Category Archives: Coaching

How To Lead Your Team Through Change

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Competitive Advantage, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Personality Types, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , , , ,

Change is often inevitable when changes are made under new management, mergers, hostile takeovers or acquisitions. Change can be disruptive. Some people adapt well to change – some tolerate it – while others dislike it and try to ignore it or hide their heads in the sand. The announcement that changes are going to take place is the easy part; it makes your organization look bold and forward-thinking. However, implementing those changes is complicated because no matter the reasons for making those changes, there will always be resentment and resistance, especially when the changes require a new way of working or painful budget cuts.

‘Every change forces all companies in an industry to adapt their strategies to that change.” – Bill Gates.

We adopt a particular style – a particular way of behaving at a very young age which heavily influences how we react to change. Having everyone on your team score a DISC Behavioural Assessment may give you valuable insight into how each team member might react to those changes. You can use that understanding to make the transition smoother and help lead your team through change.

Here are some general characteristics of each DISC style based on Dr. William Marston’s research.

D – Dominant. They may resist change if it threatens their authority and might become aggressive and demanding when faced with uncertainty. To help D cope with change, provide clear direction and feedback and recognize their ability to lead others.

I – Interpersonal. They may resist change if it disrupts their relationships or routines and may become emotional and opinionated when faced with stress or conflict. To help I cope with change, provide support and empathy and address their concerns.

S – Steadiness. They may resist change if it challenges their logic and security and may become cautious and rigid and resist new ideas for fear of failure. To help S cope with change, explain the reasons behind those changes and how they will benefit them and the team, and offer your support.

C – Conscientious. They may resist change if it goes against their standards and values and may become pessimistic and distant when faced with failure or disappointment. To help C cope with change, acknowledge the difficulties and offer guidance and resources.

‘Your success in life isn’t based on your ability to simply change. It is based on your ability to change faster than your competition, customers and business.’ – Mark Sanborn.

Remember, these are just general tendencies; not everyone on your team will fit into one neat little package. We are a blend of all four DISC styles and may react differently depending on the situation. The best way to lead your team through change is to be open-minded, flexible and communicative and understand how each person handles change.

Copyright 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To learn more about DISC and how it can help you manage and lead others more effectively, contact Brian at – brian@briansmithpld.com. or visit – https;//briansmithpld.com.

Learn To Lead The OpenAI Way

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

We are not born knowing how to manage and lead others effectively. It is a learned behaviour. Generative AI systems have been in the news lately, so I thought I’d have some fun using them to develop a list of invaluable management or leadership traits. If you aspire to take on a management or leadership role, here are my search results using Microsoft’s Bing OpenAI with editing by Grammarly and yours truly.

Worth Remembering – “Leadership is practiced not so much in words but in attitude and action.” – Geneen.

Learn to lead the OpenAI way.

  • Show your team how you want them to behave and perform by modelling the qualities and behaviours you expect from them. If you want your team to be positive, enthusiastic, and creative, you must demonstrate those traits yourself.
  • As a manager or leader, you must make intelligent and timely decisions that benefit your team and organization. You must empower your team to make appropriate decisions and provide the necessary tools and guidance.
  • Transparency and honesty are essential for building trust and establishing rapport with your team. Communicate openly and clearly with your team, and be honest about your actions, thoughts, and feelings. Encourage your team to do the same and listen to their feedback and concerns.
  • Remember that your main goal as a manager or leader is to guide and support your team, not to control or micromanage them. Put your team’s interests and needs above your own and show them you care about their well-being and success. Recognize and appreciate their contributions and provide them with opportunities for growth and development.
  • A good manager or leader can motivate and inspire their team to work towards a common goal that aligns with their values and ideals. Use consultation and collaboration to get your team committed by challenging them with new and exciting tasks.

Worth Remembering – “Great managers and leaders encourage leadership development by openly developing themselves.” – Marshall Goldsmith.

A great manager or leader is always willing to learn new things and improve their skills. Seek feedback from your team, peers, and mentors, and be open and receptive to constructive feedback. Learn from your mistakes, and trust me, there will be plenty of them. Celebrate your achievements. Seek out new opportunities for learning and development, and share your knowledge and insights with your team. I hope these tips help you learn to manage or lead the OpenAI way.

