Connection: You Need it Just As Much As Your Cell Phone Does

In just a few days, it will be my firstborn child’s eighth birthday.  I still vividly remember our first “meeting.”

Within minutes of being born, the nurse handed me my son with the instruction to hold him skin-to-skin on my chest.  Instant love – and human connection – began with this little person.  As his mother, I satisfied his very first need in life, and his cries quickly quieted.

Connection is a basic human need.  We all need it at some level; nobody is exempt, and we never outgrow the need for it.

If you think “I can do it all by myself,” you may be able to limp across the finish line, but you’ll never truly thrive or give your very best performance without being connected to others.  Somewhere along the way, you would have benefitted from the love, support, encouragement or advice from another….or you could have been the giver of these to someone else (which is just as energizing, by the way!)

In business, we often hear executives complain that it can be “lonely at the top.”  Not necessarily, wrote Monica Diaz in her blog post.  That is, unless you’ve built a pyramid to get you there, instead of engaging and valuing your people.

As people, we were all (regardless of our job titles, positions or experiences) created to be in community.  We need that human connection and encouragement.  I believe it’s part of our design, and as such, it’s a necessary component for us to become the best version of ourselves.

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another… (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Can you imagine how things might improve if we connected to others regularly with the intent to encourage each other?

As a leader, you should encourage people by specifically calling out their strengths and identifying opportunities where those strengths can be further leveraged.  You should be working with people to set a vision that is challenging and rewarding, instilling hope and encouragement along the way.  You should be building confidence and teams, cheering and celebrating milestones and successes.

A manager early in my career once gave me this advice: when you’re trying to accomplish a goal, get people in the boat with you.  If you fail, they’ll understand clearly why, because they were part of it.  If you win, the party at the end is always better!

All of these things require an investment in people.  They require your time, your heart and your personal connection.

What would happen if you stepped away from your computer, cell phone or spreadsheet to deepen your connection with the people around you?  What if all of your team members made a commitment to behave like a true community and encourage each other regularly?  What if these behaviors spilled over into your personal life?  Would anything be different?

If you want your future to look any different than it does today, then now is the time to act.  Today is the day to start working toward your vision.  Consider the benefits of strengthening your connections.  Consider how much more a team could accomplish than the efforts of just one.  Consider how rewarding it might be to help someone with a basic life-sustaining need.  You could be just the leader to do it.  Go connect and see what happens!

Erin Schreyer is President of Sagestone Partners and a Certified Coach, Trainer and Speaker.  Erin is passionate about building into people and bringing out their leadership qualities to help them excel in all areas of life.

Mary Poppins on Leadership

I recently attended the Broadway tour of Disney’s Mary Poppins with my son.  We had such a special evening – just the two of us!  I joyfully watched his expressions of amazement and wonder as the magic of Mary Poppins unfolded on stage.  I have to admit, I enjoyed it every bit as much as he did!!  It was creative, colorful, perfectly cast and well-performed. 

In addition to the pure entertainment value, I was thrilled to realize that there were some valid connections that could be tied back to great leadership!  As a multi-tasking mom and a leadership practitioner, I decided to seize the opportunity to leverage the metaphors!

A Spoonful of Sugar

The children in the story are in need of a new nanny.  They’ve gone through quite a few, it seems, because they are demanding, rude and thoughtless.  As the story progresses, we see that other nannies respond to the children with equal disrespect and disregard.  As a result, the children are unhappy and the nannies quit their position.

What Mary Poppins teaches everyone in a widely familiar tune is that “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.”  What she means by that is simply that we don’t need to yell and thoughtlessly demand to get results.  Instead, we can speak with kindness and achieve the same result.

Leaders, be aware of your word choices; not just in how you speak, but also in how those words are received.  Your language should be inspiring and engaging, bringing your team together to work toward a common goal. By choosing a positive, motivational approach, your team is much more likely to jump on board and contribute their best.

Anything Can Happen if You Let It

While working with the children, one of Mary Poppins’ greatest obstacles is getting the children to think differently and use their imaginations in ways they had never done before.  She consistently reminds them that “anything can happen if you let it” and the song reprises several times throughout the show. 

I took the time to reinforce this song and theme with my son too!!  Why?  Because, isn’t it so true that we are often our biggest obstacle?  Our perceptions of what is holding us back are often in our mind.  Many times, we accept them as true without even trying to test if our perceptions are accurate.  And often, they’re not.  We underestimate the people around us, as well as our own abilities…or, sadly, we just accept these misperceptions, because it’s easier than trying to test them.

