✏ Lead by Permission

Leadership is a privilege. Successful leaders view their role as an honor given to them by their employees, and their employees want to work for them because they’re great leaders — not because they are in a position of authority. The most common reason we follow a leader is because of who they are; they are the ones who have inspired or empowered us, they have a sense of purpose – and it’s our sense of purpose that keeps us solid. They have been given “permission to lead” and they take that responsibility very seriously. It is that atmosphere of collaboration and continuity that drives the team to success. To not allow ego into the equation takes a tremendous amount of humility and self-confidence. Outstanding leaders know that their integrity, character and passion will define their legacy and earn them respect.

Here are a few principles that define those that “Lead by Permission”:

  • Be a leader, not a boss
  • They have a humble disposition, they don’t ever believe that success is inevitable
  • They solicit feedback knowing it will make them better
  • They encourage the team to take initiative and collaborate
  • They celebrate others’ accomplishments over their own
  • They practice patience, have self-control and have more gratitude than most
  • They have clear perspective
  • They are self-aware, they look at the whole picture and both sides of the issue
  • They are empathetic
  • They boost productivity by delivering an honest message that brings the team together to accomplish a common objective
  • They are committed to creating an environment where people love to work
  • They have a desire to play a key role in empowering others and trust them to make decisions
  • They know how to diffuse difficult situations with grace and empathy
  • They listen more, and listen without interruption, objections, or defensiveness
  • They are clear with their expectations
  • They consistently solicit the sound advice and wisdom of others

 

The decision on how to lead is entirely up to you. Finding the balance between achieving your goals and creating a positive environment of integrity, character and collaborative effort can mean the difference in success or futility. Understanding that you won’t reach the summit without a team of experts is critical when determining why you need to be a leader, and not a boss.

Be humbled to lead . . .

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup   #lessonsinleadership   #leadership   #lead   #process  #patience #change #venture  #lead  #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower  #motivate  #beyou #gratitude  #integrity  #starttoday  #humilty

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The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

©2019 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

Victor Pisano✏ Lead by Permission
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✏ Leadership in 30 Seconds

I was recently asked by one of our followers on Charge Up if I could “define leadership in 30 seconds.” Being such a broad concept, it was a great opportunity for me to put pen to paper and see if my definition actually matches my actions.

As a result, I found this exercise to be extremely beneficial in reminding myself of what my “why” and purpose is. After 25 years in a leadership role, the words may change a bit, but my core principles will never waiver. For me, they are integrity, character and honesty.

I not only responded, but also created a podcast around this same topic because I think it’s a great exercise for a leadership role, young or old.

MY DEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP IN 30 SECONDS:

First and foremost, LEADERSHIP IS A PRIVILEGE. It’s an opportunity to inspire and empower others who are willing to invest in their goals and help them to push past the barriers, so they can find their purpose, courage and passion.

It’s about integrity, and never allowing yourself to waiver from that foundation of honesty, respect and trust.

It’s also about failure, and finding the lessons within each barrier to discover a different path and create a new mindset to achieve your goals.

Leadership is a never-ending journey. It is a destination that you are always trying to reach but find a unique joy in the ride.

SO NOW I CHALLENGE YOU . . .

Put pen to paper and write what comes from your heart — not what you think the definition should be, but what you sincerely believe and either aspire to or already communicate as a leader.  As stated above, if you are a leader with a few years under your belt, it’s a great tool to ensure you’re still focused on what’s important.

Leadership in and of itself takes a tremendous amount of effort, but if you have the passion for it and the gift to help others achieve their goals, it is one of the most rewarding roles you will ever play.

Put the time and energy into it now and just be patient. Never stop growing and make sure your decisions are always based on your core values You are building your legacy . . . do it with pride.

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup   #lessonsinleadership   #leadership   #lead   #process  #patience #change #venture  #lead  #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower  #motivate  #beyou #gratitude  #integrity  #starttoday  #humilty

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The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

Victor Pisano✏ Leadership in 30 Seconds
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✏ This Is Not a Drill

Leadership isn’t always a bed of roses.

There’s another side of leadership that will contribute to how you earn your stripes, and that’s through crisis management. It’s in these situations where everything you’ve worked for — the years you’ve trained and developed your skill sets and empowered those under your guidance — will face the test of adversity.

How will you react?

Like a deer in the headlights? Frightened, confused, no idea where to turn?

That’s not you. 

