TIP: Do not let anybody steal your dream. Communicate your vision clearly to your team and inspire excellence in execution. Get the best players and expect the best results. Do not give up and do not let the team give up. You will win.

Look in the mirror. Would you be inspired by you? It has been said that we are the result of the 5 people we hang around the most. Who do you want to influence you? How do you want to influence others?

When I have encouraged you to get the best players for your orchestra, I want you to achieve excellent results. Good players can make good music. In fact, excellent players can make excellent music. Don’t limit the effectiveness of your team by your attitude. Be affirming. Be encouraging. Be authentic. Be focused.

The worst thing you can do it to pretend that you do not have weaknesses yourself or to act like you never make any mistakes. Acknowledge your areas that need improvement and your intentions to create a pathway to achieve those improvements. Inversely, know that your team members will make mistakes and will need encouragement. Your attitude to keep from getting discouraged yourself will inspire your team you learn from their mistakes and move forward with more wisdom.

Surround your self with capable people. They will inspire you. Let go of your pride and realize that it is alright to be inspired by those whom you lead as well a those you follow.

TIP: Nobody want to ignore problems. Learn from them and do not let problems govern your life or limit your potential for success. Those who follow you will model what you do and how you act more than what you say.

One of the most common problems I encounter when working with leaders to build results and create effective teams, is described in the statement, “My people just don’t do what I need them to do.” I suggest that this problem comes from the leader and not from the team.

When a leader defines the vision and then sets specific goals to achieve that vision, it’s important to leave a place for team members to create their strategies for their work. It is limiting for team members when a leader not only defines the outcomes, but also defines all the steps to get there.

You have a worthy vision and have created powerful goals that will drive processes toward achieving that vision. Create systems where team members can fill in the blanks. Once each team member can contribute a process step, they move to being interested in the vision to owning the vision.

If you create a sloppy process for this process, then you are creating a less than excellent organization. Inspire excellence. Define the goal, move forward by creating a process to define all the steps to achieve that goal, put the steps into a sequence and then let the team members divide up the responsibility for managing those process steps. Be focused in your process. Allow each member to contribute. Assign responsibilities and deadlines. Shift the accountability from you, the leader, to the team.

TIP: Plan the outcomes of the planning meeting. Plan the process to get to the outcomes. Define the process and outcomes at the beginning of the meeting. Keep the group on task. Excellence in planning leads to excellent results.

If you lead an organization or are preparing your self to lead the organization of your dreams, then be in touch with your passion. When I question leaders about their vision and then ask them to define their passion for that vision, I often get responses describing the desired results for others. Many times it takes quite a bit of of questioning to arrive at a definition of the passion that resides in the heart of the leader. Once we arrive at that moment of clarity in the discussion, then it is possible to move forward and describe desired outcomes and know that there is a good chance of achieving those outcomes.

There are way too many leaders that feel trapped in a position for reasons other than following their passion. When I shop in a store, eat in a restaurant, or receive a service, I am impressed, feel more engaged, and am better served when I can sense the passion in the person that is providing me goods or services. I feel fully engaged with that person. How important is that? Apply that perspective to leadership. If the people you lead can sense your passion, don’t you think that they will be influenced by that passion?

TIP: The passion you share is the passion you will receive in return.

The Transformational Leader is the champion and cheerleader of the cause. The cause itself must be worthy in the long term or the transformation and the organization will suffer. This becomes apparent as the process unfolds and the process will break down. For example, the current economic situation in the world is not about faulty economic systems, it is about failure in leadership!

It is of primary importance for the Transformational Leader, in order to prevent conflict in the workplace and team conflict, to be clear on the foundations for the vision. The vision must come from the core values of the organization and resonate with the core values of the leader himself or herself. If there is a conflict in these core values (the personal values of the leader vs. the core values of the organization) failure is inevitable. Creating a solid foundation is a way to validate and clarify the leader’s vision for the organization and to create systems for others to follow. The Transformational Leader empowers leader on teams to utilize their varied leadership skills, talents, and perspectives to be successful and transform the organization as well as the lives of the people involved both internally and externally.

