Effective Leadership – How to be a Better Leader

Michael K. McFadden

06/09/18

 

It is an honor to say that my eldest daughter is just a year from completing a Doctorate in Pharmacy. Recently, she made me so proud as she gave a workshop at an elementary school for the students on the proper use of medicines around the house, along with the appropriate do’s and don’ts. What was really exciting was not her obvious command of the content but her command of one of the most intimidating audiences on the planet – elementary school kids! She demonstrated superb leadership skill. This from the girl who would call me on my cell phone virtually in tears because her sister, 8 years her junior, was traumatizing her with her defiance as she tried to be a teenaged babysitter. “Daddy” she would say, “Lauren won’t do anything I tell her too!” I would reply, “Princess she is 8 and you are 16, how is it that the tail is wagging the dog?” What growth! Today, she has evolved into a much better leader.

 

Why is it that some people who have title, position, and opportunity fail to be able to lead; while others from within the ranks command respect and influence that effectively lead people to accomplishments and positive results? This is a reality we see in homes among family members, as well as, businesses, corporations, and organizations. Many people are plagued by the ill of wanting to be the boss. Driven by some misguided desire to tell people what to do like a master with a whip to an animal. However, some have experienced the ultimate ineffectiveness of these practices and raised the question, “What can I do to be a better leader?”

 

The wisdom I have tried to pass to my children are the same principles and concepts I teach in Leadership Training. There are four basic principles of leadership and the practice of them lead to improved results:

 

1. Be a Thinker
2. Exercise Control
3. Consider Others
4. Inspire

 

Leaders are thinkers. You must master the content in your area of focus because leadership grows out of the presence of problems. The true leader is not the one just barking commands; but is the one who can maintain composure in a crisis by exercising self-control and present a viable solution to the opposing issue(s). Most importantly, the solution must also not be out of selfish ambitions but must clearly represent the best interest of others first. Ultimately recognizing that the single most important difference between animals and humans is choice. Humans reserve the right, regardless of what they are told, to chose their own actions. Therefore, they must be inspired not mandated. Inspiration starts with the example of the leader. Good leaders are like trees for their followers. They provide fruit; they provide shade; they provide support. But, these benefits are found at the surface only because the tree has roots; and the deeper the roots the stronger the tree. Therefore, if you want to get better as a leader work on your leadership principles because they are your roots; and the deeper you drive your roots the better you will be for your followers.

 

For more information on this topic of business leadership training visit our website at:

www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com

 

Michael McFadden is a leadership and performance expert; founder of The Leadership Training Company; and author of the book How to Maximize Your Potential. Visit http://www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com and sign-up for the FREE Business Leadership Coaching 5 Day e-course titled, “How to Achieve the Results You Have Always Dreamed.”

 

Conquering Fear – How to Take the LEAP of Faith

By Michael K. McFadden

May 07, 2018

 

 

As a pilot who loves to fly, the surprising paradox in my life is that I am not a fan of heights. In particular, I don’t fancy open heights.  So, a couple of years ago when I decided to go skydiving for my birthday I had to draw from the experience gained during my youth to give me the process to accomplish my goal.  Experience taught me it is easy to formulate these grand ideas in your head; and, it is even easy to make the plans for such grand ideas.  However, executing these ideas can be as frightening as jumping out of a plane: or as I experienced in my youth, jumping from the 10m platform at the swimming pool.

 

When I looked up from the pool to the platform, it didn’t look so high.  It didn’t look so formidable especially when people of equal and lesser size were going off the edge of the platform headfirst.  I suspect this is how many people envision their dreams and goals. It seems like something that is within your reach, and most importantly, others are living their dreams so why not you.  So, I grabbed the opportunity by summing the nerve and starting the climb up the ladder to the platform.  Mind you, there were two other platforms even higher; so, this should be well within my reach and not an attempt of lunacy.  However, when I got to the edge of the platform something took over.  The distance seemed so much greater now that I was on the platform; and this something, this harrowing feeling had seized me.  Paralyzed with fear I had to return to the pool deck in humiliation.

 

I learned that if I was going to enjoy the thrill of fulfillment that my peers were experiencing, then I was going to have to find a way to overcome the paralysis that returned every time I attempted the jump.  Simply put, I would have to find a way to deal with the fear that we all face when things become much bigger than we first assumed or imagined.  So what did I do?  I learned to override the fear by eliminating the time between the plan and the jump.  I would climb the ladder; cross the platform and jump without hesitation or thought.  Because if I stopped to think, rational thoughts of fear would hold me back: not because it couldn’t be done, but because fear would have me scared to do it.

