This document discusses leadership and how it is defined by actions and behaviors rather than job titles. It emphasizes that 70% of leadership qualities can be developed, including trust, credibility, accountability, decision-making under pressure, and bringing a team together. True leadership requires leading oneself first through self-awareness, having a growth mindset, and challenging norms. Leaders must understand their own behaviors and develop qualities like character, service, consistency, and confidence to effectively lead and inspire others.
Self Esteem and Personal Value (Chapter 4 & 5)Hedi Fauzi
This is my presentation in Human Resources Management Class at Sampoerna University. This presentation is about Self Esteem and Personal Values taken from Book (I forgot the name of the book) Chapter 4 & 5.
Slide: PowerPoint 2013
Design by: Hedi Fauzi
Image: Google Image and Freepik
If you need the original file for your reference, feel free to ask me via email: hedi.fauzi@hotmail.com with subject [SlideShare] (Your Subject)
Slides from my session at Scorates UK 2015
Suggestions from The (Only) Seven Spiritual Principles We Need to Succeed by Karl Albrecht Ph.D
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainsnacks/201301/the-only-seven-spiritual-principles-we-need-succeed
Self Awareness: The Key to Effective LeadershipDan Griffiths
You’ve probably heard the term “Achilles Heel.” In Greek Mythology, what killed Achilles was not the weakness in his heel, but the fact that he was unaware of that weakness. Our success as leaders has less to do with our particular strengths or weaknesses, than it does our deep familiarity with those strengths and weaknesses.
How do we cultivate self-awareness? Better still, how do we cultivate self-awareness “in-the-moment,” the ability to accurately assess how other people are experiencing us in a given situation?
1) Understand the Human System – Learn tips for using your body, your emotions, and your mind to change the way that you show up in different settings.
2) Get Honest Feedback – Learn techniques for getting timely, specific feedback from peers, supervisors, and subordinates.
3) Discover Your Strengths – Learn ways to uncover your strengths and utilize them in combatting areas of performance weakness.
Who am I? - Personal Development Framework for EmployeesHppy
This basic framework is a great resource to help you get to know your employees (or future employees) better.
Use it to find out what drives them as individuals, both on a personal level, as well as on a professional level. You can then compare the results of this framework with your company values and vision and see if there is a culture fit. See what drives their personal happiness and their workplace happiness.
Short, simple to use and very effective in assessing job-personality compatibility and, most importantly, in forming long term relationships!
Self Esteem and Personal Value (Chapter 4 & 5)Hedi Fauzi
This is my presentation in Human Resources Management Class at Sampoerna University. This presentation is about Self Esteem and Personal Values taken from Book (I forgot the name of the book) Chapter 4 & 5.
Slide: PowerPoint 2013
Design by: Hedi Fauzi
Image: Google Image and Freepik
If you need the original file for your reference, feel free to ask me via email: hedi.fauzi@hotmail.com with subject [SlideShare] (Your Subject)
Slides from my session at Scorates UK 2015
Suggestions from The (Only) Seven Spiritual Principles We Need to Succeed by Karl Albrecht Ph.D
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainsnacks/201301/the-only-seven-spiritual-principles-we-need-succeed
Self Awareness: The Key to Effective LeadershipDan Griffiths
You’ve probably heard the term “Achilles Heel.” In Greek Mythology, what killed Achilles was not the weakness in his heel, but the fact that he was unaware of that weakness. Our success as leaders has less to do with our particular strengths or weaknesses, than it does our deep familiarity with those strengths and weaknesses.
How do we cultivate self-awareness? Better still, how do we cultivate self-awareness “in-the-moment,” the ability to accurately assess how other people are experiencing us in a given situation?
1) Understand the Human System – Learn tips for using your body, your emotions, and your mind to change the way that you show up in different settings.
2) Get Honest Feedback – Learn techniques for getting timely, specific feedback from peers, supervisors, and subordinates.
3) Discover Your Strengths – Learn ways to uncover your strengths and utilize them in combatting areas of performance weakness.
Who am I? - Personal Development Framework for EmployeesHppy
This basic framework is a great resource to help you get to know your employees (or future employees) better.
Use it to find out what drives them as individuals, both on a personal level, as well as on a professional level. You can then compare the results of this framework with your company values and vision and see if there is a culture fit. See what drives their personal happiness and their workplace happiness.
