Category Archives: Leadership

Posted on

Business Owners and Execs – Need more leaders?

5 Ways to Get Talent On-Hand to Step Up to Leadership

Bottom line up front:Leadership Talent Potential

  1. Recognize what stops people from applying for promotion
  2. Sponsor high potentials
  3. Be real – but relatable
  4. Support “growth mindset”
  5. Ditch that “impossible dream” job description.

 

As “The Employee Performance Optimizer,” I’m often asked by business owners and execs for help in developing high potentials. A frequently asked question is “How do I fill future leadership positions?”

Your most cost effective, time sensitive answer is: Start from where you are right now. Cultivate the talent you have on hand, and give them the support they need to move up into leadership positions in your company.

Here are 5 ways to get your talent on-hand to step up to the challenge of leadership.

(more…)

Posted on

Boost Productivity and Focus

Regain energy, power and focus with these 5 tips

Boost your focus and productivity.Want to regain energy, power and focus?

Get your mojo back and boost your productivity at the same time by applying these five tips.

Crystal Clear Pre-cap: (Spoiler alert: Bottom line up front, details follow.)

  1. Bring just enough energy and intensity to the task.
  2. Listen to your guilt, don’t just try to make it go away.
  3. Stop “throwing good money after bad.”
  4. Allow sufficient recovery. Key word: sufficient.
  5. Have realistic expectations. 

    Add your own best practices in the comments!#1. Bring just enough energy and intensity to the task.

Of course, like all responsible people, you start each workday with a short, prioritized success list. If you don’t yet do this, is now a good time to start that proven success habit

(more…)

Posted on

Leadership Lessons from 2017 Oscars Best Picture Error

What Great Leaders Do About Mistakes

Leaders, you can learn from 2017 Oscar for Best Picture Mistake“What we have here is failure to communicate.”

~ Captain in the movie “Cool Hand Luke”

Crystal Clear Pre-cap:

  1. Create a culture where people aren’t afraid to admit mistakes.
  2. Have the team discuss together where the task derailed.
  3. Let team determine areas for improvement.
  4. Encourage the team to create alternative plans if Plan A misfires.

Great leaders aren’t interested in making fun of people who have made a mistake.

Learn from it, and move on, smarter than before.

ICYMI, and, I doubt you did, here’s what happened. When Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty were to read the card for Best Picture, Beatty had the wrong card.

(more…)

Posted on

5 Crazy Ideas That Violate Everything You Know About Confident Leadership

And, They Work

 

Be more confident in leadership.Have you recently taken on more responsibility at work, gotten a new leadership job or a promotion to manager?

Congratulations!

Has the self-doubt set in yet? Feeling as though any day, the people who believe in you will discover you’re not the leader they thought you were?

“Imposter Syndrome” is common among high achievers. You might find yourself experiencing it firsthand.

As a leader, you know how important it is to have a solid foundation of confidence, because if you don’t believe in you, you can’t expect your people to believe in you.

Let’s get your self-image where it needs to be.

It’s time to challenge everything you’ve ever heard about building confidence.

You know if you want what you’ve never had, you need to do what you’ve never done. Let’s take old ideas that don’t work, and leave them in the past where they belong.
Time to shake up assumptions, rethink your thinking and start developing confidence that lasts.

   Crystal clear precap: CrystalJonas.com 

5 Wild ideas, wisely applied, to boost your confidence:

  1. Practice backwards thinking
  2. Get on the fast track to failure
  3. Lower your standards
  4. Think small
  5. Compare yourself to others

Crazy, right? These 5 ideas probably go against everything you’ve ever heard about success. Funny thing is, they work.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can gain confidence as a leader by taking these 5 ideas to heart.

1) Practice backward thinking. (more…)

Posted on

5 1/2 Embarrassing Mistakes Leaders Make

And how you can avoid them!

Leaders, don't be embarrassed by these mistakesWhether you’ve been a leader for a while, recently promoted to a new leadership role at your current job, or just accepted a position as leader in a new company, take a moment to check to see that you aren’t making these distressing blunders.

Crystal clear precap:

5 ½ Embarrassing Mistakes Leaders Make

  1. Focused solely on work, not connecting
  2. Misunderstanding the “Open Door Policy”
  3. Lack of following through
  4. Giving unclear instructions
  5. Not delegating
    5 ½. Continuing to do old job

1. Focused solely on work, not connecting

It would seem at first glance that the smartest action a leader can take is to concentrate solely on how focused you are about setting and achieving goals.
(more…)

Posted on

Got Promoted? 5 Ways to Feel Confident Fast as a New Leader

Let go of Imposter Syndrome

How to have more confidence as a leaderPromoted to be a leader? Congratulations!

Now, make sure you’re off to a confident start, and feel as sure of yourself as the people who promoted you are!

While your team will assume that you know what you’re doing because, well, you’re the boss, it’s important that you internalize confidence so you can be a great leader.

It’s natural if you doubt your abilities, or think that it won’t be long before others “find out” that you’re not as smart as they think you are.

This feeling is so widespread, it’s even got a name: “Imposter Syndrome.”
(more…)