Leadership Behavior Inventory Exercise

Think of managers and leaders you have worked with.

There are those awesome leaders you would follow without hesitation to the moon and back, and there are those you wish you could boot to the moon and banish from Earth forever.

It appears you already know what I mean by the two types!

Here’s what I’d like you to do.

Download the worksheet below and write down the behaviors you observed or experienced from both types of leaders.

After you have your list of behaviors each, look at the behaviors under bosshole … Do not do that!  It’s not a good idea to do those things.

Since you didn’t like it, remembered it, and wrote it down … why would you do it to others?

The behaviors you place under awesome leaders, do them, and often!

The 12 Awesome Leadership Competencies

Any leader (regardless of title) who embraces the 12 Awesome Leadership Competencies can make a significant and immediate impact.

Print them out and post them on your wall as a reminder.

Download The Awesome Leadership Competencies

Smart Goal Worksheet

Be SMART about setting achievable goals for you and your team using the SMART goal-setting framework.

SMART Goals are:

Specific
Specific means knowing exactly what it is that you’re trying to accomplish.

Measurable
Being able to quantify your progress toward the goal by using numbers or statistics.

Achievable
Achievable means having the skills and resources necessary to complete the task at hand.

Realistic
Setting realistic goals into motion means understanding both your strengths and weaknesses; realistic doesn’t mean impossible, but rather possible with your effort and commitment.

And finally,

Timely
Timely or time-bound means putting a deadline for completion so there’s an incentive to get started.

Download your SMART goal planning worksheet and get started below.

WOW Your Next Meeting

You can WOW your next meeting attendees by following these steps.

Take just a few minutes before requesting a meeting and consider the following:

Why are we meeting?

What outcomes are expected from having the meeting?

What will be covered?

Download your WOW meeting planner below.

There is more to growth and development than sending someone to a training class and getting a degree or certification.

A more accurate description of how learning occurs on the job is the research-based, time-tested I call the 3 Es of development.

70% of growth & development comes from experience. These include informal, on-the-job, experience-based, stretch projects and practices.

20% of growth & development comes from exposure, including mentoring, coaching, and development through others.

10% comes from education. Formal education practices like schooling and development programs.

Using the 3 Es can help you determine how to create growth and development opportunities for yourself and your team without breaking the bank.  

You can find some examples of activities of each below.

5 WAYS TO BUILD STRONG COMMUNICATION SKILLS

1. AVOID ARGUING

If a conversation starts to turn into an argument, step back and figure out what’s going on. Don’t argue with the other person, especially your employees.

It’s easy to get caught up in the fault-finding blame game, but it’s not important who was the cause of the problem. What’s important is the mutual understanding of the issue at hand and a desire for a solution that benefits everyone. #winwin

TIP: If you find yourself in an argument that has veered off course, it may be time to take a short break, reassess the situation, and return to the conversation at another time.

2. DON’T BE AFRAID TO COMPROMISE

As shared, rather than trying to “win,” you want a #winwin by reaching a mutual agreement. You may be more at ease with achieving your agenda, but it could come at the expense of another person, which can cause more problems. Find a good compromise that you both are willing to accept to reach your goals.

3. WORK ON LISTENING

Your listening skills are even more important than your speaking skills. As the old adage goes, “It’s why we have two ears and one mouth.”

After all, how will you know what you should say – and when – if you haven’t effectively listened? Listen more than you speak, and you’ll gain the profound insight and wisdom of others, too!

4. KEEP YOUR FOCUS

Communication will often get overly complicated if you focus on too many issues and topics at once. Avoid bringing up the past or other issues and instead focus on the one topic at hand.

5. STAY CALM AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

Adopt a calm and steady manner of handling situations. When things remain calm, it’s easier to communicate and get your point across. It is also important as leaders to take responsibility for your words and actions. Good leadership includes admitting when you’re wrong

Becoming a better communicator doesn’t happen overnight. But with some practice and adjustments, you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish by building your self-confidence, self-esteem, and emotional intelligence along the way. Your employees will appreciate it too!

All leadership theories agree strong communication is one of the most important soft skills and leadership traits of great leaders.

Creating an outstanding customer experience

Great ideas can come from anywhere, but especially from those who spend the most time with your customers.

Here are some more questions you can ask your employees about your customer experience and more!

Awesome Leadership Competency: Focus on Quality/Creating An Outstanding Customer Experience

If you’ve been to Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL, have you ever stopped to have fish and chips from the Yorkshire County Fish Shop? If you have, can you imagine that location not being there?

Here’s the story of how this little popular grab-and-go fish and chips stand came about through a focus on quality and asking about the customer experience.

Imagine what opportunities you’d hear from your employees if you asked!

The Starfish Story

Original Story by: Loren Eisley (1907-1977)

Leadership is about making a difference within your sphere of influence—which often starts with making a positive difference in just one person at a time.

I revisit this story when I feel overwhelmed, doubt myself, and wonder if what I do and how I do it matters.

Put People First, make an impact, and keep moving forward. A ripple is created by even the smallest of actions.

Introduction

Hill, Linda. 2007. “Becoming the Boss.” Harvard Business Review, January 2007. https://hbr.org/2007/01/becoming-the-boss.

Fortune. 2021. “World’s Most Admired Companies.” Accessed September 19, 2001. https://fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies/.

Opong, Diana and Sylvie Douglis. 2021. “5 Steps To Shake The Feeling You’re An Imposter.” NPR, February 1, 2021. https://www.npr.org/2021/01/22/959656202/5-steps-to-shake-the-feeling-that-youre-an-impostor.

Chapter One: Becoming A Leader

Bernard, R. (1598). Awesome, adj., adv., and int. awesome, adj., adv., and int. : Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://www.oed.com/viewdictionaryentry/Entry/13934.

awesome. AWESOME | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/awesome.

Kober, J. Jeff. 2020. “Michael Eisner’s Best & Worst Decision: The Advent & Departure of Judson Green.” Disney at Work, September 2020. http://disneyatwork.com/2020/09/michael-eisners-best-worst-decision-the-advent-departure-of-judson-green/.

Heskett, James L., Thomas O. Jones, Gary W. Loveman, W. Earl Sasser, Jr., and Leonard A. Schlesinger. 2008. “Putting the Service-Profit Chain to Work.” Harvard Business Review, July-August 2008. https://hbr.org/2008/07/putting-the-service-profit-chain-to-work.

Chapter Two: The Business Case For Putting People First

Robison, Jennifer. 2008. “Turning Around Employee Turnover.” Gallup Business Journal, May 8, 2008. https://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/106912/turning-around-your-turnover-problem.aspx.

Sorenson, Susan. 2013. “How Employee Engagement Drives Growth.” Gallup, June 20, 2013. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx.

Harter, Jim. 2021. “U.S. Employee Engagement Holds Steady in First Half of 2021.” Gallup, July 29, 2021. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/352949/employee-engagement-holds-steady-first-half-2021.aspx

Lamson, Melissa. 2018. “The Leadership Development Trends in 2018.” Inc., January 3, 2018. https://www.inc.com/melissa-lamson/top-learning-development-trends-for-2018.html.

Taparia, Siddarth. 2020. “First-time leaders need to stick to these 4 truths to succeed.” Fast Company, January 18, 2020. https://www.fastcompany.com/90452760/first-time-leaders-need-to-stick-to-these-4-truths-to-succeed.

Zenger, Jack. 2012. “We Wait Too Long to Train Our Leaders.” Harvard Business Review, December 17, 2012. https://hbr.org/2012/12/why-do-we-wait-so-long-to-trai.

Gallup. 2017. “State of the American Workplace.” Accessed September 19, 2021. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/238085/state-american-workplace-report-2017.aspx.

Chapter Three: Creating Sustainable Success

Gallo, Amy. 2014. “The Value of Keeping the Right Customers.” Harvard Business Review, October 29, 2014. https://hbr.org/2014/10/the-value-of-keeping-the-right-customers

Chapter Five: Don’t Be A Bosshole

Dweck, Carol S. 2007. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. New York: Ballantine Books.

Chapter Six: Never Forget Who You Are

Vermeulen, Dave. (personal conversation)

Chapter Seven: The 12 Awesome Leadership Competencies

Quantum Workplace. “Employee Recognition: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Use it Effectively.” Accessed September 19, 2021. https://www.quantumworkplace.com/employee-recognition.

Robison, Jennifer. 2006. “In Praise of Praising Your Employees.” Gallup, November 9, 2006. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236951/praise-praising-employees.aspx.

Carucci, Ron. 2018. “What Not to Do When You’re Trying to Motivate Your Team.” Harvard Business Review, July 16, 2018. https://hbr.org/2018/07/what-not-to-do-when-youre-trying-to-motivate-your-team

Leading Effectively Staff. 2020. “The 70-20-10 Rule for Leadership Development.” Center for Creative Leadership. November 24, 2020. https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/70-20-10-rule/.

Weber, Julie. 2015. “How Southwest Airlines Hires Such Dedicated People.” Harvard Business Review, December 2, 2015. https://ceo.usc.edu/1989/11/22/a-profile-of-meetings-in-corporate-america-results-of-the-3m-meeting-effectiveness-study/.

Chapter Eight: Make The World A Better Place

The starfish story. Starfish Learning. (n.d.). https://www.starfishlearning.com/cms2/the-starfish-story/.

First, thank you for the support of my work!

Rebecca@chooseawesomecompany.com

Make sure to join the Choose Awesome Collective! This group is exclusively for our amazing clients who have purchased anything from Rebecca and Choose Awesome Company.

Whether you’ve invested in our books, memberships, products, or services you know we believe that choosing awesome is not just a one-time decision, but a continuous journey of growth and discovery.

So please join us and connect with me and others on this journey. We’re here to cheer you on, celebrate your milestones, and lend a helping hand during those inevitable challenges along the way.

Join Choose Awesome Collective

So this book can find its way to others and help them with Teamwork will you give an honest review?

It would really go a long way towards helping others find the book so we can make a difference and change the world. Thanks, It means a lot! Thanks for being awesome!

Stuck on what to write? Here are some ideas to get you started:

* Share your favorite part from the book and mention how you plan on using it or how you have used it.
* Talk about who you would recommend this book to. 
* Why and how is it different from other books you’ve read?

Thanks for being awesome!

-Rebecca

As shared, it is not about perfection but progress and I want to celebrate your progress because they are proof you are making a difference with your leadership.

I want to hear all about your progress, your wins big and small!

Recognizing and celebrating your awesome.
– Rebecca ✨

Send Me Your Wins!

I’m co-hosting a podcast talking about two of my favorite things (Disney + leadership) and with some of my very favorite leaders who inspired me on my leadership journey over the years and I can’t wait to share them and their wisdom(s) with you.

You can find it on iTunes, Spotify, Overcast, Google Play Music or you can listen to it right here! 🙂

Check them out! Click here. 

We don’t accomplish anything awesome by ourselves. Including international bestselling books!

The Awesome Leaders’ Guide to Teamwork, is in the Choose Awesome series of books, which is aimed at those who have a heart for serving others and a head for business.

Team Awesome is my very special team who helps me make my books the best they can be. From picking book topics, titles, and colors, holding me accountable, and being advanced readers, they have a behind-the-scenes peek and a say in it all!

We have all sorts of fun while we make these books come to life to help others make a difference with their leadership. There are prizes, bonuses, and other things (like your name IN THE BOOK!) so if you want to get in on the fun, love sharing your opinions, and enjoy pointing out mistakes and opportunities to make things better, please join us!

There are no pressures from me! I appreciate all your help and support no matter what you can do!

Click the link below and request to join and we can start the fun. It’ll be awesome to have you!

Join Team Awesome!

The Ultimate Go-To Collection of Resources For Leaders To Skyrocket Their Career and Build Better Teams.

I’m glad you decided to click on this! I have something super cool to share with you….

I’d like to offer you a very special opportunity to join The Awesome Leader League (T.A.L.L.) at a very special discount of $50 off with coupon code: peoplefirst.

Please don’t share it. It is exclusive to you as a reader of The Awesome Leader’s Guide.

Here’s where to put your very special code (peoplefirst) only for readers of The Awesome Leader’s Guide.

Activate Your Access!