A solid foundation consists of the following: 1) a written list of core values; 2) a written description of long-term strategic objectives; 3) a written list of short-term goals; 4) a written set of action plans for each goal; and finally, 5) team involvement in all of the processes listed above. It should be clear from this list that written plans separate dreams from accomplishments. First write the draft, and then revise it. Continue to evaluate the process steps and the time line throughout the implementation process and make the needed changes. The vision is clear. You develop the pathway as a continuing process, and not just a single planning event.

Is it worth the time to create a solid foundation in order to maximize success?

Learn more about creating a solid foundation with Hugh’s article on Goals Process.

Yes, you read this correctly. Organizations hire me to run meetings, team planning sessions, board retreats, etc. Never once in over 22 years have I ever used an agenda for a meeting! I promise.

This is not just semantics. It is a paradigm shift. Think about meetings you have attended in the past. Think of a boring, unproductive meeting that you experienced. Maybe that particular session was not planned thoroughly. Maybe that particular session was planned with unclear outcomes. This is the nature of the problem – AGENDA = activity and DELIVERABLES = results. Reframe your thinking and focus on outcomes and not on activity.

This is one paradigm shift that makes leaders more effective. Create and maintain an culture of excellence in the organization you lead. Focus on outcomes and excellence in every activity and every process. The Transformational Leader constantly build leadership skills in their inventory of leadership tools. Conflict management and conflict resolution become less of an issue when clarity of purpose takes away some potential for conflict.

Success is a mindset. Think about what you want to achieve and make it happen.

Start now!

Learn all about productive meetings with Hugh’s article Conducting Power-Packed Meetings.

- Nadia Boulanger

In his post, The Art of Balance, the Art of Leadership, Don Frederiksen commented, “I have always thought that my music background brought creativity, dimension and balance to my thinking and work.” Wow, that really resonates with me having been a musical conductor for over 40 years. I realize daily how important the leadership skills that a conductor knows are really valuable to leaders in other fields.

Art is sometimes as giving attention to detail. Striving for balance does not only mean that we keep the trumpets from covering up the rest of the orchestra. It also means that we give attention to the details to be faithful in implementation of our vision as the leader. Balance does not mean making everything equal. Balance means creating consistency and quality in all systems, relationships, and in the culture itself.

Listening is a skill musicians bring to leadership. As a business coach, I have discovered that listening is the key skill in order to know what is really happening.

Remember your past. I gain much from remembering my musical skills and experience. It give me perspective for creating value in the lives of others.

- Lily Tomlin

How bad does it need to get before you do something about it (“IT” is the processes and systems in your organization)

In reading a post by Guy Kawasaki on the American Express OPEN Forum site, I found this comment, “Act like a prospective customer and call your company to see how the phone system and receptionist treat you.” It made me think about checking on systems that I have implemented. Are the system going as I perceive, or are they just appearing to be effective? Hmmm… Now I an wondering how I can really check. This comment really gave me a paradigm shift. It’s time to play the part of a customer or church member and look at the systems in my organization from their point of view. What a great idea!

So, develop feedback system that are authentic and consistent. Don’t check once and think that it’s done. Develop a balanced scorecard to constantly evaluate your systems. This is not a reflection on you, the leader personally. It’s not a sign of failure. It’s simply a process check. Authenticity in leadership (an important Transformational Leadership trait) means that you eliminate the “elephant in the room” where everybody knows something is wrong, but nobody talks about it.

To be effective as a leader, you must establish systems to evaluate your systems.

By the way, be sure to develop strategies for changing the things that need changing and monitoring the change.

- William James

I just read a post by Mac Lake titled When Leaders Fall into Maintenance Mode. Which reminded me of some leaders I have net recently who have given up on the church and on themselves.

Each of us is called to lead from where we are – now. Each of us is called to give God our best – regardless of the situation.

Some leaders give up and fall into maintenance mode because of the situation they find themselves in. Our vision comes from God, so it is our duty and delight to continue to grow as leaders and be the champion for the vision God has given us.

Create a solid foundation by  writing down your goals and sharing those goals. We are in a community of faith, so share with those in the community. Enthusiasm and motivation are both given and received by leaders.

What will you do today to be sure that you are motivated?

What will you do today to be sure that those you lead have a chance to be motivated? – by you?

As Paul said, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

How will you transform yourself and those whom you lead today?

The Definitive Leader program is a 13-module, 52-week intensive program on all aspects of Transformational Leadership. Resolve conflict while building leadership skills and learn to build consensus.