Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘leadership’

Can a Company Survive Without a CEO?

Posted in Association Management Companies, CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , , on June 9, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Interesting article in Associations Now today.  The article asks the question, ‘Can a company or organization survive without a CEO’?

Read the article here.

I was confident I knew the answer without reading the article – “NO”!

But I read the article anyway.  I guess I was curious more than anything else.

Turns out my instincts were right.  It seems a few organizations have tried to be run without a leader (where the buck stops) but it doesn’t appear they have been resounding successes.  In fact, my impression from the article is that companies that have tried such a model have increased their middle management numbers, decreased their efficiency and created cultures where accountability is questionable.

That’s not to say that new models for leading businesses cannot be found.  In fact, one of the hallmarks of great leaders, in my opinion, is they are constantly thinking about ways to adjust or change their business model to make it better.  Great leaders are always thinking about the culture of their organization and how to make it better; the efficiency of their organization and how to make it even more efficient; the value their organization is delivering to its customers and how to become even more valuable.

Can a company survive without a CEO – probably on the short-term but for the long-haul organizations need a leader who is developing their culture, refining their vision and LEADING the employees to deliver value to their customers.

 

Read Full Post »

How to be a World Changing Leader

Posted in Association Management Companies, CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , , on June 2, 2014| 2 Comments »

My brother-in-law graduated from the University of Texas.  I’ve often thought fondly of UT.  I remember watching great UT football teams in the 1970’s and again in the 2000’s.  My oldest son has been a HUGE UT fan since he was very young.  One wall of his room is painted burnt orange and the skull of a Texas Longhorn hangs on it.

Recently, my brother-in-law sent me a copy of the text of the University of Texas 2014 Commencement speech given by Naval Admiral William H. McRaven, Ninth Commander of US Special Operations Command.  If you watch the entire video of his speech, it will be the most valuable 20 minutes you spend today, and likely this week.  Click here to watch the video.

The leadership lessons provided by Adm. McRaven are among the best ever.  If you aren’t willing to invest the twenty minutes it takes to hear it first hand, at least read this excerpt from his speech.  The entire premise is that everyone has the ability to make impactful and positive changes to the world:

Start each day with a task completed.  Find someone to help you through life.  Respect everyone.  Know that life is not fair and you will fail often, but if you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up…

If you do these things, you will change the world.

Read Full Post »

Do You Energize Your Team?

Posted in CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , , , , on May 27, 2014| 160 Comments »

I read several business related blogs.  One of them is called Leadership Freak, written by Dan Rockwell.  Today Leadership Freak had an interesting post about what leaders do to energize (and sometimes de-energize) their teams.

Read the post here.

The theory behind the post is that everyone has energy inside them.  A leader’s job is to exploit that energy and build on it.  In other words, to quote REO Speedwagon, leaders need to “Keep the fire burnin'”.

Of course that’s easier said than done.  What kinds of things can leaders do to ignite fires in their team and keep those fires burning?  Also, what should leaders do to avoid putting out the fires in their team?

In his post today, Dan offers several answers to these questions.  Here are a few of my own:

  • Serve your teammates.  Nothing energizes people more than being served – especially by their leader
  • Use positive words and expressions to get your point across – ALWAYS
  • Smile
  • Ask your teammates about things they’re interested and invested in – their family, their hobbies, etc (Be interested)
  • Even when you don’t feel high energy – fake it until you make it – people you lead will follow your example
  • Find out what energizes (and de-energizes) your teammates

What do you do to “Keep the fire burnin'” among your team?

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

Fact or Opinion?

Posted in Association Management Companies, CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , , , on May 19, 2014| 2 Comments »

Great leaders seem to always have a set of values upon which they rely when making decisions.  These values are a barometer for them – If I make decision A, my company will be more profitable but we will violate one or more of our key values in doing so.  I believe great leaders don’t abandon their values, even when they require more work, less profit or more stress.

These values or guiding principles can also cause leaders to form opinions about certain issues or even people.  Sometimes, it becomes easy for leaders to confuse their opinions (which are based on observations masquerading as facts) with actual facts.  In other words, some leaders are so confident in themselves and their abilities that they may think (or give other people the perception) that they are always “right”.

As a leader and as a person, I suffer from this challenge.

I read an interesting article today about this very subject.

My takeaways –

  • I need to learn to distinguish between facts and opinions or assessments.
  • When communicating opinions or assessments, do more listening than talking.
  • Remember that opinions can’t be true or false, right or wrong.  They are just that, opinion.
  • People don’t like to be told they are wrong – avoid that when communicating opinions or assessments.

I really loved the last sentence of the article, “True humility is, at least in part, being able to see one’s own assessments as assessments, rather than believing them to be truths”.

I want to be a humble and compassionate leader.  Sometimes I am.  I’m going to try to remember these takeaways in my daily life – both personal and business.  Perhaps if I do, I can have better, clearer communications with my employees, customers, friends and family leading to a happier, more productive and successful lives for all.

