Category: Lead Yourself

By: David Novak Leadership

Self-awareness is the new leadership buzzword and has recently been heralded as one of the most important traits a leader can have. Self-awareness is said to be a key factor in Emotional Intelligence. It involves knowing yourself and being cognizant of the areas in which you excel or lack.

What is so great about self-awareness and why should you care?

Being self-aware means knowing what drives you and what debilitates you: your motivators, breaking points, and inclinations. Why is this important? Because a leader leads people. If you aren’t able to manage yourself, then how can you manage your team?

When you acknowledge your tendencies, you’re more able to anticipate them. And when you do this, you reach the top category of leaders who know how to play to their strengths and compensate for any weaknesses.

Do you know the one thing that is absolutely necessary to develop your self-awareness?

Here’s a hint: it doesn’t come from you. The tool every leader needs to develop in self-awareness is feedback.

But not just any feedback… Sure, feedback to improve work environment or processes is great, but it won’t help you in your ability to work alongside your team. You need to be assessed in your leadership because it is this kind of direct feedback that will let you know if you’re leading people well.

At David Novak Leadership, we recognize that leaders need feedback specific to their leadership skills, which is why we’ve developed a set of focused questions that help people analyze their leadership style. Questions like, does this leader work to ensure that each person on their team knows the team’s vision and can explain it? And, does this leader directly involve others in setting goals so everyone can feel ownership of them?

Every leader has weak spots, but it’s hard to know what they are unless someone tells you. Real, honest feedback will enable you to see those weak spots and improve your performance in those areas. For an example of why feedback is important, check out how Geoff Colvin, Senior Editor at Large at Fortune Magazine, learned to become an expert through feedback in this interview.

Are you willing to invest in becoming the best leader you can be by becoming more self-aware?

One sure way to develop in this area is by taking our Leadership Assessment. See below.

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If being a leader was easy, everyone would do it. Seriously. It doesn’t matter how big your organization is, when you’re tasked with responsibilities like your team’s engagement and the success of your company, it is no small matter. How you approach every decision–whether it be the new hire or next year’s strategy–is a big deal.

When you have big decisions to make, you don’t want to react too quickly. It’s important to consider all your options and seek out advice. But then what? How can you prevent getting bogged down with distractions or getting lost in minute details? You need a strategy.

Here are two tactics you’ll want to apply to every future decision you make:

Be Aware

Awareness is the result of being mindful. When you understand what is going on around you and how it ties in with what is important to you and your organization, you are more aware, thus better able to make a good decision.

To illustrate, let’s say you are presented with a new idea, one that a lot of other companies are jumping on. It might sound like a good idea, but if you go after it without considering how it affects your goals, then you’re probably not acting out of awareness.

To be aware, first you need a clear understanding of your priorities, and second, you need insight to your thoughts and feelings about the situation. For instance, when negativity enters your thoughts, if you are aware of it, you put it in check. This can protect you from not making the best decision because your negativity was biasing you. When your priorities and thoughts and feelings are in check, it’s time to apply the next tactic:

Be Intentional

When you are a leader, you are constantly making decisions. As with awareness, in every decision you make, it’s important to be intentional. How can you, as a leader, be more intentional?

Being intentional means operating with purpose–it’s a mindset which requires discipline. Purpose is derived from your priorities and passions, and to be intentional, you need to be aware of them on a daily basis.

You might ask yourself, how does this new idea tie into my purpose? If there is no link, is it worth your energy and time? Making intentional choices, in leadership and in your personal life, will make even the most seemingly mediocre decisions feel noteworthy, because everything you do will be meaningful.

Are you aware and intentional when you make decisions? You can start applying these tactics today. And to grow even more in your quest to become the best leader you can be, then check out our Heartwiring and Hardwiring Your Leadership™ Program. It provides in-depth training to help you transform your leadership style.

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By: David Novak, Co-Founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership

Number one on my list of lessons for leadership is to “be yourself.” Yes, you’ve heard this a million times, but it is the only way to gain trust and keep people on your side. Authenticity breeds trust, which will take you pretty far.

Consider the times you’ve seen someone on TV or even in person that you could just tell wasn’t being authentic. It happens all the time with politicians, business leaders, salespeople, and even teachers and parents. They try to be someone or something they aren’t and most often, they will trip up and get caught in the act. Once people see through the show, the trust is broken.

In leadership, you need to realize that everyone is scared of letting their weaknesses show, especially in the business world. By showing your vulnerable side, you can let others know that you’re just like they are. It helps you gain their trust and allows them to more easily open up instead of feeling intimidated by your role or title. It helps you help them be authentic.

