How Poor Leaders Become Good Leaders

The University of Harvard did a study on how to become a good leader and this is what they found:

The University of Harvard studied a group of 71 leaders that were able to elevate their leadership effectiveness from the 23rd percentile to the 56th percentile — that is, from being poor leaders to good ones. While many people were impressed that it could happen, many more were curious and doubtful about how it even could happen. Admittedly, not every leader can do this. But all 71 of these individuals (who represented three-quarters of the entire group of poor leaders in the study) did accomplish this seemingly Herculean shift. How?

Using 360 degree feedback over a 12- to 18-month period, they were able to track what, exactly, the leaders who’d made the most significant progress were doing. They found that practically all of them (more than 80%) significantly improved their ability to execute nine particular leadership skills:

1. They improved their communication effectiveness. This was the most common skill that these people improved. Communication skills are highly malleable. For many of these leaders, improvement here was less about learning new skills than about using the skills they already had more often, and with more people. They have also found that when struggling leaders spend time improving presentation skills, the effort does produce and can immediately payoff.

2. They made an effort to share their knowledge and expertise more widely. Poor leaders tend to be stingy with information and know-how. By sharing their knowledge more frequently and teaching people what they know how to do, they can simultaneously impress and develop their direct reports.

3. They began to encourage others to do more and to be better. Some leaders believe that if they minimize challenges to their team and expect less of their people, subordinates will see them as better leaders. This is wrong! Fewer challenges is the opposite of what a work group or organization needs. When leaders challenge their direct reports to do more and be better than they thought they could be, the leaders are actually perceived to be better themselves.

4. They developed a broader perspective. It’s easy for leaders to become preoccupied with work demands and internal politics that they become oblivious to what’s happening in the outside world. Getting leaders to stop and look at the bigger picture can help them see potential problems sooner and focus more on strategic and less on tactical issues. This leads to constructive change and innovation.

5. They recognized that they were role models and needed to set a good example. It frequently happens that leaders unintentionally (or unknowingly) ask others to do things they don’t do themselves. This never works. Many of the 71 leaders were surprised to discover that they were perceived as hypocritical. They learned to walk their talk (or at least to “stumble the mumble”).

6. They began to champion their team’s new ideas. Many of the 71 leaders were also surprised to learn that their teams considered them to be the “Abominable NO man (or woman).” When they shifted from discouraging new proposals to encouraging and supporting innovative ideas and thinking, positive changes occurred.

7. They learned to recognize when change was needed. More generally, the successful leaders were those who learned to willingly support and embrace change; and encourage others to do so, as well. How? Essentially, by becoming more proactive — that is, by doing a better job of spotting new trends, opportunities, and potential problems early.

8. They improved their ability to inspire and motivate others. Practically, all of the actions we’ve already mentioned create a more inspirational environment. In addition, there were two notable things these leaders did to inspire others. First, they did a better job keeping people focused on the highest priority goals and objectives. Second, they made a special effort to stay in touch with the concerns and problems of their teams. When a leader is the last to know that an employee is having difficulties, others interpret that as a lack of concern. Providing support and assistance to an employee in difficult circumstances not only helps that employee, but also reassures others they can expect to receive the same treatment.

9. They began to encourage cooperation rather than competition. Many leaders come out of school believing that work is a zero-sum game that creates winners and losers, and so they compete, in an effort to get ahead. Battles are costly and consume a great deal of resources. In the long run, internal competition causes every participant to lose. When leaders look for ways to encourage cooperation and generate common goals, they become more successful.

As you review this list of what the bad leaders did to improve, we believe you’ll agree that what this is describing are common virtues that had not been practiced commonly enough. The data show that taking these steps are especially effective in increasing the success of leaders who’ve been formerly regarded as poor, but they can improve all leaders. To us, that means that everyone — bad leaders, average leaders, and even good leaders — can change their spots. So, what’s holding you back?

 

Fire inc. Atlanta Sponsors Shopping Spree

     Out of Atlanta, Georgia, Fire Inc. threw an eight week bonus for their ten administrators on staff for a thousand dollar shopping spree. The bonus ran from late November to early January. The ten administrators were partnered up based on their strengths and weaknesses, making five different teams. The goal for the bonus was to have the administrators work in teams to develop their weaknesses and capitalize on strengths.

