Ahh, the aroma of her cookies in the oven was extraordinary! I didn’t get to see my grandmother very often, but I remember her chocolate chip cookies as a highlight of our visits to her home. The whole place felt cozy and inviting, and I felt like a special guest as she finished the last batch of the old fashioned recipe and served them warm. What a lasting and delightful memory!

There are behaviors in leadership that elicit “good feelings,” like grandmother’s cookies. Is there a leader that you enjoy working for or with—just because you like the way you feel when you work together? Maybe it’s that you feel valued as a person; or, you feel respected. It could be that you share a similar sense of humor and it makes the day go well. It’s possible that you “click” for reasons you can’t explain. In any case, there are leaders who connect with people in ways that produce great working relationships as well as great bottom line results. As the American poet, Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Continue reading Grandmother’s Cookies

Back in the mid-1990s, the short lived television series called “My So-Called Life” dealt with teen life and important social issues of the day. The somewhat sarcastic title is so catchy because it captures the idea of meaninglessness and difficulty that so many teens experience. The show depicted the teen years as hard and full of struggle instead of light and fun. Some would consider this a pessimistic viewpoint; one that fosters a continued spiral downward towards a full-on nihilistic world view.

Unfortunately, many leaders today are caught in their “so-called leadership” as they are bombarded by a myriad of global and local challenges that appear impossible to overcome. Reality is negative, powerful, and seems to mockingly force a sense of hopelessness into businesses, organizations, and individuals. At this point, does good leadership even matter? What can be accomplished anyway? Ah, the uphill battle to keep doing what is right and good even when everything is seemingly falling apart. The fight is worth it, because the leader’s character and influence can motivate followers to choose a positive trajectory towards good outcomes. In diametric opposition is the leader enslaved by negativity and a “nothing matters anyway” attitude, leading to waste and destruction.

Turn “so-called leadership” into “such good leadership” by choosing a strategic approach to processing reality. First, the tried and true SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis (www.mindtools.com) is one tool to help leaders become aware of realities in order to formulate actions to navigate through the realities. However, good leadership is more than just understanding situations and plotting a course to something better. Therefore, after strategically assessing, leaders need to strategically possess the personal characteristics necessary to guide followers to best outcomes. So each leader should ask the question: What do I need to do to gain the knowledge, skills and attitude that will best facilitate these people, in this situation, at this time? Then, pursue those attributes.

This strategic approach to leadership produces better relationships, results, and return on investment. The key is to persevere even when it’s a rough road. You can succeed! As Babe Ruth said, “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”

Photo by familymwr. Dr. Renée N. Hale is founder and president of WellSpirit Consulting Group, Inc.—engaging organizations around the world to get well, stay well, and create positive futures. Visit www.wellspiritconsulting.com today. © 2011 Renée N. Hale