High Performance Leadership

The problem with trying to control someone is the inevitable rebellion that it sparks. Go for influence, not control. -- doug smith  

Do you want to be influential? Do you want people to support your ideas? People support ideas that support themselves. People can be trusted to look out for their own interest. It's not new, it's not complicated, but it's true and unavoidable. Support people first, and then (maybe) they'll listen. -- doug smith

Who likes change? At one time or another (and probably MOST of the time) we resist change. It's causing us to do something differently and that is an effort we probably did not ask for. If it's not your idea, change is an aggravation. I don't like it when my phone decides to upgrade. Every single new release for the past two years has been worse, not better than the previous one. And yet, I have no control over it other than to switch to another phone that will likely offer the same aggravation. My current choice is to get over it and move on. If I control something, I make the changes that I want (most of the time.) New car? That's up to me. New coffee cup? Ditto. New client? That's in an area of influence, but not control. That's why the flow chart I've created. Do you control it? Then do that. Can you influence the change? Then get busy and build more influence. If you cannot control OR influence a change you still have two choice. You can...

Have you ever stopped to think how many lives you effect as a supervisor? If you've been supervising a while, the impact of your decisions, your coaching, your personality, your style, your goals -- nearly everything you do -- has reached many people. Dozens? Hundreds? Team members. Customers. Clients. Peers. Bosses. You are one influential son of a gun. And, like it or not, that influence creates impact in people's lives. Maybe they find better ways to perform. Maybe they find new relationships that encourage them. Maybe they correct nonproductive habits and begin to better achieve their goals. The work is never done, so the impact knows no limits. Supervising is such a big responsibility because it alters so many lives. Choose your impact carefully. You never know who will remember you as the rock star you are. -- Doug Smith

Daniel Pink has famously said that everyone is in sales. What do you think? I think he's right. Whether it's internally convincing your boss or your board about a project or doing your best to connect clients with goods and services, we're all selling something. That's not a bad thing, it's just a thing. We all must influence. We all seek to add value and to do that need to convince someone of something. That's sales. Occasionally, I'll receive feedback (criticism) about my sales pitch. Yes, I sell. I sell resources, I sell training programs, I sell my services as a trainer, consultant, and (sometimes) entertainer. It used to bother me, but now I see the benefit. Think of it as marketing if you like, but it all starts with sales. No sales, no organization. It's as simple as that. I promise not to judge your sales pitch if you promise not to judge mine. Let's share feedback instead. Let's listen. Let's evaluate. And whenever we can...

Do you like to be pressured into making a decision? I always feel rushed if someone is in a hurry to convince me of anything (even something I really know that I want) and the impact is to hold off on committing. That's probably not what the person who is in a rush is going for. We need a reasonable pace. We need to know that a decision feels right AND that it's logical. Too often someone will see the merit to their case and pound on one or the other - the feelings, or the logic. It seldom feels right if the logic is wrong, and it doesn't matter how logical it seems if it doesn't feel right. As leaders we must take care of both the facts and the feelings. As people who's job it is to influence others, we must find a reasonable pace that walks in harmony with the pace the people we are seeking to influence need. That takes practice. That takes patience. And, that takes a centered focus on what is truly important to begin with. If it doesn't feel right to ...

What's your reaction when you find yourself in conflict and yet you are absolutely sure that you're right? Do you dig in on your position? Do you redouble your efforts to convince everyone of your position? Or do you stay curious? Do you stay open to learning? The more certain I am that I'm right the greater the opportunity there is to learn. The next time you are absolutely sure that you're right try asking yourself -- what can I still learn here? It could change everything. -- Douglas Brent Smith

Have you ever had a leader who manipulated you? They pushed you around by appealing to your sense of threat, or your fear of consequences? I'm not saying that team members are not responsible for their actions. When we fail to perform we may rightfully encounter consequences. But, leaders who rely on threats, hidden agendas, and manipulation are not doing themselves or their teams a service. As John Maxwell pointed out, "Leadership is influence." My over 25 years of experience in the field keeps proving that out, over and over. Centered leaders -- leaders who are in touch with their goals and feelings and who operate with clarity, courage, creativity and compassion -- use influence, not manipulation to achieve their goals. How about you? -- Douglas Brent Smith

How do you extend your reach? How do you provide your greatest possible impact as a leader? Not through control, not through authority but through influence. And your influence is completely up to you. That's great news, and also challenging. Influence must be carefully built, but not as a goal -- as an outcome. Setting out to "dramatically improve my influence" sounds self serving, and is. Influence comes about by doing other great things: - helping people - getting things done - demonstrating integrity - building innovation - encouraging performance - living creatively - showing courage - communicating with clarity - providing compassion ...and the thousand other ways that we develop influence without really trying. It's not the influence that we're going after, but it is the influence that we gain as a result of doing other wonderful things. It's up to each of us. You can't delegate influence. You've got to earn it. Ho...

How wide is your circle of influence? Do you have someone you can call to help you solve a problem, no matter what that problem is? We're faced as leaders with accomplishing great things. We're faced constantly with doing more with less, with improving performance, with making things better, smarter and faster. None of that is easy. Little of that can be done alone. We need help. High performance leaders are always expanding their influence.  Developing relationships. Doing favors. Listening intently. Lending a helping hand. Supporting worthy organizations. Achieving noble goals. Helping other people with their projects. Constantly learning. Taking responsibility. Those types of things are much more important than a latest blog posting or tweet. Face to face human help is priceless and builds our influence -- not so that we can help our own careers, but so that we can join in doing great things to make this a better world. Sound good to you? What can you ...

What is the most important tool for a leader? How can a project manager herd all the cats needed to get the project done to specification, on budget, and on time? Through influence. Building strong relationships able to respond quickly to needs. Delivering constantly on promises so that promised are owed. Helping others and thanking them meaningfully when they help you. The most important tool for a project manager is influence. Understanding people so that they will take the time to understand you. Figuring out what they are about so that what you are about matters. Appealing to a person's desires not to manipulate them but because you sincerely care about those desires, those dreams, those visions What are you doing to build influence today? -- Douglas Brent Smith  

Influencer: The Power To Change Anything  Some books belong in every leader's library. This is one. Get a copy right away and read it carefully if:  * you want to change a habit * you want to change an organization * you want to the world * you want to change anything A leader's primary job is change, to move people from one place to another. In a world that is constantly changing, the paradox is that people usually resist change. Why bother? What's in it for me? What can I do about? These are questions your constituents ask, whether you know it or not.  The high powered stable of authors (Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler) have presented a masterful guide to leading change. Let's be honest -- there are dozens of books on change and change mangement out there, many of them with compelling content. In my work to get my masters degree I had to read a lot of them. While all useful, I wouldn't call any of them a cook book for ...