Admonish, Nurture, A Legacy Leadership

We’ve all talked about Leadership, Servant-Leadership (which is a start), but what about a transparent leader? How about…

 

Being a Legacy Leader!

What is a legacy leader, what does it look like, what does it do?

Well, let’s start with what they are not, and don’t do.

They never lead from behind.

They never ask for anything that CAN’T be done.

They never ask from you what they haven’t done themselves. (Within limits, of course)

They never make rules no one can follow, or not follow themselves.

They never gossip about their followers.

They never condemn nor condone bad actions.

They never play the blame game on others.

What legacy leaders do:

They always lead from the front. They are the point men and women.

They always ask from you what you are capable of.

They always push you into a growth zone.

They always build their followers, working on their strengths.

They always admonish and nurture when things go awry.

They take the heat for their followers when it gets down to it.

They give positive affirmation and praise for a job well done.

Think on these questions

They go with you side by side on any frontier or tread any new waters. Legacy Leaders go above and beyond their call of duty.

                You are asking your followers to, “Do as I say, and do as I do!”

You ask why would they do such a thing, why don’t they just do their time, make sure everyone did what they should have and call it a day? That’s why they are called…

 

“LEGACY LEADERS!”

What kind of legacy will you leave to the next generation of managers after you retire or are gone. Would your dream be to be remembered as the “jerk that didn’t care” That wouldn’t last too long. But the guy or gal that went the extra mile, spent that extra minute or hour helping a follower get it right, put her/him on the right path to become perhaps a stellar performer, that’s one of the things a legacy leader does.

AHH, but there’s more!

A Legacy Leader does one giant step greater. That’s to live that legacy in the present, not after they’ve moved on. Followers watch what’s done more than hear what’s said. That old saying, “I can’t hear what you’re saying, because your actions are speaking louder!” Don’t let that be said of you.

You can touch them, speak to them any time, almost hear their heart beat. Why? They get up close and personal with their followers. They’re not afraid to be vulnerable with those they lead. Napoleon was a leader such as that. He knew the names of his soldiers and knew of their families, Gen. Patten, the same.

You are training the next generation to be great leaders as yourself, to take up the gauntlet in your stead.

Jesus when he walked the earth did just that. He was and is the ultimate Legacy Leader of all time. He taught his disciples to be just as himself, and after two millennia, his followers still grow.

Stepping into this kind of leadership is demanding non the doubt, but the rewards are stupendous. Here at Arnold Group, we are “Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!”

Culture! Everyone’s Talking Culture

 

Everybody wants to either create a new culture for their organization or do it from scratch. Which of the two do you declare is your venue? Or maybe you haven’t thought of needing one, or more-so never thought of having a culture at all.

But, now that I put it in front of you, you’re thinking, “To have a culture, or not to have?” AHH..the question!

Cultures play different roles in different organizations. No two cultures are alike! Just as no two people are alike. What one type of culture can do for one may not do the same for another; not that its bad, it just doesn’t fit your type of organization.

  “Creating a culture for your company is like picking a suit/dress, or shoes it has to feel, look,  and wear just right or it won’t go far.”

Next question to ask yourself is, “What kind of culture do I want for my organization?” Sophisticated, light, cheerful, fun, debonair (to name a few)? Maybe a mix, such as fun yet sophisticated, light yet debonair.

                                                                  Don’t go for dark or

                                                    gloomy, you’ll chase people away.

Seriously though, you need to think of the atmosphere you want to portray in your company. Think of it as a stimulus. You want it to perpetrate all the persons involved; to be a part of something bigger than themselves to invade their personage (in a good way).

The type of business you run plays a major part in the culture type you need to have in order to be successful for years to come. It’s not a one size fits all, it has to be true to you and the mission you’re on, the end being in mind from the beginning.

What do clients see when they walk into your respective business, especially new clientele? First time impressions mean everything, whether it’s a date, first day at a new career move, a meeting, etc. What does your opening act personify to the client?

How can culture affect employees, 1. they are eager to start their day, or 2. just another day at the office, blah, blah, blah?

