Tag Archives: teamwork

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FFP 031: How Far Can Leaders See?

The Importance of Vision in Leadership!

In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast, I highlight the importance of vision in leadership.

Vision is the navigation system for an organization. Vision is the navigation system for a leader. Vision guides what we are to do and lets us know when we are off track.

How well do you know your organization’s vision?

What is the vision for your life?

Of the six core elements of leadership, vision is the element that most quickly distinguishes a leader from a manager.

In this episode, I will discuss not only the importance of vision but how to create a compelling vision. I will also hare the six most important ingredients of a vision.

You will also be given two leadership challenges this week.

This episode of The Future Focused Podcast will help you personally and professionally level-up and live a more dynamic life.  Your investment of twelve minutes in this podcast

Kelly Croy is an author, speaker, and educator. Want to learn more? Send an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 148 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook.  • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter.  •  Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram 

 

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Five Steps to Building Leadership in Your Organization

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Low productivity and morale can surface within any organization, and it’s really not that difficult to get everyone back on track. Every workplace is different, and there isn’t always a one-method-fixes-all solution. In this post I’m offering five great techniques to implement to get your organization from complaining to leading.

1) Show You Care: If you want to end morale issues in your organization and build leaders, then you need to build a rapport with your team. When you show your team kindness, that you care, and develop a genuine and consistent rapport, morale issues will fade. In its place, you will find team members looking out for one another, representing your agency with pride, and leadership at every transaction. Show you care.

2) Provide Leadership Opportunities: A lot of people read leadership books, watch clips on leadership, and talk about leadership, however, they don’t always put to action what they’ve read, heard, or discussed. If you want your organization to be full of solid leaders, you have to provide team members with leadership opportunities.  That’s right, you have to give them the authority to lead. You can’t expect a perfect outcome either, and I suppose that’s why a lot of people are afraid to let others take the lead on a project, but that is what it takes to build leaders, genuine opportunities and responsibilities. You can always sit a distant second-chair or check-in and let them know you can mentor and counsel, but you have to allow real opportunities with real consequences. You will be happy with the short term results, and you will be elated with the long-term impact on your organization. Provide leadership opportunities.

3) Take Action: The biggest morale buster in any organization is when committees are formed, meetings are held, and surveys are taken and then there is no follow-up or action.  It’s frustrating.  You might as well send a handwritten note to each member saying, “I don’t care what you think.”  Yep, it’s that bad.  If you ask for someone’s feedback, honor it.  Even if you can’t provide what they’ve requested, let them know that the feedback was important and it helped shape the outcome. Let them know they are important. When they offer feedback that you don’t like, don’t go to their supervisor trying to “get to the bottom of it” and smear some make-up over the blemish. Be thankful that they were honest and upfront. Don’t surround yourself with people who only tell you what you want to hear.  Leaders take action.

4) Reward Solutions: You will find what you look for, and when you reward it, it will grow. If you look for team members leading and making solutions to problems you will find them, and when you reward them with praise and recognition you will see this type of behavior grow and spread. Recognizing others is one of the most important actions of a leader, and recognition is also one of the most fun. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to recognize either. A small personal touch can go a long way and screams, “You are awesome! We are so lucky to have you!” Others will notice and lead similarly. Reward solutions.

5) Fill-in the Moat: There cannot be a moat between administration and staff. There is no them. If your organization feels that there is a separation of employees, there will always be complaining and morale issues. Just because you say there is no separation, doesn’t mean there isn’t a separation. Get to know your team. Listen to them. Your organization needs to adopt a team leadership model that clearly outlines what everyone’s job is to benefit the team, not themselves. When everyone understands they are a contributor and feels like they are a contributor, and especially when they are recognized as a contributor, morale begins its upward swing and all areas begin to shine again. Shrink the separation between team members.

When you work with a team, and when you make building leadership a priority, you will see morale improve, productivity rise, and problems decrease. In times of accomplishment, leadership made the difference. In times of strife, a lack of leaders is the culprit. Always work on building a culture of leadership.

Kelly Croy 

Inspirational Speaker & Performance Artist

www.KellyCroy.com 

info@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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You’re Blowing It!

