| |
| |
|
Leadership Information |
|
|
|
Leadership Tips From My Dad
Lee (L.B.) Weiss (Sept. 21/25 - April 30/82) My dad has been dead for almost half of my life, yet I think about him every day. I am grateful to have had a funny, loving and wonderful dad who left a legacy of decency and wisdom. L.B. had a saying for almost any situation. Something about his style made these sayings stick, perhaps a combination of his humour, timing, cheeriness and innate common sense. After he died, many friends wrote our family, saying they will always remember L. B. for saying such-and-such. My mother compiled these snippets of wisdom, and when I reviewed them recently, I realized how much my dad had taught me about sales, coaching and leadership. If any of the following touch you, please feel free to quote them as 'L.B.isms': "THERE ARE MORE HORSES ASSES IN THIS WORLD THAN THERE ARE HORSES." This saying works for me on many levels, especially in work relationships. If I am dealing with someone who is acting badly, either being rude or inconsiderate or demanding, I try not to stay in their sphere. Following my dad's advice, I give myself permission to only deal with people I like and respect. This saying also reminds me not to be a horse's ass myself (not always so obvious to me). A client who I adore recently canceled a seminar on the day it was to run. He had a number of good reasons for canceling, however, our agreement states that he pays me the full fee in this situation. As I was writing up the invoice, I felt uncomfortable, and my father's saying popped into my head. I could have rightly charged the full fee, and felt like an ass for being petty when this client has given me so much business. Or I could do something different. I charged him half. "THE LAST CHAPTER HASN'T BEEN WRITTEN ON NICKI." As I was misspending my youth (dropped out of university, lived in a teepee on one of British Columbia's most beautiful gulf islands, picked apples and oysters), my father continuously reassured my mother that I would turn out OK. I am grateful for my father's confidence in me. He was able to see my potential when others couldn't, and his assurance that I could do anything I wanted and be successful still resonates through me. My father was a coach in the truest sense of the word. He saw his children, and our friends, bigger than we saw ourselves. He could clearly see a path for us, and told us what he saw. He saw that my kind sister who was good with her hands could be a wonderful occupational therapist, and that my brilliant sister-in-law could be an ace accountant. He told me to go into sales. I was completely offended. Sales? He told me that when I was 20 years old. At the time, I thought sales was anti-intellectual, manipulative and boring. L.B. saw it differently. He told me I was a noodge and a noodnik (translation: a persistent pest). He told me I was a hard worker, smart, a good generalist, persuasive, talented with people, had people's best interests in my heart, and liked variety. He told me that I would be wildly successful. After university (yes, I went back and finished), I remembered what he had said. I got my first sales job, and loved it. "DIFFERENT IS EASY. GOOD IS HARD." L.B. had great instincts. He had an uncanny sense about new products that wouldn't fly, a process that was too complicated, people who were a little too full of themselves, or a wheel that didn't need reinvention. He was a stickler for quality and competence. My father was a corporate accountant who always had a business on the side. One was a Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor. He was constantly hiring and training teenagers to scoop ice cream that was exactly 2 ounces, to treat customers well, to not rip him off, to be able to count back change and to work hard. Regularly at the dinner table he talked about what constituted good work and what incompetence looked like. He taught me that there are no short cuts to good; the only route is through repeated practice. "NEITHER A BORROWER NOR A LENDER BE." My father taught his children to be self-reliant, to practice delayed gratification, and to not burn bridges by being in debt to others. "Pay cash" was his credo. As kids, we were always running out of money. Our eyes were always bigger than our wallets. (I know lots of big kids today who have the same problem.) My father taught us the art of leading a balanced life, and the lesson that living debt-free would give us choices. He taught us that borrowing money from friends could wreck a friendship. In this age of instant gratification, where bigger and more is better, I bless the wisdom he left me. It has never steered me wrong. "WHAT'S A NICKEL OR A DIME WHEN YOU'RE OUT FOR A GOOD TIME?" My father the accountant was always careful with money. Some may have called him cheap. Yet, whenever we were on vacation, he loved to live it up. He didn't spend money in an extravagant way (he was a product of the Great Depression and World War Two), but in a cheery, life-affirming and fun way. He always said to be generous to yourself and to others, particularly if you are down on your luck. "I WISH SHE HAD THE COURTESY TO TREAT ME LIKE A STRANGER." My father would say this about his problematic mother-in-law. Apparently, my grandmother wasn't always so nice to him. This leadership principle is so amazingly simple. It says: 'If you don't like me you can be indifferent to me, but mean is unacceptable.' I notice a fair amount of meanness in the workplace that takes the form of passive aggression. We've all seen it but maybe not put a name to it: gossip, withholding or not fully sharing information, criticizing management, and not supporting colleagues. We wouldn't treat strangers like this. "THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE AREN'T THINGS." This saying taught me to value my relationships above everything else, to depend on myself and to be accountable to others, to be decent, and to have fun. I don't want you to think I wasn't given tons of things by my parents, because I was. However, I was conditioned from a very young age to believe that the world didn't owe me a living. I was given a serious work ethic that I will always carry with me. If I want something, I go after it. I won't step on people to get whatever it is, and I won't cheat or steal, but I will work until I get it or don't want it anymore. What's this got to do with sales, leadership, and coaching, Nicki? I'm hoping that you see some value in my dad's teachings and sayings, and that when you work, sell, manage, coach, and lead, you are a good example to those around you. My dad lived with a spring in his step, integrity in his heart, and his own brand of humour. Your living example will be what ultimately makes you great as a sales manager/coach/leader. Thanks, Dad. Love, Nud-nicki About the Author Nicki Weiss is an internationally recognized Certified Professional Sales Management Coach, Master Trainer, and workshop leader. Since 1992, Nicki has trained, certified, and/or coached more than 6,000 business executives, sales managers and salespeople. Nicki guarantees increased sales performance when sales managers become better sales coaches. Sign up for her FREE monthly e-zine, Something for NothingTM, which has powerful tips and techniques for sales managers who are ready to make this transformation. Sign up at http://www.saleswise.ca You can email her at nicki@saleswise.ca or call 416-778-4145.