Culture is always there, (good or bad) whether we observe it or not.

Your Culture is the very essence of your company, it’s the heart and core values wrapped up in everything you and your company stand for.

  A good introduction is the book Corporate Cultures by Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy.  A more in-depth examination is the book The Cultures of Work Organizations by Harrison Trice and Janice Beyer. These will help you start your “Cultural journey”. 

Happy culturing! Cheers, Jack

Middle Managers Prospectus

As managers, we have come to the conclusion that we have to do it all, ‘get er done’, keep things moving, etc. When in fact (admit it or not) we can not do it all, even in delegation there are times when you are short-handed, low on allotted time on that days’ schedule; and you realize it wont be done today. 

What do we do?

 You put your best on the job for each particular position at hand and hope for the best possible outcome… right? Wrong!! There are things we can do to make life a bit less complicated. This is new for some and just a small reminder for the seasoned manager.

Here are 6 steps to help you ‘get er done’ in some of your most pressing days:

1. Listen! Listen! Listen!

What do you hear the producers saying on the production floor? Does any have a thoughtful strategy? Could be they thought this thru before you; after all, they operate the day to day. Your associates are closest to almost all the situations on the production floor. Feedback is very, very important, listening even more-so.

                               Then you must act on that info!

2. Make each step count.

Consider each step a stepping stone toward the goal. Well thought out moves are done before you make a move, not during, takes place. Are the right people for the job selected? Look ahead for obstacles that can and will arise. Plan an execution for each.

 Cross-training should be an essential part of any manufacturing culture. A/G specializes in group and one on one training methods to ensure production control.

3. It only works if you work it!

Many a good intentional plans have gone to dust because of poor execution or none at all. Try working the scenarios in your head, with a colleague, on paper, etc first; but do it or it won’t get done!

Procrastination is a major production killer for any organization. Thinking things thru is one thing, but letting go, even for a time, is another.

4. Don’t drift!

This happens quite a bit. No one does this deliberately, but you may start out over here doing the right things, someone calls you for one thing or another,

all of a sudden you catch yourself an hour or so later not doing what your main intentions were. You must stick to the point and plan at hand.

5. Don’t be afraid to stretch yourself or your team above and beyond!

Growth comes from stretching and building. Muscles don’t grow unless you put pressure against them, same thing here applies. Your associates won’t get mad or angry with you, they will see it as a measure of trust you put on and in them. (If they see it otherwise, they aren’t team members)

Which leads us to:

6. Be immersed in the growth process!

Leaders lead by example, not from the side-lines. Give it your all, they will follow suit. There’s nothing worse than coming up with plans, strategies, and thought processes that never come to fruition.

Arnold Group has been serving businesses, manufacturing companies, career climbing men and women for some time now. “Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!”

Getting Serious About Change

 

The higher the Altitude the better your perspective.

In my writings I like to take to the different view rather than follow the same-ole-same-ole. Be it for the challenge of your mind to think in different quantum’s? I suppose so! Otherwise, wouldn’t it be hum-drum to read the same story with a different title? SO, let’s do the twist!

  Whether you can agree with me or not, don’t you like a challenge of thought processes now and again? Just as Sphere-Logic Business Thinking drove some up the wall a few years back, but now everyone has jumped my

bandwagon of destroying the “BOX” mentality! Unfortunately, for some, the box has held them captive to this date and time. The box was fine back in the day; thinking outside it was the next move; BUT it’s time to roll on!

Getting rid of the box was/is great, but now they’re outside the box wandering around scratching their heads, “Now what?”. [There are a few companies out here getting on the “Sphere” thinking mentality. Check out a couple my earlier writings on the subject.]

Everyone talks about change, they’ll tell you change is good and they would like to; but no one does anything to change what it is to make that change in the first place.

You first have to have a change in mind. Without a new mind-set, it’s not going to happen. You need a vision (dream) along with motivation, inspiration, and even perspiration if need be.

