Leaders Are Readers

 

As I think of 2021, I think of growth and a new era of leadership. The world has grown, shifted and adapted to what is. 

Leaders had to decide how to make themselves different from their competitors. They had to be innovative and quick in order to set themselves apart from others. Today’s leader has had to learn a new skill this year - virtual management. Running a team virtually requires increased communication, trust and the art of delegation and inspecting what was expected.

In 2022, I foresee an increase in the ability to show empathy, compassion and foresee a new trend in mastering video communication and a new genre of leaders that are excellent at disruptive change management. 

As we wrap up one year and head into another, you might have some time to read over the next few weeks. 

Here are 10 leadership books that can help you expand your thinking of what will be expected of great leadership in the new year.

1. Ruthless Consistency: How Committed Leaders Execute Strategy, Implement Change, and Build Organizations That Win 

2. Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity

3. The EQ Deficiency: How Emotional Intelligence and Compassion Can Cure an Emotional Pandemic, Solve Our "People Problems" and Be a Catalyst for Positive Change

4. The Gumbo Coalition: 10 Leadership Lessons That Help You Inspire, Unite, and Achieve

5. Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them

6. Around the Corner to Around the World: A Dozen Lessons I Learned Running Dunkin Donuts

7. The Ends Game: How Smart Companies Stop Selling Products and Start Delivering Value 

8. How to Lead: Wisdom from the World's Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers

9. Your Hidden Superpower: The Kindness That Makes You Unbeatable at Work and Connects You with Anyone

10.  Work Disrupted: Opportunity, Resilience, and Growth in the Accelerated Future of Work

Best, 

Manal

Leadership View: Taking Time Off

People are feeling less secure than they have in the past. 

Why is this? 2020 and 2021 have been tough mentally, emotionally and sometimes physically for people. Naturally the human tendency is to do more. 

As we enter the last few days of 2021, I would remind you of the importance of taking time off. 

Leaders that have the best influence, take time off and encourage others to take time off. 

Not only do vacations help with mental clarity but it gives your team space between work and life. With people working at home, that separation of work/home is a little more difficult right now just based on the terrain of the world.

Travel is less available to everyone than it has been. Some people are traveling still but as a society, the travel industry is down overall.

When working from home, encourage your employees to consider “vacations” as tools for focused family time, caregiving, and self-care. Down time is likely to be devoted to supporting good mental health rather than recreation or travel. Don’t expect them at meetings or to be checking email. Time off should be that, time off.

As a leader, you need to model behavior that you want. You will need to demonstrate through your own actions that you’re serious about time off. Most people think it is important to take time off, but they are also personally reluctant to unplug. What you say is less important than what you do.  

So how as a leader can you encourage your team to really be off and communicate their security at that same time?

This is where the communication skills of today’s leaders must be dialed in. Know what your people are doing, where they are excelling and communicate to them early and often if you see gaps in performance. Encourage time off to stop burn out and ensure they know how valuable they are to the team (even if improvements can be made).

As you lean into the last few days of 2021, rest, renew, restore connection and be present with those you love most. You doing this will allow your team to do it too.

Happy Holidays!

Best, 

Manal

The 2022 Leader

When the COVID-19 pandemic first happened, everyone was in a new place of figuring life out. Leaders had to shift quickly to provide a higher level of providing digital or convenient experiences. The new mantra in business was fast, easier, seamless and convenient.   

Consumers were initially forgiving of companies struggling with pandemic related disruptions but people are no longer as tolerant as we move forward.  Just think about you and your own family. You can now get instant access to entertainment, refill prescriptions online and get same day groceries with Amazon Fresh. The era of digital transformation has come and gone. It is now passe and expected.

This expectation will impact both careers and business survivorship. The 2022 focus will be human centered technology initiatives. All this rapid response technology, innovation and mass adoption has replaced and will continue to replace a lot of human workers. Essentially dehumanizing the customer experience and making us all crazy mad and irritated along the way. It is already starting to happen with automated phone voice systems, chat message bots, self-serve checkouts, and the inability to reach a well-trained human being who cares and who is actually empowered to solve your problem.

If you want to be at an advantage in this brave new world ahead, then you need to learn to lead the way and deliver what the automated robots and systems cannot. You need to lead in delivering the essential value of the human touch, the human heart layered on top of these new high tech solutions. 

Let’s look at the future consumer. Consumers rapidly increased their technology adoption and their usage demands and expectations for immediacy and instant gratification will only accelerate in the year ahead. Consumers have much higher expectations that not only will digital experiences work well but they will expect them to be seamless across communication channels. They want a consistent experience across every touchpoint and they expect relevancy, personalization and speed. Speed is the new currency in business. Consumers are now surrounded by speed. The world's information is at our fingertips in nanoseconds. You can bark at Alexa or Siri for anything that you want. You can order any size car you want, with a few clicks of your phone and it will magically pull up in front of you in under three minutes. You've got to be ready to meet these new expectations this new year. 

