Leadership

In the competitive world of business, companies may decide to forgo leadership training in order to cut costs. However, a high-quality Leadership Development course can save six figures off a company’s bottom line each year. Not only does a company need to vie for its share of today’s market to keep itself profitable and successful, but it must also compete to keep its biggest investment, its employees.

In a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Report, the United States Department of Labor stated that the median tenure of employees ages 25 to 34 was 2.9 years. They also reported that management and professional occupations, with the highest median tenure among major occupational groups, was only 5.0 years. Consider then, the cost of employee turnover.

A company should calculate the replacement of an employee at 150% of the employee’s annual total compensation figure, and 250% if the employee is in a managerial or sales position. This figure includes lost productivity, training, recruitment, temporary replacements, either through hiring temporary staff or overtime incurred by other employees, and the actual cost of an employee leaving. Simply put, if your company’s average employee compensation package is $50,000 then the average cost for the loss of an employee is approximately $75,000. Consider also that if your company maintains a workforce of 1000 people and a yearly turnover rate of 7%, then your annual turnover expenditure will be approximately $525,000 a year. Over a period of 5 years, this figure can easily top two and half million. (To see a break down of costs see our employee turnover.) Wouldn’t companies be better off using this money in developing leadership and innovative ideas to stay ahead of the competition? The answer will be a resounding yes.

So how does a company keep its quality employees?

A first step would be to discover what an employee feels is important in his or her job. CMOE surveyed 327 employees about their supervisors (117) before these supervisors attended a Leadership Development Course. The survey asked employees to give their opinions about what their supervisors were doing right; and in what areas could their supervisors improve. Twelve companies and agencies participated in these survey evaluations, representing the fields of banking, education, government, manufacturing, and sales. The data showed that employees want to be engaged, trusted, and responsible for their contributions. They also want to share in the emotional benefits of being linked with a growing and successful business. Good leadership is the key to fulfilling these employee needs.

Another step is to put in place a team of leaders who have the skills to inspire a commitment from their employees to accept responsibility for and have a vested interest in their company and co-workers. Unfortunately, too many managers have knowledge about good leadership skills and still do not understand how to put this knowledge to work in the most effective manner. Training professionals can help these managers develop their knowledge into successful skills. An experienced leadership training company can also help companies develop an effective Leadership Development Course specific to a company’s needs. The result will add dollars to the bottom line by keeping valuable employees, increasing productivity, and creating an environment conducive to innovation that will keep the business ahead of its competition.

The Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness can help you develop effective leaders through our Leadership Development Courses such as: Applied Strategic Thinking, Coaching Skills, Team Building, and Transition into Leadership.

Martha Rice is a design team leader for the Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness. She has degrees in both English and Communication and has over twenty five years experience in administration.

If you would like to learn more about any of these or other Leadership Development Courses, please contact a representative from CMOE. You can contact us at (888)262-2499



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Most of us have experienced both effective and ineffective leaders. It’s not uncommon in today’s business climate for leaders to be evaluated or even judged by the extent to which they are able to unite followers in a common cause. As management consultant Roger Tunks of Lake Oswego, Oregon once described it, “Leaders must develop the skills necessary to get followers to follow.” In other words, a leader’s effectiveness is largely determined by his or her ability to create an environment wherein others can be successful, both individually, and as a united team.

This, unfortunately, is contrary to some leaders’ belief that being successful is being powerful, or receiving respect, or controlling others, or being feared, or being visible. And some leaders believe that their primary purpose is short-term impact to the bottom line.

Clearly, an effective leader must be able to unite his or her followers to work toward common goals. And it would be foolish to ignore the fact that leaders must be able to at least sustain or improve the bottom line. How to do this has been the discussion for many articles and books for decades. In this article I would like to focus on two important aspects of being an effective leader: an understanding of where leadership authority comes from, and how to gain the organizational power necessary to make things happen, such as getting followers to follow.

