Leadership

What does it take to become a courageous leader?

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    1. Break outside the constraints of how it’s been traditionally done – required to achieve amazing results.
    2. Build on everyone’s ideas — listen and listen some more.
    3. Provide unbeatable service to internal and external customers — each time.
    4. Express your thoughts and feelings responsibly — apologies work wonders.
    5. Manage your ethics and integrity – the impact can last forever.
    6. Oversee your projects for the human experience — not just the product creation and execution.
    7. Enjoy gratitude for everything and everyone – regardless of the circumstances.
    8. Being respected usually outlasts likeability — people’s feelings can be fickle.

Jeannette Seibly has been an international business coach for over 20 years. She has guided the creation of three millionaires. Are you the next one? http://SeibCo.com/contact

What Do You Allow to Stop You?

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You have goals, dreams, desires and wishes. Too often, you allow fears, doubts, lack of self-worth, and other circumstances to stop you! They get in the way of your commitments. You find excuses for not moving forward. Some people create black and white expectations of what must happen first. There are times these demands work, but usually they get in the way of seeing new ways to pursue your future. As a result, you are usually left feeling limited and your real potential is not fully realized.

What is stopping you from taking action? Take a few minutes. Create a list of your top five fears and write down the reasons why they are fears.

You could have the:

  • Desire for a promotion and your fear is leaving your current employer.
  • Goal to earn more money and you doubt your ability to find a better job.
  • Dream to live in a particular geographical area and you’ve never been there for fear of moving.

The challenge for many of you is that you are waiting until your children get older, or you no longer have to be a caregiver for others. So you use them as the excuse to not take action.

Regardless of the seemingly valid reason, create your list. Now, turn it around! What are the top five reasons it could work! Then, list ideas to bridge the gaps between now and achieving your results. Talk them over with a committed coach, friend or acquaintance to see where you are making it harder than it needs to be.

Jeannette Seibly has been an international business and executive coach for over 20 years. She has guided the creation of three millionaires. Are you the next one? http://SeibCo.com/contact

Why wait? Do It Now!

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Goals, dreams, desires and wishes. We all have them. They could be related to business, professional, personal, financial, spiritual, etc. Yet, we love to wait, talk about it and think some more before we do anything. Many times, after years of contemplating, we talk ourselves out of it!

Recently a friend let me know she had bought a RV. She’s in her 50’s and has wanted to travel for many years – however, her husband doesn’t like leaving home. Then, she shared with me her progress: the places she had scheduled to visit, notification to her employer of her last day and letting her husband know of her plans. She was excited and nervous. She would be travelling solo; however, she would continue the part-time retail business she had created during the past couple of years to earn money while on the road!

It reminded me of a time when my mother wanted to go to Hawaii. My dad didn’t. So, my mother finally purchased tickets for herself and a good friend. They went and had a great time. My dad never let my mother travel again without him!

We all have dreams that have been percolating for a long time. It took me years before I finally decided to move to Colorado from Michigan – I had been talking about it for years – I had setup my business so I could live anywhere – yet, it took time before I finally said, “yes.” I remember driving down Highway 69 and still contemplating turning around!  However, after I arrived, I noticed an inner confidence that naturally developed after making the move – it boded well for achieving my next set of goals.

So, whatever it is you’re thinking about doing … do it now!

Jeannette Seibly has been an international business coach for over 20 years. She has guided the creation of three millionaires. Are you the next one? http://SeibCo.com/contact

Self-Reliant Superstars – Slow Down!

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True future executives and budding entrepreneurs have a strong self-reliance and resourcefulness that many of their peers do not possess. Many times they will surpass their bosses in taking initiatives and achieving results!  They crave freedom to make their own mistakes, yet, ironically, are afraid of failure. In their quest to be able to say, “I did it myself,” they will ignore overt instructions from their bosses.

If you believe you are one of these future business leaders, slow down.

Before you rush forward, learn the skills that you will need for your next position! While you may focus on developing your technology, sales and financial savvy, the two places where most fast-rising-stars sabotage themselves is in people and project management.

Here are questions to get you started. Use them as a starting point for your executive development. Answer them yourself, and, then, ask (and listen) to your boss’s and coach’s input. A qualified 360-degree feedback assessment could also be very helpful.

How do you:

  • Motivate yourself when you become bored?
  • Listen and hear what your employees, customers and bosses are saying?
  • Correct mistakes?
  • Engage others when they are not on the same page?
  • Keep the team spirit alive when plans are not being followed?
  • Accept criticism?
  • Share the recognition and rewards?

Being a successful self-reliant superstar means others are willingly following you! Take the time now to learn how to work well with anyone, anywhere. For faster results, hire an external coach.

Jeannette Seibly has been an international business coach for over 20 years. She has guided the creation of three millionaires. Are you the next one? http://SeibCo.com/contact

Want to advance quickly?

