Insights on 360° feedback and leadership development
Updated 10/2/18 Think about how leadership style affects employee motivation by answering this question: Would you work for a company whose former employees say both, “It was incredible!” and “I’d never work there again”? If you want to work for…
You’re a new manager, coming in to meet with your employees. What is the best way to make a good impression and earn trust with the employees quickly? Hint: It’s not by immediately running down your educational background and list of credentials. Instead, try spilling your coffee, tripping as you enter the room, or making some other small but noticeable mistake. The point is, don’t take yourself so seriously.
Sound crazy? It’s not — as long as you really do have the background and credentials to give yourself credibility. For the past 50 years, researchers have been studying how people can make themselves more likable, and one classic study found that a high-performing person who does something a little vulnerable becomes more attractive to those observing.
Happiness! A new puppy? A perfect bowling score? Your favorite pineapple upside-down cake? Those things would probably make most of us happier (although some might opt for chocolate cake instead). Work might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "happiness".
Even at the wackiest Silicon Valley startup, it's unlikely that employers will provide puppies, bowling or cake to increase happiness. But business owners know that employee satisfaction is extremely important. Happiness is defined as "subjective well-being" by experts at UC Berkeley. Both research and experience show that happy employees--those who feel more positive emotions and a deep sense of purpose--are more productive.
Do you remember watching ‘The Karate Kid’ back in the 80s, and then coming out of the cinema feeling like you wanted to be a winner just as Daniel San was? Or watching ‘Remember the Titans’ and wanting to be part of a team that was just as great, with a coach that was just as awesome and wise? How about ‘Patch Addams’ and feeling like you wanted to be part of that movement of free clinics that helped people in need? Of course you remember!
Generation Z or affectionately, "Gen Z" are the clued-in, cyber-smart, connected people born during the 1990s, the years when the internet and smart phones were becoming fast, pervasive, and endlessly useful. These people are in their mid-twenties and bringing their special style to office environments throughout the business world. They are the first generation that has never experienced a world without the internet. Knowledge has always been at their fingertips. Communication was always universal, fast and cheap. What will it be like working with people like that, with that kind of kink in their brains? What is the Gen Z leadership style like?
Mark G. Parker, at the age of 61, is the third CEO of Nike. He joined Nike as a footwear designer in 1979, advanced up the chain of command and was named CEO in 2006. Since coming to the office, Parker has more than doubled Nike sales, and has been described as the world's most creative CEO.
Now that Nike is no longer the feisty underdog to brands like Adidas, Parker has the tricky task of finding growth in a wildly successful company. He says that often size turns to "constipation." Size fogs the lens about what is really happening. He believes that turning size and success into a formula and institutionalizing it "...can be death."
Are you afraid of wolves? Don't be! Wolves are actually incredibly loving animals that take care of everyone in their packs. They get a bad rap because they are predators, but, hey, everyone has to eat! In fact, an office full of wolf-like workers will take your business a great deal farther than an office full of sheep.
Unfortunately, much of corporate culture encourages sheep-like behavior. Workers stay quiet in meetings for fear of their ideas being rejected, and, in general, fearful people do not perform as well. Stress can lead to increased days out of the office and lower productivity, which no one wants.
Stress. Sometimes even the word can bring it on. And we have all heard how bad stress is for our bodies: heart attacks, high blood pressure, strokes, chronic headaches, depression, anxiety, and even weight gain (Wait! Stress can make me fat? Now I AM depressed) are just some of the negative effects stress can have on our bodies and minds. But we live in a fast-paced, high-pressure world where stress is impossible to avoid. So what do we do? Well, it turns out, there are some positive aspects to stress, and if we can learn to embrace stress, we can make it work for us.
Has your bark lost its bite? Ship lost its rudder? Your charisma lost its oomph? Are you having difficulty getting your employees to see your vision and pursue it with the same energy you've put into it all these years?
Maybe your vision isn't the problem. Maybe it's time for a different kind of adjustment, a new leadership style. Changing your leadership style might be harder than changing the vision you set for your company or organization long ago, but it is well worth the effort, both for the growth of your company and your own personal growth. On the other hand, once you see how well different styles work in different situations, you may learn very quickly!
Are you a seasoned leader struggling to keep your team motivated? Perhaps you've recently been asked to step into a leadership role for the first time, but you're wondering whether you have what it takes. The beauty of leadership principles is their relevance at any stage of your development.
Wander the aisles of any bookstore and you're certain to find an entire section dedicated to leadership. Browse top-rated podcasts; leadership advice is not hard to find. So with so many available opinions on the subject of leadership, is there one concept that can revolutionize your ability to lead your team? Absolutely.