Category: leadership development

Winsight Episode 7: Developing Leaders

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[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/winsight/07_Winsight_Episode_7_-_Developing_Leaders.mp3]

 

Leadership is a buzz word and everyone wants to be a leader. The truth is a small percentage of people are actually leaders. Now you can learn leadership skills, but that doesn’t make you a leader. You can hold positions, but that doesn’t make you a leader. Personally I fall much more on the side that a leader is born not made, but today’s episode isn’t going to tackle that dispute. Today, I’d like to share my personal thoughts on the difference between leadership and leadership development.

Through personal examples and stories I’ll share:

  • The second tier of leadership
  • The inverted triangle and how it changed my leadership style
  • How deferring on a hiking trip won a popularity contest
  • How leadership math works

As a leader what type of legacy do you want to leave? How does your style affect others? Share your positive and negative examples below so others can learn from your example!

developing leaders, leadership development, coaching, winsight podcast, coaching leaders, lead by example, managing vs. leading

 

Winsight Episode 4: Successfully Failing

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[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/winsight/04_Winsight_Episode_4_-_Failure.mp3]

 

A successful failure? Seems like an oxymoron huh? But actually it’s not.

In this episode learn how failure is essential to success. Here is what is covered:

  • Failure is simply a numbers game. Learn how to play it and win.
  • What a baseball players batting average has to do with your success
  • The myth of risk and why resting your past successes is a recipe for disaster
  • Insanity, growth and what regret can do to your soul

How willing are you to fail? Share your number and why you chose it below. Remember transparency is part of growing.

no risk no reward, failing forward, john maxwell, failure and success, entrepreneur, fail then succeed, success stories

Winsight Episode 2: Why You Need Haters

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[audio http://traffic.libsyn.com/winsight/02_Winsight_Episode_2_-_Haters.mp3]

 

People like to call others haters, but what if that isn’t necessarily a bad thing?

If you take a stance on ANYTHING someone is bound to disagree with you, so I’ll discuss why haters are essential in this episode:

  • Being politically correct vs. keeping your opinion to yourself
  • My connection to Lakers Nation & how the Lakers historically bad season helped me
  • The relationship between controversy and respect
  • Leadership, significance and haters

What’s been your experience with “haters?” I’d love to hear your thoughts below and how you’ve risen above it!

muppets, haters gonna hate, justin beiber, donald sterling, north korea, lakers, lebron james, miley cyrus

 

Why I Chose Coaching

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Life is about choices. We can’t control what happens to us, but we can choose how to respond.
11 years ago, a supervisor asked me the day after I was hired, “Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?” My response, “Not here.” I said that because I always dreamed of owning a business; I just wasn’t sure what kind of business. Let me share with you how I came to my decision of being a coach.
“Client” Seat – I experienced coaching first as a client. Jay (my coach) met with me weekly or bi-monthly for about a year and a half. During our conversations, I loved how the focus was on my goals, my pace and my agenda. He listened, gave suggestions, but ultimately it was up to me to accomplish my goals. Similar to having a personal trainer, but for my mind. Towards the end of our professional relationship, I asked Jay what I needed to do to become a coach.
StrengthsFinder – Leadership was a hobby before it became part of my career. I decided to go back to school in 2005 to get a Masters in Organizational Leadership. Through the process, I met Dave, a classmate, who was getting certified in the StrengthsFinder assessment and part of his requirements was to take 10 people through the test and discuss their results. A year later I liked the assessment so much I got certified in it and to this day it’s the only test I give to all my clients. Knowing my top 5 strengths affirmed that coaching was the perfect “fit” for me.

At the Core – A coach is more of who I am, rather than what I do. My job title can change, but I’ll always coach people. I’m not a fan of job descriptions because they put people in a box. Why not create a role based on someone’s strengths? When I coach someone one-on-one I’m at my best. Coaching is my sweet spot. I look back on my past and realize I’ve been coaching others from an early age. I just didn’t know it was called coaching. I’m very fortunate to have found my ideal career. Coaching is just an extension of who I am.

