Engagement: The Jean Luc--Picard Way!

Many would remember the character Jean-Luc Picard played by Patrick Stewart from the popular television show, "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

Picard was that self-assured, confident and reliable 24th Century Starfleet captain who guided his crew of the USS Enterprise across the endless reaches of space basically moving from one adventure to the next.  Whether it was doing battle with Klingons or resisting the Borg, Picard could always be counted on to be that fearless leader who his team could rely on.

I loved the show a lot and was really drawn to the cast of compelling characters from Data the android to first officer William Riker.  The occasional Whoopi Goldberg sighting was quite enjoyable as well. Overall, all the characters were great but by far, Jean-Luc was always the most appealing one to me.

He had a confidence and assertiveness to him that came across loud and clear and there was never a doubt that he was unsure or uncertain of what he was saying or what he wanted from others.  For example, look at the signature phrase he used to order for the Enterprise to blast off onto the next mission.  

It merely consisted of one word, "Engage!" 

That's it! No extended speech, no rant or no diatribe.

But the best part about it was that the entire crew got it and knew what exactly needed to be done.

The irony with Picard's one word command and hand gesture is that the actual process of engagement between leaders, coaches or star fleet captains is that it goes beyond just saying one word.


Effective leaders recognize that a key component of a healthy thriving organization is a well thought out and even better executed engagement strategy.  They also know that a foundational piece of a sustainable engagement is the strength of our relationships with others that include trust, respect and transparency.

So bearing that in mind, here are a few suggestions on some great ways leaders can engage those around them:

• Play your position - Allowing team members do or be a part of things they enjoy will increase the likelihood of maintaining their level of interest and connection to the organization;

• Stick to the clipboard - Clear messages that don't contradict previous directions will help ensure that you can be followed and your destination is clear;  

• High five - Appropriate recognition or praise tells others that their efforts are appreciated and valued;

• Keep the scoreboard running - Ideally any person on the team or in the organization should be able to clearly articulate where the organization is going; 

• Step up your game - Be supportive of team member's individual growth development;

• Be a point guard - Empower others so they can freely make their own decisions, this will likely increase their accountability because they have ownership of the decisions made.
  

If the organization or culture demonstrates that it cares about its followers then they'll be more apt to do things like stay late to finish a project, put in extra practice time to improve their game or stand up to the Borg for the sake of the universe.

So my messages to leaders and coaches is quite simple: Make It So!

See you on the court! Follow me on Twitter @TheAudman
 

ACTIVATE Youth Leadership Conference

This past week I had the honor and privilege of conducting a leadership development seminar to a group of volunteer leaders that were delegates of the ACTIVATE Youth Leadership Forum. 

ACTIVATE is a national youth leadership program that aims to inspire and support the youth-led development and delivery of sport and active recreational programs in communities across Canada, while facilitating youth engagement and leadership in the process.

The program takes an innovative approach to fulfilling Motivate Canada’s Youth-Driven Development framework by creating a constantly expanding network of youth leaders that can spread their knowledge and empowerment to other youth.  I found the group to be personally inspiring and I immensely enjoyed my time hearing about the programs and ideas they were looking at instituting in their respective communities all across Ontario. 

 ACTIVATE Ontario 2012 Conference 

Given the nature of the program and the magnitude of the initiatives they were about to undertake, I felt that the topic of CHANGE was an appropriate one to discuss with the group.  Since leaders are the ones who help drive change, it only made sense that we broke down its six key components and discuss some of the things they could do as leaders to support the change process. 

They were a wonderful group to present to with a lot of good energy but more importantly, they all were highly motivated to give back to their communities through the development of programs and projects that would have an impact and make a difference on the next generation of leaders after them.

As they individually shared what they intended on doing when they returned to their respective homes, I couldn't help but be in awe of what I was listening to.  Their drive, sense of responsibility and passion for wanting to bring about change brought a sense of comfort over me on the drive back home.  Knowing that these youth would be the next wave of leaders responsible for moving our society forward left me feeling excited about what the future has in store.

Congratulations to all of you! 

See you on the court! 

 
Follow me on Twitter @TheAudman 

7 Reasons Why Exceptional Leaders Are Like Smart Phones!

If you've ever had to look for a new cell phone in the last little while then you could probably attest to the fact that there's no shortage of choices, features and options at our disposal.  Before you even determine what you're looking for, you've got to decide if you're in the market for a conventional cell phone or go the smart phone route.

