DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP INC.

DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP INC.
DYNAMIC LEADERSHIP INC.
Showing posts with label selfless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label selfless. Show all posts

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Ten Ways To Make Your Employees Adore You (video)

Please do not confuse adoration with lovability or even likeability. Effective leaders have a mystique about them that sets them apart from other mortals. They have an ability to garner respect, admiration, reverence, and generally high regard wherever they go. Those are the elements of adoration that we will be dealing with in this video.


No two leaders are the same. They all have their own distinct style. Some exude kindness and warmth while others reek of authority and influence. Some lead by example while others lead through delegation. Some do things on impulse and immediate action while others are methodical and unhurried. These are products of individual personalities and no one style is better than another. They can all create success when fused with the essential elements of leadership.

No matter what style you might have, you can earn the adoration of your employees.

HERE ARE THE TEN ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF LEADERSHIP ADORATION:

1. In order to be adored as a leader you must listen to the people who work with you. Listening is an indication of respect. It shows that you are interested in them and that what they have to say matters. Most importantly, it shows that they have so much value that you will give up your most precious leadership commodity for them...your time.

2. If you want adoration, talk to your people. Tell them what you are thinking. Tell them about yourself. Let them know that you are human and that you have the same fears, feelings, problems and concerns that they do. If you make yourself human to them they will be compelled to support and protect you when the need arises.

3. You must control your emotions if you expect true adoration from your followers. Angry, depressed, impatient, sad, giddy, or moody people cannot gain respect and will not be taken seriously by anyone. A calm, even demeanour with moments of obvious excitement (at appropriate times) will show followers that you are in control of yourself and therefore more likely to be someone of good character and a strong mind.

4. Adorable people have a sense of humour. A dour, humourless demeanour might seem appropriate in some situations, but a regular diet of it in a leadership position is a morale killer. When people say things to you that they think are funny...laugh! It is not a hard thing to do. Only laugh at appropriate things and when offering your own humour, make sure you do not cross the line of inappropriateness. Work should not be punishment and it follows that a joyful workplace is a productive workplace. If you are not exhibiting humour from time to time, you have not realized your full leadership potential.

5. Make yourself available and adoration will follow. If you are truly leading, you are visible, available and transparent. Stop making excuses for not spending time with your followers. Get up from your desk and talk to them. When they want to speak with you in private, stop what you are doing (if possible) and talk to them. When they have a problem, listen to them with an open mind and do everything in your power to help them through it. Be their omnipresent symbol of strength.

6. Trust your employees and they will adore you. The greatest display of respect you can show an employee is to trust him or her to do the job properly, on time and on budget. Once the training phase is over and you know they are competent, leave them alone and do not meddle. Ask for progress reports and occasional performance evaluations but during the course of the workday, leave them alone and only attempt to help when they ask. The only interference you should present is a pat on the back for a job well done or a celebration for a special success. Your trust in them will be returned with respect and admiration for you.

7. Communicate with your people and they will adore you. One of the most common complaints from employees is that they have little or no communication with management. What they want is more than idle chat. They want to know what is going on, what the vision of the company is, what your personal vision is, the financial strength and growth of the company, and where the company is going. They want to be an integral part of the organization and the more you tell them about where the company is taking them, the more they will admire you.

8. To be adored you must always be cognizant of how you present yourself. Unlike some other human beings, leaders must always dress appropriately, clean and groom themselves appropriately, speak clearly and concisely and act in a politically correct fashion. Sloppy, slovenly, smelly people seldom make good leaders. People who mumble, speak too softly, tell dirty jokes or use a lot of foul language have difficulty gaining respect from followers or superiors. If you are having trouble finding adoration at work, give yourself an honest personal evaluation and make the necessary changes.

9. If you fight for your employees you can become the most adored leader of all. Followers want their leaders to be bold, courageous, loyal warriors who will support them, protect them and speak highly of them at all times. Leaders who put their own success and safety second to that of their employees will be held in high regard. Leaders who get involved when employees get into conflicts or bravely put themselves into the middle of customer confrontations are the most revered of all. If you make it clear to your people that you will be the last person into the life raft if the ship starts to go down you will be adored beyond your wildest imagination.

