October, 2013

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Eight Things Not To Say During a Presentation

Kevin Eikenberry

'We have all sat through many presentations in our professional lives. Unfortunately far too many of them are, shall we say, “less-than-awesome”. Unfortunately, we see some of the causes for failures over and over. In other words the wrong things get repeated by those who aren’t thinking, or don’t know any better. With that in […].

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20 Ways to Gain the Respect you Deserve

Leadership Freak

'The danger of disrespect is disconnection. You cannot connect with someone you don’t respect. The power of respect is loyalty. Leaders receive respect because of position, but lose it because of behavior. Earning it back requires sweat and patience. 10 Ways to lose respect: Act like you know when you don’t. Keep a bus handy […].

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Why Leaders Fail

Leadership Freak

'Leave a comment on today’s post for a chance to win one of one hundred copies of, The Heart of Leadership. Leadership is a matter of character before skill. In other words, it’s about who you are. Fakers are exposed, eventually. Fake leaders – those with skills but lacking character – inevitably sink. Skills […].

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How to be an Assertive Woman in Leadership

Leadership Freak

'Image source She said, “Violating gender stereo types,” in response to, “What unique challenges do women in leadership experience.” I asked the question at the beginning of a presentation for a Woman’s Business Consortium. Assertiveness: When a woman is assertive she’s bossy and resented. She’s bitchy. But, when a man is assertive he’s powerful and […].

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SME Relationships: Proven Solutions for Seamless Collaboration and Success

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

💢 Do you find yourself stuck in never-ending review cycles? Are you wondering if your Subject Matter Expert actually got that last review request? Are you having trouble trying to decipher impractical or conflicting feedback? 💢 If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, you may benefit from a crash course on managing SME relationships!

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The Jerk Quotient for Leaders

Leadership Freak

'Jerks expect respect but don’t extend it. The gap between respect extended and respect expected is the jerk quotient for leaders. Peons earn respect. But, the power chair is enough for jerks. Rude: Jerks throw their weight around. Rudeness, privileges, temper flairs, and special exceptions are normal. “Important” leaders – who are jerks – walk on […].

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Four Ways to Build Influential Connection

Leadership Freak

'Intimidation requires position or perceived power but influence is a function of connection. Distance and threat are the tools of bullies. Intimidators reach down from power towers and squeeze peons with fear. Intimidators lose power when they connect. Leaders gain influence when they connect. Influence answers fear and draws near. Transparency: Connection requires transparency.

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Dumb and Dumber

Leadership Freak

'The same people sitting around the same table produce the same results. It’s dumb to think otherwise. It’s even dumber to expect the people who caused the problem to solve it. The future is the past without intervention. Working harder, if you’re already working hard, won’t change much. Efficiency is never the path to exponential […].

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The Seven Decisions of Decisive Leaders

Leadership Freak

'Decisiveness is a strength and weakness. I often hear complaints about bosses who can’t make decisions. Then there’s the leader who makes all the decisions. In both cases the results are the same. Decisions made in isolation make others feel they don’t matter. They complain, “What’s the use?” Surprisingly, leaders who can’t make decisions produce […].

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Forget About Being the Best

Leadership Freak

'You’ll never be the best. “Strategy is not about being the best, but about being unique.” Jerome De Flander, author of, The Execution Shortcut. Unique value is the best. Finding unique: Look for the one word that best describes your unique value. Ask new customers for the best word that describes their experience with your […].

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The Birth of an Optimist

Leadership Freak

'Optimists are more successful than pessimists. Helpless pessimists can’t lead. They know things won’t change and loving saying, “It doesn’t matter.” Real leaders change things. The first change is you. 5 reason for pessimism: Feeling controlled by circumstances and others. Life happens to pessimists. Believing achievement is like falling off a log.

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Change Management 101: A Practical 3 Part Guide

Implementing new tools or business processes in your organization? Lemon Learning put together a practical 3 part guide to prevent the pitfalls of change management. Drive a successful change management project from diagnosis through to measurement.

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The Inverted Golden Rule

Leadership Freak

'Leaders, who think they’re “special,” treat themselves better than others. They invert the Golden Rule and stand aloof. After all, the rules don’t apply to “Golden Leaders.” Power and authority distort perspective. Special leaders: Expect others to collaborate while they dictate. Arrive unprepared for meetings. Expect others to listen while they don’t.

