Taking personal 'inventory'

We all get caught up with the day-to-day activities of our jobs and of course, the busyness of a little thing called LIFE. Because of this, we often forget to take the time needed to "self-evaluate" or do "personal inventory" as leaders or managers in both our professional and personal lives to see what type of progress we're making; change we're helping to create; or impact we're having.

Once in a while, taking stock of what you know; what you need to know; and reaching out to those resources/people around you who can help you "grow" as a person/leader is very rewarding.

One of those enriching-type of "self-evalution"events I am happy to attend every year is Leadercast which is a live leadership event held every May in Atlanta, Georgia. It is also offered via live telecast to over 1,500 cities/towns around the world in 22 countries. The one-day event aims to "facilitate the largest convergence of leaders in the world by creating an epic leadership experience."

This year's line-up of speakers did not disappoint and all revolved their messages around the 2014 theme of "Beyond You" Leadership. Below, I provide 2 key take-aways from each speaker that spoke at the recent event on May 9th. My hopes is that you will take some of these profound messages away like I did and begin to subtly and surely implement these in your everyday life. Personally, a take-away message from Malcolm Gladwell that resonated with me the most of course from The Passionate Voice perspective is this following quote:

Andy Stanley, Author and Speaker

• The power of saying "You Decide" as a Leader/Manager is extremely empowering to those around you. Say it to your employees; empower them; and back them up!
• If leadership isn't all about you, it will live beyond you. 

Dr. Henry Cloud, Psychologist and Speaker

• As a leader, you are like a "boat" that leaves a wake. The wake, a pattern generated by a boat, is two-sided and in leadership your wake is two-sided as well. Its all about: results and influence.
• People are always judging you (as a leader) if they are for you or against you (its just human nature to do this). Make sure people understand you so they can accurately decide that they are for you and your cause/vision as a leader.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Human Rights Activist

• Leaders should remember to be accountable so they don't abuse their power in making decisions.
• Great leaders think of generations to come and what impact they'll leave as a footprint.

Laura Schroff, Former Advertising Executive & Best-Selling Author

• Trust forms very strong bonds. Trust others and they will trust you back. This is the basis of good leadership.
• While we all like to be planned, leave room to be open for chance opportunities and meetings.

Malcolm Gladwell, Author and Speaker

• People will submit to authority if it is: Legitimate, Fair and Respectful.
• Effective leaders know its not about what you say, its how you say it!

Randall Wallace, Screenwriter, Director, Producer

• When you can think of something greater than yourself and don't worry about the outcome, then you've captured the essence of leadership.
• Giving to a stranger is an extremely powerful thing. Ask yourself- how do you give and to whom do you give too both in your professional and personal life.

Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP AG

• Purpose matters more than ever before. People want to follow purpose.
• Instead of a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG).. have a Big Hairy Audacious DREAM!

Simon Sinek, Leadership Expert, Author & TED Speaker

• Leadership is like exercise- you can look everyday in the mirror and not see change but over time, you will notice the difference and see the change!
• Leadership is like filling up the coffee pot in the lunch room- when the coffee pot is empty and no one is looking, you can walk away and not refill the pot. Or, without anyone knowing, you can refill the coffee pot without recognition because you know its good for everyone.

I trust you enjoyed these as much as I did when I first heard them!

The 'Old School' Way of Communicating ... Talking!

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It is incredible to see how communication has transformed throughout time, especially within the last  20 years. It is hard to believe that mailing letters and awaiting responses for weeks, if not months, was once considered the 'norm.' People in today's fast-paced society now find it hard to even wait the business etiquette "24 hour" time period for a response. Add on top of that, the introduction of social media, where interactions are instantaneous and people expect responses within a matter of minutes. There certainly are advantages and benefits to having this instant engagement (when you want it of course!) and when it is convenient for both parties involved in the conversation.

What is becoming more apparent though is just how valuable of an asset being able to speak and speak well is becoming. It seems like a novelty to hear someone who articulates, uses proper diction and grammar, and commands an audiences attention while sounding smart, engaging and enthusiastic. 

While technology has its many advantages, everyone can agree it has also made us lazy as a society. It is easy for people to make comments behind a computer screen yet not have the backbone or talent to say what they need to effectively in front of an audience in-person. Technology has made acronyms the 'norm' as we try and squeeze every bit of space we can out of 140-characters. This has led to improper use of the English language.. and really, what is grammar anymore? We now are use to seeing people write and even talk in slang leading for akward interactions face-to-face when we are speaking in business settings.

If there is one thing to learn, its just how rare it is to have the ability to speak well, have presence and effectively communicate both IN-PERSON and ONLINE.

