How Sports and Sales Compare
I tell my audiences every day that the key to success is taking action. Take a minute to look over this weeks featured articles and videos that highlight the different ways you might take action and have it positively benefit your bottom line.
3 Things Shared by Top Performing Teams, Whether on the Field or in the Office
by Matt Mayberry
Something that always intrigues me is watching top teams perform at a high level. Being an athlete for most of my life, I have been on teams that reached the top and teams that didn’t get anywhere. Since moving away from the playing field, I have witnessed the same thing while speaking to organizations of all sizes. The correlation between top performing athletic organizations and the corporate world is strong.
Those who perform at an extremely high level understand the importance of teamwork and culture.
Here are three things top performing teams do differently.
- Vision
I have seen time and time again a pretty substantial separation between management and employees as to what the exact vision is. That separation can be extremely toxic. When a football team begins a new season, the common goal is always to win a championship. From that point on, the same goal will be revisited with every team meeting during the regular season. Everyone from the coaches, players and support staff know exactly what the vision and direction for the team is headed forward. This is reinforcing the major goal and the vision that keeps everyone on the same page. To truly thrive as a company, everyone within the organization has to buy in to what the vision is, and not only that, but come together to make that a reality in everything that the company does.
- Authentic Leadership
The best leaders in this world are authentic leaders. The best coaches I ever had were the ones who were authentic — those who truly cared and appreciated their players showing up to work every day and giving maximum effort. The same goes for the business world. The success of a company starts and ends with the leadership of that company. Just as John Maxwell says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
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The Most Useful Leadership Guide to Managing Your Moods
by Lolly Daskal
We all have moods, but to be our best at leadership we have to learn to manage them.
There are few things more disruptive than a moody person in the workplace–especially if that person is in a leadership position. We all have moods and emotions, but great leadership requires emotional health, and that includes knowing how to manage your moods.
If you’re prone to moodiness, here are some ways to turn it around and lead at your best:
Model The Way
- In your behavior and attitudes, think about setting the right example and leading as a role model that others can respect. If you’re on the edge of a mood, remind yourself that you’re being watched and that your actions speak louder than your words.
Communicate to connect.
- Communicate openly and authentically, and create an environment that encourages others to connect. Remember to always handle communication as a two-way dialogue, not a monologue.
Shape the culture.
- To create an irresistible culture you have to build a workplace that encourages continuous learning, celebrates innovation, and empowers people to learn from each other. When emotions rule, the environment feels unstable and even unsafe. If people have to tiptoe around each other, not knowing what to expect at any given moment, an organizational culture quickly turns toxic.
- Be consistent and predictable.
- When you’re consistent with your words and actions, you create a climate of trust. People know where they stand, they have faith in you and your responses, and they’re not afraid to bring up the wrong thing or admit to a mistake.
- Hold your focus.
- If you can focus on people, culture, and results, without being distracted by other trivia, you can lead your organization into greatness. The confusion of an emotional roller coaster, on the other hand, diverts a lot of energy away from your mission.
- Build your good character every day.
- When you come to work happy and positive, productive, and serious, you lead with your values and establish a strong foundation. Optimism, enthusiasm, and respect are definitely contagious–as are pessimism, apathy, and contempt.
- The first job of a leader is to set the mood so others can do their jobs. The best leaders know this, and are emotionally and mentally competent, healthy, and humble inside and out.
6 Daily Practices That Will Make You a Better Listener
by Kevin Daum
Listening well is incredibly important, and it doesn’t happen by accident. Here are six daily drills for improving your listening skills.
Business people spend a lot of time stressing over improving their ability to speak, when what they should practice is their ability to listen. Information makes you more productive and powerful if you are able to capture it by listening.
Not everyone is a natural born listener. Emotions, concerns, and other distractions can interrupt your listening and put you at a disadvantage. You can take control of your listening skills with a little daily practice.
Try any of these simple tips to make you all ears.
- Focus on one conversation at a time.
Nowadays, with everyone multitasking, there are often multiple discussions going on at the same time. Make a point of focusing on each conversation. Be willing to politely stop conversations going on around you so you can turn your energy to the people in front of you.
- Take 10 minutes to shut off all the noise.
Ambient noise can get in the way of your listening. For at least one conversation a day, turn off your phone and other distractions. Take the conversation into a private room, or at least away from busy activity.
- Practice turning off your inner voice.
Most often, when you’re listening to someone, your own brain is talking to you. You may be thinking about something else, be constructing a response, or be preparing to refute and argue a point. Practice focusing and listening non-judgmentally; find your inner quiet and really try to hear the information being conveyed.
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