Blanchard LeaderChat

Join Dr. Vicki Halsey of The Ken Blanchard Companies for a live, online chat today at 10:05 a.m. Pacific Time.  Halsey, best-selling author and management consultant, will be answering questions immediately after her webinar on Managing and Developing People to Be Their Best.

To participate in the online discussion, stop by www.leaderchat.org  beginning at 10:05 a.m. Pacific Time. Try to arrive early because it may be crowded–over 1,200 people have registered for the event!

Instructions for Participating in the Online Chat

If you have a question that you would like to ask Dr. Halsey, just click on the COMMENTS link above.  Then post your question and push SUBMIT COMMENT.  Vicki will answer as many questions as possible during the 30-minute online Q&A.  (Be sure to press F5 to refresh your screen occasionally to see the latest responses.)

If you can’t stay for the entire 30-minute chat, but would like to see all of the questions and responses, you can always stop by later.  You can also click on the RSS FEED button in the right-hand column to receive updates automatically through email.

Today is the last day of Ken Blanchard’s Top Leader survey/contest on Twitter. Over 2,000 people have viewed tweets, or posted nominations at www.twitter.com/kenblanchard. 

On this final day, the role of the leader as coach seems to be the aspect of leadership to highlight.  In addition to inspirational, unsung, and visionary leaders, the leader as coach has been the fourth most popular nomination.

Nominees have ranged from sports coaches, like Tony Dungy, John Calipari, and Pete Carroll, to business coaches, like Marshall Goldsmith, Stephen Covey, and John Maxwell, and finally to life coaches like Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, and Tony Robbins.

What’s the one thing they all have in common?  They see something special in others, and they use a combination of encouragement and accountability to bring it to full development.  By setting high standards, providing direction and support as needed, and always believing in their people, these types of coaches help their clients and team members get to places they might not have been able to get to on their own.

Who are the people that have believed in you?  Who has held you to a higher standard of performance—and always believed in your ability to achieve it?  Let us know by posting your top coaching leader at www.twitter.com/kenblanchard  Remember to add @kenblanchard in the body of your tweet so you’ll be entered into tomorrow’s drawing for one of two gift baskets of Ken Blanchard books.

Survey/Contest Details

LeaderChat is partnering with Ken Blanchard on Twitter to conduct a fun and interesting survey/contest.  Through October 13th, we’d like you to Tweet the name of the person you think is today’s top leader.  In order for us to know who your selection is specifically for this contest, just include “@kenblanchard” in your Tweet.

For example, your Tweet could read: “Today’s top leader @kenblanchard: John Smith”

By doing that, you will be entered into our Twitter contest. After October 13th, we will randomly select two submissions for this contest on Twitter, and we’ll send each of these winners a gift pack of 7 of Ken’s best books, including best-sellers together with some of his newest releases. If you win, Ken will send you a direct Tweet to get your contact info, and we’ll also post the winners here.

There have been a large number of nominations posted over the weekend for Ken Blanchard’s Top Leader Survey/Contest on Twitter.  (Thanks to all of you who have nominated someone, or re-Tweeted the original post.) In looking over the latest group of nominees, one thought that came to mind was the inspirational side of leadership.  Many people have nominated someone who they felt inspired them to higher levels of performance, stood up for what was right, or displayed honesty, integrity, and courage during difficult times.

 As you look over the latest group of people who have been nominated, consider who is the most inspirational leader you have ever met.  What was it about them that caused you to be inspired?  Was it something they said?  Something they did?  Or was it something harder to describe?

Once you’ve identified that inspirational leader, let us know about it.  Post a tweet with @kenblanchard in the body of the message.  That will get your message posted at Ken Blanchard’s Twitter page and also enter you into our raffle on Tuesday for one of two gift baskets of Ken Blanchard books. 

This weekend’s new nominees:

• USC football coach Pete Carroll
• Social visionary, Eboo Patel
• Steve Irwin, famed Australian “Crocodile Hunter”
• Croatian tennis player, Marin Cilic who reached the quarterfinals of this year’s US Open
• Pastor, and best-selling author, Rick Warren
• Jack Stack CEO of SRC Holdings Corporation
• Jack Canfield, best-selling author of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Who’s inspired you?  Let us know, and check back here at LeaderChat to see who is inspiring others.

Survey/Contest Details

LeaderChat is partnering with Ken Blanchard on Twitter to conduct a fun and interesting survey/contest.  Through October 13th, we’d like you to Tweet the name of the person you think is today’s top leader.  In order for us to know who your selection is specifically for this contest, just include “@kenblanchard” in your Tweet.

For example, your Tweet could read: “Today’s top leader @kenblanchard: John Smith”

By doing that, you will be entered into our Twitter contest. After October 13th, we will randomly select two submissions for this contest on Twitter, and we’ll send each of these winners a gift pack of 7 of Ken’s best books, including best-sellers together with some of his newest releases. If you win, Ken will send you a direct Tweet to get your contact info, and we’ll also post the winners here.