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You’re Blowing it!

It’s not procrastination. That sounds too sophisticated.

You’re not stalling. That’s just too nice.

You’re blowing it! You are about to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity because you are more interested in reading your Twitter Feed or updating your current Facebook status.

Life is short and we all have goals and dreams. We work toward them or we don’t. When we don’t achieve our dreams we make excuses and cover up our inaction with niceties. We act like we will eventually get there and that everything is going to be fine.

Well, what if you’re wrong? Live your life without regrets and get your dreams on the production line.

You need help? Great. We can do that. We can find you the resources you need. (And you won’t.) We’ll locate any needed backers. (You don’t really need that either.) And we will guide you around every other excuse you are prepared to make. (And you will.) But, we cannot tell you what your dream is, and ask you to get started.  That little bit of magic is the fuel for the entire dream.

Throw perfection out the window and aim for progress. Dream big but when creating settle for completion. You can always work on a part two later. ‘Finished’ is a beautiful word.

Look in the mirror. Are you blowing it or are you getting started?

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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What Makes a Good Journal? My thoughts.

I was recently asked about what makes a good journal entry.

Here are my thoughts:

  1. Always include the date.
  2. Journal entries should be short.
  3. You should write frequently, routinely, and almost daily.
  4. Do NOT focus on spelling, grammar, or what others might think.
  5. Share your successes, failures, concerns, celebrations, defeats, dreams, goals, wishes, accomplishments, plans for world domination, and whatever else may be on your mind.
  6. If it is important enough to be written on any scrap of paper it is good enough for your journal
  7. Go ahead and tape concert tickets in there or newspaper clippings, or whatever you feel is appropriate.
  8. Your journal is where you keep your dreams.
  9. Offer a reward in the front of your journal if found; mine is dinner at your favorite restaurant.
  10. Keep your journal private.

I started writing in a spiral notebook like students used and have now graduated to a leather Moleskine.

(If this post interested you, please look for my upcoming mini-posts of journal activities scattered throughout the  year. I have created a ‘journal’ category for easy spotting.)

A good journal is simply, what works for you!

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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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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Rediscover Advent by Matthew Kelly: A Book Review

Matthew Kelly is one of my favorite authors and speakers. He is a New York Times best-selling author of over fourteen books, a world renowned speaker, and business consultant to more than thirty-five Fortune 500 companies. I am proud to call him a friend and he is certainly an important influence in my life. Last week he sent me a copy of Rediscover Advent. It was the only book of his I haven’t read, and with the stores already decorating and advertising for Christmas, I guess I was ready for a book about ‘The Season’ as well. I am glad I read it early, because there is much I discovered and wish to share with you.

First and foremost, Rediscover Advent is more of a devotional, to be shared during the Advent season, rather than one to be read in a setting or two. At 94 pages it certainly can be read quickly, but that is not its intention. The book is divided into five sections. The first four are devoted to each week of Advent, and the fifth to Christmas Day itself. Each section is broken down for a reading each day complete with Scripture, Meditation, Reflection, and Prayer. Much of the Reflections come from Matthew’s acclaimed Rediscovering Catholicism.

Second, while this book is certainly written with a Catholic audience in mind, like all good writing and well thought-out ideas, its intrinsic merits are a benefit to all denominations. It is a gem for all who look to deepen their Christian faith and make a stronger connection with the Advent season.  After all, the Meditations, Reflections, and Prayers are all Scripture based. This is a work to bring unity not division.

Last, I highly recommend this book to each of you this season and encourage you to begin it at the start of the first week of Advent and follow along each day. As we prepare our homes, our kitchens, and our calendars, let us also prepare our minds and souls for the wonders of Christmas.

I know you will find Matthew’s words inspirational and well-timed. Rediscover Advent is a perfect pre-holiday gift to help renew your enthusiasm for connecting more spiritually with the entire Season of Christmas known as Advent. Would also make a great gift for a family member or friend.

You can order your copy here.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and professional speaker.

Kelly has an FUN and POWERFUL Christmas presentation for YOUR EVENT that includes:

a six foot by eight foot chalk art presentation, computer animation, and talk for all ages. 

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