As a leader, you need to know yourself in order to help others get better at being themselves. It may take some self reflection for you to realize who you are and where you’ve been. Take a long, hard look at your own past and what events shaped you. Pay special attention to the lessons that weren’t easily learned and how you gained knowledge and grew. These insights will help you further grow yourself and relate to your teams.
To help you teach others to open up and be who they are, consider these tips:

• Believe in all your people. Celebrating their individualities while keeping them working toward the same goals can be challenging. But by having respect for their styles and values, you can still lead everyone toward success.
• Give them individual development plans. Appreciate their strengths, and take time to find out what makes each person tick. Then, you can help them find ways to be more effective at what they do.
• Provide a safe haven for input. Include everyone in discussions and make it easy for them to feel comfortable speaking up. When they disagree with you, listen to their points and thank them for sharing their side.

Remember, we are all works in progress. We are each individuals with unique strengths and weaknesses. Showing your team that you are always working to better yourself can help them accept their own challenges and work on them, too.
Follow me on LinkedIn and Twitter @DavidNovakOGO to ensure you never miss a blog post.

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By: David Novak Leadership

One of the characteristics of a great leader is they reach beyond the status quo and champion big ideas. This can be difficult because many organizations are risk adverse and opt for the easiest, safest way of doing things. While big ideas may seem risky, they have the potential to create a big impact. Roger Enrico, former Chairman of PepsiCo and DreamWorks Animation, once said:

By definition, small changes to small things are a waste of time. But small changes to big things are even worse. They’re dangerous…because they create the illusion of progress. Making big changes to small things are great. But making big changes to big things…now that builds the future. Beware of the tyranny of making small changes to small things. Rather, make big changes to big things.”

Which camp does your organization fall into? Small changes to small things? Or big changes to big things? Without challenge or change, employees often settle for marginal or incremental improvement to their products and services. A leader has the power to change this behavior by role modeling and encouraging others push past the ordinary. This starts by helping them suspend their judgment of what is possible.
There are two critical questions to help leaders and their teams champion big ideas:

What if? and How might we?

For example, Gregg Dedrick, Former President of KFC, knew that his brand had an affordability issue that prevented people from coming more frequently. He asked the team, “What if we could offer a high-quality sandwich at an everyday affordable price?” Everyone agreed that it would be a game changer, but no one thought it was possible.
Then he challenged the team with the question, “How might we make that happen?” Rising to the challenge, his team figured out how to accomplish the impossible and launched the KFC Snacker, driving record sales at the time.
Remember, the leader doesn’t have to come up with the big idea. They just need to challenge others to consider the two questions What if? and How might we? Involving others in the process will give them ownership and inspire them to make the impossible happen.
When will you start asking the game changing questions to initiate big changes that lead to big things? It takes courage and a willingness to learn as you go, and possibly fail. But imagine the transformation you can unleash by challenging your team and yourself to think outside the box and believe change is possible.

If you want to become the best leader you can be, so you can bring out the best in others, check out the Essential Leadership Traits Program at DavidNovakLeadership.com. The program is designed to teach you the essential leadership skills you need to succeed and grow in your career.

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By: David Novak Leadership

When starting a new job, your first 90 days are critical. A good first impression will make a difference in the way you’re perceived by your boss and your new colleagues. This is why it is a good idea to understand the culture of the organization and your team during those first months on the new job.

Not sure how to do this?

Here’s a few tips to get you started:

1. Sit down with other employees and learn as much as you can about the culture and vision of the organization.
2. Once you have a good understanding of the organization, go to your boss and give a review of what you’ve learned, then ask for feedback. This allows your supervisor to confirm your observations and fill in any gaps you may have missed.
3. Ask for help. As you continue to learn your job and the culture of your organization, find some trusted colleagues and ask for help. Share a challenge you’re facing and ask what they would do if they were you. This will help you get the counsel you need so you can make wise decisions about what to do next.

Now that you understand the culture of the organization and your team, don’t stop there. Take ownership of your career by taking the Essential Leadership Traits Program. The online program helps you develop the leadership skills you need to be successful at work and life. Schedule a free demo here.

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There are tons of benefits to have part-time employees: they reduce the workload of your full-time staff and when you can’t afford to add more full-time employees, part-time workers provide the skills needed without breaking the budget. While there are countless benefits to employing part-time workers, leading them isn’t without its challenges.

