Join the Leading Coaches’ Center for the next Community Mastermind call featuring Leading coach, Tom Finn, author of Are You Clueless? 7 Clues to Profit, Productivity, and Partnership For Leaders in a Multicultural World.

DATE: Thursday, February 16th at 12 noon Easter/ 9am Pacific

TOPIC: Cluing In to Culture; How a Global Workplace Influences Coaches and Their Clients

DIAL IN NUMBER: CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT ON THIS CALL! YOU WILL GET THE DIAL IN NUMBER WHEN YOU SIGN UP HERE: http://bit.ly/jLhXw

Tom Finn has coached leaders from all over the world for 28 years. He has distilled those experiences into a book whose precise stories and lessons give his clients guidance on how to be an inclusive leader everyday. Are You Clueless? is frequently shocking in how it shows businesses losing customers, ideas, and great employees – mostly without the organization even knowing! In this session, Tom will engage us with some of those stories, and then have us uncover a cultural lens on coaching.

If businesses need to “clue in” to a multicultural world, Tom is convinced that we coaches can be just as “clueless” to dynamics that may unlock the key to our diverse coaching clients.

Cultural difference may influence:

• Us as Coaches. Could we be misdiagnosing, or suggesting a path, oblivious to a huge part of our coaching partner’s life?
• Our coaching partner. Could she be grappling with a culturally-induced barrier, or creating a culturally-induced barrier?
• Our coaching partner’s leadership. Could he be clueless to conditions his employees face, or evaluating them erroneously with no cultural radar on his screen?

Tom will provide 5 patterns to look for in any cross-cultural situation. If you would like to order the book or ebook in preparation for the session, go here http://www.areyouclueless.com/order_the_book2.php, or to http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

Tom will focus our discussion on how to be an inclusive coach in a world where difference from gender to generation can have a major influence on your coaching partner or his/her employees…or you! Join this mastermind call for:

1) An overview of “the clueless factor” of Tom’s book – that we can all be clueless to those different from us – and its impact on coaching. When you overlay the clueless factor on the workplace, you can get a host of dynamics that affect both the coach and the coaching partner. The book’s stories show the amazing ways culture shows up for Tom’s customers.

2) Common cross-cultural patterns to look for when you are coaching. Tom maintains these patterns are applicable to any difference – whether you are coaching someone different from you on sexual orientation, generation, race, disability, national origin, gender, and so on. You can use them to see your coaching partner’s world through a whole new lens.

3) Discussion and Q&A on how and when cultural, personal, and organizational differences may influence you in your approach or your coaching partner in their progress.

This session is an optimizer for good coaches. We will try to up your game by adding to your repertoire in a global marketplace. Don’t be clueless – clue in to culture in your coaching.

Have fun learning about the striking influence of cultural difference in the workplace through Tom’s customer stories, such as:

“A Bank For White People”
“Oh, My God, You’re a Completely Different Person”
“Gaining 1000 Customers”
“Iowa and the Cultural Unknown”

You can also get a gist of Are You Clueless? by seeing Tom’s appearance on “Latina Voices,” a Houston TV show, in a seven-minute clip at http://www.areyouclueless.com/clips_latinaVoices.php.

When Cultural Cluelessness Hurts the Bottom Line

Companies that use the power of inclusion gain customers, increase their talent pool, and boost their referral base

A Spanish-speaking couple came into a bank, looking for a recently hired manager who spoke Spanish.

She asked them what had brought them in that day. They responded, “We heard you had someone who could speak Spanish. We never came in before because we thought you were a bank for white people.”

A bank for white people? Indeed … and clueless scenarios like these are replicated untold times each and every business day.

In his ground-breaking book, Are You Clueless? 7 Clues to Profit, Productivity, & Partnership for Leaders in a Multicultural World, Tom Finn shows business leaders how diversity gets business results…if you’re not clueless.

Using workplace anecdotes to drive his points home, Finn clues in managers, giving them cross-cultural radar essential for a diverse, global marketplace.

