Archive for the ‘Leadership Qualities and Attributes’ Category

From working with clients recently and reading some excellent books, I am noticing just how often mindset is coming up as a big contributor to leadership and personal success.   It got me thinking about some of the most successful people that I had the opportunity to work alongside in my 25 years in the accounting profession and during my time in business.

As a nation, particularly in the UK, we often get caught up in this mindset of believing that it is what we do that matters.  Now while action is clearly an important part of achieving success, I have noticed over the years that:

It’s not always the academically brightest people who achieve success in professional accounting exams.

The people who get to the top of their profession rarely do so because they excel in the technical detail.

There comes a point much sooner than most of us expect where academic achievement just gets us to the starting post.

A  global coaching client survey by the International Coach Federation identified that the number one reason why people choose to work with a coach is related to self esteem and self confidence.  Now if there was ever a big indicator that mindset matters then this recent survey confirms it.

So what’s different about those who have a winning mindset?

They get clear about what they want to achieve in the longer term.

They get clear about why they want to achieve something.  It is the why that provides the motivation to keep going even when the going gets tough.

They understand that preparation is key to their success.

They are willing to take calculated risks in order to move forward.

They understand that there are going to be failures, disappointments and setbacks as they strive to achieve success.

They understand that there is no such thing as a boiler plate or template for achieving success.

They keep their focus on the outcomes.

They have the personal courage to take the action they need to.

They know and are willing to ask for help when they need to.

They know that without self belief they are unlikely to achieve anything.

The Bottom Line – Leadership and Personal Success is as much about having the right mindset and personal resilience as it is what you do.  So what shifts do you need to make to achieve more success as a leader?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps professional people achieve more success in leadership and management roles.  He invites to check out his free audio e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/leaders-main.html

We all know that being a leader is a big challenge.  On the face of it, leading in itself should not be that difficult but the reality in practice is that it is a challenge.  Unlike many areas there is no guaranteed blueprint that will work every time in any situation.   At the same time I honestly believe that there are some stepping stones to becoming an even better leader.

The first thing on my list of stepping stones is being clear about what you want to achieve as a leader.  Getting the clarity about what you want to achieve is vital.  It helps you decide where and how to invest your time.  It helps you make choices.  It helps you to move others towards the destination you are seeking to reach.

Secondly, be clear about what you want to have a reputation for. In other words what type of leader do you want to be known as?  For example, do you want to be the leader who inspires or motivates others and takes interest in others success or are you someone who just wants the job done and takes no interest in anyone apart from themselves?

Thirdly, let go of the need to have the last word on everything.  Leaders who fall into this category are often poor listeners.  As a result they don’t take on the feedback of others and may well miss out on opportunities to innovate and improve things.

Fourthly, do what you do best.  I am always amazed when I see people doing things when it is crystal clear to everyone apart from them that they are not the best person to do something.  Focus your time and energies on what you do best.

Fifthly, get others doing what they do best.  Every member of your team has something unique to offer in terms of either skills or attributes.  Your job as the leader is to discover what these skills and attributes and get others to do what they do best.

My sixth and final tip is to get the help and support that you need to get even better.  Being a leader is tough and often a very lonely existence.  You need to get in place some support to help you along and keeping you going when it gets tough.  Don’t wait until you are crisis to get the help and support you need.

What else would you add to the list based on your own experiences?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps highly successful professional people to become highly effective leaders and managers.  He invites you to check out his free audio e-course at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/leaders-main.html

Attending a recent conference for accountants, I was surprised by how many seemed to feel that, even though they were in leadership roles, they could not make things happen.

Now let’s not pretend that leading is easy; it’s not. At the same time my view is that people who choose to step into a leadership role do so because they can make a difference.

Of course it is easy to come up with a whole host of reasons why you cannot change things, like:

• Well that can only be changed at a national level
• If only people were more engaged
• The time is not right because of…… (you fill in the blank)
• I don’t have the authority
• I don’t want to go out on a limb
• You don’t really understand what it is like in my organisation, sector or industry.