If you haven’t started thinking about how you can provide your same service faster, easier, seamlessly and conveniently in 2022, start there. 

Leadership will look like it has never before looked as we enter a new year.

Best, 

Manal

Leading A Team During The Holidays

 Are you singing loudly “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” right now? Or are you stressing over everything that needs to be done before the end of the year?

Leading a team during the holidays can turn anyone into a grinch, but here are four of my favorite end of the year tips to keep you joyful, hopeful, and productive.

 It’s okay if “Ho, ho ho” sounds like “No, no no”. Extra business deadlines and extra out-of-work obligations can wear you out and wear you and your team thin. Instead of saying yes to every activity and project that comes your way, be realistic. Focus on what is most important for you and your team to complete and say no to everything else. You and your team will feel rested and ready to go after the holidays are over to get all those non time sensitive projects complete.

Spread that holiday cheer! Celebrate the year’s accomplishments loudly and often. Give specific examples of how your team has excelled over the last year and remind them how much you are looking forward to the following year’s successes.

Be like Rudolph and lead the way! While holiday festivities are important, the holiday season can lead to some serious workplace procrastination and slacking off. Set an example for your team at the kind of work ethic you expect to see in them and get involved. Is your workload light? Pitch in and help employees with their project list. Reward your team for their dedication by bringing in holiday treats, offering early finishes, and shout outs with glee.

Give the gift of time. Recognize that your team may have family vacations planned and let them enjoy it. Respect their time off, encourage them to turn their phones off and set their emails to away. Make sure you follow your own advice and enjoy your time off too. Silent night should be silent day too, at least when we’re talking about that work cell phone!

Holidays are stressful but for your business, they don’t have to be. Make a priority list (check it twice), keep work ethic and the joyful spirits of your entire team high, and most importantly, take some time to really enjoy the gift of the holidays. 

Best, 

Manal

Tools To Help You Work With Difficult People

We have all been there - working with a difficult person. This is one of the most common challenges found in today’s workplace. Maybe it is a coworker or perhaps it is your boss who just rubs you the wrong way. Regardless of who it is, it is easily recognized and felt. 

True empowerment is internal work beginning in the mind. We feel agitated because of what we think of the difficult person, not the actual person himself. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” This means we have a responsibility for what we think and how we feel. Our thoughts trigger our feelings and often lead us to conclude that it is the external situation or person causing our stress. This is just another form of criticism, judgment, blame and condemnation – often the very behavior we are accusing others of doing.

These are some tips you can use when you find yourself in a difficult situation at work (or in life): 

Be aware of what you are seeing and what you are thinking. Then, take responsibility for how you feel. Pay attention to how you respond, react or don’t. Always remember to breathe and relax. This will calm your heart and ultimately, your mind. If you don’t have words or the right words, use silence. This is better than saying something in haste. When you decide to speak, make sure your voice is calm and using accurate data. I am reminded of a quote I have heard, seeking to understand. This is always great advice. It is always a good idea to find compassion for the other person/people, challenge your own assumptions and empathize with them. Put your intentions on rational problem solving rather than emotional reactions. Forgive others if they truly have done something wrong. None of us is a perfect person and ultimately, it sets you free. 

Best, 

Manal

Pay It Forward

 

 

In spite of individual differences, kindness is something everyone has to give. Taking a moment to do something nice for someone else can make your day, and theirs, more pleasant. Paying it forward is about sharing a positive moment with another person solely for the sake of making that person smile. 

Here are some ideas of how your leadership team can pay it forward this month. 

Leaders can become actively engaged in doing good by doing acts of kindness for others this time of year.

• If you are contacted by someone new to the field for advice, take them out for coffee and provide mentorship. Don't be afraid of "helping" the competition, often these people can become great referral sources and friends. 

• If you have a large enough company, host a charity challenge where different departments compete against each other to raise money for their designated charities. It's a great team-building effort that helps the charities who receive the donations at the end of the challenge. 

• Set up an area at your workplace for people to place items for recycling, like paper, aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Volunteer to bring these items regularly to a recycling center, or you can set up a schedule where coworkers rotate taking on that responsibility. 

• Some companies allow a certain amount of paid hours where staff members can volunteer at their favorite charity. 

• Sponsor a local charity event or a children's sports league. Not only is this a great way to get your business name out in the community but the funds you provide help these organizations to do more good work. 

• Another work-related way to pay it forward is to coordinate a group of employees to do a volunteer project together. Many charities allow company groups to come, and work for a day on a set project. Or you can organize a charitable giving project together, such as collecting food for the local food bank or a clothing drive for a homeless shelter. 

