Let Emerging Leaders Be Themselves

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Too often, well-meaning managers guide their employees towards certain mindsets or behaviors that either embody the corporate philosophy, or even that of the individual manager. But high performers are high performers for a reason – they tap into their own personal attributes for success and it’s critical that managers recognize and encourage this.

Patricia Spadaro an internationally known author and expert in practical spirituality, writes about the importance of harnessing what makes us tick as individuals in her article, Honor Your Own Style.

This is a must read for any manager who wants to draw out and nurture the things that set star employees apart from the rest. These are the things that can’t be documented on a performance evaluation or even articulated in a review, but the things that are critical to the success of your organization.

Perspective on ……Inner Spirit

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Hey, leaders out there: the best way to inspire your people is to find out how to ignite their inner spirit! Find out what makes them tick, what gets them really motivated and what kind of work excites them. Let them be honest….let them know it’s okay if it is not what you have to offer. Give them permission to have honest conversations with you about their greatest dreams.

This creates a powerful relationship and will benefit you – and your people – no matter what their dreams may be.

Woman of the Week – Tei Street

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Tei Street

My Current Job/Company:
National Speaker, Trainer, Facilitator, Consultant for StreetTalk with The “Amazing” Tei Street

My Birthdate:
September 25

My Work:
I work with groups, mostly youth, to help them find the “amazing” that is within each of them. I want to assure that each one knows that they matter in the universe.

My Passion:
God, my sons & the rest of my family (those of birth & of choice), my friends, & my work!

My Family:
Sons- Kenneth & Christopher, My parents- Alvin & Theresa (who will celebrate 50 years of marriage on September 9th) my Sister Tanya, who is also my best friend, my brother Monte & my plethora of nieces, nephews and Godchildren.

My Heroes:
My parents, my sister, Kathy Espy, Joyce Beatty, W. Shawna Gibbs, the 22 Founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Emery Hill (deceased), Pastor Rich Nathan & all the young people who make good choices in a “peer-pressured” world.

My Escape:
In Ohio for a quick getaway, I love Yellow Springs. Away, I love a quiet villa on Kiawah Island watching God paint the sky with a sunrise & sunset.

My Pet Peeve:
Negative people who rain on other people’s “parades” and people who talk about their dreams but refuse to live them.

My Indulgence:
Anything my mother cooks, Facebook and men.

My Roots:
Humble. Christian. Proud. Fun. Happy. They run much deeper than I can adequately honor.

My Future:
Spent living my dreams, while watching my sons live out their legacy.

My Love:
My first love is God! Next it is celebrating my sons, cheering on my friends and laughing!

My Movie:
Imitation of Life, The Contender, American President, The Color Purple, The Matrix, Star Wars Trilogy

My Quote on Life:
“I know the plans I have for you said the Lord; Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future!” Jeremiah 29:11

My Accessory:
Earrings & sunglasses.

My Advice to Young Women:
Let the choices you make today, be choices you can live with tomorrow. Don’t give all of you away. Find good mentors and never burn your bridges behind you.

How I Balance it All:
As a single mom, I start by giving myself permission to be human with flaws. Then, I roll up my sleeves, and with the help of my agent, I try to keep a good calendar of business and personal events. I always prioritize being a mom and I am able to do that because I have a GREAT support system of friends and family who act as a village for my son.

How well are YOU doing?

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As a leader, you’ve likely had this problem before; your direct reports want to run everything by you. And, maybe you have encouraged this process for a number of reasons; they are a new employee, you enjoy the conversation, you are not sure they are making the right decisions, or you haven’t told them when they can make decisions on their own. At what point do you empower your high performers to make those critical and not so critical decisions on their own?

Smart people don’t need others to solve every problem they have. What they need is engagement. They need a conversation and body language that you are interested, you understand, and you want to be part of the solution. Ask challenging questions: “What are the consequences?” “What good happens under your approach?” “What bad could happen?”

High performers want and need engagement in a meaningful way. You don’t need to be part of every decision. Create the right parameters so they know when to come to you and give them permission to “think out loud,” “brainstorm” and be creative with you. Make sure you let them know they are safe to do this without being judged!

Your best performers do NOT want you to come up with all the answers. But they do want engagement and do want to feel empowered to make decisions. Your role as the leader is to LISTEN, ENGAGE, SPEAK and EMPOWER! How well are you doing?

Why Empower Others?

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Did you meet Lisa Hinson on Monday? She knows how to empower others. That is a gift and she is a gift to our community.

“The beauty of empowering others is that your own power is not diminished in the process.”

– Barbara Colorose

Empowering Emerging Leaders

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One of the keys to coaching and developing your emerging leaders is to empower them to make decisions and take ownership over outcomes.

But organizations need to create a culture of empowerment, where employees are left alone to do their jobs, make decisions and be accountable for results. It’s not enough simply to tell them they’re empowered. The organization needs to show it by supporting those who empower themselves.

In his Harvard Business Review blog post, Empowering Your Employees to Empower Themselves, Marshall Goldsmith offers some key ways a company can create this culture of empowerment so your key employees can launch forward in their careers.

Are you getting in the way of your emerging leaders’ success by not supporting a culture where they can thrive?