With a part-time team, you’ll probably need to adjust the way you lead. Different methods are needed to engage them. To get the most out of your part-time team, here are two tips to consider:

1. Let them know they count, even though they aren’t full-time. Everyone on the team is important. Don’t differentiate between full-time and part-time workers because regardless of how many hours they clock in, the role they perform adds value.
2. Empower your part-time team members by giving them more responsibility. When people feel more ownership in their role and have a bigger stake in the company, they’re more likely to give their best.

Follow these tips and you’ll have part-time staff who are more connected and committed. Plus, you’ll see more synergy between your full-time and part-time workers—and a team who works well together achieves better results.

Heartwired and Hardwired Leaders know how to inspire and motivate their teams. Take this quiz now to find out if you are a Heartwired and Hardwired Leader.

^{Report of CNBC Make It – Leadership | David Novak | @DavidNovakOGO 7:00 AM ET Wed, 12 Sept 2018}

Originally posted by CNBCs Make It! on June 20, 2018
Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, faced the 2008 financial crisis with no guarantee that the financial industry or America would recover…
Indra Nooyi, former chairman and CEO of Pepsico, moved from India to the United States and often felt like a “fish out of water” because she struggled to fit in…
Brian Cornell, chairman and CEO of Target, had a humble upbringing. His dad died when he was young, so Brian worked lots of odd jobs as a kid to make money for things he needed…
Then there’s me, a former CEO of Yum! Brands. I was raised in a series of trailer parks with a nomadic upbringing…
What do we have in common? Adversity became our advantage because we chose to persevere and learn from what most would perceive to be adversity in our lives.
Learning to see adversity as an advantage is a powerful way for leaders to think, learn and grow. However, it’s often in hindsight when you discover that what you thought would break you actually made you a strong and more effective leader.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon: Managing crisis

Dimon faced a sweeping financial crisis that threatened his company and America as a whole. He was required to take lots of risks during that time and balance the risk between how it would impact JPMorgan Chase and America. Talk about pressure!
When faced with this adversity, “what I tried to do was make sure the risk I took couldn’t severely damage JPMorgan,” Dimon told me. “When they asked us to do TARP, we didn’t need TARP.
“I went to the board and said, ‘We don’t need this. And in fact, it’s asymmetrically bad for us. There are nine companies; my view is there are a couple who need it and it will save them, but a bunch of us don’t. But for the country, if you don’t do all nine banks, it’s kind of a subterfuge. You’ve gotta get all nine banks to do it so you’re not pointing out who the weak ones are. If only the weak banks take it, that would tank them. For the country, it’s the right thing to do.’ …
“The board discussed it, and I didn’t fully understand how angry the world would get for this so-called bailout. The board was unanimous. If this is the right thing to do for the country at this moment of crisis, that’s what you do.”
Dimon learned some important lessons during this time. “You gotta have the process in place before the crisis,” he told me. “You can’t start a war without an army. We already had in place a rigorous, a disciplined, a very open, good reporting. The stuff you’d want to have to do it. … I also stayed home a lot. I canceled a lot of trips. I was at my desk. I wanted anyone to be able to call me up or walk in my office and say, ‘I have a problem.’ All protocols were out the door.”
Dimon was widely recognized for his leadership during the crisis. One of his proudest moments was how his team showed up when Bear Sterns was about to collapse. “I called on a Thursday at 10 p.m. at night a bunch of our leaders around the country: ‘Bear Sterns may fail, and we are going to try to save it over the weekend.’ We had hundreds of people who got dressed and went to work, hundreds. And the next night, thousands. And that’s the story… The story to me was: Look what our people did when the going got tough.”
Adversity became Dimon’s advantage.

Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi: Overcoming culture shock

Transitioning from India to the U.S. had its challenges for Nooyi when she moved here to attend the Yale School of Management. Things were different, and it took time and determination to overcome her feelings of not fitting in.
“When I came to the United States, first of all, I was lonely,” Nooyi told me, “because I never traveled outside the country. And you know it took a while getting used to everything. I was a vegetarian. I didn’t know how to get vegetarian food in New Haven at that time.
“In 1978, they didn’t have a mechanism to integrate international students easily. Now it’s fantastic, but then it wasn’t that systemized, so the first couple of weeks were dreadful. I wanted to hop on the plane and go back.
“I didn’t know what to do, but you know what? Little by little, the other students at Yale reached out. The international students got together and built ourselves a little ecosystem and before the month was done, I was as American as the others.”
Another way Nooyi learned to connect was through baseball. “I used to play cricket when I was in India. It was a bat and ball sport. When I landed in the United States, I had to be involved or learn or watch a bat and ball sport. This was 1978, the big year that the Yankees were 14 games behind the Red Sox and then catching up … to win the World Series.
“So I sat there in the dorm room and the common room and the other kids explained baseball to me, and I fell in love with the New York Yankees. I didn’t fall in love with baseball as a whole. I fell in love with the Yankees and that love affair with the Yankees has not died even today.”
Learning to love the Yankees helped her “fit in” and connect with others. Nooyi chose to learn something new while staying true to herself. Adversity became Nooyi’s advantage.