Many leaders live for this moment: challenge is their oxygen they crave. These are the situations where they will naturally shine and demonstrate not only to the company they represent, but the team they lead, why they carry the responsibility of leadership.

No Pressure? No Diamond.

The first thing effective leaders must do is clear themselves of distraction, assess the situation and gather as many facts as possible. They must first determine the real problem, so they can determine the solution. They must define and identify the resources they will need to find a resolution. Additionally, they will form a cross-functional team to solve the problem and ensure that the solution or compromise will be representative of the way their organization does business.

An effective leader will immediately take the emotion out of the equation and focus on what’s important. They rely upon their “why” to guide them — this is why they are a leader in the first place. During this phase, they are setting the example: staying calm, rational and serving as a liaison between what’s best for the client and for the company. They become the model of effective leadership at its best.

It’s a fine line to find compromise in crisis; however, your confidence, mental skills and experience will lead you — trust that. First and foremost, don’t ever allow your integrity to be comprised. It takes years of hard work to establish the foundation of your character and the company’s reputation. You cannot allow a short-term fix to jeopardize a long-term relationship. You also avoid putting people over profit before customers or employees. There will be certain instances where a net gain is not possible; it’s the cost of doing business.

The constant throughout this process will be communication. The best leaders keep the team apprised of any developments, whether positive or negative. They also bring the team together for discussions, and they listen. They don’t interrupt, they don’t immediately answer, they don’t even offer their opinion. They allow the entire team to talk and generate dialogue while they entrust their critical thinking skills to guide the discussion and see what bits and pieces from all involved can produce a positive outcome.

Listening without interruption is an art. Isn’t that why you have empowered those on your team to make decisions?

Commonly referred to as “guided discovery”, the best leaders will guide those that they have empowered, as well as the outside team members involved, to discover the solution on their own. They are not looking for credit or praise, but rather a positive ending. As a result, they will earn more trust and respect, and the entire team becomes better prepared to handle crisis by falling back later upon the lessons learned and skills used to resolve previous crises.

What if a solution cannot be found? You ask yourself if you have exhausted all options, had all of the facts and analytics to make a qualified decision and most importantly, is there a consensus amongst senior leadership that this is the only route to take?

These are the hard decisions. They are also the ones build your character.

“Courage is grace under pressure.”

– Ernest Hemingway

Earn the respect and trust of your company and those you lead.

Be the one who people turn to in tough situations.

Win the moment.

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup   #lessonsinleadership   #leadership   #lead   #process  #patience #change #venture  #lead  #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower  #motivate  #beyou #gratitude  #integrity  #starttoday  #humilty

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The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

Victor Pisano✏ This Is Not a Drill
More . . .

✏ Shortcuts to Success

There are two shortcuts to success:

  1. There are no shortcuts
  2. See #1

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup   #lessonsinleadership   #leadership   #lead   #process  #patience #change #venture  #lead  #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower  #motivate  #beyou #gratitude  #integrity  #starttoday  #humilty

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The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

Victor Pisano✏ Shortcuts to Success
More . . .

✏ A Champion’s Mindset

My inspiration for the concept of leadership is deeply rooted in my love for sports. Growing up, I had the privilege of playing with and competing against incredible athletes. Most of my life-long friendships came from either the football field or the baseball diamond.

My first mentors were coaches; they were men of integrity and authenticity. They not only had a love for the game, but more so a passion for developing young athletes into men who would one day lead and contribute to society.

It’s been 30 years and I still have relationships with those same coaches who molded my life. That says something about who they are. Men like Coach Padron, Reeves, Robbins, Black, Maldonado, Majek and others.

What they taught me in particular was not only a lesson on the field, but an advantage in life – having a CHAMPION MINDSET.

“A COACH IS SOMEONE WHO TELLS YOU WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO HEAR, WHO HAS YOU SEE WHAT YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE,
SO YOU CAN BE WHO YOU ALWAYS KNEW YOU COULD BE.”

– Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys Head Coach 1960-1989

It was an attitude applicable to my abilities, intelligence and potential. It was an influenced set of beliefs that was ingrained into my subconscious every day to create a frame of mind that no barrier was too big, no goal was unachievable and no dream wasn’t worth pursuing.

In essence, what they were doing was creating a winning culture by encouraging an environment of learning where all lessons were directed by a unified passion and dedication to a greater good, as opposed to only self-development. Everything we did as a team was done with pride and humility, and we were all on the same page.