Powered by Bing’s OpenAI with editing by Grammarly and Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without their permission. Are you searching for a corporate training provider, planning a lunch-n-learn or in-person training session? To learn more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, visit his website or contact him directly. https://briansmithpld.com

Are You Uncomfortable Yet?

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Leadership Development, management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Teacher, Uncategorized

Are you comfortable being where you’re at and what you’ve accomplished in your career, or do you want more? If you are comfortable and don’t aspire to take on more or do more, don’t. There is nothing wrong with that. But if you aren’t satisfied and want more out of your life or career, you need to change because nothing changes until you do. Change can be disruptive and uncomfortable. Change can be scary and somewhat unpredictable when doing something you’ve never done before. Nothing ever changes unless you are uncomfortable being comfortable.

“The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.” – President Bill Clinton.

Do you want to make a change in your life or career? Then CHANGE.

C – Commit; Commit to a new beginning. Determine what needs to change in your life or career and devise a plan to achieve it. Those who fail to take the time to put a plan together end up failing.

H – Habit: Stop doing one thing and start doing another. Do it often enough, and it will become you. The old habit is no longer serving you. The old habit is getting in the way of you achieving your goal.

A – Action: Action, not words. Stop talking about it and start doing it. No one ever achieved anything by just talking about it. Real change comes from doing.

N – Never; Never give up. You’re going to have setbacks. Sometimes, it will feel like you’ve taken two steps forward and four steps back. At times, you’ll feel like quitting – but don’t. Be patient. Hang in there.

G – Growth: Growth happens outside of your comfort zone. The moment you take that first step is when you start to grow. But you have to take that first step.

E – Enthusiastic: If you aren’t excited about the changes you want to make, the direction you’re headed, and the goals you’ve set for yourself, then you aren’t motivated enough to make those changes. How bad do you want it?

‘Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. ” – Shaw.

People change for a whole bunch of reasons. What will that change do for you? Will it make you feel better, look better or be a better version of yourself? Will it enhance your career and make you promotable? The changes that stick are the ones that people are committed to making. You have to be all in. If you aren’t 100% committed to making the change, you’ll likely fall back into doing what you’ve always done. Are you uncomfortable yet?

Your call to action. We can help you make those changes. Contact Brian to find out how. – brian@briansmithpld.com.

Copyright (c) 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To learn more about Brian and what he can do for you or your organization visit, https://briansmithpld.com.

Authentic Leadership Defined

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

Authentic – Adjective: of undisputed origin, genuine. Synonyms: – credible, legitimate, original. Being authentic implies that you’re trustworthy and reliable. Some leaders and managers start taking on bogus characteristics because they feel pressured to be what they’re not. They believe it will help them increase their chances of successfully leading or managing others. Are you being your authentic self, or are you faking it?

“You were born to be real, not to be perfect. You are here to be you, not ot live someone else’s life.” – Ralph Marston.

You can’t rub the stripes off the tiger or the spots off the leopard, no matter how hard you try. You are who you are. However, your authentic leadership style may not be effective in some situations. A strength can become a weakness. One way of managing and leading others does not fit all. The key to working with others is to communicate and interact with them the way they like. You don’t have to change who you are – just modify your approach.

Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we are supposed to be and embracing who we truly are.” – Brene Brown.

Dr. William Marston believed we are one of four distinct personalities, Dominant, Interpersonal, Steadiness or Conscientious, that heavily influence our behaviour. He ascertained that we become who we are and act the way we act at a very young age. We get accustomed to behaving a certain way, communicating and interacting with others a certain way and managing ourselves and others a certain way that eventually becomes our authentic selves.

“Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomfort.” – Arnold Bennett.

If you want to be more effective in leading or managing others – don’t change who you are – change the way you do it.

D – Dominant: To be more effective in leading or managing dominant personalities, get to the point quickly, use a rapid pace and be business-like. Answer the “what” questions.

I – Interpersonal: To be more effective in leading or managing interpersonal personalities, be casual and approachable, and establish those all-important relationships. Answer the “who” questions.

S – Steadiness: To be more effective in leading or managing steadiness personalities, use a slower pace and establish rapport by being friendly. Answer the “how” questions.

C – Conscientious: To be more effective in leading or managing conscientious personalities, be reserved and wait for them, limiting your feelings and enthusiasm, Answer the “why” questions.

Copyright (c) 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To learn more about DISC and how it can help you and your leadership team manage and lead others more effectively, contact Brian at: brian@briansmithpld.com.