9 Ways to Maximize Your College Leadership Experience

May 24, 2013 — 7 Comments
gradcrowd1 300x259 9 Ways to Maximize Your College Leadership Experience

Centennial High School 2013

I’m often asked which colleges are the best for “leadership.”  The short answer is “most will do just fine.”  As with most of life, it’s what you make of it.  College is a great place to grow as a leader.

Much of your leadership learning will come from peripheral aspects of the college experience.  Being involved.  Living with strangers.  Leading without authority.  Getting along in diverse groups.  Projects with assigned (potentially lazy) teams.  Live it deeply.  Make mistakes.  Try new approaches.  Keep leading and learning.

This post is for my son, Ben, and other young leaders graduating high school and heading to college.  I’ve collected advice from seasoned leaders across the globe.   If you aren’t headed to college,  please comment with your advice, and pass the post along to an aspiring young leader.

Annette Schmeling, VP of Student Development at University of Dayton, suggests making a specific plan.

  • Focus first on Academic Success
  • Identify 3-5 “activities outside the classroom” to be involved in.  List the activities, explain why they are important to you
  • Make connections with the career services office and learn about internships and professional development opportunities starting the freshmen year
  • Learn how to utilize social media tools to engage with others. Start early to establish a purpose-fueled online reputation Continue Reading…
In Callings, Change, confidence, Developing Leadership in Children, grow your career , , , , , ,
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Orchestra Without a Conductor

May 23, 2013 — 12 Comments

iStock 000022035381XSmall 300x199 Orchestra Without a Conductor This was a farewell.  The last concert of the year for the high-school orchestra.  The seniors wore roses and beamed with personality.

The conductor held up his baton, and the music began.  Powerful.  Brilliant.  Exciting.  A send-off to the next phase of their lives.

Then…he looked at the orchestra and grinned. He stepped off the podium stage right,  folded his arms, and watched from the sidelines.   5 measures later, he looked at the audience.  Smiled with confidence, and walked off the stage.  He never came back. Continue Reading…

In Developing Leadership in Children, Empowerment, Execution, Fear and Courage , , , ,
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The Secret to Employee Engagement

May 22, 2013 — 14 Comments

finalfrog 300x231 The Secret to Employee Engagement“How do I get my team to care?”  Employee engagement is the number one requested topic from my readers.  If you’re struggling with employee engagement, you’re not alone.   Gallup says:

“Seventy-one percent of American workers are “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” in their work, meaning they are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and are less likely to be productive.”

The disengagement increases with education.   Americans with a college degree are “significantly less likely to be engaged in their jobs than are those with a high school diploma or less.”   We hire for knowledge and then discourage contribution.

The Secret to Employee Engagement

I recently met with 2 new hire training classes.  One was alive, actively interested, asked great questions, and shared their optimism for their careers.  The other  class looked at me skeptically.  Didn’t say much.  Yawns were involved.

My colleage looked at me after my meetings, “Wow, what a difference in engagement between those two groups.”  What was the difference?  The hiring demographics?  The trainer?  Frontline leadership?  Nope.

Continue Reading…

In Communication, confidence, Help People to Grow, motivation , ,
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Talent Reviews: What They’re Saying Behind Closed Doors

May 21, 2013 — 7 Comments

iStock 000009960589XSmall 300x150 Talent Reviews: What Theyre Saying Behind Closed DoorsThe talent you count on as central to your brand could rub people the wrong way.  What you do well, may not do you well.

After two decades participating in talent reviews, I’ve noticed a pattern.  The talents candidates count on as central to their brand, are often talked about negatively when assessing their readiness for promotion.  Be aware of what decision makers may be saying about you.  Your strengths may be weakened in other’s eyes.

5 Talents Reviewed (ups and downs)

Here’s what I’ve heard said about good guys behind their backs.  The sad truth– feedback doesn’t always get back.  Bosses shy away from sharing what’s shared.  They protect confidences or worry that addressing over-used talents will stifle  current performance.