Short, simple to use and very effective in assessing job-personality compatibility and, most importantly, in forming long term relationships!
In this webinar, you will …
* Learn the meaning of self-leadership. * Understand that self-leadership is for everyone.* Grasp the concepts of self-motivation, emotional control, moral wisdom and ethics.
The word credibility has several meanings. Alternatively, it means capability of being believed, to command belief or to truthfulness or correctness of what one says.
Want to know what it takes to be a strong leader? Start by effectively leading yourself. Learn the importance of self-leadership and the power you have within yourself. Learn how leading yourself builds confidence and how your new found confidence makes others notice you and how effective you are in your own life. Being an effective leader to yourself begins to prepare you in leading others. After all, if you can’t lead yourself, how can you lead others?
Self-Confidence
What it is Exactly ?
What helps You to Boost the Same.
What are the Factors that can affect the Self-Confidence.
Additional Tips for Athletes.
Give you the insights of being a leader, the leadership myth, the levels of leadership, Techniques on how to lead those above, below and around you. Basic ingredients of a project proposal.
Why Would Anyone Follow You? - Values-based Leadership
Leadership begins with a journey within, with self-leadership. People who wish to become great leaders must ponder questions like “Who am I? What are my values and core beliefs? What kind of leader am I, and what kind of leader do I want to become? What do I care about more than being comfortable? What motivates me more than the approval of my peers and my manager?”, and most importantly “Why should anyone follow me?” IQ is a measure of intelligence, but EQ, emotional intelligence, is just as important, perhaps more important, to great leadership. EQ consists of self-awareness and sensitivity to how other people are impacted by our behavior and language. Using several powerful tools for raising self-awareness: a values survey, the “Enneagram”, this module will enhance self-leadership, the foundation of leading other people.
Learn about, passion for success, striving for self excellence, the value of team dynamics, the virtues of personal integrity, the art of earning your respect, responsibility and changing for the better
In this webinar, you will …
* Learn the meaning of self-leadership. * Understand that self-leadership is for everyone.* Grasp the concepts of self-motivation, emotional control, moral wisdom and ethics.
The word credibility has several meanings. Alternatively, it means capability of being believed, to command belief or to truthfulness or correctness of what one says.
Want to know what it takes to be a strong leader? Start by effectively leading yourself. Learn the importance of self-leadership and the power you have within yourself. Learn how leading yourself builds confidence and how your new found confidence makes others notice you and how effective you are in your own life. Being an effective leader to yourself begins to prepare you in leading others. After all, if you can’t lead yourself, how can you lead others?
Self-Confidence
What it is Exactly ?
What helps You to Boost the Same.
What are the Factors that can affect the Self-Confidence.
Additional Tips for Athletes.
Give you the insights of being a leader, the leadership myth, the levels of leadership, Techniques on how to lead those above, below and around you. Basic ingredients of a project proposal.
Why Would Anyone Follow You? - Values-based Leadership
Leadership begins with a journey within, with self-leadership. People who wish to become great leaders must ponder questions like “Who am I? What are my values and core beliefs? What kind of leader am I, and what kind of leader do I want to become? What do I care about more than being comfortable? What motivates me more than the approval of my peers and my manager?”, and most importantly “Why should anyone follow me?” IQ is a measure of intelligence, but EQ, emotional intelligence, is just as important, perhaps more important, to great leadership. EQ consists of self-awareness and sensitivity to how other people are impacted by our behavior and language. Using several powerful tools for raising self-awareness: a values survey, the “Enneagram”, this module will enhance self-leadership, the foundation of leading other people.
Learn about, passion for success, striving for self excellence, the value of team dynamics, the virtues of personal integrity, the art of earning your respect, responsibility and changing for the better
Leaders and Leadership - What Do People See When They See You Coming.pptssuser1119fc
The achievement of organizational
and unit goals, objectives, and
missions. It involves moving a
group of employees in the proper
direction to achieve these desired
outcomes. At times, this means
influencing others to do what
they otherwise would not do.
Behind every successful marketing and sales organization is a well-tuned revenue funnel.
A revenue funnel is designed to save businesses from random acts of marketing or fly by the seat of their pant sales. This workshop will help attendees define and create a revenue blueprint that drives prospects from the top of the funnel all the way to customers.
Even if you already have a defined revenue funnel, this session helped you further optimize the buyer’s journey through using data to create marketing and sales touches to drive success. Revenue funnels ensure that marketing and sales are talking to the right person, with the right message at the right time.