  Before we go any farther, let’s ask “WHY” do we want change? WHAT is it we want to change, others, things, circumstances?  Right off the bat, good luck trying to change others; inanimates will be more easy to change, and self will take on much more of a discipline; but that’s exactly where we need to go. “SELF”

Attitude is center on the sphere of things to change — to change that mindset. Your attitude will reflect your persona for the day or your general personality for life.  Know the cliche’, “misery loves company”, well, you will find it if it doesn’t knock you over first.

I always say, “Good Attitude is High Altitude!” I won’t explain that thought, I want you to think on it. The moment your feet touch the floor in the morning your first thoughts should be that of a positive nature.

Thankful for a new day, a new beginning, the shot at making this one better than the last.

                CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE – CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

If you’re waking up thinking ‘here we go again’, or ‘in 9 more hours it’ll all be over’, you’re starting your day defeated before you even start. Some of you might like

1. only your job,

2. only your coworkers, or

3. may not like your boss,

4. your direct reports or subordinates,

5. a few may not like anything but the paycheck at weeks end.

 Real Life sample: 

  Coaching a production manager just a few short months ago, she had an altitude problem. She couldn’t see the whole picture, she only saw what she wanted. Her personal agenda, self preservation, and a slight ego got in the way. I was hired by the president by the company to help bring her along before the inevitable would take place. (So you see, I wasn’t on her team so to speak, and her team was that of ONE.)

  It took a couple months to raise her altitude in order to correct attitude.  Direct reports had ideas, if she liked them she made them hers and if she didn’t she would blast them out the door. As far as associates on the production floor, not even the time of day. She had a mission, to get to the top no matter who gets hurt. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize she was heading for the door without knowing it.  That is, until the day of our first meeting.

  The President  thought she was a great production manager; the work got done with aggravated effort, but she needed much refining in the team-working -social arena. Some times it takes a little more work to correct the path we’re on.

Which of these above areas are you in ? I may be talking to Exec’s as well. Life may have gotten out of control  a degree or two. You have got to change your attitude in order to change your life! In the case of our PM above, she’s coming along.

We don’t have to agree all the time on everything, but we should all still get along and respect each others thoughts and perspectives.

There are times you have to let go of something in order to hold onto something else. That takes change, an attitude adjustment, to let go of the old and grasp the new. Are you ready for change in this new year? You can start today, tell yourself one thing you want to change out loud. Come on, you can do it, you talk to everyone else, you mumble to self (negatively). It’s time to speak aloud the changes you want/need to make, and follow thru one step at a time.

Arnold Group has been

“Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!”

since 2002

Why Strive to Survive when you can Thrive

                             I’ve coached good leaders, and ‘not-so-good’  leaders;

                               we’re talking about teachable vs. unteachable persons here.

The ‘not -so-good’ leader was basically thrown to the wolf (coach) versus personal  all sound  reason. They thought they were doing a well enough job without a coach. Basically I was their inheritance, the gift they didn’t want from hierarchy.

They would through the motions dealt by the coaching staff; and after it was all said and done, they received a lot of information and decided not to use what was given them. Some of those employees were replaced by these companies, and my staff resumed coaching. Some of these companies are still surviving… just SURVIVING! The question contemplated now…

Why survive when you can thrive?

Those who chose to be coached, not only grew in the company, but grew in themselves, to the point that some have moved upward in other positions and/or companies.

Pro ball players hire coaches and personal trainers to help improve their game; politicians hire coaches to prepare speeches and help them learn to speak in front of large audiences and stand out from the crowd.

It’s been almost 5 months while coaching a major league retail store Mgr. He’s made life so easy, eager to learn, not afraid to tweak his ego in any area we may enter into. I’m not his drill sergeant, but keep him pushing in the right direction.  He’ has also made plans to bring on some staff.

This isn’t the case for everyone. Meaning, they may all want what this client has (the motivation), but it takes others a little longer to achieve.

How bad do you want it!  

