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Rescooped by
John Michel
from Surviving Leadership Chaos
onto Mediocre Me |
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Do you ever wonder what other people think of you? One of my greatest sayings is “People tell you who they are” This is so true in day to day interactions. If you are irritated, impatient, or just downright fed up, you are telling people who you are because as you remain in that state you radiate it out to the world, whether you are aware of it or not.
If you want to lead people in the right direction, here are 7 uncommon ways you can be a positive influence on yourself and others
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John Michel, experienced leader, humanitarian, visioneer, and renown status quo buster, is the author of the ground breaking book, Mediocre Me: How Saying No to the Status Quo will Propel you from Ordinary to Extraordinary. Check out his blog at www.MediocreMe.com or drop him a note at johnmichel@MediocreMe.com
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One of the fundamental inconsistencies we see in workplaces today is the gap between leaders’ desire for “empowered and engaged” employees and what actually ends up happening during the personal interactions of leaders with employees. Often, these actions inadvertently have the effect of reducing the employee’s drive toward empowerment.
John Michel's insight:
When leaders make mistakes, we point to them and make scapegoats of them. Often the organization follows the leader over the cliff. The problem is not leaders making mistakes, the problem is leaders giving the orders.
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Earlier this week, I wrote an article about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announcing a new partnership with Warriors4Wireless to expand the 2-year-old nonprofit's training program to turn returning…
John Michel's insight:
A Dallas military veteran has teamed up with a tech CEO in New York to hire and train veterans in teams (without using their GI Bill benefits) and deploy them to clients in squads. It all started two years ago when retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General John Michel helped Karen Ross, CEO of New York-based technology consulting firm Sharp Decisions, create the V.E.T.S. (Vocation, Education and Training for Service members program.
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“Managers are as disengaged as the teams they are supposed to be leading. That changes when they feel invested in the company vision.” Via Tom D'Amico (@TDOttawa) , Josée Lafontaine, Bobby Dillard
John Michel's insight:
Natural leaders are hard to come by. Almost half of companies surveyed by Workplace Trends said “leadership” is the hardest skill to find in employees. Only 36 percent of employees consider “leadership” a strength in their organization. The implications are clear. We need to nurture and develop young, engaged leaders to fill roles Boomers and Gen X will be stepping out of in the future. Here are some thoughts on ways we can do this before it’s too late: 
Mindy Williamson's curator insight,
June 4, 2015 12:25 PM
"We need to nurture and develop young, engaged leaders to fill roles Boomers and Gen X will be stepping out of in the future."
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Sepp Blatter may have been corrupt, sexist, amoral, and egotistical, but he proved again that you don't have to be popular to be in charge. Via Kevin Watson
John Michel's insight:
Blatter has something in common with everyone from Syria's Bashar al-Assad to any number of the world's current and past despots. Killing the king is risky, and nobody is eager to volunteer. It's the reason why bad managers tend to hang around too.
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Small managers need to feel big. Egotistical managers walk around like they run the place. But, no one enjoys an insecure, heavy handed, meddlesome, leader. Small managers: Throw their weight aroun...
John Michel's insight:
Who helps you raise the bar on your leadership potential?
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Via David Hain
John Michel's insight:
Great innovators have the habit of combining surprising things. Creativity happens when two things collide to create a whole new idea, and insight requires that we solve challenges with new perspective. That happens best when you work with those outside your industry or field.
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Trust is vital for your relationships. To become a close friend who can be counted on, watch out for these ten things trustworthy people don't do. Via Barb Jemmott, donhornsby
John Michel's insight:
Trustworthy people aim to establish meaningful relationships with their friends, clients, and co-workers. If you can’t demonstrate compassion for others, then why should anyone care about about you? To become a person who can be counted on, watch out for these ten things trustworthy people don’t do. 
donhornsby's curator insight,
May 6, 2015 7:38 AM
(From the article): Trustworthy people express gratitude for the people who help them. They are confident in their abilities, but they also accept the fact that they would be nothing without the support of those who made their success possible.
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Your questions determine the quality of your answers. Powerful questions will get you a lot farther than quick answers. Via donhornsby
John Michel's insight:
Try these questions, see how they work, and find the questions that work best for you. Consider open-ended questions, rather than questions that have only one right answer or that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” The most powerful questions are those that expand your thinking.
donhornsby's curator insight,
April 14, 2015 9:21 AM
(From the article): Try these questions, see how they work, and find the questions that work best for you. Consider open-ended questions, rather than questions that have only one right answer or that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” The most powerful questions are those that expand your thinking. 