As a marketer, you are more than aware that the stories of the individuals directly impacted by the organizations/companies you represent and their goods/services, are what allow our message to connect with the emotions of the intended audiences.
Jim Tagye, Director of Marketing Communications at the Mercy College of Health Sciences presented at AMA Iowa's June special interest group. The nurturing of authentic relationships within the College has placed Tagye in a position to tell compelling stories. Tagye will share his experience working with Applied Art & Technology to create a powerful video story that has allowed the internal marketing team a way to leverage conversations with leadership related to the importance of developing future projects that can have similar impact.
Mercy College of Health Sciences took a series of strategic steps before teaming up with Applied Art & Technology (AAT) who pulled the necessary elements together in such a manner that truly connected the college message with emotions. Creative license was given to AAT so they would not limit their focus on only the best video examples in higher education, rather deliver “the best” in the video industry as an aspirant.
The result is a powerful video story to share that has been and will continue to be shared with key influencers and constituents. Results and metrics from a focused digital campaign serving up the videos, using attributes associated with online behavior in conjunction with Blue Compass was shared.
In 2017, at our April luncheon, Jeff Julian presented on understanding what goes into producing valuable video assets. In September 2017, we invited Jeff back to host a video focused workshop where he dove even deeper into the topic of video marketing.
Named a “Woman of Influence” by the Austin Business Journal, Stacy Armijo provides her perspective about how to increase your personal influence and, in turn, elevate the role of the marketing function in your organization. Presented at the March 24th AMA Iowa Special Interest Group.
Slides from the AMA Iowa July 13, 2016 luncheon on Insights that Transform Businesses. Presented by Rob Malcolm, Executive in Residence, Center for Consumer Insight and Marketing Strategy, McCombs School of Business
The session describes how trusted peers get results as other tactics are in decline, especially with millennials. Learn how to success with similar efforts.
This session will provide innovating brainstorming techniques and include an interactive breakout session to take ideas and convert them to action within 15 minutes.
Panelists from a large company, a small company and a software consulting firm will share insights on how their companies are tackling the arena of Big Data and how to leverage a variety of data sources for strategic decision-making.
In this presentation, Danny Leibrandt explains the impact of AI on SEO and what Google has been doing about it. Learn how to take your SEO game to the next level and win over Google with his new strategy anyone can use. Get actionable steps to rank your name, your business, and your clients on Google - the right way.
Key Takeaways:
1. Real content is king
2. Find ways to show EEAT
3. Repurpose across all platforms
Mastering Multi-Touchpoint Content Strategy: Navigate Fragmented User JourneysSearch Engine Journal
Digital platforms are constantly multiplying, and with that, user engagement is becoming more intricate and fragmented.
So how do you effectively navigate distributing and tailoring your content across these various touchpoints?
Watch this webinar as we dive into the evolving landscape of content strategy tailored for today's fragmented user journeys. Understanding how to deliver your content to your users is more crucial than ever, and we’ll provide actionable tips for navigating these intricate challenges.
You’ll learn:
- How today’s users engage with content across various channels and devices.
- The latest methodologies for identifying and addressing content gaps to keep your content strategy proactive and relevant.
- What digital shelf space is and how your content strategy needs to pivot.
With Wayne Cichanski, we’ll explore innovative strategies to map out and meet the diverse needs of your audience, ensuring every piece of content resonates and connects, regardless of where or how it is consumed.
Monthly Social Media News Update May 2024Andy Lambert
TL;DR. These are the three themes that stood out to us over the course of last month.
1️⃣ Social media is becoming increasingly significant for brand discovery. Marketers are now understanding the impact of social and budgets are shifting accordingly.
2️⃣ Instagram’s new algorithm and latest guidance will help us maintain organic growth. Instagram continues to evolve, but Reels remains the most crucial tool for growth.
3️⃣ Collaboration will help us unlock growth. Who we work with will define how fast we grow. Meta continues to evolve their Creator Marketplace and now TikTok are beginning to push ‘collabs’ more too.
10 Video Ideas Any Business Can Make RIGHT NOW!
You'll never draw a blank again on what kind of video to make for your business. Go beyond the basic categories and truly reimagine a brand new advanced way to brainstorm video content creation. During this masterclass you'll be challenged to think creatively and outside of the box and view your videos through lenses you may have never thought of previously. It's guaranteed that you'll leave with more than 10 video ideas, but I like to under-promise and over-deliver. Don't miss this session.