Perspective on Empowerment

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Wondering how to get your “A Players” to the next level?

Give them a project outside of their comfort zone.

Give them room to be that “A+player.”

Let them shine.

Empower them and let them know this is their shot.

They won’t let you down….

Woman of the Week – Lisa Hinson

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Lisa HinsonMy Name:
Lisa Hinson

My Current Job/Company:
Owner, Hinson Ltd Public Relations

My Birthdate:
10/13/1965

My Work:
I own a boutique PR firm and feel very fortunate to work with some of the best brands in our market. We are small but mighty and we like it that way. I enjoy my team, my clients and my community.

My Passion:
Doing a lot and doing it with gusto! I love watching my children grow and achieve their dreams. The theme in our house is “if you believe it, you can achieve it.” I’ve used it so many times now my husband and kids just roll their eyes. I cannot wait for the day when I hear Connor and Avery use that phrase with their kids.

My Family:
Alan (husband) Connor (18) Avery (13)

My Heroes:
Accomplished women who make community stewardship a priority. There are too many to name here and we all certainly have them in our lives. I am forever amazed at how quietly effective the female leadership of this community is. No fanfare. No chest pounding. They simply dedicate their time and talent to make central Ohio a better place for everyone to live and raise a family. I have deep respect for that kind of commitment and realize the positive impact it has on all of us.

My Escape:
Our family farm in Licking County. Rolling hills of crops (soy beans this year), woods with trails, horses and tractors—all are great for the soul!

My Pet Peeve:
Mechanical difficulties. Phones, cars, computers, etc. This is especially top of mind for me today since my internet and phone service were both down for 6 hours. Can you imagine? A communicator with no ability to communicate!

My Indulgence:
I like travel, be it down the road or across the globe!

My Roots:
A small quaint town and a household full of activity all the time. Hobbies, music, athletics, etc.

My Future:
Full of family activity and continued professional fulfillment.

My Love:
I think my husband’s pretty great. He’s got a wonderful sense of humor and supports me in whatever I choose to do. Couldn’t ask for a better partner and father.

My Movie:
Any John Hughes movie from the 1980s. Pretty in Pink. Breakfast Club. Weird Science. Sixteen Candles. Uncle Buck. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The year that Hughes passed away I made my kids watch them all with me over several winter weekends. Surprisingly, they seemed to like them. I guess neon apparel and big hair transcends all decades!

My Quote on Life:
It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.

My Accessory:
Scarves, usually equestrian themed.

My Advice to Young Women:
If you believe it, you can achieve it! Seriously, ditch the negative self talk and get out there and do great things. If not you, who?

How I Balance it All:
Know when to say no. If something saps your energy instead of giving you energy, it’s time to move on. Decide where you want to make an impact and focus there. Don’t attempt to do everything.

What’s the Lesson?

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When mentoring high performers, it’s important to help the individual explore all of their options. Sometimes a career change is in order. How can you help these individuals adjust their career to something more fitting, yet still keep them in the organization?

Today’s guest post from Kim Ratcliff offers managers and mentors some terrific ways to nurture and help emerging leaders make good decisions about their career. While Kim’s story ended with a departure from her company, you may learn some lessons from her experience that can help keep good people within your organization.

What is the Lesson?
by Kim Ratcliff

A mentor of mine repeatedly asks me: “What is the lesson?” It’s an annoying question that frustrates me every time, but it points me in the right direction at turning points that feel challenging. Career change is usually a time for helpful yet difficult lessons.

Case in point: About seven years ago, I was struggling in my career. I’d been in the same place for seven years and felt like I was treading water. In the process of making the decision to leave, I shared my thoughts a bit too publicly.

In other words, I fast-forwarded a change process in my career without thinking through the consequences. It was a painful time for me, but looking back I can see how it was a necessary and helpful push into the future.

My mentor happened to work with me at the time, and she was a helpful resource in making me stay clear as I learned along the way. Here’s my own version of “the lesson” that my mentor encouraged me to take in:

1. Know thyself. Or, put another way, don’t snow thyself. Everyone is capable of stretching the truth or sidestepping it. Straying from reality will take you into dangerous territory. Be clear about and stay true to your own values, and the choices you make will reflect them.

2. Keep close friends (and friends close) and listen when they question you. Trust the counsel of your allies, even when it’s hard to hear.

3. Before you make a change, consider the short- and long-term consequences. Think through all of them and imagine yourself there. While changing can be cathartic in the moment, it may not feel that way after a few years. Think before you leap. Conversely, sometimes slow change creates needless pain over time. Better to yank off the band-aid than to draw out the agony.

4. Seek out evidence that will help you to “learn from the lesson.” If you get past an obstacle and it was just by luck, you’re going to run into that obstacle again. Guaranteed. So save yourself some heartache and learn it the first time, even if the lesson is painful.

If you are mentoring someone who is pondering a career change, use these pointers to help guide them in a direction that is best for them – and the company.

What advice would you give someone who is looking to change careers, either within your organization or elsewhere?

Quote of the Week

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One thing that distinguishes high performers is that they take responsibility for their own lives. If things aren’t going well, they do something about it. They don’t feel themselves victimized or powerless.

—Jerry Fletcher, Ph.D.