Grace under Fire – How to Lead in Difficult Times

Grace is the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful. In a spiritual context, it also has a connection with a higher power providing assistance.

In these uncertain times, it is more important than ever for leaders to maintain composure in the workplace. Tough times really define the type of leader that you are. As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get grace. You need to be tough-minded to get things done, however you need to lead with heart and compassion as well. The best way to handle any negative situation is to act with grace.

Here are a few thoughts on what it looks like to lead with grace:

• Show up each day with courage and commitment to fully lead through the situation. These are the times that employees are watching you the most closely; needing support and encouragement and believing that you can lead them through what happens in a way that demonstrates truth and maintains organizational integrity.
• If you have to coach a team member, never embarrass the person or talk to them when you are still angry. Anger is a sign that there is a problem and it is not a good way to fix a problem. Employees hear our tone much more than our words.
• Encourage risk taking and forgive Your employees need to know, that you, as their leader, are with them and for them, not above them and against them.
• Remember to take a break every once in awhile. Rest as a team, then work as a team. Your employees will realize you care not just about their results, but also about their health and well-being.

C.S. Lewis said “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny”. In the same way, it is possible for ordinary leaders to become extraordinary by leading with grace through adversity. Be the grace that you want to see in this world. It is your choice.

5 Steps to a Great Presentation

Some presentations are like Chinese food; a couple of hours later you can’t remember what you had or heard. It does not have to be that way. We can learn from the great leaders in sports, politics and business who have the powerful ability to influence and inspire action while leaving a lasting, positive impression with their audience.

Here are 5 tried-and-true steps for preparing and delivering a powerful and memorable presentation::

1. Begin Strongly. Begin with a quote, illustrative anecdote or description of danger. Hook your audience with a great opener.
2. One Theme. A speech is like a spotlight –  be focused. What is the message that you want the audience to take away?
3. Conversational Tone.  Don’t use sentences that are unnatural to the way you would normally talk.
4. Analogy. Use metaphors, analogies or anecdotes to illustrate your main theme or subject.
5. Close Dramatically. End with a strong call to action – an inspirational anecdote and/or an appeal to human emotion –  for example, hope, fear, pride.

To illustrate these points, I would like to share a speech by Yankee great, Lou Gehrig, as he bids farewell to baseball on July 4,1939  He speaks sincerely, deeply and with passion….in a way that engages and moves us.

Opener/Hook: 

Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got.

Theme/Message:

Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.

• I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement.
• Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert; also the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow; to have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins; then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology – the best manager in baseball today – Joe McCarthy!
• Sure, I’m lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift, that’s something!
• When everybody down to the groundskeeping and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies, that’s something.
• When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter, that’s something.
• When you have a father and mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it’s a blessing!
• When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dream existed, that’s the finest I know.

Closing

So I close in saying that I might have had a tough break; but I have an awful lot to live for!

Try this winning formula the next time you are asked to give a presentation or speech. Your audience will never forget you, or your message.

 About the Author: James Saik is the founder and Principal Consultant of Saik & Co, a leading management advisory firm focused on talent, compensation, and human resources strategy. James is a passionate advocate of servant leadership, having served both large and small organizations throughout his corporate career and in his consulting business. You can contact James on Twitter @james_saik and follow him on LinkedIn. James’ personal blog is at www.saikhrconsulting.com

Why Leaders Should Say Thank You More Often

I can live for two months on a good compliment. Mark Twain

Most of us as children were taught to say “please” and “thank you” and there is no reason to stop this simple, yet very influential practice, in our workplaces. It is important to recognize those who help us every day.

Here are 3 reasons why you should say “thank you” more often:

1. If you express your gratitude in a meaningful and sincere way, people will work with passion to help you achieve your goals.
2. You want them to know that you value and acknowledge what they do and how much their contributions mean to you.
3. People will perform to their highest capabilities when they understand their work is actually appreciated.

Saying “thank you” is one of the key responsibilities we have as servant leaders. Everyone works more effectively when their efforts have been acknowledged and appreciated. The benefits are priceless.

