Inward Blog
Viewing entries tagged with 'leadership'
The Difference Between A Dream And A Vision Is A Plan To Get There
July 30, 2015
Effective decision making is one of the key traits of a strong leader. On one end of the scale, there are leaders who always look for one more piece of data or evidence before making a decision and often end up in analysis paralysis. On the other hand, there are those leaders who make impulsive decisions, with no input from others or facts to support their position. There is never a decision that can be made with 100% guarantee of the desired outcome. Effective leaders find the balance between analysis / input and pulling the trigger.
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Bad Attitudes Look for Company, Not Correction
July 23, 2015
You’ve heard it said a number of times from recruiters. I would rather hire someone with a great attitude and willingness to improve their skills than someone with great skills and a bad attitude. In a quest for a highly engaged workforce, a bad attitude can quickly derail a team. Effective leaders need to address bad attitudes head on, rather than let them grow and become the driver for a disengaged team.
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Employee Engagement, Attiudes, Employee Behavior, Leadership, Ambassador
Honoring Commitments Requires Knowing When to Say Yes And When to Say No
July 9, 2015
You’ve heard it said that the path to failure is paved with good intentions. Commitment and enthusiasm certainly inspire others and can create a culture of high engagement. But after listening to words, people look for concrete actions and follow through before truly trusting others and becoming fully engaged in the cause. I realize there are exceptions, but I would like to believe that most people have great intentions and truly mean to follow up with those things they speak about or commit to. But others cannot see intentions…they only see action and behavior.
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Leadership, Committments, Employee Engagement, Accountability, Intentions
Leaders who think they can control everything are setting themselves up for disappointment
July 2, 2015
I admit it. I’m a control freak. Sitting on my desk is a plaque with a constant reminder of the need to overcome that weakness… a saying by Reinhold Niebuhr, “Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference”.
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Leadership, Handling Uncertainty, Employee Engagement, Accountability, Decision Making
Accountability Drives Commitment And Performance
June 25, 2015
Commitment and accountability go hand in hand. In order to have a culture of high engagement and performance, all team members need to be accountable to each other. Notice I said ALL team members. Whether in a leadership role or not, everyone on a team must be accountable to each other for their part in achieving the vision, strategy, goals, and objectives. The greatest attribute of effective leadership is leading by example. To create an inspired and engaged workforce, leaders must be willing to be held accountable to those they lead, while holding others accountable for their commitments.
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Accountability, Leadership, High Performing Organizations, Employee Engagement, Accountability Partners
It’s My Decision And I Stand By It!
June 18, 2015
Leaders are faced with making decisions every day that have consequences impacting themselves, their companies, and those they lead. How leaders make decisions and how they deal with the consequences of those decisions has a direct impact on their ability to engage and inspire others. Some of those decisions end up with very positive outcomes. But often, even with the best intentions and best intelligence available, decisions are made that end up with less than desirable results. Effective leaders understand that there is no decision that is 100% risk free. There is always one more piece of information that could be reviewed before making a decision. There are those who make impulsive decisions with little or no input and there are those who analyze information to death and do not make decisions in a timely manner. Effective leaders find the balance between making a quick decision and considering intelligence and input before making that decision.
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Leadership, Accountability, Accepting Responsibility, Decision Making, Employee Engagement
The Team With The Best Players Doesn't Always Win
June 11, 2015
Is it possible to have a team of very high performers and yet not be a high performing organization? It happens all the time, in sports and in the business world. How many times have you watched a ball game where a roster of highly talented players can’t seem to work together to win the game? Similarly, how many organizations do you know with an extremely talented leadership team, and yet they consistently fall short of expectations and goals? Individual talent alone is not enough to win in team sports, and in many ways, running a business is in fact a “team sport”.
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Team Success, High Performers, Leadership Tips, Teamwork, Collaboration, Employee Engagement
What Is The Most Important Role In An Effective Organization?
June 4, 2015
Let me cut to the chase and then explain. Every role within an organization is equally important. To be clear, I’m not talking about which role carries the most responsibility, which one has the most exposure, or which one establishes vision and strategy. I’m talking about which role is most important to the success of an organization. For an organization to reach its vision and goals, EVERYONE has to do their job. Senior leaders can develop the most compelling strategy and vision in their industry, but successful execution of that strategy depends on everyone in the organization buying into that vision. Creating a culture of high employee engagement requires everyone to do their job and do it well. It does no good to develop and manufacture a great product if the sales people don’t sell it, the logistics team doesn’t deliver it, and the accountant doesn’t bill and collect payment for it.
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Effective Organization Management, Employee Engagement, Cultural Alignment, Company Vision, Corporate Culture, Effective Leadership
Have the Courage to be Uncomfortable So You Can Make Others Comfortable!
May 28, 2015
We get used to doing things a certain way and there is great comfort in that routine and stability. The Myers Briggs Personality Type is a great assessment tool that helps leaders understand their natural behavioral tendencies. There are sixteen different categories, that are based on determining if someone is an extravert or an introvert, whether they perceive and understand based on sensing or on intuition, whether they form judgments and make choices based on thinking or on feeling, and whether their actions are more based on planning or taking things as they come. But understanding our natural tendencies is only the first step in exhibiting strong leadership that drives a culture of employee engagement and inspiration.
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Leadership, Employee Engagement, Professional Development, Personality Assessment
What Do You Really Know About The People You Lead?
May 21, 2015
One of the top issues facing senior leadership today is the lack of employee engagement among those they lead. Research from a number of sources, including Gallup, Towers Watson, and Modern Survey all indicate that only about 30% of the workforce is fully engaged. So how do you get people engaged?
Posted by Rick DeMarco at 11:00am
Leadership, Employee Engagement, Relationship Building, Professional Development