by Ann Evanston | Dec 20, 2017 | Leadership, Personal Power
I love teaching people about authentic influential leadership. Teaching them that being authentic is about being YOU all the time. We trust and like people who are real. There are those that try and “act” a certain way…one they think is right. Somehow we always see through those people. Even if we cannot put our finger on it, there is just something about them that we don’t trust.
One night, after facilitating, I head to the bar. (Of course if you know me!) There were women next to me have a martini and Manhattan. I ordered a Manhattan too (it looked good) and started writing a few blogs.
About 20 minutes in I heard their conversation and started eavesdropping. And then I had to tell them I was! I said: “I was totally eavesdropping and I loved what you said. I teach teach authentic leadership and what you just said is SO what I teach! Thank you, you made my day.”
Here is what she shared with her colleague:
“I trust her and like working with her leadership style. I think it’s because she’s real. She is exactly the same no matter where I see her, or what I work on with her. But I don’t trust him. It’s like sometimes he is this (holds her hand up palm facing forward) and then other times he is this. (Turns her held up hand 180 degrees so the back is facing forward.)
People see through the latter leader, they feel it. They are unsure of you leading them. So be true to you, lead with heart and conviction!
by Ann Evanston | Dec 13, 2017 | Leadership, Personal Power
Many leaders struggle with letting go. Particularly tasks. Things they know how to do REALLY well. Things they think will burden others. Things they can just do “better faster quicker“ themselves.
As leaders, our responsibilities are to coach, develop, and delegate. When we don’t we send messages to those we lead. That we don’t trust. That we are unsure. That we like doing versus leading.
Coaching, developing, and delegating are our primary responsibilities as a leader. And doing that requires we let go. Not only of the tasks, but also of our mindsets that “they aren’t ready”. Or they already have “too much to do.”
It also requires that we believe they can. And that we trust they can.
by Ann Evanston | Jan 22, 2015 | Influence Factor, Leadership, Mental Mind Shifts
What I find is that many entrepreneurs struggle with playing their own game.
They see other entrepreneurs doing things a certain way, and want to be like
them. They observe what they think is highly professional, or engaging, or
even something that might be selling really well and they copy it. Suddenly,
they are playing someone else’s game. And in order to really win, you have
to play your game.
When I was a child, I remember my father teaching me to play chess. When
he’d beat me he’d often say “You were playing my game. In order to be a
winner you need to play your game.” What’s funny is over the years I have
said the same thing to my nephews when playing very simple games.
Too often I watch coaches and leaders of industries teach people how to be
like them. Then they wonder why they struggle and fail in the long run.
Systems and processes are important, yet you still need to be you while you
run those systems and processes.
I get it. Imitation is the highest form of flattery. Initially, and while
you’re still discovering the best of who you are, you may imitate someone
else. In the long run though, you have to discover who you truly are. That
is how, as an entrepreneur, you play your game and succeed.
by Ann Evanston | Feb 7, 2013 | Influence Factor, Leadership
Leadership: They will follow your lead!
Leadership is a powerful skill set that can influence others to new heights and excitement, but what about when they are disappointed or want to give up? I had an experience where a group of multi level marketers, in the same downline, were disappointed with an online assignment they were working on. I was surprised to learn that she backed up their disappointment.
Here are my thoughts to leaders of teams who want inspired leadership:
- There is huge learning for you, and leadership opportunity. I cannot tell you how many times I have had a team, disappointed, and my job, as their leader is to help them see value and move through the work. To motivate them to complete it. To help them understand why and how they react to things like this.
- If they give up over something honestly as silly as a broken url, than what will they do with larger disappointments growing a business? How will they react when they are disappointed in results they are getting?
There is a bigger message here for you.
As a leader, your job is to inspire them to continue, even when they are not happy, it’s not perfect, or as expected. Your job is to help them find value when they don’t see it. You job is to help them keep going even when they are making the mistakes you feel are so obvious. You know the value of the assignment you give them, even through they might not see it yet. So as a leader inspire them to see it as well. Coach them on what they are feeling and how it will relate to growing their business. Bigger yet, who was the person on the team that said: “so what, it isn’t as we would do it, but there are still things we can learn, let’s finish it.”
Honestly, until you as a leader coach disappointment with your team you will be disappointed in their results. Because you will see this with them again. There is power here for you as their leader, and how you learn to inspire leadership in them and YOU though disappointment.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
