How aware are you of your language? Do you know that there are certain words that are used in everyday language that seriously affect your outcomes and in a negative way? Here are just nine of them, how many do you use regularly? (more…)
Btb Guest Author
Kelvin Gillen
Reading Irails post made me think about what did I understand by ‘authenticity’ ? and was it something innate or something that could be developed? And how authentic was I as a leader?
At a high level I suppose I understood authenticity to be about being honest and true to ones own values and beliefs, but in reality I think this was a little bit simplistic – in my experience many of us work in complex, politically orientated workplaces where complete honesty and openness are not often possible, practical or effective. So how do we strike a balance between our authenticity and our environments or the work culture we find ourselves in?
Could managing ones authenticity be an answer?
While on the surface this approach intuitively sounds wrong, it is exactly this approach that many, including Rob Goffee and Garetth Jones, advocate in order to develop as an authentic leader. This approach does not mean being manipulative or insincere in any way, but simply being able to present different faces to different audiences without losing sight of who you are – this role playing is not fake, but simply presenting different facets of yourself at different times i.e. is your audience made up of clients or colleagues? We need to be authentic with both, but will usually adopt slightly different personas with each.
So if we believe authenticity can be managed, is it something that we can work on and improve? I believe the answer to be a most definite yes,
Irail says that authentic leaders must be ‘consistent in their message’ and I think this is the key – you have to ensure that your actions are consistent with your words or else no one will ever perceive you as authentic. This last bit is often overlooked i.e. you can’t really be authentic on your own – authenticity is largely defined by what other people see in you.
Finding common ground with those who you are trying to lead or influence is another way to establish your authenticity. Be comfortable with where you come from and use your background to build a rapport with others and be genuinely curious about other people’s histories.
Authentic leadership is also associated with the promotion of positive psychological states such as confidence, optimism and hope, so you need to work on removing barriers between yourself and others and also try to give people feedback that acknowledges their own values and beliefs i.e. what is unique about them.
Anyway, what do people think? Is managing one’s own authenticity a contradiction? Or perhaps a mechanism to help you grow and develop as a leader?
Kelvin Gillen is a Senior Manager with Pinnacle Project Partners. Over the last 15 years he has worked as a Project / Programme Manager, primarily within the Financial Services Sector here in Ireland, but also with clients in the UK, Holland, the US and New Zealand. He have worked on a number of significant large scale projects – ranging from process improvement & automation initiatives, to more traditional solution design & implementation projects. PMP™ certified and holder of a MBA (First Class Honours) from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
This has been a REALLY tough year for many businesses and business people. “I can’t wait till this year is over” is something a great many of us feel right now. It is entirely normal and indeed healthy to expect that with a new year comes new opportunities and indeed new hope.
Perhaps now it is only right for us to pat ourselves on the back: for still being here, for still surviving, for still wanting, for still believed and for still SUCCEEDING….I have always believed that mountains are there to be climbed and next year may present itself as another or a different peak to scale….Christmas is a good time to take stock, to remind yourself why it is, you do what you do, and where it is you need to go. It is a time to prepare mentally and physically, to recharge those batteries - and to reignite your desire to succeed.
The world in which we now operate is one of constant flux – information and opportunity travels at such a speed, you would be forgiven for thinking that it is impossible to keep up. While the tools of doing business are in some cases unrecognisable from those we used only a few years ago – it is my absolute belief that the rules remain intact. Let me explain, here are my 5 KEYS to a Successful New Business Year
Engaging with people is the fundamental first step towards creating person to person relationships. Relationships equal more in business; way too much talk now focuses on the venue, tool or technology – when really these are all secondary to the simple act of SAYING HELLO…. So whether it is making a face to face introduction, picking up the phone, asking a question, leaving a comment on a blog or RTing a tweet – remember the real power lies in DOING rather than the talking about it.
Listening is probably our most powerful sense, yet so few of us use it well. We often pretend to listen rather than actually listen. Listening requires effort and concentration but it is worth its weight in gold. Think about it! Through listening we can HEAR what our customers want, where our markets are, where opportunities exist for us, how we can innovate and ultimately how you can be successful.
All of mankind greatest achievements have come from us working together. From leaving Africa, to building the pyramids and putting a man on the moon, these achievements serve to constantly remind us – that together we will always be greater than the sum of our parts. Technologies serve to create new exponential opportunities for us to realise our collective potential. All we need to do to get there is reach out to one another.
Celebrity culture now infests our weaker minds; it’s like a drug that threatens to deceive the masses. A lack of genuine leaders has created a gap in a market where people are desperate for something to follow. The real power of influence is in what you do with it, not in how much you can eat. If bestowed with leadership, become a real leader rather than just another leadership abuser, because they are ten a penny.
With all that’s being watched, said and read about the current doom and gloom, you may think that I am losing my marbles – when I say it is really a time of plenty, but hold on! Our realisation that old ways no longer work leads to an inevitable conclusion – new ways will have to be found and someone will be required to find them…. Now is a time of creation, it is a time of innovation and it is a time for vision. To see new ways is to first think in new ways…. You will start to change the world as soon as you start to CHANGE your perception of it.
What are your New Year’s Business Resolutions?
I thought for my first post of 2009, Id start with a hypothetical situation about two imaginary competing companies contemplating what 2009 will have in store.
While these companies are of a similar size and operate in the same space, their philosophy as to how best deal with the situation is entirely different.
So why not name them after their individual philosophies.
Here is a fab article on the management of high performing teams from Martice E Nicks Jr. Martice is a Partner at Applied Concepts Institute, LLC, A Professional Speaker, Master Sales Productivity Consultant, Coach and Trainer. You can join the sales productivity discussion at his blog
