Tough and challenging times will surely come. That is a given. The question is what kind of leadership we will demonstrate during those times. Those who are weak leaders will see lasting damage done, if not see the organization fall apart completely. With Extraordinary Leaders at the helm, however, an organization can actually become stronger and thrive in spite of the tough and challenging times. That should be our goal, so here are some ideas on how to be an Extraordinary Leader in tough and challenging times!

1. Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture. When things get tough, everybody’s temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. The Extraordinary Leader, however, will keep his or her eye on the big picture. This doesn’t mean that we don’t address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But what separates a leader from a follower is that the leader doesn’t get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision. The further they take their followers toward the vision, the further away from the problem they get.

2. Don’t Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire. When it gets tough even the most loyal team members can be tempted to start shooting and, unfortunately, they sometimes shoot each other! Rather than focusing on the enemy on the outside, they begin to question each other and find many faults with one another that they normally would not have seen. The Extraordinary Leader is the one who can keep from being drug into the fray. They keep their eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. They understand that people are heated and are saying things they don’t really mean. The people are firing because they are angry or scared. The Extraordinary Leader understands this and rises above it. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers.

3. Be First to Sacrifice. When it gets tough, like when there has to be cuts in salaries etc, the leader should do just that - lead. They need to not only be the one who is rewarded the greatest when all is well, but they need to be the first to sacrifice. The Extraordinary leader says, “I know many of you are concerned with the salary cuts. I am too. In the long run we will be healthy again but for the mean time, this is necessary. Understanding this, I want you to know that I am taking a 20% pay reduction myself. I want you to know that we are in this together.” The Extraordinary Leader is the first to sacrifice and will be rewarded with the loyalty of his or her followers.

4. Remain Calm. Panic is one of the basest of human emotions and no one is immune to it. The Extraordinary Leader, however, takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves that all is not lost and there will be another day. They remind themselves that being calm will enable them to make the best decisions - for themselves and for their followers. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.

5. Motivate. In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down. They tend to be pessimistic. They can’t see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The Extraordinary Leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. He or she will come to the office knowing that for the time being, the mood of the group will be carried and buoyed by them and their attitude. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good - and with this they motivate their followers to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny.

6. Create Small Wins. One of the ways to motivate is to create small wins. The Extraordinary Leader knows that in tough times his or her people think that all is lost. They wonder if they can win. So the Extraordinary Leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear.

7. Keep a Sense of Humor. Look, hardly anything in life can’t be laughed at. The Extraordinary Leader knows that even if the whole company goes down the drain, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. The Extraordinary Leader keeps perspective and knows that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. Don’t ever laugh at someone’s expense in this situation, because that will be perceived as cold and heartless, regardless of what you meant by it, but do keep the ability to laugh at yourself and the situations that present themselves. By doing this you will keep yourself and your team in an attitude that will eventually beat the tough times.

Most people dread accepting responsibility. That’s just a fact of life, and we can see it in operation every day. Yes, we can see avoidance of responsibility all the time in both our personal and professional lives. And here’s something else we can see just as often: we can see that most people aren’t as successful as they wish they were. Do you see there is a connection between these two very common phenomena?

It’s in your best interest to take responsibility for everything you do. But that’s only the beginning. Many times it’s even best to take responsibility for the mistakes of others, especially when you’re in a managerial or leadership role.

During the years when professional basketball was just beginning to become really popular, Bill Russell, who played center for the Boston Celtics, was one of the greatest players in the pro league. He was especially known for his rebounding and his defensive skills.  

But like a lot of very tall centers, Russell was never much of a free throw shooter. His free throw percentage was quite a bit below average in fact. But this low percentage didn’t really give a clear picture of Russell’s ability as an athlete. And in one game he gave a very convincing demonstration of this.

It was the final game of a championship series between Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers. With about twelve seconds left to play, the Lakers were behind by one point and Boston had the ball. It was obvious that the Lakers would have to foul one of Boston’s players in order to get the ball back, and they chose to foul Bill Russell.

This was a perfectly logical choice since statistically Russell was the worst free throw shooter on the court at that moment. If he missed the shot, the Lakers would probably get the ball back and they’d still have enough time to try to win the game. But if Russell made his first free throw, the Lakers’ chances would be seriously diminished. And if he made both shots, the game would essentially be over.

Bill Russell had a very peculiar style of shooting free throws. Today, no self-respecting basketball player anywhere in America would attempt it. Aside from the question of whether it’s an effective way to shoot a basket, it just looked too ridiculous. Whenever he had to shoot a free throw, the six-foot-eleven Russell would start off holding the ball in both hands about waist high, then he’d squat down and as he straightened up he’d let go of the ball. It looked like he was trying to throw a bucket of dirt over a wall.