Clued in, you attract more diverse customers and employees.

Clueless, and you’re like the Bank for White People.

Clued in, you grow and retain employees you have.

Clueless, and you bury talent that shines outside your workplace.

Clued in, you reap ideas from employees and help from customers.

Clueless, and engineers are circulating resumes.

A cultural gap influences business success, and poor cross-cultural skills can mean everything from large lawsuits to customer avoidance and a shallow talent pool. Acknowledge the gap and clue in. Your company’s future depends on it.

Praise for Are You Clueless?

“Want to understand the power and potential of leveraging diversity? Here’s a clue … read this book.”
Tiane Mitchell Gordon, Senior Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, America Online

“From ‘A Bank for White People’ to ‘A Restaurant for Men,’ Tom’s stories sparkle. Leaders in business and government: You’ve got to read this.” State Senator Janet Howell, Commonwealth of Virginia

“I’m learning things I never knew about myself.”  Reader of Are You Clueless?

ABOUT TOM FINN…

About the Author:

Tom Finn has consulted to leaders and teams of all levels in the United States, South America, Central America, and Asia for more than 20 years. His clients have included Booz | Allen | Hamilton, ETrade Financial, General Dynamics Land Systems, Inova Health Systems, Texaco, Verizon, The World Bank, and the Argentine Education Ministry.

Tom is an executive coach and consultant who improves performance of leaders and organizations by developing skills and plans to succeed in a global marketplace.

Tom has twenty seven years of experience as a consultant, trainer, and coach. He is an author and former organization development consultant of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Tom has consulted to clients on organization system change efforts, coached leaders, led team building efforts, and trained thousands in leadership, positive influence and communication, and cultural diversity He is the author of Are You Clueless? 7 Clues to Profit, Productivity, and Partnership for Leaders in a Multicultural World (Kells Castle Press, Mar 2008). Clueless is a guide leaders can use every day for managing diverse and global workplaces. He coaches leaders on handling overload and pressure through a unique coaching approach called LifeLine.  www.lifelineconsulting.com

Tom has coached and trained leaders and employees at all levels of organizations. Some of his clients include The Weather Channel, Verizon, Inova Health System, International Paper, Prudential, Booz| Allen| Hamilton, NASCAR, Harvard University, ETrade, Barnett Banks, and US government agencies. Tom has an interest and skill in international relations and business, and has coached and trained leaders in Spanish. His international clients include the World Bank, the Education Ministry of Argentina, Civilian Personnel Union, Argentina, and private/public sector leaders in six other Latin American countries and Pakistan.

Tom has a B.A. in international relations from Brown University and an M.S. from Georgetown University. He is fluent in Spanish and does much of his work in that language. He is a member of NTL Institute, one of the leading professional groups in the field of organization development. He is certified on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instrument, FIRO-B, and MFS, a software program for providing feedback to leaders.

You seriously won’t want to miss this.  Karlin Sloan is a star!  REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN.  Click here to get the dial in number: http://bit.ly/jLhXw

Date/Time: September 14, 2011, 11:00am central time/ 12:00 noon eastern time / 9am pacific

Topic:     Unfear: Facing Change in an Era of Uncertainty is Karlin Sloan’s latest leadership book, and she’d like to share it with us!   Join this mastermind call for:

1.) An overview of the key concepts of UNFEAR, including four principles to use with coachees
2.) An open discussion about coaching and fear-based behaviors – what are you seeing out there, and how can you address it effectively?
3.) Q&A with Karlin Sloan!

If you’d like to read the book in advance of our call, it’s available at a 30% discount for Leading Coaches Center members until September 10, 2011!  To order go to https://www.createspace.com/3456045 . LCC members can find the discount code on the Members Only page.

