Attitude Reflects Leadership

Ever wonder when you walk into a business - a restaurant, an office, a store, a bank - why there is an atmosphere? Not just the cleanliness or the smell in the air but a palpable feeling amongst the staff?


It's the attitude.

You need to understand that the underlying tone is any business, any community, any household, is really the reflection of the attitude of the leader.

If you have a leader who throws change at you at the checkout register, doesn't say thank-you, treats customers poorly, you will see the same from the employees in that location - if the leader can do it so will the staff.

What to do? Always be aware of your attitude towards your team, your clients, those around you. It will come back to you in attitude from your team, your clients and those around you. Attitude reflects leadership - always!
 
Take into consideration the companies that you deal with regularly...I can easily name a few that make working with them a joy - whether as a client, a vendor or just a passer-by:

• Zappos.com
• Indigo
• Sephora
• Wheeler's Printing & Copying
• The Ryegate

just to name a few....who can you name?  Would you like to be your own client?

Take A Stand

There are many ways for leaders to take a stand. Most of the ways are not usually bad ways. In fact, we would expect our leaders to take a position on many subjects, decisions and projects so that we can understand our alignment to the overall business or organization. What happens when a leader refuses to participate in a major corporate initiative, and meanwhile, by default eliminates the team from participating? Take it even one step further, throughout the initiative, how can the leader ask the team why they are not participating?


This is truly a question of running-off-at-the-mouth. This leader has put the team in an awkward position - do they participate, knowing the leader's position and therefore potentially become the object of ridicule or punishment from the leader? Or does the team not participate and look like they are guilty of silo-thinking, not being part of the grander scheme of the company? In either situation, the team is not able to properly function within the larger group.

What to do? Ask the leader to advise on his position or re-think it. Provide the leader with the perceptions that could follow for the entire team relating to their stand.

What is the Impact of Your Choices?

Every year, with my partner in Solution Linx On-Line Coaching, we host the Chick-fil-A Leadercast in our hometown.  This is a wonderful and inspiring day....one that literally changes the way we work and live from that point on.  We have been hosting this event for 3 years.

We discovered this event while creating our business.  We attended the event to learn more about leadership and be inspired by others.  When we were there, we simply looked at each other and said, this is what we need in our community.

Our choice is to host the event each year.  The impact we hope is gathering momentum....and growing as we continue to hone our hosting skills, inviting others to participate to help us lead this charge.

What is the one choice you make that makes a difference outside of you?  How do you build on that and teach others to do the same?

Fight Fire with Fire

When it comes to problems or fires breaking out in our lives, whether at work, home or in our communities, we need to be able to fight fire with fire.

Take your positive attitude, your creative brain, your spirit and energy to the fight.

This will help you eliminate frustration and procrastination – tackle the problem head on.

1. Evaluate if it can be solved in small pieces or all at once.
2. Enlist the help of others where needed.
3. Sometimes we just need to drop everything and squelch the fire so that we can stop wasting time and make plans to move on to bigger and better adventures.

The fire is a good trap....we can pour all of our energy into it and lose focus on what we really need to accomplish.  As leaders, we need to help our teams plan properly (work back schedules, project planners, which ever method works best for the personality of your team) so that they can spot fires starting and douse them quickly before they erupt into something so completely engulfing that everything else gets put on hold.

What steps do you take to put out fires?  How do you teach your team to anticipate potential fires?

Spring Starts - Get Your Business Refreshed

Spring is here!  Get ready to really jump into your business.  There is no time like now to breathe in that fresh air and put new life behind all those goals that you set in the dead of Winter.
I am offering you a 30-minute call.....let's get those goals aired out.  Let's get the next best step in place for you to be the successful business leader you know you are.

What is standing in your way right now?  People, money, lack of time?  All of that can be dealt with if you would only invest 30 minutes of your time...right now.

A simple email is all it takes - lora@solsticegroupcoaching.com - let's get started right now! 

(Before you know it, Summer will be here....and you will still be standing where you are today!)

Year in Review

I spent some time looking at last year...2011.  What was good?  What was great?  What did I like or not like?  How did it really go.

By now, you have already completed your business plan (if not, click here and let's get started) so looking at the rest of the picture, now that you have your numbers should be a pretty interesting exercise.