 

When I decided to skydive, I started two weeks before the date rehearsing that I would not think; I would just jump.  This process worked in my youth, it worked for skydiving, it has worked for my dreams and my goals.  Therefore, it will work for you.  The truth is the thinking is already done once you have dreamed and planned. When it is time to execute, don’t think; take the LEAP of faith:

 

• Listen to the voice of your heart – It will LEAD you.
• Embrace the fear – It will EMPOWER you.
• Appreciate the opportunity – It will APPOINT you.
• Persevere in the challenge – It will PERFECT you.

 

In the heroic wisdom of Les Brown, “leap and grow your wings on the way down!”

 

For more information on this topic of business leadership training visit our website at:

www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com

 

Michael McFadden is a leadership and performance expert; founder of The Leadership Training Company; and author of the book How to Maximize Your Potential. Visit http://www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com and sign-up for the FREE Business Leadership Coaching 5 Day e-course titled, “How to Achieve the Results You Have Always Dreamed.”

How to Get Your Business Off the Ground

Michael K. McFadden

March 29, 2018

 

Whenever I want to shift my state and break into laughter, I think of Wile E. Coyote.  That’s right, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.  Talk about relentless determination.  Here is a guy who knew no quit.  I mean he never gave up on catching that prize!  We can talk about determination in another post; but, picture this.  The Acme box arrives and Wile E. dives into the contents with excitement and renewed determination.  He thinks that this is the one.  This is the idea: the invention and the contraption that is going to finally work in aiding him to catch that bird.

 

After emptying the contents, he straps on a rocket, puts wheels on his feet, and lays down railroad tracks along the road the Road Runner is going to come down.  He dons his helmet and waits eagerly.  Without hesitation, the Road Runner appears in a flash and stops and gives his customary greeting – “Beep Beep.”  And, off he goes.  The coyote, ready to pounce, lights his rocket and bends into position and the fuse goes out.  It is a dud!  As he stands up in complete frustration and takes off his helmet, WHAM!  He is hit by a train coming down his tracks.  Who is the conductor? Beep Beep!  That’s right, his nemesis, the Road Runner.

 

I always laugh to myself.  But, it also reminds me what Will Rogers said, “It’s not enough to be on the right track. You’ll get run over if you just sit there.”  Many entrepreneurs feel this reality when they are beginning their businesses.  The question is often asked, “How do I get my business off the ground?”  The truth is, after finally quitting your job, and launching out after your dream, it is not enough to just get started.  If you can’t get that business humming and get the cash flowing, then you are just sitting there; and failure is your destiny.

 

How do you get it going?  I have discovered that succeeding in business is like getting a plane in the air.  The secret to getting a plane off the ground is overcoming the law of gravity by replacing it with the law of aerodynamics and lift.  Therefore, if you want to improve cash flow in your business, then you have to improve productivity by getting the results that produce lift.  Lift is that force that moves your idea from a hobby to a hustle.

 

There are four things that you must do to break the gravity that is holding your idea to the ground:

 

1. Lean on the gas.
2. Inspect the gauges.
3. Focus on tracking straight.
4. Transition by changing the trajectory.

 

Simply put, there must be massive action employed in the business that is immediately evaluated with corrective actions taken according to the critical feedback.  You must also focus your attention and not veer to the left or right by the distractions of life.  And finally, you must change your trajectory by aiming all this energy towards a goal that is massive enough to stretch you into a new dimension.  Those are the key fundamentals to getting your business flying!

 

For more information on this topic of business leadership training visit our website at:

www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com

 

Michael McFadden is a leadership and performance expert; founder of The Leadership Training Company; and author of the book How to Maximize Your Potential. Visit http://www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com and sign-up for the FREE Business Leadership Coaching 5 Day e-course titled, “How to Achieve the Results You Have Always Dreamed.”

How to Generate Buy-In

Michael K. McFadden

 

02/22/08

 

It’s an election year here in the United States and as a registered democrat, it is exciting to watch history in the making as we select what seems plausibly the first African American or female democratic President of the United States of America.