But regardless of how he looked, as soon as Bill Russell was fouled, he knew the Celtics were going to win the game. He was absolutely certain of it because, in a situation like this, statistics and percentages mean nothing. There was a much more important factor at work, something that no one has found a way to express in numbers and decimal points.

Simply put, Bill Russell was a player who wanted to take responsibility for the success or failure of his team. He wanted the weight on his shoulders in a situation like this. No possibility for excuses. No possibility of blaming anyone else if the game was lost. No second guessing. Bill Russell wanted the ball in his own hands and nobody else’s.  And, like magic, even if he’d missed every free throw he’d ever shot in his life before this, he knew he was going to make this one. And that is exactly what happened.

That is what virtually always happens when a man or woman accepts responsibility eagerly and with confidence. I’ve always felt that accepting responsibility is one of the highest forms of human maturity. A willingness to be accountable, to put yourself on the line, is really the defining characteristic of adulthood.

Right hook to the jaw!  Uppercut to the chin!  Sucker punch to the gut!  Life can throw some vicious punches, can’t it?  With gas prices, food prices, and the continual stream of negative news pummeling us every day, we can be left feeling breathless - trying to get up off the mat before the referee counts 10 and the negative influence is declared the victor.  Like any prize fighter, what is needed is a strategy BEFORE getting into the ring.  A strategy for being a “converter” - someone who knows how to convert life’s negative blows and deal with them in a positive manner.   No matter what punches are thrown or what problems are faced, if you want to keep going and not throw in the towel, here are simple strategies for converting.

Convert it with a Smile!
Smile when there isn’t anything to smile about.  Did you know that a smile is the catalyst for all the positive emotions?  Faith, love, hope, and creativity all can begin with something as simple as a smile.   My youngest daughter wrote me a note nearly 10 years ago when she was in kindergarten that simply says: “Celebrate Dad.  I Love You.”  I have kept this small piece of paper folded in my wallet all this time.  Yes, it is worn and tattered, but when life hits me hard with negativity, I pull that little piece of paper out, read it, and it always makes me smile.  It’s a reminder of the simple joys that can seem so distant when we are scrapping with a formidable foe.  A smile (or even better, a laugh) can pull you up above your problems so that you can get the perspective needed to see things for what they really are.  Have a strategy to smile.  Write down a phrase or make a list of things that will instantly make you smile.  Keep it where you can easily access
it and refer to it when the negative punches start flying your way

Convert it by Being a Willow!
Willows are strong in their trunk and their roots run deep; however, their limbs are long and flexible.  A willow knows who he is, what he is about but is able to flex up top.  When we can stay rooted and flex, we are able to deal with life’s changes as they come rushing towards us.  We aren’t changing who we are, we are just trying to sway, adjust, and meet the situation as it comes.  As our branches reach out, chances are very good that we will touch another’s branches and gain strength.   Many times when we face a problem we think that we are the only ones that face it.  We become bitter, isolated, and brittle.  A branch that is brittle will break in the wind.  Staying firm, flexible and remembering to reach out ensures we will stay intact.  Throw those branches up and sway!

Convert it by Finding the Silver Lining!
Learn to look for the silver lining.  It may seem difficult at the time, but every dark cloud has a silver lining and we have to learn to look for it.  We may even have to stretch for it and continually repeat it to ourselves, but it is there.  Some would say that this is a form of denial but, truthfully, it is acceptance.  It is an acceptance that sometimes we aren’t in a fair fight but that does not mean we throw in the towel.  We keep going and keep plugging until the last round.  Even Thomas Edison knew the power of looking for the silver lining.  When asked how it felt to fail so many times without seeing a success he replied, “I’ve seen success.  I’ve found 10,000 ways how not to do something.  And for every wrong idea tried, a new path emerges.”  Looking for the silver lining gives us the strength to face another challenge and the hope to face another day.

In the end, life is made up of moments.  It’s made up of good moments - like the birth of a child or your first big “win” at work.  And it’s made up of not so good moments - such as losing the big account or failing in a relationship.  The good news is that life is also made up of moments of choice.  Where we can choose how we will take the punches that life throws at us.  If we are down on the mat, we can choose to stay there.  Or, we can choose to get up and keep going.   I choose to face the fight with a smile.  I choose to remain “willow like” and reach out to others - giving and getting strength as we forge ahead.   I choose to look for that silver lining and remain hopeful.  I choose to be a converter!

