3 Things Effective Leaders Often Say...

The Unity Community

A Weekly Letter About...

What I Decide to Write About!

March 17, 2018 - Issue 18-11

Good afternoon.

Weekly -- or Monthly?

Before I get into this week's topic I'll take this opportunity to announce that I now offer two options for receiving The Unity Community, weekly or monthly. On the first Saturday of a month, everyone will get the same letter. The other 3 or 4 Saturdays of the month only the weekly subscribers will get a letter. If you switch to monthly and are occasionally curious about what you're missing, I publish a link each week on LinkedIn, or you can go here to review any archived letter after it is published. I f you prefer the monthly option please reply from the email address where you receive this letter. I f you're a person of few words, a simple " monthly" in the subject line or message will suffice.

Now - The Good Stuff!

In my nearly 50 years of knocking around in the world of business, I've observed many leaders...and many people in leadership positions who weren't leaders. I've been a leader - and a pretty effective one, if I say so myself, at least during the last half of that career. I could have been a bit rough around the edges earlier.

For many years I've researched and written articles about leadership and what makes leaders effective, or not so much. In these missives, we've talked often, and examined others' writings, about how effective leaders get that way, how they can improve, etc., etc.

The article I'm highlighting this week boils a lot of that advice down into three things good leaders say often in their interactions with their teams, and three things they rarely, if ever, say. I'll also relate a couple of relevant examples from my experience.

Read on, and enjoy!

John Stevens at Unity Copywriting

Marketing Support for the Business Coaching Industry

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What You Hear most Often from an Effective Leader

Here's Marcel Schwantes, an expert in developing exceptional servant leadership work cultures, talking about the things effective leaders say, and what they don't say.

This...

In a position I held several years ago, I worked several years with a department head whose style often was "You people work this out, and let me know what you want to do". In the meetings he participated in, he would ask people's opinions, show appreciation for good ideas, and take responsibility for what we had to do as a team.

Rather than This

In another experience, I worked under a company president who was a retired Navy officer. His management style carried over from his military career - intimidation, negative criticism, demanding of subordination, etc. One of the effects of this style that I noted on several occasions was in meetings to address some particular issue that was important that day. When such meetings started in the president's absence, a lively discussion would quickly develop. If he wandered into the meeting, which he was wont to do at any time, everybody would immediately "clam up", and mostly just listen to the president's pronouncements. I saw, and felt, this happen on several occasions. It was the clearest example of stifling creativity I've ever experienced.

Do you have any doubt about which of these "leaders" got more cooperation from his team?

As Marcel points out, a leader who:

Takes responsibility
Shows appreciation
Invites others' input

Can attract wonderful cooperation and participation from other team members.

Those who:

Assess blame
Shirk responsibility
Play the power game (those of you with some gray hair may remember Richard Nixon's frequent declaration, "I am the President")
Speak negatively

Soon find themselves without willing assistance, and perhaps with open hostility, from their teams.

Let's Talk!

Most of us can relate this discussion to some experience we've had. Care to talk about yours? I'd love to hear anything you care to share about leadership styles (yours, your boss's, or anyone else's) or any other thoughts you have. Reply to this message or go here if you'd like to talk. Thanks!

If you work with business leaders to help them improve their results, you know the value of staying visible to your prospects and clients until they feel the need for your professional help.

A well-written periodic newsletter targeting your ideal prospects can be a powerful tool to keep you top-of-mind. Then, when they see the need for a coach, you'll be the first one they think of, and you'll get the call.

Who has time to write newsletters? Unity Copywriting makes it easy and affordable. The one you're reading is an example.

I'd love to learn more about how your business works. If you'd like to discuss what you do, please pick a time that works for you here, and let's talk.

Have a wonderful weekend , and consider calling me to talk about how we can cooperate to add value to what you do. Our discussion about how we can mutually benefit from working together is totally on me. You won't pay me a dime until you hire me to write something for you.

Be well, my friends.

John

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About John

Throughout a career spanning over 45 years my management style has been one of building teams to bring several competent people together to focus on a common objective.

As I transition to life in the Argentine outback, my focus shifts from coaching to helping other business coaches and advisers get their message out to their prospective clients. With my first-hand knowledge of the benefits of effective business coaching, I am uniquely qualified to work with business advisers of all stripes convey their message.