Career Development

The Most Powerful Leadership Tool

I am ready to tell you more about my nearly three-year journey of creating a tool to help people lead. Let’s be clear on something first, though: Being a manager is not the same as being a leader. You can manage yourself, you can manage things and you can manage processes, but you can’t manage another person. All you can do is lead other people. This is the biggest misunderstanding in corporate management today. Too many managers are exactly that—managers. They are not leaders.

 I have seen and coached managers to become great leaders, and I can tell you the people in their care were ready for their leadership, starving for it actually. Everyone who reports to you is ready right now for you to become the leader you were designed to be. I say designed because most of you already know the tenants of leadership.

 Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, reminded me that being a good leader is no different than being a good parent. We raise our children to think for themselves. We praise them when we catch them doing things right. It doesn’t change in the workplace. In the same way we want the best for our kids, shouldn’t we want the best for our associates too? Of course we do. We just don’t know how to talk to our associates like we do our own kids.

 That’s where my new invention comes into play. People will allow you to lead them if—  and only if—their base motivations are respected and supported. Furthermore, we all have rules that govern our acceptance of any interaction with another person. The problem is there is no tool in America today (or for any other country for that matter) that gives you a peek into another person’s core motivations and rules of engagement. Until now! Please welcome the About Me Card presented by a new company, About Me International.

 We have been experimenting with a process of creating a corporate culture based on acceptance and support. Our early adopters are praising the program. You can download a white paper at aboutmecard.com to learn more. How does it work? Imagine being able to understand a person’s motivations in 15 minutes, along with the individual’s rules of engagement. How would that change how you currently interact and motivate each of your associates? Instead of spending months or years trying to figure each one out, you could understand each individual in 15 minutes.

 We are about to enter our beta testing of the new software and will be holding a major event introducing it to the world in the spring. If you would like to be invited to this World Premiere being held in Green Bay, please contact us and we’ll send you an invitation. It’s been an exciting journey. Are you ready to step up and become the leader you were designed to become? Join me.

Precious lives are in your care

I’ve been humbled. I encourage you to listen to my upcoming interview with Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, on my Monday Mastermind show and you will quickly see why. My interview with Bob has truly changed the way I look at leading my people, and I hope it will do the same for you. I’ve found over the years, through your feedback, that subscribers to this publication tend to care about people, so I believe you will find this interview very insightful and even moving.

 I thought I cared about my associates. I give leadership talks every month. I’m averaging about 48 a year and after listening to Mr. Chapman, a successful leader of a billion dollar company, I realized that I have a lot yet to understand. You can never really arrive with this leadership stuff; you can only get better. After interviewing Bob, what truly resonated with me was his intense sincerity for helping people achieve personal and professional enrichment and purpose through the context of his business.

 He calls this approach “People Centric,” and it has changed how I look at leadership. Before Bob’s influence in my life, I thought I understood leadership. I understood it cerebrally. I’ve read all the books so I guess I’m a great leader! Oh boy, was I woken up. The biggest point he made that resonated with me is to look at your employees in the same way you look at your children. Raising a family and raising a business are the same.

 I know that last statement may sound condescending to some with the notion that adults are children. Perhaps some of you translated it from a workaholic point of view with business being as important as family. If you did, you interpreted it wrong.

Bob sees everyone as a precious human being. Like a parent sees their children. We raise our kids to be self-motivated and independent thinkers. Then they grow up, get a job and are told what to do every day. That’s not right.

 Please listen this coming Monday or sign up for my free podcast so it comes automatically to your iPod. I am joining Bob in a crusade to create purpose-driven workplaces. Will you join us?

 Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: Tune in Monday for Bob’s interview—it will definitely be worth marking in your calendar. I guarantee it!

Emotional fuel… keep their tanks full!

We all know that food is the fuel to keep our bodies going. Water is the oil and food is the gas. You could say these are our essential needs as human beings. At work we’re really good at making sure our employees have everything they need: ergonomically engineered work stations for optimum output, best software and hardware to get the job done, and a bunch of other stuff that corporate America hides behind as meeting people’s legitimate needs.

