The Art of Influence – Leadership

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Leadership: The Art of Influence

Leadership is the art of influencing others to achieve a common goal. It is about motivating and inspiring people to work together towards a shared vision. Leaders are able to create a positive and productive work environment, and they are able to get the best out of their team members.

What are the Qualities of a Good Leader?

There are many qualities that make a good leader. Some of the most important qualities include:

• Vision: A good leader has a clear vision for the future. They are able to articulate this vision to others and inspire them to work towards it.
• Communication: A good leader is an effective communicator. They are able to clearly and concisely communicate their ideas to others. They are also good listeners and they are able to build rapport with others.
• Integrity: A good leader is honest and trustworthy. They are someone that others can look up to and respect.
• Decisiveness: A good leader is able to make decisions quickly and confidently. They are not afraid to take risks and they are able to learn from their mistakes.
• Empowerment: A good leader empowers their team members. They give them the freedom to make decisions and take ownership of their work.
• Motivation: A good leader is able to motivate and inspire others. They are able to create a positive and productive work environment where people feel valued and respected.

How to Become a Better Leader

If you want to become a better leader, there are a few things you can do:

• Develop your vision: Take some time to think about what you want to achieve in your leadership role. What is your vision for the future? Once you have a clear vision, you can start to communicate it to others and inspire them to work towards it.
• Improve your communication skills: Communication is essential for effective leadership. Make sure you are able to clearly and concisely communicate your ideas to others. You should also be a good listener and be able to build rapport with others.
• Be honest and trustworthy: Integrity is essential for leadership. Be honest and trustworthy in your dealings with others. This will help you to build trust and respect.
• Make decisions quickly and confidently: Don’t be afraid to make decisions. Sometimes the best decision is to make a decision quickly and then learn from your mistakes.
• Empower your team members: Give your team members the freedom to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This will help them to feel valued and respected, and it will also help them to develop their own leadership skills.
• Motivate and inspire others: Be a positive role model and be someone that others can look up to and respect. Encourage your team members to achieve their goals and help them to overcome challenges.

Conclusion

Leadership is an important skill that can help you to achieve your goals. If you want to become a better leader, there are a few things you can do to develop your leadership skills. These include developing your vision, improving your communication skills, being honest and trustworthy, making decisions quickly and confidently, empowering your team members, and motivating and inspiring others.

Here are some additional tips for becoming a better leader:

• Be a lifelong learner. The world is constantly changing, and so must leaders. Make sure you are always learning new things so that you can stay ahead of the curve.
• Be open to feedback. No one is perfect, and even the best leaders can make mistakes. Be open to feedback from your team members and others so that you can learn and grow.
• Be humble. A good leader knows that they don’t have all the answers. Be humble and be willing to ask for help when you need it.
• Be positive. A positive attitude can go a long way in leadership. Be optimistic and believe in yourself and your team.
• Be passionate. A good leader is passionate about their work. If you’re not passionate about what you do, it will be difficult to motivate others to follow you.

If you can develop these qualities, you will be well on your way to becoming a great leader.

Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.

The Forgotten Art of Free

The past couple of weeks has been focused on helping students find credible resources for my classes. Out of desperation, I begin to search YouTube for some material other than the Harvard Business School, Standford’s Y-Combinator, and other university lead channels. I normally hesitate in referring to YouTube for anything other than personal entertainment, or mind-numbing activities, but I ran across a grass-cutting channel that focused on many of the social traits stressed in my classes.

The videos start with the owner of the landscaping/grass-cutting company standing in front of an overgrown lawn or a disabled person’s home stating that he is going to cut and trim the lawn for, you ready, FREE! In today’s business world, the word free is a four-letter word that is never spoken. For the landscaping company to provide the labor, material, and time to cut the grass is unheard of. They film the grass-cutting on their smartphone as they cut, trim, and clean up the grass, tree limbs, and in most cases, a large amount of trash from the lot. They do not ask for money to cover costs or help from the neighbors, they just do it.

The act of doing the work for free rings large in my classes, both socially and from a business standpoint. Giving back to your community is something most companies do not think about or do. Community involvement to better the community as a whole is a foreign concept because it takes time, money, and effort away from their business of selling. Companies do not understand they would not have a business if it was not for the community in which they reside. No community, no business.

From a business standpoint, there are many things that are achieved via the act of free and posting it on YouTube. In many of the videos, one will see neighbors, passerby’s, and others watching or talking with them. Although not shown in the videos, one can bet that business cards and other related information are passed that will help to build their business through showcasing their landscaping product…for free. This is one of the best cost-effective marketing plans in action all companies are searching for. Donating a few hours of labor, a small amount of time and material to sell your business is a basic marketing concept.

Posting the video to YouTube is a great advertising move. With YouTube and associated applications be pushed to smartphones and other mobile devices, the advertising aspects is immense. The videos and company information can be forwarded to unlimited potential customers, word-of-mouth, or in this case, device-to-device advertising.

The concept of free needs to make a comeback in the business community. While cutting grass is a time-consuming and hard job, other smaller things can be done to give back to the community and help foster growth for your company. Take the time to review your business and identify what things you could do for your community. Give a try, it will do your business and heart good!

Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.

© Dr. David Lawson 2022

Being Thankful!!

The most dreadful time of the year has just passed, the time of the performance reviews, COVID-19 continues to rage, employees are exiting the workforce in mass numbers, but still, organizations continue to struggle forward. . The employees who have worked so hard and long during the year are quietly saying thanks in ways many leaders or managers do not understand. They are most thankful for having a job for another next year and the meager raise in pay. Yes, they are thankful.

The leadership and their managers should be just as thankful, not for their raises or profits no matter how slim, but for their employees. It is the employees who made everything possible. They are the ones who make the leaders and managers look good and keep the profits on the rise. They are the ones who have missed their kid’s ball games, school performances, and hosts of other events. All to the thanklessness of leaders and managers.

Sadly, the phrase that many in management missed saying during the performance review process was a meaningful thank you. The employees have suffered through the most painful time working through COVID. But, the reminisces of what they have done right, their sacrifices, or dedication to their craft are few. What they are truly wanting to hear is thank you.

With management always seeking ways to motivate their employees, the most simple way is to be thankful for your employees. Having a thankful attitude for their efforts sets the tone for a prosperous new year and brings you to a new level of leadership.

Go ahead and makes the rounds telling them how thankful you and the organization are to have them. A difference in the tone of the organization and culture, as well as the employee, will be felt almost immediately.

Go ahead and say it…Thank You!

Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.

© Dr. David Lawson 2022

The “Barely” Syndrome

Driving around the rural communities and towns where I live, main streets and businesses are trying to open as best as they can. Help wanted signs are taped to windows and doors, signs are placed in the ground coming into the towns, and the internet is ripe with job postings. Many stating increased wages and benefits, but there are no takers to good jobs in the cafes and diners, small boutiques, the small town factories and other places. These small businesses have managed to stay open during the past 18 months with little staff and are ready to bring things back toward normal. But they can not do this without staff to fill the many jobs they have open. They are barely making it.

The current US unemployment rate is just below 6% and the states are averaging as low as 4% in some states and as high as almost 9% in others. It appears there are plenty of jobs in any industry or state one desires. But the applicants are not being attracted back to the employment roles. Complicating matters are the federal and state unemployment programs that offer additional unemployment funds which make staying unemployed more lucrative that working a full-time job. With stimulus monies being paid over the past year, and more being discussed, coupled with other federal programs, it is easy to see why people are staying away from the workforce.

Conversations with many managers and human resource (HR) professionals reveal the same sad story. Many stores are having to shorten business hours because of labor shortages. Many small diners are raising prices of the meals to cover the new minimum wage laws meant to bring workers back and the overtime of their current workers who are required to work when they do not materialize.

The US economy is driven by the work of its citizens, who innovate new products, build those new products, sell the products and the cycle starts again. It is a circular economy, for each product that is built another has to be built to take its place. Think of car and the thousands, if not millions, of parts it takes to assemble and the thousands of humans that process takes. From the end product of the car to each transmission, gallon of paint, tires, etc., each of those products have to be replaced for use on another car. It is a trickle-down supply chain system with the human workforce involved in each step. Any interruption of the physical materials or the human workforces causes the economic system to come to a crashing halt.