10. Honesty is an adorable trait. Dishonesty is not! Big lies, small lies, promises not kept, and promises conveniently forgotten are all reasons for leadership catastrophe. No one wants to be lied to. If you always do unto others as you would have them do unto you and never tell an untruth you are on the path to adoration and leadership success.

Leadership is not easy, but by practising these few simple tenets you can enhance your leadership style and move to a higher level of success.

All the Best

Wayne Kehl

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Ten Ways To Make Your Employees Adore You


Please do not confuse adoration with lovability or even likeability. Effective leaders have a mystique about them that sets them apart from other mortals. They have an ability to garner respect, admiration, reverence, and generally high regard wherever they go. Those are the elements of adoration that we will be dealing with in this article.
No two leaders are the same. They all have their own distinct style. Some exude kindness and warmth while others reek of authority and influence. Some lead by example while others lead through delegation.  Some do things on impulse and immediate action while others are methodical and unhurried. These are products of individual personalities and no one style is better than another. They can all create success when fused with the essential elements of leadership.
No matter what style you might have, you can earn the adoration of your employees.
HERE ARE THE TEN ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF LEADERSHIP ADORATION:
  1. In order to be adored as a leader you must listen to the people who work with you. Listening is an indication of respect. It shows that you are interested in them and that what they have to say matters. Most importantly, it shows that they have so much value that you will give up your most precious leadership commodity for them...your time.
  2. If you want adoration, talk to your people. Tell them what you are thinking. Tell them about yourself. Let them know that you are human and that you have the same fears, feelings, problems and concerns that they do. If you make yourself human to them they will be compelled to support and protect you when the need arises.
  3. You must control your emotions if you expect true adoration from your followers. Angry, depressed, impatient, sad, giddy, or moody people cannot gain respect and will not be taken seriously by anyone.  A calm, even demeanour with moments of obvious excitement (at appropriate times) will show followers that you are in control of yourself and therefore more likely to be someone of good character and a strong mind.
  4. Adorable people have a sense of humour. A dour, humourless demeanour might seem appropriate in some situations, but a regular diet of it in a leadership position is a morale killer. When people say things to you that they think are funny...laugh! It is not a hard thing to do. Only laugh at appropriate things and when offering your own humour, make sure you do not cross the line of inappropriateness. Work should not be punishment and it follows that a joyful workplace is a productive workplace. If you are not exhibiting humour from time to time, you have not realized your full leadership potential.
  5. Make yourself available and adoration will follow. If you are truly leading, you are visible, available and transparent. Stop making excuses for not spending time with your followers. Get up from your desk and talk to them. When they want to speak with you in private, stop what you are doing (if possible) and talk to them. When they have a problem, listen to them with an open mind and do everything in your power to help them through it. Be their omnipresent symbol of strength.
  6. Trust your employees and they will adore you.  The greatest display of respect you can show an employee is to trust him or her to do the job properly, on time and on budget. Once the training phase is over and you know they are competent, leave them alone and do not meddle. Ask for progress reports and occasional performance evaluations but during the course of the workday, leave them alone and only attempt to help when they ask.  The only interference you should present is a pat on the back for a job well done or a celebration for a special success.  Your trust in them will be returned with respect and admiration for you.
  7. Communicate with your people and they will adore you. One of the most common complaints from employees is that they have little or no communication with management. What they want is more than idle chat. They want to know what is going on, what the vision of the company is, what your personal vision is, the financial strength and growth of the company, and where the company is going. They want to be an integral part of the organization and the more you tell them about where the company is taking them, the more they will admire you.
  8. To be adored you must always be cognizant of how you present yourself. Unlike some other human beings, leaders must always dress appropriately, clean and groom themselves appropriately, speak clearly and concisely and act in a politically correct fashion. Sloppy, slovenly, smelly people seldom make good leaders.  People who mumble, speak too softly, tell dirty jokes or use a lot of foul language have difficulty gaining respect from followers or superiors. If you are having trouble finding adoration at work, give yourself an honest personal evaluation and make the necessary changes.
  9. If you fight for your employees you can become the most adored leader of all. Followers want their leaders to be bold, courageous, loyal warriors who will support them, protect them and speak highly of them at all times.  Leaders who put their own success and safety second to that of their employees will be held in high regard. Leaders who get involved when employees get into conflicts or bravely put themselves into the middle of customer confrontations are the most revered of all. If you make it clear to your people that you will be the last person into the life raft if the ship starts to go down you will be adored beyond your wildest imagination.
  10. Honesty is an adorable trait. Dishonesty is not!  Big lies, small lies, promises not kept, and promises conveniently forgotten are all reasons for leadership catastrophe. No one wants to be lied to. If you always do unto others as you would have them do unto you and never tell an untruth you are on the path to adoration and leadership success.
Leadership is not easy, but by practising these few simple tenets you can enhance your leadership style and move to a higher level of success.
All the Best
Wayne Kehl