Leaders at all levels who recognize the need for change need to go for it!!  If the need is compelling, don’t just let it go; take the risk to speak up!  Begin to make the case, have discussions with your team and your peers; get others in the boat with you!  If you’re seeing something “new,” it could be the exact thing that’s needed to take your company to a new level!

With a proactive approach (if you’ll empower yourself or one of your employees!), you can clearly demonstrate your value as a leader.  You can leverage your strengths, as well as the strengths of your team.  A fresh, creative approach is often what’s needed to launch a huge success.  As Albert Einstein once pointed out, “insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.”

Build Your Replacement

During Mary Poppins’ time with the Banks family, she does an excellent job of sharing wisdom and encouraging each member of the family to leverage that wisdom in their own role.  In doing so, each one of them gains confidence, shifts perspective and begins to take on more responsibility.  In essence, they learn and grow.  So much, in fact, that in the end, they decide that they no longer need a nanny to handle the issues that have been solved or the tasks that they can now effectively manage on their own.

Mary, like a great leader, thought about the succession plan.  She thoughtfully considered who needed to grow in what areas and she worked to help develop them.  After building into them, she effectively replaced herself, knowing she would need to move on to another family in need.

Carl Rogers, an influential psychologist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee said this about leaders…

The most effective leader is one who can create the conditions by which he will actually lose his leadership.

Leaders, one of your most important jobs is to bring out the best in everyone around you.  It will positively impact the organization and each person individually.  You should be constantly looking for new ways to challenge your team and to help them grow and succeed.  Have regular discussions about strengths and how you can most effectively deploy each person and stretch them in areas they’ll enjoy most.  In time, you’ll have the best succession plan with a seamless implementation!

What can you do to insert a little more Mary Poppins into your organization?  How can you think differently or encourage others to do so?  If you follow her approach, the result could be as she is – “Practically Perfect,” as the song goes!!!

Erin Schreyer is President of Sagestone Partners, a firm specializing in Leadership and Talent Management.  Erin is a certified Coach, as well as a certified Strengths Trainer.  Her focus is on helping leaders – even great ones! – maximize the impact they have on their people, as well as their business results.  For more information, visit www.sagestone-partners.com or reach out to Erin directly at eschreyer@sagestone-partners.com

Ten Treasures to Take Away from 2009

As 2009 comes to a close, many people find themselves pondering the events of the year.  The economy (and its negative ripple effect) certainly proved challenging for all of us.  As always, though, it’s never all bad.  There were positive highlights, a-ha moments and wonderful surprises too!  These are some of my greatest treasures of 2009…and the lessons I’ll take with me into 2010 and the years to come.

Have a Plan.  Be Intentional.

If I had to choose a favorite word for the year, “intentional” is it!  More than ever, this year I was intentional about writing a plan and intentionally going after it!  There is something powerful that happens when you put something in writing – it somehow forces more commitment.  Keeping those commitments top of mind (by having certain items posted in front of me!) motivated me to be more intentional with every action and word.  The result?  Exceeding the goals I had set for myself this year!

Having a vision and strategy are the critical beginnings of your plan.  You must have something to aim for, or you’re likely to remain in the world of status quo….or worse.  It’s still a tough economy out there, and it requires innovation, creativity and the best of what YOU can bring to the table.  Think about what you can do and how you can accomplish it.  Put your plans in writing, and be intentional about accomplishing them.

The Power of Identifying Strengths and Leading with Them

Late last year, with the help of StrengthsFinder 2.0, I identified my strengths, and as Marcus Buckingham suggests, I put them to work!  It’s not that I learned something totally new about myself, but I did find it helpful to confirm and even re-affirm what I thought.  In many ways, it was a confidence-builder that challenged me to push myself further by leading with those strengths. 

I also discovered that natural strengths come fairly easy to you, but as such, you may not fully recognize them (because the assumption is that they come easily to everyone else too.)  These typically are the “gifts” that most other people notice about you, and these are likely your best strengths.

It’s critically important to identify your strengths.  Also ask what others’ perceptions are about your strengths – you may learn something about yourself!  They key here is self-awareness, and it’s a necessary component of great leadership.  You must know your own strengths, weaknesses, passions and values to build the best teams (and you should know theirs too!)

