indicated that cultural fit is more important than necessary skills when hiring1. 

When you are hiring a person to join your business you must work to understand whether or not they will 'fit in' your business Culture.

That means at least 3 things:

  1. You must understand your business Culture and the details of its embedded Values and your rules [our Master Rules],
  2. You must understand the employee-candidate's personal Values, and 
  3. You must determine whether or not the employee-candidate is compatible with our business Culture.
And, if you are not in a position to complete the first step then you do not know your business Culture.
 
If that's the case then that's the first thing to remedy.
 
If you are the Leader at your business then you must remedy that immediately.
 
Here is a link to get you started Leaders Personal Values Fuel Everything
 

Footnotes:
  1. Waterstone Human Capital, "2011 Canadian Corporate Culture Study"

 

 

Tags:

Master Rules | Spirited Leaders | Values: Personal Values

Permalink | Comments (3)

The Master Rules - Part 2

by Rick Baker
On Dec 2, 2011

Part 1 of The Master Rules can be summed up just the way my 2nd boss taught it to me: He who carries the gold makes the rules.

Part 2 of The Master Rules is about the importance of setting over-riding rules to help people understand:

  1. HOW things are to be done and
  2. HOW & WHAT the Right Things means when it is used in that admonition `Do the Right Things` and other admonitions like `Managing is about doing things right - Leadership is about doing the Right Things`.
The Master Rules are simple, clear, top-down Rules.
 
The Master Rules reflect the core values of the business leader. 
 
Every successful business has a culture, wrapped around high-quality core Values.
 
At successful businesses, those core Values act like an internal compass, which helps keep People comfortable. That comfort derives from the fact People feel - not just think, People feel - comfortable about their Actions and about their Situations.
 
When People feel comfortable and guided their action is offered with more enthusiasm and their performance is more productive. And, business is more successful.
 
The purpose of The Master Rules is to provide the guidance which sets the stage for People comfort and People Action.
 
 
Here is one example, close to our own hearts.
 
One of Spirited Leaders` Values is Labours of Enjoyment & Enthusiasm. At Spirited Leaders, we want our People to at least enjoy their work. We know People who enjoy their work perform more and better Actions. We also know enjoyment precedes enthusiasm. When People enjoy Actions they are much more likely to be enthusiastic about repeating those Actions. We also know the feeling of enjoyment is closely linked to personal strengths: when personal strengths are engaged People feel good.
 
One of Spirited Leaders` Master Rules is Embrace Strengths! When People know one another`s personal  strengths and then work in harmony to put those different personal strengths to best use the likelihood of Labours of Enjoyment & Enthusiasm increases. That is one example of how our Master Rules mesh with our Values. 
 
 
Footnote:
 
At a prior Thought Post we explained Commander`s Intent underpinning Goals. The Master Rules are conceptually similar to Commander`s Intent...that`s a topic for another day.
 
 
 

Tags:

Definitions - Spirited Words Defined | Master Rules | Spirited Leaders | STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success | Values: Personal Values

Permalink | Comments (1)

About Spirited Leaders & our Unicorn logo

by Rick Baker
On Nov 9, 2011
WHO are we?
 
Our Vision: Canada’s best source for entrepreneurial business education
 
 
 
WHAT do we do?
 
Our Purpose: We educate entrepreneurs.
 
 
 
HOW do we do that?
 
Our Values: Courage, Confidence, ‘The Differences’, Learning, Labours of Enjoyment & Enthusiasm
 
Our Branding Proposition: Inspire People, Grow Profits!
 
 
 
WHY are we doing what we do?
 
We enjoy learning. We enjoy business. We enjoy teaching.
 
 
 
WITH WHOM – Who receives benefit? 
 
Our Ideal Clients are entrepreneurial business leaders who want to champion change.
 
 
 
WHAT DO OUR CLIENTS GAIN?
 
With enjoyable and helpful business education, action lessons, and tools - we help our Clients inspire practical business.
 
 
 
WHY THE NAME SPIRITED?
 
Spirited is defined as: full of courage, energy, and action. We like the adjective - spirited.
 
 
 
WHY THE UNICORN LOGO?
 
Unicorns are spirited, courageous creatures. Perhaps…if not likely…they are creatures of mythology. Regardless, they are symbols of inspiration for many cultures around the world. Some say unicorns are the only mythological creature not created out of fear. We really like that last part.
 
[Sure, we know unicorns have some weaknesses…but wow, what Strengths!]

Tags:

Definitions - Spirited Words Defined | Entrepreneur Thinking | Spirited Leaders | Unicorn | Values: Personal Values

Permalink | Comments (10)

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