As the party’s candidates compete for nomination, they are faced with a challenge that all leaders face – generating buy-in. I am fascinated by the man some call the new J.F.K. – Senator Barak Obama. Senator Obama’s campaign is a great example in my opinion of how buy-in is generated.

While his talent appears to be so natural that one could consider it an innate gift, it is really an excellent compilation of skills that can be identified, developed, and honed. What is it about Senator Obama that has whites and blacks, males and females, and every race and culture in between, uniting and embracing the hope of change?

I have discovered that there are four components necessary to generate buy-in:

1. An initiative that benefits the whole instead of the individual (especially the individual initiator).
2. Pure motives. Genuineness.
3. Communication. The ability to cause people to connect with the virtues of the initiative, not only intellectually but emotionally.
4. Contagious passion. Charisma. When a person goes beyond having a message but to the point that the message has them.

A leader may possess wonderful ideas, but a leader who generates buy-in is more than an idea generator, he is an executor. In order to be an executor, a leader must have the support of his followers which is the result of buy-in.

Michael McFadden is a leadership & performance expert, speaker, and author of the newly released book How to Maximize Your Potential: Your Roadmap to Success in Business and Life.

Visit http://www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com and sign-up for the FREE Leadership Coaching 7 Day e-course titled, “How to Inspire Your Employees to Reach Their Potential.”

5 Strategies for How to Balance Work and Home

Michael K. McFadden

 

01/17/08 

 

It has been said, “You are what you eat.” But in the American culture, you are what you do. In other words, that is to say what you do for a living.

Consider the opening dialogue during the introduction between two people just meeting. After the exchange of names and pleasantries, usually the next question will be; “What do you do for a living?”

In the American culture, we are obsessed with status and material possessions. Even though work is a means to an end, it is easy to misplace our values and become overly focused on work and wealth in a desperate pursuit of the “American dream.”

While blindly sacrificing meaningful relationships, many people have worked diligently to achieve their dreams only to awaken surprisingly to the nightmare of a reality of loneliness and despair.

What is the American dream, which people work so hard for, really about? Is it marriage, children, homes, cars, boats, vacations? No. Sometimes people think they want money, or a husband, or children; but the American dream is really a euphemism for happiness.

What people really want is happiness.

Happiness is derived from self-fulfillment expressed through the service of others. Therefore, work must be balance with time spent relating to others and serving their needs.

Here are five strategies for how to balance work and home:

1. Make serving others the number one priority.
2. If your home life is a deterrent, improve it. Make the necessary changes for the better.
3. Be honest. Do not use work as an alternative to having an open and honest conversation with your significant other.
4. Get out of your comfort zone and develop new interest.
5. Do not bring work home. There is a time and season for all things.

A person’s home life is the roots to their existence. Work is a means to an end that should water the roots not replace them.

Michael McFadden is a leadership & performance expert, speaker, and author.

Visit http://www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com and sign-up for the FREE Leadership Coaching 7 Day e-course titled, “How to Inspire Your Employees to Reach Their Potential.”

How To Think Like A Leader

Michael K. McFadden

11/20/07

The apostle Paul once said, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Paul’s reflection clearly reveals how the process of a person’s thinking can evolve.

As your responsibilities evolve from following to leading, from technician to manager, your thoughts should evolve as well. It is a good practice when advancing to a new level of responsibility to ask yourself, “What type of thinking should I be employing on this new level?” A good leader is constantly striving to put off outdated and inappropriate ideas replacing them with fresh and progressive ones.

Exactly how does a leader think? Here are just five principles that guide the thoughts of many leaders:

1. Leaders think with laser focus but global perspective.
2. Leaders think in the “now” for long-term results.
3. Leaders think without the constraint of boundaries.
4. Leaders think primarily for the benefit and welfare of others.
5. Leaders think retrospectively about the results and effects of past thoughts in order to formulate more effective thoughts.

In the words of the old proverb, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

 Michael McFadden is a leadership & performance expert, speaker and author. 

Visit http://www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com and sign-up for the FREE Leadership Coaching 7 Day e-course titled, “How to Inspire Your Employees to Reach their Potential.”

7 Strategies for Resolving a Mess Without the Stress

Michael K. McFadden 

 

October 08, 2007 

 

An article published in the USA Today stated that most employees today are opting to maintain a frontline position and forgo the opportunity for middle management. One reason cited was to avoid the stress. A common misnomer amongst employees today is that being a leader is synonymous with being riddled with stress. However, to the contrary, good leadership focuses on properly managing the variables in a problem and averting the stress.