Twitter – An Education and a Community-Builder

 

One of the greatest surprises for me in 2009 was Twitter.  What started as an “experiment” mostly driven out of curiosity, turned into one of the most impactful decisions I made this year.  It sounds hard to believe, I know.  I still can’t believe it either…but it’s true.

My strategy (yes, having a social media strategy is critical!) was two-fold: 1) Go beyond the Greater Cincinnati market to include experts, innovators and mentors in my inner circle of influence; and 2) Be intentional with communication that would be helpful, impactful and inspiring to those that follow me.

This strategy enabled Twitter to be become a powerful tool for me.  Not only have I had the privilege of learning from experts that I wouldn’t otherwise interact with, but I have also met some amazing people and formed communities around particular interests.  The interactions are personal, collaborative and useful in numerous ways…and they help me to be a better, more impactful person.

Lead Change Group….and LeaderPalooza (a sneak-preview into 2010!)

One community, which has a presence on both Twitter and LinkedIn is the Lead Change Group, led by Mike Henry.  The group is focused on character-based leadership, and Mike (who I met via Twitter) and I have become friends and encouragers of one another, based on our shared leadership interest.

What started as a few tweets in early spring has turned into real collaboration, powerful idea-generation and mutual support.  Together, along with what could be quite a large gathering of leaders, Lead Change group is creating a leadership conference (LeaderPalooza) that’s being cast as “Not Your Mama’s Leadership Conference” in February of 2010.  There, attendees will be leveraging an Open Source format to create impactful content, ideas and deliverables, driven by a passion for character-based leadership.

Lead Change group is a virtual community.  Mike and I, although we talk fairly regularly, have never met in person.  Many leaders and practitioners who I’ve come to appreciate through this group have impressed me through phone conversations, blog articles, webinars and more….but we’ve never met in person.  The energy has been building, and LeaderPalooza is going to be the unleashing of all these people coming together for the first time.  Great things are going to result from this…

The Value of Blogging

The combination of creating and sharing relevant information is what blogging is all about.  This, too, was another valuable and extremely impactful lesson this year.  Not only did I start blogging (which is great practice for the book that I hope to write someday…) but I also identified several blogs that I read on a regular basis.  These blogs are written by experts in their respective fields, and they share valuable insights, experiences and statistics that I learn from every day. 

I read once that if a leader ever stops learning, then he/she should stop leading.  Blogs, written by informed and educated leaders, are one additional way I continue to feed my intellect.  I hope that what I write and share is valuable to my readers as well!

Authentic Leadership in Cincinnati

This group, started on LinkedIn, has proven to me that there’s a real thirst for great leadership that is focused on positively impacting people, as well as results.  Authentic Leadership in Cincinnati was launched in late-Summer, and today there are more than 250 group members!

Authentic Leadership was born out of a call to action I heard at church over the summer.  The speaker encouraged everyone to take action – don’t just talk about making an impact on your community – DO it!!  I didn’t sleep well that night, and the very next day, I wrote the vision and mission for this group that would attract business professionals who would embrace character-based leadership to make a difference.  The revolution began this summer…

With the help of an inspiring and highly-successful Board of Directors, Authentic Leadership in Cincinnati has had regular interaction on LinkedIn.  We’ve hosted two well-attended and highly-rated in-person events this year, and we’ve only just begun!!  The Board has some amazing ideas and plans to implement in 2010, and as the programming continues, Cincinnati will be able to demonstrate the powerful impact of leaders helping people reach their potential.

Lunch with John Maxwell

It’s not often that I’m “star-struck,” but I have to admit, I was more than honored to be extended an invitation to have lunch with John Maxwell.  John is, in my opinion, a prolific author and speaker, and one of the leadership experts after whom I model my own approach.

During lunch, John was kind enough to openly answer questions and share his experiences with an intimate group of people.  Many of his words continue to resonate and inspire me, and his direct communication provided encouragement to move forward with my purpose.  Every day, I find hope knowing that, like him, I am working to further develop and empower leaders from a perspective that’s rooted in Bible.  Keep it up, John!  I’m grateful to have your example as a guide!

Surround Yourself with Good People

What a true blessing it’s been for me to be surrounded by friends, family, people willing to collaborate as well as those willing to hold me accountable and with proper perspective.  This, I believe, is a necessary component of success for several reasons.