     There were several different categories that the administrators could gain points, but all were focused on organizational growth within the eight week time period. It was a close race throughout the entire contest, but Cindy Baker from the Detroit office and Shenna Bryant from the Charlotte office took the win by only seven points! Cindy and Shenna were accompanied by member of the executive team during their shopping spree after having breakfast in downtown Atlanta. Fire Inc. Atlanta is looking forward to many more fun contest and bonus’s in years to come.

 

How To Become A Successful Entrepreneur

Is there a guaranteed formula to follow (as the headline suggests?) Of course not. A quick look at the people who have become successful entrepreneurs shows the paths they took are as unique as they are.

But—and it’s a HUGE but—while their behavior was idiosyncratic, their thinking was not.

A study by Saras D. Sarasvathy of the University of Virginia‘s business school shows that serial entrepreneurs—people who have successfully started two or more companies—all followed the same approach; and if it has worked for them, it may very well work for you.

That approach?

1. They were very passionate about what they set out to do. If you don’t have desire, you won’t give anything your best efforts.

2. They begin by taking a small step toward their goal. Starting anything new is certainly risky. You don’t want to move too far too fast. Everything you have probably read about entrepreneurs says they love risk, but nothing can be further from the truth.

3. After taking that small step, they stop to see what they have learned.
Maybe they learn their initial goal is still a good one, maybe the market tells them they need to go in another direction, or maybe they learn that they don’t have the desire any more. The point is after taking that first small step, they come to a complete stop and consider everything.

4. Once they understand what they learned, they take another small step and go through the cycle once again.

In other words the “formula” for success is figuring out what you truly want to do.  And once you know: Act. Learn. Build. Repeat.

What This Means

 Implicit in this formula is that your initial idea is going to morph over time. Initially, Howard Shultz had Italian opera playing as background music at Starbucks. Michael Dell began his company by doing nothing more than assembling IBM personal computer knockoffs. The best entrepreneurs don’t wait until their product or service is perfect. They get it “close enough” and launch. They change whatever it is they have to change as they go.

 The key is to get started and follow the Act. Learn. Build approach. So:

They take that small step toward their goal. For example: “I am going to offer the best coffee I possibly can, within a retail environment that replicates as close as possible what someone would experience if they went out for coffee in Italy.”

They stop and pause to see what they have learned from taking that small step. Example: “People love the idea of an upscale coffee shop, but they hate the opera soundtrack. Let’s drop that, and maybe add some oversize comfortable chairs.”

And then they repeat. “Okay, the chairs were a success; what else can we add and what should we take away.”

Act. Learn. Build. Repeat. It is how just about every successful company we know about was built.

 

Fire Inc. Atlanta Pumpkin Carving Contest

Halloween might be behind us, with only the discounted candy and discarded pumpkins in the grocery stores to remind us of the holiday.  But here at Fire Inc. Atlanta we plan to keep the festivities going for just a little longer as we present the winners of our Halloween pumpkin carving contest.

The pumpkin contest results were amazing, and it was difficult to pick a winner.  Despite the fact that the judges had allowed entries to be more than just carving (suggestions included using straight pins to attach decorations or painting the pumpkins), all of the entries did an excellent job with nothing more than just a knife and a pumpkin.

Entries were judged on originality, ingenious use of inexpensive and recycled materials, quality of the work, suitability of the title, and quality of work.

The winners of the contest will have a pizza party and special recognition in the organization newsletter.

Here are the finalists:

And the winner was this pumpkin, entitled “Pitching out his bum”

Thanks to everyone who participated for making the season a festive one!

 

The Digital Office Daydream

Ryan Anderson has imagined the offices of the future—specifically twenty years down the road. And though the definition of “going to work” has changed in his daydream, much remains the same. In an article on the BBC, Anderson discusses what he thinks work could be like in the future.

 

Mobile technologies, even today, have had an effect on how and where work is completed. Some people can do their work completely remotely without any real issues. In the future Anderson imagines, most traditional office workers will be “remote,” going to work at a kind of local hotspot where they can literally plug in and connect with either an interactive or private network.