OK, I admit we do need the “stuff,” which are tools to help us succeed at what we do, but how about appreciation? Appreciation is our emotional fuel. Mother Theresa once said, “People crave appreciation more than food.” Conversely, Henry Ford said, “Why do I get the whole person when all I want is a pair of hands?” Is it any wonder Detroit has ended up where it has? Now let’s look at Toyota. They make cars, too. They have the same equipment and engineers and “stuff.” How come they don’t seem to be hurting as bad as the Big Three?
 
The answer is Toyota realized that they pay for the hands of their people but they can have their hearts and minds for free! How? They call it Lean Manufacturing, but essentially they take the time to ask their people what THEY think could improve processes and operations. They don’t tell their people what to do; they lead them instead.

It’s going to be an uphill climb for me in my crusade to bring inspirational leadership into the workplace. However, I’m determined to keep preaching and teaching employee engagement by creating tools and systems to help bring about the changes that I believe are needed in the world.

It’s been said that employees’ pay is their right but your praise is a gift. Start involving your employees. Ask their opinion and give praise when you see them doing things right.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Give 3 people honest appreciation today!

Are you the crabby chairlift attendant at work?

Over the holiday, my family went skiing at our favorite Midwest ski destination. I grew up in a family of seven and skiing two weekends a month was the norm. My children run the gamut between experienced and beginners. Alex can snowboard with the best of them while my little girls are becoming masters of the bunny hill.

While my wife was manning the bunny hill, Alex and I decided to head for the summit. Our favorite ski hill has our favorite chairlift: a six-passenger, high-speed chairlift that gets us up lickety split! Because the hill was crowded that day, there was a “helper” attendant who counted off parties of six so the chair was always at full capacity. He would point to people and give them a number, “1-2-3-4-5-6… GO!”

Our first ride up had us positioned on the end (seats 5 and 6), and we didn’t know the attendant was there organizing the lines. We prematurely approached the loading corral before he yelled “go” and as a result we were not properly counted. By the time we realized what had happened, we had managed to back up the line a bit. Crabby (that’s what Alex and I now call him) approached us and said, “I get paid to work here and I don’t like coming out here and counting these lines!”

Alex looked at me and asked, “What does that mean?” Crabby was obviously trying to reprimand us but didn’t know how to articulate his chastising clearly. I told Alex, “I think it means he doesn’t like his job.”

Are you the crabby chairlift attendant where you work? Do you dread going to work? Do you let everyone know it? Believe me when I tell you that you’re not doing anyone any favors by bringing your negativity to work every day—especially yourself!

When you enjoy what you do, you never work another day in your life. I’ve learned that your attitude brings true joy to any job. In my life I’ve been employed as a city lawn maintenance worker, school bus driver, beverage sampler at grocery stores, gymnastics and choir instructor to little kids, and as a dinner theater director and performer. I enjoyed all of these jobs and dedicated myself to being the best employee and contributor that I could at each one.

I know what it’s like to have jobs that you know are not going to be your life’s calling. However, whether you signed up to be a bus driver or a marketing director, you’ve committed yourself to do your best and along with giving your best is bringing a positive attitude to work each day. I applaud all of you who have a positive attitude at work and who focus on your jobs with maximal energy and commitment. I believe it’s the key to a life of happiness and fulfillment.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN:  Find your purpose today in what you’re doing.

How many Susan Boyles do you have?

Last week I spoke to a local health care organization. The topic was on leadership. In traditional Road Show style, the audience laughed its way to learning. We had a lot of fun that day and I did something I’ve never tried before: I accessed the Internet to make a point.

I began the session by challenging the group to be leaders and not managers. There are far too few leaders in America today. The top four attributes of a great leader as stated by employees are: Credibility, Trustworthiness, Vision and Inspiration.

Inspirational leadership should be the goal of every leader. Inspiration has little to do with style. There are quiet and charismatic leaders who inspire in their own way. The rule of inspiration comes from getting to know the strengths of the people you lead. Take an active interest in them and inspire them to greatness every day.

During the Road Show, I shared a real life example of greatness unleashed by Googling “Susan Boyle.” If you haven’t already, please try this. Susan Boyle is a plain Jane who showed up on the TV show “Britain’s Got Talent.” Everyone judged her by her appearance, but when she opened her mouth to sing everyone stopped judging and was blown away.

I shared this with my audience and then asked the question, “How many Susan Boyles are there in your departments?” Talented, wonderful individuals who just need to be understood and supported. How many do you have? Do you judge them from the cover or do you take the time to understand them?

Stop managing and start inspiring. There is no greater feeling than when employees tell you their life is better because you are in it!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Google Susan Boyle!

What assumptions are you using for excuses?

I think assumptions are used by people to create excuses. It makes me sad to think about the number of brilliant people with brilliant ideas who simply dream and then go to sleep with their ideas. I hear all kinds of excuses using antiquated assumptions. Statements like: I’m too young. I’m too old. No one will like this. I’m too busy. I don’t have the money to make it happen… blah, blah, blah.

I just read in our local paper about a 13-year-old girl who raised $5,000 in a few weeks. Her cause was to help families build farms overseas. Amazing! If you haven’t heard about Johnny the Bagger… Google him. You will discover a young man with Down syndrome who transformed the experience at a grocery store.

Men and women, young and old, are doing exceptional things in ordinary ways. They simply take action and do something small each day to reach their goal. They do it with a shoestring budget, they do it with kids at home, they do it in retirement – they do it, they do it, and they do it! See a theme here?

So what idea or dream do you have? I learned a healthy exercise from a colleague of mine: Create an Action Plan and start by making a list. On the top I want you to put your idea or dream. Then I want you to list all the excuses and assumptions that you have told yourself as to why you can’t begin working on it today. When your list is complete, find the nearest shredder and SHRED IT! Then create a new list with a timeline of what you CAN do today to push your ideas forward.

There is no adventure in waiting. Do it now and let the adventure begin!

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Shred it!

I’ve been humbled!

If you’ve been following my philosophies for a while, you know I’m on a crusade to drive tension out of the workplace. All of us Prophiteers work very hard to maintain a healthy corporate culture. I’ve been training companies on Servant Leadership for about five years now, but I must admit that I recently had an eye-opening experience that has fully changed the way I explain the benefits of such a program within an organization.

I recently had an opportunity to interview Bob Chapman, who is CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, a holding company for a variety of successful companies, mostly manufacturing. Bob and his team have created an empowered, purpose-driven culture for all who are employed in their care.

Before this interview, I would tell business owners that companies with a strong corporate culture always outperform their non-culture rich competitors. I would tell them they should engage because not only will their people be more efficient but as companies they’ll make more money! Mr. Chapman, however, put me in my place. He shook my tree!

Bob explained to me that many leaders have visited their company to find the solution. Barry-Wehmiller practices an approach called Lean. Bob told me he always asks his visitors why they are interested in creating this type of culture. He said, “If they tell me it’s to make more money, they will surely fail.” He further explained, “Executives who are successful launching Lean do so because they feel a moral obligation to enrich the lives of all associates.”

I was blown away. He began telling me stories of how proud their associates are to work there. I certainly believe that taking a sincere interest in others is key to being a great leader, but I’ve just realized it’s the key to a great life.

I believe there are few things more satisfying in life than when you support self-motivated individuals who contribute ideas and processes of improvement that focus on a single goal. That’s often called “purpose.” What’s your purpose in life? Is what you do fulfilling?

Bob told me that Newsweek did a poll on employment pride in the workplace and only 10% of American workers are proud of where they work. Can you imagine! It’s time to begin a movement of engagement and enlightenment in the workplace. Will you join me?