Perspective can be easily lost in day-to-day activities and challenges.  I’ve been so fortunate to have good people to remind me of where I ‘really’ am and to provide alternative perspectives when I may not have seen other options.  (Knowing this, I have been intentional to surround myself with smart people!)

The other great advantage is a sounding board.  My own personal “Board of Advisors” includes people who know me well, speak the truth with love and have strengths where I may have weaknesses.  Their advice has helped me to grow, learn and avoid mistakes I may not have even known I could have made.  For all these wonderful people, and their willingness to be helpful to me, I am eternally grateful.

With Risk, Comes Reward

As a stereotypical “type A” personality, I have always thrived on a good challenge…and I really enjoy exceeding expectations whenever I can!!  But taking on a good challenge is still different than taking on a risk.

In 2008, I thought I would be able to successfully launch a new company.  2009 is really where I had to prove it, though…and in a really tough economy.  Some called this a very risky thing to do, since I left a stable job with a wonderful company to launch Sagestone Partners.  I always looked at it as a “calculated risk,” and I tried to include everything in the plan to ensure that the company would take an upward trajectory…but, of course, I don’t know everything, nor can I predict the future…so, yes, there was a risk. 

As I was researching my decision, one consistent piece of advice and encouragement I received from many other CEOs was that, in fact, THEY didn’t know everything, either.  They knew what they needed to know, and they knew where to get help and support for the rest (see the point above on surrounding yourself with good people!)

So, ultimately, I took a risk, but 2009 has been a tremendously rewarding year!  I have learned more than ever.  I have met wonderful new people from networking in person and via social media.  I have better balanced my personal and professional life.  I have been blessed to see a positive impact I’ve been able to have on clients.  I was honored with an amazing award for women business leaders.  And more than anything, I’ve grown my faith…

You Must Believe

I saved this one as my last point, because it’s most meaningful, and I also hope it has a resonating effect with readers.  Every person will eventually crush under pressure without a strong belief system.  That systems needs to include three things:

Belief in yourself, that you were uniquely created for a purpose that only you were intended to do.

Belief in the people around you, that you’ve surrounded yourself with the right people who can be trusted and relied upon to celebrate the good times, comfort you in the bad times, and steer you in the directions that help you to reach your potential.

Belief in something bigger than all of us, that provides greater hope than people can generate.

 These are the things that I cherish from this year; things that will stay with me forever.  What resonated with you?  What unique experiences or lessons will you take from this year?  How can you use this information to make 2010 even better?  I’d love to hear from you – please leave a comment!

Erin Schreyer is President of Sagestone Partners, LLC.  She is passionate about leadership and helping people and companies to reach their greatest potential.  Please visit www.sagestone-partners.com for more information.

Be the Best You, To Be the Best Leader

Being a great leader takes a tremendous amount of energy, creativity, strategy, empathy and stamina these days.  Leaders are givers – giving to their organization, teams, community, and when the workday is over, finally their family.  WHEW!  That’s a lot on anyone’s plate!  And that’s precisely why, as a leader, you need to be sure to put some focus on yourself too!

As a leader, you are outward focused – serving others –but you can only give your best when you have your best to give.  As such, it’s important to take “ME” time and consider five key elements that can help you be most productive leader.  Not only will you directly benefit, but everyone around you will as well.

Develop High Self-Awareness.

Leaders should become highly self-ware of their value system.  Ask yourself – What’s important to you and what do you value?  What “feeds” you and re-charges your battery and spirit?  What are you most passionate about?  What motivates you?  These are all critical, but important, questions that help you discover the passion, purpose and style of your leadership.  Knowing the answers to these questions helps you to stay motivated and on course with everything you say and do as a leader.  This advice comes from Bill George, author of True North, who further states,

“But knowing ourselves at the deepest level isn’t easy, as we are complex human beings with many aspects to our character.  We are constantly evolving, as we test ourselves in the world, are influenced by it, and adapt to our environment – all in an attempt to find our unique place.”

It may seem as if we should all simply know our values, but as George points out, they are ever-changing as a result of life experiences.  For this reason, leaders who regularly work with coaches may have an advantage since heightening awareness is a critical component of a coach’s job.  With proper training, coaches can use of a variety of assessments and can ask powerful questions to help clients achieve a deeper understanding.  This information helps leaders to better understand their values and priorities, which then can shape their motives and actions.