Here are some endorsements of UNFEAR:

I just finished my first reading of Unfear and I’m deeply moved.  Karlin has done an amazing job of weaving and synthesizing important ideas and concepts in ways that support looking at ourselves, our organizations and our world in fresh, creative ways.  Unfear is an inspiring and practical guide to facing our fears and taking on creating a world that we want to live in.  -Marc Lesser, author of LESS: Accomplishing More by Doing Less

A leadership book that engages the head and heart!  Karlin Sloan delivers:  great metaphors, inspiring stories, and practical, doable, illuminating exercises.  Karlin captures the unique millennial opportunity for society in her concept of unfear, and she advances that concept through an extraordinarily clear and useful four-step model for practice in a complex and fast-changing world.  Leaders of organizations in search of meaning, relevance, outcomes, justice, and community engagement have a map to success in her narrative.  ~Raymond E. Crossman, Ph.D., President, Adler School of Professional Psychology

“This book isn’t for everybody – it’s just for those people who are willing to believe in a bright future. Karlin’s concept of unfear and its relevance for individuals and organizations manages to be original, comprehensive, and compelling. I am going to tell every leader I know, ‘You need to read this!’ -Miles Kierson,  author of The Transformational Power of Executive Team Alignment

Karlin writes beautifully; she writes from a place of depth where spirit and heart meet clear thinking. The result is a powerful narrative that addresses the most most basic deterrent to leadership – fear. – Prof. Sudhanshu Palsule, winner, Helsinki School of Economics Best Faculty of the Year Award, 2008

Without a doubt, this book is transformational–from a personal and organizational perspective. By focusing on ourselves and our connection to how we respond and react to situations and circumstances, we have untold power. It is from our own individual and unique strengths that we can have a better impact on those around us and the organizations we are a part of. This practical book is one that you will read over and over. – Lisa Harnisch, People and Culture Lead, Oregon Department of Human Services

About Karlin:

CEO and executive coach Karlin Sloan has committed herself to finding out what makes great leaders tick, and to supporting leaders to be the change they wish to see in the world. As a corporate citizen she is an advocate for creating sustainable ways of working and living, and for creating positive organizational communities that work together for the greater good. She is the author of the acclaimed business book Smarter, Faster, Better;, which has been translated into Thai and Russian, and also the author of UNFEAR. She is the CEO and founder of Karlin Sloan & Company, a Chicago based leadership development consultancy devoted to helping leaders use everything they’ve got to make their organizations smarter, faster, and better.  For more information on Karlin Sloan see www.karlinsloan.com or subscribe to Karlin’s blog at http://karlinsloan.wordpress.com/

Also, to enhance our connection during this community call, we’ll be communicating live using the “wall” on our Facebook page during the call. Search for “Leading Coaches Center” on Facebook or copy and paste the following url into your browser and “Like” us so we can stay in touch:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Leading-Coaches-Center/134526634180

Then, when we’re on the mastermind call, we can comment to each other and ask questions, make comments, introduce ourselves, etc. during the call.

My theme this year is “Innovative Influence” because that seems to be what the executives I coach are most seeking from our sessions.

From the creative, genius mind of Leading Coach Michael Bungay Stanier, a fun and juicy list of 11 words for 2011…what will your year be about?  What will your clients make 2011 about? What is your theme?

Enjoy!

Here’s how Michael defines his 11 words from the movie. Oh, and there’s also a companion poster if you like! Download his free poster here as a memento.

Savour
Slow down and enjoy what’s most precious about your life.

Laugh
Why so serious?

Explore
Step to the edges and hang out there a little.

Rest
You, me, we’re all sleep-deprived. Grab an extra hour.

Proclaim
Stand for something. Draw a line in the sand.

Discard
You’ve got clutter online, offline, mentally, emotionally. Purge.

Embrace
Who you are. Reality. Opportunities. Your shadow. Friends.

Partner
Build something with someone else.

Provoke
Poke the status quo and see what wobbles.

Love
Spread the net a little wider.

Flow
Find grace and ease.

Something to do right now
You can borrow these words, or find one or two or three words of your own. Use them as the springboard into something fabulous.  Leave us a comment below about your theme for 2011!!

Have you read Scott Eblin’s book The Next Level? It’s an amazing book, and I love Scott’s blog post below where he boils it down to the three simple things that new leaders can do to increase the odds of success. Frankly, even if you’re not a new leader, this  is sound advice!  And for those of us who coach leaders, I’ve used this as a basis for some very rich coaching conversations and homework assignments!

The successful executives that Scott interviewed for The Next Level recommend that newly promoted leaders do these things in their first month on the new job:

1. Meet and Greet: A top priority for any new leader is to get to know the key players in the organization. Leaders need to be multi-directional early and:

• Look up and down the chain to top management and direct reports.
• Look left and right to the peers on the leadership team.
• Look diagonally to the people recognized as the experts and influencers in the organization.
• Look outside the organization to key customers and other stakeholders.

2. Listen More, Talk Less: Those early conversations should be dedicated to asking some common questions of the stakeholders. The new leader’s goal should be to learn the organization as quickly as possible. That can be accomplished by listening more and talking less. By asking a set of common questions, leaders can begin to see the patterns about what matters most in their new job. Some good questions to ask include:

• What are the key outcomes that will make this year successful for you and your team?
• What kind of support would you like to see from me and my team to support your success
• What is working well that my team should keep doing?
• What would you like to see my team start doing or stop doing to be more effective?
• What do I need to know about my new job that people are unlikely to tell me?

3. Find Out What Success Looks Like: The most important question that new leaders need to ask is this:

“What do you think success looks like for my team six, twelve and twenty four months from now?”

By comparing and contrasting the different answers to this question, a new leader can sort through what’s expected and begin to identify who can help.

Do these three suggestions sound like common sense advice? Sure they do, but the high rate of new leader failure suggests they’re often not implemented.

If you want to succeed at a higher level, you’ve got to build a strong foundation for success. These three basic ideas provide a proven process for getting started.

Learn more at www.eblingroup.com/thenextlevel.html

Sustainable Transformation calls for returning to a zero point; returning to a possibility. It’s pure invention.

Sustainable Transformation is a misnomer as it’s generally used. You’re not really sustaining something. In order for transformation to happen, you have to become present or “real,” in the strongest possible sense, to what is now going on and to the inhibiting influences of the past. The past stops us from thinking about what’s new or could be new.

Sustainable Transformation means let’s look at things as they truly are right now, as we truly are now, with a clear mind. And then we can invent what we want. This may include re-inventing some of what’s already there, or something else.

Sustainable transformation is the essence of creativity. It’s the essence of sprouting something that isn’t already there. My view of creativity in its pure sense isn’t simply improving something. This is our approach to creativity when we are working with people in companies.

I had an interesting conversation with a woman from a food company in China which is working hard to improve a cookie. They’re having a difficult time because they can’t start from a zero point. The improved cookie has to look and taste like the old cookie, but somehow it has to be new and have greater appeal to more people. In such as case the effort at creativity largely goes towards messaging about how to present the cookie. They won’t have invented anything new because they’re stuck with what they already have.

In a similar vein, an awful lot of what’s going on in the world in the name of creativity and innovation cannot produce what companies after or what their customers want. They’re stuck with their past.

In order to have the type of creativity you’re talking about, you have to train yourself to not think about the past and your past experiences.

It’s the notion of “beginner’s mind” starting with a blank slate. If you take a Quantum Physics view you will realize that the world consists of an infinite number of possibilities that don’t come into existence until you ask a question. The real creativity involves coming up with questions for which the answers will generate something that’s actually new. A lot of it has to do with your worldview in the first place.

I’ve recently become interested in traditional Micronesian navigation. Micronesians sailed from island to island without navigation instruments. Their navigation was a discipline, but very intuitive.

Our view is that you move from here into the future, such as you and I are moving into the future right now. Micronesians believe that you’re standing still, and the future is coming to you. If you can put this into your mind, you’ll start to experience things differently. You’ll start to see which aspects of what’s coming to you are attractive, and what aspects are subtle. You’ll start measuring different things.

If we don’t “become present” with one another with the past being in the past, the future in the future, and accept that we’re just here talking to each other, nothing new will happen. You’re going to walk away thinking what you already thought, and I’ll walk away continuing to think what I already thought.

There are so many approaches to inducing the moment of change–that moment when a real transformation or shift happens. If you look at what’s in that moment of change, at the very moment when the altered state occurs, there’s nothing there. The past is in the past, the future is in the future, and the actual moment of transformation is rather like a funnel with a vacuum in it.

Developing skill in achieving this moment of transformation is the essence of our leadership training with executives and coaches.

Executive Coach Charlie Smith is a faculty member at the Leading Coaches’ Academy.

by Lynn Grodzki, posted with permission.

The Storm

Late Sunday afternoon, after two weeks of a record heat wave, we had a violent thunderstorm. The bad news: electricity went out and 400,000 homes and businesses went dark. The good news: once the storm passed, the sun came out and so did the neighborhood.

I get so busy with my life, it seems it takes an act of nature to remind me that I have a neighborhood of people I appreciate. I sat on my deck for hours as the afternoon waned and the sun set, and waved to people as they walked by, people I hadn’t seen in years.

I reflected on the topic of community and its importance.

During this time of economic uncertainty, I am reminded each day of the scarcity of resources.

But the resource of connection — with community — is free. Having a strong professional community can build your practice, but sometimes attending a professional group feels like a waste of precious time.

So I wondered: What is the best strategy to finding or creating a community that really supports your life and your work?

Communities of Practice

Since time and energy are precious resources,  I only join communities that offer me meaningful opportunity and learning. This type of community is defined as a Communities of Practice (CoP.)

According to cognitive anthropologists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, a Community of Practice is a group made up of like-minded individuals who share an interest, a craft, and/or a profession. Key to the success of these communities is the process of sharing information, learning, and developing opportunities.

In order to be a CoP, the group needs to accomplish the three criteria. (If you have been attending a professional group or association that feels like a poor use of time and energy, chances are one of these criterion is missing.)

1.    Commitment

A CoP requires commitment from its members. This devotion and willingness to show up is based on a deep interest in the topic or experience delivered at each meeting.

When a CoP is focused around  an area of passion or intense interest, it  provides value for all. As members develop a deep connection to the group and get a lot, they give a lot in return — sharing their thoughts, ideas, and even talents with each other.

Too often, we belong to professional groups that are superficially interesting or we think should be important, and then end up disappointed and bored.  The  group lacks dedication, or the topic is not one we feel passionate about, and too little learning and sharing occurs.  CoPs are exciting and inspiring to attend.

2.    Competence

CoPs are groups of equals who are skillful and talented. They have something to offer each other. You join to learn, help, and share — not to compete. As a result, the members often develop longterm relationships that matter.

While members of a CoP do not necessarily work together on a daily basis, when they do meet it is often memorable: They discuss, challenge, wonder, argue and usually laugh together.

A classic example of a CoP might be Parisian artists in 1870’s, the Impressionists, who formed loose associations of café communities to talk, share, learn from, paint with, and inspire each other.

3.    Practice

CoPs are places of learning because the members are implementing ideas, not just ruminating about concepts.

As Wenger explains, “A CoP is not merely a community of people who like certain kinds of movies, for instance. Members of a community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems—in short a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction.

“A good conversation with a stranger on an airplane may give you all sorts of interesting insights, but it does not in itself make for a community of practice.”

(http://www.ewenger.com/theory)

CoPs in My Life

If you would like to find or create a CoP, you might use this article as a blueprint to create a group that meets this definition. Let me offer you a few examples of CoPs to which I belong, so you can understand how they work for a me — and can be a resource for you, too.

* * *

One CoP I attend is the faculty forum of a coach training organization.  (Some CoPs exist within associations and organizations.) We (the faculty) meet by phone for an hour, once a month. The group is led by our creative training director who is explicit in her respect and appreciation of the faculty who call from around the globe.

Each month she poses a different, thoughtful, open-ended question for us to consider and discuss. This group has been meeting for years and I am continually motivated and engaged. It keeps my coaching skills on the cutting edge and gives me a virtual connection to a group of very accomplished colleagues.

* * *

Another CoP is one I helped create years ago – a group of women therapists who met monthly for 8 years. Our sharing was intimate and supportive, often more personal than professional, but always fascinating. It generated longterm  friendship, shared collegiality, new ideas, and of course, the occasional referral.

* * *

A third CoP I eagerly await each month, is an intuition study group. A half-dozen doctors, healers, and therapists meet for 2 hours a month, in person, to work together in our pursuit of better understanding and utilizing the way we apply intuition in our practices. We experiment, do blind readings, practice, read and research — sharing our results and questions. We have met for years and each meeting is inspiring, has benefited me personally, and enhanced my professional work on many levels (including becoming a rich resource of referrals for all involved.)

Where to begin

If you are looking to create a Community of Practice, here are some tips:

•    Start with a clear area of personal or professional need (What would you love to learn, practice and share with a special group of others?)
•    Start small and grow over time (it’s easier to manage)
•    Define clear goals and boundaries for the CoP
•    Invite others who can commit to its success
•    Celebrate contributions and appreciate each other regularly
•    Be prepared to adjust the group and goals as you develop and learn

What is sustainability as it pertains to coaches and coaching programs?

This is one question among many that 40 professionals convened in Washington, D.C. last week (June 24-25) to explore at the ICCO Symposium; a learning event for multiple stakeholders of coaching in organizations.  The beautiful McLean, Virginia office space for the event was generously provided by LMI Consulting.  The space for the dialogue was created and sustained by the co-chairs: Lee Salmon and Susana Isaacson, the design team: Karol Eller, Bill Carrier, Meredith Woodruff, Vicki Foley, and Donna Karlin in the role of Dean.

Participants hailing from as far as Hong Kong and Canada included executive coaches, leaders of coaching programs, coach educators and researchers, as well as executives from organizations that use coaching. Various illustrious organizations were represented: Georgetown University, Cambria Consulting, the CIA, Federal Consulting Group, Sherpa, Lee Hecht Harrison, the State Department, and the case presenters below.

The structure of the symposium, like all ICCO Symposia, included four case studies presented by various organizations looking to dramatically impact coaching in their organizations, and a series of six “animation” questions for reflection and dialogue.  In this event, case presenters from Zappos, Booz Allen Hamilton, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Treasury shared a fascinating window into the complexities and challenges of infusing coaching programs into the culture of their various organizations.  As one participant worded it, the symposium is “a multi-sectoral conversation about coaching.”  The magic happens in the break-out sessions where participants provide either coaching or consulting for each of the case study presenters.

A theme that resurfaced several times throughout the two day event was the question of “for the sake of what?”, and it showed up in relation to developing leaders, corporate social responsibility, sustainability of resources as well as expansion and sustainability of coaching programs in organizations.  The exploration of sustainability began with a look at how coaching impacts people, profit (results) and the planet.  Conversations journeyed through questions of generating sustainability in ourselves as leaders and coaches; being resilient, adaptable, regenerative, and ready to coach leaders on the forefront of crisis and change.  Speed bumps in the road to sustainability include commoditization of coaching, scalability, agility, and budget..  Large scale coaching program sustainability requires political coverage and advocacy internally, and must be aligned with the strategy of an organization operationally, philosophically, financially, and socially, yet we considered how systemically, it changes the planet.  We wondered how to maintain the integrity of coaching as it morphs with the changes of any given organization, its leaders, the economy, and the world. A strong emergent theme was advancing beyond ROI to the effective communication of (and embedding within the culture) the stories of coaching’s impact and results system-wide.