Based on my faith, I believe everyone was made to do something special. Your career is a mixture of passions, strengths and experiences. What were you born to do?

Internships: The New Entry Level Position

Scott Asai1 Comment
Even with jobs increasing, is applying for entry level positions really the way to go?
Just like resumes, searching through Career Builder & Monster are outdated…here’s why:

  
1) Useful Experience. Most entry level positions are just that. Menial work for menial pay. When searching for internships, look for experience in areas you want to grow in. Normally there is more than one position available, so you’ll have the chance to collaborate with others while observing how your supervisors get the job done. Be a student and learn from those above you.

2) A Chance to Prove Yourself. Internships are a form of leadership development. Someone is overseeing you and there’s a chance that if you rise to the top, your internship can turn into a full-time position. Entry level workers are usually trained, then left alone. Interns are watched over and usually do a decent amount of shadowing. A good recommendation from within can go much further than anything you can put on your resume.
3) Internships create Flexibility. When you agree to an internship, there’s usually an end date. If you’re a student, there’s many opportunities to take on multiple internships during your career. Let’s be honest. Most people don’t have a clear idea of what they want to do. Part of figuring out your career direction is trying different things and eliminating your choices. How do you know if you can do something for a long time if you don’t have any experience doing it?

With community colleges recently turning away 400,000 students, traditional education has it’s downside. Even with a college degree, you are guaranteed nothing. At least with an internship you have experience and someone advocating for you (that’s if you work hard). Think about it. What gives you a better chance to succeed than an internship?

Life After College Book by Jenny Blake

Scott Asai2 Comments
So you’ve graduated from college and ready to enter the real world…now what?!
Jenny Blake, Career Development Program Manager & Life Coach at Google, points out how at each level through college we have an adviser to help us succeed. Yet “life after college” we’re officially on our own.   
In her book, she shares her own journey and challenges of going through a “quarter life crisis” and gives practical suggestions in the following areas: life, work, money, home, organization, friends/family, dating/relationships, health, fun/relaxation & personal growth. (What doesn’t she cover?!)
Jenny’s book is refreshing because it’s written as a journal of stories and recommendations. Ultimately, there’s no road map for the real world, but this is as close as it’s going to get.
As a coach myself, I appreciate how Jenny has opened herself up and shared a great resource that you can actually write in and use to track your own progress. When reading her book, it feels very personal, like having a life coach talk you through the steps.

Besides writing a great book, I’ve had the chance to speak with Jenny before and she’s an even nicer person. For all you people in L.A., she’s actually coming to speak at Career Synergy in Santa Monica on June 14 @ 7 PM. If you want to be on the invitee list, shoot me an e-mail at: scott@growingforward.net 

Network Events: The Future of Hiring

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Most networking events promise countless benefits, yet rarely do they match our expectations. The emphasis should be on building trusting relationships, before trying to make your next sale. Friends hire friends…why do you think the rich stay rich?
Let me take this a step further and say network events are the future of hiring. I’m not talking about job fairs, but a place where job applicants can mingle with employers. Think about it. The traditional way of hiring is done through submitting an application, attaching a resume then waiting to be contacted for an interview. Anyone can lie on a resume, but a face to face interaction is what separates the men from the boys.
Imagine, as a job seeker, you were entering a room full of potential employers. You’ve memorized your elevator speech, but there’s no way you can anticipate what questions they might ask. Isn’t that just like the real world? Life is not scripted and neither should interviews. You can learn a lot about someone by having a conversation with them. Their skill set may not be obvious, but confidence, body language, tone, etc. comes off within 5 minutes or less. 

I’m not undermining competence, but instead of meeting the exact educational and experience requirements, wouldn’t you rather hire someone you actually can work with? Talent is talent, no matter what industry. Skills can be taught, but intangibles such as “soft skills,” charisma and confidence usually come with the package. A formal interview is one of the worst ways to predict someone’s future performance. As an employer you want to see a worker in his/her natural environment socializing with others. Where better, than to go “undercover” and meet your next hire at a network event?