Spend Time with People Who Build Into You.

Again, this one seems obvious, but the reality is that when our calendars get jam-packed, it’s the people in our inner circles that often suffer the greatest consequences.  Why?  Because we know they love and value us, so they can be ‘pushed off’ a bit without losing the credibility that newer people in our lives still need time to discover. 

Consider, though, how beneficial it is to spend quality time with your family; to be surrounded with people who adore you – faults and all (yes, they’ve seen them!)  Consider how a professional peer group of leaders provides a solid sounding board of advice and re-direction, without judgment or bias to other organizational factors.  Consider how your long-time friends can take a walk with you down memory lane and remind you of how wonderful your life really is -oh, what healthy perspective that can be! . (And let’s not forget how stress-relieving a good, hard laugh can be, either!)

Always Learn, Always Improve.

As the great poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Life is a journey, not a destination.”  For all of us, that means that the learning process should never stop…because there is always room to grow.  Leaders should remain humble and open-minded to receive good advice, new perspectives and the latest industry trends.

This is an age of innovation, where things can change quickly.  With an open mind, you can consider how to best leverage new technologies and creative, never-been-done-before approaches.  The most memorable leaders aren’t the ones who followed the path of the leader before them.  The greatest leaders thought outside of the box and implemented approaches that blazed new trails.  They couldn’t have done this without an open mind and a willingness to learn from others.  Leaders must embrace change, and they must continually learn to keep up with it!

Be Healthy.

With all the challenges on leaders’ plates – the economy, keeping their teams motivated, the impending talent war, increasing sales and the bottom line – there’s virtually NO downtown.  Leaders are constantly balancing proactive and reactive, and that means their leadership is in high demand!

Leaders, if you’re not in good shape, you’re going to feel it!!  These are stressful times, and they require stamina.  Are you not only mentally, but physically able to deal with it?  Do you eat right, exercise and get enough sleep?  I’m not suggesting that every leader go on a diet and/or become a weight-lifter…but I am suggesting that you give your body the proper fuel to best prepare you for each day.

In a recent study, the British Medical Journal found that chronic stress has been linked to the development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as other conditions.  Know that these risk factors are real and that you must work to counteract them.  The article can be found here.

Have Faith.

Every leader will need to embrace some level of risk.  Because leaders create vision and strategy, they are future-focused, looking forward, making improvements they believe will improve their people and their business results.  I, for one, cannot predict the future…can you?  This is where faith can be immensely helpful to a leader.

By having a faith in something much larger than themselves, leaders can incorporate their value system into their strategy and have a higher level of confidence (and lower stress!) that they will attain the desired results.  By having faith in their people, leaders can more highly engage their team and be able to “let go,” not having the need to touch every plan and decision.  By having faith in themselves, leaders can exude confidence, motivate their people and be willing to make difficult decisions.  As stated by Dr. Laura Nash, Ph.D. and Director of Harvard’s Divinity School,

“Faith not only helps a person see the ultimate values, it can provide the courage to pursue them when the market offers plenty of reason for fear.”

 

Take a moment and consider what you’re doing to take care of yourself.  Are you doing enough?  Are you able to give others your best?  What’s one thing you can improve upon to better serve those around you?

 Erin Schreyer is President of Sagestone Partners, LLC.  She is passionate about developing people and companies to achieve their greatest potential.  You can reach Erin at eschreyer@sagestone-partners.com or you can find additional information at www.sagestone-partners.com.

Leadership Lessons from a Century

 

"Female Cyclist" by Michael Lee

This weekend, I accomplished something I had never done before.  After months of training, I completed my first “century ride” – that’s 100 miles on a bike, for those that may not know the cycling terminology.  On one of the most beautiful days I can remember in Cincinnati, I spent more than six hours on my bike, riding next to my husband through rural towns north of Cincinnati.  It was both tiring and exhilarating!  During the hours that I pedaled, my mind wandered, as I thought of the many leadership analogies I could draw from this experience.

 Leaders Set “Stretch Goals”

 The best leaders are not happy with the status quo.  They look for ways to stretch themselves and their teams.  By pushing a little further, they know they can get the best out of everyone, including themselves.  Yes, sometimes this means taking on a bit of risk; going to places they’ve never gone before…but leaders know if they’re not moving forward, they’re stagnant.  John Maxwell said it best, “If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.”

