Two individuals, Bass and Avolio, developed four key elements of transformational leadership: Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation and Individualized Consideration. The latter is defined as providing individual team members with sincere attention to their respective emotional states of mind, needs and concerns. Consider the trajectory of your career to date and the impact of leaders who have intentionally made it a priority to show interest in you, your family and your pursuits outside of the workplace. Are you able to easily recall these experiences? Ideally, you have more than a few positive memories of leaders who made a deliberate effort to get to know you on an individual level, encouraging you to succeed and replicate this core attribute. [Read more…] about Transformational Leadership: Individualized Consideration
Communication
How to Tap Into Your Innovative Potential
If you have experienced self-doubt, or too many occasions where you have allowed the negative voices to take over and limit your innovative potential, you can likely recall how those thoughts made you question your abilities…sending you on a downward spiral. Self-belief is the reverse of self-doubt. As cliched as it may sound, we can easily manufacture a lack of belief in ourselves as soon as we buy into fear, or any negative occurrence that can fuel disappointment, disenchantment and disillusionment. [Read more…] about How to Tap Into Your Innovative Potential
Negativity in the Workplace
Does anyone truly enjoy working in a negative workplace? Negativity is one of the most destructive forces impacting the culture and atmosphere in numerous organizations. And when a leader demonstrates any signs of negativity, they may inadvertently be giving people permission to model what they see. It is a force that can quickly spread and has the capacity to unhinge creativity, professional relationships, morale, service to customers… the list is endless. Unfortunately, many people enjoy a good “pity party”. Perhaps this is because they are looking for a distraction from their work, or they lack awareness regarding the ramifications of buying into negative conversations. It is important for organizations to understand the impact of condoning negative mindsets. Ultimately, negativity feeds on itself, creating a destabilizing effect on team performance and productivity.
When an individual engages in negative communication, he or she is giving permission for negativity to become the norm. Remember, negativity feeds on itself the same way that positivity feeds on itself. The good news is that YOU can make the choice to either partake or abstain from contributing to negative energy by role modelling the exact opposite behaviours of “doom and gloomers” and naysayers.
If you have found yourself in the midst of a “pity party”, you may find it challenging to disengage without the appropriate tools and solutions. Those who are throwing the “party” may be oblivious to the harm they are causing by indulging in negative chit-chat. First, the impact can be highly toxic, no matter where the negative conversation is taking place. For the instigators, negative words have their origins in negative thoughts. Choosing to speak badly about others is a reflection of an individual’s character and dissatisfaction with his or her own lot in life. Unfortunately, such people often lack self -awareness and are not operating from a position of high self-esteem. It is important to deflect, disarm or disconnect from negativity for a variety of reasons including practicing self-care while establishing healthy boundaries. When you hear the following negative sequence: “This is really bad” followed by “I know, it couldn’t get any worse” and/or “it’s terrible” etc. consider the consequences to your own peace of mind and reputation if you choose to join in the conversation.
The best option is to counter negativity by setting a positive example. You can make a decision to manage negativity from a solution-orientated vantage point by taking the lead. You are not responsible for fixing the behaviour, although you may be in a position to address the problem. This is especially true when negative attitudes are affecting morale and productivity. You can always opt for the high road by keeping in mind what you can and cannot control. Focus your energy on encouraging positive activities in the workplace. i.e. connecting with likeminded peers who enjoy planning or participating in fun social gatherings, or pursuits that highlight peer achievements. Remember, all forms of energy can influence the atmosphere. The power of negativity is as powerful as the power of positivity.
This article is a partial transcript of a video on YouTube.
Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com
What is the most important act of a transformational leader?
What is the most important act of a transformational leader? Without question it is the leader who can communicate vision with a forward-thinking mindset.
