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What’s Inside Your Leadership Time Capsule?

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The Point: This week’s unveiling of a time capsule buried nearly 200 years ago in Boston by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere got us thinking at Tip of the Spear… If you as a leader were going to build/burry your own time capsule, what would you put inside it? Centuries from now, upon unearthing, what would you want future generations to know about leadership in 2015? With that in mind, we’ve identified out top five inclusions… Enjoy!

What’s Inside Your Leadership Time Capsule?

The 1795 Time Capsule – Wow!

The time capsule that Samuel Adams and Paul Revere compiled was rather small in size, measuring 5.5 x 7.5 x 1.5 inches. With such little room to share with future generations, we’ll keep the same dimensions for our purposes here. With great care (apparently the capsule was previously discovered/removed/reburied in 1855 during some other repairs), the contents were examined with brain-surgeon-like care by Pam Hatchfield, Head of Objects Conservation for Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Using a porcupine quill and her grandfather’s dental tool, here’s what Hatchfield safely removed from the 10-pound box:

  • Five folded newspapers
  • A Massachusetts commonwealth seal
  • A title page from Massachusetts colony records
  • At least 24 coins
  • An inscribed rectangular silver plate (probably made/engraved by Paul Revere)

As the contents were removed, onlookers could hear Hatchfield exclaim “Wow!” with each extraction.

So What Exactly is a Time Capsule?

According to Wikipedia, a time capsule is “a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists or historians.” So what would we possibly want to leave behind to effectively communicate the leadership challenges of today?

If you’re thinking like I’m thinking, we’d probably want to include items that captured not only represent the successes achieved, but the failures experienced as well. Perhaps we could also throw in a few items that captured emotions of those experiences (both good and bad). Keep in mind, we only have 5.5 x 7.5 x 1.5 inches.

The 2015 Leadership Time Capsule

Here then is a list of the items that we’d put into our 2015 Leadership Time Capsule:

  • An iPhone 6+ – Technology is revolutionizing leadership, and nothing says technological leadership quite like the new Apple iPhone 6+!
  • URLs to Google, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn – Where do you as a leader go for information? Odds are, these are your first choices to gain perspective on the leadership challenges you face day in/day out.
  • The Wall Street Journal – Although you can get the majority of your news fed to you virtually, we still have this tactile form a media in distribution.
  • A brand new $100 Bill – Sean Combs (aka, Puff Daddy) and a host of others sang (?) about it back in 1997, but this isn’t just about the song. This bill represents the economy, art, and technology coming together all in one simple (yet complicated) piece of paper.
  • A coin of each denomination (penny, nickel, dime, and quarter) – Ok, while the majority of us swipe a credit card for nearly all purchases, regardless of the inherent “hacker” dangers present, we’re including these because apparently the inclusion of coins wards off the growth of fungus!

Summary

I hope you enjoyed the post. If so, don’t forget to click on the ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ buttons and tell others who may find it useful. Also, I would love it if you would take a minute to comment on this post (That’s the BEST encouragement for me to continue to write and share!)

Sincerely yours,

 

Sam Palazzolo

PS – You may also enjoy some of the other recent posts I wrote:

Sam Palazzolo is the Managing Director at Tip of the Spear Ventures, an agile Venture Capital and Business Advisory Services firm specializing in Executive Coaching, Leadership Development, and Communication Skills Training for Leaders.

10 Leadership Communication Skills of Great Leaders

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The Point: Why study communication skills of great leaders? Well, simply because great communication is one of the major denominators (if not the only one) between social, political, and business leaders across the globe. And since we stress so much on communication skills training for leaders, it is only logical that we take some cues from those in key organizational positions that are performing at what we consider to be a ‘great’ level. Simply put, if you want to excel as a leader in your organization/industry, make sure you have the following 10 key communication skills embedded in your leadership toolbox… Enjoy!

10 Communication Skills of Great Leaders

#10 Engage With Your Workforce

As an executive, you may have to send emails and memos to your workforce on a regular basis. But whenever you get the chance, forego corporate communications and engage with dialog with others. When you engage with people in conversation (as compared to monologues), you automatically increase the effectiveness of the message.