Monday, August 29, 2011

It Takes A Hurricane

While watching the drama of Hurricane Irene unfold as she made her way up the east coast of North America, I was impressed by the good humour, co-operation, camaraderie, and overall humanity of the folks who reside in the path of the storm front. The media did a great job of televising scenes of people working together, boarding up buildings and doing whatever they could to make certain that everyone in their respective communities was safe.


Tragedy and impending danger tend to bring people together in a universal environment of compassion, charity and civility that is often absent when things are good.

When widespread, collective problems or fears abate, most of us return to our usual human pattern of competition, aggression, avoidance, and intolerance of others.During a hurricane, a war, a flood or an earthquake the love of mankind and our need to aid and nurture each and every person threatened by a common disaster becomes a singular, communal driving force.

Why can people not consistently maintain and exhibit the natural tribal loyalty and altruism that is innate in all of us?

Human beings are essentially pack animals, which helps to explain why we live in cities and work in huge buildings together. Pack animals know that survival depends on the power that is created when of a number of members of the species live, hunt, share and work together in harmony. Of course our pack-communities are what we know as countries, cities, neighbourhoods and companies, but they represent essentially the same patterns and hierarchies that we can observe in nature.

The wolf-pack is perhaps the most popular non-human example of an effective tribal cooperative.

In the wolf community a leader is selected when he shows superiority over any weaker males who dare to take him on in an all-out fight. In the human community we occasionally have dog-fights to select our leaders, but most often we have a democratic election process where a superior leader is chosen from a slate of qualified candidates.

Whether wolf-pack or human-pack, the hierarchical process is the same: The leader makes decisions for the pack and the followers carry out the work required to maintain the security and integrity of the commune. In both cases, leaders who under-perform can be removed and replaced at almost any time. In case of wolves and humans, replacing a leader usually requires another fight for superiority.

The major difference between wolves and humans is that wolves have almost complete respect and admiration for their leaders while humans often disregard them or resent them to the core.

Getting back to Hurricane Irene; it seems that human beings quite naturally and unavoidably fall back on their primordial instincts when danger threatens the pack. At that point, gone is ego and selfishness; gone is arrogance and superiority; gone is competition and intolerance. In the face of peril, the negative elements of human interaction are quickly replaced by the positive elements of the pack-animal system. Cooperation, collaboration, nurturing and protective instincts flood the minds of the victims, leading them to unusual and amazing acts of courage and kindness.When danger threatens, people become almost universally good again. They become akin to the wolves that will fight to the death as a group to protect all members of the pack.

When people work together during an impending or actual disaster to protect, save, nurture, and help one another it is a truly wonderful thing to see.

When human beings are not threatened and the usual human vices of egotism, greed, guile, selfishness and rudeness return to the fore, our species takes on an unpleasant air that most of the members of our pack find intolerable. We often hate what we see in the human race, but as the Bible says in John 8:7, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

Ask yourself if you have been guilty of being human lately.

If you answer, “NO”, I think you might need to take stock of the human vices that we have all learned to recognize and acknowledge as unacceptable behaviour in the new millennium.

Most of us make excuses for our vices and sins. We are constantly casting stones at others because they did something to us first.

