A few years ago I sat down and made a list of the most important lessons I’d learned in leadership and in life – so far.

Recently I found myself wondering about others numero uno leadership lessons, so I posed this question on Social Media.

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What’s the greatest leadership lesson you’ve learned so far?
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 These were some of the answers I received:

“It’s not about the leader, but about everyone else!” @ErinSchreyer
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“The most effective place from which to lead is not from position but from character. Position matters little for lasting influence.”  Sharon Kohring

“MBWA. (Manage by Walking Around.)  That’s my motto!”  Tom Wells

“Listening.”  Mike Sommer

“To listen.”  Becky Heinecke

“Your team should be aligned with you not just behind you.” Bryan Bean
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“People work with me, not for me.” Tom Rhodes

“From a teenage employee I had years ago who quoted his father: “The measure of a person is not how well they do what they like, but how well they do what they don’t like. Stuck with me for the last 20 years.” Paul LaRue

“The leader has to model the behavior they’d like to have.”  @MikeHenry
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“Don’t make assumptions. Ask.”  Mary Schaefer

“Great communication.”  Cynthia Bazin

“Back in the days, my father told me to treat everyone the same regardless of their appearance.” Will Lukang

“Accept people where they are, and do whatever you can to help them grow.” Page Cole

“Always act with love, compassion and understanding. People are only doing the best with what they know how.”  Kristy Burns

“Never blame other people for your mistakes.” Dolores Teubner
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“The customer is always… The customer. Right or wrong.”  Brian Sooy

“If you don’t trust yourself, nobody else will either. Be intentional from a core of solid knowledge, ethics, and discernment.”  Jane Anderson

YOUR TURN!  

• What is your greatest leadership lesson – so far?
• How are you sharing that lesson with others?

The post The greatest leadership lessons learned – so far… appeared first on Simply Understanding by Giana Consulting.

A few years ago my husband and I moved to a new city in a new state.

Shortly after our move we began visiting churches. (In all of our other moves we visited one church and kept coming back.)

• This time we decided that we wanted to know what all of our options were before we joined one.
• And if we liked some of what we observed we attended more than once.

That decision quickly became a fascinating opportunity to observe towering strengths, glaring weaknesses, powerful vision, synergy or the lack of it – and a whole lot more!

Our observations apply to workplaces too!  

…Which one sounds like your organization?  

GREAT FACILITY, NO VISION, NO PASSION, DYING:

One had a beautiful, old, well-kept building that we would have loved to explore.

There were not nearly enough people present to fill the building.

They had no idea how to engage with visitors.

And offered no assistance understanding how to navigate their service.

HUGE FACILITY, OUTSTANDING MUSIC, LIVING IN THE PAST:

One was a huge auditorium.

Filled with amazing music.

And each time the pastor spoke it became clear that a few years earlier there had been a big division in the church and that he was still grieving, processing and defending. In nearly every sermon he continually reminded those present of his contributions to the church prior to the split.

DESPERATE:

In two locations we were pounced on within seconds of arriving and with such intensity that we felt more like prey than potential members.

PROFOUND MESSAGE, NOT GOOD AT ENGAGING VISITORS:

One consistently offered deep thought-provoking, life-changing messages.

And not one person ever greeted us.

“If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.”  C. William Pollard
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VISION and ORGANIZATON – BUT IS IT THE RIGHT VISION?

In one church we filled out a card indicating that we were first time visitors. Within 5 hours there were two people from the church at our door with a welcome gift, wanting to come in and visit.

(We were wowed by the efficient process that was in place and more than a little uncomfortable that we didn’t know they were coming and they wanted to sit and visit.)

OUTDATED INFORMATION…

One church advertised a contemporary service on their website, when we arrived at their building not one person could tell us where it was or how to get there.

HONORING AND ENGAGING…

Some honored and included children.

Some were more inclusive of senior citizens.

Others focused on special needs families.

Others appealed to diverse nationalities.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE OUTSIDE OF THEIR WALLS:

Most of them were engaged in the community in some way, some with great vision and energy, some with more of a spirit of obligation.