Target CEO Brian Cornell: Rising from humble beginnings

Based on Cornell’s upbringing, you would not expect him to become a CEO. He learned early in life there were three ways to put his economic circumstances aside and just move forward.
“I grew up in a really humble environment,” Cornell told me. “I lost my dad when I was young and my mom had a series of illnesses, so I had to grow up the hard way. I worked for many years as a little kid — mowing lawns, shoveling snow, and washing trucks. So if you look back in time, when I was a kid, you would say there’s no chance that this person, growing up in this kind of environment, ends up doing what he’s doing.
“I learned early in life that there’s only three ways that I could put my economic circumstances aside and just move forward:
In school, because when the test is handed out, nobody cared who my dad was or how much money I had.
In sports, on the playing field, because there the playing field was level.
At work, because once you showed up, it was all about performance and execution and doing the things that were put in front of you.
“I embraced the level playing field idea early,” he said. “I didn’t feel sorry for myself. I said I’m gonna perform, excel, and take advantage of opportunities. And somehow it all worked out. It wasn’t some magical path. I didn’t grow up in a CEO’s household. I had to work for literally everything I had by finding part-time jobs so I had money for baseball cleats and football equipment. But it all worked out because I found what worked for me.”
Rather than feel sorry for himself, Cornell decided to see opportunity. Adversity became his advantage.

My story: In and out of trailer parks

Let me end with my story. Because of my dad’s job, my family lived in a trailer and moved every three months. While I didn’t realize it at the time, the lessons I learned from my trailer park days actually helped me become a successful CEO.
One major adversity I faced was making new friends every time we moved. My mom encouraged me to take the initiative to make friends and to make my time count in each small town.
So I learned to size people up in a hurry and figure out who were the good ones and who I should avoid. This skill became a great advantage to me as CEO. I developed a good gut instinct when I was young and still use it today as I lead. Perceived adversity became my advantage.
Adversity can become your advantage too if you choose to persevere and learn from the challenges you face. The ball is in your court.

Listen to the David Novak Podcast episodes to learn more from Jamie Dimon, Indra Nooyi and Brian Cornell. David Novak is the founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, a digital leadership development platform he created to help people become stronger leaders. He is the co-founder and former CEO of Yum! Brands and a New York Times bestselling leadership author. He has been recognized as “2012 CEO of the Year” by Chief Executive magazine, one of the world’s “30 Best CEOs” by Barron’s, one of the “Top People in Business” by Fortune and one of the “100 Best-Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review.
Credit: CNBCs Make-It

Do you have courage in your convictions? Courage of your convictions happens when you stick by your decision, even when you’re faced with people who don’t support you. This isn’t always easy to do. Yet it’s critical for leaders to develop courage of conviction. When Yum! Brands was being formed, the executive team hired someone who ended up not being a good fit for their culture. The team had to decide between letting that person go, which would lead to a dive in stocks, or keeping him, and consequently communicating to their staff that culture wasn’t as important as they had claimed.

You see, decisions are more difficult as you move up. Leaders have to make the most difficult of decisions and in retrospect, letting the person go was the right decision. But in that moment, the executive team was scared of what would happen. And in reality, the stock did tank and they had to deal with the consequences.

The definition of courage is moving forward in spite of your fears. If you are waiting for fear to go away, that’s not going to happen; that’s where courage of conviction matters.

Building courage in your convictions starts with listening.

Listen to input and reactions from others with your mind open to the possibility that they might be right. But when you feel strongly that the input is not right for you, then you have to choose courage in your convictions and move forward with your plan. People will respect you for listening, considering all opinions, and then making a decision and moving on. Don’t cave to people’s ideas to make them feel validated or to avoid conflict. Rather, seriously consider what’s said and make the right call. If you are still unsure, seek any additional knowledge needed by conducting research and/or asking a mentor or trusted colleague. Then move ahead by turning your intentions into action.

Where do you need to find courage in your convictions? Use the tips above to help you.

If you want more great leadership tips, check out our leadership course, which gives in-depth advice on how to become the best leader you can be.