• Encourage your employees to form a company team and join a local charity's 5K or 10K race. Provide funding for the team to create their own t-shirts and to donate to their fundraising efforts. 

• Create a "Pay It Forward" bulletin board in a communal space and encourage staff to post notes about charities they support or items they might need help with, as well as notes celebrating acts of good service. 

People want to feel comfortable and secure in the place they choose to live. Showing kindness to your neighbors and local acquaintances can help create a happy community.

• Find a blood drive near you and donate blood to help people in need. 

• In lieu of gifts for your birthday or another holiday, ask guests to donate to your favorite charity in your name. 

• Donate goods to local nonprofit organizations like the library, pet rescue, preschool, thrift shop or soup kitchen. 

• Volunteer in your community. Stop by a local organization and ask what types of jobs you could volunteer for. 

• Sign up for a charity walk/run. By participating in fundraising events within your community, you keep those programs alive for your friends and neighbors.

Have fun with this! Follow your passions and the passions of those that you surround yourself with.

Pay it forward this month and throughout the holiday season. 

Best, 

Manal

 

Motivating and Inspiring People

When it comes to leadership, one of the most important things a leader can do is motivate and inspire people.

I would be interested to know if you think this has changed for you in your leadership role during the time of the pandemic. Do you find it harder to motivate people in today’s world? 

Some people are naturally good at motivating and inspiring others but most people have to dial into this skill and develop and grow it. 

With 2022 on the horizon, we can use new year’s goals as an example.

Say you start a new resolution in mind and in the beginning you have boundless enthusiasm to meet your goals with it. This is when it is easy to win the support of others. People are “all in” at the beginning. However, when enthusiasm fades or situations change, rallying support may be more tough. 

Leaders don’t quit believing in what is important to them just because the going gets tough. This is when they work hard on connecting their vision with people’s individual needs, goals and dreams. 

Leaders know how to restate their vision so that it is attractive and engaging, providing both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards to those who participate in carrying out the vision set forth. 

In the case mentioned above, say the leader had envisioned a new company wellness program for the new year but then let’s say everyone gets quarantined again.

This leader might think of a worst case scenario type situation where online workouts, online contests and meeting goals virtually can still be celebrated amongst the team. 

No matter what, communication is key to leadership at all levels. When your team respects you as a leader, it is so much easier to motivate and inspire them. Stand up for your vision and allow others to see what you see. 

In the end, everyone will be better for it. 

Best,

Manal

Intuition as a Leader Today

Intuition is trusting the inner knowing if something is right or if something is off track. 

Intuition should be your first point of reference in trusting yourself as a leader in today's world.

Leadership is and always has been about figuring out what to do in certain situations. 

Let’s look at three words that seem to be tied to today’s leader’s intuition: love, honor, cherish.

Love

If we don’t learn how to love ourselves, it is very difficult to give love out to the world or how to receive it. 

Love is the most universal power there is. What is your experience of love? What is your experience in being in a relationship with yourself? 

When you can shift into love for yourself, you will be able to best serve and lead others around you.

Honor

How do you honor your own being? How do you take care of your mind, your body and your spirit. We can learn from everyone. Wisdom can be extracted from others. It may come in the form of observing other’s lives or watching a child doing something that seems like an everyday thing. 

Journaling will help you see the wisdom from days gone by. 

The modern day leader is observant of people and things around her.

Cherish

We were designed to be cherished. If you do not feel like you are being cherished in your life - pull back and get still. Ask what being cherished looks like and feel like for you? This is the wisdom of the heart so you can feel good about who you are and how you are showing up in the world. Develop a sense of what it means to cherish your own being. Observe if this is being given back to you from the people around you. Be present and aware who is nourishing, cherishing and feeding your spirit. We are priceless and precious. Nourishing your own spirit is by developing a pattern that you do - a walk in nature, a study/reading, and creating a very clear vision of how to show up in the world. 

Being your authentic self brings you power in itself. 

Ask if your team loves being led by you. 

Leading as a leader today looks like throwing off the burdens and boxes that people would push us into and not being molded by what other people say we must do or can not do. Ask yourself to be shown what you need to see. Trust yourself and you will find your purpose, your authentic power and your intuition will grow strong. 

The world needs you to be exactly who you are. 

Best, 

Manal

Taking Care of Yourself Right Now

 Everyone is trying to take care of themselves these days. Rightfully so.

At any moment you can turn on the news and hear how you might protect yourself in our environment through such things as face coverings, washing or hands, etc. This news is everywhere. There are signs on store windows, end caps are filled with supplies of this same nature. It is hard to not hear about taking care of yourself.

Let’s dig a little deeper into this. 