Yet here is the reality: When you step into a leadership role you make a positive choice to take the lead, to move things forward, to contribute to strategy and success.

In return you get well rewarded.

Of course it is going to be uncomfortable at times. You will face obstacles, barriers and even complete resistance at times. If all you ever do is wait for someone else to make the tough choices, then you are not a leader; just a well paid follower.

At the end of the day as a leader you are in the risk/reward business. You take balanced risks, get results and get the benefit in terms of your salary.

The question is, are you a leader or just passive and waiting for everyone else to act?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps professional people become great leaders and managers. Sign up for his free audio e-course Leadership Success at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk.

We often hear about those great leaders who have achieved something amazing in terms of corporate performance or turnaround.

On the other hand there are fewer examples of others going out of their way to lead by example with only the best interest of another individual as their motivation.

I came across such an example last week when I logged in to one of the groups I belong to on LinkedIn.  The post on the group started by Mike Henry Sr spoke about the predicament facing Dan Rockwell known to many on twitter as @leadershipfreak.

Dan was involved in a major auto accident the week of thanksgiving in the US resulting in serious injury to Dan and the prospect of a long road to recovery.  Unlike here in the UK where we have the NHS free at point of delivery, Dan does not just face the physical challenge but the financial challenge of covering the medical bills that a major incident like this bring.

And this is where real leadership and leading by example was demonstrated.

Becky  Robinson with the help Lolly Daskal, Jesse Lyn Stoner, and Mike Henry got to work with a campaign to raise  $30,000 to cover medical expenses so that Dan could focus on the physical recovery without worrying about the financial issues.

On checking the item on the Lead Change Group on LinkedIn I saw an update that over half of the funds needed have already been raised which is an amazing testimony to the people who have made this happen.

You can read the blog post and find out how you can support Dan through the Lead Change Group initiative here

So what are the key leadership lessons from this initiative:

1.  It’s people not buildings, equipment or machines that make the difference.

2. When we focus on a definite purpose with a definite deadline we achieve more.

3. Collectively we can achieve much more than any one person can.

4. Small contributions from many deliver great results.

5. People are drawn to leaders like Dan Rockwell who are always willing to help and support others.

Even if you are not in position to donate I ask you to spread the word on this chance to make a difference for Dan Rockwell

Being successful as a leader is much more than just acquiring knowledge, skills and experience. While these all matter, what really makes a difference are the personal attributes.

Here are 10 of my key attributes of successful leaders:

1. An action focus. Talk is cheap but at the end of the day action speaks louder than words.
2. They make choices. They understand that the results they achieve are a direct consequence of the choices they make. Rather than being passive they make active choices.
3. They understand the what and the why. Most leaders understand what they want to achieve. The best leaders know what they want to achieve and why they want to achieve it.
4. They are glass half full people. By that I mean that they have a positive attitude even when the circumstances or situation are challenging.
5. They don’t see goal setting as a chore but an essential component of delivering results.
6. They take imperfect action. In other words they don’t hold off waiting for the perfect information or time as they know it never arrives.
7. They use language that empowers themselves and inspires others as they know ultimately that they need the help and support of others to deliver success.
8. They invest in themselves as they know that this is the way to stay at the top of their game and unlock their real potential.
9. They have clarity about what constitutes success for any goal which allows them to measure progress and results effectively.
10. They understand that sustained success is rarely about luck but as a result of clear, consistent focus.

I wonder what else you would add to the list?

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements Ltd helps professional people become great leaders. Sign up for his free 6 part audio e-course.

Leaders are ultimately judged on the results that they deliver. While this might sometimes seem unfair, all leaders understand that this is the reality.

Sometimes it can be easy for leaders just to tread water, especially when things seem to be going well. Yet in truth continued creativity and risk taking is critical to leadership success. Why?

