Tom S.
Executive Director Linked 2 Leadership | CEO Recalibrate Professional Development
Small Moments in Leadership
When a leader takes the time to impact people in even the smallest way, it can have repercussions that last for a lifetime. This magnifying or multiplying effect has a lot of power in it. It can do great good or great damage.
Sometimes leaders impact people in positive ways with their words, actions, inactions, attitudes, language, demeanor, vocal tone, examples, and many other ways. An example would be when an influential leader takes personal time out of their busy schedule to help an undeserving person in need. This act of grace can really stick with the recipient and have a big positive multiplying effect over time.
Unfortunately, this model also works when a leader does something in a negative manner that ends up having long lasting negative repercussions that can be hard to shake. Imagine how long a small offhanded remark can stick in one's head after its first stinging bite. It can do a lot of damage and have very negative repercussions.
What are some small examples of leadership that you have seen that really impacted people for the positive?
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What are some small negative things you have seen that have done unintended damage?
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Side Note: If you are interested, see how a 12-year old girl named Jodi was impacted for life by a small moment in leadership when a caring adult took the time to explain something in interior design and how it expands the young girl's horizon with "Small Moments In Leadership" http://wp.me/phH6w-Yo
Thanks for engaging!
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Tom Schulte | Executive Director | Linked 2 Leadership
CEO | Recalibrate Professional Development
tomschulte@recalibratenow.com
www.tinyurl.com/JoinL2LGroup
www.LearnAndGrow.tv
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Answers (12)
What are some small examples of leadership that you have seen that really impacted people for the positive?
- When I got a mindful appreciation for my work (Just got a 'Thank you mail from client')
- When a leader touch my feeling (Show his/her sympathy on my trouble)
- When a leader shows a very disciplined manner in a critical crisis.
What are some small negative things you have seen that have done unintended damage?
- Whenever I can hear a leaders' sigh on my work.
- When a leader do not want to listen my words.
- When a leader hesitate contacting my eyes.
Clarification added August 13, 2009:
Hire for aptitude, Fire for "Attitude"
Simon M.
Business Mentor, Trainer, Consultant, Speaker
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A good set of questions. This is a passion of mine and have delivered the following presentations. Please feel free to comment...
Links:
Definitely true, in business you have good luck and bad luck moments. You should know it and resists the bad ones, and exploit the good ones.
That’s the life!
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Jean B. also suggests this expert on this topic:
Natalie K.
Senior IT Specialist at Nordea Bank, Capital Markets & Treasury Securities, Business Development
Best Answers in: Career Management (4), Work-life Balance (2), Using LinkedIn (2), Mentoring (1), Internationalization and Localization (1), Organizational Development (1), Communication and Public Speaking (1), Professional Networking (1)
What are some small examples of leadership that you have seen that really impacted people for the positive?
- When a CEO from the customer side praised me at a very important meeting in front of my directors. It was unexpected, because we were delayed with the delivery, yet very pleasant to know that the customer was satisfied with my job. It showed me I was doing the right thing.
What are some small negative things you have seen that have done unintended damage?
- A colleague of mine had many things to do and got a bit stressed. He didn't dare to talk to his manager about the problem, so I did on his behalf. I offered my help so that my colleague could finish all his tasks and reach the goal, but his manager decided to take those tasks out of my colleague's work. In my opinion that was more damage than help, because indirectly it stated my colleague was not good enough.
Erica F.
Social Media Optimizer, Publisher at ALC Publishing, President of Yuricon
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Cheers,
Erica Friedman
Yurikon LLC
Intelligent Business Promotion
http://www.visualcv.com/elfriedman
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Hmm, In my career I'm always looking for these AHA moments. An example of such a moment that I still remember after years was when I had worked hard for months to get a struggling business almost back on its feet. The CEO came over and addressed the team. After I thanked him on behalf of the team, he walked me to a cabin nearby and said - it takes one man to steer anything, and it's you.
There was no promise of rewards, no visible end to the struggle in near future, yet this counter-intuitive "praise in private" made me walk tall for months after that event.
Russ F.
Dynamic and outgoing training executive with over 15 years of experience leading corporate organizational development.
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Tom,
Great question.
What are some small examples of leadership that you have seen that really impacted people for the positive?
