Author: Byron Darden

What Are Your Values?

Posted on by Byron Darden

Take time to define your values through self-reflection, a balanced perspective, self-confidence, and humility. When any one of these aspects is less than authentic and genuine, the whole of values-based leadership is not realized.

Here are some action steps you can consider.

  • Self-reflection – take time to reflect on recent actions. What was your motivation? Did it align with your values? A change in perspective can make a big difference.
  • Balanced perspective – look at actions from all points of view. Do you understand opposing sides and are able to spot the silver lining of each?
  • Self-confidence – surround yourself with others that complement your values and can help you evolve as a leader. Understand your strengths and growing edges to realize what more you have to learn.
  • Humility – keep yourself grounded. Having a fancy title attached to your name, which gives you authority, also means carrying the responsibility to engage with others effectively. Pompous behavior can work against you as a leader.

Leaders who know and are connected to their values tend to show up more committed to their work. They demonstrate a positive influence with a primary role as support to their teams.

EXAMINE YOUR VALUES

What Kind of Leader Are You?

Posted on by Byron Darden

Consider stereotypical leaders. Some are solely concerned with the bottom line and willing to do whatever it takes to turn a profit, including questionable or illegal actions. They fail to care about who or what gets impacted along the way – whether it be people or things.

Some leaders focus on the bottom line, and their manner is gentler. They are still the boss, profit reigns supreme, and they do their best to stay neutral and avoid controversy.

Then there are the leaders who inspire and lead by example. Values-based leadership requires a combination of ingredients that will cause your success to be realized and from which much profits. Your presence will permeate the air almost without you doing more than show up authentically as a value add to your organization.

The guiding principles of values-based leadership are:

  • Lead guided by purpose – the most crucial concept is about how you lead and how that choice speaks to your deeply held values.
  • Success is for all with the intension of being contagious – employees will take inspiration from the leader’s actions and want to join in the process.
  • People/Job – a values-based leader employs people that are able to follow the same values. In addition, they will ensure that the person is suitable for the job.
  • Character Fully Realized – take time to develop your beliefs and values. Ensure you know what you stand for and can articulate that to others.
  • Differences Fuel Innovation – recognize that differences encourage growth. When considering suitability, take into account diverse views.
DISCOVER YOUR LEADERSHIP VALUES

Values-Based Leadership

Posted on by Byron Darden

Most companies have guiding values they expect every member to follow. These values set the tone and direction for every decision the company makes – from a decision on what product or service to sell; to how they deliver those goods and services; and with whom they choose to collaborate on their journey.

Successful companies have strong leaders that encompass values through their speaking, writing, and body language, which sets them apart from others. While values can evolve depending on a person’s experiences, there is an underlying thread of consistency that can be relied upon.

Effective leaders are genuine and lead with integrity and authenticity; they remove the mask they are hiding behind and share their true selves. Rather than focusing solely on the bottom line, a values-based leader focuses on achieving goals through a standard set of values.

They are successful without having to fake it until they make it. They know who they are and what they stand for. Whether you meet them in a boardroom or at Starbucks, their true nature shines through.

When a leader is authentic and leads by a known set of values, their employees intuitively sense this and want to follow.

What is values-based leadership, and how can you become a leader that encompasses these traits?

LEARN WITH ME!

Founder’s Corner

Posted on by Byron Darden
“Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.” –Belva Davis

As we step into March to celebrate women’s month, I’m reminded of the first African-American woman to become a television reporter on the US west coast and winner of eight Emmy awards. Journalist Belva Davis shared these wise words to encourage all of us to live by, “Don’t be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so.”

Belva Davis and her wisdom inspired many journalist who came after her. The sentiment behind Davis’ words are familiar to me given the similar message I grew up hearing from my mother. I include her in this month’s celebration of women as March also represents the month of my mother’s birth. She was one of the most influential women in my life who inspired me to focus on women in my coaching practice along with other, often marginalized communities striving to be recognized for what (value) they bring to the table in leadership.

As we kick off this historic month devoted to women, we begin this 5 part series on The Executive VOICE. This month we are focusing on values. In April we will turn our attention to intentionality followed by May when we will focus on consistency. We will then wrap up the series discussing the importance of engagement.

I trust you will gain much from this month’s focus on values as we explore what values based leadership is and how to begin thinking about the values you hold dear. We will continue our journey taking a look at ways to measure the culture value in your organization. We will touch on what it means to evolve as a leader with a few tips and considerations for how to deepen your understanding for why leading from your values benefits your organization, the teams you lead, the customers you serve, and You!

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Posted on by Byron Darden

“Management is about persuading people to do things they do not want to do, while leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.”    Steve Jobs

A transformational leader applies the Platinum Rule, which states to treat others as they want to be treated rather than how you want to be treated. This involves an awareness of each follower’s fundamental need for self-actualization. This is the top tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Once you get a person on board with their heart and soul, they will do great things for your vision.

“A leader who fails to use their full voice will often share information that will go unheard and unseen for its significance.”  Byron Darden

With persistence, you can develop the traits of a transformational leader. Creativity can be learned. Empathy and a desire to make a difference can be strengthened. Do you want to know how? Book a call, and I’ll show you how to take the next step toward becoming a transformational leader and letting the world hear your voice.