Leadership success is about finding new or better ways of doing things or meeting needs of customers or clients.

Leadership success is about finding different solutions to long standing problems or issues that are getting in the way of results.

Leadership success starts with an idea or concept that needs to be developed.

Leaders need to be willing to dip their toes into the pool of uncertainty without fear of failure.

No decision or action comes with a warranty or guarantee: there is risk in every decision or choice.

In these highly competitive and fast moving times pushing the boundaries personally, as a team and as an organisation as a whole is not an option but a necessity.

So if you are seeing creativity and risk as being bad or something to avoid, think again. It is not just critical but essential to your success as a leader.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps professional people to realise their true potential and maximise their earning. You can sign up for his free audio masterclass here www.goalsandachievements.co.uk.

In my 25 years in accounting and consulting I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to manage and lead teams ranging in number from 3 to 70 people.

Like everyone else, there were times when things went really well and other times when it was a struggle.

So what were 20 things that I learned that would be of help to anyone moving into managing or leading from a professional or technical background?

1. It is a different skill set. Accounting and many other professions are a lot about process. Managing and leading is all about people.
2. Time is your real limiting factor. When doing costing and management accounting you learn about limiting factors. When you move into managing and leading you realise what the real limiting factor is and it is time. As a result you need to invest it wisely.
3. You need to make managing and leading a priority. Otherwise you just keep yourself busy doing things personally rather than getting results through others.
4. You need a great team around you and it is worth waiting to find the right people on your team.
5. You need to be willing to deal with the difficult stuff like process issues, people performance issues, conflict and change even though it is challenging.
6. You need to listen a whole lot more. In fact I would say that listening is the most important aspect of communication and sadly often underutilised.
7. Delegating is not optional but a necessity if you want to achieve anything significant.
8. You need to have support. That support might be a coach, mentor or sounding board who can help you keep a sense of perspective.
9. You cannot spend enough time getting to know your team so that you can get the best from them.
10. You need to know what’s critical and what’s not so that you can focus and prioritise.
11. You need to know where you perform best and try to spend as much time as you can on the things that you do best.
12. You cannot afford to stop learning and it is so easy to forget about your own personal and professional development.
13. It is pointless wasting time and energy on conflict or horrible situations when you are in the wrong frame of mind. It is much better to walk away and come back when you are in the right frame of mind.
14. In stressful situations it is easy to do or say something that you later regret. Pause before you dive in with two feet into a downward spiral.
15. You need to take responsibility even if the consequences for you personally are potentially serious. Passing the buck never works.
16. It is vital to keep things in perspective otherwise you lose sight of the bigger picture and what you are trying to achieve.
17. Don’t allow one person’s views or opinion to destroy your confidence. Pay attention to patterns of feedback, not to individual views or opinions about you.
18. Don’t try to be something you are not. If you are stuck in a role that does not fit with your values or results in excessive compromise it might be time to walk away.
19. Never make promises you cannot keep. This merely results in people not trusting you.
20. Don’t forget we are all replaceable so don’t fall into the trap of believing that you are indispensible. At the end of the day there is always someone to fill your shoes.

In truth leading and managing is in my experience a never ending process of learning and development.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers. He invites you to sign up for his free audio masterclass on team leadership at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/teamleadership/

Being a politician might seem like an easy life and at the same time, just like leading in organisations, there are some major challenges.

So what can we learn about leadership from politics?

Lesson 1: Putting Up Counter Arguments Is Easy

• Ever notice how politicians are always full of counter arguments and highly critical when in opposition? Yet when they get into power it is a very different story. The truth is that, for any leader, it is easier to come up with problems than solutions.

Lesson 2: Achieving Change Is Tough

• Here in the UK there is a massive drive to reform public services. While everyone wants the best from public services, there are very different views on the best ways to achieve this. Ultimately, achieving change is tough and about changing hearts and minds.

