Why the Best Leaders Are the Best Leaders

The Best Leaders

From 1996 to 2007, manager Joe Torre led the New York Yankees to the playoffs every year - winning an astounding 17 series in the post-season. Over those same 12 years, the Los Angeles Dodgers did not win a single playoff series. This past season, Torre departed New York to coach the Dodgers. The result? The Dodgers won their first post-season series in 20 years, while the Yankees missed the playoffs altogether.

Ask Yankees and Dodgers fans, and they will tell you that Joe Torre's leadership matters. However, they may not be able to tell you exactly why Joe Torre is an excellent leader. What's true of the fans in New York and Los Angeles is true for many of us. We experience the effects of leadership without understanding the cause.

In this article, I hope to make plain why the best leaders are the best leaders. In a nutshell, remarkable leaders give their best to their people, and get the best from their people. Let's look at how this happens.

The Best Leaders Give Their Best to Their People By...

1) GROWING

People naturally follow leaders they respect as being more advanced than they are. For this reason, personal growth is directly proportional to influence. If you desire to gain followers, then pay the price of getting better.

To give people your best, you have to elevate your leadership capacity. Consider the metaphor of walking up a narrow staircase - you can only go as fast as the person in front of you. When leaders stop growing, they quit climbing and impede the progress of everyone following them. However, when leaders grow, they ascend the stairs and create space for those behind them to climb higher.

Personal growth involves challenging yourself, and pushing beyond the realm of comfort. When is the last time you did something for the first time? How long has it been since you felt in over your head?

2) SERVING

"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."

~ Albert Einstein

Serving others is an attitude issue. Unfortunately, many leaders operate under a king-of-the-hill mentality. They attempt to pull down anyone above them in order to secure the top spot for themselves. In doing so, they clutch at power, grapple for control of company resources, and strive to dominate others. Seeing relationships as win-lose propositions, they ultimately burn bridges and isolate themselves.

The best leaders take an entirely different approach. Rather than dragging down anyone who threatens their position, they extend a hand to lift the performance of teammates and coworkers. They function with a mindset of abundance as opposed to an attitude of scarcity, and they wield their influence to prop others up rather than to elevate themselves. Over time, they are honored for the contributions they have made to the lives around them.

All leaders serve. Sadly, some serve only themselves. Serving is a motives issue, and the crux of the matter boils down to a simple question: "Who?" Does a politician serve the public or his pocketbook? Does a CEO serve to benefit her shareholders or to support her lifestyle? The best leaders set a tone by serving and prove they are deserving of being out in front.

3) MODELING

Growing leaders have something to share; serving leaders have something to give; modeling leaders have something to show. As V.J. Featherstone said, "Leaders tell, but never teach, until they practice what they preach." The best leaders embody their values. Their passion exudes from every pore and demands respect.

The Best Leaders Get the Best from Their People By...

1) LISTENING

The smartest leaders realize the limitations of their wisdom, and they listen to their people in order to capture invaluable insights. However, leaders don't just listen to gain knowledge, they also listen to give their people permission: permission to challenge the process, permission to test assumptions; and permission to take risks. Nothing turns off an up-and-coming leader like the deaf ear of a superior. The best leaders don't simply listen to incoming ideas; they proactively draw them out of their people. They listen actively, not passively.

2) RELATING

Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. To touch a heart, a leader has to be open to disclosing his or her identity by sharing personal stories and owning up to professional weaknesses. Mysterious or aloof leaders may be successful decision-makers, but they won't get the heartfelt loyalty that comes from authentic relationships.

As simple as it sounds, making a person feel known correlates powerfully to their job satisfaction. In fact, Patrick Lencioni lists anonymity as one of the top indicators of a miserable job. Leaders dignify their people by studying their interests, learning about their families, and finding out their hobbies. Conscious of the power of connection, the best leaders refuse to be barricaded inside of an office, and they take responsibility for relating with others on a regular basis.

3) TEACHING

Gifted teachers have a way of making students out of disinterested bystanders. The best leaders have an infectious thirst for knowledge, and they take pride in cultivating knowledge of their craft and awareness of their industry. A leader's teaching ability depends upon ongoing personal growth. As Howard Hendricks said, "If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow."