Thank you for reading my blog post. I really appreciate it.

About the Author: James Saik is the founder and Principal Consultant of Saik & Co, a leading management advisory firm focused on talent, compensation, and human resources strategy. James is a passionate advocate of servant leadership, having served both large and small organizations throughout his corporate career and in his consulting business. You can contact James on Twitter @james_saik and follow him on LinkedIn. James’ personal blog is at www.saikhrconsulting.com

Leading with Integrity: 7 Habits of Servant Leaders

Warren Buffet, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway said it best: “In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first one, the other two will kill you.”

IN·TEG·RI·TY n. 1. Quality of being honest and up-right in character.

1. Condition of being complete.

[Wikipedia]

Syn: honour, veracity, reliability

Ant: “cheat”

Recently, I had a conversation with a VP of HR who demonstrated subtle cracks in the armour of integrity that were disturbing. He uses quiet manipulations to advance a personal agenda under the guise of affability that are imminently damaging to the team and the company. Over the past 3 years, his actions have resulted in high turnover and poor employee morale. One thing is certain; his lack of integrity will eventually catch up to him. It may not be today, and it may not be for many years, but there will be a day of reckoning.

To lead with integrity and create a servant leadership culture, Dr. Kimberly Young, a noted licensed psychologist and consultant, identifies 7 habits that we must practice to encourage integrity, understanding and a sense of community.

1. Be an Active Listener – Steven Covey said, “you must first seek to understand, then to be understood.” Servant-leaders must reinforce these important skills by making a deep commitment to actively listening to others. Servant-leaders seek to identify and clarify the will of a group. They seek to listen receptively to what is being and said (and not said) among others. By listening with intent, followers feel understood and valued, even under pressure, the servant leader demonstrates a sense of empathy and compassion by taking the time to understand what one’s body, spirit, and mind are communicating.

2. Be Empathic – Do people believe that you will understand what is happening in their lives and how it affects them? Servant leaders can “walk in others’ shoes” and recognize the unique value of each employee. They understand and empathize with others’ circumstances and problems. Leaders who are empathetic have earned confidence from others by understanding whatever situation is being faced. This characteristic is a skill that comes more naturally to some than others, but it is pertinent for all who aspire to be a servant leader.

3. Establish Trust – Establishing trust is an essential part of being a servant leader. Leaders who display sincerity, integrity, and candor in all their actions will inspire trust from followers. In the age of corporate scandals, a CEO’s integrity has been tainted and employees feel less inclined to instinctively trust their leaders, making honesty an even more crucial part of a leader’s character. For the servant leader, honesty is vital and the ability to establish trust with others fosters a greater sense of openness and truthfulness with followers so that they feel a higher sense of commitment and purpose to the organization they serve.

4. Be Aware – Having the ability to look within strengthens the servant-leader. Making a commitment to foster awareness to one self can enable the servant leader to react with greater sensitivity towards others and through one’s own unique journey, leaders can be of greater service to others by helping them grow and seek greater self-awareness among themselves. Self-awareness also inspires a sense of authenticity in one’s interactions with others, enabling them to feel the leader is sincere and has their best interests at heart. In this way, servant leaders can develop employee loyalty to the firm by focusing on followers’ individual needs for achievement and growth and demonstrating an acceptance of their individual differences.

5. Be Authentic – Being authentic isn’t always easy in the midst of office politics and role barriers. The need to get ahead may slant our presentation to others – we feel inhibited to say what is on our mind, and we may compromise our true feelings, stunting ourselves from truly being authentic. Yet, building on the foundations of good leadership, servant leaders have the inner strength to share and convey what is truly in their hearts to create an authentic presence in their interactions with others, fostering greater employee allegiance to the organization.

6. Be Persuasive – Servant-leaders rely on persuasion, rather than positional authority in making decisions. Servant-leaders seek to convince others, rather than coerce compliance. This particular habit offers one of the clearest distinctions between the traditional authoritarian model and that of servant-leadership. The servant-leader is effective at building consensus within groups and demonstrates a greater trust among those who work for them.

