Jeremy Kingsley | Leadership Expert, Inspirational Speaker and Best-Selling AuthorJeremy Kingsley | Leadership Expert, Inspirational Speaker and Best-Selling Author

The Danger of Overconfidence

Carrie Koens — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 18:46:43 +0000

When I talk to the executives of different companies, I’ll often say, “Here’s one of the rules you need to have as a leader. You 100%, absolutely have to brag… About someone else.”

When you brag about yourself, that’s called ego. But when you brag about someone else, that’s called encouragement. What kind of leader do you really want to be?

Let me tell you a story in history about the danger of overconfidence…

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Understanding Poor Performance in Leadership Roles

Carrie Koens — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 00:00:44 +0000

It’s inevitable that there will be times when you’re unhappy with the performance of someone on your staff. In the old days, the answer was often to try to force improvement. “Shape up or ship out” was the motto. The attitude among most leaders was that the employee needed the job more than the company needed the employee. If someone wasn’t adjusting well or doing the job, then it was time to move on to someone else.

Today, many leaders realize that there may be more efficient and less expensive ways of getting the results they want than starting over. Once again, it is rooted in trying to understand the employee and the problem at hand.

Tony Zinni elaborates:

“The hire-and-fire mentality has been replaced by a developmental approach. We ask questions today that seek to identify causes for deficiencies in skill or aptitude, or for lack of motivation, poor attitudes, inability to meet objectives, or other factors that create obstacles to performance. Solutions come in the form of training, counseling and mentoring, improvement of work environment, removal of obstacles to performance, incentives, and inclusion in decision making.

Successful enterprises now view training and education programs as critical investments in their people; no longer are they considered luxuries that are the first to go onto the chopping block when budgets get tight. These programs have exponential payoffs that many old-school leaders have never been able to realize. In addition to increasing productivity, they build loyalty and improve retention.”⁶

Knowing your staff’s strengths and weaknesses enables you to respond wisely when you are choosing a team for an important project.

Sometimes, of course, problems are difficult to fix even with training and mentoring. In these cases, you have to decide whether or not the employee has a future with your company or if you’d all be better served by letting the person go. The more you know and understand the person, the more likely you are to make the right decision.

Wayne Downing was a four-star general with the U.S. Army. He said that “most of my bad judgment calls were generally about people. There have been times when I knew I had to take people out of a position. I knew they weren’t going to change, and they weren’t going to do what had to be done. But it’s traumatic when you do that. The higher up you go, the more traumatic it is for the organization to remove people, and you don’t like to do that, but in the final analysis you have to.”⁸

As a leader, you’re bound to make some personnel mistakes over the years. But if you know your team well, you’ll have the knowledge you need to make informed decisions, difficult as they may be. If you truly understand your staff, most of the time you’ll get it right.

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Good Leaders Care for Others’ Time

Carrie Koens — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 12:00:21 +0000

Have you ever been late or almost missed something really important? Whether it’s with a friend or customer, good leaders need to stop showing up late or missing appointments. It strains relationships, is embarrassing, and can be detrimental (both personally and professionally).

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Loyalty – A Life Saver Leadership Value

Carrie Koens — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

A century ago, a man named Ernest Shackleton was one of the most renowned explorers of his time. He was a member of Captain Randolph Scott’s Discovery Expedition to the Antarctic in 1901–04 and led the Nimrod Expedition to the Antarctic in 1907–09, when he and three companions marched farther south than any human had ventured before. He was knighted by the king of England for that effort.

Today, however, Shackleton is best known for a failed mission, the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–17 that aimed to be the first to journey across the southern continent. In January 1915, Shackleton and his men aboard the Endurance were trapped in pack ice in the Weddell Sea and forced to abandon the ship. Under increasingly desperate circumstances, they floated on icebergs and in three small lifeboats to reach a remote, deserted island.