As the physical material levels are fast returning to a normal state, the human workforce is not because there is no need. The need to work must be restarted, or perhaps reinvented, to bring the economy back to as close to normal as possible. While the return to normal may take time and a new normal may be realized in the process, it must restart.

“A human is the catalyst for all things.”

David Lawson

Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.

@Copyright 2021

The Many Faces of Entrepreneurship

Walking around small town America’s main street, you will pass the town diner filled with customers talking and enjoying a late breakfast, the banker chatting with the folks he passes, the florist, the pharmacy, the bakery and coffee shop inviting you in through an open door, the auto repair shop coming into town, the ice cream parlor, and many other small businesses that make the town what it is…home. Many of these small business started with a dream or a need the town needs filled, and with hard work and community support they have become successful.

Small town America is a showcase of entrepreneurship, people who have a dream, took the risk, and made their dream a reality. As a result, they have touched the lives of many people. From the people they serve each day, to the people who work there, all the while making the town a better place. If it were not for the entrepreneurs many small town would cease to exist.

While teaching a course on entrepreneurship, it seemed strange that the focus was on launching the next great technology company, the next pharmaceutical company, a new version of alternative energy, all worth worthy endeavours. A stranger observation was the need for a business plan and a small business (SBA) loan in order to get started. Many of today’s successes did not start with the luxury of a SBA loan or a business plan, eg. Apple Computer started famously in a garage is a great example. It is a safe bet that many businesses on small town main street did not get a boost from the SBA, just hard work, maybe some local investors who believed in them, and the community.

Small town America has many faces. They have weathered economic downturns, the loss of once stable local industries such as coal, etc., the pandemic that required many to close, and yet they survive to live another day. A SBA loan is a short term solution to the long-term problem of how does a small business in business.

Walk down the main street of America’s small towns and look it’s many faces. Those who had a dream, took the risk, and opened the door to their business. A longer look will give a glimpse into the impact that their business has on the community, the people who frequent their shops every day, and the people who work there.

Small town America is where many businesses got their start and where the next generation of great businesses and entrepreneurs will begin!

Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.

What Did We Really Learn?

While businesses are returning to a “normal” state of operation, the question of what exactly “normal” means is being debated. Many believe that “normal” means business as it was before the pandemic producing and selling the same products hoping customer will return. Returning to the status quo that was comfortable, predictable, and profitable.

Others view the present conditions as the “new normal”. They view the pandemic as a black swan event that has induced significant change and returning to the status quo as impossible. They are introducing new products, modifying existing products, eliminating the odd products that do not fit in their portfolio, and streamlining for the future.

The question of learning from a impactful global event is something all companies, in all industries, large or small should take seriously. Can a company return to the status quo? No, the changes induced are too deep and permanent. The changes from the past year will only bring additional changes. Marshall Goldsmith famously wrote that “what got you here won’t get you there”. Clinging to the status quo of the old normal will leave companies constantly searching for answers on how to survive.

For those companies who accept the forced change as a time to learn about themselves, their products, and the new normal will quickly move ahead by streamlining and looking toward the future. Companies that understand the current normal is the new normal, seek to learn what the new normal means and search for new opportunities.

Learning is always difficult, filled with false starts with successes sprinkled in. The learning process starts with unlearning what was once successful, the status quo, and embracing new ideas, technologies, and developing new theories…thinking differently. A great example is education, once the domain of books, in-person classes, and physical facilities and buildings. Books are now available electronically, classes are delivered digitally eliminating the need for physical interactions and buildings.

At companies, large and small, move toward the future, the question can honestly be asked, “What have we learned?”

Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.

Rural Entrepreneurship

The past year year has been devastating for businesses, especially small business in rural America. The pandemic has forced many established businesses to change how they operate, their DNA, in order to stay open. Remote work is the new normal, cafes’ and diners have closed their in-door seating and shifted to carry-out or drive-thru only. The large office buildings that were once the symbol of the American economy are mostly vacant. The changes are becoming permanent in many cases.

People are relocating from the city back to their roots, the small towns. As they relocate back to small towns, they bring with them their dreams of starting a business. The main streets of small towns offer something that large cities do not, a friendly environment in which to conduct business, friends and neighbors as customers. Small towns or rural America as it is commonly called, offers the chance to fill ones dreams, build a business, raise a family, and in the process help others in the process. Rural entrepreneurship is becoming the centerpiece of America’s resurgence.

Starting a business in rural America has been discouraged in past literature for a variety of reasons that have become myths in the 21st century. In time past, commodities such as high-speed internet, logistics and access to interstate highways, infrastructure of the small town, talent, and the political makeup of the small town were seen as stumbling blocks to starting a small business. Additionally, the myth that one has to be in a larger town or city in order to access capital has been dispelled with tools such as Zoom, the many federal, state, and local financial groups, The reasoning to not start a rural business has been displaced and are myths.

The many different segments of the economy offers entrepreneurs and wide range of opportunities to start a business that is low-impact to the community. Entrepreneurship is often thought as large enterprises that are taxing on local facilities, not so in many cases. Small software development firms are a great example of a company that works well in a rural community. With remote work becoming the norm, the small business impact the local infrastructure in minor ways.

Recently, there have been several television shows that emphasis the benefits of small-town America. ie. Small Business Revolution with Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank fame, that emphasis the importance of small business and the town where they reside. The many small business featured clearly depict the impact they have on the community.

Many people ask if rural entrepreneurship is the same as urban entrepreneurship? In many ways yes, but in some ways no. Over the next weeks and months, the differences between urban and rural entrepreneurship will be examined.

Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.

#ruralentrepreneurship

The Worst Advice on Starting a Business

After teaching an graduate-level Entrepreneurship course, I sat down in the local Barnes & Noble to decompress and think about what was taught. The course was developed by a third party at some point and has never been given much thought or review by the university. Adding, changing or deleting content was out of the question and takes forever to change if suggested. The course was taught as-is and at time certain points were introduced to help many future entrepreneurs start their business on the right footing.

The course was filed with many once popular thoughts and notions that have long seen their popularity and been dismissed over the years. In modern times, these thoughts are not bad advice for anyone wanting to start a business.

A few of the entrepreneurial bad advice tips are:

“Follow your passion or your hobby” – No, you need to start a business that can make you money. If bird watching is your passion, that is great. But, bird watching is not going to make you money. Every entrepreneur needs a hobby to decompress away from their business. Creating a business based on your hobby or passion eliminated the relaxation as one will always be thinking about how to improve the birdwatching business.

“Work hard and you will make money will come” – Not hardly. Working hard will only make you tired, irritable, and hasten an early demise. Work smarter. Delegate things to your trusted partners and know they will do the very best. This goes back to the time honored mantra of “Do the things you do best and outsource the rest.”

“Keep you friends close, but your enemies closer” – There is some truth to this saying but not much. Your friends are your lifeblood and will provide you with years of happiness and loyalty. But enemies, eliminate them from your life and be done with them. You will spend too much time mentally keeping track of what they are doing or what they are doing to you. One does not need to spend any amount of time worrying about what the might do. The elimination of enemies will make you a much happier person.

“Money can’t buy happiness” – But is sure helps. It is true that money can’t buy happiness outright but knowing that you and your family are safe, your needs fulfilled, and you are safe is the happiness that money can provide. No one can say with certainty how much money one needs, it is a personal matter. But having a business that can provide that level of security is something all entrepreneurs strive for when starting a business.

Doing away with the outdated and bad business tips and saying is something that everyone, especially academia, should do on a daily basis. Holding on to these sayings is a barbinger of poor results and ultimate failure in the business world.

Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.

“It Ain’t Over Till…

the fat lady sings!”, a quote most often attributed to New York Yankee great and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. While comical at first hearing, the meaning is much deeper. In baseball, a team has 27 outs and until the 27th out has occurred, the game is not over. This past year has been troubling with the pandemic and its effect on the economy as a whole and in particular, the thousands of small businesses that keep small town America vibrant.