I learned at an early age that failure was a necessary part of the final outcome. It was how I responded that was most important. As a result, the coaches had created an environment of vulnerability where I, along with my teammates, felt comfortable stepping outside of my comfort zone.

Their goals were that we, as a team will:

  • Believe in the process
  • Believe in the system
  • Believe in our teammates
  • Believe that we control our own destiny

Fast forward to the present, where I continue to apply that same CHAMPION’S MINDSET in everything I do. As a leader, I understand that if I want to have an influence on someone, if I want to bring about change, I have to invest the proper amount of effort, time and sacrifice. My commitment and dedication to each person I lead through action and example will dictate their willingness to adopt the same mindset.

“WHAT YOU ARE THINKING IS WHAT YOU ARE BECOMING.”

– Muhammed Ali, Three-Time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion

For this reason, I know that having a plan of action is critical.

That starts with a PURPOSE – A reasoning for what you want to accomplish, your true existence.

Followed by a VISION – What are my capabilities and those of the team I lead? What is the final objective and goal and what will guide our journey?

What are my VALUES – What are the right things to do that evoke the high standards and integrity that define my character?

Define the STRATEGY – A clear and concise plan of action that defines the path toward the established vision.

Establish the GOALS – The milestones that will mark our progress. They will be S.M.A.R.T. goals:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Results focused

Time found

For this plan of action to be effective and successful, you must:

  • Communicate often
  • Communicate clearly
  • Communicate efficiently

ALL WHO HAVE A ROLE MUST HAVE COMPLETE BUY-IN.

We never stop learning, but at the same time, we should always hold tight to the lessons that provided us with the most gain. We all have mentors around us; the challenge is to identify them, communicate with them and listen. The key word there – LISTEN. Be humble, vulnerable and willing to ask questions. Apply their lessons and if you fail, fail forward.

Once you have succeeded, the privilege falls upon you to make the same investment in somebody else to elicit greatness out of them.  Mentorship is a pay if forward process. It is the key to ensuring our future leaders have the skills necessary to make an impact.

For me, it was the sacrifice and willingness of those coaches in my life who contributed in establishing the foundation to my success, confidence and gratitude to pay it forward, and for that, I will forever be grateful.

“A CHAMPION NEEDS MOTIVATION ABOVE AND BEYOND WINNING.”

– Pat Riley, 5-Time NBA Champion Coach, 1997-2003

Make a difference today.

LEADERSHIP IS A PRIVILEGE.

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup   #lessonsinleadership   #leadership   #lead   #process  #patience #change #venture  #lead  #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower  #motivate  #beyou #gratitude  #integrity  #starttoday  #humilty

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The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

Victor Pisano✏ A Champion’s Mindset
More . . .

✏ A New Youth Movement in Leadership?

Is there such thing as a fast-track leadership program?

When we talk about leadership, we typically emphasize the “journey”. We highlight words like patience, experience, knowledge, trust, tenure, etc.  Leadership is an earned role that comes through respect, and it takes time to earn respect.

However, there are headlines out there that will tell you to the contrary that there is a youth movement taking place amongst the Fortune 500 C-Suite executives. Just look at these young leaders:

  • Mark Zuckerburg, CEO & Chairman of Facebook, 34 years old
  • Keith Cozza, CEO & Director of Icahn Enterprises LP, 39 years old
  • Larry Page, CEO & Director of Alphabet, Inc., 45 years old
  • Jeffrey Brown, CEO & Director of Ally Financial, 45 years old

It certainly does look like there is a changing of the guard when it comes to the age of CEO right now. Think about all of those dot.com entrepreneurs who made millions before they were even 30 years old. There are stories all over Silicon Valley of overnight CEO successes.  The narratives are all the same: you just need some angel investors, a great idea, an IPO and the world is yours . . .

— WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG FOR A VERY IMPORTANT MESSAGE —

Enter 2007-2008, when the United States experienced a financial crisis termed the “Great Recession”, which was compared to the “Great Depression” of the 1930’s. There is one thing a financial crisis will always teach you about leadership — when there is concern about financial stability, constant scrutiny, a complete lack of accountability, and a loss of trust by the American people, it’s time to bring in the old guard who can handle these situations.

“Be fearful when others are greedy, be greedy when other people are fearful.”