There’s a bond, a mutual awareness and respect for our positions in this client/friend relationship. The reason? Everybody has a closet that needs to be opened, but we don’t want to clear it out right away. Some of us hang on to things in our life along the way and don’t want to let go. These things are called…  

                                                        HABITS!

  Some are good and some are not. Non the less certain habits can cause our careers to sour. It takes some coaxing and coaching to get our habits aligned. Your coach (personal trainer) should help you rid of the bad habits and work on strengthening and growing good habits. Keeping your strengths strong and your strengthen your weaker areas.

If you’re not growing, moving forward in your client/coach relationship, you may need another coach; if you are a coach, you may need to drop the client if the relationship isn’t moving. An important piece of information is feedback, without it you’re building a chasm between you and the client. It’s like a report card.

 

Bridging the gap with good communication

 

                                                 between client and coach.

  Coaches aren’t for everyone, they are for anyone who wants to grow in their field. Your coach and you should be a better than good fit. Respect, Honesty, and Equality should be keep words to grow a great bond.

Listening and understanding your (plural) plans as you move forward toward your goal is essential. This is how good habits will be formed, molded, and personified.

Companies today, along with company presidents, CEO’s are stepping up their game. They are bringing career coaches (C.C.) onto their team to dream into existence a more vibrant cohesive team for tomorrow and leave the survival mentality behind. Isn’t it time you grow your future?

Our motto: “BUILDING DREAMS, TEAMS, AND FRIENDS FOR LIFE, NOT JUST CLIENTS!” It’s our vision and missions statement.

Over-coming the Fears of Chaos

Some say, “Plan for the unexpected, and hope for the best”…

CHAOS!

Yes, there are several types of chaos. Usually we only see chaos as a totally negative word, and that’s usually because that’s the way we see it. The meaning alone tells us what to expect: disorder, disarray, void of content…need I say more?

There are three main types of chaos, expected chaos, orchestrated chaos, and that which is totally out of your hands.

Expected chaos isn’t so bad (for the most part). You know its coming, you don’t know how, but you plan several ways to deal with it when it hits. Call it your escape plan, Plan-B, etc.

Orchestrated chaos when its deliberate in its doing. When you have to undo something in order to correct the situation.

An easy look at this is when you ask your teen to clean their room, and they tell you its clean enough.
So you take initiative to mess it up more than it already is. You laugh, they get angry (of coarse). They start clearing out the room by reordering the mess and making it better than the original. This is also known as intentional chaos.

Last, and the most dangerous is totally out of your hands. It’s not expected, orchestrated in any way. Like the lay-off instead of that promotion, the Griswold’s’ cousin Eddie coming for the holidays unexpected (Christmas Vacation). Leaving devastation out of the equation. You can see where I’m going.

I wasn’t sure what to call this article at first, just Chaos, Coping with Chaos, or even Conquering Chaos. Chaos, well that was just not enough to say the least. Coping with Chaos is like saying coping with an elephant on your chest. And Conquering Chaos, well, that won’t happen in this life. So I decided on…

Over-coming the Fears of Chaos

Let’s face it, you can never in this life get rid of chaos, but you can deal with the fear it brings. How do we deal with it? Wow, glad you asked!

First of all, realize it’s not just you! It happens to everyone that lives and breaths on this planet. Some just happen to handle it better than others.

Second, never try and do it alone. Always get opinions from every source available, I’m not saying go to one person and end there. Get a variety of options, trusted friends, family, Google a search, trusted colleagues on Linked-In and such.

Third is to never rush an antidote. Unless it’s life and death, there’s no reason what-so-ever to give an un-thought out answer.

Fourthly, without chaos there would be no creativity, innovation, inspiration, no will to succeed. Chaos will at times give that nudge, that push, sometimes a shove to drive us forward to our victory.
If there is chaos (of some sort) in your life take the stand to change it. If you have no chaos at all check your pulse.

Everyone Is Replaceable! Really??

Anyone ever hear that, either directed at you or someone you work/worked with? That’s a nasty thing to say, and very NOT true. Surely anyone who loses his/her job can be replaced with another person, but it still AIN’T you. The talents that only you possess, the temperament, attitude, your nuance is yours and yours alone.

