Category Archives: Leadership

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How to Make Recognition Work!

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Recognition is an important part of leadership. It can do wonders for your corporation, school or family. When recognition is implemented correctly it can increase retention, decrease absence, raise production, improve quality, change attitudes, and in general create a momentum of success and positive energy.

It has been wisely stated that a great leader humbly accepts the failures of his organization as his own, and passes any praise and success on as the accomplishments of his colleagues. In addition,  I have always been reminded that a great leader criticizes in private and praises in public. Clearly, recognition is an essential act of leadership. Clearly recognition is important, but so many organizations get it wrong. Many in leadership positions just don’t know how to effectively implement a recognition program, acknowledge someone for their efforts, or how to reward employees.

It’s all about making it personal. 

Leaders have a responsibility to recognize the accomplishments of those within their organization. It is one of the most important duties of a leader. When it is handled well, it really is beautiful and people talk about it for a long time. When it is handled poorly, it is ugly, and people talk about that a long time too. More important is the impact both have on the people that make the magic happen within your organization.

How to Make Recognition Work!

Recognition is powerful. I believe, however, very few organizations get this right. While it is never a bad time to recognize the good works of others, there are some ideas to consider:

  • Let people know exactly what you want. If they know what you want they can work toward the goal. Don’t leave people guessing. Be direct. These are the results we reward.
  • Recognition should be meaningful. Everyone knows when someone deserves the recognition. Don’t reward people because it’s their turn. That’s a step backward. Don’t be afraid to recognize individuals. Sure teams need recognition, but individual recognition is the most powerful form possible.
  • Great recognition is most often inexpensive or free.  Everyone wants to hear praise. Write them a note. Send them a gift card. Tell others the story of why they were recognized.
  • Recognition shouldn’t be predictable. Mix it up. Keep everyone guessing and surprised.
  • Great recognition is memorable. When you tell their story, mention them by name, and make them feel deserving; they’ll remember it. You don’t need to send them to Hawaii. Unless of course, you can.
  • Don’t be afraid to reward the same person more than once, or in a row. Make it personal. You’re not just rewarding people, you’re rewarding the action you want replicated.
  • Encourage others to create their own recognition programs and awards. Let others partake in meaningful recognition. Encourage it. Support it. Participate.

One of my favorite presentations is when I am asked to share my art and words at an award’s banquet or recognition dinner. I love participating in the recognition of others and retelling an amazing story of achievement.  I can see it in the eyes of the recipient when I shake their hand and present them with a piece of customized art. They didn’t even know how awesome they were because they were just doing their best and giving their all. Now someone is telling an amazing story of accomplishment, and it’s about them! You can also tell they will pay forward whatever recognition they received, ten fold. They w will continue with even greater tenacity to innovate and make a difference.  They matter… therefore recognition matters.

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and artist.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

with his art and words. 

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825


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Book Review: The Encore Effect by Mark Sanborn

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I just finished Mark Sanborn’s book The Encore Effect: How to Achieve Remarkable Performance in Anything You Do. I highly recommend it to you, regardless of your occupation, because we should all be striving to improve, and The Encore Effect delivers.

Mark Sanborn is an amazing speaker, and his National Bestseller The Fred Factor is one of my favorite reads. I was excited to read The Encore Effect because I knew it would assist me on my quest to become a great speaker and performer, but like all good books, the lessons I learned applied to every aspect of my life. The Encore Effect improved not only my speaking, but helped be a better father, husband, educator, and artist. I highly recommend it not only for you, but for your entire team.

The Encore Effect highlights five areas for remarkable results: passion, preparation, practice, performance, and polish. In-depth explanations and engaging stories are aligned with
each of the five points to hammer the lesson home in a fun and memorable way . This book really helped me reflect on some areas I really needed to improve on to raise my game and improve my life and career.

At 130 pages it makes a perfect traveling companion, and is loaded with take aways.  I’m adding The Encore Effect to my required reading list for those I mentor and coach, as well as my family. Everyone wants to raise their game, but not everyone knows how. The Encore Effect will offer you the edge you seek. Read and apply.

I encourage you to consider booking Mark Sanborn as a speaker for your next event, sign-up for his newsletter, or follow him on Twitter. He is an incredible guy, with some great advice.

To learn more about The Encore Effect visit Mark’s website: http://www.encoreeffect.com 

 

Always forward,

Kelly

Order Kelly’s books, Along Came a Leader and Unthink Before Bed: A Children’s Book on Mindfulness for your personal library.

Educator, Author, Keynote Speaker
Twitter: @kellycroy
Instagram: @kcroy
Website: kellycroy.com and wirededucator.com
Podcast: The Wired Educator Podcast
and of course: Facebook.

