Christmas tree leadership (Tannenbaum/Schmidt Continuum)

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are thy branches!

For some reason, this little portion of the third stanza is all I seem to remember of the song, despite hearing it repeatedly from late October through mid-January for decades.  It's an ode to the beautiful Christmas tree, and has been recorded with many different lyrics over the past 50 years.

Wondering what it has to do with leadership?

Failure and success

"If you are succeeding in everything you do, then you're probably not pushing yourself hard enough.  And that means you're not taking enough risks.  You risk because you have something of value you want to achieve."
- John Maxwell, Failing Forward

Leadership without leverage

In his book "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership," John C. Maxwell shares that influence is the key to great leadership.

CFA Podcast: Personal Brand and Skills Assessment

This CFA Institute podcast entitled "Personal Brand and Skills Assessment" defines personal brand and delves into the relevance of brand to personal and professional success in organizations.

The key takeaway is this:  whether you manage it or not, you have a personal brand.  Others make assumptions about you based on their experiences with you and with your work/impact.  Greater awareness of this can lead to greater career success.

In the interview: the CASH model

You’ve done the hard work of creating your personal brand, building a winning resume, and scoring the big interview.  You’ve investigated the organization, know what questions to expect, and have thought about what makes you different and better than other candidates.

Chances are you don’t interview every day, so you might be working against your nerves a bit.  To make it easier, remember CASH – four simple reminders during the conversation.

The Role Model

We all need someone to look up to.

A role model helps direct aspirations, measure the self against a greater standard, creates an environment of learning through differential analysis.

Good career advice from John Lees

John Lees, career author and author of How to Get a Job You'll Love, offers some great advice to job seekers in a tough economy.  For the out-of work job seeker, consider this.  Here's a 16 1/2 minute podcast he recorded for HBR's IdeaCast, just right for a short commute or while you get ready for work (or to find work) in the morning.

For the working job seeker looking for a career change, Lees has some sage advice as well.  Lees is a contributor to the HBR Blog Network, and one of his more recent posts is  "To Get the Job of Your Dreams, Stop Dreaming."

If you're thinking about your next steps for whatever reason, check out the podcast and the post - think you'll enjoy both.

Best,

Bryan

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas



Merry Christmas

Followership

"I can't wait until I'm the boss and don't have to answer to anyone."

We've all heard something similar, either in business, in the community, children, or perhaps in our own voices.  It's a consistent refrain echoing across all ages, from the very young to the very old:  one day I'll be in charge.  For all of us, that day never comes - no matter our upward trajectory in an organization.

Decathletes (Jump the Curve)

In his book Jump the Curve, visionary Jack Uldrich shares his "50 essential strategies to help your company stay ahead of emerging technologies." His focus is on what he calls the exponential executive, the successful forward-thinking leaders in the future.

4S Model: Steps

The final S of the 4S Model is Steps:  taking the steps to actually move the new, prepared you towards your career goals and aspirations.  The first three (Self, Surroundings, Skills) are about knowing yourself, understanding the environment in which you operate, and assessing and improving your unique skill set.  The fourth S is about creating your personal marketing plan.

4S Model: Self

At many large malls, large conspicuous maps are posted showing the many different stores, attractions, and points of interest throughout.  When the typical individual approaches a map like this, the first inclination is to look for a red dot, a big arrow, or the words “You Are Here.”

The first step in the 4S Model is Self, and focuses on creating your guiding mission and vision.  To get there, you have to understand who you are, where you’ve been, and where you want to go from a career perspective.

4S Model: Skills

In the same way organizations must continuously improve, you must also continually increase your capability to become more valuable to employers, clients, and other stakeholders in your career.

Capability is the overall combination of your knowledge, skills, abilities, and the other intangibles you possess.  Increasing this capability is the Skills step of the 4S Model, and is driven by your personal development plan.

Go to sleep

My three-year-old is starting to transition out of naps and into a 7:00 fussiness that stretches each evening into long ordeals as we march towards bed.  Once he’s down, he tosses and turns for a while, finally working his way to sleep.  Because of my schedule, he’s often starting his day earlier than some other children his age.

Mapping your Future: 4S Model

Thinking about how to move forward in your career?  The 4S Model is a way of crafting your career approach in discrete, actionable steps.

Blockers

When I speak about talent management, I describe the work as follows:  talent management is about ensuring the right people are in the right roles at the right time.  It's easy to say - rolls right off the tongue.  However it's very complex, and not so easy to implement.

Most large firms have a formal review of talent at least once per year. A component of this conversation is to discuss individuals in three broad dimensions: performance against goals; behaviors that benefit the individual, team, and firm; and the potential to develop and contribute at a higher level in the organization.

Sun Tzu for Execution: How to Use the Art of War to Get Results

When I'm reading, I like to highlight passages and important nuggets of information that might be interesting or helpful to read again in the future. It directs the eyes and helps me maximize my reading based on my learning style.

At the end of Sun Tzu for Execution: How to use The Art of War to Get Results, by Steven W. Michaelson, I noticed that a great deal of the text had been underlined, something on just about every page.

Catching Negativity

My three-year-old son picked up a bad habit at school. When asked why he was behaving this way, he said “I don't know. Adrien does it!” And with that, he repeated the behavior again.Unbelievable. My impressionable, well-behaved boy was being corrupted by this child! It must be true that one apple spoils the whole bunch.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

UBS Dress

UBS, the swiss financial services firm, has recently made headlines with a dress code.  Today it's merely a five-office pilot program, but might be rolled out to all Switzerland if successful.  If you would like to read more, check out Huffington Post, Third Age, The Wall Street Journal, Styleite, or Clusterstock (a personal favorite).

The guide is consistent with UBS culture and brand, and many make sense for anyone wishing to present themselves well to others.  Here are a few paraphrased tips from the guide: