Coleman Unlimited LLC » Leadership

What Would You Do Differently If You Were In Charge?

Sonia — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:22:18 +0000

A few years ago, I read an article in John Maxwell’s leadership newsletter where he shared a tip for staying positive when you are not in charge at work. He said that when he was in a subordinate position, he started keeping a list of “Things I’ll Do Differently When I’m In Charge.” He said this list helped him vent his frustrations in a positive way, plus they helped him make a list that would make him a better leader in the future.

I made my list back then, and I make sure it comes up in RememberTheMilk.com to-do list once or twice a year as a reminder. Although I’m in charge now of my own company, I don’t manage many people yet. However, my husband and I can still apply these values in our daily work. I can’t say I’m reached my ideals yet, but I still press on toward the goal!

Here’s my “Things I will do differently when I’m in charge” list:

Have fun!
Let people be people; stop expecting them to have no weaknesses
Talk to people when I have a concern rather than hitting them upside the head or ignoring it
Not play favorites
Get rid of dead wood
Not make fun of customers or co-workers
Encourage group breaks and communication
Work as hard as I expect them to work
Not make people come to work sick
Delegate, plan and execute (don’t change at last minute)
Be respectful of others
Be patient and be better than I currently am with rushing
Laugh
Work respectable hours
Blog

What is on your “Do Differently List?”

Practical Wisdom for Leaders

Sonia — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:48:30 +0000

We watched an interesting documentary show on the Sundance Channel, called Iconoclasts. This particular episode focused on Sumner Redstone, who controls media empire, Viacom, and movie producer Brian Glazer.

Redstone said some things that were worthy to be quoted. So I paused the Tivo and took notes.

Here’s a few words of leadership wisdom from Sumner Redstone:

“What I look for in people are commitment, competence and character. Without character, commitment and competence are not relevant.”

“Get loyalty by giving loyalty, particularly if a person is in some kind of trouble or problem.”

“People who are successful and good at what they do are not arrogant.”

“Optimism is the only philosophy that’s compatible with sanity.”

How to Be Trustworthy

Sonia — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 01:45:21 +0000

I’ve been devouring my “magazines to read” pile. I came across an excellent article on trust in Associations Now magazine by Michelle and Dennis Reina. It’s critical to being a good leader, which seems to be something everyone should know if they don’t. However, one little sidebar on the article really stood out to me… not so much as a business tip but rather a personal goal.

I want to be trustworthy. And I thought this was a great list of what it takes for others to put their trust in you.

We are inclined to trust leaders…

who are self-aware
who take responsibility for their role in the relationship
who demonstrate that they consider the best interests of others rather than just themselves
who do what they say they will do
who practice the values they tell us are important to them
who listen and respond to our needs and interests

Wow… may God help me to be a person like this.

Wise Words on Change

Sonia — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:10:40 +0000

We’ve all heard a lot of talk about change lately, and I’ve experienced big changes this year. But how do we really successfully manage change in our business and personal lives?

I read this quote in Maximum Impact’s Leadership Wired newsletter today, and I thought it was very wise.

“The most successful businessman is the man who holds onto the old just as long as it is good, and grabs the new just as soon as it is better.”
~ Robert P. Vanderpoel

Interestingly enough, my husband is what many people would consider “an early adopter” of new technologies. We have many amazing technology tools that enhance our lives (and yes, he did wait in line to buy the iPhone on the first day).

However, in many cases, he waits quite a long time (sometimes even longer than the general public) to buy into new technology. When I ask him why he’s still waiting, he almost always says that the technology isn’t ready yet. Like the quote says, he’s waiting for the technology to be better than the previous solution before making a change.

Research Says: Be Thankful to Be Happier

Sonia — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:07:47 +0000

“Gratitude is the ‘forgotten factor’ in happiness research,” according to researchers Robert Emmons (Univ. of California, Davis) and Michael McCullough (Univ. of Miami). A workplace news brief in ASAE’s Associations Now magazine, tells how these researchers are conducting a long-term study on gratitude, its causes and its effects on health and well-being.

Highlights from the “Research Project on Gratitude and Thankfulness” are available at: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/labs/emmons.

Some interesting findings:

Gratitude journals improves physical and mental outlook: Individuals who kept weekly journals of what they were grateful for and why “exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week, compared with those who recorded hassles or neutral life events” in such journals.
Gratitude helps reach goals: The study shows that people who keep such journals were more likely to have made progress toward personal goals over a two-month period.
Gratitude builds empathy: As Associations Now points out, this might be the most important factor for leaders. The study found that “people with strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and take the perspective of others. They are rated as more generous and more helpful by people in their social networks.”

I’m grateful to be a member of ASAE, where I get access to interesting articles like this!