Articulating your ideas and commanding an audience's attention are extremely rare skills that will become even more valuable to have as we become more reliant on technology and farther distanced from in-person interactions. Think of the people whom you've recently had interactions with.. which people left you with a favourable impression that resonated with you? What one skill did they have?

It was most likely the ability to translate their ideas from their head (or from paper, email or online) to create an impression on you face-to-face. And that, is extremely rare to find now a days!

The time and effort behind Being a good speaker

A lot of people believe that being a good speaker requires a lot of talent, time and energy. In instances where professionals want to be a paid speaker or have to do speaking on a full-time basis as required by their job, public speaking does require a great deal of practice and time to be the best at their craft.

BUT...

The idea of being a great speaker in your everyday job or on committees/teams you serve on does not required much time and talent to be great. What is required though is the conscious effort to try and be a good speaker whenever you open your mouth. Perhaps because of our more casual and relaxed society we now live in, we culturally 'speak' and 'talk' in a lot more casual manner than ever before. Online acronyms and sayings (like LOL and YOLO standing for 'Laugh out Loud' and 'You Only Live Once') seem to creep into our vocabulary and emails more than they should. People don't take the same pride in what they sound like when speaking to people in everyday life.

When speaking to anyone in any work-life ventures, keep in mind these 5 simple tips that will help you increase your presence when speaking with people...and with minimal time and effort.

1. Keep eye contact. Don't be shy. Stare into the person's soul and maintain eye contact. It will show confidence in what you are saying.
2. Speak with clarity and conviction. Tone is everything. By simply stating what you are saying with authority and by speaking firmly, it removes doubt from your voice and adds confidence in what you are saying. Never end sentences with questions or trail off with what you are saying.
3. Use language that asserts yourself. Words like "I think", "what if" "maybe" "perhaps" add doubt to what you're saying.
4. Posture can single-handily change the way someone sees you, both favourbly and unfavourably. Shoulders back, back straightly-aligned, chin down, and a relaxed/calming look on your face will take you miles. Body language speaks volumes about you as a person.
5. Don't waiver in what you are saying. Always think before you say something so you don't regret what you said and the way in which you said it. The best speakers are extremely crafted in what they say.. that is half the battle... knowing what is the right thing to say, at the right time, and in the right manner/tone for the intended audience.

SPEAK UP: The Startling Truth of Women Leaning In

I recently sat surrounded by a room full of engaged and passionate women who, for an 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning start, were extremely passionate about the topic of the day: women in politics. The event held in Peterborough, hosted by the YWCA, was the first of its kind to address women entering the world of politics. Startling stats were shared as we kick-started the morning on the prevalence of women in politics in Canada. Women sadly represent only 24.7% of seats in Canadian government and we rank 46th in the world for the number of women in our country's three levels of government. The agenda addressed concerns of local women as to why women don't run in politics; how the local media works in addressing politics; the financial and audit aspects of what it takes to run; and actual training and role playing of what it would be like to run in politics or help support someone in running their campaign.

It was a truly amazing day to say the least and being surrounded by that much positive energy from other women of all ages was simply incredible and truly inspiring. 

BUT, while I left feeling inspired and hopeful that many more women would be entering the political area in the near future, it also became apparent to me as to why women aren't running in politics and taking a stab at making change for our local communities, provinces, or country. 

Along the lines of Sheryl Sanberg's book "Lean In" I believe women aren't "Speaking Up" like they should be and like they can. Hearing women of all ages that day at the event, address the same concerns of "sensitivity, "caring what others thought," "not thinking their opinions were valid enough," "thinking what they have to say doesn't matter"... it made me realize that we as women are our biggest challenge, obstacle, and barrier to getting involved and making a difference!

WE as WOMEN hold ourselves back!

We as women aren't allowing ourselves to stand out, speak up, and take our turn to "lean in!" While YES, we balance different priorities and responsibilities then our counterparts on the home front; YES we have different biological responsibilities; and YES some may argue that women aren't given the same opportunities as men because of gender inequality, the reality is at the end of the day, BUT we all have the same opportunity at least we're fortunate enough in Canada, to SPEAK UP, to say what we want to say, and make a difference!

It is time for women alike, of all ages and generations, of all ethnicity and backgrounds in Canada to stop being our own worse enemies and SPEAK UP when you believe you have something to say! It might just surprise us all who will listen. I'm not saying it is going to be easy (nothing worthwhile ever doing is!) and I'm not saying we aren't going to face different challenges than our counterparts who will run against us; but at least knowing that by SPEAKING UP,  you are taking the first step in the right direction in overcoming what is holding us back as women: ourselves.