Here is what I learned:

• I love my clients...they push me, they drive me, they inspire me
• I love the coaching work that I do - in private sessions and in Mastermind Teams - my passion is seeing others get that ah-ha moment and make that shift to a new space or frame or mind.
• I love the relationships that I get to build, expanding my network and simply meeting very cool, interesting people that eventually may become clients - no worries if they do not.
• I love marketing and business planning - this is where I can work out new strategies and tactics as well as share my secrets with others.

So as well as the love part of my business, there is a need for the opposite to exist; in other words, it's not all roses....

• I do not like the tracking, paperwork and tedious stuff that goes along with running your own business.
• I do not like the lack of value that gets placed on my time - by myself and by others.  I can easily get distracted, especially online....others can distract me by engaging me into enterprises that may or may not need my expertise...just sound interesting.
• I do not like my tough road ahead to help entrepreneurs and executives understand their need for a coach....and for a business plan....and for a marketing plan....to eliminate the tendency for others to fly-by-the-seat of their pants.

Taking all of this into consideration, I have been able to enhance my own 2012 business plan to include some of these items...more of the stuff I love, less of the stuff I don't except for the last one----this will be my focus - to get business leaders to understand the need to plan to get results, not just believe they will happen.

What about you?  What did you find in your own evaluation of the 2011 stuff that was not strictly the dollars and cents?  Share please - we can all use the insights.

2012 Marketing Blueprint

I mentioned that I was thinking a lot about my business.  I have worked hard to develop an easy process so that I can marry my business goals to marketing in an easy-to-do, easy-to-track manner.  Here is it....
and I am giving it to you.
I will be hosting a LIVE Workshop and online webinars this month to share my SECRET  - I have finally put it on paper in a step-by-step order so that I can share it with you.
Join me - there are a variety of dates and times available...even time for private sessions in your office.
Of course, I have one date in January, in case you are behind in this planning.

Why did I develop this?  I have found that many business leaders use the plan in their heads and hopefully find some way to tell the world about it.  Not only for marketing, but also for their business plan - where are the focus areas, who are the key target markets, what are the key focus products/services...many companies do not have this plan on paper.  Why not?  Never did it before, is the usual answer I get.

Learn more about the 2012 Marketing Blueprint. - see how this can change your business!

Many Thanks to You!



2011 - The Authority on Business Advice

I would like to thank my clients, supporters and friends - those who nominated me, voted for me and those who were there in spirit for the wonderful award I received in November called 'The Authority on Business Advice'.
I am honoured.
I am touched.
I am inspired by the business leaders in my community who are looking for ways to develop their own leadership potential and that of those around them.  You are a gift.

In my thank you speech I mentioned my boys- husband and kids! - they support me endlessly.  Most importantly I spoke about the opportunity to be back in a city that is changing - growing, fostering innovation, reinvention and development.  Windsor Ontario is home.  And I am proud of it!

Take a moment and think about your business.  I have been thinking about mine a lot in the last few weeks. 

• Does your business model foster innovation or clearly remove it from the picture - keep the status quo - what ain't broke, don't fix?
• Does your mind look to reinvention? To new ways to do old things?  To improvements to products, services or brand?
• Do you focus on the future while working in the present?  Are you planning to develop - yourself, your business and your people?

More to follow on what I have been thinking about my business in the weeks leading up to the end of the year ....

Mindset Change

Change is an action and a mindset.  Implementing action is one part of the equation, getting the mindset to change is another completely.  Focusing first on the mind, then the physical change can sometimes be less taxing because you will better understand the reasoning behind the change and why your actions need to take place.  How do you inspire a change in mindset?

1. Listen - before all else listen and learn what the change holds for your team, or yourself.  'What's in it for me?' is the first question that will go through the minds of those with whom you are discussing the change.  Get that down first.
2. Link - be able to articulate the change and link the change to all people involved - all stakeholders - from leaders, team members, shareholders, customers and even the community.  By articulating how the change can effect everyone, the idea that this change is singularly focused on a particular area or individual is mitigated.
3. Understand - be able to provide examples of the change - direct examples of how each area would be impacted and the positive outcomes that will occur with the change. (Go back to listen to the roadblocks that will come up with this discussion and work together to develop plans to eliminate the roadblocks)
4. Believe - be confident in the change, or do not make it.  Without confidence you will not get buy-in..others will see it as impossible.
5. Seek - search for the one positive communicator who can help you share your message - an early-adopter.  They can also provide insight into the negative thoughts of others and how to overcome that negativity.
6. Act - repeated behaviour gets remembered.  As the leader, model the way.  (If it is your mind that is having trouble getting around the change, try it - it will need to happen eventually and working through the process yourself will help you see the roadblocks that could appear for others along the way, helping you to develop ways to support your team)

What changes have you made recently that started with your mind and led to your actions?  How did you role this out to your team?