Key Takeaways:
How to use the Video Matrix
How to use additional "Lenses"
Where to source original video ideas
SMM Cheap - No. 1 SMM panel in the worldsmmpanel567
Boost your social media marketing with our SMM Panel services offering SMM Cheap services! Get cost-effective services for your business and increase followers, likes, and engagement across all social media platforms. Get affordable services perfect for businesses and influencers looking to increase their social proof. See how cheap SMM strategies can help improve your social media presence and be a pro at the social media game.
The session includes a brief history of the evolution of search before diving into the roles technology, content, and links play in developing a powerful SEO strategy in a world of Generative AI and social search. Discover how to optimize for TikTok searches, Google's Gemini, and Search Generative Experience while developing a powerful arsenal of tools and templates to help maximize the effectiveness of your SEO initiatives.
Key Takeaways:
Understand how search engines work
Be able to find out where your users search
Know what is required for each discipline of SEO
Feel confident creating an SEO Plan
Confidently measure SEO performance
Short video marketing has sweeped the nation and is the fastest way to build an online brand on social media in 2024. In this session you will learn:- What is short video marketing- Which platforms work best for your business- Content strategies that are on brand for your business- How to sell organically without paying for ads.
The What, Why & How of 3D and AR in Digital CommercePushON Ltd
Vladimir Mulhem has over 20 years of experience in commercialising cutting edge creative technology across construction, marketing and retail.
Previously the founder and Tech and Innovation Director of Creative Content Works working with the likes of Next, John Lewis and JD Sport, he now helps retailers, brands and agencies solve challenges of applying the emerging technologies 3D, AR, VR and Gen AI to real-world problems.
In this webinar, Vladimir will be covering the following topics:
Applications of 3D and AR in Digital Commerce,
Benefits of 3D and AR,
Tools to create, manage and publish 3D and AR in Digital Commerce.
Most small businesses struggle to see marketing results. In this session, we will eliminate any confusion about what to do next, solving your marketing problems so your business can thrive. You’ll learn how to create a foundational marketing OS (operating system) based on neuroscience and backed by real-world results. You’ll be taught how to develop deep customer connections, and how to have your CRM dynamically segment and sell at any stage in the customer’s journey. By the end of the session, you’ll remove confusion and chaos and replace it with clarity and confidence for long-term marketing success.
Key Takeaways:
• Uncover the power of a foundational marketing system that dynamically communicates with prospects and customers on autopilot.
• Harness neuroscience and Tribal Alignment to transform your communication strategies, turning potential clients into fans and those fans into loyal customers.
• Discover the art of automated segmentation, pinpointing your most lucrative customers and identifying the optimal moments for successful conversions.
• Streamline your business with a content production plan that eliminates guesswork, wasted time, and money.
AI-Powered Personalization: Principles, Use Cases, and Its Impact on CROVWO
In today’s era of AI, personalization is more than just a trend—it’s a fundamental strategy that unlocks numerous opportunities.
When done effectively, personalization builds trust, loyalty, and satisfaction among your users—key factors for business success. However, relying solely on AI capabilities isn’t enough. You need to anchor your approach in solid principles, understand your users’ context, and master the art of persuasion.
Join us as Sarjak Patel and Naitry Saggu from 3rd Eye Consulting unveil a transformative framework. This approach seamlessly integrates your unique context, consumer insights, and conversion goals, paving the way for unparalleled success in personalization.
When most people in the industry talk about online or digital reputation management, what they're really saying is Google search and PPC. And it's usually reactive, left dealing with the aftermath of negative information published somewhere online. That's outdated. It leaves executives, organizations and other high-profile individuals at a high risk of a digital reputation attack that spans channels and tactics. But the tools needed to safeguard against an attack are more cybersecurity-oriented than most marketing and communications professionals can manage. Business leaders Leaders grasp the importance; 83% of executives place reputation in their top five areas of risk, yet only 23% are confident in their ability to address it. To succeed in 2024 and beyond, you need to turn online reputation on its axis and think like an attacker.