My first professional experience with a transformational leader began when I accepted a very challenging position to lead a small advertising sales team in a down economy. Although I had worked in the industry for over ten years, my experience did not prepare me for the challenge of inspiring my team during a severe recessionary environment. Being the person who is ultimately responsible for achieving results, I was acutely aware of the pressures associated with my role. In addition to managing and dividing sales territories amongst the team, establishing targets and budgets, reporting regularly to senior management, my greatest challenge was not only about reaching sales goals. The true test of my leadership acumen came in the form of managing a diverse team of high achievers, including my predecessor who was “demoted” to make room for me.
Fortunately, my manager possessed an extraordinary strength of character, and a raw openness in a leadership role that I admired greatly. Above all else, he not only understood my vulnerabilities and fears, he was able to create an environment of high trust. I was able to discuss my own challenges regarding the individual and collective performance of my team with ease. And it was in this role that I learned the difference between transactional and transformational leadership. A transactional leader has a preference for staying in the status quo, going about his or her day-to-day responsibilities while giving minimal consideration to the purpose of it all. The relational aspect of individual and team performance is secondary to results. A transformational leader is the opposite. My manager exemplified the qualities of a transformational leader: Specifically, he led with vision and an uncompromising dedication to the success of his team. He demonstrated a genuine belief me, communicated on a daily basis while remaining acutely interested and invested in the outcomes of every sales encounter.
When I reflect on this example, it also serves to remind me that a transformational leader has the ability to create an internal passion within the organization that is felt by all. Leaders are in a position to profoundly impact and the atmosphere, either positively or negatively. Therefore, it is incumbent on a leader to understand the extent of his or her influence, if he or she is to have success in helping the enterprise achieve a strategic advantage in its respective marketplace/industry.
When you become THE transformational leader who can lead with vision, ignite passion and create a sought-after culture, your team will thrive and your organization will continue to flourish for future success.
This article is a transcript of a video on YouTube.
Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com
Millennial engagement in the Workplace and their Sense of Purpose
In my conversations with HR professionals, it’s astounding to me that they are telling me that despite all the effort and energy that their organizations have put into creating more engaged workplaces, we are still finding that less than 30% of Millennials are feeling engaged in what they’re doing.
Now how can this be? As I said, all the effort, all of the energy? Well, the reason for it is that the workforce is not feeling connected to the purpose of their work and the purpose of their organization. So, to me this translates into a lack of communication regarding the vision in addition to the fact that at every level, people need to personally feel connected to the vision.
So, if we take more time to actually communicate the vision and let people know not only what their contribution is to that vision, but why what they’re doing matters, then if we do more of this, then we’re gonna have a more engaged workforce. It’s a problem that’s easy to rectify. It’s just simply about taking the time to meaningfully connect and communicate in every way possible so people see their purpose and therefore feel more satisfied and engaged in what they’re doing.
This article is a transcript of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWy3tzighXM&feature=youtu.be on YouTube.
Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com
Confidence, Composure, Credibility: Creating a Collaborative Space at Work
Do you ever feel like you spend more time with your coworkers than you do with your family?
A lot of us work long hours, day after day. The pressure of juggling tasks, doing more with less, and managing mounting stress can take a toll on our mental and physical health.
We spin our wheels when we know we need to be the best versions of ourselves, maintaining a helpful and pleasant demeanor with our internal and external clients alike.
Does that sound familiar?
[Read more…] about Confidence, Composure, Credibility: Creating a Collaborative Space at Work
Why Conflict Management is an Essential Interpersonal Skill
Conflict management is the higher order of interpersonal skills. It is so important as a leader that you are able, that you that the ability, the competency, to be able to manage conflict. You may not always resolve it, but let’s make no mistake that as a leader if we do not address conflict it is an enormous cost to morale.
It is one of the key reasons to why people start thinking about leaving a job. And it actually is one of the biggest demotivators to individuals who were already performing well and were feeling good about what they’re doing, and they notice that their leader has not addressed an issue between their colleagues. So, your ability to manage and resolve conflict if possible, as I said, to be able to resolve it, is something that your individuals who are involved in the conflict are looking to you to manage. And also the rest of your team are expecting that you are able to do that.
