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Will Your Leadership Poor Communication Skills Get You Fired?

October 16, 2014 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: Does having the necessary qualifications and certification in your field guarantee job security? While as a leader you know good education improves your chances of getting hired, staying on that job and being promoted is an entirely different animal. Leadership communication skills typically requires dignity, perseverance, and most importantly, communication skills training for leaders. This is the total package of leadership development, which is perhaps the only way of achieving long-term success. Likewise, failing to learn essential communication skills spells doom for everyone in the organization, including C-Suite executives. This article lists communication five (5) blunders that can (and should!) jeopardize an executive’s career… Enjoy!

#5 Flirting on the Job

It should go without saying, but a leader we met with last week was unceremoniously dismissed from this organization of 10+ years because he flirted on the job. Many actually see flirting as a way to climb up the corporate ladder. Here at the Tip of the Spear Ventures firm, we don’t promote Machiavellian, Venus, or even Cupid-like tactics. Instead, we look to provide genuine leadership development education through the proven Leadership Challenge methodology. Hence, take our advice and refrain from flirting, as it can easily be taken the wrong way (I’m not certain there is a “right” way here!)

#4 Emailing News That Is Best Delivered in Person

As a leader unfortunately we have to at times deliver bad news (Hopefully this is the minority of the time). This bad news could include something significant to the organization’s employee structure, such as layoffs. When you deliver such news via email, stakeholders (those being relieved of their duties, as well as those staying) will obviously lack body language and other non-verbal clues needed to deal with the emotional response following the message. As a leader, there also will be an opportunity for you to stand and face the unpleasant music (See point #3 below). That is why as a leader you should always convey bad news in person, and picking up clues from the recipient’s body language and facial expressions whether they are comprehending the key parts of the message or not. Clarity could go a long way in minimizing long-term disruption.

#3 Shying Away from Difficult Conversations

This follows from the previous point. But along with delivering bad news, a leader also needs to give negative feedback from time to time. When you avoid such conversations, you are giving way for small problems to escalate into larger ones that will ultimately reflect negatively on you. So, deal with negative behavior head-on. First listen to what the employee has to say about his performance (listening being a key leadership communication skill as well) and see whether the issue is genuine or not. In any case, you need to have the ability to communicate assertively in order to be heard by your workforce.

#2 Not Maintaining Eye Contact

Everyone knows that you listen with your ears, but maintaining eye contact is essential to let the other person feel that you are actually listening. Body language matters when it comes to leadership communication skills. Hence, if you fail to maintain eye contact, this not only is considered a sign of disrespect, but people will also think that you are a (to use the term) ‘shady’ person.

#1 Beat Around the Bush Messages

Finally, a sign of effective communication is the right choice of words so that you can communicate your message in the shortest amount of words possible. Think of Twitter: If you had to deliver your message in 140 characters or less, what would you say? How would you say it? This is a trait to be sought in the fast-paced corporate world of today. On the other hand, going on ceaselessly about a single point makes people think that don’t know what you are talking about.

Summary

In short, without effective communication skills training for leaders, you are not likely to last long and achieve your full potential in the work environment, no matter how high you stand in the organizational hierarchy. You need to be respectful of your employees and use nonverbal cues when communicating, such as eye contact. Most importantly, you should have the ability to both encourage and discipline stakeholders.

If you’d like more information on Tip of the Spear Ventures’ Communicate with Influence series, specifically aimed at communication skills training for leaders, use the CONTACT US page of this website.

Who Needs Executive Coaching Anyway?

October 15, 2014 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: The job description of executives is changing all the time (just ask those that compile leadership development material!) It is no longer enough to take credit for past success. You constantly need to stay ahead in the game through leadership development in order to realize your full potential. In this post, we’ll take a look at who exactly needs executive coaching… Enjoy!

#3 Identify the Problem at Hand

To start off, you need to ascertain the reason why you are calling in a coach. For the most part, executive coaching is a great option when organizations needs behavioral change in its top-tier leadership. For instance, the CIO (Chief Information Officer) might need help with asserting his authority during board meetings.

