doug smith training

Dear Leaders everywhere: Results matter! Of course. We all know that. Let's remember this, please: People matter more. -- doug smith  

Which matters more to you, results or people?  It's better when it's not an either/or choice, but sometimes leaders are faced with making decisions based on the results they are looking for compared to the effects of the decision on people.  If it is at all possible to consider both results and people a leader still much prioritize. What matters most? Results do matter. What do your customers expect? How can you create products or services that deliver the kind of results that optimize your organizations resources? What will create the best possible present AND future? All the while also treating the people within your organization with respect, dignity, and fair opportunity.  Before we decide whether it's an either/or situation, let's consider this: unless we start with people, and unless we prioritize people, our results are at best temporary. If you prioritize results over people, it's only a matter of time before you become one of those people de-priorized over ...

Peter Drucker (and others) said that it's the job of a leader to develop more leaders, not followers. High performance leaders surround themselves with people who show initiative, who get things done, who are ready to lead. They develop, sustain, support, and promote leaders without any fear or jealousy. Surrounding yourself with leaders who are growing and creating success will only make you more successful. It's what leaders do. Leaders develop leaders first to sustain long range high performance results. Better results, with their people taking care of themselves and each other. Isn't that what you want? -- doug smith

Are goals selfish? Is it self-centered to pursue your goals? Our goals are important. Successful goal achievement brings positive results along with a healthy sense of self-accomplishment. It builds our esteem. Even when those goals are dedicated to outcomes that benefit others more than ourselves, in fact, perhaps more so. Serving others as we achieve our goals builds good will, strong relationships, and more sustainable results. When others are happy, in addition to ourselves, the results are more likely to persist. It is at once unselfish AND self-improving. It's a winning combination: creating and achieving goals that serve others. We are best at achieving our goals when they are in service to others. I'm in favor of the best results possible for all. How about you? -- doug smith

Which is more important to you as a leader, results or relationships? That's a trick question of course. You do not need to pick one or the other. In fact, high performance leaders focus on both and they start with relationships. Take care of your relationships and your results will improve. -- doug smith Leadership Call to Action: Build the relationships on your team today. Spend at least part of your day having meaningful conversations with team members, one at a time.

Competition is useful. Usually, cooperation is better. Incentives have their value, internal motivation is massively more powerful. While high performance leaders DO focus on achieving their goals and delivering positive results, part of that is built around healthy relationships. Take the time to get to know your team members. Listen to their stories, their heart songs, their hardships, their views. When they achieve their goals, reward them with signs of your appreciation. And, when they consistently act as responsible adults within your relationships to achieve those results, show your appreciation. It doesn't need to cost any money. Sometimes a "thank you" is enough. We need healthy relationships to sustain trust. Without trust, a team member could be tempted to game the system in order to hit the numbers. That's not what you want. Sustain the relationships to keep the results both strong and ethical. Be careful about rewards that only recognize results. ...

Can you spot a leader who needs more training? As a trainer of course, my answer (somewhat biased!) is easy: look at any leader - they all need more training. And in a way, all leaders do need more training. We all must continually learn. The learning never stops. But you and I both know that there are some leaders who need training more than others. Whether they are struggling with the basics of supervising (which, it turns out, are not so basic after all) or with the vagaries of higher level strategy, their struggles point out a need for training. It is especially evident when a leader struggles in one of two key areas: results, and relationships. As a leader it is easy to forget how intertwined these two areas are. Mess up the relationships, and the results will suffer. Miss on the results and the relationships may never have time to develop. Leaders must work on, learn about, and train how to excel at developing both relationships and results. Who do you know who needs ...

Have you noticed how much your performance depends on your focus? Whenever I am clear about my focus, and steady in my attention, my performance improves. It can reach the level of flow, where I'm no longer even aware of time passing or skill execution -- but that only comes after mindfully keeping my focus on the here and now, on what I'm doing. How about you? When you start with your focus, do you achieve better results? Are you goals easier to achieve? Even when our mission is clear, we need to keep our focus on identifying that mission and bringing our actions to the front of achieving our goals in service of that mission. Your performance starts with your focus. Do you want to improve your performance? Improve your focus. What's your focus for today? -- Doug Smith