Lesson 3: Chopping And Changing Creates Doubt

• Of course you cannot be rigid in your plans. At the same time, if you keep chopping and changing you create doubt whether you know what you are doing.

Lesson 4: You Can Quickly Lose Raving Fans

• Leaders need followers and a fair proportion of them need to be major supporters or raving fans. Sometimes when you take bold action and things don’t work out just as you had hoped, people accelerate at pace in the opposite direction.

Lesson 5: Listen Before You Take Big Decisions

• From time to time you are going to have to take big decisions. The key is to seek views, opinions and really listen before you take major decisions.

Lesson 6: It Is All About Choices

• Any leader, whatever area they work in, has to make choices. Sometimes your choices will be fully embraced and other times they will be opposed. This is just reality as people see things from their own perspective. Your challenge is to make what you consider to be the best choices and then stand firm when the going gets tough.

The Bottom Line: Leading, whether in business or in politics, is a major challenge.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers. He invites you to take advantage of his free audio e-course Leadership Success at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk

As a leader, you know that ultimately the perception of you is based first and foremost on the results that you achieve. At the same time, some achieve great results while others struggle.

So what makes the achievers stand out?

Real Clarity

One of the things I notice about achievers is that they know where they want to get to. They have a desired end point and a plan of action to get there. By contrast, those with less clarity bob along in a world of vagueness.

Personal Drive

We keep hearing about so called ‘overnight successes’. Yet in reality we know that this is more fiction than fact. Look at some of the most successful people around and a common thing you will see is that it took time and a ton of effort to achieve success on a major scale. They encountered many obstacles along the way but had the drive and persistence to keep going.

They Are Not Afraid To Fail

This is an odd one. Everyone has tried and failed at something. To achieve as a leader you have to get comfortable with trying and knowing that you will have just as many failures, if not more than successes. Or as Edison said, he found out 10,000 ways that did not work before achieving success.

They Build A Team

No one does it all by themselves. It does not matter how good you are; you cannot expand beyond a certain point without a team to support you. This does not mean you are incapable but just a simple fact that you have a limit of 24 hours in any one day.

They Have A Support Team

Being a leader is really lonely. I remember a Partner at Ernst & Young saying this to me when I worked there. The statement did not have much impact but it became clear when I was in a senior role. Be aware and alert to who you need on your support team.

They Have A Way To Recharge

It does not matter who you are; you can only operate at your peak for so long, then you need to recharge. The way in which you recharge will differ from person to person. The key is being alert to the need to recharge and do what works for you.

The Bottom Line: People thrive on achievement and some simple changes can make a huge difference to your success.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements helps accountants and health professionals to become highly effective leaders and managers. He invites you to take advantage of his free audio e-course Leadership Success at www.goalsandachievements.co.uk

Being a leader presents many challenges. One of the most valuable assets you can have as a leader is self awareness. Why is it so important and what are the benefits?

Benefit 1: You Play To Your Strengths

• While you can be competent in many areas, it is tough to be great at everything. Being more self aware allows you to focus your time and energies on what you do best. After all, you want to be playing to your strengths.

Benefit 2: You Get Others Playing To Their Strengths

• Organisations are full of talented people, many of whom are never ever fully utilised. Make the time to find out where others excel and get them focusing on what they do best.

Benefit 3: You Adapt To The Situation

• Leadership is not something that comes with a step by step success recipe. A lot of it is trial and error, learning and reflection and being able to adapt. The best leaders are highly skilled at adapting to the situation they face.

Benefit 4: You Think Before You Act

• In any situations there will always be many options open to you. Good leaders know this and will choose their response and options to take account of others’ perspectives.

The Bottom Line: The truth is that raising your levels of self awareness can really make a huge difference to the results you achieve. So what’s your first step?

To help you to assess where you excel and where you perhaps need to develop yourself, I have developed a simple Leadership Assessment.  You can get your free assessment by clicking on the  following link leadership-skills-assessment