Yesterday’s posting on “Do You Need to Be Famous to Lead?” generated a lot of discussion on Ken Blanchard’s Facebook page.  The general sentiment was that you didn’t. 

People felt that there were plenty of leaders in all walks of life who weren’t necessarily famous, but were still having a big impact on the people around them.  One example was a parent’s nomination of a teammate on a son’s high school baseball team. As the parent noted, “He (the teammate) is the leader without anyone telling him he is the leader. He is a model player who gives the credit to his teammates. No vote was needed.”

Another nomination was for a retired U.S. Navy captain.  This nominee’s leadership traits?  “He knew each person’s name in our command of over 400+ people. Never looked at your name tag–looked you directly in the eye so you knew he knew your name.”

The takeaway from today’s postings?  As one Facebook fan identified, “To be a great leader you must see something…and I’d like to add, that something can be a special trait in another, an idea for doings things a new way, or a vision for a better future.   

Who’s your nominee as one of today’s top leaders?  Let us know by posting your nominee. Be sure to check back again on Monday to see the results from this weekend.

What’s the relationship between notoriety and leadership? 

That’s the question that might surface for you as you look at the following list of people who have recently been nominated as one of today’s top leaders in our Top Leader Survey.  As you scan the list below, you’ll probably see some names you immediately recognize.  Others will seem vaguely familiar, while others will be completely unknown to you. 

Tony Dungy—John Calipari—Edward Phillip—Chris Alexander—Ken Wilber—Ron Paul—Fred Cuellar—Serena Williams—Bill George—Jessica Watson—Robert Iger—Orrin Woodward—Stephen Harper—Al Gore—Amma—James Parks Morton—Pete Seeger—Gary Cook— Angelina Jolie—Donald Neal Walsh

The one thing that all of these people have in common is that they are a great leader in someone’s eyes.  Who are the leaders in your eyes that no one else might know about?  Let us know by “tweeting” about them.  When you do, you’ll automatically be entered into our survey/raffle for one of two gift baskets of Ken Blanchard’s classic best-sellers and new releases.  To participate using your existing Twitter account, just follow this format

My choice for today’s top leader?  @kenblanchard: John Smith

That will allow us to see your nominee and also enter you into the drawing which will take place on Tuesday. 

If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, just follow the instructions at www.twitter.com  It’s easy, fast, fun, and free.

Today’s nominees in our top leaders survey/contest are beginning to push the edges of what many of us might consider a traditional leader.  In addition to leaders from business and government, today’s nominees included 24-year-old Daily Beast columnist Meghan McCain and 30-year-old Doc Hendley, the founder and president of Wine to Water.

McCain is part of a young generation of writers and columnists covering everything from current events to the latest in entertainment and fashion. She first began to receive media attention when she documented life on the campaign trail with her father Senator John McCain.  You can read McCain’s latest posts at The Daily Beast.

Hendley is a great example of a young man who, beginning at the age of 25, travelled to Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Cambodia, working with local communities to build clean water wells and sanitation systems.  Upon coming home and returning to school, Hendley continued working for clean water in developing nations through fund-raising at bars where he worked. By hosting wine tastings and providing information about the clean water crisis in other less-developed parts of the world, Hendley was able to later launch Wine to Water, Hendley’s organization that provides clean water to people in developing countries.  You can learn more about Hendley and Wine to Water at www.winetowater.org

Who are other examples of non-traditional leaders that you would like to highlight?

Let us know by posting your nominee on Twitter.  When you do, you’ll also be entered into our drawing for a specially chosen selection of Ken Blanchard best-sellers and new releases.

To participate, go to Twitter.com and “tweet” the name of the person you think is today’s top leader.  In order for us to know who your selection is specifically for this contest, just include “@kenblanchard” in your Tweet.

For example, your Tweet could read: “Today’s top leader @kenblanchard: John Smith

We’ll keep posting the latest nominees and keeping the survey/ book raffle open until October 13 when two random winners will be chosen from among all of the people who have participated.

Join us in this opportunity to recognize leaders who are making a difference .  Also, be sure to check back every day for updates, and to see who people are talking about!

We want to know who you think today’s top leader is, and why. LeaderChat is partnering with Ken Blanchard on Twitter to conduct a fun and interesting survey/contest.  Starting today, and going through October 13th, we’d like you to Tweet the name of the person you think is today’s top leader.  In order for us to know who your selection is specifically for this contest, just include “@kenblanchard” in your Tweet.

For example, your Tweet could read: “Today’s top leader @kenblanchard: David Witt”

Okay, that may be a stretch… but pretty simple, huh?  By doing that, you will be entered into our Twitter contest. After October 13th, we will randomly select two submissions for this contest on Twitter, and we’ll send each of these winners a gift pack of 7 of Ken’s best books, including best-sellers together with some of his newest releases. You can read them all, you can give some away as gifts, whatever you like! If you win, Ken will send you a direct Tweet to get your contact info, and we’ll also post the winners here.

The second phase of this LeaderChat/Twitter partnership is right back here at LeaderChat. Each day, I’ll be posting some of the latest Tweet suggestions. Then, we can discuss here on the blog why those people are top leaders (or why you think they aren’t).