Is sustainability a myth?  Shouldn’t we (and coaching in general) engage in continual re-invention?  Why put sustainability in at all?  To sustain what? If not sustainability, then what should we be exploring and helping leaders to explore?  How do leaders weave coaching into the tapestry of the whole organizations, sustaining the values of the organization while transforming leadership learning into action?  Should coaching become integrated into the culture such that the need to discuss sustaining a coaching program is no longer relevant, and coaching just becomes “the way we do things”?

What role do ethics, boundaries, consistency, oversight, systemic feedback loops, trends, and stakeholder perceptions have in the bigger picture of coaching in organizations?  Six groups met to discuss these challenges during the animation segment of the symposium, and remarkably, in spite of six very different questions posed and explored, each group reported very similar themes.

What, in your experience, is the secret to sustaining coaching programs in organizations?  Is that even a relevant pr meaningful question? Comment below and share your thoughts!

This article first appeared on Bloomberg Business Week

In an edited excerpt from his new book 12 Steps to Power Presence, executive coach John Baldoni writes about what differentiates an “empty suit exec” from one who is a genuine leader.

According to executive coach John Baldoni, one of the most popular topics he teaches is leadership presence, which he defines as “earned authority.” Leaders earn it by “example and by the trust others show because they believe you to be credible and honorable and worth following,” writes Baldoni. He says there is another side to leadership presence: demonstrating that you have what it takes to manage and lead at the next level. What follows is an edited excerpt from his most recent book, 12 Steps to Power Presence: How to Assert Your Authority to Lead, published by AMACOM Books.

By John Baldoni

Ever wonder why jerks get promoted and good guys get left behind?

That’s a question that resonates around the proverbial water coolers and one that I’ve heard in one form or another in my executive coaching. You most often hear it when someone that people really dislike gets promoted. Often that person is someone who looks good, presents well, and may be something of a kiss up.

The manager that everyone likes, or thinks could do a better job, is left behind. So why is that? Well one reason is because the manager who is perceived to be good is leading down, but not up, while the person who is promoted is doing more “leading up.” In reality, the empty suit executive is not truly leading; he’s merely showing off. The better manager is leading, but not doing a good job of impressing his bosses. And that can be a problem come promotion time.

One of the most common things holding good people back is an inability to demonstrate their competence. They are perceived to lack leadership presence. That is, they do not inspire confidence upward, nor give more senior managers a reason to believe in their leadership. Sometimes effective leaders are very good at guiding their teams but not very good at shining their leadership star. They are more focused on doing their work as well as empowering others and they overlook opportunities to make themselves shine.

Is it necessary to make yourself shine? In our management culture, absolutely. Here are some ways to augment your leadership brand.

• Be the one. Do your job first and foremost. You have to be good at what you do by meeting and exceeding your objectives. Specifically, good leaders enable others to do the real work; the leader plays the supporting role. Show-offs may micro-manage if the big boss is watching, but otherwise disappear when there is real work to be done. They spend more time schmoozing with the bosses than providing direction and support for their teams.

• Demonstrate initiative. Volunteer for the tough assignments. Make it known that when problems arise, you want to be one to trouble-shoot. One differentiator between the empty-suit executive and good leader is competence. Show-offs flounder when the heat is on; leaders simply get on with the job, and most important bring others to the cause.

• Show off. We live in a celebrity driven culture. As obnoxious as that may be, some celebs can teach leaders a thing or two about getting noticed. Dress well. Socialize appropriately. At the same time, unlike celebrities, be courteous to all and acknowledge your team. One of the best ways to brag is to talk up the accomplishments of your team. Your team is a reflection of your leadership style; their achievements are a reflection of your ability to get things done right.

No amount of polishing will make an empty-suit manager a good leader. In fact, one reason why there are levels of incompetence in management is because people have been promoted to positions over their heads. It is the Peter Principle, yes, but it is really the fault of senior management for not doing enough due diligence on whom they promote.

Decision-makers allowed themselves to be dazzled by a sharp dresser and a good talker rather than by asking questions of people who work for the empty-suit executive. Dialogues with direct-reports will reveal that the person does not really know his stuff, does not set good direction, nor inspire trust and confidence in others.

