Archive for February, 2012UnCommon Leadership® – What’s my motivation?I’m not, nor never have been a thespian. But, I hear that this is a common reframe for an actor attempting to get “into role.” What is the actor attempting to do? Create internal feelings, visions and models of what he or she wants portrayed in that scene. Maybe they use some external factors, but I’ve been told by those that are actors that the real motivation must come from within or it will not be authentic or real to the audience. What’s the point as it relates to leadership? Many of us have attended an event where a “motivational speaker” was on the agenda. I’m intrigued by this term “motivational speaker” for this reason. Just as it is for the actor, I believe the only person who can “motivate” you is you. Yes, I can encourage you, yell at you, pat you on the back or do whatever may be necessary to get you going in the right direction. But, external motivation is temporary. Ultimately, you have to decide what you’re going to do and that comes internally. Here’s what I believe I can do as an external speaker when I address a group or coach an individual. My goal would be to create the following scenario for you: Inspire + Desire + Aspire = Internal Motivation! I would hope that something I said would Inspire you internally. Maybe rekindle the flame of a dream or a vision you had earlier in your life. Or ignite a brand new dream! If that happens, then I believe Desire will begin to grow and you will start seeing possibilities and opportunities that maybe you hadn’t seen before. When that happens, Aspirational attitudes and feelings should well up in you. Endorphins may kick in and you feel energized in a way that you haven’t felt in a long time! If all of that happens then you have, on your own volition, generated Internal Motivation. That’s really our goal as speakers and coaches. Ignite the internal flame not by motivating you, but by YOU MOTIVATING YOURSELF! If that happens, then the real leader within you will be able to marshall of your capabilities, intelligence and strategy to accomplish your dream! Onward & Upward! Ed
UnCommon Leadership® – Feedback Can Fuel Growth!One area that challenges people in becoming great leaders is conflict management and resolution. Some of us thrive and seek out conflict and others will avoid it all costs (The Birkman assessment tells us which category you’re in!). For those, and I am one of them, that don’t like conflict, a lot happens internally to our biology when conflict arrives or even is anticipated. Here’s a true story as an example of the last statement. I was working out the other day and had my new heart rate monitor bluetoothed to my iphone app. I was drifting along at a heart rate between 118 and 122. Then I began to play a conversation in my mind that I needed to have with a friend–one of those “crucial conversations (Patterson, et al).” I continued to play that conversation over in my mind, thinking of ways I might deliver a tough message, but still maintain a valued friendship. I was totally focused on my internal mind conversation when my iphone app beeped. I looked down to find my heart rate had suddenly gone to 132 and was climbing. I had done nothing different with my workout and had stayed at the same pace. The heart rate climb was all about the internal conversation I was having. I immediately began to self-regulate, focused on my breathing, and stopped thinking about that challenging conversation. In less than 2 minutes, my heart rate was back to 120. Here’s the point: without FEEDBACK I would have continued the internal dialogue, and who knows where my heart rate would have ended up! What’s the application for leaders who want to elevate their game?
In my role as an executive coach, I often sit in on meetings and participate in off-sites with the leadership teams to watch and observe what is going on. As a hired coach, in most situations, I am that safe, trusted advisor, and my feedback is meaningful. A business or executive coach can be a way to jump start your growth as a leader! Much research is being done with regard to “neural leadership,” too much to cover in this quick blog. However, we’ve known for a long time the concept of “feedback” as it relates to athletic performance, the performing arts or any skill or habit that is enhanced by having an expert or outside observer watch or listen to what we’re doing and give us advice and tips (feedback) on how to take our skill to the next level. It’s time to add feedback to your growth plan as a leader, but make sure you get it from a trusted, expert source! Onward & Upward! Ed
Social Media—Friend or Foe in the Job Search?“Don’t post anything you would be embarrassed for Grandma to see!” That’s the rule at my house for managing social media. It’s simple and to the point. And my teenagers “get it.” They also know anything they post now can impact their ability to get a job later. If you are in transition and looking for a job opportunity, make sure you double check all of your social media sites—Facebook, My Space, LinkedIn, Google+, etc. Be sure there is nothing damning that could lead a potential employer to eliminate you as a candidate. Speaking as someone who has hired people, my first course of action once the résumés are stacked in the A, B, C piles is to do an online search on all “A” pile candidates. I quickly eliminate anyone who has pictures posted that indicate the use of poor judgment that could embarrass the company. I also look through profile posts, if available, to see if the person represents himself well. I read newspaper articles and anything else I find to get a read on my top picks. To use social media to find a job, I highly recommend LinkedIn. I am biased, and I admit it. I have found LinkedIn to be more professional than other social media sites. I think the others are important and certainly have their place; however, when it comes to a job search and quality self-representation, LinkedIn is my favorite. Here are a few tips to improve your chances for success in landing a job.
Key take aways? Avoid the social media “foe” by being responsible with what you put out in cyberspace. Embrace the social media “friend” by participating in the places where you are most likely to interface with those who can help you land the job of your dreams. Onward and Upward! Lisa A. Dominisse
UnCommon Leadership™ – Failure Can Lead To Success!I’m a sports fan and have played a lot of sports in my time. I enjoy watching sports too, and this weekend I watched portions of two sporting events . The first was the truly epic battle at the Australian Open between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. The other event was the PGA tour event in Torrey Pines, Ca. Brandt Snedeker won the tournament on the 2nd hole of a playoff with Kyle Stanley. Both events produced spectacular failure for two people: Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open and Kyle Stanley at the PGA event. The tennis match is now in the record books as the longest Grand Slam match at almost 6 hours! Nadal had lost 6 straight times to Djokovic and looked as if he were going down again when he rallied and had a 4 games to 2 lead in the 5th and final set. He was serving to take a 5 to 2 lead which would have surely given him the match. An errant backhand led to a losing service game and before you knew, the match was over and Dkokovic had won the last set 7 games to 5. Despite being down 4 to 2, Dkokovic won 5 of the last 6 games! The golf match was hard to watch as a fan. You never want to see someone win when another person completely crashes and burns. Kyle Stanley had a 3 shot lead with 1 hole to play (never mind that it was a 5 shot lead with 6 to play!) On the last hole, an easy par 5, he dunked his 3rd shot in the lake, made a triple bogey which caused him to be tied, and then lost in the playoff to Brandt Snedeker on the 2nd hole. My heart was aching for Stanley as he could barely speak when the media tried to interview him after he lost. Thankfully, it was quick, but the pain on his face was incredible. Few of us leaders ever fail with so many people watching. But, we all fail at crucial times in our careers. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t experienced both “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” Some people say that it reveals our character when we fail. I believe that it allows the character and values we already have to come out and either strengthen us or realize what we’re missing that could have strengthened us. I could regale you with all types of quotations and references to famous people who have said so much about this topic, but I’m not. You can find those easily on your own. Think Thomas Edison! I want to leave you with a simple message; failure produces success. How? It can be as simple as reframing the situation, doing a detailed review of what went right, what went wrong and lessons learned. Or, it may require a complete reinvention of who you are as person if something critical is missing. I’ve had epic failures in my life that required that reinvention. I’ve also had failures that just required a quick retooling of minor details. Here are the main points to consider:
Onward & Upward! Ed
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