When you’re the Top Dog - Three keys to leading like a professional
When you’re the Top Dog - Three keys to leading like a professional
When you are the “top dog” in an organization, there are indeed three keys to leading others that will create a tuned-in, turned-on workforce. They distinguish you as being a professional – significantly more effective than amateurs who have a title but nothing beneath the surface.
1. See the Big Picture.
Too often, amateurs get wrapped up in their own egos. They expect their people to support them simply because they are the “boss”. Captain Bligh adhered to this management philosophy. ‘Nuff said.
Professional leaders also have huge egos. But their pride is centered in their belief in their people. In fact, they go as far as involving their staff in the creation of an organization mission statement. Boring stuff? Only when some marketing person drafts it, gets the boss’ endorsement and hangs it on the wall in the lobby; never
to be remembered or referred to again.
The real value of a mission statement lies in involving everyone in its creation. People discuss why they do what they do for a living. You discover shared values and an underling purpose to work beyond taking home a paycheque. You tap into the common bonds that are the true motivators of the human spirit. Sound touchy-feely? Absolutely. Why else would they want to work for you? ... Job security? That’s difficult to provide. People want to work in an environment where they feel like they are a part of a greater good. They can be forced to work for you because you have a title... just ask Captain Bligh. Professional leaders think of themselves less as a boss and more as an activist rallying support for a worthy cause. People will support a leader who has a strong sense of mission, who’s values match their own. Captain Bligh was an amateur. Abraham Lincoln was a professional.
2. Get better information
Amateur leaders love efficiency. They think the key to increased profits is to simply reduce costs and work harder. The problem with this leadership style is that efficiency is usually not the problem. The problem lies with their products and services not being tuned-in to the needs of the marketplace.
To a professional leader, there’s no use in finding a faster way to climb the ladder if the ladder’s leaning on the wrong wall. They constantly, systematically, proactively check to make sure their heading in the right direction. Tools they use include:
Ask your Competition. Professionals learn to innovate by discussing issues with their competitors. Sound absurd? Join your trade association. It’s filled with competitors who recognize that none of us is as smart as all of us. Amateur leaders shun the competition. Professionals understand that today’s competitor may be tomorrow’s business partner.
Ask your customers. Amateurs think they understand their customers needs because they do business with them. Yet, how many times have you eaten at a restaurant and decided that you wouldn’t go back? Statistically only one out of every 27 dissatisfied customers actually complains. Amateurs wonder why business is dropping off. Professionals admit they need to know what their customers really think. So they regularly test and verify client satisfaction.
Consider using local business students to conduct surveys. Students get huge response rates. Think of it -wouldn’t you be more likely to answer a few questions to “help a student with their class project?” Bonus: students are a lot cheaper than commercial firms.
Ask your employees. After all they’re closer to the customers than you are
Educate yourself. Amateurs are know-it-alls. They seem to believe that they are supposed to come up with all the good ideas. Professionals rely on other peoples success and apply that to their own practices. So professionals read books, listen to tapes, and attend seminars.
3. Become a pillar of integrity
Amateur leaders ooze with golden promises and good intentions. They think that the key to being successful is popularity. And they try to deliver on their promises. In other words, they lie a lot.
Example: a customer asks when you can deliver something to them. You think you can get it to them by Wednesday. The amateur’s response, “I’ll try to get it to you by Wednesday.” But something comes up, so delivery is delayed by one day, until Thursday. At least you tried. No big deal, right?
Right. It’s only a big deal if you had any aspirations of being respected. Professional leaders know that their most valuable asset is their personal reputation. It’s simply not worth jeopardizing that reputation by making a commitment they may not be able to keep. So professionals make a practice of underpromising and overdelivering.
As someone with a title, you are the ‘big dog’ trotting by the yard where the neighborhood dogs are lounging. Whether you lead like a professional or an amateur will determine whether they are motivated to run with you, or just stay on the porch.
When youre the Top Dog Three keys to leading like a professional - To learn more about this author, visit Jeff Mowatt's Website.
