Category Archives: brian smith-pld

Next-Level Leadership is Possible

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

This is not the time to rest on your laurels. The workplace is evolving, and you need to adapt to these changes. The way you managed and led others got you here, but that approach may not be the best style for taking you and your team to where you need to go. It’s becoming increasingly evident that soft skills—the ability to communicate and interact more effectively with others—are essential skills for today’s managers and leaders. Next-level leadership is possible, but only if you focus on your people because you need them more than they need you.

Worth Remembering – Leadership is not about you; it’s about investing in the growth of others. – Ken Blanchard.

People won’t care about you or your organization until they know how much you care about them. Next-level leadership is about those you lead. It’s time you FOCUSED on your people.

F – Friendly – Smile, say hello. Idle chit-chat is vital in building those all-important relationships. Get to know everyone on your team beyond their work. People prefer to work with and be managed by people they like. How much fun are you to be around?

O – Open and Receptive. A good idea becomes a great idea the more you allow others to contribute their input. It’s bigger than you. You can’t do everything on your own. Teamwork makes everything work.

C – Confident and Competent. – Know what you know and know it very well. But also know what you don’t know and seek the advice of others. You don’t have to know everything, but you do need to know where to find the answers.

U – Understanding – Be empathetic. Don’t judge too soon. See things from their point of view. There may be things going on that you aren’t aware of. Get all the facts before making a final decision on a course of action.

S – Sincere. – If you truly want others to be successful, it will show itself in the way you treat them. Be respectful.

E – Energized. – Be prepared to lead the charge. Enthusiasm is contagious. Act as if you want to be there, even when you don’t at times.

D – Dependable. – Whatever you say you are going to do, do it. People need to trust what you say. If they can’t trust what you say, they won’t trust you at all. Your word must be your bond.

Worth Remembering – Leadership is not about titles or designations. Leadership is about making an impact on those you lead, exerting influence, and inspiring others to take action. – Brian Smith.

You have the potential to work with four different generations simultaneously. Each generation – Boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z have different wants and needs, but they all have one thing in common. Each generation wants to be acknowledged and feel appreciated. Each generation wants to be included, not excluded. Next-level leadership is possible.

Copyright 2025. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next event or planning a training session at your location? Brian specializes in soft skills training and leadership development. He will customize a session that is right for you and your organization.

It’s Time To Rethink Motivation

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

Motivation is defined as the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving a certain way. Motivation is inside out – never outside in. Everyone is self-motivated. Everyone does things for their own reasons. You can’t make someone do something that they don’t want to do unless you have something that they want. If you know their WIIFM – What’s In It For Me – and you have the power to grant it, you can use that understanding to get them to do what you want them to do. Offering the carrot while showing them the stick always yields better results. It’s time to rethink motivation.

Worth Remembering – It is only when a person has their own generator that we can talk about motivation. They need no outside stimulation. They want to do it. – Herzberg.

The thing about motivation is that everyone can be motivated. But not everyone is motivated by the same thing in the same way. Some people are motivated by money. Some are motivated by fancy job titles or that premier parking spot in front of the building. According to Daniel Pink, author of ‘Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us’, for some, autonomy is key. They want complete autonomy over when, where and how they perform their work. That’s why forcing people to go back to the office five days a week isn’t working. If they aren’t getting their WIIFM, they aren’t motivated enough to come back.

Worth Remembering – The common wisdom is that managers need to learn how to motivate people. Nonsense – People bring their own motivation. – Tom Peters.

Mason got it right. Abraham Maslow first introduced his ‘Needs’ theory in his 1943 article published in the Psychological Review entitled, ‘A Theory of Human Motivation.’. The basis of his ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ theory was that all human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs. His theory provides a framework for understanding human motivation and behaviour. Think of his hierarchy as a triangle or pyramid with five levels. Once the needs in the lower tier of the triangle are met, such as food and security, we move on to satisfy the higher tiers, including self-esteem and self-actualization – a process of fulfilling our full potential and becoming the best version of ourselves.

Worth Remembering – The Motivation Equation. Needs plus goal-directed behaviour equals your WIIFM. – Brian Smith.

What’s your WIIFM? What’s the reason or reasons you do what you do and act the way you behave? If you aren’t getting your WIIFM, then you need to change the way you are going about it. You need to act and behave in a way that will get you what you want. Sometimes, that means doing one thing to get another. It’s time to rethink motivation.

Copyright 2025. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced in any form without written permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker or planning a training session at your location? Brian works with people who want to learn how to communicate and interact more effectively with others, build collaborative teams, resolve conflicts or motivate people to perform at their best.

