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Leaders teach others how they want to be treated
If you are ever in charge of a project, it is likely that you will need to count on others to help you get the job done right, on time, and within budget. We depend on others to come through for us. Sometimes they fall short. When they do, we often hear excuses like, “It took longer than I thought” or “I’ve been meaning to get to that”…and so on. When we don’t do what we say we will do, we compromise our integrity, and we think that blaming others and making excuses will work. It doesn’t.
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What is “charisma”?
Let’s talk about charisma. Most of us like people who are charismatic. But what does that mean?
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Activate your dreams
“What happens to a dream deferred…does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”
-Langston Hughes: A Dream Deferred
Nearly ten years ago author Matthew Kelly wrote the book, “The Dream Manager”. This short, 152-page book was based on a true story relating to a janitorial service company in Ohio. The situation was this: The company was struggling and the annual turnover was a costly 400%. As the book began, the company had lost 428 employees in 90 days. As the Admiral Corporation was grasping for salvation, one of the managers came up with the “Dream Manager” program. It was based on the belief that everyone has dreams. Top management at Admiral committed to talking to each employee to find out their dreams. Some had dreams of building their own business while others dreamed just to get through a day without a call from creditors.
All things equal…personality wins!
I was attending a workshop in the early 1980’s at a hospitality convention and the subject was, “Hiring the right people”. The charismatic facilitator had us all deeply engaged. Just at the magic time, he asked, “What is the most important characteristic to look for when hiring someone to work at the front desk?” We all poked around with our answers. When we didn’t guess it, he revealed what he believed to be the answer: “Personality”
Take the frustration our of asking for referrals
Do you ask for enough referrals? Most sales professionals do not. I think I know why: It can be awkward and frustrating.
Surveys have consistently shown that 60-70% of our new business comes from referrals. So how do we manage this gold mine?