BOOK A CALL

Effective Leadership Styles

Posted on by Byron Darden

There are two main branches of leadership – transactional and transformational. Transactional leaders use a system of rewards and punishments to ensure they achieve a goal. As long as the followers’ basic needs are met, they are compliant.

Transformational leaders inspire growth, promote loyalty, and instill confidence in their teams. Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Martin Luther King, Jr. were well-known examples of transformational leaders. They stood out from the crowd and led companies and movements.

Those that work for transformational leaders show a 78.1% performance increase, and over half say their skills have improved under transformational leadership. Statistics also show that the number of true transformational leaders hovers at less than 10%. No wonder we gravitate towards those who even show some of their character traits.

A transformational leader models the ideal traits of the Executive VOICE.

  • Model the Way – a transformational leader acts in the same way they want their group to act. They can explain where they want to take the organization and how the success relies on each individual. Through inspiration and enthusiasm, a transformational leader can influence motivation in others.
  • Encourage the Heart – a transformational leader encourages and supports followers by keeping lines of communication open. They are engaged with their followers creating a sense of connection. They understand how personal life interacts with professional work, and teams are encouraged to use their life experiences to enhance their work.
  • Inspire Shared Vision – while a leader may be responsible for the overall vision, their strength lies in engaging their followers by helping them experience the same motivation and passion for achieving those goals. Transformational leaders bring meaning to work, inspiring a vested interest while challenging enough to keep their interest.
  • Enable Others to Act – when focused on long-term success, a transformational leader allows flexibility in how the teams get there. They empower their followers and trust them to rise to the occasion. Not everyone approaches a task the same way. Some offer a sense of urgency and thrive in completing the task. Others take a little longer and focus on the process. The result is often the same.
  • Challenge the Process – a transformational leader will not only think outside the box, they may also ignore the box altogether, pushing out the walls to make the box bigger and roomier. They challenge business as usual and encourage creativity. Other character traits include comfort with ambiguity and complexity.
CHALLENGE YOUR THINKING

Clear Communication is Key

Posted on by Byron Darden

I recently worked with a manager in a large global firm in developing their equity partnership skills. Early in our coaching relationship, I noticed a lack of partnership when setting up each professional development session. I found myself routinely exchanging numerous emails to get a session scheduled. Sometimes weeks would pass before we could settle on a firm date.

I discovered that the manager seemed to drag out the time between sessions by offering little detail or simply incomplete details. This required me to send numerous emails asking clarifying questions that rarely seemed to be answered the first time. It got to the point where I felt I was more responsible for their leadership development than they were willing to commit to for themselves. It was only a feeling, mind you.

The next time I received a cryptic email lacking the necessary information to book the next session, I drew from past behaviors instead of sending a response with numerous questions. I brought them to the manager’s attention as they applied the same challenges and goals we set to grow their leadership acumen. The manager acknowledged my point and provided the most detailed and complete correspondence, bringing back-and-forth emails to an abrupt end.

Lesson Learned: When developing your leadership capability, look at how your challenges and successes align with the growing edge goals you set for yourself to develop. We lead as we are and how we behave.

LET’S TALK

Interpreting Your Voice

Posted on by Byron Darden

As with any character trait, there will be those with a different perception that misinterpret intentions. It is no different with the Executive VOICE.


Let me explain:

  • A leader’s character defines who they are and what they stand for. The other side is that they can be held to these values by a strict code. This makes it difficult for them to change and adapt. They can also be judged by their values. Feeling strongly about something, they risk alienating others.
  • A leader’s openness to embrace possibility may lead others to accuse them of being an idealist. Employees might think their ideas or deadlines are unrealistic when they are challenged.
  • Leaders may be deliberate in their thinking and actions and be accused of being inauthentic. A natural mistrust in leaders can undermine their ability to act.
  • In developing a personal brand, a leader runs the risk of dehumanizing themselves. Great leaders keep their sense of empathy while staying authentic to their values.
  • A leader’s “get-it-done” attitude can be misinterpreted as setting relentless and unrealistic team expectations.
BOOK A CALL

Share Your Voice with the World

Posted on by Byron Darden

Let’s dive into each component of VOICE and what makes it so critical to an executive’s success.

What I’ve discovered about effective leadership is this.

  • Values: Character is considered an essential trait of a leader. When we know and understand one’s character, we have a greater sense of what they stand for, what moves them, and why they do what they do. It is intoxicating to be in the presence of a leader who is clear about who they are and what is necessary to accomplish goals and then gets it done! Demonstrating character makes it easier to gain the trust and respect of those they lead.
  • Openness: Leaders embrace possibility. Debbie Downer and the Devil’s Advocate are not welcome characteristics of someone who can inspire hope and assurance of getting through challenging issues that arise routinely. A leader breathes life into ideas, resulting in them taking action to move an initiative forward.
  • Intentionality: Being deliberate regarding your actions, words, and thoughts, informing those actions and words, so they have an intended impact. This level of consciousness in leadership allows you to hit the mark time after time.
  • Consistency is the name of the game in business. Consistency breeds its own. A Royal Family of consistency will set the stage for long-term impact and resiliency. Think of it as a powerful legacy-building tool.
  • Energy: You are measured by what you get done well! Otherwise, you are simply performative and lacking transformative leadership ability. Having a higher consciousness and heightening the consciousness of others to recognize and act for necessary change is the platinum rule; Find out what makes people tick and lead from there!
SHARE YOUR VOICE