We believe that a first strike at our integrity, dignity or ego is a perfect reason for us to retaliate in kind, or with even greater force.
All over the world today, fingers are being raised to errant motorists and foul language is being used to upset timid sales clerks. Husbands are yelling at wives and wives are hollering at daughters and sons. Every day, neighbours silently hate neighbours and employees and bosses hate each other collectively. Conversely, in the wolf-packs of the world, there might be a fight for superiority going on somewhere but more often than not if you find a pack of wolves you will find them living, hunting and sharing together in harmony. They know instinctively that they must work together to assure the survival of their community.

Why can’t people be more like wolves?

Let’s not wait for the next disaster before we begin caring for the other human beings on earth again. Let’s start now!

All the Best!
Wayne Kehl

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Stop Being Selfish! Find Happiness and True Success...


Selfishness Prevents Success!

If you want to get along with more people start thinking about someone other than yourself. If you have problems with relationships it is probably largely to do with your own actions and the fact that you are thinking more about yourself than the people you don’t get along with.

I once applied for a job as a sales manager with a large, international insurance firm. Part of the application process was a multiple-choice exam to determine the mindsets of the various candidates. I can only recall one question on the exam: “What is the most important characteristic of a great sales manager?” There were ten possible answers and I had to rank them from one to ten in order of importance. The number one answer was this: “The desire to see others do well.”

Frankly, I did not expect it to top the list but I have never forgotten that one question and its wonderful answer. Just think about a world where everyone has a constant, daily desire to see others do well. I now know that if I put others before myself, I will quite unavoidably bring positive energy to everything I do.

Stop being selfish and put an end to negativity, stress, and sadness in your life.

I am Wayne Kehl from Dynamic Leadership


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

A Big Ego is a Terrible Thing to Waste!

Check out my new video here:

Human beings seem to want to fight all the time, don’t they? Why do so many people become angry or defensive when a joke is directed at them or someone suggests they might be wrong.

People fight with each other because of EGO. Ego is essentially a person’s idea of his or her own importance or value. A big ego will often become angry when integrity is questioned.

Ego is what made human beings the dominant species on earth and what caused them to put men on the moon. It is also what causes arguments and starts wars. People with big egos usually have strong ambition and a huge desire to succeed. They like a pat on the back. When working with someone who is talented but full of himself do not suppress his enthusiasm or hold him back. When a big ego is stifled negative behavior is the usual result.

When working with big egos, be a coach. Appeal to them by asking for help and then offering praise for positive results. When team performance improves, everyone’s egos will soar on a blanket of pride.

Take advantage of big egos by cultivating them into powerful forces. Don’t waste a big ego…put it to work for you!

I am Wayne Kehl from Dynamic Leadership

Dynamic Leadership Inc.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Ego and Success