Within each of those options, there's a bevy of styles and colours for you to choose from.  At the end of day, both phones perform the same basic function of making and receiving calls, however the additional options the smart phone offers makes it much more attractive and is considered the better of the two.  (This of course depends on who you speak with and what preferences they value.)

Smart phones offers a multitude of features and uses that go beyond just talking to people.  The ability to access the internet through any available wi-fi signal and download applications (or apps) broaden your horizon and make the experience of owning a smart phone much more practical.  For example,  you can use UrbanSpoon to help you decide what restaurant to go to, Tripit Travel Organizer to look after your travel plans or download WeatherBug to stay up on the latest weather forecasts plus so much more.

Owning a smart phone is the equivalent of having a mini computer in your back pocket.

So here's where the leadership comparison comes in.

As I see it, anyone can pretty much step into the role of leader and "do the job".  They might even able to produce results and even get others to follow them too.  That to me is a pretty basic function and is the equivalent to dialing out and making a telephone call.

An exceptional leader is much more like a smart phone.  They have a positive impact on the people around them and offer lots of options to make things easier to get the job done - they go beyond just making a simple call.  Their emphasis as a leader is more on "how" part of what they do instead of the "what" part.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Here are seven things exceptional leaders do to make themselves more like smart phones:

Communicate Instead of Direct
We too often forget that communication is a two sided street and listening is a big part of what makes the whole thing work. Exceptional leaders don't make a living barking directions or telling people what to do, they obtain information and understanding by listening and learning from the people around them.  Communication shouldn't be viewed as an extra task, it should be considered to be a necessary function.

Collaborate Instead of Control
Collaboration can best be described as a group of people coming together to achieve something collectively that they couldn't do individually.  Exceptional leaders recognize that the key to effective team work is giving people an opportunity to contribute their unique skills for the greater good of the team.


Proactive Instead of Reactive
The exceptional leader is always thinking three steps ahead. Working to master his/her own environment with the goal of avoiding problems before they arise. A reactive approach is dealing with fires as they happen while a proactive approach prevents them from occurring. 

Inspires Confidence Instead of Being Unsure
It was the 6th president of the United States, John Quincy Adams who once said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." The starting point in being able to do this is understanding that it's impossible to inspire others to do anything if you're not confident yourself. To put it bluntly, if you're not doing anything that inspires those around, then you're not doing your job as a leader. 

Open Minded Instead of Opinionated
It's not outside of the realm of possibility for one to be open minded and opinionated at the exact same time.  People who open-minded are willing to listen to and consider the another person's point of view but still can be very opinionated on certain matters.  The key is that there has to be a willingness to let go of their own bias opinions and viewpoints.  Otherwise opinionated leaders risk not progressing themselves or their people. 

Empowers Instead of Delegates  
Empowering others requires much more effort, energy and time for exceptional leaders however, the end result in the long run leads to a more effective and productive group of followers that feel trusted.  By empowering their people, exceptional leaders are displaying both faith and confidence while constant delegation sends a clear message that they may not exist. 

Inclusive Instead of Egocentric
Being an exceptional leader solely can't be about yourself and your hopes, wishes and desires.  Including others in the decision making process where at all possible helps to strengthen the relationship and build cohesion with those around you.  When its all said and done, people want to know that they're thoughts and feelings were taken into consideration and not left out of the equation whether purposely or not.


__________________

The Main Po!nt
It's not impossible to lead people by taking the old traditional approach of leadership of direct and command and still get results however, the exceptional leaders who stand out are the ones that offer more, give more and continually ask of themselves, do I want to make a difference or am I content with just making a call?



See you on the court!

Follow me on Twitter @TheAudman

Building Future Leaders Starting With My Own!

As I was thinking through this blog post and laying out how I wanted it to look, the popular expression "charity begins at home" immediately came to mind.  It's one of those practical truthful phrases that just makes sense and no matter how long its been around and I thought it was an appropriate fit given the topic.

As a parent, I feel that one of my main responsibilities is to create positive memories that my children can fondly reflect back on when they become adults.  Much of our learnings and behaviour can be traced back to our childhood so starting with a firm foundation is a great first step to leading a life full of greatness.  In addition, I also feel parents should be equipping their children with the necessary skills needed to be the personal leaders they're capable of being.

It's my sincere desire, hope and wish that my own children are able to use their innate talents and abilities to positively impact other people as a way of making their personal imprint on society.  Through the process, they're not only demonstrating leadership skills but also taking one step closer to their serving their individual purpose.

I take the job of a parent very seriously and that's one of the main reasons why I wrote my motivational quote book, "Gifts From Others".  I wanted to give Vanessa, Jahleesa and AJ something tangible with substance that can provide some form of guidance as they continue to grow and develop into the personal leaders they're individually destined to be.

To that end, I thought I'd pass along 11 quick important points in no particular order that I'd like my children and other future leaders to bear in mind as they embark on the journey of life:
 
1. Treat People With Respect & Dignity
Your ability to progress in life has a lot to do with how you treat others and the respect you show towards them, you're setting yourself up to reach new heights when you do and say the things that demonstrate both respect and dignity to those around you.  We all want to be treated this way and made to feel that we're valuable and of importance so extend to others and you'll see the returns.

2. Don't Forget The Sandbox Lessons
We were taught the importance of playing in the sandbox as kids but for whatever reason, we grew into adults and those skills got lost along the way.  Because our lives weren't meant to be lived in isolation, the ability to work cooperatively with others is an valuable skill to have.  Our minds will never be big enough to hold all the answers so somewhere along the road we're going to have to look to others for help through an obstacle or problem.

3. Give To Get 
The law of reciprocity says that every single action has an equal and opposite reaction. Smile at another person, and they'll most likely smile back at you. Be critical of others and they'll most likely have something negative to say about you.  Much of what we get from life is based on what we give to others but let's bear in mind that this only happens if we do so from a place of genuineness and sincerity and not because we want something in return.
  
4. Be Positive
A positive attitude is contagious and enough can't be said about the importance of maintaining a happy outlook on life for yourself and others.  A point that's oftentimes overlooked is that people tend to like being around others who help make them feel good about themselves and positively influence the enviornment. So while everyone has bad days, do everything in your power to limit those days to moments.

5. Keep Your Word
Establishing a reputation as someone who keeps their word will get you much further ahead in life then someone who is unreliable and untrustworthy.  Through the process, you'll also develop an attitude of accountability where you'll accept 100% responsibility for your actions, keep your promises and mean the things you say instead of pointing fingers, laying blame or falsely accusing others.  The quickest way to have people lose their faith in you is to demonstrate a lack of accountability for your own actions.  Remember, we don't only look to leaders for answers, they also turn to them for inspiration and support.


6. Eyes Wide Open
No matter how much insight and knowledge we amass, there's always more to be learned about ourselves and the people around us.  Life is always offering tons of learning opportunities and it's our job to be ready for the lesson when it comes our way even during our perceived mistakes and failures.  You see, the only time we truly make a mistake or fail is when we walk away from an experience without learning the lesson.

7. The Power of a Good Deed
I'm a firm believer that the true measure of success is tied into the number of people we're able to positively impact over the course of our lifetime. As a result, I would encourage you to never take for granted or underestimate how much of a difference our actions can have on others.  As the saying goes, even a single candle can light an entire dark room.

8. Be Truthful & Honest With Yourself
The importance of being truthful and honest to yourself can't be overstated because if you're unable to be truthful and honest with yourself, how can you possibly expect to do so with others?

9. Take Others Along For The Ride
Having a general idea which direction you want to go in life is important but the journey takes on an entirely new meaning when you can take others along for the ride with you.  The psychology behind it is that by helping to create positive experiences for others in the present, you're also contributing to their future outlook where its only natural to expect the best from life.  These positive expectations can lead to a healthy state of mind that makes the ride that much more enjoyable for all.


10. Be Satisfied With Your Efforts
I've always felt that it's far more important to tie our happiness and satisfaction into our level of effort as opposed to the end result.  Unfortunately, the end result doesn't always come out in our favor and at the end of the day we have to know that we tried our absolute best and be satisfied that we did as much as possible to achieve what we were after.  The results will come eventually and our level of satisfaction will serve as the bridge to keep us motivated to push ahead.


11. Find The Things That Bring You Joy and Stick By Them
This is very similar to the expression that reminds us to do the things we love and we'll never have to feel like we're working ever again.  Take the time to figure out the things that drives you to stay up late at night, motivates you to see a task through to its completion and excites to the point that its always on your mind.  Once you figured what they are, keep them close by your side at all times.  They'll serve as a reminder of the great things life has to offer and help build up your resiliency particularly when things don't go your way.



See you on the court!


Follow me on Twitter @TheAudman

Janet King of Kids Now

Kids Now is a youth mentoring organization based out of Toronto that equips youth with essential life-success skills that enable them to make positive choices, increase their self-awareness, confidence and communication skills. With the right skills and dedicated mentors youth have the power to reach their full potential.