Read Full Post »

Healthy Leaders are Happy Leaders

Posted in Association Management Companies, CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , on May 13, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Three months ago my wife came to me and said – ‘We aren’t healthy anymore.  We are overweight; our clothes don’t fit right; we are tired all the time; as a result, we aren’t happy’.  I of course reacted by acknowledging the truthfulness of her statements but took no accountability – ‘You’re right but what can we do about it?  We’re too busy with four kids, sports, music, other activities, school and of course running a business.’.

She suggested dieting.  I wasn’t keen on the idea but she said she was going to do it and would appreciate the support of doing it with a partner.  So, we started a five week diet.  In those five weeks, we lost a combined total of 55 pounds!

The diet was great!  Certainly it was great to lose all that weight.  But it also helped by providing us with the discipline to make good, healthy food choices and learn portion control.

Part way through the diet I started working out again.  I’m now exercising five or six days a week.  Sometimes its a quick thirty minute workout; other days I take my lunchtime and play basketball at the local gym.  The working out helps to keep the weight off but it also keeps the rest of my body healthy.

I recently read an article about a 43 year old, once healthy, man who had a heart attack.  He blamed his poor health on the work first, work always lifestyle.  Until three months ago that was my lifestyle.

Don’t get me wrong – work is still one of the most important things in my life but it’s number four now, not number two.  (God, Family and Friends, Me, Work)

Think about how you prioritize your health.  If you move it up on your list, you will be happier – I guarantee it.

Read Full Post »

“Hard to Say I’m Sorry” – And Other Leadership Anthems

Posted in Association Management Companies, CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , , , , on March 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Remember that song by the seemingly timeless band Chicago?  The lyrics go something like, “Hold me now, it’s hard for me to say I’m sorry, I just want you to stay; after all that we’ve been through, I will make it up to you, I promise to”.  You can almost hear the Chicago trademark horns in the background as you read those words right?

I’ve been thinking about apologies a lot lately.  I’ve had some of my own to say and I’ve heard some from very public leaders.  (Think Chris Christie, LeBron James and others).

The thing is, apologies have become shallow.  Do you really believe Chris Christie is sorry about the traffic incidents caused by the “bridge closings”?  I get the feeling he is more sorry to have been put in this situation.  Or do you really believe LeBron James is sorry for using the word “retarded” (a truly offensive word to many)?  Or was he really just sorry it came out of his mouth in public.

The thing is, apologizing isn’t just the act of saying the words, “I’m sorry”.  Apologizing means you are willing to and will make a significant effort to change the actions that created the need for you to apologize in the first place.

Check out this article I recently read on the subject.

What does this have to do with Leadership?

It’s simple, the ability to see a mistake, apologize for it and take corrective action is a true leadership quality.  Someone willing to do that is someone I am willing to follow.  Think about great leaders you have known.  They were human so they made mistakes.  When they did, did they just use the words or were their words followed by actions demonstrating they were truly apologetic?

I believe that our society has cheapened the apology.  We will say “I’m sorry” for anything and do it without thought, consideration or action.  The fact is, it should be hard to say “I’m sorry”.  We should apologize for wrongs we commit.  However, it shouldn’t stop there.  We must take the necessary steps to correct the situation – even if they’re difficult or embarrassing.  Why?  Because if we don’t we’re not sorry (as in apologetic) we are sorry (as in pitiful).

Read Full Post »

Was Machiavelli Right? Are the Best Leaders Situational or Steadfast?

Posted in Association Management Companies, CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , , , , on February 24, 2014| 1 Comment »

I subscribe to an electronic newsletter published by booz&co called ‘strategy+business’.  It often has interesting business and leadership related articles.  If you read this blog regularly, you know I enjoy reading about leadership, particularly business leadership.  I even have a few opinions of my own on the topic that I occasionally share.

A recent article in ‘strategy+business’ caught my eye.  It was titled, “After 500 Years, Why Does Machiavelli Still Hold Such Sway?”.  I was drawn to the title because I don’t think much of the leadership style Machiavelli espoused.  However, over the years I have met many people whom I would characterize as “Machiavellian” – incorporating the values (or lack thereof) described by Machiavelli in his work ‘The Prince’.

So the writer of the article makes his claim that Machiavelli’s theories are alive and well today in leaders who practice “realism” or “situational leadership”.  He goes on to describe a study he conducted of business school students.  He provided the students with two case studies of successful business leaders.  One was a leader who had developed core values and stuck by those values even when doing so seemed to be against his “best interests”.  The second was a leader whose behavior toward others was “situational”.  If he needed to be a ruthless bully, he would be.  If he needed to be compassionate and caring, he would be.

Guess what  – the students wanted to be more like the “situational leader”.

I thought the article was interesting, but flawed.  I don’t think having uncompromising values and being situational in one’s behavior are mutually exclusive.  In other words, I believe a leader can have core values by which he governs his decisions while at the same time can recognize that every situation and every person is different.