But do note that an executive coach by the end of the day is just a person that works with an executive how to solve their own problems. The coach doesn’t solve the problems for them. If the leaders in place aren’t effectively leading the organization, then not even the best executive coaching program can ‘fix’ him.

#2 The Willingness to Learn and Change

The best leadership development programs easily run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. But all this money will be wasted if the organization and individual leader seek a coach/mentor for a person that is unwilling to learn. For example, if an executive has been pressured by the board of directors to undergo training, then chances are that the necessary behavioral change will not materialize (and even if it does, it will not be long-lasting!)

#1 Organizational Support

Finally and most importantly, no executive coaching program can reap positive results if it doesn’t have organizational support. Behavioral change is not easy, but it can be accomplished if the leader has people around them for support. Likewise, if other executives on the leadership team are simply indifferent to progress (if not downright hostile), a leader will find it hard to achieve results.

A common feature of Tip of the Spear Centered Executive Coaching is getting feedback from the team to ascertain how they view their leader. This forms the basis of what targets will be set for the coaching session (which lasts for 6-12 months), and which areas of the leader’s behavior need immediate changes.

Summary

The higher a person is on the organizational hierarchy, the more they need a coach/mentor to help guide and reflect on leadership blind spots that mostly go unnoticed.

If you’d like more information on Tip of the Spear’s Centered Executive Coaching offerings, use the CONTACT US section of this website.

Three Communication Systems, Strategies and Skills of the Best CEOs

October 15, 2014 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: What is the job of a CEO? Opinions may vary, but perhaps Peter Drucker answered the question best when he stated “The CEO is the link between the Inside that is ‘the organization,’ and the outside of society, economy, technology, markets, and customers.” One of the leadership development keys to fulfilling this role, is that the executive needs to undergo robust communication skills training for leaders. In this post, we outline three (3) necessary skills and strategies needed to become a successful CEO… Enjoy!

#3 Exceptional Public Speaking Skills

All managers and leaders need public speaking skills as part of their leadership development, but in the case of the CEO, it is not enough to speak to the workforce or the board of directors. Keeping the definition given above, the CEO is the face of the company that represents the organization in the media and industry forums.

If you get the time, watch the 2005 remake of Fun with Dick and Jane. At the start of the movie, Dick Harper (Jim Carrey) is made the Vice President of Communications at his firm. The very next day, he is called to appear on a financial TV show, where the host and a politician lambast him with questions pertaining to the fiscally irresponsible behavior of his company.

No, Dick Harper doesn’t use his charisma to navigate through the interview and ultimately become a successful CEO (he ultimately becomes a crook). But this scene goes to show what happens when you have the wrong person representing you in media. It also highlights the importance of public speaking skills as a leader.

#2 Assertive, But Not Aggressive

Leaders command attention. The CEO doesn’t rely on his title alone to get people to listen to him. He makes sure that people are listening. They not only use the right words, but also exhibit proper body language. But a defining trait of successful CEOs is that they are assertive. They stand tall, speak with confidence, and get their point across, and sometimes do so without being confrontational.

This also includes the ability to command and control one’s emotions. Without being rigid and cutting others off, CEOs can sufficiently disagree with others and execute their ideas. Conversely, they know how to appreciate others without being overtly emotional.

#1 Being a People’s Person

An important aspect of leadership communication in leadership development is emotional intelligence (or EQ). This is where a CEO successfully leads a team by making those around them feel valued through the use of “street smarts”. Once again, this further relies on a variety of communication skills, such as maintaining eye contact, good listening skills, and most importantly, empathy. Important to note here is the ability to listen to their “gut” in such situations.

Summary

As the key link between the organization, the industry, and society in which it operates in, the CEO needs to have communication skills instilled that include empathy, active listening, public speaking, and confidence.

For more information on Tip of the Spear’s Business Advisory Services where we specialize in providing communication skills training for leaders, executive coaching, and leadership development use the CONTACT US page of this website.

Improve Your Leadership Communication Skills in IT

October 14, 2014 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: When we talk about leadership development, especially in the context of communication skills training for leaders in IT, most of the discussion is general in nature. It fails to take the intricacies of different industries and organizational structures into account. For instance, how should a leader communicate in an IT company? This role comes with its unique communication issues, considering that IT jobs typically attract introverted and shy applicants (Something we’ve seen time and again at Tip of the Spear in our Centered Executive Coaching initiatives with IT Leaders). In this post, we discuss three (3) communication skills training for leaders in the IT field… Enjoy!

