Exciting news

This is just a quick note to share some exciting news that explains why you haven’t heard from me for a bit.

Finally, after 2 years and 3 months of demolishing and rebuilding, we are in the midst of moving, unpacking and settling into our brand new house and office…

As soon as I get a chance I will share a very special way you can celebrate with us, so check back here or watch your email over the next couple of days.

Kind regards, Kerrie

PS. Don’t forget to watch out for your next message from me soon, so you can join in the celebrations.

Be A Great Leader

A guest article by: Donald Wilson

Picture an unproductive workplace, staffed by unmotivated employees. People are standing around, some are trying to look busy, but nothing ever seems to get accomplished. The team leader is frustrated because things just don’t happen the way they’re supposed to. Even in busy workplaces, goals are never fully reached despite the hustle and the bustle. If this scenario describes your workplace, maybe it’s time to do something about it.

Many people are content just to stand around listening for orders. It isn’t unusual for an entire staff to become complacent and adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But you’re different. Somewhere inside of you is the desire to make things happen, and you dream of being the head, not the tail. You could be the born leader that your company needs to succeed.

Some people believe that great leaders are born, not made. Although it may be true that many are born with natural leadership talents, these qualities will never be fully developed without practice, drive, enthusiasm and experience. Good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their skills, and possess a natural commitment to constantly improving both professional and personal endeavors.

A leader is defined as ‘one who influences others to accomplish a goal or objective’. This person contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group.

Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. Good leaders do not harass people or drive them by inflicting fear. Rather, they encourage others to meet the goals and objectives of the organization. Effective leadership entails putting everyone on the same page and helping him or her see the big picture of the organization.

There is a big difference between being a leader, and being a boss.

The first step to being an effective leader is encouraging others to follow your lead. How is this accomplished? People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. Your team will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going, and have a sensible plan to meet your goals. Think of the bumper sticker that read “Don’t follow me, I’m lost too.” The same logic holds true for leadership. If you do not know where you’re headed, how can you expect others to follow?

You must understand the vision of your organization. Have a clear sense of hierarchy; know whom the bosses are, and whom each person can go to for guidance. By displaying a clear understanding of the organization’s goals and objectives, and how the organization operates, you will be able to prove to others that you are a confident leader.

Being a great leader is not about what you make others do. It’s about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what your team strives to be.

Studies have shown that another basis of good leadership is the trust and confidence that your team has in you. If they respect you, they will go through hell or high water for you and for the organization. Trust and confidence are built on the clear communication, high ethics and trustworthiness that you display on a day-to-day basis.

The way you deal with your team, and the relationships you build, will lay the foundation for the strength of your group. The stronger your relationship, the more trust they will have in your capabilities. Once you have earned their confidence, you are able to communicate goals and objectives to your team.

Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without consistently clear communication you cannot succeed as a leader. The knowledge and technical expertise that you possess must be clearly imparted to other people.

Sound judgment is also vital for good leadership. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution to any problem. Your team will begin to rely on your good judgment; so good decision-making is vital to the success of your organization.

Leaders are not expected to be heroes. Trust your team to fulfill tasks and make their own decisions. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not expect others to rely upon your skills alone.

Recognizing and taking advantage of the skills and talents of your group is the only way that you will be able to succeed as one cohesive unit.

Being a great leader takes a good deal of work and time, and is not learned overnight. Remember that it is not about just you. Great leaders take every opportunity to involve the people around them.

If you feel that you have the drive and desire to be a great leader, and to make a real difference in your organization, then go ahead and make the change. In other words, take the lead.

About The Author:

Donald Wilson contributes articles to several web magazines, including http://bowyn.com and http://hopir.com.

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For help developing all the skills you need to Be A Great Leader visit the Leadership Skill Center at http://leadershipskillcenter.com

Great expectations

A long time ago in another life, when I was studying to be a teacher, one of the first things we learnt was that our students would reflect back to us what we expected of them.

If we expected little of them, they would achieve little. If we expected dedication and hard work our students would be dedicated and work hard for us. And most importantly, if we held great expectations for them they would ultimately achieve greatness and fulfill their potential.

Eventually I came to believe this was one of the most important lessons I ever learnt as a teacher. And experience has shown it is a lesson that carries over well into the world of management and leadership.