Best Place to Work

There are surveys and studies for the 'best place to work', but how do you know everyday that your place is e best place to work?


...do you have happy employees -like truly happy, genuinely engaging with others, whether clients or colleagues and ready to help for the love of the work and the company?

...do you have a productive workplace where work actually gets done, on time or in advance, exceeding your customer's expectations

...does your team take pride in the fact they work for you or do they hide it? Do they proudly wear the company t-shirt or logo...or do they make sure to put it on after they get to work?

These are only three indicators, there are many more. Check out Happy Staff Happy Company... they provide cool survey....for free that can help you figure some of this out and more.

Don't forget people leave leaders, not companies....when they where the colours, they are wearing the brand, they are representing YOU.

Leadership and Culture

I work with numerous leaders. One common topic in the first six months of this year has been culture. Developing one, enhancing one, changing one....culture becomes top of mind when companies are in start-up, some cultures simply evolve. Some are deliberately developed and some are deliberately changed based on the needs of the business and it's development. (If you want to read a great culture story, check out Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh from Zappos.com!)


The leaders that focus on culture can see that culture is the direct outcome or output of their mission and values (those of the company too). It is how activity takes place, how relationships start and a built, how all decisions are measured....."does it match our culture?"

So why is it that leaders in emerging companies are only just now recognizing that they actually hold the keys to culture or perhaps better said, the tools to sculpt the culture?  To me this is leadership 101. Build the business with the mission and values that are displayed in the culture.

Organizations shifting priorities or specialities or niches need to take the culture and help it adapt to the new priority. Shifting a culture is about changing the processes and interactions of people. Not easy, but can be done. It takes a measured plan, key outcomes that can be measured and of course a lot of leading by example.
How has your organization evolved over the last few years?
What culture shifts have occurred or are you spotting that need to take place?
As the leader, what are you waiting for?

The Exit Interview

There are two schools of thought on the exit interview.


Do them or not (like everything else!)

Conducting exit interviews gives the company insight as to potential opportunities to change or improve. This happens when the interview questions focus on big picture.  This works best when the interviewer is objective and perhaps from a third party as opposed to your boss or the HR Manager.

Letting an exit interview get out of hand and into a character assassination is certainly not the way to get your message across.  Use this time, if asked about specific feedback on a person, to provide exact examples with potential solutions or changes that can be made.  This will help clarify the situation that caused issues and also provide a great learning opportunity. (Is this difficult?  Sure, sometimes it is....but take the high road- you never know when paths may cross again.  And it just feels better!!)

The philosophy of not doing exit interviews is really all about not wanting to hear 'the whining'. If you work for this company, and want to say your part, then do so in your resignation explanation. Feedback is always a good tool, whether others want to listen at the moment or not. 

Leaving an organization (or more than likely,  the leader of your team) can be emotional or free-ing. All depending on the circumstances you have had to work in for the last while and what your next steps will be.

Having your say is important to leaving on good terms and providing closure to the experience. There is always the potential, because we cannot tell the future, that you may work with them again, whether it's the leader or the interviewer. Your thoughts and experiences are important  - make sure you share them.

Get Your Walking Shoes On

Leaders are always in motion. Whether physically or in their minds, movement is happening. As a leader, you need to get your walking shoes on and visit everyone who is on your team – and daily. Get to know them. Get to know what they like, what makes them happy. Find out what makes them crazy. Ask them about their ideas on how to improve the business. Discuss what customers are saying to them that can make the business better.


With walking shoes, a leader can really make a difference in the morale of their team, the productivity of the organization and even the creativity of their ideas. With walking shoes, the presence of the leader is know and felt – relationships and trust can grow in the path of those shoes.

My Zappos Tour Experience

Truly, this is Tony - his office is in the middle of everything!!!

Do you know about Zappos.com? Have you read Tony Hsieh and Delivering Happiness? If not, you have no idea what you are missing. After having read this awesome book last summer, I wondered if the culture that it portrayed existed in real life?

Lo and behold, I found that Zappos.com had not only a great blog and twitter-buddies for me, but an Insights team and a tour – for free – at their office in Las Vegas!