Unlike Machiavelli, I believe great leaders develop core values and make decisions based on those values – never compromising them.  What do you think?

Read Full Post »

How Do You Get A Volunteer Board to Perform its Best?

Posted in Association Management Companies, CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , , , on February 22, 2014| 27 Comments »

Whether you are a volunteer leader of an association or an association staff member, its critical that you are doing everything you can to help your Board of Directors perform at its best.  Hopefully the reason is obvious – if a Board is performing at its best, the association it is leading should achieve its mission.

Traditionally there are many avenues pursued to help Board’s achieve “greatness”.  There is Board orientation, Board training, rules of conduct, understanding of roles and responsibilities and more.

I read an article on this subject in Association’s Now recently that was very interesting.  The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) has conducted a three year long study into successful associations and, in particular, what the Board’s of successful associations are doing.  The findings probably won’t surprise you but they will definitely give you something to think about.

Bottom line:

1.  Successful Boards are focused on strategic issues.  Not just once every three years, but all the time.

2.  Successful Boards are committed to training and hold themselves (as a Board and as Board members) accountable.

3.  Successful Boards have solid Board member recruitment and mentoring efforts in place constantly, not just once a year.

The article goes on to recommend that associations form a Board Development Committee whose responsibility goes beyond future Board member recruitment.  The committee can help to form the culture of the Board.  Its members can mentor current and new Board members and can help to keep the Board focused on the things that will make it successful.

Do you have a Board Development Committee that goes beyond recruitment?  Are there other qualities of a successful Board that you’ve witnessed?  Share them here.

Read Full Post »

The Future of Associations

Posted in Association Management Companies, CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , , , , on January 28, 2014| 6 Comments »

On Friday, January 17 I had the privilege of moderating an esteemed panel of experts in a discussion titled, The Future of Associations at the National Association of Manufacturers Council of Manufacturing Associations Winter Meeting.

The audience included more than 100 association executive members of the NAM CMA and more than 200 people joining live via webcast.

If you missed the session, you missed a lot.  However, don’t be upset because you can view the entire session by visiting this link.

I thought the points of view offered by the three panelists were very interesting and in some ways surprising.  All in all, the panelists agreed on one major point:  In five to ten years associations will not look like they do today.

Each panelist had very different points of view as to why associations will change and what exactly associations will look like in ten years.

I would like for this blog post to become an opportunity for all of you (association executives, association staff, association volunteers) to share a dialog about the future of associations.  Think about the following questions and reply with your answers to some or all of them.  Let’s see if we can shape the future of associations instead of letting the future shape them for us. 

1.  What kind of thinking should associations and association leaders be doing to deliver value to members in the future?

2.  How are demographic shifts impacting associations now and in the future?

3.  With major demographic shifts occurring, how will associations deliver value to their significantly different members in the future?

4.  How are volunteers and volunteering changing in the future?

5.  What are the key drivers of change in associations?

6.  Will the consensus process of decision making change in the future?  If so, how will that change affect associations?

7.  Who/What will be the three greatest competitors of associations in the future?

Let’s get this discussion going.  I’m excited to see the results.

Read Full Post »

What Will Your Organization Look Like in the Future?

Posted in Association Management Companies, CM Services, Leadership, Uncategorized, Volunteerism, tagged , , on January 14, 2014| Leave a Comment »

One of the most important responsibilities of leaders is to have a vision for the future of their organization and to be able to communicate that vision in such a way that all stakeholders (employees, customers, members, investors, etc) share the vision.  All stakeholders need to be able to see the same vision.

This week, I will be moderating a panel discussion titled, “Association of the Future” at the National Association of Manufacturers Council of Manufacturing Associations (NAM CMA) meeting.

The panel is made up of three well respected, visionary leaders in the association management space.

1.  John Graham, CAE.  President and CEO of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).  ASAE is the professional society for association managers.  ASAE conducts research, delivers educational programs and creates networking opportunities for its members.  As CEO, John is the leader of the profession.  Check out ASAE here.

2.  Jeff De Cagna, FRSA, FASAE.  Chief Strategist and Founder of Principled Innovation.  Principled Innovation offers consulting and speaking services to associations.  Jeff is a former association executive and has been delivering visionary services to associations for many years.  Check out Principled Innovation and Jeff here.

3.  Seth Kahan.  Author and Change Agent.  Seth is the founder of Visionary Leadership, offering consulting, speaking and advice and counsel to associations.  Seth has authored several books on ‘change’ and ‘innovation’.  Check out Visionary Leadership and Seth here.

I can’t wait to hear what the future of associations looks like to these three leaders and visionaries. I am confident you will find it valuable.  Before participating, give some thought to your association and what it will look like in five or ten years.  See if your vision of the future is shared by any of the expert panelists.

Click here to register to view the panel discussion live on Friday afternoon.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »