Author Archives: Larry Janis

Four pathways to authentic leadership

By Peter Himmelman

I’m not at all pleased to report this, but even the good ol’ word leadership has become something of a buzzword — a term people bandy about without considering its deeper implications. It’s the same thing that’s happened with words like creativity, innovation and disruption.

In an attempt to service the ever-increasing demand for web content, the pace of creating content has also increased. Sadly, this is all too often accompanied by a decrease in serious analysis. To attract as many readers as possible to their sites marketers tend to overuse certain words that emerge as more eye-catching than others. The trouble is those words get used so often they begin to lose their inherent meaning. This is a problem for both society and individuals when it happens with words that deserve more, rather than less of our attention. To help refocus, here are four pathways to evincing more authentic… (and here comes the buzzword again) —leadership.

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Servant leadership: Who is ultimately responsible for your people’s success?

By Ronald M. Allen

The emotional high of going to work and being among a group of productive associates, fellow employees with a common goal and supported by an understood incentive, moves people to act like no other force.

The key elements are that the employees feel part of something bigger than themselves. They have a sense of purpose. They are supported by the correct incentives to put forth their best efforts. They come each and every day to give so that the team will receive the benefit of their contribution and be recognized.

When a leader executes accordingly, this show of confidence in one’s fellow employees speaks to the security of the leader and the trust they show in their employees. But before you can learn how to improve your own leadership, you must understand what qualities make up a servant leader.

Here are some of the characteristics of successful servant leaders:

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Sales Leader

Our client is a leading national provider of innovative IT solutions and services to Global 2000 and mid-size companies. Partnered with the top-tier technology providers, our unique solution-based methodology, combined with our experience and expertise, has enabled thousands of industry-leading organizations to effectively address their business needs, optimize the returns on their IT investments, mitigate risk, and focus on growth and profitability.

 

Responsibilities

  • Maintain/exceed annual revenue and total contract value targets
  • Build trusted relationships with client leaders that have meaningful impact to their business
  • Develop and execute a Regional sales plan to penetrate existing and new markets
  • Create and present market and competitively differentiated solutions
  • Develop and present professional proposals and pricing to profitably win new logos and contracts
  • Manage the operational transition and monitor client service delivery
  • Provide feedback to management to improve the success of sales, solutions, pricing and go-to-market strategies
  • Work with and sell to C-level and senior level management
  • Develop trusted relationships, share insights that have meaningful impact to the customer’s business while positioning the company’s solutions to address business challenges.
  • Articulate and present the cost justification/risk mitigation related to the company’s solutions
  • Create differentiation, educate the customer on potential solutions and influence the decision making process.
  • Build excellent client relationships offering value-added, insightful and strategic input to their business strategies

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Can leaders be both likable and respected?

By Jayson DeMers

Every leader’s ideal relationship to his or her subordinates requires some measure of likability and respect. A likable leader will get along with subordinates on a personal level, and they’ll be able to enjoy each other’s company, making the workday more enjoyable and boosting morale.

A respectable leader, in addition, will command attention, discipline, and obedience from subordinates, which will lead to a more organized workplace, and a firmer hierarchy in the organization.

The problem is, respectability and likability exist, in some ways, on a spectrum. Taking an action that makes you more likable might lose you some respect. And taking an action that commands respect could make you less likable. So, is it possible to be both liked and respected? And if not, which one is more important?

Respect as a necessity
First, as a leader, understand that respect is a necessity, and it can exist both as a form of compliance and in a freely given form. For example, most employees will follow your commands because they know they might be fired if they don’t; this is respect as a form of compliance.

Another group of employees might admire your leadership style, and personally wish to follow your directives so they can align themselves with that style; this is respect freely given.

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7 Ways Outstanding Leaders Do Things Differently

By Lolly Daskal

It may feel as though we’re in a crisis of leadership, but if you stop to look around it’s not hard to find examples of CEOs, middle managers, elected officials, public servants, neighborhood watch organizers, team captains and coaches, teachers and countless others who are doing a good job as leaders. Most of us are either in that group or working toward it.

Much rarer are the exceptional leaders whose qualities truly shine, the ones who practice the kind of leadership we all aspire to.

In my years of leadership consulting, I’ve learned that most of what makes outstanding leaders outstanding lies not in the things they do but who they are when they take action.

Here are seven of the most important:

1. Outstanding leaders lead with consistency of character.
At the center of all great leadership are two interconnected qualities: consistency and character. Those who lead with character do the right thing 100 percent of the time, even if no one is watching and the benefits of cheating are great. They understand that their actions set the standard for their entire team, and that their influence reaches far beyond themselves.

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