Key Takeaways:
- New framework for examining and safeguarding an online reputation
- Tools and techniques to keep you a step ahead
- Practical examples that demonstrate when to act, how to act and how to recover
First Things First: Building and Effective Marketing Strategy
Too many companies (and marketers) jump straight into activation planning without formalizing a marketing strategy. It may seem tedious, but analyzing the mindset of your targeted audiences and identifying the messaging points most likely to resonate with them is time well spent. That process is also a great opportunity for marketers to collaborate with sales leaders and account managers on a galvanized go-to-market approach. I’ll walk you through the methods and tools we use with our clients to ensure campaign success.
Key Takeaways:
-Recognize the critical role of strategy in marketing
-Learn our approach for building an actionable, effective marketing strategy
-Receive templates and guides for developing a marketing strategy
Videos are more engaging, more memorable, and more popular than any other type of content out there. That’s why it’s estimated that 82% of consumer traffic will come from videos by 2025.
And with videos evolving from landscape to portrait and experts promoting shorter clips, one thing remains constant – our brains LOVE videos.
So is there science behind what makes people absolutely irresistible on camera?
The answer: definitely yes.
In this jam-packed session with Stephanie Garcia, you’ll get your hands on a steal-worthy guide that uncovers the art and science to being irresistible on camera. From body language to words that convert, she’ll show you how to captivate on command so that viewers are excited and ready to take action.
The digital marketing industry is changing faster than ever and those who don’t adapt with the times are losing market share. Where should marketers be focusing their efforts? What strategies are the experts seeing get the best results? Get up-to-speed with the latest industry insights, trends and predictions for the future in this panel discussion with some leading digital marketing experts.
Digital Commerce Lecture for Advanced Digital & Social Media Strategy at UCLA...Valters Lauzums
E-commerce in 2024 is characterized by a dynamic blend of opportunities and significant challenges. Supply chain disruptions and inventory shortages are critical issues, leading to increased shipping delays and rising costs, which impact timely delivery and squeeze profit margins. Efficient logistics management is essential, yet it is often hampered by these external factors. Payment processing, while needing to ensure security and user convenience, grapples with preventing fraud and integrating diverse payment methods, adding another layer of complexity. Furthermore, fulfillment operations require a streamlined approach to handle volume spikes and maintain accuracy in order picking, packing, and shipping, all while meeting customers' heightened expectations for faster delivery times.
Amid these operational challenges, customer data has emerged as an important strategy. By focusing on personalization and enhancing customer experience from historical behavior, businesses can deliver improved website and brand experienced, better product recommendations, optimal promotions, and content to meet individual preferences. Better data analytics can also help in effectively creating marketing campaigns, improving customer retention, and driving product development and inventory management.
Innovative formats such as social commerce and live shopping are beginning to impact the digital commerce landscape, offering new ways to engage with customers and drive sales, and may provide opportunity for brands that have been priced out or seen a downturn with post-pandemic shopping behavior. Social commerce integrates shopping experiences directly into social media platforms, tapping into the massive user bases of these networks to increase reach and engagement. Live shopping, on the other hand, combines entertainment and real-time interaction, providing a dynamic platform for showcasing products and encouraging immediate purchases. These innovations not only enhance customer engagement but also provide valuable data for businesses to refine their strategies and deliver superior shopping experiences.
The e-commerce sector is evolving rapidly, and businesses that effectively manage operational challenges and implement innovative strategies are best positioned for long-term success.
How to Run Landing Page Tests On and Off Paid Social PlatformsVWO
Join us for an exclusive webinar featuring Mariate, Alexandra and Nima where we will unveil a comprehensive blueprint for crafting a successful paid media strategy focused on landing page testing.With escalating costs in paid advertising, understanding how to maximize each visitor’s experience is crucial for retention and conversion.
This session will dive into the methodologies for executing and analyzing landing page tests within paid social channels, offering a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insights.
The Pearmill team will guide you through the nuances of setting up and managing landing page experiments on paid social platforms. You will learn about the critical rules to follow, the structure of effective tests, optimal conversion duration and budget allocation.
The session will also cover data analysis techniques and criteria for graduating landing pages.
In the second part of the webinar, Pearmill will explore the use of A/B testing platforms. Discover common pitfalls to avoid in A/B testing and gain insights into analyzing A/B tests results effectively.
Everyone knows the power of stories, but when asked to come up with them, we struggle. Either we second guess ourselves as to the story's relevance, or we just come up blank and can't think of any. Unlocking Everyday Narratives: The Power of Storytelling in Marketing will teach you how to recognize stories in the moment and to recall forgotten moments that your audience needs to hear.
