Leadership Done Right

Brandon W. Jones

Leadership Done Right Blog

Looking Beyond the Mark

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As a leader, are you looking beyond the mark?  As leaders, we always try to be the best we can be.  We strive to get more with less.  As we focus on becoming better and doing more, it can be really easy to look for that which is bigger, faster, more efficient, etc.  When constantly looking forward to plan the future, it can be really easy to stop seeing and acting in the present.  If we look forward too much, it becomes very easy to look beyond the mark.

Are you looking beyond the mark?

I define looking beyond the mark as the times when you get distracted by the unimportant.  Those things can include your future that is out of your control, the accomplishments of others that don’t directly affect you, or any other aspect of life that distracts you from that which is most important to you.  Looking beyond the mark can lead to trouble.

It is good to set goals and work to achieve them on a regular basis, but it is important to not look too far into the future that you are beyond the mark.  I have seen many people get so far ahead of themselves that they stop preparing for that which they are currently working on.  They are focused on tomorrow, next week, next year, but not on the present.  They fail to be the best they can be in the moment.

Are you looking beyond the mark?

Looking beyond the mark can lead to serious trouble.  There are no shortcuts to become great.  You must work hard, be dedicated, and always do your very best.  Too often people focus on things that are beyond the mark and lose sight of the steps they must take to reach their goal. [Read more…] about Looking Beyond the Mark

Leadership Blessings Through Hard Times

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Have you ever gone through hard times and wondered if anything good would come from it?  Many times, especially as we go through hard times, it is easy to complain thinking you have done everything right so things should turn out how you envisioned them.  It is easy to think things should go your way because you put in the time and hard work.  In reality, if used properly, these are the times when you can experience the most growth.  The hard times will make you stronger if you use them properly.

Hard times and the blessings that follow

Use hard times to your advantage

So how do you use hard times to your advantage?  There are always lessons to be learned through challenges.  During the last five years the U.S. and many parts of the world have gone through very hard times economically.  Thousands of people lost their jobs and companies went out of business.  In addition, many people lost their homes.  Some people might ask, what good can come from this?  These challenging times have been very hard, scary, and real for many people. [Read more…] about Leadership Blessings Through Hard Times

Why Complacency And Leadership Don’t Mix

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Several years ago, I had a great leader, G. Lawrence “Larry” Spackman, that taught me a valuable lesson about complacency.  He was very successful in everything he did and attributed his success to his strong drive and unrelenting desire to never back down when obtaining his goals.

When I was around Larry, he always stressed the importance of working hard and doing your very best.  In addition to teaching correct principles, he lived what he taught.  Because he was so driven, he despised complacency.  He taught that complacency would keep you from reaching your dreams and goals.  Larry taught me to avoid complacency at all cost.  His example confirmed the validity of what he told me.

Complacency and Leadership

As a leader, don’t let yourself become satisfied with average performance.  Never give less than your best effort because if you do, you will give way to complacency.  Complacency is very destructive and has many negative side effects.  There are three major side effects that come with a complacent attitude. [Read more…] about Why Complacency And Leadership Don’t Mix

Getting To The Root Of The Problem

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Most leaders face challenges or problems on a regular basis.  Some of the problems are very extensive while others are simple.  As a leader, how do you handle problems?  How do you determine a solution when you have a reoccurring problem?  It is easy to look at something that isn’t going right and brush it under the rug or fix the symptoms without looking any deeper.  Each problem, however, has a root cause and the key is to get to the root of the problem.

Identify the root of the problem

To solve those problems, leaders use a variety of methods or techniques.  Some techniques correct the symptoms of the problem, while the more valuable and effective techniques get to the root of the problem.  Of the different problem solving techniques, I have seen three general approaches that are commonly used. [Read more…] about Getting To The Root Of The Problem

Have A Growth Plan In Place

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I took a flight from Reno, NV to Poenix, AZ in 2009 where I had the opportunity to sit next to a very smart guy.  I don’t remember his name, so I will just call him Brett.  Brett had a background in economics and was in the economics doctorate program at the University of Nevada – Reno.  As we talked, he brought up a very interesting question.  He said, “So every new business owner is always concerned about what they should do to avoid failure.  They are so concerned that their product remains relevant that they never ask themselves, ‘What will we do if everything goes really well?  How will we keep up with the demand if it is very high? What is my growth plan?'”  From there, we began talking about a variety of things that leaders can do to prepare a growth plan, so that they don’t fail due to the inability to grow.  Overall, the factors we discussed all dealt with having a growth plan in place.Have a Growth Plan in Place

Why have a growth plan

When you start your company, your growth plan will be a guide that you can follow as you expand.  It will explain how you will grow and what you will do as you grow. In your plan, you can identify geographical areas where you plan to expand, new markets you plan to enter, how you plan to expand your capital, plant, and human resources, and what market strategies you plan to use.  Within each industry there are low cost providers, high quality providers, and everything in between.  As you create this plan, write as much detail as you can so you have a clear image of what you plan to do.  [Read more…] about Have A Growth Plan In Place

Set Clear Expectations As A Leader

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A little while back, I spoke to my friend Jason. Jason was a mid-level manager at the company where he worked, but he was still responsible for creating the vision and setting clear expectations. In his position, he was a leader in every sense of the word and faced all the regular leadership challenges.