Ivon Prefontaine, PhD's curator insight,
June 9, 2017 1:40 PM
What is essential in these questions is they are open-ended. In Gadamerian terms they are eloquent without fixed answers and open up paths to new questions.
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CEOs who are rated high on four moral principles deliver better financial results than those who aren’t. Via T Renee Smith, Jaro Berce
John Michel's insight:
When we hear about unethical executives whose careers and companies have gone down in flames, it’s sadly unsurprising. Hubris and greed have a way of catching up with people, who then lose the power and wealth they’ve so fervently pursued. But is the opposite also true? Do highly principled leaders and their organizations perform especially well?
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John Michel's insight:
In challenging economic times, one of the easiest items to cut from the budget is training and development. The rationale is understandable. Rarely will any organization see immediate negative consequences when training is discontinued. It looks like found money in the budgeting process. don't fall in that trap.
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Real leaders can inspire diverse teams to face reality, problem-solve, and contribute innovative solutions, no matter what. Here's how. Via Mike Klintworth
John Michel's insight:
The outdated leadership modal emphasizes operating within boundaries—these leaders protect and manage boundaries. But global change agents, true leaders, aren’t afraid to cross boundaries, bust boundaries, transcend boundaries, and build bridges.
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Your leadership skills will ultimately determine your professional success or failure. Via Mike Klintworth
John Michel's insight:
All too often, bad habits get in the way of effective leadership. We succumb to the effects of our routines, and lose ground as examples for our workforce. These are some of the worst habits that can compromise your ability to lead:
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Giving employees consistent honest feedback is important if you want them performing at their absolute best. Here are three ways to take a coaching approach to feedback. Via Anne Leong
John Michel's insight:
Here are three steps to help you turn cricitism into coaching so that employees welcome your feedback: |
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John Michel's insight:
Everyone gets scared sometimes. In life. At work. We're afraid of being rejected, disappointing others, getting hurt, having cockroaches crawl in our ears (OK, maybe that one's not universal . . . ), missing out on important things. In a word: We're afraid of failing. 
Matt Caruso's curator insight,
June 25, 2017 8:16 AM
One phrase that I use to overcome fear or hesitation to do something that might be risky is to say to myself "just do it" (JDI). I also practice this with my team....after a few minutes of discussing whether we will do a task or trying to decide to take a certain action, I try to sense whether we are just scared to jump. I patiently wait for them to finish deliberating and then simply say "just do it". It's liberating. Try it.
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Brilliant leaders like Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk often give little care and appreciation to their hard-working and loyal employees. Given the extraordinary success of these men, the obvious question is whether being relentlessly hard on people, and even cruel, may get them to perform better. Via Kenneth Mikkelsen
John Michel's insight:
Genius covers a lot of sins. A great product is a great product, and you don’t have to do everything right to be successful. Most customers don’t care how the sausage gets made, as long as it tastes good. 
JASON CAVNESS's curator insight,
June 29, 2015 3:10 PM
I would say that people don't perform because of the bad behavior. They perform better because of the high standards expected of them by visionary leaders. 
Ante Lauc's curator insight,
September 6, 2015 4:28 AM
We all should learn from their failures and success...
Matt Caruso's curator insight,
June 27, 2017 5:41 AM
Genius covers a lot of sins. A great product is a great product, and you don’t have to do everything right to be successful. Most customers don’t care how the sausage gets made, as long as it tastes good.
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“ Understand that people do better work for people they like than for people they don't.” Via Anne Leong, Josée Lafontaine, Bobby Dillard
John Michel's insight:
There are many leaders who believe that they should focus only on business. That employee relationships are meant to be professional not personal. That there is too little time in the day to waste it on small talk. That employees are hired to do a job and they should get down to it.
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John Michel's insight:
If your organization cares about innovation or transforming customer service or being data-driven, how do you lead by example? In Laszlo Bock’s otherwise superb Google-based book on performance analytics—Work Rules!—the phrase “lead by example” is nowhere to be found. That’s both a pity and opportunity missed because, as Webb stresses, leading by example is what truly empowers small teams and teamwork. 
David Hain's curator insight,
May 29, 2015 3:14 AM
How Navy SEALS get better at getting better - and lessons for the business world. 
Ron McIntyre's curator insight,
May 29, 2015 12:00 PM
While I totally believe there are elements of Seal training that can be applied to business, however the big difference is, that in business our lives are not directly and physically at risk so we tend to minimize the role. It boils down to attitude. 