…then get out of the kitchen”.

By using “Shaw’s five-step plan” you will soon you will develop the power of confidence and courage that will inspire you to take action. You will feel more excitement and clarity in your life everyday. You will be motivated like never before and easily “beat the heat”.

Every place you go it is the same, people are talking about the price of gas and the economy. Talk that has replaced how much our homes were going up and shopping for a new SUV. What has not changed is the fact that people want to feel rewarded and appreciated. If they do not feel rewarded and appreciated they are going else where to feel the love. You can count on this especially during a challenging economy when everyone is looking for ways to make money and hold on to it.  

Incentives are not only crucial they are your life’s blood right now. Look around gas cards, buy one get one free offers abound. A company must look from within to keep the customer coming back. Employee loyalty and the quality of their work is key to maintaining business. If one were to look at employee surveys they will find that appreciation and incentives are number one for job satisfaction. We have all heard this before. There should not be an expectation that our middle managers must provide the only motivations to their departments. Some Corporate America giants silently expect their middle managers to create imaginative contests and spring for prizes for their winners! If their employee realize this, contests will have a negative affect. If employees do not see that their company values them and their manager, the enthusiasm for contests will diminish.

What to do? What to do? Survey your employees and your bosses. Ask them how they like to feel appreciated and ask them how their feelings might change if they had a choice in the selection of their incentive. Why are you asking your bosses? Well, if they are part of the survey they will realize your sincerity to attract, retain resulting in happy customers. They will also be thinking of their own needs for appreciation and their buy in will be with you from the very beginning.   

What values and behaviors are you trying to revive or instill in your clients and employee? Learn to decipher what must be done to provide the right incentive for the right audience. You may consider a combination of incentives to inspire different groups of people or take them to the next level of service. Seek out expert advisors in the incentives field. They often have worked with small and large companies in various industries. They know from their own surveys and industry trends what works today at prices only a discount wholesaler can receive. The experience can be a positive one saving you time, money and providing you with terrific results.

Contests and incentive awards provide clear motivations and rewards. The employee and client will feel they are appreciated and develop a deeper relationship with you. They will observe your interest in their relationship because of the time and investment you have made in providing their incentive program. Employees will learn and grow from stretch assignments or goals. Take them through the new employee stage to commitment then full dedication as they become more seasoned.

Incentives should be an evolving process for both your employees and your customers. There should be revelant challenges and beneficial rewards. Merchandise such as mugs, t-shirt and the ever popular pen are soon forgotten and a short lived value. A memorable incentives are those they select fitting their individuality.  Would a pen or a certificate for a vacation motivate you? If you answered vacation, you are among many. When we receive a perceived high value incentive that we work hard to earn, we will share the story of our accomplishment with everyone. We beam with pride and have a story to tell again and again.

Learn how new incentives on the market such as the virtual Visa Card and Amazon.Com point rewards are providing an incentive of the employee’s choice. The employee or customer can either earn points, accumulate for a more valuable incentive or donate them back to your company’s charity to keep on giving.  The employee is happy and will make your customers happier.

Contact us for an online demo www.strategicconcepts-ca.com (866) 582-7853 x703

Now is the best time to use client and employee incentives. Budgets are tight but if you want to maintain business, retain employees and grow along with being ahead of the competition now it is the perfect time to use incentives. 

As always we experience economic cycles. Like all other cycles this one is on its way to a economic strength once again. Those who use incentives now are not just working for today, the are culivating their crop for the future. Smart companies are retaining their customers by demonstrating their appreciation of their continued business and retaining their valuable employees with incentives for jobs well done.

Watch television or open the newspaper and you will find incentive after incentive. The once considered red headed step child of incentives, the gas card is now the most popular kid on the block!  General Motors set off fireworks in the eyes of the car buyer with their gas incentive campaign. The promotions promise to either lock in lower gas prices ($2.99 a gallon in the case of Chrysler’s offer) or pay for gas outright for a set period of time.

Landlords are offering a variety of incentives trying attract tenants in a slow economy.  They’ve become common enough that brokers say incentives are required in some markets to close deals. “They have become ground rules for the way do business - they’re expected,” said Rob Hughes, a vice president with Colliers International.

 Using incentive gifts boosts employee performance or recognize faithful clients is a time-proven business success strategy. Everyone loves getting a free virtual visa incentive to shop at over 200 online retailers, e-certificates for gas or a vacation. Employees and customers are no exception. Most importantly is the way the incentive reflects on you and your company as the givers–it’s sure to make your employees and customers appreciate you all the more and share their experience with others. More referrals, happy employees and retain business.