The result of clear expectations

One particular challenge that Jason faced came from the inability of others to set clear expectations. As a mid-level manager, Jason reported to leaders within his organization. They regularly gave him big projects to work on that helped move the company towards some of the overall corporate goals. At the time I spoke to him, he had received a number of projects from his superiors. His frustration at the time was that they had not given him clear clear expectations.

The importance of clear expectations

As Jason began working on the projects, he asked for additional clarification on what he should do. They clarified to the point where Jason felt he had clear expectations, so he began working towards the completion of the projects. In many cases, Jason’s vision for the projects was greater than the vision of his superiors.  He worked very hard on each project to get the projects done. Once he was done, he presented his work to his superiors for approval. They would inevitably say he had done a great job, but he needed to add some things here or change some things there. Many of the changes were extensive and required a lot of work. [Read more…] about Set Clear Expectations As A Leader

The Debate On Empowerment vs Entitlement

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In leadership and government, there is a constant debate on empowerment vs entitlement.  People on both sides empowerment vs entitlement debate feel that their approach will lead to success.  Some people believe that people are born with specific entitlements that come in the form of specific rights and privileges while others feel everything you get in life should be earned.

Empowerment vs Entitlement

Define Empowerment vs Entitlement

To fully understand the empowerment vs entitlement debate, it is important to understand the meaning of empowerment vs entitlement.  Entitlement as defined in the dictionary means, “to give (a person) the right to do or have something; qualify; allow.” or “the right to guaranteed benefits under a government program.”  Empowerment, on the other hand means, “the giving or delegation of power or authority; authorization.”  It also means, “to give power or authority to; authorize, especially by legal or official means: I empowered my agent to make the deal for me. The local ordinance empowers the board of health to close unsanitary restaurants.”  These two approaches have gained additional momentum because of the downturn in the economy.  Everyone wants to be successful and come out of their current economic slump. [Read more…] about The Debate On Empowerment vs Entitlement

How To Learn From Experience

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In many ways everyday leadership is just a big experiment.  Leaders do everything they can to do what they have to do in the “right” or most efficient way possible.  Sometimes they will be very successful and everything will go right, while other times everything will seem to go wrong.  No matter the outcome, you can always learn from experience.  You can also learn from experience of others.

Learn from experience

What to do to learn from experience

If you are anything like me, the more you learn, the more you realize how little you really know.  You probably also do all you can to learn from experience so you don’t repeat your past mistakes and you can mimic your past successes.  There is a lot you can do to learn from experience whether it is your own or from someone else.  If you want to learn from experience, however, it is very important to have an open mind.  To learn from  experience, I suggest four actions you can take.

1.  Reflect On Each Experience

After you go through an experience, reflect on what happened.  What was the expected outcome and what was the actual outcome?  As you reflect, identify what choices and actions led to successful and unsuccessful results.  From there, determine what principles were followed and how those principles can be used/adapted to solve future problems. [Read more…] about How To Learn From Experience

Change Creates Opportunity

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In leadership, change is a very common word.  Some people say that change creates opportunity while others say change is scary and negative.  In the fast paced, ever changing business world, one of the few constants is change.  Change is all around us.  From new leaders and job transfers to new policies and procedures, change is always occurring in one form or another.

Change Creates Opportunity

Change Creates Opportunity

In my life, I’ve found that change creates opportunity.  Some of the most difficult changes I have ever experienced also helped me to grow by leaps and bounds.  Several years ago, I was working for one boss that transferred to another department.  At that time I got a new leader.  I got along great with my first boss and we had a great working relationship.  I really enjoyed working for him and felt very sad when I got the new leader.  When I got the my new boss, I did everything I could to make it a smooth transition.  It was, however, quite a challenge to create a great working relationship. [Read more…] about Change Creates Opportunity

Understand Personality Type Indicator Tests

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Have you ever heard of personality type indicator tests?  Several years ago, I worked for a company that took a unique approach to training their employees.  They had an extensive human relations training program for all company management.  After working for the company for a few months, I attended a series of classes to learn and understand personality type indicator tests.  I attended two classes that were dedicated to the “True Colors” and Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type indicator tests.

Are personality type indicator tests useful?

What is a personality type indicator test?

A personality type indicator test is a questionnaire or other standardized instrument designed to reveal aspects of an individual’s character or psychological makeup. The first personality type indicator tests were developed in the early 20th century and were intended to ease the process of personnel selection, particularly in the armed forces. Since the early efforts of these tests, a wide variety of personality type indicator tests have been developed, notably the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the MMPI, and a number of tests based on the Five Factor Model of personality. Today, personality type indicator tests are used in a range of contexts, including individual and relationship counseling, career planning, and employee selection and development. (Wikipedia.org)

The purpose of personality type indicator tests is to explain the thought and action process of people with different backgrounds or genetic makeups.  The tests usually categorize people.  Some of the categories include: introvert vs extravert, leader vs follower, peacemaker vs aggressor, etc.  These tests are designed to help leaders know how to work successfully with people of all different backgrounds. [Read more…] about Understand Personality Type Indicator Tests