7. Be Community-Minded – Servant-leaders commit to the growth of the people working around them and believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as workers. As such, servant-leaders are deeply committed to a personal, professional, and spiritual growth of each and every individual within the organization. Servant-leaders seek to identify a means for building community among those who work around them. Having shared values and a shared sense of purpose creates a breeding ground for employees to support one another and fosters a greater sense of identity within the company.

A belief that leadership development is an on-going, life-long learning process and making the commitment to continuous development of these habits will help enable your transformation into a servant leader and to lead with integrity.

7 Things Monks Can Teach You About Leadership

Recently I attended my first retreat at St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox monastery having received a blessing to stay for 3 nights. The monastery, which covers over 100 acres in the Sonoran Desert, is dedicated to St. Anthony the Great, the father of monasticism. There is a main church, several unique chapels, living quarters for the monks, the dining hall and guest facilities. A vegetable garden, a small vineyard, citrus orchards and an olive grove dot the landscape. An elaborate system of gardens, pathways and gazebos with Spanish fountains truly create an oasis in the desert.

The monastery follows the rule of monastic life: a brotherhood of monks and novices holding all things in common follow a daily schedule of prayer and work under obedience to the abbot, their spiritual father. There are over 40 monks there today.

Most striking to me was that the monks are totally committed and focused on the task at hand and do not spend time looking over each other’s shoulders. They have a direction in life and the abbot sets overarching goals for what they need to achieve on a daily basis.

What we can learn from the monks is a leadership philosophy that is underpinned by these 7 basic principles:

1. A high overarching mission that is worthy of being served.
2. Selflessness. At St. Anthony’s the mission is so noble and well articulated that the monks are inspired to focus on it selflessly.
3. A commitment to excellence. At St. Anthony’s monastery every grain of incense and basket of olives is packaged with a “prayerful attitude”.
4. Dedication to the highest ethical standards.
5. Faith. The monks faithfully serve their mission while trusting that the monastery will take care of itself.
6. Trust. This is perhaps the most important element of a harmonious, synergistic and efficient environment.
7. Living the life. Monks follow a rigorous methodology for constantly reinforcing these principles.

Does your organization live any of these principles?

Total Rewards: How to Set your Workforce Programs Back to the Future

How do you attract the right talent, motivate, grow and engage employees and ensure employee retention?

Widely known as “total rewards”, this term has been used by HR practitioners for well over 10 years to describe an array of financial and non-financial ways to invest in a company’s workforce in order to attract, engage and keep the people it needs to achieve business success.

There is renewed interest in the concept of total rewards as organizations are under significant pressure to deliver on business commitments in the face of economic challenges, global competitive pressures and a shortage of talent in key labour markets. In order to find and keep the right talent, top companies have learned that they need to differentiate themselves from their competitors in ways that go far beyond salary and incentives.

1. Begin by reviewing, and if necessary, redefining, your compensation and rewards philosophy. You may find that you are currently taking a “scattered” approach to rewarding employees instead of looking at your workforce programs as integrated investments that relate to one another with complementary purposes and desired outcomes.
2. Work with your internal financial experts to assess and quantify your total investment in workforce programs to ensure that it is affordable and meets business needs. Allocate your scarce dollars where you get the biggest bang for the buck!
3. Create a total rewards framework that is nimble, reflects your culture and can readily adapt to changes in your business strategy and composition of your workforce over time. Consider rewards including pay, benefits, career, work

Identifying the essential elements of a 21st century total rewards strategy for your organization and implementing that strategy requires focus, experimentation and flexibility. The pay-offs are many including giving you a distinct competitive advantage by helping to link desired employee behaviour with business goals and by creating an engaged and productive workforce.

How to Improve Your Servant Leadership

One of my favorite leadership quotes is “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the leader is a servant.” – Max de Pree. I have reflected on this quote many times during my journey to becoming a servant leader.

So, what does it mean to be a servant leader? It is about focusing on meeting the needs of your employees, customers and the community rather than exercising your personal power and authority to get things done. Robert Greenleaf, in his essay The Servant as Leader, puts it this way: “It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant–first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.”