1) I am a huge fan of personalized recognition. I once worked for a leader who when a member of the team was going to be recognized and promoted went out of his way to send a car to the persons house to bring his spouse, kids and parents to the ceremony. It meant so much to the person being promoted, I don't think I have ever seen someone so pumped at work.
2) I worded on a team that the leader would have spontaneous dance offs in the middle of the office. While this was very distracting and one could argue that it killed productivity, I have never felt more connected to a team than I did when I worked there. Stupid, but fun.
3) I had an employee of a client tell me that the thing she loved about her boss was that she walked around and engaged the staff in real conversations, not really work related, but just tried to get to know them. This establishment of trust was huge for this organizations success.
What are some small negative things you have seen that have done unintended damage?
1) public recognition. some people love it others have to keep themselves from throwing up. i learned early on in my career, recognize people how they want to the recognized not how you want to recognize them.
2) I once had a boss that used humor very poorly. He didn't get it. Nice guy, just not funny and the forcing of humor, just made everyone uncomfortable.
Thanks
Russ
Links:
Fernando G.
Services Intake Manager at Dell
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Positive:
When I started working on my first big company I was a rookie and at that time I did not have my goals and mind made yet. I was lucky enough to have a great leader that was always around, doing right things AND things right, carrying for others, etc. It didn't take me long to realize how good he was and I decided I wanted to be just as good as him; And since then I look up to him and try to do my best to be that good.
Nowadays I try to be that same kind of leader for my own people, and I can honestly say I owe him that.
Negative:
I had bad experiences with leaders in the past, people such as the screaming or the I-like-stealing-your-ideas type, but those just made me take the other side of the road.
Positives
A handwritten thank you note.
A boss dropping in for a chat end of the day.
Team members saying good night when they go home.
Being available and being "in the moment".
The gift of time and active listening.
Negatives
Automatically generated messages from HR.
Cubicles.
One eye on the emails whilst having a one-on-one meeting.
A convoluted email with a hidden message.
Sapphire M.
ἀρετή - A focus on Quality excellence!
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To understand Humanity and to portray it requires... The sweetest consideration of the ever-changing extremes of tranquillity and disturbances in the sea of relationships we all may sooner or later engage in.... Once contemplated, it begins to inspire change, once acted on, the transformation is complete..'
xsapph
Hector knew what it meant to make sacrifices for others. When I met him he must have only been 33, and as an artist, he often earned very little or appeared to ... to actually live on.
Whenever anyone asked if he needed their help, he shrugged, shook his head and contemplated why they even needed to ask him that question, why they appeared to lack any comprehension of his most simple needs or what could be carried out in some small measure of kindness to him, without requiring prompting. What it really meant was that they did not wish to be put to the test, so the onus was there for him to provide the solution, and if he looked to need their input beyond emotionally detached dialogue, then their sense of fear of being a cent, or farthing, poorer was enough to make their hands sweat... or make them quickly change the subject.
How was it that they needed him to expressly articulate a requirement as if this was too complex a thought for them to act on?
Was he any different to them that he did not need the same sun, air or sky?
...... [He gave me a moment of transfixed comprehension... the way he was sometimes (mis)treated by others in 'charge', was incomprehensible to me, yet he also provided me with inspiration]
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I think the greatest praise is not: “Well done!” Rather it is a management style that the senior leader sets for the people who work for him or her. The simple praise is what the leader provides: clear expectations and a compelling challenge; promotes meaningful relationships at work; opportunities to be creative; expectations of excellence and accountability; and distinct cultural messages that it is ok to be yourself. This environment allows for praise and respect to be ingrained in the business unit’s culture. Not only are you apt to hear well done from the senior leader but from peers as well. Honest feedback is more prevalent too. This level of leadership is hard work and a commitment to bring out the best in the people one leads.
Doing dumb things are, well human nature; unless you do them all of the time. In the day and age of e-mails they seem to happen more frequently. I have seen people deeply injured and their “antagonist” had no idea that he had inflicted that level of embarrassment or pain. At times it was a joke that did not work or an inflection, often from long periods of stress. I wish we had work places that cleared the air but that is hard to do. When I have seen people discuss the conflict in the workplace, they are usually friends as well.