Grousing about incompetent people getting promoted is not the answer. If you want to move up, you need to demonstrate the things necessary to impress others. You need to radiate confidence as well as maintain composure. You also need to make it known that you are ready and willing to tackle new challenges. Doing these things takes time but when perform diligently and with a little style, you will be noticed and even promoted.

In short, you need to leverage your leadership presence to make yourself known, your influence felt, and your results count.

When these things happen you will be fulfilling your leadership potential and become the leader that your team needs you to be.

Lead on!

John Baldoni is a leadership development consultant, executive coach, speaker, and author. In 2009, Top Leadership Gurus named John one of the top 25 leadership experts in the world. His newest book is Lead Your Boss: The Subtle Art of Managing Up (Amacom, 2009). John also writes the “Leadership at Work” column for Harvard Business Publishing. He can be contacted via his Web site, www.johnbaldoni.com.

by Shama Kabani of the Marketing Zen Group. Posted here with permission.

I just got back from The Leaders of Tomorrow conference at St. Gallen in Switzerland. It was a fantastic trip, and I gleaned some great nuggets of business wisdom from the world’s best.

One particular session that I really enjoyed was presented by McKinsey partner Dominic Barton. As someone who spends much of his time with the CEOs of the world’s leading companies, he shared 5 insights from his experience.

I wanted to share those with you, as I truly believe they will shape the coming years in a massive way. Here are the top 5 concerns shared by most CEO’s.

1) They struggle with loneliness -  The higher you get, the harder it is to find the right sources to trust. Selling to the top suite? Make sure you are working hard to gain their trust and that they see you as a confidante. Consultative selling never looked so good.

2) Lack of time – CEOs continue to balance an overflowing plate and prioritizing becomes key. If you can help them manage their time or SAVE them time, you are poised for growth.

3) Appetite for cross-sector knowledge – My personal favorite. CEOs and companies across the globe are looking at what they can learn from industries other than their own. Cross pollination at its best.What can marketers learn from HR? What can IT learn from sales? If you want to break into a new industry, look at what your past experiences allow you to bring to the table.

4) Understanding transitions - Leaders transition in and out of positions, jobs, and companies. They are consistently looking for help with these transitions. How can you help them?

5) The battle for talent -The biggest competitive advantage of any company in the future is going to be people. Often CEOs don’t know the scope of talent available to them within their own company. This is a source of frustration for many.

Mr. Barton also shared what he believed to be the top three industries poised for growth in the next 10 years: Healthcare, Agriculture, and Education (specifically Polytechnics).

I know these aren’t the usual “online marketing” related tips I share with you, but I couldn’t resist sharing these amazing gems of knowledge with you.

Your #1 Fan,
Shama

Check out Shama’s new book,  The Zen of Social Media Marketing! It continues to climb the charts. http://www.ZenofSocialMedia.com.

One of my clients recently asked me about what top ten books I’d recommend on coaching – for those who are coaches in businesses, organizations, or working with leaders.  Here’s the list!

1.  The Inner Game of Tennis (Tim Gallwey)

2.  Leadership and Self Deception (Arbinger Institute)

3.  The Power of Full Engagement (Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz)

4.  Smarter Faster Better (Karlin Sloan)

5.  Executive Coaching with Backbone and Heart (Mary Beth O’Neill)

6.  Coaching for Leadership (Marshall Goldsmith)

7.  Organizational Coaching: Building Relationships and Programs that Drive Results (Virginia Bianco-Mathis, Cynthia Roman, Lisa Nabors)

8.  Coaching in Organizations: Best Coaching Practices (Madeleine Homan, Linda Miller)

9.  Idiots Guide to Coaching for Excellence (Jane Creswell)

10.  On Becoming a Leadership Coach (Christine Wahl, Clarice Scriber, Beth Bloomfield)

11.  Masterful Coaching (Robert Hargrove)

(Yes, I know there are 11 books on my top 10 list.  I like to over-deliver on my promises!)

All of the above books and more can be accessed through my site HERE.