A cash incentive is soon forgotten but an incentive of their choice is remembered.

The power of thought is indisputably great. For illustration, look at the life of Henry David Thoreau, a 19th-century Massachusetts philosopher.

In 1849, Thoreau, as a relatively unknown scholar, published his thoughts in a controversial essay about civil disobedience. The essay expressed his ideas about justice:

• Not all laws are just.
• A person should respect justice more than the law.
• Without resorting to violence, a person of conscience is justified to transgress the law to protest its injustice.

Thoreau’s thoughts, as the basis for nonviolent resistance, would end up fueling two of the greatest social advancements of the 20th century - Ghandi’s struggle to free India from Britain’s colonial rule and the American Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King, Jr.

THOUGHTS ABOUT THINKING

Thoughts never begin fully formed.

Have you ever looked through a microscope? At first glance, the image appears blurry and indistinct. However, after adjusting the lens, the image comes into focus, and you can see with remarkable clarity.

When thoughts enter my mind, they are hazy and disordered, much like the initial image seen through a microscope. I have to fine-tune my thoughts by dwelling upon them, and connecting them to other thoughts I’ve had. It takes awhile for me to wrestle with a thought before its merit becomes clear.

Thoughts take time to develop their potential.

I am not a naturally brilliant thinker. My mind doesn’t overflow with out-of-the-box creativity. However, I do leverage experiences to stretch my thoughts. I have found that reflection turns my experience into insight. At the close of each day, I’ll review important lessons I’ve learned. I’ll mine failure until I’ve gained a nugget of wisdom, or I’ll consider how the day’s events validated or invalidated one of my ideas. Through time, evaluating my experiences helps my thoughts to expand and mature.

Thoughts take others to develop their potential.

Alone, my thoughts are shallow and unexceptional. However, I am able to polish and refine them through my interactions with other leaders. I enhance my own thinking by piggybacking on the wisdom of friend and colleagues. In conversations or observations of their behavior, I strengthen and confirm my own inklings about leadership and life.

Each of us is trapped inside our own perspective and limited by blind spots and prejudices. If we isolate ourselves, we diminish our minds, and our thoughts atrophy.

We are wise to seek out others to test our assumptions and sharpen our thinking.

Thoughts are very fragile in the beginning.

Gardeners know the delicate nature of a newly planted seedling. To survive, the plant must receive nourishment and be protected from harsh winds, weeds, or hungry animas. Until its roots take hold and its stem grows, the seedling is vulnerable.

Likewise, our thoughts are fragile at first. They are endangered by pessimism, busyness, insecurity, forgetfulness, and a host of other threats. In the words of Bob Biehl, “Ideas are like soap bubbles floating in the air close to jagged rocks on a windy day.”

In order to grow, our thoughts need careful attention and cultivation.

THOUGHT BUSTERS

Thoughts only reach their potential in a healthy environment. During my time as a leader, I’ve encountered the following environmental hazards, or thought busters, which threaten to destroy good thinking.

Criticism

When leaders pay any cost to ward off criticism, they sacrifice their best thoughts. In the words of Elbert Hubbard, “If you have something others don’t have, know something others don’t know, or do something others aren’t doing, then, rest assured, you will be criticized.” In my opinion, thinking requires boldness, the courage to be second-guessed, and readiness to endure conflict.

Lack of personal commitment to thinking

Taking action is by no means a negative quality in a leader. However, when a leader is all action, it’s only a matter of time until he or she falls behind, steers off course, and surrenders the reins of leadership. I like Gordon MacDonald’s appeal to mental fitness:

“In our pressurized society, people who are out of shape mentally usually fall victim to ideas and systems that are destructive to the human spirit and to the human relationship. They are victimized because they have not taught themselves how to think, nor have they set themselves to the lifelong pursuit of growth of the mind. Not having the faculty of a strong mind, they grow dependent upon the thoughts and opinions of others.”

As leaders, thinking keeps us in front. Before we shape the future, we must get our minds in shape.

Excuses

“I don’t have enough time,” has been my most common excuse to avoid thinking. However, blaming time constraints is not a legitimate excuse. After all, a great idea is one of the greatest commodities a person can own. Besides, by taking the time to think, we invent smarter ways to expend our energy and resources.

“I’m not creative,” has been another excuse of mine. Of course, blaming my lack of creativity is actually a sorry excuse for being lazy. Thinking well isn’t easy. It takes concentration, focus, and, most challenging of all, the discipline to stop moving for a few moments.