Time for some Freshmen wisdom!

Time for some Freshmen wisdom!

I get to do many great things in my “day job” as a university administrator. One of those things is to teach a leadership class for incoming freshmen who were competitively selected for a four-year leadership program I was given the opportunity to create.

One of my first assignments asks the students to think about what they need to leave behind and what do they want to keep as they transition from their old life to this new chapter as a college student. I get a lot of great responses but a student recently wrote this below:

"The path you choose to lay behind your footsteps is the path you choose to create."

Obviously this student is scary smart. I know I was not that articulate when I was a freshman in college! Perhaps she was not doing so intentionally but that very quote speaks to both the POWER and RESPONSIBILITY of CHOICES.

Our ability to CHOOSE our own destiny at any point in our lives is powerful. Unfortunately many feel they have lost the power to choose but it really never leaves us. At any given moment, we can change directions, set a new course, and take a leap of faith. It just requires us to trust in our selves more than our fears.

With every choice, however, we have a responsibility. We have to “own” our choices and their consequences . . . good or otherwise. The choice is yours, and we define ourselves by the choices we make!

So what choices have you been waiting on? What’s holding you back? What do you need to Keep? What do you need to Leave Behind?

As always, if I can help you work through those choices, I would love to hear from you.

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Co-Founder – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

www.outloudinc.com

www.facebook.com/outloudinc

www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner

Zombie or Robot, what's your leadership style?

Zombie or Robot, what’s your leadership style?

As you may know, I am not only a practitioner of leadership, I am also its student. I read about leadership, study leaders and leadership in depth, learn from the masters in the field, and even have conducted my own research in leadership. All that scholarship and observation has let me to this conclusion: In terms of leadership style, people resemble either Zombies or Killer Robots. Yes, with such conclusions and insights, I will soon be considered a GIANT in the field of leadership and management studies! It’s just a matter of time before this blog is considered required reading a Wharton or Harvard!

Obviously, I am attempting be humorous about such conclusions but let’s look at the two as a metaphor when it comes to effective leadership traits. For starters, with Zombies, slow and steady wins the race (if not a human snack!) but they are easily distracted by shiny objects (and if you stood in line for more than an hour for an IPone6, you know what I mean!) Killer Robots on the other hand, are incredibly fast and efficient though they do have trouble with simpler tasks like making copies or negotiating stairs!

How about communication, a key leadership trait? Zombies are very earnest but tend to just mumble and groan incoherently (which makes them great at 1:1 meetings but lousy public speakers!). Killer Robots, on the other hand, possess a neural network that allows for instantaneous communication but they do tend to come across a bit impersonal and very directive!

How each style approaches the relational aspects of leadership is very different, too. Killer Robots are not what you would consider “people persons”. They shoot death rays without any consideration for people’s feelings in the matter. Zombies, well, they just love people . . . . mostly as entrees! (sorry, I just could not resist!)

Seriously, discovering your leadership style is incredibly helpful in improving your personal effectiveness as a leader. If you would like to experience the entire Zombie/Killer Robot leadership style workshop (it’s actually a lot of fun and a good conversation starter), contact me and let's set something up! I also can connect you with other more serious inventories that will provide powerful insights on how you prefer to lead others.

As always, if I can help you Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would love to hear from you.

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Co-Founder – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

www.outloudinc.com

www.facebook.com/outloudinc

www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner

Huge achievement is not possible with "yes, but . . ." team members

Huge achievement is not possible with “yes, but . . .” team members

In my work in higher education, I have the opportunity to advise student government associations. They are fascinating “leadership labs” to observe and participate in as a guide and advisor. This year (like many others) started out with a group of key leaders excited for the year and determined to make sure everyone else is as committed as they are. Things started out well with everyone on the same page then one of their peers started missing important events and activities. They are a “yes, but . . .” member. In other words, YES, they want to be committed and make a contribution BUT as soon as something more important or more aligned with their eventual goals comes along, that commitment goes out the window.

Meanwhile in the older adult world, we see this all the time in our businesses, churches, non-profits, etc. The Gallup organization paints an even starker picture in their research on employee/member engagement that involves millions of employees across thousands of organizations. Gallup reports that in terms of employee engagement in the workplace:

• 12% are ACTIVELY ENGAGED (very committed to the organization and its goals)
• 60% are  NOT ENGAGED (just punching the time clock)
• 17% are ACTIVELY UNENGAGED (purposely undermining the goals and aspirations of the company or organization!)

These results are incredible! Well over 70% of the workforce or membership is not engaged with their organizations! YES, they are there, doing an average job with average results BUT they are really wishing and waiting for something better or more fulfilling to come along. You can just imagine the millions of dollars and other resources lost in low productivity that is a direct result of disengaged team members!

So how can this be turned around? Consultant and author Jim Haudan wrote an excellent book called The Art of Engagement. In that work he highlights the Roots of Engagement which are:

• People want to feel they are part of something bigger than themselves
• People want to feel a sense of belonging and connection to their organization
• People want to go on a meaningful journey with others
• People want know their contributions make an impact and that they are recognized for doing so

If you have any level of leadership in your business, school, church, non-profit organization, etc. you should be asking yourself if these four “roots” are present. Better still, ask your team members. This will take a lot of courage but it could also start turning things around!

As always, if I can help you Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would love to hear from you.

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Co-Founder – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

www.outloudinc.com

www.facebook.com/outloudinc

www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner

The problem with GIFTS!

The problem with GIFTS!

As my good friend and mentor Rick Miller says, “Everyone is good at something!” The same is true when it comes to leadership. I believe that if you make honest attempts to be the best leader you can be, then you have LEADERSHIP GIFTS! Much like the results from the Clifton StrengthsFinder^TM instrument, we all have a core set of leadership strengths or gifts that we use to lead others in our own unique way. By the way, if you have never taken the Clifton StrengthsFinder^TM instrument, I encourage you to purchase this inexpensive book and take the inventory using the computer code provided at the back of the book.

These strengths or gifts can include attributes such as persuasion, strategic thinking, responsibility, identifying talent or attention to detail. The problem with such gifts, though, is that sooner or later we have to use them! I know that sounds incredible but I know people who are so gifted but they do not use their leadership strengths. The reasons for this vary but it can run the gamut from:

• Fear of success.
• Fear it may mean more work.
• They lack confidence to use these gifts.
• They are not in an environment where such gifts are valued and appreciated.
• Or simply, they do not believe they are so gifted in the first place!

In one of my earlier blogs, I mentioned I had the opportunity in August to participate in a four day training in Orlando as part of my certification with the John Maxwell Team. It was an amazing experience where I and other team members got the opportunity to have over 12 hours of teaching time just with John. He spoke on many things but one included this very topic. John stated that your leadership gifts are an integral part of who you are. So if you are not who you are or should be . . . who will be?

When you HOLD onto the blessings God gave you, you will eventually lose them but the paradox is what you lose, you KEEP! I once heard a speaker say this a different way, “You never have anything until you give it away.” You are never a leader until you lead!

In the end, the question is how will you use your GIFTS? There are people out there just waiting for you. Identify and maximize your leadership gifts and become the leader we all wish we had!

As always, if I can help you Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would love to hear from you.

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Co-Founder – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

www.outloudinc.com

www.facebook.com/outloudinc

www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner