Wednesday, December 28, 2016

What is Your #1 Leadership Asset?

Jeff Bezos, " If you want to succeed as an entrepreneur, you have to think from a different angle. You can't think outside the box, you have to think as if the box doesn't exist."  Jeff suggests a relentless challenge leaders and business owners face and frankly one to which many don't give adequate attention and value.

What you think and the way you think is the defining and most influential element of running a business and being a leader. In fact, it is your most important asset!

Consider the following. It...
shapes your view (aka creates the world you perceive)
impacts your feelings
drives your decision-making
influences who you hire
impacts the effectiveness of your problem-solving
defines your judgment
limits or expands your vision
self-suggests what's possible
determines how you self-manage
to name a few.

This list describes how you operate internally - all of which manifests external results. The results produce your success and that of your company...or not.

This truth carries significant meaning for those who choose to or are forced to lead (we know not all leaders really want to do so, but "have to" by default).

If one would ask, what would be the most important function any leader or business owner should pay the most attention to, what would be the most popular answer? With the list above in mind, what should be the answer?

The answer -- our thinking! -- what and how we think should be the single most important area to which we as leaders should give our attention.

Our thinking is the origin of everything we experience in life and therefore intentionally, even strategically tending to it should be a priority and habitual practice.

Here's a series of questions to consider to begin the work of becoming a skilled steward of the most important asset you have -- your ability to think. These will help you build awareness around your current thinking practices. (By the way, this is a great list to do with your leadership team). If you are a key leader -- can you answer these about your leadership team?)
  • What kind of thinker are you?  How would you describe it?
  • How would you describe your natural decision-making style? 
  • Do you map the results and impact?
  • Do you have a method for problem-solving?
  • Do you acknowledge your intuition?....aka follow your gut?
  • Are you aware of how you describe events to yourself -- "the stories you give an situation"?
  • Do you consider yourself a creative thinker?
  • What practices do you use to activate fresh thinking?
  • In general, are you aware of your thought process?
  • How much and how often are you "learning" ....that is taking in new information?
  • How diverse is your learning repertoire?
  • As a leader, is learning and developing thinking skills a part of your leadership culture and your company culture in general?
Again, why is this so important? Why do I consider it the key to getting the results you desire? Because, ultimately you can only go as far as your thinking. Contemplate this profound truth. Your ability to lead your company, leverage your talent, work with your staff, fulfill a vision or even have a vision that is not limiting, face today's ever changing market challenges,  is all based on your ability to think...and how to facilitate that in all your employees.

Your thinking dictates your level and degree of success -- for yourself and others!
In fact your thinking impacts the profitability of your company.

If you've not seriously considered this, how will you respond?...what action will you take? 

I'll close with 3 of my favorite "thinking" quotes:

Albert Einstein
"You cannot solve a problem at the same level of thinking at which you arrived at it."

Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think."

William James
"A great many people will think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices."

Bezos quote source: http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/7-eccentric-rituals-of-outstanding-leaders/

We help leaders and their teams learn to think differently -- the impact has been amazing. Learn more here

>  New Offering: Book a live virtual experience: Creative Thinking Session with your team - a fun, 1 hour event that can jump-start problem solving, ideation and critical thinking - plus get a complimentary digital copy of our book Brain on Fire for each attendee! (Great for a virtual lunch & learn) Download the info here: Power Up Your Thinking! | Book here

Of Note: Your capabilities as a leader/manager is the first of 9 building blocks we use with clients to help them create profitable sustainable business operations while developing competent managers. Through the lens of human behavior, these building blocks comprise our Smart Management Blueprint.

We've worked to help manage your business, operations and people become much easier.  Tested in some of the most challenging environments, it's proven highly successful because it's strategically infused with human behavior science and it's a step-by-step roadmap - a distinct difference from typical management training offerings. When you're not able to trust the skills of novice managers, you will be able to trust the science they'll implement with the blueprint! check it out!


// JoAnn and her strategic partners help leaders practically work with the best of humanity to lead, build and manage thriving businesses.  Grab a complimentary copy of her latest executive briefing  The Human Quotient: The Most Potent Force for Your Business Success




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