Sign-up for Kelly’s newsletter here.

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Leaders Never Blind Side

Leaders never blind side others.

right-way-wrong-way2.jpgA blind side is a cowardly attack that demonstrates an incapacity to communicate and an inability to make leadership decisions. It is an act committed out of fear, jealously, and anger. A blind side is a poor attempt to hide the inability to lead.

Those who choose the blind side willingly forgo the path of a leader. They would rather sneak behind-the-scenes, than sit down and have a discussion. They would rather plot, than plan. The higher the level of office, rank, title, or position, the more detrimental the act.

The world recognizes a blind side for what it is, wrong. Our history has been littered with them: the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the devastating destruction of The World Trade Towers in 2001 are known to all. Within the corporate world, the notorious ousting of Steve Jobs at Apple in 1985 has redefined leadership decisions and highlighted a return to ethical standards within the board room.  The facade of leadership behind these infamous blind sides are viewed with contempt and outrage by the world and history, and in time each wrong righted or avenged. Every. Single. Time.

A true leader can craft a thousand proposals to handle a situation, but a blind side is never one of them. A leader addresses challenges with communication, and a well-planned response. A leader creates options. A leader presides with dignity and honor.  A leader offers counsel, an assessment, or intervention. A leader demonstrates innovation.  A blind side is none of these.

Leaders are defined by their actions. What does a blind side convey? Not the qualities of leadership.  A blind side affirms a weakness in character, a desire to harm, belittle, and embarrass. A blind side is wrong.

Only low-brow reality television offers a nod to the immaturity of a well-played blind side. There is no place for it among leaders. It is indefensible.

As a speaker and writer I identify and highlight six essential elements of leadership: attitude, wisdom, communication, tenacity, vision, and authenticity. A blind side negates them all. Yes, each and every one. I cannot be clearer: forbid it from your management and leadership staff. Admonish and shun those who use it. Anyone and everyone with any common sense will no longer trust a leader who blind sides. No defense, scenario, or lie can be crafted well enough to convince others of its necessity.  Others will forever question, “How long will it be before he blind sides me?” Trust quickly fades, everyone questions the act, everyone watches their back, and a dark shadow of shame is cast on the organization.

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.

A leader never blindsides.

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and artist.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

with his art and words. 

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825


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Escaping the Gravitational Pull of Stress

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Escape velocity is described as the speed an object needs to be traveling in order break free of a planet’s gravitational force. On Earth, escape velocity is seven miles a second, or 25,000 miles an hour.  That’s fast. The good news is, that once an object reaches escape velocity it no longer requires further propulsion. If the object fails to reach this speed, consequently, it is pulled back.

For a long time the science community believed escape velocity was unobtainable. That nothing would ever leave Earth’s atmosphere. Now, you and I benefit from the thousands of man-made satellites orbiting our earth. They allow us to communicate, prepare for weather, direct our course and more.  Escape velocity achieved. Benefits obtained.

Right now you are sitting with a cold-blooded killer with a similar hold on you. Stress.

It’s real. It’s dangerous. It’s been identified as the number one killer of all Americans. At times, stress has a gravitational pull on our lives that is seemingly unescapable. Flares of panic. Pangs of anxiety. Stress drives some to madness, addiction, and others, sadly, even worse.

If you are having difficulty escaping your stress you are damaging both mind and body, your relationship, and your employment, but fortunately there is much we can do to obtain the ever-so-needed escape velocity over our stress and move forward with our lives.

The key to our overcoming the consequences of stress, however, is the identical solution of a rocket seeking to escape the planet’s strong gravitational pull.  Both require an incredible amount of explosive commitment to achieving the result. We are talking sheer brute force and power.  We can’t try; we must commit. We can dabble at it. We must go all in. Buckle-up buttercup, it’s time for liftoff.

Here are 12 stress-busting tips to help you achieve escape velocity:

1) Know in your heart and mind that “this too shall pass.” Faith and affirmation are your bodyguards.

2) Commit to some intense aerobic physical activity. Workout kids! Get the body moving.

3) Confide in a close friend or journal. Get it out of your system. Don’t bottle it up.

4) Prayer. Best anti-anxiety drug ever made. Find a private place to quiet yourself. Tell the Big Guy what’s on your mind. Then listen.

5) Laugh. It’s time for some ‘Three Stooges’ or some great comedy. Laughter is awesome medicine.

6) Face your fear. Go ahead and describe the worse-case scenario. Look your enemy in the eye. It will instantly shrink before your eyes.

7) To the War Room! Start developing a plan of attack if your worse fears were to come true. You will find comfort.  You’ll also find that there is always a solution. When one door closes, another opens.

8) Fellowship. Surround yourself with family, activities, and others. You need your tribe. Your tribe needs you.