Key Takeaways:
Understand Why Personal Stories Connect Better
How To Remember Forgotten Stories
How To Use Customer Experiences As Stories For Your Brand
12. QUALITIES YOU CAN DEVELOP
Be credible to others so that they trust you
Hold yourself accountable to your challenges
Make good decisions when you’re feeling pressure to act
Express your confidence in clutch moments
Bring a group of individuals together to form a full and cohesive team
17. Trust and credibility – the keys for good leaders.
Before you lead others, you have to be able to lead yourself.
Before you lead others, you have
to be able to lead yourself.
18. ACTIONS TO TAKE
1. Understand and meet the standards of others
2. Have a very narrow “say-do-gap”
3. Communicate your intent and expectations to others
4. Hold others accountable when they fail to meet standards
23. HOW TO BE GROWTH-ORIENTED
Choose to lead. No one else makes you a leader. You make you a leader.
Embrace the struggle within—instead of worrying about what you weren’t born
with, build upon what you already have.
Focus on responding, not reacting, to the people and events you encounter.
Anticipate your blind spots—challenge yourself to gain a full view of your
strengths and limitations.
Be open to examining your beliefs about your abilities and exploring your
hidden talents.
Last year about this time, I had the opportunity to present on behalf of AMA Iowa for being Bronze Chapter of the Year on an international level in Chicago. I shared the story of being the spark in an organization and in your life—igniting those around you to push them for more, and in return making yourself and your teammates better. After doing more research and digging in, I found books and material on being the Spark, including the book named “Spark.”
So today I want to share about what I have learned and observed in my career, as well as what I have read and researched to hopefully ignite the flame in you.
So let’s take some time for a personal development session and recharge for the afternoon.
Leadership is not about job titles — it’s about action and behavior. And Sparks know just that.
Many believe leaders are the rare few at the upper echelons of a business or enterprise. However, leaders aren’t just at the top of an organization and can be at any level. Sparks are also leaders. Sparks invite change and don’t settle for less than extraordinary. They are invested in their organizations and aren’t defined by their spot on an organizational chart. Sparks are the cultivators, the doers, and the catalysts for change in an organization. They remind us that you are defined by your actions, your commitment and your will to get things done.
Sparks make an impact and can change organizations from the inside out—and for the better.
When Sparks are ignited, their actions can directly shape the future. Sparks make things better.
Today I want you to think about how to be the Spark by engaging with your own leadership style. We will discuss how to identify the Sparks in your organization and how you can be a Spark. It’s important to:
Understand your behaviors
Know your team members and the audience you create experiences for
Challenge the norm
To start, it’s important to understand your behaviors.
So let’s talk about the ideas of leadership. Three commonly held (but erroneous) notions of leadership
First you must recognize that you have the potential to be a leader. Many to-be leaders are held back by myths about who and what a leader is. Many people believe that leadership is somewhat a birthright, is a gut feeling or that you finally become a leader when you get a promotion. However, being a Spark is an act of free will and it’s your choice. Leaders aren’t born. They are made.
Researchers from the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research have studied identical twins separated at birth to explore the question of whether leaders are born or made. Concluded that we’re born with about 30% of our leadership abilities, including qualities like intelligence, extroversion and good looks.
Example: you’re in a meeting and someone rattles off a brilliant idea. Influenced by that person’s intellect and ability to think quickly, you then offer your take on that inspired idea. What this means is that this person has effectively led you—by influencing you and inspiring you.
The other 70% are the Spark qualities you can develop. Focus on developing leadership behaviors that will propel you towards success. The ‘made’ leadership behaviors we promote are attainable by any committed person, in any environment. Spark qualities include adopting and focusing on seven key leadership behaviors.
You will find that the seven keys tie into other areas of the presentation where we will dive deeper into them. Think about the Sparks you know. What is their character like? Are they accountable? Willing to be of service? How’s their credibility, do they act with intent? Are they consistent and do they have confidence? The Sparks I know exude these qualities and work to build on them each and every day.
Your instincts need to be challenged before they can be trusted because instincts aren’t always consistent with Spark behavior.
When we avoid conflict, overreact to bad news, or procrastinate on decisions, we’re acting on our instincts and not influencing our environment. We’re simply reacting which puts us at a disadvantage.
However, cognitive flexibility is commonly described as the ability to switch your thinking in order to solve problems, which we all do really well with the non-people-related challenges we experience. Some examples are, the printer is out of paper, this machine's not working, the caterer didn’t show up for the meeting, etc.
Many times we fall into ruts and routines with people, especially in long-standing relationships, and there are times when we don’t flex in our approach when dealing with tough situations. This can lead to roadblocks, which limits the level of leadership that we provide to others. It limits our ability to be a Spark.
You want to lead? Then go for it and make it happen! When you decide to be a Spark you’ll gain influence necessary to create the change you’d like to see and become the person with whom everyone wants to work. More importantly, you’ll be leading through influence, not through title, and that makes a big, big difference.
When focusing on understanding your behaviors, they are qualities you should focus on developing. These qualities will make you stand out as a Spark and grow as a leader.
Being credible to others so that they trust you – these go hand in hand, you really can’t have one without the other. When people trust you, they see you as credible. If you are credible, they trust you. These are both key to being a Spark and having people trust you as a leader, regardless of level or title.
Holding yourself accountable to your challenges - Becoming a Spark begins with a choice. It requires you to rethink how you respond to the most pressing challenges you’re facing. Do you submit to them, assuming you can’t possibly do anything about them? Do you approach them the same way as you always have, expecting you’ll get a different result? Or do you take a stance and lead? Think carefully before you respond, because your response can change everything, for you, the people who depend upon you, and your organization.
Making good decisions when you’re feeling pressure to act – take the time to think through your decisions. Time and time again I’ve seen quick decisions made in a meeting instead of asking for time to think it over and come back with a response. This has resulted in strained relationships or accepted deadlines that aren’t feasible for your team.
Expressing your confidence in clutch moments – confidence is key in the clutch moments. Sparks are looked to hold it together when the ship is sailing and you missed the boat by a second.
Bringing a group of individuals together to form a full and cohesive team – there’s nothing better than working as a team.
Speaking of teams, here’s a great example why bringing individuals together to form a team is so important. We all struggle with our own egos and limitations. Let’s be honest, we all have them. The Marines is a great example of what true leadership looks like. When in the Marine Corps, you realize that you truly can’t do it alone. Most of the training is done with a team. Marines also know that you experience more success if it’s experienced with a team.
Being a Spark means it’s important to be aware of yourself and your actions.
The Johari Window was developed in the 1950s by two psychologists, Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham. The Johari window is a technique used to help people better understand their relationship with themselves and others.
There are four aspects of self-awareness.
Covers truths about yourself that you have shared and may have become common knowledge among others. Where you grew up, went to college, don’t like conflict, etc. The more you share facts like this and more transparent you are—the more people are influenced by your likeness and feel more comfortable around you and are more willing to disclose information about themselves. This type of exchange can advance relationships.
Maybe when you get stressed out you are a poor communicator, or you have a hard time letting go of things when you delegate tasks. Without access to your blind spots, it’s difficult to improve them. And it may be precisely these blind spots that are holding you back from becoming an influential and inspirational leader to help others.
These are our secrets. Now don’t go and divulge all of your secrets! However, are there key things that you should share that are holding you back from truly developing relationships with others? Maybe you want a promotion but your boss doesn’t know and can’t advocate for you. Or maybe you are caring for an elderly parent and your home life feels out of control.
Untapped potential. We all have it. Maybe you are a great writer or have technical skills no one knows about. If you’ve never explored other areas of your skills, you nor others won’t have access to these skills. As you make attempts to push yourself into new experiences and gain a greater appreciation for your strengths, weaknesses and capabilities, you expand your self-awareness.
Understand your team members and the audience you are creating experiences for. When I was President of AMA Iowa, I focused on it being a personal experience instead of just something that is on a resume. Your team is your family. Support each other. Be all in or all out. You need to take the time to get to know the person. This applies to your team members as well as your audiences.
You can’t be a Spark in your organization without a solid understanding of your values and how these manifest in your character, which determines whether or not people trust you. Values: things that are important to you like fairness, humor, freedom, justice, adventure, family, faith, etc.
When you make choices that hold up to your values it’s freeing and liberating because you’re not distracted by what’s going wrong with your life and trying to fix it. You want to be focused on satisfying pursuits rather than energy-wasting endeavors. You want to find your access to the flow experience – the positive energy you feel when you’re deeply engrossed in your passion and able to channel your efforts into something meaningful and results-oriented.
Galatea Effect – (about a Greek myth and an ivory statue that comes to life) suggests that our images, beliefs and ideas about yourself have a powerful influence on our behavior
If you value honesty, you will be the person that speaks the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
If you are dependable, you won’t blow off a volunteer obligation or a commitment after work because you are tired and want to stay home.
If you value excellence, it will show up in your work.
The more you believe in your values, the more you become them. People who live their values exude a quiet confidence—they worry less about what others think and instead focus on being true to themselves. That shows up as an authenticity that’s refreshing to others.
Trust and credibility are the keys for good leaders. Credibility is critical in being a Spark because it contributes to the trust people place in you. It’s in the eye of the beholder and you have to work hard to understand what makes you credible to others so you know the criteria you are being evaluated against. Character and your performance level show your credibility.
To be a seen as a credible spark, here are some actions that you need to take. These actions are interdependent and can be undertaken with conscious effort. These become harder as each is introduced.
Understand the perspective of stakeholders. Do what is brightlined in your job and also work to meet unspoken expectations. What do people expect from you?
The space between your words and your actions is know as the say-do-gap. Example: vendor gets a deadline, they call you two days before and say they will have it to you two days late. Then it shows up at 5 pm that day. You earn influence when you demonstrate a consistently high level of performance. Say-do-gap is a great thing to measure your performance because it keeps you honest about how well you are living up to the expectations you have set.
Managers should share the “what’ and leave the “how” up to the team to figure out. This inspires creative-problem solving, as the team knows the end goal.
Strike up a constructive conversation about what’s not working and how it can be improved. Make accountability discussions part of your organization’s DNA. It’s irresponsibile to let feedback flow without considering it’s impact. After all, feedback is given to inspire growth. The focus of feedback needs to be on the other person and how we can help them. Too often we get caught up on how to deliver it or how we are going to feel when giving it.
To be a Spark, you’ve got to do the tough work on yourself first.
Find a quiet place and dedicate time to reflecting on the values that are most important to you. Identify a list of your top five most important values.
Assess your support network – the people you can rely on as you develop your Spark behaviors. Work to ensure that these people stay present in your life.
Where have you compromised your values in the past? Understand the circumstances in which you have tended to compromise. It may be a situation at work, home or somewhere else. Recognize the changes you need to make to lead more consistently with your intentions and embracing your values. Change is hard so expect this to come with some pain and uncomfortableness. But embrace it! It’s worth it once you work through it. Hold true to your values, as these reinforce the seven key leadership behaviors.
Research from Professor Carol Dweck of Stanford University.
Learning and development stop only when we adopt a fixed mindset rather than a growth-oriented mindset. We’ve all heard the saying…you can’t teach a dog new tricks. I know my mom said it to me all the time growing up!
However, you can teach a dog new tricks – as long as the dog is willing to learn. When we unconsciously choose to stop seeking out challenges, we thus are limiting our opportunities for success. We can also make a conscious choice to grow, which opens up a world of possibilities.
Choose to lead. No one else makes you a leader. You make you a leader.
Embrace the struggle within—instead of worrying about what you weren’t born with, build upon what you already have.
Focus on responding, not reacting, to the people and events you encounter.
Reacting vs. cognitive flexibility
Anticipate your blind spots—challenge yourself to gain a full view of your strengths and limitations.
Be open to examining your beliefs about your abilities and exploring your hidden talents.
As a Spark, Empower: CHALLENGE THE NORM - Give back, give praise. Demonstrate gratefulness and servant leadership. Remind your team and your leaders to inspire. You don’t have to be perfect to inspire people. It’s our job to impact people and leave them better off than they were before.
Your development as a Spark begins when you opt into the process of thinking what real leadership is. You need to adopt a growth mindset and consider two things that go hand-in-hand as you look forward.
Circle of Influence – who are your key relationships? Family, friends, mentors, colleagues, managers, etc. Think about your opportunities to lead within these relationships. And then think about how you influence and inspire these individuals.
Self-awareness – consider your strengths and weaknesses. Write them down and talk about them with someone you trust in your organization or a friend or mentor for an outside perspective. This will help you uncover the qualities that define you and reflect on how you can leverage your strengths in your environment
CONNECT TO PEOPLE – LIKE A SPARKLER – it spreads when you connect with people and then they connect with others.
All it takes is a spark and people coming together to make something bigger happen.
Be better than you were the day before. Make the world a better place one day at a time.
Now go and make a difference. Because I promise, there is nothing stopping you.