 Prior to this weekend, the longest ride I had ever done was 65 miles.  Could I do 35 more miles?  That’s a big difference; a lot of miles, and I knew it would require more than I had ever given to this sport.  It was a risk to some extent.  I didn’t know if my body could handle the physical requirements.  I’ve had both back and knee trouble in the past, but I weighed the risk and made the decision to go for it!  I’ve always loved a good challenge – and a century would definitely provide a challenge!

 Leaders Create and Adhere to Strategic Plans

 A critical success factor of leadership is, of course, leading the team to the end goal.  Once a stretch goal has been set, leaders need to figure out the best way to achieve that goal.  They need to think creatively and strategically, and they need to keep everyone on track and focused on how to get there.  As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry states, “a goal without a plan is just a wish.”

 Once I made the decision to do a century ride, I turned to expert cyclists and experienced centurions for advice on training plans, supplements and tips for success.  I drew up a plan, marked dates and mileage on my calendar and forced myself to adhere to it.  Life doesn’t always make it easy to follow a plan, and the many distractions of work, friends and other responsibilities sometimes made it quite difficult…but I knew I needed to follow the plan to accomplish this goal and to give it my all.

 Leaders Know How and When to Remain Steady

 We’ve all heard it before – “the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.”  Even with the best strategic plans, there’s always something that will come across a leader’s path to make them question the route they’re taking.  Unless there is a very compelling reason to change the plans, leaders have to maintain confidence and a strong backbone to follow-through on the plans that have been made.  They need to be able to discern between a bump in the road or a huge roadblock that requires redirection.

 During the course of the bike ride, there were several bumps in the road – a pothole here, a tree root there, or perhaps a squirrel scurrying across the bike path.  Regardless, I had to remain focused and balanced on the bike to keep my pace and to not lose control (which can be tricky sometimes when you’re down on your handlebars and your feet are clipped in!!)  Not only that, but there was one point where the bike path had a large intersection of paths that continued in several directions.  We had to make a decision on which way to proceed.  Ultimately, we chose the path that would ensure the end goal – 100 miles –without question, could be attained.

 Leaders Remain Focused When Times are Tough

 There’s an old saying, “Champions don’t become champions in the ring.  They are merely recognized there.”  Essentially, it’s not the win that makes us champions; it’s the endurance, the training, the focus!  Every leader will face challenges and may feel discouraged; however, staying true to a good plan that incorporates the right elements will eventually bring the desired results.  Leaders must exercise the right combination of focus and patience to endure these low points.

 Likewise, I can tell you that miles 80-85 were tough for me.  I began to question myself, my strength, my endurance, even my training plan.  Did I do the right things?  Had I done enough?  Am I really prepared to finish this?  At mile 85, my body got a second wind and my spirit, as well, was lifted.  “I can do this!” I told myself…and I was grateful that I had stayed the course.  My patience and endurance had been rewarded with the return of a good rhythm that carried me through to the end.

 Leaders Find Ways to Motivate and Encourage

 While it’s important to stay focused and to be prepared for obstacles ahead, leaders know that they have to keep their team motivated and engaged along the way.  They encourage and reward the right behaviors displayed by their team.  They celebrate milestones and small successes along the way.  This positive reinforcement helps fuel the team for the larger goals that still lie ahead, and it also helps them to enjoy the ride along the way.

 For me, one of the motivators along the ride was the scenery, as we approached each new town in this rural part of northern Cincinnati that I had never seen.  I could easily imagine how these towns were bustling with activity along the former railway, which was now the bike path we were traveling.  There were beautiful, restored farm houses, quaint little communities and colorful fields of crops and flowers.  I couldn’t wait to go another mile ahead to see what awaited us in this beautiful countryside that looked so different from home.  It was, indeed, a reward for me to see the creative pictures nature would display.

 Leaders Know When to Lead and When to Empower Others

 The best leaders aren’t just leading; they’re building future leaders, and essentially creating their replacements.  They empower their teams, leverage their individual strengths and allow them to shine and gain credit to advance the team as a whole.  Author and Leadership expert, Sheila Murray Bethel writes “If leadership serves only the leader, it will fail.  Ego satisfaction, financial gain, and status can all be valuable tools for a leader, but if they become the only motivations, they will eventually destroy a leader. Only when service for a common good is the primary purpose are you truly leading.”  In other words, the benefit should be for the good of the team, and sometimes that means the leader may be a follower instead.