Unfortunately, most discussions I’ve heard and read on leadership power and authority haven’t made the important distinction between the two topics. It’s not uncommon, for example, to see power and authority used as synonyms. Indeed, they are quite different in both source and effect. A leader’s authority is defined by his or her title or position in the organization. The authority of a vice president, for example, is different than the authority of a department manager. Leadership power, on the other hand, is the ability to accomplish things, or get things done through others. A department manager’s power is what he or she can accomplish through the workers in the department. In most situations, a specific title such as “manager” gives a leader a certain amount of organizational power. That usually is the result of what organizational psychologists refer to as “title respect.” Unfortunately, title respect does not engender enough power to enable a leader to be effective by itself. If you’ve been in management for a while, you have probably seen someone promoted to management who thought that merely being a manager was enough to make him or her effective. It’s not; it takes more than a title to be an effective leader.

So, leadership authority is a title or position and typically comes from your boss, while leadership power comes from other workers in the organization who enable you to become effective. In a successful organization, leadership power is actually more important than leadership authority. That’s interesting because most people work hard to obtain a title, thinking it will automatically give them the power they want to function within the organization. To maximize effectiveness, leaders must learn how and when to use their authority (title), and more importantly, how to grow their power through others to achieve the goals.

Now that you know that leadership authority is a position or title that is delegated to you by your boss or the organization, the next step is to understand what you can do to increase you leadership influence through leadership training and development. That, in turn, will increase your overall effectiveness as a leader in the organization.

Three leadership training topics to consider that will greatly increase your leadership power and skills are: (1) communication skills, (2) influence skills, and (3) character development. The first category involves how well you communicate with others. You can be more powerful by improving both the quantity and quality of communication you give to others. Many of these techniques, especially those regarding feedback, were explained in previous articles in this column. Your body language, open and friendly, verses closed and unfriendly, is also a major part of how you communicate. Be sure to be aware of how you come across to other people.

Your natural communication style sends messages to others indicating whether you are easily approachable, or unapproachable. The more approachable you appear to others improves the amount of power those people will give you.

When you express your appreciation for the contributions of others, either verbally or in writing, you also gain power. It’s also important to make sure that credit is always given to the persons responsible for the contribution. How soon and in what manner you communicate these messages either adds to or takes away from your power.

The second category is ensuring that your followers have some degree of influence in how things are done in the workplace. Dr. David McClelland of Harvard once said, “The greatest hunger of the human soul is to some influence in how the work is done.” If having some element of influence in the workplace is so important, we should delegate it. Along with soliciting influence, leaders should also ensure that their followers participate in appropriate decision making. This will increase follower buy-in to changes and increase your power at the same time.

The third category involves your leadership character. It’s been said that character can’t be coached, but I know from personal experience that each of us can yet improve aspects our character. Some dimensions of a leader’s character that generate power are: trustworthiness, honesty, integrity, respecting others (and yourself), not spreading rumors, and being considerate and friendly.

A grocery manager once asked me what one thing she could do that would help her get promoted to store manager. She felt she had enough years of experience and had worked in a number of different stores and was ready for promotion, but was always passed up. I could have chosen a number of possible answers. But I explained to her that she had a tendency to get things done by herself, rather than getting things accomplished through the efforts of her staff. She poorly delegated and as a result, lacked the respect of the grocery staff. I suggested that she focus on improving her power as a leader because that would improve her effectiveness. When her effectiveness improved she would be in a better position for promotion. That’s how important organizational power is. How’s your personal leadership power? What leadership training do you need to drive yourself and your organization to the next level?

If you would like more information on leadership training, please contact one of our team members at (888)262-2499. You can also visit our website to learn more about our products, services, research, and the multinational organizations we have served over the past three decades.

Reference this article to receive a 50% discount on any of our books or 15% off your first scheduled training event.

Dr. Richard L. Williams is a retail consultant specializing in leadership training, performance coaching, and organizational development.

To speak with Dr. Williams or to schedule him for your upcoming event, please contact our team at (888)262-2499.



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We are living in a fearful world. It is a world haunted by the menace of terrorism, threatened by insidious warfare. It is a world plagued by tsunamis, monster hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, severe drought, famine and raging wildfires. But these often often take a back seat to fear right in our own neighborhood streets. What was once a place of commerce, transportation and community has become a war zone right outside our front doors. Children are often not safe in their classrooms, and sadly not even in their own homes.

Haunted by insecurity and upheaval, shadowed by dread, the world hungers for great leadership, for guidance and direction from those with cool heads and clear visions. If you are in a position of leadership, and very few of us are not, don’t wait for a great leader to emerge. Great leaders are not born – they become. A great leader is one whose heart is transformed, often during times of great crisis. You can be the great leader to arise in your family, community or business setting.

Webster defines crisis as disordered function, a radical change of status, an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive change is impending; especially one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome.

With that definition in mind, handling crisis is no longer an option for any leader. Leaders must be prepared at all times to handle crisis and its outcomes at home, among friends and in the workplace. If that’s a daunting possibility, be encouraged. You are far better prepared to be the instrument of peace in a critical situation that you realize. Keep these steps in mind.

1. Deal with yourself first. You’re no good to anyone if you’re out of control. Deal with your own emotions, your immediate needs. As the airlines have been telling us for years, put the oxygen mask on yourself first, and then you can be available to those in need.

2. Tell the truth about the situation. Use your good judgment to share what information is pertinent. It’s not necessary to share all the gory details simply because they exist. The need to share sensational data will separate the leader from the limelight seeker.

3. Alleviate stress, as much as possible. Provide a controlled atmosphere in which people can talk through their fears, where they can share what they have experienced and how they are feeling about it.

4. Authenticate the experience. Don’t try to talk people out of their emotions; don’t comment and by all means, don’t judge. Hear them out; acknowledge them and then be prepared to help them move forward.

5. Provide an opportunity to move forward to normal operation. Though true normalcy may not be possible for some time, realize what will be necessary to return to a degree of normal functioning and facilitate it.

6. Recognize and deal with the acute reaction. Be prepared to employ professionals to assess those whose reactions seem to be severe, situations in which the individuals may be a potential danger to themselves or to others.

7. Provide resources 24/7. From toiletries for those displaced by a tornado to a forum for sharing memories about a deceased comrade, the great leader will see through the eyes of need and provide whatever will help the victimized begin to feel empowered once more.

8. Don’t ever promise what you can’t deliver. But don’t hesitate to promise what you know you can. In times of crisis, people will hang onto whatever is offered. As a leader, you are bound to make your offers concrete and be prepared to stand behind them, at all costs.

9. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Keep all lines of communication open and flowing. Repeat each communiqué over and over. Ears in crisis may not hear what’s being said until the fourth or fifth telling. And remember that it goes two ways. Listening is equally as important as imparting information. Be willing to hear the same story until it no longer needs to be told.

Comfort comes in all shapes and sizes. Great leaders often look a lot like grandmothers with comfy laps or paramedics who dispense teddy bears with ambulance rides, or neighbors who make their homes available at a moment’s notice.

Great leaders are those who establish and insure order. They guide and teach and protect. They provide tools; they counsel, arbitrate and shield. They comfort and nurture and encourage. And when the time is right they will even prod. Whatever the title they bear, if they are accomplishing these things, they have transformed hearts and they have become leaders. The need is great and they are very precious to us in these times. Be among them. Remember it’s not what you do; it’s what you become!

Note: For more information or to arrange for formal training in crisis response procedures, contact the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation (ICISF), The American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), the American Red Cross or your local disaster response coordinator.

Copyright 2005 So-lu'shunz Management Services

Karin Syren is a certified coach specializing in the EffectivenessCoaching program. She has guided leaders at all levels to increase their effectiveness through increased personal awareness, helping them to create their visions for personal greatness and design the goals that will insure it. Subscribe to the weekly Commonsense Communique and request your free copy of the Personal Awareness Questionnaire at http://www.solushunz.com

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We consistently face new and ever growing challenges in the workplace such as reorganizing, downsizing, and “left out sizing.” We are faced with the question, “How do we lead in this storm of change?” It may seem difficult at times and the decisions we make define our short-term and long- term outcomes. I will share with you five leadership techniques guaranteed to keep you on track during these difficult times.

1 Integrity.

I put this first because the lack of integrity will make or break you as a professional, as a leader, as a person in the long run. The lack of this will turn yesterday’s heroes in today’s villains. For example, “MCI was the apple of the business community’s eye. High revenues, high profits, and high growth; MCI was beating the competition hands down. Then it was discovered that there were gross accounting irregularities that accounted for the astounding profits. You see, management made a decision, “Do I continue to sustain good growth and be able to look at myself in the mirror or do I cook the accounting books and spend the rest of my time covering up this integrity deficiency? The real shame of the MCI situation was that AT&T, Sprint, and others in the industry had to cut costs and lay off thousands of employees to compete with MCI’s false numbers. The lack of integrity at MCI not only affected the company but also the livelihood of thousands and the industry as a whole.