 

Gamers, who have a reputation for being able to collaborate, match skills, and share goals virtually, would inspire these new norms. Drawing on game structures, businesses would begin teaching their employees how to work together without ever actually meeting face-to-face.

 

Anderson predicts that in the future, workers will have control over when and where they work. They will still have options and opportunities to meet face-to-face with people, but it won’t necessarily be an everyday occurrence.

 

Carbon footprints would be decreased because people would no longer have to commute. Work would be more easily accessible and instantly available once at a local workspace. Companies wouldn’t have to hold so much real estate property hostage. Speech would be instantly translatable into the listener’s native language.

 

And despite the fact that people would spend most of their time meeting digitally, they would still value face time with one another when establishing relationships and trust.

 

 

 

Social Media Guidelines everyone should follow

With the birth of social media—and the ensuing boom of the industry—it’s become more important than ever to guard your identity, your profile, and what you share with others. While social media websites do a great job of making us feel like only we and our friends can see what’s posted, that’s not always the case.

 

While it’s great to be able to share what you do in your personal time as well as who you work for, it’s also essential that you’re aware of what you’re making visible to others. Here are some guidelines from Fire Inc. Atlanta to help ensure you don’t upset your employers or share information you don’t necessarily want everyone to know:

 

1. Think before you speak—if you’re joining into any conversation, especially a work-related one, make sure you first understand the context of the conversation. Respond to ideas rather than people, and stay away from being offensive. If you are angry, it’s best to let yourself cool off and then decide how (and if) to respond.
2. Decide if your purpose is personal or professional—Why are you using social networking? Is it for your friends or your business reputation? Try to keep the two separate, perhaps using Facebook for personal and LinkedIn for professional.
3. Carefully review postings—Whether it’s a video or a photo, consider what it looks like to others before posting it. Perhaps you had a great time at your New Year’s party, but posting an embarrassing (albeit funny) picture where you’re clearly intoxicated doesn’t bode well for your professionalism. Be aware of your level of privacy when posting by reading the site’s terms of use.
4. Consider what you’re writing and who can see it—For example, it may not be a great idea to post about where you live, when you’re leaving for vacation, etc. You could be compromising your own privacy and security, and also that of others.

 

Fire Inc. Atlanta gives money and time to the 2012 Buddy Walk

Fire Inc. Atlanta recently spent their weekend donating time and money to the 2012 Buddy Walk.  The Buddy Walk is a program organized by the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta, which has planned buddy walks throughout the United States in an effort to both raise money for the Association as well as promote the inclusion and acceptance of people with Down Syndrome in the communities where they live.

Buddy Walks were orginially established in 1995 by the National Down Syndrome Society to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October.   The 2012 Atlanta Buddy Walk was a quarter-mile walk in which anyone can participate without special training.  Not only is it an inspirational and educational event that celebrates all of the accomplishments of people with Down Syndrome in the Atlanta Community, but it also raised money for the programs that help families with the syndrome lead happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives.

Fire Inc. Atlanta became involved in the Buddy Walk through Kris Corn, whose son Wyatt was born with Down Syndrome.  When Wyatt was born Kris admits that all the family knew was the stereotypical and general information that everyone seems to know about the syndrome, but that despite his diagnosis Wyatt is thriving.

“Nothing EVER keeps this little guy from reaching his fullest potent,” Kris wrote. “Despite the fact that he had to undergo open-heart surgery and has physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapies each week to keep him close in development with all his peers…Wyatt is thriving!!!”

It is because of events like the Buddy Walk that Wyatt has access to the services and support he needs, and because of this Kris formed a team for the walk called “Wyatt’s Warriors” that participates every year in the walk.

Fire Inc. Atlanta was happy to be a sponsor of the walk and gladly participated in the Wyatt’s Warriors team.  The team turned out in force for the event, including owner Malcolm Elavia.

While the autumn day was a little blustery, the 2500 people in attendance enjoyed themselves immensely.  The walk raised $177,560, and hopes to make that number an even $200,000 by December 31, 2012.

See more pictures from the event at our Facebook and find out more information about Fire Inc. Atlanta at the BBB website or on our Yellow Pages.