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Are you enriching other people’s lives?

90% of Success Is Just Showing Up!

I’ve written on this topic before. Just showing up is often 90% of why a person is successful. When it comes to sales, successful sales people will tell you “never stop calling and reaching out.” That extra call often turns into sales. I was reminded of this fundamental truth while having lunch recently with a stranger at a Society of Animal Welfare Administrators conference, which I had been invited to speak at.

The gentleman I sat next to sold large operating systems for animal shelters. Products that cost a lot of money and last a long time … 20-30 years. They do not have the luxury of repeat business. So I asked him, “How do you market yourself? Booth space, hand shaking and walking around?” His response was, “Both.”

He admitted that it was very difficult but he found that continuing to show up can lead to unexpected connections that can result in sales. So why do we often get busy making excuses as to why we’re not reaching to meet our potential? Is it fear that holds us back? The fear of being wildly successful? I may sound a little sarcastic, but Nelson Mandela believes that what people truly fear is success.

You are a uniquely talented individual who has the right to be wildly successful. If you find you are limiting yourself or making excuses as to why you can’t, instead focus on making a plan as to how you can!

Joe Kiedinger

Walt Disney … what a guy!

My family just returned from a week at Walt Disney World. I am always amazed at the experience the Disney brand delivers. While visiting Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM), I visited a pavilion sharing the history of Walt Disney which included a documentary with Disney himself telling his story.

Amazing! Walt failed a lot as a young entrepreneur. He believed it’s a good thing for a young person to experience failure. It’s a character thing. His first cartoon character was Waldo the Rabbit. Through a patent loophole, he lost the rights to his own character. His sales manager sold it to a competing firm along with all the artists. Walt was in New York when he found this out. He returned to L.A. without a product or artists. His studio was empty.

His wife Lillian was with him for this historic train ride back to L.A., and it was on this ride that Walt drew the first Mickey Mouse. He decided that Mickey would be the first cartoon character to have real emotion and personality.

One thing Walt never sacrificed was quality. With all the cartoons he created, he insisted that his artists spend extra time with details. His brother Roy challenged him often about the expense of such detail. Walt ignored him in this regard, insisting on quality.

While sitting and watching the film, it was humorous for me to watch the 50-something Disney say, “Once we became successful, they finally believed that my ideas were right.”

Disney certainly achieved success—but only by finding the will to persevere through 30 years of on-and-off-again failures.

Do you have the guts it takes to believe in something so strongly that you drive your belief through negative feedback and criticism? Not too many people have this type of passion. As his company grew, Walt Disney was reported to have said to his staff, “Just remember, it all started with a mouse.”

Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney, is quoted as saying, “No, it started with a man.”

What will be your legacy?

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Time to start putting your dreams in motion. Make small efforts everyday to build your legacy. Whatever that means to you!

Hire for Profit

Did you know the average cost to a business to go through the hiring process and then have the person leave in three months is around $4200? I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford to take too many of those hits to my balance sheet.

In his book, Winning, Jack Welch reminds us that when hiring we need to do the “acid test,” which is to first check for integrity, second for intelligence and third for maturity.

When it comes to integrity, I believe you start by looking at character. I have dedicated the last two years focusing on identifying true character, and I’ve found that character is developed in the first 13 years of life. It recently dawned on me that businesses only ask interviewees about their adult life and their work experience—and rarely, if ever, about character.

Could it be that your character is developed that young? It’s a programming thing. For example, we were taught to believe cheating or lying to be right or wrong based on how our parents and role models behaved.

Winning also instructs us to look for the four E’s: Positive ENERGY, the ability to ENERGIZE others; the EDGE, which refers to the courage to make tough decisions; and finally the ability to EXECUTE and get the job done. If the candidate possesses the four E’s, the next thing you look for is passion.

Hiring the right people is core to accomplishing great things.

Joe Kiedinger

ACTION PLAN: Practice the four E’s in your future interviews, but make sure candidates pass the acid test first.