I left a company after a two week notice some years ago, they told me I’ll be easy to replace. I ran a dept. several different machines, and even stepped in as manager for weeks on end while the manager was being hospital treated for cancer.

Several years later they did sell due to financial difficulties (due to their negligence), none on my account. I bumped into one of my colleagues and asked how things were going. He told me they had went into bankruptcy, then finally sold the business. He told me after I left, they had to hire 3 other people. I asked why. No one wanted to do everything you did without compensation. It was either supervise or run a machine.

I may be the exception, because I never liked standing still. I had to do something, make things run better, smoother, in sync. If there’s a better way of doing a process, I’ll find it, write the SOP’s, and bring it to fruition. I would work it out myself first. Then have the dept. run the gamete.

On the other side of things, you have bosses that are self-absorbed, everything revolves around them, or as an elderly friend says, “dissolves around them”.  Humorous and yet true. In time it catches up.

Bad leaders say that because of one or more of these issues:

#1. They’re infatuated with themselves.

                   “It’s my way or the highway!”                          

No matter what you do it’s just not done right. No one does it better! You’ll hear the boss exclaim, “Do I have to do it all myself?” or , “If you want it done right, you just have to do it yourself!” We know fully well he/she can’t (in some cases), and he/she won’t. The project is never the way it should be, he/she would have done it differently. Yeah, right!

#2. They can’t handle that or any situation too big for them too handle.

It’s always someone elses fault, never their own.

I walked into a company, and when questioning the reasons why particular things were done in such and such a way, I got all the pain of heart his people give him. They don’t listen, or pay attention to what they’re told.

#3. They can’t handle the truth when confronted.

“Truth? You can’t handle the truth!”

When I asked what steps did he take to undergo transformation of his dilemma, he gasped, “What? I do everything I can to make this a tight ship!”  I just replied lowly only for him to hear, “Your ship’s sinking.”
You’re, he didn’t like that at all! Let’s face the facts, you’re paying me to fix the problems you’ve created.

#4. Their boss told them that when they get that promotion that this is the way you act towards everyone beneath you.

“You’re above that now!, they’re just…”

It goes something like this: “Look Sam, starting Monday when you walk out of your office onto the floor, just remember you’re not one of them anymore.” Some think that once you graduate to a higher level of success you ‘must be above’ all your peers.

#5. They just don’t know any better.

                       “No one explained to me what I’m to do, I’ll just go with the flow.” 

 They come to work and assume little to no responsibility; not caring about what does and doesn’t get finished. Trying to look busy, just to get through the day, hoping to make it through to the  weekend. As long as they’re not called to the carpet things will go as is.

#6. They didn’t ask for it, they didn’t want it.

“They just dumped it on me, I don’t care what happens!”

It will cost them the job somewhere down the line. Again, they come to work and assume no responsibility; not caring about what does and doesn’t get finished. The boss before was discarded, and now it’s their turn, as if to feel   “NEXT!” So they turn that fear and anguish around and do what I call “Dumping Down”. Passing it down the line to the next.

You are unique, a one of a kind person. The boss may put someone else in your position, but they can’t take your place. Put yourself in a position of being non-replaceable.  Go the extra, do what others turn down. Don’t be arrogant but in humility be joyful, even in adversity. You will rise to the top and make it hard to replace.

   You can come up with some more points not mentioned here, list them in the comment section. Sphere-Logic Business Thinking is getting rid of the box mentality; and giving business real life thought. Working with the home and career sides of living simultaneously. Giving organizational leaders a step up to a fulfilling life. You can reach us at: info@agrpllc.com.

          “Building dreams, teams, and friends for life, not just clients!”

Say to that mountain

 

Say to that mountain “Be cast into the sea, and it will be removed into the sea!” Everyone in Christiandom knows that phrase. Did you ever consider the ramifications of those words, and how they would in turn affect and effect the outcome? Everything comes with a reaction (as ripples on the sea) from the original action.