9) Get away! Ever notice your problems shrink as you drive out of town? Put some miles between you and the location of your worry. (You will have to come back. Hawaii is not an option.)

10) Music. I have my stress-busting playlist ready.  How about you?

11) Comparison. You have stress. So does everyone.  Pick up a newspaper or go to CNN. Seeing the problems of the world tends to shrink our own. Can’t find anyone with a bigger problem? Turn to the obituaries. Oh, and count your blessings.

12) The Size of the Hero Depends on The Size of the Problem. Wanna be a hero? Conquer BIG problems. No one ever got a medal for tying their shoe.

In order to reach escape velocity you’ll need to apply all of these with passion and intensity. Doing one of them won’t work.

Hoping to see you in a stress free orbit soon.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and keynote speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,

and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825

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When Leaders Make Mistakes!

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Leaders make decisions. It’s what they do.

Each and every time a leader makes a decision they are impacting a life.

Apply the ‘Domino’ or ‘Butterfly’ effect and the number of lives impacted by a leader’s single decision is sometimes mesmerizing.

That is why leaders need to: respond rather than react, seek wisdom, listen to counsel, and reflect frequently.

Once a decision is made, however, it is not final. Leaders must be decisive and firm, but when a poor decision is made, and it happens, it is a leader’s duty to make it right.

I firmly believe that leaders must take the motto “We’ll make it right!” to heart; it’s never too late to right a wrong.

In an earlier post, I  discussed the three steps on how to make an apology.  Apologies can at times cause more harm than good if attempted poorly. Step three of the apology, taught to me by the late Dr. Randy Pausch, is of the utmost importance.  Step three is all about making things right.

As a leader you have the ability to right a wrong, and you have the responsibility.

When I am about to do business with someone, and they tell me that they will make it right if things don’t work out the way they promised, that reassures me.  It’s even better if they have a proven track record showing that they make things right.  No product, no company, no service, and no leader, is going to be right 100% of the time.  It’s impossible. So, what are you going to do as a leader when a mistake is made?  Well, the answer to that will speak volumes of your leadership style, and volumes about you as a person.

Apple is admired by me and millions of others, but even their competitors recognize that they make things right when there is a problem. Apple has won repeated awards for customer service. They correct the wrong, replace the defect, ship the replacement, or extend the agreement.

I’m amazed at how many companies don’t do this. They simply continue on and ignore the mistake. I have even had customer service calls where they admit there really is a mistake, but refuse to correct it.  Wow!  What exactly does that say about you as a person, your corporation, or your leadership?  Make it right!

Some leaders will argue that it is too costly to make it right; I’d argue the opposite. Nothing is more expensive than letting a wrong continue. I mean that both metaphorically and financially. You will lose your authenticity as a leader, lose respect, lose support, lose money, and just plain lose.

We’ll Make it Right!  Don’t just say it, do it.

Recently NetFlix, the world’s largest online DVD service changed it’s user agreement. It failed miserably. They finally admitted they made a mistake, but… they did nothing to make it right. They could have flipped a switch and offered a free video, and given something, but they chose to do nothing and it is not working for them at all.  Take a look at their stock.  When will things change for NetFlix? When they make it right.

Making a bad decision is forgivable and easy to recover from; in fact it adds to your authenticity. No one should expect perfection from a leader.  We want leaders who fix the wrongs and aim for progress.  We do not want someone that ignores a wrong, or covers it up.

A friend of mine told me a story about how a board member ‘let go’ an employee.  The board member said he had always regretted that decision.  My friend, a leader, said… (you guessed it) make it right.  They did and all involved were happy for it; its never too late. Never.

Let people know that you are going to work hard to earn back their confidence and make certain this doesn’t happen again. Make your critics part of your team, because making things right makes them the beta testers. When you follow through, they will sing your praises even louder. Don’t however, just give people lip-service. You must work hard to maintain your integrity and authenticity. You are never, ever too big or important to call a client or customer yourself.  (Don’t pass a call on to others.) In fact, making the call in person to correct a problem is the way to go.

In some situations you cannot win a customer or an employee back, but you should try. If you have made a sincere attempt to make things right, and they aren’t accepting your sincere and fair request, then it is time to move on. Leaders must know and repeat to themselves every day, “I can’t control what others think or believe, but I can work hard to make myself and situations better.” Do your best and move forward. Don’t burn bridges; just do the next best action.

I have seen too many leaders actually believe they should not go back and correct a wrong. I write this for the them, and our future leaders.

Always make it right.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,

and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825

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Would Steve Jobs Consider You a Bozo?

This is the biography of Steve Jobs that I read.

