Part 2: Key Insights From The Future Leaders Summit
I recently published my first article inside my series of key insights from your Future Leaders Summit. This was an online event I hosted recently, by which thousands of attendees from all over the world learned from 31 interviews that I conducted with bestselling authors and leadership experts.
In today’s article, I share some key insights from my interview with Mark Sanborn, bestselling author, speaker and advisor to leaders. I have been keen on Mark’s since I first read his book “The Fred Factor” in the past. I found the storyplot about Fred the postman quite fascinating. The ‘Fred philosophy’ is always to realise that can matter, understanding that passion in this work and life is capable of turning the ordinary into extraordinary.
Mark has written a great many other books, and within our interview we discussed the theory “You Don’t Need A Title To Be A Leader”. It’s true that we usually visualize leaders as those near the top of an organization. However, Mark got the inspiration to create this book after many leaders told him stories about employees have been doing great leadership work vehicles had no official title.
You can be a leader if one makes a positive difference, if one makes an impact on others, through everything you do and just how you do it.
So What Keeps People From Leading?
Mark shared that unfortunately lots of people in non-leadership roles try not to develop make a direct impact for various reasons:
Mistaking controlling for leading. Maybe they’ve got worked for any leader who micromanaged and controlled the outcomes that employees achieved.
Lack of awareness they can lead. Some people are sometimes unaware they are able to lead unless they accidentally come upon it.
Not sure how you can lead. Some people want to matter but are not sure how.
How Can You Add Value?
Employees who consistently add value are going to be recognized as those who produce results. These are the individuals who will get noticed for all your right reasons, and they’re the people appears to be promoted into formal leadership positions.
Do you obtain noticed in the office for the right reasons or perhaps the wrong reasons?
So how could you add value? Mark distributed to me what he calls the ‘ROI Factor’, which effective leaders use consistently. This is something we’re able to all use, it doesn’t matter what our title.
The R is made for relationships. Anytime you build a better relationship using a vendor, customer, colleague or stakeholder, it really is a form of leadership.
The O is perfect for outcomes, which are the final results you will achieve.
The I is designed for improvement, making things somewhat better using innovation and creativity.
“It’s not the task you have, it’s you do the task you do that makes a difference.”
What Can YOU Do Today To Make A Difference?
When conducting training for an institution in Singapore yesterday, I was very happy to see a poster from the pantry encouraging staff to “Show your appreciation today!” This reminded of my discussion with Mark about how precisely anyone can certainly produce a difference, regardless of what their title. Here are some simple types of how you can produce a difference today or every day:
Congratulate a colleague on great focus on a recent project.
Stop by someone’s desk to convey hi and inquire if they stood a great weekend.
Give someone a Kit Kat chocolate bar which has a little note “You deserve an escape.”
Offer to help if you notice someone needs help.
Pick up cookies or cupcakes and leave from the pantry for anyone.
What will YOU do today to matter?
I i do hope you enjoyed learning many of the key insights from my interview with Mark Sanborn. I would love you to express your thoughts:
If you are leader, how must some of your downline make an effect?
If you are a leader, what do you need to do to make a direct impact?
Here’s for your success!
Shirley
PS: Please consider my next article where I’ll be sharing many of the key insights from my interview with Sally Helgesen, who co-authored it “How Women Rise” with Dr. Marshall Goldsmith. In our interview, Sally discusses the roadblocks that hold women back and just how we can identify our blind spots.
Shirley Taylor is often a popular speaker, trainer and author of 12 successful books on email, communication and business way with words-at all. Her bestselling book Model Business Letters, Emails and Other Business Documents seventh edition has sold over half a million copies around the globe.