#3 Building Rapport

Although this is not a rule, but as mentioned at the outset, the IT industry typically attracts introverts. For example, some of the most successful software developers are introverts because this job requires problem solving and independent work. The same is true of data processing managers.

Hence, communication skills don’t come naturally to people who work and even excel in this industry. However, the key to IT and corporate success is building rapport with your team. Even though you work with technology, your employees, partners, and customers are all human beings. This is why you need to go out of your way to regularly communicate with and develop rapport with them. This doesn’t mean that you spend most of your 8-hour shift chit-chatting, but the occasional lunch, team meeting, or even a casual email can prove sufficient.

#2 The Art of Selling

Creative people, especially those in the IT sector, are not the best salespeople either. Hence, communication skills training for leaders should also include pointers on how they can and should deal with clients.

As an IT professional, you may typically know more about your craft than the client (internal or external) you are serving. However, never forget the Golden Rule of Business: The customer is ALWAYS right, even when they are wrong.

Even if the client is 100% wrong, instead of fighting them, you may need to learn to disagree in a way that doesn’t offend the client. And if the client may come off as sounding stupid, you still have to give them the chance to save face by saying something like ‘I completely understand your perspective. Here is what I think…’

In similar vein, you should never take the clients comments about your work personally. This will only make things more problematic (and if you’re like the majority of clients we coach, you’re looking to fill your day with less problems, not more!) This will be a test of your leadership communication skills for sure.

#1 Shun Arrogance

Being highly creative, IT people have a tendency to defend themselves when there is a work dispute (see selling skills addressed above), and for the most part, the other person interprets this as arrogance, which is disaster for corporate relationships. No one is telling you to agree with everything people say, but you should make a conscious effort to listen patiently, even if your argument is 100% right!

Summary

To sum up, even if the IT industry is a technical and creative one, there are corporate interests at stake that can only be achieved with sound communication skills. These include being diplomatic with clients, improving listening skills, and shunning arrogance.

Are You Grinding It Out as a Leader Like Mark Cuban? 8 Questions to Ask Yourself!

October 6, 2014 By Sam Palazzolo, Managing Director

The Point: Whether you want to admit it or not, you’re not working hard enough as a leader! Just ask Mark Cuban, the embattled entrepreneur/Dallas Maverick owner/Shark… Mark said in an Inc. magazine blog post that if he had to do one thing over again, it would be to push himself harder than everyone else around him (I imagine those that he could see as well as and perhaps more importantly those he couldn’t see!) So as a leader you control your effort/energy, where are you applying yourself? Read on and answer 8 questions to see how well you grind… Enjoy!

“I don’t regret starting a company that failed or investing in a company that didn’t make it, I think my regrets have come from not quite putting in enough effort,” says Mark Cuban. So here we have the only billionaire to sit on the esteemed ABC Shark Tank investor panel that isn’t content with where he sits.

Here then are eight (8) questions to gage if you’re not “grinding” hard enough:

There’s an extra hour in the day… How will you use it?
Do you take too many breathers, rather than keep on going?
If someone outworks you, is that acceptable to you?
What causes you to limit your effort?
How content are you as a leader?
What are you doing to better yourself?
When was the last time you invested in leadership development and kept yourself on-time/on-target to meeting/exceeding your goals?
If you didn’t achieve your 2014 goals, what are you doing about it?

Here’s the reality… There’s somebody out there that’s “grinding” as Cuban puts it and surpassing you in output.

One final question (Think of it as a bonus):

If you’re getting outworked, is that acceptable to you/those you work with/those you support/those that support you?

PS – You can see the video of Mark Cuban here: http://www.inc.com/mark-cuban/business-lesson-my-biggest-regret.html?cid=sf01001

If you’d like more information on Tip of the Spear’s Business Advisory Services including Leadership Develepment employing The Leadership Challenge methodology, Executive Coaching using Centered Executive Coaching, and Communication Skills Training for Leaders use the Contact Us page of this website.

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