Do You Know Who’s On Top?

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After you get your mind out of the gutter, when it comes to your career this question is serious business. Regardless of where you are in your career, who’s on top matters. 

The “trickle down” effect. Take for example, Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. Recently there were reports that he heckles his players when they’re not performing up to their potential. Not exactly a motivational speaker huh? Whoever is on top bleeds their personality and core values to everyone within the organization. As an employee, it’s vital you get to know as much about the person in charge. Even if you never meet him/her face to face, you will know what they value based on how you are treated.

Choose respect over like. That means it’s more important that you respect your boss than actually like him/her. It’s not what they say, but what they do. Actions speak louder than words. If you truly respect your boss, there should be times you don’t like him/her because they’ll do what’s best for the company, not just for you. On the other hand, if you really like your boss, but don’t respect him/her, most likely you don’t give 100% effort and the company suffers.

Look for growth opportunities. What is the company culture like? There’s no harm in taking a lesser position if you know there’s room to advance. On the flip side, if you are in it solely for the money, it will come back and bite you. A learning culture provides multiple ways to continuously grow their workers such as: coaches, workshops, conferences, training, etc. (Take a look at Google, Zappos & Dreamworks as examples) 

We’ve been told great organizations are flat, but that’s a myth. All organizations need some form of vertical leadership to accomplish anything. The leader of a company drives the culture. The culture affects workers more than any other factor. Take some time to look up and figure out if you like respect what you see. What’s on top will determine how you feel “below.”

I’d like to hear your personal stories about good and bad leadership you’ve experienced. Please leave your comment below.

How Successfully Do You Fail?

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Define success. Each definition is unique. 
Define failure. Any time you don’t reach the intended goal. 

  
The most successful people in the world fail the most. 
Yes, I said it. Successful people aren’t afraid of failure because of how they view it.

After your next failure (that’s right, it will happen), try asking yourself these questions:

What can I learn?
We learn the most from losing, not winning. There’s teachable moments in every setback no matter how painful they are. It’s not what happens to you, but how you respond to it. 

What’s my next move?
There’s no harm in evaluating what happened (collecting data), but don’t dwell on your mistakes. Pick yourself up and move on. If you “keep score” based on wins and losses, you’ll become depressed. One great win can offset many losses.

What’s my goal?

After you get up off the canvas and start fighting again, re-focus on your desired target. Think of a mosaic (credit to my friend Josh Allan Dykstra). Instead of being consumed with the individual pieces, step back and view the big picture. Don’t let setbacks stop you. Stay persistent and the results will come.

Being successful is about learning to fail forward. Learn from your mistakes. Move on. Fixate on your target. Failure isn’t a bad thing, if you know how to “see” it.


Are you ready to fail forward?

Are you an Invisible Leader?

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Inspired by a post written by Kevin Ding, Lakers Reporter for the OC Register, “Invisible Leader” refers to Lakers Coach Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. 

In today’s world, being an invisible leader is key to success. Let me explain…

Leadership starts with a Vision. When Phil Jackson was initially hired by the Lakers, his goal was clear: win multiple championships. He knew the talent was there, but he needed the players to buy into his philosophy (no pun intended). No matter what position you hold, your vision has to drive your actions. People cannot follow, if they don’t know where to go.

Culture is the embodiment of vision. Once the vision is set, there needs to be a clear structure and set of behaviors to implement the strategy. Phil and Kobe had a rocky start to their relationship, but Phil never stopped teaching. Creating a strong culture means showing people how to do things the right way. Effective leaders model what is right, then expect others to do the same.

Empowerment is carrying out the culture. Leadership does not happen by force, but by giving responsibility and releasing control. In recent years, Phil doesn’t have to do much teaching since Kobe has become an extension of his coach. Kobe trusts Phil and Phil believes in Kobe. The heart of leadership is developing others. Imagine a relay race. Leaders pass the “baton” and cheer on their prodigy. 

Being an “Invisible Leader” means putting others first. Plant a seed of hope. Focus on doing things the right way. Look for ways to help others shine. Invisible leaders choose to be in the background, but their followers definitely “see” and “hear” them.

How can YOU be an Invisible Leader to someone today?