Michelle Ray

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Motivational Stories

Transformational Leadership: Intellectual Stimulation

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“I don’t have all the answers.” “Maybe there’s a better way.” “How can we improve?” Ideally, leaders who have these thoughts are truly open to seeking the opinions of their teams, advancing intellectual stimulation in order to find solutions. As a leader, can you identify with this style? Are you able to let go and encourage your team to think independently? Such leaders exemplify transformational leadership in action. More specifically, these leaders place high value on arousing their team’s creativity and imagination to solve organizational problems. [Read more…] about Transformational Leadership: Intellectual Stimulation

Transformational leadership: Inspirational Motivation

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By definition, inspirational motivation involves two key components. First, a leader must be clear about his or her vision. Secondly, a leader needs to express his or her vision in a manner that excites and drives higher levels of performance.  Over the course of my career, many leaders have asked “How do I inspire and motivate my team?” It is a burning question that never grows old and preoccupies the minds of many leaders in every market sector. The capacity to motivate others is a talent and an art.So, where to start? [Read more…] about Transformational leadership: Inspirational Motivation

How to Tap Into Your Innovative Potential

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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

How Leadership Affected My Past (Interview)

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How would you describe some of the greatest leaders you have met or worked with? What were the traits you admired the most? If your aspirations include honing your leadership capabilities, it is likely that leaders from your immediate or distant past have left an indelible impression. I can still vividly recall my first encounter with an outstanding leader. He was able to inspire every individual and could easily recall the names of every staff member in the company. Although the business went through many ups and downs, this individual was always upbeat, genuine and available. As I reflect on my own leadership journey, I will always remember his energy and sincerity, hoping to emulate many of his strengths while building key team relationships. [Read more…] about How Leadership Affected My Past (Interview)

Get to Know Your People, Set a Standard and Follow Through

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If you have had experience working with a leader who genuinely gets to know his or her people, sets the standard and follows through in his or her communication, you have indeed been fortunate. Empirical research in many sectors of industry confirms that consistent actions and behaviours on the part of leaders earn the respect and trust of individuals and teams alike. Consider the proverb: “A chain is as strong as its weakest link.” When a leader’s attitudes and follow though are inconsistent, he or she may become the weakest link…i.e. the bigger problem. Unfortunately, many leaders fail to understand the impact of this paradox. [Read more…] about Get to Know Your People, Set a Standard and Follow Through

Negativity in the Workplace

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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

Realize the leverage of modeling authenticity and integrity

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Authenticity and integrity are essential character traits that leaders need to develop in order to build trusting relationships with their teams. Research confirms the direct correlation between leaders who demonstrate these traits and employees’ levels of trust, engagement and buy-in. For some leaders, their greatest challenge is determining the level of disclosure and transparency whether sharing large scale company news or admitting a mistake. Put simply, how and when to practice humility. Your capacity to be honest will be refreshing and attractive from your team’s perspective. When a leader displays authenticity, employees are more likely to follow and feel equally comfortable to share their own vulnerabilities. Even more significant is the positive impact of authentic leadership on your organization’s culture and employee brand.

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WATCH MICHELLE’S BRAND NEW “IT STARTS WITH YOU” SPEAKER DEMO VIDEO BY CLICKING HERE!

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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

Why is Courage an Important Trait of Great Leaders?

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What does it mean to have courage as a leader? To have the courage of your convictions, to stand up for something that you truly believe in. Courage to me is a value. Click To Tweet When people are living their values, rather than just saying they have a value of speaking their truth, and having no fear, and standing up for what they believe in, to me there is a really big difference between actually living out that value every day. I’ve seen it very often where a person will just lack the courage of their convictions. As a result of that, they may live with regret. They may, again, end up demotivating their work environment, the team environment, when all of that could have been avoided if they actually just spoke their truth.

I think that a lot of this happens because people often hide behind a veneer, and they don’t necessarily understand, as a leader, that it’s okay to be transparent, that it’s actually very attractive to be authentic and stand up for what they believe in. People will gravitate towards that. Think of the last time where you needed to make a bold decision, you needed to act with courage as a leader, you needed to make a tough decision. Whether it involved making cuts to your team, as painful as that might have been, or maybe it meant that you needed to take the business in a different direction, you needed to make a business decision that you’d never made previously, whatever it might have been.

You needed to go after a different customer base, because you realized that what you were doing was old school, or you were losing customers, and you recognized that you needed to capture that market share again, whatever it might have been. You said to yourself, “I really need to do this differently, if we’re going to sustain the business and we’re gonna grow the business.” It doesn’t matter what the issue is. It’s really important for you to be true to yourself, true to your team, true to your business, and act with the courage to make those tough decisions, because that is what great leaders do.

This article is a transcript from Why is Courage an Important Trait of Great Leaders YouTube.

(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

Leaving a leadership legacy: Three tenets to live by

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As I watched the founder of one of Canada’s best places to work grace the stage, it became apparent that not only was he deeply moved by the reaction of his staff, but also reflective and humbled as his team applauded and stood to honour his legacy. Every team member, as well as managers at all levels, had been impacted by their founder’s philosophy, both personally and professionally.

Rarely have I seen such a display of affection for a leader, for a company. The fabric of the organization’s culture was entirely woven by the values and principles of a very special man. On this occasion, staff had gathered from around the world to celebrate a major milestone in the company’s history.  All were acutely aware of the significance of the event and the moment, realizing that the organization’s next chapter would be theirs to write.  [Read more…] about Leaving a leadership legacy: Three tenets to live by

Why New Year Resolutions Fail: Five ways to lead yourself in 2015

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re·solve verb \ri-ˈzälv, -ˈzȯlv also -ˈzäv or -ˈzȯv\ :To make a definite and serious decision to do something.

Eat less. Exercise more. Get a new job. Start a savings plan. Ditch your partner…whatever lofty goal you decide to set for yourself, it is likely you will give up before the first month of 2015 comes to an end, if not sooner. Sadly, the statistics aren’t good. Although millions will start the year with the best intentions, only eight percent will achieve their new year’s resolutions.

How does one explain the fact that year after year, the vast majority who set resolutions succumb to the comfort of the status quo?

[Read more…] about Why New Year Resolutions Fail: Five ways to lead yourself in 2015