Jerry Busone's curator insight,
May 30, 2015 8:40 AM
Seal Motto: "You rise to the level of your training "
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In Hilary Scarlett’s Melcrum article of February 2013, Neuroscience – helping employees through change, she described some of the insights neuroscience is bringing to why people find organizational change difficult, and more usefully, what we c Via Kasia Hein-Peters
John Michel's insight:
Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system including the brain, is set to transform our understanding of how people respond to the world of work. If we can understand the brain better, then we can help organizations, leaders, and all employees work more efficiently and effectively.
David Hain's curator insight,
May 23, 2015 5:40 AM
Understanding of how our brains are wired offers huge possibilities for transformation - but only if transformation leaders inform themselves! 
Tony Brugman (Bright & Company)'s curator insight,
June 18, 2015 8:46 AM
Interesting stuff on impact of neuroscientific way of learning on performance and coping with change.
A research amongst leaders from four large organisations showed "learning about how our brains work can help us manage ourselves and lead people through change in more effective ways. (Because) it provides important insights into how we respond to change, what makes it easier for us to cope with uncertainty, what helps us focus, what affects our motivation and openness to change." 
Gary Johnsen's curator insight,
June 21, 2015 9:12 AM
Good summary on the brain and change management David Rock
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From negative communication patterns to low morale, five indicators that your workplace is sapping your energy and mental health.
John Michel's insight:
All workplaces have some challenges and negative characteristics, so it can be difficult to determine if your workplace has a normal amount of challenges, is seriously dysfunctional, or possibly really toxic. Here are five signs that will help you determine the degree to which your work environment may be dangerous to your mental health.
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Be mindful of your tendencies to succumb to these beliefs, so that they don't derail your career.
John Michel's insight:
Negative self-talk is unrealistic, unnecessary and self-defeating. It sends you into a downward emotional spiral that is difficult to pull out of. 
Simon Awuyo's curator insight,
May 12, 2015 6:07 AM
Shedding off excess baggage will lighten you and make you advance faster to your destination.
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John Michel's insight:
In a world filled with agencies, most of which offer the same services at roughly the same prices, the ultimate difference between success and failure is whether people want to work with your teams or not. It’s the same on the inside.
donhornsby's curator insight,
April 11, 2015 8:23 AM
(From the article): Keep it simple. Life is complicated enough. Clients and colleagues expect us to be expert enough to keep things simple and easy to follow. It’s a constant struggle to focus more on the story you’re trying to tell than on the slides. But by reminding myself and my team that we’re sitting down with a client to have a nice conversation, we might be able to avoid coming across as the type of people who overly complicate things or act in a way that’s self-important.
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Spring reminds us how to make leadership bloom. Soul Sparks are essential to tap into the beauty of leadership within ourselves and others. Via Anne Leong
John Michel's insight:
In leadership, we wish all was beautiful in what we do and what others do yet no one said what is worthwhile would be easy. Beauty comes through in what we do from within and from what we tap within others. Leadership is about blooming.
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John Michel's insight:
What makes a lousy leader? That is easy, they do the opposite of what great leaders do. Not so fast. Our biases forget the differences between leadership we agree with, and leadership from people we do not like.
JASON CAVNESS's curator insight,
April 5, 2015 3:48 PM
To me it is simple. Great leaders treat everyone with dignity and respect. Lousy leaders treat do not treat everyone with dignity and respect.
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John Michel's insight:
Much research shows how play fosters creativity and innovation. I’ve found that the same benefits apply when you are playful with your self-concept. Playing with your own notion of yourself is akin to flirting with future possibilities. 
Kimberley Richardson's curator insight,
March 30, 2015 9:39 AM
Self-improvement requires a commitment to being the best person and leader you can be. 
Hanne Alsen's curator insight,
June 17, 2015 3:24 PM
Er du klar til at gøre en indsats, for at blive bedre til at håndtere OVERGANGE / forandringer ?
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Culture is the new black. Why is it such an important new topic in business and how do we define it? Via Anne Leong
John Michel's insight:
No matter if you’re a CEO, HR executive, manager, or team leader – culture really matters. Consider it one of your most powerful tools for business success. 
Graeme Reid's curator insight,
March 16, 2015 1:31 AM
Culture lets you focus on your purpose and mission.
JASON CAVNESS's curator insight,
March 16, 2015 6:44 PM
How does a company measure culture and the impact it has on the bottom line? |
(From the article): Being glad for others for most of us is quite easy. It’s great to see people doing well. Showing you’re glad means actively helping them to celebrate their successes. When someone gets that qualification or loses that 6lb, find a way to help them celebrate. Buy a bunch of flowers or send that card, or take the time to drop an email, pop your head round the door and tell them “Well done”. Too often in our fast paced lives, even though we may be glad for others, we fall short of showing we are.