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How John Wayne Stunted Leadership Development

Kevin Eikenberry

'John Wayne was one of the biggest film stars ever. And his legacy has been hindering leaders for a long time. Unwittingly, in many of his movies, John Wayne “proves” that you can succeed alone. All you need is the biggest will, the most stamina, and the fastest gun. John Wayne taught (well, perhaps reinforced) […].

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What Leaders Can Learn From Jerry Seinfeld

Kevin Eikenberry

'Achievers at the highest level have several things in common. Today, I want to talk about one of those traits, one that, when practiced as a leader, has a multiplier effect. Let me start with some examples. Stephen King has written 49 books – all of them bestsellers. Here is part of his secret to […].

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The Real Problem

Leadership Freak

'The real problem is people who point out problems from a distance. They sit aloof explaining what’s wrong. Worse yet, they know what others should do, or not do, while they do nothing, except point out what’s wrong. The real problem is listening to uninvited problem solvers who don’t have skin in the game. Knowing what […].

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Is Training the Right Solution?

Speaker: Tim Buteyn

Let's set the scene: you’ve identified a critical performance gap in your organization and need to close that gap. A colleague suggests training, but you suspect there’s something going on that training can’t address. How can you determine if training is the right solution before you commit your budget and resources to a new training program? In this webinar, you will learn how to determine if training is the right solution using the Behavior Engineering Model.

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How to Rise Above Butterfly Conversations

Leadership Freak

'I hate wasting time in conversations that bounce around and never arrive. Talk – for the sake of talk – is for Saturday morning coffee with friends. But, successful leaders itch for next steps and paths to better. Impatience is practically a virtue for leaders who get things done. Lousy conversations bounce like butterflies on sunny […].

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Creating a Meaningful Life

Kevin Eikenberry

'Meaning. it is something we all desire in life. And today’s quotation from business author Jim Collins points in a direction I agree with and that has big implications for us as individuals and as leaders. Questions to Ponder - Do I agree with this quotation? - What is most meaningful about […].

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The Pussy Cat Problem

Leadership Freak

'I’ll never forget the day an honest soul said, “I think you like to intimidate people.” I wanted to yell, “No I don’t!” Stop pretending you’re a pussy cat. You intimidate, even if you don’t intend to. Successful leaders connect. You can’t connect with someone you intimidate. Pussy cats and tigers: You think you’re a […].

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Candor Could Blow Up in Your Face

Leadership Freak

'A reader asks, “Any advice on how to cultivate candor?” First steps toward candor are dangerous, even explosive. It could blow up in your face. People will say, “You can’t bring that up.” Cultivating candor: Remember lack of candor empowers manipulators, preserves the status quo, invites gossip, and undermines trust. Engage others. Tell teams you’re […].

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Revitalizing Dry Content: A Lesson in Engagement

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

We’ve all been there. You’ve been given a pile of dry content and asked to create a compelling eLearning course. You’re determined to create something more engaging than the same old course that learners quickly click through, but how do you take this “boring” content and create something relevant and engaging? Many instructional designers will say, “Boring in means boring out.

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You Can’t Coach Attitude

Kevin Eikenberry

'I wish I had a dime for every time I have experienced this story. I’ve just finished giving a workshop or a keynote, and someone walks up to me with a question. It is seldom a question asked in front of the group, but rather separately on the side, alone. “I’ve got […].

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Why Precious Leaders Fail

Leadership Freak

'Gollum, in The Hobbit, referred to himself as “My Precious.” Preciousness turns leaders into self-consumed beasts. The only one: Direct reports don’t understand the pressures squeezing you. The board doesn’t appreciate tensions between short-term profits and long-term success. Your boss doesn’t realize you’re plate was full last year! Employees reject the big picture.

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The Key to Healthy Conflict

Leadership Freak

'A Facebook follower says, “I’d love to see a Leadership Freak blog post that addresses what healthy conflict looks like.” Organizations pivot on conflict. Conflict strengthens or weakens relationships and organizations. All healthy conflict has a “for.” For or against: Conflict often begins by fighting against something. Listen for expressions like: I don’t like.

