Saturday, October 19, 2013

The New Age of Leadership

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the new offices of two up and coming entrepreneurs. A sister and brother combination who, while having coffee together one day, came up with the idea of starting a software company. Their idea is to bring all social media, email, voice mail and text together in a usable platform that will not only increase productivity, but will allow for collaborative work groups to be more innovative and efficient.

Their company is not the real reason for this post, but it is their vision and leadership I find inspiring. It was this vision that led them to create a company that now has 8 employees and is continuing to grow. Their leadership has captured the attention of several large technology firms in the Silicon Valley.

Oh, did I mention that one of them is 18 and the other is 21 years old?

If our country is to regain our position as a world leader in innovation, it will be through the efforts of the next generation of leaders. I am encouraged because they see the results of the dreadfully poor leadership in Washington and want to take a different path. 

These two incredible young people have set a course in leadership that will take them and their team to the top.  It's not often that you see such strong leadership characteristics in the youth of today. The foundation of their leadership was established by the love and support of their parents who are tremendous leaders in their own right.

At the end of my time touring their office and meeting their team, I left inspired and charged up to focus on the new opportunities to enhance my leadership skills.

In this time in our country's history we need true leaders to take their place on the world stage and lead with strength and humility, (these characteristics are not in conflict).

How are you leading? What can you do to be a better leader?  

Thursday, October 10, 2013

It Starts With You

How's business?  Are you meeting your objectives? No?

When things are not going as planned, look at yourself. As a leader, if you are not getting the results you want, it is easy to look around and point a finger at someone else. If you are not getting the outcomes you are looking for, ask yourself:

Have I made my expectations clear?
Am I holding my team accountable for the actions they have committed to?
Do I have the right people in place who are capable of doing the job?
Am I holding myself accountable for the results?

Once you can answer these questions honestly, you can implement a strategy that will allow you to re-calibrate your team for success.

Ultimately, you, as the leader, are accountable for the results. It's part of being a leader.

I always say, "When we win, the team gets the credit, and when we lose, I take the blame."  That's leadership.