Created by a Canadian educator, Janet King, who saw a need to complement the existing school curriculum with life skills development, kids.now has a proud tradition of helping youth, their families and communities.  Since 1999, kids.now has empowered more than 11,000 youth across Canada, in more than 1,000 free after school in-school group mentoring programs.  Mentoring-based programs like kids.now are widely recognized as contributing to strong, safe and healthy communities.

Janet joins HCL Radio to discuss the program and the impact that its had on today's youth.

Kids Now is aimed at grades 7 and 8, the ideal window of opportunity to teach youth key life skills they need NOW, before problems start to arise, to avoid dropping out of high school or getting into trouble and endangering their future income and employability.

As a past volunteer of the program, I recognize its value and impact on our young people which is why I'm donating a portion of the proceeds raised from the sale of my latest book, "Gifts From Others" to Kids Now.

Click here for more information.

To learn more about the program or find out how you can become involved, please visit http://www.kidsnowcanada.org

HCL Radio - Where developing leaders is more then just a game!

See you on the court!


Follow me on Twitter @TheAudman

The Decision To Trust with Dr. Bob Hurley

When Frank Haith assumed the head coaching duties of the #2 ranked Missouri Tigers at the beginning of the 2011/2012 NCAA season, he knew he was inheriting a veteran team of seniors who had strong ties with previous head coach, Mike Anderson.


Haith also knew that Anderson's players viewed him more then just a head coach and he would have to do a fair amount of relationship building before they would buy into his system.

"I really believe in order to get to your players, you can't only communicate with them within that 94 feet," Haith said. "You've got to have time with them off the court where they get to know you so that trust is built up."

Trust has been Haith's approach right from the start and was a big factor that contributed to the Tigers going 9-0 to start the season.

The same can be said for leaders outside of the basketball court and I caught up with Dr.Bob Hurley to further explore the topic of trust.

Dr.Hurley is the author of "The Decision To Trust" and joins me on HCL Radio to discuss the significance of trust to leaders and the organizations they represent. We all know how important trust is a necessary ingredient to building successful organizations and winning basketball teams and as Bob points out,"you have to have trust to have a productive organization".


High trust organizations have what Bob calls "a chain of trust" where trust exists on all levels both internally and externally and the leaders who take the time to understand this are the ones who will find the most success.

Click this link to hear my conversation with Bob or listen via the media player below.

If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Bob Hurley and his work, please visit his website.

HCL Radio - Where developing leaders is more then just a game!

Listen to internet radio with HCL Radio on Blog Talk Radio

See you on the court!

7 Worthwhile Things I Learned From My Mentor

I'm a big fan of mentorship and I've spoken about it on numerous occasions. I've also had the privilege of interviewing real topic experts like Steve Farber and Don Yaeger.

I was most recently reminded about the importance of mentorship to my personal development when I had a long overdue telephone conversation with someone who had mentored to me.


Terry and I hadn't spoken in close to ten years from my days when I was employed with Service Canada, a department in the Canadian federal government. When we re-connected, it didn't take me very long to remember how much of an impact she had on my growth.

We chatted for over an hour and ended the conversation with a commitment of doing a better job of staying in touch with one another in the future. I immediately began reflecting on our relationship from the moment the phone beeped to signal the call was over.

It was through this thought process I discovered seven key things that made our relationship so worthwhile:

1) Not one sided

A typical mentoring arrangement involves a more experienced or knowledgeable person imparting insights and guidance to someone with less experience.

When Terry and I first met, I was fairly new to government and didn't know very much about bureaucracies or how to navigate through policies and procedures to get the work done.

She had several years of work experience under her belt and had pretty much seen it all before. I, on the other hand was quite comfortable when it came to technology and was always trying to develop systems to help us be more efficient.

This was an area that Terry wasn't as strong in and a way was immediately opened a way for us to learn from one another. I felt as if I was also making a positive contribution to the relationship and not just taking. It was mutually beneficial.

2) Anyone can be your mentor

A mentor doesn't have to be someone in a position of leadership or authority. They definitely have the potential of offering a good learning opportunity but that doesn't necessarily mean that it'll be the best.

While a boss, supervisor or manager can offer a meaningful experience we can gain knowledge or insights from virtually anyone we come in contact with as long as we're open to learning the lesson. This is why I absolutely love the expression,

"Always learn, learn all ways!"

