Thanks for coming back to visit me today. I care about what you think so please leave your comments and opinions. _____________________________________________________________________

Monday brought the inevitable. My husband, Stephen was laid off from the company whom he has served for 12 years. Did it come as a shock to us? No it did not. There are no surprises in difficult economic climates such as the current one and his former employer is well known for frequent and random layoffs, so no, it was not a shock.

A lay-off is a major life event which brings with it many complex layers of reactions, thoughts and emotions for not just the person to whom it happened, but also to the person to whom he is married. Today I share my experience with you.

 

This piece is called ‘Leave Like a Leader’ because that is what Stephen did. In the midst of the news he handled himself like the leader he is known to be. The decision for termination was delivered to him by his boss and the VP of Human Resources. Once they were done, what was the first thing that Stephen said? It was “Thank you”. “Thank you for explaining the situation to me and thank you for 12 great years with this company”. Next, he asked if he could go back up to break the news to his team so that he could thank them and say good bye. At first the answer was ‘no’ but then his boss decided that it would be okay and went with him. So, Stephen gathered his people and shared the news along with an explanation of the business rationale behind his termination. Stephen did this to calm their fears as they would surely worry that  they could  be next. This was not only a kind gesture that Stephen offered to them, but it was also excellent service to the company, because people do not perform well when they are scared for themselves and angry for a boss whom they respect. Yes, Stephen continued to think of what’s best for the company; the company who had decided that they no longer require his contribution.

 

Leadership is about who you are therefore dictates what you do and say. Stephen is a leader because he does what is right, even when others do not.

 

My husband is at home right now, happy and excited about the new opportunities that are now open to him. He is buzzing with energy as he looks forward to the next phase of his career. I love it when he gets like this because he channels his energy into all sorts of productive projects, including household chores! He has promised me that he will be around for the summer to catch up on some projects that we have been meaning to get to and I am thrilled to have him around.  I laugh as we discuss these projects because the news that he is back on the market is out and the phone is already ringing off the hook from his connections all over the world who want to meet with him. Is this excellent reputation all because Stephen is a nice guy? No, it is because he is a proven, reliable leader who is always an asset to his company and his people.

It is true that you can extract results from your team by exerting your authority. After all, you are the boss and that means that people have to do what you tell them to do, if they want to keep their jobs.

 

It is truer that you can inspire people and create a climate of self motivation if you have earned the respect and trust of your people.

 

One of the ways you can achieve respect and trust is by being clear on the direction that you are taking the organization. Simple enough, right? This is one of those statements that rolls off the lips so eloquently and easily, yet is quite complex to actually live up to.

 

The first step in the process of clarifying direction is to be clear on where you are now by taking stock of your assets. This will allow you to assess strengths and talents so that you may build on them. Identify weakness and liability so that you can move swiftly to safeguard against them and compensate for them.

 

Part of the art and science of success is to put the most emphasis on strengths and talents rather devoting substantial assets to correcting weaknesses. Your true power and that of your organization lies in your strengths so that is where your energy should be devoted. As for the rest, you must develop a strategy that will bring the weaknesses up to par without taking your focus off what makes you exceptional.

 

Yes you can!

There are three types of leaders in this world. Have a look at these descriptions and give some thought to where you fit in, and if that is where you want to be.
Keep in mind that most people will not fall squarely into one single category but will exhibit behavioral tendencies. What I really want to do here is to get you thinking about where you are strong, what to keep, what to build and what does not serve you or your people.

The Enhancer: These leaders are self confident, strong; they walk their talk and so have earned the respect of those around them. They lead from a place of personal power (see below for power vs. authority). These are the men and women whom others want to work for because they are known to show a positive attitude, they know how to foster cooperation among others and they are dedicated to spotting the best in others.  People produce results for enhancers because they want to and not because they feel they have no choice. Enhancers love to share the credit with their team members and will always protect others from the fall out of things gone wrong.

The Neutralizer: This person will often fall back on authority rather than personal power to get those things done. The neutralizer is generally looked upon with the respect of some, some of the time and the disdain of others, some of the time. Although a neutralizer is capable of expressing emotions, they often don’t so they come across as being impersonal or guarded. Those who report to a neutralizer will do what they have to do to get things done but not a spark of energy more than that.

The Diminisher: Oh my, you don’t want to be this one, that’s for sure! These poor souls are the ones with no self confidence and have no clue when it comes to personal power. Falling back on the authority of their title is key for them, plus they will intimidate others. Diminishers are looking out for number one and will not hesitate to hog credit or shift blame. We call them diminishers because they will diminish the organization.
Like I said at the beginning, these are broad stereotypes; however the descriptions do make the point about the direction we should all be heading in. Give some thought to what you can do to develop your own style so that you can land squarely in the Enhancer category. Once you have some ideas about how you can improve, then set your goals, plan your actions and make it happen!

 

Yes you can!