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Judging by the way we elect some of our political leaders, you’d think that the three most important qualities to leadership are: popularity, an outgoing personality, and loyalty to your supporters. Coincidentally, these just happen to be the three most outstanding traits of our overweight 6 year old Corgi, affectionately named “Sadie.” Sadie is popular with everyone she meets. She’s outgoing to the point of being embarrassingly familiar with strangers. And she’s loyal - to us and anyone else at the park with a milkbone. Perhaps the only reason Sadie hasn’t been elected to public office is that she has breath issues.
When you are the “top dog” in an organization, there are indeed three keys to leading others that will create a tuned-in, turned-on workforce. They distinguish you as being a professional – significantly more effective than amateurs who have a title but nothing beneath the surface.
1. See the Big Picture.
Too often, amateurs get wrapped up in their own egos. They expect their people to support them simply because they are the “boss”. Captain Bligh adhered to this management philosophy. ‘Nuff said.
Professional leaders also have huge egos. But their pride is centered in their belief in their people. In fact, they go as far as involving their staff in the creation of an organization mission statement. Boring stuff? Only when some marketing person drafts it, gets the boss’ endorsement and hangs it on the wall in the lobby; never
to be remembered or referred to again.
The real value of a mission statement lies in involving everyone in its creation. People discuss why they do what they do for a living. You discover shared values and an underling purpose to work beyond taking home a paycheque. You tap into the common bonds that are the true motivators of the human spirit. Sound touchy-feely? Absolutely. Why else would they want to work for you? ... Job security? That’s difficult to provide. People want to work in an environment where they feel like they are a part of a greater good. They can be forced to work for you because you have a title... just ask Captain Bligh. Professional leaders think of themselves less as a boss and more as an activist rallying support for a worthy cause. People will support a leader who has a strong sense of mission, who’s values match their own. Captain Bligh was an amateur. Abraham Lincoln was a professional.
2. Get better information
Amateur leaders love efficiency. They think the key to increased profits is to simply reduce costs and work harder. The problem with this leadership style is that efficiency is usually not the problem. The problem lies with their products and services not being tuned-in to the needs of the marketplace.
To a professional leader, there’s no use in finding a faster way to climb the ladder if the ladder’s leaning on the wrong wall. They constantly, systematically, proactively check to make sure their heading in the right direction. Tools they use include:
Ask your Competition. Professionals learn to innovate by discussing issues with their competitors. Sound absurd? Join your trade association. It’s filled with competitors who recognize that none of us is as smart as all of us. Amateur leaders shun the competition. Professionals understand that today’s competitor may be tomorrow’s business partner.
Ask your customers. Amateurs think they understand their customers needs because they do business with them. Yet, how many times have you eaten at a restaurant and decided that you wouldn’t go back? Statistically only one out of every 27 dissatisfied customers actually complains. Amateurs wonder why business is dropping off. Professionals admit they need to know what their customers really think. So they regularly test and verify client satisfaction.
Consider using local business students to conduct surveys. Students get huge response rates. Think of it -wouldn’t you be more likely to answer a few questions to “help a student with their class project?” Bonus: students are a lot cheaper than commercial firms.
Ask your employees. After all they’re closer to the customers than you are
Educate yourself. Amateurs are know-it-alls. They seem to believe that they are supposed to come up with all the good ideas. Professionals rely on other peoples success and apply that to their own practices. So professionals read books, listen to tapes, and attend seminars.
3. Become a pillar of integrity
Amateur leaders ooze with golden promises and good intentions. They think that the key to being successful is popularity. And they try to deliver on their promises. In other words, they lie a lot.
Example: a customer asks when you can deliver something to them. You think you can get it to them by Wednesday. The amateur’s response, “I’ll try to get it to you by Wednesday.” But something comes up, so delivery is delayed by one day, until Thursday. At least you tried. No big deal, right?
Right. It’s only a big deal if you had any aspirations of being respected. Professional leaders know that their most valuable asset is their personal reputation. It’s simply not worth jeopardizing that reputation by making a commitment they may not be able to keep. So professionals make a practice of underpromising and overdelivering.
As someone with a title, you are the ‘big dog’ trotting by the yard where the neighborhood dogs are lounging. Whether you lead like a professional or an amateur will determine whether they are motivated to run with you, or just stay on the porch.
When youre the Top Dog Three keys to leading like a professional - To learn more about this author, visit Jeff Mowatt's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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