Warren Buffett

May I introduce you to a few veterans who can fix just about anything who just so happen to be in the Fortune Top 100 CEO’s Listing:

  • Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, 85 years old
  • Sheldon G. Anderson, CEO of the Las Vegas Sands, 82 years old
  • Roger Penske, CEO of the Penske Automotive Group, 79 years old
  • Allan Miller, CEO and Chairman of Universal Health Services, 77 years old

You may have noticed, but we just took a 180º from the beginning of the blog to this point. It was necessary to prove my position and bring you back to reality: where leadership is developed through a mindset of skills and behaviors that require experience, and experience equals time.

There is no rule that says, “you must be this age to lead”, but there are considerations that come into play in order to maintain the tremendous pace and deal with the immense pressures of being a leader and having accountability for the success of the people under your direction and the profitability of the company.

Are there exceptions to the rule? No doubt there are, there are exceptions to every rule. However, when discussing leadership, don’t follow the “get rich quick method” because you will be the first to fail. If you don’t respect the process, you won’t experience the rewards.

The key is to focus on YOU. What are your aspirations? What are your goals? What are your strengths?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THERE?

This is your legacy — create it page by page in tremendous detail and explanation so others can learn from your journey.

To an extent, leadership is like beauty; it’s hard to define, but you
know it when you see it.

If you aspire to be a leader, do it for the right reasons – to inspire and empower others. Leadership is all about giving more than you take.  Don’t graduate from college and expect the “golden egg”, start from the bottom and learn every function of the profession you strive to make a difference. No shortcuts, no excuses; put in the hard work and the blue sky can be yours.

As I wrap this up, here are a few facts for you to ponder:

Most CEOs range in age from 47 – 63 years old

(https://www.alvarezandmarsal.com/sites/default/files/files/Age-CEO-CFO-COO.pdf)

The average tenure of a CEO is 9.7 years for Fortune 500 companies

(https://www.creditdonkey.com/ceo-statistics.html)

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup   #lessonsinleadership   #leadership   #lead   #process  #patience #change #venture  #lead  #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower  #motivate  #beyou #gratitude  #integrity  #starttoday  #humilty

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The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

Victor Pisano✏ A New Youth Movement in Leadership?
More . . .

✏ What Are the Odds?

It seems as if a prerequisite for success these days is to start your business out of your garage.

Those garages were the original corporate headquarters for many familiar businesses including Apple (Steve Jobs), Microsoft (Bill Gates), Amazon (Jeff Bezos), Brownfield Funds (“The Big Short’s” Charlie Geller and Jamie Shipley) and Julio Palmaz (heart stent).

“What Are the Odds” – Trivia?

  • For an amateur to make a hole in one: 12,000 to 1
  • Being struck by lightning: 960,000 to 1
  • To win the Powerball: 292,000,000 to 1

“What Are the Odds” – Business?

  • Start-up businesses surviving one year: 70 out of 100
  • Start-up businesses surviving one to five years: 50 out of 100
  • Start-up businesses surviving up to ten years: 34 out of 100

Which set of odds is most intriguing to you? 

For the vast majority of people, trivia is the choice they stick with. However, for the thrill seekers who thrive on betting the house on calculated risks, they see the challenge in being an entrepreneur. Research those who have experienced tremendous entrepreneurial riches over the last 20+ years and see — was it luck or risk?

TAKE EVERY CHANCE.
DROP EVERY FEAR.

Success is not for the weak at heart. It’s a never-ending investment of time, energy, ego and sacrifice. It is a lonely journey, because in most cases, the money is not there to fund a team — you are the team.

We all play the odds in some way, but to what extent are you willing to sacrifice everything you have based off the unwavering confidence you have in yourself?

The speed with which technology propels business today as opposed to just 10 years ago is the difference between millions in profit over a very short period of time for one business, compared to millions lost overnight for another.

However, for the obsessed entrepreneur, the one emotion you don’t want to experience is REGRET. If you’re young enough and have really good mentors, you can, but, if the rear-view mirror is all you focus on, you’re going to have live with it.

Entrepreneurs live off a simple philosophy – NO RISK, NO REWARD. 

Successful entrepreneurs spend a tremendous amount of time on the most meticulous details to test every theory against their ideas. They don’t ask themselves “how can it succeed”, but rather, “how can it fail?” They are obsessed with the research, data, analytics and input. They strive to make the impossible possible.

They refine their concepts — sometimes for years — before the first returns ever come to fruition. You see, great things never come from comfort zones; it takes courage, patience and numerous rejections to succeed.