My husband and I took the tour in January. It was awesome! The book and real life are authentic. What a way to lead and live. Congratulations to the team at Zappos.com for making the world a better place!  You need to read this book!!

What Spiderman Says

Movies give us fantastic lines.

A movie can hold great meaning just for the parallels the plot can draw to our lives...even if the characters don't quite match who we are, the story will resonate.

A line that I think about over and over again is from Spiderman:

 "With great power comes great responsibility". 

 How true it is. How true it feels. Power is tied to responsibility ....think of a leader of a country, a corporation, a church. In the hands of that leader, with great power, is the responsibility of the those they lead....their country, their business or their community.

How do you work with power and responsibility?

Do you have movie lines that inspire your leadership?  Share them here!

Competition Vs. Competitiveness

You are the coach, cheerleader and scout for your business.  You need to be aware of who is racing with you up the hill, while cheering the team on.

Someone could come in and take your business while you are busy patting yourself on the back. Always have a healthy paranoia and respect for the competition.

Look for what the competition is doing right, not just what is different or what you may believe is wrong.

Sam Walton said 'steal shamelessly' , the modern day version of this quote is 'repurpose' or 'why reinvent the wheel'

What will you repurpose from the competition today?
What wheel are you working on reinventing that is already in motion elsewhere?

Meet Someone New: Michele Scism

I have met wonderful people in 2010.  It is easy to meet people with all the social media networks available to us.  But connecting with someone in a meaningful way takes time and effort.

Meet my friend Michele.  She is a dynamic, wonderful woman who has a heart that beats for everyone.  Her passion and determination to help women create the successful businesses is awesome  I spent time in session with her as well as get her blogs and newsletters.  Michele is always ready to share ideas, plans and next steps along with get you involved in things that can help you move your business to new levels.

I am introducing you to Michele because she helped me.  Who have you introduced to others, that can help them?  Is this part of your 2011 strategy for relationship-building?

Check out Michele's website www.decisiveminds.com - very cool with lots of super information!

The Y's of Leadership

Yearn - wants more for themselves and others

Yesterday - looks back and applies learning forward


You- a huge priority for every leader

Yet-not settling down

Yes-said to encourage and develop

Yours-ready to go to battle for you

The Alphabet of Leadership

Over the next few weeks, we will discover the words that talk about leadership, qualities of a leader, actions of a leader and even a few 'leaders do not'.  If I miss any along the way, please feel free to add.

Lead a Life of Service

There is a relationship in life to service. By living a life of service, you are in fact following a path that provides for others. It is a selfless life. Not selfless in the manner of giving everything away (unless you want to). In business, service is how we take care of our customers or clients, how we take care of each other -co-workers, colleagues, peers, leaders, support teams.

Service can be described in the following ways:
• A way to make others happy
• A transaction in exchange for payment, either for a product or experience
• The opportunity to care for others
By taking the description of service and applying it to our companies and our teams, you can begin to form a structure or even parameters to develop a service-oriented value base. By developing a service culture or atmosphere, you will then start relating how the organization operates to the benefit the customer will derive. The golden rule -treat others how you wish to be treated, or treat others how they would like to be treated, certainly lend themselves to a service environment. Understanding that service is for both internal and external customers, the rules still apply.

Should the type of customer influence our level of service? Absolutely not! The goal of a service-driven organization is to build confidence in the company- both internally and externally, and to empower good decision making based on a service philosophy. Internally, team members will make decisions in the best interest of then external customer. Externally, customers will make the decision to purchase your product or service on a regular basis.

Service requires skill. Service requires the ability to communicate, including verbal and written skills, listening skills, ability to empathize, get buy in, commitment to achieve and execute as well as admit mistakes, correct them and move forward.

Service requires patience and the ability to resolve conflicts, the ability to introduce and implement change, the ability to create a vision and build a plan to reach that vision. Service sounds a lot like leadership. In fact, leaders are in the service business.

Service provides confidence, builds relationships and creates opportunities where people can be empowered, develop and grow. Teams understand how to build relationships because of the service model they embody everyday and have a mechanism for making decisions because of the value set that service provides.

Whether you have chosen a life of service or fallen into it, you can begin to see that life and the experiences life brings lends itself well to service of others. Leaders frequently call upon stories, past experiences to teach others lessons that they have learned along the way. Sharing is service. Being available is service. Lending a hand is service. Providing feedback and open, honest communication is service. Service comes from the most authentic part of us. Service does not single out anyone but instead creates an equal footing for all. Do you lead a life of service?