by Ann Evanston | Sep 22, 2009 | Business Strategy
Recently, Dick, a person I have loved and respected, died. I knew this man on a personal level, as a father, friend, husband, and grandfather. He was a great man! At his memorial, many that worked with him also shared how great he was there. Here is what I realized. Dick chose to lead not just at work but in life. He chose to possess characteristics and traits of leadership. He was:
- Visionary
- Mentored and was a role model
- Didn’t take himself too seriously
- Chose to see the best in every person
- Saw the potential in others
- Practiced giving without ever expecting
- Had high standards
- Challenged you to be your best
- Came from a place of adventure
- Always came from love
- Knew solutions were possible
- Made family first.
So what’s the point? As small business owners these characteristics are critical for your success. People in his life wanted to follow him. And you need others to want to follow you: your family, your community, your customers. So:
- Make a choice
- Understand leadership is key
- Pick one of these amazing characteristics above and incorporate it in your life 100% of the time and I guarantee you will:
- Get better results
- Increase loyalty from others
- Enjoy life more
- Truly be successful
- Always have what you need.
I highly recommend Leadership 101 by John Maxwell to explore leadership and how important it is to you as an entrepreneur. What will you do to choose to lead?
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
by Ann Evanston | Apr 17, 2009 | Business Strategy, Mental Mind Shifts
Would you believe that many employees would prefer a bad manager who’s consistent over an inconsistent manager? I’ve heard that statement a lot in my years of coaching and training in corporate America. What is interesting is this is the same psychosocial belief of women who stay with abusive men -: at least consistently bad is better than unknowing or inconsistent.
Now, I’m not saying that you should be a bad leader. That’s not the takeaway here! I am saying that you should consistently apply great leadership skills.
Why is consistency so important? Because people like predictability. They like knowing the rules of the game, especially a leader’s rules of the game.
Imagine a manager who greets everyone with a cheerful “Hello!” on Monday morning then marches in on Tuesday morning, head down, growling that she needs coffee. How should employees approach her the next day? Or the next week? Who knows?
Your consistency will improve how people interact with you on many levels. Knowing what characteristics you portray when you “show up” is important to your success!
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
by Ann Evanston | Apr 15, 2009 | Business Strategy, Mental Mind Shifts
The first key step to achieving consistency: knowing your own, personal leadership style.
For example, do you prefer written communication or verbal interactions? Do you want to be prepared in advance for meetings, or do you think better on your feet?
There’s no right or wrong. These preferences are a part of who you are. Once you understand your unique approach, you can better communicate your preferences. Your employees will be happy to comply with your requests. They’ll understand that you prefer e-mailed meeting notices to impromptu gatherings or executive summaries instead of lengthy reports. Remember, the people who work for you like knowing the rules.
Understanding your own style can also help you recognize preferences among your employees, and especially your customers. For instance, you may like a glowing public acknowledgment of a job well done while your project team leader may prefer a framed letter of commendation. Responding to these subtle differences will elevate you in your employees’ eyes, and increase loyalty in your customers!
Did you know? Ann has developed The Warrior Styles to help you better understand your styles and those around you! Interested in the Assessment? Contact her!
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
by Ann Evanston | Apr 13, 2009 | Business Strategy, Mental Mind Shifts
To achieve your desired results, clarify what you expect from your relationships, your business, your employees, even your personal relationships. As Brian Tracy says in The Psychology of Achievement, you must 1) tell people what to expect, and 2) follow through on those expectations. See many of us make the deadly mistake of assuming that people know!
That makes sense, right? If you ask employees to arrive by a certain time each morning, and someone shows up late without consequences, your staff assumes your timeliness standard isn’t important. Without follow through, more and more employees will arrive late. Why? Because when you do not follow through, you send a message that it is no big deal. Same true in your business. If you say to someone that you meet at a networking meeting you will call them and then do not, you send a message what it was “no big deal.” And that is deadly as a small business owner.
Over my 15 years of coaching leaders and business owners, I’ve added two of my own key steps to Brian Tracy’s advice. The first is to know what you expect. Think about how you, as a leader, view flex time, paid time off, and other policies, and come up with your own standards. That way, you’ll know exactly what to tell your employees. This will increase your odds of being consistent.
The next piece is to communicate assertively. Otherwise, your staff will be frustrated. Want an easy way to achieve assertive communication? When you make a request, stop sticking that big, old “but” into things!
Seriously, look at the difference one word can make:
“I know you’re busy now, but I need you to comment on this report.”
“I know you’re busy now, and I need five minutes to discuss this report in the next hour.”
“That’s a really great idea, but that’s not what we’re talking about right now.”
“That’s a really great idea. I’d like to add it to our agenda for next time, will you email me a reminder to do so?”
Notice how the second sentences present clear, respectful expectations.
Next Post: Leadership Style!
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