#9 Gather Facts Before Taking Action

This follows from the previous leadership communication point. When you engage with your workforce on a regular basis, you will generate honest feedback instead of sanitized versions of the truth. The benefit is that during times of conflict, you will have all the facts needed to thoroughly evaluate the situation. As a result, you will make impartial decisions as compared to executives who are so detached from their subordinates that all they get is one-sided information.

#8 Clarity is King

In today’s corporate world, time is a rare commodity, especially if you are operating in a highly competitive industry, or one that is constantly undergoing change, such as technology. If you need to make split-second decisions and want your employees to be informed of a change in company policy, then just get straight to the point. This is especially true if you are relaying bad news, such as a drop in cash flow. Get some pointers on getting straight to the point from Churchill’s WWII speech: ‘the news from France is very bad….’

#7 Speak Only to Add Value

Improving your leadership communication skills is an essential part of leadership development, but this does not mean that you increase the frequency of speaking to your workforce. Speak only when it’s necessary, and do so only to add to the listener’s experience. Otherwise, people will come to resent your interactions.

#6 Welcome Criticism

This is the true mark of the leader. The leader doesn’t shun or shout down dissenting opinions. Instead, he welcomes as an opportunity to learn more about what people around him are actually thinking. This takes us to the next point…

#5 Listen More

Great leaders know that communication isn’t one-way traffic. There is great wisdom in listening to what others have to contribute to a discussion, even though you may have the final say. In fact, just by the (not so) simple act of listening, you will learn a lot, which is necessary to stay on top of your game.

#4 Body Language and Eye Contact

Communication doesn’t only refer to strong oratory skills. You also have to take non-verbal cues into account, especially body language and eye contact. The way you stand, your hand gestures, and your eye contact with your audience plays a major role in the receptivity of the message.

#3 Body Language of the Audience

Conversely, you also have to pay attention on the body language of the listener. Also try to take cues from his facial expressions to gauge if he truly understands the message.

#2 When you Speak to All, You Speak to None

When your messages are directed to everyone without any specificity, people will have an excuse to avoid personal responsibility. However, since leaders not always have the luxury of dealing with people in one-to-one settings, you should the develop the habit of tailoring your messages in a way that each person in the room feels that you are talking to them.

#1 Know your Material

Finally, if you want to command authority from your listeners, you need know your material really well. Only when you have subject expertise can you get people getting interested in what you have to stay, and this will positively influence the response you get.

Summary

Communication skills are essential if you want to mature as a leader. The job of a C-Suite executive is not an easy one as s/he has to hold their organization together, and this is only possible via robust communication skills.

If you’d like more information about Tip of the Spear’s Business Advisory Services, consisting of Centered Executive Coaching, Leadership Development through ‘The Leadership Challenge’ methodology, and Communication Skills Training for Leaders use the CONTACT US page of this website.

Will Your Leadership Poor Communication Skills Get You Fired?

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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!

Will_Your_Leadership_Poor_Communication_Skills_Get_You_Fired

#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.

The Leadership Challenge: What Legacy Are You Creating?

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The Point: Ask yourself: What legacy are you creating and leaving behind? Whatever a leader does and the way in which they conduct themselves with their team members and colleagues, leaves behind a legacy. A legacy which can either be a source of inspiration for future aspiring leaders or a model to avoid. At Tip of the Spear, we believe in creating a legacy which will prove that you succeeded in the leadership challenge with flying colors… Enjoy!

The Leadership Challenge- What Legacy Are You Creating?

The way that a leader motivates and trains their team members, ensures their personal and career development, mentors and coaches them and inspires them to perform at their best. This not only proves beneficial for the employees, but also leaves behind a golden path for others to follow.

The leadership challenge also includes leaving a positive legacy behind, which can always serve as a source of great motivation as well as inspire individuals to perform at their best.

A Leader’s Legacy

In their book “The Leadership Challenge”, Kousez and Posner have illustrated the relative importance of a positive legacy left behind by a successful leader.

The authors assert that leaving a legacy means that a leader utilizes their talents to bring about a positive impact in the organization, employee attitude, and their community or society as a whole, which can be linked with their committed efforts.