The world is filled with admirers of Steve Jobs, and rightfully so. The man was an incredible visionary, innovator, speaker, businessman, leader, and communicator. His impact has left little untouched.  One overlooked talent though, was his use of simple language to convey his passion for a product or service. How many times did we hear him say, “insanely great, phenomenal, awesome, revolutionary, amazing, and of course magical?”

His word choice was in sync with his passion for minimalism in design and the simple elegance of his presentation. Uncomplicated. Straightforward. Direct. Powerful. The advertisements, stores, packaging, and even his dress embodied this motif.

He chose simple words, but words powerful in their connotations. They were chosen with care. They were delivered with passion. They told a story.

My favorite term Jobs used was when he called someone or their idea a Bozo.

Bozo was a term Steve would use to describe someone that just didn’t get it. Click to Read More

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Six Things I Believe Children Need to Hear More Often

Children hear a lot of things during the course of a day. Each and every word makes a lasting impact. Parents, teachers, coaches, advisors, and mentors must choose their words carefully. We aren’t always going to have the right words at the right time, but we always need to try. Here are six things I think children need to hear more often:

1) Yes! We want to keep children safe and prevent them from becoming unruly and spoiled. The word “No” is often set as default. I think children need to hear ‘Yes’ more often. You don’t have to give in to every request, just quantify when they can do something. “Dad, can I go to a friend’s house?” Try, “Yes, but not today. When your room is clean ask me again for another day.”

2) I Make Mistakes Too! Children need to know that everyone makes mistakes, and that failing is the pathway to success. We want students to accept and demonstrate responsibility, show leadership, and try new things. When we as adults use the wrong words we need to let children know we made a mistake for that too.

3) You Can Accomplish Anything! I use to think everyone heard this from their parents. By the end of my first year of teaching, now twenty, I knew this isn’t true. This really was a great gift my parents gave me. I placed no limitations on my future. I dreamt big, and went after and achieved goals that really should have been unobtainable. Remind children every day that they too are limitless despite any odds or environment. Remind them they can accomplish anything.

4) How Can I Help You? Children need to understand that they can always ask for help, but also need to know that we aren’t going to give them the answer or do the work for them. In the age of Google, Click to Read More

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Three Commitments For Parenting a Leader

Do you really want your child to be a leader? I posed this question a while back; it received a notable response, and it remains one of my most popular posts. Where do we stand as parents in the responsibility of raising leaders? Weigh the question carefully. Consider the contrasts between raising a leader and a star. Do you really want your child to be a leader?

I hope you answered yes, but I will understand if you didn’t. Leadership and popularity rarely go hand in hand, and leadership requires a lot of hard work. For me the answer is simple; I want to raise leaders. I want my children to be prepared for anything, to make a difference, and live a life of purpose.

If you really want to help parent a leader, you need to make three clear commitments.

1) I will educate my child about leadership. Leadership really needs to be taught. It amazes me how many people don’t understand this simple truth. If you want your child to become a leader, surround her with leadership resources. These can be books, audio, video, and so much more. This includes the comments you make about leaders in front of your children. This includes the leadership examples you take within your community, church, school, and work. If you don’t serve a leadership role, your child probably won’t either.

2) I will provide my child with leadership mentors. A mentor is the greatest gift you can ever provide for your child. Mentors can arrive in the fashion of a relative, a coach, a teacher, an advisor, or many other roles, but don’t take it for chance, and don’t assume these people are mentoring. Set it up. Contact someone you admire, or talk with your child about possibilities, and then meet with them and discuss what you are looking to accomplish. I will include a future post about how to do this, but know this: Mentoring Works. A recent study demonstrated that a teen with a mentor is 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs. For me, sports, Scouting, and my family surrounded me with lots of authentic mentors that provided me with the one on one discussions I truly needed. Mentoring must be one-on-one, consistent, and have a clear purpose.

3) I will encourage opportunities for my child to lead. If you want your child to lead you must allow them to accept leadership roles and encourage them. It may require some extra driving and scheduling responsibilities on your part, and may even create some unwanted drama, but leaders are made during moments of discontent, not harmony. They will not get it right the first time either. They will need to make several attempts at it. With the proper support, education, and mentoring your child will fail their way to becoming a successful leader. Sadly some students finally receive an opportunity to lead, but have not received any education or mentoring about leadership, and fail so badly they vow to never lead again. I understand I need to listen to my child about the types of leadership roles they are interested in, and at other times I will need to encourage possible leadership roles for them.

Leaders make leaders of others, and parenting is one of the most important leadership roles we may ever serve. I hope will join me in raising a leader and give great thought to how you can provide the education, mentoring, and opportunities of leadership for your child. I look forward to reading your comments.

 

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation including corporations, schools, churches, conferences, and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825