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When Fair is Mediocre

Leadership Freak

'Treating everyone the same when they aren’t the same isn’t fair it’s mediocrity. It’s not fair – it’s dumb – to treat a thirty year old the same as a three year old. Fair or Mediocre: A newly formed team decided to take turns running their meetings. It sounds fair but does it lead to […].

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Brain Fog HQ: Memory Enhancement Techniques for Professional Development

Speaker: Chester Santos – Author, International Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach, Corporate Trainer, Memory Expert, U.S. Memory Champion

In October, scientists discovered that 75% of patients who experienced brain fog had a lower quality of life at work than those who did not. At best, brain fog makes you slower and less efficient. At worst, your performance and cognitive functions are impaired, resulting in memory, management, and task completion problems. In this entertaining and interactive presentation, Chester Santos, "The International Man of Memory," will assist you in developing life-changing skills that will greatly enha

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Under Fire in a Public Meeting

Leadership Freak

'Public confrontation slams you in the face, sooner or later. The boss wants answers. “What happened and what are you doing about it?” Everyone tenses and waits. Colleagues feel sympathy and relief. Everyone knows they could be next. Two defining moments: Public success and fiery confrontation are the two defining moments of leadership. Success tests humility. […].

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Leaders Aren’t Momma

Leadership Freak

'Mom always hated it when the boys fought. There were three of us, until the last two came along, much later. I was the oldest. Sometimes we hated each other. Tensions erupted when mom and dad were gone and I was left in charge. My younger brother hit me over the head with a broom, […].

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Finding and Assigning Work that Matters

Leadership Freak

'No one wants to waste time doing things that don’t matter. But, what’s meaningful to one is insignificant to another. Some find details meaningful, for example, while others find them insignificant and frustrating. People feel they matter when they do things that matter to them. You assign projects; they assign meaning. Help people engage in […].

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Leadership Power: Grabbed or Granted?

Kevin Eikenberry

'It is hard to deny the connection between leadership and power. Depending on your experience and perspective, one or more likely came to mind when you read those two words together. Leaders have and can create power, and they can do it in a variety of ways. And yet power and leadership are strange bedfellows […].

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But They’re Never Satisfied

Leadership Freak

'People who want things just-so drive others crazy. Things seldom measure up. Media Man: There’s a media guy on our team who wants things done a certain way. He’s fanatical. On mornings when I’m giving presentations, I set my laptop on a small table, attach the cables, test the connection, and walk away. But that’s […].

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Dealing with Your Doubts

Leadership Freak

'Image source Doubt, contrary to popular opinion is useful. Leaders with doubts are wiser than those with none. Doubt asks, “What could go wrong?” Self-doubt says, “I could be wrong.” Only fools have no doubts. Don’t feel bad if you have doubts. Confidence without doubt destroys leaders and organizations. Confidence without doubt: Closes ears. Minimizes […].

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How to Tell if You Should Tell

Leadership Freak

'A Facebook follower says, “I’d like to see a Leadership Freak post that addresses the dangers of being honest about burnout.” The three dangers of being honest about burnout are losing: Respect. Opportunity. Employment. How to tell if you should tell. Don’t tell if: You haven’t already done something to solve the issue. Your organization […].

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Dead but Won’t Admit It

Leadership Freak

'Dead teams are dead and buried long before they admit it. They yearn for life. But, in the end, they just suck air until someone puts them out of their misery. Raise your hand if you’ve been part of a team that was dead but wouldn’t admit it. Dead teams waste resources, lower morale, and […].

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Making Compassion Work

Leadership Freak

'Compassion is for the weak. Old school management expects results at all costs. No excuses. “I know it’s tough. That’s why they call it work. Just get it done. Now get out of my office!” Old school managers get opportunities, promotions, and pay raises. Why shouldn’t they? They deliver results. Results validate your worth, more […].

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How Do You Win?

Kevin Eikenberry

'It’s about the middle of the pro football season, and last week the NFL lost a long-time, colorful, and beloved coach – Bum Phillips. Phillips was known for wearing his cowboy hat on the sidelines and for being very quotable. Today’s quotation may be his best – and it applies to all leaders. Read it, […].

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