3) Genuine Caring Leads to Authentic Kindness

I don't think its possible to have an effective mentoring relationship if there isn't some level of caring that exists. In my case, I knew right from the onset that Terry was genuinely interested in my well being and wanted the best for me. This was important to know because it allowed me to have complete trust and faith in whatever direction or guidance that came from her.

4) Recognize Greatness

At one point during our conversation, Terry said, "I saw so much potential in you and all I've ever wanted was for you to be a role model to others."

Because mentors have an objective view of things, it's far easier for them to see our individual greatness then for us to recognize it ourselves. Terry not only recognized what I was good at but she also put me in situations where I could maximize skills and build my confidence at the same time.

5) It's a relationship

Being in a mentor/mentee relationship is no different then any other relationship we have in our lives. In the beginning, you've got to commit the time to learn about the other person and understand their likes, dislikes, interests and desires before you can think about trying to help them.

When both sides have a better understanding of each another, the opportunities for growth and development increase. She took the time to understand me and knew how to best help me to succeed.

6) No Structure Needed
There's lots of companies that have structured mentorship programs that come complete with a detailed matching process, a prescribed meeting template and a roles and responsibilities agreement that both sides must adhere to.

While these programs can provide some amazing opportunities for learning and growth, they don't all have to be structured in that fashion. The most lasting mentoring relationships are the ones that have organically developed in the absence of a formalized structured program.

7) Pass it on
Terry eventually moved on to a new position and we stopped working together thus ending our "formal" relationship however we still remained in touch for a bit. I eventually went on to manage a program that gave me an opportunity to mentor more then two dozen young students that were brand new to government over a course of a three year period.

They were all really eager, keen and anxious and I saw a lot of myself in many of them. This compelled me to work hard on creating a positive work experience that supported their learning and development, empowered them to make decisions and offered different viewpoints to help increase their perspective and understanding.

I essentially gave to them what was given to me.

I'm still in contact with many of my past employees today and proud of their professional accomplishments and the type of individuals they've grown to become. I was truly honored this past summer when one of my past "mentees" asked me to MC her wedding.

Knowledge and insight are great things to have but even better when you give it to others. To grow as a leader, you must be prepared to take all of your learnings, lessons and experiences and pass them along to someone else.

In Closing...
Our actions or how we choose to live our lives can serve as mentors to others. In fact, I truly believe that the greatest lessons we learn in life comes from the people around us, thus making the role of the mentor that much more important.


If an opportunity presents itself and you have a chance to be that difference maker to someone else, I would encourage you to step up and embrace the role. Helping someone become better then what they were is a true leadership skill that can have lasting effects.

Thanks Terry!!

See you on the court!

If You Will Lead with Doug Moran

If You Will Lead is the title of Doug Moran's latest book and it uses the power of storytelling to teach leadership lessons. It combines bigger-than-life examples with everyday stories to help leaders apply these lessons to their own leadership challenges.


It's a practical guide that offers numerous resources and tools to help readers hone their skills and achieve their full potential and was listed on Inc. Magazine's list of top selling business books.

Doug visited HCL Radio for second time and we had a great chat about the importance of leaders having an awareness of themselves and his new book, "If You Will Lead"

As a starting point, Doug also provided four critical questions that every leader needs to consider:

1) Who am I , and what do I believe?
2) What do I want?
3) How will I attract and motivate others?
4) How will I earn and retain the privilege to lead?


Listen to my conversation with Doug by clicking below..

See you on the court!

Hard Court Lesson #13

It's All In The Follow Through

Being an effective shooter is a combination of good form, proper balance and a refined shooting technique. A picture perfect jump shot is like poetry in motion however, it means nothing if you don't follow through.

Generally, following through is a good thing because what we're essentially doing is putting actions to our words. So instead of being one of those people who say, "Yeah, I thought of that great idea, you can say I did it and implemented this great idea.

That's what following through is all about.



See you on the court!

Hard Court Lesson #10

For The Love of The Game

During the mid 90's, a San Francisco based advertising firm devised the very popular "I Love This Game" slogan for the NBA.

This four word campaign slogan proved to be very powerful as it drew a connection between the product (in this case NBA basketball) and people's passion for the game.

Using passion as a way of connecting with others can be very effective and is something that leaders can capitalize on to get the most out of those around them.

When we're passionate about what we're doing, we become better leaders because we tend to be more creative, productive and energetic.

For more on the power of passion, check out For The Love of The Game!



See you on the court!

Hard Court Lesson #8

It's Not About You

When you look at the job of a coach, it goes well beyond drawing up game winning plays.