From there, Shackleton and five men embarked in one of the lifeboats on an eight-hundred-mile voyage through some of the planet’s stormiest waters, landing more than two weeks later at South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic. After a rest, Shackleton and two of his men hiked and climbed across the treacherous South Georgia mountains to a whaling station, where Shackleton procured a ship and sailed to rescue his comrades. Despite incredible danger and adversity, every member of the twenty-eight-man crew returned home safely.

During all his journeys and particularly on the Endurance expedition, Shackleton earned the lasting respect and loyalty of his men. Part of the reason was his dedication to their physical health and safety. When the ship was trapped in the pack ice, Shackleton ordered extended times of exercise and games on the ice. Though they were well-stocked with canned foods, he insisted his men also eat fresh seal meat to prevent scurvy.

Shackleton nurtured his team in other ways. He divided work responsibilities evenly between officers and the rest of the crew and often pitched in himself. He scheduled feasts to mark birthdays and other special occasions and even treated one crewman who suffered from sciatica for two weeks in his cabin. “He attends to me himself,” the crewman wrote in his journal, “making up the fire and making me a cup of tea during the night if I happen to say that I am thirsty, reading to me and always entertaining me with his wonderful conversation, making me forget my pain by joking with me continually just as if I was a spoiled child. What sacrifices would I not make for such a leader as this.”5

In 1921, Shackleton again set out for the Antarctic on what turned out to be his final voyage. When he died of a heart attack on South Georgia Island, eight of the eighteen crew members were colleagues from the Endurance expedition.

The loyalty that Shackleton stirred within his crew did not occur by accident. As the leader of missions where the stakes were often life and death, he understood that a bond of loyalty between himself and his men could make the difference between survival and the ultimate failure. He cultivated it constantly.

“The loyalty of your men is a sacred trust you carry,” he wrote. “It is something which must never be betrayed,.”6

Adapted excerpt from: “Inspired People Produce Results” – Jeremy Kingsley, McGraw-Hill (2013)

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4 Simple Strategies for Overcoming Stress in Leadership

Carrie Koens — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 12:00:30 +0000

The inbox on your desk – and the one in your email – are both full of things that need to be dealt with. Your calendar shows that you are booked solid for the next week and a half. You have employees to meet with, potential new ones to interview, and a million other things to do, but little time to do them in. It’s no wonder that you’re stressed out. Leadership is hard. Thankfully, there are a few things that can help you manage your stress levels. Take the time to follow these tips, before you end up snapping at your employees and taking your stress out on others.

1) Step away from the computer for ten minutes every few hours.

Studies have shown that spending all of your time chained to your office desk and computer raise your stress levels – even if you’re being productive. A short, ten minute break spent on your feet and away from your desk will help considerably. Socializing is a good stress reliever as well, so consider spending your ten minute break drinking coffee and talking to your co-workers.

2) Schedule relaxation time.

Whether you set aside a few hours on the weekend to play golf, watch a movie, or read a book, it’s important that you take the time to clear your head. Busy people tend to follow their calendars religiously, so add some “fun time” to yours. Otherwise, you may never have a chance to relax.

3) Exercise in your off time.

Instead of lounging in front of the television set when you get home, spend some time in the gym. Exercise is a proven stress-reliever, and you’d be surprised how cathartic it is to take out some of your stress-induced aggression on a punching bag, spin class, or the treadmill.

4) Watch something funny.

The old saying is that “laughter is the best medicine.” This is still very much the case, as it is a proven way to relieve stress and brighten your mood. Whether you watch a short video on YouTube or listen to a friend tell jokes, you will feel some of the stress melt away as you laugh.

As you can see, overcoming stress isn’t completely impossible. Following at least one of these tips on a regular basis will lower your stress levels, thus turning you into a better boss or employee. You’ll feel better and will be more productive.

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A Culture of Purpose in Leadership

Carrie Koens — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 00:00:38 +0000

As the leader of your team, you must clearly understand and be able to pass on the purpose of your organization and your team’s role within that organization through your leadership role. If you don’t know the purpose of your efforts, you certainly won’t be able to inspire your team to success.