4) DEVELOPING

The best leaders understand the differences between training people for tasks and developing people to be better leaders. 

• Training Developing
  
• Focus is on the job
  
• Adds value to specific things
  
• Helpful for a short time
  
• Changes a performance Focus is on the person
  
• Adds value to everything
  
• Helpful for a lifetime
  
• Change the performer

The best leaders view their people as appreciable assets and prioritize investing in the talent on their teams.

5) MOTIVATING

After one of my presentations, an audience member approached me who was visibly indignant about my speech. "Why is motivation last on the list?" he demanded. "Well," I replied, "because if you listen, relate, teach, and develop your people, then they will be motivated!"

Sustained motivation comes by creating the right environment for your people and by doing the right things consistently to nurture them. Consider a flower. It cannot grow in the Arctic; it requires a climate conducive to growth. Yet, even in the right environment, the flower must be planted in hospitable soil, exposed to sunlight, watered, and freed of weeds.

REVIEW

The Best Leaders Give Their Best to Their People by...

1. Growing 2. Serving 3. Modeling

The Best Leaders Get the Best From Their People by...

1. Listening 2. Relating 3. Teaching 4. Developing 5. Motivating 

Reference:

Dr. John C. Maxwell

John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 16 million books. His organizations have trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and INJOY Stewardship Services. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and audiences as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point, the National Football League, and ambassadors at the United Nations. A New York Times , Wall Street Journal , and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell was named the World's Top Leadership Guru by Leadershipgurus.net. He was also one of only 25 authors and artists named to Amazon.com's 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership , Developing the Leader Within You , and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader have each sold over a million copies

The making of Dominos Pizza...

When Tom Monaghan was a young boy, he wanted to be three things: a shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, a priest, and an architect; founder of a multi-billion dollar pizza company was not on the list. However, that is exactly what Monaghan would become. Since launching Domino’s Pizza in 1960, Monaghan has grown the company into an empire, with over 8,000 locations in more than 54 countries around the world, and sales that exceed $4.6 billion. Nevertheless, the story of Monaghan’s life was not always as sweet as the success he would later achieve. 

Tom Monaghan Founder Dominos Pizza

Thomas S. Monaghan had a challenging childhood. Born on March 25, 1937, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, his father passed away on Christmas Eve when the young Monaghan was just four years old. “My father was my hero and my favourite person in the world,” he recalls. The death proved equally difficult for Monaghan’s mother, who found herself unable to cope with the responsibilities of being a single parent. With her weekly salary of only $27.50, she was left with little choice but to send her two sons to the St. Joseph’s Home for Children, a local orphanage run by a group of Polish nuns. 

From the second grade, Monaghan says he grew up determined to be a priest. “I entered the seminary in tenth grade, but got kicked out,” he recalls, “I think probably because I was more rambunctious than most kids.” He returned to regular school but never managed to get good grades, placing last among his 44 classmates. “They weren’t even going to graduate me, but I pleaded with a nun,” says Monaghan. “She said, ‘Well, you got good marks in the seminary, so I’ll let you graduate. But don’t ever ask me to recommend you for college.’”

Following high school, Monaghan used his savings to enroll in Ferris State College in Big Rapids, Michigan. “I went for a quarter, earned good marks, and got accepted at the University of Michigan,” he says. “But I didn’t have any money.” As a result, Monaghan dropped out of college and hitchhiked to Chicago to look for employment. Instead of taking on a job, Monaghan decided to take advantage of the GI Bill to attend college for free. 

In 1956, Monaghan enlisted in the Marines, which would mark a major turning point in his life. “It was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he recalls. “I attribute my success in business to the Marine Corps.” When he finished his military service in 1959, Monaghan went back to university, this time with an interest in architecture. However, he was again unable to pay for his books and thus forced to drop out after just three weeks. 