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Learning how to work with bad bosses is a must. Recently I was talking with a fast-track employee. She loved her job, but, was bored. What was missing? She was shocked to learn she needed to take the initiative. Instead, she blamed her last two managers and referred to them as “bad bosses.” She felt this perception justified her lack of advancement.  And added, “Everyone else thinks they are bad too.” One of my clients had very similar circumstances; however, he ended up with a very different result. He hired me as his coach! His first assignment was to get on the same page with this “bad boss” by having a conversation face-to-face! He made the comment, “If I had known I needed to do this, I never would have hired you!” My response? “ Good thing. Because now you can have the upward mobility you’ve been craving!” He did the work. Received the praise and was slated for a huge promotion by the CEO! The truth is you will always work with and for others that you don’t like, and won’t do it your way. Labelling them “bad bosses” only hinders your advancement for the next job, promotion or pay increase. Jeannette Seibly has been an international business and executive coach for over 20 years. She has guided the creation of three millionaires. Are you the next one? http://SeibCo.com/contact

Effective leaders influence performance

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So, you want to be a leader, a future executive. (If you’re already a leader, this is a must-read to help develop your organization.)

First, here’s a little history to give you a perspective on the performance challenges many multi-generational organizations face today.

  • Millennials … require a different way of being managed and are even shaping management practices today. They prefer to be consulted, given opportunities to do their work their way and be praised for any progress they make. Learn how to influence rather than command their performance. But, be aware, they tend to have a low tolerance for the inevitable failures we all face. And, if they are unhappy, they seek jobs elsewhere.
  • Baby boomers … were brought up under the command or be fired regiment. They learned from mistakes; but, may have lost promotions because of them. Many bosses during this era earned their positions due to longevity with the company and their ability to do what they were told to do. Being happy at work wasn’t expected and job hopping wasn’t an option.

Second, regardless of the era, effective leaders influence performance by walking their talk, honoring integrity and achieving goals by working with and through others. Their expertise expresses itself quietly due to hands-on experiences, learning from their mistakes, and developing resiliency. They focus on creating a win-win workplace that respects everyone’s efforts, and do not expect preferential treatment for themselves.

Third, if you want to be a leader, take responsibility for causing your future.

  • Work-ability. Growing up, many Gen Y’ers were told they could do and be anything they wanted in business. In an ideal world, that would be true. However, we live in a world where people must do things they are not interested in doing. Be an advocate to change traditions that no longer work. For example, most companies still require their leaders to manage others (although, careers can be unnecessarily ruined when they fail). One solution is to suggest creating multiple career ladders that can leverage individual talents. http://BizSavvyHire.com
  • Communication skills beyond 140 characters. While Baby Boomers learned how to work with bosses that were erratic or unprofessional, their younger peers are not so tolerant. Stop expecting others to make communication changes required to suit you. Instead, develop the ability to effectively talk with anyone, anywhere (not just IM, text or email). It’s a must-have skill due to a diverse global market. Break through your #1 fear when having conversations! http://:ow.ly/zei8S
  • Fun work. While work can be enjoyable, there will always be parts of the job you hate. Do them anyway and learn how to systemize or make them easier. This is a hidden opportunity to show others your initiative.
  • Embrace change. It can be the game changer you’ve been striving for. Be ready to pounce in a business savvy manner when it happens.
  • Coachability. Most leaders today have a business advisor or executive coach, depending upon their entrepreneurial focus or management goals. Find an internal mentor to navigate the politics. Hire an external coach to provide a customized approach for your professional style and goals.  http://SeibCo.com/contact

 

©Jeannette L. Seibly, 2014

Fail Well for Success

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You’ve often heard the phrase, “Failure is not an option.” The truth is failure does happen and it does happen often. Particularly to people that who take risks, people that focus on expanding their opportunities, implementing bigger ideas, and following their own paths, not paths designed by others.

We’ve all done our best to avoid failure or minimize it – yet, it shows up over and over. Our inability or unwillingness to address these life lessons makes it harder for us to succeed. Every achievement has a story of what didn’t work behind it – unfortunately, media doesn’t often share those struggles and what was learned during the process.

As business leaders, it’s important to learn how to handle mistakes and learn from them. Trying to cover them up, deny they happened, blame others, or allow our confidence to wane are not good choices. There’s no magical way to deal with or get past failure. Each person needs to work through their challenges one day at a time.

Why do failures hang around? There are failures that simply happen (e.g., the economy) and failures we could have prevented (e.g., implementing quality control procedures). We’ve created stories to minimize their impact or excuses to justify why they happened. Emotionally we hang onto the sadness, guilt and negativity, while failing to forgive ourselves and forgive others. Often, we continue to indulge in bad habits or stay in situations that are not healthy. The key is to recognize a potential problem and resolve it proactively.