Communicating purpose will take more than requiring your team to memorize the company mission statement, however. It must become part of the culture of what everyone in your organization thinks about, says, and does each day. It will influence decisions made at the top and choices made by the “lowliest” employee.

Take, for example, Southwest Airlines. Founded in the 1970s, Southwest set out to make the airways affordable for everyone and “set the customer free.” Practically, that meant focusing on the priorities that supported their purpose—safety, airplanes, people, and airport locations—and not trying to match the standards of other airlines in other areas. They didn’t provide the same meals, offer the same first class amenities, or move customers through lines as quickly, and they were criticized for it. But founder Herb Kelleher said, “I’m in the business of democratizing the skies. I can’t do it if we have high costs. If something increases our costs, we’ll have to increase our fares, and we’ll violate the purpose of the airline: democratizing the skies.”1

The employees at Southwest Airlines knew their company’s purpose and stayed focused on goals that promoted that purpose. This is especially important for today’s younger employee who wants to understand the process before he can fully engage.

I experienced this myself a few years ago. Compassion International, a nonprofit organization that promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual health for impoverished children around the world, was interested in having me speak across the country on their behalf. I’d heard good things about them, so I accepted their invitation to visit Honduras and observe what they were doing there.

I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. At a garbage dump in Honduras, I encountered families of up to ten people living in one-room, twelve-by-twelve-foot shanties of loosely constructed tin and boards. They had no electricity or bathroom. A fire pit in the ground doubled as their stove and source of heat. The adults worked ten-hour days to earn their food for the day—two tomatoes. When a garbage truck pulled up to dump a new load of trash, hundreds of people emerged from the shanties to sort through the debris for anything useful.

I remember seeing a tiny one-year-old lying on a mattress in one of these shanties. My son Jaden was about the same age at the time. That little boy and his dad could just as easily be Jaden and me, I thought.

When I learned of Compassion International’s plans to help build a school in the area and provide food and clothes for the children, I was hooked. Compassion was making a difference here. I couldn’t wait to give my first speech and get people excited about what was happening. I understood the plan. Suddenly, I understood purpose.

Adapted excerpt from: “Inspired People Produce Results” – Jeremy Kingsley, McGraw-Hill (2013)

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Leadership Lessons from WWII

Carrie Koens — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 12:00:09 +0000

You’ve probably watched, read or heard stories about World War II. Hundreds of battles were fought and thousands of Americans gave their lives to defend the free world. The soldiers who engaged in combat were leaders worthy of honor and stand today as a prime example of dedication and discipline.

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Develop as a Leader and Learn to Say “No” at Work

Carrie Koens — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 00:00:16 +0000

It is fundamentally impossible for one person to “do it all.” At some point, you are going to need to learn how to say “no” when your bosses or co-workers want to dump more work into your lap. Saying “yes” to everything often leads to chronic stress, which in turn can lead to health problems, a poor attitude, and strained relationships, ultimately hurting everyone. Here are a few leadership development tips to think about:

Communicate Up Front

If someone asks you to take on a task that you believe is more than you can handle, communicate your concern. Take a stand if need be. Maybe there is a way to find a middle ground, tell them up front what you can do to contribute to the project, without taking on the entire thing. In a way, you’re standing up for yourself while still trying to help.

Set Your Boundaries

You might want to make everyone happy and hope that your co-workers see you as a team player. This is particularly true if you have a new job and haven’t gained a solid footing yet. You might also be afraid of confrontations, or you aren’t sure of what will happen if you turn down a project, but everyone needs boundaries.

Know Your Limitations

There is nothing wrong with saying “no.” You’re allowed to do it. Every person has a limited amount of time and energy that they should use wisely. Taking on too many things results in negative consequences. Know what you’re capable of, how much time you have, and stay within those limits.

There are times in your life when you need to just say “no.” Use these three leadership development tips to help balance out your time and priorities.