 This is an important lesson in cycling.  Although it may appear to be an individual sport, the truth is that it’s highly dependent upon the team as a whole.  The key to cycling success is knowing when to draft.  Cycling teams ride in a line, with the leader taking on the wind resistance for the team.  Those following the leader get the benefit of the aerodynamics and don’t have to work as hard.  Just before the leader has exhausted himself, he pulls out of the lead spot and the next rider, who is more refreshed, takes the position for his team.  I experienced the benefit of this when following behind my husband, and I admit that I was grateful to take the ‘back seat’! (I’m pretty sure he was happy to help me accomplish my feat as well!!)

 Leaders Create Peer Groups

 Just as the power of drafting shows the benefit of a team, leaders should identify individuals and peer groups where they can go for support.  Sometimes, leaders need a sounding board and a group of trusted advisors outside of their own organization.  These ‘peer groups’ can foster brainstorming, creative problem-solving or simply provide encouragement during a difficult time.  The resulting camaraderie can help leaders to stay fresh and positive for their teams.

 At first I was giggling at myself when I made the decision to bring my Blackberry along for my ride.  I did it primarily to bring along my community of Twitter friends; thinking it might be fun to share my experience, and knowing that I am blessed with a group of supportive friends there.  As it turns out, I tweeted about four times during the ride.  Each time I picked up my Blackberry to send the latest update, I was amazed and overwhelmed by the outpouring of supportive tweets purposefully crafted to energize me in my endeavor.  I literally felt as if I had a cheering section full of people who believed in me.  For this peer group, in particular, I am profoundly grateful.  The fuel was effective, indeed!

 Leaders Celebrate the Win!

 At the end of a long project, there is nothing that caps it off better than celebrating the win!  Leaders focus on the positive efforts and events that got them to a successful completion.  They celebrate the achievement with their team, and they give credit where credit is due.  Of course, there may be things that could be improved for the next project, but a positive leader will focus on what went well and encourage those behaviors.  They end the project by praising and rewarding the efforts – celebrating the victory! 

 As I neared the finish line of my event, I had a huge surge of adrenaline that pushed me over the line with one final sprint – a strong finish! (WOO HOO!!)  Within seconds I was giving thanks and praise for a healthy body, a supportive husband and friends, and a picture-perfect day for our ride!  We packed up our gear, drove home to our family and celebrated the accomplishment together…with hugs, kisses and chocolate mousse cake to top it all off!!  What a fine way to end the day and my first century ride (and yes…I will be doing another!!)

 Leaders – how are you stretching yourselves and your teams?  What are some of your strategies for success?  I encourage you to share your stories here to inspire others!

 Erin Schreyer is President of Sagestone Partners, LLC.  She is passionate about helping people and organizations achieve success and become their best.  You can find more information at http://www.sagestone-partners.com.

Try These On – They’re Always in Style!

It’s officially Back-To-School time!!  One of my chilren has already started, and the second one goes next week for her Preschool debut!

 Of course, every retailer has great sales right now, so their advertisements are everywhere.  This has my daughter looking, and for the first time (at the tender age of three,) caring about what she wears!!  Not only does she want to be in style, but for her, the word “style” means dresses only!  That is, after all, what ‘princesses’ wear!!

 As I’ve been out shopping, I’ve seen lots of cool new trends, fashions that I can’t believe are trends, and trends that went ‘out’ and have come back again!  I caught myself thinking, I just wish things some things would stay in style forever – It would be so much easier!!

 Then I got to wondering…what are some things that stand the test of time?  What are the true “classics” – the things that never go out of style, regardless of the current trends? 

I came up with four things that I think are relevant:

 Good Leadership

There are thousands upon thousands of great examples throughout history, where solid leadership has gotten us through difficult times, encouraged us to believe in something bigger and better, or pulled us together with a motivating mission.  The need for great leaders will always transcend time, because, regardless of any other external factors, people will always need hope…and either they’ll follow a leader who provides a vision for hope; or they’ll create the vision themselves, become a leader and build that hope into others.  With integrity and an outward focus, good leadership will provide a sound strategy to solve a problem or to improve a situation – ultimately, to deliver hope.