Don’t Let Difficult People Sabotage Your Career

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Dealing with Difficult People, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Personal Development, Personality Types, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: ,

Have you ever met someone for the first time and thought, Oh, yuck – what a dink? And I don’t mean Double Income No Kids. You didn’t know why; you just felt there was something about them that you didn’t like. But after spending time with them and getting to know them better, you changed your mind. Establishing a rapport and building a relationship with the people you work with and interact with is crucial to your success as a team member, manager or leader. You don’t have to socialize with everyone you work with, but you must learn how to get along with them. Don’t let difficult people sabotage your career.

Your ability to get along with others, will determine your happiness and success as much as any other factor. – Brian Tracy.

People tend to work more effectively with those they like. The 3-Rs – Rapport, Relationship, Respect will help you establish those all-important connections.

Step One – Rapport. Try to learn something about the people you work with, beyond their job responsibilities. Do they have any hobbies? What do they like to do in their spare time? To establish a rapport, you need to engage in a friendly conversation on a topic that interests them. Idle chit-chat is essential to establishing rapport.

Step Two – Relationship. Once you have established a rapport, the next step is to build a relationship. Successful salespeople recognize the importance of cultivating strong relationships with their clients. People like to do business with people they like. The same holds true for the people who work with you. They prefer to work with someone they like.

Step Three – Respect. You won’t respect anyone you haven’t built a relationship with. Mutual respect evolves. But you have to give it to get it. Being a good team member, manager, or leader isn’t about being popular, although that doesn’t hurt. If I had to choose between being liked or respected, I would choose respect. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions that may not be popular with everyone. They may disagree with the decision you made, but they will still respect you.

Unity is strength. With teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. – Mattie Stepanek.

You have to go along to get along. However, you must also recognize that the strength of the team is comprised of individuals with diverse perspectives and personalities. Don’t expect others to be just like you. Not everyone cares as much as you care. Not everyone is as committed as you are. Not everyone has the same career aspirations as you do. Some people choose not to lead, but they do choose who they want to follow. Build those all-important relationships. Don’t let difficult people sabotage your career.

Copyright 2025. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next event or planning a training session at your location? Brian works with people who want to learn how to communicate and interact more effectively, build collaborative teams, resolve conflict or motivate others to perform at their best. Contact Brian to discover how he can assist you and your team.

Are You Still Putting Out Fires.

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

Do you know me? I’m looking over your shoulder, waiting for you to make a mistake so I can point out everything you’ve done wrong. My way is always the best. I need to be in charge and want everyone to know about it. I’m the classic control freak. I am robbing you of your opportunity to grow because I haven’t learned how to give up control to get control. I haven’t learned how to delegate. Does this sound familiar? Are you still putting out fires?

Worth Remembering – ‘In the digital age, you need to make knowledge workers out of every employee possible. ‘ – Bill Gates.

To stop putting out fires, you must ignore the urge to micro-manage everyone because the reality is you can’t control everything all of the time. It’s bigger than you. You physically can’t be in all places at once. You can’t be looking over everyone’s shoulder all the time at the same time. You must learn to trust the people around you and make knowledgeable workers by delegating some of your responsibilities to those on your team.

Worth Remembering – ‘Big things and little things are a leader’s job. Middle management can be delegated.’ – Konosuke Matsushita.

Delegation 101. Eight easy steps to effective delegation.

Step One – Decide what you want to delegate. You must be clear about the task and ensure they have all the tools they will need to complete it.

Step Two – Decide who is capable and, most importantly, who is willing to take on more responsibility.

Step Three – Create a teachable moment. First, demonstrate the task, then have them perform it, and once they have completed the task satisfactorily, leave them alone.

Step Four – Ask open-ended questions to ensure learning has taken place. You need to make sure they know what needs to be done and why.

Step Five – Follow up, follow up and then follow up some more. Make it a point to check in on them now and again to make sure things are still on track.

Step Six – Keep the lines of communication open. Let them know you are here to help them if and when they want it.

Step Seven—Hold them accountable for the results. Standards and quality are not open for debate, but how they accomplish them can be. It doesn’t have to be just your way.

Step Eight – Recognize what has been accomplished and praise their performance.

You don’t appreciate it when someone is looking over your shoulder, watching your every move, and second-guessing every decision you make, so don’t do the same to them. Stop micro-managing. Are you still putting out fires?

Copyright 2025. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next evernt, planning a webinare or a training session at your location. Contact Brian. He specializes in soft skills training and leadership development. Brian will customize a presentation that is right for you and your organization.