As we considered what we were observing and where we needed to be – I was reminded of a different church in a different city…

• Nothing was published about the classes they were offering, what they were studying, what times they were meeting, where they were meeting or who to contact.
• They frequently made reference to a second location by its name – assuming that everyone in attendance knew what it was. Each time they said the name – I thought it sounded like a nursing home.  …It took nearly a year to discover that was not the case!
• During the service they would reference things they did to support the community, as if everyone knew what they were doing, what they needed, who to contact and how to get involved.   (Only we didn’t.)

How Are First Impressions Impacting Your Organization?

• Do you know what you want your organization to reflect to others?
• Do you know what your organization is actually reflecting to others?
• How do first-time visitors feel in your organization?   – Are they welcomed, ignored, or attacked?
• Even the most gifted leaders can’t carry the entire organization – everyone’s gifts are needed.
• If you have a great plan and are working it efficiently – have you evaluated if it is producing the results you want?
• Is it assumed that everyone knows what is going on or how to get involved? Or is it clear?

What are your employees, long-term customers/members blind to that your first-time guests spot instantly?

Image Credits:  iStock & Ace Concierge 

Have you SAVED THE DATE?  April 20th is the launch of our new book:  Energize Your Leadership!

The power of storytelling comes alive in this collaborative book, Energize Your Leadership. These diverse leadership pros wisely decided to write a book that reached instead of preached. They dug deep into years of personal experiences to offer every leader and future leader the ONE thing they each need: A reflective way to stay energized. Without lecturing or proclaiming there is one best practice, they break through the apathy, that all leaders can intermittently feel, with stories that inspire.  ~Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach

The post How Are First Impressions Impacting Your Organization? appeared first on Simply Understanding by Giana Consulting.

For years I’ve been asking executives and hiring managers what their biggest challenge is. At least 90% of the time I get the same answer: “People.” That comment is quickly followed by an explanation about how hard it is to find enough qualified and caring people to do the work.

It is interesting to note that some titled leaders are so desperate for people that they hire anyone that can “fog a mirror” which often results in skill gaps and behavioral issues that can damage their culture and reputation and stunt their growth.

Other titled leaders hold so tightly to a specific checklist of requirements that they miss hiring a stronger applicant that has the passion, drive and emotional intelligence to take their department and organization to the next level.

Often their decision to wait a long time to fill a needed position adds stress to their teams, and doesn’t guarantee a cultural fit, the drive or the fresh perspective that instigate growth.

If your organization is struggling to find smart, caring, committed people that will improve your culture, your service and your reputation then consider this.

Learning to identify diamonds in the rough is a competitive advantage.
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Here’s one example:

Years ago I interviewed a 30-year-old bartender for an entry-level corporate position.

He was so late for the interview that I wasn’t going to meet with him.

But when the receptionist said he was visibly shaken and my compasion kicked in, so I walked to the reception desk anyway. Then I learned that prior to the interview, he encountered several uncontrollable circumstances that made it impossible for him to arrive on time or to communicate what was transpiring. So I took the time to do the interview.

His passion for people and service shined through his eyes as he shared stories of how he handled specific work experiences. It was quickly evident that he was a deep thinker with a delightful sense of humor. And before the interview was over, I learned that he was extremely computer savvy and looking to make a long-term career move.

Yes I hired him!

He became a highly valued, long-term employee that increased teamwork and customer satisfaction in our department and cross-functionally, and willingly took on additional projects. One of those projects turned a cost-center into a significant profit center that was duplicated throughout the entire company.

Five years after I hired him, I left the company we both worked for and six years after that he was offered a role with another company in an unrelated industry. (Another example of a hiring manager that has learned to look outside of the box for people that will serve her team and her organization at a higher level.)

Last week I received this message from him,

Hi Chery,

Just thought I would pass along that that my boss has named me team lead after about a year on the team.

As a result she is flying me out of state to give workshops designed to improve interdepartmental communication between Sales and Finance.

The whole transition from _____ to my new role here with its higher level of performance and responsibility (and the significant boost in pay and workplace happiness) would never have been possible without that chance you took on me.