Winners, losers and survivors exist all around us. The world is full of people who become famous through excellent results alongside those who gain notoriety because of poor performance. Interestingly, mediocrity is much more common than success or failure in most areas of human endeavour. Most people get by, but seldom excel despite the fact that almost everyone is good at something. The majority of people on the planet never have the opportunity to soar because they never have the opportunity to utilize the natural talents they are born with.
Many of us never even experience the joy of discovering the true
genius that lies dormant, deep within us all.
While many of us labour unrewardingly outside of our true calling, others are able to advance in areas where they have little or no natural talent at all. The most ineffective or even dangerous people on earth are those who have a strong belief that they excel at something where they have no particular talent and yet have managed to advance. We often see these people in senior positions. Sometimes they are arrogant, egotistical bullies who strut around the office or the factory floor barking out orders and bragging about their adventures. Some are quiet and reserved, but bristle with superiority at or just below the surface.  No matter how they present themselves, they usually make poor business decisions and specialize in poor hiring choices.  These are the people who talk down to others and are critical just for the sake of being right.
Often because a business is unique, has a strong customer following or a history of success, these people manage to advance and move up the ladder despite themselves and despite the harm they do to those they are able to impact along the way. Some are highly educated while others are only experts in bravado. They know how to manipulate the decision makers above them and they fly under the radar on their way to the top. Eventually, they will reach the level of their own incompetence...the place where they can no longer fool even the most detached executives...but at that point, the damage will have already been done and they will probably be rewarded for their poor performance with a gold watch and a healthy retirement package.
We have all known people like this!
As I ruminate on this phenomenon it occurs to me that the one talent these people have is the talent for exercising their own ego. While most of us conceal our ego and exercise our humility as our parents taught us, the egomaniacs of the world take on almost anything that comes their way with a resolute belief that they will succeed. Their success is based on an unyielding belief in themselves. They have such a well defined sense of self direction that they are incapable of acknowledging any suggestion that they might be on an incorrect path. They believe they are winners and they dismiss any thoughts of failure. A German propaganda minister in Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Government, Joseph Goebbels said this:
 “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
Unfortunately, I have observed in business that many people have adopted the philosophy of Goebbels, perhaps without even knowing it. They lie to the people around them and they lie to themselves. For them, lying is not even wrong or immoral...it is instead, a matter of business survival. They tell themselves they are great and then make sure everyone in their sphere of influence knows it. Through deception, they manage to succeed. Ultimately the deception becomes truth as the intimidation of their bravado and growing success moves them closer to the top of the hierarchy. Ultimately, they leave behind a legacy of negativity despite any financial success their organizations might attain.
Despite the success that ego can bring, the true leaders in society
 are those who are honest, ethical, humble people with genuine
talent.
My preference is to follow leaders who lead with talent, empathy, skill, and humility. I will follow someone who has something valuable to say rather than someone who simply wants to say something. I will follow a leader who puts the needs of his team and his company first and second, with his own coming in a distant third. I will follow a leader whose ego is limited to ambition for, and belief in her team. I want to follow a leader who is primarily proud of her team and the fact that she is fortunate enough to lead them. I will follow a leader who always tells the truth.  I will follow a leader!
Leading is difficult but when done right, it creates a wonderful
 legacy. Here is a short list of things all great leaders take with
 them to the top:
·         Utilization of natural talents
·         Ego directed only at team results
·         Self-awareness and the courage to change
·         Humility
·         Honesty
With just those few elements a leader can put himself or herself on a level above the pack. Those leaders can create high-performing teams and leave a legacy of greatness that will live on long after they have departed.
Ego will invariably be an element of success, but it should not be
 the only factor!
All the Best
Wayne Kehl




















Sunday, June 26, 2011

Are You A Servant Leader Or A Leadership Warrior?

I have called upon the leaders of the world to start a LEADERSHIP REVOLUTION. In order to make my dream become a reality, we need to employ some proactive, aggressive action right away.