A coach plays an important role in helping their players grow and develop to reach their full potential.

They do this by motivating, encouraging, guiding and supporting. So to new and old leaders, I encourage you to keep in mind that It's Not About You.


See you on the court!

Hard Court Lesson #1

During the winter of 1891, Dr. James Naismith of Springfield, Massachusetts invented the indoor game of basketball using a tattered old peach basket as a hoop.

It was created for the purpose of providing a preoccupation to a group of youth that could be played indoors and serve as an "athletic distraction".

When Naismith developed the game, it originally had 13 rules however, as the "athletic distraction" evolved, the tattered peach basket was replaced with an orange rim and the rule book that contained the13 rules grew as thick as an old Yellow Pages phone book.

In keeping with the spirit of the game’s origin (13 original rules), I thought it fitting to share 13 Specatcular Hard Court Leadership Lessons with you in the coming weeks starting with this post.

These lessons are meant to increase your awareness and broaden your understanding of what the act of leadership is all about.

The hope is that you'll see beyond the basketball references and look to see how these lessons can be practically applied in your own life.

My desire is that they'll serve as the foundation to help you become a more reliable and effective leader and move you from the bench into the starting line-up!

I'd appreciate it if you took the time to comment, feedback is both welcomed and encouraged.

Check out the video below for Hard Court Lesson #1

Thanks!

You Don't Need To Be A Point Guard To Be A Leader



See you on the court!

Figuring Out The Why

When it comes to our work, it's important to have a solid understanding about what we're doing but it's even more critical to have a grasp on why we're doing it.


Whether we choose to take on a cause, complete a task or perform a job duty, having a grasp on the concept of "Why" can help us be much more efficient and productive in our personal and professional lives.

On a deeper level, it also helps create a sense of commitment, identity and purpose.

Dave Ulrich is an influential voice in the field of HR. His professional focus has addressed questions on how organizations add value to customers and investors through both leadership and strategic human resource practices.

He joins HCL Radio along with his wife Wendy Ulrich, a licensed psychologist to discuss their latest book, "The Why of Work".

Click here to listen to Dave as he talks about leaders as meaning makers.

I asked Wendy about the importance of understanding the why of what we do and she provided an excellent illustration based on the famed author, therapist and holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl.

Click here to listen to Wendy.



Leaders play a key role in helping those following them understand their purpose and need to continually recognize that the "Why" can't be forgotten about!

HCL Radio - Where developing leaders is more than just a game.

See you on the court!

The Water Glass

Deciding to have a positive attitude is a choice we choose to make. Being a positive person can make a difference, not only to ourselves but to the people around us.

So the question is, what's in your glass?



Is it half full and rich with opportunities or half empty and in desperate need of replenishment?

Having an upbeat and positive attitude is one of the most significant things that leaders can do to influence and motivate the people around them.

The benefits of having and maintaining a positive attitude are many, it can inspire confidence which strengthens loyalty, provide hope during challenging times and serve as a way to motivate others to find solutions to problems.

All of these things are all possible because of The Power of Having a Positive Attitude.




See you on the court!

Follow To Lead

In our present age, a group that has been starting to get a bit more attention are followers.

There's so much attention paid to leaders that this very important group is overlooked and sometimes forgotten about.



This is rather remarkable considering that a leader that doesn't have any followers isn't much of a leader and to fixate on leaders at the expense of followers is to do so at our peril.

Meaning that followers have more power than people realize and their needs, concerns and fears should be paid attention to.

Barbara Kellerman is the author of the book Followership: How Followers Create Change and Change Leaders and is also a Lecturer in Public Leadership at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.



Barbara joins the next episode of HCL Radio to discuss this very important group and how they fit into the leadership equation.

As Barbara simply puts it, "You cannot teach people good leadership without simultaneously teaching them good followership."

Thanks for reading!

Putting People First

HCL Radio is pleased to welcome Tommy Spaulding to the program to talk about the power of authentic relationships.


Tommy is the president of Spaulding Companies, a national leadership development organization who's career is built on valuable, authentic relationships.

He teaches audiences how to achieve greater success through forming deeper, more authentic relationships with customers, employees and clients.

Click here to listen to Tommy's thoughts on authentic relationships

Connecting with others at a deep real level should be the goal of any leader looking to make a lasting impact with those around them.



Tommy believes that we can lead through the power of relationships and talks about how leaders can use love in the workforce.

HCL Radio - Where developing leaders is more than just a game.

Thanks for reading!