What is the criteria for a “top leader?” It’s whatever you think it should be… it could be your parents, a teacher, a local business owner, a sports star, a politician, etc. Really, its about what YOU think makes a top leader. Stop back here each day to talk about some of the Tweet suggestions, and the factors that are important about that particular person and leaders in general.

So start right now and go to Twitter, or directly to Ken’s Twitter page at www.twitter.com/kenblanchard, Tweet out your top leader suggestion with “@kenblanchard” included in your message, and come back here to discuss.

I think it’s going to be a lot of fun… check back tomorrow to see what leaders come up!

Today’s leaders need to be skilled at both setting overall corporate vision and serving in the role of coach and supporter for their people. That’s the message that Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller will be sharing in a live online presentation tomorrow.  (A few seats are still available, but registration does close today at 12:00 noon Pacific Time.)

Based on their best-selling book The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do, Blanchard and Miller (who is VP of training and development for quick-serve restaurant chain Chick-fil-A) will share five keys for being more effective in this dual role. 

• See the Future: Start by setting a clear vision for your organization. Leadership is about taking people from one place to another.  
• Engage and Develop People: Once the vision is set, you have to turn the organizational chart upside down.  Great leaders move themselves to the bottom of the hierarchy, acting as a cheerleader, supporter, and encourager to the people who report to them. 
• Reinvent Continuously: Does your organizational structure serve the business, or are the people serving the structure? Great leaders understand that their organizational structure should be fluid and flexible to meet changing needs.  
• Value Results and Relationships: Great leaders value both results and relationships. Both are critical for long-term survival. For too long, many leaders have felt that they needed to choose.  
• Embody the Values: All genuine leadership is built on trust. The leader, above all, has to be a walking example of the vision and values of the organization.

As you think about the great leaders you’ve known, which of these characteristics most define them in your mind?  As you think about developing leaders, which of these characteristics is probably the most difficult to learn or change?

I was surfing various leadership blogs the other day and ran across an interesting post from Tony Morgan on 4 stages of leadership. Rather than looking at a leader moving through various stages in his/her career, I prefer to look at it as various “hats” that a leader has to wear, given the context and need of the situation.

The first hat of leadership is self leadership. This is a hat for all seasons! Self leadership involves developing the skills and abilities to set goals for yourself, to recognize the points of power you have to help you accomplish your goals and influence others, and to recognize and move beyond the assumed constraints, or self-limiting beliefs, that you’ve created for yourself over the years. Self leadership is independent of any formal position of leadership. If you can breathe, you can be a self leader!

The second hat of leadership is leading others. This hat utilizes various styles of leadership to influence others in order to help them accomplish their individual goals or the goals of the organization. This hat is often used when a leader is in a formal position of authority with direct reports, but it can also be worn by an individual contributor who has to collaborate with and accomplish work through others. A leader in this context needs to flex his or her style to meet the developmental needs of the followers. A second hat leader uses a combination of directive and supportive behaviors to bring out the best in his or her people.

Leading teams is the third hat of leadership. When two or more people are mutually dependent and accountable for achieving a particular goal, you have a team. Wearing the hat of team leadership involves not only using second hat leadership in your 1 to 1 interactions with team members, it involves managing the productivity and morale of the team as a whole. The team leader has to monitor team dynamics and modify his or her leadership style to keep the team moving to higher levels of performance.

The fourth hat is leading organizations. Leaders in this context have to be acutely aware of their own leadership points of view, setting the vision/mission of the organization, the nuances of managing other leaders, and how to implement and manage change within the organization. Competencies of fourth hat leadership involve strategic thinking, innovation, creativity, and having a global mindset.

Any one particular type of hat isn’t appropriate for every social situation. Nor is any one particular type of leadership appropriate for every organizational context. You wouldn’t wear a top hat to a baseball game would you? No! A baseball cap would be much more appropriate. The same is true with the hats of leadership in organizations. You have to develop the skills and abilities of each of the leadership hats so that you can quickly switch between them as the situation demands.

So which hat are you wearing? Is it the right one?

Join Dr. Pat Zigarmi, co-author of the new book, Who Killed Change? right here on LeaderChat beginning at 10:05 a.m. Pacific Time for a 30-minute Q&A session.  

Pat will be stopping by right after she finishes her WebEx sponsored webinar on Leading People Through Change.  This is a special government-focused webinar that looks at the unique challenges encountered when leading change in a government setting. Over 200 people will be participating in the webinar and most will be gathering here to ask follow-up questions. 

If you have a question that you would like to ask Pat, just enter this thread or click on the COMMENTS hyperlink near the title of this post.  Type in your question in the space provided and hit SUBMIT COMMENT.  Pat will answer as many questions as possible until she has to leave at 10:30 a.m. Pacific. 

And if you can’t stay, be sure to stop by later and see all the questions that were asked.  Or better yet, hit the RSS FEED button on the right-hand column and receive updates on a weekly basis.