It was after a conversation in 1960 with his brother, a mailman in Ann Arbor, that Monaghan’s life would take a new direction. A friend of his brother’s was selling a pizza shop in Ypsilanti, Michigan, called DomiNick’s. His brother was interested but afraid to buy into it alone. “I was having problems paying my way through school, so I said yes,” recalls Monaghan. With a $900 loan from the bank and a 15-minute lesson in pizza-making from Dominick, the brother’s had opened their new pizzeria and were off. 

For more learnings check out:
The-Pizza-Pope-Tom-Monaghan

Abhinav Bindra: The first Indian to get a gold medal

The first Indian to get a gold medal in Olympics in an individual event.

Background

Abhinav Bindra comes from an affluent Sikh Khatri family. His parents, Dr. Apjit and Babli Bindra, are promoters of the Hitech Group of companies which has a turnover of Rs. 300 crores (US $75 million). The group has interests in agro & dog food processing, computer gaming, livestock genetics and pharmaceuticals.

He was born on September 28, 1982 at Dehradun. He studied at the Doon school, Dehradun till the 8th standard (topping the difficult entrance exam) and then left for St. Stephens School Chandigarh to pursue shooting. He earned his BBA from the University of Colorado.

He did his shooting training in Germany. He practiced for 12-14 hours a day at the shooting range that he owns at his farmhouse near Chandigarh.

International performance.

He won six medals at various international meets in 2001. In the 10 m Air rifle event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester, he won Gold in the Pairs event and Silver in the individual event.

At the 2004 Olympic Games, he scored 597 in the qualification round and was placed third behind Qinan Zhu (599 - Olympic Record) and Li Jie (598). In the finals, Abhinav finished with 97.6 p oints, last in the field of eight and was the only player below 100 points. His sub-par finals dropped him from third to seventh.

At the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, he won the Gold in the Pairs event and the Bronze in the Singles event. He missed the 2006 Asian Games at Doha because of a back injury.

He received the Arjuna award in 2000 and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (India's highest sports award) in 2001.

Winning Shot

Bindra booked his place in the 2008 Olympics by winning the gold medal at the 2006 ISSF World Shooting Championship with a score of 699.1 At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra won the gold for the Men's 10 meter Air Rifle final after shooting a total of 700.5. He scored 596 (fourth) in the qualifying round and out-scored all other shooters in the finals with a round of 104.5. In the finals, he started with a shot of 10.7, and none of his shots were below 10.0. Bindra was tied with Henri Hakkinen heading into his final shot. Bindra scored his highest of the finals - 10.8 (A Bull's eye) while Hakkinen came with 9.7 to settle for Bronze medal.

This was India's first individual gold medal at the Olympics, and the first gold in 28 years, since the Men's Hockey team won the gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Bindra is rewarded by various Indian state governments and private organizations for his achievement. These include the state governments of Punjab - Rs. One crore, Harayana - Rs. 25 lacs, Maharashtra Rs. 10 Lacs, Karnataka Rs. 10 Lacs, Tamilnadu - Rs 5 lacs, Madhya Pradesh - Rs. 5 lacs, and Chandigarh 5 lacs.

Other organization that rewarded Bindra include Chandigarh civic administration - Rs. 5 lacs, BCCI Rs. 25 lacs. and Samsung Rs. 20 lacs. Indian Railways has rewarded him with lifelong free pass for himself & one companion in First AC. Spicejet Airways has offered him lifelong free flight.

Revolutionalizing E-learning.

E-learning comes of age

2001 was the year of the dotcom bust. That was also the year when Bangalore-based techies, KS Karthik & Anil Chhikara launched their e-learning co.

THE aftermath of the dotcom bust in 2001 was a tough time for technology entrepreneurs to start a venture as investors, customers and potential valuations suddenly vanished into thin air. So, when techies KS Karthik and Anil Chhikara came together with a startup dream, the path ahead was doubtless going to be thorny.

But, unlike other techies who put together quickrich dotcom businesses and went down with the web world collapse, the two Bangalore-based techies eyed the potential for training college graduates to be jobready for the software outsourcing industry and other sectors. In a city where giants such as Infosys and Wipro were beginning to hire vigorously, the two entrepreneurs sensed a growing need for structured corporate training.