Your boss knows, but you don’t grow.

Be aware of your talent and both sides of the conversation.
Continue Reading…

In confidence, Fear and Courage, grow your career , , ,
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Prove it! Growing Leaders One Proof at a Time

May 20, 2013 — 10 Comments

iStock 000003645793XSmall 100x150 Prove it! Growing Leaders One Proof at a TimeThey think it can’t be done.  You do.  Now you’ve got to prove it.  Game on.  Nothing’s more inspirational than having something to prove.

My team has spent the last 2 years proving “the impossible.”  The more folks told us “it” wouldn’t work, the more fired up we got.

We wanted to prove that culture drives results– and culture can be built.  It’s not only about extrinsic rewards.  Engagement counts.  So do trusted relationships.  Partner.  Inspire.   Give both ways.  Through an extensive collaboration across multiple companies, we’re creating complex proof that culture matters.  Proving it is fun, inspiring, and leaves us salivating for more.

The hungry for more part is important, because proving yourself is never handled.  Bill Treasurer told me, “even at your funeral, it’s likely you still will be proving something.”  Leaders need to get used to that inspiring feeling.  Prove yourself early and often… then do it again.

5 Ways to “Prove It” Continue Reading…

In accountability, confidence, grow your career , , , ,
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Frontline Festival-May 2013: Trust and Transparency Edition

May 17, 2013 — 20 Comments

frontlinefestival 300x300 Frontline Festival May 2013: Trust and Transparency Edition

Welcome to the May Frontline Festival.  Thanks to all the amazing thought leaders sharing their perspectives on Trust and Transparency.

Building Trust

Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership says you “can’t build trust,” in his post How do I trust thee?  Trust is important, but it has more than one dimension.  I like that he differentiates between being trusted as a person and being trusted as a leader, with salient examples of a newly promoted team leader.

New to the Festival, Henna Inam, of Transformational Leadership, shares her post How To Influence Others Powerfully.  She explores the linkage between influence and trust. I agree with her statement, “influence expands in direct proportion to trust and connection.”

Jonathan Green, of Monster Leaders, shares The Three Rules for a Prospering Work Culture.  Jonathan teaches, “Sharing is caring…   It is critically important to keep people in the know and connect them through honesty, sharing experiences and  promoting open dialogue.”

Trusting Your Team

“He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted.” -Lao Tzu

Lolly Daskal of Lead From Within offers great advice for building trust in her post, Just Trust Me.  My favorite point, “Trust is a two-way street. To make someone trustworthy, you need to trust them first. The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”  More leaders need this message. Continue Reading…

In Authenticity, Fear and Courage, Trust , ,
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How To Fire Someone… With Compassion

May 16, 2013 — 21 Comments

iStock 000009612718XSmall 150x105 How To Fire Someone... With CompassionYou really like this guy.  You’ve grown close over the years.   You care about him.  You might even know his family.  Perhaps he’s even a strong performer who did something stupid.  Now you have to fire him.  How do you that?

Firing someone is the hardest thing to do as a leader.  Layoffs are awful too, but at least there’s a softish landing and some conciliation that it’s not their fault.

This post is not about whether you “should” be firing this person.   I’m assuming you’ve vetted that… given appropriate second chances, and now are stuck with “how.” Continue Reading…

In accountability, Execution, Failing, Fear and Courage, Listening, Performance , , , ,
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Powerful Perspective: Opportunities and the Arch of Time

May 15, 2013 — 20 Comments

Powerful Perspective: Opportunities and the Arch of TimeYou hear devastating news.   Job loss.  A diagnosis.   A new baby with life-changing special needs.  Your brain and heart rush through thoughts, prayers, next steps.  It’s hard to gain perspective.  This was not in the plan.

What now? Continue Reading…

In Authenticity, confidence, Fear and Courage, Gratitude , , ,
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