America’s small businesses are closing at an alarming rate due to restrictions based on halting the spread of the pandemic. Small town main streets look like ghost towns as the fabric of their economy is shuttered. Restaurants and diners, retailers, pubs and grills, ice cream shops…most everything is closed. A few diners have managed to stay afloat by switching to curbside or carryout service only. Small town retailers have been slow to move to ecommerce or online shopping in the past are closed, and sadly, will remain closed after the pandemic is over. For many businesses “the fat lady” is walking on stage.

The vast majority of America’s workforce got our start working in the diner or ice cream shop, our uncle’s gas station, our aunt’s retail shop, our Dad’s heating and air conditioning repair, and countless other small town America businesses. These business rewarded the many who took the risk and reached for the American dream. These examples provided the encouragement to many, myself included, to start our own businesses and to help others achieve the same.

In today’s hard times, it is easy to remember that those same businesses were there when we need them. A place to eat lunch or dinner with the family, a quick cup of coffee with our friends, grab a new pair of blue jeans and catch up on the latest town news, an after school ice cream and soda with our friends, memories buried deep in our past. I would encourage all to dig deep into those memories and envision small town America without those business for our kids and grandkids to enjoy and remember.

Over the next two weeks and into the new year, I would encourage all to shop the small town business as much as possible. Christmas presents may already be purchased, but maybe not. Give the local retailer a call and purchase something, I am sure they will gladly meet you outside to deliver. The same with diners and restaurants, the family is busy cooking for the Christmas dinner. Give everyone a break and call the diners for a carryout order, they will gladly deliver curbside. This is our chance to pay back the small businesses that we too often take for granted.

Let’s not let small town America and its small business fail.

Dr. Lawson is an executive coach and a Professor of Economics and Strategy. He writes on business issues, education, and developing today’s modern executives. He can be found on Twitter @dplwsn and #TMIBS.

Does Anyone Really Know What Leadership Is?

The past several years have cast a dark shadow over the term “leadership.” Individuals from medical startups, academia, finance, and other industries. They have participated in unethical and possibly illegal actions in hopes of gaining fame and fortune for themselves. Their neglect and inability to truly lead the organization have resulted in many organizations crashing affecting employees, shareholders, and stakeholders. It is clear the many “leaders” do not understand the true meaning of leadership and what it encompasses.

A significant body of research makes it clear that leadership and management are not the same things, yet, many believe and have mingled the two into a single concept. It is clear that managers manage the day to day operations and leaders guide the organization to the challenges the future will present. This basic definition divides the role of leadership and management into two separate and distinct paths, each requiring different skill sets. It is often said that some managers can become good leaders or some leaders are good managers. It is also recognized that it is rare that very few have the combined ability to both skills and succeed. Yet, we have this misunderstanding of what leadership really is and its effect on the organization.

From my personal view and understanding, the roots of the leadership problem lie in how entrepreneurship is taught and perceived. The literature in academia presents the concept of being your own boss and the fame and fortune that comes with owning a business. Very little is discussed on the ethical aspects and what a leader should be doing. They are caught with balance sheets, valuation, and business plans. Individuals nibble on the fame and fortune hook and once it is set by some level of success, leadership is totally forgotten. Everything is then designed to gain fortune and the fame of owning a successful company. They do not understand that leading a company by looking to the future and adjusting along the way. This will create the fortune they seek and fame will naturally follow.

There is a growing base of literature and discussion into splitting the role of manager and leader into separate functions handled by separate individuals. This is not a new thought as it has roots in that not everyone can or should be a leader and not everyone can or should be a manager which has been around for years. By the division of responsibilities, the ethical miscues can hopefully be avoided and the organization can grow in sync with the future.

The new model of the separation of power and roles of the leader and manager will require adjustments to the academic models being taught. There has not been a new model of leadership for over 50-years, a new look into leadership, management, business is needed. These new models of leadership and management will meet with skepticism, But one must keep in mind the past models have varied success in the past.

The quest for fame and fortune is at the heart of entrepreneurship, owning or running an organization, or inheriting an organization. There is nothing ethically or morally wrong with fame and fortune as long as one gains them in an ethical and legal manner.

“Don’t let yourself become famous for doing the wrong thing”

Marty Stuart