Thus came into being 24x7 Learning with a mission to go beyond the regular definition of technology-enabled learning. “Since there are already a lot of players in the e-learning space catering to the primary and early education institutions, we decided that the focus should be on implementing our products at higher education namely colleges and universities to help them meet the corporate requirements,” says Mr Chhikara.

In six years, the company has grown to have more than 120 customers across industry segments such as information technology, retail, pharmaceuticals and hospitality. Its clients include Wipro, Satyam, Patni, Aditya Birla Group, Bharti Airtel, Ashok Leyland, Convergys, Accenture, JPMorgan and ING Vysya.

But, the ride was not smooth for the fledgling firm. “The internet bubble had just burst, there was no fresh investment coming through and the economy itself was swaying. Under difficult times, a lot of companies had announced budget cuts and the first axe came upon training costs. Thus we saw our market shrinking in our first two years itself,” Mr Karthik said.

The founders were quick to realise that success of any e-learning implementation was not about technology but about how e-learning fitted into the learning culture within any corporate organisation and how e-learning initiative was promoted internally within a company. “When we started, we had no plans to create a learning management system. We wanted to consult companies to implement a skill improvement system and then in due course may be look to acquire a product IP ourselves. But the initial hiccups forced us to come out with LearnTrac which now is our bestseller. Also, since we had not (received) venture funding during this phase, there was lesser pressure on us to do or die,” recalls Mr Karthik.

KS KARTHIK (SITTING) & ANIL CHHIKARA Founders, 24x7 Learning

So how did it survive this downturn? The company focused on innovation and invested in product development despite its low revenues. It also chose to let its business model be flexible. It thus evolved from being a consultancy to a product company.

Once it waited out the lean period, business started to pick up. Companies and educational institutions showed openness to adopt technology and implement novel ideas in training, helping 24x7 prosper. Today, the company claims to be the largest e-learning implementation provider in India and says its learners are dispersed across 25 countries. Seven out of 10 top software outsourcing companies and six out of 10 top business process outsourcing companies are its clients.

It has also made a dent into the university sector. BITS Pilani set up an e-library with 24x7 Learning’s technology, giving its students online access to hundreds of engineering and technical books.

So what lies next for this start-up? The company wants to work with state institutions to develop their distance learning programs. “What the universities have is purely raw content with them. We would look to develop the content online by using their curriculum,” says Mr Chhikara. Increasingly, state governments such as Maharashtra are realising the need for having a competent and skilled manpower to match the incoming investment. The company has already implemented its SkillBridge solution in SNDT University for nearly 1,000 students based on the institute’s own study material.

The firm hopes to close its current business year with a revenue of nearly $6 million. With research body IDC expecting the global e-learning market to touch the $28 billion mark by 2008, the company is readying itself to face global competition. “May be this competition would help us evolve further,” says Mr Karthik.

Article Resource:

Ritwik Donde is the Chief Editor in the The Economic Times, Mumbai and the article appeared in one of their successful columns on Entrepreneurship/Startups called "Starship Enterprise".

About 24x7 E Learning

Beginning as an 'eLearning' company and spreading roots as India's largest eLearning implementation company, they have grown into a company whose holistic solutions permeate to every individual in an organization, and in the process makes a difference to the nation's intellectual capital. 'Talent Lifecycle ManagementSM' is what they call it. It is a natural and enriching process that's responsive to dynamic market needs.

They help

• Enhance the talent pool for enterprises at the pre-recruitment stage
• Train existing employees to upgrade their skills
• Nurture leaders for tomorrow

For more information on 24x7, log on Successful Entrepreneur - E Learning

Building A Core Team.

START-UPS NEED TO WAKE UP TO THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING A CORE TEAM

It’s the quality and performance of the top few executives that decide the success of any new business, says S Srinivasan

FOUR months ago, Bangalore-based optical networking company, Tejas Networks, staged a coup of sorts by roping in 46-yearold Rangnath Salgame as its president. Mr Salgame had made his name by developing a $1 billion business in India for global networking giant Cisco. Technology industry veterans were surprised to see him move to a company with revenues of less than $100 million.