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Leadership Tips for Dealing with a Boss who is a JERK

Carrie Koens — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 12:00:51 +0000

Not every boss is nice. Not every boss is reasonable. Some are outright jerks who rule with fear tactics and insults. It’s their way or the highway – and they won’t be afraid to single you out publically if you make a mistake. There may be times you need to be prepared to make a hasty exit, but there are also ways to deal with these types of bosses, here are a few leadership tips:

Take the High Road

Restrain yourself from resorting to their tactics. If your boss uses harsh words and sarcasm, don’t retaliate with the same. This just belittles you and knocks you down to their level. Instead, rise above the pettiness. This doesn’t mean that you should act as if you are better than your boss, just behave in a respectful way, be a good example to everyone else.

Find Ways to Serve Them

Maybe your boss is acting in a negative way because he doesn’t think that anyone listens to him, or he is young and inexperienced at the job. Sometimes finding a way to “go the extra mile” can catch your boss off guard. Most people are not used to special acts of kindness, this can help change the attitude of a person.

Learn From Their Mistakes

You might end up as a boss someday, so use yours as a case study in what NOT to do. Take mental notes on how to properly deal with people and go over the scenarios in your head, imagining how you would handle things if you were in charge.

Let Your Work and Attitude Speak For Themselves

Focus on your work and stay positive. While you don’t want to lead your local “I hate my boss club,” you also need to be supportive of your fellow employees who are dealing with the same leader that you are. Do your best; that’s all anyone can ask of you.

Be Prepared to Move On

Give these bosses a chance to change, grow, and be effective. If ultimately things don’t change, you may need to move on to a new position in a different place. There are great companies with great bosses out there!

At some point, everyone has at least one boss who’s a jerk. Remember that you are not alone! Keep learning how to respond and work towards being the best you can be.

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Feeling Good About Leadership Where You Work

Carrie Koens — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 00:00:03 +0000

Leaders find ways to show that they value their employees. It creates a positive working environment, and productivity goes up. Everyone wins. It helps if the leadership of your company gets this concept.

Daimler-Benz, the auto manufacturer, was ahead of the curve in the early 1990s. At their corporate headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, interior spaces were designed for comfort and efficiency; the employee child care center was state of the art; a fully equipped fitness center with personal trainers was available to employees during working hours; the cafeteria offered inexpensive, healthy menus; and employees were encouraged to take regular walks on the beautifully landscaped campus.

Daimler senior management didn’t implement these features just because of their good hearts. They believed that a commitment to a positive work environment led to improved attendance and more positive feedback, loyalty, and longevity with the company.¹

Since then, many other companies have caught on and implemented their own programs to create a more attractive work environment. They’ve realized that when employees feel good about where they work, they are more productive, innovative, and successful. It just makes sense.

But what can you do on your own to improve the environment for your team? Talk to your staff. Listen to them. Ask for their input on what would make them less distracted and more successful on the job. Stress is an energy-sapper for everyone. You can’t expect to eliminate it completely from the workplace, but there are measures you can take to reduce it. For me, running is a great way to cut stress. My family has a history of heart attacks, so I’ve been pounding the pavement for more than twenty years. I’ve found it does more than improve my physical health, though. It’s a chance to get away from everything and let my mind wander. I think, plan, strategize, and dream better when I’m alone and running. Some of my best ideas (and I do have one now and then) come when I’m sweaty and pumping my legs.

Not everyone is a runner. You may, however, be able to help your team find other ways to reduce stress. Could you schedule regular walks during the workday? Could you allow someone on your team to take a long lunch break and make up the time later so she can swim at the local pool? Schedule small 20 minutes parties. Use your imagination. You may be surprised at how effective a creative approach can be.

Leaders, keep finding ways to show that you value your employees and create a positive working environment.

Adapted excerpt from: “Inspired People Produce Results” – Jeremy Kingsley, McGraw-Hill (2013)

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