The focus of today’s media is on the outer view of minimizing the spread of COVID-19. All of these things are important. As a leader, you will help people keep social distance, remind them to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, wear disposable masks and gloves, and sanitize areas/things. This first line of protection is important but I believe there is more than that. 

Let’s teach ourselves and our tribes how to protect ourselves with immune support. 

Today’s leader will typically educate their team on things of this nature that maybe have been left out of their communication before this time. 

A strong immune system translates into resilience - the capacity to restore balance, bounce back and maintain wellbeing whether you are faced with an infection or not.  The immune system can be strengthened so it functions optimally and helps you deal with everyday stress responses. 

The strategies to strengthen the immune system may seem simple but simple is not always easy to do in our busy lives. For a while in Corporate America, there was an emphasis on wellness programs. I don’t know this for sure but it seems like this may be the new thing we see happening in Leadership. Today’s leaders must care for the whole person - their work capacity/quality, their emotional state as well as their physical health and wellbeing.

Leaders should encourage their teams to take pause, take notice of their environments, and often most challenging, take care of themselves.  Teaching valuable skills helps minimize one of the greatest insults to any infection: fear. This is where open, honest and ongoing communication amongst teams, families and individuals can play a vital role in inner and outer wellbeing. 

Be well is the new leadership motto. 

Best,

Manal

Helping Others Succeed

 Leaders are not leaders without a group of people following them.

This seems like a bold thing to say but the truth is a leader can not rise to their maximum potential unless they have helped others along the way. 

The most successful leaders are not just helping others by simply doing good deeds, they are actually helping others win too. 

Let’s take a look at this. 

Think of the person you consider to have the most leadership influence in your life. Then ask, have they just done good deeds or are they helping others develop and grow along the way. 

I can think of a woman I know. She doesn’t hold a famous leadership position or have global recognition but in her world, she is always helping others grow. In her case, she is helping other women to believe in themselves, have the courage to live the life they want and donating time, money, energy and resources to carry out her purpose in life. This is leadership. 

You might know of leaders who do the opposite. Leadership is all about them. They love the fame and fortune of it. They take credit for the good done when there is a whole team of people to credit for their advances in society. In my experience, those types of leaders will do anything it takes to look good.

This is one thing I am sure of when it comes to leadership. There is a still silent moment in every leader's life where they can evaluate their actions, words and deeds to see if it was for them or if it truly made a difference in the world. I strongly believe the leaders who can say they did lead with the right intention, action and heart will be long lasting leaders and have the greatest impact on our world. 

Never forget those you serve alongside, that support you and are following in your influence. 

Good leaders are needed more than ever before. Even in tough times, leaders with the right heart are what your followers need and want.

Best,

Manal

Vaccinate or Not Vaccinate

I know you think this is going to be about the COVID-19 Vaccine but in reality it is not - it is about something entirely different. It is about choice. 

As a leader, you get to decide if you work for yourself or if you work for an organization or entity. 

You also get to decide if you follow everything you are told or if you have an opinion and are able to effectively communicate that information to the powers that be. 

For example, I once knew a young leader who had put herself back through school nights and weekends earning both her undergraduate degree and graduate degree. The skills she learned in college helped her be able to communicate and feel more confident in herself as she now had the expertise to back up her intuition. 

She worked for a Fortune 100 Company. In every company she worked in, she started as an entry level worker and moved quickly into management, and almost always into top leadership where she was the person making the decisions. 

Her company was nationwide and every market was different. She lived in a rural community where no one wore suits and ties anymore. Everyone was casual. CEOs were even casual. HR Managers were casual and hiring managers were casual. When her sales team would go out, they stood out as they were the only people in the community that dressed business vs business casual. 

This manager over the years, got more and more casual in her dress code. To the point that the company was not happy about it. She never looked sloppy but they were taking notice. 

On the opposite side of business, when this manager took over her current position, the budget was lacking to say the least. This division had the least amount of sales, highest turnover and little client retention. Though casual, today, this manager is the #1 division  in her 15-state region, she has the highest gross margin, her staff is stable and clients call asking for business.

How did this happen? She met the clients needs instead of following a corporate mandate. She went to senior management explaining she knew the rules for dress code but she also knew her client and her team. In order to create a culture people from this area wanted to work in, adjustments had to be made. She didn’t write up her team for lack of suits and heels, she told them she would stand up for them if they got the business and met all the benchmarks. 

Today the company doesn’t ask this manager or her team to wear suits, unless they are attending a corporate event and the entire company has begun to look at the choices the management in the field is making to fit their environments. If goals are being met, they decided to learn from the field management instead of disabling them to choose what was best for their divisions. 

So whether dress code or vaccines, as a leader - you must be able to decide what is best and courteously and respectfully communicate your position with others of an opposing view. 

Best, 

Manal