doug smith training

Have you ever had a boss who cares more about results than character? The kind of boss who doesn't mind a short-cut ethically if it gets the job done? It's easy to give in to that kind of boss, because they are powerfully insistent. Easy, but not necessary to surrender but your character does matter. Honesty, integrity, ethical behavior -- traits that may not be rewarded but are clearly observed. Any time you cut a corner someone feels the edge. Your team cares about your character even if your boss doesn't.  Strength of character matters and, long term, will serve you well.  -- doug smith

Even the best leader can't rescue everyone. Sometimes people have to rescue themselves. That will likely make them stronger, too. -- doug smith  

Be the leader you always wished you had as a boss. That's probably who your team wants, too. -- doug smith

What's your leadership style? Do you utilize certain strengths to get things done? Do you work best with lots of other people? Do you facilitate processes rather than push people? Do you listen more than speak? Do you drive hard for results no matter how many feelings it hurts? What's your style and what's your blend? Leadership style is more like a kitchen than a cage: mix the ingredients skillfully in order to produce the best results. Play with the recipe, taste for progress along the way, and adjust as needed. You aren't perfect yet, but that's no reason to stop practicing. -- doug smith

The art of leadership requires lots of practice. Are you ready? -- doug smith  

To speak with courage you might need to defend the right to dignity for yourself and for everyone. Everyone? Really? Yes, everyone. -- doug smith

  Teams are tricky. Just when you think you've got your team figured out, configured properly, fully set and ready to go, it changes on you.  Every time someone enters or leaves your team, you've got a different team. That's what makes recruiting, hiring, orienting, training, and development so important. If you don't develop your team the way you'd like them to develop, they'll change in ways that you might not care for. Team dynamics require us to build a team as a group, and also as a one-team-member-at-a-time proposition.  It's a project just juggling all of the pieces. It's a big responsibility and as a team leader there is no ducking that responsibility. I've tried -- you can't do it. Teams need their team leader's attention every single day. One on one conversations. Highly productive meetings. Occasional fun (and frequent sense of humor). Coaching to motivate when someone gets stuck. Prodding to get productive when someone gets lazy.

Who's in charge? A call is unanswered, a customer is unattended, a product is out of stock, a car is our of fuel...every day we find ourselves in situations that lack leadership. Fill that gap. Take charge. Get things done. It's what high performance leaders do. -- doug smith  

Here is your question for the day: what one thing will make you a better leader today? Do that. -- doug smith

It's much harder to tell someone how to change than it is to show them. And, they're much more likely to believe what you show than what you say. Change first, and then others might follow. -- doug smith  

How good is your relationship with your boss? If you're going to have a boss, you going to have to get along. I've had some terrific bosses who spent extra time building relationships with me and making sure that I had everything I needed to lead my teams effectively. Not every boss will do that. When they don't (and even when they do) it serves you well to initiate the conversation. Build the relationship. Get to know your boss so that your boss can get to know how invaluable you truly are. Every supervisor needs a robust, mutually supportive relationship with their own boss. -- doug smith

Every goal is a project. Manage that goal accordingly. -- doug smith