There are plenty of examples of familiar names who lived off ambition as opposed to a paycheck:

  • Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks) was a bartender until the age of 25
  • Suze Orman (Finance/Stockbroker) was a waitress until the age of 31
  • Sheldon Adelson (Las Vegas Sands Hotels) sold shampoo until the age of 30
  • K. Rowling (Harry Potter) was single mom on welfare until the age of 31

Was it luck, or was it the sense of adventure to prove everybody wrong and beat the odds beyond all expectations? The only plan guaranteed to fail is one without taking risks. Great achievements take great risk.

When these folks see the return on their investment, they don’t think in terms of how much money they made. They think of how much more they could have made had they executed it in another way. It’s not that they are greedy; they are perfectionists.

Unless you are willing to push the limits, success will elude you. Success requires action, how else would you measure their achievements?  Be bold and have the ambition to turn your dreams into reality. You only live once, why not create the legacy of an anomaly?

Start with cleaning out the garage, though . . .

Leadership is a privilege.

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup   #lessonsinleadership   #leadership   #lead   #process  #patience #change #venture  #lead  #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower  #motivate  #beyou #gratitude  #integrity  #starttoday  #humilty

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The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

Victor Pisano✏ What Are the Odds?
More . . .

✏ The Power of Empathy

Powerful leadership requires a sincere empathy toward those you lead.

Empathy is not a weakness. Empathy is a strength.

However, there seems to be a disconnect in understanding the differences between “empathy” and “sympathy.” Sympathy is feeling compassion, sorrow, or pity for the hardships that another person encounters, while empathy is putting yourself in the shoes of another.

“Empathy fuels connection; sympathy drives disconnection.”

– Brene´ Brown

Through research, I have learned that a predominant theory is that leaders tend to subscribe to two different routes for leadership. The first is a “task-oriented” style where leaders focus their behaviors on the specifics roles of the job and productivity. The second is “relations-oriented leadership,” where leaders focus on emotional behaviors to create quality relationships, such as listening, loyalty, trust, providing support and encouragement.

The leaders who were authentic and vested in following a relations-oriented leadership style were able to produce more results — and even more impressive — retain their staff for more extended periods of time. Remember, trust and respect are motivators for an employee to stay at a company even when the financial lure may be tempting.

A great employee leaves a bad leader, not a company.

How else can you effectively lead without truly understanding those that you are responsible for? To be a successful leader, it is imperative that you develop the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. This will be your connection to greatness — the switch to ignite empowerment. The trust and respect to earn loyalty.

Far too often, leaders are stubborn and lean toward the old-school management style which states that you should have a clear and distinct separation between those who work for you, and those whom you call friends. You can’t mix the two. “Having friendships with your subordinates will only create problems”, the theory says.

Through experience, observation, discussion, and application, I cannot entirely agree with this. Keeping an arm’s-length distance between yourself and your team will get you nowhere. If you want complete buy-in, loyalty, commitment, and trust, you have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone.

In my opinion, there is no way as a leader that you would have the ability to be able to map another’s thoughts, needs, motivations, feelings, attitudes beliefs and issues without empathy. People don’t want your pity; they are looking for your human side, the connection.

“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people to inspire and empowering their lives.”

– Oprah Winfrey

A sincere and empathetic relationship with your team can be the difference between achieving your objectives and falling short. It can often be the difference between good and great. If viewed as a sacrifice on your part, there may be a need for a self-awareness evaluation to ensure you can be in the role. There is a distinct difference between viewing your team as workers vs. people.

There are 5 Steps of Empathy:

  1. Listen to what the person is saying and watch their body language
  2. Remember a time when you felt the same way.
  3. Imagine how you might think about that situation. Validate the full range of emotions that come up.
  4. Ask how they are feeling. Share with them what you are noticing.
  5. Show you care through your words and actions – if you promise something, follow through

 

It has become apparent that empathy is an essential trait for 21st-century leadership and beyond. If compassion is not your strong suit as a leader, make it a priority to understand better where others are coming from. Find what inspires and motivates them, learn their triggers and discover their strengths, learn how to connect with them on an individual basis.

Balance it with your leadership style and be prepared to see positive changes occur.

Do great things today and make a difference.

VENTURE + LEAD + PROSPER

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup   #lessonsinleadership   #leadership   #lead   #process  #patience #change #venture  #lead  #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower  #motivate  #beyou #gratitude  #integrity  #starttoday  #humilty

RECEIVE MY FREE WEEKLY E-BLAST, THE WIRE

SUBSCRIBE NOW

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

Victor Pisano✏ The Power of Empathy
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