One of the most common terms used for good leadership these days is SERVANT LEADERSHIP. Although I am a proponent of that concept and completely accept that servant leadership is wonderful methodology, I am afraid that it may be lulling a lot of the world’s leaders into a reactive, rather than proactive state. Some leaders use the term SERVANT LEADERSHIP as a reason to reduce the amount of genuine leadership activities they perform. They allow their followers to take the lead and they shy away from assertive, hands-on leadership work. They serve but they do not lead.
"SERVANT LEADERSHIP is not about serving...it is about leading! Always remember that leaders must perform in outstanding ways in order to set the example for everyone watching."
If you want to bring your organization to higher level of performance, you need to start a LEADERSHIP REVOLUTION and become a LEADERSHIP WARRIOR right away. If there are any areas of your organization that are not performing to your preferred benchmark, you need to change your approach to leadership so that you can start building a brighter future. You need to start fighting for your right to be a great leader and build a leadership movement that will have your followers rallying around you.
We all know that one rotten apple can spoil the entire barrel.  If there is one person or one department in your organization that is operating in less than stellar fashion you need to go to them and boldly state that you have started a LEADERSHIP REVOLUTION and that you want unanimous support. Let them know that the personnel carrier you are driving into battle has room for everyone but it cannot afford any roadblocks or detours on the road to success.
"TAKE CHARGE...BE BOLD...BE A LEADERSHIP WARRIOR!"
As you travel across the battlefield of your LEADERSHIP REVOLUTION you will find casualties. In fact, you might even have to create some casualties in order to achieve the level of performance you require. Make no mistake though...the survivors will carry you forward and they will bring new recruits to fill the gaps left by those who fell along the way. And, don’t stop at leading the people you have now! You want to be known as the leader that virtually everyone wants to follow.
"YOU WANT TO BECOME THE EMPLOYER OF CHOICE...AND THE LEADER OF CHOICE!"
-As you are reading this, ask yourself the following question: “Is my organization the EMPLOYER OF CHOICE in its field?”
-And then ask yourself this: “Am I the BEST LEADER there is in my field?”
If you were forced to honestly answer NO to either of those questions, you have some work to do and you are probably not a LEADERSHIP WARRIOR yet! You might be a nice person and you might even be a servant leader but you are not a warrior and your revolution has probably not begun. Instead, you are just getting by...you are in survival mode!
 The danger in just getting by or simple survival is that your workers are watching you and they might decide to start their own revolution to overthrow you in your weakened state. In that event, even if your organization survives the battle, you might not. The other imminent threat is of course, that your competitors or your enemies are always looking for cracks in your armour that will allow them to do grievous harm to you and your followers.  Keep your armour clean and your weapons sharp by always leading with integrity!
Once you become a LEADERSHIP WARRIOR, your army will grow from within and you will be overrun with new recruits. You will be moving toward a reputation as a passionate, charismatic leader that the world will follow. Think about some of the great leaders of history...General Douglas MacArthur, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Jesus Christ, Mahatma Ghandi, Colin Powell. Every one of them was a warrior for their cause...and every one of them served their people boldly with no concern for themselves.
"SERVANT LEADER OR LEADERSHIP WARRIOR?"
These terms are not mutually exclusive. The best leaders are servant leaders who fight for their cause. They are best of the best and they never rest until their revolution is won.
"MY LEADERSHIP REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN!"
"WHO WILL JOIN ME?"
I look forward to seeing you on the battlefield!
All the Best
Wayne Kehl


Thursday, May 6, 2010

We should all live for others

“Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier.”

Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer was perhaps, one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. He lived from 1875 to 1965. During the course of his long life he was a doctor, an academic, a philosopher, a musician, and a humanitarian. In 1952 he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his philosophy of “Reverence for Life” which is is a translation of the German phrase: "Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben" (more accurately translated as: "to be in awe of the mystery of life"). His accomplishments are far too many and too great to be mentioned here, but his philosophy of life should be understood and revered by us all.

If we can accept the fact that as human animals we must live in the company of other humans and that without other humans on the planet, we will not survive; we can move much further toward acceptance of others; and as the great Schweitzer said, “Live richer and happier lives by living for others.” I have taken a holistic approach to this quote and suggest that we should all live our lives for everyone else on the planet. The harder part that Schweitzer speaks of is that to live for others, we must overcome our natural human desire to put ourselves first and to fight back whenever we feel an injustice has been enacted against us. Acting in a selfless manner every day is one of the hardest things for humans to do.

Relationships amongst people are difficult but they are oh, so valuable and rewarding. When we become annoyed, perplexed or angry with another person we set into motion a series of events that will make us unhappy. Our negative emotions will often be followed by negative words and actions which will be followed by a negative response from the person we have brought our problem to. Very likely, the person that is the object of our vexations will react negatively which will cause them to respond in kind. Next, they will seek retribution from us while bringing other people into the cloud of negativity that we created. This never-ending circle of negativity is so commonplace on planet earth that it is actually considered the norm by otherwise intelligent, rational and sane human beings. Amazing isn’t it!

Human beings are imperfect and we all live in an imperfect world but if we choose to accept the world and the people on it for what they are, while living to be of service and solace to others, our lives will be gloriously enriched. Instead of living for ourselves and taking things that others do personally, we will serve ourselves and others well by taking a pause before a negative reaction and asking ourselves, “Is it worth it? Or...will negativity make the situation better?” When you are able to answer NO to both of those questions you will be on the pathway to living for others and your life will be on the verge of being richer and happier.

Here is the best part: If you make a conscious effort to live for others, everyone you meet will make a conscious effort to live for you! Your circle of well-wishers and loved ones will grow and your life will become free of stress, fear, and anger. What could be better?

All the Best

Wayne Kehl