The adrenaline rush accompanied with any intense situation is useful; but any associated stress is a counter productive by-product of misappropriated emotions. More potential leaders should experience the unparalleled joy of helping another person maximize their potential by learning how to tackle issues without being deterred by the perceived stress. It is possible to be a leader or manager without overdosing on antacids.

Here are seven strategies for how to resolve an intense situation without taking away unwanted stress:

1. Work the problem and not a personality.
2. Don’t take criticism or failure personally.
3. Don’t wear your emotions on your sleeve. Problems often need more thought and less emotion.
4. Delegate tasks to responsible and competent parties only.
5. Listen and communicate carefully; and always clarify.
6. Only set and accept realistic timelines and expectations.
7. Resolve that it is ok to personally do whatever is required to get the job done.

Leadership should be a natural fit; and, therefore, enjoyable with the normal fatigue associated with any exertion. Stress is a signal that something (usually emotion) is out of alignment and that adjustments should be considered.

Michael McFadden is a leadership & performance expert, speaker, and author.

Visit http://www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com and sign-up for the FREE Leadership Coaching 7 Day e-course titled, “How to Inspire Your Employees to Reach Their Potential.”

How to Identify Leaders

Michael K. McFadden

 

10/01/07 

 

Success on any level by any definition is largely the result of good leadership. It is safe to say without good leadership, whether individualized or corporate, success remains elusive. Therefore, finding good leaders is paramount in order to further any good and worth while endeavor. But how do you find good leaders? Even more important, what are the indicators of potential leaders?

The evidence of good leadership is when a person can inspire followers to accomplish the common goal through maximizing their individual potential. Therefore, in order to identify a leader, you must search for the indicators in a person that suggest they can inspire their followers to maximize their potential and to use that potential toward the common goal. In order for a person to accomplish this task of a leader, they must be a problem solver.

In order to find a problem solver and hence your potential future leader, there are five characteristics you will want to identify. A potential leader is:

1. Not a complainer.
2. Looking for solutions.
3. Teachable and open to suggestions.
4. Always taking action.
5. Demonstrating his propensity to lead through his excellence in following.

Finding leaders is like finding a pair of shoes; if you don’t get the right characteristics (size, style, comfort of fit) the results can be crippling.

Michael McFadden is a leadership & performance expert, speaker, and author.

Visit http://www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com and sign-up for the FREE Leadership Coaching 7 Day e-course titled, “How to Inspire Your Employees to Reach Their Potential.”

Three Survival Tips for First-Time Managers

Michael K. McFadden

7/11/07

Things couldn’t be better. You love your job, you love the company you work for, and to boot you love the people with whom you work. Then in a blink of an eye it changes. You are promoted to manager and now the friends you use to work with now work for you.

What do you do when you become a first-time manager and your would be peers become your subordinates. It doesn’t have to be a bitter sweet experience; it can be a smooth transition once you learn the three survival tips for first-time managers – iterate, educate, and communicate.

Tip #1 – Iterate

Don’t lose yourself in the transition. You haven’t changed only what you do has changed. Continue to be yourself; after all it was because of who you are that you received the promotion. Iterate to yourself and reiterate to your subordinates that you are the same person but your responsibility will be different.

Resolve that, regardless of what you say, others will reject you; because change is always difficult for people to embrace.

Tip #2 – Educate

Once you have shored yourself by maintaining your identity, develop clarity on your future responsibilities. Knowledge increases confidence. Clarify what is expected of you and do as much research as possible on how to effectively accomplish the task. Then write out your plan for how you will carry out your new responsibility.

Tip #3 – Communicate

Communication is critical in creating a team climate. Don’t use communication to try to make people like you; use your communication to inform your team of the plan you have carefully researched and written out. Allow your communication to demonstrate your competency. When your team is convinced of your competency it promotes their confidence, trust and security.

Remember the goal of a manager is not friendship but followship.

Being a manager is a wonderful opportunity and should be a pleasant experience. You are helping people reach their goals because of the special talents that you possess.

 Michael McFadden is a leadership & performance expert, speaker and author. 

Visit http://www.theleadershiptrainingcompany.com and sign-up for the FREE Leadership Coaching 7 Day e-course titled, “How to Inspire Your Employees to Reach their Potential.”