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5 Practices of Extraordinary Leaders

After extensively researching ten thousand leaders and fifty thousand staff members, the authors of the book The Leadership Challenge uncovered 5 principles for how leaders get extraordinary things accomplished in organizations across the globe.

While in my senior management roles, I read The Leadership Challenge book and also attended their leadership training. I embraced these principles whole-heartedly. These five leadership principles are by far some of the most powerful yet simple ways to excel as leaders. And if you are an aspiring leader, this is a great place to start--the authors embrace the reality that, in organizations, leadership is everyone's business. Do you live out these five leadership principles? Read on to find out...

1: Challenge the Process
Leaders tend to challenge the norm and with challenging they innovate. They are willing to step out and take risks to find new and better ways to do things. A good question to ask is what norms are you living with and how can you challenge yourself and your staff to innovate their way to new and better ways to work and accomplish goals. And mistakes along the way are simply learning opportunities through which you can innovate even further. What's one status-quo in your organization that can benefit from you or your staff challenging the process?

2: Inspire a Shared Vision
Successful leaders possess the ability to inspire others and get them excited about how things can change, the way things can be and the path to getting there. First, leaders must be personally passionate about those possibilities. Also, leaders must know their people well enough to connect with their interests when sharing the leader's vision for the future.

People act when they believe that their leaders understand them and have their best interest at heart. Consider where it may be a challenge to get your staff on board with a new task or initiative. How well do you know your staff? Do you know them well enough to enlist their support by connecting your vision with their interests? As The Leadership Challenge suggests, "leadership is a dialogue, not a monologue."

3: Enable Others to Act
It probably goes without saying that leadership is a team effort. The book suggests that a simple test for detecting if someone is on the road to true leadership is in the frequency of the use of word "we." Leaders do not hoard power; they give it away. People feel a strong sense of ownership when they are included. Is your language as a leader fostering teamwork? In what ways can you make your staff feel more enabled? Effective leaders make people feel strong and capable and they provide the training where needed to enable their staff to act.

4: Model the Way
Modeling the way begins with first becoming aware of our own values and beliefs so that we can then stand up for them. Leaders model the way through personal example and not through eloquent speeches. They model the way through simple daily acts and they are willing to do what they are asking their staff to do. As a leader, consider how clear you are about your values, principles, and beliefs and how consistently those values are lived out as a model to your staff. What are some small ways in which you can model the way for your organization?

5: Encourage the Heart
Let's face it, work can sometimes be challenging. People in our organizations can become frustrated and sometimes discouraged. Leaders who display genuine acts of caring inspire their staff to carry on. They do this through group celebrations and individual recognition. We often underestimate the value of a personal handwritten thank-you note for example. And we sometimes get so busy meeting one milestone after another that we forget to stop and celebrate the accomplishment.

I was privileged to be interviewed by the authors of the book Encouraging the Heart for the ways in which I implemented this principle in my role as a senior manager. I've learned that celebration of successes (small or large, individual or group) is perhaps one of the greater missed opportunities that leaders encounter. Take a closer look at what is getting accomplished in your organization and celebrate them! Who in your organization has gone above and beyond or where have your teams accomplished key milestones. In what way can you give them some well-deserved recognition and encourage the heart....today?

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Allison Babb is author, speaker, trainer, and leadership coach who teaches leaders at all levels 3 secrets to becoming a top manager in their company. Allison has combined her degree in Business Administration, over 15 years of senior management experience and the art of professional coaching to deliver truly masterful leadership coaching and training to managers at all levels.

You are welcomed to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the contact information at the end), and you send me a copy or link to your reprint by visiting my website at http://www.ExcellenceThroughCoaching.com and choosing "contact us". Thanks!

Recently I discovered some excellent new self improvement podcasts, and in doing so I was reminded just how beneficial podcasts have been my development. Apart from the interesting and insightful content they can contain, podcasts are a perfect way to work in multiple positives. That is, they give me the opportunity to feed my brain with self improvement material while commuting to work, going for a walk, working out or a number of other activities.

The following is a list of my 10 favorite self improvement podcasts (in alphabetical order). It includes some old favorites (Steve Pavlina and Robin Sharma), as well as the new discoveries that prompted this article (Genius Types and We The Change). Enjoy…

1. Awareness and Consciousness

Gary’s aim with his Awareness and Consciousness Podcast is to increase your self awareness and make it easier for you to live in the emotional state of happiness. Gary has some wonderful insights into happiness and is very easy to listen to.

Recommended: Not Good Enough.

More: click here for the full archive.

2. Cultivate Greatness

Cultivate Greatness is site focused on personal development, leadership training, and life hacks. Many of Travis’ podcasts are discussions with published authors on these topics. The episodes typically have a relaxed and fun tone making them well worth a listen.

Recommended: Interview with Carmine Gallo.

More: click here for the full archive.

3. Genius Types

Brian describes himself as a student of creativity, entrepreneurship, and personal growth. I have been a fan of Genius Types for some time, and the podcasts are a very welcome recent addition to the site.

Recommended episode: Career Strategies for Creative Types.

More: click here for the full archive.

4. Guy Finley

Guy is a best-selling author and well-known radio presenter. He speaks on a range of issues, including relationships, fear, addiction, stress/anxiety, peace, happiness, and freedom.

Recommended: Keys to Consciously Changing Yourself.

More: click here for the full archive.

5. Lifehack Live

Lifehack Live is the weekly podcast from one of the most popular blogs on the net, Lifehack.org. Lifehack contributing editor Dustin M. Wax discusses with his guests hacks, tips and tricks that help get things done, increase productivity and be better organized.

Recommended episode: Lifehack Live Interview with Scott Young (note there are a few technical difficulties at the very start, but your patience will be rewarded).

More: click here for the full archive.

6. Oprah and Eckhart Tolle

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard that Oprah and Eckhart Tolle have been holding a 10-week live web event to discuss the concepts in Tolle’s book A New Earth. What you may not realize is just how good these discussions actually are. As at the date this article is published we are coming up to Week 7, so there is still time to join in the online classes.

Recommended episode: Ego: The Current State of Humanity.

More: click here for the full archive.

7. Patrick Mathieu - The Power of Mortality

Patrick has an inspiring and personal message to share . Patrick is a professional speaker, and this comes across in the quality of his delivery.

Recommended: Life is Too Short.

More: click here for the full archive.

8. Robin Sharma

Robin is one smooth talker - I love listening to his voice. He backs this up with some of the most inspiring, yet down-to-earth, advice you will come across. While he doesnt seem to record many new podcasts these days, there are 35 podcasts available free on his site.

Recommended: 8 Things Successful People Do.

More: click here for the full archive.

9. Steve Pavlina

I was actually introduced to podcasting through Steve. Like Robin Sharma, Steve seems to have slowed down with recording new podcasts. That said, he has 20 podcasts available on his page and each of them is a goldmine of wisdom.

Recommended episode: Faster Goal Achievement.

More: click here for the full archive.

10. We The Change

We The Change is dedicated to personal growth and also to the emerging global consciousness that is spreading peace, sustainability and social justice throughout the world. In just a short amount of time, Todd’s “Conversations for Change” podcast has featured some of the top spiritual and development thought leaders in the world.

Recommended episode: Interview with Siona van Dijk (a director of the Gaia Community, one of the largest conscious social networking platforms on the Internet).

More: click here for the full archive.

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I am sure there are many more excellent self improvement podcasts that did not make this list. If you know of any, please let us know in the comments below.

Originally posted at PickTheBrain a weblog dedicated to self improvement and motivation.

posted by 70924 @ 9:21 PM