When we have great expectations for our staff, we can be confident our team will achieve greatness in return.

If you’re not getting everything you want from your people, check whether you might be getting what you expect. If you are getting the worst, is it because you have developed a habit of expecting the worst?
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If you need help in changing the results you are getting from your people contact us to talk about how we can help you change things for the better.

More on how to expect great things in the Quick Tips below:

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MAKE IT HAPPEN NOW – RECORDING NOW AVAILABLEMake it Happen Now

This was a great audioseminar and many of you have been asking to be notified when the recording would be available. Well it’s finally here! See details of how you can listen in and learn How to Make it Happen Now at:

http://leadershipskillcenter.com/ts/bt/index.html

You won’t want to miss Brad’s discussion on how you can actually achieve more by doing less! Once you “get” this idea your whole approach to leading and managing people can become easier and more effective overnight! -And that was just one of many powerful ideas Brad shared with us. That link again
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QUOTE OF NOTE

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”

Mark Twain (1835-1910)

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QUICK TIPS FOR EXPECTING GREATNESS

* If you lack confidence in one or more of your staff, reflect on why that might be the case. Consider whether training, coaching or mentoring might help them build their skills, approach or confidence in their role or tasks.
* Sometimes what needs to change is the whole organizational culture. If that is your situation, talk to us about change management or team building strategies that you can implement.

The Leading Well Bottom Line:

Your attitude and expectations as a leader set the platform for the results your people will achieve. You hold the power to amplify their results, but you don’t have to do it all on your own. Find a mentor or coach that you can explore possibilities with in confidence. We would be happy to talk to you about how to approach turning your situation around.

Kind regards, Kerrie

PS. That Link again for Brad’s audioseminar on How to Make it Happen Now! – Have a look at it.

Measurements that matter

I’ve often heard it said that “You can’t manage what you don’t measure”. Yet there are some things in life that we measure that may be best ignored – like age or height or earnings.

And there are other things that we don’t measure that perhaps we should – like smiles or kindnesses or friendships.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

George Carlin

Are you measuring the things that really matter at work – as well as outside your work?

Free teleseminar invitation

You are invited to a free live teleseminar with Kerrie Mullins-Gunst and Brad Tonini on ‘How to Make it Happen Now!‘

You won’t want to miss this if you want to:

* set and get goals that enable you, and your team, to achieve more in your business and personal life
* work from goals that are both easy to get and worth getting
* get what you deserve out of life
* think bigger about what’s possible
* ensure all your team are working from the same game plan
* become a better decision-maker
* avoid procrastination and bring some of those things that are haunting you to a successful conclusion
* help others on your team to be more decisive and achieve your desired bottom line results.

Here is a free opportunity for you as a subscriber to Leading Well, to develop your leadership skills. You can discover How to Make it Happen Now! by investing just an hour of your time in this special teleseminar.

Here are the details:

TOPIC: How to Make it Happen Now!

Presented by Leadership expert, Kerrie Mullins-Gunst, with Business Performance Strategist, Brad Tonini

DETAILS: You can attend this teleseminar without even leaving the comfort of your chair. Teleseminars are the fastest, easiest and most convenient way to develop all the skills you need to mentor, manage and lead!

All you have to do is call in to the teleseminar by telephone from wherever you are located. Join us, as our guest at this teleseminar, and you will discover:

* how to get your focus right and work on your most important priorities with just “one hard thing” each day
* when and why you need to stop procrastinating and take the “fork in the road”
* the secret to how just a tiny percentage of your efforts can yield huge results
* how to surprise yourself with bigger and better results by harnessing the magic of thinking big
* how you can take control, pre-empt the future and get in front of the game with one simple adjustment to how you approach things
* the single most important thing managers and leaders need to do regularly in order to make the quantum leap to better results and avoid the trap of only getting what you’ve always got in the past
* the key to translating your organization’s vision and direction for your team so together you can make it happen!

DATE AND TIME: In Australia/Victoria: Wednesday February 14, 2007 at 10:00 am

DATE AND TIME: In USA/Los Angeles: Tuesday February 13, 2007 at 03:00 pm

You can use the TimeZone Converter to confirm your exact time and date at your location.

Mark this date in your diary now!