How can we learn from failure faster? Hire a trusted advisor who can help you clarify what worked and what didn’t work. Take time to acknowledge that things didn’t work out as expected. Many times the actual outcome does not match up with our perceptions of “what should have happened.”

How do we fail well for success?

  • Write down your thoughts and feelings when the incident(s) happens. Don’t share your private journal with anyone. The act of writing can be cathartic when you simply express your thoughts on paper without concerns for grammar, punctuation, and word choices.
  • Walk it out. It’s hard to be depressed when you’re in action.
  • Talk it out with a few select confidants – don’t go it alone. Be clear these conversations are not designed as pity sessions. Their purpose is to help you develop compassion and wisdom from your lesson(s) learned.Remember, there will be more opportunities to fail and succeed – life gives you lemons or lemonade – it’s your choice to work through the challenges or succumb when mistakes happen! The key is to fail well so that you’re not repeating the same life lessons.

 

Jeannette Seibly has been a business advisor and facilitator for over 20 years; she guides the creation of new solutions for business challenges. Learn more about these and other successful leadership techniques by visiting her blogs posts on: http://SeibCo.com and get your copy of, “5 Simple Steps to Improve Your Results (and Enjoy Being a Leader Again)” http://ow.ly/ysgYQ

Avoid getting fired.

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Almost 40 percent of executives today find themselves fired from or sidelined in their new jobs within six to eighteen months! Why? They have failed to acclimate to the company, build relationships, and have unknowingly stomped on sacred cows.

What needs to happen?

  • First, get to know your new coworkers and build relationships. If your boss mandates certain changes, make them happen in a manner that doesn’t get you fired. For example, if the boss requires certain people be removed from the organization, request this be completed prior to your first day on the job.
  • Second, be truly clear of expectations. Both C-suite executives and the applicants they interview lie during the interview process! It happens for many reasons; some stretch the truth knowingly and others falsely believe their own rhetoric. Learn how to probe into what is said—don’t be afraid to play the devil’s advocate to assess the truth. Then, talk with your networks, both internal and external, and use a litmus test to determine the veracity, cost and likelihood of succeeding.
  • Third, if you have made a mistake, hire a coach and be coachable! Urgency is the key. Many times executives become lone rangers who are demanding and control others because of their fear of failure and loss of faith in their own abilities. With the right coach, these perceptions can be turned around. If you are coachable, i.e., willing to change your old ways of doing things, you can succeed at interacting with others and working with your boss. You won’t keep your job on your own! (Read more on this topic is my eGuide “Companies and Executives Need to Vet and Onboard Each Other!” http://ow.ly/sEcSN)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2014

Are you listening to the criticism?

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It always feels good to get compliments, have others think highly of your interactions with clients, or be lauded for the goals you’ve accomplished. In fact, most of us expect to hear that everything is great and wonderful—even when it’s not.  Unfortunately, unadulterated praise rarely provides you with the inside information you need to advance in your career. Every success has its learning opportunities, such as overcoming poor communication habits, correcting ineffective project management skills, adjusting biased attitudes towards others, and becoming more resourceful.

Climbing the corporate ladder requires being open to hearing what you don’t want to hear from co-workers, bosses, and clients. It’s important to learn from your mistakes and learn how to manage perceptions by seeing yourself from others’ point of view. Instead of thinking people are being super critical or are unaware of what you had to do to achieve results.  Failure to welcome the truth can stymie your upward mobility.

The truth is you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge! 

Successful leaders listen instead of defending themselves. They seek out constructive criticism and learn from others’ perspectives about what is working and what needs to be improved. In addition, they rely on the expertise of an executive coach, a trusted advisor who can help them develop their natural strengths and overcome their inherent weaknesses. http://SeibCo.com

When we listen to criticism, we can hear the gold. When we respond appropriately, we improve our leadership.

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2014

Is our hiring process reactive?

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Today many recruiters and hiring managers simply react when someone quits, retires, or gets fired. We post an ad, interview, and hope we’ve hired the right person.  Usually, hiring mistakes result when we focus too much on the person who left and let our biases lead us astray. We tend to look for someone who is similar or dissimilar to the person we’re replacing, and we fail to base our decisions on objective data.

To make matter worse, as creatures of habit we rely on the same old processes. They’re easy to fall back on when we don’t take the time to strategically assess where we are today and what we need to do to be successful tomorrow.

To become proactive, we need to infuse objectivity into the selection process upfront, before the interview process begins. The better-quality information we obtain from qualified tools, the better our hiring decisions.  Such objectivity requires a new mindset, a mindfulness of what we are doing and why.  For more on this subject, see my article Easily Infuse Objectivity Early in Your Hiring System. (http://wp.me/p2POui-nj)

(c)Jeannette L. Seibly, 2014