I have not nor will ever forget it, and that means from time to time you will get a note of gratitude from me

Receiving his note made my heart swell with pride as I thought of him, of his family and of his new workplace. I can’t wait for the next edition of this story!

Here’s the thing: He’s not the only diamond in the rough waiting to be discovered.

• Who are the diamonds in your organization that are waiting to be seen and unleashed?
• Who have you interviewed recently that may have no experience in your industry – but has transferrable skills, a strong desire to learn and contribute, and a fresh perspective that could add huge value to your organization?

Please share:  Have you ever hired a diamond in the rough?  

What happened?  

Read more stories about identifying and employing diamonds in the rough.

Not sure how to mine for diamonds in the rough?

These two books were invaluable to me as a young hiring manager:

First Break All The Rules

Now Discover Your Strengths

Beyond Behavioral Interview Questions – These are some of the questions I ask to learn more about the person I am interviewing.  

• What adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
• What are your greatest strengths?
• What are you passionate about?
• What are your weaknesses?
• I believe that attitudes are contagious. Why is yours worth catching?
• What kind of leadership motivates and inspires you? What kind of leadership hinders you?
• Who are your heroes? Why?
• Why would anyone “do more than necessary?”
• Tell me three things that you think would delight most customers?
• What’s the coolest thing that’s ever happened to you as a customer?

The post Why you should hire “Diamonds in the Rough” appeared first on Simply Understanding by Giana Consulting.

For the business, his team and his family

Real leaders know that they can’t fight every battle.

But their values are crystal clear long before they are faced with critical decisions. So when a situation demands it they don’t hide, cower or flock…

This post honors the stands of a REAL LEADER that spent several years working overseas.

When the business struggled, this leader:

• Offered solutions: By reminding peers and executives that they could SIGNIFICANTLY decrease expenses, and increase efficiency, effectiveness, customer retention and revenue by holding people accountable to policies that were already in place.
• Spoke the hard truth: By pointing to the root cause of issues instead of agreeing with popular thinking that only treated symptoms.
• Maximized the resources he had: By playing to his strengths and the strengths of his team and leveraging old assets he kept expensive and critical operations running for nearly an entire year without a budget.

“ If you are an executive in an organization: What would you give to have titled leaders like this leading your company?

When five rounds of layoffs came, this leader practiced:

• Compassion: By treated exiting employees with honesty and respect.
• Understanding: By speaking truth and encouragement to his remaining employees.

When the sixth layoff came, this leader:

• Encouraged character-based leadership: By reminding other titled leaders that the time had come to let go of their jobs so that the remaining frontline employees and the business could go a bit farther.
• Led by example: And offered his position so others could keep theirs.

“ If you are an employee: What would you give to work for someone – like this?

Then the business began to impact his family at a higher level:

Three days after he offered himself in the layoff, and before his offer was accepted… A disconnected department in the company sent a letter.  The letter told him that he needed to move from a home he had been in for four years – that was located in a secure community with many amenities – to the 32^nd floor of an apartment building.

A year earlier this leader had watched from his home as a neighboring six-story apartment building burned.

He’d witnessed:

• Limited and inadequate fire fighters and equipment
• The screams of the people trying to get out
• How long it took to get helicopters to rescue people from the roof

And later heard stories of locked and blocked exits and inadequate fire codes in the country.

After being informed that he needed to move, he stumbled into information emphasizing a lack of security protocols in the proposed apartment building.

He knew that he and his family had embraced their initial move across the world and successfully adapted and added value in this new location, but this move put their safety, security and sanity at risk.

He knew that he’d taken stands for the business and for his people. And this time he took a stand for his family.

“ If you are a spouse: What you give to be married to someone who takes stands – like this?

Those who have the courage to stand, risk being:

• Misunderstood
• Judged
• Ignored
• Replaced

But their commitment to a greater good drives them to lead in an uncommon way.

They are the leaders that inspire generations.

Real leaders are like eagles, they don’t flock…

You find them one at a time.

“ If you are a titled leader: Do you have the courage to take stands – like this?

View Testimonials Here

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