DURATION: The teleseminar will last for between 60 and 75 minutes.

COST: Complimentary for our Leading Well subscribers ($37 value). Be our guest! Register now and discover: How to Make it Happen Now!

Register immediately to secure your place and receive your login instructions. You will also receive Leading Well with a bonus Top Leadership Tips Workbook from Kerrie, plus Brad Tonini’s newsletter, if you don’t already subscribe.

I hope you can join us for a great teleseminar. I know you’ll be sorry if you don’t.

Kind regards, Kerrie

PS. If you are at all interested in knowing How to Make it Happen Now! then book your spot NOW. You can use a cheap Phonecard to dial in to the teleseminar.

PPS. Recordings of all our previous teleseminars are now available.

Building on Strong Foundations

What a busy and exciting year 2007 is shaping up to be. It’s only just begun and already we have some great events and special bonuses lined up to help you to develop all the skills you need to mentor, manage and lead.I’m sure you will be pleased to hear that the Leading Well Teleseminars are back for 2007, and once again, as a subscriber to Leading Well, you will be invited to attend free of charge. And we have some fantastic presenters all set and ready to share their insight and wisdom with you over the coming months.

Look for registration details of our next free teleseminar in your email inbox very soon… If you know anyone else who would like to receive invitations to our free live teleseminars please encourage them to register for Leading Well.

Kind regards, Kerrie

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BUILDING ON STRONG FOUNDATIONS

Two years ago now, my husband and I decided to demolish our old house and build a new one, complete with new improved global headquarters for KMG Consulting. We had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for, or how long it would all take. If you have ever done any building, I can hear you laughing now. And no, it’s not quite finished yet – but it’s very close, and we’ve learnt a lot in the process!

Anyway the reason why I mention this is because I can see a number of parallels between building a house and building your leadership. Both must be built on strong foundations and built to a clear, detailed plan.

Over the past two years we have pored over our house plans, checking details, picturing how we will use the rooms and visualizing what each will look and feel like. As a leader, every detail of what you are trying to achieve needs to be just as clear to you – and your team – as our house is to us.

It goes without saying that we wouldn’t expect to build much of a house if we didn’t share every detail of our plans with the people working to build our house for us. And similarly you can’t expect to realize your organizational vision if you don’t share it clearly and in detail with everyone on your team.

Your vision – the full picture of what you are trying to achieve – is critical for your success, but it isn’t sufficient. You also need to build on strong foundations.
If your vision represents what your organization is trying to build, your foundation is your purpose – why it is worth doing.

Share both the “what” and the “why” with your team. Then tap their expertise during an action planning process to determine the “how”. Check in with them regularly to ensure they have all the training, tools and resources they need and then let them get on with the job.

Focussing on the “what” and “why” will place your leadership on strong foundations as you realize your vision, just as surely as our new house is rising from the demolition site.

More on how to do this in the Quick Tips below:

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QUOTE OF NOTE

“The superior leader gets things done with very little motion. He imparts instruction not through many words, but through a few deeds. He keeps informed about everything, but hardly interferes at all. He is a catalyst, and though things would not get done as well if he weren’t there, when they succeed he takes no credit. And because he takes no credit, credit never leaves him.”

Lao-Tzu (c604 – c531 BC)

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QUICK TIPS FOR BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION

* Ensure that your team not only know what your purpose is, but that they understand it. As their leader you may need to translate your mission or purpose statements into more meaningful language for your team so they are quite clear on the “why” that is your foundation.

* Where possible involve your team in the process of developing and modifying statements of purpose to apply at their level in the organization. This values their contribution and builds their ownership of the outcomes.

* Ensure the objectives and actions that flow from the “what” and “why” are realistic and achievable so your team experiences success as they move along each step of the way in your desired direction.

The Leading Well Bottom Line:

You don’t have to do it all on your own. Watch for details of our exciting new Leadership Coaching Club, coming soon. Visit http://leadershipcoachingclub.com/ to join the Priority Notification list.

Read past issues of Leading Well:

* You will find past issues of Leading Well and other useful information in the Leadership Skill Center Blog.
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FREE TELESEMINARS

We will notify you when the date for our next teleseminar is finalized but you can keep an eye on what’s available (including details of how to access recordings of past teleseminars) here.

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