by Elisabet | Jul 1, 2010 | English Blog
Don’t get complacent. Don’t get bored and too comfortable.
Fire and re-hire yourself once in a while.
We all get into a rut at times, we maybe get a bit disengaged, not quite giving it our best and frankly also not then having much fun. But when we really have to, we tend to be able to be outstanding, to put in that extra effort, to go that extra mile. And we feel so good when we do it, we feel the flow, we feel the power, we experience the possibilities.
So fire yourself. Maybe even today. Do an “appraisal” with yourself – give yourself the constructive feedback, ask yourself to see the possibilities. Heighten your senses by firing yourself and then re-hiring the new, re-energised you. The you that can make your day more enjoyable, your results better, your peace of mind greater.
So fire yourself today. I just did. And I re-hired myself too – and I love my new job!
by Elisabet | May 3, 2010 | English Blog
Oh, I know, it’s the classic question! A little tired and a bit of a cliché, you may think. But oh, so relevant.
One of the greatest traits of a good leader is being optimistic, which in my view is even better than being positive, because OPTIMISTIC contains the ingredient of HOPE. With optimism you see possibilities, you recognise what you have, you find solutions. And when you see the glass as half full, you are encouraged to go on, you feel stronger, you know that nothing is impossible (it might just take longer!).
So let that glass be at least half full. Or make a real statement – make it full!
by Elisabet | Apr 18, 2009 | English Blog
I read in the paper recently how many leaders get really bad leadership scores from their employees.
I’m sometimes amazed that there are people out there who want to be leaders in the first place. It’s not an easy job. The expectations on a leader are high, being a skilled multi-tasker is a must.
And still, that’s just how it should be. As a leader you have a direct impact on how engaged your employees are. And engaged employees is the key to a profitable and healthy company. So the expectations on leaders should be high, because that’s how important the leaders are.
If you run a company, make sure you hire the right people as leaders, make sure they can feel good where they are, develop them continually, so that they have a fair chance to give the employees what they need to feel good and do a good job.
As a leader you need to see each person, understand each person, observe the uniqueness of each person and make sure those unique qualities are maximised and utilised.
So take the time to be a leader. Don’t be so busy with meetings and calls and emails that you no longer have the time to spend with your employees. Listen to what people have to say, take interest in them, make sure they have what they need to do a good job, laugh, encourage, allow for mistakes and learnings, give feedback, help them develop, communicate……
Yes, the list is long – therein lies the leader’s biggest challenge. So if it feels like too much, then at least do this – see and hear each person, make them feel important. You have everything to gain from this – and you will.
No, it’s not impossible to be a good leader – it does take time and interest though. And it’s a rewarding investment!