MORE RESOURCES:
Leadership - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Getting Things Done, Without the Sweat! How do you get your people on your side? And once their on your side, how can you get them to do anything you want? It's a skill that we all want. Nothing's better than leaving the hard work for someone else! But how?Do You Have It In You?Getting what you want and deserving it are two totally different things! Do you think it's reasonable to order a task onto your subordinate? Do you think it's acceptable to call up a friend only when you want something? Or how about being nice to someone just to butter them up but ignore them otherwise?No way! No fair!What would you think if someone treated you like that? Well this happens all the time. Leadership: 9 Universal Laws 1. The Law of Authoritarian StyleAuthoritarian leaders lead by control and fear. Lessons In Leadership: What Not To Do... From A Canoe! When it comes to fishing, my husband takes the lead. But his lack of leadership ability in a recent canoe trip on the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota offered wonderful lessons on how leaders can unknowingly screw up. Leadership Activity: How Leadership Agenda, Strategy, and Behaviors Shape Your Success! "Forward, as occasion offers. Never look round to see whether any shall note it. Leadership Development and Jumping Out of Airships A German silent film melodrama depicts an airship bombing London during World War I. Lit up by searchlights and strafed by fighters, the crippled airship loses altitude as the captain frantically jettisons dispensable gear to lighten weight. Pay No Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain! As the 'Great And Powerful Oz' once said to Dorothy, "Pay No Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain!" and as you know, appearances can be deceiving they are also one of the first things people judge others by. For instance, you recall the old saying 'Never Judge A Book By Its Cover?' well guess what - we still do!I know that might not sound too politically correct, but deep down we make snap judgements using exterior appearances and then spend our time trying to rationalize our 'gut instinct. What Kind of Leader Are You? There are literally millions of words written and spoken each week on enlightened leadership yet the fact remains that low morale, high stress and job dissatisfaction continue to be three of the most serious problems facing the workplace. We seem to be so effectively socialized into top down leadership that we find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to change our autocratic ways. Effective Leaders are (#3) Communicative LISTEN, WRITE, AND ARTICULATE EFFECTIVELY: Leadership positions require effective communication skills. Basic confidence in the art of information sharing is absolutely necessary for effective leadership. Would Socrates Be A Celebrity Today? Last week, as I was standing in the checkout line of my local grocery store, I found myself staring at the dozen or so magazines on display. As I gazed upon the various photos and headlines praising or trashing the celebrity du jour, I got to thinking. Leadership Skills and Ability What is true Leadership.Is leadership something we are born with or is it learned. The Challenge to Lead The topic of leadership has been and continues to be one of the most vital topics in human history. From ancient civilizations to modern day multi-national corporations, men and women of passion, fervor and zeal have sought to discover the secrets of moving others beyond the gray of their mundane reality to the rich array of colors that embody the palate of the extraordinary life. 3 Dynamic Techniques To Boost Your Executive Leadership! Here's a really simple way to measure the strength of your executive leadership skills. Ask your people to name 3 important reasons why they enjoy working with you. People or Objects? - - You Decide "How you think determines how you act. How you act, in turn, determines how others react to you. Real Charisma, Clinton Style What exactly is Charisma? Most would agree that it is a magical, illusive, personal quality, divinely endowed on some people more than others. One thing is for certain, it is more easily identified than defined. The Six Essential Leadership Attributes Leadership is the foundation for all organizations, whether corporate, nonprofit or government. Leadership is a high calling and responsibility, upon which all else the organization is or does rests. Learn How to Lead People "Who rules or guides or inspires others"Having excellent guide skills is one of the most important abilities to possess in today's fast-paced world. We need the support and cooperation of other people to help us in reaching our goals. C4 Leadership: Taking Your Leadership (and your Life) from Good...To Explosive! Chances are if you're interested in this post, you're looking for a few tips to take your leadership and/or your life, up a notch or two. Read on for a few things that have really helped me make my leadership more explosive after first defining what C4 is. Managing Monsters in Meetings - Part 7, Personal Attacks Personal attacks hurt people, mar communication, and end creativity. If they become part of a meeting's culture, they drive the participants into making safe and perhaps useless contributions. Listening Like a Leader Our studies of the most effective people in corporate America show that the top 2 percent are effective not because they executed best practices well. They did not make the most phone calls or have the best processes. Make the Most of Your Mentoring Relationships Mentoring is one of the best ways to learn, to get feedback, and to take your career to the next level. Here are ten tips for making the most of your mentoring relationships.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
