Leadership Qualities

Understand Your Stakeholders

By Brandon W. Jones on July 22, 2013 2

Within many for-profit organizations, there are two common models that drive the decisions of all the leaders within the organization. One model refers to the shareholders and the other refers to the stakeholders. The models are the shareholder-wealth maximization model and the stakeholder model. Each model has its own challenges and benefits. As a leader, it is important to understand both models so you know how to best serve those you lead and your organization.

Shareholders

In today’s business environment there is a strong culture of leaders that follow the shareholder-wealth maximization model. As stated on wiki answers, “The Shareholder-Wealth Maximization model (SWM) goal states that the objective of a firm’s management should be to maximize the present value of the expected future cash flows to equity owners (shareholders). Consider cash flows to be the same as profits. Hence, the value of a firm’s stock is equal to the present value of all expected future profits, discounted at the the shareholders required rate of return.”

With the shareholder-wealth maximization model, whether it is the CEO, mid-level manager, or the supervisor, all leaders are taught to focus on maximizing the shareholder wealth. With shareholder wealth as the driving force, leaders have foregone ethics, moral values, and any other set of standards they held for the purpose of increasing the profit within their company. Leaders within this framework have taken greater risks or made other decisions that either led to their personal downfall or the downfall of the company. [Read more…] about Understand Your Stakeholders

Do You Take The Initiative?

By Brandon W. Jones on June 11, 2013 2

Have you ever been with a group of people where no one would make the first move or take the initiative? Were people in the group shy and didn’t want to stand out? Did they feel intimidated? Or, was there something else that caused them to not take the initiative? I have seen something very interesting happen in these group settings. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, one person inevitably takes the initiative to act. He/she takes the initiative and get up to start working. From there, many others begin to act and follow suit. The true leader is the first person to take the initiative.

So what does it mean to take the initiative?

On the website Then Life Happens, Darren Sproat explained initiative as, “In its simplest form, taking initiative is doing without being asked to do.” Taking the initiative means making the first move, being willing to do what others don’t want to do, or stepping up to make an introductory act or step leading to action. If you take the initiative, you are willing to be uncomfortable if it means the result is better than what you have to sacrifice or the discomfort you must go through when taking action. Leaders constantly take the initiative to get things done. They step up to make things happen. [Read more…] about Do You Take The Initiative?

Write A Guest Post On Leadership Done Right

By Brandon W. Jones on May 29, 2013 0

Since the start of this blog, many posts have been written on a variety of subjects related to leadership. The readership has continuously expanded to where there is now quite a following. In an effort to make this blog more interactive with additional points of view, everyone is invited to do a guest post within the guidelines shown below.

Guest Post Guidelines

In order to maintain the integrity of Leadership Done Right, the following guidelines must be adhered to for guest posts:

1. Length
When it comes to length, quality is far more important than quantity. However, it takes a minimum number of words to make a point. With that in mind, the guest post needs to be between 300 and 800 words.

2. Biography
Please provide a brief biography of 150 words or less (not to be counted as part of the 300 to 800 word post limitation) explaining your background and experience on the topic you are writing about. Your bio will be published at the beginning of your guest post. [Read more…] about Write A Guest Post On Leadership Done Right

Change in Leadership

By Brandon W. Jones on May 24, 2013 0

In the business world change is constant. The change that has the biggest effect on the employees is the change that involves management. Whether it is someone new to leadership or someone that has been in leadership for a long time, change is always a challenge within an organization. When a new leader comes into or is moved within an organization, they bring new rules, quirks, and viewpoints. Even though each leader has their own personality and leadership style, there are a few approaches that seem to be similar amongst many leaders. There are two approaches I have experienced in my career from many different leaders that seem to have a significant impact on the morale of the employees.

Micromanage the change

The first approach is that of the micromanager. The micromanagers have the tendency to jump into a new system and make it into their own without learning the existing system first. The National Federation of Independent Business explains a micromanager as, ” The micromanager is the manager who must personally make every decision, take a lead role in the performance of every significant task and, in extreme cases, dictate every small step the workers take.” They are change drivers. They take the approach that every system needs to be fixed, so they will fix it. These types of leaders have a hard time seeing the positive aspects of the existing system. From what I have seen, these leaders have a tendency to rub people wrong in the beginning. With time the subordinates get used to their new leader and their leadership style. Those who are under this type of leader, either learn to work with them or go on to different positions. [Read more…] about Change in Leadership

Label Yourself And See What Happens

By Brandon W. Jones on May 20, 2013 2

How do you label yourself? Are you too fat or too skinny? Are you the workaholic or the one that skates by with little effort? When you label yourself, it has a powerful effect on how you see yourself and the decisions you make.

How do you label yourself?

In the article, How Do You Label Yourself on drphil.com, Dr. Phil said, “Believe it or not, labels are incredibly powerful influences in your life. You may not be consciously aware of even a fraction of the names assigned to you, whether they come from the outside world or from within.”

In leadership, many people will label you. Some will label you as “the great leader.” And others will label you as a bad leader. There are also many other labels people will give you; too confident, smart, arrogant, etc. [Read more…] about Label Yourself And See What Happens

Get Buy-in From Your Employees

By Brandon W. Jones on May 17, 2013 4

Your employees are your biggest asset and they always will be because without them nothing happens. They greet your customers, ship your products, complete projects, and do all the other work that gets done. Because they are so valuable, you need their buy-in when making organizational change happen.

Three Questions To Ask For Buy-in

If your employees aren’t on board, they will eventually leave. So how do you get their buy-in? I have three suggestions to get them involved.

1. Ask for the employees’ point of view.

Find out what your employees think about the current situation. Ask whether or not they are satisfied with status quo. Let them explain how they work within the current framework and get their feedback. As you learn their thoughts, you will gain valuable insight into how they think.

The more you get their feedback, the more they will realize that you value their thoughts and opinions. They will gain trust in your actions and words once they realize you value them. Getting their feedback will also help you be better prepared to introduce changes in a way that won’t rub them wrong. Getting their feedback will also help gain their buy-in when the decisions are made in the future. [Read more…] about Get Buy-in From Your Employees