Developing these skills is really important because to the individuals having the issue, as I said, if they feel that you aren’t able to address it then where are they going to go? Who are they going to turn to? They’re not able to manage it on their own. So that’s why they’re looking to you to be able to help them to deal with that concern, whatever it might be.
Time and again I’ve had people coming to me, whether it’s through my coaching services, or during a workshop session. I only had it happen the other day where someone said to me, you know what? There is an issue with another manager who is a bully and I know that my senior leadership aren’t addressing that. They aren’t addressing the conflict between us. And as a result of that I’m really at a point where I don’t think I can stay. And that is a really sad thing.
So, this really capable person is considering walking away from their position after 14 years because their management, their senior leadership, aren’t able to deal with this conflict. So, I’m urging you to think about developing your skills when it comes to managing conflict to the absolute best of your ability rather than risk losing great people.
This article is a transcript of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkvJZeSHmBA on YouTube.
Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com
Communicating effectively is the Secret to Success
Communicating effectively. Is that you? Communication is the secret to success. Without understanding others, without understanding that we, when we send a message as leaders, we are ultimately responsible. Your communication is not something that other people should be trying to figure out.
In any communication, there is always a sender and a receiver. So when we are communicating with others, we need to communicate effectively. We need to be clear. We need for others to understand exactly what they mean. The leader who communicates a message and then thinks to themselves, hmmm, I don’t think they got it. Well, if that’s you, then it’s actually your responsibility.
It’s not the other person’s task to understand what you meant. It’s your responsibility to be clear, and every person needs different communication. Some people, they may not need a lot. They may already have the skills to do the task, but there are others who need more direction, more communication from you. So we can’t communicate with everyone in exactly the same way.
We need to be flexible ourselves, and those leaders who have the ability to communicate effectively understand that one size doesn’t fit all. Being a great communicator is everything because business is all about communication, and business is all about people. So I would suggest if you wanna be a better communicator as a leader, do everything possible to hone those skills to be open to learning to be open to communicating.
This article is a transcript of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIbqu54h2_8 on YouTube.
Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com
How to Improve Team Engagement – A Leadership challenge
How to improve team engagement. The burning question on the minds of so many leaders today.
What are you struggling with when it comes to keeping people engaged in their work? Do we understand why it is that people become disengaged? And what does it mean when people are disconnected and disengaged and disinterested? The consequences can be immeasurable.
In order to keep people engaged, we need to realize that it’s all about people wanting to do their work rather than feeling as though they have to do their work. When people demonstrate discretionary effort, then they are highly likely to wanna keep on demonstrating that discretionary effort.
That’s because they are connected to what they are doing. They are genuinely enjoying what they are doing. And I can’t imagine that there are leaders out there who wouldn’t want that for their teams.
So if we are gonna truly engage our teams, we need to realize that we need to be engaged ourselves, and we need to understand that that is what our teams are looking for in their leaders.
So remember: to have an engaged team, we need to be able to connect with people. When you show people the purpose of what they’re doing, and point them in the direction that they are focused on that purpose, they will feel more connected and they will feel more encouraged to be supporting your vision for your business and helping them to realize their own vision as well.
This article is a transcript from How to Improve Team Engagement – A Leadership challenge YouTube.
Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com
The Five Biggest Credibility Killers Leaders Can’t Ignore
Deborah is a senior marketing manager for a renowned home care services organization. I have known her and several members of her executive group for more than a decade. Over the past year she has witnessed growing discontent amongst the core leadership team, a dedicated group that pioneered significant initiatives to innovate and grow the business. During their last management meeting, frustrations reached a crescendo when the VP of HR reported on the findings of the previous month’s exit interviews. [Read more…] about The Five Biggest Credibility Killers Leaders Can’t Ignore