 John Maxwell, a leadership icon with whom I had the great honor to share lunch with recently, shared that he is often asked by leaders, “How can I make my place in the world?”  His response is simply this,

 “Every day, intentionally add value to the people around you.”

 This is the mark of true leadership – it’s all about delivering the ‘goods’ – the vision, strategy, improvement and hope.  We all need it, and it’s not going anywhere!

 Hospitality

This one may make me sound a little old-fashioned, and I’ll accept that perhaps I am…but I do believe that every human has an innate need to feel accepted by others.  Hospitality takes it one step further by making others feel not just accepted, but welcomed.

 I am reminded of a recent message at my church about “Loving Your Neighborhood.”  The teaching pastor walked us down memory lane to a time when the traditional architecture of most homes included a front porch.  The beauty wasn’t just in the design, but also in the way that it facilitated more neighborhood interaction and socialization.  People could see their neighbors sitting outside and, as a result, were often welcomed to come over for a chat.  It resulted in a closer community with deeper relationships – one that we probably need to work a little harder for today, now that our porches are typically in the back of our homes (in the form of a deck.)

 I am blessed by a particular neighbor and friend, Pam, who is “gifted” with her hospitality.  When new people move into our neighborhood, have a baby or are in times of need, Pam is always there in a flash….with freshly and beautifully prepared homemade meals.  She looks out for the women in the neighborhood who have traveling spouses, and she regularly asks about their travel calendars.  Within a day or two of “flying solo,” these women are often surprised with an invitation, along with their kids, to come share an evening with Pam and her family.

 Pam makes our neighborhood the best place I have ever lived.  Her hospitality makes everyone feel loved and welcomed – from the newborn baby she will gladly take off your tired arms, to extra help for the older neighbors with health issues.  She loves welcoming people to her home, knowing that she is helping and knowing that she can share a fantastic meal (something she can “whip up” that I couldn’t create with a cookbook in front of me!!) and a warm hug.  Everyone needs a Pam in their lives to make them feel welcomed, and everyone appreciates the feeling it brings to them.  Hospitality, and people like Pam, are indeed timeless treasures.

 Encouragement

This, too, is something I believe everyone needs.  We all crave our own personal cheerleader – someone who supports us, cheers us on and celebrates successes with us.  What can bring even greater impact is when someone, during those times of self-doubt, encourages us with, “you can do it!”  Think about the times when you have hesitated, not taken a risk or allowed those evil inner voices to bring you down.  Have you ever had someone who got you over that hump and encouraged you to forge ahead and reap the benefits of your efforts?  We all need someone like that, because it can make all the difference in who we become.  In Talent in Never Enough, John Maxwell writes,

  “Discouraged?  Don’t be, for the one thing that really matters, lasts forever – your friendships. 

Life is too long to spend it with people who pull you in the wrong direction.”

 For me, I am truly blessed to have a number of people who provide ecouragement for me.  My husband is my A-#1 fan (which is such a joy!)  I have a close circle of girlfriends, as well as an inner circle of professional friends in whom I trust and can confide.  I have church friends and Christian advisors who I can bounce ideas off of.  And new in 2009, I have a community of friends and fellow ‘leadership gurus’ on Twitter.  My Twitter friends are even able to articulate those messages of encouragement in 140 characters or less!  All of these things build into me and fuel me to keep moving forward every day, and I’m certain it’s not unique to me.  We all need to feel encouraged that we can do it – whatever “it” may be for us.

 Faith

I saved the best for last, because this is what fuels me the most, and because I believe it has the most power to shape your attitude.  Personally, I can’t be who I am, nor can I deal with life’s challenges without knowing there is someone way bigger and way more capable than me.  Faith can be extraordinarily powerful when you can hope and believe, just as vocalist Brandon Heath sings in “Wait and See”:

 There is hope for me yet
Because God won’t forget
All the plans he’s made for me
I have to wait and see
He’s not finished with me yet

 Pretty powerful and timeless.  This is, indeed, the greatest message of hope.  I sure am thankful that Faith will always be in style!!

 What things or people do you depend on to make a difference in your life?  What are the constants that you rely on?  Share your stories here, and inspire someone today!!  Inspiration is always in style too, you know!! 

 Erin Schreyer is the President of Sagestone Partners, LLC.  She is passionate about Leadership and about helping people reach their greatest potential.  You can find additional information at www.sagestone-partners.com.