I was recently speaking with a recently retired City Council member who is well respected in the community. I asked her what the secret was to her success while on the council? She mentioned that one of her political adversaries said to her, “While you were on the council, I didn’t like the way you voted, but I respected the way you voted because you were consistent with your votes and had the city’s best interest in mind.” Ask yourself what decisions that you make are right for the long term? Be consistent in your actions, whether it is with management, your team, or your family.

2. Knowledge.

With change happening faster and faster every moment, it is extremely important that you gain the knowledge to master these changes. You owe it not only to yourself, but to your team and management. As I always say, “It’s not having the right answer, it’s that you have the right answer faster than before.” Many times during my teambuilding programs a student will say, “I didn’t know where to find the answer.” Then I will say, “That is an unacceptable answer.” Because part of being a leader is acquiring the skills to find the right answers. With the Internet, classroom and online training, mentors, etc., the knowledge is at your fingertips. Challenge your team members to use the same resources to acquire the knowledge to master their challenges. By acquiring this knowledge, you will be able to navigate your team through the ocean of change and achieve your goals.

3. Decisiveness.

You have seen them. They wait for information, then more information before making a decision. Then they need more information to support the information they already have. Then they need a committee to analyze the information. Then they wait for the perfect time to make the decision. Well, you know what I mean. Anyone you know? Make the decision! Good things happen when you take action; you grow, you adapt, and your team grows. There is no perfect time to make a decision. Leaders make decisions based on past experience, putting into action the decision, and staying and adapting the decision if needed. But make the decision. The worst quality you can show your team is indecision. What do you think your team sees when you can’t make a decision? Make the decision and go for it.

4. Vision.

This is the ability not only to see what is the present - anyone can do that - it’s the ability to see the future. Outstanding leaders can not only see their team for what they can do now, but what they can become, and paint the picture for them. These leaders are consistently communicating and coaching their team members to that vision. One of the best ways, and least used methods, to convey your vision is the team meeting (Teambuilding and Coaching Skills for Outstanding Results). Every meeting should start out with the team vision, mission, and goals; and the rest of the meeting should tie into the vision. For example, the motivation portion of the meeting should tie into the vision, the information portion of the meeting should tie into the vision, the training portion of the meeting should tie into the vision, etc. Also, invest time to develop your team members’ personal visions and show them how they can accomplish their personal goals by tying into the overall vision. By consistently communicating the vision, your team will move with purpose, feel they are personally making a difference, and achieve their goals sooner.

5. Unselfishness

Stephen Covey, in his successful book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, wrote that a true leader must be a servant to the ones he or she leads. The leader must be able to “give of oneself for the good of the team.” In other words, be unselfish in words and action. Be unselfish in praise of others, in public, especially in front of management. Be unselfish in the ability to take time to listen, really listen to your team’s concerns. A recent management survey said that the average time management invests doing “pure listening” to employees during the year is a mere two hours- just two hours! What was meant by “pure listening” time was listening with eye contact, acknowledgement, and not answering the phone while listening, not speaking with another person while listening, etc. Be unselfish in the ability to help your team. Whether it’s the ability to readily assist with a difficult telephone call, jump in and remove road blocks for team members, or “be there” for a team member during challenging moments. Believe me, your team will remember those moments and excel for you.

Now I challenge you to put into action just one of the leadership techniques I mentioned above to achieve your vision, your mission, and your goals in the future.
EzineArticles Expert Author Ed Sykes

Ed Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and success coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building. You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032. Go to his web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for the newsletter, OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, "Empowerment and Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional."

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Think about the people in your life who you would consider spontaneous. They seem so alive, don’t they? They are so positive and confident. With a little work, you can develop your natural spontaneity.

Spontaneity means acting in accordance with a natural feeling, impulse or tendency without any constant, effort or premeditation. For example, it’s coming to a fork in the road and quickly making an intelligent decision. Or it’s making an impromptu speech to a group of coworkers, explaining a problem or issue and quickly providing a viable solution that will save time or money. It’s even walking through the front door of you home with flowers for your spouse.

While all these scenarios sound desirable to most of us, spontaneity has long been a neglected asset. Many people look skeptically at spontaneity, as if it is a sign of flightiness rather than a valuable asset. But high-achieving men and women know the advantages of being spontaneous, and making it part of their daily lives.

Spontaneity is a trait that many people incorrectly believe is of better use in your personal life than in your business life. Most people would agree on the value of spontaneity in relationships, where it’s a quality that can keep the excitement going. It breaks up the humdrum of the daily routine, and it allows for some creativity and fun. In a relationship, things can get stale, and spontaneity keeps things fresh.

But, spontaneity in the workplace is equally valuable. People often get bogged down by the fear of negative reaction or the fear of being criticized. Instead you need to allow yourself to take some risks. Some of your ideas will work out, and some won’t: these are the facts of life. Spontaneity can be risky, but that’s part of the fun of it.

Spontaneity can help reduce stress or even better, it can trigger a kind of positive stress, the kind that produces creativity and energizes you. For example, when unexpected problems come up, if you tackle them spontaneously, while keeping your mind open to all the possible solutions, you will feel less burdened and anxious than you would if you’d let the problem sit there.

No one wants a leader who bounces back and forth in the corporate wind, lurching from whim to whim with no basis for the decision. That’s not spontaneity, it’s impulsiveness. If you have qualities such as integrity, honesty, and the ability to see the big picture, then you’re a person who is willing take intelligent risks, and see your decision through. When you have these qualities you will be more successful when you are faced with situations in which you have to implement an idea or course of action spontaneously.

These basic qualities are important because, they will enable you to earn the trust of your colleagues. Your coworkers will be less resistant to what they might see as a seat-of-the-pants kind of decision. Your colleagues or subordinates will follow your game plan because they will trust you.

For example, let’s say the CEO of your company is out of the office and your company’s largest client calls to report a problem that needs immediate executive input. You quickly assemble your executive team, discover how the problem happened and respond to the client with a solution. Even though your solution was devised quickly, and was perhaps a little unorthodox, the staff followed your directives because they trust you. However, if the executive down the hall had been in charge, employees would have balked, because he or she doesn’t have the trust of his or her colleagues.

So how can you develop your spontaneity, without making others feel uncomfortable? Here are few suggestions:

* Understand that issues or problems will crop up that need attention immediately. They cannot wait, because if they do, they will become worse.

* Understand that many of those around you are uncomfortable with snap decisions. They don’t trust quick reactions because they don’t think that much time or effort has gone into their development. Some won’t see the need for a quick course of action.

* Understand that some of those around you may not be able to communicate the need for immediate attention to a particular issue or event. Be able to judge the severity of the problem and the timetable in which it needs to be solved.

* When you determine a course of action, always explain to others the rationale behind it.

* Let others know that your plan my be a short-term solution or stopgap measure and that other remedies may be needed for the future. Know that being spontaneous means changing course quickly and sometimes often. Never follow a course out of stubbornness. Rather, be able to see the need to switch gears based on principles of logic.

* Spontaneous people make mistakes. Don’t be afraid to admit you’ve made a mistake, and then get on with your life. As the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

There are many other ways to be spontaneous in conventional and accepted ways. Brainstorming sessions are a form of spontaneity. And there is always someone in a company or organization who is regarded as the "creative one." For example, the "creative one" is the person that everyone can always count on to give a seminar on how to problem-solve creatively to promote the idea of spontaneity in the workplace.

Unfortunately people don’t allow themselves enough spontaneity. We have been conditioned that to get ahead, you often need to hold back. We tend to go for the group consensus, which also has its benefits. But when you don’t have the freedom to make spontaneous comments or create ideas spontaneously, you’re missing out on one of the best ways to work and live.

People who are spontaneous are confident, natural, and mentally healthy. They follow a process in which they open up their mind to explore all possible solutions to a problem, and then they let go of their agenda, ego, beliefs, and attitudes, and allow their creative flow to explore the different possibilities. When you are able to put yourself through this process you will enable yourself to achieve the highest levels of success.

Copyright©2005 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
EzineArticles Expert Author Joe Love

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of America’s largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com

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