What may seem good in your eyes may not be good for someone else. Just because it works for you doesn’t mean its working. Are the affects long lasting or are they infecting others around you? Processes have to work 1. for your good, and 2. for the good of the organization in whole. They are built on now term, short term, and long term. Can your processes endure the test of time?

The mindset of your business is like that; things that were done 10, 20 years ago affect, effect, and even infect us in the here and now. We all have heard it, “The only thing that doesn’t change is that everything changes!” It’s true, everything in this life is constantly changing and on the move, preferably forward. So when you think of what it is you’re doing, can you ascertain its outcome in the future?

There are organizations that are sinking into the ocean of confusion and shutting their doors; while wondering what happened to their dream; the negatives built a mountain of regret they feel they just can’t conquer. While on the other  hand, there are organizations that speak to their mountain and climb and conquer it.

  Here’s an example: (short version)
Company X built its business on great customer service. It grew exponentially! As it grew, of course it hired more associates, losing much of its clarity of vision and purpose. This is the mountain building process. Speaking to the mountain is recognition of the problem, and as in practice tools you go thru a DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, initiate, control) process. That is, your speaking to the Mt. So company X realized they situation and started a PPP program to bring them out from valley to an oasis of a 300% increase customers over a 12 month season.

Foot note here: DMAIC could be DMAICC (add the process ‘confine’) You must confine the problem before going on. DMAIC goes on in continuous sphere, as you recognize x, it must be confined and repaired at that moment.

Some companies don’t realize their Mt. is crushing their business, and they go around and around, never climbing or speaking, but building a trench just getting deeper in the pit. They are so close to the situation, its invisible to their sight, when it does come them from outside it can go one of two ways, 1. they take it to heart (as a threat in some way), and 2. they listen, realize the problem then start working on the remedy. Make the Mt. work for you!

How do you deal with your mountain? Don’t hesitate to speak to it and bring it to captivity.

Great Leaders and Leadership

Get out of the fox hole!

Don’t take others for granted
  Expecting from others what you can’t do yourself, stepping on feet to get to the finish line, taking credit for what doesn’t belong to you, and ending here with an “I’m better than you” attitude is not the making of any kind of leader, no matter what! Taking people for granted is a cheap way to the top and a fast fall when you least expect it. That’s not proper leadership etiquette.
A great leader asks, “What’s required of me? How can I make things better?”, not the other way around. Giving your employees and/or team all the tools they need to succeed is a sing of a successful leader.

It’s not what you do, it’s who you are                 

  You can do and say a lot of things, but ultimately when it’s all said and done the real you will pop his/her head. Words come from the mouth, but truth comes from the heart. It’s not every word people hear you say, but how you react, receive, and listen them. Actions are much louder than mere words. Your body language alone tells someone what you think of them. The point, always be yourself, not what others think you should be.

Don’t always make prognostic decisions
Great leaders brake the rule zone, they don’t follow, they lead. Great leaders don’t follow in the tracks of what was, they create and mandate new beginnings. Prognostics go back to what happened time after time in the past, sure history has it’s place and we can and do learn from it, but it doesn’t mold our future. Methods change, ideas are altered, innovation is fresh and anew; so leave prognosis in the past.
  Notice: If you want change, stop doing the same thing. Change it!

Get out of the fox hole! 
If you lead from behind, you’re in a foxhole. Such as when you’re behind your desk, or in another section other than where your team is.

If you lead from the middle, you’re in a foxhole. Such as when you blend in with your team. You don’t make the final judgement calls when needed. You take equal blame, and all the credit.

If you lead from the front, (you got it!) you’re out of the foxhole leading the team to victory! You give the credits to the team, you take the heat when things go awry. You disciple (teach) your team, and give them everything needed for the process(es). You have compassion for everyone
(sometimes its tough love), but give no pity (feel sorry but not helping).
Perspectives change once you’re out of the foxhole, vision is clear, you should become innovative in thinking, you’re not as other leaders. Motives become WE not me!

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I Win, You Lose!

I Win, You Lose!.