Mr Salgame had then said he was surrendering to his entrepreneurial impulse and the temptation to build a product company out of India. Tejas was lauded for getting a visionary leader for its core team. The next news, many expected to hear from the small company, was how it had crossed another revenue milestone.

But, the news that came out of Bangalore was different and stunned the industry. Mr Salgame suddenly quit Tejas under conditions that neither he nor the company explained. His profile was removed from the company website and Mr Salgame was tight-lipped. A job that was negotiated over a year crumbled in just 16 weeks. Was it a clash of vision, a clash of personalities or a systemic defect at Tejas? But one thing was clear: the core team that Tejas was putting together failed to stick together.

The incident highlighted how difficult it is even for a company, with a solid grounding, to build and keep a core team. For a startup, the difference between success and failure is primarily the result of the quality of its few top champions and their collective endeavour. But entrepreneurs often grapple with issues within this small group and lose much energy that could otherwise be spent on building the business.

“Some entrepreneurs think they need to know and do everything. This is wrong,” says business mentor Saurabh Srivastava, who has proven his team-building skills at a number of technology companies and also in the founding of software trade body, Nasscom. He says it is not practical for a business executive to have all the skills and strengths required to take a start-up to success. A small team with common beliefs is a key necessity.

Founders must evaluate their strengths and weaknesses objectively before deciding to build a core team, he says. This exercise will expose the gaps that must be filled and the areas that must be reinforced. MS Pillai, founder of Sadhana Centre for Management and Leadership Development, says that many great businesses have failed for want of a cohesive top team. “You may be anybody. But without collaboration, without mutual dependence within a small group of people with complementary strengths, it is extremely difficult for you to achieve lasting success,” he adds.

A human resource expert, who specialises in senior executive search, said one-man shows may be good enough to achieve the proof-of-concept in a business, but a core team, often with skills brought from outside, is necessary for the firm to move to the next level. “As an entrepreneur, you may be the initiator of business. But it is not the rule that you must be the leader too. The leader can be another person in your team,” explains founder chairman of Executive Recruiters Association and Sampoorna Computer People managing director Satish Doshi.

Many first-time business dreamers start with the support of family and friends. It is a natural choice for those who start operating out of their homes. This strategy has both positives and negatives, experts say. The founder can use a family member, who will fill up a talent gap and communication will be easy between them, but personal relationships and professional co-existence can weigh heavily against each other, they say. So, what are the golden rules of core-team building?

FINALISE MEMBERSHIP

Entrepreneurs must draw up a list of the most crucial skills necessary for the business and assign job positions to them, experts say. For instance, writers and creative talent may be crucial for a content company, but back-end process management may be the one crucial aspect for a travel agency. So, having a clear list of priority skills is the first step. The talent mix must be individually intensive and collectively exhaustive.

SET INSPIRING GOALS

Any business idea has to be larger-than-life and even slightly unrealistic, says Mr Doshi. If a business idea was easily achievable, why would anybody want to do it? A core team comes together when there is a larger purpose they all want to serve together. A lack of this inspiration will make it impossible to attract outside talent and may eventually lead to the company straying into unimportance.

SHARE AUTHORITY AND OWNERSHIP

If an entrepreneur builds a core team and then decides to keep all the strings in his palms, his colleagues will feel under-used and lose their connection with the company’s vision. The attitude to keep all the profits and all the power to oneself has destroyed many business aspirants. “The question is simple. Do you want to have full control over a small pie or part-control of a larger pie, where that part is significantly larger than the small pie?” asks Mr Doshi.

HAVE A CLEAR LEADER

Many entrepreneurs assume they are the leader for their business. Experts say this need not be the case. The best entrepreneur hires people better than him or her and lets them direct the journey. This would lead to a situation where there could be multiple leaders within the team. The issue must be quickly resolved and one person assigned the task of leading the core team.

SET CLEAR RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Great teams fail to deliver when they start quarrelling over a decision here or a plan there. Mr Doshi feels before the team starts its first discussion, the ground rules must be set on how the members are going to work together. It must be made clear that all criticisms and suggestions are welcome and none would be taken personally. Mr Pillai says there have been start-ups, where family members got together with good intention, but suffered a fracture in their relationships due to workplace stress. Complaints about some member not contributing enough or another taking advantage of the business abound in such enterprises, he says.