How can you improve your servant leadership?

• Start by building servant leadership into the core values of your company. Find ways for your employees to share in the success of your business through profit sharing, employee ownership or other plans.
• Create a flat organizational hierarchy that promotes open communication and allows senior leaders to hear and try out new ideas from employees throughout the organization.
• Really listen to what your employees have to say. I worked in an organization where the CEO would regularly meet with employees at all levels across the company. It was inspiring to see how employees opened up and felt comfortable to share their feedback on how things were going.

It is all about improving the partnership and cooperation between employees, customers, business partners and suppliers. Businesses can apply many useful concepts of servant leadership to help them run more effectively and efficiently.

Conducting Performance Appraisals

What

Appraising performance is a key element of the larger Performance Management Process and is an ongoing activity between leaders and employees. Regular performance appraisals throughout the calendar year provide the opportunity for leaders to

• Recognize contributions and emphasize strengths
• Identify areas for improvement or development
• Understand career interests
• Set the stage for the creation of development plans to strengthen performance
• Provide opportunities to develop skills/experience related to career interests

Why

Performance management is the foundation under which individual and team contributions are aligned to organizational performance outcomes. Strong leaders see performance appraisal as a means to:

•  set employees up for success
• help employees attain higher levels of performance
• assist employees to establish career goals
• ensure the achievement of business unit and department goals

When

Interim performance appraisals should be conducted at least twice during the calendar year (May and September) followed by the annual performance appraisal in January.

Conducting Effective Meetings

WHAT: Meetings are a fundamental and essential feature of organizational life when it comes to coordinating action that leads to business results. Whether face to face or virtual, meetings can still be one of the most efficient and effective means of communication among individuals, team and business units. That being said, sometimes deciding not to meet may be the best use of everyone’s valuable time. In order for meetings to be effective, they must be properly planned, structured and managed.

WHY: Meetings, if mismanaged, can result in an experience that leaves the participants frustrated with the waste of their time and resources as well as so little in the way of progress or results.

WHEN: Every time a meeting is required.

A note to meeting invitees…

When you receive a meeting invitation, don’t automatically accept. Give some consideration to the following:

• Will attending be a valuable use of your time – if you need more information to determine this, ask the sender for more details.

• Are others from your team invited – if so, ask them to update you.

• Is this an opportunity to delegate to a member of your team – if so, delegate responsibility.

• Is the time allotted for the meeting reasonable given the agenda items – if not, suggest an alternative length.

• REMEMBER. If an hour is scheduled for the meeting, chances are the hour will be filled up with other less valued-added activities.

Creating Development Plans

When creating development plans with your employees, the first priority should be given to role development to ensure employees have the opportunity to acquire the knowledge/skill needed to meet the expectations of their current role. Once employees are meeting the expectations of their current role, development activities can be directed to role enrichment and career interests. Career conversations should be completed to understand career interests. Ask the following questions and then partner with the employee to create a develop plan to address:

• What type of work would you like to be doing in 1 to 3 years, 3 to 5 years, and 5 years plus?

• What would you like to do more of in your current job?

• What other work would make your current job more interesting?

WHAT

A Development Plan clearly identifies development goals an employee is expected to achieve, and the activities required for an employee to achieve them. Development Plans should be created to help employees develop their skills in order to:

– Meet job expectations (Role Development)

– Enrich their jobs (Role Enrichment)

– Develop into new positions (Career Development)

WHY

A development plan can act as a contract between a leader and employee that will:

– Foster commitment, ownership and mutual understanding

– Set expectations

– Provide direction and clarity

– Facilitate progress reviews and follow-up

The lack of a development plan is a primary reason why employees leave an organization – they see no opportunities for growth or career advancement.

Developing employees has huge impact on business results – your employee will have a stronger skill set and higher capabilities, and will also feel more valued. Developing your employees will assist you in achieving desired results.

WHEN

Development plans for employees are to be created annually to address development opportunities (role, role enrichment, and career) identified during the annual appraisal of the employee’s performance. Development plans should be reviewed a minimum of twice a year to monitor progress and revise as necessary.