Leaders have a responsibility to do something significant, and when they utilize their efforts to inspire a positive change and attitude, it leaves behind a legacy which serves as a guiding path for others to follow.

Create A Lasting Legacy

Leaders should utilize care to leave a lasting legacy which will always be an inspiration for many, and serve as their guide in challenging situations. Leaders lead by example, and that is what a legacy does. It leaves behind a guide for aspirants to learn from the actions, methods and conduct of their leaders and mentor their team members to help them achieve their potential.

It’s All About Service, or Your Ability as a Leader to Serve

To ensure a lasting legacy, leaders should serve their team members and should never take employee trust for granted. Intelligent leaders know and realize that it is not merely their own vision, rather the combined effort of many, and the result of a contributed discussion, which leads to success in the end.

Great leaders are never hesitant to try out something new after a careful evaluation of the pros and cons, and also inspire their team members to utilize their best potential to achieve something great in life. They exercise and inspire courage to make the necessary and hard decisions, thus leaving behind a legacy for performing at one’s best by utilizing all the talents, and never taking a back seat or accepting defeat as the only option.

Summary

Leaders recognize and accept failure as a part of life, and encourage others to keep on exerting effort to improve and master their (through leadership development). Their mentoring and coaching, along with the most effective method of leading by example, tends to leave behind a legacy which proves a valuable form of guidance and benefit for many.

Any leader, who wishes to succeed in the leadership challenge with outstanding accomplishments, needs to leave behind a memorable and beneficial legacy behind, through their conduct and effort.

To learn more about Tip of the Spear’s Leadership Development offerings, including The Leadership Challenge program, CLICK HERE.

Leadership Challenge – Is It Possible to Emerge From the Darkest Hell Healed and Restored?

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We recently participated in a leadership roundtable discussion.  The focus was on the many leadership challenge moments that leaders face running their organizations.  Whether the leader is in charge of a startup, with its many ups/downs associated with daily (sometimes hourly) survival or the leadership challenge of running an existing organization (sometimes no easy feat regardless of how long they’ve been in business!)  There were many topics considered for discussion:

  • What’s the best way to develop the strategic plan (and how to get that strategic plan implemented)?
  • Best practices when it comes to dealing with moments of change
  • How to ensure that all (both leaders and team members) have the same organizational vision through communication
  • Implementing recruiting strategies for A+ candidates (A version of the Top Grading methodology)
  • Ensuring that the organization continues to be agile/innovative
  • Creating a “High Potential” program for future organizational leaders

As you can tell, the topics were those most pressing to the leaders gathered.  Questions were asked/answered, and an overall tone of satisfaction permeated the meeting room. That tone though shifted abruptly when one of the leaders in attendance asked the following question:

“Here’s a leadership challenge for you… Is it possible to emerge from the darkest hell healed and restored?”

If you’ve read Malcom Gladwell’s recently released book, David & Goliath, then you know the story presented in Chapter 5 – Emil “Jay” Freireich. The story is of Dr. Freireich and his tumultuous search for a cancer cure for cancer. There is also presented in this chapter a theory regarding direct hits, near misses and overall misses (Think the London bombing that occurred during World War 2 . The theory being that those who received direct hits, as morbid as it sounds, don’t really count for “after bombing” feedback.  Those that achieved overall misses still laid in wait/fear for future bombings (a very small minority).  Finally, those that achieved near misses and lived to tell the tale found that they were not only resilient, but encouraged and grew in their resolve to overcome successfully future bombings!

With this knowledge in mind, we shared the story and similar story that those leaders who have experienced truly dark spaces (The ones they don’t tell you about in MBA school) often times have similar resiliency and resolve to overcome! The pressing leadership challenge therefore doesn’t really appear to present itself of much of a challenge at all (albeit those effected might tell a slightly different tale!)

What’s the Point?  So what’s the point? Can it be as simple as “that which does not kill us only makes us stronger!” Based on the research of Malcom Gladwell adn Dr. Freireich, we think that not only is there a high resiliency that would allow one to overcome obstacles but also succeed.