ACHIEVE ENTREPRENEUR-PROFESSIONAL MIX

All core teams have to start with high entrepreneurial focus, taking calculated risks and being flexible to move fast. But as the business begins to grow, there is an immediate need to put systems and processes in place. Professional managers free the entrepreneur’s time so that he can focus on the long-term strategy. Businesses often go haywire when they fail to bring in the discipline of professional management, Mr Pillai says. “A professional in a start-up team must be the personification of an entrepreneur himself. The professional need not have a Harvard-qualification, but must have passion to create something new.”

BE REALISTIC

When hiring an outsider, it is important to understate the benefits of being in your team, because over-promising will lead to failure and frustration, experts say. Mr Doshi says it is a good idea to leave a positive surprise, such as a better title, company-paid house or a training programme, open and unsaid at the beginning. People will like them that much better if they earn it for their performance.

Even after all this, it is possible that a core member could leave. It is a contingency that a start-up must learn to tackle, but the larger question the entrepreneur must address is whether it was because there’s something wrong with the business. “If the dream had been sold and the partner dropped everything to join you but still left midway, then something may be going drastically wrong. You must ask yourself if you are being fair as a leader. Are you tolerating competing agendas? Are you not able to give direction? Are you not able to resolve conflict?” says Mr Doshi.

Article Resource:
Author: Srinivasan S. is the Chief Editor in the The Economic Times, Mumbai and the article appeared in one of their successful columns on Entrepreneurship/Start-ups called "Starship Enterprise".

Make or Break.

That crucial first

WHAT happens in a year that makes it the make-or-break-period for a small business? People spend most of their start-up money. They don’t have as many orders as they need to pay their bills. And people don’t anticipate the expenses that come up. Also, most entrepreneurs need to build up their markets and loyalty, slowly. Maybe 1% of the people have an unbelievable product, but most have to build up their customer base and they end up running out of money before they get there.

The three key things that have to happen within the first year to ensure that a business doesn’t fail.

Get to know your product, get to know your market, and get good employees. You have to have good people to back you up, and you have to know your target market or you are wasting your time. If you have the wrong market, you have to keep testing to find out what that market is.

What is crucial for an entrepreneur to know when starting his or her business that might help it survive?

They should know what their goals are and what they want out of the business. Do they want to simply make a living? Do they want to end up being a big company like Google? Do they want to stay local or sell nationally? They have to have some goals to know what they are going to be and what they are going for.

What is that something, which often happens during that first year, that can overrun a business if it is not dealt with?

One of the easiest things is to get behind on direct taxes. And once you get behind, it starts to mushroom. The officials won’t come after you right away, but they will get you in due course. Another thing: You almost have to go into business thinking that you are not going to make a fortune initially. In the first year, you need to make a foundation first. And, in the beginning, you have more bills than you know what to do with.

Will an owner’s attitude affect the entire business. How so?

Sometimes owners go into a business thinking, “I’m king. I can do what I want.” It turns out to be the opposite. The people working for you pick up on that attitude, and if you are vague or indifferent with customers they will be, too, and your customers will not come back. It can ruin a whole business.

Some think losing a big account is the end . Is it really so?

First, you should never take an account that would ruin your company, if you were to lose it. You can lose an account for any number of reasons. A larger account has a lot of expenses. You need to think about what you would do, if you lose that account, so that your business will not go down. You can’t let it shut you down. You should have backup sources and not give that big account everything. That way they can’t take everything if you lose that account.

How should one deal with competition?

Know what your competition is doing. You can’t run a business and ignore it. If you are a retailer, shop your competitor’s store or send in mystery shoppers to see how they treat customers. Check their website to see what they are doing. They might be announcing something new, and you don’t want to be caught off guard. Hopefully, you have something that you are working on and it is better. That way you don’t have to get into a price war, because that’s when everyone loses. You need to be aware of your competitors or they will eventually pass you by.

Reference:
(Adapted from AOL’s small business website)