This Leadership Tip comes from Ron McLean.
Today, Ron is the managing director of business consultancy company, Creating Synergy. A true entrepreneur, business mentor, author and inspirational speaker, he has a 'can do' attitude and believes in people and businesses reaching their potential in any circumstances.
Can you explain why you liken the journey of a leader to running a marathon?
Leadership is like running a marathon because it is about the same elements. Less than one per cent of the population ever completes a marathon, yet it is something that anyone, at almost any age, can achieve if they are prepared to put in the effort. This is true of leadership as well.
I have completed a marathon and often compare the 42-kilometre race to the development of leaders in my seminars:
1. Leadership involves choosing to start. You need to want to do it; you need the desire to step up to the starting line. People's lives are full of statements that begin with 'if only' - if only I had done this or that. Great leaders have few 'if onlys' because they stepped up to the line and have run the race.
2. You need to prepare - research your strengths and capabilities, and then train to develop skills and behaviours that will support you in the leadership race. Starting with small leadership roles and then moving on to more challenging roles is the same as a marathon runner who starts with a five-kilometre race and moves on to ten and 20 kilometres.
3. You need to turn up! All the training and qualifications count for nothing if you do not turn up on the day and begin the race. There are people all over the world who have planned to run a marathon, but have not turned up on the day.
4. At the starting line you are nervous and anxious about how you will go and will often revise your goals and question whether you are up to the challenge. You compare yourself with other starters - seasoned campaigners and first-timers - and make judgements about how you will go compared to them. You automatically dismiss the big lady and the guy in the gorilla suit as non-threats!
5. After a nervous wait, you finally begin - you overtake some people and others overtake you. You track someone in the distance and slowly start to run them down. Just when you are about to pass them, they stop for a drink at a water station, and it looks like the best bar in town. This is when the mind games start. You want to throw away your goal of completing the race without stopping and you struggle with the temptation to stop at every drink station. Sticking to your guns is now important, as is remaining confident in your ability to get the job done.
6. You reach the halfway mark and the toenail comes off your big toe - your shoe fills with blood. You want to stop, but you are immersed in the challenge now and wait to see how it is in five kilometres. You pass your family, and your son runs a few kilometres with you. This gives you a big boost, just like supportive colleagues and mentors.
7. You are slowly achieving all of your goals and you begin to fill with pride and energy. Then, with ten kilometres to go, the big lady who was beside you at the starting line overtakes you. You are demoralised! You want to throw in the towel and give up (this is called 'hitting the wall' and happens to a lot of leaders). You need to persevere, call on your strengths, and search deep down for motivation and inspiration. This is when it gets lonely and you have to trust yourself and your instincts.
8. When you overcome your doubts, you see that the end is in sight - you are about to achieve your goals, your race is going to be a success. Your spirits lift and you increase the pace a little. But a few hundred metres before the end, the guy in the gorilla suit overtakes you.
9. You don't care - you have learnt so much on the journey and know that the leadership race is different for every individual. You feel the exhilaration of crossing the finish line and the satisfaction of achieving all of your goals. You can't wipe the smile off your face. Yes, the race was long and hard, but in the end it was only with yourself!
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This Communication Tip comes from Simone Preston.
As Founder and Managing Director of Business Women Connect, Simone has combined her dual desires of running a successful business and empowering like-minded women to fully develop their potential. One and a half years after this business started, (BWC) has grown into five major regional areas and forecasted a multi-million dollar turnover in 2007.
What would be your top seven tips to improve the way in which you communicate with others?
I have hundreds of tips on communication strategies for people in business. Here are some of the key principles that I follow.
* Listen - remember that you have one mouth and two ears.
* Authenticity - don't put on a show and brag about yourself, people will see straight through it.
* Confidence - have just enough confidence to get your message across, but don't be too assertive.
* Promise - if you promise someone something, make sure you deliver it.
* Follow up - when you meet people either follow up with a phone call or email saying it was nice to meet them and that you look forward to meeting again.
* Personal interests - find out what personal interests people have, and don't always talk about work.
* Empathy - understand and have compassion.
This website contains even more great tips from Simone Preston.
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