“Most coaches study the films when they lose. I study them when we win—to see if I can figure out what I did right.”
—Paul “Bear” Bryant, University of Alabama Head Football Coach
A new year brings the opportunity to apply learnings from the previous year and plan for areas where you want to improve. One thing I’ve seen over my years of coaching are leaders who go through their days bouncing from place-to-place and task-to-task, at the end of the day, feel as though they’ve not accomplished any of the work they planned.
Coauthored by: Ken Wagner, Ph.D. and Amy Durgin, Ph.D.
Leaders have long been encouraged to empower and engage the people around them. But usually it’s talked about as a one-way approach – the leader as the provider and the employee as the recipient. What if there was a reciprocal strategy on the part of the employee to further capitalize on the empowering approach the leader provides? In other words, what’s the analogous work-smarter-not-harder response for the employee in this situation?
In 1982, W. Edwards Deming published his 14 Points of Management and described what he called the System of Profound Knowledge. His ideas and writings continue to revolutionize manufacturing and organizational excellence by influencing innovators, thought leaders, and organizational teams throughout the world.
“How do I know my remote team is just as productive as when I was able to see them in the office?”
“How do I know they are doing the right things in the right way? Are there metrics I can use?”
“How can I be sure my remote employees are fully engaged, even though I’m not around?”
I’m hearing these questions a lot as remote work has become the “new way of work.” As a leader, what can you do? Do you use keystroke counters and always-on cameras to see them—because you can’t fully trust them? Or, maybe you should “trust but verify?” Or, “trust and hope for the best?”
Successful organizations have a few things in common. They strive to do great work, delight customers, and provide a positive return for employees and shareholders.
In this two-minute video, Ken Wagner, Ph.D., identifies the one foundational truth that must be present; a cultural set up to help people be successful in their mission.
Join Ken Wagner, Ph.D. as he highlights traits and actions prevalent in Q4 LeadershipSM. These are leaders who achieve results by bringing out the best in others.
In this two-minute video, Ken will identify traits of Q4 Leadership, which can in turn help you identify Q4 leaders within your organization.
When a crisis hits, many companies turn their attention outwards. Understandably, business leaders spend time crafting external messages and planning for ongoing communication to clients, partners, and other external stakeholders. Equally important, business leaders need to craft plans for nurturing and strengthening internal relationships through ongoing communications.
In these uncertain times, your team members will have deep-seated concerns about their health, their families, and job security. It is critical that you recognize the value they bring to the continuity of your operations and to your organization’s culture. How you relate to your team during this worldwide pandemic will have lasting consequences.
It is critical to maintain solid relationships that demonstrate trust and respect, inspire, show empathy, and create positive accountability. Your primary role as a leader in these times is to ensure that people continue to feel valued, heard, and connected.
